This weekend

I ended up playing catch up again today.  I felt really sick all day yesterday and didn't make it out, so I ran today.  I had another fast run today for 3.5 miles.

Friday's run didn't go so great.  My knees were really bothering me the whole time.  I only went 2.8 miles.  

I've been running faster on my short runs, but still having issues with my knees on the longer ones.  All I can do is be patient and work myself into shape I guess.

Shorts!

I was home early today so there was still daylight when I went out for my run. Apparently this is our last day of warm weather before we get hammered by snow again. I decided to be one of the brave (read: foolish) people who wore shorts for running today. I was somewhat surprised by how many people did the same.

It was great to see so many people out and about in the sunshine. It made it feel almost like spring. Hopefully the snow we get tomorrow won't stick around too long.

I took off nice and fast and felt pretty good. Again my knee started to act up though. It's been worse the last few runs despite my best efforts to take care of it. I ran a total of 4.5 files again. My pace was great but it's a good thing I didn't go much further. I'm afraid that my knee will be pretty sore tomorrow as it is.

Two short runs

Next post I promise I'll actually try to write about something more than just the basics of my runs, but not tonight. It's late already.

Saturday I just ran around Lake Harriet. I felt very run down for some reason even though I didn't have much going on this weekend, so I didn't try to go too far.

Today I tried to go a little farther. I went about half a mile around Lake Calhoun before I decided to turn around. My knee was already starting to feel achy. My pace was good for the 4.5 miles that I ran, but I'm pretty disappointed in my knee acting up again.

Another good one

The warm weather recently had made it so the only real obstacles in running are the puddles. Now that we're back to some more seasonable weather those puddles are nice slick ice sheets. It could certainly be a lot worse, but it did slow me down a bit. Since I run after dark, it's hard to spot the ice so I have to be extra careful.

That said, I had a really good run tonight. I went around both Lakes Harriet and Calhoun and only had some minor knee pain. I was concerned here and there that it was going to get bad, but luckily that never happened. I told myself over and over to turn back if I started to feel knee pain so that it wouldn't be really bad by the finish. I definitely would've been more prudent to do so, but I ignored myself and got lucky.

My pace was much better than the last time I ran that far as well. My mile pace was down by 13 seconds. I don't feel like I'm forcing it as much lately, which is great. My form feels a lot more natural and I'm able to relax while running. If I can consistently go for these longer runs without too much knee trouble, I'll be well on my way back to shape.

Don't drink and run

I had a happy hour after work tonight and didn't get home until about 8:30. I wanted to get a run in so I'd be back on schedule. However, a big meal and a couple of beers is not really the best running preparation in the world. I did manage to run around Lake Harriet and go at a decent pace again though. It wasn't my most pleasant run, but I'm glad I made it out.

Weekend running

I had a couple of good runs the last few days. Friday I ran around Lake Harriet (2.8 miles) but managed to pick up my pace from an average of 10 minute miles to less than 9 minute miles. I felt really good the whole run. Sunday was a long day and I wasn't feeling well so I put off my run until today.

Today I ran 3.5 files with a pace just over 9 minute miles. Again I felt really good throughout the run. I'm sure a lot of the progress on these runs is because they are short runs and I don't have time to feel the strain on my knees. It has been nice to pick up the pace though.

So close

Tonight's run couldn't have been much different than Monday's. I started out fast with no knee pain at all. I decided to go for both lakes. At about the halfway point I started to notice some aching in my knee but nothing serious. I was able to keep it going pretty well until I only had about a half of a mile to go, at which point the knee pain really kicked in again. I fought through the last little bit and finished with an average pace of about 9:50 per mile. That's pretty good in my recent running history, so even with the bad ending I'm feeling pretty good about tonight's run. And yes, I did make sure to take some drugs to stop the knee from swelling this time.

Not great

Whatever optimism I had on Saturday was gone Sunday morning when I woke up. My knee hurt all day long yesterday and much of the day today. Saturday after my run I probably should've taken some ibuprofen, but I decided against it. That was a big mistake.

I still went out for a run tonight, but I just went once around Lake Harriet. I actually had my watch with me today so I found that it is 2.85 miles. I actually went at a pretty good pace, but my knee hurt quite a bit. There were stretches where I felt pretty good, but the pain kept coming back. Tonight I did take some ibuprofen so hopefully my knee won't be worse tomorrow. We'll see.

