Keep Moving Forward

Let me recount today's 5k disaster while it's still fresh in my mind.  I guess I should start by saying that this week's running has been the least focused since the comeback began five weeks ago.  This lack of focus wasn't due to anything other than life stuff.  I hadn't been getting enough sleep.  I knew on Friday that I was going to be in trouble for today's race.  My legs were like lead on Friday.  Last night, I went to bed at 1:30 AM.  It wasn't a deep or peaceful sleep.  I woke up at 6:30 and was out the door by 7:00.  I suffered from gastrointestinal discomfort (if you know what I mean).  I did a half mile warm-up and then waited for the start signal.  I was already perturbed from the stomach issues and then I realized that I couldn't find my sunglasses. 

The race begins and I don't hear any music in my headphones.  I take my phone out of my Ifitness belt and try to figure out what's going on while maneuvering through the mass of people.  I'm wondering why some runners think they need to be at the front for the start when they obviously are going at a pace that justifies a back of the pack start.  I zigzag my way through the pack thinking I got the phone application working again, but then the music cuts out.  Now I'm really irritated.  I take the phone out and try again--nothing.  Angry, I put it back in the belt.  Tired, stomach discomfort, no sunglasses, no music = me unhappy.  I settle in at a comfortable pace.  Because my phone app isn't working, I don't know what that pace was.  I had intended on starting out slow and then trying to get comfortable enough to pick it up the last two miles.  I go through the one mile mark, but I couldn't hear the time that the guy whispered as I crossed.  Now I'm on the verge of a breakdown.  Why didn't I buy the watch I've been looking at?  What to do now?  Do I stick with the current pace or pick it up?  I slowly pick it up.  I'm getting tired.  There's the sign for mile two.  Okay, let's pick it up some more and bring this disaster home.  What did that guy say, 17:??.  Seventeen plus for two miles, we really have to pick it up? 

I'm steadily picking people off and that feels good.  My breathing is a little labored, but I'm okay.  I round the corner and look ahead to the last half mile and my spirits sink--it's a steady incline to the finish.  This was an out and back course, so I benefited from the decline at the beginning of the race, but failed to notice it because I was busy messing with my phone.  Alright, let's just keep it steady and use the arms.  Wow, I need to do some hill work.  I'm really slowing down.  Two people just passed me.  Almost there.  What?  No.  Come on.  A woman pushing her kid in a stroller just blew by me.  400 meters to go.  Try to kick it in.  I go faster, but not enough to be confused with a kick.  I spot the finish line clock.  25 minutes.  I did worse than the last race.  This is really disheartening.  I cruise across the finish line in 25:33.  Taking off 3 seconds for the time it took me to cross the starting line leaves me with an even 25:30. 

I'm really discouraged.  I think about all the things that went wrong, and realize that, were it not for the last 800 meter incline, I would have beaten my time from the last race.  Another positive was that this time I felt much better during the run.  Last time, it was a grind the whole way.  I drove home and ran another two miles to round out this weeks total to an even 20 miles. 

After 5 weeks of mileage building, I need a cut back week.  That week couldn't come at a better time as I'm going to Disneyland with my family.  I'm thinking about cutting back 20%, which would mean 16 miles for the coming week.  The problem is when to do these runs.  It looks like I'll have to get up early and do my run before we go to the parks.  It'll be nice to have a change of scenery.  I'm hoping that this recovery week will prepare me for longer and harder runs in the following weeks.  My feet feel really good, so I think it's time to take the gloves off and really start training.  I'm gonna take this bad race and wash it right out of my hair (if you get that reference, you're at least 30 years old and watched a lot of t.v).  I'm going to keep moving forward, and make this vow to myself--No more being passed by baby strollers!
           

Repeats With A Snake

I've had a really good week so far.  I did an easy 5 miles on Tuesday and then did another 5 total miles on Wednesday.  I couldn't make it to the track, so I found a dirt road near my house and measured out 400 meters.  I did a half mile warm up and then dove into 4x400 repeats with a 400 meter jog in between each.  The workout was nearly over before it began.  I placed my water bottle next to some bushes on the side of the road, and then did my warm up.  I figured I would take a drink before I started the repeats.  While reaching for the water bottle, I noticed a snake coiled around a bush that was less than 6 inches away from my bottle and hand.  I quickly pulled my hand out and moved away.  I had forgotten that the weather in Tucson was in the mid 70's and snakes would be coming out.  I hate snakes.  They, along with the oppressive heat, are why I prefer to do most of my running on a treadmill. 

After regaining my focus, and keeping a keen lookout for the snake, I began the first repeat.  In another eye opener as to how much slower I am now than I was back in high school, I expected to do these repeats in 90 seconds. Back in high school, these would have been done in 70 seconds.  The first repeat was 143 seconds.  I was really surprised at how slow I was.  I managed to pick up the pace and lowered each successive time until the last 400 was finished in 87 seconds. 

