19.6 miles
Ran Lake Mayer last week (my only run) and finished my first rotation for school, which included a lot of study at home.
This week I started my second rotation 2 hours away in Baxley, Georgia. My host has a sizeable chunk of land w/ lake and many runs in my near future. Got in a run there and 2 runs back here in Savannah. The shin splints are subsiding with some knee pain coming back. I think this is a form issue, it feels like I'm hyperextending my right knee. Ran 7 miles today and didn't have problems with it.
The 5K is quickly approaching and I'm feeling good, conditioned, and able to push hard when I want. Going to continue working on speed and do hill work when we get to California.
Showing posts with label Weekly Reports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weekly Reports. Show all posts
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
9/27-10/2 A few more miles, fun new trail
10.6 miles
Monday-leg felt about the same, not 100% but I can get in 3+ miles on grass ok. Went out in the rain tonight and loved it until I got a monster sideache that slowed me to a crawl. I don't understand the physiology behind these things. All I can figure is it was the excessive BBQ for dinner or a lack of water. I drank a bunch of water during the run and it improved.
Thursday-2.8 miles. looks like I'm going to spend a significant amount of time on the soccer fields. Worked on speed, getting some longer distance with the fast pace spurts.
Saturday-4.3 miles. Wanted to mix it up a little today and since I ran in the morning, I went off the beaten path and found a great off-road trail around a "secret" lake here in town. It was sandy/muddy/grassy and my lower legs got an excellent workout. The weather finally cooled off some and made for a very fun run. This was also my first on-goal week for 2 months! No people anywhere, lots of holes and obstacles. This will be a daylight-only trail.
The shin splints are under control for now and I've successfully switched to a mostly off-pavement routine. Still need to build speed for next month's race.
Monday-leg felt about the same, not 100% but I can get in 3+ miles on grass ok. Went out in the rain tonight and loved it until I got a monster sideache that slowed me to a crawl. I don't understand the physiology behind these things. All I can figure is it was the excessive BBQ for dinner or a lack of water. I drank a bunch of water during the run and it improved.
Thursday-2.8 miles. looks like I'm going to spend a significant amount of time on the soccer fields. Worked on speed, getting some longer distance with the fast pace spurts.
Saturday-4.3 miles. Wanted to mix it up a little today and since I ran in the morning, I went off the beaten path and found a great off-road trail around a "secret" lake here in town. It was sandy/muddy/grassy and my lower legs got an excellent workout. The weather finally cooled off some and made for a very fun run. This was also my first on-goal week for 2 months! No people anywhere, lots of holes and obstacles. This will be a daylight-only trail.
The shin splints are under control for now and I've successfully switched to a mostly off-pavement routine. Still need to build speed for next month's race.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
9/20-9/25 The return of the Jebediah
5.9 miles
Key to recovery-train off pavement more
Tuesday-Had to run a ways to the soccer fields, treading as lightly as possible. Once there, my fears were calmed, no extensive damage, and I ran fast for about 1/2 mile.
Saturday-Same run as tuesday + 1 lap, leg felt about 80% better.
Luckily, I didn't maim myself last week. I'll be doing less miles all together for a while, kissing my 2010 500 mile goal goodbye in the process. But I hope to not hurt my leg again and still be able to meet my sub-20 minute 5K goal in November.
Key to recovery-train off pavement more
Tuesday-Had to run a ways to the soccer fields, treading as lightly as possible. Once there, my fears were calmed, no extensive damage, and I ran fast for about 1/2 mile.
Saturday-Same run as tuesday + 1 lap, leg felt about 80% better.
Luckily, I didn't maim myself last week. I'll be doing less miles all together for a while, kissing my 2010 500 mile goal goodbye in the process. But I hope to not hurt my leg again and still be able to meet my sub-20 minute 5K goal in November.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
9/13-9/18 Shin Splints Strike Back
5.9 Miles
Tuesday-ran a faster 5K at the lake, just under 22 min.
Thursday-decided to do some speed work on pavement (bad idea). After pounding down the sidewalk at full speed and then putting a couple miles on top of that, my left shin spazzed. I iced it down well and hoped I didn't blow my training for the next two months.
Stay tuned next week. Will I ever run again? Did I suffer a stress fracture? Is this the end?!
Tuesday-ran a faster 5K at the lake, just under 22 min.
Thursday-decided to do some speed work on pavement (bad idea). After pounding down the sidewalk at full speed and then putting a couple miles on top of that, my left shin spazzed. I iced it down well and hoped I didn't blow my training for the next two months.
Stay tuned next week. Will I ever run again? Did I suffer a stress fracture? Is this the end?!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
9/6-9/11 More time=less time
9.9 miles
Monday-"rest"
Tuesday-7.5 miles to Lake Mayer and back. Started some good blisters. Still battling these fools.
Wed-Fri-life. Was going to run Fri, but I was so nauseated after doing an ambulance ride-along for my Emergency Care rotation that it just wasn't happening.
Saturday-made myself do an early, quick run. Had zero energy. The papaya I had for breakfast kicked in for the last half mile and I booked it pretty good.
Still trying to find a running groove. Would like to have 3 medium runs or two shorts and a long weekly to put me up close to 20 miles/week. Also work in some intervals and speed work for the upcoming 5K.
