Day off

My left knee is giving me just a little pain. I felt it on Sunday, and then again yesterday morning, and I've been feeling it on and off since yesterday morning. Not a big deal, but not what you want to worry about going into a marathon. So I took today off, and I might take another day off, depending on how it feels tomorrow. At this point, I need a healthy knee more than I need any more running.

Forecast for Sunday: sunny, low of 62, high of 85. At this point, it's pretty clear that they have made a pretty good prediction. I just don't know which of the many predictions they've made is going to prove to be a pretty good one.

TIaRT -- The Middle Miles

Today's topic on Take It and Run Thursday at The Runners' Lounge is "The Middle Miles." This has a dual meaning. It can refer to miles 8 through 14 of an 18 mile run, or it can refer to weeks 8 through 14 of an 18 week training program. Either way, you're in the same boat. That first rush of energy and enthusiasm is over, but the goal is still pretty far off. You're tired, you're sore, and you just want to pack it in. So what do you do?

It helps to have a bit of a stubborn streak. Distance running in general, and marathon training in particular, are not for those who give up easily.

It also helps to have a support system. I don't run with anyone, since I haven't found a partner who wants to run my pace and distance. But I do have plenty of running friends, who can be counted on to ask how my training is going. When I have to tell them (as I did this spring) that my marathon has become a half marathon, it's a little embarrassing.

And, of course, I've got my on-line support system. If I give up on a long run, or give up on my marathon training, I have to post it here, for all the world to see. It's one of the oddities of life in the 21st century that a whole lot of people whom I have never met know more about my running life than my wife does.

Ultimately, what has kept me going during these hard weeks is the following thought. I'm earning my marathon finish now. If I meet my goals in October, it will because of the miles I ran in August. You can't cram for a marathon. So, keep on running.

Somebody remind me of that about mile 12 on Sunday, will you?

Yoga

I can't do this. I am not a yoga master. In fact, I have never taken a formal yoga class. I mostly learned from the videos Basic Yoga Workout for Dummies and Beyond Basic Yoga for Dummies, both starring Sara Ivanhoe. I've done a little reading, and occasionally I'll borrow a different yoga workout video from the library. But the point is that I'm not an expert.

Oh, and I hate stretching. Always have. The guy who got me started running insisted on stretching before a run, so I did, reluctantly. Then I read that you aren't supposed to stretch cold muscles, so I gleefully dropped my pre-run stretch. Sure, the article also said to stretch after a run, and I did. A little. Sometimes. For a while.

I actually went through a period where I ran and ran and never stretched at all, and, looking back on it, I can't believe that I was that dumb. I was definitely getting tight, and it was cutting into my running.

So, relatively recently, I have gone back to yoga, and it really does help my running. I'm definitely looser, and much less sore. So I won't go into tomorrow's workout tight from today's, which means tomorrow's run will be better.

How much time does it take? Twice a week, on my non-running days, I do the full workout, the "Daily Dozen," which takes about 40 minutes. On running days, I do about six poses after my run, plus a few non-yoga stretches, which takes maybe 10 minutes. A full yoga practice increases strength, flexibility, and balance, but I concentrate on flexibility for the post-run workouts.

So, if you hate stretching, but want to keep loose and make your running better, try yoga. It really can help, and you don't have to twist yourself into a pretzel. I promise.

Des Moines Kickoff

Nineteen weeks to the IMT Des Moines Marathon, and I started my official training with...a bike ride. Well, my marathon training program has cross-training on Monday, so that's how I started. Tomorrow's run will be pretty easy, too -- just three miles. In fact, this week is going to be a jog in the park compared to last week. That was sort of the plan. I wanted to work hard to get a solid base going into the official training. Don't worry, I will be back up to hard stuff all too soon.

Exercise

USJogger turned into USBiker this morning. My marathon training program this summer has me cross-training on Mondays. I just bought a new bike, so I have decided to bike for my cross-training. Marathon training doesn't actually start until next week, but I figured I would go ahead and get in the habit.

I have a friend who actually bikes for exercise, so I asked him if he would take me with him this morning. It was fun to have someone to talk to, and I don't think that I held him back too much. We didn't go really far, although it sure seemed like it.

In fact, I got a double dose of exercise today. My friend didn't want to leave until 6:30, and I was up at about 5:00, like usual, so I dragged out my yoga tape and did 45 minutes of yoga before the bike ride. I'm trying to get back into yoga, because I need to stretch more. Of course, yoga isn't aerobic exercise. In fact, I think it must have helped with the biking, because I'm not as sore as I should be.

Day 590 -- Applegate

From its InsiderPages page, we learn that

Applegate Garage is your local Car Repair Shop in Applegate, CA. This auto mechanic will keep your vehicles running smoothly without costing an arm and a leg. Car repair and auto mechanic in Auburn, Colfax, Meadow Vista, and Applegate, Calfornia.

'Nuf said.

Obviously, I took yesterday off. I got out and ran 6.6 miles this morning, at a fairly good clip. It was still cool this morning, although it's supposed to be warmer overnight tonight. With the pressure of the marathon off, I can relax and just have some fun running again.

Day 589 -- Colfax

The Green Bay Marathon died today. I promised myself a while ago that if I couldn't make the rest of my scheduled long runs, I'd drop from the marathon to the half marathon in Green Bay in May. Today, I ran 15 of my scheduled 18. So I logged on today and switched my registration to the half.

I'm disappointed, but I'm trying to be philosophical about it. It will be better for me to run a decent half than a desperate full marathon. And now, I've finally made the decision, and I can quit putting pressure on myself. I can clearly run a half, so all I have to do in the next month is to keep in shape. I'll work hard this summer and get ready for my fall marathon, which will be in DesMoines.

Above, downtown Colfax. I got this picture from the Colfax web site, which tells us that Colfax is "filled with charm and small town atmosphere." My favorite part is the town motto: "Above the fog, below the snow." Nice place for a town.