Got out for a decent 6.2 miler today… tacked on a dog walk later on for another 1.25 or so, for a total of not quite 8. After last weekend’s competitive 10K, it was nice to get out and just run, even if it was hot outside. I’ve been trying to mix up the neighborhood courses I take, alternating trail running with road running, going through my current neighborhood, my old neighborhood, and things in between. I’m finding some new places to run that I actually might be starting to enjoy. Running is a still a literal pain the rear, but at least I’m hating it less:)
LV Zoo 10K Completed – 3 Years Running
After dealing with injury for the past two months, I finally completed a solid competitive 10K. This race has been the barometer of my running for the past two years… unfortunately, coming off injury, this was my worst 10K time. It didn’t help that it was hot and humid outside, and no rain this year. The course was identical to year’s past, with a single water stop halfway through. I made a point to take water with me this year, remembering the lack of real course support throughout. It’s only a 10K most people say, but the hills on the first half of the course are brutal. This year, I ran most of the course with Eric, who just recently married a former college friend of mine who helped motivate me to start this crazy sport. Thanks Jen! She opted for the 5K… there were a few points where I wish I had gone that route too. Overall though, it was a fun morning, and a solid effort to get me back on the road to a marathon.
2015 LV Zoo 10K Finisher!
The Newlyweds (Jen, Eric) and Nick! 5K (Jen) and 10K (Eric, Nick) LV Zoo 2015!
Ramping Up the Mileage
Knocked out a nice 6 mile run tonight… felt good to be back out and breaking in a new pair of ASICS Gel Nimbus. Yup – I’m in a neutral shoe with my nice new custom orthotics. My original goal was to do an easy 2-3 miles, but I felt good, the heat/humidity wasn’t too bad, so I kept going. Overall, an even pace and a beautiful summer night made for a fun run. It also helped convince me that the Lehigh Valley Zoo 10K next Sunday morning is achievable without too much pain!
Orthotics Have Arrived
Tonight, I picked up the custom orthotics. These might take some getting used to in my shoes, but right off the bat I noticed a huge difference just walking out of the podiatrist’s office. My right foot pronates a lot more than my left, and needs quite a bit more arch support. The built-in metatarsal pad is going to take some getting used to, but I’m happy to finally have these things, and get back to solid running. My (hopefully) last physical therapy appointment is in two days, enough time to get some kind of short run in to test them out. Here’s hoping I can get back on track to marathon training.
My First (and Probably Last) Color Run
2015 Allentown Color Run Completed!
Me and the Wife – Allentown Color Run 2015
The good news: I ran 3 miles on a heavily taped up ankle and actually felt pretty good at the end!
The bad news: taking the tape off took skin along with it, and this was a color (fun) run that wasn’t quite a 5K… more like a 3.01 miler.
Overall, it was an excuse to go running. My wife and sister joined in the fun. The party atmosphere combined with people who barely ran down the block in their entire life coupled with tons of colored cornstarch made for an interesting event at Coca-Cola Park. I must admit though running back and forth through a parking lot to then hit a “color station” is not my idea of fun. Neither is having a girl complain about “those stupid walkers who should start at the back” when I was on a walk break then proceed to walk 4 abreast in front of me. I must admit a bit of personal satisfaction plowing through her – I’m not generally a nasty person, but don’t make stupid comments.
I’m sure I’ll regret the decision to run this tomorrow, but for now, it was fun!
The Joys of Physical Therapy
I’m going my third week of physical therapy… while the ankle stabilized to a degree, and I no longer need the brace… I’ve developed peroneal tendinitis! Couple that with overly tight calves, and I wake up every morning barely able to walk around the room. Once I’m up and in the hot shower, it settles down. Ortho puts me at another 4-6 weeks before I can even attempt to run, and I’m off to the podiatrist to get fitted for custom orthotics. Hoping and praying this all works so I can get back into running form. Bike riding just doesn’t do it for me.
