Sunday, June 21

Coming Around

Asleep for less than an hour, I woke late Friday evening to the news that my mother had been taken to the hospital (she’s fine). After a journey up island to Emergency, a trip to my mom’s house, a return visit to the hospital and a subsequent jaunt back to my mother’s, I returned home around 5:45 a.m. just as Isla was waking. Needless to say, I opted to forgo the accountability of the track and instead ran Saturday’s w/o on the Lochside Trail. As it turned out, I was surprised at how good I felt. Running home the previous day, was the first occasion in weeks where my achilles wasn’t aggravated and as I ran my pseudo 1200s I caught glimpses of a former self.


The first two intervals really surprised me as my running felt more controlled than it has in months. My gait was smooth and quick, and my arm carriage relaxed (a rarity). What I was really aware of though, was my hips; they were rotated forward every so slightly which in turned caused me to feel… fast.


After a lovely Sunday morning with the girls, there was no sneaking needed as I strolled out the front door thoroughly intent on enjoying a “long steady run”. As it happened, it was the first morning in months where I was caught out in the rain, but as I looped around Mount Doug under the towering canopy, the precipitation did nothing but add to the atmosphere. My achilles started acting up toward the end of the run, but for the most part stayed under control.


I’m nervous about the week ahead. I have two workouts scheduled, one running 100s and the other 200s. Given that my last session at Vic High (12x200) really aggravated my achilles, I’m thinking of running the sessions on the grass; either that, or opting for a light Moneghetti w/o. Regardless, with my next 5k race the following Wednesday, my fingers are crossed and I’m hoping for the best. Here’s to a good week!


[photo: start of the Chemainus Twilight Shuffle, I’m #1516; shot taken by this guy]


Training:

Thursday: easy 45:20

Friday: easy 47:25 with 6xstrides

Saturday: 1:09:19 with 4x4’ (3’) 5kE

Sunday: steady 1:44:24


Weekly mileage: 6h06’21”, +/- 86k or 54 miles

4 comments:

RICK'S RUNNING said...

Running on grass and avoiding the track sounds like a safe option!

speedygeoff said...

"Running on grass and avoiding the track" - I will second that!

Cliff said...

hey Michael,

Thanks for the comment. I got some questions to bounce to you afterwards Half Ironman Peterborough.

I am going to the transplant games in Australia in mid Aug to race for a 5 km. Need to bounce some questions off you in regards on how to train.

I figure i have a month to train for it. What would you suggest? More track work, miles repeat?

Looking forward for that 21 km run in Peterborough :)

Michael said...

Thanks for the comments. I took your advice, or at least heeded my own and this evening ran 15x diagonals on a soccer pitch. Although I could feel my achilles, it was half as bad as last week.

Cliff, good luck in Peterborough an dfeel free to drop me a line after the race.