Weekly Re-cap

I've gotten a little behind this week on blogging.

Let's see: I began getting sick with this silly headcold on Tuesday, just in time for our first hill training session. Took yesterday off for my birthday and to recover from running up and down a hill 3x. This morning I woke up even more congested but still laced up my sneakers and met my friend Steph out for a 4 mile run. I screwed up the course and we ended up doing 4.8 (I was ready to walk the last .2 and we did - this cold, ugh) but overall felt good and was glad I kept with the training calendar.

Off to Los Angeles on Saturday for my long run, already mapped out:
http://www.dailymile.com/routes/264257-running-route-in-venice-ca

8 Miles ... report after our weekend away, after the run we have a wedding and then a day of sitting by the pool (a recovery run in the water?) and then dinner and the LA Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. All kid free :)

Weekend Re-cap

No one ever drowned in sweat. - Author Unknown

This may be true but I came pretty close on Saturday. I did my 7 miles in one fractured outer loop of the park, one reservoir and one bridle path, back onto the outer loop, across 102 and down around to Cherry Hill. I ate the sport beans after one hour and alternated water and nuun kona kola to drink. I sweat so much that I think I shorted out my ipod shuffle. But I did it and I felt great. Almost pain free!

I have been using the foam roller and doing my best to be kind to my body. Yesterday's recovery run was fine and I think if the weather would just give a little, I could break through that wall that is keeping me from LOVING this. I am firmly settled on the determination side of running, I just want to really be able to physically enjoy it.

Just got my TNT practice info for tomorrow: Hill Training Starts: "Half-marathoners/Beginners: From Cherry Hill, you'll warm up heading east on the transverse. Make a left at the end of the transverse, continuing to the bottom of Cat Hill, at the traffic light next to The Boathouse (a coach will be there). That's the starting point for our hill repeats. We'll be running up to the top of Cat Hill, to the traffic light at the top. Then we'll turn around, go back to the starting point at the bottom of the hill and repeat. You'll do 3-4 roundtrips."

Yikes.

Update on Pain

Three words: Deep. Tissue. Massage.

I feel like a new woman, and my foam roller came which as I recalled hurts like a motherf*!%er but works. 

Had a good dinner (quinoa, avocado in lemon juice and seasalt, and a little fresh ricotta mixed in) and yet another Vitamin Water Zero and a sugar free Edy's Fruit Pop for dessert. 

My clothes are laid out, my fuel belt bottles are on ice (2 water, 2 Kona Cola flavored Nuun), sports beans tucked in my fuel belt. 

I am as ready as I am going to be to go 7. 

Run Jenny Run.

Lately, pain.

"Hard things take time to do. Impossible things take a little longer." 
Percy Cerutty, an athletics coach in the 1950s and 1960s


The Runner's World quote of the day felt particularly relevant today. I have been training according to the TNT schedule but really suffering in recovery: hobbling like an old lady, unable to get out of bed comfortably and aching most of the time. When I first started training, I would not take advantage of the days off, instead doing pilates or core fusion. These days, I need every minute NOT training. And on top of it, I am an active consumer of eastern medicinals, acupuncture, stretching, massage and naproxin. Makes me ask, am I meant to do this?

Tomorrow is a seven mile run. I am scared and excited at the same time. I am resting today, hydrating and I have a massage scheduled. I will go to bed early, no wine, light but satisfying dinner. If all this does not help make tomorrow easier, this will be a hard thing to internalize. I have to realize that each long run in my training is the farthest I have ever run, and my body is going to groan about that, but I can only pray that at some point it gets a little easier. I can take soreness, it is the pain that undoes me.

I still have faith that this is just hard, not impossible. 

E4

E4 is when you cannot talk except to swear f@*K at the TNT coaches as you run by them for four Central Park lampposts.

Last night we did interval training, 4 posts E4, 2 posts E1/recovery. Man, I am sore but proud.

My shoulder is almost all better but my quads are smarting from practice. I booked a pilates machine session today to strength build and free up my muscles a bit.

Saturday is my first race since I have been training, a 4 miler and appropriately today's QOTD:

"Jitters are actually good for a short race. Adrenaline will rev up your engine. Think of it as fuel."
Lucinda Seares-Monica, Psy.D., a clinical psychologist

Max is running the kids race at 10 am, my start is 9 am. Huge motivation to run a quick race, so that I can be at the start for Max!

