This week was crazy, plain crazy. Work was busy, after work activities and meetings were busy, I volunteered, oh and yes, training.
Here's the short version (since blogger just deleted my long version): I was supposed to run 4,8,4 this week and 16 on Saturday. After the above activities and being invited to a Phillies game the night I should've run 8, I ran one of my three runs during the week, the 4 miler. I also wasn't hydrating like I should've been all week, or carb loading a day or two prior.
This all lead up to what I consider my worst training run. There were lots of things I didn't do this week, so it could've been any number of variables.
I met my running buddy so we could begin these runs. I was running 16, Amy had to run 18. We both laughed at how ridiculous we looked with our running gear, and how we look pretty legit! After letting our gps' find satellites, we were off. About 2 ish miles in Amy had to stop with chronic calf pain she's been battling, after a recent half. I continued ahead hoping this would be a smooth run, not the case.
The entire 16 miles I felt like the tin man- stiff, and feeling like I needed a can of oil for my muscles and joints. As I ran I realized this is why everyone says hydration is key- and I can attest to that 1000%. I felt like an old woman trying to walk up a flight of steps- never, ever, ever again will this happen.
Aside from pain I found another porta-potty about 6 miles in. I would love to see how ridiculous I look running up to these parks specifically for the porta-potty, then back to the road. I of course choose the peak people hours, so everyone around I'm sure sees me or hear's my ice jiggling in my Camelbak.
I experienced no runner's high yesterday, not one ounce. I was hurting, and my body knew it. Never in my life have I watched the clock and miles so closely, and wanted to give up every time the song on my iphone switched. I knew I would do 16 whether it meant walking the last 5 or not. Beyond mile 10 I started taking long walk breaks, trying to revitalize my joints.
Instead of running two big 7 mile loops I ran one and ran up and down this once nearby hill 5 times, easily. Anyone driving by probably thought I was one of those crazy people who talk to themselves. After mile 11, I started getting really upset with myself and knew it would be nowhere near my time of 2:44 for my 15 miler last week. I would look at my gps and shake my head out of disbelief.
Finally 3 hours and ten minutes later I finished 16 miles of pure torture. I really understand the purpose of training runs, to find out what works and what to avoid for the marathon. Well, this past week was a learning experience to say the least.
I can't believe how close Philly is. 11 weeks complete and done, 7 to go!!!!!
Eeekkkkk :)
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Week 10 of 18: 15 miles in 2:44:22
Well, I did it. I ventured into the unknown and in my opinion, had a phenomenal run. I now understand why runner's, well, run. It was such an amazing feeling to prove myself wrong. There are always people who thing you're nuts, but to prove yourself wrong is the best feeling in the world.
I left the house around 7:15 and started running around 7:30. Usually the first three miles I'm running through mental games and random aches and pains. This is usually the point where I want to quit.
I ran my normal short loop, then down and up a pretty hilly stretch nearby. I knew there was a 7 mile loop that was part of the route I ran the past few weeks, but I never investigated. I also had been told the hill on this road is never ending, and is worse than the dreaded hill in Manayunk for the Philly Marathon. I figured if I could do this, I could do the hill at the marathon. Looking ahead this mountain of a hill looked horrific. Somehow as I was running it didn't seem as scary as it looked a half mile away.
I changed my fueling for this run a little bit. I had 3 clif shot bloks every 4 miles and this really, really helped my run. I also had my good ol' Camelbak with water, so I was good to go.
The temperature this morning was in the low 50's, which is prime running weather. I've always enjoyed running in the cold, I really enjoy running right after a snow- it's so peaceful and calm. Since it was brisk I didn't end up needing any electrolyte tabs, and still had water left when I was done.
I ran the hilliest route of training today. The elevation gain for today's 15 miles was 974. I'm just excited I can run hills- BIG hills. Once this marathon comes I'm going to be faster because of my hill training, and I can't wait!!
Best of all my 13 mile split was 2:22- 9 minutes less than my 13 miler two weeks ago. Seriously, I went from 2:31 to 2:22 for my 13 mile time. This was just the boost I needed to finish strong. I finished running uphill in 2:44:22!!!!
