Clyde's Comeback!

Pushed Myler this morning. He's been up all night the last few nights with a high fever. So he and I didn't wake up til 9a.m. His room stays really dark and cool and we both were out. Anyways he woke up and felt ok so I talked him into taking a ride. Did ok but was crying and miserable shortly after getting home. 

For me the pace was slow and no watch. But honestly I felt ok all things considered. Major issues are the sharp pain in the left hammy and hip. Then the right ankle is still swollen and stiff. 

DC loop. Nice temps at 55 F around 7:30 a.m. I didn't push the pace but tried to focus on good form throughout the run. That was super hard to do because my body is all over the place. Ended with a 7:13 avg- I though it was gonna be much faster. 

Ankle Update: I finally got in to see a specialist and had my ankle examined and x-rayed yesterday. Tore the ligaments on the inside and the "little ones" on the top. IDK the names. The one that ripped on the inside broke a piece of bone off with it right down at the bottom. So now I know. It doesn't change much as the injury happened 3 months ago. The Doc injected my ankle with some cortisone to help the pain and because I told him I was going to run the marathon regardless. So the plan is now to get through this Saturday and then see how it feels. There is a chance that with less activity down the road that it could heal without surgery. But I've been running on it pretty consistent since the accident and it's never had a chance to heal. So I guess we'll see what happens then. 

As for now I still need to run and get through this weekend. So I hit up the DC loop this morning with the injection and some KT tape. Basically the same effort as yesterday but today I hit a 6:50 avg and yesterday I was a 7:13. So hopefully I feel like this on Saturday and not like I did yesterday- there would be a big difference in finishing time and also just overall feel/ drama.

Inner B-hills loop this morning with Ben V from my house. Super EZ and chill run at chatty pace. Temps were great at 55F which is basically where it's been for the last couple weeks in the mornings. Should be a good one for the big dawgs on race day. Golfing this afternoon with Ben and Riely- looking forward to it!

B-hill loop again. Woke up at 5 a.m to a crying Myler. Couldn't go back to sleep so I just headed out the door. A beautiful crisp, cool morning- Seems like it's been the same every morning for  a couple weeks. 

The run seemed good. I feel much better than I did about 5 days ago. I even have a little hope building up for this race tomorrow. I'm not dumb enough to think that I'm totally healed and ready to bust a big race off but the cortisone shot has really settled the consistent throbbing ankle pain down and everything else has seemed to follow in loosening up. So I'll make the most of it and run my best. I'll really know how good I feel tomorrow morning after a few of those downhill miles. In weeks past on training runs that has been a killer... so we'll see.  55 F outside this morning.

64f at my house @ 4:40 a.m before I left 

56 f at a gas station sign in Veyo on the bus ride up

High of 91 f this afternoon

Not very often do I sit down and write a race report where I'm totally happy. Today I'm thrilled with the outcome. Not that I PR'd or won the race but I did exceed expectations big time. No one really knows how crappy I've felt the last month. Not just my ankle. Sickness, fatigue, achy sore muscles, joints and bones. Honestly if I would have found out I had some terminal illness it wouldn't have surprised me at all. And after my last 3 Saturday long runs I honestly though breaking 3 hours would be a big stretch. I know after running a 2:35 today that sounds farfetched but I just was out of it physically.

But the last 3-4 days my body rallied and started to come around. I got the shot of cortisone in my ankle on Tuesday and then other things started to fall inline too. Just had a pounding headache and mild fever the night before the race but I was way better than I had been.

We got up to the start in the traditional manor. Leaving the rec center at 5 a.m, bus ride, porta potties... At the start I felt really optimistic. Dave said you should just come out with me and I said maybe I'd try a mile if it wasn't too fast and then go from there. We didn't get the cold temps that had been forecast but there was a good tailwind for the first half or so. I didn't notice it much after the half.

First half in 1:16:20ish

We hit the first mile in 5:55 then worked down to some 40's and even a couple 30's coming into Veyo. I felt pretty good. Kind of worried about the faster pace because it's been 3 months since I did any run fast and longer. Went up Veyo relaxed at 6:17 then basically 6 min pace up the Dameron hills miles. I was blown away at how fast I got to the halfway point. I hadn't been watching the clock so I didn't really know where I was. At Veyo Ben and Dave pulled away from me about a min up- I was suprised I was so close to them because I thought there was no way I'd hit the half any faster than 1:20. But when I got there and realized I could go sub 2:36 with 6 min pace on the way in that's what I did.

