Update

Greetings fellow readers! All 2 of you 😉

Here we are again, with an update reminiscent of Groundhog Day (the movie, not the actual day). If anyone needs a poster child for running injuries, I'm available, though not terribly photogenic.

If Brett Favre can retire multiple times, so can I. Right around mid-February of this year my left hip insisted that I immediately stop all running. My hip had been bothering me for a few months before that, to be honest. It became increasingly more painful, and felt a lot like the torn labrum that led me to have surgery on my right hip a couple of years ago. However, instead of backing down on the mileage, I DOUBLED down, recording three 30+ mile weeks in a row from the middle to the end of January. Before you judge and reprimand me, keep in mind that I'm very new to running, having only 35 years of running experience under my belt. Ahem.

The pain wasn't (isn't) only in the groin area (where the tear would be), but radiates all around the hip area. It aches even after longish walks. Given that my finances are a bit tight currently, I won't be able to get a scan, nor surgery (if needed) anytime soon. And even if I got it repaired, I don't know that a return to running would be a good thing. After a laundry list of injuries trying to send me messages over the years, maybe it's time to move on to other fitness endeavors, rather than continuing to pound my body into oblivion. I don't want to go into my golden years with the inability to walk without pain.

So, that brings me to the idea of striving for general health and fitness. As competitive as I am (was), this idea has always been hard for me to implement. But I know in my gut that it's time. The extremes (for me) ALWAYS get me injured. And the older I get, the more this is the case.

I've had a tendency to swing the pendulum hard the other way when I can't run. I've hit the weights hard-core and added up to 40lbs. of bodyweight in relatively short periods of time (no, I've never used any anabolics).

Hello low back! Are you ready for this?

A wee bit heavier than my "race weight"

I realized many years ago that I'll never be brutally strong. Powerlifting isn't for me. I've attempted to get quite strong several times and have ended up injuring myself in the process (multiple back injuries, separated shoulder, torn biceps tendon, etc). So doing high load, low rep exercises is not beneficial to me, at this point.

Less muscle mass than the above photo, but achieved by lifting safer, lighter weights.

My goal, moving forward, is to see if I can, finally, find that happy medium. Building muscle and strength in a SAFE manner, and getting enough cardio exercise to promote good health and fitness, along with the satisfaction of enjoying the outdoors while getting my heart pumping.

My wife and I will soon be shopping for kayaks. We decided last year that this will be one of the activities we'll do together, for both exercise and a way to get spend some quality time together. We've tried cycling together before, but it's not enjoyable for her. She insists I'm too fast, even when I'm trying to ride slow. That said, I intend to do a decent amount of cycling this year, but with lower intensity and distances. I want it to be enjoyable and not feel like I'm killing myself to prepare for a race.

I know better than to say "never" when it comes to any fitness activity I've been interested in, but given that my body is clearly telling me to back off, and my desire to be competitive is waning (probably as a result of compounding injuries), it's probably time for a change of scenery, or at least a modification of my approach to exercise. Staying healthy for long haul is becoming more of a focus than personal performance in a local race, or how much weight I can lift.

And finding that balance can still be fun, challenging and interesting. My mission is to make sure it is.

In future blog posts, I'll go into my training program and diet in a little more detail.

Now, if you'll excuse me, this grandpa has a crossword puzzle to solve...

It's Already April???

How can the first quarter of this year already be behind us? Wow!

Here are some March numbers, for any fellow stat geeks:

Runs: 10                                             (YTD: 22)

Miles: 45.6                                         (YTD: 90.6)

Rides (trainer): 4                              (YTD: 22)

Miles: 79.4                                         (YTD: 353)

Rides (outdoors): 2                          (YTD: 2)

Miles: 53.5                                         (YTD: 53.5)

Swims: 2 (Wow. More below)           (YTD: 12)

Yards: 2,000                                      (YTD: 22,600)

I'm still plugging along with my training, although my desires have shifted just a bit. Maybe I should say, my preferences are affecting my training.

First and foremost, I'm a pure runner at heart. It's what I've always loved to do. My body has stopped me in my tracks several times, but it's in my blood. My current "triathlon training" is built on the idea that I am no longer able to "just" run. One could also say that I'm training for a triathlon because I feel like I should. I'm not saying I do NOT want to do a triathlon, but it's certainly not a burning desire.

And that lack of burning desire centers, mostly, on swimming. I LOVE running, I ENJOY cycling, and I TOLERATE swimming. And that's being generous. I'm not sure I'd go as far as LOATHE, but it depends on the day.

I had a couple of really rough swims lately. The last one, I lasted 5 1/2 minutes and 300 yards before bailing on the workout. I was having trouble breathing, was dizzy and just didn't feel right. But even the swim before that was below par. I imagine some of this is mental, but I think I've been fighting some sort of respiratory infection lately, which seems to affect my swimming more than running or cycling.

