SOSH Running Dogs

[Frisbetarian]

Congrats, Kremlin.

I don't know about barefoot though, hermano. How are you going to train sans footwear during a New England winter? My toes are numb just thinking about it.

Way off topic, but I want to share another cool tidbit from Born to Run, the only running book I've ever read. In the book, Dr. Dennis Bramble, who does bioscience research on running at the University of Utah, talked about a study he did on ages of runners and their respective times. He found, quite predictably, that starting at age 19 runners get faster until they reach their peak at 27. After 27, they begin to decline. At what age do you think they reach the same level/speed they were at 19?

My guess was not even close.



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Sixty four fucking years old! There's still hope for the pendejos añejo.
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[BleacherFan]

I am on week #2 back at the gym - I look like a fish out of water - 5'11" 145 and pumping iron among giants - oh well.

My regime at the gym twice a week will be the following:

3x15 deep squats - about 95% body weight
3x15 lunges - 15,20,25lb dumbbells
3x15 leg curls - single leg - trying to focus on the 'return' on the machine
3x10 - incline leg press - single leg 80lb so far

My first week I was walking around like an 80 year old - I mean, I've recovered from marathons quicker - but I think this shows how weak my legs had become. After today's workout I felt 100% - only my glutes are a little sore.

I just want to get some consistency with these workouts

 

[Kremlin Watcher]

QUOTE (Frisbetarian @ Nov 3 2009, 04:29 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2666647
I don't know about barefoot though, hermano. How are you going to train sans footwear during a New England winter? My toes are numb just thinking about it.

...Sixty four fucking years old!

Vibram makes a version of the VFF called the Flow made of rubber and neoprene that is supposedly designed for cold-weather running, among other things. Think I'll get a pair.

And if the ratio is eight to one (downside versus upside years) I should be running like a 25-year old. Whoo hoo!

 

[5belongstoGeorge]

Hey VFFers,
Any hints or tips about running downhill? I was having a little trouble finding the downhill stride...

 

[AusTexSoxFan]

Hello SoSH Running Dogs!

Training for February's Austin Marathon begins this week. Goal this year is a sub 4 hour marathon.

This year, my training will have a greater emphasis on speed so there will be more intervals during my training.

I've done intervals and hill repeats for 5k and 10k races, but really never for a marathon. Any tips?

 

[Kremlin Watcher]

QUOTE (5belongstoGeorge @ Nov 5 2009, 10:04 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2670708
Hey VFFers,
Any hints or tips about running downhill? I was having a little trouble finding the downhill stride...

Not yet, other than don't land on your heels. Barefoot is difficult. It seems like it takes a while to get a technique and a gait that are comfortable and fast, and it's taking me some time, too. Let me know if you figure it out.

 

[underhandtofirst]

QUOTE (AusTexSoxFan @ Nov 5 2009, 03:04 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2671192
Hello SoSH Running Dogs!

Training for February's Austin Marathon begins this week. Goal this year is a sub 4 hour marathon.

This year, my training will have a greater emphasis on speed so there will be more intervals during my training.

I've done intervals and hill repeats for 5k and 10k races, but really never for a marathon. Any tips?


Tempo runs to increase your lactate threshold. These can either be intervals of 1-2 miles at around 25-30 secs over your 5k race pace or longer runs 3-6 miles at maybe 40-45 over your 5k race pace. It is supposed to be a pace you could hold for about an hour.

This year I focused more on tempo runs and it made marathon pace (about 30 seconds slower) so much easier.

 

[5belongstoGeorge]

I did my whole 5 miles in the VFF yesterday. No excessive, if any, soreness this am. About half the run was on asfault with the rest evenly divided between trails of pea gravel and bark chunks. The surface is irrelevant if the stride is corrrect.
My pace is slower than with shoes, but I am reasonably confident that what passes for my speed will return and even improve as my confidence in stride/technique increases.


Regarding downhil:
I read a little more about it and also experimented yesterday and all I can figure out are 3 or 4 things:
1) it is the exact same technique as flat or uphill
2) bend knees a little more
3) lift feet faster (barefoot Ken Bob, the guru of barefoot says to "lift your feet before they touch the ground!"
4) make a deeper mental commitment to the technique

Sunday is an 8 mile day for me - they will be all VFF.

 

[estreetfan]

I live in southern Cali and the beach is just across the way. I just did a short run in the deep sand and I was out of breath. Man, I need to get it back.

