Hobbled But Not Out: My Extended Recovery

An Unexpected Injury:

Dangerous work climbing buildings -
things happens when you least expect it. 

I write in this blog hobbled at the moment, after sustaining muscle injuries in my rib cage area. A consequence of falling through an unfinished stair on one of my construction sites. I was able to minimize bodily damage by quickly extending my arms and catching the edge of a step so to reduce gravity's impact on my legs (oh those precious marathon legs). The blow to the rib cage was a sharp, stinging pain that sucked the wind out of me for a couple of minutes. After my breathing came back, it just felt like a side stitch cramp that would eventually go away like in some of my runs. But into the evening and the next day, the pain got worse. My first thoughts as I relented and headed to the emergency room was, "there goes my summer speed workouts!"

How did I get to this point? Was I being reckless these last couple of months? Of course not. After a measured Winter and Spring season where I paid particular attention to my recovery after two back-to-back Fall marathons, I was ready to go all out and set myself up for what I dubbed, "an Autumn for the Ages". It was this year, the year I turned 40, I would give the TCS New York City Marathon the training it deserved. No two marathon Falls like in the last 3 years, no scrambling to the physical therapist to treat my chronically injured hamstring, and no overtraining. I've learned many lessons after 12 marathons and developed a knowledge of my own physical capabilities that would have me confidently taking on my 4th New York City marathon in spectacular fashion. Now all of this is at risk. 

I need to recover. And in an area that is unfamiliar with injury. The muscles underneath my rib cage. Or as the ER doctor labeled it, "Rib contusion". But I can do this. I've learned the art of balancing endurance training and recovery leading up to this years Virgin Money London Marathon. That marathon came with a few unexpected hiccups, but I got it done to complete my 3rd World Major in the Abbott World Majors Marathon Series. Next stop, the Boston Marathon in 2018. But first, this Fall - The TCS New York City Marathon.

Training for the Virgin Money London Marathon and AirBnB Brooklyn Half 

Again, I ask: Can I get it done? What new workouts will I need to introduce to my regimen, and what will I need to throw away. Leading up to London, I was able to squeak out my 2nd fastest marathon at 3:14:54. I applied the same training principles I applied in Chicago: 

1. Less running: instead of running 80 to 100 miles during peak week (about a month before race day), I topped at 50 miles. As mentioned in previous blog posts.
2. Focused more on intensity of workouts: Paid closer attention to heart rate and made sure to get my interval track workouts in every week.
3. Recovery: made sure I did recovery runs after intense workouts and gave myself an extra day of rest on both sides of the Al Gordon 4 mile and the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon.
4. Slower long runs: most of my long runs were about a minute to and minute and a half slower than marathon goal pace for Half to two thirds of the run. 
5. Time rather than distance: the majority of the workouts outside of my interval track and long runs were based on time. Whatever I could do in 30 minutes, 40 minutes, an hour, that was what was to be done. I made sure my heart rate stayed within steady, aerobic and anaerobic zones depending upon what the training plan called for. 
6. Cross-training: still getting used to triathlon training. Using my swims to strengthen my core and skipped a couple long runs in favor of some long bike rides. 

Now is this my regimen moving forward. Probably not. It's a good regimen to run a strong marathon while keeping up with your other life demands. And towards the last month after the NYC it became extremely difficult to stay disciplined with the consistency of my workout, thus abandoning my training plan and "feeling" out the rest of the workouts. And it all allowed me to get through the London race injury-free. 

 

Targeting Brooklyn, But Left So Much in London

London marathon buddy, inspirational CPTC
 teammate, Nobu, crushing a 2:34 in London

It was only the 2nd time since my hamstring injury that I didn't cramp up during a marathon. Just like Chicago, I ran with rhythmic motion. However, this time there were rolling hills, narrow roadway, and more loops and turns for my liking. Other than that, the Virgin Money London Marathon wasn't any different than previous marathons. I did have to dig deeper than usual for the final 3 miles to eek out a Boston Marathon qualifying time. This late effort did leave higher than normal to burning levels of soreness in my legs as I continued to vacation in Europe in the week that followed. 

