The Red Fox

Uganda Dispatch: The Last One

2012-01-28T05:40:00.003-05:00

In Mbale, wewaited for the bus to come. Then we waited some more. Pushing past familiesclutching chickens and baggage alike, we asked the woman at the counter whenthe 5:00pm bus would actually arrive(it was already 6:30). “Soon!”, was the answer we received. Something led me tobelieve otherwise. Later, we were informed the bus would roll into town around8:00pm, then it was 9:00pm and then 10:30pm. After spending two weeks “roughingit”, we opted to push our ticket until the next day and spend the night in oneof Uganda’s finest hotels (at $60 a night!).

The nextmorning I hit the dusty dirt roads for 5 miles – my first run since gettingsick – and I began to ponder my fitness or lack thereof. This trip hascertainly taken a jab at that. We passed the day laying by the pool reading andsleeping. Eventually I took to the bar stool where I relaxed and drank tallbottles of Bell while watching news about Africa on the TV. The bartenderturned the channel to CNN International and I learned that Newt was closing inon Romney in the Keystone State. I sucked down my last drop of lager…anythingto pass away the hours. When the time came, we jumped on the back of bodas(mopeds) and drove back to the bus stop. There were two buses in front of thedepot. One bus was being worked on by a grease covered Ugandan wielding a giantmonkey wrench. Parts of that bus littered the filthy street. The other bus (ourbus!) was thankfully being loaded with baggage. Surprisingly (or not so much),we learned the bus from the night before had never come. Some families hadliterally slept on the street all night and into the next day. In time, weboarded the tank and finally we were on our way to Nairobi, Kenya. The tripwould take 12 hours and neither of us would sleep a wink all night due to thestate of Uganda’s “highways”. Our bus broke down 3 times en route andpassengers were forced to evacuate to push the bus at times. When we finallyarrived in Nairobi (at 5:30 the next morning) we were exhausted. With Ugandafinally behind me I had a chance to reflect…

In many ways,things in East Africa don’t make sense, especially in Uganda (at least to thisstuck-up Westerner). When driving (or walking) down any road, one sees Ugandansrelaxing on their stoop watching the world go by. What their watching/waitingfor, I don’t know, but they’re often in groups. Some drink a thick porridge ofmoonshine from 10am until sunset. Others barter and sell goods directly next toanother vendor bartering and selling the same thing. Why not move your cart ahalf mile away? Matatu (taxi) drivers would oftennegotiate a NEW rate AFTER they had already dropped you off. After one suchepisode we explained how the driver could have driven to Cairo and back in thetime he had argued for an extra 50 shillings.

Unfortunately in Uganda,trash is thrown everywhere. It is really awful. Sometimes trash is thrown inone specific area and burned, but in others (mainly urban centers) trashliterally litters the ground. One day our driver chucked an empty 1.5 literbottle of water out of the car window as if it were an apple core. It landed inthe Nile. I wanted to weep like the Indian in that famous commercial.

Ugandan roads (as noted earlier)are absolutely terrible. Often times half the road is missing, while othertimes giant crater-sized pot holes pepper the road so that the driver swerves‘round them like a skier does with moguls. If the Ugandan government investedin their roads…well, it’d be a great thing.

By and large, everyone I metwas extremely honest and kind. Little girls guided us up mountains withoutbeing asked to, men came and gave us free milk and the local gentry, whereverwe might be, were always willing to help you if one got lost.

My time spentat the clinic was certainly eye-opening. Aside from my mother being a socialworker/registered nurse at Cape Cod Hospital, I have no background in anythingmedical whatsoever, so my roll was strictly confined to filming the day to dayaffairs of the clinic. The pinnacle “medical moment” for me came when a womanshowed up to the clinic carrying a 2-month old child dangerously, deathly,underweight. In fact, the child weighed as much as she did the day she wasborn. The mother was very poor and wasn’t eating enough food to provideadequate milk for her infant. Her breast-feeding neighbors won’t offer up theirmilk because apparently that is taboo (unless the mother has died) andneighbors won’t cough up a few shillings in order for the mother to supplementbreast milk with goat milk because families are very independent. The woman’shusband doesn’t want to stop having children because a large family isapparently a sign of success. She’s already lost 2 children due to similarcircumstances so there doesn’t appear to be an easy answer. I toured her homeand saw where the family slept, ate and relieved themselves - dangerously closeto where their 3 pet chickens did all of the same. The husband was nowhere tobe seen, rumored to be in town drinking that toxic porridge. Above all else,this frustrated me the most. I left Uganda feeling a bit depressed albeithopeful that the clinic might help turn the tide.

I'll write one final dispatch summing up my time spent in Kenya, then it's back to humdrum writing about running.

Uganda Dispatch #3: Down with the Sickness

2012-01-19T07:37:00.002-05:00

*apologies inadvance for the hastiness of these posts, I often don’t have time to edit themso there might, regrettably, be some mistakes in grammar/spelling

Again I awokein the middle of the night, but this time it wasn’t due to jet lag, rather someunknown bacteria milling about in my belly. My stomach was boiling. I canteredout to the restroom and made good use of it then stumbled back into bed. But, I couldn't sleep. Irepeated this process numerous times that night and returned to slumber weakerand weaker.

When I finally awoke at dawn, I was cold and shivering. My musclesand joints ached and I spent the remaining energy I had pulling a cotton rugbyshirt over my chest, then I tried my best to sleep some more, but it was not tobe. The doctor (who happens to live 35 feet away) ordered me to take Cipro and I diligently obliged. I had noappetite whatsoever and eventually exhaustion took over and I retreated to mybed. I woke up, yet again, a short while later and again was freezing. I put onmore clothes then crawled out to the porch with the hope of being warmed by thegreat African sun. I looked to the sky and only saw clouds. Then I shivered andmade my way back to my room. I wrapped the comforter around me as if it were a boaconstrictor then forced myself to sleep even more. I was exhausted. EventuallyI emerged and was able to muster enough energy to walk around the clinic, andthen I made my way back to the bedroom for even more rest. Crazy dreamsspiraled through my brain. My thoughts wandered to the village and the strangenew things I had encountered – none bad, just new and different -- like theclaustrophobic four hour matatu ride from the clinic to Jinja. The taxi van ismeant to hold 14 people, but our's carried, at times, up to 19 adults and 2children. In addition, three chickens were tied together below my seat andtheir feathers brushed against my legs. This only added to the stuffiness. -- In between strange thoughts and sleep, I read. I pored through a book about Livingstone's quest to find the source of the Nile and Stanley's subsequent quest to find Livingstone. Quite topical. Their adventures through the jungle and the sicknesses they constantly endured made my "bug" seem like a cough. I felt pathetic, but then I fell back asleep. By late afternoon I felt wellenough to walk around, but I was adamant on getting a good night’s rest and staying on a good sleeping schedule. So I passed out around 8pm and longed for the morning.

The next day thelatrine saw unspeakable horrors. But, that is as far as I’ll go in detailingthat here. My tummy was bloated and in pain, but I knew it would eventually pass. I was able to walk around the village and never needed to nap, but food was not an option. Food made me nauseous. I relaxed on the bed, downed Cipro, water and Tums, read my book and waited it out.

Forty eight hours after "the invasion", the "aliens" seemed to retreat from my body. I slowly regained an appetite and spent the day packing for the trek to neighboring Kenya.

I don't know when I'll see Uganda again, but I certainly gained some perspective from the time I spent here. I'll detail that in my next, and final, dispatch from Uganda.

UGANDA DISPATCH # 2: Running in Uganda

2012-01-18T02:28:00.004-05:00

I awoke inthe middle of the night; a victim of jetlag. I did my best to fall back asleepand must have for a little while, but I eventually was up before first lightand rearing to get my run started.

I ran thedirt road towards Kenya and passed villagers just getting started with theirday. All of them stared at me. Unlike neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia, runningis not as touted in Uganda. That coupled with the fact I was white and in the middleof literally nowhere caused many to jeer and others to cheer. But, most smiledand some ran alongside me, but that run was one of the toughest in recentmemory. After a day and half of travel, malaria medications, new smells, newtastes, a new sleeping schedule and altitude, the run tired me out, but I wantedto get back on my normal schedule. The route was extremely hilly – almost unrunnableat times. In fact, I don’t recall a piece of flat ground. The dirty red road meanderedover hill and dale for miles and miles. At one instance I was joined by someneighborhood kids. Another time I was joined by a middle aged man. He said “Iwill come with you”. He was wearing gum boots. As I finished, an elderly womenwho had seen me run out and now saw me again as I came back said, in perfect English,“very good work”.

For the first11 night of my trip to East Africa I am staying at a guest house adjacent to amedical clinic. The clinic is run by a young America doctor and her husband. Essentially,this clinic, high up within the mountains of eastern Uganda, is the only medicaloutpost for miles and miles. Before doors open at 9:00am, there is already aline wrapped around the building. The clinic treats the gamut of ailments incurredin Africa.

Our living/bedroomis quite simple; 4 walls, a mattress covered by a mosquito net, a shelf and atable. The doors attached to the rooms must have been pulled from an old abandonedbattleship. They’re steal and creak horribly when opened or closed. Their crieskeep me up at night. Ester, our cook and cleaner, operates out of a wooden hutin the backyard. Food here is pretty bland and the menu usually is comprised afew of the following: posho (cornmeal and water), rice, beans and some form ofmeat. Laundry, naturally washed by hand, is done twice a week. All of the foodwe eat is collected or killed in the village that day. Thankfully the villagealso has beer, albeit warm. I’ve been trying to keep a steady stream of alcoholin my body since leaving Dulles, during our layover in Istanbul, Turkey, and onceI arrived in country all in an effort to keep foreign toxins at bay. So far, sogood. The road to town (there is only one road in the village and the “center”is only about a 1/3^rd of a mile long) is marked with vendors sellingbananas, chicken, beef, coffee and other locally acquired foodstuffs. All alongthe road small fires burn piles of trash. The first night of my stay I wanderedinto town with the host family in an effort to secure some suds. The local villagerswere all very nice and eager to meet Westerners. The asking price for a warmbottle of Ugandan “Senator” or “Eagle” was approximately 2,000 shillings, or,roughly one USD. The vendors, some dressed smartly in faded sports coats andloose khakis, are adamant about returning the bottles so that they get theirdeposit back. This, I was promptly able to do.

One of myjobs, while I am here, is to document (on camera) the efforts of the Americancouple running the clinic. The other, is to teach Ugandan secondary studentshow to use video cameras. This is what I do during most of the day, but I findtime to explore the surrounding mountains, read in my bed and even had a chanceto white water raft the Nile (about a 3-4 hour commute from the village) overthe weekend in Jinja.

Uponreturning from Jinja, I began to feel very ill. My stomach cramped up and Ishivered the night in bed. I had had my daily allowance of self-prescribedbeer, but it hadn’t worked.

I lost allwillingness to eat or drink, shrunk into my bed sheets and wondered what waswrong with me. Time cures all, so I hunkered down to wait.

UGANDA DISPATCH #1: Entebbe to Matuwa

2012-01-13T00:07:00.002-05:00

The mysterysurrounding our arrival in Entebbe was underlined by a thick, peculiar fog.

When theplane door opened Emily and I were greeted by a warm tropical air. Runwaylights were dulled by the humidity and, at 2:30 in the morning, theinternational gateway to Uganda was eerily quiet. After clearing customs wewere greeted by two sleepy Ugandan drivers holding signs with our names. Theyquickly whisked us away to a hotel somewhere in the urban center. We climbedunder a mosquito net and had a brief nap before waking a few hours later. By morningour drivers had vanished. We asked the hotel’s proprietor where they might be,but a language barrier/confusion kept us from understanding where they were. Wesimply shrugged our shoulders and passed the time by packing up our belongingsand having a basic meal of egg and coffee at the hotel. With mug in hand, I left the table to stretchmy legs. The drivers were back and were leaning against the car. “We’re waitingfor you”, one said. I chugged my cup and squeezed into the backseat. Aftertraveling for 24+ hours, we still had another 8-9 hours to go before reachingour final destination, the village of Matuwa, somewhere deep in the mountainsnear the Kenyan border.

Our drivers,Ema and Sula, wasted no time while on the road. They drove as fast as theycould through Entebbe and on to the capital, Kampala. Kampala was teeming withpeople. Men, women and children, wearing vibrant reds, yellows and blues,shared the road with bicycles, mopeds and motorcars. I constantly worried thatEma would clip the handlebar of someone’s bike or the elbow of a wanderingchild, but thankfully, amazingly, that never happened (though I swear he camewithin inches, within millimeters). My wide eyes scanned this new land andeveryone, it seemed, stared back at me. Though white people aren’t toouncommon, we, naturally, seemed to stick out more than the rest of thepopulation.

Twice our carstopped at places swarming with roadside vendors. When we did, our vehicle wassurrounded by people shoving cooked bananas and sticks with chicken in ourfaces. The drivers rolled our (rear) windows up while they negotiated in thefront seat. Eventually some deal was made, they got their chicken, and we spedoff again. I never really knew what was going on.

