Dog Days - 300 and Counting
Yup, that's right. I am on the brink. As much as I hate to admit it, running is reaching the "chore" end of the scale where once it occupied the "can't wait to do it again" section. I suppose it's a good thing that I haven't even begun to contemplate the "kiss my ass, and pass me another piece of cheese cake!" portion, but it is not out of the realm of possibility if I don't break out of this funk, and fast!
Ever since my calf went mental on me a few weeks ago (for reasons I've yet to figure out, which makes it all the more frustrating) I've been either waiting to run again, or suffering through those crappy slow runs that are better classified as "jogging" (spit on it!). I'm not asking for much here, just to get back to a regular training schedule that allows me to actually feel like I've accomplished something from each run. I thought that my last run would kick start the last six weeks of training toward the Half Marathon, but instead I limped the entire day afterward with muscle soreness and knee tenderness the likes of which I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy (except Michael Vick, though he's not an enemy of mine or anything. Why the Eagles signed him is beyond me!). Bringing ice packs to work is getting old, not to mention embarrasing (or is it just me getting old, and ...).
In short: AAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!
This being my 300th post I should be celebrating the fact that I'm still running after all this time, but instead I am just frustrated. Can I have "that time of month" if I am not the proud owner of a uterus? As I keep telling my wife on a regular basis, "It's uterUS, not uterYOU!" We all suffer to a certain degree...
No matter. Just keep telling myself that this, too, shall pass (like the inevitable kidney stone that I'm dreading will eventually occupy one of my two organs at some point in my old age. Can't I just have them remove the whole kidney when that happens? Having two must have an advantage of this kind...)
Anyway, here's what I managed (and I cannot say "accomplished") on this hot, humid day:
I started off a bit apprehensive, to say the least. My legs felt like crap, and my right knee was really not good. I taped it up and hoped for the best. All I was hoping for was to slog my way through at least 10k without too much pain. Within three kilometres I was so drenched with sweat that the tape on my knee came right off and I had to toss the remnants in a garbage can. I'd have to do the rest without it and just kept on chugging along. It was slow, that's for sure, but at least I was moving. I was also happy that I'd had the foresight to bring along my own water even though it was a short run. The humidity was pretty bad and I needed to drink constantly.
As I jogged along I actually started feeling a bit better and my pace improved just slightly. It was still in the jogging and range, but at least I didn't slow down to a crawl. In the end I ended up running 10.5km in 1:04:27 for an average pace of 6:08/km (9:52/mile). Like I said, slow, but at least I didn't skip the run and didn't cut it short. Here's hoping things start looking up from here on out.
Oh yeah, almost forgot. I ran in my new pair of Asics GT2140s today. They were great, just like the pair I've been using. I've put almost 400 kilometres on the first pair and I figured having a second pair in the rotation was a smart thing to do.
Garmin don't lie.
Ever since my calf went mental on me a few weeks ago (for reasons I've yet to figure out, which makes it all the more frustrating) I've been either waiting to run again, or suffering through those crappy slow runs that are better classified as "jogging" (spit on it!). I'm not asking for much here, just to get back to a regular training schedule that allows me to actually feel like I've accomplished something from each run. I thought that my last run would kick start the last six weeks of training toward the Half Marathon, but instead I limped the entire day afterward with muscle soreness and knee tenderness the likes of which I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy (except Michael Vick, though he's not an enemy of mine or anything. Why the Eagles signed him is beyond me!). Bringing ice packs to work is getting old, not to mention embarrasing (or is it just me getting old, and ...).
In short: AAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!
This being my 300th post I should be celebrating the fact that I'm still running after all this time, but instead I am just frustrated. Can I have "that time of month" if I am not the proud owner of a uterus? As I keep telling my wife on a regular basis, "It's uterUS, not uterYOU!" We all suffer to a certain degree...
No matter. Just keep telling myself that this, too, shall pass (like the inevitable kidney stone that I'm dreading will eventually occupy one of my two organs at some point in my old age. Can't I just have them remove the whole kidney when that happens? Having two must have an advantage of this kind...)
Anyway, here's what I managed (and I cannot say "accomplished") on this hot, humid day:
I started off a bit apprehensive, to say the least. My legs felt like crap, and my right knee was really not good. I taped it up and hoped for the best. All I was hoping for was to slog my way through at least 10k without too much pain. Within three kilometres I was so drenched with sweat that the tape on my knee came right off and I had to toss the remnants in a garbage can. I'd have to do the rest without it and just kept on chugging along. It was slow, that's for sure, but at least I was moving. I was also happy that I'd had the foresight to bring along my own water even though it was a short run. The humidity was pretty bad and I needed to drink constantly.
As I jogged along I actually started feeling a bit better and my pace improved just slightly. It was still in the jogging and range, but at least I didn't slow down to a crawl. In the end I ended up running 10.5km in 1:04:27 for an average pace of 6:08/km (9:52/mile). Like I said, slow, but at least I didn't skip the run and didn't cut it short. Here's hoping things start looking up from here on out.
Oh yeah, almost forgot. I ran in my new pair of Asics GT2140s today. They were great, just like the pair I've been using. I've put almost 400 kilometres on the first pair and I figured having a second pair in the rotation was a smart thing to do.
Garmin don't lie.
Labels: bitchin' and moanin', running
posted by Vava at
8:58 PM
5 Comments:
Happy 300! Good luck getting that mojo back.
I seem to remember you are in you 30s, right? So, enough of that "old" talk. I didn't start running till I was 47!
Injuries can be really frustrating. As you know I too am recuperating a knee. I think you've just got to go with the medical advice, do what you can do and not overstress it. It will get better if you do that (that's what I keep telling myself).
Find yourself a cute physio. That's keeping me going :-)
Grats on 300 that is terrific! Keep in mind, slow is relative. I'll take those 9:52 miles any day! Hang in there! Focus on the race, look forward to it! If you run one more day, so will I!
Congrats on your 300th post!
When I've lost my running mojo, I've tried to completely shake it up -- take a week off or do some totally different workouts. That often helps.
Good luck!
Aah the mojo!
So easy to lose and so hard to get back sometimes!
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