Vegans

Dan, Just out of curiosity: How did your third marathon training cycle feel compared to your first two, now that you've been a vegan for at least a year (as far as I know)? How do you feel energy-wise? Have you lost any muscle? How much do you eat; what do you eat?

Admittedly, I'm struggling as a vegan. It's not that I crave animal foods; it's a matter of consuming enough and the right combination of plant foods. I'm down to 142 pounds. When I was running 40-mile weeks, my average weight was at least 5 pounds heavier. I became a vegan about two-thirds of the way through that training for the 2007 Hartford Marathon.

Let's talk about this.

Dogs

I was chased by a large German Shepard this afternoon. It was going after a UPS truck and then went after me as the truck passed me. I stopped running and confronted the dog as I figured it would just keep chasing and most likely outrun me (I didn't get a pair of the Nike Free's yet). It started coming at me and I lunged at it and waived my arms, and it backed off some. The owner (female) was yelling for the dog to come back, and the dog wasn't listening. I yelled at the dog a couple times and it backed off a bit more. Then the owner (male) came out and gave one yell to the dog and it went running back. Two lessons learned:

1.) Confront the dog if you get the chance
2.) Both man and wife should be involved in training and disciplining the family dog

Tough Long Run

I did my last long run today before the marathon in Jan. The last 5 miles might have been the most unpleasant running experience I've ever had. I was soaked with sweat and melted snow and then the temperature quickly dropped and the wind picked up. My hair and beard froze instantly and my clothes were like cardboard. At around mile 18 I took refuge in the parking garage and did loops in there for about 10 mins and then headed back toward the car.

I ran around UConn as that is the only place that has sidewalks around here. I figured it would not be wise to be running around on snowy roads with no sidewalks. For the most part all the sidewalks and roads had been plowed at least once, and the plow guys were patient and courteous. Probably because they are getting paid by the hour.

For traction I put a couple screws into the bottom of each shoe. I got the idea from this guy: www.skyrunner.com/screwshoe.htm. It worked pretty well, especially going down hill and in areas with a light snow/ice cover. In deep snow and going uphill I still had a hard time getting traction, but I think it would be better with more screws, particularly in the toe area.

To add insult to injury, upon getting home and looking forward to a nice hot shower I discovered my water is not working. And it still isn't.

Kara Goucher to Run Boston

She joins previously announced Ryan Hall as part of the John Hancock Elite Team at the 113th Boston Marathon on April 20. Goucher, whose public profile and media presence have been raised significantly since she won a bronze medal in the 10,000-meter race at the 2007 World Championships, was a 2008 Olympian in the 5000 and 10,000 and then had great success with her 26.2-mile debut at the ING New York City Marathon on November 2. Goucher's third-place 2:25:53 is the fastest American women's marathon debut in history, the fastest time by an American woman in the New York City, and the best time by an American in 2008. She's already the third-fastest U.S. woman of all time in the marathon, behind Deena Kastor and Joan Benoit Samuelson. “I could not be more excited to participate in the 2009 Boston Marathon on the John Hancock Elite Team,” says Goucher. “As an American, Boston is an incredible opportunity to run a major marathon. The race has a history like no other and its legacy spans generations. I am so thankful to continue my journey toward my goal of becoming the best runner in the world here in the United States.” Goucher is coached by Alberto Salazar, who won a legendary duel with Dick Beardsley in Boston in 1982. “Coach Salazar will guide me to be ready to tackle the course, and the infamous Heartbreak Hill,” states Goucher. The last American woman to win the Boston Marathon was Lisa Larsen Weidenbach (now Rainsberger) in 1985.

I'm back after a short hiatus

I had the three stitches removed from my foot today. My doc gave me the green light to resume activity. We talked about running shoes. He told me not to obsess about shoes and that, because my biomechanics are good, I should consider less shoe. I purchased a pair of Nike Free 3.0, the least supportive of the product line, and ran in them today. No aches, no pains.

Cost of Healthcare

I spent some time reviewing the insurance claims for my two surgeries. Here are the totals:

Surgery to reconstruct spring ligament: $16,165.50

Surgery to remove hardware: $9,419.57

These totals do not reflect the initial visit to Dr. Jokl's office, numerous visits to Dr. Reach's office and physical therapy following my first surgery.

I had this removed from my foot this morning:

There was a question as to whether the surgery would go forward this morning, as I have a slight cold. I received a general anesthetic (i.e., knocked the eff out), and I think that an oxygen tube was used (hot doctor said might be necessary due to cold. anything you say!), because my mouth is ripped up. The surgery was successful. Yet again, I have no pain (albeit, surgeon used a nerve block, again) with prescriptions for enough Oxycontin and Oxycodone to numb the population of a small country. I'll be back on the road in no time. Look out Boston. Peace out.

Last run before second surgery

I've decided that the Manchester Road Race will be my last run before surgery tomorrow morning. Overall, the MRR was a disappointment. My brother and I could not get into Manchester, and we found ourselves driving back and forth on I384 between exits 1 and 5 until finally getting off exit 2, which put us about a mile from the start with only 5 minutes until the start. We ran to the start, and by the time we got there, the race had already begun. I have only a gun time. Apparently, I didn't activate the timing device at the start. Ah well. Because I started so far back, I couldn't find a stride and had to jog/walk and trip over people for 4.748 miles.

My next run won't be until sometime during the fourth week of December.

Ryan Hall to Run Boston Marathon: Check this out!

November 19, 2008
FEATURE NEWS: At Last, Good Economic News--Ryan Hall Has A New Job, Will Race Boston Marathon
By Amby Burfoot

Photo By Victah Sailer

The John Hancock Financial company, principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon, yesterday announced that Ryan Hall will be running next April's Boston Marathon. Hall will attempt to become the first American male to win Boston since Greg Meyer in 1983. (The last American female winner was Lisa Rainsberger in 1985.)

In these days and weeks of gloomy economic news, it's nice to hear that someone's got a decent-paying new job. How decent? Only the Hancock, Hall and a few of his best friends know for sure. But we decided to ask a select circle of running insiders how much they believe Hall will be receiving as a Boston appearance fee.

So we sent out an email to: race directors, elite athlete coordinators, elite marathoners, top agents, and informed running journalists. We asked them what they thought about Hall's new job. Many noted that athlete contracts contain several key clauses offering payment based on: appearance, place, and time, to note the most obvious three.

Estimates of Hall's appearance fee ranged from $100,000 to $500,000, with the majority falling between $100,000 and $200,000. However, the one big pop at $500,000 raised the average of all estimates we received to $202,000.

At any rate, we're pretty sure the payment is enough to keep Hall off the assembly lines in Detroit. And on the hills of Mammoth Lakes and Big Bear Lake, CA, where he does his best work.

