Runs and Swims:

Sunday, May 16 – Run/Swim

Run: 7 miles.  11:30 per mile.  Strides: 161 per min.  Heart rate: 133 bpm.  Temps: 60s°F, sunny.  ~10 am.

This was an easy paced, hilly (408 ft. gain) run.  My legs were still a little sore from Friday’s  long run and strength training, so I tired to keep this easy, with a few strides at the end.

Swim: 1.3 miles, 1.68 mph, 48 minutes, 21 strokes/min.  2 pm.

This was mostly free/breast/back, with 1 length fly, 1 length no breathing, and 5 laps alternating length of back, length of free with the leg buoy.  I had to share a lane for the first 25-30 minutes (something I haven’t had to do in a long time).  I waited until more lanes opened and I had the lane to myself before doing butterfly (I’m considerate like that – also butterfly is a bit splashy).

Overall, this was a good swim.  I had to convince myself to wait for strength rating until after the tempo run this week.

Monday, May 17 – Tempo Run/Swim/Strength Training

Run: 9.4 miles.  9:53 per mile.  Strides: 168 per min.  Heart rate: 147 bpm.  Temps: 60s°F, rainy.  ~10 am.

10 minute warm-up, ~6.8 miles (~64 minutes) at tempo paced which was 9:17/mile today, 1.7 miles cool down.

I wore my rain jacket during warm-up, but I was already overheating in the rain/drizzle, so I took it off before starting the tempo portion of this run.  I don’t think it was raining hard, but I was very wet by the end.

The tempo pace today was much easier than the 10:06/mile tempo pace I did two weeks ago.  I did do short (10-20 second surges) every minute to help push the pace today – I know this isn’t how tempos work, but I find that it is much easier than trying to hold a faster pace the entire time. 

The last tempo mile was a bit slower than earlier in the run – it just so happened that I was listening to the audiobook version of The Sports Gene and I got to the part that discussed athletes with unknown heart defects dropping dead while exerting themselves during this last tempo mile – and at this point my heart was pounding and my chest/stomach was starting to hurt, so I backed off the pace when otherwise I probably would have kept pushing.  Too bad I hadn’t gotten to the part about people with mutant version of MC1R gene perceive pain differently and possibly have higher pain tolerances (I probably have a mutant MC1R based on my hair color, and I assume I have a high pain threshold since I often do not feel needles at all with intramuscular injections.  In 2020-2021, I’ve had 8 IM injections and felt 2 of them).

This was a very good effort today.  Also, good job not doing strength work yesterday at the gym, I wanted to, but I also wanted to have a good tempo run today.

Swim: 1 mile, 1.2 mph, 47 minutes, 20 strokes/min, ~37 laps.  4 pm

100 yards each of breast, free, back, 100 yards kick each of breast, free, back, and dolphin, with 100 yards IM (25 each fly, back, breast, free) between each kickboard (3 IMs total), 400 yards leg buoy (alternating free and back), another 100 yards each of free, back, free, and breast, and 50 yards elementary back stroke to finish.

This was a really good swim.

Strength training, 5 pm.

 I did ~1 hour of strength training after the swim.  I increased my lat pull down on the machine to 90 pounds.  That’s seems really high – apparently my lats are strong?  Do you use your latissimus dorsi for running?

I’m still only doing 20-25 pounds on the shoulder press machine (I’m not taking risks with my left shoulder – anything that feels uncomfortable with that shoulder, I’m extremely hesitant to push it), chest press I’m up to 40 pounds now.  Deadlift 50 pounds, goblet squat 40 pounds, deep squat 25 pounds.  Pretty good strength work today.  Gym was busy at 5:30 pm on a Monday.

Tuesday, May 18 – Recovery Run/Swim

Run: 7 miles.  12:28 per mile.  Strides: 157 per min.  Heart rate: 126 bpm.  Temps: 60s°F. ~10 am

This was a very easy paced, hilly (365 ft. gain) run.  I had a dentist appointment (regular 6 months cleaning) at 12:30 pm, and I still get nervous before I go (I’m scared of doctors and dentists, what can I say – my blood pressure was 132/86 which is actually good for in a doctor’s office – usually below 120/80 at home).  I listened to podcasts/music today because it’s harder to concentrate on an audiobook if I’m anxious/nervous for any reason.  #Nocavities.

I had some glute DOMS, and my hamstrings/back of thighs felt really achy when I started the run, they felt better by the time I finished.

