Oh, look, another week with a foot injury

Week-beginning Thoughts:
The "Good Attitude" Bank has had way too many sizable withdrawals lately, and is starting to run low. For now, though, call me the Cross-training Queen.


Monday
Did: DIY bootcamp, 60min Peloton class
Considered going to bootcamp today, but bailed because: 1) I didn't want to have to modify anything/admit my injury to other people and 2) it was storming and I didn't feel like driving in it. That sounded like a pathetic excuse even in my own head, so I got up, went downstairs and made myself my own DIY bootcamp routine:

I got frustrated that I couldn't do push-ups without hurting my foot (bending it in that way is really the only thing that stresses it), but was pleased that I could do some slow high-knees and butt-kicks in place. 

Of course, only burning 100 calories wasn't going to be enough to get me through the day. I planned on taking a quick evening break at work to trudge through an hour on the elliptical, but got the BEST surprise ever when I walked into the office gym: PELOTON BIKES!!!!

I've seen ads for Peloton on ESPN. Basically, it's on-demand spin classes. Your bike is hooked into the interwebs and you can virtually attend live classes or "participate" in pre-recorded ones. This was EXACTLY what I needed to motivate myself tonight. I felt so incredibly strong for pushing through the intervals, making myself sweat, and getting something done despite my current situation. 

Thanks, Peloton leader Matt!

Tuesday
Did: 2mi walk, 45min Peloton class
I made it out the door to join the 10KTuesday crowd, planning on getting a little normalcy/social time in before I walked 20-30min. They even walked the first quarter mile with me. <3 I wore "normal" shoes (not my usual VFFs) because keeping my heel elevated limits the flexion of my foot, which feels MUCH better on my injury. They were weird. I don't wear normal shoes ever. I'm either in flip-flops, work shoes, Ugg boots, or Vibrams. 

I did a couple short bouts (<50') of "running", just to see how much and where the discomfort was. If I change my gait a bit and run without rolling through, it's almost okay... but wearing normal shoes is beyond weird. I felt like I was running on layers of rubber instead of pavement (owait, I was), and my feet felt like I had a sock wrapped around them at the arch. Overall, just an odd sensation. But, I was glad that I could "run" a bit. Looking forward to what the doc says on Thursday. 

Did another Peloton class at the gym over lunch. It's amazing how much these things can vary. Monday was a "power ride", which was all about endurance. Today was more intervals and worked in some arms. I didn't enjoy it as much. 

Also, today's instructor was a weird cross between Ross from Friends and Derek Zoolander.

Wednesday
Did: bootcamp
Every time I take a break from bootcamp, it's hard to go back. It's just SO much more convenient to stay at home, not have to drive, not have to conform to anyone else's schedule, etc. 

...but, every time I go, I love seeing our instructor, classmates, and not having to think about what to do, how long to do it for, etc. Plus, I'll never stop mid-workout when I'm at class, but I'll totally bail out at home. :P

Quick circuit today. Loved the shorter work period. Had to modify a couple things because I couldn't do them with my foot, but, overall felt good to get out and be with people.  

Thursday
Did: 2mi treadmill walk, doc appt, 2mi treadmill walk
Doc appt confirmed that this foot thing is just a minor muscle issue and will resolve within a few days. I got what I wanted/needed out of it, and am glad for the reassurance. 

Got in four miles of walking to "do something" today. Foot it literally feeling tons better each day. I'm starting to believe I could run SIngleton if I wanted. 


Friday
Did: 60min Peloton, 1mi run @ 9:07/mi, 0.62mi walk
Seriously considered bootcamp, but opted to stay home in the morning in case little one was still sick. Also, didn't feel like getting up. :P

Instead, I spun through yet another Peloton class. I'm gravitating towards the endurance/power classes, and really enjoyed Alex as an instructor today. Lots of sweat. Lots of awesome. 

Oh, and I tested my foot out on the treadmill! Was able to do a pain-free mile without too much trouble. Still, after considering my options, I decide NOT to bother doing Singleton tomorrow. Without a goal, there's no point to just running four miles unless it's with friends, and none of my training partners were doing the race. 



Saturday
Did: 3.1ish mi run with stroller @ 10:14/mi avg, baby shower, housework
Met up with B for a super easy 3ish miles with the stroller before Singleton. Felt a bit harder than I expected, but my foot wasn't the limiting factor. I think part of it was trying to navigate tricky sidewalks with a stroller, and part of it was just the normal "getting back to running after time off" struggles. Had some soreness in my right hip afterwards-- probably something stressed by cycling and aggravated by returning to running. Not a big deal, but just more aches and pains of the athletic life. 

Cheered in some friends who were running the race, and then spent the rest of the day hosting a baby shower and running around cleaning the house/adulting.

