5/30- Basic run of the mill easy 6 indoors. I didn't care at all about the pace but it ended up at 47:36 (7:56 average) with very even splits. That was a bit much for the day after a race and it should have been just a junk run. No harm done.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=6.0
5/31- Johnny's workout. It was short today because of the heat (92 with a 95 heat index). That was fine. I wasn't up for a real hard workout 2 days after a half. 4x400 in 74, 800 in 2:39. 2 more slow 800s in 3:30 and a 2 mile cool. No complaints about this one. It will be hotter over the next 2 days. The RD has confirmed that the CDA course was long. It goes in the books as a PR with an asterisk.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=5.0
6/1- National Running Day. Easy 5 at the Shak in 95 degree temps with a 100 heat index. Time was 38:23 (7:41 pace) with relatively even splits. Hurting but did what I planned. After my next half mary, I'm taking one day off regardless of how well I feel. Edit: According to run works, this is equivalent to a sub-37 or 7:20 pace in 70 degree weather. No wonder it felt hard. Indoors tomorrow. No relief from the heat for at least another week.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=5.5
6/2- Much more comfortable indoor 6.5 miler in a time of 49:41 (7:39 pace). Started too fast then backed off to a more sensible pace towards the end. Felt good but not effortless. Went to a baseball game after the run with a couple of guys from the track club and got eaten by bugs. Not a very pleasant experience.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=6.5
6/3- 7 miles indoors in 55:36 (7:57 pace). Struggled. Not enough food in my system but got through the workout. Drove to Nashville in the afternoon.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=7.0
6/4- Planned rest day to recover from what I sure hope is my last prolotherapy session. Dr. Johnson targeted the sensitive abductor area. The best news is that I have not needed any chromium in nearly a month. It is possible that it was the infected root canal, not the ADHS, that caused the dependency by robbing my body of key nutrients. I need 10 miles tomorrow. It will be either easy long or a double with evening speed work depending on how I feel. Next week will be just as hot. There must be some relief ahead. It can't be like this all summer.
6/5- Lakeshore 10 just as planned at 6:30 AM. By the time I finished, it was already 80 degrees with 80% humidity. I wisely took 3 extended drink stops but finished with a pretty solid moving time of 77:50 (7:47 avg). Even pace. 1st 9 miles were all 7:42-7:54 with a mild pick up at the end. Final quarter mile was sub-7 pace. Solid effort.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=10.0
Weekly summary:
Hit the mileage target as planned. I'm averaging just over 40 per week on the year, which would put me over 2,000 for the first time in a calendar year. Doing 40 this week was a challenge due to heat, prolotherapy, travel and recovery from a hard race effort. Only downer was that I only had one high quality session and even that was abbreviated. Must do more speed now.
Distance=40.0/GPA= 24.8/8=3.10
Monday, May 30, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
CDA half RR
Training:
Decent cycle overall. My mileage was pretty consistent around 40, which was a little less than I hoped for but enough to get the job done in a half marathon. As usual, the quality was high but I was very much short on long runs. That could come back to bite me in the last 5K. I had not gone over 10 miles in more than a month and had not exceeded the race distance in more than 2 months. I did not plan on that happening but every time I had planned to go 15-16, an annoying medical issue flared up on the weekend. It's probable that a chronically infected root canal was hurting my training. The problem tooth was extracted 2 weeks ago and I was hopeful for improvement or at least more stability in my body chemistry. This was my first real shot at 1:30 and though I did not expect to break it, I believed that I could put a significant dent in my current PR (1:32:49) 3 months earlier in Chattanooga. The elevation was 2,200 feet, which should have a minimal negative effect on performance. I did not feel a difference but it was probably worth maybe 2-3 secs per mile or roughly :30 total.
Trip:
I flew Delta, which has not been so good to me in the past but this time, my trip went without a hitch. After a layover in Minneapolis, I landed on time just after noon in Spokane, Washington. I drove around town for a bit and found that the Centennial trail runs through downtown and would be a great place for an easy run the next day. Feeling tired, I checked into my hotel then walked to a Chili's just across the road where I polished off a full rack of ribs. The next morning, I got in an easy 5 in on the Centennial trail then hit the road heading east on I-90. It was a beautiful 3 hour drive to Missoula, Montana with mountains in the distance with peaks still snow covered. I have now been to every state in the continental U.S. with Alaska and Hawaii still to go. I chose this race because it presented the best opportunity to see both Idaho and Montana for the first time and the weather conditions were likely to be favorable even in late May. Coeur d'Alene is located in the northern panhandle of Idaho, just 100 miles south of the Canadian border. I drove around town for a bit, stopped at a mall and had dinner at a decent independent restaurant. The next morning, I got an early start and headed back to Idaho. I took in the beautiful lakeside scenery and walked around town for a bit. Dinner would really be a treat. I polished off a 24 oz. porterhouse and it was one of the best I have ever had. As planned, I was in bed early and would be ready to roll the next morning.
Race day:
I felt very strong warming up and was starting to feel confident that this could be my day. The weather was sunny with temps in the 40s-50s and the course map indicated that it was a mostly flat course. That was true. Another claim is suspect. The gun went off and my early pace was around 6:20. That's way too fast but it felt so effortless. Still, I tried my best to slow down but came through the Mile marker in 6:38, 15 seconds fast. The plan was to run in the upper 6:50s for the first half or just a tad slower than 1:30 pace. That way, if it's in me, I can go for it in the 2nd half but if not, I won't be out so fast that I'll be doomed in the later stages. By Mile 2, I was getting into a groove and would rip off 6 consecutive miles in the 6:50s. Mile 2-3 were mostly downhill but 4-5 would require more effort. I maintained the pace well and still felt quite comfortable through the first half. Despite, the faster pace, I felt better than I did in Chattanooga.
1st half spilts:
6:38-(6:38) slow down fool
6:56-(13:34) better
6:56-(20:30) very good
6:56-(27:26) new definition of an even pace
6:54-(34:20) feel great, that was a hilly mile.
6:59-(41:19) stay under 7 for as long as you can.
The mile markers were a bit short. Each mile seemed to be measured .98 or .99 and at the 6th Mile mark, my Garmin read 5.91. Normally, the reverse happens and the Garmin measures the course a bit long. Only once has the Garmin been off at the short end, which was at Mercedes this year. The splits listed are watch splits so a thought entered my mind. I may be going even faster than my splits indicate, possibly up to 30 seconds faster.
