Reading and (hopefully) Learning

As I try and get "back" to the type of running that I was doing in the summer I find the process tedious and frustrating. I am not running nearly as much as I thought I would be more than a month into my return to running. My right knee continues to bother me a bit, though nothing like what I was feeling at the end of August when I was sidelined with this ailment as well as calf strains galore.

Anyway, I am really really trying to be more conservative and have set no goals for the year other than wanting to run a marathon next Fall. Even this goal is not set in stone, and I am not registered for any races whatsoever. In between the little bit of running that I have been able to accomplish I have been reading books on running like never before. The two most useful ones I've found are Hal Higdon's "Marathon: the Ultimate Training Guide" and Timothy Noakes' "The Lore of Running".

I am not, at this point, interested in any training plan per se, but I am very much in need of reinforcement of the concepts of not over training, listening to your body, setting realistic goals, etc. Both of these books do a great job of describing the common mistakes that rookies make, which ultimately lead to burnout or injury, and I have found more than a few that either I've already experienced or can relate to. As such, I am continuing to stay positive no matter how often, or how far, I am running on a weekly or monthly basis.

Case in point: Last week I ran 4km on Monday, then took the rest of the week off because I was fighting off some sort of throat ailment. On Saturday I went out for what turned out to be an awesome feeling 6km. It was easy, and I had a great time.

Sunday morning I was hoping to run again, but decided that my right calf was still feeling a bit too sore after Saturday's run and stayed home. Instead, I rode the stationary bike for 30 minutes and did some stretching.

I've also started doing a few new exercises that I found in the Noakes book, especially ones with stretch cords that work the hip flexors in a variety of ways. A particular one that I've never done before works out the front of the hip, where you have to lift your leg up until the thigh is parallel with the floor while having a stretch cord attached to the ankle. It's amazing how weak those muscles are and I immediately feel the difference in my knees after only a few days of this activity.

Anyway, I would love to be out there running 20+ kilometres every Sunday, but it is simply not possible at this time. Instead, I have to think super long term and get back to that sort of mileage when my body allows. I just hope that all of this new found wisdom doesn't leave me as the Spring racing season approaches and I am tempted, perhaps against my better judgement, to enter a race or two. I hope that I can race a few, but will not bank on it just yet.

I have also signed up at a gym around the corner as part of a reduced monthly rate plan through my work. The membership doesn't start until the middle of January, but I am doing this to have access to treadmills again, and to specifically work out my core and legs in order to get rid of these "swimmers legs" once and for all. Must strengthen to absorb shock better!

One of those weeks...

Man, it's been "one of those weeks" for me. After the weekend I went out for a nice run on Monday evening and had a decent time of it, completing a relatively uneventful 4km with a short walk break at the halfway point.

Then on Tuesday evening, when I was not planning on running, my throat started hurting. I shrugged it off and figured it wouldn't lead to anything since over the past month I've had the same feeling creep up one evening only for it to go away by the following morning. This time I wasn't as lucky and by Wednesday morning it was super painful to swallow. Although I didn't go to the doctor (I know, I know) my self diagnosis is that I had a touch of tonsillitis given that I didn't have the usual strep throat symptoms.

Anyway, needless to say, I did not run that evening and have pretty much been more than a little worn down the entire week. Today things are feeling a bit better, though my throat still continues to give me trouble and I am very lethargic.

The one nice thing about being a bit out of it is that I've been reading a lot recently. I won't bother listing the training manual type books that I've perused since they are in the "usual suspects" category and I'm sure anyone who is into running would have checked them out already. However, if you haven't checked out these two books you definitely should:

Duel in the Sun by John Brant was an awesome read. I couldn't put it down and finished it in one sitting! What a story, and not just of the race between Salazar and Beardsley, but mainly their lives before and after that pivotal race.

Strides: Running Through History with an Unlikely Athlete by Ben Cheever is also a fast read and very entertaining indeed. Lots of humour throughout, and many historical anecdotes makes this a lighthearted history of running book.

