Sometimes you gotta leave the SuperWoman cape at home.
Week 3 started with my husband out of town and ended with my boss out of town. It was an exhausting week with lots of stress that affected every area of my life, including marathon training. I managed to have a few good runs, but didn't hit my "must-do" workout of the week.
Summary:
Monday -- Knowing my husband wouldn't be in town until Monday night, I adjusted my schedule to make Monday morning an easy cross-training day. In actuality, I wouldn't even call it cross-training. It was a little bit of light stretching before the kids woke up. Better than nothing.
Tuesday -- My training plan called for 6 miles, with the last 3 miles faster than the first 3. As of 5:00 a.m. when I woke up, there were a few tiny green blips on the weather radar, which didn't phase me. When I left my house at 6:00, the sky was looking pretty dark and ominous. Less than a half mile into my run, the bottom dropped out. Rain was coming down sideways and the lightning was everywhere. I ducked into a shelter, checked the radar again on my iPhone, and discovered that those little green blips had merged into a decent-sized storm with lots of red & yellow. I turned around and ran back to my car. I ran again after dinner Tuesday night. Running after sundown is completely different than running before sunrise. I was worried about the increased traffic. It's tourist season here, and I wondered how many drivers had been drinking or were otherwise distracted. Maybe all that worrying gave me a big adrenaline boost, because I ran much faster than usual and it felt great. I didn't run very far, but each mile was faster than the one before it. It really was fun.
Summary (total for both attempts): 4.63 miles at 8:54 pace.
Wednesday -- Instead of running an easy 4 miles, I ran 5 and picked up speed for the last 2 miles. Lots of wind on Wednesday, which helped me pick up speed at the end (9:08 pace for the last miles), but really made for a struggle in the beginning. Summary: 5 miles at 9:34 average pace.
Thursday: Cross-training -- Cardio Kick-Boxing DVD. Not my cup of tea. Boss went out of town on Thursday, and the stress at work went through the roof.
Friday: Ahhh, I love easy Friday morning runs. No pressure on the pace, just enjoying the scenery and the rhythm of the run. This was a lovely, calming start to what turned out to be an extremely tough day. Summary: 4.72 miles at 9:29 pace.
Saturday: I intended to run 15 miles, with the middle 5 miles at my goal marathon race pace. I procrastinated getting out the door, and half a mile in I was hating the run. I couldn't get my mind off work issues, my breathing was shallow, and I felt absolutely drained. Sometimes it takes me a couple of miles to get into the groove, so I decided to see how I felt at 2.5 miles. Still miserable, and dreading the faster pace that was coming up. I turned around at 2.5 and headed back toward my car. I didn't make the final decision to call it quits until around mile 4.5. I figured I had enough of a window Sunday morning to get in my full run before my husband left for work, and hopefully a day away from the office would be enough to get my running zen back. Unfortunately, when I woke up on Sunday, there were scary storm clouds in the sky, and by the time they passed, the window of opportunity had passed. It was disappointing -- the long run was the one marked as a "do-it-no-matter-what" workout on my training plan. I'm not sure if I should have kept going on Saturday or if that would have left me too drained to fully participate in Girls Day Out with my daughter that afternoon. I plan on running this one next weekend, instead of the slightly shorter long run on my plan.
Total mileage: 19.35. Hoping Week 4 will be much better!
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Monday, July 22, 2013
Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon Training - week 2
Week 2. The big challenge for this week was working my training plan around my husband's schedule. He left town early Friday morning and was gone the entire weekend. My options were (A) shuffle all of my quality runs, including the long run, to the beginning of the week; or (B) hire a babysitter on Saturday or Sunday morning, and pray it wouldn't be too hot or too stormy when the babysitter arrived. I opted for plan A. Here's how it went:
Monday: Might as well get the one I was dreading the most out of the way. Tempo workouts are mentally hard, especially on a Monday morning. Last week I had tempo intervals, so at least I had a little recovery time in the middle of the run, but this week called for a warm-up, continual miles at tempo pace, and a cool-down. I went in to the run not completely convinced that I was going to push the speed at all, thanks to a big Louisiana-style dinner the night before. My first mile of warm-up took over ten minutes and I thought there was no way I could go under nine, let alone the 8:17 - 8:35 range that I was shooting for. I ultimately decided to attempt the tempo but not to expect to run as fast as I can on a good day. Surprise, surprise, I stayed within target range and only checked on my pace occasionally. I'm glad I took the plunge. Overall distance and pace: 5.75 miles at 9:09 pace.
