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...

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...

Resting

Any runner will tell you - rest is important! They'll also acknowledge, it is tough to rest.

I tend to be hyper-organized and have training plans all mapped out, but I know I need to be flexible. This being said, it's annoying to not follow the plan. Yesterday we had our 7th snow of the season and of late, we've been swinging from 65 degrees to 30 degrees every other day it seems here in the Piedmont. This inevitably makes me sick every Spring. Add on to this that people at my office and Chris's office have been out sick, it's no wonder that we've both been feeling crummy this week. I missed my run yesterday and will probably miss today's. Major bummer, but I barely have enough energy to get through the workday - running a 5 mile tempo tonight just doesn't seem feasible.

I'm due for a step-back week and I guess now is as good a time to do it. I'll fidget with my plan later on and work these rest days into the plan in a positive way. The weather is supposed to be great this weekend so hopefully I can get out and make the most of it...

The best laid plans...

The last two weeks have been a bit crazy. I was doing my last week of training for the Half before tapering and the runs were going well. It's been a cold, snowy year so far but runners will be out there no matter what. I had done a 13.5 mile run after the Krispy Kreme Challenge and knew I was ready for the race. I wanted to run the trails to practice on the trails but Pilot Mtn has been closed for the last few weeks due to snow/ice. Tapering went well this last week, although I wasn't used to running a lower mileage week and really had to fight the urge to go out for a few extra miles.

Then then email came.

Due to 6 inches of snow and ice on the trails, the Pilot Mtn Half has been postponed until (drum roll please ...) APRIL 10th! That's six weeks! Part of me was glad to have the extra training time, but I think a larger part of me was ready to run the race and get my first half done and over with. I worry about injury between now and then, but I've decided that this is the race I have trained for - the race that intrigued me enough to sign up for a half - and I'll hold out and wait for the new race date.

Thus, a whole new training plan has been unleashed. I had planned out my training for the Feb 20th race well and wanted to make sure that I feel as good on April 10th as I did on Feb 20th. Step 1 - print out calendars for the next three months. Step 2 - get out mechanical pencils and engineering erasers. Step 3 - plan, plan, plan. So I sat down and looked at the big picture, planning long run and then added in speed workouts and maintenance runs before totaling weekly distances and monthly distances. After erasing and rearranging many runs so that mileage slowly increases and harder workouts are well spaced. By now, I've really gotten a feel for the amount of effort different workouts take and how much I can run the following day. I'm feeling confident with the plan (which of course is subject to change). And most importantly, a new race day has been sketched into the plan - Saturday April 10th - until then...

Plan of Attack

Here is the plan for the next month. I'd like to reach 100 miles for a monthly mileage total - I have yet to do this, but I think it's possible despite the short month and 2 races. The first race is the K2C race or Krispy Kreme Challenge (4+ miles and 12 donuts - more on this later). The second and more important race is my first Half - the Pilot Mountain Pay Back!

So here goes: