11/28- Weather was more like Seattle than Birmingham today and it will not be any better tomorrow. Temps never got much above 40 and there was a light rain or mist all day. Again, I opted for an indoor run and it went well. I think that the slump is officially over. Now that I have stopped the Juice Plus, my Thym-Adren dosage has jumped back up but the sensitivity seems to have diminished a bit. Workout was 7 miles in 50:52 (7:16 pace/ 3:10 marathon) plus an extra quarter mile in 82 seconds. That would have been near 75 outdoors without the tight turns. 1/4 mile warm and 1/2 mile cool to hit an even 8 on the day. Again, volume will be light this week because of the prolotherapy appointment on Friday but I hope to get at least 30-35 in the first 5 days. Can I stand to do 10 indoors tomorrow?
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=8.0
11/29- Answer to the previous question is yes. I actually think the weather was worse today. Upper 30s and windy and mist never stopped. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny with temps near 50. Much better. Today's workout was good. 10 miles in 74:47 (7:29 pace). Solid and even pace all the way. I never went over 7:33. I did not feel quite as strong as yesterday but still very solid overall. I'm back up to 8 Thym-Adren. I'd like to cut that down but I've got to do what makes me feel my best.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=10.0
11/30- Darkest evening of the year. 4:39 sunset today, which is tied for the earliest of the year. To clarify, the day with the shortest amount of daylight is Dec. 21 but days begin to "get longer" now. The morning sunrise will continue to occur later until mid January.
Average performance today. Trak Shak 5 outdoors in 34:55 (6:59 pace). I suppose that considering the paces I've run this week, it's not so bad but I was off form today. I tried cutting down from 8-7 and my body was too loose. The only way to reduce it is to go back to the Juice Plus and that did not work so well. I had to rally from behind in the last mile just to secure the sub-7 pace to prevent a "C." Stopped several times because I'm extra cautious in the dark.
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=5.0
12/1- AM run indoors (outside temp was 26 degrees). Covered 4 miles in 30:21 (7:35 pace). Not a real hard effort and it's acceptable for an easy day but my body is feeling a bit out of sync again. I hope to get another easy one in tomorrow then I will have to take the weekend off.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=4.0
12/2- Confusing. My paces were good but I just wasn't feeling it today. I think part of it was mental. I almost never run all 5 week days and when I do, it's only to make up for a horrible performance earlier in the week. I did lapse on my diet again yesterday and may be paying the price now. I ended up at 3 miles total with a rest at 1.5. The first half was 9:48 (6:32 pace) but I didn't time the 2nd half. I'm checking out for the weekend. I'll be back on Monday.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=3.0
12/3- Forced rest day (prolotherapy). I decided to volunteer at a local 5K and I'm glad I did but this is still a rather depressing day. I only had 6 shots this time instead of 9 so I might be up for a junk run tomorrow. Either way, it won't be graded.
12/4- Naked 2 mile run at Veteran's Park. I could have gone longer but chose not to. This won't do anything for my fitness but I just wanted to get out there. 65 degrees outside and I was out there running in shorts in December. Felt slightly better today both physically and emotionally. Time to go to work starting tomorrow.
Grade:Pass/0 credit/distance=2.0
Weekly summary:
Enough slacking. I've only got 7 weeks of quality training to go until my next round of racing and Christmas will be a built in cut back. I thought the slump was over after a strong start to the week but it seems that I've slipped out of sync again. YTD total stands at 1,933 miles. Barring disaster, it's 2 weeks until I hit the 2K mark.
Distance=32.0/GPA= 21.1/7= 3.01
Monday, November 28, 2011
Sunday, November 20, 2011
White River half RR
Training:
I really felt like I was in the best shape of my life. I had been coming off 3 consecutive 50 mile weeks including the best long run of my life by far (18 @ 7:21 pace) and I was primed for a sub-1:30 attempt. Up until about a week ago, I fully expected to do it. Then the taper madness hit. I never felt in sync all week long and my dosage went down during the week then back up prior to the race. I really did not have a good feeling about this one at all.
Trip:
This is state #12 in my 25 state quest and my first Arkansas race experience. The race is located in the small town of Cotter (pop 900) in the north central part of the state, just across the Missouri line. The only nearby town that you may have heard of is Mountain Home, about 10 miles away. In terms of nearby cities, it's about 3 hours due north of Little Rock and 2 hours south of Springfield, MO. I worked a whole day on Thursday, drove 4 hours to Memphis that night then it was all country roads for another 3.5 hours into town. Arkansas is an interesting state geographically. The eastern third is pancake flat and not a very exciting drive. If there's a race in West Memphis or Jonesboro, it would be a very fast course. The northwestern quadrant is very hilly with strikingly beautiful lakes. The race was located at the edge of the Ozarks and I'm sure it's nice in the Spring and Summer but in late November, there's not much to do. That's okay with me. I was there for a fast time and this course was all along a river and billed as one of the flattest in the country.
