Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow

January 2008

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Location:

Fort Collins,CO,

Member Since:

May 15, 2003

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Local Elite

Running Accomplishments:

Unaided PR's:
5K: 14:48 (Track - 2001)
10K: 30:45 (Track - 2001)
10K: 31:32 (Bolder Boulder - 2013)
Half Marathon: 1:06:09 (Duluth - 2013)
Marathon: 2:17:54 (Grandma's) - 2014)
Marathon: 2:19:47 (Indianapolis Monumental - 2013)
Marathon: 2:19:49 (Indianapolis Monumental - 2010)

Aided PR's:
10K: 29:38 (Des News - 2011)
Half Marathon: 1:05:30 (TOU Half - 2011)
Marathon: 2:18:09 (St George - 2007)
Marathon: 2:17:35 (Boston - 2011)

Short-Term Running Goals:

Diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis in June of 2008. Started taking Enbrel in March, 2009.

Run as much as I can, and race as well as I can. Make the most of however much time I have left as an able-bodied runner.

Training for the 2018 Colorado Marathon

Long-Term Running Goals:

  Run until I'm old, and then run some more. Stand tall.

Personal:

1 wife, 2 kids. 1 cat. Work as a GIS Specialist/Map Geek

Endure and persist; this pain will turn to your good. - Ovid

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. - Romans 5:1-5

 

 

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Saucony Trail Shoe Lifetime Miles: 247.50
Hoka Clifton Lifetime Miles: 491.50
Saucony Type A6 Lifetime Miles: 186.50
Saucony Zealot Lifetime Miles: 478.75
Saucony Kinvara 6 Lifetime Miles: 433.50
Saucony Kinvara 6-2 Lifetime Miles: 358.75
Brooks Pure Connect Blue Lifetime Miles: 337.25
New Balance Trainers Lifetime Miles: 314.50
New Balance 1400 Racers Lifetime Miles: 65.00
Brook Pureflow Lifetime Miles: 99.50
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
5.000.000.000.0060.0065.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
4.000.000.000.003.007.00

Happy New Year, everyone! I've posted my 2007 year in review and 2008 goals on my personal blog, if anyone is interested. I like to look back at things and reflect a bit (this blog helps me do that), and also like make written goals at the beginning of the year. I definitely encourage everyone to write a down a set of goals for running and other things at the start of every year. Goals are very helpful, and way better than resolutions.

*****************************

I woke up feeling pretty good today, about the same as I felt last night. I went to the gym around noon and did 30 minutes on the elliptical at a fairly easy effort. Going backward on the elliptical feels better than going forward, but neither really produce any pain.

I got back from the gym, iced, iced some more, and then applied heat. Nothing had changed for the worse, so I tried a 4-mile run on the Planet Walk. The run went okay. Just okay, not great, but on the other hand I was able to complete the run. There was a bit of pain on tendon, which was a little discouraging.

The key will be how my body reacts to this run. If it sets me back, then I know I will need to cancel Houston and just do elliptical for awhile longer. However, if it continues to improve despite increased activity and pounding, then I will know that the "healing snowball" has started, and racing will be likely. With my past experiences with injuries I've found that when the injury gets worse with a certain activity, then that activity just needs to be stopped. However, there is a point where the injury "turns the corner", and steadily improves everyday while doing activity. The healing cannot be stopped. I call this point the "healing snowball", since the rate of improvement snowballs on itself. The key is to identify when the healing snowball begins, because then running becomes safe again, and you can train through the injury and treat it at the same time. A good example of this would be Cody with his IT band problems. For a while, he wasn't able to run at all, but eventually he made a few adjustments, healed to a certain degree, and has been able since then to increase his mileage every week while simultaneously treating the injury. Hopefully I will be there myself soon. Tonight and tomorrow morning will reveal a lot. Until then, heat and ice!

(Adrenaline: 18 miles)

Comments(6)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.004.004.00

Well, the run yesterday did indeed set me back this morning. Not a complete setback, but I was definitely worse off than I was the day before. I emailed the Houston people, apologized, and told them I would be a no-go. They were all very gracious, and they said they may even extend me AADP funding for the 25K Championships in May since I am missing this race. That would be most excellent, and would help ease the disappointment from missing Houston.

