Twenty yesterday, the last six of which came in my goal marathon range (6:31-6:41). The achilles fared well enough; the only tightness occurs during stretching.
Something unexpected emerged during the running, however. The upper portion of my right calf now seems to include a tightened ball/knot just below the inside of my knee. It feels muscular, obviously, but there were moments during today's miles that I felt pains in my back and hips. Stephanie had a recent diagnoses of something clumping near her sciatic nerve. Without any knowledge of what this means, but with pain springing up in all kinds of places, I can't help but wonder.
Forget Googling or doctoring, I think I'll just take Monday off and press on. Sixty three next week, and then the taper!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Back in black
The post-PR hangover is officially gone, and after a day of rest of Monday I was back at it again. Now, however, it's officially a marathon training schedule, and it's officially fall.
My body responded impressively well considering the post-race pain in my achilles and the fatigue that set in around mile nine of the race. I didn't have the typical aches and pains I felt following the halves in March and May, and appreciated the chance to build in ice and compression on the troubled spots--not just my body as a whole.
With no speed workout on Tuesday due to Sunday's race, I logged an early 8, then another 8 on Wednesday with a set of four hill sprints on the overpass. Amazingly, the pain in the heel and tendon--while still present when stretching and testing in the house--was virtually gone during the run. Even after Thursday's 9 miler (5 of which consisted of a marathon-paced tempo), I can admit with astonishment that my running is not hampered by the injury.
Knock on wood that home therapy and general TLC continue to produce positive results.
One thing to add about these early runs this week: the weather. I actually broke out the long sleeve shirt yesterday, and considered gloves today. It was spitting rain and gusty, and the clouds provided a pinkish, orange glow in the morning darkness.
The skunks came out to admire the morning as well. Today I dodged a total of five. It must be pretty funny to see someone running a 6:40 pace in the dark. But when that dude starts clapping and barking, and the flashlight strapped to his head starts bouncing about, it must look downright schizophrenic.
Stephanie informed me that we're only about two weeks from tapering. I'm sure that will sink in after my 60 and 63 mile weeks pass. Nothing says "Saturday" like a schedule that reads, "20 miles w/ last 6 @ marathon pace."
See you out there...
My body responded impressively well considering the post-race pain in my achilles and the fatigue that set in around mile nine of the race. I didn't have the typical aches and pains I felt following the halves in March and May, and appreciated the chance to build in ice and compression on the troubled spots--not just my body as a whole.
With no speed workout on Tuesday due to Sunday's race, I logged an early 8, then another 8 on Wednesday with a set of four hill sprints on the overpass. Amazingly, the pain in the heel and tendon--while still present when stretching and testing in the house--was virtually gone during the run. Even after Thursday's 9 miler (5 of which consisted of a marathon-paced tempo), I can admit with astonishment that my running is not hampered by the injury.
Knock on wood that home therapy and general TLC continue to produce positive results.
One thing to add about these early runs this week: the weather. I actually broke out the long sleeve shirt yesterday, and considered gloves today. It was spitting rain and gusty, and the clouds provided a pinkish, orange glow in the morning darkness.
The skunks came out to admire the morning as well. Today I dodged a total of five. It must be pretty funny to see someone running a 6:40 pace in the dark. But when that dude starts clapping and barking, and the flashlight strapped to his head starts bouncing about, it must look downright schizophrenic.
Stephanie informed me that we're only about two weeks from tapering. I'm sure that will sink in after my 60 and 63 mile weeks pass. Nothing says "Saturday" like a schedule that reads, "20 miles w/ last 6 @ marathon pace."
See you out there...
Sunday, October 2, 2011
PR-fect.
Sundays and early alarms aren't usually precursors for great experiences. I suppose that's why I woke up before my 4:30 a.m. alarm today (at 4:21).
It was race day, so we walked over to the park in the dark and arrived at the Fleet Face racing team tent around 6:30 a.m. My ankle and Achilles felt nearly healed. Things felt a bit tight when we settled into the warm up, but all was mostly good. I found the good doctor's tent, and he gave me some special black tape along the ridge of my tendon. (For the record, I shaved far more of my leg and foot than I needed to, but oh well.)
