2024 Advanced Training and Racing Thread (still competitive jerks) (Read 236 times)

 

 Steve, sorry about the Covid. That stinks. A down week sounds reasonable, but hopefully it’s a weak case. Obviously you have to see how things go, and it’s good to have a backup plan, but you’ve still got time to get peak-week in for Christchurch.

 

Oh! And NYCM applications are open!

Yep, got my entry in.

I don't think it was a weak case.  It's going to be basically a full week off then a few building back weeks.

I'm definitely on the way back up now, and maybe a day away from a Shakeout.  No way I'll be able to jump back into marathon training where I left off.  Which means I might be ready to train properly around the time the taper is due to start.  I won't make any decisions until I'm actually running again and have a proper catch up with my coach but I'm feeling pretty negative about racing in 6 weeks.  I know there's no such thing as the perfect marathon build up but with my marathon struggles I feel like I may be asking for trouble if I don't make some adjustments.

 

Yep, got my entry in.

 

I don't think it was a weak case.  It's going to be basically a full week off then a few building back weeks.

 

I'm definitely on the way back up now, and maybe a day away from a Shakeout.  No way I'll be able to jump back into marathon training where I left off.  Which means I might be ready to train properly around the time the taper is due to start.  I won't make any decisions until I'm actually running again and have a proper catch up with my coach but I'm feeling pretty negative about racing in 6 weeks.  I know there's no such thing as the perfect marathon build up but with my marathon struggles I feel like I may be asking for trouble if I don't make some adjustments.

dammn dude...that sucks. As someone currently struggling mentally with a lot of things having the running going downhill is a tough one. It's a long road to the top and just don't keep comparing yourself to PR shape. I do it all the time, and living there just isn't possible. Just know building back up is more important than being there now. It's like darkwave once told me "be in race shape on race day not at the beginning of training." Do the best you can and work towards the goal. Don't expect it to be there when you want it to be. One day it will turn around for you and it will feel great. That day just might be kinda farther away than you want it to be, and it might take more work than you want to put in right now. Don't let it get to you.

mmerkle how is the IT band? How is that heart rate in cold weather going?

Dave - that's great stuff, particularly given the variable lead-up.

I DNFed my race after feeling a bit off since about Wednesday.  After initial negative tests, eventually it turned out it was Covid when I tested after the race. Go figure. The average cold I get has me feeling worse overall. But it does validate the decision to DNF, and particularly to DNF early on - in this case about 1.5km in after I just felt really out of power on an early hill, with a slightly odd tightness in the chest.  Pace was fine, zero issues there, but I doubt I would've lasted 21km or even half that.

Looks like I'm maybe lucky though, as so far it seems a lot more mild than Steve's current experience (and my previous one too). HR has been a little high, but only by a few bpm, and apart from feeling vaguely off, the only other symptoms have been a blocked nose and difficulty sleeping.  I'll just take it day by day and hopefully back into it relatively quickly.  Would be nice to have a good burn at Waterfront in 4 weeks time.  Even if my series is done, at least I can attempt to claim the moral victory of beating the likely series winner head to head three times out of five.

 It's a long road to the top and just don't keep comparing yourself to PR shape. I do it all the time, and living there just isn't possible. Just know building back up is more important than being there now.

1000 times this.

I still can't quite fathom how I ran the times that I did back in 2019-21.  Boy am I ever proud of them.  But I am also not that runner any more.  Things have changed, doesn't matter why, and all you can do is focus on being the best runner you can be in the here and now.

I'm still pissed about the DNF and it ruling me out of the series title chase though, I was having a lot of fun with that.

Finished the week with 42.4 miles, slightly more than half in my first race since June of last summer.

https://wcrunner2.blogspot.com/2024/03/livingston-oval-6-hour-first-race-of.html

Wow, Flavio really nailed it! Beautiful splits!

 

dammn dude...that sucks. As someone currently struggling mentally with a lot of things having the running going downhill is a tough one. It's a long road to the top and just don't keep comparing yourself to PR shape. I do it all the time, and living there just isn't possible. Just know building back up is more important than being there now. It's like darkwave once told me "be in race shape on race day not at the beginning of training." Do the best you can and work towards the goal. Don't expect it to be there when you want it to be. One day it will turn around for you and it will feel great. That day just might be kinda farther away than you want it to be, and it might take more work than you want to put in right now. Don't let it get to you.

Thanks, I really appreciate it.  I'm out the other side and can start running again which is definitely a positive.  I'm sure I haven't lost too much, despite Training Peaks telling me my fitness has dropped from 83 to 71.  I'm glad I'm not injured, that REALLY sucks, when you have the desire to run but can't.  In the last week I've had no interest in it.

Flavio - I am so excited for you!  This is so awesome!

Great races also to Dave, WCRunner, and AndyTn -two PRs and a really good performance coming back from an ablation.

Marky_Mark - very sorry about the DNF but it was obviously the right decision.  Sometimes you start a race and you know it's not going to happen - in that case, the sooner you drop the better.

****

56 miles running, 1000 yards swimming, and 2 hours pool-running.

M: 1 hour pool-running and 500 yards swimming.
T: 7 miles very easy (9:18) in the morning; streaming pilates in evening.
W: 7 miles very easy (9:27), upper body weights/core, and then 2 miles very easy (9:39) plus drills and strides.
Th: 11 miles, including 8 "Iwo Jima" hills at marathon effort, followed by leg strengthwork.
F: 12 miles very easy (9:27) plus drills and strides in the morning; streaming yoga in the afternoon.
Sa: 17 miles, including a marathon effort workout of 2x5 miles at marathon effort with one mile float between. Splits were 37:39 (7:32 pace) and 37:15 (7:27 pace) with a mile in 8:16 between the two. Followed with leg strengthwork.
Su: 1 hour pool-running and 500 yards swimming.

I focused on recovery from the half-marathon for the first part of this week, followed by hills at marathon effort in supershoes to practice mechanics, and then a marathon effort workout. It looks like I am locking into around 7:30 for a marathon pace on flat ground in good weather (with another 2 weeks of training that may get a bit faster). We'll see how that translates to Boston.