Run:  Bike Path
Distance: 8 Miles
Time: 1:03:00
Avg HR: NA
Shoes: Saucony
Feeling Before:  Good
Rating: 9
Weight:  170.0 (13.4%) – Down almost 5 lbs since the 5th of June.

Was a great run today!  Took my iPod with me which I usually don’t do.  I know I ran the fisrt few miles faster than I should have (probably due to the tunes), but it’s been so long since I’ve gotten to just run fast, I think my morale needed it.

Watched an interesting video about running form, so I started doing some butt-kick drills in my runs.  I think it’s been helping me get my legs to turn over faster.

Run:  Bike Path
Distance: 8.2 Miles
Time: 80 min
Avg HR: NA
Shoes: Saucony
Feeling Before:  Good
Rating: 8

Notes:  Ran 4 miles, Ran/Walked the rest.

I can tell I’ve lost some of my conditioning having taken 3 weeks off.  I started running with the Brooks GTS 9’s.  They’re nice shoe, but a little on the hard side.  I think that is why I was having so much trouble recovering.  One of my previous runs I started getting a sharp pain in my right knee (most likely Iliotibial Band Syndrome ).  The road was quite cambered and I remember feeling like something was off on my foot strike.

After going to the LRS (Run With Us) and picking out a new pair of Sauconys – ones with additional cushioning and not as much stability controll – I decided to try them out.  About 2.5 miles into the run I could feel the knee pain coming back.  I slowed the pace down and worked on landing correctly, and the pain subsided enough to finish the run.

The next day I started doing some leg extensions at the gym in our apt complex.  Not much – just about 40lbs and then 10lbs focusing on each leg separately. Also did some leg presses.  I think taking so much time off, I started loosing some strength in my quads.  My run went better than the previous day.  The knee pain didn’t show up until  about 3.5 miles into the run, and even so it wasn’t as bad.  I took some walking breaks and made it through.

Sitting at work, my legs felt weak.  Not the good – my legs are still sore from yesterday’s run – kinda weak, but weak – I feel like my muscles have atrophied weak.  I decided to bust out the resistance band and found some good ankle strengthening techniques online.  I’m going to try and start doing those regularly.

Today’s run went well.  For the first time my legs outlasted my lungs.  (Being out of shape I can deal with.)  I still have a lot of work to do to get ready for the DL Half Marathon in Sept, but I’m finally starting to get excited about it and not as worried that I’ll miss most of the training time.