On the mend

So I did the Polar Dash 14-miler on Jan. 11 and it was a bit of a slog. Temps were in the mid-30s so all the snow and ice we've gotten in the Chicago area was melting. There were quite a few area of standing water and some black ice in patches.

The latter was what cause me problems. Around mile 10 I hit a patch and twisted my left knee. This is the same knee that I partially tore my ACL on more than 20-years ago. Long story short, was supposed to have surgery, had mono, never had it fixed.

Over the years it's given me some issues here and there but this is the longest it's bugged me in seven years. I'm at about 90% right now but am bailing on the half I'm supposed to run on Saturday to rest up some more. I did run a little last Sunday and it felt ok but it's just a little nagging injury that I want to go away.

Though it's not as though I could run anyway, the winter in Chicago this year has been one for the books. We're going to be below zero again this week and there's no break in sight. Ice is a constant issue and after twisting the knee I'm hesitant to go out unless I can see what I'm doing and be safe.

Boot camp is also ending in a little more than a week and I have some fitness decisions to make. I will most likely end up at the XSports that opened nearby but would like to hold off if possible. I just don't think this weather is going to make that easy.

900!

With only hours to spare I hit my goal of 900 miles for 2013. While this doesn't triple my mileage from 2012 -- 307 -- it's still not bad. As you can see from the photo it was a little chilly, 8 felt like -12.

This month has been tough to get out and run in. If it isn't the single digits temps and negative wind chills it's the ice and snow. I'm happier dealing with the former than the latter because at least then I don't have to worry about falling.

I never would have thought that I would do so much in 2013. From a year ago where my longest run was seven miles to finishing a full marathon while also running three halves, I couldn't be happier.

2014 will be a year of adjustments. In the short term I am running two half marathons in January, a 5K in March and a 10-miler in April. I am also planning to train with a couple of friends for the Wisconsin Marathon on May 3 in Kenosha. I am not committing to run the marathon -- baby is due the end of May -- I need to see how Rory and the kid are doing and I can't have training interfere with any baby classes and getting the nursery together.

But there's a possibility I may do it. I'm going to keep running and since the people I normally run with are training for it there's no harm in keeping up with them. It's also a lot less expensive than other marathons and doesn't sell out so I can do it last minute and Kenosha is only an hour away.

Beyond that it's tough to say what will happen in 2014. I would like to maintain fitness for the half but that's probably a pipe dream once the kid arrives. But hopefully I'll be able to get some miles in still and maintain a 10K at the very least.

2013 has been a great year in the vast majority of respects and I only look forward to better things in the coming year!

I'm troubled

Signed up for two half marathons in January. In Chicago. Yeah, I'm a little crazy. Polar Dash 14-miler and the F3 Half Marathon here I come.

I'll admit that I like running in the cold more than the heat and that if it's in the teens during these races there's a certain amount of bragging rights. "Oh, you ran a half marathon on May, cool. I ran one in below zero wind chills!"

Yeah, I'm sick and troubled.

Runs this week have been fine. Planning 13 tomorrow, which should be interesting since we did a lot of lunges and squats in boot camp this morning. I need to recommit to boot camp and eating clean. I would like to drop another 20-pounds and while I love running but it's the weight training that really makes that happen. Through all the mileage I put in during marathon training my weight pretty much stayed the same. That's mostly because I was hungry all the time.

I also need to break in the new pair of Boost, hit 300-miles on the red pair this week so I know there's only so many more miles left in them before I start getting some aches and pains.

Last taper runs

9/8: 6 miles: 1:11:56: 11:58 pace
9/10: 3.1 miles: 35:37: 11:18 pace

Two more days till the marathon and I vacillate between excited and nervous, though the last couple of days have been more excited.

I've read everything I can, gone over the course map repeatedly, watched videos of it and am ready. I visualize myself on the course and the only thing left to do it run it. Getting through the next two work days are going to be tough just because I'm distracted.

My last two runs were good, the ankle is feeling much better and I'm at about 90%. Hopefully the next two off days will give me some more rest, though I fully expect to be limping after the marathon.

I'm hitting the expo Saturday morning to pick up my stuff and drop some cash. I'm also catching up with some college buddies who have run it before.

