Dissertating And Running

Dave Wolfe wrote:Mitchell -- I have wondered for years, but never asked, why is 7 miles your go to run?

Yes Senator Wolfe, I shall answer that (he he).

1. It is just a smidge over a 10K. That will mean if I ever race again, I have enough in the tank to roll through. Also, it would be a mental thing. I see the 6 mile mark and think, "nothing to it".
2. Calories burned. It is 770. That is an even enough number to get rid of whatever bad I have consumed during the day.
3. Feels like I have accomplished something with 7 miles run.

Let me see...32 three weeks ago, 35 miles both week before last and last week. I have 12 miles now. 7 miles on Sunday (55:00 after a 8:40 first mile) and 39:55 after a 10:01 first mile. Running 7 this morning for I have to work until 9 pm.

Yes I am here. Yes, it has been awhile. Yes, I am ok. No, I have not retired from running. I ran 17 lousy miles last week. Uggh. Tell you later. I ran a 56 easy striding 7 miler yesterday. Got my inserts adjusted and may let them settle before running. If that is the case, then a 45 minute bike ride today at home. That means, 7 miler tomorrow afternoon. Talk to you later.

Michael Mitchell wrote:Yes I am here. Yes, it has been awhile. Yes, I am ok. No, I have not retired from running. I ran 17 lousy miles last week. Uggh. Tell you later. I ran a 56 easy striding 7 miler yesterday. Got my inserts adjusted and may let them settle before running. If that is the case, then a 45 minute bike ride today at home. That means, 7 miler tomorrow afternoon. Talk to you later.

Well, it's about friggin' time!  I was about to use your blog as a SCZ or a reason for commenting about the LAstros.  Welcome back.

Yep. Got orthotics adjusted, Monday. Check. Got my ART done yesterday, check. Knot in the Gastroc after 1.5 miles, check. Sigh. Oh well, this is the first time since January, so it was bound to happen. Running it out until at least Sunday. Biking, check. LOL. Have 70 minutes this week. Will get ART done at 2:45 and will bike for one hour before taking my child to swimming. I have 9.5 miles this week. Ugghh. Sorry, about that. The Astros are looking better. 50-71. Maybe 70 wins this year? SCZ....Hello SAL!!!

Well, the Astros only need to win 13 of the next 40 games to stave off another 100 loss season.   

Yep. They need 18 wins more wins in 39 games to get 70 for the season. Woo Hoo. Well, I have not run since Wednesday. I have had ART three times. I biked for an hour on Sunday, 30 minutes both Monday and Tuesday. Today, we strap it on and see what happens. Talked to DC/PA yesterday. We went over the schedule. 50 minute run today and tomorrow. 10 minute pace. If all goes well, 9 minute pace for 54 minutes on Friday and Saturday. He offered a digipak of (4, I think) of anti-inflammatory steroids if we cannot get this knot to loosen up. It all will depend on the run today. I am taking Ibruprofen and Potassium tablets. We shall see. I want to race October 17. I will also use the Self Coached Runner for guidance. We shall see at 4 pm today

Yep. Sigh. Will, we know it is the inserts. I had an appointment Friday to adjust me. Easy peezy, right? Nope. Accident in Humble and all traffic was turned around. It took me 40 minutes to get out my town. Well, that is like a death blow in Houston, even on a Friday. I had a meeting at 9 am. No go. They had an 8:30 and 9 am appointement, but I still could not make it. Lovely. So, no running. The knot is there. She aint moving. So, this is the schedule. One hour bike ride (hard) today. Also, Sunday through Wednesday, one hour bike rides. My next adjustment is Tuesday at 8 am. There is a chance of a run on Wednesday, but it is not looking like it. My DC/PA is on vacation next week, so no ART. Sigh. Oh well, take the best of it and go. I have 180 hours of biking this week. Wow. LOL.

