Ortho Appointment Tomorrow

Tomorrow is my appointment with the orthopaedist. The knee pain has just been too much to bear while running. I don't want my first marathon to be the last one, so I have decided to pull out of the Lower Potomac River Marathon. I still have the goal of being ready for the Newport 10 Miler to run with my sister.

Sprigs and Health.

Just an update on a product that I have been using recently. It's the Sprigs Banjees Wrist Wallet in black mesh. Now, I have some slightly Schlecked out arms, for you cycling fans out there.

So, I don't wear mine on the wrist, rather I pull it up to my elbow. Usually, I will wear it right at the elbow, so that my ID, key card, and credit card sit at the medial bend in the elbow. It is so comfortable there that I hardly notice it while running. I have even carried a phone, iPhone 3GS - no case, and it has been comfortable. Occasionally, if I am feeling particularly Schlecky, I can even pull it up over my elbow and wear it on the upper arm. It's light weight, unobtrusive, and functional. Just thought I would share.

Tonight, I am hitting the elliptical just to see how the knee will respond. I am scheduled to do 21 this Saturday, if I am following the marathon training that the Pacemakers have set out. Ugh, not sure I could make it that far, but we'll see. I am trying to be optimistic.

I keep thinking about the Lower Potomac River Marathon as a goal race for which I want to be healthy. Not sure I can do that, and even more so, I want to be healthy for the Newport 10 Miler up in RI. I told my sister I would run it if she did. It's her goal race after two kids, a knee scope, and a new house. She doesn't know it, but my plan is to pace her home at whatever her goal time is, and to mule her water and gels. I'm looking forward to it, and I would be more disappointed in missing that opportunity than any other run this year.

Pressures in college...

Was just reading about this sad story about a college track student who committed suicide due to stresses she put upon herself over grades and her performance on the track: Link.

Penn is my alma mater, at least for grad school, and as a teaching assistant, I saw some of those pressures in the kids there. One poor freshman came to me in tears because she was on track to get a B+ in an intro course. She was so nervous that it would ruin her chances at med school and that her father would berate her. I was really taken aback by this. She was deserving of a B+ based on her performance, and she never came to review sessions or office hours, until the final. I felt badly for her, especially about the fact that she felt she would sorely disappoint her father with a B+. I tried to be of some support with, "Look, if the worst thing that happens during your four years here is that you get a B+ in this class, you'll have no problem getting into med school." I really wanted to give her some perspective on it. She ended up getting a solid B+ because that was what her performance level warranted. I had no say in the final grade, it was up to the professor. I just hoped that her parents would be supportive of it as well. But, if she got that worked up over an intro class, God bless her when/if she did go to med school.

It's a shame that kids feel these extreme pressures. It's a shame that some parents put these pressures on kids. It appears that the girl in the story had a loving, supportive family, and she was lucky for that. They tried, and my hear goes out to her family, especially because they tried. Kids, thrust into a new university environment, particularly those that excelled in high school, are so vulnerable to self-imposed pressure. It's also a shame that her running, which I am sure she enjoyed in high school, seems to have also contributed to those stresses. I hope this story does open some parents' eyes to another kid with these problems, and that they are able to help their child through it.

Troubling Knee Troubles

This past Saturday saw a Pacemaker's run from Panera up on York Rd. down to the Harbor and back up to Panera. 14 miles. As I told one of my running mates, "It was really only the last 12 miles that were painful." My knee has gotten to the point where running is painfully unenjoyable. It is the extension of the right knee, as my foot reaches out for the ground, that causes the pain. I found myself running rather stiff-legged to avoid flexing the knee past 45 degrees. Not ideal by any means. The really odd thing is that it hurts less the fast I go. It also hurts less when I run on a left-to-right camber (think right side of the road). The pain is on the lateral side, just below the patella up to the pivot of the knee. It seems to be lower than most people who experience IT band syndrome, but that doesn't necessarily rule it out. According to the video on this Runner's World page the pain that sits lower than the IT band could be a lateral meniscus tear. However, I haven't had any swelling whatsoever, and from what I have read this is a typical symptom of a meniscal tear.

Taking a week off to see if that helps.

