Higher mileage but lower intensity week still testing the calf. Trying to get back into the marathon training right where I left off. I think ideally if this week goes well, I can be pretty close to 100% at San Francisco despite the setback/injury. The rationale behind that being I only missed about 25 miles of running, very little in the grand scheme of things and the easy/injured weeks will reduce the chance of me burning out (probably better to be slightly undertrained than overtrained).
Monday: 8 Miles- Calabasas, CA
Typical Calabasas road trail/mixer. I ran 8 miles on mostly flat bike paths in Camarillo most Mondays in the prior two blocks, but I like this route more and it has some soft surface so it gives me room to alternate/change it up. Two steep neighborhood roads hills in the middle which I ran much faster than usual- 5:45 GAP or so. Either my uphill fitness is getting pretty good or I'm just fresher than usual (likely a combination of both).
Tuesday: 11 Miles- Thousand Oaks, CA
Back to the Newbury Park ridgeline loop I've been doing on Tuesdays (from Kimber Park: some roads-Vista del Mar-Sierra Vista-Potrero Ridge). This replaced my Fall loop where I'd run in the NPS/Rancho Satwiwa trails which were flatter but not quite as scenic (I changed up the loop because those trails were quite muddy after the rain). About 70 degrees on this one, but got quite warm/hot by the end because there was zero shade out there. Interestingly I probably ran in upper 70s regularly and felt fine in the fall, but now am struggling in the low 70s now. Probably not as well acclimated and more direct sunlight. Anyway, some of these trails were very overgrown so I might opt back to the old fall route and see if that's better.
Wednesday: 16 Miles
AM 12 Miles- Thousand Oaks, CA
Also a return to 12 mile workout from Peppertree Playfield. I was a little bit nervous for this as while my calf had passed the easy run test, running hard was a different story. Opted for the 6-5-4-3-2-1 minute workout with half rest but wanted to try to run the first two reps really conservative with the calf. I didn't do that and actually ran faster than usual on them. However, I felt quite drained and flat almost immediately and was seriously considering cutting the workout. Made it through the 4 minute rep and called it.
Once I caught my breath, I figured the 3-2-1 was so short I might as well finish. A decent first workout back and only slight calf discomfort, although calf was definitely tight by the end. Totally gassed and on fumes during the cooldown.
PM 4 Miles- Thousand Oaks, CA
My schedule (evening/night classes, no work) is pretty good for knocking these long single runs, but it's terrible for doubling. Can't run super early because I get out of class late. Can't double at a normal hour (6PM ish) because I have to be in class. So for my double Wednesdays that means a late morning 12 mile workout and then a mid-afternoon double, there's very little rest in between and I feel absolutely terrible on the double. Which was the case today and it didn't help that it was the hottest one of the year (78 degrees) and the trail I chose was so overgrown I was cutting up my legs. While my schedule is much easier than last year (working 8-4:30PM 4x week), a long work day is much better for doubling.
Thursday: 11 Miles- Malibu, CA
Point Mugu again. I ran the climbs fast last week, but even faster today with some sub-6 GAPs. Given this was after a workout/16 mile day, hopefully that means my uphill fitness is pretty good. I don't remember this one well except that it was really foggy. The descent (Wood Canyon Vista) is getting super overgrown unfortunately, rest of the route is dirt roads so no problem there. Interestingly today and Tuesday on Vista del Mar, there was a massive swarm of bugs I ran near/just by (very loud buzzing). There may not be deerflies or ticks here which is nice, but there's definitely a lot of flies and bees that like the open sun.
Friday: 12 Miles- Agoura Hills, CA
Full Cheeseboro from Old Agoura park. Usually a 10 mile Cheeseboro feels short and enjoyable and a 12 mile Cheeseboro feels like a long, tiring slog. Today was better- super foggy so no sun meant the temperature was nice and felt good throughout. Ran at 7:40AM as my apartment was shutting off the water at 10am and it's so much more pleasant than 11am.
Saturday: 16 Miles- Santa Clarita, CA
Good test inbetween an easy workout and full strength workout/race- 2x3M tempo/MP with mile jog rest. Last weekend running in Ojai I drove past the Ventura bike path I normally do long runs at and noticed that at least the first mile or so was completely dug up and now dirt so that wouldn't work for marathon workouts- meaning I'd have to find an alternate. While I don't like the Ventura bike path all that much (gross area, homeless people on the path, not a great bike path to begin with) I've become very familiar with it. I think there's almost a comfort to be doing hard, long efforts there because I know it well. I know exactly what's coming up, what a good pace is for me, and the miles tend to go by faster. So on one hand it was nice to mix things up, but on other I'd lose that familiarity/comfort that helped get me through some hard workouts.
The other problem with taking Ventura out as an option was there is a real lack of bike paths, at least those 6+ miles in length in an hour radius. I searched around the strava routes and Santa Clarita was really the only option. I've tried Santa Monica "The Strand" but I hate the cement there and it gets very winding or there's sand on the path.
Headed out to Santa Clarita- 45 minute drive. Basically the desert there but a very mild day for June so didn't worry much weather- Sun wasn't even out. Scouted out the route to find this is a much nicer bike path (and city) than Ventura. Ventura doesn't even separate lanes, here had the normal bike lanes, but also a separate pedestrian (non-biking) lane on the side. Also unlike Ventura there were zero road crossings- the path goes under roads, and zero sections alongside a busy road. The downside was that there aren't too many people in Ventura, but it was quite crowded here- couldn't stop to pee at the turnaround like I do in Ventura.
Anyway- workout went out well with close to 5:35 pace for each of them. It did feel pretty hard, especially the second one. I think part of that is coming back from a down/injury recovery week, and part is being a slightly harder route than Ventura (more winds bends/the short down and up to go under roads/hillier overall).
Sunday: 12 Miles- Moorpark, CA
Happy camp canyon, a loop I did in the fall a few times. Kind of like Cheeseboro, except the climbs are much harder/steeper. Got lucky that it wasn't too warm as I started late, but unlucky that some of the trails coming back were horribly overgrown.
Weekly Total: 86 Miles
Weekly Highlight: Successful return to harder efforts without hurting anything.
Weekly Lowlight: Overgrown trails
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