5 Stages of Running Withdrawal

I accomplished a lot in the past 18 months. It’s been an exciting adventure and the next season of running is looking even better. Unfortunately training consistently for that long without a break has left me feeling a bit battered at times. Now that a nagging pain in my right shin has persisted for a month I figured it was finally time to rest. Marathon training starts back up again next month and I want to start out healthy.

I am currently on day four of my hiatus, the longest I have gone without running since February of 2010. In just that short amount of time I already discovered that quitting cold turkey results in withdrawal symptoms that put taper madness to shame. As it turns out, running is as physically addictive as heroine.

So I thought I would share my 5 Stages of Running Withdrawal.

1. Denial: Rest? Who needs rest? Not me. I can’t get injured, I’m invincible. This pain just means I need to switch shoes, or improve my form, or get a massage, or run trails instead of roads, stretch more, buy painkillers in bulk, get a foam roller, a stick, a brace, runner’s tape, stock up on that magic ointment they hide behind the counter in the Asian market, stroke my lucky rabbits foot, consult a witch doctor, surf through TV infomercials looking for miracle cures . . . .

2. Anger: I haven’t had a quality long run in a month and suddenly every phrase that exits my mouth is peppered with language so foul it would make a sailor blush. As a precaution, I started warning the highway patrol to clear the roads before I start my morning and evening commutes. There is also a sign posted outside my office door “Watch Out for Flying Equipment” as even the slightest malfunction is likely to be followed by a hysterical temper tantrum the likes of which would make two year olds stand and take notice.

3. Bargaining: I promised myself no running for at least a week. Oh, but WVR’s got that new track workout tonight, that really sounds like fun.  Maybe I’ll just go and see how I feel. And the Genuine Bistro run is tomorrow, I love that route (and the beer afterward), surely just a quick 5 mile run wouldn’t do any harm. I'll keep my pace over 10:00 minutes.  Well, maybe speed up just a bit for one mile, but no faster than 9:00, wait, its a coolest evening we've had in a while.  OK 2 miles at 8:30, no faster than that, I promise, unless I think I can catch up to the person ahead of me.  My alarm is set for 7:00 am, so why am I wide awake at 4:30? Since I’m up anyway, why don’t I just lace up my shoes and tell myself later it was a dream.

4. Depression: Sob.

5. Acceptance: is a myth. I want to run.

Croom Fools Run 50k

I had an awesome experience at the Croom Fools Run 50k last month.

The race was located in the Croom Forest, a section of the Withlacoochee State Forest near Brooksville, FL. It was limited 250 runners competing in 15 mile, 50k and 50 mile races.

This was my first attempt at an ultra marathon and I could not have asked for a better race. The forest was beautiful, the race was well organized, the volunteers were awesome – now if they could have just done something about the heat.

The course is a 15 mile loop around the forest consisting of mostly single track hiking trails. 15 milers ran one loop, the 50k was two loops and the 50 milers started an hour early to complete three loops.

It was mostly flat or gently rolling hills with the exception of the last four miles of each loop which had one challenging hill after another. We were also forced to descend into several sinkholes for apparently no better reason than that they were there. I later learned that one of these was aptly named the “Pit of Despair” as it had a descent so steep it required handholds to navigate.

The aid stations were stocked with cold water, Heed, Mountain Dew and a smorgasbord of food options: oranges, bananas, cookies, chips, pretzels, and candy. I carried PB&J sandwiches in my pockets and ate two on the first loop, just nibbling on the aid station food along the way. On the second loop I decided to enjoy the offerings at the aid stations. The only thing I regretted sampling was a fist full of pretzels I tossed in my mouth all at once. They set up like concrete and I had a hard time swallowing them. I did suffer from a short bout of nausea after leaving the final aid station at about mile 26. I slowed down for a few minutes and fortunately it eventually passed.

I was surprised at how dissimilar this race was to my two prior marathons. The slower pace, fewer but much more elaborate aid stations, and a strategy that included some walking made this a much more enjoyable experience. In marathons I have always reached a point, usually around 22 miles where I just wished the race would end and finding the motivation to continue required a great deal of effort. I never reached that point in this race. I loved every minute of it.

The first loop was fairly crowded and it was usually difficult to pass due to the narrow trail. This was frustrating at times, especially during down hill sections when I like to open up my stride. I had to keep reminding myself to be patient because it was going to be a very long race. At mile 5, I looked at my watch calculated the distance left, and actually thought to myself - “Only a marathon to go. I can do that.”

