The Beginnings

I have been more than a little lax in keeping up with this blog, and I hope that this does not signal the beginning of the end because I am just as committed to running as I've ever been. My time, however, seems to be more scarce than ever before and so I have trouble working up the energy to fire up the computer to write something about my running travails.

That being said, I do have a few things that I should record on this little thing. First, I have been running and listening to my body. Six days into the year and at least I've made it that far without breaking that resolution! Case in point, yesterday I skipped my run because my right knee was bugging me. The fact that it was snowing and more than a bit windy helped in the decision making process, but I'm confident that I would have stayed home even if it had been perfect weather for running. Instead I did some stretching and hip flexor/core strength exercises, then rode the stationary bike for 30 minutes while watching the World Junior Hockey final. (Great game, BTW, and a big kudos to the team from the USA who coughed up a two goal lead with three minutes to play, but still won it in overtime.)

Today, I walked to work and am going to run home the 6 or so kilometres nice and easy. The knee problem has been a persistent pest for a good year now, off and on, and I am really hoping that I find a solution soon. I continue to work on my glute and hip flexor strength, but now I am also thinking that my quads are weak. When I look at my legs in the mirror and tighten the muscles (bringing the kneecaps up, just so you can picture it) I notice a significant difference in the size of the Vastus Intermedius on the left as compared to the right. That's the muscle right in the middle of the quad, and I'm guessing this might have something to do with it. I plan on correcting this problem as fast as is safely possible. My new gym membership starts in a couple of weeks, so that will give me access to all sorts of equipment to aid in this endeavor, but until then I will be refocusing on stretching and strengthening at home.

Also, we are starting our annual weekend cross-country skiing trips this coming weekend with the boys. They will be taking two hour lessons on their own this year, and this will give Monica and I a chance to ski on our own. I am very much looking forward to it since it is a lot of fun and an awesome workout as well! The next eight Sundays in a row, at the very least, will be dedicated to hitting the trails and so my weekend run will be confined to Saturdays.

I guess that's enough for now. Will try to rededicate myself to maintaining this blog as it does help in the motivation department. Here's hoping!

Trying not to Wallow...

...in self-pity, that is. As I look at the dark parts on the world map (see sidebar) getting more and more square with each passing day I am envious of this perfect running weather that end of Summer brings. Although I can't run right now, choosing to not inflict any more damage to my crappy knees, I've taken to rollerblading more than ever before. Instead of biking to work I make the 7-8km trek with a set of wheels strapped to my feet. It's been a great change of pace! Sure doesn't feel like a workout or anything, but I'm confident that my glute meds are getting used for perhaps the first time ever. This should lead to a better kinetic chain, and ultimately superior shock absorption for when I do return to running. That's the theory, anyway...

Other than that I've been busy with work and such, and getting the little ones off to their first week of school. Owen starts cross-country tomorrow, and he's been running home with me rollerblading by his side the last couple of days. I hope he has a great experience this year!

Thaaaaaat's Better

The view from the same office window is MUCH better this morning. I got totally soaked on the way home yesterday, but at least it was really warm out and in the end I really don't mind that much (you know, not being made of sugar and all that...).

And since I've been asked a couple of times to clarify what a Twoonie is, and given that my running has been on hiatus for the past week, I'd thought I'd fill your brains with semi-useless information. Semi-useless because you might find yourself up in the Great White North someday asking how much a power bar costs and get, "A Twoonie and a half," in response. So...

A 'Twoonie' is our beloved $2 coin:

It is called thusly because our $1 coin is called a 'Loonie' on account of the loon that is prominently displayed on the reverse side of the Queen.

We couldn't rightfully have called it a 'Queenie' since all our money has her on it, but I think it might have been kind of nice to have done so. If Lambchops ever becomes King then we could easily switch to 'Kingy', but since this is not the case we're stuck with 'Loonie'.

