Training Log Archive: DWildfogel

Marin Southern Line Fire Road, known to most as Crown Rd Fire Rd. Practically 8:00 am when we started. Already getting warm, and the air quality wasn't that great. I really did not want to run today, but L wanted to give Robin some company, so I went along, having had a hot tub and thinking my legs felt pretty good. But once I started running, it was clear that my leg muscles were very tired, and I couldn't even keep up. Should have just turned around, but stuck it out, hoping there would be some value in running a bit longer than I've run so far since hurting my hip flexors (not sure there is). Also motivated by the fact that it's supposed to be even hotter and smokier the next several days, so thought maybe it would be good to get something in today. But it really was a poor decision; never felt comfortable, don't think it helped anything, didn't enjoy it, and risked re-injury.

Garmin/AP, as usual, reported a ridiculous amount of climb on this flat road. I changed that to 5m.

Out an back run. Read down the first column for times on the way out, and up the second column for times on the way back.

Start at gate at the end of Crown Rd.
--------------------------------------------- (336)
[stop when Garmin said 3 miles] -------------- 3348
----------------------------------------------------------(122)
Dawn Falls trail ------------------------- 336 ----- 3226
--------------------------------------------- (1012) -- (1032)
Telephone pole by pump house --- 1348 ---- 2154
--------------------------------------------- (356) ---- (410)
Barbara Springs trail ------------------------ 1744

[Easy distance]

Cool down. Jogged back to the gate.

The usual weekly accumulation of morning exercises.

Cool down on the Sunnyside Trail.

Afterwards, walked by the lakeshore for a while. It was so gorgeous and fresh, it was hard to leave.

Don't know why this cool down got listed prior to my run; it was afterwards.

Bon Tempe, on my own. There were some smoky clouds on the drive over, but up at the lake it was sunny, fresh and cool (at least in the shade), and inspiringly gorgeous. Equally as amazing, my hip flexor seems to have made as much progress since Wednesday as it had on Wednesday from the time before. On Wednesday I was still cautious, not wanting to risk re-injuring it, but today I actually felt like I was running. Still don't have full stride length, but the run definitely had some giddy-up in it. Very pleasing.

By the time I left, shortly before 9, smoke was starting to show up even up there.

Same run as Wednesday except I did an additional up and back on the dam.

Start on Sky Oaks just S of the trail head (to simulate the split I usually take in the middle of the crosswalk when I'm running around the lake)
(921) 921 - start down to lakeshore from little power station
(43) 1004 - reach top of dam via lakeshore across spillway
(208) 1212 - end of dam
(207) 1419 - back to sign at NE end of dam
(205) 1624 - end of dam
(202) 1827 - back to sign at NE end of dam
(44) 1911 - back to little power station on sunny side trail
(805) 2716 - finish just before Sky Oaks

[Easy distance]

Bon Tempe. Air was good, so just wanted to be in nature. L and I went up to Bon Tempe after breakfast, though we were delayed in several ways and didn't get up there until nearly 11. It was lovely up there, sun was out, gentle cool breeze. We walked pretty casually. On the way back, sat along side the lake at Pine Point for ten minutes. Could've stayed there all day.

By the time we got back, San Anselmo was inundated with smoke. But a couple of hours later, the air was fine again.

Hip flexors felt pretty good when I got up (though I'd had a hard time finding comfortable positions during the night), but after sitting for a while before we left, the flexors ached quite a bit. Still have a ways to go before I'm off the injured list.

NOTE: Late afternoon: for some unknown reason, my hip flexors felt really good. Even jogged a few steps outside and felt less restricted than I'd been feeling. Strange. Then did a few kettle bell squats and one-legged squats, just to keep those activities going, but not enough to make a log entry.

Event: Cancelled - Rocky Mountain Orienteering Festival
 

Bon Tempe. Air quality was good this morning, so we dashed out there. Very overcast, but still very nice to see the lake. Ran the sunny side trail to the end of the dam and back. Amazingly, my hip flexor seemed vastly improved. Not near 100%, but much better - actually felt like I was running. Certainly could have run longer. Hopefully now I can start building back up.

What caused the improvement? For the last three days, I've been doing a lot of rolling out of my quads and IT bands on the foam roller. For the last two days, I did a five minute hot tub when I first got up. No way to really know if either of those were a factor, but I will keep doing them.

Start just off Sky Oaks (a bit W of the split I usually take in the middle of the crosswalk when I'm running around the lake)
(948) 948 - start down to lakeshore from little power station
(46) 1034 - reach top of dam via lakeshore across spillway
(219) 1253 - end of dam
(213) 1507 - back to sign at NE end of dam
(49) 1956 - back to little power station on sunny side trail
(837) 2434 - finish just before Sky Oaks

[Easy distance]

Cool down, a good part of it on the beach below the trail. (Went down there because someone was coming the other way on the trail without a mask.)

Tennessee Valley. Another day with smoky air. Looking at the AQI numbers on purple air.com, it looked like Tennessee Valley had fairly good air while it was pretty lousy here. But when we got to TV, it was definitely smoky there, plus a strong, cold wind coming from the ocean. Nevertheless, I ran a mile. Left leg continues to feel a little better, but stride is still very short. Did feel that I could have run longer.

[Easy distance]

When I got home from the short jog in Tennessee Valley:

plank 2 x 1:10
hundreds 100
kettle bell squats 2 x 10, 25 lbs
glute squat, 2 x 20 sec, second one with Thera-ring
fire hydrant 2 x 25 sec right leg, 1 x 20 sec left leg (much closer to full lift than yesterday)
airplane 2 x 1 min
one-legged squats: 1 x 10 each leg

[Strength exercises]

Kept waiting for the air quality to improve, hoping to get out to some park or other and jog a little, but it was not to be. Finally around 5:15 decided to do a bunch of leg strengthening exercises.

2 stair step-ups, 5 minutes (for the first two minutes I had a 4 lb dumb bell in each hand, but it was hurting my left forearm, so put them down)

walking with Thera-ring (inside the house), 3 minutes. Hadn't done these in ages; they were definitely stressing my sore hip flexors

kettle bell squats 2 x10, 25 lbs

low row, 2 x 16

plank, 2 x 1 minute

one legged squats, 2 x 10 each leg

fire hydrant, 2 x 25 secs, right leg; 1 x 15 secs (and only halfway up), left leg

[Strength exercises]

San Anselmo, starting in front of my house. Same run as yesterday (but 23 seconds faster), but this time kept going, and kept it up until just past the Java Hub.

I could tell this morning that my leg was feeling somewhat better, so soon as the air quality became acceptable (which seems to happen after the fog burns off) I went out for this run. Stride is still extremely short, and it still feels like I'm dragging my left leg, but this time I got going enough that I actually had to work my breathing some.

The last half-mile is slightly downhill, accounting for the scorching 9:15/mile pace. Several tweaks in my right knee during this part, but persevered.

The last 5 secs was due to me hitting the split button when I finished instead of the stop button.

Look forward to not running on pavement. Ugh.

[Easy distance]

Cool down, jogging back up to the light at Sequoia.

2 x 10 one-legged squats (on the porch after running)
1 x 8 kettle bell squats, 25 lbs
4 x 1 minute, 10 sec plank (actually did the first three this morning, along with a set of Hundreds)
A little bit of curls and presses
2 x fire hydrant for 25 secs, green Thera-ring, right leg only (actually did these this morning)

[Strength exercises]