So today's morning run didn't happen. I just can't seem to get myself to bed an hour earlier at night, nor can I wake up early in the morning. Hell, I'm late to work every day as it is. It will happen this week though. I have to move to mornings.
So tonight I ran an easy 5. Mostly roads, but maybe a mile of it on grass. Calves felt pretty tired, especially on the grass, but it was an alright run. Easy 5 miles isn't a foreign concept to me anymore, so that's pretty nice. Now if only I could comprehend "easy 10..."
Over the next few weeks, I'm going to work down the pace I'm comfortable with. I've been starting out runs right around 7:30 pace and working down a bit. I have no problem running a mile or so there on training runs, but I need to get down to the 7-7:15 range quicker. Once I'm comfortable there, I'll work on making somewhere around 6:50-7 my training pace by the end of summer. Though that is subject to change to the faster side.
Tomorrow or Wednesday is gonna be either a Fartlek or a two mile tempo. The other will happen later in the week, either Friday or Saturday. Saturday might be good for the tempo so I have time to drive around and find an open track. Rest of the week will look something like this: 6, 7, 5, 6, 6, 9 for 44 miles total. After that, it's up to 50 for the final days of July into August. If I adapt well and can work my pace down while upping the miles, then August could see some bigger numbers which would be nice.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
RAWR!
Ran with Matt this evening. I spent most of the day helping my brother move, so I was a bit tired. Was worried I'd feel shitty from that and my quicker run yesterday, but we kept things sorta easy to start out, and by the time I was warmed-up, I was feeling pretty damn good. We starting picking it up around 3 miles and it felt great. Grabbed some Gatorade at 6 miles, then headed over to the soccer fields for about a mile barefoot before heading back to the car to finish up. Ran for just under an hour, calling it 8 miles even though it was probably slightly over.
37 miles on the week. Bed soon, then a morning run.
37 miles on the week. Bed soon, then a morning run.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Hi, my name is Ben and I have an addiction
And it's not my leftover hydrocodone.
Tonight, a love was born afresh. I, Ben Silver, fucking love night runs.
I've always been somewhat nocturnal, and that habit spilled into my running during and right after high school. It began heading into my junior year running nearly every day with Breck and Andy. We frequently hung out and barbecued in the evening, not heading out for our run until nightfall. The summer before senior year was different only because I trained with York High School in the mornings.
With no job following my senior year of high school, I would typically wake up in the mid- to late-afternoon. If I was doubling that day, I'd get in a short run. If not, I'd play some computer games, head out with friends, etc. Dinnertime often saw my first meal of the day. I would run after dark nearly every night, sometimes as late as 2 AM. Often, I'd cook some spaghetti or rice following my run. My family was always baffled and humored by the remnants of my midnight dinner found the next morning. After my food, I'd usually hit the computer for a few hours before making it to bed as the sun began to rise.
Night runs were always peaceful. The air was calm and cool, it was quiet. The only real disadvantage was the abundance of road running. But I was young, healthy, and resilient, so I mostly ignored the daily pounding on my legs.
In college, I rarely ran nights, though I never stopped enjoying the tranquility of night runs. In the weeks prior to my surgery, I spent some nights jogging around Tufts. But those were mere jogs, not the training runs of years past.
Then there was tonight.
Tonight, after massaging my tender calves into action (with a somewhat worrisome pain in my left shin), I headed out the door just before midnight. The temperature was dropping through the 60s, and the air was just a bit moist. My legs felt fairly good starting the run, and I was soon in a decent rhythm. Since returning, I have often found it impossible to fall into a groove on my runs, so any run where it happens isn't going to be that bad.
I ran the first mile in 7:34 and felt like I was beginning to drop the pace. I was surprised when I crossed the next mile in 7:28 as I thought I had been moving faster. I worried that I was going to have trouble over the next 4 miles, so I tried to relax. And that's exactly what I needed. I hit the next two miles in 14:12. By this time I was feeling great and really starting to roll. I also was in familiar territory and could feel my way back home. I began moving a bit faster. By the last mile, I was rolling pretty good. I only started to feel a bit drained in the last three quarters of a mile or so. Closed the last two miles in 13:12 for a total of 42:27 for 6 miles.
I felt well in control the entire run and was never really pushing beyond what was comfortable. While I certainly didn't run fast, I did run faster than I have since last September, and that's a great feeling. I also gave myself confidence that I can nail my tempo run next week.
Tomorrow could be pretty nasty as I need to help my brother move during the day. I should try to run just before dark and maybe hit the trails. Then Monday I start morning runs. As much as I love night runs, they just can't happen very often if I'm to live a normal schedule. Maybe I'll go to bed after work every day at 5 PM and wake up to run at 1 AM. Or not.
Tonight, a love was born afresh. I, Ben Silver, fucking love night runs.
I've always been somewhat nocturnal, and that habit spilled into my running during and right after high school. It began heading into my junior year running nearly every day with Breck and Andy. We frequently hung out and barbecued in the evening, not heading out for our run until nightfall. The summer before senior year was different only because I trained with York High School in the mornings.
With no job following my senior year of high school, I would typically wake up in the mid- to late-afternoon. If I was doubling that day, I'd get in a short run. If not, I'd play some computer games, head out with friends, etc. Dinnertime often saw my first meal of the day. I would run after dark nearly every night, sometimes as late as 2 AM. Often, I'd cook some spaghetti or rice following my run. My family was always baffled and humored by the remnants of my midnight dinner found the next morning. After my food, I'd usually hit the computer for a few hours before making it to bed as the sun began to rise.
Night runs were always peaceful. The air was calm and cool, it was quiet. The only real disadvantage was the abundance of road running. But I was young, healthy, and resilient, so I mostly ignored the daily pounding on my legs.
In college, I rarely ran nights, though I never stopped enjoying the tranquility of night runs. In the weeks prior to my surgery, I spent some nights jogging around Tufts. But those were mere jogs, not the training runs of years past.
Then there was tonight.
Tonight, after massaging my tender calves into action (with a somewhat worrisome pain in my left shin), I headed out the door just before midnight. The temperature was dropping through the 60s, and the air was just a bit moist. My legs felt fairly good starting the run, and I was soon in a decent rhythm. Since returning, I have often found it impossible to fall into a groove on my runs, so any run where it happens isn't going to be that bad.
I ran the first mile in 7:34 and felt like I was beginning to drop the pace. I was surprised when I crossed the next mile in 7:28 as I thought I had been moving faster. I worried that I was going to have trouble over the next 4 miles, so I tried to relax. And that's exactly what I needed. I hit the next two miles in 14:12. By this time I was feeling great and really starting to roll. I also was in familiar territory and could feel my way back home. I began moving a bit faster. By the last mile, I was rolling pretty good. I only started to feel a bit drained in the last three quarters of a mile or so. Closed the last two miles in 13:12 for a total of 42:27 for 6 miles.
I felt well in control the entire run and was never really pushing beyond what was comfortable. While I certainly didn't run fast, I did run faster than I have since last September, and that's a great feeling. I also gave myself confidence that I can nail my tempo run next week.
