Peaks and Valleys

Training has been going pretty stead except for some travel this fall which threw off my training plan.  The tendonitis comes and goes and I've been reacting a lot better / listening to my body and backing off when needed.  I've had several long runs in the 12-14 mi range that were solid and quite enjoyable actually.  I LOVE Fall in the Carolinas :)  Yesterday I headed out to Salem Lake to get in 2 laps (14 miles) on a crisp fall day.  Some trees were still color splashed with vibrant leaves, others bare.  A reminder that the cold weather is moving in and soon the leaves on the trail will be replaced with snow.  Jazzed by my long run yesterday and a revamped training plan to take me through the Asheville Marathon in March (which I signed up for a few weeks ago), I signed up for the Frosty Fifty 50k at Salem Lake today!  And with that, I've got 2 months to finish training for my first ultramarathon.  I'm not worried about times or paces - the goal the last 6 months has been to get back to a healthy, high mileage running routine.  I'll be happy to cross the finish line with a hard effort and a smile on my face.

Speaking of smiling - here are some peaks and valleys from yesterday's long run at Salem Lake:

Peaks:

• Colorful fall leaves on trees / trail 
• Salem lake has water in it!  (hadn't been there since the dam was finished so that was a pleasant surprise - made the view on the trail even better)
• Catching myself smiling periodically at nothing in particular #RunWithJoy
• Around mile 6 I was running up over a hill and the sun was shining down on the trail when just ahead of me a huge hawk/falcon/large bird of prey swooped down and started gliding down the trailpath up to the peak of the hill in front of me.  Who gets to see sights like that?  So cool!  It was such a neat sight and reminds me to be thankful of the time I get to spend outside while running
• Ducks in Love...there was a cove with several mallard ducks all paired up every 10 yards or so.  Glad I didn't have my bird dog with me or we would have both ended up in the water together!
• Seeing a Pudelpointer on a walk around the lake.  Neat breed - will have to add that to the list of potential sisters for Oliver (current list includes:  another GSP, Griffon pointer, wirehaired pointer, Pudelpointer - whats up with all the pointers?)
• Pumpkin cheesecake (was waiting for me at home - Not really a peak on the run, but talk about motivation to earn some calories!)

Valleys:

• Copperhead crossing the trail around mile 4 on my run.  Eeeek!  Fortunately it was small (maybe 14-16") and not moving all that fast.  I wasn't moving all that fast either so I was able to adjust course and run AROUND it before I ran ON it.  I swear I spent the next 5 miles with my eyes glued to the trail for snakes.  I HATE SNAKES....figured they'd be settled in for the winter but not quite yet...

Only 1 real valley and it wasn't in the realm of falling apart on the run, or face planting, or hitting a wall - so I guess I'll take it.*

*No I am not encouraging snakes to meet me out for a run...

Race Recap: The Ascent

Race Recap: The Ascent

About time I write that quick recap from the hill climb race, The Ascent.  We arrived to the start line via the valley rather than coming in from town down the course to the start (read:  most other runners had seen the course when they drove in, but hubby and I were remained in denial).  About 150 yards from the start line the road wrapped around a blind horseshoe curve and went up.  That's about all I could tell...steep from the start.  There were only about 50 runners (this was the first year of the race) and from bathroom-line chats, it sounded like a lot of people threw this race into their training mix for marathons w/o any tapering.  So a lot of us were in the same boat-DEAD LEGS.  Chris and I jogged around for 5 min to "warmup" and realized there was nothing in the tank for our legs as it was, so we'd just take it easy at the start of the race.

Race time started and off we went, around that corner and from there on my legs were burning.  I maintained pretty well and "ran" almost the whole first mile, but the 13% grade was killing me.  Then I saw Chris up the ridge and he was hiking it.  Smart kiddo I tell you.  My hiking was about as fast as my running so I switched it up and gave some hard effort walking/hiking up the climbs with spurts of jogging. There were 2 downhills in the climb and I felt good enough to push those a bit.  People were kindly cheering the last 1/2 mile from the top which was great because the finish was around another blind corner and I needed a little extra encouragement to push it through the top.  I didn't set any time goals for this run but figured I'd fall somewhere in the 45-50 min range.  Final time: 47:08.  It was a good solid effort, but certainly not my best day of running.  Chris got 7th overall - what a beast :D

We waited for 15-20 min for a person to give us a lift back down the course to the hospitality area (my only complaint really was there was no shuttle from the finish line back to the main area).  The community where the race was, Blue Ridge Mountain Club, is just a ridge or two over from my mom's house and it had been quite a while since I had been through it.  The race was run on the main road which straddles a ridgeline, offering beautiful vistas on both sides of the road at many points along the race.  I was glad that my mindset for the day was to be in the moment and enjoy the run.  We may our way back to the start line/hospitality area in time to watch the bike race (which went from the valley up to the top) come through.  Man those guys were flying!  The top 3 were from Winston-Salem (woot!).  While the bike race carried on, we enjoyed the hamburgers / hotdogs off the grill and some cold brews.  Chris got his age group medal and then it was off to Mom's house to grab Mr. Oliver.

We packed Oliver up in the car and headed to the swimming hole in Elk Creek where I used to spend countless hours every summer.  Even in the middle of summer, the water never warms much above 60 degrees.  Oliver hasn't had much water experience yet as a puppy and we wanted to see how he'd handle some deeper water at the hole.  Added bonus:  standing waist deep in ice cold water was wonderful on our legs after the race!  Oliver was so excited by the water and tried to walk out from the creek bank to me standing in the middle when, all the sudden the bottom dropped out from under him, and - for a split second- I really thought he was going to sink!  But he popped up and started swimming (thank god!).  We left him on his 30 foot leash and let him run and splash in the shallow area and he got more and more curious about the deep area right off the boulders (probably about 10' deep).  He kept walking out on the edge of the boulder which is about 5' above the deep pool and then he'd back away.  After 3 or 4 times though, he had gotten the boulder wet and slick and WHOMP, in he slid!  He swam over to the shallow end and gave me a "are you crazy?  this is cold!" look.  Next time I'll take his water bumper toy and make sure to bring a camera.  After a few more minutes of splash play in the shallow end, we hiked back to the car, grabbed showers at Mom's and *I* grilled steaks and veggies for our dinner out on the deck with a beautiful view and mountain breezes.  I love the mountains in the summer :)

It was a low key, small race but run extremely well and the location was breathtaking.  Given the proximity to Mom's it's definitely one we'll be repeating next year and hopefully bringing a few more with us. Thanks to Pirate Race Productions for such a wonderful event!