I did manage to finally get the new bike outdoors twice toward the end of March. I rode 18.3 miles, finishing up a pretty tough hill, into a headwind, and 35.2 miles, ending with quad cramps in both legs on a gradual climb (had to call my wife for a rescue 2 miles from home, as the legs were done).

The running has been up and down, but surprisingly a bit more up than down lately. I spent a week in Maui in mid March, and managed 3 early morning runs that week, all close to 5 miles, and all close to 8:30/mi pace. Granted, they were flat as a pancake, but that pace was still a challenge. I've gradually increased my "long" run to 6 miles, running that either twice or 3 times so far. Today, I decided to push the pace and see where my fitness is. I ran 5k (3.1 miles) at exactly an 8:00/mi pace. It wasn't easy! My left knee and right hip are always an issue, but lately, they've both held up during runs, then ached between runs. I'm trying to get better about stretching and using the foam roller. I did both today right after my fast run.

So, I guess the question I need to ask myself is, do I move ahead with triathlon-specific training, doing the swim training I need, even though I'm not digging it, or do I focus more on mixing running and cycling and see where that leads? I had my sights set on the Troika Triathlon, on May 20th, but even if I get back to the pool in a serious way, I still don't think I'll feel ready to spend $85 (or more, plus a wetsuit) on an event I'm not prepared for. They do have a duathlon option, but I don't even feel ready for that!

There are more local triathlons later in the year, so I may wait to see what happens. If I can continue running (and increase the frequency and mileage) without too much pain, that will likely guide my ambitions.

But these days, I have to take each run/ride/swim one at a time, since I don't know what my body will do at any given moment.

Makes for some interesting training, that's for sure!

Be fit and have fun, my friends!

Oopsie

Yesterday was a beautiful day, at least weather-wise. Sun, low 70's, slight wind. I hadn't ridden my bike since last Friday, so I was eager to not only get out for a ride, but to get in a long ride. I started riding at about 10:30am, with the plan to ride for roughly 3 hours (a bit over 50 miles, most likely). I parked my truck in a local church parking lot and hit the roads heading east toward Liberty Lake. I made a loop around the town and met another solo cyclist at a stoplight as I was about 8 miles into my ride. We rode together on both the roads and the Centennial Trail for another 15 miles or so, where we went our own way (with the agreement to ride again in the near future, since our schedules are similar).

From the Argonne trailhead in Spokane (where we parted company), I made my way back to toward Post Falls, ID. There, I turned around and rode the trail back to Harvard Rd, where I had to get back onto the road as I headed south toward Liberty Lake again and, ultimately, west, to my truck. I came up to a roundabout, which was surprisingly crowded. I had to stop behind a couple of cars to wait for my turn. I was 49.7 miles into my ride at this point, with probably 6 miles to go. I was feeling good, but as soon as I stopped and unclipped my left shoe to put it down, my left calf began cramping. Once I pushed off to start riding again, the cramp hit full-force, making it very hard to clip in. My foot slipped forward and into the spokes of my front wheel. I was still in the roundabout and going fast enough at this point that the momentum caused me to flip completely over with my bike and land, hard, on both of my knees, my left wrist and my head. Dazed (and embarrassed), I got up quickly and grabbed my bike (and my ejected water bottles). An older couple stopped in their car. The man asked if I was okay. The woman said, "you should ride on the trail!" Thanks, m'am. I didn't tell her that I had just ridden 40+ miles on the trail and was on my way home. I did tell her that bikes are legal on the road, and tried to explain that my calf had cramped up. I decided to not get into an extended conversation and continued pushing my bike to the side of the road. I noticed that my front wheel wouldn't turn, so I rolled it on the back wheel.

Once on the curb, I started taking stock of my body.

Hematoma time!

You mean, one leg isn't supposed to have two knees?

A bump — a very large bump — started appearing above my right knee. It became difficult to bend the knee. As I lowered myself to the curb, I felt a very sharp pain in my left wrist. Once the adrenaline had worn off and I realized that I was pretty hurt, I decided I'd better call my wife to come get me. Once she arrived, we concluded that I should head to the clinic to get me checked out. Three hours and two X-rays later, it was determined that I hadn't broken any bones. I was given a wrist brace, a knee wrap and a crutch (plus a very small prescription for pain meds), with the instructions to ice the knee and wrist every few hours and to keep my right leg elevated.

"I'm a very good cyclist!"

Nearly a day later, the swelling has gone down significantly on my right knee and, although it's still sore, I can walk on it without the crutch. My left wrist, however, hurts quite a bit. I'm not 100% convinced that there's not a hairline fracture in there. I'll give it a few more days before getting it looked at it again, if it's still painful.

Kids, this is why we wear helmets

As for my bike, I definitely bent a spoke in the front wheel. Other than that, it might be okay. I'll take it to the shop next week to confirm.

I'm thankful, because it could have been much worse. No cars ran over me, and no broken bones (as far as I know). I lived to ride another day. This was my first real bike wreck, so I suppose I was due.

