Weekend Update

Things got a bit busy for me last week and I didn't have a chance to update the blog but here is a recap of last week.

I made an appointment to see a physical therapist who specialized in A.R.T. (Active Release Technique) which is a soft tissue/movement based massage technique to treat muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. I arrived and Dr. Nagar took me through a few tests to check my gait and dorsi flexion. He then began to massage my calves will stretching some of the muscles. He then worked on my ankles to increase the dorsi flexion. What I really liked about him, was that he explained everything he was doing, why he was doing it, and what the expected result would be. He then showed me a few stretches that he wanted me to do before running. He then suggested that I try the Kinesiology tape on the right calf for my next 2 runs. I have always been a bit skeptical about the K Tape but I agreed to try it.

I did my first run in 2 weeks on Thursday night. We did our usual 5 mile loop, at a very easy pace, actually a bit slower than I wanted but that was OK, I didn't want to re injure myself. Saturday morning was to be the big test, I had 11 miles on the schedule with the Mt Gleason Runners. We set out at easy pace, but picked up a bit on the downhill section. We made it to the turn around and started to head back. As we approached the 7 mile mark, I was a bit nervous as that was the point 2 weeks ago where I started to feel pain in my foot. We crossed the 7 mile mark and continued on, pain free. We also tried a strategy that we will use during the LA Marathon. We ran until the garmin beeped at the mile, then we walked for 2 minutes. We continued this for the remaining 4 miles and it worked fairly well. We finished 10.69 miles and the foot/calves didnt bother me one bit.

I had planned a bike ride with my neighbor for Sunday, but at 8am he sent a text saying it was too cold and the weather was too crappy to ride, so he was going to bail on me. I decided that with pending rain, riding was probably not such a good thing, so I put on my running gear and headed out for 6 "easy" miles. About 1 mile into the run, I was feeling so good, I decided to push the pace a bit. When it was all said and done, I turned the easy run into a tempo run...but again, completely pain free. So was it the A.R.T. therapy or was it the K tape or a combination of both? I don't know, but when I see Dr. Nagar this week, I will have him tape me up for next weeks Students Run LA Friendship Run (18 miles).

Here is what week #12 looks like:

Week 12:
Monday: 4 miles
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: 6 miles
Thursday: 8.25 mi, 7 x 800
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 18 mile SRLA Friendship Run

Today's weight: 207.2 Dropped another pound this week. I've really been watching what I am easting and keeping the beer down to a minimum. Looking for 200 lbs on Marathon Day (March 20)