Back on the Road Again

Today was the first day in over 2 weeks that I have ran outside.  It was awesome!

Well my body didn't think it was awesome.  My quads are so sore.  Especially my right quad because I am sure when I did the bike and elliptical I was not using my right leg/foot very much.  I have some mild shin splints.  And my lungs were not working so good either.  But my mind sure thought the run was AWESOME!

My foot is doing pretty well too.  I didn't even think about it until the last mile.  It was only a mild cramping feeling at the end.

I ran with Lisa and Alyssa.  It has been so long since I have ran with Lisa.  Felt just like old times again.  Well except for the fact that I was slowing the group down.  Oh wait, I normally do that too;)

I ended up running 5.7 miles with an average pace of 8:49min/mile.  Each mile kept getting slower. But I really don't care.  I was running.

So happy:)

Weekly Recap: Some Running Included

I was supposed to run the LP Half Marathon this weekend.  But my stupid foot wouldn't let me.  Bad foot!

I was mad on Saturday.  So I went to the gym and ran 5 slow and hard miles on the treadmill.  My legs felt so heavy.  My foot was hurting.  Again feels like a cramp.  I hope I am not making it worse.  When I stop running my foot feels fine though.  I really need to go back to the doctor to know what I should do. I am pretty sure I don't have a stress fracture though because I know that my pain threshold is not high enough to  let me run on that type of injury.  But there is something going on.  Just not exactly sure what it is???

I couldn't have ran another mile on the treadmill.  Due to the pain getting to me and that I was physically tired.  So I hopped on the elliptical and did 7 more miles.  Even though I hate the elliptical, I am thankful that I can do this machine with no pain. It is so much more enjoyable to work out when there is no pain.

My brother and sister both did the half marathon on Saturday.  They ran it in 1:55.  So happy for them!  My sister even made the local paper.

Katie as she crosses the finish line.  I know she will love that I put this picture on my blog:)

Ryan rode his bike in the Tour de LaPorte today.  He rode 63 miles!  I was very impressed especially considering his longest bike ride this summer has only been 35 miles.  We were able to cheer him on from my Dad's house as he rode by with a group of riders.

It turned out to be a pretty fun weekend.

This is how my week played out:

Monday:  6 miles on elliptical
Tuesday:  Rest
Wednesday:  1 horrible running mile
Thursday:  2 running miles, 3 miles on elliptical
Friday:  2 running miles, Swam 750 meters
Saturday:  5 running miles, 7 miles on elliptical
Sunday:  Rest


Hope everyone had a safe and fun weekend!

Trying to Stay Positive

Even though my run yesterday went horrible, my foot did not hurt worse today.  The one and only positive thing about that run.

I ran 2 miles on the treadmill today.  2 slow and awkward miles.  My legs felt better.  Good.  My foot felt the same.  Bad.  It feels like a bad cramp.  Is this to be expected?  Should I push through this discomfort?  Will I make things worse?  I know who has the answer...Mr. MRI.

I almost called the ortho doctor.  I think I will wait until next week now.

I also did 3 miles on the elliptical machine.   At least I have no pain on that.

This weekend I was supposed to run in the LP half marathon.  I can't help to think about how this race would have gone.  13 miles would have been a taper run for me.

Now I can't even run 13 minutes without pain.

Ok that's enough feeling sorry for myself today.

4 things I am grateful for:
1.  I can still exercise.
2. My kids go to an amazing school.
3.  My cleaning lady came today.
4.  It's almost Friday.

One Horrible Mile

Today was the day to test out my foot...

I knew it wasn't better before I started.  I take that back.  I knew it wasn't healed completely.  It has been feeling better.  I can walk on it with no pain.  But running is a different story.

I wanted to do one slow mile. I told myself that I would run no faster than a 9 minute mile. Ha!  Not only was my foot hurting but my legs felt like jello.  They honestly felt like I had never run before.  They didn't know what to do.  My pace was over 10 min/mile.  My form was off, my foot was in some pain, and my legs were the worst.

