M5T W8

I received an email from MapMyRun this morning with a link to this article, "3 Tips that Can Save You From Running Injuries."  Point number 2 is "Practice proactive recovery — and don’t push it."  One of the key points was "Never, ever run through sharp, stabbing pain. It could turn a nagging ache into a more serious injury." 

I switched things up quite a bit this week.  We fly back to Oahu on Wednesday and I since won't have a bike there anymore I rode yesterday and today.   I'm hoping my knee will be back to normal by the time I run again on Thursday.

Sunday - 4 miles recovery pace

Monday - Rest day

Tuesday - Intervals - 5 mile run:
1 mile warmup
4 x 1/2 mile hard effort with 2 min jog recovery
Easy pace remaining miles
Wednesday  - 3 miles easy pace

Thursday - 6 miles tempo
6 mile run: warmup
/ 3x5 min Tempo w/2 min
running recovery /
Easy pace remaining miles

Friday - Rest day

Saturday - LSD 8 miles

Total planned miles 26

Cycling for Runners

I think I've mentioned a few times here how little I've been running this summer.  I've stayed active by riding my bike.  I've ridden almost twice as many miles as I've run this year.  So when I started marathon training last week, especially my first interval session, I was pretty sure my running would be way off.  But it wasn't.

While I was riding on Thursday, I started wondering.  My riding here in Hawaii is different than what I had done in California.  I have a mountain bike in California so I do lots of climbing.  My hybrid here climbs good but I also do a lot of flat riding.  Flat riding = moving the legs a lot faster.  I Googled "cycling for runners" and the first article was from Competitor.com, "Start Cycling to Become a Better Runner."  You can read the entire article, but here are some highlights:

Petra Kilian-Gehring, coach and co-owner of Speed Cycling in Madison, Wis., says the biggest benefit runners can get from road biking is the ability to do more work with less stress on the body.  I can attest to this after last year's marathon.  I consistently cross trained on the bike, made it to the start line injury free, and had a seven minute PR.

Try to find a mostly flat or mildly rolling section of road for these workouts (avoid steep hills at all costs!), which allows for a balance of moderate resistance and a quick cadence of around 90 RPM. “Since a runner should take around 180 steps per minute, when you get on the bike 90 RPM is replicating that cadence,” Kilian-Gehring says.  This describes the riding I've been doing here in Hawaii to a T.

Although bike intervals can contribute greatly to running fitness, nothing can replace the specificity of running workouts. “You still need to engage the running muscles and build up the body’s running structure,” Kilian-Gehring says. By adding biking into your running regimen, you’re able to build fitness without wrecking your legs. This translates into bumping up not only strength, but also that anaerobic threshold, allowing you to run faster, longer.  Run faster, longer?  I think that's something we all want to do.

I put this theory to the test again this week.  I bike commuted with Les yesterday - 13 miles in about an hour.  I told Les I wanted to keep it really easy since I had intervals today.  On my way home, I was solo and into the wind.  I kept an eye on my heart rate and did my best to keep it about 120-125.  I averaged 122 for the bulk of that part of the ride - a 4.5 mile stretch of flat highway.

I got up this morning with intervals on the schedule.  I thought I had programmed my watch correctly but I hadn't.  Since my plan was 3x400/2x600/2x400 I knew using what was on my watch wasn't going to work.  I thought about just doing a steady run.  I warmed up for 2 miles, then restarted my watch because it was beeping constantly.  I ran for another mile or so and decided to do speed bursts, known in the running world as fartleks.  They don't have a set time or distance.  I did a total of 11 fartleks ranging from 17 to 58 seconds.  I tried not to look at my watch, I just ran as fast as I could until I started fading.  I averaged 6:43 for 30 seconds and again for 23 seconds.  My longest interval was 55 seconds at 7:35.

I've seen it many times - if you want to become a better run, you must run.  I was surprised and happy with these speed bursts today and the confirmation that cycling is making me a better runner!

How do you do speed work?  Fartleks, intervals, other or none?
How much cycling or other cross training do you do?

ITB Update ~ Maybe It's the Shoes

I took several days off from running because of my IT Band.  I rode my bike on Saturday, took a walk on Sunday, rode my bike again on Monday and used the foam roller daily.  We flew back to Oahu on Tuesday.  I got up Wednesday and was ready for a run.  I was in pain in the first quarter of a mile.  I stopped and stretched, walked, ran, lather, rinse, repeat.

