Getting fitter

Monday, 17 June 2013

An early appointment meant that I had to get up early if I wanted to squeeze my planned long run in beforehand.  Given how jaded I felt on yesterday’s run, I gave myself over an hour of “wake up” time before I hit the road at 5:45am for my 33km.

1976 Australian Olympic Trial Marathon (2nd from left)
[14th, 2:37:33]

To my surprise, I didn’t feel too bad in the first kilometre.  Of course, I’m speaking relatively and to any observer I would have looked like an old bloke going for a very slow and shambling jog, but I could feel that the leg muscles were in better shape than the last few days.

It wasn’t going to be light for the first 45 minutes, but I had shied away from carrying a light or wearing reflective gear because I was going to be out for so long.  So, for the early kilometres, including a long section of road made narrow by roadworks, I ran very defensively making sure I was well off the road surface for any oncoming vehicle and never assuming the driver had seen me.  I’m sure a few drivers would have cursed me as I suddenly loomed in their headlights, but it was safe.

After that initial period, it turned into a beautiful morning for running as the sun rose and I cruised at better than jogging pace along roads busy with commuter traffic.

Any route from Copa involves quite a lot of hills and this 33km course was no exception.  I expected the climbs to gradually wear me down but it was only really the last five kilometres that became hard.

I finished in 2:55, an acceptable if not spectacular time for this course.  That’s only 5:20 mins/km pace and just a week ago, when I was definitely less fit, I could manage a 3:24 marathon at 4:50 mins/km pace.  I still find it amazing how a competitive event lifts my physical and mental performance.  However, have come to accept and rely on it, and don’t let apparently slow training runs bother me anymore.  It’s always nice to run well in training, but so long I do the training, regardless of how I feel, I can have confidence that my body will respond as I want when race day arrives.

Bay to Bay volunteering

Sunday, 16 June 2013

Today was the annual Bay to Bay Fun Run and Half Marathon organised by Terrigal Trotters, and I had agreed to supervise a drink station at the half-way point for both events.  I wanted to be there from 6am (many of my fellow Trotter volunteers started the day much earlier than that), so it wasn’t practical to fit in a run beforehand.  Normally, I would have gone for a long run on a Sunday, but knew from experience that I would not feel like doing so today after standing around cheering on runners for three hours, so scheduled myself an easy 10km with a long run to follow tomorrow morning.



Start of the Bay to Bay 12km         Source: News Limited

With over 3,000 entrants, the Bay to Bay is a well-patronised event, and I enjoyed encouraging the runners and giving a special cheer to those I knew as they passed through, including my daughter on her way to completing her debut half marathon.  It’s inspirational watching people, many of whom are clearly not regular runners, challenge themselves to complete this event each year.

We finished packing up the drink station soon after 9:30am and it was time to get my run out of the way.  I was very unmotivated, but knew if I left it until later in the day, I wouldn’t do it.  To make it more interesting and therefore less of a chore, I employed a trick I have used in the past by choosing a course that incorporated some exploring.  It did involve climbing steeply up on to the Somersby plateau, but I took it slow and ran through some bush and parkland I hadn’t previously visited, before linking up with a fire-trail I was familiar with and then finally descending steeply back to Brisbane Water and my car.

Although it was only a slow 10km, I was surprised how tired I felt and how stiff my leg joints were.  Presumably, this was a hangover from yesterday’s run.  It must have been harder on my body than I had thought.  Tomorrow’s long run promises to be hard work.

Pre-dawn "Edventures"

Saturday, 15 June 2013

I got up at 4:30am with a slight headache and not feeling in the least like running a hard 15km at 6am.  I went through my usual pre-Trotters Saturday morning routine, including preparing the post-run drinks (it’s my turn this month), and by the time we set off at 6am, was feeling a little better, though not perfect.



Enzo's Edventure Route.  Terrigal Trotters publishes maps
of all its 33 Saturday morning runs on the Club's website.

