Black and Blue

Update time: had the third session of Graston today at Bone and Joint. Yes, I started Graston again. First round didn't take. This time I have already felt and seen the difference. Before I get into all that, I have lots of mixed feelings about running right now. Funny how the best summer I've had in years is the summer I have been injured and unable to train with intensity or race competitively. Amanda and I put the 5 bedroom house up for sale and moved to Lake Monroe! At the pool everyday working on the tan, lunch being delivered poolside, drinks served, followed by my daily run in 100 plus heat index! Love it. As usual it has gotten more tolerable, hot but still average 7:00-7:15 minutes on easy days and 6 minutes with a few 5:30's thrown in on days I'm testing out the achilles. Maybe I should feel okay about that considering the heat BUT the foot still hurts so it has not done much to lift my spirits. But the summer has been very nice, house will hopefully sell soon. Today was day one back at school and I survived, although it is much easier when students aren't there yet. Meanwhile, I started Graston at Bone and Joint. First session did some stretching, ultrasound, Graston and Cortisone patch to end on a good note. Also started anti-inflammatory. Not big on meds but this seems worth a try. At this point I could be convinced to take lots of meds if I thought it would help. Went home after session 1 and was so sore and black and blue I could not touch my calves!!!! The bruise was still fresh for session 2 which as you can imagine was not pleasant. I survived, lots of sweating and groaning but Jeff was very nice and always asked how I was doing or if I needed a break. Session 3 today. Still sore and got a new bruise to replace the one that was just vanishing. I am doing lots of stretching and icing. Got a new set of stretches to do today to work on my hip. I've got so many now to do each day, I may have to quit my job juts to have time to do them all. By the way, got orthotics that I should be getting used to but got to be honest I'm not excited about using them. I thought I would try them to see if my achlllees and heel would feel better. More to come on that later I guess.
I've done a few road races this year. Felt good during ONE back in April. The rest have been more like tempo runs by default. In September lots of good races so I am hoping to be ready soon to start doing some speedwork and the much-needed "long" run on the weekend. All my runs are 5-6 miles right now and I am not going to progress with that kind of mileage. Once I am not injured I have some new goals:
5k-16:35-40
10k-34:45
Half marathon-1:16:30

A bit ambitious at this point but I have no doubt that I can achieve this when I get well. My over 45PR's are already: 5k-16:48, 8k-27:21 and Half-1:19:54. My only 10k's have either been hilly or when I doubled races last year. Would really like to focus on longer races, really like 15k, 10 mile and Half distances. My dream is to get fit, train right and be competitive in masters races. Speaking of....I want to go back to Sarasota in March and win the masters division again(2010) and PR at that distance while doing it.This is a good dream.

Crossroads

Okay I just read Wendy's blog and instead of commenting I decided to write a new post. I have another Graston appointment tomorrow and I think it should be my last. I started down this road at end if last season. I have tried FSM treatment which felt good but did not help with the Achilles pain. I rested, I iced and still no change. I jogged 6 miles a week during Jan and Feb! March came around and Mag 7 season began. Terribly out of shape and still in pain I knew I was not ready to race. But I wanted to. I always want to race. Last year even when there were no Mag 7 races Amanda and I would drive to where there was a race. Columbus, IN, Pigeon Forge, TN. I even drove 18 hours straight through to Sarasota, FL to run my first half!! Loved it but what was I thinking? I even raced more than one race a day. I won two in one day which was a nice ego boost. Okay, I beat that dead horse enough. So season started, I "raced" and it sucked. So I stopped. Then my new idea: Graston. Got convinced to try new doc and after 6-8 sessions I still hurt and I'm not sure if I just have the worst case of tendinitis or if I need to go elsewhere? I am going to decide this after my session tomorrow. My new plan is to get another opinion, get healthy by mid August so I can start getting in some miles. I can do some limited speedwork but I have no endurance and I hurt lots afterward.
Attempted some 400's on track this week and although I enjoyed it, my foot hurt a lot. I had a very depressing day today. I decided not to run, thinking my foot deserved a break. So lots of time to sit and think about this annoying problem and ask why me? I am sure other runners have had this issue and healed to run again. So let this happen! Meanwhile I have 3 more weeks of my always too quick summer break. Not ready to go back to school yet. This injury affects my mood and thus everything in my life. But maybe the answer will be clear soon. My mind seems so cluttered and confused that I'm not sure of anything right now. oh yeah, I'm at a crossroads(title if this) and I Must move forward, hopefully in the right direction.

The Next Step?

