Slow Close to 2017, Part 2

Monday
Planned: nada
Did: stretched hamstring, but, basically nada
Had the best Christmas ever with my family. <3 

Tuesday
Planned:10KTuesday
Did: 6.32 @ 9:39/mi avg
After completing 6mi on Sunday, I decided I felt ready to attempt a full 10KTuesday. Did some glute activtation stuff pre-run and focused on using them the entire time. I think it worked because they were exhausted for the rest of the day... and I had no hamstring issues.

For the first half mile, I felt fine... and then I was ready to be done. Literally, if I didn't have B&B with me, I'd have considered stopping, turning around, and walking home. But, thanks to them (and the almighty hashtag), I pushed on, telling myself "just get to the 2mi mark-- you did that last week", then "just get to the halfway point". Took a quick breather at the halfway point, told B&B "we have GOT to slow down", and continued on home... and had enough left in the tank to want to "sprint" up The Hill. 

so much for slowing down... :/ 

Wednesday
Planned: 1mi run + bootcamp
Did: 1mi @ 9:08/mi + bootcamp, stretch session
Freezing rain coupled with a killer headache the night before = not getting up in time for the normal run before bootcamp. Instead, I managed to find time to do a quick mile on my treadmill (still one of our best family purchases to date) before jetting over to bootcamp.

5x through 45/15:

• modified pull-ups
• jump rope
• 53lb KB squats
• cross sit-ups
• mat sprints

then 3x through:

• 25 touchdowns
• 100 high knees
• 10 elephant walks
• 20 leg raise with hip lift

Definitely a solid workout. Hoping for some more weights/KB stuff tomorrow, though. 

Thursday
Planned: 1mi run + bootcamp
Did: 1.5mi @ 9:20/mi + bootcamp
Planned on a 1mi run, but forgot to turn around at the 0.5 marker. Felt good to get out and run, and I also finally felt like I could easily keep going for awhile at the end. Come January, I'll get back into mileage-building mode, and then we'll see if I can squeeze in some workouts before a February 5K. 

Bootcamp was awesome today. It was just B and I who showed up, so we got a semi-private training session... and it was kettlebell day!

Friday
Planned: 1mi 1.5 run + bootcamp
Did: 1.34 @ 9:25/mi + bootcamp
After Thursday's run, I planned on going a bit further today, but we ended up turning around a bit early due to other runners' sore legs ;) I'm really enjoying running regularly again, even if it's not much distance.

B and I had another semi-private bootcamp class, which was full of ab work! Awww, yeah. 

Saturday
Planned: 5-6mi
Did: 5.56mi @ 9:46/mi avg
It was 29 degrees when B, B, and I started our run in darkness. There's something awesome about getting up, getting out, and knowing you're going to run 5-6mi of hillaciousness. I love the badassery running has brought out of me; I'm the sort of person that leans into challenges now. I never did that before running. 

My right hamstring's still kind of funky. It doesn't hurt or ache any more or any differently when I run versus just standing/sitting around work all day, so I'm continuing to run, and continuing to focus on stretching and strengthening my glutes. Those steps took care of the same problem before mile training last summer, so I'm hoping for similar results this time around too. 

This was a hard run. It was cold, and my toes were freezing. I'm not used to hills (haven't run a single incline since mid-September beyond this week's single 10KTuesday), and we had a BEAST of one (see elevation map below). I had to slow our pace to feel like I could make it through the mileage, but we got to finish through some adorable "downtown/urban" streets that were all decorated for Christmas... and then grab coffee together. Great way to celebrate my first 20mi week in three months. :D 

. 


Sunday
Planned: rest
Did: stretching/yoga
It was too cold for Running Mamas to meet outside today. With a race on the schedule for tomorrow, I was happy to take an extra rest day and stretch instead. 

