Of Mice and Marathons

PM: 120' on the trainer. 166W. HR 139.

Warmed up and used one of the Zwift courses to do some Katy Perry laps ("You're hot and you're cold"). 280-324 watts for ~6 minutes at a time and long recovery of 8'. I was just looking for a way to break up the 2 hours. 

PM: 60' on the trainer. 194W. HR 149.

Rode while Megan worked a bit and the boys played in the basement. I finally assembled their trampoline. They were pretty excited. 

AM: 7.4 miles, averaged 9:28. HR 148.

Little bit of precip in the air and around the freezing mark. The footing was pretty solid though. 

Foot felt a little iffy. I think I had my cycling shoes too tight one of the days since we got back from Maine.

AM/Lunch: 60' on the trainer. 214W. HR 149.

Jumped on the trainer quickly between classes. Left myself just enough time. 

AM/Lunch: 120' on the trainer. 206W. HR 141.

Had a great night of sleep and the boys slept until 7:30 and Megan was getting up with them, so I slept a bit longer. 

AM: 10.7 miles, averaged 8:28. HR 158. 

30' steady, averaged ~7:30 pace (HR 171.5)

I wasn't sure about a workout today, but figured I would get in 90' and build back up. Ended up doing the scheduled workout and it went fairly well. I was pretty tired and I knew it had been a while since I had done a workout since I blew my midweek workout on November 30. 7:49, 7:36, 7:24, 7:09

I am hoping for a more consistent 2024. I logged a good number of hours combined for bike and run and I did 585 hours and 307 active days, which was an overall increase from the last two years (not surprising, though 2022 had some decent cycling hours). I think I have enough experience that I don't have to do killer workouts to be able to run decently as my half marathon showed (workouts in early fall and then mostly just mileage and steady easy runs). My current schedule is not as busy as last semester, though pretty close, but the timing of my classes seems near perfect for some solid training (plenty of morning time for a midweek workout, doubles 3-4 times a week, etc). 

Megan and I took the boys to an Oakland basketball game. They had a lot of fun. We were worried they might not want to sit there as the last basketball game we went to Charlie has some trouble with the sound, but they did great. They love the Golden Grizzly mascot, Grizz, so that was helpful.

PM: 180' on the trainer. 217W. HR 146.

Good ride. Legs were a little sore from yesterday because I haven't run much, but they felt good on the trainer. Didn't want to press but also did want to doddle. This was a nice comfy, in between effort. 

The boys came down for a while and played on the trampoline and other various things they continue to scatter in the basement.

AM: 60' on the trainer. 175W. HR 121.

AM2: 7.6 miles, 9:15. HR 144.

PM: 3.7 miles, averaged 10:38. HR 131.

I don't think will be a typical pattern most days, but my schedule is great and I think stacking a bit earlier in the week is okay. Double run days Monday, Wednesday (depending on length of midweek session in the morning), Thurday, and Friday. 3-4 doubles a week most weeks will go a long way. I can't double 5-6 days a week like I used to but I don't need to and I am not sure I want to (okay, I would if I could). 

First day of the first full week of school. Boys were back in school. I set my alarm for 5:30 and got on the trainer before Megan and the boys got up, got them off to school and went for a run. Did some light work and got my grocery shopping done and took a power nap before class. Class went well and then I picked the boys up from school and started making dinner. We have been trying to do more dinners together, which means I need to get started much earlier than I am used to for the last 15-18 years. It is taking some regrogamming, but it is great. 

I'm not a morning person, but I do like gettting an hour of exercise in before anyone is up and sipping my coffee in the dark and quiet. I COULD be a morning person, but that will take some reprogramming. 

Lunch: ~78 minutes on the trainer w/ ~30' Zwift race.

30:51 @ 262 watts @ 165 BPM

Did the same race that I did toward the end of last semester. It times nicely for a warmup, race, and cool down with the boys nap. Tried to hang back but also not let the group get too far out. Felt that the effort was conservative, but unlike in a running race where you can just kick the tar out of someone with fitness, you cannot do that really in a cycling event, virtual or otherwise. Did some strategizing and made a mental note of a landmark on one of the laps that there was around 2' to go, so I figured I would start pressing there, knowing I descend a bit fast than some partially due to weight, partially due to overpedaling. I had the "feather" powerup and knew that on the uphills I tend to sag a little bit either due to weight or underpedaling. On the last lap I hit the power up just at the base of the hill and I shot up it quite well around third or maybe I was in the lead going up the hill. I then pressed and came out of the saddle trying to sprint several times. I could see the line and figured the whol group would pass me and one guy did at the last second. So I took second in a C race, which oddly felt pretty good because it was a decent sized race.

Not the same as in-person racing but it is fun and it is actually quite difficult and you get a good workout in. My first Zwift race was about two years ago, and I generally do them a bit more in winter. I think this year as my running continues to pick up I will do fewer bike interval sessions and more of these races, which are essentially unstructure intervals. I think when warmer weather picks up (yes, already thinking ahead), I'll probably do a trainer ride/Zwift race once a week, Thursday Night Dirt, and a long Sunday ride at whatever effort feels right after my long weekend run. 

I was hoping to push the running mileage up a bit this week, and it will go up but we have a storm Friday and I don't think anyone is going anywhere, so that is likely a 2-hour trainer ride.  

PM: 3.4 miles, averaged 10:43. HR 135.

40 degrees, dark, and raining. Not a bad run though. Got this in after Megan got home. Figured it will help get into the rhythm after a week or so off around the holidays.

AM: 60'+ on the trainer. 192W. HR 130.

Started a ride but I was having my car windshield replaced and got interrupted, so I reset and did my hour. Glad to have my windshield fixed. I waited to long. 

PM: 8.4 miles, averaged 8:53.

20' + 10'

Did this on the treadmill as I was worried about the footing. Ended up going quite well. I wasn't sure how it would go given that I haven't been on the treadmill since July. I thought 8.0 MPH might feel fast, but I warmed up about 25' to make sure. I started withthe first few minutes at 5.0 MPH and progressed down to about 8.0 or so to warm up. 

20' w/ 5' each @ 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.5 

5' jog 

10' w/ 2' each @ 8.5, 8.7, 9.0 and 4' @ 9.2

I was going to do one last speed change to 9.4 for the last two minutes, but I was riding the line but still feeling strong and wanted to focus on finishing at the same effort and not having to back down. 15' cool down @ 5.0.

This will give me something to work with. I will likely be doing my faster stuff on the treadmill for a while I think. Not interested in slipping and sliding at this point in my life or having to look for prime real estate. 

Weekender this week is 1:40 w/ 40' steady, so I think I will start @ 8.0 and try to work down just slightly over the 40 minutes.

AM: 60' on the trainer. 180W. HR 121.

Got up around 5:30 or so, fed the cats, and had my coffee. Got on the trainer about 6:15, hoping the boys would sleep in for at least 45-50 minutes. They mostly slept in, stirring a bit around 7:00 and decided I was just going to finish my hour unless they were really tuning up and would wake Megan. 

Lunch: 6.1 miles, averaged 10:40. HR 125.

Good recovery run. The township had plowed the safety paths, so they were mostly just wet, which was nice as I expected slush, water, and ice. 

AM: 60' on the trainer. 202W. HR 128.

Got up at a decent hour, but hit snooze a few times. I do love a wrist-based vibration alarm so it doesn't wake Megan. Still got on the trainer a bit after 6:30. The boys slept in until just before I finished. 

I thought the boys might have a snow day, but the snow held off, which was great as Megan is swamped and I needed to get some light work done. 

PM/Lunch: 7.3 miles, averaged 9:06. HR 144.

Glad to get my regular loop in one more time before the snow hits because next week the cold air comes in and I imagine the pathways will be a mess for a while. It was starting to get messy when I picked the boys up from school. 

