Hurdle the Dead, Trample the Weak

AND WE ARE BACK WITH THE BLOG!!

PM: 5 miles

Today was the first day running without the brace, AND the first day with my watch back. The plan was to run for 30 min and then to the next mile so ended up with 5 miles.  The ankle wasn't feeling bad, but it wasn't feeling great either. I think I might bring back the brace for next week. 

Lungs were feeling great until the last mile, but other than that I was feeling good.

Went for a easy 3 mile walk in the rain

PM: 3 miles + core

Today was the first day running in my brace again and honestly I don't think it helped very much. While running it felt like it was restricting blood flow out of my foot and ankle which really made it uncomfortable. I decided to stop at 3 miles both because of the discomfort and not wanting to push my ankle too far too early. I think if I keep wanting to run with a brace I'll have to go and buy a brace that will both support my ankle and allow blood flow. Other than that I felt great while running. I was happy about the pace (7:40 per mile) and glad that I was able to start slower and keep it down. Was honestly kinda bummed I had to end early though, but I know it'll be better for me in the long run.

After I got home I did a small core workout which included:

Felt good during it, but I will for sure be sore tomorrow. Hoping to start doing these more often during the week until I get to a point where I can start doing more, but for now we'll keep it simple. Another thing I'd like to start doing consistently as well is strengthening exercises (for tendons and bones and such). Unfortunately I was not the best at this in high school, but I've made it a goal to be better. If anyone has any tips or favorite exercises they would be much appreciated.

PPM: 3 mile walk

Walked around my neighborhood for 3 miles to walk to stiffness out of my legs. This is another thing I'd like to do more of. I feel like it gives my legs a chance to work out the lactic acid built up from my eariler workouts. Also it's a nice way to enjoy the summer nights.

After my walk I came home and stretched out before bed.

PM: 4 miles

Kinda had a crazy day today. I slept through my alarms and was late for work which made for a very rushed morning. But after a tiring day at work I came home, did some stretching and pounded out 4 miles. I ran to a nearby elementary school and ran laps in their small grass field to try and get a softer surface, but after getting sick of that decided to explore more of Provo. I did notice though that while running in the grass, I felt my ankle more than just running on the asphalt. Anyway, I went out and ran more of the Provo neighborhoods. I'm gonna have to find some new places to run. I think Provo is a little too flat for me. The ankle did pretty good throughout the run. No major pains or worries which I am glad about. Still happy about my pace (7:49 per mile). Made the last mile all downhill so that my legs got moving faster without the added stress. I think that pace is the best place for my ankle to be pushed right now so I'll probably try to stay in that range for the next couple of weeks.

PPM: 2 mile walk

Finished off the night with a nice 2 mile walk around Provo and some stretching before getting into bed.

PM: 5 miles

I quite enjoyed today's run. Went out in search of some hills, so I just started running towards the mountain. The goal today was to run 5 miles in under 40 min and thankfully I was able to. Ended up finding some good hills to run up for a bit and man...my body was not ready for those haha. My pace dropped significantly while in the hills, but that's okay for now. It felt good to feel the burn while running up the hills. My ankle felt great the entire time as well. The only time it bothered me was starting out, but once I got in my rhythm then it was totally fine. Right before my last mile, I got stopped by a stoplight though which was a bit frustrating, but I was able to still finish strong. Averaged 7:42 per mile.

I've got a date tonight, so I might not be able to get in an evening walk, but I'll try. It might just have to be a quick one, but I'll for sure do some stretching and strengthening exercises.

PM: 2 hours volleyball + 1.5 miles

Well guys I'm still trying to get in the habit of logging my workouts everyday so I'll give a quick summary from last week. I kept it very very low mileage (1-2 miles a day) because my shin began to act up and I don't want to take any chances with it. Today (after playing volleyball for 2 hours) I started out with the hopes of running more than 2 miles, but decided to give the shin another day before increasing the mileage so I decided just to run a quick 1.5. I kept the pace easy so as to not over irritate the shin. On the bright side, my ankle feels great! It's been getting stronger and I no longer feel any pain at all before, during, or after runs!! Just have to be careful with it and make sure I keep strengthening it.

PM: 5 miles

Was able to finally get in some mileage today. During the run I felt no sharp pains in my shin which was great, but it still did ache a bit. Anyway it's been feeling a lot better. Had no problem with the ankle either. Decided to take today's run up some hills and ended up getting lost on my way back down which was fun, but ended up averaging 8:19 per mile which is slower than usual, but it's okay. That just means more rest for the injuries. Gonna do some strengthening exercises tonight before bed and stretch.

