Highs and Lows

Well, as promised what feels like many moons ago, I have done a bit of a better job of sticking to my training plan.  I’ve had some amazing runs in some awesome places in the past few weeks.

Prime example?  A Labor Day trip to Aspen.  While the altitude is no joke (um, at 9,000 feet 11 miles = 14 miles, right?  Right.  Good.), the journey and the views were ever so worth the heavy breathing effort.  I had never been to Colorado in the summer and boy is it amazing.  I soaked in every minute of the weekend, and slowed my run down to try to avoid being unable to catch my breath.  The views took care of that themselves, and I added in walk breaks from time to time when needed to just enjoy the ride.  Though it was shorter than it was supposed to be, it was perhaps my favorite run of this training cycle.  Peaceful and beautiful.  Wish I could do this more often!

Definitely worth the hike up!

 On the flip side, I’ve been going to a PT to deal with some serious hip pain for 3 weeks.  And have had 3 long runs abruptly interrupted by sharp pain that reduced me to mostly walking.  Fortunately, that point keeps getting later and later in my runs mileage-wise, but it’s still short of 26.2.  Honestly, I’m a little scared that I won’t be able to finish Chicago.  I’m telling myself that the flat course (serious pain seems to be triggered by hills) and slowing down will make it possible, but the truth is the furthest I’ve gone is 19 miles (and I’m not planning to do anything longer), and when the pain sets in, it really sets in, and if that happens, it’ll be hard to finish.  BUT I’m hoping that 3 weeks of easy running, mostly on the treadmill, and continued PT visits will get me there.  I’m remembering the goal – only to finish – and will do whatever it takes to get there.

In the meantime, I love the PT I’m going to – she’s a runner and has actually run Chicago – and I know she’ll help me figure out how to make it happen.  So I’m hoping for the best, and keeping on keeping on.  And have resolved to focus on some major hip and glute strengthening from now on!  Let’s be real – this all started because my butt is weak.  Which is awesome.

So, the last few weeks in brief :

 Week 9:

Tuesday – 6 miles @ 9:40 average.  9PM run.  Loving these in the hot summer

Thursday – 6.21 miles @ 10:05.  Unremarkable, but happy to get it in before leaving on vacation

Saturday – 3 mile hike, straight up a mountain.  Absolutely gorgeous and hard as heck to breathe, but so worth it

Sunday: 11 mile run on the flattest but most scenic route I could find in Aspen + 2 mile hike to see the Maroon Bells.  Amazing!

Good friends + gorgeous views = happy Betsy

Over to the right, there’s a stage, where Edward Sharpe and then Journey played. We were surrounded by these views and good friends. It was a rough night.

 Week 10:

Tuesday: 6.2 miles @ 9:09.  Another 9PM run and finally felt like I could run again.  Honestly, other than Aspen, I had not enjoyed a run in awhile until this one.  Relief.

Thursday: 6 outside @ 9:15, 1.5 on treadmill @ 10:00; first PT appointment

Saturday: 13 @ 9:45; 3ish @ 11:00 or so – involved lots of walking after hip pain around 12.5

Sunday: log dog walk + tennis

Week 11:

Tuesday: 4.25 mile spontaneous progressive run – splits: 9:37, 9:09, 7:58, 9:08.  This felt amazing.  My hip didn’t hurt, and I finally felt like pushing it.  In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have, but that sub-8 mile made me remember that I love to push my own limits

Wednesday: 6.2 miles on the treadmill @ 10:00 average

Thursday: PT appointment, skipped planned run

Saturday: 18 miles.  The hip was dull but controlled pain through most of the run, then I climbed a steep hill @ 17 and promptly got stopped at a light for about 45 seconds.  Felt like someone stuck a knife in my hip after I started again, so I limped back to finish 18.  Should have been discouraged, but decided that since it was a hill’s fault, I was ok.  Also, it was a gorgeous low 70’s no cloud in the sky day, and Alabama was about to crush Texas A&M, so nothing could get me too down.

Sunday: Terribly played but fun tennis match.

AJ McCarron > Johnny Manziel
“Game Managers” make the best QBs And Johnny Football is just annoying.

 Week 12:

This is where things got real.  Both from a preventive perspective and a crap-I-could-be-in-trouble perspective.

Monday: Dry needling with the PT.  I was scared out of my mind, and googled way too many details about this procedure.  Not going to lie, it hurt, and I squirmed, was sweating, and definitely had to exclaim a bit.  But it wasn’t so bad, and I woke up the next morning feeling much, much better.  No soreness, and my run that night was pain-free.  The whole idea of it still makes me cringe, but verdict is that it was worth it.

Tuesday: 5 miles on the treadmill with no pain @ 10:00.  BORED.

Saturday (yep, rest of the week was PT exercises only.): 19 miles.  18 around 9:45, with a couple at about 9:00/miles, which is too fast for me during a marathon.  Paid for it around 18 when the stabbing hip pain came back.  Planned 21 was 19.  Scared.

Sunday: Once again, terribly played but fun tennis match.  My competitive spirit for tennis will kick back in when my legs aren’t so tired.  Sorry partner!

Ups and downs.  Highs and lows.  But this is what marathon training is all about, right?  Hoping that 3 weeks of taking it easy will help.  The countdown is on!

Life is Good Today

Highlight of the Week:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amazing kickoff to Pop’s birthday weekend – awesome tickets to Zac Brown! (See also – crazy dehydration because of the heat that meant a postponed long run.  Totally worth it.)  Thanks Sally B for getting us awesome tickets!

