1May2008
Posted by Steve Kelly under: Steve Kelly.
Not running! I blogged that I felt a little weird hip tightness after my long run on Sunday. It stuck with me. I felt great on a four mile tempo run on Tuesday, but there it was again when I was done. Today I feel it all the time. I shot a paranoid call to coach Mike and we agreed on a plan of action.
Motrin, rest and very careful application of Icy Hot. Not that Icy Hot is dangerous, but, well never mind. I’m going in to get stretched. I feel like Road Warrior Nick, it’s probably nothing big. It will be fine on race day. It’s not sharp pain, just a nagging feeling it’s not quite in line. I’m sure a load of it all is in my head as we’re so close to race day. It will be fine on race day.
On my run on Tuesday I lost myself thinking about race day. All of us crossing the line, the smiles and congratulations. I realized after a while I was actually smiling as I was running! I must have looked like an escapee from some sort of institution. Either way it got my mind off the run and it was over before I knew it. I can’t wait to have the actual race in my dome to replay for ever.
When this thing started May 10th seemed so far off and there was comfort in that for me. Now I can hardly wait. Don’t forget to check out the Road Warriors in the Gazelle fashion show Friday at the Expo before the race. Let’s do this thing!
30April2008
Posted by Matt Stargardt under: Matt Stargardt.
Accuweather
May 10
Mostly Cloudy
Hi 62 Low 43
30April2008
Posted by Nick Katsarelas under: Nick Katsarelas.
I’m not going to make a big deal of it. But I injured my left heel on Saturday, enough so that I couldn’t do the 800-meter intervals we were supposed to run last night. I did the two-mile warmup, but only made it half-way round the track before dropping out, hanging my head, and calling it a night. (Thanks to Chaz, Mike, Terry, and Woj for lending sympathetic ears.)
Actually, I ran fine on Saturday. It was walking back from the coffee shop afterwards when I started feeling the pain. It hurt on Sunday, though the pain subsided. But as soon as I headed off to The Rock last night, it was back.
So I drove home, showered, took some Advil, pulled the ottoman close to my cushy reading chair, and set my left heel on a bag of frozen corn. Against my will, my wife waited on me (during “American Idol” commercial breaks).
This will be my post-dinner routine for the next several days. I’m not going to run Thursday, and if I’m smart, I won’t run with RG on Saturday.
And I’m going to give myself some of the same advice I gave in a comment to Shelly’s “Ice Ice” post: Rest. Ice. Relax. And repeat this mantra:
It will be fine on race day.
It will be fine on race day.
It will be fine on race day …
29April2008
Posted by Nick Katsarelas under: Nick Katsarelas.
There it is. In black and white. Written for all to see. In the blogosphere forever.
Blazing speed, it’s not. But for me, it’s a challenging goal, because it reflects a 15 1/2-minute reduction of my 2007 time of 2:57:26. That’s a minute per mile faster.
2:42:00.
Last year, my first River Bank, I strived only to finish without stopping. Time never mattered. And I did it. It wasn’t pretty (”You looked like you were about to die,” my wife said) I accomplished my goal.
Since then, I’ve been training hard, and running steadily, since early December, when I recovered enough from my broken ankle to once again pound the pavement. Mike and Terry have pushed me. My fellow Road Warriors have encouraged me. The Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday workouts with RunGazelle have made me faster and stronger. And so, 11 days before the race, I have set my goal.
2:42:00.
That’s a pace of 10:30. I think it’s realistic. Last Saturday, during the cold and wind, I ran the 11.5-mile loop in 1:50. That’s a 9:34 mile. But that was a freak accident, and I don’t think I could keep up that pace for 25 kilometers. But I’m hoping the adrenaline rush of race day will provide that extra impetus to push on and cut 15 1/2 minutes off my 2007 time.
Here’s my three-point plan for May 10:
1. Take it slow and steady.
2. Stop and walk through the aid stations.
3. Have fun.
And the 2:42:00 will take care of itself.
29April2008
Posted by Shelly under: Shelly Batterbee.
