Runner's Forum: The Official: Training Summary Start Up Thread (12/31/07)

KDogg- I envy you. Leg feeling better and being able to go out for an easy ten... Looks like I may be missing my 10 miler on the 20th, but we'll see.

On the advice of a trainer I'm going to take the rest of the week off and give my cramped calf a break, then come back into it slowly next week, if everything seems ready. I think perhaps I'll try some pool laps in the meantime (I wonder how I'd map those).

OK- Good Luck.

The Blue Nile was my wife's favorite. I've only been a couple of times, in A2. Great place.

It's crazy- my town has had weather in the fifties and sixties for the past few days, and I hope it continues.

Took a 4 mile run in 33:57- haven't calculated the exact pace yet, but it should be right under 8:30.

13 mile medium long run for me today. Nothing really special about it, just a typical middle of the week longer run

changingground, thank you for the kind words. As for your calf pain, taking the remainder of the week off is probably a good idea. If you seriously injure your calf, it is one of the most difficult muscles to get properly healed quickly since virtually everything you do somehow involves its usage. I've had calf issues (chronic muscle tears) for about three years now, and it sucks to have to deal with them.

As far as aqua jogging goes, there are a few different theories on how to log it. My current coach suggests using every 10:00 as one mile, which is what my team does when we are injured or just substitute aqua jogging for running. However an exercise physiologist/former coach friend of mine said that you should just train as the same perceived exertion that you would on the roads and log the miles as such. For example, if you feel like you are going at 70% of your max heart rate and that typically equates to a 8:00 mile on the roads, then the same applies when aqua jogging. 

Personally, I'm more inclined to buy into the second opinion, but that might be because I hate having to do 1:40:00 just to get ten miles in the water. :)  

I settled for a game of mixed netball last night with my wife and friends. Brought up a good sweat which was good. Over 40 Celsius in Melbourne today and tomorrow so will hold out for cricket on Saturday and maybe get a run in on Sunday.

 Enjoying seeing everybodys workload whether they be training for an event, or just for the sake of the run!!!

Glenn

KDogg-

No, thank you. It's killing me (well, not killing me, but...) to sit out this week. But I guess it has to be done. I was reading in Running Times last night about achilles problems. and hoping I'm not mis-diagnosing. Since this pain came on suddenly I'm pretty sure it is a muscle cramp thing and not more significant injury or inflammation.

 And thanks also for the advice about water running. Our rec center (part of our HOA) has several pools. I sink like a stone in the pool, but was reading recently that pool training is like any other- there is a period you just have to get through that is really hard, and after that it seems much easier. Hopefully I won't beat it that long, but anything will help keep from getting detrained.

 Cheers

Yesterday, I did my final three miler in this weeks program (~8:58).  53 F and sunny in Big D (windy tho).

Rest tomorrow (Fri) and 6 miles on Sat!

Good luck!

Haha, thanks dan!! I'm a collegiate competitor in my fifth year of competition. This is my first "real" year of training. I recently transferred schools (weird situation) and my new coach's training philosophy is much more in line with my personal philosophy than my previous coach's. 

I've found that I thrive on very high mileage, which so far seems to be the case. I ran a PR in the 5k this fall with pretty much only base training. So we'll see what happens over the course of the season, I think if I can remain healthy, then I would consider myself a competitor.

Tomorrow I'm gonna do a two mile race at my goal race pace for the 5k (my goal pace for the 5k in March/April). Hopefully that goes well.

As for my training today, I went an easy ten miles. I meant to do some strides, but I saw a few of my buds playing basketball, so I wanted to chill with them. (life happens, haha)

Rested yesterday as planned, then a nice run today:

6 miles @ 9:19 (56:00)---nice day:  54 F and sunny/cloudy; I'm fighting off a cold and have a lot of chest congestion, but still made a good time today.

Yahoo---week 1 of 18 is done!  I'm shooting for my first marathon in later May......

Good times shiggsyo!  I understand.  I almost didn't run today because of feeling bad, but I did and posted a great time...go figure!

I raced today...kinda

Three mile warm up, two mile race in 10:01 (4:45, 5:15) then I had to help them go runners through the chute so I didn't get a chance to stretch or cool down. 

After the first 400m, I was all alone, so somewhere between the 800m and mile mark, I shut it down. I was intending on running a lot faster, but I just did not feel motivated today.

Then after I ate lunch and took a nap, I went out for ten more easy miles at night. It was cool just to get out there and think about stuff.

First real race in 7 days! 