Our car cameto a stop at Jinja, a town located on the edge of Lake Victoria. For somereason Jinja is filled with Western ex-pats; Germans, Brits, Americans,Scandinavians, etc. Known throughout Africa (and the world?) as being a hotspotfor white water rafting (maybe this is why Westerns come/live here?), it isalso the source of the Nile. We pulled up alongside a Western-looking café. Ourdriver instructed us to get out of the car and said “here is a good place toeat” (I guess he wanted to spare us from the chicken on a stick). I wasn’t entirelyhungry, but I didn’t know when the next available chance to eat might be and Ialso wanted to get on a new schedule. My stomach had been cramped since themorning so I opted for a giant bottle of Bells; a highly touted Ugandan beer. Ichugged the cold bottle with a smile and mopped my wet brow. I cracked my neckand loosened the button on my shirt. Then I ordered a second to wash down therest of my chicken sandwich. Now feeling a bit better, I stumbled around therestaurant and then leaned against the front door to watch the world go by. Iglanced to the right and noticed my drivers waiting on a bench, “we must getgoing, we still have a very long journey.” Feeling a little embarrassed andinconsiderate I quickly grabbed Emily, polished off the rest of my Bells and weproceeded on our adventure.

After anotherfew hours of driving NASCAR-like ‘round slower cars and villagers alike wearrived at Mbale, the closest “main” city to where we would be staying. Herethe drivers filled our car with a giant jug of water, bread, tea, toilet paperand other miscellaneous (which we learned later was for us). Sula hopped outand told us this was as far as he was going. Then we were off again. Our car venturedoff a paved road and then began ascending a hill that seemed to go on for milesand mile. The dirt path (a dare say road) was filled with potholes andspeed-bump like things so the going was tough and slow. In fact, the 25 miletrek from Mbale to our village takes 60-90 minutes! Higher into the sky wedrove, past men herding goats, young girls balancing bushels of firewood atoptheir heads, and babies tightly clenching chickens and dragging yellow plasticjugs filled with water twice their size.

FINALLY wearrived at the lush green village of Matuwa. Tucked deep within a fertile rangeof steep, rolling hills, Matuwa was one of the most beautiful places I’d everbeen. It was cooler here, but still quite warm. Some villagers wore earth tonedpants and shirts while others donned old, dirty tweed sports coats. I wasamazed at how well everyone was dressed, despite how agrarian the community was.They all looked like gentlemen farmers. The women, also dressed smart, woredresses or lose fitting pants. Many, from both sexes and all ages, clutchedhoes and machetes. Proprietors on the side of the dusty road sold beef, grilledcorn, fried bananas and warm beer. It soon dawned on me that I was exhausted. Ihad traveled from the most powerful city in the world to a dusty, albeitbeautiful, hamlet somewhere deep within Africa’s interior.

I was inanother world. Tomorrow I’d run.

The Pearl of Africa

2012-01-06T13:15:00.004-05:00

"When in the end, the day came on which I was going away, I learned the strange learning that things can happen which we ourselves cannot possibly imagine, either beforehand, or at the time when they are taking place, or afterwards when we look back on them."
– Out of Africa, 1937

Off to Africa.

DEVELOPING...

2011 Year in Review

2012-01-01T19:56:00.000-05:00

PHOTO - Midsummer Night's Mile in July, before all hell broke loose

I’ve beenrunning year round since I was 15 years old. Granted, I wasn’t running A LOT ofmileage back then, but the physical activity of running has been a part of myday-to-day DNA since Clinton’s first term. 2011 has been the mostfrustrating of all those 17 years. This frustration stems from the two stressfractures I developed in the summer of 2010. Essentially, I’ve had 3 “comebacks”since being diagnosed with said fractures, each more frustrating than the last.But, I’ve kept my head up and am confident that I can “comeback” indefinitely.

I raced onlythree times in 2011: a 5k in May, a mile in July, and a 5k in November. I wonboth 5ks and faired better than I thought I would in the mile. This proves Istill have “money in the bank” – interest collected from years and years ofrunning – and I can muster up sub-16 5k turnover with little effort. Historyindicates I can capitalize on these marks after just a few workouts. I tried todo just that, but in both instances I fell backwards after succumbing tofurther injury.My legs, apparently, can withstand running too quickly these days.

BRIEF HISTORYOF MY INJURY

Summer 2010:after a stellar spring season, I began to have discomfort in my right upperleg. Discomfort centered on inside of thigh/groin. Began seeing Sara Buckheit,profession stretcher/personal trainer. Her diagnosis: one leg is weaker thanother due to muscle imbalance(s). I must stretch more.

September2010: Problem doesn’t get better. MRI confirms two hairline stress fractures onthe bottom of my pelvis. The fracture on the right side is more sever.

Autumn 2010:take 50 days off from running, fill vacuum with water running.

Late Autumn2010: have slowly ramped up to 60-65miles per week with little discomfort, but by Christmas, my leg is experiencingthe same pain as it was in the summer. I am forced to take more time off.

January 2011:I visit Dr. Beck, a chiropractor in Arlington. Beck finds "multiple"muscle imbalances in pelvis, legs and surrounding areas. All of theseimbalances likely caused stress fractures last autumn and will keep causingadditional problems until I get them corrected. I begin a rigorous chiroroutine.

Early Spring2011: I start another slow, arduous mileage build-up filled with numerous upsand downs. Work/travel, a blessing in disguise, keeps me from doing too muchtoo soon.

May 2011: Iwin a 5k race downtown and clock 15:57, which was essentially the time I wasaiming for. Workouts begin again, but I am sidelined multiple times with a sorequad/glute. This is clearly a start-stop-evaluate-start type of injury.

June 2011: Iam only running 5-6 days a week per the chiro. Workouts get better.

July 2011:race a mile, 4:27, but this “fast” track race causes sever hamstring pain. I amforced to take MORE time off and rebuild yet again. August 2011 begins comebacknumber 3. All leg pain/issues stem on centered on my right leg.

Autumn 2011:I am running 7 days a week again. My longest run is 18 miles and I am running65 miles per week. I occasionally have leg pain, but said pain is few and farbetween.

November2011: A foot pain develops, but this is unrelated (I think) to my right leg. Irun a 5k Turkey Trot in 15:58.

WHAT I’VELEARNED?

I’ve learnedI am fragile. I have a great endurance and I can muster track speed with a fewsimple workouts, but my body may not be able to handle the work required to runwell over an extended period of time…at least not as well as I use to.

I’ve learnedI need to stretch; stretch rigorously and stretch often. I feel as if I can’tstretch enough, but I also get so tired of stretching and I honestly find itvery difficult to concentrate on doing this. It’s funny, because stretching isso simple, yet I will find every possible excuse to neglect doing it.

Runningaside, I traveled more this year than I probably ever have crossing theMississippi River for work and pleasure about a dozen times. I tramped thoughmarvelous National Parks and spent countless days in rural American towns. I've been very busy and this has kept my mind off of running.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Despite whatI’ve learned, I’ve decided to retire from track racing and focus my attentionon my two weakest race distance: 13.1 and 26.2, arguably two events that willtake far more commitment/training discipline. It’s always been a dream of mineto run 29:59 for 10,000m (and a faster 5,000m), and if I ever get in “quickshape” again I’ll go for that, but I can’t realistically predict when thatmight ever happen so I think it’s more appropriate to focus on racing well onthe roads over longer distances.

In the nearfuture I plan on racing these proven PR-friendly and Red Fox endorsed races:

BLOCK ONE

Sunday, 3/11- St. Patrick’s Day 5k in Baltimore, Md

Saturday,3/17 – Shamrock 8k in Virginia Beach, VA

Sunday, 4/1 –Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in Washington DC

Sunday, 4/29– Pikes Peek 10k

The goal is to "race up" and get into PR shape by the time Cherry Blossom comes around. Two years ago I averaged 5:04s on this course. It'll be tough to do better this based on the training I've been doing, but I hope things turn around..

BLOCK TWO

If things gowell in this month of racing, I’ll look to a second spring peak, centeredaround the USATF Half Marathon Championships in Duluth, MN.

In the fall, I am looking at peaking for the Twin Cities Marathon in October or Houston in January.

This coming Friday I head to Uganda, the "Pearl of Africa", and I'll be away for 20 days. In addition to Uganda, I think I'll have opportunities to see Kenya and Tanzania. I have no idea how much running I'll be able to muster once I arrive, but my plan is to string together a couple 40 mile weeks and run those miles hard.

Mount Marquette & Her Trails

2011-12-30T20:16:00.007-05:00

Tuesday dawned cold and windy.

Since I arrived on Saturday, the air had been filled with flurries and Tuesday morning was no exception. It was the wind, though, that made running so difficult. The "feels like" temperature (with the wind chill) hovered around 10 degrees. Running alongside the Great Lake would be asinine, so instead Emily and I ran towards Mount Marquette. The “mountain” is exactly one mile away from where Emily lives. We ran there together and then I proceeded to climb away. My pace slowed to 10:30 miles as I huffed and puffed over dirt roads covered in snow. After 3/4 of a mile the terrain got very steep and a white wall blocked my view of the top. My pace slowed even more. And all that time, the snow never abated. When I stopped to take in the view I could hardly see (see stock photo), so I ran down the other side of the mountain. When I got to the bottom there was nothing to do but run back up the mountain and then run back down the other side. I got in 7, but I was exhausted. I spent the remainder of the day catching my breath.

I took Wednesday off. I was pretty tired from Tuesday's tomfoolery, but, more importantly, the roads were very icy and I had no intention of running back to that damned mountain. I shuddered at the thought and instead took to snifters of cognac.

But on Thursday I ran back to the mountain. This time I took to the snowy trails that ran along the perimeter of the park. I came upon a man biking in giant snow tires and I asked him how far the trails went. He pulled down his snow mask and said "depends on how far ya wanna run, eh. The perimeter is 5 miles". I decided to commit and run the trail and I have to say it was brilliant. It was by far the best run I did while in the Upper Peninsula. I ran 100+ feet above the Carp River and the vistas were idyllic. It was great fun to run in the light powder, but again my pace was very slow. I got in 9, but it took all of 74 minutes. These are the runs we remember.

Christmastime in Michigan

2011-12-26T17:35:00.004-05:00

I awoke on Christmas Day in the city of Marquette. Situated somewhere in the middle of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Marquette has seen snow every month of the year sans August. Naturally December is no exception. I think it’s one of the few places that saw a White Christmas this year. I sauntered out the door into light flurries. Since Michigan is so far west, the sun doesn't rise in the winter until 8:30am, which was about the time I got going. It was cold and a little windy, but not too nasty. I ran west along Lake Superior on the Marquette Bike Path until I got 3.5 miles away (according to my new Christmas present - a Garmin watch). The city was sleepy on Christmas morning. That, coupled with the light snow fall, made the setting quite peaceful. Dark green waves lapped the white coast and snow powdered the intimidating rock islands just off shore. Everything looked cold. Bone cold. I wiggled my knit hat as far low as it could go and kept on keeping on. A flock of crows cackled above and I spied a snowy owl perched atop some rocks. The crows did their best to give that old owl hell, but the owl sat there as cool as Luke and didn't go anywhere. He was damned to do anything.

My mind drifted and I thought about my family back home. It was the first Christmas I'd spent away from them and it made me a little sad, but as sad I was to be away from them, I was equally as happy to be with my girlfriend and her family here in Michigan. Okay, enough schmoopiness...

On Monday I had to get some things done in the morning so I was forced to run in the middle of the afternoon. I wanted to get in something long so I set my eyes towards Presque Isle some 5 miles away. It's a faux island that has about 5 miles worth of trails. Although everything was still covered in an inch or so of snow, it was liberating to get away from the bike cold windy bike path that hugs the Great Lake. The 5 miles "home" was brutal. Whitecaps crashed offshore and wind hindered me from actually moving forward at time. It was tough going, but deep down inside I enjoy training in harsh winter weather. I got in about 14 and, according to the trusty GPS, I averaged about 6:45s. Typically my stomach doesn't agree with me when I run at this time and that was again to be the case today. Regardless, I got it done, but by then end of the run I was pretty beat; more tired from any run in recent memory.

Stepping Aside

2011-12-19T16:48:00.002-05:00

Last Friday morning I announced to the Georgetown Running Company Race Team “board” that I’d be “resigning” as “Captain of Teams” the next day. I use quotes when describing these actions, because there has never been any official hierarchy in place. That said, for the past 5 years I’ve served as the de-facto leader of this team and I felt it wise to step aside and allow new leadership to fill the void.

In the fall of 2006, I met up with a crew of guys at the Georgetown Store on a cool Saturday morning. To be honest I can’t recall who was actually there, but I do remember meeting Scott Munro, Steve Money, Dave O’Hara and Max Lockwood (who had shepherded said meeting and who I later wrestled control of the team from in a bloodless coup) early on. We exchanged pleasantries and then hit the C&O Canal for a friendly out and back. I felt like a freshman at my first day of practice; I didn’t know anyone and was curious to know whom all these people were. Where did they run in school? Were they fast? What were their PRs? Could I hang? I began to get very excited about running again. I was 26 years old and hadn’t run a personal best in 5 years (though I had recently run 53:20 for 10 miles), so I decided to recommit myself to the sport and focus on running faster than I ever had in college (15:30, 25:30xc, 32:45xc). Heck, now I’d have a team to help me share the burden. Over the next few months, runners would come and go, but a core group of athletes, donning blue and white Brooks RunCo singlets, soon coagulated together and formed the basis of the *new* team. In early 2007, I started the Georgetown Running Company blog as a nexus for organizing group runs and other team things. The blog became a great virtual meeting place and it attracted like-minded post-collegians and fans alike. The history of the team is essentially chronicled on the blog, so I won’t go into all the minutiae here, but it really brought a great group together: Matias showed up one Sunday at The Line, Jason Dwyer convinced me to train with him for Grandma’s Marathon and Chris Bain illustrated that he was the fastest marathoner in North Bethesda. In the fall of 2007, Patrick Reaves came along and we started working out at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in earnest. Over the next couple of years the team snowballed from a dozen lonely twenty something year olds looking for training partners into a solid post-collegiate racing machine. Statistics indicate I got far more from the team than the team ever got from me. Without the team I would still be running sixteen minute 5ks instead of setting PRs (this is fact!) so I am, and will forever be, grateful to the team for that.

