I'm not a hobbyjogger.

But apparently I look like one right now.

As I finished a run the other day someone asked me, "How was your jog?"
Ummm...I wasn't jogging....I was running thank you very much...but yeah it was good. Not that I'm saying there is anything wrong with being a hobbyjogger, it's just that I don't want to be one till I'm at least 50. I hope that they were not offended at the look of irritation I gave them, I was really just trying to get the sweat out of my eyes.

After spending about the last 3 and half weeks just running for minutes and getting time in on the feet, I *THINK* (and I say this as I cross the fingers, knock on wood, and toss salt over both shoulders, because I've said it before and been wrong) things are getting back on track. All told, I wasn't "out", as in not running altogether, for that long. It's just that I don't count 30 minute runs a few times a week as legitimate training, so it feels like much longer. After getting needled in the foot/shin about a dozen times, and even in the butt-cheek once, and sorting out a few mechanical issues that will hopefully resolve with time and effort, I've been able to spend the last three weeks getting in more miles, and putting in less time biking and pool-running, and have still had things make good progress, and that is an encouraging positive. It would be great to get out of The Rut. The Rut is a crappy place to be, not to mention lonely, and is starting to look a little too familiar.

Today I did my first on-land workout in a while (I've been doing all my intervals in the pool for the last few weeks) and it went well! I did five sets of 4 minutes hard, 2 minutes easy. Pretty simple, and it went alright. I felt pretty good and I feel like the legs are coming around, and the pace wasn't far off of where it usually is. I am hoping to jump into a low-key 5k on the 17th; my sole goal for that one being to get an idea of where things stand fitness-wise without embarrassing myself in the process. Thankfully it's a women's-only race so there will be no strutting, preening, male egos to deal with (no offense guys, but we all know it's true), and no high school boys flinging elbows taking the pace out in 3 minute miles for the first 600 meters, because that's just straight-up annoying. And a couple weeks after that if all is still going well then I would like to do the Classic 10k, then probably just train for a while. A few weeks back I had the intention of doing a few out of state races this summer; namely the USATF Club Champs for track to get a fast 10k in since I messed up by staying off the track last spring, and then the Bix 7 Miler in late July, and then the US 20k Champs in September, but things didn't quite pan out that way and I'm in no position to press my luck and rush things, and I'm not about to cram for a 20k. If things are just great and everything's perfect, I might do the Women's 10 Mile Champs in October, but that's just a possibility and no sure thing. But first things first, and I have to get all the way out of the woods to start with. I'm trying to not get ahead of myself here even though I always get really excited when things start to look up and I want to go do everything and make up for lost time because it feels like the ball-and-chain is finally off, but one day at a time I guess.

I am pretty glad I don't feel like this guy anymore though...

I'm actually having a solid summer of racing after last year's over-training fiasco. I was first at the Superior Downhill Mile on the 4th in 4:00 (actually 3:59.xx, but they rounded up). It seems that my best racing always comes when I don't think too much about it and just focus on having fun. Has anyone else noticed this? Last summer I stressed about my training and racing and my performance suffered; this summer I'm just trying to enjoy running.

I'm off to England next Wednesday to conduct research for the dissertation. I hope everyone is having a good summer.

Pete

Why you shouldn't study...

I haven't updated in awhile because not much is happening with me as far as running goes unfortunately. Things were on track and then bam, two weeks ago I pulled another muscle. This time I have had a really hard time getting back on track, BUT the good news is I think I finally figured out why in May I suddenly got a hamstring injury and then haven't really been able to run since.

You see, I was studying...a lot. I had a big board exam that I had to pass so I could get licensed and finally start a real career. My days were full of runs and then sitting in a chair or on my couch in front of a computer and a text book for hours at a time. That lead to some lower back issues that I think probably aggravated everything and also probably increased my propensity to keep hurting that left leg. Last week at a very low point, I couldn't sleep because of radiating pain down the back of my left leg, my left hip and my left lower back. I was stumped and starting to really worry that I had a bigger issue than we suspected, like maybe a stress fracture or a tear either in my hip area or near the hamstring and/or adductor attachments. However, with a few lower back exercises the radiating pain stopped and I got some major relief.

So, now I am biding my time...doing a little jogging, some walking, lots of PT exercises and some climbing. We'll see what happens in the coming weeks. My hope is that by this time next week I will be running without feeling nerve pain on the left side, without my foot strike feeling off and with some bounce in my step! If that happens, well then my next goal is to get back to some shorter racing, hopefully by the middle of August.