Long Run

Distance: not sure
Time: 90 minutes
Surface: concrete/asphalt
Weather Conditions: warm; 80s, 70s; late afternoon run
Location: Miraflores and Barranco, Lima, Peru
Secret weapon: Pulp

Comments: Ass-kickingly good run. Had a big dinner and big lunch so I knew there was going to be plenty in the tank and with Jarvis Cocker urging me on I decided to make it a mutha of a run. 

I settled for an hour and a half. It is twice what I have done in any run this week and probably the farthest I have run in five years.

Started strong and fell into a decent pace pretty quick. This is a bit of an achievement in and of itself so I made the decision to make the 90 minutes. I cut back a bit and concentrated on keeping my footfalls crisp and close together (one of my biggest problems in getting back into real running shape has been dragging my feet when I become tired). It went really well up to the halfway point but it was around that time I realized it was going to be a real challenge to finish the whole run.

So I really had to zone out for a big portion of it. No way was this run possible without the music and I really don't think anything other than Pulp would have gotten me through it (I downloaded a bunch of their stuff this morning on a whim and it really was perfect). The middle third of the run was a bear and the last twenty minutes were really just sheer stubborness on my part. I cranked up "Common People" as loud as I could and kept replaying it to get those last few miles in.

Afterward I was completely drained. I gave it a race level effort (but definately not a race pace). One big factor in deciding to do this today was the fact I now have two days off planned to rest up and recover. (I will probably go in and do my upper body stuff tomorrow at some point, though).

The best news was that my knee gave me zero problem before, during or after. I stretched out really well before hand, concentrating on the left leg since it was pretty clear the hamstring was a lot tighter than the right. By the time I hit the pavement, I was probably better prepared than I have been for any run to date. I am not so optimistic to think my knee problem is solved, but this is the best sign to date.

My cousin Erin's advice to me about marathon training was that the trick is getting your body used to running for several hours at a time. This run was my first test of that. I don't think I am going to try and best this one for a few weeks but it is the best piece of progress I have had since the hour runs in Florida last month.

Fitness Run

Distance: not sure
Time: 45 minutes
Surface: concrete/asphalt
Weather Conditions: warm, humid, 80s, afternoon run
Location: Miraflores, Lima, Peru
Secret weapon: Happy Mondays

Comments: I went further that I did on Monday even though I ran for roughly the same amount of time. So my pace was better but I really didn't have a hell of a lot in the tank. I think this is diet related. I need to sit down to a huge plate of pasta tomorrow. And then a steak on Friday.

Although it wasn't the most successful run I have ever done, it did feel like a real "workout" rather than simply holding myself together long enough to finish. I hit an acual pace at about the 25 minute mark which I was able to maintain for ten minutes or so before the weariness set in. 

I did two of my sets of situps before going out (400) and one more when I got back (200). These numbers are huge but, remember, I am on one of those little machines that keeps you doing the crunch-style sit-ups, not the old-skool from the floor to your knees style. And, although they may seem easier, it is really evidient they are more effective for localizing the effort.

Fitness Run

Distance: not sure
Time: 45 minutes, late afternoon/evening run
Surface: concrete/asphalt
Weather Conditions: cool, humid
Location: Miraflores, Lima, Peru

Comments: I took the entire weekend off in order to be extra nice to my knee and because my first day of gym work last week left me sore as the beejesus. I could hardly extend my arms most of the weekend. Not fun.

So I went to the gym, cranked out two sets of situps (total of 400) and hit the road. Threading my way through pedestrians and traffic on Av. Pardo was a bit of an experience. Most of the run was on my usual route along the cliffsides without incident. 

The run went pretty well. Secret weapon: The Crystal Method and then David Holmes and the Free Association. The latter saved the run. I felt nervous about the knee during stretching and the initial part of the run but it didn't really become a problem at all. Not even the weird feeling of weakness afterward. 

I still didn't feel like I hit a pace. I obviously am stronger since I got the urge to cut the run short but didn't get the feeling it was necessary. (Gracias! Snr. Holmes!) I am not sure if I should push for the hour run on Wednesday like last week or cut back and go for the distance on Friday.

Fitness Run

Distance: not sure
Time: 20 minutes, morning run
Surface: concrete/asphalt
Weather Conditions: cool, humid
Location: Miraflores, Lima, Peru

Comments: Not a horrible effort. I didn't have the endurance or the ability to keep the quicker pace I wanted but overall it was a solid run and I didn't feel completely beat afterward. I kept this one short due to my longer runs earlier in the week and concerns over the persistant stiffness in my left knee.

