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Sunday, December 31, 2006
14 Miles: A Damp Affair
Run Time: 2:34:04
Total Miles to Date: 227.1
Thoughts on the Run:
The prospects didn't look good for my record run today. My ITB was tender last night, so I iced it frequently. I went to bed at around 10:30pm and let my body wake me up. I did not wake up until 9:30am ... guess I needed the rest.
The forecast was spot-on. It was raining. Pouring rain. Fortunately, at 59 degrees, the temperature was fine.
I decided this was my chance. I was going to go for it. So, I loaded up my supplies and set out to a local park. The park has a 1/2 mile track. This way, I could loop around the track and never be far from the car if I felt I was injuring myself or pulled anything.
I got to the park and sat in the truck and stared at the rivers of water pouring from the track. The drainage there was not so good. Fortunately, at the start of the loop, they had a small covered area with cubbys. I put clean, dry socks and packets of Amino and CLIP (a meal replacement for runs - Amino has trace branched-chain amino acids while CLIP has protein, fat, and carbs) along with my bottle there. I wouldn't have to run with my pack, I could just refuel at the cubby.
I stepped onto the wet track and began to run.
The first loop was miserable. I found out quickly that the dry socks were a waste of time. The track had several spots that were ankle deep and one area that came well above my ankle with water. My shoes would just be soaked throughout the run. The rain also showed no signs up letting up and pelted me.
It was enough to make an excuse and call it quits. But you know me, don't you? No way. Unless I was hurt, I was not going to stop.
About two miles in, my ITB began to ache. It was then I had a choice. This was it - my last run of the year, a record run, a big opportunity to close out 2006. But I'm no idiot and I'm not about to hurt myself more. So what did I do?
I turned to my faith. I prayed. I asked the Lord to guide me. This run is not about showing off and glory, but the humility required to run 28 loops in a circle in the rain. Believe me, it takes swallowing some pride to splash through the puddles and slog through the water. I also wanted to take the time to pray and reflect, as there were no headphones and no music on the run. So, I decided, if my pain persisted, so be it - the run was over. If it went away, then I would push ahead no matter how miserable or how long I was out there.
The pain lifted.
So I plodded on.
I would drink 8oz of fluids mixed with my meal replacements every 2 miles. That's 4 loops. So I took the run 4 loops at a time. 1 ... 2 ... 3 ... 4. Then I'd pause, take a drink, and continue.
After the bottle was empty, I grabbed it and jogged to the drinking fountain. Busted! No water there. So I jogged to the center of the loop where the bathrooms were, hoping one would be open. It was. I got to duck in out of the rain and fill my bottle with tap water. Then it was back on the track.
For 28 loops I pounded that pavement in the rain, and then I was 4 loops away. And then 3. And then 2. I began thanking God for this opportunity - never before had I had the chance to experience something like this, to push myself so hard and so far but do it simply by taking one step in front of the other and repeating over and over. Then the last loop, and then it was over. I stopped to stretch, got in the truck, and then the tears began streaming. It hits me every time I do something that in the back of my mind I've doubted if possible.
As it turned out, I set out to do a pace of 12-minute miles. I ended up averaging 11-minute miles, and that includes stopping to drink every 2 miles and then having to refill my bottle and shake a new shake every 4 miles. I did not stop the clock for that. Here were my splits:
1 Mi 9:59 9:59
2 Mi 21:27 11:28
3 Mi 31:49 10:22
4 Mi 43:38 11:49
5 Mi 55:13 11:35
6 Mi 1:07:50 12:37
7 Mi 1:18:24 10:34
8 Mi 1:29:49 11:25
9 Mi 1:40:03 10:14
10 Mi 1:49:45 9:42
11 Mi 2:01:39 11:54
12 Mi 2:12:56 11:17
13 Mi 2:23:32 10:36
14 Mi 2:33:41 10:09
14.13 Mi 2:35:03 10:31
WOW! What an experience. What a way to end the year.
Everyone, have a safe and fun New Year - and have a blessed, abundant, and prosperous 2007!
Warmly,
Jeremy Likness
posted by Jeremy Likness | 4:00 PM | 0 comments
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Tempo and Rain
Run Time: 55:40
Total Miles to Date: 212.9
Thoughts on the Run:
Today was a beautiful day. It was overcast but the temperature was warmer and it just felt great for a run. Instead of my normal cold weather gear, I was happy to done a tank-top and shorts and just carry my fluids instead of using the hydration belt.
This is a double weeekend - goal was 7 today, and is 14 tomorrow.
As I started out, I just felt fantastic. I know I shouldn't push too hard but I felt like doing a little bit faster pace. It was a little chilly at the start with a steady drizzle so I was eager to get warmed up as well. I knocked out the first mile in 9:40. The second mile was 9:49. I slowed a bit on the third but that was mainly because I stopped to grab a drink and also had to wait for some traffic ... 10:35 for that one, then the next mile was belted out in 9:43.
After the first four miles, I began to feel a little tenderness in my knee so I cut back the pace dramatically. I simply didn't want to push it too much. I finished that last mile in 13:19 and finally decided if I wanted to run the longer distance tomorrow, I'd better just stop there.
So, after 5.18 I pulled to a halt and began walking home.
I was doing a long loop, so home was still two miles away and I was walking at a 40 minute pace. I wasn't too excited about the prospect of walking in the rain for 40 minutes. I tried jogging again but again the knee was tender so I stopped.
Then I had a sense that I wouldn't have to walk the distance. My cell phone had been acting up, so it wasn't with me. However, I was close to the neighborhood where two good friends live, Greg and Shane. I suddenly felt like I would run into one of them.
Sure enough, as I approached the entrance to the neighborhood, I heard a horn and looked to see Greg pulling around. Ironically, he waved and pulled in before I could flag him down. He was up and over a hill. However, I felt confident that my "sense" had come for a reason, so I turned and began strolling into the neighborhood. Sure enough, Greg came pulling around and I was able to catch a ride back to the house.
Thanks, Greg!
