Just another BPM tune I have been grooving to.
Weekly Rundown-5 weeks to Philly
Just going to let the cat out of the bag. Since Columbus went well and my body held up to the marathon I am going to attempt to race the Philadelphia marathon in 4 weeks. I haven't been doing any sort of structured training since the Indianapolis Half. Basically I've just been running whatever I feel like running each day with a focus on running with those I enjoy and running at whatever pace I enjoy.
I've just been flying solo and getting in some aerobic miles while waiting for my foot to get to 100%. It still isn't 100% and I don't think it will hold up to any sort of training under 10k pace, but I am hoping I can keep the mileage relatively high for the next three weeks and work in some hill training and some longer faster efforts between half marathon and marathon pace without doing any damage. I am continuing to have ART done on it, bi-weekly massage, cold laser treatment, golf ball rolling, night boot etc! And most days it isn't too bad, but it isn't where I'd like it to be to really attack the next 3 weeks.
So instead I will see what a positive attitude and listening to my body can get for me in 4 weeks! I'm confident I can sneak in under 3 hours if I can keep up my current level of training with a few tempos and hill workouts added in, but I am hopeful I can sneak in a half marathon race here at or under marathon pace and work with a couple of speedy friends on a couple of key workouts to get into low 2:50 shape again. 2:45 is probably a pipe dream, but I won't count myself out, you never know. My endurance is solid, I just need to work on getting my speed back, I don't need to go smoke a 5k, I just need to get that marathon pace as quick as possible in a short 3 weeks with a one week taper :) I'm looking forward to racing a new marathon and seeing what I can do after a year that didn't go as planned, not expecting anything spectacular, but dreaming big anyways.
Last week I wasn't expecting much from as I had assumed the marathon would trash me, but I was pleasantly surprised that I felt great every day. Granted I didn't do any real workouts as I didn't want to push my luck. But I got in 71 easy miles and the body feels great and foot isn't too bad.
71 miles in 8 runs
1 long muddy trail run Saturday
1 decent 10 miler at 7:16 pace in Youngstown
1 token bike ride (about 6 miles hard then 6 miles pacing the lead lady at the peace race)
1 token swim (800 meters progressively getting faster)
1 fun yoga class post run Thursday
1 massage
I've just been flying solo and getting in some aerobic miles while waiting for my foot to get to 100%. It still isn't 100% and I don't think it will hold up to any sort of training under 10k pace, but I am hoping I can keep the mileage relatively high for the next three weeks and work in some hill training and some longer faster efforts between half marathon and marathon pace without doing any damage. I am continuing to have ART done on it, bi-weekly massage, cold laser treatment, golf ball rolling, night boot etc! And most days it isn't too bad, but it isn't where I'd like it to be to really attack the next 3 weeks.
So instead I will see what a positive attitude and listening to my body can get for me in 4 weeks! I'm confident I can sneak in under 3 hours if I can keep up my current level of training with a few tempos and hill workouts added in, but I am hopeful I can sneak in a half marathon race here at or under marathon pace and work with a couple of speedy friends on a couple of key workouts to get into low 2:50 shape again. 2:45 is probably a pipe dream, but I won't count myself out, you never know. My endurance is solid, I just need to work on getting my speed back, I don't need to go smoke a 5k, I just need to get that marathon pace as quick as possible in a short 3 weeks with a one week taper :) I'm looking forward to racing a new marathon and seeing what I can do after a year that didn't go as planned, not expecting anything spectacular, but dreaming big anyways.
Last week I wasn't expecting much from as I had assumed the marathon would trash me, but I was pleasantly surprised that I felt great every day. Granted I didn't do any real workouts as I didn't want to push my luck. But I got in 71 easy miles and the body feels great and foot isn't too bad.
71 miles in 8 runs
1 long muddy trail run Saturday
1 decent 10 miler at 7:16 pace in Youngstown
1 token bike ride (about 6 miles hard then 6 miles pacing the lead lady at the peace race)
1 token swim (800 meters progressively getting faster)
1 fun yoga class post run Thursday
1 massage
#22
Marathon #3 - My First Columbus Marathon 3:27:16
Marathon #22 My 4th Columbus Marathon 3:11:42 (Bib #22!)
I have so much to say about this race, I don't think I could fit it into 10 posts succinctly let alone one. So first things first let's try to just get out a race weekend report and then we will go from there! (Grab your coffee, your lunch, and probably your dinner!)
For those blissfully unaware I turned 30 on Saturday. I LOVE Birthdays and I Love October and I Love Marathons so you know I was ready to milk this one for all it was worth! I don't need gifts etc for my Birthdays, I just like to be surrounded by lots of loved ones doing things I enjoy! My husband, family, and friends always come through and indulge me my fun! This year was no different and will go down as one of my favorite Birthdays and marathon weekends!
I had two missions for this race. Try to help my buddy Salty run her best marathon on the day and have fun. I was taking a super relaxed approach to this race, I knew I wasn't in shape to run anything better than around 2:58 even if I had one of those perfect days and thought I'd be lucky to be under 3:05 given I was going out harder than I would have preferred if running my own race. I just wanted to put the fun back in the marathon so that going into my next one I had a positive experience to reflect on. Not going to lie, Boston and Indy had me doubting my love of racing longer races, and I needed to get my long race mojo back!
All this to say I had my fair share of fun, drinks, and desserts last week, but kept it to a reasonable level as I knew I would have to work hard on Sunday. (Had I not planned on running with Salty I am 90% positive I would have been out dancing and drinking all night Friday and done a fun but slower 26.2 mile run on Sunday)
I drove down to C'Bus with my dear friend BB. She is 61 years young and just so amazing, cranking out 3:19s and 3:20s the past few years and dominating her age group at major marathons. We got settled into our hotel and headed out for a jog around Columbus. It was WINDY but otherwise a beautiful fall day. Having run a bunch of races in Columbus the past few years it is fun to jog around the city and remember all my races there!
Excited about the weekend may be an understatement...
My friend GP has been holding onto her 30th Tiara for me as I had told her when we celebrated her 30th that I definitely was going to have to rock that tiara for my 30th. So starting Friday night I was out on the town decked out in my sweet tiara partying with friends and family. Friday night was carb loading at Buca Di Beppo. I was thrilled to have a fun dinner out which was capped off with a great Birthday sing along from the staff (I have never had this done for me, and I LOVED it!)
Required Cheesy Photo? Check!
Following dinner we headed over to Big Bang and sang along a bit and had one more drink to celebrate my last night as a 20 something. This was capped off on the walk back meeting a rodeo clown who told me he also had a tiara (as well as a tutu!). We decided I should have a tiara for every day of the week with different gems for each day. Someone help me patent this ;)
Best Parents Ever!
Cheesy Establishment Shirts Abounded at all the locales in C'Bus
Right after midnight the gals and I finally went to bed to get ready for Saturday's festivities.
Saturday we were up at a reasonable hour and headed out for our shake out jog. Being my official Birthday you know I brought the camera along in case any cheesy opportunities for photos came up! This also was serving as a test run to see if the tiara would be good to go for the marathon.
Turns out my head makes a perfect O turning Goodale into Godale!
This sign was the perfect spot to get a Nationwide photo before heading to starbucks for oatmeal and a mocha!
While BB and MK got showered up for lunch JP and I decided we could use a few minutes in the hot tub! Wow do I like this relaxed approach to marathoning or what?
30 is looking pretty good to me!
Then it was off to lunch at Mongolian! I am a FIRM believer in a big carb loading lunch the day before your marathon. I prefer brown rice and some meat and veggies. This worked out great for me last year and this year was no different! Super stoked to have a bunch of friends come with me for my Birthday carb loading extravaganza!
Best husband ever!
Dessert? Okay just a little!