Sunday
Did: 4.54mi w/stroller @ 9:41/mi avg, Big 5, ~2mi walk with stroller... chalked up a teammate's driveway to celebrate her BQ!!! 
I'd wanted to run 8 today, but my husband dutifully told me that was a complete dumbass (not badass) move. While I've kept up my cardio with the bike, I still have a recently-healed, vulnerable foot that wouldn't appreciate me pounding it into the ground for over an hour. Opted for 4-5 run and 1-2mi walk with the stroller, and my cardio was glad for it. 

#team

Total Weekly Mileage:
8.71mi (run), 48.27mi (bike), ~8mi (walk)


Week-ending Thoughts:
It never ceases to amaze me how, once an injury heals, my mind snaps back into shape and wonders why I was ever bothered in the first place by being off for "such a short period". When you're in the thick of an injury, it's hard to see past it. Every day, you're reminded that you can't do what you want to do, and you see your friends and teammates getting stronger and faster, or, at the very least, getting OUT there... while you can't. You miss the training, but, more than that, you miss the camaraderie. 

It's easy to forget that the same people you see succeeding while you're sidelined have ALSO been sidelined before. They came back from it. You will too. And all of this time off will just be memory. 

Training for Something: Week 1... NOT

Week-beginning Thoughts:
I'm ready to train for something, but it's hard to plan when you have no idea what the next few months will bring, and can't really afford to put your whole life on hold to truly commit to something. 

I've volunteered (or more been "volun-told", since I'm supposedly the most qualified/available) to lead a pretty big project, but it's start date isn't solid. It could start next month or it could start next year, but whenever it starts, I'm pretty much locked into it for at least a year, which means no major training efforts during that time. 

So, I've narrowed down my options to:

1. The Grand Prix mile at All-Comers on May 8 (three weeks from today)
2. Peachtree on July 4

The mile gives me a short burn, and less "risk" of training getting interrupted by project duties.... but the race is at 7:30pm (not ideal for me) on a weekday, and I only have three weeks for a short mini-training cycle. Peachtree is a longer cycle, but, huge project could potentially start up in the three months between now and then. But, if the project is still on hold in July and I don't train for it, I'll be kicking myself. 

Ugh. 

So, I've decided to do a few good workouts this week that could apply to either program, including an indicator run on Thursday to get a good, solid measure of where I'm at right now. And then we'll go from there. 

Monday

Planned: 2mi, bootcamp

DId: 2mi @ 9:44/mi avg in 20mph headwinds, Big 5, bootcamp

It's April in Atlanta, and today's "feels like" was 31... with 20mph winds. Oof. Slow run, but got it done.

Bootcamp was a toughie. I found myself struggling to keep form without resting during the work period on a lot of these, and made a few modifications. 

Tuesday

Planned: 10KTuesday, ONB

Did: 6.32mi @ 9:06/mi avg, more like a pseudo-tempo run, Big 5

Of course it would be freezing two days AFTER I put all my winter running clothes away for the season. 

feels like 29 degrees?!?!

Ugh. Nixed today's ONB plan when I saw the weather, but ended up doing a pretty quick pace anyways. We had a 9:45/mi to start, a 9:10 for Mile 2, and then dropped into the 8s for the rest of the run. Not the ONB I'd planned, but I'll consider this a win. 10 of my last 14 runs have been around or under a 9min/mi, which is pretty out of the ordinary for me. I'm usually a 9:15-45 runner at best, so all of these runs that have been in the 8s is pretty exciting. 

Within the first mile of our run, I stepped on something in the sidewalk. I don't remember what it was, maybe a rock? Maybe some random stick or other debris? My foot just kind of bent on/around/over it, and I kept on running without incident. I didn't think about it again until we were a bit quite on the back half of the run and then I felt a little strain. Probably nothing? 

...

Nope. Definitely something. It's felt a little funky all day, so I'm resting and trying to massage out whatever weird cramp is there. Blergh.


Wednesday
Planned: rest day
Did: rest day
This was the hardest day I've had in awhile. I'm irritable, cranky, and a total terror when I'm not running... and this is only day 1. Ugh. Tomorrow is NOT going to be a good time to do the indicator run.

It's really hard to text your training buddies and say "I'm out for tomorrow", but I did it anyways. I hate missing a run. I hate missing my social hour. I hate not being there for my teammates. I hate acknowledging and admitting there's something wrong with me. I hate that I know it's wrong to say "it's just a bruise" or "it's just a mild strain", I ran through 10KT so surely I can run on it again tomorrow, even if it's uncomfortable. I hate that running isn't always "mind over matter". I hate that, sometimes, the best (and the right) choice is to take a day off from running. 