I already posted nutrition for yesterday. This weekend will be interesting - pizza tonight and homemade fajitas for New Year's tomorrow. I'll be earning it with my long run!
Until next time,
Jeremy Likness
posted by Jeremy Likness | 2:35 PM | 0 comments
Nutrition Dump
Thursday
2 organic strawberry toaster pastries
4 cups coffee
2 Diet Cokes
1 Thai coffee
Spring rolls
Pad Thai (thai noodles with tofu and vegetables)
A few pieces of chocolate
Calories: 2026
Fat: 76g (15g sat/1g poly/11g mono)
Cholesterol: 22mg
Sodium: 2,180mg
Potassium: 1,020mg
Carbohydrate: 296g (15g fiber / 80g sugar)
Protein: 54g
Friday:
Early AM snack of oat bran pretzels and a piece of provole cheese
1/2 oz mixed nuts
A ton of chocolate (about 500 calories worth)
8oz apple juice
Breakfast: 1 cup organic potatoes with 1/2 tbps olive oil, two omega-3 eggs
2 Diet Cokes
4 cups coffee
Large Caesar salad (iceburg, parmesan, 6oz grilled chicken breast)
2 tbsp of dressing (had it come on the side)
1 Chick-fil-a chicken sandwich on whole wheat
1 large order waffle fries
1 large cookes n' cream milkshake
Calories: 3,574
Fat: 166g (70g sat/12g poly/37g mono)
Cholesterol: 651mg
Sodium: 4,910mg
Potassium: 3,150mg
Carbohydrate: 401g (17g fiber/67g sugar)
Protein: 133g
Okay, so here is the breakdown for the week:
Averages for week:
Calories: 2,702
Fat: 102g (30g saturated)
Sodium: 2,960mg
Potassium: 2,330mg
Carbohydrate: 351g (18g fiber/65g sugar)
Protein: 86g
Vitamin A: 2,810mcg
Vitamin C: 1,080mg
Calcium: 1,310mg
Iron: 10mg
Vitamin D: 750IU
Vitamin E: 330IU
Thiamin: 20,900mcg
Riboflavin: 21,200mcg
Niacin: 43mg
Vitamin B6: 26,000mcg
Folic Acid: 1,110mcg
Vitamin B12: 156mcg
Pantothenic Acid: 70mg
Phosphorus: 627mg
Magnesium: 688mg
Zinc: 21mg
Copper: 2,160mcg
Manganese: 5mg
Selenium: 192mcg
Water: 85oz
There it is!
Jeremy
posted by Jeremy Likness | 12:57 AM | 0 comments
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
The Cold, Hard Truth
Run Time: 1:23:13
Total Miles to Date: 207.8
Thoughts on the Run:
Today I was not thinking positive thoughts. In fact, I was setting myself up for miserable failure. It rained all day yesterday, last night was a low of 29 degrees and this morning was forecast to start out at 32 but "feels like" 28. So, I figured it would be a cold, miserable run.
I set my alarm for sunrise and loaded up. I wore my long running pants, my long-sleeved running shirt, and then paused to decide what to wear on top: either a thin pull over, or a thick one. I opted for the thick one. I wrapped my bandanna over my ears, threw on some lip balm, and headed out.
The first mile had me pleasantly surprised. It wasn't so bad after all ... in fact, I felt terrific. I was also pushing a little faster than my goal, completing the first leg in 9:57, so I forced myself to slow down (after all, I have the same distance scheduled for Saturday as a tempo run, more chance to push hard then).
The second leg was a nice, slow 10:25. I began to feel the mistake I made by wearing the heavy pullover. I was sweating like crazy. I was definitely warm. However, I was stuck. If I took my pullover off, I'd be covered in water and suddenly only have a thin running shirt, and would probably freeze. So I decided to keep the pullover on and sweat it out.
Third mile was 11:27. I hit a significant hill on 4th mile and walked a bit to complete it in 12:15.
Then I began to realize another mistake. I typically don't bring fluids with me on mid distance (6 or less) runs. So I figured 7 miles in the cold ... not a problem. But here I am sweating non-stop, breathing vapor out of my mouth, and due to the cold weather, blowing my nose quite frequently due to congestion. I was losing fluid. And I was starting to feel it.
I slowed down even more and made sure I took breaks on the uphills. Mile 5 was 12:27 and mile 6, going up the huge hill named Goliath, was 13:36.
I wrapped up the last mile in 12:21 and then ran a bit extra.
My leg felt TERRIFIC - still a slight tenderness but nowhere near the soreness I was feeling earlier.
When I finished the run, I headed straight to the scale to see how much I lost in fluid. Turns out I lost 3 pounds on the run = 48 ounces of liquid. Not good! I could also tell how my body was reacting: my wedding ring was stuck and wouldn't budge on that finger, a sure sign of water retention.
So, I popped a salt tablet and drank 16 ounces of fluid (the most refreshing drink known in this universe, sparkling water mixed with fresh orange juice). I did some thorough stretches afterwards.
The cold, hard truth was that the run really wasn't bad after all - in fact, I quite enjoyed it! So I'm no longer scared of the cold. I'll just need to remember to choose my layers more intelligently and bring along fluids the next time.
Tomorrow is a short 3-miler and then rest. This weekend I tackle my greatest challenge so far: a double-header of 7 miles on Saturday followed by 14 on Sunday.
Blessed be,
Jeremy Likness
P.S. Almost forgot - meals for yesterday:
USANA Healthpak (multivitamin)
4 cups of coffee
1 cup of sparkling apple cider
1 banana on 1 cup of Kashi Heart to Heart cereal with 1 cup soy milk
3 oz Italian 5-grain bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar
My daughter's fresh vegetable soup with carrots, celery, potato, green beans, and peas
A peanut butter and jelly sandwich (organic all natural peanut butter, organic no-sugar added jam)
3 oz organic blue corn tortilla chips
A spritzer with 4oz sparkling water and 4oz cranbery juice
Calories: 1882
Fat: 65g (8 sat/7 poly/17 mono)
Sodium: 1,940mg
Potassium: 2,480mg
Carobohydrate: 294g (22g fiber/36g sugar)
Protein: 42g (oops little low there)
posted by Jeremy Likness | 10:56 AM | 0 comments
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Christmas Eve 10-miler
Run Time: 2:07:47
Total Miles to Date: 200.7
Thoughts on the Run:
I set out today to tackle a 13 mile run. I skipped the mid-distance run yesterday. After a hectic week, I honestly slept most of the day. I caught up on a LOT of sleep and felt terrific today, so I thought I was ready to go the distance.
