Monday, January 30
What a night. haha. I went out to the equestrian trails in Southlake which attach to Grapevine Lake and was hoping to get in a few miles before dark. My original plan was to run the Trinity Trails in Fort Worth, but I left my shoes at home, go figure.
Anyways, I got out to Southlake around 5 and promptly locked my keys in the car. Awesome. No worries though, I called home and asked my dad to bring up my extra set of keys and unlock my door while I was out running. I was planning on being out for about an hour, which would give more than enough time for someone to come up while I was out. Simple enough, right?...wrong. Long Story short, I learned very quickly to pay more attention to which key I take off my keyring.
I did 5 miles, not really on purpose, but it was a loop that I didn't realize how long it was. I'd say my knee was feeling about 50%. It would hurt, then it wouldn't, then it'd hurt really bad, then it'd be fine. Kind of like what my foot did after the Half in December. All things considered, I felt really good. Endurance and muscle wise, I wasn't tired or sore. I'm really wanting to do some long runs again...I miss it!
Scheduled Mileage: 4
Completed Mileage: 5
Week Total: 10 out of 24
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Day 74
Saturday, January 28
I'm a stubborn person. Once I figured out that the knee pain has nothing to do with impact vs non-impact, why am I keeping myself away from impact? Bring it on!
It rained pretty hard during the middle of the week, but New Zealand has had one of the wettest summers this year so I should be prepping myself for a nice 26.2 mile mud run, so I headed out to a little known trail on off Denton HWY (just into Flowermound) which hits the west coast of grapevine lake, when half the trail isn't flooded ;-).
I was really just going out to see if I could run, even if it was a short outing, I need to find the passion again because the last 2 weeks have been less than exciting.
I braced the crap out of my knee. Upper and lower. Kept it warm - normally I just run in shorts, but today I put tights on too. And, I crossed my fingers.
The first trail I took was flooded out within the first 50 yards. Frustration was high, and I almost left, but I spotted another trail that looked as though it was on a little higher ground, so I tried it out.
Muddy, muddy, muddy. But fun! I really enjoyed the mud. It felt like I was 10 again, slopping around out in the field. haha. I was impressed with my shoes, they really held up and kept my feet dry, despite the nasty conditions. It wasn't until the very end, when I splashed water all the way over the top of my shoe, that my foot finally got wet.
I got about 2 1/2 miles out before the river went over the trail and I couldn't get any farther. So, out and back, I got 5 miles in. I felt great throughout. The knee was a little sore, but the pain level didn't change from beginning to end, which was very encouraging. It was a much slower pace than I normally keep, but I was very happy to have finished the 5 miles.
I've been icing 3x a day and I've also decided to take a different approach to my distances since I only have 5 weeks left and seem to be prone to right knee injuries.
New plan of action is as follows:
1. Run every other day, rather than 3 in a row, 1 off, long run, XT, 1 off. This will give my joints/tendons/etc a day to rest and recover. I don't think I have been resting enough, plus the increase of mileage each week was apparently to much for my sad knees to handle.
My goal distance to be able to complete easily is 16 miles. Ideally, I should be completing a 20 mile run here in the next couple weeks, but it's not going to happen. I'm working toward survival now, not beauty.
So, starting today:
Completed: 5
Week Total: 5 out of 24
I'm a stubborn person. Once I figured out that the knee pain has nothing to do with impact vs non-impact, why am I keeping myself away from impact? Bring it on!
It rained pretty hard during the middle of the week, but New Zealand has had one of the wettest summers this year so I should be prepping myself for a nice 26.2 mile mud run, so I headed out to a little known trail on off Denton HWY (just into Flowermound) which hits the west coast of grapevine lake, when half the trail isn't flooded ;-).
I was really just going out to see if I could run, even if it was a short outing, I need to find the passion again because the last 2 weeks have been less than exciting.
I braced the crap out of my knee. Upper and lower. Kept it warm - normally I just run in shorts, but today I put tights on too. And, I crossed my fingers.
The first trail I took was flooded out within the first 50 yards. Frustration was high, and I almost left, but I spotted another trail that looked as though it was on a little higher ground, so I tried it out.
Muddy, muddy, muddy. But fun! I really enjoyed the mud. It felt like I was 10 again, slopping around out in the field. haha. I was impressed with my shoes, they really held up and kept my feet dry, despite the nasty conditions. It wasn't until the very end, when I splashed water all the way over the top of my shoe, that my foot finally got wet.
I got about 2 1/2 miles out before the river went over the trail and I couldn't get any farther. So, out and back, I got 5 miles in. I felt great throughout. The knee was a little sore, but the pain level didn't change from beginning to end, which was very encouraging. It was a much slower pace than I normally keep, but I was very happy to have finished the 5 miles.
I've been icing 3x a day and I've also decided to take a different approach to my distances since I only have 5 weeks left and seem to be prone to right knee injuries.
New plan of action is as follows:
1. Run every other day, rather than 3 in a row, 1 off, long run, XT, 1 off. This will give my joints/tendons/etc a day to rest and recover. I don't think I have been resting enough, plus the increase of mileage each week was apparently to much for my sad knees to handle.