Estimates were provided by: Deena Kastor, Jim Ferstle, Luis Posso/Derek Froude, Peter Gambaccini, Jim Gerweck, Bob Gordon, Don Kardong, Merhawi Keflezighi, Dan Lilot, Greg Meyer, Brendan Reilly, Dathan Ritzenhein, Bill Rodgers, Victor Sailer, Matt Taylor

Deena Kastor and some inspiration from a voluntary amputee

As you may or may not know, Deena Kastor broke her foot while running the Olympic Marathon in Beijing. Here's the care she has received:

rest
BONE-UP calcium supplement
magnets
acupuncture
a spiritual bone healer
physical therapy on my muscles to negate atrophy
bone marrow soup
a DEXA-scan to benchmark my bone density
ice baths
and visualization

Tom White's left leg was so badly injured in an accident that after several years of worsening pain he voluntarily had it amputated in late-2007. He ran the 2008 NYC Marathon in 4 hours and 40 minutes. Incredible.

interesting thread on balancing work and running...

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=2742112

Pre-op appointment and surgery

I had a pre-op appointment with my surgeon on Tuesday. I will have a surgery on 12/1 at Y-NHH to remove the temporary hardware from a surgery in January. I will receive a general anesthetic. Immediately after the surgery, I will be able to bear only partial weight on my left foot. Approximately two weeks later, on 12/16, I will have the suture(s) removed. Then, I'm free.

At my appointment, I learned that the x-rays of my left foot showed good bone and perfect alignment, suggesting that the spring ligament has completely healed. An ultrasound confirmed this. We could actually see one of the sutures that was used to bring the tear together. Kind of cool.

As a final note, I'm grateful to have found such a supportive surgeon. Dr. Reach is not happy unless I am happy. If I want to run marathons, he wants me to run marathons and will help me achieve that goal. If I want to hang up my running shoes and become a great swimmer, he will help me do this.

that sucks...

Dynamic Stretching

Good article in the nytimes about stretching:

www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/sports/playmagazine/112pewarm.html?em

NYC Marathon

I love watching marathons.

I went out on a limb and picked Kara Goucher to win today, but you just can't beat Paula Radcliffe. She's insane. First of all, she's the best ever--4 of 5 top marathon times ever. Secondly, she had a longer build-up and is much more experienced than Goucher.

1. Radcliffe (2:23:55) -- 8th win in 10 marathons
2. Petrova (2:25:43) -- fastest ever for a 40-year old woman
3. Goucher (2:25:52) -- fastest ever debut for an American woman

For the men, I picked Abderrahim Goumri to win today. No dice.

1. Gomes dos Santos (2:08:43)
2. Goumri (2:09:07)
3. Rono (2:11:22)

Thanksgiving Morning

My brother and I are registered for the Manchester Road Race. Can't wait. This will be my third road race since returning to running in May.

8/10: Torrington Road Race; Distance: 5 miles; Pace: 8:52

10/5: Highland Lake; Distance: 10K; Pace: 8:25

My goal for the MRR is a sub-8-minute pace.

Predictions for New York City Marathon, Sunday, November 2

The lovely Kara Goucher* for the women; Abderrahim Goumri for the men.

*Longest race: half-marathon; time: 1:06:57

Interesting Article

Here is a link to an article, "Are You Running Yourself to Death?," published in the latest issue of Men's Health. (You'd never find an article of this kind published in Runner's World, Running Times, or any of the other lesser known running periodicals.) The author is a marathoner himself, so I can't hate on his article too much, but, frankly, I'm not particularly fond of it. It excites the reader into thinking that the damage done to a runner's heart from running a marathon is somehow permanent, and that the only way to prevent a cardiac event during or after a marathon is to train at least 45 miles per week. As support for his article, the author cites the deaths of elite marathoner Ryan Shay and a recreational runner. First of all, Ryan Shay trained well over 100 miles per week, so the suggestion that a runner train at least 45 miles per week to prevent a cardiac event is anything but significant. Secondly, Ryan Shay had a congenital heart problem that was monitored periodically. His doctor even gave him the green light to train for and run the 2007 Olympic Trials. As to the recreational runner, as far as I recall, his autopsy was inconclusive. I'll research this...

UPDATE: The recreational runner who died during 2007's Chicago Marathon also had a congenital heart problem. His autopsy showed that he had a mitral valve prolapse. My understanding of this heart problem is that one of the valves of the heart fails to completely close, thereby allowing a backflow of blood into the heart, which, apparently, can carry a high risk of complications.

The lesson: GET AN ANNUAL PHYSICAL. I last had a physical in November of 2006 and was diagnosed with a heart murmur. A heart murmur is not a disease; it's just a fancy name for an abornmal sound emitting from the heart. My mother was diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse at a very young age, so I had reason to worry. I immediately had an echocardiogram--an ultrasound of the heart--different from an electrocardiogram, which isn't as effective as the former in diagnosing heart defects. Luckily, my echocardiogram came back negative, so it's unclear what exactly caused the heart murmur that my doctor heard. My next physical is on October 31st. Get one.

MRR

Anybody up for what is rumored to be the greatest road race in CT? www.manchesterroadrace.com

Balancing Running and Life

Now that I'm working a lot more than I ever have before (and want to be), I'm finding it hard to get runs in between work and other things. Especially now that it is getting dark earlier every day. I'm dreading turning the clocks back. This weekend I went backpacking in VT and missed my long run on Sunday, which bothered me as I thought I'd be too tired and not have time to get it in today. However, I got it in and felt quite good. For previous marathons I followed my training schedule every day, but I think I'm going to give myself some more flexibility and see how it goes.

Much appreciation for Geoff who found time to train for the Hartford Marathon and just had a baby in January! Sounds like mommy Em is already back to running too! (Is Sierra going to be a runner or a lacrosse player?)

Update

I'm struggling to find the right shoe for my feet. I continue to rotate between three pair of Brooks. Ordered most to least support: Adrenaline, Axiom and Radius. I scrapped the custom orthotics, because they were kicking over my left foot too much and causing severe forefoot discomfort (under the first three toes). Now I have no additional support but need it, particularly for my right foot, which doesn't have the support of an arthroesis (the titanium implant in my left foot).

It's difficult to find the right balance of additional support given the fact that my left arch is fully supported by the implant and my right arch collapses completely. Until my pre-op appointment on November 4, I'm going to go back to what worked last summer--Brooks Adrenaline and $25-over-the-counter arch supports. I hope to be able to run the Philadelphia Half-Marathon on November 23, but I'd like to have the implant removed as soon as possible. It continues to cause forefoot and rearfoot discomfort, as it locks my foot in a neutral position and prevents any pronation whatsoever. That's not a very good shock-absorber.

