The Coffee Update

I never wrote about it hear, but after reading a post by another blogger, TriTawn regarding her dropping caffeine I decided to give it a shot myself.  I was starting to 'need' coffee post-lunch and I am not a fan of drinking coffee post lunch.  At the time I wasn't feeling overly tired, anymore than usual that is, but the craving (do addicts crave?) caffeine in the afternoon was not what I wanted.  I read about her positive experience from dropping the coffee and figured, why not try it myself.  Cold turkey...not a cup for 3 weeks.


We are now entering week three of my no coffee trial.  I found I lacked some concentration in the mornings during the first few days, and luckily I wasn't experiencing any headaches from withdrawal.  I seem to be sleeping better as I am waking up in the mornings feeling more refreshed.  The only downside is that my lower intestinal tract is not quite as fast moving, not having that morning kick start anymore.  Oh well.

It's been a challenge not to have coffee.  My girlfriend really needs coffee in the morning, especially after nights where she doesn't sleep well, which is often.  I suggested she try doing the same as me to see if it helps but I was met with the evil, 'I might smack you' face.  It was just a thought.  Work offers another challenge as we have no less than 4 pots of various coffees ready to drink at any given time.  The smell of the coffee is the hardest to ignore.

I seem to be past the hurdles.  Here's to continued caffeine free living!

Things are starting to look up

I ran for the 2nd time this week and I was pleasantly surprised.  For the first time for the entire summer I was able to get through 2 runs in a week and not feel like my calf was going to fall off afterwards.  This is now my 3rd run in the last 9 days and things are starting to look better.

I've been doing some foam rolling for my calves and quads to try to keep them loose.  My calf felt as loose as it has in a while when I embarked on my run.  I managed to get 4 miles in without any issues.  I kept my pace nice and controlled and was pleased to see my heart rate was nice and low.  I think some of that is my progress on the bike and continued longer workouts.  I've seen my average heart rate start to drop on my rides too, while supplying the same effort.  It's nice to feel that feeling of things getting easier.  I guess that just means I need to start training a little harder.

The weather this weekend should be fantastic so I plan to get in a nice ride tomorrow and another nice long ride on Saturday.  My Saturday rides have been coming along nicely.  I'm starting to feel stronger and the time on the bike is making me more comfortable just riding.  My boss is an avid rider and suggested a ride that will be close to 40 miles when complete.  I've mapped it out and added some more so the ride will be just under 45 miles.   I'm looking forward to going on what will be my longest ride so far.  I'm going to make sure my bike is dialed in with tomorrows ride.  My rear shifter cable is still stretching out and for some reason was out of adjustment for my Tuesday ride after not giving me a single issue last Saturday.  Hopefully I can get it adjusted properly.

Hope everyone has as nice a weekend as we'll have here on Long Island!

Not running is harder than a running a marathon

The hardest part about being a runner is not being able to run.  I’ve continued to be on and off with running.  My left calf continues to be the culprit that keeps me from running and why is still a mystery.  I haven’t gone to see a doctor yet.  I keep yo-yoing back and forth about if I should or not.  On one hand I want to figure out what’s up and if I have a functional issue that keeps bringing the calf pain back, or if I simply have major damage to my calf muscle that will need some surgical repair.  The issue I have is all the loopholes and frankly I just don’t feel like dealing with all the crap just to get my calf fixed if it comes to that.  Doctors visits, rehab, a pointless x-ray, more rehab and then no sign of the issue after the 4-6 weeks of continuous rehab to only be declined for an MRI…not worth it.  I suppose I could give the insurance company a hard time since this is a recurring issue and try to get an MRI straight out of the gate but I doubt it would worked.

I’m glad that I purchased my bike when I did.  It’s been my one salvation for the last few months and I am starting to ride it on a more consistent basis and increase my mileage as well.  With the end of my summer volleyball season upon us I will have another additional day to try to get out on it.  I’ve done a few back to back rides with some decent mileage and seem to be taking the increased hours of exercise quite well.  I’ve attempted to throw in some hills (stow it Vince I know my rides are flat in comparison) to make the workouts a bit tougher  and put together a tough ride last weekend climbing two of the biggest hills in my area.  There are a few other very steep but shorter hills around which I might try soon.  They are quite a bit shorter but also quite a bit steeper with one being close to 14% grade. 

I also added a cadence sensor to my Garmin and have been working to make sure I maintain a higher cadence through my rides.  I’m managing mid-80s through most rides which is right where I want to be which is worlds above where I was when I first started biking.  I watched the rider during the tour and was amazed at their cadence while climbing an 8% grade for 10 miles.  I guess you can say they motivated me to try a bit harder.

Speaking of bike races, I’m considering entering into a duathlon or two this fall.  I pulled out of the Steamboat Marathon on October 10^th (and likely made another runner very happy since it sold out for the first time in its history) and am now looking for something to put in its place.  There are a pair of duathlons in October.  I’m sure I will be able to manage the 2 runs without incident.  I haven’t signed up yet but I am sure I will within the next few weeks.  I need to work on speeding up my rides to be competitive in the races.  We’ll see how it goes.

P.S.  I just watched the LOST series finale again.  Gets me every time.  Where are my tissues?

Running around...but not really

All training has its ups and downs.  What little training I have done so far this summer has all been down.  Well I'd say that greater than 50% has been down.  I started trying to do some easy runs about 2 months after my painful half marathon thinking that 8 weeks of rest with only 2 short and very EASY runs thrown in would be enough time to heal.  I went for a few consecutive runs and was feeling up about things but unfortunately it didn't last.  I had a few more runs, but nothing consistent as my calf was feeling sore.  I concentrated on biking and tried one more run when my calf started to feel like it did with the previous injury that kept me sidelined for 2 months.

I immediately stopped running and just tried again after 2 weeks off.  I've still been concentrating on riding to keep my fitness up.  I'm starting to see some improvement in my riding number and the addition of my cadence sensor showed I'm riding right where I want to be.

I have a decision to make in the next couple of weeks.  The Steamtown marathon is closing in very fast and I have zero training under my belt in preparation for it.  I feel I've been able to maintain my endurance enough that if I keep pushing on my bike and slowly build up my mileage base that I should be ok.  Hopefully my calf holds up.  I am contemplating seeing a doctor regardless of the issue returning anymore.  I still believe it is something with my stride and that I am staying on my left foot too long.  Hopefully a new doctor can shed some light on the issue.

Busy, busy, busy

What a busy few weeks it has been.  With the sudden decision to move, the previously planned trips and trying to settle in at my new place I've been quite busy.  Working out has been tough lately but I manage to get a few workouts, most notably the 40 miler last weekend.

My girlfriend and I decided that we'd go help our friends in their continued effort to renovate their house.  Our friends live about 30 minute drive away.  The drive is pretty quick and easy but I said 'hey what about biking there?'.  I'd considered this once before on Memorial Day weekend when they had a house warming but changed my mind due to the weather.  This past Sunday however the weather was nice and I decided to go for it.

I started out early, around 8:30, and got my bike on.  I packed some food, 2 bottles of water and set out.  I took a combination of side roads a bike path and eventually found myself on Montauk Highway, which isn't really a highway like you would normally think of it.  It's the 'main' street of many different villages running along the south shore of Long Island.  I fought a decent headwind the whole way east on Montauk Highway but managed a decent speed and completed the 40 mile trip in about 2 hours and 10 minutes.  I started feeling it at the end of the run but was happy with the result.

I haven't been running at all lately.  I've gotten a few runs in since the marathon but I haven't committed to running regularly again.  I suppose I should with a marathon on October 10th and the need to develop a base prior to starting training.  I will be doing more cross training this year, and doing my best to keep my calves in working order by not overdoing the running.  In the same vein I hope to have some more success in my new choice of shoe, the Saucony Kinvara.  I hope that some added stiffness and support while being a minimalist shoe will help me through my training.  I still plan to run in my Nike Free 4.0 as well, but will be mixing in the Kinvaras a lot.