I had an appointment to take our car in on Thursday, so I didn't run.  I got up yesterday and ran 4 miles at 9:38 pace.  I stopped a couple of times to stretch, but the pain was barely noticeable.  I got up this morning, really wanting a long run.  I was in pain again in the first quarter of a mile.

It was not sore muscle type pain, but IT band and a strange pain in my right foot.  I turned my run into an exploration of the neighborhood and contemplated what was going on.

 

I am currently running in Saucony's Ride 8.  I have 2 pairs that I bought at the same time.  I wore the blue ones last week at home.  I wore them again on Wednesday and today.  I wore my purple ones yesterday.  Both pairs have less than 150 miles on them.

Could it be the blue shoes?  Or did I irritate my IT band yesterday?

I'll keep testing my theory.  If pain continues with the blue pair, they'll become my walking shoes.  Or frog chasing shoes.

We've also been looking at bikes for me.  I know my running goes much better when I throw in some cycling.

This week I took to heart a post I read on Run to the Finish "Are You An Active Couch Potato?"  I've been hearing "sitting is the new smoking" lately and her post was just the push I needed to be more mindful of how much I sit.  When I sit down at my desk or on the couch, I set an alarm for one hour.  I make sure I get up and do some kind of movement each hour.  I don't have a fitness tracker, so I don't know if I even come close to 1,000 steps a day, much less 10,000!

Do you have a fitness tracker?  Any IT band tricks?

The Cranky IT Band Week

I've been having a tremendous year so far.  Lots of PRs, Runner's HI, along with a slow and steady pace increase.  After Sunday's run up Santa Su, I was feeling invincible!  I headed out Wednesday morning to do my Stryd Critical Power test:

• Warm up - 10 minutes
• Maximum Distance Run  - 3 minutes at a consistent pace throughout the three-minute test, but to be nearly exhausted at the end of the test.
• Recovery - 30 minutes
• Maximum Distance Run - 9 minutes (same protocol as the 3 minute run)
• Cool down - 10 minutes

The purpose of the test is to determine my Critical Power.  I am working on a full post about power that I hope to have up next week.  But back to my test...

I warmed up for 10 minutes, but didn't really feel warmed up.  That's not unusual when I'm doing intervals, so I wasn't too concerned.  At the 10 minute mark, my watch went off, and I started running hard.  My watts shot up to 284.  Less than 30 seconds in, my right IT band started screaming!  Not just a little pain, but sharp pain from my hip to my knee.

I stopped running and tried to walk it out.  I restarted my watch, thinking I just needed more time to warm up.  I walked, ran, and walked some more.  Still pain.  After about 10 minutes I knew the test wasn't going to happen.  I went home really bummed.

El Nino hasn't really lived up to its name this year, but there is a little green on our hills.

This morning I got up and headed to our local trail for a run.  The same thing happened.  I had no pain walking, but after a minute or two of running the pain was back.  I walked and ran for about 1.5 miles and decided to turn around.

I really don't know why I'm having these pains.  The only thing I can tie it to is my run on Sunday.  I ran on the shoulder of the road for 8 miles so I may have caused some irritation then.  I plan to just ride my bike (and do lots of stretching/foam rolling) for a few days and keep my fingers crossed that this will go away.

It dawned on me that this year will mark 20 years since I started running.  There have been times of inconsistency, but I've run more often than not.  In those 20 years I have never had a long term injury.  That's right, zero long term injuries.  So I plan to baby this cranky IT band and keep that trend going!

Midway Recovery Week, The Value of Keeping Records, and My Nice Neighbors (Week 8 Results)

How's that for a long title?

I knew this week was going to be tough after last week's Crystal Lake Plunge, but it was worse than expected!  I hobbled through Sunday and Monday, slowly started feeling better about Wednesday, and then my right hamstring started acting up!  I am calling this a recovery week and trying my best not to let it mess with my head.

Why is it important to keep track of how training goes?  Because there will be weeks like this one and you have to be able to look back at the good weeks to keep going.  My long runs so far have been: 10 miles @ 10:29 pace, 8 @ 10:06, 12 @ 10:38, 8 @ 10:44, 14 @ 10:29, 10.5 @ 10:48, and 15.78 @ 9:05.  My pace range for my long runs is 10:35-10:55, so I have been right on track. Today I ran 10.33 @ 12:11.  I have not lost that much speed.  It was one bad run.  I will do better next week.