Monday-"rest"
Tuesday-7.5 miles to Lake Mayer and back. Started some good blisters. Still battling these fools.
Wed-Fri-life. Was going to run Fri, but I was so nauseated after doing an ambulance ride-along for my Emergency Care rotation that it just wasn't happening.
Saturday-made myself do an early, quick run. Had zero energy. The papaya I had for breakfast kicked in for the last half mile and I booked it pretty good.
Still trying to find a running groove. Would like to have 3 medium runs or two shorts and a long weekly to put me up close to 20 miles/week. Also work in some intervals and speed work for the upcoming 5K.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
8/30-9/4 Back to the beating Of Wolf and Man
6.7 Miles
Monday-Went to Isle of Hope w/ the fam to try out our new double jogging stroller. We really like Bob Strollers, but I didn't want to cash out my left kidney to get one, so the Mrs. did some research and settled on the Baby Trend Skylar. No big complaints, the front wheel is a little wobbly while locked in place, which I can probably fix. I've never run with a stroller and enjoyed it quite a bit, as did the chilluns. It was a different sensation, like I was trying to keep up with the stroller the whole time and I ended up pushing myself more than I would have without it.
Tuesday-rest
Wednesday-4 miles at Forsyth Park. If I don't make a specific effort to run while its cool, I always end up running at 1:00 PM, the hottest time of the day. That is what happened today. You know little man syndrome? For years, I've been fascinated with the repeated confirmation of its reality. I passed a fairly short gentleman on this run, when several hundred yards later he blows by me in a mad dash, only to stop shortly ahead.
Thurs-Sat: got caught up in the to-dos and football preceding my rotations.
Learned that taking 2 weeks off was enough to completely lose my calf strength. My calves were trashed after these 2 runs. My cardio ability didn't suffer as much.
Monday-Went to Isle of Hope w/ the fam to try out our new double jogging stroller. We really like Bob Strollers, but I didn't want to cash out my left kidney to get one, so the Mrs. did some research and settled on the Baby Trend Skylar. No big complaints, the front wheel is a little wobbly while locked in place, which I can probably fix. I've never run with a stroller and enjoyed it quite a bit, as did the chilluns. It was a different sensation, like I was trying to keep up with the stroller the whole time and I ended up pushing myself more than I would have without it.
Tuesday-rest
Wednesday-4 miles at Forsyth Park. If I don't make a specific effort to run while its cool, I always end up running at 1:00 PM, the hottest time of the day. That is what happened today. You know little man syndrome? For years, I've been fascinated with the repeated confirmation of its reality. I passed a fairly short gentleman on this run, when several hundred yards later he blows by me in a mad dash, only to stop shortly ahead.
Thurs-Sat: got caught up in the to-dos and football preceding my rotations.
Learned that taking 2 weeks off was enough to completely lose my calf strength. My calves were trashed after these 2 runs. My cardio ability didn't suffer as much.
Monday, August 30, 2010
8/16-8/28 Two weeks off
Considering the development of what felt like impending shin splints and finals looming over my head, I took a break to focus on finishing my coursework strong and letting my legs heal after pounding around so much. I'm completely done with tests, classes, etc. and will be starting rotations soon. This should mean a more predictable and open schedule for leisure activities. But most likely it won't and I'll still be busy and have to make time to run.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
8/9-8/14 Don't run with habaneros in your pie hole
8.7 Miles
Monday-5.5 miles @ under 9 minute mile pace. Went on this run without much of a plan, just wanted some miles. Got to the lake and took the shoes of for a bit. Found some extra gas in the tank on the way back and had some fast streaks. This was a boost to the morale as I've been pretty tired at the end of recent runs.
Thursday-Shin is skraight buggin' Had a good quick start to this run, developing a fast, sustainable pace. Then the habaneros I had for dinner reminded me not to only eat them on rest days. I'm going to take a mini run vacation to let this shin chiz-nill out so I don't ruin my running for the next few months.
Fearing shin splints and fearing the GPA reaper, I cut it short this week and won't pick up until late next week.
Monday-5.5 miles @ under 9 minute mile pace. Went on this run without much of a plan, just wanted some miles. Got to the lake and took the shoes of for a bit. Found some extra gas in the tank on the way back and had some fast streaks. This was a boost to the morale as I've been pretty tired at the end of recent runs.
Thursday-Shin is skraight buggin' Had a good quick start to this run, developing a fast, sustainable pace. Then the habaneros I had for dinner reminded me not to only eat them on rest days. I'm going to take a mini run vacation to let this shin chiz-nill out so I don't ruin my running for the next few months.
