July: Training Log: Treadmill, Travel, and Fun

July felt like it took a second. Like I blinked and it’s already over? It’s hard to believe that a month ago, I was enjoying myself in Japan, but here we are. Training went pretty well overall, with some highlights and lowlights.

Miles run: 290

Range of Paces: 6:24-18:00 untimed

Races:

Wharf to Wharf 6m (40:43)
Conquer the Pier 5k (20:51)

Swimming: 24 miles

Thoughts:

The first eight days of July were spent in Japan. I ran entirely on the treadmill because it was super hot and humid, and I preferred getting quality runs indoors. We also stayed out late almost every night, so waking up early to run was not in our best interest. Not that I need to explain why I ran on a treadmill for eight days.

When we got back to the US, I caught a minor cold that took me a couple of weeks to recover from. I ran the Conquer the Pier 5k at a 6:41 pace, and I was bummed. I knew I was in better shape than that time showed, but I began to second-guess myself. However, the next week I ran the Wharf to Wharf 6 miler at a 6:46 pace, so I knew the previous week was just a bad one.

Training went pretty well throughout the month. I stacked workouts and mileage, and I feel like I’m getting in shape. I feel like I’m getting faster and more fit than I’ve been in a while, but I haven’t had the race that really proves that. I’ve had a ton of great races where I’ve surprised myself, but I do think I have more left in the tank as far as speed.

I’ve forced myself to get on the track for most workouts. I have struggled sometimes with the track because there is nowhere to hide, and it’s easy to compare yourself to running faster, etc. In the past, I would take to road workouts or trails where pace can change based on terrain/elevation. But consistently getting back on the track has helped build some of my top-end speed. Last year, I rarely broke 90 seconds in 400s, and this year I’m averaging 88 seconds or faster. So there is progress there.

If I’m being honest, I haven’t been able to swim as much as I would like to. Work has been super busy lately (I say that a lot, but essentially I’m working three jobs: my old job, my new job, and managing our squadron move to a new building… so it’s been… a lot). I’m doing what I can after work and occasionally on my lunch break. Of course, it’s never enough for someone doing a swim meet in a few weeks, but I’m not losing sleep over it.

In all, training right now has gone pretty well. I’m running faster than I have since 2019. I’m slowly chipping away at times but I do feel like I’m missing that breakthrough race that I feel like I’m close too.

What’s next?

August is a bigger month for me as far as races with the Twilight Track Race, Fair Run, LCM Swimming Nationals (1500 meters only), and possibly a half marathon. I’m also deciding what I’ll do this fall. I am leaning toward doing a flatter/faster fall marathon than Los Angeles, but I don’t want to commit too early and get injured. So I’ll likely start training and see how it goes, then decide if it’s worth it or if I should stick to shorter events for the rest of the year.