After lunch it was off to the Expo! Let me just say here (and I will probably say it many times over). I LOVE that Columbus marathon has a staff that is always thinking of new ways to go above and beyond. This is a FIRST CLASS marathon and I will keep going back year after year. On top of getting the royal elite treatment (despite not being in shape to cash in on it) the staff made this awesome banner for everyone having a Birthday that weekend! Expo was great, we got in and out and I grabbed a few friends bibs that couldn't join us.
Hi can I pick up the bib for Big Sexy?
Happy Birthday to Me!
This shirt is the bomb!
We expo'ed it up getting a few extra gels then heading to the elite hospitality suite to load up on some bagels, bananas, and gatorade!
Then it was off to prep our bottles for miles 6, 12, and 18. Using our magic tape and stickers we hooked up our water bottles with our gels so that we wouldn't have to carry too much during the race!
Speedy Salty's room signs! NC and BH were doing it up right!
After hooking up our bottles it was off to our last carb loading dinner. We were all off to Spaghetti warehouse to get our pasta on. I can't lie I am not a huge SW fan so I was super glad I stuffed my face at Mongolian and had been drinking gatorade etc throughout the day! I settled for some pasta with chicken, a beer, and just a few bites of chocolate cake (Hey it was my BIRTHDAY!). Again was serenaded for my Birthday and made to feel super special :) Yep I am super spoiled! I have the best friends and family ever!
I swear I just had a few bites and didn't touch the ice cream coach ;)
Back to the hotel and time to figure out my race outfit. I thought it would be warm, but chilly at the start so I opted for my buns and a singlet but assumed I would be stripping the singlet so had to fuss with the bib a bit to figure out how to get it to lie flat on the buns and not make any noise or chafe. Also needed to hook up my race shoes with my sweet new shoe bling from NC!
Shoe Bling!
Race morning arrived before I knew it and I was ready to rock and roll. Coffee, breakfast, outfit on and I was out the door to head over to pick up Salty. Near miss when EH picked me up as the elevator started shutting down as we boarded it (Yikes!) so we scurried out before the door closed and made it to the room safe and sound! Phew.
NC in her sleepy state was kind enough to help bling out my nails in hot pink as Salty finished getting ready then we were out ready to rock and roll! We headed to the elite warm up area, changed out of our warm stuff and hit the restroom before heading out to warm up. Crowds were already insane so I made Salty stay put as I hopped a fence and kind of bullied my way through the crowd putting their gear bags on the truck. It pays to be loud and have on a crown sometimes ;)
Back over to Salty and I could tell the atmosphere was not conducive to being relaxed so we got the Hell out of there to warm up on some quieter streets! Then up to the elite area to do our dynamic stretches and take our pre race gels!
Bathroom a few more times then out to throw my bag in a van full of elite gear and get in our strides. We got over to the start and I realized I had forgot our friends bib in my bag! One more stride for me! Back to the van just as they were shutting it and got the bib which thankfully I had the sense to put pins on the night before!
Good Lucks and high fives to a bunch of my Cleveland buddies in our corral and before you knew it the fireworks were going and we were off!
My plan for the day was really to just stay by Salty's side for as long as I could, hopefully at least through 18 so I could get our bottles and gels to each of us, but if I couldn't keep up I told her to just take the bottles and I would take race gels instead! If she went 2:57 on the day I really didn't think I would be able to keep up with my limited training and still not being 100%. Had it been my race I would have preferred to start out around 7 minute pace for the first 10k, see how I felt and try to negative split for under 3:02ish. But I was ready to try and nail 6:47s with her as that was the goal and risk a bit of a blow up on the back half. I basically planned to party my way to the finish fully independent of my race effort.
I wasn't actually planning to put on my "pacer" hat Sunday. I viewed my role more as one of moral support. Basically a fun "escort" for the day. But somehow early in the race I found myself paying more attention to the watch than I had expected to. I wanted to make sure we didn't go out too fast but kept it honest. We started with some local boys I knew were planning to run a bit faster and I was a bit shocked the effort felt so easy so I couldn't help but check the watch. And sure enough we were taking it out conservatively, just under 7 minute pace. So I ended up looking at the watch the rest of the way and trying to make sure we kept it around 6:48 garmin pace to make sure were were at a minimum under 6:52 each mile.
I could tell Salty was not feeling 100% but I assumed once we got in a groove she would feel better and that it was my job to keep us on pace while her legs warmed up to the task. I feel like I know this course so well now running it three years in a row. It was nice to reflect back on the miles from each of my previous races here that went so well. I was having fun remembering everything and soaking up the fun spectators and music. The pace didn't feel great, I'm not going to lie, but I knew I could keep it up for at least 16-20 miles. My foot didn't feel too bad, I had taken an Aleve with breakfast, more to prevent inflammation than to do any pain killing, so I am not sure if that helped or not but the foot never felt any worse than a little tender. My left hamstring however had me a little worried. It was tight despite getting it worked out on Friday and I was a bit nervous about it holding up to 6:50s.
A bit before the 10km a first time marathoner joined us. She was running great, super relaxed, and she clearly was looking for some good company to get through the miles. It is sooo hard for me to sit back and watch others races and not give advice based on my experiences, but I kept my mouth shut and didn't tell her what I was really thinking, which was that she should probably not talk and that she might want to back off the effort a little bit. Instead I chatted her up a bit and told her about my race experiences here and tried to nonchalantly input some advice in the mix without it sounding like an order. The nice thing about your first one is everything is a big unknown, and I have seen that sometimes being a bit naive about the tolls a marathon can take does get someone to their goal even if they weren't quite as prepared as they should be. Hell I ran my first marathon in 3:39:42 on less than 26 miles a week, all because I really thought I could break 3:40, because my friends told me I could. Did I pay for that effort with super sore muscles and crazy emotional crap after the race? You betcha! But I did it. So who am I to tell someone they can't achieve a goal? Especially mid race. But based on her description of training I was pretty confident a sub 3 was a tall order for her that day, and I tried to instill that an over 3 effort was still something to be very proud of, especially for her first!
On pace and moving along
I pretty much demand that anyone running with me smiles for the cameras
We got our second water bottle at mile 12 and saw my super rad parents and husband for the third time! High street had some fun bands and DJs and I let the girls know we wouldn't worry about pace these next few miles as they are uphill and into the wind. (That said I was still keeping my eye on the watch and trying to keep us honest, I had been bluffing a bit each mile to make everyone feel positive and just saying things like: "We nailed this mile" "Perfect 6:45" etc. when in reality I knew we were probably going to be closer to 1:30 than the desired 1:29 at the half)
Around the half Salty announced that she could use some "Sunshine." We always joke about how we should get some super speedy boys to run with us and tell us how awesome we are all the time. So I did my best to blow some sunshine, while trying to figure out if she was just feeling stressed or if her body was not up to the pace. We sent our new friend ahead as we weren't quite nailing 6:52 at that point. I told Salty we just needed to refocus and keep our "Eyes on the prize" or something along those lines. I told her I fully expected her to beat our new friend to the finish line. I backed off my effort and did my best to run beside Salty instead of ahead of her and help her to feel in control.
I thanked volunteers and spectators and waved and danced with the DJs and bands. I would try to amp us up if I heard a good tune! The race support out there was just amazing, I loved every minute of it!
It was becoming clear that 6:52s were probably a thing of the past so I tried to focus us in on running 7:00 pace as that would keep us in the goal range under a 3:03. We did good the next 3 miles and I thought Salty was rallying and then her body met that infamous marathon wall and just said "no" on one of the rolling hills just after mile 17.
And this is where I went from "Pacer Princess" to "Fun March our butts to the finish line" as fast as our bodies can handle it. While I was super bummed for my buddy and that her body was giving her the finger I was hoping we could still enjoy this beautiful day and soak up the marathon experience together and maybe rally to a PR for her.
I did my best to encourage Salty and keep her mind off her cramping muscles. I tried telling jokes, but unfortunately she hadn't seen most of the movies I referred to. So I settled for just being upbeat and hamming it up for the crowds.
