Training 2/25-3/3

2/25- AM- Gold's 3 in 27:49 (9:16 pace).  A step backwards from yesterday afternoon.  Not pleased about that but it's still a lot better than I was 24 hours ago.  Negative split again.  1st half- 14:05, 2nd half- 13:44.  I'll be back out this evening.

PM- Very interesting.  This is the 2nd straight day that I felt MUCH better in the afternoon and evening.  Lakeshore 5 this time and my time is all the way down to 42:40 (8:32 pace) with another negative split (21:28-21:12). Less than 36 hours ago, I was barely under 54 so this is more than ELEVEN minutes faster.  Not sure why this is happening but I hope to figure it out because the race is in the morning on Saturday.  I won't be surprised if there is another step backward tomorrow morning.   Although the paces are painfully slow, I am getting the mileage.
Distance=8.0

2/26- AM- Repeated yesterday's Gold's 3 and my time is down to 24:48 (8:16 pace).  No real drop off from yesterday's evening session.  In fact, I may have been a hair faster if I had to go 2 more miles.  I will try taking Maca and CBS NOS in divided doses.

PM- Jemison Trail.  4.5 miles in 36:24 (8:05 pace) plus a half mile cool.  Except for an 8:33 mile on the tough hilly part, I was sub-8 overall.  Once again, I felt an uptick in energy after noon but this time it was not a night and day difference in the workout (no pun intended).  I will try the divided doses tonight but I don't think it will make much difference.  For now, I believe I am on the right track but another relapse could be right around the corner.
Distance=8.0

2/27- Mileage is starting to get to me now, which is not a surprise.  2 mile recovery jog in the morning.  Untimed but it was very slow.  Went to Nashville for prolotherapy and to get my knee checked out.  Turns out the IT band is okay but the ACL and MCL are weak.  Good call to get that fixed now or else it could cause SEVERE problems down the road.
Distance=2.0

2/28- Planned rest day.  Finished February with 109 miles. YTD-189.  At this pace, I will finish just under 1200 on the year but I expect to finish above that.

3/1- Easy 3 at Gold's.  Time was meaningless today but it was 25:58 (8:39 pace) plus a cool.  Knee is still a bit tender from the prolo and it may hold me back tomorrow as well.  Oh well.  Still a good call to get this done now.  The news of ACL issues was scary.  On track to match or exceed last week's mileage total.  Learned that DIM is still needed.  I thought perhaps I could quit it now that I'm on stand alone MACA.  Not so fast.
Distance=3.5

3/2- Wine 10K in 51:33 (8:18 pace).  Hoped for a sub-50 but this was not a disaster.  The knee was still a bit tender and probably slowed me down a little but the biggest factor was lack of fitness and the toxic metal elimination.  I usually do better in the afternoon and evening so I may have had a shot if this had been in the evening.  Splits: 7:58-8:10-8:18-8:26-8:40-8:40-1:21. Added a 3/4 mile warm up so the mileage this week is looking good.  HR was a mere 129.  That's MUCH too low.
Distance=7.0

3/3- Easy 5 plus a cool with Greene on the Brookwood Trak Shak loop.  Finished in 43:35 (8:43 pace).  That's satisfactory.  Started off at 8:50 pace then dropped to 8:33 by the end so the negative split trend continues in workouts but it didn't happen on race day.  HR was up to 149 today.  Finished before the storm.

Distance=5.5

Weekly summary:

I want to maintain the mileage in the mid-30s up through April.  I think 40 is do-able now but I don't want to push it.  This is my highest total of the year.  Except for a 2 day blip, I've made it 3 weeks without adjusting my formula and topped 30 miles for the 3rd straight week.

Distance=34.0- YTD= 205

Training 2/18-2/24

2/18- Day off work for President's Day.  Trak Shak 7.5 loop in 65:25 (8:43 pace) plus a half mile cool.  Felt much better than the last 2 days.  As expected, it was caffeine withdrawal not the pills that was the reason for the slow paces last weekend. ONE cheat day per week and that's IT!  Today was still a little on the slow side but given a hilly route and a longer distance, I'm okay with this one.  I've done 21 miles in the last 3 days too.  Shooting for 35 on the week but much of it will have to be indoors because the weather is gonna SUCK this week.

