Today was a scheduled 17-miler on the marathon training plan. That’s 27.3km. That’s 5km farther than my last long run, which was itself my longest run ever. Yikes. But you know what? I DID IT.

Run Report:

Running in the middle of the day was SO STUPID. I know this. But I wanted to run with my friend Fiona, and she couldn’t go til after 10. So I slept in, but then she called at the last minute to say her car broke down so she couldn’t go… but by that point, I was locked in. Luckily my friends Josh and Jamie were willing (and crazy enough) to run the Bay Run with me in 80-degree heat. I set RunKeeper for 1:1 intervals and I was off. I started by running up through Glebe, around Blackwattle Bay, and up Victoria Road to the start of the Bay Run.

I had tried to approach my nutrition in a scientific way. I had 4 packets of gel, a bag of jelly babies, and a couple bottles of premixed Endura Rehydration drink (along with some plain water). It took me about 45 minutes to get to Iron Cove, and that’s the point at which I started to eat. My goal was to get about 70g of carbs per hour, and I think I actually did pretty good with that.

I met the boys at the start of the Bay Run and we headed off. Neither of them had ever been there before, so it was a fun, chatty time. However, it was also extremely hot (not a cloud in the sky) and I was drenched with sweat. I’d slathered on sunscreen, but I knew it wouldn’t last long out there. We refilled our bottles at each water fountain. When we finished the loop, I was at the 12km mark and I was really feeling it. The boys headed home while I sat in the shade for a few minutes to recuperate. I had planned to do a second loop on my own, but it was just after noon and I just couldn’t face it. The Bay Run doesn’t have a lot of shade. I was so hot. Instead I SMSed the Snook that I was going to head back towards home and do the rest in our neighbourhood.

The next 2km going back up Victoria Road was the worst stretch of the whole run for me. I was feeling almost queasy from the heat, so I walked quite a bit of the uphill. Eventually I got to the ANZAC Bridge, which should’ve killed me with its massive incline. Instead I actually started to pick up energy with each step up it. I could feel the breeze up there, and it started to make me feel refreshed and strong. I could do this! When I came off the bridge near the fish markets, I sent the Snook a message telling him I felt better and I was going to do a few more km’s in Glebe. I followed Pyrmont Bridge Road up into Glebe before turning down Glebe Point Road towards home. I even did a little loop of Victoria Park! Just was I was closing in on the 18km mark, my shins started cramping. That sucked. Luckily I was close to home so I was able to hang on.

At the house I changed my shirt, dropped my water belt, slapped on some more sunscreen, and sucked down another gel. I still needed to do about 8km to make the distance. The Snook joined me and we headed down my normal (shady) Newtown route. The shins started threatening again. It would alternate between legs; it was very low, the muscle just at the base of your shin that lifts your foot. By the time we got to Newtown, the top of my left shin/calf was starting to tighten too. We stopped for a few minutes so I could try to stretch it out. I felt like the walking portions actually hurt worse than the running at that point. We finished with a climb through Sydney Uni and then a couple laps around Vic Park. It took me almost four hours exactly.

The cramping was new; I didn’t have any cramps at all on my previous 22km run. I think it must have had to do with the extreme heat and the rate at which I was sweating. My legs may also have been tired from unusual stress of wearing my new orthotics for the past week. (I didn’t wear them on the run; I did tape instead.) So I’m not too freaked out by the experience. I’m hoping that my next run – which will hopefully be cooler – will feel very different. In terms of nutrition and hydration, I actually did great. Other than that bit of queasiness at the 12km mark, I felt fine throughout the run and never hit any walls.

After the run I had a quick shower to wash of the sweat, sunscreen, and dirt; then sat in a cold bath for 20 minutes while enjoying some lovely chocolate protein drink. Bliss…

Three weeks to recover before the next one. It’ll be a biggie: 32K. Yikes.

HUGE, HUGE thanks to Josh, Jamie, and the Snook for running with me. I could not have done it without you guys!

A week of really crappy runs! It happens, I guess. Sunday I had a scheduled 5-miler with a “Magic Mile” time trial. Unfortunately I had pigged out on confit duck and garlic bread like two hours before, so the run ended up being VERY UNPLEASANT. I figured my time trial would be a wash, but to my surprise it was great – 10:19! I wonder what I could’ve done if I hadn’t had Giant Bloaty Duck Belly… Anyhoo, Tuesday I went for my first run in my orthotics. I kept it short and went pretty slow. They were agony at first, and I just couldn’t figure out how to adjust my foot strike to feel natural. After ten minutes I was thinking of giving up when suddenly it improved! I think maybe my legs and feet stopped fighting the insert. I did another run in them this morning, slow and steady. I don’t think I’ll use them on my super-long run on Sunday; I’ll tape instead. But it’s good to know that I’ll eventually be able to run distance in them!

Mar. 6: 8.09km
Mar. 8: 4.51km
Mar. 11: 6.18km
Total this week: 18.78km (11.7mi)
Total in 2011: 226.42km (141.5mi)

To meet my goal of running 1100km in 2011, I should be at 211.5km. So I’ve still got a 15km buffer!

