Melissa had the best race of her young career at the USATF Junior Olympic X-C National Championships in Hoover, AL. In addition to running a PR (by nearly a minute, at 14:22 for 3k), she moved up to 4th spot on her team (Granite State Flash) and helped them to a 10th place finish overall. She went through the first mile in 6:50 and was running very smoothly, but then developed a stitch and tied up for a half mile or so before finishing as best as she was able. She likes X-C much better than track, so after the Millennium Mile, she will probably take a well deserved break. Hopefully she will be up for some 5k's in the spring.
At the first BU Mini meet, Nick and I drove down to try to run PR's in the mile. We ran into Kevin Tilton, who raced the 3k first and then the mile, mostly as a training session. He admitted to not running much this week secondary to work and other life issues. On the official results, I was only 5 seconds behind him in the mile, as he was doubling back and I was setting my Master's PR at 4:52.66. By the way, Kevin, getting old doesn't work as an excuse against me!!
I was impressed by Jim Paige, whom I chased the entire race, but could not catch. He turns 50 soon and is running very strong this year.
Nick had a PR as well, at 5:31.57. He ran perfectly, using another runner (Philip Demers) to draft for 4 laps before making a mini-move. Philip countered and took the lead back, but with 400m to go, Nick burst ahead and kicked in strong, winning his heat running away. Nick's friend and Flash teammate Tyler DeChane ran 5:22 in the prior heat, an extremely fast time for his age.
I doubled back in the 800m, which was only about 30 minutes after my mile. At my first indoor meet, I simply scratched it because the double back was too much for my dead legs. This time I felt strong enough to try it as a workout, but I knew the time would be slow. Unfortunately I got seeded first in the section, so I went out the lead. Surprisingly, I held a strong pace (32/33/33/34) until the end where I got dusted by a youngster who finished in 2:09. My time, 2:12.61, is only 1.6 seconds from my best from last year, and after a double, I am thoroughly convinced I can blast my master's PR the next time I run a fresh 800m. Bill Newsham finished right behind me, also having doubled (with the 3k).
The Mass Velocity team was well represented, with Tucker, Bobby, Meirwyn, Tom, Roger, Sue, Jon, Ian, and Arnie all running well (Sue and Bobby both bettering times from last season already). We are on our way to defending our title as National Champions -- but we may need some help from distance runners and younger participants, especially as we won't have "home track advantage" this year!!
Meanwhile, Alex had his first Indoor Meet at UNH, hitting a PR in the 1500m at 5:43. It's his first effort at that distance, and I am sure he will hack off several seconds from that PR next time, as during practice he ran a mile (albeit downhill) at 5:30.
Next week is another BU Mini meet, and then the Millennium Mile on January 1.
==
Darin
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Track season starts
Even though cross country is not yet over (Melissa is competing in the National Championships for Junior Olympics next weekend) the first indoor track meet in Boston started the season off Saturday.
I ran the mile against the usual local college kids, in the fourth heat of four. I started out well, near the back but very relaxed. After passing 1-2 people per lap, I made it up to fifth place with 2 laps to go. I had been feeling very strong to that point, but I made the mistake of moving too soon. I jumped up to 2nd place (thinking winning the heat was within range) but then ran out of gas with 1 to go. I held them off for three turns, but in the last 40 meters I was passed by 3 or 4 of the college youths, ending up with a very respectable 4:55.28 and fifth (or sixth?) place. My goal for this year is 4:50, which is All-American for my age. Given that this was my first time on a track this season, I think 4:50 is very possible.
Brendan Dagan and Jen Campbell, who used to live near me, were there competing. Also, several of my teammates from Mass Velocity gave it their best, including Tucker Taft, Tom Gillen, Bill Robinson, Roy Charette and Dave Neumann. The highlight of the meet was Nate Jenkins hit 14:20 for the 5k. Nice!
The next race on the track for me is a series of meets at Boston University (which has a very fast track). These are usually well attended. There are some races in Maine this year that I had not heard about before; perhaps they are new, but I have placed them on my tentative schedule. Also the Millennium Mile is January 1, 2011. That is a family event, very well run, and a lot of fun!
===
Darin
I ran the mile against the usual local college kids, in the fourth heat of four. I started out well, near the back but very relaxed. After passing 1-2 people per lap, I made it up to fifth place with 2 laps to go. I had been feeling very strong to that point, but I made the mistake of moving too soon. I jumped up to 2nd place (thinking winning the heat was within range) but then ran out of gas with 1 to go. I held them off for three turns, but in the last 40 meters I was passed by 3 or 4 of the college youths, ending up with a very respectable 4:55.28 and fifth (or sixth?) place. My goal for this year is 4:50, which is All-American for my age. Given that this was my first time on a track this season, I think 4:50 is very possible.
Brendan Dagan and Jen Campbell, who used to live near me, were there competing. Also, several of my teammates from Mass Velocity gave it their best, including Tucker Taft, Tom Gillen, Bill Robinson, Roy Charette and Dave Neumann. The highlight of the meet was Nate Jenkins hit 14:20 for the 5k. Nice!
The next race on the track for me is a series of meets at Boston University (which has a very fast track). These are usually well attended. There are some races in Maine this year that I had not heard about before; perhaps they are new, but I have placed them on my tentative schedule. Also the Millennium Mile is January 1, 2011. That is a family event, very well run, and a lot of fun!
===
Darin
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Junior Olympics and Millennium Mile training
After a good finish to my season, I have morphed into the role of coach for the Granite State Flash. Nick and Melissa are on the team, and the Junior Olympics (through the USATF) provides an opportunity for youngsters to compete in X-C races against the best the country has to offer.
Last year, Nick competed in these meets, succeding to the point of coming in the top 100 in the US. This year, Melissa joined up for the competitions, which started with a "warmup" meet, and progressed to the New England Championship, last weekend in Rhode Island, and the upcoming Regional Championships, also in RI this year, on Sunday.
Alex competed in his first 4k at the New England meet and ran a PR, at 16:43. Nick also hit a PR at 15:10, but was thwarted in his hope to advance due to seriously heavy competition at this year's race. Melissa, however, has moved on and will compete again this Sunday, racing the 3k in a PR of 15:13.
We practice every day, including stretches, drills, core work, and workouts, all of which helps to keep me in shape. Today, we deviated a bit as Melissa had an easy day, but the rest of us hit the downhill mile course, just to see what we had. I managed a 4:42, Nick 5:15, and Alex 5:32. We hope to progress with these times such that we can all hit PR's for the Millenium Mile, January 1, 2011.
Meanwhile, Melissa has her work cut out for her this weekend, as she will need to have a great race (hopefully another PR) to help her team advance to nationals, which are held in Alabama this year.
