Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Getting Close Now...

Alright, it is just under 24 hours until our flight to the UK and about 4 days until the Loch Ness Marathon! I am by no means even close to ready for this. I haven't run in about 2 weeks. My hamstring pull is improving but not sure if it will be ready for 26 miles on Sunday. I figure after get bused to the Start I have to get to the Finish one way or another I might as well give it a go.

Hopefully by Sunday it will feel many times better than today!

Monday, September 20, 2010

Blogging Interruptis

It is a good thing my only follower gets all the necessary information by living with me and does not depend on this blog for useful information because I am a blog-slacker or slack-blogger.

On the good side of things my Over 35 Masters soccer team won the Nova Scotia Provincial finals on Sunday in a hard fought victory over Athens (they beat us the previous two seasons in the final). Eastern Nationals are on Canadian Thanksgiving weekend in Halifax, while I'll be in the UK so Great Luck for the guys!



On the bad side my string of injuries continue to mount with a bout of ITBS last week, coupled with a sore left hamstring from my soccer games on Saturday, and topped with a pop in my right hamstring during the Finals. So, it all adds up to a terribly inconsistent marathon training program for the Loch Ness Marathon in 13 days. Not to mention the attempt to try to let my hamstrings heal enough to muddle through 26.2 miles. But, I want the damn finisher's medal so I will give it a go; as well, I'll be in Scotland anyway might as well push my limits one more time before a nice 6 or so week break.

Physio, Ice, Rest, Physio; repeat...

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Looong Run... truncated

Saturday called for a 20 mile long run, which felt like it would be a challenge under most circumstances; but, with an important soccer game on Friday night and an injured quad it was looking downright brutal.
On the bright side we won our soccer game 1-0. On the dark side I ended up playing the whole game as a few injuries to others and a number of guys not able to make it meant a short bench and I tweaked my quad further. Back to the run...

Critter and I got started a little later then preferred (she was late) but the weather was pretty cool all things considered. We have both been struggling with our pace and not running too quick for our goals on long and recovery runs. The garmin helped me to keep track and while we didn't hit the higher end of the pace range like I was hoping, we did typically stay in the mid range. The first part of the run felt okay and my legs didn't feel too heavy. It was about to change though...

Miles 10-12 were okay although in an area I hate running because 1) just more hills on an already pretty hilly run 2) there is nothing to look at. As we were coming up to the hilliest section of our run we got stopped at a traffic light and while it wasn't a terribly long wait, as we began running again my legs felt the effort and were tired. The hills last for roundabout 3 miles and I knew I was not making the full 20. So, at mile 16 Critter and I split... I ran fairly directly home finishing at 18.2 miles.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Mitts Longest Run

So, yesterday, with lower humidity for the first time in a few weeks I took Mitts with me on a recovery ish run. She has done 6 or so recovery runs with me all either 4 or 5 miles long and on each of these runs about halfway through she is usually in step with me and with a mile left she is about done. However, yesterday we did 6.5 miles and she was still charging up hills and pulling a little.

Mitts
The pulling is of course not ideal; but, I'm happy that the run was easier for her. Although, she did enjoy laying down in the brook when the run was over.

On another note, my injured Quad is tight but I don't think I stressed it on the run. Being a recovery run I tried to keep a slowish even pace. I think it ended up being a little quicker than what the range says it should be, but pacing is still a huge weakness. It seems I run a fair number of runs a little faster than I need to in order to hit the marathon pace I want. This is tempered by the reality that with the string of injuries I have not been able to do much tempo running (2 miles total!). I do play soccer 1 or 2 times per week though, so hopefully that is helping on that end. The soccer is certainly hurting my long runs though as I have had to not do a few because of game nights the night before a long run.

Going to try for 12 miles tonight.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Frustration of Injuries

So, as I continue to try and juggle my running goals with playing soccer, I am experiencing a set of injuries that are quite frustrating. Like most, I would imagine, I don't like to sit out and take it easy. Instead, I tend to try to get going while adjusting somewhat. The latest injury challenge is my quadriceps, that I have now "tweaked" twice in the past 2 weeks. I reinjured it on soccer on Friday night so skipped my 18-miler on Saturday to rest it. I can still feel it but seems to be some better. I will go for a run this afternoon and test it out!

On the bright side, I have started running with my 1.5 year old dog. So far so good. The longest we've done together is 5 miles on my recovery days so that I can work her into it. Being black-haired and it is summer I don't want to push it with her, but I do like being able to take her out for a run with me.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Getting On-track

I really do have huge gaps in my postings. I am going to try and improve that, obviously, with 0 followers it is more about self motivation than providing something for others to read or follow.

I completed my first marathon on May 9th in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada at the wait Fredericton Marathon. This is a very flat course that runs mainly of trails in the city that were built where the old train tracks were. Quite a comfortable run. My twin sister and I ran the first 16 miles together and while I felt surprisingly fresh she did not. She finished with a Boston Qualifying time and will likely run her 3rd Boston Marathon in 2011. I finished below my expected time but above my best case time; however, I was really pleased and as it was my first I, of course, achieved a Personal Best!

My two biggest obstacles were 1) not going too fast too soon and staying with my sister for 16 miles helped with that 2) my hamstring started to cramp with about 2 or 3 miles left (I didn't fuel properly after I left my sister) fortunately, I was able to stretch it out quickly, increase my liquid intact, and finish.

I felt great after the run and the next fews days were also excellent -- no pains, etc. However, I then decided to go for a run on the Thursday following the Sunday race and ran about 5 miles and probably a little too quick a pace. The result being a soreness in my left calf, which I ran through in the following days (although not much as I tried to take it easy). It didn't get better and eventually went to physio and they confirmed or at least agreed with what I suspected which was an injury to my soleus muscle. Regardless, I seem to have been fighting injuries ever since -- right Achilles, left knee, right quad, blah blah blah.

The biggest drag is that I am in the midst of training for marathon #2 in October and to date have done one poor attempt at a tempo run, no hills (although, there are tons of hills where I am so I hit hills every run), and aborted a number of long runs. Soccer games haven't helped the situation. Hopefully, I'm on the other side of the injuries and I will be able to manage the running and the soccer for 2 more months.

Time will tell!

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Overuse?

Apparently, so. I've strained my hamstring after doing a little too much. The running itself isn't the problem I don't believe it is the other things like soccer and basketball, etc. So, I will have to be more strategic with my activities outside of my running.

The current goal is to run a marathon May 9 in Fredericton, NB and a second in October in Scotland.