Dr. Mamalegato

After several days of really questioning if I am going to be able to do this thing or not, yesterday definitely gave me some hope. First was an 8 miler that for the most part felt "easy," a funny thing, I made an effort to go out slower than usual and I also made a point to stop and walk a minute for each mile- which was hard at first but soon became a bit of a rhythm and didn’t bother me so much- and afterwards I was surprised to find my pace was closer to a 10 minute mile rather than the 11 minute mile I have been doing. My hips felt quite tight by the end but no real pain and I really felt like I could go on running at the end of it.

I then went to see my physio who had a good look at my shoes (I’ve been wearing The Mizuno Elixir 4 and truly never  have been really happy with them) and she thinks that because I have orthotics in them the shoe is "over-correcting" and causing strain on the outside of my leg or my IT band. I am almost at 300 miles with these shoes so it is time for new ones anyway and now I can buy some without feeling too much guilt about dropping $100+ because the physio said I need new ones! I am to look for more neutral shoes. I was not happy with the service I got a Kintec when I bought these ones.I went there because I expected to be helped by someone knowledgeable and she wasn’t very helpful at all. I should have just walked out but I had gone in with the intention of buying new shoes and really needed to walk out with a pair… I learned my lesson. Besides the over-correcting thing they have always felt too small and I have 2 black toe nails to prove it.

The 3rd thing that gave me a glimmer of hope was an article in this months Runners World (not yet online) basically it was talking about a new strategy for long runs to avoid injury and that is to break it up over two consecutiveve days. For instance if 18 miles was the long run for that week you would do 9 one day and 9 the very next day. The key apparently is to run at a slightly faster pace. Long runs "build endurance by increasing your capacity to store and conserve muscle glycogen" so you need to increase your weekly mileage to achieve a similar effect. Some serious marathoners are now topping out their long runs at 16 miles with this technique. This gives me hope in that becuse I am behind in my long runs (for instance I should be doing 12 this week, a step back from last week’s 16 that I could not do and then 18, 14, 20, 12 and the taper week at 8) perhaps I can substitute 2 back to back 9’s instead of the 18 .

I will be doing my long run tomorrow because of spring break, and the plan is 15. I won’t be able to get new shoes by then but I am hopeful with my slow steady pace and lots of long runs I can do it. For me, breaking this barrier of never getting past 13.1 will be huge. I am nervous about it but hopeful.

There’s a brand new obstacle in my way however, baby #4 broke out in chicken pox yesterday. Numbers 3, 5 and 6 have NOT had it- which mean I could be in for a bit of a pox-fest here, which could easily include less sleep then usual (if that’s possible) not being able to get out of the house or  even get on the treadmill for any length of time and just general craziness. #4 is dealing with it very very well so far, so fingers crossed.

I can only hope.

It seems I’m doing more thinking about running then actual running these days- part of it is that runs that were once considered “long” are now the shorter ones (like yesterdays 7 miles)- but the other part of it is this injury and trying to figure out how I’m going to reach this goal of running a marathon in less then 2 months when I’ve haven’t been able to stick to “the schedule”

I think I would most love for someone to just be able to tell me. “yes- this is going to happen” or “no, you won’t be able to do it” but obviously that is impossible. The injury is not the sort that has knocked me off my running legs and it isn’t at all predictable- it could be better tomorrow but then again, it might not.

Friday, long run day, I had set out for 15 miles, desperately wanting to just get back on schedule no matter how long it took me. It was chilly but a beautiful sunny day and I was feeling really strong. The first 10 miles were terrific. I really felt good. My plan was to do the 37th Ave bike path until I hit Pacific Spirit Park (it’s about 6.5 mile to the park) do 2 miles in the park and then head home. I made it to the park in good form with only slight twinges of tightness in my right hip and knee it was beautiful in there and I was soaking it up, but a couple of miles into the park it’s there, the pain in my hip and knee. Pain I cannot run through it. I try and continue but have to stop and walk- jog a bit- stop and walk. Also, I am lost in the trails (again!) I have to make it out to the street to call a cab because although it’s possible I could make it home walking most of the way, the kids have early dismissal and I have to pick them up at noon and would not make it in time.

I ended up doing 12 miles, the last 1.5 mostly walking and take a cab home.

I see the physio later in the day and she is still super optimistic and feels my IT band is getting better- which makes sense as it started hurting at 6  miles before and I made it pain free to 10 this time. But I can’t help but feeling paniky. Will I be able to catch up in my training? I have never done over 13.1.

At this point I will just keep trying I suppose. It would be very, very disappointing for me to not be able to do it. I certainly cannot even “go there” yet. I will continue heading out on every run confident I can do it.

