Hamstring Treatment - Week 13 - 20 mile (but really 11 mile) long run...

I had full intentions of doing some sort of a short Pace Run on Friday -- and then I put it off to Saturday. But between being busy in the office and a bit under the weather with a cold that had been developing during the week, these runs never happened. No probs -- it would allow me a mini-"taper" to let the muscles repair in advance of this week's 20 miler.

It was a crappy day to run -- snow covered everything, flurries still coming down, and a wind from the west. Not gale-force, mind you, but enough that you definitely looked forward to having it at your back when running east. Unfortunately, I never got to experience that part.

I was careful to carb-up properly and consistently for this run, and as I was fighting a head cold, I took a decongestant tablet and some cough syrup before the run. The first 4 "pre-run" miles were no problem. I was able to keep up with the rest of the pack and the pace wasn't out of my league. For the main run, I joined Shelly Boyer and Jennifer again, and the pace was relaxed but steady. The goal was to head west through the park to Byron, head up Boler to Southdale, go west to Wickerson, and then Wickerson south to eventually make our way back to the park and back downtown again. 16 more miles, for a total of 20. But by the time we started heading up Boler, I was starting to fade. It was a long uphill segment, but it was becoming a real struggle for me and I eventually told Shelly to go on ahead. Then I saw Jed coming down Boler (obviously cutting his run short as well) so I went to join him. He was having hamstring issues and was going to run-walk back. At first I was just going to find a place to call a cab, but he convinced me to join him for an easy run back. We stopped at a convenience store for a Coke, but when we started up again, I was nauseous. I was going to puke for sure. Jed went on ahead and I called a taxi. 11 miles total. Here are my mile splits:

9:34
9:18
9:45
9:15
10:00
9:29
9:13
9:12
9:21
10:01
10:30 (guess)

Not only was I feeling sick to my stomache, but I had a headache and there was significant pressure in my sinuses. So it is possible that I was sick (duh!).

After the Coke and a quart of chocolate milk, a hot shower and then a Guinness, coffee and Big Breakfast at the Ale House, I felt significantly better. But I took it easy for the rest of the day and went to bed early.

I hate bailing on runs. But having done it, now, several times, I've proven to myself that you simply aren't going to have a good run every day. So pick your battles. The important run is on Marathon Day -- everything else is "optional" as long as you only bail occassionally. And, true enough, I'd have much better runs later in the week.

Hamstring Treatment - Week 13 - 9 Mile Tempo run on Dreadmill

While the training plan of John Ferguson, The Legend called for a 10 mile tempo run tonight, I didn't feel I could do it justice, so I shortened it to 9 miles on the dreadmill (8 miles displayed). I did the first 4 miles (displayed) at a 6.0 MPH pace (8:50/mile real world pace), and three of the four remaining displayed miles at a 6.6 MPH (displayed) pace, which should equate to 8 minute miles in the real world. I couldn't hold 6.6 MPH for more than miles 5 and 6, so I took a 2 minute rest and then hopped on the treadmill again at a 6 MPH pace. For the last mile, I ramped it up to 6.6 again.

The first 4 miles (displayed) took just a hair over 40 minutes, and the next 4 miles were just a bit over 39 minutes -- 79:18 total. The first 7 miles of the run were quite close to 70 minutes -- so 3 minutes faster than just last week. And then I ramped up the pace.

Again, while its not what I would have liked to be doing at this point in the race training plan, it is definite progress over last week's 8 mile run.

Hamstring Treatment - Week 12 - Speed Work Ladder (3.5 miles)

We did a "ladder" today -- starting at 400m, then 600m, then 800m, then 1 km, and then back down to 400m again. The goal was to keep consistent pace the whole way. I pushed the hamstring more than ever before this time, and it worked out okay.

We were on the 200 m. track. Here are my times (and my 200 pace):

400m: 1:50 (55 sec.)
600m: 2:40 (53 sec.)
800m: 3:31 (53 sec.)
1000m: 4:24 (53 sec.)
800m: 3:30 (53 sec.)
600m: 2:37 (52 sec.)
400m: 1:40 (50 sec.)

So, I was pretty happy. I finished stronger than I started, my times were consistent, and I pushed myself as hard as I could -- particularly for the 1000 and 800 runs. I had been targeting between 52 and 53 seconds and I ended up at just a hair under 53 second laps on average. Total distance (including 200 rest laps) was 5.8 km (3.5 miles).

Comparing these times to my ladder of July 28, 2010, I typically did 50 second laps (4:10/k.). So I'm not quite there -- but I'm not far off!

Hamstring Treatment - Week 12 - 22.44 mile long run

Jed, Brian and I put in 4.1 miles before the official Runners Choice run today, so all told I got in 20.44 miles. I ran with Shelly Boyer the entire way, and most of the way with Jennifer (although I didn't catch her last name).

