Clawing My Way Back

Well, from my blog. Wow. Well, it has been a rough three weeks. Life and writing got in the way. I have had some good runs and just runs. For the past three weeks, 30 miles each week. I still have my tweaked groin, but I am hoping the ART will do some good. I ran 6 miles in 48 minutes on Sunday, took Monday off and ran 5 miles at 39:30 this morning. The first mile was at 8:30 and I slowly ramped it up to a 7:42 pace at the end. I have to stay late today for a history department meeting, so I will run 7 miles at the YMCA in the 4 pm hour. Right now, I have 11 miles this week.

No run yesterday afternoon. I was in meetings from 4 pm to 9 pm. Fun. Just fun. Today, I wanted to have a 7 miler. I really did. Then time shrunk it to a 6 miler, then it ended up being a 5 miler after a meeting with the COO of the college about my budget. Fun. It started out at a 8 minute pace after one mile, but 29:30 for the last four miles gave me a 37:30, so I am happy with that. I will run 5 miles tomorrow before my meeting at 9 am. I have 16 miles this week.

After meeting with the COO, given the budgets for colleges these days, I'm kind of surprised you didn't just keep on running...

I know. 2012-2013 will be dicey. Very dicey Mark. I ran 5 miles yesterday. First 2 miles, 16:45 and ended up with a 39:30. I have run a one mile warmup and will do a 56 minute run with a cool down. I talked to my DC and this time he MANDATED an 8 minute pace for one week to let items heal. Also, mandated a warm up. Ughhh. I will have 30 miles again after this run. I am now ready for the 40 mile train.

Hey Michael I hear you on life just stepping and taking over! Hope that groin continues to heal for you. LOL about your distaste in having to do a warm-up mile. I always tell myself that I'm going to do that and then the next thing I know about less then a .25 mile in I'm already speeding up or cranking up the treadmill!

I had it in my mind to do a warm up. I really did. Did I? Nope. Dang it. 7 miles in 55:18 and it felt ok. Not great, but ok. I was a little tired. First 7 miler in two weeks.

Well, Monday was a holiday for me. You would think, woo hoo, time for running. Umm, no. I did, however run 5 miles. Yes, 38:50, but it was ok. No, real pain. Tuesday, I was not able to run at all. I am serious. Our meeting went way long. Wednesday, humm. I just will not listen. The run was good, but afterwards it hurt. 7:30 pace the whole way, ending in a 52:30. Sigh. Today, a 7 miler yes. I am using a heat pad to see if I can accelerate healing. I want to have a lunch run, but with our budget meetings, may not get it. We shall see. I have 19 miles this week

Just keep at it, Micheal; it'll get better.

As the work stress increases, remember that your body can't differentiate between the stress of a workout or the stress of an aggravating work situation. If work is hammering on you hard right now, it's wise to not go out and hammer out a bunch of hard runs. It'll only break you down.

Mark B wrote:Just keep at it, Micheal; it'll get better.

As the work stress increases, remember that your body can't differentiate between the stress of a workout or the stress of an aggravating work situation. If work is hammering on you hard right now, it's wise to not go out and hammer out a bunch of hard runs. It'll only break you down.

I guess. Still have budget woes. 2012-2013 is going to be one heck of a challenge. Really..

A little better. I sat on a heating pad all day long. It was still bothering me on the run, but really not that bad. I will take two Advil tonight and use the pad again. I might ice bath it too. The pad still seemed to help. The run. The first two miles, 15:55 and the last 5 miles 37:20 for a 53:15 for 7 miles, a 7:37 pace. It was really humid out there, so tomorrow will be fun. I have 26 miles this week.

I wanted to run Friday, but it was hot. Houston hit a high of 81, a record. It was just hot and I said, to heck with this. Today, it was hot inside (80..yep, 80) and 69 outside. I could not get the upstairs to cool down, so I roasted while I ran. I ran a 52:30 for 7 miles with a two mile cool down for 35 miles for the week. In all, it was a good week. Two 52:30's and 53:15 with a 38:30 thrown in. Yes, I can say we are slowly coming back. The pain was not what it once was. Still, heating pad and ice will be in the offing tonight.