Tuesday: It's really not a good idea to run speed workouts back-to-back, but I wanted to get my quality workouts completed while I had a chance. This week's second speed workout called for speed intervals on a hilly route. I modified a little. After about a 1.5 mile warmup, I ran several loops through a neighborhood that has some pretty fierce hills (for Florida). They're not that tall, but they are steep and they are very close together. I sprinted up the hills and coasted on the way down, with very little time to recover in between. When I left the neighborhood, I continued to push my pace on the uphills and did one speed interval when it got flat. Hit the biggest hill of all during my last mile -- ouch. This workout left me exhausted. Overall distance and pace: 7.09 miles at 9:20 pace.
Wednesday: An unplanned rest day, courtesy of girls-night-out Tuesday night.
Thursday: Somehow I managed to get my 14-miler done on Thursday morning and still made it to work almost on time. I ran the first 5 miles while the sun was rising. They were SO slow. I worried about meeting my friend at 6:00 for the last 9 miles because she's much faster than me, but once we met up, she helped me pick up the pace. There were lots of starts and stops on this run, so it took much longer than the two hours and 16 minutes of running that my Garmin reported. A warm-up walk with my friend, a couple of restroom stops, a water break -- they all added up. There was no time for stretching or eating when I got home -- just time to take a quick shower, twist my wet hair in a bun, throw on the most comfortable work-appropriate clothes I could find, and haul. Fortunately, I had a yoga mat and some granola bars in my office, and I didn't have the post-run crash I was expecting. This was my longest run of the year so far. Overall distance and pace: 14.01 miles at 9:42 pace.
Friday: Husband left town at 4 a.m. No workout. Just focused on getting the kids to their respective daycares on time.
Saturday: I woke up before the kids, and ran an easy 4.5 miles around our little neighborhood. It's about a quarter mile from my driveway to the neighborhood entrance. This is usually a boring run that I will avoid at all costs, but a heavy rain storm about 15 minutes into the run made it a little more fun. I followed up with 6 short strides. Overall distance and pace: 4.86 miles at 9:11.
Lunch at Chik-Fil-A included fries. Matinee with the kids included lots of popcorn and Coke. I felt guilty afterward so I tried one of my husband's Tapout XT DVDs: Cross Core Combat. Forty-five minutes of core work and pushups made me feel like a complete wimp.
Sunday: More Tapout XT. This time I tried an upper body strength workout. Once again, the pushups killed me. I quit after 25 minutes (despite the instructor's insistence that Nobody Quits), but I pushed hard for those 25 minutes, and my body was ready for something gentler. Thirty minutes of yoga really loosened up my tight lower back and hips.
Summary: 31.71 miles for the week plus two cross-training sessions. Shuffling the schedule wasn't as difficult as I anticipated. I am a little disappointed that I didn't fit in the optional 3-4 mile run this week, but I am glad that I actually did some strength training and quality stretching to fend off injury.
Monday: Might as well get the one I was dreading the most out of the way. Tempo workouts are mentally hard, especially on a Monday morning. Last week I had tempo intervals, so at least I had a little recovery time in the middle of the run, but this week called for a warm-up, continual miles at tempo pace, and a cool-down. I went in to the run not completely convinced that I was going to push the speed at all, thanks to a big Louisiana-style dinner the night before. My first mile of warm-up took over ten minutes and I thought there was no way I could go under nine, let alone the 8:17 - 8:35 range that I was shooting for. I ultimately decided to attempt the tempo but not to expect to run as fast as I can on a good day. Surprise, surprise, I stayed within target range and only checked on my pace occasionally. I'm glad I took the plunge. Overall distance and pace: 5.75 miles at 9:09 pace.
