2.26.09

Getting back. Well I hoped the days off would heal the calf, but it doesn't look like much has changed. It's still sore, so no improvement at all really. Oh well. I guess it's time to move on. The legs were like bricks or logs or some kind of heavy weight that I was dragging around for the first 40 minutes. Every part of them was dead, right down to the ankles which felt like they a pound of rust preventing them from operating smoothly. After two loops around the hood (40 minutes) the legs started coming around, but I wasn't pushing things. I took it real nice and easy.

The calf issue is disappointing. I had hoped that the days off would have helped, and I'm kind of mad now that it didn't. I don't mean to harp about it, but with the marathon so close, I'd really like to have a relatively clean bill of health a month out. Anyway the good news was that I got a full four and half loops in, so that's awesome. The pace was easier and with the weather being in the low 60's it was a pleasant run. More importantly I'm dedicating March to early morning runs, so I really have to crack down on sleep and being prepared for the mornings. Well I'm gonna end this here. Should be back on track. The four days is unfortunate, but it still may have given me some recovery elsewhere that was needed, so it is what it is and I'll try not mentioning it anymore.

almost forgot:
2:15pm. home. 62 degrees partly cloudy w/10mph wind.
1:31:12, bf 1227

2.25.09

Another rest day. Hoping that it will help with the calf recovery. Feeling bad about not running though.

2.24.09

Rest day.

2.23.09

Didn't feel that great today. I guess another rest day isn't going to hurt anything. I didn't get enough sleep last night and I think that had a lot to do with not feeling good today. I'll make sure to get my 8 in tonight and tomorrow should go a lot better. Not sure about the calf since I haven't ran for two days now. I hope that tomorrow it feels at least a little better. That's all for today.

2.22.09

Easy Like Sunday Morning. Haven't ran a lick today, but I plan on still getting my miles up the rest of this week. Just too much running last week and I needed some rest and recuperation time. Good news on the website front- I've only got one page left to design and it'll be up and running. Things are coming along nicely and I'm actually starting to get the hang of flash. So once that's done it's on to business cards/advertising and all that.

It's getting dark later now. That's a good thing, but also kind of bad because it means the mornings will be darker too. I want to start running in the mornings again, but not in the pitch black. I really need to crack down now that's nearly a month left, so that I'm well prepared to run on race day. I'll keep working on it, and am hoping things like that and the calf issue get worked out this month.

2.21.09

So I didn't quite make my quota this week, but still managed over 150 miles, so that is great! I feel really good other than the calf issue is still there. If that would just go away it would be nice. I think a lot of it has to do with running my neighborhood, the 35-40 180 degree turns made for a 12 mile run are just to much stress on the ankles/calves. Either way I'm running through it and hoping for the best. The marathon is looming closer everyday. I feel like I'm almost ready, especially after this week. I'm really encouraged by how many miles I was able to put in. It was tough, but I got it done.

Today I tried at the soccer complex, but totally died. I finished the run at home where there no really steep hills, and the 16 mph winds were mostly blocked by the houses. Didn't really make 26 for today, but 18 isn't slacking and I'm just happy this week is in the bag.

My shoe sensor is almost dead. I got a warning on my ipod saying low battery. April never uses hers so I have a spare - I'm just wondering how much more I can get out of it. I have 2950 miles and 14.5 days worth of running, so I'm pretty happy with this sensors life. My last sensor died at 1000 miles. The thing about the low battery is that the ipod will basically go ballistic and either stop recording altogether, or totally go insane and make up some crazy statistic. I'm not looking forward to going for a long run and finding half my run didn't even get recorded. The thing is I don't wear my headphones anymore (no music until after marathon) so I wouldn't even know if it said something I was supposed to hear, like "RUN STOpped" I wouldn't have a clue. So I might try to get to 3000, just for a nice even number, then retire the sensor.

1:30pm. soccercomplex/home. 50 degrees 16/12mph wind.
2:02:21, bf 1,216

2.20.09

The morning run was uneventful. I just watched some tv series on the mac while I ran. It wasn't a hard run, but I had it kicked up to 8.5 for the last ten minutes. Wasn't too sweaty, I had the fan blowing right beside me propped by a chair, so that seemed to work well.

Later I was really hungry/empty but I felt like I just needed to get out there and do it. So that is exactly what happened. Before I knew it I was making the fourth loop around the neighborhood and feeling really good. The legs were a bit tired, breathing was just slightly heavy, but everything was flowing nice. I managed a good increase for the last mile and according to myipod that was one of my fastest runs in a while. Not sure how accurate, but the run felt good so I'd say it's probably right.

