MF Doom runs a marathon : you hold him accountable

ouch. Yeah that old veneer of invincibility kind of starts taking a ding or two and then you start to appreciate when things are going well, as opposed to taking it for granted.
 
The important thing is to get back on the horse and not let things interrupt your like more than they have to.
 
Speaking of, I bailed on the run this morning. Felt the heel and thought... maybe tomorrow. Ech
 
Then again weds is a rest day for my current schedule (yeah since it's been thrown out the window and all that Lololooool)
 
So, after a textversation with a distant friend, I now think that I'm healed (Kind of) but now am dealing with a tight tendon somewhere in my lower leg. I have been stretching and rolling the crap out of the offending calf but I don't think I'm getting the right places / angles. That said I am running again, 3-4 miles a day, stopping to stretch when it gets touchy.
 
What kind of foam roller? Do you have lacrosse balls for rolling? How about a roller stick?
 
I have a roller stick and a golf ball. I'm getting aggressive with both now
 
MFDoom said:
I have a roller stick and a golf ball. I'm getting aggressive with both now
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Get a foam roller and a lacrosse ball. If you have a Dicks nearby they have a giant bucket of them for $3 a pop. Let me know if you want recs on a foam roller. I cannot stress how much I live on my roller. It is essential to not feeling like complete shit. Brings me right up into feeling like partial shit.
 
So today: 3.7 miles at roughly 9:15 pace. No stopping no stretching, a little pulling in the arch but I felt like Rocky at the end of the run. YO ADRIAN! \o/

Starting from Monday this puts me at around 10 miles for the week, but I think this is six days in a row of running. Looks promising.
 
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On Saturday I received a message saying 50 Days until the marathon. Well then. A friend of mine who is also training was running an 18-miler that weekend, so that put things into perspective. But after a rest day on sunday, I'm getting after it: 4.25 on Monday, 5.5 on Tuesday, 6.3 today. Half marathon is completely feasible
 
Well, at this rate the full is not happening. Rested yesterday, 6.3 today at sub-9 minute pace but I'm walking like an old man when I've been sitting for a while. So :/
 
Ech, who knows at this point. I've heard that tarsal tunnel presents with similar symptoms but is a different beast. And that's just one of many options - there's a dense network of tendons and what-not underfoot. What I do know is that the pain now runs towards the outside of the foot instead of the arch, it comes and goes, and it can be rolled or stretched out. One therapist thinks the problem is in the achilles/soleus region and that I have to be aggressive in targeting that particular tendon underneath the calf muscles.

Of course with all 'betrayal' injuries there's a psychological component that nags at you well after you're fundamentally healed (witness ACL tears), and finally this week represents a big ramping - up of mileage after roughly three months of very little activity. (22 miles in 5 days). So I'll press on, plan for the half, and see what happens next.
 
So - decided to go all carpe diem this weekend and relieve some frustrations. Ran 4.5 Saturday afternoon and 8.5 Sunday morning, bringing my week's total up to 35.5 miles. The usual recommendation is that you don't bump your mileage more than 10% from one week to the next, but I checked my log and saw 18 last week, so this week represents a doubling of mileage. This might mean bad news though I was clicking along very easily Saturday and my waking heart rate was around baseline Sunday morning so I thought, why not? The heel remains touchy despite the orthotics but I felt this pebble in my shoe right at mile 8 which went away a few seconds later - which means it wasn't a pebble but something else: not sure which yet.
 
So, it occurred to me along the trails that I've seen marathon training plans that have peak mileage at 39 miles / week. At last week's mileage, I'm in the ballpark. AND, the cost to change races went up last week (doubled, in fact - and they call ME a CRIMINAL!!!), and the thought creeps in...could I run the full 26.2? I started teasing out scenarios by which I could make it work: I have four Sundays left for long runs: 12 / 15 /18 / 21, two weeks to taper and then Off We Go. I potentially have time off for the added sleep I'd need to ramp up. I'd need to cut to maybe 165 - I was 171 a few weeks ago and then Thanksgiving desserts (why do they taunt me so?) ballooned me back to mid 170's. Feasible? Maybe worth a try. I don't have to change races until Dec 31.

