running

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The Uninspired Runner

Maybe this post should be called “The Uninspired Life”

I haven’t had much inspiration with my blog or running or life in general lately.  I have been trying to figure out if it was overtraining or a nutrient that I have been missing or something else.  This is one reason I reduced my running to 19 miles last week compared to almost a 50 mile average week for the month of June.  I also had been really sore so I thought now was as good a time as ever to rest.

Yesterday was dreadful.  I woke up at 2:30AM and couldn’t go back to sleep.  I was grumpy and angry at the world.

I had a thought.  I have been suffering for some time with congestion in my sinuses.  Also a couple of weekends ago I had non-stop headaches.  Last week I had a sore throat for a few days and Sunday I had a really bad headache.  I never get headaches.  I remember my family physician telling me once that a sinus infection can “hide” and a person my not really know that they have one other than tiredness and fatigue.  So, I decided to go to my ENT and get checked out.

Guess what?  I had a sinus infection.

He gave me a steroid shot, an antibiotic shot and a prescription.  I feel so much more human today.  I am alert (I’m sure the shots didn’t hurt in that area) and I am feeling so much better.

I took yesterday off from running as Monday is my normal off day.  Even though I have only run once since Thursday, I figured I should get another day of rest in before picking things back up.  I have been dreading my running for a couple of weeks.  I guess my sinus infection had just worn my body down to the ground and I couldn’t get the energy to enjoy basic things, let alone run.

Today, Lord willing, I start a 45 mile week.  I really want to try for 15 miles for my long run this weekend.  I had hoped to do that 2 weeks ago, but just couldn’t.  Hopefully things will be different this week.

Funny how something so little can have such a big effect on running and life.

I still don’t know how my running will go this week, but at least I am looking forward to it for the first time in almost a month.

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Another day off from running – Tough recovery week

I took yesterday off running as I said in my post yesterday.  It was a busy day anyway and I honestly would not have had time to run until evening, so it worked out.

I am actually considering taking today off also. I woke up this morning and was still sore all over.  This week is way off from my running plan anyway and so I may as well take advantage of my time and rest today and begin fresh tomorrow.

I am trying not to over analyze the situation in which I find myself.

Slowly but surely I am recovering and I hope and pray that this time off will be just what I need.  I must admit the difficulty of taking a few days off while training for a marathon in 2.5 months.  However my long runs have gotten shorter and more difficult and even my daily runs aren’t easy, so I figure my body needs this time to heal and get whole again.

Thank you for the emails and comments.

Encouragement is always a good thing and appreciated!!!

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Yesterday’s run and injury update

It was a good run yesterday with my friend Neill (@BigBigGeek).  I do enjoy running with other people rather than the lonely road by myself in my neighborhood.  It can really get monotonous running by yourself all the time, so when TJ and I can run together or I meet Neill to run, it is usually a much easier and more fun run for me.

Neill and I met at the mountain lake to run the trail, which is always fun.  Not only is is different running trail runs, but we also have a lot in common to talk about.

I got to the parking lot about 15 minutes early and it was pouring.  I wanted to warm up a bit so that my achilles and hip wouldn’t bug my on the trail, so I ran about half a mile around the area before Neill pulled up.  After we got ready to head out for our run, we decided that the trail may be a bit too muddy and slick to run and so we ran the road instead.

We did about 3.2 miles together and I did about a half a mile, so I was close to 3.75 miles for the day.

All that to say, I am still hurting a bit.  My left hip is still giving me problems from when I tripped over a sidewalk crack last week.  I am hoping that my reduced mileage this week will help calm it down and I am stretching it a bit.  I guess I should be putting ice on it also.

I admit that I am concerned  that with my marathon being less than 10 weeks away I feel this banged up.  There isn’t much I can do, but take it easy and stay off the sidewalks!!!

Anyway, thanks Neill for the great run.  Always a pleasure.

I may take today off and hope that tomorrow things feel better.

Sigh.

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Pre-run hanging with the dog

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Off work today for the 4th of July holiday. I’m going to meet @BigBigGeek to go trail running around the mountain lake.

Just “hanging with the dog” before I head out.

