Deja Vu

Today's run was much like Monday's in that it was on the treddy, started out slowly, and was free from unusual aches and pains of the calf and/or hip area. Really, the only difference was that it was about 7 seconds faster.

5 miles in 43:06.

Figgerin' Stuff Out

Yesterday I had my first cross country skiing experience. My friend, Jill, knows of a place somewhere in Pennsyltucky called Crystal Lake Ski Center, so we went up for the day and really enjoyed it. I fell more than a couple of times, but Jill is very patient and didn't mind catching a good laugh at my expense.

I wasn't sure how my legs would feel this morning after a full day of cross country skiing, but I ran anyway (on the treadmill, of course). Again, I started out somewhat slower than I might have liked (just under 9 minute pace). My second mile was around 8:45 and then a little faster from there on out... by the fourth mile I was maintaining an 8:30 pace.

I've never been one to start out my runs at a considerably slower pace than my eventual goal pace. In fact, there was one instance I can recall when running with Seebo that HE actually told ME to slow down as we started the run. Weird, I know. I don't like starting slow, because then my overall pace for the run looks slow; that initial slow mile or two really add on to my overall pace. Maybe that's a stupid reason to not start out easy. I'll have to reconsider I guess, because the last few times I've started out slowly, I've felt better overall.

5 miles in 43:13

Monotony

Circumstances and laziness determined that I run on the treadmill today, which was kind of a bummer considering this was my 'long run'. The gym was more packed than usual - even for a Saturday morning, but I managed to find a treadmill available after only a few minutes.

I've had some working hypotheses about what might help the calf tightness I've been battling lately. Part of my theory was that I have not been keeping myself hydrated enough and that I've been imbibing more caffeine than is typical for me. So in the last couple of days I've tried scaling back a bit on the caffeine and increasing my water intake. I also allowed myself to run slower than I would ideally like - especially for the first two miles. I don't know whether any of these little tricks truly helped, or whether it was sheer coincidence, but my calves felt pretty good today. I had some shin-splinty feeling in my right leg for a while, but eventually that went away.

While I don't really think this is true, my body felt like it had not been subjected to a long run in a while. I found it hard to keep going - especially after the fourth mile. I think the monotony of the treadmill and the fact that it was really hot in the gym added to my unhappiness. I got off the treadmill at five miles and cooled down a bit, refilled my water bottle, and found a different treadmill that didn't have people flanking each side (hopefully to allow for a little more air). I did the remainder of my run there and felt pretty good. Soon after I hit eight miles, I was done... not so much physically, but mentally, I couldn't take the hamster wheel anymore. I also need to update my iPod. But the bright side for me was that my body felt good.

8.15 in 71:10

Determined

There was MUCH negotiating with myself this morning about whether or not to get out of bed and run. The bed was WARM and cozy and I could hear the wind howling. I struck a deal with myself that I'd get out and at least run two or three.... and if that were the case, I could just make it up tomorrow (on the treadmill at the warm, non-windy gym).

Really, the hardest part truly is getting out of bed, getting running gear on, and stepping out the door. Once I started running, I felt pretty sure that I wouldn't be turning around after a mile or so. Even though I know West Philly and Philly, in general, fairly well, I still approach running routes around there with trepidation. I figured I'd aim for about five miles today, so I modified what I remembered of the 6 or so mile loop I ran with Seebo a few months ago.

Yes, it was cold. Yes, the wind was annoying. My calves were acting up again today, though not as bad as some days. I did, about half way through the run, stop and stretch for a good two minutes. Both the anterior and posterior portions of my lower legs (calves) felt sore and tight... achy. The stretching helped. It didn't remedy it, but it did help.

I can't really say that this was a good run or a bad run. The only word that comes to mind to describe it is 'determined'. It was a determined run. The terrain is more hilly than I'm used to - which isn't saying much. Most pool tables are hillier than I prefer. But the hills are good for me and I'm working my way up them with determination, if not speed.

5.3 in 45:50

West Philly Ninja

0600 hours; twilight; an unusually balmy February morning; a lone Ninja patrols the streets as West Philly rouses from its slumber.

