white noise

Since we’ll miss this year’s Redlegs 5k, we decided to give the River Run 5k a go. It’s a nice course through Newport with a trek into Cinci on one bridge and then a return back into Kentucky on another. After making it through the Pig’s 10k and not dealing with any pain this year, I had hopes of running my best 5k in several years. But then there was the heat. It turned out to be a record setting day of heat pushing into the mid 90’s (in May!), and at race time in the morning it was already up to 80 with a blazing sun. It also turned out turned out that the course was a lot hillier than I expected. The temperature and terrain worked together to completely drain you in short order. But I pushed through and somehow managed a decent time. Although I’ve been clocking much better practice runs I finally beat a 10 minute pace in a race, and stripped 22 seconds off my best 5k of the past three years. I really look forward to my next run in kinder conditions – I should finally be able to smash that 30 min mark.

The Flying Pig Marathon weekend rolled around once again, but things really got kicked up a notch this time. Last year I had hoped to run the 10k (my first), but knee pain set me back and I had to switch to (and struggle with) the 5k. Going into this year I resumed that goal and took more care in my training – ramping up my running more gradually from December onwards. I even managed to talk Mark and Justin into training to run their first 10k with me, too.

The 10k was tough. Not twice as hard as the 5ks I’m used to, but certainly harder. I had forgotten about the inclines that go along with crossing the bridges over the Ohio – not steep, but long and steady. It was also a notch warmer and more humid than the Pig’s usual. But hey, at least the rain held off! I finished just above my goal of an hour, and just over a 10 minute mile pace. I was happy with this (and especially with not finishing the race in pain), but it was a bit frustrating. But then I looked back at my 5k times over the past two years and realized this was a close second to my best pace, and at twice the distance. No complaints!

Of course all this paled in comparison to D’s goal to run her first full marathon – and with the hills of Cinci, a tough one at that. After our race us boys relaxed, enjoyed a few beers, and made a few signs to support D and her running mates the following morning.

Chasing around the marathon as a spectator proved to be a lot harder than planned. Getting across town with all the streets closures was tough, then we got confused and hung out on the half marathon route a while. When we finally caught up with them around mile 13 D’s knee was in full blown revolt and we sped off to get pills. We caught them again again a couple miles later, and it was clear they were going the distance. Getting to a spectator spot at around mile 20 was impossible, so we took up position near the finish. We had fun cheering on strangers for about an hour. At around 5 hours 30 the ladies came rolling in with a final spring in their step. Imagining that they had just run slightly over 4 of our 10Ks back to back to back, was mind boggling and awesome.

So I went. And it helped (my knee).

Back in late-March I started having some knee pain during runs. It’d usually kick in after about a mile and grow steadily worse. Afterward, it’d be really sore and cause me trouble climbing stairs for a day or two. I was pretty sure I knew what was up. I have had problems with “runner’s knee” back around college. Knowing it is an issue of overuse, I cut way back on my runs and kept a skeptical eye on being able to race in the Flying Pig which was approaching in six weeks. Things didn’t improve much and I switched down to the 5k at the Pig. I was still hurting after a mile and noticeable limping by the end. I decided it was time for pro help.

A sports doctor quickly confirmed there was no real damage, and that I was experiencing a very common type of runner’s knee (Iliotibial Band Syndrome). One thing I learned is that this sort of thing just can’t be improved with more running. Running is great exercise and builds stamina certain muscles, but for the most part you need need to get strength from other activities. He referred me to physical therapy to improve strength and flexibility. I spent the following five weeks not running at all, and attended therapy twice a week along with other exercises at home every day. Ankle weights had become my friends. Last week I officially finished PT, with a continuing regimen at home. I wasn’t very confident I’d improved much, but it was hard to tell until I hit the road. Last weekend was my first 5k since the Pig and all the conditioning.

