Meanwhile...

So I've been pretty absent on this blog for let's see... over a year and a half.  Geez.  I suck.  Before I get into the normal flow of this blog and talk about running / cycling I wanted to touch on two (normal?) life things that have happened. 

 - I've been in grad school since the fall of 2013 and will be done this fall.  I won't go into that side of things since that's on another blog (I challenge you to try and find it), but I could not be more happy that I made the choice to go back to school and to follow this new career path.

- I'm a homeowner.  We bought a house in the fall of 2013.  We got a good deal because it needed some cosmetic fixes, but it wasn't anything my wife and I were afraid to tackle.  However, with those fixes and yard work it's another life commitment.  Oh and a money commitment.  Definitely a money commitment.

I feel like there's some other things but that's really the biggies.  Well I guess I did get a different job (related to the grad school / new career path) and fairly recently a new car (because the old one was dying a slow painful death).  Same ol', same ol' otherwise.

Falling Behind, Now Reaching Forward

It may have been wishful thinking, but at the start of the year I had the goal in my head of running 1000 miles
in 2013.  It didn’t seem too lofty, running around 20 miles a week – or as I have it in my Excel running log, 83.5 miles per month.  The year started off slow with January and February at 63 and 71 miles respectively, but then I finally cracked into the 80s for March.  I again ran 80+ miles in April, but the inevitable happened in May…

Injury.  Shin splints.

It seemed so out of the blue to be getting shin splints, the dreaded scourge for newbie runners, after I had been running decent mileage for so long.  I’m still baffled as to what caused them.  No big changes like shoes, running surface, anything like that.  The only thing that I can maybe guess is the job I started at the end of March.  I’m on my feet for hours at a time, so maybe my legs were still adjusting?

The end of May / beginning of June was basically a wash when it came to running.  I jumped the gun a few times and went on runs when I shouldn’t have.  However once I became more patient and started a routine of icing my shins and wearing compression socks, the pain finally subsided. 

During that gimpy stage, I never even cracked 50 miles for a month – May totaled 40 miles run, June with 21 miles.  However, July was a solid comeback with 77 miles run.  Still, sitting here on August 5th (11 miles into this month) where does that leave me with five months to go?  550.75 miles.  To make that 1000 mile mark, I now have to run 110 miles (ok, exactly 110.15 miles) for each of the last remaining months.  Hmm… that seems like a lot.

This month I’m scheduled to finish at 85 miles for the month.  That’s definitely doable.  Can I increase my mileage (very drastically I might add) for the last months of the year?  That’s the huge looming question mark.  Being good / safe / responsible, I’m taking the realistic approach – looking at my running one day at a time, then one week at a time, then one month at a time.

Will I be bummed if I don’t hit 1000 miles for the year?  Of course.  But I’ll be a lot more bummed (bordering on a mix of depression / anger) if I push things and get injured again – even if I did crack 1000 miles in the process.

Thoughts

This post is a bit disjointed, but I felt I needed to share my thoughts about Monday’s tragedy in Boston.  It’s been talked about anywhere and everywhere, so I’m sorry if this post is crossing that line about how much talking about the bombings you can take.  However, I feel (as with many tragedies) it’s best to openly talk about things and not for everyone to keep it to themselves.  It’s good to share.  Besides the fact that Monday’s events are at least partially a running story and this is a running blog, I needed to just simply share what feelings and thoughts that were on my mind.  Again, it helps to share – showing we’re all united in our thoughts and feelings.

I was happy with myself this past Monday morning having actually remembered that it was Boston Marathon morning.  Usually I forget these once-a-year sporting events hours (the ones I care about anyway – i.e. running, cycling, soccer) after they happen.  Life gets in the way.  However on Monday morning I was planted in front of my laptop watching the live feed from Boston.  It was pretty early in the coverage, the women were a few miles down the road and the men had just started.  Americans Kara Goucher and Shalane Flanagan were still in the women’s lead bunch and American Jason Hartmann was out front of the slow to start men’s pack.

Because I worked later the late afternoon / evening work shift, I needed to get my run done in the morning.  That meant leaving the coverage while I ran my scheduled 4 miles.  Luckily I was safe and didn’t miss much.  I made it back in time to see the closing miles of the women’s race – watching Flanagan and Goucher get 4^th and 6^th respectively.  I stayed tuned in also to watch Hartmann finish 4^th in the men’s race, for the second year in a row.  After that though, it was time for a quick shower, a quick lunch, and then off to work.

It was only happenstance that I felt like checking the latest news on the NY Times website on my iPhone as I walked from my parking spot to work.  Only then, at what would’ve been about 2:50 pm central time, did I learn of the explosions.  A few hours later, especially when I got home, did the magnitude of the numbers that were injured and those who passed away really hit me.  My initial thoughts of the bombings though, and still really my main feeling now, is of total shock and despair.

