To Infinity and Beyond - Becoming a Better DopeyBadger (Comments Welcome)

76 Days to Go (I will run a sub-3 hour marathon and qualify for Boston!)

rainbow-sparkles-jpg.246978


Date - Day - Scheduled Workout (Intervals within desired pace)

7/4/17 - T - 2 mile WU + 8x800 @ CV w/ 45 sec RI @ WU + 4 x 200m @ R w/ 200m RI + 2 mile CD (11/12)
7/5/17 - W - 7 miles @ 8:04-9:01 min/mile
7/6/17 - R - 2 mi WU + 10 mile Progression (8:08, 7:58, 7:48, 7:38, 7:28, 7:18, 7:08, 6:58, 6:41, 6:23) + 2 mile CD (8/10)
7/7/17 - F - 7 miles @ 8:04-9:01 min/mile
7/8/17 - Sat - 7 miles @ 8:04-9:01 min/mile
7/9/17 - Sun - 4 mile easy + 8 miles @ Tempo + 4 mile easy (2/8)
7/10/17 - M - OFF

Total (training) mileage = 60.4 miles
Number of SOS intervals within pace = 21/30 (70%)

Monday was another tee ball day. Unfortunately, as I described last week, things didn't go nearly as well. She was too focused on trying to play with other kids then actually paying attention to the coach. She'll figure it out eventually. She's also regressed a bit in swimming. She used to jump in the pool without holding hands and her head would go under. Now she won't anymore. So they dropped her back to her original class. She did draw a pretty sweet picture of me though.

IMG_0848.JPG

She did it without any prompts at all. She just sat down and drew it. Hands, feet, hair, concerned mouth, some sort of chest hair, and "coloring in". Proud dad!

Tuesday was time for another fast day! The weather was a little rougher today than usual. A T+D of 149, a little wind, clouds and rain. Thank goodness for the rain and clouds otherwise this might have been much tougher.

2 mile WU + 8x800 @ CV w/ 45 sec RI @ WU + 4 x 200m @ R w/ 200m RI + 2 mile CD

CV Pace = 6:23 min/mile (2% less than Lactate Threshold)
CV Window = +/- 3 seconds (3:08.5-3:14.5)

Mile Pace = 5:28 min/mile (41 sec 200m)
Mile Window = +/- 1 sec (40-42 sec)

I was wondering whether the weather would effect the pacing of the run. If it needed a T+D adjustment, then so be it. But I was rather confident given the clouds/rain and the recent results with HRvPace in certain T+Ds that I might finally be acclimating to the heat.

CV = 3:12, 3:12, 3:10, 3:08, 3:11, 3:12, 3:12, 3:13

Nailed it! 8/8 paces within the window. I felt rather comfortable throughout this run. The 45 sec RI definitely felt better than last week's 30 sec RI. I chose to walk the RI rather than run at WU pace because of the T+D. At points, the pace felt too easy. And at other moments, I was holding on to try and get under the pace goal.

Then came the Mile pace (goal 41 sec per 200m).

Mile = 39, 42, 41, 41

I double checked the 200m online mapping tool to ensure the distance. A little too fast on the first one, and then the rest were right on target. In total 3/4 of the 200m sprints were in the window.

All in all, 11/12 intervals were within their respective windows. A very solid workout! Unfortunately, the rain caused my knee to feel a bit wonky. Not a major issue at the moment, but something I need to pay attention to.

Wednesday was an easy day. A T+D of 155 with some gusty wind. The average pace was an 8:57 min/mile with a HR of 130. Started a little later than normal because I was in a car accident that morning. No worries, just a fender bender and everyone was ok. The lady didn't seem to be paying attention and nailed me in the back at a light. Thankfully at the moment, it seems like everything will be taken care of. But just an extra layer of stress and things to take care of in life. Poor Toyota Camry...

Thursday was a new type of run for me. A progression run with the scheduled intent of running each mile successively faster. This is pretty common amongst most of my runs (trying to finish faster than starting), but this was a more dramatic attempt at that. And the pace ends with MP, HMP, and 10k. Steph got home late from work so this pushed this run later than normal. That put me in for a late night for a 14 mile workout, then eating, then sleep.

Progression Pace = 8:08, 7:58, 7:48, 7:38, 7:28, 7:18, 7:08, 6:58, 6:41, 6:23
Progression Window = +/- 5 seconds

When this run was originally scheduled I viewed it as an "easier" hard run. The first 4 miles are all at LR pace or slower. The pace doesn't even hit MP until mile 7. I was in for a rude awakening. The T+D was 141, partly sunny, and a little wind.

Progression = 8:09, 8:00, 7:50, 7:37, 7:27, 7:17, 7:07, 6:56, 6:48, 6:46

The first three miles were actually surprisingly difficult. I'm used to locking in on a pace and just holding it. But this progression at paces I've never practiced before became a constant pace checking venture. Once I hit the 7:38 pace things started to feel more normal. I was for sure sweating bullets throughout. I switched up the route a bit on miles 6 and 7 because I knew if I continued on the normal route that the 10k mile would end up with the big hill climb. I wanted no part of that. I was actually feeling pretty good through the MP and had to back off a touch to get it right, but as soon as the HMP came up it was a struggle to get the pace down. Unfortunately, I could tell I was hitting the fatigue wall because my calfs were on fire and I was really struggling to keep pushing the pace down. I ended up missing on the HMP window, but not by much. Then during the 10k paced mile I got a well timed motivation boost. Streamer bike girl (although she was on a scooter). She literally locked eyes with me and just busted out as fast as she could scoot. The impromptu race only lasted 50-100m because she couldn't keep up (granted on her scooter and not the bike). Looks like that moment pushed me into the 6:20s, but alas I couldn't hold to it anymore and coasted to the finish line. All in all 8/10 intervals, so I can't complain too much. A solid workout. I also got my highest recovery advisor of 44 hours I've ever gotten other than a race performance. So much for an "easy" hard day. :faint: From memory, this was the first "hard" run that actually had a recovery advisor value of greater than 24 hours the day prior. It meant that I carried over some fatigue from Tuesday's run. The knee was noticeable, but didn't hold me back.