18 we got our last bottle and our last gel. Between 18 and 20 there was a van playing music and they announced "This aid station sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon." I've drank beer during one race in my life, Crim 10 miler. But I have never done a marathon beer so I marched my butt over to the table and slammed a beer as we kept moving our way to the finish. They wanted me to have another but I didn't want to push my luck!
Just before 20 I looked ahead and was sad to see that one of our local racing friends who was attempting 2:45 for her first marathon was also bonking on the course. I hoped that this would show Salty she was not alone out there, that this was all a normal part of a marathon. Even the best in the world have had to do the long slog to the finish, or worse drop out, on days that just weren't theirs. I think it did rally her a bit. We tried to give some advice and encouragement to her as we passed. We went through 20 and the 3:05 group caught us, I encouraged them all to try and stick to the group and let them pull us, but it was clear everyone's bodies were in shut down mode. I basically put on my "stubborn" hat and did whatever it took to keep Salty moving forward while her brain and body clearly wanted her to stop.
A bit before 20 we saw my parents and I gave them big high fives. Then we found our friend JM at 20 and she jogged with us for a mile until her boyfriend JS joined our party. Our friend NC was out cheering in her cute new hot shorts and I gave her a good slap as we went by. She did an AWESOME job cheering that weekend. It is so nice to see someone of her caliber give back and really enjoy it.
Once we backed off the pace my hamstring and foot actually felt pretty good and other than a few toe blisters and tight hips I actually was glad to be getting through this marathon unscathed. That said I had been hydrating like a machine and I REALLY had to make a stop at the POP. I really hope this doesn't become the norm, but now that Salty had JS I did pop in the bathroom to finally get comfortable and hopped out and raced back up to jump back in with Salty and JS.
JS, Salty, and I hamming it up for the camera.
All day we had seen so many friends cheering for us on the course. I love that even though we are more than 2 hours away from Cleveland there are always a good number of friends out to support their runners! I saw a bunch of college, trail, and SERC buddies through the day and it was so fun to wave at them and cheer along and give them high fives!
The thing about blowing up in a marathon is that you may see a bunch of friends you weren't expecting to see on the course as well as along the course. And the last 3 or so miles we did see a bunch of friends as they passed us on their way to the finish. For every marathon success story there is at least one story of running a gutsy race that didn't play out as intended, and while I was bummed for Salty I couldn't help but recognize the beauty of what the marathon can do good and bad during those final miles. I think it was here that I fell back in love with the marathon and realized that no matter what the next one throws at me I will always keep coming back for more.
And despite getting passed by many friends, we really were holding our own despite this bonk/wall. We did actually pass a few runners in that last 10km. A few gals that had been trying for 2:45, and at mile 25 near Goodale park we caught our first timer friend from earlier. Like so many that day she felt phenomenal through 20 and then the body just said no. Welcome to the marathon. I have been humbled by it so many times, but I think that what I love is that you still come back wanting more and you still come back ready to fight like crazy despite knowing just what it can dish out. You have to have a healthy dose of respect for the marathon, but sometimes you just throw that out the window and go for broke and see what you've got, and occasionally the bravado works out. And those occasions are why you keep coming back!
The last 10k I really just soaked it all up. I got excited for everyone that passed us looking great and I felt comraderie with every person that was struggling as I have struggled many times before. I was so grateful to be able to run 26.2 miles in whatever capacity it was and I was so grateful to have back my spunky happy marathoner self. I was sooo happy I made the decision to stick to the full here even though I knew I was not in shape to get my current time goals and I was excited to help my friend finish a tough marathon even if all I did was hold her hand and tell her how amazing she was.
Like I have seen many times before the home stretch brings out the racer in even the most bedraggled of marathoners and Salty hammered that home stretch like a pro. We have finished two races this year holding hands, but I was not sure if she was in a happy enough place to do that this time so I ran one step behind her letting her take the lead, but with 20 or so meters to go she reached back for me and we finished hands raised together and I promptly gave her a hug before the race officials hurried us off to the elite area.
I left Salty in good hands with JS while I tried my best to find her gear bag. The poor thing was probably freezing her ass off and I had a helluva a time trying to find her bag. They were in number order if you had used the races drop bag, but if not they were just arranged by color and for the life of me I could not remember what color her bag was! And of course I had left my cell with them! Eventually I found BB and used her cell to finally get the bag and get back to the elite area for some pampering!
Post race massage!
The good news for me was that we had switched out of race mode before my body decided to give me the finger so I still had tons of energy (i'm sure all the caffeinated gels didn't hurt) and my muscles felt great. Add a light post race massage and some food and I was on cloud 9. Finally found my family and some friends as I danced my way back to the hotel.
Love the shirts and slogan this year!
While I would have loved to party all night we settled for post race food and one tall beer with friends at Max and Ermas before driving back to Cleveland.
Chow time!
I cannot overstate how freaking ecstatic I am with where I am right now emotionally and physically. To be able to run a 3:11:42 while hooting, hollering, dancing, drinking beer, and helping a friend makes me really excited to see what I can do at my next marathon with the right relaxed attitude and some more solid training, especially if I behave a bit better and conserve my energy to race the whole way rather than 16-20 of it. I've come a long way since my first marathon in Columbus! I can't wait to do this all over again soon!
Wynter Gordon
My new Fiesta came with a 6 month free trial to Sirius and I am definitely getting spoiled. On the trip back from Columbus David wanted to listen to the radio and I didn't even know how to scan etc as I have only turned the radio on once since I got the car. In the mornings I've been listening to dance channels mostly and this song is great for getting in an upbeat mood. I am definitely overdue for a night of serious dancing!!!
Swamped Run Down
I have lots of exciting things to say about the marathon but I am a busy little worker bee this week and just don't have time. But before it gets lost in the ether of my mind here's the stats from last week. Pretty much my standard marathon taper which worked out pretty nicely on race day. While I am bummed my friend didn't have a better day, I am really proud of her, and I am super stoked that I didn't do any of the typical marathon damage to my legs so I can ramp it up here quickly for my last big fall events!
Didn't quite get in 30 miles for my 30th on the Garmin but I am going to say between the 2 mile warm up and schlepping around/dancing after the race that I definitely covered 30 miles on foot Sunday.
Officially got in 59 miles for the week on 6 runs. Didn't get in any cross training as I wanted to be semi fresh for the race. Though I did have a massage and an ART session. There was a small bit of partying involved Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, but I think I behaved relatively well while still maximizing the fun of turning 30.
Didn't quite get in 30 miles for my 30th on the Garmin but I am going to say between the 2 mile warm up and schlepping around/dancing after the race that I definitely covered 30 miles on foot Sunday.
Officially got in 59 miles for the week on 6 runs. Didn't get in any cross training as I wanted to be semi fresh for the race. Though I did have a massage and an ART session. There was a small bit of partying involved Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, but I think I behaved relatively well while still maximizing the fun of turning 30.
Mission Keep Up
All right! I have a plan for Sunday! It feels good to make a decision, and I am super excited about the one I have made for Columbus. My buddy Salty will be running her first marathon under Coach Glenn's tutelage and she has the goal of running 2:57-3:03. This would be a nice PR for her and the goal will be to accompany her for as long as possible and try and help keep her close to that 57 and sub 3 goal with some positive reinforcement and fun atmosphere :)
Not going to lie, this would be an excellent time for my current fitness and lack of focused training since the Indy half. So I have no delusions that this will be a walk in the park. But having run 16 with Salty two weeks ago at 6:47 pace I think I can certainly run with her for 16-20 miles around that pace, and hopefully gut it out the last 10k-10 miles. My buddy Brian did this for me two years ago at Columbus knowing full well he probably wasn't trained to go the full way with me, he made it about 19 miles and I had such a great day with him. I feel excited that I can pay it forward in the hopes that Salty gets some of the Columbus magic I have been so blessed with in my three marathons there. (And selfishly I'd love another sub 3 for the resume and a negative split race would be icing on the cake.)
I'm taking off the "pacer" hat for this one though and will just be along for the ride with Salty for as long as my feet and legs can hold on until I have to party my way to the finish. I don't want to micromanage her race and really will just be there for moral support until she runs away from me or kicks me to the curb. Also I plan to have fun with this one. I may have to work hard, but I'm turning 30 the day before the race and I plan to ham it up a bit race day and enjoy those great Columbus crowds! My friend GP has this great tiara with a 30 on it that is the perfect weight for racing so I will be rolling out princess style the whole weekend and for my first race in this new age group! I plan to get as many funny weekend photos as possible and really absorb the spectators and music along the course on Sunday!
I'm really looking forward to my first marathon weekend as a 30 year old! Lots of great friends and family will be there for the weekend, I know it is going to be a blast!
Not going to lie, this would be an excellent time for my current fitness and lack of focused training since the Indy half. So I have no delusions that this will be a walk in the park. But having run 16 with Salty two weeks ago at 6:47 pace I think I can certainly run with her for 16-20 miles around that pace, and hopefully gut it out the last 10k-10 miles. My buddy Brian did this for me two years ago at Columbus knowing full well he probably wasn't trained to go the full way with me, he made it about 19 miles and I had such a great day with him. I feel excited that I can pay it forward in the hopes that Salty gets some of the Columbus magic I have been so blessed with in my three marathons there. (And selfishly I'd love another sub 3 for the resume and a negative split race would be icing on the cake.)
I'm taking off the "pacer" hat for this one though and will just be along for the ride with Salty for as long as my feet and legs can hold on until I have to party my way to the finish. I don't want to micromanage her race and really will just be there for moral support until she runs away from me or kicks me to the curb. Also I plan to have fun with this one. I may have to work hard, but I'm turning 30 the day before the race and I plan to ham it up a bit race day and enjoy those great Columbus crowds! My friend GP has this great tiara with a 30 on it that is the perfect weight for racing so I will be rolling out princess style the whole weekend and for my first race in this new age group! I plan to get as many funny weekend photos as possible and really absorb the spectators and music along the course on Sunday!
I'm really looking forward to my first marathon weekend as a 30 year old! Lots of great friends and family will be there for the weekend, I know it is going to be a blast!
Another Week, Another Rundown
I'm on the "no real training plan" plan and this week I may have done a bit more than I should have two weeks out from Columbus but I had fun everyday and other than a sore throat seem no worse for wear so I'll have a mini taper next week and see what the day holds next Sunday!
I managed to (just barely) sneak in my mandatory bike, swim, and yoga this week!
64 miles of running in 8 runs.
No days off so I will be taking tomorrow easy!
Tried out yoga after the Sunday run today and that isn't going to work out so I need to come up with a new plan for that! But my heel did feel better after the class so that is good!
If the weather this week is as nice as it was this past week it is going to be really hard to behave and taper!
I managed to (just barely) sneak in my mandatory bike, swim, and yoga this week!
64 miles of running in 8 runs.
No days off so I will be taking tomorrow easy!
Tried out yoga after the Sunday run today and that isn't going to work out so I need to come up with a new plan for that! But my heel did feel better after the class so that is good!
If the weather this week is as nice as it was this past week it is going to be really hard to behave and taper!
Rust Buster "Tempo"
It was such a nice day today I decided to see what the legs could do with it. I am leaning towards running C'Bus with my buddy Salty for the first 20 miles around 6:50 pace and seeing what I can do from there so I wanted to do a bit of a progression run today. Start out around 6:50s and see if I could pick it up after a few miles of that so that hopefully next Sunday starting at 6:50 feels natural and comfortable!
None of the boys took the bait so I was on my own for this one. I went out at what felt relaxed but up tempo and that worked out to be in the 6:40 range so I went with it. The first two miles felt like they were into a bit of a headwind but on the lake that can be deceiving so I wasn't counting on any boost on the way back. Wimpy E tried to get me to bail early but I just ignored her and went with the effort that third mile knowing it might be slow due to being mostly uphill and thankfully was able to up the effort and pace the last two miles.
It's a start!
None of the boys took the bait so I was on my own for this one. I went out at what felt relaxed but up tempo and that worked out to be in the 6:40 range so I went with it. The first two miles felt like they were into a bit of a headwind but on the lake that can be deceiving so I wasn't counting on any boost on the way back. Wimpy E tried to get me to bail early but I just ignored her and went with the effort that third mile knowing it might be slow due to being mostly uphill and thankfully was able to up the effort and pace the last two miles.
| 06:40.1 |
| 06:44.5 |
| 06:52.0 |
| 06:29.0 |
| 06:17.8 |
It's a start!
Something Good Can Work
Decisions decisions. I feel like I have come to a fork in the road and I have all this potential to make something good happen for myself soon but I am torn about what that something good should be.
My foot is on the mend, miles are slowly building up, I've gotten in some decent long runs at decent paces and I am wondering if I should go forward with plans to make Columbus whatever it will be, run sans watch and the best effort I can on the day. Or if perhaps I should back off to the half or run the full as a slower training run and try one last go at 2:46 at California International in December. If my body could handle training I believe there is a real possibility I could get in shape to go that route but I would need to ensure that Columbus didn't do too much damage as recovery would need to be short and real training with some actual tempos and runs at marathon pace would need to happen starting soon.
Then if I go that route I have to decide how to train. Do I try to do a 12 week block (which is already a little short as it would have started two weeks ago) like I did for Columbus last year just upping the paces a bit? Or do I go with my gut instincts which are saying I need to back off the speed/track for awhile to really stay healthy. In which case what do I change to get 2:46 fitness without intervals?
I feel like I would like to actually start building a good base for some big race next spring. Focus on getting my mileage up while staying healthy, build in some hill training, then some anaerobic stuff before a final build to something big whether it be Boston or a road ultra.
But there is this lingering OTQ attempt over my head and it is proving difficult to let go of even though that may be my best route right now.
The problem with this OTQ attempt is that deep down I believe that the training I need to do for that is not the training I want to do right now. I am really enjoying my current "freedom" from the demands of running XYZ pace or running XYZ miles on this given day. I can honestly say every run I have done the past few weeks has been fun. That has not been the case for me in the build up to Boston and Indy. Admittedly I have changed my attitude towards things, but I do believe that letting go of a schedule has made me so much healthier mentally and I do not want to lose that. Thinking about the demands of hitting track and tempo paces right now kind of makes me ill. I am sure it would come back faster than I think but looking at my training from last year and this spring makes me cringe. The trails are calling my name and if I gave up on the 2:46 attempt I could do some fun local trail races this fall and get my trail legs dirty again. If I go for the 2:46 those things have to be tabled for yet another year.
But then I have these flashes where I see myself running through that finish with 2:45:xx on the clock and I know my heart also desires that. I swear my heart broke a bit while talking to the RD for C'Bus and hearing about how everyone that hits the OTQ will be draped in an American flag coming down the chute. What runner hasn't dreamt of finishing with their countries flag draped around them elated with a phenomenal performance?
And so I am torn and I need to make a decision here shortly. Can I be happy with a subpar or perhaps even no effort at Columbus to try and salvage something better in December? And if that something better isn't a 2:46 will I be disappointed I didn't just have fun and go for it at C'Bus to start training for something else this spring?
Where's that crystal ball when I need it?
Recovery Week 4
I had planned on it being rough to get workouts in last week for quite some time as David's family was coming to town for his grandmas 90th Birthday party and staying with us. Little did I know that would be no issue at all. The real issue was my body giving me the finger for most of the week. But I finally started to rally on Friday and had a great albeit tiring weekend. Not quite the training week I was hoping for, but I made the most of what I did get in!
