13.1 #3

My third half marathon is in the books and I am thrilled to say it exceeded my wildest expectations. There was honestly nothing I would have changed or done to improve the weekend even if I had a magic wand. Okay, maybe winning the lottery would not have been too shabby. Ha.

I know I was working hard to change my outlook on the race and my battle with ankle tendinitis. While I was feeling good prior to the race, I had my doubts that my positive outlook would hold out when faced with actually running 13.1 with less than stellar training and an ankle that was still giving me some issues. I think there were several factors that made this race a success:

1. My best friend flew across the country to run her very first half. If you are not excited at the prospect of cheering someone you love as they cross their first finish line, you probably have way different friendship standards than I do. I was so, so excited for her and knew she would kick ass. She's a cyclist (think century rides...you know, just 100 miles, no big deal) and has been running strong. She actually would have broken 2 hrs on her first time out, but the humidity is not something she is used to running with and it riled up her asthma. Hard to run when you aren't getting oxygen. Despite all that, she finished in just under 2:02. And she loved her first race. I would call that a success.
2. I got a Garmin. I know, I know. I hated the first one I tried back in December. Turns out I just wasn't a fan of the bezel on that model. I now have a 610 with a touch screen and am in love. The half on Saturday was actually my first official run with it. My husband has been joking that everything else will be a let down. But honestly? Seeing my live pace made my race. I had my ankle in a brace and was hobbling along. When it felt super hard, I would look at my watch and realize that it should be hard...I was running much faster than any of my current paces! I guess this could have worked against me as well. I could have looked down and seen that I was struggling at a pace that should have been easy. But if that had happened I like to think it would have been a good indicator that I needed a walk break, some water or fuel. I know there are many runners who like to run without technology, but to me it's all about how you choose to use it to better your run. If it's not working? Ditch it.
3. Gratitude. I am normally very focused on just getting it done. From regular runs to races. On Saturday, I took the extra time to enjoy. I took in the scenery. It was a beautiful course with a lake view the whole way. The temperatures could not have been more perfect. We had a light breeze that kept us cool as the sun shone and many shady patches. The spectators were amazing, from funny signs and cow bells to those who just lined up in front of their houses to share some love with us while they had their morning cup of Joe. The volunteers rocked. We were supposed to have only one spot on the course where they handed out GU gels, but the local track team handed out gels at several more water stops. The enthusiasm and spirit really came through and I took the time to thank each person who made an effort to support me with cheer or aid. If I stopped smiling the whole race, it was entirely unintentional. I have never had so much enjoyment from a run.

So how did it all turn out? Amazingly, despite injury, I have a new PR. I finished a few minutes behind my best friend at 2:04:45. There's not much more to say about that. I am just going to smile.

Holidaze

(source)

Heading into the homestretch before my next half and also the holiday weekend. Feels pretty good. Sure, I am still dealing with the ankle injury, but I am feeling (for the moment) rather zen about the whole thing. I am not an elite runner. Hell, I am not even a runner who might ever feel compelled to do a marathon. But I get out there and run, so I am a runner by some definition. A few quotes that particularly speak to me at this point in my running story:

"I don't have a runner's body, but I have a runner's heart - and that is all you need." ~ Jennifer Morris

"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you have been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run." ~ John Bingham

So, I am going to run this half marathon, injury or not. I am not going to complain about the fact that my training should be netting me a decent finishing time if not for my ankle pain. I am not crying over a lost PR. I am enjoying the run. Enjoying my time away with my husband and my best friend. A running holiday at it's finest. Life is good and I am running on.

