Friday, March 22, 2013
Buenos Aires bound
In Atlanta waiting for Buenos Aires flight. Once I leave here I will turn my iPhone into an old-fashioned phone with only texting until I get back to Atlanta in two weeks. I may have Internet on the ship but not really sure what the capabilities will be, but pretty sure I can't send photos until get back to the US, unfortunately.
Off for an 11 hour flight!
Off for an 11 hour flight!
And I'm off!
Swam last night and hope that will help make me tired enough to sleep on the plane tonight. Currently in Detroit waiting to board for Atlanta.
The photo is me holding the oversized library card my staff gave me to take on the trip- similar to the kids' book Flat Stanley. It will be fun to see where I can take photos of the card.
The good news: on my way. The bad news: woke up in the middle of the night with that " oh &?@$ I'm getting a cold" feeling. It was exactly a year ago that I was sick last time. Oddly, I remember because it was right before the Run For Reading and I was sick and trying to put on a race for 250 people.
Bought some cold medicine and hoping for the best.
If my mother could go to Saudi Arabia with a sprained ankle I guess I can go to Antarctica with a cold!
The photo is me holding the oversized library card my staff gave me to take on the trip- similar to the kids' book Flat Stanley. It will be fun to see where I can take photos of the card.
The good news: on my way. The bad news: woke up in the middle of the night with that " oh &?@$ I'm getting a cold" feeling. It was exactly a year ago that I was sick last time. Oddly, I remember because it was right before the Run For Reading and I was sick and trying to put on a race for 250 people.
Bought some cold medicine and hoping for the best.
If my mother could go to Saudi Arabia with a sprained ankle I guess I can go to Antarctica with a cold!
Monday, March 18, 2013
Some running
Sunday was so nice, relatively speaking, that I wanted to get outside after we got home so I went to Potter Park, figuring that if there was any ice on the trail that it would be clearest at the Park.
Indeed the trail was perfect, the sun was shining, and the runners were out in force. I walked a bit but then made a deal with myself that I would run but stop immediately if my butt hurt at all. After 4.5 miles of running it felt so great to run but my foot started to hurt so I stopped.
That may be my only chance to run before I leave, since my schedule is pretty full and I have swimming twice this week and plan to walk with Mark and Don so I can see them before I leave.
I was glad to know my butt was getting better but distressed that my foot started hurting so quickly. Since the run it has been uncomfortable to sit much so I know my butt is not really much better. With only 4 days until a long flight I hope I will continue to get better.
Indeed the trail was perfect, the sun was shining, and the runners were out in force. I walked a bit but then made a deal with myself that I would run but stop immediately if my butt hurt at all. After 4.5 miles of running it felt so great to run but my foot started to hurt so I stopped.
That may be my only chance to run before I leave, since my schedule is pretty full and I have swimming twice this week and plan to walk with Mark and Don so I can see them before I leave.
I was glad to know my butt was getting better but distressed that my foot started hurting so quickly. Since the run it has been uncomfortable to sit much so I know my butt is not really much better. With only 4 days until a long flight I hope I will continue to get better.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
More water, less pounding
Three times in the pool this week- it was so nice to feel like I got some exercise without hurting my foot or my piriformis. I had two private lessons and was glad to feel like the pool didn't seem quite so long on the second day!
Yesterday I went to lap swim which was good, too. I was in the water about 45 minutes, which was plenty. I am even more impressed with my triathlon friends after my swimming efforts! There was a guy in the pool when I got there and he was still doing laps when I left - he never stopped. That was impressive to me since my method is swim a lap, hold onto the edge for a while and kick my feet, look around at everyone else working harder than I am, then do another lap.
I really really want to run but whenever I sit for long I am reminded why I shouldn't run right now. I also miss my running buddies so hope to walk with them at least once before I leave.
Off for corned beef and cabbage washed down with green champagne! (Creme de Menthe and cheap champagne - try it, it's yummy!)
Yesterday I went to lap swim which was good, too. I was in the water about 45 minutes, which was plenty. I am even more impressed with my triathlon friends after my swimming efforts! There was a guy in the pool when I got there and he was still doing laps when I left - he never stopped. That was impressive to me since my method is swim a lap, hold onto the edge for a while and kick my feet, look around at everyone else working harder than I am, then do another lap.
I really really want to run but whenever I sit for long I am reminded why I shouldn't run right now. I also miss my running buddies so hope to walk with them at least once before I leave.