2017 in Review

Goals = Mostly Nailed

• full year of 2 x 30min strength sessions, either group classes, personal training, or DIY programs at home
• Well, this didn't work out quite as planned, but I'm still proud of what I accomplished. Strength training is, more or less, a regular thing for me now, after struggling through maintaining the habit for the better part of a year. 
• January: 4/4 weeks
• February: 3/4 weeks
• March: 2/4 weeks: promo rate ran out and we had a few weeks of trying to "DIY" before realizing that wasn't going to happen and paying for classes was worthwhile
• April: 3/4 weeks
• May: 4/4 weeks
• June: 3/4 weeks
• July: 3/4 weeks
• August and September: 0/8 weeks-- conscious decision to eliminate bootcamp in favor of smaller strength training bursts from the Miler Method plan... so, maybe count these as 50% accomplished? 
• October: 4/4 weeks, though I'm counting my PT sessions because they did all revolve around muscle strengthening and last at least 30min
• November: 3/4 weeks (darn you, Thanksgiving illness)
• December: 3/4 weeks (replaced strength workouts with hiking during Hawai'i week)
• Total Sessions for Year: 76 through Dec 13 (91 if you count PT)
• mile PR (was 6:33, Resolution Run 2015)
• crushed a 6:14 at Resolution Run sans training
• mentally choked out a 6:19 at West End in September, after six weeks of training with Coaches Nick and Sierra of milermethod.com
• break 23:00 in a 5K (was 23:33)
• crushed a 22:48 at Hearts & Soles after a few weeks of guidance from Coach Amy
• kind of gave up the 5K life after this in favor of besting my mile time
• run a race in just a sports bra and shorts
• nailed this at Braves, and did a few training runs too

#team

Other Accomplishments I'm Proud Of:

• Completing a mile training plan, which was the hardest I've ever pushed myself
• Cross-training my way through the PF tear, which required a LOT of effort and mental strength to find ways of fitting in unconventional (for me) exercise and conquering my fears of the pool to get swimming
• Captaining my relay team with a smile on my face from the van while in a walking boot (I saved the crying and "woe is me" for the comfort of my home, where I could cuddle with my 3' tall stuffed penguin, Harvey, and my cats)
• Still hitting over 1000mi for the year, despite being out of the game for over three months
• Strengthening my running groups, the Running Mamas and #10KTuesday 

By the Numbers

• 1050.64 miles run 
• 160 hours and 51 minutes spent running
• 9:11/mi average pace for the year 
• 107 days were affected by injury or illness (that's like 30% of the year)
• 4 injuries: calf knot, hamstring something-or-other, weak glute complications, and a partial plantar fascia tear
• 3 new PRs (mile, 5K, half)
• one stroller gender win
• no AG awards that I can remember (pretty cool that just winning ONE was a goal of mine a few years ago, and now I'm like "oh, it's not even a big enough deal to stick out in my mind") 

Peachtree 2017: the largest #10KTuesday ever

Looking to Next Year, Goals

• Resume logging food/nutrition intake: I did this pretty successfully for a few years and found that it forced me to really think about what I ate before eating it. I'm hoping this will lead me to eating better (and toning up a bit) in 2018. 
• Continue regular strength training (bootcamp 1-2x week)
• Make a habit of spending at least 5min stretching after each run (seriously, I'm over 30, this needs to be a thing)
• Compete with the Masters Track and Field team (first indoor meet scheduled for Feb, then hopefully going to nationals in Maryland in March)
• Continue the 1000mi/year streak

There's an obvious exclusion from the list above: any sort of speed/race goal. After three months off with the PF tear, I'm just starting to get back to a regular running schedule. I don't know how long it'll take me to get back to consistent 30mpw again, and, until I'm doing that, and comfortable doing any sort of speedwork, there's no point setting race-related goals. 

Slow Close to 2017, Part 1

Monday
Planned: 1mi + bootcamp
Did: 20min weights, stretching
Bootcamp instructor was stuck out of state due to airport closures, so I scrapped my morning workout plans the night before. Turns out to be a good thing. I'm still sick because my body slept all 9.5 hours. Plus, I woke up with some high hamstring issues in my right leg (similar to what I had back in July/August before mile training). Greeeeeeat.  

Did some hammy PT and strengthening during the day and in the evening. I can do back planks + leg raises without trouble, so I think I'm in much better shape than I was this summer. Hoping that this is just dusting off the cobwebs and not anything that will linger too long... 