Setbacks

(source)

It's been awhile since my last post. And while it's nice to see how high I was flying at that point, it's probably a good idea discuss the fact that the success was a bit short lived. After hobbling through that first long run after the long run where I sustained the major damage to my tendons, I felt like I was back in the game. I ran pretty much as scheduled, just throwing in a little more cross training and skipping my speedwork. I was doing so well that the following weekend, this past Saturday, I got up and ran the hilly park path. I rocked it. The weather was perfect, the scenery was gorgeous and my pace wasn't even too bad. My ankle felt perfectly fine and I was thrilled to be back in the game. Unfortunately that all fell apart a few hours later when my ankle started giving me major pain again. I iced. I used ibuprofen. I thought I would be golden to return to my miles after Sunday's scheduled rest day. Monday, I was not fine. I managed to run 4 miles, but they were not pretty. I kept RICEing (and added a "B" to the program because beer is integral to recovery as well). After two days off, yesterday's run ended just shy of 2 miles. I knew better than to keep pushing for the rest of my scheduled run. I am postponing my Saturday long run until Sunday and hoping some extra rest will get the job done. I have been using the elliptical, which doesn't aggravate my ankle at all, in the hopes that I am maintaining some fitness which is waning from not keeping up with my miles. I am still hoping to to 12 this weekend, but because my half marathon is next weekend, I am going to try to be conservative. I will run the flat subdivision route and be able to pull back early if I am still having a significant issue. Hopefully, I can making recovery a part of my training plan and still pull out of this stronger if only in mental fortitude. I know I can win the battle against this injury. I just need to keep playing it smart. And drinking beer.

Success

(Photo Credit)

Yep, I pretty much felt like this kid on Saturday morning. Long run = Success.

I woke up very early on Saturday morning after not sleeping well. Maybe I was anxious about the run or just had a random crappy night of sleep. I decided to play it safe and skip the drive to the park trail because it was so early and dark. This also gave me some sense of security because I could bail easily if my ankle tendons protested too much. The only activities during the week were biking, elliptical and some yoga, but I could tell my ankle would still be a little crabby and a hilly park trail probably wasn't the best idea. I ate some breakfast and suited up. The weather was perfect...mid 50s and overcast (well once the sun actually came up). My tendons were definitely not thrilled, but they were happy if I just plodded along. So I did. For 11 miles. My entire scheduled run, with only one quick stop at mile 5 for some GU and hydration. I think I am still wearing a goofy grin.

Slow and Steady

(Via Google)

Yes, I am the tortoise. I am bracing the "slow" and owning it. How is the ankle? Well, I can still feel soreness. Is it okay to run? I will let you know after I try it out tomorrow morning. I was pretty good about taking it easy all week after the fiasco of Monday's miles being cut short. I have been RICEing it up. Not so much the elevation part, but I didn't have swelling. Rest? Check. Did nothing on Tuesday. Some elliptical on Wednesday (no pain) and some biking yesterday (again without pain). Today was a nice yoga program (mostly stretching, no complex poses). Ice? Check. I have been icing several times a day. It's a good excuse to tell the kids I need to sit and make some headway with my eBook on the iPad. Compression? Check x2. I actually bought an ankle brace on Tuesday that was causing more pain that it was worth. I went back and got a lighter wrap yesterday and it seems to help.

So. The plan for tomorrow. If I am trying to stick to my training, I have 11 miles on the schedule. I am not sure how that will go, either with pain or the fact that I haven't run all week. I am planning on heading a local park in the morning. At first I was worried that it would be a waste of a drive (it's a little over 15 mins. away) and thinking I should stay home. But, I need some hill training. Really need it. I figure even if I can't run, I can hopefully get some benefit of shuffling up and down the hilly terrain on the park path. I am planning on wearing the ankle wrap for stability and playing it conservatively (read: slow and steady). Here's to hoping this tortoise can get it done.

Ankle Drama

Okay, I get that I have been lucky to escape injury for the two years I have been running. Not that I am lightening fast, but I just don't have the best athletic body type and the structural issues I battle are ones that can often lead to some injury. I get that. But still? I am kind of pissed off to be in pain right now, to be honest.

