It has been almost 5 weeks since I have run. They have been an interesting and oddly revealing 5 weeks. Interesting because of all the accommodations needed in order to train when you are restricted to the pool or recumbent cycling. This makes for fairly stressful traveling which I have been doing a lot of. I have been in the pool or on the bike everyday, alternating steady day/workout day and lifting or doing some form of strength training 6 x's/week. Oddly, although not running I still feel like I am in good shape. We shall see.
Toward the end of this coming week, Pat has me doing two test runs (6 min & 8 min). That is my goal, to get through them healthy and sound. After being on crutches for two weeks longer than planned, I was feeling a fair amount of despair last week.
We are in Hawaii for the next 9 days. BYU-Hawaii kindly agreed to let me use their facilities-which I am grateful for. It is a mile down the road from the house we are staying in. The beach is a mere 50 meters away where I plan on doing morning yoga once it stops raining. Yes, raining. Though the sun does seem to be peeking out as I write this.
Pictures will follow at some point but for now, since I lost my camera in Minnesota last week, imagine the waves crashing and the air so thick that it hugs you, while making your skin feel velvety and fresh.
Later this week will be a highlight of the year in the form of running moments...
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Uh...now what?
Well, those nagging issues in my lower legs? One of those turned out to be something. I kept trying to run last week and was fairly successful at masking the pain but finally it was too much and I went into my PT, Mike Devitt. He confirmed what I was dreading, stress fracture in my right fibula. Remedy: Crutches for one week to speed up the healing and 6 weeks of NO running. There is no denying that I cried bitterly on and off for about 24 hours. I went from devastation to determination and have firmly accepted my current state of affairs.
Diagnosis was on Wednesday. I had run that morning through gritted teeth-I did not know it would be my final run in many weeks. You always forget how much you love and rely on running until it is taken away. I am missing it now. Thanksgiving morning I woke early and hit the recumbent bike and weights. Then I went to Ontario for the Turkey Trot and watched Pat and friends race in the freezing cold. Friday was on the recumbent again and this afternoon I joined the YMCA for a month and did an hour of aqua jogging. It is so odd to sweat while you are in the pool. Feels odd. While I was lifting weights, my muscles were shaking-it cracked me up. Leg is a bit sore now.
I suppose if I have to miss training, there is no better time than now. With my focus on the track I should be ready to roll in plenty of time if I can just be patient with my comeback. It is certainly not worth sacrificing my ultimate goals due to impatience. I believe this to be my biggest weakness. Apparently it is time to work on it.
Diagnosis was on Wednesday. I had run that morning through gritted teeth-I did not know it would be my final run in many weeks. You always forget how much you love and rely on running until it is taken away. I am missing it now. Thanksgiving morning I woke early and hit the recumbent bike and weights. Then I went to Ontario for the Turkey Trot and watched Pat and friends race in the freezing cold. Friday was on the recumbent again and this afternoon I joined the YMCA for a month and did an hour of aqua jogging. It is so odd to sweat while you are in the pool. Feels odd. While I was lifting weights, my muscles were shaking-it cracked me up. Leg is a bit sore now.
I suppose if I have to miss training, there is no better time than now. With my focus on the track I should be ready to roll in plenty of time if I can just be patient with my comeback. It is certainly not worth sacrificing my ultimate goals due to impatience. I believe this to be my biggest weakness. Apparently it is time to work on it.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Sidelined.
My foot strike is my constant enemy when it comes to training and racing. While efficient, it is rough on my lower legs. At the moment my cramped calves from the half-marathon have caused some nasty compensation issues. Working through them and trying to move forward. I just want to do a workout. I miss running fast. My body misses running fast.
Thursday I am planning on racing a 5k turkey trot in Ontario, Oregon. It is a tradition for Pat and I and every year more and more friends join us. It is supposed to be 1-4 degrees. I don't know about you, but by my standards that is COLD!! It may feel like the infamous XC Club Nationals in Spokane, WA a couple of years ago. Now THAT is a story.
Until then, I will work on rehab: foam rolling, icing, all that stuff that I put off until something reminds me.
Thursday I am planning on racing a 5k turkey trot in Ontario, Oregon. It is a tradition for Pat and I and every year more and more friends join us. It is supposed to be 1-4 degrees. I don't know about you, but by my standards that is COLD!! It may feel like the infamous XC Club Nationals in Spokane, WA a couple of years ago. Now THAT is a story.