I hit 6.55 (Garmin) just a hair slower than 1:30 pace. I believe that my time was 45:06. A PR should be in the bag and if the Garmin measures the course at around 13.0, I may still have a shot at 1:29:59. By the 8th Mile, I was working quite hard and my pace was slowing. We hit a decent downhill in the next mile and it did not significantly increase my pace. I began losing contact with my pack and several runners would pass me before it was over. With 4 miles to go, a PR was still as good as mine unless the pace slipped to near 7:30. Sub-1:30 had slipped away and so had 1:30:xx but I still appeared to be in good shape to break 1:32, which was the more realistic goal coming in. It was here that my lack of long runs really came back to haunt me. Mile 10 was into a headwind and would be the slowest mile of the race. I was still under 70 for 10 Miles, which is an unofficial PR. 5K to go now and I'm in full blown survival mode. Time to grit my teeth and show some heart here. Mile 11 would be a bit faster but the remaining 2 miles would be mostly up a gentle incline. Running all out, I struggled to keep the pace under 7:20. As for the mile markers, they were now consistently measured at 1.00 if not 1.01, putting the official measurement closer to the Garmin time. Still, I hit Mile 12 with an 11.96 reading and expected the course to be no more than 13.10.
More splits:
6:51-(48:10) shaping up to be the race of my life
7:07-(55:17) slipping a little, slight incline
7:02-(62:19) downhill, hoped for a faster split. Survival
7:23-(69:42) uh oh. show some heart now.
7:09 (76:51) Barring disaster, you've got a PR.
7:17 (84:08) Hang on, uphill.
Now, this is where the nightmare begins. After some quick math, I figured that I needed right around 7:00 to break 1:32 and my pace could slip to 7:48 for the last mile and I'd still PR. I was running on fumes now and the incline was a bit less gentle on the 13th Mile. With the finish line so close, or so I thought, an act of will kept my pace steady but I could not increase it until I came off the trail just before the Garmin turned 13 (I did not see the 13th Mile marker). Okay, I figured, only 40 seconds to go. Sub-1:32 may have slipped away but you'll certainly PR. I thought I had a short straightaway and maybe 1 turn to go but the finish line just wasn't there. We got a short downhill and my watch read 13.15 and it had already turned 1:32. Uh oh! I've really got to hustle just to get a baby PR. I turned on the speed as fast as I could and my pace hit 5:00 at my fastest but the finish line still wasn't there. I rounded another corner and finally saw a clock 50 yards away. With a PR gone and feeling some mild GI discomfort, I packed it in and finally finished demoralized at 1:33:21 (#3 all time). Garmin pace was 7:00 or 7:01 which is good enough for a PR but the distance registered at 13.31.
Last 2 splits were:
7:17 (1:31:25)
1:55 (1:33:21) 6:11 pace for .31.
Final thoughts:
I have mixed feelings right now because I'm not entirely sure of the exact value of my time. Even if the course was measured accurately, I came within 32 seconds of my PR or roughly 2.5 ticks/mile, which is nothing to be ashamed. What is certain though is that for my next attempt in the Fall, I need more long runs and need to be steady in the 50-55 MPW range. I tried running over 60 last Fall and ended up hurt and badly unbalanced so I will not do that again. 50-55 should be safe especially if I'm sensible with the paces.
Course length:
Was this a PR performance? The course had relatively few turns and was not in an urban area. Also the fact that the entire discrepancy occurred in the final Mile leads me to believe that the course was indeed long. I'd be more inclined to trust the course measurement if the Garmin consistently measured the Miles to be 1.01 or 1.02 and I'd head into the last mile knowing that the Garmin read it long all the way. That's what usually occurs. The official distance is 13.11 and my watch usually reads between 13.15-13.20. I've never had anything over 13.26 before.
13.11 projects to a 1:31:57. 13.21 projects to a 1:32:39. Even 13.23 projects to a PR.
I heard that in Little Rock, a similar situation occurred and one of the participants e-mailed the RD, who admitted that the marathon course was accurate but the half was long. I sent a polite e-mail to the RD and hope to get a similar response. Even if I have to include an asterisk, if I did cover the 13.11 distance faster than I previously had, this performance should be recognized as such. In the Fall, I want a new PR that puts this question to rest.
Aftermath:
I could not stay long because I had a plane to catch. I wanted a full day off back in Birmingham to recover from jet lag and decompress. My return trip also went without a hitch. This was a very good trip overall and was worth doing regardless of how the race turned out.
Decent cycle overall. My mileage was pretty consistent around 40, which was a little less than I hoped for but enough to get the job done in a half marathon. As usual, the quality was high but I was very much short on long runs. That could come back to bite me in the last 5K. I had not gone over 10 miles in more than a month and had not exceeded the race distance in more than 2 months. I did not plan on that happening but every time I had planned to go 15-16, an annoying medical issue flared up on the weekend. It's probable that a chronically infected root canal was hurting my training. The problem tooth was extracted 2 weeks ago and I was hopeful for improvement or at least more stability in my body chemistry. This was my first real shot at 1:30 and though I did not expect to break it, I believed that I could put a significant dent in my current PR (1:32:49) 3 months earlier in Chattanooga. The elevation was 2,200 feet, which should have a minimal negative effect on performance. I did not feel a difference but it was probably worth maybe 2-3 secs per mile or roughly :30 total.
Trip:
I flew Delta, which has not been so good to me in the past but this time, my trip went without a hitch. After a layover in Minneapolis, I landed on time just after noon in Spokane, Washington. I drove around town for a bit and found that the Centennial trail runs through downtown and would be a great place for an easy run the next day. Feeling tired, I checked into my hotel then walked to a Chili's just across the road where I polished off a full rack of ribs. The next morning, I got in an easy 5 in on the Centennial trail then hit the road heading east on I-90. It was a beautiful 3 hour drive to Missoula, Montana with mountains in the distance with peaks still snow covered. I have now been to every state in the continental U.S. with Alaska and Hawaii still to go. I chose this race because it presented the best opportunity to see both Idaho and Montana for the first time and the weather conditions were likely to be favorable even in late May. Coeur d'Alene is located in the northern panhandle of Idaho, just 100 miles south of the Canadian border. I drove around town for a bit, stopped at a mall and had dinner at a decent independent restaurant. The next morning, I got an early start and headed back to Idaho. I took in the beautiful lakeside scenery and walked around town for a bit. Dinner would really be a treat. I polished off a 24 oz. porterhouse and it was one of the best I have ever had. As planned, I was in bed early and would be ready to roll the next morning.
Race day:
I felt very strong warming up and was starting to feel confident that this could be my day. The weather was sunny with temps in the 40s-50s and the course map indicated that it was a mostly flat course. That was true. Another claim is suspect. The gun went off and my early pace was around 6:20. That's way too fast but it felt so effortless. Still, I tried my best to slow down but came through the Mile marker in 6:38, 15 seconds fast. The plan was to run in the upper 6:50s for the first half or just a tad slower than 1:30 pace. That way, if it's in me, I can go for it in the 2nd half but if not, I won't be out so fast that I'll be doomed in the later stages. By Mile 2, I was getting into a groove and would rip off 6 consecutive miles in the 6:50s. Mile 2-3 were mostly downhill but 4-5 would require more effort. I maintained the pace well and still felt quite comfortable through the first half. Despite, the faster pace, I felt better than I did in Chattanooga.