50+

This has been my first ever rolling week with 50+ miles. Took yesterday off, and boy did I need that. I haven't been sleeping well, and that wasn't helping the recovery from those 50+ miles.

Tonight's run was an extended harbor run (8.2 mi), I took it past my normal turnaround and went on to Canton; even with Starsuck's on Boston. Damnedest thing is that my knee was really bugging me tonight, after the night off. I had to stop twice, flex it back, and massage the lateral side of the patella and tibia. Really frustrating. It felt a bit better if I picked up the pace and concentrated on flicking my foot out front as my stride was extending. This seemed to force my knee to go completely straight and feel looser on the footfall. Oh well, I'll debate a day off tomorrow prior to Saturday's longer group run.

Two runs in a row now, when standing on the north side of the bldgs and some open sky above, the Garmin Performance 10 has found its location w/in 30 sec. Not too bad.

Blowing Off Dinner with the Boss.

Guess what I did last night... the harbor run. 7.82 miles of blah.

Tonight I was a bit more adventurous. First, I blew off a work dinner where I was supposed to be meeting our sales team. I just couldn't stomach another moment of work intruding on my life, so I said fuck it. I threw on my Newtons, and I just headed out at 5:30 to meet the RG3 group. I put in 4 miles before meeting them and ended up doing another 7.8 with them.

At first I was going to try to make this a social run (8:00 min pace), but I saw four guys take off from the start at about 7:30 pace. I then watched as no one was talking to one another in that group, and it started to string out. So, I took off to try to bring it together with some friendly chatter. Only, one guy just thrust forward and kept pushing so I hung with him. I figured if I could sit behind his right shoulder, I might get him to slow down a bit and let the others catch up. He just kept going at 7:40's or so. He was new to the group, only gave one word answers, and didn't know his way around the waterfront.

I stuck with him long enough to guide him out for 30 minutes, and then get him back to the main harbor area. However, I knew that my bag of warmer clothes was sitting in the Brit's car, and that the others in the group were probably waiting for us, as we had ventured further than the rest of the group. I turned in two miles at or below 6:00 and caught the Brit as he was heading to the pizza place. I got my bag and went out to locate the new guy.

Turns out he was in shock at how fast he had gone. He typically runs 9:00's, and he laughed when I told him he was doing 7:40's and I was trying to get him to slow down. He seemed happy with it, but I wish the group had stayed together for some conversation. Anyway, Pub Dog pizza and about 2.5 beers later I was ready to go home.

A text message, voicemail, and email from my boss wondering where I was. Like I said, fuck it.

Running with James Taylor

I thought yesterday was going to be an off-day, after the 18-miler on Saturday. But, a guy I know (James Taylor), posted about doing a 9-miler from Patterson Park over to Fed Hill and back. Well, I didn't want to drive over to Patterson to run, so I just said I'd meet him along the way. It worked out nicely. I met James Taylor along Aliceanna, I did an about face, and the two of us continued along the Harbor, over to Fed Hill, up Fort, and went our separate ways when we hit Pratt again. The great thing about running with James is that he likes an 8:30 pace (7.5 miles total), which was nice for a recovery run for me.

The best part about the run is that my knees are not bothering me as of 9:00 am, the day after the run. A good sign.

Almost forgot, it took the Garmin about 1 mile to find a signal. I waited for two minutes before my run for it to acquire a signal, but to no avail. So I started.

18-miler (Almost)

Yesterday's 18-mile run (actually 17.8 miles according to Map My Run) went off in the mist and fog from McHenry Row at 7:00 am. It was my first run using the Garmin Performance 10 watch. I went with that watch because I wanted something that was affordable, simple, and allowed internet upload. First impressions are mixed right now. I have never used a GPS watch before, and I was unfamiliar with how long it might take to acquire the satellites, but it took 1.5 miles before it locked on. Maybe moving while trying to acquire a signal is non-ideal, but the group was leaving and I had no choice. Interesting thing was that my running partner for the first 5 miles also was new to the Performance 10. His watch experienced a similar length of time to acquire a signal. Guess I just need to start the watch sooner. Also, it seemed to cut some big corners that may have caused me to be about 0.3 miles short or so. Need more time with the watch.

