Hello Runners!
Yup, it's that time again. Year end. I tend to think week to week, and don't often take time to see the 'big picture', so it's good for me to look back every now and then and see improvements, disappointments, and reset for the upcoming year.
Looking Back On 2019
2019, for me, is easily broken into 'first half' and 'second half'. I spent the first half of the year nursing injuries that kept nagging at me and keeping me to from running consistently. The injuries were carryover from 2018. Not big stuff (recurring calf strain / hip flexor / glute medius), but enough to keep me from putting in consistent mileage.
In April I finally got a pre and post run routine in place that put the injuries behind me. Looking back at my log, I haven't had to take any days off due to injury since April 1st. Putting in consistent mileage from April set me up for a successful second half of the year.
The second half started with a 5k on July 4th - my first race since August of 2017 (which I DNF'd due to injury). God, it doesn't seem like it took that long - but I went two years without being able to race. But, I did pretty well on July 4th - completed it without injury and was only slightly slower than my 2017 performances.
In September I ran a 10k PR, and then I ran a marathon (Richmond) in under 3:00 in November, (2:59:26). So, I'm really happy with how the 2nd half of the year unfolded, and I'm looking forward to 2020, keeping my pre and post run routines in tact, of course!
Looking Ahead To 2020
I'm excited about 2020. I've joined a track team, "Athletics East". It's a 'Masters Only' team with a bunch of guys that like to be competitive and and are fun to be around. The Team will help me venture into new areas of running; I've already signed up to participate in an indoor track event (never even seen a 200m track before) and I'm sure I'll do a couple XC races this year.
Being on the Team also means having team mates at the road races, and having access to knowledge about racing and the 'DC area running scene' which will open me up to new ideas and races in the area. I tend to stay in my comfort zone; time to break out. It's fun to try something new with no expectations, no comparisons to what I did before. I take this running thing too damn seriously sometimes - "Have fun, stupid" will be my mantra in 2020.
Random side note:
I need to have blood taken twice a year to check on a (non-dramatic) medical condition. This morning I waited in line at Patient First to have my blood drawn and get a quick 'once over'.
First stop is to 'take my vitals'; pulse / blood pressure / weight / height / temperature. It's fun to sit quietly as the machine reads out a pulse of 40; then the nurse checks in manually (and confirms 40), then the Dr. reads the information and again confirms - 40. Finally, the doc says "Are you a runner?". I say "Yes", and we move on. Nice to be 52 years old, and the only concern the doc has is that I'm too fit to be in the "normal range" for heart rate.
Onward.
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Monday, December 30, 2019
Weekly Training Log: Week Ending Dec. 29th
Hello Runners.
Sort of boring, this week. Just building back mileage and trying to get some speed back. I think I'll be running shorter races in Jan/Feb, and want to get my mile to 5k speed cooking again, so focused on that in this week's workout.
Tuesday's Workout:
This week I went back to a workout that I started doing earlier this year. It includes 4' reps at CV pace (Critical Velocity as coined by Tinman), and 1' reps at mile pace. I give myself a 90" jog between the CV reps and 1' jog between the mile pace reps. All reps are based on feel, and I ran on the C&O canal towpath (flat dirt path along the Potomac River).
When I downloaded the results from my watch, I found my paces were slower than last Summer - 6:22 for CV reps, and 5:43 for the mile reps. When I did these last Summer my CV reps were around 6:05 pace, and mile reps were around 5:30 pace. I don't know if I'm that much more out of shape, or the faster paces just "feel" too fast. Not fretting about it (too much). I know I'm better off running these workouts on feel than trying to hit a pace and fading....
Saturday Long Run:
Hit the C&O towpath Saturday for my long run - nice and flat (and big change from last weekends' hills). Did 13 miles again, this time I sped up the last couple miles, and added a couple 'extended strides' (I like to do some strides that last about 45" at 5k speed or a little faster to get the speed going, but not get too tired).
This week was also nice in that I worked from home all week. I didn't get a complete vacation, but cut my hours back quite a bit. Nice to sleep in some, and get my run done with no commute to the office. I could get used to this!
Week Summary:
Onward.