Even one-hit-wonders can make great blog titles, eh? Originally, I’d considered titling this blog “Peter Pan and Windy.” The Peter Pan would be referencing our illustrious Coach Mike, who admitted this weekend he’s really a lot like he was 29 years ago when he was 5 years old. I can vouch for this, as Mike and I actually met way back in kindergarten. He indeed has the same sense of humor he did back then—thank goodness! It makes tolerating his hardcore coaching much easier. It’s been fun getting reacquainted with him and getting to know Coach Terry, as well. The “Windy” part? That, of course, is a play-on-words, but it refers to the wicked winds endured by those of us who chose this past Saturday as our long run day. I ran with RunGazelle, where Coach Woj told us before we all took off at our own paces that we should feel confident about May 10, as we have all trained in pretty much all kinds of weather at this point! So true!
And now for the Ice Ice Baby…My saving grace right now post-run time. I think I’m experiencing some compensation pain right now. At least that’s what I’m hoping it is. My left knee is really out of whack this past week (right below my knee), so that makes running a bit painful. I biked most of last week for my training, as even bearing weight on it is painful at times. This plays into the mental side of running—and makes me wonder if the pain is all in my head. Well, it makes me wonder that until I try going up the stairs and find myself using my hands to help me get up them.
I had a great run Saturday though, wind and all. I ran with fellow Road Warriors Bob, Julie and Shirl, as well as part of the way with my friend Jeanine, who was doing a loop with our friend Annie but was headed in a different direction for her route home. I have found I really enjoy these long runs with the company! The hills on Laraway Lake make the one we’ll encounter on the Riverbank course on Maynard seem easier, so that is nice.
Sunday I had the brilliant idea to run our Road Warrior Reeds Lake Lap, though I was feeling some pain from Saturday. I was hoping it would work out some of the yuck in my legs. It didn’t initially, but I managed to jog a pathetically slow 2 miles out of the 4.3 mile loop. I felt a bit like I was in slow motion, but I saw my pace was still faster than when I first started training. I told the guys to go on ahead—I didn’t mind going solo and don’t like to hold anyone back. But my teammates—Steve, Coach Terry, and Coach Mike—came back for me—thanks guys! They finished their loop and then backtracked around and walked the rest of my loop with me.
I took yesterday off as a rest day—those are actually difficult for me now. They make me feel lazy! I realize they are an important part of training, but sometimes it’s hard to tell myself that. Today I was able to get out of bed without limping and shuffling, so I guess that paid off. I even biked 7 hard miles and ran 2.25 miles after that. Not the greatest workout I’ve ever done mid-week, but my knee is still tender with the running portion, and I want to make it to the starting line in less than two weeks! I iced my knees and heel both Sunday and today after my workouts–what a difference keeping that inflammation at bay!
Hope the rest of you are feeling great now that we are in the taper portion of training. I know a lot of us Road Warriors are having the same mind games about May 10, but I have confidence we will persevere!
10 more days!
28April2008
Posted by Matt Stargardt under: Matt Stargardt.
I’m done. No more long runs for me until the race. Now its time to sit back and let myself heal before the big day. There is no magic workout between here and the race that is really going to make a difference at this point. The toughest thing for me is to resist the “last chance workout” syndrome. I have tanked many a race trying to get an extra workout or distance trying to ease my anxiety about how prepared I am for the race. The first time I ran this race I ran the course (the whole thing) hard the Sunday before and then wondered why my legs felt dead at the race.
I’ll do some tempo work, probably some 800’s towards the end of thisweek, and I might run a 8 or 9 miler…….but I’m done with the long stuff.
At some point you do more harm by trying to be perfectly prepared. Its like messing with paint or varnish as its drying…….at some point you just have to let it set.
Tonight I pulled out my mountain bike and did a quick 8 miles at a local trail. It felt good to use some different muscles. Don’t get me wrong…….I love running……but I need a change of pace. This is when I feel like I have been held hostage by my long runs…..I just want to heal and race.
I know that my long runs have been much harder than I have done in the past. Running in a group has made me work harder. Its strange that normally I would do most of my long runs alone, when this year has been the total opposite….I think I have run 1 1/2 long runs by myself……since December.
So this is the taper. Run less. Heal up. Run enough so your legs don’t lose their spring, but not so much as to put them in the tank. Trust that your completed long runs and the frostbite you earned will not abandon you come race day.
Matt