What is going on?  I need a more concrete plan.  Do I push through some mild discomfort?  Do I wait until I have zero pain?

I will be very interested to see what my foot feels like tomorrow.

Good night.  At least I can run in my dreams.

First Day of School

Today was Kaitlyn and Jackson's first day of school.  Kaitlyn was such a good big sister and really helped calm Jackson's fears.  I was really impressed how brave Jackson was too.  I think I was the only one with tears in my eyes.

The protective big sister

Big 2nd grader

So brave

Nathan thought he was getting on the bus too.  He actually ran after the bus when it left.  So cute!

My Babies

They both had a great day!  And that made my day.

Even if today marks 1 week of no running:(  Man I miss running.  But my foot is not ready yet.  Hopefully one or two more days of rest????  Well that will be the test day.

Elliptical

Today I was able to do the Elliptical machine.  It wasn't running.  But at least I was upright, my legs were moving in a similar matter to running, and my arms were moving too.

I did 6 miles at an average pace of 7:58min/mile.  I am not really sure how this compares to running.  The good news is my foot felt fine on the elliptical.  Although I am not really sure my foot is getting better.

I went to the gym pool with the kids after.  When I saw the lap pool, I really wanted to get in and do a few laps.  I think that is so funny because a few weeks ago I would have no desire to swim laps.  Now it is my favorite cross training exercise.

Tomorrow is Kaitlyn and Jackson's first day of school.  Jackson will be in Kindergarden (sniff, sniff) and Kaitlyn will be in second grade.

Weekly Recap: Lots of Cross Training

This is not the weekly recap I wanted to be posting this week.  My plan called for 50 miles of running.  I started out the week right on track to get there.  But then the bad news came...a possible stress fracture in my right foot.

So my running came to a stop and the cross training began.

Yesterday I was supposed to run 20 miles.  This is such an important run and it is very disappointing that I wasn't able to attempt it.

Instead, I spent the day cross training.  I met Christy at her gym and we started off riding the bike. The first hour I felt pretty good.  Then I bumped up the resistance and the next 25 minutes were HARD!  In fact that is the hardest 25 minute work out I have done in a long time.  My legs were on fire.  I wanted to do an hour like that but my legs said NO.  So I turned the resistance way down and did another easy 25 minutes.  Total time on the bike: 1:50.  I think I did around 32-33 miles?  I forgot to keep track.  Christy was a rock star on the bike.  I would have stopped a lot sooner if she wasn't there.  I can't wait to have a running workout with her.

My main source of cardio for the week:(

Christy cruising away on the bike.

Riding the bike just doesn't compare to running.  Hmm. That's all I have to say about that.

Then we went to the pool and swam 500m or 500 yards.  Not sure if the pool was yards or meters.  That was actually fun.  I definitely enjoyed the swimming better than the bike.

It was interesting to me how sore my legs felt after the workout.  But I didn't feel as drained as running makes me.  I thought I would be sore today for sure.  Actually my legs feel pretty good.

Weekly Recap:

Monday:  5 easy miles
Tuesday:  10 wonderful miles (but bad foot pain begins)
Wednesday:  Rest
Thursday:  1 hour bike
Friday:  Rest
Saturday:  1 hour 50 minutes bike, 500 meter swim
Sunday:  20 minutes bike, 700 meter swim (Really enjoyed the swimming again.  Am I turning into a triathlete?  No, probably not.  I still miss running dearly.)

I hope to report some running next week.  Fingers crossed!
Happy Weekend,
Jaime

Just When Things Were Coming Together...

Last week was one of my best running weeks.  I finally felt like things were coming together.  I felt so good on my last several runs.

Well until the last 2 miles of my last 10 mile run.  I had been having minor foot issues with my left foot but those finally healed.    Suddenly my right foot started hurt while running.

The pain did not go away. I took a day off running.  It still hurt.  I tried to run a few steps today and still with a lot of pain.  I knew this pain was different than my other issues.  And I was afraid of the worst...a stress fracture.

