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Archives For November 30, 1999

Aging

June 21, 2013 — Leave a comment

Tomorrow is my birthday.

I will be two score and eight years…

Not old, but aging…
Not AARP-eligible, but some “grays” are showing…
Not wise, but I have some experience…
Not ready for the HurryCane, but I do occasionally use something to “assist” when I sit or stand…just occasionally.
Not as fast as I used to be, but still faster than some…

Today, I got the results from my visit to the doctor regarding my knee:

  • No fracture of or fluid on the knee. 🙂
  • There is some spurring. 😦
  • The other bones are “unremarkable.” 🙂
  • I do have ‘mild osteoarthritis” 😦
  • I am scheduled to have an MRI on July 1 for further evaluation. 😐

So, I am happy that I heard back from him and have some idea about what is going on… Still, the future seems unsure – but I will press on…

I did ask the all important, “what can I do as far as exercise?” question. My doctor, who is a cyclist and knows how I feel about not running/cycling, said that I can still run and cycle [We were talking by phone and I was in a airport shuttle, so I was doing the “happy dance” in my mind!]; HOWEVER, with light effort, at a slower-than-usual pace, and to STOP when the knee flares up and follow the R.I.C.E. plan. [full disclosure, which I think I forgot to write in my post about my doctor visit: I did fess up and tell him that I ran the SF Marathon – 2nd half the day before…which garnered a look, a grin, a halt of writing, and then a continuation of the appointment. He knows…identifies.]

Side note: I’m on a biz trip and my first flight today was to Seattle, where a Rock and Roll Marathon event is taking place on Sunday. I could pick out the “comrades” in the waiting area and on the plane – runner’s build, tech shirts, running shoes, past race chatter,… I’ll admit it, I was jealous.

Training Journal – 6/21/13:

  • Current plan: Not sure right now…
  • Today’s session: Rest/travel day
  • Comments: See above…
In Fitness, Running , ,
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May 2013 Training Stats

June 8, 2013 — Leave a comment

May was quite a month…

The intent was to leverage my Big Sur Marathon training and run the Horseshoe Lake 50K – which were separated by three weeks.  That started out fine, but a tweaked knee on a 5/12 trail run and then getting a stomach virus that knocked me out of commission for fours days cut into my training/mileage.  Still, it was a decent month, as you can see below.  Since the 50K was on trails, road running dipped to 23%, trail running ended up at 49%, and bicycling at 28%.

After the 50K, I really dropped training and rested a bit more than I usually do – though that mostly had to do with my knee flaring up, visiting the doctor, and then being put on 10-days of complete rest from running and cycling.  I did have one “first” this month: I did a “brick” workout: 8.25-mile ride + 3.43-mile run.  It was interesting and, once I return to better conditioning, I may work those in occasionally.  No business travel this month, so that was nice.

  • HIGH: I ran a 50K!  I’m an ultramarathoner!
  • LOW: My knee issues

As far as new equipment, one this month:

  • I picked up a Garmin 910XT.  I had been thinking about getting one of these for a while and saw that they were $100 off at Road Runner Sports…so I jumped!  I really like it and, violating the “no new equipment on races” rule, wore it for the first time on the 50K.  It went great and I am still getting familiar with it.

With that, here are the stats for the month that was May 2013:

Continue Reading…

In Bicycling, Fitness, Running , , ,
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National Running Day & ‘Far’

June 5, 2013 — 1 Comment

National Running Day

So, today is National Running Day. Given the fact that I’m on mandatory R&R, my observance will be on Friday, when I’m scheduled to take my ‘test’ run to see if my knee is OK. I’m nervously looking forward to that run. My knee is better, but I’m not sure it is 100%. We will see…

‘Far’

On my way to work this morning, I was listening to the 5/31 edition of the Ultrarunner podcast. Their guest was Karl Meltzer: ultrarunner, “King of 100 milers” – whose slogan is “100 miles is not that far.” When asked what he considered a “really far” distance to run, he answered:

“Far” is something you are intimidated by and think you cannot accomplish.

Pretty insightful and something that goes well beyond running.

