Yesterday (12-26) I worked out at the gym. Burned 800 calories on the elliptical and my shortened weight routine.
Today, another 3.17 miles! And the same time as my December 24 run - 34:30. This time, however, I noted that my heart rate did not go above 170, and I was able to run the whole way. 14 hours later, I feel just a bit tight in my right hamstring, and a small bit of pain in my right ankle. But not much. However, I am feeling some weird twitch in my left hip, right where my gluteus maximus meets my femur. It's like someone is tapping it lightly with a small hammer. I don't know how else to explain this.
We'll see how I feel tomorrow. I'm thinking of going back to the gym and doing intervals on the treadmill. Treadmill running is a great deal easier than road running, because the "ground" is being "pulled out" from under you. So I can get a decent cardio workout with less stress on my legs, and it will be a LOT less boring than the Elliptical.
Distance/time: 3.17 miles in 34:30. Average 10:53 per mile. Weather: 26 degrees with 19 degree wind chill. Clothing: Polyester cap; polyester ear warmer; long sleeve shirt; running jacket; running gloves; two pair of pants; cotton socks. I started out a little more cold on the upper than I would have liked, but warmed up nicely after the first mile. I'm glad I didn't wear an extra shirt. Pre run: Water. Post run: Standard protein shake.
5k
My First 5k!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
12-24-2010 Run - Merry Christmas!
We are spending Christmas with my wife's family, so I mapped out a 2.5 mile run in their neighborhood. After running the first mile, my heart rate was sustaining above 170, so I decided to walk for about 45 seconds and take a drink of Accelerade. My heart rate dropped to 155 and I started running again. I felt a lot better after the re-start; my heart rate stayed in the 160's for the rest of the run. My ankle and calf felt much better today. When I completed the 2.5 miles, I felt really good, so I did another lap around the block (0.35 miles), and when done with that, I did another one. Longest run yet of 3.17 miles!
After the second lap my ankle started to complain just a bit, with the onset of shin splints. So called it quits after that. I did some stretching and took a shower. Later in the evening I have no signs of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), so I'm feeling good right now. I don't want to get my hopes up, but I might be able to start increasing my mileage again.
A note on polyester socks: When my feet get wet, which often happens during the snowy slushy weather, my feet feel slimy. Not sure if I like polyester socks or not.
A note on eating: Carbohydrates before the run, protein afterwords. Today I had pancakes at Cracker Barrel, with orange juice. I finished the breakfast at 11:30 am. I began my warmups for the run at 1:15 pm. I find it works well to wait 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours after eating before running.
Total distance: 3.17 miles. Total time: 34:30. Average mile: 10:53. Weather: 29, wind chill 24. Clothing: Polyester cap; polyester ear warmer; long sleeve running shirt; running jacket; running gloves; running shorts and exercise pants; polyester socks. Pre run: water. Post Run: Standard protein shake.
After the second lap my ankle started to complain just a bit, with the onset of shin splints. So called it quits after that. I did some stretching and took a shower. Later in the evening I have no signs of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), so I'm feeling good right now. I don't want to get my hopes up, but I might be able to start increasing my mileage again.
A note on polyester socks: When my feet get wet, which often happens during the snowy slushy weather, my feet feel slimy. Not sure if I like polyester socks or not.
A note on eating: Carbohydrates before the run, protein afterwords. Today I had pancakes at Cracker Barrel, with orange juice. I finished the breakfast at 11:30 am. I began my warmups for the run at 1:15 pm. I find it works well to wait 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours after eating before running.
Total distance: 3.17 miles. Total time: 34:30. Average mile: 10:53. Weather: 29, wind chill 24. Clothing: Polyester cap; polyester ear warmer; long sleeve running shirt; running jacket; running gloves; running shorts and exercise pants; polyester socks. Pre run: water. Post Run: Standard protein shake.
12-22-2010 Run
Nothing interesting to write except that I ran 2.3 miles in 27:54. A bit slow but I ran all the way.
Monday, December 20, 2010
12-20-2010 Run - Back on the Road!
Today I ran for the first time on the road since my 5k. Well, actually I have been on the road twice since then, but both times I considered unsuccessful because I had to walk for a large portion of those runs. Today, though, I managed to make it 1.7 miles with no walking, with a time of 17:37 - average pace 10:21. Not bad! I would have been happy with a 12 minute pace, but I find it tough to go that slow - I can't get into a rhythm. I wanted to go further but decided against it. I did not want to re-injure anything.
