Tarahumara Frank?

I took a day off yesterday after Sunday's 10 miler, but decided to get out there today for an easy 5 miles.  I ended up going 8 miles today in 1:15:02, and it felt great.

I finished Born To Run last night.  I thought it was a great book--especially the chapters devoted to actual racing.  The arguments for the less is more approach to running shoes was made pretty well.  I'm not about to go barefoot, but I'm not at all averse to trying to strengthen my feet.  I walked barefoot around my backyard for about five minutes.  Having battled plantar fasciitis, I'll try just about anything.  I think my method of Ibuprofen, icing, stretching the ligament with a water bottle, taping and finally elevating the feet after each run is working.  I didn't feel any worse after Sunday's 10 miles than I did after today's run.

One thing I thought sounded really reasonable was how the running styles of the Tarahumara Indians and Scott Jurek were described--backs straight, heads up, arms up high and each foot strike and push off occurring behind the body so that the center of gravity of the body is actually behind the runner.  You may recall that I've been trying to shorten my stride to be less of a heel striker.

I tried this style out today and felt really comfortable with it.  With the back really straight, it makes it nearly impossible to extend your leg out too far and heel strike.  If you tried to heel strike with a straight back, you'd look like a goose stepping Nazi.  I noticed that my stride was much shorter and that my feet really did seem to be striking the ground behind me.  The great part about this was that I became a natural mid to forefoot striker in this style, and it felt comfortable.  Every so often, I unconsciously reverted back to my old style and was leaning forward.  For a while, I had to take assessments of my posture to be sure it was straight, and, for the most part, it was.  I didn't have any problems until I hit 4 miles.  My achilles heel flared up a little, so I concentrated more on my posture, and everything cleared up within a few steps.  I hit a rhythm and started thinking about other things around mile 5.5.  I was just running without thinking and before I noticed what happened, I hit the 7 mile mark.  I felt so good that I figured I'd do one more.  I would have done more, but I only had an hour and a half window.

I'm really excited to get back out and try this new form again.  My body feels strong.  Hopefully, my foot is healing.  My only dilemma is wondering whether to keep going with these longer runs or take them down a notch.  20 miles is my highest mileage for a week this year.  If I keep this up, I'll smash that by a good 50%.  I guess tomorrow will tell.  If I wake up and everything feels good, then I'll probably head out for 5 miles or so.  What a joy it is to finally get close to where I was before injuring myself.  As far as speed and endurance are concerned,  I'm not where I was, but I'm getting really close.

Click the link to see today's map and stats: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/28494365

Unanswered Questions

I had a good 10 mile run today.  I ran 2.1 miles from my house to the YMCA where I finished it with another 8 miles on the treadmill.  It took an hour and 24 minutes.  At around mile 8, I started thinking about doing 13 miles until my wife came over and asked how much longer until we could leave.  The goal for today was 10 miles and I'm happy with it.  It's the farthest I've been able to run this year.  I logged 18 miles for the week even though I only ran 2 days. 

Like the rest of the running world, I'm reading McDougall's Born To Run.  I'm two days into it and about 2/3 of the way through.  I really love this book.  I'm not about to go off and try barefoot running though.  I have always had the most sensitive feet of anyone I've ever known.  What I'm gleaning from the book is just the simple joy that comes from running.  I'm finally getting back into the shape that allows me to have fun while running.  To the non runner, it's a feeling that is difficult to describe.  As I set out from my door this afternoon for the YMCA, I felt a calmness that mixed with playfulness.  The feeling is kind of like the one that movie and T.V. directors hope you experience when they show a young child's expression while running for fun.  There isn't much like the feeling you get when your body warms up and falls into a rhythm.  It's like you're suddenly gliding down the road and the surface consciousness that runs our daily lives slips away allowing you a glimpse of a deeper level.  As opposed to the quiet gentleness with which one entered this tranquil state of being, one erupts forth--forced out into the piercing light and monstrosity of sound like a baby from the womb.  Immediately one is overjoyed to have transcended this world, but also slightly saddened at being back. 

Lately, I've been wondering about how many days I should or could run.  Do I run 5 days a week or 3?  Do I follow a plan or just wing it?  I'm the type of person who likes a lot of structure.  I like knowing what I am supposed to do today, tomorrow, next week and next month.  I'll tell you a secret though.  I am enjoying just running for distance.  I have the desire to just set out and see where I end up.