One more day of literally "marathon" training and this madness will be over. I actually like running these half/half's but it really takes a toll on the legs and body. I feel really in shape though, better than I ever have really, so I guess I'm doing things right. Sunday I'm torn between a fast day or just taking it easy to recover. Like usual I'll leave it up to how I feel. Oh sweet indecisiveness.

11.47am. tread.
1.29.34, gf 522

4.28am. home. 41 degrees sunny w/9mph wind (shorts 2 longsleeves+armsleeves)
1.27.57, bf 1201

2.19.09

Well the morning run went okay. I think I've hit the wall though. I just feel really tired and hungry and nothing seems to help. I think I'm just burned out and need some rest. I still might be able to get my goal, but I will have to run later on tonight on the treadmill again. I sort of know in the back of my head once I start running I'll get going again, so we'll see what happens. I just don't really feel normal right now so I'm going to try and hold off. Some extra rest might be good, and that would help get me through the last two days. I'll update this later tonight, if all goes well I'll still be on track to reach my goal. --> yeah so things didn't work out. Oh well. I had a good "run" so to speak. I'll still try and get the next two days in, and this will be my highest week ever, so it's still an accomplishment ;-)

10.28am. treadmill. 1:28:54, gf 511

2.18.09

Funny day. Dreary thunderstorms all morning, then bright sunshine later on. First run on the treadmill, second in the nice, but windy weather. The only bad part about the day was my ipod didn't record 3 miles, which is why I added the 20 minutes on to my late run. So really I did a ton of running today. I didn't really want to make up the three miles, but I couldn't let one little mishap hold me back, so i did the extra loop, even though I was dead exhausted.

The funny thing is if I wouldn't have done that I would have missed seeing the arrest. Yup I saw the guy get drove into the ground and handcuffed in my own neighborhood. It was this kid who dresses like a...well like a gansta with the hoody and baggy pants (even today with 58 degree weather) He's always smoking and never talks to me so I just either give a slight wave or ignore him for the most part. Just no the friendly neighborhood type I suppose. Anyway I think he's in jail now. There was a buddy with him who had a gun pointed in his face, but I'm not sure if they wanted him or not. I saw this as I just happened to be running by, so I didn't really want to get mistaken for someone trying to run away and get shot myself, so I didn't really focus on them too much. Crazy. When I went back to finish up my half-loop there were tons of cars parked everywhere and the cops were still there. I'm guessing it was drug-related, but who knows. Maybe it'll be on the news tonight.

10:48 am. treadmill.
1:33:21, gf 500

4:32 pm. 58 degrees partly cloudy w/15mph wind
1:27:38+20:00, bf 1190

2.17.09

Day 3 in the books. Morning run went by fine on the grass at the soccer complex. I was definitely huffing it, but I got through. Later on at home it was pretty much the same, although my legs were feeling pretty good considering the task. It was kind of colder later on for 50 degrees, so I had to wear my arm sleeves. The calf is still sore, but I don't think it's getting any better or worse. It sort of grows on you. Day 4 tomorrow planning maybe a soccer complex hill run, and I like running in the neighborhood for my late runs, so we'll see. i liked the park a lot today so I might go back. Okay need to rest.

11:30 am. ball camp. 35 degrees sunny 7mph wind.
1:29:54, bf 1177

4:30 pm. home. 52 degrees cloudy, 12-9mph wind.
1:21:28, gf 488

2.16.09

Today started my road to a huge week. Thirteen miles (ipod) in the morning and then another thirteen later in the afternoon. I plan to run this amount everyday through Saturday, pushing my mileage well over 150 miles. I am doing this to build stamina and hopefully trash my legs. After I take some recovery I should bounce from this week either 10x stronger or totally dead. It's a pre-marathon challenge. If I can do this everyday for a week, psychologically a single marathon being well rested should be a cake walk.

So that was my big secret. I really needed something to push me as I just haven't been motivated lately. The calf is still a bit sore, but it's coming along and doesn't hurt once I've warmed up with a few miles. The morning run was really tough. I was still sore from yesterdays long run, especially in my hip joints, but that wasn't really the problem. It was the same old thing that normally happens there - just a lack of breath. I couldn't get good air and around 3 laps I had to take a breather. Part of the problem as usual there was that it was sunny and the running pants and hat and double gloves was just too much and I started getting overheated quick and just had to stop and shed. I really overestimated the 30 degrees as normally it's not that sunny. After a quick break I was feeling a lot lighter in just shorts. I didn't feel great, but the legs were turning over easier. I did just have a long run the day before, so of course feeling great isn't too realistic. On my last lap a guy called me a show off as I ran by - I didn't even have enough breath to make a comeback, I just sort of smiled and then puffed out my last half mile.

