Day 4 of 35: Swimming Group!

I found a swimming group!! So excited!

They meet Monday - Friday at 5:30am and swim for 1 1/2 hours!!! There is a coach that helps with technique and leads the workouts.

Through my previous stress fracture I did some swimming, but always wanted someone to help me with technique and workouts - well here it is!!!

I am going tomorrow to meet them - but I am pretty scared about the temperature! It is a heated outdoor pool - it has been getting really cold here in the mornings and I don't want to freeze to death!!!

I'ts not what happens to you that determines how far you will go in life; it is how you handle what happens to you. 

Not looking forward to tomorrow. Going to work for the first time back in the boot and crutches. I have to face everyone's questions as to what happened again - and questions and comments on how I should probably choose another hobby - oh and how did the marathon go - and yada yada yada. I think this kind of stuff is the most difficult for me.

Day 4 of 35 means it is the 4th day of the initial 35 days. My next appointment is December 14th which would be 35 days. This doesn't mean the boot will go away on the 35th day. I am just counting them down until I go back. When I looked back on my previous SF I realized I didn't document anything.This time around I am going to track it - so this is mostly for me - but also for anyone that wants to see how an injured person copes with the unavoidable, for the second time.

Day 2: Verdict is in, again.

When I got to the Dr's office I was still praying hard that it was not a break or a fracture. I still had a little hope that it was a pulled muscle, strain or sprain.
Part of me was not convinced it was another stress fracture because the pain this time is much worse. I can not walk on my foot. When I step I have to put all the weigh on my heel. Try walking like that, it takes forever to get anywhere and it starts burning other muscles in your leg. If weight starts shifting anywhere else in the foot is so unbearable. With my previous fracture I could walk all day on it. Even after the diagnosis came in I was telling people that I didn't believe it was a fracture (but you can't argue with an x-ray!).

He immediatly did an xray and then started feeling my foot asking where the pain was. After he was done feeling around and before viewing the xray - he said well, its a stress fracuture - then he flipped the xray on zoomed into the 3rd metatarsal and clear as day - it was a solid crack straight across the neck of my 3rd metatarsal. Much more clear, visibile and bigger than the one I had before. He said - wow you have almost broken that thing in half!!

At this point I wanted to cry, I wanted to just throw my hands up and give up. I wanted to pinch myself and wake up from the nightmare I have been living in for the past 2 weeks.

He didn't stop there, he pulled out his peice of paper and went to town on what I had to do...

1. Stress Fracture -

the neck of the 3rd metatarasl right foot.

2. Boot

3. Crutches.

4. NO weight at all on the foot -

if you need to go to the fridge have someone go for you or use the crutches

5. Ibprophen for pain

6. Follow up in 5 weeks.

Then he turned to me and said "see you in a few weeks!" And that was that.

So easy for him to say to me. His easy simple words were the hardest words for me to digest. His quick 5 minutes were the worst 5 minutes for me. And now I will spend the next 6-8 weeks dealing with his easy words and fastest 5 minutes.


Now I am trying to figure out WHY I would get another one in a different foot. Is there an underlying cause??

Day 1: Stim Treatment

When I woke up this morning I was kind of excited. I knew I was going to see someone about my foot. I have been stuck in the City all week with work so I haven't been able to get any where with what is going on! I met my coach at UT and we hobbled over the the Sports Physical Therapist department.

I knew I probably wasn't going to get a definite answer as to what was wrong, but at least I would have someone giving me their thoughts!

When the therapist looked at it, she immediately thought it was a stress fracture. I think most medical examiners automatically assume runners with feet pain have stress fractures! She felt around for pain and it was located in the metatarsal area. She pulled out her tuning fork and touched it all over the bones in my foot. There was nothing. Usually, she said, if there was  break or fracture it would be painful. I didn't feel anything. She said that this was a good sign!

After all of that she hooked me up to do some Stim Treatment - which is Electric Stimulation.

It felt like I was being electrocuted!  I had to sit with this on for 15 minutes. It was supposed to help numb the pain and help with inflammation. It actually just localized the pain - rather than it being all over the foot it was more central (between the 3rd and 4th metatarsal). After that she wrapped me up in an ace bandang and I was on my way!

The therapist also suggested I break out my boot from before and start sporting it around....

 I decided to not wear it in public yet. I want to see the Dr. first. I also decided if I do have to wear this thing I am going to bedazzle the heck out of it!!!

NYC: Injured Again

More details to come after my doctor visit.

A short recap - the Monday before NYC I got this pain in my foot, so I went to the Dr. He x-rayed it and saw nothing and told me to go for it and have fun. It was probably nothing. He told me not to run until the Marathon, just to stay off of my feet.

I attempted the NYC Marathon after the doctor said I was good to go. I should have listened to my gut feeling and stayed out - but I went for it and made it mile 5 and now I am not walking. I am still in NYC for work and will not be back home until later tonight. First thing in the morning I am going to see a trainer to get a first opinion.

PRAYING and PRAYING this isn't serious.

There are tons of fun highlights from the weekend that I will recap later, but right now I am trying to get past the pain in the foot I have and get it taken care of.

This sums up my run...

off to the dr to find out what is REALLY going on with my right foot.

remember...

Today I am reminding myself of this post 


and especially of these...

Never complain about my times or stress.
I will constantly compliment other runners, even when they are faster than me!!
I will give myself to my group runs every day (well maybe 2 days).
I will stop complaining about my weight. These 2 weeks are starting to show on my body, and I must run!!! I promise I will never say anything about my weight if I can run again - this is a HUGE thing for me!
I will practice better recovry - ICE and REST!!!



I am running again, that is what I wanted...  and I am taking it for granted!

Scared to Death

It has been a week since my diagnosis. I have not eaten a single piece of meat in 7 days. I don't think I have ever done this. I don't feel bad and I don't miss it. I have been eating peanut butter and greek yogurt to get my protein and also an occasional protein shake.

Here are the runs I have gotten in this week...

Monday: Swimming 1800 Meters
Tuesday: 5 Miles - outside
Wednesday: 7.16 Miles 60 Minutes - Treadmill
Thursday: 5.56 Miles 46 Minutes - Treadmill
Friday: 5.57 Miles 46 Minutes - Treadmill

Then lets talk about today... I was scheduled for an easy 14 Miles. I wanted to so badly get out and run and feel no pain in the foot and to conquer the 14 miles like my old self. On Thursday night I quit taking the medicine I was prescribed because 1. My foot was feeling fine and 2. I was feeling HORRIBLE.. I mean like sick to my stomach and all I wanted to do was curl up in ball and die horrible. Well Friday felt GREAT running on the treadmill, the sick feeling wasn't there and my foot was feeling great. Then Friday night came around...  went to bed and then was woken up around midnight by the "pain" creaping back... so I jumped up and decided to take the medicine...

I got up at 4:30 because I wanted to start running at 5. My foot was feeling a little pain, but once I put my shoes on and I jumped around it felt like I could handle it. So I set out at 5 to do my run. I was feeling a bit winded (which is the medicine) at first. I got my 3 miles in before I met up with the big group... then I set out again. My pace was extrememly slow, but I didn't care. My goal was just to get the 14 in. I was doing 8:45's. Half way through the run my stomach started killing me... like I needed to find a bathroom- stat - but there were non on the course. I tried to ignore it, but then it started turning into a sick feeling. All of my friends had long left me because their paces are like 8:00-8:15's and there I was almost doing 9:00 miles! (this is so embarrassing to me, by the way, but whatever - I am determined to get past this obstacle - I KNOW I will get my normal self back some day). So I kept on with the stomach issues... I was trying every mental trick I could find... I was changing my IPOD every 30 seconds trying to find "that" song that would motivate me - but nothing was working.

I made it back to the group start - which means I had less than 3 miles to go... I got water and tried to set out again - but I had nothing left... I was at 11.80 miles... I know I only had 2.2 to go but there was nothing left. I decided to turn around and ask for a ride back... this was me at my lowest point of running in my head.. but I did it anyways - I wasn't going to let my pride get in the way and cause more problems. Luckily the first couple I asked was more than happy to get me back to my car.

So I ended up doing 11.8 Miles at an 8:45 pace.

THE.WORST.RUN of this runners life.

I am scared to death that this issue is not going to go away.

I am scared to death that I won't be able to run NYC.

I am scared to death of having to give up.

I am not going to let this get to me - I got through a stress fracture - I can get through this - whatever "this" is.

Nada

Well

I didn't run today.

I totally skipped it.

I woke up feeling like a semi hit me and so I went to work early rather than run. I decided that I would just run after work.

Well 7:00 came and I was still at work, still feeling like that Semi was on top of me... but I tried to run anyways.

I made it .20 miles and walked home. Everytime I hit the pavement my head THROBBED.

This is NOT how training is supposed to go. I feel like NYC is a lost cause right now.

