Month in Review

On this last day of March I thought it was worth a look back and take stock. As I started this month of running things were going pretty well, though my plantar fasciitis was once again flaring up and prompted me to make an appointment to see my physio to try and get to the root of the problem. As she was away my assessment had to wait until the 25th and so I had to run and manage as best I could on my own. I managed to up my long runs to 18k and 20k without any problems, but ran into some issues when I attempted 24k. Due to my lack of proper hydration and nutrition in the two days leading up to this milestone run I paid the price with major calf crampage that would pretty much ruin the last two weeks of planned training leading up to the Around the Bay 30k. After getting some massage therapy the calves loosened up just in time, but on the short test run before the race a new problem crept up in the form of hip/ITB pain on the left side. I didn't let this stop me and ended up making it to the starting line with the goal of just finishing the 30k, which I did despite some major pain. In short: mission accomplished! I'm also a little wiser for the effort.

I also managed a new monthly high in mileage by running 130.6km.

Now, a couple of days after the race, I am pleasantly surprised to find that my expected pain, which I though would be debilitating, is not that bad at all. The biggest thing still lingering from the race is my plantar fasciitis in the right foot, and the hip is feeling like it's pretty much back to normal. Is it possible that I shocked it back into shape? I don't know, but I really don't care.

Today I biked up to the pool at lunch and swam a pretty decent 1200m in about 18 minutes. It was interesting that my shoulders, especially the traps, were tight from the race. I guess when you run that long for the first time your whole body gets a workout at the end just to get you through.

Tonight I did another strength routine with the yoga ball consisting of sit ups, push ups, and chin ups. I'm comfortably doing sets of 40 sit ups and 35 push ups now so I think it's time to think about upping these as of next week. The chin ups are still a challenge, though I think that's partly because I do them after the other exercises, and I'm still stuck on sets of 8.

Tomorrow I am actually planning on heading out for a nice easy 5k, but will leave the final decision until the evening. My quads are tight, but I think with another night off and some stretching and such they will likely be ready for a short recovery run. Here's hoping I'm right! The foot is status quo and I should be able to manage the pain as long as I run slowly. I am working on my range of motion as far as dorsiflexion goes and have already improved on that front. When my range was measured by the physio I only managed 12cm on the right foot compared to 14.5cm on the left (measured from the wall to the longest toe while keeping ones heel down and touching the knee to the wall). Today I measured myself and have improved the right foot to measure 13.5cm! I hope that increasing this range of motion will eventually help the plantar fascia to heal.

Around the Bay - The Report

I’ll do my best to keep this as brief as possible, and apologize in advance if it gets too long.

On Saturday morning I woke up with a lot of pain in my hip and completely dejected. What I can only describe as tightness at the top of the ITB was the culprit and my racing weekend was not exactly off to a roaring start. Nevertheless, I decided to take a “see what happens” attitude and hope for the best. In the afternoon we drove as a family to Hamilton to pick up my race kit and check out the race expo. There was really not much to report on at the expo, though we did get to try out one of those T-Zone Vibration machines, which was a bit weird but fun. Unfortunately, the batteries in my camera were completely dead and there was nowhere to buy any more at the expo so I have no pictures to document this humorous event. The boys loved the machines, and I found it strange at best.

Anyway, after the expo we went to play a little baseball at a nearby park and I ended up pitching to Owen as he practiced his hitting. He took pity on me and chased every ball he hit. Luckily most of Malcolm’s hits came right back to me. At this point I was resigned to missing the race. By Saturday evening I made the decision to not make a decision until Sunday morning, but my heart was heavy with disappointment while my leg was full of pain.

On race day my alarm went off at 6am and I lay in bed for a few extra minutes dreading the prospect of what the hip would feel like once I stood up. When I finally did I was pleasantly surprised that the pain was much less than it had been the night before, so I woke up Monica and said, “Let’s get the show on the road!” After a hectic hour or so of preparation we piled in the car just as the skies opened up with the rain that was supposed to have started over night.

20 minutes into our trip, one that started 20 minutes later than the hoped for 7am, I realized that I had neglected to bring the timing chip! Damn! Stupid mistake, but that’s what you get for leaving the decision to come to the race until the morning of. Nothing was ready, and this was the result. In the driving rain we were already going slower than normal on the highway, and now had to double back home. Finally, at 8:05am we left the house for the second time, now a little stressed about making it to Copps Coliseum in time for the 9:30 start to the race.

Skip to the arrival at 9:00am and Monica dropped me off about a kilometre from Copps Coliseum since that was as close as we could get by car. I walked as fast as I could and made it into the building at 9:10 (20 minutes to gun start!). In the mass of humanity I had real trouble finding my way, and I had yet to tape my knee or use the washroom after the coffee I picked up on our first attempt at leaving the house. The line up for the toilets was insane, even this close to the start of the race, so I simply aborted that option and figured I’d have to use a porto-let on the course if necessary. Then I had to figure out where the bag check was (9:14 by this point) and a runner I stopped to ask for directions said, “You can head either way. It’s all the way around the arena so the distance is the same.”

Fantastic! (Not!) I hurried off and pushed my way around hundreds of runners now making their way outside. When I finally found the line up for bag check it was super long, and I figured I wouldn’t make it outside until well after 9:30. As I waited in line a woman in front of me realized that her timing chip had fallen off her shoe, which totally sucked. I told her that I was late because of my forgetfulness of the timing chip, and that I hadn’t seen one on the floor anywhere as I walked to the back of the line. She went off to find it (if possible) and actually came back with two! I decided to lace mine into my shoe even though the instructions said you could just slip it in like a paperclip. I also taped my knee as fast as I could while standing up, which was a really bad job but I figured it was better than nothing at all.

The line moved really fast and I have to commend the volunteers on how quickly they worked to accept people’s bags. They even had tape and Sharpies ready for those who forgot to mark their Bib numbers, as per the provided instructions in the race kit. Awesome, at 9:20 I was jogging through the arena towards the exit and onto the streets.

We had to walk a full kilometre to get around to the starting line, but by this point I was just happy to be outside. The rain had let up a bit and the atmosphere was positive. All around me I could hear people saying the same thing: “If it stays like this it’s just fine by me!” Oh, if only it had stayed “like this”…

This was my first race of this size and I was astounded by the crowd. Naturally, given my late arrival and racing strategy (which was just make it to the end, no matter how long it takes, and walk through all the water stops!) I was near the back. As the gun sounded I could barely see the starting line up ahead and was still moving at a snail’s pace wedged in like a sardine. A bit later and I could make out the bobbing heads of those who were passing the starting point and actually running and I started to get excited to be running myself. Five minutes later I was going over the chip timing mats and starting into my race.

Photo credit: Cathie Coward of the Hamilton Specatator

The Race

It was fun to just be taking part in this race and I felt a great sense of relief that my whole winter of training was not going down the drain without a fight. I was going to give it my best shot at making it to the finish and now had the opportunity to do just that. As I ran with the thousands of people around me I couldn’t help but smile. I even laughed a bit as one of my boys' favorite songs started blaring: "I like to move it, move it. I like to move it, move it. I like to move it, move it. I like to... MOVE IT!"