This afternoon I am seeing the massage therapist for some pain treatment at $100/hr. As I foam roll, stretch, use a rubber ball to roll my calf, and generally inflict pain upon my person in a variety of ways, I ask myself more frequently, "Why do I do this to myself again?" So far, no concrete answers have come to mind...

Changed and Waiting

So, I am taking a bit of a "forced hiatus". I will not be running until my calf heals. Also, I am now committed to running the Half-Marathon at this years Toronto Waterfront event on September 27th instead of the Marathon that I was originally hoping to complete. This loftier goal will have to wait until next year, giving me ample time to begin another training program with a much better base than the one I had starting the current regimen in early June. (Looking back on the numbers, I did not run nearly enough in April (105km) and May (64km) and perhaps that's why my calf self-destructed in the last week or so.)

That being said, I think what I am suffering from is a mild grade 2 calf strain. I do not feel pain low in the leg (which would indicate a torn Achilles) and I do not have any visible swelling or bruising (which would indicate a grade 3 strain), but I do have pain when walking (so that means it's not a grade 1 strain). According to what I've been reading this will take up to two weeks to clear up, and so I am going to wait patiently. Until then I will likely have little to say on this blog, and will take the time to pick up a few other things that I've been neglecting:

• Hip Flexor and Ass strengthening exercises (to get rid of this pesky runner's knee once and for all)
• Core strength (for this, too, has fallen off the map)
• Push Ups (can't believe I was able to do 100 in a row at one point!)
• Chin Ups (never got to that magical 20 in a row mark, but want to work towards that goal again)

All of that should make for a happier return to training. I have exactly two months to prepare for the race. I want to run this thing well, and the distance is no longer daunting, so as long as I'm healthy I should have a good shot at a decent result. I will continue to bike every day to work and back and use that as an opportunity to cross train. Though I haven't been in the pool since the middle of June I think I might also have to spend the cash necessary to get my membership renewed and get back at it. (Just have to find some money somewhere... Better check under those couch cushions and mattresses again.)

To cheer me up a bit I fall back on the numbers from the past month. In July I managed a total of 179.85km, which is a record for me. The first week of the month I set a new weekly milestone with 51km, and was on track to crush it during the last week. Small victories, but victories all the same.

Cheers! Enjoy the long weekend (if you are Canadian and get Monday off)! I'm heading out of town, will not be running, but rather trying to forget that sad sad fact. I'll also be seeing the same massage therapist that has helped me through numerous issues over the past few years, including a similar calf injury sustained last March.

Is It Even Worth It?

I wonder, as I drag my sorry ass out of the office and up to the pool, if it's even worth it. Not swimming, that I think is a good thing, but rather posting about it. It certainly is good cross training, though I fear I do too little of it. But since last September my lunch time swims have pretty much been the same - 1:30/100m pace no matter what the distance. Case in point: today I managed 1500m in 22:22. I suppose that's a shade under 1:30 pace, but just a shade. That being said I am not swimming to get faster at swimming. I am swimming to get faster at running.

The other thing that I absolutely have been meaning to do, but never seem to find the right time to start, is strength training. Sure, I will do the occasional sit ups, push ups, and chin ups, but there is no consistency with those workouts. And I have not been able to incorporate any leg strength exercises for a couple of reasons: 1. my legs hurt after running and I need the rest; and 2. my legs hurt after running and I don't think it's wise to kick them while they're down.

How does anybody do leg strength stuff between runs? Or perhaps you do it on the days when you run? If so, do you do it before or after your run? I'd like to start doing some basics like lunges and squats, and I guess I should get back into a daily routine of hip flexor and butt strengthening exercises too. It all just seems too much to handle, and I'm only in the first week of marathon training. Yikes!

At the Crossroads

I've come to a point where a decision must be made, and it pains me to no end to have to do this. As much as I would like to run the Boxing Day 10 Miler in Hamilton, I think that training for this race (keeping in mind that I would only run it to complete the distance and not all out) may impair my ability to train properly for the entire year of 2009. This realization comes from the fact that my foot, even though it's been OK to run on, is simply not improving.