Also did some upper body/arm weight lifting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfXElXtcOqs


Tuesday
Planned: 4mi easy
Did: 4.03mi @ 9:31/mi with 10KT, 2.5mi walk to/from sports massage, Yoga Ham Stretch
Rough night of limited sleep thanks to the kid and the cats. Had some residual hamstring aching, but decided to run with a brace anyways since it wasn't painful. Cardio is shot, and I found myself breathing hard and struggling to keep pace with the crew (and I wasn't even talking). Planned for a 4mi max, and was grateful to turn around at the 2mi mark.

Celebrated the holidays afterwards with decorations and hot chocolate.

Had a dull ache in hamstring at glute for the rest of the day. Walked to/from sports massage and the train to earn my #10KTuesday hashtag. Finished the night off with some much-needed stretching, and was able to sleep through the night without much glute/ham aching.  



Wednesday
Planned: 1mi + bootcamp, yoga for hamstrings
Did: 1.05 @ 9:23/mi, bootcamp (incld 0.5mi @ 7ish/mi), Yoga Ham Stretch
OMG, guys. Stretching works. I woke up with no aching in my hamstring (the last two mornings, it ached before I even moved). Was able to do an easy run, and bootcamp as prescribed, which included about a half mile of running... which I did pretty fast :) 

Feeling optimistic. Still made sure to include 30min of stretching in my day.

lots of exercises, but only had to do each of them twice!

Running after jacknife crunches = touuuuuugh

Thursday
Planned: swim? yoga? something cross-training-y
Did: MotionStretch, 10min abs
Planned on swimming, but it's so hard to get to the pool in the middle of the work day, so it didn't happen. Instead, I took advantage of a free stretch session at Motion Stretch Studio. I liked it and think it could be a good replacement sports massage for a lot of things (it's a bit more economical too, but more difficult to get to... we'll see what wins out). 

Did a quick 10min of various core exercises while watching a little Jeopardy with my husband. Called it solid. 



Friday
Planned: 1mi + bootcamp
Did: 1.25mi @ 9:25/mi + bootcamp (total running for the day = 2.42mi @ 8:37/mi avg)
This morning's run went so well that I didn't even realize we'd gone beyond the 1/2mi mark until we were well past it! Yesss, I'm finally getting some stamina back. 

Bootcamp seemed easy at first glance, but ended up being a challenge due to the longer time periods and the running mixed in with leg and core work. Still loving it!

5x 60s work/10s rest:

• 20" box step-ups (30s each leg) perfect for glute activation!
• bar push-ups (30s)/mountain climbers (30s)
• jump rope
• straight leg raise with hip lift/cross punch sit-ups (alt each round)
• ~0.2mi run

Saturday
Planned: 4-5mi
Did: ~2mi zoo walk, hamstring /gutestretching
Swapped Sat and Sun. Got some good steps with a few outings and a trip to the zoo. 


Sunday
Planned: rest
Did: 4mi @ 9:38/mi avg + 2mi run/walk @ 11:24/mi avg
Running Mamas are back in action, with a new member. I got in a solid 4 with B (and felt very happy to finish), but then found run/walk-ing and additional two miles with our new mama to be super easy. There's hope for 10KTuesday next week :)  Still having some ham issues, but very mild. 

Easing Back In

Monday
Did: nada
Slept for like 15 hours... after getting a full night's sleep. Ugh. Sick. AGAIN.


Tuesday
Did: nada
More sleep. More sick.


Wednesday
Planned: 30min at-home weights, 1mi stroller run
Did: 38min at-home weights and abs, 1.1mi w/stroller @ 9:26/mi avg
Not impressed with today's chosen YouTube videos: weights and abs. I'm starting to identify things I want in a workout video/instructor and things I don't.

Things I want (interestingly enough, this is exactly what I get from our bootcamp instructor, and probably why I keep coming back):

• known number of reps/time for each exercise so I can gauge my effort
• known exercises and adequate time to determine/change dumbbell weights (bonus points if they provide recommended weight sizes)
• quick form tips at the beginning of each exercise
• available modifications for exercises

Things I don't want:

• silly girly grunts and "oh man, that was hard. are you feeling it?" encouragement
• instructors who dress for show, not for a workout-- seriously, I don't need to see anyone's cleavage
• videos with poor form (especially things I can spot myself, since I'm not very skilled with this stuff)
• instructors who use momentum to lift their weights instead of their muscles 

It took me awhile to find a good YouTube yoga instructor, but I've been really pleased with Adriene. If you've got any recommendations for 30min YouTube fitness instructors that meet the above criteria, hit me up! 

Also, ran my first stroller mile in... a really long time. 3 months? SO happy to have been able to get a run in AND share it with my little potato. So NOT happy that I'm having to return to running in 30-40 degree temps. Things were cold, and this was the hardest mile I've run in quite a while. :P Blerghity blergh. Still, better than nothing! 

I don't know who was happier to get back to stroller running :)

Thursday
Planned: 1.5mi run, bootcamp
Did: 1.5mi @ 9:16/mi avg, bootcamp
Setting a 4:30am alarm last night brought the biggest wave of giddiness along with it. While I wasn't excited about a "feels like" of 31 degrees or getting up early, I was incredibly pumped about finally getting to participate in the morning meet-up again. 

Run went GREAT, though my hamstrings were pretty sore from the YouTube workout yesterday. Followed it up with bootcamp and a day of pretty clean eating (woot!).

...and then 2x through: 20 jump squats, 100 high knees, 20 super planks and 20 kimura sit-ups

Friday
Planned: bootcamp
Did: 30min weights and abs
Holy DOMS. My hamstrings are D E A D. No bootcamp today. Instead, I did some lunchtime upperbody, thanks to a few pinterest searches:

All 3x10x10lb dumbbells UNO (had planned on upping the weights for more exercises, but was glad not to have done so, as I was pretty spent on my last rep of the third set)
bicep curls
shoulder press
tricep extensions (single 10lb-- could probably have gone heavier)
bent over rows
bent over raises
pulls
chest press (20lb weights)
chest fly
pullover

3x10 push-ups
2x: 30s of crunches, straight leg raises, plank, mountain climbers (abs are feeling the last two days!)


Saturday
Planned: 5K stroller run
Did: 3.03mi run @ 9:25/mi avg
It was too cold for a stroller run (27 degrees!), so I went sans stroller to meet the girls for my first real run back. I'm glad I didn't try to go any longer. A 5K was plenty today. 

Sunday
Planned: 1mi run, 30min weights
Did: 1.19mi with stroller @ 9:13/mi 
Went to bed and woke up with a bit of lingering sickness, and ended up sleeping in again. Running Mamas was on hiatus this week (subbed a Saturday non-running meetup due to various races and other commitments), so it ended up being a family Sunday Runday at the river. Had a little calf soreness (from a couple nights in heels for holiday parties this week?), but it didn't affect my run at all-- probably just my body getting back into it. 

I'm still at a point where my cardio seems to control my runs. It's hard just running a mile these days, and I'm definitely not in shape for 10KTuesday yet. Hopefully I can resume that in 2018. 

Hawai'i Week! :D

Sooooo happy to be writing this from Hawai'i! :D This is our first true vacation (no marathons, no weddings, no obligations, more than just a weekend) in seven YEARS. With my PF tear, I have no real plans for this week, just get at least 10000 steps each day to stay active, and enjoy running easy for a little bit on Tuesday, Thursday, and then the 1mi "race" on Saturday. 


Monday
Did: a bit of walking, and a 1+ mile hike through Waimea Canyon
Not sure what I did on yesterday's 8mi hike of the Kalalau Trail, but my right calf is a little tight today :/ Wrapped it up in the ACE bandage and enjoyed the fact that today's activity was driving around the canyon where Jurassic Park was filmed. Did a short hike, and got the rest of my steps in with an evening walk

Kauai's Grand Canyon

Tuesday
Did: 10KTuesday... walking
This was supposed to be a comeback run. I'd planned on running a quarter mile each mile of the 10K, so that I'd wind up with just under 2mi run. Instead, I ended up running barely a mile, and cutting things super short because my calf seized up on me, and I'm pretty sure I have a strain. @#$%&!#.

Also, have I mentioned how much walking a 10K sucks?
This was another day where that silly little hashtag was my ONLY motivation for completing the distance.

