This past Sunday I ran 13.1 miles along the Charles River and it was an "easy" long run. I've got two more long runs before the marathon; 21 miles this weekend on the marathon course (Hopkinton to BC) and then another 13-14 the following weekend. The weekend before the marathon is a short run (6-8 miles) and then taper until the big day. It's getting closer, and I'm getting a little anxious about not doing anything new or different that would risk injury. The legs are feeling pretty good and I want them to stay that way for another three weeks.
The run this weekend is a dry run for the marathon - I'm going to be using the same clothes, socks, shoes, etc. The forecast is for temps in the 30's and sunny, hopefully the race day will be a little warmer than that. But there's no rain (or snow) in the forecast so that's a plus. This weekend is the time when all the fund raising (Plug! Plug!) groups stage a supported run along the route. I've never seen the start of the course so it will be great getting some experience on the downhill at the start. Runners say that the downhill is the hard part, so it's important to me to know what to expect.
I'm trying not to look past Patriot's Day. I have all sorts of plans for the spring and summer but I'll just have to wait and see how I feel after the race. I may never want to do one of these again or I may sign up for a fall marathon. Let's get one finished before I worry about that.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Light at the End of the Tunnel?
I'm basking in the glow of an 18.5 mile run yesterday. I'm also sitting with an ice pack on my left knee as a preventive measure, but otherwise feeling pretty good. I took a full week off after the last long run, skied up to Tuckerman Ravine the following Saturday, then did a few easy runs last week. They were treadmill sessions, 3.1 and 4.3 miles, and my knee felt pretty good. I've started using an ITB compression wrap that seems to help alleviate the pain and inflammation.
This past weekend was the NATO Telefest at Mad River Glen, an event I've attended for the past 10 years or so that I wasn't prepared to miss. We skied all day on Saturday and I drove home Sunday morning, getting home by noon and starting my run at 1:00 PM. It was pretty warm, but there were some cold breezes so I ended up with more clothing than I needed. I chose to run along the Charles River on the bike path, parking the car on the Cambridge side and looping up around the Beacon St bridge. That would be close to 15 miles, and depending on how I felt I would add another loop. At around 2 miles I felt a little discomfort, not quite pain, from my left knee and I was worried that this would be another disappointing run.
But nothing else happened. Headwinds along the Boston side of the river were a pain, but I made it through to the Harvard bridges, then Elliot St, then Arsenal St, still feeling pretty good. As I crossed the river at Beacon I was feeling pretty positive, thinking that 20 miles wasn't out of the question. The next stretch was a bit taxing, as it seemed to take forever to hit 10 miles according to my watch, then the rest of the mileage ticked by slowly. I was keeping a steady pace, just over 10 minute miles, and my MP3 player was helping me ignore the time. Running on dirt was also a big help, and I'm sure my knees are thanking me for that today.
At the Elliot St bridge I did some quick calculations and figured I'd be around 14 when I got back to my car. Since I wanted to run further than that I had a few options but decided to just continue the loop and then run a second, smaller loop to add mileage as needed. I could feel that I needed more fluids at this point and was cursing the fact that my belt only carries two bottles, not four. Food wasn't a problem but liquid certain was beginning to affect me. At the car I decided to keep running rather than stop for the Gatorade I had stashed in there, reasoning that the last two times I had problems with my ITB it was after a stop. Up til now I hadn't stopped at all on the run, just a few jogging in place moments at traffic lights.
So, the second loop started and I passed by the Science Museum again, then along the windy Boston side of the Esplanade. There were times I just put my head down and watched the path in front of my feet just rolling by. Slowly. I knew the pace had slowed down but it really didn't matter to me; I was still running 10:35s and that was fine. Across the Mass Ave bridge (go Smoots!) and looping back towards my car as my watch ticked to 18 miles! Woo hoo! I had broken yet another barrier that I'd placed in front of myself. At this point I was out of water and I felt my calves beginning to cramp up a little. Rather than push on to 20 miles I decided to loop across Memorial Drive and shoot for 18.5 to finish. That would be a success for me.
At the car I stopped for the first time in 3 hours, waiting for my knee to lock up in pain. But nothing happened, it still was a bit tender but no real pain. A very positive sign. I got the Gatorade from the car and spent a little time stretching, then drove home. Getting out of my car at home I experienced some real cramping of my thigh, to the point where I couldn't walk or even shuffle, I just had to stand and stretch in place until the pain subsided. At home I drank lots more, ate some, and stretched for 20 minutes. Then I sat in an ice bath for 5 of the most painful minutes I've ever experienced.