I've discovered that I can't do a complete dynamic warm-up, nor can I do a complete static warm-up. I need to do a combination. Today I tried doing some of the static stretches first, followed by the dynamic stretches. The static stretches were the calf stretch, hurdler's stretch (hamstrings), and that whatever-you-call-it pretzel stretch for the IT band. The dynamic stretches were the leg swing (groin), hackey-sack, butt-kicks (quads), walking lunges (hip flexors), and toy soldiers (hamstrings and glutes). I eliminated the pike stretch for the calves (I never really did figure out how that was supposed to stretch the calf). That seemed to work well. I felt quite good during the run.
One more thing to note - I did have my fuel belt on with one bottle full of Accelerade, but never took a drink. Didn't feel like I needed to. And I forgot that I had it on. Nice design.
Time: 1.7 miles in 17:36 - 10:21 pace. Weather: 15 degrees with no wind. Clothing: baseball cap, polyester ear warmer, long sleeve shirt, short sleeve shirt, running jacket, running gloves, running shorts, exercise pants, cotton socks. Felt comfortable after the first mile. The regular baseball cap was just a bit warm - next time opt for the polyester cap. (I must stress that there was NO wind, which is rare this time of year. The slightest breeze would have called for warmer clothing). Pre run beverage: Water. Post run: Standard protein shake.
I've discovered that I can't do a complete dynamic warm-up, nor can I do a complete static warm-up. I need to do a combination. Today I tried doing some of the static stretches first, followed by the dynamic stretches. The static stretches were the calf stretch, hurdler's stretch (hamstrings), and that whatever-you-call-it pretzel stretch for the IT band. The dynamic stretches were the leg swing (groin), hackey-sack, butt-kicks (quads), walking lunges (hip flexors), and toy soldiers (hamstrings and glutes). I eliminated the pike stretch for the calves (I never really did figure out how that was supposed to stretch the calf). That seemed to work well. I felt quite good during the run.
One more thing to note - I did have my fuel belt on with one bottle full of Accelerade, but never took a drink. Didn't feel like I needed to. And I forgot that I had it on. Nice design.
Time: 1.7 miles in 17:36 - 10:21 pace. Weather: 15 degrees with no wind. Clothing: baseball cap, polyester ear warmer, long sleeve shirt, short sleeve shirt, running jacket, running gloves, running shorts, exercise pants, cotton socks. Felt comfortable after the first mile. The regular baseball cap was just a bit warm - next time opt for the polyester cap. (I must stress that there was NO wind, which is rare this time of year. The slightest breeze would have called for warmer clothing). Pre run beverage: Water. Post run: Standard protein shake.
12-17-2010 - Another Treadmill Run, but better this time
I think my calf is finally starting to heal. Or more precisely, almost finished healing (the body immediately begins to heal anything that gets damaged - or at least make an attempt). I made the mistake of skipping lunch (actually forgot to eat lunch), and then eating some food right before going to the gym. Once at the gym, I did my dynamic stretching and hit the treadmill. My calf and ankle felt good, but my whole body felt very sluggish and heavy, and I had a very hard time breathing, even at a slow speed of 5 mph (12 minute mile pace). After walking twice over the course of 1.5 miles, I stopped, took a break, and did some more stretching.
I was feeling better so I went back to the treadmill - what a difference! I went for a mile at a 12 minute pace, then actually did a sprint for about 30 seconds. I ended up running 1.7 miles. I wanted to go further, but decided not to because I did not want to risk my ankle or calf.
Afterwords, my ankle and calf felt a lot better. I did some static stretching this time and went home. I think if this holds up I might be able to do some actual road running on Sunday.
I was feeling better so I went back to the treadmill - what a difference! I went for a mile at a 12 minute pace, then actually did a sprint for about 30 seconds. I ended up running 1.7 miles. I wanted to go further, but decided not to because I did not want to risk my ankle or calf.
Afterwords, my ankle and calf felt a lot better. I did some static stretching this time and went home. I think if this holds up I might be able to do some actual road running on Sunday.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
12-15-2010 - Reduced to the Treadmill
I went to the gym today intending on burning off some calories on the elliptical and preventing some muscle atrophy, since I haven't run in 10 days. My last two attempts resulted in nothing but aggravating some injury that I still can't figure out what it is. I took a look at the treadmills, and thought to myself, "well, I have my running shoes... it's better than nothing". So I laced up the running shoes and headed for the studio room where I did my stretching routine.
I hit the treadmill and did a warm up walk for a few minutes at 3 mph. Then I ramped up the speed to 5 mph (12 minute mile pace) and made it for 1.5 miles before slowing back down to 3 mph and walking for a tenth of a mile. My right calf was feeling quite well and warm, but my right ankle joint was hurting just a bit. After walking for a tenth, I ran for another mile (total 2.5 miles) and decided to call it quits. After cooling down at 2 mph I hit the weights.