The Redlegs 5k went surprisingly well. It was a hot, humid morning but luckily the rain had passed just before the start. As I approached the first mile marker, I expected the ache to appear, but it didn’t. At around two miles in, I did start feeling a bit of discomfort, so I choose to walk up the largest hill of the course (inclines are the most aggravating to the condition). Then at the crest I picked it back up and finished pretty strong. My cardio wasn’t great, partly die to the heat, but mostly since I haven’t had a regular running schedule, but my knee held up well with only a slight ache afterward. The reward for participating in the Reglegs race – a chance to come down to the Reds field and dugout, which was pretty cool.

I was really surprised how much better things went from the Pig just six weeks earlier. Even though I have work left to do, I managed to take a minute off my best time in the past 2 years.

The Flying Pig Marathon (and other races) is the biggest running weekend in Cinci. Last year I made my return to racing with the Pig’s 5k. It was slow and rough, but a success. This year I had planned to move up to the 10k, which would be a first, plus prepare me for a 12k a couple weeks following. But sometimes bodies like to challenge your plans.

As I increased my training distances past about 5 miles mid-March, I started feeling something distantly familiar. After another run, I was sure the Runner’s Knee I had back in college decided to return. Runner’s Knee is the common name for various types of trouble caused by the muscles around the knee cap. On the bright side, the condition itself isn’t a sign of damage, but just overuse. When it’s acute, it’s hard to walk, let alone run, but a day or two of rest brings things back to normal. With the onset of that, I had to cut my training back to nearly nothing the few weeks leading up to the pig. I got in some elliptical time and a couple 1 mile runs, but it wasn’t much.

The morning of the race was perfect – sunny and just a bit cool. It’s always a blast to run through the street of downtown Cinci, and with awesome weather it’s even better. I started at a good pace and felt great for about the first mile. Then the ache started to set in. As the ache turned more painful I stopped about every half mile to stretch and walk a little. That’d provide some brief relief then I’d get back to a decent jog. I’m not accustomed to stopping like that through a race. Even though I might slow, I usually refuse to drop to a walk, but that just wasn’t an option this time out.

In the last half mile the course is always lined with tons of people watching and cheering and it’s really exhilarating. Even for the 5k, the crowd gives you that nice sense of accomplishment. Feeding off the energy I finished strong, almost at top speed. Amazingly, even with the pauses during the last 2 miles, I still managed to beat last year’s time by nearly a minute! I think that speaks a lot for my improvement over the year, and I’m excited to see my times once I’m past my injury.

Another college basketball season has came and gone. It was a great season for the Buckeyes as they began the season 24-0 and grabbed the weekly #1 ranking once the other favorites had fallen. The streak was finally snapped in February with disappointing losses in two tough road games. But they bounced back and shifted to a higher gear on March 1st when Jon Diebler lit up Penn State with 10 three pointers. In the next game, the Bucks handed Wisconsin a nearly 30 point drubbing in return for breaking the streak a month earlier. They finished the regular season with a remarkable 32-2 and regained the national #1 rank.

Taking the top seed into the Big Ten Tournament they had a bye in the first round and dispatched a very determined Northwestern team in OT in the second. This put OSU up against Michigan in the semifinal. I knew it’d be well worth the drive over to Indy to see the Buckeyes put a third beatdown on the Blue this season. The tournament vibe was very cool in Indianapolis and I regret not making it over in past years. The Wolverines kept things close in the first half, but failed to score for a large chunk of the second half. Michigan tried to pull close in the end, but the Buckeyes clinched the win in front of the large fanbase in the stands.

We stuck around to watch the second game, where Penn State continued its surprising tourney run over much favored Michigan State. From their team’s gutsy play, the Penn State student section got a lot of love, despite their position up in the rafters. Unfortunately their ride would end the following day, as OSU defeated Penn State in the Big Ten final.

As the NCAA brackets were announced it was no great surprise that the Buckeyes were handed the number one overall seed, but that didn’t make it any less sweet. Most people have quickly forgotten that three years earlier the Buckeyes missed the NCAA tourney and played in (and won) the NIT tournament. The following year, they suffered a shocking NCAA first round loss to a scrappy Siena team in double OT. Then last year, with large hopes pinned on team leader Evan Turner, the Buckeyes failed to make it past Tennessee in the sweet 16. This year’s team had more talent, and a win-loss record to prove it. Filling out brackets was an unusual treat. Usually you have you “dream” bracket where your team wins it all, and your “real” bracket which you hope will actually win you some money. This was one of those extremely rare years where those brackets could be the same. I got the most out of it by entering over a dozen brackets in various pools around the web.

