Compression Gear

Thinking about that particular injury, it might be that certain kinds of compression gear might be helpful- it's a thought, at least. Not really sure if it'll be worth it, though.

The CW-X tights and Zensah stuff are only marginally helpful. But the Zoot stuff might be better- at least, according to their literature, it might.

I'll have to give it a try and see how it works. If I do, I'll probably go on about it. If it doesn't, and I really hunger to do road races again, I'll probably have to consider surgery. argh. :P

Road Running

No matter how slowly I go, running on a harder surface than a dirt road causes pain in my shin. Or better, I think that the harder surface makes me work Tibialis Anterior in a way it doesn't want to, causing pain in my shin.

Whatever. The point is road running effed up for me for a while. perhaps a certain doctor will be able to fix it up for me.

don't know. but I do know that in my current set of circumstances, I'll never run a good road race again. sad, eh?

Leading the Blind

Had an interesting experience this morning- the Free Press is having a series on the marathon that bears it's name, go figure, and they featured a blind runner that my boss knows.

So my boss calls me up and asks if I'd like to come along to the filming and pretend to be a guide. It isn't that hard, really, and I wouldn't actually have to do much of anything- or so she said.

So I went, and got to try my hand at something new. Essentially beyond a tether and four commands, there isn't all that much too it. If you're going to gradually turn right, for instance, you say "soft right" More abrupt turns would be "hard right". And if you're not going to turn at all, I said "straight".

Takes some doing, though. Constant communication is pretty important, and so you have to be going at a speed which is conversational. If you're leading someone faster than you, that can be problematic.

Still, it was a good experience. I'm glad I went. But I do wish I had gotten a bit more of a chance to sleep in...

Oh, and...

I know that I had posted about doing all sorts of miles this week. Beyond things falling through on certain runs, injuries screwing up other runs, and just being too lethargic to get the hell out of bed in time, I think I might've logged 30 miles this week, including some walks and the pub run. Weak. :P

Not really ready for the cold

Been chilled recently. 50s and 100% humidity can do that... still, with the rain it's been tough for me to get out and run, without a race to train for.

I've got the lazies. Kind of a not good thing for a coach to have. And I don't think I've had a summer yet. I never do, until I feel all the chill that was frozen into my bones (and there was a lot this winter) has been baked out. A couple of 80 or 90 degree runs don't do it. Need hot temps for about a week before I really start to complain.

Believe me, I'm much happier running in the cold. But I don't appreciate it enough, till I've had my fill of the heat. And this summer just hasn't provided yet. I don't know that I hope it does, but I've hoped for more stupid things...

Well.... that sucked

I think my shin hates asphalt and loathes concrete. One terrible run today makes me think about chopping the damn thing off and going with one of those spoon shaped lower leg things.

Damnit to all hell, and points further south.

Food

Maybe 2500 calories, and I ran maybe 6-7 miles. Though I'm not really sure how much alcohol I drank....

It may not be a news flash to anyone but me, but I gotta say that pub runs are fun! :)

Lethergic

A cost to the hill work from yesterday is a deep sense of ennui today. Meaning the vague feeling of wanting to do 17 miles today (I was off work- that's how I would have the time) came out to a total of zero miles run.

This isn't a bad thing, though. I want to stay in the 40-50 miles this week. With everything that I have scheduled, if I had run 17 today I'd finish just shy of 70. Which wouldn't be so good, even when they're easy miles.

Hill Training!

Went running through Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills yesterday. It's one of the few places around that seems to organically incorporate nature and human presence. Not try to dominate, which was pretty nice.

Has some nice hills, too. :)

20 Mile Training run

I like the 20 mile training run.

It's a warm up, a test, and an affirmation all in one. Though I like and respect the Galloway method of run-walking, and it was useful for me to have done a 26 mile training run prior to running my first full, I think I'm best off if I limit myself to 20s as my long. It just feels easier on the body.

Today was the last of those prior to running Detroit. I've done three prior this training season- one just before jaunting off to California, as well as in the two weeks preceding this one. I think my average paces for them were 9:15, 11, and 10:30- the second two slower because I was running with my marathon training class.

Anyway, this time I ran with my friend K~, who's significantly faster than I am- though she's not actually signed up for a marathon this year. Running with her, I was pretty sure that I wouldn't follow the plan I so carefully devised, but I figured as long as I didn't get injured, I'd be okay.

Anyway, here's the breakdown-

Miles: 20
Time: 2:43:21
Pace: 8:10
Avg HR: 154

We pretty much talked about everything, from politics to family to death, and the miles flew by. On the one hand, it makes it harder to get into that "zone" where everything fades and it's just you, your stride, and the burning in your lungs. On the other hand, it's so much more rewarding to build lasting friendships while out on the run- it's part of what makes running running to me. I'll save my best efforts for the races.

Of course, I came close to following the plan in that I did the first mile in 8:51, the second in 8:27, and pretty much all the rest hanging out around 8:00- some a little faster, most a bit slower.

I also worked on the running while drinking from a cup technique. Still something to practice, but I'm getting better- I only spilled water on myself a couple of times!

