This week, I sound like the guy in the background in any destructive scene in any episode of SpongeBob SquarePants… ‘my leg!’ Really, both legs. Week 9 was tough! Despite my Progenex Recovery’s return to the kitchen this week, I was still feeling every step I took in the lower half of my body.

I know in the past few weeks I’ve had some midweek mantra to get me through a run, but this week’s thought was a little different. It was nothing to get me through a run, but instead the encouraging realization that on my third half marathon, I will not be going into it with the question of IF I will be able to run it nonstop. The question is, how fast?

My first half, I didn’t know if I could, because I’d never tried. I went nonstop. My second, I didn’t know if I could, because I was a lazy POS who didn’t properly train. I gave up and took my first walk break when I reached the SSC just over the bridge into Kitsilano. I’m already up to running 10 miles at a clip a full two months before race day.

Day 57 – Sunday 6/4/17

Run 10mi – 9mi HFB (Hills for Breakfast) +1 Bonus Mile (I wanted to hit double digits, mmmkay?)

Hills for Breakfast means you get to go at a chill pace unless you’re headed uphill, then you go HAM. I actually liked this run. Felt so good that I didn’t feel like stopping as I closed in on the 9 mile mark, so I added in an extra mile at the end. Whee!

On Saturday, I went on a little bit of a retail frenzy, and one of my stops was Dick’s to give some Body Glide a shot. Vaseline is a bit goopy, but with these long humid runs, nobody likes raw underarms! So, all I bought was 2 pairs of Asics socks, Body Glide for Her and Body Glide for Feet. I think the young male cashier was uncomfortable.

Welp, my feet were cool and I didn’t get any blisters. So, I win. Sorry bro.

Day 58 – Monday 6/5/17

CrossFit
The CrossFit Total – 500lbs
1RM Back Squat – 185lbs
1RM Strict Press – 80lbs
1RM Deadlift – 235lbs

There was nothing really impressive about today as far as numbers posted, but I guess I should be happy that I came within 5lbs of a back squat PR match after having run 10mi the day before. This means good things for both recovery and strength, right?

My lifetime PRs are 190-85-275, so I came close on something (back squat), and fell far short on some other stuff (*cough cough* deadlift).

Side thought, if I recover faster from 10mi runs over time… the less they become a crutch and excuse for falling short on workouts in the days after. Hmmmm.

Day 59 – Tuesday 6/6/17

AM: Warmup 2 + Tempo 3.75 (Should have been 4) + Cooldown FAIL

My first two-fer of Seawheeze training! Can’t say I was terribly excited about it. The last time I had to pull a serious ‘run in the morning and get your ass kicked again at 5pm’ type of schedule was when I was on the rowing team in college. No longer a NCAA D1 athlete, I try not to subject myself to that, well… ever. 19 year old Katy can recover fine, 31 year old Katy takes a little bit of time. Wait, a lot. She takes a lot of time to recover.

Joanna really liked the WOD for Tuesday & Thursday, and wanted to know if I could move up my Tempo run a day and get it in before the wall ball WOD. Morning was the only time it made logistical sense, so the alarm was set.

On 12 hours rest, I managed to get the 2 warmup miles and first 2 tempo miles in as planned. However, my mind & body caved and slowed down for 0.1mi before picking it back up again for the third tempo mile. Same thing happened before the 4th.

The treadmills at the gym cut you off at 60:00. Upon seeing that I was going to get punted before I hit the full final mile, I increased the speed on the treadmill by 0.1mph per minute for the last 5 minutes of my workout. At 60 minutes, the clock read after 7:40 and I had to hustle home to shower and get decent and to the office by 9a. Cooldown scrapped. Not my best work.

PM: CrossFit

Metcon
75 Double Unders
35 Toes to Bar
75 Wall Balls (14lbs)
35 Toes to Bar
75 Double Unders
Result: 14:01 Rx

I hate wall balls, but Joanna loves ’em. So, to CrossFit I went. I think all this running is helping, because I managed to get the WB done in a reasonable amount of time, with no set smaller than 10 before I dropped the ball for a rest.

Day 60 – Wednesday 6/7/17

Rest Day

While it was a rest day on paper, sure didn’t feel like it. I sit on the advisory board for a local university’s business school, and the annual meeting of the minds took place immediately after work. Twelve hour days sure don’t feel like catching a break, even if you don’t actually step foot in the gym.

Day 61 – Thursday 6/8/17

CrossFit

Conditioning: 10x200m Sprints (1 every 2 minutes)

Times ranged from 39-46 seconds. I found out I’m really good at fizzling around 75-100m. Forgot to turn my Garmin on until starting the 3rd sprint. Made for some fun graphs to look at.

Metcon: 13min AMRAP
6 Ring Dips
9 Box Jumps (20″)
Result: 11 Rounds + 10 Reps – Banded Dips

Whatever. I was there for the sprints, bro. I’ve been able to get ONE true to-depth unassisted ring dip in my life. Two years ago. Then I got hurt. Not really in a scramble to get it back any time soon.

Day 62 – Friday 6/9/17

CrossFit

Strength: Front Squat 7×1, increasing weight each time

Metcon
Bell
3 Rounds for Time
21 Deadlifts (125lbs)
15 Pull-Ups
9 Front Squats (125lbs, from the floor)
Result: 14:03 (Scaled to 105#)

For the strength portion, I worked up to 155lbs, then failed out on 165 twice before dropping it to 160 and failing that too. Lame. While my Back Squat came within 5lbs of a PR match on Monday, I did no such thing on Friday. 20lbs short of my true 1RM. Guess I need to work on holding my sorry elbows up!

Legs were spent after a tough week. One squat clean at 105 in warmups and I knew that I was going to have a bad time if I Rx’ed the WOD. ‘Aint no shame in the scaling game.

Day 63 – Saturday 6/10/17

Run 3mi – HR <145

I was tired. I meant to rest, but it was just too silly nice outside not to enjoy a little bit of Vitamin D. What do do when you don’t want to make your legs mad, but you don’t want to admit you spent a beautiful day indoors either? HEART RATE MILES!

Usually on HR runs, I have to keep looking at my watch to keep myself in check. This time, it was my legs that kept me from going anywhere fast. The vast majority of my runs like this I hope that the HR average ends up at 145, and not a beat higher. Saturday morning? 141.

Then I went to lululemon… and out for cheeseburgers… and to a brewery… in our CrossFit gym’s old space. Whiteboard? Now a dart board.

This Week’s Mileage: 20 miles // #SeaKatyWheeze Cumulative Total: 137.50 miles