Feeling a Bit Better

I've been trying to take it easy the last week or so and recovery from my rough day at the Rochester Marathon.  I've been going to the gym and lifting weights.  I haven't run much, but I've used the elliptical and stationary bikes. 

Today I drove out to Newark to run with my friend that ran the Greenlakes 50k and the Rochester Marathon with me.  The plan was a nice and slow 8.5 miles with a few small hills. 

The run was very uneventful.  We kept it slow and chatted.  Around mile five my knee started getting uncomfortable, but not bad.  We plugged along until about mile 7.5 and started to walk as a cooldown.  The run was slow, but it felt good to do a few miles.  I'm going to take a few more days off before getting into training again.

2010 Rochester Marathon - Proves The Need For Recovery

Yesterday I got up bright and early and drove to Frontier Field for the 2010 Rochester Marathon.  The weather was absolutely perfect with temperatures in the 50s and a very light mist in the air.  It looked to be a good day.

As you know, I hadn't planned on running the marathon but a friend of mine requested that I run it with her.  She ran the Green Lakes 50k with me two weeks ago.  I hesitently agreed to run the marathon.

The first half of the race went pretty well.  We had planned on going slowly and finishing around 5 hours.  We hit the halfway mark at about 2:15.  Well ahead of pace, but certainly not breaking any records.  Shortly after this I started having some issues.  The outside of my knee started to really hurt.  Bad.

I continued to plug along before telling my friend several times to take off without me.  As expected she refused.  Around mile 20 I told her to take off because I was going to pull myself at the medical tent near mile 21.  She said she'd run that far with me and I told her that was silly, no sense slowing down on my account.  She took off and I slowed considerably.

I didn't pull out of the race.  It didn't hurt bad enough to quit, but I was certainly hobbled.  Around mile 24 I came accross a volunteer that I've talked to at numerous races.  When he asked "what are you doing way back here?" I could only answer "hurting."

I kept trucking along and eventually made it to the finish line.  I didn't even bother looking at my time as I knew it was horrendous.  But I finished.  Now I need to figure out what is up with my leg.

Remington's Run With Fleet Feet

Last night's Remington's Run was a good time. I would recommend it to any runners looking for a relaxed, good time. About 40 runners showed up. They had 2, 3 and 5 mile loops. I ran the 5 miler. About a mile into it I fell into step with a small group and we chatted as we ran easily though the city streets. The watermelon and beer at the finish tasted great.

For the last few weeks I've been having hip pain. The pain is mostly on the right side. I've been using the foam roller to smooth it out. The good news is that I had very little discomfort in my right hip. The bad news is that the pain in my left hip is more noticeable now. I really have to start rolling both sides.  It should resolve itself soon.  Until then Advil and the roller are my best friends.

I've Been Resting - Bought a Foam Roller for Hip Pain

After my run in Casy Park the other day I realized that my hip has really been sore.  I believe it is a case of bursitis.  Because of that I've decided to take a few days off from running to get some rest and heal up.  Tonight I will join the Remington's Run for the five mile loop.  For those of you that don't know, the second Thursday of every month Remington's Bar (on Merchants Road) and Fleet Feet put on a nice little event.  You meet there at 6:00 and run either 2, 3 or 5 miles and return to the bar where they have free food and drink specials.  It's a pretty good time.  You should try it.

For the last three days I haven't run but I've been walking a few miles here and there. In addition I bought a Foam Roller and I've been using it twice a day. I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised with the results. I've heard a lot of people talk about their rollers and how great they are but I was very skeptical. I'm not anymore. The first time I used it my hip pain was gone after about ten minutes. I could walk, squat and climb stairs without pain. Of course the pain came back a short while later, but it was less intense. Between the foam roller and three days rest I feel really good. I an looking forward to tonight's run.

A Little Sore, But Feeling Good.

I'm starting to feel the effects of Sunday's long run at Mendon Ponds Park.  My hips and butt are pretty sore.  Not the agonizing, unable to walk sore, but I feel them with every step.  Going too long on last night's recovery run probably didn't help.  Tonight I will be sure to go short and slow.

The Morning After a Long Run

I got a great night's sleep and woke up this morning feeling pretty good.  I was expecting to be sore and tired.  I am a little, but not as bad as I anticipated.  I have a dull ache in my ankles, feet and Achilles area, but no real pain.  My quads don't hurt, but they do feel heavy.

Today's plan is pretty simple.  I'm going to walk for a half hour or so on my lunch break and this evening I'll go to Planet Fitness in Irondequoit and do a short, slow run on the treadmill and lift weights for a little bit.  I won't be lifting heavy tonight.  Just enough to get my upper body moving.  My shoulders and back felt very tight yesterday.  I'm hoping to build a little more strength in that area.

Feeling Good This Morning

I woke up feeling pretty good today. No real soreness or stiffness. Very tired though. I slept well, so I'm not sure if it is because I ran right before bed or if I just didn't sleep long enough. I really only got about 6 hours. If I'm going to push myself and run more miles I am going to need to ensure that I get adequate rest. I just need to get my schedule organized so I can fit family and work responsibilities in and have time to dedicate to running.

Right now I'm considering running in the morning before work. It shouldn't be too hard to get the time in. I'll just have to make sure I get to bed at a reasonable hour.

Woke Up Appropriately Sore

Yesterday's run wasn't the longest I've ever gone, but it was by far the fastest I've ever covered ten miles. I was expecting to be quite sore when I woke up this morning. I was pleasantly surprised though. My hips are a little bit sore, but really not too bad.

I've found that my hips and lower back are what gives my the most trouble when I try to run too fast. I attribute this to a weak core. I'm going to have to start working on this soon. The real problem here is that most core work is just plain boring. I have to start doing a little bit of research. I know the basic moves that will improve core strength I just have to find a way to make it interesting.

I'm looking forward to a nice, easy run tonight after work.