Before getting too excited about running 2.5 miles, I must remind myself that treadmill running with a zero incline setting is a TON easier than running on pavement, since the "ground" is literally being pulled out from under you. But I was running, and that's a positive step.
I decided not to do any lower body exercises, except for leg raises, because running is enough, and my right leg is still not feeling great. So I did back extensions, crunches, leg lifts, and assisted chin-ups. I modified the leg lifts to only lift one leg at a time, leaving the other leg hanging. This will force my pelvis to stay vertical, in line with my upper body, so the leg lift action comes strictly from the hip flexors (psoas major, psoas minor, and illiacus). If the pelvis was allowed to rotate upwards, then the abs would be allowed to assist, which I did not want to happen. The goal was to isolate the hip flexors.
As of this writing, which is about five hours after the workout, my right calf feels quite strange - I get these little twitches every now and then, and it feels stiff after sitting for a while. I can't quite figure out if this is good soreness or bad soreness; one thought that ran through my mind was "pins and needles", which would indicate possible "compartment syndrome", which would be bad. But that is usually accompanied by extreme pain that won't be stopped with morphine. Which means I would not be walking.
Another thought is damage to the plantaris muscle, which is a small, and quite frankly, useless, muscle deep in the calf. It works with the soleus and the gastrocnemious to plantar flex the foot. 7% of people don't even have a plantaris. But as small and useless as it is, damaging this muscle can be somewhat debilitating, because the brain is expecting feedback from this muscle to help control the calf group. A complete rupture of this little guy can keep you hobbling for a couple of weeks until the brain figures out that it's not there anymore, and switches to something else for feedback.
So in the meantime, ice will (again) be my friend. And maybe I'll try some heat to relax the muscles.
I hit the treadmill and did a warm up walk for a few minutes at 3 mph. Then I ramped up the speed to 5 mph (12 minute mile pace) and made it for 1.5 miles before slowing back down to 3 mph and walking for a tenth of a mile. My right calf was feeling quite well and warm, but my right ankle joint was hurting just a bit. After walking for a tenth, I ran for another mile (total 2.5 miles) and decided to call it quits. After cooling down at 2 mph I hit the weights.
Before getting too excited about running 2.5 miles, I must remind myself that treadmill running with a zero incline setting is a TON easier than running on pavement, since the "ground" is literally being pulled out from under you. But I was running, and that's a positive step.
I decided not to do any lower body exercises, except for leg raises, because running is enough, and my right leg is still not feeling great. So I did back extensions, crunches, leg lifts, and assisted chin-ups. I modified the leg lifts to only lift one leg at a time, leaving the other leg hanging. This will force my pelvis to stay vertical, in line with my upper body, so the leg lift action comes strictly from the hip flexors (psoas major, psoas minor, and illiacus). If the pelvis was allowed to rotate upwards, then the abs would be allowed to assist, which I did not want to happen. The goal was to isolate the hip flexors.
As of this writing, which is about five hours after the workout, my right calf feels quite strange - I get these little twitches every now and then, and it feels stiff after sitting for a while. I can't quite figure out if this is good soreness or bad soreness; one thought that ran through my mind was "pins and needles", which would indicate possible "compartment syndrome", which would be bad. But that is usually accompanied by extreme pain that won't be stopped with morphine. Which means I would not be walking.
Another thought is damage to the plantaris muscle, which is a small, and quite frankly, useless, muscle deep in the calf. It works with the soleus and the gastrocnemious to plantar flex the foot. 7% of people don't even have a plantaris. But as small and useless as it is, damaging this muscle can be somewhat debilitating, because the brain is expecting feedback from this muscle to help control the calf group. A complete rupture of this little guy can keep you hobbling for a couple of weeks until the brain figures out that it's not there anymore, and switches to something else for feedback.
So in the meantime, ice will (again) be my friend. And maybe I'll try some heat to relax the muscles.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
12-5 to 12-11-2010: Getting Discouraged...
After my 5k on December 4, I was pretty excited and already started looking on the internet for another race. On December 6, I went to the gym, did a low intensity, 700 calorie workout on the eliptical, followed by a weight lifting routine. I felt like I was on all cylinders! Then on Tuesday, December 7, I tried to go for a run - and my right ankle screamed "stop!" I managed to squeeze out 1.7 miles with a lot of walking. This did not feel good. I made an appointment with a physical therapist for Thursday morning, December 9.
The therapist said that my calf muscles are not flexible enough. I can only dorsiflex my feet (bend them towards my shins) by 7.5 degrees, and I should have 10 degrees. So that is why I'm having so many issues with my ankles. But the question is, if both feet have a flexibility issue, why is it only my right side that seems to be getting beat up? After having me do a few exercises, he believes that my right leg is not reaching out as far as the left leg, so when it lands, it takes more pressure than it should. He also noted that whenever he asked me to do something involving one leg, I would always start with my left - so I am favoring my left leg.
