The Memory Hole

This is a term I've become increasingly familiar with over the past year and a half. It refers to things that were quite recently in the conscious mind that somehow disappear without a trace. I can't attribute it to old age, or absentminded-professorness, but it does happen every now and then. Today it happened with the timing of my run. Not a biggie... but I'm usually pretty good at remembering such things.

I ran at the gym today - mainly because I hate wind and because I wanted to do some weights. As I mentioned a few blogs back, the hip pain I used to have in my right hip, seems to have migrated to my left hip. So I'm trying to be extra proactive about it and do the PT stretching and strengthening exercises that seemed to do the trick before.

Ran for a mile and a half at just under 9 minute pace. My calves were tight, so I stopped and stretched for a good three minutes. Started back and ran the next mile in 8:45 and then the miles got progressively faster from there (though not much), but the details are lost, as is my final time. My calves felt pretty good after stretching and easing back into the run.

5.5 - time down the memory hole.

Jinxy Bloodfoot

No, that's not my Indian name, but for today, maybe it should be. Just yesterday I was so excited to report the absence of calf pain during my long, Saturday run. Well, it was back this morning. Guess I jinxed myself.

I ran what is now becoming my usual West Philly five loop. I stopped to stretch twice, after about a mile and then again before the two mile mark. From there it was tolerable to the point where I didn't need to stop to stretch again, but it made for a slow morning. Otherwise the run wasn't bad... I didn't even mind the CVS hill too much.

As for the 'blood' part of the title for today's blog... I noticed - now for the second time - a sizeable blood stain on my precious new(ish) Periwinkle Mizunos. Gross, I know... and TMI, to be sure. First time it was a blister... this time... I just need to cut my toenails. Ew. Gross. I know... sorry... but, hey, it's my blog and I can write what I want.

5.something in 45 minutes.

Nag, nag, nag

I'm sick of catching flack from Seebo for not updating my blog.... so here goes. Big whoop.... I ran the loop yesterday. Ok... I won't reduce it to simply that. I met up with the Philly Runners crew and managed to actually run with a group of nice folks (usually I wind up running solo) for at least seven of the eight and a half miles. I was glad for the company and conversation, though it can be kind of tough to do the whole get-to-know-ya thang when you're battling a rough headwind up West River Drive.

I'm debating whether or not to go upstairs to see if I have my final time on my watch because, honestly, I don't remember it. I can say that most miles were somewhere around 8:40 pace... which I was sort of okay with. I managed to eek out an 8:17 mile somewhere around the 7th mile - but that was with some tailwind and a concerted effort. Still, it was nice to see.

The best thing about this run was that my calves behaved themselves and, overall, the aches and pains were at a minimum. Cooling down and stretching, I noticed a bit of the old hip pain - though this time in my left hip instead of my right. I'm not worried yet. Maybe I'll employ some of my old PT tricks on it to see if I can head it off at the pass.

I really need to get my butt in gear for Allentown. Eight weeks and counting and right now my long runs are at a kind of pathetic eight and a half to nine miles. Next weekend I'll shoot for ten to ten and a half. If I put it in writing (which I just did), hopefully it will happen.

I'll get back to you on the time.... maybe.

Congratualtions to Seebo and Wesner for running a spectacular 10k today.

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.