So here's what a midway recovery week looks like:

Sunday - Rest day
Result:  Walked 2.01 miles in 36:41, 18:14 pace
I was a pitiful mess the entire day.

Monday - 4 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Result:  Rode 9.4 miles in 50:47, 11.1 mph
Kept the pace and gearing super easy here.

Tuesday - Intervals - 7-8 miles
Result:  Rested

About midweek our weather got really crazy.  Excessive heat warnings.  The temperature at 5:30 on both Wednesday and Thursday mornings was 77!  We often get in the 90s and triple digits, but usually cool off at night so my early morning runs are pleasant.  77 is not pleasant!

Wednesday - 3 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Result:  Ran 4.04 miles in 52:55, 13:07 pace

Thursday - 4 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Result:  Ran 4.59 miles in 57:43, 12:35 pace
Hit the trail for this one.  Chatted with a couple of other runners - Ron who just hiked Mount Whitney and Larry who has completed 5 Ironman competitions.

Friday - Rest day
Result:  Rode 9.33 miles in 47:00, 11.9 mph
Saw TWO snakes on the road!  I didn't stop for a picture, but took this shot on my run this morning.  Yesterday's snake, today's roadkill.

Saturday - LSD 10 miles w/3 @tempo (8:33 pace)
Ran 10.33 miles in 2:05:55, 12:11 pace
This one hurt. I walked most of the last 3 miles.  My right hamstring is super tight.  No amount of stretching and foam rolling has seemed to help yet.  I'm sitting here in compression tights with an ice pack now.  But there was a really pretty sunrise!

Sometimes on a long or fast training run it's easy to tune into my music and ignore everything and everyone around me.  Today, at my very leisurely pace, I was able to talk to a few of my favorite neighbors.  There are two Joes that I see on a regular basis - Korean Joe (because he's Korean) and Grandpa Joe (because he's 77.)  Korean Joe has been suffering from Parkinson's disease for several years now.  He gets out and walks most mornings and is one of my cheerleaders.  Such a sweetheart!  Grandpa Joe broke both ankles many years ago while working construction.  He gets out and walks or hikes every single day.  He's amazing!  He leads a weekly group hike and he never seems to tire.  Lastly, I chatted with Korean Joe's wife, Diana.  She said Joe is now also suffering from dementia.  And that put my tight hamstring and slow running in the proper perspective.  I get to run, I'm healthy, and I will run faster again.

Totals
Running 18.96
Walking 2.01
Cycling 18.73
Total 39.70

Recovery and Strength Training

At the end of each workout I upload to my Suunto Ambit2 to Movescount and I get to review all my data.  One of the features I don't always pay attention to is "Recovery Time."  After a typical run or ride, it's 8-10 hours, so I know I'll be fine the next day.  After a long run it's usually more.  After Saturday's long run it was 73 hours!

I hobbled through a 2 mile walk on Sunday morning and wanted to cry any time I moved all day.  Using the foam roller was pure torture.  Before bed on Sunday night I applied Icy Hot to my legs (I like the No Mess roll on.)  Why didn't I do this on Saturday?

I did an easy bike ride yesterday morning, downshifting anytime I felt any pressure on my quads at all.  More Icy Hot and foam rolling.  My legs were a lot better.

This morning it is 73 hours later - my legs aren't completely recovered, but I could probably go for a short run.  I'm holding off one more day because of the blister on the inside of my left heel.  It is about the size of a quarter.  TrainingPeaks' advice on blisters, "Blisters aren't just painful and ugly. They may cause you to adjust your gait to avoid putting pressure on the sore spots, which can lead ot injury. They can also get infected. Ignore blisters smaller than the size of a pencil eraser. But if they're bigger, prick the side with a sterile needle and drain it. Don't remove the blister roof—cover it with an antibiotic ointment and a bandage."  I'm hoping the dead skin will come off in another day and I'll be good to go again.

On Sunday morning I Googled "Strength Training for Downhill Running."   There was an outstanding article by Runner's World (here.)  This quote describes me at the end of Saturday, "Downhill running can beat up your quads -- especially for a marathon -- leaving you hopelessly dead-legged in the final miles of the race when you need to charge to the finish line."  Since I was only at the 16 mile mark, I've got some work to do to be able to finish my marathon.  Not just finish strong, but finish at all!

So my goal for the next 8 weeks is to add in strength training, especially for my quads.  The two most common exercise are lunges and squats.  Plyometrics are also suggested.  I've always had a love/hate relationship with lunges, but I'll just have to embrace them once again!  My plan is to do my strength training immediately following my long runs and intervals.  That will give me the most time to recover from any soreness for key workouts.

I had thought about doing my 22 miler on the course, but I'm so glad I ran the course sooner!  I learned a lot more than I thought I would and have a lot to work on but time to do it.

Marathon Training Week 1 Results

It's been an interesting and challenging week 1 of marathon training!

Sunday:  Rest Day
Result:  Ran 10.0 miles in 1:57:31, 11:45 pace
We rented a car for the weekend so I HAD to run the Tantalus loop.  I actually had my best ever time on the entire loop so I was happy with how the week started.

Monday: 4 Miles Easy (pace 10:04)
Result:  Rest - my legs were SO sore from yesterday.  I did walk 1.3 miles

Tuesday:  4 Miles Hills (no planned pace)
Result:  2.5 miles in 34:42, 13:53 pace.
Here's when things started going to downhill - about one mile into my run, my right shoe fell apart!
I walked to The Running Room and was able to buy a new pair of shoes.  Unfortunately, with my size 5 foot, they only had 2 pairs available.  I went with Sauconys because I've worn them before, but they've given me a bit of trouble.  Ended up walking 6.3 miles this day.

Wednesday:  Rest Day
Result: Ran 6.22 miles in 1:13:14, 11:46 pace.  This was my hill run for the week.  My new left shoe rubbed a blister.  Also walked 2.6 miles

Thursday: 4 Miles Easy (pace 10:04)
Result:  Rest day.  Walked 2.5 miles 

Friday:  4 Miles Easy (pace 10:04)
Result:  Ran 3.75 miles in 41:08, 10:49 pace.  Even with a bandage on my blister gave me problems!
Also walked 3.3 miles

Saturday:  10 Miles LSD (pace 10:04-11:04)
Result:  Ran 7.11 miles in 1:35:03, 13:22 pace
I had nothing today!  I think it's a combination of tired, hormones, and new shoes that aren't broken in enough.  I knew in the first mile that I wasn't going to make 10 miles.  My plan was to run the Tantalus loop in reverse.  I decided during the second mile that I would go up for an hour, then turn around and head back to the car.  One of the important things about the long run is being on your feet a long time so I decided not to worry about pace and just stay on my feet.

I'm definitely taking a rest day tomorrow.  We fly home on Tuesday afternoon, so I'm trying to decide what to do on Monday and Tuesday. I don't want to keep opening up this blister and delaying healing.  Luckily it's early enough in my training that I don't think an extra day off will make that much difference!

Total planned miles: 26
Total actual miles:
Running:  29.58
Walking: 16.0
Total 45.58

What a Week!

This was a pitiful week running wise!  I guess I needed a "taper" week, because I sure got it!

Sunday - Rested
Sunday is often a rest day for me - not always, probably 50-50.

Monday - walked 2 miles
Essentially another rest day!  I had a dentist appointment and walked there.

Tuesday - Ran 1.48 miles in 18:19, 12:24 pace
This is when my week went south!  Just after the one mile mark, I tripped.  I went flying and landed on both hands and knees.  Bloodied and battered, I limped home.  My right hand is still a mess today and I have multiple bruises.  I don't know if I'm getting klutzier the closer I get to 50, or if I was just really tired and would have benefited more from another rest day.

Wednesday - Rested

Thursday - Walked 2.4 miles
This was a trip to the grocery store.  By the time I got home, my bandages were slipping off.  Humidity + bandages = lots of slippage.

Friday - Ran 3.91 miles in 53:02, 13:34 pace
The first mile didn't feel too bad, then my left ankle started hurting.  I may have twisted it on Tuesday and not realized it because of other more painful parts of my body!
Also walked 2.1 miles.

Saturday - Rested
I am meeting Les (and his bicycle) at the North Shore later today and we may do a little hiking.

The totals for this week are awful, but I'm alive with no broken bones and I'll be running again soon!

