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So last Sunday (12/14) I ventured out with my cousin on what is currently my longest run at 14.5 miles. It was a nice day, but bitterly cold since we ran right along the ocean. The wind coming off the ocean was just brutal. It didn't help that we were running two days after one of the worst ice storms I've ever seen making the conditions of the trails very tricky.
We set out to do two loops around the bay. After the first loop we'd stop at the car and refuel for the second loop. The first loop went well as we completed that in a little over an hour. We rehydrated and set out on our second seven-plus mile loop. For the second loop we decided to go in the opposite direction as the first loop to change up the run. A great idea at first, but once we got to a certain point on the trail, the wind was hitting us head on. Because of that we picked up the pace to get through that portion of the trail quicker. This may have been a mistake because once we got the wind at our backs, we both realized we were famished. Neither of us had anything to eat or drink so we trudged through the last 2.5 miles of the second loop. The last 2.5 miles of the run ended up being harder than the first 12 miles. I will never make that mistake again. Later that week I bought an amphipod fuel belt that I plan to use anytime I feel like a run will take longer than an hour.
The good news is that besides being ready to eat my left arm, I felt good after that run. I had no soreness the next day and my legs felt lively. The problems began that night. When I got home from work, I felt like I was experiencing heart palpatations. Nothing crazy and nothing weird, we've all had weird heartbeats at some point in our lives, so I shrugged it off and figured it would be gone in the morning. That didn't end up being the case and late on Tuesday I called my doc and he had me go to the local hospital for an ECG. The ECG showed that I was experiencing atrial fibrillation. In a nutshell, the upper part of the heart (the atrium) is quivering rather than pumping blood at a steady rate. If it lasts long enough this can lead to blood clots and a greater risk for stroke. Luckily for me my heart returned to normal on it's own late Tuesday night before bed.
My doc was rather concerned since at thirty years old, he said I am his youngest patient to experience afib. I've undergone additional tests and eargerly await the outcome. I hope that of all the causes of afib, I don't have any of the serious type. On top of all this, my doc has not cleared me to run putting my marathon in January in jeopardy. I have not run since that Sunday and can only hope that the results from my tests come back positive and I get cleared to run this week. I hope I haven't lost too much from a week off of running. I hope I have what it takes in January to finish the marathon. I hope....
This past weekend served up quite the running experience. My cousin Trevor and two of his friends and I decided to conquer some trails despite the wet/cold conditions. Earlier in the year, Trevor had competed in a 50K Trail race on some trails and wanted to revisit those same trails. We were all in agreement as it was all new to us and sounded like a great experience. Besides, with Trevor describing the trails as "mostly flat", it would be perfect for my long run.
We arrived at the trailhead to overcast skies and a light drizzle. The beginning of the trails were great as we all got excited to see what the trails had to offer. Soon, we realized and experienced that not only are there quite a few uphills, it's pretty much uphill the entire way. It seemed that no matter where we turned we were going uphill. To add to the difficulty, the trails were soaking wet. On numerous occasions running shoe after running shoe sank in and even below the surface only to emerge with a fesh coat of mud and water. All four of us had mud-caked legs before we even finished the first part of the trails: a 6 mile incline back to the vehicle to refuel for another 6 miles.
While this may seem like an awful experience, it wasn't. Running with my cousin and his friends was a great experience. Along the way we shared many running and college stories. We saw some incredible views of rolling hills and farmland and had quite a few laughs. We also discovered Yurt, one of the trails among the maze of trails at Pineland Farms. To make the first 6 miles even harder I think I stopped laughing for a total of 5 minutes the entire first hour.
The second half of the run was much easier. The trails were flatter, grass covered and not nearly as wet. We managed close to another 6 miles and ran for nearly 2 hours in total on these trails before heading back to the vehicle.
For me it was an amazing running experience. The first of, I hope, many more. This run will always be remembered as Yurt.
So this past Saturday was my first long run since August/September. I can't remember the exact date, but that run was around 8 or 9 miles. Saturday I ran almost 10 miles and felt pretty good. My legs definitely got a little tired toward the end.
The greatest part about that run was that I was able to do it with my cousin. He ran 15 in total for the day so I joined him after he had completed between 6 and 7 miles of his run. I think it is a good sign that I was able to do the 9+ miles, but a little unsettling that my legs were fairly tired at the end. How will I be able to tack on 16.2 miles to what I just did? Only time will tell.
