XSNRG Running

Wandering Workout!

Weather: extremely mild

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I ran to join the group out at Rykert, and caught them just as they were leaving to run clear across to Sunnydene, so I essentially got a 2.8km warm-up. Ran this 5:45-6:00.

Double loop at Sunnydene: 4:00 to 4:30, hooyeah

Then off to Hanna Ps:

1 Letter-P ("P" for Christmas!): 5:00 to 4:30 to 3:40 !! Cool.

Not very interval-y, much more running in between, but felt great! Then off to eat at the XS XMAS parteeee.

--Distance: 6.6km
--Duration: 45mins

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Forced myself to get this workout in late at night after a meeting, about 2hrs after my club had left.

Warm-up: 2km, ABCs, dynamic stretches

Blythe Hill Loops, 10x 2' / 1' RI

I challenged myself to finish an entire ~575m loop in the 3mins for one run-walk interval. I managed it for the first 4 and then let up. Hamstring was really tight. But mostly I was just really out of breath!

Distances in 2mins: (from El Satellite Dish, which I don't quite trust)
420m / 410m / 390m / 390m / 370m / 360m / 390m / 410m / 430m / 480m

I know I really kicked it on the last one, but not sure I went that much further! Maybe.

Cool-down: 2km

--Distance: 9.23km
--Duration: 69mins

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Since my physio said I could try running training again, I came out for a club run; I thought this night would be perfect because it was one of our slower, longer intervals. I passed the group just as they were running back to HQ, but I continued on to do the workout by myself, as usual!

Warm-up: 1.1km, slow with a bunch of breaks because my right hip got stuck and had to get worked out
- also did my full range of dynamic warm-ups before the intervals

I hadn't done the Belsize loop before; it's a trapezoid of about 600m, where the sides are uphills. I didn't think to ask our Coach which way the club was running tonight, so I decided to alternate, running the long leg, uphill, short leg, downhill, and then back the other way.

7x 3mins, 1.5mins RI

It turned out that 3mins was about the right amount of time for one loop for me, so I kept re-starting at the same corner. But I did get faster all the time!
CW: 560m / 590m / 600m / 620m
CCW: 600m / 640m / 670m

I couldn't believe I was getting more and more distance each time. I was striking mid-foot, bounding, perfect body position. I felt great! So disciplined.

Cool-down: 900m

--Distance: 7km
--Duration: 53mins

Unfortunately not long after I got home, my hip got inflamed. It was really throbbing, and it made it hard to sit. Same with the day after, although a bit better. Total bummer.

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Warm-up: 1km + dynamic stretches

10x 2mins, 1min rest

Joined the group on their 7th loop, so had to do my last 6 by myself while they cooled down, but I got through it. Getting progressively slower and more sluggish. Started with more than 1 loop of the flats in 2 cycles, then dropped to less, then finished with about 1 complete loop.

Cool-down: dynamic stretches, calf stretches, 1km

--Distance: 7.1km
--Duration: ~50mins

At home, finally foam-rolled the calves, ouch!

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First sprint workout since probably April. Needed to test my hip because I'm getting through the longer slow runs just fine. Missed the club workout, but did it on my own.

Warm-up: 1.4km run-in + dynamic warm-up

20 x 1min sprints, 30secs walk

Covered about 200m each interval, but slowed down on the second half. Kept up mid-foot striking and full sprint stride almost throughout.

--Distance: 6.5km
--Duration: ~50mins

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It was a hill workout tonight: hard down, hard back up a 660m hill (length). I wanted to test out my sore muscle ahead of the 5 Peaks Rattlesnake Point race this Saturday, knowing that it probably wouldn't be good. My lower calf muscles had also been killing me all day, a nice reminder of my poor running form at Sunday's race.

I shuffled down the hill, then hobbled back up. Passed so many people I hadn't seen in about a month due to the injury or illness or tapering. It was so great to be out! Many people were concerned about my hamstring and giving me the "way to go" on the way up. They could tell I was "favouring one side." Tell me about it. Our club president actually asked me in all seriousness if I'd been to Boston! haha, no, it's just a light injury.

I tried to hard-run the next downhill, but although most of my body was in the mood, my left leg just couldn't open up. I tried a few bounding strides uphill as well, and I definitely felt pain. I didn't bother doing more reps.

I realized later that if I did run Rattlesnake, everything that makes it so fun for me would be missing, as I wouldn't be able to attack the Escarpment the way I love to do. I didn't enjoy the 10K. I learned a lot from it, but it was no fun to run it with this shitty gait. 5 Peaks will be so technical, I will probably be miserable.

I'll test again at the end of the week, but I think it's time to throw in the racing towel.

XSNRG Running Club Shuffle

Nursing a hurt butt muscle after the Raid, but decided to show up and test it out. Turns out I could only shuffle around and was not able to lift my left leg up to really run. Try as I might, I couldn't actually find the training group along "Stratheden Road." Checking the official route map, if I'd only shuffled out to the diamond shaped streets west of Strath, I'd have seen them, LOL. At least I know I shouldn't be running right now.

--Distance: 1.5K!!
--Duration: a few painful minutes

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Rykert Crescent Loops

Made sure to put in a warm-up run to the training area, although it didn't prevent my running cramps. Arrived just as the group was finishing up the intervals, so did my warm-up with their cool-down and got to work by myself. Hard!