Teammate, David Greenburg, welcoming me to
the ranks of CPTC Masters

This took away from my recovery / training balance that I wanted for my target race: the AirBnB Brooklyn Half. There I missed my half marathon PR by only 21 seconds and ran it 9 seconds slower than last year. And the same story as last year, too much energy spent in Prospect Park on legs not fully recovered from London. 

Omar and I meet again at the AirBnB Brooklyn Half

Action shot coming out of Prospect Park.
Feels great to be able to perform a strong half marathon.

Down But Not Out - More Unexpected Recovery for my Fall Comeback 

Cross Training: Always learning - Friends at BTC Open Water Clinic
advise me to get a wetsuit with more rubber (too much neoprene)

If I had only did more tempo workouts in Central Park over the Winter, my legs would have been ready. That would have been the best way to prepare for those rolling hills. And you can swim and bike for endurance all you want, as it does help you strengthen your stamina. But you still have to run to get faster. And boy was I ready to run this summer. Yes I had several races on deck, but they were to set me up for the Fall, so to answer a previous question, no I was not being reckless. Instead, I'm forced to continue recovery mode and hit the dreaded cancel button on some of these races. With help from my pain meds, I can hopefully be 100% for New York City this Fall. 

Cross Training: 2017 TD Bike Tour - skipped the AirBnB Brooklyn
 Half training long run in favor of this 36 mile bike tour across the 5 boroughs.

Some Europe photos: 

Updated 2017 pic with Rosetta Stone - British Museum

Monsieur Laurent Normand catch up over a great meal
 as he welcome me to Paris. #mba #globalcitizens

Updated pic with the original Mona Lisa at the L'Ouvre Museum 2017

It's an all-day party here in the streets of Amsterdam for the King's Birthday

Early carb loading for the Brooklyn Half at the
Heineken Experience in Amsterdam

Great to see childhood friend, Marin, from my navy brat days in Connecticut. 

First CPTC friend, Christiaan I made when joining the running club
welcomes me to his hometown, Amsterdam.

Winter Hibernation and Recovery

My winter running season is officially over upon conclusion of the 2016 United Airlines New York City Half. It was a learning experience to say the least. The words, "less is more" became more meaningful than any other time in all my years of running. If I'm going to have a strong Fall season, then shifting gears and getting the right balance of intense training and recovery is essential. 

Tight security and a cold 1st day of Spring #unitednychalf

This winter saw me take more frequent rest than in recent years. This aggravating hamstring has been a problem I can't seem to shake. I did a 17 day rest after the New Year (only running Joe Kleinerman at a slower pace), another 17 day rest after the cancelled Fred Lebow, and every other day workout with only high intensity once a week and at least 3 days rest before a race. It helped in allowing my legs to be fresh for all out racing but the post race hamstring pain would pretty much erase several days of healing time. 

It's colder out so it takes longer for your legs to warm up. Pushing the limits to reach my race pace to a sustained level probably caused some of the injured muscle fibers to abruptly undo any healing progress I made thus far. So after running races that sustained my fitness level (only PR at Washington Heights 5K at 19:03), another rest is in order. 

 

I'd say one more week of no running after a 1:29:58 performance at the United Airlines NYC Half. My teammates were great with motivating me to push through during the race. So many inspirational stories, such grit and determination. Mentally I'm at a state where I know I can do better. And Spring, my favorite time to build up my miles and speed is now upon us. As my relentless pursuit continues, the next stop: 2016 Airbnb Brooklyn Half. That's 2 months of honest preparation to give the best performance of my life! 

Bib #1090 at the United NYC Half Experience

Central Park Track Club Teammates: Felipe (Chile), Shane (Aussie), and I warming up at Whitehall Terminal before we celebrate our finish. #globalcitizens

One of New York’s Better Kept Secrets / A PR in my Hometown

The Finish, Eisenhower Park, Long Island

Marathon #7 came and went without too much excitement. By now I have a good handle on the marathon routine that works for me, while leaving room for improvement after each race. Plenty of adjustments made during training, and some lessons learned for future marathons. Another marathon personal record, yet still fell just short of the Boston Qualifier. So we have another paradox of success accompanying failure, yet these aren’t the most significant takeaways from the RxR Long Island Marathon.