Lastly, because I felt I had earned it, I purchased the stick to ease my poor, battered muscles. I swear I had a knot in my left calf muscle about the size of a golf ball!

'Twas a beautiful day for a run. An excellent time running. And I think I learned that I could run a pretty good time in Detroit if I stay uninjured and keep my focus.

Hungry Duck half

Yum! Sounds tasty, eh?

Anyway, after a pretty tough five days of training, I knew I wasn't going to race this one. If I broke it down by time, I did two hard hours on Friday, hour and half easy on Saturday, hour and a half hard Sunday, three hours moderate on Monday, and about a half hour of hard intervals (speedwork) on Tuesday. By miles it's 38 running, 30 biking, and .25 swimming.

Not the best way to prepare for a half marathon, but if I wanted a supported long run with friends on my day off, it's a pretty good way to go. I maintained form, listened to my body, and relaxed through much of the race. I actually enjoyed scenery. I also had good conversation with W~, with whom I ran the race.

It was a inaugural, so everyone got a course PR. :) The course itself was well marshaled, except for a snafu where a anther W friend of mine ran down the wrong street for about a minute and a half. The volunteers jumped into a car to chase him down, but the damage was done: he dropped from sixth to ninth overall.

It was also quite hilly, but lots of trees and meadows and stuff as nice scenery. Though I gotta say I still prefer my trails. Trails rock!

Many of my friends did quite well- winning or placing in age groups, though the course was such that I don't believe anyone got a new half marathon PR. I finished dead last in my age group, but even if I ran my half PR, I still would have been three minutes behind second to last.

Not that I feel defensive, 'natch. :P Anyway, pics I took are here:
Hungry Duck run Pics!

Cheers!

Huntington Woods 3 Mile

I hate to say this, but I think I'm a long distance snob. Part of it was because I got shin splints if I took the first two miles too quickly, back when I first started training. Part of it is because I loved the endorphin rush I got around mile four, and then the second one around mile seven.

Hard to experience in a three mile race.

Today I ran a three mile race, and believe it or not, I PRed in a big way. Not so surprising with respect to the race, because- hey, it was my first three mile race, so I could have done it backwards and still PRed.

But I ran the first mile at 7:07. Which beat my previous mile PR by about 21 seconds.

When I heard the count I thought "OMGWTF I'M GOING TOO FAST AND I'M GONNA CRASH AND BURN" and I was kind of convinced that I'd get shin splints and my last two miles would be at a 15 minute pace. So I eased up a bit, and spent about half of the second mile trying to slowly catch a couple of friends of mine who I saw only a few hundred feet in front of me.

No shin splints, thankfully.

I caught up with them, chatted for a bit, and finished the second mile in 7:24, which would have been a new mile PR if I hadn't run the first mile. And I thought... "Hm. A mile or so to go. I have a mile left in me. I wonder how fast it'll be?"

Also, I experienced something curious a couple of times when I was running. I think I was in "flow" whatever that means. But it was like I was entranced. My breathing was a lot more regular and even, and I could feel my footfalls were lighter. I have no idea if I was running faster at those times, or not. But it felt really good.

It was great to have some friends there, both on the course and to hang out with and cheer for those who got awards. If I hadn't had pacers, I'm sure my pace would've dropped significantly from 7:24, maybe to the eights. So, much kudos to GG and GG!

On the minus side, I really can't say a think about the neighborhood that I ran though. People said that there were a lot of pretty houses and yards and stuff, and I don't remember any of it. I remember waving to the volunteers and thanking them, a hill, a couple of turns, a golf course and the finish line.

A very new, very different race experience, though Dexter-AA was pretty close. My final mile was at 6:52, a new mile PR by about 36 seconds. My final time was 21:24, according to my garmin, with an average pace of about 7:08, about a minute faster than my goal.

And yes, I'm geeked. :) I guess endorphins aren't necessarily attached to miles, ya'know?

Relativity Speaking

I don't remember much from my physics class, but one phrase sticks in my mind. My professor was babbling on about Einstein's theory of relativity, and the fact that it can be summed up in one statement:

You Can't Feel Speed.

Now, it didn't make me sit up and take notice, and I didn't have a light-bulb moment all of Einstein's theories made sense were suddenly made clear. But I do understand that riding in a car at 60 mph and flying in a plane at 600 mph feels about the same.

I found, however, this has absolutely nothing to do with exercise.

Today I did 10 miles on my bike, transitioned to running stuff, and did a 4.5 mile run. And I can honestly say that I felt like I was barely crawling along when I was running, even though it was just a tad slower than my 10K pace, and about a minute and a half faster than my target pace.

I tried to slow myself down. I failed. I tried to feel like I was going fast. Failed at that, too. So I just ran along at my "feeling" slow but "relatively" fast training run. And now I know something about doing triathlons... I'll never feel as fast running as I do riding a bike. If I were to try to do so, I'd probably be quite SOL. :P

Training Last week...

It was a good week. :)

None of the runs were a *long* run, but all of them were at relatively easy, enjoyable pace, aside from the speed work. And since it was bloody hot and I felt like I was coming down with a cold, I cut the intervals short (4X400, rather than 6X400).

