It was a slow start to my 5 race challenge...29:11 in the 4 mile race. This is not a good time for me.
The day was warm and humid and I did do a fairly tough speed workout on Thursday and both these things factor against a speedy performance. And I honestly didn't expect to be that fast. But I also didn't expect to be quite this slow!
Coach Shelly said to not be too worried about it. Among other things she noted that I'm training with greater mileage this year in preparation for the Marathon. She says that tends to slow speed workouts and races. No doubt that's true. And she says that it can be good to experience the races "in the moment," not as predictors of what is to come.
That's fine and that's true and, to some extent, that's what I did. I ran the race steadily, pushing myself to maintain a good pace, particularly on the final mile when the fatigue and the weather were making things very difficult. I think that, overall, it was a good workout that will toughen me up.
Next Sunday I have the cross country 5k at Van Cortland Park. That's bound to be slow...everyone says cross country is slower than road racing. So I expect to not be fast. And I expect the race will further toughen me and move me along in my training and get me in even better shape. It's a race where I really shouldn't worry too much about time.
But after that, I'd sure like to be faster!!
Monday, September 10, 2007
Friday, September 7, 2007
FIVE STARTING LINES
I have 5 races scheduled over the next 5 weekends. They are all VERY DIFFERENT:
-A flat 5K on the New Jersey course where I smoked a Personal Best 2 years ago.
-A cross country 5k (something I've never run) in hilly Van Courtland Park.
-A 4 miler tomorrow in Central Park. I've raced this a bunch of times so it will be great for a comparison.
-The famous Fifth Avenue Mile...a race I've run only once. I can't wait to measure my time now against the speedy time I hit years ago.
-Grete's Gallup. The perfect Central Park half marathon to assess my Marathon expectations and to compare with my good times of the last 2 years.
All this while I'm squeezing in 20 milers, other long runs and speed workouts as part of marathon training. Can I even hold up under this?
That, however, is not the question most on my mind, though, perhaps, it should be. I'm worried about my lack of consistent speed. I run a fast half, a fast mile, whatever, but the next one is slower and, by the end, my time is way up as is my heart rate. When I compare my current performances to earlier, similar workouts, my times are, generally, okay but not near my best.
Except for last week's half mile intervals which were very good.
On the other hand, the previous 3 times I've run MILE intervals I was so fatigued by the end that my last mile was over 7 minutes. That is comparitively POOR!!
So I don't know where I am. Am I held back by the uncomfortable summer weather, the training I missed while injured, aging, something else? Or am I, in fact, coming along fine to the point where I'm set to pop some good races? I don't really know.
The truth right now is that I'm hoping to run really fast but expecting not to. That's an uncomfortable position to be in. I'll certainly know more soon, but, till then, this is the uncertainty that I bring to Five Starting Lines.
-A flat 5K on the New Jersey course where I smoked a Personal Best 2 years ago.
-A cross country 5k (something I've never run) in hilly Van Courtland Park.
-A 4 miler tomorrow in Central Park. I've raced this a bunch of times so it will be great for a comparison.
-The famous Fifth Avenue Mile...a race I've run only once. I can't wait to measure my time now against the speedy time I hit years ago.
-Grete's Gallup. The perfect Central Park half marathon to assess my Marathon expectations and to compare with my good times of the last 2 years.
All this while I'm squeezing in 20 milers, other long runs and speed workouts as part of marathon training. Can I even hold up under this?
That, however, is not the question most on my mind, though, perhaps, it should be. I'm worried about my lack of consistent speed. I run a fast half, a fast mile, whatever, but the next one is slower and, by the end, my time is way up as is my heart rate. When I compare my current performances to earlier, similar workouts, my times are, generally, okay but not near my best.
Except for last week's half mile intervals which were very good.
On the other hand, the previous 3 times I've run MILE intervals I was so fatigued by the end that my last mile was over 7 minutes. That is comparitively POOR!!
So I don't know where I am. Am I held back by the uncomfortable summer weather, the training I missed while injured, aging, something else? Or am I, in fact, coming along fine to the point where I'm set to pop some good races? I don't really know.
The truth right now is that I'm hoping to run really fast but expecting not to. That's an uncomfortable position to be in. I'll certainly know more soon, but, till then, this is the uncertainty that I bring to Five Starting Lines.
Friday, August 31, 2007
SPEEDY CLASS
I went to Speed Class last night. It was the first time. Normally my work schedule keeps me from the Tuesday and Thursday night workouts. But I'm on vacation now so Coach Shelly invited me to come to the classes that she and her husband Bob offer.
It was a new experience. I've NEVER run speed with anyone, and that's good. I don't want anyone seeing how undisciplined I am. I'm always going too fast at the start, then slowing down, huffing and puffing and suffering as the end nears. Never a pretty sight; certainly not one that I want anyone to witness.
So I run alone. But not last night because, as I said, I was at Speed Class. With the Competitive Group. We were going to do half mile intervals, 6 of them, in the area of the 103rd Street Transverse.
There were about 25 of us plus Bob and Shelly (I think) and 4 coaches. Each coach would lead a small group and keep us on pace. The first group would be the fastest runners, the second the next quickest and so on. This would be a tough workout. I didn't want to embarass myself in a too fast group where I couldn't keep up. On the other hand, a too slow group would not help me to a good workout. Which too choose? Remember, I had no experience with this.