I am not going anywhere per se (though I could be later this year) and will continue to lace up the shoes and focus more on training alongside the team instead of working logistics and managing schematics behind the curtain like I’ve been doing for the past half decade. But really, at the end of the day, I decided to step aside because leadership always needs new blood. Democracies thrive on change. Our stable now houses some 50 athletes and it’s important for others to step up and assume command and share the burden. This, above all, is how the team will progress. This is how the team will succeed.

* Note - before I had ever even heard of the Georgetown Running Company, there was indeed a very competitive race team in place. In 2006 that team seemed to be winding down, but many still donned the singlet. The team that preceded me was comprised of Ben Cooke, Kyle Smits, the Frenchman Philippe Rolly, among others, as well as a team of women coached by George Buckheit and led by the Marine Mary Kate Bailey.

Go GRC!

iPods & Muskrats

2011-12-18T20:36:00.005-05:00

On Friday I sat in bed, coffee in hand, and contemplated whether I would run or not. Did I need a day off or did I want a day off? Sometimes the two are intertwined deep within the psyche and it's hard to know what you truly want. The fact that I was even having this internal conversation meant I should run. The weather was cold and I got going quickly. I hit the hills around the Mormon Temple and gasped for air. I either felt out of shape or I was reeling from the effects of the too many holiday cocktail parties. I threw myself up hill after hill and after a few more of those, I regained my composure. My pace at the end was well under 6:00, but more importantly I felt strong and comfortable doing it.

Saturday also donned cold. I was set to run to the Chevy Chase Running Company from home so that I could pick-up and drive Emily's motorcar back to my place. Emily lent me her iPod, which I am unaccustomed too, and I hit the ground running -- hard. My first mile was a few ticks over 6:00, but I didn't look again. Again, I hit the hills hard. Western Ave was a true challenge, but it was great. I checked later and it turns out I was averaging close to 5:50 pace for those 9 miles. I've only worn an iPod a few times and it always has the same results. This seems fine when I'm not really training much, but it could be deadly later in the season.

On Sunday, after yet another - the third in a row - holiday fiesta, I ran 12 with Dave Wertz at Old Angler's Inn. We ran pretty easy. It was good we did. The bottom of my right foot was hurting some. Oh yeah, we saw a muskrat.

I got in 58 for the week.

Progress Again

2011-12-15T12:12:00.003-05:00

Last week I ran every other day until I felt as if my foot issue was behind me. That strategy seemed to work, as I no longer have any pain on the top of my left foot. I was also experiencing some plantar-esque pain on the bottom of my right foot and, although still present at times, that too has subsided. I am now running every day again. I hope to be put in a solid long run this weekend and be back around 60 miles for the week. I am very tired of all these annoying distractions. Not much to report really.

In the meantime, I am penning my end of the year report, which I’ll probably post next week. It details my numerous frustrations with 2011 and notes where I intend to go from here.

Five Mile Test = No Pain

2011-12-07T22:20:00.001-05:00

Pain free.

I will take Thursday off, run Friday and hope to resume a normal schedule by the time the weekend comes around.

Can’t Catch No Break

2011-12-06T15:57:00.002-05:00

I took three days off with the hopes of nixing the mysterious pain in my foot. On Sunday I decided it was time to go for a jog, so I ventured out for an easy 45 minutes on the trails of Rock Creek Park. I only felt my foot in the last couple of minutes, but everything seemed to be in order. However, I made the mistake of running the next day when I should have waited. I cut my losses about 2 miles in and bid adieu to Sam and Karl before meandering back to my place through Garrett Park. I think I stopped right on time as pain was slowly increasing in the last mile+.

I think this foot thing will pass. I don’t feel it at all right now, but I should be cautious. I started tying my shoes the “Lydiard way” to alleviate any stress on the top of my foot. Assuming this will pass, I am on pace to start running workouts again next year (i.e. – January).

Damned Foot

2011-11-30T15:47:00.002-05:00

It might have started a couple weeks ago when I jammed my left foot and tumbled onto the ground while running trails in Cabin John, or perhaps it came later when I decided to give running with Super Feet a try. Regardless, the top of my left foot has been aching for about a week. I took last Monday and Tuesday off as a result and the pain went away. The Turkey Trot went fine as did the rest of my runs during the rest of the week, but now I seem to be in some serious pain…

On Sunday I ran “long” with Joe Navas at Nickerson State Park on Cape Cod. Joe is an interesting cat to talk with and he’s a very tough little racer. Relatively new to running, Joe, 41, started only about 10 years ago. Now he boasts bests of 4:33 all the way to 2:33 – all run as a master! It’s really quite impressive. I intended to run further than 12 miles, but a string of good, upbeat running days left my legs tired and I didn’t want to overdue it. My foot problem flared up later that day and I decided to take Monday off.

On Tuesday I ran 10 with the NBDP and on Wednesday I ran a solo 8 in the morning while exploring some new trails that meander off the oft run Fox and Deer Trail. About 35 minutes into the run, my foot really began to hurt and I bee lined it home. I brought an ice pack to work and have been chilling the foot all day. Needless to say, I am going to rest up because I don’t want this to get any worse.

Below is a photo of my foot. The “X” naturally marks the spot that hurts the most. Any ideas?

Sealing Great

2011-11-26T17:28:00.003-05:00

On Friday I set out for ten miles in the early afternoon. I always seem to run at weird, random times of the day when I am back home. Often times I crash or my stomach hurts when I run at these odd times, but yesterday I felt surprisingly good especially considering the fact I had a race the day before. I looped around Barnstable Harbor where I spied a seal sunning himself on the rocks. It kind of looked like this. I stopped and stared for a moment and then continued on my way. I next stopped at the grave of a childhood friend who passed away about a decade ago. I made another quick stop to visit some neighbors a few miles later. The weather was unseasonably warm so the stops didn't cause the old warm-cold-warm-cold feeling you get when you stop a lot in the colder months. I got moving at a very good clip and it felt like I hadn't even raced yesterday. I floated down the road back home in 5:45 pace and then slothed around on the couch for the rest of the day. Black Friday is great.

On Saturday I helped put on our annual high school cross country alumni race. I didn't race this year, but ran the 2.9 mile course as a warm-up and as a cooldown with old pal, and frequent Red Fox blog reader, Seth Reid and then ran home, exploring some trails along the way. Again, weather was quite warm for this time of year (60) and the sun made it feel more like spring than fall. I got in 11.

My time at home is quickly coming to an end, but not before I run long tomorrow with Sir Joe of Navas at Nickerson State Park.

Turkey Trotting

2011-11-24T22:37:00.001-05:00

The air was cold.

Although the temperature was only 36, I was chilled to the bone when I arrived and remained shivering despite my 2+ mile warm-up. In fact, my hands were in pain. I slithered into the front seat of the car and slipped off my tights and disrobed down to my singlet. I left a wool hat on the top of my head and squeezed my hands back inside my cold gloves. It was 7:57am; time to roll.

We started out fast and I tucked back behind 3 younger foes. It felt good to open up and double down on my stride. The first mile was downhill and I slowly made gains on the young chaps just ahead of me. By the time I hit mile 1 (4:56), I was in 2nd place. Shortly after the mile the course had a sharp uphill and I began to walk down the leader somewhere near the top. Once there I hit the downhill hard and then opened it up for the next 5 minutes. My pace had slowed considerably by the time I hit mile 2 (10:10), but I seemed to have the race in the bag at that point. I felt strong and comfortable and reminded myself to keep on trucking.

I hit the tape in 15:56. My last mile was my slowest (5:16), but I wasn't too tired so I think I just got too comfortable out on the course and just got into my own groove. Essentially this was exactly what I was hoping to do; get a W and run sub-16. While not fast, the silver lining is that I ran this same race 2 years ago in more favorable weather and hit 16:01. This was before my "dream (spring) season" of 2010. If I can start putting in some miles while continuing to keep things fresh, I might be able to turn things around. The shorter, more poignant analysis is - damn, it felt good to race again.

First Workout in Months

2011-11-21T11:51:00.001-05:00

It was another solid 7 days of running. On Saturday I ran my first workout since mid-summer. The team was running 8 x 1000m on the grass and I was excited to get my feet dirty. I opted before the workout to run only 5 repeats and run by feel. Instead of looking at my watch, I’d base my pace on the competition around me and my own personal comfort. We leaned forward into the incline and almost immediately cold air filled my rusty lungs. This pace seems right, I told myself, but despite my reassurance, I didn’t feel very comfortable. After rep 1 I began to shed some of my layers. Each rep essentially repeated itself: Sam and Witty would take off, I’d run even with Texas Paul. I’d pull ahead of Tex, Tex would then pull ahead of me. I’d pull even with Tex. I hit 2:55 over and over again (note – actual distance was .58 miles, not 1k. This was approximately 5:01 pace). I was pretty beat (cardio wise) by rep number 5 and I slowed considerably to a 3:01. I gathered up my warm-ups and started my cool down while the others kept on fighting. The speed caused my hammy/glute to show some signs of stress, but it was nothing like it was after my mile some months ago. Still, it was good I quit while I was ahead. The name of the game now is patience.

On Sunday I ran 14.5 from Old Angler’s Inn with some of the guys. My body felt a little beat from the cross-country running the day before, but I was determined to get in one hundred minutes of running.

I ended up with 63 miles for the week (7 days of running). I’m taking Monday (today) off because I haven’t had one in a couple weeks and my body is beginning to tell me it needs one. Thursday will be a test of sorts. I am running a Turkey Trot 5k on Cape Cod. I don’t know if the course is *really* a 5k or not, so I’ll again be running by feel. I do want to push it though and I do want to hurt. I need to start working out and getting rid of all these cobwebs.

Seven Days a Week

2011-11-14T17:32:00.003-05:00

I got back into the swing of things last week. I ran every day, but I bookended my Saturday long run with two easy days of running. Essentially I ran 45-60 minutes from Monday to Thursday and then ran a very easy 5 miles on Friday. On Saturday I left Grosvenor for the Chevy Chase Store by way of the Rock Creek Trail and Western Ave. The distance is about 9 miles. At first I felt low on sugar and low on steam, which is surprising because I wolfed down coffee, toast with jelly and some Gatorade all within an hour of starting my run. I occasionally checked splits and seemed to hover around 6:40 pace. After 45 minutes I snapped out of my funk and began to push the pace on the ups and downs of Western. I arrived at the store a few minutes after 9am and joined up with the team for a 9-mile run. We essentially ran a big hour-long loop via the CCT, Georgetown Branch Tail and the Rock Creek Trail. I pushed the pace again when I got back on rolling Western for the second time that morning. I finished up the day with 18 miles; my longest run in well over a year. The next morning I ran an easy, stop-and-go 7 miles while watching the team battle local competition at the Veteran’s Day 10k. They won.

I got in 62 miles, my highest week of mileage in about one year. I plan to run a light workout on Saturday before heading home for Turkey next week and trying my hand at a Turkey Trot 5k.

Return to Normalcy...I hope

2011-11-11T13:53:00.006-05:00

Last week I traveled to New York City and worked for a television production company filming and producing various marathon-themed projects throughout the week. Highlights included a commercial with Ryan Hall, a promotional video for Indonesia and a chance to ride backwards on a moped while filming a reality TV star running the race. The good news was that I enjoyed every minute of this “work”, but the bad news was my running (again) suffered since every waking hour was spent working. I was able to engage in a few jaunts around Central Park and some street running in and around Midtown. Essentially I ran enough to get by.

Now, I will attempt to, as Warren G. Harding once famously said, “return to normalcy”. Next job withstanding, I shouldn’t have any roadblocks from here on out.

My plan is as follows:

1. attempt to run 7 days per week

2. slowly ramp my miles up to 65-70 mpw

3. increase long runs from 15/16 miles to 2 hours/18 miles

4. continue to stretch rigorously and add stretches as need

5. commence workouts by January

In two weeks I will race a Turkey Trot on Cape Cod. It’s the same 5k I did two years ago, before I had my PR spring. My time was dismal – 16:00 – but a few months later I was running a far faster pace for triple that distance. That being said, the race will be a good benchmark of where I am at and how much work I’ll have to do.

Cold & Wet

2011-10-30T18:51:00.005-04:00

It was arguably the worst weather to run in. Rain had been falling all night and the temperature hovered in the mid to upper 30s; just a few degrees above freezing. Chris Bain met me in my lobby for what would be one of the most miserable runs in recent memory. We started out slow and in no time we were soaked to the bone. We told each other "I'd rather be cold for a mile then warm for over ten", but in all honesty, I had no idea how cold it was (I thought it was mid 40s, not mid 30s) and I was freezing the entire time. Dressed only in a long sleeve, shorts, baseball hat and gloves, we did our best to conserve heat. The Rock Creek Trail was littered with cold puddles and slick leaves, but the view, despite the horrendous conditions, was quite breathtaking. Rock Creek in the fall is beautiful especially when it rains. Fire truck red and hunting vest orange pepper the normally green-brown treescape. We reminded ourselves of this when we couldn't feel our fingers anymore. All bitching aside, it was a memorably run and we got in an easy 14.

After a dismal night of sleep caused by a drunken night out in Georgetown, I peeled myself off the floor of the Running Company and got ready to cheer on friends at the Marine Corps Marathon. I ran with Murphy and Chuck down to mile 16 and then, when I saw Chris Sloane run by, decided to hop in and lend some support. 5:40 pace didn't feel great after dining on whiskey cokes all night, but I got into the groove and worked with him and a pack of guys that included a member from every branch of the military and even one Adam Condit. Sloane was in about 5th place at that point and had come through 13.1 in 1:12. I ran with him from 16 to 22 and then made a pit stop before picking him up again at 24. Sloane slowed considerably during this time, but was still moving forward. Sometimes that's all you can do in the marathon. I ran until mile marker 26 and then angled off the course and made my way back to the Running Company, physically beat from my Saturday night tomfoolery and Sunday morning adventure.

The weekend capped off my highest week of mileage (60 in 6 days) since June. And, I am still stretching.

Down & Up the Grand Canyon

2011-10-25T18:35:00.013-04:00

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon was eerily quiet when the shuttle van driver pulled into the campground. "Good luck and have fun", he said before speeding off towards the much more populated South Rim, some 200+ miles away. We stretched our arms after the 4.5 hour trek and gazed around at our surroundings. The entire campground had closed for the season, so we were now on our own for the next few days. Our journey would begin the next morning and end, two days later, on the other side of the canyon.

Before starting, our crew of three (me, my buddy and old roommate Will and his friend Josh) decided to head out on a short day hike to explore the splendor of the quiet North Rim without busloads of foreign tourists and plump American senior citizens often found at the South Rim. Upon returning from Bright Angel Point, we discovered that ravens had ransacked our food stores. Five of our much needed freeze-dried meals were reduced to powdery crumbs that were scattered about the campground floor. We sighed and realized there was nothing we could do but conserve our remaining grub (since all concessions at the North Rim were shut down for the season). Dejected, we hunkered down in our respective tents and awaited dawn.

The next morning we marched into sunlight towards the North Kaibob Trailhead. I began to regret packing such a heavy pack (I weighed it after the hike and the scale hit 46lbs), but, like the food mishap the evening before, there was nothing I could do about it. The route zigzagged back and forth down a hot dusty trail. We descended a few thousand feet in the first couple of hours. After spending all morning in the sun, we were delighted to spy a waterfall just off the trail. Naturally, we decided to explore and cool off in the cool water - water that literally poured out of the rock wall of the canyon. By early afternoon we arrived at Cottonwood Campground ready for a meal. Will struck out with his $20 Chinese-made fishing pole in an attempt to catch dinner in Bright Angel Creek. I laughed at the idea at first, but, realizing we need the food, I quickly waded into the cold, clear stream and began searching for trout. Someway, somehow we found a rainbow trout and someway, somehow, Will caught it. That night we slept under the night sky sans tent and watched falling stars. The moon, not even full, was so bright it kept some of us up at times. There isn't much to dull the brightness of a moon in the middle of the dry desert.

We awoke early next morning and slithered our packs back on our aching backs. The journey wouldn't prove difficult, since we'd only descend a couple thousand feet (as opposed to 4,000 the day before), and we were surprised to learn that we rarely walked through sun. We hadn't missed a meal yet, but we would need to get a dinner tonight to stay on that schedule. Seven miles later we wandered into the cantina at Phantom Ranch. Phantom Ranch sits at the bottom of the Grand Canyon and is frequented by hikers, river runners and those who venture into the inner canyon via mule. In fact, it's one of only two places left in the States where mail is still delivered by mule. We were fortunate enough to get reservations for the last 3 steak dinners available for dinner and we inhaled them. At camp, I spied a gray fox and curious creatures known as ringtails. That night we psyched ourselves up for the 9-mile uphill (5,000 feet in elevation) hike we'd commence the next morning.

We awoke well before dawn and began pumping ourselves with coffee, tea, oatmeal and other warm morning treats. In the early morning light, an 8-point mule deer charged through the creek in front of us and ran right through our campground. We looked at each other and realized it was time to go. The first half of the trek was fairly uneventful. We SLOWLY made our way up the wall of the canyon, meandering around big horn sheep, ultra-friendly ground squirrels and happy-go-lucky hikers walking DOWN the trail. The Bright Angel Trail was easy to follow but we rarely ventured off trail to explore. Today was about getting it done. Early in our adventure an old timey hiker told us "When you get to the top, you'll be exhausted. Have fun while you're hiking, but keep moving...keep moving". We stopped for a "lunch" mid-morning, but aside from that we "kept moving". Each of us decided to hike our own pace once we got within 3 miles from the rim. The last 3 miles is composed of steep switchbacks. At times you look up and see only rock and wonder where the trail actually was and it was easier to look down at your feet than up at all. We never forgot where we were though and each of us would stop and marvel in the splendor of the canyon at every turn. It truly was amazing. I tightened the cords on my pak until the straps rubbed against my skeleton, then I tightened them more. I leaned into the hill and kept a steady 20-min mile pace during the final ascent. FINALLY, I spied the top of the trail head above to my left. It was all over now. I reconnected with my teammates and we took one final look at the epic trek we'd completed.

The old hiker was right, I was beat, but also elated. We then proceeded to a restaurant where I dined on a bacon cheeseburger and cold beer. We were done.

Grand Canyonin'

2011-10-23T14:39:00.001-04:00

I was away for a week hiking rim-to-rim across the Grand Canyon. Naturally, I didn't do much (read any) running while there, but a report of the expedition is forthcoming.

The 2012 Plan

2011-10-12T11:18:00.006-04:00

Training has been going well. Last week I ran 56 miles with a day off. The highlight was a 15-mile long run; the longest run I’ve done since June. I can’t say I felt as fresh as I did in the 15 as I did the week before in the 13, and, instead, felt downright tired, but it feels quite liberating to be able to run again for so long when just a few weeks ago I was huffing after a 25 minute jog.

Last week capped 3 weeks in which I averaged 7-8 miles per day (8-9 if you exclude my prescribed day off each week). I plan to settle into this sort of schedule for the foreseeable future and see how I adjust. I have a couple of trips coming up which will limit training to a degree, but I expect to stick around these numbers (maybe running as high as 65 mpw) until the end of the year. I also don’t expect to get on the track anytime soon and instead just work on my base. Maybe by December, I will feel comfortable getting on the oval, but I’d prefer to get in some workouts on the towpath first.

I am now running in the Brooks Pure Flow and the Saucony Kinvara. I’m no longer running in the Merrell Trail Glove. I have had ZERO pain in my leg while running and I continue to perform stretch/strength work.

If things progress the way I hope they will, my plan will be to “race up” to, and peak at, the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in April. My goal will be to PR and to prove that this entire year of injury was simply a small speck of annoyance in the greater scheme of things. By “race up”, I mean I’ll run my normal spring race schedule -– Shamrock 5k, Van Meter 5 Miles, Pikes Peek 10k -- excluding anything on the track, and use those races to get my legs use to running sub-5:00 pace for extended periods of time. Essentially, I am retired from track racing and will now begin to shift towards the marathon more and more. No more miles and no more 5,000s. I won’t rule out a 10,000m if the right race comes before me, but right now I’d like to focus by running fast on the roads. If things go well, I might run a half later in the spring…possibly the USATF Half Marathon Championships in Duluth, MN in June. My personal best for 13.1 is pathetic compared to my 10-mile time.

Next fall, I see myself racing 26.2 again. There seems to be only one place to go if you want to run a fast ‘thon in the fall.

I am getting way ahead of myself, but I need to have clear plans and goals.

Encounter with a Buck

2011-10-07T14:56:00.001-04:00

I ran a very easy 7 on Monday evening with Dusen and Hanson. The neighborhoods are getting dark earlier and earlier so we are forced to run where there is light.

The next morning I ran an easy 8 with the same duo.

On Wednesday I ran solo. My plan was to get off the asphalt and run some trails. I started out on the Fox and Deer Trail that meanders along Rock Creek. I hadn’t run the trail in forever so I wasn’t surprised to find myself negotiating my way around clumps of branches et cetera as a result of the recent rains. While cutting around one of these clumps, I came face to face with an 8-point buck. The sky had not quite dawned so at first he was hard to see in the early morning grey. We stood there and watched each other just a yard or so apart. I was ready to bolt through the forest in a moments notice, but the deer didn’t budge. I slowly crept backwards until I was out of “range” then continued on my jaunt. I felt sluggish for the rest of my 9 mile run, but finally warmed up by the time I was done.

I took Thursday off, again, and ran an easy 7.5 miles with Luff, Koonce and Dusen on Friday morning. All of them are racing this weekend so the pace was pedestrian.

Tonight, Mr. Dusen heads to the Windy City in an attempt to qualify for the US Olympic Marathon Trials. It’s quite a privilege to be able to live a quarter mile from and train with someone like Karl and I wish him everything. The entire Georgetown Running Company Race Team will be running alongside him in spirit.

Turning Things Around

2011-10-02T16:37:00.008-04:00

I had a good run form the Store on Saturday. There was a light rain and temps were perfect for running. We (Murphy, Luff, Marren and Breezy) left Georgetown and headed north/east along the muddy Glover Archibold Trail until we got to Wisconsin Ave. From here we zipped down to Connecticut via some trail I can never remember before being dumped out near the zoo. After negotiating our way around some bears, we headed south towards Georgetown and found our way back to the Store via the Dumbarton Oaks Trail and 34th Street. We kept it easy for the majority of the run and I shut it down at 10.

On Sunday I ran solo from Riley's Lock. After a 1.3 mile loop with Emily and lil' Alfie, I moved north/west along the Potomac to Sycamore Landing Road. Running felt good and the weather was, again, ideal for a long-ish run. At times the sky wasn't sure whether it wasn't to rain or cast down sunshine, so it did both. The trail was very lonely and I didn't see a soul for miles. By the time I reached rolling River Road, the sky had opened some and a light rain pelted my body. I started at 6:20s and was slowly cutting down. When I returned to the trail I notched miles of 5:45 and 5:39 before shuffling back to the car. 13.

The weekend capped a solid, pain-free, 7-days of 53 miles (6 runs). I am happy with how things are progressing, but I must continue to progress slow.

Ten Miles Hard

2011-09-30T15:46:00.003-04:00

On Monday night I ran an easy 5 miles in the Merrells with Luff and Hanson. I think this is the last time I’ll run in these shoes because I am ever so afraid of injuring myself in them. Also, I no longer have glute/hammy pain so there doesn’t seem to be a need for them.

On Tuesday morning I met Karl, Hanson and Ben for a loop through Garrett Park. Again it was easy running and I stopped at 7.

I didn’t run again until Wednesday night. I left the apartment at 6:30 and half way down the elevator I decided to hit the “L” for lobby instead of the “1” (my gateway to Rock Creek Park). It occurred to me that I should try and run 10 miles hard, so I bounded out the front door and ran the long way towards Cell Phone Field. I started out running 6:20s but then cut my way down to low 6:10s. By the time I hit Cell Phone Field, some 35 minutes into my run, I was hammering. The soft grass felt good on my asphalt-battered feet but I was careful to watch my step in the darkening twilight. I completed a loop and a half and hightailed it back towards the Fox Den, picking up my cadence as I fled the field. I kept my foot on the gas, and didn’t let up, though I didn’t press the pedal to the metal either. I rolled home in sub-6:00 effort and ended up averaging 6:08s for the 10+ mile loop. It certainly “felt” faster than that, but I suppose MapMyRun doesn’t lie. Regardless, it felt great to go out and just run hard from the get go. It's oldschool and I miss that.

I took Thursday off, but ran an easy 8.5 with Scott on Friday morning. We saw police cuffing a man outside his home and a large dead beaver – apparently struck by an automobile. Just another Friday morning run…

On the Offensive Again

2011-09-26T07:36:00.005-04:00

Major momentum on the running front over the past week...

The week started out slow. I proceeded cautiously keeping my runs from 5-6 miles. On Thursday I decided to step it up some and get in an hour. I ventured down to the Walter Reid Annex trails with Luff and Hanson. We seemed to move fairly fast, but I never felt any problems with the leg. I got in 9.5. I took Friday off.

On Saturday, I hit the Georgetown Store for my first group run in quite some time. We decided to run the Ernst Loop and by the time we got to Ernst Hill we were already moving along fairly well. I knew the hill would work me, but I embraced the oxygen debt. Dusen ran stride for stride with me up the 1.5-mile long hill. We dipped right on Mass Ave and then down Glover-Archibald. I had to take care of “something” before going any further, but once I did, I found myself really cruising down the muddy trail. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was training again. The rest of the crew was waiting for me near the French Embassy and together we all shuffled back to the Store. I added on a bit and finished up with 11 for the day.

On Sunday, I met another group of GRC Race Teamers at the Chevy Chase Store. I had mapped out what I thought would be a solid hour loop. Once on the CCT, the pace, again, felt hot. Knowing I wasn’t THAT out of shape, checking some mile markers indicated we were rolling along at 6:25 pace. By the time we hit Rock Creek Park, Tex, PMurph and myself, had gapped CTR and Koonce. I was feeling fresh and decided to press it. I know Tex loves to push runs and PMurph also appeared interested. Once we exited the park, our pace really quickened. All along rolling Western Ave, our trio hammered. None of us had GPS watches, but 3 of us agreed we were rolling along at 5:30 pace. I felt marvelous. Normally I wouldn’t hammer weekend store runs like this, but my legs are so fresh and they crave a quick pace. It ended up being another 11 miles.

