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Jacksonville, FL, United States
In Life as well as in running the secret is Pace.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Just follow Mike

my little linebacker
Swimming....

So I'd been out of the pool for a while... not so much for injury sake... but because it's football season.... No not that kind of football.. in Florida girls flag football is a spring sport... and my little 15 year old is starting wide receiver/linebacker on the varsity team.
Games on Mon/Wed have knocked me out of my normal masters swim routine so last night I was back at it... being spring break and all...



3500 yds... I felt the best/sleekest/fastest I ever have in the water.

One of the things I like so much about masters is that I don't really have to think... I just follow Mike. Mike is probably old enough to be my dad... rides his bike 300 miles a week... and is the quiet, unassuming  "lane leader" in the guppy lane.... and all I do for 90 minutes is follow his feet. Which I did and kept up better than I ever have.

Last night, however, my shoulders hurt so badly that I had trouble sleeping.

Still managed to crawl out of bed and do 2x spin this morning...

Press on!


 

Monday, March 28, 2011

back in stride

For the past couple of years my training has been very consistent



Especially on the weekends.  Barring races (which do get in the way of training) a long ride on Saturday and a long run on Sunday were almost automatic.


Well…  after a Marathon in February and an injury in early March…  automatic things were not.


This weekend hopefully was the first of a new streak of consistency and volume…  I’ve missed it and my fitness has missed it too.


Judi had a conference to attend Fri nite and Saturday so I had to go on without her.  I took the kids to a carnival Friday night and while the rode the rides I perused the rummage sale they have there…  and scored (amongst a bunch of non-tri related gear) a pair of Pearl Isumi leg warmers (brand new) for $2.


On Saturday I rode with a bunch of folks from our tri club I’d never ridden with before…  nice and consistent 20-22 mph for the first couple of hours…  then took turns throwing a few digs in.  All in all a good time a little over 3 hours in the saddle and 72 miles.



On Sunday we did not get up and do a long run…  we ran home from the beach instead.  7 miles…  most of it into a heckacious headwind…  knee held up okay…  it did not like running down the Beach Blvd bridge, however.



The wind was out of the Southwest

This morning was a nice 4 mile run…  ~8:30 pace…  felt good to be quick.


Back to masters swim tonight too…  we’ll see how much my stroke has suffered.


Friday, March 25, 2011

Putting it out there

I’ve changed training log software and the new one offers a public option.


So…  here it is:




I’ll get around to putting a link on the page here somewhere one of these days.


Planned group ride with a bunch of grade A trigeeks tomorrow.  Should be fun

Thursday, March 24, 2011

21 days in Rehab

“Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must.”


-        Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


I’ve run through ITB syndrome, Achilles tendonitis, Planar Fasciitis, a torn Quad, vasectomy but not this time…. 


I guess I should go back to March 3rd… and start from there.


Day 1:


Running trails with Chris and Judi…  Judi had gone ahead.  Chris and I came to the little creek on the back side of the yellow loop.  Chris headed for the bridge…  I decided to jump it…  I picked a root in the middle of the stream to land on which would get me quickly across and keep my feet dry…  now…  I jumped the same creek twice on the Tuesday before… 


The root…. Was not a root at all…  it was a branch floating in the water…  it sunk… and I ended up in an awkward half split on the far bank.  Chris heard me fall…


Chris: “Are you okay?”
Me: “no”


5 seconds later


Me: “let’s go”
Chris: “uh, you should probably walk for a minute”
Me:  “I can’t it’ll freeze up on me”


*I am an idiot


5 minutes of limping along later



Me: “ya know when you hurt yourself…  you just know when it just hurts and when you are injured…  this doesn’t feel like an injury”
Chris: silence….  Knowing I’m in denial


By the time I got home it was swollen


Day 2:  Limping…  depressed…  injured…  don’t know for how long



ugly

Day 3: Go to the pool – it is closed - do 10 minutes the elliptical while waiting for Judi…  mostly just 1 leg


Day 4: Swim 2700 with a pull buoy.  Can’t quite make a revolution on the bike trainer due to the swelling. 




Day 5: Do 40 minutes on the elliptical


Day 6: still limping but make it through spin class – go to the Doc who checks me out rules out MCL, meniscus tears.  Sends me for x-rays


Dr I
Day 7:  trainer and weights leg curls & calves etc…  Doc gets x-ray results…  most of the write-up is about my *other* knee…  which has been giving me problems for ~5years.  He wants to send me for an MRI but is kinda sketchy as to why…  I thank him and resolve to do self PT w/o any more doctor visits.


Day 8:  get a 2nd opinion on the knee ligaments stress test…  no tears/damage evident…  swilling still



Day 9: watch the biggest race in my city…  but don’t get to run.  Also try and ride outside.  Can’t get out of the saddle… average about 14mph for 20 miles.  Pedal mostly with my right leg.







Day 12: still can’t do 5# on the leg extension with my left leg without help…  oddly I can do squats


Day 17: swelling gone able to ride at pretty normal pace for 30 miles.


Day 19: I cried a little Monday…  real emotional tears of joy…  running on a treadmill at an 11:30 pace… for a little over 1.5 minutes.


Day 21: today my friends…  I freakin’ RAN


4 miles…  not pretty… not fast…  but no major pain either.  The whole area still feels less than 100% stable but the rehab will continue.


I’m back…  a runner once again…  thankfully it wasn’t a bad injury but the experience steels my resolve to keep up with strength and stretching






Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Gate River Run - DNS Report

Last weekend was our areas largest road race the Gate River Run 15k...  Over 17,000 runners toed the line.  I was not one of them...  I was registered but was unable to race.  I did go down to support my friends.



prerace self-portrait note shadow if phone and hand on my face

and yes we had our bikes on the car and went for a ride after the race.


Judi stretches note shadow dog on her back
Mark and Chris pre-race

Judi and me @ the blue corral

looks kinda sure of herself eh?

they're off

this went on for almost 15 minutes

I did walk over and watch the pros finish as well as the first 2000 or so runners....  saw lots of friends and foes.


Post race stretch

Post race Mark and Chris

that *is* a beer but *is not* a cigarette
I had a good time spectating and supporting but...  all in all I'd rather race


Tuesday, March 1, 2011

February Recap

Training run at the Jax Shipyards
I decided to kinda take the month as it came…


No specific training schedule…  excepting Masters Swim


I had a few nagging aches and pains…  no big race plans for a few months


So…  I skipped workouts… even goosegged the training log on a weekend day… ate peanutbutter and valentine goodies… did zero speedwork or tempo


One of my Valentine Treats
Basically I just trained (and raced once) for fun and concentrated on rehabbing my injuries.


Now it is March and I’m ready to go…  I have a couple of goals






defined by a one word mantra “Clermont” and it’s time to train…  and I’m ready


Taking aim at Clermont
February Totals:


Swim: 18,750
Bike: 325
Run: 150
Weights: 395 minutes

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