Less than 5 weeks to the Berlin Marathon: Last week's training

It was a long trip home, but I'm happy to be back in Portland for the time being. My wife and I had booked our tickets to Czech well before I had committed to Berlin, so we had built in a stopover in Barcelona on the way home as the tickets happened to be cheaper. We were there for three days, one of which happened to be the day of the attacks. We were about 10 blocks away with plans to walk toward Las Ramblas after lunch, so while we never felt that we were in any danger, it was a sobering experience. I feel terrible for the people of Barcelona as I am sure it strikes you completely differently when something of that nature happens in your own backyard. The rallies of solidarity the following day were inspiring. Most encouraging was the ability of the Spanish people to stand against fear while embracing the Muslim community of Barcelona.

On a lighter note, I chose my week of travel to be a down week in terms of intensity. I had a strong mid-week workout before flying to Barcelona, but used the uncertainty of the weather as an opportunity to force myself into a Fartlek for my Sunday run. I decided to push my long run until a few days later once I was back in Portland.

I did my best to grind out every run and every workout while in the Czech countryside in the hope that it would pay off with some confidence building workouts once I returned. I am relieved to say that I have felt amazing since landing and am looking forward to sharing the details next week. I have also been fortunate that Cam Levins is back in the neighborhood and we have been able to link up for a workout as well as some easy running. Most of my training since leaving Oklahoma State has been solo, but I am very appreciative for any opportunity to train with someone when possible, especially with someone with the work ethic and credentials of Cam. Hopefully we can help each other to our goals this fall and further into 2017/2018.

Thanks again for reading and feel free to check out last week's training below. Follow me here on Twitter for more updates.

Weeks to go: 6	AM	PM	Strength	Mileage
Monday	14	6	40 minutes	20
Tuesday	12.5 + drills and strides	6		18.5
Wednesday	15 x 1km, 2:58 down to 2:51, 1 min rest	5		23
Thursday	11.5	5.5	40 minutes	17
Friday	13	5		18
Saturday	4.5 + drills and strides	off	40 minutes	4.5
Sunday	Fartlek: (5,4,3)(4,3,2)(3,2,1)(1,2,3) w/equal rest	off		19
Total:				120

Less than 6 weeks to the Berlin Marathon: Last week's training

After another week of solid volume I am happy to report that I am tired but healthy. My body is holding up as well as I could ask for, and I am now on the second half of the marathon training block. That does not mean that I am in the clear from injury by any means. Before the Olympic Trials Marathon last year, I was diagnosed with a femoral stress fracture the week before the race. It's easy to ignore warning signs of a serious injury when training is going well, and I am determined to not make that mistake again. Predicting an injury before it gets past the point of no return is very difficult, but my experience the last couple of years has at least forced me to take time off when in doubt. A week in the pool is much better than 12 weeks in the pool, and very little fitness is lost. I hope I continue to feel this way over the next 5-6 weeks, but I am trying to stay closely tuned in to what my body is telling me and am prepared to adapt if needed.

I'm now on my last few days in Czech. Going home is always enjoyable, but Czech has become a second home to me as I have spent a couple months a year here for the last decade and even lived in Prague for about 18 months. In terms of training, the timing is perfect as I will be able to use my last 5 weeks to train on faster terrain and at sea level in order to put the final touches on the training segment before Berlin. I'll be back in Czech a week before the marathon to recover from travel and adjust to the time difference. I always prefer to stay somewhere familiar where I know the running routes and can cook my own food for as long as possible before a race, so I consider myself very lucky to have a home base in Europe that allows me to do that.

There are several guys living in Portland who are training for fall marathons currently, and I will do my best to recruit some training partners for this next stretch. I haven't run a step with another person since I left Portland last month, so a little company would be appreciated. Thanks again for reading and feel free to check out last week's training below. Follow me here on Twitter for more updates.

Weeks to go: 7	AM	PM	Strength	Mileage
Monday	14	6	40 minutes	20
Tuesday	12.5 + drills and strides	6		18.5
Wednesday	4 mi, 3 mi, 2 mi, 1 mi starting 4:46, finishing 4:37, rest = 4 min, 3, 2	5		22
Thursday	14	6	40 minutes	20
Friday	1 hour + 8 x 200 meter hills	6		19
Saturday	10	off	40 minutes	10
Sunday	15 mi tempo @ 5:06 (hilly)	off		21
Total:				130.5

Less than 7 weeks to the Berlin Marathon: Last week's training

It's easy to find a little extra motivation for training watching the IAAF World Champs this year with all the fantastic performances so far. It has been a real pleasure to see the US efforts by Amy Cragg, Jenny Simpson, and Evan Jager, and plenty of excellent races off the podium as well. Seeing the disappointment on the faces of the US men in the 10km after running PBs in a championship race really shows how far US distance running has come over the last several years in terms of expectations and mentality. There is still a good deal of racing left, and several great US distance stars on deck.

