Rollin' THUNDER

Overall the race went pretty well. I beat my PR by a whole 3 seconds! But it is still a new PR. My goal is to always improve on my time, so I accomplished that.

I was worried about my knee and my training. I was able to run the distance, and I placed 4th in my age division. I still need to focus a lot  more on my training. I was hoping that my knee would hold up. I didn't feel any pain until about mile 2.4ish (15:35). I have run through the pain and will continue to do so, but I do need to take time to rest after the full. My right ankle also started to hurt around mile 8, but that pain went away by mile 11. Im sure that pain was from subconciously changing my form to protect my knee.

There was a guy that passed me with about .5 miles to go, and I had to beat him. I ended up passing him around the 13 mile mark, he was very mad. Sorry.

I tested my theory that I need to stop eating/drinking milk in large quantities. It had been a couple of weeks since I ate a bowl of cereal on a day that I ran, today I did. I had to stop after 2 miles and find a bathroom (elk ridge park). Luckily it was a nice flushable toilet. Now I know for future reference that there is a good toilet near the routes that I run. Hopefully I won't have to use it, Goodbye Cereal  :(

I ran really slow. This was my first run since the half on saturday, so I didnt want to push it hard at all. My knee is still hurting, and has been since July 24th. Im not sure what I need to do besides rest, but thats not really an option with less than 3 weeks untill the marathon.

I was supposed to do 6 miles tonight. I was going to try it on a treadmill (I have read that treadmills are easier on knees). After a few minutes I had to stop because of the pain in my knee. I stopped and put on the knee brace that I use for basketball. I started to go again and was able to go a little further before I had to quit. I guess I will have to "tuff it out" on the roads.

Its not looking good  :(

8 mile run at my parents house.

Kids k with nieces and Nephews.

Really sore knee for the next 2 days. This helped me decide not to run until the marathon to give my knee a fighting change of lasting 26.2

I set a PW (Personal Worst) on this marathon run. Luckily I wasn't expecting great things. I have only run maybe 13 miles in the last 3 weeks, so I was out of shape. Sasha slept at my brothers house on Friday night, I had told him that my knee hurts so I haven't been able to train for the last few weeks. He told me to give it my all for the first 16 miles, then just try to finish the last 10.2. He seems to know what he is talking about, so I did as he said.

Although my training has been bad, I figured I could at least do 7 minute miles for the first half, then maybe 7:30's until 16, after that I was just going to focus on getting done before 4 hours. But my final goal was to not quit.

I started up at the front of the pack by my brother Jason (3:00:38 I think, Great job). I didn't want to start in the middle and get caught in a group or have to weave in and out to pass people. I figured I'd start up front and stay with that pace for a while.

Mile 1 was ok. About 5 minutes into the race I could feel that my knee wasn't 100%, but I already knew that going in. I picked a pace that felt good with my lungs and my knee and I stuck with it.

Mile 1 was 7.07.96. 7 seconds off my pace, but I didn't want to shoot out of the gate and go faster than I felt comfortable with.

mile 2 was 7.00.24, right on pace. 3, 7.06.54. 4, 6.53.68. 5, 7.06.97. 6, 6.59.42. 7, 7.04.16. 8, 6.51.89. 9, 7.01.9. 10, 7.09.23.

By mile 11 my lack of training started to hit me, and I felt my self bog down. Luckily there was a strong tail wind that kicked in around here, and there was still a couple of miles of down hill.

11, 7.13.51. 12, 7.12.93. 13, 7.18.64. I hit 13.1 with a time of 1.32.07, a whole 3 minutes and 8 seconds faster than I did the first half last year (last year I wasn't going all out for the first 16, I was trying for a good 26.2).

13, 7.18.64. 14, 7.34.3. 15, 8.42.11. 16, 12.10.71 with about a 4 minute bathroom/gatorade break.

At this point I was thinking I was dead. I had no energy and still had 10.2 miles to not get a D.N.F. next to my name. Here comes a lot of super slow jogging, just a hair faster than a walk, but it was all I had in the tank.

