Another Update

I know I said I probably wouldn’t write again before the half but I just had to share some good news with you. My appointment with the chiropractor went swimmingly well and I could not be happier. He told me that my injury (sprained sacroiliac joint, which is the joint between the pelvis and sacrum) was already healed. Yay! Something he estimated 2-3 weeks to heal took only 9 days. That makes me so incredibly happy. I had been feeling really good the day of and was hoping he would have some positive feedback for me- I think that’s about as good as it gets.

While I was there he did make some other adjustments helping to put me back into correct alignment. He made adjustments to my first rib (left side) and second rib (right side)- which was a weird feeling, both my tibias, my left knee cap, my left ankle, pretty much every bone in my left foot, and some back, hip and neck adjustments. Nothing major, just tweaks. He didn’t see any underlying acute injuries or any muscle issues that could affect my run on Sunday. Actually he told me that I was going to kill it Sunday. I definitely appreciated his vote of confidence.

While I was there he asked if I wanted some acupuncture to help with my cold. I, of course, said yes. I had never had acupuncture before but have always been open to the idea. My chiro, Dr. Root, considers himself a minimalist acupuncturist- his goal is to be as effective as possible with the fewest needles possible. So for my cold problem he only needed 6 needles to treat me. I didn’t mind them one bit. It was actually quite relaxing. I almost fell asleep in his office. It was nice.

I left the appointment feeling uber confident in my physical health and recovery from this stupid cold and knowing that I will, in fact, kill it on Sunday J

This morning I woke up feeling pretty great leg/hip wise and with just some slight congestion lingering from the cold. I used the Neti pot, which helped tremendously, before I headed to the gym for my last run before the half. I only wanted to run a couple of miles, just enough to test out my leg, and I am happy to report it went really, really well. 2 miles in 23 minutes. 2 comfortable, pain free, super happy miles. At one point when ‘Gonna Fly Now’ (from the Rocky soundtrack, trust me- you know this song) came on I started to run faster and envisioned myself running across the finish line. I even worked on trying to smile while sprinting- I have to get ready for the cameras.

Yesterday was a great day and I am super excited to have received great news from Dr. Root. The run this morning was just what I needed to give me a little more reassurance in my health and training. I know I am ready but I definitely needed to quiet those little voices in the back of my mind trying to psyche me out. I can’t wait to see Tricia today for Thai Yoga therapy, which really is like the best thing ever, and then take a nice warm Epsom salt bath after. Such a great way to ease into what I hope to be a super relaxing few days leading up to the moment I have been waiting for.

“It has never been, and never will be easy work! But the road that is built in hope is more pleasant to the traveler than the road built in despair, even though they both lead to the same destination.” ~ Marion Zimmer Bradley

Updates and Plans

If you follow me on Twitter or the book of faces then you know I am currently battling a cold. Of course, right? That’s how it goes. I’m doing everything in my power to get my leg/hip healthy for the half and just as I am starting to almost feel 100% I get sick. Just my luck.

Thankfully, it’s not much of a cold. I have some congestion and a bit of sneezing/coughing here and there but nothing major. No fever. No sore throat. (KNOCK ON WOOD) Nothing that is making nervous about Sunday’s run. I take pretty good care of myself and I think that has helped me build up a strong immune system but of course that doesn’t mean I was just going to sit back and do nothing about this cold.

I started taking Echinacea and vitamin C, using the Neti pot, doing Sun Salutations on top of my normal vitamins/herbal regimen. Oh, and also started drinking a juice concoction of carrots, beets, garlic and ginger.  Then I reached out to friends for suggestions of additional natural remedies and I received some great responses. Jaime suggested I use Elderberry instead of Echinacea, Angel suggested Zinc, and Tricia suggested some Miso –ginger soup. So I hit up Whole Foods and grabbed all of the above. I got home yesterday and took all of my vitamins and supplements and then made some miso broth with ginger, garlic, turmeric, and cayenne. That was my dinner. I didn’t have much of an appetite and was feeling exhausted so after dinner I did some quick cleanup in the kitchen and headed to bed. At 7p.

By 8p I was asleep.

I slept pretty well except for waking up a couple of times to use the bathroom. I consumed so much liquid yesterday I am surprised my bladder didn’t explode.  

I woke up a bit congested but overall feeling ok. I used the Neti pot, did a yoga DVD and some Sun Salutations, as well as some crunches on the stability ball. I saw on the news that Barack Obama was President. I am thankful it wasn’t as close as predicted and that the election came to a close last night. I was a bit nervous that we might have another 2000 fiasco on our hands.

Today I go back to the chiropractor and am hopeful he will be pleased with the progress I’ve made so far. He told me it would take about 2-3 weeks to heal but that I should still be able to run and that the running wouldn’t affect my recovery. I am positive that both of those statements are true and that not only will my body feel great come Sunday but also that I will have no issues afterwards and I’ll heal up nicely.

Tomorrow is my last run before the half and I am planning on doing a couple miles on the treadmill. Although I typically shy away from the treadmill I thought it might be the best way to get in an easy run with no worries of tripping or unnecessary stress on my body from hills and uneven pavement. Tomorrow evening is my last Thai Yoga therapy session before the half and I know that between Dr. Root (my chiropractor) and Tricia my body will be aligned, adjusted, energized and fully ready to go on Sunday.

Friday morning will be the same as today; yoga and some core exercises. Friday night you will find me at home, relaxing. I plan on making a nice pasta dinner and catching up on some TV.