Running 5.39
Walking 6.50
Total 11.89

Weekly Review

It's been a better week.  I think my hamstring is at about 95%.  I really babied it for the first half of the week - I didn't even attempt running until Wednesday!  I'm also pleased to say that I did Pilates three times this week as planned.  It's definitely getting easier.

Sunday - Walked 8.01 miles
Spectating a marathon is a lot of work!  I was at the start and finish lines and enjoyed the day so much!

Monday - Walked 4.5 miles

Tuesday - Walked 3.5 miles

Wednesday - Ran 6.74 miles in 1:28:30, 13:08 pace
Hamstring still wasn't feeling great.  My IT band was also a little cranky, I'm guessing my stride was off from the hamstring and was causing IT trouble.  It's a slippery slope...

Thursday - Walked 4 miles

Friday - Ran 8.01 miles in 1:38:45, 12:20 pace
I decided to head up to Tantalus.  I knew I would be slow, and I was, but even walking up Tantalus is a tough workout.  I managed to run down at a pretty good pace.  I wore my compression calves sleeves while out running, I usually just wear them for recovery.  I didn't notice much difference, but I did hear a cyclist say, "Nice socks."

Good morning, Diamond Head!

Also walked 6 miles
Saturday - Ran 5.25 miles in 54:33, 10:24 pace
Today was going to be an active recovery run.  My quads are really sore from yesterday's run.  But once I started running, my legs felt better than they had in about two weeks!  I decided to run fast as long as I could.  That ended up being the entire time!  Must have been my special headband...

Totals
Running 20
Walking 26.01
Total 46.01 miles

Don't forget to enter my giveaway! 

Tight IT Band Makes for a Tough Running Week

I have no idea what happened, but my IT band has been tight all week.  It started on Monday and has been tight and painful all week.  Grrr...

This would have been a great week to be a surfer.  The waves have been huge!  I can see them crashing from my window. I have a feeling it's a great workout, too!

Sunday - Rest Day
Spent the morning at Pearl Harbor, so we did some walking but I didn't keep track of it.

Monday - Ran 7.46 miles in 1:26:06, 11:32 pace
I don't think I warmed up enough and that may have contributed to my IT band problems.

Tuesday -  Walked 4.2 miles
This was a bunch of errands around town.

Wednesday - Ran 5.02 miles in 1:10:49, 12:19 pace
I started out okay, but ended up walking the entire last mile because of my IT band.
Also walked 2.8 miles

Thursday - Walked 2 miles

Friday - Ran 8.1 miles in1:31:04, 11:14 pace
I used the foam roller before my run and that seemed to help.  I ran up Diamond Head.  Just before I hit the 4 mile mark it started pouring!  The rain lasted for about 10 minutes, but I was drenched the entire way home.
Also walked 2.2 miles

Saturday - Ran 5.27 miles in 1:06:36, 12:39 pace
More IT band tightness.  I used the foam roller before running but it didn't seem to give me as much relief today.

Totals for this week:
Ran 25.85
Walked 11.20
Total 37.05

Another Week at Home

This is the longest stretch that I have been at home since January.  I had a good week and even rode my bike twice!  That half marathon I mentioned yesterday?  Didn't happen.  I wanted to do it, but my legs were dead.  Completely.  I ended up just walking!  My only rest day this week was Monday, so I just didn't have the energy.  I am happy to report no knee pain, so that's a bonus!

Sunday - Walked 3.76 miles in 1:00:32, 16:07 pace
I had a strong run on Saturday so this was a recovery walk.

Monday - Rest Day

Tuesday - Ran 7.0 miles in 1:32:19, 13:11 pace
This was a fun one - I ran 2.5 miles on the road, then 2.5 miles on the trail and finished with 2 miles on the road.  It felt good to just follow a whim!

Wednesday - Rode 9.94 miles in 1:06:45, 8.9 mph
This is the first time I had been on my bike since March 14th!  Les rode with me and kept a very stead pace, not too fast, and I felt pretty good.

Thursday - Ran 6.45 miles in 1:23:36, 12:58 pace
This run started out pretty good but quickly deteriorated due to old shoes.

Friday - Ran 3.01 miles in 39:51, 13:16 pace
Tested out my new shoes.  Knee pain was still noticeable, but I think that was just lingering from Thursday's run.
Also rode 8.75 miles in 48:02, 10.9 mph
This was on the road instead of the trail.

