Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Well, it is official.  I have tendonitis and something else called tenosynovitis.  Just a fancy medical way to say that  have strained my tendon, it is swollen, and so is everything around it.  Including the tendon skin.  It isn't really called "tendon skin", I just can't remember the real term.

So what does all of this mean?  No running for 2-6 weeks.  2 weeks if I am super lucky and twice as awesome as I think I am.  Probably 4 weeks if I do everything I need to do to recover properly.  Six weeks if I am a dummy and try to do too much to soon...and re-injure it.

I didn't take the news too well this morning.  I have been on a good run and felt poised to drop some good times.  This changes things a bit.  No worries though...(now)  I will do what I have to do and be rocking it by mid July.

Okay enough of that.  Teresa, Kristy, and me hit the pool and did some water jogging.  I don't think I was doing it right before.  It was a lot harder today.  (shut up Curtis)  We did some intervals and were in the water for about an hour.   The workout would have lasted longer but Kristy was too busy flirting with the boys...or boy...or Mark.

I started with an easy swim, and closed with an easy swim.

After the gym Teresa and I met Curtis, Delsin, and Kristy at Saints.  They have really good Garlic Fries.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Water logged

Please let me heal quickly.  I had to spend my workout time in the pool.  I swam a bit, water jogged a bit, swam a bit, water jogged a bit, back and forth for about 45 minutes.  It was not fun.


I felt like a kid who got grounded and sent to his room.  And while in his room he just stared outside at all the other kids, just wishing he was out there playing too.  But he wasn't so he pretended he was anyway.  Lifetime is a brilliant television network.


Except I am a grown man stuck in a swimming pool by myself.  And I was forced to watch all these able bodied people run past the pool windows.  It made me sad.  I think I even saw a couple of them say something funny...and I just wanted to know what they said.  Is it odd that I laughed when they laughed?  I just wanted to feel like I was a part of something.


Hopefully my shin deal heals up real soon.


Hey, but I did mow my yard and have chili.  So, I have that going for me.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Interesting Weekend

It was supposed to a good endurance weekend.  It was a good weekend, and I did get some good exercising in, but my shin is worse than it was on Wednesday / Thursday.


Based on Dr Feldman's poolside diagnosis, I do not have "shin splints", rather I jacked up my peroneal tendon.  Good news, it may be easier to heal than shins splints. Bad news, I need to take a week or so off from running.


Teresa and I are going back to the QC for Bix @ 6 on Thursday and staying for the 4th of July and running the Firecracker 10K on Sunday.  Looks like I will be a spectator this time.


Today Teresa and I did a little water jogging so I could keep the cardio up.  Certainly not my favorite activity.


Back to Saturday, we ran about 9.5 miles at the downtown YMCA, rode about 25 miles from downtown to Cumming.  Later we met up at Saints, and everyone made fun of me for being old.


Good times - 

Thursday, June 24, 2010

New Pain Same Route

Ugh.  Yesterday I hurt my shin on the track.  I thought it would go away...but not so fast.  It was really tender at the start of the run.  The harder I ran, and more I pushed off of my toes, the worse it was.  Boo.

I was still able to get a good 8 miles in.  Jake, Pete, Mark and I ran the usual route from the gym.  Jake ran back to the house with me..and then back to the gym.  See my GARMIN info HERE.  We need Feldman to come back and get the group going faster again.

Curtis's Volvo (is it Curtis' or Curtis's) would not start this morning.  Maybe these Scandinavian cars aren't all that after all?  Nah.  You know what though?  The team at Willis Volvo took care of it as usual.

Some of you may remember that I went and saw Marcus Luttrell speak this winter.  It was awesome...great story...great book.  I have added this handy Amazon.com widget on the left so you can get the book or download it for your Kindle.  See, I make the world an easier place.  I have a signed copy of the book too, you are welcome to borrow it.  Although I looked for it earlier tonight and could not find it.

Wow, this is really turning into a nerd blog...more nerdy running talk...less funny.  Boo.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Too tired

I am too tired to blog, so I will just post a quick update.

Yesterday in the HEAT I ran 6.2 miles (two laps around raccoon) at 6:54 pace.  See Garmin info HERE.  It was tough because of the heat, I was going to do three laps at 7:15 pace, but only did 2...a bit faster.

Today was a track day.  I ran to the track with Mark.  Kristy and Jeff did their own speed work, Mark did an 800 with me.  Jake didn't make it.  My splits for the 800s are below, I did 6 of em.

  1. 2:51
  2. 2:51
  3. 2:55
  4. 2:57
  5. 2:57
  6. 2:51 
With the 3 mile warm up, the 400 jog between 800s, and the 3 miles jog home, I ended up with 11.50 miles on the day.  See Garmin info for today's run HERE.

Hey, my new Brooks shoes came in today.  They are pretty sweet.  

Sorry for the short post, I will try better next time.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Monday

So my pig got out this weekend.  No sickos, that isn't a euphemism for some weird old guy perv thing.  My   potbellied pig (Fred) got out yesterday and was hanging out at  my neighbors house.  In the 13 years we have had Fred he nevergot out...mostly because we never left the gate open either.

My little piggy went wee wee wee all the way...again sickos it's not what you think.

Okay so what about the running.  I met Jake at Raccoon for a 3 lap (9 mile) run.  We ran a nice easy 7:30 pace and then compared Volvos.  seriously...stop it!  I'm not bragging but my Volvo is bigger than Jake's.  dude


Today I ran to the gym and met up with the group.  From there we ran over to Valley and back in.  I ended up with 8 miles.  It wasn't quite the "opportunity of a lifetime" that Eminem   promised me.

