Training Recap #19 as of Sept 22, 2019

Training recap #19 covers two weeks from September 9 to September 22, 2019. During the previous training session #18, I ran 18.5 miles on 7 days.

Training Period #19 Goals

Same as last training period. Heal my plantar fasciitis, and rebuild my foundation (aerobic, strength, speed, mobility, etc.).

Week 1: Learning to Love Running Again

• This marks my 3rd week of running again after an almost 2-month recovery from plantar fasciitis, and I’m learning to love running again. Some days the motivation is more than others. Definitely lost physical and mental fitness, and it’s a long climb back (once again) after an injury.
• A 3-day business trip to London, with a red-eye flight from New York to London, and then another red-eye on the return trip, made it impossible to run while travelling in the middle of the week.
• Nevertheless, I ran 11.5 miles on 4 days (averaging 3 miles per day).
• I completed 2 strength and core workouts this week, “book-ended” around the London trip.

Week 2: Back to Where It Ended

• This week was another step in the right direction. The plantar fasciitis is healing, albeit slowly, and I listen to my body every day and am not greedy with my training.
• 19 miles on 5 days of running, culminated with a 6 mile run on the Larkin State Park Trail.
• It’s hard to revisit failure. But it’s part of the process of healing, learning and improving. On July 4, 2019, I ran a 10-miler in Larkin State Park. Ten days later, I hobbled for 2 miles, walked back to the car, and shut down my running for 7 weeks with plantar fasciitis. On September 22, I returned to Larkin State Park, and ran 6 miles.
• Unfortunately I only completed a single strength and core workout this week. I will have to balance the running (catabolic) and strength (anabolic) workouts going forward.

Performance Against Training Goals

I am satisfied with my progress against training goals.

Over the past 2-week training period, I ran 30.5 miles on 9 (out of 14) days of running, and completed 3 strength and core workouts. This represents about 50% volume increase over training period #17, but still well below the 50+ miles (per 2-week training period) I was running before the plantar fasciitis injury.

The healing process is continuing, and although I am able to run (on grass and trails), I rehab every day and am still taking Advil before runs, and icing thereafter.