AM: 3 hours 15ish on the trainer. 30' of up/down and Long Zwift Race

This was a longer Zwift race at 2 hours 45, much longer than I have done. Typically about an hour is about right. Pretty uneventful for most of it as you can't really push too hard too early. It was only 4 of us or so actually in the race in the piker division. I started to press a little the last hour as I felt the pace was too pedestrian (I was averaging high zone 2 and I can do that by myself on normal rides). I pushed pretty hard on the last time up Box Hill and we dropped on guy hard. The last mile the two guys put in some surges. I used a power up and should have hit the downhil harder as they only hard 2-3 seconds on me. I started to stand and sprint a bit in the last 1/3 of a mile but I didn't have much. Probably needed to be in the small ring. Got in a decent effort and it was a great way to get in a bit over three hours 

239 watts @ 154 BPM

We got about 7-8 inches of heavy wet snow so I switched my long ride day and my long run day. Will definitely be on the treadmill tomorrow. Everything is going to be a mess for a while with the arctic air coming in.

PM: 10.7 miles on the treadmill, averaged 9:20. HR 143.

100' w/ 40' Steady

Got screwed out of about a half mile or so on my watch, but didn't bother with a manual entry. Warmed up progressively from 5.0 to 8.0 to a bit faster, knowing I was going to likely start at 8.0 even if it felt too easy and progress. 

10' each @ 8.0, 8.2, 8.4

5' @ 8.6

2.5' each @ 8.8, 9.0 

~7:14 average @ 163 BPM

This was a solid workout and gives me a better sense of current fitness and treadmill speed so that I can ratchet down my midweek workout next week a bit more than the one last week, using that and this one as a guide. 

Walked around the mall for a little bit to get some food and just look at the stores. You'd never know that malls are dying from Great Lake Crossing in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Went grocery shopping after. 

AM: 90' on the trainer. 205W. HR 128.

Planned to go to the gym for a recovery run, but it was way too cold outside. Too cold to run and the pathways still a mess, so this was it. 

Finished watching Six Feet Under.

Lunch/PM: ~80' on the trainer. Zwift race.

Did my as of late typical time and race though on a slightly different route. Solid race overall, but I needed to push on the downhills after I used my powerup on the uphill. I think I needed to be first going into the sprint even though in cycling that is typically exactly where you don't want to be. Trying to come from behind with 2-3 seconds didn't work well or I need to change my approach and gearing for when I get to the sprint. Took 7th and lost by 2 seconds. I haven't had much of a sprint. Certainly not what I do when I randomly do them in an easy ride. Power was nothing special but tactically I stayed more or less where I needed to.

260 watts @ 159 BPM

AM: 8.9 miles on the treadmill, averaged 9:01. HR 152.

Watch shorted me again. I guess I could calibrate it or use my footpod if I can find it. Solid workout. A good deal faster than last week though I was feeling out the paces then. I think the effort was just right on this one. I was hanging on the last few minutes of 15' but it wasn't bad. I did rethink a final speed change, but that was fine.

20' + 15'

5' each @ 8.6, 8.8, 9.0, 9.2; 5' very slow jog; 5' @ 9.2, 10' @ 9.4

I was hoping to do the 15' @ 9.2, 9.4, 9.6, but hte 9.4 was plenty and I knew I could get through the 5' @ that, but knew one more speed change wasn't going to work and even thought of cutting it back to 9.2, but hung on. HR was creeping into the lower 180s, so challenging but not impossible, but when your fitness returns and your hydration is good and your RHR is low, sometimes that 180 hits a bit harder. 

20' up/20' down

PM: 60' on the trainer. 137W. HR 103.

AM: 60' on the trainer. 210W. HR 130.

AM/Lunch: 6.1 miles, averaged 10:43. HR 127.

Got a bit of light snow, but figured I would venture out as the safety paths had been cleared somewhat. Slow going but not terrible. A few small snow banks to navigate. Met the plow on the way back, which left some hard crusty snow and solid footing (and faster pace) with my screw shoes. Nice to be outside and get some air, especially as it was back up into the 20s.

AM: 7.4 miles on the treadmill, averaged 8:47. HR 143.

5' @ 5.5, 10' each @ 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 15' @ 7.5, 10' @ 7.7, 5' very ez

PM: 60'+ on the trainer. 215W. HR 135. 

AM: 4 hours 5' on the trainer. 228W. HR 142.

Long ride with a group doing a Zwift century, which really isn't a comparable century, but it is a solid 4 hours, so that was fine with me. Got up about 5:30, not really wanting to and then waking up and deciding it wasn't a bad way to spend a morning. Felt solid throughout and fueled and hydrated. Very solid power to HR. Right at the top of zone 2 for the average. Higher in places of course to keep the pace.

Went to Oakland to see about getting Megan's tire fixed. Called AAA and waited over 2 hours, so I changed it myself. Megan didn't want me to do it, but it was in the low teens and windy and even though I had my car running I wasn't in the mood. The hood on my car wouldn't close (I put in some windshield wiper fluid), so that really set me off. I assume the catch was just sticking in the miserable cold. Ho hum.

PM: 13.3 miles on the treadmill, averaged 8:16. HR 148.

1:50 w/ 50' Steady

Easy warmup @ 135 BPM, progressed to workout pace with two faster strides just under 10 MPH. 50' steady progression @ 163 BPM average, which is exactly what I did last week for 40' at a slower pace. 

15' @ 8.2

15' @ 8.4 

5' ea. @ 8.6, 8.8, 9.0, 9.2

30' CD @ 137 BPM

AM: 6.7 miles, averaged 10:35. HR 125.

I went to look at a new treadmill as they had some decent financing options and I hoping to Megan will go for it. Tired of the one downstairs that has never worked right. Looked at a True and some of the Spirits. I think I would prefer the True as it seems more solid of a machine. Pricey though.

PM: 60' on the trainer. 210W. HR 129. 

Lunch: 60'+ on the trainer.

Zwift Race. 22' @ 299 Watts. HR 165. 16' up/30' down. Pretty hard race. I did the B race. Tried to keep with the lead group but just didn't have much in my legs. It was suppose to be a recovery week, but I felt like racing, so I just decreased my overall time a good bit. 

Talked with Megan about getting a new treadmill and she said go for it. The company will deliver it and set it up, which was a non-negotiable for me. Megan, me, my sister, and niece moved the 300+ lb NordicTrac into the basement about 3 years ago and it was pretty scary. Pretty excited about having a machine in the basement that works. I really have grown to love indoor training as long as it is not all I do. 

AM: 10 miles on the treadmill in 80. HR 151.

2 x 20' 

1st rep: 5' each @ 8.6, 8.8, 9.0, 9.2 (HR 165)

2nd rep: 5' each @ 8.6, 8.8, 3' each @ 9.0, 9.2, 9.4 and 1' @ 9.5 (HR 168)

Solid workout. HR was about what it should have been but I could have pushed a little bit. Things were getting hard the last few minutes. I just don't have a lot of leg speed, so running 6:20ish pace on the treadmill is not crushing aerobically but my legs just aren't able to really turn over yet. Things are moving along nicely and once I get the new treadmill and my mileage back up into the 70-80 range over the next several weeks, I think I will be moving along nicely. 

Stopped into the fitness equipment place between the gym and my glass and purchased the treadmill. It's a True 3000 series. 

PM: 60' on the trainer. 211W. HR 129.

It was my 39th birthday. Went out to eat with Megan and the boys and had a decent meal. I had a few beers and a few drinks after. I haven't had anything in about 3 weeks, which seems to be the right approach to life. I had a good day. 

AM/Lunch: 6.1 miles, averaged 10:40. HR 123.

PM: 60' on the trainer. 217W. HR 129.

Getting into the top part of zone 2 and my HR is under 130. I am starting to really see signs of increased fitness. That happens when you exercise 14-16 hours a week. Waiting for the weight to start falling off. 

Can't wait to get the new treadmill. I will definitely be hitting the trainer a good bit, but I will likely be able to add an additional easy run on Tuesdays while the boys are napping rather than doing my weekly Zwift races, though will maybe alternate. 

AM: 6.7 miles on the treadmill in 65'. HR 127.

+ weights

Tri press 3 x 12 @ 30, 40, 50#; Bicep curls 3 x 12 @ 50#; shoulder press 3 x 12 @ 15#; pull down 3 x 12 @ 30, 35, 40#; chest press 3 x 12 @ 25#

Did a little bit of the captain's chair after 

PM: 60' on the trainer. 214W. HR 129.

AM: 4 hours 5' on the trainer. 224W. HR 137.