I ran 6 times and got in just shy of 50 miles. Although I have had many "comebacks" in the last 12+ months, I've never felt as confident as I do right now. I am still stretching 20-30 minutes per day and moving away from the Merrells (1 run last week) and into the Kinvaras (5 runs).

I am going to proceed cautiously...optimistically, but cautiously.

Logging Miles Again

2011-09-20T17:49:00.004-04:00

I no longer have pain/discomfort in the hammy or glute and I seem to be holding up fairly well in the Kinvaras. I ran just shy of an hour in them on Saturday, but took Sunday off as a precaution.

I ran 6 miles on Monday night and then 6 again on Tuesday morning. I have minor discomfort on the inside of my right leg (this damn thing is always moving around) but it's very minor and it isn't enough to stop me from running. I am still stretching/strengthening after each run and, as a result, I feel quite strong. So, all systems seem to indicate "go", or, rather, "proceed cautiously forward".

I haven't written in my running log since the mile race in late June. It's frustrating and frankly depressing to write "0" every day next to my mileage column, so I stopped doing it altogether. Today, however, I feel like I can start recording data again. This will be a symbolic return to training and I hope I don't jinx myself by restarting this daily tradition.

My plan right now is to slowly uptick my mileage over the next several weeks. I set no deadlines, but my long term plan is to do more with less and slowly build, build, build. If I can return to working out later this fall - great. If I can hop in a race or two - super. BUT, I am more concerned with getting in consistent, pain-free, training. If all goes well, hopefully I can make a major comeback in the spring. I get in shape fast, but it'll take a LOT of work to get back to where I was in May of 2010 (14:46/30:56/50:56). Where there is a will, there is a way and I certainly don't lack the necessary environment and training partners to make this happen.

Man's Best Friend is Dead

2011-09-19T07:51:00.005-04:00

As a pet lover (and dog lover specifically) I always feared the day when I’d have to let go. It’s a cruel thing having to outlive your pet…your friend.

I grew up with springer spaniels. Daisy, our first, was born in 1986. I remember returning from a night out with friends some 11 years later and finding her limp body stretched out on her bed. I woke my mother and my sister (my dad was out of town) and then carried her body to a pre-dug grave (we knew it was coming) behind the house. She was a great sibling and she was as much a member of the family as anyone. It was one of the saddest days of my live.

Montana, like Daisy, wasn't a leash pet. I was fortunate to grow up in an area where dogs roamed free, but never roamed far. We got Monty when I was 18. It was spring and I was just about to start summer vacation before venturing off to faraway Maryland for college. Monty was a cute pup and I recall him scampering over our edged lawn. He’d run so fast, so quick, that he’d practically fall asleep as soon as he’d stop moving. He was a hunter, but not a good one. He loved to wrestle and bite softly on my hands. He loved jumping up on the couch and riding shotgun with my dad in our truck. Though, he hated riding in the back of the truck. He also hated goats. I had many youthful adventures with Monty through the years and he’d always be a sight for sore eyes whenever I returned home from college for the summer and for the holidays. In recent years, my eyes would wet when saying goodbye, as I knew it might be the last time I’d see him. He was hard of hearing and might have even been deaf in one ear. His vision wasn’t too great and he spent a lot of time sleeping. Despite his slothfulness, he’d rally whenever you’d say the words “walk” or “beach” and immediately he’d morph into a youthful pup. At the beach he’d swim after gulls and ducks far from his reach, not because he thought he might catch them, but because he liked to swim.

I saw him last in July. He sat regally on our green lawn (like in the picture above) nervously licking his snout. He’d always come out to see me off. He knew I wouldn’t be coming home right away and I knew this might be the last time I’d ever see him here on earth. I tried to not think about that and instead petted his liver and white head, like I’d been doing my entire life. I closed the car door and drove off, trying, but failing, to keep my eyes dry. I’ll miss him for sure.

The Dawn of Autumn

2011-09-16T11:57:00.003-04:00

I haven’t posted in awhile. This is partly due to me being so busy and it’s partly due to me having nothing new to post.

To recap, I’ve ditched my old Asics in favor of the Merrell Trail Glove and the Saucony Kinvara - both are minimalist shoes. The Merrells are very Vibram-like (sans the 5 fingers) and I know running in these shoes will inevitably lead to other issues. The Kinvaras had been giving me the same hammy/glute pain as before, but I can report that this week I’ve experienced NO pain in my glute/hammy after ANY of my runs in either shoe. This is a step in the right direction – pun intended.

In addition to running, I’ve been very, very, diligent about strengthening my legs with 7 prescribed strength/stretches c/o Dr. John. These exercises take about 20-30 minutes to complete post-run and are suppose to get my glute to “fire” again and, therefor, as I understand it, decrease the “shock” that I am feeling in my upper leg when I strike the ground while running.

My plan is to train in these two pairs of shoes until I am able to “graduate” back to something more stable but also something that might enable me to strike mid-foot vice forefoot or heal because, again, I envision these types of shoes causing me other problems (plantar, xf) down the road.

Last week I ran in Estes Park, CO while traveling for work. I limited my runs to 30 minutes (as I don’t like to run more than this in the Merrells, which were the only shoes I brought west) and my route was essentially a loop around Estes Lake. I’d start my runs at 7am and was stunned to see so many elk milling in and around the concrete bike path, which started alongside a golf course (see photo below). It’s the rut and the air was filled with testosterone and the sound of bugles. On one such run I came face to face with a 14-point bull that was herding his harem of cows away from other gentleman callers/competition. I stopped dead in my tracks and opted not to move. I'd seen home videos that started this way. I stood motionless in the 40-degree air and tried to catch by breath at 7,500ft. All of a sudden, the bull began to walk towards me ever so slowly. In turn, I turned and began to walk away. Suddenly, the mighty elk dipped his antlers in my directing and started toward me. My heart skipped a beat and I dove through a split rail fence in an effort to put something between he and I. Turning back towards my “competition”, I saw the elk wink before heading on his way. Whether he was winking at me for skirting a fight or winking at me because he had 4 or 5 cows in tow…I will never know.

Update Coming

2011-09-09T21:24:00.002-04:00

I am on another NatGeo shoot...this time in Estes Park, CO.

Training has been light, but for the most part it's been pain free.

On Thursday I ran into an Elk on the trail while running around Estes Lake. It started towards me, but I was quick enough to get away.

A more definitive update will come when I return...

Another Clip from "Knights of Mayhem"

2011-09-01T13:23:00.006-04:00

Another look at the series I've been working on for the National Geographic Channel:

Momentum?

2011-08-29T14:25:00.005-04:00

I am gaining traction as a result of running in minimalist shoes all while executing a vigorous stretch/stretch routine. Pain/discomfort in the glute/hammy area is way down in intensity.

I've been alternating runs between the KINVARA and MERRELL TRAIL GLOVE. The trail glove feel far better while I am running than the Kinvara, but the Kinvara has a little more support. In fact, I've yet to feel my glute/hammy while wearing the Merrells, however today, for the first time in a week, I did feel my hammy/glute while running in the Kinvaras. Frustrating indeed. My longest run to date has only been 26 minutes and it feels good to get that much in, but I wonder if it is TOO much right now? I took Saturday off (from running) but still water ran while at a hotel somewhere in the mountains of Northern Michigan. I also got in a good stretch session.

I have 8 separate stretches/strength exercises that I've been doing and I can report they are getting easier to do each day. I really need to stitch this into my daily routine.

One day at a time.

Doc: "Throw those shoes away"

2011-08-24T07:22:00.008-04:00

I saw two specialist yesterday. My goal in seeing all these people is to get:

1. Additional opinion and insight and see if they can figure out something new.

2. create a "package" so that I can move forward. This package includes running (in BOTH minimalist shoes and "regular" shoes), stretching and cross training.

Although my head hurts from trying to understand medical vernacular and trying to organize their ideas in my head, I feel like I got somewhere and here is a recap of what they had to say:

Dr. Pribut, Podiatrist - does not think orthodics are necessarily the key. "I rarely tell 2:30 marathoners to get orthodics". He believes my problem is a "hip problem". He suggests I get another MRI to see if the stress fractures have come back. He suggested a few different exercises. He also suggested to run "minimal" in minimalist shoes and to try a new shoe with mid-foot contact. He doesn't need to see me again. The take home point here was that he thinks I should check to see whether my stress fractures have come back. I don't think they have and I need to check insurance to see whether I can afford (another) MRI. last time it cost $600 out of pocket (it was worth it) and already this year I've spent north of $1000 on chiro/doc visits.

Dr. John Dandelski, Chiro - Dr. John thinks I have: "a hyperactive piriformis on your right side, which is due to your right gluteus maximus being weak as a result of improper firing in the lumbopelvic hip complex. Your glute should be firing first, but it is firing dead last and very weakly. As a result this is causing your piriformis to fire more as well as your tensor fasciae latae and IT band. So your complaint of the butt pain is due to the "hot" piriformis, which is totally unrelated to your adductor/pelvic pain." Dr. John checked my pubic bone and was "amazed" at how misaligned it was: "wow, I have never seen anyone as misaligned as you. Usually, it's a millimeter or two, but nothing like this". My right side was almost 1 centimeter lower than my left side (and naturally they are suppose to be even). My adductor(s) likely pulled it down. He adjusted me, something that hasn't been done before, and suggested that that might make a huge difference. I showed him my old shoes and my new minimalist shoes. He did a test which showed how weak I was while wearing my old Asics. He said to throw them away. He did the same test while I wore the Merrells and I was MUCH stronger. He agreed that I should get a second, more stable, pair of shoes because running in Merrell Trail Gloves all the time will result in other/new problems. This is why I am so fearful of going there. He said I should think about orthodics, but then agreed with the podiatrist's assessment that if I had gotten this far without them, that I don't need to. He gave me numerous stretches to help strengthen/stretch my piriformis and my glute. He thinks I should try running today (with both pairs of shoes) and report back. He advised waiting, just a little, to get an MRI.

Dr. John Dandelski's website = http://dandelski.com/chiropractic/

With the help of Towpath and the very kind (and beautiful) manager of the Chevy Chase Running Company, I settled on a new pair of shoes. I needed to find a shoe with a "heal to toe drop" somewhere between 1 and 5. The Merrells are likely 0 or 1. Both pairs of my older Asics are 11+! The Saucony Kinvara, what I ended up buying and what fellow GRCers Joe Wiegner and Jerry Outlaw wear, are 3-4. They feel great on my feet.

Tonight I will run on the track (easy) and test out these new shoes (ie - not on a treadmill). I will also commence these rigorous stretching.

I will outline my new training "package" in the coming days...once I digest this more and figure it out.

I can report that I am feeling optimistic again, and that is worth something.

The Merrells Worked?!

2011-08-22T20:32:00.006-04:00

I ran 15 minutes tonight on a treadmill in the Merrell Trail Glove without ANY pain!

Without altering my stride or form I observed very minor discomfort during this 2-mile test. The difference is NIGHT AND DAY from what it's like running in my normal running shoes.

Is this a breakthrough? The "way forward"? Or, will this simply result in DIFFERENT pain (like plantar, shin splints, etc)?

I am not sure if it's medically accurate or not, but it's clear, at least to me, that smashing my heal each stride is having a major effect on my injury...or perhaps this IS the route cause of my injury? Despite this good news, this doesn't "fix" my problem, but what it does do is give me a way forward without pain. I'll share all this news with the Podiatrist tomorrow and hopefully get some answers.

My gut says that if I am able to run sans pain in minimalist shoes that I'll still need to strengthen/stretch my hamstring and all the other tendons/muscles that have contributed to this situation I now find myself in.

The Plan

2011-08-21T21:23:00.013-04:00

First, I appreciate all the feedback (and I will reply individually soonest). I really do. On and off this forum, people have been giving me hints of encouragement and all of it is taken to heart. It really is.

The Plan is as follows:

A. Dawn on Monday - try running in specialty shoe (Merrill Trail Glove) to see if pain persists in hamstring. This is a Towpath idea. Although I despise all things Towpath, I will try it.

B.11:00am on Tuesday - appt with DC-area running specialist Dr. Pribut

C. TBD - appointment with hip specialist per Beth Young

UPDATE: My two closest "injury advisers", Sarah the Stretcher and Dr. Beck the Chiro, say the following:

SARAH:
"Over the past year, you have reported pain on the right side of your lower body. At the same time, you have presented with a number of tight as well as weak/inhibited muscles. The biomechanics on your left side, while not perfect, are much better than the right.

The differences in the right and left side of your body have resulted in unusual and abnormal stresses on the muscles and tendons. Stresses so great that they resulted in two stress fractures of the pubic bones.

Last time I saw you, the muscle involvement was consistent with a Category 1 Pelvic Fault - a pelvic imbalance where one side of your pelvis (the left) rests slightly forward of the other side (the right). Because your dysfunctions are solidly established, there was no quick fix. The pelvis corrected and was fine while you were lying down, but as soon as you stood up and walked, the patterns of muscle contraction and recruitment caused the pain that had previously existed.

None of this happened overnight and cannot be corrected quickly. Your lack of flexibility is causing an imbalance of the pelvis. This imbalance has resulted in an unusual amount of stress/strain on passive tissue (tendons, ligaments, joint capsules)."

Dr. Beck:
"The process is long term with any treatment protocol. Go and see these guys and have the studies done(mri, ct,etc) and see what they come up with. The odds are we are looking at some tendon issue with some joint function issue. Get back to me with the details and we can go from there. I will try to give you my opinion on some options. Just give me a call when you put it all together and we can see if chiro and muscle work fit in your course of treatment."

