Watt's Running

I buried my father this week. I traveled to Buffalo, New York with my entire family for the funeral. He had lived a very long and productive life. Nevertheless it was a tough thing to do. It was also very tough to do any running. I tried, but just didn’t have it in me. I walked a bit, I ran a bit, I thought a lot, and I remembered a lot. I returned yesterday, and ran Lady Bird Lake trail slowly this morning. Weather was good. The ankle was again tight for the first 3-4 miles – had to run and walk several times. Then it loosened up at Longhorn Dam and then I met Ed B and Kevin K at mile 5 at IH35. We ran and chatted to the end at mile marker 0, which helped make the time fly by. Thanks guys you helped me more than you know.

Well for some unknown reason I was totally messed up this morning. I woke at the right time, but for some strange reason I got stuck in my head that the run began at 7 AM and I had plenty of time. What I forgot about was that the run really started at 6:30 AM and I only realized it as I pulled into the parking lot at about 6:40 AM. Sheesh. Well just then as I was getting out of my car a large gaggle of runners passed the parking lot so I quickly start running with them (never having gone to the start to get the route map). However at Congress they turn left whereas I had planned to continue straight until Rio Grande and then head north. In addition I was having tight ankle problems so alone I continued on northward. However as time went on I finally realized that those runners were indeed my group and they were running the first 20 miles of the marathon whereas the night before I checked the maps and was running the last 20 miles of the marathon. Double Sheesh. At that time I realized that I was going to be all alone and with no water stops. It really ticks me off that this running group doesn’t publish their plans ahead of time with clear maps weeks before the actual runs. We pay big bucks to take this class and I’m very disappointed in their lack of planning WRT maps. As the miles clicked by I got to the campus and like a brainless drone I forgot to turn at Dean Keeton and dropped about a mile off my route. Triple Sheesh. Oh, and I also forgot to start my timer until I got to Rio Grande and started heading north so my final time was way off. However when I finished I was so brain-dead to have forgotten that and felt that I had done a good time. Quadruple Sheesh. Afterwards I mapped what I actually ran and it totaled 19.1 miles. Was it a good run? Well other than the tight ankle that finally loosened up at about mile 5-7 my answer is yes it was (except for Rogue’s and my sheeshes – is that a word?).

In class this week I did OK, but as I was warming up for the first 3 miles the muscle at the front of my right ankle was extra tight. Generally when this happens I can either run through it or if I stop for water it’s OK when I start up afterwards. Well this week that worked, but the next day the muscle on the back of my right ankle was sore and swollen. Naturally I still went for my morning 4-mile run thinking that it would just work itself out, but it bothered me the rest of the day. I gimped around at work all day in my clunky heavy shoes – ouch. That night I “rice”ed it: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. I also took two Aleve pills to help with the inflammation. The next day, Thursday, should have been a 12-miler, but I decide to rest and take that day off. I was feeling better on Friday so I planned a 12-mile out-and-back route down Metric and out Parmer. I took it slow and easy, and did fine. So on the Saturday 20-mile long run I again took it easy (this means slow to me). I timed myself on the Trail mile 9->10: 8:44 (too fast), mile 0->1: 9:16 (a little slow), and mile 1->2: 9:13 (ditto). I didn’t care how long this would take me. I just wanted to complete it. Unfortunately I didn’t read the instructions as I ran and instead of skirting Mt. Bonnell, I ran up it again (I did it two weeks ago w/ my coach). Sheesh!. Nevertheless I made it to the turn around at Balcones/Mt Barker albeit through this circuitous route both out and up, and back and down. At the stop I had my Chocolate Clif Shot and water. Heading back I stopped at the MoPac water stop and had a Mocha Clif Shot with caffeine. Continuing I again timed myself on the Trail mile 2->1: 8:52 (approx.), mile 1->0: 8:43, mile 10->9: 8:55. I was feeling pretty good and completed strong. Afterwards I had very little muscle fatigue this time, but I had done a much slower pace most of the time. I completed 20.8 miles [0.8 over Mt Bonnell!] in 3:25:51, or 9:54 per miles (note: this includes all the water stops and stopping to select my next podcast). Afterwards I did my stretches, and bought a yummy chocolate milk on the way home. Consider how the week had gone I felt a medium level of satisfaction about how the long run went today.

Weather was OK: humid, cloudy, and 60 degrees F. I had to complete 20 miles as the advanced distance today. I ran by myself with my iPod talking in my ear. I tried to run easy as best I could. Over the run I ate three chocolate-chip cookies and one Clif-Shot as fuel. Nevertheless by the end my legs became fatigued and weak. Afterwards my legs were so tight that they felt like they were cramping. I made sure to stretch back at Rogue. I finished in 3:04:37 or 9:14 minutes/mile. So I did OK, but I’m really worried that I won’t be able to maintain 9 minutes/mile for the whole distance. This muscle fatigue is something that I’ve had before and I have been unable to solve it in the past. Is it something that I’m doing during the run (for ex, bad fueling, or trying too hard], or is there something I should be doing in preparation for it [for ex, strength training aka weights, or massages]. All I can say is that during the first three years of running I don’t remember this problem, but for the last ones it’s been a constant companion and caused me to “retire” from this distance. What am I to do, what am I to do? I’m worried.