 

Yesterday’s 7 miles (in the freakin’ snow!) felt good. The first 10 miles on Friday felt good. I will c0ntinue my stretches and exercises. My physio wants to take a good look at mContinue reading “Wait and See”

The Long is the run I intend to do tomorrow- 15 miles… last long run? 2 weeks ago.

 

The short of it? Life has been beyond crazy, hectic, insane, off the charts, to be able to sleep, eat and do other things (such as training for a marathon perhaps?!), never mind blog- so I will be brief.

Got to the Physio- all is well with stretches and heat and ice and some time off- feeling optimistic for tomorrow.

Giddy up.

After much talking to myself, pumping myself up for 13 miles, I got out there and was surprised to find it all going very, very smoothly. 

There were many things I was worried about and baby boy #6’s 2 horrible nights in a row (I think I slept 4 hours last night and about the same the night before) was on top of my list. #2 was the toenail on my left foot that I cut too short (how stupid was that?) # 3 was a muscle I pulled in my back wrestling baby boy #6 back to sleep at 3 am. #4 was my slightly stiff muscles from some weight training I had done on Wednesday.

But! I was a gorgeous day- and I convinced myself to not focus on the 13 mile distance but rather that I would be out, by myself, for close to 2.5 hours. Peace and quiet. Doing something for myself.

I was chugging along with M.I A’s Paper Planes playing over and over in my head (no ipod ,I just couldn’t get it out of my brain…) “I fly like paper get high like planes, if you catch me at the border I got visas in my name, if you come around here I make ’em all day, I get one down in a second if you want…” and I’m coming up to 6 miles when I see Pacific Spirit Park and decide I’ll go run trails for 1.5 miles or so before turning back for home. But early into the trail my knee starts to hurt- I ignore it..”we pack and deliver like UPS trucks, already going hell just pumping that gas… all I wanna do…”  But the pain is not going away and in fact it is now also in my right hip- I am so disappointed because I was so excited to be running in the trails, running under the big trees- I turn around for home and now all the negative thoughts are crowding my brain- “I’m through, my body can’t take it, call the ol’ man to pick you up- you’ll never make it.” By this time I am running about a block until I can’t take it and then walking a block (it doesn’t hurt when I walk!) I pull out the phone to call the ol’man but decide that I will feel much better run/walking it, than having to get picked up.

So that what I do ,sometimes running a little longer then a block- but now my foot is also very sore.

It takes me 2 hrs and 40 minutes to do just under 13 miles. I am of course discouraged and a bit depressed and not sure what to do next. From everything I’ve found to read- I’m thinking it’s IT band syndrome- which requires rest ( I read to go 3 full days before trying to run again, icing and stretches)- so I will try it. It doesn’t hurt now or when I walk- it’s just when I run on it.  I’m hoping that’s a good sign and that with a little rest I’ll be back at ‘er.

Again, I am sure my body is revolting a bit against be pushed so far on so little sleep and so I will try to somehow, to work on that as well.

It was a bit of an odd week after the runners high had finally worn off after last weeks 1/2 marathon. I could barely walk, let alone run for 3 days after race day. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were all write offs in terms of training, although I did have a nice swim on the Wednesday so all was not lost! I was expecting to take it easy for a few days. Thursday’s planned 3 miles on the treadmill turned into a 3 miles outside, as the ol’ man was home for a bit during the day. It was not easy, and I really feel I did not warm up until about 2.5 miles and then it was over. I was quite anxious about Friday’s scheduled 13 miler. I had already decided that 13 miles just didn’t seem reasonable- I’m currently switching from a 1/2 marathon programme to a full programme and I thought I should probably step back a bit as that is how the schedule typically progress- up in mileage and then a slightly lower mileage the next  week with a bigger jump the following week. I had it in my head that I would do 12. Ubfortunately that never happend I ended up doing 9.60- and it was BRUTAL! I just did not have the legs for it, at all- I kept thinking that I would break through and fall into some kind of rhythm but by 4.5 miles it just was not happening I was very very tight and I was literally dragging my feet so I turned around and limped my way home. It was slightly depressing but I know enough now to realise that it’s not the end of the world- ya gotta have the crappy runs to make the good ones feel good- and I simply had not recovered from the race.

I took Saturday off and then went for a 6 miler on Sunday that felt absolutely splendid which helped further my belief that I just might be able to do the 26.2 miles, I will get there.

The bad news is I feel like I am coming down with something AGAIN. Very very unusual for me but I am sure it is all this training. It’s funny because I do feel wonderfully fit- like, really great- except for the hint of a sore throat and a foggy-ness in my head.

Plan for the week? Off today, Tuesday 3 miles on the treadmill, Wednesday cross train, Thursday 4 miles on the treadmill, Friday I’ll get that 13 miles in, Saturday off and 7 miles on Sunday.

