[103] Back on track

ORN: This morning's weather was nearly perfect for this time of year -- around 67° and 72% humidity.  I sweat but just barely.  There was even a cool breeze to help me in the recoveries as I did a 4x800 interval workout.  My total for the day was 4.5 miles in 43'52".  My target pace was 3'47", and I was close, as you can see below:

1. 3'59"
2. 3'55"
3. 3'53"
4. 4'02"  <-- pooped!

Over the weekend, I traveled to Columbus, Ohio for the Origins Game Fair, which is a large gathering of gamer nerds and me.  Wifey, my friends, and I were the only cool people there.  Honest.  OK, well, at least we weren't dressed up in costumes.  Or furries.  I had every intention of getting up Saturday morning and running 13 miles, but I was in such sleep debt from the week before, I felt that I had to sleep in.  And then I slept in on Sunday too.  So I failed to do my long run last weekend.  A bad start to marathon training.

 

It's bad because I am in a slight mental rut as my program gets started.  Usually, I start a plan excited and then run into a wall after 12 weeks or so.  Starting off in a funk seems like I might be headed for trouble.

 

[109] Finally, a break from the heat

ORN:  This morning I ran a tempo run -- two miles easy, two miles hard, two miles easy -- for a total of 6.2 miles in 1:00'20".  My target time was 58 minutes and some change, so I blew that.  Despite the weather being a wholly reasonable 67° with 94% humidity, I still had trouble making my paces.  Yet I'm not too worried about it.  For one thing, it's early in the training plan.  Also, I'm just coming off an injury.  And of course my route this morning was quite hilly.  In fact, at the two mile mark, where I am supposed to accelerate to "short tempo pace", I was about 20 meters into a long [1+ mile] series of stair-step uphills.  In short, the run was hard and left me soaking wet, tired, and happy to be done with physical activity for the day.

 

Yesterday was a cross training day, and I put in 45 moderate-effort minutes on a stationary bike.  Then, after Little One went to bed, I did the FIRST-recommended resistance training routine.  That consists of some squats, lunges, calf-raises, dumbbell rows, and push ups with an exercise ball.  How do you do push ups with an exercise ball, you ask?  Very carefully, I learned.  I place my hands about shoulder-width apart on the ball as my body lays on it with the ball hitting me mid-torso.  Then, I try to do a push up.  Imagine trying to serve martinis while standing  up on a canoe on one leg.  Imagine tightrope walking in a wind storm.  Imagine trying to balance on one foot atop an upright baseball bat.  Doing a push up on an exercise ball is friggin' hard.  In demented Weeble fashion, it wants to wobble and make me fall down.  It was unpleasant and difficult.  What's the point?  The effort of trying not to fall on your face, apparently, works your core muscles like crazy [true dat] providing a more intense workout than a standard push up.  If I can get through this marathon training plan without a broken nose, it'll be a miracle.

 

So, I have another cross training day tomorrow, and then I plan on doing my long run Friday, instead of Saturday, on account of some plans we have for the weekend.  Friday's the best time for me to do my 13 miler.  Starting my day at 4 AM and running 13 miles ought to make work a pleasure.

 

[111] Here we go again

ORN:  This morning, I ran 5.36 miles in 54'53".  This was scheduled to be a 3x1600 interval workout with 60 second recoveries, but I am so out of shape that I fell wide of the mark.  I just wanted to finish, to complete the workout.  I didn't even get close to my target pace, and I totally dogged the last 1600.  The temperature was nearly 80° with 90% humidity, and I just cannot perform at 100% in that kind of weather.  It just saps all my strength.

 

But today's workout was important for a couple reasons.  First, today is the first day of training for the Chicago Marathon.  [By the way, if you wanted to register but waited too long, the American Cancer Society still has slots available through their charity runner program.  Google their website.]  Second, today was my first day running with my new kicks -- a pair of black Nike Free 5.0s, sent with loving-kindness by my dear friends at Zappos.com.  I'll do a full review of them in a couple weeks, but my first impressions are highly favorable.  They rock, in fact.  I can feel lots more of the ground through them, and I felt faster, even though I wasn't.  Nice shoes.