Long Run

Distance: not sure, around 10 kilometers
Time: 58 minutes, morning run
Surface: concrete, asphalt
Weather Conditions: humid and cool, 70s
Location: Miraflores, Lima, Peru

Comments: I was aiming for the distance not the time but it turned into a major run by the end of it all. Secret weapon - Underworld.

It was not my greatest effort but I got through it pretty well. I felt sloppy and clumsy the whole way but not exhausted like before. (Speaking of exhausted, I was shot yesterday afternoon. I took a 3 hour nap and was not able to do anything else)

The knee was worryingly sore to start and has been achy since. I am not happy about that. I will try and hit the gym tomorrow and concentrate on upper body work then take it easier on the Friday run.

Fitness Run

Distance: not sure
Time: 42 minutes
Surface: concrete
Weather Conditions: 90s, hot and humid, late afternoon run
Location: Miraflores; Lima, Peru

Comments: I was determined not to succumb to the desire to cut the run short so I brought along the secret weapon - The Pixies. Typically I am a bit wary about carrying my iPod in Peru but desperate times call for desperate measures. 

The cliffs over the ocean are one of the most secure areas in Lima and the view is often a big help in getting through the hard parts.

But make no mistake, it was a tough run. The heat and humidity really are a factor. I got through it but didn't feel like it really was that spectacular a run. I struggled to keep a pace and never really hit a stride that I was comfortable with. But there was no real complications such as knee aches or persistant stiches in my side. I hope that is a good sign for my progress.

Fitness Run

Distance: not sure
Time: 20 minutes, morning run
Surface: concrete
Weather Conditions: cool, humid
Location: Lima, Peru

Comments: Another run I wanted to be longer but just didn't have it in me. I wanted to put in at least half an hour but it just wasn't there energy-wise. 

This turned out to be a good thing, though. I spent most of the day walking all across Lima and I must have put in at least ten miles. If I had completed a full run I would probably have messed up my knee or something.

I plan to start integrating a weight workout into the training starting tomorrow.

Fitness Run

Distance: not sure
Time: 23 minutes, early afternoon run
Surface: concrete
Weather Conditions: hot and sunny. 80s
Location: Lima, Peru

Comments: I planned to put in 45 minutes but it became clear that was not realistic and possibly dangerous. I had only 8 hours sleep over the prior 48 hours, I was not acclimated to the hot, humid conditions and I had not eaten anything that day. And there is the fact I just got over being ill.

So I decided cut it back to half an hour but stopped completely at 23 minutes when I started getting a headache. Not a good sign given the situation. I felt weak and never really got a good pace. 

But it really wasn't a bad run when all the factors are considered. It was soooo nice to be back in the Summer that I really couldn't be upset with any run in the sun, no matter how pathetic my pace.

The route I took was along the clifftops over the sea in Miraflores. It was the first time I had run on an uneven surface - with inclines and dips. It undulates slightly and that was tougher to handle than I thought it would be (my runs in Arizona and Florida were completely level surfaces).

Fitness Run

Distance: about two miles
Time: not sure
Surface: concrete/asphalt
Weather Conditions: cool and cloudy, 60s
Location: Chandler, AZ

Comments: My first run in more than a week due to my illness. As expected, it was not my best effort. I got a stitch in my left side pretty early in and I never hit a comfortable stride. The worst part was the resurgence of my cough due to the exertion. Yay.

But, comparitively, it went well. I had a pretty good energy level and my pace was solid, probably about half speed. I didn't use the clock on purpose, due to the rehabilitation aspect of this effort.

No knee problem at all. The new patellar tendon strap seemed to work pretty well. With it and the illitobial compression band I have been using the knee certainly felt much more secure.

Long Run

Distance: not sure
Time: a bit more than one hour, morning run
Surface: grass/asphalt/dirt
Weather Conditions: chilly, 40's
Location: Middlesburg, Fla.

Comments: Cold as the bejezus at the start. 36 degrees or so. To make matters worse, I woke up very stiff. I stretched extra but still it was tough going to get going. Pretty much stumbled through it to begin with.

Just when I thought it would be a complete disaster of a run it evened out. At about the 25 minute mark I found the right stride and ten minutes later dropped into a good pace for the first time since starting running again. From that point on I was able to concentrate on the technical aspects of my stride and measure my gait rather than simple survival.

I toyed with the idea of tacking on another half hour but didn't think it would be a good idea to push the knee that much. No real problems out of it this run at all.

Due to travel and my training schedule, I think I am going to skip two days and run again on Wednesday. The extra rest will probably be good for the knee and I need to start integrating the strength exercises into my schedule as well
.