His recommendation was to do walking lunges, making sure I keep my hips square. This will strengthen the muscles that control my stride length (I assume my hip flexors), and bring balance between the two sides. He also taught me how to do calf stretches correctly: most people (myself included) tend to rotate the foot outward slightly, which allows you to go farther, but dis-engages part of the gastrocnemious muscle. Make sure my foot is square to the tibia, then slightly suppinate the foot, while keeping the ball of the foot on the ground. When I did that, my calf and ankle felt better almost immediately.
He also recommended that I do my leg exercises separately - in other words, when doing leg curls, do them one leg at a time, instead of both legs at once. This will prevent the body from favoring one side or the other. This applies especially to hamstrings and calves; not sure if I am going to incorporate quads and glutes on this or not. I'll have to figure this out.
I had a chat with my personal trainer at the gym on Friday, and discussed these issues. He watched me do my walking lunges and helped me get the feel for them, so I can now do them correctly on my own. He also wants me to continue increasing my mileage until I get to five miles; at that time I will be able to start mixing my training runs by doing three mile "tempo" runs, and five mile "slower runs", and possibly some intervals as well.
On Saturday, December 11, my ankle was feeling a lot better, so I tried to run. I ended up with the same results as Tuesday's run - 1.7 miles with a lot of walking. This time, however, I iced my ankle right away upon return. We will see how that goes. I'm getting a bit frustrated with my ankle issues. It doesn't seem like 3 miles is a lot, but I guess it is. No wonder I had so much trouble running track in high school; all the coaches did was beat on you, run-run-run hard every day, and not allowing proper rest and recovery techniques.
The therapist said that my calf muscles are not flexible enough. I can only dorsiflex my feet (bend them towards my shins) by 7.5 degrees, and I should have 10 degrees. So that is why I'm having so many issues with my ankles. But the question is, if both feet have a flexibility issue, why is it only my right side that seems to be getting beat up? After having me do a few exercises, he believes that my right leg is not reaching out as far as the left leg, so when it lands, it takes more pressure than it should. He also noted that whenever he asked me to do something involving one leg, I would always start with my left - so I am favoring my left leg.
His recommendation was to do walking lunges, making sure I keep my hips square. This will strengthen the muscles that control my stride length (I assume my hip flexors), and bring balance between the two sides. He also taught me how to do calf stretches correctly: most people (myself included) tend to rotate the foot outward slightly, which allows you to go farther, but dis-engages part of the gastrocnemious muscle. Make sure my foot is square to the tibia, then slightly suppinate the foot, while keeping the ball of the foot on the ground. When I did that, my calf and ankle felt better almost immediately.
He also recommended that I do my leg exercises separately - in other words, when doing leg curls, do them one leg at a time, instead of both legs at once. This will prevent the body from favoring one side or the other. This applies especially to hamstrings and calves; not sure if I am going to incorporate quads and glutes on this or not. I'll have to figure this out.
I had a chat with my personal trainer at the gym on Friday, and discussed these issues. He watched me do my walking lunges and helped me get the feel for them, so I can now do them correctly on my own. He also wants me to continue increasing my mileage until I get to five miles; at that time I will be able to start mixing my training runs by doing three mile "tempo" runs, and five mile "slower runs", and possibly some intervals as well.
On Saturday, December 11, my ankle was feeling a lot better, so I tried to run. I ended up with the same results as Tuesday's run - 1.7 miles with a lot of walking. This time, however, I iced my ankle right away upon return. We will see how that goes. I'm getting a bit frustrated with my ankle issues. It doesn't seem like 3 miles is a lot, but I guess it is. No wonder I had so much trouble running track in high school; all the coaches did was beat on you, run-run-run hard every day, and not allowing proper rest and recovery techniques.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
12-4-2010 - 5k Race!
Today I ran my first 5k. Yay! It was the Jingle Bell run, which is a charity run to raise money for arthritis. Now, I do agree that arthritis is a debilitating disease, and we (as in humanity) do need to do research on it. But I was not doing this race to benefit arthritis; I was doing it to benefit me. Although I did make a donation over and above the entry fee, just so I didn't seem like a prick.
I was not sure what to expect, so I got there plenty early, knowing that parking was going to be a hassle. I already stopped by the day before to register and pick up my race packet, so I didn't have to worry about that. The race packet contained a long sleeve cotton T-shirt; I considered wearing it, to show my pride, but I've never run nor worked out in cotton before, so I opted not to because I did not want to be uncomfortable. (Race day is not the day to try new things - that is what training time is for.) I was relieved to see that not everyone was wearing the shirt; some were, some weren't.
