That is how fast I managed to run from the Manor Area to the cliffs today. At over a minute faster than my previous best, it makes me happy to see that my fitness at least as far as climbing is getting much better. I've settled into a nice rhythm of running from the Manor Area up to the cliffs on Tuesdays and Thursdays (roughly 4.5mi round trip I believe), doing an easy ~3 mile around the "trails" on campus Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and a longish run on Saturdays. Sundays are mandatory rest days for the time being because I want to ease back into training, something perhaps I didn't do as well following the V.A. Beach Marathon as I should have.
Occasionally I will have some soreness in my Achilles post-run, but usually it wears off as the evening goes on and in the mornings (when Achilles tendinitis makes itself known) I never have any issues. That combined with that fact that the "pinch test" doesn't yield any more pain than the non-hurting Achilles makes me think it is due to MT101 heel-ridge rubbing action. When I run in socks it seems like it helps (although that's not as comfortable for my feet!) so there is some evidence in that respect to support that hypothesis. Either way my legs feel strong and I feel fit for the first time in a while.
On thing I know I have been enjoying has been the wonderful fall weather (most of the time). While there was one week during which the remnants of hurricane Lee decided to pour on us for the entirety of the week (not exaggerating) most days are mildly humid with lows in the upper 50's and highs in the low to mid 70's. As I look up and begin to see the fall colors on the trees I can't help but be glad to be able to run in such beautiful weather.
As I said previously, a future plans section was in the works and here is is. I'll start off with a general calendar of important races that I plan to run with the ones in bold as the most important ones.
- Goodloe Byron 15K - December '11
- Lewis 10 Miler - January '12
- Hashawha Hills 50 km Trail Run - February 25, 2012
- RRCA 10 Mile Challenge February 26, 2012 (if I am not incredibly sore from the HH50K the previous day)
- Seneca Creek Greenway Trail 50K - March '12
- HAT 50K Trail Run - March 24, 2012
- Frederick Half Marathon - May '12
- Catoctin 50k Trail Run - July 28, 2012
- Steamtown Marathon - October '12
And beyond that it is too early to predict. Of note is also the increased race distances (50K) and lack of small local 5K's and such. I am going to try and avoid those small races more than I have in the past. Not because I don't enjoy them, because they are almost always fun events, but because I don't recover very quickly from shorter race efforts (10K and 5K) and it is unnecessary to have a 5K the previous day make me unable to get in a quality run for several days following that.
With the next serious race not coming up until late July next summer, I am planning on trying some new things with regards to my training. First and foremost I am trying to stay off of the roads as much as possible. The MT101's are not ideally designed for road running in the first place and I feel like running trails is healthier for my legs anyway. I also want to make hill running a more important part of my running. With two climbs per week up to the cliffs and back, I think I will really benefit from the increased strength that will be useful as hill training in and of itself but also as a way of building leg strength for the longer 50K distances I want to start racing.
As the various races approach I will probably have to change my weekly MWF/TH/Sat running schedule mentioned above but I feel like based on how my body has adapted to training in the recent weeks that might be the best fit for me. As road races such as the Byron 15K and Lewis 10 miler get closer I expect I will have to incorporate some road running into the training plan to build road-strength in mt legs. Interestingly enough, I think the Bryon 15K course will be a perfect workout for that, with the multiple miles of downhill pounding being just about as tough on the legs as you can find around here.
Quote of the Day:
"There are as many reasons for running as there are days in the year, years in my life. But mostly I run because I am an animal and a child, an artist and a saint. So, too, are you. Find your own play, your own self-renewing compulsion, and you will become the person you are meant to be." ~George Sheehan
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Change of Plans
Well as I sit at my laptop now I am certainly not in a position I would have imagined myself two months ago. The Steamtown marathon is less than one month ago but alas I will no longer be toeing the ling on October 8th with some of the best runners around seeking a Boston Qualifier. Following my 4:56 miles race (something that I am still excited about) I had a strange pain on the top-lateral area of my foot somewhat close to the ankle. I wrote this injury off as due to my unfamiliarity with the spikes I wore but in hindsight that was probably unwise.
I took a day off since I have always followed the philosophy that taking rest days when you need them or even if you might not is always better than paying for it later. Then my foot felt pretty good so I set out for an easy trail run. I decided I would start at Gathland State Park and head towards Weverton Overlook realizing I could always turn around anytime. I did feel some lingering soreness after maybe 15 minutes of running so I stretched it out and ran easy back to my car for maybe 3 miles. The foot actually felt better at that point and did a stride analysis video here since I was curious how my form had developed with a mix of VFF running and MT101 trail running.
The following day I went out and did a relatively easy 11 miler with Chad A. into the Valley from Hamburg Rd. but not all the way up to the tea room. I worked the hills and felt good. Again the foot was somewhat sore but it warmed up and after the run it didn't feel too bad either. A nice long ice bath after the run had me feeling pretty good the next morning. And that's when I decided to go out and run 18 miles with Chad C. and Joe B. on the canal. This was apparently an unwise decision because the following day my foot felt worse than after the mile race. But as was uncharacteristic of me I still went out and ran 4 mile the next day on it. Perhaps I was nostalgic about the opportunity to run with the old BHS group one last time. No matter what the reason thenext day I could hardly walk and the pain was no longer in my foot, it was obviously my ankle.