From the half to the finish I worked. It wasn't EZ but there was no big wall. I just kept grinding out 5:57's other than the Winchester mile and mile 26 that were about 6:13. But even the fast Snow Canyon miles or the other downhill miles from 19-23 I just couldn't go any faster than5:55 or so. But I was doing it. One mile after another they just kept coming to me. Ankle was holding up too. Yeah it hurt but no sharp (kill me now) pain. My calves seemed way too tight the whole race but I think that's from running with a messed up ankle and compesating my stride. Didn't have any goals as far as placing so when I'd get passed it didn't stress me out like in a normal race. I'd just stick to my own business and keep grinding my 6 min miles. It worked. 2:35:32! Really, really blessed and lucky to have it come together like it did... because this day could have been so bad.

Legs are super sore. Not just quads- hammies, shins, calves and all the little supportive muscles anywhere below my waist. 

Got on the spinner for 30 min's- not to get a workout in but in hopes of loosening up the super tight legs. It kind of worked. I actually felt much better after. 

43 min's this morning on the spinner. Never pushed the pace just kept it smooth and increased the resistance as I warmed into it. Another successful mission in loosening up the legs. 

50 min's on the spinner. Wanted to stay on longer and do more impact. But now's not the time. Just need to enjoy a true recovery. After I put on a pair of other shorts to do some yard and house work in and... (most people find money in their pockets) I found a nice chunk of jerky from a few days ago. Made for a nice post workout snack. 

1.5 mile swim in Quail in 46:46. Distance isn't exact but within a tenth. Swam off the boat ramp out to the buey line then south all the way down the lake. Went down in 25 min's. Then came back in just over 22. Felt so so. Did a lot better spotting but still all over the place with breathing. Shoulders were pretty glad it was over once I put my feet on the ground.

Just over a 24 mile ride this morning out around town. Didn't push the pace much. Just enjoyed the 60 F beautiful morning and listened to a good playlist on itunes. Around 1:10:00 but I also didn't time it other than looking at the time on the microwave when I left and got home. Lots of the ride right in town with traffic. 

Shoulders and that "area" are all sore from yesterday's swim. 

3 miles. First post marathon run. Took Ears around the park loop then a little extension back into LV. Felt so so. Pace was slow and we just made it between rain storms. Finished up and my calves were really tight. 

10 min's on the elliptical. Came home and got on the machine for a little workout. But my IT band was too painful to continue. I was screaming with pain. Decided to hop off and just do an ab workout and stretch. 

3 mile run again with Ears around the park. Calves are still knotted and the IT band is painful. I've never had a sore IT band before. So this is a new journey trying to work that sucker out. 

58.6 mile bike ride around the entire valley (if you consider the area around STG a valley). Did 2.6 around the the park and stuff getting things ready. Then out on the real ride for another 56 miles at an avg of 21 mph. This is the fastest ride so far for me. I tried to ride all the uphills really aggressive and then keep it rolling on the rest. By the last 10 miles I was wearing down and couldn't attack the uphills anymore:) But really happy with the ride considering before I left the house my legs were sore.

  2:41:30 for the 56 miles give or take. my phone battery died with about 14 miles left but the calculated estimate is very close if not erring on the slow side.

Had a long day of jury duty. 35 or so possible jurors interviewed one by one. It took almost all day. We just had to sit there in the courtroom and wait our turn. I was one of the last to be interviewed. Then the field was narrowed down to 16 and for some reason I was still a being considered. But we found out that it would be narrowed again to 8 and I felt totally comfortable that I'd be screened out.... No such luck though. Final juror added to the pool. I can't believe it. Trial starts tomorrow.

30 mins on the spin bike. 

4 mile run on the treadmill in 31:13 which for me on the machine is like 6 min effort. Maybe pushed it too hard because the ankle has felt stiff ever since...

Just turned out to be one of those days. Woke up and headed into the workout room. Mik'L was out of town so I had to stay indoors today. Got in there and felt really sore in my hip, inner thigh, ab area. Tried one mile on the treadmill and it hurt. So I bagged it for the morning. Spent about 40 min's laying on the mat stretching. 

Planned on doing more but spent the day in court. We ended up finishing the case and coming to a not guilty decision by the end of the day. I really think the guy was guilty. But the way the law is written "beyond a reasonable doubt" type stuff we just didn't have enough hard evidence to convict him. Just the victims word against his. She said he broke in, bounder her and beat her with a baseball bat with intent to kill. He said he didn't. No other solid evidence. Sucks if he's walking and the law couldn't bring him down- if guilty.

60 min's on the spinner this morning. Trying to get something going with training this week. But the weeks been crazy already and Mik'L will be out of town at the end of the week as well. Leaving me with a hard situation to really get a solid workout in. 

5 miles out early this morning before the sun or while the sun came up. 47 F was the coldest it's been this fall so far. I wore gloves for the first time. Ankle is starting to feel soreish more and more every day. The cortisone must be wearing off. 