As usual, I had reviewed the run scheduled for this morning, Enzo’s Edventure, last night to make sure I knew the route.  This is one of the more infrequently run courses and is quite complicated, linking up lots of road sections with short legs through parks, bush and suburban laneways.  Even though I had done it before, I still needed some effort to memorise the trickier sections and knew that there would be Trotters getting lost all over the place (but they would take it in good humour).  I also realised that some of the more obscure park and bush legs would be run in pre-dawn darkness, and for the first time, I packed a headlamp for the Trotters run.  The Committee, of which I am a member, has been emphasising safety and the use of lights when running in darkness, so I feel some responsibility to set a good example.

As it turned out, in the early stages of the run the headlamp proved very useful and nearby runners were grateful for the light it shed as we negotiated some of the challenging off-road sections.  I had already decided not to try to stay with the front-runners, even though I felt able to chase them down up the early steep hills.  It was a tough course and I was sure that once with them, I would not be able to resist hanging on to the end as best I could.  It would be good training, but my legs still had traces of marathon fatigue and stiffness and the risks of tearing something were significant.

Instead, I settled into a comfortable, but quickish pace (probably around 4:30 mins/km) and gradually left the bulk of the runners behind.  There were some very steep hills around the 9-10km mark which exposed my leg fatigue, but I was still moving quite well and always felt I could go faster if I wanted.  The only issue was my chronic right knee problem that was getting painful at times.

The last two kilometres of the “official” course was back along the steeply sloping beach between Wamberal and Terrigal.  The slope was down to the left, which is the camber my knee hates most, but the desire to run the “official” route, even though there was an equidistant road alternative, was too great.  Once on the beach, the lack of runner tracks made it clear that those in front of me had chosen the road.  I slowed my pace, and favoured my bad knee as much as possible finishing the 15.3km course in a reasonable time (1:24) given its challenging nature.  It was a good hit-out and I’m looking forward to mixing it with the front-runners, all of them ten or more years younger, next Saturday, and thereafter.

In the dark

Friday, 14 June 2013

Golf was on the agenda again for today, so I rose early to squeeze in my easy 5km, and headed out soon after 5am.  Only having been out of bed for 30 minutes, I really hadn’t loosened up and, as expected, it was a very slow first few kilometres.  Gone are the days when, during my working life, my routine involved rising at 5am and hitting the road for a (frequently quick) 10-12km at 5:30am.  Age certainly slows you down and I rarely feel loose until I have run 5km, or up a significant hill, these days.



Running at night is not a problem at New York Road Runners
New Year's Midnight Run

Anyway, it was a routine 5km through the very dark streets and I didn’t press the pace.  When living in the northern hemisphere, it seemed I never saw daylight during my morning runs for three or four months every year.  I never carried a light, but did wear a reflective vest and developed the habit on the darkest streets of running down the middle of the road where the surface was most reliable, ready to move to the left or right, depending on the direction of any approaching traffic.  This generally worked well enough in the ambient light, although I did have the occasional surprise.

One morning, running along a hedged English country lane I was nearly hit head-on by a van travelling at high speed with no lights on.  I suspect criminality was involved.  On another occasion, in the US, I stumbled on  thieves breaking a car window with a hammer.  I yelled very loudly and then took off at high speed down a side street.  My worst experience, however, occurred while running for a short distance on a sealed footpath alongside a main road in England unaware that, since the last time I ran the route, the Council had installed some concrete bollards across the path at a farm entrance.  I smashed my knee at tempo running pace into one of the bollards and went down like I had been shot.  The pain was excruciating and I spent several minutes lying on the damp pavement in the pitch darkness trying to work out what had happened before limping home.

There were no such incidents this morning.  I noticed that my right Achilles tendon hasn’t been quite as stiff and sore this week, which is a good sign, but my right knee still has stiffness from the marathon and I sense fatigue still lurks deep in the muscles.

