Austin Metronome

Here’s to a new year of running

Kamran — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:09:36 +0000

2011 was a running year to forget. The running gods were kind to me in 2009 and 2010, with lots of PRs and injury free running for a year and a half. 2010 ended with my mileage at over 3000 for the year a 60 per week average, and a marathon PR of 2:48. 2011 was the complete opposite, my mental focus and desire to train just wasn’t there and I’d be lucky if I managed to run 1000 miles the entire year.

It’s amazing how difficult it is to start running again. I wish I knew hot to turn the mental demons off but haven’t managed it yet. Maybe it’s time for a new years resolution for me. The most difficult thing has been comparing my running to the glory days of 2010, running an average of 20 seconds a mile slower for any pace range is tough to put aside. Of course, all I can do is keep running at the fitness I have, I’m not going to get faster staying in bed. Time to lace up the shoes and just run. Guess that’s the mantra for 2012, just run! Keep checking in to see if 2012 is the beginning of my new running career, I sure hope it is

Fits and starts

Kamran — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 02:38:20 +0000

Fits and starts … that pretty much describes my attempt at starting to train regularly. It’s been a year now since I’ve trained regularly. The last month included the end of my first semester back in school (while I’m working) and a wedding so I guess those are my excuses. Now that finals are over I’ll try and use this month to run … the goal is 4 to 5 days a week … a 2 to 3 day improvement over the last 3 months!

Getting back on the saddle

Kamran — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 18:16:37 +0000

The running gods have been very good to me the last three years. I managed to break 3 hours at CIM 2008, ran my fastest half marathon in San Antonio in 2010 in 1:19:19 and three weeks later ran a 2:48:30 at CIM 2010. Since that race my running has been a little lack luster and it’s time to try and get back into the swing of things. To help give me a kick I decided to sign up with Rogues’ Team Rogue Local Elite. My times in 2010 qualify me for the perks and privileges for the slower or Silver members of the team. I’ll need to get back in the shape I was in last year to stay on so that should add some needed motivation.

The lead-up to CIM 2010 was near perfect. It included getting married to Asia and a year where I averaged 60 miles a week. I barely missed a run or a gym workout and managed to stay injury free with some of the most intense training I’ve ever done. The lead-up to the race wasn’t ideal but the more than fifteen 20+ mile long runs and consistency the preceding year helped me PR and break the 2:50 mark.

The intensity the year and a half leading to CIM 2010 had it’s toll though. After CIM 2010 my motivation to keep training at that intensity just wasn’t there. I needed a mental break. I think most people do. Since the beginning of this year my training has been spotty, enough to keep some of my fitness but my training has favored sleep over miles I think I’m mentally rested and now it’s time to lace up the shoes on a more regular basis.

So what next. Well, a break from marathons. Yup. It’s time to switch it up and try some 5k and 10k training. I feel like I can run 20 miles every weekend right now and need a change, something to energize the mind and body so it’s going to be the type of running I dread. That pain in the chest that is just unbearable for me but what I need right now. So I’ll be running with Carmen Troncoso and Rogue. I’m looking forward to working on speed again, giving up some of the base and endurance I’ve built up the last few years. Not sure what the result will be but it should be fun.

Still running thanks to …

Kamran — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 02:07:02 +0000

Well the credit goes to Asia, not just for getting me to wake up and run but also for keeping me running. Since May my weekly mileage has been 46, 46, 53, 57, 66 (Madison Marathon), 43, 63, 70 In addition to the miles the gym has become a regular part of the week. At the gym I can finally keep up, well almost, with Asia’s core workout. Her “suit-cases” still make me cringe; as she’s doing 20 of them I stop at 10. This is much better than a month ago when I would cut most things in half and beg to stop at 2 sets instead of 3. She would oblige and then I’d eat some ice cream when we get home, now the little blue bell ice cream packs and cones are finished that little treat has ended. Guess I’m really training again. I hope I’ve put the mornings of Asia waking up, running and coming back to me still in bed are a thing of the past. This post is written permission for her to yank the covers off and kick me in the ass to get me up, ok, maybe a tap on the shoulder instead of a kick in the ass.

