After a couple weeks of hip pain, I finally broke down and went to the doctor. Last year the doctor diagnosed me with an IT Band issue...not uncommon or hard to remedy. I streched. I iced. I overcame.
This year is a little bit different.
Apparently I have something called a hip impingement. From what I gather, that is kind of a generic term for "your hip is f***ed up". I could have some ligament/cartilege tearing or perhaps a stress fracture. It's caused by overuse and "pounding the pavement".
BUT I am not out of the running yet...literally. My doctor understands that I want to run the NYC Marathon and he is working with me to make that happen. I have an Orthopedic MRI scheduled for next Wednesday and an appoitment immediately thereafter with the regional specialist in sports related hip injuries. I truly believe this will all be okay, but in the meantime, it's a little bit scary.
I'll keep you posted.
Timmy
Days Left - 99
Total Distance Run - 135.94 miles
Friday, July 30, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Aches and Pains
One thing I never fully appreciated about being "athletic" is the constant aches and pains. Don't misunderstand, I'm not talking about severe, mind numbing pain...just normal, take an aspirin and sit for a while achiness.
Since I sit still most of the day at my desk, getting out of my chair is always an adventure. In the BR era (Before Running), I would look forward to my hourly trip to the kitchen to fill up my water glass...now, I wonder whether my legs to loosen up before I get there so that I can walk by the secretaries' desks like a normal human being.
Unfortunately, my left hip and knee are beginning to give me a lot of trouble. Last year, when I was training for the half-marathon, I had to see a doctor and physical therapist to get it all straightened out. I am really hesitant to go to the clinic this year, as the "cure" was to take 2 weeks off of running...a luxury that I cannot afford.
It's just a hip, afterall.
Timmy
Days Left - 102
Total Distance Run - 133.54 miles
Since I sit still most of the day at my desk, getting out of my chair is always an adventure. In the BR era (Before Running), I would look forward to my hourly trip to the kitchen to fill up my water glass...now, I wonder whether my legs to loosen up before I get there so that I can walk by the secretaries' desks like a normal human being.
Unfortunately, my left hip and knee are beginning to give me a lot of trouble. Last year, when I was training for the half-marathon, I had to see a doctor and physical therapist to get it all straightened out. I am really hesitant to go to the clinic this year, as the "cure" was to take 2 weeks off of running...a luxury that I cannot afford.
It's just a hip, afterall.
Timmy
Days Left - 102
Total Distance Run - 133.54 miles
Friday, July 23, 2010
Half Way Home
This morning I had a great run. As you, my faithful readers, are aware, last Saturday I had a very bad run. It was a confluence of negative factors that resulted in a confidence shaking jog which ended 8 miles before I reached my 12 mile goal. It wasn't pretty. That was last week.
This week, I made 13 miles my bitch....or perhaps, my female companion who I was attracted to for her intellect...frankly, 13 miles was made my hired help, whom I pay a fair wage with benefits and for whom I provide a healthy retirement plan. I'm not saying I broke any records, but my run was great and I feel great about it.
All told, 13.17 miles took me 3 hours at 7 minutes. That's a 14 min/mile pace which is equivalent to molasses...cold molasses. However, that time includes the few minutes I spent dealing with a footware malfunction and a fun conversation I had with a professional runner at a random water stop. Basically, I feel pretty confident that I managed to maintain a 13 min/mile pace if you got rid of those extraneous stops. That was my pace on race day for the half marathon.
The one sad note is that I completed this run without Mary Katherine. It's lonely out there without your best friend to keep you company and talk you through it. I missed her.
Since arriving at work, I have been quick to tell people that I ran half a marathon this morning before coming to the office. People are interested in these things...even if they refuse to admit that they are.
Perhaps the best news of this whole affair...next Saturday I only have to run 12 miles..."only".
Timmy
Days Left - 107
Total Distance Run - 130.80 miles
This week, I made 13 miles my bitch....or perhaps, my female companion who I was attracted to for her intellect...frankly, 13 miles was made my hired help, whom I pay a fair wage with benefits and for whom I provide a healthy retirement plan. I'm not saying I broke any records, but my run was great and I feel great about it.
All told, 13.17 miles took me 3 hours at 7 minutes. That's a 14 min/mile pace which is equivalent to molasses...cold molasses. However, that time includes the few minutes I spent dealing with a footware malfunction and a fun conversation I had with a professional runner at a random water stop. Basically, I feel pretty confident that I managed to maintain a 13 min/mile pace if you got rid of those extraneous stops. That was my pace on race day for the half marathon.