I've missed all of my races this year, so I'm not actively training with a purpose other than to get stronger and faster.  I realize that, from my last post, it might seem like I've thrown in the towel concerning my plantar fasciitis, but that's not true.  I've begun taping my feet for more support.  I am stretching my achilles more than ever.  There's a part of me that says I should just go out and run until my body is hardened.  There's the other part that says I should take it easy and follow the 10% rule.

I guess time will tell which way I go with all of these questions.  My main goal with running has been to qualify for the Boston Marathon, and then to do ultras.  From what I've been reading, I think I've got the mentality of an ultra runner, but can my body keep up with my spirit?  

Another Trip Without Much Running

Well, it's been quite a while now since I last checked in.  My running has been spotty, at best, since I hurt my heel at Disneyland in late February.  For the first two weeks of March I ran 15 and 12 miles respectively.  March 15th, I got in a short 4 miles before once again leaving for Disneyland.  We did Disneyland for 3 days--one of those days was a 17 hour one (7am-midnite).  After that, we headed to Shelter Island, San diego for a few days.  As it turned out, we should have stayed at Disneyland.  Everyday, my 2 1/2 year-old asked to go to Disneyland.  Other than the water, I'm not a big fan of San Diego.  Perhaps, it's because I have young kids.  Maybe I'll like it better when we can do an adult only trip.  I ran 8 miles the morning that we were leaving.  There were a lot of serious hills on that run, but nice views of the ocean also.  I finished that run in 1:18:50.  Not too bad considering I walked some of the downhill sections--I believe downhill running is at the root of my hurting heel. 

Upon returning home, I was pretty tired and wiped out for a couple of days.  I ordered a Garmin Forerunner 205 before we left, and it arrived on Tuesday.  I tried it out for the first time today.  I must say that I really like it.  I put a link at the bottom of the page to see the map and data that it collected of today's run--I didn't check it, so I hope it works.  I got in 8 miles today in 1:11:19.  The last 3 miles were all at a steady incline, which made it tough. 

I don't have any trips planned for a while, so the training should get back to normal.  My left heel still hurts, but I've decided that the pain is just something that I'll have to deal with.  I'll run through it unless it begins to feel like something more serious is going on.  All runners deal with pain.  It's how well we handle it that determines how fast and far we go.      

Garmin Connect - Dashboard for fkelly3d!

Vacation

As many of you know, intentions of running often fall by the wayside when on vacation.  I had planned on running two days on my trip for a total of eight miles.  I ended up running one day for a total of 4.33 miles.  I left for Disneyland on Wednesday morning.  We went to the parks on Thursday.  I woke up at 6 A.M. and was out the door 15 minutes later for my run.  The weather was in the 50's and felt really good.  We stayed at a hotel across the street from Disneyland so I ran around the perimeter of Disneyland.  It was really enjoyable to have something other than dirt to look at while running.  It was also fascinating to me to see the Disney workers--some leaving work and some arriving for work at 6:20 in the morning.  There were three or four other people also out for morning runs.  The run felt really good and took 37:20. 

I returned to the hotel room a little before 7:00 and showered.  I took my Ibuprofen, but didn't ice.  I got my kids ready and we were out the door and waiting in line for the 8:00 opening of the park.  I don't remember when my left heel started to hurt, but it was sometime that day.  We stayed at the parks until their close at midnight.  Basically, I was on my feet from 6 am to midnight--18 hours.  My heel hurt from Friday through Sunday.  We returned home on Monday.  I had planned on running on Tuesday, but was just too tired.  Today, Wednesday, I figured I would go for an easy run, but I did our taxes, and they took a good four to five hours.  It was too late to go for a run, so I'm now planning on running again tomorrow. 

I had applied for the Master's teaching program at the University of Arizona.  I had my interview a couple of weeks ago, and received the news today that I was among the forty people accepted into the program.  It's an intense program that begins in mid May, so I'm not sure how my ability to run will be affected.  I've never been an early morning runner, so I'll have to see if there is any time for me to squeeze a few runs per week into the schedule.  I'll know more once I get my actual schedule and see just how intense it is.  Anyway, with that concern off my mind, I should be able to be hyper focused on running.  I intend to take the training intensity up as I feel that there has been a lack of fire when I've toed the starting lines of these last two 5k's.    

 

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.