I realized that if I can only do one run in the next seven days, I don't want it to be the indicator run. I want it to be my Saturday stroller long run. I haven't gotten to do that with my kiddo since September due to weather and injury. My best chance of making that happen requires me to take, at the very least, tomorrow off from running too, so that's what I'll do, and I'll hope for the best. 

Google says this is probably a "stone bruise"-- a deep bruise from stepping on something-- or a mild strain. I can identify a specific spot that it "hurts" to push on, so that tells me it's a bruise. I can dorsal flex and plantar flex and pronate/supinate my foot without problems, so that tells me it's not serious. I can bear weight, which also tells me it's not serious.  The only thing that causes "pain" is "rolling through" on my foot when bearing weight. I really wish I had the right type of medical professional to ask what this was, without making an appointment for a week+ from now that'll cost me $120 and 2-3 hours of my time. Like, really, why can't I pay someone $20 for 10min of their time via videochat? :P



Thursday
Planned: indicator run
Did: Chair Cardio, 20min Weights, 13.2mi bike @ 14.8mph
Woke up feeling like my foot was fine... until I started walking. It's not hurt, but I still notice it when I go to push off. Ugh. Enter Caroline Jordan and her Hurt Foot Workout videos. I swear, these things have been a lifesaver. 

I wanted some cardio, because I'm still on a calorie-counting diet and feel like, without burning extra calories, I'm INCREDIBLY limited on the quantity of food I can eat. So, I did her "chair cardio" workout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz0_ws7cjbI

It was... interesting. The exercises were kind of ridiculous, but did get my heartrate up, and, more than anything, I appreciated her constant mantra of "good for you, you can't do your activity of choice, but, instead of moping in the corner, you're moving the way you CAN today"... and her "refuse to quit" tank.

Instead of doing bootcamp, which might have had activities that stressed my foot, I did some weight lifting and core work at home. 

3x10x15lb: chest press, chest fly
3x10x10lb: bicep curls, tricep extension, shoulder press, rows and bent-over rows
3x20: kimura sit-ups each side, crunches, penguins

...and then I spent my lunch break riding my bike, because I can do that without any issue in my foot. I don't mind riding, but really wanted to be running instead. Oh well, at least i got something in.

but, hey, at least I have all the supplies and know-how to make driving my bike somewhere feasible these days

Friday
Planned: easy 2 + bootcamp 30min elliptical
Did: 30min yoga
Got a brief yoga session in in the morning, and then proceeded to get sick or something during the day and couldn't bear the thought of going to the gym. Just wanted to go home and pass out in bed.

Saturday
Planned: 12mi stroller run 12mi rollerblade with stroller Xmi bike ride with trailer
Did: 15.3mi bike @ 14.5mph (oof, them hills), 1mi walk with family
Foot is STILL feeling wonky. I don't know whether it's getting worse, getting better, or spreading because it's a muscle thing and it's moving around, or if the sensation is because I've been babying it for a few days and now it just feels weird to use it at all, or what. SO frustrating.

Wanted to push the stroller on rollerblades while B&B ran alongside me this morning... but couldn't find my rollerblades last night. Thought about biking with the trailer alongside them, but woke up feeling blurgh still and opted to not stress my body out. This "listen to your body" BS is harder than you'd think.

I don't feel sick anymore, but definitely have a cramp in my foot still. I'm pretty cranky about it. :/ 

Ended up doing a bike ride solo, just to get some sort of activity in. NOTHING I could do on the bike aggravated my foot, so that was promising. I'm really glad to have biking on the super-close-to-home greenway as an option for activity when I can't run, but it'll never be as much joy as running for me. 

...and watch that pace drop on the climb out of the greenway :P 

Did a short walk (~mile) with the family before dinner, and ended up with a very crampy foot when we got home. I took a chance and rolled the heck out of it with a lacrosse ball and my stick... and, much to my pleasure, it felt a TON better afterwards. Now I'm back to just having a slightly tight spot. Still can't run on it, but I'm able to feel confident that it's improving. 


Sunday
Planned 4-5mi with stroller
Did: 3.5mi stroller walk
It wasn't what I wanted, but I'm grateful that i was at least able to get a walk in with the kiddo this morning. Over the course of the hour, I went from feeling a tightness in my entire medial arch to just a spot near my heel, then just a spot on the top of my foot, then just a spot in the middle, then up near the ball... Basically, it was enough to convince me this isn't a break or anything "serious", but it is some sort of internal muscle issue. Yippeeskippy... these are the things that take FOREVER get over, with no set protocol for healing them or definite path back to health. :P 

On the bright side, I had a good reason to wear my "not running sucks" shirt? 

and, really, this view wasn't so bad... especially when accompanied by warm coffee
can't drink coffee while running, so it's a "perk" of being injured? :P
I'm seriously trying to look on the bright side. Like, a lot.