Now, I could run through this pain, and have done so for over a month now (with that two week break after my race), but I think that a 10 miler has the potential to put me out of commission for a long time if I am not careful. My tolerance for pain is pretty good, but this works against me. Also, the guilt I feel at not training has the effect of forcing me to push through, all the while believing that things are bound to improve.

Well, they haven't. So my options, as I see them, are thus: stop running right now until I am totally healed, even if it means taking the rest of 2008 off (and here's hoping that's ALL I'd have to do!), or train until Boxing Day, run the ten miler, and then take all of January off.

I am leaning towards option #1 because:

a. I am hurting now.
b. I have to finish my Masters Degree in the next two weeks, and have to focus on my last paper. c. I have access to the gym for the rest of the year and can at least do some cardio on the stationary bikes or something.
d. I will need as much injury free time as possible to prepare for the Around the Bay 30k at the end of March.

Anyway, this is more difficult for me than I thought it would be, and I must admit that I am totally bummed out right now. Even though the weather's been totally crappy today I was still planning on a 5K this evening while biking home from work. It was then that I really started to think about the potential consequences should I continue down the path toward the 10 miler and beyond, and so I did not go running this evening. In the end the desire to be pain free, after almost two months of suffering from this plantar fasciitis, won out.

But hey, at least I can do push ups and chin ups! Tonight I managed 21-25-21-21 and then maxed out at 45 for a total of 133. I am a bit surprised that my max was lower than what I managed on Friday of last week (46) given that I had the weekend off from push ups.

Stopping is for the weak!

As my muscle stiffness finally begins to dissipate I am faced with a question about training that, in one shape or another, has been on my mind for years. Ever since I was a skinny kid starting out in competitive swimming, and especially after tasting some success, I have equated training with muscle pain. In fact, I cannot break out of this mold and feel like I somehow am getting cheated if I DON'T feel some pain. Looking back on the past nine months while on my quest to get back into shape, I realize that this may be the number one reason why I bounce from one injury to another like a pinball. The ankle will always be a maintenance project, but since January I've had a variety of ailments, all due to over training and none of the acute kind. Is it possible to break out of this cycle of torture? Will I ever get to the point where I am satisfied with just going out for a long, slow jog arriving back home not completely exhausted?

Case in point, today I made it to another lunchtime swim. This is the start of my third week of swimming, so I am not anywhere near in swimming shape (nor do I delude myself that I ever will reach swimming shape with two short swims per week). In fact, I am slightly embarrassed at how slow I am because the training and racing times I used to be able to do are still etched in my head and I compare myself against these. But I digress...

Today I decided to try and swim longer before having to stop and take a short break. So I jumped in and off I went hoping to reach 600m before "adjusting my goggles" (a clear sign of weakness, like a gimpy leg on an adolescent zebra being stalked by a lioness). The first week I only managed 300m and then my shoulders were burning - mission accomplished from a training perspective, though slightly emasculating. This time I was quite happily swimming not too fast, lost in my thoughts, when I decided to check my time while executing a flip turn at the 500m mark - 7:30, which translated to 1:30/100m splits (for competitive swimmers this is exceedingly slow, at best a warm up pace, but for me this was a clear challenge!). By now my shoulders were starting to feel the burn, but the splits made my brain believe that I wasn't working out hard enough, and so I did not stop at 600m, or 700m, or 800m, or... You get the picture.

Upon reaching 1600m I ran out of time and had to get back to the office, "saved by the bell" or I might have gone for a nice round number like 2000m, or more, and ended with biceps tendinitis.
Anyway, I am just wondering if anyone else out there suffers from this "not getting my money's worth" syndrome when training? I simply can't hold back as much as I plan to. Is it possible that I am not as mature as I think I am? (My wife is not allowed to respond to that question!)

