Runnin' in Mud...

Hwy 205, 9:30 a.m., sunny, 45.  Just getting' in the miles this morning.  The legs felt slightly tired, but I ran ~16 hours ago.  11-12 miles tomorrow afternoon.  Lots of cyclists out this a.m.  At times, it looks like the Tour de Tennessee out here on these rural roads.  Seeing them kind of does give me a boost.  This run was a bit quicker than I would have liked.  8 miles in 58:53 (7:22 pace).  My daily (easy) runs have gotten faster over the past few months.  The pace today felt comfortable and I wasn't trying to time the run or hit certain paces.  Believe me, I do try to keep it in the 7:40+ range.

Hwy. 205, 12:05 p.m., sunny, 73, and very windy.  I had to eat and run within 30 min. of each other.  The heat must have gotten to me as well.  This run sucked!  I cut it a bit short because my rt. knee was feeling odd.  I think it is my ITB that it causing the knee issues.  I will take a day off and see.  I don't consider this an injury, but it could reach that level if I'm not careful.  I have never had knee issues, ever.  If I stop and stretch the knee and IT band out during a run, the tightness in the knee goes away.  It may come back, but only randomly.  It is quite strange.  Perhaps, I suffer from post traumatic injury disorder from the previous stress fracture.  I AM SOOOO PARANOID about being injured again. I didn't get in my 11-12 miles, but I'm not worried.  This run included 4 miles @ HM pace (~6:35/mile) and, despite the heat, etc., I felt okay with that.  8 miles in 58:00 (7:15 pace). 

I decided that a few days off would be a good idea.  I want to watch the left knee, especially so close to the HM.  I have identified that the patella tendom seems to randomly get irritated during some of my runs.  I don't recall stepping on anything that would have strained it.  I feel it about 10% of each run and never is what I would consider painful. 

One more day off for good measure... 

Hwy. 205, 4:00 p.m., cloudy, 49.  The weather was perfect today.  I have had two days off and wondered about the knee.  I have been stretching.  I ran with Enrique today and kept it quite easy.  The first 1/2 mile or so, it was throbbing a bit (first time doing that).  After a 1/2 mile, I didn't feel it anymore.  Strange, huh?  I opened the stride up a few times to test the knee and it was completely normal.  Another easy day and then I'll test it at HM pace.  6 miles in 47:20 (7:53 pace).  When I run with my neighbor, I tend to slow way down, which is good.  I need more of these.  

Hwy. 205, 5:00 p.m., cloudy, 45.  Really windy from the north, so out was a bit slow.  Negative split of :25.  Knee felt good for 3 miles (no problems), but then it got tight around the patella tendom.  I put the patella strap on and it felt better.  I took it off after 1/2 mile and then it was fine again.  I have never liked the idea with running with any type of brace on, as I feel that you shouldn't have to wear such items to run.  Generally, it means you're injured and you probably don't need to run or might make it worse.  I have been doing ITB stretches, thinking that it might be a kneecap tracking issue.  I know I am blowing this waaaaay out of proportion, but I gotta have some drama.  Perhaps, this is all in my pea brain.  5 miles in 37:40 (7:32 pace).  Tomorrow, I plan to do some HM pace running in flats.

That's right - no run again!  It began snowing/raining/sleeting and got heavier as the day went on.  By the time, I left work, there was a bit of accumulation.  See, in Memphis, we don't get that much snow and the entire city shuts down.  People are not used to driving.  I actually feared for my life, had I taken to the streets.  My daughter has a nasty cold and I think I'm coming down with it.  I feel pretty blah and lots of head congestion.  A run probably would have made me feel better, but the treadmill didn't sound too appealing.  My goal race is next Sunday, so this will be my "taper" week.  

Hwy. 205, 1:00 p.m., sunny, 38.  Warmed up 2 miles (7:32 avg) and then 2x2 miles @ 6:40 pace.  I rec. w/1 easy mile (7:45).  My last set was ~6:45 pace, but I had a nice head/cross wind for much of it.  I also feel like I'm getting a cold.  This pace felt a bit too tough to be HM pace.  From my previous training and recent race, it is very close to 6:38-6:40.  Hey, it snowed 5 inches last night!!  8 miles in 58:04 (7:16 pace).  An easy fartlek long run tomorrow to, hopefully, bring some snap back into the old chicken legs.

Random Arlington, 2:30 p.m., sunny, 53. I ran with Bruce today very easily. I ran 1.25 to meet him and then 4 mile with him. I then ran 2.75 by myself at ~7:25 pace. I ran the last .75 miles @ ~6:20 pace. The legs seem to feel better at faster speeds. I felt sluggish and slow at 7:45-8:00 pace, but felt good once I got under 7:00 pace. I wore my new Nike Jasari shoes today and thought that they might be causing some of my new trouble. In looking at my log, it doesn't seem to be the case. This is race week!  8 miles in 1:01:15 (7:39 pace). 

Random Arlington, 3:00 p.m., sunny, 58.  I ran with Courtney while pushing Ethan in the stoller.  I truly believe that it is more difficult to run that slow of a pace than it is 7:30 pace.  This was Ethan's maiden voyage in the jogging stroller and he did great!  Our daughter practically grew up in this same stroller.  I look forward to lengthening these runs.

My plan was to add another 4-5 miles on after this, but my Dad was returning our daughter and time got away from me.  