Off for corned beef and cabbage washed down with green champagne! (Creme de Menthe and cheap champagne - try it, it's yummy!)
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
and now for something completely different...
Swimming! Had my first private swim class last night. I knew the only way I would actually swim and not be tempted to run would be to schedule and pay for classes at a time that would fit my mildly crazy schedule. Perfect!
Love the Waverly East pool since it's heated, loved having the place to myself, and I had a good teacher who helped me improve my rusty swimming skills. It was a good workout, too - I had that nice feeling of tired but not sore muscles. I have 3 more classes before I leave, which I am not sure will keep me in marathon shape but is probably my best chance of retaining some kind of fitness. I will also try to fit in some of the lap swim sessions, too. The best thing was that my foot and butt never hurt while I was swimming!
Love the Waverly East pool since it's heated, loved having the place to myself, and I had a good teacher who helped me improve my rusty swimming skills. It was a good workout, too - I had that nice feeling of tired but not sore muscles. I have 3 more classes before I leave, which I am not sure will keep me in marathon shape but is probably my best chance of retaining some kind of fitness. I will also try to fit in some of the lap swim sessions, too. The best thing was that my foot and butt never hurt while I was swimming!
Sunday, March 10, 2013
worst run of my training = more whining
This will be a lot of whining and I have been thinking about how to make it not a pity-party post but I don't know how to sugar-coat the run yesterday, so here it is and just stop reading if you are tired of hearing about all my injuries and problems! The ironic joke of all this is that in previous weeks when I was complaining about my foot that sounds like the good old days now that I also have a piriformis and hamstring injury...
My butt / hamstring hurt every step of the way, my foot hurt from mile 5.5 -8 and then again from mile 12-15. I don't understand the non-pain in the middle of the run but I will definitely take it. The trail and campus were ok but there were definitely icy spots, and many places where it was hard to tell if it was just wet or ice. I felt crummy the whole time, no energy and too focused on the pain.
To add to the non-fun of the morning, while I was on the river trail on campus I saw an unleashed dog so went to the other side of the river and not too far along that trail I saw another unleashed dog, this time a Rottweiler, and for a while I couldn't see any person who might be with the dog. I crossed back over on a nearby bridge and angrily thought I would just give up on the scenic trail and go up by Wells Hall and around the stadium. As I started up the sidewalk on a hill I hit a really icy patch and started "skating" - two thoughts went through my mind as I madly scrambled to stay upright: 1) that I would fall and hurt something else and that would REALLY make me mad, and 2) that all this scrambling would make my sore butt and hamstring even worse!
Fortunately I didn't fall and my butt didn't feel any worse, but I was still mad to have to run on cement sidewalks instead of the trail due to inconsiderate dog owners. I know I am more paranoid than many people about loose dogs since I was fairly badly bitten by an unleashed German Shepherd but it is still not right for owners to let dogs off the leash in public areas, especially where there are always walkers and runners. That's my sermon for today!
When I got to 12 miles I had already been taking walking breaks more than I wanted to and finally just gave up and walked the last 3 miles. It didn't hurt quite as much to walk but it still hurt. I fortunately had a massage scheduled and the lovely Sarah worked on my piriformis and hamstring a lot, which wasn't relaxing but I know it helped and I was glad to have that done right after my run.
I know it was stupid and short-sighted and selfish of me to do 15 miles because I am sure it made my injuries worse, but that dumb runner brain kept saying " you aren't ready - you have to do more miles". Maybe some good sense has kicked it because I am going to see about swiming this week instead of running. It hurts to sit down, hurts to bend , hurts to sleep, etc etc etc so I have to get that injury better, especially with an 11 hour plane ride on March 22.
The good news today - Sunday -is that it's 55 degrees!
My butt / hamstring hurt every step of the way, my foot hurt from mile 5.5 -8 and then again from mile 12-15. I don't understand the non-pain in the middle of the run but I will definitely take it. The trail and campus were ok but there were definitely icy spots, and many places where it was hard to tell if it was just wet or ice. I felt crummy the whole time, no energy and too focused on the pain.
