Less Running

After surviving three runs last week on a recovering stress fracture I only ran once this week but went for a few walks of about a mile and a half. This was due more to a cold than the foot. I know some people feel running helps them through a cold but it often seems to make it worse for me. It feels like the infection is able to extend to the farther reaches of my airways.

I spoke with my doctor on Thursday and he felt that running two to three miles if I'm pain-free was ok, and that I shouldn't increase more than 10% per week and if there is pain, I should not try to run through it.

At school, I had 25 kids sign up for running but on the first day that we could go one girl showed up prepared to go. We went two miles mostly running a block and walking a block. She was enthusiastic about continuing the runs so I felt that it was a success. It seems most of the other kids need to get organized to have clothes to run in at school. I found out that students have to pay $5 if they want a locker and so most kids are going without. I'm going to look into getting the fee waived if they participate in the running program. I also wrote a grant for $750 to help buy the participants running shoes. That may sound like it wouldn't go very far but I think with working a deal with a store or online closeouts plus funds from a student activity account they should be able to end up being free.

The hope is that little by little, more and more kids join in and it becomes the thing to do.

What's your advice?

THIS IS ABOUT RUNNING, SO READ ON.

Elliott and Almond Butter

Twenty-five students from the alternative high school where I teach have signed up to run with me. I am thrilled, but also worried. All the runners I know love running. How do I help these kids to know that which we have all come to love doing? I don't want to ruin it for them. All of them will be new to distance running.

My instinct is to have them go slow, at a pace they feel they can maintain for a bit and then walk until they feel they can begin again. How far should we go the first time? What is a reasonable goal? A mile out and then walk back so that we can put down two miles? I want to tell them to run whatever pace, time, or distance that they can that will allow them to be willing to come back and do it again the next day. It seems like trying to get someone hooked on a drug I have to sell that may not be all that enjoyable at first. Any suggestions are welcomed.

Exercising Caution

After running two miles on Wednesday pushing Elliott in the running stroller at 13 minute pace and having the stress-fractured foot after seven weeks of repose survive I decided to go out again Thursday. I pushed Elliott, I wore the Nike Frees, and ran 2.7 miles at 12 minute pace. The foot survived, although afterwards it felt a little achy, kind of like how your feet can feel after ice skating.

I felt that a rest day was in order for Friday so I didn't run. Yesterday, the foot felt better than it had even before I ran on Wednesday so I decided it was OK to test it a little more. Again, I took Elliott along and ran in the Frees. I chose them because they provide the most comfort for the foot and by no means was I pounding the pavement; my gait was more like a shuffle, almost barefoot style. I felt comfortable with a faster pace and averaged 10 minute miles and even found myself passing a bicycle on one of the two hills on the route.

After that run there seemed to be a bit more general discomfort and even some pain focused where the original fracture occurred. Moving the foot around this morning and pressing down on the floor with firm pressure on the ball of the foot I still feel localized pain so I expect that I will make today be another rest day. If I run tomorrow I'm sure I will keep it under three miles and more at about 11 minute pace.

I gained just about a pound per week while I was down. That makes sense; I didn't change my food consumption much and I would have needed about 30 miles of running to keep off the pound. I have gotten commitment from about 25 students at school who say they will run in a club/group. I presuppose that many of them are interested in weight loss or control; I will show them the math and use myself as an example for taking those seven pounds off. I'd really like to shoot for twelve pounds.

I Ran

It has been seven weeks since I presumably got a stress fracture in my foot. I went to the doctor today for a rather inconclusive consultation. She was ok with ordering an Xray so my foot did pose for some pictures. I received a voicemail saying they had something to report just before I go home which was about two minutes before they closed so when I called back it was already after office hours. So I have to wait until tomorrow.

I'd been cruising up and down the stairs at work without any discomfort so when Ruth asked if I would take Elliott for his second stroll today I decided to jog. I wore Nike Free because I felt the Asics Evolution 5's were a contributing factor in the fracture in the first place and I certainly don't think the foot is ready for its nakedness to be striking asphalt. At 0.3 miles I had a rather painful almost lock up of the knee (knee cap, odd) so I walked a half a block. It did it again so I walked a little more then tried again and finally it didn't give me any more problems. My guess is that between wearing the boot for almost five weeks and favoring it the rest of the time things might not have been tracking how they should.

I ran more or less pain free, but the foot definitely felt different from the other. Including the walking and stopping for the knee I ran the two miles in 26 minutes. I'm sure I looked like an old man shuffling along out there pushing his grandchild, ...pretty accurate except that Elliott's not a grandchild.

Elliott on Film

The iphone 3GS works pretty well as a video camera; unfortunately, on this blog it doesn't show up with the rather remarkable clarity that it does on my computer. Anyway, as promised quite a while back here is some video of Elliott. I don't know how much I'll be able to post since these videos are relatively large.
Today marks seven weeks without running. I see the doctor tomorrow. I am going to propose an Xray to see exactly where the presumed calcification and break are. I would like to get the ok to try a little light running.

I've Given the Boot the Boot

Today is the 37th day since I broke my second metatarsal on a run not long after a 70 mile week. (I was actually thinking that doing a 100 mile week could become a reality). For the last two days now I haven't worn the post op boot that had been providing protection for my foot and allowing it to heel. I do have an orthotic in that shoe that keeps pressure off the forefoot but I have walked around barefoot as well.

It has been difficult to walk normally. I don't know if this is from my walking mechanics being thrown off so much by swinging the boot or if I'm subconsciously favoring it. I don't need to favor it; it doesn't hurt. It still feels odd, as if a bit swollen. The greatest concern I have is that the three middle toes are clawing; when I put pressure on the forefoot the three middle toes pull back toward the foot with the toe joint rising up. I hope this is just a temporary situation as the foot continues to heel and return to its normal function.

I find it odd that I haven't gained any weight; I speculate that I have lost muscle mass in my legs and that some fat is depositing around the middle.

Presumably, I've lost all the conditioning that the foot had from running barefoot. The other one has probably weakened as well. My knees have been hurting on occasion; I suspect it is from walking with an altered gait.

I'm going to suggest an Xray when I see the doctor in a couple of weeks. I hope that some heeling is evident; they say that stress fractures don't show on Xrays until some weeks later after they've had time to start heeling. The sensation of walking with a hackysack underfoot has subsided although there is still excessive thickness in the area. This was there before the break and I had assumed that it was something the feet did in response to running barefoot. It may well have been, but not a normal response. I want to allow the foot to get back to normal, like the other foot, and then begin running barefoot again as well as using a neutral shoe as opposed to a motion control one.

The Leadville 100 is this weekend. I won't be a threat...wouldn't have anyway.

Unsatisfying Bicycle Workout

After three weeks of physical inactivity I decided to try out the bicycle on the Boulder Creek Path while Ruth was at an appointment in town. I pedaled as hard as I could for 38 minutes but could never get enough big muscle groups working hard enough to require me to open my mouth to breath. The weak link seemed to be the hamstrings. I felt limited by muscle fatiguing in that area. Everything else was fine. The boot was no impediment and there was no pain in the foot while pedaling.

I think if I build up a bit I can strengthen the muscles that are more specific to bicycling and then maybe I'll be able to get some cardiorespiratory benefit. I imagine it is going to take some time to build up the bicycling muscles to match my current cardiac condition. My guess is that after three weeks of rest I haven't lost too much conditioning but if I go on any longer I will start too lose it.