Jogger Wars, Part Deux

Tuesday, 8/24
AM: 11 miles

Monday, 8/23
AM: 10 miles
PM: Greenapple

Both of these runs were solo jaunts along the familiar Freedom Park/Myers Park/Booty Loop roads. Tuesday I did venture out on a bit of an exploratory route that found me taking the newly completed bike path all the way past Super Target, then heading back toward Queens on some pleasantly shaded side streets. I also ran into Coach Simmons trotting up the median on Queens Road so we jogged along together for a few minutes and caught up on life, running and his search for an assistant coach to fill Jenna's shoes.

The only other thing of note is the jogger war I was forced into on Monday. I've mentioned this before, but apparently I haven't been clear enough to some people (i.e., the toolbag who wouldn't leave me alone on Monday): Stop. Following. Me. More specifically, either run at an appropriate distance behind me or man up and pass. Either of these courses of action would be completely acceptable. What is not acceptable is when you speed up in an attempt to catch me, then sit on my shoulder for three miles of what was supposed to be my easy, relaxing recovery run. Despite what you might think, the sounds of your labored breathing and heavy footfalls are not exactly music to my ears. By the time I reached the intersection of Providence and Providence I'd had enough. I knew I could either come to an abrupt stop so he would be forced to pass or throw in a surge to shake him off my shoulder. In weighing those two options I thought not about what would give me more satisfaction, but rather what would shame him the most. Naturally, I opted for the surge. For a few seconds I heard him scrambling behind me in an attempt to respond and then he faded into oblivion. Serves him right.

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More Recovery

Friday, 5/21
AM: 8.5 miles
PM: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo with Caitlin

Thursday, 5/20
AM: 4 miles
Dr. Duffy
PM: 8 miles

I'm surprisingly not sore from Wednesday's unusually speedy (for me) workout, though I have to admit my legs feel a bit drained. It didn't take much convincing for me to scrap my planned Friday double and meet Caitlin for a movie instead (in subtitles, no less--how smart are we?!). After the movie we talked strategy for tomorrow's Great Harvest Bread Co. 5k down in Ballantyne, as we plan to run it together. I'm using the race as my "3 mile uptempo" workout and, more importantly, a chance to score double points--double points, people!--for the RFYL Grand Prix series. And let's be honest, the free Great Harvest bread samples afterward don't exactly hurt either. We agreed that, given the rumored toughness of the course (supposedly lots of hills and turns), we would start at a conservative 5:50 pace and then see how things felt from there. I don't need to hit any specific pace for my uptempo and will be fine with anything ranging from 17:30 to 18:30 for tomorrow's effort. If the predicted thunderstorms hold off, it should be a fun way to start the weekend.

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Tired

Friday, May 14
AM: 45 mins. (6 miles)
PM: 3 miles
1 mile jogging the curves, striding the straights
2 mile c/d
Total: 6 miles

Thursday, May 13
AM: 5.5 miles
PM: 4.5-5 miles

Wednesday, May 12
AM: 5.5 miles
15 mins. core
Chiro
PM: 3 miles

There's really no need to post a separate entry for each of these days when I'm just going to be saying the same things: "Legs tired, felt crappy, ran slow." Seriously, that sums it up. Tuesday's workout, while probably the best of my entire life, clearly took a lot out of me for the remainder of the week. Fortunately Simmons realized this was the case and voluntarily moved our scheduled Friday predator run to Saturday, plus tweaked it a little bit to make things easier on me and Tanya.

Much more interesting than my boring few days of running is the epic 5k duel that is brewing between myself and Mike Decoste, Brown '04. Check out his blog and Jordan's explanation for all the relevant details. Suffice it to say, come Sunday Mike will either possess a faster 2010 5k time than me, or incur a stress fracture, or both. This is the stuff legends are made of.

