<p>IDad - I haven’t missed a day in a couple of weeks. I have been doing some longer walks, about 5-6 miles. I approach these longer walks in different ways. For example, today I kept my heart rate between 120-130 for the first mile, between 140-150 for the second, back to 135 for third, 140-150 for the fourth, and 125 for the last mile. I didn’t worry about my pace, just used my heart monitor as my guide. </p>
<p>What I really need to do is to start speed work again. I have been walking consistently and my fitness is pretty good right now. My resting heart rate is around 56. What I haven’t been doing is the speed stuff. I just don’t like it. I have a program that I can follow and I really should, because I think I will compete in a couple of weeks at the state senior games. It will serve as a qualifier for nationals, but I am not really interested in going to Houston next summer and even if I don’t train, there isn’t enough competition at the state level to motivate me. Hmm, wouldn’t I be surprised is some young whipper snapper showed up and beat me?? Okay, speed work tomorrow. </p>
<p>My daughter was on my tail this morning about finding some other competitions. There is a pretty big event in Kingsport TN in the fall. Maybe that would be a good motivator. I also think I am finally beginning to drop those last few pounds. I do think I feel better off the diet coke - but the craving has not gone away. Geez, I need an Al-anon for coke drinkers.</p>
<p>Did a pretty tough five mile hike today…complete with rock scrambling. Left the dog home. My legs feel it. Such a beautiful day!</p>
<p>Idad and WIP…impressive. WIP, hope you go for the qualifier and do well! And I do sympathize on the coke drinking habit. Keep with it. I don’t crave it anymore. Can’t believe it. </p>
<p>The Tri-Ciites area of Tennessee has some gorgeous countryside. Nice in September. And you are guaranteed a hilly route.</p>
<p>toneranger:</p>
<p>I’ve been enjoying walking on dirt and pine straw. It’s slower than pavement, but easier on the feet. I have so much fun on my scenic walks that I have to force myself to do other stuff and mix it up. Probably have to do a little bike ride this weekend and work those muscles a little bit. Walking is just autopilot for me. Hit play on the iPod, shut the garage door behind me, and a quarter mile later I’m cruisin’.</p>
<p>Your walks (both idad and wip) sound wonderful. wip- with a HR in that range I bet your walks would be speedwork for me! Good job.</p>
<p>Today I almost didn’t do ANY exercise. My hamstring is really bothering me (has been for the last 5 days or so) and I am going to have to stop running again after tomorrow’s stupid Firecracker 5K. I had a talk with H, and we decided the earth might not stop turning if I did not exercise today at all. My last day totally off was March 20, 2009. I am just unmotivated, hurting and tired. Well, some new Brooks wear-test (i.e. free) shoes came in the mail today and I thought I should at least take them for a walking spin, so I saddled up the big Golden Retriever and went for a couple miles walk. So-the streak lives on. I did NOT run today (well, 10 yards or so to try out the shoes), so the 33 day streak is over. I don’t care. I just want to not hurt.
And WHY am I running the stupid 5K? To win my age group in the year-long race points contest. May have mentioned already that I am tied with a woman who walks the races but volunteers a lot, too. I have volunteered also, but she has picked races (have to be certain races to count in this series) where I didn’t run so she scored points on me. So-we are tied and all I have to do tomorrow is beat her, which should happen unless I don’t finish for some reason. The prizes last year were nice, and this is the last race in the series. Go me!!! (Goal: not to hurt myself any worse)</p>
<p>The hills take care of my heart rate walking. My new long route has an added hill that has just left me gasping for air at the top. I finally fired up GMAP pedometer and found out why. My old standby aerobic hill (now on the way home from my long walk) is a quarter mile averaging about 5% grade (although it starts and ends with 10% grade).</p>
<p>The new hill that’s been kicking my butt is a solid half mile averaging a 5% grade. No wonder I’m panting at the top. I must say that it makes my old hill seem a little easier.</p>
<p>Momofwildchild:</p>
<p>I’m telling you, all the NFL players who try to play through hamstrings all end up on injured reserve, finished for the season. I bet I’ve seen it a hundred times. There’s no playing through a hamstring injury. You should seriously think about not running for a month and just get healed up. Maybe look at it as an opportunity to spend the next four weeks focusing on upper body strength and core? I don’t know.</p>
<p>My PT keeps telling me that it is OK to run. He said that it won’t get better faster by NOT running and won’t slow it down to run. I am tending to disagree with him now. It’s one thing when it is just a little annoying but this week it has been extremely uncomfortable. Running is not as bad for hamstring,though, as football and cutting sports. A slow jog can feel OK, actually, but this week it doesn’t, so I’m going to go to a run/walk with mainly walking.</p>
<p>I have a business trip to northern Maine most of next week, so I won’t get to run/walk much anyway.</p>
<p>IDad - that’s what I have been gently trying to tell our beloved warrior woman. I don’t think patience is her strong suit. So, beat that walkin’ son of gun tomorrow, get your prize and take care of your hamstring. </p>
<p>Now, as for the racewalk in TN - racewalk events are not supposed to have grades that are too steep - can’t maintain form. And for those of you who question why anyone would chose to racewalk rather than run - it is NO different than having different strokes in swimming. Breaststroke is odd, so is butterfly, but no one questions why they don’t just do freestyle. </p>
<p>So, there can be modest hills, rolling hills - but nothing that impedes proper execution of form. </p>
<p>MoWC - My heart rate really shoots up quickly. I recover really quickly, but that’s where they are for a tempo walk. So, I did mention I don’t like speed work - I also need to add something that is a little faster than speed work to push my form and I don’t like those either.</p>