I had some initial issues with my watch and locating the satellites a the start line, so my pacing seemed to be in question from the start. I powered down, and waited for what seemed like an eternity for the Garmin to revitalize. For the first mile, I relied upon the pacing of my teammates and the fact that I was in front of the 1:25 pacer. My watch revived about a quarter mile in. I started it up at the beginning of the second mile, and settled into the 6:19-6:25 range.
Miles 3 through 6 were steady at 6:22. I separated from Adam (my teammate), and started chipping off the per-mile pace. I locked in the seventh mile at 6:13, and started knocking a few runners off around the halfway point. It wasn't speed in bursts, but increases in the pace for individual miles. Therefore, when I passed other runners, it was gradual, methodical, and measured.
After a slightly foolish 6:07 eighth mile, I held in around the 6:13-6:19 range for the subsequent couple. I knew I would break the 2009 PR, but I wasn't sure by how much at this point. My watch, remember, didn't have my overall time, so I couldn't depend on my knowledge of the 1:25:10 time to beat, nor the location of the 1:25 pacer. I was largely alone, moreover, running in a spread field of the first 20-30 racers.
I felt fatigue in the quads around mile 9, but didn't fuel with a Gu until the water station at mile 10. I passed another man between mile 10 (Sutterville Road) and the La Rivage hotel, then swooped onto Riverside Boulevard. I felt pretty comfortable at this spot--it's actually my cool down route after my tempo runs on Thursday--so I ramped up a bit at mile 11, which brought the per-mile pace down to 6:09, then again to 6:06. Things started getting tired, however. I started digesting the Gu and my stomach felt full. A few burps helped, along with some loud volunteers at the Sutterville Road overpass who cheered and chanted as I passed.
I caught another runner just before the 12-mile marker. His shirt said, "If you can read this, I just passed you," so he had to go. He was struggling, unfortunately. His stride was more of a bound, but I gathered (and later confirmed) that he was in my age group. I said, "C'mon, baby!" emphatically, as I came up on him. He did not respond, and I don't blame him because I was him, once.
I felt most alone in the last mile even though it ended in the park with the crowds. There were a number of joggers from the 5k and a few sporadic fans spread in through the shade trees. Some teammates gave me encouragement, which helped. By my watch, with 1/2 mile to go, I cut my pace to a 6:02 mile. I never looked at it again, but my uploaded time for the final mile was 5:59.
What I erased in seconds for the 13th mile I more than made up in grimaces. But when I heard my family and saw the clock ticking through the 21st minute of the hour, I pumped my fist jubilantly into the finish line. The final results: 20th overall, 4th in my age group, and 1:21:52--a new PR.
When I tell the story from my first PR in 2009 it sounds so reckless. No watch, no team, no clear goal, and a 3rd place finish in my age group. The PR hang heavy for three subsequent halfs. The Fleet Feet training through March (Shamrock'n 1:25:43) and May (Avenue of the Vines 1:26:50) of 2011 didn't quite get me there, either. I kept coming close, though, so I thought I'd measure my progress today in seconds.
I ran confidently, sure I would finally best the 2009 time. But not by over 3 minutes. Maybe it was the training. It could have been the Garmin watch, or the practice and the recent bump up to F Group. I could credit the doctor, the coach, the shoes, the team, the wife--all of it. But it wasn't just one thing. It was a compilation, and because I believed in it, it paid off.
It was race day, so we walked over to the park in the dark and arrived at the Fleet Face racing team tent around 6:30 a.m. My ankle and Achilles felt nearly healed. Things felt a bit tight when we settled into the warm up, but all was mostly good. I found the good doctor's tent, and he gave me some special black tape along the ridge of my tendon. (For the record, I shaved far more of my leg and foot than I needed to, but oh well.)
I had some initial issues with my watch and locating the satellites a the start line, so my pacing seemed to be in question from the start. I powered down, and waited for what seemed like an eternity for the Garmin to revitalize. For the first mile, I relied upon the pacing of my teammates and the fact that I was in front of the 1:25 pacer. My watch revived about a quarter mile in. I started it up at the beginning of the second mile, and settled into the 6:19-6:25 range.
Miles 3 through 6 were steady at 6:22. I separated from Adam (my teammate), and started chipping off the per-mile pace. I locked in the seventh mile at 6:13, and started knocking a few runners off around the halfway point. It wasn't speed in bursts, but increases in the pace for individual miles. Therefore, when I passed other runners, it was gradual, methodical, and measured.
After a slightly foolish 6:07 eighth mile, I held in around the 6:13-6:19 range for the subsequent couple. I knew I would break the 2009 PR, but I wasn't sure by how much at this point. My watch, remember, didn't have my overall time, so I couldn't depend on my knowledge of the 1:25:10 time to beat, nor the location of the 1:25 pacer. I was largely alone, moreover, running in a spread field of the first 20-30 racers.
I felt fatigue in the quads around mile 9, but didn't fuel with a Gu until the water station at mile 10. I passed another man between mile 10 (Sutterville Road) and the La Rivage hotel, then swooped onto Riverside Boulevard. I felt pretty comfortable at this spot--it's actually my cool down route after my tempo runs on Thursday--so I ramped up a bit at mile 11, which brought the per-mile pace down to 6:09, then again to 6:06. Things started getting tired, however. I started digesting the Gu and my stomach felt full. A few burps helped, along with some loud volunteers at the Sutterville Road overpass who cheered and chanted as I passed.
I caught another runner just before the 12-mile marker. His shirt said, "If you can read this, I just passed you," so he had to go. He was struggling, unfortunately. His stride was more of a bound, but I gathered (and later confirmed) that he was in my age group. I said, "C'mon, baby!" emphatically, as I came up on him. He did not respond, and I don't blame him because I was him, once.
I felt most alone in the last mile even though it ended in the park with the crowds. There were a number of joggers from the 5k and a few sporadic fans spread in through the shade trees. Some teammates gave me encouragement, which helped. By my watch, with 1/2 mile to go, I cut my pace to a 6:02 mile. I never looked at it again, but my uploaded time for the final mile was 5:59.
What I erased in seconds for the 13th mile I more than made up in grimaces. But when I heard my family and saw the clock ticking through the 21st minute of the hour, I pumped my fist jubilantly into the finish line. The final results: 20th overall, 4th in my age group, and 1:21:52--a new PR.
When I tell the story from my first PR in 2009 it sounds so reckless. No watch, no team, no clear goal, and a 3rd place finish in my age group. The PR hang heavy for three subsequent halfs. The Fleet Feet training through March (Shamrock'n 1:25:43) and May (Avenue of the Vines 1:26:50) of 2011 didn't quite get me there, either. I kept coming close, though, so I thought I'd measure my progress today in seconds.
I ran confidently, sure I would finally best the 2009 time. But not by over 3 minutes. Maybe it was the training. It could have been the Garmin watch, or the practice and the recent bump up to F Group. I could credit the doctor, the coach, the shoes, the team, the wife--all of it. But it wasn't just one thing. It was a compilation, and because I believed in it, it paid off.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
First day, last day.
October first, and the last day before Urban Cow.
With a cross country event in Yolo today at 8:00, I again found myself in the pre-5:00 streets of Land Park, getting a final 4 miles in before the coaching and the racing.
The morning was extraordinary. The sky held an eerie glow from the surrounding light pollution, and I could make out wispy clouds and the brighter constellations. Because I only went four, my route circled the park. But when my calendar involves longer runs, the view overhead seems far more impressive from the levee and riverside.
The Achilles and ankle feel better than they've felt since this affliction began last week, but there's still stiffness and pain. The home remedies seem to be working (foam rolling, ice on the ankle, heat on the calf, toe raises, and single-leg squats). I slept in compression socks again last night, but think that after wearing them to the invitational this morning, that will be it for me.