So today I went to see on orthopedic doctor who specializes in the foot and ankle.

The verdict:  Possible metatarsal stress fracture?  (metatarsal is one of the long bones in the foot)

Good news:  My xrays are normal.  But stress fractures don't show up on xrays for awhile.  MRI is the best test for this.  I was a little surprised he didn't want to do this.

The doctor never gave me a definitive diagnosis.  Sometimes it is nice to know... do I have a stress fracture or not.  But a lot of things in medicine are wait and see.

He said things like stress reaction.  And maybe it is a really early stress fracture.  The pain is in the exact location you would think a stress fracture would be.  But I don't think he thought it was that bad because he was pushing pretty hard.  It did hurt-bad.  But he made it seem like he shouldn't have been able to push that hard if it was a full blown stress fx.  Also there was no bruising or swelling.  More good signs.

So I interpet the diagnosis as:  Early signs of a stress fracture developing.

The plan:  (per ortho doctor)
Bike for a few days.
Then elliptical for a few days.
Then try running again.  If it hurts, back to step 2.

Also stretching.  He was surprised how tight my achilles was.  I know, I know.  I am one of the most inflexible people.
And a hard insert to go in my shoe.  I have not tried it yet, but does not seem comfortable.

Side note:  xrays of my left foot were normal.  I asked him about what that pain was all about.  He thought maybe just a soft tissue bruise.

So....
This sucks!  99% sure the LP Half Marathon is out.  Also my entire Chicago marathon training plan is out the window.  I hope to be back in a week, but I don't know for sure.

Obviously if you read my blog, you know how much I love to run!  And how running is really part of me.

But...
I have a great support system.  I have so many things to be thankful for.  I have to keep this in perspective.  Things could be a lot worse!  I know that-but I am still sad about it.

My amazing support system!

The kids were so worried about my foot.  They know how much running means to me.  Jackson was very happy I didn't have to wear a cast.  Kaitlyn said she would give me a back massage so I would feel better.  Nathan was trying to show me his booboo on his foot.  And Ryan did tell me that he would teach me how to ride a real rode bike until I recover.

After I got this news, I didn't even have time to digest it.  I picked up the kids from Katie's.  (Thanks Katie for watching them again!!!)  And then we went to the kids back to school social tonight.  It was a nice distraction.  Kaitlyn and Jackson were so cute!  I just love their school, Maple Glen.

So, cross training here I come! My friend Christy and I have a date on the bike this weekend.  (Unfortunately, Christy is hurt too.  So she has to the ride the bike also)  We both don't enjoy the bike.  Oh and we won't be riding outside either.  I don't have a road bike.  We will see how long we make it before our butts make us stop.

I hope you are out there running if you can.  I miss it already.  But I will be back!  I just hope sooner rather than later.

Double Digit Run

I ran 10 miles today...on a weekday!  Another record.

It was a GREAT, GREAT, GREAT run!  I felt so good on today's run.  I had no time goals for today.  I just wanted to get in 10 miles.  I knew I would be going a little fast though since I was running with Alyssa.

I was not paying any attention to my garmin.  But at one point, Alyssa said we just ran a 7:53 mile.  Really?  It didn't feel that fast.  I was working a little hard.  But we were talking away, so I just didn't think I was going that fast.

After the 10 miles, I looked at my splits.  We actually ran a couple of miles in the 7:50s and a couple just over 8 min.  My overall pace for the 10 miles was 8:20min/mile.  I felt great today:)

Only one bad thing with today's run... My good foot started to hurt.  (My bad foot is finally 100% better).  I am going to pray extra long tonight that a day of rest will heal my feet for good!!!!

If I Wasn't a Runner...

IF I WASN'T A RUNNER...

1.  I would be able to sleep in 1-2 hours later every morning.

2.  I would be able to walk to the bathroom every morning instead of shuffling because my feet are so tight.

3.  I would have less laundry to do.

4.  I would not have to torture myself with ice baths.

5.  I would have more money to spend on real clothes.

6.  I would have something to talk about besides running.

7.  I would be able to drink more than one glass of wine on a Friday night.



BUT...