First things first, is just to get pain-free and start running again. I plan to do 2 elliptical sessions/day until that happens, and should maintain a bit of fitness at least. I crossing my fingers and am hoping for just a couple weeks or so. I've definitely been a lot worse off, so I can count my blessings.

Saw the chiropractor this evening, and will see him again on Friday. I will also try to get in for a short, focused massage on either Friday or Saturday.

After the chiro appt, I went to the gym and did 40 minutes on the elliptical. I also did a set of 15 on the hamstring curl machine with 55 lbs (very very easy). 

Comments(14)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.006.006.00

AM - 30 minutes on the elliptical.

PM - 30 minutes on elliptical. Tendon feeling better today than yesterday.

 

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.006.006.00

AM - 30 minutes on the elliptical.

PM - 30 minutes on the elliptical.

I saw the chiropractor again today. I took Josse's advice and had him do some scraping on my hamstring. I think he usually uses the tools for carpal tunnel, so we'll see how effective it is. Hamstring showed steady improvement from yesterday. Walking is fairly normal, and I had do things like change my socks or pants (ie - stand on one leg) with minimal pain (probably a pain level of 2 out of 10). 

Comments(4)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.006.006.00

60 minutes on the elliptical.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.000.000.00

The gym is closed on Sunday, so no activity today. Instead, I took a nap and then got a 30-minute massage focusing on my hamstring issue.

Comments(2)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.006.006.00

AM - 30 minutes on the elliptical. Hamstring seems to have improved some overnight from the massage.

PM - 30 minutes on the elliptical. Ate 4 pieces of pizza ("Pizza Monday" at the gym). Feeling pretty good. 

Comments(6)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.006.006.00

AM - 30 minutes on the elliptical. Today was "Bagel Tuesday" at the gym. Einstein bagels with schmears. O so good. I had two.

PM - 30 minutes on the elliptical. Snowing buckets out. I feel like I'm just a few days out from being pain-free again.

Comments(6)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.006.006.00

AM - 30 minutes on elliptical. So snowy. I'm getting sick of shoveling twice a day, every day.

PM - 30 minutes on the elliptical. Not much change from yesterday. 

Comments(6)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.000.000.00

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
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Been feeling lethargic, unmotivated, and a bit crabby most of the week. I decided to read the writing on the wall and take some time off. I'll still be doing a lot of core work, stretching, and some strength building, but nothing aerobic, and certainly nothing twice in a day. I've been trying to cling to this fitness level for a while, but it seems that it's better to just let it go, get healthy at a faster rate, and then rebuild. Spring is still a long ways off.

Comments(5)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.000.000.00

AM - 3 pancakes, 2 pieces of bacon, 2 pieces of sausage, 3 eggs, and 3 cups of coffee at Angies, and 90 minutes of quality sit time with my wife.

PM - 2 bottles of beer, and half a bowl of pretzels consumed on route to a snowy 42-20 Packer victory over the Seagals. Celebratory beer-boiled bratwurst yet to come in the evening, in hopes of the Patriots getting embarrassed by whoever they are playing.

(slippers: 0.013 miles)

 

 

 


Comments(26)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.000.000.00

Still taking my time off. Even if I feel 100% before then, I'm not doing anything aerobic until next Monday. I am doing some stretching and core strength exercises, and may throw in some theraband leg exercises to work on my muscle balance. I had a good massage on Sunday, and the hamstring had a big improvement yesterday. Today feels like a continuation of yesterday, so that is good. Last week, I had big improvement at the beginning of the week, immediately following the massage, and then stagnation for the rest of the week. Hopefully this week my body can take over and finish what the massages have started.

Comments(7)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.001.501.50

Despite morning the Packer game, I managed to roll out of bed this morning and face the grim, cruel world. Well, it's not that bad. I'm done with my "complete" time off, and resumed activity today. Walked to the gym and did 15 minutes on the recumbent bike, and then some weight lifting. Kept everything pretty light, and a similar regime to what I did in PT for my groin strain.

