Week Ending 10-30-11

Another week of testing the calf and slowly increasing my mileage.  I completely phased out biking, doing my last ride on Tuesday morning.  Also had my final PT on Thursday, hopefully my final one for a while!

M - 430am Ind Park 5 in 37:05, Lunch 3.2 in 22:02, PM PT then Out/Back Winni 4 in 26:07
T - AM bike 60 minutes, Lunch 3.2 in 20:57, PM River trail out/back 6 in 42:38
W - 430am Ind Pk 5 in 37:06, Lunch 3.2 in 22:01, PM out/back on the Chelmsford Rail Trail in 37:03
Th - 430am Ind Pk 5 in 35:39, Lunch 3.2 in 22:06, PM treadmill workout 4m in 27:13 with 800 in 2:59 and two 400's in 82.
F - 430am Ind Pk 5 in 37:16, Lunch 3.2 in 22:16, PM nice relaxing 4m in 34:54
S - 8 miles on the Chelmsford Rail Trail, 5+ with Petey and 3- alone in 67:08
S - 10 miles on various trails at Winnekenni, pushing it pretty hard 1:12:35

Totals
Week = 76
Month = 169
Year = 3,178
Life = 113,379

Wakefield (Quebec) High School track team - 1932

My grandfather ran on the track team nearly 80 years ago.

Grandpa is 2nd from the left in the middle row

Baby steps

Taking it one step at a time...final day of physical therapy today.  Tested out the calf with a little workout on the treadmill.

2 mile warm-up - 7:34, 6:59
800 in 2:59
400 rest in 1:43
400 in 1:22.5
400 rest in 1:44
400 in 1:21.2
800 warm-down - 3:27

Total for 4 miles = 27:12

Felt good, but will have to see how things feel in the morning.  Fingers crossed.

Week Ending 10-23-11

Three weeks since the calf injury and I'm finally starting to feel a little better.  Still a bit tentative running, worrying that the calf will spasm but all week was trouble free.  Very sore after gettting it worked on at Physical Therapy on Thursday but otherwise feeling pretty good.

M - AM bike 1 hour, lunch 3.2m in 24:46, PM 3m in 23:34 then bike 30 minutes
T - AM bike 1 hour, lunch 3.2m in 23:14, PM 3 at PT on treadmill 22:14 - 820/812/642, then bike 30 min.
W - AM bike 1 hour, lunch 3.2m in 23:12, PM bike 30 minutes then run 4 on the track in Nashua in the pouring rain in 28:56 - 749/717/704/646
Th - AM bike 1 hour, lunch 3.2m in 22:00, PM 4m run at PT in 30:03
F - AM bike 1 hour, lunch 3.2 in 22:33, PM Winnikenni 5m with Ken Tripp in 37:17, then bike 30 min.
S - early AM bike 1 hour, then 5m on the rail trail with Petey in 45:01, then a short break and a nice relaxing 4m in 35:00, then afternoon bike 30 minutes.
S - early AM bike 1 hour, then 8 plus or minus with Dan at Pipestave trail in 1:06:13, then bike 1 hour

Totals
Bike = 10.5 hours
Run = 51+ miles

Long run

Did my longest run since getting hurt on Oct 2.  Dan and I ran for 1:06:13 at Pipestave recreation area in West Newbury.  Dan did another 30 minutes before I showed up.  What a great morning for running, temps around 40 degrees and bright sun.  Pipestave is a great location for training and there will be an XC race there on Thanksgiving day.  Check out the course on map my run.  I'm hoping I'll be healthy enough to race here on Thanksgiving.

DNF's through the years

I haven’t had many DNF’s in my 33 years of racing, usually I wouldn’t race unless I’m (reasonably) healthy and once I start I almost always finish.  I have hurt myself in a couple of races but been able to finish (ask me about the time I passed out in the airport after an ultra).  Here are my six DNF’s.

10/05/79 Billerica, MA Vs. Tewksbury.  XC - Twisted ankle after 2m in 11:00
10/13/79 Boston, MA at Catholic Mem. XC - Sprained ankle, 2 weeks on crutches
05/28/83 Cape Giradeau, MO NCAA Track champs - Passed out at 2.25 miles
08/26/01 Cleder, France, 100km world champs - 5am start, 100% humidity, out at 67km
06/21/02 Torhout, Belgium, 100km world champs - DNF around 67km ended up in hospital
10/02/11 Harvard, MA, Apple ramble 10 mile - Pulled calf muscle just before 3m