Race morning:
Once again, I did not feel right in the morning even with with normal dosage so I upped it and it was something that I would regret. The course went downhill for about 5/8 of a mile then leveled off or as I should say, became gently rolling. Indeed it was a fast course but the area down by the river was not perfectly flat. The first half had a bit more up than down, which made for a nice end. On the downhill, do I bank time or bank energy? Hopefully, a little of both. I would run about 6:50 effort, which I figured would equate to more like 6:30 with the downhill. I was out a little faster but it still felt pretty much effortless and I came through the Mile marker in 6:21, giving me a cushion of about 2.5 seconds/mile to the finish. I kept the effort even down by the river but my pace was still a little fast. By mile 3, I felt the first signs of trouble. I made the decision to deliberately slow to the mid 6:50s but I had to push just to maintain that. My calf muscles were as stiff as a board. Too many pills. Dumb. This could turn out to be a nightmare. I knew that there was no way that I could hold this pace another 10 miles and I feared that it could be a meltdown on the level of Nashville in which I had to walk some in the last 2 miles and saw my pace go over 9. Determined to avoid that, I punted early and settled into a fairly comfortable effort. Approximate splits:
6:21 (6:21) downhill
6:44 (13:05) plenty of time in the bank
6:53 (19:58) this does not feel right
7:02 (27:00) ready to punt
I expected that every subsequent mile would be another 15-20 seconds slower and by the end, my pace would be in the 9s and I'd have to walk some of it. I hit the portajohn in an attempt to clear some excess out of my system. It cost me about 30+ seconds but it seemed to be a good investment. Before too long, I was feeling better. I managed to re-pass 2 runners and decided to throw in a surge at the turnaround point. With less than 10K to go, the sub-1:30 was gone and probably the PR as well but I still had a chance at a "good time" (1:31:xx) if I could maintain it to the line. I heard a few encouraging comments such as : "Yeah. Push it." What a surprising turn of events. Perhaps the slow down earlier would allow me to do better in the last 5K this time.
7:50 (34:50) bathroom
7:15 (42:05) just get this over with
7:05 (49:10) what's happening. I'm feeling better.
6:48 (55:58) back under 7 pace, can still get a good time.
By the end of that mile, it was becoming clear that I could not hold it. I would run the best I could for the next 5 miles but it was not very good. However, if you had told me in Mile 4 that I could hold these paces late in the race, I would have been thrilled. Two other factors were holding me back. The winds were picking up (15 mph) right into my face and I was running in no mans land. It was quite a lonely last 5 miles. In the final tenth, I took a few steps in the wrong direction because I could not see the finish area. After that point, I did not kick it in because I no longer cared.
7:02 (63:00) looking like a 1:32:xx
7:15 (70:15) thankfully,this will be over soon
7:32 (77:47) stopped for a full cup of Gatorade and water.
7:18 (86:05) do I have enough pride to finish strong?
7:03 (1:32:08) still battling but the course will be measured a hair long.
1:26 - last .17 once it turned 1:33, I no longer cared.
Finish: 1:33:34 (7:09 pace)
Final thought:
My initial reaction was Ehh but this one is aging well. I was 17 seconds/mi off my goal on a fast course with good temps and moderate wind. That's not good by any stretch but it could have been a lot worse. In Mile 4, I feared a ghastly fade with a finish time over 1:40. That did not happen. If not for the 2 stops, it would have been in the 1:32s. That's still not close to the goal or even a PR but it's far from my worst also. I'll be lenient and give myself a "B." I've cheated on my sugar restrictions of late and I think that's what caused the minor instability with the pills. Still, there is no need for manganese or chromium. I had some soreness in my feet after the race. I think it's related to the pills but I'm leaning towards a few days off since I'm not racing for 2 months.
I really felt like I was in the best shape of my life. I had been coming off 3 consecutive 50 mile weeks including the best long run of my life by far (18 @ 7:21 pace) and I was primed for a sub-1:30 attempt. Up until about a week ago, I fully expected to do it. Then the taper madness hit. I never felt in sync all week long and my dosage went down during the week then back up prior to the race. I really did not have a good feeling about this one at all.
Trip:
This is state #12 in my 25 state quest and my first Arkansas race experience. The race is located in the small town of Cotter (pop 900) in the north central part of the state, just across the Missouri line. The only nearby town that you may have heard of is Mountain Home, about 10 miles away. In terms of nearby cities, it's about 3 hours due north of Little Rock and 2 hours south of Springfield, MO. I worked a whole day on Thursday, drove 4 hours to Memphis that night then it was all country roads for another 3.5 hours into town. Arkansas is an interesting state geographically. The eastern third is pancake flat and not a very exciting drive. If there's a race in West Memphis or Jonesboro, it would be a very fast course. The northwestern quadrant is very hilly with strikingly beautiful lakes. The race was located at the edge of the Ozarks and I'm sure it's nice in the Spring and Summer but in late November, there's not much to do. That's okay with me. I was there for a fast time and this course was all along a river and billed as one of the flattest in the country.
Race morning:
Once again, I did not feel right in the morning even with with normal dosage so I upped it and it was something that I would regret. The course went downhill for about 5/8 of a mile then leveled off or as I should say, became gently rolling. Indeed it was a fast course but the area down by the river was not perfectly flat. The first half had a bit more up than down, which made for a nice end. On the downhill, do I bank time or bank energy? Hopefully, a little of both. I would run about 6:50 effort, which I figured would equate to more like 6:30 with the downhill. I was out a little faster but it still felt pretty much effortless and I came through the Mile marker in 6:21, giving me a cushion of about 2.5 seconds/mile to the finish. I kept the effort even down by the river but my pace was still a little fast. By mile 3, I felt the first signs of trouble. I made the decision to deliberately slow to the mid 6:50s but I had to push just to maintain that. My calf muscles were as stiff as a board. Too many pills. Dumb. This could turn out to be a nightmare. I knew that there was no way that I could hold this pace another 10 miles and I feared that it could be a meltdown on the level of Nashville in which I had to walk some in the last 2 miles and saw my pace go over 9. Determined to avoid that, I punted early and settled into a fairly comfortable effort. Approximate splits:
6:21 (6:21) downhill
6:44 (13:05) plenty of time in the bank
6:53 (19:58) this does not feel right
7:02 (27:00) ready to punt
I expected that every subsequent mile would be another 15-20 seconds slower and by the end, my pace would be in the 9s and I'd have to walk some of it. I hit the portajohn in an attempt to clear some excess out of my system. It cost me about 30+ seconds but it seemed to be a good investment. Before too long, I was feeling better. I managed to re-pass 2 runners and decided to throw in a surge at the turnaround point. With less than 10K to go, the sub-1:30 was gone and probably the PR as well but I still had a chance at a "good time" (1:31:xx) if I could maintain it to the line. I heard a few encouraging comments such as : "Yeah. Push it." What a surprising turn of events. Perhaps the slow down earlier would allow me to do better in the last 5K this time.
