Friday, December 28, 2012
MN flight a success!
Monday, December 17, 2012
Knees, shoes, running
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| Swan breaking trail in the ice |
A few frozen days and now the excitement is over. Have been running every other day with a bike on the trainer in between to aid my knee. Started to ramp up my mileage and have felt good in the knee department. The addition of some aggressive massage, lots of stretching and quad/hamstring exercises I'm sure have helped.
Yesterday got out for the first time since Brecon Beacons in the light which was nice. Kind of a crappy day but the temps were great and proved to be a refreshing trail run. Ran under the Severn Valley Railway twice while the train went by and of course didn't have my camera! I think that is the first time I've ran by while the train steamed on by.
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| Duck landing slide marks on the frozen canal, wish I'd witness this one! |
So, knee feels better. Legs have been alright. But still feel a bit tired out there. I think I need to get back into the routine of it all. I've been running in the Puma Faas Trail still and have really enjoyed them despite their minimalist design. I think that the low mileage I'm running at the moment was a perfect time to change to this type of shoe. I'll write more on those after I've got some more miles under them.
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| Brooks Pure Grit - hi-viz yellow! |
Speaking of shoes I randomly enter many odd competitions online for shoes and other running paraphernalia. Today a package from Brooks Running showed up at the door. I hadn't ordered anything and the package had no explanation to it. Just a pair of Brooks Pure Grit shoes! After a bit of research I found out that I had won them in a random competition I had entered online! Pretty cool. I was hoping to get a pair of the Pure Project shoes in the new year through my job but this was great. I was however bummed because I am still fairly new to the Pumas! Really excited about the Grits however, this may be that mental boost I need to get back at the higher mileages too.
Anyway, things are a buzz around here, time is creeping up to our trip to Minnesota to see my family for Christmas. I think the overseas flights will be challenging with a one year old but worth it 100%, patience will be the key as always. We are due up for a break and with snow on the ground it will be all that much more fun. I cannot wait nor can the wife and little one.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Finding time to workout
One big thing I have needed to do in being a stay at home dad and trying to successfully keep fit for running is be flexible. Some of these tips will apply to any working person as well, no matter what your mode of exercise is.
How do you find time to run?
Avoid the internet. So many times I get on my computer and waste an hour. The internet is just as much of a time waster as TV is. Sure I find many articles of interest pertaining to running, read the newspaper, shop for things I don't need. People complain about not having time, well those mornings when I find it tough to motivate and I end up at 6am on my computer on the internet. That was just the time I COULD have been out for a quick easy 30 minutes or maybe even longer.
Run when you can. I try to run in the mornings mainly. My wife is asleep, my one year old asleep, and I can sneak out without messing up the order of the day. Obviously I compromise my sleep some mornings by waking at 5am but it sure is nice to be out when no one else is up. Most people can operate on a little less sleep, it takes a bit to adjust to the early mornings but it works and I find the time that way.
I've considered running on my lunch break as well. I normally have an hour which is more than enough time to get in a few miles and have time to clean up and eat before getting back to work. Have yet to do this because I only work one day a week so I'm not too worried if I run that day or not.
Have alternatives. I've got a treadmill and also a wind trainer. So, if I can't get out in the morning I take the opportunity to run or ride while my daughter is sleeping during the day. I need to be flexible of course here because some days the little one naps for 30 minutes others 2 hours so I never count on getting in a certain time, I just do what I can. In addition we've got a jogging stroller. I don't use this as much as I would like but plan on it more this winter. I need to devise a fender for the front wheel as I run on dirt paths and it kicks up dirt all over the little one whether it's dry or wet! Once I solve that it's go time!
Other things I'll do if I can't get out are body weight exercises. Squats, lunges, push ups, pull ups, etc... The list goes on and on and contrary to what most people may think these are excellent ways to not only keep fit but to injury proof your body. I can do this stuff while I chase my daughter around even, she can even help by providing resistance for squats! Throughout the day I'll get in 100 to 200 reps of a few of these exercises. It all adds up, try it, you will be sore the next day.
