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The end of the road (are we there yet?)
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I think if I had an opportunity to do Boston, I'd take it, even if I wasn't going to be in optimal physical shape, but of course only if it wasn't counter-productive and detrimental to your well-being. Got my finger's crossed for you. Hope things start to look a bit rosier.Another 5 to 6 weeks and then see where we are is the PT's take on things. By then it will be close on six months since I ran more than a few miles and it we will be into winter here .... so I'm slowly starting to deal with the possibility that I may not make Boston.
There's definately a beer waiting for you somewhere ... if not Boston than somewhere else down the line. American cannot produce a good beer or ice cream anyway.
American's produce wonderful beer! You just have to stay away from GiantSuperGlobalMegaCorp beer! Stone, Russian River, Anchor Steam, Three Floyds, Sierra Nevada, and your own Brooklyn beer, a wonderful burgeoning craft beer industry that has led by example. You're right about the ice cream though.
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Krusty_Clown wrote: »I think if I had an opportunity to do Boston, I'd take it, even if I wasn't going to be in optimal physical shape, but of course only if it wasn't counter-productive and detrimental to your well-being. Got my finger's crossed for you. Hope things start to look a bit rosier.
Well, I was about to write that by the end of PT I would have 4 months at best, with no base having not run consistently in 6 months. Leaving the familiar "Can I do it question" - and the usual answer of "Maybe but you'd do better to wait, build up the mileage and try later". Except that it is Boston ...
However, new development. Just back from getting the results of my x-ray. Not good. In short there are several problem - "arthritis", "degenerative" where among the phrases used. The good new is that if I were heavier we might be looking at hip replacement :eek: - and that was the good news. Running? "Well running is an impact sport - are you light on your feet?". Well I have a nice midfoot landing :rolleyes:.
Off to an orthopedist next week .... but while the doc did not shut the door I didn't detect much optimism in his presentation either.Krusty_Clown wrote: »American's produce wonderful beer! You just have to stay away from GiantSuperGlobalMegaCorp beer! Stone, Russian River, Anchor Steam, Three Floyds, Sierra Nevada, and your own Brooklyn beer, a wonderful burgeoning craft beer industry that has led by example. You're right about the ice cream though.
A beer sounds about right.0 -
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Ok, well it's been a while - longer than I had thought. I got a little tired of having nothing positive to say or think about.
In brief: I continued to swim a bit. At the end of December I started to run a bit again still holding to hope of makin Boston. On in New Years Eve after finishing one of my favorite runs along the dunes of Cape Code I realised I my knee was in a bad way. After that I knew Boston was gone and I just threw in the towel completely for a few months.
So after two xrays, 2 mris, 3 months of PT :
I declined the surgery option for the hip as there was no great confidence that it would address the problem.
The knee was "a stress injury" - like "a bruising of the joint"
. Still have to get a better explaination of that. .....
I've been cleared for limited running again. I'm still having problems although less so during running and more so now that I have resumed core work - lower back on the same (left hand) side.
Meanwhile... I took a new job in another startup and while I work from home most of the time I'm clocking up 60-70 hours weeks which cuts into training time and energy.
Having said all that I ran 10 (very slow) miles on Saturday and am still standing .... so I am making another attempt at a come back. Signed up for NY yesterday. I'm trying to run by heart rate so my "confortable pace" seems to be about a 9mm.
Also worth adding that my weight is now at 158lbs - I was 142 12 months ago so getting back to race weight is a priority.
My plan is to focus mainly on clocking up miles, with one gentle track session a week to try to restore some zip to the legs. Right now we'll see how it goes (it may all end in tears).
So here goes .... again!0 -
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Tuesday: 5 miles w/3 miles walk/run,
Wednesday 5 miles
Thursday 5 miles w/3 miles walk/run
For the last two years every injury I have had has been on my left side - ITBS, hip and knee. I am sure that this cannot be a coincidence but I've never been able to get anyone to venture an opinion on what it might be.
I've noticed, now that I'm giving a lot of attention to stretching, that my _right_ side is much less flexible that my left. Is this the effect of PT on the left side or could this be causing an imbalance ?
Seriously considering yoga but no idea where to start. I've tried and failed on a few yoga attempts before.
Quote of the week: From a recent guest : "Just how many pairs of shoes do you have?"
It's pretty normal to have one side more flexible than the other, but I don't know to what degree the difference is considered normal - and, if that difference in flexibility is beyond the norm, then I think your PT observation/query could be credible. (Any PTs out there who could answer this??) One thing that popped in my little mind while I read your post above is, I wonder if one of your legs is much longer than the other? Once again, I think some difference is considered normal.....but, perhaps outside that normal range issues could present.