Swim: 1 mile, 1.23 mph, 48 minutes, 21 strokes/minute, ~35 laps.

100 yards each of breast, free, and back, 100 yards each with swim glove (breast, free, and back), 100 yards each with the kickboard (breast, free, and back), 100 yards each with leg buoy and swim gloves (breast, free, and back), 200 yards free, 200 yards back, 100 yards IM, 50 yards elementary backstroke.

Very good swim today.

I don’t normally swim several days in a row, but today was “a reward for good behavior”.  Up until 1.5 years ago, I skipped going to the dentist for a loooooooooooong time.  I still don’t like to go, but I know it is important for my overall health and well being.  So I went swimming to reward myself with something I enjoy for doing something I do not enjoy but must do anyway.

Wednesday, May 19 – Run/Swim/Strength Training

Run: 8 miles.  12:18 per mile.  Strides: 157 per min.  Heart rate: 129 bpm.  Temps: 70s°F, sunny. ~10am.

This was an easy paced, hilly (475 ft. gain) run.  I had planned to do hill repeats today but decided to skip the 7-8 minute drive and just do hills at home, and I’m glad I did.  It was hot as soon as I went out the door, and I was noticeably not handling the heat well from the beginning of this run. I’m not heat acclimatized right now.

I had no problems making it to 8 miles but I just took it slow and easy.  I did ~15 minutes of mobility drills after, by this point my 16.9 ounce water with electrolytes was gone, and I started to feel dizzy. (I frequently get dizzy towards the end of long, hot runs and will walk at that point).

I finished the mobility drills (slightly dizzy from the heat), watered plants outside for another 10 minutes, and went inside and weighed myself.  I dropped 3 pounds, plus consuming 1 pound of water = ~2 pounds sweat loss/hour, which seems high for me for temperatures only in the 70s.  (I think normal sweat loss for me in the 80s is around 2.2-2.4 pounds/hour.) 

I’ve been wanting to do an 18 mile long run on Friday for a few days now, it’s supposed to be in the 80s on Friday, so I think I’ve convinced myself to wait for a cooler day or at least until I’m more heat acclimatized to even attempt that.

I was very tired in the early afternoon – finally fatigue caused by something I know for a fact is not hypothyroidism (heat related/dehydration related fatigue – I’ve been down this road before and know what it feels like).

Swim: 1.2 mile, 46 minutes, 20 strokes per minute, 1.5 mph, ~37 laps (50 yards/lap). 4pm.

100 yards each of breast, free, back, 200 yards each with gloves free and back, 100 yards each with gloves and leg buoy free and back, 50 yards each kick only breast, back free.  I lost track of the rest of the swim, but here’s what I think I did: 75 yards free, 25 breast, 100 yards IM, 100 yards back, 100 yards IM, 50 yards back, 25 yards free (fast), 75 yards back, 25 yards free (fast), 50 yards back, 25 yards free (2 breaths), 50 yards back, 50 yards free, 50 yards elementary back.

I got a weird look from the guy who was in the lane next to me after we both got out of the water at the 45 minute mark (from opposite ends of the pool).  I’m not sure why – maybe I splashed him with fly?  Maybe he was wondering why I was wearing a mask? (I put it on right when I get out of the water and get my towel still.  YMCA does not require masks now but they are optional.) This was a good swim.

Strength training, 5 pm.

I did ~1 hour strength training after my swim.  I’m now up to 90-95 pounds on the lat pull down, 50 pound chest press, 50 pound goblet squat.  I need to figure out how to increase weights once I’m past the 50 pound kettlebell.  I’m scared of the barbell area (it’s mostly men and very intimidating).  Maybe I need to take a strength training class.

Update: I think I’ve decided to try to deadlift “60 pounds” by holding two 30 pound dumbbells, which means I have to go to the intimidating “no carpet” area of the gym where the heavier weights live, but I can just go there, do my deadlifts, and go back to the lighter weights that I mostly use.

Thursday, May 20 –Run

8.5 miles.  12:14 per mile.  Strides: 159 per min.  Heart rate: 127 bpm.  Temps: high 70s, low 80s°F, sunny.

This was an easy paced, flat (202 ft. gain) run.  Temperatures were still hot, sunscreen/sweat got in my eyes and was very irritating, otherwise I’m tolerating the heat better than yesterday.  I lost a total of 2 pounds of water weight plus consumed 29 ounces fluids before/during this run, for a sweat loss rate of 2.17 pounds/hour.  I’ll keep calculating and see if this changes as I “heat acclimatize”.  This was probably a better run than yesterday, but I was feeling dehydration tired this afternoon. 