Have a great day!!!

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Run recovery week. Half the miles and a new attitude.

Running has gotten a bit difficult lately.

It is mainly because I’ve been doing so much training in the heat and humidity.

Talking things over with TJ, I’ve decided to cut my training back drastically this week. Rather than the planned 45 – 55 miles, I am going to run 25 – 30 miles.  This is hard to do as I am only 10 weeks out from our marathon, but I really think I need it.  Running and training should not be something I dread and that is where I have gotten.  I want to work hard for my first marathon, but not to the point of either hurting myself or dreading my runs.

Another change I am contemplating is not holding my phone anymore.  I may run with it in a waistband or I’m even thinking of getting a Nike+ watch.  Yesterday TJ suggested leaving my phone at home so as to just have a good run.  I did that and noticed that I felt freer in my run being able to have my hands free.  It wasn’t that big of a deal a year ago as I ran 2 miles a day, but at 8 miles a day… much bigger deal.

It was a good run yesterday though.  TJ ran with me as he was off and did his run in the morning.  I only ran 3 miles which was really a nice change.

I am looking forward to my recovery week.  Hopefully by next week I’ll be all rested and ready to go!!!

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New leg muscles found. Weekend run the Culprit!

I have run over 1,600 miles since I began in March 2012…  I just found new muscles in my legs.

Explanation:

Last weekend I ran a new course as I mentioned in my post yesterday.  We were visiting Chattanooga for the weekend and I had to find somewhere to run.  I decided it would be fun to run in a place called “Riverwalk”.  The biggest difference between Riverwalk and my neighborhood was its flatness.  It had some hills, but for the most part it was so flat that I couldn’t tell if I was going up or down hill except for the feeling in my legs.  This is opposite from my neighborhood which is all hills.

I ran on Saturday and had a really good time.  I pushed myself.  I thought that this path might be a good comparison to what our marathon will be like in September.  The Lehigh Valley Marathon is a relatively flat course with a net 240′ drop.  Saturday, as I said, I pushed myself.  Sunday I had a much harder time.  I felt tired and lethargic.  I didn’t want to go out running in the morning.  When I finally got out and ran, it was okay, but I finished it feeling discouraged as I completed only 8 of 15 miles (partly due to time restraints and partly due to feeling poorly).  My thought as I drove back to the hotel was, “How am I going to run 26 miles in 10 weeks if I can barely make 8 today”.

Now for the new muscle part.  I worked yesterday and it was a normal day.  I sit at work since I do a lot of programming.  However my job makes me get up a lot to go help others with IT needs.  Yesterday afternoon as I got up from my desk, I felt something I hadn’t felt since last year.  My legs were really sore.  This wasn’t just my normal running aches and pains, this was soreness.

I now realize that my runs this weekend were using different muscles that what I use in my neighborhood.  Since I was running on a flat surface I had to use muscles that I don’t normally use.  This was an “aha” moment for me.  I need to run in a flat area to get ready for the marathon rather than the hills in my neighborhood.  If I am this sore after 16 miles in 2 days, what would 26 miles feel like?

I am fortunate to have a track nearby that is made from asphalt.  Though it isn’t perfect, it will at least be a level area to run some miles to get my body used to that type of running.

Go figure.  I run hills for 16 months and now I am sore from a flat surface.  I guess I should have realized that would happen, but better figuring this out now than in 9 or 10 weeks.  🙂

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Vacation / running / record month

It was a great weekend thanks to HM.

For Father’s Day HM took my lovely wife and myself to Chattanooga, TN.  He paid for the hotel, food and gas.  It was a great time and nice to get away for a couple of days.

Of course, as I planned this trip, I had to figure out where to run.  I looked online and found out that there is a bike/pedestrian path that runs next to the river appropriately called, “Riverwalk”.  So Saturday morning at 6:00 I went out to find this Riverwalk and to run my 8 miles.

It took a while for me to find the beginning of the main path, but some nice people on bikes pointed me in the right direction and I was on my way.