 

[Traut]

Did 10 miles this morning and felt great. It was the first time I'd gone 10 since the half marathon a month ago. After the half I did 4, 6, 8, and 10 as my weekly long runs. Next week I'm doing a 5k.

My question is how should I train in between training programs? I felt like I had 15 in me today. I'm running Vermont City on Memorial Day. Following Hal Higdon's novice program to get me there. That training starts the last week in January.

I want to be fresh and healthy when I start but I don't want to lose my base. What should I be doing? I was kind of thinking twice repeating 4, 6, 8, and 10 from now until the end of January (I know the weeks don't add up but after my second time doing 10 I'd go back down to 4).

 

[Frisbetarian]

QUOTE (BleacherFan @ Nov 3 2009, 07:47 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2666986
I am on week #2 back at the gym - I look like a fish out of water - 5'11" 145 and pumping iron among giants - oh well.

My regime at the gym twice a week will be the following:

3x15 deep squats - about 95% body weight
3x15 lunges - 15,20,25lb dumbbells
3x15 leg curls - single leg - trying to focus on the 'return' on the machine
3x10 - incline leg press - single leg 80lb so far

My first week I was walking around like an 80 year old - I mean, I've recovered from marathons quicker - but I think this shows how weak my legs had become. After today's workout I felt 100% - only my glutes are a little sore.

I just want to get some consistency with these workouts



When you say deep squats, do you mean the ones where your butt goes almost to your ass? Because if you're doing anything close to body weight with those, I'm very impressed.

It's awesome that you're doing all compound exercises except for the leg curls, which are incredibly important and key to any leg training, imo. Are you working upper body at all? I'm of the opinion that each muscle group should be worked once a week as gains in strength and size occur during rest, and that anything more can overtrain the muscle group and be detrimental. If you want help putting together an all body workout plan, please let me know. You have been a great help to all the runners here.

And Traut, nice job.

estreet, the deep sand is a bitch, but so good for you. Try a run on a hard surface and you'll do much better. Welcome aboard.

 

[idontlikecricketiloveit]

QUOTE (Trautwein's Degree @ Nov 8 2009, 05:34 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2675624
My question is how should I train in between training programs? I felt like I had 15 in me today. I'm running Vermont City on Memorial Day. Following Hal Higdon's novice program to get me there. That training starts the last week in January.

I want to be fresh and healthy when I start but I don't want to lose my base. What should I be doing? I was kind of thinking twice repeating 4, 6, 8, and 10 from now until the end of January (I know the weeks don't add up but after my second time doing 10 I'd go back down to 4).

have you looked into hal higdon's spring training programs? they're designed to be completed in between marathons or leading up to a full marathon program. the novice might be too light on the mileage but you could always modify them somewhat while keeping the same sort of mileage increase/decrease pattern.

 

[5belongstoGeorge]

QUOTE (Trautwein's Degree @ Nov 8 2009, 02:34 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2675624
Did 10 miles this morning and felt great. It was the first time I'd gone 10 since the half marathon a month ago. After the half I did 4, 6, 8, and 10 as my weekly long runs. Next week I'm doing a 5k.

My question is how should I train in between training programs? I felt like I had 15 in me today. I'm running Vermont City on Memorial Day. Following Hal Higdon's novice program to get me there. That training starts the last week in January.

I want to be fresh and healthy when I start but I don't want to lose my base. What should I be doing? I was kind of thinking twice repeating 4, 6, 8, and 10 from now until the end of January (I know the weeks don't add up but after my second time doing 10 I'd go back down to 4).


I am no expert, but Hal always recommends the gradual increase with the step back once in a while. The Smart Coach training tool on Runners World does the same for the log run... they go up for 3 weeks in a row for the long Sunday run and then step it back followed by starting in the middle of the long run distances and ramping it back up, and so on...


I ran 7 in the VFFs today, 2 on asfault and 5 on hard/soft sand. I consider myself a minimalist runner now. My problem is now to develop my technique enough to be able to run a 2 hour half in January.

 

[underhandtofirst]

Quite a lot of activity recently around here. Good to see.

I'm slowly getting back into running. Ran 2 miles on treadmill last Wed and today. Ran 3.3 miles on Sat. All at easy pace. The frustrating part is that I know I'm not right. The stride still feels off. Today at PT I talked about how it sucks that progress is slow and that my hamstring way down near my knee still burns when I stretch it certain ways. She tried some sort of joint immobilization stretch on the hamstring and for the first time in a month I could do a normal hamstring stretch without it starting to burn after 10 seconds. maybe we're on to something here.

