Week 0f 08-20-07:
Richmond training week ??

Mon- No run- in keeping with my idea of getting back to a normal week in mileage I want to make sure that I don't ramp up too fast- so even though I really wanted to run today I decided against it.
Tues- 6 miles before work. Overall a pretty good run. I had a massage Tuesday night after work. A lot of work on my legs again. When she hit the exact point where my hamstring has been hurting I could feel the huge knot in the muscle. She even commented on it. As she worked on it I could feel the knot releasing and beforelong was gone.
Wed- 6 mile run. Legs felt pretty good but left hamstring was sore from the massage. Right hamstring felt great.
Thurs- Rest day- Mine and Kathy's 10 year anniversary!!!!
Friday- Kathy and I went to Pigeon Forge, TN for the weekend for our anniversary. I got up early Friday morning to get a 12 mile run in before we went. Awesome run! Hopefully I am on the way back to some good training now.
Sat- 4.2 miles in Pigeon Forge. I found a nice 4.2 mile loop around the hotel that I ran. A couple of nice hills in them but I was really surprised by my splits.
Sun- Same 4.2 mile loop. Today's run was 4 seconds off from yesterday's run. Two days of pretty consistent splits and over all time on run.

Summary:
Mon- No run
Tues- 6 miles
Wed- 6 miles
Thurs- No run
Fri- 12 miles
Sat- 4.2 miles
Sun- 4.2 miles

Total- 32.4 miles

Week of 08-13-07:
Richmond Training - week ??

I was planning on getting back on schedule this week but it didn't happen. The week started out great running wise but tapered off. I thought I would try to switch back to early morning running so I can get back to the gym at lunch and it's not 100 degrees in the mornings like it is when I run at lunch.
I had a pretty good run Tuesday morning. My legs were pretty tight starting out but loosened up well.
Wednesday my legs felt gret starting out but as the run went on my hamstrings really tightened up. At the 3 mile mark I stopped and stretched a minute and my left hamstring loosened up but my right one didn't. As the run went on the right one got tighter and tighter. The last half mile was very painful.
Thursday- ran very slowly just trying to get the miles in. I didn't care about pace, I didn't care about anything but getting the run in and not hurting worse.
Friday- took my rest day.
Saturday I was pretty busy most of the day with work around the house and vehicles so I didn't get out until later in the afternoon. I ran a comfortable 5 miles and called it a day.
Sunday- Planned to get out for a 12 mile run right after church. I ended up doing some work around the house and thought I would go in the evening. Glenn and I were playing with different games he has. I got up to go one time and he said "I will go get us some cars to play with" so we played cares for a while and before I knew it, it had gotten late. So no run on Sunday but great family time.

Summary:
Mon- No run
Tues- 6 miles
Wed- 6 miles
Thurs- 6.1 miles
Fri- no run
Sat- 5 miles
Sun- no run

Total- 23.1 miles

I was reading in Run Strong- Editor Kevin Beck today. There is a section on muscle imbalance. There is a diagram of the leg and the muscles (front view and back). It appears that the one I keep hurting is the Biceps femoris.

In the section he says "Hamstring injuries in distance runners are often the result of poor core-muscle strength........ Along with stretching at appropriate volume and intensity levels, certain strengthening exercises- among them eccentric an dcore-strengthening exercises- can, through stabilization, prevent or alleviate hamstring pain."

I guess I see what I need to start doing on a regular basis. When I was at peak shape I was doing core exercises 3 times a week and stretching daily. I would like to get back in the habit of doing that but normally I do them for a couple of weeks and then forget only to have another long lay off of doing them. It's a bad cycle I wish I didn't do.

Why did I have to ask "What's next?"

Yesterday when I ran my hamstrings were a little tight starting out but loosened fine as the run continued. This morning heading out my legs were good and loose but as the run continued the my hamstrings started tightening on me. I stopped at about the 3 mile mark and stretched for a second and continued on. My left hamstring was fine but my right one, the one I had so much trouble with before ING Georgia, really started hurting around mile 4. I slowed to a snails pace and finished my run but it didn't do any good- I was hurting pretty badly. Finished the run and walked for a bit trying to stretch it out and then did some light stretching.

