Big run Saturday! 4/21/12

The runs keep getting longer, and somehow I manage to stay alive:

We actually ran the Turkey Creek Trails first, then jumped in the car and drove back home.  From there, we ran to the in-laws and back.  We added a little addition here, or slightly different route home there.  N.B.D.

We actually had a friendly join us for the first seven mile leg.  "sttscan" graciously joined us - and gave us a little boost on the pace, too.  We managed this stretch at just over a 9 minute/mile pace.  It was good to get us going and get the mileage done, but it may have also contributed to a slightly higher HR overall.  I think I felt that pace when I was in the closing miles of the second stretch.  It wasn't incredibly noticeable, but it became apparent whenever I needed to kick it up a notch (read - any hill).  My HR jumped way up and took a lot longer to lower.  That said, the first 7 miles on the trail took just over and hour and three and a half minutes to complete.

The second part was a little slower.  Oooorrrrrrr, a fair amount slower.  We managed about a 9:57 pace.  When you average out the first and second leg, it still comes out a little faster than I wanted, but at the same time I was hoping for better on part 2.  To be fair, there are more hills (or, hills at all), and it was getting later (warmer) in the day.  So, a few things working against me there.  But, yeah - just excuses.  We were both a little hungry at the end, but aside from a few aches here and there, we finished in good shape.  Maybe a little hungry - which reminds me that I need to order more Gu.

Whether 16 or 26 miles, it's a process.  I've got another almost 2 months to prepare, and I'm hoping that I'm laying the groundwork now for something along the lines of this pace - overall.  9:34 would put us at 4:10:48 (ish) - and I think I could live with that - given everything.  Who knows, if the weather is cool and the route is as flat as I think it might be, 4 hours might not be too far off.

Okay - now back to reality, and bed time.

D

Running Total:
April:  65.52
2012:  162.52

Make-up Report - 4/18/12 run

Did I speak too soon?  Hard to say, as this run was doomed from the get-go:

We tried to take the Ellie-Meister along.  Hmmm, maybe it wasn't her night either...

Two things:
    1.  Ellie was not having the run, and
    2.  Frankly, I wasn't either.

We broke down and finally became "Parents of the Year".... er, we bought Ellie a portable DVD player so she could watch Winnie the Poo from the comfort of her stroller while we run.  It worked great on our "test walk" on Wednesday, but she was not having it on this fine eve.  She may have been tired/hungry/saw August and freaked out, but she was done at 2.2 miles.  We carried her from there, and our run ended.  Brings me to item number two.

I did another workout on the Xbox 360 on Tuesday night.  Frankly, it felt great, but I could tell that I was giving my leg a decent amount of stress.  Combining the 14 miler on Saturday with the 7 miler on Monday with the workout, and I was feeling it.  My leg was not happy about this short little run, and so when Ellie gave up I had no problem calling it a day.

Oh well, we got out and gave it a little mid-week stretch.  That's about all we can hope for sometimes.  Big run on the coming Saturday though.  Stay tuned!

D

Running Total:
April:  49.72
2012:  146.72

Finally - feeling good!

The run tonight felt amazing!

I made sure to "touch the Swans" on the way back through, but I was shooting for a little bit more tonight.  When you feel it, you've gotta go for it!

No complaints about tonight's run.  The weather was delightfully cool (mid-upper 50's), no wind, and only clouds out in the distant west.  I started as the sun was finishing its setting, and finished solidly in the dark.  In only a few months, I would be running in daylight still (and heat!).  My leg was tight up through the turnaround point, but I gave it a good stretch and had no problems.  I was a little concerned about my ankle giving me grief from Saturday's long run, but I had zero issues.  Closing in on 1000 calories/hour!

Erin also snuck in an equally long run (in the complete opposite direction) right before I got mine in, so that's some pretty solid mileage for the team tonight.  I'm feeling pretty good about my mileage this month.  Let's see how far I get though.  With being busy Thursday night, I'm thinking I'll be wise to get in a decent run (maybe a little faster paced) this Wednesday, and maybe a quick one on Friday.  Saturday, we're shooting for 15 miles, me thinks.

Well, that's about it.  Colbert is waiting for me.

D

Running Total:
April:  47.52
2012:  144.52

Longest run to date!

Yay for runs longer than a half-marathon!  That means this is really happening:

We again followed the "loop" strategy.  There are three loops.  The first one goes to the West and back on 55th.  The second goes down to the East and South along the Turkey Creek trails, and the final one goes back North and West through the park and back. 

Erin and I were able to ship the Ellie-Meister off to the Parental Units for the morning.  That allowed us to go for a nice, casual training run.  This wasn't record setting pace (about 9:42ish), but enough to put us in that "45 seconds slower than your hopeful pace" category.  The route worked out really well - pretty flat to start, reasonably shaded on the T.C. trails (and flat), followed by a spirited trip through the park to finish it off.  