Bob made it easy. He announced: "First group, who can do under 7:00 (per mile)in a 5K." Ah, perfect! That was definitely me. We'd probably go 3:10 to 3:15 pace or so for each interval. I'd averaged 3:16 a month ago. So this would challenge me to improve by a reasonable, surely doable, amount.
I was the first out to the starting line and a bunch of runners who knew me (and knew it was my first time) cheered and shouted encouragement. Cool! Speed class is obviously a wonderful, supportive place!! I got ready to run.
Our coach got to the front and said we'd go at a sub 3 minute pace. Three minutes? What? That's way too fast!! How does a sub 7 minute 5K translate to under 3 for a half mile? I've NEVER run that fast. This is the WRONG group for me...I should wait for the next one or perhaps even the one after that. But how can I go back now? Everyone had cheered when I'd first gone out. Well, obviously, I was gonna run with these folks!
Off we went at a VERY brisk pace. I stayed near the front and, when we turned onto the Transverse, we were half way done. The road slopes down a bit there and I just tried to hang on. I finished at 2:55, my best ever!
This was great but there was NO WAY I could maintain it. I slid back into the next quickest group and ran the next 2 at just a few seconds above 3. I was very pleased, but, in the humid evening, pretty exhausted. Another runner said encouringly that we were half way through, but I felt a whole lot more than half finished at that point! In fact, I was thinking about falling back another group. But I decided not to. I'd try to hang in where I was.
Interval 4 went up the transverse and that was tough. My time increased, but, so, it seems, did everyone's. All I wanted to do was get to the end and I did. On the 5th, however, I got some strength back and did a 3:10. Nothing great, but better than anything I'd run a month ago. For the finale I told myself not to kill myself, just finish. Well, 3:18 is quite a jump from where I started, but I could live with that. I averaged just under 3:08 and that is the fastest I've ever been for this workout.
Pretty speedy!
I can go to 2 more classes before my vacation ends. Can't wait for the next one!!
It was a new experience. I've NEVER run speed with anyone, and that's good. I don't want anyone seeing how undisciplined I am. I'm always going too fast at the start, then slowing down, huffing and puffing and suffering as the end nears. Never a pretty sight; certainly not one that I want anyone to witness.
So I run alone. But not last night because, as I said, I was at Speed Class. With the Competitive Group. We were going to do half mile intervals, 6 of them, in the area of the 103rd Street Transverse.
There were about 25 of us plus Bob and Shelly (I think) and 4 coaches. Each coach would lead a small group and keep us on pace. The first group would be the fastest runners, the second the next quickest and so on. This would be a tough workout. I didn't want to embarass myself in a too fast group where I couldn't keep up. On the other hand, a too slow group would not help me to a good workout. Which too choose? Remember, I had no experience with this.
Bob made it easy. He announced: "First group, who can do under 7:00 (per mile)in a 5K." Ah, perfect! That was definitely me. We'd probably go 3:10 to 3:15 pace or so for each interval. I'd averaged 3:16 a month ago. So this would challenge me to improve by a reasonable, surely doable, amount.
I was the first out to the starting line and a bunch of runners who knew me (and knew it was my first time) cheered and shouted encouragement. Cool! Speed class is obviously a wonderful, supportive place!! I got ready to run.
Our coach got to the front and said we'd go at a sub 3 minute pace. Three minutes? What? That's way too fast!! How does a sub 7 minute 5K translate to under 3 for a half mile? I've NEVER run that fast. This is the WRONG group for me...I should wait for the next one or perhaps even the one after that. But how can I go back now? Everyone had cheered when I'd first gone out. Well, obviously, I was gonna run with these folks!
Off we went at a VERY brisk pace. I stayed near the front and, when we turned onto the Transverse, we were half way done. The road slopes down a bit there and I just tried to hang on. I finished at 2:55, my best ever!
This was great but there was NO WAY I could maintain it. I slid back into the next quickest group and ran the next 2 at just a few seconds above 3. I was very pleased, but, in the humid evening, pretty exhausted. Another runner said encouringly that we were half way through, but I felt a whole lot more than half finished at that point! In fact, I was thinking about falling back another group. But I decided not to. I'd try to hang in where I was.
Interval 4 went up the transverse and that was tough. My time increased, but, so, it seems, did everyone's. All I wanted to do was get to the end and I did. On the 5th, however, I got some strength back and did a 3:10. Nothing great, but better than anything I'd run a month ago. For the finale I told myself not to kill myself, just finish. Well, 3:18 is quite a jump from where I started, but I could live with that. I averaged just under 3:08 and that is the fastest I've ever been for this workout.
Pretty speedy!
I can go to 2 more classes before my vacation ends. Can't wait for the next one!!
Saturday, August 25, 2007
RUNNING AS FAST AS I CAN
I haven't been running fast. In perfect conditions last week I did a 5 mile race in 36:22. Not terrible but, alas, not particularly good...about 90 seconds off my best. Recent workouts, speed and otherwise, seem also to indicate that this is about where I am.
Am I just slow to recover my aerobic capacity after the loss of 2 training weeks to that awful injury in June? Or is it something else, something I can't overcome?
I bought a new sports watch recently that claims to measure aerobic capacity. It computes VO2 Max (a measurement of the amount of oxygen the body can take in and process) by examining resting heart rate and how it fluctuates over several minutes of inactivity. My score was 53...elite level in my age group and for several age groups below mine. I'm in the good category even among 20 to 25 year olds, people 35 years my junior. Pretty impressive, right?
So why do my running times suck???