Hopefully I can get some running done this weekend. Have a good one everybody!

Sun"Day" Off

Last night I was feeling pretty good from my 7k run, but I was super tight in the muscle(s) on the right/front side of my right leg. I think it's the one that pulls the foot up into dorsiflexion and also acts to absorb shock when you land. I've never experienced shin splints so I don't really know what they feel like, but I must admit that I was somewhat worried that this may be what I was experiencing. I massaged it, I stretched every muscle I could from the hips down, and even got creative with trying to get that particular area to feel a good stretch. I then popped a couple of ibuprofen before bed and hoped for the best in the morning. Luckily today the muscle feels almost back to normal, so maybe I dodged a bullet. The body adapts to everything without me noticing it and I think that's cool, but I sure wish it would just hurry up and adapt to letting me run pain free for a while!

Also yesterday I found my chin up bar that's been packed up in the garage since our move back in May and installed it. I also blew up our yoga ball and am starting to get prepared for home workouts when my gym membership expires in January and I no longer have access to weights in the same way. The gym that I go to is called Frog's Gym, and it totally sucks. The people running it don't care about it at all, the place is always dirty, running out of paper towels and spray for cleaning off machines, and the treadmills are always breaking down and not getting fixed. Last year my wife and I prepaid one year's worth as a way of making a commitment to exercise, but I think the running has us inspired enough to continue without the gym in the picture. In short, they haven't earned my repeat business. I figure that between push ups, sit ups, chin ups, lunges and stuff I will have enough resistance exercises to keep me fit in the upper body and support my running.

Tomorrow calls for another easy 5k, and I am considering getting it done in the morning before work. We'll see if I can drag my ass out of bed in time!

Oh I forgot! I picked up the Tom Jordan book Pre on Friday and finished it that night. Over the weekend I read it again, and it's obvious that I enjoyed it. Although I still can't put my finger on just why Prefontaine continues to garner attention, and he certainly has mine, but I think at least a little of the fascination is a result of his dying at such a young age. No doubt he was a terrific athlete, and his approach to racing, charismatic personality, and dogged fight against the corrupt AAU are part of the complete picture as well. The biggest impression I was left with after reading the book is that Pre was such an energetic person, always doing multiple things as fast as possible, trying somehow to fit more into the day than anyone else - it's almost as if he subconsiously knew that his time on the planet was limited and he had to get as much done as possible before it was too late. Anyway, if you haven't read the book check it out. Though it is mostly an account of his races from high school until his death, included are numerous personal accounts by people who came into contact with Pre that help to paint a picture of the person and not only the runner.

6km, Foot Doctors, and Ultramarathonman

After a most frustrating day at the computer, where I was forced to miss both my regular swim at lunchtime, and my weights, I am back and ready to go for the week and a half heading into my cherry popping race. On top of the above, I seem to have had a recurrence of the cold that jumped me two weekends ago, and then kind of hit me again over the Thanksgiving weekend. I wanted to go swim in the evening, but crashed hard and just couldn't manage the energy to bike downtown.

My foot, as I mentioned before, is tight on the bottom and it sure feels like something that only major rest will solve. Therefore, I decided to see what an expert can do for me and will be seeing a foot specialist tomorrow morning. I hope that this Doctor can get me through the race and onto a recovery plan. I dread him telling me to stop running all together and miss the race!

Also, I finished Dean Karnazes Ultramarathon Man in about a day, and haven't talked about my impressions yet. This book, ironically, is more of a sprint than a marathon, isn't it? I am a sllllooooowwww reader, but I had this thing done by Saturday evening, having picked it up Friday after work and only reading a couple of pages once I arrived in Ottawa after midnight. In any case, I very much enjoyed this book. It did not preach to me to choose a more endurance oriented lifestyle, which I kind of expected. Instead, it was a great confession on Dean's part and definitely served to motivate me to keep running, no matter what. I know all the others who've read this have recommended it on their blogs, but I will do the same here. If you already haven't, READ IT!!! And try eating a pizza and a whole cheesecake while running - add that to my bucket list. Well, at least the cheesecake part...