Hartford Half-Marathon: Chapter 2

Congratulations to my brother for completing his first half-marathon yesterday in a time of 2:10:37. I planned to run, too, but it sold out the day before the race. It felt great to witness my brother cross the finish line strongly--and smiling--though. Also, I saw that Geoff completed the full marathon. Congrats!

Hartford Half-Marathon

My brother is registered to run the Hartford Half-Marathon on Saturday morning. I've decided to join him, though I'll have to register on race day. I just hope that the race doesn't fill up before then.

I don't know that I'm in sub-2 hour half-marathon shape, but that seems like a good goal.

I read in the latest issue of Runner's World that the Hartford Marathon (including all associated events held on the same day as that of the Marathon) is one of the "greenest" races in the US. Apparently, in lieu of the use of thousands of paper/plastic cups, there's a gigantic container of water from which all runners can share.

I need new shoes...

Anybody have any good tips on place for getting a good deal on running shoes? Sierratradingpost.com is my usual source but they seem to be low on deals.

Marathoning

Feeling inspired, I've registered myself for the Disney World Marathon on Jan 11. I'm not a huge fan of Disney but it is 15 weeks away, and my dad is going to be visiting my grandparents Daytona Beach that time so it seems practical. It was f'n expensive to register. $133 bucks. Plus the race starts at 6AM.

Now I just need to start running more. Perhaps the philly half would make a nice training race?

Haile Gebrselassie

It's worth noting on this blog that on Sunday, in Berlin, Haile Gebrsellassie, arguably the best distance runner of all time, broke his own record in the marathon by running a 2:03:59!!! That's 4:44 per mile!!!!! A link to the video of the race can be accessed via www.marathonguide.com. It's pretty impressive.

Half-Marathon Training Progress Report

I start my fifth week of half-marathon training today. The first four weeks went well. I'm running about 20 miles/week (~3 hours and 15 minutes--I'm trying to emphasize time as opposed to distance--e.g., 1 hour on Wed. and Fri. and 1-2 hours on Sunday)--two short runs during the week and about a 10-mile long run on the weekends. My longest long run will be 12-14 miles. My brother is adapting well. He likely will smoke me.

Week 5: 1-hour runs on Wed. and Fri.; Highland Lake 10K on Sunday

Weeks 6, 7, 8: same; 1-2 hour long run on Sunday

I might add 20 additional minutes of running on Monday or Tuesday night just to work on ridding muscles of acid build-up and cardiac development. I feel tired during Wednesday's workouts. In addition to all of this running, I bike one or two times per week and do a lot of core strengthening exercises.

Month 3

I just started my third month of running since my surgery in January, and I'm beginning to feel the effects of increased mileage. Or perhaps it's my pace. My surgically repaired foot is fine. It's my right side that's beginning to bother me. I ran 40 miles in July and 60 in August. My average pace in June: 9:44; July: 9:38. That's almost 30 seconds faster than my average pace in the same month (first month of marathon training) last year. I need to slow down, which I've done over my last two runs.

July 2007: 94 miles; 10:06/mile
August 2007: 142 miles; 9:37/mile
September 2007: 169 miles; 9:01/mile

What I need to do is repeat the approach I took last summer building up for the marathon. As you can see, I ran a lot of slow, aerobic miles initially, and my pace fell naturally, despite the increased mileage. It's all about base-building--bulking up on fitness. Base-building is not easy, but “Training a little bit beyond your capabilities is the only way to get better," says Dr. William Krauss, a runner and cardiologist at Duke Univeristy. I can attest to that, as I remember last July as a real struggle, but once I got over that initial hurdle, my body could handle more, volume- and intensity-wise.

I look forward to this new challenge and hope that I can regain my fitness of a year ago.

Philly Mary and Half-Mary

My brother and I started training for the Philadelphia Half-Marathon this week. It's in 12 weeks--November 23rd. Dan is on the fence for the marathon.

Our plan is anchored by three runs per week--Wednesday, Friday, Sunday (long)--two optional XT days and two rest days. MPW: 17, 20, 22, 26, 23, 29, 29, 28, 33, 25, 19, 6+race

Finding runners

I found another runner yesterday! Since Jason is teaching, we live on campus at the boarding school where he works. Shortly after we moved here, our neighbors introduced themselves and I have been running a few times with Shari. Yesterday, I was running on my own and as I came out of our road onto the main road, I noticed a woman running just a bit in front of me. So I ran to catch up with her. Her name is Crystal. Turns out, I may be able to find quite a few people to run with around here if I so desire. Great!

More Olympic results

Women's 5k

1 Tirunesh Dibaba ETH 15:41.40
2 Elvan Abeylegesse TUR 15:42.74
3 Meseret Defar ETH 15:44.12
9 Kara Goucher USA 15:49.39
10 Shalane Flanagan USA 15:50.80
14 Jennifer Rhines USA 16:34.63

Men's 5k

1 Kenenisa Bekele ETH 12:57.82 (Olympic Record)
2 Eliud Kipchoge KEN 13:02.80
3 Edwin Cheruiyot Soi KEN 13:06.22
9 Bernard Lagat USA 13:26.89
13 Matthew Tegenkamp USA 13:33.13

Men's Marathon

1 WANJIRU Samuel Kamau 2:06:32 Kenya (Olympic Record)
2 GHARIB Jaouad 2:07:16 Morocco
3 KEBEDE Tsegay 2:10:00 Ethiopia
9 RITZENHEIN Dathan 2:11:59 United States
10 HALL Ryan 2:12:33 United States
22 SELL Brian 2:16:07 United States

I watched most of the men's marathon on Saturday evening. In only his 3rd marathon, the 21-year old Wanjiru claimed Kenya's first Olympic gold medal in the event (believe it or not!), and in olympic-record fashion. He ran his first late last year. First mile: 4:41. First 5k: well under 15 minutes. No one thought that they could sustain that pace for 26.2 miles in 85+-degree heat. Ritz and Hall knew that they couldn't, so they dropped back and hoped that the lead pack would eventually follow suit, but it never did. Despite sustaining a stress fracture in his foot 12 weeks ago, Ritz ran well. Hall didn't run as well as he has in the past. He ran a 2:06 in London earlier this year and said that he didn't have those same legs in Beijing. I think it was the heat. His previous three marathons were run in ideal weather conditions: two Londons in April and the Olympic Time Trials in Central Park in November. Sell plans to return to his job at Home Depot. This is the first time since the 70s that two Americans finished in the top 10; overall: good showing. Fourteen-Hundred some odd days until London.

