Signed Up For Green Lakes Endurance Run

I have signed up for the Green Lakes Endurance Run 50k race.  It is two weeks away on August 29, 2010 and will be my first ultra.  I've been thinking about running this for a few weeks but I've been unsure of myself.  When I looked at the registration I saw that they are allowing 125 runners and 124 had signed up.  I figured if I'm going to do it, I better just jump in.

I'm nervous about the race.  I don't know how I will perform.  I guess this is pretty normal though.  I plan to run the race very conservatively and not convern myself with time.  I will walk all the uphills and take frequent breaks.  I will stop at the aid stations and ensure I am drinking and eating enough.  May main objective in this race is to gain knowledge and experience and have some fun.  I want to figure out what works for me and what doesn't. 

The Green Lakes 50k is set up as a 12.5 km loop.  You have to complete four loops to finish.  There will also be a 100km running at the same time.  I've discussed the course with a couple of veterans and I'm getting mixed answers.  A female runner from the Runnersworld forums says that there is nothing particularly hard about the course, but there is one steep, short uphill that I should consider walking.  Of course she ran the 100km last year in 11:51:xx finishing as the third woman.  My running partner from yesterday ran the 50k version and said it was a challenging course because even though the uphills weren't steep they were fairly long.  Also, the section called "The Serengehti" is completely out in the open and can be an issue if the sun is shining.

Either way, I'm registered and believe I can cover the 50 km.  I don't even care if I'm dead last, as long as I finish and learn something.

Since the race is two weeks away I am going to start my taper now.  No more long runs until race day.  I plan to alternate days of rest with easy runs in the four to six mile range.  I want to do enough where I won't lose fitness, but little enough to go into the race rested and hopefully (mostly) pain free.

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.

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.

Thinking About The Bad Run

As you know, last night's run didn't turn out very well.  Nothing really went wrong, but nothing really went right either.  I came to the conclusion that being fatigued and not having enough to eat played significant roles in my subpar feelings about the run.

So I had a sandwich, a glass of milk and got eight hours sleep.  What else would I do?

I'm planning today's meals, hoping to have more energy for tonight's run.  Shredded Mini Wheats for breakfast, Yogurt and an apple for morning snack, whole wheat pasta and steamed broccoli and carrots for lunch, a peach for afternoon snack, and a grilled chicken sandwich with lettuce and tomato for dinner.  After my run I'll have some chocolate milk to recover, and may throw in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Hopefully, tonight's run will be a more positive experience.

No Pep In My Step

I went out for an easy run this evening.  Normally, after the first ten minutes or so I get into a pretty good groove and feel pretty good.  Tonight I just wasn't getting there.  I never got comfortable, even though I wasn't running particularly fast.

After about 15-20 minutes I thought about stopping, but then I went through my personal inventory.  Nothing hurt.  Nothing was especially uncomfortable.  My breathing was good.  My stomach was ok.  There was no real reason to stop.

Since I didn't have reason to stop I pressed on.  In the end, I completed six miles in 55 minutes, 30 seconds.  I planned to do 6 miles in an hour, so I was pretty close.  I'm happy that I persevered and got through the mileage, but I wanted to look at what made the run unenjoyable.

The first thing that popped into my mind was that I might be a little tired.  Yesterday I spent several hours pitching batting practice and I was a little sore and worn out.  Then I didn't sleep well.  I think these two items were the main culprits in my difficulties.  On top of that, I didn't eat or drink much today.  I'm sure that played a role.

So as I sit here drinking my chocolate milk and eating a PB&J I'm already thinking about tomorrow.  I planned to do another hour for about six miles after my son's baseball game.  Hopefully with a good night sleep and some good food tomorrow night's run will feel a bit better.

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.

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.