I ran 16 miles today in 80-85 degree heat. I tried to keep my pace slow and ran pretty much alone the entire time. I did this so I wouldn’t be motivated to keep up with someone else. Then the last 4 miles we were supposed to pick up the pace to HalfMGP or MGP. I think I was able to do it. I left two guys behind as I ran my little butt off. My heartrate shows the increase.
I ran up and down the Westlake hills of Austin completing the 14.5 mile long run named “The Run from Hell” in 2:33. I have probably run this route over 5 times, and I like it even though it’s tough. I tried to take it slow and easy as my ankle is still recovering. Also I ran up and then down all the hills in the first two-thirds of the course, whereas many times in the past I’ve had to walk them, but when I got back on hilly Stratford I had decided to walk up the rest of them. Nevertheless I happy that I completed it. Afterwards I put an ice pack on my ankle to help reduce any swelling. Now I’m slow and gimpy since I haven’t run this far in months, but my ankle is OK with no major aches or pains which I’m thankful for.
Having only arrived back from California yesterday, having run once last week, wearing my running sneakers all last week on my trip, staying up until 11:15 PM then having to get up at 5 AM – nevertheless I decided to do the long run today at 6 AM. It was the familar St. Edwards long run through the hills and dales of south Austin. It went pretty well, but then I didn’t push it. I ran by myself so I could keep it slow. It took me 1:41 to complete the 10 miles (about 10 minutes per mile). I felt a slight burning sensation in my ankle, but it was slight enough that I could ignore it. However, I was careful with each step throughout the run.
I’m in California at my son’s apartment in Santa Rosa which is north of San Fransisco about 60 miles from the Golden Gate bridge. I haven’t run since last Thursday, the day I left to drive here. Today I woke about 8 AM and went running. I found a nice trail along a creek and ran out 20 minutes and back 20 minutes. I could feel my ankle but it’s a bit better. Yesterday I went on a hike at a state park. The uneven ground and rocks probably wasn’t good for it. So today I felt it. I don’t know what I’m going to do, especially about the course and the Chicago marathon. Right now I’m still going to Chicago, but I’m thinking that I’m not going to go for time, just to complete it and enjoy myself.
To aid in my recovery I did not do a long run today. Ugh! I miss doing it.
This Saturday’s long run was to be progressive pace. That means that each mile is to be 15 seconds faster that the previous. It is to culminate in an all out mile preceeded by two miles at 10K pace. My 10K pace should be about 7:45 per mile based upon my MGP of 8:35 and the McMillan calculator. For me this is quite fast. This means that I would run my first mile at 9:30 per mile. Last night with my sore ankle I thought that maybe I should just do the mileage, and not try to achieve this performance level. I sent a note to my coach asking him his opinion. However I never got a response. When I was driving at 5:30 AM it started to rain and thunder. While standing waiting with the other runners in the rain I decided to start by myself regardless of the weather. Soaking wet with fogged glasses I continued on up Shoal Creek on my own never even considering my performance. I was just trying to get it done. It was too dark and rainy to even see the mileage cones. Finally it started to clear up about mile 4. After the turnaround at mile 5 I met up with my coach who told me that he had gotten my e-mail and he wanted me to take it easy. I assured him that was indeed what I was doing. This time as I ran back down on Shoal Creek I finally saw the mileage cones. Then at mile eight the sky darkened, and the rain started to pour again. I ended in a downpour in 1:42 or about 10:12 per mile. That definitely wasn’t my fastest, but at least I did the miles and I did them easy. On the way home I iced my ankle.
I ran the 12 mile “Scenic” long run today at 6 AM as part of my class. I completed it in 1:45:41 or about 8:48/M which is too fast. Actually I’m really surprised having thought that I was actually running somewhere in the 9 1/2 minutes per mile from trying to calculate it in my head before doing it with a calculator just now. These long runs are supposed to be a slow and easy. Oops. Most of my difficulty is that I started out with a fast crowd of George, Bob, Jennifer, and somewhat Kelly (Dan was not here this week) and that might not have been the best choice. So with all the water stops and still a 8:48/M pace I basically was running very near my marathon goal pace.
The muscles on the right side of my left ankle again had a burning sensation, but I just kept running. There was a time midway that I didn’t feel it at all which was great. At the beginning I know that I’m favoring it. When the run was over and as I was doing my foot exercises back at the building I could really feel it. One of my friends noticed that I was limping slightly and told me. I think I need to get it checked out. Ugh! However, right now just sitting still it’s fine. I did find out that if I spread my legs apart about 2 feet and then shift my weight back and forth from foot to foot I can make it burn more easily. So it seems that lateral pushing off of the left foot is key.
My heart rate was high at times because of the numerous hills, but at the beginning and especially at the end I tried to slow down without much success. I’m just a guy who pushes himself and I’ve got to learn to relax more. My mantra should be “long SLOW distance”. However, I’ve never really considered myself someone with a type-A personality.
I ran 12 miles today on the long run. I stuck with a small group (Dan, Larry, Bob, Jennifer, and sometime George) and didn’t talk much since I didn’t know them very well, and I was trying to keep up. It was over seventy degress at the start and I was feeling “slow” because I have a sore left ankle. I’m beginning to think it’s tendonitis. I have to be very careful not to push it too much or it will flair up. This issue began in January on a long run and has been coming and going over the past few months. Yet as I warm up I can ignore it, and then it returns when I’m done.
Somewhere around mile 9 heading down Duval and toward University of Texas and downtown Austin on the current Austin Marathon course I had to pick up the pace. Prior to that I kept saying to myself that there was no way I could do that, but when the time came I sped up and it felt great. I mean it really felt good. I wasn’t huffing and puffing. It just felt smooth, and I got emotional shivers as I did the next mile and a half. It was a great moment. One that makes me feel that running is very special to me – making all this strenuous execise worthwhile. Other runners would understand this kind of moment. It was sweet.
Here is my heart rate graph. I did pretty well, but in general it’s still too high.
I ran with Dan, George, and Bob. It was 10+ miles up and down hills. At the end George broke away, then Dan with me trailing and Bob trailing me. I finished by myself, but that was OK. I didn’t stay afterwards, because Kathy and I were heading out to College Station to help Matthew move into his new apartment. I also forgot my heart rate monitor.
Here is my heart rate.
