Late September Trouble

10 Oct 12        That Old Familiar Pain 

WHEN           

During the last week of September I ran a total of about thirty miles, but it wasn’t so good.  The shin splints nearly put me out. 

TEMP

Temperature are way down, fifties and sixties, so clothing must be chosen accordingly.

CONDITIONS

Rain is going to be a more regular factor, and not the cool summer stuff.  Autumn rain is to avoided like the plague.

AIR CONDITION

The air should be good for the next six months at least.

RUN                                       

Again, with the shin splints I have had trouble.  With the inserts, the pain is gone after five or six miles, but that is going to cause problems, so I’ve been off for about two weeks.

TOTAL MILEAGE FOR EIGHT DAYS:      30 MILES

TIME                                       range

RATE                                      est. 9.8 – 10.5

WEIGHT                                 188 lbs

HEART RATE            

INJURY THREATS

Not to go on excessively about it, I remember that in the seventies the inserts altered the bone positions, and it took some time for the muscles and tendons to adjust.  I don’t remember how long that took, but eventually it must have been good, because all of my good running and long running took place after that.  I remember that after a while I couldn’t tell if the inserts were in or not.  The only question is that the expert kid in the store said we don’t run in inserts, but I always did, as the podiatrist told me to.  I will run in these, but they are far from durable as the resin inserts.  On the other hand, how many times can I buy a pair of these for thirty dollars before it equals a visit to the doctor and the creation of resin inserts?

MILEAGE YTD                      370

COMMENTS

I might resume today.  This is the most dangerous period, because once a runner gets up in the mileage but takes two weeks off late in the year, there is the pull to stop running until Spring.  I can’t have that, so I had better get moving.

High Achievements / Major Difficulty

13 Sep12 – 20 Sep 12 High Achievements/Major Difficulty     

WHEN           

School is in, so when I don’t finish my run before 3:30, I conflict with school sports.  JV Football on some Thursdays, Varsity on some Fridays.  I even ran a couple of times along with the cross country training, and another group that looked like some kind of after hours gym class.  Three days ago, I ended up running as late as 7:00, but as I ran seven miles, and the days are shorter, most of that run was in the dark, illuminated by lights from the adjacent soccer field.

TEMP

Temperature are way down.  I have faced my first days in which I wonder if I am dressed warmly enough.  So far, the heat of a run is enough to run in t-shirt and shorts.

CONDITIONS

The dog days of summer are gone for good, and there have actually been a couple of rain days.  I don’t necessarily mind a little summer shower in hot weather, if I’m already running, but I won’t start a run in the rain (especially a storm), and now the rain is to be avoided, as it should be way too cold.

AIR CONDITION

Same as the weather; there should be few to no stuffy or high ozone days until next summer.

RUN                                       

TENS!  I ran ten miles twice in this period.  I don’t know that I’ve run a full ten miles since the kids were toddlers.  The Pace is just a little off, being that the ten miles was run 1:45, or 10:30.  Oh, well, I’m just happy about the distance. 

TOTAL MILEAGE FOR EIGHT DAYS:      39 MILES

TIME                                       range

RATE                                      est. 9.8 – 10.5

WEIGHT                                 189 lbs  (86 Kilo)

HEART RATE             Resting around 78 bpm

INJURY THREATS

The shin splints set in with a bite.  It took longer and longer for the pain to ease on my runs.  By the first ten mile run, I stumped for six miles before it felt better.  I popped back into Striders for the shoe inserts the kid was showing me.  They cost forty dollars, but they are a lot like the inserts the podiatrist made for me in the seventies.  After one day of wearing them in my street shoes (the kid says don’t run in them), I was able to run seven miles easily.  (I would have run more, but that was the dark day).  Then, the following day I was too sore to run and limped around for hours, until late.  I don’t remember how long it took back in school to adjust, but it is true that all of my good running was done on those inserts back when.  Once adjusted, I expect I’ll be much better off.

MILEAGE YTD                      379 (606 K)

COMMENTS

On that day in the dark, never mind the scent of a skunk I could not see but assumed would not venture out onto the track, I picked up a sensation that I haven’t felt in decades.  For two miles near the end of the run, my pace altered naturally, with my knees coming up higher and my foot finding my next step farther forward.  When this happens automatically, it is like shifting a car into overdrive on the highway.  The effects are not only greater steps per minute, but more inches per stride, and all with less energy expended.  I have great hopes for the coming months. 