Recovery with caution

Thursday, 13 June 2013

I didn’t feel too loose when I got up, but by 7am when the track session I supervise ended, I felt more positive about my scheduled 15km run on a clear sunny morning.



Terrigal Haven (foreground)

As usual, my run started up two quite steep hills and I took it slowly, still a little fearful that one of my tight calf muscles might tear.  However, by the time I reached the ridge along the Scenic Highway overlooking Terrigal and the ocean, I was well-warmed up and settled into a comfortable pace.  My course took in three more significant hills and, on each, I still felt some post-marathon fatigue lurking below the surface but otherwise felt strong and free-moving.

For the last flattish section into and through Terrigal I even stretched out a little and finished what turned out to be a 16km run at an average pace of 5 mins/km, which was quite good at this point.  A morning bonus was seeing a whale spouting offshore during my post-run walk around Terrigal Haven.

Tomorrow will just be an easy pre-golf 5km, but I’m conscious that for Saturday’s run at Trotters, which incorporates some tough hills, I might be wise not to get carried away and competitive, at least early on.

Tactical modifications

Wednesday, 12 June 2013

I decided last night that I would be wiser to just run a “no pressure” 10km today and postpone the scheduled mid-week long run until tomorrow.  I do believe that the long runs are successfully converting me from a hiker to a runner and want to stick to my original plan, but I also want to have a faster run on Saturday morning at Trotters and can’t afford to leave the long run until too late in the week.  If I did that, then I would risk injury from running fast too soon after running long.



The main road into McMasters Beach.......
the only flat running nearby.

After spending time warming up with exercises and a few household chores, I set out around 9am for the flattest 10km available from Copa.  This involves crossing the sand bar at the mouth of the adjacent lagoon and running out and back along the main road into McMasters Beach.  There are still a few hills, and I generally avoid out-and-back courses if I can, but it’s the only option for an easier 10km from home.

I felt good in the early kilometres, moving more freely and with better running form than expected, and even contemplated converting the 10km run into a 30km run.  However, I decided to stick to the plan and later on felt a few twinges in my calf and back and some muscle fatigue in the legs, which confirmed the wisdom of my choice.

I finished in good form and decided, perversely, that I would be wiser to cut back tomorrow’s long run to 15km instead of 25-30km.  My thinking is that I have reached the point where my running form is good again, which was the purpose of the long runs, and now I would be smarter to ensure my full recovery from last Sunday’s marathon before embarking on my 17-week Melbourne Marathon program, starting this Sunday.

A fine line

Tuesday, 11 June 2013

My right knee and Achilles were less painful than I expected as I went through my exercise routine and when I eventually set out on my planned 10km run I was also moving better than expected, though very slowly.



Copacabana (Copa) at top and McMasters Beach at bottom

The one kilometre climb up the Copa Hill seemed to take longer than usual and I could sense fatigue just below the surface.  There was tightness in joints and down the back of the right calf.  It’s so easy to tear a muscle and I felt sorry for friends Mark and Denise who had both torn muscles quite badly during yesterday’s marathon and then continued bravely to the finish.  I was sure they would be depressed today as they contemplated lost opportunities and the running time they would now lose during the recovery process.

I plodded along on my own run, thinking how fine the line was between fitness and injury, but you can’t afford to back off every time you get a niggle.  My own niggles didn’t seem to be getting any worse, but I was tiring quickly despite my slow pace, and decided that I would not run up Avoca Steps to avoid over-stretching fatigued muscles.  I never walk up Avoca Steps, so this was a big concession to injury risk for me, and perhaps a sign of maturity at last.  Or, maybe it was just that I was too tired to contemplate that tough climb this morning.

I finished the run in a little over an hour, and although I didn’t feel too bad, wondered about the wisdom of another long run programmed for tomorrow.  I decided to leave it until this evening to decide.  I want to stick with my plan, but obviously don’t want to run a higher than necessary risk of injury.

