Just a Little Streaking….

This week has flown by.  Work has been crazy busy with not much opportunity for anything else including talking about running.  But today the current class of cadets graduated so it’s really quiet around here, a little creepy quiet.  But that makes for the prefect time to catch up here.

What I’ve been up to…just a little steaking.  I’ve run the last 11 days in a row.  Until recently, the most days I’ve ever run in a row was 4 and I’m pretty proud of my new streak.  11 days and counting.  The next possible day for a day off from running is next Thursday.  It’s a wait and see how I feel kinda thing.  Too tired? Rest day.  Feeling lazy?  Rest day.  I’m pretty much going with the flow around here.

September Recap:

Days Ran:  26
Days Ran Outside:  6
Total Miles:  89
Miles Ran Outside: 26.5

I feel like my transition from treadmill to road is going well.  I’ve had a few aches and pains along the way but nothing serious.  Mostly I just need to stretch more and use my foam roller more.

I’m still trying to decide if I want to continue with my gym membership but at this point, as much as I enjoy the gym, I’m going to let it go.  It will mean getting up at 3:45 at least 3 days a week to get my runs in before work since it’s still too hot to run in the afternoons here.  I mean, come on, it’s October and it’s 97 here today.  Crazy.  But ultimately, I think I’m ok to run outside.

Plans for October:

• Continue streaking
• Long runs on Saturday starting with 8 miles tomorrow
• Monday, Wednesday – 4. 5 mile runs/speed work
• Tuesday, Thursday – whatever mileage I feel like
• Friday – 4 mile easy run
• Sunday – 4 mile easy run
• Possibly sign up for a 5k or 10k that’s local and a decent price (I’m not paying $50 for a 5k here people!)

What are your plans for October?

Monday Weekly Recap…

It’s Monday…again.  Yay?  The start of the new work week is my favorite time to look back at the previous week and see how training/recovery went.  As a side note, I think it’s almost time for me to drop the “injury recovery” from my vocabulary.  I’m feeling awesome and have very little soreness before, during and after my runs.

Recap:

Monday:  3.1 miles, 9:58 pace

Tuesday:  Walked on the treadmill at various inclines

Wednesday:  3.10 miles, 9:37 pace

Thursday:  No gym, no run rest day.  Ran errands with the family.

Friday:  3.11 miles, 9:38 pace

Saturday:  Walked on the treadmill, 5% incline

Sunday:  5.96 miles, 10:24 pace – progress intervals:  5 min warm up, 15 min run, 2 min walk, 17 min run, 2 min walk, 19 min run, 2 min walk.

Sunday’s run may have ended like this:

And I may have gotten a little sunburned but it was totally worth it!

It was a weird day…

Yesterday was a weird day.  I went to work as normal, started my day, took my breaks, ate lunch…the normal stuff.  But I had to leave early to take hubby to the doctor’s office to have an upper GI done.  Since they knock you out for this, he needed a driver so my main job was to hang out in the waiting room and then drive him home.  No biggie – for me.  But since his appointment was at 3:30 it meant that I had to get my run in before.

I left work at 1:30 to head to the gym.  It was so weird being there during the day like that.  I felt like the only people in the gym at that time of day are people without jobs.  Or as my hubby pointed out, people who work nights, shift work…ok I get it.  Plus it might have been people who were working out on their lunch breaks.  Judgement rescinded.  Thanks dear.

But that’s not the weird part and I totally regret not getting a picture of it but while I was at the gym working out, the local PD was putting the Rite Aid in lock down.  I don’t know what was going on but I suspect by the show of local law enforcement that they may have gotten robbed because there were a lot of cops and they had the parking lot shut off.  I’d noticed a lot of cops in the parking lot was I was on the treadmill but I didn’t realize that it was like that until I was leaving.  Fortunately the Rite Aid is at the other end of the parking lot and I was able to leave no problem but man howdy, there were a lot of cops there.  I’m pretty sure it was all of the local PD and a few state cops also.  I really need a police scanner.

