Winning Back What I Lost

Stretched it out a bit on my day off; first week of at least four days of running since my injury in early november; fierce headwind of about 20 mph on the way out really sapped my legs and wind; felt good to start building my base back up even though my pace is still about a minute slower than it was before the injury.

T/M: It's getting better- my endurance that is.  My ankle is still sore but not overly painful.  I was able to hold a decent pace for 4 miles which is twice as long as I could only a couple of weeks ago.  Shooting for a return to my normal 5 or 6 days of running this week w/ a longer weekend run.  Somewhere around 25+ miles is my goal.  We'll see how it goes.

T/M: 9m pace; ankle significantly better; started massaging ankle w/ liquid heat to work out the swelling and it has really started to work. Weather is horribly soggy right now but looks like I might get some outdoor runs toward the end of the week.

T/M: Had planned on running outside on some hills during lunch hour but the boss dragged me into a conf call; ended up going to the gym after the BCS NC game; Slow (8:57) even pace for 5+ miles w/ cooldown; probably due for some new shoes; knee soreness is starting to return but at least my ankle is getting better.

Eagle Ride Trail (Boise Foothills); tackled some hills today and it ruined me; I had planned on going further but the ascent killed my wind and the descent ruined my legs; plan on doing this once a week up until Robie Creek; good times. 

T/M:  Wanted to get out for a long run but the wife didn't get home til late afternoon and I didn't feel like running in the dark;  my legs were strong but I'm due for some new shoes as I've had these Saucony's for about 8 months; first week of 5 days of running since late October.

Started a 14 week training program today for Robie Creek 1/2 on 4/18.  GB run from FF Memorial to Broadway Bridge and back.  Today was supposed to be an easy run at 10 min pace.  Found it extremely difficult to go any slower than 9:30/mile pace.  Heart rate remained steady around 155 which is a little under 75% of max for me.  Added some cushioned heel inserts to both extend the life of my shoes and give some added cushioning for my left ankle. 

Got outside again today on my lunch.  First tempo run in a looooooong time.  My training plan called for 3 miles @ 8:33/mi but I was feeling saucy and went 8:29/mi.  Booyah!!!   Back on my diet for reals this time.  Need to drop back down to 165-170 before Robie.  I have this theory that running is quantifiably easier when you do it often and you don't carry spare luggage.   

Didn't get outside but I did get to the gym for some TM hill training.  Five minute warm-up jog followed by 2 miles @ 4% incline and .5 mile cooldown.  I was completely exhausted, which is disappointing considering the grade up Aldape Summit that I'll have to traverse in April for Robie Creek 1/2 averages 4.34%. :(   I decided that I needed to punish myself for my poor shape and stuck around for some plyometrics w/ the medicine ball followed by a ten minute ride on the stationary bike to cool down.  Probably take tomorrow off to prep for a ten miler on Saturday if the stars are aligned. 

Easy, slow, long weekend run.  My training plan called for 8 miles but I had decided beforehand to extend it to 10.  Seemed like a good idea until around mile 7.5.  I really labored the last couple of miles.  Temp was cold (mid to high 20's) so I thought I wouldn't need to hydrate along the way- mistake #2.  No soreness in the ankle.  Felt pretty good about my form until I broke down around mile 8 or 9.  Looks like building my base back up to where it was will take more time than I thought.  I'm sure it will get easier as I continue to shed the extra 20 I gained back from September-December- down six lbs so far.

T/M: Hill repeats; alternated 1 min intervals of 3, 4, 5, & 6.4% incline w/ 1 min cooldown in between for 5 miles. Legs felt very strong and my VO2 max is improving with every hill workout. 

Midday fartlek run (2x1600 w/ 800 jogs) w/ warmup and cooldown.  My legs were still tight and felt heavy after last nights weight training.  Temperature was in the high 20's.  My shoes are falling apart but the cushion still seems adequate.  I've surpassed the 400 mile mark so its probably time to replace them.

T/M: 4+ miles of hill intervals; alternating 1 min 3.5/4.9/6.1/7.1% incline w/ 1 min .5 to recover; starting to see some dividends to my 2 weeks of hill work and weight training on my legs; felt much stronger this time around and still had enough left to cool down at 8:30 pace.

Didn't get out for my long run on Saturday.  Instead, I spent the night at a cabin near Soldier Mountain w/ some adults and kids from our church.  We didn't go to the resort but rather hiked up a small hill a dozen times in 3-4 feet of snow w/ my snowboard and hit a makeshift jump we built at the bottom.  It was a blast and the hike in the snow got my heart and legs pumping. 

Slow, easy 5+ miles on my lunch hour.  My neck is real stiff from landing on my head a couple times at this weekend's activity.  Temp was in the mid 20's but I didn't feel that cold in the sun.  Looking forward to warmer temps later this week.

Early AM workout on the T/M: 30 mins of hill work (pyramid of 5 mins at 3%; 3 min at 5%; 1 min at 7%; followed by 20 mins of 2-5%).  Finished up w/ some leg presses, calf raises and standing leg extensions.

So yesterday I decided that I've got to do something about the swelling in my ankle.  It's not overly painful but it's preventing me from properly stretching my left calf b/c when I do so I get this intense pain in my achilles down to my heel.  So I schedule a 1 hr massage over my lunch hour.  I didn't ask for the same gal that I got last time (August '08)- big mistake.  She was gentle and the gal I got yesterday must be some sort of closet sadist.  OMG was it painful!  It literally felt like she was stabbing me w/ a knife and twisting it into my femur very slowly.  She would find a pressure point and then go to work and each time she did I would just bury my face into the pillow and scream inside my head.  Apparently, my calves and quads were very tight.  After she was done I thought about pressing charges but decided that she would probably use my consent against me in court.  Damn!!!   The pain has not alleviated but rather has just moved down to my heel and has in fact become more bothersome.  Hopefully, this means that she opened up a pathway for these toxins to vacate through my heel????? 

Early AM workout on the T/M:  3 mile tempo run at 8:34 pace.  I was completely wasted by the end I attribute most of this to the fact that I've been "backed up" for days and its making me feel rather lethargic and queasy.  Nonetheless, I can't believe how far I've regressed since my injury.  I was doing longer tempo runs at a 7:45 clip last year.  I also weighed about 15 lbs less last year.  Down to 187 lbs now and my goal is to be below 170 lbs by the time Robie Creek rolls around in mid April and at 165 lbs in time for the Ogden Marathon in mid May.  Ultimately, I think maintaining my weight at somewhere between 160-165 will be ideal for me to run at my potential and lessen the risk of injury. 

I purchased some new shoes yesterday (Asics Nimbus 10) and had my first opportunity to try them out at lunchtime on the greenbelt.  I really like the cushion and the springiness to the midsole but they felt rather heavy- and not just after a couple of miles but right away.  I was concerned about that b/c the only negative reviews on this shoe involved their weight and the relatively small toe box.  The latter didn't bother me at all- the fit was nice- but they are noticeably heavier than my Triumph 5's.  I might take them back or I might just wait until after my long run on Saturday. 

The good news is that my ankle soreness has virtually gone away.  The bad news is that it has moved down to my heel where its more pronounced.  I don't feel it so much when I'm running but after I'm done I really feel it just walking.  Presumably this is because I'm more of a midsole to toe striker. 

Weather was really nice today for this time of year.  Temp in 30's w/ sunshine.  I was definitely overdressed w/ my long sleeve thermal underneath a runner's jacket.  Still working on building my base and I think if I can get a good long run in on Saturday and a few miles on Friday I might be able to jack my weekly miles up to around 35- something I haven't done since last summer. 

Early AM on T/M:  Well this workout sealed it for me.  The Nimbus 10 are just too darn heavy and narrow for my liking.  My legs felt heavier than ever wearing these shoes even though I've been losing 2-3 lbs a week.  I really struggled through 4+ miles at .5 incline and 9:05 pace.  I ran the last 5 mins at 4.5 incline so that I wouldn't forget what real hills feel like.  That's the disadvantage of running in Meridian and on the greenbelt in Boise so much- there just isn't a lot of net elevation gain to be had.  The foothills are less than a mile from my office and I keep thinking that I should be running more hills but I'm still trying to build my base and cardio capacity back to where it was before my injury. I'm hoping that if I continue to drop weight at my current pace and get my mileage up to 40-50 mpw by the end of February I can spend all of March-mid April training in the foothills for Robie Creek.  Long run tomorrow will give me my first 6 day run week in forever and should get me to 35+ miles for this week. 

Early AM Long Easy Run:  Took back the Nimbus 10's and picked up the Wave Rider 12's.  These shoes feel like slippers, they're so light.  Huge difference, as my legs felt infinitely stronger even though I went twice the distance.  I back on Diclofenac Sodium, 25 mg, and the heel pain is gone.  First 6 day run week since last summer!!!  The base is coming back, slowly but surely.