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.

Ankle is Stiff and Sore, Not Swollen

After yesterday's run I spent most of the day in my recliner with a book and an ice pack.  I kept the ankle in an Ace Bandage most of the day.  This morning I was rewarded a little bit.  My ankle is much better than I expected.  It is a bit stiff and sore, but not swollen at all.  I took a nice long walk this morning.  It held up very well.

"Dam" Good Trail Race - Letchworth State Park

I had been planning on taking it easy for the two weeks leading up to the Green Lakes Endurance Runs 50k.  I kind of blew that idea.  A few weeks ago I was talking with a friend about the "Dam" Good Trail Race, a 14 mile out and back at Letchworth State Park.  It really sounded like a good idea, but I know I need to taper before the 50k.

So late last night I get a text message that says "See you in the morning, Sleep Well!"  So I'm expected at the race and I hate to disappoint a nice young lady, I'm running the "Dam" Good Trail Race. 

I woke up at 5:00 am to a roaring thunderstorm dropping buckets of rain.  PERFECT WEATHER FOR A TRAIL RACE!  I grabbed a Pepsi Throwback (Real Sugar, no high-fructose corn syrup), a pack of Pop-Tarts and a cup of coffee and hit the road.

I showed up and of course the race site was a soupy mess.  Nice and slick, just the way I like it.

Since I am tapering I planned to run this very slowly, taking lots of walk breaks.  I wasn't even concerned if I finished dead last.  I set out on a nice easy pace and enjoyed the scenery.

About two miles into the run I hit an unavoidable puddle and stepped on a root or rock rolling my left ankle.  I got that nice, sharp pain that ran up to my knee.  I take a few more steps and it doesn't feel too bad.  A few hundred years up someone moves to the right side of the trail so I can pass.  My left foot hit just off the trail and starts to slide.  My already sore ankle can't take it and I slide off of the trail and start heading down a steep embankment.  Luckily I grab a tree and don't fall too far.  I'm a muddy mess and the ankle hurts.

I limp about a quarter mile to the first aid station and they help me wash my hands and now soaked handheld water bottle.  My ankle hurts, but not too bad.  I can keep going.

I move along pretty good until about mile six when my ankle start getting stiff.  This causes me to slow down a bit and alter my gait.  Not a good sign.  I make it through the turn around point and start headed back.  I'm moving slow, but still running.  At mile ten the pain takes over and I start walking.  I pretty much decide to walk it in with a few bits of running.

About mile thirteen I really run into problems.  By this point I had been on the trail much longer than I expected.  My inadequate breakfast and lack of food on the trail is starting to take an effect.  I'm tired and my calves are starting to cramp up.  I'm feeling seriously deflated.  I quickly massage and stretch my calves and decide to run the last mile in.  I finished in a horrible 3+ hour time, but I finished.  I wasn't even dead last.

As bad as the run was, I did learn a lot from it.  The biggest thing is I need to be smarter when taking a longer run.  Eat food of substance beforehand.  Bring extra food with me in case my time gets extended.  Instead of water I should have been using a sports drink.  I'm sure this contributed to my cramping at the end of the run.

A second thing is I need to respect my taper.  There is no good reason to run a 14 mile trail race in tough conditions the week before an ultra.  I tired myself out and risked injury for no good reason.  I really need to be smarter going forward.

Conversational Run at Casey Park, Ontario

I went back to Casey Park today to run laps with a friend.  We did the little two mile loop and stopped each lap to drink some water.  We definetely didn't push the pace too hard since we both did long runs yesterday.  We just ran at a nice, conversational pace.  It felt good.  It's amazing how much faster the miles go by when there is someone there to distract you.

My hips are still a bit sore, but feeling a whole lot better.  My foam roller has really been helping.  I've also been using a lacrosse ball to dig in and massage the area. 

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.

Good, Long, Slow, Trail Run. Exceeded Marathon Distance.

I haven't been able to run the last few days.  Between thunder storms and coaching baseball it has been hard to get free time.  Yesterday was the last baseball game so I'm being set free.

This morning I had planned to run the 1.2 mile path at the Helmer Nature Center in Irondequoit.  It is a relatively flat, unexciting trail, but it is close to home and the small loop makes it easy to set up a personal aid station.  I planned to run for five hours.  Upon arriving at the nature center I noticed LOTS of cars.  Apparently there was a softball tournament or something going on.  I don't like crowds and decided to drive to Mendon Ponds Park where I know I'll be mostly alone.

I decided to run multiple laps of the East Esker Trail/North Meadow Trail.  I do this loop frequently.  It is 6.59 miles and most of it is the path used in the Mendon Ponds 50k in November.  Today I ran it in the opposite direction of the race.  I don't know why, just felt like it.