The Next Offensive

2011-08-17T20:01:00.003-04:00

I took two weeks off from running and tried to go at it again on Monday. Although I felt decent, it is clear that this new injury (or tweak) has not worked its way out. I am at a loss as to what to do. It feels like desperate times.

My overarching running strategy has been to race until I couldn't record PRs anymore. Then, go at it again just before I turned 40. Since 2010, just 15 months ago, was a stellar year for me, I still don't think (fitness wise) I am too far off from where I need to be to convince myself to keep going. However, I can't get past this damn injury. It's now been OVER a year and all I have to show for it is a 4:27 mile and a workout 5k. Before this latest setback, I had gotten back up to 60 mpw (on 6 days). This "package" included a weekly workout and 15 mile long run. By my estimates this would reward me with a 15:15 5k by the time Kentlands (in September) rolled around and maybe, just maybe, a half marathon PR by Philly (note that my 13.1 PR is weak).

Estimates schmestimates. I've now derailed and it's clear I need to look long and hard at where I stand.

I spoke with Coach Jerry this evening and essentially I have two options: 1. retire or 2. throw out all the stops. He said that I should throw everything I have into this and see as many experts as I can. Something specifically he said struck a cord with me: "you want to walk away from this thing knowing you did all you could". I agree. I need to figure out what, definitively, is wrong with me and open up the wallet.

DEVELOPING...

No Plan

2011-08-04T22:44:00.004-04:00

It has begun.

I've returned to the pool. And the pool sucks. My pool isn't open in the mornings, so I am forced to close the laptop as close to 6:15pm as possible and then beat feet back home. It takes me about 35 minutes to make the trek, plus the 5-10 minutes or so to change and get my injured ass down to the pool. The pool closes at 8pm sharp (though, closer to 7:55) so I NEED to be sliding into the warm water no later than 7:00. I've been able to get in a solid workout every day this week but Monday (closed early due to t-storms). My workouts are listed below and they do leave me pretty exhausted. The core definitely gets worked as do my arms. In fact, my arms and upper body are simply jacked. I beat the shit out of two high school bullies on Tuesday - all as a result of water running. I wish that were the case, but I am getting stronger in the arms. That much is certain

There are a number of overweight people who frequent the pool at that hour. Two have mustaches that turn down and they look like walruses. Walruses with shirts on. Or is it walri (plural)? In any case, they float like icebergs and bump right into me while I am "on" (I run "ons" and "offs" per the workouts below). I suppose it is fine, but I get real angry while I am in the pool -- and walri don't help.

I am not 100% convinced that water running works, especially for distance runners, but it certainly fills the vacuum. I still don't have a master plan, per se, and, for now, I am simply wallowing in the pool like a walrus. My hope is that this thing (whatever it is I have)shakes out in 2 weeks and then I'll get back into it.

day 1: 6:30 on 90" off X 8
day 2 4'on 1' off, 3' on, 1'off, 2' on, 1' off X 6. You will see this as 4/3/2 with 1' in the future
day 3 3'/2'/1' with 1' off X 8
day 4 25x 1' on with 45 sec off
day 5 5x 8' on with 90 sec off, 6x 30 seconds on/off
day 6 6:30/90 x7, 1x 3 minutes all out
day 7 5x 1' on/off, 6x 4'on/1' off, 5x1' on/1'off
day 8 20x 90 sec on 1' off, 1x 6 min all out
day 9 4/3/2 X 6 1' revcovery btwn each
day 10 9/8/7/6/5/4/3/2/1 with 1 min recovery
day 11 4 on 1 off x 10
day 12 6/4/2 X 4 1' recovery
day 13 10' on 2 off X 5
day 14 24x 2 min on 1' off

Back to Prison

2011-08-02T22:01:00.004-04:00

UPDATE: The Red Fox is returning to the water.

I blew the dust off of Patrick Reaves' 14-day H2O Running schedule.

DEVELOPING...

Testing

2011-08-01T12:26:00.004-04:00

Attempts to run this week were futile. I am still in pain while I run and that pain is starting to affect HOW I run. Sarah checked me out and seems to think I have a pelvic imbalance. She's given me some stretches, but none of these things are silver bullets that will correct my problem...at least not right away.

I am at a loss as to what to do. Perhaps I go back to the Godforsaken pool. Damn, I hate the f&$#ing pool...

FIRST LOOK: "Knights of Mayhem"

2011-07-28T17:34:00.004-04:00

FLASH: Below is a "first look" of the first episode of "Knights of Mayhem", the television series I've been working on since January for the National Geographic Channel. The clip is 2:20.

2011-07-26T20:22:00.000-04:00

"It is my experience that time off is rarely a solution for an injury. You need to FIX the problem. Time off may or may not make it feel better but the problem will come back if you don’t fix the issue. Also with tendon issues time off tends to weaken the area and can make running hurt much worse after the layoff- the opposite of what you’re looking for. Not saying there is never a time for time off, just saying that taking time off without proper treatment is very ineffective."

- Nate Jenkins

Two Weeks Wasted

2011-07-25T22:38:00.002-04:00

I've run twice over the past two weeks and I still have hamstring pain.

After just a few strides on Monday afternoon, I knew it wouldn't be good. Over the next ten minutes my hammy went from feeling like hell, to feeling bad, to feeling okay and ending feeling blah. Overall it was shit as I expected all to be fine.

Not sure what the next steps should be, but I've read/heard that I need to strengthen the hammy WHILE I rest it.

Now, I ice.

Boiling Mad

2011-07-22T16:14:00.005-04:00

I took an entire week off. Initially, that wasn't the plan, but as each day ended I realized I wasn't ready to run the next morning. The good news was that my leg seemed to be healing each day, but I was still in no position to put weight on it.

Fast forward to Monday. I hadn't run in one week. At "home" in beautiful Cape Cod. Splendid weather. Low humidity. Ocean breeze. I laced up the shoes and zipped out the door. Almost immediately my right hammy began to ache, but I bit my upper lip and pressed on convincing myself that it would eventually warm up. And, it did. However, the run left me hobbling around for the rest of the day and by the time I had arrived back in Maryland after a long day of sitting in cars and sitting on airplanes, my leg felt extremely locked up. I sighed in frustration and decided I wouldn't run until AFTER the last of any pains dissipated.

This is a huge setback; the worst since my return. It come on the heals of a fine race/fitness marker (the mile), which, in a sense, is a microcosm of my entire 2010 season (a nasty injury on the heals of a fine season). I am going to stand down and hope this thing passes.

As far as running goes, this seems to be a fine week to skip. As I type, the "feels like" temperature in Washington is 121 degrees. This is a new "PR" for me.

To Race or Run Long

2011-07-14T08:24:00.003-04:00

So, I tweaked my hammy by running Saturday. I should have taken Saturday off and treated Friday as a workout day (a la Wednesday workout/Thursday day off). By running on Saturday I didn't rest the hammy and it never got better. In the past, I would never taper/rest/adjust my running week for a mile race, but nowadays, I need to consider that. Is a Friday night mile more important than a 10 miler on Saturday? Will a Saturday night 5k (next weekend) be more important than a 15 mile long run on Sunday morning? I can only do one. I can't do both. Lest I take another 4-day hiatus from running.The chiro confirmed this sentiment on Tuesday while adjusting me. He didn't seem to think I was all that bad and advised that I foam rolled and do some light stretching. The headline was that all this would pass - a bump in the road. I asked how to avoid this and he replied that this was essentially "the new norm". He also confirmed how stronger I was with respect to the basic legs stretches/exercises we've been doing since January. "I've never seen your right leg so strong", I think is what he said. This confirms that I am "getting there" but I just need to be cautious on how I get there.

I've been leaving work at 10-11pm the last couple days. That, coupled with hellish temperatures, seem to distract me some from running at the moment. The good news, if one can find any, is that my hammy feels better today, but for cautionary reasons, I will take the day off and will run tomorrow (hopefully).

All that aside, the 4:27 was definitely a good mental boost, especially for a guy who saw the latter half of his 2010 and first half of 2011 seasons erased before his eyes. In fact, aside from the milestone days early this year when I first ran sans pain, that mile might be the best day I've had in 2011. Estimates and projections (based on statisticians pounding type writers and checking numbers while working late hours at the Fox Den) put me at sub-15:30 for 5k. If the weather cooperates (read - not 90+) I will aim for a 4:55-5:00s next weekend.

I will continue this aggressive approach. It is working, albeit some bumps in the road.

Not So Fast...

2011-07-13T08:49:00.003-04:00

The mile race on Friday evening was the single best day for my running psyche in 2011, but it came with a price. Since Saturday, I've been battling nagging hamstring pain. Attempts to "run through it" this weekend have failed. Monday and Tuesday were rest days. Zero running. I even returned to the evil chiro, a psychological defeat, yesterday in an attempt to get back to normal. At time of press, Wednesday morning, the hammy is feeling better, BUT I am not out of the woods yet.

LATER: lessons learned and what is next...

DEVELOPING...

4:27.2

2011-07-09T08:35:00.006-04:00

Texas Paul quickly surged to the front of the pack. I jumped in behind and hung as close to the rail as I possibly could. Dix , who turned 30 only hours before, clipped at my heals. It was just as it was meant to be...

I've had a someone busy week of work which saw me warming up from the metro station to track in jeans before my Wednesday night workout. I got in about a half mile then hit it: 4 x 1200 (400): 3:43, 42, 41, 37. I ran about 6 miles for the day; dismal but true. Knowing I would take Thursday off, I felt I'd be fresh for a mile race on Friday night.

I looked down the backstretch and saw Joe Wiegner, but I couldn't hear a split. Damn. Doesn't matter. Paul is great at pacing. Hang. We hit 400m in 67, which was right on pace for 2:14. We sped up slightly coming through the half (me in 2:13) as a legion of younger runners took off around 700m and drove down the homestretch with gusto. I soon found myself in 5th, or 6th place. It didn't matter. I was on pace. Just hang. Hang. My plan was to try and walk some of these guys down after we hit 1200m. Someone would die. I hoped. With 400m to go (1209m) the clock read 3:20. I was in pain, but I could manage a 70. Sloane came up on my hip and together we threw ourselves at the men who were dying. We leaned into the humidity and caught up to a dying someone with 250m to go. Ahead former UVA star Andrew Jesien was throwing it all in and it was clear he had the win locked up. Paul looked like he had second place. I set my eyes on 3rd, but it was not to be. I hit the tape in 4:27, under my pre-race goal of 4:29 and gained some confidence to boot.

SPLITS:
67 - 400m
2:13 - 800m
3:20 - 1209m (so 66 for 400m?)
and then 67 for the last 400m

1 1/95 1/12 2747 Andrew Jesien M 24 Rockville MD 4:19.3
2 2/95 2/12 2754 Paul Guevara M 24 Alexandria VA 4:24.0
3 3/95 3/12 2723 Chris Barnard M 22 Olney MD 4:26.0
4 4/95 1/15 953 Jake Klim M 30 North Bethesda MD MCRRC 4:27.2
5 5/95 1/8 2746 Chris Sloane M 28 Rockville MD 4:27.8
6 6/95 4/12 2757 Kevin Meehan M 24 San Francisco CA 4:29.5
7 7/95 5/12 2758 Will Palmer M 22 Bethesda MD 4:30.1
8 8/95 2/15 2755 Dickson Mercer M 30 Washington DC 4:30.6
9 9/95 2/8 2716 Jason Myers M 25 Alexandria VA 4:35.4
10 10/95 6/12 458 William Orndorff M 20 Rockville MD MCRRC 4:35.9

PHOTOS (C) Ken Trombatore and Trey Kinkead

One Year

2011-07-02T14:10:00.003-04:00

It's been one year since I've injured my upper leg/groin. I am surprised at how quickly those 12 months have gone by. I've had lots of ups and down and highs and lows. After practically getting nowhere in the latter months of 2010, 2011 has seen much progress. I seem to be less sore and running more/in better shape each month, so I quantify that as success. I am now running 6 days a week and I no longer report to the chiro (a physiological victory). I've built up to 15-16 mile long runs and have been running workouts each week for the last month. Each week, my speed gets more fine tuned and I'm able to cover the outdoor oval faster, more comfortable and with less stress. BUT, the injury won't quit. For the past week or so, it's been rearing its ugly head. My IT band is often sore and I find myself longing for a foam roller mid-run. I appear to be stuck; I am hungry for more miles but I can't run any more in my current state. All I can do is run +/- 60 mpw at the moment and contain the injury as best I can. I don't want to retreat as it's taken me a great deal of time to make these gains and I'll be damned if I'm going to pull back. I may need to pepper in chiro visits again as Sarah thinks my SI joint has locked up again.

These trials and tribulations are worth wrapping up in a White Paper report for historical prosperity and so that I can share it with anyone else who might, unfortunately, succumb to a stress fracture in the symphysis pubis.

On Monday I ran 10 with Luff and felt great. The next morning I ran 9 with Hanson and felt rather blah. On Wednesday I had a great workout: 1600 (4:59), 800 (2:23), 800 (2:20) with 400m rest and then 6 x 400 cut down from 68 to 64 with 200m rest. It felt great to run fast again. Thursday was my off day. On Friday I felt just short of awful running around the towpath. On Saturday I ran from the Fox Den to the Chevy Chase Running Company via Rock Creek. Once I got to The Line, I ran up the Western Ridge Trail until I found my way to Military. It was an epic run, though not very long (10.5).

Eight Hundreds

2011-06-22T22:24:00.003-04:00

I got through my longest track workout tonight: 4 miles of 800s.