‘Training’ Journal – 6/5/13:

  • Current plan: San Francisco Marathon – 2nd Half Training Plan
  • Today’s session: Rest & recovery day 9/10
  • Comments: nada
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Week in Review: May 27-June 2

June 2, 2013 — Leave a comment

This was a different week:

  • I was off work Monday for Memorial Day, so I went for a longer bike ride.
  • Had my first ‘tip over’ on my bike. Nothing serious, I didn’t get my left foot out of the clip soon enough when I leaned to punch the crosswalk button. Only injury was pride…
  • My knee was petty sore after my long run last Sunday and I probably shouldn’t have rode. It was more sore after ride…enough that I couldn’t disguise it anymore. (OK, running a 50K three weeks after a marathon with 88 miles run in between the two and 26 miles run & 51 miles biked after the 50k probably contributed.)
  • I went to the doctor on Tuesday to see about my knee. He didn’t think there was any significant injury, but put me on R&R for 10 days.
  • Did resistance band workouts for the rest of the week – I HATE THIS TYPE OF EXERCISE!
  • With no running or riding, I’m fighting against my running-enabled eating diet. I’m tracking, but am up two pounds this week, which I’m not happy about. I’m allowing myself five pounds, which is manageable.
  • After today, just four more days of rest. Hoping the knee heals – it does feel better. I’m looking forward to my test run on Friday – though I’ll admit, I am a bit nervous.
  • Strategized my options for the San Francisco Marathon – 2nd Half, which I AM running on June 16. I think I’ve got a few viable plans, depending upon my knee.
  • I’ve been pretty consumed at work with a big project. Oh, the joys of 11th hour challenges…
  • Between work, life in general, and not being able to run, I’ve been generally grumpy and in a funk. Gotta snap outta it!

‘Training’ Journal – 6/2/13:

  • Current plan: San Francisco Marathon – 2nd Half Training Plan
  • Today’s session: Rest & recovery day 6/10
  • Comments: nada
  • Weekly mileage: Running: 0 / Bicycling: 25.07
In Bicycling, Fitness, General, Life, Religion, Work , , , ,
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Nine more days…

May 28, 2013 — 4 Comments

Not the selfie I wanted to take today...

Not the selfie I wanted to take today; but, after much thought, remembering this article I read last week, limping around after yesterday’s ride/previous day’s run (it was hard to disguise), and talking with my wife: I went to see the doctor today about my right knee. He’s a cyclist, so I figure he would be the best place to start opposed to an urgent care place. [After hearing my story, he said, “50K!?!” and edited his notes to read “avid” runner… :)]

  • Diagnosis: After pressing, pulling, twisting, etc., he felt there was no obvious signs of a break or fracture and that there probably wasn’t any damage to muscles, tendons, or cartilage. He felt it is probably a strain (back from my 5/12 run and aggravated by everything since) – no need to x-ray it or do an MRI right now.
  • Treatment: No running for ten days. Take ibuprofen for the 10 day rest as well and ice the knee during the day at work and in the evening at home. When I asked if I could ride my bike, he said, “Do you train half-way?” I said, “No.” He said, “Then rest that way.” After 10 days, I’m to go for a run, see how it feels, and we will go from there. Hopefully, he said, I won’t need to come back and see him. I’m hoping for that too!

So, no running (or riding) for ten days. I’m bummed, but glad it appears to be just a strain and know that resting is the best thing.

I’m working on alternatives to keep active…

Training Journal – 5/28/13:

  • Current plan: San Francisco Marathon – 2nd Half Training Plan
  • Today’s session: 4 mile easy run @ 8:41-9:41
  • Comments: Rest day called because of my knee – which now counts as day 1/10…
In Bicycling, Fitness, Life, Running , , ,
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Equipment Refresh

May 16, 2013 — Leave a comment

As best as I can tell, there are three pieces of equipment that have been with me on almost every mile I’ve run:

  • Garmin Forerunner 210
  • Road ID band
  • Armpocket i-20

Well, two of them had to be “refreshed” this week:

20130515-091409.jpgThe zipper broke on my Armpocket a while back and, given the fact that only one of the two zippers worked anyway (the other one was froze shut from sweat oxidization), I finally broke down and bought a new one. I love this product: it is comfortable, it does not slip, holds everything I need (and probably more), and makes getting to my iPhone easy – even while running. I ended up replacing my i-20 with the i-25 model, just in case I get a new iPhone 5 at some point. BTW, customer support at Armpocket is AWESOME! I sent them a few questions last week and got replies immediately (and they are in Florida!) I highly recommend Armpocket – check them out!

20130516-182732.jpgThe band on my Road ID broke while taking it off – not a knock on their product, I probably pulled the band too far. I had an extra one already (black, which is kinda boring), but ordered some replacements: red and orange! I also highly recommend Road ID as well!

Training Journal – 5/16/13:

  • Current plan: Horseshoe Lake 50K Training Plan
  • Today’s session: 4 mile run
  • Comments: I did 4.35 @ 8:40 avg pace
In Running , ,
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April 2013 Training Stats

May 3, 2013 — Leave a comment

what. a. month.

