pain

For one exultant moment I thought I'd won the whole thing -- if only because the three runners ahead of me were running the 1ok and so had another lap to go.

But no. I got beaten into third place -- by a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old!

Tne good news, the really good news, is that it HURT. And for that I have Floyd Landis to thank.

Ever since my great Freihofer's 5k race on 6/3 when I ran 17:02, 3rd Master Overall, I have been struggling. Since the race I keep getting tightness in my lower right leg. I have gone to two different massage therapists, a chiropractor and an acupuncturist trying to figure out what is wrong. Although at times I can run really fast, last Wed. I did one of my best 4 mile AT's ever then on Thursday timing the All comers track meet my right calf tightened up again! So frustrating! I had to skip my favorite track workout Saturday, 8 by 400's because my right calf was tighter than usual.

Since starting training with Pilates teacher Richard Rossiter last year to fix my back and get some ab muscles, I've learnt a lot of new stuff about my body. For instance, I never knew I couldn't fully straighten my right knee. Richard's classical Pilates, which often reminds me of circuit training and includes resistance work such as Sumo squats with a barbell, is gradually "calling my body to order". In the process, I get to experience a variety of transient aches and pains as muscles, tendons and ligaments strengthen, stretch and relaign. Lately, it's been this pain in my butt.

So I eased out at 5:15 today with a two miler. Although I didn't have shooting pain in my knee, I did feel the dull ache when I ran. But it did feel so good to be outside and moving again. After my americano treat from Starbucks, I walked the 3 blocks home and the knee actually felt great - no dull ache. Can you say "phantom pain?" So when I got home I did about 20 minutes of stretching and then iced the knee (just in case) and then gave it a little massage. At the moment, it doesn't hurt, but if I think about it, it doesn't feel "right". So I'm taking runnernyc's advice and taking an ice pack to work, just in case. So all in all today, considering I had to cancel the 1/2 last weekend, my 2 miles today was better than no miles :)

I think there is one thing that makes runners different than other people. Everyone can have dedication. Everyone can set a goal and stick to it. I recently met a fellow runner on the road, that in my opinion seemed like they should be much further along than they were. As we ran along they frequently had to make stops to walk, and, as I did not have a huge goal except to be out running again and get the blood flowing, I stopped to walk with them. I was amazed when I heard how their maximum distance was so short. Granted, I didn't know the level of fitness this person started at or anything else. I've only really been able to guage my own level of fitness, and I used to always think, for the longest time, it was not that high. Knowing several other friends and their ability to run, and remembering my beginnings of running, I realized they just weren't prepared for pain.

Between the Badwater 135 last July and back-to-back century +’s on the bike the past two days, I am now quite well versed on the subject of pain and everything that goes with it. I’ve also become intimately familiar with the route from Furnace Creek to Lone Pine, so if anyone has ANY questions about it, I have a ton of worthless information in my brain to spew back at you.

Luckily, starting tomorrow I will be 100% focused on running (not sure I even want to see my bike for a while), so you won’t have to put up with me posting arguably off-topic stories about my biking adventures.

Talking of speed work, intense training, oh, and poetry in motion, which we hadn't mentioned, but that's what we're all about, right? .... check this out:

Product: The Stick's Sprinter Stick

Price: $32.95

Rating: Excellent 8.9/10.0

Pros: Improves performance by accelerating recovery; portable; good value; versatile

Cons: Difficult to use on arm muscles and feet without a partner.

Overall: This is a one-of-a-kind self-massage tool that can reduce muscle soreness, prevent injuries and even make you a better runner.

For those who have never seen it used, The Sprinter Stick is likely to seem quite peculiar. As a matter of fact, when one of our product testers first received it, he thought we had sent him: "Some type of a hybrid between a rolling pin and a weapon from 'The Karate Kid'".