As I was running my last mile, uphill, I decided I deserved a "snack". So i continued running my 15 and ran to WaWa. The benefits of living near farmland and WaWa, you have a scenic route and can run and get a drink. I went into WaWa looking like some homeless, hiker woman. I had on my gps watch, my camelbak, my iphone on my arm, and my running gear- I'm sure I was a sight.... and I definitely got some strange looks. I then walked home.
Week 10 of 18...DONE!!! Still holding strong for my 5 hour marathon, and after today's run, it could happen!!! :)
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Week 9 of 18: 10 miles in 1:45:30
So after realizing I totally forgot to post my last 10 mile run, here it is.
10 miles has now become a bearable, shortened run of what's to come. It's funny when I've trained for and run the Broad Street Run the past four years, 10 miles was a lot, a whole lot. I used to be very conservative with what I did the night before, and what I ate. I've now realized 10 miles it just another run. My fear has now shifted the the pending 15, 16, 18, and 20 milers I have ahead of me.
I didn't get out till around 7am, when it was light enough to see everything, and everyone could see me. One of the disadvantages of running this alone, is that I don't feel safe running in anything less than bright sunshine in well traveled areas. So I was off, and was excited because it was in the low 70's- haven't seen running weather like that this entire training.
I also have some blisters that continue to reemerge during these longs runs. I'd read that a lot of people use duct tape on their blisters- and it seemed like the next logical step. So here are my poor feet before (in need of a pedicure, I know).
And I couldn't just go with plain old duct tape, I liked the pink. :)
I taped both toes since my second toe likes to rub on my big toe, and my big toe rubs in my shoe. I also had a blister under the ball of my foot, and since I was afraid the duct tape would move due to sweat, I taped aroud my entire foot.
About 5 miles into the 10 I knew the tape had moved, and thought it was irritating the current blister. Not exactly the case, here is my duct tape experiment after the run:
.JPG)
I've learned when duct taping feet to prevent current blisters from rubbing, don't assume you aren't creating new ones. I had a new blister in the arch of my foot from this great idea. The duct tape around my right big toe also started to split. Not sure if I'll try this again, I clearly need to research some more.
The duct tape was the only real issue I had this run. Weather was great, camelbak still had some water left when I was done, and my clothes weren't moving around, no real complaints.
This also marks the halfway point, 50% of the way there! As tiring as this process is, can't wait for the marathon. I'm glad I had a good 10 miler this past weekend, because my 15 this weekend is really scaring me. Honestly, how many people choose to run 15 miles....
Only the crazies, which I am now totally embracing. I'm proud to be that crazy person with enough dedication and motivation to do something that not everyone will attempt to do in their lifetime. I'm excited to be a part of that 1%. :)
9 weeks down, only 9 to go!!
Philly Marathon I'm coming, and I'm going to finish...
10 miles has now become a bearable, shortened run of what's to come. It's funny when I've trained for and run the Broad Street Run the past four years, 10 miles was a lot, a whole lot. I used to be very conservative with what I did the night before, and what I ate. I've now realized 10 miles it just another run. My fear has now shifted the the pending 15, 16, 18, and 20 milers I have ahead of me.
I didn't get out till around 7am, when it was light enough to see everything, and everyone could see me. One of the disadvantages of running this alone, is that I don't feel safe running in anything less than bright sunshine in well traveled areas. So I was off, and was excited because it was in the low 70's- haven't seen running weather like that this entire training.
I also have some blisters that continue to reemerge during these longs runs. I'd read that a lot of people use duct tape on their blisters- and it seemed like the next logical step. So here are my poor feet before (in need of a pedicure, I know).
And I couldn't just go with plain old duct tape, I liked the pink. :)
I taped both toes since my second toe likes to rub on my big toe, and my big toe rubs in my shoe. I also had a blister under the ball of my foot, and since I was afraid the duct tape would move due to sweat, I taped aroud my entire foot.
About 5 miles into the 10 I knew the tape had moved, and thought it was irritating the current blister. Not exactly the case, here is my duct tape experiment after the run:
.JPG)
I've learned when duct taping feet to prevent current blisters from rubbing, don't assume you aren't creating new ones. I had a new blister in the arch of my foot from this great idea. The duct tape around my right big toe also started to split. Not sure if I'll try this again, I clearly need to research some more.