Fearing shin splints and fearing the GPA reaper, I cut it short this week and won't pick up until late next week.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
8/2-8/7 Stop wishing and start doing: My advice to humandom
13.3 Miles
Monday-calves still tight, breaktime
Tuesday-7+ miles. This was my attempt at intervals. I ran out to Lake Mayer with periodic speed spurts which tended to correspond to crossing intersections, short straight-aways, etc. It felt good to push it and feel the dormant speed within that I'm hesitant to tap into, as it tends to bring with it significant pain & suffering. My hope is that I will get more comfortable pushing it and that my regular pace will creep up in the process. We'll see how it goes. I ran past an older man on this run while I was doing a barefoot hemi-lap around the lake and he said: "awesome! barefoot! I wish I could do that." I tend to not be incredibly articulate in these situations, so I just said: "it feels good" Indeed. He replied: "your heels don't touch the ground?" I had nothing profound to say here either: "nope, it hurts too much. You have to run on your toes." Alas, the limitations of impromptu spoken word. I hope that I can do a better job encouraging others to give it a try in the future. I guess it really does just boil down to "it feels good" and anyone can do it. For me, I just had to get over that mental barricade and give it a shot.
Friday-Short & Fast in the deadly rain.
Saturday-had 30 minutes before the Mrs. needed to make a trip to the grocery store, so I planned a route in my head and ran out the door. Had the trusty watch with me to keep me aware of when I needed to be home. Ended up home in 28:20 and finished 3.6 miles. My shin started acting up. I think the impact on concrete after 2 consecutive runs is just too much for my legs. I don't know if they'll ever be strong enough to deal with it, so I'll have to adjust my training around that presumed fact.
Overall, a good week catching up on miles. Need to work on maintaining form w/ speed. My knees acted up after the sprints.
Monday-calves still tight, breaktime
Tuesday-7+ miles. This was my attempt at intervals. I ran out to Lake Mayer with periodic speed spurts which tended to correspond to crossing intersections, short straight-aways, etc. It felt good to push it and feel the dormant speed within that I'm hesitant to tap into, as it tends to bring with it significant pain & suffering. My hope is that I will get more comfortable pushing it and that my regular pace will creep up in the process. We'll see how it goes. I ran past an older man on this run while I was doing a barefoot hemi-lap around the lake and he said: "awesome! barefoot! I wish I could do that." I tend to not be incredibly articulate in these situations, so I just said: "it feels good" Indeed. He replied: "your heels don't touch the ground?" I had nothing profound to say here either: "nope, it hurts too much. You have to run on your toes." Alas, the limitations of impromptu spoken word. I hope that I can do a better job encouraging others to give it a try in the future. I guess it really does just boil down to "it feels good" and anyone can do it. For me, I just had to get over that mental barricade and give it a shot.
Friday-Short & Fast in the deadly rain.
Saturday-had 30 minutes before the Mrs. needed to make a trip to the grocery store, so I planned a route in my head and ran out the door. Had the trusty watch with me to keep me aware of when I needed to be home. Ended up home in 28:20 and finished 3.6 miles. My shin started acting up. I think the impact on concrete after 2 consecutive runs is just too much for my legs. I don't know if they'll ever be strong enough to deal with it, so I'll have to adjust my training around that presumed fact.
Overall, a good week catching up on miles. Need to work on maintaining form w/ speed. My knees acted up after the sprints.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
7/26-7/31 Recovery & Reality
Monday-Thursday: Had some serious blisters (one on each foot) from the long run Saturday. I was limping through Wednesday. Both blisters were about the same size, one I took care of well, the other, not well. I ended up doing a lot of studying this week, though.
Friday: Got a running watch at Wally World and timed my 5k at Lake Mayer. 22:23. This was unpleasant from the start. It was hot, and I had a lot of food in my stomach, so I don't think this reflects where I could be under more ideal circumstances. So, there's work to do on my speed.
Saturday: No rest day, but wanted some more miles so I took a long easy run and tried to throw in some cross training type foolishness in to boot. I did some sprints, which nearly killed me. I think these will be the key to speeding up my 5k time.
Gradually working up to higher mileage with another 50+ month. That looks to be the most reasonable range for my school schedule. When I go out on rotations it may free up some more time to push into the 60 or more range.
Lessons this month:
Friday: Got a running watch at Wally World and timed my 5k at Lake Mayer. 22:23. This was unpleasant from the start. It was hot, and I had a lot of food in my stomach, so I don't think this reflects where I could be under more ideal circumstances. So, there's work to do on my speed.
Saturday: No rest day, but wanted some more miles so I took a long easy run and tried to throw in some cross training type foolishness in to boot. I did some sprints, which nearly killed me. I think these will be the key to speeding up my 5k time.
Gradually working up to higher mileage with another 50+ month. That looks to be the most reasonable range for my school schedule. When I go out on rotations it may free up some more time to push into the 60 or more range.
Lessons this month:
- Don't run a long run with shoes you haven't worn for year(s).
- Speed takes work.
- Rest is really, really important.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
7/19-7/24 Return to the Crab Nebula
22.3 Miles
Monday-experimenting with carbs, ran 2.4 mile loops around the neighborhood making pit stops on the front porch to drink and chow. Felt like I put a little too much in the tank. Could only get to a certain pace (a little over 8 min) before I felt the side ache coming on.
Thursday-to Lake Meyer, around once barefoot, and home. Reminded again that barefoot is barefoot, and anything else is not the same. I plan to run barefoot at least once a week to keep the form programmed.