Until then, I will work on rehab: foam rolling, icing, all that stuff that I put off until something reminds me.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Race report and beyond (Part I)
I am in a bit of a foul mood this afternoon. The reason?? My calves are killing me! I know, I know, stop complaining but I am bummed that I will not be able to race tomorrow as I had planned. I would have been defending champ 4 years in a row. Now I have to watch while someone else claims the title. That is tough for me to swallow.
On to the San Antonio half-marathon recap from Sunday. 4:40 am came all too early but come it did...as it always does. I got up and ate a banana, a mini bagel with peanut butter, and drank 20 oz. of water. A quick shower woke me up and at 5:30 am I was in the lobby to meet up with our group. We headed out with plenty of time, even accounting for traffic. We made it to the start line but then, when looking for the finish line parking (about a mile away), we accidentally got back on the freeway going in the opposite way. Thanks to the wonder that is the iphone (not mine, but there were three in the car) we found our way-through the ghetto-to our destination by 6:13 am.
After a short warm-up run to the start and weaving through total clustered chaos I arrived at my start. But I did not see any other elites or the normal warm up spot for us. When I asked a volunteer where I should be and where I needed to check my bag she told me I needed to go all the way back to corral 10 and drop off my stuff at the appropriate UPS truck which would then take it to the finish. Did I mention there were 30,000 people at this race??? I knew it was wrong but I headed back through the crowd because I did not know what to do and I was running out of time. On the way, I ran into a fellow who looked like he knew what he was doing and asked again. He hurriedly rushed me back up to the front and into a nice warm building and lo-and-behold the rest of the elite group. I should have planned ahead but you know...I had 15 minutes. I checked my stuff to go to the finish line and did a few drills and stretches.
And we were off! 6:00; 5:55; 5:57; 5:56; 6:07 (kind of fell asleep here); 5:48; 5:54; 5:53; Oh no..SHIT stop; 5:57; Oh lord...another one!; 6:02; 5:56; 6:02; 6:39 (last 1.11 miles)..FINISH! Official finish time was 1:18:54-including stops. I was happy yet, really frustrated with having to stop. I have been having stomach issues for a month or more now. I will be totally fine and then NOT. Without the stops I had my time around 1:17:58-one thing I am is a quick crapper. At least I've got that going for me.
On to the San Antonio half-marathon recap from Sunday. 4:40 am came all too early but come it did...as it always does. I got up and ate a banana, a mini bagel with peanut butter, and drank 20 oz. of water. A quick shower woke me up and at 5:30 am I was in the lobby to meet up with our group. We headed out with plenty of time, even accounting for traffic. We made it to the start line but then, when looking for the finish line parking (about a mile away), we accidentally got back on the freeway going in the opposite way. Thanks to the wonder that is the iphone (not mine, but there were three in the car) we found our way-through the ghetto-to our destination by 6:13 am.
After a short warm-up run to the start and weaving through total clustered chaos I arrived at my start. But I did not see any other elites or the normal warm up spot for us. When I asked a volunteer where I should be and where I needed to check my bag she told me I needed to go all the way back to corral 10 and drop off my stuff at the appropriate UPS truck which would then take it to the finish. Did I mention there were 30,000 people at this race??? I knew it was wrong but I headed back through the crowd because I did not know what to do and I was running out of time. On the way, I ran into a fellow who looked like he knew what he was doing and asked again. He hurriedly rushed me back up to the front and into a nice warm building and lo-and-behold the rest of the elite group. I should have planned ahead but you know...I had 15 minutes. I checked my stuff to go to the finish line and did a few drills and stretches.
And we were off! 6:00; 5:55; 5:57; 5:56; 6:07 (kind of fell asleep here); 5:48; 5:54; 5:53; Oh no..SHIT stop; 5:57; Oh lord...another one!; 6:02; 5:56; 6:02; 6:39 (last 1.11 miles)..FINISH! Official finish time was 1:18:54-including stops. I was happy yet, really frustrated with having to stop. I have been having stomach issues for a month or more now. I will be totally fine and then NOT. Without the stops I had my time around 1:17:58-one thing I am is a quick crapper. At least I've got that going for me.
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