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 |