Tomorrow could be pretty nasty as I need to help my brother move during the day. I should try to run just before dark and maybe hit the trails. Then Monday I start morning runs. As much as I love night runs, they just can't happen very often if I'm to live a normal schedule. Maybe I'll go to bed after work every day at 5 PM and wake up to run at 1 AM. Or not.
Welcoming shin splints
Shins have been hurting something fierce all week, but I've gotten in my miles thus far. Shin splints are much better than the shin pain I had on-and-off for 18 months.
Tuesday, July 7 - After taking Monday off, I was hoping to feel pretty good. That wasn't the case, but I got through the run at a little quicker pace than most of my runs last week. Did 5 miles including 4 strides on grass in my Speedstars.
Wednesday, July 8 - Took me forever to get out of the house tonight. I wanted to do a Fartlek similar to the one I ran last week with maybe a few more minutes of hard running tossed in. After warming up for 2 miles, I switched into my Speedstars. The Fartlek didn't go too well. I don't know if I was starting out too fast or just drained from the work day, but after 4 x 1 minute hard, 1 easy and a 2 minute hard effort, I was drained. Jogged it back home, got a granola bar and stretched a bit, then cooled down for a little more than 2 miles. 6 miles on the day.
Not satisfied at all with how I was feeling. Need to get morning runs going.
Thursday, July 9 - Felt a bit better than the last couple days, but not great. Started out on trails with Paulie. Started slow around 7:45 pace the first mile or two, then probably dropped to around 7:15. After about 4 miles on the trails, Paulie was done and I stopped to talk for a couple minutes. I then took the roads over to the high school for maybe 5 minutes on the grass before heading back for a total of 7 miles.
Friday, July 10 - Waited till late to run and had a good one. Ran 5 through my neighborhood. Shins were still pretty bad and my breathing wasn't great, but didn't feel as labored as earlier in the week. Had a pretty easy day at work, so I'm sure that helped.
Thoughts on the week so far: I need to run mornings next week. It's a bitch trying to wake up, but it'll be better in the long run. I also need to cross train. I've been tired as hell after running, and that has discouraged me. Moving the runs to the morning will help that. I'm also adding in a 7th day of running next week which means I won't be upping daily mileage more than a fraction of a mile on running days. Hopefully it will allow me to adapt just a bit and be able to hit some evening rides or swims.
I'm about to take a nice Saturday afternoon nap, and then I'll run 6. Maybe try to throw in some faster stuff if I'm feeling okay. I need to try a tempo next week. Goal is 2 miles at 6 minute pace. I know I can run that without a problem, but I don't know if I can run it how I want to. I need it to be somewhat controlled, and I maybe haven't run enough faster miles to be able to do that. I'd like to add in a mile each week to that tempo run so that I'm running 5 miles in 30 minutes the first week of August. Not sure if that's realistic or not.
8 miles tomorrow to cap a 37 mile week in 6 days of running.
I'm running on the roads a bit more than is ideal, but that's not without reason. I feel that a lot of my shin pain is coming from overworked calves. They work even harder on soft ground. So there are tradeoffs. I think over the next week, I'm going to hit my calves really hard with ice, massage, and stretching in an attempt to ditch the roads for the most part.
More thought on my calves/shins: I'm a forefoot striker, and I'm overweight. Not a great combination. But as I'm trying to look at the bright side of everything, I have found a silver lining. As I lose weight, it could be even more significant than if I were a heel striker. I could just be talking out of my ass with that, but I don't see too many big guys forefoot striking, and I think the potential gains in my calf strength could be significant come late August when I'm 15 pounds lighter than when I began the summer. But "every silver lining has a touch of grey." I worry that my running form (which was so great when I was in race shape) leaves me more suceptible to injury at 175 pounds.
Anyway, off I go for my nap.
Tuesday, July 7 - After taking Monday off, I was hoping to feel pretty good. That wasn't the case, but I got through the run at a little quicker pace than most of my runs last week. Did 5 miles including 4 strides on grass in my Speedstars.
Wednesday, July 8 - Took me forever to get out of the house tonight. I wanted to do a Fartlek similar to the one I ran last week with maybe a few more minutes of hard running tossed in. After warming up for 2 miles, I switched into my Speedstars. The Fartlek didn't go too well. I don't know if I was starting out too fast or just drained from the work day, but after 4 x 1 minute hard, 1 easy and a 2 minute hard effort, I was drained. Jogged it back home, got a granola bar and stretched a bit, then cooled down for a little more than 2 miles. 6 miles on the day.
Not satisfied at all with how I was feeling. Need to get morning runs going.
Thursday, July 9 - Felt a bit better than the last couple days, but not great. Started out on trails with Paulie. Started slow around 7:45 pace the first mile or two, then probably dropped to around 7:15. After about 4 miles on the trails, Paulie was done and I stopped to talk for a couple minutes. I then took the roads over to the high school for maybe 5 minutes on the grass before heading back for a total of 7 miles.
Friday, July 10 - Waited till late to run and had a good one. Ran 5 through my neighborhood. Shins were still pretty bad and my breathing wasn't great, but didn't feel as labored as earlier in the week. Had a pretty easy day at work, so I'm sure that helped.
Thoughts on the week so far: I need to run mornings next week. It's a bitch trying to wake up, but it'll be better in the long run. I also need to cross train. I've been tired as hell after running, and that has discouraged me. Moving the runs to the morning will help that. I'm also adding in a 7th day of running next week which means I won't be upping daily mileage more than a fraction of a mile on running days. Hopefully it will allow me to adapt just a bit and be able to hit some evening rides or swims.
I'm about to take a nice Saturday afternoon nap, and then I'll run 6. Maybe try to throw in some faster stuff if I'm feeling okay. I need to try a tempo next week. Goal is 2 miles at 6 minute pace. I know I can run that without a problem, but I don't know if I can run it how I want to. I need it to be somewhat controlled, and I maybe haven't run enough faster miles to be able to do that. I'd like to add in a mile each week to that tempo run so that I'm running 5 miles in 30 minutes the first week of August. Not sure if that's realistic or not.
8 miles tomorrow to cap a 37 mile week in 6 days of running.
I'm running on the roads a bit more than is ideal, but that's not without reason. I feel that a lot of my shin pain is coming from overworked calves. They work even harder on soft ground. So there are tradeoffs. I think over the next week, I'm going to hit my calves really hard with ice, massage, and stretching in an attempt to ditch the roads for the most part.
More thought on my calves/shins: I'm a forefoot striker, and I'm overweight. Not a great combination. But as I'm trying to look at the bright side of everything, I have found a silver lining. As I lose weight, it could be even more significant than if I were a heel striker. I could just be talking out of my ass with that, but I don't see too many big guys forefoot striking, and I think the potential gains in my calf strength could be significant come late August when I'm 15 pounds lighter than when I began the summer. But "every silver lining has a touch of grey." I worry that my running form (which was so great when I was in race shape) leaves me more suceptible to injury at 175 pounds.