I then moved on to 4x200 meter repeats with a 200 meter jog in between.  I don't know my times for these because both my Ipod and phone batteries died--this was an improvised run that I wasn't really prepared for.  I then finished the run with a 1.5 mile cool down. Other than the expected stiffness, I feel good today.  This week is the first where I really felt like I could have gone further.  On Tuesday, I felt like I could have gone at least 8 miles.  I just hope to keep improving.  I feel like a break out is very near.  I'm eagerly looking forward to a reunion with my endurance and speed.

I have an easy 4-5 miles scheduled for Friday, and then the 5k race on Sunday.  I'll check back in after that with the results and plans for next weeks vacation. 

Feeling Good

Week 4 of the comeback was an unmitigated success.  I managed to increase the number of running days from three to four.  I increased my mileage to 18.  I ran two days in a row.  Most important was that I did not get hurt.  When the comeback began, I had stated that I would probably be out of the woods (injury wise) if I could make it through the first month.  My feet feel better than they have in months.  They are getting back to the 'normal' state where I don't fear that they are going to hurt during or after a run.  My legs didn't feel as heavy this week, and my cardio conditioning is on the rise.

My wife (not so gently) informed me that she was tired of reading about my feet and insert dilemmas, so I will put a moratorium on feet and inserts after this post.  I took back the NB inserts and had my Superfeets fitted with a metatarsal pad.  The owner of the Fleet Feet told me that I should wear the Superfeet inserts in all of my shoes, so I have been doing that.  Perhaps, the normalcy in my feet are due to the Superfeet inserts doing their job.  I have also been doing daily icing, ibuprofen, stretching, and added a daily calcium-magnesium supplement.  The routine is working, so I'll stick with it. 

Next Sunday is my next 5k race.  I'm not sure how to approach this one.  I would like to keep increasing my base mileage, but if I do, then my legs will probably feel tired for the race.  I need to figure out where this race sits on my overall priority list.  I should add in some speedwork if I want to do well.  If I do that, then my mileage will not increase.  I definitely did not like the feeling I had in the last 5k race--grinding out a race is no fun.      

Official Results And Plans For Comeback Week #4

I received the official results for the 5k race I did on Saturday.  I finished in a time of 24:49.  I was 13th overall and placed 3rd in my age group.  I was out-kicked (I had no kick) by a 10 year old boy, and a 66 year old guy.  I'll be gunning for them next year.  My heels felt a little sore the day after, but are okay today. 

It turns out that in addition to the 4mm heel spur, I also have small bilateral spurs.  I have yet to figure out a concrete training plan for the comeback.  This is the beginning of week 4.  So far, I've been playing it by ear.....or foot--ha ha ha.  Based on last week's sluggishness and pain due to the increase to 5 and 6 miles on Tuesday and Thursday respectively, I think I'll cut the daily mileage to 3-4 miles per day, but will try to add a fourth day to the week.  I have two weeks until my next 5k race where I hope for better results.  At this point, two weeks away seems like an eternity especially with all the health variables that are still up in the air.

I want to also congratulate my wife for completing the 1 mile walk (her first), which was held simultaneous to the 5k.  As a beginner, she was really feeling the soreness in her legs later in the day and into the night.  Let's hope she sticks with it so I can run behind her and enjoy the view :~)   

A Mixed Bag

I really felt the effects from this week's mileage increase.  Thursday's six miler left me with heel pain that lasted until I woke up Saturday morning for my 5k race.  I knew the race wasn't going to be easy during my warm up.  My legs felt really sluggish.  Anyway, I had planned on running negative splits, but I think I went out too fast.  There were no mile markers along the course, so I didn't really know how far along I was.  I figured I would run the first mile and then check my time to see if I was going too fast.  It sure felt fast.  I ended up trying to guess where I was, and ended up just grinding it out.  There was some wind and long inclines that didn't help me any.  My unofficial time was 24:48.   

I have mixed feelings about these results.  Based on Thursday's run, I had figured that 25:00 would have been the best I could hope for.  I'm happy that I beat the 25:00, and I'm happy that my feet didn't cause me any problems.  Because of the lack of mile markers, I don't know if I went out too fast, or if it just felt like it because of my dead legs.  I hate not knowing.  The race was for a good cause.  The local food bank was empty, and because of 400 runners, they were able to fill it with 2500 lbs. of food.  I guess there really isn't much to be dissatisfied with.  My irrational brain is telling me that I should have finished in 22-23 minutes, even accounting for the added mileage and the fact that this was the culmination of week three of the comeback.  I guess it was okay for my first 5k race in 22 years.          

The Good And The Bad

I heard back from the doctor's office this morning.  The x-rays showed a bone spur on the bottom of my heel.  I am happy that there wasn't a fracture, so I can put that out of my mind.  I also feel vindicated because I don't think anyone really believed me when I kept saying that there was still something wrong with my foot.  My doctor and podiatrist kept trying to tell me that I had plantar fasciitis, but I never thought I did.  I never had the painful first steps in the morning or any other common symptoms except for pain where the plantar fascia ligament attaches to the heel bone.  The podiatrist made his diagnosis of plantars bursitis by pushing directly upwards on my heel.  The reason for the pain was that he was pushing against the bone spur.  The treatment for bone spurs is the same as that for plantar fasciitis--rest, ice, stretching, and inflammatories--all of which I've been doing.  The bad news is that, with every step, I now imagine a jagged piece of bone tearing up my plantar fascia ligament.