Well, so much for that. After very solid first and second round wins, against 16 seed Texas San Antonio and 8 seed George Mason, the Buckeyes hit a brick wall in the sweet 16. And it looked like this guy:

Kentucky fought OSU tooth and nail and finished two points ahead when time expired. It was real disappointment for Buckeye Nation – not that we’re not used to it, heck maybe even half expecting it. High ranked teams were falling left and right in the tourney, but still most figured Ohio State would survive to fight North Carolina, then UConn, then maybe Kansas. For Dielber, David Lighty, and Dallas Lauderdale it was their final game, having received diplomas that month. After early exits by Oden, Koufos, Cook, Conley Jr., and most recently Turner, it was great to see all three of these guys play out their career. The Bucks will be much younger next year, but with Sully leading them, it’ll be fun to watch them back at it in the fall.

Ok, I’m not even close to start commenting on what this year’s birthday brings. Those self-deprecating reflections can wait a few months. But it is time to put out one of my ambitions for this landmark year:

• to complete 40 kilometers of competitive racing.

Last year I finally returned to running, and ran in two 5Ks. I think two races is about as much as I’ve ever run in a year, but I’d hoped to do more. Unfortunately the suffocating summer heat and the manic rush toward Halloween cut the running season much shorter than I planned. Well, this year I plan to pound the pavement for nearly a marathon worth of miles. I’m already registered for Cincy’s Flying Pig 10k in March and I’m eying races in Indianapolis and San Francisco, along with some less traditional racing events. In part, it’s just a ploy to keep exercising through the year, after all 40k of racing should mean well over a hundred k of training. More importantly, I think there will be some good adventures to be had.

D and I completed another 5k this weekend, this one circling through the old neighborhoods of Covington. It was a much smaller event – less than a quarter of the runners in the Flying Pig 5k – but still a good turnout. Although the weather was perfect when we left the house, heavy rain moved in as we drove down. And it didn’t stop. We were all drenched before the starting gun, and endured steady to hard rain the entire race. By a mile and a half in my shoes were squishing and contacts sliding around. It was also a pretty hilly course, none of the grades were steep, but there were a lot of them.

Despite the conditions I still managed to knock a minute and a half off my Pig time. My first split was around 9:40 (which was great) and I had a fairly strong finish, but I’m still struggling in that middle mile. Did I mention it was pouring, though 🙂 So, I didn’t make it under the half hour mark as planned, but that’ll be the goal next time out.

After drum corps kicked my butt into shape the summer after high school, I grew to enjoy running, and did so through most of college. It was great for stress relief, and cheap! I wasn’t super consistent about it, but I did run a few 5Ks over those years which I always had fun with.

I’ve wanted to get back to running for a while, but there was never quite enough push to keep me going past a couple times out. Between the wet springs and boiling summers we get, it’s quite a challenge to make a habit out of it. But with the news of Bob’s passing at the age of 38 and my own view of 39 (and then 40) creeping up I figured it was now or never. D and I signed up for the Flying Pig Marathon’s 5K event and it really gave me something to keep running toward.

After about 5 weeks or fairly regular walking, then running, the race was held downtown last Saturday. The weather wasn’t great, a bit of a drizzle, but at least the temps were cool. The first half mile was awesome – it was great to be running again (in an organized way), not to mention zooming past plenty of people at the start. Of course the next couple miles weren’t so easy, but D kept me going. I was really disappointed to see the first mile split tick to 13:00 as we passed by. Sure, a minute or two of that was just getting to the starting line (something the RFID shoe tags awesomely account for these days), but that’s still 4 or 5 minutes longer than splits in the old days. The last quarter mile was great though, with music, cheers, and people lining either side of the street I finished with a good kick. I definitely plan to make the Pig a regular a event and might even try a longer distance next year. For now, I’m looking for the next race to prepare for.

For my own record keeping here’s how I did: