Happy New Year!

Trails

Swim, Bike, and Core

Easy long'ish run.  AP 8:25

5 nice and easy miles with AP of 8:20

Swim and core work

Nothing too long.  Just wanted to get a decent run in today.

6 nice easy miles

Cold swim this morning 

Last 3 at about a 7:15 pace.  That pace didn't feel like I was pushing a lot but my legs were fresh from taking the last 2 days off.

Nice cloudy morning.  

Morning swim with core and evening run (slow) with adalie.

800m at 6:30-40 pace with 800m recovery.

Decided to do a little speedwork/tempo.

Swim and core

2 easy miles with Adalie in the evening.

6 nice and slow miles

8 normal and the last 3 at 7:15-7:30.  AP 8:12.

Had to go to the school early so I didn't get a workout in this morning.  I was really tired too.

Swim followed by core workout

I took Monday off because I had to be to the school a little early.  Felt good to get back at it this morning.

AM:  6 miles running

PM:  stationary bike 20 min with weights 

Got a late start and didn't want to run but did it.  Thought I would only do 8-10 but decided to challenge myself a little more and do a half marathon. 

I had really tired legs this morning.  I could feel from my first few steps I was going to have to work for my miles this morning.

AM:  stationary bike 30 minutes, stair climber 10 min, core

PM:  easy run 3 miles

1/2 mile at 6:35-6:45 pace followed by 1/2 mile recovery.  Recovery was almost all uphill so it wasn't much of a recovery.  
core

Stationary bike followed by a quick leg workout.

Nice and slow!

Great long run.  Felt really good this run.  Finished strong and was happy with the morning!

Easy miles

AM:  stationary bike 30 minutes with weights

PM:  3 miles 

Speed day.  .5 mile at 6:20 to 6:30 and .5 mile recovery.  AP 7:38.

30 minutes on stationary bike followed by weights focusing on legs 

Lunch:  Swim

Tried some new sketchers today.  I ran in them for years and stopped because they changed things too much.  I decided to give them another try.  

My boy had a mountain biking event this morning so I got a really late start in the heat.  Overall felt really good all things considered.

This week will be a lighter recovery week.  Had 2 solid weeks where I pushed pretty hard so this will be a week where I let my body rest a little.  Slower pace and less miles.

Stationary bike, climbing machine, swimming, core.

Great morning!

Trails and road.  Easy pace.  Always feels good to get on the trails for some miles.

Cold, rain, and even some hail belting me on my bald head!  Perfect morning for a run.  

6 easy

Day after surgery run.  It's only a finger so I don't need it to run.

Just wanted to get out in the sun for a little while.

I was planning on 16 but it was not my day so I cut it short.  

TM.  Mile repeats at MP for a total of 4 miles MP and 4 recovery.

Evening run.

Nice run this morning with a nice easy pace.

Speedwork.  3 miles at 6:00 - 6:25 pace.  Didn't want to run so it was a mental victory.

Afternoon TM run at comfortable pace.

Afternoon miles.  My legs don't like afternoon runs.

Woke up and it was overcast and chilly!  I was really excited and had a great run!!

AP:  7:59

Took the day off of running and just did some core work.

TM run.  Tempo @6:30 for 1 mile followed by recovery @8:30.  4 miles tempo and 4 recovery.

Some recovery miles after my speedwork yesterday.

Cool, breezy, and a little rainy.  Legs were a little tired this morning but made it through.  Went a little faster the last 2 miles.

Nice run in the rain.  Tried to take it slow so I had stuff left in the tank to go long tomorrow.

Long run.  AP 8:11.  Nice morning for a run.  I felt good this morning but by mile 16 I was getting tired.  Was able to finish strong at about a 7:50 pace.

Tried to keep it nice and easy this morning.  On the slight downhills I feel like I'm going slow but when I look at my watch I realize I'm going too fast.  Legs are still recovering a little from last week.

2x400 @5:30 with 2x400 recovery.  1 mile w/tempo at straightaways and recovery at the corners.  1 mile to and from track.

Tried to keep things nice and easy after the harder run yesterday.  

Core.

calf didn't feel right so took the day off.

AM:  20 miles @8:09/mile.  Felt really good this morning.

Easy 8.  Tired legs.

Felt much better this morning.  Rainy morning and it felt great!

Speed work at the track.  2x800m at threshold with 2x800m recovery for 5 1/2 miles.  100m sprint at straightaways and recovery at corners for 2 miles.  3 total miles to and from track.  Didn't have much to give the last 800m.  

Hit the trails this morning.  Needed a slower pace and that is one good way to do it.  Felt great to get out away from all the traffic and noise.

Easy run to recover from the trails yesterday.  They wore my legs out pretty good.

I haven't logged this many miles in a week for a long time so my legs definitely didn't feel as fresh as last week.  Finished the last few miles at the track so it was flat and easy to run.  It was a mental battle but I'm always glad to see that I can still push through the mental blocks and get my miles in.  AP:  8:29/mile.  
Next week will be a recovery week after 4 weeks of solid running.

Easy run.  This week will be less miles and slower than last week.  My legs need a week to recover.

Nice and easy

Nice and easy

Still nice and easy

Again, nice and easy

My legs have felt terrible all week but they finally felt alive today.  AP 7:40.

Core

6 miles between the rain

6 miles between the rain again 

Core

Core

My left Achilles has felt a little off and it has been dumping rain so I took the last 2 days off.  It was sunny and nice this morning which was a welcome change!!

Nice run this morning.  Overcast and cool.  

Really nice morning for a run.  AP 8:11.

Speedwork this morning.  1/2 mile threshold and 1/2 mile recovery.  AP:  7:15.

6 easy with 1.5 at MP and .5 easy again.

14.1 @8:27/mile and 1 slow mile with my little boy.  Really nice morning for an run.

Nice run this morning.

Afternoon run.  It was warm but I had a cool breeze to keep me from dying.

7 speedwork miles followed by 1 mile with Trevin at a really slow pace.

Injured my calf so had to cut it short

Brick workout today.  I forgot how your legs feel trying to run after being on the bike.  I tried to talk myself out of working out today but I guess my "athlete" side won. 

Nice morning.  It was cool and breezy.  Everything felt good this morning and I enjoyed the run.

I didn't get a ride in this morning so I did it later in the day.  Windy and chilly.

Core workout in the AM

Nice run this morning.  Little chilly outside this morning.

Beautiful morning for a run!

Weights, core, and run.  Felt good to get out and run again.

Run followed by weight and core workout

Things felt much better this morning.  Hopefully I'm on an upward trend.

93 degrees and humid.  
Did a quick leg workout early in the morning and then an afternoon run.

Nice run this morning.  Weather was perfect and body felt good!

Run followed by core and weights

Hamstring was tight the whole run.  Might need to take a few days off.

My own little 4th of July half marathon.

4 miles trails and 2 miles on the road.  92 degrees.  Trying to adapt to the heat a little.

Hot and hilly run this morning with over 1,000ft elevation gain.  It was mentally and physically a challenge but got through it.

Taking a little recovery week with less miles.  Working on form and posture.

Worked on good form with all the uphill stretches.  Felt really strong with the good form.

Run in the heat.  4 trails and 2 on the road.  Overall a pretty tough run today.

Long"ish" run.

Another Monday.  Just took things nice and slow today.  For some reason Mondays my legs just don't feel great.

6 miles with .25 mile at tempo with each mile

1 mile warmup, then 4 miles of 400m repeats with 400m between each.

Nice and slow 1 mile home.

Easy recovery run

My legs were tired this morning so I kept it shorter.

Hot morning and I wasn't feeling great.  Had to push through to get this run done.

