10-29-2010: Up the mileage!

Success! I upped from 2 miles to 2.5 miles today. I don't know what my overall time was, or my mile splits, because I ran at my parent's subdivision, and I forgot my heart rate monitor. I was a bit scared to run without it - I've never even been to the gym without my heart rate monitor - but I figured what the heck, I'll just run anyway. What I do know is that I ran the whole time without walking, so that's a step up.

The area I ran in had more hills than I'm used to, and it definitely showed in my breathing. Easier going down, harder going up. Duh. But the hills were conquered.

When I got home I could feel the muscles in my right shin starting to complain. I got a bucket of water, put some ice in it, and stuck my foot in it for 15 minutes. It didn't feel good at the time, but it was worth it, because I felt no pain in my foot/ankle/shin thereafter. I did feel a bit in the knee, and my hamstrings were sore (again), but it wasn't terrible.

Mile splits: Unknown. Weather: 49 and sunny, slightly breezy. Clothing: Exercise pants, long sleeve shirt, cotton socks, baseball cap. Pre run beverage: Water. Post run: I tried Ann's protein powder and water. Worked just fine, I think. Although I'm thinking of adding L-Glutamine to my diet to help with muscle soreness.

10-27-2010 Run, Lower Heart Rate, and Greater Flexibility

Back to two miles! The first mile was a bit tough - windy today - and my lower legs didn't really want to do it. I pressed on. Still gotta learn to keep my pace down. The first mile was 10:20, and I had a hard time keeping my heart rate below 172 bpm. I had to walk for about 30 seconds after the first mile - when my heart rate dropped below 160, I started again. This time my heart rate stayed below 168, and I finished the second mile in 11 minutes. It's a bit slow, I know - but I'm trying. I'm really hoping to make 10 minute miles at the 5K on December 4.

Felt really good after the second mile. Tempted to go further. I think maybe this weekend I will try for 2.5 miles. Right after the run my lower leg muscles (not the calves) were complaining a bit, but it only lasted about two hours. Next time I will try to ice my lower legs - gotta figure out how to do that. Perhaps I will have to resort to an ice bath? Later in the day, my hamstrings became REALLY tight. Stretched in the evening while watching TV.

I can feel my muscles getting looser every day. I like the feeling! After fully stretching my legs and walking briskly for a few minutes, I can touch the ground now! I have never been able to do that before! And last night, I put my heart rate monitor on just for kicks - I can get it down to 66 if I lay still in the bed! It used to be over 90!

Mile Splits: 10:20, 11:00. Weather: 65 and overcast, with winds gusting to 60 mph. Clothing: long sleeve shirt, shorts, zip-up running jacket, and Feetures running socks. I would feel a bit warm when the wind wasn't blowing, but when it gusted, I cooled right off. Given the variable winds, this was about the best I could do. Pre-run beverage: Water. Post run: Weight Watchers smoothie mix with one cup milk, a few strawberries, and a frozen banana.

10-25-2010 Run and Workout

On Monday, I ran 1.6 miles in 17 minutes. I had a problem with my heartrate staying above 165. I had to stop and walk twice for 30 seconds each. I still did not feel quite right after the weekend's eating fiasco (see my previous post about running after a high protein breakfast on Saturday). I'm trying to eat more cereal and other carbs, so hopefully on my next run I'll be back to normal.

On the positive side, I met with my personal trainer this afternoon. He went through my workout in detail and cut out a LOT of redundancy and smaller muscle groups that runners really don't need to be concentrating on. He cut my workout in half! Now I can work out my full body in one session rather than alternating upper and lower.

Splits: 1.6 miles in 17 minutes. Temperature: 71 degrees and overcast. Clothing: T-shirt, shorts, cotton socks. Pre-run beverage: Accelerade. Post run: Chocolate Milk. Workout immediately after run. Post workout: Protein powder and powdered milk.

10-23-2010 Run - High Protein plus Running = BAD DAY!

So today I attempted another two miles. Got through the first one in just over 10 minutes. Then, about a quarter mile into the second mile, I felt like I hit the wall or something. Then I realized that I had an almost 100% protein breakfast - eggs, sausage, low carb bread, and jelly. So the only carbs I had were the jelly, and whatever was in the low carb bread. Not nearly enough to fuel even a short run. I walked for most of the second mile. When I tried to start up running again, my muscles just would not do it.

I was also overdressed. It was raining, so I went out with a rain jacket and a baseball cap on. I ended up taking it off after the first mile, but by that time I was just too hot. Should have went out with a long sleeve shirt and no jacket.

So the combination of low fuel and overheating made this one a lost cause. Oh well - as my friend Brian says, "Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want". And experience I definitely got. But that's what training runs are all about. To find out what works and what doesn't PRIOR to the race. And since I am signed up for a 5K in December, I am in training mode right now.

