OK, I'm In

I signed up for my first race since the 2007 Hyannis Marathon.

It's a 5K.

Flat and fast in Cambridge on March 14th.

I need the motivation. I've got several friends (first-timers) I talked into doing the race, so I figure I'd better be there with them.

Meanwhile, the knees are holding up just fine, but I'm still dealing with some plantar fasciitis issues. The PF isn't too bad right now, but I've got to take care of it. New shoes tomorrow. And I've got a new set of stretches (and strenghtening exercises) to do. It's "come to Jesus" time. Get religion. Shake off this inactivity. Get back to 5 days a week running. [It's been sporadic, though I have been running every few days.]

There have been enough other "distractions" in my life lately that I need this now. I'll post on those soon enough, but for now I need some routine. Something to focus on.

Getting lean again. Getting fast again. Going far again.

One step at a time.

C-Ya

Still running...

...though I missed a couple days this last week.

What can I say? Not so easy to get back into the swing of running outside when you live in Boston -- and it's January! Still, it warmed up a bit today. Something like 40 degrees. And it's supposed to get almost up to 50 tomorrow. Woo hoo! Yeah, I'll be going out for a run. This morning's run was still on the cold side. Felt like about 25 degrees.

The knees are good. They're holding up well. I just keep having issues with my heels. Guess it's obviously time for new running shoes.

Weird. It's been so long since I've bought running shoes. I need to actually research them again. I've always had good luck with Brooks, but I think this time I might consider some other brands. I think as long as they have extra cushioning and some stability control I should be all right.

C-Ya

[No, not time yet]

Digression...

This blog has, for the most part, been about my running. My experience of running, training, and living as a "runner". I've written about the ups and downs, the personal challenges, etc.

But I'm going to digress for one post here.

I just spent the last hour writing a lengthy rant about everything wrong with this Democratic party.

And then I just erased it all.

Let me just say this to our elected Democratic congress: find a spine.

Longest run since April 2008 (and haiku)

runing steady
around the frozen pond --
fissures in the ice


Yep.

Ran 5 miles this morning! It felt SO good (even if I was getting a little tired the last mile). Weather was nice -- about 30 degrees maybe. Overcast.

I had intended to run yesterday (when temperatures hit 40) but a flare-up in my knee dissuaded me. It's not as bad as it sounds. I seem to have occasional problems with the torn meniscus when I walk. But not when I run. And even when it flares up (which my understanding is when a piece of torn meniscus gets pinched in the joint), just resting it for a half hour to an hour usually does the trick. And most strange is that running now seems to have no effect on it (just walking). Weird.

So 5 miles. That was the longest I went in between the two injuries. I can see now that going further will not be an issue, so as soon as I log a 6 mile run, I will have run farther than I have since the first injury after my last marathon (Hyannis marathon Feb 2007, injury Summer 2007).

It's been a long road. Glad to be on a different road now.

C-Ya

Enough already! (plus haiku)

sunrise smears
across the frozen pond
-- geese are calling

Yeah, enough of the cold already! How many consecutive days of, like, 20 degrees? Too many. So when I woke up this morning and it was in the low 30's, I knew I had to take advantage of the "balmy" weather. It was a nice run around the pond (still frozen over of course). When I reached to far side, the sun was just above the trees and its reflection just smeared across the entire pond. ("Where are my sunglasses?").

Still taking it easy on the runs, but occasionally pushing the speed a little.

This weekend, since it's supposed to be sunny and 40 tomorrow, I'm going to push the distance a little bit. Go 4 or 5 miles. [That just really sounds so pathetic after all those 50 and 60 mile weeks training for marathons.] I know, enjoy what you can. Last year I couldn't run a block without significant pain in the knee. And now I'm back on the road to recovery.

Oh, and one other thing...

I'm signing up for a 5K! March 14th in Cambridge. More details later, but it gives me something for motivation. See, I've also got two friends who have just started running and I've talked them into doing the race. So... yeah, I gotta do it too. It'll be fun, right?

We're not talking marathon.

Yet.

C-Ya

Turning the Corner (and a haiku)

footfalls seek traction
on snowpack hard as ice.
moonlight shows the way.


Over the years there have been plenty of times I've had to significantly cut back, or even stop running for a bit. Those times were due to various factors. Sometimes work just encroached too much. Sometimes it was due to injury (like this last time). Sometimes life just happens. But every time I return to running. It's a part of who I am. And every time I return to running, it's a struggle.

For the first X number of weeks, I'll just feel like I'm slogging through one crappy run after another. To be honest, I feel like I'm "jogging" rather than "running". Don't ask me the difference -- it's subjective. When I'm "running" I feel energized, fulfilled. I feel more alive in the world (See my song -- "Runner's Blessing"). But when I'm "jogging" I'm just trying to "get through it". It seems to take longer. I feel how out of shape I am. My joints ache. I feel my age.

But then there's always that moment. That run where things start clicking again and I'm back to my "running" self. I turn the corner.

Today I turned the corner.

Just like that. I went out for a run and I was "running". The pace felt quicker. It all just felt right. All was good with my running self (even though I'm much slower than I was before the injury -- for now...). [I should also note that I started taking glucosamine again for my joints -- and they felt great.]

And so, I think I can safely say now that the injury is healed (at least sufficiently to run regularly). Still having some issues with plantar fasciitis (going to have to tape my foot again tomorrow), but other than that, all is well.

Just wish it wasn't so damn cold out!

C-Ya

Four Runs in a Week

That's more than I've done in a long time. Even though they were each on the order of 3 miles, at least I got out and ran four times last week. And the 3 mile runs were each non-stop -- I didn't have to stop to rest my knee. Things are looking good.

Yesterday's run was fun... We've had a bit of snow lately. I strapped on the yaktrax and ran Fresh Pond. Conditions were perfect for using them. Mostly hard packed snow (occasionally loose). Slightly more effort in the snow, of course. But it was a nice run -- it wasn't really too cold.

Not much else to report on. Sorry, no haiku today.

C-Ya