I was about 7 kilometres into the Sandy Point Half Marathon. It was about 8.25am on a clear and crisply cold morning. Warmth had crept back into my hands after a chilly start and my legs had gotten the message that it was running time now and they were steadily pumping along even though a little tired. As I settled into my stride, I became more aware of my surroundings. That's when I noticed. I could hear the quiet. Nothing was breaking that quiet apart from the sound of runners footfalls and breathing. Nothing. For a few precious moments, the world had stopped making noise apart from the sounds of people running. No cars, no talking, not even any sounds of the waves on the nearby beach. It really stood out for me because moments like that come along so rarely. There was something special about it. It couldn't have happened earlier in the run as there was sporadic chatter between runners going on. It couldn't have happened later in the run because of spectators cheering and runners motivating each other to continue. It seemed like 7kms into a run on a cold day under a perfect blue sky on a free-from-cars road was the sweet spot for producing just that kind of serenity.
The run itself went very well. My aim was to run it at "marathon pace" which meant going slower than I'd like which in itself was a challenge. I spent a large part of the run checking my watch (I got a replacement watch sent to me on the Thursday before the run) to make sure I wasn't running too fast and regularly had to slow myself down when I would discover I'd gotten a bit carried away and was running a tad too quickly. I guess I was fortunate the run wasn't too hard because I was surviving on a bit less than 5.5 hours sleep due to a party the previous night combined with an early starting time for the run. My legs also started out feeling a bit tired due to a fair bit of running that week plus a busy day the day before which I spent most of standing up. Still, adrenalin and the urge to compete always kicks in when needed and I don't think it made much difference at all.
The race itself was a good one due to the surroundings. While we couldn't see too much of the sea while running on Beach road, the lack of cars really added to the atmosphere for me. It was also entertaining later on in the race when there were spectators on the side of the road with young kids who were holding out their hands for high fives with anyone who was happy to hand them out. I dealt out few. I also enjoyed watching one guy who seemed to be muttering to himself while he was running. He had a slightly lopsided running style as if he was trying to turn left but wasn't and he kept grunting under his breath and it really sounded like he was saying actual words. Weird dude.
I ended up running it in 1hr 55mins and 22sec. I was hoping for just under 2 hours so that wasn't too bad in the end. It made me realise how difficult it is to maintain a steady pace. It'll require vigilance at marathon time to make sure I don't come out of the blocks too fast.
Week 13 distance covered: 76.1 km (a tad inflated due to my long run being on a Monday!)
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Foot in a Bucket
So last night I started an email to a friend with the line:
"It's now 12.10am and I'm sitting at my desk with my left foot in a bucket of cold water."
It's probably one of the better starts to an email I've written. My foot was in a bucket of water because I was giving it a faux ice bath. I didn't have any ice available after my run and I really couldn't face getting into the bath up to my waist because it was late, so I decided to just soak one foot and then the other into a bucket of cold water and hope that would help reduce the swelling in my tired, overworked and slightly rebellious feet. Hard to say if it worked or not but I'd like to think the placebo effect alone can give me a bit of a boost.
The reason I was soaking my foot was that last night I finally ran 30kms. It took me a freakin' age and I still can't quite account for all of the time I spent. Unless I've got my times wrong, I think it took me 3.5 hours. Now there were some toilet stops, breaks for taking on water and energy gels, plus a good stretch session at the half way point but still, it seems like that took longer than I reckon it did. No matter, I finished the distance, I did it with no issues from my right foot and at the end I did it with energy to spare and a smile (well half smile, half grimace) on my face. I reckon I was doing it tougher at the 25km mark than I was at the 30km mark. By the end I was having to tell myself to slow down because I was getting a reasonable pace going (I was nearing that finish line!) and there's no need to be going fast and adding extra stress to the joints.
