Week of 05/04/2008 - 05/10/2008 (Base Week 8)

*RESTRUCTURING*

All of last week, I didn't even feel like running at all. It just felt like whatever I did, it just wasn't ever going to get better. The last few weeks I've been slowly getting sucked backwards, feeling more exhausted and running slower than the week before... Since I'm running at most 25 miles a week, I would have a hard time believing in overtraining, though some would say the symptoms are remarkably similar. I kept thinking it was just a little kink and a week taken easy would put me back on track, but clearly, that strategy is failing miserably--the comeback train has crashed and burned... just like my favorite trail... now that Mt. Wilson is burnt to a crisp.

On Saturday afternoon, lying on my back on the floor, the feeling of broken and defeated seemed like it was seeping out of every pore. I'm really really struggling and I don't know why... I'm the person who can get into PR shape in 6 weeks. I'm the person who used to swim for 80 minutes in the morning, then run for 80 minutes at night and still want to race the last 400m. Now, I'm a person who can't get through the day without a nap... who finds 6 miles of running to be exhausting... who periodically experiences a day where something closes up at the back of the throat and its just impossible to breathe properly. I used to think what was holding me back was my gimpy foot, but now its like... there's something bigger here, something systemic, something nebulous and bad and scary.

Today I've decided, enough is enough. Real athletes do NOT lie on their backs wanting to die. Real athletes get up and fight for what they want. If I want to be a good runner, I need to start acting like one.

On Monday, I will make an appointment with the Asthma doctor. Tuesdays for the time being will be striders (straightaways, jog turn rest x 10). Saturdays will be 3 x Arroyo Tempo loops, in a thirds progression format, with the last one being hard but below threshold. I think part of the problem is that I need to let the speed come, instead of forcing out 185 bpm effort level on a clearly taxed system. If I can get through a few weeks without consistently falling behind on the Saturday workouts, I will gradually re-instate threshold level intensity again on Tuesdays.

I will get through this. I will get through this. I will get through this.


Sunday 05/04: 1:06:08, Monterrey to RB with short detour. Given what happened on Saturday, I was concerned about even making it through a 60 minute run. This one was a struggle, but I felt like I won in the end. Emotionally, I needed to complete this run, and I needed for it not to be a disaster. I did, it wasn't. I can move on now. It was really hard in the beginning, I started to feel that tightness at the back of my throat all through the first 20 minutes, but I forced myself to focus and relax and as I got past the section with all of the little yellow flowers, I started to feel stronger and better. Stomach cramps toward the end, but made it through. Saw Jesse, in the Arroyo!

Did 4 x 100m striders and 2 sets of karaokes and quick steps at the Caltech track. Saw Coach Dow! I heart Coach Dow. He's one of those people who really makes me feel inspired to be not only a proficient athlete, but also to be a classy one, with good sportsmanship, hard work, integrity, etc. Since he's been checking up on me periodically throughout the past few years... starting from when I first started this whole "running" thing... I really wished that I could report back to him that I've accomplished something, that I've done something with all of this--but instead I had to tell him the truth, which is that I really haven't done much by the way of competing lately... but I'm trying.

Monday 05/05: Off. Shots. Both the allergy kind and the jello kind, for cinco de mayo. Threw the football around on the deck with the co-workers. Legs feel a little bit sore and tight, but not like that awful warm, dull, achey feeling that I felt all of last week.

Tuesday 05/06: 43:35, first session of striders. ~15 min warm up, 10 x 100m with jog turn rest, ~15 minutes of cooldown. Then quicksteps and karaokes on the track, stretched and left. Groggy feeling in the beginning, mentally and physically, but turned out pretty good in the end. Felt good to move quickly, legs felt strong, but still struggling some on the breathing end. L foot tendonitis actually pretty quiet today, despite the fact that I took a chance on not taping. If tomorrow isn't an exhausted disaster, I'm going to say I'm happy with this workout.

Wednesday 05/07: 43:15, Monterrey to bridge loop. Nice, overcast morning. A pretty neutral run. It wasn't a disaster, but it wasn't really good enough to make me excited and optimistic feeling. I guess that's okay for now. Just need to repair the damage at this point.

Also today, went to asthma doctor. Got some singulair for the coughing and shortness of breath. He said that if that helps, maybe I can be part of an experimental treatment for people with allergy induced asthma. I think I would have to think about that one... but let's hope this helps anyways.

Thursday 05/08: 48:37, California to Salvia Canyon Rd. Day 1 on Singulair tablets, admittedly I wasn't super hopeful, given the sheer number of medications I've been put on and then taken off of due to lack of effectiveness. However, preliminary results are promising! I woke up this morning and did NOT have the dry cough, nor the blood clots coming out of my nose.

Definitely noticed on the run that it was easier to breathe, it was almost like I didn't even know what to DO with all of this oxygen! Didn't go crazy though, bc the legs were actually feeling vaguely tired from a muscular standpoint. Ran a little bit harder towards the middle and coasted in the last 10 minutes. Still, a few minutes faster than a run like this would normally take. Felt extra motivated today, so did 4 striders and some drills at the Caltech track.

Friday 05/09: Off, shots, traveling. I wonder if walking to every terminal at LAX counts for anything. Stupid flight cancellations. Also, large welt at injection site today... I hope this doesn't adversely affect my progress towards being a less allergic person.

Saturday 05/10: 37:43, Attempted and failed to do a tempo run here in Colorado... I think there's like an axiomatic rule of the universe that says that a week shall not elapse without me having a run that makes me want to die. Seeing as my morale has survived the past 6 days, I suppose this week's had to be today.

About 45 degrees and windier than I've ever seen in my life. Was going to do a couple miles of progressive tempo running at a HS track, but this turned out to be a miserable failure due to wind and altitude. It was gusting almost continuously at about a 30 degree offset from the straightaway, so basically there was a crosswind or a headwind or both almost the entire way, was huffing and puffing and struggling on my warm up which was not a good sign, but that was the sheer amount of effort required to move forwards at all. I doubt that I managed considerably faster on the non warm up portion, basically you had to lean into the direction of the wind just to avoid being blown over. The only analogy that I think is even vaguely accurate to describe this situation is running around in circles against a strong current of glue.

Felt beyond terrible, wind cut through everything including shoes and socks, ear drums hurt badly from the cold and wind, felt like my head was freezing from the inside out. It was all I could do to make myself finish 2 miles, then couldn't make it through the whole cool down, bc I couldn't bring the hyperventilating under control still trying to move against the wind. Teeth were chattering for a good 30 minutes afterwards.


No Goals this week. Need to get my head back in the game, and that entails so much more than running X number of minutes in Y number of days.