Bret

AM - 4.75 miles with Dan and the dogs from his place.  Faster pace because we were not on trails - very cold this morning at 28 degrees.  My hamstring actually does better with treadmill running - did some research and indeed it takes less hamstring effort on the tready.   I should think about just doing some indoor running for a few days...but then my dog would not get his exercise and I would lose the social interaction of running with the guys...

AM - 4.5 miles with Dan and the dogs on the WC golf course.  Still struggling with the lingering cold, and hamstring tendonopathy was more painful this morning which was exacerbated when I tripped on a root on a downslope, and had to engage it with some quick movement to keep myself from falling.   

AM - 4 miles on the treadmill - cold is lingering it is raining and hamstring hurt so I bailed on an invite to a 7.5 mile run with the guys.  

AM - early 3 miles with Dan and the dogs on the trail before church.   Hamstring was less painful this morning but we only ran about 10 min pace.

PM - deep water running for about 25 mins - and so I am giving myself 2 miles equivalent in distance.   Hoping the dwr has the same therapeutic effect as I thought it did earlier this summer.  

AM - 4 miles on the treadmill this morning as rains were starting and expected for the whole day.  I was also testing a theory that perhaps treadmill running would be easier on the proximal hamstring tedinopathy - since I ran on the treadmill on Saturday and had less discomfort after and not so bad Sunday morning.    Although I ran a good bit faster pace with less discomfort during the run, it was every bit as painful in the hours afterward.  So, theory was tested and seems to have failed.   

AM - terrible night trying to sleep; my cold continues to linger and I was up coughing.   Rains were extensive all day yesterday and even overnight into the morning.   I decided not to run at 45 degrees in the rain and stayed indoors on the treadmill for 3 miles.   Between my cold and the proximal hamstring tendinopathy - I am really not having much luck in the running department. 

PM - ~ 2 miles of deep water running in the afternoon.   I just use the treadmill setting on my watch and use the distance it provides - but I am actually in the water for what would normally be 3.5 to 4 miles running on land.     Enjoyed the effort all alone in the pool in winter, though it was not cold at all today, it was gray and drizzly and the trees are all bare - nevertheless the hamstring tendon was not being compressed with the absence of any impact - so it was good.

AM - met Dan at the horsetrail roads and ran with the dogs hoping the lack significant hills would be easier on the hamstring - but it was really uncomfortable for over a mile before the discomfort subsided to "tolerable".   The rains made the dirt roads a sloppy mess - and Finn and I were pretty much covered in a muddy spatter after we were done.   I did some indoor rowing afterward and will continue the isometric eccentric exercises and strengthen drills as I have in the past.   Just have to be patient and consistent with it, I think.  
PM - 2 miles of deep water running 

AM - 3.25 miles with Dan on the horse trail roads   

AM - 4 miles with Dan on the Milton Trail before work.  1000 meters of indoor rowing afterwards.  

AM - 4.65 miles with Dan on the trail.  Hamstring tendinopathy very gradually making some progress with all of the exercises and drills.  Pace quite slow today but also less painful.  

AM - 4 miles on the treadmill due to rain.  I can run at a faster pace on the treadmill with the hamstring issue for some reason...still struggling to make real progress with it.  

AM - 3.25 miles on the trail with Dan.  Slept in the guest room last night which has a tempurpedic matress and actually slept with a lot less discomfort on the sit-bone and it did not feel as painful when I ran this morning.  I may try sleeping a few nights on that bed to see if my regular bed is causing so much compression of the tendon overnight that when I go to run in the morning it is so sore...

PM - 30 min Peloton indoor cycling ride.   I have had the Peloton for a number of years and it tends to be one of my least favorite ways to workout - and as a result sometimes is just the "injury" cross trainer to help maintain fitness while recovering from injury.   So, I did the workout - did not really enjoy it, but it did not cause any discomfort in the hamstring tendon either.  

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan and Finn from Dan's house.  Much of this run is on the horsetrail roads which are faster than running on trails, but not as fast as running on roads.   Slept in the tempurpedic bed again last night - and did not notice as much "relief" as the previous night, but aside from the initial mile where the tendon was a bit tight, wonky and uncomfortable, the rest of the run was decent with a pain level no higher than a 2.   We ended up running a couple miles longer than I have been over the last several weeks and most of those miles were mid to low 8 min pace - so I felt good about the progress today. 