I didn't want to do any of the old loops. The Kennesaw Trail is by the mall and that would be hectic traffic and I wasn't ready to tackle the Red Top Mountain trail for the first time, so I went to the drawing boards and came up with a large loop that would do the trick. I'd have to do some smaller loops to get the distance, but these would be on a nice 1/2-mile track before taking it home.
It was also an opportunity to try the new drink mix I had, CLIP2 - this is really for super long runs but I'm always trying it on the training runs regardless of distance to see how my stomach fares, etc.
I don't have nutrition to post for previous days - it was pretty much completely off plan so when that happens, I skip entering them into Diet Power and let it average a guess based on my weight. Too much time to try and guess the calories/portion sizes when eating out. I had a nice dinner/Christmas party with my main company to celebrate my one year anniversary with them. It was a great time as we've had so much growth in this year - it is by far the most I've helped build a company in my career. Looking forward to a break-out year in 2007. I also had some Mexican with my wife yesterday in the evening when I did wake up.
Today I was an organic pastry (like a pop-tart) and some coffee, then I prepared for the run.
The temperature was 60 degrees so I wore shorts with my whick-style shirt (long-sleeved, it's the only one I have). Bandanana on my head to block the sun, USANA sunscreen on my face. I used lotion for my chest area as well as my groin area to prevent chafing. Lots of power in my socks and shoes to keep my feet dry and avoid blisters. Succeed! Amino with 16oz of water in one bottle, Succeed! CLIP2 with 16oz of water in the other bottle. I wrapped my cell phone in a shirt and tucked that in the main pouch and then brought two salt tablets.
Because of the gut issues I've been having, I changed my strategy again. I decided that since I don't have issues with shorter runs, I'd skip taking the salt tab before the run and wait until an hour in. I'd also hold off on drinking until 6 miles into the run.
I set out on the new course. It's always fun to chart a new route because you don't know where you're going or what to expect. It was a nice, solid pace of 12mpm at first and I averaged 12.5mpm for the entire course. I was consistent going downhill and uphill. The road I chose wasn't heavily trafficked but there was a long section with no sidewalk. I had to run literally on the white line on the edge with ongoing traffic. I ended up stepping off because despite having plenty of room, there were a lot of people who insisted on pulling out into the oncoming lane and a few near-misses there so I decided to reduce the temptation for them to swerve way out by stumbling through the underbrush.
I dumped out on the main highway (around 4 miles) and felt great. No breaks to this point, and the first miles were:
1 - 10:59
2 - 12:26
3 - 11:42
4 - 12:37
The fifth mile was along the side of a busy throughfare called Highway 92. There was a lot of construction so it was hit-and-miss with the sidewalk. At one point I went to cross a street and sank to my ankle in mud as they were digging up the side to expand the road. A few times I had to run curbside which was a little tense but it was only short sections. Mile 5 was done in 11:53 and then mile 6 in 12:02.
At the start of mile 6 I stopped and had a S-cap and 8oz of the Amino. It tasted great and I set up a long road called Bells Ferry with plenty of sidewalk. It was a stretch of several uphill miles but I kept going steady. This is when my knee started to ache a bit. I'd stop to walk and do a reality check because it was not my goal to force through pain if it was there, but for the most part it was just a little tightness so I kept on going. Mile 7 was 12;47 and mile 8 was 13:38.
I had originally planned to go up to a park and then down and loop through a neighborhood by my house twice to complete the distance. I remember that the park has a 1/2 mile loop so I decided it would be better to do the loop and then make it a straight shot home. Mile 9 got me to the park in 13:21. After my second hour I took another S-cap.
At the park, I did my two loops. My legs started to get really tight, especially knees on both legs. I took a nice, slow pace and did both laps in 12:20.
After finishing the amino, at mile 10 I took in 8oz of the CLIP2. CLIP2 has a little bit of fat in it as well as amino acids and carbohydrate. I was pleasantly surprised - I really liked it. The fat made it have a slight creamy taste but not too sweet.
It was at this point I realized that I had a personal milestone: no stomach distress. This is the farthest I've gone in my training without having to stop a single time for any sort of stomach pain. It was exciting to realize and perhaps I was jumping the gun by over-hydrating too soon in my previous runs.
I started down the sidewalk towards home, just 3 miles to go, and my left leg was extremely tight. I stopped to walk and realized my ITB was definitely going to be an issue. When I started back to a jog it was stiff. I could have run through it but decided not to. Instead, I terminated the run at 10.17 miles and called my wife to pick me up.
We stopped by Wendy's for a nice little splurge (double-stack with cheese, french fries, and a Frosty) and then headed home. Now it's time to ice and soak in the tub.
I'm happy I was able to reach 10 miles considering the past few weeks. I don't want to go too far off track with mileage as I have specific goals but it makes no sense to injure myself either. I stopped just as it was getting tender and after some stretching and babying it feels 90% right now. We'll see what the week has to bring.
Everyone, have a blessed Christmas if I don't post soon then I'll write afterwards and see how my next week goes ... if all goes well, I'll reach a personal milestone of 14 miles next Sunday. Also, I just broke the 200 mile mark for distance covered since I started tracking this!
Blessed be,
Jeremy Likness
posted by Jeremy Likness | 2:19 PM | 0 comments
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Mid Six and ITB
Run Time: 1:10:48
Total Miles to Date: 190.5
Thoughts on the Run:
It's late and I'm up super early tomorrow to catch a flight into Boston, so I'll make this brief. Had a long (productive) day today, and did not have a chance to run. Of course, coming home, I had the typical excuses (it's late, dark, cold, etc) and then I realized ... wow, those are perfect conditions for practicing for an ultra. From what I've read, they are run late or early when it's dark and cold ... LOL. So I headed out.
