Marathon #3, Week 1

Somehow I find myself training for a marathon. How did that happen???? I've been doing little running over the past few months, just concentrating on building back up the speed I lost when I was injured. This week I started focusing more on mileage than speed. I logged 18 slow miles. I also did 3 Crossfit-style short strength workouts on my own. I even crosstrained a bit. Plus, I'm living la vida low carb. It's no wonder my bottom was dragging on my 9-miler yesterday!

I have yet to figure out the BALANCE with all of this. I'm trying to run 3-4 days a week. One of those days will be my speed day and contain a few sprints or intervals. I don't want to lose what speed I've gained back. One or two will just be easy miles. Then I'll do my long run of the week. Mixed into all that will be a couple or three strength workouts--- functional, full body movements like burpees or push ups/pull ups. I also don't want to lose what strength I've gained over the past 6 weeks with Crossfit. I really enjoy those types of workouts---not so much the Olympic lifts like cleans, deadlifts, etc., but the high intensity interval activities. And for the most part, I can do them in my home gym or my garage.

All of this on no or very little bread! I discovered that I had become a carb-addict. Like many runners, I was just living on tons of carbohydrates. I was starting to carry a bit of weight in my stomach (carbs will do that!) and was always hungry. I'd have terrible mood swings when I was hungry. I had difficulty building muscle. For a month or so, I have been following a Paleo-style diet with carbs coming from fruits and vegetables. I eat plenty of eggs and meat and seafood. I eat almost no processed foods and little sugar. Other than my morning oatmeal, my days are pretty much grain-free, including pasta. I do have a "cheat" meal or two per week---especially Mexican! However, I've also given up beans and rice. The beans never really, ahm, agreed with me anyway.

I have read about 6 books on this type of diet: Good Calories, Bad Calories, The Primal Blueprint, The No-Grain Diet, Paleo for Athletes and it all makes sense. I've also spent numerous hours on blogs and websites reading up. If you want to look into it, read Mark Sisson's blog at www.marksdailyapple.com or Robb Wolf's blog. There's also a Pa Nu blog (Google it), which is a slightly different take on the Paleo/Primal diet with the allowance of dairy. Crossfit advocates tend to follow this type of diet. I find myself searching for what will work best for me---somewhat of a cross between Paleo Lite, Primal, and clean eating.

Is it working? I dunno. I sure didn't have much energy on my run yesterday. However, I didn't drink any Gatorade or take a gel---it was water-only for 9 miles. I didn't carb load with bananas or apples like I could have the day before. It's just really tricky. I am seeing my abs for the first time (who knew they were under there?), so I think I've maybe reduced a little body fat. (You know you can be "skinny fat?" You might wear a size 4 or 6, but your body fat can be at an unhealthy level. And a lot of runners are skinny fat.)

I keep reading that 80% of body composition is diet and only 20% is exercise. However, I'm pretty sure completing a marathon in four months is 80% training and 20% diet! :-)

Running Amok

Tired. Very, very tired. Yesterday, I completed my 30 days of Crossfit. (I should post a before and after picture, ha ha.) I didn't think to weigh myself on day one or anything, so I have little to compare. Oh well. At this point, I'm backing off Crossfit a bit and dropping down to only 1 visit per week because my running is about to ramp up again. Luckily, they offer 5 visits for $49, and with the holiday coming up, I'm pretty sure about once a week is enough.

I have, however, joined in on a Crossfit challenge to row 100,000 meters by Christmas. My real goal is get as far as I can toward 100,000 meters.... maybe 75,000. I would have to row 3700 meters every single day between now and Christmas to make it. Let's be real here, people! I do enjoy rowing, but I've rowed 14,000 meters over the last three days. I think I have rowers elbow!

I like challenges though! Honestly, 3700 meters is only 20-21 minutes worth of rowing at an easy pace. But, my new half marathon group is starting soon, and I've got to get my mileage back up a bit. I still plan to do CF twice a week, run 3 days per week, and hopefully have 2 rest days. Not sure where rowing 3700 meters per day fits in there!

Five folks came to my Tom King Classic Half Marathon team meeting on Monday night. They are all five new to half-marathoning. The race is pancake flat---the only flat race around---so it's perfect for beginners. I'm excited for them to begin their training. There are two more weeks of sign ups, but I'm happy with 5 runners if the YMCA is happy with that few. I do LOVE MY JOB coaching. It's amazing to see someone build up from a 4 or 5 mile long run to double digits, then finally to accomplish 13.1 miles. I think the day we do 10 for the first time is my favorite, next to race day. Ten miles seems so insurmountable (even if you just ran 9 miles the week before). But it's not. I just want to get them (and myself) to the starting line healthy! I'd love to get a personal best in that race or the one a month before, but that means a little more running than the 10-11 miles per week I've been doing!

I ran 3.3 today. That's something. I'm planning 3-5 tomorrow and a whopping 7 on Saturday. Very soon, I'll be doing those double digit runs again. I think I've missed them. I haven't done double digits since 13.1 on September 25. It's good to be healthy and excited about running again!

Crossfit = Faster Running! Who Knew? Turkey Trot 8K report

Ok, I have been crossfitting for about 20 days. I do it about 2 or 3 days per week for strength training. I have only been running 3 days per week, and only about a total of 10 miles per week. This morning I ran the Turkey Trot 8K in my hometown.

My A goal was to run it under 47 minutes. That was a best case scenario. I finished in 45:10! That's a 9:02 pace. Crazy! My last 5K two months ago was a 9:30 pace (very hilly). I ran a 10K at a 9:33 pace just a month ago. Running 5 miles at a 9:02 pace is a HUGE gain for me. My BEST 5K pace ever is a 9:01 at the peak of my fitness in the middle of marathon training. I was logging 25-30 miles a week back then.

I have been running a few all-out sprints per week. I've been doing 2-mile tempo runs, too. Today, a 9 minute pace felt oddly comfortable. That is highly unusual! Granted, it was a totally flat course. You gotta love flat!

If I can avoid injury and keep up these workouts, I hope to PR a half marathon in February. I'd love to run a flat 5K to see what I could do there as well. It's nice to be moving in this direction for a change. :-)

I Survived One Week of Crossfit!

So, after I wrote the last post, the DOMS set in--delayed onset muscle soreness. It got progressively worse the next day, but I went back for workout #2. It was BRU-TAL! I had to do 2 rounds of the following warm up (which is a whole workout in itself):
10 pull ups
10 push ups
10 sit ups
10 sqauats
10 tricep dips
10 good mornings (a hamstring stretch)
Row 250 meters

Since my whole body was sore in new and unusual places, I was unsure how this workout was going to go. I made it through the warmup before getting my assigment of sprinting 200 meters and 15 burpees X 4. I took off at a decent little sprint and dropped right there on the pavement (as instructed) for my burpees. Google "burpees" if you don't know what they are. They are not as easy as they look! After about 10 burpees, my arms were on fire. I squeaked out my 10 and headed off for my "sprint." It's in quotes because the sprinting with the legs that had just finished burpees was kind of more of a limp/shuffle. So, after 200 meters of limp/shuffling, I had to do 15 more burpees. Before that, it seemed kind of impossible, but suddenly I realized I was half way done. Thank goodness I have a running background, because I was able to do that part on autopilot and almost recover a little between the burpee sets. I finally finished. The fun part is it was timed, and it took me just over 11 minutes. That would be 11 minutes of pure hell! Whew! My hands were all scraped and raw from the pavement. My heart rate was most certainly elevated for those 11 minutes. That's the point of Crossfit---get strong, go HARD, finish quickly. With the warm up and everything, I was out of there in 25 minutes. That was good since I was paying a sitter!

I was so sore the next day, I almost decided to quit this Crossfit thing. I felt like it was affecting my quality of life. There was no way I felt like running the next day, much less cooking, cleaning, laundry, or loving on my husband! I took a day of total rest and had recovered enough to teach my class on Thursday at the Y. After the soreness got better and I had a good 4-mile run on Thursday, I decided to head back to Crossfit on Friday.

This time, I did 3 rounds of the warm up and the WOD (workout of the day) was 10 walking lunges carrying a 20 lb. dumbbell and 15 overhead swings with that same 20 lb. dumbbell. Again, it was timed, but this time the workout was done in 5:45. Wow, that is a quick workout! Yes, I was breathing hard the entire time, my legs were shaky and weak by the end, but in just over 20 minutes, I was DONE. I felt good afterward. That is, until my friend DOMS came to visit about mid-day today. Yikes. My booty and legs are really sore along with my right shoulder.

I eeked out a 3 miler this afternoon. It's hard to run on sore muscles.

I don't know where this experiment in crossfitting is going to take me. I'm just along for the ride!

Clean Eating and Cross Fit

Do you ever feel like you need more in your fitness life than running? For three years, running was The Bomb. Over time, I ran farther and faster and it was (mostly) all good. I was proud of my accomplishments and proud of my newfound athleticism after a lifetime of uncoordinated couch potato-ness. Thirty miles a week? No problem. Eat whatever I want? Of course---I just ran 30 miles this week!

But somewhere a long the way it became less about just seeing where running would take me and more about being well-rounded, healthy, fit and STRONG. An ATHLETE, not a runner only. I decided to start with eating like an athlete. So, I read Tosca Reno's book on clean eating and a few websites. I picked up a Clean Eating Magazine. I tried to concentrate on putting good things into my body--mostly natural, whole foods. I'm not perfect at it, but I'm making progress!

Now, I'm a little obsessed with building MUSCLE. I want to get stronger. I had the goal a while back of doing a pull up--just one (I set my goals LOW apparently). I worked hard and did it. Today I did 12! I've added squats and lunges to my regular routine as well. Allegedly, the building of muscle will actually help my running. Win-win.

But I've been floundering a little with the strength training. I can't seem to get into a regular routine. I fit it in maybe once a week. I don't know good form from bad form on lots of weight-training exercises. Those big bars and plates intimidate me! (So I use dumbbells instead--less scary!) I knew I was in need of a little guidance. I started thinking about Cross Fit. I have seen the website and several of the videos. I didn't feel strong enough to even try it for the longest time. These past 3 or 4 months, I have actually started integrating some Cross Fit moves into my routine on occasion so I wouldn't have to start at zero.

Today I walked in the Cross Fit gym near my house and signed up for one month! After that, I may continue to go to that gym or I may just do it on my own at the YMCA once I've learned proper form. Let me just say it was the most INTENSE workout I've ever had. I gave 100% or close to it today. I've had a few races this intense, but never a total body workout like this.

They gave me my initial test today. I had to run 400 meters as fast as I could and row 500 meters as fast as I could. I had to do the following for 5 minutes or up to 100 reps (whichever came first): sit ups, pull ups, squats, push ups. I was happy with how I did overall:

Run 400 m. 1:46 (7:08 pace)
Row 500 m. 2:09 My form is awful. My trainer kept correcting me. I felt so awkward. I know this will get better when I get my form down. Rowing. Is. Hard. And I did it last. Whew!
Push Ups 54 Didn't make it to 100. I did 20 nonstop and then did 3 or 4 between rest breaks. Total muscle failure! My shoulders quit functioning. A year ago I did the 100 Push Up Challenge and did 107 in under 5 minutes. Not today!
Sit Ups 100 in 4:44
Squats 100 in 3:17 LOW squats --much lower and harder than I normally do. My quads and glutes will be SCREAMING at me tomorrow.
Pull Ups 12! Yes, it took me 5 minutes to do 12 good form pull ups. I really only did 11 good ones, but she gave me that last sucky one. My normal pull ups are apparently "cheat" pull ups--I was not straightening my arms all the way on the down. Today, she had me get off the bar completely for each one. So, I had to jump up to a bar about a foot above my fingertips to start each one.

I'm going back tomorrow for more---if my arms and legs are still functional!

HERE'S THE GET-FITTER PLAN:

• Cross fit 3 days per week (it includes short bursts of running 400 meters many days)
• Running 2 days per week---a short 3-4 miles and a longer run of 6-10 depending on what I'm training for
• Rest two days per week. I am 40 now, you know!
  
  

10K + 5K = 15K! Race Report

If you do a 10K and 30 minutes later do a 5K, does that still count as a 15K?

I finished the 10K in about 59:36 (a 9:33 average pace on my Garmin), but I think my official time may be closer to 59:45 because I started my watch a little late. 6.24 miles The last .24 was a 7:49 pace---almost exactly like my 400 meter intervals on Thurs! I rarely do intervals and on Thursday did 3 X 400 meters, and the first two were a surprising 7:49 pace, but the last one was more like an 8:15. I'm glad that 7:49 pace practice came in handy for the last 1/4 mile! I guess it's true that intervals "wake up" your fast twitch muscles. Mine have been kind of hibernating. :-) I enjoyed a Gu Roctane Pineapple during the race---1/2 right before and then 1/2 at mile 3. That is a yummy flavor, by the way. I got it at Dick's Sporting Goods for FREE with a $10 coupon they'd sent me for having a rewards card.

Then I had a little 30 minute break and 1/2 an orange. Got out there for the 5K and ran fairly easy, walked 3 or 4 times. I ran the first 1.5 solid, but that 10K was catching up to me. I started letting myself take 30 second breaks about every 5 minutes in that last 1.5. It was just a cool down anyway---no pressure. I was hoping to finish under 33 minutes, and I did! I finished in 31:57, a 10:15 pace. Beautiful course, beautiful day!

*It's interesting that my 5K pace two weeks ago was 9:30 and felt really hard, but today my average was 9:33 in the 10K and it felt ok. The main difference was all the hills in that other race. Today was mostly flat. Maybe 2 or 3 hills in the 10K and 1 in the 5K. It may also help that I have been trying to do some slightly faster tempo-type running.

Today's ADVENTURE in running was a good one! It was not my fastest 5K or 10K, but it was a great day! There is nothing like feeling good and happy throughout a run!

Vacation Miles (and Miles of Seafood)

I have been at the beach this past week for fall break. It has been a wonderful time with my kiddos (when they were not fighting and were semi-cooperating) and my husband.

I tried to counteract all the food I've eaten and my pina coloda a day by exercising my butt off!

On the trip down, I did squats and lunges during bathroom breaks. I ran 7 miles one day, 5 miles another, and 4.5 today. I have walked and walked and walked on the beach. (At least 6 miles walking.) I rode the exercise bike in the home gym 8 miles. I did some weights and pull ups. And I'm still up about 5 pounds! But let me tell you what all I ate!

It was UGLY. I basically had a TOUR O' THE SEA--South Alabama style (read deep fried with french fries and coleslaw on the side). I started the first day with a fried grouper sandwich. Throughout the week, I added fried shrimp, boiled shrimp, crab cakes (fried), fried shrimp again, gumbo, fried oysters, blackened mahi mahi (twice), and crab in a Gorgonzola cheese sauce. Then there was the pizza (veggie at least), pasta, tirimisu, and some brownie/ice cream thing with a Kahlua sauce. It's making me sick (and a little sad) just thinking about it.

But at least when I ran, I ran hard for at least a few of the miles. I ran a few under 10-minute miles and some at 10-10:05. That's hard for me these days.

I'm REALLY going to work on the nutrition side of things IMMEDIATELY. I'm reading a book called The Paleo Diet in the car on the way home tomorrow (penance?). It's about eating whole foods---meat, fresh veggies---rather than processed foods including grains, dairy, and basic junk. I want to have a body that is healthy and strong (it is NOT about being skinny) and yet I put crap into it. I want to build more lean muscle and run faster. I know theoretically what to do in terms of strengthening my posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, calves) to not die on hills anymore and get faster, but I really have been RUNNING TO EAT. Are you like that? I feel like I can eat anything I want as long as I run 15-20 miles a week. But I'm 40 now. That's not going to work for long as my metabolism slows down. I think muscle and the right nutrition will be key.

Anyway, the best part of running this vacay was the run I least felt like doing---today, on our last day. I woke up tired, irritable, and with tired and irritable kids. My husband drove us all over to Gulf State Park (about 2 miles away) and let me out. He proceeded to entertain the kids for the next 50 minutes at a playground while I explored on foot. I ran down unfamiliar roads and trails amongst strangers and wildlife.

I felt better within minutes. There was just one problem:

Seriously, what kind of idiot needs to be TOLD this???? It was a great run.

I'm dreading the 10+ hour drive home (with all our stops) tomorrow. But we really enjoyed this fall break.

The Trouble with 5K's

In my brief three years of running experience, I've run races of several different distances--- 3.1 miles, 5 miles, 6.22 miles, 13.1 miles, and 26.2 miles. Different amounts of HURT go along with each one. You'd think 26.2 and 13.1 would be the hurtiest (yes, I made that word up), but they are not.

No distance hurts quite as much as a 5K.

In a marathon, you get to run at your COMFORTABLE PACE for about 5 hours (if you are me). As long as you are in motion, you are pretty much on pace. You can take occasional walk breaks, walk through water stops, walk up the hills, have a snack, and you are STILL on pace. If you have an aggressive time goal, you can push it just a little, but not too much. (I suppose if you were trying to qualify for Boston, you would push it A LOT, but that's not even something I let myself dream about.)

In a half-marathon, you run at your SLIGHTLY UNCOMFORTABLE pace for 2 + hours (again, if you are me). There are times that you even grow kind of comfortable with that slightly uncomfortable pace. I think these are perhaps still my favorite distance to race. You feel like you REALLY accomplished something at the end, but training doesn't take over your life and recovery doesn't take 4-6 weeks (or longer) like a marathon. You can walk during the water stops for 15-20 seconds and still feel like you are racing a half-marathon.

Then there are 10K's. This is, for me, where the "pain zone" starts. A 10K is pretty much uncomfortable for nearly an hour. I'd call that my DEFINITELY UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT MANAGEABLE pace. In a 10K, my goal is usually not to walk, while my body is screaming, "Can't we walk.... just a little bit.... for a few seconds??" But I try to trudge on. The middle miles are the worst. In miles 3 and 4, if I let my mind wander, it wanders me right off pace! After 4 miles, a 10K is no longer fun (if it ever was), and those last two miles are brutal. I think the KEY with a 10K is to run smart, run even splits, and to hang on for dear life in those last two miles!

Finally, there is the 5K. I think 5K's are supposed to be fun. (Aren't they all?) But you are basically asking your body to run at your VERY UNCOMFORTABLE pace for 3 miles. For me, I never quite catch my breath in a 5K. I probably sound like I'm hyperventilating to the other runners around me. I don't let myself walk (or mentally beat myself up if I do). My body sends danger signals to my brain, and all this negative self talk starts up, "I can't maintain this pace for two more miles. I'm going to flame out. I am a terrible runner." I don't know why the negative self-talk rears its ugly head in 5K races, but it does. The only good thing about a 5K is that it's over relatively quickly. I love getting past that 1.55 mark on my watch and knowing I'm more than half-way there.

I ran a very hilly 5K this morning. It was in the top 2 or 3 most difficult courses I've run. It was the APSU Homecoming 5K--my alma mater. I ran it as a fitness test to see how much speed I've lost with all the time off this summer. My base line was a 5K in May two weeks before my calf strain. I ran that one in 28:10, and it was a moderately hilly course. I ran it two weeks after finishing a half marathon in almost the exact time as the one I did two weeks ago. I thought there were enough similarities to give me a good test of where I am now.

I really gave this 5K my all, and I finished in 29:30. Yes, the hills might have been a factor, but I've basically lost almost a minute and a half! If I were a numbers person, I would figure out the percentage of speed lost, but I'm not quite that ambitious.

But it could have been SO MUCH WORSE. I could have lost 3 or 4 or 5 minutes. I'm not at all disappointed.

In fact, I'm proud of two things:

1. I didn't walk at all, even with the hills. That's the first time I've run 3 miles nonstop in MONTHS. A goal starting this race was to finish strong.