[113] Now I am a real runner

ORN: This morning, in the wee hours, I ran 10.3 miles in 1:56'31". The weather was a pleasant 70° with a swampy 92% humidity. It had rained buckets overnight leaving everything drenched and steamy. Nevertheless, it was a pleasant, hilly, long run through some of the priciest real estate in town. If it were later in the day, the rich folks could have seen my pasty, sweaty blubber flopping down the road. As it was 6 AM when I started, only the oldest residents were up and about.

Today was notable for two reasons. First, I saw a deer just outside my neighborhood. This is unusual since I live in a rather built-up suburb. I've never, ever seen a deer in my neighborhood. Second, I graduated into the realm of the "real runner" crowd. If there was ever any doubt, let it be removed today. I had my first bathroom emergency while running. I will leave the details as an exercise for your imagination, and only say that I was incredibly discreet. I don't know what was going on, but I'm OK now.

Time for breakfast.

[115] Even the coffee shops are closed

ORN:  This morning, before work, before McDonalds or Starbucks opened, I ran four hilly miles at Cherokee Park in 42'28".  Thinking I would beat the heat and turn in a decent performance, I actually ran my slowest time in the last couple weeks.  Part of that was the hilly course, but the other factor was the humidity.  The temperature was only 70°, but with 92% humidity, I felt like I was running in a steam room.

 

But getting up early is the way to go, I think.  I enjoyed listening to the birds waking up, and the pre-dawn light coming through the trees is magical.  I found it easy to let my mind drift and deeply enjoy being in nature.  And I had the road all to myself.

 

[116] Is it getting hotter?

ORN:  Today, I ran 4 miles in 40'58".  The weather was a balmy 83° with 78% humidity, which made for lots of laughs.  Breathing was like 40 minutes of having your head locked in the armpit of that fat kid who used to shake you down for lunch money back in school.  Planning ahead for these crappy conditions, I drank about a liter and a half of water before my workout.  I was a little sloshy, but I didn't die of heat stroke either.

 

Running in heat like that gives me a headache.  Is that weird?

 

You may have noticed that I haven't been doing the FIRST plan lately.  That's because of my recent injury and time off.  I didn't want to take two weeks off and then jump right back into doing 3x1600 intervals.  Seemed like a dumb idea.  So, last week and this week, I've been rebuilding my base; next week, I re-start FIRST with the first week of marathon training for Chicago.  I'm both looking forward to it and not.  Pro: I like being on a plan.  Con: running fast in this heat will suck.  I'm going to have to get up early and run before work, otherwise the heat will kill me and I'll never run my target paces.

 

[118] Trying to move on

ORN:  Today, I ran 4 miles in 41'19".  The weather was a sweltering 81° with 65% humidity, but at least we got a break from the monsoons.  It's been raining a lot lately, and that trend is supposed to continue this week.  My guess is Kentucky is reverting to a tropical rain forest or inland sea like it was back in the good, old days.

 

After reading my choppy, disconnected, rambling race report from Saturday, I thought I would add a few thoughts.  First, thanks to the commenters and their kind words losing my dog, Missy.  You know I don't like to get too emo around here, nor stray off topic too much, but this weekend sucked.  All weekend, Wifey and I gazed sadly at Missy's favorite napping spots around the house, as if she'd suddenly reappear, and the void made our hearts ache.  My mind keeps going to the moment the vet injected the poison into her leg, and she exhaled that relieved, final breath seconds later.  The tape of her death just keeps getting replayed over and over in my head, like a bad song on the radio.  Losing the dog we've had 14+ years, almost since we were married, has been a huge kick in the tenders for everyone. 