Tuesday: It's really not a good idea to run speed workouts back-to-back, but I wanted to get my quality workouts completed while I had a chance. This week's second speed workout called for speed intervals on a hilly route. I modified a little. After about a 1.5 mile warmup, I ran several loops through a neighborhood that has some pretty fierce hills (for Florida). They're not that tall, but they are steep and they are very close together. I sprinted up the hills and coasted on the way down, with very little time to recover in between. When I left the neighborhood, I continued to push my pace on the uphills and did one speed interval when it got flat. Hit the biggest hill of all during my last mile -- ouch. This workout left me exhausted. Overall distance and pace: 7.09 miles at 9:20 pace.
Wednesday: An unplanned rest day, courtesy of girls-night-out Tuesday night.
Thursday: Somehow I managed to get my 14-miler done on Thursday morning and still made it to work almost on time. I ran the first 5 miles while the sun was rising. They were SO slow. I worried about meeting my friend at 6:00 for the last 9 miles because she's much faster than me, but once we met up, she helped me pick up the pace. There were lots of starts and stops on this run, so it took much longer than the two hours and 16 minutes of running that my Garmin reported. A warm-up walk with my friend, a couple of restroom stops, a water break -- they all added up. There was no time for stretching or eating when I got home -- just time to take a quick shower, twist my wet hair in a bun, throw on the most comfortable work-appropriate clothes I could find, and haul. Fortunately, I had a yoga mat and some granola bars in my office, and I didn't have the post-run crash I was expecting. This was my longest run of the year so far. Overall distance and pace: 14.01 miles at 9:42 pace.
Friday: Husband left town at 4 a.m. No workout. Just focused on getting the kids to their respective daycares on time.
Saturday: I woke up before the kids, and ran an easy 4.5 miles around our little neighborhood. It's about a quarter mile from my driveway to the neighborhood entrance. This is usually a boring run that I will avoid at all costs, but a heavy rain storm about 15 minutes into the run made it a little more fun. I followed up with 6 short strides. Overall distance and pace: 4.86 miles at 9:11.
Lunch at Chik-Fil-A included fries. Matinee with the kids included lots of popcorn and Coke. I felt guilty afterward so I tried one of my husband's Tapout XT DVDs: Cross Core Combat. Forty-five minutes of core work and pushups made me feel like a complete wimp.
Sunday: More Tapout XT. This time I tried an upper body strength workout. Once again, the pushups killed me. I quit after 25 minutes (despite the instructor's insistence that Nobody Quits), but I pushed hard for those 25 minutes, and my body was ready for something gentler. Thirty minutes of yoga really loosened up my tight lower back and hips.
Summary: 31.71 miles for the week plus two cross-training sessions. Shuffling the schedule wasn't as difficult as I anticipated. I am a little disappointed that I didn't fit in the optional 3-4 mile run this week, but I am glad that I actually did some strength training and quality stretching to fend off injury.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Marathon Training 2013 -- week 1
And she's off!
I am fresh off the first week of training for the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon, and I am feeling pumped!
One of my favorite things about marathon running is all the planning and research that goes into it. I decided several months ago that I was ready to start planning for a fall marathon, and I wanted to find one that would double as a fun vacation for my family and fit into our fall schedules. Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon was a perfect match. As the name would imply, the race takes place at a national park where the Battle of Chickamauga was fought during the Civil War. My father-in-law is a Civil War historian, so my husband grew up visiting battlegrounds. He is excited to pass those experiences on to our children. As for me, I may have the ocean in my veins, but I have been craving a little time in the mountains. We found a beautiful mountain chalet about 45 minutes from the starting line where I can cook my own carb-loaded meals before the race, and enjoy an expansive view of the valley below from a hot-tub or hammock after it's over. Another bonus: it's a Saturday marathon and it's a 3-day weekend, meaning I can spend all day Sunday recovering and we can drive home Monday without any expectation of me answering client emails.
The next stage of planning was deciding on a training plan. I'm a big fan of mother-runners Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell's books and podcasts, "Run Like a Mother". Their latest book, Train Like a Mother, includes training plans geared toward women with busy schedules. For each race distance, they have a "Finish It" plan and an "Own It" plan. I went with the "Own It" marathon plan -- go big or go home, right? To seal my decision, I tried out their 5K "Own It" plan this spring and it was a great fit for my goals and my lifestyle. The plans offer some variety from week to week, more speedwork than I've done before, and a weekly optional run. I usually ran the optional runs, but when life got hectic, it was helpful to know which workout I could skip without beating myself up.
Here is a summary of week one:
Monday: Donning some brand new bright orange Saucony Virratas, I set out for an easy 4-5 miles. Everything was laid out the night before, and all I had to do was gulp down some coffee & head down to the bike path, but Monday reared its ugly head & I had no motivation. I must have twiddled my thumbs in the car for ten minutes checking the weather, debating my musical selections, looking at Facebook posts, before I finally forced myself to get out of the car and start moving. I felt like a slug at first, but after a while I caught myself having fun. 4.69 miles at 9:19 pace (a little faster than my typical easy run this time of year, but within target range).
Tuesday: Tempo intervals. A 2-mile warm-up (rather than my usual 1-mile) really loosened me up, and I hit my target pace on the intervals, just barely. An extended cool-down brought me back to earth. Overall mileage & pace including W/U and C/D: 7.35 miles at 9:10 pace.
Wednesday: For cross-training I tried Shiva Rea's Creative Core & Upper Body DVD. It was yoga with sets of push-ups interspersed. I managed to get it almost finished before my son woke up and demanded breakfast. I think I only missed the final relaxation, which is always my favorite part of yoga practice.
Thursday: Life happened. My plan was to sleep in a little and do my speed workout on the treadmill in my garage. I woke up with stiff shoulders from the yoga DVD. The garage is not air-conditioned, and the humidity was oppressive. I tried moving the treadmill around to find a sliver of a breeze, all the while stewing because my husband doesn't want me to display the treadmill in our lovely air-conditioned living room in front of the lovely TV. I finally decided that I'd wait until evening and maybe it wouldn't be so humid. Never a good decision. I never end up running at night, and Thursday was par for the course.
Friday: Rather than running the optional easy run scheduled for Friday, I picked up Thursday's workout and I took it to the streets. My previous speed workouts have had prescribed distances and goal paces, but this one was based on time and perceived effort. I ran some fast 2-minute intervals with recovery jogs between, sweating buckets (because, oh yes, humidity has hovered between 80-95% all week long). Overall mileage & pace, including W/U, C/D, etc: 5.1 miles at 9:02 pace.
Saturday: Long run #1! Again, I made the mistake of sleeping a little too late, which caught up with me toward the end of this hot and humid 12-miler. I may not have carb-loaded well enough either. Or maybe I should have been taking my salt tablets sometime BEFORE mile 10. Poor planning makes for a tough run. Still I managed to make the last mile my fastest (8:59), with a whole lot of effort, a chance run through a sprinkler (which I made a point of hitting twice), and some awesomely potent musical selections. After a long shower, I spent 25-30 minutes stretching out my hips and legs with an "I-swear-it-was-made-for-me" yin yoga routine I found on YouTube. Workout summary: 12 miles at 9:44 pace.
Sunday: I thought about picking up the optional easy run that I skipped, but decided that my body could use a little relaxation. And I didn't feel guilty about it in the least. That's a step in the right direction for me. I'm a pro when it comes to beating myself up.
Summary: I like the plan. I really like it. I think the flexibility and focus on speed workouts are going to keep me motivated for the full 16 weeks. I'm also feeling good about basing my target paces on a brutally hot & humid 5k that I ran in June. I don't feel like that particular race was a good indicator of my best effort under perfect conditions, but it was my best effort under typical Florida summer conditions. When things start to cool down around here, I may run another 5k to assess my fitness level under those conditions, and then I can adjust my training paces accordingly.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Give and Take
I woke up today feeling unaccountably irritable with the world. Irritable that my son woke up the same time as I did, depriving me of my only chance for some alone time today. Irritable that both of my children were full of questions and needs while I was trying to get ready for work. Irritable that I had to go to work at all. Irritable that some people don't have to work. And so on and so forth. It all culminated in me screaming at everyone to get out of my kitchen and leave me alone.
For all of the blessings in my life, I sure do get grumpy sometimes. Usually it's when I haven't run in two or three days. That's not the case today. Although I didn't run this morning (because my training plan called for a rest day), I have had quality running workouts the past three days. I even managed to convince the kids to give me enough space last night to get in 30 minutes of much-needed restorative yoga before bedtime.
