Clawing My Way Back

Sure. There is always run. It is an up and back course. It is mid sized (1000 folks) and run pretty well. This is the third year they are running it. I am thinking 7:30 pace right now, but reserve the right to change. I am just trying to get back to whatever normality is.

Thanks for the information on the socks.

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:Thanks for the information on the socks.

Sure. They have helped a ton. That much I can tell ya.

It was not fun, but necessary. It did ache, but it was necessary. It was not comfortable, but it was necessary. 56:42 for 7 miles. Yep, 8:06 pace. Tomorrow, 8 minute pace for 7 miles and we will stay there until my legs are comfortable and I do not feel any tinges or slight pulls. I am thinking Wednesday. I have 25 miles this week.

Did not run Saturday. Just too much to do and I thought, you know what, maybe it would be cool to watch The Tudors all afternoon and that is what we did. Today. Well, I wanted an 8 minute pace. I got a 7:54 pace. It was ok. Not bad, not great, but ok. I ran 39:30 for 5 miles and am pleased. Tomorrow, 8 minute pace for 7 miles until Wednesday, then uptick in pace. I do plan to run an easy 30 minute run tomorrow morning. I have 5 miles this week.

Yep. A slow 3 mile (30:00) run this morning to loosen this joints up. Today will be a fun day. We have a new system for our library that deals with printing. I am thinking it might not be good. Always bad communication is abound and we just started one hour ago. 7 miles this afternoon at an 8 minute pace. The emphasis is being comfortable. I should be. Hit, check each 10 minutes mentally and then go on to the next ten minutes. I would love to watch the Olympics during my run, but there is one television and the other treadmills ( the one I use now can go faster than 7:30 pace) is in front of mirrors. Lovely. I just want to see myself run ( my horrible form..trust me, it is ....). I have 8 miles this week.



(PS, What I meant by running with Roddick is...Andy played this morning ..well this afternoon London time. He looked ok, not great, but ok. I hope his head is back in the game...he has to play Novak Djokovic next. Not much hope there...if Djokovich is at the top of his game...)

Yes, yes I am. Ok, the latter half of the day Monday, no run. I just took the day off. Yesterday, it was good. Ok, not great. Very humid inside, but ok. I ran a 7:54 pace for 7 miles. For just a little part of it, I tried a 7:48 pace ( around the 3.5 mile mark), but my soleus starting pulling and I backed off. It was bothering me just a bit around the 6.78 mark, but it settled down. I am thinking 7:54 pace again today at 4 pm. I jogged two miles in 20 minutes this morning just to loosen things up. Otherwise, I am thinking 7:48 maybe Thursday. I have 17 miles this week.

Well, I know this will be slow going back. I thought I would be at 7:30 pace by now. I then pushed it back to Friday. It is looking like maybe Monday. Goodness, I am so impatient. Now, to today's run. It was not good. I hated it. It was hot, I am grumpy and I just wanted it over with. When I am staring at the clock and each minute cannot go by fast enough, I know I can think of 50 million other things I would rather be doing. That being said, I ran 6 miles because that is all the time I had for. I ran a 47:24 for 6 miles (7:54 pace) and I know if I tried to pick it up, my soleus would have choice words for me. I will try again tomorrow. I will see if a 7:48 pace will work. Sigh. Legs were dead too. With that, I am going to read tonight and just veg. I have 23 miles this week.

I got on the treadmill yesterday. Felt like crud. I mean total crud. I know when I am feeling like that, I am done. Toast. Felt like I can recharge tomorrow. Plan to run 7 miles today at a 7:54 pace...may try to look at 7:48 pace for 7 miles. I know I will be back to 7:30 pace, but I want to rush it, but know I am in it for the long haul. I also know that if I do not watch the Olympics here at work (the women's 10K), I will never get to watch it. Sigh.

I think, I have not read all of it, that my dissertation chair has crushed me again. Sigh. Oh well, I am hoping I do not have to complete rewrite two chapters again. Back to running. Not bad. I started at a 7:54 pace watching the Women's 10,000 meter race. I then actually sped up to a 7:42 pace (yep) for the last 4 miles. It was good. Really good. I am thinking if I can run between 53:30 -53:12 for 7 miles tomorrow, we are really cooking. Then I am shooting for 7:30 pace. I have 30 miles this week.