Did the group 100 mile ride again this week. Felt quite strong throughout and like I wanted to press at certain times. I am unsure if I could hang with the Bs, but I am willing to try in a few weeks. HR was really strong and probably where it should be for an indoor ride at high zone 2. Long run tomorrow, which I think I might be able to do outside, which will be nice because it will give me some terra firma data. I imagine my pace will be pretty close to what it has been on the treadmill. Hoping for 2 hours with 1 hour around low-7' pace with the last few miles in the 6:50s or even 6:40w, but we shall see.

PM: 14.7 miles in 2 hours on the treadmill. HR 153.

120' w/ 60' Steady

I probably could have gone outside but it was pretty windy and I wasn't sure if the slick spots were gone and I wanted to keep consistent with the last few weeks. I warmed up 30' starting pretty slow and progressing to workout pace and a few strides around 10MPH+. I changed speed by miles, which I almost never do just for something different. Planned to start just below 7:30 pace and see how I progressed. 

I didn't feel like I had a ton of turnover and I was sweating quite a lot so I didn't get too aggressive, but I think I ended up doing for 60' what I did for one of the 20' intervals I did this week, so it went quite well.

The progression was something like mile 1 @ 8.2, mile 2 @ 8.4, miles 3-5 @ 8.6, mile 6 @ 8.8, mile 7-8.6 @ 9.0. I completed 8.6 miles in 60' so around 6:55 average @ 169 BPM. I did the first 32 minutes or so at 1.5% and dropped it down to 1% after that, so slightly faster than belt speed pace if you follow treadmill conversion charts, so around upper 6:40s to low 6:50s. I think I would probably be able to run that pace for an hour outside, probably faster in the colder temps. 

I felt this was a really good workout, especially given that it was roughly the same pace as my midweek 2 x 20' from Wednesday. I felt like crap after. Stomach was sour and I had no energy and it got worse throughout the evening and I didn't really feel like eating dinner after I had a late lunch/very early dinner. 

AM: 6.2 miles, averaged 10:29. HR 121. 

Solid recovery run. HR quite low, proper recovery effort. The Polly Ann was pretty much all frozen crusty footprints, which I did not expect given the recent rain and melting.

PM: 60' on the trainer. 193W. HR 119.

Lightest zone 2. I was going to do strict recovery but decided on something in between so long as my HR stayed low. 

Feeling quite good with my training. Need to get the treadmill in to get in an extra run day and back to consistent doubles, by the cycling continues to add high aerobic volume without too much impact. 

Lunch: Just under 2 hours on the trainer. 226W. HR 140.

~72' tempo @ ~265 watts

Zwift doesn't have a lap button so I just lapped around one of the courses and pulled the data from that. Lap 1 = 254 watts @ 146 BPM, Lap 2 = 265 watts @ 153 BPM, and Lap 3 =  274 watts @ 159 BPM

Felt very strong and my HR was quite low, almost makes me think the top of zone 2 is higher than what I have it set at. I guess I need to do an FTP test. Kind of loaded the legs for tomorrow's midweek run workout, but I will survive. I skipped my typical Zwift race, bit didn't want to just do zone 2 but I didn't want to do anything as hard as intervals. This fit the bill and plays to my strengths. 

AM: 10 miles on the treadmill in 1:22:30. HR 152. 

10'-8'-6'-5'-2

This was supposed to be 10-8-6-4-2, but I thought I hadn't gone long enough on the 4' rep even though I was keeping a close eye on the time. Better over than under. I backed off from the planned progression that had each interval descending from 9.2-10.0. I think I got the effort right. 

10' @ 9.2, 8' @ 9.4, 6' @ 9.4, 5' @ 9.5, 2' @ 9.6/9.7 (all @ 1%)

HRs were in the upper 160s to low 170s, but I am finding that with my fitness and HR being quite low the 170s are challening once I get into the mids and definitely upper 170s. These were definitely mor threshold type reps than my last few midweeks, which have been challenging but not overly taxing. I was working to concentrate on the last few minutes. I was very glad the times were descending and not increasing. 

PM: 60' on the trainer. 213W. HR 131.

I sweat a ton today. Lately on my afternoon indoor rides I haven't been sweating much but I sweat a lot on this one.

Lunch: 6.7 miles, averaged 9:57. HR 128.

HR is coming down quite nicely on my recovery runs.

PM: 60' on the trainer. 214W. HR 129.

All my 60' trainer rides lately seem to average 129BPM.

AM: 73' on the trainer. 198W. HR 137.

FTP TEST

I thought I could beat my numbers from the AI number from trainer road, but I was very humbled on this one. I thought I could put out 330-350 watts for 20' but I was promptly humbled when I went out through 5' and tried to keep pressing from 326 watts up, but then I just dropped over the last 15' to 306. I really wanted to quit, but I stuck it out and figured I would just finish it and get in a good workout. This dropped my FTP considerably. The 20' assessment is quite difficult to pace and I haven't done one in 4 years I think, mostly because they are so taxing and difficult to do well. I guess I shouldn't be surprised given that I haven't done much theshold stuff. 20' @ 306 @ 169 BPM. Still, I did 299 watts for 22' in a Zwift race, so this is pretty disappointing.

Much like my running, my endurance and general strength is decent but my speed and theshold stuff is pretty weak. After 4+ weeks at 15-16 hours of training per week, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Need to work in a recovery week. 

PM: 8 miles, averaged 8:13. HR 148.

First steadier easy run in a few weeks. Effort, pace, and HR all coming together.

PM: 10.7 miles, averaged 8:23. HR 146.

30' @ HME

6:46, 6:43, 6:50, 6:45, (6:46). Warmed up 30' with some accelerations. I was hoping to start in the low 6:40s and work into the 6:30s, but I didn't quite get there. HR was solidly in control, but it doesn't seem to be getting that high lately. I averaged around 168 or 169 BPM. 6:46 average.

A long way to go, but probably not far off from the treadmill workouts, so I guess that isn't disappointing. This was considerably faster than my 90' workout with 30' steady, which averaged around 7:30 and the last mile was around 7:15 and it almost killed me. I was decently hungover then and since January 6 I have only had drinks on my birthday. Definitely helping, but I wish it was helping more :-)

Switched morning/afternoon with Megan to do a ride with the guys tomorrow. It was nice to work a bit and watch the boys and watch the Olympic Trials. 

AM/Lunch: 3 hours 46'. HR 129.

I planned to drive to Stony Creek for some lake laps with a group and went back and worth about going in the morning as it was much colder than I thought. Planned to go out on my fat bike to ride my own pace and check out the dirt road conditions. Decided to go, then realized I wouldn't make the meet up and my bike rack was frozen, so I got the fat bike ready and road that. Ended up being a really fun run to Holly and back through Ortonville, etc. Most of the roads were in great shape. Very few potholes and the roads were firm (mostly) a few areas where there was runoff and some ice spots but I just slowed down as I wasn't in a hurry anyway. Ended up being dressed perfectly. 

HR stayed very low. Just under 15MPH on the big bike. No power reading as my power meter seems not to connect and really hasn't since before Iceman. Perhaps I did something during my crash the week dad died. 

AM: 7 miles, averaged 9:40. HR 124.

HR was suspiciously low, but my breathing rate was almost unnoticable.

PM: 60' on the trainer. 220W. HR 124. 

Lunch: 96' on the trainer, including a Zwift race.

50' @ 295 watts HR 161

Decided to do a race as it has been about two weeks. Was thinking the crit race series, which would have been around 32-34 minutes I think. This race was what I figured to be around 45' though I didn't realize there was that much elevation gain. I raced B and got dropped pretty hard in the first 10 minutes, but I worked my way up from about last place to 6 (out of 10). The hills just left me behind as everyone in front of me was definitely much lighter. I just kind of kept the effort up and put in a solid effort, trying to catch the 5th place person. I had to plug in my computer, so I jumped off the trainer and back on and that was probably pretty much the gap I needed to close. This was a personal best for 30 and 45 minutes. 

PM: 5 miles, averaged 10:16. HR 127.

Called to check the status of the treadmill. Still waiting on a truck and no idea if ours will be on it. I recieved a $100 credit without asking, which wasn't too bad. No upset, just trying to avoid having it arrive when we are in Florida and having the delivery pushed back even further. 