For good measure I plan on doing some weights tonight as well; you know, I've once again grown fond of muscle pain...

Dryer Vent Update:

And oh yeah! We also figured out why the fruits-of-me-loin were pouring water down the neighbour's dryer vent hole!!! In their infinite wisdom, they were simply trying to wash out (cover up) the huge amounts of grass clippings that they had stuffed down said hole earlier in the day! Ahhhh... Can a Dad be any more proud? Well done, you freakin' kids! But the huge wad of grass that came back up the pipe once the neighbour started her dryer kind of gave it all away... At least the dryer seems to be working, for now.


Tonight's weights:

• 10 minute stationary bike warm up
• Incline Dumbell Bench Press 10-10-10 55lbs
• Seated Rows 10-10-10 140lbs
• Dumbell Shoulder Press 10-10 40lbs
• Lat Pulldowns 8-8 145lbs
• Biceps Curls 10-10 65lbs 10 45lbs
• Dips 12-12
• Bicycle Crunches 50-50-50

Managing Expectations, Swimming, and Ankle Issues

My current ankle ailment has forced me to re-evaluate my running expectations. Looking back, I was sidelined for two years, unable to do any load bearing exercise while waiting for surgery. Then, I took things into my own hands and started to diligently stretch and strengthen the ankle to a point where I though doing a little bit of jogging was reasonable. As I continued to improve and my mileage increased I became more and more addicted to running, and over the past month have really pushed myself. In retrospect, the ankle flaring up should not have come as a surprise. I am still very disappointed and hope that I recover fast enough to make that 10k race on October 18th, but have also resigned to try (and this will take some effort) to be more realistic as far as expectations go. I am not wired to hold back and be happy with just the bare minimum, and I lost sight of the ultimate goal: the potential for playing sports with my sons as they grow up. Instead I started to think about how fast I could run. What a joke - I'm a swimmer not a runner, and should have known better...

On the swimming front I managed another lunchtime outing today: 1500 metres done in 500-400-300-200-100 sets with 30 seconds or so rest in between. All free, no kick. The weird part was getting hand cramps near the end! I haven't felt those since my swimming days, and then only when we had long sculling sets. I am really enjoying these lunchtime swims these days, in particular given that I have to stay off the ankle right now. On that front, the pain is not exactly getting better. I sure hope that I start to feel like it's healing soon or I will begin to worry about stress fracture issues, and those take a long time to fix.

Tonight the plan is to get back to the gym for a short weight workout as per usual. It's going to be tough getting this done since my wife has a meeting for this years Beavers (little scouts, for my 6 year-old) and those last somewhere in the waaaayyyy too long range (ie. 7-9pm +). If I get it in I will try and remember to update this post (for my reference, I realize nobody else is interested in how much weight I can lift...)

Now, back to another icing session!

Weights tonight:

• 10 minute stationary bike warm up
• Dumbell Bench Press 12-12-12 55lbs
• HS Seated Rows 12-12-12 180lbs
• Military Press 10-10 105lbs
• Lap Pulldowns 10-10 140lbs
• Dumbell Biceps Curls 12-12 30lbs
• Triceps Extensions 12-12 60lbs
• Captains Chair Abs 30-30

That's all I had time for tonight...

Also, thank you for the kind comments on this post. It certainly helps to put perspective on the ups and downs on training.

Gettin' Antsy... Ain't Gettin' Old.

As I prepare to attend the last lecture of my summer course, and putting the finishing touches on my paper (I am projecting that this will actually happen tonight, Olympics and all), I am feeling like I haven't been running in far too long. Last Friday was the last time I managed to get out, but since then the combination of knee pain and paper writing has forced me to lay low. Tomorrow I will be driving to Ottawa, thereby preventing me from jumping back in for another day. Saturday is THE day, though. I am going to start slow - just planning a 5k along the canal, nice and slow, nice and flat, lots of other runners (usually), lots of ducks... Can't wait! I'll wonder how many of the runners I pass along the way are into blogging...

