SUMMARY: JANUARY 4-10, 2010

Daily Quote: "Don't compete with your yesterday.  No one can defeat you.  Be the best that you can be this day.  By being your best today, you will prepare for being your best tomorrow." --Dr. Walter Bortz, from article "Running, Aging, and Human Potential," in Marathon & Beyond Magazine, Sept/Oct 2009.

It's hard not to compete with my yesterday as I'm a goal oriented person and love competing against my past personal records...but Dr. Bortz wisdom of being my best today as to prepare for being my best tomorrow makes sense!  But can't I have it both ways...compete with my past personal records and being my best today?

Today was my scheduled 14-miler, which partially traverses the new RNR Las Vegas Marathon course on Rainbow Boulevard and Hacienda Avenue.  This 14-miler is my longest run since my hip-joint injury last September.

9:15 a.m.  Long Run.  14 miles.  Time, 2:10.  Overall pace, 9:19 minute miles. Cloudy, 49-53 degrees, calm winds, I couldn't have ordered better weather!  Average heart rate, 144 bpm. Cardiac Drift, 153 bpm. (Note my maximum heart rate is 190 bpm.) No aches nor pain!!  I ran miles 8-12 at 8:30 minute per mile pace, which is something of a mini-tempo run.  Next week is my recovery week and plan to run only 10 miles for my long run.

SUMMARY:  JANUARY 4-10, 2010

I ran six days for a total of 41 miles, I don't plan on having any running "streaks" this year and strive to allow my body at least one day of rest each week.  It was a tough week to complete my scheduled mileage due to the exhausting Consumer Electronic Show (150,000 attendees) that kept us cabbies under a constant state of stress due to tremendous convention traffic...sort of a mix blessing, happy for the extra money, but extremely tired for most of the week. Last Wednesday I started adding hill repeats, only two repeats to start, and will add another hill repeat next Wednesday.  Next week will be a cut back or recovery week and will run about 30 miles.

The good news is that I didn't gain any weight last week, the bad news is that I didn't lose any weight either, I'm still 178 pounds on a six foot frame.  I'm not too concerned about my weight because my base training will eventually have my weight decreasing. My goal for 2010 is to reach my racing weight of 165 pounds.

I've continued my modified weight circuit training with additional hip strengthening exercises. I accomplished three sessions of upper body circuit training and did hip strengthening exercises every day. I somehow managed to hurt my left shoulder with lifting weights on Saturday and will skip my shoulder press workouts next week, but continue with my other weight workouts.

A few other crosstraining activities: Swam for 30 minutes in the pool on Wednesday before work. Bowled three games last Sunday night during "Sunday Night Special" bowling league. Walked the airport pit when cab business was slow during the early part of the week...business was too busy later during the week due to the CES convention that started on Wednesday.

Due to the busy convention, The Consumer Electronic Show, I had problems getting enough rest throughout the week, my heart rate reflected that stress as my morning heart rates were higher than normal, 44-51 bpms.  Thankfully, next week is my scheduled recovery week (I plan a recovery week every four weeks) and my morning heart rates should get down to normal.  Funny, the previous week I was considering not even posting my morning heart rates because they rarely fluctulate, than accumulated stress last week changed everything!


A short recap of last week's training:
Monday: Recovery Run, 4 miles.  Weight Circuit Training.
Tuesday: General Aerobic Run, 6 miles.
Wednesday:   Easy Run, 5 miles with two hill repeats at 7:30 minute pace.  Weight Circuit Training.
Thursday: General Aerobic Run, 8 miles.
Friday: Easy Run, 4 miles.
Saturday:  REST DAY.  Weight Circuit Training.
Sunday: Long Run, 14 miles.
Total Weekly Mileage:  41 miles.