 In other news, I did purchase a new leather sofa and coffee table and will get the cable installed tomorrow.  I can hold off on the bed for a few weeks because I can sleep on the futon.  I still need to unpack a few things but should take care of that today.
Distance=8.0

2/19-AM 3 mile tempo in 22:37 (7:32 pace).  Hoped for a little better than this but this was only 3 seconds slower than my 5K race pace and done on tired legs.  Went out at 7:15 but couldn't hold it and my legs had little pop out there.  It may seem like I'm going backwards on increased mileage but I am confident that my system will soon adjust.  This will be a big week for me because next week is a race week and I want a decent showing in a 10K.  We'll see how I feel in the evening but this might be it for the day.

PM- Took the evening off and the weather turned nasty.  One important observation:  The ridges on my thumbnails are still there but they appear to have diminished a bit on the bottoms.  That could be a sign of sustained improvement.  Hope to be up for an easy 5 tomorrow.
Distance=3.5

2/20- Easy 5 on Lakeshore in 42:17 (8:27 pace).  Slow start, ran 8:15s in the middle but backed down again towards the end.  Knee hurt at times but it was better after stretching.  30 miles in 5 days is over-reaching a bit at this point.  I must not get injured.  No running until at least the evening tomorrow.  Added a quarter mile warm and cool.
Distance-5.5

2/21- AM- Against my better judgment. I went ahead and ran this morning.  Easy 3 in 24:47 (8:16 pace).  Struggled during the workout but felt surprisingly well afterwards.  Best news is that my knee appears to be okay.  Perhaps even better is that my formula has been stable for 2 weeks.  If I can make it 2 more, it just might make me believe again.  No matter what happens next weekend, I am happy to be getting steady training.

PM- 2 mile junk run in the rain.  6 loops around the parking lot.  Did not time it but felt no worse than the morning session.  I am showing signs of adapting to the new level of training but plan to stay in the 35 MPW range for at least a few more weeks.  Need to keep stretching the IT band.
Distance=5.0

2/22- Planned rest day.  I'll play it by ear tomorrow.  If the weather is dry, I will go long.  If not, it will be okay to do the long run on Sunday.

2/23- RELAPSE!  Made it 15 days without an adjustment but that streak is over now.  Fortunately, I know the reason and it is understandable.  Toxins, which had been stuck in organs, have spilled out into the tissues and it will just take time to eliminate them.  I was in a similar situation 5 years ago after the Liver flush.  I had to turn to an adrenal glandular temporarily to get relief.  The same thing is happening now.  Last time, it was copper and cadmium that was eliminated.  Who knows this time?  It could be much more damaging toxins such as arsenic, lead or mercury.  I was so bad when I woke up that I was walking with a visible limp!  The right knee is especially sore but it is no worse when running.  Again, junk intervals were my only option.
Opener- 2:52 (11:28 pace) OUCH!
1 pill- 2:37 (10:28 pace) MINUS 60
2 pills- 2:17 (9:08 pace) MINUS 80
3 pills- 2:07 (8:28 pace) MINUS 40
  Unfortunately, that was as good as it gets.  A 4th pill made things worse again and I completed another mile at glacial pace as a cool down.  What happens tomorrow?  Can never say for sure but I won't be shocked if I no longer benefit from the adrenal glandular.  This puts next week's 10K in doubt.

PM- Tacked on another 2 miles at the parking lot.  6 laps untimed at glacial pace.  I bet it was over 20 minutes but now I only need 4 tomorrow to match last week's total and 5 to break it.
Distance=4.0

2/24- Made it 5 miles on Lakeshore to top 30 miles on the week.  Finished in a turtle time of 53:57 (10:47 pace) but did it on zero adrenal pills so this was better than yesterday.  Did not collapse and actually finished with a negative split.  1st half- 27:11.  2nd half- 26:46.  Popped 1 adrenal pill afterwards and was slightly but noticeable worse.  I'm a fast oxidizer so that's what should happen.  I'll just have to wait for the detox to run its course and hope to see modest improvements day by day.

