Getting my feet wet... literally

I ran 4.5 miles Sunday and felt pretty good. I took Monday off, had an awesome spin class Tuesday after a core and upper body session, and ran almost 7 miles yesterday! I felt really great. My pace was slow, but I didn't want to push it. My heart rate was probably barely over resting, but my legs felt good. I'm feeling confident I can do a good long run this coming Sunday, despite the Snowpocalypse: The Sequel planned for this Saturday. Hopefully, the roads with be somewhat clear by Sunday afternoon, and I can stick to those as I get in somewhere between 14 and 16 miles.

Yesterday, I needed to go out for a run. The weather was gorgeous. It really warmed up after the snow, which made for huge puddles of slush everywhere. I tried to avoid it, but still arrived home with soaking wet feet.

I'm trying to plan out some very smart training over the next nine weeks to Boston. I'm really going to take it easy to avoid over-doing it, especially since I signed up for a 50k trail race in the beginning of June. I'm going to focus on that, rebuilding those base miles, and working on stamina and speed (Boston), and then focusing on endurance and getting out to the trails in late April and May. 

The National Marathon isn't looking too hott right now. It just doesn't fit in with training anymore. I was thinking of doing a 4-week taper after that run (like I did for MCM), but now I almost just want to take a few weeks off before Boston after this setback, making a 26.5 mile run four weeks out a problem. I've always underestimated myself in the past, but I want to make sure I do everything right.

Just because its Feb. doesn't mean its any warmer

As the snowing was falling rather heavily on Saturday, I was actually glad that I didn't have to go running in it! I went to my spin class, did an hour on the elliptical, and then found out at the metro that my pool was closed due to weather. I really wanted to get in a good three hours of work, so that it mimicked a long run. Oh well!

All this cross training and people think I'm training for a triathlon instead of a marathon! 

I ran 100.94 miles in January with an average pace of 6.9 mph. I spent about 5 hours in spinning class and 2 and a half hours in the pool. Now that I like swimming so much, I'm going to try to make my Garmin calendar very colorful in February, with lots of cross training since my running mileage will be so low. Over the next few weeks, I'm going to start--cringe--running in the morning again, and going to the gym at night. Since I'm only doing 2-3 runs M-F, I think its a good idea.

So this week, I am running Tuesday and Thursday morning. Five miles each: one easy, one fartlek run. Monday and Wednesday are pool workout days. Tuesday is spinning and lifting. Friday is a two hour yoga class. Saturday is a 90 min spin class, weight training, and an hour long swim. Sunday I'm doing a 16-mile run. 

And yes, I gave myself Thursday night off for dinner with a friend, I'm going out after my yoga class Friday, and I have multiple parties on Saturday--I can have a life and work my ass off. I'll be exhausted, but I can do it!

Now what?

When I don't follow rules, I usually at least know what I should do, but right now I've no clue. Since MCM, I've broken my toe, took about 6 weeks off from running completely, then ran for 5 weeks, and ended up injured again with ITB issues. I know it may not have been totally due to weekly mileage (a lot more sidewalk running then normal, didn't wait to recover from my race, I did way too many hills, etc.), but now that I'm feeling good and I think I'll be ready to go this weekend, I have no idea what to do.

My weekly mileage so far has been:

• 14
• 0 (decided toe still hurt)
• 30
• 33
• 34
• 32
• 31

I thought I could handle weeks in the low 30s right away, since I was feeling good and I was never sore or exhausted. But I have no idea what to do to get back into training. Where should my mileage begin? Can I handle doing a 16 mile long run right away? How can I adjust my mileage so that I can get back into serious training for Boston right away?

Before MCM, I had taken months off of running. In July, I was about 3 weeks into building my base, when I took 2 weeks off from working out in any way. There were a lot of reasons why, but I got into a big mid-training slump. I came back with two really strong months of training, just went right back into higher mileage weeks, and did very well in my race. So, I'm not completely dismayed by having to take two weeks off, since I've been cross training every day, but I want to get right back into it. It would be stupid to risk another injury, or irritate my ITB further, but I'm really at a loss with what to do and how to plan this. I think I can handle strong training again, but getting injured is just no longer an option. It's just not do able. If I'm out for even one more week, my marathon prep will be crap. That's not a risk I can take.

And, now that I'm two weeks behind, can I make it to the National Marathon as my last long run?

For MCM, I did one 20 and one 23 mile run. For Boston, I planned an additional 26.2 mile run because, hey, what's 3 more miles? And, its catered! But now, I don't know if I'll be ready for that by March 20th.

