11/29- Easy indoor 5 miler in 38:27 (7:41 pace). This is the type of pace that felt easy when I was in the groove in September and it felt easy today as well. That's really a good sign especially after my long run the previous day was only fair. Of course, my body has not taken the cumulative effects of high mileage. I have not topped 40 in more than 2 months so I still should be fresh. I hope to look back on this and see today as when I turned the corner. 3 ADHS in divided doses evenly spread throughout the day is the winning formula right now. If I take 2 at once or go more than 12 hours without a pill, I'll be hurting. My best hope is that I will be less dependent when my numbers are better according to the medical report.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=5.0
11/30- Another easy 5 indoors because it was nasty outside. This one was a bit too fast. Time was 37:53 (7:35 pace). I felt comfortable during the run but was hurting a bit afterwards. Pretty strong performance overall.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=5.0
12/1- Tempo. Trak Shak 5 in 40 degree weather. It will likely be colder in Huntsville but as long as there is little wind, it will be fine. Moving time was 34:10 (6:50 pace). I must be especially cautious in the dark when it comes to traffic. Another runner told me that I was "over the speed limit." LOL. I've never heard that one before. Solid performance. Must be under 34 for an A in a tempo run. Plan is to go longer and slower tomorrow.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=5.0
12/2- Easy 7 plus cool down. Very smooth and relaxing run. Time was 55:23 (7:55 pace) with almost no effort. I get a rest day tomorrow then it's time to tackle that 20 miler.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=7.5
12/3- Planned rest day.
12/4- Obligatory 20 mile run in 2:47:47 (8:24 pace). That's a 3:40 marathon pace. Started out at 8;30 pace as planned. Very even pace. In fact, I hit the 16 mile mark in exactly 2:16 flat. I was hoping to have a bit more left in the final 4 but still managed a 31:47 (7:57 pace). I would rate my performance as average. I will not try for a PR in Huntsville (8:12 pace) and will play it safe and start out at 8:30 pace. If I can hold it, I will beat my time from Fargo last Spring.
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=20.0
12/5- Surprisingly fresh in a recovery jog. I did not take any ADHS in the morning and felt good until noon but late in the run, I was beginning to feel some ill-effects. Still, I was able to do what I planned. 4.5 at EZ pace and I didn't even time it.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=4.5
Weekly summary:
Clearly my best week since the injury and now is a good time for a breakthrough. I may try to tinker my dosage a bit. 3 seems to be a bit too much. 2 wasn't enough in the past. I may go with 2.5 this week. I definitely need it and my medical report confirmed it. I'll send in another hair test in about 6 weeks and hope to see at least somewhat better numbers. As for Huntsville, I plan to go out conservatively then gradually increase the pace depending on how I feel.
Distance=47.0/ GPA= 26.1/8= 3.26
Monday, November 29, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
training 11/22-28
11/22- Felt hypo in the morning but got better as the day progressed. Workout was a 5 mile tempo on Lakeshore in 65 degree weather (evening in late Nov). Time was a solid 36:29 at a reasonable tempo effort. Splits: 7:44-7:17-7:16-7:18-6:54. Solid performance. Took 4 ADHS alone. If that's going to be all that I need, I feel pretty good about that. I still need Paramin for blood sugar but it's no big deal if I miss a few doses. Now, I really want to get to the point where I can miss a few doses of ADHS without an extreme reaction. Based on my medical report, I am a LONG way from freedom from imbalances but I can live with that. What I CANNOT live with is being chemically unstable!
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=5.0
11/23- Strong. Probably my best run since the injury. 7 miles in 49:17 (7:03 pace). Pace was no slower than 7:11. 1st half was 24:27, 2nd half: 24:50. A bit of groin soreness but overall, my legs felt light and the effort was strong. Probably good for a low 34 5 miler today. The old Crazy J is back. I'll need 2 more good long runs and it's still too soon to predict a time in Huntsville. 4 ADHS and NOTHING ELSE. Yes!
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=7.5
11/24- travel day, no running
11/25- Thanksgiving Day, no running
11/26- 3 miles on the trail in 22:20 (7:27 pace). Miserable run. 34 degrees with a 15 mph wind. Did not feel my best on 4 ADHS. Time to cut it to 3 and possibly add tyrosine. Not good but the change in routine likely played a role as well.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=3.0
11/27- travel day
11/28- Long run as planned. Woke up feeling hyper after not taking ADHS for almost 48 hours so I took 2 and it took me too far in the opposite direction. What else is new? Overall, it was not a disaster. I wanted to quit after 4 miles but after a sharp slowdown in pace, I managed to stay in the 8:30 range for the next 10 miles then closed with a 7:55. Overall time was 2:04:44 (8:19 pace). I passed 13.1 in 1:49:xx and felt fairly comfortable. I think that 3:40 is a moderate goal for Huntsville considering the shape I'm in when I am in balance. 1st 5 miles: 40:16, middle 5 miles: 42:27, last 5 miles: 42:01. Performance was fair overall.
Grade:C+/2 credits/distance=15.0
Weekly summary:
Will 3 ADHS work for me? If I feel good on race day, I'll finish Huntsville in a respectable time. If not, I won't. Simple as that. 2 weeks to go and 1 more long run.
Distance= 30.5/ GPA= 20/7= 2.86
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=5.0
11/23- Strong. Probably my best run since the injury. 7 miles in 49:17 (7:03 pace). Pace was no slower than 7:11. 1st half was 24:27, 2nd half: 24:50. A bit of groin soreness but overall, my legs felt light and the effort was strong. Probably good for a low 34 5 miler today. The old Crazy J is back. I'll need 2 more good long runs and it's still too soon to predict a time in Huntsville. 4 ADHS and NOTHING ELSE. Yes!
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=7.5
11/24- travel day, no running
11/25- Thanksgiving Day, no running
11/26- 3 miles on the trail in 22:20 (7:27 pace). Miserable run. 34 degrees with a 15 mph wind. Did not feel my best on 4 ADHS. Time to cut it to 3 and possibly add tyrosine. Not good but the change in routine likely played a role as well.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=3.0
11/27- travel day
11/28- Long run as planned. Woke up feeling hyper after not taking ADHS for almost 48 hours so I took 2 and it took me too far in the opposite direction. What else is new? Overall, it was not a disaster. I wanted to quit after 4 miles but after a sharp slowdown in pace, I managed to stay in the 8:30 range for the next 10 miles then closed with a 7:55. Overall time was 2:04:44 (8:19 pace). I passed 13.1 in 1:49:xx and felt fairly comfortable. I think that 3:40 is a moderate goal for Huntsville considering the shape I'm in when I am in balance. 1st 5 miles: 40:16, middle 5 miles: 42:27, last 5 miles: 42:01. Performance was fair overall.
Grade:C+/2 credits/distance=15.0
Weekly summary:
Will 3 ADHS work for me? If I feel good on race day, I'll finish Huntsville in a respectable time. If not, I won't. Simple as that. 2 weeks to go and 1 more long run.
Distance= 30.5/ GPA= 20/7= 2.86
Monday, November 15, 2010
training 11/15-21
11/15- Indoor 5 miler on a rainy day. Time of 34:46 (6:57 pace). Anything under 35 is acceptable. I went with iodine alone today and that's what I'm sticking with until further notice. More than 2 minutes down on my PR but a solid 43 seconds better than last week. 30 out of those 43 ticks came in the 2nd half. Splits were 6:45-6:52-7:04-7:09-6:56. 1st half: 17:08, 2nd half: 17:38.
Who knows? I may have to go back on Lithium again before too long. If I can tolerate ADHS, that will be helpful to get in balance but iodine is what gives me the symptom relief.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=5.5
11/16- Planned rest day. It was windy with occasional rain anyway. The weather should clear tomorrow. Felt hyper today after taking iodine alone. Again, what worked yesterday did not work today. I HATE BEING CHEMICALLY UNSTABLE! I'm going back to ADHS.
11/17- Only took 1 ADHS in the morning and I felt good early in the day but the energy was fading by the evening and I was feeling hyperthyroid by the end of the day. I must bump it up to 2 and possibly take SBF. It's a good sign that I can tolerate ADHS again, which is what my doctor suggested that I take. I should see some improvement in my numbers by January. The workout was the Trak Shak 5 in 37:04 (7:25 pace). Moderate effort and even pace for first 3 miles. Faded in Mile 4 but made up for it in Mile 5.
Weight is up to 160, which is the highest it has been in 4 years. That's the upper end of the range so I don't want to gain any more (never thought I'd say that). The cause is likely the thyroid instability and blood sugar issues. NO more soda and alcohol usage must be rare.
As for Huntsville, the principle goal is to finish but if I can turn the corner in the next 3 weeks and feel that I can PR, I'll certainly try. I'll predict a time in the upper 3:40s. If by some miracle, I can crack the 3:30 barrier, I will happily retire from marathons.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=5.0
11/18- Woke up feeling very hyperthyroid so I went with 2 ADHS and it worked well. The question is: What happens if I take 3 or 4? If that does not take me to hypo symptoms and if I could go without it for a day, I declare myself chemically stable! Yes! Workout was an indoor 6 at 45:27 (7:35 pace) plus a final 1/2 mile in 3:18 (10K race pace). Overall workout was 6.5 @ and even 7:30 pace plus a cool down. Solid performance.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=7.0
11/19- Easy 3.5. Started slow (8:10 first mile) then slowly picked up the pace and finished in 27:56 for a 7:59 average pace. Didn't feel my best but not bad enough for it to be a concern.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance-3.5
11/20- Terrible performance. Needed 12 hours of sleep then went from hyper to hypo because I took SBF in addition to ADHS. I remain chemically unstable with more loud screams of frustration. Workout was supposed to be 15 miles. I ended up quitting after 4 in 32:44 with splits of 7:56-8:06-8:07-8:35. I mentally checked out after 3 miles. My only hope is more ADHS to stabilize.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=4.0
11/21- Mildly better than yesterday and that is faint praise. Pace was decent through 8 miles then slogged an 8:21 and then an 8:40 then quit after Mile 10 with a time of 81:35 (8:10 pace). I rested for a few minutes then ran a mile all out, which was a pathetic 7:59 followed by a cool down at a glacial pace. I probably need more ADHS. 3 or 4? Do I need tyrosine or iodine? SBF ain't gonna work and neither will taurine. 3 weeks until Huntsville and I am not ready.
Grade:D/2 credits/distance=12.0
Weekly summary:
"You're doing better because you've got a stable job and you're living where you want to be." Bull^#@^! I cannot take this chemical instability any longer!
Distance= 37.0/ GPA= 15.3/8= 1.91
Who knows? I may have to go back on Lithium again before too long. If I can tolerate ADHS, that will be helpful to get in balance but iodine is what gives me the symptom relief.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=5.5
11/16- Planned rest day. It was windy with occasional rain anyway. The weather should clear tomorrow. Felt hyper today after taking iodine alone. Again, what worked yesterday did not work today. I HATE BEING CHEMICALLY UNSTABLE! I'm going back to ADHS.
11/17- Only took 1 ADHS in the morning and I felt good early in the day but the energy was fading by the evening and I was feeling hyperthyroid by the end of the day. I must bump it up to 2 and possibly take SBF. It's a good sign that I can tolerate ADHS again, which is what my doctor suggested that I take. I should see some improvement in my numbers by January. The workout was the Trak Shak 5 in 37:04 (7:25 pace). Moderate effort and even pace for first 3 miles. Faded in Mile 4 but made up for it in Mile 5.