What I reckon I learned from that run was firstly that my feet felt better when running with more of a forward lean so that I was landing mid-foot rather than heel first. When I started landing heel first too often, I would sometimes get the slightest twinge of pain. I would then adjust my stride and all was good again. I also got a lot of confidence from the run. It's great to be able to finish a run and still have energy to spare. I only took two energy gels too. I thought i would have used more than that but closer to 30km, I was actually starting to feel a little like I wouldn't mind a quick vomit. The thought of taking on an energy gel didn't appeal at all which surprised me because they are a very tasty chocolate flavour and I usually really look forward to getting stuck into them!
The listening selection for the run began with three podcast episodes of History Of Rome. Fascinating stuff! Then it was onto all of the songs on my phone on random. It bounced from Wu Tang Clan across to The Walkmen and then over to Regina Spektor. All over the shop! Finally I finished up with the new Bon Iver album in an effort to help me slow myself down.
Right, well now I've gotta get the body right for Sunday's Sandy Point Half Marathon. I really hope I get my Garmin watch back before then!
"It's now 12.10am and I'm sitting at my desk with my left foot in a bucket of cold water."
It's probably one of the better starts to an email I've written. My foot was in a bucket of water because I was giving it a faux ice bath. I didn't have any ice available after my run and I really couldn't face getting into the bath up to my waist because it was late, so I decided to just soak one foot and then the other into a bucket of cold water and hope that would help reduce the swelling in my tired, overworked and slightly rebellious feet. Hard to say if it worked or not but I'd like to think the placebo effect alone can give me a bit of a boost.
The reason I was soaking my foot was that last night I finally ran 30kms. It took me a freakin' age and I still can't quite account for all of the time I spent. Unless I've got my times wrong, I think it took me 3.5 hours. Now there were some toilet stops, breaks for taking on water and energy gels, plus a good stretch session at the half way point but still, it seems like that took longer than I reckon it did. No matter, I finished the distance, I did it with no issues from my right foot and at the end I did it with energy to spare and a smile (well half smile, half grimace) on my face. I reckon I was doing it tougher at the 25km mark than I was at the 30km mark. By the end I was having to tell myself to slow down because I was getting a reasonable pace going (I was nearing that finish line!) and there's no need to be going fast and adding extra stress to the joints.
What I reckon I learned from that run was firstly that my feet felt better when running with more of a forward lean so that I was landing mid-foot rather than heel first. When I started landing heel first too often, I would sometimes get the slightest twinge of pain. I would then adjust my stride and all was good again. I also got a lot of confidence from the run. It's great to be able to finish a run and still have energy to spare. I only took two energy gels too. I thought i would have used more than that but closer to 30km, I was actually starting to feel a little like I wouldn't mind a quick vomit. The thought of taking on an energy gel didn't appeal at all which surprised me because they are a very tasty chocolate flavour and I usually really look forward to getting stuck into them!
The listening selection for the run began with three podcast episodes of History Of Rome. Fascinating stuff! Then it was onto all of the songs on my phone on random. It bounced from Wu Tang Clan across to The Walkmen and then over to Regina Spektor. All over the shop! Finally I finished up with the new Bon Iver album in an effort to help me slow myself down.
Right, well now I've gotta get the body right for Sunday's Sandy Point Half Marathon. I really hope I get my Garmin watch back before then!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Week 12 Wrap-up
Ok, so last week it was my left foot giving me trouble. This time it was my right foot's turn.