17, 9.30.22. 18, 9.58.45. 19, 10.51.22. I pretty much walked all of 20. I started getting cramps in both legs, which made it hard to bend my legs. With walking and stopping to try and stretch out cramps 20 was 14.53.16.

From here until the end I was forced to stop and stretch about every 1/2 mile.

21, 12.10.42. 22, 12.21.91. 23, 11.23.64. 24, 11.38.01. 25, 12.18.78. 26, 11.33.01. 26.2, 2.05.83.

Total time was 3.59.18 (Sasha predicted I would get around 4 hours, he really knows his stuff).

Although this was a personal worst by about 8 minutes (and about 38 minutes off my PR, all on the same course), crossing the finish line never felt so good, or like I had accomplished more than it did for this run.

I was planning on taking about 3-4 months off to let my knee heal, but after yesterday I don't think I will be able to stay away that long. My plan is to take maybe 2 months off. Use lots of rest, ice, a knee brace, and use weights to strengthen my leg muscles (I think I have runners knee).

Hopefully it goes well and I can crack 3:10:59 next time.

First run since the marathon. I have gone back to the first pair of running shoes I owned, Nike Free 7.0. I have read the a more minimalist shoe can help runners knee, I am going to test that theory.

I only went 2. something miles to test my knee in the shoes. My last marathon trainings I have treated almost every workout as a race and I tried to set a PR everyday. This time I am going to focus on getting a good base, then do some speed work, all while praying that my knee will hold.

I dont know the exact distance, but it was an easy pace, around 7:50. My knee felt good. I got home and immediatly put ice on it to help with swelling.

I found a pair of old shoes at my parents house that I bought at the DI 8 years ago. I dont know what they are intended for, but I am going to try them for running.

mile 1 7.51.93       Slow mile, this is about the pace I want to go.

mile 2 8.48.09        Im pretty sure this mile is marked wrong.

mile 3 (same as 1, but in reverse) 7.47.85    

Easy pace for all miles, my knee felt fine the entire time, and my feet didnt hurt from these mystery shoes.

Started barefoot on the treadmill.

went 1.5 miles, feet started to feel a little warm, and my right knee started to get that funny feeling in it.

put on powers and ran 1.5

total 3 miles on the treadmill

time was about 9 minute miles. Im not sure if my treadmills mileage is correct.

4  miles on treadmill in 37:30.

Im still not convinced the distance tracker is right on the treadmill.

1.5 barefoot, felt good.

Knee feels good.

I signed up for the ogden full marathon today.

I was going to do 4 miles today, but as I was walking to my starting point I felt like I should only do 3. I still dont want to push the envelope to fast and re-injure my knee. My knee is feeling good, and I dont want to ruin that by trying to up my mileage to fast.

3 miles outside 23.25.95

mile 1 7.41.01 This mile felt good, I was right around the pace I want to be for my mileage build up.

mile 2 8.16.25 I still felt good, Im convinced this mile is marked wrong, but running a little extra shouldnt hurt, hopefully.

mile 3 7.28.69 With about half a mile left my knee started to let me know that it was there (it felt a little funny), so I slowed down. I didnt realize that I was going any faster than a 7.40-7.50, so I was surprised that even after slowing down I was still under 7.30.

Good afternoon run, hopefully I can keep my knee healthy and get up to some longer runs in a couple weeks.

Im getting sick of leg injuries/pains. My knee had been doing good, then I tweaked it playing basketball a couple of tuesdays ago. So I took MORE time off to let it heal. Then I played football 2 saturdays ago and learned how out of shape I really am, I was sore for 7 days afterwards. But I am back, I have made a goal to run 55 times this year. There are 67 days, and I dont run on sundays. I think that will give me 3 days off. My plan is to take baby steps all the way to a sub 3 hour marathon.

2 miles on treadmill 17.34.

Legs feel good.

