Training for a Belt Buckle

I did some long slow walking today.  It felt good to be moving.

Just to provide some starting history (more to follow)....

A year or so ago I decided to try and become a 'runner' instead of a walker who occasionally runs.  I have never had speed, but hoped to get faster as I got more comfortable with running.  In 2006 I went through a divorce and my daughter got married and moved to Italy.  Living alone was quite an adjustment (my son was staying with his father then) and I put on quite a bit of weight dealing with depression and eating out all the time.

In 2007, I was some pictures of myself after running the Ogden Marathon and realized I was actually overweight and needed to do something about it. In July, I joined a personal training gym.  I was at 34% bodyfat and 170 pounds.  I thought I was used to working hard, but found out that I was just used to training a lot and not working to my potential (I'm still working on that). I didn't notice much difference after 1 week of training when I did the Deseret News Marathon, but in the end of August ran the Park City Marathon with my running buddy, Leslie.  My goal was to try and run 100 steps, walk 100 steps the entire race - my longest distance doing this before was about 14 miles.  Not only did I accomplish that (including some killer uphills), but about mile 20 I got a second wind and started pushing harder. When I finished, I had lots of energy left and realized the training was paying off.

The first week in October was the St. George Marathon.  My previous marathon best was 5 hours 47 minutes and I wanted to PR the race and break 5:40.  My dream marathon race back then was a 5:30.  Well, I battled food poisoning the entire race and spent a lot of time in the portapotties, but ended up finishing in 5:24 and was so proud of myself. 

I am back to exercising now.  I took 3 weeks off to recover from some major surgery and have been given the go ahead to exercise as long as I don't overdo it (which is hard for me to judge).

Tonight I went to the gym and did an hour of lower body weights.  Then I did a slow 1 mile on the treadmill. It felt good to be running again.  I felt like I needed a girdle because my insides were a bit tender - but am proud to have gotten in a good workout.

I am hoping the three week layoff provided my legs a long needed recovery from the past 4 years of marathons and constant training.

Today I got up early and headed to Wolf Mountain for the first in a series of Xterra races put on by Striders.  The race director, another injured runner and myself hitched a ride up the mountain on a 4 wheel drive cart and set up the aid station. It was available at 2 miles and again at 5.25 miles. The race was a 10K.  The weather was cool and overcast with occasional rain.  The course was very muddy.  We were setup at the bottom of 1 mile of downhill switchbacks and the runners had to make a sharp right at the bottom without crashing into us - which was fun in the mud.

After most of the runners had passed us twice, I volunteered to police the first two miles of the course in reverse and pick up the course markers.  I didn't realize the first mile was literally uphill, but walked it slowly and felt pretty good. I ran the last mile (slowly) downhill and overall felt pretty good.  My arms were tired from carrying all the stakes and clothes I found along the way.

I talked to the race directors and am going to be the sweeper/course cleanup on the remaining races. They will provide me a backpack to load the stakes into which will help.  That way I can get some trail runs in without paying race fees or worrying about going fast as I continue to recover.  My friend Leslie might come along and help me with my duties.

Went to the track this afternoon to do some training since I never know when I will get tired right now.

My goal was to do 3 miles, alternating walking one lap with running one lap.  After 2 miles I could feel my incisions pulling and slowed the last mile down even more alternating every half lap.  Finished with two slow laps of walking.

I spent about 20-30 minutes stretching.  I have not focussed on that as much as I should, so am going to stretch really good after training and use my styrofoam roller, The Stick and a lacrosse ball to make sure I get all the knots out each day.

Walked to the gym after work and did an hour of chest, shoulder and back weights.  Dropped all my weights by 20 pounds and none of them felt forced.

Rode the recumbant stationary bike for 25 minutes at an easy pace.  As soon as I felt my stomach pulling, I quit and walked home.

(Note to self:  Next time a trainer asks if you can spot him on 200 pounds worth of dumbell presses - get one of the guys to help instead).

Took a rest day yesterday to let my recovery continue from surgery.

Today marks 4 weeks since my operation.  After work I went to Lifelong Fitness and did an hour of leg weights and then ran 2 miles on the treadmill at 12 min mile pace.  No stomach pain today - but I stopped anyway.

Walked 3.5 slow miles tonight up towards Hill Air Force Base.  I'm sure liking the nicer weather.  The rain was kind of getting me down.

Did chest/shoulders/back for an hour tonight (plus core and some simple abs).  Then I ran 30 minutes on the treadmill (2.5 miles).  Walked around my apartment complex between stretching to get my mileage up.

I found out today that in exchange for helping keep the pool maintained at the townhouse I am buying, I will be able to open the pool as early as I want - so I could start doing early morning swims.  Maybe I might be able to do triathlons next year after all.

