Back on the Track: Road Race Prep Begins

Hello!

This is the view from this morning...

Good old frozen peas and carrots!  After yesterday's track session {see below}, my Achilles was pretty sore this morning.  I started out to do an easy run around 5:45 am, but turned around promptly because it hurt.  Really hurt.  It's very strange...some days it feels fine, but on other days, it is pretty wicked.  I guess today will be a rest day with periodic icing sessions and some Advil.  Oh, the joys of tendonitis...
 

Last night I hit the track with Jesse for my first hard workout since the 1500 meter time trial.  Initially, I was a little nervous to attempt a hard session since my Achilles tendonitis was acting up after the long run from Sunday {plus I wasn't even sure if it would even happen} but after a warm-up and some drills, I felt ok.  For this workout, I ditched my flats and ran in my training shoes so my feet had more cushioning and they were surrounded in the comfort of my orthotics.  

Here's what we did:

Workout: 10 x 400 meters on the track at 5k race pace with decreasing rest.  Jesse originally set the pace at ~88 to 90 seconds per lap, but we started out faster and just went with it... 

2 mile warm-up and drills 

1 – 83.35  (90 sec rest)

2 – 81.95  (80 sec rest)

3 – 81.83  (70 sec rest)

4 – 81.20  (60 sec rest)

5 – 83.3    (50 sec rest)

6 – 81.50  (40 sec rest)

7 – 81.63   (30 sec rest)

8 – 81.95   (30 sec rest)

9 – 81.13   (30 sec rest)

10 – 77.85      

2 mile cool down and stretching  

                  

Slowest: 83.3 – 17:21 pace

Average: 81.51 – 16:59 pace

Fastest: 77.85 – 16:12 pace

Geesh....it was hot!  The humidity was high in between the rain showers that we had all day long.  Next time, I need to drink more water when running in those types of conditions.  

I particularly like SmartWater because it includes electrolytes.  Later last night, my daughter and her friend were over to practice an act for their talent show.  I ended up choreographing a routine to a kiddie-bop song...but they loved it!  Oh, what we do for our kids!?!   

Time for school...off to face the day!

Enjoy!

Tracy

Achilles Tendonitis and a Trail Run

Ugh…it never fails.  Just when training is going exactly the way it should be, something happens.  Over the past few weeks, I’ve been doing some fast stuff in spikes and because of that, I began to have pain on the back of my heel.  It really flared up after I did that 1,500 time trial last Tuesday.  I decided to take a few days off while at the beach, did yoga on Monday and ran on Tuesday evening while my daughter was at her dance class.  Granted, Tuesday’s run ended up being very productive…but the first 1.5 – 2 miles were utter hell!  Wednesday night’s run was awful.  I made it around the block and called it quits.   

I had a sneaky suspicion that I may have a slight case of tendonitis {Jesse did too}.  I had the classic symptoms: pain decreasing as the tendon got warmed up during a run, and pain upon rising out of bed in the morning and then subsiding once I walked around for a little bit.  

All was justified when I saw one of my husband’s athletic trainers on Wednesday night.  Achilles tendonitis is what I have and thank goodness, it’s not the end of the world.  I can still run, but he wants me to slightly decrease my mileage, apply nightly ice massages with water frozen in paper cups, stretch when the Achilles is warmed up {such as after a shower or after running for a bit}, and I need to periodically take some ibuprofen to lessen the inflammation.  I can do that…easy, peasy!  

Thursday night I attempted a flat, trail run with Jesse.  I want to do an upcoming story for Lehigh Valley Magazine on the various running and walking trails that are available here in our area, so we hit the Saucon Valley Rail Trail for 6 miles.

The verdict?  We started out slow {~8:00 pace} and gradually picked up the pace.  My heel hurt slightly in the beginning, but it was nothing compared to Wednesday’s run.  About half way through, we stopped to stretch per the trainer's instructions.  We hit the first three miles in 22:44, but our second half was faster, running 19:39.  Our fifth mile was ~6:25 and the final mile was run in 6:13.  Honestly, I felt pretty darn good with little pain.  

Again, I'm sure glad that Bodi {the trainer} didn’t tell me to stop running.  I’ve had various forms of tendonitis in the past and although it’s not pleasant, it’s curable and workable. 

Have you ever had any form of tendonitis?  If so, where? And what did you do to lessen the pain?

Have a great Saturday!

Tracy 

{HIIT} the Ground Running

It is a well-known fact that running can help anyone shed a few pounds.  For decades, people have been turning to distance running to lose weight, get back in shape, and become healthy.  Wonderful, I know!  However, hitting the pavement day after day at the same pace and distance can cause the body to hit a plateau, and weight-loss can possibly come to a screeching halt.   

The rage in fitness these days is something called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), a philosophy that involves alternating low/moderate intervals with those of high intensity.  The benefits of HIIT are numerous, including the following:

1.    Time friendly – Workout for a shorter time period with enhanced results.

2.   Heart pounding goodness – They get your heart pumping and your body working hard!

3.   Burn, baby burn– Your body goes into “repair mode” after an HIIT session and burns more fat and calories long after the session is complete.

4.   Lose weight, not muscle - Long, stagnate running sessions on the roads or treadmill {day after day} can possibly cause the body to lose muscle mass since it can enter into a catabolic (or muscle wasting) state.  Essentially, the body could start to use its own muscle for energy.  This will NOT happen during an HIIT workout.  

Runners have been participating in interval workouts since the beginning of “running time” and we all know that they help us become faster, stronger athletes.  Let’s face it, these types of sessions on the track or trails are not always the most pleasant, but the benefits far outweigh a few uncomfortable miles.

Jesse and I have done plethora of {running-related} HIIT workouts over the last few months…everything from track sessions…to tempo runs…to mile repeats on the canal.  An example of one of these would be the VO2 max sessions where we increased the amount of oxygen taken in by the body by running harder, faster intervals.  How does this help? The body reacts and gets in better shape. 

Here are a few previous posts that include a variety of examples of interval training:

Excellent 800s. 

Speedwork 

Mile repeat workout 

What is a Progression Run?

In my opinion…a well-rounded weekly running regimen includes these three things:

• 1 long run
• 1-2 interval training sessions {ex: speed on the track, progression runs on the roads, or tempos on the trails}
• 2 -4 easy/moderate distance runs

Personally, I began adding intervals into my training back in late-January.  By doing so, I increased lean muscle mass, dropped nearly two sizes, and decreased my times considerably. The purpose of this blog will always be to communicate my experiences with others, and this truly is an important message to share.  Interval training really does work and it is my hope that it works for you too.     

Have a great Tuesday!

Tracy

Note: I am an elementary school teacher, not a certified personal trainer or health professional.  With over 20 years of running and racing experience, the views presented above are solely based on my personal trials, tribulations, and research.