Getting some GU

I may actually get some GU to sample. While I haven't from Gu yet, In a comment on my last post Devon who works for a company that has GU has a client offered to send me some GU Roctane. Hey I love the freebies. Heck I walk around the marathon expos twice to make sure I didn't miss any. I wonder how she found my blog? I will wait and see when this GU shows up. I think I need some soon so the timing is almost perfect. I think good things are starting to happen. (I can dream)

Back at work

Yes Im back to work. What a place laid off to overtime in a day. I think they waited too long to call people back and now their behind. After 5 weeks off its hard to really care that much. Hey what if me and the other welder had found other jobs? To be honest it wont surprise me if we get laid off again in a couple weeks.



Any ways back to important stuff. Running! Or lack of it. I did run yesterday, did a 4.5 miler with 15 minutes at tempo pace. I am sticking to my plan only going to run 4 days this week. The foot and shin weren't has bad today but continuing to ice them and cut back this week. Tomorrow I plan to get a run in of some sort. I think I will see how it feels and go from there. Might just be an easy run or a fartlek or a tough hill run. Basically will see how my foot/shin are feeling.

I recently applied to GU for sponsorship. You would think they could at least email back an standard rejection letter. Is that too much to ask? I think I would be a good promoter for them. I would obviously promote them on my blog. Plus if I wore their log on my shirt while marathoning it would be out there longer, much longer then if they got some elite runner or evena Boston Qualifier to wear it. Well I will give them a few more days, maybe they got alot to go thru. Plus I will mostly be getting more GU for my long run this weekend.

If anyone out there needs or wants someone to help promote your product Im willing to be a sponsored runner. Yes I will turn pro. Even if I haven't tryed the product I will. Ok I will actually try it and post a fair and honest (wink, wink) assesment of it. Ok now back to your regularly scheduled blogging.

Rest day

Nothing new on the running front. I took a rest day. It was actually a planned rest day. But due to shin pain and foot pain I have decided (dont hold your breath on this one) to take a couple extra days off. I still want to run at least 4 days this week. The plan is 6 days but I think I need to get this doing better. Hoping a couple weeks of cutting back wont hurt me much.

In other news I had good news. I think. I got called back to work. For how long who knows but I go back tomorrow morning. So how does this work thing go again??? Hopefully its like riding a bike and comes back to me. Wait do I know how to ride a bike? I dont remember.

Twist and Shout, crash and burn

I got up to meet Rick for our 15 mile long run according to the training plan by Dean Karnazes. So I got there a few minutes early. It was 22*F and windy and snow with some good slush on the roads. Wonderful. We had some others joining us for the run. Bob showed up no Len. He was up to late he says watching the Pavlik fight. Another guy joined us I had seen him a couple other runs. Him and Bob ran the first 3.5 miles with us and called it a day. If only to be them.

Me and Rick continued on. The foot wasnt hurting too bad. The shin splint became noticable but not too bad. It's in same spot has last year so hoping a few extra rest days over the next couple weeks will help it. I trying some things, relaced shoes differently, icing more, different stretches. Actually just stretching in general might be a help.

Around mile 9ish I took a GU Energy and drank some more water. We really weren't pushing the pace but with the cold and wind made it a little tougher. Then while running along lake Newport the wind picked up. Off the lake the wind seems to be even colder and stronger. Shortly after this was when the roof fell in. It was between miles 12 and 13 I just felt hungry and suddenly had no energy. So I was just trying to keep moving. I had no choice but to finish, and ran has much of it has I could. I was wet and cold so being out there longer would make it worse.

I got it done. I actually felt worse then 20 milers I had done in the past. Not sure exactly what happened but maybe I over did it this week. The plan stepped up this week, added intervals on Thursday plus longer long run. Also I did 8 on Saturday instead of 5. Total weekly mileage was good at 41.5 miles. Solid week for me. Didn't get the best night of sleep either. Hopefully next week's planned 17 miler will go better.

Here's how next week should look im sure it will vary a little
Mon Rest
Tue Tempo 15 minutes
Wed 5 miles easy
THU Intervals 5x800m @ 5K pace
Fri 6 miles easy
Sat 5 miles easy
Sun 17 miles long run.

Boredom

It's 9:08 am and im already bored for the day. I have taken kids to school, wife to work, playing on twitter, played party poker.net tourny and contemplating a nap already. Im supposed to meet Rick at 4:30 for a run so not doing that this morning. Maybe I should call work and see when I can expect to get called back or if. Getting old being off without money.

I relaced my shoes yesterday, just the right shoe. I been having a foot problem, hurting on the top of foot where the arch is highest. upping mileage lately has irratated it worse. Not having much luck finding a solution so far. So trying this new lacing method where they go straight across and dont cross over each other. So it should widen the shoe plus less pressure on top of arch since they dont criss cross. Giving it some time to see if it helps.