1158 races over 6959 miles with a DNF rate of .4%

Old stuff

Old Course records - October

Old Course Records

I’ve got four records that still exist for races that are held in October.  The oldest is the White Mountain Milers ½ marathon.  I ran 1:05:43 in 1989; it is unlikely that anyone will break that time this year in the 26^th annual running.  The race still gets a very good turnout but it is rare for anyone to break 1:10 on one of the fastest courses in New England.  The next oldest is the Canton Gravy race 10k which will be 20 years old if it holds up at the end of the month.  This year will be the 23^rd running of the race which is a generously called a “rolling” 10k.  I ran 30:12 back in 1991 beating Steve Warren by over a minute.  He took it out hard and we ran together for the first 2.5 miles before I pulled away, he ended up running a solid 31:24.  The Hollis Applefest “event” record held up for its 19^th year in the 29^th running of the race.  The course is slightly different than the one I ran back in 1992 (1:06:07) with the first 2 mile loop run in the opposite direction of what I did ‘back in the day’.  I’ve run the newer version of the course as well (the other 11 miles is the same) and I’d say it is about as difficult.  The final October record I’ve still got is the Stark Mountain climb in Fayston VT.  My record has made it for four years.  I ran 23:50 for this impossibly tough 1 mile run (yes 1 mile!) straight up this Mountain.  The 13^th annual was held earlier this month.  This is the slowest mile I've ever run and the slowest pace per mile for a course record that I hold.

Week Ending 10-16-11

Another week trying to get back to running.  Calf started feeling a lot better by mid-week, I'm walking without limping (mostly).  One twinge near the end of the run today...maybe I didn't stretch enough?  Trying to keep it together.

M - AM Bike 2 hours, AM Physical therapy, PM bike 1 hour
T - AM Bike 1 hour, PM bike 1.5 hours
W - AM Bike 1 hour, PM bike 45 minutes, then 3 miles at the track in 28:00
Th - AM Bike 1 hour, PM run 3 miles in 24:54, then bike 45 minutes
F - AM Bike 1 hour, PM Physical therapy then 4 mile run on the treadmill in 32:20
S - AM run 4m with Petey on the rail trail in 34:30, then bike 1 hour, PM bike 1 hour
S - AM Bike 1 hour, then 4m run with Petey on the rail trail in 33:26, then bike 1 hour

Totals
Bike - 14 hours
Run - 18 miles

Old picture of me and Eric Morse from 1991, I think Eric is still using those shoes.

Ugly week

Up until this week I had over 6 months without missing a day.  The calf injury (2nd degree tear) will take a while to heal.  The location is bad and I'll need to be careful.  Already another set-back...did a bit too much on Saturday and had to take Sunday off.

M - AM bike 1 hour.  PM bike 1 hour.
T - AM bike 1 hour.  PM bike 1 hour.  Physical therapy at Pinnacle PT in Plaistow
W - AM bike 1 hour.  PM bike 1 hour.
Th - AM bike 1 hour.  PM bike 1 hour.  PT @ Pinnacle.
F - AM bike 1.5 hours.  Massage @ Salem Massage Therapy.  3m out/back on the Salem Rail trail in 29:02.  PM bike 1/2 hour on the road.
S - AM bike 1 hour.  Then 3m out/back on the Freeman Rail trail with Petey 30:29.  Then bike 45 minutes.  PM 3m out/back on Salem rail trail 29:33, then 45 minutes bike.
S - AM bike 1.5 hours, then 1 hour break and bike another 1.5 hours.

Totals
Run - 9 miles
Bike - 15.5 hours

Where I'm spending most of my day

Calf injury

Confirmed that I have a second degree calf tear.

Getting PT and biking.  So far two hours a day, hoping to increase by the weekend.  May hit the water if it isn't too cold....

DNF = Did not finish

More like DNFF (as in F!!!!!)...

Went to Harvard today to test myself over the hilly 10 mile course.  I was feeling a bit tired from the high mileage week but otherwise all seemed well.  Did an easy 16 minute warm-up then headed to the start line.  Bumped into Eric Beauchesne (now running for Whirlaway) at the start.  Headed out very easy for the first (maybe slightly long?) mile.  Hit the mile in 6 flat feeling excellent.  Upped the pace a bit and Eric dropped back as I closed on Mark Mayall who was leading, 10 seconds up.  By 2 miles 11:49 I'd closed to 5 seconds and was feeling good, but trying to relax in the early miles.  At about 2.5 miles I felt a twinge in my left calf just above the achilles.  I eased back just slightly and pushed it to the back of my mind.  At 2.9 miles my calf went into full-blown spasm and I hobbled/hopped to the side of the road.

F!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is my "good" calf, not the one that was injured at Mt Washington.  It is good no more.  I walked the walk of shame as the entire field went by then I limped the 3 miles back to the start.  The entire way just this side of full-on panic mode.  Only five weeks to the marathon and it isn't a flat marathon (8,000' of elevation change) and I find myself typing at the keyboard with my stomach rolling in anxiety.  Ugh.

This is the first time I've had a DNF caused by an injury, and this really hit me out of nowhere.  I'm usually pretty well tuned in to how I feel and know when it is not a good idea to race (training is a whole other animal).  Nearly 1,200 races and now four DNF.  Ugh again.

I know "this too shall pass", but the question is WHEN?

September

September totals
417 miles = Best September since 2001 & 6th best September ever (of 33 possible)
3 races (one win)
2 state high points = 40 total
2 Maine county high points = finished all county high points in New England
9 National Parks/Monuments visited


The last 10 weeks I've had a total of 938 miles or 93.8 miles per week

Running down the highest sand dune in the U.S.