When Hobbies Intrude on My Run

This week's schedule is a little insane. It is the last week of school for Monkey-boy, and hey, for kicks, let's throw in 3 field trips this week. Awesome. That adds some running around and some weird pick-up times to my week. Okay, no big deal.



But wait, there's more! (Don't you just LOVE infomercials?) This week is also the big ballet recital. Which means rehearsal EVERY DAY, and shows on Friday and Saturday. So, with rehearsals eating up all my afternoons, when will I fit in my run?

I am starting to feel somewhat time crunched with Seattle looming a few weeks away, and knowing I am not in top shape. Okay, not even close. The 15k this last weekend KICKED MY BUTT! I blame insane hills. (a separate race report on that coming) This post is partially to explain the delay in the race report. :)

Brainstorm! I can run to class. Sure, I will get there all sweaty-but hey! I leave all sweaty anyways. It is about 5 miles to the studio from my house if I take the trail, (slightly longer route). I think I can get home in 3 miles. Or, if my legs are dead-tired, I can call for a ride.

So I have a small hydration backpack, with the hydration pack out of it for space. I wadded up my necessary dance clothes, shoes, and baby wipes. (thanks Kerrie-I almost forgot wipes!) Of course today is the FIRST day we have had that is hot and sunny. And by hot, I mean we might reach 70. Not hot by most standards, but the warmest it has been here, and I'm not used to it. It will be worth it to get the miles in. I hope.

I'll let you know how it goes! And the Lake of the Woods Race Report will get done as soon as I can manage it. Maybe my kids will take amazing naps today? Maybe?

Happy National Day of Running!

Happy first day of June, and National Day of Running! However, around here it looks more like March. I came out of the studio today and had to use my scrapper to get half an inch of hail and ice off my windshield. I kid you not. I NEED SUN! Hopefully soon.

The good news is, I have been running! Not a lot, and I'm trying to be good about not going on consecutive days. Mostly. Some days you just need a run! The official Doctors word was, run if it doesn't hurt. Duh Dr. Waste My Money. I have been been (semi)diligently strength training and cross training, as well as running a few here and there.

May Stats: 44 miles Running, 116 miles total counting Elliptical and Swimming.

This weekend is the Lake of the Woods 15k. My original plan was to just not go. Then I was going to go cheer on A. Now I am running a bit, so I thought, I'll just do the 5k. Then I looked at how many weeks I have to build up mileage before Seattle. Crap. Not much. Um, suddenly doing 10 miles is sounding like a good plan after all. Maybe?

It is discouraging how hard running feels, and how out of shape I feel after 5 weeks off. I mean wow. I have discovered that running a little faster makes it easier for me to maintain better form, IE not drop my hips. The bad news, I can't hold that faster pace for very long. It goes to show that cross training is not the same!

My friend A is a bad influence. Okay, mostly I'm just bad at saying I've had enough. We always leave planning around 5 miles, which turns in to 7 or 8. The good news is, I ran 8.5 on Saturday with no pain! Weird thing? 5 miles yesterday caused some discomfort. I think it was the hills, and the fact I was going as fast as possible due to the hail and rain pelting me. Ouch!

So back to Lake of the Woods. My plan. I am going to do the 15k as long as I am pain free on race day. And I'm not going to race it. No seriously, I'm just going to relax and do what I can do. Easy enough, right? At least I'll get the mileage in and get to enjoy a lovely run around a lake (at nearly 6000ft). Uh huh. Totally easy.

Injury Update

Injuries of any kind are frustrating. The questions are many-Why? How? What now? Am I better yet? The answers are few-?

Some days my leg feels almost normal. Other days, it hurts with no activity at all. Some days I can do the elliptical without any pain, others even lap swimming hurts. WTH?

I went to a sports doctor last week hoping for answers. Just like last year, the x-ray was clear. No stress fracture. That's good news right? Except it doesn't match up with the pain. The doctor took another side view x-ray and noticed that there is a thickening of my shin bone that shows it is under stress. What he doesn't know is WHY. So, I am on a prescription anti-inflammatory daily that may or may not be helping. And, tomorrow I get to have a bone scan.

So tomorrow morning at 8am, I get injected with radioactive dye. Crazy, huh? Then we wait a few hours for it to circulate all through my body, and I go back to get the bone scan. I guess with the dye it should (hopefully) show the contrast of what's going on with my bone. I hope so! Last year after paying for x-rays and an MRI I had NO answers, just waited until i was pain free. Not a great solution if this is going to keep happening. I miss my run.

I got an email with some race photos. Aren't those the best? Wow. Always so flattering. One wasn't half bad-but what I noticed was that one hip seemed to be dropping. Hmmm. I looked back at another race photo, and saw something similar. After last years injury, I shortened my stride some thinking perhaps over striding was the culprit. Mistake? Now I am wondering if these injuries are not overuse, but something with my form that is fixable. Time to do some research I guess...

Just Keep Swimming

I am reminded of my injury time of last year and how much I hated it! Nothing compares to running. It just doesn't. I could handle the elliptical (with the help of Netflix), but it was still just okay. However, at least I got to feel myself sweat and get all jello-legged.