It’s been slow going getting back into running. My close to 5 months off from training since CIM really did set me back. In early May every run was a struggle and I put my fitness at a 3:10 marathon, if I could run that far. I might be back in 3:00 hour ish shape as long as I can get my endurance back up but feel a sub 2:50 in October at Chicago will be a struggle. Time to just run, get the miles in and see where I end up closer to the date. I really need to not go this long without running

The group at Rogue is great as usual. Some new faces in the crew, the paces too rich for my blood at times, but that’s all part of the fun of training with new people. This Thursday was an eye opener, our “easy” hilly run turned into somewhat of a medium effort. It was fun to finally let the legs loose with the crew. I think the hip issue is holding up but I do need to try and get it worked on a little soon. The gym work is helping for sure but there’s still some tightness I need to get released.

More to come I’m sure, sorry for the rambling stream of consciousness post.

Good progress on the road to Chicago

Kamran — Mon, 16 May 2011 02:41:21 +0000

Last week ended with a tumble and some scrapes. Doesn’t seem like there are any lingering issues with the knee or shoulder and the week of running has been one of my more consistent ones this year. The nicer weather this week, especially on Saturday and Sunday, has been a welcome change. This has been the first week I’ve been able to pick up the pace a little. The hip issues seem to be a thing of the past and it was nice to get closer to the 6:30 pace range towards the end of the long run on Saturday.

Today was the last in the Rogue Trail Series, I decided to run the first loop of the 30k (11ish miles). I’m not a trail runner at all and am very happy I didn’t bite it on the run. It was very rocky, beautify but rocky, and pretty technical. That’s for me anyway, seemed much more difficult terrain to manage than the loop at Emma Long. On this race you really had to pay attention to where you were going. If you missed a marker, which I did as I was blindly following somebody, you would end up cutting short/long or on the 10k loop. In the rocky section there were cats eyes, it took me a while to realize that was the trail marking. There really wasn’t anything else you could attach a ribbon to so as long as you kept looking for the cats eyes you were on right path. Was a tough route and I was feeling it towards the end, I’m sure my ankles will be sore tomorrow. Guess I need to work in some trail running to strengthen the lower legs.

Goals for this week are to make it to the gym twice and call Lisa to get a regular massage scheduled

Two weeks in a row … Kamran goes splat

Kamran — Sun, 08 May 2011 23:11:00 +0000

Ouch

Two weeks in a row and around 45 miles both weeks. Long runs of 16 and 18 miles. The goal right now is just to be able to run a marathon (not race) by the end of the May. That’s on the way to hopefully racing Chicago in October where I hope I can get under 2:50 The body seems to be holding up fine, just haven’t gotten back into a good routine at the gym or adjusted my diet for serious training. The week ended today with a somewhat shortened run after a bit of a fall crossing I-35 to run on the trail … splat I went and decided to cut the run from 8 to 6.

I’m back

Kamran — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 01:47:28 +0000

Yes, I’m back. Time to train again.

Season in question but not over

Kamran — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 22:48:04 +0000

My last post was mentioned some of the issues I’ve been facing in my right leg and hip area. It hasn’t really gotten much better over the last two weeks. Last week I ran 50 miles and this week I should be around 30 (with some travel for work). I seem to be ok on slower pace work but anything up-tempo just bothers the hip too much. By hip I mean a number of connection points around the hip area, this includes high up in the hamstring and the insertion point for the IT band around the hip. Today was an easy 8 mile run and for the most part it was ok.