Grab your weakness by the horns

So base building is going well (except for the occasional foot or minor ITB ache) - I have several weeks under me at 15+ miles and carefully building from there.  I'm incorporating some hill repeats on my Thursday runs (oh wait, that's today - yipee!) mostly because I...am...terrible...at hills.  My mind says "engage!" and my glutes say "Engage what?"  I've been going to some yoga classes to stretch out that ITB and strengthen the tendons in my foot which have been wonderful, but another major weakness is my lack of core and butt strength.  Those cross training components will be added in next (didn't want to jump head first into everything at once).

But to find more motivation on these hill repeats, I just registered for "The Ascent" run.  Remember "The Bear" race I did a bit ago?  Yeah, this looks even more challenging and I am definitely not in near as good of hill run shape.  The race is 3.7 mi with an average grade of 6.1%.... and the subtitle for the race is "The Hardest Hill Climb in the South".  Oh Joy.  Alas it is in 2 1/2 weeks and so I am no serious threat to the competition but I'll be out there and I'll get from Point A to Point B with some walks in between for sure.

Race Bonus:  It's on the ridge across from my mom's so I guess it's kind of in my "hometown backyard" whatever.  Except I never ran when I lived in the mountains.  Definitely regretting that now.  But seeing as it's just down the street and the race is at 11am, I forecast some post race beers and burgers on the deck at Mom's in the mountains with friends :)

Check out the course map below:

Monday Morning Motivation

Thanks for the chuckle and motivation Runners World...

Week in Review: Base Building Week #1

Week 1 is in the books and I'm on my way :)

Here's the Week in Review:

• Monday-  2.21 miles easy
• Tuesday-  rest day
• Wednesday - 5.01 miles of trail running at Pilot Mtn with hills
• Thursday - rest day
• Friday - 20 minutes of raquetball followed by 1.07 miles on treadmill at Y
• Saturday - 3.02 miles moderate
• Sunday - 4.99 miles long run and 1 hour yoga

New this week - Cross Training at the YMCA.  I got a guest pass to check it out and did 20 min of Raquetball with hubby Friday and went back today (Sunday) to do an hour of yoga after my long run.  I forgot how awesome yoga is - getting centered, stretching, meditating.  <3!!  Plus all of the balancing positions really tested the stability muscle in my feet which are weak and why I keep getting tendonitis...

My dad called an offered to get me a 12 month YMCA membership for my birthday this month which I am super excited about.  I'm the kind of person that might not use a gym membership allll that much on my own dime, but will absolutely not waste it when someone else is paying so it is actually more motivating.  I've really enjoyed the few things I have done already and look forward to trying more classes and maybe even some swimming...

That's all for now!

So about that race...

I woke up Monday morning this week and realized that running NRT50K was pushing it if I wanted to do it right and do it healthy.  My base was nearly base-less and the training plan was too aggressive.  So before getting injured again (bonus pt - maybe I am finally learning?) I decided to scrap my plans at a 50K this fall.  Instead, I'll be setting my sights on a "Hometown" course if you will - the Salem Lake Frosty 50K held the first Saturday in January each year.

New race, new plan.  I have 10 weeks of "base building" now before the actual 50K training plan starts.  High mileage weeks fall after most of our Fall travel plans and tapering occurs right over the holidays :)  I've been apprehensive in the past about doing races at Salem lake because that is where a lot of my long run are and to be frank - 7 mile loops get boring.  But the Frosty 50K is a double out-and-back horseshoe course with some trail and some greenway.  I can roll out of bed and be at the race within 10 min rather than lugging myself across state lines and staying in a cheap motel with no sleep the night before.

KT Tape to the rescue!!

Also, to get me where I need to be (athletically) I need to be more than just a runner which means crosstraining!  I've got to work on endurance, cardio, core strength and flexibility.  Coincidentally, my dad offered to get me a YMCA membership for a year for my birthday next week.  Woot!  I've already printed out the class schedule and plan to head over today to check it out and become a card carrying member.  Those 5:15am cycle classes are going to kick my butt, but probably not as much as the sport conditioning classes (I hear they make you do wall sits!!  ahh!!!)

Oliver sporting his new trail pack!

 Hoping everyone had a great July 4th.  Being a Wednesday, we stuck around but did manage to get out the door (after a little foot taping) for a trail run at Pilot Mountain before it got too hot.  I did an enjoyable 5 miles on the Corridor Trail and Chris / Oliver went ahead to get a total of 6 miles in.  Oliver's reward was a dip in the Yadkin River to cool off afterwards.  It was his first open water adventure and after a few nervous minutes, he was running out into the middle of the river and paddling back.  <3 !  

Holy Moly

I think Summer arrived....

Adventures in Trail Running

Remember this guy?  Back in August I blogged about our soon-to-come-home 8 week old puppy Oliver, a german shorthaired pointer (GSP).  He's now a leggy 65 lb goofy bundle of energy and he LOVES TO RUN.  More than I do, more than hubby does, more than all those Olympic hopefuls we'll be watching this weekend.

We spent a lot of time training Oliver this year and it's paid off tremendously.  He's super duper smart (and I'm not just saying that as a proud puppy parent) and truly likes to participate in training activities.  Our major problem is traffic in the neighborhood - it used to terrify him and we're to the point of tolerating it, but it still makes walks difficult on some days.  A healthy fear of traffic is ok though...he's gotten out of the backyard fence twice (gate left open) and he gets to the front yard and goes "Oh No!!"...we know this because he came right to the front door and barked to come back inside.  I told you he was super duper smart.