Two weeks later, the race energy went from flat to super charged as I took on the New York Road Runner’s Brooklyn Half. I unexpectedly achieved a half marathon personal record, as my legs were not fully recovered from Long Island. At 1:27:14, I wonder if there is ever a course that could be designed so flat. It’s been two years since I run this course, beating it by more than 7 minutes. However, this was more like a bonus rather than the result from the changes I’ve made since the TCS New York City Marathon.  The real consequence from running throughout the winter is learning from the actual adjustments made to my training habits, the new people I’ve met, and the new avenues opened for continued improvement.

Marathon Training Adjustments

With every marathon, I make adjustments to my training. Whether it is which gels or salts to train with, what support gear to wear, and what workouts to do; I apply lessons learned from the previous marathon. This time around, I paid particular attention to my hamstring issues and knew that I needed to place more emphasis on recovery. During the Fall season, physical therapy sessions and massage visits made it possible for me to run marathon #5 (Lehigh Via) and marathon #6 (TCS NYC) within 2 months of each other despite my injured left hamstring. So when it came time train for the RxR Long Island Marathon, I bought a membership to get regular massages at Slope Wellness. “Make it to the starting line healthy” is a common catchphrase in the marathon world, and these adjustments gave me more confidence that I would do just that.

Another adjustment to my regimen is reducing the time I actually spend running. I went from 100 miles in the week at peak before my 4-week taper to about 75 miles. This isn’t by accident, though. Workouts with the Central Park Track Club (CPTC) were limited to Tuesday night track and Thursday night tempo runs. The rest of the mileage I would make up on my own. The coaches at CPTC also emphasized soft surface running, as I get closer to my races. So I found myself shifting from doing long runs on the city streets, to hitting the trails in Prospect and Central Park.

The Races

I’ve heard several runners in the New York City area complain about how boring the Long Island Marathon. I don’t argue that if you are comparing to most other marathons. Even the last mile to the finish is a narrow path in Eisenhower Park that wouldn’t accommodate many runners finishing at the same time, as in bigger marathons. It’s a small race. The smallest marathon I’ve ever run with only about 633 marathon finishers (smaller than Lehigh Via).

The boredom of this race isn’t the size. Lehigh Via proved that you can still have a relatively small energetic race if the route isn’t boring and the fans at the cheer areas really make noise. This race had both full marathoners, half marathoners, and 10K runners, starting at the same time. So when the 10K runners and the half marathoners broke off to their finish, it became a lonely road for the marathoners. At mile 10, I found myself running down the Wantagh Parkway with about ¾ to ½ a mile spacing between the runner ahead of me and the runner behind me.

Ran with West Side Runner, Omar Villegas, in Long Island.
We met and chatted at the Brooklyn Half.

The runner behind me caught me at the halfway point, which began a series of us passing each other back and forth up to about mile 21. He pretty much stayed ahead of me during that time except for when we took water breaks, where he would stop and let me pass him. He’d come back without saying a word and I continued to stay focused on running my own race. After the turn around on the Wantagh Parkway, as we were headed north, I noticed he started running zig-zags along the route. At that point, I thought about how inefficient his running seemed and thought for sure he would burn out and I’d eventually pass him for good.

Was this race really that boring that marathoners are running zig-zags just to keep themselves entertained? I later met him through social media, and again in person at the Brooklyn Half, where he explained that the zig-zags were to prevent muscle cramping. At mile 21 he came to a complete stop at the medical tent and enjoyed some rest and water. I kept going, left to navigate the rest of the route almost completely by myself, with very little spectators along the route, and very little direction from course marshals.

My pup, Boston, and I picking up
my race packet at Nassau Coliseum.

