I’ve had a particularly tough May on the non-running front, though to some degree I expected it.
I had some annual equipment service things come up that ate up a bunch of my time, and though I dialed back my training this last couple weeks to attend to them I still got rather exhausted.
I DNF’d a hot 10K at 4 miles last weekend (putting it on the schedule seemed like a much better idea 3 months and 40 cooler degrees ago), and have had issues with waking up during the night and not getting back to sleep.
Thankfully, Indy Monumental is months away and there’s no urgent need to ramp up training. That said, I did substantially improve my running frequency and mileage in April as I transitioned from mostly cross-training to mostly running. I still have a ways to go: I peaked a couple weeks ago at 32 miles, and I at least want to build to the 40-55mi range through regular running.
But even at reduced volume I’m running 4-6 days each week and feel comfortable with near-daily running, thanks in no small part to the little 1500-2000m runs I’ve taken during the workday and an improved eating schedule.
My current regular running goal is 10K Per Day, 6.2mi in the early morning most days with occasional rest or easy days. The obvious exception aside from easy days would be longer runs for the marathon, but otherwise I intend to run 10K each morning, whether regular easy runs or cumulative mileage on a speed workout.
The weather currently is getting Vegas hot, and those short workday runs/walks are not yet challenging but 100+ degree temperatures will provide the true test. The morning workouts in 75-80 degree heat are now doable as I’ve heat acclimated at least to those conditions. I still have some ways to go to feel okay with the true Vegas heat.
I’ll ramp up marathon-specific training during the mid/late summer, though I should first take a page from Podium Runner and focus for May-July on building 5K/10K fitness. I want to get back to Chicago 2018 performance levels on mid-range speed, and I know I still have the ability to do it if I can whip back into shape.
I also need to shed some weight. I’ve made some progress to get from 182-183 to 180 lbs but it’s very slow going right now on the scale. I have to balance getting enough nutrition to fuel training and recovery, with cleaning up my system and shedding fat or unneeded water weight.
Adding more training volume and consistent strength training should likely produce the same results I saw in 2018 when without any “dieting” I went from the mid 170’s to the low 160’s. I have tightened up my diet a great deal, and now I just need to land on a consistent plan that consistently gets me every nutrient I currently need.
More later on the training strategies as I ramp up volume and get knee deep into summer training.