I had a really good run today. I ran with a new pair of Brooks Ghosts and I did not have any trouble with my Achilles tendon, so I think I found what was causing the problem. Glad I seem to have that behind me but I will stay play it safe in the mean time. As soon as I post this I'm going to ice my ankle and roll my legs.
I ran my longest distance ever - 15.83 miles. I also ran my fastest 13.1 at 2:14. Very good day indeed. If I could run with that kind of effort next weekend at the Big D Half Marathon I'll PR for sure however the weather isn't looking good (rain).
I really couldn't ask for better conditions for running. It was a nice, brisk 48 degrees this morning with a relatively light wind. It's a little cold starting out and so long as the wind isn't blowing too hard, I felt great temperature wise. It was nice watching the world wake up while I was running through the neighborhoods of Plano.
It's runs like this that makes me think running this marathon in May is doable. I hurt and am tired but I feel like I can do it.
Fueling
I tried some new fuel sources and they seemed to work out well for me. Before I left the house, I had a bottle of the chocolate Generation UCAN protein drink. It didn't give me any stomach issues and I felt like I had good energy throughout my run. I'm going to go back to my local Luke's Locker and pick up some more packets for future runs. If this works out I'll get the canister.
I mixed the packet with about 16 oz of water the night before and put it in the fridge so that it would be nice and cold. I guess I need to do a better job of mixing it right before drinking as it was a little grainy as I finished it off. I struggle sometimes even eating early, early in the morning so it was nice being able to drink this and not experience a gag reflex.
I also brought several Larabars in my fuel belt that I snacked on while I ran to help keep my energy reserves up. So far my favorite flavor is Apple. 190 calories with some really good ingredients -- nuts (almonds & walnuts), apples, cinnamon, dates, & raisins.
Today was both a good and a tough run. I started, as usual, with tight muscles. My Achilles tendon started out fine and last through most of the run. After about 3 miles my muscles loosened up and I was able to get into a more comfortable pace.
It wasn't until after mile 9 that my Achilles tendon really started hurting and I had to start walking. The last two miles were the hardest as it seemed every leg muscle was exhausted and I just didn't have the will power to try to leg it out.
I suspect my legs were worn out at the end of the almost 14 miles because I have subconsciously modified my form & stride and so I am most likely working my legs harder than if I wasn't injured.
I iced my ankle as soon as I got home and so I hope it helps with the recovery process. I'll roll my legs and IT Band as soon as I get this entry posted.
I'm still going to my boot camps to continue my cross training but I am modifying some of the exercises if my Achilles tendon starts hurting. Calf raises actually seem to help reduce the pain so I try to do those whenever possible. I need to try to do them multiple time throughout the day.
So it appears I have become injured and have come down with I believe is Achilles Tendinitis. I have pain, especially when trying to run, in the tendon right above my ankle. This is your Achilles tendon. I am able to walk normally and there is really no pain when I am not do anything non-exerting, so it currently it not severe -- yet.
I suspect it occurred due to a combination of overuse and perhaps inadequate support from my shoes. My current shoes are getting older and I just bought a new pair of Brooks Ghost 6, but I have't had a chance to phase in the new pair and phase out the old pair.
I need to sit down and think about how to approach this. I need to continue to work on getting my mileage in for my long runs but I might see about limiting the amount of running I do during the week to in order to give my Achilles tendon as much rest between long runs. I may eliminate almost all running in my cross training (Boot Camp) and substitute some additional leg stretches.
I found this blog about dealing with Achilles Tendinitis, which gives a personal account to one person's dilemma and what he did to overcome the injury and still run his marathon. I hope this blog provides some decent advice on what to do to treat and continue to train for my upcoming marathon.
Here are some good articles on LiveStrong about dealing with Achilles Tendinitis:
I don't believe this is the end of my hopes to run a marathon right now but it certainly is a hurdle I will have to somehow overcome. I have had injuries in the past and have overcome them but this one has happened with a short time before my marathon, which is a little more than two months away. I just don't want this to be the reason I can't complete a marathon.
Most importantly I need to stay positive and not let this get me too far down. I came out stronger from my last injury and will come out stronger from this injury as well.
Today I feel like I had a really good run. Ran with an average 9:44/mile pace and felt strong throughout the run. It was humid but the temps were in the 50s. The first three miles were pretty hilly as we were running in the Plano Arbor Hills Nature Preserve. After that we went out and ran a pretty normal route for the remaining seven miles.
During the run I talked with my trainer how I keep flipping back and fourth mentally on the upcoming marathon where I wonder about what I've gotten myself into and then knowing I can do it. Of course having a good run this morning only helps me build more confidence in my ability.
I have been eating a granola bar before each of my long runs and it seems to really help with giving me the energy I need for a solid run. My trainer suggested a product called UCAN, which is an energy solution that you can take before or after a strenuous workout or run. I am going to see about picking up some of the powder from her before our next run next weekend. If it works I'll need to drink about 8 to 12 ounces before leaving my house for a run.
Anxious to see what distance we'll be running next week. Perhaps 15 miles?
Garmin Forerunner 620 Product Review
This is my product review of the Garmin Forerunner 620. I won't cover all the GPS watch's functions but I will try to cover what I feel are the most important features. Friendly disclosure: I bought this watch with my own money; it was not sent to me by Garmin to try for a product review nor was I paid any money for this review. To be honest I'm really not interested in doing product reviews on a regular basis for different manufacturers. I will only review products I purchase myself that I feel others might benefit from.
I purchased this watch directly from Garmin through their website. As of the publishing of this blogpost, the GPS watch retails for $399.99 for just the watch and $449.99 for the watch and HRM (Heart Rate Monitor). The watch is eligible for free shipping if you choose the least expensive shipping option. This watch is perhaps best for an intermediate to maybe even an advanced runner more interested in the advanced features this watch provides. Many of the extra vitals are even available during a run.
I have used a Forerunner 110 since August of 2012 and so I will make frequent comparisons between the two watches. The FR110 is a great watch in itself, especially for beginners. I am still using my FR110 for regular workouts so I can track things like my heart rate, calorie count, and duration of my workout.
Today I ran the furthest I have ever run. Started out with shin splints in my right leg and stiff muscles in the my left leg. I ran through it but it must have taken like 5 or 6 miles before the pain completely went away. I've given up trying to keep up with the main group as they run slightly faster than what I can maintain and still finish fairly strong. I am trying to keep my mile time between 10:00 and 10:30. If I could average 10:30/mile I would finish my marathon with what I feel is a respectable time of about 4 hours and 30 minutes.
Perhaps what is most interesting is that even though I was hurting pretty bad I still felt like I could run several more miles. My hips had started hurting around mile 11 or 12 but stopped around mile 13. At that point my legs were pretty sore but it felt like they still had some go in them. I feel this bodes well for me in my future longer runs and in the marathon race itself.
Overall I feel pretty good about the run. Despite the muscle pain early in the run it really didn't slow me down that much. Perhaps the one thing I lack the most right now is the mental strength to push through hills on some of my training runs. That is something that will just take time and might not be something I develop before my race in May but could eventually get much better at later on. I have only been running for almost two years now, so I feel it still makes me pretty green. I think my marathon will teach me a lot about myself that I do not know right now.
This post isn't going to be anything spectacular this week. Just a quick recap of how the run went. I was too focused on just trying to get through the run given how my body felt.
Today was an interesting run. I started off really struggling as my legs still felt like they were very tired. Perhaps much of it was in my mind as looking over the stats I really didn't do all that bad. I ran with a 10:23/mi pace and while I did walk for a little bit, I think I did fine overall. I feel pretty good next week will be better.
