May 2012

Running

Remember how I said April was my highest mileage month in over 10 years? Well, I ran 20 miles farther in May. And I really only did one long run. I did a number of shorter races (5K, 10K, sprint triathlon), with good results in each. I've built up a level of base aerobic fitness I haven't seen since college. I can run at a faster pace with a lower heart rate than at any time in the past 15 years. Of course, I do quite a bit of my training at a slow pace, which is one of the keys to such aerobic fitness.

Now I just need to avoid injury and burnout. I'm planning very deliberately to step back my mileage in June. After six hard races (nine if you count the three practice crits) in the past three weeks I'm ready to rest a bit.

Additionally, I've fully acclimated to the summer heat earlier than ever before. I regularly run in 85˚-90˚F temperatures with sun blazing overhead and I think nothing of it. I used to do whatever I could to avoid that kind of nasty weather. Two minor changes have played a big role here.

• I wear a visor instead of a hat, and I keep my hair cut super short (shaving it with a razor every couple of weeks).
• I run without a shirt.

I never would have believed how much of a difference these two changes could make if someone had told me. I've mentioned over and over again that I run hot. I sweat more anybody I've ever met. Having more of that sweat evaporate in the breeze than soak in my shirt and hat cools me down like never before. The one downside is the increased risk of sunburn, but I can take preventative measures to avoid that.

Month	Distance	# Workouts	Avg per Workout
January	78.06 Mile	9	8.67333 Mile
February	75.2586 Mile	9	8.36206 Mile
March	126.15 Mile	14	9.01071 Mile
April	146.28 Mile	16	9.1425 Mile
May	166.75 Mile	18	9.26389 Mile
Total	592.499 Mile	66	8.97725 Mile

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Cycling

My cycling continues to be hit or miss. All the additional time I've devoted to running lately has had to come from somewhere, and this is where. It's not all negative, though, as my improved base aerobic fitness has actually applied equally to cycling as it has running. Additionally, racing makes for pretty decent training, and I've raced a fair amount lately (3 practice crits, 2 practice TTs, 2 crits, 2 tris). Somehow I've still managed to set a personal best average speed in both of my triathlons this year.

Bike	Distance	# Rides	Avg per Ride
Bianchi	11. Mile	3	3.66667 Mile
El Fuego	6.73 Mile	1	6.73 Mile
Lynskey	53.9674 Mile	4	13.4919 Mile
Pocket Rocket	17.1 Mile	4	4.275 Mile
Thundercougarfalconbird	226.05 Mile	10	22.605 Mile
Total	314.847 Mile	22	14.3112 Mile

Month	Distance	# Workouts	Avg per Workout
January	25.33 Mile	2	12.665 Mile
February	40.08 Mile	3	13.36 Mile
March	213.43 Mile	20	10.6715 Mile
April	253.27 Mile	23	11.0117 Mile
May	322.147 Mile	24	13.4228 Mile
Total	854.257 Mile	72	11.8647 Mile

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Swimming

It feels good to have a swimming section in these posts again. As you can see from the chart my numbers are modest, but it's a good start. I always find it remarkable how quickly swimming comes back to me. Before I ever started swimming I always assumed success in the sport was solely the result of super strong, highly specialized muscles (that I don't have), when in reality it's almost entirely technique. I'm certainly not suggesting my technique is perfect (far from it), but simply remembering the technique does allow me to pick right back up (almost) where I left off.

Month	Distance	# Workouts	Avg per Workout
January	0	0	0
February	0	0	0
March	0	0	0
April	1750. Yard	2	875. Yard
May	8050. Yard	7	1150. Yard
Total	9800. Yard	9	1088.89 Yard

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Walking

More running also means less walking, but I'm still getting in a few miles on most days. It took me a while to fully realize this, but walking may just be one of the keys to my recent success. It helps build base aerobic fitness (super low intensity), while working similar muscles to running, all with near-zero risk of injury. In fact, when my legs are sore I always feel significantly better after walking a few miles.

Month	Distance	# Workouts	Avg per Workout
January	51.53 Mile	16	3.22063 Mile
February	42.92 Mile	18	2.38444 Mile
March	41.15 Mile	14	2.93929 Mile
April	31.89 Mile	12	2.6575 Mile
May	37.5107 Mile	13	2.88544 Mile
Total	205.001 Mile	73	2.80823 Mile