Temperature was nice, but I went out without water. Whoops. Didn't realize that it wasn't going to be a bowtie run, where we loop through the start-finish point multiple times. The route sheet sent us out 9 miles before turning back towards the finish. I stopped at Dunkin' to hit the bathroom and buy a bottle of water. Thankfully I had found a few bucks in my pocket that must have been hanging around from the last time I wore those shorts. Hopefully my knee and right achilles will be OK after this run. Both were nagging me by the end of the run.

Always run with ID

Here's a story about a runner who collapsed without ID.Link I'm not saying ID would have saved his life, but you never know when it could.

Folks, always run with ID. I use the Road ID system, but even a business card will work (although they can get kind of soggy).

Just flipping through Level Renner, and came across this photo by Chris Spinney:

It's a great finish line shot. Love the lean in. I hope I am pounding out 5:10s in 20 years. Here's the full post: Link

"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines." - Emerson

Ah, the Inner Harbor route. The above quote was suggested to me by a running mate of mine a few weeks back when I complained how I always run that route. My old standby. I run it way too often. It's only real redeeming quality is the finish going up Charles St. into Mt. Vernon. Other than that, it is a security blanket. 7.82 miles of comfort. Passing the occasional tourist (many more in summer, for sure) and nodding to the occasional runner. It's a B'more cliche.

At least on Monday I ran a slight variation on the Inner Harbor route that went up Fells Rd for about a quarter mile before finding the promenade again. That was on a 10k jaunt, as I was trying to make it back in time for the AU v. FSU game. If any Auburn fan tells you that they expected more than 7-4 from this team at the beginning of the year, they are lying to you (except for that dude that bought that ticket in Vegas... he's legit). I also realize that it took three small miracles to make it this far. It was a great year despite the loss. There's something that Auburn alumni will say, even after a loss like that... "It's great to be an Auburn Tiger!" That's all I can say. I can't wait for next year, too.

Just got back from a 21-miler this morning. It was 16 F when we kicked off at 7:00 am. The great thing about running with the Baltimore Pacemakers is that there is no shortage of "idiots" like myself who will run regardless of the weather. I would say we had at least 20 people there. The other great thing about running with this group is that those same "idiots", who braved the slop and ice this morning, are really cool people with whom you can have some good conversations while running or having coffee after the run. That's what really keeps me coming back each time.

This run literally spanned Baltimore. All sorts of footing issues. But, I learned about a product called Yaktrax which one of the guys used to great effectiveness in the ice and snow. May have to check them out.

I think I am going to take a hot bath, something I haven't done in years. Hopefully my tub is clean.

Last night's run involved blowing winds, biting snow, and a bit of fun. 8 miles on the Inner Harbor. Had to wear my old New Balance 603 hikers in order to have some traction, the Newtons were not cutting it. I made it about a block in Newtons before deciding that was a path towards personal injury.

While the run was a constant battle of keeping my lenses clear enough so that I would not stumble into the harbor, I did have some fun along the way. I crossed paths with six other runners, although I was the only idiot in shorts. Also got to see the Baltimore Under Armour store promoting Auburn as they go for a BCS Championship. War Eagle.

Back to the Hustle

I saw American Hustle last night. I might be the only person with whom I have spoken that really did not like it. Yes, Christian Bale was good in his role as Irv, but the rest of it just seemed like an over-the-top ripoff of a Guy Ritchie film. Anyway... I am back at blogging. I need an outlet to document my bitching and moaning as well as my running. Sometimes, I'll even bitch and moan about running. I miss it, but I just haven't had time.

2013 was a hot and cold year for me. I graduated beyond the 10k for the half-marathon distance. Ran two of those in the first half of the year. Got injured in June during the Ellicott City 10k, and I was probably running my best ever at that point. Damn sesamoiditis cost me all of July and August. Came back to knock off two of my "Races to do" list: The Nittany Valley Half Marathon and the Nooseneck 18k.

Both were hilly, with long sustained downhills that had me swearing. I can go uphill all day long, but gravity is a bitch, and she kills my quads and flexors. But, overall, despite a niggling knee tweak from the Blue Hills up in Canton, MA, I feel like I'm in decent shape. I am currently training for the Lower Potomac Marathon.

