Monday, May 17, 2010

Gonna' try a Tri

Ok- it's been a while since I've updated my status, but it's hard to keep up with posting on Daily Mile, Beginner Triathalon and Ontri every day.  Here's the update.
I've had my new bicycle for over a month and have a few hundred miles of saddle time in.  Nice bike- it will do.  Not sure I enjoy cycling as much as running- unless the roads are smooth and without traffic.  Anyway, I seem to be able to run twice a week without my hip hurting too much.  Add a bit of running to my swimming and cycling, and a triathlon is a natural.  So, I signed up for the Sahuarita Lake Tri (1000m, 25Km, 5Km) which is two weeks from today.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Follow-up- Didn't run LA

Well, here's what happened.  I did do that 22 miler.  It hurt from the 1st step to the last, but it was a good run and I finished strong without hitting the wall.  I was hurting, I knew I overtrained, but felt confident that I'd feel better and be strong 3 weeks from now.  I thought that taking a week off would leave me fresh, so I enjoyed Telluride with the family and 4 solid days of skiing without any real problems.  Then on Monday, March 1st, I took an easy 7 mi jog.  Hip hurt in an insidious way.  Next morning I was in Dr. Rich Gerhauser's office.  X-ray didn't show anything (that's good), but the MRI the following week said "Superior Full-thickness acetabular labral tear with secondayr perilabral cyst left hip"  Dreams of running LA began to fade. 

It felt a bit better after a week (i.e. I could walk without a limp), so I didn't cancel my reservations just yet, but was coming to terms with not running.  Tried jogging every couple days, but I couldn't get more than 10 steps before the sharp pain set in.  The LA Marathon went by this weekend without me in it, and that's pretty sad.  However, I had a terrific time training, learned a lot, and if I ever get over this injury I'll try again.  At this point it's looking like I will need surgery... or a bicycle.  Been shopping for a bike.

I can now run about 100 steps.  Cartlidge tears don't heal, but perhaps I'll just get used to it?

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Overtraining

I've been fairly religious about keeping with my training plan that I got from NikeRunning.  Despite the various injuries along the way, I've been able to do 97% of the mileage.  I thought by just being able to complete all the runs (and many at a good pace), the plan would get me to where I needed to be.  But, here I am, 32 days away from the marathon and I can tell I've overtrained.  I haven't gotten any faster, and the long runs just get harder and harder.  There's a dull pain in both legs down to the bone and everything hurts just a little.

It's a hard decision, but I've gotta' toss the training plan out the window for a while and rest.  Ditching the 10miler today and instead I'll go for a good swim.  It's a gorgeous day.  Perhaps a few days of rest and I'll be able to do my final 22er this weekend before the trip to Telluride, which will be another week without running.

Monday, February 8, 2010

22 in the rain

Rule #1.  don't have huevos rancheros for breakfast before a run.

Did a cross town run from Shirley's unveiling at the cemetary, hit the river at Oracle and took it to Craycroft, then all the way home.  It rained on and off through the run.  Hit the wall at about 18mi and the last 3 I wanted to stop every step.  Kept most of the pace together and finished 22, but it wasn't easy.

Monday, February 1, 2010

January = 165 Miles

The ramp-up is steady and it looks as if the October injury didn't really change the slope of the curve.  January at 165 miles is my most ever, by a long shot.  Time to flatten it out. that's enough miles/mo.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Exercise Machines


OK.  I was a good boy and let my achilles rest today.  Instead used this beast, the Precor AMT ($8,000).  It's a very cool machine that allows you to vary between an elliptical trainer and a stair master, and anywhere in between.  Is this much metal, electronics and technology, really necessary to just to allow us to move our bodies?  In perfect alignment and complete safety of course.

I'm impressed with the engineering, but am having a difficult time philosophically with this contraption's mere existance in this world.  Perhaps that's what I enjoy about running.  It's raw, basic and natural.  Just you and the path ahead.

Achilles Tendon is my Achilles Heal


Felt great on Sunday during my 20 miler.  Then hurt on Monday.  Mostly better on Tuesday, so I thought I'd do a nice, slow, easy 4 mi recovery run.  "Active" recover is the new mantra.  By the end of the run it was killing me!  Felt better on Wednesday morning after I put on the RockTape so I ventured out for my interval training run.  The first 4 or 5 miles it didn't hurt and I thought RockTape was a miracle, but after the 2nd 10min interval and 5 miles, I hobbled back to CR.  Damn.  Can't it just get used to the fact that I need it to toughen up?

Wearing RockTape right now, and it seems like it actually may be helping a little, but it's hard to tell.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Running Test Today

Today's long run wasn't long. The training plan said 10 miles. 2 mile warmup, 6 mile Tempo, 2 mile cooldown. When was it that 10 miles was no longer a 'long' run? Total perception shift.

Anyway, did the 2 mile warmup. Short pause for drinks, then took off on a subthreshold Tempo like pace that I thought I could sustain for 6 miles. Turns out, it was a 7:39 min/mi pace. Not bad. Added a couple extra miles to the run to make it 12, then took the dogs for another 2 for a total of 14. It was a good test to see how well I could continue to run with heavy legs after 6 miles at tempo.

Good workout today. Tired. A bit sore. Happy. Spent rest of the day playing with Talia, making cookies and lasagna. Talia's a terrific cook. She totally managed the new Kitchen Aide Mixmaster, and was a precision veggie cutter.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

The road to 26.2

It's been about 20 years since I read that quote on someone else's t-shirt in a gym in Los Angeles. "There is no staying the same. You are either striving to get better or allowing yourself to get worse".

There I was at age 43, still the same weight as in college and in reasonable shape. But, age takes its toll. I just wasn't feeling as strong or agile, and I remember that t-shirt. I was allowing myself to get worse. It was time to see if I could turn some of my lazy days in the gym on the lifecycle into a more focussed routine and build some mileage.

Fast forward to mid-January 2010, age 45. It's been two years since I bought the little nike ipod plus thingy that gave me the kick-start into running again. Something about being able to track your mileage on a web site really provided some motivation to me. The last two years have been a long road to run. I'm not sure I can remember all the injuries that I've run through. The trips to the chiropractor for lower back pain, the physical therapist for hips, the orthopedic surgeon- who saw me walk in and knew that as long as I was walking, there was no business for him. He's one of the many people who told me to just stop running, "buy a bicycle." Well, I wasn't ready to give in. Yeah, there was a full 6 months in there with hip bursitis and very little running- But, if I stopped every time I was injured, I'd be where I was a few years ago- running 3 or 4 miles, 1 or 2 times a week. Walls in front of me at every corner, each requiring a new trick, exercise, stretch or ignoring to get through it.

This past summer I started in again. 3 miles, 4 miles, 5 miles. 3 times a week. Then there was this cool morning in July when I got up early and decided on a long run. 6 miles. I felt like I was king of the world that morning. It was a beautiful run- scenery, hills, cool temps. Wow! This was the key, really enjoying the runs.

In a few weeks, the annual Labor Day run around the hilly 8mi Saguaro National Park East. I signed up for it. Did a training run around the 8mi loop the week before, happy just to make it. When the day came, all went well. I started off perhaps a little fast, but then eased it back and saved enough for a good strong kick the last mile. Passed enough people towards the end to come in just over an 8min/mi pace. Damn that was fun! Holy shit? Am I really a runner? Can I call myself a 'runner' yet?

There it was, November 1st, 2 months away and right around the corner from my house. An organized Half Marathon. I looked at some HM training plans. I could jump right into them. I can do it! I logged a few 10 and 12 mile runs with friends and it felt pretty good. I couldn't believe I was running that far. 3 weeks prior to the HM, I signed up for a 10mi race, just as practice. 10 miles, no big deal. I've run that distance a few times by now. Well, the line for the bathroom was long, and I got up to the start with no time to warm up or stretch out. I hit the first few miles at a strong 7:30 pace, which is really about my 5K pace. Way too fast for 10mi. At mile 4, my soleus tore. Sharp pain in the right calf- had to stop. Rubbed it out, hobbled along and then finished the remaining 6 miles in pain. 1:21. Not a bad time for me, actually, but I really should have gone out slower and finished under 1:20 (an 8min/mi). After the race, I couldn't walk. Uh-oh. Limped for 3 days. Talked to a few ExPhys. They all said the same thing. Rest, easy stretching, massage it, keep it moving, and don't run the HM. I wasn't really ready to throw in the towel yet. Saw a physical therapist, who saw the look in my eye. "Promise me that you won't run the HM" he said. A week before the HM I started in on the treadmill. A couple easy runs until it hurt. 1.5mi, 1.5 mi, 3mi. Hey, I'm almost there? No, not quite. I went out to the race that day, and changed my chip from the HM to the 5km fun run. I was nearly crying as I watched the HM runners leave the gate. Damn that was hard. Missing my first half marathon. I trotted on out on the 5k in the middle of the pack, with The Who's "Who Are You" playing on my ipod. Easy pace. felt OK. I kinda' missed the turnaround point at 2.5Km, but eventually figured it out. Picked up my stride a bit and started just waltzing past people on the way back. I had no idea, but I eventually came in 9th place overall (out of 209 runners) and 1st in my age group, with a pace of 7:35. Yeah, yeah. All the good runners were running the HM.