The later run went by great. People everywhere were talking to me. "How far?" and my favorite was "You're dedicated!" to which I replied, Well I've got a marathon coming up. Then the woman said, I'm just amazed by your dedication, and I just said thank you as I rounded the corner. I saw another runner and I said "Almost there" he said I"m still goin' baby! haha. Then a little girl said to me towards the end of the run "Do you ever get tired of running" and to that I said "I used to!" lol hopefully she'll think about that one. Finally I was almost finished with the run and yet another person said "Man how many miles is that, Must be at least 10 since I saw you last" and I said "coming up on 12, just one more mile to go."

The thing about people talking to you is that is makes the run go by so much better. I had a smile on my face, and I really didn't struggle that much at all, even though I was pretty tired. It just feels good to know people take the time out of their day just to say a few words, and it really encouraged me throughout the run. So day #2 in the books. Do it all again tomorrow. I am planning on running maybe at the park instead of the complex. It's less hilly and the grass will be a nice break from the pavement.

10:21am. soccer complex. 29-40 degrees sunny w/6mph wind.
1:29:20, gm 903

4:47pm. home. 44 degrees partly cloudy w/6mph wind.
1:30:24, bf 1166

2.15.09

Starting off this week with a three hour run seems to be good. The calf was a lot better and the legs were nice and fresh. This run felt great until about 20 miles or so in. That's when the fatigue really started to set into my calves and hams, and also happened to be where there are a lot of hills to drag up. The first part of the run went fine. It was 46 degrees and sunny, but as the clouds started thickening the sun was blotted out and it made the wind a lot colder. I only had a t-shirt with a cut off under it so my arms were freezing the majority of this run. It was nice to be relatively comfortable though and although it was cold, it kept me cool and so I didn't sweat much if at all.

I didn't take any stops this run, nor did I take water or snack. It was just a full out run. I don't even think I had to pause for traffic once (although I did have to slow down or speed up accordingly). The worst part of the run was being called a name by some teenagers/guys in a car that was driving by about a minute into my run. It's a shame how ignorant people can be these days. I tried to forget about, and it wasn't too hard because I knew I had 25 miles left to cover.

The last two miles I really picked up the pace and tried to get in under 3 hours. I was close, but just didn't have enough left in me. It was good to get some speedwork on the long run, and I couldn't help but hope I felt this good in a month and a half at the marathon. I think speedwork is paying off. My last few runs I haven't been breathing hard at all, even on this run 20+ miles I wasn't breathing hard until I started burning off those last two miles. It was just a nice comfortable pace, and even the legs felt really good with all the hills. I'm confident at this point, but I know how hard the distance is and I just hope I can cover it at my goal pace. Okay I'm gonna get some rest, later.

3:45pm. ball camp to vanosdale. 46 degrees 7-8mph wind.
3:01:34, gm 892

2.14.09

Took the day off to be with April for Valentines day. I'm hoping another rest day will give the calf some extra time to recover, as well as my legs so I can get through next week.

2.13.09

Another glorious run. The calf was still hurting today, but as usual it went away. Did this run at the soccer complex and unfortunately it was already a little late when I got there, otherwise I probably would have ran another two maybe three miles. Either way I felt great today. Legs were totally responsive and not tired or achy at all which was amazing. Lungs were fresh and this run couldn't have been easier or more awesome. NO WIND - and at the wide open soccer complex situated atop a hill that's saying a lot. The air was perfect and I hardly dropped a sweat. I even went to brush my forehead and found it to be dry and cool - so awesome. Two perfect days in a row and I'm feeling amazing.

I have a secret plan that I'm implementing next week. It's sort of a test of will. I'm not going to divulge it as I said it's a secret, but hopefully I survive next week is all I have to say. I'm really hoping this calf gets back to normal. It is a nuisance kind of pain, but it's still there. I did calf raises last night in hopes that might help. It didn't seem to help the pain, but the run sure couldn't have went any better. I also did crunches last night, and today I mixed it up again with pushups and dips in the parking lot right after my run. Another awesome day in the books. So happy to be running right now.

5:15pm. soccer complex. 58 degrees cool and calm.
1:29:01, bf 1155

2.12.09

Awesome run today. Went to the park and ran in the soccer fields. That made the calf feel alot better and I think the day off yesterday helped a bit too. At the beginning of the run things weren't smooth as is the norm after a day off, but after about half an hour I was starting to feel good.