IF I WASN'T A RUNNER

1.  I wouldn't get to see the sun rise every morning.

2.  I wouldn't know how good it feels to have every inch of my body and clothes covered with sweat.

3.  I wouldn't have met some amazing friends.

4.  I wouldn't know the pure joy of crossing the finish line after weeks of hard work.

5.  I wouldn't get to eat 1 (or 2) extra pieces of chocolate cake without feeling an ounce of guilt.

6.  I wouldn't believe that runner's high actually exists.

7.  I wouldn't know how hard I could physically and mentally push my body.

8.  AND... I wouldn't know how good finishing a 26.2 mile (or even a 1 mile) run feels.  Don't believe me?  Just try it...at least 1 mile!

I may have to give up a little to be a runner... But running gives me so much more!

Happy Running Everyone!

Weekly Recap: Ended on a High Note

Today I ran 9 miles with Katie.  It was the first time in a long time when I ran an entire run with someone.  Lately,  I always have to finish off a few miles after my running partners are done.  I was very happy to have someone by my side the entire time.

I wasn't sure how my legs would feel after running 19 miles two days ago.  But I took yesterday completely off, so I thought they would be fine.  They were...

We ran 9 miles with our average pace at 8:23min/mile.  Our last mile came in at 8:10.  I am very happy with this run and how I felt.  My sister said I just about killed her on our run.  But she did just fine.  I am sure I would not have ran that fast if she wasn't with me.

This is how my week went:

Monday: 4 miles (felt good)
Tuesday: 9 miles (some stomach issues)
Wednesday:  4 easy miles (slow and easy)
Thursday:  19 miles  (stomach issues but happy with run)
Friday: Rest
Saturday:  9 miles (fastest medium long run I have ran in awhile)
Sunday: Rest

Today miles for the week:  45 miles!

I think next week will be the hardest week for me.  I have to increase my mileage again.  And I am coming off a high mileage week.  After next week, my training plan will start having a taper week every other week.  So I will be getting in more recovery time.

Happy Weekend!
Jaime

Long Run: 19 miles!

Whew!  I made it...19 miles!

I had to get in my loooong run today because I am on call this weekend.  Glad it's done.

And holy cow what a difference the cooler weather makes.  It was in the low 60s, instead of the 70/80s I have been used to running in.  It felt so much easier.

At the start, my legs were already tired.  Today was the 4th day I have ran in a row and I am not used to that.  But my legs held up pretty well.  Good job legs!

However my stomach did not do so well.  I felt nauseous again.  I haven't been feeling the best the last couple of days.  I may have a little virus.  I wasn't able to drink as much either.  Good thing the weather was cooler.  I don't think I would have made it otherwise.

I have never had problems with my toenails like a lot of runners do.  But today I had my first experience with that... My big toenail hurt so bad.  I have never heard runners say that it hurt that bad.   They just seem to be annoyed by it.  But it hurt me!  I thought, Am I going to have to stop because of my toenail pain?  I thought it would be bleeding or bruised when I was done.  It looked fine.  Hmm.

My overall pace was 8:56 for the 19 miles.  I kept a pretty even pace over the entire run.  I am so happy about that.  No slowing down today.  Obviously the weather helped.  My last mile came in at 8:49. Much better!

I wanted to say thank you for all the comments people have left on my blog and on my facebook page!  I never thought anyone would care to read my boring blog about running.  Writing is not my strength but I have enjoyed documenting my running journey so far.

Happy Running!
Jaime

2 more months!!!!!

Today is August 9th.  Do you know what that means?

Only 2 more months until the Chicago Marathon!

Am I ready?  Uh, no.  Not even close.  But good news...I have 2 more months to get ready.

More good news.  When Ryan and I stayed in Chicago a couple of weeks ago, we looked into getting a room at the Hilton.  Well it was over $500 for a room.  So we decided not to get one.  But mom my travels a lot for her job and said she can use her points to get us a room there.  Now we will be staying right near the start and finish of the marathon. Yippee!