7:50 (34:50) bathroom
7:15 (42:05) just get this over with
7:05 (49:10) what's happening. I'm feeling better.
6:48 (55:58) back under 7 pace, can still get a good time.
By the end of that mile, it was becoming clear that I could not hold it. I would run the best I could for the next 5 miles but it was not very good. However, if you had told me in Mile 4 that I could hold these paces late in the race, I would have been thrilled. Two other factors were holding me back. The winds were picking up (15 mph) right into my face and I was running in no mans land. It was quite a lonely last 5 miles. In the final tenth, I took a few steps in the wrong direction because I could not see the finish area. After that point, I did not kick it in because I no longer cared.
7:02 (63:00) looking like a 1:32:xx
7:15 (70:15) thankfully,this will be over soon
7:32 (77:47) stopped for a full cup of Gatorade and water.
7:18 (86:05) do I have enough pride to finish strong?
7:03 (1:32:08) still battling but the course will be measured a hair long.
1:26 - last .17 once it turned 1:33, I no longer cared.
Finish: 1:33:34 (7:09 pace)
Final thought:
My initial reaction was Ehh but this one is aging well. I was 17 seconds/mi off my goal on a fast course with good temps and moderate wind. That's not good by any stretch but it could have been a lot worse. In Mile 4, I feared a ghastly fade with a finish time over 1:40. That did not happen. If not for the 2 stops, it would have been in the 1:32s. That's still not close to the goal or even a PR but it's far from my worst also. I'll be lenient and give myself a "B." I've cheated on my sugar restrictions of late and I think that's what caused the minor instability with the pills. Still, there is no need for manganese or chromium. I had some soreness in my feet after the race. I think it's related to the pills but I'm leaning towards a few days off since I'm not racing for 2 months.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Training 11/14-11/27 (taper/holiday)
11/14- No matter how well I feel, I am resting today. Let the taper madness begin. This is a 2 week post because I'm traveling over Thanksgiving and won't be able to run much. I'll be lucky to hit 50 combined. Not to worry though. December will be big. Signed up for the 3M Austin half in January then it's the Mercedes full 2 weeks later. Early forecast looks pretty good for Arkansas.
11/15- Taper madness is in full swing. I was really restless last night and did not feel right this morning so I decided to do a small test to see if it's paranoia or the usual race week drama that includes a last minute adjustment to my formula. Good call on the test.
AM- 3 miles in 21:30 (7:10 pace) looks okay on the surface but I did not feel well at all even from the beginning. Splits were 6:59-7:12-7:19 and my muscles were quite stiff. This is NOT taper paranoia. 1 Mile cool down and I will try again in the evening. Tomorrow, I will try to reduce my dosage from 3 to 2. Unless I am balanced, I really don't feel comfortable going any lower than 2.
PM- No improvement over the morning. 2.5 miles in 18:06 (7:14 pace). Started out at 7:20 pace and held it for 2 miles but it felt quite uncomfortable. Final half mile, nearly all out, was run in 3:26. Last half mile was run at goal half pace so that's just barely enough to avoid a "D" grade. Added another half mile cool down. The dosage will be cut to 2 pills per day.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=7.0
11/16- AM-Worse than yesterday. I'm at the other extreme now. Will I need 2 pills or 2.5? I'll know by the afternoon. I have 3 days to figure this crap out. I felt awful from the get go and was cooked after 200 meters. I wanted to quit then and there but finished 1 Mile in 7:28.
PM- 3 miles at goal 10K pace. Finished in 19:10 (6:23 pace) with nearly dead even splits. After taking a pill late in the afternoon, I was pretty much back to normal. Maybe just a hair tight so it appears that 2 pills will do the trick, not 2.5. That's good. I don't like cutting them in half. My Achilles felt a little tender after I was done but did not bother me at all on the cool down. Still, I will take the precautions. I expect that tomorrow, I will have all of this figured out. Weather still looks decent for race day. Cloudy with temps near 50.
I get a "D" in the morning and a "B+" in the afternoon so it's an average of the 2.
Grade:B-/2 credit/distance=4.5
11/17- Another stressful taper has been completed. I felt some old injuries coming back. I sure hope it's just taper paranoia. Magic formula is currently somewhere between 2 and 3 pills and I still don't know. I'll just have to take little bits on race morning until I feel my best. AARRRGH! I feel pretty down on my chances. I jogged 3/4 mile then ran a 1/4 at 5K pace.
Grade:Pass/0 credit/distance=1.5
11/18- Complete rest. There may be a delay in posting the race report because I'm traveling.
11/19- White River half in 1:33:34
Grade:B/4 credits/distance=14.0
11/20- Planned rest day.
11/21- Still don't feel very well. No desire to run so it's another rest. I'm leaning towards a mini break (3-5 days off) but that could change if I get the itch to run tomorrow. 3-5 days won't kill my fitness and may help prevent burnout.
11/22- Feeling somewhat better but I'm still going with an elective rest day. I plan to run tomorrow.
P.M- I couldn't wait. 1 Mile junk run in the rain with no watch. Foot pain from the race was gone. The groin was a tad sore. I had been extremely inactive since 11/19 and it sure felt good to get out there even if it was for less than 10 minutes in dreary conditions. Still essentially a rest day but I feel like I'll be back full throttle by tomorrow.