2. I finished strong. I trailed these 3 ladies for the entire race and on the finishing stretch (UPHILL!), I passed all three of them. I really didn't think the fastest one was within my sights. She kept getting further and further away in mile 2, but I reeled her in a bit in mile 3 and just powered up the hill past her to the finish line. Even after I passed the first two, I thought, "There's no way I can catch her right here at the end.... is there? Well, maybe I'll try."

I did run that last part so fast that when they stopped me in the finishing chute, I got really dizzy and thought I was going to pass out. I was also about to throw up. That's how I know I really left it all out there!

Oh, I managed to get 3rd place out of 8 ladies in my age group! I was really happy about that!

Afterwards, I ran 2 more miles for good measure. (Or should I say shuffled/walked? They were very slow because I was done!)

Coming back after a 3-4 month injury is going to be hard and will take time. I've just got to be patient. In two weeks, I'm going to do a 10K. (Can't say I'm looking forward to it---see above!)

Life after Half-Marathon

From July 3 to September 25, I had two focuses:
1. Get my 20 people ready for the half-marathon and through the race AND
2. Get myself well after the calf injury.

Now, I'm just kinda wandering around aimlessly! I'm experiencing that (oh so common) post-race lack of motivation. I ran just 6 miles last week and really felt tired from the half (so I know I gave it my best shot on race day). On Saturday, I had planned to run another 6, but when my alarm went off at 6:00 a.m., I said, "Nah," and rolled back over. This lasted exactly 30 minutes before 2 of 3 children appeared outside my door and eventually squirmed into the bed between Hubby and me. Don't they know it's Saturday??? My nine year old was actually dressed for school!

This week, I've done a couple of 3 milers on the treadmill despite the GORGEOUS, perfect running weather we are having. I just had no motivation to go outside, but watching DVR'd episodes of The Biggest Loser was fairly motivating.

This Saturday, I'm taking a fitness test. I signed up for a 5K! I have done no fast running since May, so we'll see how it goes. If nothing else, I can gauge where I am now and then figure out where I want to be! I'll post a little report after the race.

Women's Half Marathon Race Report

Yesterday was a wonderful day. I think out of the 8 half-marathons I have now completed, it was my FAVORITE. It was also my slowest time. Funny how those two go hand in hand.

My overall time was 2:21:32, which averages out to a 10:47 pace. My longest training run was 9 miles at an 11:18 pace, which just goes to show that race-day adrenaline really works. You can (and should!) train at a much slower, easier pace than you will run on race day. Going up to 13 miles in training is not always necessary. Good to know! (Of course, if you are going for a PR, training up to 13 or 14 miles and doing some mid-week speed work is helpful!)

My day started at 3:56 a.m., whenI awoke four minutes prior to my 4:00 a.m. alarm. I got up and got ready and was on the road to meet friends at 4:45 a.m. We were on the road to Nashville by 4:55. We easily found parking and walked to meet our YMCA training group. Only 17 of our 21 made it to our 6:15 a.m. pre-race picture and prayer due to parking issues, but those of us who did shared hugs and well wishes. We got into a big circle, joined hands, and our RESTORE ministry leader led us in a prayer. It was a really, really neat way to start a race. We found our corrals and it was time to go! Jo Dee Messina sang the National Anthem beautifully, and we found ourselves tearing up. I was glad I was not the only one.

I started in corral 2 with several people I know from my training group, my running club, and my church. Overall, I probably knew at least 50 women on the course. THAT is what made the day special. I ran the first 2 miles with 3 running buddies, but I lost them shortly after. I knew I needed to take it easy and stick to my race plan---baby the calf and walk the hills. When I chose to walk a portion of the hill in mile 2, they went ahead. That was fine with me. I really like to run my own race. I often saw women I knew and chatted with them a bit, but then went my own way. My favorite portion of the race was an out-and-back portion where you could see people ahead of you before the turnaround and people behind you after you passed the turnaround. I am very nearsighted without my glasses and slightly oblivious when I run, so people from my running club and Y group kept yelling "Donna!" from the other side of the road as they passed. I'd see them just in time to yell, "Hey! You look great!" or something similar. They encouraged me and I encouraged them. It made my race to just see so many familiar, friendly faces.

The course was TOUGH. The whole first half was hill after hill. And not little hills, long drawn out ones. I walked a portion of the each of the worst ones, and I tried to make up time a little on the downhills. I had saved my MP-3 player for the 2nd half, but it only played one song and then died, despite being fully charged. (That thing ALWAYS gives me trouble.) At the 9.25 point, I had reached my longest training distance and was feeling it. Then I saw a familiar face running toward me--which was unusual--you rarely see people running in the wrong direction on a race course! It was my running club President. He was there to support his wife and all the running club members. He fell into step with me and before I knew it, I was running at a 9:30 pace. (His normal pace is like a 7:30 mile or something!) After about a 1/4 mile, I said, "You're killing me!" and he went on to find our next club member on the course.

I knew I had wanted to run the last 5K of the race hard. I did fairly well on the downhills. I have been taught how to run them without "putting on the brakes" with every step. (Forward lean, quick foot turnover, relax and pretend you are a little kid running down a hill again.)

Then there was the final long uphill over the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge. I didn't have a hill left in me at that point, so I walked for 2 light posts, then ran for 2 light posts all the way to the top. After that, the finish was all downhill. I didn't plan to sprint for fear the calf would lock up, but about the last .1, I kicked into high gear.

I teared up a little at the end because this race brought me JOY. It was hard, but it reminded me why I love running and racing. I got to see several of my training group finish, and that was so inspiring as well. Unfortunately, I saw a woman collapse just steps from the finish. She didn't just faint, her heart stopped. I watched as paramedics fought for her life performing CPR. After 20 minutes, she still had not revived. I cried and prayed for her as she was cared for. I've been scouring the news for updates on her. I believe that she lived since it has not been in the news. I will continue to pray for her recovery.

I'm reminded of how blessed I am to be able to participate in this sport and to be healthy.

A Fun Race!

Wow, running with 6,000 women is really fun! I was surprised to finish the Women's Half Marathon in somewhere around 2:21! I was happy. It was a very hilly course. I'll post a full race report soon. Half-Marathon #8: done!

Ready-ish for the Women's Half Marathon

I just returned from the Women's Running Magazine Women's Half Marathon expo. It was a great female-centric expo with tons of cute shirts, shoes, bracelets, hats, etc. The pink runneth over in the Nashville Convention Center. Other than vendors, I think I saw one man. Maybe two.

The hilarious thing is that I got my bib number and corral number. I'm in corral 1. (Insert laughter here.) Even on my best of days in my best of races, I'm pretty sure I'm not corral 1 material! I'm wondering what on earth I put as my potential finish time?? I'm positive I didn't put less than 2 hours. My best one last October was 2:09-something. Back when I registered, the focus of the summer was going to be speed, speed, speed, not recovery-reinjury-recovery-reinjury.

I'm hoping to have fun, enjoy the race, and finish with a smile. (Preferably without re-injuring my calf.) My legs are feeling pretty good these days, but my breathing and my endurance are still in recovery mode. In terms of a long run, I went ALL the way up to 9 miles twice. I walked 9 miles about 2 weeks ago. Last weekend, I ran/walked it. What about weekly mileage? I think I got up to 18 miles one week, but then my leg started hurting. This was not a typical training cycle to say the least....

Though this race-preparation experience has not been what I expected, a lot of good has still come from it. I have made at least 15 new friends in my training group (I already knew the other 6). I have had a goal to keep striving for this summer when I felt like my leg was NEVER going to get better. I have a cute new hot pink race shirt. And I get to run a no-performance pressure race tomorrow with 6,000 other women. Worth the $50 I spent, I think!

The goal is to run some, walk a little, run some, walk a little. Or vice versa.

13.1 miles. Bring it.

(Mis)Adventures in Running

I had quite the misadventure on my 4-miler this morning. Correction: 4 miler that wound up being 5.36 miles.

My run started with an encounter with an aggressive dog...... OWNER. I was semi-happily jogging along at my new 11 to 12-minute pace when a medium-sized dog comes barrelling out from behind a house barking at me in what appeared to be an aggressive manner. My immediate reaction was to say "Go Home!" in a firm voice. Ok, I kind of yelled it (twice), but I was slightly panicked. He was about 2 feet away from me before he stopped. I slowed to a walk and kept going, but kept him in my peripheral vision. I was already a house away when I hear, "Ma-am! Ma-am!" I turned around and saw a woman emerging from behind the house of the dog.
"Yes?"
"He's wearing a shock collar. He won't hurt you."
"Oh, ok, thank you! He just scared me for a minute. Thanks for letting me know!" and I begin to move on thinking, "Wow, the people are SO NICE here!"
"Yes, I heard you YELLING at him." This time her voice had changed a bit.
"Well, whenever a dog comes at me, I always say 'Go home' and it works every time."
(in a really snotty voice) She replied, "He WAS HOME!" Ouch.

I'm thinking: Oh, so this is how you want to play it. I have offended you and your lovely animal. How dare I run on this public street and how dare I yell at your precious mongrel who was running at approximately 100 mph toward me while greeting me with loud, vicious barking!

So I said, "I'm sorry if I inconvenienced you in any way" in a rather snotty, sarcastic tone (I'm not proud of it---not my best moment!) forever coloring her judgement of runners everywhere. (Sorry, guys!)

She said, "I KNOW," in an equally snotty tone.

Good stuff. I could have just apologized for offending her doggy, I guess, with ACTUAL SINCERITY. But, I don't feel totally in the wrong. If she had been out front, I wouldn't have spoken so sharply to the dog.

I spent the next several miles thinking about her. Maybe God was working on my heart because I felt bad. Where did I get off being rude to her, even if she started it? "Turn the other cheek," hel--lo?? She was probably feeling like I accosted her "baby." I suppose if my children were in my own front yard and someone yelled at them to "Go home," I might take it badly, too. Of course people generally wouldn't feel threatened by my children playing in the yard. (Well, maybe the 9-year old. Especially if he had a big stick....) So I prayed for her. (I probably should have prayed for me, too, to know when to keep my BIG mouth shut!)

