Clawing My Way Back

Just catching up some, Michael, and you've really had some leg problems here. It's definitely really frustrating when this happens. I hope you can find the answer soon, it can be so elusive to find the root cause.

Yeah, I agree. For the longest time, no one knew what it was. Very frustrating. I have not run a 37 10K since 1997, a 40 since 1999 and I did run a 42 in 2010, so that is progress as it were. I walked for 40 minutes today (13 minute pace..3.35 miles) and get this, no tightness, nothing. I have not earthly idea what that means. Nothing. I have an ART appointment today at 3:45 pm and I bet my DC/PA will tell me to run. I just bet. The man is a TOTAL optimist and I love it. He has been like that for 6 years with me. Also, I am going to pound out my frustrations for one hour on the bike at lunch (day before yesterday was 17 miles. Not sure I can keep up that pace today). I am just so frustrated, I need to take it out on something. Also, planning ahead, I am thinking I should be (if everything goes well) at an 8 minute pace by Wednesday. That would project me at 7:30 pace by Saturday or next Monday. Also (if I can do this), I will start running in the morning. Yeah, I hate it, but to get it out the way is great. That would leave me with a one hour bike ride or swim every other day at 4 pm. If I can do it, I am essentially triathlon training. Now, I am just getting my head around it, so bear with me.

Bummer man, sorry it is still bothering you. Fingers crossed you get it taken care of soon.

Me too. Me too. I am going to take it out on a bike in an hour.

Sorry Michael. Just bike more then.

Jerry wrote:Sorry Michael. Just bike more then.

Yes Coach...

I RAN. I RAN. I RAN. Not the Flock of Seagulls song ( uuughhh), but I ran. 10 minute pace. 50 minutes. 5 miles. First time since last Friday. Woo Hoo. Today, I want to run, but we are so busy ( Papi and son date...I am taking him out to dinner and a movie..Mommy is having a dinner party with the girls), I have to go to Lake Houston with my brother in law and I have to mow, so it might not make today. I can say this. There were portions of the run I so could have gone faster. I am thinking of experimenting with 9 or 8:30 pace on Sunday. If I hit an 8:30 pace on Sunday, then I will go 7 miles...then get to an 8 minute pace and hold it all week. I have an ART appointment on Tuesday, Orthotic on Monday. I think we are getting better.

Sigh. We are getting there. Slowly, but surely. Wow. I think each time I have an attack, it takes longer to get back. First, the preventative measures. Instead of waiting for the attack, we will do two things. First, I have an appointment with the orthotics each month. She wants to make sure all is well and to see them and the wearing down process it takes. Second, ART each month. Just having my DC check on my legs is preventative. Now, to the running. I ran Monday. I ran at a 9 minute pace for 6 miles. I did try an 8:30 pace, but it was pulling, so I backed off. I took Tuesday off ( well, I was forced to...meetings...LOL). This morning, 2 miles in 30 minutes. I was really going slow. My whole thing was just getting the muscles to stretch and be plyable again. Today, my goal is 7 miles in one hour (8:30 pace). I should be able to, but I am sure it will filled with angst. My next goal, 8 minute pace for 7 miles. I am thinking Friday, although it could be Saturday. The next long range goal, 7:30 pace by next Friday. I have 8 miles this week.

I wonder if you could help heal this up and prevent a recurrence by easing up on the intensity and working in more ridiculously slow (for you) recovery runs? Your body could just be sick of hammering and in the mood for some long slow distance. Just a thought.

I have two easy days incorporated into my weeks. I do run at a 7:30 pace, but that is not hard on me. The orthotics, compression socks and ART have now lengthened the attacks to once a year, so I am making progress. It used to be once every six months.

Mark B wrote:I wonder if you could help heal this up and prevent a recurrence by easing up on the intensity and working in more ridiculously slow (for you) recovery runs? Your body could just be sick of hammering and in the mood for some long slow distance. Just a thought.

