Week 4

Again, this past Saturday I really did not want to get up.  I'm hoping this next week I start to enjoy this early morning Saturday rising thing again...

On to more interesting things.  I got myself to practice again this week.  The schedule called for 5 miles for everyone doing the half, 7 for the full.  As I'm hoping to do the full I decided I was going to do the 7 miles.  I wasn't really paying attention to the pace groups when they announced them again.  But, I had a general idea of where I should be.  I was chatting with someone as the pace groups started to leave and I realized mine took off.  So, off I went, on my own, a little behind them.  I was fine with that, because at this point I prefer running by myself as opposed to with a group.  My trusty Garmin was set at the same interval from the previous week - 6 minute run, 1 minute walk.  I do not like this interval, for reasons I will get in to later, and I will probably change it this week.

As I was running one of the coaches caught up to me (I was just behind my pace group) and told me to feel free to drop to the group behind me if I needed it.  I thanked him and let him know that I was actually very familiar with the park and the whole routine as this is my fourth go-round with Team in Training, once as a mentor, and he didn't need to worry too much about me.  Two other members of the leadership staff also came running up to me to make sure I was okay running alone.  I appreciate the effort, its better than being ignored, but I do prefer to run alone, clear my head.

As I got to just before mile 4 my knee started to feel a twinge.  I was hoping it would pass.  Shortly after that one of the pace groups caught up to me, and the other coach was with them and suggested I stick with them, so I did.  (By this point I had completely lost my own pace group, I didn't stop at the water stop, and I think they did, I'm pretty sure that's where I got completely separated from them.)

When the water stop back at home base came in to view, about mile 4.75, and my knee was hurting a little bit (the twinge had become a little bit more than a twinge), I made a decision to call it a day at 5 miles.  I knew I could finish out the last two miles, but I also knew that my knee would not be happy, and would actually probably feel worse.  I knew that the best thing to do was to stop.

At mile five I called it a day for the run.  I would have preferred to do the seven, but five is better than zero. 

I think I know what the issue with the knee pain is now.  The pain seems to kick in when I slow to a walk on my intervals.  I think slowing to a walk is giving my knee time to get a bit stiff and swell.  I've been trying to eliminate the intervals completely from my runs, and I think this is the perfect opportunity to try reducing/eliminating intervals and seeing if it helps with the knee pain.  (I also think I shouldn't do my physical therapy exercises the night before I run in the morning, because while they are strengthening my knee, they might be making it sore for an early morning run.)

Going to test out both reduction of intervals and no physical therapy exercises the night before.  Looking forward to this week's long run at Griffith Park.  Hoping for the best.

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