Update 11/13-12/4 Frustrated

Okay I know it has been a long time since I have updated my progress, but I was busy wallowing in my own self pity.  I had all good intentions of posting up after our first 20k benchmark on 11/20  with my time and how great the run felt.  Well the run did go well, so I thought.  About 2 hours after the run I started to get a pain in my left Achilles and by Sunday morning it was very uncomfortable and there was a knot about 1.5 inches up from the bottom of my foot.  Monday morning I called the Dr. and she was able to work me in later that day.  I went in hoping for a diagnosis of Achilles Tendinitis but instead I heard the words that I probably have a partial tear, but she is hopeful that we caught it soon enough that anti-inflammatory, rest and rehab will fix me up and get back on the road.

This weekend I have made some great progress. I was able to Mt. Bike 16.65 miles Saturday and I did 5 miles on the elliptical and walked 1.5 miles on the treadmill with no pain.  I have also been able to execute calf raises with no pain this weekend as well.  So I am very hopeful that I will be cleared to run this week in PT.   The marathon is less than 3 months away and I can not miss much more training.

  11/08   4.16 miles    38:49
  11/09   4.21 miles    56:48 <- 15 hill repeats, 11 forward, 4 backwards(hello thighs).
  11/11   3.03 miles    25:15
  11/13 10.00 miles 1:36:01 
            21.40 miles total

  11/16   2.00 miles speed work on treadmill
  11/18   3.28 miles    30:31
  11/20 12.40 miles 1:56:31 
            17.68 miles total

Update 10/17-11/06 It should not be this cold here.

 I have discovered that running in the colder weather is great, however I am starting to wonder if I should invest in some running pants.  My major concern is that I will get to warm.  A couple of runs over the last three weeks the temp has been in the high 30s.  I know you people back in Idaho are thinking that is not cold, but once you factor in the little bit of humidity it tends to feel more like the 20s. At this point I think I will stay with my shorts, short sleeve shirt, arm warmers, gloves, running hat and ear warmers, I like the ability to easily remove the parts as I get further in the run and start to warm up. 

Another thing I have discovered running in cold weather is that I need to really watch my water intake.  It is really easy to forget to drink water when you are not drenched in sweat. 


3.5 months away from the marathon, how exciting is that?  




  10/17   1.77 miles    26:19 <- run with the family had a great time
  10/18   4.02 miles    40:05
  10/19   5.58 miles    50:44 <- Had a rock in my shoe and rather than stop and remove I tried to move it around.  Later in the day my arch was extremely sore.
  10/21  <-- Did not run resting right arch
  10/23 10.94 miles 1:45:06
            22.31 miles total


  10/25   3.77 miles    37:19
  10/26   4.12 miles 1:02:03 <- 12 hill repeats, though for sure I was going to puke on the last one.
  10/28   3.16 miles    27:19
  10/30 12.00 miles 1:53:19 <- First 12 mile run, woohoo!!!
            23.05 miles total


  11/01   4.10 miles    41:37
  11/03   5.20 miles    51:23
  11/04   3.59 miles    30:35
  11/06 10.00 miles 1:31:40 <- Improved my last ten minute run by ~3mins
            22.89 miles total

Update 9/17 No Garmin for the long run, and Hill repeats

I forgot to charge my Garmin and now I have no proof that I ran 10 miles on Saturday, what am I going to do?????  Oh yeah I am going to run 10 miles again next week, it will all be okay.  I am not sure I liked the naked feeling of running without any knowledge of how far or long I had ran.  It may not have been so bad had the Garmin not still been strapped onto my wrist making snide comments about how I forgot to charge the damn thing.  Hopefully I will charge it from now on.

So this week on our training schedule we had hill training scheduled for Tuesday.  I, in my infinite wisdom, figured this would be a piece of cake since I run hills everyday in my neighborhood.  BOY WAS I WRONG.  I ran eight hill repeats on what I heard others call, the hill from hell, and it was all I could do to keep everything I had eaten that day inside my body. 

Hill from hell

After completing the hill repeats I had to take Brock to batting practice, so no ice bath.  This as I found out the next day was a big mistake.  My legs were very sore and I was sure my tempo run scheduled for Thursday was not going to go well.

  10/11   4.51 miles    47:08
  10/12   2.61 miles    39:37 <- Hill repeats
  10/14   3.89 miles    35:02
  10/16 10.00 miles 1:35:00 <- approx: no garmin
            21.01 miles total

Update 9/26 10/3 10/10

Wow is all I can really say, the last three weeks of training have been great.  The long runs are getting longer but yet seem shorter, the hills are becoming routine and the weather has been spectacular.  As for the long runs getting longer but seeming shorter, I owe that all to the Round Rock Fit training group, you guys rock.

Lessons learned:

The second pair of properly fitting shoes are not as comfortable as the first.

Mexican food the night before a long run is not such a great idea.

Shotblocks are very chewy when it is cold outside.

Need to find a stronger laundry detergent.

  9/20   4.11 miles    40:47
  9/21   4.19 miles    40:43
  9/23   4.67 miles    43:40
  9/25   7.04 miles 1:08:26
          20.00 miles total

  9/27   3.74 miles    35:57
  9/28   3.81 miles    39:32
  9/30   3.61 miles    36:44
10/02   8.00 miles  1:15:01
       19.16 miles total 

10/04   4.24 miles    43:16
10/05   3.32 miles    32:11
10/07   4.51 miles    40:24
10/09   9.00 miles 1:24:01
         21.07 miles total    

Weekly 9/5 9/12 9/19

Wow that three weeks went by really fast.  Kassidy has started Soccer, Brock has started baseball, bought a new car and I have been very busy at work.  The other day I put in a vote for 26 hour days, I think with 2 extra hours I would be able to get everything done.

Over the last three weeks I have had to fight a rib injury for the first two and an ankle injury for the last two.  ICE has become a huge friend of mine.  This last Saturday they brought two trash cans full of Ice Water to stand in after the run.  The first two minutes were hell but after that everything went numb.  As I am writing today I must say the whole body feels really good. 


Lessons Learned:
KFC two hours before a run is not recommended.

ICE is my friend.

Running in a Group is a lot of fun and makes the time fly.  (Thanks to all my Round Rock Fit friends)


Could I run a marathon next week?
It is starting to feel like a real possibility.

  8/30   4.08 miles 42:02
  8/31   4.22 miles 43:02
  9/02   3.75 miles 38.36
  9/04   5.49 miles 57:04
          17.54 miles total

  9/06 4.90 miles    48:16
  9/07 4.23 miles    41:49
  9/10 3.21 miles    31:17
  9/11 5.14 miles 1:04:50
        17.48 miles total 

  9/13 3.20 miles    32:32
  9/14 1.71 miles    25:48
  9/16 4.23 miles    52:02
  9/18 6.00 miles    58:54
        15.14 miles total  

Weekly Update 8/22 8/29

Week 8/22
8/21 was the first official group run with Round Rock Fit, actually it was a 3 mile pace run to determine the group that we would be in.  I must say I felt guilty because the pace run was only three miles and Saturday is supposed to be my long run.  I am really glad that I decided to join the group and have already met many great people with the same goal in mind, to finish the marathon.  One of the guys in the group was 70+ years old and has ran 49 marathons in the past 7 years, AMAZING.   

Week 8/29

Another great week of running increased my miles back up a notch and everything was going well.  Then on 8/29 I was headed to do some cross training on my Mt. Bike and I was in a car accident and totaled my vehicle, which is also the reason I am late with this post.  Luckily there were no major injuries, just some bruised ribs.  I was actually able to run both Monday and Tuesday, however today my ribs are pretty sore so I may take Thursday off, we will see how I feel in the morning.

  8/16   2.86 miles 26:27
  8/17   2.86 miles 24:12
  8/20   3.78 miles 35.36
  8/21   2.98 miles 26:38
          12.48 miles total
 
  8/23 3.77 miles 38:26
  8/24 4.23 miles 42:36
  8/26 3.76 miles 32:24
  8/28 5.60 miles 54:50
        17.36 miles total 

Weekly Update 8/8 , 8/15

Okay so it is two weeks in one, that is probably better anyway.  I have to say the last two weeks have went well overall, but man has it been hot.  I always try to run in the morning before the heat sets in but lately it has been in the low 80s around 6 in the morning with the humidity of 80%.  Which is still better than midday when it is 98 with a heat index of 105 or above.  After two summers in a row you get used to it but you still cannot wait for the cooler weather.  I hope the Broncos practice in the indoor facility is really giving them a feel for the humidity they are going to experience at FedEx Field on Sept 6th.

This next weekend I am going to join a local training program to help me train for the marathon.  I think it will be good to find some peeps with the same goal to help keep me on track.

Could I run a marathon next week?
Not yet but I think I could complete a half, if my life depended on it.

  8/2   3.10 miles 29:02
  8/4   3.77 miles 37:14
  8/6   4.24 miles 38.58
  8/7   7.53 miles 1:13:35
        18.64 miles total
  8/9   3.27 miles 31:07
  8/11 3.77 miles 35:32
  8/12 2.10 miles 18:44

  8/14 5.57 miles 53:53
        14.71 miles total