I've almost completed my first week of, let's call it, old man marathon training. The first thing I've noticed is how much longer a 45 minute workout on an elliptical machine feels than a 45 minute run outside. It really is astonishing the difference in what it takes mentally to get through an elliptical workout that long as opposed to a run of the same time. Even with the help of my laptop and hulu.com to get me caught up on a slew of different network TV series, every peek at the time remaining of my workout creeps down at a snail's pace. While the elliptical offers me pain free workouts, I think after a few more weeks I will almost prefer the pain of a run to another 60 minute elliptical workout. Alas, I must stay strong and get to the start of my first marathon as healthy as possible.
Tomorrow brings with it an 8 mile run with my cousin. This will be the farthest I have run in a long time. I am looking forward to seeing how my injuries and body react.
So it's been too long since I've last updated this blog. There are a couple reasons for that I suppose. One, I've been a bit lazy when it comes right down to it. Two, and more importantly, since I have been running sparingly and this blog is entirely running based, there hasn't been much to keep updated with.
I developed a pretty good case of patella tendonitis in my left knee. Instead of getting it checked out right away I tried to run through it and of course it only got worse. I finally went to see an orthopedic doctor and started physical therapy shortly after. While the PT has been helpful my knee is not completely healed. I have started running again in very short spurts and no more than three times a week. My top weekly mileage over the last three weeks has been 13 miles. Pathetic I know, but I must keep my eyes set on the bigger picture: the RnR Marathon in Phoenix in January.
So, with that in mind, I talked to my cousin and running coach Trevor (also author of the irunwithwolves blog) for a plan to get in the best shape I can without aggravating my injury so that I can compete and hopefully finish the marathon in January which is a short 10 weeks away now.
I will outline my plan here so I can follow it as well as keep you updated on the progress. It will consist of two runs per week. One run between 4-7 miles mid-week and a long run on Saturdays preferably on trails. The long runs will look like this starting this Saturday, 8, 10, 13, 15, 14, 18, 16, 20, and 9. Four other days during the week I will do an elliptical work out for 30-70 minutes alternating my times so I never do the same workout two days in a row.
That sounds reasonable to me. The hardest part of this will be the elliptical workouts but this will also be beneficial because I am pain free on the elliptical. I'm a little nervous and excited at the same time. The marathon will be here before I know it.
As far as tee-shirts go I have three so far. I know that is weak, but I only started running this year. My next one will be in January.
So I've decided to start upping my weekly mileage. This is in response to a few things. One, I feel like I am ready as my shins have felt better with the every-other-day routine I was doing. Two, we will be running a 10K race on September 21st. But most of all I am upping my weekly mileage in preparation for a marathon on January 19th in Phoenix, AZ.
My cousins (Derek and Trevor) and I have given this marathon serious consideration. There are many pros to doing this marathon. It's a new state for Trevor which helps him get closer to his goal of a marathon or ultra-marathon in every state. Derek always said the next marathon he would do is a rock n roll marathon which this one just happens to be. It's great for me because it gives me two experienced marathon runners to run with on my first marathon.
The decision is not etched in stone yet, but I'm really excited about the idea of doing this marathon.
This past Saturday five family members, including myself, took part in a 5K race in Gorham, ME. The family members were my cousins Derek and Trevor, my sister, and my wife. This is a smaller race that only drew 56 runners total. Because of that I felt Trevor had a good shot at possibly winning the race. Besides Trevor having a great shot, the rest of us had a chance to do well in our age categories.
The conditions were good. No wind, a bit on the warmer side, and mildly humid. It could've been worse, it could've been better, but no complaints here. I did a better job of controlling myself on the start. The first 5K I ran I went out way too fast and battled through lactic acid pain the rest of the race. This race I was better prepared and paced myself at the start. Trevor got out in front early and I lost sight of him before the first mile marker. My goal was to hit the first mile in about 6:50. I was ahead of that pace by 14 seconds and I felt surprisingly good. My fear at that point was if I was going to be able to maintain that pace for the remainder of the race. I just kept telling myself to stay loose and just go by feel. I was somewhat winded, but I was not in any pain. My lower legs felt a little tired, but nothing I couldn't continue to run through.