As for my training, I had another productive week in southern Czech. I'm feeling stronger over the difficult terrain and slight elevation, and my workouts and easy runs are slowly starting to show it. I'm feeling exhausted most of the time, which is a normal part of marathon training, and I'm combating the fatigue with daily naps, long nights of sleep, and a high protein diet. It feels good to be putting in this kind of mileage again. Before NYC this last fall, I limited myself to 100 miles per week, and while my workouts went well, I went into them quite fresh which isn't necessarily ideal during marathon prep. My mileage is now oscillating from 120 -130 miles per week now, but with 1 very easy day in order to average closer to 20 miles per day on the other days of the week. So far the body is holding up very well, so my long term goal remains to get back to 140+ miles per week come next spring. It's been a long road since the injuries began in 2015, but I'm very close to being back to where I want to be.

The next 5 weeks will be the real meat of the training cycle and I'll be able to make a more realistic goal for Berlin during this time. Getting back to Portland and knocking out a few faster long runs on a more Berlin like course should give me the last bit of confidence that I'll need heading into September 24th. I booked my flight yesterday, planning to arrive a week early to adjust to the time change and recover from the flight. That step has made the race feel much more tangible and I'm fighting off any sudden sense of urgency as I am not even half-way through this training block.

Some of the training posted below was already posted last week, but I wanted to get back to a Monday-Sunday calendar going forward, so what you see is my last completed week of training which started 8 weeks before Berlin. Thanks again for reading and follow me here on Twitter for more updates.

Weeks to go: 8	AM	PM	Strength	Mileage
Monday	14	6	40 minutes	20
Tuesday	12.5 + drills and strides	off		12.5
Wednesday	4 mi tempo @ 4:45-4:46, 30 minute run, 3 mi tempo @ 4:42-4:43	4		22
Thursday	12	6	40 minutes	18.5
Friday	1 hour + 8 x 200 meter hills	5		17
Saturday	7	off	40 minutes	7
Sunday	25 miles, 18-22 @ 4:52	off		25
Total:				122

Less than 8 weeks to the Berlin Marathon: Last week's training

It's been a little while since the Peachtree 10k US Champs, but it took some time to settle on my next race. While the 10k wasn't a perfect race, it was a huge step forward for me after the injury ridden last 18 months. I went through 5km at 13:52 and the wheels didn't fall off. The first 5km is mostly downhill, but regardless, I felt more like my old self than I had in any race since the injuries began. Now that I have many months of consistent training and my blood work back to normal, I am optimistic about the fall and winter.

After a lot of deliberation I have decided for the Berlin Marathon this fall.  After getting out over my skis in New York this fall, I am looking for a controlled environment in which I can gain confidence heading into the spring. I would like an extra month of training for confidence, but that is almost always the case. I went backpacking for a few days following Peachtree to have a mental break before the marathon buildup, and then jumped right back in where I left off, leaving myself with about 11.5 weeks to prepare for Berlin. It looks like we'll have a small group of runners shooting for the 2:09-2:10ish range, so I should have people to run with as well as a couple of pace makers. Scott Overall (2:10) will be in this group, which is a big boost, as we have run in the same pace group during two of my PRs in the past (Fukuoka and London). Hopefully our training will progress at a similar pace and we both end up healthy at the starting line and can feed off each other on September. 24th.

I am currently back training in the Czech countryside as we spend time with my wife's family. I've

mentioned this in the past, but the running routes are fantastic in southern Czech (Vysocina), although hitting times is quite difficult as it is very hilly with a little elevation (2500ft.) The elevation isn't much, but combined with the hills, workouts are still fairly challenging. It's a great spot for base building, so the timing couldn't be better. I will be in Portland for the final 5 weeks of training and will be able to fine tune then.

I'm slowly building my mileage back up to marathon range but will still keep my volume between 120 and 130 for this segment. That includes one day (Saturday) of either very easy or off meaning that I am still averaging 20+ miles per day the other 6 days of the week. I am looking to get my mid-week workouts to 16-18 miles most weeks including warmup and cooldown to build strength as well.

