In a Waiting Mode

The waiting mode refers to my MRI and possible arthro surgery in Bangkok at the end of this coming week. So I'm not really motivated to run much, especially as my knee is always sore, except when running fast (?!). And then my calf started to hurt....

Week of June 24 ~ 30

33.8km / 21 mi.

Monday
3:00 - 9k at easy aerobic pace in 55:00 @6:07. Felt tired and knee sore.
Weather: 27C/81F
Weight: 58.4kg

Tuesday
Gym workout

Wednesday
7:30pm - Club 5,000m time trial
20:10 (3:56/4:09/07/08/3:50)
Light rain, chilly wind, just didn't feel like trying to go faster. Last km was ok, though. Knee felt fine (with kinesio tape and compression sleeve).
Weather: 20C/68F, rain, felt cooler
Weight: 58.1kg

Thursday
Resting knee

Friday
No time to run but rest just as well.
Weight: 57.9kg!

Saturday
12:00 - gym workout
2:30 - 17.8k in 1:43:35 @5:48
Right calf was a bit sore, for some reason, from the start. It stayed that way until 17.5k, when it suddenly started to hurt a lot. I stopped, walked a bit, stretched a bit, tried to run another 300m, then gave it up and walked 2.5k home. So that was strange. I would say it was from dehydration, except that it was hurting from the start. I don't think it's anything serious, though.
Weather: 29C/84F

Sunday
Rest - calf still slightly sore.
Weight: 57.9kg. Target was 58 - I think I'll try for 57. Looking pretty thin and feeling good.

Backing Off a Bit, But 2 Good Days

Week of June 17 ~ 23

76km / 47 mi.

Monday
3:00 - 24km easy @ abt 5:48/km ( still no watch).
Ran long since I din't run yesterday.
Dull ache in the knee as usual. Manageable, but it's there.
Weather: 30C/86F, sunny
Weight: 59.4kg

Tuesday
3:00 - Gym workout
Weight: 59.1kg

Wednesday
7:30pm - Club track workout 400m x 12 (with watch)
91/84/82/81/83/80 (90sec walk after each, 3:10 walk after 6th)
87/82/84/83/82/78 (90sec walk)
Good workout, worked hard, had lots of people to run with.
Kinesio tape on knee, was ok after 3rd one.
Weather: 25C/77F
Weight: 59.4kg

Thursday
3:00 - 10km in 59:34 @5:57/k
Getting tired of running on an aching knee, so between the extremes of 0 and 20km, decided to do 10k each day. After about 3k, it is not too sore.
Weather: 22C/72F, light rain

Friday
11:30 - Gym workout
2:00 - 10k in 59:30 @5:57/k
Weather: 23C/73F, 82%, light rain
Weight: 59.6kg

Saturday
3:30 - 10k in 57:30 @5:45/km
Weather: 25C/77F
Weight: 59.1kg

Sunday
2:00 - 13k with 3.5k WU, 5k hard, 3k hard
5k in 20:42 @4:08/k (walk 8mins) 3k in 12:27 @4:09/k
Faster than expected. Knee felt fine for the 5k, a bit sore for the 3k.
Worked hard on the 3k, with last k fastest of the day in 4:04.
Weather: 25C/77F, 70%
Weight: 58.1kg ! Counting those calories! (about 1600 per day, which is not a large amount)
Interesting note: My friend Susan, who recently ran 700km across the desert in Australia, said that running 25km this morning at high humidity was harder than running 45km in the Outback.

Plica Syndrome

I finally took to the interwebs to investigate my knee problem and was rewarded with: Plica Syndrome. The plica is tissue inside the knee that can become inflammed...chronically inflammed.

"An otherwise normal structure, a plica can be a significant source of anterior knee pain. Once an inflammatory process is established, the normal plical tissue may hypertrophy into a truly pathologic structure..."

The location and symptoms I have match Plica Syndrome _exactly_ (for example, considerable pain upon standing after sitting for a while) so I am 95% sure that's what it is.
Arthroscopic surgery can "excise" the plica (you don't need it), so I may have that done in Bangkok when I am there in July.
It would be nice to get rid of this pain, which is getting worse....

On a brighter note, my quest to become Kenyan-thin is going well. I'm down to 58.7kg from 61.7 six weeks ago. Enjoying admiring my six-pack abs.... (and in fact am doing some core exercises every day, not just at the gym)

Week of June 10 ~ 16
77.8km / 48 mi.