Saturday-Old Tybee railroad trail. Ran the whole length of it and back, racking up 12 miles and my longest run this year. I decided to do this run in...GASP...RUNNING SHOES! After doing 6 miles on this trail in FiveFingers , it became apparent that I needed more protection for my feet if I was going to do the whole thing. So I busted out the old NB trail shoes, which have a big clunky heel. It took a concerted effort not to plod along heavily in the shoes. I stayed off my heels the whole run and as of this writing feel about the same as I do after long runs in VFFs. I did get unique blisters, I think because these are wide shoes and my feet were dancing around inside the toe box for the entire run. I also have some big toe toenail pain, another first. When I wear out these shoes, I'll most certainly be downgrading the excessive features, but still find something that will keep me from feeling like rocks are going to impale my foot. Something like the NB 101s, due out this fall. I knew it was going to be hot today, so I got on Weather Underground to find out what time the ol' sun was coming up. Turns out they have "nautical twilight" listed on there too. So, because I like boats and vampires, I shot for the 5:30 am time to start. Turns out it's still really dark at nautical twilight and trails become terrifying nightmares filled with non-existant man-eating beasts at that hour. The first half hour was essentially in the dark and every web I ran through and flop in the trees made me nearly wet myself. Luckily, the sun does actually come up daily and the ghouls and alligators magically disappeared and my masculinity returned. I'm finding more success in getting carbs in my system without feeling sick. I had fig newtons, a gel, and some energy chews. I took the camelbak along for the last half of the run and stayed juiced. I felt remarkably good and energized for about 10 miles, but still had enough gas to push through the last 2 miles, which weren't too enjoyable. I was reminded of the social nature of running-about 10 miles in I started seeing other runners (who apparently weren't interested in sea-faring vamps like me). Everytime I saw someone I got a little shot of adrenaline. Up to that point my only companions were the specters in the trees and the droves of crabs that I tried in vain not to squash.
Great week. Resting at least a day between runs worked out perfectly. I think I found the formula to start racking up more miles (if I can find the time). I'm convinced that not all shoes are evil, they can be a tool, but shouldn't be a crutch. Biggest week of the year, probably my biggest week ever.
Monday-experimenting with carbs, ran 2.4 mile loops around the neighborhood making pit stops on the front porch to drink and chow. Felt like I put a little too much in the tank. Could only get to a certain pace (a little over 8 min) before I felt the side ache coming on.
Thursday-to Lake Meyer, around once barefoot, and home. Reminded again that barefoot is barefoot, and anything else is not the same. I plan to run barefoot at least once a week to keep the form programmed.
Saturday-Old Tybee railroad trail. Ran the whole length of it and back, racking up 12 miles and my longest run this year. I decided to do this run in...GASP...RUNNING SHOES! After doing 6 miles on this trail in FiveFingers , it became apparent that I needed more protection for my feet if I was going to do the whole thing. So I busted out the old NB trail shoes, which have a big clunky heel. It took a concerted effort not to plod along heavily in the shoes. I stayed off my heels the whole run and as of this writing feel about the same as I do after long runs in VFFs. I did get unique blisters, I think because these are wide shoes and my feet were dancing around inside the toe box for the entire run. I also have some big toe toenail pain, another first. When I wear out these shoes, I'll most certainly be downgrading the excessive features, but still find something that will keep me from feeling like rocks are going to impale my foot. Something like the NB 101s, due out this fall. I knew it was going to be hot today, so I got on Weather Underground to find out what time the ol' sun was coming up. Turns out they have "nautical twilight" listed on there too. So, because I like boats and vampires, I shot for the 5:30 am time to start. Turns out it's still really dark at nautical twilight and trails become terrifying nightmares filled with non-existant man-eating beasts at that hour. The first half hour was essentially in the dark and every web I ran through and flop in the trees made me nearly wet myself. Luckily, the sun does actually come up daily and the ghouls and alligators magically disappeared and my masculinity returned. I'm finding more success in getting carbs in my system without feeling sick. I had fig newtons, a gel, and some energy chews. I took the camelbak along for the last half of the run and stayed juiced. I felt remarkably good and energized for about 10 miles, but still had enough gas to push through the last 2 miles, which weren't too enjoyable. I was reminded of the social nature of running-about 10 miles in I started seeing other runners (who apparently weren't interested in sea-faring vamps like me). Everytime I saw someone I got a little shot of adrenaline. Up to that point my only companions were the specters in the trees and the droves of crabs that I tried in vain not to squash.
Great week. Resting at least a day between runs worked out perfectly. I think I found the formula to start racking up more miles (if I can find the time). I'm convinced that not all shoes are evil, they can be a tool, but shouldn't be a crutch. Biggest week of the year, probably my biggest week ever.
Monday, July 19, 2010
7/12-7/17 Rainy week, Reconnoitering
7 miles
Monday-Rain run-short, fast.
Tuesday-Light Rain Run-long, slow
My left shin started to tighten up during the longer run Tuesday. I was disheartened by this. Still seems like I have a glass ceiling as far as miles go. This happened after 18 miles in 6 days. I think I just need more time to recover. When I do back to back days is when problems tend to arise. For now, I will space out my runs and hopefully not sacrifice too many miles in the process.
I have a theory that this shin issue has something to do with hacking myself with a hatchet in the exact spot of the pain back in 2004 while camping. It was a deep cut, assuredly the scar tissue in the area has some effect on running?