Mark - Michael can't run slow, it isn't in his nature. I have tried telling him that for the past 5 yrs and he won't listen. He NEEDS to slow down on some of his runs to slower than 8 minute pace or even slower but he won't. His excuse is he has 1 hr to run...my response is just don't run as far some days during that 1 hr. Apparently he is ok with getting injured at least once a year based on his last post. Sigh.....when will he ever learn?!?!?!?!

Joel H wrote:

Mark B wrote:I wonder if you could help heal this up and prevent a recurrence by easing up on the intensity and working in more ridiculously slow (for you) recovery runs? Your body could just be sick of hammering and in the mood for some long slow distance. Just a thought.

Mark - Michael can't run slow, it isn't in his nature. I have tried telling him that for the past 5 yrs and he won't listen. He NEEDS to slow down on some of his runs to slower than 8 minute pace or even slower but he won't. His excuse is he has 1 hr to run...my response is just don't run as far some days during that 1 hr. Apparently he is ok with getting injured at least once a year based on his last post. Sigh.....when will he ever learn?!?!?!?!

But Michael is not fast in any standard, especially his own past. In all, he just can't run ....... in Houston.

Joel H wrote:

Mark B wrote:I wonder if you could help heal this up and prevent a recurrence by easing up on the intensity and working in more ridiculously slow (for you) recovery runs? Your body could just be sick of hammering and in the mood for some long slow distance. Just a thought.

Mark - Michael can't run slow, it isn't in his nature. I have tried telling him that for the past 5 yrs and he won't listen. He NEEDS to slow down on some of his runs to slower than 8 minute pace or even slower but he won't. His excuse is he has 1 hr to run...my response is just don't run as far some days during that 1 hr. Apparently he is ok with getting injured at least once a year based on his last post. Sigh.....when will he ever learn?!?!?!?!

Yes.

Jerry wrote:

Joel H wrote:

Mark B wrote:I wonder if you could help heal this up and prevent a recurrence by easing up on the intensity and working in more ridiculously slow (for you) recovery runs? Your body could just be sick of hammering and in the mood for some long slow distance. Just a thought.

Mark - Michael can't run slow, it isn't in his nature. I have tried telling him that for the past 5 yrs and he won't listen. He NEEDS to slow down on some of his runs to slower than 8 minute pace or even slower but he won't. His excuse is he has 1 hr to run...my response is just don't run as far some days during that 1 hr. Apparently he is ok with getting injured at least once a year based on his last post. Sigh.....when will he ever learn?!?!?!?!

But Michael is not fast in any standard, especially his own past. In all, he just can't run ....... in Houston.

Yes.

Nope, not the oncoming train. Maybe it is. LOL. 7 miles. One hour. 8:34 pace. Everything was ok until around the 47 minute mark when I felt a tinging, but it was ok. I trundled through an d I got it done. I am sure I will be sore tomorrow, so a 30 minute jog will be in the offing. Also, I am going to try 7 miles at an 8:20 pace. We shall see. The goal is Friday at an 8 minute pace and I might get there. I have 15 miles for the week. To Jerry and Joel, yes. I do not like running slower than an 8 minute pace. Yes, I like to get it done quickly. Yes, I only have an hour to run. Yes, senator, I did spend that money. Oops. LOL

Mmm. Yesss. Understand, I finally do.

To accept the world on its terms, not his, our young Michael must consider.

Bend to his indomitable will, it will not.

Mark B wrote:Mmm. Yesss. Understand, I finally do.

To accept the world on its terms, not his, our young Michael must consider.

Bend to his indomitable will, it will not.

Accept this, I must.

Ok. For all the newbies to this side of our universe or cave and think, "Why does this man have a blog when he is not actively training for any race?", I shall tell you. Here is a little background on me. As I have stated before, I ran in high school and college. I was ok, not great, but I did not end up last every race. My all time PRs are this:



1600 meter; 4:39 (April 1984 District 24 4A track meet..got 8th)

3200 meter: 9:35 (March 1983 Sharpstown High School meet, cinder track and it was COLD. LOL)

5000 meter: 15:25 (March 1985 Tarleton State University meet, got run over twice, ended up 7 th and also got spiked, again COLD)

10000 meter: 31:25 (March 1985 Ranger College Track All Comers, we just ran it on a cinder track at school) (I do remember the first mile being 5:10 and I being so fresh. I ran a 32:45 in June 1985) with my best friend Joel on our high school track (cinder) when this guy who ran for Alabama came up on the 20th lap and asked, "Can I join you?', we looked at each other and said, "Sure" . He paced us to the end.)