Anyway, off I go for my nap.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
I woke up a bit late today and watched the Tour de France replay before heading over to the running store. Still looking for another pair of shoes to replace my New Balance 826's. Thinking about getting a pair of Mizuno Wave Riders to trade off days with my Asics Speedstars.
I was pretty tired when I got back from the running store, so I napped... for like 3 1/2 hours.
Ended up feeling pretty weird on my run and not in a good way for most of it. Ran on the roads just after dark. Felt surprisingly effortless to begin, and that never turns out well for me. By two miles, my legs were hurting pretty good. Felt a bit better the last two miles and sped up just a bit. After a 7:30 first mile, I turned the watch off. Probably about 7:10 pace towards the end.
I'm trying to avoid using my watch often on runs where I know the miles. I don't need to be overly concerned with my pace yet. When I'm watching my splits, I tend to push myself just a bit harder at each mile, and that's not what I need right now. I do need to push myself, but I can do that enough by feel. Besides, I don't need to be getting down on myself if I have days where I feel shitty and split 8 minute miles. I'm giving myself until at least August before I pay much attention to day-to-day pace. That's not to say I won't check splits occasionally to know where I am, but at this point, my fitness is changing so rapidly that splits do not matter.
I was pretty tired when I got back from the running store, so I napped... for like 3 1/2 hours.
Ended up feeling pretty weird on my run and not in a good way for most of it. Ran on the roads just after dark. Felt surprisingly effortless to begin, and that never turns out well for me. By two miles, my legs were hurting pretty good. Felt a bit better the last two miles and sped up just a bit. After a 7:30 first mile, I turned the watch off. Probably about 7:10 pace towards the end.
I'm trying to avoid using my watch often on runs where I know the miles. I don't need to be overly concerned with my pace yet. When I'm watching my splits, I tend to push myself just a bit harder at each mile, and that's not what I need right now. I do need to push myself, but I can do that enough by feel. Besides, I don't need to be getting down on myself if I have days where I feel shitty and split 8 minute miles. I'm giving myself until at least August before I pay much attention to day-to-day pace. That's not to say I won't check splits occasionally to know where I am, but at this point, my fitness is changing so rapidly that splits do not matter.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Easy run
5 miles, way easy. Left calf is pretty sore, but the run felt alright. Drinking tonight for the 4th. Happy birthday, America! FUCK YEAH!
Friday, July 3, 2009
First workout
After Tuesday's day off, I ran 5 miles on Wednesday. Ran about 4 miles, then 5 minutes barefoot, then switched to my brand new Asics Gel Speedstars for strides. The strides felt good, was able to get up to a good speed. Felt good overall today.
Thursday was 4 easy including a mile at the end in my Speedstars with a few pick-ups. Felt fine.
Friday it was time for my first workout, a 3 mile Fartlek meant to begin getting my body comfortable with a faster pace. I ran after lifeguarding most of the day, so I was a bit tired as I made my way over to the trails. Warmed-up for 15 minutes (2 miles), then went into the Fartlek.
I divided the Fartlek roughly into three sections by mile. I started with 1 minute hard, 1 easy for 8 minutes. The hard was probably faster than the 6 minute pace that I was aiming for. I was moving pretty well and didn't feel TOO bad. The recovery started a bit slow, but moved down to around 7:15 pace I'd say. Next was 8 minutes of 2 hard, 2 easy. This time, I was probably right on 6 minute pace for the hard portion and around 7:30 or slower for the easy. I finished with 3 more 1-1's, still faster than 6 on the hard, but not as fast as the first section. 1 mile slow cool-down.
Overall, I feel that the workout went quite well, and I did exactly what I was looking for. Over the next few weeks, I need to work into tempo runs and this is a good start. I will probably do a similar workout to today's twice next week. The week after I'll trade one of those out for a short tempo and then work the distance of that tempo up week-by-week.
My left calf feels all kinds of sore, but I don't think it's anything I can't work though.
Thursday was 4 easy including a mile at the end in my Speedstars with a few pick-ups. Felt fine.
Friday it was time for my first workout, a 3 mile Fartlek meant to begin getting my body comfortable with a faster pace. I ran after lifeguarding most of the day, so I was a bit tired as I made my way over to the trails. Warmed-up for 15 minutes (2 miles), then went into the Fartlek.
I divided the Fartlek roughly into three sections by mile. I started with 1 minute hard, 1 easy for 8 minutes. The hard was probably faster than the 6 minute pace that I was aiming for. I was moving pretty well and didn't feel TOO bad. The recovery started a bit slow, but moved down to around 7:15 pace I'd say. Next was 8 minutes of 2 hard, 2 easy. This time, I was probably right on 6 minute pace for the hard portion and around 7:30 or slower for the easy. I finished with 3 more 1-1's, still faster than 6 on the hard, but not as fast as the first section. 1 mile slow cool-down.
Overall, I feel that the workout went quite well, and I did exactly what I was looking for. Over the next few weeks, I need to work into tempo runs and this is a good start. I will probably do a similar workout to today's twice next week. The week after I'll trade one of those out for a short tempo and then work the distance of that tempo up week-by-week.
My left calf feels all kinds of sore, but I don't think it's anything I can't work though.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Breaking news: I had a good run!
I'm extremely glad that I decided to move my off-day to Tuesday or Wednesday.
After work, I headed to the running store near my bus route. They were overpriced and had a limited selection. They didn't even carry the right kind of Vibram Five Fingers. Tried on the Nike Luna Trainers and they felt okay.
With no success at this store, I made the trek back home and then to Dick Pond Athletics. I decided on a pair of Asics Gel Speedstars. I ran in the first generation of this shoe and liked the ride, though I found the shoe had durability issues. Hopefully they have corrected those. I also bought The Stick. And The Stick cured my sore legs before heading out on my run. Before running, I hit the grocery store for some yummy, mostly organic food.
I ran 25 minutes with over half on limestone trail and the rest on asphalt. A few hills during this run. Followed that with 5 minutes barefoot. My calves had been too sore (and my injured-side calf too weak) to run barefoot prior to today. I was pretty pumped, even if I was a bit ginger whilst shoeless.
Overall, I just felt great. Felt like I knew how to run again.
After work, I headed to the running store near my bus route. They were overpriced and had a limited selection. They didn't even carry the right kind of Vibram Five Fingers. Tried on the Nike Luna Trainers and they felt okay.
With no success at this store, I made the trek back home and then to Dick Pond Athletics. I decided on a pair of Asics Gel Speedstars. I ran in the first generation of this shoe and liked the ride, though I found the shoe had durability issues. Hopefully they have corrected those. I also bought The Stick. And The Stick cured my sore legs before heading out on my run. Before running, I hit the grocery store for some yummy, mostly organic food.
I ran 25 minutes with over half on limestone trail and the rest on asphalt. A few hills during this run. Followed that with 5 minutes barefoot. My calves had been too sore (and my injured-side calf too weak) to run barefoot prior to today. I was pretty pumped, even if I was a bit ginger whilst shoeless.
