Training 8/8-8/14

8/8-AM- I planned on a morning run but didn't feel up to it. That's okay. I can still run in the evening. I skimmed over some of my archive in the Verse and Message section and it's almost like it was written by a different person. Yes, I miss that person too. I'm really trying to shake this negative thinking and I don't give up until I'm defeated and that's not until 2-3 weeks from now when I receive the results. Preparing for the worst may ease some of the heartbreak however. Another revolting development has happened this past weekend. I must go back to cutting pills in half. With 3 thyroid pills, I'm still sluggish but if I take 4, I'm anxious and over stimulated.

PM- Despite the thyroid pills, my weight is still good: 156 lbs. before dinner. 6 miles at tempo effort. Got stronger as the run progressed and finished in 43:47 (7:18 pace). This was not tempo pace but I did do a bit better than expected. My body was clearly out of whack (too loose) like riding a bike out of gear. What's on tap for tomorrow? I'll go to bed still feeling a bit anxious but will wake up on the other side of the spectrum (fatigue, sore, depressed) but if I take exactly 3.5 pills in the morning, I'll feel good for the rest of day and my run will be go well too. I can almost guarantee that 3.5 thyroid pills will not work next month.
Anyone would be unhappy if they had to live like this.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=6.5

8/9- 10K time trial in 40:28 (PR). 6:29 pace. 1st half: 20:02, 2nd half: 20:26.
Splits were 6:22-6:24-6:27-6:32-6:39-6:30-92. Actually this was not a total shocker. I saw this one coming yesterday but I didn't expect it to be this good. 3.5 pills work like magic ... for now.
Believe it or not, I still didn't quite have tip top form. I still felt just a tad too loose. Just 5 seconds per mile shy of the goal and with competition and a race setting, I'd say it's as good as mine right now. That old 5K PR is looking softer and softer. If this run was 30 seconds faster, would it make me happy? Hell no! I'd trade some of my speed for more stability in a heartbeat. It doesn't mean too much if I can do this once a month and feel like crap a few days later. McMillan projects this to a 1:30:03 half and a 3:10 full but I found another calculator that puts me at 1:29 for the half.
Grade:A/3 credits/distance=6.5

8/10- Trak Shak 5 plus a mile cool. Finished with a time of 34:06 (6:49 pace). Overcast condtions with temps in the upper 80s but very humid. I planned to run the first 4 around 7:10 then burn the last mile. In the end, I ran the first 3 in 6:50 then slipped to 7:05 and only had a 6:31 left at the end. Still a solid performance and hit goal half race pace. This pace is within the range for a tempo as prescribed by McMillan. I get a rest either tomorrow or Friday.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=6.0

8/11-After a quality day following a race level effort, I expected to struggle a bit today. Easy 7 in 51:30 (7:22 pace) plus a half mile pick up in 2:56, which was NOT an all out sprint for an overall time of 54:26 (7:16 avg) + cool down. Believe it or not, that first 7 really did feel easy. Last 4 paces have been 7:18-6:29-6:49-7:16. I am officially RED HOT! When I started my pick up, I heard someone say "Oh my gosh!" Yes, I still need the thyroid pills but I didn't feel too terrible this morning. That's a good sign. I get a rest day tomorrow no matter how well I feel.
Grade:A+/1 credit/distance=8.0

8/12- Planned rest day. I took some Thym Adren and ADHS last night in a very small amount and got the expected negative reaction. I'm not sure what to make of it but it seems like the thyroid pills could work at least for another few weeks.
Update: I've got the itch to run this evening but I know it's best that I don't. The group run could be hard tomorrow. That 7:22 pace felt so easy that I really think I can hold it for 20 miles. If so, I'll come through the marker in about 2:27. After that point, an 8:20 pace for the last 10K would bring me to a marathon finish of 3:19. The decision on that will not be made until I receive the medical report. If the results are bad, I'll likely stick to halves until further notice.

8/13- Run with the fast group. Covered 11 of the 14 miles in 82:28 (7:30 pace). Route was not too hilly but I was hurting because 2 water stops were missing. I only got one shot of Gatorade on a 75 degree day with 90% humidity. That's why I cut it short. Still a very solid effort. Last 8 miles were below 7:20 pace. 1 mile cool at the end.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=12.0

8/14- Cooled off. Easy 5 in 37:05 (7:25 pace). That's still a very fast time for an easy run even if it's only 5 miles but my body was clearly too loose. I was fading at the end and would not have lasted much longer. Added a mile cool down, which required some effort. If this had been a race day, I would have struggled. Forced to take a nap around noon. One of two things is going on. Either the magic of the thyroid pills is gone or I simply need to cut the dosage from 3.5 to 3 pills. I sure hope it's the latter option. I'll know when I wake up tomorrow. If I'm on the other side of the spectrum, that's good. If I feel like I do now, that's bad. The medical report should come within 10 days.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=6.0

Weekly summary:
Excellent week overall. I'm now within 5 sec/mile at every distance shorter than the half mary. Even if I'm unstable, I can get hot for a several days or even weeks and given the perfect situation, all my goals are currently do-able with the possible exception of the marathon. That said, one single sub 19/40/1:30 doesn't really mean that much to me because I know it won't make me happy. Only balanced and stable body chemistry can do that. I predict that the results will reveal just enough improvement to keep my hope and faith alive.
Distance=45.0/ GPA= 35.3/10= 3.53