This blog has been so many things to me over the last 15 months. With the 2011 NYC Marathon coming up it's time to move on though. I did run NYC. In my mind, I ran the hell out of it. But I've moved onto other things and so my blog needs to, too.
Come on over to lifeisawhiteboard.com to continue this journey with me. I don't know where I'll be going with it but that's half the fun, I'm learning.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Sunday, October 2, 2011
When the skies clear (or "when Debbie Allen got into my head")
Anyone who knows me knows 2 things: I'm a terrible sleeper and I'm not a morning person. When I know have to get up early for something I sleep even worse. So it was no wonder I had a million bad dreams when I was kinda/sorta sleeping about not getting up and missing my run today. I was so anxious about it. I didn't know if I was well enough to handle it. The Tuff Scrambler was fun, this was serious. Every week the long run has more and more riding on it.
It was POURING when I got up. As I was driving I had a very short but very stern conversation with myself:
Me: Why the f**k did I get up at 6 am on a Sunday to drive a half hour so I could run for 2 hours in the rain?
Me: Because you want to be a marathoner. You want the glory? Suck it up. It is what it is. This is where you pay for that medal.
And then Debbie Allen popped into my head and nicely summed up what marathon training is:
I've had the good fortune to meet a lot of marathoners. Once you've run one it's like you're in the club. The first question is always: which one did you do? And the second is: what was the weather? Unless, of course, they already know the weather because marathoners are as obsessed with weather as they are running. Weather is a universal nemesis, it's something we all contend with. I was talking with my doctor once about the NYC marathon. He knew the temperature and humidity for the one I did without me having to tell him and then broke into a huge smile and laugh (he's usually pretty serious) when he told me how the skies opened up and poured for him at mile 18 the year he did it. We weren't doctor and patient, we were two fellow runners sharing our stories.
Ever since I became interested in doing a marathon I started following the weather for the major ones each year. I felt terrible for the people in the 2007 Boston Marathon who ran it in a Nor'Easter. I felt the pain of the 2008 Chicago marathoners when temps got in the high 80s. I'll be paying attention to the weather for NYC this year. I'm not running it but I feel a kinship with all the newbies who have trained all summer for it and the veterans who have seen it all. I was so lucky to have a sunny, cool day for NYC last year. I can't assume I'll get that every time I train for an event. And that's why I didn't turn around, I kept driving toward my starting point because what are you going to do on race day if it rains? Go back to sleep and not do it? Ask them to reschedule? No, you go line up with the rest of the other poor bastards knowing that you'll have a hell of a story when all is said and done.
It was raining when I started but it wasn't pouring. As I made my way to the shore I could tell that the storm was moving away. At mile 3 I saw this and took a picture. It made me so happy that I had gotten up early, driven to OS, and started running regardless of the weather.
How incredible is that? It's such a metaphor for training and I am so glad I have this image to come back to.
The run ended up being my strongest since surgery. I'm proud of this one! I've come a long way in 3 weeks.
When I started I was hoping to stay in the 12s the whole time. I ended up with an overall pace of 10:44/mile! That doesn't mean I won't be back in the 12s again next week but this one gave me hope, given all that went into it.
My stomach is really tender now though. It will probably be a few more weeks before I can run without a compression binder and maybe even more weeks before I'm not sore after. I am still marveling at how hard this surgery was and continues to be.
The skies will clear though.
It was POURING when I got up. As I was driving I had a very short but very stern conversation with myself:
Me: Why the f**k did I get up at 6 am on a Sunday to drive a half hour so I could run for 2 hours in the rain?
Me: Because you want to be a marathoner. You want the glory? Suck it up. It is what it is. This is where you pay for that medal.
And then Debbie Allen popped into my head and nicely summed up what marathon training is:
I've had the good fortune to meet a lot of marathoners. Once you've run one it's like you're in the club. The first question is always: which one did you do? And the second is: what was the weather? Unless, of course, they already know the weather because marathoners are as obsessed with weather as they are running. Weather is a universal nemesis, it's something we all contend with. I was talking with my doctor once about the NYC marathon. He knew the temperature and humidity for the one I did without me having to tell him and then broke into a huge smile and laugh (he's usually pretty serious) when he told me how the skies opened up and poured for him at mile 18 the year he did it. We weren't doctor and patient, we were two fellow runners sharing our stories.
