Update on the past month

Running has been hit and miss over the last month. I developed what I thought would be a just a minor pain in my left foot just prior to the St. Patrick's Day 8K. I ran the race as the pain was minor and ended up running a PR 27:20, good for 2nd place, though I was never in contention to win the race. I continued to run the week following the race and by the following Thursday, the pain was so bad, I knew I needed some time off. We went on a cruise for spring break and I only went to the gym 2 days, biking 45 minutes each day.

When we got back from break, I was feeling quite a bit better so I decided to go run with the boys during Sunday Service. I made the mistake of going 15 miles. I took the next day off and was able to tally 48 miles for the week, including a 1/2 marathon that I won running a 1:18:36, good for 1st place by 5:30 minutes. I was a little sore but ended up putting in 58 miles the next week, including a 14 miler for Sunday Service. Again, this flared up the foot. I took Monday and Tuesday off and even went for an x-ray. I ran 8 Wednesday with Jeff. The foot hurt so bad Thursday, I took the day off. The results of the x-ray did not show a stress fracture as I suspected but they did encourage me to see my regular doctor and request a MRI. I ran 2.5 miles Friday and then against my better judgement, raced on Saturday. I ran a local 5K in 17:00, good for 3rd place (damn young kids).  For some reason, while racing, I am able to block out the pain but when training or just walking around, the pain is very noticeable.

I have a 1/2 Marathon in Providence this coming Sunday with Kris and then plan to take some time off to let whatever the problem is heal. As much as I would like to run through it, I am going to listen to the opinion of Steve and Sue, 2 runners I have a great deal of respect for. I know they are right! I also plan to contact my Dr to see if he feels an MRI is needed or if we should go the route of rest first. The next race planned is Bayshore at the end of May and that may have to be deferred to 2012 if this pain doesn't go away.

Back from Vacation

It has been a while since my last post so I figured I was due! Over the past couple of weeks, I have had a myriad of slight tweaks. I had a mysterious pain show up about 3 weeks ago in my right foot. As quickly as it came, it left 6 days later. About a week later, a similar pain invaded my left foot. This was 3 days prior to Bay City's St. Pat's Day race and my first 8K in almost 20 years. I ran through the pain and competed in the race, running a 27:20 and good enough for a second place finish. I continued to train through the pain up for a few more days and finally the pain had caused me to change the way I was running and flared up my SI joint on my left side. That was all it took. I shut down for 9 days. I only biked for 2 days, 45 minutes each day. The break did nicely coincide with spring break for my kids and a family vacation via Carnival cruising the Western Carribbean.

We flew out on Friday from Detroit to Miami. We got in about 11pm and headed to the hotel. The next morning, my son could barely contain his excitement to get on the cruise ship and I wasn't far behind him. The cruise stopped in Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios. This was the first vacation in my 14 years as a professional that I did not have a work cell phone or computer with me and it was wonderful! We had great weather, great food, beautiful ports and most importantly, my family and I were having a great time! It was hard knowing that this would probably be the last time we would travel as a family of 4 with my daughter graduating this year.

We returned home last night at 8pm. We had a great trip and began the fun of unpacking. I couldn't wait to log in and see how bad my e-mail was from one week (407 messages, are you kidding me?). I was also excited as I knew it was going to be time for Sunday Service in the morning.

I met up with Badge, James, and Nick shortly before 9am and we headed out. They asked how far I was going to go and it totally depended on my foot. I figured 8 miles would be good. We got to the 4 mile mark and I felt good so I continued. At 5, Badge asked if I was going 15 with him. I sort of laughed and thought there was no way I was going to be able to do that. As we continued, I felt ok so I continued with them. I ended up going 15 in 1:43:35 and the best part was I felt ok at the end. I definitely could tell I hadn't run in 9 days but my lungs seemed fine, legs a bit heavy.

Next up, a 1/2 Marathon next weekend that will be treated as a long run rather than a race!

No Doubles this week!