Name the artist and song:

"Ain't gettin' old. Ain't gettin' younger though.

Just gettin' used to the lay of the land."*

* just how I'm feeling these days...

Update: A hearty "Good Work!" for michelle j. who correctly guessed that the above lyric comes from Neil Young's "Hawkes and Doves". Good stuff and thanks!

Back to Work, Olympics, and Is This News?

First, the knee is on the mend, but the variety of weaknesses in my body that I've discovered as a result of reading about runner's knee knows no bounds. My left quad (as mentioned in a previoud post) is weak, but now I discover that my hip muscles (abductors? adductors? hippi-whippies?) are also weak! I started doing these simple exercises that are meant to be done with a strech band or cord, but I do them without, and still find my hip stabilizers burning within a few reps! My interest was piqued by an article I read last night about the importance of core strength in injury prevention, but specifically in the definition of core strength that goes beyond the abdominal muscles. (Sorry folks, this story was in paper format or I would include the link.) In any case, I will definitely keep these exercises up as I feel they can only help...

My one observation of the Olympics from last night: As a former swimmer I am very much enjoying the competition this year. Michael Phelps is an unbelievable specimen, and now I can't see him NOT winning 8 golds after the 4x100 free relay was tiumphant in a photo finish with the French. I must admit that I always tend to root for the underdog and I was screaming at the TV for the French guy swimming the anchor leg to GET OFF THE F%#$N' LANEROPE!!! For those that may not know, when you swim beside the lane rope your wake creates a small wave that the guy on the other side can surf on and conserve energy. This happened to Matt Biondi in 1988 when he failed in his attempt to match Mark Spitz's 7 golds. Biondi (in lane 5) got as far away from the top qualifier in the 200 free (Artur Wojdat of Poland in lane 4) and in the process allowed Aussie Duncan Armstrong to surf beside him for the entire race. In the last 25 meters Armstrong came off the rope and sprinted to the wall in "lucky lane 6!!!" for an improbable gold medal against that era's Michael Phelps. It was a monumental upset. In fact Biondi lost so much energy focusing on Wojdat that a Swede in lane 8 snuck in for the silver medal, relegating Biondi to bronze. Awesome races on both counts, but how can these world-class athletes make such rookie mistakes???

And last, please check out this story and tell me if this counts as news worth printing, or news at all: link. For the record, I don't think so!

Oh yeah, I will rest the knee today but am planning on a weight workout with a stationary bike warmup.

Stretching, Aches and Pains

As I sit here feeling guilty that I have not done weights since last Thursday, nor run since Sunday, I wonder to myself if my body will ever actually adapt to running. Reading other people's blogs is great, and very entertaining, inspirational, etc..., but I see little in the way of coping with aches and pains. Are these folks so adapted that they feel little pain in between runs? My calves are rock hard, no matter how much I stretch, and my ankle throbs constantly. I realize that the ankle issue is the result of much damage (no ATFL, no cartilage left, bone spurr, tendinitis, bursitis, etc.), but what about those damned calves? I need to invest in a hot tub...

In other thoughts, since I only recently started this blog, I wonder how others feel when they first contemplate unleashing their thoughts onto the interweb? I am hesitant, but curious about being part of the community of blogging runners who read each others musings and sometimes leave comments. I have left the occasional note in response to particularly interesting posts, but quickly realized that my profile was inaccessible and, therefore, so was my blog. Should another blogger wish to find out who this idiot from the North Country is, leaving unsolicited comments on their little web spot, they would not be able to. The anonymity is comforting to some degree, but with anonymity comes a lack of inclusion in the community. I have decided to make the tradeoff and now my profile is available for viewing! What the hell, into the deep end, crawl to the shallow and hope that the lifeguard isn't stoned...