Post-race injury paranoia

Monday, 10 June 2013

It was hard to make my sore knee comfortable during the night and, despite going to bed early, I tossed, turned and slept badly.  The knee and right Achilles were both painful and stiff when I started walking around, but less so after my usual pre-run exercise routine.



The Terrigal Trotters crew at the Macleay River
Running Festival

I had no intention to go for a training run today, but did want to walk about 5km to just stretch and loosen up the muscles, ligaments and tendons.  South West Rocks, where we were staying, borders a beautiful protected sandy bay with a couple of forested mountains forming a headland to the south.  I followed the bike path that we had run along yesterday for a short distance before crossing a footbridge and then walking slowly southwards along the beach.  It was a pleasant morning for a stroll along the beach and I had a warm inner glow from exceeding my expectations yesterday.

After a few kilometres, I left the beach and followed a sandy trail through coastal forest before rejoining the bike path and following it back to our apartment.  I felt tired, but not exhausted and was reasonably loose, which was a good sign.  My Achilles remained stiff and sore throughout the walk, but I tried to avoid forcing it, and think it will be better after a couple of easy days.

We drove back to the Central Coast during the morning and then spent a couple of hours preparing the investment property Sharon had recently purchased for interior painting.  I was a bit anxious about damaging a stiff and somewhat sore body as I applied masking tape to various doorways, windows and skirting boards, but moved slowly and deliberately and don’t think I incurred any damage.

Better than expected

Sunday, 9 June 2013

I got up at 5am to give myself two hours before the Macleay River Marathon started at 7am.  I was determined not to drink anything after 6am and just had a slice of toast and jam as food.  A problem for all marathoners is balancing the risk of a full bladder and bloated stomach against the hydration and energy needs of a marathon.  I don’t think I did a good job before the Canberra Marathon in April, so decided to cut back significantly on both for this race.  Of course, I only decided on Thursday to run this race and had run an arduous 30km on Wednesday, so I never had any illusions that I would run a fast time, but perhaps that is the best time to try new approaches to pre-race nutrition.

Having my timing chip removed after the Macleay River
Marathon

I resolved to fight off any urges to go out hard and, when the gun fired, found myself at the back of the field as it climbed a modest hill away from the beach.  It took 2-3km to warm up and then I started to work my way through the field, constantly reminding myself that I did not want to start “racing” and wanted to reach the half-way turnaround feeling like I still had plenty left.  That is pretty much what happened, though my pace was marginally faster than a number of people in front of me and I was very gradually catching people all of the time.  Although every kilometre was marked, I had also resolved not to worry at all about my time.  I estimated that I was in shape to run between 3:20 and 3:40, but did not have a lot of recent running form on which to base this estimate.  The best way not to worry about time was not to look at my watch, and I never did check it until I crossed the finish line.

After halfway, I stretched out for a kilometre or two, but began to lose form a bit so backed off and tried to settle into an efficient pace.  This seemed to work and I continued to gradually pass runners right through until 30km.  From that point, the course became more undulating and my legs started to feel very tired.  I could see some more runners in the distance, but was unable to make ground on them.  With 5km to go, I decided just to try to keep my form and not to worry about my place or time.  Regardless of how fast anyone runs a marathon, I think they will always find the last kilometres hard, and I was no exception.  I ran through the finish in 3:24:34, a time with which I was quite happy, though the thought of running 30 minutes faster to get a sub-3 seems very daunting.  I won $75, equal to the entry fee, for finishing first in my age group.

Quite a few Terrigal Trotters journeyed north for the Macleay River Running Festival and there was strong mutual support and an enjoyable post-run celebration at the town pub.  My right knee and Achilles tendon stiffened up significantly after the run, but I don’t think they are any worse than usual after a hard long run and I’m hopeful that the pain will diminish and the joints loosen up in the next few days.

