The Daily Log 12/7/08

Distance: 16.04 miles
Time: 2:35:45
Pace: 9:43/mile
Weight: 196lbs
Terrain: Mixed. Plenty of up and downs with some flat sections
Temperature: Cool
Gear: Long-sleeved Adidas Climacool shirt, Adidas running shorts, Gobbler Grind Running Cap, Nike Air Zoom Vomero Shoes
Hydration: Water, Strawberry-Kiwi Vitamin Water, Gatorade
Fuel: Nutri-Grain during warm down
Medical: Plenty of aches and pains, but nothing overly serious
Recovery: Stretches, Aleve, ice
Shoe Mile Count: 165.58 miles
Days until Marathon: 42

Originally planned for early tomorrow morning, the weather was so great, I couldn't resist going out this evening instead. For the first time in several weeks I was able to wear shorts on the run, and although I'm not a huge fan of running in the dark because of the risk of tripping, Christmas lights actually served to illuminate the roads quite well in most areas.

This was a far more comfortable run than last week's 15-miler. It's not that it was pain-free - I'm not sure it's possible to run 16 miles without some aches - but now, some two hours after the run, there's nothing causing me undue worry, unlike last week where the left calf was quite painful.

That being said, pretty much every part of both legs hurt at least a little on the run. Early on, most of the issues were on the right leg, with the main issue being the calf, which was like a milder form of last week's tweak in the other leg. Eventually however, it became less acute and I began to find a really nice rhythm. As I got tired towards the end, my left calf caused some issues again, in the same place as last week, but it was far less restrictive and painful and didn't really flare up at all until the last mile or so.

I started slowly, but sped up as I warmed up and finished with a very similar pace to last week. I was low on energy at the end and wolfed down a Nutri-grain right after stopping, but other than that, again I felt far fresher than last Monday. This was likely due as much to the weather and my attire as anything else I suspect, but it was nice not having to limp around on my warm down.

With each new run, I learn new things. I now know that 15-16 miles is about as long as I can go without eating something. This means I will probably need to take at least one gel or food item with me in Arizona. They don't serve any gels until mile 20, and although it's flatter, and therefore less energy-sapping, I doubt I can make it that far without getting some fuel in me before that point.

As I ran on Sunday, that means over the last 7 days, for the first time in my life, I have crossed the magic 40 mile threshold in one week. Although I measure my weeks from Sunday-Saturday, meaning that I won't "officially" count it as a 40 mile week in my training log, it's a confidence-builder to know I've done that at least once on the way to the big race without completely ruining myself.

Next up is a step-back week. My long run next Sunday will be "only" 12 miles, then I'll try 18, and finally 20, before beginning my taper. I'm certainly pleased with how things are going to this point, but I have to admit, I'm looking forward to an easier week.

Please visit my 'Make Cures Happen' fundraising page and make a donation for research into leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Also, check out my blog entry for more.

The Daily Log 12/5/08

Distance: 5.14 miles
Time: 51:09
Pace: 9:56/mile
Weight: 196lbs
Terrain: Bumpy
Temperature: Cold and windy.
Gear: Long-sleeved Adidas Climacool shirt, Adidas Running Fleece, K-State stocking cap, Adidas long training pants over Adidas running shorts, Nike Air Zoom Vomero Shoes
Hydration: None
Fuel: None
Medical: Right shin, knee, foot
Recovery: Stretches, Aleve, ice
Shoe Mile Count: 149.54 miles
Days until Marathon: 44

...left, right, left, right... I'll give myself this, I believe in giving equal opportunities to all of my lower extremities when it comes to pain.

Kind of a weird run. The left calf was a total non-factor; it's as if it was never hurt. (I shouldn't count my chickens obviously, but there was no pain at all on this run, which I found very surprising). On the other hand, my right leg was rather sore in several places. In order of occurrence they were...

Shin: sore but bearable, it's felt a lot worse. No major surprise there.
Knee: tight for a while at about 4 miles around the ITB, but I think a certain amount of runner's knee is inevitable when you're logging a lot of miles. If it progresses from "tight" to "painful" or continues to be sore after the run, I'll be more concerned.
Foot: This was a new one, though I suspect it's probably related to the other hot spots. The top of my right foot became rather painful at around 4 1/2 miles and actually made me decide to cut the run about a mile short of where I had planned. It did loosen up a little after a quarter of a mile or so, but I erred on the side of caution and stopped anyway. Hopefully this is another of those temporary injuries I seem to have picked up consistently during training and not something that lingers.

