14-27 Sep

14 SEP -- 52:30 -- 5.56 miles -- 56 elevation gain
             -- bike 19:04 -- 4.66 miles
15 SEP -- bike 28:04 -- 6.71 miles
             -- 14:41 -- 1.97 miles (first run in new Hokas)
16 SEP -- 27:36 -- 3.14 miles -- 4 elevation gain
             -- 27:56 -- 3.98 miles -- 46 elevation gain
17 SEP -- bike 24:00 -- 5.90 miles
18 SEP -- 59:14 -- 6.59 miles -- 54 elevation gain
19 SEP -- 43:25 -- 4.35 miles -- 34 elevation gain
             -- 1:14:36 -- 9.81 miles -- 56 elevation gain
20 SEP -- 29:54 -- 2.50 miles -- 1148 elevation gain (treadmill)

TOTAL -- 5:29:52 -- 37.90 miles -- 1421 elevation gain (running)
              -- 1:11:08 -- 17.27 miles (biking)



21 SEP -- 1:01:41 -- 7.14 miles -- 45 elevation gain
22 SEP -- bike 38:00 -- 9.32 miles
23 SEP -- 1:02:58 -- 8.68 miles -- 72 elevation gain
24 SEP -- off
25 SEP -- 32:12 -- 3.00 miles -- 1085 elevation gain
26 SEP -- bike 35:00 -- 8.51 miles
27 SEP -- 3:22:33 -- 25.01 miles -- 164 elevation gain

TOTAL -- 5:59:23 -- 43.83 miles -- 1366 elevation gain (running)
              -- 1:13:00 -- 17.83 miles (biking)

I got out for a long run today, my longest since April.  It rained the entire time.  I felt good but, as expected, my foot annoyed me and continued hurting throughout the day.  Last week I received my custom-fit orthotics but I haven't ran with them yet.  I put a pair in my work boots and they feel ok walking around at work - they hurt the first 2 days but I got used to them later in the week.  I'm still hesitant to start running in them but I'll give it a try this coming week.  The Croatan 24-hour race is in a few weeks and I still intend to run it. 

31 Aug-13 Sep

31 AUG -- bike 19:03 -- 4.66 miles
01 SEP -- run 11:35 -- 1.37 miles -- 10 elevation gain (morning)
             -- swim 1000 meters
             -- run 11:48 -- 1.38 miles -- 33 elevation gain
             -- bike 18:04 -- 4.60 miles (afternoon)
02 SEP -- 0.5 mile sprint -- 100 ammo can presses in 2:00 -- Maneuver Under Fire in 2:04 (CFT)
03 SEP -- bike 26:04 -- 6.27 miles
04 SEP -- 50 pull ups -- 100 push ups -- 150 squats -- modified MURPH w/flak jacket (morning)
             -- run 1:11:24 -- 9.02 miles -- 66 elevation gain
05 SEP -- run 49:20 -- 6.28 miles -- 39 elevation gain
06 SEP -- run 1:10:50 -- 8.36 miles -- 58 elevation gain

TOTAL -- 3:38:01 -- 26.91 miles -- 214 elevation gain (running)
              -- 1:03:11 -- 15.53 miles (biking)

Finally got back into running on a more permanent basis.  Foot still annoying and an entire month off didn't heal it.  Had an MRI on Friday, get the results next week.



07 SEP -- 52:54 -- 7.01 miles -- 42 elevation gain
08 SEP -- 46:20 -- 6.13 miles -- 44 elevation gain
09 SEP -- bike 24:00 -- 5.78 miles
10 SEP -- 18:42 -- 1.50 miles -- 25 elevation gain (run to o-course w/flak jacket)
             -- obstacle course x 2
             -- 15:09 -- 1.50 miles -- 25 elevation gain (run back from o-course w/flak jacket)
11 SEP -- 11:00 -- 1.38 miles -- 11 elevation gain
             -- swim 750 meters
             -- 11:40 -- 1.35 miles -- 4 elevation gain
12 SEP -- 1:54:15 -- 14.38 miles -- 169 elevation gain
13 SEP -- off -- rest

TOTAL -- 4:30:00 -- 33.25 miles -- 320 elevation gain (running)
              -- 24:00 -- 5.78 miles (biking)

It feels good to really get back into running and I missed it!  We've started combat-type conditioning at work 3 days each week, which has cut into my training, but it helps me to maintain muscle and cardio.  I'm going to start biking less and running more.  I got the results of my MRI on Friday - bruised sesamoid bone, and tendonitis in my big toe with some fluid also present.  I'll continue to tape down my toe during the day and during runs.  The Doc said it could get worse, get better, or just hang out like it has been for months.  My custom orthotics should be ready to wear next week or the week after, and I'm hoping they help my foot more than hurt it.  It's trial and error from here on out, but I can keep running which is good news. 

