Upon waking this morning, I had a hard time deciding what I'd do for my run. Maggie wrote the other day about going through a rough time with wanting to run or enjoying her run. I commented to her, that is part and parcel of being a runner - you go through these love/hate cycles with running. This morning I could relate to her malaise. I decided that if I had to run, at least I'd try to enjoy the sites of Tinicum rather than trotting around the bowels of Delco.
It would be an out and back route along the boring part of the lower loop, similar to what I did a earlier this month. I have it on good authority that the interesting part is quite overgrown and with the rain we've had recently, I can only imagine that it is even more so.
The haze hung thickly over the reeds and marshy areas of Tinicum. Just another one of those gross summer mornings. Saw two full grown members of the Tinicum Track Club early on in my journey. They must have been feeling sluggish too because they let me get about twenty feet from them before cantering away. Of course zillions of bunnies abounded... and, really, that is only a slight exaggeration. At one point I had the image of popcorn popping as the bunnies seemed to pop out of the underbrush... one after the other.
The thing about the out and back run is the pressure to make the return trip quicker. Funny, two years ago, that concept didn't really occur to me. Today, like the saturated air, the tyranny of the return trip weighed upon me. I knew I'd be disappointed in my run - regardless of how I felt overall - if I did not shave a decent chunk of seconds off the second half of the run. I didn't want to... I kept thinking of Maggie and of not even wanting to run anymore... but then I also thought of not wanting to deal with feeling crappy about a slower second split.
So, of course, I picked it up a bit. It was hard, I was pretty much hating it. And, yes, mission accomplished. Somehow though, there was not much of a feeling of satisfaction... and it certainly was not equitable to the feeling of disappointment I know I would have experienced had I failed to achieve my goal. Such is the tyranny of running.
19:20 - out
18:11 - back
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Art Museum Loop
Ran the Art Museum loop yesterday morning... not as early as I would have liked, but for good reason. I haven't run this loop in a little while - certainly pre-back-injury. I'm glad to be getting my weekly mileage back in the normal range. I need to be doing a better job of building my core strength so I don't have to endure any more of these setbacks.
This was the farthest I've ran in over a month and I was a bit surprised and disappointed in how difficult it was. I can blame part of it on the heat/humidity, but probably not all of it. I walked for a quarter mile somewhere in the sixth mile of the loop. I was just tired and overheated.
I kept a fairly consistent 8:45 pace throughout the run and I was satisfied with that.
8 miles in 70:15
This was the farthest I've ran in over a month and I was a bit surprised and disappointed in how difficult it was. I can blame part of it on the heat/humidity, but probably not all of it. I walked for a quarter mile somewhere in the sixth mile of the loop. I was just tired and overheated.
I kept a fairly consistent 8:45 pace throughout the run and I was satisfied with that.
8 miles in 70:15
Friday, July 25, 2008
Back in the WP
I've been slacking a bit with keeping up the blog entries. I ran Wednesday... 4.5 on the treddy in 39:03. Nothing notable to report.
This morning I was back on familiar territory, outfitted in my cute new skort (birthday compliments of my friends Stacey and Scott). It's been a while since I've roamed the streets of West Philly. As I was dressing and trying to motivate myself for the run, I found myself looking forward to revisiting some of the old sights and sounds of the city.
A beautiful morning ... one of those rare summer mornings where the humidity has relented a bit. I was even able to enjoy a breeze or two. While I wouldn't call the route I ran hilly, per se, it certainly isn't flat. I was eager to see how I would do. I won't lie, I was tired. I contemplated stopping here and there. I cursed the traffic lights for being too cooperative and not allowing me the excuse to pause.
Overall, though, I felt good and am truly feeling like I'm getting back to normal, whatever that means.
5.15 in 45:02
***Oh yeah.... I totally forgot to add that I ran twice while in Denver visiting my family. I ran Saturday the 22nd at Green Mountain for about 40 minutes in the blazing sun... yes, it was hilly. Monday I ran three one mile loops around a lake. The first and third loop were with my sister at her pace. I did the second loop solo and was disappointed that, despite my effort, the mile came in at 8:40. Must be the altitude ;)
This morning I was back on familiar territory, outfitted in my cute new skort (birthday compliments of my friends Stacey and Scott). It's been a while since I've roamed the streets of West Philly. As I was dressing and trying to motivate myself for the run, I found myself looking forward to revisiting some of the old sights and sounds of the city.
A beautiful morning ... one of those rare summer mornings where the humidity has relented a bit. I was even able to enjoy a breeze or two. While I wouldn't call the route I ran hilly, per se, it certainly isn't flat. I was eager to see how I would do. I won't lie, I was tired. I contemplated stopping here and there. I cursed the traffic lights for being too cooperative and not allowing me the excuse to pause.
Overall, though, I felt good and am truly feeling like I'm getting back to normal, whatever that means.
5.15 in 45:02
***Oh yeah.... I totally forgot to add that I ran twice while in Denver visiting my family. I ran Saturday the 22nd at Green Mountain for about 40 minutes in the blazing sun... yes, it was hilly. Monday I ran three one mile loops around a lake. The first and third loop were with my sister at her pace. I did the second loop solo and was disappointed that, despite my effort, the mile came in at 8:40. Must be the altitude ;)
Friday, July 18, 2008
Blech
Hazy, Hot, Humid.... but really... what else should I expect from a mid-July morning? I got out early enough to see the sun as a blazing red fireball low on the horizon.
Did the Acme Loop which felt hillier than usual. I'm sure it was. Felt pretty good once I got through the first three or four minutes of the run. I felt like the heat and my recent hiatus were slowing me down, but checking back on the last time I ran this route, seems I was mistaken since I ran it 30 seconds faster this time. Not that 30 seconds is all that much... but it's something... some sign of hope.
4.58 in 39:30
Did the Acme Loop which felt hillier than usual. I'm sure it was. Felt pretty good once I got through the first three or four minutes of the run. I felt like the heat and my recent hiatus were slowing me down, but checking back on the last time I ran this route, seems I was mistaken since I ran it 30 seconds faster this time. Not that 30 seconds is all that much... but it's something... some sign of hope.
4.58 in 39:30
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Out and Back
Felt surprisingly good during my run this morning considering that I woke up feeling pretty bad. The Advil fairy came to my rescue and kept me from blowing off the day's run entirely.
I did an out and back route along Tinicum's boring part. I knew from walking the loop a few weeks ago that the interesting part was well overgrown. Plus, I wanted to keep my mileage at about four miles since I'm still sort of taking it easy on my back.
Much of the boring part parallels I-95 (which is part of what makes it boring). The 1 mile sign for the Prospect Park exit is about two miles from my house, so I set that as a goal for my turn around point. Once I reached that point (about 16:30 into the run), however, I decided to keep running until 18 minutes and then turn around. Don't ask me why I chose 18 minutes... I just did. Point is... I made it back to my original start point in 17:10, so I felt good about picking up the pace a bit for that second half.
Not sure of the exact distance... call it 4.25 in 35:10.
I did an out and back route along Tinicum's boring part. I knew from walking the loop a few weeks ago that the interesting part was well overgrown. Plus, I wanted to keep my mileage at about four miles since I'm still sort of taking it easy on my back.
Much of the boring part parallels I-95 (which is part of what makes it boring). The 1 mile sign for the Prospect Park exit is about two miles from my house, so I set that as a goal for my turn around point. Once I reached that point (about 16:30 into the run), however, I decided to keep running until 18 minutes and then turn around. Don't ask me why I chose 18 minutes... I just did. Point is... I made it back to my original start point in 17:10, so I felt good about picking up the pace a bit for that second half.
Not sure of the exact distance... call it 4.25 in 35:10.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Je me souviens
No... today's post has nothing to do with Quebec. It has to do with me remembering what it's like to run. Sure, I've done a few 2 mile jaunts here and there since hurting my back, but today I did a whole five miles. I couldn't help but note that five used to be a typical weekday distance for me. Now, today, it's my long run.
The time it takes me to cover five miles allows ample time for reflection on what I like and what I don't like about running. Given the late afternoon hour of my run, I opted for the cooler indoor confines of the treddy. Started off easily... first two miles were at a 9 minute pace. The last three were progressively faster with the last mile probably being a bit below 8:30 pace. Everything felt fine, I'm happy to report, though I could definitely feel that this was twice as far as I've run in the last three weeks.
Not much else for me to say about this run. It helped me/my body remember what it used to do on a regular basis, though it was not in and of itself a memorable run. And, of course, as I was nearing the 5 mile mark - I was at about 4.8? - my headphone cord became entangled with the emergency stop switch... bring my run to a premature halt. Of course, running 4.8? miles would never due when I planned to run 5. So I cranked up the treadmill again and did another .40 miles just for good measure.
Call it 5.25 miles in 45 and change.
The time it takes me to cover five miles allows ample time for reflection on what I like and what I don't like about running. Given the late afternoon hour of my run, I opted for the cooler indoor confines of the treddy. Started off easily... first two miles were at a 9 minute pace. The last three were progressively faster with the last mile probably being a bit below 8:30 pace. Everything felt fine, I'm happy to report, though I could definitely feel that this was twice as far as I've run in the last three weeks.
Not much else for me to say about this run. It helped me/my body remember what it used to do on a regular basis, though it was not in and of itself a memorable run. And, of course, as I was nearing the 5 mile mark - I was at about 4.8? - my headphone cord became entangled with the emergency stop switch... bring my run to a premature halt. Of course, running 4.8? miles would never due when I planned to run 5. So I cranked up the treadmill again and did another .40 miles just for good measure.