Ever since I became interested in doing a marathon I started following the weather for the major ones each year. I felt terrible for the people in the 2007 Boston Marathon who ran it in a Nor'Easter. I felt the pain of the 2008 Chicago marathoners when temps got in the high 80s. I'll be paying attention to the weather for NYC this year. I'm not running it but I feel a kinship with all the newbies who have trained all summer for it and the veterans who have seen it all. I was so lucky to have a sunny, cool day for NYC last year. I can't assume I'll get that every time I train for an event. And that's why I didn't turn around, I kept driving toward my starting point because what are you going to do on race day if it rains? Go back to sleep and not do it? Ask them to reschedule? No, you go line up with the rest of the other poor bastards knowing that you'll have a hell of a story when all is said and done.
It was raining when I started but it wasn't pouring. As I made my way to the shore I could tell that the storm was moving away. At mile 3 I saw this and took a picture. It made me so happy that I had gotten up early, driven to OS, and started running regardless of the weather.
How incredible is that? It's such a metaphor for training and I am so glad I have this image to come back to.
The run ended up being my strongest since surgery. I'm proud of this one! I've come a long way in 3 weeks.
When I started I was hoping to stay in the 12s the whole time. I ended up with an overall pace of 10:44/mile! That doesn't mean I won't be back in the 12s again next week but this one gave me hope, given all that went into it.
My stomach is really tender now though. It will probably be a few more weeks before I can run without a compression binder and maybe even more weeks before I'm not sore after. I am still marveling at how hard this surgery was and continues to be.
The skies will clear though.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Back in action
Today was a really, really great day.
The Tuff Scramblers was SO much fun. It was the perfect event to do as my comeback race. It was so low key, I was with my dear friend, and I had nothing to prove other than to finish and have a good time. Mission accomplished.
The first mile was all trail -- REAL trail, not like the Airline Trail which is kind of like a dirt road. It's so different, we felt it in our calves immediately. Lots of tree roots, going over or under fallen trees, slogging through streams -- it was a true trail.
After the first mile we started getting to some obstacles. There were a lot of giant mud mountains that we had to climb. We had both watched the video and seen the people running down it and decided there was no way we were risking taking out our ankles so we butt slid. Very effective and quite fun!
And here's our butt print in another dirt mountain.
There were a few giant hills made out of boulders. My friend really got me through those because, while I had been feeling okay with my abdomen about the obstacles I was doing I was scared to death of slipping on a muddy rock and ripping something. She loves to hike -- the real deal hiking -- so she got me through some of the scarier parts where I really didn't know which rock was safest and if I could even reach it. Here's one of the boulder mountains.
And putting on a brave face that I wasn't scared out of my mind of falling.
Every time we thought we were done because we could see the finish line we would end up taking a turn and going back into the woods for for trail. It happened at least 3 times. Near the end they had made giant pyramids of wrapped hay bales. I skipped that one. If I wasn't afraid of popping whatever stitches I have left I could have done it. They were about chest height so I just would have had to use my upper body to get a boost and pull my legs up. Even just engaging that motion made me feel my core and that was just too scary. Especially if I had gotten to the second or third tier of the hay bales and been about 25 feet high and then couldn't get down. I was okay with that. Tough Mudder is still 6 weeks away and I won't have that fear then.
My friend was having a really good time but she said that she thought we'd be covered in mud and soaking wet. Well, she kind of got her wish. The last obstacle was a swimout and we both got wet, for sure.
It was so much fun and the perfect way to get ready for the Mudder. The post-race food was the best I've ever had -- pulled pork sandwiches, pizza, and beer! It beats a bagel and an orange for sure. I hope they have the race again next year. It wasn't really well attended but it wasn't really advertised either. I'd definitely do it again next year. Tough Mudder and Spartan is a circus -- a jacked-up, fun circus -- but a circus all the same. It's all Xfit and military, it's the fittest of the fittest. It's a different vibe. This was just fun. And that's what I needed.