 

But enough of that.  Regarding the race and my huge win, the hardware I got for my first place finish was a cute little trophy that Little One promptly put on the piano next to all her soccer trophies.  At some point, it got covered with glitter from one of her art projects.  She's in a glittery phase with her art.

 

On the running tip, I had every intention of running another four miles Saturday to make it an even 20 for the week, but I just didn't.  I didn't run any more Saturday, and I didn't do much of anything on Sunday either.  Instead, I overate and drank beer, gaining two pounds for all the good it did me.  Everybody at my house is just trying to keep their stuff together, y'know?

 

[120] Race Report: Possum Ridge 5K

Pre-race

I woke up with my alarm after a fitful night of sleep. I weighed myself [175], drank some water, and got dressed. Everything was mechanical, soulless, and routine. Today was the day I was to put my dog, Missy, to sleep; but before that, I had a race to run. I needed the race, though. I needed to expend some anxious and angry energy into the road. I gobbled down a Clif Bar and hit the road.

I grabbed a coffee on the road. I got to Taylorsville Lake State Park in plenty of time to get my race packet. I affixed my bib number and wandered around until race time. Oh, and I did a quick 1 mile warm up. The morning was foggy and humid, and already at almost 8:00, the heat was getting uncomfortable.

And we're off

I ran the first mile at 5K race pace, which given the heat and my recent hiatus and injury felt pretty hard, probably too hard (8'09"). After that mile, I was just trying to do my best. I was beaten. I was so hot and was breathing so hard, I knew I wasn't going to PR. Still, I didn't want to waste the race.

At the turn around, I grabbed a glass of water and nearly drowned. Sputtering and coughing for the next quarter mile, I lost a ton of energy through carelessness. My best running were on the long downhill slopes, yet I did OK on the uphills. All in all, it was a tough race, but it felt good to fully exhaust myself.

Thank god it's over

I crossed the finish line at 26'54", which was nearly 2 minutes slower than my last 5K, which was a PR. Given how much I bonked this race, I was quite content with my time. While I waited for the awards to be distributed, I drank copious amounts of water and orange juice and watched people.

When the awards were handed, I nearly crapped my pants when my name was called for first place in my age group! And I wasn't the only guy in my age group. Good. I needed one good thing to happen today. I grabbed my trophy and spent my last hours with my 18 year old dog.

I'm numb now. Out of words. I'll reflect on this race later when I have it in me to do so.

[122] Run and a swim

ORN: Today, I ran 4.3 miles in 43'11". The weather was a balmy 75° with 82% humidity. I felt like I was swimming half the time, but I survived. I ran a little harder than easy, if that makes any sense. I wasn't shuffling, but I wasn't trying to push it either. Heading into the weekend, I can look back on a week of falling back in love with running after being a tad burned out at the end of my marathon training and then recovering from an injury. Getting out there has been the highlight of my work day. Work's been tough this week, too, so I needed the break.

Saturday, I intend to run the Possum Ridge 5K at Taylorsville Lake State Park. I've run it before, but I don't expect I will break any records on account of my recent idleness. I just want to go out there, do my best, and get my t-shirt. I'll let you know how it goes.

[123] Open the floodgates!

ORN: Today, during a calm in our day-long thunderstorms, I ran 4.3 miles in 43'41". The weather was a tolerable but sweaty 70° with 92% humidity. I had to scramble because my usual route was blocked by workers maintaining the floodgate at 8th Street. I had to find another way through the flood wall, and you'd think I'd have that information at hand since I work for the agency that maintains the flood protection system here. And since I am an emergency flood pumping station operator. But alas, I'm ignorant of such things. Like a mouse looking for a hole in an unfamiliar wall, I wandered around a bit.

But otherwise the run was great. I'm so grateful to be running after my brief hiatus. I left the locker room after getting cleaned up with a smile on my face and feeling like a hundred bucks.

