Training Log Archive: Traut

Same story. Couldn't get heart-rate above 120 bpm and couldn't maintain power above 200 watts and just felt like I couldn't even hold those things. I was actually getting angry and really tense right before I shut it down. I was even yelling into space in frustration. Would I have felt the same on a run? Had right calf edema all day again. Is that responsible? Is there something different about having my cyclocross bike on the trainer instead of my road bike?

Fell asleep twice trying to grade in the living room I was so tired, but then was too tense to sleep and woke up several hours early without being able to fall back asleep.

This day was supposed to maybe be a hard day, but I woke up with a ton of edema messing with my right calf and it got worse as the day went on. That enough was a reason to take the day off or go easy on the bike. With Gail's work schedule, even going easy on the bike became out.

Event: West Point A-Meet
 

Had been hoping a hard day would present itself again. Only had a short window at the end of the day that we could get the kids to the park and get in runs and felt like I could get on the roads and have a hard day today. I ended up being pretty tight in the calves and my form held together but was mot in the flow needed. I had a descent run and I worked, but I didn't air it out again. Again, I am not sure if I pushed enough t cross the 'hard' line, but this weekend has a safety built in. I wanted a hard day and one possibility is a run and the other a ride. I am comfortable with seeing what happens tomorrow on a ride. If I can attack a little I will. If not, I don't. I still, no matter what follow it up with easy days until the middle of next week when I can have another hard day.


Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/296971480

Garmin: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/7633277...

HR spike was definitely there in the beginning.

Kennerdell tract of Clear Creek State Forest: http://www.mobilemaplets.com/showplace/11251

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/stateforests/...

Some pictures and descriptions:

http://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/kennerdell...

Had to do an in-home PSSA test in Emlenton today. Gave me an opportunity to spend some time exploring the area and doing a run in the Kennerdell tract, one of many pieces of this area that I intend to run and bike. State testing seems to give me a chance to explore this area that I seem to have an addiction to. One of my favorite bike rides came after a Keystone test last year: http://www.attackpoint.org/viewlog.jsp?userid=1164...

Testing got done really early so I had a chance to drive around an generate even more ideas then I had before for dirt road a paved road rides. Even checked out the Kennerdell overlook while I was at it. Had a nice look over the trails I was about to run from across the river.

Planned a relaxed run as my I am not ready for a hard run yet... I had to count Wednesday's run as hard and my right hamstring and calf are paying the price and certainly still will be tow days later. I picked a loop I estimated at 8-miles or so figuring I had tons of time and could turn what ever I needed into a hike- the second half would be more technical and scenic so that would work.

On Tuesday (http://www.attackpoint.org/viewlog.jsp?userid=1164...) and Wednesday (http://www.attackpoint.org/viewlog.jsp?userid=1164...) I had to wonder if I could truly have an easy run with hills in it. I was getting pushed over a line or at least getting too close for comfort every time I went up a steep hill. Today showed that it all depends on my body. Today had very steep long hills and, while my right calf was tender as it had been and got very tight in last mile or two and my knee felt quite vulnerable, I found my form quite easily and ran the 8+ miles completely relaxed and with good form. Even with a mix up causing me to bushwhack back to the 'Blunder trail' (if you look at the trail map- it looks to me like the trail that intersects with the window/ pipeline trail is labeled as 'Pipe/ Ridge' trail. I was not looking for the blunder trail and kept heading out and passed a ...pipeline which my memory connected to and I then found an unmarked wood-road and went with it. It dies in a field and as I didn't hit what I was looking for I bushwhacked back to the Blunder trail and then found that it was actually the trail I was looking for...) I just kept on feeling strong and just kept on rolling. My pace on the flat river rd. was faster then it felt like for sure. I just kept keeping it relaxed. I did so with form and stayed on top of my hills and foot-strike up each climb and through the blunder. My splits were plenty quick and I was feeling super relaxed. When I hot the more technical non-mountain bike hiking trails there was a very steep technical descent down to Dennison creek and I actually enjoyed it?! I wasn't able to go as fast a people do in trail races, but it was very aggressive for me and I felt good doing it. That mile is slow though due to the bridges and the next climb being marked very poorly and I had to stop constantly to find the trail in the second half of the climb. I planned for this steep climb to suck, but I just felt good through it all. Each frustration or steep climb I kept relaxed and felt good. The overlook was a nice reward. After stopping at the overlook a bit, the last few miles did have a tight right calf and I could not handle the rocks very well on the final descent at all. Still not enough for this run to feel anything but nice and relaxed. I can run relaxed and not have a hard day on steep hills. My body just needs to be on...