Today I'm feeling pretty good, muscles and joints mostly fine, with a little tenderness in the ITB. I've been applying ice and taking some Ibuprofen to keep the pain and any swelling down, so far so good. Not sure when the next run is coming up, tomorrow or the next day, but I'm actually looking forward to the 20 miler in two weeks. If that's not success, I don't know what is.
This past weekend was the NATO Telefest at Mad River Glen, an event I've attended for the past 10 years or so that I wasn't prepared to miss. We skied all day on Saturday and I drove home Sunday morning, getting home by noon and starting my run at 1:00 PM. It was pretty warm, but there were some cold breezes so I ended up with more clothing than I needed. I chose to run along the Charles River on the bike path, parking the car on the Cambridge side and looping up around the Beacon St bridge. That would be close to 15 miles, and depending on how I felt I would add another loop. At around 2 miles I felt a little discomfort, not quite pain, from my left knee and I was worried that this would be another disappointing run.
But nothing else happened. Headwinds along the Boston side of the river were a pain, but I made it through to the Harvard bridges, then Elliot St, then Arsenal St, still feeling pretty good. As I crossed the river at Beacon I was feeling pretty positive, thinking that 20 miles wasn't out of the question. The next stretch was a bit taxing, as it seemed to take forever to hit 10 miles according to my watch, then the rest of the mileage ticked by slowly. I was keeping a steady pace, just over 10 minute miles, and my MP3 player was helping me ignore the time. Running on dirt was also a big help, and I'm sure my knees are thanking me for that today.
At the Elliot St bridge I did some quick calculations and figured I'd be around 14 when I got back to my car. Since I wanted to run further than that I had a few options but decided to just continue the loop and then run a second, smaller loop to add mileage as needed. I could feel that I needed more fluids at this point and was cursing the fact that my belt only carries two bottles, not four. Food wasn't a problem but liquid certain was beginning to affect me. At the car I decided to keep running rather than stop for the Gatorade I had stashed in there, reasoning that the last two times I had problems with my ITB it was after a stop. Up til now I hadn't stopped at all on the run, just a few jogging in place moments at traffic lights.
So, the second loop started and I passed by the Science Museum again, then along the windy Boston side of the Esplanade. There were times I just put my head down and watched the path in front of my feet just rolling by. Slowly. I knew the pace had slowed down but it really didn't matter to me; I was still running 10:35s and that was fine. Across the Mass Ave bridge (go Smoots!) and looping back towards my car as my watch ticked to 18 miles! Woo hoo! I had broken yet another barrier that I'd placed in front of myself. At this point I was out of water and I felt my calves beginning to cramp up a little. Rather than push on to 20 miles I decided to loop across Memorial Drive and shoot for 18.5 to finish. That would be a success for me.
At the car I stopped for the first time in 3 hours, waiting for my knee to lock up in pain. But nothing happened, it still was a bit tender but no real pain. A very positive sign. I got the Gatorade from the car and spent a little time stretching, then drove home. Getting out of my car at home I experienced some real cramping of my thigh, to the point where I couldn't walk or even shuffle, I just had to stand and stretch in place until the pain subsided. At home I drank lots more, ate some, and stretched for 20 minutes. Then I sat in an ice bath for 5 of the most painful minutes I've ever experienced.
Today I'm feeling pretty good, muscles and joints mostly fine, with a little tenderness in the ITB. I've been applying ice and taking some Ibuprofen to keep the pain and any swelling down, so far so good. Not sure when the next run is coming up, tomorrow or the next day, but I'm actually looking forward to the 20 miler in two weeks. If that's not success, I don't know what is.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Frustration and hope
It's March 2nd and I'm suffering through another bout of ITB tendinitis after a painful run last weekend. I felt fine for the first 3-4 miles of the run, then a little pain in my knee. I slowed down due to the pain and it didn't really bother me so I didn't think much of it. I was alone at the third water stop (at 7.5 miles) and I stopped to stretch a bit and as soon as I started running again I felt a strong and familiar pain in my left knee; the ITB tendinitis was back. This was similar to the previous week when I had a similar pain after stopping briefly to stretch at 15 miles into the run. I was preparing myself for the push to an 18 mile day and now I was stuck 7.5 miles from my car.
