Dec 16 - p

FIT:
3rd run in BA.  This time, outside!  I had scouted it out walking around yesterday, when I was walking around to take in some of the sights and find a place to have dinner.  The ecological preserve had just closed when I got there, but I still got to run on the dirt path alongside it, and it was a nice run.  I felt like I wasn't going very fast for the first 3+ miles, maybe b/c of the grass, maybe b/c my body is exhausted from a lack of sleep and stressful workdays.  But once I got to the pavement in the last half mile, I turned it on.

The weather was surprisingly cool for summer... still warm but not at all uncomfy.  I went out in my singlet, plus the Shadow Pak (very handy) holding a credit card and cash.  After dinner, I found Freddo, and ice creamy place where I got the light chocolate trifecta (3 toppings - I picked almonds, what looked like choc nibs but were probably chocolate covered cake crumbs or somethng, and berries).  A nice way to end a run. 

4.3 in 36:06, 8:24 ave.  Not bad, I guess.  I felt slow and heavy-legged.  Dunno if it's the marathon training making me slow, or all the food I've been having.  My splits are kind of meaningless.  I just took them to help me later trace my route on mapmyrun.com, by marking my times (from which I can guess distance) at various monuments.  But I meandered a bit.  I'm glad I finally got to take in a bit of the city on fast foot, though. 

Dec 14

FIT:
Run 2 in Buenos Aires (unfortunately, on a treadmill and not in the nature preserve... but at least I can see the tops of the trees in the nature preserve from the 14th floor gym).  But still cool.  It's a nice gym, with a big screen TV an a water cooler.  The equipment works well... 2 treadmills with built-in fans, plus an elliptical and something else - probably a bike?  The equipment was even better than the ones by the Philadlphia airport... same model and everything, I think, but in good condition here.

Blah... tired.  Falling more and more behind on sleep.  Blah.

Today, we didn't linger for a 2.5 hour dinner like before... only about an hour plus a little, so I had an hour and a half to get ready for a run. 

10k in 52:31 on the usual 1 degree treadmill, 8:27/mi.  Hmm...  felt difficult for the first 40 minutes b/c my food was still digesting.  I thought I had finished my meal 30 min before... but I guess I usuall need about an hour after a big meal to run comfortably, so I guess the 40 minutes after I started was reasonable.  I guess all the blood flow diverted to my tummy and the abs needed to keep everything in place made the running feel  like it was harder.  I started feeling much better after the 40 minutes... much better.

K splits> 5:20, 5:19, 5:19, 5:19, 5:19 (26:39 5k), 5:19, 5:19, 5:16 (42:35... as you may guess), 5:09, 4:47.

FUEL:
Last time, my heart felt clogged/ I felt out of shape... probably more the lack of running than the food I ate.  I really didn't eat that badly... just 2 not that lean steaks, plus 2 desserts, plus another dinner with lots of red meat.  This time, it's been very good so far.  The only things that I usually don't eat are the small amounts of cream that might've bee used in the saffron sauce that my trout was served with yesterday, the au gratin for lunch totday that seemed pretty straightforward with potatoes and some eggs and probably not much cream, and perhaps ghee in my dal at the Indian place today.  So good.  I'm eating 3 big meals, instead of my 7 small meals.  My body's used to going longer periods without food, though.  Started as my mileage increasesd / weight dropped.  Maybe my metabolism just slowed some.  Dunno.  I don't think I overcompensate later on or anything, so it's fine.

Eeehhhh, have to work... but it's 11:30pm. 

Each work day lasts for a long time.  Today was faster.  Got more into a groove.  Less stressing out.  Only Tuesday!  Yesterday, it was like "only Monday!" - felt like 3 days worth of activity.