I call this run the Santa Fe trail because the mid-section is run on a road called Santa Fe (such imagination --ed). It's rather hilly with few truly flat sections, but I took it pretty easy and came in with around a 10:00 pace, which was ideal. It was windier than yesterday, but still pretty great running weather and I felt like, were it not for the foot pain, I could have run for hours. The extra day off has left me feeling very fresh. Assuming my foot feels better after a couple of days rest, I feel very good about my 16 mile trek Monday morning.

Please visit my 'Make Cures Happen' fundraising page and make a donation for research into leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Also, check out my blog entry for more.

The Daily Log 12/4/08

Distance: 4.24 miles
Time: 44:06
Pace: 10:24/mile
Weight: 196lbs
Terrain: Up and down
Temperature: Cold but sunny.
Gear: Long-sleeved Adidas Climacool shirt, Adidas Running Fleece, Reebok stocking cap, Adidas long training pants over Adidas running shorts, Nike Air Zoom Vomero Shoes
Hydration: None
Fuel: None
Medical: Left calf, right shin
Recovery: Stretches, Aleve, ice
Shoe Mile Count: 144.39 miles
Days until Marathon: 45

I felt my calf right away and was immediately concerned that I hadn't waited long enough before running again, but I took it nice and easy and after the first half mile or so, it loosened up. After that, occasionally my foot would plant in a certain way and I'd feel some stiffness, but this happened less and less as time went on, and it also didn't flare up after the run. A few slower paced runs might be called for, particularly Monday's 16-miler, but I'm definitely encouraged with the progress so far.

The infamous right shin was a little sore for the first mile or so, but it too faded. If anything, I was most concerned about overcompensating because of the calf injury and inadvertantly causing that to flare up, but I kept things slow and made adjustments, and all felt fine afterwards.

It took a certain amount of self-discipline not to run a few extra miles, particularly in what was simply wonderful weather for running. Fortunately common sense and experience told me that would almost certainly be unwise given the events preceding, and so I contented myself with getting through the first run post-injury without any setbacks. If things feel good tomorrow, I'll probably run another 4-5, then rest for another couple of days before going for yet another distance record on Monday.

Please visit my 'Make Cures Happen' fundraising page and make a donation for research into leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Also, check out my blog entry for more.

The Cause

It's occurred to me several times during training that it might be a nice idea to make my first marathon mean a little more than simply my own wish fulfilment. I did a little research into various causes that I could perhaps look to raise money for, but generally found myself stymied by the fact that the cause simply wasn't something that resonated with me. Don't get me wrong, most charities are highly worthwhile, but I think for me to embrace the idea of fundraising would require on my part a certain emotional investment.

I then received a packet in the mail from "Make Cures Happen", where the process is simple, and most importantly of all, was for a cause I really felt strongly about. Specifically, it raises money for research into the deadly trio of leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. One of my friends died from multiple myeloma a few years ago. It's a vicious, aggressive and painful illness. So it wasn't difficult for me to set up a fundraising page and get the ball rolling.

I know this blog is rarely traveled by any but me, but if any of you happen to stumble upon this while looking for blogs about string theory, Obama's White House puppy choice or Ramen Noodles, I'd like to invite you to check out my fundraising page and make a small (or large) donation. The address is http://www.active.com/donate/mcharizona/halkysmarathon. All donations are tax deductible, and you would earn my undying gratitude.

I will be posting this link at the bottom of all my subsequent posts, along with a link to this blog entry. I have set a $500 goal, which I hope to reach by race day, so again, anything you can do would be very much appreciated.

The Alternate Realities

No running today, as planned, but I think signs are pretty good that I'll head back out tomorrow. The calf seems more or less back to normal, aside from a slight stiffness, but I thought an extra day's rest was still probably a good idea, and the blustery weather made the decision even easier.

I watched a program last night on the Science Channel where presumably intelligent individuals posited on the theory that there exist multiple dimensions where we are all living out our lives at the same time as this one, and are subject to some or all of the same laws of physics. As the number of dimensions are potentially infinite, that would suggest that in one, I am the President of the USA (the constitution presumably containing an amendment that allows an unqualified Brit to assume such a position). In another, I'm a serial killer, and in still another, I'm *shudder* Richard Simmons.