It was at that point where I started to fade and realized that my hopes at obtaining a BQ was a long shot. The heat started to become a factor with the temperature reaching over 70° F.  I pushed along feeling like I would have a little energy for a strong finish, but at mile 24, the same heat induced dizziness I experienced in Miami started. I knew at that point BQ was totally out the window and I just had to finish. It was there the zig-zag runner (I later learned his name was Omar and he ran with the Westside Runners Club) caught me and never looked back. I began to adjust my speed so that I could catch him or finish closely behind him. It wasn’t a full sprint but I definitely exerted all the energy that I could find from within to keep up with him. However, my hamstring told me I overdid it, forcing me to come to a complete stop. I yelled in pain as my hamstring cramped up (this time mile 25 and a half) in yet another marathon. After shaking my leg out for about a minute to let the blood flow, I caught the two runners that passed me to finish strong. I was happy with the finish, because it was a PR at 3:18:12. Yes, Long Island is designed to be a faster course compared to most marathons. And yes, the smaller race means less crowds and more room for efficiently running the course from the start. But a PR is a PR, and it is still a tough marathon; one that requires self-discipline and controlled pacing. There are no crowds to provide that extra energy boost and lift your spirits. You run miles 10 through 24 with practically no other runners in sight. And of course the heat! Several faster runners, cramped up and was unable to finish this race. So I am certainly proud of this one, as it set off my summer of intense training, like no other year as I continue my quest for Boston, gearing up for my next two marathons.

A PR in my Hometown 

With the exception of immediately after the Lehigh Via Marathon, I normally take at least two weeks off from running so my body can recover following a marathon. But I had the Brooklyn Half in that two weeks so I need to keep the blood circulating with a series of recovery runs that included a 12 mile long, soft surface run the week before. Recovery doesn’t necessarily mean no running at all. Rather, slower runs while your body heals itself after an intense endurance workout like what I went through at the Long Island Marathon. A massage a couple of days before the half and totally avoid Central Park Track Club intense speed workouts had me ready for the Brooklyn Half.

No matter what happened, my intention was to just have fun with this race as it was a celebration of all the hard work I put in over the winter. A three-day pre-party before the half, seeing so many runners participating and enjoying the atmosphere, it didn’t matter what my race time would be. I was there to enjoy and let the chips fall where they may.

Boston and I posing at the Pre-Party
 at the Brooklyn Piers

I went from running a boring but intense marathon, to an energy filled crowded half marathon in my hometown. The crowds lined up to cheer all along the course. The energy was almost as intense as the TCS New York City Marathon back in November. The cheers did help me run strong and it didn’t hurt that this was probably one of the fastest half marathon courses that could ever be designed. Only a small hill in Prospect Park, which I was used to running over 1000 times during my training runs, was the only real obstacle. The straightaway on Ocean Parkway stretched from mile 8 to about mile 12 that allowed runners to really pick up speed if they had it in them.

Just as I passed the 11 mile mark, I caught up to one of my old run leaders and a sub-3 hour marathoner, Josh Fox. Talk about an in-race confidence boost, as I caught him I said, “I know you aren’t going to let me beat you!”

Posing with sub-3 marathoner and former
run leader, Josh Fox, at the Brooklyn Half finish

He replied, “Today you just might.” He was clearly having a bad day. As run leader, he was accustomed to leading an 18 to 20 mile long run every Sunday that probably took a toll on him that race day. We exchanged some words about the Long Island Marathon as I let the blood flow evenly through my legs at this brief, slower pace we were both running. I took in some Gatorade and splashed my body with water at the final water stop. I can hear him saying to me, “David, you’re making me tired!” as he slowed down to pose for his paparazzi along the route. I had to finish strong.

That brief slow down helped me avoid yet another hamstring cramp as my legs were starting to feel the familiar burn, before my catching up to Josh. I don’t remember ever running that fast on a straightaway except for maybe track workouts. I saw the 800-meter mark and I adjusted to a 6-minute/mile sprint. This continued onto the ramp for the boardwalk with the finish line in sight. Josh had managed to catch me and we ended up finishing almost simultaneously. He gave me encouraging words and congratulated me on my performance. I was just so filled with joy as I crossed that line because I broke new ground with this half marathon PR at 1:27:14.