Choosing distance over speed

Saturday, 8 June 2013

It was an early start for me.  I was rostered to get the post-run drinks prepared for the Terrigal Trotters run and had volunteered to register the morning’s athletes, while Kev was away.  This meant that I could not warm up for the run and had to leave a couple of minutes after most of the runners.  However, I hadn’t been looking for a hard run so happily started slowly and then gradually worked my way through the slower runners, chatting as I passed, never pushing the pace.  There was one very steep hill, but rather than trying to run up it as I would normally have, I walked with my fellow athletes.



Finishing the UK Three Peaks Race in 2004

Despite the modest pace, my legs still felt more fatigued and stiff than I had hoped, particularly the quads, so the run didn’t boost my confidence that I would do well in tomorrow’s marathon.  I did feel that I was moving better, but doubt that I will be able to hold my form for 42km.

We left late morning for the five-hour drive up to South West Rocks where we were sharing an apartment with Jo, Graham and Eric for the race weekend.  Sharon was originally going to run the marathon, but sustained two stress fractures in her lower left leg a month ago, and had to withdraw.  I had entered the Half Marathon, just for something to do, but decided two days ago that my recovery from the hike that finished two weeks ago wasn’t sufficient to allow me to run fast safely.  Instead, I reasoned that an easy 42.2km was less likely to result in injury and was more in keeping with my recovery program of long slow runs every three or four days.  We arrived at race headquarters in time for me to change my race and I paid the extra fee and “upgraded” to the marathon for tomorrow.

Managing a chronic Achilles

Friday, 7 June 2013

Golf again early this Friday morning, so I was up even earlier to squeeze in the planned easy 5km run.  I definitely felt a bit looser as I moved around before leaving, though my right Achilles was quite stiff and sore.

Achilles surgery put an end to my steeple-chasing career
(on my way to a PB of 9:10 for the 3km Steeple, 19 Mar 77)

After four Achilles surgeries over the years, I’m very wary of forcibly stretching a painful Achilles.  I know from experience that forcing it will result in short-term flexibility and less pain during the run, but the next day it will be even stiffer and more painful before running.  By repeating the cycle, as I have done in the past, the injury becomes so chronic and severe that surgery becomes necessary.  Nowadays, I stretch it very gently before setting out, and then keep it slow and favour the offending Achilles until it gradually warms up.  The best solution might be to leave the run to the evening when it will have gently stretched from walking around all day, but this is not always practicable.

The Achilles did gradually loosen up during the this morning’s 5km but it was still sore at the end and my time was slowish.  On the plus side, the pain in my right groin is diminishing and I did feel like my running posture and stride length have improved since last week.

I think I’m on track to run the Macleay River Marathon on Sunday assuming the 10km run with Trotters goes all right tomorrow morning.

Recovery is important

Thursday, 6 June 2013

I wasn’t sure how I was going to be moving this morning after yesterday’s long run.  However, walking around while the Thursday morning track group went through their paces, loosened me up and I didn’t feel too bad.  It was a recovery day, so I had no reason to force the pace or run to a time.



I used to love my warm-down walks to the end of our
cul-de-sac and back in Darien, Connecticut

As usual, my run from Terrigal Haven, where the track session is held, started with a couple of very tough hills and I wasn’t running much faster than walking pace.  But, by the time I reached the ridge overlooking Terrigal, I was feeling a bit better and confident that I could manage the planned 11km without problems.  There was another big hill after 5km, but I just plodded up it and then enjoyed the flatter section at the top.

It was a slow 11km, but I felt as good as I could hope for after the long run yesterday and am looking forward to an even shorter run tomorrow to help me freshen up.

I often think that the best part of any training run is the slow warm-down walk I always try to take straight afterwards, wherever I am.  I can vividly remember most of the warm-down walks I have done over the years from regular running locations.  Apart from the relief at finishing a possibly hard run, your senses are alive after the exercise, you have a sense of well-being, and you can quietly contemplate what the day ahead holds.

