New Mindset, Much Healthier...

Marathon training is no joke and also nothing to take lightly. But, at the same time, I think I have been making it more stressful than it needs to be. The reality is, I have upped the intensity on my training plan this time around. And, while I want to come as close to completing it as possible, I will still be ahead of the game if I fall slightly short.

So.... "it's gonna be ok". I don't need the added stress and I really just need to enjoy it. In fact, to put things in perspective, I've been seeing a bunch of my running buddies get injured. So, is it really that bad that I have to run today? As the miles build, the craziness does too. I just have to try to remember that I really do love to do this. It's hard sometimes when trying to fit it in. But, I wouldn't have it any other way.

The new mindset is "enjoy it". I'm gonna focus on getting in the miles as good as possible. But, I'm also gonna enjoy the challenge a little more and stop losing my mind if something doesn't go exactly according to schedule. There you have it... the new me.

I also got a good run in yesterday... here's the recap.

Run recap- 7.0 miles, 1:05:40, 9:23 pace

Oh no!! My flip flops...

Check out this article about the problems with wearing flip-flops all the time. I am an avid flip flop wearer (is that correct grammar/English?). Anyhow, I wonder if this contributes to my problems with my feet. Crap, I don't want to give up my flip flops.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/140900

Gotta take it easy some times...

I ran an easy 3 miles over lunch today. I had a little tweak in my foot at the end of my interval workout yesterday (somewhat reminiscent of my feet problems after the marathon). So, I took it easy. One very encouraging sign... I was truly taking it easy and easy came in the form of 9:20 pace. That's pretty cool. Don't know if it was just a good day or I've improved. I guess we'll see soon.

Run recap- 3 miles, 28:04, 9:22 pace

Five Tough "Easy" Miles

I went out on my five miler today very optimistic after my negative split long run on Sunday. I took Ivey along with me (and will continue to take her on the shorter runs). I don't know if it was the wind, dog, fatigue or what... But, that was the toughest "easy" run I've ever been on. My legs did feel sufficiently trashed. But, I didn't expect this...

I ran 5 miles in ten minute miles and struggled to do it. Holy crud!! I must have really beat myself up on the long run Sunday. That's good and bad. It tells me that I'm putting in enough work that my legs are fatigued two days later. But, it also has been my downfall in the past. This kind of running has typically led to injury. The next two runs will really tell the story. If I'm still not back to normal on my "easy" run tomorrow, I'll know I over-did it. But, if I'm ok.... then, just a good work out.

Run recap- 5.0 miles, 50:00, 10:00 pace

9 Miles, Hills and All...

For the first time, Nate was coming down to my house to do a 9 mile run. That, in itself, was reason to find a fun run for us. It's kinda weird.... Having someone check out your running turf is personal. You don't want the other person to think your regular training grounds are lame. So, I did my best to find a run that I enjoy intermixed with the distance we needed for the half plan.

I did that... to some degree. Although, if I had it to do again, I might make some changes. For instance, we had a 9 miler on the schedule and I planned a pretty hilly route. Not intentionally, that's just kinda how it worked out. It was a joke between the two of us every time we hit a new hill. Even I was starting to wonder if I had planned all those hills somewhere in my subconscious.

The thing I focused on with this run was how scenic it is. And, in that respect, I think it lived up to its billing. It's definitely a lot easier to get a long run in when the scenery is continually changing.

As for the run, it went pretty darn good. I felt pretty fresh and strong. But, my foot ache was back this morning. Not at "keep me from running" proportions, but there none the less. So, I'll have to make sure to keep an eye on that. Nate was also struggling with a knee problem. This running thing sure makes us old men well before we should be. I think that's counterintuitive. Don't you?

Anyhow, here are the stats. All in all, a great way to start the day.

Run Recap- 9 miles, 1:29:44, 9:59 pace

100%?

You kind of take it for granted when everything is good... but I feel pretty healthy. The side of my foot hasn't been as achy, if achy at all. And, the arch of my foot hasn't been as achy either. I credit that to the break I took and the stretching that I have been doing more often (as well as finding the right shoes). I don't do it religiously, but much more than I ever have... If you're curious, here are the 3 stretches I do:

1. Hamstring stretch- Put my feet together, and bend straight down and touch my toes (Hold for 10 seconds, 3 times).
2. Calf/Achilles stretch- Stand on a stair and angle one foot at a 45 degree angle hanging off the stair (Hold for 10 seconds, 3 times for each foot)
3. Quad stretch- Stand on one foot and pull the other foot up to your butt (Hold for 10 seconds, 3 times for each foot)

Very basic stretches... But, done consistently, they really make a difference.

In running news, I got two more runs in since the last time I logged. I did a four miler on Wednesday with Dave at work. He is faster than me, so I decided to use it as a tempo run. Truth is... we were shooting for 9 minute miles and just went faster than that. He took me on a new route near work and it was a lot of fun. I look forward to running with Dave in the future. Very cool. I also went on a short run today too. Results of both are below.

Wednesday's Run Recap- 3.77 miles, 32:24, 8:36 pace
Thursday's Run Recap- 2.11 miles, 19:03, 9:02 pace

Upping the Ante?

The last month and a half has been really good for me. I have been running injury free for 7 weeks with no ill effects. My feet probably feel about 95%. Something tells me, as a runner, I will never feel 100%. So, I think I'm going to start turning it up another notch. My plan is to add one 2 miler a week for the next three weeks and see how that makes me feel. If that goes well, I'll up it to 3 miles... and so on and so forth.

I truly think that I'm ready for the increase in days (and resultant gain in mileage). But, I just need to keep my health in mind. If my body says no, then so be it. But, I'd be surprised if that happens at this point.

In other running news... I got in a 3.5 mile run on the treadmill tonight. I'm really glad to be home. But, I'm traveling 3 out of 7 days the next two weeks coming up. I'm ready for all this travel to slow down. It's kicking my butt!!

Run recap- 3.5 miles, 32:27, 9:17 pace

Less is more?

I've really taken to the idea of running 3 days a week. Not only is it good to my feet and keeping me injury free, it feels like it's giving me a little extra boost on my runs. For instance, on Tuesday I did a tempo run and it felt great. I didn't feel like I was running that hard (it was tough, don't get me wrong), but I was totally surprised by the pace I was running at.

Maybe all this 5 day a week training was too much for me at the current fitness/muscle level I'm at. It's tough... Now that I have run the marathon, I have this tendency to think I'm a pro runner or something. But, in reality, I'm just starting year 2 of my running career. Talk about elementary school... jeez. Anyhow, this isn't a long term plan. But, it totally feels like 3 days a week with 2 days of cross training is way better for me then even 4 days a week of running and 1 cross train. I would like to get back to 4 days a week... but not until I feel "ready". Whatever that means.

As for right now... I'm enjoying my runs and happy to be relatively healthy/injury-free. Maybe at some point, I'll feel like pushing a little harder won't be detrimental to my training and health. But, until then, I'm pretty ok with 3 days a week.

Feeling kinda recovered...

I have been feeling much better lately. I've been running 3 days a week for about 3 weeks now. And, that seems to be agreeing with me. My new/old shoes are working and my foot seems to be healing. It's still not 100%. So, I'm not going to go crazy with the training. But, I think that as long as I continue to be smart about it, it will get to 100% in the near future (next month or so?). Anyhow, this is encouraging.

Taped and padded

I went for a run over lunch yesterday with my new tape job from the physical therapy appointment. I also put the metatarsal pads in... I'm not sure about the tape job (I think it's helping), but the pads drove me nuts. They stretched my arch and really sucked. I will give them one more shot, but not until after my next appointment and I consult the physical therapist. I don't want to do any other damage.

