The Next Step

Today I just did an easy 4 miles tapering down for my race on Sat. It was a nice day and I felt pretty good. The first mile I was a little stiff and felt run down but started feeling better after that. I finished felling much better.

33:17

Today I just wanted to go out and get loose before my race tomorrow so just ran a couple of miles then stretched out.

As far as the plan for the race tomorrow, the weather looks a little unsure. Could be storms/winds. Hopefully that will hold off and we will get a good day to run. In setting my goals for tomorrow I recently read an article in Running Times that said you should have two goals (A goal and B goal). The A goal is what you think you can run if everything goes to plan. Good weather, feel good, etc. The B goal is what you think you can run if things are not perfect. They said that anything other then these two would be a missed goal and create a need to reevaluate your running plans. So with that in mind here are my A and B goals.

A goal: 1:33

B goal: 1:36

As much as I would like to PR in this race I don't think my fitness is there. I will still give it my best shot but looking at my workouts I am not where I was when I set my PR. So I will hope for a good day give it my best and see where the chips fall!

16:15

Today I ran the Indy 500 half marathon. At the start of the year I set this as a goal race to try to break 1:30 for the half. However, two sub-par months of training leading up the this race caused me to reevaluate my goals. So today I wanted to have a respectable race and use it as something to build on. I thought something between 1:33 and 1:36 would be good.

1- I started out pretty easy since there are 35,000 runners in this race and I didn't want to waste a lot of energy dodging other runners. I came through the first mile in 7:21 which was slower than I wanted but not bad in the traffic.

2 - After this I was able to pick up that pace a little as the runners thinned out. Felt good and tried to settle into my pace and came through in 7:01 probaly a little faster than planned.

3 - Still was feeling good and just keep going at the same pace. Had a lot more running room now so it was easier to settle into the pace. 7:01 again.

4 - More of the same. No problems yet but I was starting to get the sinking feeling that I would pay for this pace latter but I felt good and just went with it. 7:00

5 - I started to have some mild stomach cramps and the pace started to feel harder so I was getting concerned that I would not be able to maintain this pace. I slowed down some in 7:08.

6 - Still not feeling very good. I felt like I was working way harder than the pace indicated. I actually thought I had picked the pace back up but actually came in slower in 7:18.

7 - I am definitely in a rough patch now. Still didn't feel very good it showed in 7:25.

8 - At this point I got mad at myself. I was not feeling the best but I knew that I could do better than this. This was one of those points where I could have just slowed down and ran 8:00's in or I could try to get myself back on pace. I decided to just push it some and see how it worked out. Not really anything to lose at this point. I was able to pick up the pace and ran 7:09.

9 - Now I was actually feeling better even though I was running faster. I felt like this was a pace that I could maintain to the finish. 7:12.

10 - I was passing a lot of people and feeling like I got a second wind. Each mile was coming much easier than just a few miles back. I had a few other runners that I was working with to try to keep my pace up. I could definitely feel the extra effort but felt good to be back on pace. 7:02

11 - At this point I was just thinking 5k to the finish. See if you can run it strong. I wanted to try to hold the 7:00 pace to the finish which would put me pretty close to my goal. This mile was fastest so far in 6:59.

12 - Now is the payback time for the poor training leading up to this race. I really started to feel rough like I was totally out of fuel. There are no shortcuts in running and the lack of mileage/long runs the last couple of months was having its effects. I was able to hold it together pretty good in 7:22.

13 - Now it was just trying to get myself to the finish line without giving back too much time. It was pretty discouraging to watch some of the runners I had just passed come back around me. I felt like I was running 9:00 miles but actually came by the last mile in 7:25 which was better than I expected.

13.1 - Glad to see the finish! 1:34:01

Overall, I was pretty pleased with the race. I ran about what I expected. I wasn't as prepared as I should have been and I was kicking myself for letting my training slip the last few months. I had such a good Nov, Dec, and Jan but then lost it. It does give me hope that if I can keep the training going I will see the expected results. This was only a couple in minutes off of my PR and I probably had the worst two months of training that I have ever had leading up to a race this long. Hopefully this will give me some resolve to keep up the training through the Summer and see if I can run a good marathon in the fall and some PRs in shorted distances.