In other news I've also been participating in a recreation beach volleyball league.  It's a fun time on Thursday nights and I've met some cool people.  I've also found I'm not half bad at playing either.  It offers some nice cross training working my legs in a different way than usual and the sand definitely gives my calves a workout.

Tomorrow morning I attempt to get myself running agian.  I ant to start getting serious about working out more often.  I think I am going to start 2-a-days.  Runs in the AM and biking in the PM, except on Thursdays.  I won't be running everyday but I will certainly try to bike as often as possible.  I want my endurance up in the clouds even if my running game is pretty lame.

I should also note that I went ahead and bought a Rudy Project Sterling Helmet.  It's a nice helmet and like the dork I am, I've been wearing it around the house occasionally.  It fits nicely on my head and has A LOT of air vents.  Perfect for me, the guy who sweats just standing in the shade on a hot and humid day.  I also bought a pair of RP Zyon shades.  I already had a pair of the Nyoz that I use for biking and running.  If you hadn't heard of Rudy Project before I highly recommend checking them out.  They frequently offer discounts on most merchandise and offer a nice variety of casual and racing helmets, athletic, and recreational shades and some other cool stuff.  Check out the gear deal for some really big savings.

/plug

The End (of an epic series)

This blog is not about running, cycling or exercising (physically at least) in anyway.  It's about the end of LOST.  A series that has captivated me for years ever since I saw Season 2 Episode 1.  The rest is history.  LOST has been a staple in my life for all these years.  It's survived 3 girlfriends the current of whom made the extra effort and watched all 5 seasons through this past January just so she could enjoy the final season along with me.  She gets an A+++ for that extreme effort.  It been  a crazy roller coaster.  I've loved (almost) every episode.  Nothing has been more moving than the series finale last night.  It's had such an impact on me that
I felt compelled to blog about the experience of the series finale.  So here goes.

SPOILER ALERT! IF YOU HAVE SEEN THE SERIES FINALE OF LOST STOP READING NOW!  You've been warned.


LOST is a profound show.  It's a one in a million series.  The pilot itself was something not typically seen on network TV; so grand and epic.  The series has been a large part of my life and its no secret that this finale season has been on the top of my priority list since even before it started to air.  My Facebook account is evidence of that, much to the dismay of some friends who can't stand LOST.  They're those who don't want to be bothered with the deeper meaning behind it.  They just don't get it.

I on the other hand have loved the series, for its mysteries and for the characters.  It's an emotionally gripping show.  You find yourself loving and hating characters.  Find yourself missing those characters you previously disliked, and really missing those characters you've loved but were no longer on the show.  Season 6 has found us reuniting with those we had lost in previous years so it stood to reason that the finale would be the pinnacle of reunions.

I sit here now continuing to write this after watching the series finale for a 2nd time, and watching the last 10 minutes 3 more times after that.  I'll be honest. I cried this time.  I was close last night but I held it back.  Tonight, I couldn't.  Charlie and Claire, Sawyer and Juliet, Jack and Kate, Jacks island death and his spiritual transfer to the 'place they made together'.  It was an emotional overload and it made me love the series for what it was and always had been about:  the characters.  Whether it was their 'issues' or the 'coincidental' (read fate) connections that each character shared with the other.  The End brought the circle to a close, with those same people I'd come to love over 6 season.  They'd found the happiness they truly wanted, whether it was through redemption (Jack) or love (Sawyer).  It was a beautiful end.

At first I couldn't decide how I felt.  There are those who argue the show was pointless.  That the unanswered questions and never ending mystery took away from the show as a whole.  They feel that by not answering those questions they, the viewers have wasted their time over the last few season.  I beg to differ.  Did I want some of those answers these people wanted?  Sure I did.  How could I not want to know why Walt was special, why women who got pregnant on the Island couldn't come to full term while there.  Why THOSE numbers?  Why time travel?