2 days completely off (unless you count the 11 minute bike ride I did Monday morning to loosen up my legs before my ART appointment)
no swims, no yoga, no bike. Ouch!
5 runs. 1 super fun muddy wet trail run and a great long run this weekend.
Body doesn't feel too bad. Foot is a little sore, but mostly just a little inflammation. Postponing this weeks ART to Friday to see how it does once it isn't being managed twice a week.
2 days completely off (unless you count the 11 minute bike ride I did Monday morning to loosen up my legs before my ART appointment)
no swims, no yoga, no bike. Ouch!
5 runs. 1 super fun muddy wet trail run and a great long run this weekend.
Body doesn't feel too bad. Foot is a little sore, but mostly just a little inflammation. Postponing this weeks ART to Friday to see how it does once it isn't being managed twice a week.
Break on Through
Pandora still has a knack for setting the mood for the day. It's a rainy Friday and blues and the Doors have me cranking through the work day.
Finally feeling a little more like myself so this one seems appropriate given my delayed posting for the week as I curled up on the couch earlier when I should have been posting the weekly video :)
Finally feeling a little more like myself so this one seems appropriate given my delayed posting for the week as I curled up on the couch earlier when I should have been posting the weekly video :)
Week 3 of recovery
AKA awwe crap C'Bus is coming up too fast!
Last week started out pretty promising, the foot felt great on all easy lunch runs. Unfortunately it was sore racing Saturday, but despite that I got in a long run Sunday and it, for whatever reason, just stopped hurting later that afternoon and hasn't made much of a peep since. My calves however were big old knots that my ART guy mercilessly turned to jello Monday AM. And then my body decided to go to war with me, it started Wednesday night and I managed to keep things mostly at bay through Sunday (sheer willpower I guess). I have spent most of the last 4 days curled up in the fetal position. Lying on the floor at work wondering if I will be capable of driving myself home is not exactly how I pictured this week that should have been some decent training! Uggh.
But this is a summary of last week!
I got in 6 runs, 4 pain free!
1 swim and 1 yoga class.
I overslept Wednesday AM being out late at the Foo Fighters concert and never managed to squeeze in a bike or spin. :(
Despite physically feeling like absolute crap I am still feeling upbeat and looking forward to having fun October 16th in whatever capacity I can!
Last week started out pretty promising, the foot felt great on all easy lunch runs. Unfortunately it was sore racing Saturday, but despite that I got in a long run Sunday and it, for whatever reason, just stopped hurting later that afternoon and hasn't made much of a peep since. My calves however were big old knots that my ART guy mercilessly turned to jello Monday AM. And then my body decided to go to war with me, it started Wednesday night and I managed to keep things mostly at bay through Sunday (sheer willpower I guess). I have spent most of the last 4 days curled up in the fetal position. Lying on the floor at work wondering if I will be capable of driving myself home is not exactly how I pictured this week that should have been some decent training! Uggh.
But this is a summary of last week!
I got in 6 runs, 4 pain free!
1 swim and 1 yoga class.
I overslept Wednesday AM being out late at the Foo Fighters concert and never managed to squeeze in a bike or spin. :(
Despite physically feeling like absolute crap I am still feeling upbeat and looking forward to having fun October 16th in whatever capacity I can!
F4 (FOUR FREAKY FAST FEMALES)
I absolutely adore the city of Cleveland, but when it comes to Ohio marathons my heart belongs to Columbus and Akron. This was the 6th year in a row (2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006) that I have participated in the Akron marathon as either a relay runner or pacer and as always a good time was had by all. Our usual crew was not ready to roll out when we made up the team this year. CV has been dealing with PF and Solar is having a baby so we had to look to some of our other fun running girlfriends to step in! When we signed up I was healthy so I offered to take 2 legs meaning we only had to fill in 2 spots as Daisy was on board as usual (despite just having done a Ironman a few weeks ago!). We got speedy Salty on board and our buddy EH (my doppelganger) who isn't afraid to tackle Sand Run (short but brutally steep!) to fill in. I usually anchor or take Sand Run but having paced the full I have run the first 9.2 miles of the course before.
Clearly not having run anything faster than 6:50s since the Indy half I was pretty unsure how my 9.2 would go. The doc told me to go to town and test the foot, but sadly I am afraid going to town was going to be slower than I would desire. Also I haven't run more than 7-8 miles since Indy so I wasn't sure how I would feel running 9.2 hard. To tell the whole story of my relay legs that morning would contain a whole lot of TMI so we won't go there but let's just say many systems were not go Saturday morning.
I jogged about a minute to the start line and found my lunch run buddies who were planning to go out around 7 minute pace for the half. I did a quick lunge warm up and decided to head out with them and ease in the first few miles before picking up the pace. I didn't trust myself to start at the front as I knew competitive E would take over and I'd be suffering rather than having fun late in the race.
First mile felt great right around 7 minute pace but I was having other issues so I pulled away from my buddies in search of the first set of POPs. It has been a long time since I have had to do that in a race but I am glad my teammates had made it clear that I did not need to feel any pressure to perform as the stop was needed and while I lost 30ish seconds there I am sure I gained a minute in comfort. I was going watch free for the day. I had it on to track total run time for the day but no garmin and no pacing. I picked up the pace to chase down everyone that had just passed me and basically kept working my way up through the field for the next 7 miles.
I was working hard so I was glad to catch some marathoners and half marathoners along the way. With about 2 miles to go I could tell I was closing in on one relay female and thought maybe I could catch up to my friends who were gunning for around 2:50 marathons. A timely band amped me up on one of the many small rollers and I stepped up the effort and eventually passed the relay female and came within 10 seconds of catching the first female relay (who I thought was a half or full runner as she did not have the relay bib on her back) when I finally handed off to Daisy a bit shy of catching my marathon buddies. I had to walk it off for awhile. I was pretty spent and my foot was a bit angry (but much better than Indy, progress!). I tried to rally and run it in with my buddies when they came along but systems were now in shut down mode and I settled for walking via a short cut back to the finish!
Found some SS buddies and we cheered/hooted/hollered as our SS mens relay came in and local super star BM won the marathon then it wasn't too long before I saw Salty speeding in to nab us 3rd place for the female relays and 9th relay team overall! Not too shabby for being one female shy, one gimpy runner, one recovering ironman, and one workaholic. Salty was our saving grace :) Of note all of our leg times were in the top 5 times for each leg amongst female teams. Very proud of my ladies! Wish I could have been 100% and running fast enough to give us a run at first, but we hold on to our tradition of podium placement still and of course we partied like rock stars as always post event! So glad my body let me get out and put in a hard effort. I really did not want my last race in my 20s to be a suffer fest and despite all my issues Saturday it felt so good to run hard and feel the pains of racing again and actually enjoy them!
Clearly not having run anything faster than 6:50s since the Indy half I was pretty unsure how my 9.2 would go. The doc told me to go to town and test the foot, but sadly I am afraid going to town was going to be slower than I would desire. Also I haven't run more than 7-8 miles since Indy so I wasn't sure how I would feel running 9.2 hard. To tell the whole story of my relay legs that morning would contain a whole lot of TMI so we won't go there but let's just say many systems were not go Saturday morning.
I jogged about a minute to the start line and found my lunch run buddies who were planning to go out around 7 minute pace for the half. I did a quick lunge warm up and decided to head out with them and ease in the first few miles before picking up the pace. I didn't trust myself to start at the front as I knew competitive E would take over and I'd be suffering rather than having fun late in the race.
First mile felt great right around 7 minute pace but I was having other issues so I pulled away from my buddies in search of the first set of POPs. It has been a long time since I have had to do that in a race but I am glad my teammates had made it clear that I did not need to feel any pressure to perform as the stop was needed and while I lost 30ish seconds there I am sure I gained a minute in comfort. I was going watch free for the day. I had it on to track total run time for the day but no garmin and no pacing. I picked up the pace to chase down everyone that had just passed me and basically kept working my way up through the field for the next 7 miles.