This path is very hilly and fairly tough.  To use it for my long run I have to be smart about it.  I decided to run it as I would in an ultra.  That meant walking the uphills, running the flats easily and hammering the downhills.  After each lap stopped at the car, refilled my water bottle and grabbed a peanut butter sandwich.  I need to get used to eating while running.

The run itself was uneventful.  I didn't press too hard.  I slowed down a few times when I passed hikers with dogs.  I was afraid of getting the pups excited and getting bit.  I had one older couple make a comment when I passed them the third time.  It was cute watching them walk holding hands.  I know that I need to work on walking uphill faster and have to practice running again after walking.  All in all, it felt pretty good.

In the end I completed 4 loops for 26.36 miles in just over 5 hours.  It is the first time I've exceeded marathon distance.  I could have run further.  I could have run faster.  I don't think I could have done both.  My right Achilles tendon is a little sore, but not too bad.  My shoulders and lower back feel tight.  Nothing that will stop me from doing a light recovery run tomorrow.  A little ice and ibuprofen can't fix it.

As much as I enjoy coaching baseball I am glad the season is over.  It's hard to get runs in when three days a week are tied up.  Now there is nothing stopping me from getting out every day.

Feeling Good This Morning

Yesterday's rest did me well.  My ankle is not sore or stiff at all and my body feels refreshed.  I won't be able to run until faily late this evening because I promised the kids I'd go to seabreeze with them after work.  When I run late at night I tend to do out and backs on my road.

The road I live on is only 0.85 miles long, but the elevation change is 203 feet.  There are sections that have grades everywhere from 2% to 12%.  Some days I run hard up and coast back down.  Other days I walk up and fly down.  Depends on what I want to work on.  Either way it is a great workout.  That's tonight's plan.

Ankle Feels Good

When I woke up this morning I was expecting my ankle to be tight and sore. As I laid in bed waiting for the alarm to go off I slowly rotated it a few times. Yippee! No pain. I got up and prepared my breakfast and it doesn't hurt to put weight on it. It's a little puffy and discolored, but my shoe doesn't feel tight. I'm glad I decided to stop my run early and used ice and elevation. I think I avoided making things worse.

Tonight is a scheduled rest day. I think it's a good time to start doing the core work I've been putting off. I'll spend most of my day searching the internet looking for a core exercise program that won't bore me to tears.

Trail Run at Mendon Ponds Park

After work I decided to hit Mendon Ponds Park for a little run on the trails. My plan was to start at the south side of the East Esker Trail, work my way up the eastern portion of the path, then switch to the North Meadow Trail just after the water tower. I would then loop around and reconnect with the East Esker Trail. It would be about a 6.5 mile run. There are a fair number of hills in Mendon Ponds Park. I planned to run the small hills, flats and downhills and walk the steep uphills. This is the strategy I will need to employ when I start entering Ultras. I plan to spend at least one day a week practicing walking uphill quickly and restarting running after a walk.

I was moving along pretty well for a half mile of so when I came across this sign:

At first I thought "Oh crap!" But then I decided it would be fun and give me a lot of practice at run/walking. I pressed on. I was feeling great until I was coming down a fairly steep hill with a bit of loose sand. I was moving along at a pretty good clip and trying to be sure of every footfall. Wiping out here would suck. I saw some movement out of the corner of my eye and turned to see a large deer with two fawns. That moment of distraction was enough for me to slide a little bit and twist my ankle. I sat down to evaluate the situation.

My ankle was sore, but not too bad. I could continue running, but there was no sense risking injury. If it was a race I would have gone on, but decided it was best to just walk back to the car. I had gone 2.94 miles in 34:35. Not fast by any means, but not bad considering the terrain. Rather than complete the loop I walked back out the way I came. I did come across a few more deer as I walked:

I'm a little disappointed with the run, but I did learn a few things. First is that I need to get more practice running more technical trails. Most of the trail running I've done has been on pretty established routes where footing isn't much of a problem. I need to learn how to pay attention and avoid the things that can hurt me. Second, I need to pick up some trail shoes. I normally run trails in my Asics Gel Strike 2s. A more agressive lug pattern and greater protection in the sole will serve me well in longer runs over more difficult trails.

Now I'm sitting here with my foot elevated with ice. It's a bit swollen with a little purple in it, but not too bad. I coach little league baseball and have games on Wednesday nights so tomorrow is a scheduled rest day anyway. I don't think I'll need to miss any runs because of the ankle. Thursday I'll run short and light to see how it feels, but I don't think any major damage was done.