So, I've had 5 days off to develop a new approach to this problem and that's all I've got. Oh and ice.
Monday-Rain run-short, fast.
Tuesday-Light Rain Run-long, slow
My left shin started to tighten up during the longer run Tuesday. I was disheartened by this. Still seems like I have a glass ceiling as far as miles go. This happened after 18 miles in 6 days. I think I just need more time to recover. When I do back to back days is when problems tend to arise. For now, I will space out my runs and hopefully not sacrifice too many miles in the process.
I have a theory that this shin issue has something to do with hacking myself with a hatchet in the exact spot of the pain back in 2004 while camping. It was a deep cut, assuredly the scar tissue in the area has some effect on running?
So, I've had 5 days off to develop a new approach to this problem and that's all I've got. Oh and ice.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
7/5-7/10 Virginia woods and summer rain run
15 miles
Monday-late morning run (hot) in the woods around Danville, VA. Not too humid, but still hot. This place had hills all over, too, which filled me with delight. Ran by a creek and saw a burned out fire pit on a sandbar, checked it out and noticed an axe stuck in a tree on the way out. Got a "Deliverance" vibe and booked it post-haste.
Tuesday-Study for Oncology
Wednesday-Study more for Oncology
Thursday-Ran what has become my home course run around to lake meyer around and back. Felt good at the start and put it in a higher gear that will most likely be my 5K speed. Really booked it for about 2.5 miles until I got a drink. Then ran some more at a significantly slower pace. It was dang hot tonight.
Friday-Worked
Saturday-Had plans to get up early and do the 12 miler I've had in the back of my brain. After work Friday I looked at the clock and knew I wouldn't get much sleep, so I figured I'd run on the beach instead. We got to the beach and it was just plain hot, so I put it off again. One nice thing about these sweltering southern summers is that after it gets hot enough, it almost always rains, as was the case today. I'm glad I waited-when we got home it started to rain hard, so I threw on some shorts and my VFFs and shot out the door. I had a large calzone and some pizza burrowing away in my guts, which led to a minor side ache followed by a boon of energy. It rained hard and it was cool, it was a joyous run and the 5+ miles were a breeze.
Monday-late morning run (hot) in the woods around Danville, VA. Not too humid, but still hot. This place had hills all over, too, which filled me with delight. Ran by a creek and saw a burned out fire pit on a sandbar, checked it out and noticed an axe stuck in a tree on the way out. Got a "Deliverance" vibe and booked it post-haste.
Tuesday-Study for Oncology
Wednesday-Study more for Oncology
Thursday-Ran what has become my home course run around to lake meyer around and back. Felt good at the start and put it in a higher gear that will most likely be my 5K speed. Really booked it for about 2.5 miles until I got a drink. Then ran some more at a significantly slower pace. It was dang hot tonight.
Friday-Worked
Saturday-Had plans to get up early and do the 12 miler I've had in the back of my brain. After work Friday I looked at the clock and knew I wouldn't get much sleep, so I figured I'd run on the beach instead. We got to the beach and it was just plain hot, so I put it off again. One nice thing about these sweltering southern summers is that after it gets hot enough, it almost always rains, as was the case today. I'm glad I waited-when we got home it started to rain hard, so I threw on some shorts and my VFFs and shot out the door. I had a large calzone and some pizza burrowing away in my guts, which led to a minor side ache followed by a boon of energy. It rained hard and it was cool, it was a joyous run and the 5+ miles were a breeze.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
6/28-7/3 Frolicking in the rain and ocean
2.7 miles
Monday-rest
Tuesday-rest & study
Wednesday-had a big thunder/rain storm move in right after I got done with my tests. I ran out the door and immediately had some intense thunder get me juiced on adrenaline. Rain was coming down hard and made for a fun run
Thursday-Got caught up in errands and work
Friday-Went to the beach, planned to run, but it was so windy and the waves were so big, I stayed in the water and got some good cardio. No miles though.
Saturday-drove all day to Virginia.
Turned out to be a pitiful week for miles, but I'm not too concerned about it. I think my shin needed it and I still ended up with my biggest month this year-51.5 miles in June.
Monday-rest
Tuesday-rest & study
Wednesday-had a big thunder/rain storm move in right after I got done with my tests. I ran out the door and immediately had some intense thunder get me juiced on adrenaline. Rain was coming down hard and made for a fun run
Thursday-Got caught up in errands and work
Friday-Went to the beach, planned to run, but it was so windy and the waves were so big, I stayed in the water and got some good cardio. No miles though.
Saturday-drove all day to Virginia.
Turned out to be a pitiful week for miles, but I'm not too concerned about it. I think my shin needed it and I still ended up with my biggest month this year-51.5 miles in June.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
6/21-6/26 Form, Sasquatching in the Woods
17 miles
Monday-easy pace run 4.5 miles. Felt good this go around. Seems like it takes me about 3 miles to actually get into the right running mechanics. At the start I'm too rigid/contrived and I can't let my body relax and get into a good rhythm. Because of this, the end of my run was significantly faster than the beginning and I felt great right up to the end of the run. This is a phenomenon that I have been aware of for some time, but don't know what to make of it. Maybe if I keep my runs longer, I can become better acquainted with the hard-earned form I attain sporadically.