Saturday morning I plan on doing some yoga and meditation before meeting my friend Debra, who is also running the half, for a walk to help release some of that nervous energy we both will be feeling. After we are going to drive the half marathon route to get a preview of what lies ahead for us the next day. Then at 10am I am meeting Cassy and Mando, who ran the full marathon with Paul last year and are running the half this year,  to hit up the expo. I am excited to spend a couple hours exploring the expo and checking out all of the vendors. Last year’s expo was awesome so I have high hopes for this year’s. I certainly don’t need any more running stuff but I am pretty sure I will still end up buying some while there.

After the expo I am not 100% sure what I will end up doing. I will need to do some grocery shopping and I plan on being in bed early. I want to go and see Skyfall so if I can squeeze in an afternoon showing that’s what I’ll do.

The half marathon is just 4 days away. I can’t believe it. I don’t think I have been this excited about anything since my wedding day. Almost 17 weeks of training has led me to this point and I feel ready. I am happy and grateful and nervous and excited and thrilled and even a little bit sad. I, of course, wish Paul was here to celebrate with me at the finish. But, like my friend Patty reminded me this morning, this is just my first- not my only. There will be plenty more in the future and hopefully someday Paul and I will be able to run them together.

I am not sure if I will write again before the half but I want you to know I will be thinking of you throughout the run. I have the best cheering squad ever. I am one lucky girl. And I need you to know how much your support means to me. Thank you. For your kind and reassuring words. For being my rocks and my guideposts along this adventure. There aren’t words to adequately express my gratitude. You are the reason I am who I am. For that I am forever grateful.  I love you all so very much!

“Tisn't life that matters! 'Tis the courage you bring to it.”~ Sir Hugh Walpole

So Many Thoughts

I had a lot of things on my mind this morning during my run. Here’s a snapshot of what goes on in my mind when I run. Or at least what is going on in my mind while I run just six days before the half marathon.

My injury- I am still not back to 100%. My five mile run on Saturday and my 3 mile run this morning both weren’t great. They weren’t bad either. They were just ok. I am able to run. I am just still feeling some residual soreness. The doctor says that this injury is not caused from running and that running won’t affect my recovery time but it doesn’t make running feel good. This weird pain (pain really isn’t the right word to describe it, maybe tightness or restriction- ugh I don’t know, nothing accurately describes this weirdness) in my hip/thigh/pelvis area is still there. It’s not bad and it isn’t preventing me from running but just the fact that I can feel it when I run freaks me out. I think it just makes me nervous that I am going to run up a hill during the half and have it seize up like it has twice already. But I have been continually reminding myself that when I take it slowly and run at an easy pace I am ok. I just can’t push myself too hard.

The half marathon-as you all know my half marathon is this Sunday, 11/11. I am beyond excited for it. I am now in week 17 of training which is really crazy when I think back on it. I can’t believe I even decided to do this. It was kind of a whim. When we got the news that Paul was picked up for the Navy and that he would be going away to OCS I decided to run the half. I thought the training would help me keep focused on something while he was gone. It would provide me a healthy outlet and distraction and help me to work towards a goal I never thought possible. Now as I sit here just 6 days before the half I have some really strong thoughts that keep swimming through my mind.

I am not racing against you

I am not racing against the clock

I am not racing against myself

I am not racing- period, end of sentence

I am just a girl on a mission. A mission to prove to herself that she can achieve any goal, no matter how big or small, by setting a plan, dedicating time/energy/resources to it, and staying focused. My only goal is to finish that half marathon happy. I want to go out there and have fun. I want to run each mile without concern about my pace, the time elapsed or how I am doing compared to other people I know. I just want to listen to some good music, smile at the other runners and give them words of encouragement when I can and enjoy the crowds. I want to finish with a huge (non-forced) smile on my face, although more than likely I will finish crying tears of joy, and I want to look back on that race as one of the best days of my life.

I don’t care that you are faster than me. I don’t care that my time will be ‘slow’ or that there will be marathoners finishing at the same time I do. On Sunday, I vow to only care about me and the beauty of running for fun.

Expectations- BUT, in order to do this I need to set my expectations aside. I never set a time goal for the half and I still haven’t. However, when I registered the form did ask for an estimated completion time. Based off some website’s half marathon time calculator thing where I put in my 5K pace and it tells me what I should expect for a half marathon I put down 2:30. That is not a realistic goal for me though. That’s an 11:27 min/mile pace. More than likely I will be above a 12 min/mile pace, which I am 100% ok with. But even thinking that I might be able to run at a 12 min/mile pace is still putting ideas in my head. Maybe I can come in at 2:45. Maybe less. Is that possible? Ahhhhh (that’s me screaming) enough already! It doesn’t matter. Just run, Dacia. That’s all that matters. 2:30, 2:45, 3:45- they are just numbers. They mean nothing. Crossing the finish line is the only thing that holds any real significance. And even so I would still say that just attempting to do this is what matters most.

The plan- not to be confused with my expectations or goals. Even though I keep reiterating how I just want to focus on the run and not the time I still need a plan. A way to make this half marathon enjoyable and achievable. So here it is. It’s quite simple.

Mile 1- Run the first mile slowly.  I know this will be difficult trying not to get swept up in the crowd but my goal is to start off slow. Ease into it. Let my body warm up and the jitters subside. Be comfortable. This might be the slowest mile I run.

Mile 2- step it up a bit. Keep it easy but work towards finding my rhythm. Normally I can fall into my groove during mile 2. The pace I settle into is usually the pace I will keep for the duration of my long runs.

Miles 3-9: maintain easy comfortable pace. Stay in my rhythm and focus on the crowds, the music and the people around me. Really enjoy the race.