1st half spilts:
6:38-(6:38) slow down fool
6:56-(13:34) better
6:56-(20:30) very good
6:56-(27:26) new definition of an even pace
6:54-(34:20) feel great, that was a hilly mile.
6:59-(41:19) stay under 7 for as long as you can.
The mile markers were a bit short. Each mile seemed to be measured .98 or .99 and at the 6th Mile mark, my Garmin read 5.91. Normally, the reverse happens and the Garmin measures the course a bit long. Only once has the Garmin been off at the short end, which was at Mercedes this year. The splits listed are watch splits so a thought entered my mind. I may be going even faster than my splits indicate, possibly up to 30 seconds faster.
I hit 6.55 (Garmin) just a hair slower than 1:30 pace. I believe that my time was 45:06. A PR should be in the bag and if the Garmin measures the course at around 13.0, I may still have a shot at 1:29:59. By the 8th Mile, I was working quite hard and my pace was slowing. We hit a decent downhill in the next mile and it did not significantly increase my pace. I began losing contact with my pack and several runners would pass me before it was over. With 4 miles to go, a PR was still as good as mine unless the pace slipped to near 7:30. Sub-1:30 had slipped away and so had 1:30:xx but I still appeared to be in good shape to break 1:32, which was the more realistic goal coming in. It was here that my lack of long runs really came back to haunt me. Mile 10 was into a headwind and would be the slowest mile of the race. I was still under 70 for 10 Miles, which is an unofficial PR. 5K to go now and I'm in full blown survival mode. Time to grit my teeth and show some heart here. Mile 11 would be a bit faster but the remaining 2 miles would be mostly up a gentle incline. Running all out, I struggled to keep the pace under 7:20. As for the mile markers, they were now consistently measured at 1.00 if not 1.01, putting the official measurement closer to the Garmin time. Still, I hit Mile 12 with an 11.96 reading and expected the course to be no more than 13.10.
More splits:
6:51-(48:10) shaping up to be the race of my life
7:07-(55:17) slipping a little, slight incline
7:02-(62:19) downhill, hoped for a faster split. Survival
7:23-(69:42) uh oh. show some heart now.
7:09 (76:51) Barring disaster, you've got a PR.
7:17 (84:08) Hang on, uphill.
Now, this is where the nightmare begins. After some quick math, I figured that I needed right around 7:00 to break 1:32 and my pace could slip to 7:48 for the last mile and I'd still PR. I was running on fumes now and the incline was a bit less gentle on the 13th Mile. With the finish line so close, or so I thought, an act of will kept my pace steady but I could not increase it until I came off the trail just before the Garmin turned 13 (I did not see the 13th Mile marker). Okay, I figured, only 40 seconds to go. Sub-1:32 may have slipped away but you'll certainly PR. I thought I had a short straightaway and maybe 1 turn to go but the finish line just wasn't there. We got a short downhill and my watch read 13.15 and it had already turned 1:32. Uh oh! I've really got to hustle just to get a baby PR. I turned on the speed as fast as I could and my pace hit 5:00 at my fastest but the finish line still wasn't there. I rounded another corner and finally saw a clock 50 yards away. With a PR gone and feeling some mild GI discomfort, I packed it in and finally finished demoralized at 1:33:21 (#3 all time). Garmin pace was 7:00 or 7:01 which is good enough for a PR but the distance registered at 13.31.
Last 2 splits were:
7:17 (1:31:25)
1:55 (1:33:21) 6:11 pace for .31.
Final thoughts:
I have mixed feelings right now because I'm not entirely sure of the exact value of my time. Even if the course was measured accurately, I came within 32 seconds of my PR or roughly 2.5 ticks/mile, which is nothing to be ashamed. What is certain though is that for my next attempt in the Fall, I need more long runs and need to be steady in the 50-55 MPW range. I tried running over 60 last Fall and ended up hurt and badly unbalanced so I will not do that again. 50-55 should be safe especially if I'm sensible with the paces.
Course length:
Was this a PR performance? The course had relatively few turns and was not in an urban area. Also the fact that the entire discrepancy occurred in the final Mile leads me to believe that the course was indeed long. I'd be more inclined to trust the course measurement if the Garmin consistently measured the Miles to be 1.01 or 1.02 and I'd head into the last mile knowing that the Garmin read it long all the way. That's what usually occurs. The official distance is 13.11 and my watch usually reads between 13.15-13.20. I've never had anything over 13.26 before.
13.11 projects to a 1:31:57. 13.21 projects to a 1:32:39. Even 13.23 projects to a PR.
I heard that in Little Rock, a similar situation occurred and one of the participants e-mailed the RD, who admitted that the marathon course was accurate but the half was long. I sent a polite e-mail to the RD and hope to get a similar response. Even if I have to include an asterisk, if I did cover the 13.11 distance faster than I previously had, this performance should be recognized as such. In the Fall, I want a new PR that puts this question to rest.
Aftermath:
I could not stay long because I had a plane to catch. I wanted a full day off back in Birmingham to recover from jet lag and decompress. My return trip also went without a hitch. This was a very good trip overall and was worth doing regardless of how the race turned out.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Training 5/23-5/29 (race week taper)
5/23- A little bit of everything in today's workout. Another half-assed attempt at the 5K. This time, I hit the 2K mark in 7:45, realized that I wasn't going to make it and quit. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, I walked a lap and ran 3x400 intervals in respectable fashion (75-74-68). I completed the workout with a 2.5 mile cool down in 19:48 (7:55 pace). A disappointment overall as the 5K drought continues. In fairness, I wasn't totally fresh and it was 85 degrees but the heat will only get worse for the next 2 months. I've got to look back and see my workouts leading up to the 19:27. Something felt a little off today and I'll try to bump up my ADHS. I'd rather do that than have to take the chromium. Tomorrow, I plan to return to Johnny's workout even though nobody there can hang with me. The lack of a training partner in interval sessions is clearly hurting my short distance efforts.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=5.0
5/24- I took a look at my training from the summer of '09 and it showed that my paces for long tempos were quite slow compared to what I am doing now. However, I ran some phenomenal short intervals with Dave (who no longer trains w/Johnny) that I'm not sure that I could duplicate today. I returned to the track today for Johnny's workout, which was interesting. It started out with 200-300-400-600-800. My times were right on target at 35-54-74-1:56-2:38. I thought the 800 was the top of the pyramid and I ran it hard but got surprised with another one. I showed no heart in struggling through a 2:50 but bounced back with 3 solid 400s in 76-75-69. Overall pace was just under 5:10/mile. As for the Mile and 5K, the raw speed is there and the endurance is there but one critical component needs improvement. Strength or sustained speed must improve if I am to PR at those distances. This workout was geared toward that objective.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=5.5
* On the medical front, I took half a chromium last night and got the expected negative reaction, which is actually a good thing. As expected, there was no dramatic effect after taking care of the oral infection but it's still possible that the infection was a factor in the chromium dependency. If I can stick with the ADHS and avoid having to take chromium or anything else that is a stimulant, it just might be the path to balanced body chemistry.