Saturday - Walked 6.37 miles in 1:35:57, 15:04 pace
I could tell just a mile or two in that a long run wasn't going to happen.  My legs felt so heavy and my energy level was low.  Definitely should have taken it easier on Friday.

Totals for this week:
Ran 16.46
Walked 10.13 
Biked 18.69
Total 45.28 miles

Goodbye to a Favorite

I have faithfully run in Saucony's Shadow 6000 for about 15 years.  I buy two pairs at a time and rotate them between each run.  They usually last 300-350 miles before I notice wear and know it's time to replace them.  The last couple of times I have bought them, it's been a different story.  I have noticed considerable wear/break down after only 200 miles.  Not good.

I headed out for a run yesterday.  My legs were fresh and I wanted to go about 8 miles.  After about 4 miles my right knee started hurting.  I took a walk break while going up a steep hill.  I looked down and saw my right foot was pronating big time!  I could see the inside of my foot leaning in like this:

No wonder my knee hurt!  Alignment issues are no joke.  I cut my run short, went home and told Les, "It's time for new shoes!"  I noticed that Road Runner Sports is no longer carrying the Shadow 6000, even as one of their "classics" or "endangered" shoes. I headed to our local Saucony outlet to try a different model.  I chatted with the saleswoman and she said Saucony is no longer making Shadow 6000 and any that are still available are probably pretty old.  Meaning the materials have started breaking down before they even leave the store.  No wonder I wasn't getting good mileage on them!

I ended up with the Ride 4.  There is a newer model, Ride 5, but the heel drop is 8 mm instead of the 12 mm of the Ride 4.  My old Shadows were also 12 mm.  Since my injury trend is usually due to old shoes, I don't want to switch to a lower heel drop.

 

I took them for a short test run this morning and could definitely feel better support.  I wanted to run a half marathon tomorrow, but I'm not sure that's a good idea with new shoes and I still have a little pain in my knee.  It will probably be a game day decision.

Goodbye Shadows, you have served me well!

Whew! A Week at Home!

I have been so busy this week!  I don't know if it will be like this every time we come home, but this week has flown.  I crossed the final thing off my to do list late yesterday and we're getting ready to fly back to Hawaii on Tuesday morning!

I had plans for a big week while I was home.  It started off with a bang and ended with a whimper.  I don't know how or when, but I have done something to my right knee.  I have pain on the inside, just below my kneecap (a tendon or ligament, maybe?)  If I've learned anything in 16 years of running, it's that small injuries can turn into big ones.  I have not learned this from personal experience, but I've read of many runners who refuse to take a day or two off, then end up injured and unable to run for months.  I don't think I've ever taken more than a week off due to injury and that is because I've always erred on the side of caution.  So here's how this week played out:

Sunday - Rested

Monday - Ran 7.02 miles in 1:17:28, 11:02 pace
I was feeling great.  It was cold again (32 degrees), but there was no wind, so I was feeling fine after a few minutes of warm up.

Tuesday - Rode 9.34 miles in 1:05:32, 8.6 mph
This was the first time I had been on my bike in over a month and I could tell!!  Slow!  This was also when I first notice my knee pain.  I don't think the injury occurred while riding because I noticed it as we were pedaling out of the driveway.  The pain wasn't really noticeable once I got warmed up.

Wednesday - Ran/Walked/Plodded 4.85 miles in 1:08:55, 14:13 pace
I just had no energy this day.  I did a lot of walking, so the knee pain wasn't very noticeable.  I started noticing it more later in the day.

Thursday and Friday - Rested
I woke up with knee pain both mornings and decided to take a little extra rest.

Saturday - Ran 5.78 miles in 1:15:46, 13:07 pace
The first 2.5 miles were great, my pace was in the 10s.  Then boom! Knee pain.  I took a few walk breaks, then ran quite of bit of mile 4.  I started up a hill and the pain came back.  From then on, the pain didn't go away.  Grrr...

I really wanted to run a half marathon this weekend, either today or Monday.  It certainly didn't happen today and I don't know about Monday.  Long term running is more important than a single long run, so I'm just going to take it one day at a time.  Maybe I just need to run in the sand!

