R(eba) & R(est)

Two things that typically not go well together. After my run on Monday I decided that I need to do a better job of listening to my body. My left lower calf gave me so much pain on Monday, I decided not to run on Wednesay. In the interest of full disclosre - the forecast for Wednesday morning of cold, rain, and winds in excess of 22mph also had something to do with me not running.

This morning I headed to the gym to try a little running and if that didn't work out, well, at least I could do the eliptical machine and some weights. I consciously kept it to about a 9 minute pace and for about two miles, it felt okay... not great, but totally managable. Things started to tighten up more and more and the pain started to increase, so I stopped after three miles. I took some extra time to stretch afterwards. Now, a few hours later, it's feeling pretty good - which seems to be an improvement over the last time I ran. So, I'm feeling a little bit hopeful and trying not to let my frustration get the better of me.

I would love to do nine this weekend, but I'll be happy with twice around the lake, which will make for about six.

Patience... something the good doctor needs to learn.

3 miles in 26:45

One more week...

... That's all I'm giving this stupid lower calf injury before I call and make an appointment. Of course, I'm pretty sure that it'll cost me $30 just to hear the good doc tell me to lay off running for a week and see how it feels. Sure, I could do that without spending the dough, but somehow it's an easier sell to myself to stop running when the orders are coming from a physician.

Needless to say, this morning's run was more of the same. Painful and labored. The monotony of the hamster wheel didn't help. It was worst in the beginning of the run, particularly the first quarter miles... and then just really awful for the at least another two and a half miles. It never went away, but either endorphins kicked in or I became more tolerant of it somewhere along the way, though it was always there.

I purposefully kept a slower pace this morning hoping that would help. It didn't. It just made getting in five miles take longer.

5 in 44. Grrrrr. I'm frustrated.

Tinicum Frozen

Unexpectedly found myself at Tinicum this morning. I had made other plans for my running for today, but decided this made more sense and, besides, it's been a while. I did the original figure eight loop which is a hair shorter than the revised Seebecka figure eight loop. It gave me about nine, which was what I was looking for. The last few weekends, I've contented myself with the eight and a half of the drives. I haven't been feeling all that great so I didn't want to do much more than what I have been doing on my long runs.

The pain I have in my left calf was present throughout my run. It was particularly sore at the end of the run and especially within the hour following my run. Going down stairs was interesting. Now, several hours later, it is better... still there, but better. I've been trying to stretch it out after my runs, but I'm not sure that is helping. I've tried googling my symptoms to try to figure out what is going on, but nothing seems to fit. I was thinking that it was muscular... and I still think it is... but I'm wondering if there's something else going on.

The right leg old stress fracture thingy is still there too - as it has been for a number of years now. Recently I've had two, independent "Steves" feel the interior part of my tibia and both have noticed a lump - and this lump is very tender to the touch. My working hypothesis is that this lump is scar tissue that has built up around this old fracture that has never really healed and that probably never will totally heal (unless I give up running). Funny thing is, it doesn't really hurt when I run... just when there is pressure applied to that 'lump'. The tenderness has abated in the past when I have taken a good bit of time off from running. Yeah... I should probably get all of these things checked out, but I just got finished dealing with the hip thing (which seems fine now - knock on wood) and I really don't feel like scheduling the appointments, paying the co-pays, and being told not to run. So I'll continue to do what I've been doing... which is run and keep a log of my aches and pains.

Anyway, back to the run. I made a conscious effort during this run to try to enjoy myself, to not worry tremendously about pace, and just try to get in the miles while feeling good (leg pain, not included). As I was running the 'interesting part' of the lower loop, I came across the partially decimated carcass of a fawn. It's eyes were cloudy, it's gut had been gnawed upon by the opportunistic whatevers of Tinicum. It was a sad sight. I wondered if she had somehow been separated from her mother and starved or if there were some other cause of her death. Either way, it was sad and I said a little prayer as I skirted around her body.

The rest of the run was less noteworthy. I did scare and get scared by a large deer - we both ran. And, of course, there was plenty of water fowl. A few humans were spotted as well - all of us traveling as solitary creatures.

9 miles in 77 minutes.

For the Record

I didn't start this blog to use it as a place to kvetch and complain, so I'm not going to do that other than to say that my run today sucked. I was going to make this a very spartan entry, but Seebo encouraged me to be a bit more detailed in my chronicle if for no other reason than to have a record of it for future reference.

So I ran on the treadmill today - it was difficult. It took a lot for me to make it to five miles. At four, I was done, but I kept pushing and made it to five. This is discouraging.

I had some what I perceived to be tightness in my lower calves (soleus perhaps) on Saturday after my long run, particularly in my left calf. This feeling remains a bit - again, mainly in my left calf. Also notable is my 'old stress fracture' on my right leg (inside about 2/3rds of the way down the tibia); gentle rubbing on this area produces pain.

So there, I documented it.