Miles 10-13: slowly start to increase my pace. Just a little bit faster with each mile. The strategy I am sticking to is running a fast 5K after a slow 10 mile warm-up run. BUT if come mile 10, 11 or 12 I just can’t push harder then I won’t.  I will only go as fast as I can comfortably maintain.

The last tenth- 13-13.1: SPRINT!!! The finish is uphill and around a bend. Quite evil in my opinion. But I do plan on sprinting across that finish line come hell or high water.

My running- what I hope for as a runner is to have endurance like Forrest Gump (or Scott Jurek, if you would prefer a comparison to an actual person) but I am not too concerned with speed. Yes, I would like to progress as a runner and maybe shave a minute or two off my mile times but ultimately I just want to be able to run, preferably for increasingly longer distances. As my training continues I will still do intervals and hills and tempo runs to help me both with speed and endurance. But I know that I will only want to continue running as long as it is still fun for me. I feel that this half marathon will be great and it will propel me forward into my training for the duathlon (Dec 8), my next half marathon (Jan 13- birthday present to myself) and the Austin marathon (Feb 17) which is why I continually remind myself of the importance of enjoying this half marathon, not racing it.

I don’t want to cross the finish line puking, or in pain, or injured, or miserable.

I don’t want to cross the finish line cursing myself, or others, or running.

I want to cross that finish line happy, proud, full of confidence and love. Ready to take on the next adventure.  And more than likely ready for a beer or four.

"I tell our runners to divide the race into thirds. Run the first part with your head, the middle part with your personality, and the last part with your heart." ~Mike Fanelli

Week 15: the Roller Coaster

Last week was a bit of a roller coaster for me.

 It started off with me dropping Paul off at the airport and then running a 15K immediately after- both of which were exhausting- mentally and physically.

Then came a new pair of running shoes

Followed by an injury that popped up during one of my runs that caused me to almost have a complete mental breakdown thinking that this would keep me from running the half

But after some intense thai yoga therapy and some rest I was feeling great; back to normal

I not only was able to finish off my training week strong,  completing  my last long run (12 miles) before the half, I also ended up logging more running miles this week than ever before- 32.5 miles.

I had my confidence back. I felt ready for the half. I knew I could do it. I finished that 12 mile run with fuel in the tank and energy left in my legs- I knew I could push it for another 1.1 miles. I was ecstatic.

Well, ecstatic until Sunday when 2 miles into my 5K pain in my hip caused me to have to walk the rest of the race. I was pissed too. I had just ran my fastest two miles EVER and was on pace to come in at a sub-30 5K- something that I have never done before- and on top of that I was pissed because why the hell was the pain back???

Well, I was pretty sure I had just sabotaged myself for the second time in a week. The first- running in new shoes with less than 3 weeks left  before the half (note: the Brooks have been exchanged for a pair of Merrells- I am sticking with what works for me from now on) , the second- pushing myself only four days after my first hip flare up. Even if I felt great, it was probably quite unwise to push myself that hard. What was I thinking?

So, yesterday, under the advisement of my thai yoga therapist, I headed to a chiropractor to the get to the root of the problem and see if it was something fixable or if it would end up sidelining me from the half- which is now less than two weeks away.

The visit went really well. The root of my problem is my lower back and the cause isn’t running. It is from sitting all day long. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this either. Tricia, my thai yoga therapist, tells me this pretty frequently. Sadly, my job isn’t changing anytime soon the doctor gave me some stretches to do- at work and at home- and I will try to do better about getting up and walking more at work.

The doctor also told me that I should be fine in a few weeks and that running won’t impact the healing process so he has given me the green light to keep training and to run the half.

I am still planning on taking a few more days off from running. I also plan on seeing Tricia Thursday for my regular Thai Yoga appointment and I also scheduled a follow up appointment with the chiropractor for next week- just to be safe. He thinks that the one adjustment from yesterday is probably all I will need but I would just feel much better seeing both him and Tricia again before the half. I want to help my body heal as best I can.

I also don’t want to do anything that might cause a real injury down the road. So for this week my plan is rest, rest, rest, stretch, stretch, stretch, eat well, and stay positive.

Saturday, if I feel up to it, I will go out for a run. A nice, easy-paced happy run. Until then I will just focus on doing what’s best for my body, my mind and my soul J

Have you ever been sidelined from an injury? What did you do to help your recovery? How did you cope with it?

"We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort."  ~Jesse Owens

The Running Box

This morning I hurt my leg while running. Well, actually it is my hip. But I don’t want to talk about that. I am pretty sure that what is wrong is completely fixable and that after my Thai Yoga therapy session this afternoon I will be back up and running, literally J

Instead, I want to talk about my running box. My storage box for all my running ‘essentials’

When I first started running I swore I wouldn’t turn into this person. I wanted to be a minimalistic runner, just the basics only. I didn’t want all the gear or gadgets. I just wanted to run.

Yeah, that totally didn’t happen. Well, maybe at first it did but then the more I got into running the more things I wanted/needed and now I have a box dedicated solely to running items.  

Are you curious as to what is in my running box? Well here is a picture.

This is everything I am currently NOT using. Some of this is Paul’s that I claimed ownership of once he left. Don’t judge, you’d do the same wouldn’t you?

-Reflective sleeves (too hot still to wear)

-Spibelt, a gel holder/bib holder belt, and a pouch I can add onto either

-Sleeve for my handheld Camelback

-Gloves (neon yellow gloves to boot) as seen below. Definitely the sexiest picture of me ever taken ;)

-Hats and a neck gator

-Headsweats head bands (2)

-Compression sleeves (2 pair)

-Paul’s Garmin (and its accompanying chest strap) and both of our chargers

-Ankle strap for my Road ID (in case I don’t want to wear it as a bracelet)

What’s missing from the box are the items I use daily; my Garmin, RoadID bracelet, reflective ankle bands and reflective belt (because I run in the dark ), Road ID hat (also reflective), and my Osprey (like a Camelback) I use on my long runs.