Lowlight of the week:

The death of my long-loved, pretty pink ipod shuffle.  No green light = no charge = no tunes.  RIP friend, we’ve traveled many miles together.

When I first started writing this, I was en route back to Nashville after a weekend chock-full of fun celebrating a special day for a special man.  (Hi Pop!  Happy Birthday!).  Tom and I headed up to New Jersey Thursday night for his dad’s birthday, and the weekend was full in so many ways – lots of time with family and friends – busy but relaxed all at the same time.  We were celebrating a birthday, hearing about the latest in wedding planning from Tom’s sister, and generally enjoying a hot but wonderful weekend with lots of food, lots of pool time, a fantastic Zac Brown Band concert, and generally soaking up precious minutes with family we don’t see enough.

Amongst all of that, running still happened!  Here are the deets:

Chicago Marathon Training Week 3: Sunday 7/14 – Satuday 7/20:

 Sunday:

 2 Hours of a mentally grueling tennis match in the bright sun.  A mental and physical victory, as it went 3 hours and my opponent was clearly fading at the end and two hours of work is standard for me at this point.  Finally distance training helps my tennis game too!

Monday:

 More tennis – this time with a (guy) neighbor who’s a fantastic player and way better than me.  Much more of a workout than some of the ladies doubles I get roped into these days.  I do love the women I play with, but running hard, reacting to someone who hits with more topspin than I do, and hitting the ball HARD was nice for a change.  Note to self – play with guys more often for a better workout and to actually get better at tennis again!

Tuesday:

Just over 6 miles, including warmup and cooldown of a tough but weirdly fun workout.

3 x (800 @ 7min/mi pace , 400 jog; 400@6:30 pace, 200 jog; 200@6:00pace), 400 jog between sets.

First set was a bit fast, then hit my paces right on the nose with a fast last 200.

Wednesday: Rest.  But I did foam roll, with a bit of distraction.

Thursday: Unplanned  rest.  Meant to wake up and run with the lululemon run club, but when I found myself still sending emails after midnight, sleep won instead.  Got on a plane that night, passed out, stayed up late chatting with Tom’s parents and then finishing up work that got cut short because I thought I’d have wifi on the plane but didn’t.

Friday: Rest (oops, 3^rd day in a row)

Saturday:  Unintended rest.

12 mile run planned.  Really intended to keep on schedule, and I even emailed with a local run club in my in-laws’ town to meet up for a run on Saturday.  They were super nice, and I’m sorry I missed them but …. Considering I was dripping sweating before Zac Brown even took the stage on Friday (major heat wave in the northeast earlier this month if you haven’t heard), I decided the late night + automatic dehydration warranted a delay.  WORTH IT!

 

Week 4: Sunday 7/21 – Saturday 7/27:

 Sunday:

Tom helped me map out a run from his parents’ house, and I managed to drag myself out of bed at the earliest hour I ever have  ever woken up when staying with them.  This is where the lowlight of my week happened – my beloved shuffle, which has made it through countless miles and more rain than I ever thought it could, died before I made it out of the driveway.  I was about to set out on my longest run without buddies or music ever.  And it didn’t start well.  My legs were heavy, my breathing heavy …. Honestly, it totally stunk.  I had mapped out two loops, and was pretty sure I would stop after the first.  Fortunately, I convinced myself to keep going, and in the middle of the loop only ran into the house to refill my water bottle and convinced myself to keep going.  Glad I did, but boy was the second loop tough.  Lots of hills, and the humidity was brutal.  But I made it – major mental victory.  The best part?  Leaping into a pool at the end of my run!  Wish that were an option all the time!  Managed a 9:45 pace, which pleasantly surprised me.

Monday:

Rest.  Exhausted after a late flight back and a long day of work

Tuesday:

An exhausting track workout.  Just wasn’t feeling it.  Not sure if it was the half bottle of wine the night before, the chips and salsa I ate about 45 minutes beforehand, or the near-100% humidity, but it was a slog.  The workout was a ladder, building from 200s to 800s and ending with fast 200s.  I hit all of my paces except for the 800, but was totally wiped.

Wednesday:

Unplanned rest day.  More foam rolling with my buddies.  My Achilles hurts.

Thursday:

Supposed to be a run in the AM and tennis in the PM.  After feeling feverish Wednesday night, I slept in on Thursday and just played tennis Thursday.  A slog of a match, but I won!  My mileage is suffering, but I needed something lower key, as I still felt feverish that night.

Friday:

Rest.  Planned, but I did kind of want to go to yoga, but opted for more sleep after the feverish episodes of the past few days.  I think I can chalk it up to not enough sleep, so that’s the new goal.

Saturday:

12.5 miles (supposed to be 13, but route was a little short, and contrary to most of my life, I’m not slave to exact Garmin miles).  Honestly?  This was rough.  The heat was lower, but it was still crazy humid.  And my legs felt super heavy.  Operating on not quite enough sleep, but I’m not sure whether that’s it, or whether my body is just trying to adjust.  This was my first marathon reality check, suddenly wondering whether I can handle the distance, whether I was prepared when I started this, whether I can cut it.  I mean, I’ve now skipped two Thursday workouts, and I’m still tired.  Hope I can cut it ….. I did still keep up a 9:40 pace, so perhaps I just need to slow down?

So, not the best two weeks ever but …. I made it.  Here’s to a better next few weeks?  Only 11 to go!