Getting Better!

I have run a total of about7 times over the past 2 weeks.  Most consistent running I've done in a long time (like 6 months).

Went for a run yesterday on my birthday.  Have not uploaded Garmin info yet, but the run was my usual Blue Hills Run, about 4.2 or 4.3 miles.  Not sure but averaged about 8:30 miles, for a pretty hilly run.  Best trail run time in a while.  Will confirm soon.  Have been doing achilles stretches (calf raises, etc.) on a daily basis, and  also eccentric knee exercises, squats, etc.  Daily stretching for the past month.  Every morning, calves, groin, hamstrings, etc.

Thanks God, feeling better.  THank God.

 Just turned 41 yesterday.

41 will be better than 40.  41 will be inspired!  

Still feeling old....

Have now got back to about 2 times running a week.  Trying to work up to 3 but a couple things keep inhibiting my progress.  Right achilles is sore.  Not massively sore, but enough to make me think twice.  Have just started eccentric calf raise exercies and will be doing those regularly from now on. 
I continue to do my eccentric knee strengthening exercises for my right knee (left knee has begun to hurt a bit but no too much) as well.  That is slow going as the right patella tendonitis is still there.

Lastly, even though I have been seeing the Chiro since March, lower right back has not gotten any better and last 4 or 5 days has been worse. 

So, love to run but am having issues almost every time and have not been able to get consistent.  Will work to get some better shoes and continue with my exercises.

Feeling Old

Lately, I have been feeling old.  I know it's a cliche, but it has really been since I turned 40, almost to the day.  First I pulled a muscle in my chest playing basketball.  Then I tweaked my lower right back during a trail race which really got me off my game for like 3 months.  I had residual Achilles stuff from the summer of 2011 on my right Achilles that I don't think has fully healed.  Then my lower right back never really healed.  In February started to see a Chiropractor and have been doing that for about 3 or 4 months now.  Now, my knees (especially my right knee) have pretty bad tendonitis. Can't run everyday, but am trying to do eccentric exercises to strengthen the knee and the muscles around it.  So, I have felt old (really for the first time in my life).  It does present an opportunity to start to think differently about preparation, about taking care of myself, stretching, planning, taking time.  I need to do these things.

Garmen Totals April-June 2012

Total Miles - 194 in 3 months = 65 miles a month, approx 16 miles a week.
Fastest Moving Pace for 4 miles - 7:08
Fastest Moving Pace for 5 miles - 7:12 (MAD Scramble)

MAD Scramble (5 mile) in Milton

Long time since I posted (since no one reads this that's cool).  Did the MAD Scramble in Milton, a 5.13 mile mixed race, on June 28th.  Pretty hot and humid at race time, with temps just over 80 at the 6:30 pm start.  Harland did the 500 yd dash and Olle did the 50 yd dash (so cute).
I went out well, but quite a bit faster than normal (6:45 pace), must have been the adrenaline.  Then settled in and felt pretty good most of the race, even on the long 1 mile uphill around mile 2-3.  Ended up finishing in 38th place http://www.coolrunning.com/results/12/ma/Jun28_MADScr_set1.shtml with a time of 36:48. good for a 7:12 pace (I was shooting for 7:20 so given the conditions was really pleased with the time).  My goal is to work that 5 mile pace down under 7 minutes, but getting harder and harder to chop seconds off the pace.  When I started running seriously in February (serious being 3-4 times a week, 12-20 miles a week) I was at like an 8:10-8:25 pace per mile, so have dropped about a minute, but that was the easy part.  Have been largely running 3-4 times a week recently, including some really hot 90 plus degree days (which is hard).  Will keep on plugging away.  No real races signed up for in the next couple months, but will probably add one somewhere soon. 

Blue Hills Trail Race

Last Sunday (April 29th) I did the Blue Hills Trail Race for the third time.  I love this race! Very well run, small (250 max for the 2 distances (3 and 10 miles), and a great course with nice mix of ups and downs.  Have been training since late February and felt better this year than ever.  Probably been running 20-25 miles a week which is a good space for me (probably would like to bump up to 30 a week).  Been doing a lot of runs on the Charles River, but also some training runs in the Blue Hills (both the actual course a few times, and hill work).  Beautiful day for a race (high 40s and sunny by start).  Felt much better than last year and definitely did the hills a lot better than in the past.  Wasn't sure how I was doing until near the end, the goal was to break 1:25 for the 10 mile run (Last year did it in 1:27 approx.  Did much better than expected, finishing in 1:20:33.  Felt great.  Did some good tapering week before.  All in all the best race I've ever had by far.  Here's to keeping it up.

Blue Hills Run

Terry and I did almost an hour (58 min) in the Blue Hills on Saturday morning.  I'm thinking maybe did a 9 or 9 1/2 minute pace (forgot my watch).  Both of us felt pretty good and probably could have gone longer.  Wearing ankle braces on each side (thanks to Miriam for the suggestion) and really helped a lot. Going to try to do a 6 mile run today, then a run or some hills Wednesday and Thursday, then a longer Blue Hills run on Saturday.