A flesh wound here and there is better than destroying your joints.
Mileage Reporting 26th Week of 2013
- Thread starter jldeleon
- Start date
Nick - believe it, or not, I LOVE running ALONE! It is ok to run with others once in awhile -but running alone is now my much needed self-therapy time.
Turns out that I did some soul searching after that post....I think it doesn't make sense...If it becomes a chore (and it did), where's the fun...Lucky I did not register yet for that HM, because I just decided to ditch the program !!! Just run when I feel like it, and not when I need to....Thanks Lee for opening my eye
!!!No run today, and my next run is .... don't know yet ....
NickW
Guest
This is how I run, although I try to keep myself to my own schedule that I created. Sometimes I swap days and will do my short fast day instead of my long day, or will do a long slow day instead of a medium hilly run. Depends on what I feel like for the day. Sometimes I even don't run a day and will run an extra day on the weekend to compensate, or sometimes I don't compensate for that missed run. Really depends how I feel.Turns out that I did some soul searching after that post....I think it doesn't make sense...If it becomes a chore (and it did), where's the fun...Lucky I did not register yet for that HM, because I just decided to ditch the program !!! Just run when I feel like it, and not when I need to....Thanks Lee for opening my eye
No run today, and my next run is .... don't know yet ....
No miles today. Went to my phisio today and was told that my hips are are twisted and uneven (so Jen, a little help here as to how you dealt with this), and that my knees are also out of alignment. She was shocked when I told here that I have no knee discomfort when I run. When I asked about running through phisio she was not to happy. She did agree to running as long as I kept the milage no more than 15 miles per week with long runs of no more than 3 miles. I was also told to start rolling out the hips and hamstrings before my runs and stretch after. This phsio therapist looked after my rehab after I broke both my heels and ankles in a fall, and was surprised when she found out that I ran barefoot. She was happy to see how well my heels and ankles have done since the injuries. She also told me that I was her first "real" barefoot runner. I guess that means we don't get hurt as often as the shoddies.
Went to my phisio today and was told that my hips are are twisted and uneven (so Jen, a little help here as to how you dealt with this), and that my knees are also out of alignment.
It is interesting, because I was just about to put up a post about my general observation of what works best for significant hip imbalances (or any imbalances, really). Imbalances in major joints is bound to happen to every one of us at some point, whether it be from something we were born with, to overuse injuries, to being right/left handed, to car or occupational accidents - imbalances will happen. Furthermore, these imbalances affect every other joint in your body, pulling them out of alignment as well.
This is what I have learned about my imbalances (which are significant) - do not try to balance the imbalances. You have to accommodate them!
The two sides of your hips are not working together, so don't force them to, that will only aggravate them more. Anytime you are running on a flat, hard surface, you are forcing them to work together. Anytime you are on a stair machine, bicycle or elliptical machine, you are forcing them to work together. Any time you are doing bilateral exercises, you are forcing them to work together. They don't like that.
The key to running with significantly twisted hips is to find the most twisted, uneven, irregular, dirt trail, possible - meaning, lots of dips and curves and things to step up on and to step over (lots of roots to crack your toes on) -things of that sort. The trail must be highly variable so that your hips can engage of their own accord, and in their own way, and not be forced into a position that -despite the millions of target exercises you may attempt to do - they will never really stay in, anyway.
Likewise, no bilateral strength exercises! No two-legged squats, only one-legged. This applies to all the other parts of your body you have to exercise, as well, cuz guess what? They are all attached to your hips by fascia! So, now barbell exercises, only dumbbells. Only one limb should be moving at a time when it comes to strength exercises.
There are other tips, but these tips are key!
wednesday: just swim in the morning, one hr, oh, and a few weights in the evening
thursday: morning swim, 5 mile run midday (humid!) in sandals, a few weights and abs
thursday: morning swim, 5 mile run midday (humid!) in sandals, a few weights and abs
After not doing anything for three days, finally hit the trail after work. 5.0 mi in 1:05.
Side note: I use the MapMyRun app on my phone to track the mileage. Now, somehow, I was able to run 2.5 miles and back track to the same exact point I started and it read 4.91 mi. I think I bent some physics on that one...
Side note: I use the MapMyRun app on my phone to track the mileage. Now, somehow, I was able to run 2.5 miles and back track to the same exact point I started and it read 4.91 mi. I think I bent some physics on that one...