Cheers.

Running with RG3 in Fed Hill

No, not that RGIII, this RG3. Apparently they had the name first. Ended up being a 7.75 mile run total at about 7:40 pace. I was running with a guy who had a metatarsal fracture this past summer/fall, and it sounded an awful lot like what I have been dealing with my toe... although that's just from two runners comparing war stories. Who knows? It was a decent run, a little slower pace than normal, but that's fine because I was feeling it from last night's run for some reason. Afterwards, pizza and beer at Social Pub & Pie. Always good pizza and good beer. Also as per usual, good conversation. A very social group, and one that I am glad I found.

Summary:
Miles: 7.75 - Inner harbor
Calories Burned: 900
Calories consumed: 2443 (Carb = 0.44, Fat = 0.36, Protein = 0.12, Alcohol = 0.08)

I dub thee, "Super Toe"!

I think I found a solution for my toe problems, and I term it the "super toe". Basically taping my three middle toes into one cohesive unit has distributed any stress among the three toes and has served to stabilize the middle one. This is the toe that went south on me last night. In my Nike Frees, I was able to get through 8 miles this afternoon with only one tweak that I felt. That was when my right toes got caught going up a curb cut, and they flexed a bit too much. I focused the entire run on a nice, level mid-foot strike and it was smooth. I am hoping this bodes well for the upcoming half. Oh, I also fought the vurps again, the last two miles this time. Damn beef burrito.

Summary:
Miles: 8 - Catonsville, MD (w/a 350 ft elevation gain over 4 miles - not steep, but not cheap either)
Calories burned: 910 (according to Map My Run)
Calories consumed: 1886 (0.46 Carb, 0.40 fat, 0.14 protein) - damn beef burrito

Bum Toe and a Hard Shoulder

Well, today was a very frustrating run. I had planned on about 7 miles, but just had to shut it down after about 3.1 miles due to the toe on my right foot acting up. I was running really well, despite fighting off a case of the vurps for the first two miles. Too much beer last night, and too much coffee today. I had just gotten them out of my system, when I flexed my toe downward on a stride. Not sure why I did it, but it was a conscious action. Next thing I know, my toe has a really sharp pain in it. The middle toe on my right foot, has been tender on the top, with some swelling right where the toe meets the foot. Not sure exactly what is going wrong with it... broken, sprained, strained, torn... but it all goes back to last Saturday with those damn Newton shoes... I am sure of it. So, I have a week before the Caesar Rodney half, and I am pulling lame after 5k with a hurt toe. Not looking good.

Summary:
Calories burned: 404
Calories consumed: No idea... there was eggs benedict involved at breakfast.
Injuries: toe is worrisome at best.

As an aside, I saw a very interesting movie at the DC Indie Film Fest on Friday night. It was Hard Shoulder, a British "genre-bender" from director Nicholas Lean (his first film, actually). I have to say that about half way through it, I was thinking what is the point of all the sexual deviance, physical violence, and threats of much more to come. It was really starting to taste like a Saw or Hostel type of flick, which is not my thing. It wasn't making any sense to me. Then, with one abrupt scene, it all made sense. There were hints of what was really going on throughout the film, but that jolt made everything apparent. All of the "pointless" violence and sexual assault suddenly had a purpose, and I was thankful for that.

At the end of the movie, Lean held a question and answer session, and you could tell from his answers that he really did set out to make something that was much more than a shock-horror film. According to him, "some parts were autobiographical..." And, I have to say that some of the emotions experienced by the protagonist, and some of the threats and intentions of the antagonists were somewhat familiar to me. I remembered thinking during parts of the film that I had often felt the same denigrations that the protagonist was undergoing. So, some of the emotions, while portrayed in a shocking, overtly violent manner, really resonated in me. I could relate to the character and his desperation to act like the person that he wanted to be.

Very interesting.

PS - As a further aside, shown with Hard Shoulder was a short entitled Head's Up. As I was watching the short, I was trying to figure out where I knew one of the actors from... turns out it was Poet from Oz, Craig muMs Grant. Pretty funny, very well shot film. If you want to see it, I think you can contact the film maker through the website to find a link for it.