The temperature was 32 and snowing, with a slight breeze, so prior experience told me to wear a polyester running cap, polyester ear warmer, long sleeve polyester shirt, running jacket, running gloves, running shorts, and polyester pants. The only variable was the snow; I've never run in snow, so I opted for cotton socks to keep a bit more warmth. I also brought a change of pants, socks, and shoes in my duffel bag.
Charter Fitness was there offering deals on memberships. I'm already a member at another gym, so I didn't sign up. But one of their people led a static stretching routine for running. I've recently switched to a dynamic routine, so I opted not to follow along. But I was wondering how I was going to do the dynamic routine with all these people here.
One of my wife's co-workers, Melissa, was there. She has been running far longer than I have, and even did some triathlons here and there. We found her and chatted with her for a bit. I was also looking for my personal trainer, Tim, but discovered later that he was out with a sinus infection. (Ick)! I'm glad my wife was there, because I probably would have felt somewhat lonely with all those people.
At 8:55 am they called for the children's race to start, and the place cleared out somewhat. I changed into my running shoes and pinned on my race bib (number 842). I also tied the requisite jingle bells to my left shoe. Then at 9:15, they called for the runners to proceed to the start line. The place began to clear out enough for me to do my dynamic stretching routine. I strapped on my Fuel Belt (one bottle of Accelerade), then we (my wife and I) joined the march to the starting line. I made one last pit stop, then as soon as we got out the door, my wife gave me a kiss and said "goodbye". She does not like to be cold.
We crossed the foot bridge over the Root River and made our way through Island Park to the start line, which was at the East branch of the Root River right where Kinzie Avenue turns into Liberty Street. Runners to the right, walkers to the left. I went to the right. I went towards the back of the pack, thinking that I was one of the slower ones. That turned out to be a mistake. When the gun went off, I ended up standing there for about 45 seconds before I even moved; then, for the first 1/4 mile, I was running quite slowly just waiting for the pack to open up. Someone next to me said "next time I'm starting closer to the front". I turned and nodded, and several others did too. At least I'm not the only newbie in the group.
We ran South down Kinzie Avenue over the Root River Bridge and turned left down Horlick Drive, underneath West Sixth Street. Part way down Horlick Drive we made a U-Turn and came back the other way. Back to Kinzie Ave, we passed up the intersection and headed for the foot path back over the Root River. As we were going North on the foot path along the river, we were cheered on by Santa and Mrs. Clause, and one of his reindeer.
It was at this point that I cannot help but notice that there were a lot of people that just don't know how to pace themselves. Several people were running fast for 50 yards, then walking 50 yards, and so on, and mumbling that they aren't doing well or that they are so slow. I wonder how many people are just strapping on a pair of department store running shoes saying to themselves "I'm gonna run a 5k next week". Even though this was my first official race, it made me feel good that I was more prepared than probably half the new people in the field.
Continuing on towards Spring Street, the lead runner was already coming back the other way, and missed the turn headed to the finish line. The race officials yelled for him to come back. He did turn around and went the right way, but yikes - bad mistake, and probably cost him a few seconds. Under the Spring Street bridge we went, single file (the lead runners were coming the other way) and we emerged on the other side at Brose Park and turned left. It was at this point where I noted that my right ankle was starting to complain a bit, and I considered taking a walk break; but I decided to push forward. I could see a large portion of the course in front of me - Oh my gosh we have to run UP Lincoln Hill! (More on that later). We then crossed yet another foot path over the Root River. The race official was yelling "Single File! Runners Coming! Stay to the right!" So I did. Fortunately the line was running at a comfortable speed.
Once over the river and into Lincoln Park, we turned right on Dominik drive, and I started to pass runners. We made a U-turn, then saw the hill that everyone was talking about - Lincoln Hill. I knew there was a hill, but Lincoln Hill? I guess I was better off not knowing ahead of time. Oh well. I did hear that a lot of people like to walk up the hill, and so they did. I did not. I ran up the whole length, passing a whole lot of people that I never saw again. Once at the top, I checked my heart rate monitor; 191 bpm. That's a bit fast. I figured I'd better walk before I fall over or my heart explodes. We turned right down Prospect Street, I walked for about a minute, and when my heart rate was below 170, I started again. After a couple of blocks we made a U-turn, and I saw a LOT of people huffing and puffing just coming off the hill. Seemed like none of them wanted to take a walk break. My friend Ben, while he was training for his 50 mile Ultramarathon, gave me an insight into his strategy: If you have to walk, fine... just do it before your body forces you to walk.
On I went, and headed back towards Lincoln Hill - to go down.