The hip felt OK at the beginning as I jogged slowly to warm up. I had a t-shirt and a long-sleeve tech on under a crappy old MEC jacket that I intended to discard along the way. It wasn’t raining at this point and I thought of taking the jacket off right away since I was pretty warm, but then the rain came back with a vengeance at about the 1k mark. At the same time my hip started to hurt. Oh great, that’s all I need. Pain with 29k still left to go and likely drenched in the process!

By the 2k mark the rain was still coming down pretty good, but not enough to get me completely soaked. I stopped at the porto-lets at the 4k mark and waited 6 minutes in line to relieve myself. Others were running behind a dumpster, but I wasn’t about to do that since I wasn’t racing for time. Once I finally had my turn I was off again.

Just before the 5k water stop I had my first surprise: Monica and the boys cheering at the side of the road! By now the rain was literally coming down in sheets and the poor little guys were frozen and soaked. I ran over and gave them both hugs and kisses, though Monica said she couldn't do the same for me since she had to keep cheering the runners. I found out later that they arrived at that spot to see every single runner in the race, from the first to the last, go by and they cheered them all. Amazing!

The picture below gives you the idea of the conditions during the first half of the race. Many runners still had their plastic rain gear on at the end.

Photo credit: Cathie Coward of the Hamilton Specatator

I walked through the 5k water stop and had a cup of water and a cup of Gatorade. This was not an extended walk, but long enough to get me thinking that it was too long. I started running again and told myself not to stop until the next water station at the 10k mark. The rain kept coming down and I got a bit cold while walking. More than anything I had to start running to keep warm and I was glad that my crappy jacket was still on me. The hip hurt quite a bit at this point and I was consciously adjusting my form to minimize the impact on the left leg.

I made it to the 10k mark and the timing clock said 1hr18m and change. I figured that I left five minutes after the gun and waited in line at the first porto-let for another five, so 1hr10m was not too bad in my state of pain. I took a good long walk through the water station and told myself to just walk the entire kilometre to the 11k mark. Unfortunately, after about a half kilometre I was frozen and totally soaked through so I had to start running again. Starting up after walking was a painful ordeal and it took a while for the hip to loosen up each time I did this. Again I told myself to not stop running until the next water station at around 15k.

At the 13k mark I had to stop, and not because of my leg: a freight train was about to go past! The barriers started coming down when I was about a hundred metres away from the track, and then we had to wait what seemed like forever for the train to arrive. Then, when it finally did, it was just our luck that it was a super long freight train! A lady beside me said that the same thing happened last year. Everybody stretched and the crowd grew bigger and bigger. When the thing finally finished rolling by I was totally frozen. The whole ordeal took almost 10 minutes from start to finish.

Just before the 15k mark I once more waited in line at the porto-lets for well over 5 minutes. I chatted to the others in line and found out they were all newbies to the race, just like me. It was nice to talk to someone while stretching and it gave me a little positive boost. Once my turn was over I walked to the water stop located just past the porto-lets and again drank water and a couple cups of Gatorade. I wanted to walk to the 16k mark, but again was too cold. The water was pooling in my shoes and my hands were so cold I couldn’t feel my fingers, but my hip was at least sort of numb at this point. I had a lot of pain in my right foot at this point that perhaps distracted my brain from the ITB issue.

At 17k I was almost across the strip of land that surrounds Hamilton Harbour and I could look all the way across the Bay and see Copps Coliseum, our start and end point. I must admit that it was impossible for me to believe that I could actually make it. I decided to not think about it and kept on plugging along. I even ran across the drawbridge that was made of this corrugated steal material that you could see through to the water below, which was also super slippery. Most runners walked here to avoid falling, but given the fact that I just realized how much longer I had to run I didn’t want to stop for fear of giving in and ending my day.

Towards the 20k mark the uphill portion of the race course started. I was warned that this would be the mentally difficult part, but I didn’t find the hills that daunting at all. The look across the Bay was much much worse. I made it to the 20k mark in 2hr28m and had a brief walk through the water stop. The rain had finally stopped, but the wind picked up and was very cold given that I was soaked through to the skin. I started up running again and made it through 21k all the while looking for and hoping to see Monica and the boys. We'd looked at a map briefly the day before and agreed that this looked like a place they could see me run past. I really needed that boost at this point since the pain below the waist was massive, especially in my right foot, but more like a general soreness all over the place.

I was so happy to see them at just past the 21k mark! I slowed to a walk and the boys came out onto the road and walked with me as I held their hands. I took a couple cups of Gatorade and donated one to Owen when he asked if he could have some. Monica asked how I was doing and I told her that I was in a lot of pain, but that I wanted to try and finish. She gave me her famous raised eyebrow and asked, "Is that smart?" I've been accused of a lot of things, but never being overly smart when it comes to self inflicted pain, so I responded by saying, "I'm going to try!" as positively as I could. After walking for a short bit I gave the boys kisses and started jogging again, saying "see you at the Finish!" – less than 10k to go!

The next 4k was rolling hills and I saw more and more people walking rather than running. Every time I ran throughout the race I would pass a lot of runners, who would then pass me as I took my walk breaks. It was neat to see the same people over and over again. I crested the last of the hills at just past 24k, where you had a great view of downtown Hamilton and Copps Coliseum, and I tried not to get too discouraged as the finish still looked to be a lifetime away. At the 25k mark there was no water station (or at least I can’t remember one, though by now I was deliriuous and may have this wrong) so I kept going. At this point I started taking short walk breaks on account of the pain in my right foot and the fact that my quads were completely spent.

At 27k there was another water stop and two porto-lets in behind. I took advantage of both and didn’t care at all how long it took me to do this. I walked for a while again, dreading the pain that came with starting running again. I slowly got myself up to a jog and told myself to just run to the next marker at 28k. When I got there I could see the 29k marker in the distance and I forced myself to keep going. This kilometre was excruciating, and I really had trouble keeping moving. I told myself that I could at least walk to the end at this point, but somehow that was not comforting at all. Then, out of the blue, the idea that I would actually get that medal for completing the Around the Bay, North America’s oldest long distance road race, picked up my spirits. I actually can’t believe that the idea of getting that little piece of metal made me feel better and kept me going. Getting the medal had not crossed my mind at any point in the days leading up to the race or at any time up until this point.

I fully intended to run the rest of the way, but at the 29k mark I simply had to walk again. I did this for a hundred metres or so and then told myself that I didn’t want to complete this long race by walking across the finish line so I started up running, as painful as it was.

Then, before I knew it, I was running on the street beside Copps Coliseum and down the ramp into the arena. I actually walked down this ramp since it was slippery and very steep, but then I started running again and found myself in the homestretch with the finish line right in front of me. I heard my name get called out and kept going across the timing pads. One volunteer told me to stop running (no extra insentive required, but thanks!) and another gave me a high five and a bottle of water. I spotted Monica and the boys in what is normally one of the penalty boxes and went over to say hello. I couldn’t hear them through the glass and was too spent to try and yell out directions so I headed off to collect some food and my medal. I forgot to stop the Garmin and everything until I had all that stuff and found a spot next to a concrete column to do some stretching in the basement of the arena.