As a mother with a full-time job & a husband who works nights, I often feel that things are being taken from me: time with my family, opportunities to participate in community events, a social life, my energy. I think that's why I have latched on so obsessively to running at this time in my life as opposed to when I was younger. Running actually gives me a little something every time I lace up my shoes. Some days I receive something big: time spent with a friend or a medal for a goal accomplished. Other days the gift may be as simple as the sense of accomplishment that I get for making it out the door while the rest of the world is still sleeping.
I hate to think what this morning would have been like if I didn't have an outlet. I have apologized to my children for being a grouch, and I know that tomorrow will be a better day. Not because my attitude will magically transform or because all my troubles will have disappeared, but because I get to attack six miles of speed intervals before the sun comes up. Honestly, just the thought of that run makes me feel a little bit better today.
For all of the blessings in my life, I sure do get grumpy sometimes. Usually it's when I haven't run in two or three days. That's not the case today. Although I didn't run this morning (because my training plan called for a rest day), I have had quality running workouts the past three days. I even managed to convince the kids to give me enough space last night to get in 30 minutes of much-needed restorative yoga before bedtime.
As a mother with a full-time job & a husband who works nights, I often feel that things are being taken from me: time with my family, opportunities to participate in community events, a social life, my energy. I think that's why I have latched on so obsessively to running at this time in my life as opposed to when I was younger. Running actually gives me a little something every time I lace up my shoes. Some days I receive something big: time spent with a friend or a medal for a goal accomplished. Other days the gift may be as simple as the sense of accomplishment that I get for making it out the door while the rest of the world is still sleeping.
I hate to think what this morning would have been like if I didn't have an outlet. I have apologized to my children for being a grouch, and I know that tomorrow will be a better day. Not because my attitude will magically transform or because all my troubles will have disappeared, but because I get to attack six miles of speed intervals before the sun comes up. Honestly, just the thought of that run makes me feel a little bit better today.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Rock n Roll New Orleans Relay 2013
I had a love/hate thing going on with the Rock n Roll New Orleans races. I ran my first marathon there in 2011 and it was a perfect experience. I signed up again in 2012 and had a not-so-good experience: inadequate fueling on my part, unrealistic pace expectations on my part & a really really crowded course. Ultimately, I decided just past the half-way mark to turn around and cross the finish line with the half-marathoners. I spent the rest of day hating myself for wasting four months of training.
This year, I was recovering from IT band issues, and I knew I wouldn't have the base mileage to run the full OR the half. Fortunately, RnR gave me another option: the half-relay. My sister-in-law lives in Baton Rouge and she has been running, so I asked her to team up with me. I took the first leg, 7.5 miles pretty much up and back on St. Charles, and she took the second leg, 5.5 miles through the Quarter & up Esplanade to City Park. Here's a shot of us at the relay handoff.
While nothing will ever compare to running my first marathon, the relay was one of the most enjoyable races I have ever run. #1: NO PRESSURE -- It's not like we were going to win so I wasn't competing against the other runners. More importantly, this wasn't a distance I've ever raced and likely won't race again, so I wasn't competing against myself. #2: RnR stepped it up BIG TIME this year. Elite runners included Olympians Mo Farah, Shalane Flanigan and Kara Goucher. Mike McCready of Pearl Jam played the National Anthem pre-race. Dirty Dozen Brass Band played at the post-race party. #3: It was a fun bonding experience with my SIL. We spent the weeks leading up to the race texting and emailing each other about running gear, team names, and what to wear. It sounds like she's already signed up for her next race. I'll bet we run more races together in the future. #4: I travelled with two lovely friends and we made it a much-needed girls weekend. They both ran the full marathon with spectacular times. Did I mention that the getaway was Much Needed? Sometimes we need to be reminded of who we are apart from our families and our jobs. Life has been particularly hectic the past few months and it doesn't show signs of getting any easier. I am so grateful to have an outlet for that stress and even more grateful for the friendships that I have gained since I discovered my running habit.
After 2012, I said I wouldn't run this race again. In 2013, they won me back.