My physical therapist will be on hand at the race tomorrow, and he has promised to tape my ankle. I look forward to shaving half my leg later. Welcome to October, race fans!
With a cross country event in Yolo today at 8:00, I again found myself in the pre-5:00 streets of Land Park, getting a final 4 miles in before the coaching and the racing.
The morning was extraordinary. The sky held an eerie glow from the surrounding light pollution, and I could make out wispy clouds and the brighter constellations. Because I only went four, my route circled the park. But when my calendar involves longer runs, the view overhead seems far more impressive from the levee and riverside.
The Achilles and ankle feel better than they've felt since this affliction began last week, but there's still stiffness and pain. The home remedies seem to be working (foam rolling, ice on the ankle, heat on the calf, toe raises, and single-leg squats). I slept in compression socks again last night, but think that after wearing them to the invitational this morning, that will be it for me.
My physical therapist will be on hand at the race tomorrow, and he has promised to tape my ankle. I look forward to shaving half my leg later. Welcome to October, race fans!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Urban Cramp?
With the Urban Cow half marathon approaching (Sunday), I find myself in a bit of a bind. After last Tuesday's team practice (hill repeats in Fair Oaks), I suffered some serious soreness in the area around my achilles and ankle.
I attribute the soreness to a number of unscientific factors. First of all, I arrived to practice a little late, and didn't complete my active stretches before starting my in-and-out strides. To compound that, I hadn't completed hill repeats on this particular course in nearly two months. To compound that, I hadn't completed my new workout group's reps on that course (faster times and another repetition). The workout went really, really well, but it goes without saying that I probably pushed too hard for too long. As a result, my ankle was a bit creaky through the remaining mileage of the week.
I continued running despite the pain only because the pain didn't affect the running. On Sunday, for example, I ran a fast 18 miles in Folsom, embedding 5 miles of marathon-pace tempo miles in the middle of the long run. I was at (a previously scheduled appointment in) the physical therapist's office Monday, swollen and sore.
My mind and my style are cramped. First, I have weekly mileage goals for my marathon schedule, so I don't want to lag on the totals heading in to October. Second, I don't want to hurt myself because Sunday's half remains extremely important to me. Really, I want to break my own record. I've worked hard, and want to confirm what I know to be true--it has paid off. And yet, I don't want to jeopardize my overall health and strength for the marathon.
So, my foot is in a bucket of ice. I take Tylenol in my lunch. I run if it doesn't hurt, even if it swells. I sleep in compression socks. We'll see.
I attribute the soreness to a number of unscientific factors. First of all, I arrived to practice a little late, and didn't complete my active stretches before starting my in-and-out strides. To compound that, I hadn't completed hill repeats on this particular course in nearly two months. To compound that, I hadn't completed my new workout group's reps on that course (faster times and another repetition). The workout went really, really well, but it goes without saying that I probably pushed too hard for too long. As a result, my ankle was a bit creaky through the remaining mileage of the week.
I continued running despite the pain only because the pain didn't affect the running. On Sunday, for example, I ran a fast 18 miles in Folsom, embedding 5 miles of marathon-pace tempo miles in the middle of the long run. I was at (a previously scheduled appointment in) the physical therapist's office Monday, swollen and sore.
My mind and my style are cramped. First, I have weekly mileage goals for my marathon schedule, so I don't want to lag on the totals heading in to October. Second, I don't want to hurt myself because Sunday's half remains extremely important to me. Really, I want to break my own record. I've worked hard, and want to confirm what I know to be true--it has paid off. And yet, I don't want to jeopardize my overall health and strength for the marathon.
So, my foot is in a bucket of ice. I take Tylenol in my lunch. I run if it doesn't hurt, even if it swells. I sleep in compression socks. We'll see.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Rocktober
The descending temperatures. The enshrouding darkness. The increasing in mileage. The threat of October 2011 looms over the Zook/Petty household. The month begins and ends with two climactic races.
