Weekly Recap-Week 6 Spring Training Season Week

Sunday

Walk / Jog 6

Saturday

Walk / Jog 7

Friday

Walk / Jog 6

Thursday

Off

Wednesday
Off-Travel Back to USA
 

Tuesday

Off-Travel Back to USA

Monday

Off-In Oman

Weekly Recap-Week 5 Spring Training Season Week

Sunday

 Off-Traveling to Oman

Saturday

Walk / Jog 5 on hotel Treadmill

Friday
Walk / Jog 5 on hotel Treadmill

Thursday

Off-Late Work

Wednesday
Off-Late Work

Tuesday

Off-Late Work

Monday

Walked / Jog 6 on hotel treadmill

Weekly Recap-Week 4 Spring Training Season Week

Sunday

Off-work

Saturday

Walked / Jog 6 on hotel treadmill

Friday

Off-In Dubai

Thursday

Off-In Dubai

Wednesday

Off-In Dubai

Tuesday

Off-In Dubai

Monday

Off-In Dubai

Weekly Recap-Week 3 Spring Training Season Week

Sunday

Off-Taveling to Dubai

Saturday

Off-Taveling to Dubai

 

Friday

walk / jog 5

Thursday

walk / jog 5

Wednesday

walk / jog 5 

Tuesday

Off

Monday

Off

Weekly Recap-Week 2 Spring Training Season Week

Sunday

Off
 

Saturday
Walked / jogged 9 in two sets

 

Friday

Tried to run 4, quite after 2

Thursday

Walk / Job 3

Wednesday

Walk / Job 4

 

Tuesday

Off

Monday

Off

Weekly Recap-Week 1 Spring Training Season Week

Sunday

Slow 4, walked 1 more in morning. 

Walk / jogged 3 at night. 

Saturday

5k with Cate in am. 

Walked 3 with Juliet in afternoon, then did walk/ jog 2 more on mill

Friday
 Walk / jog 5

Thursday

Off-out of country. 

Wednesday

 Off-out of country. 

Tuesday

 Off-out of country. 

Monday

 Off-out of country. 

Weekly Recap-Week 20 Fall Training Season Week

Sunday

Walk, mostly jog 4. 

Saturday

Walk / jog 4

 

Friday

Walk / jog 3

Thursday

Off

Wednesday

Walk / jog 4

Tuesday

Off

Monday

3 on mill, walked one more. 

Weekly Recap-Week 19 Fall Training Season Week

Sunday

Saturday

Ran 5k with Cate in am.  Jogged:/walked another 5k later

Friday

Off

Thursday

Walk / jog for 35 minute 

Wednesday

Off-lots of work

Tuesday

Off-lots of work

Monday

Off-lots of work

Weekly Recap-Week 18 Fall Training Season Week

Sunday

Off

Saturday

Walked / jogged 5 outside. 

Friday

Off

Thursday

Off

Wednesday

Hit pavement for slow 4

Tuesday

Off

Monday

Hit pavement for slow 4

Weekly Recap-Week 17 Fall Training Season Week

Sunday

Off

Saturday

Off

Friday

Off

Thursday

Jog / walk 3

Wednesday

Off

Tuesday

Off

Monday

Hit pavement for slow 4

Weekly Recap-Week 16 Fall Training Season Week

Sunday

Hit pavement for slow 4

Saturday

Walk / jog 3

Friday

Walk / jog 3

Thursday
Off

Wednesday
Off

Tuesday
Off

Monday
Off

Weekly Recap-Week 15 Fall Training Season Week

Sunday

Slow 5k on mill, walked a couple more. 

Saturday

Off-leaving UK to USA

Friday

Off-Fly back to USA via one day stop in UK

Thursday
Off-In Dubai. No running shoes.

Wednesday
Off-In Dubai. No running shoes.

Tuesday
Off-In Dubai. No running shoes.

Monday
Off-In Dubai. No running shoes.

Weekly Recap-Week 14 Fall Training Season Week

Sunday

Off-In Dubai. No running shoes.

Saturday

Off-In Dubai. No running shoes.

Friday

Off-In Dubai. No running shoes.

Thursday
Off-In Dubai. No running shoes.

Wednesday
Off-In Dubai. No running shoes.

Tuesday
Off-In Dubai. No running shoes.

Monday
Off-In Dubai.  No running shoes.

Weekly Recap-Week 13 Fall Training Season Week

Sunday

Off-headed to Dubai. 

Saturday

Off-in UK. Really bad lower back pain. 

Friday

Off-in UK. Really bad lower back pain. 

Thursday

Off-in UK. Really bad lower back pain. 