I’m not going swimming today and feel like I miss it already.  (Might not go back until Saturday?)

I made a carrot cake for tomorrow (labor intensive but mentally much easier than the rainbow cake), will make whipped cream cheese frosting and ice it tomorrow at my sister’s.

Friday, May 21 – Long Run/Swim/Strength training

Run: 10 miles.  12:08 per mile.  Strides: 158 per min.  Heart rate: 128 bpm.  Temps: mid 70s-80s°F, sunny. ~10 am.

This was an easy paced, flat, hot, long run.  It was windier today than yesterday, so the heat was a little more bearable.  2.5 pounds/hour sweat loss rate.  I put sunscreen that doesn’t drip on my forehead and avoided yesterday eye irritation mishap.  And realized this is the exact thing I do every year, irritate the crap out of my eyes on 1-2 runs, then start using moisturizer with SPF on the top half of my face.

Around 3:30 pm, I took my 2 year old nephew (in his little car I push) and 6 year old nephew (on his own bike) to the playground/to see some goslings at the pond near the playground, before going home for cake.  I had signed up to go swimming at 5 pm, so there was a very tight window to get to the playground, get to the geese, get home, have cake, and drive to the pool near my sister’s house, which meant I managed to slow jog another 1.3 miles pushing my nephew in the hottest part of the day.  (Not counted towards weekly/monthly/yearly mileage since I was recording it as a walk.)

Swim: 1.2 miles, 1.36 mph, 51 minutes, 20 strokes per minute. 5 pm.

Immediately after that slow, hot jog, and then eating some carrot cake, I went for a swim at the pool close to my sister’s (part of the YMCA, I can go to any in the area).  It was crowded, and full of kids and moms shouting at the kids, following routines on sheets of paper, which is a very different atmosphere than what I’m used to at my normal pool.  (Frequently I’m the only one at 4 or 5 pm, sometimes there are 3-5 other adults swimming laps, very rarely are kids swimming laps at my normal pool.)

I was relegated to a wall lane, and while it was wider than the middle lanes, I kept getting the wash from water hitting the wall and coming back over me, I was not a fan of this.

This was almost all breast, free, and back with some kickboard and some leg buoy.  I did one length of fly.  I did not have to get out at the 45 minute mark, so that’s a plus.

Strength training (half-hearted): 6 pm.

I then went into the gym section to see what machines they had and to do my normal strength training work.  Some machines were the same, but this gym had a ton more machines (probably more than a ton, literally, there was a pile of unused/possibly broken machines, but so many more in use than my normal gym).  Machine-tastic gym.  Also, the machines were much closer together and harder to social distance at this gym.  There was no separate section for the lighter weights, which meant if I wanted to do my normal arm work with dumbbells, I’d have to go the scary back of the gym section which was already occupied because the gym part was also much busier than what I’m used to at my normal gym.  I did 5-6 machines, and then realized even if I wanted to make it through my squats and lunges and arm weights I like to do after the machines, there really was not enough space here, and I bailed out.

(I’m thrilled that my local gym is a.) less crowded b.) almost never have problems with accessing equipment/space.)

I did about 15 minutes of strength training, wandered around for several more minutes, and then decided I’ll just do my strength training at my home gym tomorrow (maybe bad idea?).

I was so tired by the time I got home, I skipped my shoulder stretches and normal stretching for the day.  (I do think swimming helps work on my frozen shoulder so I’m ok with skipping one day.)  Possibly I overdid it today.  That extra 30-45 minutes in the heat (walking to the playground, walking/running to the goose pond, running back from the goose pond) was probably not helpful.

Saturday, May 22– Hill Repeats/Swim/ Strength Training (have I lost my mind? Possibly.)

Run: 7 miles.  14:02 per mile.  Strides: 150 per min. Heart rate: 122 bpm.  Temps: low 70s-80°F, sunny. ~10 am.

50-10 minute warm-up, 11 x ~80 seconds up the hill, easy down, and then easy hilly running with 2 x 76 steps up and down the dam steps.  (986 ft. gain.)

The heat wasn’t bad as long as I stayed in the shade, but I wasn’t willing to push it for my normal 16 repeats.  Fun fact: I thought I did 12 repeats but my heart rate and GPS data clearly shows only 11.

Swim: 1 mile, 1.39 mph, 45 minutes, 21 strokes/min. 12 pm.

