Executive summary: Philly marathon sucked, did 19 miles on pace, then cramped up bad, walked it in. Finished in 3:53. Painful. While recovering, ran a Thanksgiving 5k with my daughter (6y/o), and did something to either my achilles or bursa, and have been limping since. Today it's starting to get better. Won't be running for a while.
next up, swim challenge and some intermittent biking, to get ready for the JOS.
Race report to follow eventually, but with everything else on my mind around that day, it hasn't been a priority.
Sorry to hear that Mike. The Philadelphia Marathon was not a good race for the EN team on some pretty fundamental dinmensions. Perhaps it was not meant to be. All the best for recovery and take it easy in Dec so we are all ready to hit the JOS hard in a few short weeks.
Nice eveing run with my wife, 5mi at her EP of 9:15/mi. Billion stars, no wind, 35F, crisp. It was our date. Enjoyed it. Than together at the "late dinner table" for an evening snack. All of that after bagging the bike eirlier, coached some grumpy senior kids swimers. It was not going great at first. Sweet closing for a day that did not look promising.
Today PM, nice and easy 7mi in 55min. Rolling course, south winds, not too bad. Still enjoying the nice fall weather. Today in KC 50F. See you tomorrow for a 13mi report in AM and hopefully weather permitting 2hr PM outdoor ride.
Yesterday I did the local 5k "Santa Hustle". Everyone dresses in a santa shirt, beard and hat that they give you in the race packet. I was out drinking the night before with some buddies, enjoying the last few weeks of the short EN "offseason". Also it was 40 degrees and I did not warm up even one bit. So it was not the best race, clocking in at 20:36, 49/3645 OA, 6/142 in division M3539. VDOT 48.1, although if I use the Garmin distance I get 48.7 which is about where I was in the last few 15k, 10k and 8k races over the past month and a half. Overall, hey, it was a pretty darn intense 20 minute run workout!! http://connect.garmin.com/activity/132412556
first real run in almost 3 weeks. monitored this calf every step of the way. just went steady z1-2 for a little over 20 minutes, maybe a touch under 9:00 pace.
No pain. NO PAIN. phew, no pain.
kept thinking ''it'll be the next step when it pops, it'll be the next step....''
yesterday's 4 mile trail run, was nice to get back out there, hills started taking its toll on my calf at about the 35' mark, at that point I chose to walk up the steep inclines and jog conservatively on the flats.
so, bad news is that the calf was still warning me, but, the good news is that today there is no evidence of reinjury from it. I must have backed off at the right time.
@ Chris - It sounds like your calf is healing up nicely. But now you are in the danger zone - when your heart and spirit want to run but your calf still isn't quite 100% and you are most vulnerable to re-injury. I suggest patience, and that you don't run every day yet. Give the calf 2 nights sleep between each run for another couple of weeks then hopefully you'll be all set for the Jan OS. Hope this helps.
Hey Bruce, I was thinking the same thing. I won't get greedy now, too much experience with this thing. And, I'll probably choose a couple of key runs per week during OS and substitute some pool running for the easier runs, at least for a while.
Wow, Christmas Eve, first run since Dec 4. I didn't have much time but decided to get in 20 minutes. I needed to get in a run and going it before two days of insane eating was as good a time to restart as any, right? Achillies was not too bad but today (the day after) I can feel it is sore.
Boy, my run fitnees has taken a hit in the time off for sure. I tried to keep up my cadence and found myself running WAY too fast out of the gate -- literally 6:30/mi (my VDOT is about 48.5 right now and TP is 7:01). So my run ended up looking like some bizarre set of z5 intervals with inactive recoveries every half mile. Very strange.
I'm going to run tomorrow and a few times this week upcoming before starting the OS, so will have to get my packing back to normal and get in some longer efforts.
Second run since Dec 4. Very snowy (actually slushy) here on vacation in SW Michigan. I'm glad I brought up 2 pairs of running shoes because these ones got soaked. I ran 28 minutes from the rental house to meet my family for breakfast. It worked out to exactly 4 miles and 7:00 pace. A bit faster than desired but I'm still trying to get the hang of keeping my cadence up while running more slowly. I'll get it eventually. Cheers! http://connect.garmin.com/activity/136784299
Another 4-miler outhere in Michigan. Muchbetter weather. Nice run, moderate-hard based on RPE, even splits, no intervals or structure. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/137268684
@ Matt - Nice work. Looks like you are ready for next week.
