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If you wish to reach me: lastchancerunner@gmail.com

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Eked out 72 minutes

I eked out 72 minutes this morning at West Valley. Tom was on his bike and Danny slogged alongside me for much of the way. Tom did try a tennis court loop on his "new" foot but it didn't work out. The pain was still there. He stopped about at around a half mile. Tough deal for him. I think we all hoped that last week's cortisone shot would be magic but I guess at a certain point there is no more magic. Just slogging. Tom is heading off to China late next week so until then I think it'll be the bike, walking and no running until he gets back. My right foot cramped up a bit too but I did have the big massage yesterday and I had her work on the plantar and arch. It let up after a while I was able to run without discomfort.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Sleep, perchance to dream....

I did a run over at WVC. around 60 minutes. The heart of the workout was 12x200 in 56-58 seconds with each 200 followed by a 100 meter jog. These aren't very fast nor are they intended to be. The goal is simply to reintroduce my legs to faster running. The one caveat is that I am burning the candle at both ends. I'm not getting enough sleep. Lucy our Golden Retriever puppy wakes up early and that's that. On a rare occasion I have put her out and tumbled back into bed but for five weeks that's been the exception. Six hours of sleep a night ain't enough. Naps help but not much. I am going to have to go to bed earlier ( some retirement....I love staying up late ) or Lucy's gonna have wait longer to rouse the household. Or..... Doggy sleeping pills......

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Social Running

I ran an easy 62 minutes over at WVC. The club ran 200's but I stayed away and ran social loops chatting with various runners and doing a campus loop warm down with Danielle.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Another 70

Dropped another 70 minutes over at WVC with Danny and Tom. Overcast and cool. Tom was still on the bike but got a cortisone shot Tuesday. Foot pain is goners.  He's heading off to China on vacation in several weeks so he plans to start running after he gets back. 

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Back door run

More of the same. Tom riding and Danny and I running (slow). 70 minutes total. Ran the campus and also reverse short six cutting in through the back door into the campus.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

50 minutes plus strides

Took it easy today. 50 minutes total. I included 10 x 200 meters strides with a 100 jog after each. 55-58 seconds on the strides. I might have run further but I got talking to a friend and when I was finished chatting I decided to call it a day.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

62 minutes

Saturday is my club run even though I rarely run with the club except for a warmup and warmdown.
Small crowd because most of the faster runners were over in Santa Cruz for the first XC race of the season. I ran a tired legged 62 minutes. Danielle ran the club run and then we warmed down around campus afterward. By that time I felt pretty good.

Very slight swollen gland in my throat. It's a warning. Not getting enough sleep (LUCY...She's the best!) but that will work itself out over time as she matures. Right now her internal alarm goes off at 6:15 every morning. I need to gradually reset it to 7 AM.



Thursday, August 16, 2012

Tues and Thurs

Ran an easy 70 minutes each day. Tom rode his bike. Danny absent because he was over with his XC girls starting up the season. Dealing with floaters in my right eye. They seem to be getting better. Lucy is letting me sleep through the night. She still gets up to early but then what is a ten week old puppy supposed to do...

Sunday, August 12, 2012

70 minutes in Los Altos

Today was going to be another heater so I got out early and ran 70 plus minutes, most of it with Dimitri. We went up and back on El Monte and then went to the track and did 200 stride, 100 job eight times. The 200 strides are really soft. Just about an eight pace. Faster than training pace but way off so called race pace. I can't hammer my way to quickness anymore so I'll do more and more laying off pace and see how my body holds up.

More icing, taping and message for the PF. It didn't bother me at all while I ran so no complaints there.

Dimitri heads to Toronto (family) so I'll be on my own Sundays' for the next two weeks.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Don Rebal

The club workout was a track relay but I stuck to my usual easy jog. 62 minutes total. Caught up with Don Rebal an old friend from the glory days when I was a 33 minute 10K runner and Don was a 2:09 half miler. Between the run and breakfast, we had plenty of time to catch up. The weather was unusually cool. The fog had come in during the night. My right foot with all of its annoying issues held up okay. I taped it up and also ran it over a tennis ball to stretch out the PF.  Iced my foot when I got home.

Thursday, August 09, 2012

72 plus 5

Ran 72 minutes, walked 5. Tom rode his bike and Danny ran. I felt strong but seem to have some soreness in my right foot. Need to be careful. Might be a mild case of PT. Admittedly it bothered me in the beginning but felt better later on. Doing the usual. Taping, ibuprofen, stretches. I will add in ice. The battle continues.

plantar fascia issues

Tuesday, August 07, 2012

The Three Runtateers

I ran ten minutes around the "hood" before heading over to WVC for a 60 minute run with Danny. While I was waiting Tom showed up on his bike. It wasn't much of a workout for him but he rode with us while we jogged. We figured he probably burned a calorie every time he squeezed the brakes. The good news is that we worked out together.

The Three Runtateers!

We were dreadfully slow but still covered 60 which was our goal. We also walked 5 minutes for a warm down.

Sunday, August 05, 2012

True North

I met Dimitri over at Foothill College. We ran an easy 45 minutes up El Monte Road and back. With the rest of my "secret" running I was at 62 minutes when we hit the track. We then ran 6 x 200 easy striders each followed by a 100 meter jog. So the total must have been north (TRUE NORTH) of 70 minutes. Strange weather for summer morning. Overcast and cool. My legs actually felt good. D noticed that I was picking up the pace heading back to the college. Nothing fast but non the less, the "I have a new puppy and am not getting enough sleep" legs seemed for the moment, not to be a problem.

Saturday, August 04, 2012

58

A very easy 58 minute jaunt with various other runners while watching the club workout. Feets don't fail me now. Things seem okay at last since I switched back to my expensive street shoes. Thank friggin' bejesus because the last 8-9 months have not been a picnic. But I am still standing and that means something.


Thursday, August 02, 2012

Good Will Hunting

68 minutes easy running around WVC. Danny and Tom joined me. Tom's right foot is injured. He's thinking about taking some time off. Probably will walk while we run. My own foot problems seem to be much better. Don't think it was the running shoes but rather my street shoes. If I wear the soft leather Santoni loafers from my Imelda Marcos collection I am fine but when I wear the heavy leather, downtown Palo Alto shoes, my foot hurts. So they're going to Good Will.