The duct tape was the only real issue I had this run. Weather was great, camelbak still had some water left when I was done, and my clothes weren't moving around, no real complaints.
This also marks the halfway point, 50% of the way there! As tiring as this process is, can't wait for the marathon. I'm glad I had a good 10 miler this past weekend, because my 15 this weekend is really scaring me. Honestly, how many people choose to run 15 miles....
Only the crazies, which I am now totally embracing. I'm proud to be that crazy person with enough dedication and motivation to do something that not everyone will attempt to do in their lifetime. I'm excited to be a part of that 1%. :)
9 weeks down, only 9 to go!!
Philly Marathon I'm coming, and I'm going to finish...
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Two a days..
I've started doing two a day workouts on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Work offers Vinyasa hot yoga these days during lunch, and since I know I need stretching , I do both..
As long as I hydrate properly it goes well and I feel awesome!! I did yoga today and ran 7 tonight in 1:11, 7 minutes less then my last 7 miler weeks ago. Yippppppeeee!
I was pretty proud of myself so this needed to be documented.
The end.
As long as I hydrate properly it goes well and I feel awesome!! I did yoga today and ran 7 tonight in 1:11, 7 minutes less then my last 7 miler weeks ago. Yippppppeeee!
I was pretty proud of myself so this needed to be documented.
The end.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Week 8 of 18: 13 miles in 2:31:42
Well, I did it! I successfully ran 13 miles just exploring- no parks or people, just me and the road. I've decided the best way to explore a new area is to run it. I saw more today running around and exploring than I've seen the year I've lived here. My biggest battle running where I live is dealing with hills. Every hill I ran down I had to run back up at some point, there's no flat 13 mile trek here, which is a good thing. It reminds me of where I grew up in PA. :)
I've now come across two people that I know from a local non-profit who've completed marathons. My best bit of marathon advice, is to seek out other marathoner's for advice. I've got the male perspective of running the Philly Marathon and was told "Go eat whatever you want. I was eating pizzas, burgers, and beers when I trained for that one...and finished in 3:30". Then I've got the women's perspective of "drink at least 80 oz of liquid the day before a long run, preferably 64 oz of water and the rest in a sports drink. Then at miles 3, 6, 9 fuel with either powerade, chews and/or electrolyte tabs. It's all mental, you can do it!". This is also someone who runs faster than I could ride a bike and has completed Boston- someone to admire, because I'll never be at that level. So given the fact that if I ate pizzas, burgers, and beers everyday I may turn into a blob, I decided to stick with the woman's advice, and it worked. Shocker..
I ate well yesterday, but didn't starve myself of anything I truly wanted and hydrated using the above formula. I also bought nuun in strawberry lemonade. I had seen it at the sporting goods stores, but had no idea of it's purpose. It basically supplies the same stuff as gatorade and powerade, but with only 8g of sugar. It's also a lot lighter, and almost has a bit of a fizzy taste. I drank two glasses of that yesterday, instead of the sports drink. I'll be using this again for sure, and it doesn't hurt that it's pink.
I also tried new fuel this week, again. This time I bought the clif shot blocks. I haven't tried them before because you can't see what they look like, the package hides them. I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but with stuff like this I want to see texture, size, how many there are, color, etc. I ate two at miles 4 and 8 and had one at mile ten.
Around mile 10.5 I decided I needed something more than water and dropped two nuun tabs into the remaining water in my Camelbak.
So speaking of the Camelbak... When I bought this thing I thought people were going to think I'm nuts running with this (because that's what I used to think when I saw people with them). I only ended up passing two runner's today, since it was just me and the road. The first runner I passed about 2 miles in and she also had a Camelbak, then around mile 6 I passed a guy with a Camelbak, too! I was happy I wasn't the only one running in the 97% humidity with my Camelbak.
My run today cleared my head, I have no idea what I was thinking about while I ran, I honestly don't think anything. I was more distracted by cars not hitting me to think. I did find another bathroom on today's route- and this wasn't a porta-potty, this was a state park shed- like potty over (I'm pretty sure) a hole in the ground. At least it was a solid structure, I guess. Must've been around mile 6, considering it looks like I was at a turtle's pace (see below).
