I think there might be a correlation

Seamen, 12 O'Clock!

My company chose a great week to move
to a new location, and I chose a good new running route
to take to it, via the West Side Highway, past all the handsome Fleet Week men ;)

I feel like things are going my way these past couple weeks with this running malarky. I managed 25 miles last week, and I'm concluding this week tomorrow with 29. Between runs, my left knee aches pretty much constantly and midway through each run, shooting pain radiates from it causing me to limp - but only for about a minute. So since I seem to be warding off serious injury, I figure I'll keep going and hope for the best.

Meanwhile this news, about my all-time hero, the greatest ever female distance runner, is distressing me. I'm crossing everything for her.

Island Hopping

It's been a fun, busy, productive ... almost overwhelming week. Amidst it all I restricted myself to 4 runs, totalling 21 miles. I'd been hoping to push it up to 5x and 25-30 by now, but I continue to be cautious. My last run was this morning in perfectly bright, cool, NYC spring conditions - a slow 7.5 up to and around Roosevelt Island.

When I got home, I was treated with the super delicious Mother's Day Matt special of sausage gravy and biscuits. I've decided this is possibly the best post-run meal in existence.

I wish I was the type of runner to be content with the level I'm at currently. After all, I'm infinitely happier now than I was during my long hiatuses, and I attribute 100% of that mood improvement to my sport. But I'm just too in love with the longer distances to be satisfied. I've already mapped out some brand new 20+ mile routes around Queens and the other boroughs. I can't wait till I'm ready to try them out.

In the meantime I hope to build up my work-week runs shortly. My company is moving our office two avenues further west, so I'm going to adjust my in-and-home bound routes to take in the West Side Highway and Central Park. Maybe when I get fitter, I'll approach from the south after coming over the Brooklyn Bridge. Our new office comes equipped with a shower - which is just about the most exciting work-related thing to happen to me in years. I look forward to being less offensive to my cube-mates after arriving to work on foot this season, as I have been in sweltering summers past.

And on

So I took 3 days off running, out of sheer panic over my latest bout of knee pain. Then I ran about a 3 yesterday and a 4.5 home from work tonight, and everything seems ok(ish.)

On Chad's advice, I've incorporated the wall squat to my routine - to which I must return religiously. I repeatedly make the mistake that when the running appears to be going fine, I slack off on the strengthening/stretching exercises. Clearly, I'm going to get injured over and over and over, unless I get serious about prevention. I read my way through 3 years of old running diaries last night and counted at least 11 separate occasions where I complain about left knee pain - a couple of those times it knocked me out for months.

Last Thursday I couldn't do the wall squat for 5 continuous seconds. Now, 5 days later, I'm up to 90 seconds with reasonable ease. Sure, I feel the burn, but it's bearable.

So, it's still 1 step forward and 2 back for me. I read the progress other people make with their comebacks and marathon achievements (serious congrats to Chelle and Josh on their recent PRs!), and wonder when it'll be my turn. I've figured out the logistics of squeezing running into my overloaded schedule, I have the enthusiasm, the heart, the will. All I need are strong knees to carry me there.

Deja vu all over again

I curse the lack of soft surfaces in this city. I curse my weak knee. I curse this sport.

My left knee appears to be buggered once more.

Ran a medium-paced 4.5 Tuesday and a slow 7.5 Wednesday. Felt aches during the latter. Ran about a hundred yards whilst pushing Kyla in her stroller tonight (to elicit happy squeals,) and felt sharp stabbing pains the likes of which I've felt - ooh, about two or three dozen times now over the past 5 years.

The tedium!!!