Tighten The Reigns, Cowboy

Two weeks ago, I ran three times for a total of 9 miles. My bum hamstring made its presence known, but with a little ice and heat...and running on a level surface, it was completely manageable.

So, last week I ran three times for a total of 10 miles, right? Following that old "10 percent rule?"

Er, um, did you catch the Seahawks game yesterday? It was great, huh?

Okay, I got carried away like I have MANY times in the past. I ran 5 times for a total of 19 miles. Not a lot of miles by most standards, but coming back from a long term injury, that was a bit of a jump—especially since it included a hard mile during one run, and a hard half mile during another.

Consequently, my hamstring was barking a little over the weekend. I fed it plenty of ice and heat and it seems to have calmed down a little.

This week will probably fall somewhere between the 3 runs/9 miles from two weeks ago and the 5 runs/19 miles from last week.

Oh, I recently ordered The Stick from Amazon.com a few days ago. It should arrive on Tuesday. I'm hoping this will allow me to massage the tar out of that hammy, since I can't really dig into it with the foam roller.

Right Hamstring, Prepare For Sweet Pain

Have a great week of training, my friends!

So Far, So (Mostly) Good

I ran three days last week and have run both yesterday and today (Monday and Tuesday) and I'm knocking on any wood I can find. The runs have been between 3 and 4 miles, at a slow pace, and on level ground. That's all by design. I still have a very touchy right hamstring and, now, an angry upper left calf. But, during the runs, they both feel pretty good.

So...where to from here? More of the same. Three to four runs per week, gradually increasing the distance, but keeping things slow and easy. And flat.

If I can sneak up on my body and get up to a consistent 12-15 miles per week for a few weeks, I'll re-evaluate and maybe change things up a bit. Any potential changes will revolve around the goal of building a huge base of easy mileage.

But for now, I'm very hesitant to change what seems to be agreeable to my very temperamental body.

Oh, and the weight is slowly starting to come off.

More as things develop...

Oops. My Bad.

I'm going to confess to a mistake I've made this year. It's one I've made before.

I got fat.
On purpose.

If you've tolerated, er, followed this blog for a while, you'll know that I have a tendency to go 180° away from running when I suffer a long-term injury. I guess it's a coping mechanism. I love running so much that I need to get away from that world when I'm unable to actively participate.

My "athletic" history includes both endurance activities (primarily running) and strength training; sometimes simultaneously, often not. When I shut down my running earlier this year (March 11th), I once again thought, "screw it. I'm going to 'bulk up' and get strong again." Well, I did. And now that I'm trying to get my endurance mojo back (cycling plus a little running), that decision has once again come back to bite me in the glutes.

Like most men (and many active people in general), I don't venture into things half way. I'm usually all-in. So, once I decided I was done with endurance activities, I hit the weights & food HARD. I put on 15 lbs. in no time flat. I pounded protein shakes mixed with whole milk, often a few per day. Sure, some of the weight gain was muscle, but some was also fat.

By most standards, I would STILL be considered a small-ish guy. At nearly 5' 11", I don't have a big frame. But as a distance runner, I'm a good 12-15 lbs. above my comfortable running weight. And my once prized abs are currently in hibernation (that will change.)

So I'm on a mission to reverse the damage. I haven't stopped the weight training, but I have refocused it to assist running and cycling rather than to merely see how much weight I can move and how big I can get my guns.

I've always been able to fairly easily manipulate my body weight & composition. I'm blessed with a high metabolism. However, at my current age (46), I'm noticing it's not quite as easy as it used to be. The next time I'm off the endurance bandwagon and get the bug to "get swole," remind me to go easy on the bulking up. Or, remind me to get on the bike or trainer & keep the cardio going instead.

And, misguided or not, I'm still hopeful about returning to running regularly—at least to the level I was at before my hamstring injury took me out. It'll be a long, slow process. It usually is. But there's always a little excitement and anticipation when I "start over." I just wish I didn't have to do it quite as often!