Then I got lost. I have run in this neighborhood behind my daughter's preschool for the past 3 years. I guess I was so deep in thought that I lost my bearings. I finished my 4 miles and thought I was near the car. Then I looked up at street signs with unfamiliar names. Hmmmm.... I was out of water and needed to hurry home to start on some chores, but I had only a vague idea where I was. This is a neighborhood with no less than 20 side streets. I kept dead-ending or running into a busy road with no potential for running on. I kind of knew where I was and where I needed to be, just not how to combine the two. So I called my friend Amy. No answer. Left her a fun message: "Hey, Amy. I'm freaking lost. Talk to you later!" Then I called my husband. No answer: "Hi, Honey. I'm out on a run and I'm lost and out of water. Bye." (A little more dramatic.) Finally, after a mile of wandering around, I finally recognized where I was. My four-mile run had a nice little 1.36 mile cool down. It's all good.

P.S. I'm renaming my blog with this entry's title. I never write about my kiddos on here anyway! For my running right now, "(Mis)Adventures" fits!

117 Days of Recovery

I just got out the old calendar recently and counted up the days since my calf strain injury. At the time, it was 112 days. Wow. That number astounded me. It doesn't seem like it has been that long. At that moment, I decided it should be well by now. It wasn't a tear. The MRI was clean. In my mind, I tried to "will" it well.

The Women's Half Marathon is this coming Saturday. I had decided to run/walk it. Then about 3 weeks ago, I ran/walked 9 miles and my leg hurt for days afterward. So I decided to walk it. Then I walked 9 miles and saw how THAT felt. (Shin splints and hip pain--different muscles used when walking!) Then I decided to go with a run/walk combination or just hang it up altogether and become a middle-distance runner (5K's and 10K's) for a while. I even e-mailed my 3rd and final physical therapist and asked him if I should do the race at all. I was certain he'd tell me to sit this one out. Then, yesterday, I got his response: Go for it! Just go easy and run/walk 4:1 or 5:1. Good luck!

So, one week before the race, I tried it out this morning. I ran/walked 4:1 for 9 miles. It was actually great. The walk breaks broke it up, so what I'm lacking in endurance was less noticeable. There was enough walking to alleviate fatigue and stress on the calf, but not so much that I had hip or shin pain afterward. Now, I still have to see how I feel tomorrow and Monday, but I think I'm really close to recovery..... if not "close," I'm at least heading in the right direction.

What does 117 days of injury do to a runner? I have to say IT CHANGES YOU.

• It makes you run slower. What used to be my comfortable marathon pace takes a bit of effort.
• It makes you re-evaluate your priorities. When something extremely consuming of your time and energy goes away, you have a chance to regain the balance that was missing.
• It makes you appreciate running... at all. Slow, short, fast for about 10 seconds---any kind of runninig that doesn't cause pain is a good thing.
• It makes you lower your usual race-day expectations. If I can finish under 2:45 or 3 hours on Saturday, I will be pretty darn happy. I have never tried a half-marathon on just two 9-milers!

To Bicycle or Not to Bicycle

The past month, I've been flirting with cycling. Not a full immersion into cycling culture, more like just a toe in the water. I have been enjoying spinning on the indoor bikes at the Y. I've taken my mountain bike and a friend's road bike out for a few miles. I bought padded shorts. I read lots of things on cycling forums I don't understand about Shimano gear packages (Tiagra is better than Sora, but 105 is the best--I think) and derailleurs, whatever they are. I've been maintaining mileage in the 25-30 miles per week range, but most of that has been cycling, not running.

I wish cycling were as simple as running. Got shoes? GO! But buying a road bike also means buying clip-in pedals, clip in shoes, a bike computer, an under-the-seat pack, a tire repair kit, a pump, gloves, MORE padded shorts, psychedelic jerseys, and probably even more. For an entry level bike of $599 to 699, you wind up spending closer to $1000. It's INSANE. I had no idea. And honestly, those smug little cyclists with their tight little shorts and color-coordinating jerseys with brand names splashed all over them riding their $5000 bikes in their $200 shoes make me a little sick. And they won't wave or say "Good morning." What's up with that? I guess they are too fancy to say hello to a lowly runner. But I digress....

I have test driven more bikes in the past week than I test drove before my last car purchase. I found a close out '09 model at an ok price ($650), but I just can't seem to pull the trigger. I thought about going with cage pedals and just my regular shoes, but all the stores said you've got to have clip in pedals. I thought my current helmet would be ok, but at the speeds at which I will be riding these road bikes, I apparently need to upgrade to a safer (read more expensive) helmet, too. Riding them on roads with cars was a bit terrifying. I would definitely need a small mirror so I could see cars about to mow me down.

My mountain bike is a piece of junk. I've had it for 13 years, and I bought it used out of the paper, so who knows how old it is. I see how awful it rides after riding better bikes. But last night, I had an idea. I hopped on my husband's Trek mountain bike (a very respectable brand) and it rode 10 times better than mine. I took it out on a paved, but rough trail (bumpy wooden bridge crossings, broken pavement in places) and had a ball! That trail might be a bit rough for those skinny little road bike tires. The mountain bike felt sturdy and fun, though not fast. Maybe I don't need a new bike at all.... I can just steal my husband's! On the other hand, I would not be able to keep up with my friends on their road bikes on a mountain bike....

Right now, while I'm injured, cycling is very appealing. I ran 2 miles today, then mountain biked 5. The bike portion was way more fun, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to immerse myself in a new hobby.

It's new and shiny and exciting now, but will I REALLY ride on the road? With actual cars? Running is one thing, but riding with traffic is much scarier. If the shiny does, indeed, wear off, I'll be left with a $1000 mistake. (I work approximately 4-5 hours a week at the YMCA, and that means about $200 per month in take-home pay. It would take 5 months of my salary to pay for a bike!)

I rested my calf most of the week. The two miles today didn't hurt. I'm starting back at square one with a few 2-mile runs. In a week or so, I'll try 3. And so on. AGAIN. It's nice to be excited about something again (and I don't mean running). Maybe that alone is worth the money.

A Step in the Wrong Direction....

Dang it! My calf is on fire when I run again. I tried the gentle approach, but I guess it wasn't gentle enough. Walking doesn't bother my calf. I was fine with jogging 4-miles the other day with lots of walk breaks mixed in and then a 4-mile walk afterward, so I tried 4.5 miles with a little less walking on Saturday. I ran/walked at a 9:1 ratio for 4.5 miles, then walked 4.5 more (9-mile training run with my half-marathon group). I did jog just a little in the last two miles since I was feeling so good, and I guess that's what put me over the edge.

I felt great during the run, but Sunday and Monday, I could tell my formerly pain-free calf was achy again when I put all my weight on one foot, like going up and down steps. I crosstrained lightly to get the blood flowing on Sunday and Monday (18 minutes on the Arc Trainer one day, walking 1.5 miles slowly the next), then tried running today. The first 1/2 mile was very painful. I walked a bit, stretched, and eeked out a couple more miles at a 1:1 run/walk ratio. That was better, but it hurts now afterward.

I'm feeling a bit back to square one. I wish my doctor had more seriously considered posterior compartment syndrome. The more I read, the more I think it's not a muscle strain at all.

I will be coaching my half-marathon group for 3 more weeks. After that, I can let go of all the long distances for a while and get stronger on just 2 and 3 milers with a 1:1 run/walk and then less and less walking. But for now, I feel like I need to be out there with them, putting in the miles in some form or fashion. This weekend, however, I think I'll most likely be just walking the 9 miles. On race day in 3 weeks, I'm pretty sure I'll be primarily, if not totally walking. I've never actually walked more than 4 miles. Walking 9, 10, then 13.1 miles is going to be interesting.

I've also started teaching a Running 101 class at the YMCA on Thursday mornings, but it's mostly beginners, Thank God. I can run/walk the 2-3 miles (or just walk!) during my recovery. This is WEEK 14 in Injuryville, I think.

The Road to Recovery

Ever hear the saying, "The road to recovery is paved with good intentions?" No, wait, maybe that's the road to hell....

This time, I'm going to do this recovery-thing RIGHT. No more skipping from point A to point K (my newest physical therapist's words), I'm going to go from A to B to C to...... you get the picture.

Last week, I was allowed to run 2 miles nonstop. Whoo-hoo. This week, I can run 3 miles nonstop. Next week, I'll work my way up to 4 miles. Even though my calf feels AWESOME at this point, I cannot let myself build up faster than that. I'm going with the conservative approach this time.

The only problem is my next 13.1 race is in 4 weeks. If all goes well, I'll be up to 7 miles by then. Looks like someone isn't going to PR and will be run/walking the race! I'm actually hoping to maintain a 9:1 or an 8:2 run/walk ratio in the race. The great thing is there will be absolutely NO PRESSURE in this race other than to have fun and finish without re-injuring myself. I'll be babying this calf and stopping to walk, stretch... sit a minute--- WHATEVER it takes on race day. I really didn't enjoy my last half-marathon, so maybe I'll have fun with this one.

My Women's Half Marathon training group is going so strong. They are putting in the time, logging the miles, and really getting excited about race day. They have avoided injury so far. We are taking a fairly conservative approach to training, and it's paying off. (Note to self....)

The walkers are totally hard core. They walk at a 15-minute or faster pace. I'd rather run a slow and easy 12 or 13-minute mile pace than walk thirteen 15-minute miles! I've been running part of the workouts with the runners and walking the rest with the walkers. It's been good to spend some time with both halves of the training group. I have grown to be good friends with several of these ladies, and, as with my other groups, I'll be sad to see it end.

Honestly, for me, I have little passion for running right now. There, I said it-- right here on my very own running blog. I enjoy my coaching job, but when I've faced disappointment after disappointment and aches and pains all summer, my own running is a bit.... tarnished.

I'm really excited about cycling though. Isn't she pretty? It's an entry-level women's road bike. It comes in baby blue, too!

I've been cycling a lot at the YMCA during this injury, and I've been wanting a road bike for a while. My 40th birthday is in about 3 weeks, so I can ask for a fairly big present. It's not every day one turns the big 4-0.

I was excited about turning forty, actually. I thought maybe I'd be slightly more competitive as the youngest in the 40-44 age group instead of the oldest in the 35-39 age group. But then I got injured and have to start back at square 1.

It looks like there is a 5K in a couple of weeks. I'm thinking about doing it. I need something to get my excitement back for running. Even though I won't run it fast, at least I'll feel like I'm back in the game, you know?

Quick Update: Do I Run Like Phoebe?

The MRI was clean, so there is not a tear or herniated muscle. The doctor said it's a grade 2 or grade 3 calf strain. That is good and won't require surgery---just PATIENCE and physical therapy.

I was referred to a physical therapist within the orthopedic doctor's office. I had a nearly two-hour evaluation this morning. He watched me run, tested my muscle strength with several muscle groups, my balance, and took down my life story.... and then some. It was the most thorough evaluation I've ever had!

I'm a little thin-skinned and his criticism (I mean "critique") of my running form (or lack thereof) was a little hard to take. Yes, I know I need better posture. Yes, I know I am a heel striker with a short stride. No, I didn't know that my left foot curves out when I'm moving it forward mid-stride. No, I didn't know I spend more time on one foot than the other during my gait. (Do I have a "lazy leg"?) For the record, when I was running on the treadmill, it even felt SLOPPY to me. I think I'm out of practice. I've run only 1 mile about 3 days per week for the last two weeks. Apparently I look like this:



As for muscle groups, my quads are STRONG. He couldn't "break me" when trying to press my leg down while I was pushing up. But my glutes and lower abdominals are weak. My ankle and calves and left hip are week. My ITB is tight, but my calf range of motion is good. I need Pilates.

I don't have a return-to-running plan yet, but I will by next week. He wants to consult a physical therapist runner friend of his. For now, it's just run 1 or 2 miles at a time and cross train. I can handle that.

A Little Peace and Quiet (in the MRI Machine)

I FINALLY went to the doctor about my calf injury--only took me 10 weeks! I saw an orthopedic doc who came highly recommended on Thursday. He took my history and had me do two things-- squat down and then lift up on my toes while he watched my calves. Then he placed his thumb right in the sore spot. Ouch. He said I possibly have a tear or a hernia in the gastroc muscle of my calf and I needed an MRI to be sure.

I had the MRI appointment on Friday morning. It was my first MRI. The big kids were at school and my mom kept my 4-year old since I was pretty sure I couldn't take her with me. It was nice to have a little time to myself--despite the circumstances!

The lower half of my body was all that was in the machine. The tough thing about an MRI is you have to remain completely still-- especially the parts inside the machine, but really ALL your parts. The minute you hear the clanging noise, you know it's taking films. Just before the machine starts, the technician buzzes in and tells you how long each portion will take. At first it was 30 seconds, then one minute, then all the way up to 6 minutes. The funny part is that the moment a long one starts, something inevitably ITCHES. For me, it was my left knee--itching like crazy. But I didn't dare move. I had to pay $350 for my portion before insurance! So for 6 minutes, I tried to think about anything BUT the itch. It's really hard to will yourself not to scratch! I just tried to get my body deeply relaxed-- at one point about 50 minutes in, I almost fell asleep. It kind of felt like that end part of a yoga class (I don't remember what it's called) when you breathe and are just still.

The peace and quiet (other than the clanging) was kind of nice.

I get my results on Tuesday.....

In the meantime, I Googled "calf hernia." I don't think this is what the doctor meant:

Poor little fella!

Top 10 Ways NOT to Recovery from A Calf Injury

1. When the physical therapist's advice is to only run short distances slowly, take on a new personal training client who needs speed work exclusively and wants to pay you to pace her. Run with her at least once per week, running faster than you are supposed to.

2. Continue running with your half-marathon training group over long distances and hills. Feel like a slacker when you take walk breaks and they don't. Don't take the opportunity to do the miles on a bike or walking.

3. Bounce around from physical therapist to physical therapist, but don't see an actual orthopedic doctor. Be sure to spend all $500 in your physical therapy deductable without having an definite diagnosis because you are too impatient to wait to see a doctor and want results NOW.

4. Don't have tests such as an MRI to determine if it is indeed a calf tear (because that would require a visit to a doctor and you don't want to wait the requisite 1 to 2 weeks it takes to get in).

5. Continue running 12-18 miles per week and keep running long runs, such as 8-milers, as long as you walk some of it. But don't run too slowly, so you don't look bad.

6. Squats with the kettle bell can't possibly make your calf hurt more. Do them often.

7. Make sure you spend even more money on things like the foam roller, The Stick, and orthotics ($20-$50 each) for a "quick fix."

8. Be as impatient and as frustrated as possible. When it feels better, immediately go out and do TOO MUCH. Then when it hurts even to walk, back off again and feel depressed. Seek new/different advice.

9. Read everything on the Internet on calf strains, calf tears, and even a "calf heart attack" and how they can linger for years. Feel even worse.

10. Repeat the above FOR TEN WEEKS.

Oops, I Did It Again

Hmmmm.... first week back to running: 18 miles including 8 all at once. On Sunday, my calf was SINGING. And not a happy tune. I hoped it would feel better on Monday. It. Did. Not.

On Monday, I met my new personal training client and we ran a few miles togehter. My calf was killing me, but it was my JOB and she was paying me for running with her. I managed to finish the miles and by Tuesday, my calf hurt even when walking. It just so happened that Tuesday night at the monthly Clarksville Running Club meeting, the guest speaker was a physical therapist. She is the only game in town that has this new treatment called ASTYM. It's a SCRAPING treatment for muscles that have been injured and have healed all jumbled up--like cooked spaghetti. Basically, she scrapes this plastic thing down the muscles (it only hurts a little) and it causes inflammation (not unlike deep tissue massage) and the muscles realign correctly. Or something like that. It left me with 7 small bruises, but I have hope that it will work and I can put this injury behind me! The thing about calf injuries is they tend to linger. And linger.....

I have two more treatments scheduled for this week. In the meantime, I can run only short distances, no hills, no speedwork. I tried to figure out if 4 miles was a "short distance." My long run was this morning, so I ran in 1/2 mile increments and then walked 1/4 mile increments through 6 miles. Technically, only about 4 of them were running. I felt pretty darn good afterwards. We'll see how I feel tomorrow!

I think the run/walk thing is going to be KEY to coming back from this injury. The Women's Half Marathon is in 8 weeks. I have to take it easy, but still cover some fairly long miles with my training group. (Again, I'm getting PAID for the job, pretty much need to be there!)

At the beginning of last week, it felt completely better. I had rested, used my foam roller, massaged it, and done all the right things. Then I overzealously jumped into that 8-miler and it flared up again. Oh well, at least now I know what NOT to do.

This Week in Running

I had a nice week o' running. I did 3 miles on Monday with a neighbor in my neighborhood, 4 miles on Tuesday with my running club, and 3 miles on Thursday in the running class I teach. Tuesday's run was on the track at the local college with my running club. It was supposed to be speed intervals, but I'm really working on endurance right now, not speed. I did one 400 meter lap at an 8:20 pace, and after that, I just focused on maintaining a consistent pace. That was harder to do than normal because I didn't have my Garmin. It started to sprinkle, then briefly to rain hard, but I LOVED it! I didn't have a hat, and rain was pelting me in the face, but it was still awesome. I just felt so thankful to be out there at all. This song, Glory to God, came on my mp-3 at just the right moment when the rain started. "Take my life and let it be all for You and for Your Glory, take my life and let it be Yours...." Then the rain stopped and a big ole rainbow came out right behind the stadium. (Told ya it was a neat run!) I remember running on that track with big fat snow falling just a few months ago and thinking how beautiful it was. I love how images like that get frozen in your memory.

Yesterday, I did my first eight-miler since my injury! I started about 30-40 seconds too fast in the first couple of miles. That, of course, made miles 6-8 a little harder than they had to be. I finished strong though. It reminds me of when I was first adding mileage and that extra one mile seemed so hard each week. I think I'm going to stay at 8 for my long run for the next few weeks and just focus on running 8 better before moving on to 9 and 10. The half-marathon is still about 8 weeks away, so there is plenty of time.

I'm enjoying several new running buddies. Our running club membership has soared to over 100 members in the last few months, and I have 19 ladies in my YMCA half-marathon training group. I love meeting new people and sharing my passion for running and fitness with them! I might never have crossed paths with some of these folks were it not for running!

I also have my first individual personal running coach client who found me on the RRCA website. We meet today for the first time. She needs help with passing the running portion of a physical fitness test for her job. (Must be military or law enforcement. I'm pretty sure most employers don't care if you can run 1.5 miles, but perhaps they should?) :-)

Slow and Steady Recovery in Progress!

I am running pain-free again! What a relief! The calf is as 95% good as new. Occasionally, the shin splint still hurts, but I ran fine all last week. I did two 3-milers, a 2.5 miler, and a 5.5 miler. All of the short ones were indoors on the treadmill. The 5.5 miler was outside.

Um.... guess what? Recovery is hard! And slow! I think I've gotten too used to the comfort of my home treadmill-- lots of tv stations and DVR'd shows to choose from, SIRIUS music channels, air conditioning, no humidity, no hills. Add in all the days when I couldn't run at all and just walked on the treadmill, and you get a runner with seriously decreased endurance! At the 2.5 mile point on Saturday's hot, hilly, humid run (the 3 H's are a vicious combo!), I was struggling. My legs were heavy and I couldn't breathe. I was running a 10:30 pace by the way. Just 5 months ago, I ran 26.2 miles at a 10:55 pace and now I'm struggling at TWO??? I know I've de-acclimated (is that a word?) to the heat by exercising indoors so much and frankly, I've lost a LOT of my fitness. I think I read somewhere that it takes 2 weeks for every month missed or something. It'll come.

