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It has been 11 days since I last posted a running update, mostly because of being on vacation last week in Myrtle Beach. I’m not intending to provide a day-by-day breakdown, but simply an overview of the last 11 days of my “Return to Running” program.

Week 8

I was able to get in 4 days of running while at Myrtle Beach, but the heat and humidity caused me to cut several of the runs short. However, I got in at least 35-minutes of uninterrupted running on each of the 4-days, which is the primary goal in the “Return to Running” program. My longest running segment increases by 5-minutes each week. Last Friday I ended up getting in the entire run, and felt very good. In total I got in just under 23-miles for the week.

The only pair of shoes I took with me were the adidas Energy Boost, and I’m pretty sure that I’m done with these as training shoes. I’ve never had achilles / ankle / calf problems as a runner, but have been struggling mightily with these things since starting with the Boost. I’m not sure if it is the increase in heel-to-toe drop over my Kinvara, or something else, but I know that they are not working.

Week 9

I was dealing with some stomach issues earlier this week, so I did not get in my run on Monday. However, I got in a fairly hard 40 minute run late last night, and then another good 7.8-mile effort with Nathan this morning through the streets of Belle Meade (40 / 15 / 10-minute intervals). My body is longing to be done with the “Return to Running” program and be back doing speed and hill work. Once this week is finished, I’ve got one more week to go. Beast Mode is ready to engage!

I’m currently on Week 7 of my “Return to Running” program, which includes:

• 3 to 5-minute walking warmup
• 30-minute run /1-minute walk
• 15-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 10-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 3 to 5+ minute walking cooldown

Tuesday AM Run (Day 44)

I met Nathan at the Bellevue Church of Christ parking lot, and we ran through the streets of Bellevue, and a couple of miles on a stretch of the Harpeth River Greenway that we don’t frequently use. As it stands right now, the Greenway exists in several separate sections, though it is eventually supposed to be all connected. There are three ongoing construction projects that are extending parts of the Greenway, including the section we ran on Tuesday. After about 3 1/4 miles we reached the place where they are working, and actually spent a few minutes talking with one of the workers. The new section will include a hairpin turn that leads to a steep down-hill going closer to the river. As we were talking to the construction guy, he kept saying over and over again “They call this section ‘The Switchback,'” and it was quote obvious that he was proud of that name. Anyway, it will be awesome when all of the sections are finally connected, and we will have access to all those miles of greenway in the Bellevue area.

As for the run, even though the humidity was tough, my legs kept feeling better and better throughout, and this was evident as the average pace of each running segment got progressively faster (8:50, 8:23, 7:53). In total we finished 55 minutes of running and just over 8 minutes of walking for a total of 6.94 miles completed, which was my longest effort since coming back from injury.

• Miles: 6.94
• Time: 1:03:22
• Pace: 9:36
• Shoes: Saucony Kinvara 3 (#7)
• Route: Belle Meade / HR Greenway

Tuesday PM Run (Day 44)

My orthopaedist has talked to me about adding some doubles into my training plan on the day before a rest day, as a way to get in more mileage without sacrificing the extra day of rest I’m planning on taking each week leading up to NYC in November. Well, Tuesday was the first day I gave this somewhat of a try. My daughter Kate and I went out to the White trail in Percy Warner Park for a 2.5-mile run/walk. I knew this would be a very easy effort since Kate would not be able to run the whole way on the hilly terrain. Even though I didn’t keep track of specifically how much time we spent walking vs. running, I would estimate it was about 50/50, and it was a quite enjoyable time spent with my daughter. In total we finished 2.5-miles with a pace of 15:04 per mile.

No running on Wednesday (Day 45) – Scheduled rest day

Thursday Run (Day 46)

Nathan and I met in the parking lot at the Bellevue United Methodist Church, and ran through the surrounding neighborhood, and made a big loop on the HR Greenway. The humidity was crazy intense, and my legs felt pretty trashed throughout. This was one of those runs where I was just glad that I stuck with it until the end, because I absolutely didn’t have it. In total we finished 55 minutes of running and just over 7 minutes of walking for a total of 6.57 miles completed.