A car pulled up and a fellow asked if I was hurt (I was) and wanted a lift back to my car. I almost took it but I knew that Heather and Errol were still out on the route and I didn't want to disappear. I told him I was OK and started walking back to see if things would loosen up. Heather caught up soon and we exchanged phone numbers so I could call if needed. Since my walk might be long I popped into a Dunkin' Donuts for a hot cocoa and kept walking. Errol caught up with me and we chatted a bit then he took off. The walk to the fire station at the corner of Washington St and Comm Ave went slowly and a little painfully, but at times my knee felt OK.
On Comm Ave I started doing a walk/run combo, eventually running up to 15 minutes at a time with a 5 minute walk in between. The uphills were the easiest, I ran all three major hills up to BC. The downhill was much more difficult and painful, and I ended up walking most of the way down Lake Street before running the last half mile to CRI where I met up with Errol and Heather. My knee wasn't screaming in pain, but I could certainly feel the familiar sensation of an inflamed ITB.
At home I stretched and used my foam roller, which didn't offer any immediate relief but at least made me feel like I was doing something. My brother suggested a cold water soak, and I lasted all of about 1 minute in the tub. Maybe the water was too cold, maybe I'm a wimp. Either way, it was certainly invigorating. I kept ice on the knee for much of the afternoon, took some vitamin I, and rested.
So, here I am, 7 weeks from the marathon and I haven't run more than 16 miles. I'm disappointed, frustrated, but still hopeful. I know that rest is the most important thing for me, not pushing myself through painful miles that will leave me limping and useless. I will be adjusting my pace and trying to avoid stopping during long runs, which seems to be a trigger. The foam roller is my friend, and I just picked up an ITB compression band which I'll try out on shorter runs. Walking eventually allowed the knee to loosen up and I was able to run on it, at least for some distance after the problem showed up. I know that if it happens during the marathon I have options besides just stopping, and that makes me feel positive. I also know that I'm fit enough to make it 26 miles if I have no relapse of the injury. So, I have my work cut out for me and that is to arrive at the starting line uninjured and in the right state of mind. After that, who knows what will happen but I'm going to be at the start line no matter what.
A car pulled up and a fellow asked if I was hurt (I was) and wanted a lift back to my car. I almost took it but I knew that Heather and Errol were still out on the route and I didn't want to disappear. I told him I was OK and started walking back to see if things would loosen up. Heather caught up soon and we exchanged phone numbers so I could call if needed. Since my walk might be long I popped into a Dunkin' Donuts for a hot cocoa and kept walking. Errol caught up with me and we chatted a bit then he took off. The walk to the fire station at the corner of Washington St and Comm Ave went slowly and a little painfully, but at times my knee felt OK.
On Comm Ave I started doing a walk/run combo, eventually running up to 15 minutes at a time with a 5 minute walk in between. The uphills were the easiest, I ran all three major hills up to BC. The downhill was much more difficult and painful, and I ended up walking most of the way down Lake Street before running the last half mile to CRI where I met up with Errol and Heather. My knee wasn't screaming in pain, but I could certainly feel the familiar sensation of an inflamed ITB.
At home I stretched and used my foam roller, which didn't offer any immediate relief but at least made me feel like I was doing something. My brother suggested a cold water soak, and I lasted all of about 1 minute in the tub. Maybe the water was too cold, maybe I'm a wimp. Either way, it was certainly invigorating. I kept ice on the knee for much of the afternoon, took some vitamin I, and rested.
So, here I am, 7 weeks from the marathon and I haven't run more than 16 miles. I'm disappointed, frustrated, but still hopeful. I know that rest is the most important thing for me, not pushing myself through painful miles that will leave me limping and useless. I will be adjusting my pace and trying to avoid stopping during long runs, which seems to be a trigger. The foam roller is my friend, and I just picked up an ITB compression band which I'll try out on shorter runs. Walking eventually allowed the knee to loosen up and I was able to run on it, at least for some distance after the problem showed up. I know that if it happens during the marathon I have options besides just stopping, and that makes me feel positive. I also know that I'm fit enough to make it 26 miles if I have no relapse of the injury. So, I have my work cut out for me and that is to arrive at the starting line uninjured and in the right state of mind. After that, who knows what will happen but I'm going to be at the start line no matter what.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
February Grinds On
I'm beginning to comprehend the reality of marathon training for Boston when you live here in the snowy northeast. What used to be relaxing, shorts and t-shirt mornings along the Charles River are now bundled up and uncomfortable runs while fighting headwinds, icy streets, and dwindling light. Where I used to be able to just throw on some shorts and a t-shirt I know have to find all my cold weather gear, check the forecast, and sometimes ramble though knee high snow to reach the cleared street on the other side of my work parking lot.
