Calf Strain Week

Week-beginning Thoughts:

Pretty sure my calves are strained... Still in WTF land about how/why, but oh well... At least I'm not training for anything.

Monday

Did: nada

Calves sore to touch in bed... guess that means I'm not doing much of anything.

Tuesday

Did:  1hr walk on treadmill + 20min chest/triceps lifting

Calves still a little sore to touch in bed, but felt fine on treadmill. Stayed away from any leg-related lifting or cardio.

Wednesday

Did:  30min walk on treadmill + 26min back/arm/shoulder lifting + 10min core, 30min walk

Right calf felt a little funky during the walk, so I stopped short of my hour goal. Lifted weights for another half hour and finished with some core.

Thursday

Did:  1hr real outdoor walk, 30min lifting

Friday

Did:  30min lifting, 5min treadmill run

Saturday

Did: 2.10mi treadmill run @ 9:35/mi avg + Control Freak Lifting Week 1: Total Body

Sunday

Did: 4mi treadmill run @ 9:26/mi avg

Finally healthy?

Total Weekly Mileage: 6.61 pitiful

Week-ending Thoughts: 
Not really in a good place right now... 

Happy New Year, I guess?

 Week-beginning Thoughts:
Sick. Ugh.

Monday

Did:  nada

Tuesday

Did:  nada

Wednesday

Did:  nada

Thursday

Did:  1.6mi walk

Friday

Did:  3.78mi @ 9:40/mi avg

This took a lot out of me.... 

Saturday

Did: 8.26mi @ 9:38/mi avg

Calves were super sore from yesterday, and the run felt really hard too. My calves felt destroyed by mid-afternoon and I'm wondering if I don't have super mild strains in both of them? From WHAT? Being in bed for a week and then literally doing easy mileage? UGH

Sunday

Did: 1hr strength training

I couldn't even straighten my legs this morning to walk to the bathroom without pain, so I opted for an upper body workout only today. Felt nice to do some LIIFT4-ing: back/biceps/triceps/chest. 

Total Weekly Mileage: 12.04

Week-ending Thoughts: 

So much for a good start to the new year :P 

Rough Close of 2021

I love looking back on the past year and doing a review of accomplishments, goals, progress, data, etc. so the fact that this entry is happening a week into the new year kind of tells you how life is going for me... 

2021 Goals:

keep lifting on a regular basis

I actually did really well with this, only pausing (very intentionally) during marathon training

complete at least one three-week Beachbody Program following nutrition to a T, just to see what happens ;) 

I did, and it was really successful. 

break a 6:00 mile (I know I can)

While I didn't achieve this goal, I'm pretty freaking proud of my 6:01

Other Accomplishments I'm Proud Of:

Marathon training alongside my running bestie without a goal race in mind for myself... and still scoring a PR on a "random Saturday morning marathon"
Top 1000 cup at Peachtree, and an 'A-Wave' bib
no running injuries

By the Numbers:

• 1745 miles run (new annual max)
• 273 hours, 05 minutes, and 16 seconds spent running
• 9:23/mi average pace for the year 
• 45 days were affected by illness, plus another 29 days where I was still dealing with some sort of health issue and ran (doesn't include my bout of complete unilateral deafness, which was another ~14 days)
• 2 new PRs (marathon and mile)

Looking to Next Year, Goals:

I'm kind of at the point with running where I don't really have/need goals? I know I'm going to keep running 30ish miles a week, because it's what I do. I know I'm going to keep up with speedwork, because that's how our training rolls. I guess this year I'll try to focus a bit more on the things that aren't where I want them to be, and that's really less about my fitness routine and more on spending additional time on and with my family.

...but because this is a fitness blog:

• train for and race a 5K this spring
• don't go more than two weeks without a 30min lifting session

Oh, is it Christmas week?

Week-beginning Thoughts:

It just does not feel like Christmas at all... 

Monday

Did:  MBF 30min Total Body Weights, 30min Core

This was nice.

Tuesday

Did: 7.15mi @ 9:40/mi avg

Ugh. No sleep last night... 

Wednesday

Did:4.04mi @ 9:27/mi avg

Ugh. Another night of rough sleep.