Sidestep Injuries

The November 2012 edition of Runner's World is packed with lots of good reads.  My favorite so far is "The Life of a Runner" by Amby Burfoot.  Amby has been running for 50 years. That's right, FIFTY years!  I'll be 50 in about 18 months, so running that many years is amazing to me. The article touches on many aspects of running:  "Start.Don't Stop,"  "Train Your Brain,"  "Enjoy the Good, Endure the Bad," "Sidestep Injuries,"  "Sample Alternative Exercises," "Control Your Weight," and "Set High Standards."

After Saturday's poor run, I needed to read what he said about injuries.  20 to 80 percent of runners are injured per year.  There are as many remedies as there are injuries.  Amby says there is only one method almost guaranteed to work:

Stop running.  This has been the hardest lesson I've had to absorb in 50 years, and the one I wish I had learned better many decades ago.  When your feet, ankles, calf muscles, shins, knees, quads, hamstrings, or hips hurt, stop running.  Now.  Not the day after tomorrow, next week, or next month.  Get real.  Take time off immediately.

Stop running!?!?  Is that possible?  The article goes on:

Here's why:  The vast majority of the "20 to 80 percent" of injured runners have soft-tissue problems - that is, sore muscles, strained tendons, joint inflammation, and the like.  These are not broken bones or ACL tears.  You don't need a splint or a surgeon.  You just need to give you body time to repair itself.

He suggests three days off might be sufficient for sore muscles and as much as a week is needed for joint pains...

You know how much fitness you lose in a week?  Nothing.  That's why we taper before races.

And finally:

The one thing that's absolutely, positively known about running injuries is that old injuries lead to future injuries.  The key, then, is to avoid injury the first time around.  Today you might have a tender spot on your shin.  Keep running, and it could become a full-fledged injury that leads to chronic problems or to other counter-balance injuries.  You could spend a lifetime regretting the days when you continued running; you'll never regret the three to seven days of rest.

I really needed this!  I have been running, practically injury free, for about 16 years now.  Many times I have scaled back.   This year has been much tougher because of marathon training.  I've struggled with allowing myself enough rest, trying to get in every training run.  The paragraph about soft-tissue problems makes so much sense to me.  For the past few days I've been hurting, a lot.  Feet, quads, hamstrings, IT band.  I really feel that soft-tissue problems is all I have, so I'm taking a couple days off to do my best to make sure that's how it stays!

Today's Run = Blah and Weekly Report

I am just four weeks from my second marathon and I've started to have doubts.  I just haven't felt like my running has been that great.  I spent some time last night rereading my posts from earlier this year and realized I'm not that far off from last time.  I remembered lots of long runs, but had forgotten several that got cut short.  I remembered running fast, but there were a bunch of slow days in the mix, too.

I felt really strong Monday and Tuesday.  The schedule had only one rest day and that was a mistake.  I ran Wednesday and had nothing but a blister! On a brighter note, our weather took a turn for the better this week with much cooler temps.  We even got a little rain on Thursday and Friday.  I've added links to my Strava posts for each run in case you need even more details.

Sunday:  Rest Day
Result:  Rested

Monday: 7 Miles Easy (pace 9:52)
Result:  7.38 miles in 1:23:46, 11:21 pace

Tuesday:  9 Miles w/5 miles at Tempo (pace 9:52)
Result:  7.51 miles in Santa Barbara in 1:27:44, 11:41 pace

Wednesday:  6 Miles Easy (pace 9:52)
Result:  4.98 miles in 1:11:42, 14:23 pace.
My muscles were tight and sore, but the blister on my right foot is what really did me in.

Thursday:  Time Trial
Result:  Rested

Friday:  5 Miles Easy (pace 9:52)
Result:  5.07 miles in 1:02:31, 12:20 pace

Saturday:  15 (but I'm planning 22) Miles LSD (pace 10:04-11:04)
Result:  8.7 miles in 2:10:19, 14:59 pace.
I headed out with great intentions this morning, but I knew something was wrong as soon as I started running.  LEAD.LEGS.  I did a mix of running and walking in the first mile hoping to warm up, but I had nothing.  I kept walking, running, walking, running until about mile 5 when I realized I was walking, hobbling.  I really couldn't put my finger on any specific injury, but I just felt off.  My form completely fell apart and that's when I decided to cut this one short.  I walked the last 3 miles and even that hurt.  I know I wasn't well rested, we went to bed about 2 1/2 hours later than usual.  I think my biggest disappointment with today's run was that the weather was perfect.  53 degrees when I got up. Much better than the past few weeks.

