Training, Jan. 23 through Jan. 29
This week was supposed to be a cut-back week. Technically it was, but I believe I demonstrated perfectly how to go about such a thing in a mindless way. I ran 22 miles in the first three days, but then in my determination to reach 70 in all I logged 38 in the next three and was -- shocker! -- tired. I wound up with just over 70, giving me a four-week average of 72.
Still, on Sunday I did about two miles' worth of 200s, 300s and 400s on the road, managing about 5:00 to 5:20 pace for these. My heart rate was no higher than I would expect of someone who could run under 18:00 for 5K at altitude right now, but my legs were telling me this will be off the table for at least a few more weeks.
It's funny how it's possible to use the same piece of information in opposite ways and still assess both of those ways as rational. Late in the week, when I was flagging a little, I told myself that I'm not training for anything specific (a white lie, but forget that part) so I could take it even easier than I planned to. But I also told myself that because I'm not training for anything in particular (not entirely true, but that's of no consequence) I might as well keep hammering away out of sheer spiteful defiance of fatigue.
The reality is that I am still coming back from a substantial layoff. After another so-so workout in early June, I lost a great deal of motivation, moved, got caught up in an overdue book project (what book manuscript worth a damn has ever been submitted on time?), endured a strange case of cellulitis, and basically became a slug for six months. I did a solid amount of walking and some hiking in that time, but nothing that any serious runner would properly call exercise. So, I started up again on December 1 and have now been at it for eight full weeks, spending December building up from about 30 minutes a day to about 60. The fact that I am more or less comfortably banging out 10- to 12-mile days is actually encouraging, but because I haven't trained seriously for any length of time in about 10 years, my mind invariably leaps to put what I'm doing in the context of a much younger and much fitter runner.
By the end of February I hope to be doing one substantial hard session a week. By mid-month I will find a way to get a baseline fitness level without hurting too much,
In the interest of using this space to promote the efforts of running bloggers who are actually worth following, I introduce you this week to Tracy Green of Louisville, Kentucky. Tracy, who is about 30, started running in college and has eased her marathon time down to 2:57:03 (Monumental Marathon, 11/2016) since then. She has written for a local newspaper and won some awards for her work, so it's not surprising her writing is top-notch. She is also a meticulous data hound, so that aspect should appeal to the numbers-hungry,