Beijing 2008 -- Men's 10K

1 Kenenisa Bekele ETH 27:01.17 (Olympic Record)
2 Sileshi Sihine ETH 27:02.77
3 Micah Kogo KEN 27:04.11
13 Galen Rupp USA 27:36.99
15 Abdi Abdirahman USA 27:52.53
25 Jorge Torres USA 28:13.93

Doggie farlek

I began my most recent run with a "doggie fartlek." (Fartlek means "speed play" in Swedish, and refers to periods of higher intensity broken up by slower recovery, though I assume you know that) I usually run with two dogs. Molly, the labrador, runs off-leash and the doggie farlek involves letting her run ahead and running faster after her until she stops to sniff something/chase a butterfly/etc. then I jog slowly until she tears past me again. This doesn't last too long, though, because she tires herself out and then just runs next to me. I don't know what kind of mileage I'm doing these days, but I'm doing runs that are about 45 minutes long or so. I'm definately not pushing the pace, though. Running is starting to feel "normal" again and I'm itching to enter a race. I've looked though, and races are definately fewer and farther between in this area than they were in Virginia.

Beijing 2008 -- Women's Marathon

1 Constantina Tomescu ROU 2:26:44
2 Catherine Ndereba KEN 2:27:06
3 Chunxiu Zhou CHN 2:27:07
27 Blake Russell USA 2:33:13
*Deena and Magdalena did not finish

Beijing 2008 -- Women's 10K

1 Tirunesh Dibaba ETH 29:54.66 (Olympic record)
2 Elvan Abeylegesse TUR 29:56.34
3 Shalane Flanagan USA 30:22.22 (USA record)
10 Kara Goucher USA 30:55.16
26 Amy Begley-Yoder USA 32:38.28

"Runners' High: Joggers Live Longer"

article

TRR

On August 10th, I did the Torrington Road Race, my first organized run since the Hartford Marathon in October of last year and since my surgery in January. I didn't push it until the last half-mile or so. Most of my miles were +9 minutes, but my last mile was closer to 8 minutes. Concerning my next run, Dan's put a bug in my ear about the 20K in New Haven on Labor Day. I don't know that I'll be able to cover that distance, even at an easy pace, but I'll be better able to gauge my endurance as that date nears.

For the people who still read this blog, is anyone down for watching any of the following Olympic Athletics' events?

8/15 - Women's 10k

8/17 - Women's marathon; Men's 10k

8/22 - Women's 5k

8/23 - Men's 5k

8/24 - Men's marathon

Where things stand...

I'm considering another surgery (as soon as next week)--the removal of the titanium implant in my surgically-repaired foot. I had a doctor appointment on Thursday, July 17th, and my doctor confirmed that it's a good idea to have the implant removed if it's causing even the slightest of discomfort, and it kind of is... I would be happier without it, he claimed.

Currently, I'm running about 9 miles/week (between 85 and 95 minutes). I feel fine. Even after being back to running now for several weeks and doing increasingly more, I'm still apprehensive about coming down on my S-R foot normally. That has caused some discomfort and is the sole reason for my making Thursday's appointment. I'm trying to come down on my foot more normally, so that my stride will feel more natural and prevent any injuries that could be caused by favoring a particular part of my foot.

Tentatively, my plan is to continue running between 10 and 15 miles/week until I decide to have the titanium implant removed, at which point I will start a three-week recovery process (i.e, the healing of the wound). From there, wearing my orthotics and gradually building mileage will be the staples of my new regimen (which, to be quite on honest with you fellow bloggers, is hardly new, as that's precisely what my current regimen looks like).

A few posts ago, I reported that I planned to do only pure aerobic running (for me, between 9 and 11 minutes/mile) through October, and that's still my plan, before deciding on a goal race. That fits in my schedule well, as I've officially decided to take the Law School Admission Test on October 4th and apply for admission to law schools in Connecticut, Washington, DC, and Virginia. A busy late summer is upon me.

Best,
rl

Little by little

I'm feeling better with every run. I still don't feel like my "old self" but I'm sure that will come with time. I felt good after my usual 2 miles today and have gotten in several "runs," so I went a little further for a total of about 2.5. The fact that the weather was a little cooler than yesterday certainly helped my situation. It feels great to get my legs moving again.

Another runner on hiatus hits the road

Sierra was born June 10th and my midwife told me that I should not do any exercising for at least two weeks. So, June 24th, I went for a "run." I use "run" loosely in this case because it was really a combination of really slow jogging broken up with some walking for 2 miles. Two days later, I did the same two miles and walked for about 400 meters in the middle. The following day, I actually really slow jogged for the whole two miles, only stopping to let the dog pee. Today, I did my two miles again and jogged the whole way (again, one quick stop for the dog to pee). I still don't feel "normal" and I have a long way to go before I get back to where I want to be both running-wise and weight-wise, but it feels great to be moving my body like a runner again.

I am really going to try an ease back into things and build my mileage slowly because the last thing I want is to be sidelined because I got over-ambitious about what my body could handle. I'm still a little sore "down there" so I will definately be taking it easy for awhile longer.

Happy running!

Progress Report

Here's what my first four weeks back look like:

Week of 5/26: 28:17 minutes (3 runs)

Week of 6/2: 48:53 mintues (3 runs)

Week of 6/9: 63:24 minutes (4 runs)

Week of 6/16: 64:44 minutes (4 runs)

I've been alternating between two pairs of running shoes: Brooks Adrenaline and Radius. My feet are much happier in the less supportive and controlling Brooks Radius...

A year ago today...

was my very first day of marathon training for the 2007 Hartford Marathon. Just to reflect for a post: A year ago today I had doubts about my body's ability to withstand a pretty aggressive marathon training plan on paper. I had doubts about my left knee and foot and my right shin. My knee and shin made it, but my foot did not. Within a month and a half of marathon training, my muscle imbalances had been corrected; my foot, on the hand, had gotten worse. I began favoring my foot, which caused discomfort in my left shin, until I couldn't anymore, which usually happened between mile 4 and 5 of long runs, but I'd continue. That's when the serious damage was being done.

I don't know that I'll ever attempt to train for a marathon again, but if I do, I'll know what to do differently. After a good long run (20+ miles) at Mansfield Hollow State Park on September 23, 2007 (less than a month before the marathon), I became overconfident in my running and began pushing the envelope on every run after that leading up to the marathon. I pushed and pushed and pushed, and my body began showing signs of overtraining. I became anxious and sleep-deprived. At the marathon, I ran strong through 22 miles, despite my injured and nagging foot, particularly on the downhills, and crashed somewhere between miles 22 and 23. Despite achieving my initial goal of a sub-4-hour marathon (which was later amended to 3:30), I was disappointed that I didn't finish as I strong as I thought I would even at mile 20.

If I ever attempt to train for a marathon again, I'll try to get away with running only 3 to 4 days a week, as opposed to 5, and I'll emphasize cross-training. All of my miles will be LSD. My marathon goal will be to finish strong.

By the way, Endorphin's one year anniversary has passed. I'm pleased to post that it's still kicking. I hope that the summer season will inspire some posts from other bloggers...