The best part of all: beating my half marathon time from May by 2 minutes. Given the hills were NOTHING like this and the humidity doesn't compare, it's happening- I'm really starting to become a "runner".
Week 8 of 18 complete. Almost halfway there, 10 weeks to go. Bring it on Philly Marathon!
I've now come across two people that I know from a local non-profit who've completed marathons. My best bit of marathon advice, is to seek out other marathoner's for advice. I've got the male perspective of running the Philly Marathon and was told "Go eat whatever you want. I was eating pizzas, burgers, and beers when I trained for that one...and finished in 3:30". Then I've got the women's perspective of "drink at least 80 oz of liquid the day before a long run, preferably 64 oz of water and the rest in a sports drink. Then at miles 3, 6, 9 fuel with either powerade, chews and/or electrolyte tabs. It's all mental, you can do it!". This is also someone who runs faster than I could ride a bike and has completed Boston- someone to admire, because I'll never be at that level. So given the fact that if I ate pizzas, burgers, and beers everyday I may turn into a blob, I decided to stick with the woman's advice, and it worked. Shocker..
I ate well yesterday, but didn't starve myself of anything I truly wanted and hydrated using the above formula. I also bought nuun in strawberry lemonade. I had seen it at the sporting goods stores, but had no idea of it's purpose. It basically supplies the same stuff as gatorade and powerade, but with only 8g of sugar. It's also a lot lighter, and almost has a bit of a fizzy taste. I drank two glasses of that yesterday, instead of the sports drink. I'll be using this again for sure, and it doesn't hurt that it's pink.
I also tried new fuel this week, again. This time I bought the clif shot blocks. I haven't tried them before because you can't see what they look like, the package hides them. I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but with stuff like this I want to see texture, size, how many there are, color, etc. I ate two at miles 4 and 8 and had one at mile ten.
Around mile 10.5 I decided I needed something more than water and dropped two nuun tabs into the remaining water in my Camelbak.
So speaking of the Camelbak... When I bought this thing I thought people were going to think I'm nuts running with this (because that's what I used to think when I saw people with them). I only ended up passing two runner's today, since it was just me and the road. The first runner I passed about 2 miles in and she also had a Camelbak, then around mile 6 I passed a guy with a Camelbak, too! I was happy I wasn't the only one running in the 97% humidity with my Camelbak.
My run today cleared my head, I have no idea what I was thinking about while I ran, I honestly don't think anything. I was more distracted by cars not hitting me to think. I did find another bathroom on today's route- and this wasn't a porta-potty, this was a state park shed- like potty over (I'm pretty sure) a hole in the ground. At least it was a solid structure, I guess. Must've been around mile 6, considering it looks like I was at a turtle's pace (see below).
It also rained for a few minutes about halfway through my run, which was nice with all the hills. Check out these hills, and YES I ran them all!!!
The best part of all: beating my half marathon time from May by 2 minutes. Given the hills were NOTHING like this and the humidity doesn't compare, it's happening- I'm really starting to become a "runner".
Week 8 of 18 complete. Almost halfway there, 10 weeks to go. Bring it on Philly Marathon!
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Some things I've learned, so far..
After my 12 miles this past weekend, I feel like I've entered a new part of training. The part of training where I don't care how long it takes, how nasty I look, or how horrible I feel. If I have a run, it's happening during the week no matter the length of the run, the weather, or if I'm up for it.
Runner's High
The runner's high has taken on a new meaning. After my 12 miler Saturday I showered, ate, and took a nap. When I woke up I decided to check out some local places, since I haven't really explored my new area- even though I've lived here for a year. Can't believe I've been a homeowner for a year! So I was exploring and realized I passed the natural food store I had been looking for, so I needed to turn around. I made a u-turn and thought the road was pretty narrow, but my car is small it would be fine. Well if only my poor car had been fine. As soon as i turned I thought I cleared the guardrail...and didn't. I was going slow, so it wasn't an accident, I'd like to think of it as: an incident. The right front bumper scraped as I turned.