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When Common Sense Wins

AM: 46 mins.
6+ miles
PM: Greenapple

According to Jordan, I'm forbidden to double today. He cited my upcoming race, my tweaked calf and my need to finish up my last (!!!) paper and pack today as reasoning. I agreed with all his logic but it sure was hard to skip out on an afternoon run in this gorgeous weather. Luckily, I'd already pre-scheduled an appointment with Dr. Duffy--strictly preventative at the time, though it ended up being fortuitous in light of my calf--and, since I don't like to run after treatment, I reluctantly agreed to sack the evening go. I think it was probably the right call. Now it's time to pack and get ready to head back out to the west coast for Round 2 at Stanford!

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Belated Title

Tuesday, 1/5: Off

Wednesday, 1/6
AM: 51 mins. (7 miles)
Chiro
PM: 3 miles
15 mins. core/stretching

Tuesday was completely off due to travel. Jordan and I tried to fit in some extra credit, rising before 5am to hit up the fitness center, but turns out the doors don't unlock until 6. Not cool. Approximately 12 hours later we found ourselves touching down in Charlotte and being accosted by the bitterly cold temperatures. Remind me why we left California??

Wednesday morning I met Jenna at McAlpine for a nice catch-up jog. I haven't seen her in almost three weeks so it was great to put in a few miles while swapping stories of our warm holidays back West. The only thing that wasn't great was my leg. It's looking like the cold weather is kryptonite for my shin splints, and I need to figure out some way to get this issue cleared up. The trip to Greenapple post-run helped, but things still didn't feel quite normal on my afternoon jog. Needless to say, I'm growing increasingly frustrated. I guess I need to be super vigilant with the heat/ice/ibuprofen/stretching regimen that worked so well for me the past few weeks.

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Riding the Snake

AM: 40 mins. ellip.
Chiro
PM: 5.5 miles

I can finally see the light at the end of this semester's tunnel. Today I turned in two of the three final papers I have to complete, plus worked on my project for the fourth class. The past few weeks have been busy and stressful, but now that it's nearing the end I'm able to look back and think euphemistically that it wasn't so bad.

One thing I remain frustrated about is my left leg. What Jordan professionally diagnosed as my soleus turns out to be, in the actual professional opinion of the good folks at Greenapple, my posterior tibialis. Basically this is the muscle that runs along the medial edge of the tibia. A little too close to the tibia, as far as I'm concerned. I had a stress fracture in this bone about three years ago and am not looking to deal with something like that again. So far all signs point to soft tissue, but you never know. As of now it's very stiff/sore when I wake up in the morning, but some good stretching usually loosens things up nicely. I can still run with a normal gait and only experience discomfort, not pain, while logging the miles. If the threshold from discomfort to pain is crossed then I will know I need to re-evaluate. In the meantime, I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing.

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Gym Rat

Friday, 12/4
AM: 50 mins. ellip. incl. 5x1 min. on, 1 min. off; 5x2 mins. on, 1 min. off; 3x30 sec. sprints
PM: 30 mins. yoga

Thursday, 12/3
AM: same as above

Wednesday, 12/2
AM: 45 mins. ellip.
PM: 30 mins. yoga

Tuesday, 12/1
AM: 50 mins. ellip. incl. 6x3 mins. on, 2 mins. off
PM: 30 mins. ellip.

Monday, 11/30
AM: 42 mins. (5.5 miles)
PM: Chiro
45 mins. ellip.

Well, as you can see, I decided to take a few days off from running. My left lower leg (soleus?) still isn't feeling 100%, and it just seems silly to run through something in the beginning of December when there's just no need to. So, instead, I opted to take a few recovery days in the fitness center and then see how things felt by the weekend. Stay tuned for further updates.

Also, I'm publishing this before actually doing the yoga I claim to have done on Friday afternoon. At this point, having it in writing is the only thing that will motivate me to actually commit to it.

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McAlpine Mile Repeats

AM: 30 mins. ellip.
15 mins. core
PM: ~3.5 mile w/u + strides
3x mile w/full recovery (6:02, 5:55, 5:55)
~1.5 mile c/d
Total: 8 miles
Chiro

Though I wanted to join the team for their pre-race workout, I had to get this taken care of in time to make it to Greenapple by 5:30. So I set off for the main parking lot by myself just after 3pm to get 'er done. The workout on tap was a modification on the girls' pre-race workout, adding a few more miles but keeping the rest the same. Though Simmons suggested I take 5+ minutes of rest, I figured 3-3:30 would be just about right.

I took things nice and easy on the warmup, going a bit farther than usual to make sure my hip and adductor were fully functional. I selected the first mile on the Footlocker course for my interval, which meant I would be running from the starting line to the first mile marker twice, and the opposite direction once. My goal at the outset was to run hard but controlled, starting around 6:00 and then going from there based on feel. As you can see, that's pretty much what I ended up doing. Though I certainly didn't feel like I was jogging, each interval felt equally difficult as the previous one. I guess that's better than feeling progressively worse. The adductor stayed loose until the final interval, when I felt it gradually tightening up as the minutes ticked by. It was quite sore and tight on the cooldown, which I have to admit is a bit concerning. I also made the mistake of mentioning this to Dr. G, who proceeded to work over my adductor in a serious way. Guess it's probably for the best.

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Waterworld

AM: 6-6.5 miles
PM: Chiro
25 mins. pool

Well. I'm in a world of hurt today. My calves, my adductors, my quads, even my abs for heaven's sake--all of these areas and more are sufficiently rocked from yesterday's workout. I suppose I had it coming. As a result, I decided to ditch the watch this morning and embark on 6 of the slowest miles Freedom Park has ever seen. I simply didn't want to feel pressured to run faster than my feeble body would allow. So, I didn't.


...and the water continues to rise.

That's not to say this run ended up being barrels of fun. The weather is still horrible--this is day 3, mind you--and running past downed tree branches while the wind and rain howled around me was very surreal, almost like I was smack in the middle of a natural disaster. They tell me it's supposed to clear up by the weekend, but I wouldn't be surprised if Charlotte floats away by then.

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Another Week

Thursday, 10/8
AM: 25 min. run (3 miles); 10 min. walk
PM: 45 mins. ellip.

Wednesday, 10/7
AM: 27 min. run (3.5 miles)
15 mins. core
Chiro
PM: 45 mins. ellip.

Tuesday, 10/6
AM: 55 mins. ellip. incl. 6x3 mins. on, 2 mins. off
PM: 20 mins. ellip.

Monday, 10/5
AM: 25 mins. core
30 mins. pool
PM: 45 mins. ellip.

This week has been crazy busy, due to a combination of homework, working four days as opposed to my usual two, and other general activity. This morning I dropped Jordan and our friend Dave, a Princeton alum and Zap runner, off at the airport for their big Japan trip. Both of them will be competing on the Ivy League alum ekiden team in Izumo, a team that hopes to improve upon its mediocre at best showings from previous years (which both guys agreed was a much better position to be in than, say, defending champs). Dave drove down and spent the night with us last night to avoid a 4am departure time from Blowing Rock, and we had a good laugh remembering that the last time he was here, Dave played a key role (i.e. getaway driver) in what can only be referred to on a public forum as "the incident." Good times.

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So You're Saying There's a Chance

Thursday, 10/1
AM: 25 mins. ellip.
25 mins. core
30 mins. pool

Wednesday, 9/30
AM: 30 mins. ellip.
20 min. run (!!)
2.5 miles
Chiro
PM: 40 mins. ellip.

Tuesday, 9/29
AM: 30 mins. ellip.
PM: 55 mins. ellip. incl. 2x6 mins. on, 4 mins. off; 5x1 min. on, 1 min. off

Yep, you read that correctly--I ran 20 minutes on Wednesday. It's a new record. And, to be completely honest, while I didn't feel 100% normal I felt about 10 times better than last week. Much less gimpy, more fluid, less uncomfortable. This was definitely a step in the right direction and the first time I've felt optimistic in quite a while. Even Jordan, who certainly does not go out of his way to spare my feelings in these situations, said my form looked almost normal.

With that in mind, I have set a rather ambitious goal of running 10 miles this week. Of course, this is pending how I feel post-run--so far so good--and how the rest of my body responds to the abrupt mileage increase. But I would love to crack double digits for the first time since returning to Charlotte.