Monday
4:00 - 15k in 1:26:33 @5:45/k
Continuing the easy day aerobic runs.
Weather: 24C/75F
Weight: 59.4kg

Tuesday
11:00 - Gym workout

Wednesday
7:30pm - 12.8km Club track workout 1200 x 3, 1000 x 2, 400
4:33/27/30, 3:42,38, 83 (2' jog, 1' walk)
Felt good. Had several other people to follow. Pushed hard..
Weather: 20C/68F, light rain

Thursday
3:00 - 20k in about 1:20 (left my watch at the public bath last night - they let us change, go out, and then come back for a bath. much nicer than the locker room at the track)
Weather; 21C/70F but felt chillier - rain
Weight: 59.3kg

Friday
11:30 - Gym workout
2:00 -16km at about 5:50/k
Weight: 59.6kg

Saturday
2:30 - 14k with 10k alternating 4:30/k and 5:00/k. Approx, but pretty close, I'm sure. This is supposed to be a "lactate clearance" workout, to get your body used to handling lactate buildup efficiently. Got it from competitor.com, I think. A good workout, I like it. Basically, it's alternating  "pretty hard" and "moderately hard" paces.
Weather: 30C/86F
Weight: 59.4kg

Sunday
Rest day due to rain in morning, sore knee and left home at 10:30 to go watch Japan vs. Australia lacrosse. I like lacrosse, great game. This was the Japan national men's and women's teams vs. 23 and under sides from Oz. The young Aussies were no match for the _much_ faster and more skillful Japanese, losing 29-2 and 20-4. It was fun to watch, though.
Weight: 58.7kg

Up to 100km

Week of June 3 ~ 9

100.2km / 62 mi.

My knee is not getting better, and in fact is getting worse. The weird thing is, it hurts most when I get up after sitting for a while. Then it "loosens up" and is not bad. While running it is only slightly sore, and when running fast, not at all. So go figure!
When I go to Thailand to visit my daughter in July, I am going to get an MRI and a consultation with a sports doctor. Why Thailand? Good hospitals, cheaper than Japan, English speaking.

All long/easy days are slow aerobic (HAF) runs - 4 per week.

Trying hard to lose weight! Counting calories in.
Weight measured right after getting up, before breakfast, whatever time that is.

Monday
Rest - Back from onsen (hot spring) trip.
Calories: ? (ate too much)

Tuesday
2:00 - 15k at 1:27:12 @5:49/k.
3:30 - Gym workout
Weather: 27C/81F, sunny
Weight: 60.6kg
Calories: 1706

Wednesday
7:30pm - 10.2k - track workout. 1000 x 6
3:50/42/44/45/45/40 (2:30 jog/walk in between)
Weight: 60.2kg
Calories: 1774

Thursday
3:30 - 20k in 1:56:55 @5:51
Weather: 25C/77F
Weight: 60.5kg
Calories: 2083 (Costco hotdog - bad, bad)

Friday
11:00 - Gym workout
12:30 - 16k in 1:34:36 @5:54
Weather: 24C/75F
Weight: 60.5kg
Calories: 1517

Saturday
10:30 - 15k. 3k x 3, 150m hill x 5
3k in 13:00, 12:58, 13:06 (5' walk breaks)
Worked hard, good workout.
Weather: 24C/75F
Weight: 60.0kg
Calories: 1580

Sunday
9:30 - 24k in 2:20:03 @5:50
Knee sore, legs tired and quads sore 2nd half. Was planning 30k runs on Sunday, but 24 seems enough after a hard workout Saturday.
Weather: 26C/79F
Weight: 60.0kg
Calories: 1637

"Not Bad" Time Trial & 10,000m Goal?

Discovered something interesting: the US 10,000m track record for 65-69 is 38:38. If I'm in good shape and the weather is cool, I should be able to do that....


Week of May 27 ~ Jun 2

81.3km / 50.5 mi.

Monday
Rest

Tuesday
11:30 - Gym workout
2:00 - 15k in 1:29:38. @5:59/k. Aerobic run

Wednesday
7:30 pm - track workout.
Easy 11.4k (5,000m in 25:36).
End of the month club time trial, however, there is a big multi-club TT tomorrow, which I will run as a test of fitness.
Weight: 60.7kg

Thursday
7:00pm - 5,000m in 19:39
3:52/57/56/4:02/3:51
Felt good - knee was fine (with kinesio tape). Had people to run behind, except the last 1000.
Very humid - rain off and on all day. Good effort, I'll take it. Plan to be quite a bit lower by Sept.
Weather: 19C/66F, 88% humidity
Weight: 60.3kg

Friday
12:00 - Gym workout
3:00 - 15k in 1:29:30 @5:58/k
Felt ok, knee a bit sore.

Saturday
2:00 - 20k in 1:57:51 @5:54/k
Weather: 26C/79F
Weight: 59.7kg

Sunday
9:00am - 12.5k with 4k x 2 at good tempo pace in 17:10 and 17:22 (4:20/k = 17:20)
Felt pretty good, knee was ok. Had to run early because going to hot spring resort in Hakone (near Mt. Fuji) with wife and relatives. Diet will go to hell today and tomorrow.