Let me try to explain better with some background.  It’s not really been mentioned in the news coverage that the Boston Marathon isn’t just a typical large marathon – like Chicago, New York, or DC’s Marine Corps.  You don’t simply just sign up online and pay a fee.  You first have to qualify, and THEN you can sign up.  Sure there are some exceptions for charities, but the overwhelming majority of the runners in Boston worked not months, but YEARS to get there.  The families and friends of those runners supported them through those years, cheering at the good and bad marathons leading up to Monday, cheering most of all when their runner finally ran a marathon that was their BQ (Boston qualifier).  

The Boston Marathon then is a celebration for the runner and their friends and family.  (Well as much of a celebration it can be for the runner while having to run 26.2 miles.)  The day is about having a good time and soaking in the achievement.  Unfortunately the bombings pulled the rug right from under these celebrations.  There are no words that even come close to describing this feeling for me.  It turned an overwhelmingly positive event into a catastrophe.

Thinking of the spectators, the runners, and the friends and families – my heart just sinks.  My stomach literally is doing that “bottom dropping out” feeling typing this now, as it does every time I think of those affected by the bombings.  As a runner who has not only done marathons, but also wants to make it to Boston someday – I just feel horrible how the running community, the people of Boston, and all those on or standing next to the marathon course were robbed of their joyous morning out, a Monday morning that they were actually looking forward to on their calendars.  I feel for all of them.

That’s about all I can say about my thoughts and feelings from Monday.  I’m still wrapping my head around it – as if one can really.  Even this morning as the two men are being pursued by Boston and federal law enforcement, I still don’t know what to feel.  Anger, frustration, sadness…?  Really, I don’t understand any of the happenings of this week.  But really, even with all the facts that will eventually come out, will anyone?

While this is a blog I always link to in my “Other Blogs I Read” section to the right, I definitely want to point out The Boring Runner’s post about his Boston Marathon experience.  There are many editorials/thoughts posted all over blogs and on RunnersWorld.com from other runners who were there as well of course, but The Boring Runner’s “Boston Marathon Bombs – My Thoughts” post sums up the tragedy from a runner’s point of view best from all that I’ve read.

Moving forward, this seems to have not shaken the running community in the least bit.  The Boston Marathon already has said it isn’t going anywhere and runners still without question want to run in the Boston Marathon.  Many running groups got together during the week to have runs in support of the victims of the bombings.  Running is usually something done for one’s self – to achieve a race goal, losing weight, gaining fitness, etc.  This week however it’s a sign of unity, compassion, and even defiance against the terrorist acts.  Even on my solo runs on Tuesday and Wednesday, running was indeed different.  Thoughts of Boston never left my mind and they won’t for many runs to come.

So I Guess This Is Spring

Sometime soon I’ll maybe have a post on something besides the weather, but this won’t be it.

Nearly everyone in the Midwest (and in many parts beyond) has been complaining about how this year’s winter seems to be lingering into spring.  That’s quite literal actually.  The first day of spring this past Wednesday I went out to run at 4 pm and it was a downright cold 21F – with a 6F wind chill!  Luckily the temperatures the last two days have been in the mid 30s, finally melting some of the tall piles of snow (like the one at the end of our front door’s sidewalk).  The weather then looks like it will be doing a slow crawl to more normal temperatures (the normal high is supposed to be 40F), reaching the mid 40s by next weekend. 

While the temps are finally becoming more spring-like this week, today I saw – or heard actually – what I’m calling the official start of spring.  GEESE!  I don’t know what it is but geese always put a smile on my face.  It’s really just that comical “HONK!” as the fly in their grouped V-shape across the sky.  There were tons flying months ago in the fall migration.  My wife doesn’t get my fascination with them, to the point of being irritated by it, always reminding me that geese are mean birds up close.  Well, whatever.  I never see them up close anyway, only seeing them in the sky and hearing them “HONK!” as they fly along.  Maybe today they were saying that spring is here.  I’m not that well versed in goose honk.

Hopefully spring is indeed here, if not only to run in warmer temperatures and in less (or no) snow, but because I also do not want anything more to do with long underwear, fleece tights, heavy wool socks, and the like.  It’s the lower layering for the legs and just the overall thickness that’s starting to bother me.  I want the extra freedom of shorts and maybe just a single long sleeve layer up top.  Additionally, I just did a load of running laundry that included all the thicker winter clothing.  I don’t want to have to wash it again until next winter!

Come on spring!

I Had Enthusiasm, But It's Been Buried by Snow

The last couple of weeks have been great weeks of running.  Not only was I actually doing my speedwork sessions that I always have scheduled for Wednesdays, but I also hit the scheduled total of running miles for the last two weeks.  The extra miles – from longer runs – were giving me better endurance, but additionally the speedwork was training my legs to move faster.  I was on a high so to speak, and looking forward to spring to even further increase my speed and distance.

The weather though, as I have come to learn now from Minnesota’s fickle winter, definitely had other plans.  Last night and into this morning we got blanketed by 10-12 total inches of the white stuff.  I know I had early expectations for spring, but this snow really pushed it back.  For the rest of this week, we’re supposed to have highs in the low to mid-30s so I’m hoping the sun comes out at least somewhat to melt some snow.

Coming back to today however, I had to get out for my run.  As was the case a few weeks ago, I decided to just simply get outside and have fun.  I was supposed to run 4 miles, but I cut it back to 3 and planned a route through the local park.

I mentally prepared to slog through foot-deep snow the entire way, but was pleasantly surprised to see that the trails were plowed earlier in the day.  (Thanks local parks & rec crew!)  The only part that wasn’t plowed, was where they couldn’t really drive – the boardwalk around the lake and stairs.  It wasn’t bad though, as long as I lifted my feet high off the ground to clear the snow.  It really was just like doing sprint drills in high school track.  Keep those toes up!

Here’s a picture of my tracks through the deep snow, going up the park’s big staircase.  Besides not being able to really make out the stairs, the snow is also is completely covering a park bench that is dead center in the picture (to the right of the trash can and railing).  Really, believe me.  It’s there.

 

I continued meandering through the park and the recreational trails.  People were out walking, and walking their dogs – the footprints were there.  I also saw snowshoe tracks and ski tracks.  Well, I actually even saw a skier.  Not the expected cross-country type though, but a high school kid who set himself up a ramp and was doing jumps.  I ran across him (not too closely luckily) just as he was shooting downhill, eventually going off the ramp doing an impressive 360.  All the local schools were closed today, so it was good to see the youngster enjoying the outdoors versus just melting in front of the television.

Finishing up my run, I just took my time and took things easily – partly because I just wanted to have an easy run and enjoy the snow, but also because there was slick ice under much of the snow.  Still, I had a good time and, as always, was glad I was outdoors.  There was a part I didn’t like however – getting home and remembering that I had to shovel the sidewalk and driveway.

  

Damn you snow!  (You should picture me shaking my fist with this exclamation, because I in fact am actually doing so.)

Just a "Meh" Kind of Week

Nothing much too report from me, just the same ol’ same ol’… battling with winter running and all that.  I went out for a snowy fun run during a lull in Sunday’s winter storm (more on that in a bit), went out for my scheduled runs on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then started to feel run down.  I didn’t sleep very well on Tuesday or Wednesday night, and well I don’t do very well on a lack of sleep.  I’m one that seems to always need a full eight hours.  Without sleep I often get sick if I don’t back off things a bit.  So that’s what I did.  Even with today (Friday) as a normally scheduled rest day, I took Thursday off of running.  It was just an easier maintenance run anyway, so no big deal.  My more important runs for the week are this weekend.  A not-so-bad 4 miler tomorrow, followed by 6 miles on Sunday.  I haven’t run for 6 miles since this last spring so we’ll see how it goes.

Looking back to this past week though, we did get a decent winter storm on Sunday.  In the morning we had freezing rain, then sleet, then snow, and then nothing.  Just after lunchtime the storm just stopped.  I was feeling antsy in the house and wanted to still get a run in (even with the 3 – 4 inches of fresh snow) so I ventured out.  Because of the snow depth, I wore YakTrax instead of my “screw shoes” which was a good call.  It really would’ve been a perfect time for snow shoes.  Besides the snow though, it was a beautiful time for a run.

I thought I would be the only one braving the outdoors for a run or walk, but there were actually numerous tracks already made.  Keeping it simple with the snow, I just went for a 2 mile jaunt through the local park.  To keep it fun (and more adventurous) I ran a route that I don’t normally run.  In those two miles though I never once made fresh tracks in the snow.  (I guess people always have to walk their dogs!)

At the last moment I decided to take my phone with so I could take some pictures –

Snowy tracks (from dogs and people).

There were even fresh tracks on the lesser traveled section of the park, like the lake’s little boardwalk (which doesn’t get cleared of snow in the winter).

The stairs definitely weren’t clear of snow, but there were still tracks.  With the snow, this 70+ step staircase wasn’t so much a staircase, but a long bumpy ramp.

People were out, but they weren’t at the beach…

Or at the archery range…

Or playing in the playground…

Or playing volleyball…

Or having a family reunion at the picnic shelter.

I’m realizing now that although I saw lots of tracks, I never actually saw any other person (or dog) while I was out there.  Weird. 

After I got home from the run, I commented how this was the most lame winter storm (especially as we were still under a winter storm warning.)  Well the weather apparently was listening.  About an hour later it starting pouring rain, then snowed for a while, and then poured rain again through the evening.  The next morning our section of town had an ice-induced power outage.  Ok, lesson learned.  Never poke fun at the weather. 

To Run or Not to Run, That is Never Really a Question

This is the internal conversation I’ve been having on a daily basis for the last week –

Do I have to run today?

Couldn’t I just take a nap instead?

I’m still tired from yesterday’s run…

Today’s going to be tough too.  It just snowed.

I mean really, it looks like this outside…

Do I have to run???

(Five minutes later)

It’s go time.

-     -     -

To explain, up until today it has snowed at least an inch every February day so far.  The sidewalks, paved paths, and roads don’t get plowed every day, just when the snow builds up enough to make it worth doing.  I’ve run out in the snow regardless – whether I have to run through a trace or three inches worth of the white stuff.  It’s been draining mentally and physically.  Of course these runs haven’t been that great in all that snow either.  They’ve been slow, tough runs… even bad runs you could say.  However – 

Even a bad run is better than not going for a run at all.