Okay,.... really it was me... just getting in a few miles. Seebo dubbed me a ninja based on my all black attire, but trust me, there was nothing stealthy or nimble about me this morning. This was my third consecutive day running. Yes, you read that right. Typically, I don't even run two days in a row; three in a row is unheard of. I just wanted to try to get back on my 'normal' running schedule (Mon, Weds, Thurs(optional), Sat), so running today would accomplish that goal.

All I wanted was to run about four miles and I'm pretty sure I did that. Given the fact that I'm not too familiar with routes to run in West Philly, I just made it up as I went along - through Penn campus, down to 34th or 35th, over to Chestnut, through the neighborhood, up to 49th, and then home again. I won't even bother to G-map it since I am sure I won't remember all the twists and turns. All I know is that I got out there and did what I set out to do and, perhaps for the first time, really felt what it was like to run on tired legs. 35 and change for about 4 miles.

Secret's Out

True to my promise to myself yesterday, I got in a few more miles today.... just a simple two out and two back along the boring part of Tinicum's initial loop. I ran out to the entrance of Tinicum with Seebo and bid him farewell as he set off for a long, tough run around the airport and back through Tinicum.

As I entered Tinicum, I was surprised to see two runners heading towards me. Seeing other runners there is a fairly rare occurrence, so you can imagine my surprise to see three other runners come down the path about five minutes after the initial two. Hmmm. I thought, perhaps, they were part of the same group as they were all in their early 20s (if that) and were wearing similar types of t-shirts, though I didn't take special note of what they said.

This run felt hard and I knew I wasn't going fast. I am not used to running two days in a row and I think my body was a bit confused. As my run progressed, I had that shin-splint pain/tightness on the anterior portion of my lower leg which got worse as I ran. Weird. Anyway.... I saw another group of three running around the one mile highway sign along the boring stretch. They fit the same demographic as the other runners and I imagined that they were from some local high school or college. As I exited Tinicum another runner passed on by... this time an older, grizzly looking trail runner type. While I'm happy to see that others are enjoying the beauty of Tinicum, I feel somewhat possessive and protective of her.

Two out in 17:19; two back in 16:49 - for a total of 34:08 (if I did my math right).

Perfect Day

Maybe I shouldn't jinx myself calling this a perfect day since it's only about 3:30 in the afternoon, but so far, it's been real good. Seebo and I participated in the Pickle Run at Ridley Creek State Park in Delaware County. This was perhaps one of the sillier runs I've done - complete with pictures of David Hasselhoff, Ray Charles holding a pickle, and a guy dressed up as a giant pickle. Even The Monk was there - from a hot, humid, and hilly race we did last June.

We met my friend, Amy, and my dad at the race. Amy was a bit cranky when she arrived, but all that changed when she received a very pleasing race number (#77).... she has a thing about numbers. And... I was #14 - the sum of her digits. How cool is that? Anyway... I digress.... this run was different from other 5ks that I've done in that the wearing of watches was forbidden. The reason being this was a "Prediction Run" - where runners were asked to predict their finish time upon registration. Prizes were to be awarded to those runners who came closest to their predicted times.

I didn't give too much thought to my prediction. My fastest 5k to date was a bit over 24 minutes. Knowing that I'm not in the same shape I was this past fall, I decided to hedge my bets and predict a time of 26 minutes. The course was semi-hilly; nothing too insane, but definitely noticeable for someone like me who avoids hills at all costs. It was a chilly morning and I was aware of not being able to feel the toes on my left foot for the first mile. I felt like I was working hard, but it didn't really seem like I was running all that fast. I spotted Seebo as I headed toward the turn around. He had a comfortable lead and I was pretty sure that he'd go on to win the thing.... which, of course he did. I crossed the finish line in just under 25 minutes (24:56 - to be exact) and so was pleasantly surprised to have finished a minute ahead of my prediction. The only down side to that was I wouldn't be winning any pickle prediction prizes. Oh well.

After the race, we stood around and listened to the silliness as they handed out awards. I thought it was a little lame that Seebo didn't get any recognition for finishing first, but I guess this wasn't that kind of race. After that was said and done Seebo and I did another two miles. I had planned to do more than that, but wasn't really into it and decided that I'd tack on a few miles tomorrow to give me the mileage I want for the week. This may have been one of the first times I actually enjoyed running with Seebo - where I didn't feel any pressure to be fast and I knew we were only running a short distance. So, we ran out a mile, turned around and ran back. At the end of this second mile, I could tell that Seebo wanted to catch the woman who we had been slowly reeling in during that second mile. Even though the finish was a bit of an uphill, I did what I could to speed up and we did catch and pass her.