Wednesday

Off-in UK

Tuesday

Off-in UK

Monday
Off-in UK

Weekly Recap-Week 12 Fall Training Season Week

Sunday
Off-in UK

Saturday

Off-in UK

Friday

Off-in UK

Thursday
Off-Traveling to UK

Wednesday
Off

Tuesday
Off

Monday
Real knot in my calf all day.  But weather so perfect, cool and crisp, I had to try.  After half mile, knot abated, and I finished a good 4.  After shower, could barely walk again, calf all knotted up.

Weekly Recap-Week 11 Fall Training Season

Sunday
Decent 4 in am. Hit pavement for 4 more at night.

Saturday

Slow 7, walked 1 more

Friday

Off

Thursday
Off

Wednesday
Off

Tuesday
Off

Monday
Hit pavement for 4.  Weather still cool.

A friend asked about me about plantars fasciitis

Yep, had planters and it was awful. 

 

Everyone has their solution:

 

The Strapped Boot

 

The foot Rockers

 

 

Rolling foot over golfball, rolling foot over cold can of peas, etc, etc.

 

I tried them all, and only had a little success with the strapped boot.  Then I order this book:

 

http://www.amazon.com/5-Minute-Plantar-Fasciitis-Solution/dp/1598585517/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1387303212&sr=1-2&keywords=planters+fasciitis

 

It is 100 pages or so, but only has one recommendation:

 

1)      Sit down and cross your legs by placing your angle of one leg on the knee of the other.
2)      With palm of your hand, grab the ball of your foot AND YOUR TOES, EXPECIALLY your toes and pull them in toward your shin firmly.

a.       Like you are trying to touch the top of your foot with the top of your toes.

3)      Hold 10 seconds and release.
4)      Repeat 10 times.
5)      Do 3 times a day

 

 

 

In essence, stretch the sole of your foot by pulling your toes (which is connected to your fasciitis) into your shin.

 

It worked!!!  But then I got tired of the 30 X 10 second repetitions every day.   Then it dawned on me, I could use a ACE bandage wrap, and loop it around my calf, ball of foot, and toes to pull my toes into my shin.  Then leave it like that for 10 minutes. Do 2-3 times a day.

 

Still works for me.

 

But the key is toes into shin!!  Many think you just need to pull the ball of your foot into shin, like so.

 

That is part of it, but not enough.  The actual toes have to be pulled in firmly toward your shin.  Believe me, you will feel the stretch when you get both the ball of your foot and toes pulled in.

 

 

Weekly Recap-Fall Training Season Week 10

Sunday
Quick4

Saturday
Off-out of town

Friday
Off-out of town

Thursday
Standard 4 on mill

Wednesday
Slow six while J was in dance class. Saratoga to Everhart to Oso To Staples, and back

Tuesday
Off

Monday
Cold and wet out. Hit pavement for 4. Felt great out there.

Weekly Recap-Fall Training Season Week 9

Sunday
Off-worked all day

Saturday
Ran 5k with Cate in the morning

Friday
Solid 4 with good incline

Thursday
Hit payment for 5

Wednesday
Slow 4. Walked 1 more

Tuesday
Off

Monday

Hit pavement for easy four

Weekly Recap-Fall Training Season Week 8

Sunday
Walk / jog 7

Saturday
Off-hamstrings tight.

Friday
Good 4, walked 1 more. Walked jogged 5 in afternoon.

Thursday
4 mile turkey chase with girls in am. Walked / jog another 5 in late afternoon.

Wednesday
Off-traveling back to states

Tuesday
Off-Returning to states

Monday

Off in Oman

Weekly Recap-Fall Training Season Week 7

Sunday
Off-in Oman

Saturday
Easy 4. Walk / jog another 3 with J

Friday
5 , walked one more

Thursday
Off-lots of work

Wednesday
Hit pavement for 5 while J at dance. Weather perfect. Cold dry air.

Tuesday
Off

Monday

Hit pavement for four

Weekly Recap-Fall Training Season Week 6

Sunday
Jog 5. Walked / jog another 3 with J

Saturday
Off

Friday
Off

Thursday
Off

Wednesday
Off

Tuesday
Off

Monday
Jogged slow 4, walked one more
 

Weekly Recap-Fall Training Season Week 5

Sunday
Walk / jog 4

Saturday
Off-jogged 2 with J

Friday
Off

Thursday
Off

Wednesday
Off-traveling to USA

Tuesday
Off- in Dubai

Monday

Off- in Dubai

Weekly Recap-Fall Training Season Week 4

Sunday
Off- in Dubai

Saturday
Off- in Dubai

Friday
Off- in Dubai

Thursday
Off- in Dubai

Wednesday
Off-in Oman

Tuesday
Off-in Oman

Monday

Off-in Oman

Weekly Recap-Fall Training Season Week 3

Sunday
Off-Headed to Oman

Saturday
In Dubai, walked 4.