Total Miles: 8.38mi run (so sad), ~30mi biked, 5mi walked... and let's not forget that chair cardio



Week-ending Thoughts:

• This sucks. 

Marathon Musings

I've had such good runs and incredible confidence lately that, this morning, I was telling my training partner I kind of want to run a fall marathon. 

Then I watched the Boston Marathon on one monitor while working on my other one. Watching the athletes preserve through the formidable weather conditions and thinking about all the training that goes into a marathon made me long for the same sort of challenge. 

I like to do hard stuff. I like to push myself. I love how it feels when I break the chains. 

Today was the first time I've ever felt the desire to run Boston. 

Because today was the first day that I've ever believed that I could truly qualify. 

I can't do it now. But the idea of waiting until I hit 35 and then going for it seems somehow do-able. 

A 3:40 is an 8:23/mi pace. I'm not that far off. I've only just started training seriously in the past two years since having a baby. According to calculators everywhere on the interwebs, this is something I am capable of.

I don't want to do it now. I can't do it now. But I finally see myself as someone who COULD. I'm not just a runner. I'm a committed runner. I may not be elite fast, but I'm fast enough to train for a BQ someday. 

What a cool thing it is to finally see yourself as capable of something amazing. 

Reboot: Week 3

Week-beginning Thoughts:
1. I can't wait for summer track meets.
2. I really want a vacation where I just take a week off of work and get everything done around the house. 
3. My right IT band is definitely sore from foam rolling, but I think I've finally gotten the hang of this foam rolling thing because it's a good sore, I can run on it without any soreness/hurt/ache, and the knots I found Saturday night are gone.
4. It boggles my mind that, in order to earn a $200 "wellness initiative reward" from my health insurance company, I have to spend time talking to health counselors about the "next steps" for me to "get healthy", or waste my time doing online activities to learn about why I should shop the perimeter of the grocery store or eat out less. Um, hello. I don't eat out. I track everything I put into my body. I run six days a week. I strength train twice a week. I stretch. I get sufficient sleep. I have healthy metrics. I don't really need to change anything I'm doing. You should really be rewarding me for doing exactly what I'm doing... not having me sit through a 20min online webinar on "how to make goals" or "keeping an accountability journal". *eye roll*



Monday:
Did: 2mi @ 9:10/mi, Big 5, bootcamp with ~mile of running
Another 2am wake-up for the kiddo = I've been up since 2am. It would have been easy to bail on the run in favor of an attempt at more sleep, and I seriously considered it. The only thing that stopped me was that, the last time I missed a Monday workout, I lamented that decision for the rest of the day and half of the week. Better to get up tired and "deal with it". 

Had to run solo, but enjoyed the time to focus on form instead of conversation. Last week, on the treadmill, I had experimented with holding my arms out in front of me to watch how much I twist and found that I can control a bit of it if I consciously try to keep my arms steady, which forces me to engage my obliques. I did that a few times on this run and was definitely feeling it in my obliques by the end, so maybe that'll help? IDK. 

Not very thrilled with today's workout. Felt like a lot of the same exercises we did the one time I came last week, and I don't particularly enjoy any of them. 

The finisher (which I didn't snap a photo of) made up for it, though:
2x through: 30 touchdowns, 30 chest-to-ground push-ups (I did almost ALL of these on my knees-- oooof), 30 sit-ups

Definitely feeling those push-ups today, and it's only 3pm... 


Tuesday:
Did: 6.32mi ONB (30:03 out, 26:41 back), 
After a few weekends where I've been conversational on my teammate's 8:30/mi miles, I decided it was time to admit that I'm faster than I've been running and actually get back into some workouts. Today's goal was simple: run the first half easy, and the second half focused. No pace goals, just that the second half be faster than the first. 

well, that looks like more of a progression run than an ONB... 

Splits:
10:07
9:13
9:09

8:42
8:28
8:16

Good things:

• second half was definitely faster
• I was able to carry on full conversation during the back half, meaning this pace is definitely something I should be doing more regularly than I am

Things to improve:

• I suck at ONBs. They always end up being more like progression runs. I really need to work on keeping a consistent pace for the first half, and then stepping up to a faster, but consistent, pace for the back half. 
• doing Big 5 when it's cold outside and husband needs help with the kiddo...

in other news, this week was the third anniversary of #10KTuesday :D
#itsstillathing

Wednesday:
Did: 2mi @ 9:24/mi avg, Big 5, bootcamp
Right IT band trouble has expanded to my glute... man, I hate that everything is connected. I'll have to bring my foam roller when I travel this weekend, because there aren't any appointments at GSM or MotionStretch during my limited availability this week. I feel nothing when I run (or after) beyond a bit of tightness, but I also know this is the sort of thing that could turn nasty if not resolved. 