So far, I think I'll keep up my 16 mile long run. And, I am going to peg a swim workout to the end of my long run since its actually supposed to be 18 miles. I think I'm only going to run four times a week: a "track"/park workout, a tempo run, and a long run, with an easy 3 miler in there somewhere. Every other day, I'll cross train. Hopefully I can ease back into running, while really improving speed through quality workouts and cardiovascular fitness with the help of cross training. Every mile will have to count--I think I might consider just walking as most my warm-up and recovery so I don't have to count them!

Instead of a "long run" on Saturday, I am doing a tri-day of one hour spin, one hour elliptical, and 45 minute swim. It'll keep up my endurance! Then Sunday late afternoon I will try to run again. 

On another subject, through work I got my first professional massage. Perfect time to get one since my ITB is so tight. He's also a marathoner and works with a lot of athletes, I was promised 50% off my next session and a continued discount. I might go in Feb. and again after the National marathon if I run it! It was amazing. My ITB feels so great.

I got my body fat percentage taken yesterday at the gym, and I'm around 16%. Since I'm technically "underweight" and low on the athletic range for women, I think I can eat sweets again. If 12-14% of fat is essential for women, I'd only have about four pounds of fat I could lose. Funny thing is my weight is higher then ever, so I'm really packing on the muscle! Goodness, negative body image issues are so weird. I thought I was at 20-22%. Totally off...

Today, I have a 2 hour yoga sesh planned. Can't wait. Its my first class ever!

Injured

I'm pretty sure that the worst thing about running injuries, is that you're just fine, and then in one moment there is a pull, a twinge, a break, or an ache, and then weeks of recovery that interrupt your training schedule, your endorphins, your race plans... basically your life.

I've decided my knee pain (which went from light while running to HOLY CRAP THAT HURTS) is IT-band related. From what I've read, this can last from two weeks to two months. It was feeling really good, so I decided to try running on Saturday, and I lasted about 15 seconds. I've done research and found out what I was doing wrong:

• A hilly race followed by a hilly run (it was hurting on the downhills)
• Too much too soon (I was really focused on recovering from every run but I still should have took it slower)
• Running on the edges of streets, and always on the left, so that the left leg was always a grade lower than my right
• Too much running on sidewalks and cobblestones (I did a lot of speed-work around Lincoln Park and decided to go from the dirt path to the cobblestone--bad call)

I'm not going to let this stress me out. If it kills my Boston training, its ok. If I need to defer the National Marathon, no big deal. Luckily, I have fallen in love with swimming, I have a gym membership, and I can cross-train all I want.

I bought a foam roller today, and I plan on stretching twice a day, and icing it everyday after working out. Since I'm not running, I'm cutting out sweets and trying to lose a few pounds while I don't have to deal with a raging appetite.

My everyday stance regarding stress is that nothing is worth breaking out, gaining weight, and getting wrinkles. When I start to stress, I think about all the money I spend on skin care products, worrying about this is not worth a new pimple. 

I am not stressing out. I am not stressing out. I am not stressing out.

The skinny on why I love running

I'll never say that I have or ever had an eating disorder. Sure, I've gonna a day or two without eating or made myself sick, but I've never been undernourished in my life. When I was little I would look up to people who were anorexic, I even respected them. I could never be so dedicated to losing weight and I was so impressed by people I read about, that I used their stories for motivation. And, that's pretty messed up.

Until I was in fourth or fifth grade, I was skinny. So skinny, that classmates would come up to me and joke about how they could fit their hands around my ankles. I even had someone tell me "you're not that bad, I always thought you were just that really skinny, shy girl." I ate everything in sight, and so I decided I was one of those blessed people who would always be skinny.

I started doing gymnastics, hit puberty, and in one summer I went from 78 to 91 pounds (yes, I remember the exact numbers). I freaked out about it. I remember the first picture I saw that summer, in a two-piece bathing suit, and I thought I looked fat. So began my crazy body image issues.

When I see overweight children (especially girls), I think less about their future health problems and much more about what they will go through once they hit adolescence and their figure will mean the world to them. In one way, I'm glad it happened to me. I focused on healthy eating and started running.

By mid-high school, I no longer really wanted to be skinny, I just wanted to be happy. In every resolution, and in the letter I got to write (and address) to my future self, I never said that I wanted to weigh 100 pounds, just that I wanted to be happy and confident in my body. Its exhausting to worry about it, to rip it apart in the mirrors, to feel guilty through every bite of food. It takes so much of a toll on my life. I don't even want to be skinny anymore, I just want to be fit, healthy, happy and confident.

I get these small reprieves from my body image issues, which is why I cherish them so much. Because, when your body takes you through 26.2 miles in just over 3 hours and 22 minutes, you can't hate it. Its not about what it looks like, its about what it can do. I discovered this the first time I ran ten miles, while training for my first marathon. I came home, and I looked in the mirror. I wasn't any thinner than when I left, but I felt so great and all I could do was look at myself and think wow, those legs just took me ten miles.