With the run Thursday morning I hit 1,000 miles lifetime on Nike+. My first run with the app was Feb. 22, 2012 of .7 mile and I had two other runs that month for a grand total of 3.1 miles. Twenty-months ago if you would have asked me if I was going to run a marathon I wold have called you crazy and laughed. But after Sunday I will have run more than 700 miles in 2013 and will likely easily hit 800 for the year.

I will try to write up a race recap on Monday but I'm buried with work so it may not be as quick as I would like.

10/5 run - Last long run

8 miles: 1:31:42:11:27 pace

This run was fine, though it's been unusually muggy in the midwest this October, last two runs felt more like July than October.

A week from now I will have completed the Chicago Marathon. Am I going to break any records or set the world on fire, no. But it will be an accomplishment. I'm nervous and excited about the race. I've looked at the course map a number of times, have my strategy and am just hoping to finish strong.

The main thing making me nervous right now is the weather. Temps predictions seem to be pretty consistent between mid-50s and upper 60s, but the wild card is rain. I had one brief rain run on my 18-miler. It rained for about 10 minutes -- a downpour -- but then stopped. I was wet the entire run but it was fine. I just don't know how to deal with the weather if it's constant. I really shouldn't worry until we're two or three days out.

Boot camp Monday and Wednesday, Tuesday will be five and four on Thursday with two days of rest before the big day. I'll pass 1,000 miles all time on Thursday and with the marathon eclipse 700 for the year.

10/3 run - Not great

6 miles: 1:13:11: 12:11 pace

Well, if the goal was to practice my marathon pace I guess I accomplished something, sadly that wasn't my goal. It was a weird, muggy morning, already mid-60s and 90% humidity, which is really weird for October.

The legs were feeling heavy and I was having trouble getting into the groove, I think the deep tissue massage I had Tuesday moved some of my muscles around and it was difficult for me to find my groove. I'm trying not to dwell on how poorly this went.

Last long run tomorrow, an easy eight, and then a total of nine miles next week before the marathon. Planning to do boot camp on Monday and Wednesday.

Random: 

• In the last couple of days I've had "Holy crap, I'm running a marathon" go through my head more times than should be appropriate. It's really happening and is only a little more than a week away. 
• Signed up for Facebook tracking for the marathon. 
• Made plans to meet up with some college buddies at the expo on 10/12 when I'm picking up my stuff. 
• Making a list of the people I need to thank with baked goods after it's done. 
• Volunteering with a beginner's running program that starts on 10/17  and am excited to help people get into running. 

10/1 run - Feeling stronger

7 miles: 1:19: 11:17 pace

Two good runs in a row, that hasn't happened in awhile. The ankle is feeling a lot better, I'm glad I took a break last week to give it some rest. I would say I'm about 90% and will hopefully be 100% by 10/13 but I expect to be limping after the marathon.

Had my first deep-tissue massage yesterday. My right calf had been tight for a long time, it would eventually loosen up during a run, but a friend suggested getting worked on. I expected it to be more painful -- there were definitely moments of discomfort -- but it wasn't as bad as I thought. It's also a day later and I don't have the same tightness in my calf as before. I'll be curious to see how I feel after Thursday's run.

The masseur said my legs were "complicated." I don't stretch/foam roll nearly as much as I should and have been fortunate to not have more issues. Something else to focus on in the future.

While I have been filled with fear and dread coming up to 10/13 I am starting to get real excited. This video of the course didn't help.

Six miles tomorrow, boot camp and eight on Saturday. Running with the ERC folks Saturday, looking forward to it since it's been awhile.

9/28 run - Crosstown Classic 10K

6.2 miles: 1:05:28: 10:32 pace

While I wasn't expecting a personal best at this race I did end up with one. The race felt good for two reasons: the ankle is feeling better and I can run faster than an 11-minute mile.

Since many of my training runs are longer I've been really slow, which is fine. But I don't want all my runs to be like that. Even my run last week where I thought I was moving at a decent clip but it was still slower than an 11-minute mile was discouraging.

I know I won't come close to this pace for the marathon but I still have goals when it comes to some of the shorter distances and would like to be able to some day be able to consistently go sub-10 minute mile for 5K and 10K.

The Crosstown Classic 10K was a fun race -- though the black shirts they gave the south siders were a bit of a hindrance when the sun was shining. The only thing it was missing was beer at the end, that would have been a nice touch.

Sunday got away from me a bit so I didn't get another run in this weekend. Did boot camp this morning and hitting that again on Wednesday and Friday. I'm planing seven tomorrow, six on Thursday and eight on Saturday.

