Part two

I rode a lot in the first month. I even road my first 50 mile ride. Every time out I felt a little stronger and a little faster. Even thou I loved my trek, its a hybrid mountain/road bike and was limited by it. I ended up building a road bike to workout with. Bought parts here and there, mostly off eBay and local bike shops. So now I have a commuter bike and a road bike.

Felt F75

I signed up for a 5 mile run long before I had my heel spur problems and decided that I I would still goto it buy maybe just walk it instead of running. That morning I went and picked up my packet and was going to change over to the walking class. Something told me just to try to run and if I couldn't just start walking. So I deciding to man up and just line up at the start. I ran the whole damn thing! Funny thing is that my foot didn't hurt the whole time. I didn't set any PRs that day, but it gave me the confidence to start running again. The next few weeks I really didn't run a lot, just ride my bike. 

My nephews run cross-country for their high school and they were having a fund raiser 5k, so I decided to run it. I didn't want to push it at all so I ran it for fun. My nephew Drew who was recovering from a knee injury ran it with me. It was funny, he asked me how fast I was going to run... I said well... 8:30-9:00 minute miles... He smiled and said ya... I just want to take it easy too.

I finally got my old man inserts for my shoes (orthotics) and decided I needed to get back on some sort of running program. I wanted to run fall half marathon and I was hoping I could make it a trail half. I found one late in November, so I called looked my first training program web site "Hal Higdon" I found the novice half marathon program and worked it into my schedule. The first real time out running, I ran pretty fast for not running in awhile. It was a short 3 mile run, I paid for running to fast the next couple times out... So I started to slow down and tried to get back in the grove. It was almost like starting over again. Well not really that bad I could run 3 miles no problem, but I was winded at the end. 

A few more weeks went by and I signed up for a 5 mile run that I really wanted to run last year, but I wasn't ready for it. I was also going to meet a guy that I knew from long ago that was also into running. Facebook meet up thing... When we met we were catching up with each other, telling each other about how we got into running and what we ran. I found out Mike had ran the Cleveland half marathon that year and was working towards running his first marathon soon. I told him I was started to train for a half in November and then probably run the cleveland marathon again. Anyways we lined up at the start and gave each other the good lucks... I really didn't know how I was going to run this race, not even a clue. When we started I didn't feel like I was running fast. The last few 5k's I have PRed at 27:01. The first mile I was right behind Mike when we came up to the mile marker I heard 8:16. Holy cow didn't know that was coming. Second mile I heard 17: something... The third I started to fall back a little but was still keeping a good race pace for me. I ended up finishing it in 45:58:33. That was about 10 minutes faster than my last 5 mile race. I know that its no world record 5 mile race time but for me it was what i needed to start pushing just a little harder when I was out their. I continued to follow my train schedule and signed up for a few more 5k's to help me with my speed work. 

Me in the blue at the water stop

The next race that I ran last year and wanted to run it again, Footprints for Fatima 5K. I really want to get a new PR on this race to show what a year running can do. Needless to say I PRed with a time of 26:38. I was now in the 26's and very happy. The next week was a 5k that was only about 2 miles from were I live and most of the course was my normal running route. Hannah's Home 5k I set a new PR of 26:20! I am not sure what was going on with all the new PR's, Maybe trying to make up for lost time or something. 

That was my last 5k for now.

I should rewind back to after the last 5 mile race. I knew that I was training for the half marathon then and was looking toward the next race after that one. I wasn't sure if I was just going to make it the cleveland marathon or maybe something in between. I was looking for the next big run, something to push me a little bit more. Maybe a trail marathon, or even a trail 50K. After looking around I came across a trail run in January that was a half, full marathon and 50K. It was a everyone pays the same and you run what you want. Even can change the distance on race day. Basically a fun run for charity. I think I was drinking that night when I started to cross check my training schedule with my old marathon schedule to see if it was even doable. It was limited to 200 runners and the registration started in a week or so. Well I though about it hard and long, well maybe for about 2 minutes before I told myself "DO IT" So the monday registration opened I signed up for it. Run for Regis 50K trail ultra marathon on January 16th 2011. I used the share button when signing up for the run so it posted to my twitter and Facebook. A day later Mike replied with, are you really going to run a 50k? "Yup all signed up" "You in?" Thinking that I was the only crazy person that would like to run 50k in the freezing cold, in the woods, Mike signed up a couple days later. "Nice" someone as crazy as me!

We both use runkeeper now, Its a iphone app that uses gps to track out runs and then posts it to our accounts on runkeeper and also to Facebook. Its kind of cool to see the progress he is making and vise versa. 

Yesterday was my first long distance race sense my last half marathon in June. The Bridge 2 Bridge 11 mile run. Mike also ran the race. To keep the review short, Its was cold! and I ran 11 miles... I shouldn't just say that, It was a really good race. Even thou my post on runkeeper was "CRAP". I tanked at mile 9ish. Its ok thou because I ran the first 5.5 mile right behind Mike (he's about 1minute faster per mile than me) It was just really hard to keep the pace after mile 9, my times got slower each mile, but I only dropped to 11:17 for mile 10. I finished in 1:50:30, thats a 10:01 pace. I am really proud of that time. It gives me an idea of a goal time for my half marathon coming up. I am hoping that I can run 10:00 miles or less across the board, really want a new pr on my half marathon. 2:00:00 or less would be great but I think I am going for 2:10:00.

If not oh well. I am just glad to be running again.

Crossing the finish at B2B 11 mile

The adventure continues

After my first marathon in May my running sort of went down hill. I didn't stop running, I just didn't feel like running anymore. I took off about a week from running. My first time back running I felt sick, I really didn't want to run. Three weeks after my marathon I ran a local half marathon that I signed up for a few months before. I ran it with a friend, it was her first half marathon. Towards the end of the race my left foot was starting to bother me, it was a slight pain every time my foot touched the ground. I finished the half and was feeling good about the run even thou I was limping away. I continued to run off and on even thou my foot was really bothering me. I didn't want to give in and rest, I didn't want to stop running again, I didn't feel right when I didn't run. I didn't really have a running schedule, I just ran a few mile here and there and ran a couple of local 5k's.
My foot was in pain 90% of the time when I ran, I didn't want to give up. It was after a 5k race that I almost didn't finish when I said enough was enough. I felt like I couldn't do it anymore. I went to my doctor, after some fast x-rays she found a small heel spur on the bottom of my foot. Her anwswer was to stop running and find a new way to exercise. Lol ya that's what I'll do... A few weeks later I went to see a new doctor, a foot doctor, one that runs doctor. He also owns a running store. The minute I walked I to his office I knew that I would like his answers to my problems. He knew what I was going threw, the pain and the emotions. After some tests and some new x-rays I did have heel spurs, two of them. One on the bottom and one on the back. He explained what they were and how I got them. His answer to the problem was a lot better then the first one I got. Rest,ice and stretching. Oh and don't stop running... I just have to cut back a lot! He also fitted me for orthotics. They would be ready in about three weeks from then.

During this rest period I found a new way to keep exercising, cycling! I started to ride my trek to work. It's a 13.6 mile trip one way. So would get to work out in the morning and at night. It wasn't the same as running but at least I was moving.

Time for tricker treat... Will post more later :)