My ankle started hurting from the very get go - as in, less than a quarter mile from the house.  I just couldn't shake it.  We stopped for a minute while I tried many tricks to shake it out.  It was almost as if something had to pop or loosen up to get it going.  Once that occurred, I had no more trouble with it for the rest of the run.  Go figure.  My quad hurt on and off throughout the run, but it loosened up and became a non-issue.  My feet had NO PAIN throughout the entire run - a first!  The only things I will have to be weary of are my knees (ice and such) and working on hip strength.  The ol' hips were feeling it on the last loop for sure.

The loops are great - Finished the first 4 mile loop - got some water - bathroom, etc.  We originally weren't planning on doing the entire T.C. trails, but we got going and realized it would be easy mileage.  There were water fountains on the trail, so that made it nice.  We hit up some Gu on the end of "Part 2" and finished strong.

All-in-all, we're beginning to think that this marathon is very achievable.  It just goes to show that, in spite of our best efforts to NOT train as much as we needed to, we just might be ready after all.  Only time will tell.

Along with the title, this was the longest run of my life.  My previously longest was my Half-Marathon Run in the Half-Ironman Tri that we did a few years back.  It's a good feeling to know that such a feat (over 13.1) without death is achievable.

D

Running Total:
April:  40.66

2012:  137.66   

Back at it - 4/10/12

I now feel like I can quit calling these "make-up posts" - I'm just a little late on this one:

The "Mattie-P" 6(with a half-mile extension) and 2-mile loop, respectively.  Some hills, but mostly just some quality miles with gradual increase/decreases.  It should also be noted that the run actually took place on the 10th, not the 11th.  I might get around to fixing that...

Well, it was a nice long, and reasonably slow jog for this mileage.  The whole trip felt great, even though it was after such a decent run on the Saturday prior.  I'm glad my body didn't hurt - gives me confidence that I'm getting stronger.  I never felt like I was working super hard on this run (save for a hill or 2).  We carried on conversation for basically the whole time, and it never felt uncomfortable.  I'd bet that my HR was in the low 150's, and probably peaked closer to the low 170's.  Can't believe I forgot my stupid strap.

Good times - and a great in-between for my next big run - coming this Saturday morning (if the weather holds).  I'm glad that I'm getting to the point where a 6+ mile run doesn't seem daunting. This marathon is looking like it might work out after-all.  I've all but abandoned any hope of making a specific time, but given the injuries, I'll be happy with a "finisher" medal.

Saturday will probably be in the 14-mile range.  We shall see.

D

P.S. - The miles are stacking up this month!  Need to make sure I get at least 3 runs in a week though!  :(

Running Total:
April:  26.66
2012:  123.66

Make-up Post #7!!! LONG RUN on 4/7/12

Finally, another long training run.  Best news is - it felt great!  Huge confidence WIN!!!11!!!1!

If you haven't been out to Lake Lenexa, check it out!  Very scenic - definitely doesn't feel like you're in the middle of an urban/suburban metropolis. 

We've embraced the "loop" idea for these longer runs.  Basically:

 - 1 x 2-mile loop around the lake (including a mile on crushed limestone trail)

 - 2 x 5.25-mile loop around the lake - connecting to a perimeter route

Michael (the Bro-in-Law) joined Erin and I for the short loop and one of the big loops.  Erin and I ran the last loop in the dark.  There are only a few hills to speak of - otherwise it's mostly flat or simple rolling throughout.  You scoot around the Falcon Ridge Golf Course on the big loop, which is really very pretty.  You also run through some killer neighborhoods - have to wonder what some of those people do (and figure out what I'm doing wrong!!!).

We all bought minimalist-type running shoes over the past week or so, and Michael and Erin tried them out on this run.  Michael only wore them for the first loop, while Erin wore them for the short loop and one of the long ones.  I opted for neither.  I have enough problems with my left foot as it is.  My main point of purchasing them was to start strengthening my foot while walking, with the HOPE that I can expand into simple running.  My Plantar fasciatis (sp) simply won't allow for me to do a lot without good support.  That something those shoes don't provide. It's my hope that I can go for a run (or just walk around barefoot someday) without having to worry about my foot splitting in two!

Basically, the run was a huge confidence booster!  My left knee got a little sore at the end, but I felt great otherwise.  I probably need to order some new inserts for my shoes though - they're pretty worn.  That might help my knee out too.

D

Running Total:
April:  18.39
2012:  115.39

Make-up Post #6 - 4/5/12

Time is limited, so you gotta do what you can do - when you can do it:

Not a bad little run - get warmed up, and attack the hills!