The rest is all a blur. I got my bag from the bag check folks (thank God they had escalators leading up the the concourse level!), went to look for and found the family, and then changed into dry clothes. Thank goodness that I never discarded that crappy old jacket for if I had I would have ended up frozen stiff for sure. And thank goodness for a great family (and volunteers and spectators) who spent a dreary day watching the race, cheering me on, and then helping me to get home afterwards. I will stop here, except to say that I am very pleased to have finished. I am one of those who hates to leave something unfinished, and since I signed up for this race back in November I’d been focused on completing the task.

In short, mission accomplished. Perhaps next year I will find myself at the starting line better prepared and not injured! I apologize for no pictures also. I wanted to run with a camera, but given the weather thought the better of it. Perhaps another time. I hope to get at least one race photo sometime in the near future to post.

And lastly, thank you for reading and for your continued support! Much appreciated indeed. On several occasions during the race I did think of the bloggers whose blogs I read and who visit my corner of the web while I was running. It provided me with good motivation, and I'm sure you can relate. Again, thanks!

The totals were 30km in 3:38:26.5 for an average pace of 7:28/km and average heart rate of 141bpm.

Garmin don't lie.

I Finished! ATB Race Report in Brief

A full description of the trials and tribulations to follow, but for now I am just happy to report that...

I FINISHED!

This was a most gruelling experience in no small part due to the hip/ITB issue that crept up after Friday's run, but also as a result of the two weeks of lost training leading up to today and the weather. I was "running" just to finish so this has to be counted as a success, but someday I will be back and better prepared, at which point I will actually be able to run this thing properly. Until then I am just pleased to have completed what I started.

The stats are pretty bad, but here they are nonetheless:

Gun Time: 3:43:40.4
Chip Time: 3:38:26.5
10k Split: 1:18:17
15k Split: 1:55:35
20k Split: 2:28:12

And now... ICE!

5km Test Run

Let me start by saying that this was perhaps the strangest run I've ever had. Since my calf cramp issue of almost two weeks ago, and my aborted run home last Friday, I've been off the road and not running. So when I headed out today for a little test in preparation for the race this weekend I was more than a little apprehensive about how my body would respond. Remember that last week I made it all of 1.6km before the calf stopped me in my tracks.

On the positive side the calf was not a problem at all tonight! I think it has healed and I have certainly learned my lesson on hydration and proper nutrition prior to a long run. (On that note I ate a really big pasta meal tonight that was awesome!)

On a slightly worrisome note my left quad/ITB was really tight tonight, in a painful kind of way. I don't know why this is so, but I certainly was way overthinking my form while running and I (here I go overthinking again) think that has something to do with it. I stretched, then iced, then applied heat, and took a couple ibuprofen. I hope that this is just a false alarm and a result of all the ass strengthening exercises and wobble board balancing that I've been doing over the past couple of days.

But enough about that - I'm heading to Hamilton tomorrow to pick up my race packet (my Bib# is 3671, and it's kind of cool to know that in advance) and to check out my first ever race expo. If everything goes as planned, and my body cooperates, I will make it to the starting line on Sunday morning. Whether I finish or not remains to be seen, but at the very least I have this riding in my favour: the only goal I have for this race is to finish happy and healthy, no matter how long it takes. I am also prepared to stop should my various bits become too painful to ignore.
Tonight's run was really easy and slow otherwise. I managed the 7km in 29:45 for an average pace of 5:57/km. My fastest split was 5:53 and the slowest was 6:05, so I guess I kept a pretty even pace. The heart rate was definitely on the low side and I barely broke a sweat - 134bpm average. Other than the ITB/quad thing this was a nice easy test run.

Garmin don't lie.

Life Catches Up

No swimming today as I had to leave work early to get the other three tires on my car replaced. If you remember, one of my tires completely shredded on our way to Ottawa back in late January. Today I had the car inspected by my trusted mechanic and got the word back that the other three are also of the "sub par" variety and are just about ready to blow. Naturally, with the impending drive to the Around the Bay race in Hamilton coming up this weekend I don't want to face a similar mess so I fixed the problem (hundreds of dollars and several wasted hours later, of course). I even called the dealership where we bought the car last November, not to get any sort of financial restitution or anything, but simply to let them know that the mechanic they used to safety our car put on a set of duds, told us they were new, and in the process risked my family's safety and that of the others on the road at the time of our blowout. Like the title of this post says, life has a way of catching up to you sometimes, and I suspect it will catch up to that crooked mechanic somewhere down the line. I was informed that for other reasons this dealership no longer deals with that mechanic, which is a very good thing. And even though the used car warranty has long expired the dealer asked what he could do to help and offered me 4 new tires at cost. I thanked him but couldn't take advantage of the offer since I needed them replaced asap and couldn't make the trip up to Bolton this weekend on account of the race.

On the lighter side of things, if you are looking for a meal that packs in the calories like few can check out this story about a massive burger being offered at the Detroit Tigers single-A affiliate's, the West Michigan Whitecaps, ballpark this summer. A free t-shirt to anyone who can finish it in one sitting! Someone should tell Dean Karnazes about this thing. And doesn't Nitmos live in the area? Maybe he could check this out and give the blogosphere a review sometime when he is suffering from "hunger pangs".

And in case you are thinking that your long run calorie intake isn't up to snuff, check out this race report from ESPN.com. I almost chucked-up the butter chicken I had for lunch when I read this story, partly from laughing and partly from the prospect of ever being subjected to such an ordeal.

Strength routine tonight. Then lots of exercises that the physio prescribed. I'm back to standing one-legged on a wobble board, something I did religiously for about a year during my slow recovery period. I had built up enough strength in the ankle to stand on that thing for a good ten to fifteen minutes at a time, but now I find that my muscles burn like crazy at about the 2 minute mark. I guess that's a good thing in that I have lots of room for improvement, but I do feel bad that I ever let this slide. Perhaps if I had kept up the wobble board balancing exercises my current foot pain would never have crept up? Hindsight's a bitch.

The Verdict Is In

Saw the physio and the massage therapist this morning, and the verdict is in! What I thought was plantar fasciitis is just an ongoing problem stemming back to my original ankle injury which begat the "wonky ankle" of which I have become quite fond, in a love/hate sort of way. The good news is that it's not a new issue. The bad news is that I have more evidence that my wonky ankle will continue to haunt me for the rest of my days, perhaps to the point that I may not be able to reach the mileage milestones that I've planned. Is a marathon in my future or is it not? Only time will tell.

I won't bore you with the sordid details of my anatomical shortcomings, but if you click on the picture above you will be able to see where my current problem originates. The tendons I've highlighted insert under the foot (one behind the little toe, the other behind the big toe) and that is what I am feeling when the pain flares up. It is back to the wobble board for me, as well as more stretching to increase the dorsiflexion in my foot. Also, more glute and hip flexor strengthening is in order. If I follow this regimen, and begin to run using better form with the help of the Chi Running book, this should all clear up in time.

