Sunday, July 07, 2013

Various and Sundry Things

Brace yourselves, this will be a long (but hopefully entertaining) connection of various and sundry things...

I've been in Michigan for a summer job for less than 24 hours and have already had enough happen that a bloop was in order.

Yesterday was a travel day.  I'd originally intended to squeeze a few miles in when I got to here, but it became an impossibility because of meetings, key shenanigans (ie I didn't have them for a few hours after I got there) and my realization around 9:30 pm when I finally got settled that despite my best intentions a 4 miler was just not going to happen.  I'd been up since 5 am and had traveled most of the day and was just beat.

It was not the way I wanted to start my time at my summer job.

Speaking of which a bit of a tangent to hold myself accountable here:

I intend to use the next 5 weeks in different surroundings to amplify, not destroy, my current training cycle.  I am committing myself to running 4 or 5 days a week, in the AM, before work plus 3 strength training days geared at finally kicking these injuries to the curb.  That will occasionally require 2 a days.  I'm doing it.  I am recommitting myself to clean eating during this time.  There is a full kitchen here and an excellent salad/pasta bar at the dining hall.  There are no excuses for me spending extra money on food that is worse for me that doesn't help my training.  If that means I am slightly less "fun" and not going out at nights I am okay with that, because it will translate to better running later.  Will it always be easy? No.  Am I capable of making these choices for the betterment of myself?  Absolutely.  I will periodically be assessing my ability to pull this off in future posts (I'm sure you're on the edge of your seat...) 

Now that that's out of the way and I have created some public accountability...

Today started off much better than yesterday.  I was up at 6:30 am and out the door at 7 for my long run.  I'd like to make that a tad earlier in the future, but the weather was cooler today so no harm no foul.  It's the first time I've had a chance to run in 70 degree weather in weeks and I planned on enjoying every minute of it.  The streets were pretty deserted except for a few other runners and I was excited to try out my new long run shoes: Glycerin 10s (they fit the same as the 11s on me and were on sale, score!).  I ran in them on the 3rd for a 5K that I decided couldn't possibly be raced in the heat we were experiencing (I was right) but this was my first chance to try them out for more miles.

They felt luxuriously soft after my Pure Connects.  Like downright sinful.  And slow. But, hey, it's a long run and I've been battling shin splints forever, so slower is probably good anyway.  I ran 7.9 miles in a very easy 1:19 and enjoyed 95% of it profusely. The other 5% consisted of what I can only describe as a knee "thing."

Three times the following weirdness occurred (I use the term weirdness, and not pain, deliberately.  I'll explain more below).  The run was hillier than I've done recently and when I tried to accelerate on the uphills my left knee would sort of spasm and almost lock.  I'd stop, walked a couple of steps.  No pain.  Tentatively resumed running and was fine...until it happened again about a mile later when I forgot about it and attempted to accelerate a bit again on a hill.  Wash, rinse, repeat - although this time it wasn't because I forgot, I was attempting to see if there was a pattern to this spasm.  I finished the run (but still no pain!) stretched thoroughly afterwards and foam rolled and was about to treat myself to a shower/cold bath for my legs when I realized a packing error:

I had not packed a bath towel. 

It is 8:30 AM.  On a Sunday.  I am near the University of Michigan campus.  I have no towel and very limited prospects for getting one.  I have just run almost 8 miles and am sweaty and icky and my knee is being weird and I need a cold bath and...

Shmer.

So I figured challenge accepted:  I would walk around the downtown area and surely somewhere must be a) open b) selling a towel.  Any towel.  A beach towel, even.  ANYTHING.

A venti cup of black coffee, 90 minutes and 4.89 miles later I returned to my apartment towel-less and determined to MacGyver a solution from the rest of my luggage.  After searching for about 20 minutes I found it - the solution to my problems: a spare pillow case (You laugh, but it worked.  Not ideal and I don't recommend it but it was better than the alternative which was a pair of sweatpants I might actually want to wear tonight if it gets colder...) 

It was a serious amount of ridiculous to occur before noon. *hmpf*

If anyone got this far (and if you didn't I don't blame you, b/c holy long batman...but if you did, I am thrilled - and have a question) does anyone have any ideas as to what this knee thing is?  My cursory googling/searching of the RW forums seems to signal ITBS.  Which would be consistent with glute weakness I've already identified, but I'm a little skeptical because I have had that before on the other side a few months into running and it manifested totally differently...

Anyway, Michigan is off to a crazy (although 95%) good start.  And I finally have a towel!

1 comment:

Elizabeth said...

It's so awesome that you are committed to running through your travels! I wish I knew what that knee thing was, but I have no insight there. Glad to hear those new shoes are working out so far. As for a towel, I have had that happen before and I used paper towels to dry off post-shower. Not fun! Glad to hear you finally procured one.