After racing a 10K last Satuday and then running 16 more on Sunday on snow and ice, I woke up very sore on Monday. My quads were torched like I ran a down hill marathon. This was supposed to be the 4th week of a 6 week test of doubling 3 days a week. After a conversation with Coach on Monday, we decided to cut back. By the time Thursday rolled around, I felt like I had some good pop back in my legs. I cruised through the first 3 miles of an 8 miler at 6:22 pace and felt great. I decided to start running a cut down and ended up finishing the next 5 in 28:39. Today, cruised another 8 miles. Looking at the weather, we should have some decent footing Saturday and Sunday so I'm looking forward to a couple longer runs.

Next weekend, St. Pat's 8K. The last time I ran one of those, I was a senior in high school and ran a 28:47. I don't think a PR from '92 counts any longer so here is to setting a new PR next weekend. Best of luck to all my friends running Corktown and the upcoming St. Pats races. Also, Kris out in Maryland. DO WORK!

The Recovery Sock Sponsorship

Today I returned home to some great news. Recovery Sock, a product I have used and loved for the past year, offered me a sponsorship opportunity! Needless to say, I am thrilled! I was told by them, "Anyone that races as much as you do and is as fast as you do certainly deserves sponsorship! We at The Recovery Sock would be happy to sponsor you!"

With this sponsorship, I am able to provide a code to be used at their website, www.recoverysock.com, to give friends a 15% discount on all regular and sale items. The code to use which will be active by March 3, 2011 is jl001dw.

If you have never tried a compression sock, this would be a great opportunity to do so at a discounted price. These socks have definitely improved my recovery time by reducing the amount of lactic acid in my legs. Please let me know if you have any questions about the product. Thank you Recovery Sock Team!

Meridian High alum runner dedicates season to missing coach

EDENVILLE TWP. — For the last six years, Jason LaFave is a runner that has pounded out thousands of miles on the roads and competed in road races and marathons across the country.

But last week, he said he lost motivation.

"Running didn't have a purpose," said LaFave, 36, of Sanford. "I could have cared less."

LaFave, a past runner of Bob Cole, the Meridian High School cross country and track coach that disappeared last week while searching for his daughter's dog, said he broke down after hearing the news last Wednesday.

A search for Cole is now in its eighth day. Search crews have covered more than three miles of the Tittabawassee River in Midland County's Edenville Township, using divers, air boats, helicopters and sonar technology. A ground search has given police officials evidence that Cole's body is in the river.

For LaFave, who is sponsored by Brooks, Hammer Nutrition and Runners Performance of Bay City and Saginaw, hanging up his running shoes became an option. In his personal running blog, he wrote that he was filled with mixed emotions.

"This situation just seems so unfair," LaFave wrote. "I had actually thought about hanging up the shoes, even as important as it has been to me."

But it was during a 10-mile run this past weekend that he felt his coach's presence.

"It was exactly what I needed," said LaFave. "Coach wouldn't want me to quit."

Now he's dedicating this year's running season to Cole. He wrote in his blog that he has never dropped out of a race in his career.

"...and the 2011 season is a race," LaFave wrote. "I had a great year running last year and that will be nothing compared to what I plan to do this year. Here is to you Coach Bob."

Going into high school, LaFave had his heart set on playing basketball. But Cole saw more potential in him.

"Maybe it was because I was 5'-3", 110-pounds and couldn't shoot," said LaFave.

Cole told him to come out for cross country so he could condition for the basketball season. LaFave said his coach asked guys from all different circles of the high school to join the team. 

And in the beginning, it wasn't pretty.

"I looked for every way possible to get out of running," said LaFave.

But after training a summer with Cole and his teammates, which included weekend workouts typically followed by ice cream provided by Cole, LaFave said his 5K time dropped by more than 3 minutes. As a sophomore, LaFave decided he could have success in running and it was Cole's motivation that made him feel that way.

In his senior year, LaFave helped lead his team to its first appearance at the Michigan state cross country championship.

It was his junior year, however, that LaFave remembers most vividly. After failing to qualify for the state championship race, Cole asked LaFave and his athletes to compete in a half marathon in Williamston the next weekend. Little did LaFave know that a half marathon meant 13-miles of racing.