Friday was another easy day. A T+D of 129 and mostly cloudy. The average pace was a 9:15 min/mile with a HR of 122.

Saturday was another easy day. Steph had to leave to go to work at 6:30am, so I needed to be home before that. So up at 4:45am, out the door by 5:15am and started the run. The T+D was 112, little sun, no wind. Why can't every day in the summer be 112 in the morning. That crisp cool morning weather reminded me what Fall in October will feel like. Really would have liked Saturday and Sunday morning's weather to switch. The average pace was an 8:47 min/mile with a HR of 123.

Sunday was a weekend M Tempo run after Thursday's (easier???) Progression run. I knew this would be slightly tougher than a normal M Tempo run because of the increased WU/CD, but boy was I in for it. I slept in an extra 45 min to try and catch some extra Zs. The last couple days have been some minimal sleep for me (relatively speaking).

4 mi WU + 8 mile M Tempo + 4 mi CD

M Tempo pace = 6:58 min/mile
Window = +/- 10 seconds (6:48-7:08 min/mile)

The T+D was 139, with a 10 mph wind, and partly cloudy skies. I was beat up from the Progression run on Thursday so I took the next two runs (Fri/Sat) super easy. My recovery advisor after Saturday was 12 hours so I felt like I was back to where I needed to be to attack this run. I altered the route a touch so that when I started the M Tempo it would be at the same location as other weeks even though there was an additional 2 miles of WU.

M Tempo - 7:17, 6:57, 7:11, 7:11, 7:04, 7:19, 7:25, 7:12

The first mile was a bit concerning. The past three weeks that mile has been at 7:07-7:10, so this was a bit of a deviation from those. I just tried to settle down and keep it calm. Hit the next one. And then about halfway through the third mile, it just hit me. Today's not going to be my day. This mile had been a 7:00-7:04 and instead this one ended up at 7:11. I decided just to buckle in because I knew the rest of this run was going to be a tough one. Finished out with 2/8 miles within pace. With the last three M Tempo runs having averages of 7:02, 7:02, and 7:03 with interval hit rates of 80%, 100%, and 88% this run definitely sticks out. The final average pace was a 7:12 min/mile with a 25% hit rate. The HR was a bit down from the other runs (150 vs 152-153), but honestly it wasn't the cardiovascular system holding me back. I felt the effort was right on, and in the end that's what matters.

But anytime I've got a run like this it's always a good idea to evaluate why this happened. Any clues?

1) I haven't been sleeping as much lately. Normally I get 8.5-9 hrs of sleep a night. But life has dictated this be more like 7-7.5. I've got to prioritize time better and find places to add in more sleep.

2) This was the first time I've done a Progression on Thursday and M Tempo on the weekend. I thought this would be easier than the normal routine, but in reality these last two runs were pretty tough. So maybe this additional difficultly just caught up with me today.

3) The T+D was a 139. In the past three runs I haven't had to make a pace adjustment. But maybe today needed it? The adjusted pace would be a 7:11 min/mile so then the run is pretty squarely on pace. But I haven't had to adjust previously, so why today?

4) I wore my Zealot Iso instead of my Kinvaras. During the past three runs I had run in the Kinvaras. But today's distance was a bit further. So I was concerned that the Kinvaras (my race shoe) would eat me alive as they tend to do. So I went with the Zealots instead. Normally they don't cause me to many issues with LR pace, but maybe they just didn't have the umph I was looking for. Although in past training cycles I never used the Kinvaras for training tempo and instead used Rides (which I currently don't have in rotation). So hard to say how much this mattered.

5) I just ran back to back weeks with a 120 minute long run. The last time I did that was in December 2016 when training for Dopey. Then it was a M Tempo and LR.

6) This was back to back weeks of greater than 8 hours of training. I haven't done that since September 2016 when training for the last Lakefront Marathon (although there have been a few close weeks at 7:50s and 8:00s).

7) I've been building mileage for the last 4 weeks (51, 53, 59, and 60). I think the body is sending me a sign it's time for a break.

Conveniently, I had preplanned for this to occur. Next week is scheduled to be a step back week to allow for bone remodeling recovery. It was originally scheduled at 51.5 miles (a 15% reduction). But after today's run I may pull back on next week Tuesdays HM 2x2 and make it easy instead. I'll see how I'm feeling. On it's own the HM 2x2 is a relatively easy hard run, but I need to be mindful of not falling into the same trap as last year's Lakefront training. I'd venture to guess all of these reasons listed previously are all partially contributing to today's run. It's always a good idea to step back and learn why something happened. Put the pieces of the puzzle together and learn from it. On to the next one!

Here is the comparison chart of today's Tempo run to the others thus far:

Screen Shot 2017-07-16 at 6.34.31 PM.png

And here is the current projections based on previous Lakefront experiences:

Screen Shot 2017-07-16 at 6.34.45 PM.png

Prediction has fallen to 3:00:51-3:06:28. Slipping a bit and need to recapture the pacing.
 
LOVE all that!! Grey is so current right now and I love it so much. Kitchen backsplash is great. I considered a similar tile when we redid our kitchen. That cherry flooring is gorgeous.

Thanks! I told Steph, if we're doing this, we're doing it as a 30 year renovation. So make sure you pick everything you'll love for years to come.

Y'all are so fancy! I love the look. We redid our bathroom with the grey painted wood cabinets (albeit darker) and it looks very nice with the white counter and lighter gray walls. I worried at first about too much white and gray but since we as a family are pretty colorful there's always color in the rooms...and toys :)
It's also a very peaceful color scheme which I like.
Hope it all goes well. It can be stressful to see your rooms torn apart but then it's so exciting to get the final product.

Thanks! Ahh yes, toys and colorful people will help brighten any room. We'll see when the timing of this occurs but it may be right before, during, or after Lakefront.