Yeah, I used to do that but it didn't make any difference so nowadays I just enjoyed it when it happens
Weeding, I hear you, that's what I am going to be doing this weekend and I am forever gratefull that my garden is very small unlike yours-hehehe
Wednesday afternoon 6/26/2013
Was going to leave work early and re-gravel and resod the area I dug up the other day, then get in my middle st workout, but I ended up leaving later than I wanted to, so nada. At least I rode my bike six miles to pick up my son from daycare. My wife has finally relented to letting me ride my bike with him in the kid seat on the back carrier. I complied with the terms of our agreement, was a good boy and stayed on the sidewalks the whole way. OK, I cheated a bit and rode on some of the street going there, but only foot/bike paths and sidewalks once junior was on board. It felt good to mount my trusty steed again, and then a tsunami of traveling flashbacks hit me. Hey small hills, don’t laugh too hard at me huffing and puffing, I used to do mountain passes!
Thursday afternoon 6/27/2013
Managed to leave work early to finish up with the last bit of Monday’s project. I was planning on then doing 3-4 miles’ worth of intervals down on the track on my way to picking up my son by bicycle, but my wife came home early and said she could pick him up, so I ended up doing some yardwork and other tasks that needed doing. I normally like to put the chump work off till the weekend, but our toddling son is at the age now where doing anything with him around is difficult. He really wants to be involved and help, but that usually means not doing much of anything because he can’t keep up and/or does dangerous stuff. An hour’s worth of chores can take four hours with him around. So two st workouts and one run already blown off this week. I’m feeling guilty.
Has anyone else found themselves getting into a zen-like zone while weed-whacking the perimeter of their yard? The constant back-n-forth whacking motion and light concentration put me in a meditative state.
One thing I don't like about yardwork is all the killing and destruction that is involved, forcing nature to conform to our species' simplifed geometry and sense of order.
Die weed, die!
Hey tree, get that branch out of my face!
Hey you fricking gophers, eat some poison until you figure out how to build your own dang house!
Running is a tricky thing, much trickier than it first appears, it appears to me, because of its repetitive nature and the constant impact involved. It’s hard to know when you’re overdoing it until you’ve already overdone it. So if possible, picking up on your body’s often subtle cues is key, and when in doubt, back off! I’ve spent several months now thinking I could and should run longer, but I got so frustrated last fall with my continual set-backs that I decided to just stay at a certain comfort level and let everything settle and solidify before making another push. And it seems to have worked. Like you, I had a HM in the back of my mind dictating how much I needed to improve each month. Once I let that go (the attack at the Boston Marathon led my fearful wife to prohibit me from running in any mass events), I could just focus on where I was actually at, runningwise, and the funny thing is I’m almost to the point I would’ve been anyway if I had followed my monthly program and hadn’t suffered any set-backs. Go figure. I’m thinking of trying a HM distance this weekend in fact, just cuz I’m feeling it. Then maybe I’ll go back to working on pace a bit with some tempo runs and/or intervals and hills. I dunno. I do try to run three times a week, but other than that, there’s really no rhyme or reason to what I do.
This has always been my approach with strength training, so it’s a little ironic that it took me so long to adopt this approach to running too. I never push it on the days I’m not feeling it. I know that no matter what, I will improve over time if I just keep banging away, and then, one day out of the blue, I’ll find myself getting a particularly good pump and achieve a new max weight on something. And I've never had a major set-back or injury while lifting. Nothing more than a minor pull or knot that went away in a day or two.
So that’s what I do for running now. I go on my run, and if I’m feeling it, I may push the pace or distance, but if I’m not feeling it, well, at least I got in a run and over time even those ‘going through the motions’ locomotions will still contribute to my progress. Some of the pro running sites talk about garbage miles or purposeless runs, but I don’t think that applies to us recreational runners. Every time you get out for a run, no matter how slow or short, it’s a good run. As I like to tell myself when I reach a sticking point in my work, “trust the process.”
My rec for Dutchie would be lifts, mobility exercises, and lots of yoga or stretching, but as far as I know I don’t have any imbalances so I don’t really know what I’m talking about. Just projecting, as usual.
Was going to leave work early and re-gravel and resod the area I dug up the other day, then get in my middle st workout, but I ended up leaving later than I wanted to, so nada. At least I rode my bike six miles to pick up my son from daycare. My wife has finally relented to letting me ride my bike with him in the kid seat on the back carrier. I complied with the terms of our agreement, was a good boy and stayed on the sidewalks the whole way. OK, I cheated a bit and rode on some of the street going there, but only foot/bike paths and sidewalks once junior was on board. It felt good to mount my trusty steed again, and then a tsunami of traveling flashbacks hit me. Hey small hills, don’t laugh too hard at me huffing and puffing, I used to do mountain passes!