I did 14+ miles yesterday and it felt awesome!  The humidity and heat were very low, it was about 75 degrees with rain and decent wind, and it felt so good to run shirtless again and feel a breeze to keep me cool.  I wasn't fast (averaged 7:57/mile), but I didn't suffer from heat exhaustion like I had been early in the summer when the heat index was over 100 degrees on the daily.  I made a discovery as well - my toe and foot felt okay until 45 minutes into the run, the pain increased from then until about 1:15, then it all sort of went numb until I finished around 2 hours.  Karl Meltzer suffers from a similar issue where he "hangs on" for about 40 miles in a 100 mile race, then his foot goes numb and he is able to start cranking out the miles.  Who knows whether or not we have the same injury, but it's comforting to know that others deal with similar nagging injuries and have been running throughout them for years.  During my deployment next year I don't anticipate running too much so there is a potential for this to go away altogether.  Time will tell. 

10-30 Aug

10 AUG -- 30:54 -- 7.76 miles
11 AUG -- 41:39 -- 10.56 miles
12 AUG -- 20:00 -- 5.40 miles
13 AUG -- 32:18 -- 8.07 miles
               -- 30:49 -- 8.07 miles
14 AUG -- 35:08 -- 9.32 miles
15 AUG -- 23:43 -- 5.96 miles
               -- 42:09 -- 10.87 miles
16 AUG -- 49:07 -- 12.42 miles
               -- 34:45 -- 9.01 miles

TOTAL -- 5:40:32 -- 87.45 miles

Better week than the last, and I pushed close to 100 miles.  Work is getting more and more demanding but I've been able to workout twice a day, although they are short workouts.  Missing running but my cycle is set up in front of my 22" TV w/DVD player so it takes my mind off being immobile. 



17 AUG -- 25:04 -- 6.40 miles
18 AUG -- swim 1600 meters (morning)
               -- 12:40 -- 3.23 miles (afternoon)
19 AUG -- 1 mile run -- 100 pull ups -- 200 push ups -- 300 squats -- 1 mile run (foot felt ok...)
20 AUG -- 30:07 -- 7.58 miles
               -- 20:00 -- 5.09 miles
21 AUG -- 31:20 -- 8.07 miles
               -- 19:40 -- 5.09 miles
22 AUG -- 38:58 -- 9.81 miles
23 AUG -- 26:24 -- 6.71 miles

TOTAL -- 3:24:13 -- 51.99 miles

Less miles this week on the bike but the workout on Wednesday morning smoked me.  I took my foot out of the boot because it was putting pressure on the wrong spots and making my foot throb all day.  I walked around all weekend without it and the pain went away, so it's in the back of my closet for now.  I've been taping my big toe down every morning and it's been helping, no pain throughout the day walking around in boots. 



24 AUG -- 37:58 -- 9.69 miles
               -- 20:15 -- 5.22 miles
25 AUG -- 20:03 -- 4.84 miles
               -- 35:49 -- 9.32 miles
26 AUG -- 26:12 -- 6.58 miles
               -- 23:05 -- 5.90 miles
27 AUG -- 31:52 -- 8.07 miles
               -- 17:39 -- 4.53 miles
28 AUG -- (first run in a month...)
               -- 17:39 -- 4.53 miles
29 AUG -- (second run in a month...)
30 AUG -- off (first day off in a month...)

TOTAL BIKING -- 3:56:17 -- 60.06 miles

TOTAL RUNNING -- 2:12:09 -- 16.57 miles -- 140 elevation gain

Two workouts a day from M-F this week, felt great!  I took an entire month off of running and finally decided to head out for a few miles on Friday morning - felt really good, didn't lose stamina or endurance thanks to the biking, but the pain in my toe and foot is still there.  Very disappointing.  I have an MRI this coming Friday morning to help determine what the problem is.  It hasn't gotten any worse but it hasn't gone away either.  So, on Saturday I said screw it and ran 13 miles - I really missed running and I enjoyed the freedom, but the second half was annoying dealing with a nagging pain coming from my big toe.  To make the situation even worse, the foot doctor called me earlier in the week and said the machine he used to scan my feet for custom orthotics last week was broken and I need to go back for a re-scan, thus setting me back another two weeks until I could potentially run pain-free.  Silly technology.  I'm going to get back into running this week, but in the back of my mind I'm wondering whether or not my foot will be back in a boot or be getting sliced open by a surgeon in the coming weeks...

