Schedule started - views of Gran Canaria

training stats
week's total: 3 runs 34K, gym 2 sessions
Su 03/02: hilly run, 15K, 1:28 hrs
Sa 02/02: gym 2hrs
Th 31/01: jog, 11K: 1:10 hrs
We 30/01: gym 2 hrs
Tu 29/01: run, 8K, 0:45 hrs
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Su 27/01: run, 11K, 1:00 hrs
Th 24/01: run, 8K, 0:44 hrs

We enjoyed our week of hill walking on Gran Canaria. Here are some pics to show how different the island's landscape is.

This is what we came for. Spectacular rocks in the center of the mountainous isle.

Entertaining but easy walking routes passing old villages like El Chorillo which is built like an eagle's nest between rocky peaks.

Daily life below the West coast cliffs.

The most common picture of Gran Canaria is the one of the Maspalomas Dunes. I had to take care not to catch any naked person on the photo. Walking across the area you get the impression that 2 of 3 people are undressed, thereof 90% are male - most of them not really young - and thereof 90% are gay.


Meanwhile my 12-week-schedule to the London Marathon has started. I am already behind my targets, albeit not seriously. The next 3 weeks will tell if the odd knee is ready to cope with higher mileage.

More about Gran Canaria at Wikipedia
My 12-week-schedule (xls)

Forced rest

training stats
Th 16/01: indoor cycle, 1.5 hrs
We 15/01: gym, 1.5 hrs
Tu 14/01: flat run, 9K, 0:51 hrs
Mo 13/01: indoor cycle, 1 hr

Some medical news: I received my first Hylaronan injection. No effect so far - improvements will show up after third one if at all. By chance I googled informations about a new cartilage therapy which is called Orthokin. Your blood is taken to produce a serum which then is injected into your knee. Before I do the next step - surgery - I think it could be worth to try this conservative therapy. Info German English

Today I am the victim of my principle saying one workout every day. Gym followed by indoor cycling turned out to be too much (we had this before...) and resulted in a strained tendon. At least 3 rest days I suppose.

I am off for a holiday week on Gran Canaria and I leave my laptop behind me! I am sorry, no posting before Feb 01.
Happy running!

Ups! I nearly forgot to post my London training schedule. Obviously that's because I am still ignoring it.

Non-scheduled running

week's total: run 29K, indoor cycling 2 hrs, gym 2 sessions
Su 13/01: hilly run, 11K, 1:00 hrs
Sa 12/01: gym 2 hrs
Fr 11/01: flat run, 10K, 0:57 hrs

I have not yet set up my training schedule for London. I still hesitate to do it because it would be too frustrating to visualize how difficult it is to build up any fitness while injured. Confronted with a proper plan I will have to realize that I can't do sufficient workouts.

I promise to publish my schedule until next Saturday. I am sorry that my personal plan will be very special and not suitable to be copied for anyone else. Perhaps you are interested to have a look at the 4:25-schedule I just created for a friend who wants to run the Hamburg marathon in April:

4:25 marathon schedule (xls-file)

Ecuador report

training stats
Th 10/01: gym 1 hr, indoor cycle 1 hr
Tu 08/01: flat run, 8K, 0:45 hrs
Mo 07/01: indoor cycle 1 hr

Will see the doc not ealier than next Tuesday and hopefully receive my first injection. The knee seems to wait for it.

Those of you speaking German might like to see my photo report of the recent Ecuador climbing holiday. English version still to come.

New year - old knees

training stats
week's total: run 35K, cycle 1 hr, gym 2 sessions
Su 06/01: hilly run, 11K, 1:01 hrs
Sa 05/01: gym, 2 hrs
Fr 04/01: flat run, 9K, 0:46 hrs
Th 03/01: indoor cycle, 1 hr
We 02/01: gym, 2 hrs
Mo 31/12: flat race, 15K, 1:07 hrs

The 15K race was fine, I achieved the time I could expect and the sick kneecap played along. However, more than once I imagined that this could easily have been my very last New Year's Eve race.

All the problems didn't prevent me from entering the 2008 London, Stockholm and NYC marathons. Thinking about creating a training plan building up to April 13 - the London Marathon - I had to discover that time is rather short. I will contact the doc asap to receive Hyaluronan injections. Meanwhile I limit my running to distances of max 10K and a weekly mileage of max 30K, hopefully increasing to 40-50K in February.

If everything goes according to plans I will do my first long run at mid of March which is definately too late to get really fit for London. So my modest target will be to finish with a time of less than 4 hours.

Happy new year

training stats
Sa 29/12: flat run, 10K, 0:53 hrs
Fr 28/12: gym, 2 hrs
Th 27/12: gym, 1.5 hrs, indoor bike 1 hr
We 26/12: hilly run, 16K, 1:36 hrs

Happy new year to everyone. Remember you are not alone, there are others who also get a raw deal:

Looking at the week's training stats you might think that I am back to perfect fitness. That's a wrong impression. The hilly run turned out to be too much stress for my knee. Running the New Year's Eve Race tomorrow will probably ruin my patella for weeks. But it's the race I have done more often than any other one and I desperately want to run it. I am too young to act sensibly. Perhaps next year but I doubt.

A better purpose to feel good next year:

Merry Christmas everybody

training stats
week's total: jog/walk 31K, bike 2 hrs, gym 2 sessions
Su 23/12: hilly run, 8K, 0:48 hrs
Sa 22/12: jog 5K, 0:30 hrs, gym 2 hrs
Fr 21/12: slow jog, 10K, 1:06 hrs
Th 20/12: indoor bike, 1:00 hrs
We 19/12: jog/walk, 8K, 0:48 hrs
Tu 18/12: indoor bike, 1:00 hrs
Mo 17/12: gym 2 hrs

My year of running seems to end placably. The knee seems to recover slowly. At least I was able to circle our local reservoir which is a flat distance of 10 K. By a very modest speed I have to admit. But that is what an injured runners has to learn: To become modest.

There are more things to learn. Being early pensioned provides you with a big amount of freedom. (I hear you crying: "Let me have your problems!") Excessive use of this sudden liberty can cause problems - there is a sensitivity of catching injuries due to too much exercise. But there are more risks. Perhaps the most obvious and easiest solution is: Do not demand too much from your life, stay modest. A motto for next year?

Merry christmas everybody, be happy!

source: http://cagle.msnbc.com/news/ReynoldsChristmas/1.asp