Okay, whine-fest is over.  Tomorrow starts a new week!

Total planned miles: 49
Totals miles:  33.64

10:52 Edit:  I'm reading the latest edition of Runner's World magazine.  There is an article by Editor-at-Large, Amby Burfoot, that I really needed to read.  I'll share more next week, but I love this quote:

Life requires us to make adjustments.
Less is still something.

I struggle mentally when I don't finish all my miles for the day.  I need to learn that less is still something.

Is it a Niggle?

The September issue of Runner's World had a feature on the six Americans who ran the marathon in the Olympics last month - Ryan Hall, Meb Keflezighi, Adbi Adbirahman, Kara Goucher, Shalane Flanagan, and Desiree Davila.  They talked about training, motivation, injury prevention, racing, and nutrition.  They listed mistakes they had made, along with lessons learned in past races.

Under Injury Prevention, Kara Goucher had this to say:

Classify Your Pain
Niggle is a big word in the running world.  We all have these little niggles here and there.  Maybe the back of your knee is sore, because you tweaked it somehow.  Or your hip is sore, because you did squats in the weight room.  Something that carries on for two, three, even four days, that's okay.  But for something that goes beyond that time frame, or that is causing you to run differently?  That's not a niggle, that's an injury.

I've definitely got a niggle going on this week.  I stepped off the curb funny on Monday and haven't had a good run since.  My weekly mileage will show that tomorrow.  I'm just trying to keep my niggle from turning into a full blown injury...

Sore in a Good Way

For the past couple of weeks I've been whining about my self inflicted injury.  You're probably as tired of reading about it as I am writing about it.  Running has not been fun.AT.ALL.  I don't like injuries and avoid them as often as possible.

Today I am SO sore, but in a good way!  I'm sore because I was able to run 7 miles of hills yesterday.  I was able to push my muscles and they are telling me about it today.

I posted this quote about a month ago:

Relish the bad training runs. Without them it's difficult to recognize, much less appreciate, the good ones.
~Pat Teske

 Two weeks of bad training runs are forgotten after one great run!

August 9th ~ Messy

Because you can never have too many pairs of running shoes!  This closet can get pretty messy.  Top left corner is a box with a new pair just waiting to go for a run...

I tried to go for a run this morning, but I'm still pretty sore.  I noticed I was favoring my left leg too much, so my form was completely off.  I ended up doing a mix of running and walking.  My plan was 5 miles easy at 10:04 pace, which would have been about 50 minutes.  I decided to go for time instead of distance.  Ended up going 3.8 miles in 55:01.

Marathon Recovery, Week 4

This is the final week Hal Higdon's Marathon Recovery plan.  The complete details for this week are here.  The idea here was to recover from my marathon in a safe and slow manner.  It has worked!  Training for Marathon #2 starts in three weeks!

Sunday: An hour of cross-training.

Monday:  Rest

Tuesday:  Five miles.

Wednesday:  Five miles.

Thursday:  Three miles.

Friday:  Two miles.

Saturday:  Rest

TIP OF THE WEEK: "Food has real nutritional value, whereas sports drinks are just sugar," says Nancy Clark, R.D., author of Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook and a nutritionist with SportsMedine Brookline of Boston. Clark recommends fruit or yogurt (frozen and otherwise) as a superior snack to cookies or candy bars. Research by Dr. (Edward F.) Coyle indicates that 1 gram of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight per hour is necessary for the most efficient glycogen replacement. That translates to 2 calories per pound, or 300 calories for a 150-pound runner.

I agree with that statement in part.  MOST sports drinks are full of sugar, but NOT Hammer Nutrition!  You won't find any sugar in any of their products.

Marathon Recovery, Week 3

I really will be following Hal Higdon's Marathon Recovery plan this week!  The complete details for this week are here.  I like this:  "It seems that all I've been saying for the last several days (and several weeks) is: "Take it easy! Take it easy!" Well, it's true. That's exactly what you should be doing."

Monday:  Rest

Tuesday:  Four easy miles.

Wednesday:  Five miles.

Thursday: Four easy miles.

Friday:  Rest.

Saturday: Run 60 minutes. No planned pace or distance.

Sunday: An hour of cross-training.