Sunday, August 29, 2010

Weekly Summary

Had a pretty decent week running which is pleasing. Summary:

I've started testing and pushing myself on a nice hilly trail around 6.5km in length. I run from the house down to the start of the trail and down a steep hill then its pretty much uphill all the way. Exhilarating. I time myself once i get to the top then continue on my journey.

On Sunday 22nd I ran this part in my 5 fingers in 33.30 mins. On wednesday in my 5 fingers I did this on 34.30 min but the return leg was a negative split by over 2 minutes which was cool.

On Friday in the dark I ran this in my running shoes in 30 mins exactly. I was knackered when i reached the summit but felt great.

Saturday was around 33 mins. So pretty consistent. I'd love to do there and back in under 60 mins one day. 12.7km and its hilly so will be tough but it something to work towards.

Overview:

Monday 23rd August - 13.75km bush run
Wednesday 25th August - 12.67km bush run
Friday 27th August - 9.11km bush run
Saturday 28th August - 20.27km bush run
Sunday 29th August - 21.85km bush run


Total - 5 runs
77.64km
07:16:39 h:m:s


A good week overall, ITB felt ok. Conscious to build up slowly and to stay off the roads as much as possible. Will look to break 80km next week.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Weekly Total

This week has not been great in terms of running and this is to do with my persistant itb injury.



I've cranked down the mileage, run totally barefoot a couple of times, ran in my 5 fingers and now seem to be improving.



Today I moved back in temporarily with my girlfriends parents. The site of where my running first began exactly a year ago. The trails in this area are fantastic and you cant help but want to go running.



So i slipped on my 5 fingers and went out for a hilly and rocky trail run. The temperature was great and my legs were feeling good. I was running carefully, scared to trigger off my itb.

The sandy stony trail felt great under foot , always careful about where i was placing my next step which made me feel rather fleet footed today. The overall elevation of the run isnt huge by any means but there are some really good climbs. In fact, today was the first day that i have run the entire course. Last year when i first started out I really struggled with the hills but today it all came together. This is clearly a result of my improving fitness over the year and also the lightness of the 5 fingers, really makes a HUGE difference on the climbs. Elevation gain 255m total.

12.73km = 1hr 06min 57secs
I made it to the half way mark in 33 mins 30 secs so i made a negative split by 3 seconds!
Very happy with this run.

Weekly total = 5 runs, 31.27km in 2:52:41
Summary - Very low mileage but easing back into it. Sunday was my highlight so if i can build on that i'll be pleased.

For the next month i've decided to cut out all alcohol and sugar from my diet. For no main reason but to just give it a go. Alcohol will be fine, sugar is my biggest demon!

Happy running

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

My First Barefoot Run

Today i finally decided to lose the shoes and run free.

The reason being my itb is irritating me so i wanted to try something different.

Like most runners im highly impatient when recovering from an injury and i want to be back running asap! However each time i run i always have to push the distance just that little bit more than i know i should. This is especially so with an itb injury. As the fitness is there, who wants to stop running after 8km!?!?! Only just getting warmed up!

So i decided the only way to limit my running is my going barefoot. I headed out my front door and onto the road. Nice and cool underfoot. This is a totally different experience than running in vibram 5 fingers. I really had to watch every foot fall and avoid the glass and hard stones. This instantly slows you down and makes you cautious. There was one part of really rough road but the rest was relatively smooth pavement.

I ran 4.20km in 24.21 mins. It was always going to be extremely slow but thats part of the reason for doing it. More than anything I really enjoyed it and hope to be out there again tomorrow!

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Weekly Mileage

Just finished my Sunday run. First run of any reasonable length that i have been able to do in well over a month.

Was a lovely little run on a scenic route following the coast on an out and back trail. Slippery underfoot at times but good fun. Weather was strange. A nice sunny 20 degrees to start with and by the end i was freezing having run in a hailstorm for 20 minutes. All part of the fun though.

I managed20.22km in 1hr 45min. Reasonably pleased. I had to take my orthotics out of my shoes at 14km as they were rubbing on my arch. Also my feet were aching. Ive never suffered from this before.

At 16km i felt my itb tightening up. So i probably pushed it a little too much today as im still in recovery mode.

Monday 9th August - Sunday 15th August

5 runs = 54.65km in 4hrs 38mins

Summary: First real week of running. Still taking it easy as itb is threatening to kick in. Will look to build on this next week.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Beer Running

On Friday I had a beer at lunchtime then one after work. Not wanting to go home and just watch tv i decided that when i got in i would go for a run. Normally I would never do anything after having a beer and thats really out of pure laziness.

So I got home and laced up and decided I would do my usual hilly 8ish km run but just take it easy and not push it.

Well I felt fantastic! It was a nice warm evening, there was no one else about, I had to use my headtorch on the darker parts of the trail which is always fun. I arrived at the hilly section and I was feeling good. I glided up the hill and felt energised all the way home. Good carbs in beer. I wont be deterred in future!

9.06km in 43.52 and no pain in either of my itbs. I was sure there was going to be discomfort because all day at work i was experiencing sharp pains in my right buttock and thigh. However the moment i put my trainers on with the new orthotics it went away.

Having said that, the orthotics are certainly going to take some getting used to. Having a solid piece of foam under my arches is a strange sensation. Im just worried it will give me foot pain. Something ive never experienced yet. Fingers crossed!

Today I had an appointment around 9km away so i used this as an opportunity to take my bike out. Its a dirt cheap bike and it feels like one! I was exhausted. I think I would have gotten to my destination faster and in less of state had I run. I wasnt built for cycling!

Tonight i am out on the town but I hope to get out for a run tomorrow. Highly likely this will be later on in the day due to the large number of cocktails im shortly going to consume :)

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Orthotics

Since last Saturday I have managed 5 runs. Amazing! This was something I didnt think possible after being in an ITB depressed state since May 15th. Each run was actually better than the last so im delighted. Still not out of the dark yet and im very apprehensive about pushing it too much. Having said that i've been doing some fairly speedy hill runs and ive been feeling good.

I did my first run in my new orthotics yesterday. Nothing much to say about them really. Felt different and I actually had a few twinges on my other leg which was worrying but was just a short 5.5km run so no damage done. I think i'll continue to run in my vibram 5 fingers and save my orthotics for my longer runs.

No running today or tomorrow but will get some in over the weekend. Next week i'll kick myself into gear and begin running in the mornings, that way i'll have no excuses not to run. I plan to document all my runs on here as much as possible so I shall keep you posted.

Cheers

Ian

Monday, August 9, 2010

Road to Recovery

Its been a long time since my last post. The reason being is my lack of running!

The ITB seemed to be worsening and it got to the stage where i couldnt go further than 4km. This was after a months rest.

Last Wednesday I saw chiropracter who first told me my pelvis was out of alignment along with my upper back. He said this would definitely contribute to the pain i was having and suggested orthotics if i want to run silly distances - which i do :)

He performed some acupuncture on me which was an interesting experience and left me for 20 minutes whilst it worked its magic. The acupuncture really hits the spot. I felt totally worked after that and felt like I had received a beating. I then had my pelvis put back into place along with my back and knees. He suggested I try running again 2 days later...

Apprehensively I went for a run on saturday in my 5 fingers. I wasnt overly confident of being able to run my usual 8km loop but off i went slightly cautiously. About 4 km in i felt some twinges, the itb was threatening to kick in. So i slowed down and turned around and ran another 4 km to home. So 8km in under 40 mins wasnt too bad. I was pleased with the result and it was a marked improvement. However not quite perfect as i felt it was going to give in at any moment.

On sunday i tried my luck again. This time i wanted to run a hilly 8.7km loop in my 5 fingers. I felt great from the get go. Again some slight discomfort around the 4km mark but much less than the previous day. This time i was charging up and down hills so really testing my itb. I arrived home again in under 40mins averaging 4.29min/km which i was really pleased with.

I will be running home tonight then with any luck going for a run with Phill. This should take my distance to around 10 or so kms tonight. A great test for me.

On Wednesday i am seeing the chiropractor who is fitting me with orthotics. Im happy to go with his advice on the evidence of my previous 2 runs. He really assured me the longer distances require good bio-mechanics.

I shall keep you posted!