That makes me so happy!

The physio also showed me a fantastic taping technique (and sold me about 4 feet of this space-age tape that feels absolutely awesome, but the name escapes me right now. Something along the lines of medi-tape, or myo-tape, or somesuch) that will hopefully see me through my training and races this year.

As far as the calf goes, I also had some reassurance on that front. The massage therapist was not surprised in the least when I told him of my aborted run home last Friday, or the pain that stuck with me over the weekend and into this week. He said that the aggressive treatments of the two weeks prior were behind the crampitude, and that my depletion of energy stores on that 24k run a couple of Sundays ago was the initial culprit. In short, I am OK to try running the Around the Bay (if I feel up to it), but must stop immediately if I feel the cramp return. If I don't stop I will be risking a significant muscle tear that will sideline me for a long long time. "Keep your eye on the real prize," he said. "The marathon in September is the goal, not this race, and we've got to get you there." I like the way this man thinks!

Tonight? More icing, hot baths, stretching, and application of one brand of goop or another.

I Hope It's Not A Mirage

This morning, after an evening spent either with a hot water bottle strapped to my calf, sitting in the tub, or rubbing Arnika Cream onto/into the affected area, I woke up with a hint less of pain than the previous morning. Could this be, or is this just a cruel mirage come to taunt me? I decided to let it slide and not think about it. After all, my physio appointment is tomorrow and I don't want to show up with nothing hurting for her to ponder and prod.

After another application of Arnika Cream and a morning of rushing the boys out the door on time to catch Owen's schoolbus, I biked down to work. When I got off the bike the calf continued to feel less tight than I expected. Again, I warned myself that wishful thinking will get you nowhere and tried to ignore the lower extremity. Perhaps this was one of those things that, if ignored, would simply begin to act properly in hopes of winning back my approval? Hmmmmm. Maybe.

At lunch I once more got on the bike and headed off to the UofT pool for a short and easy swim. I decided to just be satisfied with 1000m (it took about 15 minutes) and then use the rest of the time I had to stand in as hot a shower as I could handle while stretching a bit. This was a good thing and my legs felt a bit better afterwards. I massaged in more Arnika Cream and headed back to work. On the way I had the strangest feeling of warmth in my quads and inner thighs. I didn't put anything there and if anything I would have expected some sensation in the calves, but the whole quads thing was pretty weird. It was as if I was absorbing the rays of the Sun in this area only, like a cat taking a nap on a windowsill where the sun is only hitting one spot of fur. I wonder what the hell all that was about? Can a 34 year-ol guy get hot flashes in the thighs for some hormonal reason?

The afternoon at the office was spent working (duh!) and sitting at a desk (double duh!), which resulted in my calves tightening up again. I should have practiced some more office stretching, but alas my hindsight is myopic and I forgot my rear view glasses.

On a side not I'd like to thank NWGDC for leaving a comment on my last post re: Chi Running. It seems that absorbing the spirit of this technique, if not the letter of the law, has helped him to run injury free for the past year and a bit. This testament makes for a great boost as far as my running goes and perhaps there is hope that I too can learn how to run more efficiently, minimize injury to the point that will allow me to train for long stretches of time, make all my planned races, and have fun in the process.

In the evening I did another strength routine, this time upping the sit ups to 40 reps and the push ups to 35, all with the yoga ball. I'm still doing reps of 8 on the chin ups, but they are starting to get easier and easier.

Losing Faith, Staying Positive

This calf has really got me down! I can't believe how much I am suffering as a result of what seemed to be just a simple calf cramp that hit near the end of my long run a couple of Sundays ago. In fact, I am starting to doubt whether it is a cramp induced thing at all and wonder if I have some serious muscle damage going on. Naturally, my 30k race this coming weekend is in major jeopardy and I would be pressed to walk 3k at this point let alone get through ten times that distance.

I tried my best to stay off my leg all weekend and used a variety of icing and heat, as well as anti-inflammatory creams, to treat this issue. Each morning I'd wake up and cautiously step on my leg to find that the pain was not as bad as the night before, but within minutes the thing would tighten up and I'd be back to hobbling again. It hurts like a Mo-Fo to walk!

With all of that in mind I am keeping positive about the whole situation. After all, this is the risk one "runs" when signing up for races in advance. I also have that physio appointment for Wednesday morning (which was for my plantar fasciitis, but now will involve this problem for sho!) and I lucked into making another massage therapy appointment for right afterward. I am not actually holding out hope that I will be able to run, but stranger things have happened.

Speaking of stranger things I read Bart Yasso's My Life on the Run this weekend. I picked it up at the same time that I grabbed Chi Running. This was a super easy read and pretty entertaining. Bart Yasso has been through a lot of interesting runs throughout his life, and (spoil alert! spoil alert!) to read about his battle with Lyme disease and how it has pretty much ended his running career I count myself lucky because I know this calf issue will eventually get better and I'll be back on the road. Anyway, this was a good short read which I recommend. If it only took me two evenings to finish this book then most will blow through it over lunch given that I am the world's slowest reader.

On the Chi Running front, I have also read that book pretty extensively (can you tell I was on my ass all weekend?) and will give this a good go over the next weeks, months, years. The Chi Running philosophy speaks to me and makes sense on many levels. Specifically, I like that the focus in this technique is on the process and not the result. I think it will require significant concentration to do it right and will likely stop me from reading my Garmin every ten seconds, as I am want to do, thereby preventing me from pushing myself too much and ignoring my body. If one is to learn the Chi Running technique one must be very in tune with one's body, and I am a prime candidate for this much needed lesson. Also, I know a local running store has a guy who holds Chi Running clinics and I might consider taking this approach once I've had a chance to recover and digest the book a bit more. There are many exercises that one has to do before venturing out onto the roads, so I am a long way from the end (if there is an end, that is).

Now, back to healing...

How to Run Without Using Leg Muscles

So, I picked up the book Chi Running by Danny Dreyer from my local library and have had a scant opportunity to flip through it. I've been told that this is a decent book for someone who wants to learn how to run with minimal impact on the body, thereby reducing injury, stress, blah blah blah. I'm in for anything that will reduce injury so I will take any and all advice in an effort to develop a running style all my own. The one thing that immediately caught my eye as I meandered through the chapters is the author's contention that in chi running one pretty much doesn't need to use the leg muscles at all! If this is actually the case then it's nothing short of revolutionary and must be shouted from all available rooftops to anyone who will listen! In fact, this philosophy could lead to all sorts of other wonderful chi like things:

• chi thinking: the art of thinking without using ones brain
• chi eating: the art of digesting without using ones stomach
• chi reading: the art of reading without using the alphabet
• chi breathing: the art of breathing without using ones lungs
• chi working: the art of getting paid without doing anything at all
• chi shopping: the art of buying stuff without using any money
• chi parenting: the art of raising children without having any
• chi farting: the art of expelling gas without eating cauliflower
• chi dieting: the art of losing weight without reducing calorie intake or increasing exercise

You get the picture... Feel free to add your own dreams of chi somethings.