Overall, I just felt great. Felt like I knew how to run again.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
The week in review
Has it really been over 10 days since my last post? I have to get on that. It's been quite the week. I'll post what I can remember.
After last Wednesday, I continued to build up my time running with less time walking. This week, I hit 20 miles in 5 days. There was some cross training tossed in, but I can't remember it all, so just the running will have to do.
Friday, June 19 - 18 minutes of running with some rest tossed in. I think I did strides as well.
Sunday, June 21 - 10 minute run, 1 walk, 5 run, 1 walk, 5 run for 20 minutes of total running. Ran with my dad so a bit easier than I had been doing.
Monday, June 22 - 10 minute run, 1 walk, 5 run, 1 walk, 5 run followed by strides. The strides did not work out so well. My left IT band was giving me trouble around the knee. I rolled it out and iced pretty well.
Wednesday, June 24 - 15 minute run, 1 walk, 7:30 run, 1 walk, 3:45 run for 3.5 miles. Actually, that second walk may not have happened. I don't recall it very well. Either way, a very solid run, first time on the roads since coming back. Timed the first mile to get an idea of what my pace is. Just under 7:30. Sped up a bit as I went.
Thursday, June 25 - 4 miles. I think I stopped once pretty late for 1 minute. Felt alright.
Saturday, June 27 - 34 minute run with no stops. 4.5 miles. Felt great to get in a solid run over 30 minutes without a break. Been a looooooonnnggg time. I was pretty damn sore after this run. It was mostly on asphalt as my left calf was giving me a bit of trouble again.
Sunday, June 28 - Ran around 2:30 in the afternoon. Not a good plan, not a good run. Ran about 15 minutes, took 1 minute walk, got back home around 29 minutes, grabbed some water, jogged another 7 minutes. Did 4 strides after and they were okay despite feeling like death. When I got inside, I felt my shorts and they were nearly completely dry. Oops. Guess I was dehydrated. I'm a dumbass. 5 miles on the day.
So the big news came Friday: I went to the doctor and he cleared me completely. Told me to dial it up, go for it, etc.
Next week, I'm aiming for 30 miles in 6 days. I said previously that I'd take Monday off, but I may move that to Tuesday so that I'm only running 5 days in a row with next Monday off before trying 6 days in a row that week. Anyway, the week will look something like 4, 5, 4.5, 5.5, 5, 6 for whichever 6 days I run. I wish I could front-load my week as I used to, but my fitness is improving almost daily, so I really can't do it.
The next month:
Week of Monday:
June 29 - 30 miles in 6 days
July 6 - 35-40 miles in 6 days
July 13 - 40-45 miles in 6 or 7 days
July 20 - 45-50 miles in 7 days
After last Wednesday, I continued to build up my time running with less time walking. This week, I hit 20 miles in 5 days. There was some cross training tossed in, but I can't remember it all, so just the running will have to do.
Friday, June 19 - 18 minutes of running with some rest tossed in. I think I did strides as well.
Sunday, June 21 - 10 minute run, 1 walk, 5 run, 1 walk, 5 run for 20 minutes of total running. Ran with my dad so a bit easier than I had been doing.
Monday, June 22 - 10 minute run, 1 walk, 5 run, 1 walk, 5 run followed by strides. The strides did not work out so well. My left IT band was giving me trouble around the knee. I rolled it out and iced pretty well.
Wednesday, June 24 - 15 minute run, 1 walk, 7:30 run, 1 walk, 3:45 run for 3.5 miles. Actually, that second walk may not have happened. I don't recall it very well. Either way, a very solid run, first time on the roads since coming back. Timed the first mile to get an idea of what my pace is. Just under 7:30. Sped up a bit as I went.
Thursday, June 25 - 4 miles. I think I stopped once pretty late for 1 minute. Felt alright.
Saturday, June 27 - 34 minute run with no stops. 4.5 miles. Felt great to get in a solid run over 30 minutes without a break. Been a looooooonnnggg time. I was pretty damn sore after this run. It was mostly on asphalt as my left calf was giving me a bit of trouble again.
Sunday, June 28 - Ran around 2:30 in the afternoon. Not a good plan, not a good run. Ran about 15 minutes, took 1 minute walk, got back home around 29 minutes, grabbed some water, jogged another 7 minutes. Did 4 strides after and they were okay despite feeling like death. When I got inside, I felt my shorts and they were nearly completely dry. Oops. Guess I was dehydrated. I'm a dumbass. 5 miles on the day.
So the big news came Friday: I went to the doctor and he cleared me completely. Told me to dial it up, go for it, etc.
Next week, I'm aiming for 30 miles in 6 days. I said previously that I'd take Monday off, but I may move that to Tuesday so that I'm only running 5 days in a row with next Monday off before trying 6 days in a row that week. Anyway, the week will look something like 4, 5, 4.5, 5.5, 5, 6 for whichever 6 days I run. I wish I could front-load my week as I used to, but my fitness is improving almost daily, so I really can't do it.
The next month:
Week of Monday:
June 29 - 30 miles in 6 days
July 6 - 35-40 miles in 6 days
July 13 - 40-45 miles in 6 or 7 days
July 20 - 45-50 miles in 7 days
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Wednesday run and swim
Took a nice, long nap after work. Headed out to the soccer fields near my house just before dark.
3 minute jog, 1 minute walk for 24 minutes. That's 18 minutes of running. Felt pretty good. My form was just about where I wanted it when I paid attention. Still a bit sloppy when I'm tired and don't pay attention. Did the last jog rep at a pretty decent clip.
15 minutes of swimming following the run.
My left leg is sore in the calf towards the shin. Really, really nervous about feeling it in the bone. I'm not even sure that pain in the area would be unexpected. I'm sure there's still swelling, and things are definitely still healing. Just over a week until the doctor, so I'll just keep an eye on it until then.
The plan is run a little shorter tomorrow, cutting out some rest. Run again Saturday, possibly continuous.
Next week, I will run Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday for about 20 miles. The week after that, so long as my doctor gives me the nod to kick it up a notch, I will take Monday off and then put in 30 miles in 6 days. From there, keep it at 6 days for another week or two. Maybe 35-40 miles, 40-45 miles, then hit 45-50 the last week of July.
3 minute jog, 1 minute walk for 24 minutes. That's 18 minutes of running. Felt pretty good. My form was just about where I wanted it when I paid attention. Still a bit sloppy when I'm tired and don't pay attention. Did the last jog rep at a pretty decent clip.
15 minutes of swimming following the run.
My left leg is sore in the calf towards the shin. Really, really nervous about feeling it in the bone. I'm not even sure that pain in the area would be unexpected. I'm sure there's still swelling, and things are definitely still healing. Just over a week until the doctor, so I'll just keep an eye on it until then.
The plan is run a little shorter tomorrow, cutting out some rest. Run again Saturday, possibly continuous.
