I miss marathons/running totals

It's been over 2 years since my last marathon on June 3, 2007 at the San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon. I really miss it now and it's very difficult to watch everyone around me run their fall marathons while I sit on the sidelines. I have struggled with injuries since December 2007 when I tore my hamstring while playing tennis. At the time I didn't think it was a major injury. I took a few days off and kept up with my running. The pain never left me.

Almost 2 years later, I am still not completely healed. The slight pain has stayed with me even after months of physical therapy. It just won't shake no matter how much stretching I do. I have a feeling that my hamstring will never be the same. The good news is that it's a lot better than it once was. I'm not in excruciating pain while running. It's just ever so slight and bothersome. It can get worse as time goes on. I will see if it gives me major problems on longer runs. I'll just have to focus on other things. It's going to be a game of tricking my mind. If I don't focus on it, maybe I won't notice the pain. I've done that before with success.

My plan is to run the Surf City Marathon on February 7, 2010 in Huntington Beach. I believe this is a realistic goal. At that race I will hopefully re-qualify for the Boston Marathon that takes place on April 19, 2010. After that, I plan to retire from marathon running once and for all. My body just doesn't seem cut out for it. I may still do half marathons. Speaking of the half, I was planning to do the Silver Strand Half Marathon, but it is sold out. I want to do some kind of race before Surf City as a warm up. I will have to search for another half sometimes in December.

Below is what I did for the past month or so. I haven't run a ton, clearly, but I am slowly getting back into it. This past week was a successful running week even while I traveled to Toronto and Indianapolis.

Date	Time	Mileage	Min/ Mile	Notes	HR Max	HR Ave
Sept 16, 2009	14:13	2.12	6:41	I ran on the treadmill at the gym. Didn't have a lot of time. I also did ellipitcal.	---	---
Sept 19, 2009	54:05	7.59	7:07	I ran up to Corona Del Mar from Balboa Island. It was sunny and not too hot, but it made me run slower. My HR was way up, too high.	181 (97%)	162 (87%)
week ending Sept 20, 2009	---	9.71	---	What a pathetic week. I just didn't have a lot of time to run due to traveling to DC for a conference. The time change really affected me.	---	---
Sept 22, 2009	21:16	3.03	7:00	I am in Chicago so I ran on the treadmill in the gym. I didn't have much time.	163 (87%)	154 (82%)
Sept 25, 2009	33:32	4.54	7:23	I ran slow and my legs felt like bricks. Not a good run. I didn't try to push myself simply b/c I had no energy.	160 (86%)	148 (79%)
Sept 26, 2009	41:02	5.65	7:15	I ran along Back Bay. It was ok, but I struggled and didn't feel fresh. I wanted to see how running on consecutive days would work out.	173 (93%)	155 (83%)
week ending Sept 27, 2009	---	13.22	---	I'm actually embarrassed that my weekly totals are so low. I just need to step it up. My body is not cooperating.	165 (88%)	152 (81%)
Sept 28, 2009	45:47	6.55	6:59	Back Bay. I felt good the first half but struggled the second. I know the HR monitor was off as it was not functioning for most of the run.	171 (91%)	149 (80%)
Sept 30, 2009	30:21	4.39	6:54	One last run off Balboa Island before I move.	169 (90%)	151 (81%)
Oct 1, 2009	30:13	4.36	6:54	I did this run on the treadmill at the gym.	166 (89%)	152 (81%)
Oct 2, 2009	27:20	3.87	7:03	I squeezed this run in since I have to leave for Toronto in the early morning tomorrow. I started this run at 8:30pm! I was not in the mood but wanted to run around my new neighbourhood.	167 (89%)	150 (80%)
Oct 4, 2009	28:54	4.33	6:39	I ran on the treadmill at the gym here in Toronto. It was raining outside so didn't want to get soaked. It is cold here, only in the lower 50s! Yikes!	174 (93%)	158 (84%)
week ending Oct 4, 2009	---	23.5	---	I'm a lot happier with my tally this week. I just tried to run more even if it was only a few miles. It's better than nothing. I need to get a double-digit run in next week. That's my goal.	169 (90%)	152 (81%)
Oct 5, 2009	43:40	6.33	6:53	I ran in Toronto along Lake Ontario. It was chilly, in the low 50s. On the way up I was running directly into a headwind. I was so tired and it took a lot out of me. On the way back I must have run a lot faster. I thought for sure my average was going to be slow.	162 (87%)	154 (82%)
Oct 6, 2009	27:53	4.06	6:51	I ran on the treadmill at the gym here in Indianapolis. I struggled	166 (89%)	152 (81%)
Oct 8, 2009	28:17	4.15	6:48	I ran on the treadmill at the gym here in Indianapolis. I ran faster than I thought I would.	164 (88%)	153 (82%)
Oct 10, 2009	29:47	4.18	7:06	Finally back in OC. I went from my place down Superior Ave onto the Balboa Peninsula and then back up the hill on Superior Ave. I wanted to run longer but it was too late and dark. I forgot my reflective vest.	167 (89%)	154 (812%)
Oct 11, 2009	1:14:53	10.55	7:05	I was so happy that I was able to run over an hour and at least 10 miles. I haven't run this long in over 6 months or so. I felt ok throughout. I ran down Superior onto Balboa peninsula and then ran from the Newport Pier all the way down past the Balboa Pier and reversed direction. It was nice to run along the boardwalk next to the beach. It was sunny but not too hot (around 70) with nice breezes. I struggled at the end since you have to run up Superior, which is like almost a 0.5 mile hill. My calf did not give me issues and my hamstring felt ok for the most part. I stretched a lot before and after.	171 (91%)	155 (83%)
week ending Oct 11, 2009	---	29.29	---	Not bad, considering I was traveling this week. I just barely missed 30 miles. Actually I did make 30 but didn't document a 1 mile run I did on the treadmill one night I decided to just do elliptical. Let's see if I can sustain this momentum.	166 (89%)	153.6 (82%)