Boston and Back

Last night's elliptical session never materialized. But, tonight was 8.77 miles down to Canton and back (with a few spurs). I probably was at about 7:10 pace or so; didn't take a watch. I did come across a rat so large that I stopped to let him cross the street. Of course, this being Baltimore, he jaywalked. Otherwise, I felt damn good during and after the run.

Summary:
Calories burned: 981 (according to Map My Run
Calories Consumed: 1712 (Carb: 0.57, Fat: 0.30, Prot: 0.13)

Seems that my diet is more reactionary than proactive. I'll have to start working on that.

Not doing as well as I thought would.

Following up my last post... Apparently the "pinched nerve" in my toe has turned out to be something else. When it happened, it felt just like the start of my previous neuroma. However after running on Sunday, it was apparent that something else was going on. The pain in my toe was rather bad at 0.25 miles, dull at 0.5 miles, and gone after 1 mile. Great. I did a nice 6.25 miles at 7:10 pace into a stiff headwind for half of the loop. When I got home, the top of my toe, extending onto the top of my foot was swollen and bruised. Funny, because it really hadn't bothered me for the last 5.25 miles. Oh well, I'll try to baby it as much as possible.

Summary:
Miles: 6.25
Calories burned: 686 Calories consumed: 1400 (Carb: 0.70, Fat: 0.22, Prot: 0.08)

Monday - I had every intention of running, but work got in the way of that. I was at an ISPE conference in Baltimore, and I had to take care of stuff in the lab after that. Which left me about 15 minutes before I had to be at Capital Grille for a dinner with fellow speakers from the conference. I didn't even keep track of calories, as it would not have been pretty.

Tuesday - Kind of the same story as above, including leftovers from Capital Grille. Same damaging calorie count.

Wednesday - Winter storm Saturn is hitting, which is really just a fizzled out storm that is alternating between rain and snow. Wind is brutal though. Tonight will be an elliptical evening, I swear.

At least my toe has been getting some rest.

I have recently started reading the book Faster than Forty, which was given to me on my recent 37th birthday by my sister. Faster than Forty is first-hand account of what it took one ex-college runner to make it to Masters level champion at the age of 40. It logs his training regimen, discusses methods (both his and those of others), diet, inspiration, and pain. One of the most striking things about the book, was that the dedication of the primary author, Mark Gomes, to documenting his training. Every mile, whether it was on the streets or on the stairs was recorded and analyzed. As scientist, I can appreciate this, and that is what I would like to try to do with this space. Henceforth, the Parched Problematic Porter will serve as a space for me to document my journey from 37-year old scientist/distance runner/cranky-ex-Rho-Dielander to a 40-year old scientist/hopefully better distance runner/still-cranky-ex-Rho-Dielander.

This morning, I awoke with two notable pains in my toes after a 13-mile run yesterday through Baltimore. That was my first run over 9 miles in distance since about early-December. Lots of little injuries (some precipitated by indoor soccer) and illnesses have impeded progress.

The first pain is in my right foot. At about mile 10, I pulled up with what I can only describe as a pinched nerve under the third toe on my right foot. I have had this before, on the left foot, and it actually devolved into a self-diagnosed neuroma that was rather painful. I now officially blame my current set of Newton shoes for this issue. When I experienced the last one, it was when I had started going over 10 miles in my Newtons. Eventually I went back to an old set of Nike Free shoes, and the problem went away. Now, back in Newtons for a longer run, and bang another nerve issue. Like someone sticking a knife up between my toe and the ball of my foot. I was rotating shoes, but now it appears that I may have to ditch the Newtons and stick with the Frees. They're cheaper anyway.

The second pain is on left foot; what may be the start of athlete's foot between my big and second toes. Ahhh Trichophyton, you little bastard. The perils of running and training. At least this one is easy to fix.

Summary
Miles run: 13 (Canton, Downtown, Fed Hill)
Calories burned: 1457
Calories consumed: 2631 (Carb: 0.47, Fat: 0.41, Prot: 0.12)