Week 13: On the mend

After a steady dose of R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) over the course of three days, I got back on the horse and 9.5 miles on Tuesday. Even the hill workout on Thursday went off without any trouble. I finished 7 intervals, the last at a 5:32 pace. Though I felt some weakness/tenderness for toward the end of the 9 miler. This weekend has a 10 mile race pace run and a 20 miler scheduled. These will be the real test of the ankle

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Week 12: Ending on a low note

ARGH!!

Everything was going great this week:

After my Garmin died at the end of week 11, I sent it to Garmin who promptly sent me a new unit which arrived Thursday evening.

My Brooks order arrived Thursday before my track workout, loaded with 2 pairs of trainers (Adrenaline 9), a pair of racing flats (Racer ST 4), a singlet, a training T, and a pair of socks (Burn PED). Having joined Brooks ID, I got a nice discount on all of this.

I immediately strapped on my new Racers and hit the track for an excellent mile repeat workout (6:18, 6:17, 5:59, 5:48). The racers were excellent. A lightweight shoe weighing in at 8.6oz, the Racer ST 4 was very comfortable with enough cushioning for a long race. They are rated up to marathon, and at my weight, I think might put that to the test.

So, to the calamity... I was having yet another great run yesterday. I was supposed to run 6 miles at marathon pace. Not bad, I can handle that. 5k in, as I ran through the Reston Town Center, I caught my toe on a brick and BONK. Reston has these fancy crosswalks with brick set into the pavement. For all you city planners/developers... Why?

A) They require extra maintenance
B) They are hazards (at least for a select few clumsy folks as I have demonstrated)
C) They don't really stand out like your typical painted cross walks

I'll give them credit for style points, but in the grand scheme of things, who cares? Anyways, there's my rant. I should have been more careful. I was cruising just below my intended 7:10 pace and I was left to hobble a mile+ back home on a right ankle that is now very swollen. It looks like today's 12 miler is out of the question.

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Week 8: Day 2 - On the Road Again

Today I returned from a long weekend in Rochester and Fredonia, NY. I stayed on the wagon for the most part, though I missed yesterdays 3-miler for some recording sessions in the folks' barn with Jim. I even got Jim to join me for a run. On Sunday he joined me for the final 4 miles of my 16-miler in Fredonia. I ran the first 12 faster than recommended (8:20/mile), so relaxing the pace with my bro was a nice relief.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
16.29	2:21:35	8:41	132	146

Over the course of my run, I climbed a fair amount, and still kept the heart rate low. This is a good sign with 11 weeks to go. I experienced sharp ankle pain for a few moments prior to my brief stop to pick up Jim, but that subsided. I had run over 7 hard miles in Rochester with some difficult inclines and winding single track paths which might have led to the soreness.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
7.05	52:30	7:27	156	180

Brenda and I had stayed at the Woodcliff Hotel and Spa perched at the top of a steep hill for our friends' wedding (Congrats Ben and Lauren!) which made for an awful return trip on the run. I had "golfed" 9 holes earlier in the day as well adding a good deal of miles on foot Saturday.

Today I went out in Fredonia for 8 before hitting the road. I pushed the pace more and more as the run went on hitting a 7:32 mile at the end. It wasn't intentional, but it felt smooth, and I had a long day on the road ahead of me. Now I get to enjoy some time back home, and just maybe... I'll have a few relaxing days. It was great spending time with friends and family, but it's great to be home.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
8.05	1:02:43	7:47	146	165

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Week 7: Day 4 - Dogs with wheels

Today was my 2nd hill workout. I went once again to Soap Stone, a perfect place to get angry at an incline. You would too if you ran up it repeatedly at a nearly all out pace. I completed 6 intervals each of which was ~1/4 mile. My last and fastest was at a 5:55 pace, which was pretty much all I had in me by that point on a grade incline.

I think I went a bit too long on the remainder of the run. It clocked in at over 7 miles, whereas I could've probably cut it at 6 and been no worse off. I experienced some ankle soreness duing the 1.5 mile warm-up, and it was very tender walking around after the run tonight. I also felt some strain in my lower right hamstring. Though I was thinking about running tomorrow, It's definitely going to be a day of rest now.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
7.12	57:36	8:06	144	188

The interesting part of my run was coming across dogs with wheels. The first was wearing a harness and pulling a tire. Apparently he's weight training... One wheel dog wasn't enough for the day. I came across another dog, who wasn't as fortunate as the previous one. He had wheels because his hind legs apparently weren't cutting it. The dog above seems to be fairly content with his situation, so hopefully today's 2 legged/2 wheeled dog was too.

Yesterday's 4-mile run was fairly uneventful (no wheel dogs or people trying to run me down), but I kept up a comfortable quick pace.

distance	time	Pace	HR Avg.	HR Max
4.02	30:36	7:36	149	177

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