My goal distance to be able to complete easily is 16 miles. Ideally, I should be completing a 20 mile run here in the next couple weeks, but it's not going to happen. I'm working toward survival now, not beauty.
So, starting today:
Completed: 5
Week Total: 5 out of 24
Day 73
Friday, January 27
I had an appointment with a personal training to do some weight training. I warmed up for 10 minutes on the elliptical and realized that my knee pain has nothing to do with impact, it's triggered by motion. The trainer also suggested using the 2nd knee band I have to help keep my patella from dropping to far down, which makes the top tendon have to work extra hard to pull it back up.
The weight training went well. I didn't do enough to get sore, but it was a good refresher on how to use all the different machines.
I had an appointment with a personal training to do some weight training. I warmed up for 10 minutes on the elliptical and realized that my knee pain has nothing to do with impact, it's triggered by motion. The trainer also suggested using the 2nd knee band I have to help keep my patella from dropping to far down, which makes the top tendon have to work extra hard to pull it back up.
The weight training went well. I didn't do enough to get sore, but it was a good refresher on how to use all the different machines.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Day 71 and 72
Wednesday and Thursday, January 25th and 26th, respectively.
I took both of these days off. Wednesday I visited a Chiropractor for the first time. I'm still pretty skeptical. We'll see what happens.
Thursday I had a basketball game with the cheerleaders, after getting home at 9pm, I was in no mood to go work out. And I was very, very tired. Lame excuses and ones I have ignored in the past, but I'm just a little depressed about all this right now. owell.
I took both of these days off. Wednesday I visited a Chiropractor for the first time. I'm still pretty skeptical. We'll see what happens.
Thursday I had a basketball game with the cheerleaders, after getting home at 9pm, I was in no mood to go work out. And I was very, very tired. Lame excuses and ones I have ignored in the past, but I'm just a little depressed about all this right now. owell.
Day 70
Tuesday, January 24
I'm starting to lose motivation and hope.
Did 7 miles in 30 minutes on the bike. Nothing exciting.
This is the completion of 2 weeks off from impact work and I haven't seen really any change. Though with both my ITB and my foot(post-half marathon) they hurt for awhile and then, one day, they just stopped hurting. I keep hoping that miracle day will come.
I'm starting to lose motivation and hope.
Did 7 miles in 30 minutes on the bike. Nothing exciting.
This is the completion of 2 weeks off from impact work and I haven't seen really any change. Though with both my ITB and my foot(post-half marathon) they hurt for awhile and then, one day, they just stopped hurting. I keep hoping that miracle day will come.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Day 69
Monday, January 23rd
No rest for the weary. Back to the gym for more non-impact work. I did a 2 mile/10 minute warm up on the stationary bike, then started laps in the pool. I only had about 30 minutes before the swim class kicked me out, but was about to get in about 700m.
I scored a chiro appt for Tuesday...I'm a little apprehensive about it, but I'm game to try anything once. Well, almost anything.
No rest for the weary. Back to the gym for more non-impact work. I did a 2 mile/10 minute warm up on the stationary bike, then started laps in the pool. I only had about 30 minutes before the swim class kicked me out, but was about to get in about 700m.
I scored a chiro appt for Tuesday...I'm a little apprehensive about it, but I'm game to try anything once. Well, almost anything.
Day 68
Sunday, January 22nd
A day of rest, recovery and a little bit of grieving. Training was put on hold to care for an incredibly sick horse at the farm. Sadly, as the sun set over the Sanctuary, Shamrock Sachet crossed the rainbow bridge at the ripe old age of 29. She was a great horse, living 23 out of 29 years here in Fort Worth. It's still a little surreal to not see her out in the field with the others, but such is life.
To the little bay mare with one sock, you will forever be remember.
Shamrock Sachet 'Shay'
1983-2012
A day of rest, recovery and a little bit of grieving. Training was put on hold to care for an incredibly sick horse at the farm. Sadly, as the sun set over the Sanctuary, Shamrock Sachet crossed the rainbow bridge at the ripe old age of 29. She was a great horse, living 23 out of 29 years here in Fort Worth. It's still a little surreal to not see her out in the field with the others, but such is life.
To the little bay mare with one sock, you will forever be remember.
Shamrock Sachet 'Shay'
1983-2012
Day 67
Saturday, January 21
Today I took a break from the pool and did 5 miles on the stationary bike and another 2 miles on the elliptical. I ended the non-impact workout with some core conditioning. This was not nearly as fulfilling as running the 16 miles that were scheduled would have been.
Today I took a break from the pool and did 5 miles on the stationary bike and another 2 miles on the elliptical. I ended the non-impact workout with some core conditioning. This was not nearly as fulfilling as running the 16 miles that were scheduled would have been.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Day 66
Another good Quote from runner's world. I get these every morning and actually really look forward to them.
'I constantly remind myself that resting takes confidence. Anyone can train like a mad man but to embrace rest and to allow all the hard training to come out takes mental strength.'
-Ryan Hall
It really is hard to remind myself resting is key in training. I've been so frustrated lately with the knee, and feel as though if I stop for even a day, I'm going to run out of time to get conditioned for this run.