His favorite places to go have trails though.  In researching the breed as runners we were thrilled to find out that GSPs are one of the best speed or distance running breeds as well as an trail running breed and it's a trait we've embraced, especially with his discomfort near traffic.  When we get out of urban Winston and on the trails, he's in unity with it all.  As with most GSP puppies though, he's got two speeds - sleep or GO FAST!  He's learning, with our guidance, that an 8 mile run cannot be started at 6 minute miles... we will all tucker at before the end.  Pacing is getting easier and he listens much better to vocal commands on runs.  He's learning that runs are about him getting to stretch out his legs and test speed, but runs are about getting outside with us to exercise together.

Last night we headed to Tanglewood Park after work to enjoy some of the shaded singletrack mountain bike trails given the sudden jump in heat/humidity this week.  Hubby and our friend A headed off on a different trail to do a faster / longer run and I took pup down a different trail.  I packed up my Camelbak hip pack even though I planned on only doing 4 miles.  It was quite hot/humid and I knew pup would appreciate some water too.  Oliver stuck right with me loose leashed and cruised along the trails, just happy to be in his element.  I grew up horseback riding and realized that I use a lot of those techniques with Oliver on runs in terms of gentle leash taps for correction and vocal clicks to get his attention / focus.  It works very well for us.  At trail splits (or a tree in middle of trail), I can gently tap the leash in the direction to take or an intersection, Oliver will pause, turn, and wait for direction.  It's so nice not getting tangled in the leash or fight with him on directions.

About halfway through we came across the boys and Oliver was beside himself...I think he was ready to ditch me and go fast with the boys, but alas on this day it was too hot for him to go faster (at least until he gets more acclimated).  After a quick chat I let the boys go in front of us on the trail and waited a min or two for them to get out of sight.  Oliver decided that we must have been lost and had his nose to the ground tracking for Dad.  Every trail intersection he took pause and pulled to where they went.  We took pause for another minute, hit the reset button, and he was back to running with me rather than tracking Dad.  I'm sure it'll get better with more practice though.  Truthfully, I did get lost in the middle of the trail and did a loop three times before Oliver found the correct way down the trail...whew!

My favorite thing about taking Oliver out as a running partner?  It's a tie between the bond we get during that time and the aftermath of snuggles on the sofa. I swear if a dog could smile, he's smiling every time he looks at me on the trail. It has definitely been worth the time, training, and all other efforts to have such a dedicated running partner in our family!

The aftermath of runs...Pure snuggles

Big Doings

A while ago my delusional self decided a 50K was in the cards for me...and since then it's been all injury all the time.  Since completing the OBX marathon in Nov 2010 I have recovered from hip flexor tendonitis, peroneal tendonitis (outside of left foot), and most recently anterior tibialis tendonitis (inside of left foot).  It has been, to say the least....frustrating...

This spring I was finally able to start lightly running more consistently as my tibialis tendon permitted and was able to complete the Biltmore 15k with a goal of finishing of healthy.  I decided to run an easy 10-10:30 min pace with a 30 sec walk after every 4:30 of running.  This method worked extremely well as I was able to complete the race (goal #1) and coming in several minutes under what I thought I would do that day.  Furthermore, no pain during OR after the race (#winning!). It was a good bit off my mark of 2 years ago when I placed in my age group at the race, but I was able to take time to enjoy the course and be happy - something that had been missing with all of the frustration.

After Biltmore 15k, hubby and I jetted off to Seattle and Portland for a week to celebrate our 5 year anniversary.  It was a week filled with running in new, fantastic places, great food, amazing beer/wine, and about 50 miles of walking in the cities (a good bit of which included a 35# pack I was carrying).  Picture "urban backpacking" and that about sums it up.  We stayed in great neighborhoods in both cities and perhaps the highlight of the trip was the Trailfactor Half Marathon in Forest Park (Portland).  Unfortunately, the 10 miles of weighted pack walking the day before the race flared up my tendonitis and I had to make the tough decision of whether to race or not.  The morning of the race we packed our race gear and I purposefully left my gels and Gatorade at the apartment.  So there I was at the start line, race bib in hand, regretting that decision as the time to Start ticked down.  With trail shoes on and a clutch of water in hand, I decided to put on the bib and get a good run in since 13.1 miles of trail would be out of the question with my foot.  The first few miles of the course were mostly low grade climb and the trail / park was amazing.  I had put my camera in the clutch and started at the back of the pack, letting all pass me on the trail so that I wouldn't impede anyone's race.  I deployed the 4:30/0:30 strategy again and made it to the first trail turn after about 3.5 miles.  After a solid run to that point I turned around and had FUN.  I took my time going back but it was mostly because I would FLY down the trail for 5 min then see something beautiful and grab the camera for some quick shots / video.  My primary goal on the return was to grab pictures and be back to the finish before many of the elites returned (again, didn't want to ruin anyone's race).  I chatted with some trail walkers on the way back and warned them that in about 20 min they would have about 50 seriously fast people come flying around the corners followed by about 100 more.  They were all appreciative of the warning and leashed up their dogs in anticipation.  I'll post pics and videos sometime soon.

Since the trip I have been going back and forth with good weeks and bad weeks on the foot but have gotten some good solid mileage under me that it's time to get it right.  Today starts Week 1 of my 50K training.  It is also the first week of summer and first week of 90 degree days we'll be seeing here.  (Guess who's super excited about that!)  I'm targeting the New River 50K as my race - it's one that hubby did a few years ago and loved and it is very well managed.  Hubby is starting his training for the JFK50 and will likely run some of my 50k with me as a training run.  The fall is going to be busy with weddings, school reunions, and other obligations but the key to training for me is flexibility.  My goal is not speed but rather healthy running and getting back in tune with what works for my body.  It's going to be an endeavor for sure, but one that I have been looking forward to for quite some time.  Well I guess that's about it for now...117 days until I'm knocking at the Ultramarathon door...

