Week 7 - 21st Century Breakdown

Well, it was bound to happen. A breakdown, that is. No time to run, need to run, trying to stay on top of the training schedule, 9:30 at night before there is even a break in the day for me to run...yeah, it finally got to me. I admit it, I had a break from reality. If you know me, you know this initially involves a lot of mumbling under my breath, and making a lot of unnecessary noise while I do ordinary things (like fill a dishwasher for example). This of course paves the way for me to build up steam until I, yep, explode into a full on breakdown of frustration and nonsense. This one went so far as to having me declare THERES NO WAY I'M RUNNING THE HALF MARATHON - I CAN'T EVEN FREAKING FIND TIME TO TRAIN FOR IT! I GIVE UP!!!!

nice, right? I know. that happened on Thursday, after I hadn't run since MONDAY and kinda, well, freaked out that it was THURSDAY and I had only run on MONDAY. Get it people?

Strangely enough, the week ended up pretty good training-wise. go figure. and yes, I am still going to run the half marathon in Oct. I was obviously yelling out of my ass.

my bad.

here's the recap:

Monday - ran 3 mi in the evening with Gabrielse and Leanne. very nice - always good to have company, and the run felt pretty good. as did my hip. a bit sore after the run, but all in all,not bad. maybe it will resolve itself with some easy runs and stretching. here's hoping.

Tuesday - mountain biking after work with Leanne. WE ROCKED IT! Did the first two parts at the Cannonsburg Game Area - and yes folks, I DID BOTH PARTS WITHOUT HAVING TO GET OFF THE DAMN BIKE AND WALK UP OR DOWN ANYTHING. This includes the ginormous hill on part 2 that I have in the past claimed thatmere mortals cannot climb. I'd like my superhuman status badge now please! This is a big deal for me. Three years after I started mountain biking (which by the way includes a year sabbatical due to the alien I created last year) - I finally got up that effing hill. ROCK ON! And, we are getting way faster - both parts in 31 min, which includes a couple of breaks (re: the top of the ginormo hill). First goal - CRUSHED. On to the second goal - doing all 4 parts in an hour and without having to get off the bike. We are on our way.

and BTW, I'd like to give Leanne a shout-out here - she has only been riding a few months, and if it weren't for some asshole (re: guy-biker - of course) effing her up at the base of the ginormo hill, she'd have climbed it to the top also. NEXT TIME GIRL. FO' SHO'.

Wed - took the day off

Thurs - mental breakdown day. was planning to run in the evening. 9:30 rolls around and I had just finished doing "stuff" - you know, normal everyday, shit to deal with stuff. 9 - freaking- 30. I cannot go out running that late, not by myself. PISSED. WAY PISSED. That's it. I GIVE THE EFF UP. Game OFF.

Friday - ran an easy 2.5 mi jog in the evening after TGIF at work (re: 2 beers) and pizza dinner once I got home. So yeah, I was conservative and did a short easy run. considering I hadn't run since Monday, not bad. But I need (MUST) do a long one on Sat or I really do give up.

Saturday - 5.2 mi run. and at a good clip too (sub -9:30 pace). Felt good. Ok - I'm back in it. Game back on. the hip was a bit sore since I had run less than 16 hr previously (this run was in the a.m.) - but felt good during the run and felt ok afterwards too. HURRAY!

Sunday - took it O-F-F. eff it.

totals: 3 + 2.5 + 5.2 running and 4 mi biking = almost 15 mi total. Considering I almost quit the whole damn thing, not bad.

yep - I have issues.

Week 6 - The Week That Wasn't

Well this week was pretty pitiful training-wise, but I knew it would be. My mom was visiting, and so there wasn't much free time to run, what with the trip to the zoo, Chuck-E-Cheese, lunch date with my mom, sans kids, in Holland, and oh, yeah, I still had to squeeze in going to work too.

All in all - a poor showing for the week. But it probably did me and my hip some good to rest a bit. Here's what I did - and didn't do.

Monday - off

Tues - ran 2.5 mi with Gabrielse in the evening. A good run, was good to hang out (even if it was while running) and my hip didn't feel too bad during the run. Was sore as hell afterwards, especially when I tried stretching it. Not sure if that's a good sign or bad sign...

Wed - missed out on the mountainbiking crosstrain. total bummer. my hip was really sore though, and I'm not sure if biking would have helped or hurt. so ok, chalk it up to an "off" day. whatever.

Thurs - too busy with work to run during the day. and I had to run back in to lab at 9pm for my mice (don't ask) - so no time to run in the evening either. sigh.

Fri - busy running into work in the morning, taking mom to airport (bye mom! see you in Sept!), and then back to work all day, then off to Niles. Re: no time to run. again. this is bad.

Sat - had a nice ~3.5 mi run with my brother-in-law Phil in Niles. run felt pretty good, my hip didn't hurt at all during the run so I take that as a good sign (as in, when hurt - REST!).

Sun - hip sore! hip sore! WTF? stretched it, and then, hip REALLY sore!!! ok, now I'm just getting annoyed. was going to run after we got back from Niles, but on the advice of K8 (who knows about these things) I decided to R-E-S-T instead. yes K8, you are my excuse for today's "off day" status. thanks!

The pathetic tally for the week: 2.5 +3.5 mi running and no biking = a lame 6 mi. plus one sore hip.

Week 5 -IT Band? WTF is an IT Band???

I keep learning new things with this training. First it was proper nutrition, then proper hydration. Then all about pronation, overpronation, blah blah blah, as my knees protested mightily when I started this whole "training" thing (note the continued use of quotes here - I am still a poser). Now? The dreaded IT band. As in, iliotibial band. Most runners at one time or another have issues with their IT band, usually in their knees, causing lateral knee pain. The IT band is a thick tissue that runs from the hip to the knee, attaching from the pelvis to the femur (see image), and basically stabilizes the knee during running. The problem with the IT band? If it isn't stretched properly, or from running a lot (especially after rapidly increasing distances) it can rub at the knee joint resulting in inflammation and hence, cause massive pain when running (and after).

This is very common. Less common is my problem with my IT band. Pain at the hip where the IT band is connected at the pelvis. How uncommon? See what Wiki says about it below:

"ITBS can also occur where the IT band connects to the hip, though this is less likely as a sports injury. It commonly occurs during pregnancy, as the connective tissues loosen and the woman gains weight -- each process adding more pressure. ITBS at the hip also commonly affects the elderly. ITBS at the hip is studied less; few treatments are generally known."

Uh, yeah. Don't I feel good now. I am neither old (I don't think 35 qualifies as old - does it?) nor pregnant (8 mo post pregnancy doesn't still count as pregnant does it???). So what is my problem?? I dunno. This all started about a week ago, I noticed my right hip aching a bit during my runs. Then it went to a dull pain, that would start about a half mile into the run and fade away as I ran. Then it went to sharp pain within a half mile of the run and fade to a dull pain for the remainder of the run. At that point I realized I need to figure out WTF is going on. Looked up some stretches on line for it, and that seems to help some. Ran this week and biked and after stretching, if anything, it was just a dull soreness. Hopefully continued stretching will work it out.

Here's the recap:

Monday - off day

Tuesday - I had to go to Niles for my father-in-law's funeral so I didn't have time to run.

Wednesday - I ran an Oops! run. I mistaked (as Max told me). I ran in Niles (as in, I don't have a clue where the fuck I am going). Meant to only do about 3 -3.5 mi run. Told everyone, "I'll be back in about 30 min or so!" Started off running and got to the road I normally turn and head back at (making it a 3.5 mi run or so). Instead, brainiac that I am, I decide to TURN down this road, as I knew it hit a cross road that I could take back to the main road to the inlaws house. I was thinking this road I turned down was SHORT, only quarter mile or so. ONE FREAKING MILE LATER - I hit the other road. Oops. Not only that - this road is a dirt, desolate road. A couple of houses far back from the road, and THAT'S IT! Remember, I didn't tell anyone where I was going. So, as I ran down this dark and desolate road, I started to wonder what would happen if a white van with no windows pulled up and sucked me inside. No one would ever see me again. EVER. Remember, I had a lot of time on my hands to just think, as I ran down this road pleading for it to end. So then I started thinking, OK, if a white van with no windows does pull up - I need to drop something in the road so at the least, when the search party goes looking for me, they'll know where I was. I decided I'd drop the Ipod - it was either that or my watch, and I figured the Ipod was easier to just dump quickly.

Yeah, like I said, I had a lot of time on my hands to think worst-case-scenario.

Meanwhile, no white van with no windows showed up to swipe me, I made it to the cross road, however - that road was a winding road that took 1.5mi to get back to the main drag. All told? I ran 5.1 mi or so in 50 min. Not the 30 I told everyone. Next time I tell people where I'm going. Live and learn.

Thurs - ran a ridiculously hard-ass 2.5 mi back in H'ville in 21:48 or so - yeah, that's a 8:43min/mi pace. I have this great 2.5 mi route that I am now challenging myself with to see how fast I can run it. My goal is to do it in 20 min - 8min/mi pace. Last week I did it in 22:22 - so I'm making progress.

(What can I say - this running thing can be freaking boring without a little challenge here and there!)

Fri - off - stretched the IT band after it KILLED from the Thurs run (Oh SHEET Jenny!).

Sat - ran 4.25 mi at Reed's Lake with K8. She of the, "I'm training for a marathon because I am more psycho that you are" vein, had already run onle 4.25 mi loop when I met up with her. Psycho. It was a good run though at a decent (~10min/mi) pace. My hip felt good - only slight dull pain at the start. Whew.

Sun - mountain biking at Yankee with K8, Graveel, and Leanne. Did ~7 mi. Felt fucking fantastic (ok - so this time I wasn't hung over - BITE ME!). Considering I'd run the day before and hadn't been biking in a week and a half, it went really well. The sand was tough, but I'm getting the hang of it. And definitely getting better going up tough hills - K8 taught me a trick to just hover over the seat and practically wedge the seat in my ass - amazingly, considering how uncomfortable that sounds (and it kinda is) it helps a TON. Thanks K8 - you ROCK!

That's it - the tally: 5.1 + 2.5 + 4.25 mi running = 11.85 mi + 7 mi mtn biking = 18.85mi total.

Way better than what I expected for this week - yay me!

Week 4 - Real training for a real person

Before I start with this week's recap, WARNING!! WARNING!! Rant ahead!!

Life sometimes throws curveballs. Life is not always neat and pretty and tied up with a bow. Life can be messy and complicated, and yeah, it can fuck with my training schedule. Like, on a weekly basis. Listen people - I am only one person, and NEWSFLASH: I am NOT Wonder Woman. There, the cat is out of the bag, and I have admitted it. Let's all GET OVER IT and move on.

I have read two marathon training books and NOWHERE in either one of them was there any mention of how to get thru this tight training schedule when real like impedes on it. Uh...hello? SHIT HAPPENS! Can I read a book on how real people with real lives can do a realistic training schedule and still be properly prepared for running a half/whole marathon?? Is that too much to ask? I mean seriously, come on! Doesn't anyone have anything better to do that run? I am starting to get irritated and frustrated that I have yet to have a "perfect" training week. I am thru one month of "training" and I have to put freaking quotes around that word like I'm a poser pretending to train. This is getting ridiculous. And already, I know that Week 5 is not going to be much better. This is going to be a familar theme for the month of July. Here's why:

Week 4: I was sick. See below for the whining and complaining and excuses.

Week 5: Bill's dad passed away Sun night, so I'll be in Niles for the majority of this week - no doubt NOT running.

Week 6: my mom visits. hey, on second thought, this week I might get in some extra running (hahahah).

Week 7: the Gonzalez crew from Boston visits Niles - their once/yr trip back to MI. I'll be in and out of Niles that week with who-know-what schedule.

Yep, that pretty much takes care of July. I am so fucking fucked.

so here's the end of my rant. real life can NOT take a backseat and just chill so I can get my fucking training in. So? I do the best I can, and bear the brunt of K8 telling me I suck. Which I do. Fuck it.

And now, the lowdown for Week 4.

Monday - ran 2 miles as a "recover run" from the 10K on Sat with Graveel. yes, I know smart-asses, the recovery run is supposed to be the day after the race. tough shit. I was tired (waaah) on Sunday. and frankly, my legs were still spent on Monday. but the run was good after I got going. this week is starting off well! things are looking good. I'm going to have a great week training! Yeah! yeah. what-the-fuck-ever.

Tuesday - ran my true love - the FARTLEK. Went hardcore today - 30/30s baby! What are 30/30s? Let me tell you - that is the most DREADED of all sprint workouts. I did them back in college and they were the worst and best training days EVAH! Here's how it worked when I was in college:

An outdoor track is a quarter mile - 400m. Half the track is then, yes for you brainiacs - 200m. Sprinters can run the 200m sub-30sec, how sub is depending on how good they are (my best time BTW? 27.7sec - yeah, I was fast, but not that fast). Ok, so this is how the 30/30s workout went. We'd line up at the starting line and take off at a 30sec pace for 200m. Stop at the 200m mark in 30 sec (or less if you were psycho or had too much adrenaline or forgot you had a long fucking way to go for this workout) - and it'd better be within 30 sec or there would be hell to pay from the coach (more on that in a min). We'd jog in place at the top of the track for 30 sec (our coach would be at the starting line yelling at us - sometime she'd even sprint across the field at us to yell at us up close and personal). And you bet - you'd better keep MOVING for that 30 sec recovery - jog in place, jog in a circle - whatever - but keep fucking MOVING OR ELSE. Then we'd take off at 30sec pace for the next 200m back to the starting line.

rinse and repeat, baby. rinse and repeat. We'd start off with sets of 4 (as in 4-30 sec 200m sprints with 30sec rests in between) - start off with 3 sets. Sound easy? try it sometime. it will whoop your ASS. I promise. By the end of the first set you feel whipped. halfway thru the second set, you feel like you might die. If you're lucky, and everyone in the group was able to keep at or under 30sec for EVERY sprint in both sets, our coach might let us do the last set as a set of 2 instead of 4. However, if one of us, and ONLY one of us didn't hit 30 sec for even ONE 200m, we had to do the entire set 3. And god forbid if one of us didn't hit 30sec in set 3?

oh fuck. you know it. set 4 was locked and loaded.

So based on that workout I did my own version - mile warmup, then 2 sets of 4 - 30sec sprints with 30sec rests in between each sprint and 2 min jog in between each set. Then another mile up the Michigan hill and a 3 min walk cooldown. Total time, minus the cooldown - 25min27sec - about 2.5 mi total.

and let me tell you, it was tough but it felt good to get those fast-twitch muscles moving. I LOVE the fartlek. LOVE IT!

Wed - 40 min mountain biking with Leanne at game area. parts 1 and 2 only still. didn't make it up the big/long/fucking impossible hill on 2 but I did manage to get up the steep rutted out hill on that part (YEAH ME!). so that's something. progress. and we're getting faster - we did each part under 20 min. Once we can do both in 30 min we move on to include parts 3 and 4. the goal? well, there are two I think: 1) do all 4 parts in under and hour, and 2) do all 4 parts without ever having to get off the bike (to walk up/down/over something - this does not include a bail/dump which I feel are necessary in that if I don't get dumped off my bike at some point in the ride, I feel it isn't a "good" ride. Check it - I'll turn into a real mountain biker yet!! Oh yeah, the dirtier the ride, the better!).

Thurs - well, here starts the downhill slide for the week. Wed I had a sore throat. by wed afternoon I was full on feeling like crap. By thurs a.m. I not only could breathe fire, but was dealing with a head cold to boot. No running today.

Fri - same as thurs - I figure it's better to get healthy and not run, than to try running and make my cold worse. an excuse? eh, maybe. honestly I was trying to take care of myself. you be the judge.

Sat - I was starting to feel better, so I was thinking I might run in the a.m. except - the fam was heading to Traverse City to visit friends who live on Long Lake (awesome fireworks out there!). Meaning? no time to run. ok, let's chalk this up to another "get well" day. works for me (not really, but that's what I tell myself).

Sun - oh my. was I in a treacherous mood. dark and ugly. stressed from the trip and cranky kids and I hadn't run since tues. everyone just go away. don't go away mad...just GO AWAY. Got out for a run in the afternoon THANK GOD - I fear if I hadn't I would have literally lost my mind (this makes me realize how good running/exercise is for my mental health!). Did a ridiculously hard 2.5 mi at 22.26. I think that's a sub-9 min/mi pace. Felt AWESOME. I could have kept going but didn't want to push it since I hadn't run all week practically.

so the final tally: running - 2 +2.5 +2.5 = 7 mi , plus 4 mi mountain biking = 11 mi total.

not horrible, but nowhere near what I ought to be doing.