Don't let surprise off days or reduced workouts get to you, days off are good for you too and sometimes being forced to take a day off is just what you need.
All in all you DO have time. It's there. A lot of it is motivating and getting away from the things that waste your valuable time. I know many times when I feel like crap, am tired or grumpy a quick workout is all I need to feel better mentally as well. Look at your day. What can you cut out to maximize you time?
How do you find time to run?
Avoid the internet. So many times I get on my computer and waste an hour. The internet is just as much of a time waster as TV is. Sure I find many articles of interest pertaining to running, read the newspaper, shop for things I don't need. People complain about not having time, well those mornings when I find it tough to motivate and I end up at 6am on my computer on the internet. That was just the time I COULD have been out for a quick easy 30 minutes or maybe even longer.
Run when you can. I try to run in the mornings mainly. My wife is asleep, my one year old asleep, and I can sneak out without messing up the order of the day. Obviously I compromise my sleep some mornings by waking at 5am but it sure is nice to be out when no one else is up. Most people can operate on a little less sleep, it takes a bit to adjust to the early mornings but it works and I find the time that way.
I've considered running on my lunch break as well. I normally have an hour which is more than enough time to get in a few miles and have time to clean up and eat before getting back to work. Have yet to do this because I only work one day a week so I'm not too worried if I run that day or not.
Have alternatives. I've got a treadmill and also a wind trainer. So, if I can't get out in the morning I take the opportunity to run or ride while my daughter is sleeping during the day. I need to be flexible of course here because some days the little one naps for 30 minutes others 2 hours so I never count on getting in a certain time, I just do what I can. In addition we've got a jogging stroller. I don't use this as much as I would like but plan on it more this winter. I need to devise a fender for the front wheel as I run on dirt paths and it kicks up dirt all over the little one whether it's dry or wet! Once I solve that it's go time!
Other things I'll do if I can't get out are body weight exercises. Squats, lunges, push ups, pull ups, etc... The list goes on and on and contrary to what most people may think these are excellent ways to not only keep fit but to injury proof your body. I can do this stuff while I chase my daughter around even, she can even help by providing resistance for squats! Throughout the day I'll get in 100 to 200 reps of a few of these exercises. It all adds up, try it, you will be sore the next day.
Don't let surprise off days or reduced workouts get to you, days off are good for you too and sometimes being forced to take a day off is just what you need.
All in all you DO have time. It's there. A lot of it is motivating and getting away from the things that waste your valuable time. I know many times when I feel like crap, am tired or grumpy a quick workout is all I need to feel better mentally as well. Look at your day. What can you cut out to maximize you time?
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Downtime and building back
Slowly heading back into a routine. For the past 5 days or so I've been trying to run and then ride my trainer every other day which has been working out pretty good. My runs have only been a few miles but I want to ease back into it in hopes of my knee getting better which it seems to be doing.
I've been running in the Puma Faas 250 Trail which is a pretty stripped down trail shoe. Not much cushioning, superlight, and it has been fun. I think it would work great for a trail half marathon or less for most people unless you enjoy the minimalist feel. I'd say it's more a fast workout or race shoe. So far so good.
Been trying to be more consistent with the body weight exercises too. More push ups, more pulls ups, squats, lunges, etc.... It's amazing how effective these simple motions can be at building strength. Also have been doing quite a few random quad and hamstring rehab type exercises and stretches to strengthen my knee and keep everything mobile. This seems to be helping my recovery.
Heading to the US for a visit in a few weeks which should be fun. If there is snow I may try to do a nordic ski race! We shall see though, I haven't been on snow in almost two years! I hate reading that. I really miss skiing but running fills that gap just the same. I think I miss the community more than anything.
Alright, kind of a boring post. No cool photos, gear to ponder over, race updates. It is winter though!
I've been running in the Puma Faas 250 Trail which is a pretty stripped down trail shoe. Not much cushioning, superlight, and it has been fun. I think it would work great for a trail half marathon or less for most people unless you enjoy the minimalist feel. I'd say it's more a fast workout or race shoe. So far so good.