This week's plan

After I met my buddy Bobo for a run this morning im already variating from my plan. We were going to run some trails but after the first short trail we decided the snow made it too slippery. So after that we stuck to the roads and got in about 5 miles.

Now here's what the plan is supposed to be.

Mon - rest
Tue - tempo 12 minutes
Wed - 6 miles
Thr - Intervals 4x800
Fri - 6 miles
Sat - 5 miles
sun - Long 15 miles

Hopefully I will get in all the miles. Already got 5 miles in so probably take a rest day later in week. See how the week goes. The double up on speed work worries me a little. I suppose I wont go overboard running the tempo run but I haven't done any intervals since........since......... well must of been some time. I remember doing them. November?? does that sound right. Well lets see how Thursday goes.

Unlucky 13 miler

Orginally I planned to run with my training partner Rick. Then he said him and "the Chick" were going to his sisters place in Baltimore. Then called me Friday evening and said he was in for the long run Sunday. "The Chick" got sick. I was going to run it Saturday but Sunday was better for us. Then this morning he called and he had a sinus headache. So I went to the park where my 13 miler was planned out.
I had my MP3 player with me and listened to several podcasts along the way. Its one way to go from New England to Texas to England back to New England. In other words listened to Runrunlive, Rundigger, Running with the Reaper and part of a 4 feet running episode I had listened to before.
I got the run done and got back to where the Road Runners club was meeting today. They were doing a sweethearts picnic or something. I guess not many showed up today. I dont know why, usually when they have food they get a good crowd. And for February it wasnt a bad day. A little cold in mid 20's but not windy or snowing or rain. I went inside to say hi to a few and pass out a couple Sponge Bob suckers I had. Only 2 woman there so I still got lot of suckers. Wilma said it was her first piece of valentine candy. Not sure to feel good about it or like a bad influence. Either way she seemed happy. Then they dumped some leftovers on me and I was out of there.

All for now.

Double posts

I just realized how dumb I am. I hit compose instead of edit html tab and now I can see which picture is where. THat will make it easier to post pictures. I think.

Now the reason for second post isnt to eloborate on my lack of intelligence but since I ran twice today I decided to post twice. Got a phone call from a buddy looking for someone to run with, so I went and did 3 miles with him. 8.7 for the day.

Thrusday

Still working on this picture thing. Im fine to add one at time but they dont seem to go in order I want. I took this at Mill Creek park today. This waterfall was all ice last time, now was flowing crazy, lucky there wasnt flooding in area after all the snow melted and the rain we got. All for now.

GOing has planned

Yesterday got in the tempo run has planned. Me and Rick ran it around Lake Newport at Mill Creek park. Overall I thought it went good. Today I went over to Bob's place and we met up with Leonard and ran around Girad for a 5 miler. Both runs reminded me that I need to be more careful of how much and what I eat when I run in afternoon. I definitely have been eating too much and last 2 days too close to when I went running. If I ran hard today definite chance I would lost my lunch.

I think I never gave my ankle time to heal. The foot pain I keep getting was there before I twisted my ankle back in November. I only took less then a week off of total running. I cut back for a couple weeks but not that much. From time to time it still swells up occasionally. Not bad just a little on the side but I keep thinking maybe it needed more rest time. Well the damage is done, Im not about to take a week off now for a twisted ankle in November. Hopefully there wont be a next time cause we all know I will rush back to running too soon again.

subjects

I must have writers block. Haven't thought of much to write about lately.

Any suggestions?? Will venture into any subjects. Sometimes I worry I bore myself Just writing what I ran that day. OF course lately life has been kind of boring. Run and wait to get called back to work. Nothing to exciting here. (ok maybe discussing would my daughters pregnancy could be more interesting but thats not what this blog is for. Well sort of)

One last thing, here's this weeks scheduled training plan. I haven't been following it by the letter but getting in long runs, plan to do the speed work has planned and getting in long runs. Basically following it in spirit.

Mon rest
Tue Tempo
wed 6 miles
Thu 4 miles
fri 6 miles
Sat 5 miles
Sun Long 13 miles

Hopefully it will be a good week and get it all in.

Dirty Dog 10K

It was a cold and desolate day only fit for ice fisherman or the hardiest of runners. Ok actually it was mild in mid 30's even 40ish out. But the lake was still frozen. My buddy Rick and picked me and up and we were picking up our numbers. They didnt give shirts away here, gave wool hats instead. This is my third time at the Dirty Dog 10K. I have only missed one of them.




We walked around a bit till the start. Since the parking lot was too icy we started on the lake. Yep first for me. To keep this short the melting snow might not be best traction. The main trails were alright to run, packed down at least. The sections of single track were brutal to run. Even with Yak trac on there was little traction has the snow just gave out on me. There was one section next to the road that was the roughest section and if you werent carefull would step in a stream. My buddy slipped a few times but landed on soft snow.
We finished in a PR. Or is it PW. It was my worse time in a 10K ever. But I feel I got a good work out in, especially with the conditions. If it had been yesterday the snow might of been frozen more so more traction but lot nicer to run in 40* then 10*. Going to ice ankle for a bit, it took a beating today. Well back to normal marathon training tomorrow.



Racers going to Starting line.



Me before race.

Twitter

Nothing new here. I did run today. Got in a real slow 4 miles. Foot still bothering me so Probably going to cut back some. But not this weekend. I got a 10K Trail race tomorrow morning, the Dirty Dog 10K. I have run 2 of the 3 previous times they have held it. 2 years ago it was coldest day of the year in the single digits. Tomorrow should be in 30's.

Twitter. I signed up for twitter a week or so ago. Not sure how to explain it but its different. I seem to like it. Trying to figure out how to set it up to send up dates from my phone. No luck so far.

Is the streak over?

I think Im letting the streak end today. Several things added up to this.

* My foot is still hurting.
* This is actually supposed to be a cutback week in my plan so a off day sounds good.
* Some people simply arent meant to run every day.
* It was -4*F when I got up this morning.
* Im sure theres more reasons, help me out people.
* thinking of more excuse.

Since the weather is going to warm up for the next week or so I rather take a rest day when its around 0 then closer to 40*F. I know im a wimp. Yes I wimped out today.

I did do a stretching routine with the jump stretch band I just got. I haven't figured out if im doing them right or not but I think I stretched something out. Hopefully the foot pain is being caused by tight calf or shin muscles and some more consistent stretching will help them. Thats the theory im working with right now. That combined with some ibuprofen. Also added an arch support to my shoes. Hopefully one or all of these will get rid of this foot pain. I have been running on it and probably will continue too.

The problem is I cannt find anything that describes it perfectly. Its usually worse in morning or if Im sitting for long periods of time, like Plantaar fascitis. But it's on the top of the foot. Its right in line with the big toe at highest point of the arch. I read something about a sesmotidis (SP?) but thats for the ball of the foot. So I keep trying what im doing for a week or so. I can deal with some aches and pains but it was getting a little much. I feel so wimpy today.

Podcasts

I added a few more to my podcast subscriptions. They were mentioned in other podcasts that I like so giving them a try soon.

Also Melanie I know not everyone will like podcasts. Lots of people just prefer music or nothing. I ran years till I got a MP-3 players. But I hope you or anyone else who trys one of the podcasts I mention like it. No big deal, Ill just think your weird if you dont.

PS
WHy do I keep wanting to call her Melsie?

19

Day 19 I got in 5 miles. ties my longest running streak.

Got a jump stretch band today.

Looking for solution to foot pain. I mean besides quit running.

More soon.............

18

I got in 4 miles at the park this morning. Nothing much to write about except that its 18 days in a row of running. My record is 19 so if all goes well (knock on wood) I should pass it real soon. If I think of anything else blog worthy. Or not. I will write more later.

I could mention I listened to 2 podcasts today, Ultradad and Kelonwnagurl so it was like listening to the Canadian Podcasting Network.

Hey Melanie did you listen to that podcast yet? Did they mention you?

Happy Grounds hog day

Apperantly Punxatawny Phil has seen his shadow. Stupid rodent. Who wants more winter? Not me. Too much already.

Didnt run this morning, got plans to meet Bob at 4 this afternoon. Cann't end the Running till I go back to Work Streak just yet.

http://www.trilogyrunning.blogspot.com/ is now my number 1 podcast. After getting mentioned on there podcast this week. True they mention everyone who leaves a comment but since I got mentioned once, even invited on the show its number one. Now to try to get mentioned again. so now the goal is to be "on" the podcast. Using all the different methods, email, comment on web site, etc etc...

This is type of stuff I do to occupy my days till I get back to work. not sure I will be able to keep up with it after I return. Now to get them to plug my blog and im sure the number of followers (3) will double.

Day 16

My streak reached 16 days. I got in 11 miles this morning in what was the best day to run in whats felt like forever. My reocrd for streaking is 19 days. Since my orginal plan was to run every day till I go back to work. Or fall apart. I see no reason I wont break that record. Of course my pace has gotten even worse then normal. Hoping with the extra mileage that it will get faster on its own. Hey I can hope. The training plan im following has speed work coming up.

Here's the plan for this week coming up, its supposed to be a cutback week. I mean it will be.

Monday rest
Tuesday 4 miles
Wednesday 5 miles
Thursday 4 miles
Friday 5 miles
Saturday 3 miles
Sunday 8 miles