Week in Review (Dec 12-18)

In this edition of Week in Review:

Days of Running: 2

Days of Cross Training: 2

Miles Logged: 8

Monday

Back still feeling really crummy.  Lots of time on the heating pad with ibuprofen while studying.  No running, no cross training.

Tuesday

Same as Monday...starting to feel bitter about this whole back hurting thing.

Wednesday

Back feeling ok today but opted to continue rest and finish cramming for my Epidemiology final at 8 tomorrow.

Thursday

Got up at 5 am with Hubs today (he had to orchestrate commencement at his university) and then Epidemiology final at 8 am.  Came home and CRASHED.

Then picked myself back up after lunch and made it into my office to start working on my 10 page paper due tomorrow.  Took at break to go to the local running store's Ladies Holiday Night shopping event.  Running Store + Wine + Making a Shopping List for Santa.  Woot!  I'm sure Chris bought my Xmas gift months ago but still a fun thing to do.  I needed to go try on new shoes anyway because my daily trainers (Mizuno Wave Rider 13s) are nearing 350 miles.  I tried on the newest Wave Rider 15 and was shocked by how much toe roll there was.  They are good normal daily running shoes, but my WR 13s are pretty warn across the toe/midfoot from changing my form and stride and just having high mileage on them.  The WR 15 seemed a bit too cushy for me.  I've really enjoyed the Minimus shoes but want a little more support for doing daily runs and long runs.  So the next shoe I tried was Jenny Barringer Simpson's New Balance 890.  Not only are they super cute, but they rock!  One of the lightest daily trainers on the market and had just enough support to them.  The footplate is more rigid than my WRs and there is a lot less toe roll - great for midfoot striding!  I can't wait to get a pair sometime soon - probably just after the new year.

Back home to the couch and heating pad (back feeling bad again today) to snuggle Oliver and continue working on my paper.  Yes, I fell asleep mid-typing at 11pm...that's what happens on an 18 hr day during finals week I guess.  

Friday

Turned in paper and vegged out.  Really intended to do a celebratory run but was far far too lazy/zonked after this week.  Not feeling so great about the whole lack-of-running situation going on right now...

Saturday

Saturday brought gorgeous weather and a morning run of 3 miles!!  I told myself to keep the pace easy because I had not run all week.  And I did keep the pace slow, but my heart/lungs were screaming half the time.  I kept doing a mental check of what was going on - why was it taking more effort than it should?  Came home to find both my boys snuggling in bed :)  Chris spoils Oliver far far too much (but I'm just as guilty).  As I got ready for my shower the light bulb finally went off - I saw the sharpie marks on my inner elbow...oh yeah - I donated blood yesterday!!  DuH!?!?  Running is also so much harder for the first few days after donating blood and I had completely forgotten.  Smitten with my answer to the question that plagued me the whole run, I hopped in the warm shower and got on with my day.

That afternoon we ventured down to Charlotte for a quick visit with Chris' parents and a haircut for me.  On our way back, we battled Christmas Shopping traffic at the mall and went to REI.  My favorite running glasses are from there and since I am a member I can return/exchange damaged goods anytime (so worth the membership!)  The nose piece on the sunglasses came unglued a few weeks ago and it's been driving me nutzo not to have them running.  These sunglasses are polarized, don't bounce while I run and are overall really durable given what I put them through.  Plus they are a great deal at $35!  While we were in there we became victim to the sale REI was having - 30% off one REI-brand item.  We checked out separate to maximize the benefit.  Chris got some trail running shorts and a long sleeve tech shirt off of the clearance racks and I found a pair of running capris.  I have been shopping around for a pair and didn't realize REI made some as well!  They have a zippered pocket about the rear and mesh behind the knees for some ventilation.  Going into REI is like going to Whole Foods when you're hungry...

Sunday

Got up early and let Chris take the morning run shift while I watched Oliver and got some things done around the house.  I battled a headache all day and tried to take a nap after lunch which only made it worse. So around 3 I got up, popped some ibuprofen and hit the road.  Reminding myself that I was probably still going to feel the effects of blood donation + my low mileage for the week I went out for an easy 5 miles with several long inclines and declines.  The weather was in the 50s which was perfect to try out the new running capris with a tech T - the capris were very comfortable and I'm happy with my purchase.  Now I have full length tights AND capris to rotate through this winter.  The run went well and by the end, my headache was gone.  Amazing what a little exercise (and ibuprofen) can do.  The last half mile was uphill as I had to return to Ardmore from Buena Vista and my right glut was getting tired - definitely an area to strengthen up, but I'm glad I'm recognizing these deficiencies now before my mileage gets too high.

My weekly total was only 2 runs but I managed to get in a quality 8 miles...will def keep to it next week.

And that is my Week In Review - thanks!

Week in Review (Dec 5 - 11)

In this edition of Week in Review:

Days of Running: 3

Days of Cross Training: 2

Miles Logged: 6

Monday

Foot still tender today and it was dark and rainy by the time I got out of the black hole that is my windowless office so I decided to switch today's scheduled run with tomorrow's cross training.  Oliver will be in daycare until 6pm tomorrow so I'll have 5 glorious hours alone at home tomorrow to get a run in and get some schoolwork done after class!

But, back to today!  I cued up the Exercise TV on Demand and quickly clicked on Jillian Michaels' 30 Shred Level 2.  Chris and I watch the Biggest Loser and while I think I'd prefer to have Bob as my trainer, I'd kill at any opportunity to have either of them.  So today, it was Jillian via TV.  Not 100% sure what her 30 Shred program is, but this 25 min cardio/circuit/stretch/strength episode kicked..my..booty!  Loved it!  By the end my legs were wobbly, my arms were shaky and I knew I had earned every minute of workout.  Oliver wasn't so crazy about me doing jumping jacks in the living room, but it felt awesome on my foot - I had never considered jumping as a strengthening exercise to add for my foot.