Wish her luck!!
==
Darin
Last year, Nick competed in these meets, succeding to the point of coming in the top 100 in the US. This year, Melissa joined up for the competitions, which started with a "warmup" meet, and progressed to the New England Championship, last weekend in Rhode Island, and the upcoming Regional Championships, also in RI this year, on Sunday.
Alex competed in his first 4k at the New England meet and ran a PR, at 16:43. Nick also hit a PR at 15:10, but was thwarted in his hope to advance due to seriously heavy competition at this year's race. Melissa, however, has moved on and will compete again this Sunday, racing the 3k in a PR of 15:13.
We practice every day, including stretches, drills, core work, and workouts, all of which helps to keep me in shape. Today, we deviated a bit as Melissa had an easy day, but the rest of us hit the downhill mile course, just to see what we had. I managed a 4:42, Nick 5:15, and Alex 5:32. We hope to progress with these times such that we can all hit PR's for the Millenium Mile, January 1, 2011.
Meanwhile, Melissa has her work cut out for her this weekend, as she will need to have a great race (hopefully another PR) to help her team advance to nationals, which are held in Alabama this year.
Wish her luck!!
==
Darin
Monday, November 8, 2010
White Mt Milers Half Marathon
Halloween was a perfect day for a race. I had decided before the event that this year I was going to go for a PR, and with race day 42 degrees and cloudy, it seemed it would be a good day to accomplish this.
Nick (who ran 2:04 last year in his first ever 13 mile run, let alone race) was going to run with Frank Holmes, as we had done several training runs together. However Frank got sick, so I was trying to find someone for Nick to run with before the gun went off. It turned out not to matter, as he blew away his best with a 1:42:37 PR, coming in 76th overall, and third in "18 and under" (having just turned 13 the month before). He raced in "Batmanesque" fashion with black tights and a cape for Halloween, inspiring many runners along the way.
I started out in the lead pack, and ran 6:05 at the first mile. This was, relatively speaking, rather slow for the leaders, I thought. However, they did not seem to be interested in running much faster, and indeed the winning time was only 6:13 per mile. I lost contact in the second mile, and ended up in a long, drawn out series of 6:10-6:15 miles, mixing up a little bit between 5th and 8th through the first 10k or so.
When we turned the corner for "halfway" I was in 7th, running with Steve Wolfe (46) and John Pajer (48) who lamented about chasing the youngsters (excluding Greg Cornell (50), who passed us at mile 3). The three of us put together a few more decent miles in the 6:15 zone, but then we came upon a huge headwind. At this point I was feeling like I had a shot at a PR, with a 10 mile split at 63:20 or so. I took over 5th place and set out trying to catch the 4th place runner, who had been slowly coming back to us over the prior 3 miles. Despite the huge headwind in miles 11-12, I caught up and passed into 4th place right at the 12 mile mark. Sensing a PR and a very strong finish, I ran 6:04 for mile 13, and kicked up the little hill for a 4th place finish at 1:23:01, my lifetime best (I never raced a half marathon before age 35). The leaders were only about a minute and a half in front of me, and given the strength at the end, I think I will be able to cut off at least half that by next year.
This was a strong end to a season which also included my master's 10k PR. I now look to start moving down in distance to the 800m and 1500m (with an occasional 400m or perhaps 3k) as indoor track starts in about a month. Meanwhile, Junior Olympics for the kids starts next weekend in Rhode Island. Nick and Melissa will be competing with the Granite State Flash, hoping to advance from New Englands to the Region 1 meet, and if lucky, maybe a shot at nationals.
====
Darin
Nick (who ran 2:04 last year in his first ever 13 mile run, let alone race) was going to run with Frank Holmes, as we had done several training runs together. However Frank got sick, so I was trying to find someone for Nick to run with before the gun went off. It turned out not to matter, as he blew away his best with a 1:42:37 PR, coming in 76th overall, and third in "18 and under" (having just turned 13 the month before). He raced in "Batmanesque" fashion with black tights and a cape for Halloween, inspiring many runners along the way.
I started out in the lead pack, and ran 6:05 at the first mile. This was, relatively speaking, rather slow for the leaders, I thought. However, they did not seem to be interested in running much faster, and indeed the winning time was only 6:13 per mile. I lost contact in the second mile, and ended up in a long, drawn out series of 6:10-6:15 miles, mixing up a little bit between 5th and 8th through the first 10k or so.
When we turned the corner for "halfway" I was in 7th, running with Steve Wolfe (46) and John Pajer (48) who lamented about chasing the youngsters (excluding Greg Cornell (50), who passed us at mile 3). The three of us put together a few more decent miles in the 6:15 zone, but then we came upon a huge headwind. At this point I was feeling like I had a shot at a PR, with a 10 mile split at 63:20 or so. I took over 5th place and set out trying to catch the 4th place runner, who had been slowly coming back to us over the prior 3 miles. Despite the huge headwind in miles 11-12, I caught up and passed into 4th place right at the 12 mile mark. Sensing a PR and a very strong finish, I ran 6:04 for mile 13, and kicked up the little hill for a 4th place finish at 1:23:01, my lifetime best (I never raced a half marathon before age 35). The leaders were only about a minute and a half in front of me, and given the strength at the end, I think I will be able to cut off at least half that by next year.
This was a strong end to a season which also included my master's 10k PR. I now look to start moving down in distance to the 800m and 1500m (with an occasional 400m or perhaps 3k) as indoor track starts in about a month. Meanwhile, Junior Olympics for the kids starts next weekend in Rhode Island. Nick and Melissa will be competing with the Granite State Flash, hoping to advance from New Englands to the Region 1 meet, and if lucky, maybe a shot at nationals.
====
Darin
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Great Bay 5k
Having taken a week off for vacation, I was not expecting too much when I got back. The Great Bay 5k is a nice course, though, and I achieved my Master's PR on that course two years ago.
When I got there, I found they had moved the parking and changed the starting line; it was a bit confusing. I ended up late to the line and didn't get enough stretching. Once I got going, though, I was fine, and I ran well: 5:35, 5:45, 5:47 for 17:41. My best is 17:26. Congrats to Chris Ritchie, who blew away his PR by over 30 seconds for 16:30! I ran the entire race with Heather Searles, the women's winner, who also had a great race. Her boyfriend (or is it roommate?) Chris Mahoney, and Teammate Jim Johnson took 2-3 overall, running right at 5:00 pace. Jasmin Lapir came back from injury and claimed his age division award with 17:34.
