The Shin Cycle
And so, I press onto my second week of running since my shin splint dilemma. My shins are still pretty weak, which is disappointing, and so I am still running on a treadmill to lessen the impact and stay off the killer downhills in the area. However, this week I will be mixing in some road running with the treadmill in order to ease myself onto running full-time on the roads and/or Mountain.
So, today, Thursday, I ventured onto the roads. Actually, last night I headed to my local running store and picked up a shin splint sleeve, and holy cow, does that thing work! It is so freaking tight however, it is virtually impossible to take off once on, and I may have injured myself in the 10-15 minutes it takes to manipulate it off my shin... Anyway, I have discovered an absolutely great 10K loop. It is the absolute most challenging course I have run yet, but it's not the type of course that is too hard and you can't get into a rhythm, this course was just a perfect mixture of climbs, flats, and descents, perfectly simulating a hard race. I loved it. There was even a half mile dirt road segment that I loved and a monstrous quarter-mile uphill climb. I will be running this loop religiously as my shins heel! What a confidence booster. Once I can run this course in sub-36', I will be ready to pop a big one! Oh, and I figured out this course with USATF's Route Builder... just an awesome tool and saves me $300 in having to purchase a Garmin.
And so, I almost died on Sunday. It would have been a sad death, Gabriel Rodriguez, found parched and burned on the summit of Kennesaw Mountain, with an alcohol content of 2.0%, what would have led to his demise amongst mere mortals? My bosses were in town for the ING Georgia Marathon and figured it would be a great idea to initiate me the night before, for if I could perform a clinic impaired, I would be good to go in future clinics.
And so, picture this: I feel I have been gaining weight only running once/day, so I imposed an anaeroxic diet on myself and had not eaten in 48 hours before being initiated. Starvation and alcohol consumption is a dangerous mix. Let's just say that the headache and nausea I felt the next morning was something I would like to avoid in the future unless I am able to stay in bed with my wife and children all day. Anyhow, I had to perform a clinic at 11AM and was unable to do my 90-minute run upon awakening. So, by the time I got home a 2PM, it was Atlanta's hottest day of the year (88-degrees). I had been training in 50-degree weather. So, nauseous, weak and obsessed, I headed off on a 90-minute jaunt without much energy, but plenty of desire. By 30-minutes I was feeling completely weak. By the turnaround at 45-minutes I knew I was in trouble. Getting back was going to be quite a journey. I was a stumbling fool attempting to climb all the hills, although the descents were fine, but I had no power uphill and was completely wasted by the time I got home, 1h35' after starting...
The parchness of my throat and lips was beyond description as I fancied tearing open every tree squirrel that scared me in my path and somehow sucking down all the fluids in its soul, somehow separating water from blood. Many a time I almost had the urge to ask a hiker/walker for some fluids, but I resisted. Anyhow, I made it home, filled a bathtub with ice water to get my temperature down from the about 104-degrees that I felt to something normal. Now, with a burnt face, I am happy that I got my long run in for the week, but I will not do that again.
Additional note: I have drank about 7 gallons of water and have yet to have the need to use the restroom. Whoa.
Monday, 3-19-2007
4 Miles Easy on Treadmill in 25:00
Tuesday, 3-20-2007
5 Mile Fartlek on Treadmill
10' Easy, 6 x 2' Fast, 2' Easy
Wednesday, 3-21-2007
4 Miles Easy on Treadmill in 30:00
Thursday, 3-22-2007
10 Kilometers Hard on Roads in 37:30
Friday, 3-23-2007
3.5 Miles Easy on Ridenour Treadmill in 25:00
Saturday, 3-24-2007
4 Miles Steady on Stilesboro Loop in 27:52
Sunday, 3-25-2007
13 Miles Easy in Kennesaw Mountain in 1:30:33
Total
40 Miles
So, today, Thursday, I ventured onto the roads. Actually, last night I headed to my local running store and picked up a shin splint sleeve, and holy cow, does that thing work! It is so freaking tight however, it is virtually impossible to take off once on, and I may have injured myself in the 10-15 minutes it takes to manipulate it off my shin... Anyway, I have discovered an absolutely great 10K loop. It is the absolute most challenging course I have run yet, but it's not the type of course that is too hard and you can't get into a rhythm, this course was just a perfect mixture of climbs, flats, and descents, perfectly simulating a hard race. I loved it. There was even a half mile dirt road segment that I loved and a monstrous quarter-mile uphill climb. I will be running this loop religiously as my shins heel! What a confidence booster. Once I can run this course in sub-36', I will be ready to pop a big one! Oh, and I figured out this course with USATF's Route Builder... just an awesome tool and saves me $300 in having to purchase a Garmin.
And so, I almost died on Sunday. It would have been a sad death, Gabriel Rodriguez, found parched and burned on the summit of Kennesaw Mountain, with an alcohol content of 2.0%, what would have led to his demise amongst mere mortals? My bosses were in town for the ING Georgia Marathon and figured it would be a great idea to initiate me the night before, for if I could perform a clinic impaired, I would be good to go in future clinics.
And so, picture this: I feel I have been gaining weight only running once/day, so I imposed an anaeroxic diet on myself and had not eaten in 48 hours before being initiated. Starvation and alcohol consumption is a dangerous mix. Let's just say that the headache and nausea I felt the next morning was something I would like to avoid in the future unless I am able to stay in bed with my wife and children all day. Anyhow, I had to perform a clinic at 11AM and was unable to do my 90-minute run upon awakening. So, by the time I got home a 2PM, it was Atlanta's hottest day of the year (88-degrees). I had been training in 50-degree weather. So, nauseous, weak and obsessed, I headed off on a 90-minute jaunt without much energy, but plenty of desire. By 30-minutes I was feeling completely weak. By the turnaround at 45-minutes I knew I was in trouble. Getting back was going to be quite a journey. I was a stumbling fool attempting to climb all the hills, although the descents were fine, but I had no power uphill and was completely wasted by the time I got home, 1h35' after starting...
The parchness of my throat and lips was beyond description as I fancied tearing open every tree squirrel that scared me in my path and somehow sucking down all the fluids in its soul, somehow separating water from blood. Many a time I almost had the urge to ask a hiker/walker for some fluids, but I resisted. Anyhow, I made it home, filled a bathtub with ice water to get my temperature down from the about 104-degrees that I felt to something normal. Now, with a burnt face, I am happy that I got my long run in for the week, but I will not do that again.
Additional note: I have drank about 7 gallons of water and have yet to have the need to use the restroom. Whoa.
Monday, 3-19-2007
4 Miles Easy on Treadmill in 25:00
Tuesday, 3-20-2007
5 Mile Fartlek on Treadmill
10' Easy, 6 x 2' Fast, 2' Easy
Wednesday, 3-21-2007
4 Miles Easy on Treadmill in 30:00
Thursday, 3-22-2007
10 Kilometers Hard on Roads in 37:30
Friday, 3-23-2007
3.5 Miles Easy on Ridenour Treadmill in 25:00
Saturday, 3-24-2007
4 Miles Steady on Stilesboro Loop in 27:52
Sunday, 3-25-2007
13 Miles Easy in Kennesaw Mountain in 1:30:33
Total
40 Miles