03-09 Aug

03 AUG -- off -- crossfit day!
04 AUG -- 43:04 - 11.00 miles
05 AUG -- 45:17 -- 11.75 miles
06 AUG -- off -- realized I hadn't taken a day off in awhile
07 AUG -- 20:00 -- 4.97 miles (my Tauki exercise bike came in the mail!)
08 AUG -- 42:27 -- 10.93 miles
               -- 24:27 -- 6.21 miles
09 AUG -- 34:21 -- 9.32 miles
               -- 35:34 -- 9.38 miles

TOTAL -- 4:05:10 -- 63.56 miles

Since I'm not a cyclist I have no idea if 63 miles for the week is good or not.  I have no goals of breaking certain miles per week, although 100 miles sounds like a reasonable challenge.  I'm basing my work load on the amount of time I spend riding.  After talking to a few triathletes around work, I can tell you with 100% certainty that I'm not following doctrine...  Don't care. 

I was running upwards of 5 hours per week, so I imagine I'll need to cycle that much, or more, to sustain my cardio for the next 5 weeks.  Week 1 was a success, in my opinion.  My quads are tender and my metabolism hasn't slowed down, so I must be getting something out of the workouts. 

I've read a few articles and watched a few YouTube videos for workout ideas.  I'll keep grinding away, but tomorrow is crossfit day in the garage to the bike will have to wait until Tuesday.

27Jul-02 Aug

27 JUL -- 31:54 -- 4.54 miles -- 26 elevation gain
28 JUL -- 26:40 -- 2.00 miles -- 1003 elevation gain
29 JUL -- 44:35 -- 6.22 miles -- 43 elevation gain
30 JUL -- 10:30 -- 1.31 miles -- 13 elevation gain
             -- stationary bike 8 miles
             -- 9:52 -- 1.28 miles -- 4 elevation gain (morning)
             -- 10:04 -- 1.29 miles -- 13 elevation gain
             -- stationary bike 6 miles
             -- 9:23 -- 1.27 miles -- 4 elevation gain (afternoon)
31 JUL -- 30:00 -- 3.00 miles -- 25 elevation gain (unit run)
01 AUG -- off -- stationary bike 12 miles -- 35:00
02 AUG -- off -- stationary bike 16 miles -- 46:32

TOTAL --

Well, bad news.  It was inevitable and I couldn't keep lying to myself.  I finally saw the podiatrist and took his advice, and so this:

A possible fracture of the sesamoid bone, but the MRI I have in 5 weeks will confirm whether or not a fracture exists.  X-rays were negative, which is always positive. 

I only cried once before I realized this could be a good thing and found creative ways to fill the void: biking, ab workouts, reading, crawling races versus Eli, etc. etc.  Adapt and overcome.  I might have to lay off the beer and cookies for awhile (as I sit here with a beer...), but it is what it is.

In any event, for the next 6 weeks I won't be running.  I'm not supposed to bear any weight on my right foot at all, but that's nearly impossible for anyone to do.  The Doc has given me permission to bike, however, so bike I shall.  I've been looking online for a road bike and a stationary bike for the garage.  We'll see what turns up. 

I think a 6-week break will be good.  My foot pain started last October and got worse, got better for a short time, then got worse again over the last week.  Clearly, I'm not happy about having my foot in a boot for 6 weeks, but rather than tinker around with gear or inserts or orthotics or other crap, I'm following strict Doc's orders and fixing this darn injury the first go around. 

This blog will continue as a temporary biking blog and will continue as a running blog in a few weeks.