Weight is up to 160, which is the highest it has been in 4 years. That's the upper end of the range so I don't want to gain any more (never thought I'd say that). The cause is likely the thyroid instability and blood sugar issues. NO more soda and alcohol usage must be rare.
As for Huntsville, the principle goal is to finish but if I can turn the corner in the next 3 weeks and feel that I can PR, I'll certainly try. I'll predict a time in the upper 3:40s. If by some miracle, I can crack the 3:30 barrier, I will happily retire from marathons.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=5.0
11/18- Woke up feeling very hyperthyroid so I went with 2 ADHS and it worked well. The question is: What happens if I take 3 or 4? If that does not take me to hypo symptoms and if I could go without it for a day, I declare myself chemically stable! Yes! Workout was an indoor 6 at 45:27 (7:35 pace) plus a final 1/2 mile in 3:18 (10K race pace). Overall workout was 6.5 @ and even 7:30 pace plus a cool down. Solid performance.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=7.0
11/19- Easy 3.5. Started slow (8:10 first mile) then slowly picked up the pace and finished in 27:56 for a 7:59 average pace. Didn't feel my best but not bad enough for it to be a concern.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance-3.5
11/20- Terrible performance. Needed 12 hours of sleep then went from hyper to hypo because I took SBF in addition to ADHS. I remain chemically unstable with more loud screams of frustration. Workout was supposed to be 15 miles. I ended up quitting after 4 in 32:44 with splits of 7:56-8:06-8:07-8:35. I mentally checked out after 3 miles. My only hope is more ADHS to stabilize.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=4.0
11/21- Mildly better than yesterday and that is faint praise. Pace was decent through 8 miles then slogged an 8:21 and then an 8:40 then quit after Mile 10 with a time of 81:35 (8:10 pace). I rested for a few minutes then ran a mile all out, which was a pathetic 7:59 followed by a cool down at a glacial pace. I probably need more ADHS. 3 or 4? Do I need tyrosine or iodine? SBF ain't gonna work and neither will taurine. 3 weeks until Huntsville and I am not ready.
Grade:D/2 credits/distance=12.0
Weekly summary:
"You're doing better because you've got a stable job and you're living where you want to be." Bull^#@^! I cannot take this chemical instability any longer!
Distance= 37.0/ GPA= 15.3/8= 1.91
Monday, November 8, 2010
training 11/8-11/14
11/8- Indoor 5 mile in 35:29 (7:06 pace). Still 3 minutes down on my PR and felt hyperthyroid but this is the best I've felt since the injury. Good start but could not hold pace after 1.5 miles. Splits were 6:47-7:00-7:11-7:16-7:15. 1st half: 17:21, 2nd half: 18:08. New thyroid supplements have arrived and I'll start on them tomorrow. Hope is still alive.
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=5.0
11/9- Johnny's workout for the first time in a while. Great to see him again. 3x1200. Times were 4:50-4:46-4:43. Knee was a bit tender so I skipped #4 but I was told that I "was not limping at all." Overall pace was 6:22, which is the fastest I've gone since the injury. As for the body's response to the new supplements, I tolerated them and that's a good sign. It may take a while for it to fully work and I'm comfortable with that. Wild swings that I had in the past would make me feel uneasy. In peak condition, I would have run these 1200s in 4:15 or under. I experienced the stiffness of hypo and the breathlessness of hyper, which is pretty much what the medical report showed. Is this where the healing begins?
Grade:C+/2 credits/distance=3.5
11/10- Planned rest day. Can't rush back or risk another injury.
11/11- Veteran's Day run on Lakeshore. In mid-November, I ran without a shirt in 75 degree weather. Workout was 6.5 miles on the trail. I aimed for about 8:15 pace and felt too sluggish. The SBF won't work for me. I have to stick with the ADHS and possibly Thym-Adren. To my credit, I stuck it out and finished my longest run in more than a month. Time was 56:26 (8:41 pace). 1st half: 28 flat, 2nd half 28:26. Miles #4 and 5 were both over 9 but showed some life at the end with an 8:34 6th mile and a 4:00 last half as the SBF was working its way out. I've already topped last week's total in mileage.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=6.5
11/12- Good enough to run today but took an elective rest as a precaution. Thym-Adren won't work either. It's ADHS for sure and I may need thyroid glandular support for a short time.
11/13- BAD! ADHS ain't gonna work because it contains Lithium. SCREAMS OF FRUSTRATION! Tried 2 raw thyroid glandulars and felt pretty good for about 30 minutes then overshot the balance point. Hit 2.5 miles in a solid 18:15 then faded to 19:02 for 2nd 2.5 then hit the wall and quit. Next .25 was over 9 minute pace. MORE SCREAMS OF FRUSTRATION! I'll try one tomorrow then go back to tyrosine.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=6.0
11/14- Went with iodine and one tyrosine with no glandulars. Pretty good call. Tyrosine likely did more harm than good and I did feel a bit hyper. At any rate, I did what I meant to do yesterday. 10 miles at moderate effort. Time was 77:58 with an even pace (38:54/39:04). I slowed down in Mile 7 and had to push pretty hard to stay on pace. Still out of whack and not good by any stretch but still a nice improvement.
Grade:C/2 credits/distance=10.0
Weekly summary:
I nearly tripled my distance from last week and my build up training plan is on track. That's good but my body is still clearly way out of whack and I am still angry.
Distance=31.0/GPA=16.7/8=2.09
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=5.0
11/9- Johnny's workout for the first time in a while. Great to see him again. 3x1200. Times were 4:50-4:46-4:43. Knee was a bit tender so I skipped #4 but I was told that I "was not limping at all." Overall pace was 6:22, which is the fastest I've gone since the injury. As for the body's response to the new supplements, I tolerated them and that's a good sign. It may take a while for it to fully work and I'm comfortable with that. Wild swings that I had in the past would make me feel uneasy. In peak condition, I would have run these 1200s in 4:15 or under. I experienced the stiffness of hypo and the breathlessness of hyper, which is pretty much what the medical report showed. Is this where the healing begins?