So this morning I went out to run as fast as I could. Mile intervals on a flat course. Three of them with 4 minute recoveries in between. It's a workout I've done many times over the years...most recently just 18 days ago. The distance is a good one, I think, to measure endurance as well as speed. More so, say, than the shorter interval workouts of 400 and 800 meters.
Oh, by the way, the weather was bad...warmish and quite humid. I'm setting up my excuses...I know, not very promising forshadowing!! Please read on anyway.
After a 2 mile warmup and some stretching, off I went! I wanted to be agressive, definitely faster than tempo pace, without so burning myself out on the first mile that I'd suffer through the rest of the workout at ever decreasing speed...or even not be able to finish all 3 intervals, which has happened before. On the other hand, I didn't want to be too slow...say anything at 7 minutes per mile or above. Plagued by these tardy fears, I went out hard...harder than I should have, I thought, as I passed the half mile mark around Canal Street. My breathing was increasingly uncomfortable as I pushed on and I wondered if I could maintain the pace. Then I wondered if I even wanted to...this was getting just too uncomfortable and there was still 2 more hard miles after this one. Up ahead I saw the batting cage which was the tenth of a mile to go point. I told myself to just stay fast to there. And when I got there, instead of coasting in, I pushed myself to the end.
Never mind my VO2 Max, I could not take in enough oxygen as I walked to recover. However, my time was 6:32 for the mile and I was delighted. I hadn't seen a time like that in 16 months!! This was great! It is SO wonderful to see numbers like that on MY watch!!!
And yet, it is not enough. The workout is Mile X 3. There were still 2 more to be run. While it's very important to know that I can still do even a single mile at this pace, my ability to maintain it (or relatively close to it) would indicate my endurance. And that's what leads to good race times.
Two years ago, on a flat New Jersey course with perfect weather conditions, I ran my best 5K ever...perhaps my best race. The first mile was 6:24, 8 seconds faster than today. I slowed over the remaining 2.1 miles of the race, but not too badly (15 seconds on mile 2 and 18 more for the third mile) and so my endurance was good enough to get me home in first place (by alot!) in my age group and in a time far better than anything I'd run before.
So what would today bring?
After a 4 minute walking recovery I set off again. It was not pretty! I was drenched with sweat and feeling kind of loopy. I'd speed up, become extremely uncomfortable and then slow to regain my breath. I wondered if I would even complete this second mile. Maybe I should stop at the half mile mark? I'd do a couple of half mile intervals and that would make for a good workout. I got to the half mile mark and pushed on. When I passed .6 miles I figured I'd finish. But I felt myself slowing and that couldn't be good. Then my legs, without direction from my brain, seemed to pick it up by themselves and get me to the end.
6:44. Twelve seconds slower. Too many seconds slower. It showed that I'd run the first mile too fast. But I ALWAYS do that, frankly, and 12 seconds slower was, actually, better than I thought I'd do. OK, not bad.
As I walked slowly to recover, I felt BEAT!!! So tired, so weary, so fatigued and so not wanting to deal with another mile of increasing discomfort and pain. Truly, I didn't see how I could push myself to run another full mile. But I wanted it to be a good workout. Certainly that would mean completing the distance. I told myself that's all I had to do...just run that final mile no matter what the time. Okay, fine, time pressure's off. But then I thought about what I would consider a good average time for the workout. Averaging under 7:00 of course was minimum acceptable. Under 6:50 would be good. But what would get me in under 6:50? My oxygen depleted brain had already forgotten my first mile time. I thought it was about the same as mile 2, 6:45. Hmmm, not much breathing room to get an under 6:50 average finish. I'd need about 7:00 or better. I didn't think I could do that.
I began the third and final interval telling myself to just run a decent pace...and by that I meant don't slow to a jog! Don't let the other runners there who were not doing speed work fly by me...or get by me at all!! No one was passing me but still it felt like I was slogging along. I wanted to stay below my pain threshold, at least for a good part of the mile, but that wasn't working out too well. At .3 mile I told myself that was respectable...a mile, another mile and then 3 tenths of one. Stop here and go home. But I was playing tricks with myself. By the time I'd finished that thought I was already approaching the tennis courts which would take me to .4 mile. And then to the half way point at Canal Street. And then .6 at Watts Street. And then....
Tricks could only help so much. There was not enough oxygen in the humidity filled air (see, I made it back to my opening excuse). I was slowing badly. There were 2 women joggers ahead of me and I couldn't gain on them. And then I went passed them...oh, I did? Well, my brain is addled. But I was definitely slowing. This was toooo uncomfortable. But there was the batting cage again and there were my legs picking up the pace. What were they even thinking??
And then it was over. 7:03. Nothing to brag about. And on top of that my new sports watch was sending off weird heart rate numbers. Up at 188, about 15% beyond my maximum. But then, when I stopped at the water fountain or at a red light as I was about to cross the highway to leave Henry Hudson Park my heart rate dropped to where it should be, just over 120. Damn this new transmitter! They short out so quickly because it's impossible (at least I find it so) to get them dry after I've washed them off following a run. Damn!!!
At home I was pleasantly surprised to rediscover how quick I'd been on mile 1 and to find that I'd averaged 6:46. This is a respectable place for me. Off my fastest but not bad. Ten seconds per mile faster than just 2 weeks ago, though that took place on a hilly course. If I stay healthy and consistant with my training and if the weather improves there's no doubt that I will be faster. Actually, there's always doubt. Maybe I won't be faster. Maybe today was the absolute best I could do (doubtful, if only because I'm SURE that at least the weather will be better at some point). Still, today I ran as fast as I could and these miles make me hopeful.
I'll just have to find out about the future...later!
Am I just slow to recover my aerobic capacity after the loss of 2 training weeks to that awful injury in June? Or is it something else, something I can't overcome?
I bought a new sports watch recently that claims to measure aerobic capacity. It computes VO2 Max (a measurement of the amount of oxygen the body can take in and process) by examining resting heart rate and how it fluctuates over several minutes of inactivity. My score was 53...elite level in my age group and for several age groups below mine. I'm in the good category even among 20 to 25 year olds, people 35 years my junior. Pretty impressive, right?
So why do my running times suck???
So this morning I went out to run as fast as I could. Mile intervals on a flat course. Three of them with 4 minute recoveries in between. It's a workout I've done many times over the years...most recently just 18 days ago. The distance is a good one, I think, to measure endurance as well as speed. More so, say, than the shorter interval workouts of 400 and 800 meters.
Oh, by the way, the weather was bad...warmish and quite humid. I'm setting up my excuses...I know, not very promising forshadowing!! Please read on anyway.
After a 2 mile warmup and some stretching, off I went! I wanted to be agressive, definitely faster than tempo pace, without so burning myself out on the first mile that I'd suffer through the rest of the workout at ever decreasing speed...or even not be able to finish all 3 intervals, which has happened before. On the other hand, I didn't want to be too slow...say anything at 7 minutes per mile or above. Plagued by these tardy fears, I went out hard...harder than I should have, I thought, as I passed the half mile mark around Canal Street. My breathing was increasingly uncomfortable as I pushed on and I wondered if I could maintain the pace. Then I wondered if I even wanted to...this was getting just too uncomfortable and there was still 2 more hard miles after this one. Up ahead I saw the batting cage which was the tenth of a mile to go point. I told myself to just stay fast to there. And when I got there, instead of coasting in, I pushed myself to the end.
Never mind my VO2 Max, I could not take in enough oxygen as I walked to recover. However, my time was 6:32 for the mile and I was delighted. I hadn't seen a time like that in 16 months!! This was great! It is SO wonderful to see numbers like that on MY watch!!!
And yet, it is not enough. The workout is Mile X 3. There were still 2 more to be run. While it's very important to know that I can still do even a single mile at this pace, my ability to maintain it (or relatively close to it) would indicate my endurance. And that's what leads to good race times.
Two years ago, on a flat New Jersey course with perfect weather conditions, I ran my best 5K ever...perhaps my best race. The first mile was 6:24, 8 seconds faster than today. I slowed over the remaining 2.1 miles of the race, but not too badly (15 seconds on mile 2 and 18 more for the third mile) and so my endurance was good enough to get me home in first place (by alot!) in my age group and in a time far better than anything I'd run before.
So what would today bring?
After a 4 minute walking recovery I set off again. It was not pretty! I was drenched with sweat and feeling kind of loopy. I'd speed up, become extremely uncomfortable and then slow to regain my breath. I wondered if I would even complete this second mile. Maybe I should stop at the half mile mark? I'd do a couple of half mile intervals and that would make for a good workout. I got to the half mile mark and pushed on. When I passed .6 miles I figured I'd finish. But I felt myself slowing and that couldn't be good. Then my legs, without direction from my brain, seemed to pick it up by themselves and get me to the end.
6:44. Twelve seconds slower. Too many seconds slower. It showed that I'd run the first mile too fast. But I ALWAYS do that, frankly, and 12 seconds slower was, actually, better than I thought I'd do. OK, not bad.
As I walked slowly to recover, I felt BEAT!!! So tired, so weary, so fatigued and so not wanting to deal with another mile of increasing discomfort and pain. Truly, I didn't see how I could push myself to run another full mile. But I wanted it to be a good workout. Certainly that would mean completing the distance. I told myself that's all I had to do...just run that final mile no matter what the time. Okay, fine, time pressure's off. But then I thought about what I would consider a good average time for the workout. Averaging under 7:00 of course was minimum acceptable. Under 6:50 would be good. But what would get me in under 6:50? My oxygen depleted brain had already forgotten my first mile time. I thought it was about the same as mile 2, 6:45. Hmmm, not much breathing room to get an under 6:50 average finish. I'd need about 7:00 or better. I didn't think I could do that.
I began the third and final interval telling myself to just run a decent pace...and by that I meant don't slow to a jog! Don't let the other runners there who were not doing speed work fly by me...or get by me at all!! No one was passing me but still it felt like I was slogging along. I wanted to stay below my pain threshold, at least for a good part of the mile, but that wasn't working out too well. At .3 mile I told myself that was respectable...a mile, another mile and then 3 tenths of one. Stop here and go home. But I was playing tricks with myself. By the time I'd finished that thought I was already approaching the tennis courts which would take me to .4 mile. And then to the half way point at Canal Street. And then .6 at Watts Street. And then....
Tricks could only help so much. There was not enough oxygen in the humidity filled air (see, I made it back to my opening excuse). I was slowing badly. There were 2 women joggers ahead of me and I couldn't gain on them. And then I went passed them...oh, I did? Well, my brain is addled. But I was definitely slowing. This was toooo uncomfortable. But there was the batting cage again and there were my legs picking up the pace. What were they even thinking??
