Giving it a go

So far, so good.  Well since last week's tweaking of the hamstring I decided to give it a rest.  Well that was before the refereeing schedule came out.  8 games over the weekend, along with heading out with Nancy's crew Saturday night and Hannie's team involved in the same tournament with 3 games.
So Wednesday night I head out to Sports Authority and pickup a thigh compression wrap and see how I make out running up and down the court.  And I have to admit that I was more than pleasantly surprised and extremely optimistic.  I was starting to get (for lack of a better word) depressed about the running over the past few weeks; no energy, stagnent splits, and the constant pains but this may just be what I needed.  Going to wrap her up and give her a go tonight.  Keep you fingers crossed for me.
On a side note, very happy to report that after starting 0-5, Hannie's team went 2-1 this weekend, including a 9 point loss to a A team in the final game.  The girls are working hard to pick up a new offense that we just put in but is showing some real promise.
Be well - Sank

Well it's gone....

So I finally get out last night to try to get some running in.  I had missed a few days between being busy, dealing with migraines coming out of those damn herniated discs in my neck, and trying to rest the legs.  So I throw on the PT band, the rain coat, and the Garmin and out I go.

Now the pace wasn't too great, but I didn't feel too bad.  Was trying to concentrate on my form, lifting my knees on each step and not overstriding.  2 miles in and still feeling pretty good.  As I am coming over the Williams Street bridge the back of my right leg, starts to act up a bit.  So I shorten up my stride and pace and continue on down to the West Street intersection.  And then just shy of 3 miles in, my right hamstring finally went on me.  I stopped there and then, trying not to aggravate it anymore, and walked to the house.

A bit sore today, I am going to get a compression wrap for it (as I have 8 games this weekend to ref) but regardless I am NOT going to let this make me stop.  Oh well, tomorrow is Thanksgiving and in the big picture I have a LOT to be thankful for.

Be well and Happy Thanksgiving all - Sank

Vibram Giveaway Sweepstakes - Win a Jackson Hole Vacation

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Happy Pre-Thanksgiving !!

After 3 days off, I keep repeating this mantra.....

Way too much fun for a human (and a dog) to have!

Sunday after coaching two basketball games with Hannie's team (we lost both but I digress), I decided to take Belle and hit Gilbert State Forest.  It had rained like hell Friday night and all day Saturday, but it was sunny and breezy on Sunday so I figured I was going to run into some decent mud patches, but boy was I wrong.

RUNNING is just not supposed to be this much fun.

We start off running up the Heart Healthy Trail, which is fairly hilly and rocky, and came across some small mud patches.  So far - right to plan.  Come down the hill, take the right, come across some really good mud patches, even better.  Cross the Mill St corner, go straight ahead, merge back into the forest; again some small mud but nothing too big.  So now I am thinking this is cool, a few small mud patches, one or two mucky wet patches; no biggie.
WRONG!  I now head off to my favorite trail and quickly found out why the majority of the trail is "softball-sized" rocks embedded in mud.  I guess during an substantial rain, this trail turns into a small river.  How Freakin' cool is this?!?!  We go down this for awhile take the left at the split, so we can stay in the forest, the river ends but the mud sure doesn't.  The reason I love this trail is in the late summer and early fall, it feels like you are running the Pacific Northwest.  It's semi-dark, very plush vegitation with rocks, moss and water here and there.  But after a rain, it ROCKS!  Seems like everytime you turn a corner you run into a nice mud/water bath, a river or a place to just get nice and dirty.
Can't remember the last time I had so much fun running.  The pace wasn't great, but who the hell cares; neither Belle nor I did. 
Now if I just hit the lottery and didn't have to work I could run it everyday.  But until then, roads during the week and the trails on the weekends.
Be well - Sank

Change of plans

Maybe this heading should be getting a plan.  After taking 3 days off, and as I was heading out Friday I decided that I was going to just go back to building up my base, not worrying about the pace (left the Garmin home) and just enjoy the run.
And you know it actually seemed to work.  So I just went out, tried to concentrate on keeping my stride short, did a little bit of fartleks on some telephone poles, and came home to take a quick shower and take Hannie off to her first basketball game.
Today woke up to some really heavy rains, but in keeping with my enjoying the run, threw on my old shoes, a rain jacket and took off.  Not the best of time by any stretch but you know it was one of the more enjoyable runs I have had in a long time.

Be well all - Sank

Barefoot Article from Boston Globe

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28 down 22 to go

I was looking at my blog hit map today and realized that I have been hit by 28 of the 50 US states.  Not to mention my faithful readers from the north (URG, EJ, Derrick, etc) and some other random hits from around the globe.

Not that it is a real huge deal in the big scheme of things, but it is pretty cool to think that many people have taken time out of their day to read my rants.