Grade:C+/2 credits/distance=3.5
11/10- Planned rest day. Can't rush back or risk another injury.
11/11- Veteran's Day run on Lakeshore. In mid-November, I ran without a shirt in 75 degree weather. Workout was 6.5 miles on the trail. I aimed for about 8:15 pace and felt too sluggish. The SBF won't work for me. I have to stick with the ADHS and possibly Thym-Adren. To my credit, I stuck it out and finished my longest run in more than a month. Time was 56:26 (8:41 pace). 1st half: 28 flat, 2nd half 28:26. Miles #4 and 5 were both over 9 but showed some life at the end with an 8:34 6th mile and a 4:00 last half as the SBF was working its way out. I've already topped last week's total in mileage.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=6.5
11/12- Good enough to run today but took an elective rest as a precaution. Thym-Adren won't work either. It's ADHS for sure and I may need thyroid glandular support for a short time.
11/13- BAD! ADHS ain't gonna work because it contains Lithium. SCREAMS OF FRUSTRATION! Tried 2 raw thyroid glandulars and felt pretty good for about 30 minutes then overshot the balance point. Hit 2.5 miles in a solid 18:15 then faded to 19:02 for 2nd 2.5 then hit the wall and quit. Next .25 was over 9 minute pace. MORE SCREAMS OF FRUSTRATION! I'll try one tomorrow then go back to tyrosine.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=6.0
11/14- Went with iodine and one tyrosine with no glandulars. Pretty good call. Tyrosine likely did more harm than good and I did feel a bit hyper. At any rate, I did what I meant to do yesterday. 10 miles at moderate effort. Time was 77:58 with an even pace (38:54/39:04). I slowed down in Mile 7 and had to push pretty hard to stay on pace. Still out of whack and not good by any stretch but still a nice improvement.
Grade:C/2 credits/distance=10.0
Weekly summary:
I nearly tripled my distance from last week and my build up training plan is on track. That's good but my body is still clearly way out of whack and I am still angry.
Distance=31.0/GPA=16.7/8=2.09
Monday, November 1, 2010
training 11/1-11/7
11/1- Vestavia Mile in 7:26.8. I could not go much faster even if I wanted to but the good news was that my knee held up. It felt about the same as Saturday when I ran a 1/4 mile and Sunday when I ran a 1/2. I could feel the pain and it was holding me back but it was relatively mild and did not worsen during the run. I have my prolo appointment tomorrow afternoon and will need a few days to recover from the injections but I am optimistic about my prognosis. Still no medical report yet and in that case, I am hoping for the worst. Next run will not be until Friday at the earliest. Not that this means anything but my first half was 3:49 and 2nd half was 3:37.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=1.0
11/2- Prolo appointment. Planned rest day.
11/3- Pain from the injection peaked around lunchtime and has started to die down. Running is still out of the question today. Maybe I can go super easy tomorrow. Medical report came in and I was hoping for the worst and got it. The problem was that the news was bad on 3 fronts, not just 1. Blood sugar is bad, which was not a shock. I'm not trending diabetic yet but I am in the hypoglycemic range. Thyroid and adrenals are in overdrive yet I get stiff and sluggish when I take Lithium almost as if I am hypo. The critical Na/K ratio, which I expected to be very high, is near normal. The doc has suggested that I switch to an herbal supplement to balance it out. This is my last hope to get in balance.
11/4- 2 miles. Just over 2 days after prolo, I could stand to run again. That's encouraging. My Garmin died after a half mile in 3:59 so figure that my time was around 16. Again, I could not go much faster but my knee held up okay. I'll try to do a little better tomorrow.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=2.0
11/5- 5K at tempo effort. Time was 22:32 with an even pace (7:17-7:10-7:14) + 50. 1st half was 11:15, 2nd half was 11:17. That's still a distressing 3+ minutes from a PR but MUCH better than my previous runs since the injury. I felt somewhat like myself and the new supplements should arrive by tomorrow.
Grade:C-/2 credits/distance=3.5
11/6- If healthy, I would have gone to Mobile for a shot at a sub-40 10K. As it is, I had to settle for a Veteran's Park 4 miler at EZ pace but not EZ effort. Time was 31:48 (7:57 pace). I wasn't putting out tempo effort but it felt harder than a normal run at this pace. An all out out effort would have been around 30 flat. This is the first time since the injury that I trained on hills and my knee held up well. The new supplements did not arrive today so I'll have to wait until Monday. Tomorrow will be longer and slower. Fair performance.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=4.0
11/7- Terrible performance. 5 hour energy will not work for me. Not a big surprise but I was curious how I would respond to it and really didn't expect it to be this bad. I'm stressed out. I don't know what to do if this new stuff doesn't work. It does contain ingredients that I could not tolerate in the past. The run was a half mile at Vestavia and I quit.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=0.5
Weekly summary:
This is not good. Even out of shape, this does not feel right.
Distance=11.0/ GPA= 7.4/6= 1.23
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=1.0
11/2- Prolo appointment. Planned rest day.
11/3- Pain from the injection peaked around lunchtime and has started to die down. Running is still out of the question today. Maybe I can go super easy tomorrow. Medical report came in and I was hoping for the worst and got it. The problem was that the news was bad on 3 fronts, not just 1. Blood sugar is bad, which was not a shock. I'm not trending diabetic yet but I am in the hypoglycemic range. Thyroid and adrenals are in overdrive yet I get stiff and sluggish when I take Lithium almost as if I am hypo. The critical Na/K ratio, which I expected to be very high, is near normal. The doc has suggested that I switch to an herbal supplement to balance it out. This is my last hope to get in balance.