Dec 12

FIT:
Hola from Buenos Aires!  Landed this morning at around 9:30 BA time, 7:30 Eastern.  The long leg of the flight was 10 hrs.  Even before I left the States, during my long run, my tummy felt like it had a mind of its own.  Usually, I have no GI issues, but it's started up.  Maybe it's distance-related?  Dunno.  Nothing else has really changed.  I was theoretically fine during the flight.  I enjoyed some quality snacks in the Crown Room at the airport.  And I kind of like the airplane food.  But it kind of all just sat in my stomach during the flight, like a rock.  I didn't feel hungry appetite-wise in the morning, although I could feel that my body was a little bit in need of food.  Just a little.  Then, I was really hungry by the time we got to the hotel, and since we got to check in early, I was able to hit the free breakfast and loaded up on some good food - 3 kiwis, yerba mate, 2 lite yogurts (which is really like 1 yogurt), and ham.  Had an apple and chocolate later.  Since they eat dinner so late, I was hungry leading up to it, although I lost my appetite a bit by the time we all started gathering to walk to the restaurant.  The salmon was good, along with Malbec and lemoncello (vodka + lemon juice + sugar), and a few fries and a bit of tomato salad. 

The fitness room is on the 14th floor of the Holiday Inn Express and overlooks the port, which is awesome.  The view was pretty sweet early in the day when I visited.  I had to rush to go there after dinner b/c it was closing in an hour and I had to get in my last 4 for the week.  It's not as pretty as night b/c all of the lights in the room kind of make it hard to see anything outside.  It was a nice gym with good equipment and a big TV, though.  I started going at my usual 7.0mph... except it seemed like walking pace.  It took me a while to realize that it was constant and not simply on its way speeding up.  Then, I realized it was probably in metric.  So I sped it up gradually.  That explains what'll be a slower time.

I was limping a little earlier in the day, but by the end of the day, it seemed fine.  Doing some calculations in my head, I figured 6.6km would get me close to 4.0mi.  It was 4.1.

4.1 in 34:40, 8:27 ave.  K splits> 5:31, 5:17, 5:16, 5:15, 5:14 (26:35 5k), 5:06, 2:58 for 0.6.

Immediately afterwards, I found out that the food didn't agree with me... or at least with the running.  I don't know what it was.  During the run, it just felt like the normal discomfort when you run immediately (like 10 min) after dinner.  But apparently, it was more than that.  Maybe the vodka + red wine mix.  I wasn't the least bit dizzy, though.  Maybe the raw tomatoes.  Ah, oh well.  I feel fine now.  At first, when I got back to my room, I couldn't stand to watch the Argentinian food network, which I usually keep it on (and even keep on while I sleep... somehow it's comforting), but it's back on now, ad I feel fine.

Oh, yesterday... or, today.  Wow, it's been a long day.  A nap, a bit of work, shopping for souvenirs and taking pictures/videos, a walk with colleagues, dinner outing.  Plus TV.  I got to watch The Office AND Friends... two of my favorite shows, in English here.  Nice.

Well, it's almost midnight here now, but I'm going to do a bit more prep work for work.  Blah.  Glad I at least got some done earlier today, otherwise the stress would've been building up.  Okay... time to relax, enjoy my big bed, work, and keep an eye on the TV.

Dec 11

FIT:
At the airport off to Buenos Aires.  I have 16 scheduled for today and 20 scheduled a week from now.  Fortunately, the flight works out so that I can run right before I leave, and run right after I get back and still stay on schedule.

I did 15.3 today... cut it short b/c my right butt/hip has been somewhat injured, so I didn't want to take it too far.  Plus, they turned off the water at the water fountain I've been using.  Boo.  So I was getting a little thirsty towards the end.  The rest was okay.  No biggie, esp b/c it was like 53 degrees at most. 

Ate 2/3 a Larabar, 5 Jelly Belly Sport beans.  Beforehand, had eel, some oatmeal, and cherry juice.  The study on cherry juice had people drink it before their bike session, so I tried "before" this time.  No pain, and surprisingly limited pain from he hip, so I'm happy.  Oxysox, Kinvaras - nee some longer runs in them to determine if they're really able to take me through 26.2.  Today was fine.

