RunningAHEAD - Topic: Weekly Check In 2/2/09

jeffdonahue

posted: 2/2/2009 at 7:31 AM

Happy Groundhog Day!!!!! Okay, so I got myself over 40 miles last week - though yesterday's run was a bit on the tough side. The weather was perfect, but I forgot to eat breakfast and then we went to my daughter's basketball game, then food shoping and I ran home from there. I definitely felt the lack of energy from not eating - Pace was still good. Secondly, I did my first Barefoot run Saturday night. I have heard that barefoot running can help improve your form, so I have decided to give it a try. I only did a mile on the treadmill (too cold to run outside) but it really wasnt that bad. I was able to hold a 9:30 pace, and probably could have gone faster but didnt want to push it on my first try. I didnt really feel any pounding on my heels like I thought I would, but I could definitely feel a difference in the muscles in my feet afterward. I think the thing I will be most worried about will be when I try to do it outside - ROCKS, STICKS, and little things in the road that I might step on - sounds painful. But I guess the concept is that if your feet are relaxed they will conform to the stuff you step on so that you dont really notice it. There is another group on this site (there is a group for everything here Smile

) that talks about this. For now, I think I am going to try to just get a mile or so in a few nights a week and work my way up from there. And - today I hit day 400!!!!! I havent gotten my run in yet, but I will at lunch time. Streak on! Jeff

jugdish

posted: 2/2/2009 at 9:59 AM
modified: 2/2/2009 at 10:18 AM

Today will be day 28 on my streak, and I have "closed the gap". What I mean by that is there are no longer any gaps on my training log graph. This is my thrid streak. My other two went for 135 days and 108 days. I ran a 5K this past Saturday, first one I've done in awhile. It was the Houston Rockets 5K. It was a cool race that ended at center court of the Toyota Center. I finished in 27:11, which is better than I thought I would do. I've never been a fast runner, an 8 minute mile is considered fast for me Smile

. My goal this year is to get my time down below 25 minutes, so I think I'm off to a good start. My legs are starting to feel stronger after nearly a month of running. I haven't gone over 20 miles in a week yet, but I plan to get between 20 and 25 this week as I try to increase my mileage somewhat. I'm thinking about working in some speed work into my runs here and there. I'm going on a 4 day cruise in about 10 days, so I'll be running on that little track on the top deck that is 11 laps to the mile.

jugdish

posted: 2/2/2009 at 10:00 AM

Ohh by the way...nice job on 400! Milestones are always cool!

jeffdonahue

posted: 2/2/2009 at 10:22 AM

Quote from jeffdonahue on 2/2/2009 at 7:31 AM:

Happy Groundhog Day!!!!!

Just a quick update that I just read that Punksatawny Phil DID see his shadow this morning, so there will be 6 more weeks of winter. And hey, it's supposed to snow here tomorrow. Big Freaking Surprise. Big grin

mainrun

posted: 2/2/2009 at 10:50 AM

Glad/interested to read you tried barefoot, treadmill, running. One thing I noticed is that I can land on the front part of my foot when running without shoes/socks. When running in sneakers, if I do not land on the heal, it feels very odd. I have run about 100 treadmill miles barefoot since November 2008. Last week was a cut back week for me. I had run four, 35 mile weeks in a row. Last week was 30 miles. I did 4 X 20 second striders, and a few barefoot runs: 3 miles, 3 miles, 4 miles, and 2.75 miles. Yesterday (Sunday) I ran a 10 mile run with mile 3 in 7:30, mile 4 in 7:34, and mile 5 in 8:03 (including 30 second recovery after two previous miles). All other miles in the run were slower than 9:00 pace. The plan is to build up to six, 7:30 miles in that 10 mile run over the next few weeks/months. Wednesday or Thursday I am going to run CV repeats - 5 to 10 minute warmup; two or three 1K's in 4:15 to 4:30 followed by 60 to 90 seconds active recovery; two or three 40 second striders with 40 second recovery; and then 5 to 10 minute cooldown. Plan to build up to 2 mile warmup; 5 X 1K CV with 60 second recovery; 4 X 40 second striders with 40 second recovery, and then 2 mile cool down. I hope that training will get me a sub 20 minute 5K. Good running all.