When I got this quote, it really made me realize resting does take a huge amount of confidence in yourself. To be able to trust your fitness level enough to where you can take a break and let your body recover without losing months of training, is a concept I have yet to reach. I started this journey as a way to relax myself from the daily stresses of life and my job. Now I'm putting myself under more stress because I'm worried I won't be able to complete the race.
In the end, I really don't have anything to prove. If I finish or not, I'm still going to be in NEW ZEALAND!..and then Sydney!! I guess I feel as though I need to rep my state well while I'm away. But once again, here I am putting unneeded pressure on myself to do well when, in the long run, it doesn't really matter.
The running is for myself. This trip is for myself. This adventure and the experience is for myself.
Rest, Recover, Train. Beat it into my head. Rest, Recover, Train.
'I constantly remind myself that resting takes confidence. Anyone can train like a mad man but to embrace rest and to allow all the hard training to come out takes mental strength.'
-Ryan Hall
It really is hard to remind myself resting is key in training. I've been so frustrated lately with the knee, and feel as though if I stop for even a day, I'm going to run out of time to get conditioned for this run.
When I got this quote, it really made me realize resting does take a huge amount of confidence in yourself. To be able to trust your fitness level enough to where you can take a break and let your body recover without losing months of training, is a concept I have yet to reach. I started this journey as a way to relax myself from the daily stresses of life and my job. Now I'm putting myself under more stress because I'm worried I won't be able to complete the race.
In the end, I really don't have anything to prove. If I finish or not, I'm still going to be in NEW ZEALAND!..and then Sydney!! I guess I feel as though I need to rep my state well while I'm away. But once again, here I am putting unneeded pressure on myself to do well when, in the long run, it doesn't really matter.
The running is for myself. This trip is for myself. This adventure and the experience is for myself.
Rest, Recover, Train. Beat it into my head. Rest, Recover, Train.
Day 65
Thursday, January 19th
Pattern, check.
Key counter, check.
Swim like crazy to warm up, check.
950m before the swim class kicked me out..again. boooo
I was supposed to head out of town for this weekend, but decided to stay in so i could continue training...and take care of my neighbors horses while she is gone.
Pattern, check.
Key counter, check.
Swim like crazy to warm up, check.
950m before the swim class kicked me out..again. boooo
I was supposed to head out of town for this weekend, but decided to stay in so i could continue training...and take care of my neighbors horses while she is gone.
Day 64
Wednesday, January 18
Today I went in with a different mindset. If I can't run, then I going to work myself twice as hard to make up for it. Luckily, swimming is twice as hard to begin with, so this wouldn't be to difficult of a task.
I always have excuses in the pool. Not really excuses to not do the work, but things that delay me from starting the laps. The pool is cold...I hate cold...like hate it like I hate roaches. I also can't keep track of laps to save my life. This isn't just in the pool, but I loose track of laps running on a track too.
Today I went in with solutions to both my excuses.
Solution #1: On Tuesday, I didn't swim long enough or hard enough to get warm. Today, that was going to change. Instead of starting on a kick board, start freestyle and pound out 100m quick to get my body warm. Then settle into a pattern or 100m kickboard, 100m just arms, 100m free, repeat.
Solution #2: Part of solution 2 is found in solution #1. Finding a pattern to my swimming. I know I don't have enough stamina to just freestyle swim 1000m, but if change things up just a little every 100m, I can continue to swim longer. The only issue is I can't change my kick. It's freestyle or nothing because the 'frog' kick associated with the breaststroke will tear my knee apart.
The second part of this solution was to use my little locker key and use it as a lap counter on the tile outside the pool. Call me a 5 year old, but its literally the only way I can keep track of laps.
2 problems, solved. Though the pool is still cold when I get in. Not a fan.
Next problem...the swim class always kicks me out of the lap pool at 7:30...I've wanted to get 1000m in, but I keep getting kicked out! lame.
Completed 900m
Today I went in with a different mindset. If I can't run, then I going to work myself twice as hard to make up for it. Luckily, swimming is twice as hard to begin with, so this wouldn't be to difficult of a task.
I always have excuses in the pool. Not really excuses to not do the work, but things that delay me from starting the laps. The pool is cold...I hate cold...like hate it like I hate roaches. I also can't keep track of laps to save my life. This isn't just in the pool, but I loose track of laps running on a track too.
Today I went in with solutions to both my excuses.
Solution #1: On Tuesday, I didn't swim long enough or hard enough to get warm. Today, that was going to change. Instead of starting on a kick board, start freestyle and pound out 100m quick to get my body warm. Then settle into a pattern or 100m kickboard, 100m just arms, 100m free, repeat.
Solution #2: Part of solution 2 is found in solution #1. Finding a pattern to my swimming. I know I don't have enough stamina to just freestyle swim 1000m, but if change things up just a little every 100m, I can continue to swim longer. The only issue is I can't change my kick. It's freestyle or nothing because the 'frog' kick associated with the breaststroke will tear my knee apart.
The second part of this solution was to use my little locker key and use it as a lap counter on the tile outside the pool. Call me a 5 year old, but its literally the only way I can keep track of laps.
