Monday, July 14th:
Rest. Did a couple sets one-legged leg lifts, monster walks, and clamshells with elastic bands. Also focused on stretching hamstrings and quads.
Tuesday, July 15th:
7:30pm, Treadmill, 1.0% incline. Asics Kayano 19.
1mi easy (8:24)
Progressed from 7.0-7.3mph, increasing speed every 1/4mi. No symptoms during the run. Did my first test drive in a new pair of shoes, which felt great. Did the same series of band therapy exercises as yesterday, but spent a lot of time post-run focusing on hamstring and quad stretches. Also did some balance exercises on each leg. I really feel the difference after stretching my hamstrings well. I am going to commit to making stretching much more routine with my regular training. Let's see how I feel when I wake up tomorrow.
Wednesday, July 16th:
7:00pm, 76 degrees, 48%, 5-10mph. Neighborhood. Asics Kayano 19.
3mi total (23:26) with break after 1mi and 2.5mi to stretch
I think I am making progress with the knee, but it's hard to tell. The more I warm up and stretch, the better it feels while running, but after cooling down the tightness starts to come back. I'll keep taking it day by day and hope that it eventually clears up.
Thursday, July 17th:
6:00pm, 81 degrees, 30%, 10-15mph. 2x Neighborhood Loop. Asics Kayano 19.
4mi easy (31:05) (7:46/mi)
Barely felt any symptoms tonight. Fell into a more POSE stride, which felt more natural with freer range of motion than before. Overall felt a little rusty from not consistently running for a few days, but glad I could get 4 miles in pain-free. Still doing lots of stretching/band exercises.
Friday, July 18th:
4:45am, 60 degrees, 80%, calm. Maple Shade Loop (S). Asics Kayano 19.
5mi easy (41:35) (8:19/mi)
Best I have felt yet. The slightly slower pace felt a little more natural - I think I might go back to slowing my easy runs down to the 8:00-8:30/mi range and think of them more as maintenance runs. Soon I will be introducing very formal workouts - I need to make sure I stay healthy by remaining low-key on the easy runs. Plus, this morning's run was very enjoyable. I am more likely to run consistently when I keep things enjoyable, than I am to when I feel the need to always train "hard." If I sacrifice a few minutes off my marathon time because of it, so be it. I would rather get to the starting line healthy in 2:50 shape than injured at 2:45 shape, if that makes sense.
3:15pm, 81 degrees, 30%, 0-5mph. Big Neighborhood Loop. Mizuno Wave Rider 17.
3mi easy (24:40) (8:13/mi)
Not quite as comfortable as this morning, but non-symptomatic nonetheless. Still getting my legs back under me, but I am much more confident than I was a couple days ago about moving past this knee trouble once and for all.
Saturday, July 19th:
6:00am, 66 degrees, 77%, calm. Moorestown. Asics Kayano 19.
7.5mi total: 2:00 jog, 4x strides, 7mi easy-medium (51:40) (7:23/mi)
Ran with the group this morning, but it turns out the group easy pace was faster than that to which I am accustomed. I peeled off after 5mi@7:15/mi and the slowed down some the last 2mi@7:40/mi. Felt the IT Band/knee a little bit toward the end and immediately after the run, but got some good stretching and band work in as soon as I got home so I think I managed to keep things at bay.
7:30pm, Treadmill, 1.0-2.0% incline. Asics Kayano 19.
2mi very easy (17:27) (8:44/mi)
Progressed from 6.0-7.5mph. Ran tall, level shoulders, upright jaw, everything relaxed. Focused on maintaining hip level on footstrike, and letting my stride go through the cycle as efficiently and relaxed as possible. Felt great tonight.
Sunday, July 20th:
7:30am, 69 degrees, 75%, 5-10mph. Big Tavistock Loop. Asics Kayano 19.
5mi easy (38:50) (7:46/mi)
Same as last night. Ran tall, level shoulders, upright jaw, everything relaxed. I could have sworn I was running 8:15-:30/mi pace, so imagine my surprise when I finished and checked my splits. And on a rolling course nonetheless. Also saw Holli for a quick 20 minute session afterward, which really loosened up my IT band and piriformis. I may finally be on the tail-end of this frustrating two week pattern.
Weekly Total: 30.5 miles
I certainly didn't envision the last three weeks unfolding the way they did, but I am happy that I now seem to be right and healthy just in time for the start of the marathon cycle. This little hiccup has also forced me to practice better habits, like slowing down easy runs, stretching, doing strengthening exercises, and practicing better running form. Now the challenging part - keeping it all together while getting fit. :)
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