This workout was a LOT harder than it looked. Going from hand-release push-ups into side planks exhausted my arms. Going from sprints and burpees into flutter kicks killed my abs. 

...and then came the finisher.

I subbed mason twists for the loop runs, but still found this incredibly challenging. :P 


Finished the day with a LOT of pointed stretching, foam rolling, and sticking. 



Thursday:
Did: 10.11 @ 9:16/mi avg, Big 5
I'm out of town for work on Saturday, and wanted to get my LSD in with friends. B is the best training partner ever and met me at 4:15am to get miles in before work. We mentally tricked ourselves into thinking we were running less by tackling a 4mi loop and then rolling straight into the 10KTuesday route. We felt tired and sluggish on the 10KT route, but, mentally, it seemed like we were "only doing a 10K". 

Lots of stretching afterwards, and still done before 6am. 

...and those paces. WHAT?
You'd never know the back half of the run was harder than the front for us. 

Friday:
Did: 4.52mi run @ 9:06/mi avg, Big 5, 2.5mi walking
Traveling for work this week(end). Got in a nice solo run pre-dawn around campus, and probably went a bit faster than usual because it was just a liiiiiiiiittle creepy to be solo through some of the isolated, dark patches. 

Walked a ton to/from places and really enjoyed the pedestrian side of campus life. :) 

Bonus: whatever was going on with my IT band and glute has worked itself out. Hooray for effective sticking/foam-rolling!

Saturday:
Did: 1mi treadmill warm-up @ 9:03/mi, weights, 1mi walk
Didn't feel like going straight into weights this morning, so I did an easy mile on the hotel gym treadmill to wake up/warm up, and then went into lifting mode:

Set sets of:
15lb rows, overhead press x 12
10lb bicep curls x 10
15lb triceps extension x10
5lb x 10 kickbacks, 20,jackknives 
10lb Russian twist x 20, side plank with hip drop x 20
5lb arm runs x 1min, 10 donkey kick/fire hydrant
kimura sit-ups x 20, push-up x 10


Sunday:
Did: 4.34mi @ 8:38/mi avg, Big 5
Met up with one of my other running mama friends for some mid-afternoon miles... during some of the hardest rain of the entire day. Woo for friends. We ended up running quite a bit faster than planned thanks to conversation topics and rain adding to our adrenaline outputs... Oops? lol

We couldn't have waited an hour? lol

Total Weekly Mileage: 31.24mi run, probably like 5mi walked? 

Week-ending Thoughts:

• really love keeping solid 30 miles in a week and feeling like it's easy to do... especially when I think back to how, when I first started running, the idea of hitting 30 miles in a month was a lofty goal
• I feel like I'm ready to commit to a training plan. Just need to decide what my goal is going to be: a fast mile at All-Comers in a few weeks or Peachtree

Sweet, Sweet Achievement

At the beginning of the year, I embarked on a diet overhaul sort of thing with the loose goals of:

• get lighter --> get faster (approximately 10lbs would be a good goal per various "racing weight" calculators-- I don't do BMI since I'm much more muscular than the average person)
• fit into this adorable pair of polka dot shorts that I bought post-baby, wore for a season, and then couldn't fit into after going through marathon training and eating whatever I felt like
• look and feel better about myself (not that I felt bad before) 

I've already reaped most of the benefits of this diet overhaul (lighter, faster, feel better, fit into my shorts), and am so glad I stuck with it. Yesterday, though, I had my second weekly weigh-in at my goal weight of 135, which means it's not a fluke. I actually did it. I stayed mindful of what I was putting into my body, exercised and trained correctly, and kept my eye on the prize, prioritizing the delayed, long-term gains over instant gratification. 

Seeing that number on the scale and this glorious little rainbow on MyFItnessPal was the icing on the cake (though I don't like icing, so maybe it's more like the 1st place AG finish when you just set a new PR) makes me SO. FREAKING. PROUD. of myself. 

I DID IT! 

While the number is nice and results just what I was hoping for, what makes this so sweet is all of the effort and focus that went into it. If I'd have just woken up one day and instantly been where I am with my fitness, it wouldn't mean as much to me. Reflecting on the hours of planning, training, and cooking, and the seemingly inconsequential little choices that all added up to big changes makes this victory so incredibly meaningful. 

I did it the right way, the healthy way. 
I did it in a slow-and-steady way that I know I can maintain. 
I'm so proud of myself. :D

Reboot: Week 2

Week-beginning Thoughts:
Ugh. Sick. Ugh.