I had one close call in the race at about mile 15 when I tripped hard on a root. I managed to stay on my feet but banged my toe pretty bad. In fact, I was afraid at the time that I broke it. Luckily I was only about a mile out from the half way point. Stumbling along for that mile I felt something moving around inside my shoe and convinced myself that it was my toenail. When I reached the aid station I took time to take off my shoes and examine my toe which thankfully still had the nail. It was throbbing but I decided I could still run and was determined to continue. The pain subsided after a few miles but I would occasionally get a painful reminder of the injury when I landed wrong on something hard.

While I was examining my toe at the start/finish aid station I glanced at the person sitting next to me, a 15 miler who was done running for the day and devouring a hamburger like it was his last meal.  He was holding it tightly in both hands slouched over it as if to protect it from being snatched out of his grip.  I looked longingly at that burger while I shook the sand out of my shoe and secretly wished a strong breeze would blow some of that sand onto it.  I don’t think he would have cared.

After dropping the 15 milers, the second loop was very solitary and I ran for miles at a time without seeing anyone. We always seemed to catch up to each other at the aid stations though and the camaraderie was very warm. At Aid Station 2, about mile 24, every runner had the same question on their lips when they arrived, even though we all already new the answer: "How much farther from here?" It was 7 miles. The reaction was always the same. “I can do that!” I saw this ritual repeated time and time again in the few minutes that I rested there. The volunteers were awesome and handled each question as if it were the first time they had heard it.

My race strategy for the race was pretty straight forward:

Start slow
Slow down to take in fluids every mile
Walk the inclines

I carried a 20 oz water bottle to stay hydrated between the aid stations which were spaced 3-5 miles apart. This worked well on the first loop, but by the end of the second, with temperatures in the mid-80’s I was quite dehydrated. I will definitely need to improve my hydration in a longer race.

With this strategy I was able to maintain an average pace of 10:45 for the first loop. On the second loop I lost a lot of time at aid stations and I also found that my definition of an incline changed significantly, I slowed down for anthills. My pace slowed to 13:39. Overall I averaged 12:08 per mile and finished the 31 miles in 6:16:51, right in the middle of the pack. I hoped that I would be able to finish under 12:00 per mile, but I’m still pleased with my time considering that this was my first effort and I could have easily made up the difference just by managing my aid station breaks better.

Instead of a medal, the finisher’s award was a coffee mug. I am a coffee addict, so I know this one will get a lot of use. The finishers party had an atmosphere like a family picnic. They offered burgers, hot dogs, pasta and all the junk food you could desire. It usually takes me a while to get my appetite back after a race. After an hour of trying to rehydrate I finally reached for the closest thing at hand – chocolate cake. It immediately perked me up and the grazing began in earnest.

I did take one gamble with the race. I decided to wear my new Merrell Trail Gloves for the entire race. I put 80 miles on them in training, but never more than 14 miles in a single run so I was not sure how well I would manage in them for a continuous 31 miles. As a precaution I had a spare pair stashed in my drop bag but didn’t need them. My gamble paid off and the Trail Gloves worked great. With the exception of my toe, I didn’t have any “bad” pain during the race, not even a blister. The only issue I had was with sand and debris finding its way into the shoes. I had to stop three times to shake them out. I think some lightweight gaiters may help solve this problem. I absolutely love these shoes.

I am hooked on trail running now and on ultras. I will definitely return to this race next year and attempt the 50 mile run.

These caveman feet served me well.

Candy Cane 5k – Close, but no PR

To quote the great patriot, Maxwell Smart:

“Missed it . . . by THAT much.”

My official time was 23:24, 17 seconds shy of my PR. The official time for this race was the gun time so a comparable chip time would have been a few seconds faster, but I was lined up fairly close to the start line.

On the positive side – I set a new record for one mile with the first split of the race – 7:16, only to beat it again with the second mile – 7:14.

Oh, and then there is also the small matter of this:

My first age group award! 3rd Place in the 40-44 age division.

I placed 61st overall out of 404 runners with an average pace of 7:33.

So, what could I have changed to improve that time and PR the race. It seems I’m full of excuses.

1.  I didn’t plan to eat or rest well the day before the race. I spent the evening stressed out driving all over town and ate a fast food dinner in my car way too late in the evening.

2.  I didn’t even get in five hours of sleep.

3.  I didn’t get to the race early enough to give myself enough time to properly warm up before the race.

4.  I didn’t familiarize myself with the route and was surprised by a bridge crossing at the 2 mile mark. I wrongly assumed it would be the same course that I ran in a 5k earlier this year because it started at the same place. Even worse, there was a turn around at the bottom of the bridge so there was no time to recover before having to cross it a second time. The two bridge crossings left me spent for the final leg of the race and my pace for the last 1.1 miles slowed to 8:05.

On a flat course with true chip timing, I’m confident I would have PR’d and I would have been damn close to that 7:00 mile I’m hunting.

Front Running Sports did a great job organizing the event.  Despite my whining about the bridge it was a nice route that followed the Cross Seminole Trail through Winter Springs.  They somehow even managed to arrange for the rain to hold off until after the race was over.

I owe many thanks to my daughter, Tori and to Rick from WVR who were able to capture some great photographs and even better, rare video of the elusive Running Bird crossing the finish line (I'll try to embed it here if I can figure out how).  Also congratulations to the other WVR members that gave a strong showing at the race:  Mike (3rd in Age group with 19:59) , Luis, Elizabeth (PR'd), Sandy (PR'd while running with a debilitating injury ;-} ), Claire and Walter.

Today I think I’m suffering from a minor case of DOMS. I didn’t do anything to aid recovery after the race and I think I’m suffering the aftereffects. I need to learn not to take these short races for granted.

Dealing with DOMS

No, not him.

Or those.

Or her either. Now behave!

I’m talking about Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.

I decided to research this subject after being particularly sore and stiff for days after my last long run. I have experienced this often enough and believed it to be a necessary evil that just had to be “toughed out.” The only thing I ever really tried to do to alleviate it was to just keep moving. I found that long periods of inactivity following a hard or long workout seemed to increase the muscle aches and stiffness. Unfortunately for me, my lifestyle does not allow me to avoid long drives or hours spent sitting at a desk.

Here are a few tips I gleaned to help reduce the irksome effects of DOMS:

First, properly warm up before and cool down at the end of a hard or long workout.

Next, mangia! Protein, protein, protein . . . did I mention protein? As soon as possible after the workout consume carbs and protein to both refuel and help heal your muscles. Anti-oxidents are also reputed to aid in the healing of damaged muscles. You could always look to sensible sources for these anti-oxidents, like nuts and berries, but I prefer something a little more satisfying, like dark chocolate, dark beer or red wine - in moderation of course. ;-}

RICE. Rest Ice Compression Elevation. You’re probably tired of hearing it, but it seems to be the answer to nearly every sports related malady.

Finally . . . massage, and I’m not talking about the kind offered by Mistress Fatima Fetish (pictured above). Either a professional sports massage or self massage using tools like The Stick or a foam roller.

Of all of the things I have discussed here, massage is the one that is noticeably absent from my post workout regimen. I intend to rectify that as the end of my marathon training approaches.  Or maybe I'll just see if Ms. Fetish can fit me in to her busy schedule.

For a little more detail, I found this article particularly useful on the subject.

Marathon Training Update

I completed week 10 of my marathon training with 5 workouts totaling 34 miles including a 17.5 mile long run this morning.



This was my first long run since I started suffering ITB issues three weeks ago, although I did run a 15k race last weekend.

The 17 miler was a great -12 mile run. Unfortunately my knee started hurting about half way through, gradually increasing in severity, and I struggled quite a bit during the last 5 miles. The good news is that I finished and that the onset of the pain occurred much later in the run compared to last week. I will call that improvement. I was also running pain free during my shorter workouts during the week.

As much as I hate to, I think I’m going to give up one training day per week, at least until I can complete a long run with out any knee pain. I think a 4 day per week schedule will give me the recovery time I need between runs.

The weather turned really nice in Florida this week. I started the run in the upper 60’s and the humidity was significantly lower. This meant much less sweating, but since I didn’t adjust my hydration, it also meant a few “bio” breaks. Actually, it was more than a few. Actually, it was so many that I lost count. That was probably as much a factor in slowing me down as my knee was.