In other news, my dear Little One has aspirations of becoming a runner. Or rather, she expressed tepid interest in joining her school's cross country team, and daddy is blowing it out of proportion. But in my defense, she did say she wanted to learn how to run faster after her so-so performance at the foot races on Field Day. So last night, we went for a walk/run around the neighborhood. Technically, what I had her do was a fartlek workout -- I didn't tell her that because you can't say fartlek around a 6 year old [you can barely say it around me.] I also kept her interest up with occasional form drills like butt kicks and knee lifts, which kids find fun and I find embarassing.

The way it worked was I'd walk along in my flip flops ['twas my rest day, after all] and tell her "Go hard for three driveways and sprint back." Or, "Run normal speed up to that light post and do butt kicks back." That way, I could walk, and she could get her wiggles out. But I kept having the suspicion that she could run for an extended period if I went with her and encouraged her. Sure enough, right before our walk ended, I decided we'd jog back home from where we were. She wanted me to count the seconds, and I agreed. So she and I, in my flip flops, ran all the way back home, past some ladies showing/looking at a house for sale, with me counting up the minutes and seconds. I kinda felt like an idiot, but I've learned you can get away with looking like an idiot sometimes if you are with a small child. We did three minutes without stopping. I'm a proud papa.

Oh, and running in flip flops felt great. No foot pain at all. I'll file that under "Things that make me go 'Hmmm.'"

[125] Stupid gear failures

ORN: Today, after two weeks off, I ran a lovely four miles [or so] in 41 minutes [or so]. It's all a guess because this morning, when I checked out my Polar RS200, it was dead... no screen... no nothing. I think it might be dead-dead, rather than mostly dead. I could replace the batteries, but the thing's batteries are supposed to last 2 years. I just replaced the batteries 6-8 months ago. The battery failures might be the symptom of another, more serious problem. I think the watch is just b0rked.

Oh well, I guess I will have to get a Garmin. Now, where's that wallet where I keep all my hundred dollar bills? Oh yeah, I left it in my pet unicorn's stable. His name is Wally, the Wallet Defending Unicorn.

But I cannot express how great it was to finally run a little. If you recall, I took two weeks off to give my plantar fasciitis a break, and I can gleefully report my feet felt fine. I could feel a little tenderness around the heel, but nothing like it was. After the run, I stretched it repeatedly while sitting at my desk. I'm going to baby it this week as I get back into training, running slowly and easily, stretching it bunches and bunches, and icing it when it needs it.

Two weeks to go before I start marathon training. I'll be re-building my base this week and next, but I'm not going to be stupid about it. I'm not going to be doing crazy intervals, for example. Slow and steady -- that's my motto for the time being.

[127] I'm buggin' out!

ORN: { }

I haven't run in about a week and a half, and I am going batty. The explanation for my recent lack of sanity is simple. Work has been much busier than usual, and so my stress level has been peaking just as I have stopped my primary stress-busting activity. I could always count on a few lunch-hour runs to break up my week and give me a little dose of nature, sweat, and probably endorphins. I've been itching to get back on the road, but I've also been eager to let my foot heal.

And healing it is. If you recall, my left heel had been hurting me since the marathon. It hurt to walk on it first thing in the morning or after I had been sitting for a while, and the area was very tender to massage. Classic plantar fasciitis. So to fix it, I have quit running for a while, I've been icing and massaging it, and I bought this brace for wearing overnight. It keeps the fascia stretched, which eases my suffering when I get up for wee-hour wee breaks.

Caveat emptor: I would not get this model again. The strap that goes around my upper calf cuts off my circulation if I wear it tightly enough to feel like it's doing its job. If I loosen it to restart the blood flow, then it doesn't flex my foot very well. Also, it has a hard plastic buckle that digs into my shin bone. But, despite all that, it helps. I just should've gotten a different model. Oh well, it was an impulse buy at the grocery store.

I say all this to say that I am probably going to start running again Monday. I'm going to go out there and see what happens. If I run and have heel pain during or after the run, then I will make an appointment to see a podiatrist or something. Otherwise, I am back in the game!