Run followed by core workout.  Legs were a little tired from my weekend run.

Run at flagstaff Arizona.  The distance, climbs, elevation, and severe pain with my foot really killed me on this one.  We missed a trail so ended up doing about 2 miles more than we planned.  Gonna take me some time to recover from this one!

Lots of hills and tried to really push the legs.  I'll be on the bike for a while trying to get my foot healthy.

Bike followed by a weight and core workout

Got a cortisone shot on Thursday so tested out the foot this morning.  Everything felt good.  I'm very thankful to be back running.  I have enjoyed the bike the last couple months, but nothing makes me feel as good as running.  Hoping I can take care of myself so that I can run pain free for many years to come!

Had a nice bike/run/core workout this morning.  Foot still felt good.  It is so nice to run without pain.  Legs felt tight on the left hamstring still, but I have been doing a lot of stretching and rolling to help with that.

3 miles again.  Everything felt good.  A little less tight.  Really nice morning.  There is a little chill in the air which tells me that fall is coming.  Still warm during the day but mornings are definately cooling off.

Less tight on the left hamstring/glute area.  I think that the rolling and stretching is helping.  I have been working really hard on my stretching.

It was foggy this morning and a little humid.  Really nice morning for a run.  Did a leg workout before the run.  My legs feel pretty good!

I woke up with the foot feeling tight so I didn't want to risk anything.  Did about a 20 minute core workout followed by the bike.  Legs felt good and the weather was ideal for a ride.  

In the afternnon I went to the pool and did a lap swim.  The first 10 laps had my arms on fire, but after that I settled in and it felt great.  Would have done 1,600 but I had a time period to swim and I so I had to leave.

First run over 3 miles in 2 months.  The left hamstring was a little tight for the first mile but then it loosened up and everything felt good.  No pain at any point with the foot and as I write this it has been about 8 hours since the run and everything feels good.  I'll slowly increase the miles next week but nothing too drastic.

Very windy morning.  I thought I would go less miles this morning than what I was originally planned.  I'm still not 100% confident with my foot but every run I get a little more comfortable.  I felt good and the legs felt very rested and good.  Left leg was still tight but this doesn't slow me down.  Usually warms up after a mile or 2.

AP:  7:59

Day off.  Wanted to run but felt like I needed a day of rest.

Core workout followed by my run. 

I wanted to do 5 miles this morning but at mile 3 my foot felt tight and I wanted to be safe so I stopped and stretched and went another mile.  Felt tight still so I walked it in.  I still don't trust my foot completely.  It's frustrating but I'm trying to focus on the good and the fact that I'm back to running.

Had a nice swim today.  Felt good and strong on the swim.

Nice short run followed by 10 mile bike.  I didn't have any pain on the foot so that was a good sign.  Really happy to not have any issues.  I'm hoping yesterday was a fluke think and more in my head.

AP of run was 8:16

Early morning run and an afternoon swim at the pool.  I really like this kind of a day.  The run felt great.  Went a little slower today.  Weather is heating up so it was just a cool 60 degrees this morning.  I'm getting a little more confident with my foot.

Swim felt really good and was an excellent afternoon workout.  It's been really nice to cross train.

AP Run:  8:30

The goal this week was 20-22 miles and I was right at 21.  I'm happy with the week.  Run felt good but I can definatly tell I have lost some running fitness.  Felt good to run again for a solid hour though.  

It's time to start finding good podcasts again and listening to them while I run.

Any suggestions Rhett (besides BYU sport podcasts)??

Quick weight/core workout followed by run.

I felt really good this morning.  I think it is the best I have felt for about 4 months.  I didn't go long but my legs just felt good.  It was encouraging!

AP:  8:18

Run and ride this morning.

Did hill repeats with each repeat lasting about 50 seconds or so. 

Felt good and is a good starting point for some hill repeats.  First time I have done this for a while.

Bike ride felt good after the run.

