Running Off The Mark

Early this year I set a personal goal to average three running miles per day in 2019.

In 2018 I ran 809 miles for an average of 2.22 miles per day. Moving the bar to three miles per day would be 1095 miles for 2019.

You would think that adding 0.78 miles per day would be easy.

Running Off The Mark

Early in the year I was doing pretty good and on more than a few days I was ahead of my three-miles-per-day goal.

Between training for The Boston Marathon and running three half marathons in the first quarter, I was keeping up with my goal. Almost every Sunday I ran at least a half marathon either as a race or a training run.

In one day I could cover 4 days of my mileage quota with a bit to spare. Adding in the Tuesday Night Club Run and one or two shorter training runs and I was doing okay.

In March I ran almost 131 miles. I hardly ever run more than 100 miles in a month!

In April I ran The Boston Marathon and ran a total of 84.68 miles for the month. Still on the mark.

Then in early May I pulled a muscle doing some work around the house. I know exactly when it happened.

The pull didn’t hurt but I noticed it after the Portsmouth Half Marathon.

It’s not unusual to have a few aches and pains after a half marathon, but this time the ache was in my lower belly.

An odd place to feel discomfort after a race. But I figured I must have done something and waited for it to go away like any other running injury.

After a week I consulted with my doctor and he agreed I probably pulled a muscle while working on my car. I didn’t have any symptoms of a hernia or other internal injury.

Waiting it out

There isn’t much you can do for a muscle pull. Doc said to rest and apply heat.

I applied a Frozen Peaz PeazPak each evening while watching TV. These paks have glass beads and fluid in them that hold heat. You just microwave them for a minute or so and you’re good to go.

After a few days of rest and heat paks I still felt some discomfort in the area when I ran. Even light stretching in the gym aggravated the pull.

I’ve had to go back into my foggy memory and remember what a muscle pull is like. They take time, just like any other injury.

In 2016 I had a quad pull and that took months to heal. I kept running but my 5K times were generally four minutes slower than the previous year. My BAA 10K time was off by 23 minutes!

I’ve stopped running long on the weekends and usually only run once or twice a week now. I’m trying not to push it and it’s a challenge.

Year to Date

If I look at the past 365 days my miles are 875.4 or 2.4 miles per day.

Looking at year to date (153 days) I’ve run 444.93 miles for an average of 2.91 miles per day.

With a total mile goal of 1,095 I need to run 650.07 miles over the next 212 days of 2019.

That will require an average of 3.06 miles per day from now on.

Looking at the numbers I’m not so far off of my mark. But the longer my injury lingers the harder it will be to hit that 3.06 miles per day mark.

Each week that I let up on my running schedule my fitness level decreases and I become more accustomed to the sedentary lifestyle.

I’m trying to keep things in perspective and to remember other injuries and how long they have taken to go away.

The good news it that almost all of my injuries heal 100% given enough time. Even my knees are doing much better than last year.

So grasshopper must have patience!

Run well my Friends!

Andy

Base miles

Base miles are what we run between races

I don’t have any marathons or half marathons on my schedule. But it’s always a good idea to have a long run in your base miles routine.

“Long Run” means different things to different people. If you are a new runner then four or five miles may be your long run. If you run marathons, then a 10 mile run would be a good base miles long run.

I only have 5Ks on my schedule for the foreseeable future, so 10.44 miles was a great Sunday Long Run for me.

Beyond the rainbow 5k, base milesWhen I looked at the weather Saturday evening, Sunday looked like it was going to be cold. As such I wore my Under Armor gear and Adidas running pants. The pants are wind proof and for such light material really do a great job of keeping me comfortable.

We passed several bank clocks which showed that temps were no higher than 33°. Fortunately we didn’t have any wind so 33° felt pretty good. Even around Lake Quannapowitt there was barely a breeze off of the water. It was really a nice run for such a cold day.

Most of us are still adjusting to the cold temperatures. Two of the guys actually wore shorts today, and they said they felt comfortable, except at the water stops.

Base Miles

My base miles are generally in the 20-25 miles per week range. I usually get these miles through our Tuesday Night Club Run (6.5 miles) and two lunch time runs. Getting in a good Sunday run takes the pressure off to run long at lunch.

When I first started running, I only trained if I had a number for Boston. I did this for about three years. Then I started running a little bit year round regardless of my Boston status. Now I run a few days a week 12 months of the year. Maintaining base miles year-round is crucial if you want to improve your running.

If you stop training completely in the cold weather you will lose most of your fitness in just a few months. Take six months off and you are basically starting all over again. Base miles make it easier to ramp up your training when you do have a big race on the calendar.

Base miles are very important.

1,000 mile quest

As of Sunday, November 16th, I have 913.76 running miles. With about six weeks to go, I only need to run 15 miles per week to hit my goal. I’m feeling pretty confident about hitting this goal.

Are you following my blog through email?

Blogs have what is called an RSS feed. If you subscribe to my email list the RSS feed sends posts directly to your inbox. What you receive is basically a news letter. In the newsletter, I am able to provide links to additional stories and information that you will find interesting.

I subscribe to a bunch of running related news feeds (RSS feeds) and get interesting articles all the time. Instead of making a post with a bunch of links, I add the interesting links to the newsletter.

I appreciate everyone who follows me through Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress. In the newsletter, I provide additional running related information. I hate to use the word “newsletter” because that sounds dry and boring to me: Many pages full of stuff I don’t care about.

I sort through these feeds and post what I find interesting as a runner. I think you will find some of the links to additional stories and information interesting also. If none of them sound good, you still get to read my post.

Run well my friends!

Andy

© anagelin

Sunday Long Run Returns

This weekend the fall Sunday Long Run series began

We call it the fall series because these runs are training for the fall marathons. Specifically for The Bay State Marathon in Lowell, but it works nicely for the other fall marathons as well such as Hartford and Philadelphia.

sunday long run,marathon training,running
Melrose Running Club SLR Program – join us!

It seems like just last week I was running over the Roosevelt bridge from New Brunswick into Lubec to finish the Bay of Fundy International Marathon. During the almost six weeks between Boston and Fundy, I took less than two weeks off for recovery. I’ve done 14 races so far this year, and it seems like I’m always in training.

I do enjoy racing and look at 5k and 10k races as part of my training. I always push my self harder when I’m running a race, so these are great speed workouts for me. They allow me to test my self and gauge my level of fitness. While I do enjoy racing, I know that I need to train for them, unless I’m showing up just to drink beer. I rarely show up to a race just for the party. Even when I’m injured or it’s a themed holiday race, the fire in the belly is always there. I love it.

I definitely appreciate the importance of the Sunday Long Run and proper training. Proper training cannot be rushed, there are no short cuts to the starting line. The rule of thumb is to increase your weekly mileage by no more than 10% and build in a few step back weeks to allow your body to recover late in the training program when the mileage can be grueling.

Tip for new runners: Look at the miles you run on an average week. These are your base miles. This is where you start and add 10% from. If you only run one day a week for a few miles you may be able to go well beyond this rule of thumb.

Continue reading “Sunday Long Run Returns”

Running Weekend March 2014

It’s going to be a running weekend.

Today I have the Smuttynose Palooza 5K in Salisbury. The weather looks pretty good. Temps in the 40’s with a mild breeze. I’ll probably wear shorts.

You know it’s the dead of winter when anything above 32F feels, pretty good. I know that I have fully adjusted to the ice locker we call New England! In July if it gets into the 70s we start thinking about October. In March, 40F has us dreaming of July and heat.

Sunday I have a 20 mile Sunday Long Ron with my running, The Melrose Running Club.

marathon training, boston, running shoes
Mystic Lakes 20 Mile Sunday Long Run map

For Sunday I’m thinking of using the walk/run strategy. I plan to use the 5K on Saturday as a speed workout and I’m shooting for 22 minutes or less.

I feel healthy, nothing hurts so it’s time to stop being a cupcake. Sunday is about slogging the long miles. I need to get in a good 20 mile run as part of my marathon training. Speed is not a consideration.

Once again, I’ll be running the longest distance since October. It feels good to be able to go out and do it again. No physical ailments to hold me back. It’s all me and my head now.

Run well my friends.

Andy

© 2013 anagelin

Sunday Long Run 03-02-2014

Sunday Long Run Gang

Sunday long run, winter running
Chilling after 18.91 miles with my new friends!

While hanging out after our Sunday Long Run, a friend told me about this drink with turmeric in it. Tumeric is a great anti-inflammatory, and is all natural. I had been planning on taking another fish oil when I got home instead of ibuprofen. I figured why not give tumeric a try?

It’s called Tumeric – Elixir of Life by TumericALIVE. On the way home I stopped at Whole Foods and picked up three bottles. $5.99 for a 12oz bottle.

I sat in the parking lot of Whole Foods and opened the bottle. I took a swig. It tasted like turpentine. Well, what I imagine turpentine would taste like.

I felt like a wino drinking a cheap bottle of rot gut: It burned all the way down. I like tumeric in food, but cold in a bottle of juice in a whole new taste experience!

Tumeric is supposed to reduce inflammation and that’s what I was looking for. The day after I feel good. Tuesday is the real test. I usually hurt the most two days after a killer work out.

  • Have you ever tried this beverage before?
  • Or Tumeric in food to reduce inflammation?
  • Do you use fish oil as a medication and not just as a supplement?
turmeric, anti-inflammatory
TumericALIVE – Original Elixir.

Live well my friends!

Andy

© 2014 anagelin