Been trying to be more consistent with the body weight exercises too. More push ups, more pulls ups, squats, lunges, etc.... It's amazing how effective these simple motions can be at building strength. Also have been doing quite a few random quad and hamstring rehab type exercises and stretches to strengthen my knee and keep everything mobile. This seems to be helping my recovery.
Heading to the US for a visit in a few weeks which should be fun. If there is snow I may try to do a nordic ski race! We shall see though, I haven't been on snow in almost two years! I hate reading that. I really miss skiing but running fills that gap just the same. I think I miss the community more than anything.
Alright, kind of a boring post. No cool photos, gear to ponder over, race updates. It is winter though!
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Bikes and knees
Well no running yet but I did get on the bike for about a 30 minute spin which was nice. Big surprise, my mood improved as well! So I'll blame the lack of exercise on my poor mood, not my daughter's molars.
Knee felt alright but it still comes and goes. In my research it sounds like the only options I have are to keep up with the stretching and foam rollin'. Then also work on strengthening my hamstrings and quads which will in turn improve the overall knee strength. I've still put off going to the physio to get it checked out.
I did some aggressive massage to the area of injury and I cannot tell if anything improved or not. The point is to break up any scar tissue that may be grinding against other stuff in there which may be the cause of the pain. Whether I'm doing more harm than good has yet to be determined!
Got a knee brace too for when I begin running again, need to get the next size down though. Just a basic neoprene sleeve that should help. I make it out like this is some killer painful debilitating injury, it isn't. It's just enough though to make me worry that it could get worse, but, once again, I DID just run a 46 mile race on it with no problems! I just need to keep up with what I am doing and HTFU!
Oh, so no photos from the race as of yet but since I was on the winning team I got a pair of Mountain King Trail Blaze trekking poles. Pretty cool. Lighter than the Black Diamond equivalent too! Coming from a nordic ski racing background and having logged many a days dryland training with poles I'm curious how these are stiffness-wise. I'll write a little more in them once I receive them.
Still have nothing but good things to say about the Brecon Beacons Ultra put on by Likey's. If you come across this blog definitely check out the products they have to offer and support their business.
Knee felt alright but it still comes and goes. In my research it sounds like the only options I have are to keep up with the stretching and foam rollin'. Then also work on strengthening my hamstrings and quads which will in turn improve the overall knee strength. I've still put off going to the physio to get it checked out.
I did some aggressive massage to the area of injury and I cannot tell if anything improved or not. The point is to break up any scar tissue that may be grinding against other stuff in there which may be the cause of the pain. Whether I'm doing more harm than good has yet to be determined!
Got a knee brace too for when I begin running again, need to get the next size down though. Just a basic neoprene sleeve that should help. I make it out like this is some killer painful debilitating injury, it isn't. It's just enough though to make me worry that it could get worse, but, once again, I DID just run a 46 mile race on it with no problems! I just need to keep up with what I am doing and HTFU!
Oh, so no photos from the race as of yet but since I was on the winning team I got a pair of Mountain King Trail Blaze trekking poles. Pretty cool. Lighter than the Black Diamond equivalent too! Coming from a nordic ski racing background and having logged many a days dryland training with poles I'm curious how these are stiffness-wise. I'll write a little more in them once I receive them.
Still have nothing but good things to say about the Brecon Beacons Ultra put on by Likey's. If you come across this blog definitely check out the products they have to offer and support their business.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Grumpy non-runner
Well I'm not sure how I feel about this "not running" stuff!? I keep wanting to try to blame my grumpiness today on the little one and her new molars that are coming in but I honestly think it's because of no exercise. I have been stretching, massaging, icing, etc. the hell out of my knee to hopefully heal it up but it seems to come and go.
Maybe get on my wind trainer tomorrow for a spin to see how it feel or MAYBE get out for a 3 mile run tomorrow. I got a pair of shoes from work, Puma Faas 250 Trail, I am itchin' to try out too! Post race I just want to get after if but time off is good. There is a cross country race this weekend but with my knee I am hesitant to do any fast racing. Patience.