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3 Miles=3 More Than Last Week

Friday, 9/25
AM: 30 mins. ellip.
15 mins. core
PM: 50 mins. ellip. incl. 25 mins. "predator"

Thursday, 9/24
60 mins. ellip. incl. 5x5 mins. on, 5 mins. off

Wednesday, 9/23
AM: 25 mins. core
25 mins. pool
2 mile run, 1 mile walk
active stretching
PM: Chiro
40 mins. ellip.

Tuesday, 9/22
AM: 60 mins. ellip. incl. 15x1 min. on, 1 min. off
PM: 25 mins. pool
active stretching

Monday, 9/21
AM: 25 mins. core
25 mins. pool
1 mile run, 1 mile walk
PM: 45 mins. ellip.

Yup, I've run 3 miles so far this week. Don't act like you're not impressed.

In all honesty, though, it didn't feel great. I'm still kinda gimpy and my right quad feels like it's doing absolutely nothing. It's like the muscle just died or went to sleep or something. I did both of my "runs" with Holly post-morning practice, and both times my leg just felt tight/stiff/awkward from the get-go and never really got better. It never got unbearable or anything, but it certainly wasn't normal. I can definitely tell that it's muscle-related, not bone, which six weeks ago I would've thought was a good thing and now seems to just be semantics. The doc says I can continue attempt a wog every other day if I feel like it, so long as it's not more than a few miles at a time. And I gotta be honest, the prospect of running two miles in pain is more appealing to me than not running at all. I miss it soooo much. I suppose I'll give it another try one day this weekend and see if things have improved at all. Tomorrow is an unlikely option since I work all day, but perhaps Sunday.

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Catching Up

Friday, 9/18
60 mins. ellip. incl. 20 mins. "predator," 3x30 sec. sprint

Thursday, 9/17
AM: 60 mins. ellip. incl. 5x5 mins. on, 5 mins. off
PM: Chiro

Wednesday, 9/16
AM: 30 mins. pool
30 mins. ellip.
25 mins. core
PM: 25 mins. pool

Tuesday, 9/15
AM: 50 mins. ellip. incl. 4x4 mins. on, 3 mins. off
PM: 30 mins. ellip.

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Frequency Specific Microcurrent

AM: 30 mins. ellip.
25 mins. core
25 mins.pool
PM: 25 mins. pool
Chiro

I started the week off right with a solid morning workout. The leg/hip is feeling stronger by the day, and though I'm hesitant to attempt a run this week, I'm definitely enjoying a pain-free lifestyle otherwise. This is due in no small part to Dr. Greenapple and staff, who have done a fantastic job with my treatment (and, you can imagine, have pretty much become my friends at this point--the only person I see more often than them is Jordan).

Today the good doctor tried a new treatment on me called Frequency Specific Microcurrent, or FSM. Basically he applied a few pads to my leg, abdomen and hip that were attached to the microcurrent machine. He programmed the machine to a specific frequency based on my ailment, then proceeded to zap me with electricity for 5-10 minutes. Okay, so I'm making it sound a bit more dramatic than it is, since I actually didn't feel anything (hence the "micro" part of the current). You can check out the video in the link above to see how it all went down. Anyway, the premise behind this treatment is that certain frequency levels correspond directly to certain injuries and are completely ineffective in treating others. So, for example, the doc found his frequency chart, looked up "bone," and plugged 'er in to the prescribed frequencies of 59 and 39. I looked over the chart while I was getting treated, and there were frequencies for virtually everything you could imagine. Literally. Everything from impotence to kidney stones to foot pain to hurt feelings. Yes, "hurt feelings" was actually listed. I thought the whole process was intriguing to say the least. If anything it's good to know I can go back the next time Jordan and I get into an argument.

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Boring Cross-Training

Thursday, 9/10
AM: 30 mins. ellip.
30 mins. pool
PM: Chiro
35 mins. ellip.

Wednesday, 9/9
AM: 20 mins. core
25 mins. pool
25 mins. ellip.
PM: 40 mins. ellip.

