60*, overcast, foggy, crisp north wind; a perfect running day
Speed Segments (SS) is my new vocabulary term1 for what I have previous!y referred to as strides or pick-ups. My training going forward will be focused on using fast running to build more and more powerful mitochondria. So there will be many SS included. l will still include long runs and high intensity middle distance interval training (HIMDIT).
Today: 4 miles in 54:54 including warm-up of 1 mile w 5 x SS of 50 strides followed by 3 miles consisting of 17 x SS. Each speed segment consisted of 30 seconds and 75 to 85 strides. Each was followed by a recovery phase of 1 minute with 30 seconds walking 30 seconds jog. My HR was consistently in the range of 135 to 150 BPM. Running north I enjoyed battling the wind: running south was a little like floating on the firm but forgiving sand. The workout was quite exhilarating.
Two great quotes when seen together: (I am loving this book.)
Percy Cerutty, “Great people and great athletes realize early in their lives their destiny, and accept it.”
Jim Ryan, (My hero) ” I ran to get a letter jacket, a girlfriend.”
Today I wanted to see if I could run a 10 minute mile or better on the beach. After I thought about it for a while I decided to just try for half a mile. I did about a 15 minute warm up that included 8 pick-ups from 25 to 50 strides. I was looking for a 5-minute half what started out running way too fast. I was very comfortable at 7:30 to 8:00 and completed the 800 meters in 4:25 after backing off considerably. At that point two simultaneous things were happening. I was thinking of pushing the trial on to the mile distance, but my right quadricep muscle was starting to hurt. I did push on pretty strong to the 1200m mark, but stopped out of an abundance of caution. I was experiencing no aerobic stress at all. That was a very good sign. I walked and jogged a half-mile back and then began trying a few more pickups. I think it is possible that, had I warmed up for 10 more minutes before the trial, I may have not experienced the quadriceps pain at all.
I am not unhappy with the results of this effort today.
I want a letter jacket!
Stats-
Weight = #153.5
Sleep = 9 hours
Diet = 7/8
Morning heart rate consisted of 54 beats per minute
Morning indexes good after 2 out of three days of rest.
I am adding two new indexes so that I become more aware of my behavior. The first is for daily stretching (DS) which will be rated as Good, Fair, Poor or Absent. The other will be a measure of my daily behavior concerning body weight exercises (BWE) for upper body and arms and core based on the same ratings.
“If the furnace is hot enough, it will burn anything.”
-John L. Parker Jr. in Once A Runner
Tuesday – Rest day
Wednesday – Another day with even faster pick-ups -35 minutes total I ran 10 x 30 seconds with a 60 second walk or jog recovery flanked by a short run before and after. My pace descended from 9:00 to 6:40 as I became warmer and more fluid. I concentrated on short quick strides. The stride count reached 160 per minute.
The next time you are out there training, think about your mitochondria sucking up that oxygen and powering your body. They are your friends…diligently providing the matrix a portion of the enzymes responsible for the chemical reactions which power your muscles. It would also be a good idea to think about how to efficiently get more of them when trying to build your aerobic engine as big as it can be. Generally, you have to go hard to make them grow! The bigger the engine, the faster one can go! Train hard, rest hard, train hard again, and have fun along the way.
“Mitochondria: The Aerobic Engines”
Kirk Willett (Source:biketechreview.com)
After reading more about the process of building muscle power by creating more and more powerful mitochondria, I chose to do a quicker workout today. With my legs feeling a little more lively after a bike day, I ran 10 strides at from 6:40 to 8:20 after a steady 15 minute warm-up. finished with a 15 minute jog and walk to cool down. My legs felt good and quick. The totals were 3 miles in 39 minutes. It was fun!
*My basic philosophy can be summed up by an expression we use in Norwegian: hurry slowly, Get there, but be patient.” Grete Waitz
As the cool, cloudy, windy, St. Augustine winter continues, I have been able to escalate the quality and consistency of my training. 55* and overcast is not beach bathing weather, but a pretty sound running environment.