And then it was over. 7:03. Nothing to brag about. And on top of that my new sports watch was sending off weird heart rate numbers. Up at 188, about 15% beyond my maximum. But then, when I stopped at the water fountain or at a red light as I was about to cross the highway to leave Henry Hudson Park my heart rate dropped to where it should be, just over 120. Damn this new transmitter! They short out so quickly because it's impossible (at least I find it so) to get them dry after I've washed them off following a run. Damn!!!
At home I was pleasantly surprised to rediscover how quick I'd been on mile 1 and to find that I'd averaged 6:46. This is a respectable place for me. Off my fastest but not bad. Ten seconds per mile faster than just 2 weeks ago, though that took place on a hilly course. If I stay healthy and consistant with my training and if the weather improves there's no doubt that I will be faster. Actually, there's always doubt. Maybe I won't be faster. Maybe today was the absolute best I could do (doubtful, if only because I'm SURE that at least the weather will be better at some point). Still, today I ran as fast as I could and these miles make me hopeful.
I'll just have to find out about the future...later!
Monday, August 6, 2007
A+ PERSON; A- SEASON
We hadn't played the first game yet and already my 2007 softball season was off to a bad start. My nephew Adam was managing the team now instead of me (I quietly stepped aside since over half the players were his friends...and his age!)and he sent me his proposed starting lineup for my feedback.
Well, my feedback was that I HATED his proposed starting lineup. I was not the lead off batter as I'd always been...I was listed 11th. I was not an outfielder as I'd always been...I was the extra hitter. And, on closer analysis, I wasn't even that. There was another person's name next to mine. Apparently, He was the 11th batter and extra hitter and I merely his substitute. Talk about receiving a message. Though I'd played quite well last year I was now nothing but an afterthought, a substitute for the least important player on the team.. After all, we'd added a few guys, all of them much younger and, sight unseen, certainly better than me. Why should I be a starter at all, particularly, I guess, at my age?
Game time arrived, however, and we were missing a guy so I did get to play. And did well. And the next game someone else was missing so I played again, this time batting lead off and scoring 3 runs.
And that's how the rest of the season went. Someone was always missing, I kept playing and kept playing well. And one of the new guys didn't get a single hit till the season was almost over and another played like he'd never much played the game before (actually, he hadn't!). Still others seemed to disappear whenever the game was tough or pick key moments to do incredibly foolish things. And I kept playing and doing the best I could. And by season's end my stats were as good as anyone's on the team.
Imagine that!
Still, as the playoffs approached, I wondered how I'd fit in. If everyone finally came down (as often happens with the playoffs) perhaps I'd be pushed aside. It was a sad thought and so I didn't look forward to the playoffs with my usual enthusiasm.
At the field, I was chatting with a couple of the players. One told me that they had rated all the players on the team, using 2 criteria. The first was whether a player performed up to his potential. The second ranked the value of the contribution the player actually made to the team. With a smile he asked if I'd like to know how I was rated. Of course!!
I received an A PLUS for playing to my full potential. I got an A Minus for how well I actually played. The two guys who were, apparently, my usurpers at season's start?
A D for both.
And so I was in the starting lineup for our playoff games. Was it because a few players were missing or because I simply deserved it? Unfortunately, the team REALLY sucked and we lost two in a row. I was the only player on base 4 times over the pair of games and the only player to score 2 runs. Nothing spectaculor but good enough to feel pleased as I certainly didn't suck.
And I really felt nice about my A+, A- ranking. Till it occurred to me that they think I played up to my full potential? They think A- is the best I could do? Actually, I could have done better.
Well, my feedback was that I HATED his proposed starting lineup. I was not the lead off batter as I'd always been...I was listed 11th. I was not an outfielder as I'd always been...I was the extra hitter. And, on closer analysis, I wasn't even that. There was another person's name next to mine. Apparently, He was the 11th batter and extra hitter and I merely his substitute. Talk about receiving a message. Though I'd played quite well last year I was now nothing but an afterthought, a substitute for the least important player on the team.. After all, we'd added a few guys, all of them much younger and, sight unseen, certainly better than me. Why should I be a starter at all, particularly, I guess, at my age?
Game time arrived, however, and we were missing a guy so I did get to play. And did well. And the next game someone else was missing so I played again, this time batting lead off and scoring 3 runs.
And that's how the rest of the season went. Someone was always missing, I kept playing and kept playing well. And one of the new guys didn't get a single hit till the season was almost over and another played like he'd never much played the game before (actually, he hadn't!). Still others seemed to disappear whenever the game was tough or pick key moments to do incredibly foolish things. And I kept playing and doing the best I could. And by season's end my stats were as good as anyone's on the team.
Imagine that!
Still, as the playoffs approached, I wondered how I'd fit in. If everyone finally came down (as often happens with the playoffs) perhaps I'd be pushed aside. It was a sad thought and so I didn't look forward to the playoffs with my usual enthusiasm.
At the field, I was chatting with a couple of the players. One told me that they had rated all the players on the team, using 2 criteria. The first was whether a player performed up to his potential. The second ranked the value of the contribution the player actually made to the team. With a smile he asked if I'd like to know how I was rated. Of course!!
I received an A PLUS for playing to my full potential. I got an A Minus for how well I actually played. The two guys who were, apparently, my usurpers at season's start?
A D for both.