• Miles: 6.57
• Time: 1:02:32
• Pace: 9:32
• Shoes: Saucony Kinvara 3 (#8)
• Route: Belle Meade / HR Greenway

Friday Run (Day 47)

I couldn’t get my lazy self out of bed to do a solo run on Friday morning, so I ended getting this one done in the late afternoon. I again started from parking lot of the Bellevue United Methodist Church building, and started out through the surrounding neighborhood. I ended up running an out-and-back on the middle, disconnected section of the HR Greenway, and then another out-and-back on the initial section by Ensworth High School. The humidity  was nasty, and storms were threatening, but this was by far the best I’ve felt from start to finish on any run since coming back from injury, and I actually wanted to keep going when it was time to stop on the last interval. During the last interval, I passed by the spot where they are expanding the initial section of the HR Greenway. There is a Danger…Construction sign at the start of this expansion, but it was obvious that it was now paved. I decided to ignore the sign, and ended up running the entire length of the new section, which unfortunately comes to an abrupt dead-end, with no option but to turn around and come back. I was hoping this new extension would connect with the middle section that was finished last year, but it looks like we’re going to have to wait a while longer for that. Anyway, In total I finished 55 minutes of running and just over 12 minutes of walking for a total of 7.42 miles completed, which was my longest effort since coming back from injury.

• Miles: 7.42
• Time: 1:07:19
• Pace: 9:05
• Shoes: adidas Energy Boost (#8)
• Route: Belle Meade / HR Greenway

No running on Today (Day 48) – Travel day for vacation

A New Threshold

Even though I only ran 4 days this week, it was still my first time to cross the 30-mile threshold for weekly mileage since coming back from injury. Feels good to be building back up:

Cross-Training

• None – Gotta do better on this front.

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Today’s Run (Day 43)

After a schedule rest day yesterday (Day 42), today I started Week 7 of my “Return to Running” program, which includes:

• 3 to 5-minute walking warmup
• 30-minute run /1-minute walk
• 15-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 10-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 3 to 5+ minute walking cooldown

I met Nathan in Percy Warner Park near the Iroquois Steeplechase, and we ran a modified version of our normal “Steeplechase Loop” though Percy and Edwin Warner Parks. The temps were a little more mild than last week, but the humidity was still intense. My legs felt pretty good throughout, even through the first couple of miles which were mostly uphill. We finished up the opening 30-minute running interval near the end of of a long downhill, and took the 1-minute walk break just as we reached the bottom. Right when we started off the 15-minute interval, a chipmunk came shooting across the road right in front of Nathan and directly at my feet. I actually had to hop on one foot for a second to keep from squashing the little guy. Right after this another another chipmunk came flying across the road a little bit ahead of us. This lead to Nathan saying that they looked like “Chipmunk Torpedos” that were being launched across the road.

Anyway, we thankfully avoided any subsequent chipmunk encounters, and kept the pace fairly chill throughout. In total we finished 55 minutes of running and just over 9 minutes of walking for a total of 6.69 miles completed, which is my longest effort since coming back from injury.

• Miles: 6.11
• Time: 1:04:10
• Pace: 9:36
• Shoes: Saucony Kinvara 3 (#8)
• Route: Steeplechase Loop

Cross-Training

• Balance Squats x 25 reps (each leg)
• Calf Raise Squats x 25 reps (2 x 20lb dumbbells)
• Wall Squats – 90 Seconds
• Step-Back Lunges x 15 reps (each leg with 2 x 20lb dumbbells)
• 3-way lunge x 15 reps (each leg)
• Chair Salutation x 2 (30 sec each)
• Toe Roll Iso Lunges x 20 reps (each leg)
• Hip Hike 2 x 30 reps (each leg)
• Monster Walk with Band 3 x 12 reps (each leg)
• Clamshells with Band 2 x 15 reps (each leg)
• Toe Flexor x 75 reps (each leg)
• Dorsiflex Raises x 75 reps

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I’m still in Week 6 of my “Return to Running” program, which includes:

• 3 to 5-minute walking warmup
• 25-minute run /1-minute walk
• 15-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 10-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 3 to 5+ minute walking cool down

Friday’s Run (Day 40)

Since this was going to be the first time in several weeks where I was actually going to get in my full 5 days of running, I decided to do a slightly shorter run on Friday. Nathan and I started from the Bellevue Church of Christ parking lot, and did our normal 4-mile route through the streets of Bellevue. As part of this we did a 25-minute running interval before taking a 1-minute walk break, and then running 5+ minutes back to the parking lot. Once there we walked a loop around the church building for our cool down. We kept the pace extremely chill, and overall it was a pleasant effort except for the intense humidity. In total we finished just over 30 minutes of running and just under 10 minutes of walking for a total of 4.1 miles completed.