3 miles on treadmill 27.06

Baby steps

I have a running plan to keep it low and slow for a long while. Started taking glucosamine/chondroitin supplements to hopefully help with the knee pains I have developed lately.

3 miles on the treadmill

28.04  9.01.33 per mile

knee feels ok, I can feel something on the inside under my patella, we will see.

3 miles on treadmill 29.04

Very slow run, about 1.5 miles (not all at once) at a 5-10% inicline.

Good run, legs feel good.

5 mile long run (if you can call it that) outside

3 miles slow easy, 1 mile run, 1 mile slow easy

mile 1 8.08.95

mile 2 8.01.89

mile 3 8.10.05

mile 4 6.34.01

mile 5 7.55.61

total 38.50.51

It felt great to get off of the treadmill and go run outside, I still feel like I am able to go way faster on pavement. I was only going to do 4, but I felt like I could do 5, so I did. My knees felt good the whole run, and I had no issues the whole run. Good fun run, nice weather. I sure hope it stays like this for the rest of the year.

I was very excited for last saturdays run, it would have been the first time that I ran everyday that week (except Sundays). I had ran 5 miles on Friday as my long run, and was only going to do 3 on Saturday. Unfortunately I lifted weights after my 5 miler and pulled my left hamstring, so I didn't run Saturday. I figured I would give it 3 days to heal up. Yesterday (Sunday) I could still feel that it wasn't 100%, but it felt fine today, so I went for a nice evening run.

4 miles outside 31.17.81

mile 1 7.53.52

mile 2 7.40.30

mile 3 7.57.87

mile 4 7.46.12

My legs and knees feel good, and I will no longer do lunges after a run. :)

4 miles outside (2 p.m. 55 degrees)(C2nb)

mile 1 8.15.32

mile 2 8.08.82 turnaround

mile 3 8.02.71

mile 4 7.25.37 (wanted to be under 8 minute miles)

total time31.52.22 ave 7.58.05

3 miles outside (4:00 p.m. 57 degrees)

1   7.59.58 (during this mile Idecided I was going to do a .5 mile fitness check)

.5   4.05.99 (regular speed, taking it easy)

.5   3.00.47 (fitness check: knees felt good, hamstring felt good, everything felt good except my lungs and heart. I am out of shape)

1    7.43.74

Total 3 miles 22.49.78

4 miles outside (C2nb) (2:30 pm, 60 degrees, short sleeve tech shirt, and shorts. It is great weather in the afternoon)

mile 1    7.37.21

mile 2    7.47.78 (turnaround)

mile 3    7.53.35

mile 4    7.07.03 Trying to work in some speed here and there.

Total time 30.25.37

I was going to run 3 miles today and 5miles yesterday, but I took a 3 hour nap yesterday instead of running, so today I went 8 to make up for yesterday (the nap was great and very much needed).

mile 1 7.07.20

mile 2 7.24.07

mile 3 7.03.69

mile 4 not sure, I accidently hit the stop button instead of the lap button at the end of mile 3. I think that this was probably around the same as mile 3 because there was another guy running, so I picked up the pace so I could pass him.

mile 5 7.51.02

mile 6 7.52.80

mile 7 7.27.55

mile 8 7.12.45

total for 7 miles, 1-3 and 5-8 51.58.45

Good run, felt good, not too tired before, during, or after the run.

4 miles on treadmill 35.43.

I didnt take my glucosamine pills this morning and both my knees felt very uncomfortable starting at about 6:00 p.m. My day was a little bit more busy than usual, so I didnt get to run until 9:30 p.m. My left knee was very uncomfortable at this point, but I went ahead and ran anyways. My knee almost hurts now, it is certainly painful, almost a hurt. Hopefully it was just the lack of glucosamine, we will see how tomorrow goes.