At The Haven, it’s possible to walk round the low headland with spectacular views out to sea and along the coast and I always feel very lucky to, firstly, have such a lovely part of the world in which to run, and secondly, not to be one of the commuters I could see rushing off to work in their cars.

Some runs are no fun

Wednesday, 5 June 2013

I could tell by the top of the hill out of Copa this morning that my 29km was going to be hard work.  My legs felt leaden and I was breathing hard.  This wasn’t supposed to be happening.  I expected to be fresher after two easy running days, and wondered whether I was coming down with something.  I considered cutting the run short, but if I wasn’t actually ill, I couldn’t think of a good excuse.



I used to be pretty quick up hills, even aged 38.

I resigned myself to a miserable run and tried to tune out from the fatigue I was feeling.  Fortunately, I had brought along my radio and headphones, so I had some current affairs and talkback to listen to as I plodded along.  The issue with comebacks, whether from injury or a lay-off, is that the muscles that you had fine-tuned before the layoff have lost their strength and their fine-tuning.  During the comeback phase, it’s hard to maintain the most efficient posture, your running style suffers, your stride length shortens, and it takes more effort to cover the ground.  At my age I know it will take about three weeks to get this strength back.  Long slow runs help the rebuilding process, but can be very hard work.



Runners near the finish of a recent edition of the
Mount Washington Road Race (7.6 miles and 4560 ft)

Today, the hills seemed to be especially hard work, which was frustrating because I have always prided myself on my hill-running strength.  I continued on, trying not to think about how far I had to go, and eventually finished in a slow 2:41.  The whole run was worse than I had expected, but that added to the sense of satisfaction I felt when I finished and it was out of the way.  I have faith that I will feel the benefits in two or three days and have taken another step towards my goal.

Niggles or injuries

Tuesday, 4 June 2013

My feet were still red, swollen and itchy from the leech bites when I got up and I tied my shoes more loosely than usual to ease the discomfort.  However, my main concern was how my right groin niggle was going to feel on this morning’s run.  If it was worse than on Sunday, then I would be smart to rethink my training plans for the remainder of the week.  I was hoping to do another long run tomorrow as part of my comeback, but knew I would be stupid to do that, if I had a worsening injury.

The climb out of Copa is never easy

I have found that it is often the second day after a long and/or hard run when any injuries show up.  I’m not sure if there’s any medical basis for this theory, but maybe the general soreness and fatigue on the day after a long run can mask injuries.  I also sometimes wonder whether long runs generate certain reactions in the body that facilitate lubrication and movement and that it takes these responses a day to fade away and reveal the extent of any specific injuries.

Anyway, this morning I set out with a little more trepidation than usual on the second day after Sunday’s long run.  The first kilometre of my usual recovery 10km is mostly flat and I jogged very slowly as I examined my body for any signs of injury with every step.  My right knee and Achilles were a little sore, but although I could feel some minor pain in the right groin, it didn’t seem any worse than on Sunday.  The second kilometre of this run is a steady climb, and as usual, I was warmed up by the time I reached the top.  Despite some general stiffness and lethargy, I felt comfortable and went on to complete the run without any problems in a reasonable time for the course.  I never force the pace or run to a time on these recovery runs, just cruise along at whatever pace feels comfortable.  The time I run for the known course gives me good feedback on how recovered I am.  By tomorrow, I should feel a bit fresher and will take the risk of a longer run.

I have entered the Macleay River Half Marathon on Sunday, more by default than for any other reason.  Sharon was entering the associated marathon, and since we were going to be there for the weekend anyway, I decided I might as well have a run.  However, during today’s run I began question the wisdom of running the Half.  I would probably end up running faster than was good for me at this time and maybe risk injury for no reward.  Instead, depending on how the next few days of training goes, maybe I will upgrade to the Marathon, if I can, and just treat it as the next long run in my comeback series of long runs.