Did an easy 6-mile out-and-back. The ITB is still tender. In fact, while I did the full loop at an easy 11-minute pace, when I stopped the left knee was stiff. After some thorough stretching and simply moving it through the full range of motion, it feels good. I may ice it - definitely not out of the woods yet with the injury so I'll take it day by day. This is an improvement, the last longer run I was totally incapacitated after the run, this time it was only stiff and worked itself loose. Obviously don't want to push it.
Yesterday nutrition in no particular order:
1 bowl of Koala Crisp cereal (organic Cocoa Pebbles)
1 cup Silk Soymilk
1 USANA HealthPak (AM/PM Vitamin)
1 tablespoon USANA OptOmega (omega-3 fat blend)
1 USANA Shake with 2 scoops of Fibergy (high-fiber shake) and 2 scoops of Nutrimeal (regular meal replacement shake)
1 Yoplait Original Yogurt Orange Creme flavor
2 slices Nature's Own Whole Grain bread
2 tbsp Maranatha No-stir All Natural Peanut Butter
2 tbsp Polaner All Fruit Seedless Blackberry Jam
2 12 oz Diet Cokes
32 oz of water
3 cups of coffee
3 small chocolate cookie wafers (office treats)
1 serving of my wife's awesome Chicken Dahl (thigh meat, lentils, curry, etc)
2 oz tortilla chips
1 of my daughter's home made chocolate chip espresso cookies
1 can organic Blue Sky all natural ginger ale
Calories: 2338
Fat: 79g (14g sat/17g poly/23g mono)
Cholesterol: 127mg
Sodium: 1860mg
Potassium: 2590mg
Carbohydrate: 326g (44g fiber/142g sugar)
Protein: 96g
Water: 92oz total
Jeremy
posted by Jeremy Likness | 9:27 PM | 0 comments
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Easy Threezie
Run Time: 32:28
Total Miles to Date: 184.4
Thoughts on the Run:
Today was an easy three. I actually still ended up running it faster than intended. I started up the hill with what I perceived as a slow, easy pace. I made it up and up without the normal struggles and felt great. I let myself speed up on the downhills and enjoy gravity. At the end of my out-and-back, I doubled around and made it up "Goliath" no problem. The end of the run is marked by a long downhill. I wanted to "open up" and run it hard but decided to take it easy. Plenty more runs this week. My ITB felt tender but was manageable and thorough stretching afterwards silenced any complaints.
I fired up the ole DietPower software yesterday and will be posting some meals and stats.
Yesterday included (not a good day nutrition-wise):
1 Nature Valley Granola Bar Oats N' Honey
3 cups of coffee
1 cup of Quaker Life cereal
1 cup of Silk Soymilk
1 serving of Ethnic Gourmet Chicken Korma
2 Diet Cokes
1 serving Yoplait Orginal Yogurt Orange Creme flavor
3 chocolate cookies
1 tablespoon of USANA Optomega
1 USANA HealthPak 100 (AM/PM vitamin packets)
2 Whole Wheat rolls with 2 oz each of barbeque beef briskets
4 oz of tortilla chips
1 1/2 ounces Beligan dark chocolate
Calories: 2,743
Fat: 120g (31g sat, 20g poly, 38g mono)
Cholesterol: 170mg
Sodium: 3,130mg
Potassium: 1,670mg
Carbohydrate: 333g (24g fiber, 79g sugar)
Protein: 97g
I'll post my vitamin/mineral averages each Sunday for the week.
Until next time ...
Jeremy
posted by Jeremy Likness | 6:56 PM | 0 comments
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Steady as She Goes
Run Time: 1:14:00
Total Miles to Date: 181.3
Thoughts on the Run:
Today was another "tentative" run. I am still recovering from the ITB so I did not want to push it.
The original plan was to do a 3.7 mile loop and let the rest of the runners break off to continue without me.
I debated whether or not to bring my dog, Lizzie, and finally decided against it - I wanted to focus on the run and not keeping track of her.
When the alarm sounded at 6:00AM, I tried to talk myself out of going. I went online, saw that it was close to freezing, and sent an e-mail saying, "Don't count me in." After taking Lizzie outside, I realized, "I'm awake, it's a beautiful day, and what better way to start the weekend than to go to beautiful Kennesaw Mountain?"
So, I buzzed Paul, the runner I was to meet, and let him know I was coming after all. I dragged myself into my car and rolled out. Since I knew it would be a short run, I didn't bother with any bottles or hydration. I had a granola bar, a Cuban coffee, and a glass of water before heading out.
This run was very instrumental for me, because Paul taught me something I've known I must do but let ego keep me from doing it: run my training pace. In other words, I've been pushing a lot of my runs too hard. While shooting for a 9-minute or 10-minute mile pace (mpm) during a race is fine, training means spending some time doing it slower and building a base. It's obviously the paces I was used to were pushing my limit. Low heart rate training means keeping the heart rate low ... and while I have not been measuring it, the gasping and having to walk etc means I definitely have not been doing that.
So, we started off at a nice, steady, 13mpm pace. It felt great and gave me ample time to warm up. I noticed that the combination of taking a week off and doing the slower pace meant I had energy and was able to tackle the hills without breaking pace.
We stopped in the second mile for an "unscheduled restroom break" and I did not stop my watch so that mile was done in 15:48. The rest of the splits were 14:07, 14:27, 13:15, and 13:06 paces (3:14 for the last 1/4 mile) respectively.
There is a lot to be said about running a little slower. I was able to remain consistent. I could tackle the hills with no problem and still had reserves. My ITB did not flare. It was tender during the run but not a problem. In fact, after getting to the end of one-half of the loop, I decided I would make this a 5 mile out-and-back instead of the 3.7-mile loop and continued on.
