Sunday, March 13, 2011

Back At It

(Getting above the clouds this morning.)
There's nothing like a long absence from running to really re-whet one's appetite for it.  A couple weeks ago my sore foot was accompanied by a five-day flu-like illness that made getting out of bed a real challenge, let alone actually going for a run.  I took the obvious hint and submitted to ten days or so of zero running and almost no physical activity of any sort except for biking to and from class.

By the middle of this past week then, I was very curious to see where the inactivity had left the status of my foot.  A couple short test jogs were promising so on Friday morning I ventured up Flagstaff with Jocelyn.  This had no ill effects (despite viciously exposing my severe lack of fitness), so, after nearly a month and a half, I was finally able to return to Green Mountain the last couple of days.  With my body fully-rested and my mind eager, I'm really looking forward to the long, slow build in training over the next three months.

Mon- 0

Tue- 0

Wed- 3 miles (:25) Kitt

Thu- 5 miles (:42) Kitt

Fri- 7 miles (1:05) Flagstaff, 1500'
Easy with Jocelyn. Incredibly windy and the uphill made me nauseous for most of the climb, but the foot was very encouraging.

Sat- 10 miles (1:37) Green Mt., 2700'

Sun-10 miles (1:35) Green Mt., 2700'
A couple inches of fresh, sticky snow above 6500' did a nice job of covering up all the bullet-proof ice. Beautiful morning in the mist.

29 comments:

Wyatt Hornsby said...

Anton,

I think the time off will do you a world of good. It's good to see you getting back into action. You are obviously a very smart runner, so do keep an eye on that foot especially if you suspect plantar. With your incredible base of fitness, I think you'll quickly get into shape for Western States. I do wish you'd cap your mileage at about 140-150, but who am I to say that when you're the guy winning races left and right? Lots of luck and may this be your best year yet.

Wyatt

Anonymous said...

Good to see you back. You continue to inspire...on the couch or the trail. Good luck with your return.

Brandon Fuller said...

Rocket returns! Was hoping to bump into you yesterday. Figured it would be a good sign if you were out there in any form.

Pepére said...

Very happy for you. My weekly running mileage only amounts to a small fraction of yours, yet when I was sidelined by ITBS in the past it was quite difficult psychologically not to be able to have my regular fix of running. So I can imagine it's been that much more difficult in your case.

And if I might add to the pile of unsollicited, armchair quarterback advice: I think your injury was due in large part to insufficient training for the specific demands of the RR course, i.e. not enough mileage on primarily flat terrain.

I wish you an injury-free remainder of the year.

Unknown said...

Good to see you back on the trails and back on the blog Anton... I'm sure the hills missed you as much as you missed them :)

Happy running

Brandon Williams said...

Awesome! Cant't wait to see your progress through the summer season, its to bad this happened I was looking forward to watching you at Chuckanut next weekend.

good luck with your season!

William said...

Nice to see you have reconnected with the trails. Wishing you a vibrant season ahead.

Jim Sevaly said...

Really happy to hear you are able to run again. You inspire me on a daily basis.

Patrick Thurber said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5xa07_jOr4

such a good tune!

Anonymous said...

Anton, w/o even reading the posting, I wanted to say, I'm so happy for you!!

Hey, I'll be in Boulder from the 25th-27th, what are the chances of me doing a few miles with you?

Thanks, Michael

Barry Bliss said...

Glad to hear it.
Good luck.

John said...

Welcome back!

Keep it on the incline. After finding your blog I avoid the flat and the paved.

Jannicke said...

I''m glad to see that you're back running again. Jannicke

StefanP said...

glad you're back on track

Anonymous said...

excellent!!

i´m really happy to see you back at the trails!!!!!!

do you think u´ll be making the utmb 2011??? we´ll have to make plans to visit la france if affirmative

:-)

JessiePants said...

Amazing photo and glad that you have had some promising results with your foot. Here's to a great week!

Eric@URP said...

For once, I ran more than you last week. Awesome!

tim white said...

Great to see you "back at it"!!

Richard Liddiard said...

Light at the end of tunnel.... I signed up for my first ultra, being a 50 miler, race date May 14th. After 5 weeks into my training program, I pulled my hamstring, grade 1 tear, 3 weeks from running I thought I would give it another go.. this did not go so well 1 hr in and my knee was killing, again due to the hamstring pull... I'm glad to hear that after your long stint of no running, there is hope, as I am eager to get back to the trails and training for another race. I don't think I have the time to prep for the May 14th race anymore....

Stay healthy

Richard

Texafornia said...

Yay! I've been waiting to see this post and I'm so happy you're feeling better. Namaste, dude.

duhlir said...

Awesome news enjoy the trails Tony!

Agiofws said...

Good to see that you're back at it Tony ...

jacob said...

Hey Anton! I have a question for ya. And I am being serious. I am a very REGULAR person if you take my meaning. I go number 2 before my run, and anytime I go long distance I have to go again. Sometimes multiple times during the same run. How do I combat this? Is this a common problem for runners? I have my first ultra coming up in a couple of weeks and I don't want to have to loose time. Thanks.

Andy said...

We seem to be on the same injury schedule. Now if only I can get within striking distance of your running schedule I'll be very happy. Welcome back to the trails Anton - just in time for spring in the front range!

Unknown said...

Good news in ultraland to see you back and running again.
I know how that feels being injured or ill and not running when everone is out. The sweeter the return though.
Enjoy!

Marco Denson said...

No te precipites. Hazlo con calma y diviertete. Te deseo muy buena suerte.

Marco

Barry Bliss said...

I see the injury and layoff as part of the whole, not something outside of it.

Anonymous said...

hey Anton,

I was wondering if you knew that crazy climber Alex Honnold very well? I didn't think he lived in Boulder or anything but I saw him coming down gregory canyon on thursday on my way up and then again on pearl st. while having a late lunch at Centro. I remember seeing a pic on Jurek's blog that mentioned Honnold training/running ultras so it make since that he's been doin work at Boulder. Just kinda caught me off guard seeing him and got me wondering if you two ever crossed paths???

Anton said...

Jacob--No, I definitely don't know Alex well. I met him briefly last summer at the Outdoor Retailer tradeshow, though, where he mentioned he was interested in running an ultra. I think the frontiers of mental focus and awareness that he's traversing with his free soloing is massively inspiring, though, and can be instructive for anyone who is interested in being in the mountains for the purity of the experience, no matter what activity they're engaging in .