To add to the non-fun of the morning, while I was on the river trail on campus I saw an unleashed dog so went to the other side of the river and not too far along that trail I saw another unleashed dog, this time a Rottweiler, and for a while I couldn't see any person who might be with the dog. I crossed back over on a nearby bridge and angrily thought I would just give up on the scenic trail and go up by Wells Hall and around the stadium. As I started up the sidewalk on a hill I hit a really icy patch and started "skating" - two thoughts went through my mind as I madly scrambled to stay upright: 1) that I would fall and hurt something else and that would REALLY make me mad, and 2) that all this scrambling would make my sore butt and hamstring even worse!
Fortunately I didn't fall and my butt didn't feel any worse, but I was still mad to have to run on cement sidewalks instead of the trail due to inconsiderate dog owners. I know I am more paranoid than many people about loose dogs since I was fairly badly bitten by an unleashed German Shepherd but it is still not right for owners to let dogs off the leash in public areas, especially where there are always walkers and runners. That's my sermon for today!
When I got to 12 miles I had already been taking walking breaks more than I wanted to and finally just gave up and walked the last 3 miles. It didn't hurt quite as much to walk but it still hurt. I fortunately had a massage scheduled and the lovely Sarah worked on my piriformis and hamstring a lot, which wasn't relaxing but I know it helped and I was glad to have that done right after my run.
I know it was stupid and short-sighted and selfish of me to do 15 miles because I am sure it made my injuries worse, but that dumb runner brain kept saying " you aren't ready - you have to do more miles". Maybe some good sense has kicked it because I am going to see about swiming this week instead of running. It hurts to sit down, hurts to bend , hurts to sleep, etc etc etc so I have to get that injury better, especially with an 11 hour plane ride on March 22.
The good news today - Sunday -is that it's 55 degrees!
A Walk in the Woods
After sitting in my truck driving to Flint, then sitting all day in a workshop, then my truck again, it felt so good to get outside and walk with Jill at Hawk Meadow Park! Really nice, almost-feels-like-spring day.
Cleaned up my garden a bit and then our first of the season drinks by the river- spring must be coming soon-
Cleaned up my garden a bit and then our first of the season drinks by the river- spring must be coming soon-
Thursday, March 7, 2013
should be marathon day today
Today is a tough day because I should be running the marathon today!
And it would be my mother's 99th birthday, so I had planned to take a tiny bit of her ashes with me on the race. However she of anyone I know would understand and cope well with this change. I come from a family with a dad who was a pilot and a race car driver, so life changed quickly - we even had a family hand signal meaning " the plans have changed" - and my mother was the most serene and adaptable person I ever knew. I don't have her serenity but I can adapt fairly quickly - that was certainly been tested last week!
Instead of running a marathon today I hope to walk 4-5 miles and see how the foot and hamstring handle that. Planning to do a long-ish ( maybe 16 miles?) run Saturday morning to really test everything. I feel some panic at being ready for the marathon and dealing with my injuries, with almost 3 weeks still until the race.
I usually don't feel my age but my body seems to be feeling more than my age lately!
And it would be my mother's 99th birthday, so I had planned to take a tiny bit of her ashes with me on the race. However she of anyone I know would understand and cope well with this change. I come from a family with a dad who was a pilot and a race car driver, so life changed quickly - we even had a family hand signal meaning " the plans have changed" - and my mother was the most serene and adaptable person I ever knew. I don't have her serenity but I can adapt fairly quickly - that was certainly been tested last week!
Instead of running a marathon today I hope to walk 4-5 miles and see how the foot and hamstring handle that. Planning to do a long-ish ( maybe 16 miles?) run Saturday morning to really test everything. I feel some panic at being ready for the marathon and dealing with my injuries, with almost 3 weeks still until the race.
I usually don't feel my age but my body seems to be feeling more than my age lately!
Tuesday + Wednesday
I went to sports med Tuesday morning and was diagnosed with inflamed piriformis and strained hamstring. No wonder it hurts to sit down! Mike said the only thing I should be doing right now is swimming, which is easy to say but much harder to find a time, location, etc. Delta Township has a pool so I am looking into options for swimming, but meanwhile I walked with my buddies, and did 3.5 miles of very easy walking. My butt felt better after walking but when I had to step over a snowbank that hurt.
He also suggested compression shorts/tights so I have been searching for those, found some that might work but I will try them today and see how it goes.
Wednesday I went to my foot doc and because I was better able to pinpoint the pain ( after paying close attention on Sunday when my foot started hurting - the things we do to distract ourselves during a long run...) he tried another cortisone shot in my foot. That is NOT a fun process so I hope it helps.
