Trails for Two

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:Rehab Run with Alita: 3.61 miles

Weather: Windy and rainy, 53° Gear: Topos, pants, T, jacket, hat,

A bit of wild weather this morning, with gusty winds and blowing rain. At least the rain wasn't heavy.

Our paces varied quite a lot -- Alita wasn't feeling it this morning -- but we finished strong. After the 10 minute walking warmup, we did four sets of 8 minutes running, 1 minute walking. Definitely actual running now. And due to the extra time we're taking, we got up *before* 4 a.m. to get it done. A whole different way of breaking into the 3s! ;-)

At least you didn't have to worry about getting overheated with the conditions.

Ah, yes, I remember those days of getting to sleep in to 4 a.m. before a run.  Good times!

Gratz on actually running.

No, overheating is not a big issue at this point. (Though it does make those spring races in balmy 60-degree sunshine awfully challenging.)

We're going to have to keep getting up earlier as the time/distance of the protocol increases. Picked a bad time to go off coffee.

PT work this morning. (aka, enter the pain cave)

1) Swiss curls, single legged: 3 x 10 each leg. Left leg is starting to figure it out, right leg? It's trying.
2) Arabesques, 3 x 25 (very wobbly this morning)
3) Side planks, each side: 3 x 60 seconds. (felt harder than usual today)
4) Calf exercises, each side: 3 x 15, first of three sets today. (ditto)

Some days, you feel like PT work. Others, you do it anyway.

Rehab Run with Alita: 4.42 miles

Weather: Partly cloudy, cooling. 46° Gear: Topos, shorts, long-sleeved T, jacket, hat gloves.

Wrapped up Step 5 of the protocol today: 10 minutes walking, 8 minutes running, 1 minute walking, 5 sets.

We finally got around to running at sunset, so we're continuing our in-the-dark streak, which I suppose will be good practice for the 24-hour race. Running in the dark will be nothing - the daylight will be freaky for us!

The run went well. It really is a run now. I tried to keep the pace even and just glanced up at my splits and wsa blown away to see just how even they were:

15:35 (includes warm up walk)
12:09.35
12:09.38
12:09.98
12:09.64.



How in the heck did we do that?

We kicked it up a bit in the last minute or so to stretch out the legs. I think we hit an 8:09 pace. Whee!

Mark B wrote:Rehab Run with Alita: 4.42 miles

Weather: Partly cloudy, cooling. 46° Gear: Topos, shorts, long-sleeved T, jacket, hat gloves.

Wrapped up Step 5 of the protocol today: 10 minutes walking, 8 minutes running, 1 minute walking, 5 sets.

We finally got around to running at sunset, so we're continuing our in-the-dark streak, which I suppose will be good practice for the 24-hour race. Running in the dark will be nothing - the daylight will be freaky for us!

The run went well. It really is a run now. I tried to keep the pace even and just glanced up at my splits and wsa blown away to see just how even they were:

15:35 (includes warm up walk)
12:09.35
12:09.38
12:09.98
12:09.64.



How in the heck did we do that?

We kicked it up a bit in the last minute or so to stretch out the legs. I think we hit an 8:09 pace. Whee!

You put one foot in front of the other, faster.  Duh.

As far as transitioning to daylight running, well, just do the best that you can.  I can say there are times when I like night running over daylight, first and foremost because headlights are more visible than the car, when I turn my head to see if any cars are coming to an intersection I will be crossing soon.  Fewer cars are another.  However, I do have to watch drivers that are stopped at a stop light, then proceed through the red light when there is no cross traffic.

Yesterday, I purchased, at a local sporting goods store, a Wolverine brand, optic green construction shirt that has reflective strips on it for $20.  The shirt comes in long sleeves for $22.  It's nylon and also comes in construction orange.  It fits like a shirt for the regular population, i.e. no tapering.  I just felt it was necessary to become a more visible target at night.

Keep up that running, Mister and Mrs.!

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:Rehab Run with Alita: 4.42 miles

Weather: Partly cloudy, cooling. 46° Gear: Topos, shorts, long-sleeved T, jacket, hat gloves.

Wrapped up Step 5 of the protocol today: 10 minutes walking, 8 minutes running, 1 minute walking, 5 sets.

We finally got around to running at sunset, so we're continuing our in-the-dark streak, which I suppose will be good practice for the 24-hour race. Running in the dark will be nothing - the daylight will be freaky for us!

The run went well. It really is a run now. I tried to keep the pace even and just glanced up at my splits and wsa blown away to see just how even they were:

15:35 (includes warm up walk)
12:09.35
12:09.38
12:09.98
12:09.64.



How in the heck did we do that?

We kicked it up a bit in the last minute or so to stretch out the legs. I think we hit an 8:09 pace. Whee!

You put one foot in front of the other, faster.  Duh.