 I actually thought, at the time, that this route was a lot longer.  When I finished in 38 minutes, I thought I was on top of the world!  Unfortunately, mapmyrun.com had to be a buzz-kill and suck all of my fun out and bring me back to reality.  Oh well.  There were some hills once I got off of Johnson Drive.  Actually, nothing but hills from there.  It's a great training run though - sorta flat to warm up, then BAM!  I probably could have gone on for some time after that run, but babysitting duties called.

I didn't have my chest strap on that night, so I estimated my Calories and have no idea on the HR.  I'm sure it probably spiked closer to the upper 170's and sat in the upper 150's.  I wasn't exactly booking it, but those hills were big at the end.

Now, for some longer action!

D

Running Total:
April:  10.04
2012:  107.04

Make-up Post #5 - 4/3/12

At this point, I feel like things were getting right back on track:

This is the modified "Irish Run".  I ended up short-cutting more out then I wanted to, but I thought I made some of that back by running through the park.  Not a bad run, until the end...

I started out thinking I would just go straight to Erin's parent's house, but after getting going, I turned off on Halsey and off on the "Irish Run" I went.  It turned out to be a great decision.  My leg did start to hurt as I went down the massive hill off of S. 55th, but everything was hunky-dorey from there.  The last hill, of course, was a killer - but when isn't it?  Probably could have kept running for a while if I hadn't just climbed that last big hill.  Actually, I felt fine - just needed water, some Gu, and off I could have gone (easy to say now).

Getting back into some decent runs.  Now, onto the longer runs!

D

P.S.  It's also worth noting that this marks my 100th mile for the year!  YAY! (and at the same time, boo - I was hoping to hit that by the middle of February - d'oh!)

Running Total:
April:  5.89
2012:  102.89

Make-up Post #4... 3/28/12

The last run of the month of March.  That'll do, pig... that'l do....

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite circuit runs.  Pretty straight forward - a few hills, but not too shabby.  I have a feeling that I can make this into some sort of up-tempo run in the future.

The heart rate was up a little, but I was feeling great on this particular day.  That, and I had a limited amount of time to work with.  Sooooo, my mileage total for March was.... well, pretty bad.  I did get the "long runs" started though, and had 2 long bike rides to throw into the mix.  I plan to keep that action up through April.  I should update my comparison chart - to see where I'm at vs. where I should be at.

On second thought.... naaahh.  Let's wait on that.

D

Running Total:
March:  33.68
2012:  97.00

Make-up Post #3!!! - 3/24/12

This was another Post-bike 2 miler:

This may look a lot like one of my previous runs, but... yeah, that's because it is.

The pace was much faster this time, and the bike ride was longer too.  That makes me feel good about life.  The leg was plenty warm, and aside from my heart, there was no pain.  Good times, indeed!  

Not much else to say - more to come!

D

Running Total:
March:  29.26
2012:  92.52

Make-up Post #2 - from 3/23/12

Here's the next run in the string of the un-blogged:

 Not a long one, but this follows the path of "easing back in".

I should throw in that, while these are the only "runs" I'm getting in, I'm trying to stay active in other ways.  FOr instance, I've used the XBox 360, with a great workout program to get a good full body conditioning workout. The name of the program escapes me right now, but I'll be sure to post it later - great stuff.  I've also still been playing soccer on Sundays.  While I'm done with soccer NOW (until the marathon is over), it went strong through April 1st.

This was a very pleasant little run.  Not too exciting, but enough to get me loosened up and easing back into it.  Other than that, not too much to report.   Good times - every mile counts!

D

Running Total:
March:  27.19
2012:  90.45

Furthest Back run I can find...

The first post-re-re-re-re-injury run I can recall was on 3/18/12.

Post-Bike ride, which accounts for the high heart rate.  Not a bad little loop...

This run was done right after a mid 20's-ish miles of bike riding.  It was early, I was a little short on calories, and obviously a little tired from the bike ride.  I'm glad I got this in though.  My quad was nice and warm from the ride, so I figured it would be safe to run.  Otherwise, no pain or worries.

My friend, to be known as "Mattie-P", has a couple of loops laid out in his neighborhood - a 2, 4 and 6 mile loop route(s) that make stacking up mileage pretty easy.  This was a nice "transition" ride, to get some practice from switching from the bike directly to a run.  This is an important component of a triathlon, so I hope to get several of these in this summer.

I have too many runs to write about, so that's all I'm spilling in this post.  tl;dr: Leg felt great - short, post-bike run.

D

Running Total:
March:  23.88
2012:  87.14

Aaaaaaaaand we're back!

Rather long absence from the blog - I get that.  My bad.  It's been rough - working through injuries and all.  But, I've really started kicking it up this month, and I have a boatload of entries to log.

With that, stay tuned for like, 8 catchup entries.  Sorry.

Darren