March 30,  Wednesday

Foot healing: rode bike for 32 minutes today.  5 miles.  First time on bike in a few months. New goal is to start running on Sunday.   Saturday will be a long day on feet at Raider Relays. Trying to stay positive and focused.

March 28th, Tuesday

With nothing to report but an aching sore foot and no running, I have not had anything to write about for the last 5 days.  We did spend two of those days driving home from Florida. So it is back in Jackson now trying to treat an aching foot.  I did reconnect with the coaches from Jackson boys track team. Tomorrow I will be helping the coaches at an inter-squad meet.                  I am contemplating a bicycle ride early tomorrow if the weather is good.

Stats-

I-Mad = 0?

a.m.HR = Steady

Weight = #158?

I-MId = 4/5?

SLEEP  = 11 hours ?

Workout =  Nada for a whole week……??

March 21st,  Tuesday

Resting sore foot.?

March 22nd, Wednesday

Solid swim….??

Feeling down but exercising an abundance of caution, I have refrained from running and concentrated on swimming. The weather is ideal; upper sixties, blue skies and the pool is a comfortable 78*.  The foot is feeling better each day. This is an unfortunate way to conclude this eight week stay in St. Augustine.  But I had vowed to return to Jersey injury free and with increased fitness. I think I can still accomplish both of those things.

Leaving in three days.?

Stats-

I-Mad = 0

a.m.HR = 50BPM. Rather low

Weight =  #158 ? ??  Way too high from lack of work..

I- MI’d = 3/4 -Getting better

Sleep = 10 hours.  OK

Workout = 40 minutes in the pool

March 18th and 19th,  Saturday and Sunday

Looks like a holding pattern for a few days.

Still nursing a sore foot I took a day off on Saturday and ran three and a half uncomfortable, slow miles on Sunday. I don’t see any progress with this sequence. So, I am going to have to take a couple of days off to see if I can rid myself of this aching foot. During this Hiatus I am still confused about whether to be using heat or ice to treat this injury. I am pretty sure this is a strained muscle as I had a few months ago.  My foot does not hurt on impact while running. But each time I push off of my left foot I get a mild to medium  level pain in the instep. Now, I could keep  running on this because it doesn’t hurt badly. But I’m pretty sure that if I keep running it will get worse and worse.

I will have to keep reminding myself of the advice I read in a recent article. The author explained that muscle and aerobic fitness develop much more quickly than the skeletal system can adapt.

So, as I increase my training level I put my bones, ligaments, tendons and fascia in jeopardy.  Be smarter, man!

I had thought about purchasing a bike when I arrived in Florida seven weeks ago. But I figured running would be better for my conditioning than riding a bike: so I did not. I could really use it right now. But with only six days to go until we head home, it doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense to buy it now.  I guess I’ll just try to swim in the pool for a few days and see how quickly my foot responds to no running.

Stats are pretty steady and unremarkable.

March 17, Friday ? ♱

Achey 3.5 on beach today…..

I ran 3.5 miles on the beach today in 38:00 with my left foot talking to me softly the whole time.  During the run did 8 pickups of 30 seconds each.  My Garmen tells me I’m running about 8:00 per mile pace during the pick up segments. The mile times were 12:30 warm up, 10:03, 10:27 and  6:00 cool down.  Refreshing ocean soak and ice roll afterward.  Check foot reaction in morning.

Stats-

I-Mad = 0?

a.m.HR = 54BPM

Sleep = 8 hours

Weight = #154.5

I-Mid = 5 ?

March 15th, Wednesday

“Beware the Ides.. ”  and the foot

After a very nice lunch in Old Town with Kristen and Arlene, came home and had a nap. Feeling frustrated about consistent soreness to my left foot, I decided to go out for a while under a new plan.  That plan was to do 10 minute warm-up, 10 minutes of work,  and 10 minutes cool down. The idea was that only 30 minutes of work may not put undue pressure sore foot. There was moderate pain in my left InStep for the entire 30 minutes. Clearly there is something going on in that foot. But I did manage to do 10  x 30-second pickups going off every minute during the middle stage. That was good and seemed to get my heart rate up pretty high. I was breathing pretty heavily for those 10 minutes. These pickups today were not very quick, just a  solid stride (short).    I was happy to get that much work in today.  I will see what effect it has on for my foot tomorrow.

Stats –

I-Mad = 0.   The Achilles tendons are fine period no pain or soreness at all. I need a new indicator two measure my instep soreness level. I guess it has to be I-Mid, (Index of Morning Instep Discomfort )

I-Mid =  6 today

Sleep = 6 hours. Not good last few days. Not getting to bed early enough.

a.m.HR = 54 BPM

WEIGHT  = #154

WORKOUT = ABOVE

March 16th,  Thursday

Foot still sore.  Heat, stretch, ibuprofen. Several online sites like Runner’s World say ice and stretch, but I do not understand that concept. Ice contracts: heat expands. So I have chosen to do heat and stretch because it seems to me that the goal is to elongate, stretch the area. Therefore I have not opted for ice.  Hope to get some work in tomorrow.

March 14th,  Tuesday

Sidelined today because of nagging soreness in arch of left foot again.  This is similar to pain I suffered last spring after my 5K race in Freehold. It’s not as severe, but I am exercising an abundance of caution by taking the day off.

March 12th & 13th – Sunday & Monday

Sunday – Resting and sleeping all day.   Multiple muscles are  still feeling quite sore today. It has become apparent to me that the  workout of repeats on Friday was quite a stress on my total system. I have to remember that DOMS for older runners means a 36 to 48  hour delay.  Also for the first time I am feeling tightness in my hamstring muscles. That is a sure sign that I  have upped my training level. I used to tell my runners that as training level intensifies, muscle soreness rises up the legs from calves to hamstrings,  and reaches the gluteus maximus (butt) as the highest levels of fitness are achieved.  Most middle-distance runners can remember that excruciating pain in the butt during workouts at the end of the season.  I can!

Monday  – I arose refreshed after about 12 hours of sleep.  With hamstrings still sore I chose to run some totally aerobic, 11:30, miles for approximately one hour today.  Walk and slow jog for 20 minutes and then 3.5 miles in 40 minutes.  It seemed like just what I needed to get back in the groove.

Stats- Lazy recording for 3 days, not good. Step Up O’Rourke!

March 11th, Saturday

Took day off to go to Farmer’s Market and St. Augustine Irish Festival. A lot of walking… a little sore.  All good!