Goal: Boston

Got my long run in today.  I was a little worried about how I would feel given yesterdays leg fatigue and shin splint pain but I felt pretty good.  Started out with heavy legs but they got looser and lighter as the run progressed.  My goal was never to run for time on this run, only to run for distance and I felt good with that program- ran an average of 8:32.3 for the distance.  Shins actually felt pretty good on the run as well.

Of course there is always a hiccup and that occured about two miles from home.  My intestines all of a sudden began to revolt against me.  At about a mile from home, I had to make a sudden pit stop in the woods and then resumed my running.  Unfortunately, after that, chaffing was a big problem and now I am feeling quite sore and my stomach is still doing backflips on me. 

Fortunately, all the most important components of the run (shins, lungs, leg muscles) came together well.  Everything else was a temporary issue although I am more sore than I can imagine right now.  No more big runs, though, for over a week when I begin my marathon training on Wednesday (18 week program) for my Fall marathon.  Just shorter runs and rest days until then.

Plan for today was to run as slow as I needed to feel replenished after my long run on Tuesday- if possible, to stick to an 8:45 pace.  In the first half mile or so, my legs felt tired but after that, they began to feel better and better.  I had to actually try to slow myself down a little because my legs felt like they wanted to take off and pound out a strong mile or two.  I ended up running an 8:07 pace for the run and felt great.

Shins were a little sore but way less than they usually are after a long run and an amazing amount less than on Monday.  Other than Monday (and my little pit stop Tuesday), it has been a very nice running week for me.

Warm up: 0.35 miles

Run: 5.4 miles at 8:07 pace

Warm down: 0.35 miles

Legs were tired most of the run today- felt looser and lighter at the end again though.  Shins are slightly sore in a new place but not bad.

Warm up- 0.35 miles

Run- 6 miles- 8:28 pace

Cool down- 0.35 miles

Felt crazy tired today- long week, more miles than I have ever done, and on my feet all day made for a really hard run today.  Shins are also bothering me a lot today.  Now, though, I plan to take 4 days off just to rest and recuperate the shins before starting my marathon training.

Warm up- 0.45 miles

Run: 5.4 miles- 47:12- 8:44 pace

Cool down: 0.35 miles

Unfortunately, the leg pain that I was feeling at the end of last week has not been improving much despite the rest.  I started my warm up today knowing that there was a chance I might have to bail on the run and I just couldn't make it 50 feet without limping.  I chose to do the smart thing and head to the gym.  Spent 40 minutes on the recumbent bike at a high level.  Will probably try to cross train over the next three days and see how I am on Sunday.  This still leaves me 18 weeks until the marathon.

Back in the saddle.  Took last week off for injury and recovery.  Shins are feeling much better but not perfect.  I think the two tempo runs in one week plus the increase to 45 miles was a bit too much, too fast for me at this time.  Time to back it off a little bit to stay healthy going into my training.

Felt good today.  6 miles early in the AM.  Have to run early due the heat.  It was 95 with 103 heat index yesterday.  Today will be much of the same.  Still 75 at start of run today and nearly 80 at end.

0.35 miles warm up.

6 miles at 8:21 pace.

0.35 cool down

Got up early (4:30 AM) to get out the door by 5 and beat the heat.  When I left, it was 69 degrees and felt nice.  At the end of the run, it was probably about 75 and still felt pretty good.

First long run of my marathon training plan.  Felt very good with very little shin discomfort.  The rest, new shoes, icing like crazy and running on grass as much as possible has made a big difference.  Legs felt great during the middle 8 or so miles and I kept having to resist the urge to speed up.  I am glad I didn't as I felt a little fatigued (but a good type of fatigued) at the end.  Great way to start the day.

Total time 1:49:04- average 8:15 pace.

Got up early again to get the miles in before work and before it got too hot.  Ran the 7.4 mile loop with a session of 10 x 100 meter sprints at the five mile point.  Legs felt tired at the beginning of the run but loosened up as time went on.

The sprints were fun but I was pretty tired for the last 2.5 miles of the run after them.  As I only have about 2 fast twitch muscle fibers in my entire body, they got a pretty good work out today.

Shins held up pretty good.  A little sore at the beginning but not nearly as sore as I thought they would be on the sprints.  Running the sprints and as much of this run on grass as possible has helped.

Run: 7.4 miles at 8:15 pace

Sprints: 0.6 miles.