AM - 5 slow miles with Dan and Finn on the golf course - slept part of the night on my normal mattress which turned-out to not be good - so switched halfway through to the guest bed - which was better but I was much more sore today than the last couple of days.   

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan and Finn in the neighborhood - roads were wet and there was a light drizzle remnant of the overnight storms.  

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton Trail - much colder as winter weather has returned.   Hamstring is improving with a change in beds of all things...

AM - 5.25 miles with Finn in Wood Valley - hamstring was not good this morning as I tried sleeping on my normal matress and failed.   

AM - 3.25 miles with Finn before church in the neighborhood.

AM - 5 miles with Finn on the coldest morning of the year, I think, with the temperature at 24.   It is supposed to get even colder at the end of the week into single digits.  

AM - raining and 39 degrees outside, so I opted for a treadmill run - much to my dog's disappointment.   4 miles - decent pace.   Since the 'mill is flat, it tends to be much easier on the hamstring tendon than running outside where hills are virtually unavoidable here, and more impactful to the tendon.   Researched statins and adverse affects on tendons...going to take a "statin holiday" for a couple of weeks to see if that helps - as I cannot seem to make any substantial progress with it.  Last year in December I had my first encounter with the hamstring issue, and I discontinued the statin at the time after a few weeks of frustration, but it ultimately took a few months of figuring out physical therapy exercise to finally come out of it.   I had a flare up in June but newer exercises seemed to be effective much more quickly.   I resumed the statin in August - and stopped briefly 2 weeks before the NYC marathon as I was feeling some achiness in my hips, and then resumed taking it the very next day after the race.  I think long or intense exercise is not a good mix for me with statins.  At least that's my working theory for now.   If I can recover from this bout with the hamstring tendinopathy, I will tentatively resume the statin but be mindful when training or racing to take a "statin holiday" from time to time as a precaution.   BTW the doctor is recommending that I do not use the statin if it is not well-tolerated with running or intense activities.   

AM - 3.5 miles on the trail with Finn.   I was not in the right mindset to run this morning, and the first mile was uncomfortable with the hamstring, but I perservered and the discomfort subsided a bit and was glad that I got the run in afterall.   

AM - 3 miles with Dan and the dogs early and short before heading to the airport.  Going to WV to be with Tracy's family for the holidays. 

AM - 5k on my father in law's treadmill in his basement in WV.  Rain followed by snow and frigid temperatures and high winds outside.   Felt like it was too slick on the sidewalks.  

AM - 5 miles on the treadmill in the basement at my in-laws in WV.   3 degrees with a -16 wind chill and snowy/icy sidewalks - Tracy strongly suggested that it would be foolish of me to run outside. A younger and less-injured version of me probably would have ignored the suggestion.   The treadmill was certainly easier on my hamstring.   anyway.  

PM - 3.25 random cold miles up amd down the city streets of Moundsville WV.  Still in the teens and the ice and snow have not really melted so I stayed on the roads that had been treated or plowed a bit to maintain safer footing.   

AM - 5 miles on the treadmill at my in-laws.   It's just easier than dealing with the slick roads and sidewalks.  

AM - 3 miles early before sunrise - on the rail trail along the Ohio.   Icy snow still in spots.   My niece who is a physical therapist did some transverse massage on the hamstring tendon for me - and it felt a little better this morning - though I ran fairly slowly to keep from slipping on the ice.  

AM - slightly over a 10k this morning along the Ohio on the rail trail from Moundsville Glen Dale WV.  Trail surface was much improved today - and it was "warmer" in the low 20's .  Decided to run a little further today - but the discomfort in the hamstring tendon was actually worse today than it was yesterday.   Some days are better and some days are worse.  

PM - 3 mile run with Riley on the same route - I will almost always accept an invitation to run with one of my kids - even if I have already run earlier in the day and dealing with a bit of an injury.   

AM - 3 miles early around the city streets in Moundsville WV.   After the first half mile or so the hamstring tendon felt reasonably good for the first time in weeks.   Heading back to Atlanta this morning.   

AM - 5.25 miles with the guys and the dogs on the trail - later start with a light workday ahead.   One week post-cessation of statins, my run this morning in terms of discomfort of the hamstring tendon was easily the best I have had in over a month.   The last 3 runs have seen very gradual, but incremental improvement.  Too soon perhaps to draw conclusions, but at a minimum if it does not regress, this is a much more tolerable situation.  

AM - 6.25 miles with Dan and Finn on the golf course in a light mist/rain in the upper 50's.   Hamstring tendon was not as good as it was yesterday.