Dumb Running

Monday, August 22, 2011:

Every training program emphasizes the importance of a gradual ramp-up in both weekly distance and long-run distance, to avoid overtraining injuries. I’ve been ramping up fairly carefully, I thought, increasing the long runs by only about 10% per week and holding to about 30 miles per week, with a shorter total every three weeks or so. But I didn’t think it through very carefully.

I start my weeks on Saturday, and last week, from Saturday through Friday, I totaled up 33 miles. OK, that’s already plenty long. This week I intended to shorten it up, with a moderate run today and a lower total for the week. However, looking back from today, I ran 18 miles last Wednesday morning, then a 4-mile race that night, plus 5 miles Saturday, so I had already run 27 miles in the last 5 days before I started this morning’s 13.2-mile trail run. I should have run short today, but I got greedy.

Two nearly-identical loops, one 6.9 miles and the other 6.3; I didn’t rush, walked some of the time, and felt great most of the way. With about three miles to go, though, the abdominal muscle started to hurt, the same place as last Thursday. It’s on the right-hand side, about two-thirds of the way from the navel down to the crotch. It really doesn’t hurt a lot when running, and it makes no difference whether I’m going uphill, downhill, or flat. It seems to hurt with the bounce at the bottom of the stride, especially on the right leg. Now, after the run, it also hurts plenty if I lay back and try to do a sit-up or a crunch, and I can pinpoint the spot pretty well.

What bothers me is the possibility of a hernia, or an injury to some organ other than a muscle. If it’s just a muscle pull, then I know the treatment - lay off it for a while, or at least ease up. Maybe ride a bike or just walk or whatever doesn't hurt. But I need to get an opinion from someone who knows more about anatomy. We have a lot of marathons scheduled for this fall, so I’ll haul this ole belly to the doctor as soon as I can get in.

Saturday, August 20, 2011:

St Croix Valley Runners. We had a big group today, because the group planned to go to breakfast at the Oasis in Stillwater after the run. We like to do that once in a while. We three couldn’t go to the breakfast because of a myeloma support group meeting across town later in the morning, but we ran anyway.

I found myself alone for half of the way, stuck between several speedsters and a few others behind. I did notice a little pain from the abdominal muscle in the very beginning, plus two cranky knees, but all of that subsided and the run felt pretty good. Eventually Paul caught up and we had a very good chat for 20 minutes or so. I walked up a couple of hills, to avoid antagonizing the abdominal muscle, and he slowed to walk too.

Five miles in 49:00. Considering the abdominal muscle question, it’ll do. It’s a masterpiece.

These photos are mostly taken on the kitchen counter. We recently switched from incandescent (halogen) floodlights over the counter to LED floods, a "greener" lower-energy alternative. But I'm not satisfied with the color that I get from the new bulbs. We'll have to experiment a little more. Anyway here is this morning's breakfast, mostly organic everything except the oatmeal, which is gluten-free: