6/22-6/28 – A week in Review

Okeeeyyy Dokeeeyyy — Well … this was an … um … week!

On my schedule page, I’ve given each month a general goal and I’ve truly fallen short of them up to this point. In updating, I realized that just before the end of the month, I’ve actually started them! Yippy Skip! The things I do when I’m not paying attention surely astound me!

This week starts a new schedule with the focus on getting the miles together for some long races starting in September. Ok – that sounds great, doesn’t it? That’s the polite way of stating “getting my s#%t together and getting the h#ll out of my own way while putting ME first!!!” Ok – maybe not, but that’s what I’m doing without being mean about it. Will be adding things every week. This week is as simple as possible.

Overall: Reasonably happy. Learning, growing, relaxing, and getting in the sneakers. Always a good thing! Mileage isn’t accurate because missing track workout …

Monday: First appointment with new Chiropractor for evaluation. Brought box of shoes with variety of insoles in them. I’m fairly skeptical with chiropractors and medical professionals mainly because I’m tired of spending money on things which appear to be very logical in the beginning, but are fluff & buff OR hearing how the best course of action isn’t exercise and paying attention to the problem but drugs and surgery or “just deal with it and stop exercising because you’re too old.” Too old my left sock!  Results will be in on Tuesday. Not going to the gym for weights until I’ve been evaluated.

Tuesday:Work, OK. Left early because of interview re: Clear Card issues here. Making up hours through the week. Got me thinking about things for me, etc. A handful of miles outside with Bailey, but not really what I’d call a workout. Overview appointment with Dr. Dokter (sp). It appears I’m ‘fixable’ and my legs are really out of alignment which has me putting more stress on the ligaments and tendons of my knee. This, along with my pronating, is causing me to spend more time on the outside of my right foot and toes which explains the new blistering problem and toe soreness. Dr. Dr. finds the racewalking flier I gave him fascinating and is paying more attention. Was able to print out my schedule for him and he’s got it in the file.  Really hot – did training sweating like a pig on the treadmill.
Knee at level 5 pain; middle of shoulders at level 4.  Miles: 4.70     60 minutes     Treadmill Random Hills

Wednesday: Work allowed for a very explosive Economy track workout. However, I didn’t get a chance to get it off the watch and into my log-book I write my weekly review to DMcG from and will be writing this weekly review from before it was stolen from a friend’s rental car in my gym bag. Ok, I could handle losing the gym bag – I need gym bags like holes in my head … but the watch was a real bummer. I know I stormed through the Economy workout with a full head of steam and a little aggression to deal with. The watch was a spare Garmin 205 … yeah, spare 205. A friend of mine was cleaning out his drawers and he had three 205’s … pardon me? Anyway, he gave me one of his spares to keep in my gym bag … and … now they’re gone. It was in his car, so I’m not concerned … however I would have thought someone who travels as much as he does, he’d remember to close the windows and lock the doors when leaving the car in a parking lot.

Thursday:It’s been entirely too hot in Denver and everywhere. I’m only in the rec center because I’m concerned about the heat and having to work out later. Ok – that’s what I’m saying and I’m sticking with it. I’ve also decided I *hate* cottonwood trees. No … not really. If I have to do treadmill work, I probably warm up better because I work on some exercises using the track. Englewood Rec is really quite nice.
Knee at level 5.5 pain;  Miles: 4.70     60 minutes     Treadmill Random Hills

Friday:Chiroand Housework! Great chat with Dr.Dr. We did the molds for new orthodics (sp. word cookies easier to type!) and it felt a lot … um … different than when I had them done the first time. There is a potential of taking the old ones and re-heating them to mold them for my feet now, but unsure what I want to do at this point. I’m just wanting to get going in the right direction. Left leg was a full inch off the right according to Dr. Dr. and he was able to get me back in line with an ecstatic “Sweeettt!!!” I must admit that it is nice to have a doc who is a little goofy and really enthusiastic. Middle of my shoulders not giving yet, but it’s going to happen. Slammed on time, so ended up back in the Englewood Rec Center this morning. A good thing, actually, because I could point out precisely where it hurt because I was only about 20 minutes off the treadmill when I saw him. He showed me how things worked on a muscle chart — I’ve seen this before, but he was also able to explain why my right foot rolls and hurts. I like he’s taking the time.
Knee at level 6 pain; right foot feeling slightly numb and little toe hurts like crazy.  Miles: 4.70     60 minutes     Treadmill Random Hills

Saturday: Upper d*#m hot – so I decided to really get working on the house, do some homework and go to the track when it cools off in the evening. Set up with a couple of runners to meet for my long day. They’ll be doing about 10 miles more than me, but after having problems last weekend, I’d like to have others out there, even if we’re all spaced out. One has a knee problem they’re just bracing and the other has a foot problem. Neither believe in chiropractic and both have teased me slightly for emptying my schedule and going for miles. Well, it’s great to see folks who live in other states, but I think I’m making the right decision. We’re meeting before they leave. Track was OK. I still feel like I’m loping to the side. Maybe I am, Maybe I’m not. I’ve got to be patient and keep going. Using the Garmin 205 just to keep track of things. Writing down *only* the amount of time per repeat:
To Do: Warm-up followed by 8×400
Lap 1:           2:41     
Lap 2:           2:40     Knee Level 4
Lap 3:           2:56     
Lap 4:           2:48     
Lap 5:           2:48     Knee Level 5; Not able to catch breath comfortably
Lap 6:           2:50   
Lap 7:           2:56    F*#king Cottonwood Trees!
Lap 8:            2:43

Sunday:Ok -had to start after 3 p.m. when it cooled off because friends decided it was too hot to run. Frustrating, but not much I can do. Actually, really got me torqued, but put that energy into cleaning. Walked a new-to-me route and started out in level 5 pain with it jumping up to level 7 just after 10 miles. Nice thing is that calf wasn’t really a player – just the tendon area. Maybe it’s localizing. I’m down with that. Really pissed off with the blistering of the bottom of my right foot. thought I’d collected more blood blisters! Callous on edge of right little toe has a brand new blister under it and can still see the remnant of the blood blister inside. EERRRFFFF!!!!  HOWEVER – I got out there and got going. If I have to pop on flip flops to get down the stairs, so be it! Shoulders came in to the equation this go around. Very hot and needed to tell myself I wasn’t going slowly but was trucking along on an easy day.  EASY Shepard … oh my … maybe I’m going from being a binary On/Off to a rheostat shade of whatever starting to internalize what training is … starting … Used Nathan hydration vest. Will pop a photo in on another entry.
Knee at level 5-7  pain; middle of shoulders at level 7.  Miles: 14 (Lookie DMcG … a full long day workout!)    3:10:00 minutes