4 miles outside (36 degrees)

mile 1 7.32.67

mile 2 7.48.31

mile 3 7.45.82

mile 4 7.25.04

total 30.31.84

I wore a long sleeve tech shirt, with a short sleeve tech shirt over the top of that. A black rhino beanie (it was probably a little too thick, but not bad), long johns under my bball shorts, and black gold toe socks on my hands. The socks were the best part, when my hands were cold I could just bunch up the socks and warm them up, when my hands got too warm, just open yours hands, and whalaa, a nice cold breeze.

My left knee still feels a little funny, I hope its just some lingering effects of not taking glucosamine yesterday.

3 miles outside (28 degrees, 8:45 a.m.), still taking it slow trying to build a little base for my legs and such, dont judge because I only go 3 or 4 miles a day.

mile 1 7.41.68

mile 2 8.22.68

mile 3 7.46.81

total 23.51.17

Todays run was one of my more favorite runs. It started to snow very lightly for about half a mile, and I loved it. At one pont I was running on very BRIGHT yellow leaves that had about 1/2" of snow here and there. I was a little nervous about slipping, but that wasnt a problem. My route only had 9 turns total, so it was pretty straight and not slippery at all where I needed to turn. My all time favorite run was in the spring when I got caught in a downpour. There was one point where I was running through about 1" of water rushing down the street. I guess I just enjoy running when moisture is falling form the sky.

Today I wore my black rhino beanie, 3 tech shirts (2 long sleeve, with a short sleeve on the outside), long johns under my bball shorts, and a pair of those dinky gloves (I hate to say it, but I was a little embarrassed of my gold toe socks being worn on my hands, so I bought my wife and I a pair of gloves, $1.40 for 2 pair). This was just about right for a short 3 or 4 mile run when it is around 30 degrees, if I had to go any more than 4 it probably would have been a little too warm. 

I was feeling a little under the weather today, so my motivation to run was very low. Finally at 8:30 I decided I had better run so I dont kick myself in the morning.

I did 3.6 miles on the treadmill while watching a basketball game. I took it really slow, just under a 9:50 pace. At the end of my run I was sweaty, but my lungs felt great, I wasnt out of breath at all.

My right knee feels a little bit stiff (same spot that I took several weeks off to let heal), I dont think it should be a problem.

Overall today was a good short run. I cant wait to start running greater distances, but I know I must give my legs and lungs the proper amount of time.

4 miles easy + 1 mile fast = 5 total (outside run, 40 degrees)

mile 1 8.07.14

mile 2 8.04.43

(turn around at 2.5)

mile 3 7.55.19

mile 4 7.53.21

total for 4 miles 31.59.97

mile 5 6.17.19

total for 5 miles 38.17.16

40 degrees. 2 tech shirts (short over long), long johns under bball shorts, dinky gloves. Felt great for 5 miles and 40 degrees, maybe a teeny tiny bit too warm, but it felt good.

My left knee felt a ltitle funny during the run so I was hesitant to run mile 5 as fast as I could,but I did it anyways. Afterwards both knees feel good.

4 miles outside

mile 1 8.01.06

mile 2 8.09.51 (turnaround)

mile 3 8.00.41

mile 4 7.49.04

total 32.00.02

38 degrees, wore the same stuff as yesterday. I guess I really felt the 2 degree difference between yesterdays 40 and todays 38. I was really cold at first, and still a little chilly at the end.

I originally posted a 30 minute brisk walk on a treadmill with an incline at 7-10, I had said that I got a good workout and that I was satisfied, but I guess that was not true.

On my way home from Bear Lake tonight I thought to myself "a walk doesnt count as a run". So I ran 4 miles tonight on the treadmill.

4 miles 37.35 That is slow, but it certainly feels like its a lot faster than the timer says. I did get the treadmill at a place that rebuilt broken treadmills and sells them for cheap, so I dont know if it is right or not, and I dont know how to test it.

4 miles on treadmill in 35.53.

I did measure my treadmill without anybody running on it, and the distance measurer is wrong. I will still have to measure it with someone running on it to come up with my final decision. I do think that I will continue to run the distance according to my treadmill, its free training.