And, a side commentary on the 20+ mile runs. They're psychologically daunting, more to some than others, but I learned through trial and (mostly) error that I need a full day to meditate beforehand. Not like - Clear the Calendar, Doom's Headed to his Masturbatorium to Meditate - but rather spending the day reminding myself that Tomorrow I Shall Run 20+ Miles. This means about 3 hours of running. At that point in adaptation I can bang out 19.5 miles without a moment's consideration, but putting the '2' in front Requires Lots of Forethought. Once I've gotten over it all, it passes quicker than I'd expect. Provided I got the rituals in place.

The rituals: I have to pick out a playlist (usually a podcast, a symphony or two, and then some uptempo stuff at the last third), pick out the sustenance (gels or whatnot), leave waterbottles on the route, etc.
 
So, I but the bullet and transferred to the half this morning. I shall run the half-marathon.

Last week involved 32.2 miles with with a nine-mile long run. Not too bad, three more Sundays available to hit double-digit (maybe 11, 10, 12, taper) and press forth into the 40+ range.

Had a good run yesterday, 5 miles at 8:00 pace. The heel seems to be settling down with the mileage, which is a bit bizarre but I'll go with it. Just 3 1/2 weeks of mileage remain.
 
...aaaaand they changed the race course. I'm sure to get lost now. Only 12,999 other runners running the exact same course. Plus another 12,000 running coming with for the first 8 miles. Still, this represents something new and different and scary and daunting.
 
So, update: I missed a day due to heavy rain (yes, there is an upper limit to my insanity), thus ran a little extra yesterday, and today plan to break into double-digits (11 miles). Yesterday was 8.25 miles and it went surprisingly well.
 
Well, I wanted to make my own shoes (unfulfilled dreams of being a cobbler and taking over the world - one shoe at a time!!!) but my general ineptitude kinda ensures that I cannot even make two shoes that match, so I needed some help. Upside - I lurrrve the lining.
 
Today: oy jeez 19 miles in a weekend takes some adjusting. Thighs are very sore but I still managed 4.25 miles - at a slower pace.
 
So So I was worried that Monday's slow pace was a sign that I did to much over the weekend. This morning my phone ran the battery down and so the alarm didn't go off, and I slept 90 minutes later than usual. I grumped my way to the kitchen, figuring I lost another day of training, but then thought - fuck it, lace 'em up and see what happens. The end result was 3.25 miles at a cracking pace; 26:41. The last mile came in at 7:41 (mostly uphill). And my breathing stayed smooth and controlled: 3 steps / breath the entire time.

Not too shabby.
 
So: Wednesday - 8 miles, Thursday - rest. Friday - 8 miles, Saturday - 8 miles.

Sunday, projected 12 miler, 3 weeks from race day. For the week that would bring get me to about 43 miles.
 
Oh, and I've started looking at a 50-miler. In November. Because nothing says unbridled mid-life crisis like registering for a 50-mile race when I've bailed on a 26-miler.
 
So today was the 12-miler. In 41 degree weather, in an all-day rain. I pulled on the hoodie and got to business. I started on the neighborhood loop, wound through the lower areas and then to the park with the trail along a creek. I should have known better than to try my luck at the trail, but went ahead. I only ran one out-and-back and then one loop on the crushed granite trail that should have shed water better than it did, but whatev.

After that (6 miles), I went back to the big loop and circled around twice more and then returned to the last home loop, where a well-meaning neighbor suggested I throttle pack my pace. Had I not been pleased with the progress I was making I would have vaporized him on the spot, but instead I let him live another day.