And September is over and I didn't hit the century mark but came close: 98.74 miles for the month. I'm glad I took it was last week because I'm feeling a lot better. Five more runs between now and the marathon, probably about a total of 29 or 30 miles.

9/26 run - 'Taper madness'

The next reality check will be when
I pick up my bib and chip. 

3.7 miles: 40:32: 11:04 pace

Friends who have run marathons before were talking about "taper madness." There was even an article in the latest issue of Runner's World on how to deal with it. I figured I would be ready to back off after the 20-miler and the intense training regiment from the previous months.

I was wrong.

I feel like I'm going a bit stir crazy. It doesn't help that my ankle is still bugging me and this run is the only one I got in this week. I could have gone farther, the ankle hurt but it wasn't too bad, but again I didn't want to push it too hard.

I'm running the Crosstown Classic 10K -- Go South Side -- on Saturday morning. As much as I want to break my personal best on this race I don't think it's going to happen. I don't want to push it too hard and aggravate the ankle more.

The training schedule called for 12 this weekend and depending on how the 10K goes and how I feel Sunday I might do another six. Everybody says that I can take it easy after the 20, get some work in, do some cross training and just generally try to maintain. But again "Taper Madness" wants me to try and get one more 10-12 mile run in next week. I might need someone to hide my running shoes.

Boot camp this week has been good, nice bit of cross training and I plan to hit it three days next week. Higdon calls for 13 miles during the week and the long run a week from Saturday is eight miles, followed by a total of nine miles the week before the marathon.

Otherwise, I'm just trying to get the ankle healthy and am thinking about getting a sport massage next week to try and work out some of the knots in my calves.

9/22 - 20-miler

20 miles: 4:01:52: 12:03 pace

As I think about my 20-miler the same phrase keeps running through my head: could have been worse, could have been better.

My ankle was bugging me on this one from the start but around mile 10 it really started barking. I'm on a strict icing regiment all week and will also probably be taking it easy from running. It's better when I'm on it but is definitely sore. I have three weeks to rest it up and let it heal, I might do some biking to mix it up and get some other cardio.

After the marathon I'll have some work to do to fix the instability in my ankles. I already know what I have to do, now it's just a matter of getting stronger.

On the positive note, with everything bugging me I was only 10-seconds off the pace I had for the majority of my long runs.

Most likely taking Tuesday off, maybe I'll try to get a bike ride in. Wednesday I'll hit boot camp and then maybe try a short run Thursday to see how I feel. Have a 10K Saturday I was looking forward to but might have to take it easy on that one and was planning to do another six on Sunday because my training plan calls for 12 this weekend.

And for anyone running a marathon, I cannot recommend the CARA Ready to Run enough. It's not the expensive and you get to do a 20-miler with aid station and a party after. The route from Montrose Harbor south along Lake Shore Drive is also pretty scenic.

Here's my GPS route from the run, I was interested to see the mile signs so close together.

9/19 run - DOMS

4.1 miles: 48:46: 11:52 pace

DOMS -- Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness -- has been creeping on my this week. The two boot camp sessions I attended this week focused on glutes, lower back, legs and core. Tuesday I just ran through it before my body could tell what was happening but today was a different story. I didn't feel all that bad or slow but clearly I was and am battling soreness.

I also had to cut this run short because of weather. I was about two miles in when I started seeing lightning off in the distance. It was far enough away so I was concerned and the drizzle felt nice. But a half miles later the strikes were getting closer and thunder was moving in so I bailed. I'll run in a lot of weather but lightning isn't one of them.

I would like to get some type of run in tomorrow but it will be in the afternoon. I've been dragging ass all week and need a decent sleep. The question is will I just do an easy three or be ambitious and do six.

Big 20-mile run on Sunday, weather is looking pretty good, should be in the 50s when we start and it's only supposed to get into the upper 60s. Debating carrying fluids, there are eight aid stations, which will probably be plenty but still thinking about it.

9/17 run - Build week

10 miles: 1:51:25: 11:08 pace

Quickest 10-miler yet this morning, knocking a couple of minutes off the one from a couple of weeks ago. Fall has arrived for the moments, lower 50s when we started and pitch black out, that's one thing I don't miss about early morning runs.

I alluded to it in the previous post but this is a big build week with 40 miles. I can't do speed work tomorrow -- dinner plans and feel that it would be too hard in the ankle -- but will probably do seven on Thursday and an easy three on Friday.