Nice Routine

Well it seems like I am starting to get into a nice little routine.  Getting out to run on Saturdays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.  The legs and back have been a little tight on Mondays and I am starting to think it is from the refereeing for anywhere from 2 to 4 hours.  I am taking this week off, not like it is a big problem on my end as there were no tournaments anyway, but I am interested to see how I will feel on Monday with only road and trails this weekend and no ref'ing.
This weekend also is the unofficial start of my daughter Hannah's basketball.  We are in a tournament in Bellingham, MA, and will be playing one game on Friday and two on Sunday.  My son, Kevin, is swimming in a meet on Saturday (second week in a row), so it will be a fairly busy one.
Off for now, going to try to get a Wednesday run in if I can tonite, but we'll see how the rest of the day goes in the office.
Be well - Sank

Happy 13th Hannie !

My youngest turns 13 today! 
Happy Birthday Hannie,
I hope you have a great day,
Love you,
Daddy and Nana

She is so going to kill me for posting this pic, but that's what Dad's are supposed to do, right?

Indian Summer Run

Hit Gilbert State Forest yesterday.  It was a beautiful morning, and when I arrived at the Park the parking lot was loaded and there were two trucks coming down the path.  I have never seen vehicles on the path before and shortly following the trucks were a Boy Scout troop that were coming out from their annual camp out.  They most certainly had a beautiful night and morning for it.
Belle and I hit the heart trail and then over to this trail along the back side that she and I had found last time we were out there.  Nice to have the Garmin as I had always just estimated my mileage and splits before.  Nancy was having a family breakfast so I cut my run short at 3.5 miles, but it was nice to get back on the trails.  And with no hunting allowed in Massachusetts on Sundays, I didn't have to worry about that.
Be well all - Sank

Trails....not with Elmer out there

Well I woke up this morning debating on running this 4 mile trail race up in Haverhill, MA or taking Belle out to the state forest for a morning of running, all psyched up for FINALLY hitting the trails again.  Kevin has a swim meet up north which made the race perfect, except that he would have to get up really early but he said he didn't mind.  Then they moved the time that he had to be there back so the timing just didn't make since so Belle won, off to the Gilbert State Forest in Foxboro.  And then I remembered it is hunting season.

So I try to get ahold of Petco, or Benny's, or Bass Pro Shop to get a orange vest for Belle but no luck.  I found an old Boston Marathon jacket (circa 1999) which was bright orange for me, but nothing for her.  So I hit the roads instead.

If anyone has any hunting season safety tips - PLEASE post them in the comment section!

Still trying to get my legs straightened out, that along with figuring out which is the correct mileage, the Garmin or Runningahead.com - but I was out there anyway on a very cold OCTOBER morning (23 degrees F).

But the sun was out and it really turned out to be a beautiful morning.  Well no hunting on Sundays, so I guess I will try again. 

Have a great day all.  Be well - Sank

Congratulations Kevin!

Last night my son Kevin was inducted into the French National Honor Society at his High School.  He was inducted along with 12 other French inductees, and 46 Spanish inductees into their respective NHS.
I tried to take some pictures in the auditorium but they were very grainy and after taking 4 pictures, I received the message "memory card full" on the screen. Oh well that was definately not going to ruin our night.

So instead here is one of the 3 kids (Hannie, Cate and Kevin) at dinner afterwards.
Congrats Kev, Nana and I are very proud of you,

Love ya big man,

Dad (Sank)

Is it time?

Woke up this morning to the right hamstring not happy (see notes from yesterday's post).  I have to say that I am extremely discouraged at the continual new aches and pains that I have been experiencing this time around.  I mean come on, I know I am not getting any younger but the aches are constant, seem to move around from issue to issue, and I am starting to think that they are affecting my gait which is causing new ones.  Is it time to quit? 
I am going to go to Marathon Sports in Boston on Friday and have them do a Fit Right test on me.  They have you run on a treadmill and look at your how you run, if you pronate or not, your arches, etc... and then suggest the proper shoe for you.  After that I will give it a few weeks with the new shoes and see what happens from there. 
Perhaps massage or yoga or something else.  Anyone have any suggestions?
It's just really getting frustrating at this point.  I know, I know; it could always be worse, but enough is enough already.
Funny how this damn sport can take you from the high of reaching your goal (100 mile month goal for October), to the lows of 4 days later, ready to throw in the towel.
Well thanks for listening to me whine, Be well - Sank

Who to believe?

Garmin vs. Runningahead ???
So I have a Dr's appointment today and it run's a little late.  So instead of trying to get back to work, just to have to almost turn right around to make it for a 6:30 meeting tonight, I decide to head home and try to get a run in before Daylight Savings Time kills the afternoon sun and I have to run covered in reflective tape.
But to get to the point, I strap on the Garmin - still trying to figure out all the features, and off I go.  I tried to go out fairly quick, and went out without any stretching or warmup, so "tad-daaa" the back of my right leg starts to bug me so I decide to go my short loop course. 
I finish up a course that I have run a fair amount of times and when I download the Garmin, I am missing .12 miles from what the map says when I entered it in Runningahead.  But who's right? 
Anyone else have this problem come up and who/what do you believe to be right?
Until tomorrow - Be Well - Sank