2 Week Plan

I know I'm behind on getting this posted, but the plan isn't that complicated.  I just finished my race, I'm home for a week and then I'm on vacation for a week.  I'm going to recover, get my leg as healthy as possible, and just do what I can when I can.

So I took two days off, then got the itch to get some good exercise in.  I decided to go do abs & weights before a volleyball game.  It took about 20 minutes for my arms to recover, so the start of the game was shaky, but I felt good when it was done.  I played basketball today with no major injuries, and I am going to try to get abs & weights in again tomorrow.   If everything works out I will probably get 7-8 workouts in over this time.  If get that in good, if I do more that is good, if I don't get it in, that's good too.

My real work over the next two weeks will be to lay out my training program from the end of my vacation until September 22, which is when I'm going to do my first half marathon!

Rock & Sole 10K Race Recap

Hello Friends,

It's been a few days since the run, and it was another good one.  There is one bit of bad news though, I didn't meet all my goals.  At first it was disappointing, but after thinking about it I'm OK with it.  If I always met all of my goals, I wouldn't be setting my goals high enough to really challenge myself.

Before I get to that though, check out this picture from the start of the race.

Downtown was fogged in that morning, which gave the start of the race a creepy feeling.  When I reached the top of bridge, I was above the fog.  It was clear at the top, but then I couldn't see the ground, just the top of the fog a few feet below the bridge.  It was one of the coolest things I've seen, and I should have stopped to take a picture, but you know me, I kept running. :)


Goals

Just finish.

• I did it, I crossed the finished line.  I probably read it somewhere when I signed up, but I was a bit surprised when a woman handed me a medal.  

Be proud of myself.

• I am very proud of myself.  I trained hard and it payed off.  It was a tough run, but I did it and finished strong.

Finish in 1:12:00

• Done!

Finish under 1:02:15

• This is the goal I didn't get.  I finished in 1:04:34.  This puts me at a 9:50/Mile pace, which is 20 seconds/mile behind the pace I was shooting for.  This sets up my next goal nicely though, I want to get this time under an hour, or a half marathon under 2 hours.  It sounds a little crazy when I put it out there, but then again 6 months ago a 10K was a little crazy and now I've done it!

Rock & Sole 10K 2012 Race Goals

I can hardly believe it.  In less than 36 hours from now I should be done with the race I had in mind when I started this blog.  I haven't actually counted, but I know I have run over 100 miles, fought my way through injuries, and followed through on my training to reach this point.

I'm ready.

I've never run a race over 5K.  I have no idea what the uphill running on a bridge is going to be like.  All I know is Saturday is going to be awesome!

Alright, I've thought long and hard about it and here are my goals for Saturday.

• Just finish. 
• I just need to cross the finish line and I will set a personal best of the distance.
• Be proud of myself.
• I set a tough goal, I've worked hard, and I've done something not everyone can do.
• Finish in 1:12:00
• I've thought long and hard about if I wanted to list to time goals, and I finally decided that I do.  this would be about an 11 minute mile pace.  I know I can run this, even dealing with the uphill on the bridge.
• Finish under 1:02:15
• This is a little crazy.  I normally run my long runs at a 10 minute/mile pace and this is a 9:30 minute/mile pace.  The key is going to be reaching the top of the bridge on this pace.  If I can do that, I have two downhills to recover and only one uphill to deal with before I hit the last mile that is mostly flat.  

That first uphill to reach the top of the top of the bridge is what I am fixated on.  I just feel like if I can do that, the rest is going to be easy by comparison.  I've put in the time and training, I've done everything I need to do to be ready.  Now I just need to go out there and do it.

Ahnapee State Trail Run

This weekend we went up north to our cabin, which is the perfect place to get in some running because the Ahnapee State Trail is right across the street.  The plan was for me to get up early, then when I was ready to go, wake up Kris & Abi so they could meet me in Kewaunee for breakfast.  I had looked at a map and estimated it would be a 7-8 mile run.  Turns out, it was my first 10 mile run and one of the best runs ever.

I left around 6:30 on a beautiful morning for a run.  It was in the 70s with a thin layer clouds to keep the sun from making it too hot.

About a mile into the run, I knew it was going to be tough.  My legs were tired from the race and basketball earlier in the week, but I had a goal in mind, and it was a nice day, so I just kept going.

Most of the trail is like the picture above, crushed limestone winding through the woods.  This makes it a great place to see wildlife.  I saw a deer, cardinals, blue jays, geese, wood ducks, a beaver and this guy.