After monkeying around on the monkey bars for a bit, we left and headed into Media for a nice post-run lunch... then home again, home again jiggity, jig. A good day.

Let them eat crepes

A lazy morning spent sleeping in... that's how every Valentine's Day should start. Eventually, though reality came to call and I knew I had to get my run in while there was still time. So it was off to the gym for me - freshly equipped with my new Periwinkle Mizunos and a new pair of running shorts (come on... I couldn't just order the sneakers).

I'm very happy to report that all systems seem to be in good working order. I've still got a little while to go before I get my fitness level back to where it was, but that's okay. So long as my hip, calf, lungs, etc., etc. are working well, I can deal with a little loss of fitness. Hopefully that will come in time.

I started out the run at a 9 minute pace and then made each mile progressively faster. I messed with the incline here and there for the first two or three miles, but as I increased my speed, I left the incline alone. Sometimes I forget that earning fitness is hard work and that it's kind of painful sometimes. Just painful in the sense that I want it to be over and I want to be home eating crepes. But I know that if I push myself a little harder here and there that in the long run I'll be better off.

5.5 in 47:07

I can't feel my chin

Another chilly day. The warmth of the bed threatened to thwart my plans for running this morning, but eventually I was able to convince myself that it was a good idea. I've been feeling better and better (both calf wise and upper respiratorily - yes, I just made that word up), so I was curious to see how I'd feel on today's run.

I headed out to familiar territory - the drives. The plan was to do five miles, but I was seriously reconsidering that after the first mile when I could not feel my entire face. I decided to run to at least the two mile mark before turning around... and then that turned into the 2 1/4 mark.... and then that turned into the 2 1/2 mile mark. The run back felt better than the run out. I even took off my (sock)mittens. Seems I can't hold onto a pair of mittens to save my life - so I'm left with wearing socks on my hands to keep them warm. Hey, whatever works.

I felt pretty good during the run - well, what wasn't frozen and what I could feel felt pretty good. I was happy about that. I didn't look at my mile splits and really don't have any idea how my pace might have varied from one to the next.

5 miles in 42:52

The Thoroughbred & The Draft Horse

This morning Seebo dragged me through the streets of West Philly into Delaware County to pay homage to The Tree. To say it was breezy would be a vast understatement. He pointed out that given our size difference, I could draft off of him. I tried it, but the wind was whipping pretty fiercely and in many different directions, so I'm not sure how much actual benefit I received... but I did enjoy the view.

Seebo will link to the actual route we ran, so if you're interested, check his blog. Basically, we wound through scenic West Philly, ran a lap around the amoeba track, and then followed a path that took us into Delaware County. I'm happy to report that the tree continues to be just as magnificent as ever.

This was a tough run for me. The wind was annoying and I never really felt like I got into my groove. I was tired and felt weak - which I'm partially attributing to the fact that I haven't eaten very much in the past few days. The calf felt pretty good, well tolerable at least, except on the couple of hills that we encountered. Then it felt like pain. I'd like to say that's the only reason I stopped to walk portions of both hills, but that wouldn't be entirely honest.

On the way back into town, we had a nice tailwind for a good part of the way and I was thankful for it. About 8.4 miles in 77:30.

A Glimmer

Wow.... it's been so long since I've written a blog where I'm not whining and moping about illness and injury that I hardly know where to begin! Still shaking off the last bits of this respiratory infection, but feeling leaps and bounds better than I did earlier in the week.

I headed back to the gym this morning and hopped on the treaddy. Again, I'm trying to be realistic about things and not set my expectations too high while at the same time being able to feel good about what I accomplished in my workout. I was very cognizant of how my calf would feel today. I did Bruce's spinning class yesterday and it was giving me some trouble when I had the tension on the bike set fairly high. I started out the run conservatively and did more messing with the incline than I did with the speed. Another one of my pet theories has to do with the paucity of my hill work of any kind in recent months. Maybe it's totally unrelated, but who knows. Things felt pretty good, calf wise. I definitely noticed that my lungs still feel a bit raw, but that is improving too.