Wait, but where are all the giant Wisconsin logos??? Or are you vetoed on that?

The basement!

Love the serenity and calm of the gray palette. The stove hood is beautiful.

Thanks! If we went with one cabinet company, it would look a little different.

Like this: https://www.houzz.com/photos/524765...R2648SMB1MUF1-craftsman-range-hoods-and-vents

Although we haven't met with the Amish yet to see what they're bid will be and what they come up with.

I love everything about this one!!!

They all look great though, can't go wrong with any of those.

That's pretty close to what ours would look like.
 
She'll figure it out eventually

She will. And good for you guys for giving her some variety in what she's doing. Eventually she'll find something she likes and will latch on to it. Between that and typical kid development, something will click soon.

She did draw a pretty sweet picture of me though.

A+!

I might finally be acclimating to the heat.

Hey, good to see progress here!

Normally I get 8.5-9 hrs of sleep a night.

Color me jealous. On days that I run, I get 6. Days that I don't run: 7. Plus, our kid has either had nightmares or woken up early for over a week now. Poor @MoanasPapa, he's been having to wake up about an hour earlier than he normally does because she's waking up while I'm already out running.

Put the pieces of the puzzle together and learn from it.

Impressive how good you are about this. Me? "It was hot and I was tired?" seems to be about the best I can do.
 
76 Days to Go (I will run a sub-3 hour marathon and qualify for Boston!)

rainbow-sparkles-jpg.246978


Date - Day - Scheduled Workout (Intervals within desired pace)

7/4/17 - T - 2 mile WU + 8x800 @ CV w/ 45 sec RI @ WU + 4 x 200m @ R w/ 200m RI + 2 mile CD (11/12)
7/5/17 - W - 7 miles @ 8:04-9:01 min/mile
7/6/17 - R - 2 mi WU + 10 mile Progression (8:08, 7:58, 7:48, 7:38, 7:28, 7:18, 7:08, 6:58, 6:41, 6:23) + 2 mile CD (8/10)
7/7/17 - F - 7 miles @ 8:04-9:01 min/mile
7/8/17 - Sat - 7 miles @ 8:04-9:01 min/mile
7/9/17 - Sun - 4 mile easy + 8 miles @ Tempo + 4 mile easy (2/8)
7/10/17 - M - OFF

Total (training) mileage = 60.4 miles
Number of SOS intervals within pace = 21/30 (70%)

Monday was another tee ball day. Unfortunately, as I described last week, things didn't go nearly as well. She was too focused on trying to play with other kids then actually paying attention to the coach. She'll figure it out eventually. She's also regressed a bit in swimming. She used to jump in the pool without holding hands and her head would go under. Now she won't anymore. So they dropped her back to her original class. She did draw a pretty sweet picture of me though.

View attachment 253532

She did it without any prompts at all. She just sat down and drew it. Hands, feet, hair, concerned mouth, some sort of chest hair, and "coloring in". Proud dad!

Tuesday was time for another fast day! The weather was a little rougher today than usual. A T+D of 149, a little wind, clouds and rain. Thank goodness for the rain and clouds otherwise this might have been much tougher.

2 mile WU + 8x800 @ CV w/ 45 sec RI @ WU + 4 x 200m @ R w/ 200m RI + 2 mile CD

CV Pace = 6:23 min/mile (2% less than Lactate Threshold)
CV Window = +/- 3 seconds (3:08.5-3:14.5)

Mile Pace = 5:28 min/mile (41 sec 200m)
Mile Window = +/- 1 sec (40-42 sec)

I was wondering whether the weather would effect the pacing of the run. If it needed a T+D adjustment, then so be it. But I was rather confident given the clouds/rain and the recent results with HRvPace in certain T+Ds that I might finally be acclimating to the heat.

CV = 3:12, 3:12, 3:10, 3:08, 3:11, 3:12, 3:12, 3:13

Nailed it! 8/8 paces within the window. I felt rather comfortable throughout this run. The 45 sec RI definitely felt better than last week's 30 sec RI. I chose to walk the RI rather than run at WU pace because of the T+D. At points, the pace felt too easy. And at other moments, I was holding on to try and get under the pace goal.

Then came the Mile pace (goal 41 sec per 200m).

Mile = 39, 42, 41, 41

I double checked the 200m online mapping tool to ensure the distance. A little too fast on the first one, and then the rest were right on target. In total 3/4 of the 200m sprints were in the window.

All in all, 11/12 intervals were within their respective windows. A very solid workout! Unfortunately, the rain caused my knee to feel a bit wonky. Not a major issue at the moment, but something I need to pay attention to.

Wednesday was an easy day. A T+D of 155 with some gusty wind. The average pace was an 8:57 min/mile with a HR of 130. Started a little later than normal because I was in a car accident that morning. No worries, just a fender bender and everyone was ok. The lady didn't seem to be paying attention and nailed me in the back at a light. Thankfully at the moment, it seems like everything will be taken care of. But just an extra layer of stress and things to take care of in life. Poor Toyota Camry...

Thursday was a new type of run for me. A progression run with the scheduled intent of running each mile successively faster. This is pretty common amongst most of my runs (trying to finish faster than starting), but this was a more dramatic attempt at that. And the pace ends with MP, HMP, and 10k. Steph got home late from work so this pushed this run later than normal. That put me in for a late night for a 14 mile workout, then eating, then sleep.

Progression Pace = 8:08, 7:58, 7:48, 7:38, 7:28, 7:18, 7:08, 6:58, 6:41, 6:23
Progression Window = +/- 5 seconds

When this run was originally scheduled I viewed it as an "easier" hard run. The first 4 miles are all at LR pace or slower. The pace doesn't even hit MP until mile 7. I was in for a rude awakening. The T+D was 141, partly sunny, and a little wind.