Since my time for working out yesterday was under a serious time restriction, I somehow managed to pull out a sub-30 5k.  I’m pretty sure I was jumping up and down.

What dreams have you been pursuing? – Sub-30 5k

Have any of your dreams come true lately? – Yep!  Sub-30 5k!

What’s your next dream?  – I don’t know, I never really thought I might be able to do this one.  But I guess it would be getting back to road running and completing a sub-30 5k on the road.

What I Think About When I Think About Quiting…

Last week was a tough week in life but a great week in running.  My runs were faster, longer and harder in a good way but life was exhausting.  After napping quite a bit on Saturday and a little on Sunday I felt like I’d gained some ground and was almost level again energy wise.  Sunday’s run was a little slower than the runs earlier in the week but honestly, I wanted to conserve some of that new-found energy.

Monday…woke up late for work.  Barely had time for a shower and breakfast and definitely didn’t have time to do my hair.  So I bunned it and did the best I could do.  Got through work and headed to the gym.  It should have been an easy workout with just walking on the treadmill at an incline but I decided that I would go ahead and do Tuesdays planned workout which included adding an additional minute of run time to each interval and decreasing the walk sections by a minute.

I won’t lie.  It was tough.  It was the kind of run where you wonder why you do this, why are you torturing yourself.  It wasn’t that I was running too fast or that the additional minute was too much.  It was that I’ve been pushing too hard.  I’m not ready for back to back runs.  They take too much out of me right now.

When I got up this morning, after tossing and turning all night and not being able to get comfortable, both my legs hurt.  My thighs were tight, my groin was sore and even under my butt check on the pulled goin side was sore.  TMI, sorry.  Not to mention my ankle.  My left ankle has been compensation for my injury and is screaming for relief.  It hurts.  Rotate my ankle at all and it’s crying.

I know that I pushed myself way too far yesterday and today I’m paying the price.  I’m so tired that I didn’t really wake up until 10:45…and I started work at 7am.  I’ve drank an entire pot of coffee by myself.  And I’m still drinking it now.  Normally by this time of day, I’m finishing up my 11k steps for the day but today, I’m not even at 40%.  And the last time I had a full rest day with no gym at all was almost 2 weeks ago.

I think it’s time to pull the plug and take a full rest day.  Hello Tuesday rest day.  Not nearly as fun as Sunday Run day but it’ll do pig, it’ll do.

Yesterday was wear your KT Tape to work day.  Did you wear yours?  Mine was the ever fashionable KT Pro in Pink, applied last Wednesday.  As a side note, I’d like to say that yes I did wear shoes work and yes I walk around my office without them all the time.  I will blame my hippy mother for that one.  I’d also like to note those muscley calves.  Wooo baby!

Truth.

Running Recap…

Typed a whole lovely post this morning and poof, gone.  Grrrr.  So here it is in a nutshell since I don’t have the patience to do it all over again.

Weekly Workout Recap:

Monday:  5.48 miles at 11:19 pace

Tuesday:  62 minute walk on the treadmill at various inclines

Wednesday:  5.58 miles at 11:07 pace

Thursday:  62 minute walk on the treadmill at various inclines

Friday:  5.69 Miles at 10:54 pace

Saturday:  62 minute walk on the treadmill at various inclines

Sunday:  5.58 miles at 11:07 pace

 

I looked just like this, wild hair, tutu…no boots but you get the idea. Running an 11 minute mile is nothing amazing or out of this world or record shattering for most people but for me and my recovery this is awesome!!

I’m so Happy!

So happy!  This was me just way, way more sweaty after my run yesterday.

Sorry for the slighty blurry pic but I took my new Mizuno Wave sayonara’s to the gym yesterday.  My pink ones are starting to die a slow death from mileage and I’ve been hording these in my closet for about a month.  Got them for a killer deal, 50% off!  Heck yes.  I love my new shoes but according to Hubby they’re “super bright.”  But I don’t care.  So happy #1, new shoes.