  • 2-minutes leg press @ 90 lbs (82 reps)
  • 2x15 adductors @ 70 lbs
  • 2x15 abductors @ 70 lbs
  • 2x13 lat pulldowns @ 90 lbs
  • 1x20 arm curls @ 20 lbs
I have to see how my body responds to this, but my goal is strengthen my leg muscles.

 

Comments(3)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.001.501.50

Went to the gym and did 15 minutes on the recumbent bike. Then did some weight lifting:

  • 2x12 bench press @ 115 lbs (1st bench press in two years, will be sore tomorrow!)
  • 2x15 hamstring curls @ 50 lbs
  • 2x15 single-leg extensions @ 30 lbs
  • 2x15 single-leg calf raises @ body weight
  • 1x12 military press @ 80 lbs 

Comments(2)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.002.002.00

Did 20 minutes of spinning at the gym. Then lifted weights for lower body (upper body is still sore from bench press):

  • 2 minutes leg press @ 105 lbs (83 reps)
  • 1x15 adductors @ 70 lbs
  • 1x15 adductors @ 80 lbs
  • 1x15 abductors @ 70 lbs
  • 1x15 abductors @ 80 lbs
The hamstring is slowly but surely getting better. I can jog around at about 10-minute pace without much discomfort...for about 20 meters anyway. I have a referral to PT and will start that on Monday for good measure. This should help insure that what the source problem is, it will be fixed, lower my chances of reinjury. Better safe than sorry.

Comments(4)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.002.002.00

20 minutes on the recumbent bike. Then did some weight lifting:

  • 2x16 single-leg calf raises @ body weight
  • 1x25 bicep curls @ 20lbs
  • 1x15 lat pulldown @ 80 lbs
  • 1x15 single-leg extensions @ 50 lbs
  • 1x15 double-leg extensions @ 65 lbs
  • 2x15 hamstring curls @ 65 lbs 

Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.500.000.000.000.000.50

Wasn't feeling any pain, so I tried running a little bit. Did half a mile very slow. Could have been better, could have been worst. It's definitely not ready though, as I had some pain during the run. In any case, it is a beautiful day today, with sunshine, melting snow, and clear air.

Comments(3)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.500.000.000.000.000.50

Tried jogging a half mile again. Felt a little bit better than yesterday.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.002.502.50

AM - started my physical therapy at IHC this morning. Didn't do much this first time around; just got about 15 minutes of heat pack, and then ultrasound. Good news: I'm pregnant! Afterward, I got a set of stretches to work on, because my "hamstrings are too tight". Duh. Every doctor, PT, chiro, and LMT has told me that. I usually tell them they should have seen them before I started stretching every night. At least I can touch my toes very easily these days. Back two years ago I couldn't get within 3 inches of my toes. I go again on Friday, and I imagine it will be a little bit more involved.

PM - 25 minutes on the bike at the gym, then lifted a little bit with my arms.

  • 1x12 bench press @ 115 lbs
  • 1x9 bench press @ 115 lbs (pecs are still tired from last week!)
  • 1x20 arm curls @ 20 lbs

Comments(16)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.002.502.50

Went to gym and did 25 minutes on the elliptical. Then did a few arm exercises:

  • 2x15 row @ 90 lbs
  • 1x15 overhead press @ 80 lbs
  • 1x15 overhead press @ 90 lbs 

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.002.502.50

25 minutes on bike at gym.

Comments(2)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.002.502.50

25 minutes on the bike. Lifted weights:

  • 2x13 bench press @ 115 lbs
  • 1x28 arm curls @ 20 lbs
  • 1x15 single-leg calf raises
I feel 98% pain-free. Light jogging for short distances doesn't hurt at all. I haven't tried anything longer than the distance between my car and the front door of the gym though. I have physical therapy again tomorrow. Should be interesting. In any case, I'm getting close.

Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
5.000.000.000.0060.0065.00
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