My fitness is improving and I'm starting to feel good on the bike, so I'm anxious to get back out there! It'll probably at least a week before that happens.

I wish I had a video of my self-imposed crash. I imagine I looked like an idiot! To the passerby, I was a cyclist who suddenly flipped over, like I had hit an invisible trip wire. Classic.

If I'm in that situation again, I'll definitely dismount my bike, walk to the side of the road, stretch and let the cramp go away before riding again (and bring a mustard packet with me). Lesson (hopefully) learned.

That Old Balance Thing Again

To me, it seems that a pendulum is most effective when swinging through the middle position. In the below diagrams, that position is called the "equilibrium" position, and it's noted that "velocity is maximum."

Sorry to get all physics class on you, but my possibly poorly illustrated point is that extremes, when it comes to physical activity, are often the least effective when it comes to balanced physical fitness. I'm saying this anecdotally, of course.

I have a tendency to take extreme approaches to exercise. When I decide I'm going to run, I go all-in. When I want to become strong, same thing, that becomes the narrow focus. And yet I know that, for me, these approaches almost always lead to burnout and/or injury. I know this sounds very anti-goal oriented...which I'm not, by any means...but this is a lesson that has been very hard for me to learn and incorporate in my approach to fitness. There are some amateur athletes, even in my age group (late 40's) who seem to be able to defy the odds and push to the limit for extended periods. I'm not one of them.

For someone so interested in physical fitness, I'm pretty fragile. If you've followed this blog over the years, you'll know that I've experienced just about every common running injury out there. And, when I've shut down the running and picked up the heavy weights, I seem to eventually pull or strain something.

With that said, I have achieved goals. I ran and completed my first (and so far, only) marathon in May of 2010. During one of my injured periods, I met a fellow runner's challenge of getting six-pack abs. I've achieved a set of 20 overhand pull-ups, deadlifted 320 lbs., bench pressed 222 lbs, etc. Not that any of these are impressive, but they're goals I've met, despite my fragility.

There are still physical goals I have yet to achieve. I believe we all must have them, and they must be personal. Doing something just because someone else has done it or is doing it isn't a reason to shoot for something. If your goal is to do 10 perfect pushups, that's no less important or significant than someone trying to run a sub-3 hour marathon.

However, as I get older and my focus gradually shifts from attempting impressive physical feats to being as fit and healthy as I can be, my approach needs to change. I'm still in the process of figuring out exactly what that means. I know it will involve doing a little of everything, rather than "all running" or "all weight lifting," or any other unbalanced approach I'm good at taking. That approach, unfortunately, isn't terribly inspiring when it comes to achieving goals.

Getting personal, there are a few things I do want to achieve in the near future. I'd like to get a lean waistline again. In my effort to build strength this year, I've become sloppy with my diet and have put on a belly that I can no longer accept (I've already started eliminating processed sugars. Again.) I'd also like to be able to do several pull-ups once again. I do miss running, too, but I know I'll probably never be able to run like I once did. Even while running a slow 2 miles with the dog today, there were frustrating aches and pains. On the flip side, my efforts to increase my deadlift have led to a lower back that has been "out" for the last few days. Alas, I don't think I'm meant to be a powerlifter (which is likely an understatement.) I still may attempt to enter a deadlift-only meet with my daughter in January, but that will be dictated 100% by my back. And whether or not I think I can lift more than most of the women at the meet.

So, to hopefully wrap up a rambling post, I need to figure out a way to stay motivated and inspired, while approaching exercise and fitness in a much more balanced way. The goal of "being in shape and not injured" sounds great, but it's far too amorphous. I've considered having weekly quotas, such as a certain number of pushups, pull-ups, miles run or ridden, weight lifted, etc., but I haven't really fleshed that out yet.

In any event, more balance (which I believe was my "key word" back in 2011 on this very blog) and less specificity will have to be a major part of my approach going forward.

Powerlifting!

Well, hello there! The very sparse posts are due to the fact that the "Resurrected Runner" is not currently running. At all.

Why not?

Well, two reasons. First, I still have lingering injuries that seem like they'll never go away (primarily my right hamstring), and second, I'm training myself and my daughter to compete in a (some?) powerlifting meet(s).

I am, however, walking quite a bit. I have a goal to...much like the annoying song...walk 500 miles this year. As of the end of June, I'm at 280 miles, so I'm ahead of pace. The walks aren't casual strolls, so I'm still getting some cardio and fat-burning benefits.

As for the lifting, I'm documenting my daughters and my current training cycle on our youtube page: father/daughter powerlifting journey.

Check it out if you're interested. As mentioned in previous posts, my daughter shows some promise. I'm keeping the weights she's lifting well below her maximum ability right now, just to focus on form and to, hopefully, avoid injuries.

Which, surprisingly, I've managed to do so far in my training. Avoid injuries, that is. My often temperamental lower back is even holding up, so I must be doing something right!

