A Low Key Weekend (FINALLY) and Half Marathon Plan!

Three things I needed on Sunday.

John’s blackberry, used to navigate to the running trail because our Garmin was dead. My wrist Garmin, which I seriously don’t know how I ever ran without. And a cup of perfect hot chocolate made by our new Keurig. Really. John’s been obsessed with the Keurig since we got it. I think it’s nice, but I definitely don’t have a problem with regular coffee. I might be sold now. This cup was perfection.

So my first and last free weekend in months/for months is over. It was less exciting than I thought it would be. We had company Friday night and ended up sleeping in and just milling about most of the day Saturday.

We finally dragged our butts out of the house to get our fortunes told (nothing exciting) and find a place that will engrave Tungsten (mission success), and capped the night off with the most unhealthy grocery run ever in the history of the world. I thought about taking a picture of all the stuff we got for the blog but seriously, it was embarrassing. What’s even more embarrassing is that fact that we ate almost all of it by 10:00 pm.

Obviously Bagel Bites, red velvet cake, brownies and ice cream, Jones Soda, and chicken poppers are the perfect pre-run dinner. I got up early Sunday to run seven miles with some friends because John’s knee is messed up and he’s taking it easy until our half marathon. It was Amber and Jessica’s first seven mile run and they didn’t quite finish, so I ended up only logging six. I was a little disappointed but I came home completely wiped out and even took a nap, which I rarely do. Running is so funny. How can I stay out until two in the morning the same day as my ten mile run but come home and crash after six? Also, my knee was killing me and calf was really tight after six but I hardly had any issues after the ten. Oh well…

Okay. Now for what I really want to talk about. Half marathon game plan. I don’t really have one. I know I should shoot for negative splits and try not to come out of the gate too quickly but I’ve only manage consistent negative splits twice so I’m not going to try to revamp how I run on race day. I’ve heard that for races, you should set 3 goals; one completely obtainable, one moderately obtainable, and one that you’ll probably only reach if everything goes perfectly and God decides to put wings on your feet. Overall, I would LOVE to finish 2 hours and 10 minutes. More realistically I’m shooting for 2 hours and 20 minutes. Definitely not over 2 hours and 30 minutes. So there it is.

Frustration, frustration! Frustration!

Imagine the title being sung like "Tradition" from Fiddler on the Roof.

Today I was ready to run. I was ready to improve on my time from Tuesday. And I didn’t. I headed out with grand thoughts of an awesome time and before I even got down the street I had to stop. My shoe was cutting into the back of my heel and it was bleeding on my shoe. This stared happening on Tuesday and I’m not sure why…I haven’t had any issues with these shoes before. I stopped to pull my socks up and kept going. Just as I leave my neighborhood I head up this steep hill. My knee started hurting but I kept going. By the time I had reached half a mile my knee was still hurting and the negative thoughts started creeping into my head. I started noticing how much my heels were hurting, how the front of my one of my toes was hurting after the skin came off during yesterday’s soccer game, and most of all I was noticing how my knee was hurting.

My knee hurts every time I run. It’s usually not an issue anymore and I haven’t used a knee brace (for running) in months. Today it seemed more prevalent. I started thinking about the ten miles I plan to attempt on Saturday and got nervous. I thought if it hurts this bad right now and I keep pushing, what if I can’t manage ten on Saturday? So, after a little over a mile, I stopped.

Before all these knee issues happened, I felt like I could push myself forever. I could run as fast as my legs would take me, no matter how much it hurt, without worrying whether or not I was doing damage to myself. When I was finally cleared to “jog” after my surgery, I went out like I’d never been gone. Needless to say, after not running for a year and having knee surgery, things just weren’t working like they used to. I had so many starts and restarts. I wised up and decided to follow the Couch to 5K plan to gradually ease myself back into running. It worked like a charm and a couple of months after finishing the program; I was running farther than I ever had before.

But I still feel ruined. I definitely have a different form than I used to have. I can’t push like I could before. Or maybe I can but I just don’t know it. Really, I have no idea what my limits are anymore. Before, any pain was temporary and never disabling. Now, sometimes my knee hurts so bad that I’m out for days. I thought I had beaten it running. I thought soccer was the only thing that really did a number on it anymore. But maybe I’m wrong. Sometimes I have to remind myself that less than a year ago I couldn’t even stand the elliptical all the time. I didn’t think I’d ever be playing soccer again.