Wednesday

Did: few miles of hiking through Volcanoes National Park My calf is now sore to touch, and I'm certain I've done something awful to it. At least I'm able to walk without any pain... Hiked through Volcanoes National Park with an ACE bandage on it, and enjoyed watching the sun set over an erupting volcano. 

climbing on lava

Thursday

Did: 4.25mi (ish) of kayaking, a little swimming, and few miles of walking

Kayaked for about two hours around a couple islands is the most calm, beautiful water I've ever seen. Being able to get a fun upper body workout in helped distract me from worrying about my calf. 

Ocean kayaking!

Friday
Did: 3.1mi in 30min on the elliptical, then an 8mi hike... and 30 flights of stairs
We hadn't planned on doing an 8mi hike when we set out, but that's what our jaunt from Waikiki to Diamond Head ended up being. We walked ~2.5mi from our lodgings to the park, hiked up to the top, took a few moments to look down on all of the switchbacks we'd just climbed up, and then headed back down. 

this picture (taken inside the crater) really doesn't make it look as cool as it is

Oh, and then, just as we were getting into bed for the evening, the fire alarm went off... and we had a very energized descent down 30 flights of stairs before being told everything was fine and that they were "working on the fire alarms"... at 7pm on a Friday. Totally legit, right? :P 

srsly? 

Saturday

Did: Kalakaua Merrie Mile in 7:26
and checked off State #15, Hawai'i

Sunday
Did: shoveled a snowy driveway, 10000 steps

we came home to this

Week-ending Thoughts:
This week has been a whirlwind of thoughts about my injuries, capped off with a better performance than I'd dreamt of at the Merrie Mile. I'm so grateful that my calf strain wasn't as bad as I'd feared, and that my foot held up so well through everything. I'm feeling strong and looking forward to building on this momentum to gradually get back to running consistently by the new year. 

Race Report: Kalakaua Merrie Mile

Previous PR: 6:14
Goal: complete distance without pain or tightness in any muscle
Result: achieved

Why:
This race was never intended as a goal race. When my husband and I found ourselves planning a vacation to Hawai'i, we decided to add a race to our itinerary for the sole purpose of crossing another state off of our lifetime goal of racing in all 50. Based on our timeframe and travel plans, only the Kalakaua Merrie Mile fit the bill. 


Pre-Race:
After a partial plantar fascia tear in late September, I spent ten weeks off the pavement. I only got cleared to run nine days before this race, which meant I had no ambitions whatsoever. Honestly, I wasn't even sure I'd be running the whole thing. During the week leading up to the race, I found myself plagued by some calf issues (thanks to some intense hiking in Kauai). The day before the race, I'd basically made my mind up to walk the entire thing.

We had a cool opportunity to meet my mile coaches, Nick and Sierra Willis, the day before the race. I'd used their Miler Method training program this past summer, and it was nice to meet them face to face, hang by the pool, and get to talk about -what else?- running. 

Nick getting announced before the elite race

Race Morning:
Things were surprisingly good this morning. After four mornings with an achy, sore-to-touch calf, I had NOTHING in either leg. I tested it out with some light stretching and calf raises, both of which had hurt earlier in the week-- nothing. Wary, but somewhat excited, I decided I would try to jog the mile, and, if ANYTHING felt the least bit off, would stop and walk immediately. I'd learned my lesson from trying to push through tightness before.

Jerry encouraged me to join him for a light warm-up. I was reticent to run at first, but then figured, if my calf is going to hurt, it might as well let me know right away so I can plan to walk the whole race instead of having to stop in the middle.

We did an easy 3/4mi run. No problems.

That was the longest I'd run since September. 


Corrals:
Nick and Sierra (who'd both done the race before) advised us it was a "very casual" race, and that we should be pretty aggressive about start line positioning, even though I'd told them I was taking it easy due to calf trouble. I did not heed their warning.

Though my bib allowed me to start with the sub-8 group, I had no intention of running that fast, and held myself back to the 8-10:00/mi group. This was really, really hard to do. I saw a hoard of people in PINEAPPLE hats with bibs that indicated 12+ min mile times ahead of me, starting in the sub-8 group. I saw people who were decidedly NOT in sub-8 min shape starting with that group. Still, I'm a firm believer in accurate self-seeding. I can't change what other people do, but I can make sure that I'm not part of the problem. 

Race
I started off at an easy jog, with the 8-10min/mi wave, thinking I'd be around a 9:30. I didn't look at my watch at all, just ran "easy", making a point of keeping my strides pretty short to put less load on my calves. I got pretty frustrated to be stuck behind a pod of walkers and joggers who weren't going anywhere NEAR a 10min/mi, but reminded myself that I wasn't going for time, and that being stuck behind these people was probably a good thing, since it was forcing me to slow down. 

Since the course is out and back, I was able to cheer for Jerry and Sierra as they circled back to the finish line, which was awesome. I felt pretty good at the halfway point, and decided to push a little harder... and almost ran into a couple who were literally stopped in the MIDDLE OF THE LANE, with the woman facing oncoming runners and smiling while her husband/boyfriend/whatever took a picture of her. Yes, they had bibs on. "Casual" didn't begin to describe this race...

I peaked at my watch to see how much further I had to go. I was a little over 0.7... and clocking a 7:XX/mi pace. WHAT? HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? I'm sure I had the stupidest grin  on my face for the rest of the race. Regardless of my pace, I was running. I could have been running a 12min mile and I would have been just as happy. After almost three months off, and then a week where I went from thinking I could maybe run this to thinking "OMG, I'm not going to run again for another month" to being there in the moment, knowing I was finally on the upswing... it was just perfect. 

I closed a bit faster in the last tenth of a mile and finished in -SHOCKER- 7:26. 

It only took me about a minute to catch up with the people who shouldn't have been in Wave 1 :P

That was the first mile I've run (at full bodyweight) in a single session since my injury. Thank you, cross-training. Thank you, support group of running friends. Thank you, PT. Thank you, body, for healing up the way you were supposed to.

Oh, and Jerry ran a sub-6... with no training....  NBD, right? :P 

This race was everything I wanted it to be and more. I have my confidence back, and, more than that, these injuries have reminded me just how lucky I am to have my health. I am so fortunate for the ability to do what I do, and will return to training with a grateful heart. 

Plantar Fascia Tear: Week 10

Week Beginning Thoughts: 
I want things to be normal again. I feel like we're constantly either sick, dealing with a work overload, traveling, or fitting random miscellaneous things into our mornings, evenings, or weekends. Whenever this has happened before, I've been able to rely on my training schedule for some stability, but this injury has thrown that out of wack. Here's hoping for good news at the doctor's on Thursday. I'm ready to move on to the next phase of recovery.

Still, checking out my training log, I'm really proud of everything I have done. It would have been so easy to say "whelp, I'm injured" and just sit the fit life out for a few months. Instead, despite the fact that I've been unable to run since September 26th, I managed to log a TON of workouts, including 42 miles on the Alter-G treadmill. 

This is what perseverance looks like.

Monday
Planned: 30min Alter-G
Did: 4.06mi in 30min @ 85% bodyweight
Was hoping to add bootcamp or swimming to this in the morning, but went to bed sick early last night and didn't bother to set an alarm. Still had a lingering headache all morning (probably dehydration + not really eating anything but saltines), but made it over for my 30min Alter-G session at lunch. Run went well. I ran at 85% bodyweight and, for the first time, felt a need to slow my Alter-G pace, though I'm unsure if that's because I'm recovering from illness or because I'm forcing myself to carry more of my own weight. 

Also, I've successfully hit 1000mi for the year (something I worried I wouldn't be able to do after my injury in September). 


Tuesday
Planned: bootcamp, 10KTuesday on Alter-G
Did: bootcamp, 6.23mi in 46:54 on Alter-G @ 75% bodyweight

I really like lifting days at bootcamp. I feel strong and capable, because I don't have to modify any of the exercises to suit my injury. Plus, our instructor is the perfect blend of encouraging/supportive and challenging. Starting my day off with his bootcamp always puts me in a great mood. 

1, 2: 18lb
4, 5, 6, 7, 8: 26lb
10, 11, 12: 35lb

dem lunges... brutal!