Mrs. Brooks is in the QC today and tomorrow for work.  So I am flying solo tonight.  And I just realized that I am using my free time to BLOG.  The nerdy keep getting nerdier.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

The greatest ever

Before we start talking about running, I need to point out that I completely destroyed Mrs. Brooks in miniature golf today.  Now I'm not saying it wasn't close, but Teresa didn't beat me at a single hole.  I was on fire...I hit a ball off of the rocks and sunk it dead center.  I am pretty sure I shot the single greatest round ever on any mini golf course in the world.  I'm just saying.

Back to running...I ran from home to my office downtown.  It wasn't a full tempo run, but I did run hard.  I ended up averaging 6:59 for the run.  See Garmin info HERE.

When I got to the office I ran a cool down just shy of 2 miles.  Teresa met me at the office and we walked in the Heart Walk...about three miles.  The dogs came along, it was a good morning.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Hot Laps

Whoa Nelly.  What a hot day.

I ran a track workout with Jake today.  90+ degrees with WIND.  Here is how the track conversations went.  "okay, let's do 8 X 800 today."  "alright, it's a little warm out, how about if we do 6 X 800."   "hey, there is no shame in running 5 X 800 on a hot day like today."   You know, 4.5 X 800 is a good workout!"

That's right.  We ran 4 1/2 800s.  The half an 800 (otherwise known as a 400) was only because the 1:45 pace just wasn't going to cut it.

Mix in the 3 mile warm up, 3 mile cool down, and some 400 recovery jogs...and you've got 9.63 miles.  See Garmin info HERE.

In the last 7 days I have put in over 60 miles.  That is why I get to take tomorrow off.  The chart below shows the last seven days.


Count:
8 Activities
Distance:
62.78 mi
Time:
07:53:45 h:m:s
Elevation Gain:
1,264 ft
Avg Speed:
8.0 mph
Calories:
4,499 C

Alright kids, have a great weekend!  Good luck to K-Dorf and Lizzie at Grandma's on Sunday.  It's all downhill!!


 

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Tough Day

The good news is that I did not have to run in the rain, delay my run because of the rain, or not run at all because of the rain.  I was about to Google the blueprints for the Arc.  Okay, I did Google this.  I already have two Whippets and a pig.  This is a 30 Cubits model.  Not sure what a Cubit is?

I felt less than great on the run today.  I felt like Homer...

Probably because I started out way too fast.  The first mile was a bit under 7 minute pace (6:53).  The Second mile was 6:36.  About a quarter mile into the 3rd mile I felt really light headed and weak.  (yeah, weaker than normal).  So I slowed it down and closed that mile at 7:11.  The fourth mile was a different story...7:57 pace.  Bliggity Blammo.

Then I got my second wind for mile 5 & 6, and I dropped back under 7:00 pace.  Today was a goofy day.  I ended up averaging 7:10 for the 6.2 miles.  Not bad all things considered.

Came home and mowed the yard.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Start PT keep running

Yep, I started back at PT today.  He did a lot more work on my total core.  The last time we focused on my ab.  This time we worked all around my ab...the lower back, the hips and hip flexors, the hamstrings, and obliques.  Pretty tough deal but good.

Tonight I ran to the gym, ran 4 miles, ran 3 miles, and ran home for a grand total of 9.95 miles.  Running with Mark (aka Wolverine)


is sometimes like running with Jiffy Pop.  Dude is all over the place...like a "fart in a skillet".

Feldman wants to do a tempo run on Thursday at 5:45 pace.  Um, I can barely run 1 mile at that pace.

Guess I'd better rest up.

What else?  Not much, just busy "Living The Dream" 
Teresa made tater tot casserole tonight.  Dem's is good.  Dem's is real good. 

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Indoor, outdoor, indoor

Pictures from Dam to Dam came  back.  The shirt is really yellow...not green like the picture looks.  Man my hair looks really grey in the first picture...you know, cause its jet black in real life.  If the camera adds 15 pounds, I'd better start lifting some weights



Now back to the present




What a gnarly day.  We got about 150 yards from the gym and the rain came in a big way.  So, we went back inside and ran the track, blah.  I don't like that track.  After a bit over an hour of indoor running and we went back outside for a 7 mile cool down.  Looks like we got 15.75 miles in or so.

Last night Feldman ran me through the ringer for a tempo / track workout.  Basically, 2 mile warm up, 4 miles @ 6 minute pace, and a 2 mile cool down.  12 hours later we are dropping 15+ miles. What is tired?

In the last 30 days I have run a lot of miles for me.  216 miles in a month...not bad eh?

Count:
26 Activities
Distance:
216.59 mi
Time:
27:04:18 h:m:s
Elevation Gain:
4,525 ft
Avg Speed:
8.0 mph
Calories:
21,532 C

Monday, June 7, 2010

The blog is back in town

Not really, just a slow night of television.

So what's been happening in the super awesome life of Chris Brooks you ask?  If you really asked that, then you are a bigger nerd than I am, and quite frankly I am a little frightened by you.  Please stop reading my blog...you are creeping me out.  Seriously.  Log off now.

So I ran Dam to Dam.  I wanted to break 1:20:00 but sadly I lack talent and ran a 1:20:16.  There is a good chance I will be crying myself to sleep for weeks.  Not true.  Real men don't cry.  I will just punch a wall until my fists bleed because I am a badass.  Not true.  I will get over it 48 hours ago.  It's just running.

What else?  Um, I ran with JG, Downs, Swish, Petey, and Kristy tonight.  We ran midgetville and Swish explained to us what a "Pirate" is.  Don't ask.

I go the Doc tomorrow for a CT Scan on my ab.  Why am I going to the Dr for my ab?  Cause their SICK.  Bamm!  (that was for you Kris)

Have a good night campers!