Grade:Pass/0 credit/distance= 1.0
11/23- 6 mile tempo in 40:42 (6:47 pace). Pretty solid performance. Still a bit of foot pain and it's beginning to be a concern. I'm due for another round of prolo anyway and I can treat that as well as the groin.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=6.0
11/24- Terrible performance on Thanksgiving. 6 miles in 51:32 (8:35 pace). First 3 miles were on target at 23:02, last 3 were a pathetic 28:30 (9:30 avg) with a final mile in 9:52. I pitched a bottle of pills that may be the cause of this latest slump. AWFUL! The only reason this is not an F is that I actually finished the workout.
Grade:D-/1 credit/distance=6.0
11/25- Still not good by any stretch but a nice improvement over yesterday's debacle. Easy 5 on the trail in 38:40 (7:44 pace). That time is within my easy range but the effort was tempo level. Faded again in the 2nd half but managed to keep my pace below 8 until the very last part. My foot did not bother me at all during the run and is only mildly sore now. I expect to pass 1900 miles on the year in my next workout.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=5.0
11/26- Elective rest day. Toured Sun Studios and got some tasty fried chicken on Beale Street in Memphis. Got back to the Ham in time to see the 2nd half of the Iron Bowl.
11/27- It looks like the slump may be over. This is probably the best I've felt in 2 weeks. I'm done with the Juice Plus and I'll take the higher dose of Thym Adren. Still a trace of foot pain but I don't think it's anything to worry about. I had hoped to do a double digit run today but we've got an all day rain and I won't do a long run indoors. I was quite pleased with the workout. 6 miles at an easy effort with a time of 44:48 (7:28 pace). Nice steady pace and even effort. 1st half: 22:44, 2nd half: 22:44. How about that? It's 1 PM and I'm not leaving my apartment for the rest of the day.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=6.0
Weekly summary:
Down week overall but at least there is an explanation. Unless I can squeeze in a time trial, I will fall short of all of my lifetime goals this year again. Ugh. With nearly 5 weeks to go on the year, I need only 99 miles to hit 2,000 or less than 3 per day. That should be a cinch. Can I finish above 3.0 for the year. That one is going to be close. The way I felt these 2 weeks is worse than the GPA indicates.
Distance=51.0/GPA= 32.1/12= 2.68
11/15- Taper madness is in full swing. I was really restless last night and did not feel right this morning so I decided to do a small test to see if it's paranoia or the usual race week drama that includes a last minute adjustment to my formula. Good call on the test.
AM- 3 miles in 21:30 (7:10 pace) looks okay on the surface but I did not feel well at all even from the beginning. Splits were 6:59-7:12-7:19 and my muscles were quite stiff. This is NOT taper paranoia. 1 Mile cool down and I will try again in the evening. Tomorrow, I will try to reduce my dosage from 3 to 2. Unless I am balanced, I really don't feel comfortable going any lower than 2.
PM- No improvement over the morning. 2.5 miles in 18:06 (7:14 pace). Started out at 7:20 pace and held it for 2 miles but it felt quite uncomfortable. Final half mile, nearly all out, was run in 3:26. Last half mile was run at goal half pace so that's just barely enough to avoid a "D" grade. Added another half mile cool down. The dosage will be cut to 2 pills per day.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=7.0
11/16- AM-Worse than yesterday. I'm at the other extreme now. Will I need 2 pills or 2.5? I'll know by the afternoon. I have 3 days to figure this crap out. I felt awful from the get go and was cooked after 200 meters. I wanted to quit then and there but finished 1 Mile in 7:28.
PM- 3 miles at goal 10K pace. Finished in 19:10 (6:23 pace) with nearly dead even splits. After taking a pill late in the afternoon, I was pretty much back to normal. Maybe just a hair tight so it appears that 2 pills will do the trick, not 2.5. That's good. I don't like cutting them in half. My Achilles felt a little tender after I was done but did not bother me at all on the cool down. Still, I will take the precautions. I expect that tomorrow, I will have all of this figured out. Weather still looks decent for race day. Cloudy with temps near 50.
I get a "D" in the morning and a "B+" in the afternoon so it's an average of the 2.
Grade:B-/2 credit/distance=4.5
11/17- Another stressful taper has been completed. I felt some old injuries coming back. I sure hope it's just taper paranoia. Magic formula is currently somewhere between 2 and 3 pills and I still don't know. I'll just have to take little bits on race morning until I feel my best. AARRRGH! I feel pretty down on my chances. I jogged 3/4 mile then ran a 1/4 at 5K pace.
Grade:Pass/0 credit/distance=1.5
11/18- Complete rest. There may be a delay in posting the race report because I'm traveling.
11/19- White River half in 1:33:34
Grade:B/4 credits/distance=14.0
11/20- Planned rest day.
11/21- Still don't feel very well. No desire to run so it's another rest. I'm leaning towards a mini break (3-5 days off) but that could change if I get the itch to run tomorrow. 3-5 days won't kill my fitness and may help prevent burnout.
11/22- Feeling somewhat better but I'm still going with an elective rest day. I plan to run tomorrow.
P.M- I couldn't wait. 1 Mile junk run in the rain with no watch. Foot pain from the race was gone. The groin was a tad sore. I had been extremely inactive since 11/19 and it sure felt good to get out there even if it was for less than 10 minutes in dreary conditions. Still essentially a rest day but I feel like I'll be back full throttle by tomorrow.
Grade:Pass/0 credit/distance= 1.0
11/23- 6 mile tempo in 40:42 (6:47 pace). Pretty solid performance. Still a bit of foot pain and it's beginning to be a concern. I'm due for another round of prolo anyway and I can treat that as well as the groin.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=6.0
11/24- Terrible performance on Thanksgiving. 6 miles in 51:32 (8:35 pace). First 3 miles were on target at 23:02, last 3 were a pathetic 28:30 (9:30 avg) with a final mile in 9:52. I pitched a bottle of pills that may be the cause of this latest slump. AWFUL! The only reason this is not an F is that I actually finished the workout.