AM: 10.3 miles, averaged 8:11. HR 146.

2'-4'-6'-8'-10' w/ 2' recovery jogs

This workout went very well. First midweek workout outside this year, so I wasn't quite sure how it would go and I am not sure if this ordering is harder or easier than cutting down from 10' to 2'. Decent effort on the bike yesterday, so I wasn't sure how legs would respond but felt really quite strong. Warmed up about 26' w/ a few strides. Need to start doing a proper warmup and this was a bit better than as of late. I expected to start around 6:15-6:20 and then get slower throughout the reps. I slowed a bit, but mostly held steady, which was very encouraging. 

2' @ 6:18 (159BPM); 4' @ 6:30 (161 BPM); 6' @ 6:24 (164BPM); 8' @ 6:29 (165BPM); 10' @ 6:27 (166BPM)

I felt like maybe I was holding back slightly but I didn't want to fade through the longer reps. I also didn't want to go too hard and just tried to keep the paces the same. I will have time for really getting after it in the future. This felt comfortably hard. HR never really peaked much more than 173, so these were quite aerobic. My overall average HR for the workout was pretty low. Usually a workout such as this I averaged at least 152-157, so I know my HR is low and also recovering more quickly than it sometimes does.

PM: 60' on the trainer. 210W. HR 126.

AM: 6.7 miles, averaged 9:42. HR 126.

Solid recovery. Pace really dropping. Got out earlier, which helped the rest of the day.

PM: 6.9 miles, averaged 9:24. HR 129.

Quite lovely out at around 55 or so degrees. 

AM: 7.6 miles, averaged 8:32. HR 140.

Felt great. Lower-8' pace for the second half and my HR was around 147, so things are really coming along. It was starting to get warm, as the forecast called for close to 60 by the end of the day.

+ ancillary dumbbell sessions w/ some squats and shoulder stuff. Left my glutes and hamstring sore for a few days!

PM: 60' on the trainer. 221W. HR 132. 

Should have gone outside to run again, but the wind was blowing and I'm getting older and lazier about my weather.

PM: 3 hours 23'. 203W. HR 133. 17.1 MPH.

Decided to do a bit more pavement than I typically do in case the dirt roads were muddy. The ones I went on were in phenomenal shape for February, but it was nice to clip along on some country tarmac and get in some new miles/roads/data. 23 new miles. Kept it steady, but sensible, just tried to keep steady pedal pressure and keep it easy without smashing it here and there.

AM: 11.8 miles, averaged 8:04. HR 146.

1:35 w/ 35' @ Half Marathon Effort

I figured based on how I felt during the midweek this week that this would be faster than the 30' @ HME I did last weekend. It was. 

Warmed up 30' w/ 1/2 mile @ marathin effort and two strides. I got the half mile at marathon effort during a warmup from Jake Krong a number of years ago. It works well prime the body and you don't shock yourself going from very easy warmup pace to your strides. Worked great. Been a long time since I have used it but it's great. 

Felt quite relaxed for most of it and my form feels solid. I tried to cut down a little bit without being overly agressive as the effort should be somewhat consistent. Started out around 6:45ish maybe for roughly the first mile and by halfway I think I was 6:42 and worked it down from there, with most of the progression the last 5-8' working down from 6:39 to 6:36. Wanted to get down to 6:35, but I needed maybe another minute. 

My HR through the first 10-15' or so was only around 160-161, which is sustainable for a long time for me, so maybe not quite HME to start, but I eventually found it. 

6:36 average for 35' (5.3 miles) @ 165 BPM

HR took very little time to recover. Please with how things are going. Feel like I am finally to a starting point of being able to be able to move in the right direction. I will work on increasing my milage to 50-60 and then over the next few weeks once we get the treadmill (whenever that is) to 70 or so and cut back on the cycling hours a touch. I still want to do at least 6 hours of that, so maybe just fewer rides.

AM: 6.7 miles, averaged 9:42. HR 127.

PM: 6.7 miles, averaged 9:47. HR 128.

Cold and crisp on the Polly Ann this morning. Felt good. A little hillier run this afternoon. Nice to be running 9:15-10:15 pace for recovery and keeping it under 130 BPM. 

We leave for Florida in a week. Looking forward to seeing my family. It was a very memorable trip last year. It will be a little weird without Dad, but I hope to get some easy running in for a much needed recovery run. 

PM: 60' on the trainer. 226W. HR 130. 

Skipped my Zwift race at lunch to nap while the boys napped. I was pretty tired and a workout would have woken me up probably, but I decided to rest and do the trainer later rather than running in the cold and dark.

Got a call that the treadmill will be delivered Friday, which is great. That should give me a few days to test it and make sure it works before going to Florida. This probably means my overall mileage won't go up until we get back, but that's okay. 

AM: 9.6 miles, averaged 7:55. HR 152.

10 x 3' w/ 35" Recoveries

20' warmup with ~1/2 mile @ marathon effort and two strides. These microrecovery workouts are always tough. You slow down for 7-10 seconds, get 10-15 seconds of actual recovery and then need to start gearing back up in the last 10ish seconds. I figured around 6:20 to start and then work down. Averaged 6:14.

6:20, 6:18, 6:14, 6:11, 6:13, 6:15, 6:13, 6:12, 6:14, 6:10

I was hoping to get to around 6:00 flat for the last two, but I just kept the effort. This ws a pretty solid workout. It wasn't brutal, but it was challenging particularly at the end and I knew better than to go out too fast as the recoveries only offer the slightest moments of recovery. 

PM: 60' on the trainer. 196W. HR 123.

AM: 6.9 miles, averaged 9:29. HR 124.

PM: 60' on the trainer. 219W. HR 127.

Quite chilly and very windy this morning. Did not feel like going back out in it again.

AM: 95' on the trainer. 220W. HR 133. 

60' on 5' Sweet Spot/5' Float @ Tempo

I was going to run, but worried that the treadmill might come early and I didn't want to miss it. I ended up doing an impromptu workout and I quite liked it. I didn't do any measure intervals, just used on of the courses that is around 15' for the pace I was going. Ended up around 269 watts and 150 BPM, which was really solid.

Treadmill delivered and assembled and of course it is tripping the GFCI, so that is about my luck. I called an electrician to get it sorted. Different issue than the other treadmill, but at least these is a common, identifiable one. 

PM: 125' on the trainer. 250W. HR 141. 

Did one of the portal climbs on Zwift three times. Apparently it is a gammified looking version of a real-world climb called col du Platzerwasel, featured on the Tour De France some years. Quite a lot of climbing but my bike maxes out at 20% and some of the grades might have been above that. Still, it was enough to get me out of the saddle and up my average power quite a bit.

Went to the Oakland men's basketball game. They salughtered the other team by about 50 points, including one guy who had about 8 or 9 threes. Lots of dunks. 

AM: 12.4 miles, averaged 8:08. HR 146.

40' @ Half Marathon Effort

Slept like a rock last night. Didn't hear Megan get up with the boys and slept soundly until almost 9. Went back and forth about the workout as my cold has got a little worse, but nothing terrible. Looked at the next week's training and decided I needed to finish out this round of workouts. It was quite cold and a decent wind on one stretch of the tempo loop. A bit of ice here and there, which I worked around while trying to avoid cars that still don't slow down even when you are trying to find decent footing in a neighborhood. 

I was hoping to get out fast and try to get 10k in for the 40', but I knew that that was quite a bit faster than last week and I might fade slightly. So I just figured I would run by the effort prescribed. The first lap was around pace and then I slowed as the GPS got established. Kept the average pace between 6:35-6:36 until the last 5' and picked it up. Didn't really have much of a gear left, but it was quite steady. 6:34 average, just under 6.1 miles for 40' HR 168. I thought about going to 10k, which was probably only another minute but it was mostly just for getting in the full distance. This would have been around 40:50, so I am definitely ready to get back under 40 in a few weeks assuming I don't lose any training the next 3 weeks. I will have a better sense before the race my target pace, but I think sub-39' will be my goal and then 12 weeks after that, try to run the same pace for the half and get back into the low-1:20s at the start of summer and then work on getting back into the high 1:teens by the end of the year.