I was working hard so I was glad to catch some marathoners and half marathoners along the way. With about 2 miles to go I could tell I was closing in on one relay female and thought maybe I could catch up to my friends who were gunning for around 2:50 marathons. A timely band amped me up on one of the many small rollers and I stepped up the effort and eventually passed the relay female and came within 10 seconds of catching the first female relay (who I thought was a half or full runner as she did not have the relay bib on her back) when I finally handed off to Daisy a bit shy of catching my marathon buddies. I had to walk it off for awhile. I was pretty spent and my foot was a bit angry (but much better than Indy, progress!). I tried to rally and run it in with my buddies when they came along but systems were now in shut down mode and I settled for walking via a short cut back to the finish!
Found some SS buddies and we cheered/hooted/hollered as our SS mens relay came in and local super star BM won the marathon then it wasn't too long before I saw Salty speeding in to nab us 3rd place for the female relays and 9th relay team overall! Not too shabby for being one female shy, one gimpy runner, one recovering ironman, and one workaholic. Salty was our saving grace :) Of note all of our leg times were in the top 5 times for each leg amongst female teams. Very proud of my ladies! Wish I could have been 100% and running fast enough to give us a run at first, but we hold on to our tradition of podium placement still and of course we partied like rock stars as always post event! So glad my body let me get out and put in a hard effort. I really did not want my last race in my 20s to be a suffer fest and despite all my issues Saturday it felt so good to run hard and feel the pains of racing again and actually enjoy them!
Glowstick Dancing Cowbell Girl
I've got the Moves like Elaine (from Seinfeld!) (Sort of like Jagger, but much less suave)
Last weekend a few of my buddy's and a total of around 200 people were running in circles around Edgewater for 24 hours. Yep that's right 24 hours of running a .9ish mile paved loop on the shores of Lake Erie! Sound nuts? Yep I agree! But I am all about supporting my nutso friends with my energetic cheering ways!
After a long day of cleaning and accompanying Salty on her 12 mile run (8 on my bike and 4 running with her to wrap it up) I took a quick power nap then it was off to Edgewater to cheer in the dark. I arrived to find some local friends at the Vertical Runner tent rocking out. I came wielding glow stick flashlights and we proceeded to cheer/dance/rave those runners on from 12:30 to the 9 am finish. I got many comments that I should be running the event with all of my energy. But I am rather certain I had more fun dancing and cheering than I would running around in circles all night :)
The last hour was rather exciting as local super star Connie Gardner came within a mile of breaking the national record and we spread out all around the course to encourage her. I grabbed a cowbell and proceeded to make as much noise cheering the last 30 minutes as possible. My ears are still ringing!
Not sure what those runners thought of us, some of the crews weren't too happy as they tried to cat nap through the night, but I know if I was running around in the dark I would want people to be making some noise! If you are in Cleveland next year for the weekend of the event and want to witness something a little different I recommend it! We had a blast!
Last weekend a few of my buddy's and a total of around 200 people were running in circles around Edgewater for 24 hours. Yep that's right 24 hours of running a .9ish mile paved loop on the shores of Lake Erie! Sound nuts? Yep I agree! But I am all about supporting my nutso friends with my energetic cheering ways!
After a long day of cleaning and accompanying Salty on her 12 mile run (8 on my bike and 4 running with her to wrap it up) I took a quick power nap then it was off to Edgewater to cheer in the dark. I arrived to find some local friends at the Vertical Runner tent rocking out. I came wielding glow stick flashlights and we proceeded to cheer/dance/rave those runners on from 12:30 to the 9 am finish. I got many comments that I should be running the event with all of my energy. But I am rather certain I had more fun dancing and cheering than I would running around in circles all night :)
The last hour was rather exciting as local super star Connie Gardner came within a mile of breaking the national record and we spread out all around the course to encourage her. I grabbed a cowbell and proceeded to make as much noise cheering the last 30 minutes as possible. My ears are still ringing!
Not sure what those runners thought of us, some of the crews weren't too happy as they tried to cat nap through the night, but I know if I was running around in the dark I would want people to be making some noise! If you are in Cleveland next year for the weekend of the event and want to witness something a little different I recommend it! We had a blast!
Indy Womens Half
What's that? Yeah I did run a race before I took this crazy PF hiatus. Rather I finished a race. Let's just say it was not my best effort, not my day, a big ol' train wreck pretty much. I wouldn't even write about it except for I think I need to own up to what this race was for me in order to do better in the future when I am dealt this sort of hand again.
For whatever reason this year I have found my self at the start line of two all womens races and both times my effort has just come up short. But Elizabeth you might say, at Boston you were on antibiotics and dealing with hamstring issues, or at Indy you were worried about your foot and your 4 failed tempos. Whatever, those things may have played into my less than stellar results, but I think there was definitely something else going on for both of these races. I didn't feel fantastic at Perfect 10 and my foot felt just as crappy after that as it did after Indy, but I managed to pull it together that day. What was the difference in Indy?
I think the difference for whatever silly reason is more mental than physical. Both at Boston and at Indy I thought I was fully prepared to tow the line with women better than me, equal to me, and slower than me and put together my best race. But both times I went out a bit kamikaze style and wanted to quit long before the finish line. I ignored my racing instincts and forced it and then lacked the mental tenacity to deal with it when it got too hard.
At Indy I wanted to quit by mile 4. At Boston I lost my pack by the 10km. And let me tell you running by yourself just isn't as much fun! At least not for me!
I knew for both of these races that many women would run away from me at the start and for some reason at both races I still went out too fast and had a hard time committing to the faster pace once I was in over my head. To my credit at Boston I held it together and had a good time despite my body throwing in the towel much too early. But at Indy I really was ready to quit from mile 2 on. I started a bit aggressively, but nothing crazy, about the same pace as my first mile at Perfect 10, but my body was just working too hard and I let the pack of 4 I was with go and told myself to just settle in and work to keep it between 6 and 6:10. Well the next mile was something like 6:24 and I was working. UGGH. I got caught by about 2 runners from mile 2-4 but just let them go. Trying to settle into some sort of groove.
Mile 4ish a runner (LM) I knew caught me with another girl and encouraged me to go with them but I was juiced and couldn't respond. I started contemplating my options, jog it in, quit and turn around. My foot was sore, I felt like crap, it was hot, basically just a big hot negative mess. Around mile 5 two gals from Michigan caught me, I knew they were planning to run goal marathon for the race and I had contemplated starting with them, but now I had dug a hole and I couldn't get my legs to respond and go with them. Uggh.
Mile 6 I was getting ready to pull out. I had just saw another runner drop and I knew I would see NCs parents soon. I could stop and cheer with them and save it for another day. Then my guardian angel from Florida caught me and forced me to rally and join her. I wasn't comfortable but the pace was doable and I managed to get my head back in the game and stick with her. I admonished myself for wanting to give up so early in a long race, and I thought maybe my legs could actually rally from my poorly paced start and come around. We hit a roller and I fell back a little. My friend from Florida encouraged me saying I could not drop back until we caught my running friend from Ohio. We had watched as the gals from Michigan slowly reeled her in and she said we could do the same. So I focused ahead and upped the effort. Perhaps a bit too much as it turned out in the end. But the next few miles actually felt pretty strong and we did eventually catch up to LM and a gal from Utah who I had run the first mile with.
I felt the need to return the favor as LM had offered me encouragement earlier as well as the other gals and I let her know we were coming and to latch on to us. She did a great job and picked it up to go with me. We stayed together for the next mile or so and I just couldn't keep it up.
The last three miles were pretty much a bi-polar death march. From admonishing myself and deciding I would run a half the next weekend to prove to myself I was better than this, to trying to convince myself to run like an elite and step it up, to worrying about my foot and thinking I was over-trained, to berating myself the last half mile as I reached for the American flags they were handing out only to miss and decide that even Uncle Sam thought I sucked. Yeah pretty much the most negative I have ever felt in any race in my life. Who was this negative person, this person who gave up so early, this person that just fell apart? Well it certainly wasn't me, at least not the me I usually am and not the me I want to be.