The Mudder is going to be a lot of fun this year. My friend and I are going to go at the pace we did the Tuff Scrambler and have a good time with it. We'll stop for pictures, walk when we need to, and have the best time we can with it. I'm really looking forward to it now!
The 9 miles tomorrow though... That's another story.
The Tuff Scramblers was SO much fun. It was the perfect event to do as my comeback race. It was so low key, I was with my dear friend, and I had nothing to prove other than to finish and have a good time. Mission accomplished.
The first mile was all trail -- REAL trail, not like the Airline Trail which is kind of like a dirt road. It's so different, we felt it in our calves immediately. Lots of tree roots, going over or under fallen trees, slogging through streams -- it was a true trail.
After the first mile we started getting to some obstacles. There were a lot of giant mud mountains that we had to climb. We had both watched the video and seen the people running down it and decided there was no way we were risking taking out our ankles so we butt slid. Very effective and quite fun!
And here's our butt print in another dirt mountain.
There were a few giant hills made out of boulders. My friend really got me through those because, while I had been feeling okay with my abdomen about the obstacles I was doing I was scared to death of slipping on a muddy rock and ripping something. She loves to hike -- the real deal hiking -- so she got me through some of the scarier parts where I really didn't know which rock was safest and if I could even reach it. Here's one of the boulder mountains.
And putting on a brave face that I wasn't scared out of my mind of falling.
Every time we thought we were done because we could see the finish line we would end up taking a turn and going back into the woods for for trail. It happened at least 3 times. Near the end they had made giant pyramids of wrapped hay bales. I skipped that one. If I wasn't afraid of popping whatever stitches I have left I could have done it. They were about chest height so I just would have had to use my upper body to get a boost and pull my legs up. Even just engaging that motion made me feel my core and that was just too scary. Especially if I had gotten to the second or third tier of the hay bales and been about 25 feet high and then couldn't get down. I was okay with that. Tough Mudder is still 6 weeks away and I won't have that fear then.
My friend was having a really good time but she said that she thought we'd be covered in mud and soaking wet. Well, she kind of got her wish. The last obstacle was a swimout and we both got wet, for sure.
It was so much fun and the perfect way to get ready for the Mudder. The post-race food was the best I've ever had -- pulled pork sandwiches, pizza, and beer! It beats a bagel and an orange for sure. I hope they have the race again next year. It wasn't really well attended but it wasn't really advertised either. I'd definitely do it again next year. Tough Mudder and Spartan is a circus -- a jacked-up, fun circus -- but a circus all the same. It's all Xfit and military, it's the fittest of the fittest. It's a different vibe. This was just fun. And that's what I needed.
The Mudder is going to be a lot of fun this year. My friend and I are going to go at the pace we did the Tuff Scrambler and have a good time with it. We'll stop for pictures, walk when we need to, and have the best time we can with it. I'm really looking forward to it now!
The 9 miles tomorrow though... That's another story.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Testing boundaries
We went to xfit tonight. I checked the WOD last night online and it seemed like something I could do: 3 rounds of 10 deadlifts, 20 pull ups, and 400 meter run. I knew I could scale the deadlift weight back to something that wouldn't hurt, I knew I could go back to using the green and blue band for the pullups so I wouldn't stretch anything that shouldn't be stretched, and I knew I could do the 3 runs. Having my husband go to xfit with me has become the greatest thing for me. I know I always have someone who is going to encourage me, motivate me, and celebrate my successes. Going back after surgery has added another level of security: I know he's watching out for me to make sure I don't hurt myself.
When we set up our barbells I felt like a wimp. The women's RX weight was 185, which is really high for 30 DLs but I had my bar set at 65 lbs. I just didn't want to risk pulling anything. It was all guys in the class and they had their bars set anywhere from 150 lbs to 275! There was no way I was competing with that and it's not like anyone expected me to.
The WOD was great. I ripped through the first 2 sets of pullups I'm not used to having that extra band. The deadlifts didn't hurt. The runs were a good cardio blast. I felt like 6 weeks and 1 day out from surgery I was on my way to rebuilding my xfit base.