Today was unusually important that I knock out the 12 miles, because it let me test my stamina (after successive 8-milers) and engage in the mental callousing of long distance & awful weather. I finished, did some yoga stretches, showered and carried on with my day. Not worn out, which is a nice realization.

Some statistics:

Mileage

Monday: 4.3
Tuesday: 3.3
Wednesday: 8.0
Thursday: 0
Friday: 8.0
Saturday: 8.2
Sunday: 12.0
Total: 43.8

Today's mile splits
8:48 / 8:44 / 9:10 / 9:05 / 9:15 / 10:05 (the soaked trail) / 9:15 / 9:17 / 8:55 / 8:50 / 8:48 / 8:45
 
MFDoom said:
So today was the 12-miler. In 41 degree weather, in an all-day rain.
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I used to think these people were crazy. But now I realize that people find me nuts for taking a bicycle out in the freezing cold or the same with a motorcyle with rain. I mean it's still crazy, but I'm less judgmental about it.
I have no idea what these numbers mean, but I guess they are good.
 
Yeah, crazy. The numbers are relative; some people are naturally faster than others for various reasons, but as you train you should get faster naturally, relative to the workout you're doing.

For comparison, after Thanksgiving my Sunday ran was 4.2 miles with mile times (splits) of 9:06 / 9:15 / 9:02 / 8:57 / 1:51 - and the 8:57 was the fastest mile I logged for all of November.

Today was a speed run: 8.1 miles with mile times of 8:24 / 8:09 / 8:05 / 7:53 / 7:47 / 7:51 / 7:48 / 7:46 / 0:42. Was nice to see the mies click along and crank up the pace to the finish.
 
MFDoom said:
So today was the 12-miler. In 41 degree weather, in an all-day rain. I pulled on the hoodie and got to business. I started on the neighborhood loop, wound through the lower areas and then to the park with the trail along a creek. I should have known better than to try my luck at the trail, but went ahead. I only ran one out-and-back and then one loop on the crushed granite trail that should have shed water better than it did, but whatev.

After that (6 miles), I went back to the big loop and circled around twice more and then returned to the last home loop, where a well-meaning neighbor suggested I throttle pack my pace. Had I not been pleased with the progress I was making I would have vaporized him on the spot, but instead I let him live another day.

Today was unusually important that I knock out the 12 miles, because it let me test my stamina (after successive 8-milers) and engage in the mental callousing of long distance & awful weather. I finished, did some yoga stretches, showered and carried on with my day. Not worn out, which is a nice realization.

Some statistics:

Mileage

Monday: 4.3
Tuesday: 3.3
Wednesday: 8.0
Thursday: 0
Friday: 8.0
Saturday: 8.2
Sunday: 12.0
Total: 43.8

Today's mile splits
8:48 / 8:44 / 9:10 / 9:05 / 9:15 / 10:05 (the soaked trail) / 9:15 / 9:17 / 8:55 / 8:50 / 8:48 / 8:45
Click to expand...

Your stick-to-it attitude should be commended. It would be an honour to be vapourized by you
 
Well shit. Had to bail on the Sunday 12-miler. Today the Chiropractor tells me it's most probably sacroiliac joint issues. Not catastrophic but a short time frame to resolve. Gaaaaaaah
 
MFDoom said:
Well shit. Had to bail on the Sunday 12-miler. Today the Chiropractor tells me it's most probably sacroiliac joint issues. Not catastrophic but a short time frame to resolve. Gaaaaaaah
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What's an SI issue? Your foot? You've never mentioned back pain before.
 
That's the weird part: I haven't had back pain since maybe 2010 or so. This came from out of nowhere. And now I'm sitting on an ice pack.
 
MFDoom said:
That's the weird part: I haven't had back pain since maybe 2010 or so. This came from out of nowhere. And now I'm sitting on an ice pack.
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And it just all of a sudden came out of nowhere? Did you overstretch it? I couldn't have been the running unless you've got some sort of weird gait issue.
 
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