2 problems, solved. Though the pool is still cold when I get in. Not a fan.
Next problem...the swim class always kicks me out of the lap pool at 7:30...I've wanted to get 1000m in, but I keep getting kicked out! lame.
Completed 900m
Day 63
Back to the pool I go. I always try to remind myself that swimming is one of those sports which will kick you in the face if you don't maintain your condition, but it never actually sinks in until I feel like I'm dieing after 2 laps.
Needless to say, the first day back in the pool didn't go well. It's hard to go back to something I'm not good at, not saying I'm good at running, but I really suck at swimming.
I think completed about 500m. My knee was fairly unhappy about the entire ordeal, but I have to do something and this is the best thing I can do right now to keep my endurance where it needs to be.
Needless to say, the first day back in the pool didn't go well. It's hard to go back to something I'm not good at, not saying I'm good at running, but I really suck at swimming.
I think completed about 500m. My knee was fairly unhappy about the entire ordeal, but I have to do something and this is the best thing I can do right now to keep my endurance where it needs to be.
Day 62 ... SI joint Re-Alignment
Monday, January 16
I will be forever thankful for having an Athletic trainer as a cousin and cousin-in-law.
I met up with Jess today and she checked out my SI(sacroiliac) joint. Her original thoughts were correct and my left side was almost completely frozen. after some re-alignment, the joints were moving again and she gave me some exercises to help keep it in place. She also told me what not to do in order to help it stay in place. Apparently I was doing a couple of huge no-no's for people with screwy SI joints... Who Knew!? You live and learn, I guess.
I will be forever thankful for having an Athletic trainer as a cousin and cousin-in-law.
I met up with Jess today and she checked out my SI(sacroiliac) joint. Her original thoughts were correct and my left side was almost completely frozen. after some re-alignment, the joints were moving again and she gave me some exercises to help keep it in place. She also told me what not to do in order to help it stay in place. Apparently I was doing a couple of huge no-no's for people with screwy SI joints... Who Knew!? You live and learn, I guess.
Day 61
Sunday, January 16
I took Sunday off, mostly because I was in quite a bit of pain. I talked to my cousin about what could be causing me to constantly break down, little injury after little injury, it's getting more than frustrating to say the least.
She discussed the possibility of my SI joint being out of place and we scheduled a meet up for Monday to see if I could get it re-aligned if that was indeed the issue. If it is, then it could be one of the major contributors to what is causing my right side to continuously have problems.
I took Sunday off, mostly because I was in quite a bit of pain. I talked to my cousin about what could be causing me to constantly break down, little injury after little injury, it's getting more than frustrating to say the least.
She discussed the possibility of my SI joint being out of place and we scheduled a meet up for Monday to see if I could get it re-aligned if that was indeed the issue. If it is, then it could be one of the major contributors to what is causing my right side to continuously have problems.
Day 60
I haven't been good about posting again. This is what happens when I'm injured and angry, I don't like to admit that I'm injured and angry when there is 6 weeks left in my training.
Anyways, moving on.
Saturday, January 14th
This was supposed to be a long run of 15 miles. I was so excited for it...like more excited about a run than I think I have ever been. My knee had been giving me trouble, but I was hoping for a mind over matter day. Unfortunately, my knee had other ideas and as soon as I passed the 3 mile check point and my mom drove off to mile 7, it felt like some one had take a sledgehammer to the front of my knee.
Luckily, I hadn't veered to far away from the road and was able to climb through some brush and hop a fence to where the road was.
Long story short, I was ANGRY! Back to the pool until I can get the patellar tendon to chill out.
Scheduled: 15 miles
Completed 3.5
Week Total: 15.5 out of 30 ... :-(
Anyways, moving on.
Saturday, January 14th
This was supposed to be a long run of 15 miles. I was so excited for it...like more excited about a run than I think I have ever been. My knee had been giving me trouble, but I was hoping for a mind over matter day. Unfortunately, my knee had other ideas and as soon as I passed the 3 mile check point and my mom drove off to mile 7, it felt like some one had take a sledgehammer to the front of my knee.
Luckily, I hadn't veered to far away from the road and was able to climb through some brush and hop a fence to where the road was.
Long story short, I was ANGRY! Back to the pool until I can get the patellar tendon to chill out.
Scheduled: 15 miles
Completed 3.5
Week Total: 15.5 out of 30 ... :-(
Friday, January 13, 2012
Day 59
Friday, January 13th
Today is an off day. I'm hoping that with some Advil and ice my knee will loosen up by tomorrow. It felt alright this morning, but tightened up as I walked up the stairs to my classroom. Damn the stairs.
53 Days until I depart from DFW Airport! Seems like a lot of time, but the past 59 days have FLOWN by! It feels like I just decided to do this yesterday and now I'm more than half way there.
I have my hostel reservations made for New Zealand and finally got me entry in for the marathon this past week. Everything is starting to come together! Also, good news for me, the currency exchange made it quite a bit cheaper to enter than I thought. yay!
Today is an off day. I'm hoping that with some Advil and ice my knee will loosen up by tomorrow. It felt alright this morning, but tightened up as I walked up the stairs to my classroom. Damn the stairs.