Monday
Did: 2.17mi @ 9:31/mi, Big 5, bootcamp (with another 4x)
I felt fine this morning when I got up and left the house. I felt fine on our run. I felt fine during bootcamp... until the last round, then I had some weird cramps that I attributed to "female stuff", but nothing that I couldn't work through.

...and then I got home, and couldn't get off the toilet. 

Enter a long day of alternating between being too hot and too cold, attempting to drink/eat ANYTHING (literally nothing sounded palatable), and drifting in and out of consciousness with Netflix in the background. I finally checked my temperature later in the afternoon, and discovered I was clearly sick: 99.8. 

More sleeping. More thermal regulation troubles. Finally some eating (plain brown rice and some whole grain saltines). Lots of ugh. 

Definitely no 10KT in the morning. 


Tuesday
Did: 10KTuesday, treadmill desk edition
Still feeling crappy, but slugged out 6.22mi between 7am and 4pm on my makeshift treadmill desk. I just want to some having these awful tummy cramps. 

Wednesday
Did: walk, 2mi run @ 8:44/mi avg, walk
Opted for a mid-day errand run  (literally). Dropped some library books off, and then continued for a light jog (at least that's how it felt) around midtown. Forgot to stretch :/ 

and got to run across the infamous "hex tile sidewalks"
ugh

Thursday
Did: 1.13mi WU, 2x400/400, core set, 2x400/400, 1mi CD = 4.27mi total(?) @ 8:48/mi avg... and then another 2mi @ 8:00/mi avg, Big 5
Did speedwork Thursday. Wasn't super feeling it, but wanted to get on the track anyways. Speeds sucked, but it wasn't about pace today- just getting out there. Did a consistent 1:40 for pretty much every repeat, with a short core set halfway through the workout. 

Opted out of stretching :/ This is a dangerous habit. 

Had a crap-tastic day of all sort of emotional/hormonal issues, and went out for a hard, cathartic (read: progression) run the moment I arrived home. It felt good to push. I couldn't think about anything beyond my footfalls and breathing. Just run. 

Friday
Did: 2.6mi walk, 3x800m runs
Still in a funk.  Couldn't get out of bed for my morning workout and opted to let my body sleep it off and try to recover. Half-planned on getting up and doing a strength workout before daycare drop-off. Half-planned on running after daycare dropoff. Neither happened. Walked on the treadmill desk a bit. Ran on the treadmill desk for a few 800s throughout the day. Generally blergh and more blergh.


Saturday
Did: 12.06mi @ 9:21/mi avg, Big 5, 1.87mi walk, foam rolling IT band
And we're back to "normal", or at least normal enough. Got up at 4-something for a 5am 12-miler with the girls, and had a good almost-two-hours of relaxation in the form of miles. Had a little right IT band stuff come up post-run, but am managed that with some foam rolling and diligent stretching. Speaking of "injuries", my left PF is basically gone now-- funny how something like that takes forever to just kind of fade away into nothing. 

only bad part of the run: undoing this rats' nest afterwards :P 

Did a few miles of walking with the fam in the afternoon, and then had a nice grown-up dinner double date with another couple runner friends who also eat "like me'. It was such a relief to not have to explain weird diet preferences, try to eat around things I didn't want, or just eat whatever is there (my usual option) and feel the sluggishness and other weird post-eating feelings that are such a rarity with this nutrition plan.

Sunday
Did: 4.82mi @ 8:33/mi avg, Big 5, ~3mi walk with 35lb backpack, 20min yoga, foam rolling IT band
Did NOT feel like getting up and running this morning, but had promised a teammate I'd pace her through some of her long run, so up and out I went. This morning was a "feels like" of 32, which meant tights, underarmour, gloves, and an earband... pretty odd considering I was in shorts and a singlet for yesterday's rainy LSD. I was glad to have met up with another of my teammate's pacers for a short warm-up before having to hop in at an 8:30. The first mile felt like a 7:10, though it was an 8:18. Who knows how bad it would have been if I hadn't warmed-up. :P 

Splits: 8:18, 8:32, 8:27. 8:10

We talked the whole way, and, while I wasn't comfortable, it certainly wasn't a tempo pace for me. I'm really glad my teammate included me in her "please help me run 16 miles at this pace" message, because I don't think I would have given myself enough credit to volunteer if she'd just made a mass request. Clearly, I'm underestimating myself. If I really want to train better, I need to start tempo runs again... :P

The only bad part of this run was that, as soon as my shift ended, Jerry's began, meaning we literally had a handoff of our kiddo as if he were a relay baton. I'd really wanted to do some sort of cool-down, but since kid wasn't in the running stroller when I stopped (at the playground instead), I had to settle for a couple tiny laps around the playground and a swingset-side Big 5. 

