Week 13

The plan this week was to do a little more than 20 miles. It was the same route as last week but on the last loop I would extend it a bit. Going into the run the only concern I had was I still had some pain from last weeks blisters on both my little toes but other than that I felt good. The run started off okay I took it easy and eased into the run. As usual I started to feel okay on the flat part which is around mile 2. I stopped for water at the school and then had some Gatorade in a gel at around mile 5. I finished the first loop just in time to take a sit down break in the water closet (One of the big benefits of the loop course). I also drank some water and said hi to Toby. As expected I started to feel it on the second loop but I was still okay. The blister on my right little toe started to let me know it was there but not a big deal. I made it home for another drink and it a quick kiss for Toby and out the door I went. The third and final loop went surprisingly well. I was feeling the affects of the mileage, especially on the up hills, but overall I was pleased how I ended up.

Details:
Loop 1 – 56:54
Loop 2 – 57:01
Loop 3 – 1:13:26
Total – 3:07:22
Pace – 9:11

On the iPod: I listened to four interviews this week
1st – USAT Triathlon Team
2nd – Bob Roll
3rd – Chris Lieto
4th – Taylor Phinney
The only memorable tune was Freakin’ & Peakin’ by Luna. It came on for the last mile and what a great tune.


Next Week: 12+ miles

Week 12

I originally planned on running with my buddy Jeff but his knees have been killing him so he was smart and decided not to push it. The plan was to run 19 miles by doing 3 loops of roughly 6.4 miles. I did the loop thing the week before and I seemed to like being able to stop at home for fuel and a bathroom break. The first loop I did in 56:26 which was about 2 minutes faster than the previous week so I was encouraged. The second loop I did in 57:25 so I only slowed up a little but that could because I took a Gatorade break that I didn’t take on the first loop. For the record I stopped my watch during my stops at home. At this point I felt pretty good, there was one point at the beginning of the second loop I didn’t feel so well but it didn’t last too long. As I was doing my last loop I said to myself I wanted to get under an hour. The fact that I was setting goals on the fly means I was feeling okay because if I was feeling like crap I wouldn’t care as long as I finished. I finished up a with 59:52; mission accomplished. This was the first run that I felt good about the run.

Details
Loop 1 – 56:26
Loop 2 – 57:25
Loop 3 - 59:52
Total 2:53:43
Pace 9:05

On the IPod: I listened to 2 interviews; the first was Josh Cox, who set the American record in 50K at the Rock and Roll Marathon. The second one was Mark Allen and his Sharman talking about a book they wrote. It was interesting and made me think if I could get into some deep thought stuff like these guys. My conclusion is, no way. The book might be an interesting read maybe some day I’ll pick it up. As for tunes I don’t remember too many but I do remember getting a lift from “Hold You Head Up” by Argent and finishing up with Springsteen’s “Out in the Streets”.

Next Week: 20 miles

Week 11

I’m back. After Stu’s 30K I decided to take a week off and allow my left calf to heal. I didn’t run until Monday when I was in Florida. For the week I ran Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday and then rested up for a long run on Sunday. My approach going into Sunday’s run was to do three loops which would allow me to shut it down if my leg flared up and for the first time I wore the new compression socks As it’s been on most on my long runs this year I started out feeling a little tired and stiff in my hips. I think the stiffness was due to swimming in the pool all week. I’ll take a little stiffness for a week in the sun of Florida. The first loop was a little over 10k and I finished up that without much of a problem. The second 10k loop (in the opposite direction) went okay. It was a little tough towards the end but overall I felt okay. I stretched a little when I made it home. I also had some water, Gatorade, and a GU. The last loop was going to be a little over 4.5 miles. It started out okay but it quickly got tough. My right ankle was sore and my hips got tight but it wasn’t as bad as in other weeks. My post run was just some Gatorade, ice on my calf and knees, and a hot shower.

The details: 17.5 miles 2:46:49

On the IPod: I listened to WEEI until the last mile. Having been away for a week I needed to catch up on the local sports. For the last mile I went to the IPod and listened to “Whispers” by Luna.

Week 10

off - resting for a week to help the calf to heal

Injury Update

I was thinking this morning, what advice would I give someone that was in my spot? Well, I would say shut it down for a week and try to get the calf healed. One week of training is not going to kill you, it's more important to get to the starting line healthy. So I am going to listen to my own advice and shut it down until next Monday. I will be in Orlando so it will warm and hopefully mostly flat running.

As of today the pain in my leg is much much better so hopefully the extra rest will do the trick. I am still icing at night and doing self massage a few times a day. I also bought a pair of compression socks which I will use on all of my future long runs.

Week 9 - Stu's 30K

I know this is becoming one major bitch session week after week but the training hasn’t been conducive to anything else. This week is one I knew and wanted to be tough as I know Stu’s 30k is a tough course plus running 30k was going to be a challenge in itself. I normally look forward to races like this but going in I was worried about my left calf. It has been hurting for two week now and last week I ran 4 miles on Tuesday and that was it for the week. I haven’t done any formal research on this but I think you need really need to run more than twice a week (even if one of them is a long run) to reach your marathon goals. As race day approached I knew the weather was not going to be ideal but maybe that would keep my mind off of my leg. Enough of the semi whining and on to the race.