Now this is the interesting part: normally this would happen and I would freak, not on Saturday. I was definitely on my runner's high still and thought "oh well, I'll get it fixed eventually, no biggie". They say the runner's high lowers anxiety levels drastically and the body reacts the same way it does to a drug induced high. Can't say I ever was high, so I have no comparison- I prefer the free, natural way. Now to avoid driving the next few weeks after my long runs should be interesting, I may not have a car by the time the marathon rolls around if I keep doing this!
Running Shorts
It's no shocker that I have issues with running shorts, when I have issues with everyday shorts. Shorts no matter there shape, constantly move and shift and ride up- ohhh these hips. I bought a pair of UnderArmour heat gear shorts that were 5 inches long, so I figured they'd be ok. They weren't "booty shorts", so they shouldn't ride up, right? Wrong. I figured I'd wear them around the house and see where they ended up, within ten minutes I realized they were going back. I exchanged the shorts for another brand of 7 inch spandex black shorts (because they keep you cooler than plain running shorts- and I don't like the leg jiggle).
After speaking with the woman at the running store she mentioned "hippier, pear shaped women" can't wear the cute, short running shorts- because like I said, they roll and shift, and give everyone else a show. Apparently anyone with thighs as well has this problem if the shorts hit at the wider part of your thigh, which is why it's best to go a bit longer. If I wasn't training for a marathon and was told by more than a handful of people about my hips and thighs, I may take offense. However, these big, strong legs are getting my through 26.2! The new shorts worked like a charm. I also used bodyglide for the first time tonight during my 6 miler and was cool and had no chafing!
Recently the humidity in Delaware has been oppressive. I forgot that I didn't live in Florida. It's like running through a tropical jungle, yuck. I got home and was soaked from head to toe, again. I've been over hydrating to avoid headaches and muscle stiffness, all I do lately is eat, sleep, and run. You know it's bad when your pregnant co-worker in her 9th month says, "boy, you look tired today". Only 2 months left, and I can regain my life. :)
Runner's High
The runner's high has taken on a new meaning. After my 12 miler Saturday I showered, ate, and took a nap. When I woke up I decided to check out some local places, since I haven't really explored my new area- even though I've lived here for a year. Can't believe I've been a homeowner for a year! So I was exploring and realized I passed the natural food store I had been looking for, so I needed to turn around. I made a u-turn and thought the road was pretty narrow, but my car is small it would be fine. Well if only my poor car had been fine. As soon as i turned I thought I cleared the guardrail...and didn't. I was going slow, so it wasn't an accident, I'd like to think of it as: an incident. The right front bumper scraped as I turned.
Now this is the interesting part: normally this would happen and I would freak, not on Saturday. I was definitely on my runner's high still and thought "oh well, I'll get it fixed eventually, no biggie". They say the runner's high lowers anxiety levels drastically and the body reacts the same way it does to a drug induced high. Can't say I ever was high, so I have no comparison- I prefer the free, natural way. Now to avoid driving the next few weeks after my long runs should be interesting, I may not have a car by the time the marathon rolls around if I keep doing this!
Running Shorts
It's no shocker that I have issues with running shorts, when I have issues with everyday shorts. Shorts no matter there shape, constantly move and shift and ride up- ohhh these hips. I bought a pair of UnderArmour heat gear shorts that were 5 inches long, so I figured they'd be ok. They weren't "booty shorts", so they shouldn't ride up, right? Wrong. I figured I'd wear them around the house and see where they ended up, within ten minutes I realized they were going back. I exchanged the shorts for another brand of 7 inch spandex black shorts (because they keep you cooler than plain running shorts- and I don't like the leg jiggle).
After speaking with the woman at the running store she mentioned "hippier, pear shaped women" can't wear the cute, short running shorts- because like I said, they roll and shift, and give everyone else a show. Apparently anyone with thighs as well has this problem if the shorts hit at the wider part of your thigh, which is why it's best to go a bit longer. If I wasn't training for a marathon and was told by more than a handful of people about my hips and thighs, I may take offense. However, these big, strong legs are getting my through 26.2! The new shorts worked like a charm. I also used bodyglide for the first time tonight during my 6 miler and was cool and had no chafing!