After the race, I rushed over to Londonderry for Nick's NH State XC meet. Like the athletes, I waited around for 4 hours for his race, and like the athletes, I was exhausted before the race even started. Nick did not run well, but ended up 17th overall, and his team, which had been undefeated, took 4th. It was quite the experience, in that he had never had to wait so long to compete before. He didn't bring lunch and was forced to eat "what they had" which was pizza. Of course he cramped up during the race after eating that. Still, he gets to run the race next year and will hopefully do much better; there were two others ahead of him that were not in 8th grade, so he definitely has his work cut out for next year.
We are racing the half marathon on Sunday, and then Nick moves on to Junior Olympics, and I start training for Indoor Track (with Alex, who will be running for the HS team).
===
Darin
When I got there, I found they had moved the parking and changed the starting line; it was a bit confusing. I ended up late to the line and didn't get enough stretching. Once I got going, though, I was fine, and I ran well: 5:35, 5:45, 5:47 for 17:41. My best is 17:26. Congrats to Chris Ritchie, who blew away his PR by over 30 seconds for 16:30! I ran the entire race with Heather Searles, the women's winner, who also had a great race. Her boyfriend (or is it roommate?) Chris Mahoney, and Teammate Jim Johnson took 2-3 overall, running right at 5:00 pace. Jasmin Lapir came back from injury and claimed his age division award with 17:34.
After the race, I rushed over to Londonderry for Nick's NH State XC meet. Like the athletes, I waited around for 4 hours for his race, and like the athletes, I was exhausted before the race even started. Nick did not run well, but ended up 17th overall, and his team, which had been undefeated, took 4th. It was quite the experience, in that he had never had to wait so long to compete before. He didn't bring lunch and was forced to eat "what they had" which was pizza. Of course he cramped up during the race after eating that. Still, he gets to run the race next year and will hopefully do much better; there were two others ahead of him that were not in 8th grade, so he definitely has his work cut out for next year.
We are racing the half marathon on Sunday, and then Nick moves on to Junior Olympics, and I start training for Indoor Track (with Alex, who will be running for the HS team).
===
Darin
Monday, October 4, 2010
Helping Nick to PR at the Gary Millen 5k
Over the weekend, Nick and I raced at the Gary Millen memorial 5k. Gary Millen was a teacher and football coach at Kennett High School. I played basketball with him every Sunday morning for more than five years. He was the kind of person that everyone liked. A consummate competitor, friendly and compassionate, and capable of pushing himself and those around him to a higher level. The Millen foundation, benefactors of the race, have raised around $1M for athletics at the high school.
For the race, I decided to try to help Nick go under 20. He has never been able to break 20:00, so we took off at 6:14 (trying to go 6:15 for the first mile) and then, down the hill, we managed to slow down such that the split for the mile ended up at 6:47. I think the strong headwind had a role. At 1.55 (halfway) we were 10:20, so we had to run a negative split back up the hill to break 20. As we came to the 2 mile mark, it seemed we had really picked up the pace after the turnaround (I am guessing the wind really was a factor). For mile 3 we ran 6:07, finishing in 19:49 for a new PR for Nick, and 3rd/4th place overall behind Eric (a newcomer to the Kennett HS teaching staff, and former UNH X-C standout) and Kevin, with whom we did our warmdown.
It was very exciting! Not only did Nick break a key time milestone, but he finally hit consecutive weekly PR's, suggesting that the strong training is paying off. He has a Jr. High XC race on Monday (Kennett Invitational) and he is now adequately pumped up to try to have a good one there too. I have no qualms about living vicariously through him this week.
Alex tied his PR mark at 21:56 racing for the high school X-C team on Saturday as well. He is one second off the Varsity squad, and continues to run at or near a PR every time he competes, so he is also very encouraged.
Nick and I are both signed up for the White Mt. Milers Half Marathon, so I am going to try to get a few longer runs in to prep for that. The only 5k left that I am planning is the Great Bay 5k. I am not 100% for that because of work issues, but if I do compete there, the training will be based on higher mileage and core work, without much in the way of speed training. That will be interesting, one way or another.
==
Darin
For the race, I decided to try to help Nick go under 20. He has never been able to break 20:00, so we took off at 6:14 (trying to go 6:15 for the first mile) and then, down the hill, we managed to slow down such that the split for the mile ended up at 6:47. I think the strong headwind had a role. At 1.55 (halfway) we were 10:20, so we had to run a negative split back up the hill to break 20. As we came to the 2 mile mark, it seemed we had really picked up the pace after the turnaround (I am guessing the wind really was a factor). For mile 3 we ran 6:07, finishing in 19:49 for a new PR for Nick, and 3rd/4th place overall behind Eric (a newcomer to the Kennett HS teaching staff, and former UNH X-C standout) and Kevin, with whom we did our warmdown.
It was very exciting! Not only did Nick break a key time milestone, but he finally hit consecutive weekly PR's, suggesting that the strong training is paying off. He has a Jr. High XC race on Monday (Kennett Invitational) and he is now adequately pumped up to try to have a good one there too. I have no qualms about living vicariously through him this week.
Alex tied his PR mark at 21:56 racing for the high school X-C team on Saturday as well. He is one second off the Varsity squad, and continues to run at or near a PR every time he competes, so he is also very encouraged.
Nick and I are both signed up for the White Mt. Milers Half Marathon, so I am going to try to get a few longer runs in to prep for that. The only 5k left that I am planning is the Great Bay 5k. I am not 100% for that because of work issues, but if I do compete there, the training will be based on higher mileage and core work, without much in the way of speed training. That will be interesting, one way or another.
==
Darin
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Eliot 5k
After a reasonably good week of training, I was feeling good going into the Eliot 5k on Saturday. My repeat mile workout on Tuesday was better this week (5:29, 5:29, 5:31, then 200m at 31) than last Thursday (5:37, 5:41, 5:35) but I missed my long run, and my mileage was relatively low. My core work was sacrificed a bit as I was loading wood for the winter. Hopefully I can get back to that twice a day.
Alex hit his PR for the 5k twice in his last two races (22:30 and 21:55), and Nick has been 4th and 3rd in his first two X-C races this season (2 mile races). He is still nursing an injury, and not been running particularly well yet, but he wanted to come along for this 5k race.
The day was warm and humid, and we had to leave at 6:15 AM to get to Eliot. I did not sleep well, and my sleep for the week was reduced as well. The course starts downhill, and then uphill for the final mile. On the way down, Nick and I discussed taking it easy on the first mile and then working hard for the final mile to get even splits.
