4/26/09 - Staying Injury Free

Running injuries tend to generally be overuse injuries rather than acute or sudden injuries. Any muscle imbalance or poor technique, even if very small, can cause an injury after miles and miles of repetitious movement. Many running injuries (such as iliotibial band syndrome that I dealt with last fall) are a result of quad dominance. This is where the quad muscles overpower the hamstrings and glutes in the running motion. The quad muscles become stronger as the runner becomes more dependant on them. The glutes and hamstrings become weaker, leading to a muscle imbalance. This is what happened to me. The muscle imbalance led to increased tension on my iliotibial band, which resulted in severe swelling, and pain.

After several meetings with a physical therapist last December, she explained that this was the problem. Having come from a swimming background (another quad dominant sport), I realized how weak my glutes actually were. Over the past few months, I have been focusing on strengthening my posterior chain (the core muscles of your backside such as the glutes, the hamstrings, the lower back, etc.) It has helped tremendously in my ability to stay injury free. I have been sore in areas that I had never been sore in before, and have made huge leaps in the amount of weight that I can lift in those particular exercises. The main exercises that I have been doing are squats, deadlifts, good mornings, clam shells, and lots of work with exercise bands. I have also been using a foam roller consistently and stretching much more often.

I usually lift hardest on Saturdays and do my long runs on Sundays. As a result, my glutes and hamstrings are pretty sore on Sundays and I can actually feel them working when I run. I did front squats yesterday for the first time rather than back squats, and as a result, my buns were on fire today towards the end of the long run. However, it feels good to know that what I am doing in the gym is actually making a difference in my running. So often, people in the gym are lifting for physical appearance. To have a functionale purpose for exercises in the gym, and to feel them paying off is a great feeling. I got up to 46 miles this week without any signs of injury. I am confident that I owe it to my focus on fixing my muscle imbalance.

Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 9 miles + weights
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - 11 miles
Friday - 8 miles + weights
Saturday 3 miles on treadmill + weights
Sunday - 15 mile long run

4/19/09 - New Shoes

So I got new running shoes this week. First time I have ever gone with Saucony as the brand, but so far I like them. Getting new running shoes is like a big mystery because you never know whether they are good or not until it is too late. It takes me about 30-40 miles in the shoes to know if they are the right shoes for me.

I have always had problems with my right knee. My right leg tends to bow outward a little more than my left, and if I don't have the right shoes, it can easily lead to injuries. Earlier this year, around Nov/Dec, I wore the Asics Gel Evolution 4. They led to alot of pain in my right knee/side and I experienced serious Iliotibial band syndrome problems. I was forced to go to physical therapy for a few weeks and got some deep tissue massage and reconstructive work to break down the scar tissue I had developed. After looking at my feet, my physical therapist recommended the brooks addiction 8. The shoes were great and I experienced almost no problems, but after having put in close t0 400 miles on them, it was definately time for some new ones.

I was thinking about getting the exact same pair of brooks again, but the only problem with the shoes were that they were kindof heavy. I tried on a few pairs and really liked the feel of the Saucony ProGrid Omni 7 Ultimates. They are about an ounce lighter than the Brooks, but new shoes are generally lighter because they dont carry any dust/dirt.

I didn't want to put in too many miles too quickly on the new shoes, so I did my long run on Thursday, because I knew I would be getting the shoes on Friday. I still finished at 42 miles this week, and felt really good.

Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 5 miles on treadmill + weights
Wednesday - 4 miles on treadmill
Thursday - 12 miles
Friday - 5 miles + weights
Saturday - 9 miles
Sunday - 3 miles on treadmill + weight in morning, 4 miles in afternoon

4/12/09 - Nature's Call

I ran 13 miles today for my long run, and it was a miracle that I made it home without having to go the bathroom. Around mile 6 nature called and there was no bathroom anywhere. I was seriously contemplating making a trip to the bushes, but I somehow forced myself not to think about it and I made it home. Other than that it was a good run. It was 13 miles, and I ran it pretty much as fast as I could. I just wanted to see what I could do, and I was relatively pleased. I ran it in 1:32 mid, which is just over 7 minute miles. If I was to hold that pace for the entire marathon, it would be about 3:07. I think with another few months training and a good taper that is definately possible. Im pretty happy about how my training is going right now.

My left knee is still bothering me, and it hurts when I stretch it and walk up stairs. I am pretty sure it is from doing squats, because it doesn't hurt at all when I run. I don't want an injury, but I am not too worried about it right now. It is more annoying than painful. Overall, I ran 40 miles again this week, and it seems to get easier every week.

40 mile week
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 8 miles on treadmill + weights
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - 8 miles on treadmill + weights
Friday - 6 miles on treadmill + abs
Saturday - 5 miles
Sunday - 13 miles + weights

4/5/09 - Finally a good "long run"

Probably the best training week of my life. 42 total miles, including an 18 mile long run. The long run took 2 hours and 15 minutes, which is about 7:30 pace. The long run really built my confidence and I'm feeling pretty good about where I'm headed. I ran my long run on Saturday this week rather than Sunday because I only ran 4 miles on Friday, so I wanted to take advantage of being a little rested. I usually do the long run on Sunday, but since I lift weights on Saturday, my legs are usually pretty sore. I flip flopped this week and definately noticed a difference. My left knee was sore all week, but I never felt it when I ran. I only felt it walking around, going up stairs, and in the weight room. Im pretty sure its from doing squats, so unless I feel it when I am running, I'm not going to worry about it. I got pretty sunburned yesterday. It was alot hotter than I expected, and being out there for almost 2 and a half hours without sunscreen was probably a mistake. I ran two miles today, and my calves felt like they were ripping. I guess that is expected though. Tomorrow is a rest day and then hopefully another 40+ mile week!

This week - 42 miles:
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 9 miles + weights
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - 9 miles on treadmill + weights
Friday - 4 miles fast
Saturday - 18 miles @ 7:30 pace
Sunday - 2 miles on treadmill + weights