Catching Up....

Stats: (06/08 – 06/14): Elliptical 65 min; Stepper 45 min; Running total 28.6 mi (12.5 street, 10.1 trails, 6 tmill);
(06/15 – 06/21): Elliptical 60 min; Stepper 60 min; Running total 55.3 mi (52.1 trail, 3.2 tmill);
(06/22 – 06/28): Elliptical 65, Stepper 35; Running total: 43.1 mi (24 trail, street 10, tmill 9.1)

In review of previous posts I was surprised to see that I hadn’t included recent stats. So, today’s post includes info up through last Saturday to get me back on track. Not much real news to post about otherwise. I’m doing my best to adhere to the “official” training schedule, with a couple minor tweaks and adds. For example, I usually go to the gym in the morning to do the elliptical and a few weights and abs routines, especially on the days when I will run after work. I was doing some extraneous running on the treadmill (on days when I just couldn’t face the elliptical machine) which was over and above the scheduled runs.

However, now that the scheduled runs are getting longer and harder, I will probably not do much “extra” running, but will still do elliptical, stepper and maybe bicycle. I still feel I need more aerobic workouts as well as to try to strengthen muscles that I’m not using as much when actually running. And, speaking of aerobic matters, we are up to about 10,000 feet on the Higher Peak machine. I really can’t tell if I’m improving, since the runs are longer than what I have been used to, so I’m tending to go slower in order to preserve energy enough to finish (and thank god for GU!). I think we will plan to try to plateau about 11,000 feet on the machine, depending on how we feel. There is still plenty of time to assess this between now and 8/22. Have pretty much gotten used to sleeping with the mask on, but will definitely take a vacation from it when we get back from Colorado!

The weather has returned to more normal temperatures as of yesterday, although I hear there are more hot days coming -- bummer. We have been also suffering an unusual number of wildfires (some caused by lightning others, unfortunately set by people who will be under lock and key if/when caught) one of which was only a few miles “as the crow flies” from our part of the forest. This is already a very bad fire season, with a state of emergency being declared for several counties in the state. I hope this is not a portent of things to come through the fall!

Unfortunately, I have to travel out of town next week which will play complete havoc with both training and the acclimatization process using the Higher Peak machine. I hope this will not represent a major set back! There’s no way to do any long runs while on a business trip.

I had to really gut out my 18 mile run on Sunday. I have a hatred of courses which repeat (i.e., running 2 ea 5 mile loops to get a 10 miler in). However, I’m having trouble constructing out/back or single loops that work for my longer runs. So, for this 18 miler, I hooked together a 6 mile loop that I’ve done several times with my out and back 12 mile run. It took me forever to do the first 6 miles—and I don’t know why, as it was not particularly hot, I was sufficiently hydrated and rested. When I got to the trail intersection w/ the out and back trail it was all I could do to head out, instead of returning to the car and calling it a day. I finished it, but it took like 4 hours which does not bode well for the daily runs on the race course. While this run was on trails, and did incorporate a good amount of hills, it is still nothing like the altitude gain/loss that will be included in the daily stages in Colorado.

This post has gotten slightly out of control, so I’ll call it quits for now!