53 Days until I depart from DFW Airport! Seems like a lot of time, but the past 59 days have FLOWN by! It feels like I just decided to do this yesterday and now I'm more than half way there.
I have my hostel reservations made for New Zealand and finally got me entry in for the marathon this past week. Everything is starting to come together! Also, good news for me, the currency exchange made it quite a bit cheaper to enter than I thought. yay!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Day 58
Thursday, January 12th
My knee hurts insanely bad today. We have a half day at work today, so I'm going to head home and put some heat on to loosen things up, and take some advil to see if it helps any. This pain is not ITB, which is encouraging! haha. I think this it's more Patellar Tendon related, so hopefully a little ice and maybe a days rest will do it some good.
*Update- I decided to hold off on the 4 miles. I feel as though it was a good decision because I'd rather give up 4 miles now and be able to do my long run on Saturday, which is more important at this point in time.
Technically, you shouldn't increase your mileage each week by more than 10%, which would be 2.4 miles more than last week. I was trying to accomplish a 7 mile increase, so skipping the 4 mile run will put me back at a 3 mile increase.
Scheduled: 4 miles
Finished: 0
Week Total: 11 out of 30
A little frustrating, as this is the first run I've missed since the original ITB injury happened.
My knee hurts insanely bad today. We have a half day at work today, so I'm going to head home and put some heat on to loosen things up, and take some advil to see if it helps any. This pain is not ITB, which is encouraging! haha. I think this it's more Patellar Tendon related, so hopefully a little ice and maybe a days rest will do it some good.
*Update- I decided to hold off on the 4 miles. I feel as though it was a good decision because I'd rather give up 4 miles now and be able to do my long run on Saturday, which is more important at this point in time.
Technically, you shouldn't increase your mileage each week by more than 10%, which would be 2.4 miles more than last week. I was trying to accomplish a 7 mile increase, so skipping the 4 mile run will put me back at a 3 mile increase.
Scheduled: 4 miles
Finished: 0
Week Total: 11 out of 30
A little frustrating, as this is the first run I've missed since the original ITB injury happened.
Day 57
Wednesday, January 11th
Today was probably the most unmotivated I have been since starting this adventure. It's harder to quit during a run when you are 3 miles from home, but when you run on a treadmill, the ability to turn it off and walk away is so tempting. At mile 1, I wanted to stop...and mile 3, I was hoping the thought of being half way through would help the urge to quit, but it didn't. At mile 5, I started bargaining with myself.
'Quitting now would be a waste of a run.' - Self #1
'But I feel awful.' -Self #2
'Just means you'll feel awful again tomorrow when you have to make it up.'-Self #1
'But my knee hurts, and I shouldn't run through the pain.' -self #2
'Get over yourself, and finish!' -self #1
This continued until I was done with all 7 miles. I felt like a schizophrenic.
I, also, ALMOST busted on my face...3 times. I ran on a different type of treadmill, which I am going to put the blame on as to why my knee hurts so bad. There was a definite vibration being put off and I could feel it through all of my joints. The run just hurt...way more than it should have.
All in all, terrible run. Good days and bad days, right? Making it through this run gives me a little insight to my will power and determination though. I was happy I didn't quit, even if the end result wasn't great.
Scheduled: 7 Mi
Finished: 7 Mi
Week Total: 11 out of 30
Time: 86:57
Avg Pace: 12:30 min/mi
Today was probably the most unmotivated I have been since starting this adventure. It's harder to quit during a run when you are 3 miles from home, but when you run on a treadmill, the ability to turn it off and walk away is so tempting. At mile 1, I wanted to stop...and mile 3, I was hoping the thought of being half way through would help the urge to quit, but it didn't. At mile 5, I started bargaining with myself.
'Quitting now would be a waste of a run.' - Self #1
'But I feel awful.' -Self #2
'Just means you'll feel awful again tomorrow when you have to make it up.'-Self #1
'But my knee hurts, and I shouldn't run through the pain.' -self #2
'Get over yourself, and finish!' -self #1
This continued until I was done with all 7 miles. I felt like a schizophrenic.
I, also, ALMOST busted on my face...3 times. I ran on a different type of treadmill, which I am going to put the blame on as to why my knee hurts so bad. There was a definite vibration being put off and I could feel it through all of my joints. The run just hurt...way more than it should have.
All in all, terrible run. Good days and bad days, right? Making it through this run gives me a little insight to my will power and determination though. I was happy I didn't quit, even if the end result wasn't great.
Scheduled: 7 Mi
Finished: 7 Mi
Week Total: 11 out of 30
Time: 86:57
Avg Pace: 12:30 min/mi
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Day 56
Tuesday, January 10th
Today I was able to bound over to the gym right after school to get my run in, before having to go back for an Open House. I don't like going directly after school for a number of reasons, but mostly because it always way to crowded. I'm a fairly solitary person, I don't like people watching me while I work out...or stretch..or anything really. Sounds silly to say since I am 'watched' all day every day by my students.
The run went well. My calves were pretty tight and felt ridiculously swollen; I guess it was their way of telling me I did rest long enough after my long run. Owell. I had to pause the workout for about a minute to help them out with the circulation complaint...a little massage and they were good-ish to go.