Easy 5.4 miles today before I jump on a plane to head on vacation.  Got up at 4:30 AM again to hit the road by 5 AM. 

Hot and humid even though I was running early.  Legs a little weary from the sprints the other day but felt a little stronger at the end.  Did not push the pace at all.  Just found a comfortable rhythm and went with it today.

Run: 5.4 at 8:37 min/mile

Now heading off to the Gulf Coast.  Here's hoping we see white sands and no tar balls.

First day in Florida.  Set an alarm last night but it never went off. By the time I got up, it was already 6:30 AM and the heat was rolling in.  I planned to run about 8 miles but a combination of the heat, not feeling well (my son finally passed me the cough he has been carrying around for a while here), feeling guilty that Lisa was watching both kids with no help, and feeling tired from all the traveling yesterday made it feel like a pretty lousy run.  Right at the 4 mile marker, when I had looped back to the place and was filling up on some fluids, I got medical crisis call from my brother in law.  That pretty much shut the run down at 4 miles.

Later in the day, I started to feel better and, although it was 90 degrees outside, went out for another 3 miles.  This actually felt much better.  Got the total up to 7 miles.

This is acutally on pace to meet my mileage goals for the week, so even though my motivation was low, I got the workouts in.

Run: total 7 miles- elapsed time 57:51 for 8:15 min/mile

AM run on vacatoin. Actually forgot to put on my watch prior to this run and when I was out there to start the run, I thought that it was probably not a bad thing that I was going to be running without timing myself. 

Total run 5 miles.

Tomorrow is my long run for the week- never run very far on vacation here in FL before.  Going to have to get up early to beat the heat.

Today's run was once again on vacation at Panama City.  Got up early this AM to beat the heat.  Unfortunately, no matter what time I would have gotten up, there would have been no beating this heat.  It was in the upper 70's at the start of the run and likely low 80's at the end.

Ran the first 4 miles as a warm up in 7:46 pace.- faster than I planned them to be.  The next 8 miles were to  be at marathon goal pace but ended up being faster as well than I planned them to be- average 7:15 pace/mile.

In total the 12 mile run took 1:29:12 for an average of 7:26 pace.

It was actually pretty amazing how much slower I thought I was going than my times were indicating.  Especially the last 4 miles, I was dragging due to the heat and thought I was going to be way off my target goals but I ended up still being faster.  I would think that the distances were wrong but I measured them out in the car when I got here and my splits for the other runs this week have all been in keeping with the measured distances. 

I guess I am starting to see the fruits of all the harder workouts when these paces don't seem to be as hard as they used to be.

Plan was for a longer run today but my right shin was too painful to finish the run.  Following the run, I have been limping around all day and am feeling shooting pains down both of my legs.  I am scrapping the idea for a run tomorrow and also taking Saturday off as well. 

At this point, I think that I have to seriously consider taking an extended break to allow myself to heal up and at that point, resume training.  I'll know more on Sunday.

No run today.  No run for awhile.  Definitely this shin pain is worse than anything before.  Both shins are hurting but my right shin is worse than the left.  I feel pain with each step I take and I cannot walk without a notable limp.  I am going to start cross training today and see if I can get back to a slow jog in about two weeks.  Was planning on racing a half marathon in four weeks but that is now scrapped.  I am hoping to still run a fall marathon but my plan now should be staying healthy through the training, not qualifing for Boston.

I am completely bummed. 

40 minutes on bike.  35 min at level 14 and 5 min at level 16.

So its official.  Three stress fractures in my R leg, one in my L.  I am out for quite a while here.  I am angry with myself as I have been trying to push myself through pain and have only added to the length of time that I am going to be out.  I am to take at least 8 weeks off once I can begin to walk without pain and I am still limping notably with walking at this time. 

My plan is to focus on my cross-training to see how much fitness I can maintain and then, when my 8 weeks is up, to start back very slowly.  I have been focusing on trying to qualify for Boston- my focus should have been 1) stay healthy, 2) qualify for Boston.  I am going to have to make sure that I learn for these mistakes and train smarter in the future.

Seriously bummed.

This afternoon I spent 40 min on the recumbent bike at level 14 and another 20 min on the stationary bike at levels 11-13.   Felt good to get the exercise especially because I am having so much trouble walking.  Went to the baseball game last night and walked about two miles to and from parking.  My shins have been miserable ever since.

42 min on the recumbent bike today- 35 min level 12 and 7 min level 17.