Author: Mark Allman

Getting back into the daily habit of early morning (4AM) runs is, let’s say, “a bit of a challenge.” It does get easier though. I think we’ve all become a bit soft with the pandemic stay-at-home we’ve been forced into. There isn’t such a rush to “get up and go” since we don’t really “go.”

Distance today: 4.32 miles on a relatively flat course. Target weight: 148.0, actual: 149.2. Target pace: 9:10, actual: 9:08.

First “official” day back to training after taking a break to let a stress fracture heal. I’ve run some to test it all out. No issues. It’s so much more enjoyable to run (relatively 😉 pain free.

Since I couldn’t run for about nine weeks, I decided to put in miles on my racing bike. I read several articles about what to do while healing and all recommended hitting the bike. Apparently bike training doesn’t negatively impact a healing stress fracture. Riding up to 15 miles on a rolling hills course is a good workout. Now that I’m back to running I plan to mix in some cross-training bike miles.

Distance: 6.85 miles on a rolling hills course. Weight: target: 148.2, actual: 148.8. Pace: target: 9:50, actual: 9:46.

Finishing week eight of a nine week layoff. The right leg feels fine. No signs of the stress fracture. One week to go until I start running. It’s going to start super-short (1K) and gradually ramp up.

For the past eight weeks it’s been cross-training on the racing bike. I’m thinking about keeping some riding mixed into the running training after I can start running again.

It’s been very strange: in eight weeks of riding I have yet to ride once in the rain. I’m out at around 5AM. You watch — tomorrow there will be a deluge.

Last week the Erie Marathon was cancelled. Now it’s the Boston Marathon. I fully expect that the two races I have (Triple Threat 1M/5k/Half in Rockport and the Funky Monkey Half in Seekonk) in August that aren’t cancelled already will be soon. It’s turning into the year that wasn’t.

OK, so what do we do? Whine? No, thanks. Now’s the time to focus. Forget feeling sorry for ourselves. Time to get to work.

Weight: target: 150.86, actual: 150.0. Pace: target: 9:50, actual: 9:43.

The Erie Marathon (was 09/13) is now cancelled. That was my qualifying time race. It’s run in Presque Isle State Park, which is pancake flat. You can put your head down and just go. Focus on a good, steady pace.

At this point I have no clue at all how the Boston Marathon is going to handle qualifying for the April, 2021 race. There’s nothing on the baa.org website (that I saw, although it might be there right in front of my nose). The best that I can find is on the faq page https://www.baa.org/races/postponementfaqs. If the Newport Marathon in October will be run, that might work but it’s a bit of a rolling hills route.

With all this uncertainty, I’ve been going back and forth with what to do: keep training, take a break, scale back, etc. I decided last night to keep going, and if anything push it up a few notches. Better to be ready. Focus on training and let everything else settle.

First day back was a 6.2 mile run on a rather flat route. Didn’t feel too bad and not really pushing at all.

Weight: target: 151.0, actual: 151.2. Pace: target: 9:50, actual: 9:30.

Took yesterday off to give my sore leg a break. I think it’s simple inflammation. Ibuprofen, tight wraps and ice help greatly. I have a few exercise ideas to work on as well.

I was planning on a rather flat 10.26 mile run today, but since I took yesterday off I decided to switch to a 10.6 mile rolling hills route. It was a good workout. I look forward to getting long runs back up into the high teens and 20’s though. There’s no substitute for distance, especially the mental training to be patient and to deal with the grind.

Weight: target: 148.14, actual: 151.6. Pace: target: 9:50, actual: 9:27. Weight is being stubborn. Fine — so am I.

Warmer and humid during today’s 6.2 mile run on a pretty flat route. It was about 55 degrees and it had rained a few hours earlier. Getting back into running every day feels as you’d expect: ugh, I’m tired already! Doesn’t matter. It’s what we do.

Weight: target: 148.43, actual: 149.6. Pace: target: 9:50, actual: 9:32.

Good run this morning. A rolling hills 8.06 mile route. Sunny, cool (somewhere in the 30’s) and no real wind.

Running hills is so critical. I don’t see it mentioned enough in books and articles. There’s a paved trail at Blue Hills that’s over 400 feet of vertical in about 0.86 miles. That’s the kind of work you need in your training plan if you plan to run the Mad Marathon in VT.

Weight: target: 148.57, actual: 149.0. Pace: target: 9:50, actual: 9:47.

Switched yesterday from running to yard work. Five hours of yard work. I could hardly lift my arms at the end.

I cut today’s run to one loop of my hills route around my house. Each loop is a bit over three miles and has about 263 feet of climb. Good run, but I was really feeling yesterday’s work. Training for a marathon is a marathon so it’s foolish to try to get it all back in a few days. Use time to get training without injury.

Weight target: 148..86, actual: 150.2. Pace target: 9:50, actual: 9:45.

Nice early morning run. Mostly sunny and around 45 degrees. A bit windy, but that just adds to the work (which is good).

Distance running is a good time to think. Plan, get new ideas, etc. Work out what all I want to get done today. And, it’s quite a bit.

Weight: target: 149.14, actual: 150.0. Running: target: 6.2 at 9:50, actual: 6.2 at 9:26.