Getting sick sucks...mostly

10/17-10/23

Mon: 8.75 miles - 2 mile warmup with drills and 1 stride, 6 x 1k w/ 3 min recovery jogs (500m), 1.5 mile cooldown; 1ks went: 3:37, 3:34, 3:35, 3:35, 3:35, 3:34

Tue: AM - 3.5 miles @ 8:11/mile - easy run on treadmill with 1% incline
PM - 5.65 miles @ 8:03/mile w/ 142 avg heart rate - easy run, not feeling well & not much energy

Wed: unplanned rest day - sick

Thu: 5.1 miles @ 8:06/mile - easy run, still feeling sick & weak



Fri: 6.21 miles @ 7:33/mile w/ 146 avg heart rate - easy/moderate aerobic effort

Sat: AM - 4.6 miles @ 8:05/mile w/ 145 avg heart rate - easy run, got really tired and weak legs after 3 miles
PM - 4.84 miles - 4.5 miles @ 8:03/mile w/ 145 avg heart rate + 5 x 100m strides - easy run, got really tired and weak legs after 3 miles

Sun: 13.11 miles @ 7:30/mile w/ 151 avg heart rate - 1st half of run in 50:45, 2nd half in 47:38

Weekly Totals: 8 runs, 51.76 miles

Thoughts/re-cap

Monday's workout went really well.  It was a workout to inject a little speed into my running.  Being that I am running a 10k on 10/29, I figured this was a way to touch on both speed and specific-endurance.  I figured I'm in about 3:45/km shape for the 10k, so this workout was @ 104-105% of my planned race pace.  Sure, the rests may have been too long or I could have done more (8-10) reps, but the way I figured is I am just getting into base fitness, so this would be a good gauge.  I knew I would gain some benefit of running near race pace.  I also know that I have placed very little time on speed and intensity workouts because of my "fragile" state, so this workout would boost me mentally.

The rest of the week and into the weekend was kind of crushed by getting sick.  I seem to get sick twice a year, with the change of the season.  I get a wicked sore throat, weak and tired.  It pretty much dictated that the rest of the week would be easy running just getting in the miles.  I was successful in still meeting my goal for the week, which was 50+ miles.  I felt the effects of my moderate efforts (Friday & Sunday) the day after the runs.  Saturday I had no energy after about 3 miles of both runs.  I knew my body was struggling with the demands of getting healthy coupled with just an easy effort.  This is depicted in the elevated heart rate of those Saturday runs.  Additionally, today I can feel more congestion in my head than the last few days.

Sunday's run was a win for me.  Not the run itself, but how I felt.  I did not feel any discomfort in my lower left leg throughout the run.  I felt like I was 100% "running" healthy.  I feel as though as time goes on, I am relearning how to fire the proper muscles while running.  This includes focusing on my core and not using my back.  The functional movements and stretches my physical therapist gave me really seem to be working.  I now believe I will soon say these injuries are in the past.  This was a big step.

This week will be a cutback week with the race.  I am going to do all easy running except for one day which I will try and get some pop in my legs with fast 200s.  For November, I hope to have 2 weeks in the mid 50s, will try and hit 60 for a third week and have another cutback week.