Leading up to the Big Sur Marathon, road running pretty much dominated the mix at 89%, with trail running at 11%, and bicycling at 0%. I also had to travel to Virginia during my final taper week – read: sat in a conference for three days, got focused rest, and ran shorter distances.  I even resisted running in Washington D.C. (which was tough!) since that leg was on a rest day.

As far as new equipment, a couple of things this month:

  • Arm Sleeves.  I wrote about this in two posts (one, two), but the gist of it was that I wanted to wear a short-sleeved shirt for Big Sur, just in case I got warm, and sleeves seemed the best option.  I settled on Road Runner Sports’ Smart Sleeves.  They worked and are keepers for my runs, rather than wearing long-sleeved shirts.
  • Shoes.  I picked up a pair of Hoka One One Stinson EVOs this month after reading and researching them.  With Big Sur training at the forefront, I only got two runs in with them (one, two); but, based on those runs, I really like them.  As I prepare to run my first 50K (May 19), I will be logging more time in them and will write a post about them once I have logged sufficient miles.

The biggest thing this month, as far as training, was the decision to go for it and run an ultra in May – specifically the Horseshoe Lake 50K on May 19.  I’d been toying with the thought of running an ultra later in the year, but found a few blog posts and articles about leveraging marathon training (and the marathon itself) as preparation for an ultra.  After some analysis of my training, how I anticipated Big Sur would go, and the calendar, I decided to register.  We’ll see how it goes, but my goal is to have a blast and finish with a smile.

Anyway, here are the stats for the month that was April 2013:

Continue Reading…

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March 2013 Training Stats

April 2, 2013 — Leave a comment

Wow…March was a FULL month of training! Yeah, I’m following a plan and know on a daily basis what’s going on, but to look at the stats in total is…wow.  This month, road running pretty much dominated the mix at 70%, with trail running at 10%, and bicycling at 20%.  I even stayed on track during my short trip to Texas, doing the first of two twenty mile long runs around Lady Bird Lake while in Austin.

As far as new equipment, a couple of things this month:

  • Compression.  I’d been reading about using compression socks or sleeves and finally took the plunge in March.  I opted for sleeves and really like the way my legs feel during and after runs.  I initially bought two brands – CEP and Zensah – and have settled on CEP, because of the (at least to me) better compression.  I also tried CEP recovery compression socks and like the way my legs feel later in the day after a long run.  Both these are keepers…
  • Shoes.  I’ve been wearing Saucony Kinvara 3s for a while and added a new pair to the rotation (as well as another pair on the shelf for later [REI dividend!].)  I also bought a pair of Saucony Type A5s for my shorter runs.  I LOVE THEM!  They are light, comfortable, and, based on the sole wear after 54 miles, I actually seem to be doing better at mid-foot-strike running while wearing them.  I think that is transferring to my Kinvara 3s as well.

With Big Sur less than a month away, April will be all about staying healthy and keeping on track with the training plan…including the taper.  I’m really looking forward to April 28th and running my second full marathon – plus, my next goal in running!

Anyway, here are the stats for the month that was March 2013:

Continue Reading…

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I’s Forest Gump

March 8, 2013 — Leave a comment

I got this in my Inbox today…

20130308-155911.jpg

OK, I’m not completely like Mr. Gump. Just partially in the sense that, once I started running, I haven’t stopped and have no plans to…ya know, like he did…

Where’s my box of chocolates Swedish Fish!

Training Journal – 3/8/13:

  • Current plan: Big Sur Marathon Training Plan – W11/D5
  • Today’s session: 10 mile easy run @ 8:27-9:28 pace
  • Comments: I did 10.3 @ 8:36
In Bicycling, Fitness, Running , , ,
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February 2013 Training Stats

March 1, 2013 — Leave a comment

February was another great month of training!  Road running pretty much dominated the mix at 75%, with trail running at 8%, and bicycling at 17%.  Our lives are still churning after my Father-in-law’s passing last December and my Mother-in-Law had some health issues this month as well.  Running seems to be my therapy right now.

The high point of the training month was gritting out a new half marathon PR (1:44:45) at the KP San Francisco Half Marathon by 2:36 – BOOYAH!

As far as new equipment, none this month – though I did try the lemon flavor of GU Chomps and like them.

With Big Sur less than two months away, I’ve started some focused training (including a Hurricane Point sim) and have made some pacing goal refinements (using a great BSIM-specific spreadsheet from mymarathonpace.com.)

Anyway, here are the stats for the month that was February 2013:

Continue Reading…

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