Warm-up: 1.4K, ABCs, pick-ups, lunges, leg-swings

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1 Loop / 2 Loops / 1 Loop / 1 Loop / 2 Loops / 1 Loop - 2mins RI
Each Loop: 550m

2:12 / 4:28 / 2:13 / 2:11 / 4:40 / 2:13

Didn't think I'd get through the second set by myself, but somehow forced it. The second double-loop was very hard mentally, and it showed: the one inconsistent interval. Good attention to new running gait, but feels slow.

--Distance: 7.2K
--Duration: 65mins

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Sunnydene Loops

Did the workout on my own this time. Parked at the approximate distance from the school to the training location to get my proper warm-up in. While warming-up, I really concentrated on my new running gait.

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Warm-up run: 1.2K

Exercises: ABCs, lunges, leg swings

Each loop: 440m, clockwise, long uphill, short downhill

6x 2 Loops, 2mins Rest, except between 4 and 5 was 3mins

4:21 / 3:45 / 3:42 / 3:44 / 3:45 / 3:47

First set was an extension of my warm-up. I didn't quite get the cramps, but I did get inflammation, so took it easy at the start. Legs were like rocks from the long run, but I got them going and stayed consistent with my usual time for this loop.

A highlight was noticing the Jupiter-Venus conjunction in the western sky after dusk! Two very bright, brilliant points so close together. What a treat.

Run-back: 1.2K

--Distance: 7.7K
--Duration: 60mins

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Drove in again instead of warming up with the club. I used the first long interval as my warm-up instead, although it wasn't really enough to prevent my eventual running cramps.

Short Intervals: 2mins / 1min Rest / 2mins / 1min Rest / 2mins / 1min Rest / 2mins / 1min Rest / 2mins

I managed more-or-less one loop of the course each time, about 540m.

I felt really fast until we slowed down for the last 5min Interval. I had to walk and then back out of the workout altogether. I'd meant to run back in with the group and come back to the car, but I was in no shape for it.

--Distance: 3.8K
--Duration: 20mins 

We set up our club Facebook Page today, and I think it was the reason my friend JL showed up to train, yay! Too bad I was in no shape to jog and chat with her after. Hope to see her again.

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Did this workout all alone after the bike clinic. After several months of very consistent splits, tonight I dropped and dropped with each loop; it was very surprising.

Warm-up: 850m, jog + ABCs
Exercises: leg swings, airplanes

4x Hanna Figure-8s + 1/2 loop extra, 2min Rest
Each 8 1/2: 1.65km, or a touch over a mile
Terrain: there be hills

6:45 / 6:58 / 7:02 / 7:04

Not terrible for a hilly mile, but I just felt sluggish. I even visualized racing other people, but kept getting slower. Strange!

Cool down: 750m

--Distance: 8.2K
--Duration: 50mins

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Missed the warm-up run-in and regretted it pretty quickly when I got hit with my usual cramps. What was strange tonight was that it happened again after another number of laps. I was quite shocked, as these cramps have never come back in the same running session. So I was not only in extreme pain, but also really nervous about it.

Loops: 700m
10x 2mins w/ 1min rest

I was generally run-walking a bit less than 1 loop per 2mins, but had to walk through, not one, but two of the intervals because of my cramps. So I could only do 8 loops.

--Distance 5.8K
--Duration: 35mins

Workout Nutrition: 5g BCAAs w/ lemon juice, 600mL (before and after)

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Sunnydene Ladders:

Each loop: ~440m w/ hill

Warm-up: 3 loops + ABCs and pick-ups for 1 loop

1 Loop / 2mins rest / 2 Loops / 2mins rest / 3 Loops / 2mins rest / 2 Loops
(should have been 1, 2, 3, 3, 2, 1, but I had a clinic to go to, so I cut it short)

1:49 / 3:43 / 5:38 / ~3:45 - which is extremely consistent, for 1:49 to 1:53 per loop
I have been avoiding looking at my watch during the intervals and just trying to develop my pace on my own, and I'm doing very well.

The times for the 2-loops and 3-loop are 10-15secs faster than in late November, although at that time, we ran the loop in the opposite direction, starting with a steep uphill and going into a gentler downhill.  That could influence this difference.

--Distance: 5.3K
--Duration: 30mins

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Sunnybrook Lower Flats

5x 4mins w/ 2mins Rest

After 3 intervals, I got hit with my running cramps and sat out on a log for a total of 6mins, then continued.
I wish I had the time for a warm-up with the group, but I have a hard time coming down from work.

Distances are very approximate:
1.1K / 730m / 850m / 950m / 950m

--Distance: 5.7K
--Duration: 35mins

Workout Nutrition: none during the run, but I chugged my BCAAs afterwards.

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Hanna Ps - 8x letter P w/ 90secs rest intervals
Each letter P = 785m
 
Terrain: asphalt with one mild hill on the way out, then the downhill on the loop of the P
Weather: mild, a bit damp, extremely windy!

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Missed the warm-up and cool-down, as I drove straight in.  Actually had to run the last 5 by myself after the session had ended.  But I was motivated by the team being there for most of my run.  They're always surprised that even though I'm late from work, I still show up and get the workout in.

12x 440m loops, including a hefty hill to start, 1min rest intervals
I averaged probably 1:50 per loop, although I didn't look at my watch for the first number of loops, as I'm trying to reduce my reliance on it.  I know the 11th loop was very slow at just under 2mins, but the 12th loop was only 1:43, yeah!

--Distance: 5.3 K
--Duration: <30mins