The Real Takeaway

The Boston pursuit continues and with each race, I can see progress and improvement. And as I get closer to achieving this eventual goal, I path I’m taking really is an enjoyable one. After a grueling marathon in Long Island, Brooklyn just felt like one big celebration that included a half marathon PR as a bonus. With 26,482 finishers (the largest half marathon in the country this year), it was a stark contrast to the lesser-known RxR Long Island Marathon. In my opinion, the Long Island Marathon s one of New York’s better-kept secrets. If you want a low key marathon, that will test your self-discipline and inner focus, while running a course with minimal elevation changes, then the RxR Long Island Marathon is definitely for you.

The real takeaway from both these races was the interaction with other runners and volunteers. The new friends made and positive energy felt at both Long Island and Brooklyn. The old friends that I saw that continued to give me positive words. These make my running pursuits worthwhile.

I sometimes contemplate on why I continue with the runner’s life style. My thoughts always bring me back to my early Team In Training days. It just so happens that the Long Island marathon is exactly 5 years after my first marathon in New Jersey. And when I think back to those New Jersey running days, I think about all the people I’ve met along the way. The positive words, the encouragement, the great examples from these inspiring people are what keep me hooked. My fellow runners are what keep me going. The timing of these interactions is almost flawless as I receive something motivating from someone, at whatever level they are at, whether they are having a good or bad day, right when I need it.

Rock ‘n’ Roll D.C.: A Run Through Our Nation’s Capital.

My new Boston Terrier puppy named Boston accompanying me.

Time is not something that's been on my side lately so I write this race report into my phone during my morning commutes. A lot has happened since the life changing TCS New York City Marathon experience. I guess the best way for me to break this blog entry down is:

1. Address the months leading up to the Rock n Roll DC Half,

2.  Talk about the energy filled race experience,

3. Give perspective on future races and what adjustments I will make moving forward.

The Months Leading Up to the Half Marathon:

I described in detail how the 2014 TCS New York City Marathon was life changing. It was an experience second to none and made all the years of build-up and training worth it. But like all great experiences, the downtime and withdrawal from the energy filled runners high can be quite depressing. It's one thing for total strangers to be along the side of the race route yelling the name imprinted on your shirt. But it's even more joyous when people who know you well fully support your journey. Unfortunately it's also a time when there is disappointment as those who you thought would show support, don't prioritize their time for your unique occasion.

To be fair, marathon running isn't for everybody, and less than 1% of population will ever even finish a marathon. So I understand that there are many not interested in the sport. But just like when you throw your full support to friend or family member that enters in a new career, becomes a new parent, or even commit to someone in marriage, marathon runners to some extent rely on the energy from friends keeping them motivated to achieve their running goals. Once that negative energy is exposed, it's followed by the difficult decision to either continue your running aspirations, or lose focus and deal with the negativity. Some wounds may be as simple as placing a bandage over it while the scar remains. Others may require surgical removal without a trace left behind. When possible, I choose the latter.

Start line at the Rock 'n' Roll DC Half on Constitution Ave and 14 St

So after a few fun half marathons, and some shorter races, I made it to the starting line on Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C. feeling fresh and renewed. My legs weren't exactly in top shape as I've been deep into marathon training. The rest of my body felt fatigued after the drive from New York City. Add to the fact that my new pup accompanied along the trip and it was his first experience on the highway. It wasn't exactly the smoothest ride. But all that went away when I reached the starting line.

The Race Itself

As the start horn went off, I, and about 20,000 runners, began our journey through the historic beauty of our nation's capital. I started the run as if I was running at marathon pace (about 8 minutes per mile (min/mile)) to get the blood flowing. This is why it is so important to warm up before a race of because that early blood circulation can make for a better start time, valuable seconds that make for an overall faster race in the end.