Given that my calf still hurts I'm definitely open to any running that doesn't actually require this muscle. As I gather more information on this wonderful concept of running while drinking overpriced tea I will try and report how it's working out for me. Perhaps I can learn enough in the next week to fake my way through the Around the Bay 30k!

Which brings me to this afternoon:

Alas the lesson in chi running was simply too short on this first day of the experiment. After work I prepared for my regular 7k run home and everything started off nice and normal. The weather was perfect, my backpack was not very heavy, and I felt otherwise great. I turned the old Garmin on and set off thinking of nothing but my running form and trying to relax as much as possible below the knees while focusing on keeping my core in the correct position. This was a good mental as well as physical exercise and I think I was seeing the light when disaster struck: at the 1.6km mark my left calf decided to stop me in my tracks. Same spot as last Sunday, the thing just tightened up and I simply could no longer keep running. So much for not needing my leg muscles!

I am quite concerned with this and thought that skipping my run on Wednesday would take care of the problem. Evidently my muscle has not fully recovered. It really feels like the effects of a really bad cramp are lingering much longer than expected. You know that feeling after a calf cramp that lasts well into the day (I'm talking about thos infrequent but agonizing middle of the night calf cramps where you wake up instantly and hold on for dear life gritting your teeth and pray that it doesn't get any worse). The post cramp lingeringness is continuing to last in my case and I am seriously bummed out about it. What does this mean for my race on the 29th? Will I still be able to do it? What do I do to get this thing to heal?

I did get the two Home Depot buckets out when I got home and filled one up with hot and the other with cold (plus ice cubes) to do the whole shock and awe thing, however my legs are just too long and the affected area was nowhere near the water line. I used the buckets on my PF foot and just put an icepack on the calf. Now all I can do is stay off of it for the next couple of days (goodbye long run on Sunday!) and hope it heals enough to let me get a short test run into the schedule prior to next weekend. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but must admit that my faith is shaken and stirred at the moment.

On a slightly positive note, however, when I loaded up the Garmin stats I was shocked to find that I was running WAAAAAYYYYYY faster than I thought I was. In my efforts to concentrate on form I totally ignored the Garmin and so had no idea how fast I was moving. Based on feel I would have guessed somewhere in the 5:30 - 5:45/km range. Instead I completed the first kilometre in 4:37 and at was definitely still motoring along on the second split, which registered at 4:57 even though I hobbled along for a couple of hundred metres while secretly hoping that the calf muscle pain was just a false alarm and would sort itself out and let me run as planned. Anyway, the point is that the whole chi running thing is still a mystery, but it did make me run fast (perhaps too fast) and I will have to pay closer attention to this when next attempting this technique.

Garmin don't lie.

A Swim and More Stretching

So, after my post about stretching at work I totally went all out today and pretty much didn't care about what the others thought. I stretched everything I could all day long, and though I may not be as limber as I would like to be I feel like this can only end goodly. (As opposed to badly.)

I went for another swim as well. I did 1200m freestyle in 18 minutes and that was all I could handle. Swimming has become pretty boring these days, which is why I made the switch to pool running a couple of weeks ago. But given how my legs are feeling, and the fact that Around the Bay is a week and a half away I didn't want to tax my legs any more than necessary. I will return to pool running in April to be sure.

Tonight we entertained a friend of Malcolm's for a "movie night", with her Mom over for dinner and such so I didn't manage any strength stuff. The night is young, however, and I might get to it yet. There's a third of a bottle of wine left on the table however...

Curses!

I decided to skip my planned 6k run tonight. My foot is tight, yes, but on its own this probably would not have kept me from running. That pain in my left calf, however, in addition to the foot thing meant that I was not venturing out. It's a bit strange, this whole "listening to your body" thing. I am not accustomed to doing this, but I think it's for the best. Around the Bay is less than two weeks away, after all.

Which brings me to my other favorite pastime: stretching. I envy those of you who don't need to stretch and wonder how your muscles and tendons don't just snap. Also, I can't imagine the constant pain that you are subjected to on account of being less than limber. Then again, perhaps I am just saddled with an inferior chassis.

More often than I would like my boss or co-workers catch me doing some cubicle stretching and I've come to grips with the fact that they see this as a bit odd. Instead, I am finding different ways of using the office furniture with which I've been supplied to aid in my constant quest for stretchitude. For example, those legs on the rotating chair are very useful for stretching the calves (as long as you hold on to the back of the chair and prevent it from suddenly slipping out from under your foot). The desk, when clear, can be used for an effective ITB stretch when one places ones leg outside-of-the-ankle side down (I recommend using the mouse pad for cushioning of the ankle bone), knee bent on a 90 degree angle, then rotating the opposite hip until a full stretch is attained.

The other thing to which I must confess is that I've actually come to enjoy tying my shoes more than any one person ever should. I get the absolute best hamstring stretch when performing this operation and will sometime retie my shoes for no other reason than to get that hammy-whammy nice and loose. It's weird how I can't get as good a hamstring stretch when actually doing the wide variety of hamstring stretches that I'm sure all of us (except those limber freaks already mentioned) have done countless times. Downward dog? Yeah, whatever. That canine can chew my shoes for all I care, for at least then it would offer me yet another opportunity to stretch the hams.

How are your office stretches going? Any effective techniques you'd like to share? What about stealth? Are you like me and no longer care about getting "caught", or do you time your stretching to coincide with your co-workers smoke breaks and the like?

Still Hurting

I am still recovering from my weekend of poor judgement (which is how I will refer to it from now on) and my legs are tighter than a Puerto Rican bongo drum. I actually have no idea if Puerto Ricans play bongos, or how tight they keep the skins if they do, but I'm watching the World Baseball Classic game between Puerto Rico and the US and the fans seem to fancy hand drums a lot.

I did swim a short distance at lunch today. 1000m in 15 minutes was enough for me. I was unable to go all last week on account of the Canadian National Swimming Championships taking up the pool, and just wanted to get a little swim in. This was all I could muster.

Tonight I did some more crunches, push ups, and chin ups. No squats though. I was afraid of tearing something south of the border...

On a nice note I received an unexpected email from my Uncle in Poland today, totally out of the blue! He's not my real Uncle (who seems to have disappeared down under in Australia a couple of decades ago), but as my Dad's best friend that's how we always refer to him. He told me that he's been following my blog and wished me well. Awesome! Thank you! Perhaps I will have to start writing this blog in two languages? Hmmmmm...

Lessons Learned

This post is about a couple of things that I've learned over the last number of days.

First, if you say you are going to post something, bloody well do it! I have been negligent in posting a promised sentence or two about a fellow blogging runner's virtual race, and for that I am sorry. Marci over at Ramblings of a Running Addict is holding a virtual race for a really great cause and I plan on supporting her efforts by participating in this fundraising effort. You can read about the race here, but in summary it is taking place on April 24th and the distance is 4 miles. The money raised will go to further arthritis research via the Arthritis Society. The inspiration for the race is a little girl who suffers from this disease. I didn't know that children could suffer from arthritis, but I know that my ankle has the early signs of the most mild form since the good doctors have told me so. I feel for Reese (the little girl, see below and check out Marci's blog to learn more!) and urge anyone who can spare a few bucks and can run 4 miles to head on over to Marci's blog and follow the links to make a donation.



