take 2... or is it 3


Once again.  Back in the saddle.  Lots of ouch's and oof's.

Today was day three of my descent back into the running world.  Monday (3 miles) , Wednesday (4.5 miles) and today, Friday, (4.5 miles).  It's gonna be a long transition back in, but it felt good to be out there.  I even managed to get out of the house before 7 am this morning.

There is some tightness in my right knee when I begin my run and it takes roughly two miles for me to warm up and run the tightness out.  Its far from smooth sailing at that point, but my knees stop aching and my lungs begin to wake up.

I iced today after my run and took some aspirin. My knees and my calves are very sore.  Its a good thing I have a long weekend ahead of me. I really enjoy resting between runs.  I mean... its just gravy.  PS4 is back on.  After a run there is nothing like 2 hours of, feet up, couch bound, gaming to let the 'ole muscles rest.

My weight is not helping at all.  I feel like stone out there.  A lumbering Golem intent on scaring all that scamper by....  But if history has anything to say, i'll drop some pounds and slowly but surely this will get easier.  Take my time.  Take my time.  Easy does it.  Steady as she goes.

I'm definitely going to be posting less this winter, but i'll keep everyone abreast of my own little victories (and defeats).

well, let's see how this plays out


I ran (& walked) 4 miles yesterday.  Very slow.  Very difficult.  Some knee pain that would go in and out, but nothing sharp or strained.  Just... soreness.  It's been a bit since I ran on pavement.  I am hoping to go for a run tomorrow morning if my legs don't hurt too much.  If I feel really sore in the morning I may just hold off until Sunday.

As of right now I have no plans for races.  My goal is to get up to 3 runs a week.  Possibly one of those being a longer run on Sundays.

Fingers crossed.

sigh


I am, as far as I can tell, out of the running for the Brooklyn Half.  It still hurts to walk down steps, so I am gonna keep to my bike until I can run up and down steps with no pain.

If and when I can start running again i'm gonna build a lot more carefully.

You probably won't hear from me for a bit, but I will start posting again when my legs are healthy!

day 1 of training for the brooklyn half


4 miles this morning and an easy bike ride to work.  Today is day 1 of training for the Brooklyn Half Marathon.   I am very excited about this race.  Other than the hill in Prospect Park the course itself is fairly flat so I SHOULD be able to just chug along.  Also, it is in May so hopefully I won't be frozen like I was for Staten Island.

My pace today was 10:30 which gives me some hope that my legs are getting stronger.  I am shooting for a 9:30 pace and, as I have 3 months to get there, I think its doable.  I am going to ride my bike as often as I can and I am working on a 4-5 RPW (runs per week) schedule.  I am fairly committed to eating well for the next 3 months as I have put on some pounds and would like to lose them by race day.

I'm definitely being more cognizant of my stretching and my lungs are starting to get back to where they were before my knee shit the bed.  Just gonna keep at it and see what happens.  I miss running with my running club, but right now my schedule and their schedule does not seem to mesh.

Alright, back to work.

KNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-ow



So I went for two runs in PA this past weekend.  A 4 miler and a 3 miler.  I rode my bike to work both yesterday and today and definitely felt some discomfort during my commute.  It feels like a knot, just above my knee, in my quad.  It doesn't hurt when I run, though I do feel some stiffness.

I started to do some foam rolling, but it hasn't eased up yet.  I plan on going for 4 miles tomorrow before work, with a nice foam rolling session after.  I want to keep at it, but I am also trying to stay very aware of my body and what it is going through.  Tell ya what though, I hate it.

The weather is definitely getting warmer this week and I would like to take full advantage of that.  Get some runs in, hopefully loosen up my legs.  I am very excited for the Brooklyn Half Marathon and feel confident that, if I stay healthy, I will run a good race as I have run every section of it (in some way or other) already.  The hills are in the beginning and the rest is VERY flat.

I hadn't ridden my bike in a few months and BOY can I feel it on the inclines.  One of my goals this summer is to utilize my bike a lot more.  When i'm not running I should be riding.  My buddy and I are already planning long bike jaunts.  Destination rides for pizza and batting cages.

Alright, gotta get back to work.

gain and loss, gain and loss, gain and loss


So I have put on about 10 pounds in the last month or so.  I haven't been running as much because my knee was healing VERY slowly and then I got sick and THEN there was a big snow.  I'm trying to keep a positive outlook and also realizing that the midst of winter is probably not the greatest time to expect much (though I definitely see a lot of runners out there snow or no).  Either way, i'm hoping to get a run in tomorrow.

I have a work-out plan for my Mondays in mind.  I will do some Bulgarian Squats, Push Ups, Planks, Lateral Lunges and some stairs.  I am going to try and take it very easy for the first few times and let my body adjust.  I want my knees strong for the spring.  I also want to lose about 30 more pounds by May so I need to get started.

I want 3 runs a week, plus my Monday routine, to get me through the Brooklyn Half and then this summer (if I can manage to remain healthy) I will start figuring out my Marathon training (if I get in that is).  I can feel my body getting tight and squeaky from lack of exercise and I hate it.  I remember how miserable I was at the beginning of the Staten Island Half and how I didn't think I could make it 3 miles and then low and behold I was running free of pain and feeling unstoppable by mile 6.  I want that feeling back again.

Tomorrow I will just go for an easy run.  I want to go out for about an hour.  I'll let myself walk if I feel tired.  I'll stretch before and after.  I'l hydrate.  I need to get out of these doldrums and back on the street!!!

Adieu homies.

rebellion and discord


So its been a year since I started running.  A lot has happened. I lost about 30 pounds.  I ran a Half Marathon.  I injured myself running a Half Marathon.  I healed (more or less) and started running again.  I entered another Half Marathon and entered the lottery for The New York City Marathon.  The New York Giants lost to the Greenbay Packers rather handily. Oh and we, as a country, replaced Democracy with some sort of dysfunctional Authoritarianism.   We replaced an intelligent, humane, charismatic leader with a groping, hateful, petulant, mandarin colored, man-child.

I'm going to a meeting tonight to discuss the future of our country.  5,000 people showed up last week.  Tonight will be my first meeting and I am thrilled to see who will show up and what will be discussed.  I am, for the first time in my life, afraid to be an American.  Hopefully tonight will give me some hope for our future.  I truly believe that democracy will never be the same, but perhaps with some real work it could be improved upon.

I have run a couple of 5 mile runs now and I think that my knee is slowly showing some improvement.  It is not as stiff walking down steps and my legs are starting to feel a little more lively.  That being said, I will take it SLOW throughout February and hopefully be in shape by March to start training in earnest for the Brooklyn Half.

My diet has shown some improvement.  I have been packing salads and soups for lunch.  I was packing salads and sandwiches, but I saw that my weight was starting to creep slowly upwards.  So soups and salads for lunch as I try to lose 20-25 more pounds.  My goal weight for summer is 190.  Thats roughly 24 pounds to drop.

One of my running group buddies is healing a broken foot so we are hoping to start doing some strength training together.  I think stairs and squats (using body weight) are in my future.  The weather is having an affect on me for sure though, I am feeling a lot more lazy this January.  I have found it harder and harder to leave the cosiness of my bed for the frigid winds of Prospect Park.

That being said, i've started taking my Sharpie to my calendar which generally means more activity in my direct future.  Going for a mid-week 4 miler tomorrow morning.  Also, I went back to my Brooks.  I had given Asics a try, but thats when all this knee trouble began.