Afterwards we went grocery shopping and my abdomen felt kind of tender. When I got home I looked and it's definitely swollen. I don't think it's anything serious, I never felt any pain during the WOD like I had hurt myself. I think it's just swelling from pushing a little harder than maybe I should have. I hope it's back to normal tomorrow morning. It's a reminder that my body has been through a huge ordeal and as much as *I* want to be done with this I have to still respect the healing process.
I'm glad tomorrow is a rest day from working out. I have big things this weekend. If I have to go slow, I go slow. Finishing slow is better than not finishing at all. "Listen to your body" is always a tenet of fitness. I really need to heed that advice.
When we set up our barbells I felt like a wimp. The women's RX weight was 185, which is really high for 30 DLs but I had my bar set at 65 lbs. I just didn't want to risk pulling anything. It was all guys in the class and they had their bars set anywhere from 150 lbs to 275! There was no way I was competing with that and it's not like anyone expected me to.
The WOD was great. I ripped through the first 2 sets of pullups I'm not used to having that extra band. The deadlifts didn't hurt. The runs were a good cardio blast. I felt like 6 weeks and 1 day out from surgery I was on my way to rebuilding my xfit base.
Afterwards we went grocery shopping and my abdomen felt kind of tender. When I got home I looked and it's definitely swollen. I don't think it's anything serious, I never felt any pain during the WOD like I had hurt myself. I think it's just swelling from pushing a little harder than maybe I should have. I hope it's back to normal tomorrow morning. It's a reminder that my body has been through a huge ordeal and as much as *I* want to be done with this I have to still respect the healing process.
I'm glad tomorrow is a rest day from working out. I have big things this weekend. If I have to go slow, I go slow. Finishing slow is better than not finishing at all. "Listen to your body" is always a tenet of fitness. I really need to heed that advice.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
TNRC
Our Tuesday Night Running Club is gaining momentum! We had a great time last night and got to celebrate our newest member's engagement in the process (congrats, Deb!!). It was the weirdest weather, it was cold and humid at the same time. I was slimy and had goosebumps at the same time. So gross. I felt like I was struggling a lot in the first mile but it ended up being a great run, my strongest yet. We did 4.77 miles and if we hadn't stopped at the end to talk for a few minutes with some people from Xfit who were running in the opposite direction our overall pace would have been in the mid-11s. All our miles were at a nice pace, certainly my best since surgery.
This was doing a 5 min running/2 min walking intervals the whole time. That's really not bad at all. We're going to keep working upward, next week we'll do 6/2, etc. Since we all have to build endurance for the Mudder in a relatively short time I proposed this method because it's worked for me before. The pace will come down eventually, it always does.
When we were getting ready to leave everyone had their headphones, probably out of habit. One of the women said "you're bringing headphones? I thought we'd be chatting." Of course we would be. I think it's new for all of us to not make running a solitary thing. Since there were 4 of us there was always someone to talk to and at the end when Deb and I moved ahead a little from the rest of our group (I was feeling strong and happy to take advantage of it!) I got to chat more with her.
I think this is going to be a regular thing. We're all seeing the benefits of running with other people. If the weather is shitty (and it has been the last 2 weeks) we all keep going instead of turning around. If we're tired there is someone to boost you up and tell you to keep going.
Today I did 3 because I go back to work tomorrow and I'm fairly certain I won't be getting up early (as if) nor will I want to do it when I get home. That works out well because that gives me Thursday and Friday to get ready for the weekend: the Tuff Scrambler on Saturday and then my long run on Sunday. I *might* do Xfit on Friday night but I'll modify it again until I'm fully comfortable. Now that I know the dissolvable stitches really are dissolving at this timepoint (6-8 weeks) I'm still afraid to do some of the aggressive movements. I miss those aggressive movements, like toes to bar or nice, heavy kettlebell swings but until I am sure I'm not going to rip something inside there's no need to push it. Running is the focus until January anyway.
That said, I'm not looking forward to Sunday. I didn't get a taper week because I was making up for lost time but it is what it is. It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to keep happening. I'm realizing that if I was able to bounce back from surgery and 4 weeks off from everything and am making progress my heart and spirit will carry me through the runs that my legs don't want to. At least I hope...