Mile Splits: 10:20, 15:00. Temp: 57 degrees, overcast, drizzle. Clothing: shorts, short sleeve shirt, Nike pull-over running jacket, baseball cap, Feetures running socks. Pre-run beverage: Water and a protein breakfast. Post run: Whole grain Cheerios and milk. Totally backwards. Should have had the Cheerios first, then the protein.

10-21-2010 Run

Today I ran another two miles. I started out feeling kinda crappy, wondering for the first mile "why in the world am I doing this?" But I followed the cardinal rule: You MUST run at least 10 minutes before deciding whether or not to keep running. So after the first 10 minutes, I noticed that I had already run my first mile! Sweet! (My goal is to maintain 10 minute miles).

So I continued and ran another mile. I felt really good during that second mile. When I got home I took protein powder in milk, so we'll see tomorrow if I'm still getting any Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. I did have some muscle soreness when I got home that lasted for about two hours; that would be attributed to lactic acid. Nothing I can do about that except increase my lactic threshold, which I will be working on after the 5K in December.

Also noticing some pain in the muscles that suppinate the foot, and also in the muscles that dorsiflex the foot.

Mile splits: 10:15, 10:40. Temp: 54 degrees and sunny. Clothing: Long sleeve T-shirt, shorts, cotton socks. Also started with a running jacket, which got removed after the first 90 seconds of running and tied around my waist. The jacket went on after the run and during the five minute walk home. Pre-run beverage: water. Post run: Protein powder and milk.

Cross Training and a Free Turkey

Yesterday I did some cross-training on the eliptical at the gym. Went for 45 minutes with my heartbeat at 160 bpm. Burned 800 calories. Awesome!

The gym has a new contest running next month to see who can log the most miles on the cardio equipment. First place is a free turkey. Second and third places are a T-shirt and water bottle. I'm going for the turkey.

2 Miles Again - Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

Today I ran 2 miles again. I did have to walk for about 30 seconds because my heartrate got a little ahead of me - 174 bpm. I tried to slow down, but it didn't drop. So I had to walk. Total time was 22 minutes, so 11 minute miles. Not bad - a little slower than I wanted, but I think I can do this.

I felt Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) later in the day. I talked to the guy at GNC, and he said that runners should be taking protein powder to repair damaged muscles. I didn't think I was doing all that much muscle damage, since I'm only running two miles. I already take protein powder after working out in the gym, and I have never felt DOMS after a workout, so I'll give it a try after running.

There was a study done a while ago on people who run ultra marathons, and it has been found that their bodies are loaded with creatine after competing; the presence of creatine indicates muscle damage. (The human body produces creatine naturally when muscles are damaged - weight lifters take extra creatine to get the body to rebuild more muscle after a workout.)

2 Mile Run

Yesterday I ran two miles with no ice! It took 23 minutes, which is longer than I wanted to take, but I was running in Lake Geneva where there's a lot of hills. I need to keep my heart rate below 170 bpm or I lose my breath. Overall, I was happy with the increased distance and no pain, and also because I was running with a friend of mine.

I'm starting to feel the onset of shin splints, which in this case it is muscle pain coming from the smaller muscles that "invert" and "evert" the foot. They are the peroneous longus, peroneous brevis, and tibialis posterior. So I need to concentrate on exercising them by walking around on the outside edges and the inside edges of my feet. I'm trying to figure out how to stretch them, but nothing's coming to mind.

Lactic Threshhold?

I now realize that I need to concentrate on my stretching, with a particular focus on my hamstrings, hip adductors, calves, and IT band. Today, after stretching all those areas and a few others, I did a brisk walk, then a 1.66 mile run in 17 minutes 50 seconds. That averages to 10 minutes, 45 seconds per mile. Respectable, I guess, considering my long term goal is 10 minutes flat for a sustained period (Marathon rate is 4 hrs, 21 minutes). I find that if I can keep my heart rate below 165, I'm golden. 165 to 170 is stretching it a bit; over 170, and I start to go anaerobic. I think this is the "lactic threshhold"... I'll have to do some digging into that. No matter what you call it, when my heart goes above 170, I get short of breath.

I think for the time being I am going to abandon my goal of 10 minute miles, and instead target a heartrate of 165 bpm, and allow the pace to fall where it may. After I complete the 5K run in December, I can start thinking about increasing my lactic threshhold.

It actually felt good today. I am looking forward to running with my friend Ben this weekend. Even though he is training for the Fall 50 in Door County next weekend (50 mile ultra-marathon), he has agreed to lower himself to my level and run 2 miles with me. Of course that is nothing to him, but it will be the longest I've run since high school. Maybe he can give me some tips.

Stretching... I Can Touch My Toes Now!

