Halloween hell

After being on the road for a week, eating pizza and ice cream after my concert on Thurs, then driving 11 hrs yesterday ...  I knew I needed to suffer today, so I did a volume workout.

Conditions were pretty raw, light rain, breezy and mid 50ºs in Sewanee this afternoon.

Saucony trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

800m - 2:47 

600m - 1:56 

500m - 88 

400m - 68

Yea, nothing fast but it was brutal in my present state of fitness, which is low.  Although I was 146.6 lbs after the workout, I can feel the extra few pounds.  Despite running the entire workout the opposite way around the track, my foot was hurting afterward from the volume.   I also missed taking glucosamine for 5 days and that may have affected me.

If I'm going to survive this season's training, I'm probably going to have to do more tempo and less volume.

Happy Halloween.

not too far gone

Speed work today.  A little test to see where I am.

An unspeakably beautiful day in Sewanee.   Sunset temperatures just under 70º and dry.  Leaves are colorful and the scene was lovely under the half moon.

I did a warm up, laced up my spikes and ran a fast 400.

Saucony trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

3 x 50m striders  

Nike R3 spikes on 

400m - 58 (27.5 / 30.5) 

Saucony trainers on 

2 x 200m - 28, 27

Felt hard but good.  Foot issue wasn't as bad today due to the low volume.  It was an honest 58sec 400m and may have been slightly faster, but I'll call it 58.  Not too bad considering I'm carrying about 4 lbs extra and it's off season.   I was 146 lbs after workout.  I could probably run close to 57 in a race right now.

I rested plenty in between my 3 long sprints and I really put out on the last 200m and it kicked my butt.  I ran the 200s in trainers in lane 7 to put less stress on my foot.

I hope to be back on the track in a week.   Time for my concert tour and I have 'my hay in a different barn' right now.

continued backsliding...

Felt cold tonight at Sewanee, breezy low 50s at sunset.  I'm definitely don't feel like I'm getting in shape.  To make any headway, I need at least 2 hard track workouts a week, instead of just one.  But, I'm not going to start that for a while.... long season ahead.  Still have pain in my right inside talonavicular joint.

I'm tempted to put the spikes on and do a fast 400m just to see where I am.  My workouts are a little lighter than last yr at this time when I was already up to 3x a week.  Last yr at this time I could do 4 x 400m with 2m rest.  No way now.

Saucony trainers on 

800m warmup, stretches, drills 

3 x 400m w/ 2min rest - 70, 73, 81 

100m strider on grass

I'm still heavy even though I've reformed my diet.   Ranging now between 147 - 150.5.   147.4 after workout.  Sometimes, morning weight is under 147.   I'm reminded that any change in diet takes a long time to see changes in body fat and variations up to 5 lbs are meaningless.  When my range becomes 143 - 146.5, then I will know I'm making headway.  Stopped eating bread more than a week ago.

Exercising the shin muscles responsible for raising the toe helps with the foot pain, as does the opposite, calf raises.

tempo 400s

My first tempo workout (limited rest intervals) and it was ok.  Certainly not anything like what I'd do if in shape.  A gorgeous evening in Sewanee, dry upper 60's, feels cool with a breeze in the dry air.

Saucony trainers on 

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

3 x 400m w/ 2 min rest - 71, 73, 78 

300m - 44

Still a good 5 lbs overweight.  This was the first time on the track in 8 days and the ankle felt better but not great.  It would have hurt to run anymore than I did.

I'll stick with this 1 track and 1 weight workout a week until mid Nov, and probably then begin ramping up.

146.2 after workout, since I ate pretty much nothing all day 'cept for a pear.

long stuff

Beautiful day after several cold and rainy days.  Low 70ºs and sunny at sunset.

I wanted to do a 3 x 800m workout today but my ankle was sore from walking around an art fair for 2 hours prior to the workout.   Felt almost crippled when I started my warmup lap.  Even though I protected my ankle by running the opposite way, I had to quit after 2.

400m warmup, stretches, drills 

2 x 800m  - 2:47, 2:51 

100m strider on grass

Yes, the ankle was too sore to get into sprint form today.   Maybe because I missed a few days of glucosamine supplements.   Hopefully better next time.   Maybe I need more rest but I feel terribly out of shape.