Not immediately after, but soon enough that I didn't get much of a break, we headed out for a 2-3mi walk around the zoo with the running mamas. I wore the kid in a backpack carrier, which meant I basically did 2-3mi of resistance training with a 35lb weight on my shoulders. Oof. 

This called for some serious leg love yoga during kid's naptime. :) 


Total Weekly Mileage: 26.82mi run (+13.22mi walked)

Week-ending Thoughts: Pleased with how the week ended, despite the physical and emotional distresses earlier in the week. Just trying to keep on keeping on. 

Reboot, Week 1

Week-beginning Thoughts:
I've had zero foot troubles for the past week, and am ready to re-introduce some sort of training workouts into my schedule, with the goal being to being a 10K training plan in mid-April and comfortably break 50 at Peachtree. Until then, I'm hoping to maintain double digit LSD runs, strength train 2x week (with at least one focused ab workout), have a hill or speedwork workout each week, and keep stretching. 

Also, there's nothing in that blurb about my diet because I'm completely confident that I can maintain it without much thought. I've reached the point where I'm more or less on auto-pilot when it comes to eating pretty clean, and that feels pretty great. On the rare occasion where I do try some crackers or chips, I find them incredibly unsatisfying and am instantly aware that they're not really doing much for me. Instead of throwing my daily calorie allotment away on things that leave me feeling empty, I opt for foods that offer a better nutritional return on my "investment". 

Example daily meal plan:

Pre-run: superhero muffin or egg muffin (eggs, peppers, cheese, spinach- prebaked in muffin tin)

Post-run: overnight oats (plain yogurt, rolled oats, blueberries, a little honey) or hard-boiled egg

En route to work: decaf ground coffee with 1T heavy cream and 1/2c 1% milk

Morning snack: banana or apple

Lunch: spinach, leftover veggies and meat from previous night's dinner

Afternoon snack: PB oat bar, carrots and PB, or KIND bar

Dinner: some sort of meat (salmon, pork, chicken, steak, shrimp) with sweet potato or roasted veggies (zucchini, squash, cauliflower) or broccoli or asparagus or beans... lots of variety here

This diet overhaul was definitely just what I needed. While it was a total PITA to start, I'm glad I did it. Setting habits during a slow period at work has made them much easier to keep up with now that things are rolling again. Not only have I dropped the ten pounds I wanted to lose (wooo! and my fave shorts fit again!), but I truly feel better. I never feel sluggish after eating, have more energy, and am generally happier because I'm not stressing over what I ate. I didn't follow any one set of particular guidelines, but, if you're looking to do this for yourself, I found these guidelines really helpful and educational. 

Bonus: My kid is so on board with this that I heard, "Mommy, I need asparagus, please" last night when he saw some on my plate. #winning

Monday

Did: 2mi @ 9:04/mi avg, Big 5, bootcamp, 5x20x10lb Russian twists
Had some morning struggles that prevented me from meeting the girls for our pre-gym run, but got two miles in on the treadmill before heading off to bootcamp. 

Finished the day off with 5x20 Russian twists with a 10lb DB before before. Gettin' on that core strength, yo.


Tuesday
Did: 6.33 @ 9:21/mi avg, Big 5
So, this felt a LOT easier than a 9:21/mi pace. Maybe I'm finally getting some of that speed/endurance combo back! 


Wednesday
Did: 2xcore sequence + 30min elliptical
Core sequence in our "resting room" during bathroom breaks:
30s: front/each side/back planks with leg lifts, flutter kicks, scissor kicks
20 knee push-ups

Finished the day with 30min of elliptical in the office gym. I don't know how I ever exclusively elliptical-ed (back before 2010). It wasn't the worst, but it was not fun. 



Thursday
Did: 1.25mi warm-up, 4x400/400, core, 1x400/400, 1.05mi cool-down = 4.94mi @ 8:38/mi avg, Big 5
Weee, speedwork is back! Only goals for today were to: do speedwork, have "negative splits" between repeats.

Mission accomplished.

For reference:
400m PR 1:15
400m typical repeat time: 1:25

1) 1:40 Felt like I was taking it easy for the first 200, but hit that in 0:45. Obviously slowed down a LOT on the back stretch.

2) 1:33 A little bummed about my incredibly slow first repeat, I vowed to just do this one a little faster. I was already behind goal pace by the 200m, and had to kick it to come in under 1:40. May have gotten a bit overzealous, but 1:33 is still a slow time for me.

3) 1:30 This one felt better. I felt more even, more consistent, and focused more on using my arms, not twisting my core, and keeping myself steady. 

4) 1:25 Aww, yeah, finally, a normal-for-me 400m time. I had B cheering me in the back stretch, which helped.