Books I Have Read

Last Race: Portland Maine Half Marathon October 5 2014

runInBlack

posted: 2/2/2009 at 10:58 AM

This was a rough week for me. I had my sights set on the 60 MPW mark. I was well on track for this until Thursday. Simply, I think I just pushed my body too hard and too fast. After a tough hill workout on Thursday, I have developed a case of IIliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS) which is really acting up in left knee. I also have a little bit of runner's knee in both. The runner's knee is of less concern at the moment, but the ITBS is keeping me from putting in the miles that I have been targetting. Needless to say, my spirits are a little lower than usual. I am trying to stay positive. I have begun a strengthening and stretching routine which I am performing twice daily to rehab my knee. I have also cut back on mileage. I am not even going to set a mileage goal for this week, as I plan to run simply by feel until I can overcome this injury. The knee is feeling a little bit better today. I plan to run a very easy 4 miler today and reassess how my injury is feeling. In retrospect, I may have needed to put more thought into the mental struggles that I was having two weeks ago... It may have been an early indicator that I was pushing my body too hard. After two record mileage weeks, I put in about 45 miles last week. I think that I can hang around that level and keep every thing very easy, I will begin to slowly recover. Right now, I am just waiting to see how it goes. If all goes well, I will be healed and strong by the time the weather warms up out here. Ryan

Ryan

jeffdonahue

posted: 2/2/2009 at 11:33 AM

Dude, that sucks!!!!!! how do you know it is ITBS? Is your IT band actually hurting, because usually ITBS will show up in some sort of knee pain. Given that, make sure you do some serious stretching. I had what I thought was ITBS a while back, and even a doctor had told me that my ITB was tight and was causign the pain. However, I then went to a seminar for the TP Massage Ball where they touted that knee pain is really mainly caused by tight calf muscles. I started making sure I stretched my calf muscles (upper and lower - it's really the lower one that most people skip and the one that gives you the most problems) every day and have not had any knee pain since (knock on wood). Also, if you have a foam roller or even "the stick" use that to massage the calves as well - really work out the kinks and you'll be amazed how much looser your legs feel and it might help the knee. Best of luck with the running. Jeff

Ojo

posted: 2/2/2009 at 11:36 AM

Not much to report from me. Feeling good . . . and even better with the warmer weather we have had the past 2 days. Got in a good 15+ mile run yesterday. I struggled a little at the end simply because I was too warm but I wont complain. And congrats Jeff on reaching 400!

Sara

MM #2929

runInBlack

posted: 2/2/2009 at 2:16 PM

Quote from jeffdonahue on 2/2/2009 at 11:33 AM:

Dude, that sucks!!!!!! how do you know it is ITBS? Is your IT band actually hurting, because usually ITBS will show up in some sort of knee pain. Given that, make sure you do some serious stretching. I had what I thought was ITBS a while back, and even a doctor had told me that my ITB was tight and was causign the pain. However, I then went to a seminar for the TP Massage Ball where they touted that knee pain is really mainly caused by tight calf muscles. I started making sure I stretched my calf muscles (upper and lower - it's really the lower one that most people skip and the one that gives you the most problems) every day and have not had any knee pain since (knock on wood). Also, if you have a foam roller or even "the stick" use that to massage the calves as well - really work out the kinks and you'll be amazed how much looser your legs feel and it might help the knee. Best of luck with the running. Jeff

I am fairly certain this is ITBS. As opposed to my runner's knee which typically occurs right behind my kneecap to inner side of my knee. This pain is on the outside of my knee, and I do feel pain in the couple of inches up on IT band above my knee. I also have some tightness and pain in the same hip, which I believe to be a further indicator that the band is tighter than it should be. I ran over my lunch hour, and I felt pretty good in the knee. My hip is hurting me a little bit more, but it seemed to ease away as I loosened into the run. I did a good 10 - 15 minutes of strecthing after the run, and I think it is doing me well. I feel pretty strongly that this hip pain is related. I believe most likely if I am vigilant about this stretching routine, I can get better.

Ryan

Pammie

posted: 2/3/2009 at 4:39 PM

Hello still here still doing this will be at 300 mid-month. Just not been visiting the site recently busy We've been hit by snow we don't often get it so not used to it but still have been managing to get out and run. Last Friday was a hoot before the snow came did a 5km race and manage to beat one of my old PRs by 11 seconds now 24:23 which was a shock 1st when 1st km was run in 4:43 2nd my best time from last year was 35 seconds slower. Certain proof that somethings working

Vintagerunner

posted: 2/3/2009 at 6:36 PM

Way to go Mike thats where I hope to be someday. 300 sounds great too Cool

Pammie, I been getting out everyday; bet just doing some 1 mile runs right now, the inside of my knees are little sore so giveing them a rest otherwise everything ; alright xcept its cold again Cool

Turning back the clock one mile at a time

jeffdonahue

posted: 2/3/2009 at 10:40 PM

Nice job Pammie and Vintage - yeah, we just got a new dusting (well if you can call 4 inches a dusting) of snow today. Man, I am so sick of shovelling.

A Mile A Day

Weekly Check In 2/2/09 (Read 144 times)