Next Two Months

Well, it looks like I finally found out what the problem is with my knee. I had an MRI a week ago and it showed I have, not one, but two separate meniscus tears in my left knee. I could see on the screen exactly where the tears are and they coincided exactly where I was receiving that sharp pain.

I'm scheduled for surgery this coming Thursday at noon. Hopefully, I can get through the healing process and physical thearpy in order to resume some kind of running program. I went through this last summer and was still able to run Dallas with my buds. I don't see any reason why I can't do it again.

My new goal now is the same goal I had at the end of last year and that's to win my age group in KC in Oct. I sincerely feel I can accomplish this goal if I can begin training sometime in June. I've pretty much chalked up April and May has lay back and heal months. However, I'll hit the bike and work on my endurance without putting pressure on my knee. It was great PT for me last year, so I expect no difference in the results this year...........Mike

Recovery run

Went out for a short, slow run just to get the kinks out and loosen up after yesterday's 12 miler. My legs were OK, but my left foot was a little sore. Kind of felt like you might imagine your foot feeling after wearing your shoes too tightly all day long.
The run went fine, and I was glad to get it in after pigging out on blueberry pancakes at Cracker Barrel this morning. Three pancakes (they are good) = 750 calories, plus blueberry syrup.
I did 4.6 miles averaging 9:48.

Layoff over

I told myself that I would schedule some easy weeks this year, in the hopes of letting my body rest and heal completely from time to time. In that spirit, and because it was cold and rainy all week anyway, I did not run a step Monday through Friday. Instead, so I wouldn't lose any conditioning, I cross trained on the eliptical machines at the gym.
I planned to start running again today, and just like that Mother Nature provided a bright, beautiful day. Hardly a cloud in the sky. It was about 50 when I got started.

I wanted to go at least 10, but once I got loosened up I thought I felt good enough to go as much as 14. I didn't feel that ambitious after 10, though, so I just extended the run another couple of miles, logging 12.15. That's certainly good enough at this stage of the game.
I averaged 9:36 for the run. For the week I had 18.2 miles. -- Rob

Pleasant surprise

I was so stiff and sore on Thursday and Friday, I really thought I'd only be able to manage maybe 3 miles today. I'm not sure why my hips were so sore, but I know why my left foot ached - power walking in the wrong shoes. I knew when I did it, too: Thursday when I was out for a walk during lunchtime. I even had a pair of running shoes with me at the office, but I thought I could get away with a short walk without them. Never again.
Anyway, my foot ached and my hips were sore. I ate Ibu Thursday and Friday, and Friday evening I did 20 min. on the eliptical trainer just to get warm and loosen up. It seemed to help.
I started my run with a one mile walk to make sure everything was good and warmed up, then cautiously headed out. Thankfully, nothing hurt.
So, off I went, past three, past five, and all the way to 7.6. I quit then only because I didn't want to risk overdoing it. Things have a way of going bad if you're not careful. Seven-plus was a nice enough bonus.

I averaged 9:04 per mile, partly because I didn't have to do a particularly slow first mile to warm up. I'd already warmed up with that one mile walk. 25.1 miles for the week. -- Rob

Filling in past runs etc.

I have not posted since 2/19.  Here's what I've been up to.

I'll be skiing starting tomorrow, in Park City, UT.

ACTIVITY	DATE	TIME	Miles	Pace
bike ride / flat tire	Mar 16, 2012	6:12	1.07	10.4 mph
~4.2 mile run on paved trail Shawnee Mission Park system	Mar 15, 2012	44:00	4.2	10:32
4 mile run in Rock Springs WY	Mar 13, 2012	42:03	4.01	10:29
10 mile bagel run	Mar 10, 2012	1:51	10	11:07
2.3 mile run with dogs in MD	Mar 9, 2012	27:46	2.32	11:57
run am 3 miles	Mar 8, 2012	32:00	2.96	10:55
7.8 mile bike ride to/from 13009	Mar 6, 2012	41:31	7.82	11.3 mph
MRCKC Run	Mar 5, 2012	50:00	5	10:00
Sunday Runday 9 mile run	Mar 4, 2012	1:33:15	9	10:22
6.7 mile run with Bill	Mar 3, 2012	1:10:03	6.7	10:28
4.5 mile after work on paved trail	Mar 1, 2012	44:58	4.51	09:58
Ellip etc	Feb 29, 2012	42:00	--	--
2.25 mile am run	Feb 28, 2012	26:19	2.25	11:42
2.0 mile morning run with dogs	Feb 26, 2012	27:55	2.05	13:39
10 miles bagel run	Feb 25, 2012	1:46:13	10.1	10:31
4.1 miles	Feb 24, 2012	41:41	4.13	10:10
3 miles am	Feb 22, 2012	30:47	3	10:16

Double digits

I wasn't sure how far I was going to go this morning, or how fast. It was a very nice morning, and I waited until a little after 9 so the temperature would be well past the freezing point. It was 48 when I started.

I was at the levee trailhead, with a loose idea of running in about a mile, then back out and toward English Landing, and then back again. Since there wasn't a lot of wind, I stayed on the levee for the first 3.5 miles, which is the entire length of the trail. I didn't care about my time, so I kept a nice, consistent, easy pace. I never checked my watch the entire way.

I decided not to run the levee on the way back, so I dropped down onto the road, eventually hooking up to Horizons Parkway and then  Highway 9. I went off on a couple of short spurs to lengthen out the run, since by now I was thinking in terms of 8-plus, and possibly as much as 10.

When I finally had looped back to the truck I was at 8.2 miles and still feeling fine, so I decided to run the levee trail for another mile, and then back again. The total at the end was 10.1, my first double-digit run since December. I had no idea at this point what my pace had been, but when I checked the overall, it was a surprising 9:11.

The run gave me 24 miles for the past 7 days, so my mileage has climbed every week since I started running again in early February.

Hope everyone had a good run today. Cheers! -- Rob