Sort of boring, this week. Just building back mileage and trying to get some speed back. I think I'll be running shorter races in Jan/Feb, and want to get my mile to 5k speed cooking again, so focused on that in this week's workout.
Tuesday's Workout:
This week I went back to a workout that I started doing earlier this year. It includes 4' reps at CV pace (Critical Velocity as coined by Tinman), and 1' reps at mile pace. I give myself a 90" jog between the CV reps and 1' jog between the mile pace reps. All reps are based on feel, and I ran on the C&O canal towpath (flat dirt path along the Potomac River).
When I downloaded the results from my watch, I found my paces were slower than last Summer - 6:22 for CV reps, and 5:43 for the mile reps. When I did these last Summer my CV reps were around 6:05 pace, and mile reps were around 5:30 pace. I don't know if I'm that much more out of shape, or the faster paces just "feel" too fast. Not fretting about it (too much). I know I'm better off running these workouts on feel than trying to hit a pace and fading....
Saturday Long Run:
Hit the C&O towpath Saturday for my long run - nice and flat (and big change from last weekends' hills). Did 13 miles again, this time I sped up the last couple miles, and added a couple 'extended strides' (I like to do some strides that last about 45" at 5k speed or a little faster to get the speed going, but not get too tired).
This week was also nice in that I worked from home all week. I didn't get a complete vacation, but cut my hours back quite a bit. Nice to sleep in some, and get my run done with no commute to the office. I could get used to this!
Week Summary:
- Mileage: 52
- Workout: 4 x (4' @ CV / 90" jog) + 4 x (1' @ mile pace / 1' jog)
- Long Run: 13 miles with with a faster finish and extended strides.
- Monday: 7.2 miles Easy with Strides. Hip / core maintenance.
- Tuesday: 8.2 mile workout with CV / mile reps. Hip/leg big strength moves.
- Wednesday: 9 mile MLR. Hip / core maintenance.
- Thursday: 4 mile recovery jog. Upper body strength.
- Friday: same as Monday.
- Saturday: 13 miles with faster finish. Hip/leg strength moves.
- Sunday: 2 mile walk. Lotsa foam rolling and stretching. Upper body strength.
Onward.
Monday, December 23, 2019
Training Log - Week Ending Dec. 22nd
Hello Runners.
This week continues the "Build back up" phase of my running. 5 weeks post marathon on Dec. 21st.
I'm sticking with the Tuesday workout / Saturday LR schedule, using the rest of the week for easy mileage with some Strides thrown in. I've felt surprisingly good this week. Soreness / back ache have all subsided, so I've "given myself permission" to keep moving forward with a little heavier workout and longer LR.
Tuesday Workout:
Workout was 25' @ LT pace (using Daniels LT pace of what you can run for an hour). I purposely reset by watch for the Tempo section of the run so I could check on my pace, since last week going by feel didn't work well; I ran way too fast. So instead, this week I used my watch to track my pace and my ego took over and I "ran too fast" again.
During my marathon build up, my rough LT pace was about 6:20, I could hold it pretty easily (well - you know, how Tempo feels). This week I ran the segment in 6:23 and I had to take a couple standing rests. So, I'm sure I ran it too fast. Wasn't really a 25' Tempo, but more a 10' , then 10', then 5' repeat session with 30 seconds standing rest. I'm guessing my Tempo pace is actually around 6:30. This tells me two things; I'm not in shape like I was before the race (duh), and I'm not willing to slow down to run the correct workout. My fundamental issue is NOT pacing myself based on "where I am now". Something to consider - check my ego and do the damn workout as intended. Easy, right?
Saturday LR:
Went for the hills this week for the Long Run. 13.3 miles with 1250' of gain (and descent). I ran with a couple of friends on a fun dirt / gravel road. Usually I coast on the downhills and 'work' going up. This time around I kept the 'going up' part in check and bombed the downhills (well - bombed is an big exaggeration, but I did go faster than normal). Fun day.
For a change this week, I did a short 3 mile run at a very easy pace on Sunday. Usually I walk on Sunday, but this week I thought I'd try a short run. We'll see how it goes....maybe I'll run or walk based on how I feel each week going forward....
Dailies:
Merry XMas Everyone! I hope Santa brings you everything on your list....