#2 happy, 11:19 for 5 miles.  The times are coming down, my pain is going down.  I’m so happy.  I was really worried that running might be something that I’d have to give up forever.  I’m really looking forward to getting out of the gym and back outside.

Workout recap for last week: 

Monday:  Walk on the treadmill 62 minutes varying incline

Tuesday:  Run 5.22 miles at 11:53 pace

Wednesday:  Rest day, no workout of any kind

Thursday:  Run 5.20 miles at 11:55 pace

Friday:  Walk on the treadmill 62 minutes varying incline

Saturday:  Run 5.35 miles at 11:35 pace

Sunday:  Walk on the treadmill 62 minutes at varying incline.

Making Changes to the Same ol’ Same ol’

Intervals have been my go to since I joined the gym to use the treadmill for recovery.  5 minute warm up, 10 minute run/5 minute walk x’s 3 and then 5 minute run/5 minute walk for a total of 60 minutes plus a 2 minute cool down.

My leg is getting stronger and while running still hurts, it’s more of a dull throb as I’m getting stronger.  The 10 minute run sections aren’t as hard as they once were and while I’m struggling to get through them it’s more of a mental struggle than a physical struggle.  So yesterday I added a minute to each of the run sections and decreased the walk sections by a minute.  The idea is to keep doing this as the run sections become less challenging until I’m running the whole time.

My gym membership runs out in the middle of October and I’m hoping by that time I’ll be back running for an hour or more by that time.  Goal is to be running a 10 minute mile for distance (or faster, I won’t complain) and possibly be ready for a 5k or at least get back to running outside.  I miss outside so much.  Running on the treadmill is so not as interesting as running outside.  At least the treadmills face the parking lot and I can watch the coming and goings of everyone going to Tractor Supply or the take and bake pizza place next door.

Yesterday’s highlight of the parking lot was a lady in skin-tight sweatpants.  I didn’t know you could get sweat pants that tight.  It looked uncomfortable.  A couple of weeks ago I watched 4 cars all back up at the same time and almost crash into each other.  It’s always a good time watching parking lot craziness.

Running Report for last week:

Monday:  4.25 miles @ 12:13 min/mile – total time:  51.57

Tuesday:  Walk

Wednesday:  5.00 miles @ 12:19 min/mile – total time: 1:01:35

Thursday:  Walk

Friday: 5.00 Miles @ 12:04 min/mile – total time: 1:00:22

Saturday:  Walk

Sunday: 4.99 miles @ 12:25 min/mile – total time:  1:02:00

Intervals, Intervals and more Intervals…

My go to right now is intervals but I am starting to find that running for 10 minutes is not as hard as it was a month ago and my pace is always below 11 minutes/mile and mostly below a 10:30 in the run sections.

A couple of weeks ago I was really feeling discouraged and that this injury might be the end of my “career” as a runner.  Depressing thought.  But I’m glad that I’ve stuck with it because while progress is slow, I can see that progress.  And feel it.  I’m having a lot less pain when my foot strikes the ground.  And that pain isn’t sharp like it was before unless my leg moves to the outside and my body automatically tries to pull it back to the correct position.

Times going down & pain going down, heck yeah.  I’ll take it.

Five miles last night at the gym.  I know that the average mile says 12:14 but that includes the walking sections after the run.  Another week or so of this and I might be ready to change it from 10 min run to 15 min run with 5 min walk in between.

I might not look it here but I’m really happy with how things are coming a long.  The hard part right now is admitting to myself that a fall half marathon isn’t going to happen.  I’d planned on running Folsom Blues Breakout on October 18th but I don’t think that’s realistic.  Right now, running a 5k isn’t realistic for me.

I’d also planned to run an 8 miler in September but I don’t think that’s realistic either.  While I’m optimistic about my recovery, I want to be real about this.  Running on the treadmill is considerably easier than running outside; no wind resistance, no waiting for lights to change, no pounding on hard black top, cement or dirt, air conditioning, etc.  But I can’t wait to get back outside.