Yesterday I went to see my personal trainer at the gym. He showed me all the stretches I should be doing: calves, quadriceps, glutes, the standard "hurdler's stretch" (hamstrings), and a couple of arm stretches. Today I added three stretches of my own to that repertoire. I am feeling myself getting more flexible, and I can touch my toes now! I've NEVER been able to touch my toes!

Feeling Better...

Today I ran 1.5 miles, and my legs felt pretty good. I came home and iced my Pes Anserine tendon right away, as it was acting up just a bit. Not bad, though. I think things are improving. For some reason, though, my breathing is a bit heavier than I would like, and my heart rate runs at about 172 bpm (A bit fast). Hopefully, as I continue with this, things will get better.

Pes Anserine Tendon

Today I ran 1.5 miles with no walking! I felt like I could have gone longer, but after what happened last time I ran that distance, I'm not taking chances. My knees feel much better this time, although I did go home and ice right away. My patellar ligament is starting to give me a bit of trouble. But I can deal with that. Ice and Alieve. Ice is becoming my friend...

Yesterday at the gym, I did my leg exercises differently. Rather than doing leg curls and extensions with both legs, I isolated one leg at a time. I really was able to notice a difference. And I felt the same pain in my knee doing leg curls that I felt after my last long run. So I did my research. As it turns out, there are three muscles that come together on the medial (inside) side of the knee - the Sartorious, Gracilis, and Semitendinosus. They come together in a single tendon called the Pes Anserine. Two of these muscles are part of the hamstring group, and therefore bend the knee. The Pes Anserine tendon inserts into the tibia at about the same point as the medial collateral ligament. What this tells me is that what I thought was an issue with my MCL, might just be an issue with the Pes Anserine tendon, or an issue with one of the three muscles.

This really is good news, because I'm still not having any issues with the knee joint itself, just the tendons and muscles at the knee. I will see how my knee feels over the next couple of days and hopefully I can run a mile or two on Monday.

Knee Trouble - Still

I'm getting somewhat discouraged about this running thing. It is something that I really want to do, but my right knee keeps giving me trouble when I try to run. Today I stretched my calves, hamstrings, and quads, then went for a brisk five minute walk. I ran two minutes, then walked two minutes, and continued until I went for a mile. I tried to do another half mile to get me home, but when I tried running again, I felt like my knee was about to give out. I walked the rest of the way home.

When I got home I put ice on my knee right away. I will say that, five hours after the "run", my knee is feeling better than it has previously after a run. So perhaps that is a good sign. I was just hoping I would be able to do an alternating run/walk for a mile without pain by now. I'm starting to wonder if I will be able to do the 5K in December.

How to open a new pair of shoes

The proper way to open a new pair of shoes: Sit at a table with the UNOPENED box in front of you. Open the box. CAREFULLY peel away the tissue paper. View the shoes. Examine the color combination, imagine what they will look like on your feet. Observe the hieroglyphics imprinted on the edges of the soles and elsewhere on the shoe. What could they mean? Lower your face to the box. Close your eyes and inhale deeply. What do you smell? Potential. And possibly some toxins. But mostly potential.

I tried my shoes out for the first time today on a treadmill. I had to use a treadmill, because otherwise the store won't take them back if there was something wrong. Since my knee was still sore from whatever-the-heck-I-did-to-it-last-week, I decided to go for one mile, alternating walk-run. I did some stretching beforehand. It went, for the most part, OK - the shoes were DEFINITELY better than my old ones! I think I'll be ready for pavement in a couple of days.

I did a core workout only after the run, and wore a knee brace during the exercises. That was a good idea - it made my knee feel a lot better. I can feel it getting stronger, so perhaps this running thing might work out after all.

Real Running Shoes... Finally!

Last week I had an appointment with the good folks at In Step in Franklin, Wisconsin. I had a "basic biomechanical evaluation" done by a physical therapist. It was quite an educational experience. He video taped me while running on a treadmill.

First I showed up in the Nike Dart 8 shoes that I bought at a department store that I was using for running. He asked me how much I weighed - I told him. He said "those shoes are made for someone 75 pounds lighter than you". I politely thanked him. Nonetheless, he watched me run on the treadmill, and noted that my feet were pronating correctly, but not "re-supinating" (they were not returning to the neutral position after lifting off the ground). He had me try on eight different pairs of shoes; the first few were "neutral" shoes, offering neutral support, and they felt the most comfortable. But he showed me on the video that they were not improving my re-suppination.

I ended up with the Saucony Pro-Glide Guide 3, a "light stability" shoe, to allow my foot to pronate, but encourage it to re-supinate. I had to have my shoes ordered because I needed a wide width.

The shoes came in today, and I tried them on the treadmill for a couple of minutes. They felt wonderful! I will need to use them on the treadmill at the gym for 15 or 20 minutes, because if they don't feel right and I used them on the road, they won't take them back. So that will happen tomorrow. I hope.

Depends on how my knee feels.