Oh, and my ProStretch I use to stretch my Achilles after I run.

It doesn’t just end with the running box. This habit hobby has taken over my closet.

Over the past few months I’ve also accumulated quite the stockpile of tech shirts, sports bras, and running shoes/sandals. I actually need new work clothes but yet any money I save seems to go to running gear, race fees and such.

And this hobby has taken over my calendar, too. My life is planned around my runs and races.

Why, yes- I am planning on running the Philadelphia marathon in November….of 2013.

Yep, I think its official now, I’m obsessed.  

But there are worse things to be addicted to, right?

Do you have a running box? How do you keep all of your essentials organized? Are you hooked on running?

"Every day is a good day when you run." ~Kevin Nelson

Run Happy....Yes, Please!

Yesterday I bought a new pair of running shoes.

I wasn’t really planning on buying yesterday. My original plan was to buy at the expo in three weeks or some time shortly thereafter. Once the half is over I will be into full blown marathon training. Well, technically I am already into my marathon training, 8 weeks into it actually, since I planned my marathon training around this half marathon.

However, once the half is over I will start seeing longer runs during the week and on Saturdays so I wanted to transition into a minimalist shoe (instead  of a barefoot running shoe) with a bit more cushioning. As it is now, my feet start to feel like they are taking a beating towards the end of my long runs. No blisters or rawness or anything like that, just the side effects of having not much between my feet and the ground while taking about 180 steps per minute and still being overweight.

I knew that although the shoes I currently run in are by far the most comfortable running shoes I have ever worn and even though I love running in them that there would come a day where I needed a bit more cushioning.

Then on Sunday I was reading the latest issue of Runner’s World and saw a new pair of Merrells that caught my eye. They were similar to what I was already running in but with a bit more cushioning. Seemed like it could be exactly what I was looking for. Since I am not a big fan of ordering shoes online, running shoes in particular, I decided yesterday on my way home from work to run by the store near my house that carries Merrells to see if they had the shoe I was looking for.

Jackpot! They did!

BUT…it didn’t fit right. What? How? I was so sad. I really, really wanted to love that shoe. On paper, it was exactly what I wanted. But, it was too tight through the toe box and I knew that if it wasn’t comfortable in the store it would not be comfortable running in. Boo…

Oh well, no biggie. I didn’t NEED new running shoes. I wasn’t in any hurry. I had weeks before I wanted to buy new ones.  I knew I would find something that would work for me when I start seriously looking.

And as I turned to leave, I saw them.

The Brooks Pure Connect.

The shoe I almost bought months ago but opted for the Merrells instead.

And they were on sale.

So I had to try them on, right?

I asked for an 8.5/9 (couldn’t remember what size I tried on previously) and they only had a 9.5

It couldn’t hurt to try them on could it? I mean it is a bigger size but maybe they would fit.

And they did. Perfectly. With about a fingers width between my longest toe (my second toe, I know- I’m weird) and the top of the shoe.

Whole Earth Provisions even offers a 15% military discount on their sale items. So I had no choice to buy the shoes, did I? They retail for $90 and I paid less than $60.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind paying full price for good shoes. But if I can get the shoes I want for 2/3 the retail price why would I say no?

I am now the proud owner of my first pair of Brooks! Yay!

And as soon as I paid for them the internal debate began…

Do I attempt to break them in and run the half in them or shelve them until after?

I decided that I would start running in them right away, as in this morning. I have about 50 miles of running on the schedule between now and the half so I think that is plenty of time to break them in. I will run in them the rest of the week and if I am feeling good come Saturday I will use them on my long run.

This morning was intervals so I logged just over 3 miles in the new shoes. No complaints. I found it easy to maintain my running form and I even think the bit of cushioning in them helped add a little extra spring to my step.

Don’t worry though, if I feel any weird pains or develop blisters or have issues maintaining my form I will definitely not run in them for the half. I have worked too damn hard to let a pair of shoes ruin my run. J

What are your thoughts? Is 50 miles/3 weeks enough time to break in new shoes? Any tips (dos/don’ts) on breaking them in?

“Run Happy” ~ Brooks Running

Run Happy photo taken from the Brooks Running website

<23Oct2012. http://www.brooksrunning.com/run-happy/run_landing,default,pg.html>

Let's Talk Medical Conditions...

Hyponatremia - do you know what it is?

According to the Mayo Clinic website “hyponatremia is a condition that occurs when the level of sodium in your blood is abnormally low.”

Over the summer, while I was on a blogging hiatus, a local man died from this while canoeing in the Texas Water Safari competition. See full story here. That was the first time I had ever heard of this condition.

You are probably wondering why I am sharing this with you, how is this condition releveant to you?

Well, one possible cause of hyponatremia can be drinking too much water during exercise causing the sodium in your body to become diluted. Some of the symptoms of hyponatremia are nausea and vomiting, headache, confusion, loss of energy, fatigue, restlessness and irritability, muscle weakness, spasms or cramps, seizures, unconsciousness or coma. Yikes! According to the Mayo Clinic, “In acute hyponatremia, sodium levels drop rapidly — resulting in potentially dangerous effects, such as rapid brain swelling, which can result in coma and death.”

One of the risk factors to hyponatremia is intensive physical activity such as marathons, ultra marathons, or triathlons.

Do you see where I am going with this?

Hyponatremia is something you should understand if you are participating in intense physical activities. Especially since hyponatremia and dehydration have some similar symptoms, like headache, confusion and weakness.