Car accident and changing my marathon plans

Today I got into a car accident on Balboa Island just a few blocks down from my apt. The island is made up of very narrow streets and alleys (kind of like some European streets). I was driving around 8:15am on the main street Park Ave. I was only going about 20 mph and an older gentleman in an SUV came barreling out of a side alley on my right-hand side. He clearly didn't look to his left as he would have seen me. It's hard to see though if you don't inch your way out enough to see past the cars parked on Park.

After he sped out of the alley I immediately saw him and I reacted quickly, swerving to my left and over the median. I definitely prevented a much larger accident as I only braised his left front bumper. If I had tried to stop I would have gone right into the driver's side of the car, potentially hurting him or even worse. I was lucky since there were no palm trees on that particular stretch of the median strip. My front left tire didn't fare as well. The wheel was bent from driving over the curb and the tire was ripped to shreds in certain spots. I called AAA since I have the AAA Premier membership. I get free towing up to 200 miles per incident and a free rental for 24 hours! It only cost $102 a year and IT IS WORTH EVERY DIME!

They came out within 30 min and changed my tire to my spare instead of towing it. Then I drove to the Firestone in Costa Mesa. I got picked up and brought to the Enterprise and selected my car and drove to work by 10:30am. What a morning! I pick up my car tomorrow at Firestone. The repairs came to over $400 since I had to replace both front tires, the wheel, get an alignment and a new hubcap. He said he would pay for everything. I am lucky as I needed new front tires anyway. Sometimes these situations work out.

Running Update

In my previous post I said I would try to do the Carlsbad Marathon on Jan 24, 2010 in order to re-qualify for Boston Marathon, which is on April 19, 2010.

I found out about the Surf City Marathon in Huntington Beach only a few weeks later on Feb 7, 2010 (SuperBowl Sunday). That is only 15 min north and much more convenient. I was at physical therapy last night and was chatting with my therapist about my plans to do Carlsbad. Then this other patient there said the Surf City Marathon was a lot faster and flatter than Carlsbad. I definitely agree.

I must re-qualify for Boston Marathon at this race by running a 3:10:59 or faster. If I am healthy it shouldn't be a problem considering I have run under 3:10 at 6 of the 10 marathons I have run so far, with two of them under 3:00. I just need to stay healthy and LISTEN TO MY BODY!

I feel confident that my PT sessions are helping me. I am doing all the right things by running every other day. I am stretching and I am icing. Everything I should be doing. In a few more weeks I may be able to add another day to my training so I will be up to 4 days of running per week... hopefully.