5/25- I did some research and found no evidence that an infected root canal has anything to do with any issues with chromium. I did find a case in which a young woman developed symptoms of schizophrenia (yes that's right) after getting a bad root canal but after getting the tooth out, she was fine within a short time. I do think that it's plausible that my infected root canal had something to do with the extreme sensitivity to chromium.
Workout was the Trak Shak 5 at moderate effort with a time of 36:42 (7:21 pace). Slowed a bit in the second half but that's okay. All 5 were 7:30 or under. I was faster than I planned anyway. Temp was close to 90 but not too humid with a bit of a breeze so I didn't find it too unpleasant. I leave for Spokane tomorrow and it will be like another world. Temps will only be in the 50s with cloudy skies and a chance of rain each day. If it's gonna be that chilly, PLEASE no rain during the race. Temps in the 30s-40s with rain is the most uncomfortable weather for running.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=5.5
5/26- Travel day. Planned rest. Arrived in a different world in Spokane, Washington with temps in the low 50s. Drive through town for a bit then had ribs at Chili's and went to bed early.
5/27- Easy run on Centennial Trail in Spokane. Pleased with how I felt. The trail had lots of offshoots and was difficult to follow but I did see some impressive whitewater scenery by the river. First 2 miles in 14:12 which sounds way too fast but I did stop numerous times to make sure that I did not get lost. Walked for a few minutes then ran 2.5 miles @ 7:30 pace with a pickup at the end. The opposite direction was much easier to follow. It's only 9 AM and I'm headed to Montana.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=5.0
5/28- Lakeside junk run in CDA. 1.25 miles @ 6:58 pace with a pickup at the end. Cloudy, chilly and windy out there. Tomorrow looks pretty good however. Upper 40s at the start with a low chance of rain but wind could be a nuisance. Short pants for sure. May go with a long top. All systems are go for tomorrow.
Grade:Pass/0 credit/distance=1.5
5/29- Coeur d'Alene half marathon in 1:33:21 but the course was measured at 13.31 and I'm 90% sure that it was indeed long. Self-adjusted time is 1:31:57, which is a PR with an asterisk.
Grade:A-/4 credits/distance=14.5
Weekly summary:
Pretty good race even if the course wasn't long though it seems highly doubtful that it was accurate. Time to re-focus on speed and hope the heat and humidity are less intense this summer. Not much of a taper but I really didn't need or deserve one considering the low mileage leading up to the race. I may not hit 40 next week but intend to for most of the summer.
Distance=37.0/ GPA=30.1/9=3.34
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=5.0
5/24- I took a look at my training from the summer of '09 and it showed that my paces for long tempos were quite slow compared to what I am doing now. However, I ran some phenomenal short intervals with Dave (who no longer trains w/Johnny) that I'm not sure that I could duplicate today. I returned to the track today for Johnny's workout, which was interesting. It started out with 200-300-400-600-800. My times were right on target at 35-54-74-1:56-2:38. I thought the 800 was the top of the pyramid and I ran it hard but got surprised with another one. I showed no heart in struggling through a 2:50 but bounced back with 3 solid 400s in 76-75-69. Overall pace was just under 5:10/mile. As for the Mile and 5K, the raw speed is there and the endurance is there but one critical component needs improvement. Strength or sustained speed must improve if I am to PR at those distances. This workout was geared toward that objective.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=5.5
* On the medical front, I took half a chromium last night and got the expected negative reaction, which is actually a good thing. As expected, there was no dramatic effect after taking care of the oral infection but it's still possible that the infection was a factor in the chromium dependency. If I can stick with the ADHS and avoid having to take chromium or anything else that is a stimulant, it just might be the path to balanced body chemistry.
5/25- I did some research and found no evidence that an infected root canal has anything to do with any issues with chromium. I did find a case in which a young woman developed symptoms of schizophrenia (yes that's right) after getting a bad root canal but after getting the tooth out, she was fine within a short time. I do think that it's plausible that my infected root canal had something to do with the extreme sensitivity to chromium.
Workout was the Trak Shak 5 at moderate effort with a time of 36:42 (7:21 pace). Slowed a bit in the second half but that's okay. All 5 were 7:30 or under. I was faster than I planned anyway. Temp was close to 90 but not too humid with a bit of a breeze so I didn't find it too unpleasant. I leave for Spokane tomorrow and it will be like another world. Temps will only be in the 50s with cloudy skies and a chance of rain each day. If it's gonna be that chilly, PLEASE no rain during the race. Temps in the 30s-40s with rain is the most uncomfortable weather for running.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=5.5
5/26- Travel day. Planned rest. Arrived in a different world in Spokane, Washington with temps in the low 50s. Drive through town for a bit then had ribs at Chili's and went to bed early.
5/27- Easy run on Centennial Trail in Spokane. Pleased with how I felt. The trail had lots of offshoots and was difficult to follow but I did see some impressive whitewater scenery by the river. First 2 miles in 14:12 which sounds way too fast but I did stop numerous times to make sure that I did not get lost. Walked for a few minutes then ran 2.5 miles @ 7:30 pace with a pickup at the end. The opposite direction was much easier to follow. It's only 9 AM and I'm headed to Montana.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=5.0
5/28- Lakeside junk run in CDA. 1.25 miles @ 6:58 pace with a pickup at the end. Cloudy, chilly and windy out there. Tomorrow looks pretty good however. Upper 40s at the start with a low chance of rain but wind could be a nuisance. Short pants for sure. May go with a long top. All systems are go for tomorrow.
Grade:Pass/0 credit/distance=1.5
5/29- Coeur d'Alene half marathon in 1:33:21 but the course was measured at 13.31 and I'm 90% sure that it was indeed long. Self-adjusted time is 1:31:57, which is a PR with an asterisk.
Grade:A-/4 credits/distance=14.5
Weekly summary:
Pretty good race even if the course wasn't long though it seems highly doubtful that it was accurate. Time to re-focus on speed and hope the heat and humidity are less intense this summer. Not much of a taper but I really didn't need or deserve one considering the low mileage leading up to the race. I may not hit 40 next week but intend to for most of the summer.
Distance=37.0/ GPA=30.1/9=3.34
Monday, May 16, 2011
Training 5/16-5/22
5/16- The tooth came out and the recovery process has begun. In addition to those 3 questions posed earlier, there is one positive thought. This low grade infection may have been present for months or even longer. When it's cleaned out, will it accelerate the healing from adrenal dysfunction? Planned rest day. Hoping to get an easy one in tomorrow.
5/17- Planned workout was an easy 5. I felt different immediately after I woke up. I got off to a good start (1:35 first quarter feeling good) so I decided to go for it. I finished with a remarkable time of 32:21 (unofficial PR, 6:28 pace) despite feeling a bit weakened by antibiotics. I'm at a loss for words right now. Splits were 6:26-6:27-6:34-6:34-6:20. I think I would have had a shot at the 10K PR if I would have kept going. This projects to a 40:33 10K and a 1:30:14 half.
Grade:A/2 credits/distance=6.0
5/18- Trak Shak 8 in 55:43 (6:58 pace). Strong performance overall. I did fade a bit toward the end. This will probably be the last Wednesday below 80 degrees until September. 1st half was 27:09. 2nd half was 28:34. Not so pleased with that. Lungs were hurting worse than my legs. Perhaps the antibiotics have left me weak. Only 2 days to go on that stuff. This was my 3rd best time on this course.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=8.5
5/19- Naked run at Vestavia. I estimate that my pace was a little over 8 for 6 miles. Struggled. Felt worse after taking another antibiotic pill. Only one more day on that stuff. On an easy day, I did pretty much what I planned but I rate my performance as only fair.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=6.0
5/20- Indoor 5 miler fully clothed in 38:55 (7:47 pace). Finished up the last of the antibiotics this morning and hit the nadir shortly thereafter. Since noon, I have been feeling improvement. Still quite weak and would have had nothing in a hard workout but I did what I planned today and it felt slightly better than yesterday.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=5.0
5/21- Group run which dropped all but one. Moderate effort. Finished at 8.7 miles @ 7:34 pace. This was the best that I have felt since Wednesday. I hope to be in the clear by tomorrow evening. It looks like I won't need any more SBF now that the antibiotics have cleared my system. Long cool down to reach a round number on the day. New Garmin 110 and I'm pleased with it. The old one was falling apart.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=10.0
5/22- The taper has begun. Moderate Lakeshore 5 in 36:21 (7:17 pace). Temp was 75 which is not so bad but that sun was BRIGHT. Early forecast for race day is a chance of rain and 46 degrees. Garmin 110 won't let me view laps after the run. WTH? I can view them using Garmin Connect Online. When this one wears out, I'll look to another GPS. Maintained sub-7:30 pace in relative comfort then turned it on for a 6:52 5th mile. Feel strong.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=5.0
I would normally run in the afternoon and feel good enough to do so but since I'm tapering, I'm taking the rest of the day off.
Weekly summary:
I may really be in the clear. The tooth is out and the antibiotics have cleared my system. The adrenals are still overactive but at least for now, that's treatable with the ADHS. Finished over 40 miles and got back over 3.0
Distance=40.5/ GPA= 29.7/9= 3.30
5/17- Planned workout was an easy 5. I felt different immediately after I woke up. I got off to a good start (1:35 first quarter feeling good) so I decided to go for it. I finished with a remarkable time of 32:21 (unofficial PR, 6:28 pace) despite feeling a bit weakened by antibiotics. I'm at a loss for words right now. Splits were 6:26-6:27-6:34-6:34-6:20. I think I would have had a shot at the 10K PR if I would have kept going. This projects to a 40:33 10K and a 1:30:14 half.
Grade:A/2 credits/distance=6.0
5/18- Trak Shak 8 in 55:43 (6:58 pace). Strong performance overall. I did fade a bit toward the end. This will probably be the last Wednesday below 80 degrees until September. 1st half was 27:09. 2nd half was 28:34. Not so pleased with that. Lungs were hurting worse than my legs. Perhaps the antibiotics have left me weak. Only 2 days to go on that stuff. This was my 3rd best time on this course.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=8.5
5/19- Naked run at Vestavia. I estimate that my pace was a little over 8 for 6 miles. Struggled. Felt worse after taking another antibiotic pill. Only one more day on that stuff. On an easy day, I did pretty much what I planned but I rate my performance as only fair.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=6.0
5/20- Indoor 5 miler fully clothed in 38:55 (7:47 pace). Finished up the last of the antibiotics this morning and hit the nadir shortly thereafter. Since noon, I have been feeling improvement. Still quite weak and would have had nothing in a hard workout but I did what I planned today and it felt slightly better than yesterday.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=5.0
5/21- Group run which dropped all but one. Moderate effort. Finished at 8.7 miles @ 7:34 pace. This was the best that I have felt since Wednesday. I hope to be in the clear by tomorrow evening. It looks like I won't need any more SBF now that the antibiotics have cleared my system. Long cool down to reach a round number on the day. New Garmin 110 and I'm pleased with it. The old one was falling apart.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=10.0
5/22- The taper has begun. Moderate Lakeshore 5 in 36:21 (7:17 pace). Temp was 75 which is not so bad but that sun was BRIGHT. Early forecast for race day is a chance of rain and 46 degrees. Garmin 110 won't let me view laps after the run. WTH? I can view them using Garmin Connect Online. When this one wears out, I'll look to another GPS. Maintained sub-7:30 pace in relative comfort then turned it on for a 6:52 5th mile. Feel strong.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=5.0
I would normally run in the afternoon and feel good enough to do so but since I'm tapering, I'm taking the rest of the day off.
Weekly summary:
I may really be in the clear. The tooth is out and the antibiotics have cleared my system. The adrenals are still overactive but at least for now, that's treatable with the ADHS. Finished over 40 miles and got back over 3.0
Distance=40.5/ GPA= 29.7/9= 3.30
Monday, May 9, 2011
Training 5/9-5/15
5/9- Summer like weather conditions. Tomorrow will be the first of many 90 degree days. Last week was a golden opportunity to nail that 5K PR but it slipped away. Good news and bad news about today's workout. The bad is that I am still not quite in the clear. The good is that my progress has been sure and steady since Friday's debacle. That makes me more comfortable that a roller coaster ride. Today's workout was a downward ladder.
2K- 7:43, 1600- 6:19, 1200- 4:39, 800- 3:00, 400- 89, 400- 72. Overall pace was 6:05/mi.
If I had run the time trial today, I think I would have fallen just a hair short of the sub-20. In the past, I was pleased with anything under 20. Considering how well I was doing 2 weeks ago, I want that barrier to be 19:30 instead and even if I can't break 19, I just want to make a dent in that nearly 2 year old PR.
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=5.5
5/10- Easy 7 indoors in 53:46 (7:41 pace). Even pace. Nothing over 7:45, nothing under 7:36. I felt tired at times during the work day but I was pleased with the workout. On an easy day, the pace is not as important. The workout must feel almost effortless to get an A. This did not feel hard but I was working a bit.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=7.0
5/11- Trak Shak 8 in 58:37 (7:20 pace). Moderate effort and with the temp at 87 degrees that's a very respectable performance. According to runworks, that's equivalent to a 56:26 in 65 degree weather. Alone for 7 out of 8 miles then a Trak Shak guy caught up to me and pushed me to a 6:56 in Mile 8. Solid performance.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=8.0
5/12- Planned rest day.