Started the run at 5.0 mph, increased to 5.4 at mile 2, increased to 5.6 at mile 3, increased to 6.0 at 3 1/2, and ended with a 7 mpg for the last 2 tenths.
Scheduled Mileage: 4
Finished Mileage: 4
Week Total: 4 out of 30
Time: 46:03
Avg pace: 11:30 min/mi
Today I was able to bound over to the gym right after school to get my run in, before having to go back for an Open House. I don't like going directly after school for a number of reasons, but mostly because it always way to crowded. I'm a fairly solitary person, I don't like people watching me while I work out...or stretch..or anything really. Sounds silly to say since I am 'watched' all day every day by my students.
The run went well. My calves were pretty tight and felt ridiculously swollen; I guess it was their way of telling me I did rest long enough after my long run. Owell. I had to pause the workout for about a minute to help them out with the circulation complaint...a little massage and they were good-ish to go.
Started the run at 5.0 mph, increased to 5.4 at mile 2, increased to 5.6 at mile 3, increased to 6.0 at 3 1/2, and ended with a 7 mpg for the last 2 tenths.
Scheduled Mileage: 4
Finished Mileage: 4
Week Total: 4 out of 30
Time: 46:03
Avg pace: 11:30 min/mi
Monday, January 9, 2012
Day 55 .. +My Emapthy for the Horse post
Today is an off day and the start of a new week.
Run down for the week:
Tuesday: 4 mi
Wednesday: 7 mi
Thursday: 4 mi
Friday: Off
Saturday: 15 mi <-- Blue Loop at the Grasslands
Sunday: XT..or Off, depending on how my knee feels
Week Total: 30 miles :-D
Here is my post about my empathy for the horse. It was in the previous post, but I decided to put it here instead. It'll give some beef to the off-day post.
1. Walk the Hills. Up and Down. Steep Uphill wise, Running gets you to the top faster, but wastes way to much energy. Steep downhill wise, running is torture on your joints, especially if you are already dealing with a knee issue. This is common sense for most, but something the weekend warrior trail riders seem to have never learned. I've seen more than a few trotting and cantering their horses not only up the hills, but also down. Ouch. I feel for them. And, it's so dangerous.
2. Deep Sandy Loam...ugh. When you ask your horse to trot through that stuff, get off and try running through it. It's the devil. I see why the North Texas Trail Runners stick to compacted Mt Biking trails of Lake Grapevine. Sandy loam does have its pros along with its cons. Since I can't train on anything near the terrain NZ will throw at me, the deep Sand will help build some leg muscle. Short, no show socks are NOT a good idea to wear though. I spent way to much time trying to get sand out of my sock to keep it from blistering my feet.
3. Briars hurt on bare legs. Ouch.
4. Clothing fit vs Tack Fit. It has got to be the same. If I have trouble finding things which are comfortable to run in, I can see the annoyance a horse would get with an ill fitting saddle pad, a halter that may have a twisted buckle under a bridle, or even a breastplate which rubs even a little on the point of the shoulder. The clothes I can run 3 miles in are not the same as clothes which are comfortable to run 10+ in.
5. Stay out of the ditches. The strain on my ankles gave me some insight into what Mulligan probably felt on his pasterns and cornary bands during the 1000+ competitive and training miles of his life. Not only did it put my feet into weird positions, but it also made me change my entire gate in order to compensate for the narrowing of the trail. I decided quickly to pick the higher ground.
Most of this is common sense, but it does make me feel for the horses which are taken straight from the pasture, without a days worth of conditioning in them and are expected to speed through the trails because, well, they are a horse.
Run down for the week:
Tuesday: 4 mi
Wednesday: 7 mi
Thursday: 4 mi
Friday: Off
Saturday: 15 mi <-- Blue Loop at the Grasslands
Sunday: XT..or Off, depending on how my knee feels
Week Total: 30 miles :-D
Here is my post about my empathy for the horse. It was in the previous post, but I decided to put it here instead. It'll give some beef to the off-day post.
1. Walk the Hills. Up and Down. Steep Uphill wise, Running gets you to the top faster, but wastes way to much energy. Steep downhill wise, running is torture on your joints, especially if you are already dealing with a knee issue. This is common sense for most, but something the weekend warrior trail riders seem to have never learned. I've seen more than a few trotting and cantering their horses not only up the hills, but also down. Ouch. I feel for them. And, it's so dangerous.
2. Deep Sandy Loam...ugh. When you ask your horse to trot through that stuff, get off and try running through it. It's the devil. I see why the North Texas Trail Runners stick to compacted Mt Biking trails of Lake Grapevine. Sandy loam does have its pros along with its cons. Since I can't train on anything near the terrain NZ will throw at me, the deep Sand will help build some leg muscle. Short, no show socks are NOT a good idea to wear though. I spent way to much time trying to get sand out of my sock to keep it from blistering my feet.
3. Briars hurt on bare legs. Ouch.
4. Clothing fit vs Tack Fit. It has got to be the same. If I have trouble finding things which are comfortable to run in, I can see the annoyance a horse would get with an ill fitting saddle pad, a halter that may have a twisted buckle under a bridle, or even a breastplate which rubs even a little on the point of the shoulder. The clothes I can run 3 miles in are not the same as clothes which are comfortable to run 10+ in.
