2011 Training in Review

Started back running on January 16 after my extended sickness Senior year. Been lotsa highs, lotsa lows, & everything between. Ended the year on a 90 day running streak (10/2-12/31)! ~2166 miles in 350 days > Avg. ~6.2 miles/day & ~43.3 mpw

56 rest days (mainly due to sickness & injuries), 294 active days. Active day avg.: ~7.37 miles/day.

Probably more, because I counted a lot of timed running, even faster runs, as 7:30-8:00/mile. After getting my Garmin, I see this is probably an underestimate of my speeds.

Lowest: March w/ 91 miles Highest: July w/ 390 miles

Highest Wk: 07/28 -08/04 w/107 miles

New Year's Eve

9 miles treadmill 1% incline @ 9mph in 1:00:00
Pushups, core, flexibility.
Horrible GI issues/diarrhea kept me from going longer.Legs felt good. Congestion clearing up.
Hopefully I'll be back on the trails and roads. Supposed to be in the mid-teens several mornings this week. 

12/30

EZ 5.25 treadmill 1% incline @ 9mph in 35:00.
Core, flexibility, dynamics.
Legs feel good. Still got some congestion.

12/29

5 miles total TM @ 1% incline: 3 in 17:48; 2 mile cooldown in 13:20.Pushups, flexibility, dynamics.
A little dissatisfied with my 3 mile portion of the workout. Got a lil bit of congestion and stomach still a lil touchy. If it stays cold out and I stay a little sick, might run for several days on the treadmill. Was thinking about doing so anyway to save my joints.

12/28

EZ 5.33 miles on treadmill @ 1% incline in 35:30.
Core, dynamics.

12/27

Raining outside. Ran on treadmill.
Total: 7.162 miles treadmill in 45:00 @ 1%  incline w/ 5 mi progression in 30:35 (9-10.7mph) bumping up .1 mph every 1:50. Finished w/ CD @ 9 mph. Drills and pushups after finishing.

GI tract still giving issue. Weight upon waking down to 113.2. Pretty concerning.

12/26

6.58 miles in 45:00 Multi-terrain run (6:31, 6:33, 7:17, 6:15, 6:58, 7:08, 4:15)
Legs burned a little. Cold, hard frost, but felt good out. Going to have to slow down on my everyday runs, especially on so much rough, hilly terrain.
Tried eating a little differently, and GI problems have resurfaced and weight has dropped off to 113.6 in shorts upon waking. Going to have to get back on my diet.

12/25

6.5 miles in 45:00 Multi-terrain run Old out and back loop on road included. Finished on trails, fields, woods.
Hard, big hills. Good workout.
6:46, 6:29, 6:35, 7:28, 7:00, 6:59, 3:40. Cresting big hill on way back(miles 3 &4): ~9:30/mile pace.
Pushups after finishing.

12/24:

4.42 miles in 30:00 Multi-terrain run w/ some pickups @ ~5:30 pace 
Ran just a little bc weight was down (113.6 upon waking.) and I didn't wanna have to worry about it on Christmas.

12/23

6.46 miles in 45:56 Multi-terrain run.
Run felt pretty good, though I faded a little towards the end, though that was on some muddy trails.
Weight was down to 114 this morning, so I'm definitely gonna have to keep an eye out.
Last 2 days the hematologist and allergist have each given me pretty optimistic sounding advice, respectively.

12/22

6.2 Total Trails in 45:00: 3.3 in 24, stopped to talk to someone, 2.9 in 21:00. Rain held off.
Pushups, dynamics, flexibility.
Went to allergist yesterday and hematologist today. Lot more bloodwork in the forecast. Allergist yesterday told me he thought if I was kind to my pancreas dietetically then my health would be good to me. In other news, I've successfully not tracked my diet, while still eating what they told me, for the past 5 or 6 days, and my training seems to be going well and I haven't dropped any weight.

12/21

4.851 on TM @ 1% incline in 30:00. Raining outside.Jumping jacks, situps, flexibility, dynamics.
Just to keep myself from worrying about undereating and resetting my appetite, there's probably not gonna be much in the way of long or hard workouts the rest of the year.

It's Amazing!

OK. So for the first time in 4ever, the last 3 or 4 days, I've had NO IDEA how much I've eaten. I have just been cooking up huge portions and making me a good plate 4 times/day. I was SOOO anxious about undereating, but for the first time in forever I had a feeling of hunger before eating some rice, clams, and coconut oil postrun, went back for seconds for spaghetti, and now feel FULL.

12/20

6.75 miles EZ on treadmill @ 1% incline in 45:00. Pushups, situps, dynamics, flexibility.
Used the treadmill this morning to ensure the treadmill and my patience could hold out for the duration, as I will probably have to be using it quite a bit the next several days as it is supposed to be raining.

12/19

6.32 miles in 45:00 Multi-terrain run
Dynamics, sit-ups, flexibility.

12/18

6.23 miles in 45:05 multi-terrain run.Pushups, situps, dynamics, flexibility.
Kinda cold.