I also enjoyed doing three bike rides; about 10 miles apiece, at about 14-15 mph. It's really nice to train outside my specialty, because I don't feel the compulsion to push like I might with running. Eg, if my heart rate is in the 130s during biking, I'm happy, while running in the 140s seems low.

Anyway, the stats:
Distance- 38 Miles
Time- 6:22
Pace- 9:56 min/mile

The funny thing is, beside the speed work day, every single other run was with a group. Just with Running Fit, we had a five group runs this week... It's not like I'm a part of multiple clubs. Just one, whose members (I guess) are as obsessive as I am. It's really pleasant to think that I ran 32 of 38 miles with friends.

Overtraining and Sickness

As Freud said: "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."

Something I'm not noted for with respect to running is objectivity. When I look at myself, my training schedule, and how I feel, I'm about as blind to my own faults as is humanly possible.

That being said, it should be no wonder that I've been prone, in the past, to overtraining. I get sick and have to take a couple of weeks off. I get injured and I have to take a couple of weeks off. Possibly both some day, thought that's not happened- at least, not yet. *knocks on wood*

But sometimes, even if I do everything right, I can get sick. Something comes up, and my immune system just can't seem to fight off a virus, or germ or whatever. Typically my body is healthy enough to beat them down, but not always.

So anyway, I've got a spring cold now. I'm pretty sure it's not due to overtraining, but I really can't be sure. It's possible that after the last two races, my body just decided to say "heck with it! I need a rest!"

I do kind of wish, though, that instead of getting sick or injured, my body would just write me a letter, or something. *sigh* If it does decided I'm overtraining. Because, ya'know... this being sick thing kinda blows.

Dexter Ann Arbor Half!

The Dexter-Ann Arbor has come and gone, along with the runners, the rain, and my (to date) best half marathon experience yet!

First off, the stats:
Distance: 13.1 miles
Time: 1:54:00 (chip time)
Pace: 8:43/mile


The day broke muggy and warm, cloudy, windless and stifling. The half marathoners were bussed to far away Dexter (well... 13.1 miles far) to much merriment and anticipation. I was seated next to W, a first time racer. I could tell when she very politely held up her chip timer and said: "Excuse me, but do you know what this is?" Well... that and I had asked her a few minutes prior, but that's beside the point.

She was full of questions about running and hydration and using Gu and stuff like that, and I was happy to relate all that I knew. I don't know if it helped her at all, but it helped distract me considerably. After venting my wisdom (about 30 seconds) and the wisdom of my running friends (the rest of the trip) I gave her the one piece of advice that I thought would be most important to her: this above all else- don't go out too fast. Warm up slowly, don't give into temptation to keep up with all those who might pass you in the beginning.

Strangely enough, I sort of managed to follow my own advice, though not completely. :)

I met up with some of my running group friends- it's always nice to chat with running buddies before a race. After a 20 minute delay for a tree being down on course, we started. I ran the first two miles with a friend R, who kept a steady pace through the race. It was her first half marathon, and she was running just to finish. Also, she didn't know that she'd be free to run it till Wednesday last week, so she wasn't able to train like she might've wanted.

I ran my first two miles at a calm 10:30/10:15 pace, with an average heart rate in the 130's and 140's respectively. After stopping for a quick drink of water, I went off too quickly. Oh well, irony has always been my friend. I try not to dwell to far into hypocrisy... or if I do, try not to reflect upon it too much. It would depress me.

My third mile was 8:08 pace, as was my fourth. I stopped off for Gatorade and water, and lost maybe 15 seconds coughing because I'd forgotten how to swallow correctly. Oops. Still, I managed to keep my pace relatively consistent. I had a few miles in the 8:40 range, but a lot of that might have been due to the hills... I think there were more hills this year than last, though I could be wrong. There was certainly more humidity- of that, I'm certain. :)

Another nice thing about starting off slowly is the psychological boost given by passing people for almost the entire race. I'd see someone up ahead. I'd focus on them, giving them names like "white singlet" or "red hat" or "nike symbol" and I'd slowly reel them in, hoping to pass them. One person in particular, "nike symbol" passed me at mile 10. For some reason, this got my blood going, and was just the boost I needed to finish the race strong.

The race ends with a relatively (for Michigan) substantial hill at the end. I knew I was pushing myself a bit when I looked at my heart rate just prior to the hill and saw I was at 190 (my predicted max heart rate is 187). But I felt fine- just a bit out of breath. I slowed down a little at the start of the hill, and let myself be passed by a few who were starting their kick early. About half way up I started to really work my legs, finally crossing the finish line at about a 5 min pace and a heart rate of about 204.

This is the first race where I really "raced" in that I tried to push myself to (or maybe a bit past) my limits. In the last three or four weeks I've done speed work. I told people I had a goal time (1:50 dream goal; 2 hour "more realistic" goal; and "I'll be happy with" goal of breaking last year's 2:08:54). And lastly this is all part of my hopes of eventually getting a BQ.

I really do consider myself well satisfied. :) Many thanks to T for waiting after her race (on the day after her birthday no less!) E, K and R for feeding me dinner afterwards, and to you for actually reading through all of this! :)