I followed up this high intensity workout with a 15 minute yoga-based "Athletic Stretch" aimed at exercise recovery/stretching.  It had a good mix of stretching with a little strengthening.  I may keep this one in the rotation for post-run stretching too - nice and short, but focused.

Now for some grub!  

Tuesday

Today was Mr. O's first full day at doggie daycare and I decided to take advantage of my puppy-free rainy/dreary afternoon by heading to my favorite coffee shop downtown after class.  It's in an old warehouse and they were roasting beans the whole time I was there - the place smelled amazing.  After getting some work done, I headed home to find that my new running jacket had arrived!  I got this $90 jacket on a steal-of-a-deal at REI Outlet for around $30 with free shipping.  Now that the winter months are here, it means running in the dark and I can't tell you how frustrating it is that runners aren't visible enough - from both a runner and driver perspective.

Oooh!  So bright and shiny :D

The weather was warm (mid 60s), dreary, and drizzly - just about perfect weather to test out this jacket! It's waterproof and the right sleeve has an extra blinky LED light which I found to be a neat feature.  I went out for an easy 2 mile run to test it in the afternoon and found that it was extremely lightweight (about 6 or 7 oz) so if you wanted to take it off and tie around your waist, it wouldn't be a bother.  It breathes decently for a waterproof jacket, but I did get a little warm in it towards the end of my run.  It's probably best for really rainy runs or for when the temps are below mid-50s.  I'm ready for the temps to drop a bit (it doesn't feel like December when it's this warm) and when it does I'll be ready!  Pace was slow today- legs felt like lead, but that's ok - kept it comfortable and paid attention to form.  Sometimes it's good just to have a workout focused on form!  

Wednesday

Got 2 fantastic miles in today.  The cold front went through leaving beautiful running weather (50s) and the new jacket was much more comfortable.  Ran the same route as yesterday and averaged 30 sec/mile faster.  Chalk it up to looser legs & better weather.  That was some fun running!  Came back and did two 10 minute abs workouts on FitTV.

Thursday

Cross training day.  Really a very light cross training day.  Just did a few ab workouts and hit the books in prep for finals week.

Friday

Fast Friday (2 miles).  Ran with my New Balance Minimus shoes on.  Even though these are minimalist shoes without much cushioning at all, I feel like they are easier on my foot.  I land forefoot/midfoot and evenly distribute my weight on pushoff.  Also, I tend to take shorter strides (yay!) and with practice that has meant more turnover with my legs and a faster pace.  Without trying to push it too hard, I ran a 9:18 min/mile average on the same loop as Tuesday (9:54 avg) and Wednesday (9:24 avg).  Love these shoes and am really glad I can get out in them more than I used to.  I am working on slowly building up the mileage in them.  

Saturday

Saturday was packed with studying so I told myself I could do my long run Sunday (tomorrow) and hey, the weather would be nicer too!  Today was a rest day.

Sunday

Woke up with wicked back pain.  Spent the whole day on a heating pad with ibuprofen...studying...no fun.  Scratched the long run considering it hurts to walk.  Am I falling apart?
Did take some time off from studying to go to a movie screening (fancy right?).  It's a documentary featuring some of the world's best ultramarathoners at the Western States 100 Mile Race in 2010 - an epic battle.  The movie is called Unbreakable and was truly inspiring.  Also, fantastic scenery (both nature-related and sexy-trail-runner-related).  It was a really fun small screening at our local running store and lit a fire in me all over again to get out and do more trail running.  Maybe next weekend?  I really wish we had better trails around here...it always entails driving at least 30 min to get anything technical.  My poor trail shoes have <50 miles on them and that is a problem in my book.  I am teetering on whether to register for the Pilot Mtn Payback Heavy Half trail run again.  It's a FANTASTIC event (capped to 250 I think, all great trails, sweet race management) but the mileage may be a touch high for me come that weekend...I'll have to wait and see a few more weeks...

And that is my Week In Review - thanks!

Week in Review (Nov 27 - Dec 4)

I'm going to try to keep this better up to date - the blog was a great motivator last year while I was training and hoping it will keep me honest and on track.

So here's this edition of Week in Review:

Days of Running: 4

Days of Cross Training: 2

Miles Logged: 8

Sunday

Rest Day. Enjoyed a wonderful 10 year anniversary dinner with Chris & decked the halls. Or really just the porch because I knew that Oliver would just pull a Christmas tree crashing down. Hanging all the garland turned out to be a great upper body work out - who knew!

60 feet of fresh garland with some holly berries I added from our yard's bushes - watch out Martha! Now just waiting patiently for a nice snowfall like we had on the day we moved in last year!

Monday

Took out ye ole running shoes for a short jaunt. Did a 5 min walk to warmup, a 1.5 mile run, and a 5 min walk to cooldown. The pace was nice and easy at 9:48. Started to mist/light rain during the run which was awesome with the 55 degree weather. I do miss running in the fall!! My foot felt a little sore towards the end of the run but the hip flexor was fine.

Tuesday

Honestly planned to do some yoga and did not. Honestly tried to take Oliver for a good hour long walk - he did not want to though. He was curled up by the heat vent in the bathroom and even though I put his sweater on, he was not going to make it any farther than two houses away. I feel guilty pulling him along for a walk but he needs the exercise (and so do I!). I think he's entered into the "fear stage" puppies enter around 5 months and suddenly he's terrified of going on walks. Last Tuesday's walk at the Greenway was only marginally more successful. Foot still sore from Monday's run.

Wednesday

Foot still sore. Lots of massaging it during the work day. Logged a 2 mile run at moderate pace to baby the foot a bit.

Got home and felt like doing some more so I cued up the FitnessTV on Demand.   We got rid of cable for about a year and a half and before that I did a lot of Namaste Yoga and Gilad Cardio on Fit TV...apparently there is not longer Fit TV - merged with Discovery Health which is mainly ER and birthing stories all day...No more Namaste Yoga and Gilad only comes on at an ungodly hour in the morning... I did a 10 min yoga session to stretch out after the run followed by 2 different 10 min Ab workouts.  2 different ones mostly because the first was a floor-based Ab workout and Oliver thought it would be the perfect opportunity to attack me and play.  Then I found a "standing Ab workout" and had much better success completing it!  

Thursday

Cross training day 

Mr. Oliver and I ventured to Salem Lake and logged a suh-weet walk.  That dog can go & go and taking him out to the Lake was more of an adventure for him - lots of sniffs and trail to explore, but less distractions and no traffic to freak out about!  At one point he stopped, pushed me to one side of the trail and started growling very protectively while staring at the embankment.  I never saw what he was carrying on about (he barked somewhat aggressively/protectively for about 2 minutes), but I trust his nose and think it may have been a snake or bobcat.  This was the first time he's gotten protective of me like that, and I have to admit - it was pretty cool.  The walk continued back to the car and all told, we did about 2 1/2 miles of brisk walking with 6 short jogs of 30-60 seconds to start getting him used to running at OUR paces.  We worked on heeling and by the end of the walk, I had a VERY tired puppy who was walking loose leash at my side.  Definitely need to keep up this kind of training for Oliver / cross training for me.  I could feel my foot getting some good strengthening and my hip flexor was able to stretch out with long strides.

Afterwards, we made the drive over to Ruff Housing for Oliver to claim his $250 winnings in gift certificates for a photo contest with the newspaper - Top Dog in the Best in Show & Cutest Puppy categories!  

"What!! I won? I really really won!?!?! Wowza mom!!! I can't wait to go to daycare and run around all day!"

Friday

Today was a 1.5 mile day - half the distance planned for the long run tomorrow.  Rushed home and got out the door in the cold to finish my run as daylight dwindled.  I chose not to take the headlamp and safety light based on how much daylight was left, although the safety light should probably always be worn.  I knew my route was well-lit and I would be sticking to the sidewalks.  A quick run with a few hills to it in a modest pace.  Great way to start the weekend! 

Saturday

So I had planned to do my long run today but my foot was a little tender which was enough of an excuse for me to wait an extra day and get some schoolwork done....Rest day today.

Sunday

Long run day! Not so long, but today I did a 3 mile "long run" - don't snicker!! Cardiovasculary it's nothing, but am still having tenderness with my peroneal tendon...
Run went EXCELLENT!  I kept a nice even pace and enjoyed the beautiful mid-50s weather.  About an hour afterwards though, my foot was sore.  Did some good stretching and rested while catching up on schoolwork and football.  Fast forward a few more hours - was outside playing with Oliver and felt a pull in my foot like after the half marathon. NO NO NO!  Man that was painful.  Back inside to the couch with an ice pack, ibuprofen, rest & elevation.  The foot felt better by bedtime and I as I write this on Monday, it's still a good bit tender but no stabbing pains today.  I'll have to wait and see how it's feeling later - hoping I can do a short run.

And that is my Week In Review - thanks!

Savannah Rock N Roll Half Marathon Recap...and...Back to the Basics

This year has been a roller coaster in terms of training.  Two major injuries, a few minor injuries, finishing my PhD, starting my postdoc...

Honestly, training has been more of a train wreck.  The kind you see coming and just can't help but watch...

After the Fontana 5k Dam, training was going well and I had my sights set on a healthy ramping up of mileage for the Savannah Rock N Roll Half Marathon Nov 5th.  

About 2 months out from the half marathon, I started to get extreme pain in both of my big toes and then realized that after losing my toenails post Marathon last year, the new nails grew in more curved and were starting to become ingrown.  Major pouty face.  After a few visits to the sports medicine podiatrist, I had slivers of both nails removed so that shouldn't happen again.  I had to take a few weeks off prior to the toe surgery and a few weeks off afterwards leaving a GAPING hole in my half marathon training. Major pouty face again.

I was left with two options - scrap the race that we had already invested vacation days into, travel expenses and race fees...or...very gently and rapidly ramp up my mileage knowing that it may cause problems, especially with my hip flexor.  

We all know I went with option 2.

I kept weekday mileage constant with 3x 2-4 miles and then had four weekends to get long runs up to half marathon:  5 miles - 7 miles - 9 miles - then 11 miles with no taper and the half marathon being the longest long run in quite some time.  The first three weeks went beautifully.  The 9 mile run was amazing.  Then the last week came.  I set out for my 11 mile run in the neighborhood with a 2 loop course so I could switch out the clutches (temps were abnormally high for October and on a side note - have continued to be so until the other day finally!).  I started off easy warming up all the muscles but my right hip flexor (major injury #1 of the year) was tight.  I stopped and stretched.  Jogged a little.  Stopped and stretched.  Jogged some more.  Come on!  Seriously?  The hip flexor was tight and only getting tighter it seemed.  By 3 miles I was walking ... walking home...I continued to try a walk/jog-like motion until I got home.  On top of that I was having major stomach cramps and bubble guts...definitely needed to head home...11 miles sliced to 4.5 miles the week before the half!  

Fast forward a few days of Chris and I on the couch...turns out that stomach cramping on the run was that we both had some sort of food poisoning all week leading up to the Savannah half.  No. Fun.  I've had worse food poisoning, mind you, but it still meant only getting in 2 miles the week before the race due to the need to stay in close proximity to bathrooms...Oh yeah and I also had a wicked case of upper / lower respiratory track infection with asthma and a cough that prohibited me from sleeping FOR TWO WEEKS.  

Race day came and I was feeling anxious considering the way training went.  I set out with a few small goals:

1. Run 10 miles - that would make it longer than any training run I had done
2. Keep the pace easy and honest - I hadn't put the training in to be able to push it and I was still a bit under the weather
3. See what you can do.  I kept a mantra in my mind the whole weekend and continued to repeat it in my mind while running:  "If you just give yourself a chance and get out the door, your mind and body will surprise you most of the time." -Jenny Simpson.  It was a quote tweeted by Runners World in the days leading up to the race and I kept it on a desktop post-it.
4. Finish under 2:15 if at all possible...given injuries, food poisoning, bad training, asthma/cough....

