2012

2012 End of year recap

After my last 5 mile walk for the year my total mileage for 2012 is;

Ski    36.3

Walk 406.64

Run   904.55

Bike   644.71

Total  1,992.195 miles

 

2012 was a good year for my running; I increased my weekly runs to four a week from three, I set a new PR for the 5k and the Half Marathon, ran in three half marathons, four 5k’s, a couple’s race with my wife and started running with our club group every weekend and a smaller, informal group on Thursdays.  I also dropped 15 pounds and had my cholesterol drug reduced to half.   The group runs, weight reduction and the four-a-week runs were the reason for the PR’s. 

 

For 2013, I am hoping to do my first marathon and I also want to run a half marathon in under 2 hours.  And, maybe, since I will turn 60 this year I might try to finish the Knickerbocker 60k this fall in New York.

Knee pain is gone

 

 

The outer knee pain I have been battling since the Via half marathon in September seems to have left me.  I think this is due to the strength training I have been doing the last month or so.  I started out doing the Iron Strength program but that was too much for me at this point so I modified it with some exercises using resistance bands I bought at Dick’s. 

 

On Monday I had an easy 3 mile run scheduled and the weather was so nice I added a few miles.  Around mile 4 I noticed a little pain in my outer right calf muscle; it didn’t feel like a pull so I cautiously kept running doing around 4 miles.  I stretched and it felt fine but when I got home I could feel a little niggle so I did not run the next day as planned but I did walk with no pain.  Yesterday I skipped my regular Thursday night group run and since I was off from work I decided to run in the afternoon when it was warmer.  I started out with a progressively faster walk and then ran one minute/walked one minute for 2.65 miles with no problems so I am going to run tomorrow with the group from the runner’s club and hope for the best.

Saturday group run.

Today I ran around 7 miles with my Saturday morning group.  Although my leg muscles are a little sore, overall I felt fine.  My left knee has been bothering me and I have been doing some strength training to help that and it looks like it is working since I ran 7+ miles a few days ago and close to 7 today with no knee pain.  I have also been using the foam roller every day along with the Stick.