The second thing I learned is that you can't go out drinking on a Friday night, forget your promise to have a glass of water for every drink that you consume, stay out late, wake up early, drink coffee all day, skip lunch, and then get to bed late again, wake up too early yet again, and then expect for your longest run ever to just go "as planned". Instead, if you do all of the above you should expect your long run to kick you in the ass, and then continue to kick you all over the place south of the waist.

My body did not have the fuel it clearly needed to run 24k and finish strong. I was also way too dehydrated (I craved water on Sunday evening like crazy and drank glass after glass after glass of it with dinner). Today, my body continues to feel the effects of my transgressions. I did get a good massage on the calves this afternoon that hurt like crazy, but will likely pay off in the next few days. I am now into the last two weeks leading up to the 30k race, and that means nice easy runs.

That started this evening when I once again ventured out for a short, easy, sweet 4km jog to get some blood moving. Active recovery, as it were. It took me 23:20 to do the distance, which made the average pace 5:50/km. The run actually felt pretty good, though the left calf started to say, "Hey, buddy! What the hell d'you think you're doing?" right about the 3.9km mark. I'm glad it was that close to the end. After much icing, then a hot bath, then some application of MyoMed (basically the same as BioFreeze, which is just menthol), I am ready for sleep.

I also made an appointment with the massage therapist for the day after the Around the Bay race, thereby demonstrating a chimp-like ability to predict the future, and learn from the past.

Garmin don't lie.

The Bloody Pain of a 24km Run

Man, oh Man! That was not easy in any sense. After a night out on the town to watch one of my good friends perform with his band as part of Canada Music Week, not enough sleep, and way too much coffee over the course of yesterday I guess I should have known this would be a mental battle. It was more difficult and painful than I ever expected, but I got through it.

I set off a little later than I wanted to, right around 9am, and within a couple of kilometres I realized that I had overdressed. It was about -1C when I left and I wore a technical t-shirt (more on that later!), a moisture wicking long-sleeve T, and a light fleece. I should have left the fleece at home. Anyway, that may have contributed to the whole end of the run issues, but I think the night out and all that stuff was probably more instrumental in my breakdown.

The first half of the run was fine and I managed to hold a pretty steady and slow pace. The heart rate was a bit higher than it should have been for that intensity and I figured this was a result of those things already mentioned. Never did I consider that I would crash as hard as I did though! Right before I crossed the 21k mark, and my first half-marathon distance ever, my left calf felt like it had been punched real hard and I had to stop to give it a stretch and some rest. The stretching was not really possible since the muscle was tightening up a lot, but I think the minute or two of rest helped. I hobbled the rest of the run very slowly as a result, not wanting to cause more damage.

I had been running with one bottle full of Gatorade and another of water, but I really think that I simply ran out of gas, especially in the lower leg muscles. I hit that wall pretty hard, and it did not feel good. I managed the 24km in 2:17:05 for an average pace of 5:42/km (9:11/mile). The last three kilometres were all over 6:00/km pace on account of the calf. My average heart rate ended up being 154bpm, way higher than it should have been. No going out two days before the Around the Bay in two weeks, that's for damned sure! I checked to see that I went through the half-marathon in about 1:57, which was pretty cool to see on the ole Garmin I must admit.

Tomorrow I have another massage appointment, and I think that will be very timely indeed. I am stiff as all hell right now, and will require much "stripping", even though it's going to hurt like crazy and I know it. Perhaps biking to work again will help get some of the post-run stiffness out?

And lastly, the other thing that happened on this milestone of a run is that I finally got to experience the infamous bloody nipple that runners apparently suffer on a frequent basis! I didn't even notice it until my wife pointed it out: "What's that?"

Me: "That would be blood, dear. My blood. I also have some sweat, and give it a few more minutes and I just might cry from the pain, giving the complete triumvirate of blood, sweat, and tears. No spinning wheel though..."


Here's the shirt with the evidence clearly visible so I don't even need to point it out:




Garmin don't lie.

New Bike! - and a run home

Yesterday was a big day (in a small way)! I finally bit the bullet and got a new bike. All winter I've missed riding to work since my once trusty steed of the past 10+ years has disintegrated before my eyes and became less reliable than public transit. (Ouch, sorry old buddy, but the truth hurts!)

After some deliberation, and spurred on by the coming of warmer weather, I went to perhaps the best bike store in the city and had a bike built. It's a touring frame built up as a single-speed with a flip-flop hub. I've never tried cycling on a fixed gear, but look forward to trying. The fixed gear option will also mean that no matter how cold it gets I will not have the same freezing issues to contend with that my old bike and it's freewheel was susceptible to. Here's a glamour shot:



I also got some strength routine stuff done in the evening, but that is much too dull to go into...

Today I ran home from work. It was a good easy run and I was quite pleased with how my foot felt. I think that the massage has already paid off a little and I look forward to more torture on Monday afternoon when I go back for a second helping.

I ran 7km in 37:26 at an average pace of 5:20/km (8:36/mile). My average heart rate was 147bpm, but the second half of the run was a bit harder since I chose a route that took me straight up Broadview Avenue, a bit of a long if not terribly steep hill. All in all I am quite pleased with this run as I prepare for the longest training run ever (for me) on Sunday: 24km! The plans are not concrete, but I may be joined by a friend if he feels up to it. He's been a bit sick lately, but still wants to run the Around the Bay race and this would be a good test (or so he says). I told him to take it easy, but if he does want to run with me it will at least slow me down, which is a good thing. On a good day he can kick my ass, but in this case I might be in a position of hurting him via a faster than acceptable pace.

Oh yeah, I've also crossed the 200k mark for the year!

Garmin don't lie.

Hurts So Good

This afternoon I went to see the massage therapist and got him to work on my calves since they have been getting tighter and tighter, and no amount of stretching has been helping to loosen them up. I haven't seen him in quite some time, but I knew that this visit would be anything but relaxing given how my previous sessions went. No New Age music, no chance of nodding off - this was going to be pain for gain, pure and simple.

And he didn't disappoint. This was a grueling session to say the least. The only surprise was that my left calf hurt more than my right. I am seeing him again on Monday for another torture test, but if I remember correctly each session gets slightly better than the last as the muscles finally start to loosen up.

Tonight I headed out into the windy evening for a relatively easy 6km run. The worst of the predicted winds seemed to have passed by the time I went out, but it was still pretty gusty. I tried to choose a route that had me run into the wind for the first half and with it at the end, but this did not work out so well in part because the wind seemed to be swirling from all directions and partly because I was not running an out and back. I managed to run pretty easy and finished in 33:15 for an average pace of 5:32/km. My heart rate average was 146bpm.