On that note, the coming months should provide at least two months of good running.  Although we have had blizzards as early as mid-November, last year didn’t bring any significant snowfall in my book.  If we have another year like last, then I will be able to capitalize to the max.

The Long Haul

28 AUG12 – 12SEP12            The Long Haul 

WHEN                                      Afternoons

TEMP                                      88 – 72 F  (32 – 22 C)

CONDITIONS                        Very Mixed, Sunny and Cloudy Days

AIR CONDITION                  Varying freshness, some humid days

RUN                                        Total 66 miles for 16 days

TIME                                       range

RATE                                      est. 10.2 – 9.1 minutes per mile

WEIGHT                                 193  - 186 lbs

HEART RATE                        1 min. post run around 144 bpm

INJURY THREATS

Rise of the shin splints which plagued my high school years.  Various logic on this one, but the so-called shin splint stretch before running is completely ineffectual.  I visited a podiatrist when I was in high school, who made me resin inserts for my shoes.  Since lost the inserts, haven’t needed for normal life.

There was a young kid in Striders (on Chicago Drive in Grandville) whose graduate studies are relative.  He said inserts are generally not used for running shoes, but for street shoes, while correct person-to-shoe matching is essential for running shoes.  Amazingly, he fixed me at size 13 for running shoes!  My street shoes are generally size 11.  Admittedly, I have lost several toenails in the past two years, and my toes have suffered in size 11(1/2) shoes.  We’ll see how this pans out. 

I selected new Saucony ProGrid Omni, mostly because they felt better than the Asics or Brooks, and exactly the same as a pair of high tech Asics which cost thirty dollars more.  As it was, they got me for a hundred and twenty. . . ouch, and ouch.

MILEAGE YTD                      340 (544 K)

COMMENTS

The regular running year has finally settled in.  This latest period of two-plus weeks has been the settling in time.  It seems that I am capable of running seven miles at any time without strain, although it still costs me something the following day, where I will run four or five.

My overall training Pace has improved to just under 10.0 mpm, interestingly enough, consistently through distances between 3 and 8 miles virtually the same Pace.  When trying to run fast, I can now manage sub-nines over three or four miles.

The Dragon runs are over, and it is time for the Wolf to take over.  

There were three days without a run at all, partly due to the shared use of the track and field on Thursdays for JV football, and my inability to get out early enough on Fridays with home games.  Vital to avoid excuses forward.  The GR Marathon is way too close, and Ted is getting married on the day of the run through Aquinas.  It's just time for me to settle in for the long haul and put in my mileage without much anxiety about times.

BEARCLAW

25 AUG12 – 27AUG12                     Bearclaw:  Some Heavy Footed Running          

WHEN                                     Late morning to Midday

TEMP                                      85 - 89

CONDITIONS                       Mostly Sunny

AIR CONDITION                 Heavy air; NWS ozone warning

RUN                                       3.0 / 4.0 / 3.0

TIME                                      32 / 41 / 27:30

RATE                                      10.7 / 10.25 / 9:10 mpm

WEIGHT                                193 lbs

HEART RATE                        1 min post run:            132 bpm

                                               Midday resting:           68 bpm

INJURY THREATS

Lost one toenail, others going.  (ignore)

Cranky crabby legs first two laps (assume recovery period)

MILEAGE YTD                    274 mi (438 K)

COMMENTS

These last three days were tough, at best.  It’s probably just that hotter, heavier air moved back in.  I was progressing during the Dragon Run period to five miles in ninety-five degree weather.  I think I was totally spoiled with the low seventies.  Back up to only ninety, and I couldn’t get past three or four.  On these same days I sweated off the same as I did running twice the distance on cooler days.  Best not push it out of pride when I still weigh over 190 lbs; that will change soon enough. 

That third day at almost nine minute miles felt nice, and was unplanned.  I can tell that my legs still cannot sustain that open stride for three miles, but for longer and longer stretches within that distance.  I guess when I am strong enough to maintain that stride for three, I’ll probably be somewhere near eight minutes per mile.  That would be nice.