I had a pretty good run today.  My legs still feel heavy, which is one of the markers for how I gauge my fitness.  The other is how quickly I can catch my breath and breathe at a comfortable rate while running.  The left insert still doesn't feel right, but it was better than the last time.  I used a liberal amount of Body Glide on my right arch to prevent the rubbing feeling I experienced last time.  It worked.  I could still feel that something was going on, but it didn't bother me.  I tried to shorten my stride to keep from heel striking.  I'm not fast enough yet for my stride to really open up like it used to.  I took my Ibuprofen and iced as soon as I got home.  So far, the feet feel good.  If they are going to have any problems, they probably won't manifest until later tonight or tomorrow morning. 

As far as the 5k race on Saturday goes, I think the best case scenario would be a 25 minute finish.  I just hope I don't get hurt.

Visiting The Doctor And Three NB Stores

I saw my doctor yesterday.  She didn't think I had a stress fracture, but sent me for an x-ray anyway.  She said that if I had a stress fracture in the calcaneus bone, it would show up on an x-ray as a dark or blurry spot.  I showed her my Superfeet inserts and she said I needed to get some with more heel cushioning.  The problem with that is that I have now grown to love the arch support that the Superfeets give.  The doctor also told me to continue my icing and stretching routines, but to also try 600mg of Ibuprofen immediately after I run.  I'm supposed to do this for two weeks and then taper to 400mg for the third week.  After the third week, we are going to re-evaluate where I'm at.  All this goes out the window if the x-ray is positive.

After I left the doctor, I resumed my search for an insert with a metatarsal pad, a cushioned heel, and a firm arch support.  I went to the New Balance store--not the same one that previously sold me the wrong sized insert.  They didn't have much of a selection.  Wouldn't you know it, they sent me back to the NB store that I had originally went to.  I went in and was looking for the ultra arch insert, but they didn't have it.  Only the pressure relief insert had the cushioning and metatarsal pad that I was looking for.  The problem with it was that the arch support is basically non-existent.  I checked the size and bought it anyway.  I left the store wearing my running shoes with the new inserts in them at 12:00.  I went to eat and to a store.  Along the way, I noticed that my right arch was really bothering me.  I loosened the shoes and adjusted them, but to no avail.  I got home and sat down at the computer for a few minutes before I couldn't take it any longer.  I took the shoes off and looked at the clock--it was 2:00.  I had only been wearing the new inserts for two hours.  I knew I had to return them.  There is a third NB store in Tucson, so I called them and asked if they had the sport cushion or the ultra arch inserts?  They said they had the sport cushion.  The Sport Cushion insert has some arch support, a metatarsal rise, and heel cushioning.  I exchanged the pressure relief inserts for the sport cushions.  They immediately reminded me of my custom orthotics except these have more cushioning in the heel.

I went for a run today in my newest NB inserts.  The bottom of my left foot was really uncomfortable from the metatarsal rise in the insert.  I thought it might go away as my foot got used to it.  After two miles, I had to stop and adjust the insert.  After 2.5 miles, I had to stop and loosen my shoe.  This seemed to solve the problem.  When one problem is solved, another pops up to take its place.  After three miles, my right arch felt like it was rubbing the lower part of my shoe.  I ignored it for another half mile, but didn't want a blister, so I stopped and made another adjustment.  I finished my planned 5 mile run feeling pretty good.  I was waiting for my son to finish his flag football practice, so I did some striders with the remaining time.  One thing I learned from the striders was that I don't have very fast leg turnover right now, and that means I'm not very fast.  I may try to run tomorrow to see if the inserts feel any better, but that'll be determined by how my body feels.  Anyway, I feel really good with how I felt during this run.  If I can get this insert thing sorted out, I think the future looks pretty good. 

I was thinking about my comeback and the struggles therein.  I realized that having been in good condition was a blessing and a curse.  It was a curse because, in the course of coming back, I remember how effortless it felt to run long distances fast (relatively).  My brain still remembers the way it was and can't process why it's so difficult now.  As I run, there are constant evaluations and conversations going on in my head--[Why are you breathing so hard at this speed?  You used to warm up at this speed and distance?  Wow, the legs feel really heavy.  They never used to feel like this.  Shut up, I'm on the brink of breaking through.  You can do it.  You'll get there.  Be patient.]  Yes, in my head, I talk to myself in the third person. 

The blessing part is that I also remember when I first started out and struggled to finish two miles.  I know that it won't be long before I am back to running the distances and speeds which I became accustomed to.  It's very easy to understand why new runners quit.  It's simply difficult to start and continue running.  The body isn't used to it and it doesn't feel very good.  Until you hit that certain conditioning level where things begin to feel easier and you begin feeling the health benefits from running, it's easier to quit than to stick it out.