I’m a full week out from the Jersey City Marathon, and things are slowly getting back to normal.
Last week, I was in San Diego for a conference. I eased back into running, 3-4 miles a day, and everything went pretty well. With one exception: I definitely got sick.
Towards the end of the week, I noticed my throat was a little scratchy. My Garmin Body Battery was also a little higher and more sensitive than usual. But I thought it was allergies and all the physical activity from the conference.
Friday night, we took the red-eye home. I couldn’t sleep a wink. I felt crappy all day Saturday, which I attributed to the sleep depravation. But by Sunday morning, I came around the notion that I was legitimately sick – nothing serious, just a head cold or a minor viral infection of some kind.
It’s mostly sinus pressure and the like. Above the neck, as they say. So it won’t interfere with my running. But just something to keep an eye on.
Otherwise, this is another easy week. Continue to recover. Slowly build the mileage back up – with the goal of hitting six miles per day most days.
The Plan for the Week
The goal for the week is 40 miles. I initially planned 8 miles Sunday, a couple 4’s, and the rest 6’s. But I went for my run Sunday morning without checking my training log … and I only did 6 miles. Oops.
So I shuffled things up and basically did six miles a day, with one down day. I also wanted to incorporate strides twice – nothing too tough, just a little bit of speed to get the legs cycling more quickly.
- Sunday: 6 miles, trails
- Monday: 4 miles, easy
- Tuesday:
- Wednesday: 6 miles, strides
- Thursday:
- Friday: 6 miles, strides
- Saturday: 6 miles, trails
And here’s how things went.
Sunday Morning At the Reservoir
Sunday morning was Easter. Church was mercifully late in the morning (10:15), so I didn’t have to wake up too early.
But I did sleep a little too late … which meant I was crunched for time. Instead of the trails, which takes a little longer, I ran down to the Reservoir and did a few laps there.
A few of the other regulars were out there enjoying the beautiful morning, and I waved to them as I went around. The first lap was a little slow warming up – like usual – but the last few miles got down to 8:30-8:40.
Not bad for one week post-race. Legs are feeling pretty good.
Monday: A Quick Jaunt on the Trails
I only had four miles on the schedule Monday, which is a ridiculously short run. It’s funny to think back when I first started, and that seemed far. Now, it’s over before I realize I got started.
I did a quick out and back on the trails. Two miles out, two miles back.
The first mile was dreadfully slow (11:00+), but once I got up to speed everything went smoothly. Last couple miles were in the mid-9:00’s.
Tuesday: A Longer Trail Run
Tuesday morning, I was back on the trails – but for a bit longer. I planned to bump back up to six miles today, which is a more typical distance for more.
Again, the first mile was slow. 11:00+. It takes a while to wake those legs up, especially going up some hills onto the trails.
But once I got rolling, everything moved along smoothly. Miles 2 and 3 were in the high 9:00’s. The back three were all in the low to mid-9:00’s.
No signs of fatigue or injury. Paces are getting quicker. Legs feel good. Recovery on track.
Wednesday: A First Little Taste of Speed
Wednesday, I went back to the Reservoir for a few laps. But this time, I planned to add in some strides in the second two laps. Nothing super fast. Just enough to get the legs moving.
I took the first lap easy to warm up.
In the second lap, I did 6 sets of strides – roughly 80-90m. I usually count it off by paces, and I started with 30 paces. The first one was a little clipped, but my stride opened up later on and everything felt good.
In the third lap, I extended the length a little bit. For the first three, I counted off 40 strides – closer to 110-120 meters. Getting a little better.
The last set of three strides were even longer – closer to 150 meters. The speed isn’t quite there yet, and the best pace I mustered was ~6:30/mi.
Still need some time to really get back to normal. But this is a small step towards waking up my legs.
Thursday: Back on the Trails
Thursday morning, I was back on the trails. And my legs felt great after the strides. It’s like they woke up and had more spring in them.
The warm up mile was a lot quicker (10:25), and from the second mile my pace had dropped down to the low 9:00’s.
My breathing was a little heavy and my heart rate was a little high. I’m not sure if that’s cause I was pushing the pace or because it’s starting to get warm out – and my body is just starting to get used to it again.
But my legs felt great. The rest of that run was between 9:00 and 9:20/mi. Finished 6 miles in 56:23, which is a pretty fast morning on the trails for me.
Friday: More Strides at the Reservoir
Friday morning was a repeat of Wednesday. Six miles, two sets of strides, and hopefully some better paces.
Warm up for the first lap. Easy, short strides for the second lap.
The third lap, I did the same two sets of three – ~120m and ~150m. My legs felt better today, and I really felt like I was striding and running harder than I was on Wednesday.
I was still a little slow, though, with the pace working down to ~6:15/mi at the end. Moving in the right direction.
Saturday: A Quiet Morning on the Trails
This is a quiet weekend, thankfully. No travel, no family commitments. Just some time to relax, run, and catch up on things around the house.
I slept in late – much later than usual. I opened my eyes, looked at my watch, and was a little shocked to see 8:00. But again, it’s a nice, relaxing morning.
Took my time drinking my coffee and hit the trails. It rained overnight, and it was still drizzling this morning. The forest had the damp, warm smell of spring.
About a mile in, I came across a downed tree limb. Must have fallen in the night – it wasn’t there on Thursday. I had to stop and carefully step over it before continuing.
Otherwise, it was an uneventful morning. Waved to a few dog walkers. Hit 9:00-9:15/mi on the back half.
I had made a mental note to take a different trail back and avoid the downed tree limb. But of course I forgot about that until the thee limb was right in front of me. Oops. Just have to step over that again.
Overall, 57:25. A little slower than Thursday, and I was sweating a little from the warm, humid weather. But it was a good run to cap off the week.
Reflections and Looking Ahead
These two recovery weeks have been a success. I’ve got no real lingering fatigue or issues from the marathon. I was feeling a little sick at the beginning of the week, but that’s pretty much gone now.
I worked in some strides and started moving my legs. The paces were slow, but I can tell they’re waking up. I’m going to do some more light speedwork next week – basically longer strides, maybe 200’s, but not pushing the pace too hard. And after that, I think I’ll be ready for some real workouts.
The next two races on my calendar are May 17 (a mile) and May 26 (a 10k). Neither of them are really big target races – the next one I really care about is a 5k on June 8. So I think I’m in a good place to hit a few workouts, knock off the rust with those races, and lay down a good effort come June.
I’ve also been watching what I eat a little more since the race. When I ran Chicago, my weight was back up to ~172 – it’s typically in the mid to low 160’s when I’m in peak marathon training. After Chicago, I planned to trim back down before Jersey City. That didn’t happen, and I was ~172 again.
Two weeks later, I’m back down to ~170. I’m eating a little better and drinking less. And I’ll continue to be more intentional about this – with the goal of getting back down below 165 by the time I run Twin Cities in October.