I felt very good and cut down from 2:31: 2:31, 2:31, 2:28, 2:29, 2:25, 2:28, 2:24, 2:21. It all felt fairly easy as a result of the large (8 person) pack, but the weather was warm and humid so we progressed easily. Dutch Paul graced us with his company since he is in town for he summer.

This week I hope to be back north of 60 after a dismal training week (last week) in Las Vegas. Working 12-15 hour days isn't ideal for training, nor is 105 degree concrete sans shade.

Yes, I realize this post is lame. I just got back to town and will elaborate more with musings on my upcoming runs...

Attack the Track

2011-06-09T14:10:00.004-04:00

On Monday I ran an easy 7 with Hanson. He looked 40lbs overweight and tan from laying about in the sun all day.

The next morning I joined Luff for some 10 mile fun in/around the Tilden Trails. There were no dogs this time.

I didn't run again until Wednesday night. The weather was scorching with a "feels like" temperature of around 100 degrees. I guzzled water all day until bathroom trips were every thirty minutes. I was ready. The plan was to run 12 x 400m (200 rest) broken into sets of 3. Goal times for each set were 72, 70 and 68. We had a massive pack and we rolled around the circle confidently hitting our targets - 71, 69, 70, 69. I poured cups of cold water on my steaming face and down my parched throat. The pack seemed to melt into the night. Again we rolled - 69, 69, 70, 69. The heat was getting to all of us, but since we were "only" running 400s, it wasn't that bad. I was fired up to run the last 4 strong, but not hard. I opened my stride and ran 66, 65, 67, 65. I felt fast and as if I could have gone much faster. But, it's still VERY early in the season and it was VERY hot on the track. Also, I need to be weary of my leg despite how good I've been feeling.

By the end of the workout, my shorts and my flats were soaked to the touch. I shuffled in reverse on the track with Dickson for a mile and a half and called it a day (night).

Sixty Miles

2011-06-05T18:13:00.004-04:00

REPORT: this week there was a major turning point in The War. As dusk settled on Sunday evening, my optimism was the highest it's been all year. This comes on the heals of a 60 mile week; the highest since Christmas.

MORE: On Wednesday, I ran the first workout of the year sans ANY pain and/or discomfort. The workout was nothing to write home about, but it was glorious to run 400s in 66-68 again. I took Thursday off, but that would be the only day off I'd take all week. On Friday morning, I ran 10 from Rosslyn and was able to get in some miles in some places I seldom run, including the Glover Archbold trail, New Mexico Ave, Fox Hall and a magical place called 49th Street down in the hinterlands of Georgetown/Palisades. Finally, I looped back along the Palisades Trail/Towpath.

On Saturday, I met my old college buddy Stump for a run in Patapsco near UMBC. I really miss running here. The trails are far more technical than Rock Creek Park and back in the day, Stump, myself and a kid named Sugar would wage epic battles racing trails up and down hills, through wheat fields, across swinging bridges and asphalt bike paths. One such record is a sub-60 effort for what we believe is a 11 mile loop. Patapsco State Park = tough, hard running for sure. Though, yesterday, the pace was gentleman-like and we spent the majority of the time reminiscing about old times and catching up on new times. We got in about 8.5 before parting ways.

On Sunday, I met a half dozen guys at Riley's Lock for a long run. For some reason (perhaps the nice weather, perhaps due to the confidence built since Wednesday) I was itching to run hard. At 9 miles, I decided to pick up the pace and press on until the end. Jacob, a Newton rep who was along for the fun, went with me and together we hit 5:50 miles for the next 5 miles. Again, no pain.

I got in 60 for the week. This is my highest week of mileage for the year. That, coupled with a workout without pain, bodes well for things to come. I dare not say I am "back" yet, but damn, if I can do this, I am damn near back. Moving forward, I am going to cut out my second day off each week and maintain a 6-day training week, if, of course, my body can handle it.

A Workout Without Pain!

2011-06-02T11:26:00.004-04:00

Last night I returned to the track to test the legs around the oval. The plan called for 6000m worth of speed (1000m MORE than I had done at the previous track workout which ended miserably). Afternoon temperatures in Washington climbed to 97 degrees with "feels like" temps hovering at 100. I downed Gatorade and chugged water all afternoon to get ready. The walk to the track from the metro alone was enough to make one (me) sweat. After a 3 mile warm-up I leaned into heat and started the workout: 4 x 1000m (400m) and 4 x 500m (300m) which went something like this: 3:08, 3:04, 3:01, 3:00 then 1:26, 1:25, 1:26, 1:23. 800s during the Ks were hit in approximately 2:26 and the 400s during the 5s in about 67. I felt sluggish at times and after the reps near the end, I was visibly labored (me hunched over gasping for oxygen). That being said, I tried to stay relaxed and run with the pack. I ran a mile and a half cool down and called it a day (10 miles). The best news of all was that I had ZERO pain and ZERO discomfort both during the workout and after the workout. This is a HUGE step in the right direction. In fact, this might be the single best training day for me in all of 2011. Running a workout without pain seems to be the last step in getting back to normal. As Coach Jerry noted (quoting Ford) "perhaps the long national nightmare is over".

I took Thursday off, instead of trying to ruin a good thing, but plan to run the next three days so that I get a 6-day week in.

On Monday, I ran a cold, windy, rainy 8 miles in Rapid City, SD. I actually wore a long sleeve and a hat, quite different than conditions back east.

On Tuesday I ran 8 while checking out the Father's Day 8k course alongside Chuck and Patrick. Lots of start-and-stop and it was quite hot.

(Last) Wednesday Workout

2011-05-31T16:12:00.004-04:00

Since I was flying out early on Thursday morning for holiday and I desperately needed to pack Wednesday night, I opted to run my Wednesday workout solo on Wednesday morning instead of with the group that afternoon/evening. My goal was to run 3 x mile (1/2 mile rest) on the RCT and be as close to 5flat as possible.

The day dawned humid and I was sweating profusely before I left the apartment. I ran a 15 minute warm-up, stopped for water along the way, ditched the shirt and then beat feet. I was sluggish from the start and could only muster a 5:10. I quickly realized running 5flat is a lot harder on the rolling, turning paved RCT than I thought. I ran a half mile cool down then stopped at the local stable to see a man about a horse. Once the mare was sold, I hit the trail with all my might. The 2-3 short hills did a number of my cadence and I ended up running a dismal 5:18. I ran back home, but not before putting in a final 5:09 mile. I trucked on and ran a couple more miles before calling it quits at 9.

THE BAD: these times suck. It's hot, I was alone and the route is twisty and hilly (some), but I should be closer to 5:05 than 5:10. 5:18 is unacceptable and disappointing. I can do better, and I must do better.

THE GOOD: perhaps these times are "worth" something faster due to the less than ideal conditions. If I can run 3 x mile at 5flat right now, I'd be very happy. I was also fortunate to get in something due to the hectic week. Finally, I had no pain during the workout. ZERO discomfort. This is a huge step forward and something I should cherish.

The next morning I journeyed to South Dakota to explore the Badlands. I wouldn't run again until Monday morning, but that's not to say I wasn't worked. More on this epic trip later...

In & Out of the Lost River Valley

2011-05-22T20:42:00.004-04:00

First, there was Thursday...

And, Thursday morning run was rough, but not nearly as rough as it was last Thursday. That is likely because my workout on Wednesday, wasn't nearly as rough as my workout last Wednesday. I guess what I am saying is that each week my injury, and the pains associated with my injury, appear to be getting better. I can find silver linings all day long. I ran an easy 8 with Luff and Jordan and 8 was enough.

Although I anticipated running 15 on Friday morning, I decided to take the day off and rest up as my leg wasn't feeling great. I'd table the long run until..Saturday...or Sunday. That afternoon I drove into the wilds of West Virginia for GRC teammates Chris Bain and Shannon ONeill's wedding. On Saturday morning I woke up next to Johnnie Walker, or at least the remnants of Mr. Walker, and hit the group run. The route was super hilly, which wasn't ideal for my leg, so I shut it down after 50 minutes or so. The rest of the wedding was a blur...a good blur.

On Sunday, I stopped by the Manassas/Bull Run battlefield on my way home from WV. This is one of my favorite places to run in the Greater Washington area. There are an assortment of trails including ones composed of blue stone and wood chips as well as your standard muddy horse path. It was glorious. The technical terrain also wore me down some, so I stopped my "long run" around 1:22. I'll call it 12.

Flexible Response

2011-05-19T06:11:00.003-04:00

On Tuesday, I met Luff for a predetermined Cell Phone Field Loop +. I felt somewhat winded for some reason, which might be a result of taking Monday off? Sometimes, I feel as this is the case, but this also could be mental. I had a little pain in the usual spots, but all seemed good for the most part.

On Wednesday I met the guys (and gals) at the track. There are more and more people coming out to these workouts each week and I get 2 emails a week from new folks interested in the GRC. Because my injury area flared up last week while running ovals, this week I decided to run half my workout on the Capital Crescent Trail and the other half on the track. After a 3.5 mile warm up, I set out to the trail and headed south on the shaded gravel path. I hit half mile in 2:22 and then U-Turned back to my starting point. It was far too fast and I quickly settled into a "real" pace. I finished up in 4:55 and then shuffled along on the trail for 2 and a half minutes before starting it again. This might be my first sub-5 minute mile in 9 months. My next out-and-back was a 5:03. My stomach was burning, but my legs felt surprisingly fresh. I shuffled back to the track as fast as I could (5 minutes) and then jumped into the 1200s already in progress. I started out slow and gradually picked it up over each lap finishing in 3:40. By now, my stomach was in sever distress and I spent the remainder of the time on the track running a cool down and then stretching face down on the ground. I haven't had these acidic-like burns for quite some time. I've been dealing with this for most of my running career and have seen specialists both near and far, but there really isn't a defined diagnosis. I think it has to do with running hard, at odd times of day, without eating/drinking the proper foods pre-run. This often happens a lot once I start working out again, but I can usually manage it once I get back into the swing of things. This week was far worse than last week's discomfort and at time of press (6:30am) my stomach still feels like a den of a hedgehog family.

This morning's run could be interesting.

25 Good Miles on the Towpath

2011-05-16T07:36:00.003-04:00

On Saturday Luff and I met Tex and Burnham at the Store. Those guys were all doing a workout, so I only joined them for the first 5 miles of the run. After a 6:00 5th mile, I let the guys get on with their planned run while Max, who also joined in the festivities, and I turned and ran back south along the Towpath. I was feeling pretty good and I kept the throttle squeezed without really going into an extra gear. I ran sans watch, so I ran simply by feel and form. I imagine my back 5 was somewhere around 30:30 or 31:00; a semi hard effort it seemed.

On Sunday Luff and I met Koonce at Riley's Lock for what's arguably my favorite DC-area long run. Scott turned back after 30 minutes or so, having already run 6 miles. Luff and I pressed on, the pace picking up ever so slightly as we went. By the time we hit River Road we were running at a very quick clip, albeit controlled. Once we got back on the Towpath the pace quickened even more. Sam, having run an intense workout the day before, waved me forward and with that I pushed south. I clicked off sub-5:40 miles for the next 3 miles and really never took my hands off the reigns until I finished. 1:33:30 for 15 might be one of the (or mine) fastest Riley's times ever, or at least in recent memory. Patrick Reaves and others who read this blog might know better. My leg/quad felt surprisingly good throughout the duration of the run and although tired from ten the day before, the hard pace made me felt doable and I finished the run thinking as if I had actually accomplished a solid effort. This was my longest run since the Sunday before Christmas. I am finally getting somewhere. Due to the leg issues on Wednesday, I was down in mileage this week only running 47.5 in 5 days.

"Let the thing be pressed"

2011-05-12T06:26:00.000-04:00

This was my first track workout since last July and I really had no idea what to expect. Thanks to the "new" GRC, there are a plethora of guys on the track to work with and work off of. I jumped in a pack running 800s, just behind another pack running 1000s. I was instructed to run "by feel". I ran each rep faster than I thought I'd be able to run (was thinking I'd be at 2:35 and working my way down from there) - 2:28, 2:30, 2:28, 2:26, 2:24, 2:24 - which was a major confidence booster. I felt smooth and comfortable and at times as if I was holding back some. My stomach burned during the last few reps, which seems to be expected. The big negative, and it is a huge negative, is that my quad locked up pretty good after the workout. I felt my quad tightening during the 400m rests near the end of the workout and by the time I shuffled out for my cooldown, I was visibly limping. I shut it down after a half mile, got a quick stretch from Samantha Kirby, who was working out with the women, and then drowned my sorrows with a Booeymonger cheeseburger.

Before I went to bed, my quad felt better and, when I woke up at dawn, even better. I shuffled out the door, but 4:30 into my run I bid Karl and Sam adieu and then walked back home. It was clear that I wasn't ready. Best to cut my losses and fight another day, and hopefully that day is tomorrow. I jumped into some core work and did some additional stretches in my room and now I'll wait. This is obviously a huge set-back - likely more mental than physical.

What this means? Well, all day yesterday my goal was to "press it" once I got to the track. "Let the thing be pressed", as Abe Lincoln once said. I wanted to especially press it during the last 2 reps. Though I hoped it wouldn't come to this, I was ready for possible retaliation. One doesn't know what will happen unless you try and I am damn glad I did. I rather lick my wounds than sit back with clean, pink feet. In retrospect, I maybe should have only run 4 x 800, but what's done is done. Sarah thinks, and I agree, that this is only a "hiccup" and that I "crossed the (threshold) line" in my push to find my limit right now.