I'm not discouraged or anything. (Well, not much.) I have 10 or so weeks until my next half-marathon. I doubt it'll be a PR, but that's ok.

I'm just so glad to be running again. I have a renewed appreciation for it. I can't wait to build up enough endurance for a nice 8 or 10-miler. There is no sign of burnout anywhere, I'm truly "on fire" for the sport again.

Honestly, this little foray into injury territory will help me as a running coach. I'll be more understanding of what my injured runners are going through. And a little time off made me more on fire for running than I have been since before my marathon! It's all good.

A Runner Again?

I ran 3 miles without any pain this morning. So excited!!!! My speed is gone, as is my endurance, but so was the pain. That is a great thing! Speed and endurance will come back. Just hope the pain doesn't!

To Run at All.....

Hello, Perspective! I was so obsessed with being faster and stronger on hills that I injured myself. Now I'd just like to be able to run AT ALL. Even as a "slow runner," I was running 15, 20, 30 miles a week. I really miss that!

A little perspective is good for the soul.

Injury Update: Patience Needed, but Lacking!

I didn't run the 5K on Saturday for fear of further aggravating my calf strain. It was only $15 out the window. Maybe the shirt wasn't that cute anyway!

I ran 2 minutes/walked 2 minutes for 5 miles instead. I stretched a couple of times during it and the calf felt fine. I rested on Sunday. When I got up this morning for a short, slow 2-miler, I realized it hurt again. Actually, my whole right leg hurt as I ran the first mile. It was better on the 2nd one.

I saw a different physical therapist at my appointment a couple hours after running today. She said I must have compensated somehow to take weight/strain off that calf, resulting in the whole leg not feeling right. She doesn't want me to run again until I can run pain free.

It's all just so FRUSTRATING. I am craving a good run, and I just want this injury to be OVER. For something that brings such stress relief and happiness to be taken away is taking its toll on me not just physically, but emotionally. After the appointment where I was told not to run (indefinitely), I just felt depressed. I wanted to do two things: go to sleep and eat.

I'm going to go for a swim tomorrow or maybe get on the elliptical if that doesn't hurt. I need to burn some calories and some stress! I know running makes me a more positive, more patient mom, and not being able to do it is really, really hard. :-(

Nothing Like a Little Break....

I have had a much-needed physical-therapist ordered rest due to a calf strain (level 1--not too bad). It was caused by too much speed work and hill training. I took 4 days off from running completely, then have been allowed to run gently 1-2 miles or less for the last 5 days. That's basically a 9-day break. After such a break, I feel reenergized with a spring in my step. I feel all this energy bouncing around inside of me. I've had good sweat or two during the break from an extended session of power walking, weights, and cycling (and even endorphins!), but I haven't felt that GOOD TIRED from a long or fast run. And I miss it.

Thus, I have a dilemma. My PT said last week that I should be ready for a 5K this weekend that I'd preregistered for. I'm just concerned that a hard 3.1 miles will set me back. My goal for this summer was to focus on short races and get faster. This is the last 5K I'll be able to do. My Saturday morning job prohibits any others. I've never had such a long break--I might actually PR this one! (If the 9-days off didn't detract from all that speed work.) Or, I may re-injure the calf. The "safe" thing to do would be to run the 3.1 miles not at full effort. What self control that would take! And kind of a waste of time, really. (I have to drive almost an hour to the race.)

I could just do a long, slow run very gently tomorrow--just 6 or 8 miles to get back into the distance game. My running group is going to my favorite trail.

What to do, what to do???

A God Thing

For the past three years, running has brought such joy to my life. This month is my 3rd runniversary. I don't know the exact day I started, but I remember it was mid-June on a treadmill at the Y, and I only made it 1/4 of a mile. My 3rd child had just turned one, and I was in a funk. I felt a little lost and purposeless. I loved being a stay-at-home mom, but I craved adventure, excitement, and something just for me. Running fit the bill.

Early on, I almost felt guilty about the passion I had for running. Did I have that same passion for God? For serving others?

For two years, I talked to anyone and everyone about running, read everything I could get my hands on, and gave advice both solicited and unsolicited. A year ago in July, I took the step of gaining my Road Runner's Clubs of America coaching certification and immediately started a job at the YMCA training a half-marathon group of beginners.

For me, it was life-changing. I felt like I mattered to someone outside these four walls. I put my teaching past to good use. But the most important thing for me is that running became like a little ministry for me. I was coach/encourager. I remember thinking, "I wonder if God can use my running in some way?" Because if running is going to be THIS BIG a part of my life, I want God to be in it, too. I started leading the group in a short prayer before runs (for protection, for health, giving thanks). Several of us openly talked about our church, and a few of the runners even visited a few times.

Recently, my running club started a training group for an upcoming half-marathon (Women's Half on Sept. 25). We quickly had 35 people sign up to train together. I'm supposed to be assistant coach and the president of the club is head coach. I've helped get it off the ground, but now another opportunity has presented itself. I think this one might be a God thing.

The YMCA has a program called RESTORE, a Christ-centered ministry for people who are broken, and it physically, mentally, and spiritually rebuilds them with a combination of Bible study, group therapy, and exercise. Our local Y, my employer, just got the program. It's for any person, regardless of ability to pay, who is struggling with any issue---food addiction, depression, drug abuse, lack of direction-- whatever. It's a great cause.

The God-part is that I've been asked to lead a charity team of walkers and runners to train for that very same half-marathon. Each person is asked to raise at least $250 for the RESTORE ministry, kind of like Team in Training, only on a much smaller scale. Could the God/running connection be any clearer than this? We have to recruit at least 10 for the team or it won't happen. (We have one so far!) I think it will be neat to work with runners and walkers who want to both change their lives/health by running or walking a half-marathon and help others at the same time.

I'm so scared of overcommitting myself, but I think I can make all of this work. I'm hoping the two training groups can meet at the same time in the same location. There is safety in numbers!I can't see any reason why the fund-raising group can't share the road (and the coach) with the running club. And besides, it's my job to work with the YMCA group.

Maybe after the race on Sept. 25, I'll take a little break from coaching. Whew! I'm trying not to get overwhelmed, but I have been praying for God to use my running in some way. I guess He is.

The only part I'm sad about is the possibility of missing the first two soccer games for my girls. I'm hoping the schedule will work out that they have afternoon games in early September!

Anatomy of an Injury

I have been struggling with this calf/shin/Achilles/IT Band thing. I don't even know what to call it. Maybe the "entire-right-side-of-my-body" thing. My right leg is .... unhappy. Some days my calf hurts. Some days my shin hurts. Some days my Achilles is tight. Some days what I think might be my IT band is tight.

I was reading in one of my running books about injuries. The first question is --- Have you been doing anything different? Well, yeah, pretty much EVERYTHING. (Therein lies the mistake, I'm guessing.)

1. I changed shoes. I've been running in lighter weight Nikes instead of the old Asics Kayanos.
2. I changed the way I train in a BIG way. I started doing strides at faster than 1-mile pace (just for about 45 seconds at a time). I added tempo runs. I added short hill sprints and hill repeats. (Not all at once, of course, but speed work one or two times a week.)
3. I started lower body strength training 1 to 2 times a week. Lots of squats and lunges will hopefully give me more strength on the abovementioned hills.

All of this together probably caused the issues. I should have eased into the shoes--alternating with the older, more supportive ones. I should have added in a speed session every other week instead of every week and sometimes twice a week to allow my body to adapt.

What I have been doing right is only running about 3 days per week--down from 4 or 5 during marathon/half-marathon training. I've been cross training once a week. And finally, I've been LISTENING TO MY BODY. I met my running group last Saturday morning and walked 5K while everyone else ran. I realized on Friday my shin hurt to run, but walking was ok. I will say it is SCARY for a runner to not be able to run 3 steps. That has only happened once before when I had an inflamed tendon on the top of my foot.

This was week one of the 16-week training for the Women's Running Magazine Half in Nashville. I didn't get in all my miles or speed work from my Runners World training plan, but I am feeling better, and that's the most important thing!

It's funny, as a running coach, I am my own GUINEA PIG! I test what works and what doesn't so I don't inflict it on others! :-)

Dear Bloggy World,

I have not forgotten about you. The busyness of life the past couple of weeks has finally settled down. The kids are all out of school, and I'm trying to figure out how to fit in runs and workouts while wrangling a 9-, 7-, and 4-year old--- all of whom complain when I say, "Hey, let's go to the Y!"

This is day 3 of summer vacation. So far, we've had 1 or 2 big fights per day, but it could be worse I suppose. They tend to get it out of their system first thing in the morning and do pretty well the rest of the day. Oh, the joys of parenting! The key is having at least one activity that gets us out of the house every day.

I've run a whopping 4 miles this week-- all treadmill miles. The past 3 weeks have been sorta awesome on the running front. I've got a 10K coming up in 3 weeks. I have only been running 3 days per week and have averaged 15-19 miles per week. This is a down-time for me regarding long-distance racing, so I'm focusing on building strength and speed. Three days per week feels like a vacation.

I've been doing strength training exercises, hill sprints, intervals, tempo runs, and even a few easy runs (and cross training once per week). Perhaps the runs have been going TOO well, encouraging me to do too much. I find myself with a sore right calf. It had been bugging me just a little for a few months (maybe since the marathon?). I admit I am TERRIBLE about stretching, and I think it had been getting tighter and tighter. You know what happens when you get a tight calf muscle? Shin splints. (A physical therapist explained the connection to me.) On Monday, I was doing some pretty intense intervals with a few hill sprints thrown in and I had a shooting pain in my right shin. Twice. After the second time, I had sense enough to stop!

Since then, I stretched a ton and ran a slow, easy 2 miles. It felt ok. I swam for 10-15 minutes at the Y. (Wow, that's hard! I swam the length of the pool 10 times and thought I was going to die!) I took a 55-minute yoga class and walked for 30 minutes on the treadmill. Today, I'm going to try to run 4 easy miles. On Saturday, I have a big run planned---an 8-miler with 6 miles at tempo pace---10K pace+ 10 or 15 seconds. The tempo portion is on the actual 10K course I'll be running in 3 weeks. If my calf is hurting, I'll definitely back off and run slower and shorter though. We'll see how it goes!