Since I drive to the hill repeat hill, and it is already more than 2/3 of the way to the gym, I decided to go directly to the pool after these clearly hot and taxing hill repeats.  (Not sure why I thought this was a great idea in hindsight, that’s ok.)

I took this swim very easy.  I tried to do flip turns (and failed) about 5 times – it is a work in progress.  I haven’t attempted flip turns since I was a child, and I’m not actually sure I was proficient at them back then either – I can’t remember doing them at swim meets, but that was also 30 years ago, so maybe I did, maybe I didn’t do them.  Everyone has to start somewhere, and I’m starting by getting close enough to the walk to barely touch it with one foot, and also starting by inhaling bucketfuls of water (figuratively – I’m inhaling just a little but it’s not fun).  I also get very disoriented in general after a forward flip.  (I do about 4 back flips in the water at the end of every swim, so I do like to do flips, just not forward.) 

I did lots of breast, back, and free today, some kickboard, some leg buoy, all at an easy pace.

Strength training, 1pm.

After several days of hot runs, swims, and some strength work yesterday, doing more strength training today immediately following a hard, hot run, and then a swim, sounded like a good idea.  It was not a good idea.

I attempted my normal strength training session, which normally takes 50-53 minutes at the gym (the “at-home” version is different and takes at least 105 minutes, often over 2 hours, if I get in all I want).  My energy level going in to this strength training session was not good.  My legs were probably fried from the hot hill repeats.

I cut back the number of repetitions and amount of weight I was using on everything from the machines to kettlebell to free weights.  I did a lot fewer squats and lunges than I normally do.  I finished in 43 minutes, and decided I need to cut back on how often I strength training after swimming and specifically to not strength train right after a run.

I felt this strength training session was subpar, but as I returned to the locker room to get my wet bathing suit and gym bag, a lady asked me how I got my stomach so flat.  I haven’t thought of my stomach as actually being “flat” in a long time, and despite my weight not changing much since the 13 pound gain that happened in 2020, my body has changed a lot in 2021, and my stomach is looking flatter now than probably a month ago (I don’t have abs or anything, my goal is not about aesthetic changes or abs appearing, just to do strength training to help improve my running).  See running wrap-up for more on this.

Running wrap-up

1.)  Talking with the lady in the locker room was one of the first real conversations I’ve had with a stranger in public since the whole shut down of the last year, and it was so nice to have a discussion with her (I told her about my 40 pound weight gain in 2016 and all my health issues since then), that’s a big part of why I’m so much fitter now.  It’s nice to get compliments from strangers but also important to let them know that I’m where I am today because of where I was in 2018 (in the hospital for two thyroid surgeries and a thyroid cancer diagnosis) and where I was in 2019 (very hypo/anemic), and my fibroids (she had fibroids too). I have no doubt my health issues have pushed me much harder to focus on my health and fueled my need for daily exercise – you never know what someone else has been through or what motivates them.

I’m sure plenty of people have well defined muscles and run every day and push themselves hard in the gym with zero serious medical conditions fueling that drive, I just don’t happen to be one of those people.

I also talked with a lady on one of my runs. I pass through her neighborhood frequently (it’s part of my hill route that I’m enjoying right now), and she commented on how much my body has changed in the last year and I ended up talking to her about my thyroid cancer too.  I also ran into someone I went to high school with at the gym and have not seen him in 22 years.  Answering “how have you been” is difficult, but I think it is good that I’m now able to share my thyroid cancer diagnosis without breaking down into tears describing what’s happened in the last several years (which is usually what happens whenever I decide to contact someone from my past and explain what’s happened with me).

All I can say is my mental health has improved leaps and bounds from last year, and I’ve enjoyed being able to work on coming to terms with all my health issues (undiagnosed hypothyroidism and weight gain, thyroid cancer, severe hypothyroidism, anemia and fibroids, and all the mental health problems that went along with all of that, most clearly anxiety and brain fog/forgetfulness/lack of focus/loss of motivation/depression).  It’s easier to write about these things in blogs to an unknown audience, but contacting old bosses and colleagues about a potential reference for when I eventually am ready to start applying for jobs, and explaining to them what’s happened, that’s an emotionally taxing task and I always end up feeling wrecked after composing emails for this purpose (which I’ve done three times now, which is a massive step in a positive direction for me).