Grade:D-/1 credit/distance=6.0
11/25- Still not good by any stretch but a nice improvement over yesterday's debacle. Easy 5 on the trail in 38:40 (7:44 pace). That time is within my easy range but the effort was tempo level. Faded again in the 2nd half but managed to keep my pace below 8 until the very last part. My foot did not bother me at all during the run and is only mildly sore now. I expect to pass 1900 miles on the year in my next workout.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=5.0
11/26- Elective rest day. Toured Sun Studios and got some tasty fried chicken on Beale Street in Memphis. Got back to the Ham in time to see the 2nd half of the Iron Bowl.
11/27- It looks like the slump may be over. This is probably the best I've felt in 2 weeks. I'm done with the Juice Plus and I'll take the higher dose of Thym Adren. Still a trace of foot pain but I don't think it's anything to worry about. I had hoped to do a double digit run today but we've got an all day rain and I won't do a long run indoors. I was quite pleased with the workout. 6 miles at an easy effort with a time of 44:48 (7:28 pace). Nice steady pace and even effort. 1st half: 22:44, 2nd half: 22:44. How about that? It's 1 PM and I'm not leaving my apartment for the rest of the day.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=6.0
Weekly summary:
Down week overall but at least there is an explanation. Unless I can squeeze in a time trial, I will fall short of all of my lifetime goals this year again. Ugh. With nearly 5 weeks to go on the year, I need only 99 miles to hit 2,000 or less than 3 per day. That should be a cinch. Can I finish above 3.0 for the year. That one is going to be close. The way I felt these 2 weeks is worse than the GPA indicates.
Distance=51.0/GPA= 32.1/12= 2.68
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Rant::Obsessive sports fans
I watched a documentary last night about the Alabama/Auburn rivalry and was sickened by some of the statements that were made. Couples have reported that it puts strains on marriages, which was pretty upsetting but one statement was particularly upsetting. An Alabama fan said that when his team lost, it felt like "somebody stuck a fist inside my chest and ripped out my heart." GIVE ME A BREAK! Heartbreak? Are you kidding me? At that point, I could not watch any more and turned off the TV. Let me tell you about what a tragedy really is. How about dealing with a serious chronic illness? Losing a loved one? Seeing your wife leave you for another man? All of these are indeed tragedies and should cause heartbreak. If you equate a game to anything like that, you have some serious mental issues. I'm no fan of psychologists but someone who allows the outcome of a game to dictate your happiness, you're mentally ill and need to get well. This is not intended to anti-Alabama in any way. The same thing happens in New York/Boston with the Yankees/Red Sox. I once heard a Steeler fan say that when the team loses, it ruins his whole week. Even the talk show host said: "Get a grip buddy!"
I suppose that I could understand such fanaticism if you have a close personal friendship with some of the players but most fans of major college and professional teams have no such relationship with any of the players. The only time I did know the players was in high school and I actually rooted against my own school because most of the players were a bunch of jerks who insulted cross-country runners. Okay, now somebody explain how your life is so much better when your favorite team is winning? Can it help you get a job or get a raise?
With all the hell I've been through, I'm certainly not going to let the outcome of a game determine my happiness. Every day that I am chemically stable is a good one. I've had some irritating things happen at work recently but I won't even let that get me down. I have been pretty much chemically stable for 7 weeks. My friends, THAT is indeed something worth celebrating.
My Clemson Tigers have a pretty rabid fan base and had been contending for a national title through 8 games. I'll watch the games with interest. When they win, I'm glad but I'm not going to use it as an excuse to get drunk and act like an idiot. When they lose, there may be a bit of sadness that evening but I'm not losing any sleep over it and I'm over it by the morning. I know that my problems won't be going away if they win nor will they get any worse if they lose.
As for the NFL this year, I have a few comments:
It's been an interesting season so far. I'm glad to see historically weak teams like Houston, Cincinnati and Detroit contending this season. 12 of the 16 AFC teams still have a realistic chance of making the playoffs. I am surprised at how the Colts have gone from a perennial contender to a bunch of scrubs seemingly due to losing their star quarterback. Speaking of which, I think it's a bad idea to trade Peyton Manning and put your future in the hands of a highly touted rookie. There's really no such thing as a can't miss prospect at the QB position. In fact, first round picks have about a 50/50 chance of long-term success. Remember that people thought JaMarcus Russel and Matt Leinart were "can't miss." Not only do you need extraordinary talent and work ethic to be successful, you must be in an offensive system best suited to your skill set and be surrounded by talent both at the line and the skill positions.
One last comment that I have relates to the Tim Tebow affair. Critics said that he could never succeed in the NFL before he even threw a pass. How do you know until you give him a fair chance? Obviously, he needs to improve his accuracy but he's produced a lot of touchdowns with few turnovers. Michael Vick also completed under 50 percent of his passes as a rookie and nobody called him a bust. Tebow is unlikely to put up big numbers and throw for 300 yards per game but he's capable of 100 on the ground and he's shown that he can be a winner at this level. Some people were actually rooting for him to fail because he's an outspoken evangelical Christian. I don't air my religious views on this blog (see my Main Website for that) but such a viewpoint is bigoted. Pure and simple. One quote was that "his imaginary friends in the sky can't help him in the pros." Can you imagine if anyone insulted a Muslim player like that? In conclusion, yes I'm rooting for Tebow and may invest a bit of emotion in his success but that's because I admire him as a person, not just as a football player. What I do not want to see is sadness about the outcome of a game when you have no real reason to care about the players on a personal level.
