Fri 10/19 - PM 65 minutes, Area 51

Dragging all day at work, feeling the blahs upon getting home. Rain and unseasonably warm temps didn't help the mood any, thankfully the cobwebs cleared somewhat after 15 minutes or so. Some strides coming in but not able to really let loose due to left leg soreness. Tib anterior continues to be sore, though not as bad during the day as it was yesterday. The issue is not isolated, I've been dealing with adhesions and stuck spots from the ilium on down for a few weeks now. Straining the left hammie made it all worse of course. Current pain feels a lot like part of the whole shin deal that put me under back in the spring, still waiting for the other shoe to drop and medial pain to show up but so far it's all been on the lateral side of the tibia. As usual, getting out of the hole will take much longer than it took for the soreness to show itself. Continuing on with strengthening exercises.

Thu 10/18 - PM 95 minutes, Walden woods

Left tib. anterior felt like absolute garbage all day at work, ominously similar to the way it felt in May when I had the shinsplints flareup. Not even sure if I'd be able to get in a run, hoping it would loosen up which thankfully it did. By the end of the run I was able to do a few strides, although a mild soreness was ever-present. Very humid as morning fog gave way to sticky overcast conditions. Unseasonably warm. Leaves are changing in earnest. Got in a good stretch, adding in the anti-shinsplint exercises to be safe as long as tib anterior soreness persists.

Wed 10/17 - PM 75 minutes, incl. 4800m tempo and 2(400, 300, 200)

Did the workout on the track after a 20+ minute warmup. Much better energy level than yesterday after a better night's sleep, but left leg problematic from the word go. High hammie felt stuck during the warmup, took time to do some compressions on it and the ilium area before diving in with the workout. The hammie felt better after this but for the rest of the workout the lateral left calf area felt like garbage esp. when pushing off. The two areas are of course related and the soreness shared among them is no coincidence.

Aiming for 5:30 pace on the 3m tempo, but the groove I settled into was a bit faster and I stayed with it, consistent splits of 5:25, 5:23, and 5:24. 5:30 probably would have been a true tempo effort, what I ended up running felt relaxed enough but not necessarily sustainable for 10-13 miles, which is my simplified definition of tempo pace. 5 minute recovery after this and then did two sets of "turnover" where I planned on going 500-300-200 all at 18 sec/100m (i.e. 72 pace). The first rep felt strained and so tiring that I bailed at 400 instead and 5-3-2 became 4-3-2, with recovery time equal to the time I had just run, with a lap jog between the two sets. In hindsight I should have tacked on a 100 to each set but such creative thinking was not happening in the moment. Hit the planned pace or just a bit quicker but it was by no means easy. Not straining but working really hard. I was reminded that I haven't been doing strides enough lately. I thought about doing a third set but mindful of Saturday's workout and how the left leg had been feeling, I chose to end it after two. Near-perfect conditions, calm with mild temps. Took some time to stretch before cooling down, left leg tightened up anyway and lateral calf/tib anterior area was sore the rest of the evening. It will bear watching.

Tue 10/16 - PM 30 minutes easy

Went out to warmup for a planned workout and realized quite quickly that I had nothing. Feeling decent enough all day at work, but the flatness not a real surprise after the red-eye followed by two nights of staying up too late. Deeply tired right now, the vacation was pleasant enough but it didn't help in that respect. I'll try the workout again on Wednesday, we'll see.

Mon 10/15 - PM 80 minutes, Area 51

Took a roundabout route that included a side trip to the Fairbank center, as I was scouting the length of the trip to the pool I plan on using for aquajogging now that the pond is no longer a comfortable option. Despite sore hammies, right calf, and tight IT band on the right side, feeling a definite bounce in the stride which can be ascribed both to the day off and also of course being back in a more oxygen-rich environment. Did some strides on the way in.

Sun 10/14 - off

Chalk it up the red-eye and having to do errands all afternoon. Sleeping on a plane again impossible, although this time it wasn't for lack of tiredness or from being overly anxious on the plane but rather the damnably uncomfortable seat. I was due a day off anyway. The trip to Flagstaff was a nice getaway, the GC hike was fairly epic, and the choice to forgo doing any workouts while there was quite on purpose. I had it coming after the half-marathon. Didn't sleep as well or as much as I would have liked over the course of the week which was the only disappointing aspect of my time there. Probably going back in April.