Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
One Point Eight
Last night I ran for the first time in two weeks. I was hoping to get in at least 4 miles, but all I could muster was 1.8. It was supposed to be a test for my IT band in my left leg. Turns out the one in my right leg isn’t doing so hot. True, I have neglected it the past couple weeks, focusing on the lame leg instead. But I think the 13.4 mile hike deep into the Adirondack back country is more to blame. Turns out hiking in rough terrain is high impact. Who knew?
My “bad” leg seemed ok. A bit tight. My “good” leg did not feel so good. I could have run through it, but then perhaps the cycle would start all over again with the other leg. So I didn’t. I walked back to my parent’s house (I was in upstate NY) a bit frustrated, but determined to give it another go tonight.
I am a few miles outside of Milwaukee in a Ford Excursion with my family. We have been on the road since 6 this morning. We’ll arrive at our hotel around 9:41pm, unpack the vehicle, and I’ll find a place to put in some miles. I just hope it’s well lit and not on a highway.
**Update**
I was way too tired to run when we arrived at the hotel. This morning i woke at 6:30am for two conference calls (work, work work...) and hit the road around 9am. Again, I only made it about 1.8 miles before my leg started acting up. I stopped to stretch it some and continued. I would not let this stop me today. so I pushed through and did about 4 miles. I stretched, rolled out both quads as instructed, iced my IT bands, ate some breakfast, and now I will continue with my day. Tomorrow is another day and I plan on running another 4-5 miles.
My “bad” leg seemed ok. A bit tight. My “good” leg did not feel so good. I could have run through it, but then perhaps the cycle would start all over again with the other leg. So I didn’t. I walked back to my parent’s house (I was in upstate NY) a bit frustrated, but determined to give it another go tonight.
I am a few miles outside of Milwaukee in a Ford Excursion with my family. We have been on the road since 6 this morning. We’ll arrive at our hotel around 9:41pm, unpack the vehicle, and I’ll find a place to put in some miles. I just hope it’s well lit and not on a highway.
**Update**
I was way too tired to run when we arrived at the hotel. This morning i woke at 6:30am for two conference calls (work, work work...) and hit the road around 9am. Again, I only made it about 1.8 miles before my leg started acting up. I stopped to stretch it some and continued. I would not let this stop me today. so I pushed through and did about 4 miles. I stretched, rolled out both quads as instructed, iced my IT bands, ate some breakfast, and now I will continue with my day. Tomorrow is another day and I plan on running another 4-5 miles.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Fourteen Weeks for a Twenty Week Program
Coach Michael tells me I've strained my iliotibial band.
I've been experiencing pain on the outside of my left knee now since mid June. Days of rest seemed the only cure. But when training for a marathon, rest isn't something I can afford in that quantity. I have run through pain before. Actually, it's a pretty regular occurrence, as all endurance athletes will tell you. A healthy pain will dissipate over a few miles. Or if it happens to be the last few in your race, it doesn't matter since you'll be finished soon. But the pain I have been experiencing leaves me hobbled and limping for days. No, not good.
I broke down and finally made an appointment at Finishline Physical Therapy so that Coach Michael could check under the hood and tell me what I'm doing wrong. He was one of my first running coaches with Team In Training and has helped me right myself a couple times before. Fairly quickly, he was able to make the diagnosis. He worked on my leg for almost an hour, then told me in detail how I should be stretching and rolling out my leg. Turns out I had been doing that all wrong for the last couple weeks. Great.
After two weeks and two more visits, I am left with just shy of fourteen weeks to train. It is crunch time. Serious crunch time. Coach gave me the green light to start running again, building my mileage slowly (not doing this got me into this mess). Tomorrow I am going to test my leg and if it feels good after a five mile run, I will feel better about my chances in the NYC Marathon.
So what have I been doing for the last couple weeks?
I turned to spinning. You know, the exercise bikes at the gym. Apparently low impact leg workouts are A-OK for my IT band issues. So I've been spinning and lifting weights- squats, leg presses, etc, in hope that I can somehow retain the strength my legs had before this all started. I have been considering doing a triathlon. Granted, it's been two years since I've been on a bicycle (15 years since being on a road bike), and I cannot submerge in water without plugging my nose. Yet I somehow think it's a good idea. Spinning only made me more curious.