Friday
Off-traveling over seas

Thursday
Off-traveling over seas

Wednesday
Off-traveling over seas

Tuesday
Off-traveling over seas

Monday
Off-traveling over seas

Weekly Recap-Fall Training Season Week 2

Sunday
Good 4

Saturday
Slow 8

Friday
Slow 5

Thursday
Off

Wednesday
4 around county club when J was at dance.

Tuesday
Slow 9, walk one more

Monday

Off

Weekly Recap-Fall Training Season Week 1

Sunday
Jog slow 5

Saturday
5k in morning with girls. Jog slow 5 at night

Friday
Walk 6

Thursday
Jog 4 slow, walk 1

Wednesday
Fast 4, walk 1

Tuesday
Slow 5. Walked one more.

Monday
Strong 4. Walked 2 more
 

Weekly Recap-1 Weeks Until Fall Running Season Starts

Sunday
Slow 5, walked 2 more.

Saturday
Decent 7

Friday
Off

Thursday
slow 4

Wednesday
Fairly good 5

Tuesday
Off

Monday
Slow4

Weekly Recap-2 Weeks Until Fall Running Season Starts

Sunday
Slow 4

Saturday
Hit pavement for 3

Friday
Slow 4

Thursday
Slow 4

Wednesday
Jogged slow 5, walks 1 more

Tuesday
Off

Monday
Jogged 4, walked 2

Weekly Recap-3 Weeks Until Fall Running Season Starts

Sunday
Jogged 4, walked 1

Saturday
Off

Friday
Walk / run5

Thursday
Walk / run 4

Wednesday
Off

Tuesday
Off

Monday
Walked 3

Weekly Recap-4 Weeks Until Fall Running Season Starts

Sunday

Saturday
Walk / jog 6

Friday
Off

Thursday
Off

Wednesday
Walk / jog 4

Tuesday
Walk / jog 4

Monday
Off
 

Weekly Recap-5 Weeks Until Fall Running Season Starts

Sunday

Saturday
Walk / jog 6

Friday
Walk / jog 6

Thursday
Off lots of work

Wednesday
Off lots of work

Tuesday
Off

Monday
Off

 

Weekly Recap-6 Weeks Until Fall Running Season Starts

Sunday
Walk / jog four

Saturday
Walk / job 5

Friday
Walk  / job 5

Thursday
Off-Lots of work

Wednesday
Off-Lots of work

Tuesday
Off-Sick

Monday
Walk / job 5

Sydney M7 Marathon

I've done a couple of marathons Down-under, but haven't had a chance to the M7 in Sydney.  It is a point to point course down the M7 highway.  The 2013 race was last weekend (I was busy having tea at Auntie Lorraine's)

 

I've noted two things about the race, it's a bit hilly and the high number of sub 3:00 finishers every year.

 

https://regonline.activeeurope.com/custImages/270000/276663/COURSE%20ELEVATION.pdf

 

Well, this year there were 215 full marathon finishers, and 20 went sub 3:00.  Possible, or do you think they need to re-measure the course :)

 

Weekly Recap-No Schedule Races (in Dubai all week)

Sunday
Lots of work. Off all week

Saturday
Lots of work. Off all week

Friday
Lots of work. Off all week

Thursday
Lots of work. Off all week

Wednesday
Lots of work. Off all week

Tuesday
Lots of work. Off all week

Monday

Lots of work. Off all week

Weekly Recap-In Limbo, No Planned Races

Sunday.
Off lots of work

Saturday
Walked 5.

Friday
Off Traveling to Dubai

Thursday..
Off Traveling to Canberra

Wednesday.
Off Traveling to Canberra

Tuesday.
Off Traveling to Canberra

Monday
Off Traveling to Canberra

Limbo-No Scheduled Races

Sunday.
Off

Saturday.
Walked / jogged 3 with girls

Friday
Walked / jogged 3 with girls

Thursday.
Walked / jogged 3 with girls

Wednesday.
Walked / jogged 4 around Iron Cove with girls

Tuesday.
Walked 3 with Girls

Monday
Off-Flew into Sydney

Good Running Weather

Limbo-No Scheduled Races

Sunday.
Off-Leaving for 10 days in Sydney.