Still battling with the knee

I got a long run in tonight. I went around Lake Harriet and Lake Calhoun for the 6.87 miles again. My overall pace wasn't great. I had trouble getting into rhythm early on, but I switched my music to something a little more mellow which seemed to help out. I felt like I had a limping stride for awhile, but my knee didn't hurt until about three quarters through the run.

At that point my knee really started to become a problem. I had to slow down quite a bit to keep going, but I was able to finish. My knee feels ok now and it's been less painful in general. It's still frustrating since I feel like I could be going faster and farther if it weren't for my knee. I'm still hopeful that things are getting better though.

Good Run Tonight

Tonight was a very good run. It was about 25 degrees out tonight so it felt great. My knees weren't even bothering me too much. The worst pain that I felt was some mild discomfort.

It would've been a good night for a long run, but I made a couple of key mistakes. First I procrastinated way too long and didn't get out of the house until almost 10. Second I had a pretty heavy supper that didn't sit well. I ended up only going for 3.5 miles again, but my pace was really good (relatively). It's supposed to stay warm for a couple of more days, so I'm hoping I can try for a long run on Saturday. We'll see how it goes.

Another chilly night

The temperature was about 1 degree tonight when I went out. I ran about 3.5 miles averaging around 10 minute miles. I felt pretty good for the most part, but I'm still battling my knee every run. I am able to run without any knee braces, but by the end of even a short run like this my knee is pretty aggravated. I think the pain has been a little less on the side of my knee and a little more under the knee cap. I'm not sure if it's due to the work I've been doing or just a change in running form, but that pain feels a little more manageable. I'd like to go for a longer run on Thursday since it's supposed to warm up later this week. We'll see how it goes.

Weekend running

For the record, I haven't been lazy with running, just lazy with blogging. Friday I ran 3 miles and felt pretty good. Sunday was like Minnesota spring since it got up to the 30s. I managed the run around lakes Harriet and Calhoun even though much of it was a battle with my knees. I've come to the determination that I need to work on losing my weight independently of running. At the moment I'm in this kind of catch 22 situation where I want to lose weight to be able to run better, but the weight makes it hard to run.

So we'll see if I can cut down on some weight and hopefully help out my knees a little. I'll likely go for a shorter run tomorrow but I'll be out there again!

Well, at least I ran

That's about the only good thing I can say about tonight's run. I wasn't feeling very well tonight and it took me awhile to get out the door. My knee was still not 100%, so I put a brace on it before I took off. It seemed to be more of a burden than a help though. My motion was limited and my muscles felt tight. I ended up pulling the brace down around my ankle for the second half of the run.

The other problem was that I just felt like I was out of gas tonight. Every step took more effort than usual. I only ran around Lake Harriet (about 3 miles), but it seemed to take forever. At the end of my run I didn't feel worn out, but I think it was probably the right distance to go with my knee still bugging me.

I'm hoping Friday goes better. It doesn't hurt to have an off day once in awhile, but I don't want to make a habit of it.

Delusions of Grandeur

I set out today on a task that would make Odysseus cringe. Not only was I going to defy my knee pain by running another 6+ miles, but I was going to do it in the bitter Minnesota cold. The wind chill was -10. Surely only the most dedicated athletes would be out and about today.

I started out at about 8:00 pm well after dark and after the cold had set in. I set out at a bold pace daring the cold to do its best to stop me. After about 1.5 miles I saw another person. Another warrior runner out fighting the good fight. I gave him the time honored salute of the head nod as we passed each other in the darkness.

Another 1.5 miles passed without the sight of another human being. I felt great pride in my intense dedication to my personal betterment. Few other souls would dare brave the elements like me. Then I saw another person in the distance. Surely another gladiator like myself. As I got closer I saw who it was: a sixty year old man walking his dogs. No soldier, battling mother nature, just an old dude giving his dogs a chance to poop.

Needless to say that stopped my little tough guy fantasy.

It was a good run though. I did make it the 6.87 miles again, but my watch lost satellite signals a few times and I couldn't start it right away so I didn't get much good data. I started out faster than last time, but by the end my knee was acting up quite a bit so I was at a slow jog. My rhythm is definitely getting better, but the knee still stops me from being too consistent. Slowly but surely I'm getting there.

I'm really looking forward to my next run, even if I'm not the only person out braving the cold.