It was great. I enjoyed the run more than many I've been on in the past several weeks. It didn't feel like I was struggling to move, to breathe, to make it to the next marker and to finish. It was how running should be - enjoying the moment, being aware of the deer, trees, sunshine, and everything else around and within. I just had a blast and found I wasn't shuffling my feet or looking to the next marker.
It was doing this slow, steady pace back that I realized my ego has really been impacting my runs in a negative way. It's nothing huge, but I want to be that 7-minute runner over distance. And sure, it's possible, but not without the right training. And what I need now is base building. I need to pile on the mileage. I need to get to the ultramarathon distances without injuring myself, and if it takes me a snail's pace to finish, at least I'll be finishing. Once I build that foundation, then I can start focusing on speed and tempo - but why complicate it?
Honestly, I realized I'd have to come here and post my 13-minute paces. 10 sounds so much better! But then with this run, I put it in perspective. To me, it was a slow, easy 5 mile run. Rewind to 2000. I stepped foot on a treadmill weighing 245 pounds. I couldn't run, so I had to speedwalk. I ended up doing a combination of running and jump-roping for some time as I shed the pounds. When I ran my first 4 mile run, I finished in tears. I came home excited and told my wife, "Honey, you WON'T BELIEVE THIS ... I just RAN FOUR MILES NON STOP!" So why am I sweating the small things, or comparing myself to others?
Silly, but it took this nice, slow run to put it in perspective. 2007 is not my year to compete with other runners. It's my year to find ME and to accomplish the goal I set out to accomplish - running my first ultramarathon. It's not about blazing through a 5K race with 6:30 miles ... there's time for that down the road. It's about a steady, consistent effort. About taking my plan and sticking with it (my plan has tempo, but these runs are every other week, where I was getting eager every time I did a short run and pushing those into tempo paces ... not wonder I pushed my ITB to the limit).
So, I'm refocused. I just am amazed at how WONDERFUL this run felt. I know I could easily have done that for 5 more miles, then 5 more after that, and felt good doing it. I also knew I shouldn't push it, my ITB is still healing, so I headed back and finished.
At the finish line I did quite a bit of stretching. Normally I would drive home and then have stiff, sore legs getting out. Today, they felt fine ... I really do feel 100%. Now I'm debating what distance I'll target tomorrow, or if I'll take it off, but I'm ready to jump back into the program this week ... only INTO the program, not out of the program. No more pushing it fast and hard and trying to get ahead of myself. Let's build this baseline, get the distance under my belt, and do it safely. I've got plenty of time in the future to hone my speed, pace, and the rest. Now I'm just hungry for the distance.
I look forward to the quality of my runs this week, now that I've decided to be a part of them instead of forcing myself through them.
Until next time,
Jeremy Likness
posted by Jeremy Likness | 11:07 AM | 0 comments
Friday, December 15, 2006
Road to Recovery
Run Time: 20:55
Total Miles to Date: 176.0
Thoughts on the Run:
Today was a nice, easy jog. I opted to do a loop around the neighborhood. I figured this way, if my ITB caused issues, I was never far from home. I also took my new running companion, our dog Lizzie, along.
I knew this would be a great test because it's pavement and that's where I feel ITB the most.
The run was a good run. I only did 2 miles - no need to push it. I felt strong and solid. In fact, I thought I was "taking it easy" but I still managed a solid 10mpm pace (actually 9:52) which is better than a lot of my other runs.
The ITB still felt tender. Not an issue, not flared, but there is still sensation which means it's not 100% and I'm not going to push it.
I was originally optimistic about a 10-miler a group is doing tomorrow. The weather is supposed to be perfect and I love that loop (it's the one I've done before and blew a gasket attempting last weekend).
Instead, I'm going to continue to take it easy. I'm joing the group but I'll stop short of the full distance - instead, I'll loop back and complete a run that is close to 4 miles. This way even if I feel great I won't be pushing it too much and I'm never too far from the car if anything does come up.
All-in-all I'm pleased. I'm eager to get back up to high mileage and long runs but I also know I need to take this slow or I risk injuring myself worse and falling farther behind.
Jeremy
posted by Jeremy Likness | 12:35 PM | 0 comments
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Limping on the Mountain
Run Time: 1:41:12
Total Miles to Date: 173.9
Thoughts on the Run:
Okay, so I take full responsibility for being an idiot on this one.
Despite having the ITB flare-up yesterday, I still was eager to go on a run today. What's more, I found someone online willing to run the course with me, so I was excited to have a running companion.
The first issue was probably the revelry last night. My wife brought home a nice bottle of wine and we relaxed for the evening ... and I consumed vast quantities of chocolate and wine. Not excatly the best pre-run combination.
I woke up and felt great. I had an organic pop tart for breakfast with some juice and got dressed. Then it was down to the mountain to run.
While I was waiting for my running partner, I did some stretches and exercises for the ITB. Then she arrived and we were set to run.
The run starts at a steep uphill and I was feeling a bit tender. Like a stubborn male I told myself that I could work it out, loosen it up, etc. Actually, once we made it to the top, I was feeling okay and began to pick up the pace a bit. I should have known there was something terribly wrong, however, when it took 13 minutes to complete the first mile. I normally do this course in less than 11-minute miles.
Downhill I was tender but kept at it and eventually I felt fine. In fact, the middle part of the run, I was not really feeling any pain in my legs at all. However, I was still getting incredibly winded on the uphills and our pace did not go much faster than 13-minutes. I know Heather is capable of doing much more and felt bad that I was holding her back on the run. She was able to hit the hills and zoom right up them without a break in her pace, while I was huffing and puffing and struggling and eventually had to walk. You wouldn't think I had been training for months - it was like this was my first time on hills (for the kids at home, this is a good sign of overtraining ... or should I say a bad sign?)
We made it to the end of the loop with me taking my typical breaks every 2 miles (and at the top of every hill) and I was confident we'd do well coming back. However, we went down a steep downhill and suddenly I felt the pain in my leg again. Now I was looking a bit ridiculous, limping and waddling on the trail. Heather was very patient with me as I huffed and puffed and plodded along but it was definitely not a quality run.
