1:57 starting at 6:45am Portland time. Long run - meant to do about 12, but got a bit disoriented and went about 15M, but that's OK because I felt pretty strong. Cool, overcast, a tiny bit of light rain at the end. Route took me from Maplecrest down in Tryon, up Iron Mountain and into Lake O, through 1st addition, down by the lake and the train tracks, past the country club all the way to Boones Ferry, then up Country Club, up Englewood Dr., back up through the park and back to Jenny & Nate's. Knees and feet sore afterwards. Tomorrow is a planned day off.
8.6 miles total in 64:48 on the beach in Manzanita, OR. Ran at 6pm, later than I usually do, because we didn't arrive till mid-afternoon and then I took a nap.
This was a memorable run. The plan was to do 10x400 reps with equal-distance recovery as per Jack Daniels, so I programmed the Garmin for that. I took off south down the beach, which I had read was 7 miles long, and was moving fast. I knew there was a tailwind and that there would be punishment for my sins on the way back, but it was hard to judge pace accurately not being used to running on the beach or in wind. I did a 2.5M warm-up at 7:00 pace with minimal effort and was feeling studly. Then I started the quarters.
I did the first 4 reps with the tailwind in 75, 69, 68, and 70 and felt like I was flying before I came to a rock jetty and ran out of beach. I turned around and was in for a nasty surprise: the wind was WAY stronger than I had thought. It was so strong you had to turn your head to the side to breathe properly so you weren't directly facing into the wind. I knew the remaining 6 quarters were going to be ugly, but decided to plow through them. Well, I wasn't feeling so studly anymore: I ran the last 6 400s in 87-97 seconds, and the recoveries were at 10-11 minute pace. Even so, my HR was up above 170 and I was really working hard against the wind. I finally finished the last one and limped home the last 1.1M at 8:45 pace, then basically collapsed in the hotel room.
I estimate the wind was at least 30mph, and it was bloody cold, too. My hands and ears were killing me on the way back and I was certain I was going to get sick. I guess the fact that it is August doesn't mean much on the Oregon coast. Calves were pretty sore after the run too.
7.8M in 56:20 at 1pm on the beach at Manzanita. This was a south-then-north out-and-back, and I almost reached the jetty at the south end of the beach. Weather was cool, mostly overcast with some sun, and not windy till the last mile, thankfully.
Average pace was 7:10 and avg HR 140. Felt fine and the legs were mostly OK. Overall, a much more enjoyable run than yesterday.
8.1M in 56:19 at 8:30am local time on the beach at Manzanita. Weather was cool, very moist and foggy, and mostly calm. It was so foggy that it was a little hard to judge distances and tell how close to the water you were. There were also quite a few puddles on the beach and little streams flowing into the ocean carving up the sand into little islets.
Average pace was 6:57. 2M warm-up, then 3M at 6:18, 6:14, and 6:00, and 3M warm-down. I was planning to do about 6 miles instead of 3 at the faster pace, but didn't feel strong and I also felt that twinge on the hamstring inside of my knee that has bothered me on and off this summer, so I backed off after 3. Average HR was 148 for the run; for the 3 faster miles it was 152, 157, 161, so I wasn't working that hard - just didn't feel strong.
46 minutes in Boise with Johnny along the canal banks going to Cassia Park. Call it 5.8. Ran a little before 7am local time. Not much going on in Boise at that hour, and it was cool.
We took the pace easy the whole way. Good thing, because my legs weren't feeling too good. The first 5 or 10 minutes, my whole left leg was stiff and kind of tingly like it was asleep. Also the Achilles were very stiff, and I felt a bit of p.f. in my right arch, which always scares me.
Furthermore, I was having some minor stomach issues after last night's binge at The Melting Pot, so any faster pace would likely have caused disaster. Evidently, though, my stomach problems paled in comparison to Johnny's, who sprayed a wet deuce along the canal banks hardly a mile into the run...
50 minutes in Twin Falls at CSI and the North College area/ Moores' house. Call it 6.2 (probably farther). Ran at 7am local time. Not too hot yet though there was a decent East breeze. Legs felt better than yesterday.