Felt stronger this weekend

There's no question that my foot is positively responding to more running. I'm doing 2 or 3 three-mile walk/runs during the week and a longer one of its kind on the weekend. Last weekend I did about 4 miles in about 51 minutes, 20 of which were running. This weekend I did about 4.5 miles in about 53 minutes, 26 of which were running. I felt strong and that I could have done more.

I've come to the conclusion that my foot was seriously injured even before starting training for the Hartford Marathon in June of last year. Granted, I'm not running as much yet, but after a run my foot would be seriously weakened. Now, it feels so much stronger after a run. That said, I'm coming to terms with the fact that my foot has healed. Since starting walking again, this has been the most difficult part of the recovery.

I plan to do only pure aerobic running (9 to 11/minute pace) through October of this year and then introduce some anaerobic running in tempo runs and speed work. I need to rebuild the base I had going into the Hartford Marathon. That is going to take some time given the amount of time laid-up recovering from foot surgery. Nearly six months passed with no running.

Back on the road

After five long months of no running, I'm finally back at it. I've been doing 3-mile walk/runs. I'm up to about 16 minutes of running time. My left foot feels fine. No pain. My whole left side is noticeably weaker than my right, though. I'm also having the same issue with my right hamstring/hip that I had three-quarters of the way through my first marathon training cycle. My PT showed me some good stretches that target the issue, for lack of a better word(s). At this point, my only goal is to get stronger.

I hope that the last bump in this long road will be the removal of the implant in my left foot. My doctor wants to remove it within the next three months. The typical removal time is between 6 and 9 months post-op. I'm just over 5 months post-op. In terms of the ligament's strength, it's about 70%; running will help improve its strength. By the 6-month mark, it should be about 100%, allowing for the removal of the implant. For those of you who don't know (or don't remember), the implant's purpose is to protect the ligament repair. Thus, it's temporary. The removal of the implant will require 3 weeks of inactivity (no running or cycling, etc.) to allow for healing.

I've expressed to my doctor my desire to continue running marathons, and he's assured me that I can do so. His goal is to help me get to where I want to be. I'm trying to come to terms with my running limitations (even though my belief is that we're only limited by a lack of willpower). I know that I'm best suited for middle-distance running, but I'd rather it be long-distance running. I recently read: SOMETIMES OUR FAVORITE DISTANCES AREN'T THE BEST. I'm more obsessed with distance than speed, but I have a love both. There must be a balance.

I'm anxious to see where the next few months take me.

This is my last non-running week

It has been about 5 months since my surgery and last run. I had surgery on January 2, 2008 and last ran on December 31, 2007. I hope to get the green light to run again at my next doctor appointment on May 27th.

For the last 2 months, I have been biking between 40 and 70 miles per week. It's almost as addicting as running. I picked up a used 2006 Felt F90, which was Felt's entry-level road bike in that year, for a reasonable price on eBay. At the time, I just wanted a decent bike. Now I want a better bike. I have also been playing a lot of basketball and working on ankle strength and stability, in addition to core strength. I'm ready to run.

Where'd everyone go?

A reminder of fortune

On Thursday, as I was finishing up at the gym and on my way out, about to saddle my bike, a kid in a car right next to me said, "Hey, nice bike...my buddy does triathlons...I'm paralyzed (pointing to his legs)." We talked for a few minutes. On my way home, I was reminded of my fortune, albeit my temporary setback. Chances are, he'll never walk again, never mind run or bike, while I'll be back to running shortly. Whenever I'm down about my setback, I try to remember to remind myself that it's temporary, and stories like this usually help.

Another perspective

My friend Jen was on my cross country team in college. She lives in St. Louis and works for the St. Louis Marathon. She recently began a blog that essentially serves as her training log with a few other tidbits thrown in. Since several of us are currently in a "down cycle" of our running, I thought you might enjoy checking in on someone in more of an "up cycle." Or, you can just use it as perspective of what another runner out there is doing.

Enjoy.

http://teamrosario.blogspot.com/

Quote of the day and how you doin'?

"If we admit that human life can be ruled by reason, the possibility of life is destroyed."

How has everyone been? Any plans for this spring/summer?

I'd like to do some bike tours. I don't see any running whatsoever in the near future.

My foot is still pretty weak; although, it has come a long way. I'm receiving physical therapy two X per week and religiously doing exercises at home and at the gym. I have been playing a lot of basketball and doing a lot of biking (and some walking), all of which has helped.

This blog has been a great motivator for me.

Thanks to all.

Ryan

Women's Olympic Time Trials -- Boston

Deena Kastor (2:29:35), Magdalena Lewy Boulet (2:30:19), and Blake Russell (2:32:40) make Olympic marathon team.

In 1984, Joan Samuelson won the very first Women's Olympic Time Trials and went on to win the Olympic marathon in Los Angeles. Today, at the age of 50, she ran a 2:49:08, achieving her goal of a sub-2:50 marathon at the age of 50. In doing so, she set a new American record for women over the age of 50.

Michael Wardian deserves some blog space

This guy is absolutely incredible. We saw him warming up at the Shamrock Marathon. I think he placed second.

Check out this article

Here's a cool video of a Ryan Hall training run - 12-mile medium/hard; 10-mile tempo; 2-mile cool down - 24 miles for the day...

More about his London performance

Martin Lel wins his 3rd London Marathon in 2:05:16 -- Best marathoner ever?

Three men break old course record. Ryan Hall runs a 2:06:17 for fifth place. Best American-born marathoner ever?

Watch for free at WCSN.com...

As far-fetched as it sounds, Lydiard's approach to running (long, slow distance) actually works. Here's proof.

A post like this is a sign of running withdrawal...

On May 27, 2007, I ran a 3.5-mile road race at an 8:10 pace. On June 10, 2007, I ran a 7-mile road race at an 8:22 pace. I struggled through both. My training for these races was inconsistent. I was running between 8 and 16 miles per week at a pace not much slower than that of my 7-mile race pace. I rarely went longer than 7 miles.

On June 25, 2007, I started my first marathon training cycle. Between that date and September 7, 2007, the eve of my fastest 5K, my average weekly mileage was 27 and my average training pace was 9:56.

So, 27 miles per week for 10 weeks at a 9:56 pace yielded a 5K at 6:44 pace.

Let me know what you all think about this approach.

Northern Nipmuck Race

I joined some folks I met through the RunStorrs group to do the Northern Nipmuck trail race this past Saturday. It was a 16 mile course described as rolling hills. This was my first long trail race over technical terrain and it was tough stuff.

