Sun 3 May - Vancouver marathon today. My race strategy is to start conservatively and build my speed every 10km. This will allow me to not go out too hard, find a groove, post a negative split and finish strong. I had a good night's sleep on Friday and Saturday, I feel like this is an A-day. I ran the first 13 km with Brent at an average 8:05 min/mile pace. This was a bit fast for Brent who was fighting a cold, he slowed down as I pulled ahead after the water station. My knee was feeling a bit tender but it was nothing to write home about - it didn't seem to slow me or alter my form. I picked up the pace but my IT band wrap started to slip and was becoming annoying as I had to snug it or pull it up every few minutes. I reached the halfway point in Stanley Park at 1:45. I have 10 minutes to make up in the second half. I am a little off my race plan. I pick up the pace going up the hill out of Stanley Park, the subsequent downhill is really doing a number on my knee. I feel myself slowing down at this point. I regroup and try to pick up the pace up Burrard street toward the bridge. I am confident I can still make up the time. I really enjoy the climb up the bridge and coast down the gradual slope on the other side. I pass my coach Norm and give him a high five on the way. He is waiting for the rest of the team. The next few kilometers are a series of false flats. My knee is starting to feel funky now. I know I am slowing down...I hear a group bearing down on me. The 3:30 pace bunny and entourage pass me and start their 10:1 walk break about 15 yards ahead of me. I continue on ahead of them with a new found motivation to not let them pass me again. I manage to keep ahead of them for the next 6 kilometers but as I near the turn under the Burrard Bridge, I feel like my knee has lost all it's strength. I know that if I continue to run, I will likely do some damage, but if I walk, I will not make up the time I need to stay on my plan. I turn to commence the ascent toward the bridge but I can no longer run. I have to just think about how I can salvage this race and not kill my knee. I decide to walk to it off for a while. I am passed by the 3:30 pace group and the by the 3:40 group as I reach to peak of the bridge. There are 2 km left. I start a shuffle down the final stretch. The cheering crowd is driving me to the finish line even though I am literally shuffling along. With about 400 metres to go, the 3:45 pace group passes me. I decide to push it and pick up the pace to finish ahead of this group. Surprisingly, with a longer stride, my knee seems to hurt less and I am able to make up some ground and finish ahead of the group. What started as a A-day, suddenly became an attempt to salvage a race. Funny how things can change. After the race, I sat in the fountain near the finish and stretched my legs. At the hotel, I took hot bath with Epsom salts.
Mon 4 May - My knee hurts today but my legs aren't too bad. I went to the pool for a swim and stretched. Then it was off to the airport for the return flight. My knee was really stiff when we arrived in Montreal.
Tue 5 May - My knee was feeling much better today but now my quads are really sore. I am sort of glad because it indicates to me that I pushed myself. I wouldn't want to think I still had some left in the tank at the finish. I did some self massage and walked alot while doing chose around the house today.
Wed 6 May - 30 minutes stationary cycle and stretching. Quads are feeling better but still sore. As luck would have it, we had to evacuate our building at work today and I had to walk down 10 flights of stairs - ouch!
Thu 7 May - 30 minutes stationary cycle and stretching. My quads are not as sore as yesterday but still tender. My knee acts up when I get up after sitting for a while. I have booked a physio appointment for next week to make sure I get to the bottom of this injury as soon as possible.
Fri 8 May - Day off. Had a couple of cold ones with supper. I felt a tinge of guilt because I didn't work out today. I will try to stick to my policy of only rewarding myself if I had worked out..Especially now that my workouts are much less calorie intense.
Sat 9 May - Worked around the yard today.
Total weekly mileage : 42.2 km
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