Progress

I didn't get a chance to post on Friday because I drove to Virginia for an AAU tournament right after my run. The run was a disappointment though. It was pretty warm. I walked down to the river to watch the Dad Vail Regatta beforehand. I tried running back, but couldn't even make 2 miles before my knee started acting up. Even though I didn't feel much soreness after the long bike ride on Thursday, that must've had some impact on my knee's condition on Friday.

Today was my best run to date. It was really cool and cloudy outside. That was nearly perfect weather except for some wind. It was actually the windiest day since I started running again. I started off strong, but the wind really slowed me down as it was blowing in my face.

Through the middle of the run, I really started to wear down. That was partly do to the wind. The good thing at least is that I started out strong. I just need to work on my stamina. Early on, I blew past this guy. He turned around right before me on the way back, but I was so slow that I wasn't able to catch him.

The goal was finishing the run though and I did that. I ran from the Art Museum to the grandstands and then back to the Girard Ave. Bridge. That's about 3.7 miles and easily the farthest I've run thus far.

I'm trying to figure out why my knee has been bothering me. It didn't do so today until about the last quarter mile or so. Even then, it was actually mild. I concentrated on using higher and longer strides today. When I was growing tired, I made sure to focus on keeping good strides. That must've helped.

Running on the softer gravel has probably had a positive impact too. The two days of rest over the weekend were likely a factor as well and kept me fresh. I did get a side stitch (from drinking too much before going out), but I slowed and little bit and worked through it.

I guess I should limit the mileage on my bike days. The bike isn't helping my running conditioning as much as I thought it would. At this point, I figured I'd be able to run 4 miles easily, but that's just not the case.

Regardless, it was a strong run today and something to build on. I think tomorrow I'll ride the bike and do 10 or 12 miles on it. I want to get some speedwork in at a track on Wednesday. I'll likely head up to Temple for that.