I suppose that I could understand such fanaticism if you have a close personal friendship with some of the players but most fans of major college and professional teams have no such relationship with any of the players. The only time I did know the players was in high school and I actually rooted against my own school because most of the players were a bunch of jerks who insulted cross-country runners. Okay, now somebody explain how your life is so much better when your favorite team is winning? Can it help you get a job or get a raise?
With all the hell I've been through, I'm certainly not going to let the outcome of a game determine my happiness. Every day that I am chemically stable is a good one. I've had some irritating things happen at work recently but I won't even let that get me down. I have been pretty much chemically stable for 7 weeks. My friends, THAT is indeed something worth celebrating.
My Clemson Tigers have a pretty rabid fan base and had been contending for a national title through 8 games. I'll watch the games with interest. When they win, I'm glad but I'm not going to use it as an excuse to get drunk and act like an idiot. When they lose, there may be a bit of sadness that evening but I'm not losing any sleep over it and I'm over it by the morning. I know that my problems won't be going away if they win nor will they get any worse if they lose.
As for the NFL this year, I have a few comments:
It's been an interesting season so far. I'm glad to see historically weak teams like Houston, Cincinnati and Detroit contending this season. 12 of the 16 AFC teams still have a realistic chance of making the playoffs. I am surprised at how the Colts have gone from a perennial contender to a bunch of scrubs seemingly due to losing their star quarterback. Speaking of which, I think it's a bad idea to trade Peyton Manning and put your future in the hands of a highly touted rookie. There's really no such thing as a can't miss prospect at the QB position. In fact, first round picks have about a 50/50 chance of long-term success. Remember that people thought JaMarcus Russel and Matt Leinart were "can't miss." Not only do you need extraordinary talent and work ethic to be successful, you must be in an offensive system best suited to your skill set and be surrounded by talent both at the line and the skill positions.
One last comment that I have relates to the Tim Tebow affair. Critics said that he could never succeed in the NFL before he even threw a pass. How do you know until you give him a fair chance? Obviously, he needs to improve his accuracy but he's produced a lot of touchdowns with few turnovers. Michael Vick also completed under 50 percent of his passes as a rookie and nobody called him a bust. Tebow is unlikely to put up big numbers and throw for 300 yards per game but he's capable of 100 on the ground and he's shown that he can be a winner at this level. Some people were actually rooting for him to fail because he's an outspoken evangelical Christian. I don't air my religious views on this blog (see my Main Website for that) but such a viewpoint is bigoted. Pure and simple. One quote was that "his imaginary friends in the sky can't help him in the pros." Can you imagine if anyone insulted a Muslim player like that? In conclusion, yes I'm rooting for Tebow and may invest a bit of emotion in his success but that's because I admire him as a person, not just as a football player. What I do not want to see is sadness about the outcome of a game when you have no real reason to care about the players on a personal level.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Training 11/7-11/13
11/7- Easy 7 in 52:21 (7:29 pace). Nothing overly exciting to report. Felt strong despite a trace of soreness in my knee. I think the Kinvaras are about shot and the Lunar Elites are not far off so I'll switch to Brooks Cadence for easy runs. A bit fast for an easy run but it did feel easy. That's okay because my mileage will be a bit lower this week. Even pace. No major complaints about this workout. I hope I'll be up for Johnny's tomorrow.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=7.0
11/8- Johnny's workout as planned. 6x400 followed by a Mile on a nice 60 degree evening. Not a bad workout but I was hoping for a little better. 400s were right on time at 75. I was hoping for a Mile in 5:40 but had to settle for a 5:50. Felt good to run at 5:00 pace for the first time in a while. I could feel that my condition was beginning to deteriorate towards the end. The race is 11 days away and there could be some more drama with the pills. If it happens, I want it to be now, not next week. I went with 1.5 in the morning then nothing until evening. I may have to tweak this further. Even 1/4 pill could potentially make a difference. The medical report will be mailed in about 2-3 weeks. The results? We'll see.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=5.0
11/9- Dreamed that I visited a friend's house and was greeted by a talking dog who threatened me and eventually cussed at me. Easy 5 at the Trak Shak. My IT band hurt during the day and I was worried about it but once I warmed up, I was fine and it felt no worse after the run. Finished with a time of 38:03 (7:37 pace) but the final 3 averaged 7:45. Average performance overall. Ho-hum affair but I survived. If I can survive this week, I can feel good about my situation.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=6.0
11/10- Scheduled day of rest. I expect that my body will demand a rest and I dare not disobey.
11/11- Celebrated the day off work in my own style. The Gnomes wanted to run in the cold and dark but I chose to take advantage of the opportunity to run in the daylight. I took a ride down to Oak Mountain Park and ran 11 miles on a beautiful Fall day in Alabama. Sunny skies with temps near 60 and peak foliage. Very hilly out and back route and finished with a time of 82:30 (7:30 pace) on a route that included nearly 700 ft. of elevation gain and loss. Every mile was below 7:45 despite the fact that 2 of them had 152 ft of uphill with 0 downhill. That's an average uphill grade of nearly 3%. IT band is still a bit sore. I'm beginning to think that the orthotics will not work in the Cadence shoes. I can still use them as part of a rotation but I may need a new long training shoe. Newton Gravity? In any event, it was a strong MLR. I've got another double digit run tomorrow but it will be run with the slower Gnomes. Paid tribute to the Armed Forces with a 1 mile cool down at Veteran's Park on the way home.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=12.0
11/12- Run with the Gnomes. With the time change, it's daylight now at 6 AM now. Not a bad run but I was not pleased that I faded near the end. Finished at 13.5 in 1:45:46 (7:50 pace) but the final 4 averaged over 8 minute pace. Yesterday did take something out of me but I may need to tweak something with my formula. Average performance overall. All I need is a basic easy run tomorrow, which will be the official start of the taper. I'm sure looking forward to it.