After the first mile, I did indeed go out perfectly, 5:38. Then, the entire group I was running with fell back. I realized that the 16 or so runners that took off were already out of my view, and I found myself compeltely alone. I came back with 5:52 for mile two. Unfortunately, that took a lot out of me, and I got caught from behind by two runners in mile three. The three of us finally caught the one guy that fell off the pace from in front, halfway through the last mile. I needed to kick it in strong (31s for the last 0.1) to pass the two I was running with coming into the finish, but my time was a relatively poor 18:12. That was the same as my 5k split in the 5 miler from last race. Yuck.
At least Nick had a good race, at 20:12 (PR). We both won our respective age groups. Next week is another local 5k, hopefully I can do better.
==
Darin
Alex hit his PR for the 5k twice in his last two races (22:30 and 21:55), and Nick has been 4th and 3rd in his first two X-C races this season (2 mile races). He is still nursing an injury, and not been running particularly well yet, but he wanted to come along for this 5k race.
The day was warm and humid, and we had to leave at 6:15 AM to get to Eliot. I did not sleep well, and my sleep for the week was reduced as well. The course starts downhill, and then uphill for the final mile. On the way down, Nick and I discussed taking it easy on the first mile and then working hard for the final mile to get even splits.
After the first mile, I did indeed go out perfectly, 5:38. Then, the entire group I was running with fell back. I realized that the 16 or so runners that took off were already out of my view, and I found myself compeltely alone. I came back with 5:52 for mile two. Unfortunately, that took a lot out of me, and I got caught from behind by two runners in mile three. The three of us finally caught the one guy that fell off the pace from in front, halfway through the last mile. I needed to kick it in strong (31s for the last 0.1) to pass the two I was running with coming into the finish, but my time was a relatively poor 18:12. That was the same as my 5k split in the 5 miler from last race. Yuck.
At least Nick had a good race, at 20:12 (PR). We both won our respective age groups. Next week is another local 5k, hopefully I can do better.
==
Darin
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Fox Point 5 miler
Last week's training went well. I ran a 2 mile tempo with the high school team on Monday, then Wednesday 6x800 again with the team, 2:36-2:42 for times on X-C trails. It's nice to have a group to run with, including guys that I can chase (like Peter Haine).
I took two rest days (just some swimming and core work) to prep for the Fox Point 5 miler, with the intention of going for a PR. Last year I hit a master's PR at 29:54, and the course was slightly modified this year but similar. It was a perfect afternoon for a race. I brought Nick along, while Alex had PR'ed in his first X-C race in high school (22:30, 2nd for Kennett's JV squad) earlier in the day.
We had a good warmup, did some drills, and I was perfectly ready to race when the gun (or Andy's "go") started us off. John Mentzner took off with a couple of other guys, and I followed Chris Ritchie and a couple others to a 5:37 first mile, which I knew instantly had been too fast. I was hoping to hit 5:50 and then hold that pace for at least a couple more miles, but instead I dropped immediately to 6:00 pace. By mile 4, I had been passed by several people, including two other master's runners (Lance Powers and Phil Erwin), and my 6:14 mile destroyed any shot at a PR. I came back the last mile in 5:56 on the heels of Lance and Phil (outkicking a youngster to the finish), for a 29:59 finishing time. Certainly NOT the way to run it.
Nick PR'ed as well with 34:37, and we both got 3rd in our divisions. We did a mile or so warmdown and ate burgers and dogs; this is my favorite race for the after-event food! It was nice to see Jasmin Lepir up and running again after his lower leg injury a couple weeks back. He will be back in front of me soon.
I am relatively sure I could have run 15-20 seconds faster if I had started at 5:50/5:50 instead of 5:37/ 6:02, but it was a perfect night and I was warmed up and ready to go at the start, and simply got a bit too excited.
Nick and I ran 7 on Sunday. Tuesday I hit a course PR for a very hilly 8 mile loop tempo run (GPS says 940 feet of elevation gain) ending up in 56:41. Continuing to hit PR's or near-PR's bodes well for the last few races of the season, including the Great Bay 5k, where I have my Master's PR (2008) for 5k.
===
Darin
I took two rest days (just some swimming and core work) to prep for the Fox Point 5 miler, with the intention of going for a PR. Last year I hit a master's PR at 29:54, and the course was slightly modified this year but similar. It was a perfect afternoon for a race. I brought Nick along, while Alex had PR'ed in his first X-C race in high school (22:30, 2nd for Kennett's JV squad) earlier in the day.
We had a good warmup, did some drills, and I was perfectly ready to race when the gun (or Andy's "go") started us off. John Mentzner took off with a couple of other guys, and I followed Chris Ritchie and a couple others to a 5:37 first mile, which I knew instantly had been too fast. I was hoping to hit 5:50 and then hold that pace for at least a couple more miles, but instead I dropped immediately to 6:00 pace. By mile 4, I had been passed by several people, including two other master's runners (Lance Powers and Phil Erwin), and my 6:14 mile destroyed any shot at a PR. I came back the last mile in 5:56 on the heels of Lance and Phil (outkicking a youngster to the finish), for a 29:59 finishing time. Certainly NOT the way to run it.
Nick PR'ed as well with 34:37, and we both got 3rd in our divisions. We did a mile or so warmdown and ate burgers and dogs; this is my favorite race for the after-event food! It was nice to see Jasmin Lepir up and running again after his lower leg injury a couple weeks back. He will be back in front of me soon.
I am relatively sure I could have run 15-20 seconds faster if I had started at 5:50/5:50 instead of 5:37/ 6:02, but it was a perfect night and I was warmed up and ready to go at the start, and simply got a bit too excited.
Nick and I ran 7 on Sunday. Tuesday I hit a course PR for a very hilly 8 mile loop tempo run (GPS says 940 feet of elevation gain) ending up in 56:41. Continuing to hit PR's or near-PR's bodes well for the last few races of the season, including the Great Bay 5k, where I have my Master's PR (2008) for 5k.
===
Darin
Monday, September 6, 2010
Eaton-Run and training
I ran 8 on Friday and again on Saturday, at good pace.
Sunday was the "Eaton-Run" which had a lunch afterward (ergo the clever pun). I didn't plan on racing, but neither Kevin nor Tim showed up, so I figured I would try to win. Unfortunately, I didn't recognize Curtis Moore, who showed up to take home the prize money. I ran the first mile with Claes, then tried to catch Curtis coming back down (the first 1.5 miles was all uphill, and it was an out-and-back course). I was not able to, and ended up with a mediocre time of 18:27 (6:13, 5:59, 5:48), but the water was nice. Alex ran 24:20 which was a good time with that big hill.
I tried to come back and run hard at Whitaker Woods on Tuesday. I was 47 seconds off my best, but running entirely alone and it was hot. Not the day to push.
Wednesday I attempted to run 10, but by the 9th mile I was completely dehydrated and exhausted; so I quit at 9.5 miles at 1:25. I walked up the big hill home, which was better than passing out.
I forced a rest day in after that.
Friday I did 3x mile on the track at 5:37 5:36 5:35, with 400m rest in between. Cutting the rest to 4 minutes made the splits much slower than I would like, but it was a hard workout. Next time I do this one I will aim for 5:30. With full rest, I will aim for 5:15.
Saturday was easy 6.5.
Sunday I did the 10.2 miler from last week, but tempo pace. I was a bit unsure when I started, having been forced to walk the last time I did that run, but after the first 3 miles went uneventfully at 7:35 pace, I picked it up and did the next 6 at 7:00 pace. Up the big hill at the end I ran 7:55, which is about as fast as I can go. The net time (74:55) was 2:20 off my PR for the course, which makes sense as the first 4 miles were about 35 seconds per mile slower than I would have run if I were going full out.
Monday I ran with Kennett X-C team. I am going to taper a bit for the Fox Point 5 miler on Saturday, and see if I can run a PR (last year 29:54).
===
Darin
Sunday was the "Eaton-Run" which had a lunch afterward (ergo the clever pun). I didn't plan on racing, but neither Kevin nor Tim showed up, so I figured I would try to win. Unfortunately, I didn't recognize Curtis Moore, who showed up to take home the prize money. I ran the first mile with Claes, then tried to catch Curtis coming back down (the first 1.5 miles was all uphill, and it was an out-and-back course). I was not able to, and ended up with a mediocre time of 18:27 (6:13, 5:59, 5:48), but the water was nice. Alex ran 24:20 which was a good time with that big hill.
I tried to come back and run hard at Whitaker Woods on Tuesday. I was 47 seconds off my best, but running entirely alone and it was hot. Not the day to push.
Wednesday I attempted to run 10, but by the 9th mile I was completely dehydrated and exhausted; so I quit at 9.5 miles at 1:25. I walked up the big hill home, which was better than passing out.
I forced a rest day in after that.
Friday I did 3x mile on the track at 5:37 5:36 5:35, with 400m rest in between. Cutting the rest to 4 minutes made the splits much slower than I would like, but it was a hard workout. Next time I do this one I will aim for 5:30. With full rest, I will aim for 5:15.
Saturday was easy 6.5.
Sunday I did the 10.2 miler from last week, but tempo pace. I was a bit unsure when I started, having been forced to walk the last time I did that run, but after the first 3 miles went uneventfully at 7:35 pace, I picked it up and did the next 6 at 7:00 pace. Up the big hill at the end I ran 7:55, which is about as fast as I can go. The net time (74:55) was 2:20 off my PR for the course, which makes sense as the first 4 miles were about 35 seconds per mile slower than I would have run if I were going full out.
Monday I ran with Kennett X-C team. I am going to taper a bit for the Fox Point 5 miler on Saturday, and see if I can run a PR (last year 29:54).
===
Darin
Friday, August 27, 2010
Kennett Challenge
Our annual 3-way cross country meet with the local high school teams took place on Thursday. Silas Eastman from Fryeburg Academy ran away with the two mile race, beating Kevin Tilton for the first time (Kevin was not at 100%, but 10:07 would have been tough to beat even if he had been!).
I had my best time on the course at 11:36, although the splits (5:34, 6:02) suggested a relatively poor pacing strategy. I was boxed in early and was actually walking part of the race because of that, and then I spent too much energy trying to catch Peter Haine (11:15, Kennett's top runner). Still, a personal best on the course is always a positive.
Nick had a personal best as well, at 13:28. Although too young to compete for the high school team, he would have been their sixth man. Competing for a spot in the top 7, Alex PR'ed too, at 14:37. Melissa ran with her friend Lea in her best time for two miles (15:35 I think); they both were upstaged by Lea's little sister Hanna, who was 15:17.
The food afterwards was delicious, with Subway subs and a ton of desserts.
The only drawback was the Loco 5k on the track was the same time, so we had to miss that this year, which was unfortunate, because I would rather have had a 5k PR than a two mile PR, since I am in shape to hit one. There's always the next race, though!
===
Darin
I had my best time on the course at 11:36, although the splits (5:34, 6:02) suggested a relatively poor pacing strategy. I was boxed in early and was actually walking part of the race because of that, and then I spent too much energy trying to catch Peter Haine (11:15, Kennett's top runner). Still, a personal best on the course is always a positive.
Nick had a personal best as well, at 13:28. Although too young to compete for the high school team, he would have been their sixth man. Competing for a spot in the top 7, Alex PR'ed too, at 14:37. Melissa ran with her friend Lea in her best time for two miles (15:35 I think); they both were upstaged by Lea's little sister Hanna, who was 15:17.
The food afterwards was delicious, with Subway subs and a ton of desserts.
The only drawback was the Loco 5k on the track was the same time, so we had to miss that this year, which was unfortunate, because I would rather have had a 5k PR than a two mile PR, since I am in shape to hit one. There's always the next race, though!
===
Darin
Friday, August 20, 2010
Saunders at Rye Harbor
Nick and I drove to Rye to race a 10k in the 5th Seacoast race. There were 1000 registered runners with no race day registration. They did a good job giving everyone their beer, and the police were on hand to help with traffic.
I got a new GPS watch, and although I watched the videos on how to use it, the enigma of finding the actual stopwatch presented as I was warming up. Fortunately, a woman wearing three watches came by, and correctly judging her to be an expert, I solicited her help. Apparently you have to press and hold... ok, problem solved! Nick and I did a mile warmup dodging traffic on the busy roadway as hundreds of people continued to pour in to tight quarters. A few missed the start, as they were coming up to the start line while we took off the other way.
Nick had his PR, running 45:10. He started in 6:22, which he commented on by saying "oops" in the middle of the race. His closest competitor asked -- Did you just say "oops"? Still, it was a great effort for him as his last 10k was over 50 minutes. His age group (0-39) was a bit wide, I thought, but he still pulled off a T-shirt!
I started too quickly as well, hitting the first mile at 5:43. Fortunately, I did not check the split. I came through the second at 5:59, but then lost Mike G and started looking at my feet for the next two miles, running 6:13/6:14 before getting caught from behind. I woke up and hit 6:02/6:07 for the next two and kicked it in strong (5:04 pace for the last quarter mile) ending up 19th with 37:36. This turns out to be only 5 seconds from my master's PR, done earlier this year at the other Seacoast 10k, Market Square. Considering that I did not feel well for this one, and I was tight as a drum before and after the race, I was happy with my time. Thanks to Donna C for the massage after the race!!