It was a good run. The route took us up to the corner of Clarke Road and Sunningdale, and then back down Adelaide. So there were some good long hills. Here are my mile splits:

9:17
8:58
8:46
8:52
8:48
8:43
8:43
8:35
8:42
8:51
8:44
8:48
8:45
8:59
8:52
8:58
8:42
8:47
8:54
9:00
8:35 (.44 miles)

So the average pace over the whole run was 8:50 -- not terrible. My hamstring was tight, but, really, it didn't hurt more than any other part of my body by the end!

By the end of the run, it was feeling nauseous, so I have to figure out the food thing. I was starving (predictibly) by 13 miles, and I chewed a lot of gummy bear things I picked up from Sport Chekk, and Sports Beans from Runners Choice. But I needed something else. Maybe I'll try chopped up Clif bars and Pringles, like Sarah Reinertson does on her Iron Man runs next time! I had a good breakfast -- a large bowl of mini-wheats, so that got me through the first half of the run.

After getting cleaned up, we went to The Ale House for their half-priced Big Breakfast with a bunch of the other runners. And I rode in indoor polo later the afternoon, which helped stretch out the muscles.

I was pretty happy getting this run in. It confirmed that one way or another, I'll finish Boston in 10 weeks.

Hamstring Treatment - Week 15 - 4 Mile "Pace" Run

Today, Coach Brian and I ventured out into the wild weather -- sleet going sideways type wild weather -- to try to get in our 6 mile pace run (4 miles at pace with a 1 mile warm-up and cool-down). Our warm-up run was pretty good heading mostly south and then a bit east. But the wind was 39 KM/h gusting to 65 KM/h from the west -- so heading west wasn't so good.

We ended up bailing on the 4 miles of pace and shortened it to 2 miles at pace -- but our muscles were plenty sore enough. At one point, I actually felt like I wasn't moving forward despite working hard and leaning into the wind.

Here are my splits:

7:56 (warm-up)
8:34 (into the wind)
7:52 (wind behind me, but my legs were done)
9:26 (cool-down)

It was a tough run -- but just being out there today made us better men than most. And the beer (Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout) still tasted great afterwards!

Hamstring Treatment - Week 12 - 8 Mile Tempo Run on the Treadmill

It was 12 weeks ago today that I ruptured in my right hamstring and was hobbling around the Breezes resort in Curacao. And in 10.5 weeks, I'll be in Boston running the marathon.

I'm still not even close to the speed I was before the injury -- but I'm getting there.

Today I was to do an 8 mile tempo run, where the first half of the run is at marathon pace and the second half of the run is at 30 to 45 seconds per mile _faster_ than marathon pace. Well, my 'marathon pace' to hit my target of 3:20 in Boston is 7:38/mile -- and I can't even hit that pace for one mile, let alone 4. So tonight, I just hit the treadmill with the goal of doing the first half at a moderate pace, and the second half at a pace that was stressing me a bit.

Because the treadmill needs to be calibrated and I know it is off by 13.1%, I ran so it read 7 miles as the distance travelled, which should equate to 7.92 miles -- close enough.

I was going to start running at 5 MPH, but it was actually too slow, so I ramped it up to 5.5 MPH on the display, which should equate to 9:39/mile pace in the real world. I did this pace for the first 3 miles, and then ramped up the pace to 6.5 MPH on the display, which should equate to a pace of 8:10 in the real world. I was working hard, but I could handle it for the half mile until I took a quick scheduled break at the 3.5 mile mark. From there, I ramped up the pace to 6.0 MPH displayed (8:50/mile in the real world) and I carried on for 2.5 miles and then I ramped it up to 6.5 MPH (8:10/mile real world) for the last mile. I was working hard, but I was breathing well and my head was still being held high and I had a bounce in my step, so I guess the pace was okay.

So, I'm making progress. Looking back to my 7 mile (displayed) run on the treadmill on January 12, 2012, I'm certainly faster for a sustained period of time. I knocked off the run in roughly 73 minutes -- a minute faster than on January 12 -- so while the progress isn't mind boggling, it is progress nonetheless!

Hamstring Treatment - Week 11 - 4 Mile Easy Run

Coach Brian was off in Whistler skiiing, so when our buddy Jody Durand called up and asked if we wanted to go for a run in Ilderton where he was bringing his daughter once a week in preparation for a Mexican mission in March, we took him up on it. By 'we', I mean 'me' -- Jenny had a drink at the King Eddie in Ilderton while Jody and I put in a 4 mile run at a 9:18/mile 'easy run' pace. It was great to see Jody again and in the course of our 37 minute run, we not only got caught up on everything in each others' worlds, but we solved all of the worlds problems to boot!