Tuesday-barefoot 2 miles. Picked up where I left off last night with the form fresh in my mind. Also read some running form advice on Barefoot Ken Bob's Website to see if I could identify what I experienced last night. I realized that reading about running form is pretty useless unless I get out and do some trial and error. If I don't have some experience under my belt, it just sounds like an obsessive-compulsive rant on intricacies of form. But I read something that I experienced, but couldn't quite put into words from the good run I had: "Push the hips forward and down." After running a few miles, my hips tend to slouch forward and down, which seems to maximize the springiness of my legs and bounces me forward with very little effort. I think I'm still in the old paradigm of leaning forward, even though I thought I wasn't. My hips are still relatively behind my feet. So I'll experiment with letting my hips relax forward and down and see how it goes. I've also noticed that it's easy to waste energy when I get tired (ironically). My form gets lax, I get more clumsy and tend to flail, which is a total waste of forward force. I'm on the cusp of finding a sustainable form that is faster than my current style-to be continued...
Wednesday-break. dug into a blister that I shouldn't have. foot hurt. I'm dumb.
Thursday-studying for Pharmacoeconomics
Friday-worked, pooped. Saved energy for early morning run.
Saturday-Long, radical run. Parked on Hutchinson Island (in the middle of the Savannah River) and ran over the Talmadge Bridge and back ~4 miles. Moon was setting and sun was rising. I was looking forward to this not only because of the incredible view, but because I've been running on flat ground for the past 2 years! It wasn't as difficult as I remembered Y mountain in Provo being, the slope was pretty gradual, but it got my heart pumping. After a pit stop at my car, I ran the length of Hutchinson Island and back 6+ miles. The main part of the island is developed with a large hotel and industrial park. After that, there are sandy dirt roads. Greatly enjoyed this run! The trails ended but there was more island, so I pressed on through the brush, a nightmare. First, there were Banana Spiders EVERYWHERE with copious webs. I got a long stick and cleared the way so I didn't get entirely covered with terrifying webs. Another super neat feature of this backwoods jaunt was unnamed thorny vines that shredded my bare legs to a bloody mess. After encountering a hobo campsite, I aborted my ill-fated mission and returned to more developed regions of the island, nursing my wounds briefly before running back. During my labored last 3 miles, horseflies literally chased me, which was motivation enough to pick up the pace and punch/swat at them to prevent vampire action on my cuerpo. I was pooped at the end of the run, my legs were pushed to fatigue. I feel good about how I hydrated and carbed it up on this run. I had good energy and short transient side aches only early in the run. Felt a little nauseated from the Powerbar chews I ate for breakfast.
Great week, had fun and felt healthy. Saturday's escapade was my longest run this year, probably my longest run since my 2005 half marathon.
Monday-easy pace run 4.5 miles. Felt good this go around. Seems like it takes me about 3 miles to actually get into the right running mechanics. At the start I'm too rigid/contrived and I can't let my body relax and get into a good rhythm. Because of this, the end of my run was significantly faster than the beginning and I felt great right up to the end of the run. This is a phenomenon that I have been aware of for some time, but don't know what to make of it. Maybe if I keep my runs longer, I can become better acquainted with the hard-earned form I attain sporadically.
Tuesday-barefoot 2 miles. Picked up where I left off last night with the form fresh in my mind. Also read some running form advice on Barefoot Ken Bob's Website to see if I could identify what I experienced last night. I realized that reading about running form is pretty useless unless I get out and do some trial and error. If I don't have some experience under my belt, it just sounds like an obsessive-compulsive rant on intricacies of form. But I read something that I experienced, but couldn't quite put into words from the good run I had: "Push the hips forward and down." After running a few miles, my hips tend to slouch forward and down, which seems to maximize the springiness of my legs and bounces me forward with very little effort. I think I'm still in the old paradigm of leaning forward, even though I thought I wasn't. My hips are still relatively behind my feet. So I'll experiment with letting my hips relax forward and down and see how it goes. I've also noticed that it's easy to waste energy when I get tired (ironically). My form gets lax, I get more clumsy and tend to flail, which is a total waste of forward force. I'm on the cusp of finding a sustainable form that is faster than my current style-to be continued...
Wednesday-break. dug into a blister that I shouldn't have. foot hurt. I'm dumb.
Thursday-studying for Pharmacoeconomics
Friday-worked, pooped. Saved energy for early morning run.
Saturday-Long, radical run. Parked on Hutchinson Island (in the middle of the Savannah River) and ran over the Talmadge Bridge and back ~4 miles. Moon was setting and sun was rising. I was looking forward to this not only because of the incredible view, but because I've been running on flat ground for the past 2 years! It wasn't as difficult as I remembered Y mountain in Provo being, the slope was pretty gradual, but it got my heart pumping. After a pit stop at my car, I ran the length of Hutchinson Island and back 6+ miles. The main part of the island is developed with a large hotel and industrial park. After that, there are sandy dirt roads. Greatly enjoyed this run! The trails ended but there was more island, so I pressed on through the brush, a nightmare. First, there were Banana Spiders EVERYWHERE with copious webs. I got a long stick and cleared the way so I didn't get entirely covered with terrifying webs. Another super neat feature of this backwoods jaunt was unnamed thorny vines that shredded my bare legs to a bloody mess. After encountering a hobo campsite, I aborted my ill-fated mission and returned to more developed regions of the island, nursing my wounds briefly before running back. During my labored last 3 miles, horseflies literally chased me, which was motivation enough to pick up the pace and punch/swat at them to prevent vampire action on my cuerpo. I was pooped at the end of the run, my legs were pushed to fatigue. I feel good about how I hydrated and carbed it up on this run. I had good energy and short transient side aches only early in the run. Felt a little nauseated from the Powerbar chews I ate for breakfast.