I was also strangely not hungry after the run. I usually have a voracious appetite after a long run. I made sure to consume plenty of calories though. I made a real pig of myself on Saturday. I had a 5 Guys Bacon Double Cheeseburger for lunch and Olive Garden for dinner, so that might have been a contributing factor to my poor appetite today.

I’m off for another torture session with my foam roller.

You pays your money, you takes your chances

My wallet is a little lighter today because I just registered for the Daytona Beach Half Marathon on Halloween. This will be my second half marathon and with one month left in my marathon training, it will be a good test of how well my marathon training is going.

I ran the Gasparilla Half Marathon in 2:16 in February and I think I have a very good chance of breaking 2:00 for this race.

The course is interesting in that it starts and finishes at the Daytona Speedway. Historically, the route began and ended on the racetrack and included a lap around the 2.5 mile track. Since the track is undergoing repaving the route has been changed for this year. We are still guaranteed a “race track experience” whatever that means. The new route should be made available any day now.

From the speedway we will run to the beach and back, so there will be two bridge crossings near the middle of the race.

I’m back on schedule in my marathon training. I ran this morning for the third day in a row and had no pain in my knee, even when I accelerated to about a 7:40 pace for the last ¾ mile.

My training program originally included three 20 milers, but after the hiccup I experienced over the past few weeks, one of those has been scrubbed. If all goes well I will have 20 milers the weekend before and after this race and then start my taper for Space Coast Marathon on November 28.  Looks like I’ll be carb loading over Thanksgiving. Like I need an excuse. :)

I will rest tomorrow and do 17 miles on Sunday. I must be a little sick in the head because I am really looking forward to this long run.

Miracle Miles 15k Race Report

Anonymous said...
“well, how did it go? How is the knee? Are you back on your marathon schedule?”

I’m thrilled at your interest.

Is it possible to be simultaneously happy and dissatisfied with a race performance? That about sums up my feelings about this race.

I had high expectations looking ahead to the Miracle Miles 15k, right up until the point my knee started to flare up a few weeks ago. I debated not racing at all but days before the race I felt I had made enough progress with my ITBS that I decided to go for it. Whether or not that was a poor decision is yet to be determined.

I finished in 1:30:14, that’s about a 9:42 pace. I placed 656 out of 1715 and 68 out of 118 in my division.

I know that is much slower than I am capable of and my time relative to the field is much slower than I have been doing in recent races. In that respect, I was disappointed in my performance.

On the other hand, my knee flared up significantly during the run. Dealing with the pain, which included stopping twice, and still managing a 9:42 pace made me pretty happy.

The first three miles went fairly well. It was about 75 degrees at the race start and was lightly drizzling. I planned in advance not to push myself too hard this race so I lined up just ahead of the 9 minute mile pace signs. On my training runs over the past week I had been able to run at about that pace and manage my knee. I figured if the race went well I would be able to pick up my pace for the last few miles.

Mile one went well and I reached the first mile marker at 9:27, a little slower than I would have liked but it was pretty crowded. I finished the second mile in 9:24 and by then an ache had settled into my knee. It wasn’t bad, but I knew it was only going to get worse. I resolved to just maintain that pace and finished the next mile in 9:31.

By the time I hit the midpoint, that ache turned to pain. I stopped twice in the middle third of the race to try to stretch my ITB in the hopes that it would relieve some of the pain. It did, but only temporarily. My splits for that portion of the race were 9:35, 10:16, 10:01.

I don’t know if it was endorphins or thanks to my never ending struggle to find the right stride to stop the pain, but miles 7 and 8 were virtually pain free and I was able to pick my pace back up, 10:35 (which included my last attempt to stretch just after the 6th mile water stop) and 9:25.

I continued accelerating through the ninth mile and I reached the last mile marker in 9:08, my fastest split all morning, and I wasn’t even breathing hard. Unfortunately, the road surface also changed from asphalt to brick at that point. I noticed a lot of runners moved to the sidewalk to avoid the miserable surface. I elected to stay put and avoid the crowd. I maintained my pace, but the pain returned with a vengeance. I was able to keep that pace through the finish and crossed the finish line at 1:30:14.

My knee was pretty sore for the rest of the weekend, but it’s been getting better with each day. I’ve been icing it and using my foam roller every day. The pain has diminished to about the point it was in the days leading up to the race, but I have yet to test it again except for a slow, easy 3 miler on Monday. I’m hoping to run my first “real” long run in the three weeks on Sunday, 17 miles. If I can make it through that, then all is well.