Some things to keep in mind during activity- limit your water intake to a liter/34 oz an hour (this is about as much fluid as you will lose during that same time period) or consider drinking electrolyte enhanced beverages instead of water.

If you want to learn more about hyponatremia the Mayo Clinic website has a decent amount of info or you could always consult your physician with any questions you might have.

Water is great, don’t get me wrong, just make sure you don’t overdo it!

“The greatest wealth is health.”  ~Virgil

<22Oct2012, http://www.mayoclinic.com/>

Week 13 & 14 Recap

So I’ve been kind of MIA lately and I apologize for that. Life has been a bit…hectic. Yeah. Let’s go with hectic.

Last week we headed to Austin on Thursday for a concert and spent the following day there for the Austin City Limits Festival which totally kicked my butt. I don’t know why this year seemed different (both sold out crowds of 75K people) but last year’s festival was not nearly as crazy.  I woke up Saturday morning feeling like someone had the air let out of my tires. I felt sooooo exhausted. And gross. I ate too much crap. Ugh! It was awful. I stayed on the couch almost the entire day.

Trying to push through the overwhelming feeling of crappiness I vowed to get off my butt on Sunday. I was going to go out with my regular Sunday morning group ride and then follow that up with the four mile run I should have ran on Saturday but didn’t.

Well, Sunday was a mess. Paul and I showed up at our meet up spot and no one was there. Apparently the ride was cancelled due to the thunderstorms on the forecast but no one had bothered to tell us. But I really wanted to ride so off I went on my own. I didn’t want to leave Paul but he was on a mountain bike, I was on a road bike. If we tried to ride together one of us would have been unhappy- either him working too hard to keep up or me riding very slowly to match a comfortable pace for him. Solo ride was my only choice if I wanted to ride.

And it was great ride until about 4 miles from home when the sky opened up and let loose. It was pouring. I was immediately drenched. It was fan-freaking-tastic. It took every ounce of energy to keep my bike moving forward, slowly, cautiously, for those last few miles. I made it home, safe and sound and in one piece and with no desire whatsoever to go for a run.

But of course by the time I got out of my soaking wet clothes it was bright and sunny (and very warm) outside and I did not want to miss my opportunity to get in those four miles so I headed out for a run. Good decision? I thought so at the time.

Then I woke up Monday morning with a nasty chest cold and proceeded to spend the next two days in bed and took the next three mornings off from running. I was (and still kind of am) a mess, which hopefully explains why I have been somewhat MIA from the blog world.

So, now that you have heard my spiel about why I haven't been blogging I will try to quickly rehash the last 2 weeks of training with a quick list of training/goals for next week.

Week 13 Planned: 5K, Interval A routine, 3-4 miles easy-paced run, Hill A routine, and 4 mile long run (yay for recovery weeks!)

Week 13 Actual:

5K- new personal record of 30:26 which is a 9:47 min/mile pace

Yay! My first ever sub-10 minute/mile paced 5K. Also, I was pretty stocked to finish 9 out of 40 in my age group. Yep! Only 40 people in the 30-39 female group. Crazy!

Interval A routine- 5 minute warm up, 6X 1min run/ 2 min recovery, 5 minute cool down

The run felt good, no complaints. I even was able to increase the distance in the same time compared to the last time I ran this routine. Score!

3-4 mile easy-paced run

I don’t even remember this one. Not sure if that is good or bad but the Garmin is my proof it actually happened. Lol!

Hill A Routine-aka the run that almost killed me.

No pics for this run.  I ended up doing some hill intervals on the treadmill because it was raining. I don’t mind the rain per se but running in the rain in the dark is just asking for an injury- in my opinion. No, I trudged over to the gym and ran on the dreadmill for about 20 minutes or so until the power went out. That was really fun. Has this happened to anyone else before? It’s kind of startling when a treadmill just stops. And then you are in an empty gym in the dark. And then you have to walk home in the pouring rain. Yep, it was an eventful morning. Definitely was a lot of fun getting showered and having breakfast in the dark. Thank goodness for my flashlight app. Lol!

4 mile long run

This didn’t happen until Sunday due to my inability to get out of bed Saturday morning. As I mentioned earlier I got in this run after my (rain soaked) bike ride. I was pretty happy. It was much warmer than I am used to running in (since I ran like four hours later than my normal time) but that was a good thing. I need to get adjusted to the temps I will be experiencing in a few weeks during the half.

As far as my weekly goals for week 13 go I got in all (well at least attempted all) my training runs, I did not do any core work (disappointed face) and ate well except for the day at ACL. They actually ran out of almost every vegan options and I ended up eating soggy fries, twice, because I had no other choice. And no, I don’t think fries are the end of the world but they certainly made me feel like crap the next day. All in all it was a pretty good week.

Week 14 Planned: 4 mile, Interval B routine, 3 mile, Tempo B (5 mile) routine, and a rest day Saturday since my long run will be the Alamo City Beer Challenge Race #4- 15K

Week 14 Actual:

4 mile run- skipped, I opted for bed rest instead

Interval B routine- skipped also for same reason

When I finally felt good enough to run I choose to do a 4 mile easy-paced run and Paul actually came out and joined me. It was really great since we never have run together before. His pace for 4 miles is about 7-7:15 min/mile. That morning I kept a pace 5 minutes per mile slower but he never complained. What a sweetheart! We just talked and enjoyed our time together. It was nice.

My last training run of week 14 was supposed to be a 5 mile tempo run. It was a mess. Probably my worst run to date. After about a mile and a half I stopped and walked. I really could go into great detail about everything that was going wrong but instead I will focus on the good that came out of it.

