I Still Need Some Sleep

Training-3 miles, strides

I tried to get to bed earlier last night, but unfortunately it didn't happen. We got behind on some of the housework due to the holidays, so we spent some time last night catching up. This morning I hit the snooze button a few times before I got out of bed and so I only had time for a half hour of running before I had to get ready for work.

My new year's resolution is to be consistent. That's the key to my success. The times when I've run well I've had a good block of consistent training.

I Need Some Sleep

Dec 27-0 miles
Dec 28-5 miles
Dec 29-6 miles
Dec 30-5 miles, core exercises

I'm working on getting the miles up so I can start marathon training in January. I'm running the Pittsburgh marathon at the beginning of May, and then I think I'd like to run Richmond again in November.

The last two night have been a little light on the sleep, so I'm hoping to get to bed at a reasonable hour tonight. Despite the lack of sleep I haven't felt too bad, but I know it's going to catch up eventually.

Recovery

Training-6 miles

This morning's run was an easy six miles through the neighborhood. I felt relaxed and smooth.

We're still recovering from Hurricane Christmas. While we've begun cleanup, presents for three children still leave quite a bit of paper and packaging debris.

Merry Christmas!

Training-0 miles

Library Run

Training-6 miles

Since I was taking the day off work I didn't have to get up quite so early to run, so even though Nick woke up in the middle of the night again I was still able to get up and run. I ran out and back along the path on the parkway. Before I got out to the parkway I swung by the library to return some a book and some magazines. I go right past the library to get out to the parkway, so every few weeks I'm carrying a book to return.

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!

Balance

Training-0 miles

Nick woke up in the middle of the night last night and I was up for a little while, so I slept in again today. I'm disappointed that he's started waking up again, since for the last couple months he had been sleeping all night.

One thing that I struggle with in running is finding a balance between running and the rest of my life. I tend to get too invested in my training to the detriment of the rest of my life. I care too much about getting my run in. It also doesn't help that I'm a pretty introverted person, and don't always say what's on my mind.

One of my goals for 2009 is to not be too uptight about training. Sure, I want to perform well, but I need to keep everything in its proper perspective.

Sick Kid

Training-0 miles

Instead of heading out for a run this morning, I slept in. Nick was up for about an hour last night, and he seems like he has a little cold. Between that and getting to bed late, I slept in. I'm hoping he'll feel better and more like sleeping at 2:30 am soon.

Freezing Rain

Training-3 miles

When I finally got out of bed this morning all I had time for was about three miles, so I ran for a half hour and called it a day. We had some winter precipitation this morning that left some ice on trees and cars, but the roads were just wet. I was hoping to watch the Steelers defeat the Titans this afternoon, but it didn't happen. We'll take care of them in the playoffs, though.

Gray Day

Training-5 miles

I meant to get up early and run in the morning, but a late night canceled those plans. Instead I headed out at 12:45, after the kids had finished lunch. It was not a nice day to look at, but it was a nice day for a run at about 40 degrees and overcast.

I haven't run too much lately. The holidays have been doing their best at keeping me up too late. Since Christmas is now only days away, here's hoping that changes soon.

XC & NYC

Ed. Note: I started this post about two weeks ago and never finished it up. It's about time.

This past weekend the two older boys and I went to Bull Run Regional Park to watch the CAA Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships. I've always been a fan of cross country and the boys said they wanted to go too. It was a great day to be outside. It was sunny and the temperature was probably near 70 by the times the races were done. William and Mary dominated the team races and took the women's individual title as well. The course was a 2k loop, and the boys and I stood in the middle and were able to see the runners go by multiple times without moving much at all.

Sunday morning I ran an easy half hour and then turned on the computer to follow the NYC Marathon. I was happy for Paula when she won the women's race, though I really was rooting for Kara. The men's race was very exciting, with dos Santos passing Goumri less than a mile from the finish after Goumri looked like he was going to run away with it.

Some pics from the CAA races:

MIA

I've been gone for the last week or so. The family and I went to Florida to visit some relatives and go to Disney. Other than the driving, we had a good time. The weather was nice for the most part, and the kids had a lot of fun at Disney.

Unfortunately, I did not run a step while I was there. I had good intentions and even brought all my running stuff, but it just did not happen. And now that I'm back, I'm sick. I left work early today to come home and try to rest. Hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow, but I'm not setting my alarm to get up and run.

Kid's Race Debacle

Saturday morning J and I took the kids to run their first race. There was a one mile kid's race at the local 5k, and the kids seemed interested when we asked them if they wanted to run a race. I left early to register everyone while J stayed behind to get the kids ready. I should have known there would be trouble when I lost one of the chips, although I'm still not sure why they wanted to use chips for the one-mile kids run.

The race started and j wanted nothing to do with it. He was grumpy since we had to wake him up to get to the race on time. b was having fun, until we were about a half mile in and he fell. He was not happy after that. But we finished the race, and then the kids got to play on the playground, so it wasn't a total loss. I didn't think it would be, but a mile is too far for a three and four year old to run. Next time we'll find a 1k.

As far as my own running, the race with the kids Saturday was all I ran, and then after a late night out Saturday I took Sunday off. Monday and today I ran six miles. This morning was the first morning in a while that I've felt pretty good.

Another Day, Another Seven Miles

Nothing too exciting to report today. I ran seven miles, out and back along the parkway. It's cooled off here, and it drizzled a little this morning, but thankfully it didn't rain any harder. Tomorrow morning we're taking the kids to their first race. Good times.

Wednesday Nights

Wednesday nights lead to tired Thursday mornings for me. It seems like pretty much every Wednesday night I have something going on. Last night I was out and so I got to bed a little late, and I contemplated sleeping in and skipping the run. But when the alarm went off the second time a few minutes after I hit the snooze, I was awake and I got up and out the door.

This morning's seven miles was ultimately disappointing. I was attempting to stay focused and maintain a decent pace, and it felt like I was, but when I got to the six mile mark and looked at my watch, it was not as fast as I though. As I finished up the last mile, though, I did think at least my stomach didn't give me any problems today.

A Quick Recap

I've been a little disappointed with my training lately. I've been taking too many zeros without a good reason. Just a lack of motivation on my part it seems.

Saturday I ran six miles. I didn't feel to good and just couldn't get moving. Sunday I didn't run and Monday I ran about five miles. I was feeling OK a first and then my stomach started to bother me, so I cut the run short. Tuesday I ran seven miles which went better than any other of my runs in the past few days. This morning I only ran about three miles, due to my hitting the snooze button a few times before I got out of bed.

Running Again

I didn't post anything yesterday because I didn't run yesterday. Another late night led to another night of sleeping in.

This morning I got seven miles in along the parkway. I really didn't feel too good at all about two miles in and seriously contemplated turning around and cutting the run short. But I persevered, and got better and even picked up the pace a bit the last two and a half miles.

Pace really seems like a mental thing with me. I think sometimes when I'm running early in the morning and am tired and not mentally into the run, I run slower than I could be. This morning I made a conscious decision to pick up the pace and felt fine.

Lifestyle

Being the best athlete you can be requires a lifestyle. Sure, you may be able to be pretty good just doing whatever you want, but to truly be the best you can be you need to live it. You have to take care of everything, not just the easy things or only the things you want to take care of.

That being said, I did not do a good job living the lifestyle yesterday. If I had, I would have been asleep when J got home from her meeting instead of still awake. Since I was still awake, I stayed up later and then wound up sleeping in this morning rather than running.

But tonight is another night. Tonight I can get to bed on time and run tomorrow morning.

Darn that Tasty Mexican Food

Ever since J made guacamole a couple weeks ago, I've been craving Mexican food. My dad happened to be in DC for work for a few days this week, and we met him for dinner last night at Austin Grill. I took the opportunity to indulge in some fajitas, rice, and beans.

I ran seven miles along the parkway this morning, and while my stomach didn't feel great the whole way, it didn't get really bad until the end of the run. I barely made it back home in time.

Today was the first day I've noticed my legs not feeling too great. They were heavy and overall I felt kind of lethargic this morning. Hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow.

Why?

Why can the Steelers not play games that end at a reasonable hour? Out of five games this season, they've played twice on Sunday night and once on Monday night. These Sunday and Monday night games do not leave me very well-rested the next morning.

Even with the less-than-ideal amount of sleep, I got out for eight miles this morning. I haven't run today's loop in a little while, with the injury and all, but it's much nicer now that they widened the road and added an asphalt path alongside it. The weather's still nice, it was around 50 degrees this morning.

Zero, Again

I don't understand why it's so difficult for me to get out for a run on weekends. You'd think it would be easy.

This morning J ran the Army 10-Miler, and I watched the kids. The plan was to feed the kids and then run on the treadmill. That didn't quite work out. I just got to be too late too quickly, and before I knew I didn't have time to run and get ready to go pick J up so we could go the the birthday party.

What I need to do is give myself a schedule and stick to it. We'll see how that works next weekend.

Zero

No running today. That's what happens when you have a sick kid who keeps you awake later than you'd like and you're lazy and don't get up in the morning. I hope to get back on the wagon tomorrow.

A Little Discomfort

This morning I ran seven miles again, this time on the path that parallels the parkway. It was another nice chilly morning in the 40s.

Even as I was just beginning to run I had some GI discomfort. I thought about running loops and staying close to home, but then I figured experiencing a little discomfort during training might not be a bad thing and I went out the way I planned. I was fine until I had about two miles left, at which point I needed a quick bathroom break in the woods. Once that was taken care of, I finished up the run without any problems.

I'm still not running as fast as I'd like. I don't want to PR on each run or anything like that, but my easy day pace is slower than it used to be. Thus far I'm chalking it up to the layoff and lack of sleep, but I'm hoping it improves.

Easy Day

I'm experimenting and seeing if I can actually write in this thing every day for a week.

This morning's run was an easy seven miles. I had been hoping for more sleep last night, but I actually felt ok this morning. The route goes through the neighborhood near my house. It was the first really cool fall morning with temps in the 40s. I love this time of year.

Today showed me what I need to do to reach my goals. Get up, get out the door, and get running. No complaining, no excuses.

Lackluster

If there was one word to describe my running lately, lackluster would probably be it. Sure, I've had some good days, but I've also had some short days and even some zero days. I'm working on getting the mileage back up. This week I'll be around 35 miles, and next week my goal is to get into the 40-45 range.

98%

I read a quote recently that said only 2% of running is glamorous. My running certainly fit into the 98% this week.

After not running Sunday (I was pretty much just lazy), I ran a little more than a half hour Monday morning. I would have liked to do more, but staying up late Sunday night watching the Steelers-Browns game did not make it easy to get out of bed Monday morning. Tuesday I ran an uneventful six miles. Wednesday and Thursday I ran six miles as well, but some stomach issues didn't make those runs too much fun. I didn't get much sleep Thursday night either, and Friday's run was just an easy half hour.

This morning's run went well, though I still wouldn't call it glamorous. I was up at 5 am to get it in. The weather was great, probably about 50 degrees with no breeze. I ran seven miles, and actually felt pretty good for the first time in a little while.

The leg is feeling pretty good these days. I think what's going on is piriformis syndrome. I was doing a little research on it, and actually not stretching it helps. Massage and stretching/strengthening the hamstrings is the recommended treatment.

Part Time

I finally thought that I was back to running full time, but then I got sick. I was up to five or six miles a day, but then I came down with this headache/stomachache/bodyache thing and I made the prudent choice that rest was better than running. I only missed three days, but it felt like more. I was feeling better yesterday, so I decided I would run this morning. I ran five miles, but did not feel too good doing so. It didn't feel like the sickness, I just felt kind of tired.

Feeling Better

I've been building up my running time and actually have crossed the 30-minute mark a few times in the past couple days. Pretty soon I might get up to 40 minutes. My leg is feeling pretty good and if it is a little tight it usually loosens up during the run.

I've been up to quite a bit since my last post. I spent a few days in West Virginia with my extended family for my cousin's wedding, and then I went to Pittsburgh to spend a few days at my parent's. I had a good time, but really didn't run much. It's a little too easy for me to get out of my routine when I'm away from home.

I don't mention work too much, but I would like to mention that I was recently promoted. I'm now at the lowest level of management. It's some more responsibility, but it's also some more money, which helps since I did recently have a third kid.

Recap

I mentioned in my last post that I had started running again. That lasted until I got sick. I had a fever/cold and decided that the extra rest was a good idea. So I slept in rather than run. I'm feeling better, though not quite completely well, but well enough to be running again. The Olympic Trials really got me motivated, and I'm anxious to get out there seriously training again.

I've been thinking that maybe my left leg issues have come from poor posture on my commute. I've recently noticed that I really lean on my left leg when I'm waiting for or riding on the Metro, because my bag is on my right shoulder. I've consciously tried to be more stable and keep my weight balanced lately and I've also tried to make sure my core muscles are engaged while I'm running. We'll see if that makes a difference.

Numero Tres

I've been absent from blogging for a while, mainly since I hadn't been running. I've started running again, trying to build back up for a marathon next spring. I've been taking it very easily. The longest I've run in my comeback is 16:53.