11/4- 2 miles. Just over 2 days after prolo, I could stand to run again. That's encouraging. My Garmin died after a half mile in 3:59 so figure that my time was around 16. Again, I could not go much faster but my knee held up okay. I'll try to do a little better tomorrow.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=2.0
11/5- 5K at tempo effort. Time was 22:32 with an even pace (7:17-7:10-7:14) + 50. 1st half was 11:15, 2nd half was 11:17. That's still a distressing 3+ minutes from a PR but MUCH better than my previous runs since the injury. I felt somewhat like myself and the new supplements should arrive by tomorrow.
Grade:C-/2 credits/distance=3.5
11/6- If healthy, I would have gone to Mobile for a shot at a sub-40 10K. As it is, I had to settle for a Veteran's Park 4 miler at EZ pace but not EZ effort. Time was 31:48 (7:57 pace). I wasn't putting out tempo effort but it felt harder than a normal run at this pace. An all out out effort would have been around 30 flat. This is the first time since the injury that I trained on hills and my knee held up well. The new supplements did not arrive today so I'll have to wait until Monday. Tomorrow will be longer and slower. Fair performance.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=4.0
11/7- Terrible performance. 5 hour energy will not work for me. Not a big surprise but I was curious how I would respond to it and really didn't expect it to be this bad. I'm stressed out. I don't know what to do if this new stuff doesn't work. It does contain ingredients that I could not tolerate in the past. The run was a half mile at Vestavia and I quit.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=0.5
Weekly summary:
This is not good. Even out of shape, this does not feel right.
Distance=11.0/ GPA= 7.4/6= 1.23
Friday, October 22, 2010
Disappointment
It is now 4 days post-prolo and I am about 30% better than before the treatment. I no longer have a visible limp and can go down the stairs normally if a bit gingerly. That's well behind where I had hoped to be at this stage. I know that I can't run until the left knee feels the same as the non-injured right one. It's still a bit stiff when I walk and it hurts a bit to straighten it out. I initially thought that it was PFS (Runner's knee) but after some additional research, it is clear that the problem is quadriceps tendinitis. The tendon that attaches the lower part of the quads to the top of my knee is damaged. A website says that the average recovery time is 4-6 weeks and I feel that my case was more severe. Prolo will likely ultimately speed the healing process but Huntsville is looking like it will be downgraded from questionable to doubtful. It's now been 2 weeks and I am feeling the ill-effects of not running. I can feel that my dopamine is falling and I am beginning to get some muscle stiffness as well as low-grade depression. I sent in my hair sample and am hoping for the worst. The medical report will likely reveal what I can and cannot do as a runner in the future. Even before this injury, I had grown weary from the volume of marathon training and said that Boston would likely be my last one. Now, it is becoming increasingly clear that my dream of qualifying is dead. The race sold out within 8 hours of opening and now the BAA is likely to make the standards even tougher. I may need a 3:05 or even a 3:00 to qualify in the 30-34 age group and no worse than a 3:10 at 35-39. Very few people are capable of these times and I am pretty sure that I am not one of them.
I've considered quitting marathons altogether but have decided against it. However, my all out marathon training cycles are over. Odds are what will happen is that I will sign up for a half and plan on running it up until the last week of training but I reserve the right to switch to the full if my training goes exceptionally well. All I want is a sub-3:30 or less than 8 minute pace and when I do that, I swear that I'm done with marathons. I ran a 3:35 while dependent on pills so I have no reason to believe that I can't go 5 1/2 minutes faster when free. Also, I may be softening my marathon goal a great deal but my goals at the shorter distances remain the same.
400- 59.9
Mile: 5:15
5K: 19:12
10K- 40:00
Half- 1:30:00
2011 will be my first full year of freedom so let's go after those times.
If I am to quit marathons, I want it to be on MY terms, not dictated by any type of imbalance!
I've considered quitting marathons altogether but have decided against it. However, my all out marathon training cycles are over. Odds are what will happen is that I will sign up for a half and plan on running it up until the last week of training but I reserve the right to switch to the full if my training goes exceptionally well. All I want is a sub-3:30 or less than 8 minute pace and when I do that, I swear that I'm done with marathons. I ran a 3:35 while dependent on pills so I have no reason to believe that I can't go 5 1/2 minutes faster when free. Also, I may be softening my marathon goal a great deal but my goals at the shorter distances remain the same.
400- 59.9
Mile: 5:15
5K: 19:12
10K- 40:00
Half- 1:30:00
2011 will be my first full year of freedom so let's go after those times.
If I am to quit marathons, I want it to be on MY terms, not dictated by any type of imbalance!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Prolotherapy (injury update 3)
It's been a bit of an emotional roller coaster this past week. At first, I thought the extreme soreness was due to another chemical imbalance. My knee was killing me after the Chicago half in 2008 but it turned out to be nothing more than a chromium/manganese deficiency. That would have been really hurtful. After having been free from the pills for more than a month and have that taken away from me yet again is very distressing. However, as the week progressed, it was becoming increasingly clear that this issue was NOT due to a thyroid/adrenal issue. I am still very interested in seeing the results of the hair test as I suspect that the report will show moderate-severe tendencies toward inflammation. I declare that I am still free from dependence on pills. If I have to take a supplement to keep my inflammation in check and keep my blood sugar in balance, I'm fine with that so long as I don't crash if I miss a day or two or crash because I took 1 too many pills. I do not see that happening again. Praise God. When people were critical of me for placing too much emphasis on my running, I responded by stating that I would be willing to trade my talent in this area for freedom from dependence on pills. I stand by that statement today.