You might think that going down hill is a no-brainer - run like crazy to pick up time. Think again. Downhill running can cause the nastiest shin splints you can think of. So I picked up speed until I could feel the onset of shin splints, then backed off just a bit and held that pace. Meanwhile, two runners zoomed by me. When I caught up to them at the bottom, they were walking, painfully, holding their shins. They should have consulted me before following that strategy. I would have explained to them the roll of the Anterior Tibialis muscle in stabilizing the foot, and the eccentric loading placed on that muscle during downhill running. But I digress.
Back to the footbridge, over the river, through Brose Park - I was really feeling good during that stretch. I conquered the hill, my heart did NOT explode, I exercised restraint going downhill and staved off shin splints, and I was still passing runners - albeit not as many. Going underneath Spring Street, I wanted to pick it up a notch, but the path was too narrow and the walkers were coming against me. So I had to wait until we were back on the other side.
We made the turn towards the field on the North side of Lutheran High - the one where the lead runner went the wrong way - and I saw the 3 mile marker. Someone was yelling "one tenth to go!" People were cheering us in. I felt good and really picked it up. Suddenly, I saw someone passing me. I made up my mind at the start that I wouldn't care about people passing me - I was here to survive, and that's it. But for some reason, at this particular moment in time, I started to care. Don't know why - I just did. Actually, I do know why. But I can't explain it. I simply made up my mind that I did not want this person to pass me. Then I saw that this person was less than 5 feet tall, probably 12 years old, and wearing a pink running jacket with a pony tail flopping behind. Now I REALLY did not want this person to pass!
I started sprinting. She was hanging with me. I went faster and faster, all the while she was with me. The crowd was cheering us... well, probably her... on. We ended up crossing the finish line together, although someone told me that she edged me out by a stride. I can't say I didn't care. For some reason I did care. I checked my watch and my time was 34:14.
Back inside, I found Julie, grabbed my protein shake, and did some static stretching. We went into the cafeteria and snacked on bananas, bagels, and chicken soup. I changed into a dry pair of socks and shoes, and we headed for home.
Overall, my first 5k was a great experience. There is definitely a certain energy you get from running in a pack that you don't get by yourself. I felt very prepared going into the race, with the exception of the snow, the traffic, and Lincoln Hill. But even Lincoln Hill was not that bad. I knew what my heart rate should be, and when it went way above that, I took a walk break. And going back down caused me no issues because I had a strategy. So now that I have an idea what it's like to run on snow and in traffic, I will be even more prepared next time.
I felt no muscle soreness after the run, but I did feel some ankle soreness on the right side (inflammation) the next day. A little Naproxen Sodium took care of it.
Time: 3.1 miles in 34:14 - average 11:03 per mile. A bit slow due to footing and traffic. Weather: 32 and snowing. Clothing: see above. Pre race: Water. and a carb breakfast. Post Race: Standard protein shake (my personal recipe), half a banana, half a bagel, cup of chicken soup. Zero soreness. Some joint pain in the right ankle and a tight achilles tendon. Ice and Naproxen Sodium.
I was not sure what to expect, so I got there plenty early, knowing that parking was going to be a hassle. I already stopped by the day before to register and pick up my race packet, so I didn't have to worry about that. The race packet contained a long sleeve cotton T-shirt; I considered wearing it, to show my pride, but I've never run nor worked out in cotton before, so I opted not to because I did not want to be uncomfortable. (Race day is not the day to try new things - that is what training time is for.) I was relieved to see that not everyone was wearing the shirt; some were, some weren't.
The temperature was 32 and snowing, with a slight breeze, so prior experience told me to wear a polyester running cap, polyester ear warmer, long sleeve polyester shirt, running jacket, running gloves, running shorts, and polyester pants. The only variable was the snow; I've never run in snow, so I opted for cotton socks to keep a bit more warmth. I also brought a change of pants, socks, and shoes in my duffel bag.
Charter Fitness was there offering deals on memberships. I'm already a member at another gym, so I didn't sign up. But one of their people led a static stretching routine for running. I've recently switched to a dynamic routine, so I opted not to follow along. But I was wondering how I was going to do the dynamic routine with all these people here.
One of my wife's co-workers, Melissa, was there. She has been running far longer than I have, and even did some triathlons here and there. We found her and chatted with her for a bit. I was also looking for my personal trainer, Tim, but discovered later that he was out with a sinus infection. (Ick)! I'm glad my wife was there, because I probably would have felt somewhat lonely with all those people.
At 8:55 am they called for the children's race to start, and the place cleared out somewhat. I changed into my running shoes and pinned on my race bib (number 842). I also tied the requisite jingle bells to my left shoe. Then at 9:15, they called for the runners to proceed to the start line. The place began to clear out enough for me to do my dynamic stretching routine. I strapped on my Fuel Belt (one bottle of Accelerade), then we (my wife and I) joined the march to the starting line. I made one last pit stop, then as soon as we got out the door, my wife gave me a kiss and said "goodbye". She does not like to be cold.
