« and how, again | Main | week 18 starts now, and 3 resolutions »
May 18, 2008
proof there are penguins in Florida
numbahs:
M: AM 5mi (8:53), 6mi bike (31min). PM 6.22mi bike (31min)
T: AM 7mi (8:40). PM 6.47mi bike (31min)
W: 6mi (8:30)
R: 7mi (9:10)
F: AM 7mi (9:03). PM 6.25mi bike (30min)
Sa: 8mi (9:16)
Su: 15mi (9:44)
total: 55 miles running, 24.9 miles bike unless I bike later today
Did you read that right? About today's 15-miler, I mean. 9:44 pace. I just wanted to make sure you read that right. Yes, you did.
By the end of the week I was pretty ragged. I saw lots of patients, and more than 75% of the workload was between Wednesday and Friday. My hands and arms bore the brunt of it, but I was just plain tired. Friday afternoon I got on the bike after a few days off cycling and decided to try and maintain 95-100rpm the entire ride. It didn't seem that hard, and I didn't think anything of it. Saturday I woke up to glowering gray sky, 78F, 114563% rh, breathless and still. A mile into the run my friggin' LEFT KNEE started to hurt sharply because I'd apparently done something STUPID to the quad like maintaining 95 RPM on a friggin' BICYCLE the day before. I could run, but only at a snail's pace, which just prolonged the annoyance of running in x-treme heat and humidity.
I spent the rest of the day babying the quad and worrying about today's 15-miler. I made an appointment at a we-never-close type of massage place had probably the worst-feeling massage of my entire life - I could not wait to get off the table - but my legs felt better afterwards. (My neck and shoulders, however, are bruised and battered). This morning at 6am we had another glowering gray sky, 79F and 255149% rh, and I had plenty of doubts, but I set out to cover 15 miles without pain and without looking at my watch. Both of which I accomplished. Nothing hurt while I was "running," but I just did not or could not get going at all. At one point I shut my mouth and just breathed through my nose a while. When I finished and saw I'd run 9:44 pace, I just about cried.
I'm trying to look for a bright side, or a bunch of excuses. I ran 55 miles this week, yay! a 15-mile "long" run, yay! I have one more week of buildup before starting the Pfitz plan, so anything could happen, right? This is the time of year when our summer weather is the most odious because we have to get used to it. I'm working at a very physical job which has been busier than usual, so I have to get used to that too. And I'm trying to avoid the minefield of secondary, compensatory injuries I always encounter after a major injury. And even though I xtrained while I couldn't run, there are no short cuts back to "where I was" before I got injured.
But 9:44 pace? Bloody hell.
Posted by joe positive at May 18, 2008 11:52 AM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.running-blogs.com/mt/R-B-tb.cgi/1390
Comments
My paces have been much slower this spring and I think the NUMBER ONE reason is that I am so much more exhausted. I am easily getting 1-2 hours less sleep than I did last year and it is really kicking my butt. When I get great sleep, viola, much better. When exhausted (which is usually lately), my HR is through the roof at crazy slow paces. Interestingly, when I am really tired, I get "twinges" so much more frequently. So, those are my thoughts.
Good luck with Pfitz. Always a solid choice IMO.
Posted by: mindi at May 18, 2008 8:52 PM
I'd like to add it was hot and muggy as hell. That will slow you way down. Don't sweat it. Plus, it's probably good for you. I'd hate to see you end up one of those people who does too much too soon after injury only to get reinjured. No more injuries this year! I want you back in Ohio this fall!
Posted by: Salty at May 19, 2008 4:58 PM
Hi, I'm still living vicariously through your blog! Please try not to push too hard pace-wise. I don't want to be reading about injury on top of injury. It's all Time On Legs - and sounds like your average work day has a *lot* of that before you even start your bike or run workout. Sending you extra energy from the Left Coast!
Posted by: Daniel at May 21, 2008 5:54 PM