Leaving for Florida to see my mom and siblings tomorrow. Should be solidly in the 70s, which will feel good.

AM: 60' on the trainer. 203W. HR 117. 

Got on the trainer early before flying to Florida. Mom and Katie picked us up at the airport. We hung out at the place Mom was staying and then went to the place we were staying. Hung out with Josh and Megan and had drinks. My sister was staying with my Mom. 

Off. 

Of course I planned to run twice a day while in Florida but it didn't happen. It was a bit harder to have people watch the boys as we weren't all at the same house and it was a lot of coming and going. 

We went to Fort Meyers Beach and I got pretty cooked by the sun. 

AM: 4.1 miles with Megan, averaged 9:54. HR 132.

It was nice to run with Megan. We ran in Maine together over Christmas and we haven't run that much together since the boys were quite a bit younger. 

We went a street concert, which was pretty fun. The boys got to dance a bit.

Off. 

I think this was the day we went to Robert's to swim in the pool and go in the hot tub. The pool at mom's wasn't heated and quite cool.

Off.

Went to Bonita Beach and to Doc's Beachhouse, which has been restored from the damage from Hurricane Ian. Megan and I haven't been since our honeymoon almost 10 years ago. 

Off.

We went to a beach that my Dad liked to collect shells at. We spread some of his ashes and took the boys to a playground for a little while. 

Travelled back to Michigan. Tired and anxious and lacking energy. My usual post travel issues of not enough to eat and too much to drink. 

AM/Lunch: 90' on the trainer. 227W. HR 138.

60' Wave Tempo Alternating 5' sweet spot/5' Tempo

This was solid given my energy levels and worked through some of my anxiety. 

Megan got up with the boys. I was wide awake at 3:45 and didn't sleep well for much of the early morning. Feel alseep decently from 7 or so until 9 and layed in bed worried I'd be anxious as soon as I stood up. I was but kind of worked through it. 

I wish I would have got at least my minimum 65' each day in Florida so I could absorb all of the work I have put in this year, but when vacationing I always have the best of intentions and it is harder with kids and other people's schedules. I have two solids weeks before my first race of 2024, which will be my first 10k since fall 2018. I imagine it will shock the system and I will be lacking a gear, but I do have a chance to get in two faster workouts around 10k effort to sharpen up a little. 

Break this week and the boys will be in school, so I am looking forward to that. An electrician is coming tomorrow to hopefully sort out the new treadmill GFCI issue.

AM: 90' on the trainer. 217W. HR 128.

PM: 7.2 miles on the treadmill, averaged 9:02. No HR data.

Road the trainer waiting for the electrician. Glad I got some decent time in as it is break.

The electrician came and figured we needed a dedicated circuit, which I kind of assumed. They said they could do a regular non-GFCI, so I said we would go with that, cut in a new outlet, and might as well make it a 20AMP. Had a few other outlets fixed throughout the house, which I know I should be figuring out. I knew it was going to cost, but holy moly. I do have a working treadmill in the basement now. I was really happy they could get it done today. Tried to use Zwift, but it was disconnecting from the iPad, but I think it is just old and mostly done.

Need to tweak the overall setup and level the adjustable feet a bit, but it is a really solid machine. Should be logging some decent time on it when necessary. It is quite firm as far as treadmills go, so I don't think I need to worry about running in firmer shoes, just whatever feels right or is working through the rotation.

AM: off.

Got up with the boys and took care of them as I usually do on Tuesdays. I was going to run or ride during their nap as I now have this option, but I took a nap with Megan instead. A good decision. 

It was 70 degrees today. We voted and took turns with the boys in the athletic fields. 

PM: 7.6 miles on the treadmill, averaged 8:33. HR 147. Did some strides.

Used my trainer desk and laptop and Zwift worked perfectly and the window works well as a mirror when it is dark, so my tweaks to the setup are coming along nicely. Quite pleased. 

AM/Lunch: 90' on the trainer. 243W. HR 153.

85' @ 250 Watts 

PM: 7.1 miles, averaged 9:11. HR 147.

HR seem a little elevated, but I think it was dehydration. Woke up sweating in the middle of the night and sweat a lot on the trainer at lunch and didn't properly rehydrate.

AM: 11.7 miles, averaged 8:01. HR 156.

6 x 6' @ 10k Effort w/ 3' Recoveries

I was nervous about this one after not doing any workouts last week and not doing much running. I was quite tired and slightly dehydrated and had a few drinks last night (it's break, so I decided it was okay), so I wasn't sure where things would land. Mostly just lacking confidence, but it was quite cold and the workout went very well. I figured starting around the low 6:20s and cutting down would work, but ended slightly faster. 

6:17 @ 171 BPM, 6:14 @ 174 BPM, 6:12 @ 176 BPM, 6:12 @ 175 BPM, 6:10 @ 177 BPM, 6:09 @ 179 BPM

Averaged 6:12. I think this is probably close to current 10k pace. My HR was definitely elevated but not bad. I am sure that my current 10k pace is faster than 40' as I think I was around 41' or so for 40' @ half marathon effort 2 weeks ago. 

I was happy with how this went. I could have done the extra 100 meters or so for the full mile. 3' recovery jogs were plenty. I was definitely working. Not dying, but it was an honest effort.

Night: 60' on the trainer. 208W. HR 129.

AM: 6.5 miles, averaged 10:01. HR 129. 

Nice colder morning starting to turn warm. Got a little sweaty as I was overdressed but I was jogging so it didn't bother me. Had a dermatologist appointment and had two spots scraped. Painless but weird.

PM: 6.5 miles, averaged 10:02. HR 131. 

Megan and I did our taxes. Or rather had them done. Big return even having made substantially more money, which was welcome news. We had a sitdown lunch for the first time in I have no idea how long as the boys were in school. 

Lunch/PM: 4 hours 33'. 201W. HR 137. 17.2 MPH.

Solid roll to Tyrone Township and Downtown Fenton. Weather was great. Upper 40s low 50s and the sun came out toward the middle of the ride. Windy here and there, but not bad. Really enjoyed the ride. Picked up about 22 new miles. A decent mixture of dirt and pavement. I could easily have added more dirt roads to make the route a little safer, which I will probably do next time. 

AM: 14.4 miles, averaged 7:49. HR 152.

50' @ Half Marathon Effort + 10"

Good weather. Cool, but not cold. Decided to do this on one of my regular run routes and do it twice, which I have done before. I figured I could get out in the 6:40s and run pretty comfortably and that would be about right. I found it hard to establish rhythm on the route with a grade changes but that was the point. Took a while to wake my legs up from the longer ride but then I felt quite strong. I started around 6:50 pace and worked in the 6:30s toward the end where it was flat to slightly downhill. Only have a partial list of splits as I just used my lap function and Strava. One two mile segment was 6:38 pace and has a decent about of uphill, with an adjusted pace of 6:33, so I am feeling pretty good. 

Averaged 6:44. HR 168

A lighter week this week as I did 17+ hours and I have a 10k next Saturday. I will likley do shorter easy runs, no midweek workout, and either very short second runs on 60' on the trainer (the most likely)

AM: 6.6 miles, averaged 9:56. HR 130. 

Pretty tired. Up too late. It was a beautiful day out. I saw a very lovely toned midriff in early March and three turtles. A few groups of school kids were coming down the Polly Ann and I thought for sure I was going to run into the boys but it wasn't their class. 

PM: 60' on the trainer. 209W. HR 126.

Lunch: Off.

PM: 5 miles, averaged 9:14. HR 131. 

Skipped my lunch trainer ride and decided I didn't feel like running on the treadmill while the boys napped even though this was precisely one of the reasons I wanted it. But I also took a nap, which felt great. Easy miles in the dark. Lighter week this week, but I will likely do a bike workout tomorrow as my overall time will be lower and the intensity down, but I wan't to try to run hard on Saturday. It might be windy and rainy, but it is easier to run in that than ride in it, so I will just deal with it.

AM: 7.6 miles, averaged 8:38. HR 142. Did some strides.

Solid run. I slept until about 9 or so this morning, intending to sleep in but not overdo it. Megan and I were both in bed before midnight, which is rare. Slept like the dead though. Felt great. Still took a nap after teaching just to fully recharge. 