I had a great run.  It was beautiful, peaceful, and the course was relatively flat, especially compared to my neighborhood.  Here are some images I took with my phone as I ran…

The Riverwalk path

The Riverwalk path

The view from the Riverwalk path

The view from the Riverwalk path

My run on Saturday went really well.  I took Friday off running as I had run the 9 days prior and we had to travel after I got off of work.  So Saturday my legs were fresher and I felt much better than I had the past week.  It also didn’t hurt that it was about 30 degrees cooler than the last day I ran in my neighborhood.  So I pushed myself a bit, which I haven’t done in a while because of the heat.  I worked a few miles at trying to keep my marathon pace and was fairly successful.  To be honest, if it weren’t for my trying to find this path in the beginning, I would have averaged in the 8:00 – 9:00 range for the whole 8 miles.  Alas I ended up at 9:02 pace which isn’t bad.  In fact it is the best pace I have had since the heat kicked in serval weeks ago.

Sunday was different.  I woke up at 3:00 and couldn’t get back to sleep.  I really didn’t “feel” like running.  I was tired and sore, but I went out anyway and ran the Riverwalk.  It wasn’t nearly as fun, but I still managed a 9:58 pace for 8 miles.  My goal was to run 15 miles, but I ran out of time as we had to eat and check out of the hotel.  Also I was just tired and couldn’t do the extra miles, even after we got home yesterday afternoon.  So, sadly I missed my first 200 mile month by 7 miles.  Still it was my first month over 150 miles, so 193 isn’t shabby.

Looking forward, I think I will cut back this week and try to let my body heal.  My achilles is better, but did bother me yesterday.  Also during my Thursday run/walk in 101 degree heat, I wasn’t paying attention and tripped in a crack in the sidewalk.  I lunged forward and had to catch myself.  It really messed with my left hip which hasn’t been a problem since the half marathon in February.  It was better Saturday, but much worse on Sunday and last night I woke up in pain.

So, with 1o weeks to go to my marathon, I am having to pull my training back to recover.  On the bright side, it is not supposed to get out of the mid 80’s here for the next week.

Today is another planned off day and I’ll see how I feel tomorrow.

Thanks again HM for the trip!

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Quick running update…

I didn’t get a chance to write this last night, so this will be short.

Let me just say:

  • 8 miles yesterday
  • 101 heat index
  • 9 days running in a row
  • 70 miles in a row
  • Taking today off running 🙂

I may not post this weekend as I have a lot going on.  But rest assured I’ll be back Monday with another 23 more miles under my belt!!!

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8 miles closer to Boston

It was a hot, humid, lonely run yesterday.

I really enjoyed it.

I enjoy climbing mountains.  Well, actually, I enjoy the top of the mountain.  The finish.  The results.

So, to be honest, I didn’t really enjoy the run itself.  I ran well for about 4 miles and then got a phone call.  That really affected my momentum.  After that I ran/walked the rest of the 8 miles, which is unusual for me.  I think it was a combination of the heat, humidity and that I didn’t get my day off this week since I need to take Friday off.  Also, this is a record mileage week/month for me if I get it all in.  So I am trying to be wise and still get my full running in for the week.

To continue where I started, I really like setting a goal and then reaching that goal.  This is probably why I am trying so hard to qualify for Boston this year if at all possible.  It is my ultimate mountain to climb.  It won’t be the end of life as I know it if I don’t achieve the goal I have set, but I will do all that I can do to achieve it.

People ask me why I don’t wait another year to try to qualify.  I guess it is the thrill of doing something few have done in a way that few have tried and succeeding.  It may be my midlife crisis, but it is ultimately cheaper and has many more benefits than a new sports car. 🙂

It is hot and humid today.  At 4:30 AM on my way to work it was near 80 and near 100% humidity.

I can’t wait to climb another mountain this afternoon!

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Summer running – 4 ways to make running more tolerable

What was I thinking?

Marathon training in the South and in the summer.

I had a great run with TJ yesterday and actually ran my 8 miles 5 minutes faster than Monday.  But my pace is still down and the heat is really difficult.