Thursday afternoon 6/27/2013
Managed to leave work early to finish up with the last bit of Monday’s project. I was planning on then doing 3-4 miles’ worth of intervals down on the track on my way to picking up my son by bicycle, but my wife came home early and said she could pick him up, so I ended up doing some yardwork and other tasks that needed doing. I normally like to put the chump work off till the weekend, but our toddling son is at the age now where doing anything with him around is difficult. He really wants to be involved and help, but that usually means not doing much of anything because he can’t keep up and/or does dangerous stuff. An hour’s worth of chores can take four hours with him around. So two st workouts and one run already blown off this week. I’m feeling guilty.
Has anyone else found themselves getting into a zen-like zone while weed-whacking the perimeter of their yard? The constant back-n-forth whacking motion and light concentration put me in a meditative state.
One thing I don't like about yardwork is all the killing and destruction that is involved, forcing nature to conform to our species' simplifed geometry and sense of order.
Die weed, die!
Hey tree, get that branch out of my face!
Hey you fricking gophers, eat some poison until you figure out how to build your own dang house!
Well, I’m a firm believer in everyone figuring out what works best for them, so if a more technical/formal/programmatic approach works for you, I’d say keep doing it. If, however, you’re like a lot of us, and have achieved a certain level of somatic awareness, then the ‘just run’ approach may be the way to go.
Running is a tricky thing, much trickier than it first appears, it appears to me, because of its repetitive nature and the constant impact involved. It’s hard to know when you’re overdoing it until you’ve already overdone it. So if possible, picking up on your body’s often subtle cues is key, and when in doubt, back off! I’ve spent several months now thinking I could and should run longer, but I got so frustrated last fall with my continual set-backs that I decided to just stay at a certain comfort level and let everything settle and solidify before making another push. And it seems to have worked. Like you, I had a HM in the back of my mind dictating how much I needed to improve each month. Once I let that go (the attack at the Boston Marathon led my fearful wife to prohibit me from running in any mass events), I could just focus on where I was actually at, runningwise, and the funny thing is I’m almost to the point I would’ve been anyway if I had followed my monthly program and hadn’t suffered any set-backs. Go figure. I’m thinking of trying a HM distance this weekend in fact, just cuz I’m feeling it. Then maybe I’ll go back to working on pace a bit with some tempo runs and/or intervals and hills. I dunno. I do try to run three times a week, but other than that, there’s really no rhyme or reason to what I do.
This has always been my approach with strength training, so it’s a little ironic that it took me so long to adopt this approach to running too. I never push it on the days I’m not feeling it. I know that no matter what, I will improve over time if I just keep banging away, and then, one day out of the blue, I’ll find myself getting a particularly good pump and achieve a new max weight on something. And I've never had a major set-back or injury while lifting. Nothing more than a minor pull or knot that went away in a day or two.
So that’s what I do for running now. I go on my run, and if I’m feeling it, I may push the pace or distance, but if I’m not feeling it, well, at least I got in a run and over time even those ‘going through the motions’ locomotions will still contribute to my progress. Some of the pro running sites talk about garbage miles or purposeless runs, but I don’t think that applies to us recreational runners. Every time you get out for a run, no matter how slow or short, it’s a good run. As I like to tell myself when I reach a sticking point in my work, “trust the process.”
I don’t know if your solution would work for everyone, but I always admire your creativity and resourcefulness in problem-solving your issues.
My rec for Dutchie would be lifts, mobility exercises, and lots of yoga or stretching, but as far as I know I don’t have any imbalances so I don’t really know what I’m talking about. Just projecting, as usual.
Yes, it wouldn’t be Dama otherwise. What amuses me most is the fact that it takes more effort to do it her way!
Sorry to hear that Jen. Funny, I just noticed that the nail on the big toe I stubbed last November has finally grown back completely. Gotta love regeneration.
[
Yes, it wouldn’t be Dama otherwise. What amuses me most is the fact that it takes more effort to do it her way!
[/quote]
So, I am not afraid of hard workhow do you like this messed up quote ah?
Yes, it wouldn’t be Dama otherwise. What amuses me most is the fact that it takes more effort to do it her way!
[/quote]
So, I am not afraid of hard work
how do you like this messed up quote ah?
I do this all the time, and see it as part of the explanation for my challenges understanding mechanical devices. They just don't function well in my universe (s?)
NickW
Guest
I know this feeling very much. My toddler has his own tools (play tools) so he always goes and finds the ones that look closest to what I am using and then he tries to help me. This is rarely ever a help and usually a hindrance, but I do find it so incredibly cute! My father in law and I just put together my sons new bed and my son got in the way so much (almost as much as my father in law
). We finally just had to close the door and lock him out because he kept almost getting hurt.
One of the most charming exercise videos I've seen so far. Encore!:
This one gets straight to the chase:
On the other hand, having somewhat of a plan can keep a person from getting hurt from doing things they aren't really ready for, but "feel" like doing. Just a thought.