12.1M in 1:25 starting at a little before 7am Twin Falls time. Weather was cool and dry. Route went all over the eastern half of town, roughly Candleridge Smith's O'Leary Thomsen Hankins 4th Elizabeth Harmon Viola Bontrager Smith's Alturas and home. Everything was asphalt except a lap around Thomsen Park on the thick wet grass.
This was a pretty good run and I felt stronger and stronger as it went on. The first 2 miles I felt crappy and my legs were super-stiff. But all the rest of the miles except the 1st 2 were 7:04 and under, and the last 6 were 6:52 and under. Average pace was 7:01.
The run turned out to be pleasant, too. I had been dreading running 12 miles in TF. It helped to get an early start (sun rises late there and sets late) and it was quiet and still out at that hour.
7.6M in 55:36 at 9am Twin Falls time. Weather was clear, dry, and starting to get warm. Ran with JohnR a.k.a. Johnny. Route took us up Madrona over the Perrine Bridge, along the new Rim Trail in both directions as far as we could get (not very far, yet, unfortunately), and back home. Asphalt the whole way.
Average pace was 7:21. Felt fine, better than expected after yesterday's run.
Daniels workout from 5k-15k Training Plan, Week 9 Quality Workout 1. On Table 19.1 on p.244 in my book (2nd edition). 4x200 + 2x400 + 1x800 + 2x400 + 4x200 with equal distance jog.
Ran at about 3pm. Weather was 75, sunny, humid, with a light breeze. Decided to do the workout on the SHHS track because I thought the trails would be messy after the heavy rain this morning, and because the workout is complicated.
At the level I'm at, Daniels recommends a pace of 73 seconds per lap. I hit that on all but the 800. The full recovery makes this an early-season "rep" workout rather than a mid-season interval workout.
Warmed up with 3 miles including strides and stretching, and the legs were not turning over too well. Started the workout and averaged 35 for the first set of 200s, then hit 70/72 for the quarters, 2:30 for the 800, 74/70 for the next 2 quarters, and averaged 34 for the last 4 200s with a 31 for the last rep. Jogged the recoveries at a pace that made the miles average 6:30-7:00. You can break the workout into 5 one-mile segments, each of which has 800m of fast running and 800m of recovery jogging.
Did not feel speedy but only really hurt on the 800. The fact that a single 800 in 2:30 was so tough reflects my training, I guess. I still have a little bit of basic speed which makes running 200s in the low 30s pretty easy. On the other side of the spectrum, aerobically I'm in the best shape of my life, and I feel like I can run 7-minute miles indefinitely (up to 18 or 20, probably). However, I'm severely lacking in strength right now. A 6x800 workout would be ugly. The next phase in Daniels' plan should remedy that.
50:18 at est. 7:30 pace, so call it 6.7M. Ran at 11:30am at RSPP. End HR was 145. Weather was pleasant.
My calves, which had been very sore after yesterday's speed workout, were fine, but both Achilles were stiff the whole way today. Afterwards, my left achilles feels a little tweaked (worse than just sore). It is down near the connection to the heel, similar to what I had last September. Day to day for now.
Ran in a new pair of Adidas Adistar Cushion 6, same model and size as my last pair (but a lot cleaner and shinier). Since they are exactly the same as my workhouse shoes, I didn't expect any problems. They felt tight when I put them on, but didn't cause any blisters or problems. I don't think the Achilles issue today is attributable to the new shoes.
Ran past KK on the aqueduct trail. He appeared to be cruising and looked fine. We waved at each other and then he was long gone.
8M in 58:02 to Dobbs Ferry and back. Ran at high noon. Weather was 80, sunny, and comparatively dry. Pace felt easy and was very even the whole way.
Legs felt slightly lethargic. Before the run, I soaked my Achilles in a bucket of the hottest water I could stand for about 15 minutes to try to loosen them up. It seemed to help, as they were a little less stiff than usual and didn't really hurt during the run. What was a little sore, though, was my right forefoot. I am sure this is from running fast Monday wearing my Cumulus, which seem to have zero or possibly negative forefoot cushion. This has happened before, and one of these days I'll learn. If the foot is sore today, it will really be sore after tomorrow, when I run a 5k on hilly trails wearing 15-year-old Waffle flats...