Progression = 8:09, 8:00, 7:50, 7:37, 7:27, 7:17, 7:07, 6:56, 6:48, 6:46

The first three miles were actually surprisingly difficult. I'm used to locking in on a pace and just holding it. But this progression at paces I've never practiced before became a constant pace checking venture. Once I hit the 7:38 pace things started to feel more normal. I was for sure sweating bullets throughout. I switched up the route a bit on miles 6 and 7 because I knew if I continued on the normal route that the 10k mile would end up with the big hill climb. I wanted no part of that. I was actually feeling pretty good through the MP and had to back off a touch to get it right, but as soon as the HMP came up it was a struggle to get the pace down. Unfortunately, I could tell I was hitting the fatigue wall because my calfs were on fire and I was really struggling to keep pushing the pace down. I ended up missing on the HMP window, but not by much. Then during the 10k paced mile I got a well timed motivation boost. Streamer bike girl (although she was on a scooter). She literally locked eyes with me and just busted out as fast as she could scoot. The impromptu race only lasted 50-100m because she couldn't keep up (granted on her scooter and not the bike). Looks like that moment pushed me into the 6:20s, but alas I couldn't hold to it anymore and coasted to the finish line. All in all 8/10 intervals, so I can't complain too much. A solid workout. I also got my highest recovery advisor of 44 hours I've ever gotten other than a race performance. So much for an "easy" hard day. :faint: From memory, this was the first "hard" run that actually had a recovery advisor value of greater than 24 hours the day prior. It meant that I carried over some fatigue from Tuesday's run. The knee was noticeable, but didn't hold me back.

Friday was another easy day. A T+D of 129 and mostly cloudy. The average pace was a 9:15 min/mile with a HR of 122.

Saturday was another easy day. Steph had to leave to go to work at 6:30am, so I needed to be home before that. So up at 4:45am, out the door by 5:15am and started the run. The T+D was 112, little sun, no wind. Why can't every day in the summer be 112 in the morning. That crisp cool morning weather reminded me what Fall in October will feel like. Really would have liked Saturday and Sunday morning's weather to switch. The average pace was an 8:47 min/mile with a HR of 123.

Sunday was a weekend M Tempo run after Thursday's (easier???) Progression run. I knew this would be slightly tougher than a normal M Tempo run because of the increased WU/CD, but boy was I in for it. I slept in an extra 45 min to try and catch some extra Zs. The last couple days have been some minimal sleep for me (relatively speaking).

4 mi WU + 8 mile M Tempo + 4 mi CD

M Tempo pace = 6:58 min/mile
Window = +/- 10 seconds (6:48-7:08 min/mile)

The T+D was 139, with a 10 mph wind, and partly cloudy skies. I was beat up from the Progression run on Thursday so I took the next two runs (Fri/Sat) super easy. My recovery advisor after Saturday was 12 hours so I felt like I was back to where I needed to be to attack this run. I altered the route a touch so that when I started the M Tempo it would be at the same location as other weeks even though there was an additional 2 miles of WU.

M Tempo - 7:17, 6:57, 7:11, 7:11, 7:04, 7:19, 7:25, 7:12

The first mile was a bit concerning. The past three weeks that mile has been at 7:07-7:10, so this was a bit of a deviation from those. I just tried to settle down and keep it calm. Hit the next one. And then about halfway through the third mile, it just hit me. Today's not going to be my day. This mile had been a 7:00-7:04 and instead this one ended up at 7:11. I decided just to buckle in because I knew the rest of this run was going to be a tough one. Finished out with 2/8 miles within pace. With the last three M Tempo runs having averages of 7:02, 7:02, and 7:03 with interval hit rates of 80%, 100%, and 88% this run definitely sticks out. The final average pace was a 7:12 min/mile with a 25% hit rate. The HR was a bit down from the other runs (150 vs 152-153), but honestly it wasn't the cardiovascular system holding me back. I felt the effort was right on, and in the end that's what matters.

But anytime I've got a run like this it's always a good idea to evaluate why this happened. Any clues?

1) I haven't been sleeping as much lately. Normally I get 8.5-9 hrs of sleep a night. But life has dictated this be more like 7-7.5. I've got to prioritize time better and find places to add in more sleep.

2) This was the first time I've done a Progression on Thursday and M Tempo on the weekend. I thought this would be easier than the normal routine, but in reality these last two runs were pretty tough. So maybe this additional difficultly just caught up with me today.

3) The T+D was a 139. In the past three runs I haven't had to make a pace adjustment. But maybe today needed it? The adjusted pace would be a 7:11 min/mile so then the run is pretty squarely on pace. But I haven't had to adjust previously, so why today?

4) I wore my Zealot Iso instead of my Kinvaras. During the past three runs I had run in the Kinvaras. But today's distance was a bit further. So I was concerned that the Kinvaras (my race shoe) would eat me alive as they tend to do. So I went with the Zealots instead. Normally they don't cause me to many issues with LR pace, but maybe they just didn't have the umph I was looking for. Although in past training cycles I never used the Kinvaras for training tempo and instead used Rides (which I currently don't have in rotation). So hard to say how much this mattered.

5) I just ran back to back weeks with a 120 minute long run. The last time I did that was in December 2016 when training for Dopey. Then it was a M Tempo and LR.

6) This was back to back weeks of greater than 8 hours of training. I haven't done that since September 2016 when training for the last Lakefront Marathon (although there have been a few close weeks at 7:50s and 8:00s).

7) I've been building mileage for the last 4 weeks (51, 53, 59, and 60). I think the body is sending me a sign it's time for a break.

Conveniently, I had preplanned for this to occur. Next week is scheduled to be a step back week to allow for bone remodeling recovery. It was originally scheduled at 51.5 miles (a 15% reduction). But after today's run I may pull back on next week Tuesdays HM 2x2 and make it easy instead. I'll see how I'm feeling. On it's own the HM 2x2 is a relatively easy hard run, but I need to be mindful of not falling into the same trap as last year's Lakefront training. I'd venture to guess all of these reasons listed previously are all partially contributing to today's run. It's always a good idea to step back and learn why something happened. Put the pieces of the puzzle together and learn from it. On to the next one!

