5.5 miles, 9:08 pace, roads

felt tired from yesterdays run, but my knee felt good. Just an easy run, walked a couple hills. 13 days until McNaughton!

5 miles, indoor track, 7:14 overall pace

I went to the track for a 5 mile run after work. The original goal was to run 5 miles right around 8 minute pace, as I've been feeling pretty out of shape since I've gotten back from running this week and I didn't know how fast I could go. I felt pretty good so I just increased the pace as I went along. the first 3.5 miles were pretty easy the last 1.5 were pretty tough. Nothing spectacular about the pace, but I was happy with it considering I haven't run in the last 3 weeks. I didn't really even thing about my knee during the run, it felt 100%, for the first time in about 2 months. My form really started to fall apart in the last 1200 meters. My leg turnover was getting sluggish and I my heart was pumping pretty good.

Mile 1: 7:40
Mile 2: 7:30
Mile 3: 7:18
Mile 4: 7:00
Mile 5: 6:47

5.55 miles, hilly roads, 9:40 pace

I ran 5.5 easy miles tonight after work. I was worried about my knee today because it felt a little tender throughout the day, but it didn't bother me at all during the run. My legs felt pretty heavy but my breathing was better (no huffing and puffing) with the reduced pace.

5 miles total

4 miles running, hilly roads
1 mile walking on a 15% incline

I did 2 loops of the 2 mile loop around campus today, for four miles of running. My knee felt pretty good. It did start to ache a little while running down a big hill as I was finishing the second mile so I slowed my pace and it went away. It came back As I was going down that same hill the second time, so down hills are still a slight problem. It didn't hurt but I could feel it. My pace was about 7:30 for the first two miles and 8:30 for the second two. I was pretty tired after that, which doesn't make me feel so good about the fact that I'm going to try and run 150 miles in two weeks, lol, but it's OK. I really don't have any expectations for McNaughton anymore. I'm just going to go and see how far I can get, but with my injuries and lack of training I'll be lucky to finish 50 miles, let alone 150!

After the road run I went to the rec and did leg presses and extensions, 3 set of 20 of both exercises. Then I walked one 20 minute mile on the treadmill at a 15% incline.

I ran two miles tonight on hilly roads. No knee pain at all. I felt great, accept for the fact that I was huffing and puffing going up hill, and felt totally out of shape, but that's OK, my legs didn't hurt! I still have a slight bit of limited mobility in my left ankle from the sprain, but it's nothing that really effects my running. I started off the first half mile pretty slow then picked up the speed as I went, averaging out to 7:50 pace.

Well, I finally went to the doctor today. He took some X-rays and looked at my knee but really didn't know what was wrong with it. It's been feeling better the past couple days anyway, so I'm hoping the rest is all it needed. The doc said it could be caused by a lack of strength or Flexibility in my quad which causes the quad to pull something in the knee. So I am going to do some stretching and Strength training for my quads. I went to the gym to day and started off with some Leg presses and Leg extensions. I did 3 sets of 20 of both exercises with light weight. I didn't feel pain in my knee but it did feel a little weaker than the other knee. Then I set the tread mill on 20 min/mile and walked a mile, 3/10 at a 10% grade and 7/10 at a 15% grade, that felt pretty good, with only slight twinges of discomfort in my knee every so often. After that I ran one mile slowly (10 minutes) I didn't feel any discomfort in my knee at all.

I'm going to go back tomorrow and try to run two miles. If that goes OK I will run 3 miles Wednesday, 5 miles thrusday, ect. If I don't feel anymore pain in my knee I'll probably do a max of a 10 mile run before McNaughton. It's only 2.5 weeks away, so any running I do now won't help my race anyway, it will just give me confidence that my knee won't fall apart. I think I am going to try and walk the 150, with small amount of running. I do have 54 hours.

I thought I would use my Photoshop skills to modify the pickle on Mike's and Rob's blogs into more of a running pickle to better represent myself. What else does an injured runner have to do with his time, lol.

Peak.com

This is a pretty cool new website start by Andy W. (McNaughton Park RD)  It's a social networking site for endurance athletes.  It takes a couple minute to create your profile (you just fill out your email address, name, location, and if you want you can put up a picture) and then you can talk with all the other athletes in the network.  All of you guys should sign up!!  If you're familiar with FaceBook, it's just like that, but for endurance athletes.  And let me know if you sign up so I can add you to my friends list!

I have a doctors appointment schedule for thursday afternoon.  Hopefully he'll be able to tell me what's up with my knee.  I just hope what ever it is can be fixed 100% in less than 4 weeks.  I don't care if I don't run another step between now and McNaughton, as long as I'm healthy on the day of the race, I'll be running the 150.  I'm not going to be trained for it, but I have already formulated a race plan which takes into account my lack of training.  I plan to use every bit of that 54 hour time limit.

My ankle and knee are still too beat up to run, or do any kind of lower body workout. I swam one mile today in silence in memory of Kathy Keller. I hope to get a doctors appointment this week.

Mar and I, before the start at LBL.

My ankle is less swollen now and I can walk gingerly on it.  My knee pain came back, so I guess I'll need to make a doctors app. for that.  The entire left side of my right knee cap just feels like a giant bruise, painful when I bend it.

Land Between the Lakes Race Report

(one normal ankle, one super sized.)

the short version:  

I twisted the holly hell out of my ankle at mile 13, then at mile 30 I couldn't take the pain any longer so I DNFed

Longer version:

Land Between the lakes is a 23k marathon, 60k, and 50 mile trail run held in Grand Rivers Kentucky.  The course starts out for 1.7 miles on road then goes into and 11.3 mile trail loop, that loop is run between 1-4 time depending on the distance, then you finish back on the road.  It's a really pretty course with great views of Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake.  The trails have a decent amount of roots, and some hills, but as far as trail runs go the elevation change is on the lower side.