So here I am enough Graston sessions into the summer that I need to get fit again. I still have pain but I can run more comfortably than I have in a long time. I've done some fartlek stuff but I have zero endurance at this point. I keep pushing forward when I will race again...soon it will be July! Maybe that will be an advantage for me since I love the heat. Sure I get hot, but I don't mind running in it at all. I actually look forward to it. A repressed memory just surfaced: In high school when other runners were drinking water and stretching out in the shade, I had my shirt off and trying to get some sun. It probably slowed me down but I still loved it. Speaking of the heat and sun, I have figured out that a big part of why this Achilles injury has taken so long to heal is because of nutrition! Anyone who knows me knows that I have acid reflux and as a result I have a sore throat much of the time. Long, boring story short, I don't eat lots of meat or any food that is difficult to swallow. I do eat eggs and peanut butter but now I have added two protein shakes a day. I already feel stronger and I hope this will speed the healing of my tendon issues. I'm also doing more eccentric exercises for my Achilles on the stairs. Down to one Graston session a week but it is time to get serious about running. Not sure I will be 100% soon but if I can race again this year I will be happy be 90%. I have been doing most of my runs on Clear Creek trail. One, it is flat and less aggravating to the Achilles. Two, on the rare 90 degree days that may require a drink of water I can get that there too. I even choke on water while standing still! Explain that to me. Three, I see other runners and that motivates me. So I guess I will keep following the current plan and see what happens next. I miss racing so much and I am not sure I will race well even when I start again. Wish I could be more patient and have less ego.

The Light

Hey guys I know, I know. When I started this blog I enjoyed it. I was running well for an old guy and I was even secretly proud that I was sponsored and represented the Indiana Running Company. Free gear is awesome, especially bright yellow singlets. More than I could have hoped after my third year back from my quarter century of not running. At the time the weather was great, the sun actually shined for more than one day in a row and I held my own in workouts with the young guys. I knew I wasn't an elite athlete but I have always wondered if I could be a master's elite or close? Life was not perfect, but good, and running was my escape and the one thing I might actually be good at. Blogging presented a challenge for me. I am tech challenged but with the help of Scott B. I got this thing going. I enjoy rambling. That seems to be my style and in some weird way my thoughts are all connected. In person I have always been shy and a bit aloof until I get to know others and feel more at ease. As my luck would have it the guys I run with are all younger and splitting atoms in their free time I think. As awkward as that sounds I enjoy their company and training with them last year made me better. I miss Nick's though. However the young guy training coupled with my love for racing EVERY weekend resulted in all my aches and of course my Mammoth Tendonitis. Lessons learned.

Here it is  almost June and my fitness is lacking. My race times are horrible and I have honestly had 1 good workout this year and that was over a month ago. I am not focusing on Mag 7 points this year. Don't get me wrong, I want to. I mean 3 years in a row Mag 7 champ would be awesome. But I can't do the training I need to to be top 3 in most races and age group winner is not enough for me. Also some new competition showed up this year, which is great but now I need to work harder. I started Graston yesterday for my achilles and lower leg issues. It did hurt REALLY bad. I did have tears and I was sweating so bad I was embarrassed. Tim R if you read this please don't remind me that this is what you recommended at end of last year. I hope this treatment will get me back to myself again soon. When I run now it always hurts, never feels comfortable and it feels like I am running in someone else body. I remember on some days last year where it felt like I was floating when I ran fast and I miss that a lot. I didn't feel that way everyday but enough that I knew I could be fast and maybe even faster. One particular day we were running back to the stadium and I felt so incredible. I was running 5:20-5:25 pace, slight wind behind and I think I could have ran even faster that day. If I could feel that way more often I think my goals of sub 17 for most 5k's, 35 for 10k and sub 1:18 for a half could happen! Right now what I desperately need is to be able to see some progress, to see The Light at the end of the tunnel. The doubts have taken over, yet I feel like I am the same runner I was and hope to be again. Hang with me guys and I will get back as soon as I can.

I'm Still Here

Okay I know I have neglected this blog for quite some time. My only excuse is that after the Mag 7 season ended I have tried to rest my achilles. I have never had an injury so for the entire last season I just kept running with the pain every day. Some good, some bad. I tried icing it, tried ibuprofen. But apparently trying to run through the injury wasn't such a good idea. So for the past 3 months I have been running very little and doing no cross training. Weights suck, I can't swim and I have no access to a gym. I have been getting treatment for the Tendonitis and I think I am slowly getting better. I am running more too but I feel like I am starting over. I've had 3 good days in the past 3 weeks. I hope to have more good than bad soon. I hate that I cannot do any track workouts right now but I guess I should try to be more patient. March is fast approaching and another road race season with it. I am guessing unlike last spring I will not be ready.My ego has taken quite a bruising lately. Trying to stay positive and keep looking ahead. The two new pair of shoes helped.