Tonight I continued to deal with Microsoft issues, but have now entered that state of resignation that I figure a condemned man must experience on his way to the gallows. I simply don't care anymore and don't have the energy to care. I got home at 5:30 and started in on the project, neglecting my kids and wife terribly. Then, just as I came to some sort of compromise, I realized it was almost 8pm and I still hadn't eaten anything, and I hadn't gotten my run in.

So I headed out the door for a scheduled 5k. It had rained in the meantime, and the streets were nicely cleaned, the air was clean, everything seemed clean. I started off and quickly realized I'd forgotten my heart rate monitor strap. I said to hell with it and went on feel. This was definitely the right move. Sometimes running just seems like the most perfect thing one can do, and tonight, foot pain and all, it was one of those magnificent times. I loved running! I had so much fun just... running! A cyclist even shouted out to me at one point, asking me how far I was running, and I responded with a smile rather than the usual suspicious stare/glare that I am accustomed to as an urban dweller. The urge to say, "None of your business, shitbox!" didn't even surface! Amazing...

I ended up running 6k because it was so nice, and my pace was a decent 5:16/km. The foot may feel it tomorrow, but I figure the doctor wants to see me in pain and not miraculously healed overnight. (I think this was a topic of one of my other posts back in the month of knee issues...)

Garmin don't lie.

The google image of my run.

The Quest for Footwear Begins!

Having convinced myself that new footwear is crucial to my running, I am planning on heading over to the New Balance Toronto store this evening to see if I can find something with tonnes of cushioning for my 12.5 sized canoes. No idea if they stock them, can't bring myself to call and be disappointed, plus I've never seriously tried New Balance shoes before so maybe a 12 or 13 will be right for me... Here's the model I'm really keen on for its shock absorption and high-arch accommodation, the NB 1062:

The other model that they recommended, in a response to an email I sent to their "ask the expert" thingy, is the NB 862:
Anyone out there wearing either one of these? Thoughts & comments are always welcome. I suspect my quest is unlikely to end tonight, and I will be faced with the prospect of "shopping around", a task worse that having my teeth drilled as far as I'm concerned. I suppose going to a brand specific store is giving me the hope that they stock more that the normal sizes of other retailers, but I have no way of knowing if this is actually the case (can't bring myself to call comment above). After reading Running Injury-Free a bit last night I at least have a semblance of explanation for why my feet grew by half a size in the last year or so: my rigid high arches may actually be loosening up from the activity! This is good news in an otherwise disappointing shoe-finding endeavor, and I'll take it! Hopefully tomorrow I can report on how my Saturday morning run went in my new treads!

Update: I forgot to wish Lifestrides good luck on his 1 Mile Challenge tomorrow! All the best in your quest to break 5:00 - that time is unbelievably fast, but you are so close and I bet you'll do it!

Designing a Training Plan, and Weights

Having designed a training plan for myself as I prep for my first 10k race on October 18th, I decided to read a little bit to make sure I am not making any serious mistakes. So, I am reading Run Less Run Faster right now, and it seems that my plan is very similar to what they recommend in this book. This validates my approach to some extent, and although I am starting off really easy compared to what the book recommends (on account of the knee and the lack of base mileage) I think I will be able to run an ok 10k by race day. One surprise to me from this book is the acknowledgement that runners tend to avoid weight training because they fear it might bulk them up. Is this true? I lift light weights to stay strong (is that irony???) and not to bulk up, also to maintain a relatively high metabolism now that I am of an age (read 30+) where sitting around at the office leads to extra pounds on the carriage. Anyway, good book, not great. Worth browsing at the store or borrowing from the library, especially for us beginner types.

One thing I learned from my intervals of yesterday - I have a loooooooooooong way to go!!! This certainly puts fast runners like Lifestrides and Nitmos in perspective; "Too much! Too much F'ing perspective." - David St. Hubbins.