And so I was in the starting lineup for our playoff games. Was it because a few players were missing or because I simply deserved it? Unfortunately, the team REALLY sucked and we lost two in a row. I was the only player on base 4 times over the pair of games and the only player to score 2 runs. Nothing spectaculor but good enough to feel pleased as I certainly didn't suck.
And I really felt nice about my A+, A- ranking. Till it occurred to me that they think I played up to my full potential? They think A- is the best I could do? Actually, I could have done better.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
THE SLOW ROAD
When this post injury nightmare period (pain, discomfort, trouble sleeping, no running, no ball playing, malaise) came to an end...that is, when I began to run again...my spirits soared and I looked forward to picking up where I left off in an almost manic kind of way. I was SO happy!!
But it isn't, of course, that easy. My quad is much, much better, but touch it even lightly along the IT Band and it is still incredibly sensitive and painful. And the injury limits my stride. The ribs are also much improved but a wrong move in bed...or even getting up from my chair...still hurts. Not a whole lot, but enough to make sleeping...and getting up from my chair...uncomfortable. And the soreness affects my breathing when my respiration rate quickens during a workout. I'm far from 100%.
So, too, with running. I've run 4 times this week for 28 miles, including a moderate tempo on Thursday and an 11 mile semilong run today. Not bad at any time and literally night and day compared to last week and the 1 before that. But my times are about 30 seconds per mile slower, my heart rate is up, my side is uncomfortable, the quad hurts as my left foot strikes the ground....
Yes, the Slow Road to full recovery!!
I have races scheduled on the next 2 weekends. There is NO WAY I can run them at my pre injury pace. And I wasn't delighted with that pre injury pace; I was hoping to speed things up. That's not going to happen for awhile. So maybe I'd be better off to skip the races and, therefore, skip the pre race taper. I could then do 2 extra tempo runs on the Thursday's before the race and do long runs on race day. Maybe that's the best way to speed up my progress down the slow road??
But it isn't, of course, that easy. My quad is much, much better, but touch it even lightly along the IT Band and it is still incredibly sensitive and painful. And the injury limits my stride. The ribs are also much improved but a wrong move in bed...or even getting up from my chair...still hurts. Not a whole lot, but enough to make sleeping...and getting up from my chair...uncomfortable. And the soreness affects my breathing when my respiration rate quickens during a workout. I'm far from 100%.
So, too, with running. I've run 4 times this week for 28 miles, including a moderate tempo on Thursday and an 11 mile semilong run today. Not bad at any time and literally night and day compared to last week and the 1 before that. But my times are about 30 seconds per mile slower, my heart rate is up, my side is uncomfortable, the quad hurts as my left foot strikes the ground....
Yes, the Slow Road to full recovery!!
I have races scheduled on the next 2 weekends. There is NO WAY I can run them at my pre injury pace. And I wasn't delighted with that pre injury pace; I was hoping to speed things up. That's not going to happen for awhile. So maybe I'd be better off to skip the races and, therefore, skip the pre race taper. I could then do 2 extra tempo runs on the Thursday's before the race and do long runs on race day. Maybe that's the best way to speed up my progress down the slow road??
Sunday, July 1, 2007
NIGHTMARE
I was racing from first to third on a single. The third basemen was already bracing to catch the throw and I was still a good 20 feet away. My heart sank. I was a dead duck. With no other alternative to save me I twisted my body and attempted to slide far to the right of the base, so far away, I hoped, that the fielder would miss the tag and then I'd pivot to my left while lieing on the ground and dive into third. It didn't work :-((. Not only did I get tagged out but my right knee hit the ground hard, bruised it, ripped my pants and opened up a cut.
And this was just the first inning of our doubleheader 2 weeks ago. From there it only got worse!
But not right away. We won the first game and I played well. And then, in the second game, I found myself again racing, this time towards first base. I was attempting to beat out an opening inning bunt and the play was going to be close. As my left foot was about to come down on the bag the first basemen turned to the inside to catch the throw that was too close to my body. In so doing his knee went directly into the lower part of my left quad, just above the knee. I came down on the base and went flying. The pain in my thigh was awful. I landed on my right side and ended on my back. I heard the umpire call me safe and I felt happy. And then I just lay there in pain. And when I was finally helped to my feet I could barely walk. I certainly couldn't run. But there was no replacement for me so I hung in for the rest of the game. Though I could barely move, I managed to reach base 2 more times...each time being replaced by a "courtesy runner" who ran the bases for me. In the end, we lost. And by the end, I could still barely move.
Charlie Horse. Charlie Horse? It sounds so sweet. Like Lamb Chop, who was a puppett on a kids show long ago. How could something called Charlie Horse hurt anyone? Who could have an injury named Charlie Horse and actually suffer? In fact, though I'd heard the name many times, I didn't even know what a Charlie Horse was. Now I do. It's a contusion (a bruise) of the quad muscle. And it DOES hurt!! And I did suffer!!
Tuesday I couldn't do my interval workout and I could hardly walk. Going down steps was torture. I called my doctor and he prescribed a pain reliever and anti inflammatory medication called Celebrex. I think that's the one where there hasn't been a lot of evidence yet that it can contribute to a heart attack. And I'm sure my insurance company was just looking out for me when they delayed approving the prescription so I could buy the drug at a reasonable price...but that, of course, is another topic.
Wednesday and Thursday was just as bad and Thursday night was agony. Agony not because of the Charlie Horse but because my right ribs, apparently, were bruised. I found that out for sure when I made the mistake of sneezing that evening. A knife- like pain cut through my side. And it remained super sensitive. Even the slightest movement in bed was painful so I slept not a wink. In addition, it hurt whenever my right knee rubbed up against my bed sheets. Not a good night!!