Not Very Fun-Knee

More news from the "If It's Not One Thing, It's Another" file.

(I honestly don't intend on making this a whiny, complaining-centric blog.)

The extent of my cardio training this winter (sad to say) has been walking. Surely, this injury-prone guy can take simple walks without injuries, right?

Not if my left knee has anything to say about it. This knee used to be my "good" knee up until last summer. That's when I'd start noticing pain under the kneecap during many of my runs. I haven't run since December 3rd of last year, but I've walked 121 miles since then. The pain has gradually increased to the point where I nearly have to limp during those walks to relieve the pressure (it hurts right when my foot makes impact with the ground). Lately, I've been icing and taking ibuprofen after walking.

If I had to guess (always encouraged when it comes to joint problems), I'd say the knee probably needs to be scoped and damaged cartilage needs to be removed. Oddly enough, my "bad" knee (right) has been feeling fine.

I plan to continue walking, unless it becomes too painful (it's close now) since I have a goal of walking 500 miles this year (essentially doubling last year's walking mileage). I also plan on getting on the bike soon, so it'll be interesting to see how the knee handles that. I'm guessing it's the impact that bothers it, so pedaling a bike shouldn't be an issue. I hope.

It also wouldn't hurt to drop a few of the pounds I've put on this winter. I'm starting on that journey now.

But, man, that donut looks good...

UPDATE: I just did a keyword search for "knee pain" in my blog and, lo and behold, the first mention of pain under my left kneecap was in an entry I posted on September 28, 2009 (4 1/2 years ago)! So perhaps this isn't a "good" knee after all.

Looking Back/Looking Ahead, or What The Heck Happened to 2013?

Well, it's hard to believe how quickly 2013 flew by. I guess it's time for the obligatory "year-in-review" and "what's ahead" post.

So...here we go!

First, I'll post last year's numbers. While some fitness-related numbers were satisfactory, my endurance numbers were sad.

• Running Miles: 400
• Races: 2 (both 10k's)
• Walking/Hiking Miles: 255
• Cycling Miles (outdoors): 268
• Cycling Miles (trainer): 141
• Pushups (as part of a Facebook challenge): 20,700 (PR)
• Bench Press max: 220 lbs (PR)

I track several other exercise numbers, but I won't bore you (or myself) with them.

So, what happened to the "Resurrected Runner" in 2013? He once again fell victim to his fragile body and unwise training. The end of 2012 and start of 2013 looked promising. I was once again putting in 30-mile weeks. I ran within 4 seconds of my 5k PR in December of 2012. Encouraged by that, I made the mistake of hitting the track in February of 2013 for a far more intense speed workout than I had business doing. I managed to strain a hamstring during a couple of all-out 200m repeats. Instead of backing off, I continued to train on it and, in fact, raced a 10k. Shortly after that, the hamstring forced me to shut down all running. I was in the process of selling my house and moving my family across the state, so I suppose the timing was okay (although the timing for getting injured is never truly "okay".)

I ran a few times during the summer, with some hamstring discomfort. I refocused my efforts in September and October, eclipsing 20 miles in 3 straight weeks, but after an ill-advised 8-mile run that had my hamstring in painful, tight spasms, the writing was on the wall.

I switched to cycling in the late summer/early fall, but failed to ride nearly as much as I should have (I hope to join a local cycling club in 2014).

Weight training became my focus a few times, but as always, pushing too hard/too soon led to a few pulls of lower back muscles. Currently, I'm working on a modified weight training program that will hopefully spare my injury-prone body parts. Translation: I'm doing pinky curls.

So, as of today, I'm a good 15-18 lbs. above what I consider my "race weight." I'm not alarmed at this point, since I'm confident that I can shed that within a couple of focused months of training. Assuming I can put together a couple of focused months of training.

What will that training look like in 2014? I'm still not entirely sure.

Here are my goals (which I'm honestly figuring out as I type this):

• Reach 10,000 career running miles (currently 208 shy)
• Cycle at least 1,000 miles (outdoors)
• Complete first "century" bike ride
• 25,000 pushups (again, a Facebook group challenge)
• Walk/hike 500 miles (not all at once)
• Bench Press PR

These are relatively humble goals. I hesitate to get too ambitious at this point. You'll notice I didn't really list a running mileage goal, other than to hit a milestone for lifetime mileage. I'll plan on testing the waters a few times and take what I can get. Although I've considered "retiring" as a runner this year, my wife reminds me that running is in my blood (having run competitively, on and off, since 1979). I'm sure I'll be back. However, as I get closer to age 50, my focus is shifting more toward being consistent and healthy rather than seeing just how much and/or how fast I can run. The starting and stopping of my training has become very frustrating. If I can even become a consistent recreational runner (I won't say the "j" word), I'll take it.

Many of my online running friends have been very successful in their training and racing in 2013, which still inspires me. Keep on keeping on, my friends, and much success to all of you in 2014!