Got a short weight workout in tonight since I am going out for some beerverages with a friend I haven't seen in far too long. Feeling some ill effects of yesterday's intervals in the right (aka "wonky") ankle - achilles tendon is more tender than it should be. This tells me that it's really time to get new shoes, which I will hopefully manage to check out tomorrow night.

Details:

• 10 minute stationary bike warmup
• Dumbell Bench Press 15-10-10 50lbs,60lbs
• Hammer Strength Seated Rows 12-12-12 180lbs
• Dumbell Military Press 12-10 40lbs
• Lat Pulldowns 10-8 145lbs (this was harder than it should have been)
• Dumbell Alternating Biceps Curls 10-10 60lbs
• Triceps Kickbacks 12-12 15lbs (on the first rep my right tri cramped like a s.o.b.!)
• Ab Machine 15-15-15 125lbs

Weight check: holding steady at 196lbs.

Now off to the bar!!! (Tomorrow's weigh in prediction? ... I don't think so!)

Allergic to Weights

Ragweed... The season has started with vengeance. I was not a happy camper today, but sat through a full day of meetings going through a forest's worth of tissues, making people nervous... That part was ok, but the allergies suck.

After getting home I was going to take a shower, but felt that I should at least have some athletic reason for doing that, so I headed for the gym. The workout was not inspired and I felt both tired and weak, a combo that can easily lead to injury for us accident prone types. Happy to report that I did not get injured, but given that I opened the door, the knee is still feeling less than ok. It's a bit of a catch-22 - I have weak quads, which most likely is the root of the problem, but can't strengthen them too much because of the friggin' knee...

Oh yeah, I forgot to report on the book. I finished The Perfect Mile on the weekend and the accolades were well deserved. If my knee wasn't an issue I'd be out there running intervals right now!!! Too many highlights to mention, but I especially like the story of Bannister and the Brits, on their way to Vancouver through Montreal, using penny farthings to buy pop in a machine that spat out Canadian change that was worth more than they paid! I know that Canadians have a reputation for being nice, but this is ridiculous!!!

The training plan calls for starting some intervals tomorrow, but I don't think that will be wise. We'll see...

Details:

• 10 minute warmup on stationary bike


• Bench Press 12-12-12 135lbs


• Seated Rows 12-12-12 120lbs


• Military Press 12-12 95lbs


• Lat Pulldowns 10-10 145lbs


• Biceps Curls 10-10 65lbs


• Dips 12-12


• Bicycle Crunches 50-50


• Ab Machine 15-15 125lbs

Short Post before a Short Trip

Leaving in a couple of hours for Ottawa to meet up with the smallest of the clan (who's with his grandparents on his first adventure away from us!), so I'll keep this short. First, I am so entertained by the blogs I've been perusing for all sorts of reasons (too many to list here, but they are on my "Blogs I Read" section). In no particular order here's why: learning about running, getting through injuries, fighting through setbacks, great pictures, living vicariously through those in exotic places, and of course the timezone-spanning trash talk! I thought trash talking was perfected on the basketball court, but this blog version is perhaps superior because it leaves behind a record for all to see. Awesome stuff...

On my way to pick up the older of my two boys, heading out of town in my efforts to avoid cottage traffic, I will be picking up The Perfect Mile from my local library. Thanks to LifeStrides (by way of Nitmos) for turning me onto this book. Now that my course is over, and the paper is handed in, I look forward to reading for fun and not for school, and this sounds like a perfect entry into the literary world of running. I also have a bunch of books on order at the library dealing with training for 10ks and injury treatement, etc... I'm so wonky I'd better prevent as many kinks as possible or risk feeling like one big mega cramp. If anybody out there has fave books they would like to recommend please do so! It seems like Ultramarathon Man has come up a few times in blog posts and comments, so maybe that's where I'll go next, in words if not in miles...

Today I drive, tomorrow I run! Patella don't fail me now...