Weekly Log: 11.19.12 - 11.25.12

I'm going to change up my weekly log up a bit and start mentioning any other forms of exercise that I do during the week.  I generally only run 3-4 days a week so I try to include other activities on those days I don't run.  It helps with my overall fitness and I think it makes me a better runner.

Monday - 0 miles

Tuesday - 0 miles

Ab Ripper X - 20 minutes.  My buddy lent me this video from his P90X series.  It's a 20 minute core workout which has some brutally tough moves (at least for me.)

Saw my primary care doc about my ankle.  Since I can walk and run (on even surfaces) without pain, he didn't think it was a stress fracture.  Likely my ligaments in my foot are just stretched out from rolling it so many times.  This creates a chain reaction - my loose ligaments mean I'm more likely to roll my ankle which makes them looser still.  He says that so long as I can run without pain I'm fine to keep running.  I'm going to get an X-ray done and then see a Ortho sports doc in a few weeks to get an expert opinion.

So I'm going to ease back into road runs in a few days.  But I'm staying of the woods for awhile.  In fact, let it be known that I will not run on a trail for 3+ weeks!  The trail run moratorium will last until at least Wednesday, December 12th.  I know I've made proclamations like this in the past but this time I mean it damnit!  If all goes well perhaps I'll still be able to run the Old Mountain 5k.

Wednesday - 0 miles

Thursday - 0 miles

Ab Ripper X - 20 minutes. 
30 Day Shred workout video - 20 minutes.  Man, my upper body strength is sad. 
6 miles on Amanda's bike to get some cardio in.  Sadly I really don't know the gears on a bike work and she told me afterwards that I was in the wrong gear for going up hill.  No wonder my thighs felt like I surgically grafted 2x4s into them.  I am a bicycle noob.

I then had a delicious Thanksgiving meal of delights with my wife's family in Jamestown followed by a short walk before attacking the dessert spread.

Friday - Smithfield, RI - 4.1 miles

My first run since my blunders at Li'l Rhody.  Throughout the week my right foot has felt achy at times but never painful.   Today was just a short run around the Fidelity campus.  Foot felt sore and uncomfortable for a while but otherwise okay.

Saturday - 0 miles

Did some wood choppin' late in the day.  An honest way to spend an hour as the sun sets and dusk settles in.

Sunday - Charlestown, RI - 13.2 miles

It was light out by the time I left so I didn't need to worry about a headlamp.  I wanted to keep it at an 8 minute pace but after a few miles I ended up settling into around 7:45 miles.  I felt good and didn't feel like I was working hard so I stuck with it.

This is a good loop that took me past Worden's Pond, down Ministerial and then back towards Old Coach Rd.  After seeing Jonny's recent post about a possible mountain lion sighting in DuVal trail, I went into this long run ready for combat.  I carried my pocket knife in the key storage of my running glove.  If the beast showed itself we were going to throw down.  Sadly it was a no-show.

As I proceeded back down Old Coach I saw that I was going to hit half-marathon distance and that I was closing in on my 13.1 PR.  I pushed the pace on the last mile and ended up getting a new PR (according to Garmin) of 1:42:45 - 40 seconds better than last month's effort.  I'm eyeing the March Ocean's Run 1/2 Marathon in Matunuck as an opportunity to smash my 1/2 PR.  1:35 perhaps?

No pain whatsover in my foot during or after this long run which is excellent news.  The trail moratorium continues!

Weekly mileage: 17.3 miles

Year to date: 1,145 miles