My age division has really beefed up this year, with the masters runners coming on strong. Whereas the last few years I have been often in the top 3 for my age division, this year I was forced out to 8th (12 of the top 25 runners were over age 40!). The good news is that I am still getting faster year over year (last year 38:40 at Saunders) and with all the other older runners out there leading the way, that gives me confidence that it will be at least a few more years before age slows me down.
===
Darin
I got a new GPS watch, and although I watched the videos on how to use it, the enigma of finding the actual stopwatch presented as I was warming up. Fortunately, a woman wearing three watches came by, and correctly judging her to be an expert, I solicited her help. Apparently you have to press and hold... ok, problem solved! Nick and I did a mile warmup dodging traffic on the busy roadway as hundreds of people continued to pour in to tight quarters. A few missed the start, as they were coming up to the start line while we took off the other way.
Nick had his PR, running 45:10. He started in 6:22, which he commented on by saying "oops" in the middle of the race. His closest competitor asked -- Did you just say "oops"? Still, it was a great effort for him as his last 10k was over 50 minutes. His age group (0-39) was a bit wide, I thought, but he still pulled off a T-shirt!
I started too quickly as well, hitting the first mile at 5:43. Fortunately, I did not check the split. I came through the second at 5:59, but then lost Mike G and started looking at my feet for the next two miles, running 6:13/6:14 before getting caught from behind. I woke up and hit 6:02/6:07 for the next two and kicked it in strong (5:04 pace for the last quarter mile) ending up 19th with 37:36. This turns out to be only 5 seconds from my master's PR, done earlier this year at the other Seacoast 10k, Market Square. Considering that I did not feel well for this one, and I was tight as a drum before and after the race, I was happy with my time. Thanks to Donna C for the massage after the race!!
My age division has really beefed up this year, with the masters runners coming on strong. Whereas the last few years I have been often in the top 3 for my age division, this year I was forced out to 8th (12 of the top 25 runners were over age 40!). The good news is that I am still getting faster year over year (last year 38:40 at Saunders) and with all the other older runners out there leading the way, that gives me confidence that it will be at least a few more years before age slows me down.
===
Darin
Monday, August 16, 2010
Cigna disappoints
After a decent race on Tuesday and an easy run on Wednesday, I went with Alex and Nick to Manchester for Cigna, where 5000 or so came together to run or walk.
The long drive didn't help. By the time I got there, I was already half spent. I did a short warmup, and felt pretty bad.
The first mile (5:41) left me just wanting to get it over with. I knew that if I didn't start under 5:30, I would have no chance of a good time, so I spent the next two miles just hanging on. I ended up just over 18:00, breaking my string of the last several Cigna races (from 2005: 18:38, 18:25, 17:55, 17:40). Last year I was injured this week and missed it, so I was hoping to jump righ back in and hit 17:40 or better, but the 17:41 from Tuesday used me up I think.
Nick was disappointed with his time, although he had a good physical effort, and Alex was slower than Tuesday as well. 2-4 races in a week's time was a lot for all of us.
Training on Friday was solid -- 8.5 with Nick in the woods. Saturday we took it easy for just a few, then Sunday 9 with Nick and Frank. Monday is a rest day, and the next race is Thursday (Saunders at Rye Harbor).
====
Darin
The long drive didn't help. By the time I got there, I was already half spent. I did a short warmup, and felt pretty bad.
The first mile (5:41) left me just wanting to get it over with. I knew that if I didn't start under 5:30, I would have no chance of a good time, so I spent the next two miles just hanging on. I ended up just over 18:00, breaking my string of the last several Cigna races (from 2005: 18:38, 18:25, 17:55, 17:40). Last year I was injured this week and missed it, so I was hoping to jump righ back in and hit 17:40 or better, but the 17:41 from Tuesday used me up I think.
Nick was disappointed with his time, although he had a good physical effort, and Alex was slower than Tuesday as well. 2-4 races in a week's time was a lot for all of us.
Training on Friday was solid -- 8.5 with Nick in the woods. Saturday we took it easy for just a few, then Sunday 9 with Nick and Frank. Monday is a rest day, and the next race is Thursday (Saunders at Rye Harbor).
====
Darin
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Tuesday's race a warm one
Sunday's 8 mile workout with Frank was a tragedy. Not for the humans, fortunately; but for my GPS watch, which got run over by a car after I left it on the roof of the car to acquire satellites. We changed our venue and I left it on the roof by accident. It fell off just before we got to the parking lot, and by the time I got back to it, it was in dozens of pieces. Very depressing.
Tuesday's road race, held on a very fast course, was a bit challenging due to the relatively warm evening. I didn't sleep well Monday night, and I didn't feel very strong during the warmup, which was 15 minutes with Frank from the finish line back to the start.
The first mile is downhill, and Kevin and Tim went a bit slow, so two others and I stayed pretty close until we turned up the hill into the second mile. I wasn't sure if I went a bit too fast (since they both finished over 1:30 in front of me, I shouldn't be with them at the first mile) but I felt OK and moved into third going up the hill. The rest of the race was cruising, downhill and flat, but I was alone and did not push. My time was a moderate 17:41; my best on that course, in 2008, was 17:20 (I didn't race last year due to injury).
Alex set his PR by a second. Nick and Melissa won their age divisions despite times that were not their best either. The heat affected them as well. At least the ice cream was good! The guys are looking forward to X-C season. Nick might come with me to Cigna tomorrow.
Wednesday was an easy run to shake out the muscles. Thursday is Cigna, a huge race with big prizes for the top runners and great competition. Should be fun!
==
Darin
Tuesday's road race, held on a very fast course, was a bit challenging due to the relatively warm evening. I didn't sleep well Monday night, and I didn't feel very strong during the warmup, which was 15 minutes with Frank from the finish line back to the start.
The first mile is downhill, and Kevin and Tim went a bit slow, so two others and I stayed pretty close until we turned up the hill into the second mile. I wasn't sure if I went a bit too fast (since they both finished over 1:30 in front of me, I shouldn't be with them at the first mile) but I felt OK and moved into third going up the hill. The rest of the race was cruising, downhill and flat, but I was alone and did not push. My time was a moderate 17:41; my best on that course, in 2008, was 17:20 (I didn't race last year due to injury).
Alex set his PR by a second. Nick and Melissa won their age divisions despite times that were not their best either. The heat affected them as well. At least the ice cream was good! The guys are looking forward to X-C season. Nick might come with me to Cigna tomorrow.
Wednesday was an easy run to shake out the muscles. Thursday is Cigna, a huge race with big prizes for the top runners and great competition. Should be fun!