Hwy 205, 4:00 p.m., sunny, 55.  Another beautiful day to run.  The rt. knee seemed almost 100%, but the left glute feels tight.  It feels similar to just a few days before the stress fracture in August.  There goes my paranoia again.  I'll stretch a bit more and roll on a tennis ball.  It is probably the piriformis muscle.  I did 8 :20 strides during the run to loosen up the legs.  4 more days...  5 miles in 37:28 (7:30 pace).  My daughter has been somewhat sick and I feel as if I am getting it.  Is this just my paranoia again?

Chickasaw course, 2:00 p.m., sunny, 70.  Out and back on this course.  The knee felt about 85%, but the left hip was iffy at times and then other times, it was fine.  Therapist said it was a tight IT Band.  I guess more stretching.  4.6 miles in 35:02 (7:37 pace).  Still feeling a bit blah and lethargic!

Random Arlington, 5:05 p.m., sunny, 71.  I have felt a bit fatigued that past few days.  I am recovering from a cold, so that might be why.  I need a good nights sleep.  It seems as though my sleep is broken up every night and it is beginning to wear on me.  First, I will hear our son call out (in baby scream) and then the dog wants to go out, or wants to eat/drink.  Then, I heard the thunderstorms.  I have always had trouble getting back to sleep once I am awakened briefly.  Can I complain anymore in this blog?

This was a scheduled off day for me.  I always take two days before a race completely off.  My PR, set on this course, is 1:26:57.  On that date that I set the PR, I was actually going for 1:28:00, but negative split the race.  I have reviewed my log from 2006 and this year leading up to the race.  I have much more consistent in putting in weekly 10-11 milers.  I have run similar race times (10k), as well as similar times in workouts (4x2000m).  I am ~4-5lbs lighter this year, so do I go out at 1:27:30 pace and try to negative split again or be conservative or be aggressive.  I know how a half-marathon feels when you go out too fast.  At the end of 2005, I was running the most mileage of my life and was in great shape.  As 2006 began, I slacked (we were moving houses) and was lucky to get in 20-25 mpw; however, I think all of the miles late in 2005 carried over.  I am also a bit concerned over my lethargic feeling/soreness in my back and legs.  Is this the achy feeling from being sick or are the little men in my head telling me things?  I am officially 1 day, 1 hour, 13 min, and 2 secs from the race.  A short shakeout run with strides tomorrow.  I will wake up race day and see how I feel. 

A little background:  In August of 2007, I was diagnosed with a sacral stress fracture and a "stress reaction" in the pubic symphysis area (osteitis pubis).  Needless to say, I was not able to cross train and lost a good bit of fitness during the 8 weeks that I was off.  In October, I slowly built up my mileage, but was really paranoid about another reoccurrence, as these were my FIRST injuries, ever.  I always thought of myself as pretty durable, despite doing some ignorant training early on!  I was soooo eager to resume racing and signed up for my local half-marathon to take place on March 16, 2008.  My PR was 1:26:57 set on this same course in 2006.  I vowed to obliterate the PR, but I didn't know how difficult/frustrating it would be to come back from an injury.  In the past 6 months, I have been so paranoid about every little ache and pain.  It was also during this time that I have had a few knee (patella tendon) issues, which is something brand new to me.  Despite it all, I finally raced in Feb. of this year (a 10k in 39:30).  I was pleased, but knew I had work to do.  I knew that I had another month of training, but the knee became more irritating to me.  I was very conservative and would ice, take days off, etc.  I did not build much, if any, fitness during the last month and I knew that a sub 1:26:00 was probably out.  Race week was not typical.  I missed several easy runs/strides due to a yucky cold and work related "things."  Race day came and I still did not know what pace to run.  The weather was absolutely perfect (48F and partly cloudy).  I went out by feel with the 1st mile (net downhill) in 6:33.  The 2nd mile (net uphill) was 6:51.  It was at this point that I knew that it wasn't a PR kinda day.  A 6:33 pace/mile would get me a sub 1:26:00, but after the 1st stretch of hills, the legs, already, didn't feel snappy.  [Side Note]:  Since the injuries, I have made diligent efforts to run on softer surfaces.  My softer courses have ZERO hills on them and I recalled many times telling myself that I needed to do some hillwork.  It never happened.  6 months of virtually no hilly courses didn't prepare them for the rolling nature of the 1st 4 miles of the course.  I felt every one of them.  In the past, I had always considered myself a good hill runner - not today!  I never gave up and continued to press along, running the 3rd mile in 6:48 and the 4th in 6:45.  From 5 miles to 10 miles, the course is pancake flat.  Miles 5 and 8 were some of my faster miles at 6:40 and 6:36.  It was at 7.5 miles that I told myself to pick it up and attempt atleast a sub 1:28:00.  My right calf muscle relented and began to twinge.  I knew the feeling, but pressed on.  It never really fully cramped, but I did slow a bit.  6:40-6:48 felt quite comfortable and I probably could have gone a few more miles at that pace after the race.  It seemed that my legs lacked the turnover that I wanted them to have.  Perhaps, I was rusty?  After mile 10, the course goes back into some rolling hills, which I still maintained pace.  The last turn has you running up a 300m slight incline to the finish, which is downhill.  My finish time was 1:28:20.  I was 4th in my AG and 37th overall.  I was somewaht pleased with the race and it has only rekindled my desire to run fast again.  Many times, when I don't finish in the time that I had planned, I attempt to take positives in other ways.  Positives:  1. I didn't "blow up!", 2. From mile 4 onward, no one passed me and I passed 15 runners., and 3. I ran a negative split of :16 and ran solo much of the time.  The spring will bring many other attempts to PR at the 5k and 10k distances and then bring a base building period in the hot, muggy Memphis weather.  In hindsight, I know that I should have done more HM pacework.  Running hills also would have helped.  Thanks for reading and sorry for rambling with this novel.