It was hot again. Hot again. 81 degrees inside. Goodness gracious. I thought it was going to be an easy day. Nope. Not at all. I got my 54:30 for 7 miles in and I am done. Maybe tomorrow will be better, but I am thinking no. Goodness. I am thinking we are not going to be ok until Thursday. This feels like the summer from hell ( the summer we just had) I am soaked through and through. I gotta go take a cold shower. This is for the birds. The only positive is that the wife is starting to walk/jog again and is open to the idea of someday doing a race. Will keep you posted.

ounce wrote:It's a better day, today. At 3:15, I ran 4 miles before the drier air came through, then at 4:45, when I went to CrossFit, the drier air was here and it was a bit cooler!

Now maybe some soaking rain tomorrow and Wednesday.

Oh good, now we get to here him complain about the rain too....

Goodness I hate rain. I just hate it. I had to do that for my fans. No, we do need the rain. There is one small caveat to this. I have to be in downtown Houston for court Wednesday at 1 pm. This is RIGHT at the height of the rain. Downtown floods. Lovely. My running. I had 40 minutes to run yesterday. Just 40 minutes. I ran a 37:30 for 5 miles and I was done. It was hurting a little on the groin, but otherwise, ok. Today, get this. I have 40 minutes to run. That is it. Why? I have a class to teach from 11:15 to 12:15-12:30. I then have an executive team meeting from 1:30 pm to 5 pm. If I do get out at 5 pm, I can get home in 35 minutes. My wife will be with my son for swimming lessons from 5:30 to 6 pm and get home at 6:15. I will have from 5:35 to 6:20 to run. Sigh. 37:30 5 miler it seems will be there. Also, tomorrow, we leave for court at 11 am ( the rains) and I will have from 9 am to 10 am to run. Fun. I have 12 miles this week.

See, I told you he would complain about the rain....

Ha ha ha ha. You guys are killing me. No, the court time has been moved from 1 pm to 11:30 am. Right in the HEART of the torrential rain expected. Lovely. No, it looks like I will be running in the afternoon around 5 pm. I am having to take a vacation day to cover it. Sigh. Today. Well, I beat them coming back. As of this writing, they are still not here. Humm. Well, first mile was at 7:54 and I ended up with a 37:30 for 5 miles. Just enough time to squeeze in something. It was ok. Not too much pain. Oh and it looks like I will lose a toenail. Lovely. I have 17 miles this week.

I thought Michael didn't really exist, so what does it matter if it's raining out

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:I thought Michael didn't really exist, so what does it matter if it's raining out

He runs inside so I am not sure why he is complaining about it...even though it was predictable that he would.

Good gosh it was raining. We left the courthouse and running to the parking garage ( one block over), I was soaked. I mean soaked. I did not run yesterday. Too much going on. I ran a 5 miler today. It was ok. Very erratic though. I could not get into rhythm to save my neck. Very odd footfalls and I was BOUNCING all over the place. Well, I ran a 37:20 and called it a day. I really did not even want to run, but had to get something in. Tomorrow will be a double. 5 in the morning and 7 in the afternoon. I have 23 miles this week.

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:I thought Michael didn't really exist, so what does it matter if it's raining out

ha ha ha. Oh you all are just killing me. Well, humidity does count. Even though I am a treadmill runner for at least one to two more years, I do have humidity to deal with. One day I will show you all I am more than a "paper tiger" (Jerry's words, not mine..tee hee). Let me get my dissertation done and work slow down to at least light speed....LOL

Joel H wrote:

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:I thought Michael didn't really exist, so what does it matter if it's raining out

He runs inside so I am not sure why he is complaining about it...even though it was predictable that he would.

Well Joel knows I exist. LOL. I have actually run with him. Sigh. Like I told him at the Trials, you can make fun of me brother, but I am still faster than you ( he said, for the moment..LOL)

ounce wrote:

Joel H wrote:

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:I thought Michael didn't really exist, so what does it matter if it's raining out

He runs inside so I am not sure why he is complaining about it...even though it was predictable that he would.

Today, getting downtown won't be the issue. Getting OUT of downtown will be the issue. The Austin airport already broke the record for rain on this day at almost 6 inches. SA broke their record, too, that went back to 1889.

And toenails exist for girls to paint them and runners to yank them off, when they go purple.

Michele should be enjoying our rain on Friday.

Yeah it was bad Ounce. It was really bad out there. After I was soaked, we went and had dinner at the Downtown Aquarium. Well, we were soaked. I thought there would driers in the bathrooms. Nope. We suffered. They had the A/C on. More suffering. Lovely.