PR and Injury Updates

After looking up some previous 4-mile times, I figured out that my time with Shelby last week was a PR (personal record) for a 4-mile run. So far, two of my PRs came during runs with Shelby, but here's my list for now.

• 5k: Start to Finish (late July 2009), 24:51. No Shelby.
• 4-mile: Westport St. Patrick's Day Run (13 March 2010), 33:05. Shelby!
• 10k: Pilgrim Pacer (mid-November 2009), 52:04.4. Shelby!
• Half-marathon: Georgetown to Idaho Springs (early August 2009), 2:03: ??. No Shelby.
  

Of course, the half-marathon time is my only half-marathon time and was done at 8,500-feet altitude with a bum toe, but hey, at least I've done one. Over the last year, my 5k time dropped by 30 seconds, my 4-mile time dropped by a minute, and my 10k time dropped by over two minutes. I doubt I'll see much gain in my 5k time, but I could see all the other times dropping a bit, especially if I can manage to do another half-marathon.

I'm losing hope that I will be able to do my first marathon this year, though, because my sesamoiditis problems made a come back. Embracing a 3-day a week running program (with two cross-training days) and going to a sports medicine doc has helped tremendously. However, I run so much on my toes/forefoot and have high enough arches that I just don't think my toe can take anything longer than a half. We'll see. I'd rather be able to keep running shorter distances than end up side-lined with injuries because of training for longer distances.

Part of my problem is I like being able to take off from my doorstep, which means running on uneven, crappy concrete side walks. I don't like the idea of driving to run, but a good compromise might be to drive to a trail to do my weekend long runs. Shelby and I would both enjoy the change in scenery, and running on trails or grass would be much easier on my entire body. Looking out on today's early spring snow, I'm not sure we'll be making any treks out today, but this is something to consider for future weekends.

Another topic I've been researching quite a bit is barefoot running. I'll not go into details here (another post for another day), but I know that if I wanted to try it, it would be mean going back to the very basics--walk 20 minutes, jog 5, walk 20 minutes, jog 5, and up for months. The one issue that I need to have addressed before I even try is whether it's a good option for someone with the kind of toe problem I have because it sounds like it would be worse for me, considering how much stress barefoot running puts on the forefoot. We'll see, but I am planning to buy my first pair of Vibram FiveFinger shoes, simply because I have wanted a pair since I tried on a pair of a student in one of my classes two or three years ago. I love toe socks, sandles, and barefoot walking whenever I can get away with it, so these shoes seem like just the thing for me.

The whole process of (unexpectedly) falling in love/getting addicted to running and dealing with frustrating injuries has been a good experience for me in acknowledging limitations (in particular, anatomical limitations), assessing and re-assessing the goals I had become obsessive about (like doing a marathon this year), and making accommodations to get at the base issue: I want to be able to keep running, no matter the distance, simply because I enjoy getting out with Shelby. If/when I keep that base issue in mind, I stop feeling frustrated and end up doing a much better job of accepting the bad/hard days and injuries.

Now, I need to apply this process to other areas of my life . . .

Contemplation

We did 10-11 miles yesterday and another 6-7 today. The First-Half Marathon Training Plan I've been tentatively following has us doing our longest, hardest week this week before we start tailing off training for a race, the one I've chosen being the Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half Marathon. Even though I know the altitude of this Colorado run will add some intensity (8500 feet down to 7500 feet by the end), I picked this race anyway for its timing (it fit perfectly with the end of the training plan and the timing of my semester break), its relative closeness (it is within eight or so hours of where I live), and its scenic potential (mountains and hiking!).

In the lead-up to a half marathon, the 3-day plan we've been following only demands three days a week of running with three additional days of cross-training, but since my nephew was in town visiting two weeks ago, I substituted running for the cross-training because it was easier to fit in. Plus, I'm finding that I look forward to our daily runs the same way I used to look forward to long walks: I can run easily enough now that my mind isn't exclusively or overly focused just on keeping my feet moving or obsessing over the small pains that come and go during longer runs.

Instead, my mind wanders more freely, picking through my life and daydreams with the same quiet contemplation of an easy hike, only when I'm running, I am more able to get into what I imagine is a zen-like zone where even these mental distractions dissipate, and I can just be. I seldom bring my iTunes Shuffle when I run anymore, preferring to listen to whatever is around me, and some times, when the clouds and the sun are just so in the sky, I get this endorphine-enhanced euphoric feeling that stays with me even after we've stopped. These are the side effects of training for longer distances that I would have never believed I would experience as I struggled through running on a tread mill the first few months of the year to get back into running 5ks--and these are some of the reasons I continue on.