Once out there running things aren't so different, but they're different enough. Some days the old magic is back, but the weeks of pounding are starting to take their toll. My legs hurt a good chunk of the week after my long runs; either from tender IT bands or cramps in my calves. As my weekly mileage numbers climb and the long runs get longer I can sense that the body has limits. There are plenty of folks with higher limits than mine, but it'll take me a long time to build up to those levels, if they ever happen. There's running gear scattered all over the house, and the sand and salt from my running shoes is making a mess of the floor near my front door.
This is not to say that I'm not getting enjoyment from the training. I've run longer than I've ever gone in my life and the feeling of accomplishment with each long run is palpable. Running on the weekends on the marathon route allows me to feel part of a community of runners who all know about the first two paragraphs I've just written. They get it, and they're still out there on Comm Ave avoiding slush puddles and dealing with headwinds. I also got to buy a lot of new gear, which is always fun.
So we head to the end of February and I am juggling long runs with the few remaining skiing weekends I can have before my training schedule pretty much makes them impossible. But by then the weather should be warmer and the taper will be within striking distance. The marathon itself is too abstract right now, the training is concrete. But for now training is one foot in front of the other, which is what's going to get me through the marathon as well.
Once out there running things aren't so different, but they're different enough. Some days the old magic is back, but the weeks of pounding are starting to take their toll. My legs hurt a good chunk of the week after my long runs; either from tender IT bands or cramps in my calves. As my weekly mileage numbers climb and the long runs get longer I can sense that the body has limits. There are plenty of folks with higher limits than mine, but it'll take me a long time to build up to those levels, if they ever happen. There's running gear scattered all over the house, and the sand and salt from my running shoes is making a mess of the floor near my front door.
This is not to say that I'm not getting enjoyment from the training. I've run longer than I've ever gone in my life and the feeling of accomplishment with each long run is palpable. Running on the weekends on the marathon route allows me to feel part of a community of runners who all know about the first two paragraphs I've just written. They get it, and they're still out there on Comm Ave avoiding slush puddles and dealing with headwinds. I also got to buy a lot of new gear, which is always fun.
So we head to the end of February and I am juggling long runs with the few remaining skiing weekends I can have before my training schedule pretty much makes them impossible. But by then the weather should be warmer and the taper will be within striking distance. The marathon itself is too abstract right now, the training is concrete. But for now training is one foot in front of the other, which is what's going to get me through the marathon as well.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Snowy Night Run
Yesterday was a snow day, 6"-8" on the ground with the storm winding down by 7:00 PM. I worked from home all day, being productive but feeling some cabin fever as the day wore on. Plus, with another storm forecast for the next day I was going to be without workout for two days straight. This was on top of not doing a long run over the weekend because I was teaching backcountry skiing for the AMC in NH. At 8:30 PM I headed out to do some shoveling, my housemates had already done a great first pass so I was just widening the sidewalk and clearing off my car.
Well, it wasn't that bad outside. The snow had stopped, the temps were moderate, and the streets were in decent shape. A strange thought occurred to me; Why not go for a run? So I finished my shoveling and headed back inside to get dressed. Bright orange jacket, reflective vest, flashing lights on my back and arms, headlamp, reflective patches on pants, jacket, and gloves, trail running shoes; I was ready. I started out on the road but switched to the sidewalk once I made it over to Cambridge. They were mostly cleared but I had to pick my way a bit carefully, especially at street crossings.
I ran my usual 4 mile loop, out to Harvard Square, to the river, on the bike path to JFK, cross the river at the River Street bridge, and back home. Going through Harvard Square was eerie, only a few people out and giving me odd stares. I was watching for cars carefully as I don't think they were expecting me. Crossing Memorial Drive was uneventful except for clearing the snowbank and I was on the bike path. It was in adequate shape, but I was glad for the trail shoes. At the first bridge I worked around the sidewalk plow and got some good pavement for a bit, but it was slippery going up the slope of the bridge.