• Miles: 4.1
• Time: 40:26
• Pace: 9:52
• Shoes: Saucony Kinvara 3 (#7)
• Route: BCOC Loop

Saturday’s Run (Day 41)

I started with our running group in the Bread and Company parking lot to join them for at least part of their planned route through Belle Meade. The humidity was super-intense, but my legs felt really good even running mostly uphill for the first couple of miles. When I reached the point of my first walk break, most of the group took it with me, which was a very pleasant surprise. They even took the next one with me, which was awesome. It is so nice to be able to run with my group again! Their plan was to do a 10-mile loop, so I broke off from their route after about 5 miles. It ended up that several from the group broke off with me, because they also only wanted 6 to 7 miles. This included Brian, John, Dan, Andy, and Dennis. In total we finished 50 minutes of running and just over 12 minutes of walking for a total of 6.46 miles completed.

• Miles: 6.46
• Time: 1:02:22
• Pace: 9:40
• Shoes: adidas Energy Boost (#1)
• Route: Belle Meade

Today (Day 42) is a scheduled rest day, so no running!

2013 Murfreesboro “Middle” Half Marathon

On Saturday I added to my planned race schedule for the fall (October 12th), signing up for the 2013 Murfreesboro “Middle” Half Marathon. This has become one of the premier race events in Middle Tennessee, and will be my 4th time to participate. Two years ago the race sold out in 11 hours. Last year it was just over 6. This year’s race sold out in 2 hours 11 minutes. I actually registered on my phone while I was on the elliptical machine at the YMCA after my Saturday run!

Cross-Training (Day 40)

• None

Cross-Training (Day 41)

• Elliptical >> 1-hour completed

Cross-Training (Day 42)

• None

Today’s Run (Day 39)

After a schedule rest day yesterday (Day 38), today continued Week 6 of my “Return to Running” program, which includes:

• 3 to 5-minute walking warmup
• 25-minute run /1-minute walk
• 15-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 10-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 3 to 5+ minute walking cooldown

I met Paxton at Bellevue United Methodist Church, and we ran a big loop through the surrounding neighborhood, the Harpeth River Greenway, and Edwin Warner Park. The temperature at 6am this morning was 78°, which I think is the highest for an early morning run so far this year. I could definitely feel the heat and humidity during the run, but we were saved a bit by a consistent breeze. We kept the pace pretty chill throughout, though it was a bit quicker than Tuesday’s effort. I was tired by the end, but overall my legs felt fairly decent today. In total we finished 50 minutes of running and just under 8 minutes of walking for a total of 6.11 miles completed.

• Miles: 6.11
• Time: 57:48
• Pace: 9:28
• Shoes: Saucony Kinvara 3 (#8)
• Route: BUMC / HR Loop

2013 ING New York City Marathon Confirmation

Even though I already knew I was in the NYC Marathon this fall, it was still cool to get this email last night:

Cross-Training

• Balance Squats x 25 reps (each leg)
• Calf Raise Squats x 25 reps (2 x 20lb dumbbells)
• Wall Squats – 90 Seconds
• Step-Back Lunges x 15 reps (each leg with 2 x 20lb dumbbells)
• 3-way lunge x 15 reps (each leg)
• Chair Salutation x 2 (30 sec each)
• Toe Roll Iso Lunges x 20 reps (each leg)
• Hip Hike 2 x 30 reps (each leg)
• Monster Walk with Band 3 x 12 reps (each leg)
• Clamshells with Band 2 x 15 reps (each leg)
• Toe Flexor x 75 reps (each leg)
• Dorsiflex Raises x 75 reps

After a schedule rest day on Sunday (Day 35), Monday began Week 6 of my “Return to Running” program, which includes:

• 3 to 5-minute walking warmup
• 25-minute run /1-minute walk
• 15-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 10-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 3 to 5+ minute walking cooldown

Monday’s Run (Day 36)

Since I had the day off work (Memorial Day), I started my solo run a little later in the morning than normal (around 8:00am). Unfortunately this also meant that the temperatures were a bit warm, which made this a more challenging effort. I started off from the main gates at Percy Warner Park, and ran through the streets of Belle Meade. I think I’ve figured out that my ankle soreness is a touch of achilles tendonitis, which had flared up again on Monday after being better on Saturday. Thankfully this quickly faded during the first running segment. I picked up the pace a bit during each of the 3 intervals (8:45, 8:15, 8:08), but was toast by the end of the third with the heat and the hills. In total I finished 50 minutes of running and just under 9 minutes of walking for a total of 6.43 miles completed.

• Miles: 5.75
• Time: 58:41
• Pace: 9:08
• Shoes: adidas Energy Boost (#1)
• Route: Belle Meade

Tuesday’s Run (Day 37)

The Bellevue Trio (Paxton, Nathan) was reunited for this AM run after Paxton had taken a week off for a leg injury. We started from the Edwin Warner nature center, and kept the pace very chill throughout, though my legs were pretty toasty from the very beginning. Thankfully my ankles felt better than on Monday. In total we finished 50-minutes of running and just over 7 minutes of walking for a total of 5.89 miles completed.

• Miles: 5.89
• Time: 57:32
• Pace: 9:47
• Shoes: Saucony Kinvara 3 (#7)
• Route: Nature Center / Harpeth River Greenway

No running today (Day 38) – Scheduled rest day.

Cross-Training (Day 36)

• 2.5-mile hike / run with Kate and Sara on the White trail at Percy Warner Park. I expected this to be a leisurely hike, but the girls ended up running a significant portion of the route.

• 100 Push-Up Routine >> Week 4 / Level 2 / Day 1 – 102 total reps completed.
  -After two attempts at Week 4 / Level 3, I decided to start week 4 over on level 2.

Cross-Training (Day 37)

• Balance Squats x 25 reps (each leg)
• Calf Raise Squats x 25 reps (2 x 20lb dumbbells)
• Wall Squats – 90 Seconds
• Step-Back Lunges x 15 reps (each leg with 2 x 20lb dumbbells)
• 3-way lunge x 15 reps (each leg)
• Chair Salutation x 2 (30 sec each)
• Toe Roll Iso Lunges x 20 reps (each leg)
• Hip Hike 2 x 30 reps (each leg)
• Monster Walk with Band 3 x 12 reps (each leg)
• Clamshells with Band 2 x 15 reps (each leg)
• Toe Flexor x 60 reps (each leg)
• Dorsiflex Raises x 75 reps

Cross-Training (Day 38)

• 100 Push-Up Routine >> Week 4 / Level 2 / Day 1 – 120 total reps completed.
• Pull-Ups >> 23 total reps

I’m still on week 5 of my “Return to Running” program, which includes:

• 3 to 5-minute walking warmup
• 20-minute run /1-minute walk
• 15-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 10-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 3 to 5+ minute walking cooldown

Thursday’s Run (Day 32)

I joined Nathan at the Edwin Warner Park Nature Center on a slightly cooler, but still humid morning. We ended up running the same route as Tuesday morning, but this time in reverse. As has been the norm lately, my ankles were quite stiff/sore for the first mile, but felt much better as the run went along. I’m not sure if this is because of my coming back to running after the injury, or if it might be related to the new adidas Energy Boost shoes. Anyway, my legs were pretty fatigued after the tough leg workout on Wednesday night, but it was still good to run with Nathan. In total I finished 45 minutes of running and just over 9 minutes of walking for a total of 5.75 miles completed.

• Miles: 5.75
• Time: 54:20
• Pace: 9:27
• Shoes: adidas Energy Boost (#1)
• Route: Nature Center Loop

No running on Friday (Day 33), as I just didn’t have enough time in the day.

Today’s Run (Day 34)

I joined my running group for their run down Old Natchez Trace this morning. The conditions were absolutely awesome with clear skies, low humidity and temps around 50°.  Brian had again agreed to run with me this morning, and we were able to stay with the group through the first 20-minute running interval before stopping to take my 1-minute walk break. We turned around mid-way during the second running interval and headed back towards the cars. I actually lost track of where we were time-wise, and ended up turning around a bit too late, which left us with almost a mile walk at the end.

It was all good though. The conversation was great, and my legs felt fantastic. This was the first run this week where I really wanted to keep going after the last interval. My ankle soreness was not quite as bad this morning, and I hope it will continue to get better. In total we finished 45-minutes of running and just over 23 minutes of walking for a total of 6.48 miles completed.

• Miles: 6.48
• Time: 1:08:18
• Pace: 10:33
• Shoes: Saucony Kinvara 3 (#7)
• Route: Old Natchez

Cross-Training (Day 32)

• Aqua Jogging >> 1 hour – I have now decided that the Water Aerobics ladies not only own the pool, but are downright mean. Some little kid jumped into the middle of them, and they let him have it. I hate the pool.

Cross-Training (Day 33)

• None

Cross-Training (Day 34)

• Elliptical >> 1-hour
• Aqua Jogging >> 1-hour

After taking my normal rest day on Sunday (Day 28), I started week 5 of my “Return to Running” program on Monday evening:

• 3 to 5-minute walking warmup
• 20-minute run /1-minute walk
• 15-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 10-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 3 to 5+ minute walking cooldown

Monday’s Run (Day 29)

I wasn’t able to get my run in until almost 9pm, which is less than ideal. I started off from my house, and ran through the streets of Bellevue with humidity so thick it felt like soup. My legs felt decent considering the conditions, though my ankles were quite stiff during the first mile. The 20-minute segment is the longest since I returned from my injury, but my legs responded pretty well. I kept my running pace between 8:10 and 8:15 per mile for all of the running segments, and was pretty fatigued by the end. In total I finished 45 minutes of running and just under 9 minutes of walking for a total of 6.11 miles completed.

• Miles: 6.11
• Time: 53:52 minutes
• Pace: 8:49
• Shoes: adidas Energy Boost (#1)
• Route: Streets of Bellevue

Tuesday’s Run (Day 30)

I met up with Nathan at the Edwin Warner Nature Center, just over 9 hours after the Monday evening run. As we started, there were some threatening clouds rolling in, and the rain started coming down about halfway through the run. I expected my legs to be completely toast, but they actually felt pretty good. The pace was a little easier than Monday night, which was helpful. It was great to catch up with Nathan and hear about his experience at the Scenic City Trail Marathon last weekend. It’s pretty impressive that he finished a trail marathon on Saturday, and then ran a 5-miler on Tuesday. In total we finished 45-minutes of running and just over 8 minutes of walking for a total of 5.51 miles completed.

• Miles: 5.51
• Time: 53:01 minutes
• Pace: 9:38
• Shoes: adidas Energy Boost (#1)
• Route: Nature Center Loop

No running today (Day 31), since it is my rest day.

Cross-Training (Day 29)

• None

Cross-Training (Day 30)

• Aqua Jogging >> 1 hour 15 minutes completed

Cross-Training (Day 31)

• 100 Push Up Routine >> Week 4 / Level 3 / Day 2 – 145 total reps completed.
  The target was 160 reps, but I felt very fatigued while doing the pushups, and crashed during the last set. I’m going to start week 4 over AGAIN, this time on level 2.
• Balance Squats x 25 reps (each leg)
• Calf Raise Squats x 25 reps (2 x 20lb dumbbells)
• Wall Squats – 90 Seconds
• Step-Back Lunges x 15 reps (each leg with 2 x 20lb dumbbells)
• 3-way lunge x 15 reps (each leg)
• Chair Salutation x 2 (30 sec each)
• Toe Roll Iso Lunges x 20 reps (each leg)
• Hip Hike 2 x 30 reps (each leg)
• Monster Walk with Band 3 x 12 reps (each leg)
• Clamshells with Band 2 x 15 reps (each leg)
• Toe Flexor x 60 reps (each leg)
• Dorsiflex Raises x 75 reps

After taking my normal rest day on Wednesday (Day 24), I ended up missing my run on Thursday (Day 25) due to a brief stomach illness, but thankfully was able to pick back up with week 4 of my “Return to Running” program on Friday afternoon:

• 3 to 5-minute walking warmup
• 3 x 15-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 3 to 5+ minute walking cooldown

Friday’s Run (Day 26)

I started off from my house, and ran through the streets of Bellevue in a steady rain that was quite heavy at times. My legs felt reasonably fresh after two days off, though I tried to keep my pace fairly chill. The temps were relatively warm, and the rain not very refreshing, which left things feeling quite muggy. All-in-all though I was pleased with the run. It is interesting though how after taking two days off the aching in my left leg returned. It had been MUCH better on Monday and Tuesday, but was back on Friday. Strange! In total I finished 45 minutes of running and just over 7 minutes of walking for a total of just under 5.8 miles completed.

• Miles: 5.79
• Time: 52:17 minutes
• Pace: 9:02
• Shoes: Saucony Kinvara 3 (#7)
• Route: Streets of Bellevue

Saturday’s Run (Day 27)

Brian agreed to run with me again this Saturday, and we started off with our running group from the Bread & Co parking lot. They planned to run to Percy Warner Park, and then onto the main drive of the park. I’m supposed to avoid significant hills, so we joined them to the main entrance of the park, and proceeded to run the infamous “zig-zag” route through Belle Meade created by our friend Edward. It was very humid during the run, but we kept the pace extremely chill, and I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation with my friend. We ended up having to add a little bit on to the end of the route to finish the intervals. In total we finished 45-minutes of running and just under 17 minutes of walking for a total of 6.1 miles completed.

• Miles: 6.12
• Time: 1 hour 1:53 minutes
• Pace: 10:07
• Shoes: adidas Energy Boost (#1)
• Route: Zig-Zag Route – Belle Meade

No running today (Day 28), since it is my rest day. Finished 23.8-miles this week. Hope to start week 5 tomorrow. 

Cross-Training (Day 26)

• Pullups >> Test Day – 12 consecutive reps completed

Cross-Training (Day 27)

• Stationary Bike >> 30 minutes completed

Yesterday’s Run (Day 22)

Yesterday marked day 2 of week 4 in my “Return to Running” program, which includes:

• 3 to 5-minute walking warmup
• 3 x 15-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 3 to 5+ minute walking cooldown

Yesterday also marked my reunion with the Bellevue Trio (Nathan and Paxton) for a morning run. I arrived a bit early at the Edwin Warner nature center to get in my walking warmup, and then we did the remainder of the run on the Harpeth River Greenway and Edwin Warner Park. It was very good to be back running with the guys, and my legs felt fantastic. After my fairly brisk run on Monday night, along with an intense leg workout, I thought I would be toast. However, we still kept the running pace around an 8:30 average. In total we finished 45 minutes of running and just over 9 minutes of walking for a total of just under 6 miles completed.

• Miles: 5.91
• Time: 54:19 minutes
• Pace: 9:12
• Shoes: adidas Energy Boost (#1)
• Route: HR Greenway

No running today (Day 23), since it is my rest day. Hope to pick back up with week 4 tomorrow. 

Cross-Training (Day 22)

None

Cross-Training (Day 23)

• 100 Push Up Routine >> Week 4 / Level 3 / Day 2 – 141 total reps completed.
  I started week 4 over again this week because of all the difficulty I had going through the first time. Definitely easier than the first time through for Day 2.
  
• Pullups >> 25 total reps completed
• Ran out of time for my core workout. Hope to get it in on Friday or Saturday.

Yesterday’s Run

After a rest day on Sunday (Day 20), yesterday marked the beginning of week 4 of my “Return to Running” program, which includes:

• 3 to 5-minute walking warmup
• 3 x 15-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 3 to 5+ minute walking cooldown

This is by far the biggest jump in running time since the program started, moving from 30 to 45 total minutes of running. I just started off from my house and ran through the streets of Bellevue. When the first running interval started, my legs felt fairly rough. The gears were definitely grinding. However, this gradually got much better throughout the first interval. By the second interval, everything felt great and my stride felt smooth. This resulted in a fairly brisk pace, which was very comfortable. I was surprised how good my legs felt all the way through to the end of the final interval, and there was almost no hint of aching in my leg. In total I finished 45 minutes of running and just over 8 minutes of walking for a total of just under 6 miles completed.

• Miles: 5.98
• Time: 53:11 minutes
• Pace: 8:54
• Shoes: adidas Energy Boost (#1)
• Route: Streets of Bellevue

Cross-Training

• 100 Push Up Routine >> Week 4 / Level 3 / Day 1 – 120 total reps completed.
  I started week 4 over again this week because of all the difficult I had going through the first time. Moving back to Day 1 was definitely easier than the first time through, though the shorter breaks still makes it quite a challenge.
  
• Pullups >> 23 total reps completed
• Balance Squats x 25 reps (each leg)
• Calf Raise Squats x 25 reps (2 x 20lb dumbbells)
• Wall Squats – 90 Seconds
• Step-Back Lunges x 15 reps (each leg with 2 x 20lb dumbbells)
• 3-way lunge x 15 reps (each leg)
• Chair Salutation x 2 (30 sec each)
• Toe Roll Iso Lunges x 20 reps (each leg)
• Hip Hike 2 x 20 reps (each leg)
• Monster Walk with Band 3 x 10 reps (each leg)
• Clamshells with Band 2 x 15 reps (each leg)
• Toe Flexor x 60 reps (each leg)
• Dorsiflex Raises x 75 reps

Days 4 and 5 from week 3 of my “Return to Running” program are now in the books, and I’m looking forward to starting week 4 on Monday. Week 3 has included:

• 3 to 5-minute walking warmup
• 3 x 10-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 3 to 5+ minute walking cool-down

Yesterday’s Run (Day 18)

On Friday I met up with Nathan at Bellevue Church of Christ for an easy effort in a steady drizzle through the streets of Bellevue. It was good to get back out there with Nathan again. My legs were a bit fatigued after Thursday’s run and leg workout, but I still felt pretty good throughout, especially with the easy pace. In total we finished 30 minutes of running and just over 10 minutes of walking for a total of 3.78 miles completed.

• Miles: 3.78
• Time: 40:01 minutes
• Pace: 10:36
• Shoes: Saucony Kinvara 3 (#7)
• Route: BCOC loop

Today’s Run (Day 19)

This morning I decided to start at the same place as my running group, even though I couldn’t do their 11.2-mile run. I had not seen many of them in a couple of months, so it was good to re-connect. Brian was just coming off of the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in Indy last weekend, and doesn’t have another race on the schedule, so he agreed to join me for my modest workout. We kept the pace very chill on the moderately hilly route through Percy Warner Park, but everything felt really good. The aching in my leg was actually a lot better than during the previous couple of runs. In total we finished 30 minutes of running and just under 11 minutes of walking for a total of just under 4 miles completed.

• Miles: 3.9
• Time: 41:58 minutes
• Pace: 10:46
• Shoes: adidas Energy Boost (#1)
• Route: PW main drive – 7 to 8-mile loop

Cross-Training

Yesterday: None

Today:

Elliptical >> 1-hour completed – I never run with music, but this is one of the things that gets me through a workout on the elliptical machine. Today I hit the elliptical hard, and a lot of that was fueled by listening to “Second Coming,” which is the new album from Stryper. It is basically a greatest-hits album, but all of the tracks were re-recorded, and they are actually better than the originals. They are such gifted musicians  and Michael Sweet’s voice still sounds amazing.

• 100 Pushup Routine >> Week 4 / Level 3 / Day 3 – 154 total reps completed
  – The target for today was 160, but I crashed again in the 5th set, only getting 34 out of 40. This is the second day of week 4 where I haven’t been able to get all the reps done on the first try. I think I’m gonna start week 4 over again next week, and see if I can build up a little more strength before taking the jump to week 5.

• Pullups >> 22 total reps completed

Beast Mode…ON!

Today’s Run

After getting the all-clear from my doctor to resume running this afternoon, I picked back  with day 3 of week 3 of my “Return to Running” program, which includes:

• 3 to 5-minute walking warmup
• 3 x 10-minute run / 1-minute walk
• 3 to 5+ minute walking cooldown

It’s been 5-days since my last run, and it was great to be back on the road. It is interesting that the aching in my leg was worse today than the last day I ran, but it is nice to know that there is nothing structurally wrong, since my MRI was clear. Even with the aching, the run felt great. I started off in the parking lot of the Bellevue United Methodist Church, and ran through the surrounding neighborhood. I took a slight detour in the middle of my second segment to take a look at the new bridge which will further extend the Harpeth River Greenway. I even ran across the bridge, though there was nowhere to go on the other side.

Anyway, in total I finished 30 minutes of running and just over 7 minutes of walking for a total of just over 4 miles completed.

• Miles: 4.08
• Time: 37:43 minutes
• Pace: 9:15
• Shoes: adidas Energy Boost (#1)
• Route: Beech Bend, Harpeth Bend, etc.

Cross-Training

• 100 Push Up Routine >> Week 4 / Level 3 / Day 2 – 144 total reps completed.
  The last set called for 36, but somehow I managed to get in 40. It helped that Kate was counting for me, which provided a little more motivation to get through them.
• Pullups >> 21 total reps completed
• Balance Squats x 25 reps (each leg)
• Calf Raise Squats x 25 reps (2 x 20lb dumbbells)
• Wall Squats – 90 Seconds
• Step-Back Lunges x 15 reps (each leg with 2 x 20lb dumbbells)
• 3-way lunge x 15 reps (each leg)
• Chair Salutation x 2 (30 sec each)
• Toe Roll Iso Lunges x 20 reps (each leg)
• Groucho Walk – 45 seconds
• Hip Hike 2 x 20 reps (each leg)
• Monster Walk with Band 3 x 10 reps (each leg)
• Clamshells with Band 2 x 15 reps (each leg)
• Toe Flexor x 60 reps (each leg)
• Dorsiflex Raises x 75 reps

I received the results of my MRI this afternoon, and…

Everything looked good. I’m free to continue with the “Return to Running” program, and training for the 2013 ING New York City Marathon. Leaving the bench and headed back to the road!

It’s amazing how a healed stress injury can feel so much like the beginning of a stress fracture, but it makes sense that whenever bones heal all of the connected nerve fibers will also be affected.

Whatever the case, I’m glad to be back….again! Thanks to everyone for your prayers and encouragement. They are greatly appreciated.

I had the follow-up appointment with my orthopaedist this morning, and he recommended that I have an MRI to definitively see what is going on with my femur. Though he acknowledged that this could be a full-blown stress fracture that doesn’t show up on x-ray, his opinion is that the pain I’m experiencing right now is “Phantom Pain” or “Healing Pain” from the previous stress reaction.

He explained that this type of pain is real, but is not caused by a recurrence of the injury. It is instead caused by how the healed injury site interacts with the connected nerves. He said this often feels very similar to the beginning stages of a stress injury.

Whatever the case, I’m just glad we’re going forward with the MRI so I can at least have peace-of-mind regarding the path ahead.

Well, now that I’m back on the bench, time to start doing what is needed to get back off the bench again. To that end I have an appointment with my orthopaedist tomorrow morning to discuss next steps. Prayers for an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan would be appreciated. I’m still holding out hope that I’ll be able to run New York in November.

This afternoon I headed back to the pool for a riveting hour of aqua jogging. Every second I spend in the pool just helps me realize how much I miss running, and pushes me to stay disciplined and work hard to get back out on the road.

Cross Training

• Aqua Jogging >> 1 hour
• 100 Pushup Routine >> Week 4 / Level 3 / Day 1 – 120 total reps completed
  – I repeated this day for the second time since I was not able to complete all the reps on either of my first attempts. It was a struggle in the last set, but I got ’em all done tonight! It’s interesting….I’ve been through this routine start to finish twice, and I’ve never had this much trouble with a single workout. Guess this means I’m getting old.

• Pullups >> 19 total reps completed
• In and Outs x 25 reps
• Seated Bicycle Forward x 25 reps
• Seated Bicycle Backward x 25 reps
• Crunchy Frog x 25 reps
• Wide Leg Sit Ups x 25 reps
• Hip Rock n’ Raise x 25 reps
• Pulse Ups x 21 reps
• Roll-Up / V-Up Combo x 25 reps
• Oblique V-Up Right x 25 reps
• Oblique V-Up Left x 25 reps
• Leg Climb x 24 reps (1 grab)
• Mason Twist x 50 reps

Warning….venting ahead.

Well, after expressing my concerns about the “nondescript, dull, aching sensation in my inner-thigh” last night, I woke up this morning with aching and throbbing all the way up and down my upper leg and hip. This tells me there is no doubt that I’m back on the bench, and that I started running again too soon.

I’ve decided to go to the doctor, though I’m not sure if i’ll go back to my normal orthopaedist or seek a second opinion. Either way I’m incredibly frustrated to be back on the bench so soon. I’m also frustrated that New York is now in jeopardy.

I actually knew things were amiss last Friday when I had my bone density scan. It had nothing to do with the scan itself, but as I sat down for the study the back of my left leg hit the edge of the table and there was significant discomfort. I tried to brush it aside as “phantom pain” that many experience after a stress fracture, but deep inside I knew it was not good.

So, it looks like I’ll be spending a LOT more time in the pool, which is AWESOME! Can’t wait! *sarcasm*

Beast Mode….Off