The pain is extremely localized at the top of my left kneecap. I had bad tendinitis as a teenager but back then, the pain was all below the knee cap and had spread to the side and the bursa (just below the knee area). This is a totally different injury. I am still walking with a limp but it is not too noticeable and I have to take my stairs one leg at a time or it would feel like my knee would give way. Even after the appointment, I am still unsure of the nature of the injury. Is it a tendon or a cartilage issue? Was it due to overuse or simply a freak issue such as a sprain by taking a bad step? I do know that the injury likely occurred in the 11th mile of the race. I simply did not feel it because I was so locked into the PR attempt that appeared as if it would come down to the last .1 mile. I completed the remaining 2.5-3 miles on an injury, which explains why my last 5K sucked so bad.
So, I woke up around 8:30 on Sunday morning then took a shower and headed to church. While I was there, my heart told me not to give up the dream of a BQ just yet but my brain tells a different story. As of now the plan is to try again at the age of 34 and stick to 5Ks, 10Ks and halves for the next 3 years. I fooled around online for a bit then hit the road to Atlanta. Nick and I had dinner together and watched some football. From Nick's place, it was about a 20 minute drive up to Marietta and I was fortunate to get an early appointment. Upon examination, the doc seemed to think that it may not be an overuse injury at all but just a nasty sprain. Because the pain was localized, he was optimistic about my prognosis but unsure if one treatment would do the trick. If not, I have my Nashville appointment in 2 weeks. The injection itself was not as bad as expected but the post injection pain was extreme as expected. I'll take it one day at a time. The pain will begin to subside by tomorrow evening and my first attempt to run could be as early as Thursday. Of course, I'll have to ease into it slowly but 10 days off will not kill my fitness and there is still hope for a good time in Huntsville.
The pain is extremely localized at the top of my left kneecap. I had bad tendinitis as a teenager but back then, the pain was all below the knee cap and had spread to the side and the bursa (just below the knee area). This is a totally different injury. I am still walking with a limp but it is not too noticeable and I have to take my stairs one leg at a time or it would feel like my knee would give way. Even after the appointment, I am still unsure of the nature of the injury. Is it a tendon or a cartilage issue? Was it due to overuse or simply a freak issue such as a sprain by taking a bad step? I do know that the injury likely occurred in the 11th mile of the race. I simply did not feel it because I was so locked into the PR attempt that appeared as if it would come down to the last .1 mile. I completed the remaining 2.5-3 miles on an injury, which explains why my last 5K sucked so bad.
So, I woke up around 8:30 on Sunday morning then took a shower and headed to church. While I was there, my heart told me not to give up the dream of a BQ just yet but my brain tells a different story. As of now the plan is to try again at the age of 34 and stick to 5Ks, 10Ks and halves for the next 3 years. I fooled around online for a bit then hit the road to Atlanta. Nick and I had dinner together and watched some football. From Nick's place, it was about a 20 minute drive up to Marietta and I was fortunate to get an early appointment. Upon examination, the doc seemed to think that it may not be an overuse injury at all but just a nasty sprain. Because the pain was localized, he was optimistic about my prognosis but unsure if one treatment would do the trick. If not, I have my Nashville appointment in 2 weeks. The injection itself was not as bad as expected but the post injection pain was extreme as expected. I'll take it one day at a time. The pain will begin to subside by tomorrow evening and my first attempt to run could be as early as Thursday. Of course, I'll have to ease into it slowly but 10 days off will not kill my fitness and there is still hope for a good time in Huntsville.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Injury update- Part 2
I have not attempted to run since Monday and today, Friday was the worst that the knee has ever felt. For the first time, I am walking with a noticeable limp. This may actually be good news in the long run because my only explanation is that the pain is partially due to the supplements I took in a attempt to fix it. As of today, I will go back to taking nothing and thankfully, I don't have to worry about panic attacks or a severe thyroid/adrenal reaction. All I can do is wait for the results of the medical report and hope for the worst (that's right, I said worst). With a severe indicator of inflammation, I have detected the root cause of the pain. If it's mild-moderate, it's nothing more than an overuse injury.
Good news, I called Atlanta (Marietta to be exact) and guess what, the prolotherapy doctor is able to squeeze me in on Monday morning. I told him that's "fantastic." If the results are as dramatic as with the Achilles injury, I could be back running by the end of next week. I'll have more than a month to get ready for Huntsville. Though I'd just be happy to participate, my current PR is soft and even if I'm not in the best shape, I think I could still run 3:30 with balanced chemistry (I ran 3:35 unbalanced in a time trial). Regardless of how this all plays out, I will plan on not running any more marathons for 4 more years until I turn 34 and my BQ time goes up to 3:15. I reserve the right to change my mind if things go extremely well and I feel that I am talented enough to run a 3:10 on 50 MPW. Possible but highly unlikely. I enjoy the shorter stuff more anyway and it is less time consuming. I still find a half marathon to be plenty challenging.
The pain from this prolotherapy treatment will likely be excruciating. The inflammatory or "healing reaction" is more intense if the patient is in greater pain prior to the treatment. I could be limping badly for 2 more days but that should clear within 5. There is a possibility that the treatment will help but not fully relieve the pain. If that happens, I must wait until 11/2 for my Nashville appointment. I still might be able to run Huntsville but can forget about a decent time.
Stay tuned for another update next week.
Good news, I called Atlanta (Marietta to be exact) and guess what, the prolotherapy doctor is able to squeeze me in on Monday morning. I told him that's "fantastic." If the results are as dramatic as with the Achilles injury, I could be back running by the end of next week. I'll have more than a month to get ready for Huntsville. Though I'd just be happy to participate, my current PR is soft and even if I'm not in the best shape, I think I could still run 3:30 with balanced chemistry (I ran 3:35 unbalanced in a time trial). Regardless of how this all plays out, I will plan on not running any more marathons for 4 more years until I turn 34 and my BQ time goes up to 3:15. I reserve the right to change my mind if things go extremely well and I feel that I am talented enough to run a 3:10 on 50 MPW. Possible but highly unlikely. I enjoy the shorter stuff more anyway and it is less time consuming. I still find a half marathon to be plenty challenging.