I got to the start about a 45 minutes early which was good because I got to hangout with Mikey and meet a couple of GNRCers. The start was a bit cold but it wasn’t an issue at all and neither was the snow since it really wasn’t any more than a flurry. I started running with Mike and Maria and stayed with them for around a half hour but then I fell back a little just so I could run my own race. I was able to see them up ahead for a bit and even one time it looked like I was gaining on them but then nature called and that was the last I would see of them. My leg felt really funny right from the beginning and I was favoring it the whole way. I stayed pretty steady, running with a few people, chatted with some dude named Michael, until around mile 10. This was no big deal because it’s always around mile 10 I start to feel like I have been running for a while. From there things just progressively got worse. I think the course had a lot to do with how badly I was feeling because it was getting a lot hillier over the last half of the course. I remember just thinking to myself just get me to 16 and I will be all set. A few times around 15 mile, not really sure when because the mile makers in this race were horrible; first of all they were hung on trees, poles or anything else that was around so I doubt they were accurate and they didn’t seem to have them every mile instead they mixed in kilometers and half marathon markers all good but I was trying to do mile splits, okay enough of that because that’s not why I was feeling so bad; so where was I, okay around 15 miles I felt some really strange sensations in my calf and I really thought I was going to get my first ever DNF. As I was running I thought well if I do not finish I can say technically I was running as James Daily so really it wasn’t Rick Smith who did not finish, all kidding a side I knew if my leg seized up there would no argument, my day would be done. I continued on just walking through the “frozen” water/Gatorade stops. As my pace slowed to about 10 minute miles when going up hill my goal became not to stop other than at the water stops. Now I kept going and going but people were passing me left and right. The last two hills I didn’t technically walk but I was running so slowly that I could not pass those who were walking. Now with under a mile to go I set the last goal of the day which was to finish under three hours. I know I was going to do that unless my leg finally gave out but it didn’t and I finished in 2:57. Not a total waste, I did finish and I did get less than 10 minute miles.

This was the second time I ran this race and the second time it kicked my ass. I would like to think I could have run at least 5 to 10 minutes faster if my leg wasn’t hurt but whom cares I finished, it’s over.

Results: Place: 238 Time: 2:57:27.83 Pace: 9.31

Next up: The schedule calls for 6 – 8 miles. I think I will do 6 unless by some miracle my calf is back to normal. The main goal is to get out and run at least 3 times this week.

Week 8

Week 8
Yesterday was one of those days I won’t forget for a while. It was a very tough run for me and it wasn’t because I was going too fast. The plan was to do 17 plus miles and for the first time take in some food/gel with regular water. I have had a touch of the flu all week and was hoping it wasn’t going to impact the run. I did take it easy all week. I felt really bad on my Friday run so I was still a little concerned. On Saturday I felt a little better during the run and I felt pretty good when I woke upon Sunday morning so things were looking up. The weather report called for some snow/rain so I made sure I got an early start. Toby and I went out at 7 and put out 4 bottles of water so I could get out before 8 AM.

I set out for my run with a little Aerosmith to loosen up. The weather was good not that cold and the sun was actually out a little. The first few miles of the run are hilly so I know it usually take about 45 minutes to get in a good rhythm. About a mile into the run I had to make a pit stop which is okay because I felt better afterwards. At this point I was listening to an Andy Potts interview which allowed me to zone out for a little bit. . I got to the first water stop and things were not feeling bad but I had yet to find my stride. The next part of the course was mostly down hill and I was feeling okay but I did start to notice my left calf was acting up again (was tight all week). At around 7 miles I made another pit stop and this one was interesting because I used up all my supplies during the first stop. Let’s just say that snow is really cold but served its purpose. I always know how I am feeling during these long runs by how much I am looking forward to the next bottle of water. By now I was counting down the mailbox numbers so I knew I wasn’t feeling good. I finally came to 207 so I took my one and only gel and drank water. I walked for a minute and a half while drinking.

I made it the next stop without many issues or complaints. Shortly after the third water stop which I ate a little Cliff bar, it was too hard to chew so I took a few bites, I started to feel pretty bad. My shoulders were getting fatigued; my calf was really sore and on the verge of cramping up, and most of all my right ankle was killing me. I just kept saying just get me to the last water bottle and I will be all set because that last water bottle was 1 ½ miles from my house. When I got into the old town center I thought it may be a good idea to get of the concrete side walk and run on the grass. Well, that was a mistake, after about ten yards I felt my calf seize up but lucky I adjusted my stride and prevented a full blown cramp. I got back on the street and ran more flat footed to lessen the load on my calves. At this point I am crawling along but I know I’m not far from the water. I had an idea where I put the water but not that good because I never found it. I thought about taking some time to search for it but said screw it. I walked for a bout 30 seconds and continued on. My energy was okay, believe or not, it was just the other things making me miserable. I made it across 125 without the benefit of waiting for traffic but after that it was all down hill to my house. At the 17 mile mark 17 Days by Prince came on and helped me pick up the pace ever so slightly. When I got to my own little neighborhood I was searching for a song just to keep my going and settled for AC DC.
As soon as stopped I knew I was going to be junk the rest of the day. I picked up some snow, threw it in the tub, and settled in for my ice bath. I bagged it after 7 minutes not because it was too cold but I was just miserable and needed to lie down.
Looking back I always remember the first 17 plus run is always a challenge so I guess I’m right on schedule.

On the IPod – Started out with some Aerosmith from Toys in the Attic, No More No More is one my favorite tunes by them. I only had one interview this week, Any Potts not the riveting but he served his purpose. I always look to the music to influence the mood and The Way We Were certainly did that. I have always liked that song because it reminds me of my mother and being a kid. It’s a great reflection song and that’s what I did while listening to it. The only other song besides aforementioned Prince tune that made any impact was by the Moldy Peaches and that was probably when I felt the best during the run.

The details – 17.25 miles – 2:51:27 (includes all the stops) the pathetic but complete pace – 9:56


Next week – Stu’s 30K – goal is to finish feeling okay