Saturday.
Off-Lots of work and still in Dubai

Friday
Off-Lots of work and still in Dubai

Thursday.
Off-Lots of work and still in Dubai

Wednesday.
Off-Lots of work and still in Dubai

Tuesday.
Walked / jogged 5.  Really hot

Monday
Off-Lots of work

Limbo-No Scheduled Races

Sunday.
Off-In Dubai all week

Saturday.
Wallked / Jogged 5.

Friday
Wallked / Jogged 5.

Thursday.
Wallked / Jogged 5.

Wednesday.
Jogged slow 3, walked 2 more

Tuesday.
Off-In Dubai. Busy with work, temperatures too hot.

Monday
Off-In Dubai. Busy with work, temperatures too hot.

Limbo-No Scheduled Races

Sunday.
Off-In Dubai. Busy with work, temperatures too hot.

Saturday.
Off-In Dubai. Busy with work, temperatures too hot.

Friday
Walk / jog 5.

Thursday.
Off-In Dubai. Busy with work, temperatures too hot.

Wednesday.
Off-In Dubai. Busy with work, temperatures too hot.

Tuesday.
Off-In Dubai. Busy with work, temperatures too hot.

Monday

Off-In Dubai. Busy with work, temperatures too hot.

Limbo-No Scheduled Races

Sunday.
Off - traveling

Saturday.
Off-traveling

Friday
Off

Thursday.
Off

Wednesday.
Off

Tuesday.
Off

Monday

Off

Limbo-No Schedule Races

Sunday.
Walked 4 / jogged 4

Saturday.p
Off

Friday
Was going for 4 on mill. Quit at 2. Even in mill too hot.

Thursday.
Walk / jog 5

Wednesday.
Walked a few. Gotta start getting serious

Tuesday.
Walked a few

Monday

Walked / jogged 6. Mostly walked

Limbo-No Schedule Races

Sunday.Off

Saturday.
Walked, mostly jogged 9 through day

Friday
Off

Thursday.
Off

Wednesday.
Slow 5, walked 4 more. Nice to slow down. Much easier to trot along but get in miles

Tuesday.
Off

Monday
Off

Limbo-In Dubai Wk #3

Sunday.
Jogged slow 5 on mill. Walked 4 more

Saturday
Back home. Jogged 20 minutes on mill. Getting legs back under me.

Friday
Off-traveling.

Thursday.
Walked 8 on hotel mill.

Wednesday.
Off

Tuesday.
Off

Monday
Off

Limbo- In Dubai Week #2

Sunday.
Walked 5

Saturday
Walked 11

Friday
Off

Thursday.
Walked 6

Wednesday.
Off

Tuesday.
Off

Monday
Off

Limbo-In Dubai Wk 1

Sunday.
Walked / jogged 5. Very hot.

Saturday
Walked 4

Friday
Off

Thursday.
Off

Wednesday.
Walked / jogged five

Tuesday.
Walked four

Monday
Off

Beach To Bay 2013

Beach to Bay Marathon Relay

May 18, 2013

 

To say the weather is hot on Beach to Bay day is more banal then saying water is wet.  It's always hot, the unknown is if it will be miserably hot or dangerously hot.   

 

Frankly, any leg after the first along the beach has the potential to kill you, depending how hard you run it.  This was especially true this year as the temperate would hit a record high, over 90 degrees.

Fortunately, Cate had leg one this year, which she was running for her school's running club team.   She was the only girl on  her team's  "elementary mix" category submission.  Though not as fast as the five boys on her squad, she wasn't far off and she had been improving every race since early April.

 

So Cate was not officially on our "Keeping up the Jones" team, but an honorary member.  Our first leg official runner was Jen, who had also improved significantly this running season.  This is especially impressive since she had ACL surgery last year.

Due to logistics, this meant Juliet would have to run the second leg, one of the most difficult in my opinion.  Not only is it almost five miles, it is on one of the hottest sections of the course.

For our third leg, one of Jen's training partners volunteered.  However, unlike most teams who beg for volunteers, I rarely let anyone who is not ultra fast or family to join our team.   Not because I'm an obsessed about our team time and placing, frankly I couldn't careless.  Rather, because I know most "volunteers" un-volunteer themselves 1-2 days before the race.  However, since Jodi has consistently ran 5ks with Jen this running season, I granted her a dispensation in join our squad.

So the official line up was:

Leg 1:   Cate as our honorary, Jen as our official, David as the pacer.

Leg 2:  Juliet official, David as pacer

Leg 3:  Jodi official, David as pacer

Leg 4-6:  David

We woke at 4:00 am to be on the beach by 5:30 so we could find parking.   After talking with some friends, we made our way to starting chute with the other 2,400 team first leg runners.  I was quite apprehensive about where to place Cate in the chute.  To close to the front, she could easily be trampled by the stampede, but too far back, and her she would get boxed in and lose time for her team.