Here is the comparison chart of today's Tempo run to the others thus far:

View attachment 253536

And here is the current projections based on previous Lakefront experiences:

View attachment 253535

Prediction has fallen to 3:00:51-3:06:28. Slipping a bit and need to recapture the pacing.

Random musing: about both you and other journalers here. When you recap training days I often in my head imagine them on my home routes because I know what a mile looks like around me (for example.)

I love little kiddo pictures of me! Mine has an obsession with making sure all pictures have exactly 5 long skinny fingers on every hand and it's pretty cute how much thought she puts into it. She also gets perturbed when she's forgotten to draw eyebrows.

Tuesday's run was impressive in the consistency department. Hitting mere seconds apart is quite admirable.

Fender Benders are the WORST...on the one hand you are happy that everyone is ok and glad that it wasn't worse. On other, it just creates a stack of paperwork and emails and insurance and BLECH!!! Sorry that happened to you.

RE your Wed run...I've totally been there when I'm looking forward to a long run or easy run because that pace isn't too hard and then the first few miles are like "uh oh" why does my pace slower already, why doesn't this feel easier?
And it sounds a lot like your Thursday tempo and my 10k could have been cousins. The cardio feels fine but yet just can't quite get that speed; just know it's not your day. It sounds like you have a solid list of the whys and hows to get past this weeks cumulative fatigue.

I also am starting to imagine streamer girl as Darla from Finding Nemo. There was a "kid" during my 10k who every time a top ten half marathoner ran past on the left he would try to sprint "with them" and it actually reminded me of your streamer girl.

Anywho...kudos for attacking a tough week. And please post before and after renovation pictures in the future!!
 


Those progression runs sound really tough! Well, all your runs always sound tough to me, but that in particular sounds brutal, so congrats on getting it done and for finishing out a tough week. Glad you have an easier week ahead to give yourself some recovery time.

Love the drawing of you. So cute! And I wouldn't worry much about the regression in swimming. I think that's pretty normal. 2 steps forward and 1 back sort of thing.

Sorry to hear about the fender bender, but glad nobody was hurt.
 
Phew! Great job getting through a busy week of running and life.

Love reading through your analyses.
I'm with @FredtheDuck on this... :)
Impressive how good you are about this. Me? "It was hot and I was tired?" seems to be about the best I can do.

Sorry to read about the fender bender, and glad all are okay.

The gray/white scheme is a definite winner! It'll all be worth the mess and lack of plumbing, speaking from very recent kitchen demolition and remodel experience here. :)
 
She will. And good for you guys for giving her some variety in what she's doing. Eventually she'll find something she likes and will latch on to it. Between that and typical kid development, something will click soon.

Agreed! We'll just keep throwing everything at her to see what sticks. We know she likes to talk (a lot), think (a lot), and be in charge (a lot).

Hey, good to see progress here!

Agreed! Took long enough to get acclimated for sure!

Color me jealous. On days that I run, I get 6. Days that I don't run: 7. Plus, our kid has either had nightmares or woken up early for over a week now. Poor @MoanasPapa, he's been having to wake up about an hour earlier than he normally does because she's waking up while I'm already out running.

Oh man, I'd crumble with that kind of routine. Kudos for you to be able to even survive that.

Impressive how good you are about this. Me? "It was hot and I was tired?" seems to be about the best I can do.

Science background and occupation play a big role in that. Look at all the details and find the pattern.

Random musing: about both you and other journalers here. When you recap training days I often in my head imagine them on my home routes because I know what a mile looks like around me (for example.)

:lmao:

I love little kiddo pictures of me! Mine has an obsession with making sure all pictures have exactly 5 long skinny fingers on every hand and it's pretty cute how much thought she puts into it. She also gets perturbed when she's forgotten to draw eyebrows.

HAHA! We're not to eyebrows yet, but I'll keep an eye out for it!

Tuesday's run was impressive in the consistency department. Hitting mere seconds apart is quite admirable.

Thanks! I was a pace hawk!

e5b952c6a8d7f24aa7d2df2196c43d0f.gif

Fender Benders are the WORST...on the one hand you are happy that everyone is ok and glad that it wasn't worse. On other, it just creates a stack of paperwork and emails and insurance and BLECH!!! Sorry that happened to you.

Hoping everything turns ok alright. We've got an estimate scheduled for Thursday. My FIL is coming with (auto mechanic) almost all his life.

And it sounds a lot like your Thursday tempo and my 10k could have been cousins. The cardio feels fine but yet just can't quite get that speed; just know it's not your day. It sounds like you have a solid list of the whys and hows to get past this weeks cumulative fatigue.

::yes::

I also am starting to imagine streamer girl as Darla from Finding Nemo. There was a "kid" during my 10k who every time a top ten half marathoner ran past on the left he would try to sprint "with them" and it actually reminded me of your streamer girl.

:rotfl2:

child-satan.0.gif

Anywho...kudos for attacking a tough week.

:cool1: (Gigi chose this one)

And please post before and after renovation pictures in the future!!

Deal! :banana: (G added this one)

Those progression runs sound really tough!

Wasn't expecting it but it was much tougher than I thought it was going to be. :simba: (another G addition)

Well, all your runs always sound tough to me, but that in particular sounds brutal, so congrats on getting it done and for finishing out a tough week.

Thanks! :stitch: (another G addition, noticing a theme of who is sitting with me right now...)

Glad you have an easier week ahead to give yourself some recovery time.

I agree wholeheartedly! Haven't decided about tomorrow's HM 2x2, but I'm leaning towards making it an easy day instead. :simba:

Love the drawing of you. So cute!

Thanks! :stitch:

And I wouldn't worry much about the regression in swimming. I think that's pretty normal. 2 steps forward and 1 back sort of thing.

She did much better today. She jumped in the pool three times! princess::maleficen:smickey:

Sorry to hear about the fender bender, but glad nobody was hurt.

