Three 2nd Places in Three Weekends

11/1 - Mendon Trail Run 30K: 2nd place Age Group 50-59
11/9 - Giralda Farms 10K: 2nd place Age Group 55-59
11/15 - Colonial Park 5K: 2nd place Age Group 50-59
11/23 - Philadelphia Marathon: 2nd place Age Group 55-59??????
(Unlikely, but perhaps the patterns of the universe will shine on me?)

Photo below from the Colonial Park Turkey Trot 5K today -

Post by Race the State-NJ.

What's Up With That?

I have been complaining about feeling bad this week, that I picked up something last weekend that made my insides feel sick. Also, my legs have felt heavy and dead on short runs. Last night with RVRR was a little better, and the insides have settled. I have also complained about doing nothing but tapering and recovering from long efforts. Looking at my last 6 weeks of training, it looks nothing like that, save for the week before The Boston Marathon @ 21 miles. With a 50 miles slated to get done on Sunday, this week is going to total more than 60. Maybe that kind of explains some of the lingering fatigue.

Really, this isn't mega-mileage.  In my younger days, 50 mile weeks were shorter than my norm.  But, the graph from DailyMile.com of my mileage clearly reminds me that fatigue is cumulative, so even though weekday mileage may be short, those long weekends and long races add up over time to create lingering stress on this aging, yet hot, bod.  ;)

113 Days

On January 29, 2014, I started a running streak.  I have not missed a day yet.  I was inspired by a conversation with 25 year streaker, Mark Washburn.

584 miles = 5.26 miles/day average.

My State of Running Address

2013 was a fantastic year for me, full of running accomplishments, and I thought I really messed it up at the end. On the first ski day of my vacation, Sunday December 22, I wiped out at a fairly high speed. Since I ski fairly fast and aggressively, I had my bindings release set at "7", even though binding release calculators put me at a "6". I can replay that split second in my head when I heard and felt something rip in my right knee just before the binding finally released. I took the next day off from skiing to ice and elevate the entire day. It didn't swell much. The pain was on the inner side of my knee, which, according to the Internet, indicated that I had an MCL tear (Medial Collateral Ligament) or "sprained knee", caused by the sudden extreme twisting force. Much better than the dreaded ACL tear. I got myself the best neoprene knee brace I could locate in upstate Margaretville, NY, and hoped both my ski vacation and running future were not ruined. I actually skied easily on it for the next few days, wearing the brace, release setting backed down to 5.5, not pushing it on the hill, being very careful - even though I had to hop down steps and limp around a little when I walked. I continued to ice, and massage of the area seemed to feel like it was helping. As the week progressed, I skied increasingly longer and harder. By last weekend, skiing felt 100%. BUT I HAD NOT GONE OUT FOR A RUN. I wanted to start training for Boston, but I have been putting it off because I still have some pain when I bend my leg up under the power of my hamstring alone, and when I squat, and it feels a little generally unstable. This week I ran a twice to try things out. I am hoping to get 4 days in next week.