This year, I was recovering from IT band issues, and I knew I wouldn't have the base mileage to run the full OR the half. Fortunately, RnR gave me another option: the half-relay. My sister-in-law lives in Baton Rouge and she has been running, so I asked her to team up with me. I took the first leg, 7.5 miles pretty much up and back on St. Charles, and she took the second leg, 5.5 miles through the Quarter & up Esplanade to City Park. Here's a shot of us at the relay handoff.
While nothing will ever compare to running my first marathon, the relay was one of the most enjoyable races I have ever run. #1: NO PRESSURE -- It's not like we were going to win so I wasn't competing against the other runners. More importantly, this wasn't a distance I've ever raced and likely won't race again, so I wasn't competing against myself. #2: RnR stepped it up BIG TIME this year. Elite runners included Olympians Mo Farah, Shalane Flanigan and Kara Goucher. Mike McCready of Pearl Jam played the National Anthem pre-race. Dirty Dozen Brass Band played at the post-race party. #3: It was a fun bonding experience with my SIL. We spent the weeks leading up to the race texting and emailing each other about running gear, team names, and what to wear. It sounds like she's already signed up for her next race. I'll bet we run more races together in the future. #4: I travelled with two lovely friends and we made it a much-needed girls weekend. They both ran the full marathon with spectacular times. Did I mention that the getaway was Much Needed? Sometimes we need to be reminded of who we are apart from our families and our jobs. Life has been particularly hectic the past few months and it doesn't show signs of getting any easier. I am so grateful to have an outlet for that stress and even more grateful for the friendships that I have gained since I discovered my running habit.
After 2012, I said I wouldn't run this race again. In 2013, they won me back.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
To the Dark Side and Back
Last time I posted, I was worrying about my IT Band and the upcoming Pensacola Marathon. Well, I am happy to say that I was able to run the full 26.2 and set a new PR of 4:21 with relatively little pain during the race itself. I tackled some brutal hills and fought headwinds the last three miles, so that finish line was a beautiful thing. Unfortunately, in the days following the race, I was in constant pain. I rested, I took ibuprofen, I stretched, I foam-rolled, I hid the high-heeled shoes in the back of my closet. And nothing helped. On Thanksgiving morning, I set out to run a local 10k, and I didn't even make it from my car to the starting line before the shooting pains began. Head hung low, I walked back to my car before they even started the race. Over Thanksgiving dinner, my sports physician brother said it was time to suck it up and get checked out. My doctor prescribed some very helpful anti-inflammatories and a round of physical therapy.
Physical therapy wasn't what I expected. For one, my insurance wouldn't kick in until I met my ridiculously high deductible, so the therapist had one office visit with me and gave me a home treatment plan, with instructions to come back if I needed more help. My therapy consisted of a lot of stretching and old-school Jane Fonda style calisthenics. The hardest part was my running schedule. I went from running a long run of 15-20 miles every weekend to taking 30 minute walks in which I'd alternate between walking fast for one minute and slow for one minute. I gradually built up to 40 minute runs over a period of nine weeks.
I said I'd do my physical therapy religiously, and I said I'd cross train to keep up my fitness. Life had other plans. I started physical therapy on November 30, and I was doing okay for a while. I came down with an extra-nasty case of strep throat around December 10, and it took two rounds of antibiotics to make it go away. Then Christmas. Then New Years. Then the flu. Then a cold that wouldn't go away. I was lucky to get in 3 of my prescribed run/walks per week, and I did an okay job of stretching. The Jane Fonda stuff and the cross-training never happened after I got sick the first time. Not exercising led to guilt led to depression led to less motivation to exercise. It really is a classic vicious cycle. Some weeks were better than others, but a lot of the time, it just plain sucked.
Then one day I realized it was almost the end of January. I had just finished my PT schedule, and it had been awhile since my leg had bothered me on a run. I decided to set my New Years resolutions a month late. I've made some dietary changes & I set myself up on a new training schedule to gradually build up my mileage while incorporating yoga and strength training. Hopefully these changes will prevent future flare-ups. I am feeling optimistic most of the time now. Maybe I've learned some things about humility and perspective. It was a hard couple of months. All I know is, I don't want to go there again.
