Training Update: Progress Continues

The running has continued moving in the right direction since my last update. I'm consistently running 5 days per week. I just completed my first 30-mile week of the year and also my longest run (11 miles). I'm on a streak of 20 miles or more per week for 19 consecutive weeks. I have recently gone to a pattern of two "hard" weeks followed by one rest week. 

I did 13 "strider" workouts (really 30-second intervals) over 11 weeks and worked some of the repeats to faster than 6 min/mile (10 mph) pace. My peak paces on some of those repeats were around 5 min/mile. I don't have blazing sprint speed (by any stretch of the imagination), but I'm quite pleased with the improvement in my stride at faster speeds.

Now I've just started a new training phase with a focus on hill work (and some additional work on speed as well...some longer "R" repeats to use Jack Daniels' terminology). This is in preparation for future training...I like to do maxVO2 and tempo intervals uphill to enhance cardiovascular fitness. Also...I don't have the sustained leg speed to always get my HR into the target range without the help of an incline. Hill work is a bit of a dangerous thing to try with my surgically repaired knee, but I survived the first bit of hill work, and I'll cautiously move forward with it.

I could experience a set back (like happened last year) at any time, but if I'm able to avoid that and keep progressing...there could be a longish race (or two) by the end of the year. I could sign up for a race sooner...but I don't know how many big efforts I have left in me...so I want to progress straight to the long distances that I enjoy the most.

So...how does the right knee feel? Well...the same. Still a little pain. Still a moderate amount of stiffness. I manage as best I can and so far I keep recovering in time for my next long run or speed workout. Some days I feel better than expected and start to get a little optimistic. Some days I'm very uncomfortable and I wonder if I'm experiencing the beginning of a setback. I'm going to keep following my plan, making adjustments as necessary and see where this goes.