Shortly after the mile marker I passed two people that shot out at the start. At the water station I just grabbed a cup and threw it all over myself to cool off. That felt great. I then settled in behind an older guy that seemed to be keeping a good pace. Right before the two mile marker there was a short hill and he faded badly on that hill and that was where I was able to pass him. I passed the two mile marker at 13:40 something which put me at about a 7:00 minute mile for the second mile. Way up ahead was a younger kid, part of the Massabesic X-Country team. I didn't think I'd be able to catch him, but on the next to last turn, I found myself gaining ground. I didn't want to kick too early so I held back as long as I could. At the last turn before the finish I was right behind him. Shortly after the turn I made my kick and pulled ahead by about 10 - 15 yards and was able to hold him off through the finish. I was definitely winded when I finished but as I look back I feel maybe I could've pushed myself a little more. My cousin was ready to punt after the race. Maybe that's pushing a little too much but I feel maybe I should've been hurtin a little more than I was. I will keep that in mind for my next race.
To sum it up we all ran well. Derek PR'd by almost a full minute. I PR'd by 11 seconds, my sister PR'd and my wife hit her goal of finishing the race without stopping. Trevor PR'd and finished third overall with a time of 18:44. Trevor also won 1st for his age group while his brother Derek took home 2nd in the same age group. I won my age group and my sister finished 2nd in her age group. All in all it was a successful run on many fronts. The lack of participation played a role in all of these accolades, but nonetheless it was fun and a great feeling to be recognized.
Ladies and gentlemen, you're 3rd place finisher:
A look at the final results:
It's been a while since I've updated my blog and things have changed for me as far as running goes. Due to my lingering shin splint problem I have decided to cut back my running. I have adopted a schedule of running every other day until my shin splints are completely gone. They definitely feel better with this schedule and I'm hoping over a short period they will eventually go away.
My runs as of late have been shorter. I did a 2 miler last Friday and then I took off Sunday morning with the intent of only doing 3 miles, but I felt great and decided to just wander. I ended up doing 4 miles and although my shin started to hurt a little toward the end I feel like they are improving. I woke up this morning to torrential downpours and lightning so I had to postpone this morning's run until tonight. I'm hoping to do 5 miles tonight but it will be based on how my shins feel. Git er done.
After a week of vacation it's back to reality. There's nothing like vacation though and to top it all off I was able to get some running in with my cousin Trevor. This is great for me because he is so much better than I am, it pushes me to another level and makes me a better runner. I made my longest run while on vacation and also ran my most miles in a week up at the Poose. The roads were extremely crowned up there and although my shins didn't bother me too much, there is still some lingering pain. Enough pain at times for me to debate whether I should take a few days or even a week off from running, but I just can't get myself to do it. Espcially when I'm less than two weeks away from my second 5K race. Maybe after the race, a break can be taken, but until then, I'ma keep running and git er done.
So today was my first workout that included speedwork. The entirety of the run was four miles and it included five x one minute pickups. I did a slow first mile to warm up and then got right in to my first one minute pickup. Suprisingly I felt really strong the entire minute. I felt like I had a nice hard jog and I checked my pace during the first pickup which came in at a 5:20 per mile clip. Follwing the first pickup I used a two minute recovery period. During the second pickup I felt just as strong although I started to fade during the last 10 seconds. I definitely felt some lactic acid building up too. Still I felt good, but this time I used a three minute recovery.
The last three pickups were much harder and although I tried to keep the same pace as the first two pickups I know I wasn't going as fast. Each pickup definitely got harder to do which is good. I know I put the same amount of effort into each one. I finished the 4.04 miles with a time of 29:01 which averaged out to 7:10 per mile pace. I'm not sure how the total time during a speed workout is supposed to measure up to a regular workout, but this time is in line with a regular workout. Can anyone shed some light on that?
The craziest thing about this workout is that my shin splints didn't bother me at all. When I finished I didn't even feel as if I had to ice. I iced the right shin anyway, but this is the best it's felt after a workout yet. Hopefully these shin splints are on their way out. Tomorrow is an off day and then Sunday will be the longest run for me yet: a 7 miler. Till next time, keep running and git er done.
Training is still going well. Yesterday consisted of a 2 mile run which was way harder than it should have been because of a bout with insomnia the previous night. I was awake until 5 A.M. and slept for two hours until 7 A.M. I then did my 2 mile run which before I had to do it seemed like it was going to be a piece of cake. The cake is a liar.
