Well, I think I can now safely announce that this blog is finished. I’m now continuing the Boston Qualifier Questionnaire, and writing about working out, learning ancient languages, and studying classical history over at my new website Milo and the Calf.
Come on over and check us out at
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I started the long road back to running this week – 3.5 miles of run walk combination completed in 38:40 for an average of a 12:54 mile. It was slow, it was boring, but it was running, pain free running and it has been a long, long time since I have run without pain.
At the beginning of 2012 I though I had recovered from my last set of injuries (groin, ankle). I started to build up the miles again little by little. I thought I was doing it slowly, but clearly it wasn’t slow enough. On March 17th I wrote this in my running journal after a ten miler:
Felt strong through the first six or so then the left PF/achilles started acting weird. Always something.
After that I spent a couple of weeks barely able to walk. Hobbling around New York, wincing in pain every time I had to walk anywhere. I tried running again three weeks later. It was too early. Then more time off, with little improvement. Finally I made a doctor’s appointment, started physical therapy, and a commitment to stretching, icing, and the strengthening exercises the PT prescribed. Three months after the injury, I think I am on the mend for real. Pain is almost entirely gone and Wednesday run was entirely pain free.
I plan on heading out there again today for a very slow run/walk of 4.5 miles. I’m going to keep it at that for a while. Two days a week, 9 sad little miles. I’ll supplement with all the other activities I’ve been doing to not get fat, biking, rowing, rock climbing, lifting, bodyweight stuff. Then, maybe a month from now, if all goes well, I’ll add a little more. 2012 is clearly a bust running-wise. I won’t be racing anything, but if I do this right, if I take it really slow, and keep up the exercises and strengthening work, I might after two years of shit running, actually be back in the game by the fall 2013.
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Friends,
It looks like I am on a long term break from running. I just cannot seem to stay healthy, first it was the ankle issues, then the groin pull and now a very bad case of plantar faciitis that just will not go away. I’m still working out though, and still compelled to write about working out. Check me out over at Milo and the Calf where I will be writing about rock climbing, weight lifting, body weight exercises, classical thought, and how to get in some decent cardio work when you can’t run. Here’s a good place to start.
I might return to this blog in the future, who knows, but right now its time for a change.
I hope to see you around.
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RECAP: This was the highest number of hours of physical exercise I have done in month and months. It was a mixed bag. My climbing is getting much better, I’m getting strong at bodyweight work and, of course, I am looking at another running injury. Two out of three isn’t bad.
I’ll talk about the body weight work and climbing in another post, let’s focus on running here. The week started well with an 8 mile commute home from work, first commute from the new job, and considering this commute involves crossing mid-town Manhattan, it was pretty fun. The trouble came on the weekend ten miler where for some reason my PF/Achilles really started acting up. I finished the run, because who likes giving up on a run, but I paid a price and was limping some yesterday. I took yesterday off and came in just shy of the weekly mileage goal. I am not going to beat myself up over that – better to be safe than sorry. I’m taking today off from running as well, though I might hit the bike for a while. Gotta be safe, gotta stay healthy.
Here the Numbers:
Summary:
Run Streak: 0
Average Weight –186
Running Miles: 28.5 in 4:44:38
Bike Miles: 2 in 10:00
Strength and Flexibility: 4:00:00
Total exercise time: ~9 hours
Daily Breakdown:
Monday – 4.5 in 42:44; yoga and general stretching, foam roller, 2 minute plank.
Tuesday – 8 in 1:21:54; 3×10 v-ups, 5×10 push ups, general stretching
Wednesday – off
Thursday – 6 in 1:00:00; 10,4,3,2,2, pull ups; 5×25# plate pinch
Friday – off
Saturday – 10 in 1:40:00
Sunday – 2:30 of bouldering; 50 V-ups; 5×10 push ups; 5×3 pull ups on training wall
Goals for Last Week:
Looking Ahead:
I am excited about how some areas of my fitness are coming along (i.e. strength and climbing) and a little worried about my running. I want to capitalize on the gains I’ve made in my general fitness without exacerbating this Achilles thing.
