Rainy Day at the Gym

Different kind of a Saturday.  Rainy, so headed to the gym for an hour or so brisk walking on the treadmill followed by some lifting.  Typical barrage of squats, presses, lunges, etc.  Light weights to start out.  Legs, and especially feet and ankles, are feeling good.  All this walking around lately seems to be a great way to recover from hard training.

While my body is resting my mind remains fixated on running.  To fuel the fire I picked up some new books, and am beginning with Matt Fitzgerald's "Run: The Mind-body Method of Running by Feel."  Feels appropriate for where I'm at.  I'm concerned about the somewhat apologetic tone of the opening pages (Fitzgerald admits that as he continues to grow and learn, his opinions change regarding training) but on the other hand I kind of appreciate his candidness.  Somewhat representative of the process he's trying to explain.  But a book about growth and change might be frustrating if this approach develops between the front and back covers of the book itself.

The Ever-changing Rock Creek Park

Beautiful morning for a walk through Rock Creek.  There were several moments this morning, and again in the afternoon, where I could not for the life of me recognize which trail I was walking.  With yellow leaves covering the once familiar stones and roots, and sparser trees exposing surrounding terrain, I actually managed to get lost out there.

Snapped the above photo of a plaque on an otherwise non-descript boulder near the top of the western ridge of the park.  I wandered past it into a strange depression surrounded by earthen mounds and then trenches.  Upon investigation, I realize that what I observed was likely the core of a Union stronghold, where large artillery was stationed during the Civil War.  I don't know that I've ever witnessed an historic site (I'll limit this statement to American historic sites) so candidly and be able to sense the proximity of that era.  I think the feeling had something to do with how concealed the site is, in that you'd really have to be looking for it or be a runner or hiker or otherwise just stumble upon it like I did, to find it.  Independence Hall, Mt. Vernon, etc. just seem so washed up and fairy tale to relate to.

So, I guess a 40 min walk this morning and again this afternoon make it an "easy" day.  Leg continues to improve, although the few times I broke into a jog I couldn't sustain it without discomfort, so it's not quite there yet. Strange thing about this injury is that the exact same thing happened to my left leg (the most representative description of what I think is going on is here) and I somehow made it through a marathon with it.  I guess it couldn't have been as severe, or maybe I was more hell bent on meeting my goal.  After Grandma's in June, three weeks of downtime building up to light mileage was enough for it to pass.  I'm hoping the same will be true with the right leg.  

I have a lot of thoughts about why I've been afflicted with this particular injury, and they end up mostly in the opinion that it's part of a growth process.  Building up to Grandma's and more so to MCM, I've learned a ton about running, particularly running form, and as I've adjusted over the past year my body has had to cope with it accordingly.  The article linked above suggests a stress reaction in the tibia, one that I think slight adjustments (improvements) in my form, such as might be informed by the barefoot drills I've been doing, could potentially cause.  The good thing about stress reactions is that the healing process eventually catches up, and you wind up stronger than before.

Yesterday I spent some time at the gym in the morning and again in the afternoon.  Morning featured some weights and 20 minutes of brisk walking at maximum incline on the treadmill.  Evening was only the latter.  Treadmill at max incline is quite challenging actually, to my surprise.  

As I'm now solidly into a rebuilding period with no definite goals for the next year or more, I'm in no hurry to get back to the level at which I was training over the summer.  Base training for me has coincided with strength training (body weight exercises, yoga,  as well as lifting free weights) in the past, and this will be a theme for the remainder of the year.  I'll be looking to establish a sustainable routine, hopefully featuring a healthy dose of running, and perhaps entertaining the idea of focusing on some shorter races.  Time will tell.

PT

Not much to report on the running front.  Right leg is still hurt, but doing better.  Been doing some hill walking in Rock Creek Park for rehab.  Fulfills the urge to get out and do something while allowing the shin to heal.  Also mixing in some time at the gym, where I'm always amazed at how quickly I lose strength in certain areas (stability ball hamstring curls!!).  

Mon: 55 am walk/ 45 pm walk

Tue: gym am / 45 pm walk

Wed: 60 am walk / 30 pm walk

As the leg improves the walking time will slowly transition to running time.  Walks have been in Vibram FFs and occasional barefoot.  Also have been biking a lot to get my aerobic kicks.  Should hopefully be working some runs back in within the next week or two.

Exchange

Joined Amanda for a run in the park this morning.  I've known her for a long time.  She never was a runner, but has started running over the past few years and has found that she's quite naturally inclined.  Last time I ran with her she was visiting DC.  Now she's moved here permanently (temporarily permanent, just like everyone in DC) and I took her up on the opportunity to show her around some of the trails in Rock Creek Park.

Shin was a little stiff when I woke up, so I took a little ibuprofen, which is not something I normally justify.  Maybe I was just feeling the urge to forget about it for a little while.  I like to think of it as a compromise, a deal with the devil in exchange for a beautiful 45 minutes of sunshine and orange leaves and good company.  I'll be hoping to avoid these exchanges because of how it hampers the healing process, but for today it was worth it.

In the end, I didn't totally forget about the shin today, and in light of that I'll probably stay off it for a day or two.

What I'm Glad For

After a full night's sleep I actually felt pretty decent this morning.  Good energy, mentally and physically, and ready to go enjoy the crisp fall air.  Figured I'd head out for my normal Saturday run as planned before Maia and her mother (she's visiting from Denver) woke up.

I took a few steps, and while attempting to find a rhythm, just couldn't take my mind off my right leg.  It's feeling a little chewed up again, and strangely I also had some pretty sharp pain in my right heel.  All this was enough to cause me to come to a full stop after 5 minutes, turn off my route, and walk home.

So I'm sitting here, caught between feelings of defeat and relief, not really sure what's going to happen next.  What I do know is that my leg will require some more rest to fully recover.  This doesn't fit very well into my plan to run a marathon next weekend, and I'm digesting that.

The relieving part of all this is that I don't feel like I have to run.  If I hadn't been dealing with this leg issue for a few weeks already, if I'd been just a little bit more consistent over the past month (with everything - mileage, intensity, sleep), and if I wasn't feeling so sluggish (I know, it's normal during a taper), then maybe I would be more apt to push things a little more.  But the truth is that I've been struggling a bit, and there's been an undercurrent of doubt during the whole buildup to this point.  In a sense I hate when these prophecies of mine become self-fulfilling, and maybe I need to figure out how to flip the doubt into confidence (I do feel like I did that for Grandma's).  On the other hand, maybe it's intuition, and I need to be more attuned to that.

Not sure what all this means for next week.  I'm in a reduced mileage mode, and to treat this as a recovery period just feels like the right thing to do (duh).  MCM would have been my final crack at a marathon until 2013, as I have some other things going on next year, including a wedding, that will take priority.

So, it's looking like one marathon will have been enough for me this year.  It's been a hard thing to accept, and I'm struck at how much of a grievance process there's been.  I'm hoping not to lose touch here (on this blog) as there's the curiosity of where my entries will go outside of a training focus.  Beyond that, only time will tell.

We do all these runs, cover all this ground for a single opportunity to perform well, a mere stitch in the fabric.  But the fabric remains, and for that I am glad.

T.G.I.F

5 easy miles on the treadmill. Tired lately. That's all I got.

Slow Tempo

Final focused workout this morning. Couldn't make up my mind about whether or not it would be on the track. Finally decided on an unmarked stretch of Rock Creek Trail (paved portion) that I mapped to be 3.5 miles. Would have been happier if it had passed in under 25 (close to MP), but with no feedback it was hard to gauge my pace. 9 miles in 1:12:49, with the quicker 3.5 in 25:42. The slower-than-expected split put a damper on the rest of the run, but I'm over it. Leg protested a little but is feeling better. 

Right leg felt a little iffy Monday morning, so I opted for a bike commute instead of a run commute. Hit the 5-mile uphill section of the CCT in about 15:30, which is pretty good considering I had a load of fresh picked apples on my back and haven't been riding all that much lately. Ride home was lower key.

Yesterday morning I did my 7-mile RCP trail loop in about 58 min. Tried to keep it low key but ended up moving quicker toward the end. Noticed the right calf but eased up throughout the run and felt better afterwards.

Went easy on the treadmill this morning. 4.5 miles, 39 min. Leg irritation was minimal at worst. Feels better now, and legs in general are moving pretty smoothly. Followed up with some single leg squats on the balance board.

Extreme Tapering

Just a quick check in. Unfortunate, as I had a lot on my mind today that I wanted to jot down. Maybe it'll come out over the course of the week. 

Right shin/calf has calmed down after a full week of no running. Friday I got out for about 6 (50 min) and yesterday was the last long run before MCM. 16.5 in 2:17. Focused on going slow. Windy, sunny, and parched. Not that comfortable of a run and I was probably dehydrated and definitely hungry. 

Today was one of the better runs I've had in a while. About 80/20 dirt to pavement ratio, kept it mostly slow, but I felt some momentum come back today after the short layoff. Beautiful day, and a refreshing end to an otherwise shitty week. Resolved numerous times this week not to run the marathon but I think I'm back on the wagon. 

Not thinking of weekly mileage anymore as it's kind of depressing to look at it that way (a mere 30 miles last week and 40 the week before) but focusing on what I can do to hold onto what I got for another two weeks. Mostly that's rest and recovery, but I'll squeeze one last pacing workout in, probably on Wed or Thurs. So much for a gradual taper. 

One step forward...

Hit the track this morning.

Descending ladder (2000-1600-800-400) with moderate long recoveries (2000) in between.  Fast intervals and recoveries went like this (pace/mile in parentheses):

7:49 (6:17) / 8:36 (6:55)
6:09 (6:11) / 8:37 (6:56)
2:58 (5:58) / 8:42 (7:00)
1:26 (5:46) / 8:42 (7:00)

I didn't quite hit my target of 8:45/2000 on the recoveries, and the first recovery lap was always slower than the remaining four.  Still, solid workout and I'm satisfied with how it went.  The recoveries weren't all that challenging but clearly the faster intervals impacted the latter times.  I chose 8:45 (7:02/mile) based on feedback I've been getting that suggests I might be able to hold that pace over a long distance (i.e. marathon).  Not sure today is the best indicator, but it gives me a sense of my overall fitness at least.  12 mi, 1:27:56.

Took a step forward today, but looks like that was followed by a few steps back.  Some irritation I've had inside my right calf/shin was markedly intensified after running today.  It's a crappy reality but I'm not comfortable continuing with this until it feels better at rest (hurts to walk right now).  Today's run was a gamble, and it seems the odds weren't in my favor.  I have 23 days until the marathon, and most of the work has been done.  So, not ideal, but hoping this clears up fast and I can get back in time for a proper taper.

Come What May

Family stayed in town until this morning, but they were at a conference Monday which meant I went to work.  Ran 8.3 miles there (69 min) and 7 miles back (54 min) and was pretty mushy at happy hour with the sisters-in-law.  Opted out of the local bar tour after dinner and instead plopped my tired ass in bed.  Neither of these runs were all that fun, but each had its moments where I felt kind of decent.

Slept in on Tuesday, and although I thought I'd sneak a run in during the afternoon, I ended up cruising around the mall on my bike with the fam all day.  Pretty fun day and probably needed the break.

Not sure I believed I would actually get a run in this morning.  Just feeling the miles lately and this leads to a whole cascade of other thoughts and feelings that for the past couple days has ended in me feeling sorry for myself.  I've been diligently seeking a bigger picture focus that is sometimes so hard to grasp.  It seems one of those times happens to be during the final weeks of a tough training cycle.  I did make it out though, and I felt better for having done so.  Commuted to work the long way, 13 miles in 1:41:36.  Actually felt pretty good out there today.  On the C&O Canal Trail, another runner came up alongside me and we ended up chatting a bit.  She's training for MCM, hoping to break 3 hours, and I told her my only benchmark was a crash and burn at Grandma's in June.

It's got me thinking.  Tomorrow is a planned track day with a pacing focus, and we'll see what comes of that.

Perfect Ending

Have a little down time here before dinner with some out-of-town family.  Wanted to update before I lose momentum.  I had a 22-23 miler on the schedule for yesterday.  After a pretty full week I was a bit intimidated by the distance.  Met up with Rob in RCP where we began a customary trail loop, the one that begins uphill and winds up headed south on the flat Valley Trail.

And it looks like the dinner bus is boarding, so I'll have to pick this up when I return.

***

Back from dinner, and now I'm looking to get to bed.  So it goes.

Long story short is that the 8ish-mile trail loop went by quickly, as it often goes when running with good company.  Split was 63 minutes or so.  Bid farewell to Rob and took off along the 15+ mile N Capitol-Beach Dr loop I've come to know this year.  Ran quicker than I thought and despite feeling the week's miles in the form of some achiness, I was done with the 23+ mile run in exactly 2:59.  Longest run since Grandma's in June, and it felt good to nail it.  Could've been hitting sub-7 min miles toward the end there but I don't have the time or the motivation to verify this with gmaps.  Given that the whole run went by quicker than expected, I'll just trust my instinct.  So that's another solid long training run down.  One more to go until I can start cutting back.  For the record I'll note that I ate a banana about 1.5 hours before starting, and took a gel at about the 2-hr mark.  Felt like this made a difference in the latter miles.  I've been toying with the idea of restricting carb intake immediately before and during longer runs, which I think has had the effect of increasing fat-burning efficiency.  It wasn't far fetched for me to eat a gel every 45 minutes during long runs in the past, and this just seems excessive anymore.  The whole business of consuming 200-300 calories per hour seems like something a gel vendor would promote.  Who knows?  Maybe I'm missing something.

Today was perhaps the perfect ending to a long week, and featured an easy 48 minutes on a mix of roads and trails with Julie, my future sister-in-outlaw (short story: sister-in-law whose marriage is not legally recognized).  Great to go easy, great conversation, and great crisp fall weather.  Conservatively calling it 5 miles.

While I'm certainly feeling the mileage, I can't deny that both yesterday and today mark some pretty good progress in my training.  Feeling good about that, and feeling like I can get through another tough week of runs before tapering down.  Hit about 76 miles this week, won't be looking for much more than 70 through next weekend.