This week continues the "Build back up" phase of my running. 5 weeks post marathon on Dec. 21st.
I'm sticking with the Tuesday workout / Saturday LR schedule, using the rest of the week for easy mileage with some Strides thrown in. I've felt surprisingly good this week. Soreness / back ache have all subsided, so I've "given myself permission" to keep moving forward with a little heavier workout and longer LR.
Tuesday Workout:
Workout was 25' @ LT pace (using Daniels LT pace of what you can run for an hour). I purposely reset by watch for the Tempo section of the run so I could check on my pace, since last week going by feel didn't work well; I ran way too fast. So instead, this week I used my watch to track my pace and my ego took over and I "ran too fast" again.
During my marathon build up, my rough LT pace was about 6:20, I could hold it pretty easily (well - you know, how Tempo feels). This week I ran the segment in 6:23 and I had to take a couple standing rests. So, I'm sure I ran it too fast. Wasn't really a 25' Tempo, but more a 10' , then 10', then 5' repeat session with 30 seconds standing rest. I'm guessing my Tempo pace is actually around 6:30. This tells me two things; I'm not in shape like I was before the race (duh), and I'm not willing to slow down to run the correct workout. My fundamental issue is NOT pacing myself based on "where I am now". Something to consider - check my ego and do the damn workout as intended. Easy, right?
Saturday LR:
Went for the hills this week for the Long Run. 13.3 miles with 1250' of gain (and descent). I ran with a couple of friends on a fun dirt / gravel road. Usually I coast on the downhills and 'work' going up. This time around I kept the 'going up' part in check and bombed the downhills (well - bombed is an big exaggeration, but I did go faster than normal). Fun day.
For a change this week, I did a short 3 mile run at a very easy pace on Sunday. Usually I walk on Sunday, but this week I thought I'd try a short run. We'll see how it goes....maybe I'll run or walk based on how I feel each week going forward....
Dailies:
- Monday: 7.2 miles easy (about an hour). Hip / core maintenance.
- Tuesday: 8.3 miles workout. Big Hip / Leg strength movements.
- Wednesday: 9 mile MLR. Faser end of "Easy" pace. Hip / core maintenance
- Thursday: 4 miles recovery. Roll / stretch (on TM, not feeling it)
- Friday: same as Monday.
- Saturday: 13.3 miles with lotsa climbing. Big strength hip/leg exercises.
- Sunday: 3.3 recovery miles. Extra roll/stretch.
- Total Miles: 52
Merry XMas Everyone! I hope Santa brings you everything on your list....
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Training Log - Week Ending Dec. 15th
Hello Runners.
This is the fourth week since the marathon, I'm officially, calling this my first week of "normal" running (that is....not recovering). It's more a mentality shift, than any dramatic physical changes.
My back is pretty much good again (but, still doing extra work to get stronger / more mobility). And, I'm going to get back to the Tuesday workout, Saturday LR routine - in baby steps.
Week Summary:
Daily:
Side Note: I've found a couple guys that are around my speed (similar PR's) I'll be able to run with as I build and get ready for Spring races. I expect we'll be able to run a couple of the same races. I've always like the "team aspect" of sport, I have fond memories of my cycling team (many years ago), when we would work together to get one of us to the front at the end of races. Having someone to work with to receive / give support makes the effort more rewarding. I can balance this against my competitive nature to beat everyone else....(ying / yang or something like that).
Onward.
This is the fourth week since the marathon, I'm officially, calling this my first week of "normal" running (that is....not recovering). It's more a mentality shift, than any dramatic physical changes.
My back is pretty much good again (but, still doing extra work to get stronger / more mobility). And, I'm going to get back to the Tuesday workout, Saturday LR routine - in baby steps.
Week Summary:
- Weekly Mileage: 47 miles.
- Tuesday's Workout: 10' LT + 2 x (4' CV / 1:30 jog). I ran the Tempo and first CV rep way too fast (going by feel), and then half-assed the 2nd CV rep since I was already gassed. But, good to run fast again....
- Saturday LR: 12.5 miles. I was planning on a few at Tempo, but wasn’t feeling it, so I kept the whole run at easy pace.
