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!

And onto the next...

Recovery week is over and boy am I glad! It was tough trying to back off paces and run slower last week, especially because my legs were bounding with energy on the roadways and ready to forget the trail. My quads were rightfully "tore up" after the PMPB but are feeling healthy and strong again. During my race I noticed my feet were cramping up because I was trying to grip with my toes on the trail. I have had "bad feet" since I was put into Toeshoe/Pointe ballet class at the age of 9, well before my growth plates were done developing. Alas this was my own fault because I knew the risks and begged night and day. So ever since then, my arches will cramp and charlie-horse with ease on some days in a very painful manner. Such was the case once I pulled off my shoes after the race which made me realize that I treat my poor feet terribly for all that I demand from them. I never stretch them, I never massage them, I never strengthen them.

In a kind gesture of sorts, I headed over to REI this weekend to pick up a new gizmo - the FootRubz! For a $5 investment, I thought it would be worth the curiosity. I l-o-v-e it! I'm notorious for ditching my shoes under my desk at work so I tossed the FootRubz ball under there too. A few times a day I'll sit at my desk and roll my feet with it. Its a massage and stretch in one and I can tell a difference! Love it!

My other purchase was a new pair of shades for being out on the road. I've been running in my "driving sunglasses" - not sporty in the least bit. They are a thick heavy plastic with polarized lenses but they slip off my face and bounce around. The tortoise film is peeling off. These poor things have been through a rough year. Over at REI they have Pepper's brand sunglasses. For $30 I was able to pick up a stylish, sporty pair of sunglasses with the rubberized nose and ear grips to stay put. I'm not even kidding when I say they are half the weight of my old ones. And with the polarized lenses, they'll be great for running and driving. It's been rainy the last few runs so I'm looking forward to taking these out for a spin today.

I decided not to purchase a Garmin Forerunner watch while I was at REI. I had been considering it the last few weeks but after putting it on, I ditched the idea quickly. I have itty-bitty wrists and the watchband was on the smallest notch, which worked, but worried me. The watches (I tried several models) are quite cumbersome and heavy too. I'm always open for other ideas or opinions, but I think for now I will table the idea of investing in a $400 computer for my wrist.

In other running news, I've gone music-less for nearly two weeks. I ditched the iPod in preparation for the trail race and haven't picked it up since. I'm finding that I run more in tune with my body and can keep pace much better. It may come back out for a long run here or there, but for the most part I'm going to try to keep earbud-less out on the road. There are so many benefits (safety and running -wise).

Today's planned run: my first speedwork in over two weeks due to tapering and recovery. I've decided to try a new type of track workout for me - a Pyramid. My next race is the Biltmore 15K so I'm focusing on hills and distance, but definitely want to get some good speedwork in. The pyramid will be:

1 mile warmup run to the track

400 m

800 m

1200 m

1600 m

1200 m

800 m

400 m

1 mile cooldown run back home

The pyramid will be at goal 10K pace (8:20ish) and I'll do all the steps at this pace rather than trying to run the shorter steps faster and keeping up with a million different target times. With a 400 m recovery between each, it'll be a pretty long workout - about 4 "hard" miles and 2 "recovery" miles with 2 miles warmup and cooldown. The recovery laps may end up being walked just so I can take off some of the running mileage. I fully anticipate that tomorrow morning's 3 mile run will be even more of a crawl than it usually is...

3 1/2 weeks till Biltmore...

New Shoes!

Remember how much I loved my shoes? I mean l-o-v-e-d them? Well I found another pair at a great price online and ordered them quickly as the yellow ones were nearing 400 miles by the end of this month. They came on Thursday (a rest day) and Friday I took the day off after donating blood, so what better way to welcome them to the collection than to trot them around town? I took them out of the box, laced up, and went for a 12 mile jaunt through all the best neighborhoods and paths - Ardmore, West End, Buena Vista, Graylyn Estate, Reynolda Estate, Wake Forest campus and back on up the hills to the house. When they arrived Thursday, I did the obligatory things as a runner - took them out of the box, took a big sniff of the new rubber smell, and commenced their arrival with a photo shoot :D. I didn't realize what color the new ones were going to be, but was happy to see they were "Dark Gray and Vaporize (menthol green/blue)" instead of the hot pink or purple.

(notice how clean the new ones look above the old ones :D - not for long though!)

Spring Cleaning

Upon picking up and doing a little Spring Cleaning, I discovered we may have a (running) shoe fetish ...