I left for Grand Rivers, KY on Friday around noon, just as the snow was really starting to fall in cincinnati.  The drive wasn't too bad, the highways were mostly clear it took about an hour longer than normal.  I was staying with a group Buffalo from Illinois, not actual Buffalo (although that would have been pretty cool) that's just the name of there running group.

The plan for the run was for Marla and I to run the 50 miler together.  She wanted a tune up run for McNaughton and this is the only way I would ever be able to keep up with her in a race.  The race started out well enough.  It didn't snow during the race, and with around 200 runners (200 less than what was expected, because of the weather.) the snow on the trails was packed down pretty well.  We didn't really have a goal time but the pace we set from the beginning would have put us at about 9:45 for the 50.  the single track on the first loop was pretty crowded and we had to fight through some deep snow whenever we needed to pass, but the first loop went by without any problems.

Less then a mile into the second loop is when I twisted my ankle.  It hurt like hell when I did it and I thought it would swell, but I know the best thing to do to keep the swelling away for as long as possible is the keep moving on it, so I vocalized a few obscenities and continued running.  It hurt from then on, but I was still able to run somewhat normally on it until mile 25.  At that point I started limping pretty bad and Marla couldn't handle my snails pace any longer, so she ran ahead and my run slowly transformed into a shuffle then into a walk then into something that can hardly even be classified as movement.  I picked up a stick to help me walk, it had a "V" at the end so I put it under my armpit like a crutch, that last about 5 minutes before it snapped.  I then convinced myself that if I found to large sticks that were strong enough to support my body weight, I could use them as crutches and at least finish the 60k.  But I couldn't find any sticks that would work, it wasn't a very well thought out plan in the first place.  After about an hour of shuffling 2 miles, I started getting lapped by the winners of the 50 miler, including Ellen who won the women's race.  She even offered to stop and give me an advil.  I'm glad I declined because she ended up finish in some thing like 7:59:40, I would have felt like a loser if she missed sub 8 hours because she stopped to give me an advil.  So I covered about 2.5 miles in 1.5 hours, a blistering pace of 36 min/mile, and finally reached the next aid station, mile 30, where I got a ride back to the start/finish line.

Just another injury to add to the list.  The race was fun while it lasted.  The sprained ankle is no big deal, it'll heal after a few days, but I would have liked to get in a 50 mile training run before McNaughton.  My knee didn't hurt too bad during the race, although I could feet it, it didn't really slow me down, but it definitely hurts know that I'm done.

I will be leaving in an hour for LBL.  It's snowing pretty good right now, hopefully I'll get there before the real snow hits.  Supposed to be 6 inches or so down there, which should make the run pretty interesting.  Not sure how my knee is going to feel.  My test run last night didn't go so well, but it feels pretty good now    :\

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory or defeat." T. Roosevelt

With the use of ice, rest, peanut butter banana honey sandwiches, and fruit smoothies, the pain in my knee has reduced substantially. I haven't run on it since Monday morning and will probably only do a short test run on Friday just to make sure it's ok for the 50 miler this weekend.

5.5 miles, road, 8:33 pace

I started feeling a sharp pain in my right knee as I finish my first 5 mile loop this morning.  It hurts to walk or run.  I don't think it's that serious, I hope it will be gone when I wake up tomorrow, and I can make up those extra 11 miles I was supposed to run today.

5.5 miles, trails

My legs felt pretty good today.  I didn't have the spring in my step that I had yesterday but I wasn't sore, just a little tired.  I wanted to do back to back long runs, but I just felt really lazy today and didn't feel like it.  It was such a nice day outside, 60 degrees and sunny, I just felt like sitting around in the sun.

31 miles, MUDDY trails, 6:59

I got to Mt. Airy at 8 this morning, but the trails were to icy to run in regular shoes.  I screwed my shoes for the run at Mo last weekend, but they all fell out durning the run, so I don't have much confidence in my shoe screwing abilities.  I decided to stop by the Running Spot and pick up a pair of YakTrax, but the store didn't open until 10... Eventually I got back to Mt. Airy at 11 to start my run, of course by now it had warmed up and most of the snow had melted so I didn't really need the YakTrax.  The YakTrax worked pretty well on the icy patches and hard packed snow, but I had trouble with them sliding around on my shoes, I only wore them the first five miles.  the warmer it got, the muddier and harder to run it was.  The last 8 miles I was sliding all over the place.  Parts of the trail were more like a creek, with water streaming down.  I felt really good throughout the run, my quads started to fatigue towards the end but I ran pretty even throughout, although my times slowed by about a minute per loop because of the mud.  This was done on the Stone Steps 50k course.  I have run the race the past 2 years, and run the 5.3 mile loop often in training.  This was the first time I was able to navigate the 3.3 mile loop solo without getting lost.  It took me a little extra time the first loop, trying to find the trail in certain spots.  7 hours on the feet and 31 miles of mud and hills in the books.  A nice slow training run for McNaughton.

Loop 1 (5.3 miles) 1:09:36

Loop 2 (3.3 miles) 47:53

Loop 3 (5.3 miles) 1:10:50

Loop 4 (3.3 miles) 43:18

Loop 5 (5.3 miles) 1:11:19

Loop 6 (3.3 miles) 44:48

Loop 7 (5.3 miles) 1:12:09