Yesterday I ran 7 miles in 58:30. it included a 1.5 mile warn up @ Z1 +30" (9:00) pace, then 5 x 30' (30") strides. Then did 2 x 1/2 mile (3') @ 6:50 pace (Z4 for me), 1 x 1 mile @ 6:50 (3') then 2 x 1/4 mile @ 6:20 (Z5). Then a 1/2 mile cool down @ 9:00. Felt pretty good. Not even sore today. Ready to test next week. At end of last OS I ran 19:48 (VDOT 50) for the 5 k test. Not sure I'm in that kind of shape now, but breaking 20' again will be my OS goal.
@ Bruce, you are a real runner. 50 VDOT in your AG is really something. Best of luck going sub 20:00 in the 5k. Personally the closest I've ever come is 20:14...one day I'll break 20'. I hit a 50 VDOT (with a bit of decimal rounding) last year in a 10k but it didn't stick for long, I'm back to just under 49 at the moment. We should do some runs together this OS. Maybe if you come down for some of our group cycle sessions in the city we can hit a brick run. Cheers, Matt.
@ Matt - thanks for your comments. I've been blessed and lucky to be able to run well as I age. Perhaps it was the residue effect of playing lacrosse for over a decade in my youth. It is a great game requiring a combination of speed and endurance - pretty good training background for the run part ot triathlon (we even ran intervals as part of lacrosse training). Anyway, last OS I just squeaking into the 50/50 club (+50 VDOT and +50 years old), which was WSM Al Truscott's creation. Not sure I'll make it in again this year as the sub 20 5k is looking harder each year. Also, I'm really concentrating on improving my bike FTP this year so if I run slightly slower in the test I'm ok with that as long my bike improves. However I'm already back in the Century Club (age+VDOT>100), another one of Al's challanges. BTW, he also came up with a new Century Club challange (age + # of IM finishes >100) that I'm sure I'll never make (i'm at 58 (57 years +1 IM)). I think Al's at something unbelievable like 84 or 85, and he is going for 100.
Did my run test today. Pretty much the same as when I tested late Sept. (vdot went from 30.8 to 31.17- whoopie) LOL Guess I can't complain since I haven't lost anything in the off season as I've been trying to maintain running so I'm not starting from scratch in the OS. (vdot was 23.34 in Nov. 2010 so I'm glad I'm not starting there again!) Onward and upward!
Another run here in Michigan. This time I wanted to avoid the highway so took a bit longer route to the breakfast restaurant...4.7 miles in total. Again it was a moderate-hard based on RPE, even splits, no intervals or structure. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/137758416 Happy new year, everyone. I'm going to bike before dinner tonight, then a rest day tomorrow before the OS begins!
Comments
Executive summary: Philly marathon sucked, did 19 miles on pace, then cramped up bad, walked it in. Finished in 3:53. Painful. While recovering, ran a Thanksgiving 5k with my daughter (6y/o), and did something to either my achilles or bursa, and have been limping since. Today it's starting to get better. Won't be running for a while.
next up, swim challenge and some intermittent biking, to get ready for the JOS.
Race report to follow eventually, but with everything else on my mind around that day, it hasn't been a priority.
I am on a business trup to DC today and was able to get in a short but reasonably intense run this morning: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/131696853
Cheers,
Matt
Mike, you are coming back stronger. I know it.
Nice eveing run with my wife, 5mi at her EP of 9:15/mi. Billion stars, no wind, 35F, crisp. It was our date. Enjoyed it. Than together at the "late dinner table" for an evening snack. All of that after bagging the bike eirlier, coached some grumpy senior kids swimers. It was not going great at first. Sweet closing for a day that did not look promising.
hellooooo aquajogger.
errrrrr......
Today PM, nice and easy 7mi in 55min. Rolling course, south winds, not too bad. Still enjoying the nice fall weather. Today in KC 50F. See you tomorrow for a 13mi report in AM and hopefully weather permitting 2hr PM outdoor ride.