5. Stay out of the ditches. The strain on my ankles gave me some insight into what Mulligan probably felt on his pasterns and cornary bands during the 1000+ competitive and training miles of his life. Not only did it put my feet into weird positions, but it also made me change my entire gate in order to compensate for the narrowing of the trail. I decided quickly to pick the higher ground.
Most of this is common sense, but it does make me feel for the horses which are taken straight from the pasture, without a days worth of conditioning in them and are expected to speed through the trails because, well, they are a horse.
Day 54
Sunday, January 8th
1st true long run, not counting the Half, since my injury over Thanksgiving. I was a little nervous, but excited as well. This was also the 1st time I truly hit the trails.
I went out to the LBJ Grasslands in Decatur to do a 10 mile loop out of the trails. Over the years, I have probably logged close to 1000 miles out there, training and competing with the horses. Hitting the trails I had traversed so much on horseback was an enlightening experience afoot, one I may write more in depth about after I run all the trails, which will happen by the end of my training. For now, I will put down a couple things I noticed in the short 10 miles I was out there...My emapathy for the Horse, who carries us, without question, where ever we ask, never complaining despite what we make them do.
I had typed a bunch of stuff here, but it got way to long, so I'll post it in a different post.
My mom went out to meet me in a couple places where the road and trail crossed each other. I also took Sucha out for the first 4 miles, then she went with my mom for the middle of the run, and, finally, she helped me finish up the last couple miles after my 2nd check point. I got a little frustrated at the end of the loop because, despite every map saying the trail was 10.3 miles long, it was only 8.9 miles. FRUSTRATION! At first I was okay with it, but as we were driving away I decided I was to frustrated to end my run short, so I had my mom drop me on the road and drive a mile up so I could actually finish all 10 of my scheduled miles. Afterward I felt 100x better. :-)
Scheduled: 10 Miles
Finished: 10 Miles
Week Total: 23.5 out of 24
1st true long run, not counting the Half, since my injury over Thanksgiving. I was a little nervous, but excited as well. This was also the 1st time I truly hit the trails.
I went out to the LBJ Grasslands in Decatur to do a 10 mile loop out of the trails. Over the years, I have probably logged close to 1000 miles out there, training and competing with the horses. Hitting the trails I had traversed so much on horseback was an enlightening experience afoot, one I may write more in depth about after I run all the trails, which will happen by the end of my training. For now, I will put down a couple things I noticed in the short 10 miles I was out there...My emapathy for the Horse, who carries us, without question, where ever we ask, never complaining despite what we make them do.
I had typed a bunch of stuff here, but it got way to long, so I'll post it in a different post.
My mom went out to meet me in a couple places where the road and trail crossed each other. I also took Sucha out for the first 4 miles, then she went with my mom for the middle of the run, and, finally, she helped me finish up the last couple miles after my 2nd check point. I got a little frustrated at the end of the loop because, despite every map saying the trail was 10.3 miles long, it was only 8.9 miles. FRUSTRATION! At first I was okay with it, but as we were driving away I decided I was to frustrated to end my run short, so I had my mom drop me on the road and drive a mile up so I could actually finish all 10 of my scheduled miles. Afterward I felt 100x better. :-)
Scheduled: 10 Miles
Finished: 10 Miles
Week Total: 23.5 out of 24
Day 53
Today was an off day. Another Basketball game with the cheerleaders. After the game, I ran by Luke's Locker to get a water bottle belt and some compression sleeves for my lower legs. Two things to help with my looming long runs. Getting excited for 10 miles in the morning!
Day 52
Friday, January 6th
Had another basketball game today. I was frustrated with missing the 7 miles on Thursday so I decided against trying to get the run in between school and the game. I got to the gym at 10, started the run by 10:40 and had a goal of finishing the 7 miles by midnight. Give me a goal, that's all I need! Determination set in and at 30 seconds to midnight, 7 miles was in the books. It was a great run. 52 days ago I almost choked at the thought of running more than a 5 or 10k...now I'm looking at 7 and 8 mile runs as the 'easy' ones. I'm turning into one of those crazy people, but I'm okay with that! :-)
Scheduled: 4
Finished: 7
Week Total: 13.5 out of 24
Had another basketball game today. I was frustrated with missing the 7 miles on Thursday so I decided against trying to get the run in between school and the game. I got to the gym at 10, started the run by 10:40 and had a goal of finishing the 7 miles by midnight. Give me a goal, that's all I need! Determination set in and at 30 seconds to midnight, 7 miles was in the books. It was a great run. 52 days ago I almost choked at the thought of running more than a 5 or 10k...now I'm looking at 7 and 8 mile runs as the 'easy' ones. I'm turning into one of those crazy people, but I'm okay with that! :-)
Scheduled: 4
Finished: 7
Week Total: 13.5 out of 24
Day 51
Thursday, January 5th
On the schedule I had a 7 mile run. Unfortunately, I had basketball games all week. I tried to squeaze the run between school and the game, but I only got 3 1/2 miles in before I had to call it quits. That 3 1/3 was fantastic though! It was the first time I have been able to run straight through for all 3 1/2 miles. I was really excited. So excited that I pulled the emergency stop cord...oops.