So let's recap: For the doubleheader I had 2 hits, 3 walks, 2 runs scored, a run batted in, a win, a loss, a reputation as a tough guy who'll play through anything, a bruised quad (Charlie Horse), a bruised tendon above the knee (also, probably, a Charlie Horse, a cut and bruised and overly sensitive right knee and bruised ribs.
Oh, yes, and there's more. But I didn't find that out till Friday.
On Friday I went to see my sports chiropractor. He's very hands on. He put his hands on my quad and said I had a Charlie Horse. No news there. He worked it and made me scream. A few times. Then he examined my side and looked at the way I could barely rotate my body. In addition to the bruised ribs (which could be fractured but maybe not and besides an X-Ray probably wouldn't show anything for awhile)he said that I'd pulled the inter costal muscle. Or maybe a few of them, I don't remember. I didn't know there were even muscles over there. But, apparently, there are and I had at least one that was pulled.
Great!!
Basically my chiropractor said I was a mess. Still he said that I could run if I could stand the pain. He didn't think I could cause further injury to the quad. Perhaps a Charlie Horse IS the ultimate quad injury and there's nothing beyond that?
Well, even though I hurt and could still barely walk, I decided to give running a try on Saturday. Not bright. And also not long as I quit after about a minute. Perhaps I didn't cause further injury but I hurt like anything for the rest of the weekend. And I sadly couldn't play in our game Sunday and our Monday doubleheader. Yet we won all 3 games. Guys, how can you win like that without me? Don't you recognize my importance to the team? Couldn't you lose at least once?
No, they couldn't. And it's not like I was feeling that much better. Well, a little. I could stretch the quad a bit and it was not quite so disasterous when I tried walking down steps. On Monday my chiropractor said that those were good things since it meant that something that would be REALLY, REALLY bad wasn't happening to my quad as he'd feared (yet neglected to tell me about) when he'd seen me the first time. I don't recall what this Fearful Something is but I was very happy to hear that it wasn't actually happening to my poor quad. Nevertheless, it remained extremely sore and painful to the touch. This last point is very important because touch it and bend it and move it and massage it the chiropractor did. And that REALLY, REALLY hurt. And, like in the previous treatment, I screamed a lot.
My chiro thought I could try running by Thursday, but I didn't feel anywhere near enough improvement. It still hurt a lot, even most times, when I was just walking. My ribs were better, perhaps my inter costal was, too (how would one know??) and my knee wasn't so painful whenever it rubbed against my sheets. In other words, I was able to sleep a bit. But I didn't think I could run so, when Thursday arrived, I drank coffee, ate a bagel and did some stuff that needed doing in my house.
But I didn't run. And I didn't have a sense about when I could.
On Friday, something strange was happening. My quad wasn't hurting all the time. Perhaps that was because I'd stopped touching it, rubbing it, bending it, poking it, to, you know, test for improvement. But it was also not so painful when I walked. And I was negotiating stairs better. I was healing!!
Then, in my office, I absent mindedly raised and stretched my right arm and felt a moderately searing pain in my ribs. Or was it the inter costal??
That afternoon my chiro guy said not to worry about my side...I'd surely not reinjured it, just irritated the super sensitive muscle there. And, more importantly, he felt that the quad was much improved. Still, unfortunatley, it killed me when he worked it, but today that was just a sign that he was working it harder. He said that if I could stand the pain I could run Saturday.
I put running off for a few hours Saturday morning and that gave me time to actually clean my apartment. I could, in fact, accomplish a whole lot for myself if I was regularly prohibited from doing the things that I actually want to do. But by 11 AM I'd had enought and, with great nervousness, I went out for a little run.
It hurt on each step...but not a great deal...and it never got worse. So I ran...1 mile, then 2 then on to 3, 4 and 5. I wasn't fast but I wasn't that slow, running 9:50 miles. My heart rate was up a bit but not a lot and...hey, none of this matters, I RAN!!!!
The pain afterwards wasn't bad at all nor is it today, but the leg is pretty stiff. I cut my Celebrex intake in half yesterday (400 down to 200 mg) and I've taken none today. I think things are coming along. I played softball today (just as a hitter) and had 2 singles...but we lost. Wow, now I'm REALLY feeling like I don't matter!
No, that's not what I actually feel. What I feel, in fact is that perhaps the nightmare is just about over!!
And this was just the first inning of our doubleheader 2 weeks ago. From there it only got worse!
But not right away. We won the first game and I played well. And then, in the second game, I found myself again racing, this time towards first base. I was attempting to beat out an opening inning bunt and the play was going to be close. As my left foot was about to come down on the bag the first basemen turned to the inside to catch the throw that was too close to my body. In so doing his knee went directly into the lower part of my left quad, just above the knee. I came down on the base and went flying. The pain in my thigh was awful. I landed on my right side and ended on my back. I heard the umpire call me safe and I felt happy. And then I just lay there in pain. And when I was finally helped to my feet I could barely walk. I certainly couldn't run. But there was no replacement for me so I hung in for the rest of the game. Though I could barely move, I managed to reach base 2 more times...each time being replaced by a "courtesy runner" who ran the bases for me. In the end, we lost. And by the end, I could still barely move.