AM:  Had a good run this morning.  It was nice and cool.  I felt good running but not as fresh as Monday.  I think the hills were a little taxing on me yesterday.  Tried to keep is nice and comfortable.  AP:  8:30

PM:  1,600 yard swim.  It always feels good to get in the pool and get a good swim in.

Bike and run today.  The run was really slow because I did a mile with my little boy and another mile on my own.  It was good to go slow after the bike ride.  Did some core with weights also this morning.

Had to catch an early flight this morning so I had to keep the run short.  

I considered not running today because I was up really early and few back from northern California and it was rainy, windy, and cold.  But later in the day the sun broke through, the wind calmed down, and the rain stopped so I went for it.  It was nice and cool with perfect running weather.  My legs felt a lot better today and after 8 miles I could have easily gone another 3-4 before my legs would have felt tired.  That's a good sign for me.  

AP:  8:26

Stretching, rolling, and recovery day.

I've decided to take Sunday to review my week on the blog for my future reference.  Overall had a good week.  The goal was 25-26 this week and I hit it.  The hill work was good and overall my body has been responding well to running again.  I was able to get some biking and swimming in this week also which will become part of my weekly routine to help with strength, muscle imbalances, and burnout.  It's going to get cold here so riding will be more challenging but I will just have to dress really warm.  

Overall I was happy with the week and plan on increasing my running mileage by about 5 miles next week.  Once I hit 30-35 I will keep it there for a few week and slowly increase to 40-45.

This run has lots of hills but it keeps me away from the main roads where I have to run on the sidewalk.  I've been trying to run in places where I don't have to run on cement.

My left leg was tight this morning.  Not sure why it will not loosen up but I can still run with it.  It just gets a little harder to really get the lets moving when I try to run faster.  Foot felt good until I hit the 5 mile mark.  At 5 miles I stopped and stretched for a minute.  Came home and iced/rolled the foot and feels fine tonight.

Did 6 hills this morning which was 1 more than last week.  It was really tough and the last one about killed me.  Basically 3/4 mile to the hill, 6 hills, and about a .4 mile run back.

When I finished I got on the bike and did a 10 mile ride in the cold.  There were times I though my face would freeze off.  Felt really good after the ride.

Around 12 I did a 1,500 yard swim at the pool.  Felt really good to get in the pool.

It sure feels good to be back running.  I can't be thankful enough to be finally feeling good and running consistantly again.  I'll take every day of this I can.

I could tell my legs were tired from my speed/hill work yesterday.  It was only 3 miles but the fast pace up the hills really take a toll on the legs.  Kept it at a slow pace (8:50) to let the legs recover.

After the run I spent some time doing core work and a little weight lifting.

Always fun to try new shoes.  I only did 3 miles but they felt good.  Todays run was a run to try to increase VO2 max.  It's something I read so I thought I would try.  

1 mile warmup

1.6 miles: 30 seconds at or slightly below my VO2 max / 30 seconds at 50% VO2 max

.5 mile cooldown

First speedwork I have done for a long time (AP: 7:26).  Felt really good to run with some speed.  

Shoes felt good.  I think I will like them.

After the run I did a 10.1 mile ride.  Still enjoying the ride.

My legs felt really good this morning.  Maybe the best I have felt since I started back to running.  Kept things comfortable though, even though I wanted to go a little faster.  AP:  8:16

Around 12 I did my swim.  Felt really good with the swim also.  My arms never felt tired.  I was able to go a little faster today with an average lap time of 2:03/100 yards.

10 mile run followed by 15 mile bike ride.  

It was a little too cold early this morning to ride so I decided to get the run in first.  I also thought my legs would like the run first.

Felt really good this morning on both.  I have really been working on my foot strike.  I think I was too much on the balls of my feet and that contributed to my fasciitis issue.  Really working on a midfoot strike and using the glutes to propel myself forward.

