Monday I tried something new – icing BEFORE my run. In retrospect, this was a huge mistake. My lower left leg was in pain during the entire 5 mile run. I was on the treadmill and probably should have stopped, but I “had to get my miles in” so I pressed on.
Before joining my training group tonight, I took Bailey for a walk and tested my leg a little. I was surprised by how well I felt, considering last night’s run. Our training group ran 2 x 15 minutes of hills in St. Paul. Aerobically I feel fine, but I do feel as if I’ve lost some strength. Either that or Sunday’s long run left my legs flat. Anyway, I managed 85 minutes of relatively pain free running.
Alright, enough about my boring running. What’s going on with Running with the Buffaloes?
Some of them (underclassmen) are feeling exhausted already, so Wetmore reassures them this is how they should be feeling.
The men have been training together for three weeks. Everything is going smoothly, yet Wetmore is concerned. “There are a lot of neuroses today.” Wetmore also refers to this as “seasonal affective disorder” or “three-week syndrome.” These are terms that describe what happens after the initial feeling-out period is over and the density of the training starts to catch up with the athletes. It occurs to them that all the hard work that has been completed is but a prelude for the more strenuous workouts that have yet to commence. For those that are already overextending themselves, it is a painful realization.
“I’d rather see them go five seconds slower and see ‘em all together, vibing each other.” – Wetmore describing an early season workout
Berkshire runs 90 seconds faster than last year. “Great. Perfect. You can’t underestimate 1000 miles in ten weeks. It’s unfashionable now and it’s not popular, but he said I’m going to risk everything, and he made it.” - Wetmore on Berkshire
Friedberg and Ponce have both run huge PR’s for Mags (CU’s hilly long Sunday run). Friedberg has slashed two minutes off his previous best, while Ponce runs an astonishing ten minutes faster than he ever has. The 100-mile weeks have strengthened him.
Quote of the day:
“There’s only one thing you’re out there to do on Sunday, and that’s to better yourself by running as fast as you can. That’s it. Dude, you don’t wait for anyone.” – Jason Robbie describing the “racing” that takes place during their Sunday runs up Mags
5 comments:
Zeke-
Haven't checked in for a few days but was pumped to see that you're re-reading RWTB. Great story indeed. Oscar Ponce is one of my best friends and can say that he's one of the most standup guys that I've ever met in my life. Lear gives a good glimpse into his true character in the book - personally, I've learned more from him about running and life than I ever thought possible.
Anyways, good to see you're running relatively pain free. Stay patient and good luck settling into the new routine. Take it easy.
MF
Whoa- I'll have to keep that in mind....no icing before a run. Glad to hear things turned around on Tuesday though!
Hey, I've dropped you a line on your blog before, before I ran TCM last year.. My sister lives in Mpls and needs a good place where they will help her pick out the right shoes. Any recommendations? Thanks, Carl
Hey Mario, that's cool that you and 'scar are buddies. Yeah Lear does a really good job documenting his struggles growing up. As Wetmore says in the introduction, "The only road he knows is the hard road."
All the quotes I've mentioned so far are just from the first third of the book, so I'm sure there will be a lot more.
Mike, in college we used to always ice before and after running. I'm not sure why I reacted so differently on Monday. May be it's just a different type of injury or may be I'm not 22 any more.
Carl, yeah I remember you from last year. How'd TCM go? There are lots of great running stores around the area with knowledgable staff. I'm partial to Run 'n Fun (Randolf Ave) and Runner's Edge (Grand Ave) in St. Paul. Run 'n Fun also has a new store in Eden Prairie (Shady Oak and HWY 62). Marathon Sports is in Mpls (50th and Penn). I've never been to Gear (France and 44th?), but I imagine it's pretty good too.
I'd stay away from chains like the Running Room. Let me know if you need more info. You can also email me off of my profile page.
I just found your blog - it's cool to see you're reading RWTB. That's one of my all-time favorites, and I've re-read the last several chapters many times before big races.
Good luck with your training.
Post a Comment