I found myself holding back tears at the finish line and trying to celebrate in everyone elses success while being utterly dissapointed in myself. I got over myself with a cool down with LM, but unfortunately now to add insult to injury my foot was irate. I spent the rest of the day limping around downtown Indy wondering how much damage I had done and what to do about training and recovery from this.
Both Boston and Indy were so much fun before and after the race. I loved meeting all these amazing women and getting to know them! I wouldn't trade it for the world. But the truth is clearly this sort of stage is not where I currently run my best efforts. For whatever reason I am too stubborn to run my own race and keep my head in the game at this level for the long distances. I should know better, and hopefully I will learn from this and it will make me a better racer in the future!
For whatever reason this year I have found my self at the start line of two all womens races and both times my effort has just come up short. But Elizabeth you might say, at Boston you were on antibiotics and dealing with hamstring issues, or at Indy you were worried about your foot and your 4 failed tempos. Whatever, those things may have played into my less than stellar results, but I think there was definitely something else going on for both of these races. I didn't feel fantastic at Perfect 10 and my foot felt just as crappy after that as it did after Indy, but I managed to pull it together that day. What was the difference in Indy?
I think the difference for whatever silly reason is more mental than physical. Both at Boston and at Indy I thought I was fully prepared to tow the line with women better than me, equal to me, and slower than me and put together my best race. But both times I went out a bit kamikaze style and wanted to quit long before the finish line. I ignored my racing instincts and forced it and then lacked the mental tenacity to deal with it when it got too hard.
At Indy I wanted to quit by mile 4. At Boston I lost my pack by the 10km. And let me tell you running by yourself just isn't as much fun! At least not for me!
I knew for both of these races that many women would run away from me at the start and for some reason at both races I still went out too fast and had a hard time committing to the faster pace once I was in over my head. To my credit at Boston I held it together and had a good time despite my body throwing in the towel much too early. But at Indy I really was ready to quit from mile 2 on. I started a bit aggressively, but nothing crazy, about the same pace as my first mile at Perfect 10, but my body was just working too hard and I let the pack of 4 I was with go and told myself to just settle in and work to keep it between 6 and 6:10. Well the next mile was something like 6:24 and I was working. UGGH. I got caught by about 2 runners from mile 2-4 but just let them go. Trying to settle into some sort of groove.
Mile 4ish a runner (LM) I knew caught me with another girl and encouraged me to go with them but I was juiced and couldn't respond. I started contemplating my options, jog it in, quit and turn around. My foot was sore, I felt like crap, it was hot, basically just a big hot negative mess. Around mile 5 two gals from Michigan caught me, I knew they were planning to run goal marathon for the race and I had contemplated starting with them, but now I had dug a hole and I couldn't get my legs to respond and go with them. Uggh.
Mile 6 I was getting ready to pull out. I had just saw another runner drop and I knew I would see NCs parents soon. I could stop and cheer with them and save it for another day. Then my guardian angel from Florida caught me and forced me to rally and join her. I wasn't comfortable but the pace was doable and I managed to get my head back in the game and stick with her. I admonished myself for wanting to give up so early in a long race, and I thought maybe my legs could actually rally from my poorly paced start and come around. We hit a roller and I fell back a little. My friend from Florida encouraged me saying I could not drop back until we caught my running friend from Ohio. We had watched as the gals from Michigan slowly reeled her in and she said we could do the same. So I focused ahead and upped the effort. Perhaps a bit too much as it turned out in the end. But the next few miles actually felt pretty strong and we did eventually catch up to LM and a gal from Utah who I had run the first mile with.
I felt the need to return the favor as LM had offered me encouragement earlier as well as the other gals and I let her know we were coming and to latch on to us. She did a great job and picked it up to go with me. We stayed together for the next mile or so and I just couldn't keep it up.
The last three miles were pretty much a bi-polar death march. From admonishing myself and deciding I would run a half the next weekend to prove to myself I was better than this, to trying to convince myself to run like an elite and step it up, to worrying about my foot and thinking I was over-trained, to berating myself the last half mile as I reached for the American flags they were handing out only to miss and decide that even Uncle Sam thought I sucked. Yeah pretty much the most negative I have ever felt in any race in my life. Who was this negative person, this person who gave up so early, this person that just fell apart? Well it certainly wasn't me, at least not the me I usually am and not the me I want to be.
I found myself holding back tears at the finish line and trying to celebrate in everyone elses success while being utterly dissapointed in myself. I got over myself with a cool down with LM, but unfortunately now to add insult to injury my foot was irate. I spent the rest of the day limping around downtown Indy wondering how much damage I had done and what to do about training and recovery from this.
Both Boston and Indy were so much fun before and after the race. I loved meeting all these amazing women and getting to know them! I wouldn't trade it for the world. But the truth is clearly this sort of stage is not where I currently run my best efforts. For whatever reason I am too stubborn to run my own race and keep my head in the game at this level for the long distances. I should know better, and hopefully I will learn from this and it will make me a better racer in the future!
PF Club
(No relation to Fight Club)
Plantar Fasciitis Blows! It seems like you mention PF to any runner and either they've had it, they have it, or their friends have it and they have been dealing with it for far too many months for my taste. I saw an ART guy at Rev3 last weekend and he mentioned PF is like a club. I told him that is not a club I want to be a part of :) Unfortunately I seem to have joined the club and I am joining the ranks of those that will try anything to get rid of their heel and arch pain!
Of my friends that currently are treating, dealing, or dealt with PF solutions offered up included rest, ART, Shockwave therapy, stretching, massage, laser therapy, ice massage, golf ball rolling, night splints, toe exercises, heel supports, orthotics...the list goes on and I am trying most of these things minus orthotics or heel supports, I feel like they might cause a compensation injury so I want to avoid them at all costs. I'm also holding off on the shockwave therapy as a last resort if my foot doesn't respond to ART. It is pricey and painful (not that ART isn't, but I like that with ART I have someone actually digging around in there and finding all the junk, not just pointing a laser at my heel) and the quick fix sounds too good to be true to me, after all I have been slowly making the foot worse since May, unlike other injuries I have given myself over night, it seems it might take some time to fix something you have been damaging for awhile.
So I took 8 days off running, the most I have taken off in ages it seems. I wanted three pain free mornings before I'd run again. Wanted to get rid of the constant inflammation. The timing on this for my body was good because I was clearly just running out of steam mentally and physically and getting burned out. The foot was a good excuse to get some much needed recovery from hard training.
I also went out and bought a night splint to prevent me from pointing my toes at night and inflaming the foot first thing in the morning.
I got in for some free ART on the foot at REV3 and the next morning was my first pain free morning which was followed by a not pain free morning (ironman spectating involves being on your feet) then 2 pain free mornings which I called good enough even though the whole days weren't pain free as the ART guy seemed to think I could do some easy running without making things worse. He said I basically had a lot of adhesion/scar tissue in my foot that needed to be worked out, and until they are I will have problems with it. Basically my heel feels like a rock and it is supposed to feel malleable!
I'm getting ART twice a week until the foot is pain free every day. My second ART appt and first with my local guru was painful but followed by two blissfully pain free runs. This is a good sign that my foot will eventually heal! YAY! This Mondays ART session was also followed up with a pain free run. We'll see if I can get a second one today.
All of my ART days were followed up with long nights on my feet at social outings which I think is counter productive for the foot, but this morning rolling it on the golf ball seemed to negate the damage done bouncing around at the Foo Fighters concert last night. So I will continue the self massage!
