Tuesday (continued from last episode)
After the 10-miler yesterday, one-mile run commute back home just a few hours afterwards to pick up the car for some errands, and the legs felt surprisingly fine. Recovery time after these longer runs is really coming down.
Then in the afternoon I did lower-body strength training. I was expecting trouble with the deadlifts after my longish morning run, but they were fine. I've been keeping the deadlifts at 225 for the last 3-4 weeks while I make this push to higher weekly mileage, but I think I'm ready to get back to 275 or 325 now. I'm gaining confidence that my legs/lower body can handle the extra running workload and still do decent lifts.
On that note, I'm rethinking the 3x per week strength-training schedule. I might break it up into four sessions, to make sure I have adequate time for the upper body stuff. So yet another revised weekly schedule:
Sun: Lower Back/Butt/Legs ST & Speedwork or Hills
Mon: Chest/Biceps ST & run-commute
Tu: Longish run & run-commute
Wed: Lats/Mid-section ST & run-commute
Thur: Longish run or Tempo run & run-commute
Fri: Shoulders/Triceps/Forearm & run-commute
Sat: Long run
Basically, over the last month or so, I've added 3-4 hours of exercise per week. I used to do an hour a day, now it averages more like 90-120 minutes. But I think it's totally justified because I feel even better now, have even better concentration and energy and mood, so I don't think it's taking time away from things at all. If anything, it's adding time. I'm also starting to do sit-ups and mobility stuff with ankle weights in my office. It's a great five-minute break and keeps the blood from pooling in conceptual deadends.
@lee: love that you are getting in all those long, exploratory runs. Perfect time of year.
@everyone else: looks like a good fall running season is getting under way. reading posts, not always time to post, but keep up all the efforts!
Thanks Sister Sced! You were my original high mileage inspiration when I began participating on the mileage reporting forum a little more than a year ago. I really like how much more can be explored when one gets up into the 10+ mile range. A lot more route possibilities open up. Still, not all of them are pleasant, or at least not all of them are pleasant all the way, or at all times, so I'm steadily pruning some routes from my repertoire, even as I add others.
And you're right, it is the perfect time of year. I don't know what it will be like come winter. I may have to revert to my fairgrounds bank-n-forths if I want to continue running bare. The best thing about these longer runs is the little sense of adventure they restore to my settled life.
What's really cool is running over into Minneapolis. Conceptually, that used to always be a barrier for me. On my mental map it seemed far away, but now I realize it's no further really than some of my route landmarks for out-n-backs in St. Paul.
Anyway, hope your stress reduces soon. Mine is about to increase I think.
Same old same old. I droppped halfway through my 50k the other week. Started prolotherapy a couple of weeks ago but so far not much has changed.
The good thing is I can still lift. And I am going to start running again tomorrow, damn the PF!
Are you using a foot roller of some kind? Now that I'm running higher mileage, I've gotten a few PFish niggles and I've found that standing on a wood foot roller with most of my weight and rolling back and forth between my mets to my heel really helps.