For Whom the Dogs Bark

Nothing much to report.  Went to a physical therapy lab yesterday that Dr. Kevorkian recommended.  She was very knowledgeable and gave me some simple exercises that made me feel quite a bit better after doing them only once.  The PT folks might be the smartest ones out there for runners' purposes.  Still don't have my blood work back, so still working my way through everything.  I miss the pain and suffering.

Have been running a bit lately.  Skipped yesterday because my back felt sketchy by the time I got to the end of mu cul e sac.  Felt much better toay, I wouldn't say it is going great but there does seem to be some slow progress.  I have picked out a two and a half mile loop but haven't been running with any technology.  I timed it on Tuesday with my cell phone and I was at a 10:18 pace, felt a little faster today. 

Also on Tuesday I had a followup appointment with Dr. Kevorkian.  He had a complete write-up prepared from my first visit (love it when the medical profession embraces customer service) and we discussed my situation in detail.  He reiterated that he is not going to tell me not to run, he knows how addicting it is.  He said he is 10 years older than me, and he remembers starting to fall apart at my age.  Nice -- we old guys love black humor.  He also said he spends 10 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes at night stretching, that it needs to become part of my life, i.e., the same as brushing my teeth -- especially hamstring stretches.

I mentioned how much I liked Rhonda, the physical therapist, and he said he liked her too.  I reported that she had me on a regimen to get to a strong core, and he agreed that it would help, then lifting his finger he said, "to a degree".  It's not a magic pill.  Speaking of which, I am very lucky to have gotten rid of my back pain with two 800 mg doses of Ibuprofen.  Translated:  he sees back patients all day long who almost need morphine to get through the day, this is not something to mess around with, especially since I am already old enough to order the senior special at Denny's. 

When I told him I had gained 10 pounds already he was alarmed, said no more desserts.  This is one tough old bird.

Lots to think about, to be contineud.

63F, 83%, N 8 mph, light rain.  Went out for a bit longer this morning, missed yesterday due to work.  By my watch about 10:30 pace, was hoping it was under 10, just amazing how difficult running is right now.  At about the 3-mile mark my back started to hurt in one spot, low and slightly right of center.  But it was more worrisome than painful.  Finished off the run and so far today OK.  Didn't have any problem cycling through my core routine.  Hoping to do 4 a day next week -- tempted to do 6 but that might not be smart.  The bummer is that it appears I have neatly missed every last day of the good running weather.  Temps aren't ferocious yet but the heavy moist air is back, just feels different when it is coming off the Gulf, even if the official humidity readouts say it isn't fully saturated yet.  The wind was out of the north but that was from local rotation related to the rain storm, not a general weather pattern.

38F, 78% and calm.  After complaining about an early summer on Saturday I got a magnificent mid-winter morning today.  Too bad my pace was somewhere between a road construction schedule and being put on hold by United.  Ran 4.09 miles in 40:40, 9:57 per mile, about 155 bpm.  Was quite difficult to maintain even this pace, but it was faster than Saturday at least.

40F, 58%, NNE 8 mph.  Even better weather than yesterday.  Actually felt a little lighter today, same 4.09 mile route in 39:52, 9:40 per mile, 155 bpm average.

Went back to my other doctor today, the one checking all my chemistry.  I have low iron and low vitamin D₂, the latter because I never get outside in the sun.  He thinks I am overtrained, couldn't believe it when I told him I run everyday.  He asked me how I run after taking two days off, and I told him I run faster, of course.  But I am hardly overtrained.  I ran my best two races (two half marathons in a three-week period) early last year at the same time I ran 100 miles in a week, as well as other high-mileage weeks around it.  I told him I think I can train a lot as long as I keep the speed down, it is running hard too often that kills the goose.  So we'll have this guy stick with chemistry for now, still not sure I know what has happened to my body, but he has me on a 12-week regimen with high dosages of vitamins and iron.  Hopefully by then I will be back into a training program enough to check my vitals apples-to-apples with a couple of training cycles last year.  Physical therapy tomorrow.

55F, 86%, E 6 mph.  4.09 miles in 38:35, 9:26/mile.

66F, 85%, S 6 mph.  4.00 miles in 42:21, 10:35/mile, 146 bpm.