Tuesday, 9/8
AM: 50 mins. ellip. incl. 16/1 min. on, 1 min. off
Chiro
PM: 25 mins. pool

Monday, 9/7
AM: 15 mins. core
45 mins. pool
PM: 40 mins. pool

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Feels Like Autumn

Thurs., 9/3
AM: 45 mins. ellip.
PM: Chiro
30 mins. pool

Wed., 9/2
AM: 30 mins. ellip.
25 mins. core
20 mins. pool
PM: Chiro
30 mins. ellip.

Tues., 9/1
Happy Birthday Mom!
AM: 30 mins. pool
PM: 50 mins. ellip. incl. 3x6 mins. on, 4 mins. off

I've been a bit delinquent in updating the blog this week, but as you can see it's been nothing remarkable. Pool, core, elliptical, chiropractor, repeat. To be honest I'm a bit down because I'm missing the team's first meet, which will be held tomorrow at App State. I would love to be out there with everyone testing my early season fitness, but it's not meant to be just yet. That said, the good news is Greenapple thinks I'm coming along quite nicely and has given me permission to attempt a brief jog on Saturday if I feel so inclined. Those of you who have been injured before can surely understand the mixture of excitement and nervousness I feel at that prospect. Nonetheless, just the opportunity to give it a shot will no doubt be a bright spot in the coming weekend.

Oh, and the weather is absolutely gorgeous right now. Autumn has arrived early and I'm hoping against hope that it's here to stay. Cooler temps like this make me even more antsy to get back out there.

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A Breakthrough at the Apple

AM: 30 mins. ellip.
20 mins. core
25 mins. pool
PM: Chiro

I was at the fitness center doors at 7:30am daring it to be closed, but to my shock and awe it actually appeared to have opened a few minutes early. As a result, I was able to bang out some quality time before heading to morning core and pool practice.

In the afternoon I planned on exercising again, but my appointment at the Apple proved prohibitive. The good doctor tried acupuncture on me for the first time, and apparently you're not supposed to exercise afterward, so just like that I had a legit excuse for bagging the PM effort. Today was also the first time he enlisted a machine called the Power Vibe (which, as a side note, is a phrase I wouldn't recommend googling from your work computer). Before I hopped on, he told me that the vibrations of the machine were such that if I do indeed have a fracture I would feel distinct pain, so both of us were pretty excited and relieved when I did not. This all but rules out the possibility of a stress fracture and offers me a dose of much-needed optimism for the week ahead.

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Predatory Elliptical

AM: 60 mins. ellip. incl. 20 mins. hard
PM: 25 mins. pool

I did my predator "run" on the elliptical today and went really hard (as lame as that sounds). As a result, I was the excessively sweaty kid breathing waaaay too hard for the fitness center and making everyone else around me uncomfortable. Good stuff.

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Etc.

AM: 50 mins. ellip.
PM: 20 mins. core
30 mins. pool

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Worst Case Scenario

AM: Laziness
PM: 50 mins. ellip.
Chiro appt.
25 mins. ellip.

I woke up this morning at the leisurely hour of 9:00 and thought, "Why?" As in, why would I go do the pool this morning? I don't really want to. It's not really going to preserve my fitness that much. I'd rather drink coffee and feel sorry for myself. So, naturally, that's what I did.

Things picked up a bit in the afternoon, and around 3pm I headed up to school for a double elliptical sesh with a chiro break sandwiched in between. To be honest, I left this appointment at Greenapple's feeling a bit discouraged, as he said at this point he can't rule out that I might have a femoral stress fracture. In my mind that would be worst case scenario, as it would mandate me taking 8-10 weeks off and basically end my xc season before it begins. (Sound familiar? Oh, yeah, that's basically what happened to me in outdoor track last semester. Sweet.) He said he's 75/25 in favor of it being muscular rather than bone but at this point the only way to rule it out definitively is to get an MRI, which he and I and everyone else knows I can't afford. In the meantime he's going to treat it as aggressively as possible assuming that it's not a fracture, but of course my mind has immediately latched onto this worst case scenario as being a certainty. If there's ever a time for positive thinking it would be now, so any well wishes sent telepathically to my right leg would be greatly appreciated.

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