Charlie Horse. Charlie Horse? It sounds so sweet. Like Lamb Chop, who was a puppett on a kids show long ago. How could something called Charlie Horse hurt anyone? Who could have an injury named Charlie Horse and actually suffer? In fact, though I'd heard the name many times, I didn't even know what a Charlie Horse was. Now I do. It's a contusion (a bruise) of the quad muscle. And it DOES hurt!! And I did suffer!!
Tuesday I couldn't do my interval workout and I could hardly walk. Going down steps was torture. I called my doctor and he prescribed a pain reliever and anti inflammatory medication called Celebrex. I think that's the one where there hasn't been a lot of evidence yet that it can contribute to a heart attack. And I'm sure my insurance company was just looking out for me when they delayed approving the prescription so I could buy the drug at a reasonable price...but that, of course, is another topic.
Wednesday and Thursday was just as bad and Thursday night was agony. Agony not because of the Charlie Horse but because my right ribs, apparently, were bruised. I found that out for sure when I made the mistake of sneezing that evening. A knife- like pain cut through my side. And it remained super sensitive. Even the slightest movement in bed was painful so I slept not a wink. In addition, it hurt whenever my right knee rubbed up against my bed sheets. Not a good night!!
So let's recap: For the doubleheader I had 2 hits, 3 walks, 2 runs scored, a run batted in, a win, a loss, a reputation as a tough guy who'll play through anything, a bruised quad (Charlie Horse), a bruised tendon above the knee (also, probably, a Charlie Horse, a cut and bruised and overly sensitive right knee and bruised ribs.
Oh, yes, and there's more. But I didn't find that out till Friday.
On Friday I went to see my sports chiropractor. He's very hands on. He put his hands on my quad and said I had a Charlie Horse. No news there. He worked it and made me scream. A few times. Then he examined my side and looked at the way I could barely rotate my body. In addition to the bruised ribs (which could be fractured but maybe not and besides an X-Ray probably wouldn't show anything for awhile)he said that I'd pulled the inter costal muscle. Or maybe a few of them, I don't remember. I didn't know there were even muscles over there. But, apparently, there are and I had at least one that was pulled.
Great!!
Basically my chiropractor said I was a mess. Still he said that I could run if I could stand the pain. He didn't think I could cause further injury to the quad. Perhaps a Charlie Horse IS the ultimate quad injury and there's nothing beyond that?
Well, even though I hurt and could still barely walk, I decided to give running a try on Saturday. Not bright. And also not long as I quit after about a minute. Perhaps I didn't cause further injury but I hurt like anything for the rest of the weekend. And I sadly couldn't play in our game Sunday and our Monday doubleheader. Yet we won all 3 games. Guys, how can you win like that without me? Don't you recognize my importance to the team? Couldn't you lose at least once?
No, they couldn't. And it's not like I was feeling that much better. Well, a little. I could stretch the quad a bit and it was not quite so disasterous when I tried walking down steps. On Monday my chiropractor said that those were good things since it meant that something that would be REALLY, REALLY bad wasn't happening to my quad as he'd feared (yet neglected to tell me about) when he'd seen me the first time. I don't recall what this Fearful Something is but I was very happy to hear that it wasn't actually happening to my poor quad. Nevertheless, it remained extremely sore and painful to the touch. This last point is very important because touch it and bend it and move it and massage it the chiropractor did. And that REALLY, REALLY hurt. And, like in the previous treatment, I screamed a lot.
My chiro thought I could try running by Thursday, but I didn't feel anywhere near enough improvement. It still hurt a lot, even most times, when I was just walking. My ribs were better, perhaps my inter costal was, too (how would one know??) and my knee wasn't so painful whenever it rubbed against my sheets. In other words, I was able to sleep a bit. But I didn't think I could run so, when Thursday arrived, I drank coffee, ate a bagel and did some stuff that needed doing in my house.
But I didn't run. And I didn't have a sense about when I could.
On Friday, something strange was happening. My quad wasn't hurting all the time. Perhaps that was because I'd stopped touching it, rubbing it, bending it, poking it, to, you know, test for improvement. But it was also not so painful when I walked. And I was negotiating stairs better. I was healing!!
Then, in my office, I absent mindedly raised and stretched my right arm and felt a moderately searing pain in my ribs. Or was it the inter costal??
That afternoon my chiro guy said not to worry about my side...I'd surely not reinjured it, just irritated the super sensitive muscle there. And, more importantly, he felt that the quad was much improved. Still, unfortunatley, it killed me when he worked it, but today that was just a sign that he was working it harder. He said that if I could stand the pain I could run Saturday.
I put running off for a few hours Saturday morning and that gave me time to actually clean my apartment. I could, in fact, accomplish a whole lot for myself if I was regularly prohibited from doing the things that I actually want to do. But by 11 AM I'd had enought and, with great nervousness, I went out for a little run.
It hurt on each step...but not a great deal...and it never got worse. So I ran...1 mile, then 2 then on to 3, 4 and 5. I wasn't fast but I wasn't that slow, running 9:50 miles. My heart rate was up a bit but not a lot and...hey, none of this matters, I RAN!!!!
The pain afterwards wasn't bad at all nor is it today, but the leg is pretty stiff. I cut my Celebrex intake in half yesterday (400 down to 200 mg) and I've taken none today. I think things are coming along. I played softball today (just as a hitter) and had 2 singles...but we lost. Wow, now I'm REALLY feeling like I don't matter!
No, that's not what I actually feel. What I feel, in fact is that perhaps the nightmare is just about over!!
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