I followed up bootcamp with several hours of work, and then a session on the anti-gravity treadmill mid-morning. I've gotten used to the feeling of breaking up my work day, and it's much easier when things are busy, but not insanely busy. I feel comfortable going into ATC, setting up the Alter-G for myself, and have a "routine" of sorts of keep me occupied. 

The first mile always flies by, and then, just like the Chicago Marathon last year, I find myself counting down the miles, one by one, until my time (or, in today's case, mileage) is up. Running on the Alter-G isn't really enjoyable, but I pass the time by listening to audiobooks (since I can't set my iPad up on the dashboard because it falls too easily... and, when it falls, the emergency stop falls with it, completely derailing my workout). I realized today that what I really wanted was a friend to talk to while I ran. I've been able to keep up relationships with emails and message apps, but I miss just talking to people. 


Wednesday
Planned: 30min Alter-G
Did: nada

Late night at the Lady Gaga concert with my dad (that's right; my dad's cooler than your dad) = no early morning workout. 

Going on vacation = need to compress work = skipped taking two hours of our my day for an Alter-G run. 

Thursday
Planned: 1000m swim, PT
Did: 10min @ 8mph @ 90% bodyweight on Alter-G, PT
PT reiterated that he would have cleared me about three weeks ago at this morning's appointment, and said he didn't expect to see me back again (since I have a doctor appt this afternoon). He had me run through the bulk of my typical exercises, some at increased difficulty, and noted that, "once you're at 85-90% bodyweight on the Alter-G, you're basically running for real". 

Other comments/feedback I got from him:
-a VERY confident "you won't have any problems with this foot again"
-a VERY confident "you're fine", with a note to "ease back into running", but acknowledgement that I'd already been doing ~15mpw with the Alter-G, which will help tremendously

When I saw the doctor, he essentially agreed, so I'm officially moving on to the next phase of recovery-- a self-guided return to running training plan. 

Based on the info I've gleaned from the doctor, my PT, hours of internet research and medical journal reviews, and talking to a former pro runner friend who had a full PF tear, I'll be moving forward with:

• no plans for any goal races or true training plans in the foreseeable future
• limiting runs to every other day, at a max
• icing for 10min post-run
• going through my PF/calf stretch sequence from PT before each run
• staring with a few 1mi runs, then 1 and 2mi runs, then 1, 2, and 3mi runs, until I'm comfortable with (3) - 3mi runs per week
• no speedwork/workouts in foreseeable future

Friday
Planned: bootcamp
Did: run/walk intervals for 1mi and bootcamp-- total running = 0.98mi @ 10:30/mi
OMG OMG OMG OMG. I cannot even begin to explain how amazing it was to be back running with my friends <3 

a picture is worth a thousand words

Something that was really cool is that our bootcamp instructor, obviously, is aware of my injury. When he saw me getting out of my car and putting on my running vest this morning, he came outside, smiled at me, and waved us off. 

I'd been hoping for another kettlebell workout, but ended up with a circuit (which was enjoyable). It's been forever since B and I have been at bootcamp together! 

3x through:

1) 15lb dumbbell curls to OH press

2) leg raise/toe touches

3) single-leg squats

4) ab wheel roll-outs (uggggghhhh)

5) mat sprints push-ups (not quite ready to go from 0 to 60 on the return to activity front)

6) jump rope (I did this, but at about 50% effort)

7) suspended kneeling tricep extension

8) side step-up with hop on 24" box

and then

my loop runs were more like "loop jogs", but still felt great to get outside :D 

While I felt totally fine during all activity, my right (injured) plantar fascia swelled up a but and had a light ache for the rest of the day. This was SUPER discouraging. Ugh.
Sat/Sun:
Planned: 10000 step min
Did: 10000 step min
An on-the-go weekend kept me from scheduling anything "real", but I logged over 10000 steps each day thanks to a combination of diligent walking, some "hiking", and general existence... Though I had some left calf soreness on Saturday (maybe from single leg squats?), it didn't keep me from doing anything. 


Week-ending Thoughts:
I'm so inspired and excited by taking this next step towards recovery, and am so grateful for the little bit of additional freedom I have for activities. <3