Well, we tried. Had my adjustment Tuesday. Told me to really leg out strides. Felt good. I was like, Thursday here I come. We are ready to go. Later that morning, I tried to jog ( JOG) and it pulled. Just pulled. Charley horse right in the soleus, right under the calf. SIGH!!!!!!!!! Well, I went home and banged out an hour on the bike. Burned 615 calories at the highest setting on my bike. After massaging and heat, we are somewhat ok. I will bike an hour each day this week and still do my Pilates. That helps too. I have another appointment with my orthotist September 4. We will adjust again and go over the idea of another set of orthotics. Ugghh. I have an ART appointment September 2 at 5 pm. We will go over Steroid injections to loosen this up. He has tried this with 3 of his 6 Compartment Syndrome patients. Great results. He stated I am next. LOL. I have 90 minutes of biking this week. I will be running again by September 15. Count on it.

Bummer!

Woo Hoo. Woo Hoo. I get to run tomorrow. That is right ladies and gentlemen, I am back. You say, no way Jose. Your legs are healed. No no, do not joke. Nope, the knot is the soleus is there. Yep, it hurts to walk down stairs. Nope. I found a place that lets you run on the Alter G for 30 minutes and hour packages at a time. Yep. Sure do. 25 dollars for 30 minutes. 50 dollars gets you one hour and 30 minutes. They have week packages too. Well, I am running tomorrow. Yep, I might get in 7 miles. It might see 7:30 pace. Now, of course, I cannot put any weight on the legs, so it will be at zero, but who cares. I am running. WOOO HOOO. I will give you an update tomorrow. We shove off at 3 pm. I am so happy, I just do not care. Oh and I will "try" to run a 10 minute pace on Sunday on my treadmill. I am not holding out any hope. I am thinking all next week will be on the Alter G. Talk to you later.

Loved the Alter G when I had to do it - ran at 65% of body weight and nothing hurt.  Enjoy!

Great news, Michael.  You'll have to tell us where it's located. Have fun!

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Loved the Alter G when I had to do it - ran at 65% of body weight and nothing hurt.  Enjoy!

I will try. Was it clumsy at first? Did you start out fast or slowly get back into to it? I was thinking at starting at an 8 minute pace then get to 7:30 pace. I was also thinking of doing 45 minutes. Try to squeeze in 6 miles.

ounce wrote:Great news, Michael.  You'll have to tell us where it's located. Have fun!

It is at Valeo Physical Therapy in Clear Lake. There are many around the Houston area. I am going to ask my YMCA to see if they can purchase one. Forget Cossaboom. They cannot get out of their own way. They are ( I think) the poorest branch in Houston.

First, I thought they would let me get on that bad boy and run. Just run until I see daylight. Nope. Second, I thought it was more than I saw. Now to begin with, what the PT did was correct and right on target. My left leg is compensating for the right one. That is what is causing the Compartment Syndrome. The stretching and foam rolling was right. No quarrels there. Knowing I will be back at an "at least" 8 minute pace by September is correct too. Here is my only quarrel. I knew ( and it is getting better every day, by the way) that if you set it at 80, 60 or 40 percent of my weight, I would not be able to run. I knew that. He set it at 40 percent and after 6 minutes, knot in the Soleus started. Run over. I can tell you that the foam roller, stick and stretching is helping. I can also tell you I biked for 120 minutes yesterday and 60 minutes today. I ended up with 240 minutes last week. Also, the running started to become easier as worked on it Friday. This is on the treadmill. Now, here are my target dates:

September 2- ART and Steroid Shot At DC/PA office. 5 pm. If the knot completely loosens up, then a 50 minute run late Wednesday. If I am really loose, 9 minute pace Thursday, 8 minute pace Friday and Saturday. Otherwise, keep biking.
September 4- Orthotic adjustment. I think we can completely narrow is down on my left side. I will get fitted for a new set of inserts for a "just in case" these are done. I am thinking that I will be back at a 50 minute run Friday if the steroid shot does not do the job right away.

On the dissertation home front, I have a LONG meeting with my chair tomorrow. We have got to get on the same page. I think after the meeting and my 7 pages of notes, we can be. I still would like to have it past my committee of two by December 2014. Defended by December 2015.

good luck with the meeting!

ounce wrote:good luck with the meeting!