An Injury With A Heartbeat, Wrapped In Flesh

Yep, that pretty much describes me at this moment.

Aside from this chronic hamstring problem, I've now injured my lower back (pretty seriously) for the third time in as many months. That happened five days ago (alas, while lifting weights...even though it was from a movement that had little to do with my back), and I'm still in serious pain. I took a cringeworthy 3-mile walk this afternoon, thinking it might loosen my back a little. Nope. Perhaps the 14 degree temps had something to do with that, but even after a hot bath, it still hurts.

Oh, and the hamstring hurt during the walk as well.

Yes, I'm a whining mess of a human right now.

My "one mile run per day" experiment lasted 16 days. Not only did my hamstring pain not diminish, it started getting worse.

So, skipping any further whining, I'm shutting things down once again.

I even hinted to my wife today that I may retire from running. She laughed and said, "you'll never retire from running!" She may be right. At the very least, I need to reach 10,000 career miles. I'm still 208 shy of that goal.

I'll get there...

Reboot

Well, I tried.

I had a couple weeks of decent mileage. Felt some minor pains, but not quite enough to convince me to pull back.

Until now.

Or, Monday, to be precise. Having run a couple of six milers and a seven miler in the last two weeks, I decided that—come hell or high water—I was running 8 miles on Monday. And so I did.

I felt clunky. I never got into that comfortable groove. In hindsight, I think the tightness in my hamstring was causing me to alter my stride slightly. At around mile 5, both my right hamstring and my right knee started aching. Oh, and my right big toe, too. I ran the 8 miles at a faster pace than I should have (although not terribly fast).

I iced the knee and hamstring, then applied heat to the hamstring.

I had an easy 4-miler (with the dog) planned for Tuesday, so off I went, curious about how my body would react. I made it through the run, but later that day, I knew I was done for a while.

This has been a tough year for this old (feeling) body. I'm also nursing some other non running-related injuries, so my body is currently a mess.

Aside from a short & slow pre-donut run I promised my youngest daughter this coming Saturday, I'm taking a few days off from all exercise. Then, I'm going to basically start over. Everything will be short, light and easy for a while. I'm going to vary my workouts quite a bit. I may do a short run one day, bodyweight exercises another, ride my Schwinn Airdyne on another, lift light weights on another, skip rope, ride the bike trainer, etc. Basically, it'll be a general fitness program until I can get past these aggravating injuries.

Oh, I'm not done as a runner. My body just wasn't ready for what I was asking quite yet.

Until it is, I'll see if I can slowly get this body back to where it should be...i.e. not hurting!

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...

Relocation. Defintely NOT Vacation

I didn't realize that it's been over a month since I posted here. Moving across the state has been a major event, and MUCH more work than I even anticipated. After being in our previous house for 16 years, we (okay, mostly I) managed to accumulate WAY too much junk. Not quite to the level of Hoarders, but even after three big trips to the dump, we had far too many possessions to transport across the state.

If I ever get this bad, shoot me quickly.

But we made it.

And I'm sitting here in my new office in our new house...in complete and utter disarray. It'll take us a few weeks (months? never?) to get fully unpacked and settled in.

But we're enjoying our new location. Summer here in Spokane is definitely summer by the classic definition, as opposed to Western Washington, where it can be hit-and-miss. We'll also have a distinct winter here, complete with plenty of snow and below-freezing temperatures.

So what is my training status amidst all the chaos? Well, it's on life support. I set up my workout area in the garage last week (we have a 3-car garage now, so there's a nice space for all my gear) and have done a couple of weight workouts. My oldest daughter Natalie, who will be going into high school, has started running with the Central Valley HS girls' cross-country team. They're meeting 5 mornings per week. She's about to get into the shape of her life, whether she's ready for it or not!

Seeing the approaching XC season has me itching to run again, despite my 15 lb. weight gain (mostly muscle...I'm pretty sure, anyway.) I've enjoyed running with Natalie in the past and I'd like to again, but the reality is that my days of being faster than her are probably coming to a close, unless I can resume training the way I'm accustomed to (and how I'd like to), including speed work.

We live in a quiet neighborhood, so there are lots of good areas to run. Lots of hills, too. I'm thinking that I'll be going out for some short, slow jogs sooner than later.

Speaking of which, how are the long-term injuries? My hamstring still speaks up every once in a while if I do something that stresses it. My more recent injury — a muscle (or tendon) pull on the top of my right foot — is more troublesome. I pulled that while falling out of my office chair a few weeks ago (don't ask) and I've felt it ever since.

So I'm still the same old injury prone 40-something guy I've long been. I've just relocated my old, aching body 312 miles further east now, that's all.

Never. Moving. Again.

Backing Out of STP

Wow, time flies. It's been a while since I've posted here. Honestly, there's not much to talk about, other than our big move across the state. We sold our Everett house in 3 days, eventually found one in Spokane and will close on that one on June 25th (we're currently renting back from our buyers so the kids can finish the school year.) As of this writing, we will be Spokane residents in less than three weeks. Wow.