Poor Camry! :maleficen

Phew! Great job getting through a busy week of running and life.

Thanks!::MickeyMo::MinnieMo

Love reading through your analyses.

I love doing them! :ccat:

Sorry to read about the fender bender, and glad all are okay.

Me too! :car:

The gray/white scheme is a definite winner! It'll all be worth the mess and lack of plumbing, speaking from very recent kitchen demolition and remodel experience here. :)

Yea, not looking forward to the actual reno. Hoping the timing of it doesn't effect life too much. :dogdance:

You can all thank G for all of the emoji additions! Thanks G for the help!
 


So the appraiser finally got back to the bank on Thursday. Although we didn't hear anything until Friday afternoon. Good news! The appraised value came back almost exactly where we predicted it would based on the projected home renovations (kitchen, upper bath, lower bath, new carpet, new entryways flooring). Our home is worth ~$40,000 more than when we bought it 5 years ago and after the renovation will be worth about $70,000 more. We were off by about 1-2 thousand so now it's time to actually make some decisions. So these are the things we're deciding on.

I don't have any pics of kitchen/bath cabinets, but our plan is grey. Here are some overall picture ideas. The concept we're going for is grey French Provincial. It will be grey cabinets, white countertops, red floor.

Crystals!

View attachment 253517

I like the ornate range hood.
View attachment 253518

Not exactly Steph's dream backsplash, but close.
View attachment 253519

Kitchen Countertops

LG Viatera - Alpha (Quartz)

View attachment 253507

LG Viatera - Willow White (about 900 less than Alpha, also Quartz)

View attachment 253510

River White Granite (about 2000 less than Alpha, but can stain easily as it is white granite)

View attachment 253511

Kitchen Backsplash

Calypso Blanco Marble

View attachment 253522

Kitchen Flooring

Brazilian Cherry - Jatoba (red, ages darker, 2x harder than oak, stain is throughout the piece of wood not just on top)

View attachment 253513

Appalachian Red Oak (about 1200 less than the Jatoba)

https://www.paramountflooring.com/products/solid-hardwood/hampton/

Quality Laminate (wood grain appearance, repeating pattern with only 6 unique boards, 1800 less than Jatoba)

Kitchen Fridge

http://www.kitchenaid.com/shop/majo...rigerators-3/-[KRFF507ESS]-408586/KRFF507ESS/

http://www.kitchenaid.com/shop/-[KRFF305ESS]-408403/KRFF305ESS/

Kitchen Stove

http://www.kitchenaid.com/shop/major-appliances-1/ranges-2/ranges-3/-[KFES530ESS]-408397/KFES530ESS/

http://www.kitchenaid.com/shop/-[KFEG500ESS]-408396/KFEG500ESS/

Kitchen Dishwasher

http://www.kitchenaid.com/shop/majo...integrated-3/-[KDTE254ESS]-408525/KDTE254ESS/

Kitchen Lighting

https://www.amazon.com/Industrial-M...r=8-7&keywords=black+lantern+pendant+lighting

https://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Journee-Home-Aziza-24-in-Iron-Hard-Wired-Chandelier-With-4-Included-Edison-Bulbs/14064178/product.html?refccid=Y2OT7CZ7KZO2RKKBHWFXBYIHII&searchidx=87&keywords=&refinement=finish:Black Finish|price:200,400|

https://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Journee-Home-Aziza-24-in-Iron-Hard-Wired-Chandelier-With-4-Included-Edison-Bulbs/14064178/product.html?refccid=Y2OT7CZ7KZO2RKKBHWFXBYIHII&searchidx=87&keywords=&refinement=finish:Black Finish|price:200,400|

https://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Chrome-Finish-4-light-Round-Chandelier/4737590/product.html?refccid=VXTIJCVGFVEK4XKJK5ANIDTTVE&searchidx=39&keywords=&refinement=lighting type:Chandeliers|

https://www.overstock.com/Home-Gard...shape-Square-Chandelier/13175653/product.html

Carpet (in living room, hallway stairs, and Gs room)

http://www.riterug.com/Carpet/metropolitan-iron-frost-carpet-by-dream-weaver/

Bath Flooring

Endymion tile

http://greatlakesdistribution.com/endymion.html

A few other choices but no links

Bath Countertops

Alpha, Willow White, and River Granite again

Arctic White HI Macs (Solid surface) - (about 400 less than Alpha)

View attachment 253514

Birch Bank HI Macs (about 200 less than Alpha)

View attachment 253515

Bathroom Lighting

https://www.overstock.com/Home-Gard...4JLG42IO36ORLYXGU&recalg=872,873,839&recidx=1

https://www.amazon.com/Evelyn-3-light-Crystal-Strand-Sconce/dp/B0159SR9M4/ref=sr_1_7?s=lamps-light&ie=UTF8&qid=1500081992&sr=1-7&refinements=p_n_feature_three_browse-bin:5676454011,p_n_material_browse:5740624011

https://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Ines-3-Light-Chrome-Bath-Vanity/12051689/product.html?refccid=Q2GJWQQG37FYPW2CNLN3TOWPFQ&searchidx=7&keywords=&refinement=finish:Chrome Finish|number of lights:3 Lights|lighting style:Glam|

Thoughts?
Just had to comment that I love the look you are going for!! We painted our kitchen cabinets white and put in a silver backsplash when we moved into this house a couple of years ago, and I've been so happy with it! I think with the follows you described, that will be really striking!
 
Just had to comment that I love the look you are going for!! We painted our kitchen cabinets white and put in a silver backsplash when we moved into this house a couple of years ago, and I've been so happy with it! I think with the follows you described, that will be really striking!

Thanks! We'll see how close we can get fantasy to reality! By the end of it, it may look like a whole new house!
 
Bad news Billy - went for a run today and walked home the last 2k as calf ( different spot) went tight, think I may have to give it another week. Really depressed about it if I'm honest.

