Pine Belt Pacers Forum

After spending nearly a month in NM and CO, I just finished my second week of getting back into the routine of training. I really do like having a plan so that I pretty much know what I will be doing on each day. When we are travelling, I just go out and run when and where I feel the urge. I am usually able to keep up the mileage, but I don't do the speed work which is necessary to compete successfully in my AG. After nearly 40 years of running, that still remains my goal---to place in my AG. My next race will be a 5 miler on October 25 in Franklin, TN. I will be in Nashville for 3-4 days and I just happened to see that there is a race in Franklin.

Here is a summary of my week's training:

Sunday - 3 miles @ 10:35
Monday - 4 miles @ 10:35
Tuesday - 4.5 miles including 4 x 600 @ 8:51 pace
Wednesday - 3 miles @ 10:58
Thursday - 4.25 miles including 2 x 1 @ 8:47
Friday - REST
Saturday - 6.25 @ 10:22

Miles run - 25
Miles walked - 8.25
Weight lifting workouts - 2

It seems that everytime I return to training, I'm a bit slower than the previous training effort. I guess that is to be expected as the aging process continues to take it's toll. I sure wish I were a year older so I could be the youngest in the 65-69 AG

See Becky, this is why you continue to inspire us. While most people are wishing they were younger, you are wishing you were older. Way to age gracefully!

I know that those of you who saw me out on the trace this morning were in shock, especially Raul whom I met on my way back from Jackson Road *before 8:00 am*. Most of you know that I am not a morning runner and it was only because I wanted to see Tate's baseball games that I was our running *before 7:00 am*. Actually, I had a very nice run, but I still do not plan to make that a habit.

I have now finished my third week of running 25 or more miles for the week. This next week will be less as I do a bit of a taper for a 5 mile race next Saturday. I've also been able to do 1-2 weight lifting sessions each week. My next goal is to try to get back to doing yoga 1-2 days a week.

A summary for this week follows:

Sunday - 3 miles @ 10:20 per mile pace
Monday - 4.5 miles on treadmill
Tuesday - 4.5 miles including 4 x 800 @ 8:38 per mile pace
Wednesday - 3 miles @ 10:55 per mile pace
Thursday - 4 miles including 2 x 1 @ 8:48 per mile pace
Friday - Rest
Saturday - 7 miles @ 10:28 per mile pace

Hmm, Ginny, I think Becky is attacking aging like a fierce tiger. Everytime I read her logs, I think, how can she run like that? I have patients that have become deconditioned as they have aged, mainly because they become sedetary and give into he theory, less activity is best as we age. My own mother tells me that I am too old to be doing all this "running" stuff and that I am going to kill myself or ruin my joints. I believe Becky is in better shape than anyone her age, and most people half her age. Becky, you talked about motivation in an earlier text, and truly I know I can speak for all of us that know you, you truly motivate and inspire us all!!

After three good weeks of training, last week was a bit of a step back, even though I did the 5 mile race on Sat. This week will also be less mileage and no speed as I recover from the race effort. Then, I'm thinking that I will run the Henley Fields 10K on November 8th.

Here's the summary for the week:

Sunday - 3 miles @ 10:48
Monday - 4 miles @ 10:58
Tuesday - 5 miles, including 12 x 200 @ 8:40 pace
Wednesday - REST
Thursday - 3 miles very slow
Friday - REST
Saturday - 5.5 miles including 5 miles @ 9:10 pace

20.5 miles running
6 miles walking
2 weight training sessions

This was another low mileage week. No real reason, other than "life got in the way." I usually take only one rest day per week, but I'm conisdering making it two. I've just got to figure it all out and come up with a plan.

Yesterday two very good friends from Houston came through on their way to Atlanta. They stay the night and one of them, Janie, is training for the Houston Hal Marathon and she wanted to do a 7 mile run. So, this morning we did that at a 10:19 pace which is a little faster than I would have done it had I been running alone.