It started on Thursday night when I was supposed to run 16kms. The run was going along nicely. Firstly, I had seen two rats at different points along the run. Now I don't care what the animal is, when I spot an animal - ok maybe not a bird- then I have a great need to stop and check it out. For the second rat I actually had to wait a moment because all I initially saw was a tail disappearing into the dark murky water of the Yarra so I had to satisfy my curiosity that what I had seen really did belong to a rat. I figured the little bugger couldn't hold it's breath forever so I stood there waiting and sure enough, about 20 seconds later, up it jumped and onto a concrete structure near a bridge. I could go on about the rats but perhaps that's enough. I was also enjoying the run as I had listened to an interesting podcast about the rioting that had been taking place in London in the past week and had just moved onto a different podcast all about the history of ancient Rome. Both educational and great for making the time pass quickly. Then not long after seeing the second rat, at about the 7.5km mark, I felt sharp shooting pains coming up through the middle of my right foot. I pulled up very quickly and hobbled for a bit. Unable to place my foot on the ground squarely without a repeat of the shooting pain, I started trying to walk with the side of my runner. I decided that was the end of my run as I didn't want to risk making it any worse by continuing so made my way towards Richmond Station which I knew wasn't far away. Within a couple of minutes, I was able to walk normally again. So I guess that means it's not broken. I ended up catching the tram home and icing the foot.
On Friday it was a day off from running so I took it easy, did some more icing of the foot and hoped it would be right by Saturday. It gave me no pain at all which was a good sign.
On Saturday I tested the foot out by running 8km in the evening. It went alright. I could sort of feel some sort of slight soreness underneath my foot but it didn't really give me any pain or anything.
Today I was supposed to run 30km at around lunchtime. I didn't do it though. I just didn't feel confident enough of it surviving the stresses I would have put it under. So instead I ended up riding 10kms fast so that at least I got my heart rate up.
My plan now is to run the 30km tomorrow. Depending on how the foot goes I guess. I just need to be very careful. Fingers crossed. Or perhaps that should be toes crossed...
Week 12 distance covered: 25.25 km
It started on Thursday night when I was supposed to run 16kms. The run was going along nicely. Firstly, I had seen two rats at different points along the run. Now I don't care what the animal is, when I spot an animal - ok maybe not a bird- then I have a great need to stop and check it out. For the second rat I actually had to wait a moment because all I initially saw was a tail disappearing into the dark murky water of the Yarra so I had to satisfy my curiosity that what I had seen really did belong to a rat. I figured the little bugger couldn't hold it's breath forever so I stood there waiting and sure enough, about 20 seconds later, up it jumped and onto a concrete structure near a bridge. I could go on about the rats but perhaps that's enough. I was also enjoying the run as I had listened to an interesting podcast about the rioting that had been taking place in London in the past week and had just moved onto a different podcast all about the history of ancient Rome. Both educational and great for making the time pass quickly. Then not long after seeing the second rat, at about the 7.5km mark, I felt sharp shooting pains coming up through the middle of my right foot. I pulled up very quickly and hobbled for a bit. Unable to place my foot on the ground squarely without a repeat of the shooting pain, I started trying to walk with the side of my runner. I decided that was the end of my run as I didn't want to risk making it any worse by continuing so made my way towards Richmond Station which I knew wasn't far away. Within a couple of minutes, I was able to walk normally again. So I guess that means it's not broken. I ended up catching the tram home and icing the foot.
On Friday it was a day off from running so I took it easy, did some more icing of the foot and hoped it would be right by Saturday. It gave me no pain at all which was a good sign.
On Saturday I tested the foot out by running 8km in the evening. It went alright. I could sort of feel some sort of slight soreness underneath my foot but it didn't really give me any pain or anything.
Today I was supposed to run 30km at around lunchtime. I didn't do it though. I just didn't feel confident enough of it surviving the stresses I would have put it under. So instead I ended up riding 10kms fast so that at least I got my heart rate up.
My plan now is to run the 30km tomorrow. Depending on how the foot goes I guess. I just need to be very careful. Fingers crossed. Or perhaps that should be toes crossed...
Week 12 distance covered: 25.25 km
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Week 11 Wrap-up
This week I was back to feeling fit and healthy again. Makes such a difference! I had a good hard week. In the space of 4 days (Thursday to Sunday) I ran 16kms, 0kms, 8kms and 28kms. That's 52kms in 4 days which included my new farthest distance.
