Last weeks' tallies (subject to change once atomno2 logs the second half of his week):
Last weeks' race performances:
This week's races, events and moments of significance:
"I want you to pray as if everything depends on it, but I want you to prepare yourself as if everything depends on you."
-- Dick LeBeau
Rob and Richard: Congrats on your swift flights.
Rob, good luck with the quad. Do it right -- I talked to a few docs after my Great Calf Strain of 2009 and learned that sub-optimal healing of muscle tears leaves a "weak spot" that's more susceptible to subsequent re-injury. Had to do with the repair laying down muscle fibers oriented along the long axis of the muscle v. throwing a fibrous mish-mash (medical term there) at the injury site.
atomno2: I was log-stalking you and, as best I can tell, your knee pain really started to kick in toward the end of your Ravennas' life. Do you think the Adrenalines are working out as their replacement, or are your legs looking for something else? Only other thing I can suggest is lunges (2x15, slow-to-medium speed, maybe with light weights in hands) and exercises to strengthen the hips (like the routine in the first video HERE).
Lynwood: nice job laying low and letting the Spanish Flu germs run by you.
Happyfeet: I notice your miles have been increasing -- whatcha got coming up?
Wallflowers: who are these folks who log every week and never post? Come on, people, don't be shy! Ask a question, give us a tip, tell us a joke, ...
Clive,
I think what caused the knee pain was the 20 (ish) mile run I did in the Ravennas. Then from there, just not taking time to let things heal. I still turned out my highest mileage week ever (50) and pushed through it. I was wanted to get to the taper phase before I allowed time to heal. Last week was a poor showing, 16 miles......but I think over all it will pay off. I have been doing stretches and some strength stuff and will do more as I am running less. I feel good today, but I think I am going to give it one more day that will give me 3 days off in a row. I will do something like this until MB.
any thoughts?
Not that I am fast but--
Okay, here we go. Focus. Speed. I am speed. One winner, forty-two losers. I eat losers for breakfast. Breakfast? Maybe I should have had breakfast? Brekkie could be good for me. No, no, no, focus. Speed. Faster than fast, quicker than quick. I am Lightning.” — Lightning McQueen
With a suspect knee, I'd call off the VO2 Max stuff for this Wednesday. Nothing to be gained from that 10 days before your goal race.
Nice racing, Rob and Richard!
I spent the last week or so in Trinidad (work, not pleasure) and unfortunately was in a not-so-nice part of town and didn't feel comfortable getting in runs by myself. Spent the week doing cardio workouts in my hotel room (mostly High Intensity Interval Training) just to keep active. I'm excited to get back into things this week!
+1. The physiological benefit is small, the window for it to occur is also small, and the risk of exacerbating your knee is great(er). I'd replace it with 5 recovery miles + some strides after.
Thanx (although my effort was not as swift as expectation). Had my quad checked today and had physical therapy. Fortunately the tear is partial (Grade 1) and hopefully it will respond quickly to the therapy but one never knows. I know what probably caused this so I'll know how to better to better space out workouts and build-up my "backwards runs".
Ross - not even a treadmill at the hotel you were in (were you sprinting down the hallways?)?
Atomno2 - have you had your knee/leg checked out...you don't want to have this to quickly manifest into a bigger problem (which it can)? You could have a muscle imbalance or something wrong w/a muscle where that muscle is contracting/seizing and thus the tendon that connects into the knee is what your feeling as "knee pain". I usually go to my PT to have such things checked out.
Rob
I get the feeling that not many hotels in Trinidad have any sort of exercise equipment. Maybe some resorts near the beaches, but I was inland near a manufacturing plant site and the other people staying there didn't look like they'd be anxious to shuck off their steel toed boots and hard hats and go for a run.
The hotel DID have a contract with a gym in town, but I would have had to figure out how to transport myself there and back - difficult and costly when the hotel charges a $10 "commission" on each taxi you hire from their lobby.
I could have run up and down the 3 flights of steps, and even considered doing that, but the 100 degree temperature in the unventilated stairwells quickly drove me back to my room and relative coolness of the air conditioned space. I wouldn't have minded running outside in the 85 degree, 60% humidity heat, but the hotel did not recommend travelling beyond their entrance gate unless in a group. I probably could have been ok if I had stayed on the stretch of road right near the hotel, but I had heard there was a day in January where 30 murders were reported (island-wide) so I really wasn't in too much of a mood to risk it. Oh well, going to try making up for it this week!
Quite an experience Ross, the tropical paradises can be a different world three blocks from the hotel strips. A while ago we were in Acapulco when we got a really good deal on the hotel. While we had no problems with the stay, and all the tours were fun. The recent violence there had been brewing in that part of the country for a while now hence the deals, and if I had known what was going on in the hills, never would have taken those tours.
Clive, not training for any race but trying out a different strategy of about 9-10 workouts per week with no long run. I know I can't keep this up for long time without the support of the long runs, but want to develop my hill running and speed a bit for my 5K focus this year. Will have to see if I push this too far and break.
Late addition to the race list -- I'm on a 4-person coed team doing the Valentines Day Massacre Marathon Relay this Sunday, up in Greensboro. Each member runs 4 legs of 1.6mi around the lakes (except for the opening leg of 2.2mi to get 26.2mi total). Should be interesting. I'm hoping to average sub-7 for my legs. Trying to think of it as an interval workout ... with really long recoveries between repeats.
Good luck Clive. That sounds fun.
I ran the Cupid's Cup 5k Saturday... 1st place in the 55-59 age group (20:31) and 49th out of 914 overall.
Anybody going to the Myrtle Beach Marathon/Half Marathon next weekend? I'll be running the half, hoping for 1:35ish.
Richard Hefner Past Race Results (Athlinks)
Rob, I hope you are able to get through your injury quickly, for Myrtle Beach.
Congrats Richard. Sounds like a good race for you. I am definitely running the Myrtle Beach Half this coming weekend. I think I'm in better shape than for Thunder Road, so I'll be looking to run 1:42:30 or better. That was my TR goal and I came up short. Anything that's a PR would be fine. Can't wait to run on a flat course also.
That's great Lynwood... didn't know you were running the Myrtle Beach half. I'll be on the lookout for you. If you're thinking 1:42 we might be pretty close... if I'm a little slower and you're a little faster you might beat me. And of course you jinxed me by saying last week that I almost never have a bad race!
Rob... what are you doing? The half or the full? I didn't know you were running it either.
I don't think we're making it down until pretty late Friday. Are you guys going to the after-race party Saturday from 5 to 7 at the House of Blues?