That being the case, it would be nice if I could steal one of my equivalents for this current task. Perhaps the one who's the fastest marathoner alive, or the one who never gets injured would be a good place to start. I wouldn't want to be them forever you understand. I like hamburgers, alcohol and free time too much. It'd simply be nice to borrow them from time to time; check out one of the alternate Halkys like a book from a library and return it before the late fee comes due (right after the marathon).

If I can't do that, maybe for the next few months I could transport myself as I am here to one of the other dimensions... make myself the library book in other words. I could head to one where I'm living in California so I could winter train in 60-70 degree weather, or one where junk food is full of complex carbohydrates instead of saturated fats.

And before you say "well, where's the challenge in that?", I think that mastering the space-time continuum would rank as challenging enough and therefore should pardon me for taking a short cut with my running, don't you? No? Well, you run 15 miles on a freezing Monday morning before work and get back to me. You can reach me in Hawaii where I'll be hanging out in one of my alternate realities, drinking a Pina Colada and getting a sports massage from Halle Berry.

The Morning After

The morning after a long run is a bellweather to how well training is going. If you can barely walk, you might have bitten off more than you can chew, trying too much too soon. If you're skipping up and down stairs, you might want to ramp things up.

Myself, on this cold Tuesday morning, I'm cautiously optimistic that my injury isn't serious. It feels much improved already, and while I will probably need at least two or three days rest so as not to push it, at this point, it's looking reasonably good that Thursday or Friday I'll be able to return to the roads and get in at least one, maybe even two short runs before I try for 16 on Monday. I looked up the injury online (an inexact method of diagnosis, admittedly), and all signs point to it being a minor calf strain. As with most running injuries, rest and ice is the main cure, with an expected recovery time of 3-5 days.

Other than that, I'm feeling pretty good. My shins and heel are fine. The blister on my toe is a minor irritation, but should harden over soon enough, and I'm obviously a bit tired in general - my neck and shoulders are particularly sore and fatigued - but were it not for my calf, and the wind outside, I would possibly have considered doing a short recovery run today, so all in all, it could certainly be worse.

It's one of the hardest things for a runner training for a marathon to take a few days off because of injury. You always feel that each day lost is a day you'll pay for on race day. It's a mental nightmare, and one of the hardest aspects of taking on such a brutal challenge.

The thing about it is, I think, that we are conditioned to believe that pain is something that can, and indeed should, be overcome. Professional athletes are always "playing through the pain", and are often mocked and belittled when they don't. When you see football players taking the field with dislocated shoulders, severely sprained ankles, arm casts, knee braces and concussions, the temptation is to say to yourself, well, if they are able to continue to soldier on with that kind of injury, why shouldn't I, as a lowly runner, ignore the shin splints and ignore the knee pain and simply keep running? That's what Brett Favre would do, if he were a runner, right? It's this 'hero lore' that has led us to the erroneous conclusion that athletic injuries are simply an occupational hazard to be endured, and not a barrier to performing at all.

Of course we're not professional athletes. We aren't blessed with their physical skills and conditioning, nor do we have access to the kind of medical treatment they do. We don't have to worry about losing our job or getting a pay cut if we're hurt either. Ultimately though, whatever our situation, we still want to be them. They are the modern day gladiators; superheroes for the masses.

Marathoning is somewhat unique in that it's a sport that allows us to unleash our own inner hero. We complete the same course the superstars of the sport do, run in their footsteps, drink the same water, and cross the same finish line. We're slower, but we run as far, and the same fans that cheered them are now cheering us. So, you can see, when injury strikes, and that dream is threatened, everything within us tells us to simply ignore the pain and hope it goes away.

But it doesn't go away. I found this to my cost in 2005 when training for the following year's Chicago marathon. Shin splints, shin schplints, I said. I can handle it; all I have to do is keep running. So run I did, even when it felt like knives were being stuck in my lower legs every time my foot landed on the concrete. Finally, I did stop, but not until way too late. I now think it's likely I had stress fractures in both legs. I remember taking two weeks off, then trying to run a mile, and barely making it. It was over, and would be weeks before I felt right again, by which time I'd missed my window.