Hopefully it's not the same thing going on last time but sure feels like it. I am scheduling massages through out this training period trying to keep the legs good for Richmond and my next one is scheduled for next week. I may try to move it up. I will see how it feels as the day progresses.

Not sure how much I like being 40. Along with the other couple of things that has happened since turning 40, I have another one to add to the list now. I have had some sort of rash around my left eye area for a while so when I went to the doc to get it checked and to have the cyst looked at she gave me some cream to clear it up. Today I went in to get the stitches out of my back and I got her to look at my eye as it is worst again. She cut a little section of it out to get biospsied- so I went and got 10 stitches out and came out with a new stitch under my left eye.

What's next?

I was reading in Running Times this past weekend and the Pfitzinger report gave a break down of planning a training program. I have designed my own programs as well as used others' programs but they have always been 18 week programs.
Pfitzinger talked about a 14 week program so it got me to thinking. Maybe I just throw the one that I developed away and start new with a 14 week program and go from there.

Richmond- Week 5
A couple of more miles added this week- I think next week I am going to try a full schedule again. I ran Sunday almost pain free in my foot.

Mon- 5 miles. Wanted 6 but the heat drained me and I really wanted to be done by the time I got to 3 miles. The 100 degree temp lunch time runs are getting tough!

Tues- 3 miles. I gave in today to the heat. I was only going to do 4 anyway. My plan was to do 4 pretty fast miles. The first 2 miles were good and fast- the last mile was ugly.

Wed- No run

Thurs- 6 mile run. Ran very slow from the start and kept it that way. I needed a good feeling run and this was it.

Fri- No run

Sat- No run. Kathy was at a "Women of Faith" conference Friday and Saturday. I didn't get up ealry enough to run before she left. Glenn has been running a low grade fever and has a sniffly nose so I didn't want to put him in the running stroller in the heat and run. We had a fun hang out day.

Sun-6 miles in the late afternoon. It was only 90* and a slight breeze- felt good compared to the 100 degrees I have been running in.

Summary:
Mon- 5 miles
Tues- 3 miles
Wed- No run
Thurs- 6 miles
Fri- No run
Sat- No run
Sun- 6 miles

Total- 20 miles

Ricmond Marathon training week 4


I had planned to get back on schedule this week with mileage but had forgotten I was having an out patient surgery on my back to remove a cyst. I had it removed 5-6 years ago and it came back- alot larger than it was. The doc showed it to me after removing it- I could not believe the size of it.





No run on Monday.


Tuesday- had a nice 6 mile run before work. I may try to swith back to running before work instead of at lunch but I have really enjoyed that extra hour of sleep. I used to think sleep was over rated but have come to enjoy it over the last couple of years.





Wed- no run. I think it would be best to give the incission a day to start healing before running. I don't want to tear them out the first day they are in there.

Thurs- 6 mile run at the greenway. Today's run was a very slow but very smooth run.

Fri- No run

Sat- 6 miles at mid day. I should have gotten up ealry this morning and ran but didn't feel like so I ended up running in 92* temps. I had to stop at the 4 and 5 mile mark and rest for a minute. I am getting very discouraged with running right now. I feel like I have totally started over after not getting not many miles in the last 2 weeks and when I do run my toe hurts afterwards.

I have never had a broken bone before- do I totally take time off and let it heal or run through it? Most injuries I have had I have just run through.

Sunday- no run. Didn't feel like it - my motivation is gone. I need to make myself run through this and get back on track. I had a good base built up so I think if I can get my miles back up quickly I will be ok. What worries me right now is my lack of motivation and my pain in the foot after I run.

Summary:

Mon- No run

Tues- 6 miles

Wed- No run

Thurs- 6 miles

Fri- No run

Sat- 6 miles

Sun- No run

Total: 18 miles