PM- I was feeling a little better this afternoon so I decided to tack on 2 more in the parking lot.  Did 6 loops in 17:20 (8:40 pace) with a significant negative split (8:48-8:32).  No doubt that a 5 miler would have been a lot better than the morning session.  Maybe I have a chance at a semi-respectable showing next week.  Then again, I could relapse again.
Distance=7.0

Weekly summary:
In theory, I should be in the clear after the detox runs its course.  I thought that before the last relapse and the one before that and the one before that and so on.
Distance= 33.0- YTD= 171

Spring Road Trips

I’d like to pick up 3 new half marathon states between late March and early May.  There is a slight change in plans.  The car and the down payment on the condo set me back a bit financially and I still need to buy new furniture.   I’ll have to scale back a bit on the length of the trips.  The 3 new states are Delaware, Iowa and Rhode Island.  Good variety there.

3/24- Caesar Rodney Half.  Wilmington, Delaware

I can get a direct flight to Philadelphia on a Saturday morning for a Sunday race then leave late in the evening on Sunday.  It would only require a 1-night stay in a hotel and no time off work.  It’s only a 20-mile drive from Philly to Wilmington but yes, I’ll have to rent a car to see other attractions.  After the race, I’ll have about 5-6 hours to tour before I have to catch my return flight.  I’ll hope to see the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and the Rocky statue. 

 On 2^nd thought, the Rocky statue and the art museum steps are easily accessible from the airport via I-76 so I will probably see that first.  If I have time, I may be able to squeeze in another museum and take a drive up and down Broad Street.

4/20-Keshaw Half. Washington, Iowa

This is a small rural race but it works out well because of its date and location.  I get one day off work for Confederate Memorial Day in Alabama (lol).  This one will be a long drive but I’m sure that my Toyota can handle it.  I’ll leave early on Thursday and drive to St. Louis (7.5 hours).  I’ll take the West route to avoid Nashville traffic.  Hotels are reasonably priced downtown and I can get one within walking distance of the Gateway Arch.  This time, I’m going up to the top. 

 From St. Louis, it’s only 1.5 hours to Springfield, Illinois and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library.  I can’t think of a better time for a visit!  It’s about 3.5-4 hours from Springfield to the race site in Iowa so that’s not too much driving for one day.  After the race, I will go to Chicago.  It’s supposedly only 4 hours but I’ll figure on 5 with the traffic.  I’ll use the money saved from not taking a flight and not renting a car to splurge at the Trump Hotel, where the city views are outstanding.  

In Chicago, I will see the Willis Tower, Millennium Park and possibly Oak Street Beach or a history museum.  I’ll drive part way back and get back to B’ham at a decent hour Monday.

5/5- Providence Rhode Race.  Providence, Rhode Island.

Again, it’s a Sunday race that will not require any time off work.  Obviously, I will have to fly this one but should not have to rent a car.  Supposedly, there is a train that connects the airport to downtown.  If that doesn’t work out, I can always take Uber.  I don’t anticipate venturing outside the downtown area so a car won’t be necessary.  Hotels are quite pricey here but it’s only 1 night.  I may be able to visit a couple of Dumb and Dumber sights.

Training 2/11-2/17

2/11- Gold's 4 miler in 31:40 (7:55 pace).  Not a bad showing.  I've now made it 5 days without a relapse and this is the 2nd day off the Molybdenum.  Aimed for a pace between 8:00-8:15 and came in a little fast.  I went out at 7:40 then intentionally backed off and felt pretty comfortable on the back half.  The paces will slow when I get more mileage under my belt.  Added a half mile cool.
Distance=4.5

2/12- Gold's 5 in 39:38 (7:56 pace).  Extra mile at the same pace.  6 days with no relapse.  This time, I went out slower and was more consistent with the splits.  In fact, the first half and second half were nearly dead even.  I'll take it.  Added another half mile cool.
Distance=5.5

2/13- Salazar 300s at Mountain Brook.  8 reps with a 100 jog in between.  1st 7 were 62-63 then closed with a 58 so I had some left but was still tired.  Overall pace was just north of 5:30 for the intervals.  A 6:00 pace is only a 67.5 for 300 so if I'm not in sub-6 shape yet, I am very close.  Solid performance overall.  This was a mild workout compared to what I've done in the past but I want to ease back in.  Next time, I want to shoot for 10 reps at a similar pace.  Added a warm and cool.
Distance=3.0

2/14- Lakeshore 4 in 33:19 (8:20 pace).  Not surprised or disappointed that I struggled today coming off a quality session.  Faded to 8:30 on the back half.  That's a fade NOT a collapse.  Body is sore today especially the calves but again, that's to be expected after running on my toes.
Distance=4.0

2/15- Planned rest day.  I need it.