Great week, had fun and felt healthy. Saturday's escapade was my longest run this year, probably my longest run since my 2005 half marathon.
Monday, June 21, 2010
6/14-6/19 Sweaty Faceplants in the Dark
10 miles
Monday-no run
Tuesday-ran a loop around the block-2+ miles. It's been insanely hot, therefore I run when the sun is down. Usually I'm too lazy too run in the morning, so I run at night in the the darky dark. Plus it's been exceedingly humid, which means wearing glasses is even more of a pain. I hate contacts, therefore I run blind in the dark. I suffered the consequences tonight when I tripped over a root in the ground and skidded across the pavement. Of course, the only time there are other people outside during the run is when this occurs. "Are you alright, buddy?" My poingnant and feeble reply, "...Yeah." The fall supplied me with a fresh squirt of adrenaline and I decided to do another loop instead of evaluate the damage. Fortunately, it wasn't major and having suffered my share of more severe bike and skateboard wrecks at high speeds, this was OK.
Wednesday-break
Thursday-Long run. Felt like a log for about half of the run. I feel in shape and I can find bursts of energy almost at will, but this wasn't a very fun run, so it was hard to dig for the motivation. It's been pretty dang hot, to boot. Ran at sunset, while there was still light and didn't eat dirt this time.
Friday-break
Saturday-break
Felt crappy the last two days and decided to hold off rather than force another less-than-blissful run. Also, I've been on an "extreme hot sauce" kick for the last few weeks, which translates into interesting runs (double meaning). Time to tone that down on certified running days as far as the Blair's Ultra Death Sauce 20th Anniversary Edition is concerned. Kept on goal for my weekly mileage and look forward to getting out this next week and breaking the 200 mile mark for the year.
Monday-no run
Tuesday-ran a loop around the block-2+ miles. It's been insanely hot, therefore I run when the sun is down. Usually I'm too lazy too run in the morning, so I run at night in the the darky dark. Plus it's been exceedingly humid, which means wearing glasses is even more of a pain. I hate contacts, therefore I run blind in the dark. I suffered the consequences tonight when I tripped over a root in the ground and skidded across the pavement. Of course, the only time there are other people outside during the run is when this occurs. "Are you alright, buddy?" My poingnant and feeble reply, "...Yeah." The fall supplied me with a fresh squirt of adrenaline and I decided to do another loop instead of evaluate the damage. Fortunately, it wasn't major and having suffered my share of more severe bike and skateboard wrecks at high speeds, this was OK.
Wednesday-break
Thursday-Long run. Felt like a log for about half of the run. I feel in shape and I can find bursts of energy almost at will, but this wasn't a very fun run, so it was hard to dig for the motivation. It's been pretty dang hot, to boot. Ran at sunset, while there was still light and didn't eat dirt this time.
Friday-break
Saturday-break
Felt crappy the last two days and decided to hold off rather than force another less-than-blissful run. Also, I've been on an "extreme hot sauce" kick for the last few weeks, which translates into interesting runs (double meaning). Time to tone that down on certified running days as far as the Blair's Ultra Death Sauce 20th Anniversary Edition is concerned. Kept on goal for my weekly mileage and look forward to getting out this next week and breaking the 200 mile mark for the year.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
6/7-6/12 Weekly Report
12.3 Miles
Monday-Didn't run. Drove to St. Augustine and roasted in the sun w/ tourists.
Tuesday-Woke up early and ran 6+ miles barefoot on St. Augustine Beach with sunrise. Looks like I'm around 8 min/mile at my moderate pace barefoot. This was an extremely pleasant run. I'll have to do this on Tybee more often, the beach must be utilized.
Wed-break
Thurs-3 miles barefoot. Stubbed toe. It hurt. Continued to hurt into the next day when flexed very far.
Fri-break
Sat-sprints, lunges, fast pace run. This run felt incredible. I felt like I was flying. I'd like to time myself at this pace to see where I stand for the upcoming 5K and I hope I feel this well on race day. Kept my heart rate really high for this race. Don't know where the extra energy came from, possibly a large pasta dinner hours before?
Monday-Didn't run. Drove to St. Augustine and roasted in the sun w/ tourists.
Tuesday-Woke up early and ran 6+ miles barefoot on St. Augustine Beach with sunrise. Looks like I'm around 8 min/mile at my moderate pace barefoot. This was an extremely pleasant run. I'll have to do this on Tybee more often, the beach must be utilized.
Wed-break
Thurs-3 miles barefoot. Stubbed toe. It hurt. Continued to hurt into the next day when flexed very far.