Next week, I will run Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday for about 20 miles. The week after that, so long as my doctor gives me the nod to kick it up a notch, I will take Monday off and then put in 30 miles in 6 days. From there, keep it at 6 days for another week or two. Maybe 35-40 miles, 40-45 miles, then hit 45-50 the last week of July.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Tuesday cross training
Spent most of the day at work in the pool. We played a long game of sharks and minnows which was a fucking workout. Never play that game in twelve feet of water with college swimmers unless you want to drown.
After work, I went straight to the gym. Heated my leg up in the whirl pool for about 10 minutes, then hit the bike for 15. The bike is much easier than it was two or three weeks ago. Upping the resistance right away and pedaling faster. After the bike it was 45 minutes on the elliptical. Once again, getting the resistance and my cadence up much higher on this. Hit it pretty fucking hard today. Headed to the pool after the elliptical and after 10 minutes of waiting in the whirl pool, a lane finally opened up. Just did 15 minutes.
Today knocked the shit out of me, but it felt good. My patellar doesn't feel particularly great, but that's to be expected. Much more worried about any pain that shows up in my calf and/or shin, as I immediately think it's the same pain as before my surgery. No problems thus far, but I'm nervous as hell.
After work, I went straight to the gym. Heated my leg up in the whirl pool for about 10 minutes, then hit the bike for 15. The bike is much easier than it was two or three weeks ago. Upping the resistance right away and pedaling faster. After the bike it was 45 minutes on the elliptical. Once again, getting the resistance and my cadence up much higher on this. Hit it pretty fucking hard today. Headed to the pool after the elliptical and after 10 minutes of waiting in the whirl pool, a lane finally opened up. Just did 15 minutes.
Today knocked the shit out of me, but it felt good. My patellar doesn't feel particularly great, but that's to be expected. Much more worried about any pain that shows up in my calf and/or shin, as I immediately think it's the same pain as before my surgery. No problems thus far, but I'm nervous as hell.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Running Again
Apologies for the lack of updates. I was out-of-town for a week on Phish tour, and I am now quite busy with the start of work. Or at least those are my excuses.
During my week away, I managed to give my recovering leg all the work it could handle via vigorous dancing. In fact, I'm pretty sure I strained my calf while away. Nonetheless, I began running last Tuesday.
Tuesday, June 9 - 2 minute jog, 1 minute walk for 15 minutes for 10 minutes of running total. As I said, my calf was pretty sore. It wasn't at its worst yet, but it was definitely what hurt me most.
Thursday, June 11 - repeat Tuesday. This time my calf was a bit worse, but I still felt better running. This is all about just getting my legs under me, so I'm focusing on my form. The walk breaks are meant to make sure my recovering leg does not begin to hurt. That would be bad. And even worse if I continued to run on it.
Saturday, June 13 - 2 minute jog, 1 minute walk for 21 minutes followed by 1 minute jog for 15 minutes of running total. My calf was really about at its worst. I've been icing and stretching and massaging, but it feels really fucking tight. However, it's a different kind of tight than I started with. More like it's recovering than freshly strained. Gonna continue to run through it.
Monday, June 15 - 2 minutes jog, 1 walk, 2 jog, 1 walk, 3 jog, 1 walk, 3 jog 1 walk, 3 jog, 1 walk, 2 jog, 1 walk, 2 jog -- that's 17 minutes of jogging followed by a couple of strides at a fast run. My calf is feeling a lot better, I'm feeling a lot better. My feet are under me a bit more, and I'm not coughing up a lung when I run thanks to my cross training over the last few weeks.
I've been cross training as well, just didn't log it. I need to start doing that. I now have a notebook to log my training, and I'm usually more consistent writing down my work.
I'm confident now that I can run a few miles without too much trouble, so the rest will be cutting out. Next week I want to run 5 days and hit maybe 20 miles, so this week I will build towards that. Then it's July, and I should be cleared to hit the trails a bit. Thinking if everything goes well in that 20 mile week, I'll add in a 6th day and increase to mid-30s over the next two after that. I think I can hit 45-50 per week by the end of July. Cross training will remain heavy of course.
Shit, I might actually get to train in August if all goes well.
During my week away, I managed to give my recovering leg all the work it could handle via vigorous dancing. In fact, I'm pretty sure I strained my calf while away. Nonetheless, I began running last Tuesday.
Tuesday, June 9 - 2 minute jog, 1 minute walk for 15 minutes for 10 minutes of running total. As I said, my calf was pretty sore. It wasn't at its worst yet, but it was definitely what hurt me most.
Thursday, June 11 - repeat Tuesday. This time my calf was a bit worse, but I still felt better running. This is all about just getting my legs under me, so I'm focusing on my form. The walk breaks are meant to make sure my recovering leg does not begin to hurt. That would be bad. And even worse if I continued to run on it.
Saturday, June 13 - 2 minute jog, 1 minute walk for 21 minutes followed by 1 minute jog for 15 minutes of running total. My calf was really about at its worst. I've been icing and stretching and massaging, but it feels really fucking tight. However, it's a different kind of tight than I started with. More like it's recovering than freshly strained. Gonna continue to run through it.
Monday, June 15 - 2 minutes jog, 1 walk, 2 jog, 1 walk, 3 jog, 1 walk, 3 jog 1 walk, 3 jog, 1 walk, 2 jog, 1 walk, 2 jog -- that's 17 minutes of jogging followed by a couple of strides at a fast run. My calf is feeling a lot better, I'm feeling a lot better. My feet are under me a bit more, and I'm not coughing up a lung when I run thanks to my cross training over the last few weeks.
I've been cross training as well, just didn't log it. I need to start doing that. I now have a notebook to log my training, and I'm usually more consistent writing down my work.
I'm confident now that I can run a few miles without too much trouble, so the rest will be cutting out. Next week I want to run 5 days and hit maybe 20 miles, so this week I will build towards that. Then it's July, and I should be cleared to hit the trails a bit. Thinking if everything goes well in that 20 mile week, I'll add in a 6th day and increase to mid-30s over the next two after that. I think I can hit 45-50 per week by the end of July. Cross training will remain heavy of course.
Shit, I might actually get to train in August if all goes well.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Swimming and a cold bike ride
Got my staples out today. Doctor said everything looks great. I'm still trying to digest everything he said about returning to running. The difficulty is that this Doc knows me. I've been going to him for about a decade now, and he knows that I'm gonna push the limits of whatever he says. If he tells me to start out running 10 minutes on grass every other day and build 10% per week, he knows I'll be running 20-30 minutes everyday by the second week. So more on that in a later post.
I was cleared to hit the water today, so I went to the gym... and discovered that the deepest the pool gets is 4 1/2 feet. How am I supposed to aqua jog in that shit? So swimming it was. Swam for 30 minutes, switching strokes about every 5 minutes. Did front -> back -> front -> breast (hehe) -> front (3 min) -> back (4 min) -> front (3 min). Yes, I just laughed at breast stroke, and yes, I turn 22 next week. The swimming felt good. Not as difficult as I thought it would be.