And scram to the cold.

My official chip time was 2:19:40

I got scared when I looked myself up on the website as the first number said 2:21:38- but that was the clock time and I started way back- such things mean a huge deal!! So I was happy to see my chip time listed.

Things that bugged me…

My timing chip was chaffing on my leg, the sun was in my eyes for about half of the race…

 

Things I was glad I did; I was glad I ran in my shorts, I was glad I stuck with my decision to NOT wear my jacket or gloves (I would have been too hot after about mile 4)

 

Things I wish I had done; I wish I had iced my quads last night so I didn’t have to go sideways downstairs today. As well, I read last night that I should not have had a hot shower as everything gets swollen and a hot shower makes it worse I should have had a lukewarm one (but that would not have been as much fun.!)

It’s funny, if I had been writing this yesterday, after the race , you would be able to get a better idea of the excitement and thrill I felt finishing that race- now, the day after, after I have come down from my runners high- I still feel good about it but I have had a chance to go over all the “I should have, I could have, if only I…” 

It was an absolutely gorgeous day- stunning, really beautiful and sunny about 4-5C- I had an OK sleep (for me!) I probably got about 5.5- 6 hours. I went to bed at 9 and had maybe 3 interruptions from children- and then I was having “nightmares” about being late for the race! Which is so silly, but from about 2 am to 3 am  I tossed and turned as I kept drifting off to this dream that it was 4:29 on the clock and I had to be at the starting line at 4:30 and I was stuck somewhere or another. There of course was a bit of the normal morning chaos- baby boy #3 had to get to hockey by 6:30, baby boy#2 had to get up to babysit and the ol’ man was driving and dropping off. I am very thankful he did not just drop me off at he race as I had suggested as there was about an hour to hang around and it’s so much nicer to have someone you know with you when you have to wait around with a bunch of strangers, he insisted on staying… very sweet.

I positioned myself near the back of the pack at the start line and the first couple of miles felt great- by mile 2 I had spied an older gentleman who had what I thought was a very nice steady pace and was running alone (there were lots of “groups of runners” who I found slightly annoying because they yakked so much- which really is nice and all but I found it a wee distracting.) Anyhoo… I tucked in behind the man and paced myself with him for several miles which I felt helped me keep focused.

I walked through the water stations accepting a cup of water and a cup of gatorade and sipping a little from each. At mile 6 I chewed on a couple of Sharkie energy gummies and sipped some water. They went down quite well (except they do get stuck in your teeth!) and I lost my pace guy. At about mile 8 I found my new pace buddy- she looked to be about 75 but was seriously steady and I shuffled just behind her until mile 11 or so when I think she stopped to blow her nose and I lost her.

 

This is where things got very challenging. Surprisingly my foot was not too much of an issue- it was sore-ish but not as bad as my last run- but it was my hips and my right knee that was giving me some serious problems- the hips just felt so tight that it was a major effort to move my legs. My plan to walk though the water stations was a good one but I think I should have had more of a concrete plan regarding stopping to walk in the last 3 miles. Many of the people around me were obviously doing the run 10 minutes walk 1 programme because there were watches beeping all over the place and many people (mainly groups) stopping to walk- this became all too tempting to me to rationalize a walk break near the end- and I twice stopped for unscheduled walk breaks after 11 miles and I think it broke my rhythm somehow.

The last mile was really really hard- I kept watching the 10ths of a mile drag on by looking at my watch rather obsessively- but really what kept me going is knowing that the ol’ man and the kids were somewhere near the finish line and I knew once I saw them I’d be OK- and I was. I stopped to give them all high fives and then sprinted (OK I’m sure it was a jog but it felt like I was sprinting!) for the finish line to collect my medal (thrilling!)

I think I was well prepared for where I am at right now- I was happy with my time (an un-official 2:19:32 I’m till waiting for them to post the official time- this was what my Garmin read but I did fiddle with it going over the start line).

I think my biggest issue right now is sleep. I simply must find a way to get these kids to sleep- I mean even without training for a marathon 16+ years of compromised sleep is taking it’s toil on both the ol’ man and myself- I seriously often wonder  if I can have the energy I have now on so little sleep- can you imagine what I could do if I actually sleep 8 hours a night?!!

 

Looking at the the schedule for the next 12 weeks is a bit daunting- the long runs coming up are 13 miles, 10, 15, 16, 12, 18, 14, 20 (!) and then a taper of 12 and 8 before the 26.2.   Last November 13.1 was unimaginable and now it’s done- finished, in my back pocket… hopefully I’ll be saying the same thing about the Full on May 3.

 

Oh, and I didn’t pee! Didn’t have to stop to pee- nothing- I went 3 times as I waited to start- and then made it all the way- so perfect!