I figured that even on tired legs, I'd be faster than her.  Now I figure it was a her, and that a race wasn't really fair, after I saw another turtle about a quarter mile later.

Turns out the turtles were laying eggs, which was cool to watch.  I took a little break to catch my breath and watch, then kept heading down the trail.

This was another part of the trail I liked, which lead me to think of something that is probably good to keep in mind in life.  Sometimes you have to run into a tunnel...

...To be able to run into the light.

This was the last picture I took, a nice view of the Kewaunee River, because after this, the run got really tough.

When I stopped to take the picture above, I checked where I was on map and saw I still had about half the run ahead of me.  At this point, I realized a few things.  

First, if I finished, this was going to be a much longer run than I initially estimated.  

Second, I was going to need to take it slow and walk for parts if I was going to make it.  

Third, for the rest of the run, I was going to have a choice.  I could keep running or I could call Kris for a ride.  

I kept running.

I ran for a while on the trail and eventually found my way to County Road C.  I knew that if I followed C into Kewaunee it would save an extra loop on the end, so I started running on the road.  It wasn't as scenic as the rest of the run, but it was worth the shortcut.  

I kept running.

At some point I realized that I was walking for about one minute in every five.  I decided I needed to recover  more and walked for a full 5 minutes.  I drank some water.  Stopped and stretched my legs.  At the end of 5 minutes I was still beat, but I started running again.

I kept running.  

Around 8 miles I got a phone call from my dad.  I took it as another good time to walk for a minute and catch my breath again.  We talked for a couple minutes, said bye, and then I started running again.

I kept running.

Pretty soon I saw what I can only describe as what appeared to be the biggest hill in Wisconsin.  Now really, it is probably a normal hill that you wouldn't think anything of under normal circumstances, but after all that running, it was the worst thing I could imagine.  I decided I would run as hard as I could to the base, then walk up.  If I tried to run, I knew I wouldn't have anything left at the top.  I know that while I was walking I talked to Kris on the phone.  I honestly can't remember if I called her or if she called me, all I know is I used a lot of words to describe the hill that I won't repeat here.  As I reached the top, three things happened all at once.  

First, Run Keeper went off that I had covered 8.75 miles and I was at a 12 minute/mile pace.  

Second, I saw a sign marking the city limits of Kewaunee.

Third, I put it together that I was so close to my goal and that if I pushed myself for 15 more minutes, I would make it to 10 miles in under 2 hours.  That was all I needed to get the extra strength to finish.

I kept running.  

Around 9.5 miles I saw Kris driving with Abi waving at me.  That lifted my spirits a little more and I just waved for her to meet my down by the lake.  At this point I wasn't going to stop for anything until I hit 10 miles.  Thankfully, heading toward the lake was mostly downhill, so I even managed to pick up my pace a bit.  As I hit the last block before the lake, I checked my phone, and I had done it.  I hit 10 miles.  

I stopped running.

I couldn't believe it, even an hour before I didn't know that I could do 10 miles.  There was a lot of walking involved, and it certainly wasn't my fastest pace, but I did it.  I've been training for this 10K with the thought going for a half marathon in September.  Before Saturday the 13.1 miles for a half was a distance I couldn't imagine.  Now, I know that it only a 5K more than what I have run, and I know that with just a little more training, I can do it.  

It is strange to think about it, but I know that this run is going to stick with me for a long time.  It is one of those rare moments in life where a switch flipped inside of me and suddenly my perspective on what I can and can't do has changed.  It was awesome, and I can't wait until my next chance to do the run, and see how much faster I can run it the second time. :)

Week 6-11 Wrap-Up & 6-18 Plan

Another week done, and it was better than I ever could have imagined.  I have a new personal best in a 5K and then two days later I did my first 10 mile run!  A great week to lead into the week before my 10K, which means this is going to be another great week.


Week 6-11 Wrap-Up
Monday: 2 Mile Run & Strength Training - Done!
Tuesday: Volleyball & Strength Training - Done!
Wednesday: Rest - I ended up doing a 1 mile run to test out running with a compression sleeve on my leg.  Turned out to be great for the strained muscle and swelling.
Thursday: 5K Race for the Bacon! (Look for a Race Goals post tomorrow) - My "gun time" is a personal best at 28:42.  I'm still trying to get my net time, which I think is under 28:20 for a official personal best.
Friday: Basketball - Done
Saturday: Rest or Run - Decided to run from our cabin to Kewaunee to meet Kris & Abi for breakfast.  I thought it would be 7-8 miles, turned out to be 10 miles and a great run.  I'll write more about it this week.
Sunday: 6.5 Mile Run - Decided this would be a rest day.
Total Miles: 16!