The foot continues to be tight, and I did not expect the massage to work miracles. I just hope that this helps to make it feel a bit better as I head towards the Around the Bay 30k and my physio appointment on the 35th. After a couple of ibuprofen to help with that and the sore calves on account of the massage it's time for a nice night of sleep. Precious, precious sleep.

Until 5am that is, at which point we'll be woken up by our 4 year-old. He's almost better than an alarm clock since this has been the routine for as long as I can remember. Sometimes I get back to sleep, sometimes I don't. I just hope tonight I can sleep right through until my actual alarm goes off.

Garmin don't lie.

Recovery in Brief

I ran a nice and slow 4km tonight, as per usual after the Sunday long run. It took me 23:44 for an average pace of 5:56/km. I barely broke a sweat since my average heart rate was a paltry 128bpm, right on target. This was supposed to be a nice easy run and it certainly ended up that way.

My foot is a bit tight, but not as bad as it was after my long run a little over a week ago so I feel pretty good about that. I did make an appointment for a massage with an awesome massage therapist who worked on me when I was going through my whole wonky ankle issues a while back. I hope that he can do some stuff to loosen up my foot and calf since I think that will help. This time I am not worried about my plantar fasciitis getting fixed prior to seeing my physio on March 25th since this has been a problem dating back to last October. If it does get fixed miraculously I certainly won't complain, but I don't expect miracles.

Now back to the WBC! Canada is down 4-2 to those pesky Italians, many of whom were not born in Italy and are quite decent players in the Major Leagues. I hope Canada can make a comeback!

Garmin don't lie.

Weekend Recap - Baseball and Long Run

On Saturday we went to the Canada-USA World Baseball Classic game at the Skydome (now going under the craptastic name of Rogers Centre, but for me it will always be the Skydome). I won't go into many details, but it was a great game. Unfortunately, Canada lost in a close game 6-5, but they sure made a game of it. Both teams hit a couple of home runs, we saw some good defensive plays, and it all came down to the wire in the 9th inning. Canada entered that frame down 6-4, ended up scoring one, and then even managed to put a man in scoring position before finally succumbing to the stronger Americans who were able to atone for their loss to the Canadians in the 2006 WBC. Another highlight was watching one of my favorite players Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox (referred to as "the Greek God of Walks" in the book Moneyball). His first three at bats were BB-HR-BB before he finally was retired in his fourth at bat. Also, I love the way he "dances" when he is at the plate getting ready for the pitch to be delivered. It always amuses me, but now it will always make me laugh a little since Owen noticed this and said, "Hey Dad! He's doing the pee-pee dance! He needs to go pee!"

Priceless!

Here are some pics from our day at the game:

Owen and me, with him looking somewhat stunned. Pictures taken where you point the camera at yourself always look a bit strange:

Our vantage point for the game:

Malcolm got a hold of my camera and went a little nuts. Here's a self-portrait:

Owen's rally cap earned the Canucks just one run in the ninth. I should have worn a hat!!!

On Sunday (today, that is) I went out for yet another milestone run. Each week I've upped the long run by 2 kilometres and today the total came to a tidy 20km. My weekly total went down a little since I missed my Wednesday run due to the foot thing (31km instead of the planned 37), but I am still quite happy with how my long runs are getting longer and longer. I ran very conservatively today, which means nice and slow. I managed to complete the distance in 1:53:41 for an average pace of 5:41/km (9:08/mile). My average heart rate was 145bpm, which was where I wanted it to be - right around the 80% of max range.

A new thing happened as well. I ran with two bottles today, one with water the other with Gatorade. By about the 15k mark I had to go real bad and since this has never been an issue in the year and a bit that I've been running it was a strange feeling. As I ran past places where I could have (in theory) ducked in to use the facilities I invariably chickened out and didn't want to do this since it makes me feel guilty to do so without buying something. In the end I ran by a park and stopped off to see if the bathrooms were open, but alas this was not to be. Then, a bit further down the road, I noticed a trail leading off into the woods and I darted in there for some much needed relief. You gotta love trees!

On the injury front the foot is still tight, but it feels manageable. I will continue to run slow and may alter the plan a bit to do a long run next weekend, but shorten the long run the weekend before the Around the Bay race so that I can be as ready as possible for the 30k, which will be a new record distance wise by quite a margin. I'm thinking 24k next Sunday, then something like 16 or 18k the Sunday after that. Better to be undertrained, I hear!

It was also pretty cool to see so many runners out this morning. A real sense of camaraderie with most, but some just don't seem to appreciate a brief bit of eye contact and a friendly wave. What's up with that?!?!

Garmin don't lie.

Running Home, Slowing Myself Down

Today I was once again able to make my now regular Friday 7km run from work to home. I love this run for all sorts of reasons, and today was extra cool for two more: it was super warm out (the Weather Network claimed we hit a high of 18C, which is a record for this date by 4 degrees!) and my wife came by at lunch and picked up my backpack so I could run free and easy. Bonus on both counts!

The foot is continuing to be the issue that it has been for the past 6 months, but I am hoping that flare up after last weekend's long run is just a blip on the radar. I am using this stuff called Anti-Flamme to try and keep the plantar fascia nice and limber and it's working quite well. It's a herbal ointment that seems to really work for me as it warms up the area where it is applied and helps to take away pain as well. I've tried several anti-inflammatory type herbal remedies over the years and this one seems to work best so I would recommend giving it a try if you can find it (not available at your run of the mill pharmacy).

As far as the run went, it was as good as I could have hoped it would be. I ran really easily and tried my best to go slow, but not so slow that it forced me to change my regular comfortable form. I find that when I run too slow I actually end up bouncing up and down more than I would like, thereby doing more damage than good. As a result, I focused on running easily and on making sure that my heart rate was not going up too high, indicating that I was pushing too hard. I completed the 7km in 37:23 at an average pace of 5:20/km (8:35/mile). My average heart rate was right in the correct range at 144bpm and I would say that the whole run was at that desirable "conversational" level of exertion. At one point my wife caught up to me on her bike and we chatted for a bit, so I had that as proof of the above.

Another cool thing is that I passed another guy who seemed to be running home from work as well as he had a backpack on. Perhaps I'll see him again sometime. The opportunity to say hello and find out for sure did not materialize, but if I ever find myself running by him I'll try and ask if he actually was running home from work. It's a great way to commute, that's for sure!

We'll see what the foot feels like tomorrow, but this evening it seems to be holding up OK. I hope I can say the same tomorrow when I wake up.

Garmin don't lie.

Acting Conservatively, Feeling Guilty

I'd say it's fair to place me left of centre as far as most things go, liberal if you will. So it is not in my nature to play anything on the conservative side (except when it comes to money, where I am ultra risk averse). Last night I was all set to go for my planned 6k run, had the Garmin primed to go, shoes lined up, the whole bit. Then, at the last minute, I totally bailed on the run on account of the soreness in my foot and felt appropriately guilty for the rest of the evening. Earlier in the day I called my physio and now have an appointment to see her, but not until March 25th since she is away for three weeks (bummer!). I could have run since the pain is what I would describe as manageable, but I didn't because I was worried that if I did run then my planned 20k this weekend would have been jeopardized. I am determined to keep running, whatever it takes (and I think it will take slowing way down).