Then it happened. We came to a section where we cross a road and then it was just a 3 mile spur back. However, the instant I hit the pavement, I had a jolt of fire go up my left leg. I limped to the other side. I planned to walk to the next parking lot and ask Heather to go ahead, but after going maybe 1/4 mile down the trail, it was obvious I wouldn't be doing much walking at all. A woman going past us was very concerned and I waved her on.
I stopped my Garmin at 7.5 miles and limped back to the road. We stopped a runner to find out how to guide Heather back to the cars and make sure we knew the road we were on so she could come back and find me. After talking to him for a bit, he asked if we would like to just catch a ride to the car. The run was pretty much over so we said, "Sure." The man's name was Wes, and I am very thankful he was there - very nice guy, as he was in the middle of his run when we stopped him, so I know it can be irritating to cool off driving around before picking it up and finishing. He also had a beautiful dog that I had the pleasure of riding with.
He drove us back to the cars and that was that. I apologized to Heather for bringing her out on what turned out to be more of watching me waddle than anything else. I decided to come home, ice my leg, and take a break for several days from running. Time to rest up and heal.
I'm guessing I'll take off until my next Saturday run and see where I'm at there - maybe try a few short miles on Friday. We'll see.
Oh, wow, my first injury of the season.
Until next time,
Jeremy Likness
posted by Jeremy Likness | 2:55 PM | 1 comments
Flat Tire in the Cold
Run Time: 35:59
Total Miles to Date: 166.2
Thoughts on the Run:
Today I had to terminate my first run due to an injury.
Ironically, I set out to do an easy pace. And I thought that's what I was doing ... the plan was a 5-mile out-and-back with the first mile mostly uphill. I dug into what I thought was a steady but slow pace ... it turned out I was actually booking at 9-minutes per mile. At the second mile I started having some pain in the left leg, right at the same spot I had felt it in an earlier run. As that earlier run, I continued on and it went away.
Heading back, however, about 2 miles out it started hurting bad (definitely ITB issue in my left leg). So I started walking. Kept trying to pick up and jog again, but it just wasn't working out so at 3.55 I officially stopped the clock.
The challenge I then faced is a lesson learned. Because it was a short run, I didn't bring my fuel belt. I was dressed for 65 degrees because it was 45 degrees out (ever heard, dress 20 degrees warmer? It works well for me because I was feeling perfect).
The catch is now I was walking (not limping - the funny thing about ITB is you feel it in the run, but you can walk fine) and not as warm. My temperature dropped quickly. Now I was faced with a 1.5 mile walk in the freezing cold. Most of it was in shade and I picked up some breezes. It was probably the most miserable walk I can think of. But, I made it.
Came inside, elevated and iced.
Yes, I am going to attempt the trail today. The trail is completely different and I rarely feel ITB on the trail. I feel fine this morning. Yes, if it does flare again then I'll take my rest. However, I will start doing plenty of ITB Stretches, and, more importantly, will start doing Walt's special. This is an ITB strengthening exercise. The exercise and perhaps one of the most comprehensive descriptions of ITB I've found on the net is right here.
I'll report after my 11-mile trail run today!
Warmly,
Jeremy Likness
posted by Jeremy Likness | 9:07 AM | 0 comments
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Pyramids on the Treadmill
Run Time: 26:44
Total Miles to Date: 162.7
Thoughts on the Run:
First, the blog has a new home. I've moved it from http://roadtoultra.blogspot.com/ to http://jeremylikness.goldensummitinc.com/blog/ — hopefully the transition will go smooth. It looks like Blogger will automatically mirror these posts at the old location so I think all is well - this is my first post since the cutover so we'll see!
Today I did some treadmill work. For some reason I just can't stand going "easy" on the treadmill (if there is such a thing) so I decided to play with tempo pyramids. I basically increased the pace by one minute each minute and walked down to 7-minute miles and back up to 10-minute miles, back down, etc. I averaged a 8:55 pace overall and was beat - seems like I've gone backwards a bit from when I did the 8:15 run but then again I also am not trying to push it hard because I know I have a lot of base building to do.
It was frustrating after the run because of projects/meetings etc I did not get to do my Yoga, but life is about compromise so I got in some thorough stretches and get a full day of rest tomorrow.
Looking forward to my back-to-backs this weekend.
Until then,
Jeremy Likness
posted by Jeremy Likness | 11:56 AM | 0 comments
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Wading through Molasses
Run Time: 52:53
Total Miles to Date: 159.7
Thoughts on the Run:
Wading through molasses.
That's really the thought that comes to mind for today's run. Wasn't horrible, but didn't feel great, either.
The morning was in the 30s so I checked the 10-hour forecast and decided to wait until 2pm for the hottest part of the day - perfect running weather at 57 degrees.
I wasn't sure if wearing the long jogging pants and long-sleeved running shirt were the best choices but a few jaunts through the shade and I knew I was dressed right - short sleeves or shorts and I would have been freezing.
I normally run earlier in the day so now I had put away a bagel, a tamale and some chili beans. Fortunately, stomach upset was not an issue at all. I probably came in a little dehydrated after drinking my typical large cup of coffee and then just sipping on water later in the day.
I started out knowing this was going to be another "base building" or very easy-going run. It seemed to take forever just to get to the top of the first street. Then it was some down hill but it was in shade with a headwind so I just didin't feel like I was warming up. I felt like I was wasting time struggling up the next hill but kept putting one foot in front of the other.
After 3/4 mile it was evident I had tied my shoes way too loose so I stopped and tightened them. Instantly I felt better when I started back, but that led me straight into another hill that I plodded up. I finished the first mile in a respectable 10:29.
The hill led to a nice, long downhill that I completed in 9:41.
Next was another long uphill. With my "I think I can" mentality I chugged along non-stop and made it to the top in 10:02.
The next mile was interesting. It was the very long hill ("Goliath") and as I was going up, my left foot fell asleep. It took me 11:34 to finish this and my left knee was not liking the fact that I was plodding along despite my foot.