15.3 in 2:13:02, 8:42 ave.  Splits> 8:07 b shortened now that there's a bridge, 6:20 p short, 7:49 c, 7:50 p, 7:43 b long, 6:30 p short, 7:47 c, 7:46 p, 7:32 b long, 6:20 p short, 7:34 c, 7:33 p, 7:37 b long, 6:13 p short, 7:26 c, 7:26 p, 7:18 b long, 8:04 c.  Definitely a progression run.  Goods to see I was speeding up, and not slowing down.  Legs could've gone farther, but wanted to take it easy for the hip's sake.

Dec 7

FIT:
Working.  Working hard on running, working hard at work.  Keep pushing.  Last night, took an hour nap from 12:30-1:30 am, then a 2 hr meeting, very awake for another hour and a half, then slept 3 hrs.  Feel fine at work... eyes worn, I guess, but mentally fine... feels like college state.

After downing a big bowl of napa, tofu, and brown rice for dinner, took a 30 min nap, then time to run. 

6.2 in 49:58, 8:04 ave.  n1224's w/ arches, Oxy, long sleeve tech shirt.  66 degrees.  Was a little sore today during work, and post-run.  During the run, my right leg was a little numb, but not bad.

Splits> (25:36 for 5k), 7:59, 7:57, 7:46, 1:25 for 0.2.

Dec 5

FIT:
What a difference a nap can make.  I was limping a bit in church... right butt.  Had a biiiig lunch and then went down for a 3 hr nap.  After the nap, the butt felt much better.  Almost not noticeable.  It was more noticeable whe I was running, but much more manageable today.  The run felt much easier than yesterday's run.  Much easier.  The time flew by, too, as I watched The Amazing Race.  Wish I could be training for that, haha.  So cool.

Anyway, wore sox, Kinvaras.  Oh yeah, no left inner achilles pain anymore!  Strange.  Just the butt.  I did foam roll last night, to try to help the butt.  Don't know how helpful it was, since it was still kinda bad this morning.  Maybe it helped some.  Oh... the left achilles... I did "ice" it a little bit... I had some lox that I had stuck in the freezer, and I was craving protein, so I thought I'd thaw it out and get in a little icing in the process.  So I iced with lox, then ate the lox.  Haha.

7.0 in 56:45... almost the same speed as yeserday!  Just 4 sec faster!  And it felt soo much easier.  Splits> 8:20, 8:17, 8:14, (25:40), 8:07, 8:05, 7:56, (50:35), 7:43.

Dec 4

FIT:
Oh, tough week.  Tried to run Thursday, but my inner left achilles was bad and would've just sustained permanent damage if I didn't just give it up.  I biked instead, and that felt fine.  Some rigorous intervals.  10 min warmup, 8x[2 min on, 30s off], 15 min cooldown.  68 degrees, n3's w/ Spenco, Oxysox.

Yesterday, just too tired.  Could've tried to get in the run, but I figured it would make little difference if I waited til Saturday morning.

Saturday, spent the morning reading, a little nap... woke up groggy and had to get in the run b/f an Xmas party.  Managed to get in the 7.0.  Wanted to stop at 6.2, but kept it going, despite the left ankle.  Wanted to keep going for mental training purposes.  Last mile hard mostly due to fatigue.  Dunno.  My right outer hip/butt is a bit messed up again, and the ankle's hard to walk on.  Blah.

7.0 in 56:49, 8:07 ave.  Splits> 8:22, 8:18, 8:17, (25:48), 8:11, 8:01, 7:57, (50:44), 7:38.  Sped it up last half b/c it hurt less that way.

Wonder why I'm somewhat injured now.  Thanksgiving week, I didn't stretch.  Or maybe it was the 20 (on top of a 19 and a 17)... blah.  I could use sleep to recover, but that may not come easily.