Return to the Track

2011-05-11T07:23:00.004-04:00

I am back up. Now it's time to gamble some...

After a brief mono scare (in fact, I have a sinus infection) I find myself hungry for further training. On Saturday afternoon, I felt depleted, tired and my throat was so sore that I wasn't able to swallow without pain and at times I wasn't able to swallow at all. My appetite plummeted and I did my best to sip water and stay hydrated. Running on Sunday morning actually made me feel better, but I began to slip again later that evening and then into Monday. I was extremely nervous I might I have mono as two people, including my nurse of a mother, noted this as a possible diagnosis. I got a blood test and a strep test yesterday, and both turned up negative. In fact, I have a sinus infection. I never been so happy to have a sinus infection in...well, ever. Whehhh. Now, back to work...

I met Luff and Dusen for 9 on Tuesday morning. We meandered down to, and around, the Walter Reed Annex trails. Considering I could barely swallow my dinner the night before, I was happy with how it went. The two Ivy League grads talked about Ivy League track while I impressed them both with my knowledge of college basketball.

I am excited to try the legs/injury out on the track tonight. This will be the first time I've run circles in I don't know how long -- at least 6 months, likely more. In fact, it must be closer to 9 months. It's the perfect "come back" workout - 6 x 800m "by feel". I'll try to "feel" my way around 5 minute pace, but like the race last weekend, I want to run strong, steady and comfortable and NOT fast. I will be careful to note how the legs/injury feel after all the "on/off". I tested this some on Saturday while running along the CCT, but tonight will be a much better indicator.

DEVELOPING...

Kissing Speed

2011-05-09T07:41:00.005-04:00

I awoke on Saturday morning after a semi-wild Friday evening at a dual bachelor party. I crept back to the Fox Den "early" away from the vices of H Street in order to get in SOME sleep before the next morning's long run. Many RED FOX blog readers were in attendance so they will probaly refute this version of the story...

In any case, I met The Outlaw, Dusen, Luff, PMurphy, Dangerous Dave Wertz, Brian (no nickname) Young, Texas Paul and Mike C for a run at B-CC. All of us stayed together for a 2 mile warm-up but then Dave, Dusen and PDiddy ran off towards the track for a variety of different workouts. The rest of us ventured towards Silver Spring on the CCT and looped through Rock Creek Park. The plan was for Outlaw to run 3 miles at 5:15 pace once we hit one hour. I wanted to join for a mile or so in an attempt to "kiss" some speed without going into the tank. I ducked in behind Outlaw and Tex with the goal of staying relaxed. The weather was damn near perfect and I felt strong and confident amongst the faster feet. We ditched shirts and let the cool air cool our sweat. I ran 1.5 miles with the guys before pealing off. Thinking they might U-turn at the next mile marker, I waited so that I could possibly push the last half mile plus, but they never came and instead charged south towards Georgetown. I regrouped and shuffled to the next half mile marker, turned, and then pressed the pace uphill for a half mile. I ran 2:34 but it felt much slower for a total of 2 miles "hard". I ran a few more miles and got in 14 for the day, happy I was able to push some during the run sans any pain.

I ran with bachelors no more, Bain and Marren on Sunday in the wilds of West Virginia. Ban and Murphy joined in the fun and together we ran "not quite 8". I was happy to get in 51 last week in 5 runs, but I realize on Saturday how sluggish I feel pressing the pace. Hopefully that will change soon - I've decided to commence Wednesday night workouts again, starting this week. For the first time since July, I'll return to the track and will now be under the tutelage of Jerry Alexander. The goal is to run 6 x 800m "by feel".

Unseasonable

2011-05-05T17:34:00.004-04:00

The rain was unseasonably cold. After 20-30 minutes of boring core work and stretching, which surprisingly makes me sweat, I left the Fox Den and embraced it all. I took off for Garrett Park by myself and found my way down to the Fox & Deer Trail just south of Randolph Road. I made sure to be take careful steps in the mud and when I emerged onto the trail, I began to open my stride. I ran 2 miles in 11:45 (5:55/5:50) and felt strong. I need to keep pressing my runs some since I am only running 5 days a week. I need to get more bang out of my buck without getting greedy. I got in 8 and noted it as a "hard" effort in my log.

On Thursday morning I met Sam and Scott in my parking lot and we bombed (C) south down to the Walter Reed Annex Trails. Luffy looked whipped from his workout last night and he later remarked how the run felt like a death march. We looped around once we hit East-West Hwy and then started back north along the creek. Lots of mud on the trails after all the rain, but not much else of note. We got in 11...nice and easy. Once back Scott and Sam proceeded to stretch and lay about in the parking lot. They looked as if they'd never leave. Eventually I rolled my eyes and walked away leaving them to their respective fates. For all I know, they might still be there...

That's just shy of 30 miles in 3 days. Tomorrow is a day off, but at least this is more with less. Most importantly, the legs feel good and they also feel strong.

Ten

2011-05-03T21:19:00.003-04:00

With no ill effects from the race, I ran 10 on Tuesday morning with Luff and Dusen. We ventured to the Cell Phone Field and ran the 10 mile loop that bares its name. I haven't done this run in quite some time and it was nice to get away from the Rock Creek Trail. I feel strong and long to train, but I must stay patient. There are no races this spring for me and few races this summer, so autumn is where I set my sights.

It might be a long shot, but I aim to salvage 2011 and try to run a personal best at the RnR Philly Half (previously Philly Distance Run). My PR is weak but so are my legs and fitness right now. It will be a battle.

A Step in the Right Direction

2011-05-02T07:59:00.006-04:00

I arrived downtown filled with nervous energy and wondering how I'd feel going out in 5:09. I tied my shoes one last time and found a quiet spot to pray for Rob, who I was running this race in memory of, and to the man upstairs, as I always do, to ensure I have a good race, but more importantly to not let me get hurt.

Charlie Ban had agreed to pace me and we left the starting line trailing a number of folks donning sweatpants and IPods. My legs felt awkward as I haven't run a 5:0anything in exactly one year, but soon the awkwardness was gone and my legs began to race. I asked Charlie about the pace and he seemed to think it was legit. A cracked a slight smile and then bore down towards the Capital Building. Charlie motioned that we were now running too fast and I replied (to myself) with a "so be it". We hit mile one in 5:03 and I knew I'd be under 16 so long as I didn't fall completely apart. Perhaps I could run closer to 15:30? I shook the numbers from my head and instead focused on hitting my stride and working the tangents. I felt strong, but not fast. I hit mile 2 in 10:13 and then tried to pick the pace up some, to no avail. Charlie beckoned me to push and soon he was on the sidelines, his 12 minutes of workout complete. I lifted my knees and tried to drive forward, pushing the gas pedal down as best I could, but without jumping into the next gear, which was hugely important. Today was not the time to go into the well or to try anything stupid. Again, I tried to run strong and not fast. I hit mile 3 in 15:27 and pushed just a tad to ensure I ran sub-16. I finished in 15:57, a pace far slower for over triple the distance I covered one year ago, but this is far better than watching people race. I am tired of sitting on the sidelines and I want to get back and be a part of this movement we have going here in DC. It's time to return and this was a perfect step in that direction.

My leg/hammy/glute/injury area felt fine during the race and as soon as I finished, I ditched the flats and donned the trainers. Charlie and I ran down to Hains Point and completed the day's work. Later my IT band flared up some, but after some aggressive massage, all pain dissipated. By afternoon I was walking around just fine with my head focused on what might be next.

So, what is next? I think it's time to start running some workouts, but I'll NEED to double down on my strength exercises/stretches. I've got my alarm clock set for 5:30 from now on n running days (Tu-Th) so that I get this in pre-run. The new norm seems to be to press ahead and then see how I feel.

On Monday morning, a time of press, my legs feel brilliant.

Ready or Not

2011-04-30T17:28:00.003-04:00

It's been one year since I've donned my singlet and slipped on my flats, but tomorrow I'll be doing just that...

I've had a fairly good week of running: I took Monday off as per usual, ran an easy 9 with Luffy on Tuesday down through the Walter Reed Annex trails and an easy 7 the next day with Luffy the day before his big race at Penn (he ran 30:13). On Thursday I met Karl, Scott and a ragamuffin known as Mike Smith for 11 miles up and around Rock Creek and the neighborhoods surrounding it. Today I ran 8, I think. I forgot to start my watch and I never asked anyone for a time when we finished. I did some striders down on the waterfront. I feet fresh and antsy, but I wasn't without my minor aches and pains.

That said, my injury IS getting better -- that is the headline. Do I hurt on runs sometimes? Yes, but I am having plenty of good days and my bad days are now few and far between. I never seem to have any residual pain later in the day, at work, long after finishing my run. This was not the case earlier this year and last winter. Tomorrow I am simply trying the shake the cobwebs out and get back to doing what I am wired to do: race. It's a low-key 5k (though it is rumored to have upwards of 10,000 runners) and I intend to approach it with salivating caution.

Battling Alabama Paul Across DC

2011-04-23T16:48:00.003-04:00

The run started out easy enough. The rain had bogged down the towpath leaving it inundated with sloppy puddles. Alabama Paul, myself, tri guys Chicken Tender and Matias as well as a new guy named Victor, all pressed north by northwest. The pace was honest but, in a way, I wanted it that way. I was hoping to hurt, but hurt in a good way. In an hour an a half, I hoped to be in tears. After 5 miles or so, we reached Ernst Hill and I doubled down some. The pace dipped to low (or sub) 6:00s and but everyone seemed to revel in it. Ernst Hill climbs for the better part of a mile and the only rest and reprieve is in between sections of the mighty hill. Once we reached New Mexico, the pace intensified even more as we raced downhill towards the Glover Archibald Trail. I stepped back some and let the madmen go. Paul and I, intending to run longer, opted to run north/east along the trail while the others zipped back to the Store. Paul and I kept the pace reserved in the muddy trails, but once we hit Connecticut Ave, the race was on. Fresh from a mile + of recovery I took off down the sidewalks and zigzagged through the crowds street traffic until we hit the Zoo. Paul then took over and blazed down Zoo Hill like a man possessed. I held back some, but I can never remember me, or anyone else for that matter, ever running so fast down the zoo. I turned my baseball cap around and rolled up my sleeves. Then I made every tangent I could. To the awe and confusion of animal lovers, Paul pressed on. Within moments we were at the bottom of the hill and out of the zoo and making a right down the Rock Creek Parkway. Earlier in the run, I told Paul I was going to "go" once we got to Rock Creek, but we had already been "going" for quiet some time. We both guessed the pace got down south of 5:40 and perhaps as low as 5:30. We pushed hard for the next two miles but by the time I hit Calvert Hill, I was pretty beat. I made one last surge to push Paul along and then fell to pieces. I pretty much had used everything in my tank and jogged it in the last stretch back to mile 0 of the Towpath. I covered the loop, either 13.5 or 14 miles, 10 minutes faster than I did solo last week, in 1:28. I haven't been broken in a long run since Edward's Ferry last summer (Wiggy), and boy did it feel good.

A Push

2011-04-21T14:08:00.004-04:00

As scheduled, and per doctor's orders, I took Monday off, but I met up with CTR, Dusen and a guy named Ben on Tuesday for a run up Rock Creek and through Garrett Park. Before the run I hit the gym in my condo for some core work/leg stretches. I can't begin to say how much I hate doing these...but I suppose I must. I've now set an alarm clock at work so that I can execute these in the afternoon. I think (hope) it will make a difference.

On Wednesday I woke a little later and didn't start running until 7:30. I was running solo and I figured I'd push the pace some. I checked my watch and immediately settled into 6:15 pace. After 23 minutes I made it to the Walter Reed Annex trails and took it easy through the meandering brown path. Through a sea of green clovers and shamrocks I ran past geese standing sentry over eggs and past the morning dog walkers I've run past for half a decade. The temperature was warm and I was feeling spry. Once I got out of the trails I relaxed my stride and picked up my cadence. I hit a 11:30 2-mile near the end of my run and then jogged the last mile home. It felt great to move fast.

On Thursday I met Luff, Karl and a Bethesda-visiting Charlie Ban for an easy 7. I was a bit sore from yesterday's run, but I am fine with that since I have Friday off again.

Longest Run Yet

2011-04-17T18:05:00.003-04:00

The rain began to fall as soon as I got to the Store. It wasn't a heavy rain nor was the temperature cold, but the weather certainly wasn't welcomed.

I've been battling an on/off again cold/cough for about a week. The work travel seems to be taking a toll on me to a degree. Each time I come back from a shoot I have a day or two where I feel under the weather. It's never really a bad cold, just something that knocks me off my feet for a few days, causes me to snore while I sleep and leave me lethargic. In any case, I was determined to get in my long run despite a runny nose so off into the wet abyss I ran. Murphy, Jordan and Max joined me in the fun, but once I got to Ernst Hill I was alone in my quest for 14 miles. The rain pelted me from all sides and I did my best to hid under the brim of my periwinkle Nike cap, but I was soaked to the bone. I shivered some, then picked up the pace, carefully negotiating my way down the meandering trails which inevitably deposited me into the heart of Rock Creek Park. The Zoo was empty and the menacing prairie dogs were nowhere to be scene. I up-ticked my cadence and double timed it back to the Towpath all the while thinking of hot showers and chicken soup. Then I shut it down. The leg, butt, hammy and all that seemed to hold up just fine and I smiled.

On Sunday I woke up sore and my run out to Pike's Peek wasn't very eventful. My upper hammy was tired but it never affected my run. I got in 7 while the team PR'd down the pike. Another good day for the GRC.