@DopeyBadger We actually never ate at Olivia's :o @Declanb is thinking of the quick service place at OKW (which wasn't great at all). Dad, Olivia's is the restaurant so unless you snuck off there for a bite to eat without telling us we haven't been there haha!

I'm sure he will update you separately but he's still out at the moment with the calf injury and totally bummed... Not been the best few weeks for injury for us all!
 
She used to jump in the pool without holding hands and her head would go under. Now she won't anymore

I can empathize. I just learned how to swim last year. I have always enjoyed being in the water (grew up at Jersey Shore) and have never felt unsafe, but just never learned the strokes. As an adult this was very challenging! The morning pool regulars at the JCC were all very supportive, much like the running community and gave me tips and encouragement.

I'm sure she'll be swimming in no time!

Mrs. PADC
 
@DopeyBadger We actually never ate at Olivia's :o @Declanb is thinking of the quick service place at OKW (which wasn't great at all). Dad, Olivia's is the restaurant so unless you snuck off there for a bite to eat without telling us we haven't been there haha!

:rotfl2:

I'm sure he will update you separately but he's still out at the moment with the calf injury and totally bummed... Not been the best few weeks for injury for us all!

Bummer! Take the time off now before you're forced to take way more time off later. Hopefully, you all will be back to full strength in no time!

I can empathize. I just learned how to swim last year. I have always enjoyed being in the water (grew up at Jersey Shore) and have never felt unsafe, but just never learned the strokes. As an adult this was very challenging! The morning pool regulars at the JCC were all very supportive, much like the running community and gave me tips and encouragement.

I'm sure she'll be swimming in no time!

Mrs. PADC

Congrats on learning! I also don't really know the strokes or technique. I kind of just do it. But I really only swim on vacations and such. She'll get there eventually.

Those must be the days that are 26 hours instead of 24?

Some days it feels like it! Let's all move to Mars which has a ~25 hour day!
 
Hi! I have signed up for the Dopey challenge for 2018 and am excited and nervous. I have been running for awhile and do okay with halfs but have always struggled with fulls. I know you have done running plans for some people and wondered if you could help me out as well.
 
Hi! I have signed up for the Dopey challenge for 2018 and am excited and nervous. I have been running for awhile and do okay with halfs but have always struggled with fulls. I know you have done running plans for some people and wondered if you could help me out as well.

I'd be more than happy to help! If you make 10 total posts on the DIS, then we can exchange messages over PM. You're more than welcome to just post in this thread 10 times if you'd like.
 
Flights are booked to Disney! Frontier just got posted and beat Southwest by a good bit. We have to fly out of Chicago though and even getting a hotel in Chicago is cheaper than Madison or Milwaukee. The bonus... the difference between leaving Disney on Monday or Tuesday is a wash between the difference in flights and adding an extra hotel room + spending money. So we just extended our stay in Disney an extra night! Now we'll be there from Tues to Tues.
 
69 Days to Go (I will run a sub-3 hour marathon and qualify for Boston!)

rainbow-sparkles-jpg.246978


Date - Day - Scheduled Workout (Intervals within desired pace)

7/18/17 - T - 2 mile WU + 2 x 2 miles @ 6:41 w/ 0.5 mile RI + 2 mile CD (3/4)
7/19/17 - W - 6 miles @ 8:04-9:01 min/mile
7/20/17 - R - 2 mi WU + 9 miles @ 6:58 min/mile + 2 mile CD (8/9)
7/21/17 - F - 6 miles @ 8:04-9:01 min/mile
7/22/17 - Sat - 6 miles @ 8:04-9:01 min/mile
7/23/17 - Sun - 12 miles @ 7:35 min/mile (10/11)
7/24/17 - M - OFF

Total (training) mileage = 51.7 miles
Number of SOS intervals within pace = 21/24 (88%)

Monday's tee ball practice went well. G has really taken to when the kids hit the ball off the tee into the infield. Then all the kids sprint to get the ball. As predicted, she likes the activities where it's 100% kids and zero parent involvement. Doesn't bother me though as long as she's having a good time!

Tuesday was the first HM Tempo run of the cycle. After last week's 25% hit M Tempo and weekly rate of 70%, this step back week was well timed.

2 mile WU + 2 x 2 miles @ HM Tempo w/ 0.5 mile RI + 2 mile CD

I was legit on the fence as to whether I'd even do this run. I did pro and con all day thinking about it. I decided as I walked out my door that I felt good, the temps were brutal, but I felt ready to give a good effort. The T+D was a 157! Highest of the season thus far.

HM Tempo = 6:41 min/mile
Window = +/- 10 seconds (6:31-6:51 min/mile)

I kept the pace adjustment in the back of my mind (5.5% or 7:05 min/mile) in case I needed it. I can usually get a pretty good indicator from the dynamic warmup as to how the hard workouts will go. I felt loose and strong so I went into the run confident.

HM Tempo = 6:41, 6:49, 6:50, 6:58

I brought ice water with me to the aid station with the hopes it would help me through this. The first mile was on target and I was able to squeeze the second mile in. I did a hill on the 2nd and 4th mile, but not my full fledge hilly route. I was being cautious with the downhills and my knee to keep it from causing any problems (which it caused none). The third mile was on target, but I knew the fourth mile was unlikely to be a hit as I wasn't willing to push harder. The HR tells the story with a 156, 159, 158, 161. So the run got progressively harder as I likely got progressively hotter. Overall a solid run and I'm happy with the results.

I did this run on 6/13 under similar conditions (T+D of 154 that day). My mile splits were 7:04, 7:09, 7:09, 7:19 with HR of 154, 157, 153, 156. So a very similar trend except today was about 20 seconds per mile faster. #Progress #HeatAcclimation. Next Thursday's M Tempo is the next big test and it looks like a really early morning at the moment (waking at 3:40am and run at 5:40am). I might try to find some time to squeeze some where.