But on to something more important than the running. On Fruday, June 13, J and I became parents for the third time with the birth of N. He and mommy are doing very well.

Rehab

I've come to an important decision: this hamstring is only going to get better if I really try to make it better. Thus far I've been halfheartedly going through the motions. I did some exercises occasionally and just kind of hoped it would feel better. Then I started to run again since my few-and-far-between exercises didn't seem to be working, and hoped my leg felt better. That really didn't work, and this weekend after working in the yard my leg feels more strained than it has before. So yesterday I started doing the exercises. And after I finish writing this entry, I'm going to do them tonight. I'm going to get better, and I'm not going to try running again until I am better.

Stupid Clock

I managed a decent weekend of training. Saturday I ran six miles, out and back along the parkway. It was my first real taste of running in spring, as it was fairly warm and humid and the pollen was in the air. Sunday morning, after the rain Saturday, was much nicer. It was cool and dry and I got in an easy half hour, which I'm calling three and a half miles. I set my alarm to run this morning, but I didn't hear it go off. When I woke up I could see that the alarm had gone off, but the volume was so low I couldn't hear it. I always check my alarm before I go to sleep at night and it was loud enough last night, but it's been a little screwy since the kids have knocked it off the nightstand a couple times.

Before I ran Sunday morning, I caught the finish of the London Marathon. Ryan Hall had a very impressive performance and ran 2:06:17 for a two-minute PR. Congratulations to Ryan and he is now certainly a medal contender in Bejing.

Comeback

After a little more than a month off, I'm giving running another try. I'm still not completely recovered from whatever ailment was bothering my hamstring, but the running I've been doing hasn't made it feel any worse. There's times when it feels tight, and times when I can't feel it at all. For the most part, the only time I really feel it is going uphill. The furthest I've run so far in my comeback is a little less than six miles. I've been diligent about stretching and that seems to help, but I need to be doing the exercises again. I'd also like to be doing some core work as well. I'm planning on running a 5k at the beginning of may to see where my fitness is. I can't plan too far ahead, though, because J is pregnant and due at the beginning of June. I'm not going to commit to anything until I see how the third kid affects life.

Running Again

Monday I started running again. I ran two miles, and then two miles on Tuesday and Wednesday too. The hamstring has felt pretty good. I notice it a little bit at times but most of the time I don't feel it at all. I noticed it a little going uphill this morning. After I run I've stretched and iced it. The plan is to gently increase the miles and see what happens.

Advice

If there is anyone out there who reads this, hopefully you can give me some advice. What's the best way to treat a sore hamstring/glute? Originally it felt like the soreness was just in my hamstring, but now it's moved a little higher up into my glute as well. What's the timeframe on this type of injury? My guess is that I pulled something, but if that's the case why didn't it feel worse when I continued to run on it? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Question & Answer

I've been running for about a month since the DNF in Richmond. Even after about two weeks off my leg didn't feel completely better; I was just anxious to start running again and I was hoping that it would miraculously feel better. This morning I ran five miles and my leg still felt tight. I still feel it even after I'm done running, especially when I've been sitting down for a while.

Last night and this morning I was asking myself if it would just be better to take some more time off and see if I can heal. I'm running, but I'm worried about increasing mileage and speed. I don't want to make this worse than it has to be.

So after some thought I've decided I should take some time off. In the long run, this is a good decision. Taking a week or two or three now is better than a month or two or three later on.

Wide Awake

I was pretty much wide awake at 4:15 this morning. I tried to go back to sleep, but just tossed and turned for a half hour until I got out of bed. It was still very cold this morning, but without the wind it wasn't as bad as the last two days. I ran six miles through the neighborhood. I used the foam roller on my leg last night and that seemed to help as my leg didn't bother me too much this morning. I plan on using the roller again tonight.

Still Winter

It was even colder this morning than yesterday, and still windy. I was a little worried that I should have put on a second pair of gloves, but my hands stayed warm enough. I ran six miles out along the Parkway. The leg felt a little tight, but it wasn't too bad.

A Touch of Winter

Ran five miles this morning. It got cold and windy last night, and running into the wind was not a pleasant experience. Running back, with the wind at my back, was much better. The leg was kind of tight this morning. The pain has moved up a little and now is more in my butt than my hamstring.

New Year

Ran for a half hour this afternoon, about 3.75 miles. Getting a little cool, windy as well. Didn't really feel the leg, even on the uphills.