Pant, pant, pant...... I took a break after 8 hours of working (I need to put a few more in now) and went over to the paths at Wheeler Farm.  I haven't been there since running a 5K with Leslie last November.  It was nice to get outside, but it sure is hot. I really needed a drink by the time I got back to work.

Went to the gym and did upper body weights for an hour.  Then I walked up to Hill Air Force Base, down to the Clearfield Canal Trail (its short - but a nice break from roads) and then back home.

I think I did 7 miles tonight - about 2/3 of it running.  I didn't take a watch - but was out for 1 hr 45 minutes.  It felt good to be running and moving.  I listened to a couple of the Trails and Tribulations podcasts while I was out and started thinking about the 50 mile road ultra I am planning for October.

I think after the Park City Marathon - I will try and do another half marathon that afternoon on the Jordan River Parkway and 15 miles the next day. 

Leslie - we should do the Rail Trail for a loooooong time the last weekend in August.... I head to Europe after that, so will only be doing shorter runs while I am gone there.

I walked to the gym tonight and did an hour of chest/shoulders/back lifting.  After that I walked home and then over to Northridge High School's track. I ran a mile on the track barefoot - alternating between the track itself and the grass.  Then I did another lap working on sideways and backwords motion for balance and then ran the bleachers for a while.

I think I am about 90-95% recovered from the surgery and am feeling really good and excited to get back to the trails.  I have my running gear all packed for a trail run tomorrow afternoon with Leslie on the Cottonwood Canyon Trail.  I think the rest I was forced to do after the surgery helped refresh me both physically and mentally.

And now - off to bed to read my latest copy of Trail Runner magazine that came in the mail today.

Picked up Les after work and we did the 6 miles of the Cottonwood Trail together.  We hiked the 3 miles uphill and visited as we ran.  It took a little over an hour to get up.  Then, we ran down and finished the entire run in 1:35. 

It felt so good to be back on trails and running again.  I was really 'hungry' after my forced layoff and today felt absolutely wonderful.  These are the kind of days that make the drudgery training days all worthwhile.  Lots of sun (ok  - it was a little bit hot), good friend, good trail, ice water, a beautiful stream to run by and not a lot of road noise.

Thanks, Leslie! (I did get my snowcone - and didn't have to wait).

Went to the gym tonight and did an hour of lower body weights.  I am within about 10 pounds of my pre surgery weights on each of the different exercises - so strength is quickly returning.

I also stopped by Striders and bought some new trail running shoes.  I then walked around the area and worked on breaking them in.

I wasn't really planning on running today, but finished reading Trail Runner magazine and couldn't help but feel encouraged to get out and do one of my usual runs. 

I picked up Les at 3 p.m. and we headed up to the Cottonwood Canyon trail.  It was pretty hot out, so we hiked up - but tried to run anywhere the trail was reasonably level or only a slight uphill grade.  Leslie always finds someone she knows on runs, so she spent some time at the turnaround visiting.

When we headed down, Les was being conservative and I was bombing the trails at a pretty good clip for me.  After about a mile on the downhill, I started to get what I thought was a sidestitch.  I tried to run through the pain for the next mile and a half - at which point Leslie caught up to me.  Right around then, a lightbulb appeared in a circle above my head and I realized that what I thought was a sidestitch was my body telling me that I had overdone it from the surgery.  I walked the remaining mile or so in, holding my ribcage with as much pressure as I could to relieve the pain and discomfort.

It was a great run - right until the point it got miserable. :)  But, I'm glad I did it.  I will go to bed early to rest before I head up to sweep at Snowbird tomorrow morning.

I went up to Snowbird this morning to help Striders out with their Xterra trail series race.  The race started at 8 a.m. and I started a few seconds later. I was the sweeper on the race - which means I was actually supposed to be the last place person.

Being last was a 'no pressure' situation - which is good since I overdid it yesterday and am still recuperating.

I carried a backpack and walkie talkie and was supposed to pick up signs and tape as I 'swept' the course. This slowed me down a little bit - but gave me a better workout.

The course was beautiful.  Lots of water and mud and snow to run through.  It was a tough uphill course in sections but the singletrack was nice. I talked the last place finisher in when he was struggling on the longest uphill section. It was his first race ever. He felt better when I told him it was one of the harder courses I had ever run.

I helped take down the race gear afterwards and was rewarded with a huge box of Tasty's donuts to feed my bottomless pit of a son.

Rest day yesterday (if you call packing 'resting').

Tonight I went to the gym and did an hour of chest/shoulders/back/core.  Then - on to the treadmill.

1 mile warmup.

4 x 1/4 mile repeats (6.0, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3 mph) with 1/10 mile rests.

1 mile cooldown.

I also went back to Weight Watchers and weighed in tonight (of course, I kind of cheated since I didn't hydrate while running or afterwards) and was down 4.2 lbs from where I was the last time I went in February. I am still 5 pounds above where I would like to be by St. George - but know that my diet was pretty bad since the surgery until yesterday - so am focussing again.