There are ways to enjoy running in the summer.  Okay, maybe not enjoy, but to make it more tolerable.  I have been trying to tweet articles as I have come upon them, but they mainly seem to “boil” down to the same things:

STAY HYDRATED:  Personally I try to drink at least 96 ounces of water a day before I go running and preferably 128 oz.  I can feel the difference, even in the winter, when I haven’t had enough to drink.  I began drinking half my body weight in ounces of water back when I was dieting and have been able to keep it up.  The way I do this is to drink 32oz (1000 ml) of water as soon as I get to work.  I just down it quickly and get it out of the way.  Then I drink another 32 oz before lunch and a final 32 oz after lunch.  I try to finish my last 32 oz about 2 hours before I go running, if at all possible.

STAY COOL:  That may seem like a stupid thing to write about running in 100 degree heat, but it is true.  Anyway to keep yourself cooler during your run is very helpful.  I have gotten a hat and shirt that cool as they get wet (or sweaty).  I also have heard that just running your hands under cold water before you head out of the house goes a long way in helping you stay cooler.  Some people will run early in the morning or in the evening to make sure that they don’t run in the heat of the day.  Unfortunately I can’t do that with my schedule, so I have to come up with other ways to cool off.  I have even gotten to the point of going inside after the first half my run to drink some water and cool off a bit before continuing.

RUN SLOWER:  This is a hard one on me.  I worked all Fall and Winter to move my pace up and was pretty successful. Now as we begin with the heat of the summer, I am happy with 45 to 60 seconds a mile slower pace than during the winter.  The psychological effect of this is the most difficult to get beyond.  But now I have resigned myself that slowing down now will keep me alive for another run tomorrow, so that is good. 🙂  Basically as you run your blood goes to your skin to help cool your body.  This is blood that used to be available to your muscles.  So you will run slower in the heat because your body has to cool itself.  Just slow down and enjoy the run!

BE SMART: Pay attention to your body as you run.  Don’t push beyond what you can handle, even if it is less than normal.  Heat isn’t something to play games with.  Drink a sport drink or something equivalent right after exercising and rest.  If you feel at all nauseous or have weakness or other unusual symptoms during a run, call someone to pick you up.  TJ, RS and I have begun texting my Lovely Wife when we leave and when we expect to get back.  That way if we are out too long, someone knows to come look for us.

This isn’t an exhaustive list – obviously.  Just a couple of things I have picked up throughout the past several months.   I am not a doctor, but I like to learn from experience. I hope this helps.

Enjoy the summer.  Enjoy your runs.  Enjoy life.

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Marathon update and a 55 mile week

It has been a couple of crazy days.

My lovely wife had a horrible migraine starting Sunday afternoon.  I finally had to take her to the doctor yesterday morning and as of last night, it was better, but not great.

As I wrote yesterday, my plans for our marathon have hit a snag.  Yesterday I was much less hopeful of a solution, but after a lot of feedback from many sources, I think I might have come up with an answer…

If my big brother will change his dates for visiting my mom’s and come in Sunday rather than Friday, I think it will work out.  The only hitch is to find a hotel in Allentown for 2 days that won’t be way expensive because of the marathon.  Then we can go up on Friday, have Saturday to review the course (which we always do before a race – it really helps) and the run Sunday and head to my mom’s afterwards.  Seems doable.  I haven’t looked at hotel rates yet, but I will and then check with big brother and if all that works, we will be back on.  Thanks to everyone for your feedback via the blog, email or phone.  It was a big help.

Now on to my killer week of running.  I’ve thrown out pace all together.  My goal right now is miles and building a base and then work on my speed about 6 weeks out.  I normally take Monday off since Sunday is my long day, but I have obligations Friday afternoon, so I decided to run Monday – Thursday and take Friday as my off day.  TJ has helped me work out a plan.  I am running 8 mile days and a 15 mile long day.  I’ll probably split my long day into 2 runs of 7 and 8 miles.  That will put me at 55 miles for the week and 200 for the month.  The reason I’ve thrown out my pace is I don’t want to push too hard and also the heat.  I have had some light physical issues, but not much for the mileage, so I am thankful.

Sometimes life is like running.  You push and push to get through each day and if you hit a wall, you regroup, shake it off and keep going.  Running has taught me so much about endurance in life.

It will all work out!