Next week, I start a new running class at the YMCA. It is a regular group exercise class called Intermediate Running. I'll be doing form drills, speed work, hill training, and a 2-4 mile run with whomever shows up each week on Thursdays at 8:30 a.m.. That's my summer job---one hour a week! I think I can handle that! This class has never been offered before. It's hot. There are lots of classes at 8:30. But what if NO ONE shows up???

Good Runnin'

It's a little LATE, but my running has been going really well these last three weeks since the half-marathon. On Monday, I ran 8 miles, 6.5 in a cool rain and 50-degree temperatures. It was one of those great, effortless runs. I felt like I could run many more miles at the end. I didn't gel, didn't drink sports drink, hardly had any water. I just enjoyed the refreshing cool rain-- that is, until the end! About 2 seconds after I stopped, I tried to text my husband and I realized my hands were chilled and stiff and every stitch of my clothing was wet. It took me about an hour, one change of clothes, and one Starbucks latte to finally warm up. But it was a GREAT run.

I took Tuesday off, then yesterday I went to the track at a local college to run a "Magic Mile" time trial (that's what Jeff Galloway calls them). I had not run a mile time trial (that I can remember) since June of last year on this same track. I remember running the mile in about 8:38 (I'll have to check in the archives). Then about a week later, I ran a 5K race and clocked the first downhill mile at 8:36, my fastest mile yet at the time. (Not the best plan in a 5K--to run mile 1 at faster than one-mile pace! I subsequently slowed WAAAAY DOWN and had to walk. A lot.)

Yesterday, I really wanted to beat that time from last summer. I don't know why. Maybe those thirty-second 7:30 strides I've been doing at the beginning and end of some workouts gave me confidence. Or just maybe I wanted to see where I am speed-wise. Anyway, I ran a mile in 8:33--a new one-mile PR! To most, if not all of you, that probably sounds like a slow mile time, but I'm working on it. I'm primarily an endurance runner, not a sprinter. I would actually RATHER run 10 slow miles than 2 or 3 fast ones!

My hope is that before the end of the summer, I can finally get a sub-28-minute 5K. That would require an 8:59 pace or better overall. If I can run one mile in 8:33, maybe I can run 3.1 miles at an 8:55 or so pace? Consistent speed work will be the key over these next few months.

I'm supposed to cross train and do abs and arms today. Then, Saturday I'm doing a 10K tempo run. I'm really enjoying this informal schedule I've built for myself!

5K Fun and My Kid is Fast!

I ran the Adairville Strawberry Festival 5K this morning in the town where I spent the first 18 years of my life and where my parents and many aunts and uncles still reside. The three kids and I made it an overnight trip. They camped out in Nanny and Papaw's living room in sleeping bags while my four year old and I took the guest room. My four year old is a very restless sleeper and very pointy, apparently, so little sleep was gotten with knees, elbows, and little feet in my back most of the night. It was so hot (they won't turn on the AC before June), but she had to sleep as close as humanly possible.

This morning a cool front came through and it was PERFECT RUNNING WEATHER. It was 50 degrees around 7 a.m. with a breeze and sunshine. I could not have asked for a more perfect running day. I tried not to put too much pressure on myself to beat the PR I had in August. After a month of not-so-great runs and races, I figured it was pretty much impossible. I just said to myself, "I'll do the best I can in this race on this day." And I did.

I goofed up my Garmin at the start and must have missed the start button because about 20 seconds in, I looked down and it was still on 00:00. Hmmm. I actually smiled at that, knowing it would help me NOT to stress as much about my time since I would only know my approximate time and mileage. My first mile was around an 8:57 pace. I was careful to hold back a little in this mile and not mess up and go out way too fast. It was only a little too fast. My goal was 9 to 9:05 pace, but I was running blindly, as I just said....

In mile 2, my mind wandered a bit and I got off pace. There were also a couple of hills and a water stop. 9:18 pace. I wanted to DEFINITELY keep things under a 9:30 pace, preferably under 9:15, but whatev. When my split popped up on the screen, I missed it, so I didn't know I had done mile 2 quite so slowly. Mile 3 was a fairly strong one. We had the last hill in the first .25, then the rest was flat. (Cute sign on the course: NO MORE HILLS!). I was giving it most of what I had (can't say I gave it ALL I had, but close). I tried to really pick up the pace the last 1/2 mile. Pace 9:05 for mile 3. Pace for .11 7:36. It all averaged out to a 9:05 pace overall. 28:10 finish time-- 10 seconds from a PR. But that's ONLY 10 SECONDS FROM A PR. I'm happy.

Then my two older kids did the 1-mile fun run for children ages 4 to 12. I coached them not to go out too fast. My son took off crazy fast, I couldn't catch up to him. After about 1/10 of a mile I caught up to my daughter. I ran the rest with her. She only walked about 4 times for just 8 or 10 seconds each. She finished in 10:18. She got first place in the 7-9 year old age group and was the youngest in the group! One 9-year-old was right on our tails at the finish, but we held her off! I was so proud of her and she was so proud of herself.

My son also had a great race. He placed 4th OVERALL, and ran an 8:05 pace! No wonder I couldn't catch him! I can't run an 8:05 pace for a mile that I know of (but I'm sure going to try. We have a little mother/son race coming up soon). He got 1st easily in his age group, males 7 to 9. I thought he was going out too fast, but it turns out it was just fast enough. He ran his little 9-year-old heart out. At the finish line, he just lay down on the grass and said he felt sick. I knew he'd left it ALL out there. **He's already faster than me. How much longer until he's TALLER than me, too??**

It was a GOOD DAY. I wound up with 3rd in the 35-39 age group, the kids both won door prizes (toys), and we got to hang out where I grew up.

I wore my new Zensah compression socks and many people asked me about them. I was hoping they'd make me run faster as promised in this month's Runner's World. Maybe they did! Who knows what the results would have been without them?

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! I enjoyed taking mine out to dinner last night and seeing her at the finish line today!

Shake It Up, Baby!

So far, I'm enjoying my summer shake up in terms of training/working out! I think I was just bored with the same ol' same ol'. CHANGE IS GOOD!

I've recently started reading Running Times magazine in addition to Runners' World. Both are good, but Running Times is much more technical and focuses more on elite high school, college, and even masters runners. If you wade through all the technical/elite stuff, you can still glean some great information for the recreational runner, however.

I discovered a great set of general strength exercises by reading this month's issue of Running Times. They were mentioned in an article, then I had to look them up on their website. It was an article about running faster--something I'm a little obsessed with at the moment, as I seem to be traveling in the OPPOSITE direction. It was refreshing to read the story of an elite masters runner who said something like, "Speed doesn't come naturally to me. I have to overcome that with training."

I came to the conclusion that my weak spot is leg strength. I have been doing much too little lower body strength training. These exercises include plyometrics, squats, and lunges. My goal is to do them twice per week. (A little discovery about doing plyometrics after the non-cesarean birth of 3 large babies--wear a diaper! Jumping up and down is not my friend.) I also found a group of form exercises--bounding, skipping, etc. to do once a week before or after a run. They look rather ridiculous, but I can do them in the front yard while my 4 year old plays.

Running Times has made several things clear about building speed that were unclear before. I have a much better understanding of strides and have been running 20-second ones at about a 7:30 pace at the end of some runs. I don't think I had ventured up to 8 mph on my treadmill before this. I didn't know I could run that fast for 20 or 30 seconds. The goal is to recruit/activate fast-twitch muscle fibers and to do that, you have to run faster than 5K or even 1 mile race pace in short bursts. Good to know.

Next on my agenda: hill repeats. The article said to build some strength with the strength exercises mentioned above for a few weeks BEFORE starting some regular hill training.

In terms of training phases, this is my strength-building phase. The emphasis is getting stronger on hills and in general, not mileage. I'm probably going to average only 15 miles per week with 3 days of running and one day of crosstraining on the arc trainer or bike. I will run a tempo run, intervals, and a long run each week and that's it. I can't remember the last time I only ran 3 days per week!

Around July 1, I will start with a mileage build up by increasing distance and maybe adding in a 4th day of running. I'll begin adding serious distance in August and September, culminating with half marathons on Sept. 25 and October 16 on the road to a November or December MARATHON!

Well, I guess the rest of my year is planned out.

Tomorrow is my first 5K race since August of last year--the one in my hometown. Last August's race was a PR day--28:01. I'm tempted to go for a PR again, but after my performances this past month in the 10K and half-marathon (going out at an aggressive pace, then falling apart), I'm thinking MODERATION is key. I plan to go easy-ish on the first mile (not so easy that I put myself totally out of PR range if I'm having a good day, but not fast enough to cause pain later in the race), then gain speed throughout. My main goal is just to beat the time I ran this course in one year ago. That's doable for sure, as last year I was only 2 weeks post-first marathon and my bruised toenails hurt throughout the race! My legs were still smoked for sure. It's even going to be much cooler tomorrow, which works in my favor. I can handle the low 60's!

Sadly, my mom backed out of the race. She worked up to walking 2 miles at a time, but never made it to three and was afraid to attempt to walk 3 miles for the first time in the race. :-( But, she will be sitting on the front porch cheering me on as I pass right in front of her house during the race, and she'll probably bring my kiddos across the street to the finish to see me cross. I'll get to run past my parents' home, the home where my grandparents lived, my elementary school, the church I attended as a child and where I was baptised---it'll be a fun hometown race.
The kids and I are traveling to spend a couple of days there later this afternoon.

On a side note, my community has been devastated in the Tennessee flooding this week. So many businesses and families lost everything. My children have been out of school the past 5 days as many, many road and bridge closures prohibited the running of school buses. Please keep the flood victims in your prayers. Two older women about my mom's age lost their lives when their vehicles were overcome by water. As this Mother's Day approaches, I'm really thankful to have my mom.