I really did something stupid over the weekend. I was helping out at a church youth group cookout and some of the kids asked if I would play basketball with them. So you probably know where this is going. I ended up playing and after playing for about an I came down on someone's foot and sprained my ankle. It is puffed up pretty good and it was hard to walk on but is feeling better today. I am not sure how long it will take to get back to running but I want to make sure that I let it heal right. If anyone has any experience with this I would love to hear how long before you were able to start running again. This comes at a really bad time because I was pumped up after running the half on Sat then to have this setup back. I am hoping that I can do some biking and strength training soon so I don't slip back to far. So for now it is just following the RICE program and see how it goes.

My sprained ankle is doing much better.  I didn't actually get out and run but did 35 minutes on the bike so I figure that ought to be worth about 4 miles since I don't have any other way to report bike miles.  I have been really suprised at how quickly my ankle is healing.  Today I was able to walk around on it pretty much like normal.  It still hurts a little going down stairs but other than that I think I could actually run on it.  I am still going to wait a couple of days to before I run to be sure it has healed but I am feeling more positive now than I was a couple of days ago.

35 minutes on the bike

I did another day on the bike to give my ankle some more rest. It is feeling pretty good as long as I am walking straight ahead. Any unusual movement and it still hurts. I had a real good bike ride. I pushed it pretty hard and felt good even though I haven't been on the bike much. I did around 10 or 11 miles and it started raining on me with about 3 miles to go or I would have gone further. I think I will try to run tomorrow to see how the ankle feels. Probably just a mile or two.

I tried running this morning but the ankle was pretty sore so I quickly turned around and quit. I don't want to do more damage to it than I already have. So after bagging the run I got on the bike for another ride. I am did around 14/15 miles on the bike and the ankle feels pretty good riding. It hurts some if I have to go over any rough surfaces on the road. Just the vibration from the road. Today I rode at a good steady pace nothing too hard. I will probably rest the ankle tomorrow and then try it again on Monday.

It was a rainy gloomy day here in Indiana for Mother's Day so with everyone just taking it easy around the house I decided to try out the ankle again. Since it was rainy outside I tried it on the treadmill which I thought might be easy on my ankle anyway. Today it felt much better than yesterday. It still hurt every once in awhile if I landed on it funny but overall it was good. I think I could have went further but I didn't want to over do it. I will try to go further tomorrow.

I didn't try to run on the ankle today. It is still sore but doesn't hurt when I ride the bike. I figured that I could get a better workout going hard on the bike rather than shuffling along running plus it gives my ankle another day of rest. I feel like in a couple of more days I should be able to run easy. I am starting to get to the frustrating point with the injury but a least I feel like I am getting some workout on the bike. Today I went for around 46 minutes on the bike and about 30 of it was pretty hard. About like a tempo run. It felt good to push the body again. I will probably go a couple of more days on the bike and then try to resume running. Maybe with the cross training I might give a triathlon a try.

I woke up today the ankle feet much better than the last few days. I had planned on riding the bike today but since my ankle was feeling better I decided to try to run on it. My daughter had soccer practice tonight so I thought I would try the run while she was practicing. I started off super easy and it felt good so thought I would go for it. After a mile or so it actually started to feel better. The only problems that I had is it started hurting on a long gradual downhill. However, it was fine coming back up the hill. So ended up with 4 miles and doesn't seem like any problems afterward. I will continue the ice and see how it feels tomorrow. I am cauiously optimistic that I can get back to normal soon.

35:30

My ankle felt good today after running 4 miles on it yesterday. I decided to keep today's run the same rather then push it higher. I started off a little sore and stiff in my ankle but as with yesterday it felt better after about a mile. I really felt like I could have kept going but I thought I had better still take it easy on the ankle and not try to over do it. Based on the last two days I feel like I should be able to get back to my normal schedule but will probably have to slowly add the distance. It is great to be back on the roads again!!