Plan is to keep adding in more running and stretching. I may try and force the issue and get an MRI just for piece of mind. The tough part is there really isnt any pain. My stride just feels off and gets tight and tired really quickly. Not tired like out of shape, it just wears down easily. One leg feels ok and the other feels like it needs to stop. Very frustrating.

Part of me want to stop the PT and just go back to running and see if it takes care of itself. It just doesnt seem to be getting a lot better even though there isnt pain or anything. It could be that I'm so concerned about it every step that I notice every little thing. I should know more in the next couple weeks (I said this 3 weeks ago). If I can start adding miles without issues I can realisitically start looking forward.

 

[Kremlin Watcher]

Good to see that the off-season stuff is progressing for the injured masses. I found a good therapist and my injured hip is starting to respond. Have been doing elliptical and bike for general leg work, with some specific exercises for the psoas, the rectus femoris, and the hip adductor and abductor while also stretching the hip capsule. It's a hard set of exercises, but apparently this is quite an old injury that has resulted in a significant muscular imbalance between my left and right hip areas, which made the hip injury worse, which created further muscular imbalance, etc., etc. Three weeks into the PT and there is significantly less pain in the joint and the associated muscle strains are slowly getting less painful as the muscles stretch and relax. I am going to start yoga this week and see a massage therapist regularly as part of the program. If things go well, I should be able to start running again in mid-December. This is important as my fitness has slipped a lot in the past couple of months because of the injury - I went on a hard ride today and just had nothing in my legs. I'll be picking up a coach for the Boston Marathon in December when I can start running again, so as long as the equipment holds up I should have enough time to be in shape to do a good run in April.

 

[rbeaud]

I saw on the local news that a pedestrian had been struck and killed. From the local running club I discovered he was a runner. Just a reminder to stay sharp and wear proper clothing. I have become a big fan of Illuminite gear since purchasing a running jacket w/ the coating. Cars give me the same "got to drive in the other lane to avoid the runner treatment" at night as they do in the daytime wearing this jacket. I'm still considering a strobe or other to help w/ the visibility. Heck, there's even an illuminite balaclava for those chilly days!

Cheers,

Roland

 

[Traut]

Completed Hartford Veteran's Day 5k in 27 minutes. Very pleased. This was my goal. I did a 5k in July in 33:35 (it was a friggin 100 degrees and humid that night) and one in August in 30:06. A portion of the August race included runs up and down 8 flights of stairs on a highway overpass - had the course been flat I would have been faster. That said, I'm pleased with this year. Went from being sedentary to a body in motion. Now, I'm hooked.

 

[rbeaud]

QUOTE (Trautwein's Degree @ Nov 14 2009, 02:47 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2682633
Completed Hartford Veteran's Day 5k in 27 minutes. Very pleased. This was my goal. I did a 5k in July in 33:35 (it was a friggin 100 degrees and humid that night) and one in August in 30:06. A portion of the August race included runs up and down 8 flights of stairs on a highway overpass - had the course been flat I would have been faster. That said, I'm pleased with this year. Went from being sedentary to a body in motion. Now, I'm hooked.


Traut,

Have you considered Christoper Martin's, Dec 13 in New Haven? Nice and flat. I've been thinking about entering since it's so close. Did I mention it's flat

 

[Traut]

QUOTE (rbeaud @ Nov 14 2009, 04:19 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2682712
Traut,

Have you considered Christoper Martin's, Dec 13 in New Haven? Nice and flat. I've been thinking about entering since it's so close. Did I mention it's flat


I'd love to but can't because part of my family is celebrating Christmas that day. Next race for me is Manchester which I'm totally excited for. First time doing Manchester which seems to be everyone's favorite race. From there who knows. The Hartford Marathon Foundation is doing a Holiday run through Blue Back square in West Hartford. Time permitting, I may do that. East Hartford does the Brian Aselton memorial road race sometime in January, I'd like to do that.

The most fun I've ever had at a race was running the Holyoke St. Patrick's Day 10k. Awesome atmosphere. Can't wait to do that in 2010.