After swimming, I headed home and got out my mountain bike. It was dark. My neighbors probably think I am crazy. Oh wait, they've seen me running at 3 am before. Nevermind. I didn't realize that the temperature had dropped 20 degrees since my doctor appointment. I was wearing running tight shorts instead of bike shorts. It was quite cold. Did 30 minutes.
My leg was feeling good today. I was a little worried that it would be hurting after a late night dancing at my buddy's concert last night, but no problems.
Good talk. See you out there.
I was cleared to hit the water today, so I went to the gym... and discovered that the deepest the pool gets is 4 1/2 feet. How am I supposed to aqua jog in that shit? So swimming it was. Swam for 30 minutes, switching strokes about every 5 minutes. Did front -> back -> front -> breast (hehe) -> front (3 min) -> back (4 min) -> front (3 min). Yes, I just laughed at breast stroke, and yes, I turn 22 next week. The swimming felt good. Not as difficult as I thought it would be.
After swimming, I headed home and got out my mountain bike. It was dark. My neighbors probably think I am crazy. Oh wait, they've seen me running at 3 am before. Nevermind. I didn't realize that the temperature had dropped 20 degrees since my doctor appointment. I was wearing running tight shorts instead of bike shorts. It was quite cold. Did 30 minutes.
My leg was feeling good today. I was a little worried that it would be hurting after a late night dancing at my buddy's concert last night, but no problems.
Good talk. See you out there.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
That Fire
Hit the gym again today. My leg felt fine after two straight days of cross training, so I made it three. Did 25 minutes on the bike and then 35 on the elliptical to also make it my highest volume since the surgery. Felt great. I hit both the bike and the elliptical pretty hard. Heart rate didn't get higher than 150 or so on the bike, but I got it up into the 170's for just a little on the elliptical. Thinking about getting a heart rate monitor for when I'm back running.
Doctor tomorrow to get the stitches out. Hoping he clears me to run at 4 weeks out.
I'm very pleased with the way I'm cross training right now. Usually it's a real struggle not to sit on my ass when I can't run, but this time it's different. I've got a fire lit under me like never before. I trained my butt off for years to run fast, but this is a completely different feeling. I don't know how fast I'll ever be again. If I run cross country, there's no way I'll be anywhere near the times I ran three years ago. And yet I don't think I've ever wanted to train harder than I do right now.
I'm eating healthier than ever, I'm actually cross training, I'm stretching, I'm icing, and I'm not doing anything too stupid with this leg. Hell, I'm not even drinking other than an occasional beer. My sleep isn't great yet, but that will change as soon as I start work. Then it's a simple schedule: 5:45 wake-up, 6:15 run, work at camp, second training session (cross training until I can run twice per day), dinner, downtime, sleep by 10. I have to keep myself to that bedtime. Fuck distractions. I have one goal this summer: run cross country.
Doctor tomorrow to get the stitches out. Hoping he clears me to run at 4 weeks out.
I'm very pleased with the way I'm cross training right now. Usually it's a real struggle not to sit on my ass when I can't run, but this time it's different. I've got a fire lit under me like never before. I trained my butt off for years to run fast, but this is a completely different feeling. I don't know how fast I'll ever be again. If I run cross country, there's no way I'll be anywhere near the times I ran three years ago. And yet I don't think I've ever wanted to train harder than I do right now.
I'm eating healthier than ever, I'm actually cross training, I'm stretching, I'm icing, and I'm not doing anything too stupid with this leg. Hell, I'm not even drinking other than an occasional beer. My sleep isn't great yet, but that will change as soon as I start work. Then it's a simple schedule: 5:45 wake-up, 6:15 run, work at camp, second training session (cross training until I can run twice per day), dinner, downtime, sleep by 10. I have to keep myself to that bedtime. Fuck distractions. I have one goal this summer: run cross country.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Feeling Great
I expected my leg to be pretty tight today after my longest day of cross training since the surgery yesterday. It turns out my only complaint is that the calf is tight from the bruising. My cold is also gone, so I'm feeling goooood.
Hit the gym yet again. 15 minutes on the bike to warm up. Knee felt fine, so the resistance went up pretty quick. Headed over to the elliptical after that for 25 minutes. Ended up going pretty hard. Felt great. Really, really happy about the way this leg is feeling two weeks out from surgery. Feels like it's almost ready for running, though I still have to play it safe.
If I'm feeling alright tomorrow, I'm gonna try to make it an hour of cross training. Staples come out Friday. Only issue is that the lower incision is a bit irritated, we think from the staples. Looks like that one's gonna scar which is a little disappointing, but I guess that happens with surgery. The big incision up top looks so good that I'm not sure it'll even scar.
Off to sleep.
Hit the gym yet again. 15 minutes on the bike to warm up. Knee felt fine, so the resistance went up pretty quick. Headed over to the elliptical after that for 25 minutes. Ended up going pretty hard. Felt great. Really, really happy about the way this leg is feeling two weeks out from surgery. Feels like it's almost ready for running, though I still have to play it safe.
If I'm feeling alright tomorrow, I'm gonna try to make it an hour of cross training. Staples come out Friday. Only issue is that the lower incision is a bit irritated, we think from the staples. Looks like that one's gonna scar which is a little disappointing, but I guess that happens with surgery. The big incision up top looks so good that I'm not sure it'll even scar.
Off to sleep.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Cross training... again
Started off on the bike for 20 minutes mostly pretty easy. Around 90 rpm basically the whole time without much protest from my knee. Hit the elliptical after for 30 minutes. Got the resistance up a bit towards the middle. Also played with the incline and got that up a bit towards the middle since this was one of the fancy new machines where you can do that. Not too sure who the incline affects difficulty or muscles used. Can't say that I care that much... just another diversion when I'm stuck cross training inside.
I need to get onto a good sleep schedule. But with no work, no school, and no running, it seems almost impossible. I'm getting enough sleep for the most part, though when I get back to running, I need to be strict with myself and make it 8-9 hours per night.
I need to get onto a good sleep schedule. But with no work, no school, and no running, it seems almost impossible. I'm getting enough sleep for the most part, though when I get back to running, I need to be strict with myself and make it 8-9 hours per night.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Again to Gym and facing the Scale
This cold really has me knocked out. I feel more doped-up now than when I was on the pain meds. And I'm not even on cold medicine right now. However, about an hour before hitting the gym, I took a pill with a decongestant and antihistamine. I was in la-la land for my workout which I guess wasn't such a bad thing. Hit the elliptical for 30 minutes, keeping the resistance low since my knee was pretty stiff today. At 10 and 20 minutes I stopped for a few seconds to bend the knee and loosen it up a bit. It still doesn't like all the blood rushing through it though the bruises are really subsiding. The staples are definitely ready to come out as they're irritating the skin just a bit. Have to wait for my appointment of Friday.
So now to tackle the bigger issue. Which luckily is not as big as it was about a month ago. My weight. If I want to be at all competitive again, I have to drop to a reasonable racing weight. I do not know exactly what that is. In high school, it was nearly constantly 137 pounds. In college before I was hurt, it was between 145 and 150. I ran my 5,000m PR nearly 10 pounds heavier than my high school weight which probably indicates a gain in muscle and height rather than fat. I was 1/2 - 1 inch taller by winter break freshman year and clearly stronger based on my times.