Ankle did all right on this run, we stopped for water at one point and it tightened up a bit but wasn't too bad. Will continue to ice, which seems to help.

Very happy with the splits from this 10-miler, almost negative for the entire run, don't know what happened at mile seven though.

9/14 run - Not awful

Looking a little crazed after 16 miles.
They all can't be glamor shots. 

16 miles: 3:10:12: 11:53 pace

I did this run just a few seconds slower than my previous 16-mile run and this run was hillier and I didn't have a tender ankle. That said, I was pretty happy this this run.

I went for an injury assessment on Friday for my ankle because it still wasn't feeling great. The physical therapist said I have some instability due to spraining my ankles when I was younger. He's a runner and knows that I can't really quit so he suggested bracing it during my runs and then icing and ibuprofen.

The ankle was only really bugging my when I was going downhill. I did this run again at Skokie Lagoons. I was the first one parked and ran the first 4+ mile loop with the headlamp. It was also in the low 50s and felt great to be out there. The brace helped and I ordered another one that some fellow runners recommended.

I went solo on this run. The Evanston Running Club folks that I had been doing these longs runs with were doing and out and back route and I wasn't sure if I would be up for it. I didn't want to be eight miles from my car, have to call it quits and then figure out how to get back. Even though I did the same loop three times it wasn't boring.

I kept a pretty strict icing regiment on Saturday that helped quite a bit and then again Sunday. I otherwise felt pretty good, no real soreness. I'm going to keep that this all week to get as close as I can to 100% by the weekend without skipping any workouts.

I did boot camp this morning, will do 10 Tuesday morning, boot camp on Wednesday and then five or six on Thursday. Will rest on Friday and Saturday before the Ready to Run 20-miler on Sunday.

And then it's taper time, will I go crazy? Most likely. Less than a month to go and I am once again experiencing that mixture of excitement and dread.

9/12 run - Still a little tender

6.1 miles: 1:08:08: 11:13 pace

Passed 600 miles for 2013 with this run, just about twice what I ran all of 2012. Will be curious to see where I end up at the end of the year after the marathon.

Took a couple of days off to rest the ankle. It was feeling all right yesterday and this morning but was bugging me a bit during the run. The discomfort isn't bad -- one or two on a 10 scale -- will be icing and bracing again. I'm thinking about running with the brace too, though I'm afraid that could be a disaster.

Will take it easy as much as possible but don't know if there's a whole lot I can do. I'm still going to do my 16 this weekend and 20 the next and get some runs in between. I start the taper after that and can do my best to heal up but I have a feeling I'm just going to have to deal with this and hope it gets better.

If anyone has other advice I would be up for hearing about it.

600 will have to wait

After Sunday's half my left ankle was a little sore, nothing out of the ordinary. But last night it started throbbing. I had been wearing a brace for most of the day and iced it a bit. I'm probably being overly cautious but I'm taking a couple of days off.

I skipped this morning's 10-miler -- it was also mid-70s and muggy at 4:30 am -- and am going to skip speed work on Wednesday. If I'm feeling better I'll do six to eight on Thursday morning I think I'll be fine, better safe than sorry. Too much work to get laid up at this point.

9/4, 9/5 runs - Preparing for another half

9/4: 3.6 miles: 36:05: 9:52 pace
9/5: 2.6 miles: 29:04: 11:06

I'm becoming a sick and twisted individual because I am starting to enjoy speed work. I hated doing it by myself but these track sessions have given me a whole new appreciation. I'm one of the slowest people there but something about the track workout has really energized me.

The workout Wednesday was a ladder: 400, 400, 800, 1600, 800, 400, 400. I wasn't sure how to pace myself and did the first 400 in about 1:48, not fast but it felt good to open it up a little.

Shakeout run Thursday morning was tough, it was about 10 hours since speed work, and legs were pretty heavy. Had planned to get three at least but when the group turned around I didn't fight it. With the half coming up on Sunday I could use the easy day.

Chicago Half Marathon on Sunday, hoping to "officially" break 2:30.

9/3 run - Glorious weather

10 miles: 1:53:46: 11:22 pace

It was high 50s when we started our run on Tuesday and it was spectacular. I do like running in the fall so much more than the summer. And yes, I know I was complaining about the cool weather in the spring, call my a hypocrite.