AM, run 12.61mi in 1:38, paved trail, HR remained in Z1-2. There was no strain. At 35mi for the week, still 15mi to go. Will se what PM brings.
Thanks Mike. Watching your swimming in the challenge thread. Keep it up. Solid start.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/132412556
first real run in almost 3 weeks. monitored this calf every step of the way. just went steady z1-2 for a little over 20 minutes, maybe a touch under 9:00 pace.
No pain. NO PAIN. phew, no pain.
kept thinking ''it'll be the next step when it pops, it'll be the next step....''
Nope.
so, let's get a few runs in before January.
so, bad news is that the calf was still warning me, but, the good news is that today there is no evidence of reinjury from it. I must have backed off at the right time.
will try to go for an ez, and flat, run tomorrow.
@ Chris - It sounds like your calf is healing up nicely. But now you are in the danger zone - when your heart and spirit want to run but your calf still isn't quite 100% and you are most vulnerable to re-injury. I suggest patience, and that you don't run every day yet. Give the calf 2 nights sleep between each run for another couple of weeks then hopefully you'll be all set for the Jan OS. Hope this helps.
thanks bud!
btw, no run today, just rode.
@ Chris - sounds good. You'll be ready to rock in a few weeks.
been able to run every other day, ez paced stuff, chillin' on any hills. Minimal to no tightness in calf the day after. foam rolling.
it's slowly coming back.
liking the new shoes (abandoned the minimalist thing)
still not real sure if I'm going to do the first 5k test on time, I'll thro that into the micro thread.
@Bruce - saw it was your Bday the other day, Happy belated Birthday to ya.
I needed to get in a run and going it before two days of insane eating was as good a time to restart as any, right?
Achillies was not too bad but today (the day after) I can feel it is sore.
Boy, my run fitnees has taken a hit in the time off for sure.
I tried to keep up my cadence and found myself running WAY too fast out of the gate -- literally 6:30/mi (my VDOT is about 48.5 right now and TP is 7:01). So my run ended up looking like some bizarre set of z5 intervals with inactive recoveries every half mile. Very strange.
I'm going to run tomorrow and a few times this week upcoming before starting the OS, so will have to get my packing back to normal and get in some longer efforts.
Merry Christmas!
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/136402785!
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/136784299
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/137268684
@ Matt - Nice work. Looks like you are ready for next week.
Yesterday I ran 7 miles in 58:30. it included a 1.5 mile warn up @ Z1 +30" (9:00) pace, then 5 x 30' (30") strides. Then did 2 x 1/2 mile (3') @ 6:50 pace (Z4 for me), 1 x 1 mile @ 6:50 (3') then 2 x 1/4 mile @ 6:20 (Z5). Then a 1/2 mile cool down @ 9:00. Felt pretty good. Not even sore today. Ready to test next week. At end of last OS I ran 19:48 (VDOT 50) for the 5 k test. Not sure I'm in that kind of shape now, but breaking 20' again will be my OS goal.
@ Chris - How is your calf doing? Gettin better I hope.
@ Matt - thanks for your comments. I've been blessed and lucky to be able to run well as I age. Perhaps it was the residue effect of playing lacrosse for over a decade in my youth. It is a great game requiring a combination of speed and endurance - pretty good training background for the run part ot triathlon (we even ran intervals as part of lacrosse training). Anyway, last OS I just squeaking into the 50/50 club (+50 VDOT and +50 years old), which was WSM Al Truscott's creation. Not sure I'll make it in again this year as the sub 20 5k is looking harder each year. Also, I'm really concentrating on improving my bike FTP this year so if I run slightly slower in the test I'm ok with that as long my bike improves. However I'm already back in the Century Club (age+VDOT>100), another one of Al's challanges. BTW, he also came up with a new Century Club challange (age + # of IM finishes >100) that I'm sure I'll never make (i'm at 58 (57 years +1 IM)). I think Al's at something unbelievable like 84 or 85, and he is going for 100.
I'd love to meet up for a run sometime.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/137758416
Happy new year, everyone. I'm going to bike before dinner tonight, then a rest day tomorrow before the OS begins!