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=13.5
11/13- Intense runner's high after yesterday and I'm trying to keep it going. Basic easy run on Lakeshore plus one extension. Finished at 6.5 miles in 50:05 (7:43 pace). Solid performance. Not too exciting but that's fine for a run of the mill affair. Slowed just a tad in the last 2 miles but I was fine with the overall time and pleased that I showed restraint in not going for the sub-50 at the end. There's another 50 that's more important.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=6.5
Weekly summary:
Another good week overall. Nothing was as great as last week's long run but I rated every workout as "average" or better. Nothing less than a B minus. That'll work for me. Third straight 50 mile week and my year to date total is 1,850. I have a taper and a slack week ahead but will still finish well over 2,000.
Distance=50.0/ GPA= 28.5/9= 3.17
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=7.0
11/8- Johnny's workout as planned. 6x400 followed by a Mile on a nice 60 degree evening. Not a bad workout but I was hoping for a little better. 400s were right on time at 75. I was hoping for a Mile in 5:40 but had to settle for a 5:50. Felt good to run at 5:00 pace for the first time in a while. I could feel that my condition was beginning to deteriorate towards the end. The race is 11 days away and there could be some more drama with the pills. If it happens, I want it to be now, not next week. I went with 1.5 in the morning then nothing until evening. I may have to tweak this further. Even 1/4 pill could potentially make a difference. The medical report will be mailed in about 2-3 weeks. The results? We'll see.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=5.0
11/9- Dreamed that I visited a friend's house and was greeted by a talking dog who threatened me and eventually cussed at me. Easy 5 at the Trak Shak. My IT band hurt during the day and I was worried about it but once I warmed up, I was fine and it felt no worse after the run. Finished with a time of 38:03 (7:37 pace) but the final 3 averaged 7:45. Average performance overall. Ho-hum affair but I survived. If I can survive this week, I can feel good about my situation.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=6.0
11/10- Scheduled day of rest. I expect that my body will demand a rest and I dare not disobey.
11/11- Celebrated the day off work in my own style. The Gnomes wanted to run in the cold and dark but I chose to take advantage of the opportunity to run in the daylight. I took a ride down to Oak Mountain Park and ran 11 miles on a beautiful Fall day in Alabama. Sunny skies with temps near 60 and peak foliage. Very hilly out and back route and finished with a time of 82:30 (7:30 pace) on a route that included nearly 700 ft. of elevation gain and loss. Every mile was below 7:45 despite the fact that 2 of them had 152 ft of uphill with 0 downhill. That's an average uphill grade of nearly 3%. IT band is still a bit sore. I'm beginning to think that the orthotics will not work in the Cadence shoes. I can still use them as part of a rotation but I may need a new long training shoe. Newton Gravity? In any event, it was a strong MLR. I've got another double digit run tomorrow but it will be run with the slower Gnomes. Paid tribute to the Armed Forces with a 1 mile cool down at Veteran's Park on the way home.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=12.0
11/12- Run with the Gnomes. With the time change, it's daylight now at 6 AM now. Not a bad run but I was not pleased that I faded near the end. Finished at 13.5 in 1:45:46 (7:50 pace) but the final 4 averaged over 8 minute pace. Yesterday did take something out of me but I may need to tweak something with my formula. Average performance overall. All I need is a basic easy run tomorrow, which will be the official start of the taper. I'm sure looking forward to it.
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=13.5
11/13- Intense runner's high after yesterday and I'm trying to keep it going. Basic easy run on Lakeshore plus one extension. Finished at 6.5 miles in 50:05 (7:43 pace). Solid performance. Not too exciting but that's fine for a run of the mill affair. Slowed just a tad in the last 2 miles but I was fine with the overall time and pleased that I showed restraint in not going for the sub-50 at the end. There's another 50 that's more important.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=6.5
Weekly summary:
Another good week overall. Nothing was as great as last week's long run but I rated every workout as "average" or better. Nothing less than a B minus. That'll work for me. Third straight 50 mile week and my year to date total is 1,850. I have a taper and a slack week ahead but will still finish well over 2,000.
Distance=50.0/ GPA= 28.5/9= 3.17
Friday, November 4, 2011
Another prolotherapy review
According to the stats page, my post from February 2010 entitled "2 days after prolotherapy" is my most popular post of this blog. I want to thank all of you for reading it and considering this treatment. Now, nearly 2 years later, despite the fact that I needed more treatments for the hip/groin than anticipated, I still endorse the treatment. When facing an acute athletic injury, prolotherpy is a fairly easy fix. Your time on the sidelines will be greatly reduced especially if the injury is treated early.
What is prolotherapy exactly? You will be examined by a doctor for painful trigger points then stuck with a needle in that painful area and injected with a special solution to promote natural healing rather than mask the pain like NSAIDS or corticosteroid injections. The pain is roughly on the scale of a root canal at the dentist. You will have an inflammatory reaction that can cause you to walk with a limp for 1-2 days but the tissues will be smoother and stronger within 5 days. More information can be found by looking up prolotherpy on google or You Tube. A directory of practitioners can be seen at: www.getprolo.com
In the winter of 2010, I injured my achilles tendon pretty badly. Those of you that have had this injury will attest that it is a tough one. When you can walk pain free, you think you're recovered but attempting to get out there and run too soon can lead to quick relapses and potentially a chronic problem. In my case, I was pretty much out for the better part of 5 weeks although I did struggle through a few short 2-3 milers while injured. A single shot of prolotherapy and like magic, I was healed within 5 days and it has never bothered me again. A month later, I ran the ING GA half in 1:38 (a respectable time on a hilly course) with no trace of Achilles pain. In October of the same year, I injured my knee so badly that I was walking with a limp a full week after the initial injury. This time, I needed 2 treatments (3 shots total) but once again, I was cured once and for all. Just 5 weeks after my 2nd treatment, I ran the full marathon in Huntsville in 3:43. Without prolotherapy, I would have been out for several months with each injury. With it, I was as good as new within weeks. Some people blame over training for my injury plagued 2010 season. I do not. I blame the chemical imbalances that hindered my connective tissue healing. I have no doubt that if balanced, I can handle 60 MPW during marathon training especially if my training paces are a bit slower.
