A bit better

For the first time in quite a while, my knee is better than it was the previous day...and no Motrin today!

I did the leg/back workout two nights ago, and then last night some real easy biking for 1/2 hr. Going to do the leg/back workout again tonight, and then maybe try an easy run the next day. I think the icing is helping a lot!

Definitely Not a Morning Runner

I've known this for awhile, but today was strong evidence that I am a way better runner at 5 in the afternoon as opposed to 8 in the morning. I did a run from home this morning which was basically the first part of the Mountain Goat course and I struggled. I was hot, tired, very stiff... etc... etc... The best part of the run was that I felt a lot better at mile 3 than I did at mile 1! No sore knees today, but I am guessing that is because of the shorter distance.

Tomorrow is x-training day. Classes start, so the gym is going to be absolutely mobbed. What fun!

Foiled again!

Nice weather, thought I'd run 5 miles, or at least 3-4. My knee wasn't getting better, but not any worse, so I started to run. It seemed ok. I decided to stretch around the 1 mile mark, both as a break, and to stretch warmer muscles. After than, whoa! The knee pain came back with a vengeance, and I ended up getting to about 2 miles, and then walking (and limping) 2 miles back. I have a guess that the particular stretches actually made it worse. I am going to change that, and I plan to keep up with the schedule of alternating days, knee exercises and run.

It really is frustrating though. :(

Going Long

In a change of strategy, I moved my long run from the weekend to mid week. At least that way if I don't run over the weekend, I will still get a long run in for the week. I went 10 miles today and I didn't take my watch. The weather was absolutely perfect- no humidity, enough cloud cover that the sun wasn't beating down on me, and a nice fall like temperature. Amazingly I sweat a lot less during that run than I have in the past month!

I felt pretty good for the first 5-6 miles, but as I got closer to the end my right knee got pretty sore. We'll see how it feels tomorrow, but I think I might be dealing with a rejuvenation of lateral patella compression syndrome which I struggled with in the spring. Guess I will have to get back to the knee exercises after all.

Overall, today was a nice run. It was good to get outside and run a new route, which I think I will definitely use again!

Variables

Just to rule out some variables...I ran in my old shoes tonight and my knee still hurts a lot, once I stop. So it's not the shoes, or at least not only that.

Still struggling...grrr

A took a break for a bit, then yesterday I did a leg/back workout. I seemed "ok" today...not great, but a bit better. Not a lot of knee or plantar pain, but some. Today I try to treadmill, and get 20 minutes in and I feel my knee. If I had the same level of pain in, say, my stomach I wouldn't notice it all that much....but I don't want to exacerbate the problem like I did with my plantar.

I am going to a running store tomorrow to look at shoes, and to ask some questions also. I'm getting a little nervous about making the half-marathon in October, but there stlll is some time.

Time Keeps on Ticking...

Well, this is the first time in forever that I am uninjured minus a blister on my foot... but now it seems that my biggest enemy is time. I don't feel like there are enough hours in the day, and I really don't have any excuses. I don't have anyone at home to take care of. It's just me and my dissertation (and golf!). There are only three weeks until the ARC half marathon. I am not going for time on this run, but I am getting really worried about finishing. I did one 10 mile long run a few weeks ago, but between heat and orientation I haven't added any miles!

I am going to continue along with the training course that I have been on and I think that I should be fine (injuries pending) for Newport. So to start this week, I did an hour on the elliptical. And tomorrow is a 5 mile run.

I need some motivation to get my butt out of bed in the morning to run!!

Injuries suck

So I took a few days off, and my knee was getting better (a bit) and then getting worse. I find that has happened before, with my plantar injury, where one day off helps, but two or three do not. The thing about injuries is that I am in unknown waters again. I have to add quad strengthening exercises, but when? and how much? and how many miles can I run without making things worse? I have to re-discover the schedule, all the time risking making it worse.

Then come shoes, which I need new ones, and so I bought some and I am unsure...is my knee hurting today, and after last night's 3-mile treadmill run, because of new shoes, or because I haven't done enough quad exercises, or enough hamstring exercises, or because 3 miles is too much, or because I ran the 3 miles too fast? It's nearly impossible to determine, given so many variables. Using the old shoes doesn't change the number of variables, because then it becomes, are my knees hurting because my shoes are too old? Should I bike more? Should I try something else for cross-training? Is this whole thing a bad idea. :)

Too many questions!

Sleep 1, Running 1...tie game this week

So yesterday, I turned of my alarm and went back to sleep. This morning I got up at the crack of dawn, and went running. I did 4.2 miles in 42 minutes, and then my knee started to hurt a bit, so I walked back the last mile just to be on the safe side. Doing quad exercises for the knees does seem to help a lot! Thanks Becky!

I will be taking it easy for a bit, just to make sure I don't get injured. I learned my lesson last year, running through a plantar injury (out of ignorance), and having to deal with it for over a year as a result.

Back at It...

Did my first run since last Friday. Interval run on the treadmill, 4 x 1 mile at an 8:34 minute mile pace. It was extremely hot as it has been over the past few days.

This week will be interesting for me because I am working at a TA orientation that pretty much goes for 12 hours a day for the next three days. I guess if I run on Thursday, I can pick back up on Saturday.

A slight miscalculation...

...leads me to run 13.5 miles, instead of the 12.5 miles I had planned (which was a stretch without the extra mile). Otherwise, a very nice run. Saw some sheep, and the sunrise, and 2 deer. I made it, so I know now that I can run a half marathon! Unfortunately, the extra bit I planned on (going from 10 to 12.5 miles) was much hillier than I planned (or liked), and my knees are pretty sore right now. Knee soreness is new for me with running, so I need to make sure I take it easy for a while so I don't injure myself!

Light Run

Did just about 4 miles on the treadmill this afternoon between some data work and a meeting with Pete (my advisor). Nothing too exciting to report from the run. The ARC half marathon is now 30 days away. I am really finding running to be a great way to get away from the stresses that come with research and dissertation writing. Tomorrow will be a cross training day. Golfing on Saturday and hope to run 11 miles on Sunday.

Running or Sleep

That seems to be the choice I have a lot of the time. WIth 3 kids, I can't really run in the middle of the day. Even when I am teaching, during one of my non teaching days, I can't do it because I need the time to get research done. Except for the weekend, I am left with either running starting at 8pm or at 5am. I hadn't felt that this was particularly hard, until my standard run became an hour, and my longer runs closer to 2. Yesterday, I chose sleep instead of a morning run because I just felt that I needed the sleep. Sometimes at night I am tired, and want to go to bed early. It really is turning into a choice between sleep and running, which is a difficult struggle!

Last night I ran 7 miles on the treadmill until boredom finally won over.

Tempo Run

Recovered nicely from the 9 mile run on Sunday. Did some cross training yesterday and today I did a 5 mile tempo run. Warm up, rest, cool down at 9:22-9:30 minute miles and two 1.5 mile intervals at 8:34 minute miles. I ran on the treadmill and it was insanely hot. Had to take lots of water/sweat wiping stops. Day off tomorrow.

Been busy

I was off for a few days, and desperately needed to run, so I ran the treadmill tonight for an hour...5.6 miles. I am finding it interesting that a year ago, 3 miles was a stretch for me. Now, 3 miles doesn't even get me winded! I guess I will stop increasing when I just can't put the time into it, which I think will be somewhere around what I am running now...training for a half. I've heard that the half is the nicest race...hard enough to have to train for, and be impressive, but not so grueling as a full.

Long Run

Did a 9 mile long run with Ralf this morning. Weather was overcast, upper 60s/low 70s but was very humid. A little sore, but felt ok for the most part. Didn't take my watch, but I think it was about an hour and a half run. Let's see how I recover. Golf day tomorrow!

Sore

Did a 5 mile run (with some walking mixed in) this afternoon. I forgot my music in the car. This was the first time in a LONG time that I have run without music, and it was actually kind of relaxing. Just being outside in the beautiful weather was enough. I was extremely sore by the end of the run- my quads and calves are shot. Also, I have a bruise on the bottom of my left foot. Hope the day off tomorrow helps!

Cross Training

Trying to make up for lost mileage early in the week, so I did a hard hour of cross training on the elliptical yesterday. My legs are still pretty tired and sore today, but I am planning on doing a five mile run later in the day. We'll see how that goes.

Rest yesterday, short run today

I did 2 miles this morning, feeling a little sore for some reason, but I tried to put in some short bursts of speed to change it up a bit. I'm still a pretty slow runner, but that's fine with me...I'm not going for speed. I just wish that running wasn't so uncomfortable. :)

Hill Run

Got back to running today with a 5(ish) mile hill workout. One mile warm up and cool down with 4 long hill repeats in the middle. Run up Skytop road for 4.5 minutes and jog back down. Was quite warm during the run and I could have used more water. Legs are pretty sore right now.

Another 10 miles

With my friend Joe, we ran 10 miles this morning. It was a bit harder than the run I did on Saturday, not because the route was different, but I was feeling a bit worn. A little break tomorrow, and back at it on Friday.

Run this morning...we'll see

SUnday was a break, after my first 10-miler, and then Monday was a break because Tarynn was in the hospital. I got back yesterday afternoon, and did a warm-up 2 miles on the treadmill last night. This morning I hope to repeat my 10 miles again, with my friend Joe, but we'll see how that goes.

Home is Where the Heart Is...

... and where the running isn't happening! Just got back from a trip to New Hampshire where I ran a total of ZERO miles over the last five days. Was going to go out for a long run on Friday, but it was pouring rain. Saturday, I hung out with my family. Sunday, traveled to a wedding. Monday, drove back to Syracuse. Today, catch up day and golf lessons. So that leaves tomorrow to GET MY BUTT BACK IN GEAR!!

First double-digit run...a great thing

Today was my long run, so I planned to do a bit over 9 miles. I had mismeasured the distance, and found out later that it was 10 miles. I felt great during the run, and it was a real success at 1 hr 50 min. Even my exercise mp3 folder cycled through completely, and started again.

I had been feeling recently a bit daunted by the prospect of the half-marathon, but today I am more confident than I have been.