Injury Update
After a surprisingly short visit to an orthopedist today, I got the diagnosis… it’s a sprain. Not a particularly bad one, but enough that I was sent home with a new support brace that I have to wear for 3 weeks. Oh yeah, and 6 weeks of 2x physical therapy. On top of all that, I find out that I actually have limited range of motion in the ankle, caused by an “impingement” (translation: bone spur). Thankfully it doesn’t cause pain, but if it should later on, options are cortisone injection or surgical removal (think dremel-style excision). The goal of PT is to get me back to full speed running in 6 weeks, which puts my Richmond Marathon goal for November still within reach. Hoping and praying the recovery and rehabilitation goes well.
1st Major Running Injury
It was bound to happen sooner or later, just never expected it this way. My ankle had been sore on and off over the last week… I attributed it to just overuse between Disney and the other half marathons. Standing in the upstairs hallway tonight, my left ankle gave out. I’ve never had that much pain before with an ankle, and after trying to walk on it, decided a trip to urgent care was in order.
A few x-rays and a set of crutches later, I was diagnosed with a bad sprain, and referred to an orthopedic doc. They saw two bone chips on my x-ray, which were apparently there for a while (not the result of this sprain). For now though, limited weight bearing on the ankle, I”ll be hobbling around in crutches, and hopefully praying for some physical therapy to get my back into running shape as quickly and safely as possible.
Definite setback in my 2015 marathon plans.
Expedition Everest Challenge – ACCOMPLISHED!
2015 Expedition Everest Challenge Finisher!
2015 EEC Medal – the compass inside broke (getting a replacement)
Yesterday evening, I completed the 2015 Final runDisney Expedition Everest Challenge! I managed to sneak this in during a family vacation. Since we were staying at Old Key West, my friend Jen was gracious enough to pick me up. We met up with Patrick, Joe, Kim and her son, and headed to the staging area. What a difference this race is to the half marathon crowds. Totally low key, party-style atmosphere. While in Corral C, I met up Jodi and her friend Marigrace, which made the time fly faster. Before we knew it, the race was on. The first half was a traditional 5K, and with the exception of a stop for a Chip and Dale picture, I didn’t do too bad. This race also had obstacles – jumping hay bales, running through tires, and crawling under a cargo net (I skipped this last one). All of this considering my legs still hurt from the half last Sunday. About 2 miles in, I bumped into Steph, and we finished the race together. Then came the scavenger hunt portion, which Steph and I finished in LESS time than the 5K. Stay tuned for a more detailed write-up with the clues, but one of the clues I literally shouted at the volunteer when she gave us a hint… MOUNTAINEERS! Still funny a few days later.
2015 Expedition Everest Challenge Finishers – Nick and Steph
After completing the scavenger hunt and picking up our medals, we headed our separate ways. I headed back into Animal Kingdom to meet up with Jen and the rest of the bunch for the after party. Scored rides on Primeval Whirl, Expedition Everest, and Dinosaur. Met up with Lisa, Linda, Dee Dee, and Rachel for a 2am french fry snack, then the trip back to the hotel. I managed get into bed before 4am, only to be woken up at 7 by my kids. Was it worth it? Absolutely! So sad that this was the last one!
Special shout out to @GooberMonkey78, after joking that we would connect up after the race, didn’t expect to run into her DURING the race, and finish together. And of course, another special thanks to Jen for the transportation, and hanging out at AK for the after party. Never forget the Dinosaur pic!
Off to Disney
Tomorrow, we are off to Walt Disney World for our annual family vacation. I’ll also have the chance to run my first (and final) Expedition Everest Challenge on Saturday night. Of course, no trip would be complete without at least one kid being sick – that would our dear daughter who turns 7 on May 5th. Thankfully, the fever appears to be gone and we are all systems go for the trip. I’m still feeling the effects of the St. Luke’s crash and burn this past Sunday – hoping and praying my legs feel better to be able to knock a 5K and a scavenger hunt after that… and be able to handle walking around the parks all day. Somehow, it seems to work out… all part of the magic!