Today was my first trip to swim laps since last years injury. Yeah, pleasant memories there. So it was also my first trip to the pool at the YMCA. I was pleasantly surprised there. It was better than expected, although only 4 lanes wide. Thankfully going to the mid-day lap swim, there were only 3 other ladies there. Two were walking in one lane, the other was doing the side stroke/drifting.

Having not only a lane to myself, but my pick was pretty great. And the water was warm! Not uncomfortably, but it felt great getting in. Worst part of swimming? Getting in and out of the freaking cold pool. All the pools around here are geothermally heated. Cool, huh?

I am horrible at keeping lap counts. Laughably so. I get so distracted! Which is funny because when your swimming, there isn't much to think about. No music, no Netflix. Just swimming. I did two laps of freestyle, two laps freestyle pulls (with the buoy between my knees), and two laps of backstroke pulls. Repeat. Over and over, until the arms feel like jello. Okay, that took just over 40 minutes. 1200 yards, I'll take it since I have done laps in about a year.

Here's one of my beefs with swimming. I get out feeling all exhausted, like I can't lift my arms. What you're supposed to feel like after a workout, right? Awesome. And that lasts for about 10 minutes, and then I feel like I haven't worked out at all. I'm not tired, I'm not sweaty, my muscles don't feel fatigued. (of course, we'll see how my arms feel tomorrow!) Does anyone else experience that? I don't know if I am not going hard/long enough?

Downside? Stupid pool hours. Not open early enough to go then, and the daytime swims conflict with preschool pickups or naps. And what's up with offering Aqua Zumba more often than lap swim?

The Dark Place

I am in a dark place today. The blowing snow outside my window together with a difficult day with my kids moods is not helping. But the real reason for my dark place? No more denial, I am hurt. Which is a crushing blow. I've been here before, but I cannot handle it again. I cannot handle once again not being able to RACE in Seattle at the end of June.

When I started having twinges in my shin, I eased up. When the twinges turned to pain, I stopped running and hit the eliptical. Yesterday I was doing my thing on the eliptical, on the easiest resistance. I was almost to mile four, and I felt a twinge. I slowed down, eased the hill level down. Just past mile four pain shot through my shin. No no no no, this isn't happening. I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I really wanted to throw something. (mature, huh?)

I stopped. I got off the machine, and wiped it down. My leg hurt. Not good at all. I texted my husband for a ride, (he had dropped me off). I went upstairs, and did some upper body, just to feel like I had gotten something from my workout.

I came home defeated. And cried. I don't cry often, and my husband has no idea what to do or say when I do, since it doesn't happen often. I had a pity party on the couch with an ice pack, while my family went to church. (the only bonus-fantastic payoff basketball last night)

I am in a dark place today. I want to eat every piece of candy in the house. I am terrified to eat anything, knowing I can't burn the calories. This is obviously not a healthy place to be, but how do you get out of a dark place?

I made an appointment with a sports doctor for next thursday. I am terrified, but wish it was sooner just for the answers I hope to get.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter Everyone!

three very hyper, sugared up kids!

We had a wonderful day with friends, celebrating the best day of the whole year! And as usual, celebrating involved eating way too much. Time to get back on track tomorrow!

A Distance PR!

But not the kind I am actually happy or proud about! I did 8 miles on the elliptical today. Uh yeah. 8 miles of mind numbing elliptical at the gym. Although honestly, I would have kept going if I didn't need to get home for the Easter Egg hunt with the kids.

It was a perfect mild morning, cloudy and 45 degrees. Great long run weather. Instead of enjoying 11 miles with my friend A, I was at the Y on the dreaded elliptical. My shin has been feeling a little sore off and on, the same shin that had a stress fracture last spring. What is it with spring? It's like a conspiracy!

Wednesday afternoon I went for a very rainy 4 mile run. I was keeping a good pace, but feeling a twinge here and there. That had been happening off and on for a week, so I was running fewer miles and minding my form. The last mile of that 4 miler not only was it hailing, but my leg started to HURT. Oh no. Not good. I eased up and made it home, iced right away, and prayed it was okay.

Thursday I did yoga, did a few miles on the elliptical, and had dance. Okay, I could have rested more than that. Friday, my leg was sore just cleaning house and doing laundry. Ice ice baby.

This morning my leg felt fine, no pain walking. Whew! I would've loved to run, and thought about it briefly. And then I remembered last year when I pushed it until I was hurt for 3 1/2 months. 3 1/2 long grumpy months of NO RUNNING. Resting now is sounding like a much better idea, so I can race in Seattle come June.

So off to the Y I went. It was pretty empty for a Saturday morning, but that meant I got to set the TV to the basketball game. I ended up talking on the phone with my mom, and texting A after her run to keep my mind occupied. I was trying to go for distance, keeping my effort pretty even but not too easy. I changed up the hills, but kept the resistance low.

My leg felt fine afterwards, thankfully. So how long should I take it easy before testing my leg on a run again? The gym is closed tomorrow for Easter, so maybe a quick run on the soft trail?

I am not good at taking it easy. Someone hide my running shoes.