5/13- 5K time trial in 19:46 (best time of the year). 7 ticks better than last time. Still not especially pleased with that time and did not have my best stuff as evidenced by the abnormal calf stiffness after the run. The 5K PR is my oldest and the drought has been most frustrating. This time I was out a little slower in the first half mile (3:04) but held the pace for longer than last time. Faded considerably after the 2K mark and had very little finishing kick.
Mile splits: 6:09-6:22-6:32-43. 5 out of the 7 seconds of improvement came in the 2nd half.
Kilometer splits: 3:50-3:51-4:00-4:06-4:01. 1st half 9:40, 2nd half 10:06.
Grade:B/3 credits/distance=4.5
5/14- Run #1- Trak Shak 3 in a pathetic 26:24 (8:48 pace). Splits were 8:13-8:34-9:37. I think the oral infection has messed up my body chemistry. I did nothing different with the pills.
Run #2- Vestavia 3 in 23:23 (7:48 pace). Much better but still slowed considerably and was dead after the 3rd Mile. I could not have gone any further. I popped some old antibiotics and that's probably what made the difference. Splits were 7:36-7:50-7:57.
Run #3- Vestavia 4 after another antibiotic. Time is down to 29:59 (7:30 pace). Still out of breath but definitely improving. Last mile was 7:17.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=10.0
5/15- AM. Horrible performance. Lakeshore 5 in 41:50 (8:22 pace). 1st half 19:56, 2nd half 21:54. It has been confirmed that a chronically infected root canal can cause adrenal fatigue. The tooth comes out tomorrow.
PM- Not much better. Indoor run. Good start but hit the wall early in Mile 2. Stopped for water after hitting the marker in 14:55 then made a half assed effort to run again but there was nothing there. Quit after another half mile at glacial pace. It's 3 PM and I'm checking out for the day. Never thought I'd be looking forward to a tooth extraction.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=7.5
Weekly summary:
Only real good news is that I got back over 40 miles on the week. Third straight week below 3.0 and there are a lot of unanswered questions. One thing that's certain is that I can't get better until the tooth comes out. How long has it been messing with my body chemistry? How long until I recover? Will there be any long-term impact on my treatment plan? I'm going to Idaho no matter what but whether or not I'll be able to run is another question.
Distance=42.5/ GPA= 22/9=2.44
2K- 7:43, 1600- 6:19, 1200- 4:39, 800- 3:00, 400- 89, 400- 72. Overall pace was 6:05/mi.
If I had run the time trial today, I think I would have fallen just a hair short of the sub-20. In the past, I was pleased with anything under 20. Considering how well I was doing 2 weeks ago, I want that barrier to be 19:30 instead and even if I can't break 19, I just want to make a dent in that nearly 2 year old PR.
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=5.5
5/10- Easy 7 indoors in 53:46 (7:41 pace). Even pace. Nothing over 7:45, nothing under 7:36. I felt tired at times during the work day but I was pleased with the workout. On an easy day, the pace is not as important. The workout must feel almost effortless to get an A. This did not feel hard but I was working a bit.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=7.0
5/11- Trak Shak 8 in 58:37 (7:20 pace). Moderate effort and with the temp at 87 degrees that's a very respectable performance. According to runworks, that's equivalent to a 56:26 in 65 degree weather. Alone for 7 out of 8 miles then a Trak Shak guy caught up to me and pushed me to a 6:56 in Mile 8. Solid performance.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=8.0
5/12- Planned rest day.
5/13- 5K time trial in 19:46 (best time of the year). 7 ticks better than last time. Still not especially pleased with that time and did not have my best stuff as evidenced by the abnormal calf stiffness after the run. The 5K PR is my oldest and the drought has been most frustrating. This time I was out a little slower in the first half mile (3:04) but held the pace for longer than last time. Faded considerably after the 2K mark and had very little finishing kick.
Mile splits: 6:09-6:22-6:32-43. 5 out of the 7 seconds of improvement came in the 2nd half.
Kilometer splits: 3:50-3:51-4:00-4:06-4:01. 1st half 9:40, 2nd half 10:06.
Grade:B/3 credits/distance=4.5
5/14- Run #1- Trak Shak 3 in a pathetic 26:24 (8:48 pace). Splits were 8:13-8:34-9:37. I think the oral infection has messed up my body chemistry. I did nothing different with the pills.
Run #2- Vestavia 3 in 23:23 (7:48 pace). Much better but still slowed considerably and was dead after the 3rd Mile. I could not have gone any further. I popped some old antibiotics and that's probably what made the difference. Splits were 7:36-7:50-7:57.
Run #3- Vestavia 4 after another antibiotic. Time is down to 29:59 (7:30 pace). Still out of breath but definitely improving. Last mile was 7:17.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=10.0
5/15- AM. Horrible performance. Lakeshore 5 in 41:50 (8:22 pace). 1st half 19:56, 2nd half 21:54. It has been confirmed that a chronically infected root canal can cause adrenal fatigue. The tooth comes out tomorrow.
PM- Not much better. Indoor run. Good start but hit the wall early in Mile 2. Stopped for water after hitting the marker in 14:55 then made a half assed effort to run again but there was nothing there. Quit after another half mile at glacial pace. It's 3 PM and I'm checking out for the day. Never thought I'd be looking forward to a tooth extraction.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=7.5
Weekly summary:
Only real good news is that I got back over 40 miles on the week. Third straight week below 3.0 and there are a lot of unanswered questions. One thing that's certain is that I can't get better until the tooth comes out. How long has it been messing with my body chemistry? How long until I recover? Will there be any long-term impact on my treatment plan? I'm going to Idaho no matter what but whether or not I'll be able to run is another question.
Distance=42.5/ GPA= 22/9=2.44
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Vicious cycle
I am suffering symptoms of overactive thyroid and adrenals as well as low levels of the essential mineral chromium, which was measured at 34% of ideal according to my last medical report. Chromium is vital for energy production, blood sugar balance and muscle contraction so it's obvious that a deficiency will hurt my running. Supplementing with chromium further stimulates the already overactive thyroid and adrenals, putting me in a Catch-22. The pill that I need to get my thyroid/adrenals in balance contains zinc, which inhibits chromium absorption. I have tried to reduce this pill but always end up overstimulated. There have been times when I have not needed to take chromium because the over-activity of the thyroid/adrenals overrides the chromium deficiency. When the chromium dependency appears, at first I can get by on small doses but if I overshoot the balance point, it could take days to recover. Then, a few weeks later, as the deficiency worsens, I will need more and more chromium to function at optimal levels. Thus, a dosage that worked 2 weeks earlier will not be enough. Eventually, the deficiency becomes so severe that it overrides that thyroid/adrenal issues, forcing me to stop taking the pill that I need for that. Leaving that area untreated will cause the thyroid/adrenals to shift into over drive and the imbalance in that area becomes so severe that it will override the chromium deficiency, forcing me to stop taking chromium. That's exactly what happened in February-March and realistically, I cannot expect any different in May-June. The only thing that can break this cycle is an act of God and believe it or not, I have had some feelings of reassurance this weekend despite the bad workouts.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Implications of chromium dependency
Okay, in the nearly 5 years since the diagnosis of adrenal fatigue, I have tried just about everything to get my body in balance. Last Fall, I finally found something that worked long-term and the results have been evident (3 PRs this year as well as a massive course PR on the Trak Shak 8).