After assessing the speed of other runners by their "look," I decided to place Cate about 40 feet behind the start-line.  Jen, who had match Juliet up in the leg #2 chute with Cate's team member, returned to find  us among the mass of runners.  At 7:00, the gun fired and we were off.  

Cate, to my great surprise, followed my coaching advice from the start.  I thought she would bolt out like a sub 3:00 marathoner.  Instead, she eased out nice and controlled knowing it would be a quarter mile before the congestion cleared..

After a half mile in, we hit the beach headed south.   We found a nice stretch of packed sand and Cate settled into nice 10:00 /mile pace.  At mile 1, I heard Jen behind us.   This was a bit of a surprise as Jen hasn't been quite as fast as the girls since they were six.  We all three fell into sync as we made our way past the turn-around and begin the north bound stretch back to Bob Hall pier.

About two miles in, Cate started to slow a little as the sand began to wear on her stride.  To push her on, I coached her to run strides of one minute on and one minute off, which I timed on my watch for her.  This worked great and she held pace.  By mile three, Cate, Jen, and I were all side by side.

Cate's breathing was not over-labored and I knew that she could push a little harder to the finish.    I picked up our tempo a tad with a half mile remaining.   Cate pushed all the way into the finish of the 3.41 mile leg, entered the chute at 34:50, and handed off to her team mate.

Juliet was standing right there to start our second leg.  She and I waited about a minute as Jen came into chute.  Juliet grabbed the baton and took off.  After about 100 yards on the beach, we turned right and hit the paved access road headed toward the highway.

After a quarter mile, I pulled her back.  It's quite amazing how the temperate seems to jump 10 degrees once you get off the windy beach.  This is why I think leg two is so difficult.  Just about all 4.7 miles are headed south with the wind, which actually makes it feel hotter.  Additionally, only one lane of traffic is closed so runners have run along side the slow parade of cars creeping along in the opposite direction.

I didn't think there was anyway Juliet could run in this heat for the full five miles.  I told her to make to the 5k mark, and we would gauge it from there.  Just short of the three mile mark, Juliet said she needed to walk and catch her breath.  I agreed that was the wise choice.

After walking about a minute, she impressed me by her course awareness.  She  spotted a red-roofed building about a quarter mile off.  "Dad, let's run to that building."   We did this the next two miles.  Juliet would run until she could't catch her breath, and then walk until she spotted a land-mark to shoot for.

After 52 minutes in the now increasing sun intensity, Juliet and I made it under the bridge and handed off to Jodi.   Jodi and I began leg three straight up the causeway bridge.

Once over the top, Jodi settled into a nice 9:30 pace all the way until mile 3.  Similar to Juliet, Jodi found it hard to breathe in the heat and humidity.  We paused and walked for about one minute.  Back on pace, I gave Jodi a course break-down to the Naval base exchange point.  Knowing the turns and dips ahead of time helped Jodi visualize herself into the finish and she held pace all the way through the 4.37 mile leg.

She handed the baton to me and I would have to take it the remaining 14 miles to the finish.  Given it was hot as hell, I was 20 pounds overweight, and hadn't run farther than seven miles since December, my only goal was to survive through the 4.7 mile Naval Base leg.

I made about 3.5 miles into the Base and finally had to pull up.  It was now about 10:00 and the heat was more than I could handle.  For the next 11 miles I had to walk, jog, and almost crawl to the finish.

At first I would jog a half mile then walk two minutes.  Then it became three minutes of jogging followed by three minutes of walking.  By mile 24, I would jog one minute and walk three. 

Finally, I limped across the finish in 4:52 minutes, our team placing 1336 out of 2446 teams.

Well, like every year, Beach to Bay is a great event but crappy race.  However, this year was especially rewarding as Cate, Juliet, Jen, and I were all able to run together.

 

Juliet at leg two, with Cate's school running team, waiting on Cate to finish leg 1

 

Beach To Bay-Week

Sunday.
Off in Dubai

Saturday
Beach to Bay marathon relay

Friday
Off -taper
Thursday.
Off-taper

Wednesday.
Off-School function

Tuesday.
Off-long day

Monday
Off-14 hour day

Weekly Recap-1 Week Until Beach To Bay

Sunday.
Off

Saturday
Ran 4 miles run with girls on North Beach. About 2 on sand.
VFIT four mile Beach To Bay prep run.

Friday
Hit road for 5. Very slow but in enjoyable

Thursday.
Off- home late.

Wednesday.
Off-too much work

Tuesday.
Off. Long day 14 hrs

Monday
Long 14 hour day. Came home and immediately hit pavement for 5.