Daily:
- Monday: 7 miles easy. Strides. Hip / back strength and mobility / rolling. Upper body strength.
- Tuesday: 8 mile workout. Hip strength big movements (squat / leg curl / heel raise)
- Wednesday: 8 miles easy. Hip / back strength and mobility. Foam rolling.
- Thursday: 4.5 miles easy / recovery. I'm learning to embrace Recovery miles, today's run was at 8:45 pace mostly on a golf course. Hip / back foam roll / mobility.
- Friday: Same as Monday.
- Saturday: 12 Easy
Side Note: I've found a couple guys that are around my speed (similar PR's) I'll be able to run with as I build and get ready for Spring races. I expect we'll be able to run a couple of the same races. I've always like the "team aspect" of sport, I have fond memories of my cycling team (many years ago), when we would work together to get one of us to the front at the end of races. Having someone to work with to receive / give support makes the effort more rewarding. I can balance this against my competitive nature to beat everyone else....(ying / yang or something like that).
Onward.
Monday, December 9, 2019
Training Log - Week Ending Dec. 8th - Three Weeks Post Marathon
Hello Runners,
Thoracic Mobility Anyone?
This week I learned a new term "Thoracic Mobility". I also learned it's fun to say; and I don't have enough of it.
I've gone to the PT a couple times now to address my tight (hurt?) SI Joint / lower back. The working conspiracy theory is my injury is a result tight "QL" back muscles and lack of "Thoracic Mobility"; it also appears my hamstrings, piriformis, and TFL muscles have gotten in on the attack of the SI Joint/lower back.
The course of action to resolve this conspiracy is to beat the antagonists into submission using lacrosse balls; a peanut (two lacrosse balls taped together); and a hard rubber foam roller. Once they are mashed into submission, then I twist and contort to "stretch them out" and increase mobility, then strengthen the weak hammies and piriformis muscles. Then, voila! - these menaces no longer pull the SI joint/lower back in different directions, and I'm pain free!
After three sessions of this at the PT using his thumbs/elbows/knees squishing and 'palpating' my lower back; plus daily assigned strength/foam roll/stretch sessions and it's getting better. (And - thoracic mobility is still fun to say).
Recovery Still
This is my 3rd week 'post-marathon' and I got in 5 runs, totaling 38 miles - all easy running. I'm starting to feel almost back to normal, but I can tell the Easy paces I'm used to still feel harder than pre-race. I expected at least 3 weeks of 'Recovery', so this is fine. I did a couple hill repeats on Wednesday to get the heart pumping and joined AARC (Ashburn Area Running Club) for a Saturday jaunt (trying to be more Social - it really does help / and makes running more fun). Shout out to KG, Eddie, Rebecca, Mike, Paul, and the whole crew.
Hey, I Won A Major Award!
In other news - I get an Age Group award after all from the Richmond Marathon. I finished 4th in my Age Group (50-54) and assumed only 1st thru 3rd get an award, and I missed out by one spot. But, low and behold, 1st - 5th place get an award! I was notified it will be mailed to me in mid-January.....so that's REALLY nice. I don't know what it is - until is shows up, I'll ass-u-me it's $1,000 cash..... :)
Onward....
Thoracic Mobility Anyone?
This week I learned a new term "Thoracic Mobility". I also learned it's fun to say; and I don't have enough of it.
I've gone to the PT a couple times now to address my tight (hurt?) SI Joint / lower back. The working conspiracy theory is my injury is a result tight "QL" back muscles and lack of "Thoracic Mobility"; it also appears my hamstrings, piriformis, and TFL muscles have gotten in on the attack of the SI Joint/lower back.
The course of action to resolve this conspiracy is to beat the antagonists into submission using lacrosse balls; a peanut (two lacrosse balls taped together); and a hard rubber foam roller. Once they are mashed into submission, then I twist and contort to "stretch them out" and increase mobility, then strengthen the weak hammies and piriformis muscles. Then, voila! - these menaces no longer pull the SI joint/lower back in different directions, and I'm pain free!
After three sessions of this at the PT using his thumbs/elbows/knees squishing and 'palpating' my lower back; plus daily assigned strength/foam roll/stretch sessions and it's getting better. (And - thoracic mobility is still fun to say).