So, about training. Hey, the Seahawks are going to be tough this year, eh?

Okay, I've not run since March, and I've been on my bike twice since then. I have, however, been lifting weights pretty intensely. Oh, and eating. A lot. Consequently, I've gained a good bit of weight, too. Every last ounce rock solid muscle...to go along with that oceanfront property in Arizona I'd like to sell you. Seriously, though, I am getting a lot stronger.

But—due to being way out of cardio shape myself, and getting a message from my sister that she's not ready to do the Seattle to Portland ride, either—I decided to pull the plug and got a partial refund. Neither my body nor my heart are into it right now. I'll do it another year, when I'm not packing up my entire life and moving 300 miles away.

I am, however, eager to very slowly and gradually start working in some short, easy runs. Every once in a while, I STILL get reminders that I REALLY messed up my hamstring. So any fast and/or extended running may still be on the very distant horizon. And, to be honest, I'm fine with that. I've grown so accustomed to getting injured from running that I'm learning to just roll with the punches and take whatever I can get. Once in Spokane, I'll probably do some easy bike rides with my sister, and possibly some easy runs with my oldest daughter. And continue lifting weights and eating. Eventually, I'll be the guy who looks like a pro wrestler, wearing Brooks gear.

Yeah, right...

After a workout last week. Lifting weights, and forks, consistently.

"Good Night, Good Night. Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow."

I'll begin with a disclaimer. I have no intention of disparaging running streaks—neither my own nor anyone else's—with what I'm about to say in this post. It just became obvious, for reasons I'll go into, that it was time to end mine.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I had a definitive reason to start running more frequently. While an ongoing running streak (which I'll now refer to as 'Romeo,' as a reference to the post title) wasn't the objective, that's what happened. After an undetermined amount of days of consecutive running, Romeo began to take on a life of his own. He became an 'entity' as much as a number. That's something I wanted to avoid, before my running-related decisions became influenced by Romeo. That, however, was beginning to happen. One would think that a 1-3 mile easy run would still allow for complete recovery between harder efforts, and one would be…mostly…correct. What seemed to happen was that there was an accumulative effect. The fatigue gradually built up. It became most noticeable after two consecutive weeks of 30 miles of running. Not high mileage compared to what I used to run, but I hadn't totaled 60 miles for two weeks in over TWO YEARS. What started as 1-mile easy runs with the dog on my recovery days gradually grew to 2.5 mile, slightly faster, runs with the dog (the dog needed it, believe me.) Add to that some speed work and a couple of long runs in the second of those two weeks, and the graffiti appeared on the wall. I ended up not only becoming fatigued and slightly re-injured, but I came down with an upper respiratory illness (that's still with me, as I write this.) Whether or not Romeo contributed to the illness, I'm not sure. It has probably prolonged it, though.

With that said, though, Romeo was enjoyable and helped to keep me motivated to run.

[Okay, 'Romeo' has run his course. From here forward, the streak will be called 'Amos Otis'—center fielder for the Kansas City Royals during the '70s and early '80s.]

Amos Otis did teach me that I could do far more than I realized. When Amos Otis began, I had no idea I'd be able to run every day for even a week, let alone 11 weeks. Aside from the latter stages of Amos Otis, I felt like I was in a groove and getting stronger.

However, as much as I enjoyed most of Amos Otis, I remembered that my main objectives as a runner are to:

1. Stay healthy & injury-free
2. Recover fully
3. Race well
4. Have fun!

I feel like I can achieve these objectives a little more effectively without Amos Otis. Hey, chin up, Amos.

Now what? Since I'm planning on riding in the Seattle to Portland bike ride next summer, I'm going to dust off the bike (and the trainer, and the bun-hugging cycling shorts. Sorry, ladies, I'm spoken for) and start putting in some time on the saddle. At least a couple of runs per week will be replaced by bike time. I also plan on taking AT LEAST one complete rest day per week. That means no cardio, no strength training. Just letting my body rest & recover. I'm an old guy, after all.

I'll wrap up by giving you the final Amos Otis numbers:

Consecutive days run: 77
Miles: 266.1
Avg. Miles Per Day: 3.5
Long Run: 9 miles
Minutes: 2317.78 (38.63 hours)
Average pace: 8:42
Races: 4

[FYI—any future references to Amos Otis will be changed to Count Dracula]

Commitment

I'm currently in my second week of heart rate based aerobic training, and I've got to say...I'm digging it so far. It's actually difficult to run much slower than I'm accustomed to, but I think I'm adapting to it. I'm able to stay within my Zone 2 heart rate (115-125 bpm), and I don't feel beat up after a run. I will concede that my heel has been protesting just a bit. That's nothing new, unfortunately.