On the Boston side of the river I was the only one around. It's surprisingly bright when the city is covered with snow and all the lights are on. I had no problem with visibility, unlike some morning runs in the dark. I stepped aside for the sidewalk plow and then dropped into his wake, just like I've done on the highway during a bad storm. I don't think he was amused having me behind him with my headlamp but he had other concerns. I figured if this stretch was OK, the final stretch to River St would be fine; alas, it was still filled with 4" of slush and snow, making for a high stepping gait that wasn't very fast.
On the way back up the Cambridge side there were cross country ski tracks along side the path. At one point they went over a bench that was buried in the snow. I made a poor choice at the last bridge and stayed on the river side of Memorial Drive, which wasn't cleared of snow and had to run 1/4 of a mile in 6" of snow and spray from the snowplows. I was cursing myself the whole way, hoping that I wouldn't twist an ankle or do something stupid. And I couldn't cross the road without wading through 5' snowbanks. Oh well. At the intersection I was back on real snow and headed for home. There was one interesting scene where a car had parked on a street that was supposed to be clear for the plows and two very large plows where waiting for a woman to move. The lead plow was only inches from her bumper encouraging her to get moving. No one looked happy.
Back to Kirkland and nearly home. I had to pass a group on a narrow sidewalk with a "On your left" but they seemed confused by this. Passing Beacon St and then turning towards my house. A few neighbors were out late shoveling and gave me a friendly but wary wave as I climbed my stairs and headed back to the warmth.
It was a great run, if not fast or far. I would never have gone for a run like this if I hadn't been training for the marathon, but I don't see why that should limit me. Getting daily exercise is now part of my regular schedule, no matter how it happens. Certainly in summer it'll be easier, but I like not being limited by weather or time. It's really just a state of mind, the human body can do most anything with the right clothing and attitude.
Please consider helping out my marathon fund raising for G-Row by clicking on the link on the upper left of this page. I'm 1/3 of the way to my goal and looking forward to being able to concentrate only on the training part. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far.
Well, it wasn't that bad outside. The snow had stopped, the temps were moderate, and the streets were in decent shape. A strange thought occurred to me; Why not go for a run? So I finished my shoveling and headed back inside to get dressed. Bright orange jacket, reflective vest, flashing lights on my back and arms, headlamp, reflective patches on pants, jacket, and gloves, trail running shoes; I was ready. I started out on the road but switched to the sidewalk once I made it over to Cambridge. They were mostly cleared but I had to pick my way a bit carefully, especially at street crossings.
I ran my usual 4 mile loop, out to Harvard Square, to the river, on the bike path to JFK, cross the river at the River Street bridge, and back home. Going through Harvard Square was eerie, only a few people out and giving me odd stares. I was watching for cars carefully as I don't think they were expecting me. Crossing Memorial Drive was uneventful except for clearing the snowbank and I was on the bike path. It was in adequate shape, but I was glad for the trail shoes. At the first bridge I worked around the sidewalk plow and got some good pavement for a bit, but it was slippery going up the slope of the bridge.
On the Boston side of the river I was the only one around. It's surprisingly bright when the city is covered with snow and all the lights are on. I had no problem with visibility, unlike some morning runs in the dark. I stepped aside for the sidewalk plow and then dropped into his wake, just like I've done on the highway during a bad storm. I don't think he was amused having me behind him with my headlamp but he had other concerns. I figured if this stretch was OK, the final stretch to River St would be fine; alas, it was still filled with 4" of slush and snow, making for a high stepping gait that wasn't very fast.
On the way back up the Cambridge side there were cross country ski tracks along side the path. At one point they went over a bench that was buried in the snow. I made a poor choice at the last bridge and stayed on the river side of Memorial Drive, which wasn't cleared of snow and had to run 1/4 of a mile in 6" of snow and spray from the snowplows. I was cursing myself the whole way, hoping that I wouldn't twist an ankle or do something stupid. And I couldn't cross the road without wading through 5' snowbanks. Oh well. At the intersection I was back on real snow and headed for home. There was one interesting scene where a car had parked on a street that was supposed to be clear for the plows and two very large plows where waiting for a woman to move. The lead plow was only inches from her bumper encouraging her to get moving. No one looked happy.