As for chronic, longstanding, low-grade pain, it gets more complicated. Odds are, you may need upwards of 5-6 treatments about one month apart to get the desired results. You might think that you are in the clear when you are about 80% there but you are likely to relapse. If I do not get the 5-6 treatments now, I could be back in the doctor's office 2-3 times a year indefinitely. Not good.
The best thing to do is to continue to receive treatment until an examination for trigger points causes no pain and reveals no sensitive areas.
I injured my groin BADLY in the fall of '99 and was out for 3 months. Because of the Synthroid and the fact that I was in the early stage of adrenal fatigue, it never healed properly. The pain was usually little more than an annoyance and often disappeared completely after I warmed up. Still, the hip would usually pop and crack when I stretched it and some days were so bad that I could feel pain when coughing or sneezing. Without prolotherapy, I have little doubt that it would have progressed to a chronic problem that significantly hindered my running.
As for potential complications that could limit the effectiveness of the treatment:
The most common problem is hormonal deficiencies, specifically low testosterone. I suspected that because I had adrenal fatigue, I could be low. I am not. Because I developed the disease in my 20s, it did not damage my testosterone production as much as if I was in my 40s or older. Lastly, mineral deficiencies, revealed on a tissue mineral analysis can hinder your progress. The reason is that unbalanced body chemistry will hinder connective tissue healing. When my pills are off, I am abnormally sore and it is often the groin area that is especially bad. However, when I make the needed adjustment, the pain always diminishes so there is no doubt that chemical imbalances are a contributing factor and if I was balanced, the hip/groin issue may not even be there at all. That being said, prolotherapy has always helped no matter how unbalanced I am and again, it likely prevented me from developing a debilitating condition. I wish it were easier and less costly to treat long standing injuries but I can't think of anything more effective than prolo.
I see Dr. Mark Johnson in Nashville and highly recommend him. He is both skilled and a caring person who prays for the patient before doing the treatment.
What is prolotherapy exactly? You will be examined by a doctor for painful trigger points then stuck with a needle in that painful area and injected with a special solution to promote natural healing rather than mask the pain like NSAIDS or corticosteroid injections. The pain is roughly on the scale of a root canal at the dentist. You will have an inflammatory reaction that can cause you to walk with a limp for 1-2 days but the tissues will be smoother and stronger within 5 days. More information can be found by looking up prolotherpy on google or You Tube. A directory of practitioners can be seen at: www.getprolo.com
In the winter of 2010, I injured my achilles tendon pretty badly. Those of you that have had this injury will attest that it is a tough one. When you can walk pain free, you think you're recovered but attempting to get out there and run too soon can lead to quick relapses and potentially a chronic problem. In my case, I was pretty much out for the better part of 5 weeks although I did struggle through a few short 2-3 milers while injured. A single shot of prolotherapy and like magic, I was healed within 5 days and it has never bothered me again. A month later, I ran the ING GA half in 1:38 (a respectable time on a hilly course) with no trace of Achilles pain. In October of the same year, I injured my knee so badly that I was walking with a limp a full week after the initial injury. This time, I needed 2 treatments (3 shots total) but once again, I was cured once and for all. Just 5 weeks after my 2nd treatment, I ran the full marathon in Huntsville in 3:43. Without prolotherapy, I would have been out for several months with each injury. With it, I was as good as new within weeks. Some people blame over training for my injury plagued 2010 season. I do not. I blame the chemical imbalances that hindered my connective tissue healing. I have no doubt that if balanced, I can handle 60 MPW during marathon training especially if my training paces are a bit slower.
As for chronic, longstanding, low-grade pain, it gets more complicated. Odds are, you may need upwards of 5-6 treatments about one month apart to get the desired results. You might think that you are in the clear when you are about 80% there but you are likely to relapse. If I do not get the 5-6 treatments now, I could be back in the doctor's office 2-3 times a year indefinitely. Not good.
The best thing to do is to continue to receive treatment until an examination for trigger points causes no pain and reveals no sensitive areas.
I injured my groin BADLY in the fall of '99 and was out for 3 months. Because of the Synthroid and the fact that I was in the early stage of adrenal fatigue, it never healed properly. The pain was usually little more than an annoyance and often disappeared completely after I warmed up. Still, the hip would usually pop and crack when I stretched it and some days were so bad that I could feel pain when coughing or sneezing. Without prolotherapy, I have little doubt that it would have progressed to a chronic problem that significantly hindered my running.
As for potential complications that could limit the effectiveness of the treatment:
The most common problem is hormonal deficiencies, specifically low testosterone. I suspected that because I had adrenal fatigue, I could be low. I am not. Because I developed the disease in my 20s, it did not damage my testosterone production as much as if I was in my 40s or older. Lastly, mineral deficiencies, revealed on a tissue mineral analysis can hinder your progress. The reason is that unbalanced body chemistry will hinder connective tissue healing. When my pills are off, I am abnormally sore and it is often the groin area that is especially bad. However, when I make the needed adjustment, the pain always diminishes so there is no doubt that chemical imbalances are a contributing factor and if I was balanced, the hip/groin issue may not even be there at all. That being said, prolotherapy has always helped no matter how unbalanced I am and again, it likely prevented me from developing a debilitating condition. I wish it were easier and less costly to treat long standing injuries but I can't think of anything more effective than prolo.
I see Dr. Mark Johnson in Nashville and highly recommend him. He is both skilled and a caring person who prays for the patient before doing the treatment.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