Week 6-18 Plan
Monday: 2 Mile Run & Strength Training
Tuesday: Cross Training & Strength
Wednesday: 3 Mile Run
Thursday: Strength & Stretch
Friday: Rest
Saturday: RACE DAY!
Sunday: Rest

Check back later this week for my 10 mile recap and race goals.

Race for the Bacon 5K 2012 Recap

Friends, another race and another 4 for 4 on my goals.  I got to stretch and goof around with a Racing Sausage before the race.  My leg feels good and no new injuries.  I ran the first mile in under 9 minutes and finished in 28:20 (unofficial), which is a new personal record.  Then got to hang out with some friends, drinks some beer and eat a lot of bacon.  Taking look at my goals below, that covers all my goals.

• Have Fun!
• Finish Without Injury
• Finish in less than 30:42
• Finish in less than 29:06

Now, after I finished, and before the beer, a funny thing happened.  I turned into that guy wandering the course the cheering everyone on.  My friend John did the 10K version of the race, so I started by going around to cheer him on, but I like it when random people cheer for me, so I cheered for whoever ran past me.  It is definitely an interesting form of people watching.  Some people are just focused on the running, and I don't think they even heard me.  Others gave me a half-hearted smile with a little eye-roll on the side.  I know most of my cheers are cheesy, but hey, I'm trying here. :)

Then there were the people who were struggling.  They were the people I was really cheering for.  I'd make eye contact with them, they would give me a thank you nod, anything more would be wasted energy, and they would keep running as hard as they could.  I've been there, and I know that a couple words from a stranger can help you take that next step, and the step after, and the step after that.  If you can push yourself and just keep taking that next step, and not give up, you can finish.  For some people, that might be the encouragement and the step they need to set they own personal record.  I feel good for accomplishing my goals and setting a new personal record.  I feel better knowing I may have helped someone else reach their goals.  

Race for the Bacon 5k 2012 Goals

My next race is tomorrow, so it is time to put down some goals for the run.

• Have Fun!
• This is a race for bacon, where we eat bacon when we are done.  If I can't have fun, I'm doing it wrong.
• Finish Without Injury
• I've written a lot about my leg, enough said.
• Finish in less than 30:42
• I ran this course on New Year's Eve and finished in 30:42.  I've trained a lot since then, I know I can beat this time.
• Finish in less than 29:06
• This is my best official time and this is a chip timed race, so I'm sticking with 29:06 as my personal best.  Although, I have to admit I'm really hoping to beat 28:50 to not have to worry about an official & unofficial personal best. :)

Check back this weekend for the results!

Week 6-4 Wrap-Up & Week 6-11 Plan

Last week I was going to rest more and get my leg to 100%, but that didn't really work.  Two things are working against me with that plan.

First, it is just going to take longer than a couple weeks to get back to 100%.  I'm getting bruising on lower leg, which with the other symptoms, make me think it is a grade 2 strain.  I'm looking at 1-3 months to get back to 100%.

Second, I don't really want to slow down.  I've stayed away from specific exercises that cause pain, but really I just want to keep going.  I can take full strides when I run.  I need to do some extra stretching and be careful as I warm-up, but I can plant and cut in volleyball and basketball.  I'm careful with it, but I am going to keep going, and I am going to keep getting stronger as it heals.

There is one highlight from the week that I'm very proud of.  I wrote about it in detail here, but I ran over 7 miles on Saturday.  It was tough, but now I know that even if my leg doesn't get any better, I can run my 10K distance.

Alright, that's enough about last week, here's what's on my plate for this week.

Week 6-11 Plan
Monday: 2 Mile Run & Strength Training - Done!
Tuesday: Volleyball & Strength Training - Done!
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: 5K Race for the Bacon! (Look for a Race Goals post tomorrow)
Friday: Basketball
Saturday: Rest or Run
Sunday: 6.5 Mile Run

This could be the first week I top 15 miles, it will all depend on how my legs feel on Saturday morning.

Hank Aaron State Trail Run

I had a great run on Saturday morning, even though I got a little lost (more on that later).  I decided to do my long run on Saturday and a friend of mine recommended I check out the Hank Aaron State Trail.  Now, this is one of those cases where you discover something awesome in your neighborhood that you never knew was there.  It turns out the trail runs straight through West Allis and there are two entrances to the trail within a mile of my house.