Stretching, rolling, and recovery day.

Week in review:

I had a really good week.  It feels so good to be able to run again and feel like an athlete.  I feel more confident every week with my foot.  I have really focused on taking care of my body with nightly stretching and rolling and I think it has made a difference.  My left leg is not nearly as tight and I can definately feel where the tightness comes from when I roll.  I've really been working on that area to loosen things up and it has helped.

I started wearing my HR monitor again so I can track where I am with my running.  The first 2 runs I was around 141-144 BPM which I think is a little high.  I also have noticed, especially with swimming, I have an issue with CO2 buildup really fast so it messes up my breathing sometimes.  I am researching that right now because I think if I can get my breathing under control I will be able to increase my speed.  It's not anything I have thought about until this week and after a little research I learned that it's something I need to work on.

Along with my running I got in 3 rides for a total of 35 miles and 2 swims for a total of 3,100 yards.

Overall I am thrilled with the week and my progreass.  The goal for next week will be 35+ miles with a long run of 12 miles with the same amount of biking and swimming.  Once I get to that point I will maintain for a while and focus on breathing, form, and speed.

Nice run.  Left leg was a little tight this morning in the hamstring area but this went away after about 1 mile.  About 1 mile I did at tempo and let the legs go a little.

AP:  8:06

Did an afternoon swim.  My body just didn't feel like it could run this morning.  Foot was a little achey and overall I had no energy.  I didn't sleep well because my ear is driving me crazy so I just didn't have it in me.  The swim was really nice though.

In the evening I did a core workout with weights.

AM:  Body felt better this morning though I did not sleep well last night either.  Mixed in a little tempo with my run.  Ended up doing a little more than I expected.

PM:  Core workout with weights

10 mile bike ride before class.

After class I did my run.  Legs took a little while to warm up and feel good.  

1 mile warmup, 2 miles 30 seconds at 80% VO2 max (guessing) and 30 seconds 60% VO2 max (guessing again).  Basically I went at about as hard as I could for 30 seconds and then recovered slightly slower.  1 mile cooldown.  I was pretty spent after this one especially because of the bike before the run.

I was planning on 6 this morning but once I got going I extended it to 7.  Not that I felt that good, it was more about just time on my feet.  My legs felt really tight this morning.  I think the bike and the speed work really took a toll on my legs yesterday.  After a mile or 2 the legs started waking up a little more.

After the run I did a quick core workoiut with some weights.

About 2 hours after that I went and did my swim.  It felt really good to swim this morning.  I always enjoy the swim.  I'm still not fast, but I really do enjoy it.

I started this running telling myself that I would most likely be cutting it short because it was around 9:30 and I wasn't sure I wanted to run for 2 hours.  I decided to make the first part of the run where I am the farthest from me house as long as possible and then take it from there.  When I got by my house I found some water and had a granola bar and that gave me the energy to make it 12.  I didn't run fast I just tried to keep it a consistant 9 minute mile.  

AP:  8:59

Ave HR:  143 bpm

Weekly Report:

My goal this week was to hit the 35 mile mark and I accomplished that so I'm pleased with the week.  I have not felt run down like I did so many times when I was injured and did 35 mile weeks.  Overall the legs have felt good.  Of course they have been tired and some runs took a little more than others, but that is to be expected.  I didn't sleep well most nights this week but I still only missed 1 day of running.  

I rode once this week and I guess this is the one low point of the week.  The day I was going to ride I just didn't have the energy to do it early in the morning.  On Saturday I got started late so I only got a run in.  The goal this week is 3 rides and between 35-40 miles.

My two swims felt great.  I was able to swim 4,000 yards this week which is something I have not done for a long time.  I'm really trying to make it a goal to get at least 2 swims in a week.  

I also got in 3 evening workouts with the weights.  This is something I need to continue to improve.  It's a really important part of staying healthy with all the running/biking/swimming I do.  It is sometimes hard to find the time in the morning to do it so I need to get better about getting 3-4 workouts in a week at night.