I was still kinda' depressed at missing the race I had been training for for 2 months when I talked to my brother-in-law Dave, a veteran 26er and ultra runner. "I'm doing the LA Marathon , why don't you do it with me". Mind you, at this point I hadn't even considered a marathon. I checked a training plan. 19 weeks away. Could I? Maybe. Yes! Well, setting this goal changed my whole outlook towards running again. I went from a little depressed at missing the half, to charged up and ready to train for the big one.

There was 600 miles of training between me and that starting line. I watched "spirit of the marathon" on Hulu. Just the goal that I needed.

So here I am in the middle of the battle. 9-1/2 weeks left until the starting line. 300miles of running down, another 300 to go. The last few weeks I've been plagued with my latest injury problem. Achilles tendon. They are insidious! Dave gave some good advice. I've been training hard. Doing hills, fast runs, intervals. "You need to back off somewhere or you won't make the starting line. Your pace is good, slow down, get rid of the hills, and give your achilles a chance to recover". Last week, after a 14 mile hilly run on Sunday through Saguaro Park and it really hurt afterwards. I took 3 solid days off. (cross trained). That helped a lot. Ran on Thursday- it hurt a little. Rested again Friday, feeling better, then did an easy 5mi on Saturday. My achilles was feeling kind of OK for the first time in 2 weeks. Sunday I was nervous. 20 miles was on the training plan. Even though I had done 2, 18 mile runs in the past month, 20 seemed nearly unreachable. I picked a flat route, that stopped at my house after 10mi to reload on energy drinks, blocks, beans and balls. The flatness really helped, but it wasn't a pretty route. Down the main drag- filled with cars constantly whizzing by. My mouth tasted like diesel exhaust. "good training for LA" I thought. 10miles, hey, achilles is holding up, I'm feeling pretty good. Really started downing the running foods after mile 13 or so and I never ran out of gas. Picked up the pace with 3 miles to go and finished strong. Under 3 hrs, under a 9min/mi pace.

Took monday off- definitely sore/fatigued. Ran 4 easy miles today and my Achilles was hurtin'. Damn, I thought I got over this problem. Just when I thought I was gonna' make the starting line! I've got 7 miles of intervals to put in tomorrow, but not on a bad achilles. Will ice tonight. Every day, another problem to overcome. Many mixed emotions: Excited, determined, worried. I'm not thinking about the finish right now, just the start. I know if I can complete the training and make it to March 21st without injury, I'll be OK.

I don't know why, but every time I think about running this marathon, it makes me want to cry- in a happy way. I want this goal. I want this accomplishment as part of my life. I can do it.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Holy Shit- I ran 20 miles yesterday


This time I did a flat run- so it didn't stress my achilles too much. Ran from CR to home, restocked liquids and beans and back to CR where post run recovery drinks a cold dip and hot tub were waiting. Only bad part was most of the run was straight down Tanque Verde with a lot of traffic. Was sucking car exhaust most of the run- which perhaps is perfect training for the Los Angeles marathon.


All went well, felt strong throught the whole run, with enought left for a little kick the last few miles. Sub 9min/mi pace (excluding stops). Feeling good about LA in 68 days.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Lenox Winter Vacation

Arrived Saturday in Lenox for some snow and cold. Big storm walloping the east coast with New England expected to get hit hard Saturday night. Woke up Sundy morning... not a flake. Just cold and blustery. Doah!
Was hoping to replace some miles of running with snowshoeing.

Wizard of Voz


Talia, now 6 years old and a voracious reader, just watched the "Wizard of Oz" again for the 1st time in a year or so. She always thought it was the Wizard of 'VOZ' rather than "OZ". Easy to mistake the difference if you've only heard the name but never read it yourself. How cool.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Holy Shit- I ran 18 miles yesterday

Ran to Saguaro at the Broadway trailhead, then to the main loop. Instead of turning around at the Visitor's center, I kept going around the loop. Achilles was killing me the whole way, but the rest of the body was fine. Feeling fatigued 1 day later, but great. No pain. I really shouldn't vary from my training plan so much, but it was a beautiful day and I couldn't stop running.