The race lived up to my expectations in just about every other respect. Logistically it was one of the most organized events I have run. There was one too many water stations. The last one was less than a mile from the finish and I had no interest in slowing to drink at that point. Some of the volunteers were a little overzealous, crowding the course from both sides.

This race benefits the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Arnold Palmer Hospital so there was a lot of local corporate support, including to my great pleasure, some of the best local restaurants in town. The post race feast was incredible. In addition to the traditional bananas, orange slices, water and powerade there were such treats as mushroom stuffed ravioli with a lobster cream sauce and prime rib sliders. Not to mention sweets like ice cream, smoothies and popsicles.  I ate to my heart's content.

WVR had 36 runners in this race making it the best attended event since I joined the club. It felt great to be a part of that.

Would I do it again? Definitely!

T-Shirt Addict

Another race

another trip to Track Shack

 

and another t-shirt.

Don’t say it. I know, I promised to rest this week, but I’ve been looking forward to this 15k for months. It’s one of the most popular races in Orlando and WVR has nearly 40 runners entered. I was hugely disappointed at the thought of pulling out.

The foam roller appears to be working on my ITB and knee, although I think I bruised my thigh using it. I felt good enough to run 7 miles Wednesday and another 4 today. I got through both runs with very little discomfort so I decided to go for it and registered for the race at the last minute.

My plan is to hold back just a little. I want to use the race to test my marathon pace goal and if the first 6 miles go well then I’ll try to pick it up for the last third of the race. This is my first 15k so I’ll be guaranteed a PR.

If I start whining about being hurt next week then you can all post “I told you so” comments.

You all probably think I’ve developed an addiction to running, but you’re wrong. I only do it for the shirts.

Denial is not just a river in Egypt

I appreciate all of the supportive comments, over the past few days as well as the ones pointing out my obvious training errors. Yes, I admit I have probably been overtraining. I’ve been racking up the miles for marathon training while simultaneously training to PR 5k’s. But I preferred to live in a state of denial about it. So, I promise, no more 5k’s for a while. Just don’t ask me to define what I mean by “a while.” ;-}

I have good news though, thanks to this simple, yet miraculous, device - a foam roller.

My knee pain was likely caused by Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS) and is already much improved today. The picture makes using the roller look simple enough, but don’t be deceived. Using it felt a bit like medieval torture on par with the rack.

I’ll also credit stretching, a much reduced training schedule, ice and Motrin as instrumental in my rehab. I learned a great ITB stretch from club members of WVR. It’s a bit hard to describe, so I’ll try to find some pictures within the next few days to illustrate it.

It’s probably premature to say I’ve put the problem behind me, but I felt well enough today to finish 7.5 miles. The first 6 miles of it were pain free. During the last 1.5 miles I had just a dull ache in the knee, probably 3-4 on a scale of 10, but not enough to force me to stop.

I’ve been despairing the past few days about how long it has been taking to resolve this pain. Now I have hope again.

Back to Basics

I think I have allowed my running form to get sloppy over the past few months and that may be partly to blame for the knee pain I have been suffering from for the past week.

The knee is improving. I ran in a 3 mile “fun run” sponsored by Front Running Sports to celebrate their anniversary on Saturday. Most of the run was pain free and when the pain did start to emerge I was able to control it by focusing on my form, particularly shortening my stride and increasing the turnover. That worked well and I was able to keep the pain in check.

I employed the same strategy this morning for a 4 mile run and didn’t experience any pain during the run, although I could tell that my knee still did not feel “right.” Unfortunately, after the run I had some fairly intense sharp pain when I attempted a quads stretch that severely bends the knee.

I’ve got the photographic evidence of my sloppy form right here from a 5k earlier this month.

You can see the obvious over striding and heel striking. I made excuses for this picture because it was right at the finish line and I was in the midst of my finishing kick.


However in this picture from the fun run on Saturday, you can see the same over striding and heel striking, although not quite as pronounced. There were no excuses this time, this photo was taken at the very beginning of the run.

Just for kicks, here’s my finishing photo from Saturday.  It’s too bad this was just a fun run with no official time. The field was so small I might have had a shot at an age group medal.

My plan over the next few weeks is to focus on the Chi Running basics and see if I can get back to pain free running. I’m even considering some barefoot running to jump start the correction.

I’ll keep you posted.