5 miles in 42:31

Baby It's Cold Outside

I intended to run yesterday, but instead had lunch with a friend... which pushed my run back 'till this morning. So it was off to the gym for me. Tuesdays are usually my Spin with Bruce days, but I forwent (is that a word?) the spinning for some treddy action. Nothing too notable - other than the fact that I find it really hard to convince myself to stay on the treadmill for six whole miles, which I had planned. The run felt okay... not great, but not horrible. I decided to do five instead of six - arguing that I needed to get into work early since I've been out for a while... added a quarter mile at the end just for shits and giggles.

5.25 in 44:21

Becky Crocker

Laying on my couch, hair still damp from my shower, waiting for my chocolate cake to bake. What a difference a week makes. I wasn't sure how I was going to get through today's run. I've been a bit more stressed than usual lately and had a terrible night sleep last night. I almost wussed out of today's run, but as my sister so accurately stated, "You'll be grumpy if you don't." And she's right.

So, now for the third consecutive week, I've met the Philly Runners crew down by the Art Museum for their Saturday morning loop. And just like the last two weeks, I found myself running alone for the vast majority of the time. I was more okay with this today than I had been in past weeks; lots kickin' around in my mind to mull over.

The last two weeks I've done this run have been difficult. I felt like I was struggling to hold onto 8:40 miles and by the time the sixth mile rolled around, I had felt like I hit the wall. With that history in mind, I made a conscious effort to not pressure myself too much about the pace for those initial two or three miles. I made a point of trying to run comfortably. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was averaging right around 8:30 miles and I felt good.

In the dozens of times I have run the Art Museum loop, I have usually run up Kelly Drive first. The Philly Runners go the other way. Psychologically, I don't like this change. My body and mind are accustomed to the other direction and while this may not seem like a big deal, it's taken some getting used to for me. Not sure why I'm even mentioning it, other than it's interesting to me how much of a difference that seems to make.

Crossing over Falls Bridge, my legs were feeling tired, but not like I wanted to stop and I was encouraged to see that my mile splits were remaining fairly consistent. Around the two mile mark, two folks from Philly Runners caught up with me. We chatted a bit and I was able to hang with them for the better part of the next mile, but then they were gone and I was fine with that. Actually, I was thankful to have had them pull me through that seventh mile since that is where I've kind of pooped out the last two weeks. Overall, a better run than the previous two weekend loops.

Cake should be done soon.

8.5 in 71 minutes.

Staying under 40

Ran the North Loop of Tinicum yesterday along with a bit of an extension out and back. It felt good to be out there again - it's been a while. The trail was a bit muddy in spots, but that just made it more interesting - figuring out the over/under on whether or not I was going to wipe out. I didn't.

It didn't take me long to realize that the route I had planned wasn't going to be as long as I had hoped, so I decided to push it a little. The run felt good - controlled and hard, but good. Glancing at my watch as I was about to make the return trip around Darby Lake, I wondered if I could make it back in under 40 minutes. Seemed like an achievable goal, so I went for it.

4.75 miles in 39:40. It's good to be under 40.

Hope

Calling for my soul
At the corners of the world
I know she's playing poker with the rest of the stragglers

These lyrics served as the undercurrent for today's run. It's a Tori Amos lyric, so make of it whatever you want... that's kind of how it works with her... and I'm not sure I could clearly articulate what this particular lyric means for me, but it captured something today. I've whined quite a bit in the last several entries about my running - mourning the loss of the fitness and vibe I had this past fall. I've been looking to reclaim that mojo and today, I felt like my call was answered - perhaps in a muted, echoing voice... but answered all the same. What I'm really trying to say here, simply put, is that I had a good run. I felt strong. I felt like once I got over the initial hump of the workout (whatever that is), nothing could get in my way. I pushed myself a bit during the fourth and fifth miles of my run and was pleased with how my body responded. There is hope.

6 miles in 50:08.

Keeping the faith

A done run is always a good run. So I'll think of today's run in that manner. I met up with the Philly Runners crowd again this morning. I set out with Mike and Holly who were, according to Mike, going to run a 9 minute pace. Perfect, I could hang with that. Turns out, the first two miles were closer to an 8:30 pace and I wasn't feeling like I could hang with that. Mike stopped somewhere after the second mile to stretch. Holly joined him. Knowing me, if I stop, I won't start again, so I kept plugging along, but kept my pace slow, hoping that they'd catch up with me. After about a half mile, there was no sign of them, so I picked it back up again. I'm pretty sure I was keeping around an 8:45 pace. Once on the other side of Falls Bridge, I had one mile that came in at 8:26 and another that was just under 8:40. And just like last week, I hit the wall shortly after mile 6. I don't know what it is.... loss of fitness, fatigue from other stressors going on for me right now, or maybe I was tired from either running or working out in some capacity every day this week. I don't know. I was hoping to feel better this week than I did last week, but I honestly don't think I did. Those last two miles hurt - just like last week. I'm keeping the faith though and am looking forward to feeling better next week... or the week after that.

8.5 miles, 72.5 minutes.