Van Cortlandt Track Club Summer XC Serie (3.1 Miles) 00:17:48, Place overall: 2
Easy Miles
Marathon Pace Miles
Threshold Miles
VO2 Max Miles
Total Distance
5.00
0.00
0.00
3.10
8.10
Summary: 17:48 over a cross-country 5k for 2nd place at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. A decent effort, but not great. Would have hoped to have been about 20 seconds faster given the effort. Almost a carbon copy of last year's race, in that I ran decent 1st and 3rd miles but got my butt kicked by the hills in the 2nd mile.
7 pm race, so I started warming up around 4:30. There had been heavy rain earlier, so I jogged to the Y and ran a couple miles on the treadmill, then came back and stretched. Left the house around 5:45 and drove down to the Bronx, arriving about 6:10. Got registered and warmed up. Storms were threatening with dark clouds and lightning in the distance, but it didn't rain. It was about 70 and very humid when the race started.
Van Cortlandt Track Club puts on these cross country races every other Thursday all summer, and this was the last installment. I ran one last summer but this was my first this summer. The atmosphere is super low-key: it only costs $5 to enter, there are no t-shirts, prizes are carrot muffins from the bakery across the street, and most of the entrants (around 100-150) seem to come from the surrounding neighborhood. In the play fields all around the start and finish area, neighborhood kids and adults were playing football, baseball, soccer, rugby, field hockey, etc without paying much attention to the cross country race.
Van Cortlandt Park is probably the most famous cross country course in the country. Tons and tons of championship races from HS to college to pro have been held here for decades. This course started with about 3/4 mile around the play fields and then went back up into the wooded hills for the middle section until coming back down to the fields for the last half mile. The surface is all dirt/gravel paths and it was kind of rough in places. Not only that, but it was a bit dark back in the woods because of the storm clouds and you really had to watch the trail closely. It is not the place to run a fast time!
The plan was to not go out too fast, and I didn't feel like I did, but I found myself at the front when the course left the flat and went up into the hills. This is where some interesting tactics played out. In a normal fun run, you usually don't get a lot of surges and pace changes - everyone just usually runs the same pace the whole time - but this was different, maybe owing to the fact that it was cross country on narrow hilly trails with a lot of turns. Around 1 mile, 2 guys working together (including the eventual winner, who I think is Jamaican) shot out in front. I covered that surge and they eased off. A couple minutes later, an older guy with a beard and yellow cap (who ended up 3rd) charged ahead but we pulled him in. Not long after, the Jamaican guy surged again and the older guy went along, but I couldn't stay with them. I was not doing well up the hills and they quickly had about 5 seconds on me. At around 2 miles I noticed that the older guy was coming back to me, and I was getting a bit of a 2nd wind. I was making up ground on all the downhills. As the course came down out of the woods and around the soccer fields with a half mile to go, I passed him. Unfortunately, the leader was long gone. I put in a half-hearted kick but the winner had me by 12 seconds and seemed to have plenty of gas left. The older guy lost 15 seconds on me but held on to 3rd.
It's funny because almost the exact same scenario played out last year when I raced here. I had a strong 1st mile, then absolutely died on the hills and lost a bunch of places, then regained some mojo on the last mile and passed some people back. Last year, though, I was fat and out of shape, so my time was 52 seconds faster this year.
I wore the Garmin and HRM and had hoped to get some data from the run, but evidently I failed to start it, so I have no data, which is a bummer. Also, the HRM kept slipping down from my chest onto my stomach during the race and I had to re-adjust it a few times, which was distracting.
Overall it was a decent race, definitely not great. The goals were to run hard and get an early-season readout on where I am in training, and to try to increase the pace each mile. For the effort I put in, even taking the slow course into consideration, I thought I would have been about 20 seconds faster. It didn't feel like I went out too fast, but the 2nd-mile hills hit me all at once, so maybe I did. I think the weak middle of the race reflects the fact that I haven't really done much strength work yet: I need some 800/1200/mile repeats, tempo runs, and hills to whip me into racing shape. Competitively speaking, it was a decent effort, again not great. I made an effort to stay in front for the first couple of moves, but couldn't hang in there the 2nd mile when they broke ahead. I did reel in the one guy, but I should have put in a ballsier kick. On the plus side, I did win a carrot muffin.
Stayed up real late after the race lifting weights in the basement, icing, and watching the Olympics.
6.5M in 51:52 (7:58/mile) at noon from Gory Brook up the OCA to the school and back. Pleasant weather (sunny, not too hot, moderately humid).
Slow pace the whole way, the slowest I've run in some time. Wanted to recover from yesterday, but mainly, didn't want to run fast because my left Achilles was sore the whole way. This is worrisome, since it usually loosens up 1-2 miles into the run. Besides that, I had no soreness (i.e. muscular soreness) from last night's race. Guess I didn't push it too hard.
There was a huge limb down across the trail just south of the bike bridge.
11.2M in 78:24. 4 of the miles were 6:45 or better, so call those MP. Ran south on the OCA to Hastings and back. At 2pm, it was 80 deg, sunny, and comparatively dry. Avg pace 6:59, avg HR 153.
Felt good the first couple of miles and even threw in some pickups, even though this was supposed to be a long run. Starting losing energy around the 3rd mile but kept the pace under 7:00 until the 8th mile when I really started to struggle, but kept the pace 7:15 or under until the last mile, which was 7:30 and includes a hill. Especially lately it is unusual for me to positive-split a long run. I think the 1st half was 6:51/mile and the 2nd half 7:07/mile.
Felt exhausted after the run. I know I've been pushing it training-wise with both running and weights. Probably I am overtraining right now. I have a race in 16 days and I'd like to get in another hard week before easing up a bit the week before the race. Tomorrow is a planned day off, but maybe I should take two. We'll see.
My legs were shot and the 2nd half of the run I was having trouble with footing, which is a sure sign of leg fatigue. I was bouncing all over the place side to side and my ankles felt loose and floppy. This is from a combination of hard training, the weights from yesterday (unwisely did squats and lunges, which I just should not do, period), ongoing Achilles problems, dead shoes, and a slight turn of my left ankle which happened on Wednesday's run. Also I have bad blisters on both feet from the race Thursday. Very dehydrated afterwards as well.
Hill repeats at RSPP. Roughly 9.5M total; no time recorded. Ran at 10am - weather was warm, sunny, and dry.
2M w.u. + assorted unstructured hill intervals with equal distance jog + 1.5M w.d.
Repeats were supposed to roughly match the Daniels workout in the schedule I'm following, but they were mowing the hay/weeds field up there so I had to improvise. As near as I can remember, I did: 1x200, 2x100, 6x500, 4x300, and 4x100. Last 100s all out on the steepest part of the hill. These distances are guesses and are based more on the time it takes to run them than actual distances.
Pushed hard and felt relatively strong. About 1/3 of the way through I was struggling and not sure I could finish, but I gutted it out and got a second wind. Probably pushed harder today than at Thursday's race. Had those lovely symptoms of interval work, headache and upset stomach. Legs felt almost fully recovered from last week. Knees were slightly sore during warm up (from squats/lunges) and left achilles was a little sore during the workout but better than last week by far.
Full lower-body weights routine at the Y afterwards.
6M in 41:16 on the OCA South and back. Ran at 1pm; weather was 80 and sunny. Can't complain.
Threw in 5 pickups of 30 seconds or so each, which accounts for the overall 6:51 pace on an easy recovery run.
Felt fine. Legs were mostly OK, but feet were a little sore.
Triax: 107
Adistar: 19
Cumulus: 282
Went to the running store this morning. Since learning how to buy the right shoes is an ongoing process for me, I'm writing everything down for future reference.
Wanted to buy 2 pairs of shoes: (1) a 2nd pair of trainers mainly for long runs and secondarily for easy runs to rotate with my Adistars and (2) a pair of "performance" trainers for track work and tempo runs. I usually wear my Cumulus now for speedwork but they seem to lack cushioning (esp. forefoot) for how heavy they are.
For the trainers I picked out 5 models to try on. I chose these candidates from catalog info/ Runner's World reviews based on high amount of cushioning, soft feel, and not too heavy weight. I came up with Nike Zoom Vomero 3, Nike Max 180 3, Saucony Progrid Triumph 5, Asics Nimbus 9, and Brooks Glycerin 6.
Nike Zoom Vomero 3: not in stock in my size, so didn't try on
Nike Max 180 3: store didn't carry them; salesman said they were BS/fashion shoes and not real running shoes
Saucony Progrid Triumph 5: first pair I tried on. Fit didn't seem great and they didn't feel very soft or cushiony, so ruled them out
Asics Nimbus 9: Great amount of cushion - of all the shoes they felt the best each time my foot hit the ground. However, the fit wasn't great, just OK: felt a little loose and rubbed the wrong way slightly around the ankle and heel. Salesman said that was normal and that there was a special material around the ankle that molds to your foot over time, improving the fit. Almost got them.
Brooks Glycerin 6: Best fit by far. Size 9.5 was too snug but it fit like a glove, size 10 wasn't as tight but still fit great. Feel was less cushiony than the Nimbus but still not bad, so I wasn't sure which to get. Salesman advised going for fit over feel. Basically a toss-up. Bought these in size 10.
For the performance shoes I picked out NB 826, Mizuno Wave Precision 8, and Nike Zoom Skylon to try on. Basically chose these based on weight of around 9-10 oz, amount of cushion, and no hint of any stability/motion control features.
NB 826: Size 9.5 felt great but were a little snug. Size 10 was a tiny bit loose on the left foot but seemed OK but tighter lacing. Couldn't see any reason not to get these, so I did.
Mizuno Wave Precision 8: Store carried version 9. Didn't like the feel of these at all. Felt like there was a lift in the heel and no cushion whatsoever in the forefoot. Forefoot felt like it was 0.001mm from the street but heel felt like I was wearing high heels. Bad.
Nike Zoom Skylon: Store didn't carry them. Salesman said no one at the store liked the shoe.
Probably covered 2 or 3 miles running around the block and on the treadmill, but I won't count that in my mileage...
Big tempo workout today. Total of 11 miles in 1:18, all asphalt. Ran 2.5M from home to the North County Trailway aka Putnam Bike Path, then ran 5.7M at tempo pace out and back, and warmed down with 2.8M. Ran at around 11am - gorgeous August day - sunny, about 70, light breeze.
Was trying for a full 6.4M at tempo which would have been the full out and back from where I get on the bike path to the parking lot where I turn around and back, but I started falling apart on the last mile and eased off. Afterwards I was pretty mad at myself for doing that.
Stats on the workout:
2.5M wu in 7:24 (incl big uphill)
Tempo portion:
Dist / Pace / Avg HR / Max HR
1 / 5:50 / 155 / 161
1 / 6:03 / 162 / 165
1 / 5:59 / 166 / 168
.2/ 6:06 / 167 / 168
1 / 5:50 / 167 / 170
1 / 5:42 / 169 / 171
.5 / 5:56 / 170 / 171
So 1st 3.2M @ 5:58, last 2.5M@ 5:48, total 5.7M@ 5:53.
Felt pretty strong overall. A better workout than the one 3 1/2 weeks ago where I ran 4x1M w/ 2min rest in avg 5:47 on the same course. Left Achilles/ankle area was sore during the run, and afterwards my knees ached like they used to everyday but don't so much recently.
Lifted weights (upper body) at the Y in the afternoon. Felt tired there. I have lost weight: 141 first thing in the morning on home scale, 145.5 in midafternoon on Y scale.
45 junky minutes - call it 5 miles. Slow pace the whole way. Legs were dead from yesterday, and left Achilles was quite sore, so didn't want to/ couldn't pick it up.
