That seems to be the story of my life lately. I'm desperately trying to catch up on everything that fell through the cracks this fall. In the last week, I've had a mammogram and a skin check (both came out fine), as well as figured out our health insurance for 2020 and sent in all of our FSA receipts. Up next are new tires for one car and an inspection for the other. Oh, and I'm working 3 part time jobs still... But it's time to jump in the runfessional thanks to Marcia. I must runfess that I'm struggling with my injury from the 50K training. I'm still tender where my hamstring attaches (aka my butt is sore). I can run slow miles, but I haven't managed more than 3 miles at a time since the 50K. I'm focusing instead on weight … [Read more...]
Coping with a running injury and training setback
Two weeks ago, I ran a pretty decent 20 mile run. It was the first time in YEARS that I'd run that far in training. I beat my pace goal, I felt good the whole time, and I managed to actually eat something on the run. Thank goodness for rice krispy treats! I wasn't even sore afterwards. I even ran a speedy (for me) 6 mile run as part of a relay race two days later. And then things started to fall apart. I've had some tenderness where my glute and hamstring meet off and on all summer. It never really hurt - felt more like DOMS actually. But it hit at random times, including when I wasn't even working out. As a typical runner, I ignored this whisper and went about my training plan. Last week, I cut every run short, not … [Read more...]
Starting the month with a whole lotta coffee
I survived! I knew going into this fall that September and October were going to be insane. They did not disappoint! But it's November now and with Shoo's birthday on Halloween, the craziness ends. Time to take a deep breath and get everything under control. Since I actually have time to take a real coffee break, I'm joining Deb and Coco's virtual coffee date. If we were having coffee, I'd tell you that I was more sore after the Marine Corps Marathon than I have been after a race in years. Seriously, the lack of a bathroom on our main level darn near killed me. On the bright side, not only did I refuse to walk up and down the stairs to do anything for my kids, I made Shoo be my legs and sent him to get things for me. Thankfully, by … [Read more...]
The highs and lows of June running
It's that time of the month again - the time we dig deep and think about how our month went and then share for Tuesdays on the Run. I have to admit that I had a hard time deciding how I felt about June. It was somewhere between awful and epic! June was an interesting month. My heel and ankle mostly behaved themselves, but for the most part, running was nonexistent. Well, except for Ragnar weekend. I ran fewer than 50 miles all month and 30 of them were at Ragnar PA! I started off the month with an awesome weekend with my fellow Skirt Sports Ambassadors at our retreat. The retreat closed with the Skirt Sports 13er - where I ran the 5K. The highlights of the 5K were no pain while running and I got to run it with one of my … [Read more...]
Five things every injury prone runner should have
Confession: I've run lots of miles and made lots of stupid running choices for years with minimal issues and almost no injuries. But every once in a while, I do something that lands me on the injured reserve. Luckily, I have all the things to get myself back up and running fairly quickly. Here are the things I recommend every runner have to both prevent and help heal running injuries. Foam Roller - this simple, inexpensive tool is perhaps the most important thing every runner should have in their arsenal. A few minutes spent rolling before and after a run can make all the difference in the world. There are a ton of routines on various running sites, but Amanda at Run to the Finish has a great overview of foam rolling for … [Read more...]
Runfession: I need more endorphins
I must runfess that I haven't run in over a week. Yeah, I'm not even going to preface that runfession with anything because it pretty much says it all. I've been using my exercise bike and lifting weights and *some* walking - all of which means I'm fit and strong. It also means I'm about to lose my mind. I'm thankful that I don't have anything too stressful going on (just normal life crap like a cat with a UTI and too many end of year activities), because I'm pretty sure I'd just have to run through the pain otherwise. I must runfess that to take my mind off of not running, I'm starting to pack for my trip to Colorado and it's 90% Skirt Sports. Yeah, my trip involves the Skirt Sports Retreat, but it also involves hiking and brewpubs. … [Read more...]
