After illness and injury, I finally got back on my training program schedule today for a run. Since I had to be down that direction anyway (and it is snowing AGAIN), I went back to the Perrysburg YMCA to use their 1/16mi indoor track.
I don’t think I’ll ever get over just how absurd a 1/16mi track is for serious training. You spend a ridiculous amount of time on the banked corners, so your pacing is all wonky. The outdoor track between Savage Arena and Glass Bowl is looking more and more appealing with each day.
It should not have been a surprise, but today’s triumphant return was a bit rocky. I didn’t take into account just how long I’ve been off. For one reason or another, I haven’t been running for two weeks. Long enough to lose my edge, that’s for damn sure.
But nothing good ever comes easy, right?
Today’s pre-workout: GU – Peanut Butter (mmm…. tastes like a Payday bar). I was going to use the Apple Cinnamon Hammer Gel I received in my Kona Kase this month, but the GU was sitting out with my HRM, so I grabbed it and left for the Y. Hammer will be on deck for tomorrow.
Today’s workout: 9mi -> 3mi easy (8:00/mi), 3mi HMP (6:50/mi), 3mi easy (8:00/mi)
Yeah… that whole workout didn’t happen. My calves, and to a lesser extent my quads, were not having it today. I really have lost more of my endurance than I anticipated. Even the 3mi easy warmup felt like a push. For a 23 min 5k, it felt really difficult.
So, in the end I ran the 3mi easy warmup followed by 2mi HMP. I dropped both the last HMP mile and the entire 3mi cooldown.I spent some time on the stationary bike to try to work some of the kinks out, so hopefully starts to come together again soon.
Of course, the weight gain from my debauchery isn’t helping my training in the slightest. The science is there, too. Two seconds per mile per pound. That’s what carrying around extra weight does to a runner. Everything I eat is getting logged in MFP again and I’m back to training. That should be enough to shed some pounds and get closer to my racing weight again.
Once again… no Garmin Connect link until the website is usable again. For a company with excellent physical products, their online offerings are not exactly leading the way.