PM: 60'+ outside ride. 195W. HR 131. 16.6 MPH.

Short mixed loop. It is rare that I ride outside in the middle of the week and the weather wasn't great, but decided I wanted to get back outside rather than hit the trainer. I generally don't do anything shorter than 2 hours outside, but I guess maybe I should do that more to work on my handling. 

AM: 6 miles, averaged 8:27. HR 143. 

PM: 82' ride. 203W. HR 136. 17.3 MPH.

It was in the lower 50s and sunny, so I decided to go out before picking the boys up rather than staying inside on the trainer. A nice ride.

AM/Lunch: 2 hour 4'. 194W. HR 132. 

Did a loop headed east on some of the Thursday Night Dirt roads and went after a KOM, but missed by 3 seconds. Maybe gave up a bit early, but my legs weren't feeling it. Still set a 1' personal best for power. Had a good ride and the roads were in really solid shape over there. Lots of rain coming in this afternoon and evening, so I am sure they will be a mess in places that were graded. Doesn't look like any good weather for Sunday anyway. Next week it looks to be in the 60s, so I will likely try to ride a bit in the afternoon even if it means cutting down on running and doubles. I seem to go back and forth with this. 

Probably a bit much before a running race but it was mostly quite easy and my running mileage has been cut back this week. 

PM: 3.4 miles in the rain, averaged 9:02. HR 144.

HR a bit elevated but I was a little anxious about being back to pick up the boys and I was ticked about the way the dermitologist's office didn't call me back concerning a biopsy. Running around 3 hours after a 2 hour ride didn't help.

Weather looks solid for tomorrow. Not thrilled about a 10k race being at 8:00 when I have to travel almost 90 minutes, but I will make it work. 

I've been out of the habit for too many years of writing down goal times for races, but I guess maybe it is time to start. 

C = 40'. I went through almost 10k in 40' high in a workout a couple weeks ago 

B = 39'

A = <= 38:30

I'd love to get under 38' but I don't think I have the leg speed for that currently. I think averaged anything in the 6:teens will be solid. I'd like it to be averaged closer to 6:10-6:12 or faster. 

AM: 14.2 miles w/ 10k race. 

Short report, the race did not go well. This was my first 10k since October 2018 and only my second running race since that time.

I got there at a decent hour and got in a good warmup of 35' including a half mile at marathon effort, two decent strides, and approximately 2' at race pace. Then the race started 20' late, which was not ideal as the temperature had dropped a good bit from 50 or so to 40 or colder and it was damp and windy. 

Got out decently as I didn't see that many 10kers and most of the faster guys were doing the half. Thought I was in the lead at one point and looked at the guys bib and he was a 10ker. I started to press a bit and pass him hearing him breathing. I felt like I could go faster if my legs wok up but they din't want to move much faster than low-6' pace. My shoe came untied twice and my hands were so cold that it was hard to tie them. That was around mile 2-3 and I pretty much had had it at that point. I felt foolish and amateurish. I ended up passing the kid again at one point, but we hit some solid hills and toward the turnaround I realized there were at least two people in front of us with a good lead, so then I really didn't feel like racing as I was getting trounced and my time was not working out. Managed to die a few times and kept going. Mentally I was not into it and I felt I prepared well. Oh well. 

3.8 up, averaged 9:14. HR 147/4.2 down, averaged 9:54 (HR 136)

6.29 miles @ 6:29. HR 176. Likely a few beats low with the shoe tying nonsense. So the effort was about right. 

Splits: 6:10, 6:19, 6:44, 6:34, 6:45, 6:30, 6:25 (partial)

A few weeks ago I did 40' @ 6:34 pace and I also did 50' @ 6:44 pace, so I figured 6:20s or faster would be doable. Not today. Oh well. I was frustrated at first, but then just moved on and got in a solid cool down and got home before lunch. Had a solid nap. 

I have a half marathon the first part of June and plans of running that in the low 1:20s is going to take some serious work, but workouts have been great. 

PM: 120' on the trainer. 230W. HR 144. 

15'-12'-10'-8'-5'

I definitely exceeded the target watts for these, but they were on the lower side. I was going to easy pedal but didn't feel like it. I didn't get my timing right for the full three hours, so I settled on a workout of 2 hours total. Not ideal the day after a running race, but it was what I felt like doing. It actually went quite well even being tired and a bit hungover as I decided to have some drinks and attempt to figure out what happened in my race. 

15' @ 304 watts @ 159 BPM

12' @ 312 watts @ 162 BPM

10' @ 308 watts @ 163 BPM

8' @ 311 watts @ 163 BPM

5' @ 323 watts @ 163 BPM

AM: 3.4 miles, averaged 10:15. HR 126.

Recovery. Legs felt fine but tired.

PM: 1 hour 13' ride. 187W. HR 126. 16.6 MPH

Off. 

I was going to run or ride at lunch but didn't. I napped when the boys napped. I needed to make dinner so I didn't run. Didn't feel like sitting on the trainer after dinner. It was very warm, so I grilled. 

Took the boys to our neighborhood park in the afternoon and shot some hoops. I picked up two basketballs and two soccer balls. 

AM: 7.8 miles, averaged 8:21. HR 150.

Slept in a bit until 9, which felt great. RHR was 39. I slept really well.

PM: 2 hours 47' on the bike. 216W. HR 148. 18.1 MPH

40' @ 271 watts HR 169 BPM

It was beautiful out, so I avoided work for an almost three hour ride. Did an effort on the way back after 2 hours. I thought I was on a different road so there ended up being some turns and traffic, but I rolled with it. Super chunky and dusty on some of the gravel portions but it was fun to go fast and test the handling. I ended up doing a bit on tar, which was fine.  Did 20.5 MPH, which is about my goal Barry Roubaix pace. Felt like I could have pressed for a while longer. Will try to do some longer efforts in the middle of some longer rides to test power and pace. 

AM: 6 miles, averaged 8:25. HR 143.

Intended to run slighly longer but did not leave myself enough time.

PM: 5 miles, averaged 9:18. HR 138.

AM: 8 miles, averaged 8:15. HR 148.

Good steady easy run. Dirt roads were a little sloppy. Looks like an outdoor ride this weekend might be out, but it is supposed to clear out later and be somewhat warmer in the afternoon. The roads to the west should be in okay shape as they were very dry the other day. 

I was getting ready to run and I heard the boys come back in the door with Megan. Parent-teacher conferences for other schools in the district so the boys didn't have school. I guess my Friday home alone was not to be. 

PM: 5.3 miles, averaged 8:26. HR 140.

Went out a bit later than I typically do and my legs were much faster than when I only put 4-5 hours between runs. 

PM: 3 hours 9' outside (56.4 miles). 210W. HR 139. 17.9 MPH.

I had planned on 4 hours total, but I didn't get out early enough as I was going back and forth on chancing the rain. It was sunny all morning and then really clouded in. I managed to stay mostly dry and had a great ride despite some ugly winds. 

I took a few top 10s and wish I would have really jumped on some of the segments, particularly the one where I think I had a tailwind. It is hard to tell as in the midwest you can turn in three directions and still feel like you have a headwind. I was pretty happy with the pace and effort. 

Looks like we are having more typical March weather this week, but I will get in more running miles. Hoping to get back up into the sixties or seventies this week. 

AM: 12.6 miles, averaged 7:58. HR 150.

Steady 100'. Felt really good/strong. First mile was 8:40 and then low 8:00s from there and finished up with 3 miles or so around 7:30, which didn't feel hard at all. Moderate with HR in the low-150s. I wish I had planned on more time/miles as I enjoyed this run a lot, more than I have in a while. Helps that the pace was respectable and it actually felt easy.

AM: 8.1 miles, averaged 8:01. HR 147.

Cold, windy, and a little snow. Oh, March,

PM: 5 miles, averaged 8:31. HR 141. 

Lunch/PM: 10.4 miles on the treadmill, averaged 8:12. HR 154.