Words of advice to a newbie runner
"If I only knew then, what I know now..." What words of advice would you go back in time and tell your new runner self? That's our topic for today's Tuesdays on the Run. What things have you learned in your years of running that would have made your past running better? Maybe your words of advice will help someone who is just starting out. My number one piece of advice? Listen to your body. I don't get injured often (thankfully!) but when I do, I always make it worse by continuing to train. I'm pretty sure that a few days of rest at the first sign of pain would prevent the numerous visits to the chiropractor over the years. Even if I still ended up at the chiropractor, hopefully listening to my body would have made the … [Read more...]
Let’s talk injuries (Tuesdays on the Run)
Sometimes it feels like "runner" is synonymous with "injury". I mean, how often do you open up a blog post to read and find out that one of your favorite running bloggers is dealing with an injury of some sort? Shin splints, plantar fasciitis, stress fractures, achilles tendonitis - which one do YOU have? But it doesn't have to be that way! That's why April, Patty and I have suggested "injuries" as the topic for this week's Tuesdays on the Run. Have you ever heard of Berenstain Bear's Bike Lesson? (No? Go. Read it now. Love that book!) "This is what you should not do" Sin 1: Ignoring that little niggling pain - Oh yeah, I do this one all the time. One thing I was told in my RRCA coaching class was that if it hurts when you … [Read more...]
Galloway experiment
Last week was the first time in a long time that I've run 3 days in a row. It seems like something hurts on every run, so I've been taking a day off in between and cross training. (Perhaps it's time for a visit to my chiro...) But I have back to back half marathons in two weeks. I think I've written a check my body can't cash, so I've accepted that the second race is going to be hella slow. I decided that perhaps I should actually practice a little Galloway. Wednesday's 6 miler gave me the perfect opportunity. My foot had started hurting at mile 4 on Tuesday's 7 mile run plus I had a minor cold that was messing up my breathing. So, off I went. Right from the start I did a .45 mile run/.05 mile walk. After mile four, when my … [Read more...]
TTT: Sore jaw, race plan, and Revolve ride
It's rainy here today and Shoo decided he needed to get up early even though he has no school today, so my day is starting a little rough. Why is it that children have to be blasted out of bed on school days, but bounce out at the crack of dawn on days when you can sleep in? I'm a bit of a bundle of stress lately. I have a bad habit of focusing on the worst possible scenario in situations. I'm wrapped to tight, I feel like I might implode. So, I'm taking it out on my house. It's either sit and eat from the stress or clean until my fingers are pruny. It's a good thing I clean with vinegar and other natural products, or I'd probably have asphyxiated by now. So, here's some randomness from my life: 1. My jaw is still sore from … [Read more...]
Bad Blogger
We had a really great evening on Saturday night with a small group of friends. It was our annual holiday beer tasting, which we have to keep small because our living room is just so small LOL. We tasted 21 different beers, ate some good chili and cornbread, and finished up with pecan bars and an amazing chocolate cake (made with Guinness!). And I didn't take a single picture. Not one. Gah. I also did not run all weekend. And I'm o.k. with that. My run on Friday (in my new Newtons) did not go well. My calf tightened up at 1.4 miles, so I ended up walking about a mile home. Newtons are not good walking shoes. Just sayin'. I'll be taking those back, as I wasn't thrilled with them for running and, while I don't walk a lot … [Read more...]
Refocusing
I love to run. Running has become a huge part of who I am. It's my anti-depressant, my stress reliever, my muse. I need to return to my old running roots. The ones where I ran because I wanted to or needed to. Where I ran the distance or the speed that felt good that day. The place I was before I started training and tracking miles and caring about my speed. That run never hurt me. That run was only a positive force in my life. I run to be mentally healthy, to be physically strong, and ok, sometimes so I can continue to drink beer and still fit in my jeans. I'll be keeping that run around. But, until my body stops rebelling, distance running and specific training plans will be taking a backseat. I'll be mixing in more … [Read more...]
