Monday, June 30, 2008

Weeks of 09-30 June 2008

Nothing exciting to post about so hence the absence of a post last week. I still have not run...and have only walked once, going around the block...since the two mile warm up at the Women's Distance 5K. Things do seem to be feeling better, although it seems they are healing a lot slower than I like since I'm really really anxious to start running again. It's been three weeks and it is still tender around the right calf, but if things progress like it has been, in three more weeks it should be pain free. That also is the same time period that my 16-week training plan is to kick in for the New York City Marathon. The only other races I am signed up for between now and then is the Rock n Roll Half on 31 August...My birthday...and Marine Corps Marathon on 26 October. I also just registered for the ASYMCA Mud Run 8K on 09 August...so I better be healed and running by then! There are other races that are begging for me to run, but we'll just have to wait and see what it's like by the end of July. I have continued doing my cross training on the elliptical, lifecycle and stair climber with some swimming thrown in. I thought I would try Aqua jogging, so I bought an Aquajogger belt and we'll try that out sometime this week. I finally took my old 10 speed road bike into a bike shop for them to put new tires, tubes and all new cables, so I can start some real cycling...just need some aero bars and maybe some clipless pedals and I should be set for some road work.

Here's how the last three weeks training has gone...pretty boring...but got some good training in.

Week of 09-15 June
Mon: 45 min Elliptical, 40 min Cycle, 9 min Stairstepper, 10 min Swim
Tue: 40 min Elliptical, 45 min Cycle
Wed: 35 min Elliptical, 37 min Cycle
Thu: 35 min Elliptical, 30 min Cycle, 15 min Swim
Fri: 30 min fast walk around the block, 15 min core exercises
Sat: 35 min Elliptical, 32 min Cycle, 15 min Stairstepper
Sun: 35 min Elliptical, 32 min Cycle, 15 min Stairstepper

Week of 16-22 June
Mon: 35 min Elliptical, 45 min Cycle, 20 min Stairstepper
Tue: 37 min Elliptical, 35 min Cycle, 20 min Stairstepper
Wed: 35 min Elliptical, 35 min Cycle, 12 min Stairstepper
Thu: 33 min Elliptical, 17 min Cycle, 12 min Stairstepper
Fri: 65 min Elliptical, 70 min Cycle, 15 min Stairstepper
Sat: 35 min Elliptical, 32 min Cycle
Sun: 35 min Elliptical, 30 min Cycle, 15 min Stairstepper

Week of 23-30 June
Mon: 30 min Swim, 15 minutes Core exercises
Tue: 31 min Elliptical, 40 min Cycle, 20 min Stairstepper
Wed: 35 min Swim
Thu: 60 min Elliptical, 45 min Cycle, 16 min Stairstepper
Fri: 30 min Elliptical, 33 min Cycle, 12 min Stairstepper
Sat: 35 min Elliptical, 36 min Cycle, 20 Stairstepper
Sun: 35 min Elliptical, 35 min Cycle, 12 min Stairstepper
Mon: 65 min Elliptical, 65 min Cycle, 12 min Stairstepper

Feels like I've been a trapped hamster in a cage. I try to vary the exercises on the elliptical and cycle by varying the speed and elevation...doing tempo exercises as well as speed sessions...anything to keep me somewhat sane and motivated.

This week I hope to get more swimming in and when I get my bike back, some road riding on the Dismal Swamp Trail...if they don't have it closed because of all the smoke from the fires down south of us.

I added some statistics for the first half of the year from 01Jan - 30Jun:
Number of consecutive days with at least 30 minutes of training: 182
Total Races run: 17
Total Race miles: 212.8
Total Running miles: 760.94
Total Elliptical miles: 534.3
Total Cycle miles: 1202.41
Total Stairstepper min: 2227 (37:07 hrs)
Total Swim min: 140

Happy training and good racing to you all!

Monday, June 9, 2008

DNS and Week of 02-08 June 2008

I registered for the Strider's Women's Distance Festival 5K held Saturday, back in early May. It is also a Strider's Grand Prix event so I wanted to make sure that I ran since it was one of my goals to run all the Grand Prix events. I already missed one in April and really didn't want to miss another one. But...I have been having some issues with my foot and legs for about a month and I was a bit concerned. I only ran once for a little over three miles two weeks ago but was able to run 5.25 miles Tuesday and again Thursday of this week in preparation for this race. After each run training session, my calves and shins were painful during the run and even worse in the morning after. Also noticed lingering arch tenderness to both feet. I thought my new shoes were the culprits but running in my old shoes on Thursday didn't seem to help any. I still had hopes that come Saturday evening, I would be ready to run the 5K race.

