Easy 5-Miler

Daily Quote: "By strengthening the core and hips, I could handle more training, and was stronger and more powerful as a runner. It's so important to have strength in these areas, especially at the later stages of a race -- you can power through better." --Alli Grace, from Running Times Magazine, article by Mackenzie Lobby, "Tragically Hip. New Research suggests weak hips are behind injuries throughout the body." December 2009, pp 21-26.

Yesterday I ran a very easy 3-miler that was pain free, and today decided to test myself with a longer run of five miles.  I've been avoiding my favorite training route that was on the old Las Vegas Marathon course as I didn't want to be frustrated and discouraged with not running this year's marathon, but surprisingly the course was uplifting as this was a good sign of new beginnings.  I'm so happy to be running on Torrey Pines Road again!!

9:00 a.m.  5 miles.  Time, 49:01.  Overall Pace, 9:48 minute miles. Out and back on Torrey Pines Road that traverses the old Las Vegas Marathon course. Partly Cloudy, 57 degrees, no wind.  Average heart rate 143 bpm.  Cardiac Drift 150 bpm.  (Note, my maximum heart rate is 190 bpm.)  Shoes: New Balance 520.

Run was pain free!  I did have a small left hip ache at the beginning of the run, but once I was warmed up the ache quickly disappeared.  Tomorrow I'll run another easy 3-miler, if I show any signs of hip pain I'll walk home.

I'm going to need to look for new running shoes soon as my old shoes mileage is getting rather high:

• Nike Air Structures: 488 miles.
• New Balance 720: 433 miles.
• ASICS DS Gel Trainers: 390 miles.

I'll be haunting the running shoe stores this weekend.  I'm strongly considering a minimalist training shoe.  I've had good luck in the past at the Premium Factory Store Outlet, which has a Addias Store and a NIKE Factory Store.

SUMMARY: NOVEMBER 2-8, 2009

Daily Quote: "The main hip muscles to focus on strengthening are the hip adductors, hip abductors, gluteus medius, tensor fasciae latate, priiformis, and hip flexors. If you're already injured, Ferber emphasizes the importance of 'positive daily stress.' Translation: Do the exercises below every day. Once you're out of the woods, two to three times a week is sufficient.

• The Bridge.
• Leg Raise.
• Hip Extension.
• Hip Abduction.
• Standing Hip Abduction.
• Hip Flexion.
• Standing Lunge.

--from, Running Times Magazine, article by Mackenzie Lobby, "Tragically Hip. New Research suggests weak hips are behind injuries throughout the body." December 2009, pp 21-26.

I've been doing the above hip strengthening exercises every day last week and will continue them every day next week. The above hip exercises takes me approximately 20 minutes. I plan on exercising my hip muscles for the rest of my life.

SUMMARY, NOVEMBER 2-8, 2009

My left hip joint is much better and I have returned to running!! I ran a grand total of 13 miles last week, with my longest run being only four miles. I ran four days last week and this week I plan on running five days. All my runs will be slow and easy as I rebuild my base. Baby steps, baby steps!

I no longer plan on running the Las Vegas Marathon nor the Las Vegas Half-Marathon, but will visit my about.com and blogging friends sometime during that marathon weekend. I need to have race goals for this coming Spring. Maybe a 5k race and a 10k race? Depending on my recovery I may even plan on running a half marathon in the Spring!

I now weigh 175 pounds on a six foot frame and need to focus on reaching my racing weight of 165 pounds.

I've continued my modified weight circuit training with additional hip strengthening exercises. I accomplished three sessions of upper body circuit training and did hip strengthening exercises every day.

My sleeping patterns have been very good with at least eight hours of sleep every night. My morning heart rates are still good, approximately 38-41 bpm.

A recap of last week's training:

Monday: Upper body circuit weight training, hip-strengthening program

Tuesday: Easy Run, 3 miles. hip-strengthening program

Wednesday: Rest Day. hip-strengthening program

Thursday: Easy Run, 3 miles. Upper body circuit training, hip-strengthening program

Friday: Easy Run, 3 miles. hip-strengthening program

Saturday: Easy Run, 4 miles. hip-strengthening program

Sunday: Swimming 30 minutes, Upper body weight circuit training, hip-strengthening program

Total Weekly Mileage: 13 miles.

Another Easy 3-Miler

Daily Quote: "Jennifer Earl, Ph.D., ATC, and colleagues prescribed a hip-strengthening program to a group of healthy female runners for eight weeks. In addition to showing a predictable increase in hip strength at the end of the program, the runners also exhibited significantly less pronation (measured by how far the heel collapsed inwards). Most impressive, the participants experienced 57 percent less pronation at the ankle joint." --Mackenzie Lobby, Running Times Magazine, article "Tragically Hip. New Research suggests weak hips are behind injuries throughout the body." December 2009, pp 21-26.

Took a day off running yesterday and crosstrained by swimming, upper body weights and hip strengthening exercises. Decided to run the exact same course and mileage and determine whether Tuesday successful run was a fluke.

10:00 a.m. Out and back on HWY 95 Bike Trail. Sunny, 71 degrees, no wind. Another perfect day for running!! 3 miles. Time 29:44. Overall pace, 9:54 minute miles. Average heart rate: 140 bpm. Cardiac drift: 144 bpm. (Note my maximum heart rate is 190 bpm) Shoes: Nike Air Structure Triax.

Last Tuesday wasn't a fluke!! I still have no sharp hip pain, just a slight ache at the beginning of my run that disappeared once my body warmed up after the first 1/2 mile. I don't want to be so confident as to injure my hip by running too much too soon and will cautiously run another 3 miler tomorrow.

Test Run.

Daily Quote: "A recent literature review published in 'Sports Health' calls for a top-down, rather than ground-up, approach when it comes to identifying the source of running injuries. Reed Ferber, PhD., and colleagues looked at 283 studies that examined running-related injuries and concluded that the connections between weak hip stabilization muscles and running injuries ere far move conclusive than those of atypical foot pronation." --Mackenzie Lobby, Running Times Magazine, article "Tragically Hip. New Research suggests weak hips are behind injuries throughout the body." December 2009, pp 21-26.

The above quoted article has eight described hip exercises to improve my hip strength...how I wish this article was published earlier!! I'll be incorporating the hip strength exercises with my upper body weight circuit training tomorrow.

Today I'll be testing my left hip joint, I plan on running three easy miles, but if I have any sharp pain I'll cease running and walk home.

9:00 a.m. Out and back on HWY 95 Bike Trail. Sunny, 63 degrees, no wind. 3 miles. Time 29:49. Overall pace, 9:56 minute miles. Average heart rate: 141 bpm. Cardiac drift: 145 bpm. Shoes: Nike Air Structure Triax.

I'm ecstatic! No sharp hip pain, just a slight ache!! I can return to running, but slowly and cautiously. Tomorrow will be a crosstraining day of swimming and upper body weight lifting. My next day running will be on Thursday, another slow and easy three miler. Baby steps, baby steps.

My run felt easy and wasn't huffing and puffing, no doubt my crosstraining exercises have kept me somewhat aerobically fit.