Here's a summery for the week:

Sunday - REST (drove from Nashville to Hattiesburg
Monday - 3 miles on treadmill
Tuesday - 5 miles including 4 x 1000 meters @ 8:43 pace
Wednesday - 1 hour yoga
Thursday - 4 miles @ 10:11 pace miles
Friday - 3 miles Track on Tap
Saturday - REST

Miles run - 15
Miles walked - 3.5
Weight - 2 days
Yoga - 1 hour

I just realized that I missed posting two weeks ago. I know I ran and I could look at my logs and post, but I'm too lazy. It must have been a good week because I had a good race yesterday and feel pretty good today. So, I guess I'm doing something right. Here's the summary for this past week:

Sunday - 3@10:36
Monday - 4@10:40
Tuesday - 4.75 including 400-600-800-600-400 @ 8:40
Wednesday - 4.5 TM
Thursday - 3@10:25
Friday - Rest
Saturday - 4.5 including 5K race @ 8:40 pace

Total miles running - 23.75
Total miles walking - 6.5
Weight workouts - 3

Yesterday was one of the worst runs that I've had in a very long time. This morning I realized how bad it really was. Most of you have heard me constantly whining about my hamstring/piriformis issues and of course, this report is about that. Yesterday I had planned to do an 8 mile out and back run/walk from Jackson Road. First I started with .5 mile walk and when I began to run, I just couldn't seem to get loose. To get an idea of how slow I was, it took me forever to catch Hollie who was racewalking and had started about 5 minutes ahead of me.

We all know how smooth and flat the Trace is so I don't know how I managed to step strangely and I immediately felt a sharp pain in my left leg/butt area. Stupid me, I continued to run and I was doing OK (still stiff and somewhat painful) to the 4 mile turn around. At about mile 4.5 my whole back, butt and hamstrings started tightening even more. I tried to continue running (didn't want to walk cause I knew I'd get cold), but it wasn't pretty. Finally I came to the realization that I needed to just walk the last 1.5 miles. When I got home I did the self massage routine using the hard rubber balls that I bought just for this purpose. I did that several times before going to bed.

This morning I was in pain walking or sitting. There will be no running for me until I have no pain while walking. I did get in a pretty good workout at the Y, doing 5 miles on the stationary bike, 2 miles on the ET and then a weight workout, followed by stretching. When I got home I once again did the self massage and I now feel much better.

Something that is encouraging is that general knowlege is that you are injured when one limb or side hurts, but if it is both limbs or sides of the body, it's usually some sort of muscle spasm, overuse, etc.

I do know that I haven't been taking my usual potassium, magnesium and calcium nor have I been drinking enough fluids. For me, all of this is important in preventing muscle cramping or spasms.

I plan to continue with the bike/ET/weights/stretch/massage routine until I no longer have pain when walking. Then, I'll attempt to get back to running. That may take just a day or two or it may be much longer. This was a new experience so I have no idea how I will recover.

I haven't written a training report in three weeks. To summarize, during those three weeks I did 25, 27.5 and 21 mile weeks, with no speed training and no races.

Two weeks ago, while on a planned 6-8 mile run, I had a total "lock-up" of my lower back, piriformis, upper hamstring and ended up having to walk the last couple of miles. I took a few days off and then began a good stretching program. The first week, I only managed to run 11 miles, but last week I got in 27.5 miles of very slow running. I should be OK if I continue to run slowly and stay with the stretching/yoga/weights.

Today was the Virginia Highlands 5K in Atlanta. I have done this race for
the past three years and I would have liked to have done it this year, but
there was no way I could what with the hilly course and my inability to
"just say no" to speed. To keep from being tempted, instead of staying in
Atlanta until this afternoon, we drove home to Hattiesburg yesterday.

It's been a couple of weeks since I posted to this topic. That's because I haven't been training, just running what I can on a day to day basis. Last week I was finally able to do a little speed and I've gotten the weekly mileage back above 25. Those two factors, along with getting the long run above 5 miles, are usually essential for me to feel that I am actually training. Hopefully, I'll be able to extend the long run. Last week, it was 4.75 miles and this week it will be at least a 5 miler. I plan to be at the track on Tuesday and will probably do 4-6 x 400.

This 100 day challenge has me logging more miles, but some of them are really slow. Maybe that's OK as I really need to get back my base before working on speed. This was a pretty good week as I was able to increase the distance of the long run (5.5 miles) and I did the second speed workout in the past two weeks. Here's the summary for the week:

Sunday - 5@10:06 at Longleaf Trace
Monday - 4.25 Treadmill
Tuesday - 3.5 at Thames track, including 5 x 400 @ 9:20 pace
Wednesday - 1.5 in the Thames neighborhood as a part of a walk/run workout
Thursday - 4@10:25 at Tatum Park
Friday - 5.5@10:11 at Longleaf Trace -the first 4.5 miles were at 10:05 pace.
Saturday - 5 Treadmill

Total miles run was 28.75. Total miles walked was 11.75 and I lifted weights on three days.