<p>oh, PS. MoWC. I have a book by Dave McGovern and one of the things they have found is that injured runners have improved their running time by racewalking - how about that. When you want some training give me a buzz :)</p>
<p>The guys that get sidelined by hamstrings in the NFL seem to be the speed guys. The first year Randy Moss was with the Patriots, he “tweaked” (Bill Belichick term) his hamstring in training camp on a high speed run straight down the sideline. He didn’t practice or play for a month and then was fine.</p>
<p>Just strictly a guess, but walking is probably OK.</p>
<p>I know it’s gotta be frustrating. I’m just an old fat guy trying to get in shape and it drove me nuts to not exercise for a week when I was sick.</p>
<p>From what I’ve seen, I’d have to disagree with him. At this point, I’d look to shut it down for 4-6 weeks probably. Hamstrings are a nagging injury and the main reason for that is runners won’t take the time off to let it heal. We nursed more hamstrings this past spring when I worked with the track team than I care to think about. Those guys won’t stop running so they are constantly bothered. There is a point where you just have to say NO and let the body rest. MoWC, how long has it been that you’ve been hurt?</p>
<p>Yeah, but I feel really old. Especially doing pushups. </p>
<p>I did finally get the hang of plank on the stability ball today. The plank part’s been fine, but the elbows supporting the weight have not been good. A little change in arm position cleared that up.</p>
<p>Had a really interesting workout today…baffled the trainer.</p>
<p>I hadn’t really gotten much of an appetite back since Wednesday, until last night when we were out with friends. I had a glass of wine, and all of a sudden I was starving. Chowed down on some pizza and beer nuggets. Had another glass of wine and was floored when H suggested we stop at Dairy Queen (he overheard me talking to one of my friends at dinner, telling her how it’d been over a week since my last blizzard run) on our way home. By the time we got home, I felt like I’d gained back every ounce that I’d lost since January! Had major GERD issues and had to sleep, basically sitting up, so I didn’t sleep well. Worked for a few hours in the middle of the day, prior to my 3PM appt. with the trainer, and kept thinking to myself I should really cancel the session today, that I wasn’t going to get anywhere with it. However, once I finished up work and was on my way to the gym, I started to perk up a bit, but was prepared to tell him it would have to be an easy day (I really didn’t want to cancel after not being in since Monday night). Somewhere, I pulled some sort of unexpected energy out of thin air and had a kick butt workout. He had me doing increased weights on everything and the surprise was that my heart rate was not going up like it usually does with even less weights. So he said sometimes when you take a few days off and return after giving your muscles a rest, you find you can go up on your weights. Obviously there’s a limit to this, but he wonders whether or not my not having done anything since Monday, then eating a bunch of carbs last night, gave me the burst of energy. I asked him if he was telling me to go out and have pizza and beer nuggets every night prior to a session with him the next day, and he laughed. I kept telling him over and over how unmotivated I’d felt all day long and wondered how I’d get through anything and here he was, pushing me to new levels. Literally, I don’t think we saw my heart rate go up above 135 today. Unbelievable. I’ve done reps with less weights and had the HR shoot up to the 160s, so go figure!</p>
<p>Keep in mind that slow, distance running is VERY different from track. There is no question that no fast running should be done with a hamstring problem. The different opinions involve whether slow jogging helps to increase blood flow up in the attachment, which is where the pain is (where hamstring meets butt bone). </p>
<p>This started late March. Hamstrings can take months or even a year to resolve. I also think I need to stop because I have obviously somehow increased the inflammation. This PT worked extensively with the Olympic development runners in DC for a few years and is really good with athletes, but I have to listen to my body… I ran for a few weeks with very minimal discomfort (I could feel it, but not what you would call much discomfort) but now it is not comfortable again.</p>
<p>In the meantime, I have donned my Brooks team uniform and will go joggle through the 5K! Two years ago I won a really cool chair (the umbrella kind) at this race for winning my age group. Last year, with the economy, I think I got a pair of socks.</p>
LOL! Can’t wait to see what the prize is this year!. Good luck, MOWC.</p>
<p>I’m headed to the gym in a little while. I missed my workout yesterday – played golf instead. (We walked, so at least I got some exercise.) I’m following a “Couch Potato to 5K” running program to see if I can ease back into some running. This week’s schedule is pretty easy, but I’m hoping that following this program will keep any knee problems at bay. Also, I’m back on the weight machines.</p>
<p>The problem with continuing decent exercise and diet is that there’s nothing much to report. Went to the gym, worked out, came home, ate a decent dinner, went to sleep. Press rewind and repeat.</p>
<p>I have officially joined a gym in NJ where I’m working during the week. I feel like I’m cheating on my original gym (now my weekend gym) in CT. It’s amazing how many buff guys there are in the two states, all with tattoos. They’re not the same people, but they could be. Guess there’s a “gym type.”</p>
<p>Alas, no prize this year. Ran as hard as I could, despite the injury. Something about having a timing chip on my ankle and hearing a starting pistol… 28:38 for 5K- about a minute a mile slower than last year, which isn’t bad considering the injury. 4th in the age group, which is partly a reflection on moving to the upper range of the age group. Got beaten by some younguns’! I only beat 5th place by 5 seconds (which I did not know during the race due to chip timing etc. so I’m glad I didn’t let up.) The effort hurt like he11- HR well into the 170s for much of the race. It was hot, too, with a few mild hills (but still noticeable). Kept telling myself, “You are injured. You can stop and walk.” I kept running- and didn’t lose too much ground. I think I had 9:01, 9:04, 9:22 (hill) for the full miles. Glad it’s over. Now my plan is to NOT run. At all. </p>