Week Two: July 17th to July 23rd
In my second week of training this summer, I expanded slightly on the work of last week and progressed into a more rigorous schedule, while still maintaining the same number of recovery days and easy efforts. This is all part of the general plan to gradually work my body into shape, and to not rush for results too early in the season. With about 6 weeks before my team's first race, I have a long time to continue developing my mileage, fitness, and mental toughness. XC competitions are a whole different breed of racing than track races, even over the same distances, so we are respecting them for what they are and training accordingly. More hills, longer stretches of slow burning efforts, and plenty of hydration for the hot summer days are the pillars of my regimen right now.
Friday, July 17th: Started off today with 35 minutes of easy running, right around 6:58 pace for the entire run, down along the river towards Race St. Pier. Felt strong and my heart rate stayed level throughout. Finished those minutes at the base of the Ben Franklin Bridge, where I grabbed 3 total miles of 30 seconds on, 60 seconds off. This fartlek/economy work went well, and I tried to get all of the "on" pieces either up or down the steeper parts of the incline. Finished at about 8 miles on the day and jogged home for a static stretch.
Sunrise on the Ben Franklin Bridge
Saturday: Strict recovery day today, 35 minutes at an easy pace with long dynamics before I headed out and a good static stretch afterwards. Ran in the morning before breakfast so that the rest of my day could be open for other activities. The weather was still pretty hot regardless of the early time of day, so I went slow enough to make sure my body got the rest it would need for tomorrow's effort. Cruised at about 7:10 for a solid and easy effort, finishing with a little under 5 miles of volume. Did a full core workout once I got back home for good measure.
Recovery run through Philly's old shipyards
Sunday: Hardest effort so far in my training since coming back. 70 minute long run through Valley Green with the team. The fact that it was 86 degrees out with a humidity of 80% was what made this one a grueling effort. I ran with Phil Celona, one of our assistant coaches, down the Manayunk Tow Path to Forbidden Drive and back to the Valley Green Inn. We tried to stay slow and progress into a faster pace in the second half, but that proved difficult with the heat increasing as we ran. Still a respectable effort, averaging 6:55, with some miles coming in at 6:30 in the end. Everyone reported their splits to be 40-50 seconds slower than a usual run could get in their heart rate zones, so the effort was commendable. Made sure to get lots of hydration during the rest of the day, and lots of good nutrients, so my systems could recover quickly.
Monday: Off day, no running. Walked around my neighborhood to the Italian Market just to keep myself active.
Tuesday: Moderate run while visiting family friends in New York. Went out easy for the first 15 minutes, and then progressed throughout the next 35 minutes to a high moderate pace. The pace descended from about 7:00/mile for the first two miles to 6:00/mile for the last one, gradually decreasing along the way. Grabbed a total of about 7.5 miles on the day. Legs felt really strong, and they only got better as I started to speed up. Yesterday's off day really helped me to feel fresh today. After the run, I did some hurdle mobility on the nearby track with a football team who was nice enough to let me use their equipment.
Wednesday: Strict recovery run in the evening. Went out along the Delaware River, and crossed into Camden, before flipping it and returning home. Total run was 34:18 at about 7:08/mile, for just under 5 miles on the day. For the first time, I ran while the sun was setting instead of rising, which makes the trail look entirely different. Finished the day with two sets of lifting at the gym, and static stretches.
Thursday: Woke up early and joined my team at Lloyd Hall for a long run. Started off easy with Zach Schwartz, my teammate, and moved up to my own pace after about 10 minutes. Managed to squeeze in the full Art Museum Loop down towards Falls Bridge, plus a little extension along the South St. Bridge, for a total of 60 minutes on the day. Started running at about 7:30/mile pace for the first two miles, and after my heart rate acclimated I began descending into a comfortable yet rapid pace. Fastest mile at the end came in at 5:41, and the total average was about 6:30/mile. A little over 9 miles on the day. Afterwards, I biked back home and had breakfast before work.
Weekly Total: 45 miles