This was doing a 5 min running/2 min walking intervals the whole time. That's really not bad at all. We're going to keep working upward, next week we'll do 6/2, etc. Since we all have to build endurance for the Mudder in a relatively short time I proposed this method because it's worked for me before. The pace will come down eventually, it always does.
When we were getting ready to leave everyone had their headphones, probably out of habit. One of the women said "you're bringing headphones? I thought we'd be chatting." Of course we would be. I think it's new for all of us to not make running a solitary thing. Since there were 4 of us there was always someone to talk to and at the end when Deb and I moved ahead a little from the rest of our group (I was feeling strong and happy to take advantage of it!) I got to chat more with her.
I think this is going to be a regular thing. We're all seeing the benefits of running with other people. If the weather is shitty (and it has been the last 2 weeks) we all keep going instead of turning around. If we're tired there is someone to boost you up and tell you to keep going.
Today I did 3 because I go back to work tomorrow and I'm fairly certain I won't be getting up early (as if) nor will I want to do it when I get home. That works out well because that gives me Thursday and Friday to get ready for the weekend: the Tuff Scrambler on Saturday and then my long run on Sunday. I *might* do Xfit on Friday night but I'll modify it again until I'm fully comfortable. Now that I know the dissolvable stitches really are dissolving at this timepoint (6-8 weeks) I'm still afraid to do some of the aggressive movements. I miss those aggressive movements, like toes to bar or nice, heavy kettlebell swings but until I am sure I'm not going to rip something inside there's no need to push it. Running is the focus until January anyway.
That said, I'm not looking forward to Sunday. I didn't get a taper week because I was making up for lost time but it is what it is. It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to keep happening. I'm realizing that if I was able to bounce back from surgery and 4 weeks off from everything and am making progress my heart and spirit will carry me through the runs that my legs don't want to. At least I hope...
Monday, September 26, 2011
A plunge into normal
I went for a follow up appointment today. My surgeon is so sweet, I really like her. She's happy with the healing and said I have "good contours" 6 weeks out. I guess that's good. Maybe I'll have better ones to come. Haha! We talked again about my hips and while the swelling has started to come down I have 2 pointy scars where the skin where the 2 incisions came together on each hip. I can live with scarring but they are right above my hip line where my workout clothes would be and they poke out. I hadn't decided if I should be distraught over it because I just decided last week to see what happens before getting any more depressed.
Turns out, I don't even need to sweat this one. My surgeon said they should flatten out but if they don't by 6 months she can fix them with local anesthetic and a small incision in the office. She said it's a tradeoff with the surgery, either she extends the incision further back on the hip or does it this way and usually they go away. I was so relieved that it's a little fix and something she said she would be happy to do for me. If that issue goes away I will be in such a better place with all of this because I'm starting to like the results now that the swelling is starting to go down and I am returning to workouts. I can't this enough: this procedure was a total mindf*ck and continues to be. It's not like on tv, that's for sure.
I think we're just days away from my new blog! I saw the revised header today and I'm loving it! It will be a good time to start something new, even if I end up talking about the same crap anyway.
The "Tuesday Night Running Club" as it's now been called is supposed to go again tomorrow. I would happily trade seconds on pace for laughs. I can see why people train together now. I have a shitload of it ahead of me so getting to break it up with companions is going to be a really nice change for me.
This Saturday my friend and I are doing this:
What the hell was I thinking? This is my first event back? HAHAHA! No better way to get into the swing of things for the Mudder than to jump right in. This will make my long run on Sunday extra enjoyable! :) This is the life I wanted, can't complain now!
Turns out, I don't even need to sweat this one. My surgeon said they should flatten out but if they don't by 6 months she can fix them with local anesthetic and a small incision in the office. She said it's a tradeoff with the surgery, either she extends the incision further back on the hip or does it this way and usually they go away. I was so relieved that it's a little fix and something she said she would be happy to do for me. If that issue goes away I will be in such a better place with all of this because I'm starting to like the results now that the swelling is starting to go down and I am returning to workouts. I can't this enough: this procedure was a total mindf*ck and continues to be. It's not like on tv, that's for sure.
I think we're just days away from my new blog! I saw the revised header today and I'm loving it! It will be a good time to start something new, even if I end up talking about the same crap anyway.
The "Tuesday Night Running Club" as it's now been called is supposed to go again tomorrow. I would happily trade seconds on pace for laughs. I can see why people train together now. I have a shitload of it ahead of me so getting to break it up with companions is going to be a really nice change for me.
This Saturday my friend and I are doing this:
What the hell was I thinking? This is my first event back? HAHAHA! No better way to get into the swing of things for the Mudder than to jump right in. This will make my long run on Sunday extra enjoyable! :) This is the life I wanted, can't complain now!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
The long haul
That's what today was. It felt like I was breathing in soup, wearing soup, and running through soup. For someone who's been back at running a whole 2 weeks now it was quite a challenge. But...it got done.
7 miles. Not fast, not pretty, but 7 miles. We started out with 3 of us but one of the woman had to be back for her kids so she did 4 with us. We all immediately felt the drain of the air quality. It's not just the lungs, it gets into your muscles -- everything! If I wasn't with my friend it would have been a much rougher time but, as always, she keeps me going and motivates me to be stronger. I used to think I could only run listening to music but now that I'm running with my friend more and more I don't want to listen to music. I love our chats as we're slogging through the mucky air. I'm going to miss her next week when I do 9 alone on Sunday. :(
I finally wrote out my training schedule for Goofy. I had to do it 3 times because, apparently, it's harder to count out 18 weeks than you'd think. I knew I missed the first week but now I think I have it all squared away. You know what? I'm hating it. I know all too well this feeling of unrelenting pressure for EIGHTEEN WEEKS of living under a strict schedule. Every long run is critical because it's a set up for the one the following week. And the week after.
I read through some blog entries from last year to see where the stress of the training schedule started to get to me. It was week 6. As soon as the long runs all got over 10 miles and the mid-length run started to creep up I felt like I was under incredible pressure that wouldn't end for another 3 months. That's a LONG time. Last year I wasn't coming off of major (yes, I'm going to keep saying it now that I have lived through it) surgery and 4 weeks off. I was strong when I started and I was well ahead of the long runs for the first month. The schedule had to catch up to me, not the other way around. This time is different. I'm starting weakened, both in body and spirit. I also don't have the flexibility of swapping out long runs on Saturday or Sunday from this point forward. The key to Goofy training (so I'm told) is to do your Saturday run half the distance of the long run on Sunday. That prepares you for the half followed by the full. I used to like to get my long runs over with on Saturday but I don't have that luxury this time.
And then there's scheduling in general. I live in fear of stuff coming up on the weekends that is going to screw with my schedule. This was the end of week 3 (my week 2) -- that's 15 more weeks of hoping that nothing comes up that gets in the way of training. Almost impossible. Whenever a work project comes up that involves travel I freak out, not because I have to work but because I don't know how I'll get my runs in.
All of this is incredibly daunting and I'll be on the edge by week 9 for sure. But I signed up for it again. I guess my memory was short of how tedious training got by the end last time. Then again, people run marathons all the time, multiple ones in a year. People miss long runs because life is unpredictable. I remember feeling completely overwhelmed last year at one point and thinking that there was no way that all 42,000 people doing NYC had followed a training program to the letter the entire time. It's impossible.
Today's run was good. It showed me I still have discipline. I still have the strength to pull off a decent length run in less than ideal conditions. I can still run when I'm sore and tired (Xfit last night and female issues). I can still focus on a goal that's months away and work for it. I'll need to call on that strength many, many more times in the next 15 weeks. This time is different though: I trust that I can do it and I have friends to help me get there.
Now that I'm feeling stronger and *almost* recovered, I have to make a few changes to training.
1) Hill work once a week. Disney is flat but hill work has never done me wrong for getting stronger and faster
2) Stick with the 2nd longest run on Saturday and the long run on Sunday, no matter how much I hate it
3) Figure out what the magic formula for Xfit vs running is (easier said than done)
I can't say I'm really looking forward to the next 15 weeks knowing how soul-sucking some of those long runs are going to be but I am looking forward to crossing off another goal off my list and becoming a Goofy Challenge finisher.
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