The 28kms wasn't too bad apart from a foot issue. I'll admit I was tired and wanting to stop by the end but I could have gone longer. Not sure how much longer but definitely there was a little more in the tank. Which feels good when I consider that in the actual marathon, I won't have run many kms at all in the preceding two or three week so my legs will be as fresh as daisies - hardcore running daisies that is!!
The sore foot was interesting. I had been feeling sore in my left foot on the outside near my little toe while running 16kms along Beach Rd on Thursday evening. I'd been a bit concerned it might recur on Sundays run and sure enough, by about the 11km mark it really started becoming uncomfortable. I tried to walk it off for about 100metres but that didn't work. I was starting to think that my long run was going to be cut very short. In fact I was already having horrible thoughts of how long this "injury" was going to keep me out for and when I would be able to see the podiatrist during the week. I pretty well had the whole marathon called off in my head as I envisioned the worst case scenario/s. Then I stopped and readjusted my shoelaces. I eased up on the tension in the shoelaces mostly down the end and in the middle, laced them up again reasonably snug at the top and tried running again. And it was good! The foot felt fine! I waited for it to reoccur at some point and by around the 14km mark (half way!), it was still pain-free and I decided that I had really solved it - my foot must have been swelling up a little as I ran and my shoes were too tight and therefore causing some "squishing" of the foot. Easing the shoelaces made a little more room for my foot and all was good! I felt very relieved.
I ended the run by stopping in at the local bottle shop to buy 5kg of ice so I could have an ice bath. I didn't want any trouble from my run and if they say that an ice bath will help me recover then sure, lock it in! It wasn't much fun. One thing I noticed is that the initial shock of feeling cold once I lowered myself into the water went away after about a minute. It's like my thighs and calves and so on were able to somehow compensate or deal with it. The pain of the cold on my feet however remained for the whole 15mins or so that I was in the water. But hey, all worth it in the end if it helps me achieve my goal.
Only other thing I'll mention is how I've been noticing how much sleep I find myself needing. A nap followed my run on Sunday arvo. I knew there was no escaping the need for a snooze so surrendered to it and woke up about 1hr 20mins later. Felt a tad better for it too. I figure it makes sense to get horizontal and allow the body to do some healing while I've checked out of the world for a while. It's a pity however that my body does tend to want to fall asleep more often during the day! On trains, trams, while watching films (the Melbourne International Film Festival was regularly interrupted by short periods of battling to stay awake and failing!) and I've struggled on occasion in the afternoon after a big lunch at work. I seem to be pretty busy these days with various bit and pieces of my life so I guess that's wearing me out as well but the running is definitely requiring more sleep for all the repair work I'm requiring. I just need to make sure it gets it - not always as easy as it should be!
Week 11 distance covered: 67 km
The 28kms wasn't too bad apart from a foot issue. I'll admit I was tired and wanting to stop by the end but I could have gone longer. Not sure how much longer but definitely there was a little more in the tank. Which feels good when I consider that in the actual marathon, I won't have run many kms at all in the preceding two or three week so my legs will be as fresh as daisies - hardcore running daisies that is!!
The sore foot was interesting. I had been feeling sore in my left foot on the outside near my little toe while running 16kms along Beach Rd on Thursday evening. I'd been a bit concerned it might recur on Sundays run and sure enough, by about the 11km mark it really started becoming uncomfortable. I tried to walk it off for about 100metres but that didn't work. I was starting to think that my long run was going to be cut very short. In fact I was already having horrible thoughts of how long this "injury" was going to keep me out for and when I would be able to see the podiatrist during the week. I pretty well had the whole marathon called off in my head as I envisioned the worst case scenario/s. Then I stopped and readjusted my shoelaces. I eased up on the tension in the shoelaces mostly down the end and in the middle, laced them up again reasonably snug at the top and tried running again. And it was good! The foot felt fine! I waited for it to reoccur at some point and by around the 14km mark (half way!), it was still pain-free and I decided that I had really solved it - my foot must have been swelling up a little as I ran and my shoes were too tight and therefore causing some "squishing" of the foot. Easing the shoelaces made a little more room for my foot and all was good! I felt very relieved.