Recovery Still
This is my 3rd week 'post-marathon' and I got in 5 runs, totaling 38 miles - all easy running. I'm starting to feel almost back to normal, but I can tell the Easy paces I'm used to still feel harder than pre-race. I expected at least 3 weeks of 'Recovery', so this is fine. I did a couple hill repeats on Wednesday to get the heart pumping and joined AARC (Ashburn Area Running Club) for a Saturday jaunt (trying to be more Social - it really does help / and makes running more fun). Shout out to KG, Eddie, Rebecca, Mike, Paul, and the whole crew.
Hey, I Won A Major Award!
In other news - I get an Age Group award after all from the Richmond Marathon. I finished 4th in my Age Group (50-54) and assumed only 1st thru 3rd get an award, and I missed out by one spot. But, low and behold, 1st - 5th place get an award! I was notified it will be mailed to me in mid-January.....so that's REALLY nice. I don't know what it is - until is shows up, I'll ass-u-me it's $1,000 cash..... :)
Onward....
Monday, December 2, 2019
Marathon Recovery: Two Weeks Post-Race
Hello Runners,
Short update on my recovery from the Richmond Marathon on November 16th....and a couple additional comments on my experience.
I had a great run at the marathon, my legs held up really well. I was able to close well. I was anticipating my my recovery would go to plan as well (I mean, why not?).
Oh, My Aching Back
Although my legs did hold up well, my lower back / SI joint was SUPER stiff and tight. To the point that I had trouble rolling over in bed / getting out of bed. It started to get tight the week leading up to the race as well. Interestingly, this problem doesn't seem to affect my running, but I suspect it eventually will, and it's always nice to be able to get out of bed not feeling like I'm 80 years old.
One week after the race my back calmed down. I think the issue might be tight hip flexors which "pull" on my back because my range of motion is not enough (side note, The Balanced Runner website has some good information on mechanics - I'm not sure about the overall message on the sight - but I find she has good information regarding this kind of topic). I focused on hip flexor / back flexibility in the days following the race, I think that helped.
Running The First Week After The Race
The race was Saturday, and I didn't do any exercise besides foam rolling and stretching until Friday. I could have run some, or got on the bike, etc., but I really just didn't feel like it.
I needed an emotional break as much as physical break after the race. I was (and still am) so happy with the result, I felt/feel this big satisfaction, and decided to 'rest on my laurels' (such as they are) for a few days.
I also took this time to sleep more and eat 'All the things' (as the kids these days say). I needed the sleep, I realized after the fact - partially because the race was over and I could relax (kind of like after studying for an exam and you realize afterward all you want to do is sleep).
My diet is not great, but the last 3-4 weeks before the race I did try to clean it up a little (less sugar, more veggies, the usual stuff people might do). I told myself during these weeks that "after the race I will be able to eat what I want" - and that's what I did. The side benefit of cleaning up my diet was that I lost a couple of pounds, so when I did my 'carb loading' leading up to the race I was still at/slightly below my normal race weight. One week after the race and my weight is back up a couple pounds above 'race weight' - and I don't care.
Friday I went for my first run for about 50 minutes - very slow and still sore afterward. Sunday was about an hour, same result - but not as bad.
Second Week After The Race
Ran Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday this week. Total of 28 miles, all easy. Longest run was 10 miles on Saturday, and I'm starting to feel - well - "recovered" in my legs, but my back is still bothering me. I did my first post-race strength work on Saturday as well. Foam rolling and stretching after each run.
PT appt. on Friday - I went to the "local" PT by my house Friday after Thanksgiving, sort of on a whim, to have them check out my lower back SI joint. Received confirmation it's just something that needs minor therapy and adjustment. Given the okay to continue running "unless it makes it feel worse". I do feel better after the appt. and I've scheduled a few appts over the next two weeks. The PT is not "sports specific", but they seem to know what they're doing. If I get frustrated with lack of "running specific" experience I'll go elsewhere, we'll see.
