Jan 24-Feb 20

Jan 24-30
M-am 12 on treadmill
     pm 5 miles on treadmill
T-am 5 miles
   pm-12 miles.  Attempted workout but I was still coughing and couldn't do more than one repeat.
W- off (body feels awful)
T-off
F-5 miles very easy
S-am-5 easy (shakeout)
   pm-Bu Terrier mile.  Dropped out at 1100.  went through the 1000 in 2:35-2:36  It felt very easy but then I started to cough and could't breathe again.
S-17 miles with 10 mile tempo- 54:30  Fetl very good and relaxed again
Tot-65

Jan 31- Feb 6
M-am-7 very easy
pm- 6 miles on treadmill
T-am-75 minutes in blizzard. + drills and strides.  15x over hurdle.
    pm-5 miles on treadmill + core and strides
W- am-8 miles easy
     pm -6 miles + strides
T-Off (body completely shut down again.  I felt like I had the flu.)
F-off
S-off
S-off
Total- 42

Feb 7-13
M am- 40 mintues + push ups
T  am-5 miles on treadmill
    pm- 5 miles on treadmill
W am-off
    pm-10 minutes bike 6 miles on treadmill in 33:40 + core and push ups
T am-15 minutes bike + 9 miles
 F am- off
    pm-7 miles hard + 5 min planks and push ups
S am-8 miles
   pm-6 miles
S-am off
    pm-9 miles
Total-62 miles

Feb 14-20

M- am-off
      pm-10 miles 60:25 + 5 min planks and push ups
T-  am-off
      pm-10 miles 64:21 with a few 400m strides + 6 min abs and push ups
W- am- 5 miles
      pm-8 miles + 5 min planks and push ups
T-  am- 9 miles + strides
F-  am-8 miles + strides
      pm-5 miles + core and push ups
S-  am-8 miles on treadmill + strides 5 min planks and push up
      pm-6 miles
S- am 4 mile shake out
    pm- USATF New England 5k-  Felt relaxed and very easy through 3k then my body was exhausted.

Total- 78

As Ive said before this has been a very frustrating 7 weeks.  I can usually handle just miles when Im sick, so thats what ive been trying to do.  Obviously this time my body was able to hand that which is why I had so many off days in a row.  Its very annoying that im missing a huge chunk of my training right now but I just keep thinking positive knowing that I have put in so much work over the last 5 years and a huge base this fall that I will be fine come the spring time.  I will just have to do everything right over the next couple of months.  At this point there is no room to mess around.  I need to take every step of running very serious and do all the little things I hate doing.  (for me this is just getting in the gym and doing core, strethcing more, rolling my legs out, taking is easy or rest when my body seems tired.)  Another thing that I have been working very hard on lately is what im eating.  I have been doing very well for myself lately with eating healthy.  So in a way me being sick is giving me the oppurtunity to work on all the little things I always take for granted.

I spoke with my teammate David Chorney at the meet yesterday after his mile.  He has made big steps this fall and indoor season.  David is also running the 3ksc outdoors for the BAA.  He ran close to 9 flat last outdoors and is in the same boat as me when it come to wanting the us standard.  So it got me really excited talking to him about races and training for outdoors.  Im looking forward the nice weather and working out with Dave.  I have never had a training partner when it comes to the 3ksc so I think it will really help both of us to improve and strive to run fast.

Cheers all,
Tim

Indoor no more

Well the other day I found out why I have been sick and coughing for the last 6 weeks.  I have whooping cough.  So this has essentially put my indoor season to an end before it every really got started.  I tried to race a few early season races with one very poor performance, and two dnf's.  I knew going into all the races that I was sick and shouldn't be racing, but part of me was nervous.  I thought that if I didn't race indoors and run fast then my outdoor season was going to struggle and I wouldn't hit the A standard for US Nationals in the 3ksc.  The reason for that was because I had planned to get a lot of my speed work and shorter races in during the winter time.  To have a few months were I was running 110 miles a week but still getting in really fast races and workouts.  So not having an indoor season really ruined my plans.  With all that being said I got to the point were my body was just to run down and tired because I was trying to workout and race when I should be taking time off or running easy miles.  So I had a stretch of some very good days and high miles, but at the same time I had times were I didn't run for a few days because I was just to tired and felt like crap.  I finally realized that I just needed to take it easy on my body and rest it up.  It finally clicked in my head that if I miss a few workouts and miles now I will still be fine come outdoors. 

So now that I have sat down and realized what my body needs right now and what it cant do.  I have decided that I will take it as easy as my body needs for the next few weeks to get healthy.  I will start slowly getting back into workouts and miles.  I have a few big meets in April (Princeton Invite, Mt. Sac, and Penn Relays)  I have decided that I will use The first Princeton meet as a tune up to just get the rust out of my legs in the steeplechase ( If i run fast great but for those who have never run a 3ksc before, you should know the first one is always rough getting back into form)  Then at Mt.Sac and Penn Relays I will really go after the A standard of sub 8:46.  If I get the time I need then I will get ready to go for nationals.  If I dont then I will get ready over May to make another go at it during late May and early June and some high performance meets.

I will update you all with the last couple of weeks training (or lack there of) soon.  It just frustrates me when I have to write about off days or missing workouts when I know I should be runing fast if I was healthy.

Wish every one else the best and to stay healthy the rest of indoors
Tim