So what’s the plan, we’ll no crazy goal for the Cap 10k but still hoping to race it. For the next few weeks I’ll keep my daily mileage below 8 miles . As for workouts I’ll do my best to start showing up with the team and at least doing the warm-ups and cool-downs and play the actual workout by ear. Then it’s the real work. Rolling twice a day, leg strength work daily, gym twice a week, icing once a day and regular massage.

The pain isn’t where the problem is

Kamran — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 01:45:10 +0000

With any injury or issue, nine times out of ten where it hurts ends up not being where the problem is. I’m not sure where this one began and when it will end but I do think I’m slowly getting it under control. Late in the training season for CIM last year I suffered a quad strain. I was able to recover and race and do remember my right leg and quad area being particularly sore during the race.

After the race I just took too much time off … from everything, gym, running, eating well … This led to a general tightness in my body as well as some weakness. My lack of gym work the last half of CIM training hasn’t helped with my general strength either. As I’ve started back up with Team Rogue, the 10k group being coached by Scott MacPhearson, my right leg just hasn’t been doing well. It’s been a weird tightness in my hip area and tightening and pain in my quad and hip-flexor region. I had some release work done at Airrosti last week and my quad (outer part) was knotted up. Getting that released was extremely painful. My hamstring was generally tight as was my glute. In the end the conclusion we reached is is my hip stabilizers are weak.

At the gym today there was no doubt left that my glute and area around the hip is weak. As I did side band walks the burning sensation was almost unbearable on both sides. It was a good pain but a reminder that I wasn’t focusing on those muscle groups for a little too long. I still have some questions about which other muscle groups I need to work on. My hamstrings are tight, but is that because they are weak and being overpowered by my quads or they the strong group that’s being overworked? For now I’m working on giving some extra stretching love to all my upper leg and hip muscle groups and also working them all in my gym routine, with a heavier focus on my glutes for the next two weeks. The results will tell if this is the right approach. I should know soon since our Team Rogue group is staring up on some hill repeats and track work this week as we get ready for the Cap 10k in March.

Age 2 – Getting a Nickname, Qualifying for Boston, Running Boston and Rogue – Running Career Review

Kamran — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 21:11:49 +0000

My third year of running was pretty eventful, I managed to qualify for Boston at Chicago in 2004 and ran Boston for the first time in 2005. This year also marked when I first started training with Rogue. This was the first season for Rogue, still under the RunTex University umbrella but operating as an independent entity. Going into this year I still didn’t really know what the Boston marathon was and was coming off a 3:27 marathon at the Austin Marathon in 2004. The first thing I remember about Rogue was the time trial, 2 miles as hard as you can around the track and how that factored into our workouts. Steve was our coach and I remember running a lot of workouts with Ruth, Brian and Jayna. My time trial made a 3:10 marathon a possibility so that was the goal. I didn’t keep a running log at the time so quite a bit of this is by memory. I am hitting 9 years old in running years soon so my memory of those early years is fading fast.

Training for Chicago was fun, lots of runs with Jayna and Brian up in the Jollyvile area and plenty of track workouts. I remember doing workouts on a one mile course I’d measured at work (NI), 6 miles at MGP or HMGP on my own. Then there was the workout that got me my nickname of being a metronome. It was a track workout that involved alternating between 10k pace and marathon pace every 200 meters for 3 miles or so. What I remember is pretty much hitting each split, overall I may have been off 2 seconds or something. My anal retentiveness helped in training I guess. Then there was the Chicago Marathon race itself when I got my Boston Qualifier, with a time of 3:10:13, yes those 13 seconds still bother me!

After that it was a bunch more training for the Boston Marathon in 2005, which was a good run. I decided to run my first Boston marathon for fun to enjoy the experience and boy did I. It’s just such a great atmosphere and kids are out there handing out fruit … and popsicles, oh to have a popsicle during a marathon … what more can you ask for. The time 3:13:32 so a good time.

This was the year I realized I could actually run at some decent pace, for normal people, and well I guess it just kept going with the performance project after Boston 2005. But that’s for a review of Age 3 in running years and another blog post.