I ended the run by stopping in at the local bottle shop to buy 5kg of ice so I could have an ice bath. I didn't want any trouble from my run and if they say that an ice bath will help me recover then sure, lock it in! It wasn't much fun. One thing I noticed is that the initial shock of feeling cold once I lowered myself into the water went away after about a minute. It's like my thighs and calves and so on were able to somehow compensate or deal with it. The pain of the cold on my feet however remained for the whole 15mins or so that I was in the water. But hey, all worth it in the end if it helps me achieve my goal.
Only other thing I'll mention is how I've been noticing how much sleep I find myself needing. A nap followed my run on Sunday arvo. I knew there was no escaping the need for a snooze so surrendered to it and woke up about 1hr 20mins later. Felt a tad better for it too. I figure it makes sense to get horizontal and allow the body to do some healing while I've checked out of the world for a while. It's a pity however that my body does tend to want to fall asleep more often during the day! On trains, trams, while watching films (the Melbourne International Film Festival was regularly interrupted by short periods of battling to stay awake and failing!) and I've struggled on occasion in the afternoon after a big lunch at work. I seem to be pretty busy these days with various bit and pieces of my life so I guess that's wearing me out as well but the running is definitely requiring more sleep for all the repair work I'm requiring. I just need to make sure it gets it - not always as easy as it should be!
Week 11 distance covered: 67 km
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Week 10 Wrap-up
A tough week. I ran a great Tuesday evening speed run. Finished that feeling totally wasted and happy with my efforts. The next day I started to feel achy like I was coming down with a cold. This feeling of achiness persisted through Wednesday, Thursday and Friday during which time I didn't run at all - it was all early nights and feeling sorry for myself! By Saturday I was about 95% feeling good again so I chanced a 5km run and it went alright although took a little while longer than usual to warm up. So I ended up missing three days of training plus which I guess doesn't seem like much but it also affected the fact that I was supposed to run 28km on Sunday. It didn't seem so wise so soon after recovering from being sick so I ended up running 19kms instead.
Sundays 19kms were a hard slog. I had had a late night and hadn't really eaten before I ran. Combine this with whatever bug I had had and I think it left me with lower levels of energy because by the last km of my 19kms, I was feeling really knackered. More knackered than I should feel after running that distance. I came home, ate lunch and fell asleep on the couch in front of the footy - a not uncommon thing for me to do after a long run these days! :)
Anyway, it's the tougher weeks like these that they say make you a better runner. Meanwhile I figure the resting while I was sick should have done my legs some good so I guess there's the positive.
I'm now aiming at doing the big week that was scheduled for last week, this week. So this Sunday morning I plan to wake up well rested and hydrated, I'll eat some food, and then I'll run a nice casual 28kms. I'm looking forward to it!
Week 10 distance covered: 34.6 km
Sundays 19kms were a hard slog. I had had a late night and hadn't really eaten before I ran. Combine this with whatever bug I had had and I think it left me with lower levels of energy because by the last km of my 19kms, I was feeling really knackered. More knackered than I should feel after running that distance. I came home, ate lunch and fell asleep on the couch in front of the footy - a not uncommon thing for me to do after a long run these days! :)
Anyway, it's the tougher weeks like these that they say make you a better runner. Meanwhile I figure the resting while I was sick should have done my legs some good so I guess there's the positive.
I'm now aiming at doing the big week that was scheduled for last week, this week. So this Sunday morning I plan to wake up well rested and hydrated, I'll eat some food, and then I'll run a nice casual 28kms. I'm looking forward to it!
Week 10 distance covered: 34.6 km
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