I'm making the commitment to follow through with this approach and see if I can gradually build back my aerobic base. Aside from a few 5k races, I'm going to eschew any speed or tempo work for the next few months. I've been reading several articles by Phil Maffetone, and a lot of what he says about aerobic heart rate training makes sense to me — especially as I'm trying to get beyond a stubborn injury.

Despite my "heart-on-my-sleeve" blog posts in the past, confessing my complete frustration with my body, and not-so-subtle hints that my days as a runner may be behind me, I'm going to forge ahead. I can't say that I'll be running marathons again, but running means too much to me to hang it up and call it a day, even after two-plus years of struggle.

So...slow, steady and gradual will be my keywords for the foreseeable future.

Along these lines, I'm in the process of writing another article for NW Runner Magazine. It'll focus on dealing with injuries, both physically and mentally. I'll be illustrating the article as well. Humor will be involved ;-) It will run in a fall issue.

Oh — tangent! My daughter Natalie will be running in her District meet this afternoon, wrapping up her 7th grade track season. As she has been all season, she'll be competing in the 1600m and the 800m. No matter how she does today, I'm extremely proud of how she's done this year. She made some big improvements. Now, if I can just get her to train over the summer...

Where I'm At...or, 3 Runs on an Oregon Beach

When I publicly announce a goal, I never intend to bail on my attempt to reach it. One of the benefits of participating in the online running community is the accountability we can have with each other.

That said, I'm bailing on my 2012 goal of setting a PR in the 5k. Why? One word: love.

I made one of my many comebacks to running in early 2009. I had a pretty decent stretch of building up the mileage and competing, including running my first marathon in May of 2010. Shortly thereafter, I got injured and have been fighting it ever since. I've made a few attempts at racing since—and during—the injury; some semi-successful, many unsuccessful. I went into this year hoping to, if not put in a lot of mileage, at least work on my "short speed." I ran a 5k in January and had a terrible race. The weather was awful, my time was disappointing, and my attitude was sour, to the point of being embarrassed at my own mental state.

Through this entire process, one thing gradually happened. I lost my love of running. I'm a very competitive person by nature (fast or not), so putting in the work has never been a problem for me. In fact, it's usually "too much, too fast, too often" that I have a problem with. Don't get me wrong; I enjoyed getting out there and putting in the miles, the long runs, the tempo runs, the intervals, the races. But during the process, the end overtook the means. I won't say that running became a chore because, as I said, I never had a problem getting out there and putting in the work. What did happen was that I became obsessed with my times, with going for the next big thing, to the point of losing what drew me to running in the first place—that pure, innocent joy of running (as Forrest Gump might say) just to run. Many runners can balance both the joy and the competitive fire. Somewhere along the way, I lost that ability. Thus, my little hissy fit back in January, which led me to give up on running for two months (partially due to some aches and pains, but not entirely).

Fortunately, I do know exactly what I need to recapture. Allow me to flash back to September of 2002. My family and I vacationed on the Oregon coast. I had been running just a little the previous few months. During our vacation we stayed on Rockaway Beach, and that week I got out early in the morning three times to run on the beach. Each one was about 45 minutes, in the mist, with the sound of seabirds and the surf and a persistent salty ocean breeze. Hardly another person in sight. Of course, not every run can be like that, but that pure love of running just for the sake of running is what I need to discover again. When I think of what I love about running, I always recall these runs. Not the speed work, not the races.

I may still run a few races yet this year, but not with the usual competitive fire. Running won't consume me as it has in the recent past. I'll run as often, as far, and at whatever pace feels comfortable.

I'm sure that one day down the road my body and, more importantly, my mind will be ready to shoot for another PR.

Until then, I'll just be a recreational/fitness runner and have fun.

Whoa There, Cowboy!

First of all, I hope you're enjoying the holidays, and eating plenty of "running fuel," as I like to call it. Interpret that as you will.

In reference to the title of the post, I recently had both a breakthrough and a setback all in the same run. This was a week ago Tuesday (Dec. 20th), when I set out on my weekly "long" run. Up to that point, 5 miles was as far as I had ventured. On this day, as I finished 5 and still felt fresh and without any sign of injury-related pains, I continued for another mile, to record my longest run since August of 2010 (when I ran 12 miles, then went on a very long-term disabled list).

I posted with excitement on Daily Mile how great it felt to run 6 miles. Sure, it's only a mile longer than the 5 I had been doing, but in my mind it was a mini breakthrough; being nearly a 10k.

Well, it didn't take long for the repercussions to appear. My lower right Achilles tendon was very sore for several days. I went for a "dog jog" the next day, then a 5k run last Thursday (the first 2 miles very slowly w/my daughter, with a still slow 3rd mile), during which I felt pretty lifeless. My breathing issues were still a problem (I really think I have allergies related to our dog. Guess I need to get tested). The ache persisted, so I skipped my Saturday morning club run.

I walked the neglected pup on Christmas night, after which my right knee really acted up. What the heck?! Any running "mojo" I felt I had gained from my 6-miler was completely gone.

