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This morning: 10 miles, completed.

It was so hard. We ran in pace groups and that was a big help, though. Without that, I really wouldn't have been able to keep going. I forced myself to stay with the mentor leading my group, and I stopped at all of the water/gatorade stations with the group. Normally I don't like to stop when I'm running because I rely so much on my momentum just to keep going. Today, though, it was a big help. I mostly just drank out of my water bottle (I mixed some Gatorade in at one of the stops), and I used some Body Glide at the Fleet Feet water station because of some chafing on my thighs. I finished at about 1:52, which put me at a little over an 11-minute mile.

Did I mention that I just thought it was going to kill me? At about mile 7 I was really hurting. I stayed up a little late last night because a friend was in from out of town (Pat, for those who know him) and we went out to dinner and for coffee kind of late (I was good, I drank water). This morning I decided to try something different with my knee support sleeve, and I taped it at the top, hoping that it would help keep my IT band from slipping so much. I noticed in mile 4, however, that I was starting to feel some pain in my hamstring, and I ultimately decided that it was because I had put the tape on too tightly. I stripped it off but my hamstring is still sore, so I'm icing it along with my IT bands.

Anyway, it's late, and I'm exhausted. Leanne and I adopted a pug today from Northern Illinois Pug Rescue and Adoption, which made for a long trip both to and from Rockford, IL after I got back from my run. We are actually going for a small walk right now with the dog, so I have to go.

Hope all's well! -K
posted by Kenner Estes at 11:02 PM

Welcome back, everyone. Spider-Man feels so good about my run yesterday that he just has to break it down for a minute.

The track training went well. We ended up just doing a 10-minute warmup, a timed mile, then a 10-minute cooldown, for a total of about 3 miles. They said that because we focus on LSD (Long, Slow Distance) when we do our TEAM training on Saturdays we are now starting to do a little higher intensity stuff on Wednesdays. Their instructions were that we should not run our timed mile at our normal (meaning: marathon) pace; rather, we should run "just outside our comfort zone".

Well, I thought that's what I was doing, but by the time I finished my third lap (quarter-mile track) I realized that I was pushing a little harder than that. I went ahead and worked for a strong finish, but I would say that I probably pushed overall a little bit harder than they intended. My timed mile was 7:15, which is not too bad.

Today I again did not go to the gym in the morning but I am going after work. I am just going to drive straight home, change, and walk right over. It's only about a 10-minute walk there, so if I just go straight there after I get home it should not put me returning home too late to get a couple of other things done.

10 miles on Saturday! I'm gearing up.... Later, all. -K
posted by Kenner Estes at 2:34 PM

The last two days have been a bit irregular. I had an appointment with my doctor yesterday morning and was specifically told not to run beforehand. Then, after work, I had an appointment at AthletiCo, where I met with one of their physical therapists who put me through a host of flexibility tests and basically verified that I am (I'm trying to remember the techical term) -- "messed up." I have some flexibility issues in my lower body, including some weakness in my flanks. I know, "flanks" is not really the right word, I suppose, but I figured that it sounded better than "haunches" or "sides of my a*%."

Anyway, the recommendation was as expected -- lots of stretching (esp. that IT band stretch with the foam roller), orthotics, and strengthening exercises for my flankhaunchbutt-type area. He also said that as I started getting into the longer runs I should start getting periodic sport massages -- again, specifically including the IT band area -- to help avoid injury and recover from the strains.

I got a $50 parking ticket while I was in AthletiCo. You might think that I hadn't put money in the meter, but you'd be wrong. In fact, I had put the money in the meter, but it turns out that to park there between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. constitutes a crime because of rush hour. Good luck finding a sign that says that. I finally did, but of course it was nowhere near where I parked. At the meter. The meter that would seem to signify that you have found a legal parking spot. That meter, the one by which I got the ticket, that's the one that didn't have a sign near it. Let me know if you need to hear more about this story. Not because there's any more detail, but because I'm just so tired of pouring my money into the Chicago parking scam and feel like venting.

Anyway, I got to bed late last night so I decided to just go straight to the gym after work today. I did, but then realized that the parking outside the gym has the same trap setup as the other area where I got my ticket, so I just went home to park there. Once there Leanne and I got involved in some organization tasks and I didn't go to the gym! I'm feeling not good about it, but my knees feel really good so maybe it's for the best.

Tomorrow we have a Team event after work. We are timing a mile, I guess to help us understand our pace.

Then, Thursday, it's back to the gym for cross- and strength-training before we do 10 miles on Saturday. I'm feeling underprepared because of my lax last two days. It's funny that I used to go weeks without any substantial exercise and felt fine -- now I go a couple of days without and feel all worried.

Okay, I have to get to bed. Hope all is well! -K
posted by Kenner Estes at 11:23 PM

Hello all on this most happy of rest days. Yesterday's 6 miles went fairly well, I stretched out pretty well beforehand, including those IT band stretches, and I think that it really worked out well. I ended up running up by Wrigley field and then back down to Clark and North so that I could hit the Walgreen's and pretty much clear out their supply of Propel on my way home. I did the IT band stretches when I got back and I really think it made a difference. I iced my left knee immediately. We'll see how it goes.

Otherwise, Leanne and I swung by Fleet Feet yesterday and I picked up a week's worth of Clif's bars and another shirt and pair of shorts so that I don't have to keep doing laundry every day before I run.

Listen, everyone, I also wanted to let you know that I was delayed a bit sending in my first batch of donations; I am sending them in tomorrow and am pleased to let you know that the donations have FAR exceeded my expectations for how much I would have raised by now. I will post the running tally in the header on the site in days to come. Keep checking back to see how we're all doing! And thank you so much everyone again for all of your help with this, I feel your support every day. -K
posted by Kenner Estes at 1:38 PM