Call it 5.25 miles in 45 and change.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Easing (my) back into things
I'm happy to report that my back is really feeling a lot, a lot better. What a difference two weeks makes. Went to the chiro/PT yesterday and began the rehab portion of the program, which essentially entails strengthening exercises for my back and my core muscles. When the PT guy asked me, "What kind of crunches do you normally do?"... I had to laugh... I'm a firm believer in zero minute abs. I hate crunches. Apparently this is part of my problems.... weak core strength. That, combined with my "hypermobility" makes for the perfect storm for back problems like I had two weeks ago. So I have yet another regimen of exercises to do... many of which involve one of those annoying exercise balls, which I'll have to purchase.
The best news is that I am (sort of) running again. As I wrote, I did two miles on the treddy on Tuesday. I didn't write about it yesterday, but I did another two on the treddy again. Today, I ventured into the great outdoors. Running three days in a row is virtually unheard of for me, but I didn't feel like yet another gym work out and I wanted to see how running outside would feel. So I kept it conservative and ran this 2.3 mile loop. I felt good, but was surprised that I could tell the difference in how my back felt from treddy running to running outside. Running outside felt like a bit more of a strain, but really, overall, it was good and I'm feeling optimistic.
2.3 in 19:30
The best news is that I am (sort of) running again. As I wrote, I did two miles on the treddy on Tuesday. I didn't write about it yesterday, but I did another two on the treddy again. Today, I ventured into the great outdoors. Running three days in a row is virtually unheard of for me, but I didn't feel like yet another gym work out and I wanted to see how running outside would feel. So I kept it conservative and ran this 2.3 mile loop. I felt good, but was surprised that I could tell the difference in how my back felt from treddy running to running outside. Running outside felt like a bit more of a strain, but really, overall, it was good and I'm feeling optimistic.
2.3 in 19:30
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Booooooring....
Second day back to running... again.. the non-exciting treddy.. another two miles. I, again, felt like I could do more but decided not to since it was recommended that I not run quite yet. But really, I feel fine.. I feel good. I may even salsa this week. I at least feel like it won't be long until I'm back in action.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Happy Fourth!
For all three or four people who might actually check this blog on at least a semi-regular basis.... perhaps you've noticed that I haven't had an entry as of late. I did something really bad to my back a week and a half ago. I'm not sure exactly what... popular theories include things like rupturing or slipping a disk, pinching a nerve, etc. What ever I did. It hurt. A lot. For a day I questioned if and when I'd walk again. Luckily the answer to that question was: the next day. Over the past week and a half, things have gotten progressively better and the question changed to if and when would I run and/or salsa again. These two activities have been mainstays of my life for a while now and not being able to do either one has been very trying.
The chiropractor I've been seeing has recommended that I not do either for another week. I try to listen... really I do. But the past two days have been tempting since I've been feeling about 90% better. I was sorely tempted to run yesterday, but since it was my birthday (see Amy's blog for a picture of the beautiful cake she made me), I figured the last thing I wanted to do was to reinjure myself... so I waited... until today.
Nothing monumental in and of itself... just two miles and I did it on the treadmill in case something bad happened. But I felt good. I kept the pace at just over 9 minutes for the first mile and just under nine for the second mile. I felt good. The back felt fine and best of all I felt like I could keep going. I'll probably run again Monday ... probably on the treadmill again to be safe... but maybe I'll go for three... we'll see what happens.
Being injured, stopped in your tracks, is frustrating. I truly try not to take for granted being healthy even though I feel somewhat entitled to good health... given that I'm still (somewhat) young, active, and try to make smart choices for myself. I'm glad to be feeling better and hopefully getting back to my usual routine. So I'll probably run Monday, salsa Tuesday and Wednesday, run Wednesday too and again on Friday... that's not too much, is it?
The chiropractor I've been seeing has recommended that I not do either for another week. I try to listen... really I do. But the past two days have been tempting since I've been feeling about 90% better. I was sorely tempted to run yesterday, but since it was my birthday (see Amy's blog for a picture of the beautiful cake she made me), I figured the last thing I wanted to do was to reinjure myself... so I waited... until today.
Nothing monumental in and of itself... just two miles and I did it on the treadmill in case something bad happened. But I felt good. I kept the pace at just over 9 minutes for the first mile and just under nine for the second mile. I felt good. The back felt fine and best of all I felt like I could keep going. I'll probably run again Monday ... probably on the treadmill again to be safe... but maybe I'll go for three... we'll see what happens.
Being injured, stopped in your tracks, is frustrating. I truly try not to take for granted being healthy even though I feel somewhat entitled to good health... given that I'm still (somewhat) young, active, and try to make smart choices for myself. I'm glad to be feeling better and hopefully getting back to my usual routine. So I'll probably run Monday, salsa Tuesday and Wednesday, run Wednesday too and again on Friday... that's not too much, is it?
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