Feeling good to be back on the wagon

The longest break I have had in nearly 4 years because of injury and illness has finally come to an end. This last week has been solid. The strength training I have done has also helped. Feels good to have it coming together. Core strength has been helping my back. I have adopted the core program the distance coach at UNLV has given his athletes, with whom I have been working with. Leg strength has made the running around here happen. It is very hilly and I have been good on the hills. My only complaint is my lungs. Still kinda crappy but today I hardly had a cough. When the cough comes though it is productive. Here is how the week went:

Monday-750 m swim. My stroke is coming nice. I am not going fast but trying to keep a very high elbow, plenty of rotation, and make each stroke meaningful. It is translating to swimming fitness and interestingly enough speed too.

Tuesday-Ran 3 miles with sully/julie. He got a little pooped in the last quarter to half miles. I think 3 miles will be his max for a while.

Wednesday-30 min bike trainer steady state bike. Followed by core work. High cadence, light to moderate resistance work for the entire 30 min. Boy the trainer is boring. I also have significantly weak core. I can feel my back work the same it hurt last season when I was on long bike or long run. I feel like I addressing last season hole in training.

Thursday-3 mile run. Hardly any limits for me or sully. We are going to be good training buddies. He would like me to go faster though. Neither of us stopped and I did not get any fatigue.

Friday-rest

Saturday-Since the rain and wind were going to prevent any outside activity I took to the pool. 1500 meter long swim, in 36:--. Last March I did a time trial and went 38 min. I was not time trial-ing and I went faster. The pool has come around quick. I would like to see that trend continue. High elbows, face in the water, and steady/controlled turnover.

Sunday (today)-4.5 mile run. my longest run since my 22 miler pre calf blowup. It felt strong. I climbed the biggest hill today without fatigue and no walking at all. The weather was gorgeous. Had I known that was going to happen I would have biked out at the lake. Overally, very happy were my run is going and looking forward to getting into the thick of things and get ready for RAGE.

I am signed up for RAGE. I will be doing the olympic. I will try and break last years goals. I am going to also sign up for the Charlottesville 10 miler and try to beat last years time. I will be in VA for the Running Medicine series again. It is a phenomenal course every year. I will get my schedule together and start planning out my next few months. Quote:

“I pray to be like the ocean, with soft currents, maybe waves at times. More and more, I want the consistency rather than the highs and the lows.”

Drew Barrymore

After a relative low in the last few months I feel this ship turning right around.

Our first Run together....

First and foremost here is my blog post from my other blog....check it out.

Isnt it funny when his ears pull his eyes to look crazy? We went our first run today. He got cleared by the Vet and off we go. Since I am on the mend, I got my first run in almost a month. No calf pain during and no soreness after. This week I am ready to get back to business.

Monday-Swim 750 meters. Pool is going much better. Building endurance. I am starting to get the love back for swimming. Short swim today because I am coughing my lungs out, lol.

Tuesday-Run 2 miles. WOW....lol. Im coming back....

Long over due post...

What do ya say if this is a training blog and I keep it like a diary and I am not running? I am frustrated but optimistic. The calf is progressing well. It came at a time I could cross train without any consequences. Back in the pool and back on the bike. I cannot relate the temperature but it could not be any nicer weather. Blue skies, no wind, sunny but not hot. Perfect. Perfect time to be out by the lake on a bike. I missed it so much. The pool on the other hand was slow. I did a 1000 m meter time trial in 28:__. REALLY? Wow so slow even for me. I have no excuses. I have been totally stressed out this last few months and my training has suffered then resulted in an injury. I am happily working through it. I am make the march to RAGE as an olympic. It has started slow.

On the running note I ran 2 miles on sunday with only fatigue. I had to walk some because it was so tired. Push tired and you get more strain. I took it easy. Nothing else stopped me. Cardiovascularly I felt awesome. My brain wanted to go. Funny how 2 months ago I didnt want to run and today I am dying for it. DYING for it. I feel like a bad dog. Rehab is going well.

Over the last week plus 2 days. 3 swims, 1000, 750, and 750. 2 mountain bikes, including my first crash. I am ok, just scrapped up. 2 road bikes. I plan on a bike time trial at the lake on the bike course. 1 run of 2 miles.

Sully: I am researching the proper way to bring up a puppy and eventually allow them to run with you. Musculoskeletally he must be mature. It seems there are conflicting time lines on when he is able to run. It is also funny how the define running. He is so active right now. He is running his butt off. He is a blessing. I am so happy to have him and I cannot wait until he is able to get out there with me. Quote:

“Absence is to love what wind is to fire; it extinguishes the small, it enkindles the great.”

Comte DeBussy-Rabutin

Surf City Marathon: A humbling experience

I lay here completely rested and not sore at all. Its because I only cheered today and did not run. It is very strange to feel cardiovasularly ready to race and musculoskeletally not even close. I walked the expo yesterday knowing that my calf will not tolerate running. I didnt even survive the expo. The calf blew up again on tuesday and I could not complete the 4 miler I set out to run, I limped 2 miles home. I have fast tracked a lot of athletes. Lately I have fast tracked a lot of runners. Fast tracking is the ability to get someone patched up and race and help with a strategy to do the best the athlete can. Then after the race we slow down, plug in the holes and get them back to assymtomatic running. In this case, I could not fast track myself. I did go from 0.4 miles one tuesday to 2 miles the next tuesday but that does not warrant a marathon. I was happy to support the runners I came down here with. PR's for 2 runners and the first for another runner who have rehabbed and helped train. That was gratifying. She has pictures of her first 1/2 because I did not race. The good news is the bike does not hurt. I have not got in the water yet but I dont think that will hurt either. I may not do 3 half irons this year after all. I dont know. I will most likely move down to the olympic at RAGE.

With another week to think about why this happened to me, I think I know what is going on. This issue began a month or two ago with inconsistent training. You cross that with not enough strength training, changing my prerun routine, and running considerably more hills while trying to conquer them. The right combination of mishaps led my demise. I did get to experience a race from another perspective. I got to see who was running particular times. Wanna know how many "clydesdales" were sub 1:45? Not many, less than 5. I think I still require more work on the leaner side of things. I am happy to say that is going in the right direction already. I have not figured out my 2011 yet but I sure hope it gets going better then it started. I think my PR streak is over and I intend on starting a new streak.

Sun-sun 2 miles. Mountain bike and tons of rehab.

Sully update: I am happy to say he is awesome. He is going to be a wonderful partner. He is learning loose leash walking and is developing his cardio to begin to run. I am going to rehab while he gets his fitness to run with me. Coincidence? hmmmmm. I saw some dogs racing today and I cannot wait until he does that with me. QUOTE:

“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.”

Norman Vincent Peale

Reasonable confidence is ringing in my head. I need to watch that. I consider myself in check.