NickW
Guest
I think, for me Laura, what I mean by just doing what I feel like, I still have a somewhat structured plan that I have tailored for myself. I know Lee has his own too that he tries to follow. I really try not to deviate from my schedule, although I may swap days or take rest days as I need. I don't follow some program that someone else created for the masses because that is not custom tailored to me and my skill set. I have a strict weekly mileage that I am adhering to, meaning I will not go over this number, because I know I am not ready yet to go over that weekly mileage yet. Right now, 18 miles a week is about the max that I can do and I know going above that is really risking injury to myself. I've learned by watching my excel spreadsheet of my running that I can literally track when I get injured. The funny thing, it's not when I do a long run and it's not when I do a short speed run. It is very much my weekly mileage and it usually happens when I've gone over a certain limit and it usually happens on a silly easy small run that I was not pushing or trying hard on, it's just that I got running too much for my level.On the other hand, having somewhat of a plan can keep a person from getting hurt from doing things they aren't really ready for, but "feel" like doing. Just a thought.
Sounds perfect! Yes, I have never followed a plan made for the masses. It didn't even occur to me.
NickW
Guest
You know, I had thought about following a plan a couple years ago. My buddy had several that he followed depending on the race he was doing and so I contemplated following one to get myself up to half marathon distance. After looking at that crazy schedule of running I decided I wasn't going to follow a "plan for the masses". I could see injury all over that crazy schedule as there were some fairly large jumps in mileage periodically. I looked at the c25k as well when I first started running again, but for me it was too much walking and not enough running. I was in between plans I guess. Now I just figure I will increase mileage as my body dictates. I will run a certain mileage a week until it gets easy and then I will bump it up slightly and see how I feel. If I feel crummy I back it back down again to where I had been.Sounds perfect! Yes, I have never followed a plan made for the masses. It didn't even occur to me.
I agree, especially in the beginning, it can be useful to have some guidelines to follow, especially if they keep you from doing too much, and especially if someone has been out of shape for a while or lacks an athletic background. It can take time to develop a good feel for things.On the other hand, having somewhat of a plan can keep a person from getting hurt from doing things they aren't really ready for, but "feel" like doing. Just a thought.
The frustrating thing for me is: how do you know you're doing too much if there are no immediate signs of trouble? And how do you know when you could be doing more? I don't think there are any easy answers, since we all come at this from such a variety of backgrounds. So I think it's important to read up on everything, maybe adopt a program, or even take classes, but feel free to revise or try something else at the first sign of trouble. As time goes by, we develop a better sense of where we're at, but I don't think any one approach, whether it's a highly technical one like measuring heart rate, cadence, and weekly mileage, or a lackadaisical one like mine, will ever guarantee injury-free running. Repetitive stress exercise is just too complicated. I still don't know where I'm really at. I want to try another long run this weekend, but commonsense tells me to wait another week or so. Has stretching and massaging really rid me of the ITBS ogre? Or is he just waiting to pounce at the first sign of over-exuberance? At least I've learned to stop immediately at the first sign of strain, so if things start to go badly this weekend, I'll just end up getting in a nice long walk.
Yah, my plan is still three runs a week, and the ideal is still one long run, one tempo run, and one intervals/hills workout. But it rarely works out that way. I also used to have a goal of improving my long run by one mile per month, but I've let go of that. This week for some reason I'm feeling like making a push on the long run, and maybe even try 15 miles tomorrow. I'm going to start early in the morning, so if I have to walk back I have plenty of time, and there are lots of bail-outs along the way up to the halfway point if I'm not feeling it. So it could easily turn into a 8-10 miler instead. Plus I've learned to stop and stretch at the first sign of trouble, so I no longer worry too much about how far I run continuously, but rather just how far I run overall. That seems to make the run more enjoyable when it's one of those days when I'm not feeling it, and also keeps me injury-free (knock on wood).
So basically, I now have a plan with lots of back-up plans. But I don't really have any specific goals other than to keep improving to the point where my aerobic pace is around 8mm. Don't know how long it will take for me to get there, but I do believe it's still possible at my age. For weights, I'm getting close to my goal on the bench press (BW x 10). Now I want to get better at the deadlifts, power cleans, military press, and squats.
Yep, that's where I'm at now too. Funny we've arrived at the same place after all our exchanges and public thoughts over the last year or so.
And it seems to me you should only race a distance you can already run comfortably. That way the only variable during the race is extra pace. I realize that doesn't really work for marathons and ultras, but for everything up the half Mary, I think that would be my approach, should my wife lift the racing ban, and should I decide it would be fun to run with hundreds or thousands of other people.