The pain from this prolotherapy treatment will likely be excruciating. The inflammatory or "healing reaction" is more intense if the patient is in greater pain prior to the treatment. I could be limping badly for 2 more days but that should clear within 5. There is a possibility that the treatment will help but not fully relieve the pain. If that happens, I must wait until 11/2 for my Nashville appointment. I still might be able to run Huntsville but can forget about a decent time.
Stay tuned for another update next week.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Injury update
Nearly a week after my race, the extreme soreness in my knee has not diminished one bit. In fact, I think it has actually gotten worse. The pain is sharp and constant. It is most intense after starting walking as well as bending and straightening my leg. I am walking with a bit of a limp and going up and down stairs is sheer agony. My diagnosis is patellofemoral syndrome or "Runner's knee." I have tried various pills that I took for the thyroid/adrenal situation. The stuff that slows my thyroid stiffens my legs and causes fatigue. The stimulants did not have much of an impact at all. This tells me that my glandular activity is still in relative balance and may actually be a little on the slow side but probably near normal. That's the only good news. There is the possibility that I am dealing with an extreme aldosterone/cortisol imbalance, represented by a severe elevation of sodium relative to potassium on the hair test. In layman's terms, that means that I am vulnerable to a number of inflammatory conditions. That may explain why my performances were still fairly good up until the injury despite feeling more sore than normal after relatively moderate training. For the record, most of my recent medical reports revealed potential for mild-moderate inflammation as referenced by a somewhat elevated Na/K ratio.
Today, I tried loading with zinc, which is known to lower sodium and raise potassium. The groin and leg pain has diminished somewhat but the knee pain has not. I'm not giving up on it yet but I do not have a good feeling. I can also try a B-complex with choline and inositol. I had called Nashville and politely requested that my appointment be moved up if at all possible but did not receive a return call, which was not a surprise. There are 2 other prolotherapy doctors in Georgia, one in Macon (3 hrs) and another in the Atlanta area (2.5 hours). I will call both of them tomorrow to see if they have any appointments next week or early in the following week. I can't take this pain any longer. The good news is that prolotherapy has been very successful for knee injuries even with ligament/cartilage damage so I'm not ruling out participating in Huntsville just yet.
Here's an article on the subject:
http://www.caringmedical.com/sports_injury/runners_knee.asp
If the link doesn't work, just google "Runner's knee" "prolotherapy"
My future as a runner:
The last 2 times I trained all out for a marathon, I ended up sidelined but the first one may not have occurred if I had been wearing proper orthotics. I am seriously considering retirement from marathons altogether just because of the injury risk. It seems that 50-55 miles/wk is just about my sustainable limit. Maybe I can safely jack it up to near 60 for 1 week per month provided that I keep my paces slow enough but the increase would be offset by an occasional race or a down week because of other commitments. Realistically, my average safe volume for a 15 week training program would be 48-50 MPW. What kind of time can I expect with that training? I "might could" crack 3:20 but 3:10 or even 3:15 is out the question. With no hope of a BQ, is it worth the risk of major injury to train all out for a marathon? I say no. The race itself is actually comparatively easy. Heck, I have decided on a whim to do run 26.2 mile training runs and finished safely each time.
If I am to do another one, it will likely be a spur of the moment decision such as an upgrade from the half to the full at the expo without a major time goal. Much of my future depends on the results of the medical report. If it comes back that I had severe inflammation, I can fix that by staying on top of my chemistry and will be less vulnerable to injury in the future. If that's the case, I may try again in another year or 2 but another injury would become "strike 3." If my inflammation level is mild-moderate, that means that the damage was due to overuse and simple "wear and tear." If that's the case, I am simply not cut out for advanced marathon training and my dream of a qualifying for Boston dies here. Sad but true. I won't know for another 3-4 weeks. Regardless of how this shakes out, I had planned to cut the mileage drastically in the Spring of 2011 to focus on my strength, which is hard speed training geared toward middle distance runners. I want those PRs now because within a few years, I will be too old to improve at distances shorter than 5K.
Today, I tried loading with zinc, which is known to lower sodium and raise potassium. The groin and leg pain has diminished somewhat but the knee pain has not. I'm not giving up on it yet but I do not have a good feeling. I can also try a B-complex with choline and inositol. I had called Nashville and politely requested that my appointment be moved up if at all possible but did not receive a return call, which was not a surprise. There are 2 other prolotherapy doctors in Georgia, one in Macon (3 hrs) and another in the Atlanta area (2.5 hours). I will call both of them tomorrow to see if they have any appointments next week or early in the following week. I can't take this pain any longer. The good news is that prolotherapy has been very successful for knee injuries even with ligament/cartilage damage so I'm not ruling out participating in Huntsville just yet.
Here's an article on the subject:
http://www.caringmedical.com/sports_injury/runners_knee.asp
If the link doesn't work, just google "Runner's knee" "prolotherapy"
My future as a runner:
The last 2 times I trained all out for a marathon, I ended up sidelined but the first one may not have occurred if I had been wearing proper orthotics. I am seriously considering retirement from marathons altogether just because of the injury risk. It seems that 50-55 miles/wk is just about my sustainable limit. Maybe I can safely jack it up to near 60 for 1 week per month provided that I keep my paces slow enough but the increase would be offset by an occasional race or a down week because of other commitments. Realistically, my average safe volume for a 15 week training program would be 48-50 MPW. What kind of time can I expect with that training? I "might could" crack 3:20 but 3:10 or even 3:15 is out the question. With no hope of a BQ, is it worth the risk of major injury to train all out for a marathon? I say no. The race itself is actually comparatively easy. Heck, I have decided on a whim to do run 26.2 mile training runs and finished safely each time.