Lessons Learned from CMHM

"The five S's of sports training are: stamina, speed, strength, skill, and spirit; but the greatest of these is spirit." - Ken Doherty.

I'm so glad I'm not mad at running after my sub-par performance in the half on Saturday. I'm mad at myself because I KNOW BETTER than to start out too fast like that and I know how my body responds to heat and humidity--it slows down! Plus, did the two or three weeks of bad runs prior to the race not give me a clue that I was going to have to take it slower than I'd like to?

Some lessons I've learned from this experience (because if you don't learn from your mistakes, what's the point??)

1. Run one race at a time. Don't focus on past experiences--- you have to run the course you're on, in the conditions you are dealt, at your level of fitness that day.

2. Listen to your body. At mile 6.8, I got lightheaded and a little dizzy. That is when I really let go of expectations and dialed it back. Last year someone died on the course on a hot day. I didn't want to take any chances. Before that point in the race, I was pushing along even though I wasn't feeling it. I was checking every split on my watch and berating myself when the mile 4 and 5 splits were too slow. After mile 5, I never looked at another split. I did, however, see at least 6 people on stretchers or receiving medical help.

3. You can still be excited about running even after a bad race. YAY! Especially when you just got new shoes. I'm looking forward to a 5K in a week and my next half-marathon!

4. Everyone has bad days. I saw an interview with elite Deena Kastor on www.Runnersworld.com from this Sunday's London Marathon and she had a terrible day, too. It said,

"Kastor's 18th place 2:36:20 at the Virgin London Marathon was the slowest 26.2-miler she'd ever completed.... "I did not have it today and I have no idea why." I feel ya, Deena! And yes, that makes me feel better. (Even thought her MARATHON time is only 15-16 minutes off my half-marathon time!)

5. It's all relative. I still finished in the top half of Country Music Half-Marathon finishers and the top 1/3 of women. (Lots of walkers, apparently!) My half-marathon times now range from 2:09:41 to 2:20:56. That's not a huge range. I was only about 10 minutes off my game on the most difficult half-marathon course I've ever run on a very humid day. (When I ran it 2 years ago as my first half, it was easier. They changed it to make it more scenic, adding about 3 more hills at the beginning.)

6. Running in the middle of the pack doesn't make me less of a coach. I think coaching is more about being an encourager, a teacher, and knowledgeable on how to take a runner from point A. to point B. It's not about being the fastest runner. I teach beginners who need the structure of a training group and a training schedule, not an elite racing team. That would require a different kind of coach!

Ok, I'm done wallowing and with all the self-analysis! Is it just me, or is this how everyone works through a bad race??? :-)

Outrunning the Storm: Race Report

Today's Country Music Marathon and Half-Marathon was fraught with weather drama! All week we'd been warned about possible thunderstorms, hail, and tornadoes on race day. Yesterday, they decided to limit the marathon to a 4:30 finish because the storms were supposed to move in during the early afternoon. Glad I wasn't doing the full!

I awoke to pouring rain and lightning at 4:00 a.m. My husband and I got in the car at 4:45 a.m. and left my mom and our 3 kids sleeping at home. About 5:15 a.m., a loud clap of lightning woke up the kids and sent them scurrying to find Grandma, and then high winds picked up and it began to hail! (My mom took all 3 into the basement.) Somehow, my husband and I missed all that while on the road to Nashville.

During the 45 minute trip, we made a quick pit stop at a service station and there was so much lightning that I thought, "Am I really going to do this?" It was pouring big, fat, hard drops of rain.

This year, despite road closures for the 32,000 runners, my husband somehow dropped us off directly at the start. Last year before running 26.2, I had to walk a mile to the start. Surprisingly, at the start, it wasn't raining at all and the sun actually came out! I was the first of the training group to arrive, and pretty soon we had about 9 of our people there. We had a group prayer and all went off toward our corrals. Unbeknownst to us, they had decided to start the race 15 minutes early-- at 6:45, so we jumped into our corral just in time.

Two of the gals from the group and I started strong--too strong for me! I ran a 9:50 first mile. That is about what I did in my PR race in October, so I thought it might be ok. (However--big difference--that was a flat course and it was in the 40's!) We got separated at a water stop early on and mile 2 came out at a 9:29 pace for me---way faster than it should have been. It was the fastest mile of the day. I had one more fast mile in the 9:30's and then the hills and too-fast start caught up to me. On an extremely hilly course and with high humidity and upper 60's temps, it just wasn't my day to be running fast.

The rest of the race I struggled. My heart wasn't in it. I really wished I had someone to talk to. I got slower and slower! I let go of any finish expecations and decided to just get. it. done. Preferably, ahead of the tornado!

I finished and it was my 7th slowest half-marathon. Out of seven--aka personal worst by a minute and a half. Nary a drop of rain fell on my head the entire race, other than the 3 water cups I poured on there to cool off. It wasn't as hot as last year, but it was still too hot for my taste.

I hung out for a while and tried to watch for some of my training group at the mile 13 mile marker. I saw only one. Then the rain and lightning I was trying to out run came and hubby and I headed to the car. I felt so bad for the marathoners today. The race was cancelled early. My friend made it to mile 21 and had to stop. Soooo close. But the area was under a tornado watch and there was severe lightning on the course, it was the safest decision.

I am ready for my DISTANCE BREAK. My body is talking to me and telling me I need it! I'll rest up and race smarter on September 25! I think I left it all out on the course in the Birmingham Marathon on Feb. 14, only 9 weeks ago. Perhaps I should go back there and get it?

P.S. I actually ran the first 13.1 miles of the Birmingham Marathon faster than I did the 13.1 today! And still held on for 13.1 more!

Getting Ready for Country Music Half!

I finally registered for the Country Music Half Marathon a day before pre-registration closed! I had a pretty good 12-miler on Saturday. Now, I'm just trying to train a little and rest a lot before Saturday's HILLY half. It's not a PR course, but hopefully I can beat my previous time on this course from two years ago.

I'm so glad I decided to run! It means a lot to be there to share that day with my YMCA training group and my running club. Plus, I always say the half-marathon is my favorite distance! This will be my first 1/2 of 2010 and my 7th in all. Maybe I have found my distance.

I'm still hoping to have the SUMMER OF SPEED in which I focus on faster, not longer. I will do a 5K a couple of weeks after the half and a 10K in June. Then another end-of-summer 5K to see if there's any progress. I'm also trying to organize a BIKE AND HIKE biathlon (or is it duathlon?) for my running club for July. It's an 8-mile bike ride, then a 6 mile trail run--sounds fun, no?

I'm off to spend a little quality time with Jon Bon Jovi tomorrow night. Oh, and my husband. We are having a major date night---dinner in Nashville, concert, hotel stay. Hopefully, it won't be too late of a night just 3 nights pre-race. It's nice that we can walk to the hotel from the concert. Since I'm in Nashville anyway, I'll visit the Country Music expo on Thursday morning to get my race packet.

Then this Sunday is a BIG DAY in our family's life. My older daughter is getting baptized! We have lots of friends and family coming to share this event with us.

Overall, I believe it's going to be a good week!

I'll be back with a race report hopefully Saturday!

Surprising Oneself....

I always like it when I surprise myself! Two surprises came up in the last 24 hours.

Number 1: I enjoy cycling! I've had a bike for about 13 years. It's actually a decent Scott hybrid I got for $25 out of an ad in the paper. I road it approximately 3 times before having children (my oldest is 9 and a half) and have ridden it approximately 3 times since then. :-)

Today was the first time that cycling was AWESOME! My husband actually stayed home from work to hang out with me. We only had three kid-free hours while the little one was at preschool. We decided to load up our bikes and drive down to a 4-mile paved bike trail in the woods, the same trail where I'm doing my 12-mile run in the morning. When we got there, I convinced him to go on the OTHER side of the trail--the 3-mile dirt and gravel side. It was such an adventure zooming down this gravel trail on my bike. I was pedaling sort of aggressively and it was just so DIFFERENT from running. It was exhilarating!

I'm apparently not exactly good at it yet though. I nearly went over the handle bars on a surprise steep downhill with a sharp turn at the bottom in loose gravel. I was using the front brakes. (Note to self--don't do that!) I hit a large rock and my top and bottom teeth clanked together. I didn't see a low hanging branch because I was watching for rocks and roots, and it hit me in the head. But it was all in fun!

We didn't know where the trail ended, so we just rode. I wasn't wearing a Garmin and have no idea how fast I bike so we didn't know where we were in three miles. It was just freedom. At one point the gravel trail turned into a narrow dirt path with tall grass on each side. Finally, it ran out at a campground by the river. We parked the bikes and sat on a bench overlooking the sparkling water before the 3 mile return trip. I learned today that there is other fun to be had besides running (or spinning in a dark room, going no where, listening to too-loud music while an instructor yells at you). Next time I go off road on a bike though..... I'll wear bike shorts!

Number 2: I think I've talked myself into doing the Country Music Half Marathon next weekend. I was going to take a little break from distance running, but I suppose I can postpone that for one more week! Reasons: I made enough in trainer fees these last two weeks to pay the way-too-steep $105 race fee. Weather forecast is looking about 20 degrees cooler than last year. I've put in all the training including a 10-miler, a couple of 11's, and a 12 (well, I will tomorrow). It's the single biggest running event in my area. I want to be there at the end to see how all the runners I've trained do (if I can find them among the 30,000 other people). My buddy I met during last year's marathon (and ran the last 12 miles with) wants to meet up and run with me again (we have kept in touch via Facebook). Lots of GOOD REASONS.

Yes, it will be hilly. No, I won't PR. No, I didn't do as much speedwork as I could have, but I did do lots of hills. Yes, the price stinks, but at least the shirt will be technical and the medals are typically good.

Letting go of expectations and just running it for fun will be a good learning experience for me. The Country Music Half Marathon two years ago was my introduction into distance running, something I've come to LOVE and that is a huge part of who I am.

I'd hate to miss out.