Ran at 11am across Hwy 448 from Stone Barns. Very hilly up there. Saw a wild turkey hen and 3 baby turkeys (turklings? turklets?), and also ran on a cool new trail I didn't know about. Weather was sunny and nice.
60 minutes bike = 8 miles Cross Training Equivalent (CTE). I record these CTE miles separately but do not include them in running mileage.
10m wu + 10 x (2min hard, 2 min easy) + 10m wd. 18.1 miles total. Most workbouts @ 100-110rpm @ Level 11 resistance on far RHS bike at the Y. HR in mid-160s at end of most workbouts, but 171 on last rep.
Quality workout but not all out. I wanted to get in a hard workout today but wasn't sure it was a good idea to run hard with my Achilles being tender, so I hit the bike. Easy tomorrow, long run Sunday.
Weights (lower body and abs) beforehand.
Had a hard time raising the HR today, and this bike workout was not as good as a couple I did in May (where workbouts were generally 110-115rpm @ 12 resistance). Some possible reasons:
*Different bike at the Y, maybe resistance is not comparable
*Not sure I had my feet properly in the stirrups today
*Did my leg weights beforehand today, so legs were already spent when I started
*My training has been hard this week and I'm tired
8 miles in 58:22 (7:18 avg) to Dobbs Ferry and back. Ran at 7:30am, weather beautiful and trail "crowded."
Easy pace and felt fine the whole way. End HR 145. Ran in new yellow Brooks Glycerin 6. They seem more or less fine. They are a little stiffer and less cushiony than my Adistars, but fit great and didn't seem to cause any problems.
The first couple of miles both my Achilles (left especially) were stiff and my right forefoot was sore, but these all improved as the run went on. Felt better and better. However, left Achilles is tender afterwards.
12 miles in 1:36 at Lake Waramaug. Ran at around 3 with Chris and Kevin. Weather was warm and sunny.
The 3 of us started from the beach with the normal counterclockwise route at an easy pace. We added on the big hill up Strawberry Ridge (also Strawberry Lane) and came down by Hopkins. When we reached the beach again we were at 70 minutes, probably 8.8M. (Alana measured the loop and it is 7.6.) Chris and Kevin bowed out but I wanted to get to 12 for a long run so I started the loop again in the same direction. Did another 26 minutes out and back. I was feeling good so I almost committed to another whole loop, but I'm glad I didn't because my right forefoot started to hurt pretty bad by the time I got back. It has been sore but 12 miles on asphalt with an uneven road surface didn't help.
9M total this morning at 9:30am in 1:05. Ran on OCA and in RSPP, S/F at SHHS. Good weather.
Run consisted of a 16 minute warm up, then 15 minutes at tempo pace, 3min rest, 10min tempo, 2min rest, 5min tempo. (This is a Daniels tempo workout.) Then the warm down of about 15minutes which included 4 sprints up the steepest part of the hill.
Alana was using the Garmin so I don't know pace, but I was moving pretty well on the first tempo portion, probably in the 5:50 neighborhood. Pace fell off on the next 2 tempo portions, however, as I was having some problems concentrating. All in all, probably averaged 6:00 pace for the 30 minutes of tempo running. Not a great workout, but I got through it. The last 4 days I have been completely out of my routine - keeping odd hours, binge eating and drinking way too much, and away from the house a lot. Given that, I was happy just to start and finish the workout.
Ran in my new NB 826 shoes, which I bought just for up-tempo runs such as today. They are pretty minimal and don't get in the way much. The fit is fine. My left Achilles was pretty sore for the whole run today, and the right one is a bit sore too. No trouble with forefeet after Sunday's long run when they were sore. Knees were a bit achey afterwards.
8M easy in 57:33. Ran to Dobbs Ferry and back around 11am. Weather 75 and nice. Splits 29:13/28:20. End HR 145.
Just happy to get this easy run done. The last couple of days have marked a low point for my running this summer. Achilles problems, lack of motivation, and aggressive over-eating. In retrospect, I am overtrained. I had been red-lining it practically all summer without an easy week, hitting new mileage highs. It goes to show that if you don't give yourself an easy week once in a while, your body will force you to take it.