My Na/Mg (adrenal) ratio fell from 43 in November of last year to 28 this March (ideal is 5, high indicates hyper).
My Ca/K (thyroid) rose from 0.67 to 1.50 (ideal is 4, low indicates hyper).
It seems like I am progressing nicely but when I have to take chromium , the progress will be stymied and my already fragile body chemistry will become even more unstable. I know because I've been in this situation multiple times before. I have no choice. My symptoms have become unbearable without it and will continue to get worse until action is taken.
The problem is that the magic pill contains one ingredient that I cannot take in large doses. It is zinc that inhibits chromium absorption and taking chromium stimulates the already way overactive adrenals, putting me in a Catch 22. What really angers me is that it was re-formulated several years ago and the old formula would not have caused these problems. I've tried just about every other product and all have caused problems in other areas.
What does this mean for my running?
The good news is that I will still be capable of strong performances. The following runs were done with a chromium dependency: Scenic City half (1:32:49), Silver Comet 10K (40:55) and the Trak Shak 8.05 (54:50). I still believe that my lifetime goals are not out of reach. The bad news is that I will be extremely inconsistent and will have to adjust my dosage quite frequently. Since, I can't reach balance, I will never reach my full potential. I will have to back out of some races in which I trained hard and had planned a trip around.
What does it mean for the more important things in life?
You cannot choose to be happy when you have a chemical imbalance and the only people that can truly understand are those that have been there themselves. Relationships with others will be affected and my job performance may suffer as well. Don't even get me started about the challenges that it will present in a dating relationship.
Prognosis:
It will take an act of God for me to get into balance. He has acted before so I can't lose hope but as of now, it does not look good.
Heartbreaking news:
I recently read a story online about some loathsome old woman who actually sells a suicide kit online, which is a lethal combination of gases to be inhaled. One of her victims was a 29 year old man who had been struggling with fatigue and depression for years without a definitive diagnosis. I'd bet money that he had adrenal fatigue and if he only knew my story, he may have gotten the treatment that he needed. I've been told many times that I should publish my knowledge in a book but I cannot in good conscience promote something that was not fully effective for me. I promise all my readers and anyone else who cares about me that I WILL NEVER LOSE HOPE no matter how hard it gets.
My Na/Mg (adrenal) ratio fell from 43 in November of last year to 28 this March (ideal is 5, high indicates hyper).
My Ca/K (thyroid) rose from 0.67 to 1.50 (ideal is 4, low indicates hyper).
It seems like I am progressing nicely but when I have to take chromium , the progress will be stymied and my already fragile body chemistry will become even more unstable. I know because I've been in this situation multiple times before. I have no choice. My symptoms have become unbearable without it and will continue to get worse until action is taken.
The problem is that the magic pill contains one ingredient that I cannot take in large doses. It is zinc that inhibits chromium absorption and taking chromium stimulates the already way overactive adrenals, putting me in a Catch 22. What really angers me is that it was re-formulated several years ago and the old formula would not have caused these problems. I've tried just about every other product and all have caused problems in other areas.
What does this mean for my running?
The good news is that I will still be capable of strong performances. The following runs were done with a chromium dependency: Scenic City half (1:32:49), Silver Comet 10K (40:55) and the Trak Shak 8.05 (54:50). I still believe that my lifetime goals are not out of reach. The bad news is that I will be extremely inconsistent and will have to adjust my dosage quite frequently. Since, I can't reach balance, I will never reach my full potential. I will have to back out of some races in which I trained hard and had planned a trip around.
What does it mean for the more important things in life?
You cannot choose to be happy when you have a chemical imbalance and the only people that can truly understand are those that have been there themselves. Relationships with others will be affected and my job performance may suffer as well. Don't even get me started about the challenges that it will present in a dating relationship.
Prognosis:
It will take an act of God for me to get into balance. He has acted before so I can't lose hope but as of now, it does not look good.
Heartbreaking news:
I recently read a story online about some loathsome old woman who actually sells a suicide kit online, which is a lethal combination of gases to be inhaled. One of her victims was a 29 year old man who had been struggling with fatigue and depression for years without a definitive diagnosis. I'd bet money that he had adrenal fatigue and if he only knew my story, he may have gotten the treatment that he needed. I've been told many times that I should publish my knowledge in a book but I cannot in good conscience promote something that was not fully effective for me. I promise all my readers and anyone else who cares about me that I WILL NEVER LOSE HOPE no matter how hard it gets.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Training 5/2-5/8
NOTE: The stats page has revealed a lot of views of this post. I am happy to report that CHROMIUM IS NO LONGER A PROBLEM FOR ME! THIS BATTLE WAS WON AFTER GETTING A CHRONIC LOW-GRADE INFECTED ROOT CANAL REMOVED! Too much sugar in my diet likely played a role as well.
5/2- Following the weekend, it is clear that the lowered dosage of ADHS will not work. That leaves me with a choice of copper or chromium. It could be a pick your poison scenario. Copper can screw up thyroid function and chromium can screw up adrenal function. I'm going to give copper another try and must be very judicious. It could be a situation in which one pill is too many but a half will work. That's still preferable to what happened with the chromium. Today's workout gives me hope. 6 miles in 41:45 followed immediately by an 800 in 3:00. Overall pace was 6:53. Miles 3-6 were all between 6:49-6:54 and felt quite comfortable. This is a sub-1:31 half mary pace and I had enough left to burn the last half mile at an even 6 pace indoors. Without the tight turns and traffic, I would have been even faster.
Grade:A/2 credits/distance=7.0
5/3- Planned rest day. After 3 runs in the last 2 days all at tempo effort, this was a good call. Cold and rainy outside so it worked out well. Tomorrow is expected to be sunny with temps in the 60s so if I feel good, I'm going for it in the 5K. I do have to see the denty but all I need is a filling and it should not hurt me.