Paul was with me and he was talking to me (as we walked) about how all runners have bad runs. That he has had them. It’s completely normal. Yada, yada, yada. I start to cry. Definitely frustrated because of the situation (but you all know I am uber on edge with Paul leaving in 2 days) and feeling like a worthless piece because of it. Yeah, I know everyone has bad days/runs but my half was in three weeks. And I couldn’t even push through the hard shit I was facing a mile and a half in. I was discouraged to say the least. But I calmed down, realized most of what was happening was mental, remedied the physical issues I was having and decided to start over. I decided that since I didn’t have the time to try for five good miles I would take what I could get which was two. So, off we went. For two solid, happy, enjoyable miles.

My take away from this; yes everyone does have bad days (myself included) and we never know when they will happen. They can even happen race day. But we are all stronger than we think and if we can push through the mental roadblock anything is possible.

I am so glad I pushed through and got in a good run. If I had just walked home instead this would be an entirely different post (if I even wrote one) and I would be in a completely different state of mind- probably one filled with fear/dread over my upcoming 15K Sunday and the half in 23 days. Instead I am excited for Sunday, this will be my second 9 mile run on this trail, and very optimistic about the half. As I should be.

So, my training for week 14 wasn’t great but I was sick and I think I would be sicker now if I hadn’t rested. I also didn’t get in any core work and ate like crap most of the week. Maybe not the best training week so far but I learned a lot about myself and so I think that made up for it.

Week 15 Goals

Yikes! Week 15! 3 more training weeks until the half marathon! So crazy!

-Complete training runs: 15K, Interval B routine, 4 miles easy pace, Hill B routine, and 11 mile (which I may push for 12) long run. Tough week. Around 30 miles Sunday-Saturday.

-Complete two bike rides. It’s time to start duathlon training! Let the madness begin

-Core work three days. I need to get back into regular core work. It will help with my running and cycling and of course more muscle is a good thing!

-Eat home cooked meals! I already made my meal plan up for next week- my first week cooking for just me- and I have some great, easy meals on deck. I will also be making my lunches at home as well. This will definitely make it easier for me to make good choices.

What’s on your agenda? Are you currently training for anything?

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.” ~Aristotle

Week 12 Training Recap

Week 12 was a great week for running. And since my week 11 long run took place on Sunday (instead of Saturday due to rain) I actually logged over 31 miles running over the course of those seven days. That is the most mileage I’ve logged in a week to date so I am pretty excited, especially because physically I feel so great.

Here is my recap of my training runs not including Sunday’s (9/30) 10.37 mile- even though it falls in this calendar week I consider part of week 11’s training and already wrote about it last week.

Tuesday, October 2nd: Interval B Routine

5 minute warm up, 6X 1.5 min fast/ 2.5 min recovery, 5 minute cool down

I have been focusing on trying to jog during my warm up and cool down as well as for 1.5 minutes of my 2.5 minute recovery. Ultimately I am working towards not needing to walk during my recovery. This also means I need to make my fast intervals a little bit slower but I am ok with that.

I was super happy with this run especially because I ran further that day than I had the previous week on the same routine. The difference is this week I ran it outdoors, not on the treadmill.

Wednesday, October 3rd: 4 mile easy-paced run

Since my normal neighborhood loop is just over 3 miles I decided to run a new route for the 4 miler (and the following day’s 5 miler) and it worked out well. I focused on running slow, keeping my heart rate low, and being very, very comfortable with this run.

It felt great.

Thursday, October 4th: Tempo B (5 mile) run

This was my first five mile tempo run. Previously I had been doing 3 mile tempo runs so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I was cruising along during the first half. It was a little rough starting out (always is) since I start off running uphill but at about three quarters of a mile in it switched to downhill and I was flying. It felt great.

Until I had to turn around and come back.

Uphill.

Ugh! Between 2.5 to 3.25 I didn’t think I would make it. My legs were dying as I just tried to keep running uphill. Of course at this point my running was probably a slow walking pace. But I kept pushing. And I am so glad I did. It wasn’t easy so when I was finished I felt like I just achieved something great. It feels good to push yourself and work harder than you think you can.

 Another great run in the books!

Saturday, October 6th: 9 mile long run

On September 1st, I ran my first ever 9 mile run. I did it in 01:57: 32 which is a 13:04 min/mile pace. When it was over my body felt tired, my legs felt worked. I was spent. I went home and took my first ice bath which really helped my recovery.

Fast forward five weeks and I am out for my second 9 mile run. This time around I ran it in 01:44:10 which is an 11:34 min/mile pace. Afterwards I felt great. I still went home and took an ice bath because I believe it really helps my recovery. But overall physical well being- drastically improved between the run on 9/1 and the run on 10/6.  It’s amazing that my pace improved so much over such a short amount of time especially since I was still running at a comfortable, slow pace. On my long runs I never go out there and push myself, I go out there and settle into an easy pace I can maintain for a very long period of time.

But I shouldn’t be surprised though. From everything I’ve read, by running slowly during my long runs, I should expect to see improvement as my training progresses. It seems counter intuitive but it’s true, you have to slow down if you want to get faster. And looking at my numbers is proof enough for me.

Now, as far as my other weekly goals go…well, let’s just say they weren’t as great.

At least 5 homemade dinners and all breakfasts/lunches during the week also homemade/not takeout- 5 homemade dinners, yes. But I ended up eating out twice for lunch this week; once for Paul’s going away luncheon and the other for a work birthday. For the week I would give my eating a B-

Yoga- yes, I was able to get in one hot yoga class but that was it. Wish I could have also squeezed in my yoga for runners DVD but I did not. C

Complete core routine 4 times; straight-arm plank, one minute crunches on balance ball, one minute leg raises, forearm plank, one minute crunches on balance ball, one minute leg raises- Big fat F! I didn’t do this once last week. Not good at all. Need to work on this.