Took a short break to do some core exercises (which were OMGHARD after repeats-- I couldn't even make it through the 30s work periods without a rest), and then did one final 400, really focusing on limiting my twisting and engaging my obliques.

5) 1:23 This felt the slowest of all of my repeats, but clearly was not. :)

Happy to be back on (the) track. heehee


Friday
Did: 2.07mi @ 9:26/mi avg, Big 5, bootcamp (included an additional ~.5mi run), another ~1/2mi run to the playground post-work

Saturday
Planned: 11-12mi easy
Did: 13.1 @ 9:10/mi avg, Big 5
Well, I planned a 12ish mile route to do with B&B this morning. There was a big hill right off the bat and a series of smaller ones around mile 10-11 that we'd finish with. Otherwise, the route was relatively flat/rolling. I had no expectations for pace, since this just needed to be a comfortable LSD. 

That was a good goal, considering I was unaware of some serious construction along our route that had us running on roads that were so in-progress that there was neither a shoulder nor gutter to run on. I'd checked street view before sending out the route, and there had been sidewalks the full way... Oops. Each time cars came, we either hopped curbs to land in mud pits full of excavator tracks or hid behind construction barrels, hoping for the best. I was glad we got that part of the route done early. Pre-5:30am = not much traffic. 

I talked the ENTIRE time. Like, it was definitely more one-sided than a conversation. :P It didn't feel fast. It felt easy and comfortable, like I was just hanging out with friends and not running.

When we got back to the cars, I saw my watch had us at 12.4mi in 1:53. The first thing I thought was "No way I'm stopping now. I'm super close to a half marathon... and a sub-2 one at that." 

The only half marathon I've raced was my second half ever: Rock 'n Roll Savannah in 2013. I wanted to break 2, and I hit 1:59:54.

PRing with Sweet Adelines friends
sub 1:45, sub 2:00, and sub 2:15

My current half PR (1;56:something)  is from 2017, when I ran whatever I felt for Publix, found myself ahead of a running mama doing her comeback race, and stopped less than a mile from the finish line to hug my own baby, chat a bit, and wait to finish with her. 

Anyways, all of this is background to say that a sub-2 half is a typical race finish for me these days, but it's still that benchmark in my head that tells me whether or not I had a good run, especially since the average pace is a good bit faster than what I do most of my runs at. 

So, B tagged along (because she's ruled by her Garmin too), and we finished out a pretttttttttty fast last "three laps" on the greenway. DIdn't hit sub-2 officially, but I feel like we probably did with all the stop/starts we had to do in the early miles' construction zone. Kind of curious to see what I could pull off in a race situation if I actually tried. 

I felt 100% awesome at the end of our run. I never wanted to stop anywhere along it, even when we were pushing 7mim/mi paces at the end. I feel strong. I feel capable. I feel fast. 

I don't want this feeling to end. 

Sunday

Did: 6.3mi @ 9:30/mi avg, Big 5, 14.07mi cycling @ ~11-12mph with bike trailer
What an amazing day and weekend. It's the first weekend we've had all year with beautiful weather, and we definitely took full advantage of it. 

Started the day off with a couple "solo" miles with just me and my little one along the river. I'm really glad I've started going early to Running Mamas and getting a few in before everyone joins us. It's been nice to have some one-on-one mama/baby (toddler) time, and go a different way along the river. 

#RunSquad

Running Mamas did another easy 4.5 along the boardwalk afterwards. It really is a beautiful thing to spend my Sunday morning pushing a running stroller with a friend who's doing the same thing... and discussing our kids' potty-training status. #parenting

I remembered to do my Big 5 for the first time in forever on the playground post-run. :D

The weather this afternoon was too nice to sit around the house, and we'd spent yesterday chillin in the backyard, so Jerry and I opted for a bike ride along the greenway. We're not cyclists, but having a running mama friend who IS has really made me see biking with a toddler trailer as a normal, do-able sort of thing. We bought the secondhand trailer when I had my PF tear, and haven't used it since I healed up, but really enjoyed doing the ride as a family today. Well, I did, at least. Jerry realized halfway through (after I took trailer-hauling over from him) that his brake was permanently on... which explains why he was SO SLOW compared to me. lol. Oops. 

No, there are no (more) triathlons in my future. Maybe this kid's, but not mine.

Total Weekly Mileage: 35.46mi run (I'M NOT EVEN TRAINING FOR ANYTHING), 14 bike

Week-ending Thoughts:

Um, yes. I feel like SUCH a boss this week. And, even better, nothing is hurting. I'm finally ready to say that I'm baaaaa-ack from that PF tear. What's next on the goals front? I don't know, but I'm ready to start thinking about it. :D