Random Banter

 I don't know why but as of late I've really been enjoying reading and writing.  I've always been a good reader, a fast reader, but I find myself slowing down as I read and really paying attention to the craft of writing or just not skimming as much.  As such this spurred me on to do a brief search of some online blogs that I might be able to read on a daily basis or even a weekly basis. But what I found, on my brief search, was that no on blogs anymore. What was a blog is now a full on business and as much as I can admire people doing that I just can't seem to people who are writing about "stuff" on a daily or weekly basis.  In some cases these haven't been updated in years.   I've never been good about keeping a consistent schedule of writing so for those that do, and I'm sure there are still a few out there, congratulations to you.  You are a diamond in the rough in my mind.   Maybe this lack of other blogs will cause me to post more even if I t

 As the title suggests I wonder if I'm over doing it.  I felt pretty tired over last weeks up hill session (6x30 seconds up with 90 seconds recovery).  That was on Monday I believe and the rest of the week just felt kind of blah. And that was the case with today as well where I had another work out.  It's something I am definitely watching as I try to get back into some sort of shape.  I don't want to over work my thyroid or boost my cortisol levels to high.  Even though I'm staying with in that 80/20 realm I wonder if I need to be more of 90/10.  Or perhaps I'm just not sleeping as well as I thought I was.  I know I've said it before and I'll say it again...It's something I'm going to watch.   I think I'll switch to the 90/10 or at least 85/15 and see how that works for me.  Additionally I think I might make my workouts shorter and then just include some faster pace work in my long run.  I know it's not going to be easy but I'd like to f

 I have just completed my 10th week of training and overall I think I'm getting faster.  I don't have any races, yet, to be sure about that but the training I'm doing looks like I'm overall faster. And this is at the same critical power that I've had before.  I think it's a combination of things that has made this happen.  Losing weight - I'm carrying around 10-15 lbs less. Additionally I think some of that weight has also been transferred to muscle which is helping.  Getting thyroid in check - As of my last blood draw, March, my numbers were as low as they ever had been.  So I think that's helped out a lot.  I know that I've had much more energy.  I'm hopeful that the training I'm doing right now does not bump it up again (ie: I'm not over doing it).  I didn't realize this but I was listening to the Kara Goucher and Des Linden podcast a few weeks ago and apparently this drug I'm on is controversial in the running world for helpin

 As is typical for me I've dropped off on writing.  But I'm back for a short update.   Weeks 6, 7 and 8 all went well.  Week 8 was a lower volume week with a critical power test thrown in at the end of it.  I managed to increase my critical power from 261 to 296 which seems about right.  It might be a bit high but only time will tell.  Doing this 3 week build and then a lower week with a critical power test at the end of it seems to be suiting me well.  Now I'm under no illusion that my critical power will continue to go up and up and up but so far it's been nice.  I've only done one run at this new power and I think it's the right setting. Previously I knew that 261 was a bit low as when I'd do certain runs they just felt to easy.  However when I was attempting to run in zone 2 yesterday morning it felt like I was doing work and not just putting in the motions.  So I think that's a good thing.  We will know more in about 4 weeks if it was the right area