Yeah ounce, it could be a long one. I think I am frustrated on many fronts and I need my chair to know that. We have to get this going. I am receiving pressure on many fronts. ( my college president and dean, my wife and family...lol...it is get it done. I am only two of the thirteen on the executive team that are ABD. The other person is supposed to defend this December. )

I hope I have not killed my bike. I really was really humming yesterday. I was really taking out my frustrations on it for an hour. It was around 17 MPH and I got 16 miles in total. The bike was starting to miss on the revolutions per turn. We shall see. I might go to the YMCA and get in some elliptical work as well. Still making sure that I am in a good place this week. I am sure this week will be a turning point.

Today is the day. That is right. Today. I have been released by the DC/PA and the Orthotist to run. Run. Yep, those three letters. 50 minute run. 10 minutes per mile. The inserts are adjusted. The ART was done yesterday. I am trying out Kinseo Tape as well. Is it working? I could not tell you. I have had them on for 24 hours and have to keep it on for five days. It has been pulling on my calves, which might be good. It is stretching the calves. We shall see. I did bike, hard on Monday. Really hard. Put it on 7 for one hour. Worn completely out. The YMCA attendant told me I was crazy. I agreed. Butt rash like no one's business. Really bad. Slowly healing. Have not biked since. Uggh. I have 120 minutes biking this week.

Edit: I did have new inserts measured for, but she put them up for a later time. She stated, "lets see if these adjustments can work, then we go to plan B. On the shots, he wanted to see if A) the adjustments took affect and B) let us see if the Kinseo Tape works. If not, shot.

Sorry. Got home late. I wanted to run, but too late. I did not bike yesterday, but I did this morning. 1 hour worth, giving me 180 minutes for the week. I want to run today. Can you believe I am scared to? Seriously. I am scared it will pull again and then whammo. Now, if I cannot make the 50 minutes, the plan B is a steroid shot on Monday afternoon. I will bike 1 hour tomorrow to give me 240 minutes for the week. That will be 4 weeks ( I think) in a row. Well, I better get off here and run. I have no idea what will happen. Seriously. I have no idea. It could pull after 10 minutes. I could make it all the way to 50 minutes. I will tell you all later.

Well, I checked in to see how it went.  Oh well.

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Well, I checked in to see how it went.  Oh well.

Me too!  Nada, nothing, no feedback.
Maybe something on FB?

Wow. I did not know my blog was so popular. Thanks. I want to thank the academy, my dog His Name Was Martha and my pet tree...oh, rats. Wrong speech. Ok. The run. Got it. Yes, it happened. I want 3 miles in 33 minutes. I started at a 14 minute paced walked and gradually got up to a 10 minute mile pace. It was ok. There were three twinges in each set of 10 minutes, but otherwise ok. I have not run yet. This one will be a late one for we are having a LATE dinner with my in laws (8 pm) and the cousins are all going to be babysat by grandma ( 5.5 year old, 5 year old and a 2.5 year old..LOL). Pizzas for them. Japanese for us. I did bike a hard one hour ride ( set it at 7..17 miles) this morning to give me 240 minutes for the week. My plan is to run at least 40 minutes, 50 if I am really ambitious. The plan is still to be at an 8 minute pace at September 15. Oh by the way, the aftermath of yesterday's run was good. It was tight ( soleus) ,but I was not hobbling. More news at 10.

Nope. I was actually fine with not running yesterday. Why? Because I wanted to start this week with fresh legs. With a fresh mind. With a fresh attitude. I will run at 5 pm. 50 minute run. Ready to rock. Mine is in the right place. I biked this morning on level 7 for one hour. My plan is to continue my hour bike rides in the morning and run in the afternoon. That will get me back in shape. Also, my brother in law ( who is training for a marathon..Houston, actually) wants me to do the Houston Half Marathon on October 26. Humm. Can I? Should I? We shall see. Let us just get back to an 8 minute pace, then 7:30 pace and then 7 minute pace. The rest is gravy.