Below are the last few weeks of training, and I will be posting the rest of the weeks leading up to Berlin. Thanks again for reading, and follow me here on Twitter for more updates.

Weeks To go	Weekly Miles
11	120	Monday
		Tuesday
		Wednesday		10 x 1 mile starting @ 4:57 down to 4:40, rest = 1 min
		Thursday
		Friday
		Saturday
		Sunday		22 miles with 4 mile push @ 4:55
10	125	Monday
		Tuesday
		Wednesday		tempo runs 3.5, 2.5, 1.5@ 71ish, rest = 2 min, 1 min
		Thursday
		Friday		Run + 8 x 200 meter hills
		Saturday
		Sunday		23 mile moderate long run
9	130	Monday
		Tuesday		8 x 1 mile @ 4:45-->4:25
		Wednesday
		Thursday		Run + 8 x strides
		Friday		12 miles @ 5:00
		Saturday
		Sunday		24 mile moderate long run
8	120	Monday
		Tuesday
		Wednesday		4 mile tempo, 30 min run, 3mile tempo @ 4:45ish

Less than a week to the AJC Peachtree 10k

We're 5 days away from the AJC Peachtree 10k, and I'm looking forward to toeing the line for the first time since early May. After a disappointing Bloomsday Run, I took a couple of low intensity training weeks while I tried to figure out why I felt so wiped out even though I had been hitting solid workouts for a couple of months. I decided to get my blood work looked at, which I normally do a couple times per year, but didn't expect to find anything interesting as my key levels (vitamin b, iron, hematocrit, etc.) have been consistent for years. In the past I have actually had to back off my iron supplement as my levels were getting a little higher than necessary. This time was different; my ferratin levels had dropped by two-thirds from my last test even though I had been supplementing regularly. It seems the most likely explanation is the way in which I had been spreading out my calcium supplement throughout the day. I knew that calcium and iron should be taken at separate times in order to promote absorption, and I thought I was allowing enough time in between. Following my string of three stress fractures in 2015 and 2016, I was very persistent in my calcium, vitamin d, and magnesium trying to improve my bone density, but until this year, I had been taking them all at once before bed. A nutritionist recommended I spread these supplements out by taking them 3 times throughout the day (1 tablet was only 33% of daily recommended dose) to help with my bone density. It seems that this recommendation was likely preventing me from absorbing iron from my food or supplements thus causing the unusual fatigue. While I was able to have decent workouts, I was not recovering well and was having to run very slow on other days. Once I got the results after Bloomsday, I increased my vitamin b and iron supplementation, began taking calcium once per day in the evening, and did my first several workouts based purely on effort without looking at my watch until the end to ensure I wasn't racing to chase times. Within about two weeks, I started to feel like my old self again, and not only were workouts clicking, but easy days felt smooth as well. Unfortunately this has delayed my training by a few weeks heading into Peachtree, but I have had a solid 5-6 weeks, and it's not like I was starting from scratch. I'm optimistic moving forward, and I'm looking forward to using this as a spring board into a fall marathon, which I will hopefully be choosing within the next week. 

As usual, the Peachtree field is loaded, and the extra time between the USATF Championships and this race will allow more runners to come back. 10k will be a bit of a shocker for my body, but I've done what I can to prepare, and I plan on sticking my nose in it. I arrived in Atlanta 10 days before the race in order to acclimate to the heat as we've had an unusually cold spring and summer in Portland, and the humidity can be a tough adjustment. I feel great mentally and physically, and I'm looking forward to competing on Tuesday at 7:30 EST in Atlanta.  My last few weeks of training are below. They're not as detailed as before;I will add specifics for my week by week recaps leading up to the fall marathon. I'm looking forward to a great second half of 2017! Thanks for reading. 