20' Tempo + 6 x 1' On/Off

Around 6:30 pace or just a touch under. Started the first 5' @ 9.2 thinking I would cut down, but I bumped it up to 9.3 for a bit, then I hit the emergency stop, which shut the treadmill off but kept my place on Zwift. I was tempted to quit as I was struggling a bit with concentration. I was monitoring the boys' nap, which makes it harder to focus on harder efforts. I jumped back on as soon as I could grab the key and reset. Worked though it. I think I backed the pace off back to 9.2 somewhere around the 15' mark but I can't remember. 

1' efforts were at 10.0 MPH and they felt very fast. I ran 6' @ a time at just over 6' pace outside 3 or 4 weeks ago and this felt harder. Sometimes the faster end of stuff on the treadmill feels very fast. 

This was the first workout on the new treadmill other than easy runs and some strides and the setup is essentially perfect. This gives me a good sense of effort. My HR wasn't crazy high by any means, but it did get up around 180 for the last few minutes, which is about my maximum sustainable HR for too many minutes these days. 

PM: 

AM: 6.6 miles, averaged 9:55. HR 126.

Cold and windy. Good recovery. 

PM: 6.9 miles, averaged 9:28. HR 132.

More windy. Good day of recovery running. 

AM: 8 miles, averaged 8:09. HR 146.

PM: 60' on the trainer. 221W. HR 130

Pretty cold out for March, but really comfortable running weather I suppose. It won't be too many weeks before I am complaining about the heat. First ride on the trainer in about 10-11 days. I got spoiled the last few weeks being able to ride outside. Of course, I opted for second runs rather than rides. 

PM: 180' on the trainer. 242W. HR 144.

2+ hour Wave Tempo (SS/Tempo)

Wanted a longer, harder effort and went back and forth on what I wanted ot do. Settled on this. I used one of the Zwift courses in Watopia, Volcano Flat, for the time. 280/249 Watts, 283/250 Watts, 284/244 Watts, 283 Watts

Solid workout. Right glute was screaming at the end, but it does that.

We got 5-6 inches of snow, which we definitely didn't need.

PM: 7.3 miles on the treadmill, averaged 8:52. HR 140.

Started very easy at 5.5 and finished the last 10' at 8.0, which felt pretty easy, so the treadmill pretty closely mirrors outside. Tweaked my setup a bit more with a mirror so I can focus the hate during workouts. Ran in short split shorts and no shirt, which was great.

AM: 10.9 miles, averaged 8:14. HR 146.

30' @ Half Marathon Effort

I was quite hungover, so I wasn't sure how the workout was going to go. I figured on a good day the effort would be in the 6:20s or slightly slower to start, so I might have been overly conservative, but I ran pretty much right at 6:35 or a bit faster for two miles and slowly increased the pace and ratcheted it down the last 10' or so. Finished feeling like I could have pushed harder, but my legs weren't turning over. Averaged 6:30 @ 167 BPM. The last mile was around 6:17 according to Strava, though I didn't take any mile splits.

This week on the treadmill 20' @ that pace was too much and I barely hung on today outside it felt like strong marathon effort. I will be anxious to see how the 20' effort @ 10-mile effort goes this week. Next weekend I will do 35' @ half marathon effort, so I am hoping to be roughly 5-8 seconds faster than this week and I won't be drinking the night before.

A solid running week. I didn't ride as much as I have been, but I did get a 1-hour ride and a high quality three-hour ride, so that was good. Boys are home this week, so I will have to figure out how to get my doubles in. I really don't want to get up at 5:00AM.

PM: 6.9 miles, averaged 9:33. HR 132.

Nice afternoon out. I was quite tired last night and this morning. Snuck in a quick nap before class while the boys were napping. Felt a good bit better after. I didn't get out this morning as the boys are on spring break, so doubling is a little tricky. 

Evening: 120' on the trainer. 232W. HR 144.

Took the boys to the mall, which is always an experience. We got some action figures and candy and walked around a good deal. Jumped on the trainer a bit late as dinner was ready for Megan and I rode longer than I planned. I was a little tired from wrangling the boys at the mall, so I napped and put off training. Ended up getting a good session in.

15'-12'-10'-8'-5'

308 Watts/160 BPM; 310 Watts/163 BPM; 310 Watts/166 BPM; 314 Watts/165 BPM; 327 Watts/167 BPM

Maybe a touch stronger here and there than when I did this session at the start of the month, which was the day after my 10k. Slightly higher cadence than that session though I couldn't hold the lower cadence I did before. 

AM: 11.4 miles, averaged 7:57. HR 153.

20' @ 10-Mile Effort + 12 x 1' On/Off

Had a decent sense of pacing and effort for this witht he weekender last weekend. I was hoping to get into the high 6' teens, but didn't quite get there. Effort was on though. It started to get a little tough but not bad. Perceived effort was maybe a little high in relation to heart rate. Averaged 6:23 @ 172 BPM. Just over 5k. Took a 5' jog and did the 12 1' efforts. Just a touch under 6' pace with the last few around 5:45-5:40. Felt pretty good about the session. Things are improving even if it is not where I want to be. 18 months or so ago one mile all out was at thhis pace. 

AM/Lunch: 6.7 miles, averaged 9:44. HR 130. 

Good recovery run. Should have got up early to get it in so I could have doubled, but the schedule is slightly off. Doesn't bother me as much as it once did. Happy to be able to put in the time that I can. 

PM: 5 hours 24' (93.3 miles). 204W. HR 145. 17.3 MPH.

Long ride with some work in the middle. Decided to get something longer in as I am at a spot in my grading where I can take a quick break before getting going. This ended up longer than I intended but it is just the way it worked out. In the 40s with what was supposed to be lower wind, but it found me everywhere I turned. A mix of pavement and dirt with a bit more pavement than I would have liked, but it was fine. I planned around 4 hours or so but it got overly long. Did a 100' effort in the middle in tempo range/zone 3. I wanted to do 2 hours at that effort but just got kind of tired and muscle fatigued. It is actually a long time in that zone for a non-race situation. I did get tired on the way home but it wasn't too bad. had it been June or July the last 60' would have been painful. Roads were in decent shape, but a little rough. I had a bit too much pressure in my tires as I pulled it from the garage and it was colder in there than outside. I usually let them aclimatize a bit, but was in a hurry. Better than being too low (in most situations). 

Legs were achy after the ride but sorted out after a little bit. Longest ride in some time. I think probably since September when I did a bit over 100 miles. 

100' Tempo @ 240 Watts @ 157 BPM @ 19MPH

We took the boys to Canterbury Village to do the helicopter egg drop. It was equal parts exciting and anticimatic, but glad we went. I was quite pleased with the apple fritter. Definitely big enough to share, which I did with the boys. 

Day 1 of the 100 push-up plan. Not too hard. I used to do them a lot, but only sporadically now, so I figured some arbitrary program would help: 10, 12, 7, 7, 9

PM: 7.7 miles, averaged 8:29. HR 139. 

Legs felt okay, but quite sluggish. Kept it between recovery and easy.

Took the boys to an Easter party at one of the boys' friends from school. Managed to run okay after on two slices of pizza, four cookies, and a cupcake. 

AM/Lunch: 12.1 miles, averaged 7:51. HR 148.

35' @ Half Marathon Effort

6:29 pace @ 166 BPM. A solid workout. Felt decent at the start but after 20' or so my quads started to feel like concrete, most likely still recovering from the long ride on Friday. It made cutting the pace down difficult. I was around 6:30ish for most of the effort and the last mile was I think 6:25, though that was given by the Garmin notification. 

Week 1 Day 2 of 100 Pushup Challenge: 10, 12, 8, 8, 12

AM: 6.5 miles, averaged 10:03. HR 129.

PM: 6.7 miles, averaged 9:45. HR 133.

Solid recovery runs. Decent weather. Sunny and highs in the 50s. My mom is flying in tomorrow. The boys are very excited. I think the first time she has been back since August 2022 when she came with my Dad.

Lunch: 60'+ on the trainer. 234W. HR 137.

Decently hilly route, particularly at the end. The boys were still napping so I was going to go longer, but I decided the idea of a short nap myself was in order. Nice littler 30'er.

Picked Mom up at the airport with the boys. 

PM: 8 miles, averaged 8:06. HR 146.