Intuitive Nutrition

Since back in the summer, when I first went to the dietician and had all my bloodwork done that showed so many problems, I have been tracking my diet very meticulously. In doing so, I have felt better, gained some weight, and was even able to do 10 straight weeks above 70 mpw, including a 100 mile/wk and a 107 mile/wk. However, as I've tried to eat a more natural diet, I've realized that tracking so meticulously in itself is NOT natural. I also feel all this involvement has taken power away from my natural mechanisms of satiety and hunger. Therefore, I am going to try to start to eat healthy whole food, worry less and less about QUANTITY, while keeping emphasis on QUANTITY. I know that I CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE WEIGHT, so I'm going to really cut back my VOLUME until I reset my hunger. I know that I could avoid underfueling by just stuffing myself, but believe that that would defeat the purpose and would probably even exasperate some of my health problems. Therefore, I am going to focus on the 5k, doing lower volume than I had planned. This is one of my biggest New Year's (and Lifetime) Resolutions. Starting today, I am going to try and just listen to my body.

12/17

4.2 miles in 30:00 Multi-terrain run. Jumping jacks, dynamics, flexibility.
Trails a little tough. First mile was on roads in 6:46, but I slowed considerably once on mud and grass. Cold, wet, icy wind was blowing pretty hard.

12/16

6.2 miles in 45:20 Multi-terrain run.Pushups, dynamics, flexibility.
First time using Garmin. Very pleased. No more guesswork on mileage off-road.
Good to be back home on some old trails.

12/15

Jog to rec center for wu, easy 6.25 in 41:34 indoor, jog back for cd.
Pushups, dynamics, flexibility.Will be the last time I run in the rec. center for a LONG time as I am taking a semester back home online and some community college. I'll miss being able to run of the mornings on the track when it's still dark out and when weather is bad... at least we have a good treadmill in the basement.
School was on lockdown for a couple hours yesterday because of a nearby armed bank robbery. I was afraid I would miss my Biology exam, but luckily didn't.
History exam later today, packing, turning books in, cleaning room, checking out of dorm. Then it's Home, Sweet Home!

12/14

Jog to rec center for wu, easy 6.25 in 41:34 indoor, jog back for cd.
Pushups, dynamics, flexibility.
Biology exam later today.

12/13

Jog warmup to rec center, easy 6.25 in 41:31 indoor, jog back for cooldown.Jumping jacks, dynamics, flexibility.
2nd day of Finals today. Online Health exam @ 3:00 PM.

Jog to campus rec, 6.25 miles medium effort in 39:38 indoor, run back. Great-feeling workout.
Pushups, dynamic drills, flexibility.
First day of Finals. Political Science Exam starting in exactly 1 hour... Ready as I'll ever be haha.

12/11

60 minute run.Cold. <20^o F. Had ice/frost form on my facial hair and sweatshirt.
Jumping jacks, dynamics, flexibility.

12/10

90 minute run.Felt cold, but felt good.
Pushups, dynamic drills, flexibility.

12/06

Jog to campus rec, 5 miles EZ effort in 32:54 indoor, run back.
Jumping jacks, dynamics.
Last day of classes  & lecture for the semester!!!!

12/08

Jog to Campus Rec for warmup, easy 6.25 in 41:28 indoor, jog back for cooldown.Pushups, dynamic drills, flexibility. Might shoot some bball later.
My school, Western Carolina, almost beat Purdue last night! It's unfortunate I only got to see tidbits of the game because the Big Ten Network was experiencing "technical difficulties."

12/07

Jog warmup, easy 6.25 in 41:31 indoor, jog back for cooldown.
Jumping jacks, dynamics.

12/06

Jog to campus rec, 5 miles medium effort in 31:51 indoor, run back.
Fairly relaxed overall effort. Felt very good about my pace this morning, as it was very even, almost exactly 0:48 a lap. However, even though I've not done any exceptionally fast workouts the last couple days, I may back off the throttle sa little tomorrow.
Pushup day. Run followed by dynamic drills. Flexibility exercises later.

12/05:

Jog to campus rec, 5 miles medium effort in 31:46 indoor, run back.
Jumping jacks, dynamics, flexibility.

12/04

90 minute run
Push-ups, dynamics, flexibility.
Kinda upset carolina got beat in the final seconds... but it was nonetheless a heckuva game, and Kentucky's a good tem. The SEC championship was ugly, with LSU slaughtering Georgia 42-10.

12/03

75 minute run. Pretty cold. Run felt good.
Jumping jacks, flexibility, dynamics.
UNC vs. Kentucky today! Go Tar Heels!

12/02

Jog to campus rec, 5 miles EZ in 34:54 indoor, run back.
Pushups, dynamics, flexibility.

12/01

Jog to campus rec, 5 miles EZ @ 7:00 pace indoor, run back.Jumping jacks, flexibility, dynamic drills.
Body and running feeling great. Bloodwork, however, still showing anemia and very low WBC and neutrophils.