The start was single track and uphill so it was very slow pace (walking). I got impatient quickly and decided to barrel up the hill through the brush. After 3-4 miles I realized I was being way too aggressive. The steep up and down was killer on the leg muscles and after mile 12 walking up the hills was all I could do. I think this race was harder than either of the marathons I did. It took me about 2 hours 35 minutes running time (I stopped briefly a couple stops to change my shirt and get water).

It was pretty dangerous too. One of the people I went with broke her ankle and there were many sprained ankles and scraped up legs. However, I think technical trail running can elevate fitness to a whole new level. There are two other races I'm thinking about: the Soapstone Mountain 14.5 on May 18 and the Nipmuck Marathon 26.4 on June 1.

I jogged today...

I had another follow-up doctor appointment this morning. I jogged down the hallway. I was prescribed 6 weeks of physical therapy, two times per week. I should start this week. I see my doctor again on 5/20. I can start running again in 6 weeks.

Missing

Well, Ryan is out due to recovery from surgery. I'm out due to ... growing a human.

It's been six weeks or so since the last time I ran. I honestly didn't realize how much I would miss it. I told myself "It's only a couple months. You'll be back at it in no time." It's really no consolation. I miss running. Sigh. I am jealous of the women who can continue to run through their entire pregnancy, but my body just doesn't seem to want to allow it. I had to stop because the last couple runs I tried before I decided I just couldn't do it anymore resulted in severe pain in my pubic symphysis (fun, huh?). I have been making due with walking, swimming and yoga, but damn, I can't wait until I can run again ...

Bikes

If anyone knows of anyone looking to sell their road bike (I don't know why anyone would, but it's worth a shot...), I'd be interested in taking a look at it. I can't justify spending at least $600 for a new road bike, even though if I did, I'd probably ride it a lot and get my dollars worth. Given my lengthy recovery from surgery, I won't be doing much, if any, running this spring and summer, so I really need a bike. The stationary bike is getting boring already, and I've only been using it since March 21st.

During my first marathon buildup, I didn't do much in the way of cross-training and overemphasized running volume. When I'm given the green light to begin running again, I'm going to take AT LEAST six months to rebuild a solid aerobic base (not that it has ever been solid) and do a significant number of miles on the bike. Then, maybe, I'll introduce some anaerobic training. In the meantime, I look forward to a lot of plain vanilla distance running, as Rob Taylor puts it in his article "Smarter, Not Harder," this fall.

Anyway, help me find a bike! I'd take anything between 56 and 60cm (not sure if this is a med or lg frame for those manufacturers that don't use the cm measurement). I regularly check craigslist.com and eBay, but I have to imagine that there are other ways to go about getting used stuff.

Thanks.

Too Greedy or Not?

So here's an issue I hope everyone can comment on (I've already been asking co-workers and family members every day since it happened). This past Saturday I participated in a race event that consisted of multiple races back-to-back (2 miles or 5 miles). Two runners (one man and one woman) that were obviously far better than anyone else there (and maybe in all of NW Connecticut) officially entered both races and finished first and second overall in each (crushing the nearest runners by a great distance) and taking home all the trophies. My question is, do any of you feel that this is poor etiquette? Or do you think that every runner has the right to race in any race that is open to the public? I felt like maybe they should have run in one officially and done the other one unofficially. What do you guys think?

NYT Article: "Yes, Running Can Make You High"

Article

3rd Annual EcoHusky 5000

The 3rd annual EcoHusky 5000 is this Sunday March 30th. Race starts at 11:00AM. Best 5K in CT. www.ecohusky.uconn.edu/ecohusky5000.htm

Remember to practice vigilance when running

Jogger training for Army mugged in Central Park

NEW YORK (AP) -- Knife-wielding muggers attacked a jogger running in Central Park to prepare for an Army physical fitness test, police and his family said.

"I'm in a lot of pain," Johnny Reberon, 23, said as he returned from a hospital Friday to his Manhattan home.

He was slashed in the arm and leg by two men who accosted him around 8:45 p.m. Thursday, police said.

His mugging was near the park road where a 28-year-old investment banker was found after being attacked while jogging on April 19, 1989. She became known worldwide as "the Central Park jogger."

Reberon's attackers took his wallet and iPod, police said. They were searching for suspects early Saturday.

"When he saw all the blood coming out, he thought he was going to bleed to death," said his mother, Carmen Zega. "I cried for hours."

She said her son called 911 on a cell phone he'd tucked in one of his socks, but he was in too much agony to talk to the operator. Two bicyclists stopped and helped him, Zega said.

Reberon works as a receptionist at a veterinary hospital, but he recently decided to join the Army, his mother said.

The victim of the 1989 attack was in a coma for 12 days before beginning her near-miraculous recovery. The jogger, Trisha Meili, disclosed her identity in 2003 and published her memoir.

Questionable Poll

Do we really have that many people reading this blog or is someone out there manipulating the results of the poll question?

Pictures from the marathon are on the race website, and free to download low resolution images. Wow was I hurting. I knew I was struggling at the end but I didn't realize I was showing it that much. It would have been nice if they took some pics that were not at the finish so people can have some memory of the more enjoyable parts of the race!

Pictures from the Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon

after party (from left to right: Jeff, the "I didn't kill my wife" guy, Dan)
Dan steps from the finish on the boardwalk (3:13 marathon)
Jeff steps from the finish on the boardwalk. (3:54 marathon)
Dan between mile 12 and 13 running tightly with the 3:10 pack. If you look hard enough, you might be able to see his mustache.
Jeff between mile 12 and 13.

Solid marathon performances in Virginia Beach

Lippincott ran a 3:54 and Britton ran a 3:13 on a cold, windy day in Virginia Beach yesterday. Solid debut marathon for Lippincott. Britton tops marathon PR by 16 minutes. Congrats!

Results

Follow-up to yesterday's post

More than 24 hours have passed since being given the news that I may begin bearing some weight on my surgically-repaired left foot, and I feel better about the prospect of my ability to walk sans (I love this word, if you haven't concluded that by now.) support within the next four weeks. I have been following my doctor's orders--heel taps and the alphabet, over and over and over again. I have also begun bearing some weight, letting the crutches bear the rest, which is most of it, actually. While doing this, though, I am having some discomfort (not really pain) where the titanium implant sits in my foot. My doctor told me that the implant can be removed from my foot, and that he would do that this year. I don't know whether this discomfort will subside after using my foot as it was designed to be used over the course of the next four weeks, but if it doesn't, I don't see how I would be able to walk, much less run, with it in my foot. This is my biggest concern.

My next biggest concern is the possibility that the ligament repair didn't take. My doctor gave me the okay to begin bearing weight based on what his kind has seen in past patients. My doctor did not try to determine whether the ligament repair actually worked, but he's confident that it did. I know that I should find comfort in his confidence, but until I can actually run pain free, I won't believe it. But I do believe.

Signing off.