But I'm game. Let's do this.

Very Interesting...

Normally, I wouldn't refer to a slow, 2-mile run as "interesting." However, this one was.

I had a strong urge this morning to take the dog for a short, easy run around a local park. I was planning on just a mile, but I felt good and continued.

Nearly a week ago, I did an even shorter run with my youngest daughter and had a lot of soreness on the tendon behind my right knee for several days after the run. And that run was my first in over a month (back in early August, when I pulled a calf muscle running with my OTHER daughter. Hmm...I need to stop running with my kids.)

My lower back has been in pretty serious pain for over a week, too, so I wasn't sure what to expect from today's run. But everything felt good. I did notice my right hamstring—injured early this year—but it didn't hurt, probably since I was running slowly.

Now, if I can sneak in a few of these per week, maybe I can restart (resurrect) my running yet again. If so, it'll be a long, slow process, which will still include cycling and strength training. And beer.

Although, come to think of it, I haven't had one of those in a few weeks. I need to resurrect that, too...

Man Down

It looks like this week will be a wash when it comes to exercise.

Last Friday, I helped my dad with some tasks around his house, which included unloading several hundred pounds of tile from his car. That involved me bending and reaching awkwardly into the (huge) trunk, and back seat, of his car to pull very heavy boxes up and out and an odd angle. I have a history of low back trouble, and doing this over and over again was a huge risk. I felt okay the rest of Friday. I went on a 28-mile bike ride on Saturday and, again, felt okay. But I think being bent over on the bike for an hour and 45 minutes on top of all the lifting threw my lower back into a tizzy (a medical term), as I woke up Sunday morning hardly able to move. I've been hitting the ibuprofen and heating pad pretty hard since then, along with my routine of lower back stretches.

So, after an enjoyable week of cycling, I may not be able to ride at all this week. And the weights are obviously off the table, too.

It's no fun feeling like an old codger...

Solid Week on the Wheels

I just wrapped up my training week this morning. 84 miles on the bike. Not much to most cyclists, but that's my biggest riding week since 2009. After this morning's 28-mile easy ride, my legs actually feel pretty solid. I think some of my endurance fitness is coming back. With maybe 2-3 months of riding left this year (outdoors, anyway, unless I want to be hard-core,) I hope to work up to over 100 miles per week. I've started informally training to ride the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes. It's a roughly 72 mile paved trail that starts in Plummer, Idaho and ends just a few miles West of the Montana border, in Mullan, ID. My family and I walked a short portion of the trail during a recent camping trip, and it's beautiful. A friend of mine here in the Spokane area wants to ride it with me, so I now have a goal to train for. We're not going to push the pace, but we both need to get ready for several hours in the saddle. We'll most likely ride out to Mullan, stay overnight there, and ride back the following day, rather than ride 140+ miles round-trip in one day. I'm pretty sure I'm not up for that!

Here's what this week's training looked like:

MON: Bike 12.1 mi @ 16.8 mph avg (43:04); weights (full body)
TUE: off
WED: Bike 30.0 mi @ 17.1 mph avg (1:44:59)
THU: Bike 14.0 mi @ 17.4 mph avg (48:10); weights (full body)
FRI: off
SAT: Bike 27.9 mi @ 16.0 mph avg (1:44:40)
SUN: off

TOTAL CYCLING MILES: 84.0

Out Of The Mouths Of Babes

"Dad, I don't want you to be a cyclist. I like you better as a runner."
-Lindsey, 11

These words were spoken to me by my youngest daughter today, who is never one to pull punches. She has also complained about my slightly larger-than-usual belly the last several weeks. Hey, I'm working on it! Reducing it, that is, despite obvious dietary choices...

Well, to indirectly respond to my blatantly honest daughter, I like me better as a runner, too. The thing is, I just can't run right now. I've tried. Over and over and over. Whatever is going on in my right leg shows no signs of improving anytime soon. And more physical therapy and/or any other "treatment" isn't financially feasible at this time, unfortunately.