The best news on Wednesday was that my wonderful physical therapist Kelly had a cancellation so I was able to get in to see her. She worked me over almost literally from head to toe. At one point she knew she was hurting me and said she had to do that because we had a small window of time to get me back on the trail - tough love I guess - but I definitely felt better after 40 minutes of being pummeled!
He also suggested compression shorts/tights so I have been searching for those, found some that might work but I will try them today and see how it goes.
Wednesday I went to my foot doc and because I was better able to pinpoint the pain ( after paying close attention on Sunday when my foot started hurting - the things we do to distract ourselves during a long run...) he tried another cortisone shot in my foot. That is NOT a fun process so I hope it helps.
The best news on Wednesday was that my wonderful physical therapist Kelly had a cancellation so I was able to get in to see her. She worked me over almost literally from head to toe. At one point she knew she was hurting me and said she had to do that because we had a small window of time to get me back on the trail - tough love I guess - but I definitely felt better after 40 minutes of being pummeled!
Monday, March 4, 2013
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Best laid plans, continued
Chilly (20 degrees) but pretty morning and I was excited to try some longer miles than the 5 or so at a time I have done lately. Parts of the trail were good as long as I was on the trails cleared by the county - thank you Ingham County Parks!
My butt hurt constantly which was annoying and then at about 7 miles my foot really started hurting. Going up hills hurt my butt even more so I only did one round at the cemetery then headed to Hawk Island Park.
Nature note for the day: I saw an actual blue bird at Hawk Island- I have never seen one in person before but it flew right in front of me and landed in a tree close by. They are a startlingly bright blue and even prettier against the background of snow. Love those distractions!
By the end of 12 miles I was trying hard not to limp with my sore right foot and trying hard not to change my gait due to my sore left butt. I wasn't really tired but I was really tired of the pain.
I am afraid of the damage I am doing to my foot, and just not sure what to do going forward.
My butt hurt constantly which was annoying and then at about 7 miles my foot really started hurting. Going up hills hurt my butt even more so I only did one round at the cemetery then headed to Hawk Island Park.
Nature note for the day: I saw an actual blue bird at Hawk Island- I have never seen one in person before but it flew right in front of me and landed in a tree close by. They are a startlingly bright blue and even prettier against the background of snow. Love those distractions!
By the end of 12 miles I was trying hard not to limp with my sore right foot and trying hard not to change my gait due to my sore left butt. I wasn't really tired but I was really tired of the pain.
I am afraid of the damage I am doing to my foot, and just not sure what to do going forward.
What to do with the extra three weeks
I have been trying to figure out how to train during this weird 3 week period before I leave. Having done my last long run 2 weeks ago I obviously can't go another 3-4 weeks with no long runs, but I also don't want to damage my foot any more.
Came up with a plan to do increasingly long runs over the next 3 weekends, starting with 10 or 12 miles this weekend, and then maybe 16 - 18 the following weekend, and a last long run of 20 - 22 the last weekend before I leave.
That assumes my foot has recovered a bit in the last two weeks and my butt doesn't hurt too much.
Best laid plans....
Came up with a plan to do increasingly long runs over the next 3 weekends, starting with 10 or 12 miles this weekend, and then maybe 16 - 18 the following weekend, and a last long run of 20 - 22 the last weekend before I leave.
That assumes my foot has recovered a bit in the last two weeks and my butt doesn't hurt too much.
Best laid plans....
Intervals feel so good!
Thursday we walked 2 miles then did intervals. This time we had a better sense of how hard to run in the 30 seconds but the time seemed to last longer than before! I didn't go full out at first and then found my pace. We did 9 intervals and I didn't really feel tired until the last one.
It felt SO good to just run hard, if only for 30 seconds. I have missed that feeling since I mostly do long slow runs. However during the intervals I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my butt - literally. Of course it didn't stop me from finishing the intervals.
When I got home my husband joked that now I had another pain in the butt besides him!
That great feeling of being tired because you ran hard is addicting, and it's what gets a lot of runners in trouble with injuries being ignored.
It felt SO good to just run hard, if only for 30 seconds. I have missed that feeling since I mostly do long slow runs. However during the intervals I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my butt - literally. Of course it didn't stop me from finishing the intervals.
When I got home my husband joked that now I had another pain in the butt besides him!
That great feeling of being tired because you ran hard is addicting, and it's what gets a lot of runners in trouble with injuries being ignored.
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