2/16- UGLY long run but at least I finished it. 10 miles in 96:27 (9:39 pace).  Aimed for a 9 minute pace but could not hold it and slipped to over 10 by the last 3 miles.  Route was hilly early then flattened at the end.  I believe this is my longest run since Detroit back in October.  Signed up for Wilmington in 5 weeks.  Lots of work to do.
Distance=10.0

2/17- 3 mile recovery jog in 29:03 (9:41 pace).  This is what I planned to do today.  Felt about the same as yesterday but I did manage to sustain an even pace this time.  Route was 9 loops around the parking lot of the new condo.  Each loop is almost exactly a third of a mile with rolling terrain.  It's a decent option for a junk run.
Distance=3.0

Weekly summary:
Managed 30 miles for just the 2nd time this year.  2 lessons learned: The first is that a sub-8 pace for standard issue workouts is too fast for my current fitness level if I want to run 30-35 MPW.  Second, if I am to cheat on the caffeine restrictions, it must be limited to once per week.  I think the withdrawal was as much to blame for the poor weekend showing as the fast paces early in the week.  On a positive note, the current supplement formula is still tolerated and it's been 10 days.
Distance= 30.0/ YTD= 138

Road to 50 States

Road to 50 States:

My parents took me on a lot of nice family vacations when I was growing up.  I already had 19 states under the strict standards plus DC before I did any major travel on my own.  I also had 4 in the lenient category in which I was told that I was there but had little to no memory of it because I was too young.  15 of 19 were in the eastern third of the country from New York on down to Florida/Alabama.  I did have South Dakota, Colorado, California and Nevada under my belt before starting Business school in 2003. 

2003- Road trip to Mobile, Mississippi Coast and New Orleans.  Alabama was a repeat state but Mississippi and Louisiana were new.  Current tally (lenient/strict)- 25/21

2004- Road trip to Texarkana with a stops in Memphis and Louisville on the way back plus detours just to hit new states.  Did enough in Texas and Arkansas to qualify and added 4 to the lenient category (OK, MO, IL, IN).-  31/23.

2005- New England Tour.  Added Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.  All qualified for the strict standard and all were new.- 34/26

2006- Ozarks Road trip to the Kansas border.  Shored up Oklahoma and Missouri but only ate a fast food meal and got gas in Kansas so that’s not enough.- 35/28

2008- Ran the Eugene Marathon and also spent a night across the border in Washington so that’s enough for both. -37/30

2008- Joined my parents on a trip to Utah.  Flew into Las Vegas and crossed into Arizona briefly on the way.  Utah-strict.  Arizona- lenient.-39/31

2008- Chicago half marathon.  Shored up Illinois and Indiana and picked up Wisconsin on the lenient.  -40/33

2009- Fargo Marathon.  Flew into Minneapolis and did enough in Minnesota to qualify as well.- 42/35

2009- Extended a Memphis trip all the way up to the Iowa border but only ate fast food. -43/35

2010- Colorado road trip that included tourist attractions in New Mexico and an overnight stay in Wyoming plus a stop at a grocery store in Nebraska.- 46/37

2011- Half marathon in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho with a sit-down meal and overnight stay in Missoula, Montana.-48/39

2015- Arizona race and road trip, which shored up this state.  48/40.

2016- Half marathon in Kansas, which shored up this state.  48/41

2016- Alaska race and trip with Cara and her boyfriend.  49/42

2018- Epic New England trip which finally shored up Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.  49/45.

2018-Midwest road trip.  Shored up Michigan, Iowa and Wisconsin.  49/48

2018- Race in Nebraska, which finally shored up this state.  49/49.

Hawaii is the only one left and I will save it for my last half marathon state.  Even with a decent head start, it took me 15 years to shore up 49.  I recommend taking at least 10 years to hit all 50 states.  As you gain more experience with travel, you will become more skilled at economizing your time to catch as many tourist attractions as possible.