33:49

It was a nice morning today(50, cloudy) and felt good. My ankle didn't cause me any problems and felt good from the start. It is still a little swollen but doesn't hurt to run. I just have to be very careful and watch my footing. Any uneven places in the road still causes it to hurt.

Good run this morning. I feel slow for some reason. Not sure if it is the week layoff or maybe I am running differently favoring my foot. Anyway it is good to be back in the routine.

41:19

After yesterday's run I thought my ankle sprain problems were behind me and I would be back to normal running. What a difference a day makes. I went out this morning planning on running 6 miles and as soon as I started my ankle was very painful. Every stride hurt. I thought maybe it was stiff and I would give it some time to warm up. After around a mile I decided to call it quits and give the ankle some rest for the day. I did go back out during lunch just to see if it felt better and it did but still not good enough to run on. I will rest today and ice it then see what happens tomorrow.

After yesterday's rough day with the ankle it felt much better today. Starting out the ankle was a little stiff but it quickly loosened up and after around a 1 and half it felt pretty normal. I am still very aware of it and watch my footing very closely. I am still taking it easy pace wise and hopefully can get back up to speed next week. I will continue to ice and rest it as much as possible but will really be glad to get back to normal. It was a great day to run (60, windy).

50:36

It was a beautiful day outside but unfortunately I had to run on the treadmill. My wife had a meeting after church and I had the s so squezzed in a run before the soccer games this afternoon. I felt really good. Probably the best my ankle has felt since I hurt it. I think it is easier on the treadmill since it has some cushioning. I am really hoping that I can get a full week in this week but I do have some business travel so that is always a challenge.

39:49

I had to head out of town today on a business trip to Huntsville, AL. I was able to run few miles today after my meetings in the fitness center.  I went to the fitness center because it was 86 degrees outside and I didn't think I was ready for the heat.  I felt good running and my ankle was fine.  I am getting a little concerned about it because the swelling is not going down.  I am not sure if running on it is causing it to remain swollen or if it is just part of the process. Anyway it feels good while I am running so I guess I will keep it up unless it gets worse.

40:19

Still in Huntsville.  It was a nice morning to run (66, light wind) and I felt good.  Still no problems with the ankle so I stretched it out to 7 miles today.  I am going to try a full week this week to see how my ankle responds.  Still doing the ice and rest as much as possible so hopefully it will respond.  Big news today is I signed up for the Chicago Marathon today so definitely have something to shoot for now.  I am looking at several shorter races for the summer so I can finalize my schedule.  The plan right now for Chicago is to get a Boston Qualifier so we will see how the training goes.

57:14

Another day in Huntsville and it is a beautiful one (56, light wind).  I felt real good this morning and my ankle seems to be getting better each day.  I did notice some pain when I went down a steep hill but other than that it was great.  I really felt like running fast today but thought I should continue the conservitive path to recovery.  I know I will get a chance to run fast again soon.  This is my fifth day in a row running which is the best I have done since I sprained my ankle.  So hopefully I am now able to train normally.

64:44

Last day in Huntsville and I am more than ready to go home.  It was another great morning around 60 and no wind.  I can really get used to days like these.  I felt good this morning.  Started off kind of slow since I felt stiff and a little tired.  After a couple of miles felt much better.  I decided to do a couple of miles at faster pace to shake the legs out and get used to running fast again.  This went well and it felt good to run a little faster.  So far this is turning out to be a good week so hopefully I can finish it off well.

64:01

Great to be back home! Woke up this morning it was raining but luckly it stopped before I started my run. It turned out to be a nice morning (56, light wind). Pretty much the same as normal. Started off slow because I was a little stiff but loosened up and got to feeling good after a couple of miles. I decided to go a couple of extra miles today since tomorrow I am doing a church fun run 5k tomorrow so probably won't get in as many miles as I would like. Even with a down day tomorrow this has shaped up to be a great week for me since I hurt my ankle. I hope next week I can get back up into the 50's for the week.