I set out before 6:00 AM for my run, to beat the heat, and headed straight for the trail.  Turns out this is a great place to run.  Most of the trail is paved, where it isn't paved it is hard packed gravel, so it is a smoother run than going along streets.  There weren't many other people on the trail, probably because it was so early, and the people I did see were friendly.  When I got about half-way through my run, I saw this cool mural.

After I kept going, the trail switched gravel, and then to a dirt path.  Before I knew it, the dirt path disappeared and I was just running next to some railroad tracks.  I had enough distance for the first half of my run, so I decided to turn around and back-track.  As I was running back, I saw a biker heading into the area I just came out of, which makes me feel a little better about the next part.  As I got back to the mural, I paid a little more attention to the bridge on my right and found this:

Yep, I was just in my own world, looking at the mural, completely ignoring the bridge and sign clearly telling me to turn and follow it.  Well, now I know for next time, and there is a whole new part of the trail for me to explore!

Thursday Injury Report

It's Thursday, so I thought I would pretend I'm in the NFL with a required injury update today.  As coach McCarthy would say, "He's got a calf."  For whatever reason, the Packers coach just refers to the body part that is injured as the actual injury.  I think it's part of how coaches try to hide information about injuries, but I just think it is funny.

Overall, my leg is getting better.  Today it was sore and I had to do a couple extra heat and ice treatments, but that is my own fault.  I played basketball yesterday, and I played well, then followed it up with a run this morning.  By the end of the run I could tell I had pushed it to the limit and it was going to hurt today.  The good news is that 12 hours later, it feel like it did before I played basketball yesterday, tight and a little sore.

I'm going to take a rest day tomorrow so I will have a full 48 hours between runs.  I have a busy weekend ahead, but I am going to try to get 2 runs in this weekend.  I'll do a shorter 2-3 mile run with some strength exercise on Saturday, then a longer 5-6 mile run on Sunday.  If I can get through the weekend with my leg continuing to feel better, I know I will be back to 100% soon.

Check back on Sunday to find out how I did!

Week 6-4 Plan

Last week was all about my leg injury and race, which I have written a bunch about, so I'm skipping that here.  Moving on from last week, I want to get my leg back to 100%, so I'm going to deviate from previous plan.  Here's what was planned for the week:

1 Stretching Session
2-3 Cross Training Sessions
1-2 Strength Sessions
3 Mile Run
2 Mile Run
5 Mile Run

Instead, I'm going to focus on just doing what I can through most of the week, and a 5 mile run on the weekend.  If I can do that, I'm sure I can pick up the last couple weeks of training and finish strong from my 10K.

Laura's Smile Mile 5K 2012 Recap

It was a beautiful day for a run at the lakefront on Saturday for the race, and I made the most of it.  Here were the goals I went into the race with:

• Don't Make My Injury Worse
• Just Finish
• Finish in 31.24
• Finish in 29.06

I can't  believe it, but I accomplished all four goals.  The race wasn't chip timed, so my time in unofficial, but I'm still proud of running a 28.50.  That is 16 seconds, or about 5 seconds a mile, faster than my best time.  I'm just smiling at imagining what I could have done on two good legs!

In terms of my leg injury, I'm happy to report I did not make my injury worse.  My leg still hurts, and hurt on every stride of the race, but it isn't any worse.  If anything, the calf is better, but my lower leg is sore.  I'm assuming this is from compensating for the injury.  I'm continuing the ice, heat & stretching, so I expect I will be back to 100% soon. 

Laura's Smile Mile 5K 2012 Goals

Well, a leg injury this week has changed my goals, but there is good news.  I've been using ice, heat, massage and stretching since Wednesday and I'm back to about 80%.  My limp is almost entirely gone and I think I will be able to run tomorrow.

With all that in mind, here are my goals for tomorrow:

• Don't Make My Injury Worse
• I've been training hard and I have goals past tomorrow.  I don't want to make things worse and miss more training time.
• Just Finish
• More important than how fast I go, is just finishing.
• Finish in 31.24
• This is the same course I ran my first 5K on, and that was my time.  I'd like to run faster, but with my leg less than 100%, I'll be very happy to match it.
• Finish in 29.06
• That is my best time in a 5K.  Again, with my leg less than 100%, I don't think this is realistic.  On the other hand, I'd be kidding to myself if I said it wasn't on my mind.

Now it is time for me to keep resting my leg, get a good night's sleep and do my best tomorrow.  It's going to be tough, but I can do it.