Recovering From Microfracture Surgery

AM - UHM along Provo River Trail with Sasha, normal Monday morning 1/2 marathon diet at 7:00 average with 8x100 strides all in about 18 secs today. Each mile we seemed to pick it up as usual as well finishing the last couple miles faster then normal with the last mile in 6:00. Not feeling as good as I have been lately so we will see how tomorrow's big workout tempo day goes.

PM - Ran with James for his workout. We did 2 miles warm-up and then 2x1000 meter repeats with a 600 jog between. 1000's were in 3:34 and 3:32. James looked really good on these. I think this is about his 3K race pace right now on the track. Did some more easy miles including a mile with Jared. I under dressed so my hands were frozen by the end of the run.

Also did 35 push-ups and sit-ups. I need to get back in to the habit of doing my core exercises. I stopped them after my accident due to the whiplash, etc.. and just started up again. 

AM - Ran the Sasha big workout this morning at 5:00am. I was having stomach issues from the get go and was not feeling so great and was therfore not excited at all about doing a tempo let alone a 7.5 mile tempo in the middle of a 15 mile run. Started with Adam and Sasha and Adam seemed to be feeling good as he was up front until he turned at about 4 miles. Sasha and I continued on and stopped for a VPB at about 5 miles which was my second of the morning. My stomach was churning and aching all morning so I was hoping this would fix the problem before the tempo. When we hit the start point I was still not feeling so hot and definetly not excited about running hard. I figured 6:00 pace was going to be a challenge today but would give it my best shot. The stomach continued to hurt but I was able to just click of the quarters for the first 3-4 miles at it did not get too bad. However by mile 4 it felt like there was an alien trying to escape so I just hung on and then had to stop again at 5 miles. After the stop the intestinal pain was not gone but much better. Without any more effort all of a sudden we were clicking off much faster quarters. With just over 1 mile to go Sasha picked it up and pulled away and I just tried to hold pace. Overall I was happy with the workout and glad I was able to do the whole tempo and get faster the whole way. The first 5 miles I was fighting the urge to just give in to the stomach pain and call it quits for the day. I am glad I didn't as I think it helps to have days like this and be able to hang in there and tough things out. Splits were as follows:

1 - 5:53

2 - 5:59

2.5(180 turn) - 14:50

3 - 5:57

4 - 5:49

5 - 5:46 (2.5 - 14:34)

6 - 5:39

7 - 5:39

.5 - 2:49 (2.5 - 14:07)

Total time for 7.5 miles was 43:31 or a 5:48 average. Overall 15.1 miles at 6:39 average pace. More tonight with James and Jared.

PM - 6.1 miles with James and Jared. 4 easy strides and drills with James.

AM - Easy relaxed Provo River 10 miler with Sasha. Average pace was about 7:23 today but first half was much slower. I was glad to go slow. Although Sasha picked it up at the end as he can get a little excited about catching the virtual runner and today we were too close to the 7:30 virtual guy for temptation and he also had to chase down the virtual 7:00 guy for the second half of the run. I tagged along and felt decent but still having some stomach issues today. More tonight as usual with the boys.

PM - 8 miles with Sasha's kids and my boys as a mix. Also did 6x200 strides at 39-40 secs each with a 200 jog rest.

AM - Another tempo day planned with Sasha. We started at 6:00am and it was the coldest day so far this winter at 24'F. We did the normal 10K warm-up and then started on the up section of the 5 mile tempo route. Going into this run I continued to not be very excited about running this week. Today the stomach issues were a bit better but for some reason my right ankle started to hurt last night and it carried over to this run. It hurts on the push off phase and seems to be a little worse with faster paces. We traded quarters for the first 2.5 miles with me starting the first quarter. I went a little fast on the first quarter starting at 5:20 pace and then backing off when Sasha spoke up about it. We hit the 1st mile in 5:31 and this felt ok except for the ankle push off. The second mile was about 5:35 at this point I had already decieded that I would just stick with Sasha for 2.5 miles and then back off to not do any more damage to the ankle. We hit the 2.5 turn around at 13:56. I told Sasha to go and I backed off to 7:00 pace for a 1/2 mile and then just gradually picked it back up as the ankle was not bothering me as much. The next mile was a 6:07 and felt relaxed and the ankle was ok, not 100% but not as bad as before. With a mile to go I picked it up again and ran the last mile in 5:40 afirly easily and the last 1/2 mile was actually 2:44. Not a great day but I will take it considering how I have felt this week. More tonight.

PM - 4.4 mils this evening at 8:00min pace. Some with James and some with Jared. 4xeasy strides.

AM - A very easy 13.1 miles this morning with Sasha and Adam and a random dog that joined us for about 2 miles. My left knee started bothering me last night and it was still bugging me this morning as well but not as bad. I think I may have been compensating for the ankle and did something to the opposite knee. The good news is the ankle felt a lot better today but the left knee did not want to go faster than 7:00 pace without complaining. We will see how it feels tonight and tomorrow. If it is still nagging me then I amy have to cut tomorrow's 20 miler short.

PM - No run tonight as me knee was hurting all day. It hurts more to wlak than it does to run. Strange thing as well is it hurts to walk upstairs but going down stairs is no problem. Kind of strange. We will see how it feels tomorrow.

AM - Did not sleep well as I think I am more nervous for James' XC race than if I were racing myself. Met Sasha at 5:00am. Since my knee was still bugging me I had already decieded to only run 12 and that would only be if the knee did not get any worse. We ran uphill towards the canyon the first 6 miles and the knee was hurting but not getting any worse. At the turn around I was just barely ahead of 7:00 pace and discovered again that the knee feels a ton better running on the gradual downhill so I gradually picked it up all the way back averaging 6:18 pace for the last 6 miles, so slower than marathon pace but I'll call it that for today. Overall 6:38 pace for 12 miles. I will get a few more today at James' XC race and with Jared.

Late AM - 4.5 miles warm-up and cool-down with James and also running around during his race cheering him. Unfortunately James had a bad day today and said he felt bad the whole race with arms cramping and stomach hurting and said his body just wouldn't go when he wanted it to. He was pretty bummed but at least he qualified for nationals still and gets another chance to run in three weeks.

PM - 2.5 more, 1 with Jared and Benjamin and 1.5 with James and on my own. Knee hurts a little but not getting any worse at least for now. A day off tomorrow will do me some real good I hope.