HOW do I describe this day? Gorgeous, amazing, pleasant, relaxing, just-right, heavenly. Today was a beautiful day and it was so great for a run. It was low 60's upper 50's with a little bit of wind, but nothing compared to the 32 mph yesterday or even the usual 10mph I normally deal with. Nope nothing to complain about today. The ground was a little squishy in parts from all the rain we got, but it was nice to have soft ground to land on. I think it helped me not worry so much about my calf. Either way I could breathe like crazy and I really didn't want to stop this run. Toward the end it got a little harder, but I was running sprints up and down the soccer field for the last loop, so you can't do that forever. Anyway it was just one of those amazing runs where things are working really well and everything is in sync. Hams were a little tight, but nothing major. GREAT RUN!

4:30pm. ball camp park soccer loop. partly cloudy 59 degrees light wind.
1:45:22, gf 477

2.11.09

30 mph winds/torrential rain and a tornado watch had me questioning running today. I decided to not chance being blown off the road. Plus with this ankle junk going on what could be better than another rest day? Yes a perfect running day would be better, but sometimes you just have to go with the flow. Tomorrow looks to be nice, so I'm going to try and get some speedwork in.

2.10.09

What a nice day to run. 8 this morning, 10 in the afternoon with 60 degree weather and not too much wind. Really died on the morning run at the soccer complex, but the later run at home was a hundred times better. The morning was a mixture between dying on the hills breathing wise and just tiredness in my calves/ankles. For some reason after having run that the later run just went smooth. I felt strong and felt a nice high knee action which really pulled me through the run. It's a lot easier to run smoothly now that the weather is nice. No sweatpants or pounds of clothing dragging me down. Overall it just felt more similar to my stride at the track, so I know it has to be a good thing. So hopefully the calf issue will go away soon and things will be looking even better.

am. soccer complex
1:04:11, gf 464

4:30pm. home. 62 degrees 8mph.
1:20:11, bf 1144

2.9.09

Could it get any more gorgeous? I dont' think so. 66 and sunny with a pretty good breeze made this run a breeze. The only bad part was that I had to end it earlier than I wanted. The calf issue was back again and for the last three miles or so I was unwillingly starting to realize I wouldn't be able to go for my 2 hours or so - which is about 15-16 miles. So I did four loops and called it a day. It was nice to be able to breathe! I didn't realize how much the cold weather restricts it. In fact the other day I noticed that when I was breathing deep it was almost hard because the air was so much easier to take in. I kept coughing throughout the run because I was over-oxegenating (is that even a word?).

So needless to say I'm enjoying this weather and really feeling good. I'm about to ice the calf and baby it for a few more days, but still I'm ready to get things into gear. April had a good time at the track yesterday and she wants to help me more often. I'm glad I was good yesterday and didn't criticize her or do anything stupid. She had fun, so did I and now I can enjoy one of my favorite things with her instead of leaving her behind at home. On the art front things are going really well. I'm a half-second away from getting my new website design finished (just have to figure out the details for a flash animation) and then I can get business cards and other things rolling. I hate not having it done because you can't just be like Oh go to my website and then there's nothing there. Either way it'll at least be online by Friday night, whether or not things are working, it'll be up. That's it for today, hoping for an equal to or greater than tomorrow.

3:30pm. home. 66 degrees 10mph wind.
1:21:11, gm 869

2.8.09

I was exhausted after church so I took a nap. By the time I got up it was too late for a long run, so I turned today into a speed workout. I Invited April to come with me and she was happy to be my timer for the day. It made things a lot easier on me because I didn't have to hold it all the way around the track for four laps. I was feeling alright today, but my right calf/soleus was still hurting a bit as I warmed up for about two miles.

And so the workout began after I showed April how to work the timer. She did a great job after the first lap, calling out the time so I would know my splits. 1:18, 2:40, 4:00, 5:23 first mile! whoo it felt pretty good too. I wore my spikes today so that helped a little bit. Even with that time I had to dodge some kids that were in the first lane, so i actually might have picked up a few seconds if it weren't for that. I took a walk lap with April, then I jogged one and got read for the next mile. Doing some light stretching and form drills helped me stay loose and ready. I had fun doing my drills because it's been too long since I remember last doing any. Also it was BEAUTIFUL today, around 60 degrees and dropping, with maybe a 5 mph wind. Just awesome.