Wednesday was an easy day. T+D of 153 and clouds. The run started like all the other 1000s. Except about 0.5 miles into the run I got stung on the Achilles. It was painful. I was like whoa, what was that. Alright, I'm good. Ouch! Alright, if I stop then the swelling my take hold and then I'll never be able to finish this run. Better maintain pace and fight through this. Finished the run with a 9:09 min/mile average and HR of 125. Funny enough looking at the pace you can see when I got stung cause I just started busting out running.

Thursday I woke up and was happy to see I had no swelling! Knew this was going to be a tight squeeze on time. Wednesday night they were predicting thunderstorms for the morning. When I woke up at 5am, I was being treated to a lightening show. So I just sat there and checked the radar constantly. I knew I could start the run no later than 6:40 and still be able to make it home in time for our cabinet appointment. Finally at 6:10 I could tell the weather was going to break soon so out I went.

M Tempo pace - 6:58 min/mile
Window = +/- 10 sec (6:48-6:58)

I felt reasonably confident going into the run. Last nights recovery advisor value of 18 hours meant I would carry some into this run. The stretch felt good and off I went in the tail end of the rain.

M Tempo - 7:12, 6:52, 6:53, 7:02, 6:48, 6:59, 7:06, 6:52, 6:58

As the first mile came up, I was disappointed. I saw the 7:12 and was not happy with the missed interval. I thought to myself I can do better and I will do better today. So I turned up the music, lifted my head, and locked into marathon effort. I was not going to be denied today. Then a 6:52. Solid! Then a 6:53 after double hills! Boom! I was able to hold the momentum throughout and ended with the remaining 8 intervals within window. Final average was 6:58 and HR was 154. The HR is a tad high for historical comparison of 148-152. Overall a solid run! Thankfully being stung on the achillies had no lingering effects today. The T+D was 134 with clouds. The recovery advisor was 54 hours which is now the highest I've seen outside a race.

Screen Shot 2017-07-23 at 6.39.42 PM.png

So far, 4 of the 5 tempo runs have had an 80% of higher hit rate. I'm pretty happy with the progress thus far. I'll be interested to see whether I can keep this up. The next M Tempo is a hybrid with a long run (13 mi LR + 4 mi M Tempo).

Screen Shot 2017-07-23 at 6.39.57 PM.png

Best case scenario projection is 3:00:18 and the average case is 3:05:53. Still in the right range. Still got work to do!

The cabinet appointment went really well. We met with the same Amish cabinet maker that Steph's sister Heidi used. His work is amazing and his knowledge is second to none. He brought up some very good points and we really have our fingers crossed we can make everything work out.

Friday was an easy day. Except something didn't feel right with my Achilles where I had gotten stung. It felt really stiff and possibly swollen. The T+D was 146. There was a massive thunderstorm moving through and it prevented me from starting at my normal time. Funny enough Steph got two phone calls from family members confirming I was not running at the moment. Should I take it as a positive that they care that I'm not running in thunderstorms, or a negative because they think I might be crazy enough to run in thunderstorms? LOL! I was just waiting it out inside the house. Then I headed outside, heard thunder and headed back indoors. I kept checking the radar and lightningmaps.org The lightning website actually tracks strikes in real time so you can actually see how close the clusters are and where they're tracking. It was helpful to determine when it was safe to head out. While it was still down pouring, there were no more strikes. It was a SOAKING run though. Finished in an 8:58 min/mile with a 122 HR. As soon as I reached the house, another crack of lightening. I couldn't have timed the run any better. Good thing it was 6 miles and not 7 today.

Saturday was another easy day. A T+D of 140 and cloudy. Final pace was an 8:41 min/mile with a 125 HR.

Sunday was an easier long run day. Solid run. I decided to sleep in and thus was willing to deal with the higher temps. The T+D was 145 with full sun.

Long Run pace = 7:35 min/mile
Window = +/- 10 seconds (7:25-7:45)

The first mile was slow (as normal because carrying water). But the second mile (or the first I actually count), I must have not been paying attention. Because I looked down and saw a 7:55 min/mile. I tried to get back into LR pace and was able to just sneak the interval in at 7:45. From there things felt more comfortable and they were clicking off one by one. I had to wear my "D" outfit because I hadn't done laundry which made the run a tad tougher since this singlet doesn't breathe very well. On the 8th mile, I looked down with 0.2 miles to go and saw a 8:00 min/mile lap pace. Ugh, I had let my mind wander and was thinking about other things for the last couple of miles. So I had fallen off pace. I tried to get back into it, but it was too late for that interval. So that was a miss, but I was able to get back on track for the remainder of the run. HR was a tad high for long run historical 143 vs 138-142 normally. Overall though I'll take 10/11 intervals hit and being able to get 9 hours of sleep. I was able to average a whole hour of extra sleep this week (7.5 vs 8.5). Hooray for that!

This next week will be a nice challenge. A Critical Velocity Ladder, then another attempt at a Progression, and then lastly a 13 mile LR with an additional 4 mile fast finish at M Tempo. FUN!
 
Yeeesh, sorry to hear about the achilles sting. Shows your dedication though - I would have called it a day.

Also, I'm excited to hear/see more about the cabinets!

radar and lightningmaps.org

Do you use DarkSky (iphone app)? I find it helpful to see the radar and also see how heavy the rain is going to be for the next hour. Doesn't show the lightning clusters, exactly, but it does show you when lightning activity is near you.
 
Yeeesh, sorry to hear about the achilles sting. Shows your dedication though - I would have called it a day.

Or stubborn/stupid.... :P Just depends on if you ask me or my wife.

Also, I'm excited to hear/see more about the cabinets!

We're interested to see where the quote comes in at. Hopefully sometime this week!

Do you use DarkSky (iphone app)? I find it helpful to see the radar and also see how heavy the rain is going to be for the next hour. Doesn't show the lightning clusters, exactly, but it does show you when lightning activity is near you.

Never heard of it, but sounds like something I'd find good use out of. I'll have to give it a try. Thanks!
 

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