This past weekend Pie-man and I volunteered at the Lake Placid Ironman. We filled the weekend with camping, volunteering, hiking, and cycling. We covered about 14 miles one day and 16 miles the next on the hills in the area, he on his road bike, me on my mountain bike. My quads were screaming. They were simultaneously crying, "What on earth are you do to us?" and "We want more... give us more!". Hmmm....
But the next fourteen weeks need to be about pavement-pounding miles: Running. I need to run. Fingers crossed, tomorrow will go smoothly.
[caption id="attachment_22" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Winner Maik Twelsiek way ahead at mile 65"]
[/caption]
I've been experiencing pain on the outside of my left knee now since mid June. Days of rest seemed the only cure. But when training for a marathon, rest isn't something I can afford in that quantity. I have run through pain before. Actually, it's a pretty regular occurrence, as all endurance athletes will tell you. A healthy pain will dissipate over a few miles. Or if it happens to be the last few in your race, it doesn't matter since you'll be finished soon. But the pain I have been experiencing leaves me hobbled and limping for days. No, not good.
I broke down and finally made an appointment at Finishline Physical Therapy so that Coach Michael could check under the hood and tell me what I'm doing wrong. He was one of my first running coaches with Team In Training and has helped me right myself a couple times before. Fairly quickly, he was able to make the diagnosis. He worked on my leg for almost an hour, then told me in detail how I should be stretching and rolling out my leg. Turns out I had been doing that all wrong for the last couple weeks. Great.
After two weeks and two more visits, I am left with just shy of fourteen weeks to train. It is crunch time. Serious crunch time. Coach gave me the green light to start running again, building my mileage slowly (not doing this got me into this mess). Tomorrow I am going to test my leg and if it feels good after a five mile run, I will feel better about my chances in the NYC Marathon.
So what have I been doing for the last couple weeks?
I turned to spinning. You know, the exercise bikes at the gym. Apparently low impact leg workouts are A-OK for my IT band issues. So I've been spinning and lifting weights- squats, leg presses, etc, in hope that I can somehow retain the strength my legs had before this all started. I have been considering doing a triathlon. Granted, it's been two years since I've been on a bicycle (15 years since being on a road bike), and I cannot submerge in water without plugging my nose. Yet I somehow think it's a good idea. Spinning only made me more curious.
This past weekend Pie-man and I volunteered at the Lake Placid Ironman. We filled the weekend with camping, volunteering, hiking, and cycling. We covered about 14 miles one day and 16 miles the next on the hills in the area, he on his road bike, me on my mountain bike. My quads were screaming. They were simultaneously crying, "What on earth are you do to us?" and "We want more... give us more!". Hmmm....
But the next fourteen weeks need to be about pavement-pounding miles: Running. I need to run. Fingers crossed, tomorrow will go smoothly.
[caption id="attachment_22" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Winner Maik Twelsiek way ahead at mile 65"]
[/caption]
Number Three
Three years ago I ran my first marathon with Team In Training, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's endurance training/fund raising program. K, my girlfriend at the time, inspired me to accomplish this feat with the intent of supporting an organization worthy of our efforts. Over the span of five months and hundreds of miles, we raised a combined $12,000. I was hooked.
November first of this year, I will be running my third marathon, and it will be my second effort with the LLS. Thanks to the generous individuals who have already contributed in the last week, I have raised $750 in the last week!
A fellow running junkie, Pie-man, suggested I share my training progress with whomever may be interested, especially those who give their hard earned money toward the cause. I'm not entirely convinced anyone is as interested in reading about running as I am in writing about it, but just in case...
I formally intruduce my running blog. Yes, that's right, I blog now.
And if you have an itch to support a cause, I suggest this one: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
November first of this year, I will be running my third marathon, and it will be my second effort with the LLS. Thanks to the generous individuals who have already contributed in the last week, I have raised $750 in the last week!
A fellow running junkie, Pie-man, suggested I share my training progress with whomever may be interested, especially those who give their hard earned money toward the cause. I'm not entirely convinced anyone is as interested in reading about running as I am in writing about it, but just in case...
I formally intruduce my running blog. Yes, that's right, I blog now.
And if you have an itch to support a cause, I suggest this one: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)