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!