Tuesday	6/6/2017	8 x 1 mile at 4:48, 4:44, 4:40, 4:36, 4:32, 4:28, 4:24, 4:20, 2 min rests
Wednesday	6/7/2017
Thursday	6/8/2017	12 X 200m @29-30 or hill repeats
Friday	6/9/2017
Saturday	6/10/2017	Tempo 3 mile, 2 mile, 1 mile (4:40, 4:438, 4:27) with 2min, then 1 min rests
Sunday	6/11/2017	Long. 2 hours
Monday	6/12/2017
Tuesday	6/13/2017	Weekly total: 110 miles
Wednesday	6/14/2017	6 x 1 mile @ 4:36, 4:32, 4:28, 4:24, 4:20, 4:18 with 3 min rest
Thursday	6/15/2017
Friday	6/16/2017
Saturday	6/17/2017	10 miles @5:10->4:45
Sunday	6/18/2017	Long, 2 hours
Monday	6/19/2017
Tuesday	6/20/2017	15 x 200m hills, Weekly Total: 110 miles
Wednesday	6/21/2017
Thursday	6/22/2017	4 tempo @ 18:50, 6 x 200 @ 29-30
Friday	6/23/2017
Saturday	6/24/2017	Long 1:45,
Sunday	6/25/2017
Monday	6/26/2017	10 x 500 @ 78-79 w/100 meter jog (about 40 seconds)
Tuesday	6/27/2017	Weekly Total: 90 miles
Wednesday	6/28/2017
Thursday	6/29/2017
Friday	6/30/2017	5-6 x 1000m @ 71+ 4-5 x 200m @31-32
Saturday	7/1/2017
Sunday	7/2/2017
Monday	7/3/2017
Tuesday	7/4/2017	RACE

One day to Bloomsday

I'm excited to get back to racing tomorrow at the Bloomsday 12k in Spokane! This is a race that I've wanted to run for some time, but track season always got in the way. With 45,000 participants, it is a massive event, and the entire city embraces it. As usual the competition is stacked. Here's a look at the elite fields.

The course is very hilly, and the 12k distance is a bit challenging to prepare for mentally, but I'm hoping it feeds my cross country background. After my last plantaris injury, training has steadily progressed the last 8 weeks, and while it's difficult to judge my fitness with certainty, I know I'm ready for a good day tomorrow. More importantly, I'm 100% healthy, so no matter what, I know I'll get to take all this progress into the rest of spring and summer. That's a feeling I haven't had since 2015!

Thanks again for reading, and feel free to check out the final two weeks of training below.

Weeks to go: 1	AM	PM	Strength	Mileage
Monday	off	off	40 minutes	0
Tuesday	11	5 + drills and strides		16
Wednesday	6 x mile starting @ 4:30 workding down to 4:20	5.5		18
Thursday	11	5	40 minutes	16
Friday	10+ drills and strides	off		10
Saturday	3 mile, 2 mile, 1 mile @ 4:40-4:42	5		17
Sunday	16 easy	off		16
TOTAL				93
Weeks to go: 0	AM	PM	Strength	Mileage
Monday	11	5		16
Tuesday	10	5	40 minutes	15
Wednesday	5 x 1km @ 2:57, 1 min rest, 6 x 200 @ 28-30	off		16
Thursday	9	5		14
Friday	8			8
Saturday	5 + drills and strides			5.5
Sunday	Bloomsday 12k	off

Less than 2 weeks to Bloomsday

Another wet week in the books and I'm on track to toe the line healthy and fit for Bloomsday in a little over a week. After attempting several marathon build-ups in a row over the last 18 months, it feels refreshing to get back to training for shorter distances. Continuous marathon training can really make you feel stagnant physically and mentally, and I think all marathoners can benefit from dropping in distance for workouts and races for at least a little while each year. While I haven't quite hit workouts that make me think I'm in 10k PR shape, I am surprised at how quickly track workouts are coming back to me. I'm trying to patient, but I can start to see my fitness just over the horizon in a matter of weeks. I have time for one more big interval workout before Bloomsday that will hopefully be a nice confidence builder.

I'm looking forward to competing over 12km without worrying about the clock. I normally have a decent sense of my own effort and can measure out my race pretty well by feel without knowing any splits. Bloomsday is also a fairly hilly course which should play to my advantage. It will be a great opportunity to get back to basics and have something to show for the last several months of training.

Thanks again for reading, and feel free to check out last week's training below.

Weeks to go: 2	AM	PM	Strength	Mileage
Monday	5	off	40 minutes	5
Tuesday	5	15 x 200 @ 29-30 w/200 meter jog recovery		16
Wednesday	14	off	40 minutes	14
Thursday	11	5+ drills and strides		16
Friday	6	10 x 500 meters (77-80 seconds) 100 meter jog recovery		16
Saturday	11	5	40 minutes	16
Sunday	18, push 14-18 @ 4:55-5:00	off		18
TOTAL				101