Cold weather, Long run

The temperature dropped again today. I made sure to run in the middle of the day but it was still only 1 degree. I was bundled up appropriately though so it wasn't too bad.

For those not familiar with the area I'm in, I live near Lake Harriet in Minneapolis. In the summer I just run from home to Lake Harriet, but in the winter I don't trust the sidewalks on the way to the Lake. Minneapolis does a great job of keeping the trails around the lakes safe, so I drive to the lake and start running there.

On my last run, I ran around Lake Harriet and then down to Lake Calhoun. I was determined to run a little farther today than Thursday, but I probably over did it a bit. In order to go further, I started going around Lake Calhoun today. I kept telling myself I should turn back at various points. The last thing I want to do is reinjure my knee. I didn't listen to myself though and ended up running around all of Lake Calhoun as well.

It was pretty slow going for the most part. My knee ached on and off, but never anything too serious. The total distance was 6.87 miles and it took me 1:11:21. I'm feeling good because I was able to get a nice long run in, but I still have a ways to go. Last summer, this would've been my normal or short run and I would've done it much faster.

Finding That Rhythm

Years ago I ran like I lift weights. I'd go out there and run as hard as I could until I couldn't run anymore. That worked to a degree. The problem was I never really felt comfortable while I was running. I'd often be out of breath and my pace would decrease significantly as the run went on.

Once I started to focus on form and pace my running improved by leaps and bounds. When I was really in the swing of things I could get done with a long run, take a few deep breaths and walk into the house and be more or less recovered.

Today's run showed me how much my ability has decreased over the last few months. Not only have I lost the stamina I had, but my rhythm as well. When I started out, I was breathing too heavily and wasn't keeping a steady pace. I spent most of my time trying to find the right pace and right rhythm for breathing.

The bad news is that I had a really tough time doing that. The good news is by the end of the run I had some success. I don't feel nearly as good as I used to after a run, but I'm getting there.

I forgot my GPS again today but I did tack on a little extra distance from Tuesday. I went around Lake Harriet plus down the road to Lake Calhoun and back. That's more than 3.5 but less than 4 miles. My pace was probably slower overall since I was really working on finding a comfortable pace.

I was really worried that I'd get home and my knee would be shot. That little extra I went contains a pretty decent hill. Luckily my knee is feeling pretty good though.

I'm excited to go out again. I'll probably wait until Saturday because I'm still afraid of pushing things too hard, but who knows, I may be able to add even more distance then.

Ready to Blog

Hi everyone and welcome to my inaugural blog post. Let me lay out what this blog will be about and why I decided to blog about running.

Last January I decided to make a goal of running my first marathon. I'd been running on and off for years but had never been fully committed to it. Through a lot of time and effort I was able to finish the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon in on October. I certainly didn't set any records but it was a huge accomplishment for me.

At that point I felt like I had finally gotten a good groove going with my running. It felt great to complete a goal like that, and I wanted to continue. I signed up for the Phoenix Marathon on Jan 18th so I'd have another goal to keep me focused.

Unfortunately a combination of holiday travel, extremely cold weather and a nagging knee injury kept me from accomplishing that goal. Sadly since I ran the marathon I've gained around 20 pounds and lost much of my running stamina. I badly want to get back into shape because of the great feeling I get when I have a good run. I've never felt better in my life than when I crossed that finish line at the marathon.

So my goal in creating this blog is completely self serving. I want to blog about my workouts to get support from others and also to give me a little extra incentive to get out there and run. It's tougher to skip a workout when I know that everyone can see that I'm slacking.

Hopefully I can offer some items of interest, at least to other amateur runners like myself. There is a lot more to running than just going out there and doing it as many of you know well. I plan on talking about various running related topics along with my posts about my workouts.

So, please check back. I'll be posting an update at least every time I run. With that, here is today's workout:

I got out today for the first time in about a week. Last week we had record low temperatures and then I had my non-marathon-running trip to Phoenix where I continued to slack off. I went out at about 8:00 for a run around Lake Harriet. I forgot my GPS watch, but the run is about 3 miles.

My pace felt pretty good (which for me is under ten minute miles). Since it is much warmer than last week I felt like I could go without gloves. That was a big mistake. I ended up running with my hands in my pockets for part of the run. That threw me off a bit, but at least next time I'll know better.

My knee is still pretty achy, so 3 miles was probably about right. I'd love to run further, but I don't want to push it. I'm planning on running again Thursday so I'll post again then.