Physical therapy wasn't what I expected. For one, my insurance wouldn't kick in until I met my ridiculously high deductible, so the therapist had one office visit with me and gave me a home treatment plan, with instructions to come back if I needed more help. My therapy consisted of a lot of stretching and old-school Jane Fonda style calisthenics. The hardest part was my running schedule. I went from running a long run of 15-20 miles every weekend to taking 30 minute walks in which I'd alternate between walking fast for one minute and slow for one minute. I gradually built up to 40 minute runs over a period of nine weeks.
I said I'd do my physical therapy religiously, and I said I'd cross train to keep up my fitness. Life had other plans. I started physical therapy on November 30, and I was doing okay for a while. I came down with an extra-nasty case of strep throat around December 10, and it took two rounds of antibiotics to make it go away. Then Christmas. Then New Years. Then the flu. Then a cold that wouldn't go away. I was lucky to get in 3 of my prescribed run/walks per week, and I did an okay job of stretching. The Jane Fonda stuff and the cross-training never happened after I got sick the first time. Not exercising led to guilt led to depression led to less motivation to exercise. It really is a classic vicious cycle. Some weeks were better than others, but a lot of the time, it just plain sucked.
Then one day I realized it was almost the end of January. I had just finished my PT schedule, and it had been awhile since my leg had bothered me on a run. I decided to set my New Years resolutions a month late. I've made some dietary changes & I set myself up on a new training schedule to gradually build up my mileage while incorporating yoga and strength training. Hopefully these changes will prevent future flare-ups. I am feeling optimistic most of the time now. Maybe I've learned some things about humility and perspective. It was a hard couple of months. All I know is, I don't want to go there again.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Miracle Maybe?
I had my sports massage yesterday for my brand-new, screaming IT band issue, and it was worth the time and money for sure. The massage therapist was knowledgeable and had lots of experience working on endurance athletes. She worked out a lot of kinks in my lower back, glutes, and hip flexors (which were particularly vile!). Told me where and how to tape up my hips. Told me to listen to my body, don't be afraid to walk, pay attention to my breathing, and I just may be able to go the full 26.2 miles on Sunday. That made me feel a little better.
Following the massage, I went to the local running store to pick up more tape. The owner told me she is running Pensacola Marathon on Sunday as well, and that she has been having IT band issues. She felt confident that foam rolling, taping, rest and a little ibuprofen would do the trick for her. That made me feel a little better too.
This morning, freshly taped in bright pink and blue from my waist to my knee, I set off for a slow mile around my neighborhood to get a status check. Other than some mild achiness in my left hip, things felt okay. That made me feel a little better, but one mile isn't 26.2.
At lunchtime today, I'm still a little achy. An ibuprofen would feel good right now. More than anything, I am scared. This race was supposed to be the big test of my ability, the first marathon I have run on my own. My family is supposed to be there, and that's a lot of pressure. I would not want my children to see me hobbling in pain, and I wouldn't want them to see me quit either. I think it's entirely possible for me to have a good run, and even a mediocre run could give me a PR. I may be able to switch my registration and run the half instead, but I'm not sure I want to do that. I want a good marathon. I want to overcome something. I want to push my mind's limits as well as my body's. I want to do all this without intense pain. I'll have to make a decision soon.
Following the massage, I went to the local running store to pick up more tape. The owner told me she is running Pensacola Marathon on Sunday as well, and that she has been having IT band issues. She felt confident that foam rolling, taping, rest and a little ibuprofen would do the trick for her. That made me feel a little better too.
This morning, freshly taped in bright pink and blue from my waist to my knee, I set off for a slow mile around my neighborhood to get a status check. Other than some mild achiness in my left hip, things felt okay. That made me feel a little better, but one mile isn't 26.2.
At lunchtime today, I'm still a little achy. An ibuprofen would feel good right now. More than anything, I am scared. This race was supposed to be the big test of my ability, the first marathon I have run on my own. My family is supposed to be there, and that's a lot of pressure. I would not want my children to see me hobbling in pain, and I wouldn't want them to see me quit either. I think it's entirely possible for me to have a good run, and even a mediocre run could give me a PR. I may be able to switch my registration and run the half instead, but I'm not sure I want to do that. I want a good marathon. I want to overcome something. I want to push my mind's limits as well as my body's. I want to do all this without intense pain. I'll have to make a decision soon.
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