Run recap- 1.34 miles, 12:34, 9:23

Physical Therapy, First Visit

Today was the day... I was going to be totally fixed the moment I walked out of that therapy appointment. Not so fast. A guy can dream, right? Anyhow, I think it was a good first appointment. My therapist, Shawn, really seemed to have his stuff together. He spent time listening to my self-diagnosis and humoring me... Then, he proceeded to tell me what was really going on.

To my surprise, he told me that I'm not really that flat-footed. I've always been told that I was flat-footed. And, he told me that my bio-mechanics aren't really that bad. Sweet. He thinks that my injuries have probably been a result of overuse. And, in his words, the original injury from the marathon is just having a tough time "settling down".

I was convinced that I needed orthotics. But, since my bio-mechanics aren't that bad, Shawn didn't want to jump there right away. I'm all for caution... and, after all, he is the expert here. So, he taped my left foot to mimic what orthotics might correct to see how that feels. He also gave me some metatarsal pads because of the loss of feeling I was getting in the balls of my feet. He said that it would pad my strike and take some of the stress of the pounding from my forefoot. I'm not kidding you when I say that this pad is bulky. It feels really strange, but I am going to keep with it to see if it begins to feel more normal.

Overall, a good first visit. I have a follow up visit next week to see how all this is playing out. I will be running on Thursday and Saturday (maybe Sunday instead) with the tape and the pad.
Then, I'll talk with Shawn to see what he has to say about my feedback. But, it feels like the wheels are in motion.

Smarter not harder?

I've been really thinking a lot about injury and how to avoid it lately.. It dawned upon me that there are a lot of plans that don't stress the number of runs in the week and incorporate all kinds of cross-training. If I've learned one thing since I've had the injury bug lately, it's that I can handle a little cross-training. I'd rather be running, no doubt. But, I'd also rather be running and not on the sidelines.

So, my goal is to really pay attention to how I'm feeling and not overdoing it. Any plan that I adopt will need to have at least one day of cross training. And, this time, I'm gonna do it (the Higdon plan I was on for the marathon had one, I just didn't do it). I'm still sticking to the three runs a week of no more than three miles until I'm totally healthy. But, I plan to get on a half marathon plan as soon as I feel right (yes Nate, I'm signing up for Lehigh Valley). In fact, I will probably adopt the plan that Nate is doing so that we can do some of our long runs together.

As for today, I got my first run in of the week... I went to the Y on the treadmill to save the feet.

Run recap- 3 miles, 30:00, 10:00 pace

*** Edit- I'm signed up for Lehigh Valley

On my way?

It's strange... my foot is feeling progressively better. It's funny what a little rest will do. I do think there is something bio-mechanical causing my foot problems. But, I think that reduced miles for a little while will get me healthy. I still think I need an orthotic (and I'll find out shortly), but I also think I need to be smarter. I've been running for almost a year now and I'm just starting to get a feel for it. I've had my first bout of runner's ignorance and I'm going to try not to go back there. I'm sure it's only a matter of time, but it's worth a shot.

On the workout front, Meliss and I went to the Y tonight and I got in 30 minutes on the treadmill. I'm gonna try to do 3 runs a week of no more than 3 miles each time until my foot is totally healed. After all... it's important to be healthy for Spring racing.

Run recap- 3 miles, 30:00, 10:00 pace

Negative...

That's what all my blood work was this morning. So, I've got my first physical therapy session next Tuesday. He'll analyze my running and tell me if I need an orthotic or not. Moving along!!

County Park run

I was saying to Nate as we were running that I really don't know where I'm at right now. I don't know if this is a comeback or if it's just maintaining low mileage while I'm injured or if it's pure stupidity.

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow that should start to answer those questions. All I know is that I don't feel right. But, I don't feel totally wrong either. I ran 3 miles at the Lancaster Central Park on trails, grass and roads with Nate. It was sloppy on the trails so we headed back out to the roads for a majority of the run. My aerobic fitness isn't totally gone yet. But, it wasn't easy to keep the 10:00 pace. In all fairness there was a substantial hill for part of the run and I didn't push down the hill to make up for it. So, it's probably not as bad as I think.

