My running 2/21-3/13

Week of 2/21-2/27: 5 runs, 44.49 km, 3:56:13 total time

Week of 2/28-3/6: 3 runs, 19.87 km, 1:42:29 total time - this was a planned cutback week

Last week (3/7-3/13)
Mon: 8.2 km, 5:02/km, 143 avg heart rate, 41:14 time
Tue: 10.01 km, 5:07/km, 146 avg heart rate, 51:13 time
Wed: planned rest day
Thu: 6.76 km, 5:18/km, 35:50 time
Fri: unplanned rest day - was going to take Saturday day off, but no biggie
Sat: 9.87 km, 5:09/km, 153 avg heart rate, 50:54 time
Sun: 13.79 km, 4:48/km, 161 avg heart rate, 1:06:06 time

Weekly totals: 5 runs, 48.63 km, 4:05:17 total time

2011 totals: 40 runs, 332.36 km, 8.31 km per run, 29:08:16 total time running

I welcomed the warm weather...with a new weekly record post-injury for km run in a week!  It's 30.2 miles.  I have been wearing athletic inserts in my running shoes for the last few weeks.  This seems to have helped alleviate some of the tightness in my left calf and pain in my lower back.  I know its not a solution, but rather it helps with the symptoms.

I'm not trying to do too much.  I am just continuing to slowly increase my volume.  In doing so, I am also trying to take a cutback week every fourth week.  This is something I was bad about doing in the past.

I am having trouble handling the fact that my paces are just so slow relative to past running.  I know, I really cannot compare my ability now to pre-injury because I have been out of practice running consistently for so long.  I try not to compare, but rather focus on progress from a few months ago.  I do appear to be making some progress, slowly but surely.  Not to mention, as my volume increases, general muscle fatigue will affect my perceived effort until I become accustomed to the volume.  As such, heart rate increases even though paces remain relatively consistent.  I must be aware of this as it could appear that little to no progress is being made however the ever-increasing stimilus masks the progress.

This weekend I think I was fighting off a cold because my heart rate was elevated, even prior to my runs.  I am hoping my long-ish run Sunday returns larger benefits in terms of strength.  It was a hilly run and I pushed my effort for much of the run, even though it was not reflected in the paces.

The long journey continues...