I have an awesome ice cup thingy my buddy Lloyd gave me when I gave myself tendonitis playing Dance Central, and I have been using that to ice/massage the foot after runs. I think now that it is a chronic issue the ice doesn't really help at other times as it actually keeps blood flow from getting to the foot, but that is one thing (ice vs heat) I have never gotten a really good handle on. I just know if the foot is inflamed from the run the ice makes it feel better (aka numb!).
I borrowed my aunt and uncles $1600 laser and have been "treating" my foot for 10 minutes a day. I feel nothing while I am doing it and I have no idea if it is voodoo, but if it helps awesome, if it doesn't I'm out ten minutes a day. The theory is it helps direct blood flow to the heel which doesn't get much blood flow, more blood flow = faster healing.
While brushing my teeth every day I am doing toe raises and what I am calling foot crunches where I use my toes to try and grip the ground in the hopes of strengthening my foot.
I broke out the foot spa and I am going to try and get in epsom salt baths for the feet as often as possible, the warm water seems to loosen it up.
I'm yoga-ing and stretching my calves so that once the foot is healed hopefully I don't mess it up again.
Any magic PF cures you folks have that I should be trying? Clearly I am willing to try just about anything to quit this darn club!
Plantar Fasciitis Blows! It seems like you mention PF to any runner and either they've had it, they have it, or their friends have it and they have been dealing with it for far too many months for my taste. I saw an ART guy at Rev3 last weekend and he mentioned PF is like a club. I told him that is not a club I want to be a part of :) Unfortunately I seem to have joined the club and I am joining the ranks of those that will try anything to get rid of their heel and arch pain!
Of my friends that currently are treating, dealing, or dealt with PF solutions offered up included rest, ART, Shockwave therapy, stretching, massage, laser therapy, ice massage, golf ball rolling, night splints, toe exercises, heel supports, orthotics...the list goes on and I am trying most of these things minus orthotics or heel supports, I feel like they might cause a compensation injury so I want to avoid them at all costs. I'm also holding off on the shockwave therapy as a last resort if my foot doesn't respond to ART. It is pricey and painful (not that ART isn't, but I like that with ART I have someone actually digging around in there and finding all the junk, not just pointing a laser at my heel) and the quick fix sounds too good to be true to me, after all I have been slowly making the foot worse since May, unlike other injuries I have given myself over night, it seems it might take some time to fix something you have been damaging for awhile.
So I took 8 days off running, the most I have taken off in ages it seems. I wanted three pain free mornings before I'd run again. Wanted to get rid of the constant inflammation. The timing on this for my body was good because I was clearly just running out of steam mentally and physically and getting burned out. The foot was a good excuse to get some much needed recovery from hard training.
I also went out and bought a night splint to prevent me from pointing my toes at night and inflaming the foot first thing in the morning.
I got in for some free ART on the foot at REV3 and the next morning was my first pain free morning which was followed by a not pain free morning (ironman spectating involves being on your feet) then 2 pain free mornings which I called good enough even though the whole days weren't pain free as the ART guy seemed to think I could do some easy running without making things worse. He said I basically had a lot of adhesion/scar tissue in my foot that needed to be worked out, and until they are I will have problems with it. Basically my heel feels like a rock and it is supposed to feel malleable!
I'm getting ART twice a week until the foot is pain free every day. My second ART appt and first with my local guru was painful but followed by two blissfully pain free runs. This is a good sign that my foot will eventually heal! YAY! This Mondays ART session was also followed up with a pain free run. We'll see if I can get a second one today.
All of my ART days were followed up with long nights on my feet at social outings which I think is counter productive for the foot, but this morning rolling it on the golf ball seemed to negate the damage done bouncing around at the Foo Fighters concert last night. So I will continue the self massage!
I have an awesome ice cup thingy my buddy Lloyd gave me when I gave myself tendonitis playing Dance Central, and I have been using that to ice/massage the foot after runs. I think now that it is a chronic issue the ice doesn't really help at other times as it actually keeps blood flow from getting to the foot, but that is one thing (ice vs heat) I have never gotten a really good handle on. I just know if the foot is inflamed from the run the ice makes it feel better (aka numb!).
I borrowed my aunt and uncles $1600 laser and have been "treating" my foot for 10 minutes a day. I feel nothing while I am doing it and I have no idea if it is voodoo, but if it helps awesome, if it doesn't I'm out ten minutes a day. The theory is it helps direct blood flow to the heel which doesn't get much blood flow, more blood flow = faster healing.
While brushing my teeth every day I am doing toe raises and what I am calling foot crunches where I use my toes to try and grip the ground in the hopes of strengthening my foot.
I broke out the foot spa and I am going to try and get in epsom salt baths for the feet as often as possible, the warm water seems to loosen it up.
I'm yoga-ing and stretching my calves so that once the foot is healed hopefully I don't mess it up again.
Any magic PF cures you folks have that I should be trying? Clearly I am willing to try just about anything to quit this darn club!
Times Like These
Kudos to whoever took this vid last night. We weren't quite this close so none of my pics or video came out great. But we had a F***ing blast! Rise Against was great and the Foo Fighters were nothing short of amazing! So glad we went!
Cleveland.com review of the show!
Cleveland.com review of the show!
Road to Recovery Week 1&2
Well I think this road to mental and physical recovery may be one of those two steps forward one steps back kind :) I'm getting treatment for the foot and I have had some pain free runs and pain free days, but I have also had setback days. So here is a quick rundown of the last two weeks. Gory details on the running log. The ART really seems to be helping the foot, the cheering and social shenanigans do not :( But they are mentally refreshing!
Week 1:
Run: 1 easy trail run Monday during which I decided it was time to rest and fix the body
Swim: 2 swims totaling 5100 meters
Bike: 1 ride 30 miles
Yoga: 1* 75 minute class
Massage: 1* 75 minute full body massage
ART: 1 free ART treatment on the foot at CP
Time on feet: CP Ironman Cheering
Week 2:
Run: 5 easy runs (one a little up tempo for 27 minutes)
Swim: 2 swims totaling 3200 meters
Bike: 2 easy bike rides and one spin class
Yoga: 1* 60 minute yoga class
Strength: Started doing a lunge warm up before runs and the Myrtle cool down after
ART: 1 ART session on the foot
Time on Feet:
Ingenuity Fest Friday Night
NC 24 Hour Cheering
Clean Fest 2011 at the house (AKA Make way the in laws are coming to town this weekend!)
I'm making it my goal from now on to get in a minimum of the following cross training and mental/physical recovery regardless of race goals:
1 swim a week
1 bike/spin a week
1 yoga class a week
1 full recovery day every 2 weeks (one run free day)
1 long trail run on the weekends
1 massage every month (2 a month during heavy training)
ART sessions whenever an injury crops up, not after months of dealing with it!
Week 1:
Run: 1 easy trail run Monday during which I decided it was time to rest and fix the body
Swim: 2 swims totaling 5100 meters
Bike: 1 ride 30 miles
Yoga: 1* 75 minute class
Massage: 1* 75 minute full body massage
ART: 1 free ART treatment on the foot at CP
Time on feet: CP Ironman Cheering
Week 2:
Run: 5 easy runs (one a little up tempo for 27 minutes)
Swim: 2 swims totaling 3200 meters
Bike: 2 easy bike rides and one spin class
Yoga: 1* 60 minute yoga class
Strength: Started doing a lunge warm up before runs and the Myrtle cool down after
ART: 1 ART session on the foot
Time on Feet:
Ingenuity Fest Friday Night
NC 24 Hour Cheering
Clean Fest 2011 at the house (AKA Make way the in laws are coming to town this weekend!)
I'm making it my goal from now on to get in a minimum of the following cross training and mental/physical recovery regardless of race goals:
1 swim a week
1 bike/spin a week
1 yoga class a week
1 full recovery day every 2 weeks (one run free day)
1 long trail run on the weekends
1 massage every month (2 a month during heavy training)
ART sessions whenever an injury crops up, not after months of dealing with it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)