Recently the humidity in Delaware has been oppressive. I forgot that I didn't live in Florida. It's like running through a tropical jungle, yuck. I got home and was soaked from head to toe, again. I've been over hydrating to avoid headaches and muscle stiffness, all I do lately is eat, sleep, and run. You know it's bad when your pregnant co-worker in her 9th month says, "boy, you look tired today". Only 2 months left, and I can regain my life. :)
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Week 7 of 18: 12 miles in 2:20:45
12 miles, I respect you.
Summary of this week: ITB stretches, getting over being sick, porta-potties, experimenting with fuel, getting blisters, chafing, lack of daylight.
The ITB hasn't been crazy, but my 10 miler two weeks ago aggravated it- causing some walking. I was trying to figure out who to see or what to do with the ITB, when I had an aha! moment. One of my friends from college is an athletic trainer at a local university- why didn't I think of this sooner!
So, I asked him how to fix my ITB woes. He had me come in to assess what was happening, and by assess I mean tons of one-legged squats and lots of balance - no thanks. After this it was determined my ITB is crazy because my big ol' hips are weak. Now in my mind big = strong, so big butts are muscle, wide hips are strong- you get the point. Apparently this is not the case, and a lot of women with "bigger" hips, have big, weak hips. Really!? How is this possible, God clearly is playing a trick on me, this is not cool. I have 40 glorious inches of weakness, great..
So I left with some good stretches and ways to strengthen the hips, and haven't had pain this week, yet.
I did yoga twice this week at work and ran my 3 mid-week runs. The 3 milers were ok, I ran them in less time than I did when I started this adventure. The 6-miler was tough, but I did it.
This all was leading up to my run of the unknown today: 12 miles. I've run 12 miles once in life- and that was my half-marathon in May. This was proof in itself running is mental, because boy I really freaked myself out on this one.
I woke up at 5:45 thinking I could start running by 6:15. Another thing I didn't take into consideration was daylight. I woke up to complete darkness- and then wasted 45 minutes getting myself ready.
I filled my Camelbak, grab my gps watch, ipod, and cooler filled with drinks and ice (which I conveniently spilled all over the floor before getting it in the cooler- sorry downstairs neighbors). I got to the park as the sun was rising..it was beautiful. :)
I started running and within the first two miles realized I overhydrated and needed to find a glorified porta-potty. Now I've been running for 5 years, and never had this issue, but for some reason twice in the past week I've been running to the porta-potties. There is a fine line with hydration and running, and I clearly have no clue what it is.
I also let my watch keep going, because if this happens at the marathon I need to be realistic with my time "goals"- aka finishing. I then continued on and honestly struggled a whole lot. I kept needing to take walk breaks to breathe- I really think that cold virus is still lingering in my lungs. I don't normally require breathing breaks, usually knee pain starts my walking. So this started messing with me because my goal time for today was 2 hours flat, yea that didn't happen.
I also was using new fuel today, which was recommended by the guys at EMS. I like Gu, but it starts to become sickeningly sweet after 2 plus hours. I would add a picture, but my computer is acting crazy and I just don't have the patience. I used Honey Stinger chews in pink lemonade for today's run. The verdict: they taste good, but I found myself needing one every mile- and having to dig the bag out of my camelbak 12 times during the run became quite annoying. Need a new fuel source.
Today everything just seemed to happen, not the way I would have planned. I'm a total planner so again, this messed with me. I had mild blisters on my big toes from my 6 miler during the week, which became full on blisters today. Ouch! I also experienced for the first time ever chafing, and it wasn't my thighs. I guess since my shorts ride up I always expected to have thigh chafing, nope not today. Between the tank top I was wearing, my camelbak, and my iphone case my underarm is raw. Definitely investing in some moleskin and bodyglide for future long runs.
And last but not least I was sweating like a pig. I'm fair skinned so I immediately turn bright red upon any physical exertion, and usually sweat a lot. Today I was dripping, and I don't drip. I got home and looked like I had taken a shower, my thick hair was drenched- every last piece of it.