I do yoga once a week and I really think it has been a positive for me and has helped keep me injury free. I could list all the benefits, but you probably already know them - strectching, flexibility, strength, relaxation, breathing, yada, yada, yada.... You don't mention why your previous yoga attempts didn't stick, but if it's because of the content of the class, then perhaps you need to try another class/instructor. My very first class was a total dud and it took me years to return, but I've found a wonderful instructor and that has made all the difference in the world. Not all instructors and classes are created equal.0 -
It's pretty normal to have one side more flexible than the other, but I don't know to what degree the difference is considered normal - and, if that difference in flexibility is beyond the norm, then I think your PT observation/query could be credible. (Any PTs out there who could answer this??) One thing that popped in my little mind while I read your post above is, I wonder if one of your legs is much longer than the other? Once again, I think some difference is considered normal.....but, perhaps outside that normal range issues could present.
I do yoga once a week and I really think it has been a positive for me and has helped keep me injury free. I could list all the benefits, but you probably already know them - strectching, flexibility, strength, relaxation, breathing, yada, yada, yada.... You don't mention why your previous yoga attempts didn't stick, but if it's because of the content of the class, then perhaps you need to try another class/instructor. My very first class was a total dud and it took me years to return, but I've found a wonderful instructor and that has made all the difference in the world. Not all instructors and classes are created equal.
Yeah - a difference in leg length is worth thinking about. I had dismissed this a few years ago - but I cannot remember if there was a good reason why ... or just denial. There has always been a difference in leg strength - playing soccer I was completely left footed.
I tried yoga off a DVD. Bloody hell - the hardest thing I've ever done. Give me a marathon any day of the week. Tough to get to a class with my schedule. Still - maybe it is time to find a class.
Saturday: 13 miles, @8.35, HR: 145
An endorphin free run! Just one of those runs you muscle through. Not sure what happened - possibly lack of sleep, but this was a stuggle from the start. I had intended taking on the Bayonne Bridge (the one blown up in the War of the Worlds remake with Tom Cruise) - a half mile steady drag which leads over to Staten Island but dropped that idea pretty early. Simply was not there today. HR seemed to be very high. I'm actually surprised by the the final stats as it seemed much slower and tougher than that.0 -
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Yeah, allergies can kind of ruin spring.
Yeah, especially where spring started in December.
Thursday: 5 miles.
Out to find a gale blowing off the river. Tried a few hill repeats and was quite pleased until I realized that they were heavily "wind assisted". By the time I reached the water remaining vertical was a challange and my resistance was broken after five miles.
Friday: 5 miles
Working at home you'd think getting out for a run would be a piece of cake. But every time I made for the door the "ding" of Skype pulled me back. Finally made it out at 7pm. Tough run - yesterdays hill - few as they were - remained in the legs.
Sunday: 3miles walk/run & 4 miles/treadmill
Went to support Mrs P in the Delaware marathon. I don't generally criticize races but this was poor. Traffic on the course - especially in the last few miles when runners are losing focus - is simply dangerous. Too few marshals meaning that runners who had lost sight of the guy ahead were left wondering about the route. Mrs P had a tough day - training was very disrupted - so I set out along the course in reverse to accompany her home. It was so disappointing to see no support. The city is not in great shape and people told me how the marathon was a big deal in attacting people to the city - but there was no support on the course. From mile 25 to mile 20 I walked completely alone clapping each runner - and telling a few where they needed to go. I had a wait at some intersections for a runner to show up for see where the runners were coming from. One of the two marshals I did find stopped me and asked me to stand in for him as he found a bathroom. So I took over and he scurried off to find a portoloo ! Once he returned I resumed the search for Mrs P and finally found her. Ran/walked the final 3-4 miles in with Mrs P - dodging the occassional car - the intersections were no longer manned - and using our combined orienteering skills to find the route - which at one stage involved crossing three lanes of traffic from the left to the rght hand side of the road. Ridiculous stuff. If they want to do this then they need to put in a time cut off (about 4hrs 30m based on this experience).
It's really killed off any desire I have to ever run this.
Ok rant over.
Back at the hotel - Mrs P took a nap and I went to the gym. I decided to use the treadmill to try to see where I was in terms of pace so I started a progression run with the hope to see what a 7mimute mile feels like now. Hell is the answer - had to take a break and take some water. Ok so I need to start getting some speed back in the legs. So this week I have to put a formal plan together - a mini 10k plan with a view to building up some speed before lauching into a marathon training plan. Tempo and track will the order of the day for the next few weeks. I am terrified.0 -
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]Hey there! So sorry to hear how horrible the Delaware marathon was - I believe I actually looked at doing this one after I completed Charlottesville, now I'm glad I didn't.
Good choice I'd say. A large number of the runners where people doing the "50 states" thing. Sadly (cause it is very convenient for us) that's about the only reason to run it.Good for you for acting as support at the end for your wife
All part of my "trophy husband" duties.
I am, however, signed up for the Scranton, PA marathon in October - have you ever participated in that one?