Comment on Cadence
Looking back at my marathon stats, I noticed my overall cadence is recorded as 183, with an average pace of 6:49 (I use a Garmin 920 watch, which has some kind of doo dad that records the cadence. No foot pod, or any other non-sense, so accuracy might be suspect - but is likely consistent across runs).
My "normal" Easy day cadence (7:30 - 8:15 pace) is around 180. But, my cadence in the marathon build-up for 'MP workouts' has been around 190-193 (usually about 6:45 pace). And - the cadence didn't change much based on shoes (Sketchers Speed 3, Adidas Boston, Nike Turbo 2, 4%, Next %). So, what the hell?
I'd "like to think" my cadence could be lower on race day at MP because I was rested and able to put more "power" into my stride, increasing stride length. My stride length on race day - per Garmin software (from watch noted above) was 1.29m. In my MP workouts, my stride length is 1.24-1.26. I like that I can run MP at 183 cadence, makes me "feel" like I'm more efficient than 190 - but who knows? So, there you go - I'm sure you were dying know about these details.
Richmond Marathon / Pace Group Comments
The folks that organized and volunteered for the Richmond Marathon were all "REALLY" nice. The race is advertised as "America's Friendliest Marathon", and from my sample size of 2 marathons - I can say it was quite friendly.
A big benefit that I didn't expect was that the hotel on the corner of the start line opened up their lobby to all runners to hang out and keep warm prior to the start. It was great! 'Feels like' temp at the start was about 32 degrees, and my wife and I were able to sit at a table and be warm in the lobby until about 5 minutes before the start (no, I didn't have a good warm-up). Then, I "hopped" the Corral barrier (with no complaints from the folks already crowded in there) and was in sight of the 3:00 Group sign when the gun went off. REALLY nice.
We had water / Gatorade every two miles. I only stopped once, at mile 14 to refill my water bottle. When I shoved my water bottle (with top off) in front of the first volunteer and requested "Please fill it up", he said "Yes, sir" and in about 2 seconds I had a full bottle - all the while the volunteers smiling and offering me "good luck". REALLY nice.
Being in the 3:00 Pace Group was REALLY nice too. I had instant friends (at least thru 20 miles) to commiserate with, cheer up, help out, talk about the weather, etc. It was great. As the group got smaller and smaller toward the finish the talking became a lot less, but I felt great support to "keep going". The Pacers were FANTASTIC.
Yes - I reached my goal for the race, so I'm sure I have 'rose tinted' glassed from the day. But, I would recommend Richmond to anyone looking for a 'medium sized' marathon and a friendly experience. Not the fastest course, but not bad. And, logistics and cost (at least for me living in Virginia) was pretty easy.
Next week - another week of recovery and slowly transition into some faster stuff, probably starting off with extended strides, maybe a few minutes Tempo.
Onward.
Short update on my recovery from the Richmond Marathon on November 16th....and a couple additional comments on my experience.
I had a great run at the marathon, my legs held up really well. I was able to close well. I was anticipating my my recovery would go to plan as well (I mean, why not?).
Oh, My Aching Back
Although my legs did hold up well, my lower back / SI joint was SUPER stiff and tight. To the point that I had trouble rolling over in bed / getting out of bed. It started to get tight the week leading up to the race as well. Interestingly, this problem doesn't seem to affect my running, but I suspect it eventually will, and it's always nice to be able to get out of bed not feeling like I'm 80 years old.
One week after the race my back calmed down. I think the issue might be tight hip flexors which "pull" on my back because my range of motion is not enough (side note, The Balanced Runner website has some good information on mechanics - I'm not sure about the overall message on the sight - but I find she has good information regarding this kind of topic). I focused on hip flexor / back flexibility in the days following the race, I think that helped.
Running The First Week After The Race
The race was Saturday, and I didn't do any exercise besides foam rolling and stretching until Friday. I could have run some, or got on the bike, etc., but I really just didn't feel like it.
I needed an emotional break as much as physical break after the race. I was (and still am) so happy with the result, I felt/feel this big satisfaction, and decided to 'rest on my laurels' (such as they are) for a few days.
I also took this time to sleep more and eat 'All the things' (as the kids these days say). I needed the sleep, I realized after the fact - partially because the race was over and I could relax (kind of like after studying for an exam and you realize afterward all you want to do is sleep).