I stopped a few times, rearranged my laces, etc, but everytime I'd start back, it would fall asleep again. It was only partway through the fifth mile that I realized it may be the sock. I pulled my foot out and sure enough, my sock was scrunched out over my toes. I straightened that out and put the foot back in and I was good to go. I finished that last mile in 10:43 and then just had a tiny sliver of extra mileage to finish the loop.
The mile of running funny on my leg took its toll on my knee, which was nice and sore at the end. However, despite the rough start, the fact is that I finished the run, did the mileage, and kept a decent pace as well. I taper to a 3 miler tomorrow and then have a day off before my 5-then-11 back-to-backs this weekend.
Until next time,
Jeremy Likness
posted by Jeremy Likness | 3:18 PM | 0 comments
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Running with a Companion
Run Time: 32:26
Total Miles to Date: 154.6
Thoughts on the Run:
Today, I brought a little friend along.
She has four legs.
It was a fun run. I feel great. I recovered quickly from my back-to-back 5 mile and 10 mile runs this weekend. All of my runs this week are easy, base-building, no tempo or strong effort. I decided since our dog has so much energy and because I was going on a closed loop not crossing any major roads that I'd bring her along.
The first mile was a little tough as she got used to the "heel" position and kept wanting to cross over, chase birds, etc. She caught on fast, however. Half way into the second mile she decided it was time to pause and relieve herself. Fortunately, I had the foresight to bring along a plastic bag and our neighborhood has public trash cans along the running route, so it was easy to dispose of properly and remain in good standing with the neighbors.
She then was ready to go. She wanted to accelerate up hills. My easy pace was nothing more than a fast walk for her. I sensed she wanted to open up so I ran fast along a short stretch on the way back and she got to run for a bit.
All in all it was a fun, easy run. Glad I had a companion ... she was like, "When is the real run going to start?"
My splits were:
10:17, 10:53 (delay due to poop-scooping), 9:38.
Tomorrow is 5 miles and I'll probably do those alone.
Jeremy
posted by Jeremy Likness | 11:19 AM | 1 comments
Sunday, December 03, 2006
15 Miles Back-to-Back
Run Time: 1:52:26
Total Miles to Date: 151.4
Thoughts on the Run:
Today was my first back-to-back run and first distance run after the half marathon. It was also my opportunity to try something new: the Amino packets I received from Succeed! along with the Succeed! electrolyte caps.
I woke up and ate one of my favorite breakfasts: 2 organic whole grain waffles with raspberries and blackberries on top. I also had several cups of coffee (actually one "cup" but my cup is so big it counts for several). I waited about an hour after eating and then prepared for the run.
I mixed two 20-ounce bottles with a packet of Amino each. Here's the breakdown for one packet (from the Succeed! website):
Calories: 146
Total fat: 0gm
Cholesterol: 0gm
Total carbohydrates: 36.5gm
Sugars: 2.6 gm
Protein: 1 gm
Sodium: 68 mg
Potassium: 8.2 mg
Ingredients list: maltodextrin, sucrose, Leucine, sodium chloride, citric acid, Valine, Isoleucine, Arginine, Glutamine, natural and artificial flavor, Ornithine, Glycine, Aspartic acid, Tyrosine, Glutamic acid, calcium pantothenate, potassium chloride, red 40, biotin.
As you can see, lots of carbohydrates though low sugar (but keep in mind the "complex" carbohydrate is maltodextrin which can be rapidly absorbed), no fructose (a lot of runners complain that fructose products cause stomach upset) and plenty of BCAA's.
After mixing this I took one of the electrolyte caps, put the other in a zip lock in my fuel belt to take one hour into the run.
My gear was my long-sleeved running shirt, shorts with long running pants over them, bandana, New Balance shoes with lots of baby powder inside, and of course my Garmin GPS.
I set off a nice, comfortable pace. I was treating this as a "base run" where I keep the effort light and build cardiovascular endurance and get used to the distance. First mile was still a respectable 10:07.
Second mile was 10:11. After the second mile, I stopped and drank 10 ounces of the Amino solution. That slowed my mile down to 11:03 but then I was back on a steady pace and finished mile 4 in 10:23.
After mile four, I had another 10 ounces of amino. So far, so good.
I reached mile 5 in 10:46. The sun began beating down on me. Despite it being in the 50s, it felt like the 80s and I was sweating (although still not as much as I normally would). I felt a bit queasy going up a rather long hill, so I stopped and walked it. At the top I hit 6 miles after doing a 11:02 despite the walking. I then had another 10 ounces of Amino and took my electrolyte cap.
The next few miles were tough. My stomach was a little queasy (though manageable), but I was hitting what felt like enormous hills. I did a lot of uphill walking and then picked up the pace downhill when I could. Mile 7 was 12:01. I reached mile 8 in 12:21 and I again had a lot of uphill, followed by taking a wrong turn and going into a cul-de-sac that I back-tracked out of. I finished the last 10 ounce of my Amino and was determined to finish strong.
Mile 9 climbed 100 feet at about a 5% grade. Not bad, but my energy was spent. I was determined not to stop and plugged my way to the top in 12:31. I then had quite a bit of downhill, so I kicked up the pace and made it to mile 10 in 10:10, a decent negative split. I then ran a little longer and polished off another .17.
Over all I averaged about 11:03 on the run, which is perfect to me for a "base building" pace. I could have probably slowed down a bit in the earlier miles and had better splits later in the run, but that is why it is all part of the learning experience.
My observations were that I definitely did NOT get the major stomach upset I've experienced on other longer runs, so I was happy with the electrolyte and amino combination. There were a few times it felt like I'd get queasy but it'd pass and I was able to keep on going. If anything, the heat took me by surprise and I could have probably used another 16 ounces of fluid on the run. I'll have to start doing more loop runs so I can stash extra water bottles along the way.
Best of all was this was immediately following a record 5 mile run so I feel fantastic about knocking out 15 miles in 2 days. I need to be able to handle this to build up the mileage for the marathon and ultimately the 50 mile race. I'm looking forward to continuing to build my pace and to faster recovery. I also noticed my heart rate went down very quickly after the run, a sign of improved fitness, and my scale weight only dropped a few pounds instead of 4 - 5 as it normally would. All in all, a great run.