Farah, that is. Great race. What a race. Anyway, I felt that I should dial it back a bit for the next two days. Just wanted my muscles to catch up and then start banging out the 7:30 pace numbers again. Today was a 55:45 for 7 miles, but I was not pleased with one thing. Oh my fitness is coming along nicely. Barely broke a rushed breath, but the soleus was tight. I am ok, but it was tight. Maybe I should warmup tomorrow morning, not sure. Tomorrow will be a 8 minute pace too. Otherwise, meeting with my dissertation chair tomorrow at 10 am. He did not destroy my two chapters as much as I feared ( although he has EIGHTY-FOUR corrections to it. Sigh). The last time I turned in something to him (February), I had to completely rewrite the chapters from scratch. I end with 37 miles this week ( up from 25 miles last week). Monday should be the start of the way back home.

Yes. Sigh. Yes. Sunday was ok. It was a jog and meant to be that way. 48 minutes for 5 miles and that was it. Yesterday was supposed to be a stepping out today. I was pumped and psyched. I figured 3 miles at a 7:42 pace and 4 miles at a 7:36 pace to transition to all 7:36 pace and so on. Nope. Nope. Nope. The first 3.5 miles at 7:42 pace were ok, but get this, now my gastrocs are acting up again. The soleus is not great and now this. I backed off to a 7:48 and held on until the 5 mile mark and shut it down. I was bummed. I mean bummed. The time (38:41) did not matter. So, I figured let us review the bidding. The looser I felt was A) when I jogged in the morning, B) massaged the soleus and gastrocs with my thumb and the stick and C) warmed up. Well, that is what I am doing today. Today is a 1 pm run. So far, I have run 3 miles in 30 minutes ( the last two were at a 9 minute pace). Massaged the gastrocs and soleus. I will warm up today as well. I plan a 55:18 for 7 miles to see what is going on. If my understanding is correct, I should be ok. Now, 7:36 maybe this Friday, but this time around, the compartment syndrome is stubborn. As of now, the Lake Houston 10K is on hold. I was not going to sign up until August 23 anyway, so this give me more time. Yes, I took fluids in, so that ( I do not think) is an issue. I have 13 miles this week.

Well I have found a base without pain or pulling. This will take longer than expected. I am ok, bummed but ok. At least I am running. For me, it took an eternity to finish 7 miles. It was hot and humid ( I check the YMCA, 78 degrees, 69 percent humidity. Love the Y) and I was soaked. I watched womens volleyball while running. The base is 8 minutes per mile. My soleus was good, but not great. My gastroc was good, but not great. It pulled (gastroc) one small time around the 50 minute mark for a second and was gone. Otherwise, 8 minute pace for 7 miles until at least Friday. I cannot rush this. My luck I will be at a 7:30 pace comfortably the week of the race. Fun. Oh and I was told that I have until August 16 to sign up so I can get the goodie bag and shirt, otherwise I can register all the way to the day of the race. Right now, I have not signed up. I was waiting until August 23. I am not sure they had this rule the past two years. Until tomorrow, the stick, lots of ART and massage on the soleus and gastrocs. I have 20 miles this week.

It may not seem like it, but it looks to me that you're making progress. Not as fast as you'd like, but progress.

I wonder if accumulated stress from your dissertation work is messing with your normal healing process? At any rate, if you sneak up on it and keep the intensity a little lower than you'd like, maybe your body would let you open it up a little bit later this month. Might be worth a try...

Mark B wrote:It may not seem like it, but it looks to me that you're making progress. Not as fast as you'd like, but progress.

I wonder if accumulated stress from your dissertation work is messing with your normal healing process? At any rate, if you sneak up on it and keep the intensity a little lower than you'd like, maybe your body would let you open it up a little bit later this month. Might be worth a try...

Well, I am locked into an 8 minute pace until at least Friday. I am not going to push it to 7:30 as I have done with the other flare ups. So yeah, I am thinking of taking that road. Maybe the dissertation is messing with me, who knows. LOL

Team Handball. Not really my thing, but it was something to watch this morning. Well, a 30 minute run is all I am giving myself right now. Just enough to loosen everything up. I can tell you I started with a 12 minute pace and ended with an 8:30 pace. I was soaked and hot, but ok. Otherwise, 56 minute run today at the YMCA. Oh and I gave myself a 1/4 mile warmup yesterday. I have 23 miles this week.

Thursday, I did not get to run at all

Friday-morning 3 miler only

Saturday, 7 miles at 55:14. Legs were good. Not great. Still sore after running. Sunday, nothing. I had it set up, but the in laws came over and whammo, no running. Sigh. Today, 7 miles at 55:14 at the YMCA.We have to get back to 7:30. There is a shot on Thursday if all goes well. This is the most stubborn bout with Compartment Syndrome I have had in awhile. Sigh.