My diet is not great, but the last 3-4 weeks before the race I did try to clean it up a little (less sugar, more veggies, the usual stuff people might do). I told myself during these weeks that "after the race I will be able to eat what I want" - and that's what I did. The side benefit of cleaning up my diet was that I lost a couple of pounds, so when I did my 'carb loading' leading up to the race I was still at/slightly below my normal race weight. One week after the race and my weight is back up a couple pounds above 'race weight' - and I don't care.
Friday I went for my first run for about 50 minutes - very slow and still sore afterward. Sunday was about an hour, same result - but not as bad.
Second Week After The Race
Ran Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday this week. Total of 28 miles, all easy. Longest run was 10 miles on Saturday, and I'm starting to feel - well - "recovered" in my legs, but my back is still bothering me. I did my first post-race strength work on Saturday as well. Foam rolling and stretching after each run.
PT appt. on Friday - I went to the "local" PT by my house Friday after Thanksgiving, sort of on a whim, to have them check out my lower back SI joint. Received confirmation it's just something that needs minor therapy and adjustment. Given the okay to continue running "unless it makes it feel worse". I do feel better after the appt. and I've scheduled a few appts over the next two weeks. The PT is not "sports specific", but they seem to know what they're doing. If I get frustrated with lack of "running specific" experience I'll go elsewhere, we'll see.
Comment on Cadence
Looking back at my marathon stats, I noticed my overall cadence is recorded as 183, with an average pace of 6:49 (I use a Garmin 920 watch, which has some kind of doo dad that records the cadence. No foot pod, or any other non-sense, so accuracy might be suspect - but is likely consistent across runs).
My "normal" Easy day cadence (7:30 - 8:15 pace) is around 180. But, my cadence in the marathon build-up for 'MP workouts' has been around 190-193 (usually about 6:45 pace). And - the cadence didn't change much based on shoes (Sketchers Speed 3, Adidas Boston, Nike Turbo 2, 4%, Next %). So, what the hell?
I'd "like to think" my cadence could be lower on race day at MP because I was rested and able to put more "power" into my stride, increasing stride length. My stride length on race day - per Garmin software (from watch noted above) was 1.29m. In my MP workouts, my stride length is 1.24-1.26. I like that I can run MP at 183 cadence, makes me "feel" like I'm more efficient than 190 - but who knows? So, there you go - I'm sure you were dying know about these details.
Richmond Marathon / Pace Group Comments
The folks that organized and volunteered for the Richmond Marathon were all "REALLY" nice. The race is advertised as "America's Friendliest Marathon", and from my sample size of 2 marathons - I can say it was quite friendly.
A big benefit that I didn't expect was that the hotel on the corner of the start line opened up their lobby to all runners to hang out and keep warm prior to the start. It was great! 'Feels like' temp at the start was about 32 degrees, and my wife and I were able to sit at a table and be warm in the lobby until about 5 minutes before the start (no, I didn't have a good warm-up). Then, I "hopped" the Corral barrier (with no complaints from the folks already crowded in there) and was in sight of the 3:00 Group sign when the gun went off. REALLY nice.
We had water / Gatorade every two miles. I only stopped once, at mile 14 to refill my water bottle. When I shoved my water bottle (with top off) in front of the first volunteer and requested "Please fill it up", he said "Yes, sir" and in about 2 seconds I had a full bottle - all the while the volunteers smiling and offering me "good luck". REALLY nice.
Being in the 3:00 Pace Group was REALLY nice too. I had instant friends (at least thru 20 miles) to commiserate with, cheer up, help out, talk about the weather, etc. It was great. As the group got smaller and smaller toward the finish the talking became a lot less, but I felt great support to "keep going". The Pacers were FANTASTIC.
Yes - I reached my goal for the race, so I'm sure I have 'rose tinted' glassed from the day. But, I would recommend Richmond to anyone looking for a 'medium sized' marathon and a friendly experience. Not the fastest course, but not bad. And, logistics and cost (at least for me living in Virginia) was pretty easy.
Next week - another week of recovery and slowly transition into some faster stuff, probably starting off with extended strides, maybe a few minutes Tempo.
Onward.
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