Blown Away

... almost literally. Ran a five mile neighborhood miles yesterday and daggone was it windy. As I heard the wind howling outside my apartment, I considered a treddy run. But, hell, it was sunny and 60 degrees in January.... how could I pass that up? Left the watch at home and just ran for the enjoyment of running. When there was a tailwind, it was great... some of those gusts made me feel like I could fly. The headwinds on the other hand were not so much fun. Overall, feeling a bit better about things running related and hopeful that the trend will continue.

Reality Check - Part Deux

I'm trying not to get discouraged, but it is difficult sometimes. Following all the stuff with my hip, I was getting back on track nicely and feeling good. And then the holidays came and I went with them - eating too much and exercising too little. Now that things have quieted down, I guess I just expected to pick up where I left off. Not happening the way I want it to.

I've changed my routine a bit since I ran long on Saturday. Yesterday, I ran on the treadmill - mainly because it was early and dark. I planned to do five or six, but quickly realized it just wasn't happening. Nothing felt good; my legs still felt a bit tired from the weekend run. I settled on running four, but then talked myself into hanging on for a bit longer and making it an even 40 minutes of running.

4.54 in 40 minutes. Slowly trying to get my mojo back.

Reality Check

Met up with Philly Runners for their weekly Saturday run at the Art Museum. Despite being an on and off reader of their message board, I've never gone out for a run with the group. This goes back to my shyness - which is really my fear that everyone will be Super Power Ranger Ninja Turtle Cheetah fast ... and leave me in the dust.

It's been more weeks than I'd like to admit since I've gone out on a long run (i.e. more than 6 miles)... and in those weeks, I've enjoyed a lot of holiday cheer, if you know what I mean. Still, I wasn't feeling too daunted by the prospects of the 8.5 mile loop. I started out with the 'slower' group - I'm not sure what the pace was there, probably a bit above a nine minute pace. This felt too easy. Since I wanted to see where I was at fitness wise, I decided to leave this pack after about fifteen minutes and picked up the pace a bit. I kind of felt like a traitor leaving the group, but oh well.... I felt the need.

My first mile away from the pack was 8:20 - it felt fast and I knew I couldn't hold onto that pace, but, hey, if you're gonna break away from the pack, you have to at least look like there's a reason you're doing so. The next mile or two were 8:30 and I was realizing just how much fitness I had lost in a few short weeks. I struggled to hold onto 8:40 miles for the rest of the way... the last mile was closer to 8:50. It was hard work and provided me with a bit of a reality check - one I didn't like. I griped to Seebo about how much fitness I felt like I had lost in such a short period of time, but he told me that if I was looking for sympathy from him, I was barking up the wrong tree.

Well, it's a New Year. I'm feeling pretty good. The hip is behaving itself and hopefully will continue to do so.

My watch is upstairs and I'm too lazy to go get it to see what my time was. I think it was somewhere around 70 minutes.... I'll post a more exact time if/when I check my watch. Update: Real deal time was 73 minutes.

Ooops.

I guess I've been so caught up in work, studying, and the train-wreck that is Unfitney Spears' life that I forgot to post about my super exciting treadmill workout yesterday. I'm trying to get back into things following the holidays and feel like I'll be back to my old self soon. As I said, this was a treddy workout, so there really is nothing exciting to report. I ran 5 uneventful miles. The most exciting thing that happened was that my friend's ex-boyfriend (or someone who looked exactly like him) got on the treadmill next to mine about 2/3rds of the way through my run. He runs slower than me.

5 miles in 43min.

Only You Can Move You

I'm stealing this tag line from my friend, Amy, who is a nutritionist and has been working on a really interesting grant project involving inner city school children's dietary and exercise habits. I suppose the phrase was originally intended to relate to exercise, but of course there are other parallels as well. It fits in nicely with a philosophy I've begrudgingly held for quite some time. Essentially - if you want things to be different, you have to change.... there is always a choice to make. Only you can move you.

Today, I'm getting in a two-fer, writing about two runs in one post. Runs that straddle from last year into this one. Ironically, both runs followed the identical course: 3 out and 3 back on Kelly Drive. Last year's run (aka Sunday's run) I had the pleasure of Amy's company. It's been far too long since we've run together. I convinced her that my week-long running hiatus coupled with the few extra pounds I've seemed to pick up over the holidays would render me a subdued running partner. We kept the pace easy and caught up on the goings-on in each other's lives. The weather was perfect and for the first time in a long time, I just found myself really and truly enjoying the run, something that has been missing in my training these last few months.

This year's run (aka Today's run), Seebo and I ran together for the first mile. He stated, and I agreed, that there was no better way to start off the new year than by running our first mile of it together. Yes, gag, I know... but it's true. I kept him in my sights until about the two and a half mile mark, but then he was gone.

I didn't have my watch for today's run, which was a good thing in terms of helping me not obsess over times and simply enjoy the run. And I did enjoy the run. A beautiful day down by the river. The sun was shining, the ever-present head wind was blowing, and I was moving me.