week in training | 6.21 – 6.27

61 miles of running this week. I never really believed I could hit such a number without completely disintegrating, but my body proves more and more that it is quite resilient so long as I’m intelligent and relatively balanced. I can’t credit enough the emphasis on mostly slow running and keeping up with my strength work. Right now I aim for two times per week, a third if I have the time – which I haven’t lately – with a big focus on heavy weights and low reps as well as hip and core work. My right hip, the one that threw me from my Big Sur goals, has barked a bit louder recently so I’ve been working pretty diligently to strengthen the muscles surrounding the area to keep everything loose and limber.

Monday, 6.21: 10.4 miles, 10:37 pace + 40 min strength + 1 mile, 10:23 + 1,500 yard swim (31:50)

80 degrees, real feel 92, dew point 79. Very disgusting out, though weirdly I felt pretty good on the run until mile 7 when I think I mentally went kaput. Struggled mightily through the last few miles and decided to make up for the one mile I intended to do on the treadmill once I finished my strength session.

My lower back has been a sore since my workout Saturday, so the swim was janky, but overall felt really good. I performed 2 x 50 hard/400 steady/50 hard and averaged 2:00/100 yards and a 43 SWOLF. About what I expected.

Strength:

• 3 x 8 squat
• 3 x 10 row
• 3 x 3 ea. lunge matrix (12 lunges per side, front/side/back)
• 3 x 10 OH press
• 3 x 10 OH triceps extension
• 3 x 12 stir the pot
• 3 x 10 heavy oblique crunch
• 3 x 10 dumbbell drag
• 3 x 20 plank jack

Tuesday, 6.22: 5.51 miles, 10:54 pace + 1,500 yard swim (31:52)

Easy run at 154 bpm. My ribcage felt sore and tight and my stride was pretty wonky for some reason – perhaps weightlifting fatigue or just a bad day – so the run wasn’t my smoothest, but from a cardiovascular perspective I felt pretty good despite the raging humidity.

Swim felt relaxing after work, 1:58 average and 42 SWOLF. As is usual. I swam a ladder of 250-200-15-100-50 and finished with 6 x 25 fast to work on my stroke. Not my smoothest by any means, but still enjoyable to move a bit faster in the water!

Wednesday, 6.23: 10.43 miles, 9:36 pace + 40 min strength + 1,500 yard swim (31:16)

A pretty good and fast-moving marathon pace workout in the morning. I performed 3 sets of 200 fast/1600 goal pace/200 fast, with 3 minutes recovery in between, and finished with 100 fast/800 half marathon pace/100 fast. The 200s ranged from 7:00-7:15, the marathon pace miles clocked at 8:46, 8:47, and 8:44, and the 100s at 6:55 and 6:53. My nemesis was the heat, not so much the difficulty of the paces. I definitely had some bad cardiac drift by the end – I haven’t really mastered avoiding that phenomenon, but I’m also not sure if anyone really masters it anyway.

The swim was rather anxiety-inducing since the pool was really busy and I had to share a lane. The real issue was the guy in the lane next to me. He swam so close to the barrier that he smacked my hand twice with his paddle as he passed, and one time nearly drew blood! I performed a straight 800 yard set at 15:52, then a set of 50 fast/200 moderate/50 fast, 4 x 25 sprint, 2 x 50 pull, and 200 cooldown. 1:57/100 yards and 42 SWOLF. Decent for feeling a bit disturbed the whole time.

Strength:

• 3 x 10 swings
• 3 x 10 alt. curtsy lunge with squat
• 3 x 10 balanced single-arm OH press
• 3 x 10 reverse fly
• 3 x 10 ea. windmill
• 3 x 15 ea. clamshells
• 3 x 15 three-point foot taps
• 3 x 10 ea. standing clams with weight
• 3 x 15 stability ball leg drops
• 1 min plank

Thursday, 6.24: 27.74 miles, 22.2 mph cycling (1:15:00) + 1,350 yard swim (28:32)

No real fanciness to the ride except 6 x 1 minute high cadence drills (100 RPM+ in a light gear), averaged 127W. Much more peaceable swim as well! 500 warmup, 3 x 100 – 1:50, 1:49, 1:48, 6 x 25 fast/25 easy, 250 cooldown. 41 SWOLF and 1:54 average AND a 12 stroke average which I think is a new record for me!

Friday, 6.25: 9.39 miles, 10:39 pace + 3.37 miles, 10:23 pace

Weekly double run to boost up my mileage! The first was straightforward and no frills, 157 BPM average heart rate. The second I broke up with sets of 4 min run/1 min walk and 7 x stride lasting maybe 20 seconds or so apiece. Worked down to a 5:58 pace. It was HOT but up until the strides I actually managed my heartrate and effort level really well.

Saturday, 6.26: 17.13 miles, 10:48 pace

First true long run of Chicago training and I was really satisfied with how well it went. I determined to keep a very aerobic effort and avoid as much cardiac drift as possible (total avoidance doesn’t seem realistic, but I can work to mitigate the effects). I averaged a 157 heart rate which is very low for a long run and only rose after I performed my speedier segments. To split up the second hour, at the top of each mile I ran about 2 minutes at a fast clip more to break up the time and keep my legs and mind engaged, walked 10 seconds after each to sip some water. These sat in the 8s somewhere but I usually paced down into the mid-7s. I took in a Honey Stinger Chocolate gel after the second hour which really got my legs moving again!

Sunday, 6.27: 4 miles, 11:30 pace

Slow Run Sunday in full force. I guess I really needed those relaxed miles! My legs weren’t too trashed after yesterday’s long run but that pace apparently suited them well. I averaged a 143 heart rate, perfect for recovery, and stopped a bit early as usual to enjoy a 25 minute walk home.

Total running mileage: 61.2

Total cycling mileage: 27.7

Total swimming yardage: 5,850