I have still been faithful about my stretching and rolling every night and have really tried to roll the foot multiple times a day just to keep it healthy.  I think the stretching and rolling has helped with my legs feeling more alive and reduced my stiffness.

This week I am shooting for about the same running and swimming time but an increase in the miles on the bike.  I am also going to get out on some trails this week and start doing 1-2 trail runs a week.  I've been holding off because of the foot and the terrible experience I had on the trails in Flagstaff (I'll never forget that pain) but I think I am ready.

Overall I'm really happy with the week and how my body is responding.  Looking forward to another solid week and to some really good Thanksgiving Day food with my family!

6 easy miles this morning.  I was a little tired this morning and my legs felt it.  There was a little downhill on the run so when I came to that I sped things up a little but nothing too fast.

AM:  1 mile warmup, 1.5 miles speedwork, .6 mile cooldown.  I'm slowly trying to build some speedwork into my weeks.

After the run I did about 20 minutes of core/weights

Lunch:  Swim.  Felt really good with the swim today.  

I have been wanting to get back out on the trails for a while and I finally got there today.  Did about a mile to get to the trail and then about 2.5 miles on the trails out and 2.5 back with another mile to the house.  It is a different workout for sure but it was something that my legs needed.  Foot didn't have any pain on the uneven surface.  I wanted to ride after the run but I got an emergency call and had to take care of a patient.  I plan on getting in a ride tomorrow after my run.

I decided to do a time trial today and call it my Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot.  I'm itching to race again so this was the closest thing to a race I could do.  I did a .6 mile warmup which was all uphill and once I got to the placed I wanted to start I stopped and stretched for a minute and then headed out.  I picked a route that was mainly slightly downhill with a little uphill.  It also had a place to turn around at about mile 2.5.  At the beginning I wasn't sure I was going to be able to keep the pace I wanted but after about a half mile I settled in and felt pretty good for about 2.5 miles.  At the turnaround it was uphill with a headwind and by that time I was spent.  My foot was a little tight so I stopped for about 10 seconds and stretched.  I stopped my watch so I guess I wasn't as fast as my watch said, but I'm going to not count my stop.  I finished as strong I could and ended up doing my 5k in 18:47 with an AP of 6:03.  I walked for a minute or so and then slowly ran it in which was another .8 mile.  

This was the first time I have really tried to run a 5k at a fast pace for a long time.  I wanted to see where my fitness was.  This was actually my fastest 5k so I was happy with how things went.  I decided I am going to do this the last Thursday of every month to track how my fitness progresses.  

I wanted to ride after but I felt like I needed to stay home and spend the day with my family.  So that's what I did.

Nice and easty 6 this morning.  I wanted to work the legs out after the run yesterday.  Everything was slow.  No soreness and legs felt pretty good today.  I didn't get a ride in again.  I think next week will have to be the week I start riding again.  It's been cold so I don't want to ride early in the morning.  It's just so much easier to run.

AP:  8:59

Long run day.  I have been lazy this Thanksgiving break so I didn't get going until about 8:40 this morning.  Overall I felt good throughout the run and could have easily done another 2-3 but I am keeping my long runs no longer than 12-13 for a while.  This will allow me to build a base and gradually increase my mileage to try to stay healthy.

I always look forward to Sunday to rest!

Weekly Report:

I had a really good week of running but I didn't get on the bike at all this week.  With it being the Holiday I slept in a little every day and by the time I finished my run I felt like I needed to spend the time with my family.  Getting out of my morning routine threw me off the bike this week but life will return to normal this week.  

I ran 39 miles this week which is the most I have logged for a long time.  The foot feels good.  There are times where I wonder if it is starting to get irritated again but I have had zero pain with the foot.  It's just the feeling of tighness that always concerns me.  My running this week will be less because I think it would be good to have a recovery week.  My plan is 25 miles this week with a little more swimming and biking.   