13-26 Jul

13 JUL -- off -- cross fit work out in the garage
14 JUL -- 34:57 -- 5.15 miles -- 8 elevation gain
15 JUL -- 11:13 -- 1.39 miles -- 10 elevation gain
             -- swim 1000 meters
             -- 18:25 -- 2.22 miles -- 22 elevation gain
16 JUL -- 13:27 -- 1.86 miles -- 20 elevation gain
             -- 32:15 -- 3.40 miles -- 20 elevation gain (Fartlek run)
             -- 12:14 -- 1.77 miles -- 10 elevation gain
             -- 11:32 -- 1.00 miles -- 422 elevation gain
17 JUL -- 32:48 -- 4.43 miles -- 31 elevation gain
             -- 21:38 -- 2.00 miles -- 739 elevation gain
18 JUL -- 1:39:51 -- 13.11 miles -- 56 elevation gain
19 JUL -- 1:04:48 -- 8.38 miles -- 49 elevation gain

TOTAL -- 5:53:08 -- 44.71 miles -- 1387 elevation gain

Foot pain starting to dissipate slightly.  I switched to my Hokas full time after realizing many of my other shoes have 500-800 miles on them and need replaced.  My Hokas has probably 350-ish miles on them, although I haven't been keeping track of my mile-per-shoe...maybe an idea for my next pair...I think I'll do that.  It'll be good data for other runners, although many factors need to be considered: running surface, stride of the runner, and so on.  Regardless, someone somewhere will get something out of the data, and it's easy to track, so I'll help out the community.





20 JUL -- off -- cross fit workout in the garage
21 JUL -- 10:55 -- 1.38 miles -- 17 elevation gain
             -- 12:02 -- 0.27 miles -- 1000 elevation gain (Stairmaster)
             -- 9:50 -- 1.35 miles -- 4 elevation gain
22 JUL -- 43:29 -- 6.19 miles -- 36 elevation gain
23 JUL -- off -- duty
24 JUL -- 26:30 -- 2.50 miles -- 924 elevation gain
             -- 30:22 -- 3.76 miles -- 16 elevation gain
25 JUL -- 1:47:01 -- 14.49 miles -- 120 elevation gain
26 JUL -- 9:53 -- 1.31 miles -- 18 elevation gain
             -- 16:28 -- 0.40 miles -- 1500 elevation gain  (Stairmaster)
             -- 10:52 -- 1.00 miles -- 449 elevation gain
             -- 9:07 -- 1.27 miles -- 4 elevation gain

TOTAL -- 4:46:29 -- 33.92 miles -- 4088 elevation gain

Mondays somehow turned into cross fit days.  I've never done cross fit before so I don't know where this came from.  I don't even know if I'm doing it right, so to speak.  If there's a cross fit inspector aboard Camp Lejeune then please know that your services are requested.

Aside from my Monday's spent jumping over milk crates in my garage, I've been getting in the mood to race again.  It's been since Bull Run in April. 

After running on flat roads for a few months I've been getting faster and faster.  I've been able to maintain 3,000-4,000 feet of elevation gain some weeks by steady treadmill and stairmaster workouts, but I realize nothing substitutes real trail running.  I'm considering taking another crack at Grindstone this October, but I don't know my work schedule.  It's filling fast but it's expensive (over $200 I believe) so I'd rather not throw my money away if I can avoid it.  But, if I sign up and things don't pan out, there's nothing else I'd rather throw money at than the ultrarunning community. 

Tristin signed up for a 100-miler in October which also motivates me to start racing again.  I'll likely see him at a wedding later in October and it would be awesome to share tales of running in the woods.

06-12 Jul

06 JUL -- off -- upper body weightlifting
07 JUL -- 11:44 -- 1.35 miles -- 10 elevation gain
             -- swim 700 meters
             -- 28:12 -- 3.28 miles -- 6 elevation gain
             -- 20:04 -- 2.00 miles -- 739 elevation gain
08 JUL -- 10:30 -- 1.34 miles -- 10 elevation gain
             -- 12:08 -- 0.27 miles -- 1000 elevation gain
             -- 10:44 -- 1.00 miles -- 317 elevation gain
             -- 10:05 -- 1.30 miles -- 4 elevation gain
09 JUL -- off
10 JUL -- 37:08 -- 5.20 miles -- 30 elevation gain
11 JUL -- 1:22:46 -- 11.09 miles -- 57 elevation gain
12 JUL -- 30:18 -- 3.00 miles -- 950 elevation gain

TOTAL -- 4:13:39 -- 29.83 miles -- 3123 elevation gain

Well, I was consistently running 50-60 miles per week in Virginia where I had a selection of trails and locations.  Here in NC I am beyond bored.  This week I'm going to focus on elevation and smoke myself on the treadmill and Stairmaster every day - hopefully that'll keep things interesting.

Congratulations to Scott Jurek for taking on the AT this summer and finishing today with a new record!