A good night's sleep last night was much needed and I did my 4 miles this morning. My right shin is still bothering me although not nearly as badly as it was a week ago. I still have to ice after runs which is becoming a bit annoying. I'm pretty sure I could get rid of the shin splints with a week or two of rest, but I can't get myself to do that. At this point, not running makes me feel lazy.
Tomorrow is another 2 miler and then Friday is a 4 miler with some speed work mixed in. This is my first workout with speed work so it will be interesting to see how it goes. I will check back in on Friday with updates of that workout. Until then keep running and git er done.
This morning I set out on my longest run since I've started running about three months ago. I'm not gloating and am certainly not trying to impress anyone, but I certainly do feel like I accomplished something this morning and wanted to share this experience with my more expert running mates.
As a preface to my 6.5 mile run let me take a moment to describe my Saturday. It was an outdoor BBQ that was comprised of multiple kegs and lots of horrible (delicious) food. I ate, drank, and swam my way through Saturday until about 10 P.M. Needless to say, not a good way to prepare for the longest run I was going to attempt 10 hours later.
When I woke up this morning I was certainly dehydrated and not feeling on top of my game. I forced myself through some stretches and a small warmup, had an apple, some water and started my jog. I always tend to start out too fast so I definitely kept reminding myself to pace slow because I wanted to finish without stopping. It was overcast but extremely humid so I know this was going to be tough.
I trudged through the first three miles of my jog. My legs were tired and tight and my energy was low. There were numerous times during the first three miles that I told myself I may not make it without having to stop. Then something great happened. My second wind kicked in and suddenly my legs were loose, I had some energy in my strides and was feeling positive about my chances of finishing this run. It was crazy. My body just took over despite my negativity. It was almost as if my head had detached itself from my body and was floating above this robot that was programmed to run 6.5 miles. I felt great and was even able to push myself at the end of the run. When I was done I was soaked with sweat like I had jumped into a swimming pool. I felt like I had accomplished something great even though it was only a 6.5 mile jog. My goal was 8 minute miles and I finished with 7:43 miles.
As I was thinking about what I had done I realized the joy of running. The party I had been to on Saturday is a yearly event that my wife and I attend. Last year's party was a blast and because of that, certain expectations are assumed for the following year's party. It's weird how this year's party didn't measure up to last year's. That seems to happen sometimes. Whether it's because certain people didn't show up or the weather wasn't right or maybe I just didn't get drunk enough. In any event, I noticed that finishing a run that you set out to do always leaves you feeling the same way. It's a yearly party that continues to meet or beat expectations. That is definitely why I run.
So today was my first run using the Superfeet insoles. I am very impressed. My shin splints felt much better and barely hurt at all. Next up, the 6 miler on Sunday.
Since today was a day off for me from running, I decided to head on over to the Maine Running Company to get my feet evaluated. The reason I wanted to do this was to make sure I am running in the perfect shoe for me. This would eliminate one of the factors that could be causing my shin splints.
After running on a treadmill in the pair that I am currently using, the clerk determined I was in the correct shoe. This was a relief for me as it is one less thing to worry about. He also said that a little more support may help and had me try running with some aftermarket insoles. The insoles felt great and they come with the added bonus of working in any of my shoes. This will be especially useful for me during softball games as my shin splints tend to flare up when I'm wearing my cleats.
With new insoles in shoe, I am very much looking forward to tomorrow's 4 mile run. I have also been icing more frequently and using ibuprofen more regularly (but not before I run) to hopefully get rid of the shin splints once and for all.
This morning I ran 4 miles at about a 7:00 min/mile pace. I felt good from the outset and didn't feel like I was working too hard or not pushing myself enough. It was a good run.
I had very minor shin splints starting about a month ago, but I jumped on top of those by icing and heating when appropriate. The good news is that the shin splints in my left leg are almost completely gone. I cannot say the same thing for my right leg. I almost think it may be getting worse or just not improving. I should probably rest it for at least a week, but it would kill me to miss that much time from running. On the other hand if I don't rest a week now, will I miss more significant time down the road if my shin splints get worse? The good 'ole catch 22 most runners deal with when deciding to run through an injury or take time off.
If any of you have any suggestions besides rest for shin splints, I'm all ears. Git er done.
This is my first blog post so it will be lame. I'm going to use this to chronicle my running and share with my other running brethren.
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