So then there's me today. I was 176 pounds this afternoon. That's fat. However, I've also shown myself over the past month that I can lose weight, as I peaked somewhere around 185, maybe to the 190 side, in mid-April. I ran a bit in late-April and early-May, but the gains (errr... losses) really came from watching what I ate. I virtually eliminated fried foods and stopped gorging myself on delicious Somerville/Medford take-out. At home, it's really easy to eat healthy. Whole wheat pastas, long grain rice, lean chicken, beans, fruit, vegetables, salad, yogurt, and other nutritious items are readily available, and I have plenty of time (and clean dishes) to cook. Basically, I need to make sure any weight loss comes from training and healthy food choices, not starving myself. Besides, I love food too much to do such a thing.
So time to set some goals which are subject to change suddenly and drastically. I figure I'll be around 170 again (same as last summer) at the start of work at summer camp June 15th. And I'll just be starting to run. The combination of running and knock-me-on-my-ass work days is always a great recipe for weight loss. So 1-2 weeks into July, I'm aiming for 165; first week of August, I'm looking at 160; and at the start of XC camp in September, I want to be at a (relatively) lean 155. Cross country season can then knock off any weight it wants to. I'm just gonna focus on running my fucking ass off all season. Of course, I've never worried much about weight before so if I'm 160 or 165 in September but ran almost every day of the summer, so be it.
And since I really don't care about my weight goals, I just wasted 15 minutes of my time typing this and 5 minutes of yours if you read it. What can I say? I'm stir-crazy between no work, no school, and no running.
So now to tackle the bigger issue. Which luckily is not as big as it was about a month ago. My weight. If I want to be at all competitive again, I have to drop to a reasonable racing weight. I do not know exactly what that is. In high school, it was nearly constantly 137 pounds. In college before I was hurt, it was between 145 and 150. I ran my 5,000m PR nearly 10 pounds heavier than my high school weight which probably indicates a gain in muscle and height rather than fat. I was 1/2 - 1 inch taller by winter break freshman year and clearly stronger based on my times.
So then there's me today. I was 176 pounds this afternoon. That's fat. However, I've also shown myself over the past month that I can lose weight, as I peaked somewhere around 185, maybe to the 190 side, in mid-April. I ran a bit in late-April and early-May, but the gains (errr... losses) really came from watching what I ate. I virtually eliminated fried foods and stopped gorging myself on delicious Somerville/Medford take-out. At home, it's really easy to eat healthy. Whole wheat pastas, long grain rice, lean chicken, beans, fruit, vegetables, salad, yogurt, and other nutritious items are readily available, and I have plenty of time (and clean dishes) to cook. Basically, I need to make sure any weight loss comes from training and healthy food choices, not starving myself. Besides, I love food too much to do such a thing.
So time to set some goals which are subject to change suddenly and drastically. I figure I'll be around 170 again (same as last summer) at the start of work at summer camp June 15th. And I'll just be starting to run. The combination of running and knock-me-on-my-ass work days is always a great recipe for weight loss. So 1-2 weeks into July, I'm aiming for 165; first week of August, I'm looking at 160; and at the start of XC camp in September, I want to be at a (relatively) lean 155. Cross country season can then knock off any weight it wants to. I'm just gonna focus on running my fucking ass off all season. Of course, I've never worried much about weight before so if I'm 160 or 165 in September but ran almost every day of the summer, so be it.
And since I really don't care about my weight goals, I just wasted 15 minutes of my time typing this and 5 minutes of yours if you read it. What can I say? I'm stir-crazy between no work, no school, and no running.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Back to the gym
Headed back to the gym today after giving the leg some semi-rest yesterday. In reality, the leg maybe got overworked yesterday while at my high school's sectional meet. Lots of standing and walking which really makes my knee swell up still with all the bruising. To get onto the infield when I arrived at the meet, I needed to jog across the track. To my (pleasant) surprise, the leg felt fine jogging. Obviously, I'm a few weeks away from actual running, but it's a great feeling to have this little trouble barely a week out of surgery.
At the gym, I planned to get 35-40 minutes of work in on the bike and elliptical. I started out on the elliptical, planning to hit 25 minutes. Baylor's 12th straight victory in the 4x400m at Big 12's kept me going an extra minute for a total of 26. I moved over to the bike and found my knee pretty stiff and a bit sore from the elliptical, so I started out slow and easy. The knee eventually loosened up some, and I sped up, but kept the resistance fairly low for the 10 minutes I spent on the bike.
After stretching, I felt just a bit of stiffness and soreness in the knee, but not too bad for over 35 minutes of work. My biggest problem right now is that I'm battling a cold. Really, who gets a cold in May? I iced the knee when I returned home and it's feeling pretty alright. Today was also my first day off of pain meds, so I expect to be feeling it a bit more.
At the gym, I planned to get 35-40 minutes of work in on the bike and elliptical. I started out on the elliptical, planning to hit 25 minutes. Baylor's 12th straight victory in the 4x400m at Big 12's kept me going an extra minute for a total of 26. I moved over to the bike and found my knee pretty stiff and a bit sore from the elliptical, so I started out slow and easy. The knee eventually loosened up some, and I sped up, but kept the resistance fairly low for the 10 minutes I spent on the bike.
After stretching, I felt just a bit of stiffness and soreness in the knee, but not too bad for over 35 minutes of work. My biggest problem right now is that I'm battling a cold. Really, who gets a cold in May? I iced the knee when I returned home and it's feeling pretty alright. Today was also my first day off of pain meds, so I expect to be feeling it a bit more.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Hitting the Gym
I just returned from my first workout post-surgery. It wasn't anything too exciting, just testing out my bionic leg (har har har). I took 1 Norco and 2 ibu profin around 1 today, and then the same before I left to work out around 6:30. I'm keeping track of the medicine so that I know how much my pain (or lack thereof) is natural and how much is chemically induced.
I started out with 15 minutes easy on the recumbent stationary bike. My knee was a little bit tight and sore at the top of my stroke, but that seemed to subside after a few minutes. Towards the end, as I increased resistance a bit, I felt just a little bit of soreness once again. Overall, no major (or minor) problems.
I then did about 15 minutes on the elliptical. Tried to keep my cadence up and added a little resistance later. No problems here. Occasionally a twinge of pain when I came down hard on the left, but nothing else.
Stretched out fairly well and it still feels loose now, about an hour later. Maybe tightening up just a little. I plan on icing for a bit just in case.
I started out with 15 minutes easy on the recumbent stationary bike. My knee was a little bit tight and sore at the top of my stroke, but that seemed to subside after a few minutes. Towards the end, as I increased resistance a bit, I felt just a little bit of soreness once again. Overall, no major (or minor) problems.
I then did about 15 minutes on the elliptical. Tried to keep my cadence up and added a little resistance later. No problems here. Occasionally a twinge of pain when I came down hard on the left, but nothing else.