Looking back through this diary at some of my logs and I can see that I've not come all the way around. I've still run a couple of times when I shouldn't have, and I've still run faster than I should have from time to time. I still hate missing a day that I'm scheduled to run. I don't like not being able to cross that day's mileage off on my calendar and not being able to blog about it here. Still, some lessons have been learned. I have taken an extra day or two off here and there, I have backed off on my training pace, I've warmed up and stretched, and I've built my mileage more steadily.

It's ironic. You would think that it's getting out and running that takes the self-discipline, particularly as the weather gets worse, but that's the easy part. It's the not-running when you know you should, that's the real challenge. These next few days of rest will be hard for me - no-one will ever say practicing patience is a joy - but what I have to keep telling myself is that they will likely be as crucial as any of my upcoming long runs. After all, if you go up for a jump ball too early, you simply come down with nothing to show for it while another guy runs off with your prize.

And that, as a wise poet once said, would suck.

The Daily Log 12/1/08

Distance: 15.23 miles
Time: 2:27:16
Pace: 9:40/mile
Weight: 196lbs
Terrain: Mainly flat, but some moderate inclines
Temperature: Very cold, somewhat breezy in less built up areas
Gear: Long-sleeved Adidas Climacool shirt, Adidas Running Fleece, Under Armour Running Hoodie (first 5 miles only), Reebok stocking cap, Adidas long training pants over Adidas running shorts, Nike Air Zoom Vomero Shoes
Hydration: Water, Strawberry-Kiwi Vitamin Water
Fuel: None
Medical: Left calf
Recovery: Stretches, Aleve, ice
Shoe Mile Count: 140.15 miles
Days until Marathon: 48

Unlike last Sunday's race, where the miles seemed to fly by, I felt every minute of this one. It was very cold, somewhat windy, and eerily silent, at least for the first hour and a half or so before pre-work traffic picked up. I wouldn't say I didn't enjoy it at all, but it was definitely a slog.

The first few miles were OK, though yesterday's snow and a cold night had left a few icy patches that I had to weave around and I almost slipped a couple of times, which was rather stressful. At around mile 6, the underside of my left knee began to throb, and continued to do so, on and off, for the remainder of the run. Afterwards, I determined it was positioned more in the high calf, though it could still be related to knee ligaments, I'm not sure. Whatever the specific area, it's somewhat tender now, and will require some careful monitoring for a few days. I don't think I've actually pulled anything, but certain types of motion are proving a bit painful, so it's certainly possible I've picked up a minor strain of some kind. Obviously, tomorrow is an off day, but if it hasn't entirely cleared up by Wednesday, I might skip the recovery run that day to give it a little extra time to heal.

The good news is that, aside from that and a little blister on one of my toes, there were no other areas of concern. The two "usual suspects" - right knee and left heel - were virtually unnoticeable, so I suppose every cloud....

Pace-wise, I started very slowly, logging the first mile in just under 11 minutes. I was amazed I'd run that slow, but I think a combination of me wearing a lot of clothes, trying to get used to the cold, and also purposely attempting to rein myself in were the main reasons. The first five miles I ran with my hoodie on, and while I wasn't heating up too much, it was very heavy and I finally discarded it when I looped back to the house, a good move. I felt a lot freer only wearing the much lighter fleece over my running shirt, and I think my pace picked up as a result. By the end, I'd come in right on target (9:35 to 9:45 pace was the goal).

I ran a familiar 4+ mile loop 3 times, with two 1 mile loops to make up the distance, and although the course is good for long runs because it isn't too terribly hilly and is reasonably pretty, there was certainly an element of monotony by the third loop, and that lack of concentration led me to perform one of my patented "tripping over a paving stone" manoeuvres. Once again, I got lucky. A stumble and a swear word were all that transpired, but again, a pulled muscle or heavy fall were only narrowly avoided.

On the Spirit of the Marathon movie, one of the runners profiled said "these things really beat you up". Now I'm doing truly lengthy training runs, I am really starting to see what he means. I was just exhausted at the end of this one, and slightly discouraged by the fact that it's still 11 miles short of what I'll have to run in Arizona. I know all the training programs say that's perfectly normal, that with slow buildup in mileage, by the time you race, you will be prepared to run that far, but right now, it seems very daunting.

Anyway, 15 miles is a heck of a distance, I'm happy I completed it, and perhaps most importantly, I will only have to run further three times before the race. So while I'm not on the downhill portion yet, I am at least getting to where I can see the peak.