And, there is no mirror more flattering than the one at gyms. Every time I stand in front of a mirror to lift weights, I'm incredibly happy with my fit, little self.

I've been waiting to write about conquering these issues, but I've realized that it just might never happen. I'll probably never rid myself of them for good. But training helps me focus on being healthy. Food becomes fuel, and putting it in that perspective really helps. While running, and after every run, I feel absolutely fantastic and happy with my body. It may last anywhere from 10 minutes to a few days, and that small break from stressing out means the world to me. Its why I really don't think I could ever give running up. The best way to accept my body is to challenge it, and every time it comes through for me, I get a little better at accepting it as is.

Training Log: Jan. 11 - 18

Last week was my week to take a break, including a 12-mile long run (the JFK 20k) and only 30 miles for the week. I feel good, except today I thought I could do a tough workout since I took yesterday off completely, and I plan on cross-training tomorrow. But my knee started feeling off (which has never really bugged me before). I don't feel particularly tired from the running, so I don't think I'm adding too much too soon. I think the problem was the terrain and that I've completely forgotten about my orthotics, and I should probably be wearing them still for longer runs.

Interval run (7 miles): I was shooting for a warm up, two 7:30 miles and two 7:00-7:15 miles, then my run home. My splits were 7:32, 7:33, 7:08, 7:26. Mediocre, but I was feeling pretty dead that day. I really should just start taking Mondays off!

Spinning class (1 hour): My favorite instructor, Jennifer, was subbing, which was awesome! And I got in an upper body workout.

Speed-workout Part I (3.5 miles): I only got half my workout in because of girly-time induced gelato cravings, but I got 3:04, 2:58, 3:04 splits.


Easy run(6 miles) and speed-workout Part II(3 miles): My easy run was at a 8:33 average pace, and the Part II splits were 3:00, 3:07, 3:01.

JFK 20k: Went pretty well, felt good after! Went to the gym and did a core and arm workout.

The Sadistic, Evil, Progression, Hilly, Run (Forever labeled SEPHR) (9 miles): Three laps of this:

Need I say more? It went well. I did the first lap at a 9:15 avg pace--real easy. The second at 9:01, and the third, I shot for 8:30, but my knee really actually started to bother me, so I cut the run short (I wanted to do 4 laps) and got my classic ham and cheese croissant for recovery. Yum!

JFK 20k: Race report!

This morning was the JFK 20k, hosted by the DC Road Runner's Club. It was the perfect way to end my "getting faster and building base miles" section of training, and a great way to start adding stamina. I also got to test out how much my fitness has recovered from the weeks I took off to let my toe heal.

I was running late (obviously) and arrived at the Rosslyn metro, yawning, and remembered that I forgot to drink coffee!!!! So I grabbed a cup and drank it as I walked across the bridge to the start line. It was a small, $5 race, with no bag check, t-shirt, or anything. It was unorganized... but it was $5 so I didn't expect much. There was one water stop at the turn-around, and two more for a team (I took one). It was an out-and-back course, out going mostly uphill and back mostly downhill.

My splits were (Mile: time - elevation gained/elevation loss)

1: 7:22 - 224/315

2: 7:29 - 24/0

3: 7:30 - 35/8

4: 7:42 - 71/0

5: 8:00 - 112/62

6: 7:35 - 76/35

7: 7:45 - 32/2

8: 7:22 - 33/101

9: 7:31 - 68/139

10: 6:53 - 24/101

11: 7:07 - 137/137

12: 7:02 - 84/55

13: 3:05 - 0/73

My watch says 12.4 miles exactly, at 1:32:27, but I remember the clock saying 1:31:-- when I passed it and I had left my watch on for a bit before remembering to turn it off.  So, the course may have been a little short, or I lost some feed going under the tunnel. I got 8th place (among women) and almost reached my 1:30 time goal. There were some big patches of ice that were hard to run on, and add getting stuck behind a group of runners over the run-able portion (ggrrr)... I would have probably been able to do it. Also, I had to pee the WHOLE time. Coffee right before running is not a good idea.

Also, did you notice I got a super negative-split!?! Well, that was easy with that hilly course, but I was very mindful of starting out easy, and taking those hills based on effort. I tried passing people on the way back, and apparently I played rabbit for a few guys. I almost beat the one I was trying to chase down, but I couldn't pull ahead of him.

I'm pretty happy with my time, I put forth an honest effort and yet I wasn't dead at the end. I high five-ed my friend Joe, ran into a fellow Loopster from Runner's World (phoenixshade), and spoke to some really nice people afterward. Then, I went to the gym and got a solid core and arm workout in!

My playlist today was awesome, with a lot of great dance, rap, and pop music (all the great, guilty pleasures)... I decided today that running a race is kind of like going to a dance club: have a great time, listen to good music, and chase down boys :)