Some people have issues just accepting things for what they are.  Those people are the same ones that are having a hard time digesting the finale.  Not accepting the core values of the show, the people.  The emotions, the love, loss, awakenings.  I was right there with the characters last night.  I realized I don't care about the mysteries.  I cared about the people.  Seeing the looks of joy on their faces, the happiness they all finally found...it was enough.  Jack with Kate, Jacks reconciliation with his father, the eye closing in a poignant reversal of the scene that started the series off.  I'm about to get emotional again....

The show I've invested many hours of time into is over now.  I feel like I've lost (no pun intended) a part of myself.  I've never felt this level of emotional bond to a TV show and frankly feel kind of weird about that.  LOST will be with me and many others for a long time.  It's a pop culture icon.  Something you can't get through life without encountering once, whether you loved it or hated it.

That's all I've got for now.

Time to got watch the ending agian

The first time is always the hardest...and most painful (until the second...)

I finally got out on my bike this weekend for a short 'get to know you' ride.  I rode with a friend, Dave, from my volunteer fire department who has done a few shorter triathlons so that I could feel a bit more comfortable.  It was nice of Dave to ride with me but I could tell by 3 miles in that I might be a bit too fast for him.  I don't know if he was holding back for me, but I found myself not peddling as much as I believe I should have been.  Even getting into an easy gear and barely putting any pressure on the peddles at a high cadence led to me almost overtaking him.  I'll ride with him again, but maybe I'll lead.

The ride was easier than I thought it would be.  My legs seemed to be feeling good, my heart rate was low, and I felt I could push it a bit more.  I started feeling tight in my neck, my lower back and my undercarriage started to get sore.  My feet also fell asleep for a bit but that was not a huge deal.  I enjoyed the ride.  It was nice to get working out again.  I definitely needed it.



I didn't get back out on the bike again until this evening.  It's going to rain the next 2 days so I figured today was the best chance before Thursday.  I was a bit nervous about getting out there on the roads during rush hour but I chose roads that weren't too busy.  I did almost the same route as Saturdays ride except I started off heading into town so I could tackle a long gradual hill.  I wanted to avoid a certain intersection so I elected to take a right up a VERY steep hill to cut through.

Bad. Decision.

I didn't think about the gear I was in and before I knew it I was coming to a grinding halt, unable to get my left shoe unclipped and was tipping over.  I managed to unclip as I was falling and did a fantastic reverse somersault down the hill and back onto my feet.  I tore some of the handlebar tape a bit, and some leaves got stuck in my left brake/shifter.  I recovered, walked up the remainder of the hill and got back on my way.  A mild abrasion on my left butt cheek and a scrape on my wrist.

I settled back into my ride and started chugging along.  I was pushing it pretty hard per my heart rate.  My Garmin was off a bit at the beginning and skewed my average heart rate.  My breathing was difficult, but I think that was due to the high pollen count today.  I ground through the ride and ended up riding 14 miles in about 47 minutes.  I forgot to start my Garmin until I was about 1/4 mile in.  Not a bad increase in speed from Saturdays ride.  By the end of the workout I felt like I had really pushed it.  My lungs were burning and I had that "I just worked my ass off" feeling.  I haven't really worked these muscles in a long while so I'm expecting the first few rides to be tough.


Now where are those cookies?

Finding another way to build my endurance: Part 2

Steve is officially with bike.

I went down to the bike shop on Monday afternoon and got my second fitting.  It was yet another pleasant experience.  I went down after work (love a store with hours past 6) and said hello to Linda the 'everything else' person.  We chatted for a while with a father-daughter pair before Doug (the fit guy) came up after finishing another bike.  He was hauling my bike up with him and we promptly went over to the trainer.