2.)  I think I probably did not do the best job of balancing swimming, running, and strength training this week, since I ran 7 days, swam 6 days, and did strength training on 4 days.  That’s probably slightly too much swimming/running on the same day, and I shouldn’t’ve lifted weights at all on Friday if I knew I was going to want to do normal weight session on Saturday.  I will work on balancing these things better in the future.   

I’m excited that I want to run and swim and do strength training and that my body is responding well to increasing my activity levels.  I’ve noticed my normal, probably slight hypothyroidism induced, afternoon fatigue seems even less of a problem now than before I started swimming.  Exercise clearly gives me more energy, not less (your result may vary – I’m generally lethargic and barely functional on days I don’t exercise and almost always feel better after exercising).  I’m glad I can do this right now while I have time to do all those things – I’m not sure how long it will last and when I will need to add additional responsibilities that will slow down some of this activity level, but I’ll take it while I can get it. I feel like, with this increased recreational activity level, I’ve also been more productive in other aspects of my life, including working on becoming more organized in general, and being able to get more household chores done without debilitating fatigue making it difficult.

3.)  57 miles is great, considering how hot it was this week (not to mention also swimming 6 days this week).

My average running pace was pretty good at 11:43/mile (not including the hill repeats). I’m still working on heat adapting and I expect some of the hotter runs in the next few weeks will be very slow for me. (Even after I adapt, hot runs generally are a lot slower, but at least I might feel less uncomfortable on them than I do right now in the heat.)

4.)  My weight is up 1.3 pounds on average this week compared to last week.  Zero percent of me thinks that this is “fat gain”.  I’m running, I’m swimming, I’m lifting weights, I’m trying to eat enough to keep up with all of that, but I’m probably at more than a slight calorie deficit this week compared to the past few weeks (I’m still tracking, but my metabolism is questionable on the best of days),  Adding swimming without reducing running has upped my activity level, and I don’t think I’ve increased my eating enough to compensate.  My goal right now is to make sure I’m eating enough to be able to do the things I want to do (run, swim, and strength train) without injuring myself and without sacrificing the strength and ability to do those things.  I absolutely cannot be eating at a severe calorie deficit and expect to stay injury free.

My weight always fluctuates wildly when it starts to get warmer, as I attempt to get in enough fluids and electrolytes (and frequently fail).  The increased humidity this week also has an impact on how much water is in my body.  It sounds like all of these are excuses for gaining weight, but I’m confident that I’m in better shape now than I was on January 1^st, 2021, muscle composition-wise.  My goal has always been to lose weight to a.) take pressure off my knees, especially my weaker right knee and b.) get rid of visceral fat.  It turns out, apparently I can do both those things without actually changing my weight, by strengthening my leg muscles (to take pressure off that knee), and by doing strength training I’ve noticeably lost belly fat (and fat everywhere) and gained muscle, noticeably in my arms and legs right now. 

I’ve lost so much belly fat, strangers are asking me how I keep my belly so flat, so I think I’m on the right track, even without the scale going down.

Total walking + running miles this week (May 16 – May 22): 73.66 miles (up 2.33 from last week)

Total walking + running miles this year (2021): 1,431.38 miles

Total steps this week (May 16 – May 22): 147,110 steps (up 10,970 from last week)

Total steps this year (2021): 2,736,074 steps

Average steps per day (May 16 – May 22): 21,015 steps (up 1,567 from last week)

Average steps per day (2021): 19,268 steps

Total running miles this week (May 16 – May 22): 57.08 miles (up 0.42 from last week.)

Average running mileage per week (2021): 56.90 miles

Total running miles this year (2021): 1,154.33 miles

Average running speed this week (not including hill repeats) (May 16 – May 22): 11:43/mile.  (6 seconds slower per mile than last week)

Average running speed this year (2021): 11:42 per mile

Average resting heart rate this week (May 16 – May 22): 58 bpm (same as last week)

Average resting heart rate this year (2021): 59 bpm

Elevation gain this week (May 16 – May 22): 3,118 ft. (up 551 ft. from last week).

Elevation gain this year (2021):  50,935 ft.

Average elevation gain per week (2021): 2,479 ft.

Current thyroid medication: 137.5 mcg/day levothyroxine + 5 mcg x 2 times a day liothyronine. Started on Aug. 11, 2020.

Weight, weight fluctuate

Weight: 164.1 lb (up 1.3 lb from last week).

Weight January 1, 2021: 163.3 lb

Weight change since Jan 1, 2021: +0.8 lb

Previous week:  May 9 – May 15, 2021

Next week:  May 23 – May 29, 2021