For now, I’m going to take the running one day at a time and supplement with biking, climbing, and bodyweight work. If things go well, I’ve got big plans for the first week of April.
Goals for Next Week:
1. Exercise everyday while taking care of your Achilles.
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For years now my primary fitness goal has been qualifying for the Boston marathon. Though I am slower than I was at this time last year, I think I am finally on my way to reaching that goal. My injuries this winter humbled me and made me realize that I need to train hard, but smart. I need to be hard, but also patient, consistent, and humble. I need to build up, over years if necessary, and I need to take it one run at a time.
In the past I’ve given lip service this “the trial of miles” Once a Runner ethos, but I think I have finally internalized it. If I want this, and I really, really want this, I’m going to have to come to grips with the fact that getting good is as much about being patient as it is about fighting through a tough work out.
This very well may be a rebuilding year. I might not run a marathon and if I do, it certainly won’t secure me a BQ. But someday I’ll get it, that I know.
But there is more to my jock interests than the Boston Marathon – there are body weight exercises, bouldering, gymnastics, and more. In the coming months I’ll be writing about running here for sure, but I’ll be writing about other aspects of my physical life as well.
Though the blog will continue to be comprised of thoughts on getting good, not everything I’ll be trying to get good at will be measured in distance.
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RECAP: Still here, still running. Insanely busy with work, but fitting in some miles and keeping to my promise to build the miles slowly and not get hurt. Last week was the first time I hit thirty miles for the week since November and it felt fine. In an abundance of caution, I took a slight cut back this week. Next week I plan to be back up over thirty again.
In other jock news, I’m spending a lot of time lately learning how to rock climb. So far I’ve only been dabbling in bouldering at the rock climbing gym here in BK, but I’ll be getting outside this spring . Expect lots more on rock climbing around here in the coming months.
Rushed today (as always) so here are the numbers:
Summary:
Run Streak: 0
Average Weight –186
Running Miles: 25.7 in 4:11:22
Bike Miles: ? in 30:00
Strength and Flexibility: 2:45:00
Total exercise time: ~7.5 hours
Daily Breakdown:
Monday – 1 in 9:00
Tuesday –Off
Wednesday – 6.5 in 1:05:00; Pull ups (7,3,2)
Thursday – 6.5 in 1:03:00; Spin Bike: 30:00
Friday – 6 in 59:40; Pull ups (4,3,2); Push Ups (25)
Saturday – thirty minutes of stretching and foam roller
Sunday – 5.75 in 54:42; 1:30 of bouldering; 10×4 V-ups; 10×4 push ups
Goals for Last Week:
Looking Ahead:
The running is coming along fine, it’s slow, but it’s getting better. I’m determined not to push it, just thirty miles this week, no need to get hurt just when the weather is starting to get good.
Goals for Next Week:
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RECAP: A new year and a new commitment to running smart, to building the mileage slowly; a commitment to being boring, safe, and to being injury free.
These updates are going to be dull, dull, dull for the foreseeable future – some running, some time on the elliptical, some weight lifting. If I play my cards right, by the spring I’ll be running again for real.
Anyway, here’s the week in numbers:
Summary:
Run Streak: 0
Average Weight –191.5
Running Miles: 12.6 in 2:04:09
Bike Miles: 5.5 in 15:00
Strength and Flexibility: 1:30:00
Total exercise time: ~3:45 hours
Daily Breakdown:
Monday – 3.1 in 29:31
Tuesday – S&F 30:00
Wednesday – 5 in 49:38; S&F 15:00
Thursday – S&F 50:00
Friday – 3 in 29:00; S&F 1:00:00
Saturday – Fat Man Machine 1.5 in 15:00; Bike (stationary) 5.5 in 15:00
Sunday – 0
Goals for Last Week:
Looking Ahead:
My right ankle feels fine, and the groin is definitely on the mend, but now my left ankle is giving me some grief. The slow build, with plenty of rest and ice, continues. Nothing fancy this week, a little more running, a little more time in the gym. Onward.