Yesterday I struggled through what should have been an easy 45 minute spin on the trainer. Ugh. Today, I decided to see if I could sneak some fast half miles into a 4-miler. After a warmup mile, I ran three hard half miles (3:33, 3:30, 3:27) followed by 3 easy half miles after each one. It was tough, but I felt pretty good, in terms of breathing and body aches.

Lesson? Stay the course for now, by which I mean don't try adding more distance just yet. And when I start feeling run down, ease up. This whole process of "coming back" as a runner looks like it will be a very long-term process. That's okay, though. I've got plenty of time, Lord willing ;-)

Surpassing 2009

We just returned from our annual Memorial Day camping trip to Entiat, WA...way out in the middle of nowhere. My in-laws have property on the Entiat River, so their kids (i.e. my wife and our kids, my wife's sisters and their families, and one other family that's friends of all of our families...are your eyes crossed yet?) all converge there for three days of riotous fun...if you can call having everything you brought with you smelling strongly of campfire smoke and un-showered bodies fun.

I managed to roll out of the tent this morning at 6:00 for a run. Wasn't sure how far it would be. I was going to "Forrest Gump" it...just keep going if I felt like it (within limits, of course). I chose to run "up" the road. It was definitely up, climbing an average of 100 feet per mile. Not terribly steep, but good enough for a decent hill workout. When I was 5 miles in, I decided that a pre-breakfast 10-miler would be groovy. Thanks to the downhill, my return trip was 6 minutes faster.

My right heel reminded me it was still there, but it wasn't a run-stopping pain. It seems like it's not getting any worse, so for the moment, I've decided to train through it, unless it DOES get any worse. I have no idea what the issue is, but as long as the status remains quo, so will my training.

This morning's 10-miler also put me beyond last year's very modest running mileage (825 in 2009, 828 as of today for 2010). Having done it in 5 months is something I feel pretty good about. Hopefully I can keep the pace through the end of the year.

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend.

RR

When Recovery May Not Actually Be Recovery

Well, I think I may have done it. What is "it"? "It" refers to short-circuiting my "recovery week". This past week was meant to be an easy recovery week, after racing a half marathon last weekend and stringing together 5 straight weeks of over 40 miles per week. This week I ran 5 times for a total of 30 miles, all at an easy pace. Sounds like I backed off...and I did. But I think I let my ego get the best of me. Thirty miles in a week is indeed less than 40+, and as I mentioned, I ran everything at a slow recovery pace. However, this morning's 5.5 mile run revealed some fatigue and, afterward, a very sore right hip, which has been killing me all day. If I really wanted to "recover" this week, maybe 3 or 4 runs for a total of 15-20 miles would have been more appropriate. After all, before my string of 40+ mile weeks, I really hadn't been running a lot of miles per week (probably an average of 30).

Next week is my first official week of marathon training. My schedule calls for 35 miles with a long run of only 10 miles. Should be do-able, as long as my hip isn't seriously messed up.

So, as cliché as it sounds, remember to do what I should have done (especially this morning) - LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!

Well...

Yesterday, I mentioned a few possible injuries that were coming on. One was my left hip/glute. I think I know what the deal is there. I bowl on a league on Thursday nights. Due to the holidays, we had two weeks off. With my "delivery", I place a lot of stress on that left hip and glute and, after bowling Thursday night after the two weeks away, I'm sore from it. Once that realization hit me last night, as I was stretching, it was a big relief. As for my calf and IT band, they feel good this morning (after alternating ice and heat on them last night). I'm taking today off from running and will run short and slow tomorrow to see how they feel.

Come on body, don't fail me now!

Uh Oh

I hinted in my previous post that my body has been giving me signs I just don't wanna read. My mind is writing checks my body don't wanna cash. My synapses are sending signals my legs don't wanna translate...etc.

I went out for an easy-paced 12 mile run today. The first 6 miles were in pouring rain. I got drenched to the bone. During the last few miles, my left hip and glute (just behind the hip joint) got really tight and sore. It actually affected my ability to push off with my left leg. I was also feeling some tweaks from the outside of my right knee, just below, actually (probably the ol' IT band issue). And, after the run, my upper right calf (which I've been feeling for several days now) felt really sore, like a minor muscle pull. I've run 50.5 miles in the last 7 days, which, for me, is high mileage. I don't necessarily think the mileage is the issue, though. I believe the 10-mile tempo run I busted out two days ago, wearing my new Brooks Launch (i.e. less support) may have contributed to the problems.

Instead of an early 1-hour group run tomorrow morning, I'll take tomorrow as a rest day and see how things feel on Sunday. With a half marathon coming up on Jan. 16th, I don't want to risk making things worse. And with my first full marathon coming up in May, now is the time to make the necessary adjustments in order to avoid injuries, if possible. I've been fortunate the past year by not really getting injured. Now that I'm pushing things, here come the reminders that a little cross training may come in handy, as well as backing off every few weeks, even during this base building period.

Fingers crossed...