May 2012

Running

Remember how I said April was my highest mileage month in over 10 years? Well, I ran 20 miles farther in May. And I really only did one long run. I did a number of shorter races (5K, 10K, sprint triathlon), with good results in each. I’ve built up a level of base aerobic fitness I haven’t seen since college. I can run at a faster pace with a lower heart rate than at any time in the past 15 years. Of course, I do quite a bit of my training at a slow pace, which is one of the keys to such aerobic fitness.

Now I just need to avoid injury and burnout. I’m planning very deliberately to step back my mileage in June. After six hard races (nine if you count the three practice crits) in the past three weeks I’m ready to rest a bit.

Additionally, I’ve fully acclimated to the summer heat earlier than ever before. I regularly run in 85˚-90˚F temperatures with sun blazing overhead and I think nothing of it. I used to do whatever I could to avoid that kind of nasty weather. Two minor changes have played a big role here.

I wear a visor instead of a hat, and I keep my hair cut super short (shaving it with a razor every couple of weeks).

I run without a shirt.

I never would have believed how much of a difference these two changes could make if someone had told me. I’ve mentioned over and over again that I run hot. I sweat more anybody I’ve ever met. Having more of that sweat evaporate in the breeze than soak in my shirt and hat cools me down like never before. The one downside is the increased risk of sunburn, but I can take preventative measures to avoid that.

Month | Distance | # Workouts | Avg per Workout
January | 78.06 Mile | 9 | 8.67333 Mile
February | 75.2586 Mile | 9 | 8.36206 Mile
March | 126.15 Mile | 14 | 9.01071 Mile
April | 146.28 Mile | 16 | 9.1425 Mile
May | 166.75 Mile | 18 | 9.26389 Mile
Total | 592.499 Mile | 66 | 8.97725 Mile

Cycling

My cycling continues to be hit or miss. All the additional time I’ve devoted to running lately has had to come from somewhere, and this is where. It’s not all negative, though, as my improved base aerobic fitness has actually applied equally to cycling as it has running. Additionally, racing makes for pretty decent training, and I’ve raced a fair amount lately (3 practice crits, 2 practice TTs, 2 crits, 2 tris). Somehow I’ve still managed to set a personal best average speed in both of my triathlons this year.

Bike | Distance | # Rides | Avg per Ride
Bianchi | 11. Mile | 3 | 3.66667 Mile
El Fuego | 6.73 Mile | 1 | 6.73 Mile
Lynskey | 53.9674 Mile | 4 | 13.4919 Mile
Pocket Rocket | 17.1 Mile | 4 | 4.275 Mile
Thundercougarfalconbird | 226.05 Mile | 10 | 22.605 Mile
Total | 314.847 Mile | 22 | 14.3112 Mile

Month | Distance | # Workouts | Avg per Workout
January | 25.33 Mile | 2 | 12.665 Mile
February | 40.08 Mile | 3 | 13.36 Mile
March | 213.43 Mile | 20 | 10.6715 Mile
April | 253.27 Mile | 23 | 11.0117 Mile
May | 322.147 Mile | 24 | 13.4228 Mile
Total | 854.257 Mile | 72 | 11.8647 Mile

Swimming

It feels good to have a swimming section in these posts again. As you can see from the chart my numbers are modest, but it’s a good start. I always find it remarkable how quickly swimming comes back to me. Before I ever started swimming I always assumed success in the sport was solely the result of super strong, highly specialized muscles (that I don’t have), when in reality it’s almost entirely technique. I’m certainly not suggesting my technique is perfect (far from it), but simply remembering the technique does allow me to pick right back up (almost) where I left off.

Month | Distance | # Workouts | Avg per Workout
January | 0 | 0 | 0
February | 0 | 0 | 0
March | 0 | 0 | 0
April | 1750. Yard | 2 | 875. Yard
May | 8050. Yard | 7 | 1150. Yard
Total | 9800. Yard | 9 | 1088.89 Yard

Walking

More running also means less walking, but I’m still getting in a few miles on most days. It took me a while to fully realize this, but walking may just be one of the keys to my recent success. It helps build base aerobic fitness (super low intensity), while working similar muscles to running, all with near-zero risk of injury. In fact, when my legs are sore I always feel significantly better after walking a few miles.

Month | Distance | # Workouts | Avg per Workout
January | 51.53 Mile | 16 | 3.22063 Mile
February | 42.92 Mile | 18 | 2.38444 Mile
March | 41.15 Mile | 14 | 2.93929 Mile
April | 31.89 Mile | 12 | 2.6575 Mile
May | 37.5107 Mile | 13 | 2.88544 Mile
Total | 205.001 Mile | 73 | 2.80823 Mile