Now, fast forward to now. I have compartment syndrome. It started back in 1991, April of that year. I was running on at track (Durham Academy High School, Durham, NC) in front of my then wife. I was running freely, as always did when, WHAM, I felt like I had been shot. I mean, it stopped me dead in my tracks. From then on, my running has always been held back. I have never run full guns anytime or any day since. I have wanted to, but the fear of the calf attacks, knots and gastroc pulls have limited what I can do. Now, with ART, Compression Socks and Orthotics, I have gotten my time down to 6:48 per mile for 7 miles ( two years ago) and should be able to do that again ( even 6:30 pace) if I wanted to train. I run because it is a destressing mechanism. With a dissertation still being written, a library of over 33K books (with a staff of 14), a toddler and a wife working on her dissertation, I am limited as to what I can do. In that mode, 7:30 pace is still easy to me. It is not hard. The elements make it hard, not the stamina nor the leg turn over. 8 minutes is easy to me. I think in the big scope of things, I can enjoy it more the faster I am. I have been to the mountain top. I have seen the snow. I have felt it all. For me, running is a part of my life, but not the biggest part. Will it one day, that is hard to say. Do I want to win a race? Gosh, maybe. Am I content to run a 7:30 pace (or 7:15) for a race and get top five in my age group? Sure. Just knowing I can compete at training pace is cool. In five years, it maybe different. Right now, if I can get back to 7 minute pace, I am happy. Who knows what 50 or 55 will bring? I just want to retard the attacks on my gastrocs and soleus muscles for as long as I can. Thanks for listening.

After deliberating with myself this morning (yeah, I do that a lot), there were three choices I came up with on today's run.



1. Run an 8:20 pace for 7 miles. Just sit back and take stock of what the soleus and gastrocs are doing.

2. Run an 8:06 pace, doing the same thing, but getting closer to the 8 minute barrier I want to hit Friday or the latest Saturday

3. Run an 8:06 pace for as I can, knowing I can dial it back to 8:13 or 8:20 if it starts to tighten up and finishing 7 miles like that



Game time decision. I bet I will not know until I start at 4 pm.

Michael - since I have similar calf/Achilles issues right now (actually driving the 2.5 hrs to Cleveland tomorrow for an ART appointment), I just wondered what compression socks or calf sleeves you wear. I picked up some cheapos at the local Walmart (seriously) and they actually seem to work, but I'd like to get some "real" ones that I know other have had success with.

I went to a specialtiy shop, Luke's Locker and got



CEP Compression Socks. I have the black and the white.



http://www.cepcompression.com/1928-Running-Compression-Socks.aspx



I have been using them since September 2011. Besides this one flare up with Compartment Syndrome, I have not had an attack since June 2011.

Thanks for the bio, Michael. Have you considered compartment release surgery?

Mark B wrote:Thanks for the bio, Michael. Have you considered compartment release surgery?

I have considered it and will not at this time. I think I will let all three measures retard the situation until it is a thing of the past. Hopefully.

A meeting that started at 2:30 pm and was supposed to end at 3:30 pm, ended at 5 pm. Sheesh. No run. No way. Goodnight Charlie. Oh well. Ran 3 miles this morning in 30 minutes. The soleus was pulling, but when I put on the recovery compression socks, gone. Whammo and gone. Today, 7 miles. I am thinking 8 minute pace. I really am pushing for it. I am just going to get on it and do it. Whatever happens, happens. The run should start at 3:30 pm. Details to follow. I have 18 miles this week.

Glad to see no pulling this morning, fingers crossed you get it down to 8 min pace today. After all these summer evening runs, I am wondering if I should join you for the 10k, I mean it can't be worse than mid 90s and high humidity at 7am in the morning....hhmmmm!!!