Weather is Weird & Success in the Gym

They talk about the drought every day on the news. “California is in a drought.” “Worst drought in years.” “We have no water.” “Agh, the apocalypse!!!” Ok, maybe not the last one but incase you haven’t heard and are living under a rock somewhere (congrats on your ability to get internet under that rock), California is in a drought and it’s really bad. Last winter it almost rained zero days.  Honestly, it’s a bit scary.

But my question is this, what’s up with our funky weather?  It’s extremely humid, not Alabama in the summer humid but for California, it’s freaking humid!  Even indoors, it’s humid.  And we’ve had sprinkles of rain several times a week for about the last month.  It rains just enough to mess up your windshield but not enough to even knock down the dust.  Annoying.  Stupid weather gets your hopes up and the laughs.  Mean.

Of course in typical California tradition, we’ve had lots of fires and So Cal has even had a heavy rain and then a mudslide.  But in northern Cal…dry yet wet.  Figure that one out.  Stupid weather.

I was back in the gym yesterday for the 5th day in a row!  Go me.  Ran my intervals as planned.  Started with a 5 minute warm up walk, then a 1:1 run at about a 10 minute mile.  Then a 2:1 run at about a 10:20 mile and finally a 3:1 run at about an 11 minute mile.  The first set felt really good and I was thrilled to be running at a 10min/mile pace.  But as the set progressed and I got tired & my ability to keep up the pace waned.  But all in all I was really happy with the set.

The groin pull is definitely getting better and I can see progress over just a few weeks ago when I joined the gym.  It was good decision to get off the pavement and on to the softer treadmill surface despite the cost of having to pay for the gym, which I hate.  Running has always been a mostly free activity for me(not counting the cost of shoes, race entries, fun clothes, Garmin’s, Bluetooth headsets, etc.  Runners know what I mean).

This morning my right hip was sore and I think it’s from compensating for the injury on the left side.  But a 800 milligram ibuprofen took are of it.  I know that sounds like a lot but it’s doctor prescribed so I’m ok.

I’m feel really good in addition to such a great workout yesterday because I’m off to a great start on my week with my FitBit.  Got double my steps in yesterday and managed to stay on track with my food.  I put on a little weight while I wasn’t running for two months and I can’t seem to get rid of it.  So I’m mostly just trying to be aware of what I’m putting in vs. taking out.

It’s going to take some time to take that weight back off but I’m ok with that.  Good things come to those who work their butts off for it.

The Gym or My Place of Salvation…

I have gone to the gym every day this month! Yes, I know that today’s only the 4th but still. Every day.  And I haven’t gone today because I go after work but I’m going to go…See?  Every day.

Yesterday I walked on the treadmill.  No running but I am taking full advantage of the incline to get my heart rate up and really get a good workout in.  My groin pull is feeling better with only the occasional twinge while walking. Running is another story but there is progress even if it’s slow.

I’m planning to hit the gym again today after work.  The plan is intervals.  Before I left for my mini vacation a couple of weeks ago, I was working on a 1:1, 2:1 & 3:1 interval plan.  I’ve been using KT Tape to help support the injury and feel like it’s working, even if it’s just psychological.  So the plan for todays workout is the same; 1:1, 2:1 & 3:1 intervals.  It starts with 5 minutes running with 5 recovery and works up to 15 running with 5 recovery.

My mile times are high; in the 11 to 12 minute range.  It’s hard to deal with such “high” times.  When I injured myself I was running 9:40’s at race pace and feeling awesome.  The day that I got hurt, I felt like I could run forever.  Sometimes I have to remind myself that I am recovering from an injury and it takes time.  The point is to get stronger and not make my injury worse.

Just for fun, a picture of Buster wearing my sparkly headband.  He can really pull off this look, don’t you think?