Hoping I don't hurt myself. 15 more weeks to the LA Marathon.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

130.71 Miles in November

According to my Nike+ log, I did 19 runs for a total of 130.71mi at an average pace of 8:02/mi. I think it's overestimating by about 4-5%, but still, that's way more than I've ever run in a month before.

I'm generally fatigued and always fighting off the next potential injury- but my LA Marathon Training is still on track.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Back to Running- with a New Goal

The calf is feeling capable and I'm back to running. Really enjoyed a 15mi run up reddington pass last weekend, so it got me thinking. I'm in position to train for a marathon. First time in my life.

We'll see what happens as I work through the training program, but right now I'm 17-1/2 weeks from the LA Marathon.

I feel like I'm at base camp at Everest with a goal in sight. It's taken almost 2 years to get to base camp. If I don't summit (26.2) on 3/21, then I sign up for another and try again.

Monday, November 2, 2009

5K run- won my first race (sort of)

I was nearly crying inside as I watched the half marathoners start and run off without me and my soleus. Damn soleus. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful morning and I trotted off on the 5K run. I started towards the back, went out slow and comfortably, not trying to race, but just enjoy the ride. I did slalom between the cones and stretched out my legs as they began to warm up to the race. Grabbed gatorade at the half way point (Note to self, gatorade doesn't taste good until 10 miles) and then missed the turnaround... probably cost me a good 15 to 20 seconds.


Passed one person after another and ran down a 27 year old woman on the final few hundred yards.


Surprise- I ended up 9th overall (out of 209), 7:35 pace and 1st place in the 45-49 age group. Got a nice etched beer mug as a prize. cool!





Friday, October 30, 2009

2 days to go

I've gotten in 3 easy 3-mile runs on the treadmill. Soleus wasn't especially sore today after the run. I'm thinking I might be able to do the half, but it certainly would be a risk to the fragile soleus. Plus, I haven't trained in 3 weeks. don't know what to do. Aaargh!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Injury Report- 1st attempted run today.

Warmed up the injured calf on the elliptical for 30 min. Stretched out and tried a slow jog on the treadmill. Felt OK. Slowly upped the pace and incline and made it 1.5mi before my Soleus said "hello!". Stretched. Foam rollered. Hot Tub. Massaged. I'll call it a success after only 9 days. 12 more days to go before the half marathon. I'm determined to be ready.

Amy back from Colorado

Amy returned from seeing Judy Rosen in the hospital, recovering from surgury to remove ovarian cancer. Lots of fluid build-up. Not doing well right now. Very sad.

Monday, October 12, 2009

I came up lame! Shoot me.

I’ve been training for the ½ marathon on Nov 1st, and have done 12 mi runs for the past 3 weekends, with an 8min/mi pace. My 10K training pace has been 7:35 or 7:40 – a couple of those every week. I was feeling cocky and anything better than an 8min/mi for Sunday’s 10miler would have made me happy. I thought a 7:45/mi was easily in reach for me.

Went out at a 7:30 -7:40 pace, knowing that might be a bit fast, but was feeling good. Then I felt the calf pain at ~4 miles. Had to stop and felt if I could just stretch it out and massage it, it would feel better. Thought it was just a calf cramp- which I had never had before. Turns out, by location, soreness and inflammation, it seems to be a soleus tear. Finishing the rest of the 6 miles on it, probably didn’t do it any good (except for the experience of running through excruciating pain). And moving furniture all afternoon (instead of RICE) I’m sure just made it worse.

I was hydrated, had breakfast- including a banana that morning- so probably not an electrolyte deficiency. Especially not at only 4 miles. My diagnosis of the problem- No warm-up. Normally I run 2.5 miles, then stretch out, then continue my long run or intervals. I didn’t do that on Sunday. Just walked up to the starting line and started to run (dumb for a 45 year old). Also, my right leg is chronically tight and I always need to stretch it more (Karma Kintzler pointed this out to me).

At first I was just annoyed at my 1:21 time. But now I’m wondering how long it’s going to take this soleus tear to recover and if I just killed my HM coming up. Doah!

Race Results: http://www.azroadrunners.org/results/detail/get_moving_tucson_2009_results