PM: 5 miles

Today was not the best day for running. Started out and could feel that my legs were really tired. After a bit they began to get a bit better, but I could definitely feel a difference. Once I hit the hills I decided to take a new turn to explore some more of the trails and found a trail that is uphill the entire way (about .9 miles). I think it's my new favorite hill in Provo. Anyway a little over 2 miles into the run I stopped and threw up on the side of the trail. Ended up taking the rest of that mile extremely easy, until I began to feel better. No problems on the way down. In terms of injury today was the best day so far. I only really felt small aches in my shin on the downhill, but other than that I didn't feel it at all. Makes me happy to know that it's healing and getting stronger. Gonna continue to strengthen both that and my ankle so that I continue to stay injury free.

Gonna see if I can fit in a walk tonight, but I'm gonna for sure do some core before I head to bed.

PM: 2 hours of volleyball + 6 miles

After work today I went and played a good 2 hours of volleyball and then immediately went for my run. Since I was in Sandy I decided to run some of the trails near there. Ended up running 3 miles straight up hill and 3 miles back down. I kept the pace slow because of the 2 hours of jumping I had done right before and I didn't want to overwork my shin or ankle so I averaged a 9:10 per mile. Had no major problems with either injury, but I am wiped out. Nothing else tonight. I'll probably make tomorrow an easier day so I can have a good run on Saturday.

12:32 pm: 3 miles

Well the plan was to run 4, but I could feel my shin aching a bit more than the previous days so I decided to stop at 3 and walk/jog the last mile. My average pace was 7:15 per mile which was a lot faster than I wanted (probably why my shin freaked out). I got to keep focusing on bringing my pace down until I can safely run at a faster pace. It's honestly been one of the hardest challenges for me, but I've made some great improvements. Probably gonna go for a hike later since it was a low mileage day

4:24 pm: 7.25 mile hike

Decided to hike to the Y which is only 2.2 miles round trip, but at the Y I saw another trail and got curious and before I knew it I was at the top of Y mountain. Didn't plan on getting in that mileage, but I wasn't complain. Ended up hiking up 3,443 ft in 2 hour and 24 minutes which wasn't too bad (19:52 average mile). My legs are pretty tired from today's activities so there will be a lot of stretching and massaging tonight before bed

6:16 pm: 7 miles

Ran 7 miles on Bonneville Shoreline trail. For whatever reason I had trouble stay on the correct trail and ended up having to stop and back track and it really just killed me mentally. I'm tired, my legs are tired, it was just a real slow day, but I was still able to push through 7 miles. Averaged a 9:26 mile. Very grateful that tomorrow is a rest day. Will be doing a lot of stretching tonight before bed.

No logging today. Real easy

11:20 am: 5 miles

Overall anaylsis:

Body feels good, not as strong as I used to be, and I need to grow my endurance (comes with time and consistency. Need more hills, feel fine until I hit the hill (to be fair the hill has a 18% grade though). Ended on a downhill to train legs to run fast when tired. Stretching and massages will be necessary to stay healthy.

Running thoughts:

Should I get another pair of shoes? I have a new pair of Hoka's, but might be smart to invest in another pair to swap every other day to ensure maxium shoe recovery. Maybe something for trails so I can run more in the mountains? Maybe the same pair? Need to start reseaching shoes

12:06 pm - 6 miles

PM - 3 mile walk & Stretching

Overall anaylsis:

Ran the first 3.1 miles (uphill) hard (21:11 for 5k time), rest (downhill) easier. Heat is hard, need to get better at running when it's hot. Legs are tight from this weeks run, need to stretch and massage more, going to roll out tonight. Need to make nightly walks a thing to help cool/wind down

Running thoughts:

Need to drink more water, find a water bottle and always keep it full. Want to start reading more running books, any recommendations? I also want to be more thorough with my data logging, should pay more attention to how I feel during runs and immediately log so I don't miss anything. Any other suggestions?

2:06 pm: 6 miles on the treadmill

6:41 pm: 4 miles on the treadmill

12:43 pm: 7 miles

Cranked out 7 miles on the treadmill. First 2 at 8:34 pace, the middle 3 at 7:30 pace, and the last 2 at 8:34 pace. Really trying to get my body used to running again without injury so I'm taking it slow. Also did 75 pushups and situps right before the run and then 75 pushups and situps again right after the run. Hoping to start running outside again soon!

7:40 pm: 1.64 mile walk

Easy walk with Lauren

11:46 am: 5 miles

Overall Analysis:

First couple of miles was great, but then I really began to feel it. Started the feel the heat and definetly slowed down, but was able to keep it at 7:30 pace. Towards the end of the run I started to feel my ankle ache a bit, but other than that no concerning injuries. Felt great. Ready for tomorrow. Before and after the run I did 75 pushups and situps, and then after the run I did 60 light kettlebell dead lifts.

11:35: 4 miles

Overall anaylsis: I didn't have as much time as I wanted today so I wasn't able to run as far. Also wasn't able to eat before my run. Legs felt stiff and tired from yesterday and not responding very well. Going to stretch tonight so they can be ready for tomorrow.