I know I’ve come a long way but it doesn’t change the fact that I miss running with the ease I used to feel. I really took for granted that seven minute miles were the norm. Now I fight to stay sub-11. It’s extremely discouraging.

I decided to salvage my work out by spending 45 minutes on the stationary bike doing hills. I think it’s the first time I’ve been on the bike this year. I took my ipod. I don’t listen to my ipod while running so I didn’t have any new workout playlists ready and I had to just go with shuffle. Clearly my ipod must know me very well because every song was perfect. I felt much better after being on the bike (although I’m still a little bummed about my run). I spent some much needed time stretching (I didn’t stretch AT ALL after yesterday’s soccer game for some reason) and on my foam roller with a lot of IT band focus. Hopefully this will help my knee for this weekend.

PS-While in the gym a guy came in with his laptop! I’ve seen a lot of things at the gym-people bringing their kids to just run around and play while they work out, people hiking up the speed on their treadmill but then just holding themselves up with the handlebars and not really running, people wearing normal street clothes while working out-but this takes the cake. I thought about it later and maybe he had his workout on there but…couldn’t he write it down or print it out?

PPS-Please don't zoom in on my hairy legs in the above picture.

Just Do It.

Nike totally aced that one. Serious entry here. I completely, 100% believe in signs. Not like Mel Gibson, alien signs, but signs from...the universe, God, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, whatever. I have made many decisions based on signs. Today, I didn't make a decision based on a sign but a sign game me motivation and confirmation that I'm on the right track.

About two weeks ago, when I joined that second soccer team, I fell off the running wagon. That in itself is no big deal but I'm registered to run a half marathon in nineteen days. I have been on one run since I joined that team and it was a sad two miles followed by three miles of some unfocused speed work on the treadmill. Saturday I decided I had to start running again. I planned for five miles on Sunday but that didn't happen. Monday was soccer practice and with the knee issues I have I don't combine soccer and running on the same day. So today, Tuesday, was the day. I got up when John left for work, as usual, but this time I actually put on running clothes.

I sat on the couch drinking water and eating a snack while checking email, facebook, and some of the blogs I follow. A friend of mine is currently second place in a weight loss challenge in which the contestants blog about their progress. A lot of times things that should be a source of motivation for me are very discouraging. My friend has a lot of weight to lose. She has four kids and a job. And yet she is eating right and working out at least four days a week, including doing the Couch to 5K program which is what I completed this past January. Instead of thinking Man, she is awesome for doing all this, I should go work out right now because if she can do it, so can I! I think, Man, she is awesome for doing all this, and here I am on my freakin butt shoving Chex Mix in my mouth by the shovel full. I am so lame. This morning though, she had this on her blog:

Act AS IF

Act as if you're happy.
Act as if you're smart.
Act as if you're loving.
Act as if you're brave.
Act as if you're successful.
Act as if you're kind.
Act as if you're caring.
Act as if you feel peace.
Act as if you're healthy.
Act as if you always smile.
Act as if you're excited.
Act as if your life is great.
You do not have to have it yet to act as if you do.
You do not have to have it yet to feel as if you do.
Rise up each morning and imagine that you have it or feel it or own it or are it.
What would you do if you were thin or smart or successful or brave?
What would you do if you were kind or loving or honest or true?
What would you do if you felt excited about the life you have or want? What choices would you make? How would you be changed? How would you react to others?
What things would you do? How would you arrange your day? Where would you go? Whom would you talk to? How would you spend your time?
You don't have to live in the unhappy past, because the minute you decide to start to live every moment
AS IF you're happy
AS IF you're smart
AS IF you're healthy
AS IF you're kind
AS IF you're successful
AS IF you're brave
...is the moment your life starts to change.

~ Rozanne Paxman
 After reading that, I put down the computer, strapped on my Garmin and headed out the door. I don't have to be excited to run (I wasn't) but I know the feeling that comes after the run and I love it. I've worked REALLY hard to get to where I am running wise and all that hard work can be gone in just a few weeks.

After my run, I went to log it on dailymile and stopped over to See Meggie Run. Her post today was about fresh starts. It was exactly what I needed to read after my sub-par run this morning. My run this morning wasn't pretty. Aside from the first mile, it wasn't fun. But I did it. And this run will help me on future runs. My favorite run to date was my eight miler a few weeks ago. It wasn't particularly fast or easy but shoot, I ran eight miles before most people had gotten out of bed. And I didn't die. It was actually enjoyable. And I can't run eight miles if I can't run five miles and I can't run five miles if I never put on my running shoes and head out the door. So this morning, I finally did.