Scheduled: 7
Finished: 3.5
Week Total: 6.5 out of 24
On the schedule I had a 7 mile run. Unfortunately, I had basketball games all week. I tried to squeaze the run between school and the game, but I only got 3 1/2 miles in before I had to call it quits. That 3 1/3 was fantastic though! It was the first time I have been able to run straight through for all 3 1/2 miles. I was really excited. So excited that I pulled the emergency stop cord...oops.
Scheduled: 7
Finished: 3.5
Week Total: 6.5 out of 24
Day 50
Wednesday, January 4th
Lets get this rolling again.
Day 50 of 126
4 days out from my half marathon. Did and easy 3 miles to get things moving again. I've decided on a pretty set pace of about 11 min/mile. I'm not looking for a speed record in March and the 11 min/mil is very agreeable with my body. I do increase speed throughout the runs, but on the long runs I stay at a steady 11:30 to 11:40 min/mi
This week was the one I really needed to see if I could continue with the milage needed for the 2nd half of my training. I've been really worried since having to take the month off. Though the half went well, I am still nervous about the small injuries I'm dealing with.
Scheduled: 3 mi
Finished: 3
Week Total: 3 out of 24
Lets get this rolling again.
Day 50 of 126
4 days out from my half marathon. Did and easy 3 miles to get things moving again. I've decided on a pretty set pace of about 11 min/mile. I'm not looking for a speed record in March and the 11 min/mil is very agreeable with my body. I do increase speed throughout the runs, but on the long runs I stay at a steady 11:30 to 11:40 min/mi
This week was the one I really needed to see if I could continue with the milage needed for the 2nd half of my training. I've been really worried since having to take the month off. Though the half went well, I am still nervous about the small injuries I'm dealing with.
Scheduled: 3 mi
Finished: 3
Week Total: 3 out of 24
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Little did I know...
The 50 states marathoner, was this guy... Who knew?!
Most Marathons Run In A Year: Texas Lawyer R. Laurence Macon Eyes Guinness Record
What a BEAST!!
Most Marathons Run In A Year: Texas Lawyer R. Laurence Macon Eyes Guinness Record
What a BEAST!!
New Years Double Half Marathon/5k
On New Years Eve and New Years Day, my mom and I did a half marathon and 5k, respectively. I was more than a little nervous going into the 1/2 due to the recent recovery from the ITB issues. It was a definite risk even attempting to run, but I felt as though it was very necessary in order to get back to where I needed to be training wise. And, I'm stubborn as hell; Since, I paid for race, I was going to run the damn race.
The end result was fantastic. I had, by far, the best run of my life. I was able to keep a consistent and steady pace throughout the entire race, averaging 11:37 min/mile - First 1/3: 11:49 min/mi 2nd 1/3: 11:30 min/mi Last 1/3: 11:38
I finished the race in 2:32:10, an hour and half faster than my very slow goal of 4 hours (since I was expecting to have some major ITB issues along the way). The average finish time was 2:24:25, so I wasn't very far off from that!
I had great conversations with a few people along the way. Met a gentleman, named Larry, who is a member of the 50 States club..as in, he has ran a marathon in all 50 states. How cool is that!? Definitely some very inspiring people out there.
I was so happy I went through with the run. The 5k was used to loosen up from the day before. My ITB is giving me some problems, even 4 days out, so I'm working with it again so I can get back to training.
New Zealand in 64 Days away!!! Not that I'm counting or anything... ;-)
The end result was fantastic. I had, by far, the best run of my life. I was able to keep a consistent and steady pace throughout the entire race, averaging 11:37 min/mile - First 1/3: 11:49 min/mi 2nd 1/3: 11:30 min/mi Last 1/3: 11:38
I finished the race in 2:32:10, an hour and half faster than my very slow goal of 4 hours (since I was expecting to have some major ITB issues along the way). The average finish time was 2:24:25, so I wasn't very far off from that!
I had great conversations with a few people along the way. Met a gentleman, named Larry, who is a member of the 50 States club..as in, he has ran a marathon in all 50 states. How cool is that!? Definitely some very inspiring people out there.
I was so happy I went through with the run. The 5k was used to loosen up from the day before. My ITB is giving me some problems, even 4 days out, so I'm working with it again so I can get back to training.
New Zealand in 64 Days away!!! Not that I'm counting or anything... ;-)
Oops...
So I kinda fell off the blog wagon there for awhile. Sorry about that. The break in blogging was filled with swimming/ITB rehab. I was able to get 5 good runs in before my half marathon this past Saturday. I'll make a new post about the half in a few minutes.
During my break/rehab for my ITB, I pretty much went through the 5 stages of grief...haha..I honestly didn't think it was going to get better, then, all of a sudden, it did. Yay!
During my break/rehab for my ITB, I pretty much went through the 5 stages of grief...haha..I honestly didn't think it was going to get better, then, all of a sudden, it did. Yay!
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