I started the race a few corrals back from what I was assigned so that I could keep with Goal #2 and kept company with a group of well paced runners from my corral.  The race had more than 23,000 participants so there was never a lonely moment.  The whole race I was having stomach cramps and at 5 miles stopped for 30 sec at an aid station to shoot a gel and crunch down 2 pepto bismol tablets I had stuffed in my race pouch.  Best Idea of the Day.  Still had a good bit of cramping but ending up making it through the finish line.    Checking my watch every so often, the pace was easy and honest and EVEN!  I wasn't sure if I have done that in a longer race yet so I was pretty happy mid race.  We came through downtown just after that and there were (finally) spectators on the course.  I picked up the pace with the festive energy - I was also running beside a guy dressed as the muppet Beaker (I know right?) so lots of cheering when we went by.  After that mile passed I slowed a bit to make the two miles even out and catch my breath a bit.  Asthma blows by the way...really blows...I had too much fun during that mile.  I also passed our friends G&M that came out to cheer - they were our gracious hosts for the weekend and I dearly enjoyed visiting them.  G&M went to high school with us and we only get to see them about once every year or two.  I passed mile 10 and realized that 1) I could run the entire race w/o stopping - still had plenty in the tank and 2) I was on pace to get around 2:15!  My initial goal this summer was for a 2:00 half marathon, but goals definitely have to be adjusted given certain circumstances.  

In the days leading up to the race I was really considering the Tobacco Road Marathon (March 2012) and kept thinking about this in a positive light during the Savannah half...Things are finally going good...I can't wait to run another full marathon..yada yada yada.

CRASH & BURN.  Around mile, eh, 10.5, I was cardiovascularly feeling great, the asthma was staying in check, the stomach cramps weren't unbearable...things were going well...but my left foot started hurting a smidge.  Just on the outside of the midfoot.  "Hmm..." I thought "must be the crowned roads and my foot getting tired...nothing major."  I kept running and was actually feeling good enough, aside from the minor foot pain, to take off and really push this last 5K.  This race was all kinds of whack and I must confess that anytime I tried to pick up the pace, the dreaded "oh crap I have to crap" feeling came.  Knowing what the last week had been like I really didnt want to be that runner that PR'd with poopy pants.  So I just kept the pace even and with a half mile left pushed it, plowing past people to finish in 2:14:46!  Yay!!  My first official half marathon done.  Medal, check...now where are the porta potties??!?!?!

Whew!  

I hobbled over to our pre-determined meeting place and G&M found me with Chris sitting on the grass in the park.  I realized after stopping at the finish line that my foot, in fact, was pretty badly hurt and that my mind-over-matter Goal #3 apparently worked wonders because it didnt hurt nearly that much while running. But now, I could-not-walk.  No weight on that foot.  Zip, zero, zilch.  G&M live in downtown Savannah and I assured them that I could hobble home and ice there - no need to check out the medical tent.  I threw on a compression sock and limped under the spanish moss.  It was a beautiful day and the weather had been wonderful for a race!

Fast forward a week or more of severe hobbling, rest/ice/compression/elevation/massive motrin doses...the xray came back negative for a stress fracture which means that I most likely tore the peroneal tendon that attached right at the end of the 5th metatarsal ( or "outside of the midfoot").  Not surprising given how I ramped my mileage up and I confessed as much to the head of Sports Med when I met with him...Thankfully he didn't shake his head chanting "Bad runner, bad runner"...yeah yeah - I know I shouldn't have...bad runner indeed.  

So here I am almost a month later with only 2 runs logged, but with many more planned.  What have I learned?

1. Do the time & do the training...I work best with a structured training schedule and weekly plan
2. Don't race when you haven't had more than 2 consecutive hours of sleep in more than 2 weeks...seriously...
3. Somehow I always manage to get asthma only on race weekends...I need to recognize the symptoms quicker and stay on top of it
4. A marathon in not in the cards for the spring...or an ultra marathon (See Lesson #1) - I have had several major injuries this year and need to be healthy and strong before we throw that into the mix.
5. I now have done an official half marathon distance and have a time to beat - so how about getting some PRs?

My new race calendar is without a full marathon....I'm now planning on doing several smaller distances including the Tobacco Road half marathon in March, the New River half marathon in May, and the Biltmore 15k in May (it's returning!!).  Some speed work and mileage through the summer and then maybe we can talk about a full and/or ultra....Also, our puppy Oliver will be able to start running in the next month or two (he's huge already but still has some running to do) so I'm excited about having a running partner.  It's been awesome taking him on walks while my foot is recovering.  In the meantime, I've got a 3 month plan to get me to a happy, healthy half marathon and have started logging small runs & returning back to the basics...

Fontana Dam 5k

After a very disappointing year, I'm starting to get back into the swing of things.  I'm not quite ready to race a 5k and will be way off of my PR, but tomorrow's 5k will get the gears going for what I hope will be a better end to the year in terms of running.  I'll be doing the Fontana Dam 5k and Chris will be running the 10k event.  We chose this event for several reasons:

•  it's down the road from where we honeymooned 4 years ago so it's very dear to us
• it's FLAT and fast - probably only 50 total elevation change in the mountains which is ridiculous
• it's got gorgeous scenery
• it's a small event that only had a few competitors last year (but those that were there were fast) so it'll give Chris a good race
• it had two events - given my setbacks, i'll be doing 1/2 the distances of Chris this fall so we found a series of events to do that had multiple distances:  5k/10k at fontana, 10k/30k at salem lake, 1/2 marathon and full marathon at savannah

I really have no expectations for this race and honestly thought I'd have to scratch all of this last week.  My hip flexor flaired up when I started training again this July and once that got under control, I had to go have two ingrown toenails partially removed.  Things got much better after that (last week) but then we went river tubing Saturday and my foot slipped on a rock and got wedged in the rock pile, peeling back my big toenail.  Lots of R&R and babying it this week led to a good pre-race shakeout last night of 2 miles, but the longest I've logged in the last 6 weeks was a 3.8 mi run.  My times are slowed right now and so I go in with the expectation not to PR, but rather to get a taste of what I've missed and reignite the fire!  