Two lower loops tomorrow with a friend from Mandell whose son is also running with Max and she is running with me. Friday rest and Saturday is race day!

Pain

My shoulder aches. And like that old schoolhouse rock song, the "Shin bone connected to the knee bone" and when I run my back tightens up which up the chain seems to cause my shoulder to spasm. I had a great acupuncture session yesterday and it feels like it helped but I am still uncomfortable.

And when I am in pain, I am no fun. No patience, little sense of humor and generally cranky.

Upside: Looks like we might have GTS in the rain tonight ... I actually like that!

Hey, while I have you;

My friends at MyMixedNuts.com are supporting my Team In Training effort by offering 10% off your order (I love to custom mix!) and $1 of every order goes to help raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Use the code RUNJENNYRUN and give them a try!

GTS Long Run

I ran with a TNT pace buddy yesterday who was having a rough run so we walked and stopped here and there so my time and effort were inconsistent. I am not sure though if I were on my own if I would have done much better. Still trying to figure out the nutrition piece of running. How much to eat before a run in order to feel fueled but not sick. I drank a chocolate 1% milk before this run and felt ok but rather tired on the back of the out and back run. I might have to experiment with some sort of carb gel/energy food.

Today my back hurts terribly from residual core fusion sport and the run combined. I have taken a naproxin and it is less sharp but I am dreading my active recovery run today although I am sure it will help. I am going to do the 30 minute run after the kids go to sleep before I have dinner.

Jury duty tomorrow should make training interesting this week!

Update:  I skipped my run on Sunday and just rested.

Crummy

Not a great run tonight, had a stomach full of an organic soup that did not digest fast enough, was hot, and did just a bit more than TNT had suggested so that was a goal accomplished.

Looking forward to my 6 miler on Saturday. That should be a good one.

Thursday - still hot out

I am looking forward to my run today. I have recovered from Tuesday's crazy 99 degree jaunt and am back for more. I have been doing an Organic Avenue "5 days of Live.Organic.Vegan.Experience. Daily, fresh, ripe, raw-live, organic, vegan, consciously prepared sustenance…in the form of: juices, smoothies, soups, mylks, salads…" fast this week while Tom has been in London. It has been perfect for the weather as it is mostly cold soups, smoothies and juices and one small (tiny) salad-type meal. After July 4th's record run but also record wine consumption, it was time to juice my way back into detox mode and I was eager to try something other than the BluePrint Cleanse (which I still love and have several one day cleanses planned in the coming weeks, mostly post holiday re-sets.) The juices and foods are different everyday (other than the staple green juice.) I was super intimidated on the first day (Tuesday) which was the same day as my super hot run but I survived and am glad I stuck with it. 

That said, I cannot wait for my pinot noir on Saturday night. 

Will post post-run notes later!

QOTD

Do the things that you used to do without fear. Take the risk. It's all right to fall down and scab your knees. 

Pat Tyson, Head coach of the Gonzaga University track and cross country programs 

6 Miles

More tomorrow on my holiday weekend re-cap, but for now I just want to report on my accidental 6 mile run. I set out for 5, went too far and needed to go home, felt good enough to keep running when I hit 5 (promised myself a walking break at that point but skipped it) and just kept on going.

I am one proud Jenny.

Listening to my body

Body: "I'm really tired and I think I need a rest."
Mind: "You did run on Wednesday, longer than you have ever run and TNT said it was rest or cross training day."
Body: "And we did do a hard pilates session yesterday..."
Mind: "But what if I slip and slack and give up by resting?"
Body: "Gotta do 5 miles tomorrow, please rest."
Mind: "Fine, no workout today but I am going to obsess about it all day until I run tomorrow."
Body: "Whatev."

The internal dialog that I will probably always have with myself rests largely in the right to not do everything to the nth degree. Cut myself slack without slacking. Yes TNT has today as a rest day, but every other rest day I have done core fusion or pilates or even gone for a run. I am not sure why but I have not yet developed the confidence to rest without thinking that I am going to just stop running. It is illogical but powerful. I'll get there but man, it is quite a nagging voice.

Body: "Thank you, by the way."