1.5 Laps on Green Canyon this morning. Conditions were pretty good for running on the packed snow. Lots of cross-country skiiers out, even saw 2 other runners enjoying the trail/road. Now we are throwing a big family party for my 1 year old daughter. Mmmm Cake.
T-1:40 (8:20) 1500' vert
* Made some good progress this week. Definitely on the mend. I am convinced the issue is muscle imbalance. My 2x's daily exercises seem to be doing the trick.
I didn't get out until noon today. That meant perfect conditions for a nice tan. It was warm and sunny today. I even wore shorts and a short sleeve shirt. What a nice day. Too bad my leg was sore and I was freaked out it was getting worse so I stopped at 11. Not feeling so confident anymore...
My route was up Green Canyon on the slushy snow (very slippery and way too soft) to the yurt then back down the canyon past the truck to wander the roads until I called it a day.
Last night I read Joe Uhan's article Going Wide. I have to say I feel I might be suffering from the exact thing he describes. I think he is on to something.
I get injured every winter..why?
I run on narrow ski tracks with my feet landing "too narrow".
I run on snow which causes slippage (strain)
I run on roads in the winter (not a lot of variation)
No trails to balance out my muscles. I have VERY weak hips.
Too many hills.
I run too slow (causes stride narrowing)
The fix
Exercises and drills to strengthen hips
Practice pushing wide
Balance out the muscles
Stay off hills for a while
I did all that today and yes, the ITB was achy, but not a sharp pain. Once the inflammation goes down it should be fine if I keep doing "The Fix"
River Trail from the house via Sumac Dr. Leg was achy off and on. I had moments of elation due to no noticeable issues and then moments of the opposite. Overall, the leg was feeling pretty good. Focused on "going wide" and it immediately helped reduce the strain on the leg. Wanted to go another 5 miles but decided to play it safe today. Even as it was, I ran double my daily mileage with today's long run. Slow and steady progress...
Buffalo run 25k (16 Miles) 02:01:00, Place overall: 5, Place in age division: 1
Slow miles
Fast miles
Total Distance
1.00
16.50
17.50
Buffalo Run 25K -
Was supposed to be the 50K but wed I decided to play it cautious (at the urging of my wife and also Joe) and I dropped to the 25K. That meant one brisk lap rather than 2 somewhat painful ones. Sweet.
I spent the night in SLC and left for the race bright and early. The crazy blizzard I left had me a bit worried about the weather on the Island. Turns out that the weather was clear and cold on the island. Once the sun came up it warmed up nicely. The race started like just like any other...legs feel great, ready to roll.
Not much of a blow by blow today. I ran in 4th-6th the whole race. Taha provided entertainment the first 2 miles. Spent the rest of the time trying to catch roadkill. There wasn't a lot of that going on so not much to report. Nearly got one at the end but it didn't happen.
Bottom line, worked hard, ran a few fast miles, smiled a lot, leg didn't hurt at all. A complete success.
With the back flare up (bulging disk), I opted to play it safe and ride the bike. It was a great day for a ride. Rode up to deer fence and over to dry and back home. Things felt great once I got warmed up. Seems to be the story with the nerve pain. Painful getting out of bed or a chair then fine if I have been moving around.