The run felt good, thought we were moving a little quicker but still not bad, five minutes faster than the previous week but still five minutes off my best mile time. The goal is to try and shave some more time off that next Tuesday.

I know I'm becoming touched in the head because when I saw the speed workout this week my thought was: "That looks like fun." It's ladders: 400, 400, 800, 1600, 800, 400, 400. Yes I need help.

Will do an easy shakeout run Thursday and then take a couple of days off before the Chicago Half Marathon Sunday. Hoping to get an "official" under 2:30 time but it's going to be a little warmer than I would like.

8/31 run - August wrap up

18 miles: 3:32:10:11:50 pace

Last run of August was a doozy. Ran Skokie Lagoons again. Started at 5:30 am and about a mile in it started raining. Luckily it only rained for about 10 minutes but it was quite the downpour, started out wet and stayed that way for the next three plus hours.

We parked in a different spot this time around so I was able to refuel/rehydrate, making this run a little bit easier than the last one ... well as easy as running 18 miles can be. If I had to rank the long runs the past three weekends I would say the 16 miles last weekend was the best, though my pace was the exact same as the 18 miler. The 15-miler two weeks ago was six-second a miles faster and I felt like I really struggled on that one, running out of water around mile 15.

It's all relative, I felt pretty out of it after the run. I took my first ice bath -- not horrible -- and had a nice three hour nap after heading out for the evening. Though I definitely wasn't firing on all cylinders. Had a headache creep up on me and left me feeling out of it.

It's the next day and my left ankle is a little tender but nothing more than usual. Otherwise I'm feeling pretty good. Slept for a good nine plus hours and with the holiday Monday get another day to recover and sleep in. I might try to go for a short shakeout run tomorrow just to get the blood flowing.

Otherwise, 10 miles on Tuesday, boot camp Wednesday morning, speed work in the evening, four miles on Thursday and maybe boot camp Friday. I'm doing the Chicago Half Marathon on Sunday so a lot of what I do later in the week will depend on how I feel.

Six weeks till the marathon and I would be lying if I said I was ready. These long runs have taken a lot out of me and it's going to be a challenge. My goal seriously is to finish, which I can do, but it's not going to be easy. Only one more big run left, just need to stay healthy for the next few weeks.

August was a heck of a month: 128 miles.

8/28 and 8/29 - Speed it up, shake it out

8/28: 3.1 miles: 31:50: 10:14 pace
8/29: 4 miles: 45:32: 11:23 pace

I had a frustrating work day on Wednesday. I'm a trade journalist, which can sometimes mean you're a industry hack, but that's not me. I aim to write interesting stories about the different technologies out there to inform my readers so they can make educated decisions.

What has become more of a trend recently is that marketers and PR folks don't want to provide an executive to chat but would rather provide email responses. These responses typically are so water downed and sanitized that they're not worth writing about.

So on Wednesday I finally get some headway on a story I've been following for nine months and they don't want to give me an exec but email responses. I was more than a little annoyed. That coupled with a couple of other minor things put me in a dismal mood.

What does this have to do with running? Well I went to the Evanston Running Club speed workout that evening and it helped me forget about my bad day. In the past I may have popped a couple of beers and dwelled but running was a far healthier way to deal with my stress.

As for the speed workout, it was 1600 meter repeats, that's four laps around the high school track. I knew this was the workout going in and was not looking forward to it but it went well. It was hard -- don't get me wrong -- but it was a good workout and I don't feel like I did that bad and I actually passed a couple of people.

Thursday morning I did a four mile shakeout run just to get the legs moving again. The legs were a bit heavy and tight but not too bad.

Friday I rest and 18 on Saturday. Wish me luck.

8/27 run -- Any heat/humidity jokes left?

10 miles: 1:58:14:11:48 pace

Summer has decided to return to the midwest this week as it was 80 degrees with 90% humidity when we started at 5:15 am making for a steamy and slow 10 miles. This summer has been perfect for running with low temps the vast majority of the season and I really shouldn't complain but I am still ready for some cooler weather. A nice long run in 50 degree weather sounds glorious to me right now.

Boot camp in the morning and mile repeats for speed work tomorrow. That should be interesting. Four miles shakeout run on Thursday and then 18-miles Saturday. I'm going back to Skokie Lagoons and the light hills with a couple of ERC folks.

Random: With the run this morning I passed 100 miles for the month, first time I've ever done that. If all goes as planned I'll be around 125 miles for the month.