Fri-break
Sat-sprints, lunges, fast pace run. This run felt incredible. I felt like I was flying. I'd like to time myself at this pace to see where I stand for the upcoming 5K and I hope I feel this well on race day. Kept my heart rate really high for this race. Don't know where the extra energy came from, possibly a large pasta dinner hours before?
Saturday, June 5, 2010
5/31-6/5 Weekly Report-Sick
Monday-Short barefoot run.
Tuesday-Worked all day and then felt like poo when I got home, developed a fever.
Wednesday-Sick all day. On my day off from work. Neat.
Thursday-Still less than well in the AM, worked at night, so me no run.
Friday-7 miles in the hot sun. Turns out Lake Mayer has a drinking fountain. With cold water. I ran there and did two laps, stopping for the sauce each lap. I would have been slain by the heat were it not for the water. Chafage-free w/ compression shorts and strategically placed lube stick. Feet were like hamburger, didn't wear socks for some ridiculous reason.
Saturday-pretty sore still from yesterday, ran a short 2+ mile run to stretch my legs and put me on goal with milage. Drained a large blood blister and ran with minimal sole pain.
Not what I had envisioned my break-from-school week to be like, but still managed to salvage some miles despite illness.
Tuesday-Worked all day and then felt like poo when I got home, developed a fever.
Wednesday-Sick all day. On my day off from work. Neat.
Thursday-Still less than well in the AM, worked at night, so me no run.
Friday-7 miles in the hot sun. Turns out Lake Mayer has a drinking fountain. With cold water. I ran there and did two laps, stopping for the sauce each lap. I would have been slain by the heat were it not for the water. Chafage-free w/ compression shorts and strategically placed lube stick. Feet were like hamburger, didn't wear socks for some ridiculous reason.
Saturday-pretty sore still from yesterday, ran a short 2+ mile run to stretch my legs and put me on goal with milage. Drained a large blood blister and ran with minimal sole pain.
Not what I had envisioned my break-from-school week to be like, but still managed to salvage some miles despite illness.
Monday, May 31, 2010
5/24-5/29 Weekly Report-Finals ie, not running
5 miles
Monday-Played laser tag for about 30 min. Realized that being in shape to run is not the same as being in shape for running and jumping around like a savage. My legs are sore and I am officially old. No official run for today.
Tuesday-5 miles in the AM after the sun came up, so it was still too hot. Had a banana and a glass of water for breakfast. No side ache and energy for most of the run.
Wednesday-Took a physical exam final
Thursday-Studied my buns off, physically unable to run. I studied with my feet propped up on a chair, in extreme relaxation mode. This night I developed significant pain in my right knee when extended. All I can figure is that I hyperextended my knee by how I was sitting. The pain lasted for about 24 hours and freaked me out pretty good.
Friday-Took my last final and collapsed into a pile of meat
Saturday-took a personal religious holiday to the Columbia, SC temple.
Felt really good this week when I wasn't in zombie study mode. Now that it's a new week, I feel fresh and ready to go. Running during finals just wasn't happening this time.
Monday-Played laser tag for about 30 min. Realized that being in shape to run is not the same as being in shape for running and jumping around like a savage. My legs are sore and I am officially old. No official run for today.
Tuesday-5 miles in the AM after the sun came up, so it was still too hot. Had a banana and a glass of water for breakfast. No side ache and energy for most of the run.
Wednesday-Took a physical exam final
Thursday-Studied my buns off, physically unable to run. I studied with my feet propped up on a chair, in extreme relaxation mode. This night I developed significant pain in my right knee when extended. All I can figure is that I hyperextended my knee by how I was sitting. The pain lasted for about 24 hours and freaked me out pretty good.
Friday-Took my last final and collapsed into a pile of meat
Saturday-took a personal religious holiday to the Columbia, SC temple.
Felt really good this week when I wasn't in zombie study mode. Now that it's a new week, I feel fresh and ready to go. Running during finals just wasn't happening this time.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
5/17-5/22 Weekly Report-Trotskyism
14.7 miles
Monday-break CNS test
Tuesday-break still studying for CNS test
Wednesday-finally took CNS test and ran afterward in the scorching sun with a newly shorn scalp.
Thursday-Ran 4.6 easy pace miles in the morning while it was nice and cool. Welcome back runner's trots, it's been a long time. Let's just say I had some extra incentive to hurry home. Not sure if the 3 spoonfuls of honey pre-run are to blame or if this is an isolated incident. Proceeding w/ extreme caution.
Friday-barefoot 2 miles
Saturday-good long morning run
This ended up being my second longest week this year, despite studying for that dang test. Feeling ready to push into the 20's if time permits.
Monday-break CNS test
Tuesday-break still studying for CNS test
Wednesday-finally took CNS test and ran afterward in the scorching sun with a newly shorn scalp.
Thursday-Ran 4.6 easy pace miles in the morning while it was nice and cool. Welcome back runner's trots, it's been a long time. Let's just say I had some extra incentive to hurry home. Not sure if the 3 spoonfuls of honey pre-run are to blame or if this is an isolated incident. Proceeding w/ extreme caution.
Friday-barefoot 2 miles
Saturday-good long morning run
This ended up being my second longest week this year, despite studying for that dang test. Feeling ready to push into the 20's if time permits.
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