After Tuesday's workout my Achilles (left mainly) were in bad shape. Wednesday I knew there was no point in running, but I skipped cross-training. Thursday I had intentions of running a track workout, but could not bring myself to do it. This was my first skipped workout in at least a couple of months. Maybe it's better I skipped it, as it could have really messed up my Achilles.
Late last night I decided I was going to just forget the track workout and run easy today, just to get back on schedule. I have a race Monday and now it's too close to it to be doing a hard workout and risk hurting myself, so I'm just writing off the speed workout I didn't do. Will have easy or rest days Saturday and Sunday.
In an effort to learn something about treating injuries, and preventing tweaks and niggles from becoming injuries, and to indulge my hypochondriac side, I'm going to start tracking leg issues daily. Here goes:
Left achilles: Trying to figure out how this happened. 4 big mileage weeks including 3 new weekly highs from July 14 - August 10. Many of these miles done in old Adistars with 600 miles. Soles were worn down and shoes were dead. Speed workout August 11 which I did not properly warm down from. First noticed Achilles problems next day. August 14, ran hilly cross country race in waffle flats. Achilles very sore next 2 days but ran anyway. Also was breaking in fresh pair of adistars that week. Felt better 18th-19th after day off, but sore again Aug 20th after hard tempo run. Very sore next day on slow recovery run. Cross-trained the 22nd, ran the 23rd-24th and Achilles were a little sore both days. Wore new Brooks on the 23rd, and new NB on the 26th.
In summary, probably a combination of high mileage, introducing more speedwork, and running in dead shoes then breaking in new shoes. One day off seems to help a lot.
I recall that I had a lot of Achilles problems in Summer '07 (caused I think by running only in Triax, and particularly doing speed work in Triax without sufficient base), but it always improved in a few days with rest and ice.
Today, I soaked in hot water before running. Achilles was stiff and sore first mile, but gradually improved and wasn't really bothering me most of the run. Not especially sore afterwards. Did not ice Wed or Thurs.
Right achilles: Probably same causes as described above. Similar problem, but not as severe. Often more stiff than sore. Stiff for the first mile today but improved.
Knees: Slightly achey when done but nothing acute. Right worse than left. Took Advil when done.
Right quad: A little sore today after being pretty sore during Tuesday's run. No idea how this happened. Not too worried. Left quad just slightly sore as well.
Right forefoot: Getting tender at the end of today's run, but not terrible. Left OK.
Similar run to yesterday. 8M easy in 56:21. Ran to Dobbs Ferry and back at noon. Weather 75 and quite humid. Felt like I was dogging it but pace was 7:03. 7:00/mile feels so easy now. Splits 28:24/27:57. End HR 150.
Injury report:
Left achilles: Did not ice yesterday nor did I soak it in hot water this morning. Wasn't very sore walking around the house yesterday or this morning. Quite sore first mile of run, a little sore 2nd mile, just stiff after that. Feels OK now.
Right achilles:
Pretty much fine.
Knees: Basically fine. Didn't bother me during run, sore walking down basement stairs afterwards.
Right quad:
Still sore but not really bothersome. I now think I did this stretching last week sometime.
Right forefoot: A tiny bit tender afterwards, but basically OK.
5.6M very easy with Alana in 1:02. Ran at RSPP at around noon, weather 75, sunny and very nice.
Big race tomorrow!
Injury report:
Left achilles:
Quite a bit better. Maybe because of slow pace, or because of shoes (Glycerin), or maybe it's just getting better. Only slightly sore and stiff at the beginning of the run and not bad after. Did not ice yesterday nor did I soak it in hot water this morning.
Wasn't very sore walking around the house yesterday or this morning.
Feels OK now.
Right quad:
Same as yesterday: Still sore but not really bothersome.
Right forefoot: A little worse than yesterday. Tender in the last half mile on the outside of the forefoot (where it was painful last Sunday at Lake Waramaug).