So after just waking up from a nap and showering I can say I'm still excited for this marathon. During today's run I questioned why I was doing this, as young high school and college girls pranced by me looking like gazelles with no sweat to be seen. I'm doing this for me, and nobody else- and that in itself is fulfilling.
Week 7 of 18 complete! 11 weeks to go- time flies when you're having "fun"! :)
Summary of this week: ITB stretches, getting over being sick, porta-potties, experimenting with fuel, getting blisters, chafing, lack of daylight.
The ITB hasn't been crazy, but my 10 miler two weeks ago aggravated it- causing some walking. I was trying to figure out who to see or what to do with the ITB, when I had an aha! moment. One of my friends from college is an athletic trainer at a local university- why didn't I think of this sooner!
So, I asked him how to fix my ITB woes. He had me come in to assess what was happening, and by assess I mean tons of one-legged squats and lots of balance - no thanks. After this it was determined my ITB is crazy because my big ol' hips are weak. Now in my mind big = strong, so big butts are muscle, wide hips are strong- you get the point. Apparently this is not the case, and a lot of women with "bigger" hips, have big, weak hips. Really!? How is this possible, God clearly is playing a trick on me, this is not cool. I have 40 glorious inches of weakness, great..
So I left with some good stretches and ways to strengthen the hips, and haven't had pain this week, yet.
I did yoga twice this week at work and ran my 3 mid-week runs. The 3 milers were ok, I ran them in less time than I did when I started this adventure. The 6-miler was tough, but I did it.
This all was leading up to my run of the unknown today: 12 miles. I've run 12 miles once in life- and that was my half-marathon in May. This was proof in itself running is mental, because boy I really freaked myself out on this one.
I woke up at 5:45 thinking I could start running by 6:15. Another thing I didn't take into consideration was daylight. I woke up to complete darkness- and then wasted 45 minutes getting myself ready.
I filled my Camelbak, grab my gps watch, ipod, and cooler filled with drinks and ice (which I conveniently spilled all over the floor before getting it in the cooler- sorry downstairs neighbors). I got to the park as the sun was rising..it was beautiful. :)
I started running and within the first two miles realized I overhydrated and needed to find a glorified porta-potty. Now I've been running for 5 years, and never had this issue, but for some reason twice in the past week I've been running to the porta-potties. There is a fine line with hydration and running, and I clearly have no clue what it is.
I also let my watch keep going, because if this happens at the marathon I need to be realistic with my time "goals"- aka finishing. I then continued on and honestly struggled a whole lot. I kept needing to take walk breaks to breathe- I really think that cold virus is still lingering in my lungs. I don't normally require breathing breaks, usually knee pain starts my walking. So this started messing with me because my goal time for today was 2 hours flat, yea that didn't happen.
I also was using new fuel today, which was recommended by the guys at EMS. I like Gu, but it starts to become sickeningly sweet after 2 plus hours. I would add a picture, but my computer is acting crazy and I just don't have the patience. I used Honey Stinger chews in pink lemonade for today's run. The verdict: they taste good, but I found myself needing one every mile- and having to dig the bag out of my camelbak 12 times during the run became quite annoying. Need a new fuel source.
Today everything just seemed to happen, not the way I would have planned. I'm a total planner so again, this messed with me. I had mild blisters on my big toes from my 6 miler during the week, which became full on blisters today. Ouch! I also experienced for the first time ever chafing, and it wasn't my thighs. I guess since my shorts ride up I always expected to have thigh chafing, nope not today. Between the tank top I was wearing, my camelbak, and my iphone case my underarm is raw. Definitely investing in some moleskin and bodyglide for future long runs.
And last but not least I was sweating like a pig. I'm fair skinned so I immediately turn bright red upon any physical exertion, and usually sweat a lot. Today I was dripping, and I don't drip. I got home and looked like I had taken a shower, my thick hair was drenched- every last piece of it.
So after just waking up from a nap and showering I can say I'm still excited for this marathon. During today's run I questioned why I was doing this, as young high school and college girls pranced by me looking like gazelles with no sweat to be seen. I'm doing this for me, and nobody else- and that in itself is fulfilling.
Week 7 of 18 complete! 11 weeks to go- time flies when you're having "fun"! :)
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