Back to Kirkland and nearly home. I had to pass a group on a narrow sidewalk with a "On your left" but they seemed confused by this. Passing Beacon St and then turning towards my house. A few neighbors were out late shoveling and gave me a friendly but wary wave as I climbed my stairs and headed back to the warmth.
It was a great run, if not fast or far. I would never have gone for a run like this if I hadn't been training for the marathon, but I don't see why that should limit me. Getting daily exercise is now part of my regular schedule, no matter how it happens. Certainly in summer it'll be easier, but I like not being limited by weather or time. It's really just a state of mind, the human body can do most anything with the right clothing and attitude.
Please consider helping out my marathon fund raising for G-Row by clicking on the link on the upper left of this page. I'm 1/3 of the way to my goal and looking forward to being able to concentrate only on the training part. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far.
Monday, January 24, 2011
On beyond 13
Today's run has been in the works for a long time. After being sidelined by my ITB injury I ran a 12 mile run the first week back. This week has been some running and a full day of telemark skiing on Saturday but I really wanted to start pushing my distance. The forecast was for a very cold day, temps in the single digits, but the weathermen seemed to moderate and by the time I parked on Comm Ave it was nearly 20 with some solid sunshine. Maria arrived just after 11:00 and we quickly got ready and headed out.
My goal was 14; Maria was looking for anything over 13. We started along the marathon route, over Heartbreak Hill and down towards the fire station. Because of all the snow we didn't want to continue on the normal route so we stayed on the carriageway along Comm Ave until it ran out at 5 miles total. There, we turned around and headed back up the hills. Maria had an easy stride, deceptively racking up the miles and keeping our pace up around 9:30. As we hit the hills I asked to back the pace off a bit as I was feeling yesterday's skiing and the hills. We climbed Heartbreak Hill and got to our cars just past 10 miles. Maria stopped briefly to get some Bloks out of her car, I continued inbound hoping to run 2 more miles and then back.
I'd never run this part of Comm Ave, and rarely driven it. Without a carriageway I ran on the sidewalk which made it hard to keep up a good rhythm. Maria caught up to me as I waited for a traffic light and we ran along a bit before another carriageway opened up, but of course it had more hills. She turned around just at 11.5 miles at the base of a big hill, I ran on up another hill and decided to turn around just before 12 miles to avoid a steep descent past Kindred Hospital. The run back to the car was slow and a little painful, I was now running 11 minute miles and I could feel a little cramping in my calves. But I distinctly remember the point when my watch clicked over to 13.2 miles; it was an important point in my running career. I figured I'd be a little short of 14 and sure enough my watch read 13.6 so I had to go a little further. Unfortunately, the first few tenths after that is uphill and I tacked on a little extra to be sure. Total distance, 14.16 miles.
My legs were quite sore when I finished, and the calves were still a little crampy. I drank more water and had another Gu, but I was feeling it pretty badly. I tried to stretch but it was tough on the sidewalk in front of the Dunkin' Donuts to really get into it so I hopped (staggered) in the car and headed for CRI where I turned in my official 2011 Boston Marathon entry form.
So I've now run past 13.1 miles. Running another 12 after what I did seems like a pretty tall order, but that's why I'm doing all this training. I definitely feel like I'm entering new territory now, as the longer runs start adding up. Next weekend I'm teaching backcountry skiing for the AMC so I won't have a chance for a long run, the following weekend will have to make up for it.
My goal was 14; Maria was looking for anything over 13. We started along the marathon route, over Heartbreak Hill and down towards the fire station. Because of all the snow we didn't want to continue on the normal route so we stayed on the carriageway along Comm Ave until it ran out at 5 miles total. There, we turned around and headed back up the hills. Maria had an easy stride, deceptively racking up the miles and keeping our pace up around 9:30. As we hit the hills I asked to back the pace off a bit as I was feeling yesterday's skiing and the hills. We climbed Heartbreak Hill and got to our cars just past 10 miles. Maria stopped briefly to get some Bloks out of her car, I continued inbound hoping to run 2 more miles and then back.