Thursday

Scheduled: 2mi WU, 8-10x 400m "so hard you have to walk a bit to catch your breath"/200m recovery, 1mi CD

Did: 2mi WU, 9x400/200, 1mi CD = 6.55mi @ 9:00/mi avg

This was fun. I took off too fast on the first 400 (1:27), and definitely felt it the rest of the repeats. I stopped after each one, walked about 50m, and then continued the recovery jog. 400s really seemed long today, but it was fun to get a little speed back in my life.

I opted for 9 instead of 8 or 10.

1:27

1:38

1:40

1:41

1:38

1:30

1:41

1:39

1:38

All solidly sub-7 pace. 

Friday

Did: 9.0mi @ 9:53/mi avg plus one mile of walk/jog with the older kiddo

Got a nice long run with my family in before a loooong day in the car tomorrow. The older kiddo kept saying he wanted to run, but when it came time, he ended up walking more than running... 

Saturday

Did: nada

Drove up to visit family

Sunday

Did: lower body workout 

Total Weekly Mileage: 26.7

Week-ending Thoughts: 

Just trying to live in the moment and enjoy time away from work... even if it's not a vacation. 

December, part trois

Week-beginning Thoughts:
I can't do it all. 

Monday

Did:  1hr weight-lifting

Jury duty --> weights. What a day. 

Tuesday

Did: 6.33 @ 9:17/mi avg

Cold runs = fast runs.

Wednesday

Did: 30min core, 10min walk

Thursday

Did: 1mi WU, 4mi tempo, 1mi CD = 6.18mi @ 8:46/mi avg

Did NOT feel like doing this today, and was sure the tempo was going to be a complete flop when I started. Somehow, though, I started feeling awesome about a mile into it and found my groove.

Prescribed pace was 8:00, but I didn't push myself to hit that and accepted:

8:10, 8:13, 8:17, 7:55

Friday

Did: 6.11mi @ 8:58/mi avg

This was a stressful day, and it showed in my pace for this "easy" run. 

 

Saturday

Did: 12.04mi @ 9:33/mi avg

Nice long run to start the weekend.

Sunday

Did: 4.1mi @ 9:30/mi avg with single

Fun rain run.

Total Weekly Mileage: 34.8

Week-ending Thoughts:

First time I've been over 30mpw in awhile?

December, still

Week-beginning Thoughts:

I can't do it all. 

Monday

Planned: nada
Did:  nada

Worked 11.75 hours. Walked to get takeout for dinner... does that count?

Tuesday

Did: 6.33 @ 9:35/mi avg

Worked 10.5 hours

Wednesday

Did: 45min weight lifting

Worked 12 hours

Thursday

Did: 6.11mi @ 9:20/mi avg

Worked 10 hours

Friday

Did: 4mi easy @ 9:17/mi, 30min legs

Worked 10 hours. 

 

Saturday

Did: 10.05mi @ 9:28/mi avg, 15min arms/shoulders

Sunday

Did: 4.06mi @ 9:38/mi avg on treadmill

Total Weekly Mileage: 30.6

Week-ending Thoughts:

Ugh. So much to do. 

December, I guess?

Week-beginning Thoughts:

Ughhh, sick... ugh, work.... ugh, stress.... TGF running.

Monday

Planned: nada
Did:  nada

Sick.

Tuesday

Planned: 10KTuesday with 10x45s hard 
Did: nada

Sick.

Wednesday

Planned: 4mi easy

Did: yesterday's workout (2mi WU, 10x45 hard/2min jog, CD) = 6.3mi  @ 8:59/mi avg

Thursday

Planned: 4mi w/4 strides
Did: 4.01mi @ 9:38/mi avg

Skipped strides. 

Friday

Planned: 1mi WU, 2x 2mi hard/2min jog, CD

Did: as scheduled , 6.6mi @ 8:55/mi avg

Felt good about this one. Coach wanted my TP to do her intervals at 7;53/mi avg, but I wasn't feeling that, and tried for about a 8:15. 

8:16, 8:04, 8:12, 7:59. 

Pleased. 

 

Saturday

Planned: 10-13mi easy

Did: 10.05mi @ 9:39/mi avg

Weee. 

Sunday

Planned: 4mi easy

Did: 4.06mi @ 9:26/mi avg

Total Weekly Mileage: 31.0

Week-ending Thoughts:

Meh.