Naturally I am a little depressed by this whole thing and hope that this wonky appendage fixes itself in short order. It is curious that I am left leaning in most things and that all my issues seem to be localized to the right foot/ankle. Shouldn't it be my left ankle and foot that cause all the issues since I am "leaning" in that direction? Anyway, I didn't run and hate that like you wouldn't believe.

Today I decided that another pool running experiment was in order and I headed over at lunch for a half-hour of struggling up and down the lane. It was fun, I guess, but as I "ran" I thought to myself that there was no way in hell anything approaching a "runner's high" was likely to occur when performing this type of exercise. I just hope it helps me get back to running.

Tomorrow I am planning on running home from work again, but will definitely make it super slow. I think I've been going too fast for this foot recently, even though my pace is nothing to write home about. That's why I have to see the physio to see what can be done so that I can start running faster and not just longer.

Tonight I also did another strength routine. I think I have to up the reps on the sit ups and push ups, but the chin ups are still pretty hard. The squats are not difficult, but I am afraid of doing too much too soon given the whole wonky appendage issue(s).

A New Activity

Today I went for what was supposed to be just another regular swim during lunch. I was planning to do at least 1500m, but was also holding out hope that I would have enough mental stamina to endure the boredom and crank out a full 2000m. Once I managed to get out of the office and made it to the pool I must admit that my motivation was seriously waning. Standing in the nice warm shower rinsing off prior to going on deck I almost totally bailed on the whole swim idea. I'm glad that I didn't for otherwise I would never have had the chance to try...

POOL RUNNING!

When I got out on deck and saw all those people swimming laps I was not interested in just doing the same old thing. I thought back to a comment that was left on one of my posts a few months ago when a chiropractor (and fellow blogging runner) recommended I try this while my foot kept me off the road. Last night my wife made the same suggestion, for the same reasons.

Well, lo and behold the rack of floating belt thingys caught my eye and I stood there for a few minutes trying to decide what to do. Part of me felt a little weird contemplating the pool running thing. I'd never gone to a pool and voluntarily gone in the "slow" lane. I am a pretty strong swimmer and am usually the fastest in the lane. Running would pose many challenges, not the least of which was my fear that I would get in people's way and piss them off.

However, that didn't stop me and I strapped on a floating belt and went to work. Almost immediately I noticed that this was harder than I thought it would be as my heart rate jumped up and I started breathing harder and harder. Technique is not a word I can use to describe what I actually did, but I had a lot of fun. It was difficult to stay upright and keep my shoulders relaxed, that's for sure. I think my traps got more of a workout than I expected.

Although it took me somewhere between 4 and 5 minutes to do each 100m (two laps of the 50m pool) I still ended up passing two or three people. My fear of getting in their way was unwarranted. And no, the people I passed were NOT pool running. Swimming? Perhaps...

I "ran" for almost 30 minutes and will likely do this again. Any tips on technique would be much appreciated as I don't want to create new problems doing an activity that is designed to fix an existing one.

This evening I did another strength routine that consists of the following:

• 3 X 25 crunches on a yoga ball
• 3 X 25 push ups with feet up on the aforementioned ball
• 3 X 15 squats against the wall with the ball
• 3 X 8 chin ups (no yoga ball as I've yet to figure out how it can be incorporated)

Then I did some more hip flexor exercises and stretched for a while. I hope the foot lets me run tomorrow night, but I am fully prepared to skip it if I have to.

And lastly, I loaded up my Garmin stats into BIMactive and will check out how this site works. Thanks Marcy for the tip! I do like the statistics summary for my year-to-date running, and they look like this:


Don't know what the whole difficulty level thing means, but I am worried that my competitive nature would use this for evil rather than good, and end up with more injury, so I will try to curb my curiosity for the moment.

Short, Slow, and Cold

I am a bit sore after my long run yesterday, and tonight I seriously considered skipping the short recovery run partly because of this, partly because it was damned cold outside. With the windchill we were blessed with -25C; without wind chill - a comparatively balmy -12C when I left for my 4km jog. The muscle soreness doesn't bother me, but my foot has tightened up again and that worries me for sure. As a result I went super slow tonight and made it through in 26:31 for a snail-like pace of 6:37/km. My heart rate average was 123bpm and I barely broke a sweat (max hit 130bpm).

I will have to monitor this foot closely and may have to consider missing a run here or there to let it recover. It just feels tight, that's all, and I know I can run through it, but I want to avoid creating a situation where I am forced to miss significant time. In short: DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN!

Garmin don't lie.

Getting Longer - and harder

Get your minds out of the gutter, you sickos! This is a family friendly blog. Naturally, I am referring to the length and difficulty of my run. This morning was yet another milestone as I set out on an 18km training run, well into double digits in miles now (11.18, to be exact). The sun coming in through the kitchen window, warming up the room, was deceiving me and I was hoping that the actual air temperature would be warmer than the predicted -9C. Alas, the thermometer was reading -10C when I left! Luckily the wind was not as strong and gusty as anticipated.

I filled up Owen's big water bottle (since I had none of my own at this point) and put it in his belt (the one he won last weekend), but that proved completely futile. First, the belt was not really working for me today in that the bottle was flopping all over the place and was very distracting, and second because the water bottle was leaking like the recreational real estate market in Florida. Within a 100 metres I was carrying it my right hand and would do so for the entire run.

As mentioned, it was pretty cold, and it took me a while to warm up. I tried to consciously slow myself down at the beginning since this was the longest run I've ever attempted and I didn't want to completely run out of gas before the end. My first kilometre ended up being my slowest (at 5:35), but the variance from the slowest to the fastest was not very much, which was good and means that I kept a pretty steady pace throughout. The fastest split was my last kilometre (5:07) for a nice bookend to the run, and my average pace was 5:20/km, or 8:35/mile, and it took me 1:36:03 to complete the entire 18km run. The route was relatively flat, but there were a couple of pretty long, though not steep, hills near the middle which were a good test. I have to keep including long hills in these long runs as I prepare for the 30k race at the end of the month since the last 10k of that route is pretty much all uphill.

I must admit that it was tough mentally to keep going on this run. I was glad to have loaded up my IPod with some music and I had this along for the ride wearing a cheap pair of headphones that I picked up yesterday. These things were under $20 and very old school indeed - they look very much like the headphones that came with those early 80s Walkmans! However, at no point in the run were they a problem so I think these were the right choice, fashionable or not. Here's a visual:



Later, we went to the Running Room in the Beaches and I picked up two water bottles, one with one of those hand held straps. They are smaller than the one I was borrowing from Owen and I figure I can use his belt to carry one while I hold the other in my hand. This way I can have one filled with Gatorade (which I used today, and it seems to have worked well) and the other with water. I am far from finished with experimenting with the whole hydration and carb thing while running, but I am glad that the Gatorade didn't make my stomach cramp on this run.

Garmin don't lie.