We crossed the foot bridge over the Root River and made our way through Island Park to the start line, which was at the East branch of the Root River right where Kinzie Avenue turns into Liberty Street. Runners to the right, walkers to the left. I went to the right. I went towards the back of the pack, thinking that I was one of the slower ones. That turned out to be a mistake. When the gun went off, I ended up standing there for about 45 seconds before I even moved; then, for the first 1/4 mile, I was running quite slowly just waiting for the pack to open up. Someone next to me said "next time I'm starting closer to the front". I turned and nodded, and several others did too. At least I'm not the only newbie in the group.
We ran South down Kinzie Avenue over the Root River Bridge and turned left down Horlick Drive, underneath West Sixth Street. Part way down Horlick Drive we made a U-Turn and came back the other way. Back to Kinzie Ave, we passed up the intersection and headed for the foot path back over the Root River. As we were going North on the foot path along the river, we were cheered on by Santa and Mrs. Clause, and one of his reindeer.
It was at this point that I cannot help but notice that there were a lot of people that just don't know how to pace themselves. Several people were running fast for 50 yards, then walking 50 yards, and so on, and mumbling that they aren't doing well or that they are so slow. I wonder how many people are just strapping on a pair of department store running shoes saying to themselves "I'm gonna run a 5k next week". Even though this was my first official race, it made me feel good that I was more prepared than probably half the new people in the field.
Continuing on towards Spring Street, the lead runner was already coming back the other way, and missed the turn headed to the finish line. The race officials yelled for him to come back. He did turn around and went the right way, but yikes - bad mistake, and probably cost him a few seconds. Under the Spring Street bridge we went, single file (the lead runners were coming the other way) and we emerged on the other side at Brose Park and turned left. It was at this point where I noted that my right ankle was starting to complain a bit, and I considered taking a walk break; but I decided to push forward. I could see a large portion of the course in front of me - Oh my gosh we have to run UP Lincoln Hill! (More on that later). We then crossed yet another foot path over the Root River. The race official was yelling "Single File! Runners Coming! Stay to the right!" So I did. Fortunately the line was running at a comfortable speed.
Once over the river and into Lincoln Park, we turned right on Dominik drive, and I started to pass runners. We made a U-turn, then saw the hill that everyone was talking about - Lincoln Hill. I knew there was a hill, but Lincoln Hill? I guess I was better off not knowing ahead of time. Oh well. I did hear that a lot of people like to walk up the hill, and so they did. I did not. I ran up the whole length, passing a whole lot of people that I never saw again. Once at the top, I checked my heart rate monitor; 191 bpm. That's a bit fast. I figured I'd better walk before I fall over or my heart explodes. We turned right down Prospect Street, I walked for about a minute, and when my heart rate was below 170, I started again. After a couple of blocks we made a U-turn, and I saw a LOT of people huffing and puffing just coming off the hill. Seemed like none of them wanted to take a walk break. My friend Ben, while he was training for his 50 mile Ultramarathon, gave me an insight into his strategy: If you have to walk, fine... just do it before your body forces you to walk.
On I went, and headed back towards Lincoln Hill - to go down.
You might think that going down hill is a no-brainer - run like crazy to pick up time. Think again. Downhill running can cause the nastiest shin splints you can think of. So I picked up speed until I could feel the onset of shin splints, then backed off just a bit and held that pace. Meanwhile, two runners zoomed by me. When I caught up to them at the bottom, they were walking, painfully, holding their shins. They should have consulted me before following that strategy. I would have explained to them the roll of the Anterior Tibialis muscle in stabilizing the foot, and the eccentric loading placed on that muscle during downhill running. But I digress.
Back to the footbridge, over the river, through Brose Park - I was really feeling good during that stretch. I conquered the hill, my heart did NOT explode, I exercised restraint going downhill and staved off shin splints, and I was still passing runners - albeit not as many. Going underneath Spring Street, I wanted to pick it up a notch, but the path was too narrow and the walkers were coming against me. So I had to wait until we were back on the other side.
We made the turn towards the field on the North side of Lutheran High - the one where the lead runner went the wrong way - and I saw the 3 mile marker. Someone was yelling "one tenth to go!" People were cheering us in. I felt good and really picked it up. Suddenly, I saw someone passing me. I made up my mind at the start that I wouldn't care about people passing me - I was here to survive, and that's it. But for some reason, at this particular moment in time, I started to care. Don't know why - I just did. Actually, I do know why. But I can't explain it. I simply made up my mind that I did not want this person to pass me. Then I saw that this person was less than 5 feet tall, probably 12 years old, and wearing a pink running jacket with a pony tail flopping behind. Now I REALLY did not want this person to pass!