If I am to do another one, it will likely be a spur of the moment decision such as an upgrade from the half to the full at the expo without a major time goal. Much of my future depends on the results of the medical report. If it comes back that I had severe inflammation, I can fix that by staying on top of my chemistry and will be less vulnerable to injury in the future. If that's the case, I may try again in another year or 2 but another injury would become "strike 3." If my inflammation level is mild-moderate, that means that the damage was due to overuse and simple "wear and tear." If that's the case, I am simply not cut out for advanced marathon training and my dream of a qualifying for Boston dies here. Sad but true. I won't know for another 3-4 weeks. Regardless of how this shakes out, I had planned to cut the mileage drastically in the Spring of 2011 to focus on my strength, which is hard speed training geared toward middle distance runners. I want those PRs now because within a few years, I will be too old to improve at distances shorter than 5K.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Injured again
10/11- Fortunately, I had the day off work for Columbus Day. I needed it and may have called in sick if not for the state holiday. Survived a 1.5 mile recovery jog. In the last 3 weeks, I have had extreme soreness in my shins and groin. Now, it's my left knee that is killing me. I was limping pretty badly early but did feel like I got warmed up a bit later. My pace was in the 9s. 2 days after a half, there is no way that I should be this sore. Something is clearly wrong. It feels like a mineral deficiency but taking chromium and manganese was not a quick fix. There are 2 other options that I can try but in any event, I'm doing another diagnostic test to see where I am regarding my chemistry. Yes, I am angry.
Grade:D-/1 credit/distance=1.5
Now, 3 days after the race, I still have pain when walking and going up and down the stairs is torture. I have no choice but to shut it down indefinitely. Yes, I am sore all over and believe that there is something wrong with my body chemistry. I started going downhill after my failure to PR in the 5K on 9/25. I've had a few good workouts since then but come to think of it, I really have not been the same since. What went wrong? Just like last injury, I do not regret trying for the fast marathon but my body failed me again. Until I am balanced, there will be no more marathons in my future. Odds are, the chemical imbalances caused poor connective tissue healing, leaving me vulnerable to injury. Because my right groin was sore, I likely compensated with my left leg and thus put too much strain on my knee. What hurts the most is that I had every reason to believe that I was in balance in September. Whenever I am intentionally misled, I have been known to react harshly so you can guess how I feel now.
What can I do? I am stiff all over and stretching may benefit me a little bit. I tried Lithium and taurine earlier and it made things worse. I tried targeting the neurotransmitters earlier and that too made things worse. I tried adrenal glandulars and chromium/manganese and I did not feel much of an impact. I'm not sure what to make of that. In any event, I have cut off my hair sample and will mail it to the lab as soon as the test kit arrives. That should give me some answers. The best case scenario is that my chemistry has reversed itself to slow oxidation, in which case, the solution is simple and there is still a chance that I will once again be free from pills in the near future. The worst case scenario is that the adrenal fatigue has returned. That means that I am out for the year and will have to rebuild gradually. I suppose that no significant imbalances would be worse yet because it would leave no explanation as to why I feel so bad but I highly doubt that I will see that.
I also called Nashville again and politely requested that they call me if they get a cancellation within the next 3 weeks. I am hopeful that since the knee is an acute problem, one visit will be all that I need. The groin has been a chronic problem so it's no surprise that it has taken multiple visits.
Racing plans:
Mobile 10K- out
Monty 5K- questionable only because it's a fun run
Huntsville- questionable also. I won't do it unless I'm feeling well. I've still got 2 months to go and after the prolotherapy, I'll likely know. At this point, I don't much care about my time and if I had not already signed up, I would scratch it. I may just quit marathon altogether.
Grade:D-/1 credit/distance=1.5
Now, 3 days after the race, I still have pain when walking and going up and down the stairs is torture. I have no choice but to shut it down indefinitely. Yes, I am sore all over and believe that there is something wrong with my body chemistry. I started going downhill after my failure to PR in the 5K on 9/25. I've had a few good workouts since then but come to think of it, I really have not been the same since. What went wrong? Just like last injury, I do not regret trying for the fast marathon but my body failed me again. Until I am balanced, there will be no more marathons in my future. Odds are, the chemical imbalances caused poor connective tissue healing, leaving me vulnerable to injury. Because my right groin was sore, I likely compensated with my left leg and thus put too much strain on my knee. What hurts the most is that I had every reason to believe that I was in balance in September. Whenever I am intentionally misled, I have been known to react harshly so you can guess how I feel now.
What can I do? I am stiff all over and stretching may benefit me a little bit. I tried Lithium and taurine earlier and it made things worse. I tried targeting the neurotransmitters earlier and that too made things worse. I tried adrenal glandulars and chromium/manganese and I did not feel much of an impact. I'm not sure what to make of that. In any event, I have cut off my hair sample and will mail it to the lab as soon as the test kit arrives. That should give me some answers. The best case scenario is that my chemistry has reversed itself to slow oxidation, in which case, the solution is simple and there is still a chance that I will once again be free from pills in the near future. The worst case scenario is that the adrenal fatigue has returned. That means that I am out for the year and will have to rebuild gradually. I suppose that no significant imbalances would be worse yet because it would leave no explanation as to why I feel so bad but I highly doubt that I will see that.
I also called Nashville again and politely requested that they call me if they get a cancellation within the next 3 weeks. I am hopeful that since the knee is an acute problem, one visit will be all that I need. The groin has been a chronic problem so it's no surprise that it has taken multiple visits.
Racing plans:
Mobile 10K- out
Monty 5K- questionable only because it's a fun run
Huntsville- questionable also. I won't do it unless I'm feeling well. I've still got 2 months to go and after the prolotherapy, I'll likely know. At this point, I don't much care about my time and if I had not already signed up, I would scratch it. I may just quit marathon altogether.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
