Monday: 5
Road/trail mix. Right knee hurt the worst it has yet. I fully stopped on the shore of Winnapaug Pond at end of trail in the Lathrop Wildlife Refuge, and contemplated walking home. Start "jogging" (which is not allowed here by the Audubon Society) and by the time I crossed the road into Champlin Glacier Park, was feeling better. So frustrating.
Tuesday: 11 run, 3 hike
AM: (8) Local roads down towards downtown and back. Mostly quiet roads. As usual, my knee hurt first couple of miles. I sound like a broken record, blah, blah, blah
AM: (3) Westerly Land trust work detail. Clearing some big blowdowns on some of the more remote trails at Grills Preserve. I felt badly that while cutting one section of a big tree stump I dug the Land Trust's chainsaw into the ground and rendered it pretty useless until the chain gets sharpened, but they seemed fine with it. Great people volunteering for the Land Trust doing yeoman's work to keep up their vast array of trails and properties, the vast majority which are open to the public.
PM: (3) Easy closer for the day in Grills Preserve. Came home to the onset of a cold. 😥
Wednesday: 7
Hale Reservation, MA. I had originally planned for a Workout Wednesday today, with 5 x 1K on a track in Needham. However, after taking cold medicine last night, I was feeling stoned and stupid (more stupid than usual) and just out of it. I really don't like taking any drugs for colds or other illnesses, but when it's at the point where I can't sleep due to congestion or constant runny nose, I acquiesce.
Oh yeah, anyway, about the run ... Trails were in great shape and absolutely no one save myself was out there.
Thursday: 5
I woke up feeling terrible, but pushed myself to get out there, knowing I'd feel better. Sneezing on the run with my knee hurting was anything but enjoyable the first mile, but after a while the pain went away and I got into it the best I could. Local neighborhood roads.
After lunch, went back to work feeling even worse. What am I doing here anyway? Don't you just hate those employees who come to work sick? I had 1:1 meetings scheduled with a couple of employees on my team, and I'm thinking this is great: require them to come into my office, and close the door and restrict air flow while I sneeze and drip snot from my runny nose. I pretty much never take sick time, but finally I did the sensible thing and pushed those meetings off until next week and went home. I fell asleep on the couch right away, and pretty much slept the whole afternoon. Not good.
Friday: 0
Rain in the morning. Another dreary day. Better today, but still sick. Took the whole day off from any activity.
Saturday: 6
Had planned a long run for today, but between waking up to very strong wind (30+ mph gusts) and still feeling sick and run down, completely bagged those plans. Instead, went and ran loops on a small portion of the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge trails. Intentionally selected a 0.9 mile loop that is quite wooded and wind protected. The sun and fresh air felt good.
Watched Matthew run in a meet at URI, and then came home and slept all afternoon again on the couch. No energy.
Sunday: 13
Matthew stayed home overnight, so he and I went for a run in the morning. Ran a loop from Mystic Y somewhat similar to what we had run back in July 2016. Started off with the usual knee pain, which subsided after Mile 1. Ran trails through Pequotsepos Preserve, and a good hill climb up Deer Ridge/Pequot Trail which was about a 200' gain. Ran through the Nautilus neighborhood, which is well heeled and then abruptly turns into a weird dirt road. Felt good until about Mile 9 (Groton side of the river on River Road), when my legs were getting really tired. The final mile was a bit of a struggle for me, and I remarked that there was just no way I would have been able to run a 20-miler this weekend.
The worst was when I finished up, and felt incredibly weak. Went to the nearby Mystic Market and got a sugar intake in the form of an iced coffee and an apple strudel. While checking out, I felt increasingly light headed and feared I would collapse. I felt better once I sat down and got some sugar into me, but back home hacked up so much green phlegm (sorry if this is disgusting). So I guess it's not only a head cold, but a chest cold with a possible tinge of bronchitis as well. Ugh.
Weekly mileage: 48
Weekly synopsis: Really disappointing week. I had hoped for my knee pain to end, but it continued for a second week. I had hoped to be north of 70 miles, but I didn't even hit 50. I had hoped to be healthy, but was anything but.
Weekly highlight: This is hard, as every single run that I had this week had issues. I guess the hilly run with Matthew today, if I can somehow ignore the last mile and the aftereffects.
Weekly lowlight: At the risk of continuing my whining, it's definitely the sickness and continued knee issue. Everyday I have thought this is the last day of my cold, and every day I have been wrong. I know this too will pass, and I should stop being a baby.
Miscellaneous ramblings:
Road/trail mix. Right knee hurt the worst it has yet. I fully stopped on the shore of Winnapaug Pond at end of trail in the Lathrop Wildlife Refuge, and contemplated walking home. Start "jogging" (which is not allowed here by the Audubon Society) and by the time I crossed the road into Champlin Glacier Park, was feeling better. So frustrating.
Tuesday: 11 run, 3 hike
AM: (8) Local roads down towards downtown and back. Mostly quiet roads. As usual, my knee hurt first couple of miles. I sound like a broken record, blah, blah, blah
AM: (3) Westerly Land trust work detail. Clearing some big blowdowns on some of the more remote trails at Grills Preserve. I felt badly that while cutting one section of a big tree stump I dug the Land Trust's chainsaw into the ground and rendered it pretty useless until the chain gets sharpened, but they seemed fine with it. Great people volunteering for the Land Trust doing yeoman's work to keep up their vast array of trails and properties, the vast majority which are open to the public.
 |
| Surreal crossing of ice on the yellow trail on a 50-degree day. |
PM: (3) Easy closer for the day in Grills Preserve. Came home to the onset of a cold. 😥
 |
| So psyched to find Brady's American flag bowtie, which I thought was lost forever. Jana and I took him for a walk here (Grills Preserve) on New Year's Day, and apparently some kind hikers or runners found it and put in on a tree for easy visibility. Thank you! Will have to "pay it forward" the next time I find a dog-related or other lost item. |
Wednesday: 7
Hale Reservation, MA. I had originally planned for a Workout Wednesday today, with 5 x 1K on a track in Needham. However, after taking cold medicine last night, I was feeling stoned and stupid (more stupid than usual) and just out of it. I really don't like taking any drugs for colds or other illnesses, but when it's at the point where I can't sleep due to congestion or constant runny nose, I acquiesce.
Oh yeah, anyway, about the run ... Trails were in great shape and absolutely no one save myself was out there.
Thursday: 5
I woke up feeling terrible, but pushed myself to get out there, knowing I'd feel better. Sneezing on the run with my knee hurting was anything but enjoyable the first mile, but after a while the pain went away and I got into it the best I could. Local neighborhood roads.
After lunch, went back to work feeling even worse. What am I doing here anyway? Don't you just hate those employees who come to work sick? I had 1:1 meetings scheduled with a couple of employees on my team, and I'm thinking this is great: require them to come into my office, and close the door and restrict air flow while I sneeze and drip snot from my runny nose. I pretty much never take sick time, but finally I did the sensible thing and pushed those meetings off until next week and went home. I fell asleep on the couch right away, and pretty much slept the whole afternoon. Not good.
Friday: 0
Rain in the morning. Another dreary day. Better today, but still sick. Took the whole day off from any activity.
Saturday: 6
Had planned a long run for today, but between waking up to very strong wind (30+ mph gusts) and still feeling sick and run down, completely bagged those plans. Instead, went and ran loops on a small portion of the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge trails. Intentionally selected a 0.9 mile loop that is quite wooded and wind protected. The sun and fresh air felt good.
Watched Matthew run in a meet at URI, and then came home and slept all afternoon again on the couch. No energy.
Sunday: 13
Matthew stayed home overnight, so he and I went for a run in the morning. Ran a loop from Mystic Y somewhat similar to what we had run back in July 2016. Started off with the usual knee pain, which subsided after Mile 1. Ran trails through Pequotsepos Preserve, and a good hill climb up Deer Ridge/Pequot Trail which was about a 200' gain. Ran through the Nautilus neighborhood, which is well heeled and then abruptly turns into a weird dirt road. Felt good until about Mile 9 (Groton side of the river on River Road), when my legs were getting really tired. The final mile was a bit of a struggle for me, and I remarked that there was just no way I would have been able to run a 20-miler this weekend.
The worst was when I finished up, and felt incredibly weak. Went to the nearby Mystic Market and got a sugar intake in the form of an iced coffee and an apple strudel. While checking out, I felt increasingly light headed and feared I would collapse. I felt better once I sat down and got some sugar into me, but back home hacked up so much green phlegm (sorry if this is disgusting). So I guess it's not only a head cold, but a chest cold with a possible tinge of bronchitis as well. Ugh.
Weekly mileage: 48
Weekly synopsis: Really disappointing week. I had hoped for my knee pain to end, but it continued for a second week. I had hoped to be north of 70 miles, but I didn't even hit 50. I had hoped to be healthy, but was anything but.
Weekly highlight: This is hard, as every single run that I had this week had issues. I guess the hilly run with Matthew today, if I can somehow ignore the last mile and the aftereffects.
Weekly lowlight: At the risk of continuing my whining, it's definitely the sickness and continued knee issue. Everyday I have thought this is the last day of my cold, and every day I have been wrong. I know this too will pass, and I should stop being a baby.
Miscellaneous ramblings:
- The few guys in my work department that have beards expressed disappointment that I shaved off my winter experiment. I told them it was getting really itchy, and they said theirs was initially as well, until they got better at trimming it. Sounds like I have much to learn. Next year ...
- Was psyched to hear a rumor (even if just that) this week that Brian Johnson is re-joining AC/DC. Old rockers never die.
- On Your Left Racing is a new multi-sport series coming to southern New England in 2019, and looks to pick up some of the recent voids. One I'm interested in is "The Wave" sprint tri in September in SK, which appears to be similar but not exactly conform to the former Crabman tri that was popular.
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ReplyDeleteI hope you heal up and feel better soon. I'm interested in "The Wave" as well. I'd love to get back into TRIs by doing a race or two this summer.
ReplyDeleteThat sucks! ON the bright side if the knee pain subsides after a mile I think of that as a good thing. But I'm not a doctor or an ortho or have any real knowledge other than I know, for me, if it all gets worked out in the first mile generally I'm OK (as far as me being OK goes). Not at the cement snot stage yet? I hope it all passes and it is your blog you can whine away. It is our choice to consume your whining, is it not? I hope the knee pain just goes away on its own. You took some pretty good falls last year, is this the same knee? May the week of the 11th be brighter.
ReplyDelete