Sunday, May 30, 2010

Just a Great Day

Today turned out much better than expected or even hoped for. Yesterday was to be my big run of the week with a 20 mile run. I did that, in the heat and came home and recovered nicely through the afternoon and evening.

I woke up early this morning for the most part feeling pretty good. I had decided to stay put in town instead of venturing out and do a local run. The idea came to me in yesterdays run to do the Gold Camp Road run up N. Cheyenne Canyon and go as far I could and do and out and back for a minimum of ten miles. BUT I also was leaving the option to go further and do a big loop that at best I figured was 20 miles at a minimum but probably no more than 30 miles.

When I took of this morning things felt pretty. I was not feeling too much from the day before to be honest. About 7 miles in as I ran through the 3rd tunnel I just figured I'd go ahead and commit to the full loop. I've biked this 2x but that was 16 years ago and while I was confident I knew how to catch the trail further up, I still had some concerns. I did pack a map to be safe.

The weather was perfect. Cool starting out but even when it warmed up it wasn't that bad. Everything felt great the entire distance. Okay towards the end I was getting a little tired but more so just tired of running that being tired from running.

My goal for the day was 10 miles minimum as I said. I had to clock 12 miles to meet my goal of 250 miles for the month of May. I ended up doing 26.

I can not explain just how good I feel right now. Physically not too much discomfort... but mentally and emotionally I am on cloud nine. My confidence which really has been in the crapper for weeks is soaring for a change. I needed this run and I am just so thankful that it worked out as well as it did.

Came home had a great dinner, watered the lawn and all of the plants too. The great thing is that I still have a day off tomorrow!

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Just a Quickie

Had a decent 20 mile run today. It was hot and a little windy but other than that tolerable. Towards the end, last five miles or so I could tell the heat was starting to get to me. I'll have to rethink the whole idea of Badwater I believe. Haha. Seriously it was 88 when I got home so this has to be the warmest run of the year for me so far.

Everything is holding up well. Left knee and hamstring are good. Right shin is cooperating. Just have to get rid of this little blister on my right foot but I think that I have solved that one too. I think I am not tying my shoes tight enough. Maybe... or it could be heat related. Either way I have to have it solved in the next few days. With everything else going so well I don't want to be jacked up by a blister.

Tomorrow is going to be cooler. I am going to run Gold Camp Road from N. Cheyenne Canyon to Old Stage Road and see how far I get before turning back. It could be an out and back or I could come back down some trails and make more of a loop. My goal is 20 miles again tomorrow and that will put me way over my monthly goal of 250 miles for the month of May. Tomorrows run will also have some moderate elevation to it which is a bonus.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Catching Up

I haven't written in a while and really there is not a lot to say. Things have been progressing well over the past few weeks with my long runs increasing from 12 miles to 15, to 20, to 31.1 and being able to handle the distances and recover after the run.

The left leg is doing great still so that issue is gone. Overall some tweaks and pings here and there but at these mileages it is to be expected. I ran five miles this morning and it felt no different than the mid week runs from last week.

Going to Lake City to run the San Juan Solstice in three weeks or so and I can not wait. I am super excited. This will be my first race since Salida. This race will be a great confidence booster. I have a rather solid pace/plan in place and if the weather cooperates I intend to drop an hour from last years time. That won't be hard as long as I don't screw around at the aid stations too long. Haha.

Just over 12 weeks to go until Leadville. Had dinner and discussions about the race with my friend Ray who is running it for the first time this year. I think if things keep going the way they are for both of us, we are both going to have a great run up there come August.

Things are going well... Let's keep it that way!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Getting There

Had a 52 mile week last week and that went really well. A 15 mile run on Saturday which was my best run in WEEKS was a very nice treat. The greater treat was waking up on Sunday morning and realizing how much pain, discomfort and general soreness I was not feeling at all. Woohoo!

Melissa was heading out of town for a few days so we hung out on Sunday so I didn't run until after she left later in the afternoon. It all worked out as I did 10 miles up in N. and S. Cheyenne canyons in the evening when the wind had died down some.

My right shin is a little sore and has been since last week. It goes away once I start running. Shinsplints I am sure and also pretty positive it is from the miles from last week. It is manageable.

Tonight's ten mile run... three trips around the Palmer Park Rim Trail. Zero pain in my left leg. Not my fastest time but it is a trail you have to be careful on and since I was going to run it 3x, I figured I'd better take it easy. What cracked me up all night was that I used to think that running once was a big deal.. nah.... that was just my warm-up tonight. No wind tonight too and I finished just as the rain began... not a bad deal. :)

I came home and went to check my work PC to check on something and it was sounding like a jet engine trying to take off as the vent fan was going full bore. The screen was blank and the cursor was flashing. My guess is that a bearing seized in the hard drive, causing the temp in the case to go up causing the fan to go nuts. Regardless, work laptop no workee anymore. I tried to see it after booting from CD ROM and no luck. Had a friend e-mail my manager and we will figure it out in the morning. So far I am not TOO freaked out by what I have lost as I had very little personal stuff on there. There will be some work stuff and procedures I will have to find or recreate. It will be fine though hell, this has happened to so many of my team mates, I am surprised it has taken this long to happen to me.

That is really all I have. I am still feeling better day by day, and adding more miles. 53 more to go for this week and I am pretty confident that it is all going to work out just fine!

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Slowly but Surely

Last week was my "rest" week of only 40 miles. When all is said and done this week will be a 50 mile week. Tuesday was a five miler and yesterday a ten miler. So far for the week I am "holding up."

I figure if I make it past this week intact I am on my way, though I don't expect things to get any easier, I don't expect the injury to get any worse. It feels as if it is rehabbing itself now in parallel along with my activity. Yesterday's run I was concerned about but it ended up being just fine.

Still feel a twinge or a pull or something hinky every once in a while in the soft tissue behind my knee. To be clear I feel it mostly when I am sitting or not moving. Seems that when I am walking or running the discomfort is absent. I felt in come and go a few times on yesterdays run.

My running muscles are protesting as they haven't had this kind of load in weeks. I can only imagine what everything would feel like now if I hadn't done any of the walking that I had done while I couldn't run. I expect the strength to come back fairly quickly though.

Everything is coming on line though and I am feeling a lot better and a heck of a lot more optimistic about the next few months. I have an inkling that the next 107 days of my life are going to be the toughest and most challenging ever, but as my coach said, I need to do everything that I can to be the fittest that I can be come August. This I can do.

I have my crew and my pacer all on board now and that is a good feeling. Annie told me last night that her mother gave her the green light to go up to Leadville that weekend so I am really excited for her to be there. I have a strong crew and a great pacer so I am lucky to have that peace of mind, knowing that is an issue or concern I really don't have to worry about now.

So slowly but surely things are coming around. It won't be long before 50 mile weeks turn into 60, 70 or more... It is going to be fun. :)