==
Darin
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Vacation runs
I took a few days off from work this week and managed a visit to the seacoast, and a couple of good workouts. A 9+ miler (most miles around 7:30ish) punctuated by a swim in the very cold Atlantic Ocean on Thursday (after a short easy jaunt on Wednesday) was followed by a 3x mile track workout on Friday. 5:29/5:35/5:37 with 4 mins rest and then a swim after in the (comparatively) warm pool. That puts me on target for low 17:20's for 5k, which is a great goal for Cigna.
Inclined situps and pushups with a short cirucuit only once a day on the vacation trip, but I added some swimming to make up for the decreased core training. Four miles walking to the ice cream shop today was not really the workout I had intended, but vacation is vacation.
I am looking forward to racing on Tuesday (local 5k) and Thursday (Cigna) next week.
===
Darin
Inclined situps and pushups with a short cirucuit only once a day on the vacation trip, but I added some swimming to make up for the decreased core training. Four miles walking to the ice cream shop today was not really the workout I had intended, but vacation is vacation.
I am looking forward to racing on Tuesday (local 5k) and Thursday (Cigna) next week.
===
Darin
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Fatigue sets in
Tuesday's Whittaker Woods run was rough; 19:44 after running 19:00 last week. The double race over the weekend and staying up all night working was too much to allow for a fast race. Yesterday was an easy 4 miles, but the core workouts were good, hitting both AM and PM goals.
It's off for a vacation trip tomorrow with no races until next Tuesday, the local 5k that is really only 3 miles, and net downhill (so usually good for a season best!).
===
Darin
It's off for a vacation trip tomorrow with no races until next Tuesday, the local 5k that is really only 3 miles, and net downhill (so usually good for a season best!).
===
Darin
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Starting August with a good one
Today was the York Days 5k, the 4th race in the Seacoast Race Series.
I had a good racing week, doing the Whitaker Woods trail race in 19:00, my all time best on that course, on Tuesday. Thanks to Steve P. for dragging me along (where have you been all summer?)
Alex continued a string of personal bests with a 26:04, and Nick was a few seconds off his PR (22:23) and Melissa still has yet to have a good race, as she really needs someone fast to run with to have a good one.
After taking Wednesday easy and the next two days off, we all trekked up to Lancaster, NH, for the Street Fair 5k.
A few years ago I was the first overall finisher with a 17:55. So when the race started and I found myself in 20th place, I was slightly unnerved. I came through in 5:35 (exactly what I wanted) but the rest probably didn't help as much as some easy running would have. I died after passing a whole bunch of kids, but I did make it to the top 10. Kemp S. (17:44) passed me and dragged me through for a while, and I finished up in 17:54 (which turns out to be my best on this course).
Alex PR'ed again with 23:28, Nick broke 21:00 and Melissa had a much better race, although I didn't get her finishing time (probably 28:00 or so). X-C practice starts in two weeks, so the boys will be "training" for real soon. They will certainly hack off the seconds once they start running regularly.
Coming back for the double today, my hip was pretty sore. I had to get up at 5am to get to the race, and the first step out of bed was almost enough to put me right back into bed. Internal rotation on my fully extended hip and knee reproduced my usual hip pain, and it was sharp! I considered bagging, but grabbed a shower and some tylenol and went ahead with the drive.
Once the race started, I was fine. Well, my hip was fine. I didn't get my mile split on purpose, but after the fact discovered it was 5:35, same as yesterday (GPS watches are cool). By the second mile, I felt horrible, yesterday's race haunting my legs. Somehow I came through 3 miles in 17:25, and posted a 28 second last 0.1 (it's good to have 800m speed) nearly catching Adam M. and Phil E. The 17:53 was my best 5k since the Irish Rover (3/6/10; 17:51), so I am heading the right direction again. Since I felt horrible and doubled back, I am pretty sure I can go faster still.
I finished up 14th, and 5th in the 40's age division. Several good runners in the Seacoast Series just turned 40 this year (like Mike G -- good race!!) so my division just got a lot tougher! Last year, I would have won the age division; this year, I am struggling to stay in the top 5 in my age group for the series.
I will see everyone at Saunders (Nick is coming too -- although he is bummed there is no 12&under division).
This week I will continue to focus on core training (AM and PM pushups/inclined situps/circuit) hit the Tuesday race again (hopefully break 19:00 in the last race of this year's series) and try to catch one 10 miler (probably Wednesday, as the usual Sunday long run was displaced by a second 5k race). The following week includes the Madison 5k, and Cigna on Thursday, which is one of my favorites.
====
Darin
I had a good racing week, doing the Whitaker Woods trail race in 19:00, my all time best on that course, on Tuesday. Thanks to Steve P. for dragging me along (where have you been all summer?)
Alex continued a string of personal bests with a 26:04, and Nick was a few seconds off his PR (22:23) and Melissa still has yet to have a good race, as she really needs someone fast to run with to have a good one.
After taking Wednesday easy and the next two days off, we all trekked up to Lancaster, NH, for the Street Fair 5k.
A few years ago I was the first overall finisher with a 17:55. So when the race started and I found myself in 20th place, I was slightly unnerved. I came through in 5:35 (exactly what I wanted) but the rest probably didn't help as much as some easy running would have. I died after passing a whole bunch of kids, but I did make it to the top 10. Kemp S. (17:44) passed me and dragged me through for a while, and I finished up in 17:54 (which turns out to be my best on this course).
Alex PR'ed again with 23:28, Nick broke 21:00 and Melissa had a much better race, although I didn't get her finishing time (probably 28:00 or so). X-C practice starts in two weeks, so the boys will be "training" for real soon. They will certainly hack off the seconds once they start running regularly.
Coming back for the double today, my hip was pretty sore. I had to get up at 5am to get to the race, and the first step out of bed was almost enough to put me right back into bed. Internal rotation on my fully extended hip and knee reproduced my usual hip pain, and it was sharp! I considered bagging, but grabbed a shower and some tylenol and went ahead with the drive.
Once the race started, I was fine. Well, my hip was fine. I didn't get my mile split on purpose, but after the fact discovered it was 5:35, same as yesterday (GPS watches are cool). By the second mile, I felt horrible, yesterday's race haunting my legs. Somehow I came through 3 miles in 17:25, and posted a 28 second last 0.1 (it's good to have 800m speed) nearly catching Adam M. and Phil E. The 17:53 was my best 5k since the Irish Rover (3/6/10; 17:51), so I am heading the right direction again. Since I felt horrible and doubled back, I am pretty sure I can go faster still.
I finished up 14th, and 5th in the 40's age division. Several good runners in the Seacoast Series just turned 40 this year (like Mike G -- good race!!) so my division just got a lot tougher! Last year, I would have won the age division; this year, I am struggling to stay in the top 5 in my age group for the series.