I'd never run this part of Comm Ave, and rarely driven it. Without a carriageway I ran on the sidewalk which made it hard to keep up a good rhythm. Maria caught up to me as I waited for a traffic light and we ran along a bit before another carriageway opened up, but of course it had more hills. She turned around just at 11.5 miles at the base of a big hill, I ran on up another hill and decided to turn around just before 12 miles to avoid a steep descent past Kindred Hospital. The run back to the car was slow and a little painful, I was now running 11 minute miles and I could feel a little cramping in my calves. But I distinctly remember the point when my watch clicked over to 13.2 miles; it was an important point in my running career. I figured I'd be a little short of 14 and sure enough my watch read 13.6 so I had to go a little further. Unfortunately, the first few tenths after that is uphill and I tacked on a little extra to be sure. Total distance, 14.16 miles.
My legs were quite sore when I finished, and the calves were still a little crampy. I drank more water and had another Gu, but I was feeling it pretty badly. I tried to stretch but it was tough on the sidewalk in front of the Dunkin' Donuts to really get into it so I hopped (staggered) in the car and headed for CRI where I turned in my official 2011 Boston Marathon entry form.
So I've now run past 13.1 miles. Running another 12 after what I did seems like a pretty tall order, but that's why I'm doing all this training. I definitely feel like I'm entering new territory now, as the longer runs start adding up. Next weekend I'm teaching backcountry skiing for the AMC so I won't have a chance for a long run, the following weekend will have to make up for it.
Please consider contributing to my fund raising campaign for the G-Row program; giving athletic and academic assistance to girls in the Boston public school system. There's a link in the upper left of this page, please consider a contribution. And thank you to all of you who've already contributed; I appreciate your help.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Working through injury
It's been a while since I wrote here, mainly because I was forced to take off two weeks from running due to a painful bit of ITB tendinitis. After a 10 mile run on 12/24 I felt some serious pain on the side of my right knee. I'd experienced this before and knew what it was, my Iliotibial Band, a tendon that runs from the hip to the knee, was inflamed. The best thing to do is rest, and that meant no skiing or running for a few weeks. At first, I could barely walk without pain, and going down stairs was agony. I alternated ice for the pain and heat to promote healing, but rest time is the best cure.
Almost exactly two weeks after the pain started I was scheduled to run the Disney half marathon in Orlando. I really wanted to run this race, going through the parks would be great and the finisher's medal was really nice (Donald Duck). I tried a brief run the day before I was going to fly down to Orlando but it was clear that I would be in a lot of pain if I ran, probably setting back the rest of my training by several weeks. It just wasn't worth it.
We went to Orlando anyway, my brother was running the marathon on Sunday and I wanted to be there to support him. It was great seeing the whole family, but walking around the park and seeing all the runners still wearing their medals was almost as painful as the knee. I couldn't even wear the shirt and try to blend in because it would be misrepresentation or bearing false witness or something. That was the low point of the weekend, but I cheered myself up by thinking bad thoughts about all those who ran.
While at the Expo, Monica bought me The Stick to speed my recovery and help prevent a recurrence. All I know so far is that it's painful, so that's got to be good, right? Actually, it does seem to help a lot, and combined with ice, stretching, the foam roller, and ibuprofen I've been able to run this past week, even a 12 miler on the marathon course this Saturday. I'm still working on a full recovery, but I'm back running again and that makes all the difference in the world.
Almost exactly two weeks after the pain started I was scheduled to run the Disney half marathon in Orlando. I really wanted to run this race, going through the parks would be great and the finisher's medal was really nice (Donald Duck). I tried a brief run the day before I was going to fly down to Orlando but it was clear that I would be in a lot of pain if I ran, probably setting back the rest of my training by several weeks. It just wasn't worth it.
We went to Orlando anyway, my brother was running the marathon on Sunday and I wanted to be there to support him. It was great seeing the whole family, but walking around the park and seeing all the runners still wearing their medals was almost as painful as the knee. I couldn't even wear the shirt and try to blend in because it would be misrepresentation or bearing false witness or something. That was the low point of the weekend, but I cheered myself up by thinking bad thoughts about all those who ran.
While at the Expo, Monica bought me The Stick to speed my recovery and help prevent a recurrence. All I know so far is that it's painful, so that's got to be good, right? Actually, it does seem to help a lot, and combined with ice, stretching, the foam roller, and ibuprofen I've been able to run this past week, even a 12 miler on the marathon course this Saturday. I'm still working on a full recovery, but I'm back running again and that makes all the difference in the world.
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