After digging out my shoes and setting up the bike on the trainer he set up the bike with my measurements and put on my peddles.  He had me hop and and gave me the pointers on body position and the like and showed me how to clip in and out.  Having me peddle for a few minutes he watched my legs and then had me stop and explained what he was looking at and that everything from the waist down looked good so far.  He then made sure I was putting myself in a proper riding position.  He checked my measurements again and everything was still spot on.  We chatted some more about measurements, clipping in and out and when I could pick the bike up.

I stopped in this evening since the bike was ready.  I was given the 'new to road biking' lecture given suggestions on things I need and can maybe live without.  This is an expensive sport after all.  I ended up purchasing a floor pump, a portable pump, 2 water bottle cages, and was given a number of must-have repair tools, patches, spare tube, ect.

The bike is now here at home.  I probably won't be able to get a ride in until Friday.  I have a friend who lives close by that wants to ride so I will have company (read help).  I'm excited but nervous to get out for my first ride.  It will certainly be an experience.

Finding another way to build my endurance: Part 1

One consistent theme in my running since I started to seriously run again over a year ago has been injury.  It hasn't mattered how slow I have increased my weekly mileage, or what shoes I've been running in.  At some point my left calf has failed me.  It's frustrating and a true motivation killer.  I thought I had the injury issues under control but unfortunately the set back I suffered at the beginning of March seems to be here to stay.

With my continued desire to run and the realization that high mileage just is not in the cards, I've been exploring different ways to increase my endurance while not wrecking my body for extended periods of time.  My options have been limited but I had been considering either joining a local rowing club for a few hundred dollars a year, or investing in a road bike.  I had ended my gym membership since I don't feel that being inside for cross training is acceptable and I hadn't used it in months.  I have free access to my firehouse gym so it didn't make sense to keep dropping $50 per month on the gym membership.

I'd been thinking about a road bike for a few years now, even before I started running.  It was always such a big sum of money that I could never justify it.  Finding myself in a better place financially now than 2 years ago, and having working a large amount of overtime in the last 2 months has left me with a large chunk of change as well.  With the mounting frustration over my current calf injury, my realization that I need to do another form of fitness that doesn't beat up my legs and the extra cash in the bank I decided it was time to make a decision.

Yesterday I ventured down to Bike Junkie.  It has that has been highly recommended by my boss and 2 other coworkers who have all purchased bikes there.  I was warned that it would be an unusual experience my first time there.  My boss said my initial exchange with one of the co-owners might go something like this:

Me: Hi, I'm interesting in getting a road bike.
Co-owner: I'm sorry, I don't know if I can help you.

I found this possibility funny, but after my visit I understood why that could be said.  One of the co-owners is the fit/bike guy, and the other is the everything else girl so really, she couldn't 'help' me find a bike.  I met the fit guy first so I didn't get the pleasure of enjoying the possible first exchange I was warned about.  I ventured down wearing my Vibrams just to add to the quirkiness.  I said hello, told them what I was looking for and we were off, but not after a few questions about my shoes.  No one warned me one of the other customers was a podiatrist.

I'm a beginner.  I know nothing about road bikes.  That's why I wanted to come to a shop like this.  Their reputation precedes them and I felt comfortable going in there as a newbie.  I was asked what I was looking for, what my budget was and then I was sized.  The fit guy talked me through each measurement, tallied up the 4 points I earned for the various criteria and  then walked me through what each of the measurements meant and then we got into bike size.  I turn out to be a 57.5 which surprised a number of people.  I guess it's my long dancers legs.  He decided to start looking at 58 cm frames with me.

We started to look through the catalogs to see what was within my price range.  He stopped on a page with a few Cannondales.  There was the CAAD8 and the CAAD9 that were right in my price range.  The 2010 CAAD 8 was right at where I wanted the price to be.  The CAAD9 was about $150 more, but as he explained the increase in quality versus price was well worth it.  All of a sudden a light bulb turned on and he grabbed the 2009 catalog.  He opened up to Cannondale again and pointed at the 2009 CAAD9.  I saw where we were going immediately.  An older model, needs to make room for new stock...here comes a discount.  The bike lists for $900, and he said with tax that is all I would pay for it.  Good enough for me.  We pulled the bike off the rack, he had me stand over it and we found we had a good gap between my groin and the top tube.  I loved the color.  Flat black but formally called BBQ.  I decided just to go for it.  He's a got a discounted bike in stock, it fits me and will meet my needs.  We did some paper work and I am set to return next week for my first fitting.

