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Baldy x2...with a mask!

April 20, 2015 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Comments:
I can't remember why, but I decided, after how TERRIBLE the allergies were yesterday, that I'd try running with a mask on. Wasn't sure if it was tales of Rupp wearing one, or what, but I was tired of huffing so much pollen, only to run slow AND feel like shit for hours after.

Drove to Hi-Rons to find some masks, and got some pretty cheap, crappy ones to try. The idea today was to do my first hill repeats...in a while, and since it was nice today and yesterday I figured the pollen would suck again.

Picked up the crappy masks then drove to South Eug for the run. The mask was fine on the outbound, and it was really no hinderance: minimal discomfort or breathing restriction.

Different story on the repeats.

I forgot my HRM strap, so I only went by time and feel, but I felt like I was running hard -or at least BREATHING hard. When I began to sweat hard, the mask got heavy and it was like having a party favor in my mouth: suck it it, blow it out. Repeat x 30-50 per minute! As such, the times were SLOW:

11:06, 11:30!!

It was much easier the few times I took down the mask, so there was an obvious restriction there.

Form focus today was on "elite feet" again, and keeping the feet strong on the ups. What this meant was not over-flexing at the ankle. A sustained 90 deg foot angle transfers the power up to the glutes, and nowhere is this more evident than inclines. TOUGH on the calf and glutes to run this way. The alternative is letting the calf go, which flexes the knee and makes hills a quad-burner, instead. This is "easier" on the short-term, but is weaker, and blows quads!

Climbs felt OK, but obviously slow. Did only two then jogged back.

PM: had to work 1-6 so no yoga.