5/4- BAAAUHD! Denty says I may have a low grade infection in my gums and may need another tooth extraction. I tried a 5K time trial and ran a terrific first kilometer (3:43) feeling good and came through the first mile ahead of pace at 6:01 then faded badly. My calves had tightened up abnormally so just after the halfway point, I decided to DNF it. If I had continued, it would have been well over 20. I went home and popped a half a copper pill which made things worse. Trak Shak 3 in 26:48 (8:57 pace). That 3rd mile felt like the 23rd of a marathon. I must wait for the copper to clear my system. I know that 1 pill (2 mg) is too much. Maybe 1/2 or 1 mg will do the trick. If not, I have no choice but to accept chromium dependence. Looking forward to it clearing my system tomorrow.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=5.0
5/5- Lakeshore 5K in 22:56 plus warm and cool. First mile was 6:52 then the last 2 were in the 7:30s. No copper today and no improvement. Actually, I think I was worse than yesterday because at least yesterday, I ran well for the first mile. No resemblance to the guy who breezed through the miles at 1:30 half pace on Monday. I have no choice but to go back to the chromium. More on that later.
Grade:D-/1 credit/distance=5.0
5/6- Felt good for a couple of hours at work but the workout was a disaster. In a big mistake, I simply took one extra pill. I knew warming up that I was unbalanced and I simply guessed the wrong way. Par for the course, it is not surprising that on my first day of an adjustment, I am unsure of how to gauge my body's reaction. 1 mile in 7:49 plus a warm and cool.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=2.0
5/7- Finally a baby step in the right direction. Lakeshore 5 in 38:49 (7:46 pace). 1st half was 19:31, 2nd half was 19:18, which included a 7:32 last mile. No chromium this morning and it took an all out effort to run a normal easy pace. I can feel it clearing my system but I've still got a ways to go. Starting to worry about losing fitness from low mileage.
Grade:D+/1 credit/distance=5.0
5/8- AM- Another disappointment. I expected to be in the clear this morning but I am not. Not ready for a time trial. Hit the first mile in 6:15 and again the pace slowed markedly in lap 4 and struggled with shortness of breath so I quit on the time trial and turned the workout into a downward ladder. After the first Mile, I took 4 minutes rest and could not regain my speed.
1200- 4:56, 3 min rest, 800 in 3:17, 2 min. rest, 400 in 88. Overall pace was 6:23/mi, which is barely a sub-20 pace. I estimate that I was good for a 5K in the mid 21s and a Mile around 5:55. Not very good and only somewhat better than yesterday. I am puzzled by the slow recovery from this relapse.
P.M- Indoor 6 mile in 43:45 (7:18 pace). MUCH better this time. Fairly even splits. Every mile was 7:11-7:25. 1st half was 21:49, 2nd half was 21:56. I may be in the clear by tomorrow afternoon. Clearly, I have taken a significant step forward.
Grade:C/3 credits/distance=9.0
Weekly summary:
I am not happy at all. This was my worst week since January. Why the slow recovery from excess chromium? If I don't need it every day, that would be great. Then again, it could progress from once or twice a week to 3 per day very quickly.
Distance=33.0/GPA= 17/9= 1.89
5/2- Following the weekend, it is clear that the lowered dosage of ADHS will not work. That leaves me with a choice of copper or chromium. It could be a pick your poison scenario. Copper can screw up thyroid function and chromium can screw up adrenal function. I'm going to give copper another try and must be very judicious. It could be a situation in which one pill is too many but a half will work. That's still preferable to what happened with the chromium. Today's workout gives me hope. 6 miles in 41:45 followed immediately by an 800 in 3:00. Overall pace was 6:53. Miles 3-6 were all between 6:49-6:54 and felt quite comfortable. This is a sub-1:31 half mary pace and I had enough left to burn the last half mile at an even 6 pace indoors. Without the tight turns and traffic, I would have been even faster.
Grade:A/2 credits/distance=7.0
5/3- Planned rest day. After 3 runs in the last 2 days all at tempo effort, this was a good call. Cold and rainy outside so it worked out well. Tomorrow is expected to be sunny with temps in the 60s so if I feel good, I'm going for it in the 5K. I do have to see the denty but all I need is a filling and it should not hurt me.
5/4- BAAAUHD! Denty says I may have a low grade infection in my gums and may need another tooth extraction. I tried a 5K time trial and ran a terrific first kilometer (3:43) feeling good and came through the first mile ahead of pace at 6:01 then faded badly. My calves had tightened up abnormally so just after the halfway point, I decided to DNF it. If I had continued, it would have been well over 20. I went home and popped a half a copper pill which made things worse. Trak Shak 3 in 26:48 (8:57 pace). That 3rd mile felt like the 23rd of a marathon. I must wait for the copper to clear my system. I know that 1 pill (2 mg) is too much. Maybe 1/2 or 1 mg will do the trick. If not, I have no choice but to accept chromium dependence. Looking forward to it clearing my system tomorrow.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=5.0
5/5- Lakeshore 5K in 22:56 plus warm and cool. First mile was 6:52 then the last 2 were in the 7:30s. No copper today and no improvement. Actually, I think I was worse than yesterday because at least yesterday, I ran well for the first mile. No resemblance to the guy who breezed through the miles at 1:30 half pace on Monday. I have no choice but to go back to the chromium. More on that later.
Grade:D-/1 credit/distance=5.0
5/6- Felt good for a couple of hours at work but the workout was a disaster. In a big mistake, I simply took one extra pill. I knew warming up that I was unbalanced and I simply guessed the wrong way. Par for the course, it is not surprising that on my first day of an adjustment, I am unsure of how to gauge my body's reaction. 1 mile in 7:49 plus a warm and cool.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=2.0
5/7- Finally a baby step in the right direction. Lakeshore 5 in 38:49 (7:46 pace). 1st half was 19:31, 2nd half was 19:18, which included a 7:32 last mile. No chromium this morning and it took an all out effort to run a normal easy pace. I can feel it clearing my system but I've still got a ways to go. Starting to worry about losing fitness from low mileage.
Grade:D+/1 credit/distance=5.0
5/8- AM- Another disappointment. I expected to be in the clear this morning but I am not. Not ready for a time trial. Hit the first mile in 6:15 and again the pace slowed markedly in lap 4 and struggled with shortness of breath so I quit on the time trial and turned the workout into a downward ladder. After the first Mile, I took 4 minutes rest and could not regain my speed.
1200- 4:56, 3 min rest, 800 in 3:17, 2 min. rest, 400 in 88. Overall pace was 6:23/mi, which is barely a sub-20 pace. I estimate that I was good for a 5K in the mid 21s and a Mile around 5:55. Not very good and only somewhat better than yesterday. I am puzzled by the slow recovery from this relapse.
P.M- Indoor 6 mile in 43:45 (7:18 pace). MUCH better this time. Fairly even splits. Every mile was 7:11-7:25. 1st half was 21:49, 2nd half was 21:56. I may be in the clear by tomorrow afternoon. Clearly, I have taken a significant step forward.
Grade:C/3 credits/distance=9.0
Weekly summary:
I am not happy at all. This was my worst week since January. Why the slow recovery from excess chromium? If I don't need it every day, that would be great. Then again, it could progress from once or twice a week to 3 per day very quickly.
Distance=33.0/GPA= 17/9= 1.89
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