Saturday; 45 minutes on windy beach without Garmin- about 3.3 miles with frequent pickups of 50 to 100 strides. Legs are good.
Sunday; 1 hour of biking on beach (6.9 miles) with a few running strides at the 4 mile mark No leg issues.
First, I got my hands on a beach bike that seems to be working pretty well. I rode it for about 5 miles today. It turned out to be a good warm-up for my run.
Second, the weather improved, mainly the wind lessened and the temperature went up to low 60s. So I went out and ran 3 miles in 39 minutes. The calf muscle feels completely healed. But I still get a little pain in my right quadricep. It doesn’t prevent me from running or from accelerating, but it is annoying. Lots of heating and stretching seems to have helped both issues.
A good Training Day.
Stats-
Weight = 152 and 1/2 lb
Sleep = 9 hours
Morning heart rate stable at 54 beats per minute
Diet has been very good.
Morning plantar fasciitis pain is still at level five but disappears within minutes and does not bother me while running.
Morning Achilles tendon pain is non-existent, thankfully.
Nasty, cold, unrelenting north wind again today. So I was the lonely beach runner. It was a designated recovery day: so I only ran for 20 minutes. The 10 minutes heading north was pretty brutal, but the 10 minutes heading sound was kind of fun. Being the only guy out there did make me feel a little bit hard-ass, I must admit.
“It’s just personal satisfaction.” Kenny Moore, USA Olympic marathoner 1968 and 1972 and running writer
Another 4 miles on a windy, cold (but not Chicago cold -51*) beach. First 2 miles needed to bring the body to fully warmed up state. Last 2 miles were dotted with 12 pick-ups of 30 to 100 strides at 8 to 9 minute pace. That plan produces a heart rate in a very positive range for aerobic improvement. Calf and quad muscles feeling on the margin, but ok for short pick-ups after a long warm up.
Stats-
Sleep = 8 hours
Weight = #154
Diet = 9
I-Mad = 1
I-Mpfd = 5. Pain at 0 after gentle stretch for about 2 minutes.
So, today I began my run on the beach as the sun was setting. I didn’t use the heating pads today. Instead I did my leg swing drills before I began to run including some lunges. The first mile was very careful and deliberate at about 13 minutes per mile. The good news is that both my calf and quad muscles felt fine. After I passd the mile mark, I decided it was time to follow my new motto, “Do what frightens you.” So, I began a series of pickups starting with gentle bursts of 20/30 strides. As I gained confidence, I increased the length and speed of each pick-up. I turned around at the 1 1/2 mile mark and continued the pick-ups. In all, I ran over 15 bursts reaching about 1 minute for the final few at a pretty quick pace. It was quite exhilarating to run at a solid pace for the first time in a month. The sun had set by the time I finished this 3 mile workout. After the run I stood in the quite cold pool for 10 minutes. The debate over the efficacy of cold pool baths after a run is a subject for another post. But it felt good.
Stats-
Weight = #153
Sleep = 8 hours
Diet = 9
Morning heart rate = 54 beats per minute. Very consistent!
35 minutes with no calf issues, constant, dull pain in right quad muscle?
January 25th, Friday
50th Wedding Anniversary. I Love You, Arlene.
3.3 miles in 43 minutes…. Calf muscle decidedly better! Right quad curiously aching throughout run. I have been consciously walking and running the 15 steps to the upper floor of our current rented condo whenever I have the chance. Could that be a factor regarding quad muscle?
January 26th, Saturday
Unrelenting, strong, bitter mcold wind from the north pushed me south along the beach this afternoon for 2 miles. Then I exited the beach and returned through the seaside neighborhoods where the wind was still unrelenting, but not so strong. Good news on the calf front, but still getting noise from my right quad muscle. But 4 miles in 50:15 on a tough day with a strong last mile is OK for now.
Poor stat data lately. Scale needs battery. Must do better.
My Sunset beach shadow