As far as transitioning to daylight running, well, just do the best that you can.  I can say there are times when I like night running over daylight, first and foremost because headlights are more visible than the car, when I turn my head to see if any cars are coming to an intersection I will be crossing soon.  Fewer cars are another.  However, I do have to watch drivers that are stopped at a stop light, then proceed through the red light when there is no cross traffic.

Yesterday, I purchased, at a local sporting goods store, a Wolverine brand, optic green construction shirt that has reflective strips on it for $20.  The shirt comes in long sleeves for $22.  It's nylon and also comes in construction orange.  It fits like a shirt for the regular population, i.e. no tapering.  I just felt it was necessary to become a more visible target at night.

Keep up that running, Mister and Mrs.!

Faster? No silly, I wasn't amazed by the speed, it was the consistency of the splits.

Anyway, good job on going hi-vis out there. Smart move, since drivers are idiots and don't expect pedestrians (gasp!) out there at all hours of the night.

Do you have a light or headlamp? Nothing gets a half-asleep motorist's attention like a bright light shining right at their face when they pull up to an intersection. It's saved my bacon a few times.

Rehab Run with Alita: 2 miles

Weather: Rainy. 45° Gear: Topos, pants, t, pullover, jacket, hat, gloves.

Stage 6 means 10 minutes walking and 15 minutes running... and that's it. The goal is to add stress to the injured part of the body, gently. It was nearly twice as much running at a single go than the previous step. If all goes well this week, we ratchet the time up next week.

Since it was raining, a shorter run was kinda okay. We dressed a little too warm for the conditions -- that 10 minute walk at the start throws everything off -- but the shorter time meant we were just starting to get overheated when it was time to shut it down.

(I also did my PT exercises on Sunday but didn't get around to logging it. I said I was happy to be done with all the monotonous clamshells and such? Well, at least they weren't technically difficult. I feel like I'm in training for Circ du Soleil now.)

Mark B wrote:Rehab Run with Alita: 2 miles

Weather: Rainy. 45° Gear: Topos, pants, t, pullover, jacket, hat, gloves.

Stage 6 means 10 minutes walking and 15 minutes running... and that's it. The goal is to add stress to the injured part of the body, gently. It was nearly twice as much running at a single go than the previous step. If all goes well this week, we ratchet the time up next week.

Since it was raining, a shorter run was kinda okay. We dressed a little too warm for the conditions -- that 10 minute walk at the start throws everything off -- but the shorter time meant we were just starting to get overheated when it was time to shut it down.

(I also did my PT exercises on Sunday but didn't get around to logging it. I said I was happy to be done with all the monotonous clamshells and such? Well, at least they weren't technically difficult. I feel like I'm in training for Circ du Soleil now.)

Nah, be an understudy for some character in "Hamilton."  Then you won't NEED tickets.

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:Rehab Run with Alita: 2 miles

Weather: Rainy. 45° Gear: Topos, pants, t, pullover, jacket, hat, gloves.

Stage 6 means 10 minutes walking and 15 minutes running... and that's it. The goal is to add stress to the injured part of the body, gently. It was nearly twice as much running at a single go than the previous step. If all goes well this week, we ratchet the time up next week.

Since it was raining, a shorter run was kinda okay. We dressed a little too warm for the conditions -- that 10 minute walk at the start throws everything off -- but the shorter time meant we were just starting to get overheated when it was time to shut it down.

(I also did my PT exercises on Sunday but didn't get around to logging it. I said I was happy to be done with all the monotonous clamshells and such? Well, at least they weren't technically difficult. I feel like I'm in training for Circ du Soleil now.)

Nah, be an understudy for some character in "Hamilton."  Then you won't NEED tickets.

Grumble. Grumble. Grumble. Stupid ticket site. Grumble. Grumble. Grumble.

Balmy evening rehab run with Alita: 2.1 miles

Weather: Partly cloudy, 59° Gear: Topos, shorts!, T!.

We got a break in the rain this evening, and I got off work early, so we headed out for a sunset run, marveling at how much bigger the world looks when it's not limited to the coverage of your headlamp!

It was a nice run, and the 15 minutes of uninterrupted running seems to be agreeing with my knee. (Well, we actually stopped for a photo, but only because the sunset was so gorgeous.) Progress continues.

Rehab Run with Alita: 2 miles

Weather: Partly cloudy, 42° Gear: Topos, pants, T, pullover, jacket, hat, gloves.

Last run in the Level 6 of the progression (15 minutes uninterrupted running after 10 minute walking warm up), so we get to go up by 5-10 minutes next week. Woot! Progress is good.

A cool damp morning, but it wasn't raining. We got up a little later since Alita didn't have work today.

"Hamilton" doesn't interest me because I don't think I could keep up with the lyrics.

Keep up the progress, youngsters!

ounce wrote:"Hamilton" doesn't interest me because I don't think I could keep up with the lyrics.

Keep up the progress, youngsters!

Thanks! We're working the system right now. Then it'll be up to us to figure out what works best.

Rehab Run: 2.8 miles

Weather: Foggy, 44° Gear: Topos, pants, long-sleeved T, jacket, hat, gloves.