So...I'm currently a cyclist. I intended to become a cyclist earlier this year. However, we were in the midst of packing and moving across the state, so I had neither the time nor energy to devote to time in the saddle. Thus, I pulled the plug on my plans to do the Seattle to Portland (STP) ride back in mid-July.

Now that we're getting settled into our new home, I've gone for a few rides and, actually, I'm starting to enjoy it. While I was hitting the weights pretty heavy earlier this year, my endurance and cardio fitness were suffering. I'm slowly starting to get some of that back, and that feels good. I don't worry about riding too frequently (if/when time allows), since there is no impact on my joints. Well, until I space out and smack into a car, tree or another cyclist.

Building a base is my goal now. Not a lot of hill work. Not too much speed. Just gradually building the mileage, both per week and per ride. I have yet to do a ride over 20 miles, but I know I'll take care of that soon.

There's a big cycling club here in Spokane. I'll probably ride mostly on my own the rest of this summer and into fall (and on my trainer during the winter) before joining the club...which I'll probably do. I'm looking forward to doing some organized rides and...finally...getting my first century under my belt.

As for running...I'm not officially "retiring" just yet, but it's going to have to sit on the backburner for a while longer. I know the itch will hit me again eventually, but the fact that my injury seemed as fresh as a daisy when I first ran earlier this month after taking 5 months completely off tells me there's something seriously wrong, and perhaps more than just a few months off is necessary, sadly.

But, like I said earlier, I'm starting to dig the bike. And that's a big step (pedal?) forward for me.

All Comers Track Meets—Article For NW Runner Magazine

This was an article I wrote for Northwest Runner Magazine that ran in the May 2013 issue. I'm finally getting around to posting it here.

(click to enlarge)

Wheels Are Spinning...Finally

Three bike rides in the last three days? Why, yes! Well, the first one was a very slow ride with my sister that was cut short when her rear tire flatted and my patch job didn't hold. But yesterday and today were both legit rides (16 miles and 11 miles, respectively.) Still not very long, but I plan on easing my legs back into this whole endurance thing. It usually takes me a while to get "bike legs" anyway. My "running legs" usually come back a little faster, maybe because I've been primarily a runner for the last 30 years!

I've been riding on the Centennial Trail here in Spokane, along the Spokane River. The weather has been great, if not a tad warm. Tonight, I rode at sunset and paid for it by being sandblasted (bugblasted) by small, winged insects the entire ride. Within the first mile, I learned to ride with my mouth closed, even though my nose was a little plugged due to allergies.

Even though I may never be a hard-core cyclist, I'm enjoying some endurance training once again. I hope running will still be a significant part of my program, but while the weather is nice here, it won't hurt to get in several bike rides, especially since it doesn't seem to irritate my right calf and hamstring.

Still No Riding...But A Little Running

I mentioned a couple of posts ago that I was going to dust off my trusty two-wheeler and start pedaling to get my cardio fix.

Well, the best laid plans...

A surge of work came in nearly two weeks ago that has allowed little free time. Cycling takes more planning than most other forms of exercise, and to get a decent workout, I feel like I need to ride for at least an hour. So I haven't gone for a ride yet since we moved here over a month ago.

However, I've made time to lift weights three days per week. Last week, I had an overwhelming urge to do a short "cooldown" run after each workout. So, last Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I ran two loops around my neighborhood each time for a total of 6.3 miles for the week. There was a time not long ago that I would average that per day, but I'm happy to have "jogged" (that's what it felt like) even that paltry mileage. I did feel some aches and pains, but nothing too extreme.

I'll probably continue with this program for a bit just to see how my body will respond. I still have plans to get out and ride, too.

Even though I intentionally bulked up when I switched to weight lifting back in March, I do need to drop a few of those pounds. The extra 17 lbs. are definitely noticeable during these runs.

So, although it's not much to report, it IS running, even if just a little.