Week 13 Goals

This week is going to be a bit crazy. Thankfully I am in a recovery week for my training so my runs won’t be too demanding. Thursday Paul and I are heading to Austin to see Band of Skulls at La Zona Rosa then spending the night because the next day we are heading to the Austin City Limits Festival. I am beyond excited but I know that being out of town will make it more difficult to prepare homemade meals. So I have to tweak my goals for this week.

-Complete all my training runs; 5K (completed yesterday), Interval A routine, 3-4 mile easy-paced run, Hill A routine, and a nice 4 mile long run on Saturday- yay for recovery weeks!

- Complete core routine 3 times; straight-arm plank, one minute crunches on balance ball, one minute leg raises, forearm plank, one minute crunches on balance ball, one minute leg raises

-Make the best food choices possible. I’ll leave it at that.

Today I’m heading to see Tricia for my Thai Yoga therapy appointment after work and I am so looking forward to this. She basically resets my body so I feel like a new person afterwards and I get to talk about running, food, and all sorts of other fun stuff for the 2 hours I’m there. It’s quite cathartic.

What’s on your agenda this week? Are you training for anything?

“The future depends on what we do in the present.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Week 11: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Last Saturday, like 9 days ago, I completed a 7 mile training run that left me feeling great about my progress in training for the half marathon. Week ten was a great week for me in regards to my training, meal planning and activity level. I was pretty pumped and optimistic week 11 would be just as awesome.

Unfortunately, just like with any aspects of life, things don’t always go as we plan.

Monday morning I headed out for an easy-pace 3 mile run; a great way to start off my day. Sadly, it was anything but easy. I didn’t make it but maybe 10 feet or so before I slid through some mud. My left leg went sliding along while my right leg came crashing down in front trying to catch my balance. I didn’t hurt anything but I definitely tweaked some muscles/joints in the process. It was kind of startling and scary and it rattled my nerves a bit but I was able to calm down and keep moving. Since the sidewalk was clearly muddy I decided to run on the road until I was in a better lit area. About 20 feet or so later I stepped on a rock and rolled my ankle. Again, no sharp pains but it definitely made me feel not quite right.

I kept running for a bit but after a mile or so I started to feel some pains in my knee and ankle. This had me worried and since I am probably one of the most overly-cautious people you might meet I decided to stop running and walk home. I am not a risk taker when it comes to my health. I have worked too hard to run through the pain and cause a worse injury to develop. My belief is if your body is telling you to stop then you better damn well stop. I learned this the hard way and I refuse to make that mistake again.

So, I headed home and gave my legs a rest. Tuesday I went to my Thai yoga therapy session where Tricia told me that she didn’t feel anything out of the ordinary. No damage. No tightness. Nothing. I was hopeful that rest was all I needed and that I could safely continue on with my training schedule.

Still cautious I decided to finish off my weekday training runs on the treadmill- less risky.

Wednesday I completed my Interval B routine safely and pain-free. The routine was a five minute warm-up, 6x 1.5 min fast/2.5 recovery, 5 minute cool down. 34 minutes total. I ran/walked 2.72 miles. Since this was my first run with the longer intervals I kept my ‘fast’ pace slower and tried to split my recovery time between walking and jogging. That strategy worked well.

Thursday I was supposed to do the Hill B routine and last week I said I hoped to do so outside. I opted to do this one on the treadmill as well. I did 35 minutes of a pre-set hill interval routine. 7 hills in total, 3.5 minutes on each, ranging from 4% incline to 7% incline. In between hills I stayed on a 3% incline and walked/jogged. It was actually a harder workout than I expected but I felt good afterwards and thankfully still pain free.

Saturday was supposed to be the day for my long run but we got an insane amount of rain Friday night and 2”-8” were on the forecast for Saturday so I was not about to run out in that mess. See, we don’t get much rain here so when we do, especially when it’s bad, there is usually flooding. The trail I was supposed to run on floods super easily so I knew that come Sunday it would be a bad idea to run out there. As I was trying to figure out where I was going to run my 8 miles at my friend texted to see if I wanted to hang out Sunday maybe even workout together. I told her about my run and she said she would join me. She wasn’t up for 8 miles but she would be up for 3 so I had the great idea of running from my house to our meeting spot (5 miles exactly) meet her and then run three together. Bam! 8 mile run planned. I was excited; especially since I have never actually ran with someone before. I was looking forward to the company.

So yesterday morning I head out from my house down to our meeting spot. I saw my Sunday morning bike group twice which was cool. They were actually cheering for me as they passed me. I was feeling good. Legs were great. My body felt great. I was maintaining a really comfortable pace just trying to take it easy and really enjoy the run.

I got to the meeting spot and was early. I was feeling great so I decided to squeeze in another mile and as I headed back my friend had arrived and walked down to join me. So there I was, 6 miles into my run and heading out for another three and it felt really good.

Halfway into our three mile run my friend asked if we could go a bit further so our plans to run for three miles turned into running four. At that point I didn’t think an extra mile would make a difference and it didn’t.

And as we approached our starting point I was struck by the fact that I had just finished my first double digit run. In total, I ran for 10.37 miles. Yahoo! I had broken into what had become the great unknown- double digit mileage. It felt so damn good. I was on cloud nine the rest of the day.