 

[Infield Infidel]

So for the past couple months I've been running a pretty good deal for me. I've always been pretty skinny and at times athletic, but heretofore, I'd never ran more 1 1/2 mile in one go. Throughout the summer I was kind of down, and sluggish, so running has been a great pick me up this fall. It started as more of a comprehensive workout regimen (abs and strength training), but the running is so much more psychologically rewarding I've basically abandoned the other stuff. This thread has been very motivating.

I live on a flat loop that Lord Google tells me is a .5 miles (I really have no idea how accurate it is, all the times below are based off this, so probably off some). I run five days, skipping Weds and Sundays. I went a couple weeks running 1 mile or 1 1/2 mile, then a week running 1 1/2 or 2 miles. Then I hit a pretty good stride, going 2 miles each run for about 2 weeks. I then had a good week where I ran 3 miles a couple times. I didn't clock my runs, but guesstimated my 2 miles were 18ish and 3's were 28ish. It was such an awesome feeling to run further than I'd ever ran. But then I got derailed by the flu.

After the flu I basically had to start all over, and I had to skip Saturdays for 3 weeks. But last week I had sort of a breakthrough/setback. I started clocking my runs, and last Monday I ran 2 miles in 16:44, way faster than I thought I was running. It helps that it finally cooled off down here in Tampa. but it was a good/bad run: First mile was 7:31, second was 9:13, with a lot of walking. I realized I was going out too fast, so the rest of the week I scaled back my first miles to 8:00-8:15, and was able to keep the second miles in the same area. And added Saturday back.

Tonight, I got back up to 3 miles, 24:40, and the splits were consistent: 8:13, 8:11, 8:16. The last mile started super slow but I found a kick the last 600 meters that I didn't know I had. My primary goal was 3 miles under 25, so I feel awesome and can't wait to run tomorrow.

 

[Kremlin Watcher]

QUOTE (Infield Infidel @ Nov 17 2009, 12:11 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2688081
... can't wait to run tomorrow.

You should try a race or two. If you enjoy running, you'll probably love racing.

 

[Traut]

QUOTE (Infield Infidel @ Nov 17 2009, 12:11 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2688081
I live on a flat loop that Lord Google tells me is a .5 miles (I really have no idea how accurate it is, all the times below are based off this, so probably off some).


Lord Google is accurate to the inch. The only thing that may differ and you'll find this in races if you where GPS is that a properly certified race course measures the shortest possible route on the course. Assuming a runner cuts every corner right and takes every angle properly that runner will run the exact distance of the race. Of course, that's difficult to do if you're not in the front of the pack. Thus runners in races will often find their GPS distance shows a greater distance than the race distance by a little bit.

You'll often runners say my GPS is totally accurate and it said the course was 3.2 miles in a 5k race.

 

[underhandtofirst]

I'll bump this back up.

I finished my last PT appt on Monday. I feel better than I did a few weeks ago, but I still have some soreness which I think it related to getting back into running. I've been doing anywhere from 6-13 miles each week in 2-5 mile segments. Sunday I ran 7.2 which included 8 x 25 second strides (~ mile pace). My HR is probably 15-20 bpm higher than when I've been training well, so hopefully this starts to come down as I run more.

This week will be about 20 miles and from there I'll start to add about 2 mpw. The goal is to run a HM the end of Feb and get a PR (1:35). I'm going to be using a training plan designed for 5k-15k. Hopefully I can break my 5k PR (19:39) in early Feb, but at least get under 20 min.

 

[rbeaud]

Beautiful weather for a run today, I picked the Stratford Turkey Trot. Glad I wasn't one of the two front runners (though our friend's son was); part of the course could not be navigated by the pace car. For some reason the course workers didn't get instructions to them about this small excursion and they finished short. Bumped me up to a 5th overall (18:29) at their expense.

For about the fourth race in a row, mile 3 was rough. Picked up a stitch again. I had a probably too hot 5:34 mile one (slight downhill grade) and a slower 6:10 mile two (somewhat out and back), so I probably shouldn't complain about mile 3. Anyone have suggestions about what might be brining on the cramps? A friend of mine suggested it might be my pre-race meal - greek yogurt and hot tea taken about 2 hrs prior to race start.