Run recap- 3.05 miles, 30:48, 10:05 pace

Track workout

I usually only go to the track for speed work. But, I went today with the intention of running on a softer surface to keep the wear and tear on my feet down. When I got there, I realized that I could actually run on the grass inside of the track. It seemed to work, but still made my foot a little numb.

I ran a total of 8.5 laps (which was about 2 miles since I was running on the inside of the track). Overall, running on the track is kinda boring. But, I've run so seldom lately, it didn't bother me at all.

Run recap- 2 miles, 17:00, 8:30 pace

Testing things out

I went to the gym on Friday without any real plan. That is a recipe for disaster with my injured foot. With no real plan, I just fall into running. I ran for 20 minutes on the treadmill and didn't feel too bad. It didn't feel any tighter then it did before I ran afterwards, so it seems to be fine.

Here's where I'm at... I got blood work done last Monday and have to wait until this Thursday to see the results. Then, if all is fine with the blood work (which is expected), then I will have to wait for another amount of time until I can get scheduled for physical therapy to see if I need an orthotic. To be honest, I haven't nearly got that kind of patience. Ugh.. So, because of the unknown timing of this whole thing, I am having a hard time stopping myself from running.

Run recap- 2 miles, 20:00, 10:00 pace

Biking at the gym

I went to the gym yesterday and put in 20 minutes on the bike. I had every intention of doing 30 minutes, but my wife was waiting for me downstairs with my daughter and biking is boring (I'm sure I've mentioned that before). So, I got a pretty hard workout in.... but not terribly long. If biking has to be my only cardio workout, I'll make it work. But, I'm not there yet....

That brings me to my next update. I went to the doc this morning to talk to him about my foot/heel problems I've been having. I was much more impressed with him today then I was the previous visit. I think the main difference was that he had time for me. I guess being a doctor is just like any other job. If you are too busy, it's tough to do a good job. The only difference (in my mind) is that people's life/health are on the line if you don't take the time as a doctor.

Anyhow, good news and bad news. First, the doc told me to run. Interesting... And, he ordered blood work to rule out anything biological (rheumatoid arthritis... and some other things that I don't remember). So, I have to go get blood work done and then go back to the doctor in 2 weeks. In the meantime, it's alright if I run as long as I'm not hurting myself.
Then, if the blood work is negative, I will go to a physical therapist to look at my foot strike and see if I need an orthotic.

I'm encouraged and confused all at the same time. If I go running and get sidelined for a long period of time, I'm gonna be upset. But, it sounds like I have a green light from the doc. Ugh... I can't wait until I get this blood work so that I can go to the physical therapist.

It's gotta be the shoes...

Wow... I continue to amaze myself with my own stupidity. As always, I had my running shoes sitting out where they weren't supposed to be. And, I was staring down at them from above. What did I see? A white line down the left side of my left shoe (not coincidentally, my injured foot). The sole is solid blue and there was a line where the back left side of my left foot was spilling over. What does this mean? In my head, it means that my new(ish) New Balance are too narrow. My mainstays for the marathon training never had this problem. Hmmm...

So, I am planning on keeping my appointment on Thursday to ask the doc if I need orthotics. But, in the meantime, I am going to go back to my Asics.

I also got my first run of the new year in (so much for not running). Here's a recap.

Run recap- 3.1 miles, 27:25, 9:00 pace

Heel problem update

I still have no idea what the problem really is. But, after two days off, a light workout and another day off... it feels a lot less tight. That's not to say that it is totally healed or that I'm not going to go to the doctor's.... But, I'm encouraged by the fact that it feels better with rest. I still have my Thursday appointment and I'll know better then. I also want to know if I need orthotics for my flat feet. I feel like I am demolishing my feet with this running obsession. Maybe I just don't have the right equipment.