I'm excited.  I was expecting this process to take a bit longer but with the option to get a nice bike from last year, why wait?  Part 2 will be my experience learning about shoes, cleats and pedals and my first fitting.

Stay tuned!

Long Island Half-Marathon Race Report

I don't like the heat.  I don't like being in the heat.  I don't like humidity.

Running in the heat, especially when 4 days earlier it was barely 50 degrees doesn't make me like it any better.

Race day was balmy.  Temperatures in the 70s and 80s, sunny and high humidity.  More like a day in July, not the first weekend in May.  I had previously moved down from the full marathon and elected to run the half due to my calf injury from hell.  I was extremely happy my run was over before 10 that morning.

My calf had been feeling good, but after the multiple recurrences I understood that it feeling OK on a normal day didn't mean anything regarding my run.  Sure enough I was right about that on race day and the calf pain returned during the run.  I prepped with Kinesio tape and debated on which shoes to wear.  I had been using my Nike Frees with some supplementation with my Vibram Five Fingers but nothing more supportive than that.  I have a fairly new pair of Brooks Glycerins that I had not run more than 70 miles in from this time last year.  My theory was that a pair of shoes with more support and a stiffer forefoot would benefit my run.  I believe that gamble paid off.

My day started at 5:30 on race morning.   I got up and headed out to grab some coffee.  Heading back home I made myself a peanut butter and honey sandwich for breakfast.  I got dressed, gathered my stuff and headed out around 6:30.  I arrived and parked by 7:00 and made my way to the start.  I did a short warm up and could already feel that impending calf problem.  I decided to limit my warm up and wait for the start.

Miles 1-4:  These miles were going well.  I was going out way too fast, but I felt good.  The heat wasn't affecting me too much right now.  I was running right on 8:00 minute miles.  Mile 4 water stop was understaffed and I couldn't get water.

Miles 5-7:  I slowed it down to 8:30 minute miles.  I thought this would be OK.  The heat was starting to get to me.

Mile 8:  Slowed to a  8:45 minute per mile pace.

Mile 9: 9 min/mile pace

Mile 10: had to pause to walk/stretch so 9:30 min/mi and it was all downhill from there.

My heart rate was sky high.  Average was 178 BPM those paces.  I attribute most of this to the heat, my altered and thus inefficient gait and of course being ill prepared.  I maxed out at 190 BPM which I don't even do for shorter races.

I managed to finish the race.  My body was done with the running though.  My calf was throbbing, my body was exhausted.  I'm taking off for the remainder of the month to let my calf heal and I am looking into buying a bike.  I need another form of crosstraining that allows me to stay outdoors.


Now if only the swelling in my calf would go down...hmmmm

And it continues...

My calf has been feeling good.  I haven't felt any soreness or any twinges for a few days.  I wanted to give running a try yesterday in the nice weather, but I decided that another day of rest would be better.  I put off my run until this morning and after spending some time on my feet I decided it was time to try the calf.

I put on my calf sleeve and some running clothes and ventured out.  Things were feeling good and I went through the first mile without incident.  I was about a 1/4 mile into the 2nd mile and BAM!  There it was again.  I was paying attention to my stride, and foot strike and making sure my feet were off the ground quickly.  I stopped, I did a quick stretch and turned around to head for home.

The pain wasn't as bad as it has been previously.  In fact it doesn't even hurt as I sit here right now. Maybe that was the 4 Advil I took earlier though.  I iced it once I got home and a few hours later.  I'm gonna stop trying to stretch it out and will stop the use of my Strassburg sock for the remainder of the week since I am not sure it's even helping this issue.