The first, Steph's and my third go round in the neighborhood's Urban Cow half marathon on October 2, presents an opportunity not only to set personal records, but a chance to gauge the effectiveness of my first year of training with Fleet Feet Sacramento. Back on September 11, in a bit of a ramp-up for Urban Cow, I ran a dynamite 10 miler in the Buffalo Stampede (1:02:45). If I can hold form, Sunday's half should bring with it a chance to finally break the PR I recklessly set back in 2009.
We're far less familiar with the second race, both in location and in distance. Our second attempt at marathon running comes on October 30, less than a year after finishing our first run in the California International Marathon. This year our goals lead us to Washington D.C. for the 36th annual Marine Corps Marathon through Northern Virginia.
With both races and increased training on the calendar, we've taken to early bedtimes (usually 9ish), ungodly alarm times (typically 4:15-5:00, depending on the day), and frequent refueling. On that front, I've expanded some of the menu creativity and built in side dishes that vary our intake and allow us to experience some of the more enjoyable flavors of the region. I return this extra work by ensuring that my increased laundry needs are addressed, since running and working mean the family's wearing four outfits a day. Stephanie keeps up, but it's amazing how much of what we fold and dry is made by Nike, Asics, or Champion.
In the blog world, my goal for now is to keep adding small updates on racing, training, and reacting to all things running. As we approach the big event on the 30th, I'll work to communicate the sights and sounds of our travels, as well as provide links to the race day festivities, racing times, and mileage splits.
Stephanie and I hope to see you out there as we continue training. We wish you the best that Rocktober has to offer (even if it's just a pumpkin latte and a day or two with temperatures in the low 70s).
The first, Steph's and my third go round in the neighborhood's Urban Cow half marathon on October 2, presents an opportunity not only to set personal records, but a chance to gauge the effectiveness of my first year of training with Fleet Feet Sacramento. Back on September 11, in a bit of a ramp-up for Urban Cow, I ran a dynamite 10 miler in the Buffalo Stampede (1:02:45). If I can hold form, Sunday's half should bring with it a chance to finally break the PR I recklessly set back in 2009.
We're far less familiar with the second race, both in location and in distance. Our second attempt at marathon running comes on October 30, less than a year after finishing our first run in the California International Marathon. This year our goals lead us to Washington D.C. for the 36th annual Marine Corps Marathon through Northern Virginia.
With both races and increased training on the calendar, we've taken to early bedtimes (usually 9ish), ungodly alarm times (typically 4:15-5:00, depending on the day), and frequent refueling. On that front, I've expanded some of the menu creativity and built in side dishes that vary our intake and allow us to experience some of the more enjoyable flavors of the region. I return this extra work by ensuring that my increased laundry needs are addressed, since running and working mean the family's wearing four outfits a day. Stephanie keeps up, but it's amazing how much of what we fold and dry is made by Nike, Asics, or Champion.
In the blog world, my goal for now is to keep adding small updates on racing, training, and reacting to all things running. As we approach the big event on the 30th, I'll work to communicate the sights and sounds of our travels, as well as provide links to the race day festivities, racing times, and mileage splits.
Stephanie and I hope to see you out there as we continue training. We wish you the best that Rocktober has to offer (even if it's just a pumpkin latte and a day or two with temperatures in the low 70s).
Thursday, September 1, 2011
On the Run
Summer proved a nice time to read, crossword, and run. Despite the time to sleep in, I continue to rise at pre-dawn hours to make miles in the cool morning climate along the river and through the park near my house.
Since the start of the school year nearly one month ago, the dust has yet to settle. With typical rapidity, the Woodland Joint Unified School District continues to approve changes to educational approaches, school schedules, and district policy. As a result, the Pioneer High School teaching staff is diligently trying to navigate a schedule with seven 52-minute periods. Furthermore, these seven periods split on Wednesday and Thursday to a rotating block, with students attending periods 2, 4, and 6 one day, then 1, 3, 5, and 7 the next, for 93 minutes. I find myself struggling to make use of my prep time, and it always seems like I'm shoring up last-minute elements of the day's agenda in a frantic rush before the bell sounds.