Saturday dawned hot and it only got hotter as the day progressed. The forecast was for near 100F afternoon temps. The race is run at Fort Story in the northern part of Virginia Beach so the temps should be lower with a nice ocean breeze. The women race first at 6:00 p.m. and then the men race after the women are finished at 6:45. Since this was my first race not run in the morning, it was hard to figure out when/what I should eat before the race. I decided to eat my normal lunch around 2:00 and to hydrate really well during the day. I also took two Motrin to ease my leg pain.

I drove down a bit late and with the somewhat heavy beach traffic, I got to the registration late and could hear the horn blow for the start of the women's race as I picked up my race number. As I was handed my bib they mentioned that because of the heat the race was being scaled back to a 2 mile run instead of 5K...which seemed reasonable but what difference would 1.1 mile make? I had wanted to watch the women start and finish but decide to do a couple of miles to warm up. I figured I needed at least two miles for my legs to be warmed up enough so the pain would be bearable during the race but by the end of mile one, the pain seemed to be getting worse and not any better. I jogged the mile back to the start area and the leg pain was too much and I decided not to run...even if it was just two miles. I could easily jog it but decided just not risk my going out fast and injuring it even more. So I unpinned my race bib and walk to the start/finish area to cheer on the racers. It was the first time that I have actually watched a race with out racing in it. It's quite a different perspective standing on the sidelines cheering runners on...kind of cool to see the racers go out and come back, but jealous that I could not be out there racing them. My first DNS (Did Not Start)...at least it wasn't my first DNF...I hope there never will be a DNF but anything can happen out there on the racecourse.

Here's last week's training:
Mon: 50 min Elliptical, 50 min Cycle, 12 min Stairstepper
Tue: 5.25 miles run, 25 min Elliptical, 12 min Stairstepper
Wed: 31 min Elliptical, 31 min Cycle, 12 min Stairstepper
Thu: 5.25 miles run, 25 min Stairstepper
Fri: 35 min Elliptical, 31 min Cycle, 15 min Stairstepper
Sat: 2 miles warm-up miles run, 30 min Swim
Sun: 35 min Elliptical, 35 min Cycle, 30 min Stairstepper

Even the Stairstepper seems to aggravate my calves and shins. My plan now is to stop running till the pain and tenderness is gone...at most about 5-6 weeks...but continuing with the cross training on the Elliptical, Cycle and Swimming with some fast walking as tolerated on the Treadmill. I have plenty of time to heal before I start ramping up training for the fall and winter marathons starting middle or end of July. I'll just need to take this a week at a time till all is better again.

Happy training to you all!

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Training for 26 May - 01 June 2008

Not really anything to note in my training for last week. I haven't been running much because of some aches and pains to the bottoms of both feet around the arch and both shins since after the MCH Half. It is puzzling because even with the rest from running they seem to stay about the same and doesn't seem to be improving any...and hurts more after running. I have continued with my cross training on the elliptical, cycle and stair stepper, which doesn't seem to bother my leg and foot problems. I have added swimming since we opened the pool a couple of weeks ago, so fitness-wise, I feel okay. Not super, but okay.

My next race is the Strider's Women's Distance Series 5K this Saturday in the early evening, so we'll see how that goes.

Training for the week:
Mon: 36 min Elliptical, 35 min Cycle, 12 min Stairstepper
Tue: 40 min Elliptical, 40 min Cycle, 12 min Stairstepper, 10 min Swim
Wed: 45 min Elliptical, 45 min Cycle, 20 min Stairstepper
Thu: 32 min Elliptical, 35 min Cycle, 25 min Stairstepper
Fri: 30 min Elliptical, 21 min Cycle, 12 min Stairstepper
Sat: 3.35 miles run, 32 min Elliptical, 32 min Cycle
Sun: 35 min Elliptical, 35 min Cycles, 12 min Stairstepper, 10 min Swim

Only a little over 3 miles on Saturday which didn't feel good at all. I have run twice this week for over 10 miles...still painful but got it done. I'm beginning to think it's the shoes. I've been running in my new Kayano 14's since the beginning of May. I've switched back to my Kayano 13's for my last run and it felt a bit better. Hopefully that's what it is. We'll see how it does on Saturday and after.

Happy training to you all!