Goals for Next Week:
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Looking Back:
2010 was a year of unfulfilled potential. I started the year off with an injury, bounced back for a strong spring and summer, and finished the year with two serious injuries and a very disappointing fall racing season. I ran 1582 miles this year, roughly one hundred miles fewer than I ran in 2010. I set a PR at the 5k, but failed to PR or meet any of the time goals I set for the year. I did not even run a marathon.
Statistically, this year was a profound disappointment, but there were a number of intangible successes. I joined a local running club and raced more often than I ever have before. I ran too much and too fast, but I learned a lot about the science of running and what it takes to stay healthy. I made a whole bunch of mistakes. I got smarter, and, for a while there, faster. Now it is time to take the hard lessons of 2011 and put them to work.
Looking Forward:
As I’ve written about here before, I need to acknowledge that I am old and injury prone. I have consistently upped my mileage, or my speed work, too quickly, and I have consistently paid the price. No more. From here on, I am going to be smart. I am going to follow the ten percent rule; I’m going to take cut back weeks. I’m going to be patient, consistent, and disciplined and I am going to work very, very hard to stay injury free.
That right there is my major goal for 2012 – stay healthy. But me being me, I have to set a couple of concrete goals as well. I am trying to keep these modest, but challenging and focused on the events and aspects of the sport I enjoy.
First, I hope to finally hit 2,000 miles for the year. I enjoy the long run, I enjoy racking up the miles, and I hope by building my miles slowly and safely, and not taking on any speed work for some time, I can stay healthy enough to make this a reality.
Second, I’d like the break twenty minutes at the 5k. My current PR is 21:49. A minute forty nine in a year is a challenge, but doable. The 5k is a great distance. You can race them almost every weekend through the spring, summer and fall. I plan to race this distance a lot and finally understand this distance.
Third, run a 1:35 half marathon. This is also a stretch, but not unattainable if I stay healthy.
No marathon goal for now. I’m not sure I’ll race the distance this year. We’ll see. A lot depends on how my fitness is come the summer. For now, I’m excited to just be running again pain free. I hope to keep this up, adding the miles little by little and eventually, someday, years from now, towing the line at Boston.
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Since I was in law school I have toyed with the idea of doing the Concept2 Holiday Challenge wherein one rows 200,000 miles between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. Every year, something has come up and prevented me from doing the challenge, but this year, a combination of a bum ankle, which is keeping me from running, a slight lull in my crazy life schedule, I decided to give this thing a go. The challenge is now more than half over and I’m feeling pretty confident that I am going to get this thing done.
The rowing has gotten me the cardio I need, and it has given my ankle some much needed rest, but there is no doubt I have lost some running specific fitness. Once I get back out on the roads, I’m going to pay for this month off, but such is the life of the injured.
The rowing is also terribly boring. Watching the little display tick off the meters is getting awfully dull. Duller even than the treadmill, and that is pretty damn dull. I’ll be happy when this is over, I can collect my t-shirt and get back to running.
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The injuries persist and they are starting to really piss me off. The ankle isn’t getting any better. I tested it last week at the gym and after half a mile, the pain came back. The groin is also still tender. I’ve made an appointment with the doctor to look into both of these, but that appointment isn’t going to happen until after the first of the year. I’m worried he is going to say stress fracture and that I need to stay off of it for a long time.
I am hating life right now. I miss running terribly, and, while I am getting to the gym, and doing the concept2 holiday challenge, I’d really like to be back out on the roads. That may not happen for quite some time. I need to face up to that. What to do in the meantime? Get in other types of cardio, that’s for sure – the erg, for now, though it’s boring as hell, and the elliptical. Maybe I’ll even take a spin class or something. Fitness, for now, is going to involve a lot more time in the gym and a lot less time on the roads. I just need to keep relatively aerobically fit and not make the mistake of thinking I can run through these injuries again.
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Just The Distance 