As I proceeded through the 2nd mile, I felt my legs coming to me and I started maintaining a comfortable 6:45 min/mile pace. It didn't feel like much and I started getting aspirations for a personal record (PR). Although it was raining, the sites made for a beautiful run, running the first mile past the White House, and then taking in the Lincoln Memorial. We went back and forth across the Arlington Memorial Bridge. As I was making my first cross, I noticed some of the faster runners making their second crossing on the opposite side of the bridge. It was then I started to focus on finishing a strong race.

Just past Montrose Park at about Mile 5 and a Half, that focus was rocked. A steep hill with what looked like a 15:1 slope made me lose more than a minute and a half on my pace. That hill was a struggle as I felt like stopping and walking to get past it. But I pushed my way through and continued up Rock Creek until I hit the bridge on Calvert Street. The course flattened at that point and my legs felt like jello. Any ambition for getting a PR was forgotten and I remembered that this was only my tune-up race for the Long Island Marathon in May.

 

Washington Monument from a distance

My mind just thought about the fun in running again. The hard part was over. It would be pure cruelty if the race organizers planned another hill as steep as Rock Creek's. The race start was at a lower elevation so I was pretty sure there wouldn’t be any more hills. I knew I had to pass the National Mall to get back to the finish line at RFK Stadium. So I just took it all in. The bands on the side of the course still playing music despite the rain. And the smaller crowds putting more effort into their cheers to make sure the runners stayed motivated. It was just one lovely, scenic race that was worth a blog post, plain and simple. High-energy feel, thanks to the bands and few spectators. The rain made it felt like a hardcore race, like only the strong would survive.

RFK Stadium and Beyond

Approaching the finish. 

I started to get my legs back at mile 9, near Howard University, and resumed my comfortable 6:45 min/mile pace. It felt good that I could maintain that pace that late in the race. I enjoyed the downhill as I ran on North Capitol Street Northwest. I made the turn towards Union Station through the tunnel, and at that point I felt the urge to finish strong. I broke away from the pack I was running in along a scenic straightaway on H Street. I stayed true to good form staying within the electric car tracks on the road, targeting the runners that were far ahead of me.

Norbert meets me after I finish.

By mile 12 I caught up and could see the noticeable fatigue in the pack of 6 r 7 runners I had caught. The one girl in the group saw that I gained on her and she decided to pick up in a sprint to keep up with me. We kept up our pace running side by side on Constitution Ave and then C Street, when she finally slowed down just before we hit the finish. At that point I said to her, “Good job.” And picked up my sprint for the finish.

My performance overall was a fairly even pace with a slight hiccup at the hill and a sprint in the end. It wasn’t a PR, and I had mixed feelings before and throughout the race about whether I wanted to go 100%.  part of me wanted to take it easy and have fun, as my eye on the real prize would be in Long Island. Whatever the case, this Rock n Roll DC Half marathon turned out to be the ideal tune-up race. It felt like a tempo run most of the way with my overall pace faster towards the end of the race, than in the beginning. My new coaches at the Central Park Track Club have been drilling into my head that the key to tempo runs is to start off slower and finish faster. They believe this is the only way to increase the much needed glycogen storage in my legs during a marathon.

Post race celebration: Christine and I with our Boston Terriers - Zeus and Boston.

So this was a great and memorable race indeed. It was my first race with my new pup by my side and all his love and inspiration. The route was scenic with all the patriotic high-energy feel throughout our nation’s capital. And of course, having long time friends greet you at the finish line and spending time with you post-race to make the trip down to DC that much more amazing.

Thank you Norbert, Christine, Zeus, Eileen, Ally, and Brandon for being part of that experience.

 

Eileen, Ally, and Brandon posing with Boston in Annapolis.

If the other Rock n Roll marathon series races are anything like the half marathon they organized in DC, then I highly recommend being a frequent participant in their races. But I’ll know for sure on their consistency after running both their Virginia Beach and Brooklyn half marathons later this year. I’ll report back in the Fall.

Link to my race splits: https://connect.garmin.com/activity/721202470