The one sad note is that I completed this run without Mary Katherine. It's lonely out there without your best friend to keep you company and talk you through it. I missed her.
Since arriving at work, I have been quick to tell people that I ran half a marathon this morning before coming to the office. People are interested in these things...even if they refuse to admit that they are.
Perhaps the best news of this whole affair...next Saturday I only have to run 12 miles..."only".
Timmy
Days Left - 107
Total Distance Run - 130.80 miles
Thursday, July 22, 2010
13 milers
I'm headed out of town this weekend, and, while I would like to think my dedication to running is limitless, I am pretty sure I would get to Kansas City and think of a few excellent reasons to put off my 13 mile run.
So, in the spirit of staying on course, I have elected to give myself a rest day today and head to the lake at 5:00 am tomorrow morning. Once there I will attempt, nay, I will succeed at running 13 miles...all by my lonesome.
The Luke's route is technically 13.3 miles, but I am concerned that I would get lost with all the turns, so I have decided just to run the lake in my usual way.
Wow, this sounds like a terrible idea.
Timmy
Days Left - 108
Total Distance Run - 117.63 miles
So, in the spirit of staying on course, I have elected to give myself a rest day today and head to the lake at 5:00 am tomorrow morning. Once there I will attempt, nay, I will succeed at running 13 miles...all by my lonesome.
The Luke's route is technically 13.3 miles, but I am concerned that I would get lost with all the turns, so I have decided just to run the lake in my usual way.
Wow, this sounds like a terrible idea.
Timmy
Days Left - 108
Total Distance Run - 117.63 miles
Monday, July 19, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Some Days Are Better Than Others
I have to remind myself that not every day will be a walk in the park...or a run in the park...or technically around a lake. Saturday the lake defeated me.
I set out to run 12 miles, but about 4 miles in my body felt weak, sick and heavy. I barely made it to the top of extreme hill #1 (Winstead) when I turned to MK and waived the proverbial flag.
This past week has been filled with reasons to make me want to give up. My running has felt harder than it has since the very beginning. I may be dehydrated, but I am working on it. I may have gotten a little off schedule, but I am working on it. I may have to run 13 miles next Saturday...and I have every intention of doing it.
We are going to chalk this past week up to a useful reminder that nutrition, hydration, consistency and stretching really to make a difference. Hopefully this is the last time I learn that lesson.
Timmy
Days Left - 112
Total Distance Run - 110.95 miles
I set out to run 12 miles, but about 4 miles in my body felt weak, sick and heavy. I barely made it to the top of extreme hill #1 (Winstead) when I turned to MK and waived the proverbial flag.
This past week has been filled with reasons to make me want to give up. My running has felt harder than it has since the very beginning. I may be dehydrated, but I am working on it. I may have gotten a little off schedule, but I am working on it. I may have to run 13 miles next Saturday...and I have every intention of doing it.
We are going to chalk this past week up to a useful reminder that nutrition, hydration, consistency and stretching really to make a difference. Hopefully this is the last time I learn that lesson.
Timmy
Days Left - 112
Total Distance Run - 110.95 miles
Friday, July 16, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Dehydration
As you may have noted below...my run this morning was less than acceptable. On my slow trudge back to my apartment I thought of a few reasons why:
1 - I was not meant to do this
2 - I am not able to do this
3- People laugh at me when I do this
However, I have decided that none of those things are true. After a trip to my nutritionist (shout out to Jill!), I learned that since my last visit to her office, I have dropped approx. 14 lbs of water. Folks, that ain't right. So now I am convinced that my lack of steam and achiness is a direct result of dehydration.
If you need me over the next 2 days (before my big run on Saturday) I will be drinking water somewhere...or possibly in the toilet.
Timmy
Days Left - 115
Total Distance Run - 101.79 miles
1 - I was not meant to do this
2 - I am not able to do this
3- People laugh at me when I do this
However, I have decided that none of those things are true. After a trip to my nutritionist (shout out to Jill!), I learned that since my last visit to her office, I have dropped approx. 14 lbs of water. Folks, that ain't right. So now I am convinced that my lack of steam and achiness is a direct result of dehydration.
If you need me over the next 2 days (before my big run on Saturday) I will be drinking water somewhere...or possibly in the toilet.