No, but I it is on my bucket list. A point-to-point with a profile a bit like Boston's afaik. Heard very good things about it. I'll email the club and see if anyone I know has run it.
Thursday: 5 miles. fartlek and hills. Pace 8.17, HR: 146
Not yet ready to try a tempo run (I have not idea right now how to pace a tempo run) so I decided to pick up the pace a bit with some longer fartlek sections, finishing with a mile of hills (5 reps).
Pace on the farlek got down to about 6mm. Glad to see that even if sustaining it is problematic. I've stopped sneezing (so much!) ... woohoo !0 -
Well ... just putting the wheels back on after ....
Saturday: 1.38 miles.
Set off to try 15 miles, but it just was not happening - at all. Run was posponed as I was working through the weekend on a knotty problem. So I suspect I was not 'committed' to the run and finally dragged myself out to get the run in while it was still light. "Dragged" became a theme. There was nothing in the legs. After 1.3 miserable miles I threw in the towel and walked home.
So what happened. Did the efforts during the week take too much out of me ? Was the head just not in the game ?
Tuesday: 3 miles.
After the fail of Saturday I was not over confident - but decided I needed to restart. Another miserable run ... had to stop twice. Again the legs were like lead. Muscled through 3 miles. Finished dripped with sweat. Something physically wrong ?
Wednesday: 6 miles, Pace: 8.28
Not great ... but better. Pace was a pleasant suprise.
Thursday: 5 miles.
Gentle run with Mrs P. Maybe back on track ?
Still not sure what happened this week. However I have decided that the NY marathon is very unlikely. From where I am now I cannot see myself being able to complete a training program this year. So I think I am going to defer NY - again. Maybe a late year 10k might be a more realistic comeback target.
Mrs. P has bought a Chi Running book and DVD. (Possibly provoked by 10 months of listening to me moan about injuries
) The front page promises "Effortless" running. That's my kinda program ! 0 -
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Thanks!
Don't rush back into it anyhow, thats the main thing - not to force it, frustrating and all as that may be. I dont know much about that Quebec City Marathon, but I would be concerned about heat at that time of year?
Rush .... is not really a problem . Yeah ... I've abandoned any idea of a marathon this year and I'm pretty sure that is the right decision.
Speaking of heat - that HM you put in last week is pretty impressive.
Saturday (26th): 4.7 miles:(
Another disaster ! I postponed hading out to watch the Ireland v Bosia game. By the time I headed out it was noon and boiling. I was determined to push beyond the 13 mile mark, but after 2 miles I knew I was in trouble. I took a break at 3.5 miles but by 4 I was cooked and a regroup was beyond me. Another walk of shame home. Was pretty low after this. Two bit mistakes - one was heading out at noon and the second was not being sufficently hydrated.
Monday: 13 miles. pace 9.03,
Yahooooo ! Finally ... After two disasters it had been four weeks since a 10+ mile run and I really feeling the pressure : this was a make or break run. Sonehow I must complete this run to convince myself that I could and to break the pattern of quitting on long runs. It was a little cooler, and earlier start and had some water with me and a route that meant that water fountains woud be around for much of the run. Not a great run and by 10 miles I was struggling - but the head needed to complete ths run more than the legs.
Wednesday: 5 miles, 4 easy + 1 mile of hill reps
I have shifted to evening runs ~7pm when the worst of the direct sun has gone down.
Thursday: 9 miles
After this hills yesterday this was to be an easy run. The last time I did any hill work my long run was a spectacular disaster. So 5 easy miles - right ?
One of the side effecfts of running in the evening is that I meet another guy I know from local 5ks. He's a 17-18 minute 5k guy at 63 years old ! He seems to train at one pace - fast. So after 6 miles he joins me and we start to run together ... at his pace ! Now, he speaks almost no English - "running?", "time?" .. "how far", "how long" pretty much is the extent of his vocabulary. So I just kept pace with him (actually he probably slowed for me) wondering how soon I would crack. We were flying .... and I was not dying. After two+ miles he said "track" and headed to begin his track session :eek: .... I waved farewell and continued on .... until I was out of sight where I immediately did a u turn and snuck home ! For the record the two miles with Sing can in at 7.58 and 8.03. This must have been glacial for him but for me they were the fastest two miles since injury. Bit disappointing as I had judged them faster... but the good new is no injury to leg, hip or dignity.
Saturday: 15 miles, Pace 8.36 HR 144
A cool morning with misting rain. Ideal for a run. After 2 miles the sun can out and by 4 miles it was warming up rapidly, I deliberately choose a flat looping route to give myself little option to quit on it. Spotted a couple of guys I had not seen in a year but pace wise they were travelling at a pace I would not have been able to sustain. Pretty happpy with that.
Later that day I found some Fila Skeltoes on sale so on impluse I bought a pair.
I also picked up a recommdation for a personal trainer that works with local runners ....0
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