Week 10 in the books - Getting faster

 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 helping people take off weight.  I could be mistaken but I think that's what they were talking about.  As someone who has been on this for awhile I can say that it is not magic.  It takes work and dedication to your diet to have weight come off.  I've been "stuck" at around 210 these last couple of weeks.  I keep hoping that I'll dip below 210 but so far that has not been the case.  Maybe next week?

Better training - I've been pretty deliberate in my build up this time and I can't say that has always been the case. I think previously I was over doing it and running beyond what I was supposed to.  Only time is going to tell how this plays out.  

Stretching - I've become almost as limber as I have been in the past but I think that's a small part as well.  I've managed to loosen up my back and my hamstrings. This is probably very minor but I think it's helping.  

Having said that I am not running sub 10 minute easy miles...yet.  I'm pretty close to 11 minute miles or maybe a little slower.  But in the past...those were numbers that I very rarely saw.  So I'm happy.  

For week 11, I've already planned it out, I'm going to do more running in Z3 and only have one hard fast session and that is some 30 second hill sprints.  Just 6 of them with 90 second recovery in between.  I'm curious to see how this block goes with focusing on running more at tempo or critical power and just having a very small dose of hard speed work in there.  Hopefully it equates to faster running but we will see.  I'm also still increasing my volume each week.  At what point I stop doing that I'm not sure.  

Hope everyone is having good training.

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