This week saw me do my longest distance ever! On Sunday (as mentioned previously) I ran over 14 miles. It took me just over three hours doing a 1:1 run/walk. I felt surprisingly great during the run, but ever since I’ve felt run-down and a bit flu-ey. I’m not sure if I’m actually fighting off some sort of virus or if it’s just because of the stress of the run. At any rate, I took Monday and Tuesday off to recover. (I didn’t actually have much muscle soreness, which is good!) Wednesday I did my Spudds class and felt pretty great. Thursday morning I went for an easy run just to shake out the soreness from Spudds. And today… today I got my orthotics! They feel weird. He wants me to walk around in them for a few days before I attempt a run. Luckily this is a cutback week so I’ve only got 8K scheduled for Sunday.

Feb. 27: 22.61km
Mar. 3: 6.00km
Total this week: 28.61km (17.88mi)
Total in 2011: 207.64km (129.77mi)

To meet my goal of running 1100km in 2011, I should be at 190km right now. So I’ve built up a considerable cushion. The goal for March is to continue to follow my training plan and to avoid getting sick or injured!

Pretty good for a cutback week! Last Friday the podiatrist fitted me for orthotics and then taped me up again. It was too hot to run on Sunday, so I bumped my weekend run to Monday. I felt great! On Wednesday I actually decided to do speed intervals in the morning before Spudds. The tape had come off by that point, but my foot still felt surprisingly okay. The Spudds workout was hard and left me quite sore afterwards. Today I did an easy lunchtime jog with my friend Raj just to work out the stiffness before my next long run on Sunday.

Feb. 21: 6.43km
Feb. 23: 6.11km
Feb. 25: 4.65km
Total this week: 17.17km (10.7mi)
Total this year: 179.03km (111.9mi)

To meet my goal of running 1100km in 2011, I should be at 169km right now. So I’m currently carrying a buffer of 10km. I expect that to grow this week given that I’ll be running my longest distance ever: 14 miles – 22.5km! Longer than a Half Marathon…

This was one of my longest distance weeks ever! On Saturday about ten of us got together for a dailymile meetup and 5K run. The Snook and Kunaal were there too. My foot was still taped up, and I was amazed at what a difference it made. I didn’t have any pain on the 20 minute walk through Glebe to get to the starting line, and the first 3K of the run were pain-free too. (I said to the Snook: “It feels like I got a foot transplant!”) By the 4th kilometer though, I started to feel my arch aching a bit beneath the tape. Still, it wasn’t too bad. On Sunday I did my longest run since the Half-Marathon last year: 19km (12 miles). I did 1:1 run/walk the whole way. I went to Centennial Park, did a couple big loops, then headed back. The Snook met me and ran the last few km’s with me. I felt surprisingly good and I didn’t have much trouble with recovery afterwards. My foot was sore, but I think the tape definitely made a difference. I took Monday and Tuesday off to rest. Tuesday night I did a core workout at home, then Wednesday had a killer session at Spudds. Thursday night I walked home from work carrying a big heavy backpack. And then this morning went for a slow 6km on a grey and humid morning.

Feb. 12: 5.34km
Feb. 13: 19.51km
Feb. 18: 6.02km
Total this week: 30.87km (19.3mi)
Total in 2010: 161.84km (101.1mi)

I’ve crossed the 100-mile threshold for the year! To meet my goal of running 1100km in 2011, I should be at 148km right now. Wow, my buffer is growing! Time for another cutback week though to give everything a rest.

I’ve also got a follow-up session with the podiatrist today. I’ll let you know the outcome…

Regular readers will recall that about a year ago I started having some weird tightness and aches in the arch of my right foot. I took a few weeks off and had a bone scan – and was radioactive for a day, which was fun – that didn’t show any fractures or serious inflammation. The doctor (from a local sports med clinic) thought it was just overuse from three months of forefoot running. She advocated ice and stretching. Unfortunately that injury has plagued me off and on ever since, depending on the shoes I wear and the mileage I run. Taking time off hasn’t seemed to have helped at all. So today I finally went to a proper podiatrist to find out what the hell I should do about it.

After hearing the whole saga, he flexed my big toe and poked the tendon in my arch, and I just about jumped off the table. OUCH. He said that even if it didn’t show on the scan last year, I definitely have Plantar Fasciitis. (The most common form involves heel pain, which I’ve never had. But you can have PF without it, apparently.) I’ve also got some strained ligaments along the side of my arch as well. The interesting thing he said is that the injury is such that stopping running wouldn’t help it heal. Simply walking around is enough to keep it from properly healing. I steeled myself at this point, figuring he was going to put me in a cast or something for 3 months. But to my surprise, he said that altering my running schedule would be our LAST resort with treatment. First he wanted to try taking some of the pressure off my arch with tape to see if it made an immediate difference in my pain level. So he strapped me up. He said to go ahead and do my scheduled runs this weekend. (Yay!) I’m also supposed to only wear shoes with support (as opposed to my beloved Converse). Next week I’ll see him again to discuss the outcome. It may well be that I end up getting orthotics for a while to allow me to keep running while it heals.