Maybe get on my wind trainer tomorrow for a spin to see how it feel or MAYBE get out for a 3 mile run tomorrow. I got a pair of shoes from work, Puma Faas 250 Trail, I am itchin' to try out too! Post race I just want to get after if but time off is good. There is a cross country race this weekend but with my knee I am hesitant to do any fast racing. Patience.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Slowly recovering
Alright so after 5 days I'm getting up and down the stairs just fine. A little bit of soreness left over in my quads otherwise I'm doing ok. Thank god for my foam roller though. I had been hesitant to put my body weight on that thing since it can hurt REAL bad but yesterday gave myself two solid rounds of rollin' on my quads, hamstrings, IT bands. Sure felt nice afterwards!
That damn knee injury is still there though. I keep going back and forth about it. I think I need to go to the physio to confirm what is actually wrong with it. I'm kind of thinking it's some odd minor ligament tear now which could be a bad thing. I keep saying "but I did just run 46 miles on it?". For whatever that is worth.
Got my 'cross bike set up on the wind trainer in the spare bedroom again. I figure take a solid week off from everything, then start up a few days per week on the bike and doing strength work. Then after maybe 2 plus weeks start easing into some running. Maybe the knee with fix itself. I'd sure like to get a set in stone training plan going for the next running season and stick to it. I know where my faults are, know the talent I have hidden, now just need to execute the plan.
Not sure if I mentioned this but I signed up for the South Downs Way 50 which is in mid-April 2013. Sounds like a beautiful course starting in Worthing, UK. Where ever the hell that is you say! Well it's pretty much directly south of London on the coast. Also planning on running the Malvern Hills Ultra which is local here, 52 miles and goes off the first weekend in May I believe. I'll have about three weeks between races which should be interesting. Other than those that is it for now. May consider tackling a 100 miler but that all depends on who I've got around to help, we shall see.
Oh, so the Beacons Ultra provisional results came through. I ended up 8th overall in a time of 7:18.30. I was about 10 minutes off of 4th place. I hate that. That is nothing over that distance. Oh well. As I've said I raced about how I should have expected to all things considered (training, knee, etc...). Our team got first however which is cool. Overall a kick ass experience! Sounds like they will have a Flickr account set up with photos so maybe post them up if I find some good ones. Alright, back to stretchin'!
That damn knee injury is still there though. I keep going back and forth about it. I think I need to go to the physio to confirm what is actually wrong with it. I'm kind of thinking it's some odd minor ligament tear now which could be a bad thing. I keep saying "but I did just run 46 miles on it?". For whatever that is worth.
Got my 'cross bike set up on the wind trainer in the spare bedroom again. I figure take a solid week off from everything, then start up a few days per week on the bike and doing strength work. Then after maybe 2 plus weeks start easing into some running. Maybe the knee with fix itself. I'd sure like to get a set in stone training plan going for the next running season and stick to it. I know where my faults are, know the talent I have hidden, now just need to execute the plan.
Not sure if I mentioned this but I signed up for the South Downs Way 50 which is in mid-April 2013. Sounds like a beautiful course starting in Worthing, UK. Where ever the hell that is you say! Well it's pretty much directly south of London on the coast. Also planning on running the Malvern Hills Ultra which is local here, 52 miles and goes off the first weekend in May I believe. I'll have about three weeks between races which should be interesting. Other than those that is it for now. May consider tackling a 100 miler but that all depends on who I've got around to help, we shall see.
Oh, so the Beacons Ultra provisional results came through. I ended up 8th overall in a time of 7:18.30. I was about 10 minutes off of 4th place. I hate that. That is nothing over that distance. Oh well. As I've said I raced about how I should have expected to all things considered (training, knee, etc...). Our team got first however which is cool. Overall a kick ass experience! Sounds like they will have a Flickr account set up with photos so maybe post them up if I find some good ones. Alright, back to stretchin'!
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