QUOTE (Trautwein's Degree @ Nov 14 2009, 09:42 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2683112
I'd love to but can't because part of my family is celebrating Christmas that day. Next race for me is Manchester which I'm totally excited for. First time doing Manchester which seems to be everyone's favorite race. From there who knows. The Hartford Marathon Foundation is doing a Holiday run through Blue Back square in West Hartford. Time permitting, I may do that. East Hartford does the Brian Aselton memorial road race sometime in January, I'd like to do that.

The most fun I've ever had at a race was running the Holyoke St. Patrick's Day 10k. Awesome atmosphere. Can't wait to do that in 2010.


Hope you had fun today; got to be interesting taking the field w/ some prominent names (Lagat, et al) and with all those people. My only St Paddy was the Rock n' Roll in New Haven which ends at Toad's Place. Good fun with a transition to the Fairfiled St. Baldrick's event; I wound up participating. I do not make a handsome bald man, which is going to be a problem real soon! I'll keep the Blue Back run in mind, let me know if you decide to register.

 

[BleacherFan]

QUOTE (underhandtofirst @ Nov 24 2009, 02:43 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2698760
I'll bump this back up.

This week will be about 20 miles and from there I'll start to add about 2 mpw. The goal is to run a HM the end of Feb and get a PR (1:35). I'm going to be using a training plan designed for 5k-15k. Hopefully I can break my 5k PR (19:39) in early Feb, but at least get under 20 min.


Nice to see you're coming back slowly but surely. Nice jobs from others - keep it up during the dark days of winter! Only a few more weeks before the shortest day of the year...

For me, it's been a bitter sweet few weeks. With tips from Fris (thanks!) and others I have been slowly 'working' my hamstring trying to get it back and I guess progress has been slow. I've probably averaged 30-35 miles for November and given work and holidays, have taken 2-3 days off in a row during stretches. Unfortunately the time off really hasn't helped my 'tight' hamstring/butt area - I have had some good workouts (progression run/hills) and the hammy, while it got a little tighter after the workouts seems to improve like it didn't use to. This could be because of my limited workout,mileage,etc but it's a little frustrating but now is the time of the year I want to 'chill' and get ready for next year. At this point, I will probably get another sports massage but I wonder if this feeling could be some sort of scar tissue.

Anyways, since I won't be running a Spring marathon, I will be focusing on the Bedford 12k as my 'target' race with the Rhody 5k a few weeks after that - both GP races. I will be starting a Daniels-esque program in 2010 with these two races in mind. Also, I'm not committing 100%, but I would like to run Baystate in the fall.

There's my November in a nutshell - trying to figure out this hammy, figuring out some goals and trying to get some semblance of mileage in.

Dave

 

[PaulinMyrBch]

Started running 10-12 a week split over 3 days attempting to drop weight. Been on that for a few months, but had a real time getting over the hurdle getting the legs in shape. Just never had two runs where I could feel good in a row. A good day would be followed by painful running two days later.

Finally switched the shoes from Stability to Stability+ and that has made a world of difference. Major progress in the last two week. I'm guessing since at 180 your a heavy runner, I'll never be ideal weight to wear LunarGlides.

Also doing speed work and stadium stairs with my kid who does that as part of sports training and plyos. So things are finally looking better. Gonna target a 5K soon.

 

[TeddysBonefish]

QUOTE (rbeaud @ Nov 26 2009, 06:58 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2700896
For about the fourth race in a row, mile 3 was rough. Picked up a stitch again. I had a probably too hot 5:34 mile one (slight downhill grade) and a slower 6:10 mile two (somewhat out and back), so I probably shouldn't complain about mile 3. Anyone have suggestions about what might be brining on the cramps? A friend of mine suggested it might be my pre-race meal - greek yogurt and hot tea taken about 2 hrs prior to race start.


Try the classic big, pursed-lip exhalations to get rid of the stitch. Has the weather been cold? You may need to warm up more than usual. Also if you have a consistent stride you may be exhaling only when you put one foot down. See if you exhale only when you come down on your left or right foot. If so, try to consciously exhale when you come down on the other foot. Or just try exhaling when the foot lands on the side of the stitch. Long-term, you should strengthen your core.

 

[Traut]

I'm starting an 8 week program tonight before my marathon training begins during the last week of January. Here's what I'm doing:

Day 1: I'm doing 4 x 800 meter repeats (5k pace) and jogging 400m in between repeats. Day 2: 4 1/4 mile hill repeats. Day 3: easy long run starting at 5 miles and adding a mile every other week.