I started sprinting. She was hanging with me. I went faster and faster, all the while she was with me. The crowd was cheering us... well, probably her... on. We ended up crossing the finish line together, although someone told me that she edged me out by a stride. I can't say I didn't care. For some reason I did care. I checked my watch and my time was 34:14.
Back inside, I found Julie, grabbed my protein shake, and did some static stretching. We went into the cafeteria and snacked on bananas, bagels, and chicken soup. I changed into a dry pair of socks and shoes, and we headed for home.
Overall, my first 5k was a great experience. There is definitely a certain energy you get from running in a pack that you don't get by yourself. I felt very prepared going into the race, with the exception of the snow, the traffic, and Lincoln Hill. But even Lincoln Hill was not that bad. I knew what my heart rate should be, and when it went way above that, I took a walk break. And going back down caused me no issues because I had a strategy. So now that I have an idea what it's like to run on snow and in traffic, I will be even more prepared next time.
I felt no muscle soreness after the run, but I did feel some ankle soreness on the right side (inflammation) the next day. A little Naproxen Sodium took care of it.
Time: 3.1 miles in 34:14 - average 11:03 per mile. A bit slow due to footing and traffic. Weather: 32 and snowing. Clothing: see above. Pre race: Water. and a carb breakfast. Post Race: Standard protein shake (my personal recipe), half a banana, half a bagel, cup of chicken soup. Zero soreness. Some joint pain in the right ankle and a tight achilles tendon. Ice and Naproxen Sodium.
12-2-2010 Run
Today I did a boner. In other words, something stupid. I found out that a good pre-run meal does NOT consist of a bag of Doritos, two Sloppy Joe sandwiches, and two shots of Irish Creme on the rocks. It simply does not work. I managed to squeeze out 1.7 miles, but NOT before every muscle in my body complained. I felt like they were all full of mud. I guess I really do have to eat well if I'm going to keep this up... or at least, eat well before a run...
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
11-30-2010 Run
Update from the last entry: I felt a whole lot less soreness after the run. So it was either the makeup pad or the dynamic stretching. Since I made two changes at once, I should really go back and remove one of them to see if the problem comes back. Since I have decided to keep the dynamic stretching permanently, I will try removing the makeup pad from underneath my right heel to see what happens. I won't do that until next week, though, because my first 5K is coming up Saturday, and I don't want to do anything to upset that. As of now, I have a combination that works - the makeup pad, dynamic stretching, and my special concoction of a protein shake (better living through chemistry).
I tried the dynamic stretching again. This time, instead of walking for five minutes after the stretching, I just decided to start running as soon as I left the house. Success! Now I don't need any goofy five minute panzy-ass warm up walk.
Another thing I'm noting is that my heart rate is staying at about 175 bpm, and I could probably hold something resembling a conversation. This means that my lactic threshold must be increasing. I am actually looking forward to specifically working on increasing my lactic threshold - after the 5K. I scheduled an appointment with a personal trainer just for that purpose next week.
Stats: 2.7 miles in 28:53 - 10:42 per mile. Weather: 28 degrees with wind chill of 23. Clothing: baseball cap, polyester ear warmer, long sleeve shirt, short sleeve shirt, running jacket, running gloves, exercise pants, polyester socks. Actually had to walk for about 30 seconds, because... believe it or not... I was a BIT too warm. Next time I run in these conditions, I will be canceling the short sleeve shirt. Pre run: water. Post run: My favorite recipe - protein powder, powdered milk, L-glutamine, 2 tsp. sugar.
I tried the dynamic stretching again. This time, instead of walking for five minutes after the stretching, I just decided to start running as soon as I left the house. Success! Now I don't need any goofy five minute panzy-ass warm up walk.
Another thing I'm noting is that my heart rate is staying at about 175 bpm, and I could probably hold something resembling a conversation. This means that my lactic threshold must be increasing. I am actually looking forward to specifically working on increasing my lactic threshold - after the 5K. I scheduled an appointment with a personal trainer just for that purpose next week.
Stats: 2.7 miles in 28:53 - 10:42 per mile. Weather: 28 degrees with wind chill of 23. Clothing: baseball cap, polyester ear warmer, long sleeve shirt, short sleeve shirt, running jacket, running gloves, exercise pants, polyester socks. Actually had to walk for about 30 seconds, because... believe it or not... I was a BIT too warm. Next time I run in these conditions, I will be canceling the short sleeve shirt. Pre run: water. Post run: My favorite recipe - protein powder, powdered milk, L-glutamine, 2 tsp. sugar.
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