Sentimental Me

Well here it is almost Christmas. There is snow on the ground and cold outside. I am on vacation too! So much has happened it seems in the past month and since I have posted anything on this blog. I have wanted to write but just didn't know what to say. Some of it was quite depressing. Each time I post I feel some pressure to entertain or offer some tid-bit of wisdom.  I can be very preachy and even quite sentimental when the mood hits me. You have been warned.
The road race season ended with the Reindeer Romp. Love that race! This year my achilles was aching and Dr. Murer advised I not push the pace. No worries there doc. It was snowing and cold. I enjoyed the race even though the pace was so slow. Most of my enjoyment came from getting to be with Amanda. Season over. Another Mag 7 championship. I'll take it. At 47 I will gladly find my glory anywhere I can get it.
Life has a way of slapping you in the face and causing you to step back and take a good hard look. A hard look at yourself and what is important. I love running. I love Amanda. At times I am at the top of the mountain and feeling better than I thought I ever could. Then suddenly I am in the depths of despair, in pain and crying out for some small comfort. Running and relationships are similar sometimes. I cherish both and want only the best from both. But just wanting it isn't enough I have found. Along with the good is bad, with joy there is also sadness. I wish we didn't have to suffer so much in order to appreciate what we have. I will admit I have taken much for granted. Not on purpose or with any ill intent. I am ashamed and sorry when I do. I want so much more from my running and in my relationships too. I guess I have to take the good with the bad and keep forever on course and true. I am quite stubborn and do not lose faith easily. I keep learning more about life and myself the older I get. I am still learning about running too. Maybe I should have eased back into running 3 years ago. Maybe my achilles would have been spared? It is so difficult for me to ease into anything competitive. I can promise you one thing I am loyal and determined. I will get well and add miles. Miles on the road, the hills, the grass, the trails, and the track. I will also add to my character and try my best to become the person I want to be. Someone who can do for others, who can be an example, someone who has the courage to do what is best and right. Isn't life wonderful!?
I have ran 3 times in the past 2 1/2 weeks. My mind has wondered and questioned. I am tired of wondering. I will make things right and in the end I hope to be stronger and wiser. I already miss racing. But I think this is a lesson for me. A lesson in patience and perseverance. Good things come to he who waits? I guess so but maybe there is more to it than sitting idly by wishing things will get better. I believe each of us has to take some personal responsibility for our lives, for what we have become and will be. I have thoroughly enjoyed the racing the past 2 years. Now that I am resting and attempting to get well I look forward to being with the loves of my life forever. My Christmas wish: spending the rest of my life with Amanda and running my Griffy run while it is snowing. That isn't too much to ask Santa for is it?    

Tis the Season

Here it is almost the end of road race season. It is November. I have not raced for a couple of weekends. I feel weird, like I have lost my edge (if I ever had an edge). I was hopeful that a little rest would not only help my always aching achilles but also rejuvenate me so that I could finish the year strong. Instead it hurts even more and I feel sluggish. It is amazing how my dark side has caused me to now question my fitness. "Trust your fitness." How many times I have read that phrase in running magazines! I think I believe it but I cannot help having some doubt. A side note: I attended a two day conference in Atlanta on "Transforming School Culture." It was awesome and I came away from it now knowing I am not an idiot. Everything this PhD told us is exactly what I already know and believe. Now the hard part will be using this at my school. Wish me luck. Okay where was I? I have the Mag 7 locked up and I shouldn't care but I love to race so much. Tomorrow is the Y double and the race in Nashville. I think I will try one and see how it goes. The weather will soon get cold which is not my favorite but maybe in December, January and February I cannot race and just focus on easy miles. I am going to try some of the Breeden training method. We will see. To try to lift my spirits I bought another pair of racing shoes. Adizero Rockets. Pink! Have ran in them once. I like them. Usually when I find myself in a period of crappy running and low confidence one good run can bring me out of it. I am trying to be patient. It will happen. It always does. Looking to the spring half marathon in Sarasota, FL again. Maybe by then the dark cloud of despair will have given way to the energizing glow of the sun. Meanwhile I need to find support from my running friends and training partners. This rough patch won't last forever. I am very proud of Oscar and many other runners who are getting faster and setting PRs almost weekly. And my Indiana Running Company teammates are all doing quite well and I know will continue to be an inspiration to me and many others. There is a reason running is addictive.