So it’s both bad news and good news. Now I’m just sorry I waited so long to see a specialist! I’m glad I finally have a diagnosis and I can move forward on this.

This week I bounced back from last week’s chin-up related setback. Sunday was my “long run,” but as it’s a cutback week I was only scheduled for 4 miles. The Snook and I did another mile time trial, and though I felt we were speeding along, the time was a disappointing 10:58. (I went back and cleaned up the GPS on our first time trial a month ago, and that one was 10:20.) My foot was bothering me, so I took Monday and Tuesday off to rest. Wednesday I had a morning run and then a Spudds session at lunch. (I KICKED ASS on the rower.) Yesterday I treated myself to a full-body massage in the evening, where a little Chinese man went to town on the knots and tightness in my legs. This morning I went for another run, and though my legs felt great my foot was pretty sore. I’m seeing the podiatrist at lunchtime, so hopefully he’ll be able to advise what to do.

Feb. 6: 6.81km
Feb. 9: 6.09km
Feb. 11: 6.12km
Total this week: 19.02km (11.9mi)
Total in 2011: 130.97km (81.8mi)

To meet my goal of running 1100km in 2011, I should be at 126.9km. So I’ve still got a 4km buffer. I actually have quite a lot of running scheduled this weekend. Tomorrow there’s a 5K Group Run/Meet-up with some of the Daily Mile folks. Then Sunday is my scheduled long run of 19.2km (12mi). Eek! Hope my foot is up to it.

Ups and downs. It’s been such a hot week, but I started the week with a big UP! On Sunday I did my longest run in many months, a 17.2km run-walk to Centennial Park and back. I did 1:1 run/walk the whole way and it worked great! The walk breaks really helped with my recovery the next day. On Monday I did an easy run/walk home from work in the evening and then a short core workout. On Tuesday I went to Spudds after work and then did an easy run/walk home. Wednesday was Spudds again, and that’s when I crashed. He had me trying to do chin-ups, and it was just total frustration. I spent the next two days in a total funk. Today I woke up determined to finish the week with a decent run. It started well but towards the end my right foot was aching. I definitely think I’ve strained it a little. So I walked the last ten minutes back to the house, and that’s when I noticed my chest was burning. I mean, on the outside. My skin. It was on fire, all around the collar of my shirt. I got home and pulled it off to see a huge red splotchy rash from my collarbone to my sports bra. No idea what caused it, and it’s still itching several hours later. GAHHHH.

Jan. 30: 17.22km
Jan. 31: 2.98km
Feb. 1: 2.94km
Feb. 4: 6.00km
Total this week: 29.14km (18.2mi)
Total this year: 111.95km (70mi)

To meet my goal of running 1100km in 2011, I should be at 105.7km. As expected, that long run made up quite a bit of distance. I’m now about 6km ahead of pace. Hmm. Maybe that’s why my poor foot is feeling tired? These cutback weeks are a Good Thing.

I suppose it was inevitable that I’d have a “down” week after so much exercise last week. That’s okay. We’re also having a run of hot weather, so just getting out there is a big win. I started with a run of 7km on Sunday. (It’s a cutback week on my marathon training plan.) On Monday I did a Spudds class after work, where I had some good form on the rower. Tuesday I ran to work wearing my new backpack, but it was a really sucky run. I just felt flat and tired. Wednesday I did a quick core workout before the Australia Day festivities, and this morning I did an easy run before work. Huh. I guess I did more than I realised.

Jan. 23: 7.01km
Jan. 25: 5.21km
Jan. 28: 6.06km
Total this week: 18.28km (11.4mi)
Total in 2011: 82.81km (51.75mi)

To meet my goal of running 1100km in 2011, I should be at 84.6km. So I’m about 2km behind pace. That’s fine; I’ve got another long run scheduled this weekend that should put me well ahead!

This week was packed with exercise! It started on Saturday with a core workout (36 push ups, 71 sit ups, and 55 squats). Sunday was my long run. It was technically Week 9 of my Galloway marathon plan, so the scheduled LSR was 9 miles. I did it with 2:1 run/walk intervals the whole way, and I ran the middle 6K with Fiona. After resting Monday, I did an easy recovery run Tuesday morning and a Spudds circuit that night. I did another Spudds class Wednesday at lunchtime. Thursday I did another core workout (39 push ups, 79 sit ups, and 60 squats). And today I ran to work in the morning wearing a heavy backpack. PHEW!

Jan 16. 14.91km
Jan 18: 6.06km
Jan 21: 5.37km
Total this week: 26.34km (16.5mi)
Total in 2011: 64.53km (40.3mi)

To meet my goal of running 1100km in 2011, I should be at 63.46km. So I’m now 1km ahead of pace! This next week will be another cutback week, so I’m going to try to rest up before the next long one.