Got this from Runnerworld Magazine which is a great buy at a $1.00 an issue. If all goes well, I'll start training stronger, faster, and healthier than I am now.

 

[sass a thon]

Forgive me if this has already been posted here, but I've been loving www.athlinks.com lately. Once you get a profile setup it lets you see all of your past races, paces, finish times, PRs. It's such an easy way to map your improvement.

 

[underhandtofirst]

I've got an MRI scheduled for Monday morning. I went for a short run on Tues night and only lasted a mile before I had to limp back home. The next two days I had trouble getting up from chairs or even climbing stairs at times. After 15-20 mins of "warming up" the hip I was able to walk around some. Today I can jog a little but it is still uncomfortable.

Plan is to go for a run Sunday and maybe even Saturday. I want to make sure any pain issues will be easy to pinpoint. I realize this may be counter productive, but I'm still pissed I didnt insist on an MRI 6 weeks ago when I knew something wasnt right. At the very least I hope the test rules out some more thigs because right now I feel like I've almost wasted 6 weeks. The only part that's better is my hamstring.

The short runs I've been doing the last 3-4 weeks have been going ok, but my HR is really high compared to any run in the last 12-18 months. Basically, it is saying I require the same effort for 8:45 pace as I did for 7:10 back in August. Some of the difference is rustiness and an extra 5 lbs.

It is good to hear about others continuing to improve. Hopefully I can join in the fun soon.

 

[BleacherFan]

QUOTE (underhandtofirst @ Dec 4 2009, 04:33 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2712757
I've got an MRI scheduled for Monday morning. I went for a short run on Tues night and only lasted a mile before I had to limp back home. The next two days I had trouble getting up from chairs or even climbing stairs at times. After 15-20 mins of "warming up" the hip I was able to walk around some. Today I can jog a little but it is still uncomfortable.


It is good to hear about others continuing to improve. Hopefully I can join in the fun soon.


Sorry to hear about your situation but at least you have some light at the end of the tunnel with the MRI. Good luck and I hope they shed some light on your ailment.

At the very least, this is a good time to rest/recover/etc. Nothing to be training for and nothing to be gained during the dog days of winter unless you're gearing up for serious indoor stuff.

Dave

 

[Traut]

Interested to hear people's thoughts/experiences with incorporating yoga into a running program. I've never done Yoga. I'm not the most flexible guy in the world but yesterday I realized that I am less flexible than I thought. I popped in a Yoga for runners mini workout by Rodney Yee and promptly got my butt handed to me.

 

[Kremlin Watcher]

QUOTE (Trautwein's Degree @ Dec 7 2009, 08:46 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2718195
Interested to hear people's thoughts/experiences with incorporating yoga into a running program. I've never done Yoga. I'm not the most flexible guy in the world but yesterday I realized that I am less flexible than I thought. I popped in a Yoga for runners mini workout by Rodney Yee and promptly got my butt handed to me.

All the physiotherapy people I talk to have advised me to take up yoga. They say it's not only for the flexibility, but for the balance, the breathing and the encouragement of greater muscular symmetry, especially in the core. I haven't started yet, but am planning on doing so. My injury is such that yoga appears to be just what I need to ensure I get the right balance of muscle strength to avoid re-injuring myself when I start running again.

 

[Traut]

Registration for the first ever NYRR: New York City Half Marathon has opened.

Could there be a better half marathon course anywhere?

QUOTE
The best way to tour Manhattan is on foot! The course of the NYC Half-Marathon will take runners through the heart of the city, into Times Square, and finish in the Battery Park area of lower Manhattan. Please stay tuned for a detailed course description and map.


Really thinking of entering the lottery for this bad boy.

 

[Daubach is my Daddy]

QUOTE (Trautwein's Degree @ Dec 7 2009, 08:30 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2719291
Registration for the first ever NYRR: New York City Half Marathon has opened.

Could there be a better half marathon course anywhere?



Really thinking of entering the lottery for this bad boy.


I entered the lottery for this.

 

[BleacherFan]

Hope everyone is doing well as the dark days of winter approach us in New England. I have a doctors appointment on Monday - I got tired of trying everything to get this hammy to improve so I want to try to determine what exactly is bothering me before I start rehabbing.

I haven't done any serious workouts/races since the weekend after Labor Day, so I had very small expectations for my race this past Sunday. I ran the short leg (2.5M) for my team at the Mill Cities Relay - a relay race from Nashua to Lawrence (28 miles). My splits were: 5:05 (uh-oh), 5:25, 5:20 (.5). The last .5 miles would have been quicker with better footing - it was pretty icy/snowy at the exchange point.