Another long run down. This one was much less than pleasant. 6 miles outside. The weather is crappy: WINDY, about 28-30 degrees F, WINDY, snowing, WINDY, some freezing rain, oh, yeah, and WINDY! My legs weren't cooperating: first my ankles were stiff. As they loosened up, both my calves started to tighten up, then my hammies. I felt like I was running uphill the whole time, despite a flat course (only 34 feet of elevation change), and teh wind was in my face, no matter which direction I went. I was fully expecting to clock 1:30:00 for the six, because I was feeling so miserable. When I finished, I looked at my cell phone (oh, yeah, I lost my watch this morning), and saw my time: 1:03:00!!! I guess I was running better than I thought, as I cut more than 8  minutes off last weeks 6 mile time! WOO HOO!!!  Still, it was a miserable run. I'm glad they're not like that too often.

dok-

A lot of folk don't tolerate Gu well, it seems (I am not one of those, but...), and because it's relatively expensive, some don't like to go there regularly (more my case). I almost always eat some crackers before the run, figuring that the carbs in crackers are pretty accessible, and that the salt is probably a good thing as well. I've also had great success with Fig Newtons before races, to the point where I'm now getting superstitious about running races without them. They say that you only have about an hour's worth of ready glycogen stored in your muscles, so perhaps eating a bit prior to the hour point would help you feel less tapped out at ten.

 

I'm not able to run right now - maybe still 3-4 weeks away from trying again. I'm recovering from a horrendous stress fracture and haven't been able to run since November. Would like to train for the Dallas Whiterock full marathon this December, once I can get going again.

I'm enjoying reading everyone's posts. 

dok, when I was running, I noticed a huge difference in my level of fatigue if I had my powerade and my gel on long runs (over 1 hour). I would carry one small bottle of water and one bottle of gatorade and alternate those every mile or so, and then started the gel at around the 1 hour mark. I thought the strawberry-banana wasn't bad.

Good luck, everyone!

Hi All,

 Missed a few days of posting but let's play catchup...

Sunday went for a 5.6 mile run which was pretty good because I got to the halfway point of a 4.5 mile run and decided that the music I was playing sounded pretty good so I went for a slightly longer run.  It was a little slower than what I should have done but it was also longer than expected so I'm not complaining.

Today, after about 8" or 20 cm of snow though last night and today I hit the gym and did a back workout then ran on the treadmill for just under 5 miles at a pace that I was happy with.  I'd much rather be running outside but when the snowbanks are pushing onto the streets and there are no sidewalks I decided to live for another day and do a treadmill run instead.

Tomorrow I am hoping that I'll be able to run outside but it might end up being another treadmill run... we'll see.

 -Changingground- thanks for the words of encouragement.  I'll keep you all posted on what I end up running.

I ran a four mile shakeout run this morning

This afternoon, I did 10 miles. 3 miles warm up, then 16x400m with about a 65 second rest in between each one. The 400s were pretty fast (68-69 seconds average for the first 8, then 72-74 average for the last 8). I got hit with lactic acid build up really bad on the second half of the workout. I'll probably look into that, because I know I am in way better shape than that. Finished with 3 miles cool down

Hardest workout of my life. The difference between being on a good team and a decent team is having workouts like this. My former team would do stuff like 8x400 with 2:00 rest in between. So I'd say this has been a rough introduction for me, heheh

KDogg -

It is a relief to know that even you find a workout difficult! Seriously, I'm sure it's just the change in your training routine. Be careful, so as you don't get injured! I just can't stand thinking about anybody else getting hurt!

 

Yesterday was a strange day to run... beautiful, but strange. The day before we had a dump of snow but the weather warmed up enough to clean most of the streets. I say most of the streets because for almost a half mile section I was running on hard pack and ice with a bit of slush thrown in for good measure. Given that I run an "out-and-back" route it meant that I had to run it twice so that slowed things down a bit. It was beautiful because the snow was still covering the trees and the country road that I run down looked like a winter wonderland...... with clean streets and sunshine so it was great.

The four miles I did was good enough to keep me going but by running over lunch I find I limit how far I can run during the weekday. It is better than nothing though. Felt good after the run. I might have to look at running some intervals or something to push myself given my time limits. Suggestions are welcome.

No running today as it is a leg workout day in the gym.... can't do both on the same day and expect the results that I want. 

changingground - I am SO bummed to hear about your injury. You'll have to let me know what you think about the custom orthotics (cost/benefit). I have an appointment for next week to see the podiatrist who originally diagnosed my stress fracture back in November. Back then, she seemed to know exactly what was wrong with my foot biomechanics to cause the fracture where it was (I am told it's unusual to be that high up for a runner). She wanted to fit me for orthotics to prevent it from happening again, and I am dying to get back out there!

I definitely advise sticking with a good cross-training plan! I didn't do that, although I was in so much pain initially that just getting up off the couch was torture! After awhile, it was the holidays - I'm depressed, I'm busy, yada yada......Next thing I know I am so out of shape! In my mind, I visualize myself as this great athlete, but in reality I'm more like one of those people you see who breaks into a sweat and gets out of breath just walking from the car to the front door!!!!!!!!Ugh!!!