Stretched out fairly well and it still feels loose now, about an hour later. Maybe tightening up just a little. I plan on icing for a bit just in case.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Speedy Recovery
I went to the doctor today and had my leg unwrapped for the first time. The leg was pretty bruised, though that has subsided some the last two days. The incisions are healing very well, the doctor was happy with my pain level, and I was cleared to hit the elliptical and stationary bike (I'm assuming he said stationary because he doesn't want me crashing me road or mountain bike). I worked on bending my knee the last two days, and it's now able to bend within about an inch of where it's supposed to.
The incisions are all vertical. What that does is allow me to bend me knee and ankle without pulling at the healing wounds. All three incisions are closed with staples. The top incision where the titanium IM rod was inserted just below my knee cap and slightly to the inside of center is an inch and a half at most and closed with 6 staples. The other incision near my knee about an inch lower and half an inch further inside. This one was used to insert a screw that holds the rod stable in my bone. The incision is between 1/2 and 3/4 of an inch and closed with 3 staples. The final incision was made just above my ankle and further inside to drain the excess bone marrow, blood, etc. It's less than half and inch and closed with 3 more staples. The doctor used a 9 mm rod, the smallest diameter available, because my bone was actually in very good health; it was dense so no bigger rod would fit.
The x-rays are pretty sweet. You can see the rod all the way down the bone, including the screw that holds it in place. The bone is more hollow near the bottom so you can see the pockets not filled by the rod. These are still filled with bone marrow.
The incisions are all vertical. What that does is allow me to bend me knee and ankle without pulling at the healing wounds. All three incisions are closed with staples. The top incision where the titanium IM rod was inserted just below my knee cap and slightly to the inside of center is an inch and a half at most and closed with 6 staples. The other incision near my knee about an inch lower and half an inch further inside. This one was used to insert a screw that holds the rod stable in my bone. The incision is between 1/2 and 3/4 of an inch and closed with 3 staples. The final incision was made just above my ankle and further inside to drain the excess bone marrow, blood, etc. It's less than half and inch and closed with 3 more staples. The doctor used a 9 mm rod, the smallest diameter available, because my bone was actually in very good health; it was dense so no bigger rod would fit.
The x-rays are pretty sweet. You can see the rod all the way down the bone, including the screw that holds it in place. The bone is more hollow near the bottom so you can see the pockets not filled by the rod. These are still filled with bone marrow.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Cautiously Aggressive
Even if I am running by the doctors' earliest estimate of June 10th, I will have less than three months to pound myself into shape before the season. That means I have to be aggressive, but I also have to stay healthy.
The balance between too much and too little is a constant battle for the distance runner, and in my case, it will be imperative to strike exactly the right formula. I'd love to go out and run 100 mile weeks and feel like death warmed over from day to day. It's a good kind of tired. But I know my body cannot handle that, nor will I have the time to safely build to that mileage. However, 8 kilometers is going to be quite a long race if I cannot run some sort of high mileage by August.
Over the next few weeks, I must do all that I can to get my body ready for the workload. I need to eat healthier and cross train so that I lose weight and can handle the shock of a faster mileage build-up than is ideal. Moreover, I need to fit plenty of icing and stretching into my routine to prevent injury and allow my muscles to recover from a workload they haven't experienced in over two years.
The most important things I can do this summer are remember to take it day-by-day and listen to my body. I usually give myself strict mileage goals, but the variability in my conditioning will make this nearly impossible. I may find myself in July struggling to complete a 40 mile week, or I may end up cruising through a 50 mile week. Like never before, I will have to tune in to my body in order to efficiently use the limited time that I have.
On Tuesday I visit my doctor to have a new dressing put on my leg. I will get to see the leg for the first time since my surgery, and I will also get to discuss recovery with my doctor. Judging from the way I feel, I think I could be back even sooner than expected, or at the very least, I will be able to cross train earlier than we thought. Whatever the case, this summer is going to be the most challenging and potentially rewarding period of my running career.
The balance between too much and too little is a constant battle for the distance runner, and in my case, it will be imperative to strike exactly the right formula. I'd love to go out and run 100 mile weeks and feel like death warmed over from day to day. It's a good kind of tired. But I know my body cannot handle that, nor will I have the time to safely build to that mileage. However, 8 kilometers is going to be quite a long race if I cannot run some sort of high mileage by August.
Over the next few weeks, I must do all that I can to get my body ready for the workload. I need to eat healthier and cross train so that I lose weight and can handle the shock of a faster mileage build-up than is ideal. Moreover, I need to fit plenty of icing and stretching into my routine to prevent injury and allow my muscles to recover from a workload they haven't experienced in over two years.
The most important things I can do this summer are remember to take it day-by-day and listen to my body. I usually give myself strict mileage goals, but the variability in my conditioning will make this nearly impossible. I may find myself in July struggling to complete a 40 mile week, or I may end up cruising through a 50 mile week. Like never before, I will have to tune in to my body in order to efficiently use the limited time that I have.
On Tuesday I visit my doctor to have a new dressing put on my leg. I will get to see the leg for the first time since my surgery, and I will also get to discuss recovery with my doctor. Judging from the way I feel, I think I could be back even sooner than expected, or at the very least, I will be able to cross train earlier than we thought. Whatever the case, this summer is going to be the most challenging and potentially rewarding period of my running career.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
And so it begins
It's nearly 5 a.m. I've been browsing running websites and shooting out messages to my summer training group for the past 3 hours. I'm anxious.
Two days ago, I had surgery to repair my injured leg. I haven't run competitively in over 2 years, an amount of time that still seems unfathomable to a man who has put in more thousands of miles over the years than he cares to think about at the moment.
But now my injury is repaired. I will run again next month once my leg has healed, and I will have the entire summer to train for an eventual return to racing. It will be a difficult road to recovery. I am fat. I am slow. I have lost all of the fitness I built up through 3 years of high mileage training. But I have not lost the drive to run faster, further, and harder than ever before.
I'm filled with countless emotions. I'm excited to run and to be fit. I'm nervous that I won't be able to get into shape or that the surgery will not work. I'm angry at two years and seven seasons wasted. All of these feelings jumble together in my mind. There is only one way to sort them out: mile by mile on the trails this summer.
Two days ago, I had surgery to repair my injured leg. I haven't run competitively in over 2 years, an amount of time that still seems unfathomable to a man who has put in more thousands of miles over the years than he cares to think about at the moment.
But now my injury is repaired. I will run again next month once my leg has healed, and I will have the entire summer to train for an eventual return to racing. It will be a difficult road to recovery. I am fat. I am slow. I have lost all of the fitness I built up through 3 years of high mileage training. But I have not lost the drive to run faster, further, and harder than ever before.
I'm filled with countless emotions. I'm excited to run and to be fit. I'm nervous that I won't be able to get into shape or that the surgery will not work. I'm angry at two years and seven seasons wasted. All of these feelings jumble together in my mind. There is only one way to sort them out: mile by mile on the trails this summer.
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