My lungs were dying and my legs carried me towards the end - overall happy with the performance.

 

[Kremlin Watcher]

Good luck with the doctor's visit. That part of your body is tough to diagnose because there are so many things happening and so many muscles, ligaments and tendons meeting in the upper leg and hip. My hip is responding to treatment, but erratically. As it turns out, the torn hip labrum is not really the problem, but a symptom of a larger problem of a major imbalance in various important muscles in my hips. Every time I exercise, I pull something in my upper leg, then it heals, then I exercise again, then pull another muscle, etc. I hurt it again last week and now I'm in healing mode. I think these strains and pulls are part of the healing process, but I can't tell for sure. It seems like two steps forward, one step back. So it's another week off, which I'll follow up with light elliptical work and more core stretching and strengthening. I probably won't start running again until after Christmas just to be safe. I am going to try to do the Hyannis half-marathon in late February and I'm signed up for Boston in April. I may end up being a lot slower than I'd like, but for now the priority is to be able to run again so I can get geared up for triathlon season, which starts in May.

 

[Kremlin Watcher]

QUOTE (BleacherFan @ Dec 10 2009, 06:30 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2723274
I have a doctors appointment on Monday - I got tired of trying everything to get this hammy to improve so I want to try to determine what exactly is bothering me before I start rehabbing.

Also - when you go to your doctor, ask about the efficacy of deep tissue massages and yoga. My experience of the last two months is that the most helpful person has been my massage therapist. They really get into the tissue and are able to feel for the problem and she has been a huge help.

 

[BleacherFan]

QUOTE (Kremlin Watcher @ Dec 10 2009, 07:09 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2723319
Also - when you go to your doctor, ask about the efficacy of deep tissue massages and yoga. My experience of the last two months is that the most helpful person has been my massage therapist. They really get into the tissue and are able to feel for the problem and she has been a huge help.

Thanks for the advice!

Yes, I forgot to mention that I will be getting a few treatments from a great deep tissue guy. I got one in early September before a couple of races but I think I could definitely benefit from them now. Also, I will be seeing my coach about some sort of imbalance check they can do by looking at your feet.

Not only is racing/training a marathon, but the recovery is unfortunately. I did notice a 'quirk' that may or may not be playing into my pain - I'm noticing that I'm not lifting my quads as much lately. I wonder if this is causing my hammy/hip to do more work and is irritating it some how.

Dave

 

[Kremlin Watcher]

QUOTE (BleacherFan @ Dec 10 2009, 07:37 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2723388
Also, I will be seeing my coach about some sort of imbalance check they can do by looking at your feet.

I am also going to hire a coach to help me with this. Running out of balance is probably the ultimate cause of my injuries - based on what my physical therapist and massage therapist said after working me over is that I have been running with a weak right side, thus subjecting the right side to substantially more pounding on an over-pronated foot, messing up the muscles at a pretty deep level. So I also need a coach who can watch me run and make sure I'm even and balanced in my stride. That more than anything will help me from shredding my hips again.

 

[underhandtofirst]

No running for 4-6 weeks for me.

Finally found what has been causing my pain, a stress fracture in the Illiac in my hip near the sacrum. It only showed up on 1 of the 7 views in my MRI. I did a little reading and it says this injury is often mistaken for sciatica because of the pain in the lower back. The symptoms of trouble rolling over in bed, trouble getting in and out of cars.

There arent any long term issues unless I keep running on it and make it worse which could require pelvic surgery. I think I'll make sure it is rested

I feel better because I knew there was something wrong that wasnt being fixed or addressed. It just took some time to determine exactly what it was.

This rules our Hyannis and the Super 5k in Feb. I'll get this healed then start a nice gradual buildup through in the spring.

 

[Kremlin Watcher]

QUOTE (underhandtofirst @ Dec 11 2009, 11:24 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2724203
Finally found what has been causing my pain, a stress fracture in the Illiac in my hip near the sacrum. It only showed up on 1 of the 7 views in my MRI. I did a little reading and it says this injury is often mistaken for sciatica because of the pain in the lower back. The symptoms of trouble rolling over in bed, trouble getting in and out of cars.