Third post-surgery doctor appointment

I was somewhat discouraged after this morning's doctor appointment, but for no apparent reason, as you'll find out if you read on.

I got the okay from my doctor to begin bearing weight on my foot, but it's going to be a slow, gradual process. I should start by doing heel taps and forming the letters of the alphabet with my foot. By the end of this week, I should be bearing 25% of my weight, adding 25%/week. By April 8th, my next doctor appointment, I should be at 100%.

Following this period, two to three weeks of rehab to strengthen my posterior tib tendon should be enough.

In the meantime, I got the okay to bike, but since NEOPS lost the impression for my orthotic, I can't start right away. My doctor instructed me to use the orthotic when biking.

When asked if I had a goal race in mind, I said yes, the LHRR on June 8th. BIG MAYBE. Late-July or early-August is more realistic.

Prefontaine runs for Gold in Munich

You can hardly call this news, but this video should have been posted on the blog a long time ago. It's pretty cool.



Who's ready for the Summer Olympics in Bejing? Running, or "Athletics"--the Olympic term used to describe all events from the 100m dash to the high jump to the marathon--begins on August 15, 2008.

"He Sings, He Runs and He's Only 101: Meet the Man Ready to Become World's Oldest Marathon Runner"

Motivation.

Article

Borla in action at this year's Polar Bear Run

Incredibly, the 67-year old Borla runs this year's 7.6-mile Polar Bear Run at a 6:42 pace.

Results

Does Weight Lifting Make a Better Athlete?

Article

See quote from kinesiology professor at UCONN. Interesting.

8 weeks, 1 day post-surgery status

12/31/07: last run; 6.9 miles; 1:01:50; 8:58
01/02/08: surgery
01/17/08: 1st appt.; new cast
02/07/08: 2nd appt.; received removable boot
03/11/08: next appt.; will receive ultrasound of repaired ligament; begin rehab nearly three weeks ahead of schedule?!
04/22/08: last day of rehab
06/08/08: should be in decent shape to run LHRR

Nice day for a long run

Sunny blue sky day made for a nice long run. Mostly pavement except for a few miles so I was able to keep up the pace. I did under 7:30 pace so I think 3:15:00 is the goal for VA Beach.

I used 2 caffeinated GUs and 1 without, taking the caffeine free one in the middle. I picked up the pace after the first one, and I started feeling sluggish and a bit light headed after the 2nd. I felt better as soon as I took the 3rd. I'm not sure if I've just gotten hooked on the caffeine or it really makes that much of a difference. Maybe it's all in my head.

I know Dan's getting lonely on the blog,

so I thought I'd post today...and for another reason. Not that Dan's loneliness alone doesn't deserve a post from a fellow blogger, but today's date actually holds significance, as it's seven weeks to the day from my surgery.

I'm doing very well. Three weeks from yesterday is my next doctor appointment, when I could walk for the first time since walking into the OR on January 2nd. That's something to look forward to. I have a feeling that rehab is going to be slow and painful, but I need to take it one step at a time and before I know it, I'll be running again. Surprisingly, I've been very patient throughout the recovery period. I hope that my patience continues through rehab and after when I start getting back into shape. I'd like to run the road race in Litchfield this June. We'll see.

Dan, you've had a pretty adventurous second marathon training cycle. Lots of snow, ice and mud; cuts, scrapes and bruises. Are you still shooting for a 3:15? That's Boston territory. Good luck.

Jeff, we haven't heard boo from you. How's your first marathon training cycle going? Good luck in VA Beach.

Colchester Half Marathon

www.runstorrs.org/page7.html

Anybody interested in the Colchester half-marathon this Saturday? I'm thinking about doing it and adding an extra 7 at the end. Should be nice and hilly, and it's only 2 bucks.

Sunday Long Run

Long run yesterday was an adventure. Heavy rains flooded parts of the trails at Mansfield Hollow. 2 miles into the run I was standing knee deep in ice cold water and then less than a mile from my house I fell on my face. I was pretty dirty and a bit sore by time I got back, but I had a good time. I think more caffeinated GU is better on the long runs to keep my alert and prevent me from falling.

I'd like to get an accurate distance of the trails around Mansfield Hollow. I have a map that shows some distances but it is not complete so I'm always estimating. I put an extra 10 minutes in just to be make sure I got 20 miles in, but I'd like to know exactly how far I'm running. Anybody know anything about mapping trails? If I carry a GPS unit in my hand can I get the trails onto a map? Anybody have software and a GPS that can do this?

Tough Week

Lots of rain/snow this week made for some wet slippery running. Tuesday I ran in the pouring rain and decided to hit the trails since the snow was nearly gone. I took a hard fall and bruised my thigh and knee pretty good. It was sore the next couple days but I didn't miss any runs.

Today's long run was cold and wet, but pretty awesome. I ran to Mansfield Hollow by road and then realized there was just as much snow on the road as on the trails so I took to the woods. No falls, but after the first hour the sky opened up and it poured on me. By time I got back I was soaked and it was starting to change to snow. I had to keep up the pace to stay warm.

Second post-surgery doctor appointment

I had my second post-surgery doctor appointment this morning. My hard cast was removed, x-rays were taken and my foot was examined. It looks good. I got a removable boot, but still no weight-bearing. My next doctor appointment is on March 11th. By then, Dr. Reach should be able to ultrasound the spring ligament, and if all is well, I can start rehab. Way ahead of schedule.

4 weeks, 2 days post-surgery status

12/31/07: last run; 6.9 miles; 1:01:50; 8:58
01/02/08: surgery
01/17/08: 1st appt.; new cast
02/07/08: next appt.
03/26/08: cast removed
05/07/08: last day of rehab
06/08/08: should be in decent shape to run LHRR

Last Day for $85 Shamrock Registration

http://www.shamrockmarathon.com/Primary_Navigation/registration.htm

"Mr. Greenshoes"

Reuse or recycle your old running shoes. Check out the link below.

Brooks seems to be ahead of all other running shoe companies in terms of changing operational processes to effect less strain on the planet. They're doing some interesting stuff...

The Shoeguy: Mr. Greenshoes
Reducing running's environmental footprint

Sunday Long Run

I did a 20 miler today and felt good. I had some minor stomach issues after mile 10 that I am blaming on the PB I had on my bagel this morning. I should have gone with a little oatmeal instead. Fatty foods always lead to trouble. 4 caffeine free GUs and a couple water stops at friend's houses kept me going.

I did about the same pace as last week's long run (7:40-7:45). I'm thinking a good goal for VA Beach is 3:15. I don't recall running any sub 8 minute long runs last summer and I feel like I'm running faster.

Comparing VA Beach '07 to Hartford '07

About 300 more finishers in VA Beach, 200 male, 100 female. Fastest male and female times about equal. Average finishing time VA Beach 4:19; Hartford 4:09. What do you make of this?

