When time is short

I run an out and back just incase I have to retreat early. My knee has been sore lately and I was determined to figure out why. I bought some new shoes to see if that was the key to my discomfort but I had another idea as well. So I set out and found an easy pace to see what would happen. I've noticed that the pain seems to come at around 7 to 9 km into a run, so I didn't expect much early on. I pushed an early km hard to see how I felt and it was good. Almost like clockwork at 8k my knee started to twinge. I paid close attention to my stride and fatigue level. I counted my strides. I concentrated on footstrike and if I was pronating or something else. Just how was my foot hitting the ground, toes first or midfoot like I constantly practice? Seems that when I tire, my heelstrike becomes more pronounced and my stride becomes longer seemingly putting stress on my knee. So I attempted to shorten my stride and make sure that my foot hit the ground mid to soften the blow. In three km I had at least somewhat alleveated my knee pain. It was sore already but it wasn't getting worse and later on it did not hurt at all. So I will continue to concentrate on this as my running saga continues. 58:39 ~ 12.1 km, 4:52 per km.

Heading for the hills

Picked up a new pair of shoes today and what better way to break them in than a good hill workout. The weather was perfect, just about 20C with a light breeze and partly cloudy. After a short warmup, I found myself at the top of the hill that used to scare me. I decided to give it a good effort and chose to do 8 repeats. The first few weren't all that bad, the last three were tough, with the seventh being my fastest. I just focused on turnover and running through to the top. I capped off my hill repeats with a 4k warmdown, nice and easy through the boneyard back towards home. My right knee still is bothering me, I am taking tomorrow off to let it rest. It comes and goes but gives me some cause for concern. Annoying that is all. 59:34 ~ 11.3km, 5:17 per km.

Good time to run

Funny how today I didn't feel like running at all. Not a bit. Haven't felt that for some time but decided as I did the last time I felt like this to just go out there and run. So I laced up and headed out into the muggy filtered sunshine. I just started to feel better within the first two hundred meters. It is like I was kicking off some chains and found some element of freedom. I simply cruised along at a comfortable pace for the entire distance. Nothing fancy, nothing complicated, just running. It was pretty awesome. Now I feel complete, sore and a little tired but that is what I look for. It is part of what I need. 1:18:16 ~ 15.4 km, 5:05 per km.

Somethings not quite right

Went out to Elk Lake today while on my split to get a run in of 20+ km. I was feeling really good, and I started off strong. Then I felt a very uncomfortable feeling from my belly. The usually soft bit of tissue that comes through my hernia was hard and sore as hell. I stopped and held my guts for a minute or two. I couldn't push the tissue back in like usual. I sat down and tried to relax as it was more uncomfortable than anything else. After about five minutes it settled down enough to go away. I was a little spooked to run again but tried it out and didn't have a reoccurance so I hammered the last km, just to see. I was fine but what the fuck anyway? I was just at the doctors office last Tuesday and said that I really didn't need to have it repaired. Now what? 23:13 ~ 5km, 4:39 per km.

Another time around the block

Had some motivation problems this morning trying to deal with running and then working, which is a new thing for me especially with the new job. But I put that aside, and just ran. I picked a familiar route and just went after it. I had no real intentions of running fast or in any particular fashion, just strong. At 5k there is the old monster, a long gradual climb with a sharp insulting rise right at the end. I hammered it hard, best I could. I finished up really well too albiet tired. It was a good effort, looking forward to tomorrow as it is a split day and I will run on the inbetween. 48:11 ~ 10km, 4:48 per km.

A couple days off can really make a difference

I took a couple days off this week to rest up, been living pretty crazy lately and needed a day or two to get back to reality. I took off after work today and just let things happen. I was pacing well early so I just went with it to see how far I could go, I didn't really have a distance per se in mind but decided to run till I got tired. I did a pickup at 6km and ran a 4:19 which could have been quicker but I peeled off early. The wind was crazy today, swirling, gusting, in my face and then my back in the same gust. Hard to run in that silliness. I was quick at the hour, 12.6km, and had purposefully slowed down a km before that. I finished up, feeling strong and comfortable. I feel pretty motivated, just need to keep running more. My knees seem to be bothered by running while running but not after. Fucking knees.
1:11:40 ~ 15.1km, 4:45 per km.

Nice little run in the park

A Sunday off. Nice change for once. I am sure it will be rare, nevertheless I made the most of it and got up and out and ran a 4 loop course through Beacon Hill, took the first loop easy running with a friend just starting out. Loops two and three were okay but I felt tired, like I wasn't rested. The last one I picked it up trying my damnest to run hard the whole way, doing little pickups when I felt myself slowing. It was almost 20C at 10:30am so it was warm enough to make a difference. I feel really good. Next week things get serious again, with a new schedule and new focus on training. 57:39 ~ 10.44km, 5:31 per km.

That was one of the best yet

OMG, it is 19C and sunny. WTF??? In total disbelief I set out to run at tempo pace for a minimum of 15k. I set in early to a quick pace and stuck with it. I always regard these runs with a lot of respect because it is difficult over variable terrain to keep your pace within 20 seconds per km. It keeps me from dogging some miles and then burning the others up to keep pace. By km 7 I knew I was feeling good and just kept going. At 9k, the monster hill rises and I raced up it keeping strong over the top. I was at 12.4k at the hour. At the turn for home I chose to add a little extra distance as I was feeling untouchable. Making the final push for home, I picked up the speed a touch but still within my goal. At the end of it all I had managed to stay within 18 seconds of my pacing which is a first. I felt strong the whole way round. The knee issue is more in my head than where my leg bends. 20 km ~ 1:36:31, 4:52 per km.

On the road again

I am now less than seven weeks away from my next race, if I do in fact decide to do it. It is a daunting task, 50km trail race with two loops of 25k each that tackle two serious climbs per loop. I am going to try to run the trail next week to see if I have the balls to do the whole thing. Today I ran early as the weather is threatening to rain. So I got up and out and got into a nice easy pace quickly. I just ran on cruise control for a long way today. My right knee started give me some trouble around the same spot it did Sunday but I kept going and it seemed to work itself out. Now an hour after I don't feel much if any discomfort. It was good today, nice and easy, no attacks, no heavy pace work, and few hills. 1:21:10 ~ 15.2km, 5:21 per km.

Why does it still feel like winter?

It seemed like a nice enough day to run, well actually they all do in the end but this year has been hell for the weather. Today the temperature was pleasant, 12C and mostly clear. Due in part to the 30knot winds blowing off the ocean. Brutal. I laced up and headed out, determined to make a go of it. At 4k, I realized I had underdressed but was running fast enough to try to ignore the wind. No such luck. At 8.5k, my right knee started to hurt, not inside but on the outside. Kinda weird as I have not had any joint problems thus far. I walked and ran for the next couple of km till it went away somewhat. I finished strong but almost completely undone by the wind. It was rotten out there. I am really hoping for some nice weather and several months of it. 1:13:33 ~ 14.33 km, 5:07 per km.

Wrong place, wrong time

I was confused as to the date and time from yesterday as I was going to run with some folks but well, it didn't happen. That is Tuesday next week. So I headed out to Beacon Hill park and hammered out 8 hill repeats for about 800m, with rough trails up and steep decents. It was very nice out to run today, the wind was low and the sun was trying to poke out for behind the clouds. I fininshed up just under 49 minutes for 10k.

At it again

First run since Saturday's 50. Still felt some fatigue in my legs as I started off and I didn't take it easy today really either. My next race is a 50km trail race, with considerable climbing and singletrack so I have to adjust my training for it. I headed for BeaconHill Park which will serve as my main training area for the next few weeks. I found a reasonable route with some good climbs and tough desents and ran 5 loops, god do I hate loops. I varied terrain from hard pack to chip trail, to grass and ashphalt. My pacing now really doesn't mean much anymore considering the climbs and such. So I packed on 12.4km and was out for 1:09.

4:33:09

Well, it is over. What a day, 9C and rain. The group of us, 40 or so runners, 22 doing the 50k event, lined up and we started right at 6 am. I felt really good, and headed out strong with some of the big names, keeping a solid pace for some 20 to 25 km. I started to feel a little discomfort in my legs around this time so I slowed a little to let the pain subside but it didn't. I passed the halfway mark at just over 2 hours. I worked the next 15km at a manageable pace, feeling pretty confident. Just past 36km, I felt my left calf start to cramp, I tried to run through it but I couldn't. So I started the torturous walk/run that I kept up for basically the rest of the race. Everytime I felt that I could run a little longer my legs would stiffen and I would walk till I felt it loosen up. I ran the marathon distance, 42.2km in 3:42 which is the fastest I have run that in 14 years. The final 8km was a test of wills as much as I am willing to admit as I didn't want to quit but sure as hell didn't want to continue. I finished up at just after 10:30 am, mercifully ending the cramps. My finishing time was 4 hours, 33 minutes and 9 seconds which was good enough for 8th place overall. It was as good as I could do today. I could have run 15 minutes faster quite easily without the cramps. Aside from that I did it. I really did it.

The last run before well, the long one

I have rested well this week, no serious problems. I figured today I would run a little fitness test to see just where I was. So I laced up and headed out determined to see just what I had in me. The first km has always been my achillies heel in that I don't challenge myself enough, so when I looked at my watch and noticed it said 4:17 for the first km, I knew good things were going to happen. I dug deeper than I have in a long time and just tried to hold on to that pacing. Km 2 and 3 zipped by and I was labouring but still quick. The last km I listened to my footsteps, counting the rythym. When I finished up I looked at the time and really couldn't believe what I saw. I had run 17:03 for 4km. But the real key thing was that my last km was a 4:02. Now for me that is new territory. Now I suppose I am prepared for Saturday, not that I will run that quickly but it gives me a good sense that I will be able to get the job done over the distance. 17:03 ~ 4km, 4:15 per km.