Week eleven started off a bit rocky but ended on a high note. My running mileage for the week was just shy of 18 miles. Ice bath yesterday definitely helped because I woke up today feeling great. The legs were a bit tired but no pain or soreness. I did decide to take the morning off to rest. Even though my legs felt great yesterday I was still quite exhausted from the run. 4 am was a little too early for me to wake up today.

But if you remember, getting in my training runs wasn’t my only goal for the week.

Last week my goals were:

Complete all four training runs- Yes, for the most part. Monday’s run was cut short but I’m still going to count it

At least 5 homemade dinners and all breakfasts/lunches during the week also homemade/not takeout- Almost a yes, I only made 4 dinners and all breakfasts/lunches except one were from home. Pretty close

Cross training- Yes, bike ride, Thai yoga and some core workouts

Daily core workouts- Nope, I think I went 3 for 7 with this one. Definitely room for improvement here.

All in all I would say week 11 was a solid C. It was a mix of good not quite so good. But I am still happy with how it all played out.

Week Twelve Goals

-Complete all of my training runs:

·         4 mile easy run, Interval B routine, Tempo B  routine (five miles at fast pace) and a 9 mile long run

-At least 5 homemade dinners and all breakfasts/lunches during the week also homemade/not takeout

-Yoga! I won’t be able to ride at all this week and my running mileage is going to break 20 in total so I want to get in some yoga to help stretch me out

-Complete core routine 4 times; straight-arm plank, one minute crunches on balance ball, one minute leg raises, forearm plank, one minute crunches on balance ball, one minute leg raises

I can’t believe that my first half marathon is now less then 6 weeks away. Crazy!

Any advice? Anything you think I should add or remove from my training plan?

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway- deadline is midnight Friday!

“A fight is not won by one punch or kick. Either learn to endure or hire a bodyguard.”~ Bruce Lee

Week 10 Recap

Week 10 is over. Already! Crazy! Only 7 more weeks until the half marathon! I cannot believe it. I am beyond excited!

For those curious- here is a recap of week 10.

Tuesday 09/18/2012: Dani Ryan Holmes-Kirk Birthday 5K (virtual)

Because of some seriously out of place weather my scheduled run for Sunday morning (Dani’s Birthday [virtual] 5K) was postponed until Tuesday. This would be my first run since the move (RE: freaking tired muscles) and my first run through the new neighborhood. I didn’t have any expectations in mind just to have fun and not faceplant while running at 5a. Since I have already written about this run here I won’t re-hash the details. I will just say this- I love my neighborhood, I feel very safe running in the wee hours of the morning, there are other crazy peeps also running in the wee hours of the morning too, and since my weekday workouts used to take place on a track these hills (no one else anywhere in the country would call them hills) definitely had me feeling the burn. All in all I give this run a solid B.

Wednesday 09/19/2012: Interval A routine

5 minute warm up, 6X 1min fast/2min recovery, 5 minute cool down

Taking a cue from last week’s performance on this routine I decided to slow down my fast runs and try to job as much as possible through the recovery portion. I also jogged my warm up and cool down. I am pleased with the results. Since I was able to increase the amount of time I spent jogging my overall distance also increased; from 2.19 last week to 2.42 this week. Yay! Progress!

Thursday 09/20/2012: Tempo A routine

3 miles at a comfortably hard pace

For this run I decided reverse the route. Do you remember me saying how my running route was in the shape of a Y? Well, on Tuesday I ran up the straight bottom branch of the Y and then when I reached the intersection I went right. Going that way meant I ran on a flat surface and then once I turned right I went downhill. It’s a great way to begin the run but when I turned around to run back to head up the other branch it was all uphill. That was rough. These ‘hills’ will definitely take some getting used to.

So, for the tempo run I decided to reverse my route and go left at the intersection instead of right. I tackled the biggest incline first and then had a mile of downhill/flat which was nice. I did have to run uphill a bit coming back but it was nothing compared to the first incline. This route worked much better as you can tell from my times.

Saturday 09/22/2012: 7 mile long run

My last seven mile run took place back in week 4 on 08/11/2012. I ran it in 01:25:01.

Since I now had 6 more weeks of training under my belt I was hoping to see a decrease in the time. I didn’t have a number in my head other than something less than 85 minutes. Anything better than my previous time would have made me happy.

Well come Saturday I was beyond happy to see my end time of 01:19:10 for 7 miles. Happy for shaving 50 seconds per mile off my pace (12:09 vs 11:19) which to me is a nice little indication of the progress I am making. But also because I was able to pull out some solid times the last few miles of my run which was almost all uphill. See:

If it doesn't end up raining the latter part of this week, I will be doing my 8 mile run along this same trail. Actually almost every long run from here up to the marathon will more than likely be here since it is the longest paved trail in San Antonio.

All in all this last week was a great training week :)

Last week I said my only goals were to complete all four of my training runs (check), focus on the move- packing and unpacking (check) and make some meals at home (big honkin’ check) so I am pretty pleased with how this week went.

This week, now that we are somewhat settled, I have a few more goals:

-Complete all of my training runs:

·         3 mile easy run, Interval B routine (first time for this one- increasing intervals to 1.5 and 2.5 min), Hill B routine (also a first AND hopefully I will do this out on actual hills instead of the 'hills' on a treadmill) and an 8 mile long run

-At least 5 homemade dinners and all breakfasts/lunches during the week also homemade/not takeout

-Add my cross training back in; Sunday bike ride, Tuesday Thai Yoga therapy, and my nightly core routine

-Complete core routine every night; straight-arm plank, one minute crunches on balance ball, one minute leg raises, forearm plank, one minute crunches on balance ball, one minute leg raises

So, that’s about it. My plan for the week. Week 11. So crazy!

What’s on your agenda this week?

“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”~ Aristotle