1:22:14

Today my church had a fun run/walk 5k to raise money for charity. I had planned to just take it easy but I couldn't stop myself from trying to chase down a couple of the younger guys that went out fast. I started off kind of easy but then picked it up and ran the last 2.5 miles like a tempo run. I felt good and it was nice to be running fast again. It stirred me up to get back into some 5k/10ks to see where I am at speed wise. It was a great day (60, sunny) and a fun day.

It was a beautiful day today and spent most of the day with the family outside at the park. I had some free time late in the evening so went for a 15 mile bike ride. I felt good and it was just nice to be outside. I went at what would probably be the same HR as a easy run pace.

Since today is Memorial Day and I didn't have to work I added a few miles to my normal run. It was a nice morning probably in the high 60's, cloudy and windy when I started. As I started out my right calf was very tight I had to stop after about a half mile and stretch it out. It started loosening up and felt fine after a couple of miles. I felt good most of the way but around 8 miles the sun came out and the temperature went up. I started feeling the effects of the heat and probably since I didn't eat anything before going out I was kind of low on energy at the end. But overall it was a good run and it was nice to get a little longer run in to start the week.

1:39:06

It was warm and humid this morning which is the first time I have been able to say that this year. When I started off this morning I felt really tired with not much energy. My legs were tight and stiff so I just took it easy for a few miles. I did feel better later in the run but never did get back to what I would call normal. It did start light raining about 5 miles in which actually felt pretty good. It is days like this that I just need to push through and look forward to the better days to come.

66:03

I had a bunch of things going with the kids today (last day of school) so I ended up running in the afternoon. It was warm (70) and windy but was sunny and beautiful. I felt a little stiff getting started but that worked itself out after awhile. I did notice some pain in my shin that bothered me for a couple miles. Hopefully, this is not a potential problem. Otherwise, it was a great run.

56:47

It was a perfect day this morning to run (55, sunny, no wind). I wanted to do a tempo run today but decided to do it as cruise intervals (mile hard with a couple of minutes easy running) at around 6:30 pace. I ran a couple of miles for a warmup and as has been typical this week my legs just felt kind of heavy/tired. The first couple of miles went ok but it felt harder than I thought it should be. The third mile was a struggle and the last mile I just had to kind of push through. It was not exactly what I was looking for from the workout but I did hit my time goals. This will be a good gauge to see how I progress over the next few weeks of training. Here are the mile splits:

1st - 6:26

2nd - 6:29

3rd - 6:28

4th - 6:32

Ran a mile cool down and didn't have any problems with my leg today.

61:56

PM

A friend asked me to go for a bike ride and it was such a great day I couldn't refuse. We ended up going 18 miles and it was a beautiful evening. Then walked a couple of miles with my daughter when I got home. It was one of those days you want to be outside all day and that you don't want end.

Another great morning but more wind. Felt pretty good today after yesterday's workout. Just took it easy and cruised along nothing exciting to report. I guess it is a good thing to not have anything exciting to talk about like injuries, weather, travel, etc. It is kind of nice to just have some normal days.

This week has week good so far and I am planning a longer run tomorrow. I hope the weather cooperates. We are expecting severe storms.

64:38

All the storms went through in the night so was able to get out this morning for a long run. It was warm (70), humid and very windy. When I started out I didn't feel the best. Just felt a little run down. After a few miles it was pretty obvious that the warm humid weather and strong wind this was not going to make for a very fast run. I settled into a slower than normal pace and this seemed to work out pretty good. I felt pretty good through around 10 miles but I think the warm humid weather got the best of me the last few miles. This was the first day I have run in this type of weather and I could tell that I was not used to it. However, the objective was to get in the miles and I got in the miles in so I guess I will claim success.

1:59:28 (8:30 pace)