I'll rest some more and we'll see how it's feeling this week.  The half marathon is on the 2nd.  I'm really worried that I won't be able to run it, or I will have to DNF.

We'll see. Now where's my ice pack?

Recovery can be a hard road

The one thing I dislike about my job is that at times it requires me to be on my feet for hours on end, wearing big clunky steel toed boots walking around construction sites.  This is also something I really like about my job, so I am torn when I need to rest my legs to help them recover but am stuck onsite walking.  I also don't like being stuck at a desk from 9 hours a day and presumably that practice causes tight muscles and could also be contributing to injuries in a very six-degrees type of way.  As a friend said "You're white collar job is sort of blue collar at times."  I believe the extra energy of walking all day led to my legs being tired, which altered my stride, which led to the recurrence of this injury.

Work's been rough lately.  My group is overtaxed right now which is a drastic difference from this time last year.  I am currently working a full day in the field and then working 2-3 hours a night on additional work.  There are too many construction projects and not enough bodies meaning no one is in the office to do work.  At least I get paid my standard rate for the extra hours.

I'm doing my best to help my calf along.  It's been living in a compression sleeve by day, a Strassburg sock by night, with ice in the morning and at night.  I'm also trying to get extra sleep after a few weeks with late nights out on weekends(why are there so many April babies?)

I hope to get some further sleep this weekend and maybe test the calf on a short run of 2 or 3 miles.  We'll see how it goes.

Until then...

So about the blog

I started this blog last year with the intention of writing posts to share between my Runners World Blog and here.  I got behind early and neglected this blog due to restrictions at work while I was able to update for Runners World.  With no export features for that blog I neglected to transfer them over until it was too late.  I hope to get in a better habit of updating this through my next training stint.

To make a long year very short:  I suffered from shinsplints for the majority of my training for my first marathon.  I managed to run it, it hurt and I finished in 4:02:01.  I took a few weeks off to recover,  I visited a podiatrist, spent a lot of money on orthotics and started slowly picking up my running in June in Nike Frees.   I started training for the Steamtown Marathon in July, ran an 8 race summer series of of short races 4k-10k and managed to run healthy until the beginning of September.  I suffered a non-traumatic ankle injury, that recurred and shut me down for almost 3 weeks and with the marathon on the 2nd Sunday of October I had no time to recoup and prepare.

I laid off until the ankle was behaving again, and then threw my efforts into a 30/30 challenge.  I ran 30 times in 30 days for at least 30 minutes.  I also started to incorporate runs in my new Vibram FiveFingers for 5-10 minutes at the tail end of my runs.  I managed 26 runs within 30 days.  My legs felt good.

I ran two more races before the end of the year, a 5 mile Turkey Trot and a 5 mile Snowball Run where I placed 2nd in my Age Group.  I took the majority of December off, enjoyed a few weeks of gluttony and picked things back up on New Years day in Boston with another 30/30 challenge.  I managed 27 runs through the month, including 2 5k races and came out feeling good again.  Another short week off and I started to train for my 2nd LI Marathon.  Training went well through February and going into March things were great as well.  I embarked on a 6 mile tempo and felt a pull.  I was 1.5 miles from home, no cell phone, and it was dropping into the 30s.  I slowly jogged home.  I immediately started icing, started Advil and hoped for the best.  I ended up taking a week off, I tried again and the pain returned.  I sought therapy, took off another week and tried again.  3 runs in and the pain returned.  I continued PT during 2 weeks off and managed to ease back into my running.  I had switched to the half-marathon instead of the full due to the lack of long runs.

All was well until yesterday when the same pain returned after a few weeks of good running.  I'm not sure why it returned, but my theory is something related to my form and my left foot being in contact with the ground for too long.  I felt sluggish through the run and suspect my legs were tired from being on my feet at work all that day.

I'm back to icing and taking Advil.  I'm also wearing my Strassburg Sock and using The Stick to loosen things up.  I'm going to lay off of running until at least the weekend and see how its feeling.

Such a bummer to be facing these setbacks again.