Timmy
Days Left - 115
Total Distance Run - 101.79 miles
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
The Century Mark
Dear Faithful Readers -
I've been away. I realize there is no excuse...tat you have come to relay on me for constant running and marathon updates...but I needed a vacation.
A few very exciting things happened in the last two weeks:
1 - My vacation first took me to Marfa, Texas, a small artist community in West Texas that I love and fully expect to have a home in one day. As an "avid" runner I was struck by, what I am sure you have already considered, the brilliance of a marathon in Marfa. It could be called the MARfATHON (TM).
Having been at work until 3:30 am on Thursday night, followed by traveling all day on Friday, running Saturday morning was not an option...but not getting in a long run wasn't either. So Sunday morning at 6:00 a.m. I pulled myself out of bed and hit the highway (literally). I ran down the perfectly straight highway headed west out of Marfa and decided to run to the antenna tower I could see in the distance...not exactly knowing how far that would be. The weather in Marfa at 6:00 am is amazing. Very little humidity (even with the constant showers that fall during the day this time of year) and about 60 to 65 degrees. I could have run for hours...oh wait, I DID run for hours.
As I ran toward the antenna towers, I heard something approach from my right hand side...it was definitely not a car. When I turned, there were 3 or 4 horses running next to me in a field. It felt like a Hallmark made for television movie. Of course if that was the case, I would be a recently widowed executive from the "City" looking to start fresh in the "Country" and the horses would have immediately been joined by a woman on horseback with whom I would fall in love despite all odds.
2 - I learned that the air in Santa Fe and my lungs do not cooperate. Climbing stair was a challenge, people. More so than normal anyways. Running at that altitude was not an option.
3 - People run in Las Vegas. No, seriously. And not just away from mob bosses or angry strippers. As I was making my way home at 5:15 one morning (ahem...) there were several very focused men fitted with running shorts and marathon garb trotting their way down Las Vegas Boulevard. I did not join them.
4 - I hit the Century Mark! I starting keeping track of my total mileage run in training for the marathon when I actually started my official training with Luke's Locker. As of Monday, I have run more than 100 miles. To be clear, I am not counting the distance I run when I am sprinting stairs...which I do once a week on my cross training days. Perhaps I will tell you more about that in a future post.
Timmy
Days Left - 116
Total Distance Run - 100.21 miles
I've been away. I realize there is no excuse...tat you have come to relay on me for constant running and marathon updates...but I needed a vacation.
A few very exciting things happened in the last two weeks:
1 - My vacation first took me to Marfa, Texas, a small artist community in West Texas that I love and fully expect to have a home in one day. As an "avid" runner I was struck by, what I am sure you have already considered, the brilliance of a marathon in Marfa. It could be called the MARfATHON (TM).
Having been at work until 3:30 am on Thursday night, followed by traveling all day on Friday, running Saturday morning was not an option...but not getting in a long run wasn't either. So Sunday morning at 6:00 a.m. I pulled myself out of bed and hit the highway (literally). I ran down the perfectly straight highway headed west out of Marfa and decided to run to the antenna tower I could see in the distance...not exactly knowing how far that would be. The weather in Marfa at 6:00 am is amazing. Very little humidity (even with the constant showers that fall during the day this time of year) and about 60 to 65 degrees. I could have run for hours...oh wait, I DID run for hours.
As I ran toward the antenna towers, I heard something approach from my right hand side...it was definitely not a car. When I turned, there were 3 or 4 horses running next to me in a field. It felt like a Hallmark made for television movie. Of course if that was the case, I would be a recently widowed executive from the "City" looking to start fresh in the "Country" and the horses would have immediately been joined by a woman on horseback with whom I would fall in love despite all odds.
2 - I learned that the air in Santa Fe and my lungs do not cooperate. Climbing stair was a challenge, people. More so than normal anyways. Running at that altitude was not an option.
3 - People run in Las Vegas. No, seriously. And not just away from mob bosses or angry strippers. As I was making my way home at 5:15 one morning (ahem...) there were several very focused men fitted with running shorts and marathon garb trotting their way down Las Vegas Boulevard. I did not join them.
4 - I hit the Century Mark! I starting keeping track of my total mileage run in training for the marathon when I actually started my official training with Luke's Locker. As of Monday, I have run more than 100 miles. To be clear, I am not counting the distance I run when I am sprinting stairs...which I do once a week on my cross training days. Perhaps I will tell you more about that in a future post.
Timmy
Days Left - 116
Total Distance Run - 100.21 miles
Monday, July 12, 2010
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