I also stepped into the position of head cross country coach. When the position was offered, I figured the job would provide running time, and thus allow me to continue working on weekly mileage goals while coaching and supporting like-minded runners. This notion proved completely misguided, and now I find myself facilitating workouts that meet the varying needs of a variety of running types. When we run intervals on the track, I am able to jog in the opposite direction and provide encouragement and critique. However, if I send them on long/easy runs, they're strung out across town, and my attempts to join them prove either shortsighted, or just plan ignorant. I learned the hard way when, as I tried to keep two fatigued runners talking through the workout, another set of students had to hail a ride from a passing teacher to stave off an asthma attack.
With the running world unable to coexist with the coaching world, I've found myself doing something I once chastised my teammates for doing: Two and three times a week, I rise at 4:30 a.m. to put away 8 or 10 miles before work. With this decision I've had to eat crow, essentially, because in addition to finding a way to make it happen, I've started to absolutely love it. I'm sure the end of daylight savings and the onset of an autumn chill will have me humming a different tune, but for now, I'm a convert to the 5 a.m. run.
Two things to point out beyond the obvious difference in temperature and the fact that, for the rest of the day, the workout is behind you: 1.) I've seen an inordinate number of meteors; 2.) I enact my revenge on the automobile by running right down the middle of the street, which at that hour is free from obstruction.
The training has worked, and my speeds have increased along with my overall mileage. I've graduated to a higher training group on the racing team, and as a result I will face harder workouts as October--my biggest racing month this year--approaches. I'm slated to run in October 2's Urban Cow half marathon, then slated to recover and revamp for October 31's Marine Corp. Marathon in Washington D.C.
Hopefully in the interim I will have figured out how this cross country monster works...
Since the start of the school year nearly one month ago, the dust has yet to settle. With typical rapidity, the Woodland Joint Unified School District continues to approve changes to educational approaches, school schedules, and district policy. As a result, the Pioneer High School teaching staff is diligently trying to navigate a schedule with seven 52-minute periods. Furthermore, these seven periods split on Wednesday and Thursday to a rotating block, with students attending periods 2, 4, and 6 one day, then 1, 3, 5, and 7 the next, for 93 minutes. I find myself struggling to make use of my prep time, and it always seems like I'm shoring up last-minute elements of the day's agenda in a frantic rush before the bell sounds.
I also stepped into the position of head cross country coach. When the position was offered, I figured the job would provide running time, and thus allow me to continue working on weekly mileage goals while coaching and supporting like-minded runners. This notion proved completely misguided, and now I find myself facilitating workouts that meet the varying needs of a variety of running types. When we run intervals on the track, I am able to jog in the opposite direction and provide encouragement and critique. However, if I send them on long/easy runs, they're strung out across town, and my attempts to join them prove either shortsighted, or just plan ignorant. I learned the hard way when, as I tried to keep two fatigued runners talking through the workout, another set of students had to hail a ride from a passing teacher to stave off an asthma attack.
With the running world unable to coexist with the coaching world, I've found myself doing something I once chastised my teammates for doing: Two and three times a week, I rise at 4:30 a.m. to put away 8 or 10 miles before work. With this decision I've had to eat crow, essentially, because in addition to finding a way to make it happen, I've started to absolutely love it. I'm sure the end of daylight savings and the onset of an autumn chill will have me humming a different tune, but for now, I'm a convert to the 5 a.m. run.
Two things to point out beyond the obvious difference in temperature and the fact that, for the rest of the day, the workout is behind you: 1.) I've seen an inordinate number of meteors; 2.) I enact my revenge on the automobile by running right down the middle of the street, which at that hour is free from obstruction.
The training has worked, and my speeds have increased along with my overall mileage. I've graduated to a higher training group on the racing team, and as a result I will face harder workouts as October--my biggest racing month this year--approaches. I'm slated to run in October 2's Urban Cow half marathon, then slated to recover and revamp for October 31's Marine Corp. Marathon in Washington D.C.
Hopefully in the interim I will have figured out how this cross country monster works...
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