What a great beautiful place and trail system. The rocks, cliffs, and views on the Window and Kennerdell trails were spectacular.

Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/296151609

Garmin: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/7621390...

My heart rate did have a short spike up in beginning today again. Not necessarily seeing a pattern.

Today was very much like yesterday- but it was on the bike in the basement so it was at much less intensity, power, and heart-rate...

The plan again was to just keep it relaxed, and I kept it relaxed. It took me 20-minutes to even get above 200 watts. Again, in the first 10-minutes I was better then usual. I finally was comfortable finding form and hitting rpms over 90. But things went the wrong way again. Even at 200 watts- which was like 125 bpm heart-rate, my right calf was twitch-cramping. I upped the intensity fro a bit just to see if that might find a better groove, it didn't. I do not feel like I have to count this as a hard day, but clearly my body was not in a relaxed state.


Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/295655738

Garmin: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/7614290...

Was hoping that today would be a day that a hard day would present itself, as it did on Sunday and I would have one of my hard efforts for the week. The first mile was kind of what I would have wanted, my form came to be and I felt relaxed and my pace matched what i felt. Instead of continuing to get better and faster, I got tighter, my form got tighter, and my knee was feeling things more and more.

My plan was to do the Orange/ Green Lollipop loop but skirt down to do two of the steepest hills in the park that lead form Lakeshore Dr. up to the Green loop. I was hoping to at least attack the hills if not air it out on the remaining run as well. Now as I went, I wasn't feeling good enough to do any of that. Instead of attacking the hills, I focused on form and survived them with good form. I got through both, but my form kept deteriorating and it was my hamstring that was tightening up. It became so bad I had to stop with about 1 mile to go or risk causing serious damage to my knee. I never really attacked anything as I would like a hard day to be. I didn't really have enough rest since Sunday probably, at least not enough for this point in time. The thing is I still need to cont this as the hard day, for the obvious reason that I stressed my legs to the point my hamstring failed. The hills may have been steep enough that surviving them is not much less intense then attacking them, or I may just have not been ready for hard day or even an easy day. It is a bit disappointing to use a hard day on a day that I didn't really push, but this will be far from the only day that will happen. In fact, I anticipate, hard days that fit my romanticized vision of such a day will be few and far between. There are gains from things other the attacking speed.. .efficiency, strength.. etc... We'll just have to wait and see. I do need to make sure I don't rush another hard day too soon. Just one more this week.

Left heel is still there and I feel it in the start of my runs in the True Grits, but it does loosen up. Same thing yesterday.

Another interesting note: like Sunday, my heart rate didn't have the weird spike in the beginning. Both days I felt like my form snapped in right at the start (which is unusual, I usually have to warm up into it, if it comes), like I could have a hard day. Sunday worked out much better then today, but interesting.




Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/295069359

Garmin: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/7606342...

Planned a relaxed trail run. Calves were tight and felt like last night was still my groove. Pleased to say I found my relaxed trail run. Was tight and really struggled on first downhills, but really found my form and could relax my calves and center my hips over my active foot-strike and push through the hips with my glutes. Kept relaxed due to my hips being right up on top of my stride, and enjoyed a beautiful spring day at Riverview. The only question on days like this is whether or not running the sometimes steep uphills at Riverview drives my heart-rate too much for a relaxed day. It can't be avoided as I was really right on with my hips and feeling my feet in my foot-strike. Time will tell I guess. I hat the idea of just not doing hills except for hard days, so we will see. In every other way I feel like I nailed the relaxed run.


Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/294429126

Gasrmin: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/7597438...