Thanks for the Welcome!

Thanks Ryan for the welcome!. I would love to start logging my runs. Lately I have been running every other day. I have been doing 3 mile runs for about 2 weeks now. Last week I sucked it up and did 4 miles. Its a real addiction and I thank my brother for getting me into this!. I have a hard time breathing on outdoor runs when the temp. is below freezing. Note I was a smoker for 8 years.
peace out
jared

Join me in welcoming two new bloggers (and one new runner!)

If you haven't noticed, there are two new, BIG additions to Endorphin. 1.) My brother, Jared, who recently took up running. I think it was on my birthday, December 1st, when he took the treadmill to the left of me and hammered out 1 mile, his first since it was required in high school phys. ed. He's now doing three miles every other day, in addition to other conditioning, and has gone as long as 4 miles. All of this in less than two months. 2.) My good friend and roommate, Jeff, who is currently training for a marathon with great resolve. Good luck to both!

Shamrock Marathon

Who else is going to Virginia Beach for the Shamrock Marathon on March 16? www.shamrockmarathon.com

Am I the only one registered?

Sunday Long Run

Good, but cold and windy long run today. Almost entirely pavement. I stopped twice for about 5 mintues at friends' houses along the route to get water. It was nice to stop in and say hello, especially not having anyone to run with. Not sure if stopping has any impact on training, but I felt good and ran relatively fast for a long run. I went over 18 and felt great up until the end.

First post-surgery doctor appointment

I had my first post-surgery doctor appointment today. Before seeing Dr. Reach, however, another set of x-rays was taken, then my splint was cut off. My foot looked like it had been put through a blender, and it was shaking uncontrollably. There are four incisions. The two for the ankle arthroscopy needed only one stitch each. The one for the insertion of the titatinum implant needed three stitches. (I finally figured out the medical term for this, after Dr. Reach had referred to it about a dozen times during my numerous visits to his office. It's called an "arthroresis," and, by definition, it's an "'internal orthotic' designed to correct flexible flatfoot conditions in...adult individuals.") The one for the spring ligament repair needed about half a dozen. All stitches were removed, and this was more painful than the surgery.

Dr. Reach said that my foot and the x-rays (it shows the arthroresis) looked great. There was no blood, no swelling (a bit of bruising, but this is normal), just a bunch of incisions and markings. He also said that he'd like to see me back in three weeks (February 7th), when I might get a boot. He thinks that I might be able to start doing exercises well before the three month period expires. Originally, he thought I'd have to wait three months before doing any exercises.

We talked a bit about what he did on the day of the surgery. He couldn't tell the etiology of the injury, but said that it could have been from running. The injury is very rare, but it all revolved around the torn spring ligament (the osteochondral lesion and scar tissue). He assured me that this tear was my problem and that as a doctor it feels great to be able to see the problem and fix it; then tell the patient with certainty that everything will be ok.

Dr. Reach also told me that he just attended a conference about spring ligament tears, and that he showed pictures of my surgery and discussed the case.

Finally, my foot was cast in a neutral position and sligthly inverted. Dr. Reach seemed to think that it wasn't my understanding that I'd need a hard cast. He said, "The only thing holding together your spring ligament is a suture!!"

Running on Caffeine

Anybody have any thoughts on using caffeine while running? Most GU flavors have about 20mg and I can definitely notice it, especially since my only caffeine intake comes from the occasional piece of chocolate. I've read some mixed opinions on the benefits vs. risks, so for the box of GU I just ordered I went with no caffeine flavors. On most of my previous long runs I had some caffeinated GU and today I felt like I noticed the difference without. Thoughts?

Plan for tomorrow's long run

Balancing Act

I've started a training program for running a marathon in March, and the program I picked ups the mileage from my first marathon training from upper 20s low 30s per week to low 30s-40 miles per week. I don't think this is too aggressive but now I live about 3 miles from campus and have been riding my bike in to work. This seems to be too much for the legs and not enough rest. I'm going to keep riding weather permitting but don't want to lose any ground on the training but also don't want to get hurt.

I read here (http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?board=1&id=1718175&thread=1718126) that a mile of riding is equivalent to about .25-.4 miles of running. I think I'm gonna go with .3 and then reduce my running mileage accordingly if I ride to work and have a run scheduled that day. My bike commute is 6.5 miles round trip so that is just under 2 miles of running. However, if I shorten my tempo or interval workouts I won't be getting all I should be getting out them...

"Spirit of the Marathon"

Any interest in seeing this documentary on January 24th at 7:30?

Go here for more information. (You might have to scroll down a bit.)

First day back at work

When I awoke this morning, I had no idea where to start. I had to hop from my bed to the top of the stairs--not before collecting everything I'd need for the day in my bedroom and on the second floor--and slowly descend them sans crutches. There's no reason for my crutches to be upstairs. After doing a lot of hopping around downstairs, I was ready to leave for work. Driving was not a problem. Getting into my building was not a problem.

Having one foot is tough. I'm not going to lie. BUT, given the amount of time my body will be limited to the use of one foot, I must embrace this reality and treat it as a challenge. After surgery, I resumed my normal diet, which, by many standards, isn't normal at all. It's the vegan diet. Well, the pseudo-vegan diet. I can't be sure that every piece of bread I eat doesn't contain egg, for example. I believe that this diet and a lot of H2O will accelerate healing time. I'm trying to set an all time record for the fastest healing spring ligament tear.

How well the human body's systems perform can be boiled down to nutrition. A whole-foods, plant-based diet is the optimal diet, and this is true no matter the circumstances. It's no secret. Just read "The China Study."

Anyway...

At this point, I'm more worried about coffee being on my desk first thing in the morning than my foot healing.

Surgery

I had surgery on Wednesday, January 2nd, at Shoreline Surgery Center in Guilford, CT. The surgery was done by Dr. John S. Reach.

The surgery took longer than Dr. Reach had expected, but it was successful. Dr. Reach did an ankle arthroscopy and removed an "impressive" amount of scar tissue. He also treated an osteochondral lesion on my talus. The spring ligament tear was small, so he simply freshened up the edges of the tear and brought it together with a suture. If the tear was big, he would have had to use a collagen graft from a cadaver. Finally, he inserted, through the lateral side of my foot, a titanium implant to protect the ligament repair and support my arch.

Before the surgery, Dr. Reach warned me that foot surgery is very painful. I was prescribed Oxycontin and an additional painkiller to top off the Oxycontin in the event it didn't alleviate the pain. Fortunately, I have no pain, so I didn't have to take any of the painkillers. The nerve block and painkiller during and after surgery, respectively, and keeping my foot elevated were enough.

Pain is subjective. What is pain to one patient isn't necessarily pain to another, Dr. Reach informed me.

Running the marathon was much more painful than this.