To make a long story short, two weeks later my ankle was feeling about 95%. It had felt about 95% for a number of days so I ran an easy 2 miles and as I suspected that light exercise helped to heal it completely. *knock on wood* Since then I've had a relaxing and slow return to running. I did defer my Steamtown registration until next year which will allow me to shift my focus for the meantime. The shift in focus is best addressed in its own post which will be forthcoming however the important thing is I will be doing less racing and when I do race it will probably be longer than before.
Workout wise I did do a fun run today of running from the Manor Area to the cliffs and back, timing my self on the "ascent" and "descent" portions. There is something quite exhillarating about charging up the mountain without abandon through burning and painful legs only to reach the summit and feel a great sense of accomplishment and a tangible reward of a nice overlook. The first time I ran it which was shortly after coming back from the ankle injury I ran the ascent in 22:48 and the descent in 16:53. Today I shaved off almost a minute for 21:51 on the ascent but only 17:12 on the descent. My goal is under 20 minutes, which is no small order since that would mean maintaining around 9min/mi pace the entire way up, which is no small order. But since I enjoy that run so much I think it's very possible. If I could do that then during the CAT50K race I should have no trouble running the ascent in 25-26 minutes at a more moderate effort level. A pace like that should help me gain a few minutes on anyone near me but at the same time due to my training on the mountain I would hopefully not be dead for the rest of the race.
Looking forward in the immediate future I am excited to be running in my favorite season (fall) without the pressure of a major race coming up. In this way I will be able to enjoy the best weather of the year in a stress-free environment where I am free to go out and enjoy running for the pure intrinsic sake of it and not because I want to be in shape for a certain race. I feel like this mental recharging of my batteries will be good and can hopefully lead to a much improved outlook in 2012.
Quote of the day:
"And I will find strength in pain" - Mumford and Sons
I took a day off since I have always followed the philosophy that taking rest days when you need them or even if you might not is always better than paying for it later. Then my foot felt pretty good so I set out for an easy trail run. I decided I would start at Gathland State Park and head towards Weverton Overlook realizing I could always turn around anytime. I did feel some lingering soreness after maybe 15 minutes of running so I stretched it out and ran easy back to my car for maybe 3 miles. The foot actually felt better at that point and did a stride analysis video here since I was curious how my form had developed with a mix of VFF running and MT101 trail running.
The following day I went out and did a relatively easy 11 miler with Chad A. into the Valley from Hamburg Rd. but not all the way up to the tea room. I worked the hills and felt good. Again the foot was somewhat sore but it warmed up and after the run it didn't feel too bad either. A nice long ice bath after the run had me feeling pretty good the next morning. And that's when I decided to go out and run 18 miles with Chad C. and Joe B. on the canal. This was apparently an unwise decision because the following day my foot felt worse than after the mile race. But as was uncharacteristic of me I still went out and ran 4 mile the next day on it. Perhaps I was nostalgic about the opportunity to run with the old BHS group one last time. No matter what the reason thenext day I could hardly walk and the pain was no longer in my foot, it was obviously my ankle.
To make a long story short, two weeks later my ankle was feeling about 95%. It had felt about 95% for a number of days so I ran an easy 2 miles and as I suspected that light exercise helped to heal it completely. *knock on wood* Since then I've had a relaxing and slow return to running. I did defer my Steamtown registration until next year which will allow me to shift my focus for the meantime. The shift in focus is best addressed in its own post which will be forthcoming however the important thing is I will be doing less racing and when I do race it will probably be longer than before.
Workout wise I did do a fun run today of running from the Manor Area to the cliffs and back, timing my self on the "ascent" and "descent" portions. There is something quite exhillarating about charging up the mountain without abandon through burning and painful legs only to reach the summit and feel a great sense of accomplishment and a tangible reward of a nice overlook. The first time I ran it which was shortly after coming back from the ankle injury I ran the ascent in 22:48 and the descent in 16:53. Today I shaved off almost a minute for 21:51 on the ascent but only 17:12 on the descent. My goal is under 20 minutes, which is no small order since that would mean maintaining around 9min/mi pace the entire way up, which is no small order. But since I enjoy that run so much I think it's very possible. If I could do that then during the CAT50K race I should have no trouble running the ascent in 25-26 minutes at a more moderate effort level. A pace like that should help me gain a few minutes on anyone near me but at the same time due to my training on the mountain I would hopefully not be dead for the rest of the race.
Looking forward in the immediate future I am excited to be running in my favorite season (fall) without the pressure of a major race coming up. In this way I will be able to enjoy the best weather of the year in a stress-free environment where I am free to go out and enjoy running for the pure intrinsic sake of it and not because I want to be in shape for a certain race. I feel like this mental recharging of my batteries will be good and can hopefully lead to a much improved outlook in 2012.
Quote of the day:
"And I will find strength in pain" - Mumford and Sons
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