30 min's on the spinner after at a pretty high output. Was sweating as bad as yesterdays 60 min's although I did do this after a run. But nonetheless the effort was up. 

24.5 mile ride tonight out around town. Didn't wear a watch or gps. Had to come home and old skool it using Google Earth to figure out distance. I sure didn't have the legs tonight that I did last Saturday. Quads seemed weak sauce.

Didn't get a workout in today. I did golf 18 holes but took a cart. Birdied the island hole at Sunbrook for the first time ever. Had to leave early to get to the course and by the time I got home I was pretty trashed. Planned on running that evening but Mik'L got home later than planned and I was ready for dinner and not a run. 

Nice run this morning. I kind of feel like a dead beat lately. But in the end I was ready for a little break and the ankle really needs to heal. So my long run for the week was 7 miles. Felt pretty good through out the run. Ankle held it's own and seems more stable than it was in the weeks before the marathon. Groin/ hips/ thighs/ lower abs were tight. To be honest this seems more painful than the ankle. I'm sure it's nothing serious and caused from cycling. I just need to learn how to stretch and do daily service treatments too help avoid the big "tight" phase that I keep working through. Just a learning curve for the body after years of only running. 

60 min's on the spinner this morning. Started out so so but then really hammered the last 35 min's. Actually felt like I was going to barf when I finally got done. Walked around the house for 5 while I waited for it to come up... never did. Solid sweat flowing on this one. 

3 miles on the treadmill after I caught my breath from the spinning beat down. 

P.M.

6.6 miles pushing Myler in the jogger around the middle B-hills loop. Really windy so it kind of sucked. Hard to push the boy into a headwind. But when we headed north with a tailwind it was nice. ankle was about 80%.

60 min's on the spin bike this morning. Didn't hammer the end like yesterday but had more of a uptempo push throughout. Ended with a mile more in the same time. 

3 miles after on the treadmill. Having Mik'L out of town is tough in ever aspect of my life. 

P.M.

Pushed Myler out by Blue Bunny to look at a couple storage units. After selling the boat we don't need the big one anymore but still do need a 10x10 or so for a bunch of office files. Kind of a fun run and much different than the norm.

Took Ears for a run around the park and back. Then did the inner B-hills loop starting with the Secret street. My groin/ab/hip was soo tight. Had me wincing in pain. Ankle is holding up like a champ but I must figure out why the bike is making this other area sore because it really really screws up running. 

60 min's on the spinner. Nice steady push. 

8 mile run after the spinner around the B-hills middle loop then Secret Street and a little tour of Little Valley. Pretty good run all things considered. Ankle is acting like a champ- hip area was so so this morning. Runnable but not fast or very long. 

Took a recovery day. Hip/ groin/ ab/ thigh were all super tight. 

60 mins on the spinner early before going out on the run. Was half asleep most of the ride and my output reflected it.

10.2 mile run with Logan at 7 a.m. 35 F made for the coldest morning so far this fall. It even blackened the tops of some of my tomatoes (just a few leafs here and there). Anyways the run was pretty good. Groin pain was as runnable as it's been since the marathon. Logan and I enjoyed a nice morning together and during our political talk he made a quotable quote. "What Romney has going for him is that he isn't Obama".

40 mins on the elliptical to start the day off. Then right into a 7.6 mile run around the middle B-hills loop and extended through LV. 

Got home and did 3+ hours of yard work (no mileage awarded for this). Then Mik'L came home from work just after 1 p.m feeling kind of sick. So while her and Myler were napping I decided to go for a ride.

58.25 mile ride in 2:45:30 and a 21.1 mph avg. Best ride so far. Out around the southern parkway, Sun River, Bloomington loop, Tonoquint to Santa Clara, Up to Kayenta and around all of it, Down into Ivans, over the parkway, up over skyline drive into Washington, through the fields, small tour in LV and finally back home.

2.4 mile run after the bike to shake the legs out. At the end of the ride the legs were loosing it. But once I got going one the run I felt pretty good all things considered and wish I would have had time for around 10 miles just so I could have killed myself totally off for the day):. 

We'll see how I recover and handle the rest of the week.

Middle B-hills loop. Other than the super fatigued legs this run was solid. One of the best in a long time. No sharp pain! Both the ankle and the groin area felt above 80%. I know you have good days and bad so I'll enjoy this one as good. I'll spend the rest of the day trying to recover from yesterday and get some calories down the hatch. 

Logan and I got back on the weekly DC loop. Had the alarm set for 4:40 but woke up at 4:13 so that sucked. Run was pretty good. Achy in the normal places but nothing too bad. Glad the pace was slow.