I'm going to soak in the bath now.
Tomorrow is just some yoga and then a short 3-miler on Tuesday.
Until next time,
Jeremy Likness
posted by Jeremy Likness | 1:20 PM | 0 comments
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Best Training Run Yet
Run Time: 47:25
Total Miles to Date: 141.3
Thoughts on the Run:
Today was the best run yet, by far.
I woke up and stepped outside. It was COLD. It was in the low 30s. I decided to have breakfast and run after the sun was a bit higher so it would warm up.
Breakfast was two Kashi whole-grain (7 grains) waffles with blackberries and raspberries (no syrup). I also brewed some coffee in the French press. I took my multivitamin pack and then relaxed with my wife for about an hour.
For gear, I decided to try my shorts with the long running pants over them. I debated what to wear up top, and then decided just the long sleeve whick would be fine - nothing over it. I knew I would warm up and where I usually make my mistake is by overdressing and then trapping all of the sweat.
The only deviating from my standard routine was that I decided to take a Succeed! cap before the run. I sweat A LOT ... friends and family joke that just thinking about exercise causes me to sweat - so I figured even on the shorter run it would be a good test of electrolyte balance. Each cap has 341mg of sodium and 21mg of potassium.
I stepped out and started the run. It was COLD. My hands were freezing but I was out in the sun fairly quickly. I also chose and out-and-back route that would lead me up a rather long incline to warm-up quickly. I felt great and knocked that first mile out in 9:29 despite the uphill.
The second mile went faster due to more uphill. Ironically, this was a mile I stopped at. About 3/4 into the mile, I had a sharp pain in my knee - the right knee that I had complete reconstructive ACL on. I identified the pain immediately. It's what happens when I do what I call "lazy running." Basically my joint there is reconstructed and part of the problem is that the quad muscle helps cushion the fall - there is a "teardrop" muscle that wraps around the joint and can help stabilize and cushion the joint. "Lazy running" means running without engaging this muscle. I stopped and walked for about a block, focusing on contracting that muscle and engaging it. Then, I took a few tentative warm-up steps and finally broke back into a full run. The pain was completely gone and did not return. I knocked out that mile, even with the walking, in 9:06.
The third mile was half a mile downhill next to a park down the road, then turning around and coming back up. The uphill was a little daunting but I just focused on keeping a steady cadence and easily climbed it in 9:31. I was feeling great. It was at this point that I noticed two differences with the run. First, my uphill efforts almost always cause a little stomach distress and I felt none this time. Second, I was barely sweating! Here I was going up a hill and in direct sunlight and while I was sweating, it was a mild, light sweat and not the "totally drenched and dripping water" sweat I'm used to.
The fourth mile had me ascending Goliath. Again, I focused on a steady, consistent run. I knew I would slow down going up the long hill, but also felt I had enough energy to make up for it on the backside. It took me 10:31 to finish that mile. I then picked up the pace for a strong finish. As I anticipated, the last mile made up for it and was finished in an 8:36 pace - a negative split!
The end of the run was warm - it was in the fifties but felt like the seventies.
Finished the 5.03 of the run in 47:25 for an average pace of 9:26. That's my best training pace (short of paced runs on the treadmill).
Very excited about the results. I can't attribute it to any one thing yet, but needless to say I was pleased. Now we'll see how I fare on my first back-to-back run, knocking out 10 miles tomorrow.
After the run I cooled off far more quickly than I normally would have and stretched for 20 minutes with my yoga routine.
I'd say the caps may have had an impact. It also helps that I've overcome the upper respiratory problems I was having and seem to simply be improving overall in training. I'm sure the 5 pounds I've shed also helped lighten the load on the run.
Until tomorrow,
Jeremy Likness
Labels: exercise, running, supplementation, training
posted by Jeremy Likness | 12:18 PM | 0 comments
Friday, December 01, 2006
Yoga, Salt, and Amino Acids
I woke up early and did some yoga for strengthening. My arms were toast afterwards.
Later today, I received a package I was hoping I would receive this week before my long run. After doing lots of research, I decided to try some products from Succeed!. Specifically, I ordered a bottle of the caps that contain sodium, as well as a 5-pack sampler of their Amino product. It is designed really for longer runs but after looking at the ingredients of all products, two things motivated me to try this one: (1) I believe even on shorter runs I do need the amino acids in addition to carbohydrates and (2) it came in a 5-pack sampler.
Let me say the ordering process was PHENOMENAL. I received confirmation right away, the owner sent me an e-mail to let me know the status, it was out the door a day later and arrived shortly thereafter. Great follow up and service throughout.
Now, we'll see how they fare on my run.
The advice is to take about one an hour, two if sweating heavily or in heat. I'm definitely one of the more excessive sweaters. However, I'm going to start conservatively.
On my 10 miler this weekend, here's what I'll do ... take one cap before running. I'll bring a second cap to take 1 hour into the run, which will hopefully be just after the midway point for me (I'm hoping to nail the 10 in 10-minute miles or 1:40 total). I'll also take my two bottles with my belt and mix one packet of mix in each and drink them every 15 - 20 minutes. We'll see how the gut feels at the end ... then I'll do it again the week after. If the run goes well and I like the flavor, I'll go ahead and order a box to use as my traing runs will only be getting longer.
I am excited about three milestones coming up.
First, I've moved from "I'll just figure out a race in 2007" to pretty much settling on the JFK 50. It's an "easy" race as far as ultramarathons go (believe me, I only mean that relative, I respect the distance and the fact that it will take a lot of training to get there). It also is closed to D.C. and our family was planning a trip there anyway.
Second, next week at 26 miles will be my highest volume week yet (I will peak at a 72-mile week before the JFK if all goes well).
Third, in five weeks I set a new personal record - that's when my long run reaches 14 miles. Just 0.9 farther than a half marathon but still the longest distance I've ever run.
Jeremy
posted by Jeremy Likness | 2:12 PM | 0 comments
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