"The most I had ever done before that was 8 miles," he said. "It was the worst expeirence of my life, I was sick, I was so ticked.

"It was raining and sleeting, my feet were soaked, my skin was rubbed raw under my armpits and my chest; it was just miserable."

But after the race, Cole ran up to LaFave with a smile on his face.

"He asked me, 'Well, what did you think?'" said LaFave.

And LaFave thought to himself, "I need to do more work."

"I'm not sure if that was a lesson that coach was trying to make to me, that more work needed to be done," said LaFave, "but that's what I walked away with, and that's what I'm going to walk away with forever."

Article from the Bay City Times by Andrew Dodson on 2/16/2011

Bob Cole - Meridian Cross Country and Track Coach

I am writing this blog with a heavy heart. Bob Cole was my high school coach I referred to in my first blog. He was my Geography teacher when I was a freshman in high school. Every day Coach would try and talk me into coming out for the cross country team. I was a scrawny 13 year old freshman who ran track in junior high but was never very good and quite honestly didn't like to run cause I didn't like to hurt. Coach made it sound appealing enough to convince me and a couple other guys to join the team and I really didn't even know what I had agreed to but I thought if it involved Bob Cole, it was going to be enjoyable. As they saying goes, you get out of it what you put into it. I didn't put too much in the first year and that was what I got out of it. Didn't matter to Coach though. You couldn't tell I wasn't doing well because every time I ran a PR he was as excited for me as he was for every other athlete we had. Coach had a unique was of pulling a group of "misfits" together. I definitely fit into that category. I improved by about 3 minutes in the 5K between my freshman and sophomore year and started to have fun with the sport. It didn't hurt that we had a great leader who was actually making running fun and a great group of friends. Coach had truly created a team. By the time we were seniors, we felt like we could do big things. Coach led us to a Midland County title and the team qualified for the state finals for the first time in school history. I still remember looking at his face in the Ogemaw High School gym, smile just a beaming for what we had accomplished.

I later had the opportunity to coach with him for 2 years and I learned a lot from him. We were fortunate enough to have some great athletes and actually even had a state champion mile relay team. He and I were a great team because he was always open to what I had to say and those that know me, know I often have a lot to say. This past year, I was asked to write a letter of recommendation for Coach to support his Midland County Hall of Fame nomination. Coach was inducted into the Hall with the Class of 2010. An honor he definitely deserved. The outpouring of support from this unfortunate incident shows just what kind of man he was and how many lives he has touched.

Over the past few days, I have had a lot of mixed emotions. I really have not been motivated to go out and run. This situation just seems so unfair! I had actually thought about hanging up the shoes, even as important as it has been to me. Today, while I was out for a 10 miler and it hit me. The last thing he would want me to do is quit. I have never DNFed from a race and the 2011 season is a race. I will dedicate this season to Coach. I had a great year running last year and that will be nothing compared to what I plan to do this year. Here is to you Coach Bob!

Long Run

So today was my first long run after the marathon last Saturday. We ran into 5 of our other local crew, Lisa, Heather, Deb, Jason, and Jen. As we were all going different distances, we all got started. Kris, Jeff, James and our newbie Nick decided we were going to go 16. I originally planned on going 12 today but as we got to the 6 mile mark on the trail, it was not as bad as expected so we pushed through the snow. As we came up on the mile and a half mark, a woman walking her dog that snapped at us, started yelling at us that we needed to give her and her dog more room. That didn't sit well with any of us and we started yelling back at her as we were running. The frustration led us to running a 6:42 mile, a lot faster than we wanted at that point. At mile 7, Nick decided to turn and go back. I thought about going with him to keep him honest but decided to stick with the group instead. As we hit 8 and turned around, I was feeling ok but was definitely noticing the snow in my hips and lower back. By the time we got to 14, I was really wishing I had only gone 12. Rather than slow or give it up, Kris, Jeff and I decided to do what had to be done, we picked up the pace. We dropped 2 sub 6:20 miles and were done! I felt better at the end of the 16 than I did at 14. Funny how that worked out and glad the boys dragged me the extra 4 miles today.