See you in 2 months!

Looking back at my training so far...

What has gone well?
1.  I have been getting in a lot of miles (for me).  So much more than last year.  I have already had a 40+ week.  I hope to have a couple of 50 mile weeks too.
2.  I have been drinking a lot during my runs.  So much better than last year.
3.  I have only ran on the treadmill once.  I have been outside running in upper 70s/low 80s.  I really hope this will help since it should be cooler than that on race day.
4.  My body is holding up pretty well.  I have had some minor IT band issues, feet pain, and arch pain.  As of today, everything feels pretty good.
5.  I am recovering from my runs quicker.  I have never been sore after any of my runs.

What do I need to work on?
1.  Although my fluid intake is good, I need to work on getting in some more calories.  The shot blocks I used to like are getting harder to get down.
2.  I need to work on speed/tempo runs.  I just can't seem to go fast these days.
3.  I need to work on more hill runs.  I have only down 3 or 4?  runs with significant hills.  (Thank goodness the Chicago Marathon is flat-except the one hill that everybody talks about at the end)
4.  I need to work on running negative splits.  I always get slower at the end of my long runs.  Occasionally I am able to pick it up the last mile.  This is the biggest thing I need to work on.  I don't want to crash and burn like I did last year at mile 21.
5.  I don't know how to fix this... But my legs never feel fresh.  They are not sore but just feel heavy and have no spring in them.  Probably why I can't go fast these days.  (Ok, I probably could fix this by taking a few days off in a row.  But I need to get in those miles)

Today I ran 6.5 miles with Alyssa and then ran 2.5 more miles for a total of 9 miles.  This girl is fast!  I am not sure why she keeps agreeing to run with me because I am sure I slow her down.  But I love it because she always has such good advice and makes me go faster.  We were missing Lisa today.  Hopefully our trio will be back together next week.

I felt ok for the first 7 miles but then I suddenly felt like I was going to vomit.  I painfully finished running the 9 miles.  My nausea didn't go away until after lunch.  It was a pretty rough morning at work. Feeling much better tonight!

2 more months!!!!

Weekly Recap and Medical Mondays

Time for another addition of Medical Mondays:

1.  True or False:  Sodium in fast food meals may contain more than 50% of the recommended daily sodium content for children.

2.  True or False:  The Chicken Pox Vaccination cuts chicken pox death by 50% among children.

3.  True or false:  It is recommended to keep toddlers rear-facing in car seats until age 1.

Answers below...

My milage was down a little last week since it was a taper week.  I'm not sure that I feel more rested though.  It still felt like I ran a lot.

Monday: Rest
Tuesday:  8 miles
Wednesday:  4 easy miles
Thursday:  9 miles with 2 at tempo pace
Friday:  4 easy miles
Saturday:  12 miles with rolling hills
Sunday:  Rest

Total miles for the week:  37 miles

Answers:
1.   True.   A study in Childhood Obesity found that lunchtime meals served in fast-food restaurants contain more than 50% of recommended sodium intake for children, with some containing 100% of the recommended amount for preschoolers. 


2.  False.  It cuts death by 97%!!  The CDC, reporting data from 1990 to 2007, said that the percentage of adolescents and children who died from chickenpox declined 97% after the U.S. started its vaccination program in 1995.  I think vaccinations are one of the many thinks that Americans take for granted.  They save so many lives and I feel lucky that they are readily available to us.


3.  False:  The new American Academy of Pediatrics policy advises parents to keep their toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat. It also advises that most children will need to ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age.

Today I did an easy 4 miles.  I ran the first 3 miles at an 8:30 pace and it felt pretty easy.  Yea!  The last mile I picked up the pace a little bit and ran it in 8:10.  I felt really good during my run this morning.

Happy Monday!
Jaime

Long Run at Eagle Creek

This week was a taper week on my marathon training plan.  So I only had 12 miles on my schedule.