Ouch. That sounds pretty serious. How do you heal a fracture in a bone that bears that much weight pretty much all the time? Do you have to just sit on your butt for 6 weeks? Or just not do anything active? I hope it heals up in time for a good next season. Too bad about Hyannis - would have been nice to meet you and run a few strides together. But good luck on the healing and PT.

 

[underhandtofirst]

QUOTE (Kremlin Watcher @ Dec 11 2009, 12:21 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2724283
Ouch. That sounds pretty serious. How do you heal a fracture in a bone that bears that much weight pretty much all the time? Do you have to just sit on your butt for 6 weeks? Or just not do anything active? I hope it heals up in time for a good next season. Too bad about Hyannis - would have been nice to meet you and run a few strides together. But good luck on the healing and PT.


I dont think it is really that bad. Thinking back, I may have been running on this all summer. I had the back pain from time to time, but I could always run through it and the pain would go away for a couple weeks. I think when I pulled the hamstring I changed my stride a little and that's when I made it worse.

I can still do lots of other things, just no running. This week I was able to shovel 8 inches of wet snow without a problem. I still skate a few times a week as a coach and helping my twins learn to skate. The Dr said the elliptical is ok to do and anything else that doesnt hurt. Standing for long periods of time hurts. That's actually what brought this on recently when I stood for 5 hours at a 20th HS reunion. I remember I had a hard time getting into the car and then 2 days later I went for a run and I stopped after 1 mile.

In the long run maybe the time off will be good. There wont be any races I'm gunning for until maybe May. I can then use that base to prepare for the marathon in October.

 

[rbeaud]

Dude, glad to hear you know what to do finally, sorry that it means an interruption to running. I'm pulling for a full recovery as quickly as possible! Is there anybody healthy out there

QUOTE (underhandtofirst @ Dec 11 2009, 11:24 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2724203
No running for 4-6 weeks for me.

 

[BleacherFan]

QUOTE (underhandtofirst @ Dec 11 2009, 12:36 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2724298
In the long run maybe the time off will be good. There wont be any races I'm gunning for until maybe May. I can then use that base to prepare for the marathon in October.


Glad they found the root of your problem - this is a perfect time to take the time off. Enjoy the holidays and look forward to 2010!

If it helps for anything, both times I had serious injuries with major downtime (achilles tendonitis and quad tendonitis) I came back with major improvements. It's probably due to the body resting more than anything but I'm sure you will break through to the next level.

 

[Frisbetarian]

Catching up with all my running buddies.

Sorry to hear about so many injuries, but it seems most of you are on your way to good health and back to pounding the pavement. I know I mentioned this last winter, but, at the risk of being a bore, want to once again mention the possibility of XC skiing as a low impact alternative to running if we ever get any snow. XC skiing, under the right conditions, is faster than running, especially if you can get the hang of freestyle, or skate, skiing. It's a great cardio workout that also uses upper body and has none of the pounding that running does.

 

[sass a thon]

Just finished my 9th half marathon with a PR of 1:45. I think it's time to start thinking about running a full marathon but ugh, it just doesn't sound fun. I need to do it, though.

Anyone here ever run the Eugene Half in Oregon? I think that is going to be my next one coming up in May.

 

[Traut]

QUOTE (sass a thon @ Dec 13 2009, 06:31 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2727485
Just finished my 9th half marathon with a PR of 1:45. I think it's time to start thinking about running a full marathon but ugh, it just doesn't sound fun. I need to do it, though.


Awesome job, sass. How much have you improved since your first half?

 

[underhandtofirst]

QUOTE (sass a thon @ Dec 13 2009, 06:31 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2727485
Just finished my 9th half marathon with a PR of 1:45. I think it's time to start thinking about running a full marathon but ugh, it just doesn't sound fun. I need to do it, though.

Anyone here ever run the Eugene Half in Oregon? I think that is going to be my next one coming up in May.


What was your PR before this? Congrats on a terrific performance!

Enjoy your current accomplishment before deciding if you want to move on to 26.2.

 

[Daubach is my Daddy]

QUOTE (Trautwein's Degree @ Dec 13 2009, 09:24 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=2727682
Awesome job, sass. How much have you improved since your first half?



Traut,

Did you sign up for the NYC half?
I've never run that far before, but have been getting into running more this year for some reason and am really looking forward to it. Hoping I get through the lotto because I think it would be a lot of fun. May even do it for a charity if I don't get in that way.