Decent bit of rain but I was dressed just right and I enjoyed it. Megan got the boys down and we hung out with my Mom for a bit. Megan leaves for a conference in Spokane early tomorrow morning.

Week 1 Day 3 of 100 Pushup Challenge: 11, 15, 9, 9, 13

AM: 7.8 miles, averaged 144.

PM: 7.8 miles, averged 8:18. HR 146.

PM: 7.4 miles, averaged 8:59. 

The boys' friend and her parents came over early for pizza.

Off.

Not sure why I didn't run, but Mom and I went to get Crumbl cookies. She was invited to read at the boys school, which was a pretty cool and the boys were exciting and confused. 

Off.

Took mom to the airport. Did workout as I was exhausted and Megan wasn't getting home until very late. 

Didn't eat too much, put the boys to bed and drank too much. Megan came home around. This day began a period of increasingly worsening mental health. I kind of worked through it somewhat on Sunday, thought I was fine. 

Off.

Mental health day. Megan got home early in the morning.

Stayed home Monday as I usually do while the boys were in school and Megan was at work. I was quite tired so the boys had a lot of TV and I rested in the chair.

Off.

Off.

Back home and doing much better. Looking forward to running tomorrow. 

PM: 20' on the trainer. 142W. HR 136. 

Couldn't focus. No energy and just wasn't having it. Glad I at least tried something.

Off. 

I don't recall, but I figured I would just take it off.

PM: 60' on the trainer. 195W. HR 153.

HR elevated but coming around.

PM: 7.4 miles, averaged 9:30. HR 157.

Insanely nice weather for April. Sunny and 73ish. The boys went in their kiddie pool in fact. Run was therapeutic but challenging even at a slow pace, but it was good/necessary. 

This will be known as The Day of Turning on the Fountains. The boys and I went to the park and the fountain service was there and I figured out the process of turning on the subdivision fountains. I thought they were testing water quality or something until I saw the rowboat on the top of the truck. It was fun to watch the process and the boys got to see the fountains turn on. They were excited for that. One of those weirdly memorable moments that you cannot really explain (far less to do with the fountains than being together).

AM: 4.4 miles, averaged 10:13. HR 141.

Got some work done and did a short run. Beautiful weather again. Polly Ann was closed just after Waldon, so I rerouted. Lots of road construction. I am hoping whatever they are doing on our road does not increase speeds near our subdivision. 

PM: 60' on the trainer. 211W. HR 146.

AM: 60' on the trainer. 201W. HR 137.

Got up at 5:00, which was tough especially since it was the first night in about 7-8 nights I have felt like I actually was sleeping. But it set the day nicely. Except I should have been more patient with the boys in the afternoon. Charlie smashed Sawyer in the face with kid's fishing pole, which wasn't as bad as it first looked. Should have spent more time outside with them today. 

PM: 7.7 miles, averaged 8:26. HR 152.

Beautiful evening for a run. Warm, but must have been very dry because it almost felt cool.

AM: 60' on the trainer. 217W. HR 137. 

Numbers seem to have more or less normalized. 

PM: 7.8 miles, averaged 8:24. HR 146.

Running numbers seem to have more or less normalized. Cloudy and moody sky but very pleasant after the heavy rains.

I had a good day with the boys. Megan had something on campus so I took them for most of the day. This is typically my work day, but regular classes are out, so it worked just fine. Sawyer seems to really be focusing on building different things, more so than he usually does and I think the praise is pissing Charlie (often the recipent of praise) off. 

AM: 7.6 miles, averaged 8:31. HR 147.

PM: 60' on the trainer. 211W. HR 137. 

Pretty good day. I was home by myself for a good deal of it. Got a bit of work done. Took the boys to the grocery stores after picking them up after school. It was tough to be patient with them as they were into everything, but I did my best. Challenging time of year.

AM: 60' on the trainer. 216W. HR 133.

PM: 7.3 miles, averaged 8:54. HR 145.

Quite windy. Quite annoying, but it was fairly sunny. We've been blessed with overall excellent spring weather. Worked with the boys on their bikes a bit and rode mine to corral them and for visibility. We went to the neighborhood park. They didn't want to ride home (it's 1/8th of a mile). Sawyer ran off down the road. I yelled. A car was coming, but stopped. Even in the neighborhood I do not trust cars. 

AM: 90' on the trainer. 211W. HR 127.

Got up around 5:20. I tried quite seriously to stay in bed, but I got up and got rolling before the boys got up, which I always enjoy. Always need to get ahead of them.

100 Pushup Challenge (Restart): Week 1 Day 1: 10, 12, 7, 7, 9

PM: 8 miles, averaged 8:12. HR 148.

Solid run. Decently steady easy the last few miles. Weather was chilly but very runnerly.

AM/Lunch: 1:45 on the trainer. 243W. HR 145.

Wave Tempo (SS/Tempo)

Tried to get up at a decent hour to get a longer ride in so I had some time to work in the morning, but it didn't happen. My body said "sleep!" so I did as Megan was up with the boys. Decided to do something a bit steadier as it has been a bit. This one always works well. I will try to extend this back out to 2 hours or more of the workout portion as I think I am racing a 66-mile gravel race in 7 weeks and I want a good showing after the crap show at that race last year. The boys played in the basement with Megan while I was grinding it out. Felt quite solid.

282W (156 BPM)/247W (151 BPM)

285W (161)/248W (152 BPM)

PM: 4.7 miles, averaged 9:40. HR 131.

Good afternoon with the boys. We played outside and helped me to replace some downspout extensions. Sawyer was uncharacteristically helpful. 

AM: 7.3 miles, averaged 8:49. HR 140.

100 Push Up Challenge Week 1 Day 2: 10, 12, 8, 8, 12

PM: 60' on the trainer. 218W. HR 133.

Got some of the rest of the year planned out for running races, which has me excited. I might jump into a 5k or 10k or two this summer (just winging it to test the fitness) with the aim to run a halfway decent half time (I really need to get back under 80') in September and to run a 50k at the end of November. The same race I pulled out of in 2019. I have been trying to do an ultra since I moved to Michigan and I think I have been signed up for at least two since early 2017. Let's see if this sticks. It has me motivated. I have been motivated, but I need something a little more than just getting fitness back and trying to bring my half marathon times back down. 

I think I should update my running calandar on the blog, which I don't think I have done in years.

AM: 60' on the trainer. 207W. HR 128.

Got up early to get ahead of the boys. Long day with them but an overall good one. Tried to work a bit without completely ignoring them. We went to the mall, which is always an adventure.

PM: 7.6 miles, averaged 8:35. HR 136.

The clouds cleared as I headed north. Felt pretty decent and like I might have some pace in the second half but my legs were content to run aroun 8:20-8:40 pace. I felt a crap coming on the last two miles, so I slowed considerably. That kind of ruined my run along with the multidirectional headwind, but glad to get this in late.

Grading is coming along, but it is going to be challenging as we are headed to Toledo early in the day Saturday and won't be back until Sunday late afternoon. Megan has a race on Sunday. The race is usally the previous weekend. 

AM: 90' on the trainer. 211. HR 132. 

PM: 7.6 miles, averaged 8:37. HR 140.

Better run than yesterday. Legs didn't want to move too much, but ran very organically and progressed nicely. Skies cleared just before I went out, so I did see the sun. 

AM: 7.6 miles, averaged 8:40. HR 140.

PM: 60' on the trainer. 215. HR 134.

Week 1 Day 2 of 100 Pushup Challenge: 10, 12, 8, 8, 12 

AM: 90' on the trainer. 216W. HR 131. 

Group ride at 6:00. Needed to get to bed earlier, but it is hard with the semester ending. Trying to reprogram myself so that getting up at between 5:30-6:30 isn't super painful. Just need to get to bed around 10:00-10:30, which will be easier onece the semester ends.

Down about 12 lbs from this time last year. Getting closer to my fighting weight all the time. I think I can do some damage on the bike and running with another 6 lbs or so, but I am going to try to be more patient with workign that off.

PM: 12.3 miles, averaged 8:38. HR 144.

Ran to Orion Oaks and did a lap and a half. Not sure why I don't run there more. Nice easy effort with some steadier miles once my legs woke up. 

A rather indulgent day of exercise, but that is pretty normal closing out a semester.