Let's back up a bit. I have mentioned loving my new shoes. I love them and think they are amazing. However, I didn't heed the wise advice on working slowly to increase the mileage I was running in said shoes. I also had some issues because my arch supports (and the ones with the shoes) didn't seem to work for me. Despite having high arches, I don't tend to pronate so the insert's correction for pronation felt like it was causing pain in my left heel. I thought I could just take out the arch supports all together and run through it. Smart, huh? Well, that's not working so well. I had 10 miles on the schedule this week. I had done my last two 9 milers at a decent pace so when I was invited to tag along with a new friend (who I met through a local race), I jumped at the opportunity for some company. I have always been rather envious of those who have running buddies and since this friend is training for the full marathon (at the same race I am doing my upcoming half) she was happy to run at my slower pace. We met up at a local area running spot on Saturday morning and set off on our way. My typical route around my neighborhood is, unfortunately, pancake flat. For my last half marathons, I was good about heading over to a local-ish park and working through some hills, but I have been lazy about it during this training cycle. And it shows. The route we took was full of rolling hills. Nothing that should have been too intimidating, but my quads were screaming nonetheless. Maybe this is why I also didn't hear my ankle crying out? Whatever the reason, I scrambled through the run (with kind of a shoddy pace, but at least their was good conversation and my running partner was not unhappy for an easy run on her cut-back week) and felt decent-ish while running around and doing errands the rest of the day.

Sunday was rest and today I headed out to do a 5-er...after a mile, I was back home. I had worn my old, more supportive shoes because there was a little twinge from the heel before starting out. The shoes seemed to actually aggravate the problem though and I switched to my new kicks thinking maybe they would be the solution. No dice. I called it quits at 3 miles and after hobbling quite a bit in pain. I think this is my issue. It makes sense because those tendons connect to the arch and I obviously have problems in that area. I am icing, using ibuprofen and going to look into seeing if a brace would help for the short-term recovery period. I want to be smart about all this, but also not lose all the training I have done so far for my half. I am less than a month out from the race. I am upset, but trying to keep a level head. I know this happens to everyone who has run for any length of time. After two years, I had a good injury-free run. I made some bad decisions that probably led to my injury and need to live, learn and move forward. But yeah, I am probably going to be pissy for a bit here. ;)

Getting it Done

I completed another 9 miler this weekend. Was it easier than last week's? Sorta. Maybe. We had some celebrating at our house before the run that included Mexican food and a chocolate mousse cake. I may have had a good amount of both items. Did they digest before run time? Not so much. I have pretty strong stomach, but running with that much undigested food on board is in no way ideal. Many runners also seem to do great with whatever carbs they shove in their bodies, but cake did not fuel my run. It kinda sat on top of the Mexican food and laughed at me. But whatever, Cake. I got it done. High wind and cool temps also made it a little harder than regular weekly runs, but the wind has seemed to kick up for all of my long runs, so I was pretty prepared to deal with my old friend. 20+ mph? Good to see you. Bring it. One stop at mile 5 for water and a GU. Pretty sure that GU was just chilling with the cake, but I was hoping it might give me a caffeinated kick for the last few miles. Eh, those miles didn't have a kick, but there wasn't a ton of kick in any of the miles. Sometimes you just plod on anyway. It felt great to get the run completed, as always. It was slow, but I guess long runs should be slower sometimes. My only real complaint? I can't seem to work out the perfect combination of shoes + inserts. For some reason the inserts that came with my new shoes and my custom inserts both make my left foot feel like the heel is tipping to the outside. This in turn is making my Achilles sore...definitely not an injury I want to deal with. Yesterday I removed all inserts and ran with just the cushioned shoe bed. My Achilles felt fine after the first warm-up mile, but my arches were definitely sore while I was running. They feel okay today, so maybe I am on the right track and they just need to get used to not having the extra support of an orthotic? Maybe they will strengthen over time? No idea. I am just going to keep tweaking. And moving forward.