A bit of fog as we started out Level 7 this morning: 10 minutes walking, then 25 minutes uninterrupted running. We started out slow but found our pace as the run progressed. Everything seems to be working fine, though my left knee is more sensitive to different road cambers than it used to be. Though that may just be a factor of awareness more than anything.

This was a big jump in time, adding 10 minutes. Our next level adds only 5 more minutes, so this is close to maxing out the program.

I wonder if the camber sensitivity advertises where ground zero is located?

I guess the cats and Alec playing possum, while y'all are running has thwarted nefarious individuals from shopping inside your home?

ounce wrote:I wonder if the camber sensitivity advertises where ground zero is located?

I guess the cats and Alec playing possum, while y'all are running has thwarted nefarious individuals from shopping inside your home?

That's one thing I like about those early hours. The nefarious individuals are all asleep.

I wonder about "ground zero" too. I'm trying to see if I can make my ankle be the thing that adjusts to the camber of the road, rather than the knee. Lots more lateral flexibility down there than one joint up...

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:I wonder if the camber sensitivity advertises where ground zero is located?

I guess the cats and Alec playing possum, while y'all are running has thwarted nefarious individuals from shopping inside your home?

That's one thing I like about those early hours. The nefarious individuals are all asleep.

I wonder about "ground zero" too. I'm trying to see if I can make my ankle be the thing that adjusts to the camber of the road, rather than the knee. Lots more lateral flexibility down there than one joint up...

It could also be the next stop in the chain to fix, too.  If the discomfort continues longer than the other stuff has taken, maybe put a couple of pennies under the innersole of the affected shoe to lift it up a hair or two and see what happens.

No co-pay, today.

Rehab Run: 2.87 miles

Weather: Cloudy, a few raindrops. 41° Gear: Topos, tights, T, pullover, jacket, hat, gloves.

Still on the 10-minute walk, 25-minute running level. It went well. We tend to start out slow and over the first mile creep up toward a pace in the mid 11s. Sometimes on the way back in, we slip into the 10s, but I pull it back. We've taken to speeding up in the last minute -- Alita uses that as a gauge to see if she has anything left in the tank.

The weather is right at the edge of needing warmer gear. I dressed warmer today, which felt better at the start but got warm toward the end. The knee seems fine.

Boy, I hate overdressing.

Is there such a thing as cold acclimation for running?  Down here, it's not an issue, unless it's windy.

ounce wrote:Boy, I hate overdressing.

Is there such a thing as cold acclimation for running?  Down here, it's not an issue, unless it's windy.

There is totally such a thing as cold acclimation. When February rolls around, 42° will feel balmy.

We have to use layers here, since it takes a while to warm up, but when you do -- it can get pretty warm. Sometimes, it's like doing a slow strip tease.

---

Did my PT exercises yesterday, and I'm getting better at the one-legged swiss curls on the ball. Still ridiculously difficult, but better.

We went out for a run this morning, but Alita had some stomach issues -- and forgot her glasses -- so we popped a U-turn partway into our warmup walk and headed back home. We'll try to get the run in tomorrow morning.

Rehab Run with Alita: 3.22 miles

Weather: Overcast, chilly, 38° Gear: Topos, tights, T, pullover, jacket, hat, gloves (shed)

We're at Level 8 now, the final step in the rehab progression. 10 minute walking warmup, 30 minutes running.

It went pretty well, though Alita was experimenting with cadence, and that threw other aspects of her form off. Getting overly technical while running in the dark at 4 a.m. can be problematic. My body didn't mind the run at all, though I'm a little sore from putting up Christmas lights yesterday. (Which would be fine, except half the damn things don't work. Grr.)

WHAT?! She's messing with CADENCE?  Next thing you know, she'll be only running with 1 sock! Oi!  Oi!  What have you been letting that girl read?!?!?!

OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!

ounce wrote:WHAT?! She's messing with CADENCE?  Next thing you know, she'll be only running with 1 sock! Oi!  Oi!  What have you been letting that girl read?!?!?!

OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!

Not my fault! It was a suggestion by our PT.

Speaking of PT...

This is probably my last week of seeing the PT, but my exercises will continue as long as I can be diligent.

Today...

1) Swiss curls, single legged: 3 x 10 each leg. Right leg is starting to figure it out. Left leg is much more solid.
2) Arabesques, 3 x 25
3) Side planks, each side: 3 x 60 seconds.
4) Calf exercises, each side: 3 x 25, followed by 25 double-legged calf raises, for the heck of it.

Maybe you've made her Top 5 list of 'challenging cases' (weird cases).

"Oh, THEN there was SKEWFOOT.  You wouldn't beLIEVE...."

ounce wrote:Maybe you've made her Top 5 list of 'challenging cases' (weird cases).

"Oh, THEN there was SKEWFOOT.  You wouldn't beLIEVE...."

I think it's highly likely that I'm on her list of genetic freaks special cases mutants interesting patients.