Catchup

This spring we had the great fortune of going out to the BIG SUR marathon weekend where I was able to slug out the 10.6 mi (breathtakingly beautiful) run with an injured hip flexor.  The next week I got first place in my age group at the New River 5K race, despite it being my slowest 5k ever.  The course had about 3/4 mi climb followed by a 3/4 mi decent that destroyed my knees.  That on top of my diagnosed rector femoris hip flexor tendonitis made for a rough go of the spring.  The summer was occupied with maintenance miles and dissertation writing.  But I finished (I'm now Dr. J) and am starting to get really excited about running again.  This weekend we pick up our new family addition - Oliver - an 8 week old German Shorthaired Pointer.  We're very excited to have a dog finally and maybe even more excited for a running partner!!  The breeder has been sending us pictures and he sure looks like a runner to me:

Oliver - 7 weeks

Recap

So the next 24 hours could be considered our "Puppymoon" (I've had several friends go on Babymoons before the baby comes...so why not Puppymoon?).  We'll be camping at the base of the Fontana Dam, getting up in the morning for races, stopping in Asheville for lunch (so many amazing choices!), and coming home to pick up Mr. Oliver.  Yay!  

hello world

I've had several old friends ask about this blog of late, so you did it - got me blogging here again!  I feel like I'm in freshman Java class again writing 'hello world' code.

Things to come:
   What the heck has been happening since last summer?
   Why it's been especially quiet of late (hint: injury).  Visit to PT tomorrow will determine the rest of spring...fingers crossed!
   Pending PT advice, plans for Spring/Summer races

Oh yeah, have I mentioned I'm "dissertating"?  Defense in June...crazy busy with school but hoping to find solace in the streets running this spring.

And a quote from Runners World email today:
Do the work.  Do the analysis.  But feel your run.  Feel your race.  Feel the joy that is running.  (Kara Goucher)

TTFN...

When I run by myself I have my most intimate thoughts. I look for meaning in some of my important memories, I work through present difficulties, and I try to chart the best course for my future. I also do a lot of dreaming when I run...

Kara Goucher 

Saw this quote this morning in my inbox and it perfectly reflects how I spent 21 miles yesterday on a beautiful fall day at the trail around the lake... :)

Race Preview - The Bear!

I can't help but say the name of this race with a mountain scroungy voice "The Beeaaarrrr!"  

A bit over a year ago, Chris and I were joking on a run as I was telling him about some of the crazy races I heard about growing up in Boone including this "ridiculous race up to the very top of Grandfather Mountain.  I mean, it's like straight up, ha!  Those people are crazy."  His reply - "what about 2010?  If we were able to even finish it..." and a dream began.  Now, we know we will not only be able to finish (and not get picked up by the sag wagon) but also finish strong.  Times are not so important to us here - more of a race against one's self, although Chris wants to place top 10% of males and I'd be happy with top 25% of females and a time somewhere in the 55-60 min range.

The blog's been quiet this last month as intense training picked up after the Biltmore 15k.  Each week typically went like this:  Sunday = rest, Monday = track workout (8-10x 400s), Tuesday = 3-5 miles, Wednesday = hill workout, Thursday = rest or 3 easy, Friday = 3-5 miles, Saturday = Long run of 6-10 miles of hilly of a route as possible.

The hill workouts were a blast (well, somedays) so long as the heat wasn't too terrible.  After a 1.25 mile jog through the neighborhood to the park where the track is, there is a big ole hill with streets 1/4 mile long that go straight up it.  "Hanes Hill," as I've dubbed it, ranges from 8-20% grade with the last 150 ft leveling out which helps in the "up and over" a hill mentality and recovery training.  The first week I started with 3 laps of Hanes Hill before a recovery jog back home.  Each week thereafter, I added 1-2 laps and tried to notch my lap time down.

The real test came a week and a half ago - Pilot Mountain.  Our plan was to make it out there a few times, but schedules have been busy so we only had one chance at this.  The road from the ranger station to the top parking lot is 2.0 miles with an elevation gain of 974 feet.  The grade starts at 7% and steadily increases to 12% at the top of the mountain with many switchbacks.  It's a great analog to The Bear, being a bit steeper than the last 2 miles of that race.  The hope is that the long hilly runs in addition to track and hill workouts will give me the stamina and endurance needed to make it to the top of Grandfather.  I usually feel more confident if I can practice the course ahead of time, but this is not a public course for people to run.  I've visited Grandfather several times in the past though and am quite familiar with the famous switchbacks on the climb to the top.  

My reward for a hard earned finishers medal - a weekend in paradise!  The hubby and I will be pampered Friday morning with massages (and a birthday pedicure for me) before heading out to Valle Crucis to stay at a bed & breakfast for the rest of the weekend.  I'm quite excited about the vacation and can't wait to sneak a run or two in on the side of the Watauga River.  I used to spend summers at Camp Broadstone on the river and have many fond memories of capture the flag and catching lightening bugs.  Did I mention that I can't wait!?!?!  :D  

Happy Day Indeed! (Part 2)

Today is National Doughnut Day which brings back all sorts of wonderful memories of the Krispy Kreme Challenge a few months back.

Not sure which "National" day this week is more exciting!

(and yes, i will most definitely be getting my free doughnut at some point today)

Motivation

Today was the second day this week I (barely) outran a thunderstorm.  This one is throwing quite the lightening show - the lights just flickered in the house.  I think next time there's a strong chance of storms, I'll drive to the track/hill.  Today's hill repeats turned into a bit of a tempo run there at the end...

Happy Day Indeed!

Happy National Running Day 

I'll be celebrating by killing myself with a hill workout in near 90-degree heat this afternoon - woohoo!