That sounded too easy.  So I made it a little harder by doing the run at Eagle Creek, which has lots of rolling hills.

Ryan and I made it a running date.  We even hired a babysitter for the morning.  My good friend, Christy, was supposed to join us but wasn't able to make it.  Ryan ran about the first 6 miles with me and then he rode his bike while I finished the 12 miles.  He loves riding so much more than running!

Eagle Creek Date:  No I didn't jump in a lake after my run.  That is sweat.  Hey, I try to look good on my dates.

Another beautiful day at Eagle Creek.  It was overcast so the sun wasn't beating down on me.  It felt cool too.  I was surprised when I checked the weather after the run and it said 77.  Definitely didn't feel that warm.

Overcast day.  This is the only section that is not shaded by trees.  I still think it is beautiful.

My legs felt heavy at the beginning and then felt better after a couple of miles.  But then the hills came.  I need to start loving hills because they are so many marathons that I want to run and  most of them are not flat.  I do love going downhill though.  My legs feel like they can fly and my lungs aren't working hard either.  I wish I always felt like that.  Is that how elite runners feel?

Overall pace for 12 miles: 8:50ish.  There is so much to look at in the park that the miles went by quick.  Before I knew it I was at mile 11 and I picked it up a little with my last mile split at 8:38min/mile.

Tomorrow is a rest day.  I need it to get ready for all the miles I am supposed to run next week.

Happy weekend!
Jaime

Tempo Run

Honestly, I didn't even know what a tempo run was until a few months ago.  I interpret a tempo run as breaking up a run into three parts:  warm-up, fast miles, then cool down.

Tempo runs are my least favorite runs.  I keep reading how important these runs are though.  So I attempted one today.  Ugh!

My goal was to run a couple of warm-up miles, run 3 miles at an 8 min pace and then slow down a little to finish out a 9 mile run.

Well I only ran 2 miles at 8 minutes.  I just don't like running that fast anymore.  It is not really my legs that slow me done but my lungs.  They burn...and I don't like that feeling.  I slowed my run down a little after those miles and averaged an 8:40 pace for the 9 miles.

I am not sure when it became so hard for me to run 8 min miles.  I used to be able to bang out 5 miles at that pace no problem.  I also ran 8 miles at that pace a few months ago.  Now I can't run more than 2 or 3  at that pace???  Am I getting slower?  I'll just tell myself that I am building up my endurance now and the speed will come later. (And I don't need to run 1 single mile in my marathon at that pace!)  Ok now I've made myself feel better.

Good news:  I ran 9 miles today!  Midweek.  That is a record for me.  Also the weather was fantastic this morning:)

So what are my favorite runs:
1.  Long runs:  I love how good I feel after a long run.  My lungs never hurt either.
2.  Intervals:  Ok I know I said I don't like to go fast.  But when it is only for a mile or 1/2 mile and then I can walk for a minute, I don't mind it.
3.  Easy runs:  I love going out and getting lost in my run and not worrying about pace at all.
4.  Tempo runs:  These are the hardest for me.

What is your least favorite run?  How do you get through it?

Early Morning Run

I woke up early today!  I met up with my Tuesday morning running friends, Alyssa and Lisa, and we were off and running by 5:45am.  It was early!  But it actually worked out perfect because I needed to get home a little earlier and still wanted to run 8 miles.

It is so nice running with these girls!  They talk and talk and it makes the miles fly by.  I try to chime in too but am not the best at telling stories while running.

Our pace was steady for the first 5 miles. Ranging between 8:00-8:30 min/mile.  Then I thought I needed to slow down for a bit.  I ran the next 2 miles a little slower but was able to pick up the pace again for the last mile.  I am glad when I am able to pick up the pace at the end of my runs.  Now I just need to do this in races:)

My legs felt heavy while running today.  Tonight they feel even more tired.  I am glad this week is a taper week.  Only 12 miles for my long run this weekend. (I can't believe I am now saying ONLY 12 miles)

I am so thankful that I am able to run!  I hope I never lose my passion for running or the ability to run!

Happy Running!