Wednesday I ran 3.5 at just under a nine minute pace and that felt like a lot of work. I had a feeling that I'd feel better today and I did. Still, though, I didn't want to push it too much. I kept the pace right around 9 minute miles for the first mile and a half, two miles... again, playing with the incline for a few minutes here and there. It was work, but nothing felt too bad and I was glad to note that my calf was feeling just fine.

In the end, I wound up doing 4.75 in 41:53 and I feel hopeful that things will continue to get better from here. I'm going to try to be smart about it thought and ease back into things to hopefully ensure that I'll be in decent shape by the time spring rolls around.

And, by the way, I switched back to my old sneakers for Wednesday and today's run (buggars gave me a wicked blood blister!). I can't say that has really anything to do with my calf feeling better, but maybe it does. These injury things are almost always a mystery to me, but I'm willing to try any combination of witch craft or superstition to ward off the injury fairies. Good thing I ordered a new pair yesterday.... and they're Periwinkle!!!

Recovery Run

I've been battling this upper respiratory thing since the weekend and I think it's finally loosed it's grip on me. I've done little else the last two days other than sleep, eat soup, drink tea, and watch girly movies that I would otherwise probably not get to watch.

This morning, I decided it was time to get back on the horse (or, the treadmill in this case). I think underestimated just how much this illness thing knocked me on my arse. I've had the good fortune of a fairly strong immune system for most of my life and getting any kind of sickness has been, at most, a once a year thing. I'm also usually of the mindset that I should just be able to pick up where I left off.

Luckily, I'm getting a bit wiser in my old age. I decided to limit my run to three or four miles and to keep it at a 9 minute mile pace. I thought this would be easy. It wasn't. I was trying to gauge whether or not my calf was hurting. I think it felt pretty okay - considering that overall, I felt not so strong. I did change back to my old sneakers.... going on the theory that my new pair is a 'lemon'. I'm not sure whether the improvement in the calf is a result of rest (I haven't done anything since Saturday), the change in sneakers, the fact that I only ran 3.5 miles, or some combination of all of that.

I'm trying to not feel too depressed about all of this. It's hard. I try not to look back at where I was a few months ago. One day at a time.

Lady of the Lake

This weekend Seebo and I spent some time in Rockland County, which afforded me a bit of diversity in terms of my running route options. When we were last here in early August, he showed me Rockland Lake and the nearly three mile loop that encircles the lake. Since I had run in Central Park the day prior, I opted then just to walk around the lake while he ran.

Given that I've been trying to nurse my leg back to health, I was glad to have the option of doing one, two, or three loops around the lake. Ideally, I wanted to do three. The run started off a little uncomfortable as the "comfort station" I was expecting to be able to use was closed due to a pump malfunction. Signs indicated that station #3 was open - not that I knew where that was. So, the first half of my first loop was spent trying to figure out where the open station was. After two unsuccesful forays to structures that were closed until April, I finally found what I had been looking for.

The second loop went more smoothly and I was able to relax a bit more, enjoy the scenery, which included an ice sculpture as well as several different types of water fowl. My running never quite settled into feeling comfortable for too long. Towards the end of the second loop, I could feel my calf acting up again. The tightness/pain was there even during the first loop, but it was bearable and not too bad until towards the end of the second loop.

I decided that I would do a third loop after retrieving my iPod from the car and stretching out my leg a bit. I knew I probably wasn't going to make it all the way around the loop without stopping to stretch the leg, and I was right. If I really wanted to, I probably could have pushed it, but decided it wasn't worthwhile to do so. I think I stopped two or three times to stretch out my leg and then resumed with walking for a bit and then picked it back up to a run. I stopped my watch when I was walking to try to give me a sense of how long I was actually running. So, I'm not sure of the exact distance I ran, but I imagine I ran around 8.5 to 8.75 miles in all (75 minutes).

As a side note, I seem to have come down with some respiratory thing. It started Friday night and has progressed quite a bit since then. Not sure how this will effect my running. I'm 'supposed' to run tomorrow, but I may push it back to Tuesday depending on how I feel.

Oh ... and one more thing. I'm wondering if my new shoes are causing/contributing to my injury. Yes, of course they're Mizuno Wave Riders, the same brand and model I've worn for several years, but maybe this particular pair is a 'lemon'. Who knows... just a theory... but this calf problem seems to coincide with when I started wearing this particular pair. Hmmm. Maybe my calves don't like the color of the shoes.... very important!