Chasing Cocodona – Week 5

Welcome to Week 5 of Chasing Cocodona

Think Less. Just Do.

Week 5 was a solid, confidence-building week in my Cocodona training. Forty miles total, my longest run to date at 16 miles, and a true back-to-back effort on tired legs with a 10-mile follow-up. Nothing flashy—just consistent work, intentional recovery, and a growing sense that my body and mind are syncing up.

This week reminded me that progress doesn’t come from overthinking—it comes from showing up and doing the work I already planned.

Weather Be a Changing

The Week at a Glance

Here’s how the training laid out:

Monday

• 2-mile walk

• Strength & power workout

Tuesday

• 4-mile run at threshold pace

Wednesday

• Strength workout

• 4-mile run

Thursday

• Power workout

• 2-mile walk

Friday

• Strength workout

• 16-mile long run

Saturday

• 2-mile walk

• 8-mile run (back-to-back on tired legs)

Sunday

• 2-mile walk

• Rest-focused day

Weekly totals:

• Running: 40 miles

• Longest run: 16 miles

• Key session: Back-to-back long effort on fatigued legs

Tired Leg Run and Still a PR

Fueling Adjustments: Eating With Intention

This week I made a subtle but important change to my nutrition. On workdays—when I’m standing at my desk and not expending much energy—I consciously cut back on midday snacking.

The goal wasn’t restriction. It was alignment.

I’m learning to match fuel intake more closely to activity levels, rather than eating out of habit. I stayed well-fueled around training, but simplified my daytime eating when movement demands were lower. So far, it feels sustainable, and I plan to continue this approach into Week 6.

A Shift Coming in Week 6

One clear takeaway from this week: it’s time to separate strength/power workouts from run days more intentionally.

While I handled the combined sessions well, I think there’s value in letting hard efforts stand alone—giving each stimulus the respect it deserves. Week 6 will be about cleaner separation, better quality, and seeing how my body responds as mileage increases.

Setting a New PR on a Local Trail by 37 sec/mile

Sunday Means Rest—Truly Rest

I’m also recommitting to one true rest day each week, and for me, that day is Sunday.

Sunday looks like:

• Church

• One or two light walks with the dog

• Sitting on the couch watching Christmas movies

• Organizing my thoughts—and sometimes a bit of my home space—for the week ahead

This kind of rest restores me deeply. And the data backs it up.

Even after nights with less than six hours of sleep (thanks to my four-legged kids), my HRV has remained steady, strong, and impressive. That tells me my nervous system is recovering well—and that rest doesn’t have to mean doing nothing, it means doing what restores you.

Recovery: Still the Secret Weapon

Recovery continues to be a cornerstone of this training block. I’m consistently using:

• Infrared sauna

• Compression therapy

• Contrast therapy

• Halotherapy

This week, I also added PEMF, and I truly believe it’s making a difference—especially with joint mobility and sleep quality. My body feels looser, more resilient, and better prepared for the work ahead.

The 16 Mile Long Run and another PR Segment

Looking Ahead: Week 6 and Beyond

I feel ready.

The plan is to move up to 50 miles per week for the next three weeks and see how my body adapts—while also squeezing in a GRAMMA/Grandpa trip to visit five grandkids. Life doesn’t stop for training, and training doesn’t stop for life. We adapt.

The Biggest Lesson This Week

This week reinforced a simple but powerful mantra:

Think less. Just do.

Midway through one run, I caught myself trying to redesign the route—splitting trails, adjusting turnarounds, reworking the plan. Then it hit me: the mileage was the same no matter how I sliced it.

So I stopped thinking… and just did what I planned.

And it worked.

Week 5 was about trust—trust in the plan, trust in recovery, and trust in the work already done. Onward to Week 6, stronger, calmer, and fully committed to the process.

Chasing Cocodona continues.