Not bad. It was extremely humid yesterday ( 78 degrees, 68 percent humidity), but liveable. 55:18 for 7 miles. Soleus was good. Not great, but good. Today, 3 miles in 29:30, with the last two at 8 minute pace. Later today, 7 miles at 54:30 as I slowly start to get back to where I was. Race is August 25, but still on the fence. I will know more Monday, August 20. Have to get all my miles in this week, for Saturday, we are going to San Antonio to see Shamu and Sea World. I have 10 miles this week.

You know, I am not really griping, but I am. Last year was an oven here. Just an oven. This year, more humidity, but less in temperatures. For my book, they are both bad. It was just disgusting yesterday. I know, you all are saying, " But he runs inside, give me a break. He has air conditioning". Yes, I do. But it was 79 degrees yesterday and it was 71 percent humidity. Yes, you read that right. 71 percent humidity. By the second mile, my shirt was soaked ( I have a wicked shirt), by the fifith mile, wow. Just wow. The run was ok. 54:30 for 7 miles. Most of it was at a 7:48 pace with the last two miles at a 7:42 pace. Today's goal will be three miles at a 7:42 pace and 4 at a 7:36 pace. Slowly I am making my way back. I will say that last night I tweaked my upper hamstring, but it is better. I am thinking, ice and ibruprofen should do the trick. The run will start at 4 pm. I have 17 miles this week.

Ya know, I sweat just as much indoors on the mill as outside. The big difference for me is the direct sunlight. If it's too hot outside (92+), and sunny, that's when I take it inside.

I know. I know. I used to take one Powerade with me to work and just get my 20-25 oz before the run and finish it off afterward. Yesterday, (after the run) was so bad that A) I drank it all on the way home, B) had not one, not two but three glasses of Coke ( Yeah, I know) at my 8 th anniversary dinner with my wife. So, yeah, it was bad yesterday. Today I have two Powerades for consumption.

Thursday, I did not get to run in the afternoon. Had a hot and sweaty 30 minute run in which I got 3.3 miles. Not too bad. Last mile and a half was at an 8 minute pace. Things are starting to get better. Friday, no morning run but afternoon run. I will tell you this. I am pooped. A happy pooped, but worn out. 53:12 for 7 miles. Now, in the olden days, this was a striding workout. Today, nope. This is the fastest I have run in 7 weeks. I just stuck to a 7:36 pace and finished. It was raining outside, so the humidity was bad, but tolerable. Tomorrow, I will run for 40 minutes. The afternoon should be a 53:12 again. I have 28 miles this week.

This has been the longest my compartment syndrome has affected me in a long time. Well, the plan. I did not run this morning, but that is ok. The plan is this. 53:12 today, 56 minutes tomorrow and 53:12 for Monday and Tuesday. We will then review on Wednesday, but it might be a 7:36/7:30 blend. I did try to run a 7:30 pace yesterday between miles 4 and 5, but nope, my soleus stated, "not today". The race is August 25 at 7 am, but not sure. I will know probably Friday. Until today's race report.....

I was going to set out at a 7:36 pace, but with rolling thunderstorms coming through the area, I know I was in for it. Actually, it hindered my running at the start because we kept getting fluctuations in the lines, causing the lights to blink at least 7 times. That being said, it was, 7:54 pace for 7 miles and get it done. Goodness, it was humid. Right now, it is 83 degrees and 95 percent humidity. I cannot wait for this wind shift ( ok, the NWS is calling it a front) to come through. High Monday, 92, low, 72. Dew points in the upper 50's. Shangri La. Well, 55:18 for 7 miles today. 55:18 for 7 miles tomorrow ( the humidity will be just as bad tomorrow). Then we hit the bricks with a 7:36 paced run Monday and Tuesday. We then see about Wednesday. Still on the fence for the race this Saturday. I ended with 35 miles this week.

Yep. Not too bad. My in-laws came over and I thought, well the run is out. We have the plan ready for this week, so all is not lost (Monday-Tuesday, 7:36 pace, Wednesday, half 7:36 and half 7:30 pace and Thursday-Friday, 7:30 pace). Well, they ( my in-laws and wife) decided to do Insanity. I am not sure what that is, but it pooped the wife. They went to the in-laws house and I threw in a quick 39:30 for 5 miles. Legs were much better today. It was actually ok. I was worried about the soreness, but there was none. I think we are getting there. I have 5 miles this week.