I was only able to get in 1 swim this week because the pools were closed for the Holiday.  I felt really good with the swim and I want to get in 3 swims this week.

My core work also suffered this week with only 1 day of core work.  That will also be improved this week.

Overall the week was excellent as it relates to running.  I did a time trial "turkey trot" and had my fastest 5k time ever and felt good and healthy on all my other runs.  I am so thankful that I am back to being healthy.  It was so difficult to do anything when I was having my foot pain.  I'm doing all I can do make sure it doesn't come back.  Just very thankful for the ability to run and be healthy!

AM:  4 mile run nice and easy.  AP:  8:48

Afternoon:  Swim.  I felt really good swimming today.  I had my fastest pace in a LONG time!

Did some tempo pace running this morning but kept it short.  AP:  7:24

After the run I did 8 miles on the bike.  It was cold this morning so 8 was about my limit.  My feet were frozen!

AM:  4 easy miles followed by a core workout

PM:  swim.  Didn't feel as good with the swim today.

Hill repeats.

8 miles with AP of 8:01

Weekly Report:

This week was my recovery week.  I tried to keep my miles low and I wanted to get my rides in with the bike.  It's just so hard to do in the morning when it is really cold and I don't have a lot of time to ride.  I've decided I will get rides in when I can.  I'm just really having a hard time getting motivated to run for an hour or so and then ride for another hour.  Maybe I will get more motivated during the break I will get during Christmas.

My swims felt good.  I was planning on a Friday swim but a surgery I was doing took longer than expected and the window I had to swim was gone.  

This week the goal will be between 35-40 miles with 2 swims.  Not sure I will be able to get on the bike this week because I will be gone on Saturday.  

Nice and easy run this morning.  My usual Monday morning run.  Great way to start the day.  

After the run did a 20 minute core workout.

1 mile warmup

1 mile tempo

1 mile 30 second tempo with 30 second recover uphill

.6 mile tempo

.6 mile recovery

10 minutes core after the run

Did my swim around 12.  It was cloudy and a little windy.  Cold getting in but felt really good after about a minute.

Nice and easy this morning.  

AP:  8:41

Ave HR:  139

Hill repeats.  Did 8 this morning and felt pretty good overall.  

Woke up and the foot was a little tight from the hill yesterday.  Decided to take the day off running.  Did a swim at the pool.  It was chilly outside so the water felt pretty good.

Today was my long run.  Perfect weather for a long run.  Cool (47 degrees) and overcast with a little drizzle in the air later in the run.  At mile 9 I saw a friend in his garage so I stopped and talked to him for about 40 minutes.  I was cold and sweaty while we talked outside.  When we finished I made the mistake of not stretching or anything.  Just started running but started off really slow and then picked up the pace.  Right when I started I felt some tighness in my right leg in the shin area but I didn't pay much attention to it because it wasn't too painful and never got worse.  Since then I have had pain in the shin just below the knee cap.  Looks like I will be taking a week off to try to heal (again).

Weekly Report:

Had a good start to the week but a rough end to the week.  Got in 2 swims and some core work this week and no bike time.  It's just so hard to bike in the winter.  

I took 1 day off running to be cautious with the foot.  I think I could have easily run on it but I am still trying to play it safe.

My long run day started off great.  I felt really refreshed from taking the day off on Friday and so with all the downhills I kept about a 7 min/mile pace.  The weather was awesome for the run too.  It all fell apart when I saw a friend and we talked for about 40 minutes out in the cold.  When I started again I felt some tighness but nothing too bad.  I figured it would go away, and for the most part it did as I got warmer, but when I got home I realized I had done something.  Looks like I am back on the injured reserve with running for a week or so.  This week will be filled with lots of swimming and as much biking as I can get in under the circumstances.  I will also be focusing on core work and strenght training.