I will see everyone at Saunders (Nick is coming too -- although he is bummed there is no 12&under division).
This week I will continue to focus on core training (AM and PM pushups/inclined situps/circuit) hit the Tuesday race again (hopefully break 19:00 in the last race of this year's series) and try to catch one 10 miler (probably Wednesday, as the usual Sunday long run was displaced by a second 5k race). The following week includes the Madison 5k, and Cigna on Thursday, which is one of my favorites.
====
Darin
2010 -- Yes! I can run this year!
Not again.
That was my first thought as I made the appointment with the orthopedic surgeon. My mind flashed back to 1994; the 9th annual Christie Clinic 10k. It was the first race I paid for in advance! I had taken the week off prior to the race, as I was having an odd pain in my knees. It was a pain I didn't recognize, but I assumed it was benign and continued running. It had been slowly worsening over many weeks. Running 20 miles with the last 6 at 6:00 pace (with the Chicago marathon in mind) clearly did not help, but probably a week off would be enough.
Alas, it was not. As I tried to do some strides, I found I was unable to run even a few steps without severe pain. It was the kind of pain that you simply cannot run through. So I picked up my T-shirt, cheered on my friends, and went home.
I was not to compete again until 1999. After 3 years of esssentially no running, struggling with such treatments as ultrasound, ice, enough ibuprofen to permanently destroy my stomach, and physical therapy, I got to the point of running 1-2 days a week. I used knee wraps, and I iced after every type of physical activity (very religiously) for the next 9 years. Over time, I was able to slowly move up my training, such that by 2006 I was actually serious about running races. I was approaching 18:00 for 5k, and managed to move up to 30 miles a week.
Last year, my orthopedist friend (Dr. K) came up to me and said "Every time I see you running, you have those stupid wraps on; let's just scope you and figure out what is wrong."
One MRI later, I was pronounced completely healed, and I proceeded to go out that afternoon and run 10 miles. Sure, I was sore, but I had made the final step back to normalcy. I took off my security blanket knee wraps, quit icing after every run, and actually got stronger. The act of sitting on the floor with legs outstretched probably made me tighter; I realized that stretching made more sense than routine icing to prevent injury.
So when my hip started flaring up to the point where it hurt to walk, I was indeed very dismayed. I got an X-ray, and I showed it to another orthopedist (Dr. K was out of town). He announced that I needed surgery -- they would have to break my hip and clean out the joint to fix this problem.
After wrapping my brain around that, making a few calls to orthopedists who did the procedure, and sweating like a Sumo wrestler over a bonfire, I decided to get a second opinion.
After a few curbside consults with Dr. K, I finally broke down and made the appointment for a regular exam. But this pain wasn't as bad. It got better when I ran. It was almost certainly not related to the joint, Dr. K. said, so instead of getting an MRI, I took a week off and continued stretching. Plus, I had used acupuncture in the past, so I gave Kenji a call, and stabbed me full of needles, which helped.
Between the rest, acupuncture, celebrex, and traumeel (homeopathic cream) I actually got better. The pain is still around, I cannot lie on my right side, and after long or challenging runs I am very sore. But the problem seems to be more of a hip flexor injury, which should get better over time. I guess the tennis (which I started playing again this year) probably was responsible. So no tennis until this goes away.
In the meanwhile, it's back to running! I planned on doing lots of races this year (including the Seacoast Series) and hopefully I can report on my progress. Also, I hope to learn about blogging and website design (one can always use another skill set!)
Thanks to Jim and Kevin for putting yourselves out there in the blogosphere and getting me started in this venture!
====
Darin
That was my first thought as I made the appointment with the orthopedic surgeon. My mind flashed back to 1994; the 9th annual Christie Clinic 10k. It was the first race I paid for in advance! I had taken the week off prior to the race, as I was having an odd pain in my knees. It was a pain I didn't recognize, but I assumed it was benign and continued running. It had been slowly worsening over many weeks. Running 20 miles with the last 6 at 6:00 pace (with the Chicago marathon in mind) clearly did not help, but probably a week off would be enough.
Alas, it was not. As I tried to do some strides, I found I was unable to run even a few steps without severe pain. It was the kind of pain that you simply cannot run through. So I picked up my T-shirt, cheered on my friends, and went home.
I was not to compete again until 1999. After 3 years of esssentially no running, struggling with such treatments as ultrasound, ice, enough ibuprofen to permanently destroy my stomach, and physical therapy, I got to the point of running 1-2 days a week. I used knee wraps, and I iced after every type of physical activity (very religiously) for the next 9 years. Over time, I was able to slowly move up my training, such that by 2006 I was actually serious about running races. I was approaching 18:00 for 5k, and managed to move up to 30 miles a week.
Last year, my orthopedist friend (Dr. K) came up to me and said "Every time I see you running, you have those stupid wraps on; let's just scope you and figure out what is wrong."
One MRI later, I was pronounced completely healed, and I proceeded to go out that afternoon and run 10 miles. Sure, I was sore, but I had made the final step back to normalcy. I took off my security blanket knee wraps, quit icing after every run, and actually got stronger. The act of sitting on the floor with legs outstretched probably made me tighter; I realized that stretching made more sense than routine icing to prevent injury.
So when my hip started flaring up to the point where it hurt to walk, I was indeed very dismayed. I got an X-ray, and I showed it to another orthopedist (Dr. K was out of town). He announced that I needed surgery -- they would have to break my hip and clean out the joint to fix this problem.
After wrapping my brain around that, making a few calls to orthopedists who did the procedure, and sweating like a Sumo wrestler over a bonfire, I decided to get a second opinion.
After a few curbside consults with Dr. K, I finally broke down and made the appointment for a regular exam. But this pain wasn't as bad. It got better when I ran. It was almost certainly not related to the joint, Dr. K. said, so instead of getting an MRI, I took a week off and continued stretching. Plus, I had used acupuncture in the past, so I gave Kenji a call, and stabbed me full of needles, which helped.
Between the rest, acupuncture, celebrex, and traumeel (homeopathic cream) I actually got better. The pain is still around, I cannot lie on my right side, and after long or challenging runs I am very sore. But the problem seems to be more of a hip flexor injury, which should get better over time. I guess the tennis (which I started playing again this year) probably was responsible. So no tennis until this goes away.
In the meanwhile, it's back to running! I planned on doing lots of races this year (including the Seacoast Series) and hopefully I can report on my progress. Also, I hope to learn about blogging and website design (one can always use another skill set!)
Thanks to Jim and Kevin for putting yourselves out there in the blogosphere and getting me started in this venture!
====
Darin
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