Second lap started off really well. 1:18, 2:42, 4:02, 5:22. I was breathing pretty hard on this one and actually ended up dodging around more people. I suppose thats normal for an actual race though so not a big deal really, but I could have maybe got an extra second or two. I was breathing pretty heavy on this one, especially once I reach that third lap, things started getting a little rough. But it wasn't too bad really and I actually felt a lot more in control than when I was running the 5:40's a few weeks ago. I kind of wanted to end it there, but I decided to continue on and give it another shot. So a walk lap, then a jog lap and the next mile. 1:19, 2:43??(didn't get it), 4:04, 5:23. So I kind of "coasted" the first three laps, just trying to keep a nice hard pace without letting things slip away, but also lengthened my stride and tried to conserve energy for a final push. It worked to an extent and I was able to really give it some gas on the final lap, but the time ended up being about the same because of it, so not a great strategy. I should have just stayed consistent, but honestly I was pretty tired from the first two miles and was getting a little on the lazy side of things.

So holy cow, 5:20's? I guess the spikes/weather/wind and non-sickness/timer have their part to play, but I felt really good on these. I might have been able to burn off another one, but it was getting late and since April was with me I didn't want to keep her there forever. The calf is still sore, but isn't really affecting my stride or anything so I'm not worried about it. I learned that I've really been slacking on my extras (as usual) and even these past few days I lost a little motivation and wasn't even blogging, so sorry for that if you read my stuff daily. I guess it happens to everyone now and then. But after today's session I'm feeling really good and ready to hit the road hard again. Even now at 9pm it's 55 degrees! just a few days ago we had two inches of snow on the ground....weird.

5:13 pm. track. 60 degrees 5mph wind.
1600 @ 5:23,5:22,5:23 w/800m walk/jog recovery
50:30 gf 456/forever 14

2.7.09

I wanted to get some running in today, but not too much. I decided on 12 miles and ran at the soccer complex. Nothing too hard, and with this gorgeous weather (even though it was pretty windy) the run was relaxing and happy. It's so much easier to run when the weather is nice. The legs were a bit tired at first, but I could tell that they were fresh, especially on the hills as I went up with little to no tightness. Just a good old run in the spring weather. Also great to get back out there after three days off. The calf was a little sore, but loosened up.

3:44pm. soccer complex. 60 degrees.
1:37:02, bf 1134

2.6.09

rest day. working on art again - calf is still sore.

2.5.09

Rest day - focusing on art.

2.4.09

Felt no motivation today and didn't run at all. Was going to run on the treadmill.........worn out it's welcome? Will see what tomorrow brings.

2.3.09

A good running day in the books. Treadmill in the morning, a cold windy run in the afternoon. Calf is getting better. Not much else to complain about so I'll leave this one short.

10:30 am. tread.
1:12:05, bf 1122

4:30 pm. 21 degrees 15 mph wind, but atleast it was sunny.
1:06:03, bf 1130

2.2.09

Weird day. It was snowing like crazy this morning. Yesterday it was 60 degrees ?? yeah I have no idea what that's all about. Anyway I took it easy on the treadmill. The calf feels fine, but it's pretty tight and is still sore if I press on it. It feels like it's getting better though. I almost took today off to give it a rest, but I wanted to try and the run went without a hitch so no big deal. I'll ice it tonight while I watch a tv show or two. That's it for today.

4:05 pm. tread.
1:08:01, gf 453

2.1.09

A nice long run today in the beautiful weather. It was warm outside with the sun shining and the whole run just felt good. I always feel depressed because of the weather, especially for a long run. Knowing that you have to be outside in the cold for three hours getting whipped around by the wind takes a lot of the "fun" out of running. Today it was the opposite. I was happy to be running and it felt nice to be in shorts and a tshirt and still working up a sweat. My calf was hurting for the first hour of the run with each step. I could feel pain, but it wasn't enough to stop. After an hour or so the pain went away and it was just tight.

My lungs felt great on this one and I didn't really feel like I got that much of workout, but my legs were trashed. The hills just zapped them dry and I had nothing left toward the end of the run. My left ham started getting tight again- always seems to happen on the hills, and mostly my hamstrings were just aching and needing a break. This was a shorter long run just over 2 hours. I felt like my upper body could have went forever, but the legs had had enough and I was really happy when I got back to the park so I could end the run. The good news today is that the calf felt better and really wasn't sore for the last half of the run. I was kind of worried about maybe having to walk back, but things worked out fine and I'll be able to keep up my daily training.

1:48pm. ball camp to walmart +greenway. 56 degrees 9mph wind.
2:08:09, gf 445