 

Hey ya'll! I had a great run on Saturday. 5 miles in 48 minutes, no stopping.  I felt great; could have gone a few more miles.  Really good for me.  It has been cold here in Northern IL recently, getting really cold Friday and Saturday (5 degrees F as the high!) so I've been running at home on the treadmil.  It's not that much fun and I would rather be outside where at least I am going some place, but I'm getting my work in.  3 miles yesterday and 4 today. I'm going to bundle up tomorrow morning and brave the cold before it gets really, really cold.

Best of luck!

Dave

Just back from a 4 mile run and all I can say is BLAH... slow run, felt sluggish, cloudy day.... it all conspired against me today.  I guess we all have those days.

Got an old room mate coming for a visit this weekend so that probably means no running Saturday but at least I'll have someone to ski with on Sunday.   

changingground - how was the recumbent? I haven't tried that before. I must have injured my tailbone at some point in my life - I have serious issues with biking!

Today I got up early to do a Bosu ball workout. Very hard workout for me at this point, just due to my loss of stamina, but really got me sweating and I felt good doing something. My quads and glutes are starting to feel sore now, so I must have done some good. Great for a core workout, too.

Called the "female" doctor today to see what she thinks about the stress fracture situation. My ortho had me on Fosamax for awhile (horrible osteoporosis drug - really awful side effects/hard to tolerate). He thought I should check with her to see if I need a bone density test/whether I need to continue taking it. No word yet.

I worked today (12 hours shift as an ICU nurse). On my feet alot. The limp is almost gone, but my leg hurt alot by the end of the day. I bet I still won't be able to run for a couple more weeks. 

 

Three miles on a treadmill today. Unfortunately, it was wicked cold out today (25 degrees, with wind chill well into the single digits (and that's fahrenheit). I was not very motivated for some reason (probably the weather). But, I got on the treadmill and ran. I planned 5 miles, but only managed three. My knees felt weird at the beginning, then my shoes loosened up on me, letting my feet slide around, then my quads cramped (changingground, I now know your pain!!! that was horrific!!!). After three miles in 29:33, I called it a day. I think running inside is just inherently dull.

Now, I have a few questions, hopefully someone can help. I am assuming the cramping was related to drinking: a. too much coffee today, or b. not enough water. That's not a big deal. Here's my concern: I am starting to get a little stiffness (not pain) in my shins, but not where I have experienced shinsplints in the past. Now the pain is on the outside portion of my shin, and up almost underneath the knee. Could this just be muscles I'm not used to feeling, or is it the start of some exotic, tropical running ailment? If it's a problem, is there anything I can do to help (stretches, exercises, etc)? 

 And to top it all off, I've gotta make up some miles tomorrow. Good luck to all doing their long runs tomorrow! Can't wait for this chill to pass.

53 minutes on the recumbent. Average heartrate in the 150's. Really works my glutes, as I can barely reach my foot now due to the discomfort. I think I'll break the 'bent workout into two phases, with some core strengthening exercises. My cardio won't get worked as intensively, but I'm concerned about the effects of doing a sustained workout with a muscle group that hasn't gotten that much exercise from running (or, put another way, it'd be a shame to end up with some sort of glute injury becasue I was resting my calf).

Dan- both of my major calf seizes were on days where I'd had tea or coffee before running instead of my customary water and/or milk (yes, I know, milk is a strange pre run beverage, but it really seems to work for me). I know there have been a lot of discussions recently about the effects of coffee and tea, and how they aren't the evil potions they were once believed to be. That said, I'm very curious about how they do work, and if they set you up for cramping and hydration related problems. Three incidents of tightening (your one and my two) do not a study make, but it sure causes me to wonder.

Nahtus, I had similar experiences with treadmills when I started. I would run, then walk around to cool off. I alway felt dizzy when I stepped off. Then I started doing my cool-down on the treadmill as well, and this usually helps.I still don't like the treadmill, but this makes it easier. By the way, 6 degrees, with 20-30 mph winds here in Michigan. I feel your pain.

Runner75070,

  I just experienced it about 10 mins ago.  Just got done with a 3 miler (roughly) at 13 degrees out and windy.  But, I was pleasantly surprised to see a 27mins, 56 sec time on my watch when I was done.  Especially when I was experiencing wind at 13mph; which makes it feel like 2 degrees.  For some reason my whole route was into the wind most of the way.  I'll remeber to do it in reverse the next time.  Please don't take it as complaining or one-upsmanship on running in the cold.  I'd prefer to run outside, no matter what temperature.  The only problem is frost bite. 

   For those of you running in the cold.  I just bought a Northface Apex Bionic Jacket which has been great.  I've been running with a long-sleeve wicking layer, a long-sleeve cotton shirt, and the coat most of the winter season and I haven't been cold once or felt over heated.  On the snowy days when it's slippery I'm in my Yaktrax Pros.  I've tried different styles traction devices and I've found the Yak's to be the best, especially in transitions from dry, snowy, or icy sidewalks.

Dan,

  Thanks for the advice on the cool-down on the treadmill.  I'll have to give myself more time on my treadmill cool-downs, because if the wind continues and the temperature continues to drop I can see myself on a treadmill by the end of the week.