RUT

I never thought I would say this but I am in a RUT.

It isn't a mental rut, because I want to run. I want to run all the time.

It is a physical rut! Every time I go out  I am fatigued and exhausted. Winded and just purely exhausted.

I have swam 4 times in the past week, because I have felt great doing it. It feels so peaceful being in the water.

I have gotten every run in that I have been scheduled... they just haven't felt good.

Any advice out there??

NYC: Week 1 of 20

Week 1 of Marathon training in the books!! (actually... I may be sneaking in just one more this week)

Sunday- funny story!!!

I met someone who also enjoys running... so when I told him I wanted to run on Sunday he said he would run with me and I agreed. Well, I got home from my parents a little early and was feeling sluggish and heavy from the weekend. I wasn't meeting up with him until later so I was getting a little antsy to run and from the past couple of runs with him I knew it wasn't going to be too far (maybe 3-5 miles) and not too fast (9:00ish pace) well... the way I was feeling was 5 miles at 8:00ish pace.... so I decided I would run that and then meet him and go easy and be relaxed rather than push the pace ... well - sometimes things don't go exactly as planned!

I ran my 5 at 8:00 pace... then I met up and ran with him not even 2 hours later... my first question was so how far do you want to go... and he said 8 MILES!!! whaaaat?!? but I said ok... because I didn't want him to know I had already put in 5 miles!!

Well - the pace... he was pumping out 8:00!!

So in a nutshell... I ended up running 6 with him at an 8:08 pace...

Total for Sunday  11 miles 8:04 pace
(PS I ran 10 miles the day before at 8:00 pace!)

Monday - OFF

Tuesday - 8 miles

Wednesday - TRACK!!! 1 miles warm up 3x 400 1600 3x400 800 = 4 miles

Thursday - OFF

Friday 12 Miles 8:23 pace

Saturday 8 more miles! I just felt like doing more. I went to bed at 8:45 the night before so when 5 am came around I was fully energized and decided to hit the pavement. The garmin died half way through, but I was mainting 8:15-8:20 before it died... Once I got home I iced my legs then hit the road for Miami...



Total- 35 miles so far.... 43 miles total

I am feeling great and feeling like I may run something easy early tomorrow morning before I hit the road for Miami!!!

I never thought I would say this....

But, I absolutely loved my first day back at TRACK!!!! It was such an amazing feeling to open my legs up for speed and to let it out. I was dreading this morning for the past few months. If you remember I also have been saying I  wasn't going to do track because of how much I hate it. Well, I need to get into my training hard core, so  I went out this morning. I was so intimidated. I used to be in 3B before my injury, so when Dror asked me what group I wanted to be in I said 6 because I didn't want to face the embarrassment of being left behind in any group  higher!

The workout was 3 x 400 Mile 3 x 400 800. I think i was supposed to do 1:43 7:00 1:43 and i can't not remember what the 800 was.

I didn't wear a watch because I ddin't want to be consumed. My plan was to tuck myself behind the group and just go with it... well that worked for the first 400!!! We came in right  on pace. The next ones were not so much. I wanted to just GO. So my times were more like 1:40-1:35 on the 400's. I don't remember exactly...but the mile was 6:44!! I know it sounds slow,, but for me it was great!! I wasn't even expeecting a 7:00. I haven't ran this fast since February!!!

The next 400's felt so good. Then for the 800 I did 3:05!!!

I am pumpled after this workout. It gave me a little more confidence and hope. I still have a waays to go, but I know I can do it. It just going to take dedication and determination - and yes I have it!!!

Double 8's in less than 12

After Sundays race I took Monday off from running and just did some weights. Monday was chest day. I hate working my chest because I feel like I am not blessed as it is up top and when I start getting muscle in the chest I look even more masculine! I didn’t do it last week, so I figured this week would be ok to go for it. It was a pretty good workout even though I was exhausted from my Sunday Funday!! Too much not enough fun in the sun!!!

Yesterday I had to travel for work which meant I was in heels and walking ALL DAY LONG. I had tried to get up before work to get my run in, but my body was begging for that extra hour of sleep – so I gave in. When I finally got back to Tampa last night I knew it was going to be a HUGE mental battle to run. My legs were tired, my feet hurt and I just wanted to lay on a couch with my feet up.

I made it to my place and threw my running clothes on. I figured if I didn’t give myself time to rethink anything I would get it done – and that is exactly what I did! It wasn’t so bad after all. 8:00 pace for 8 miles!! My feet were not feeling good because of the day, but my body felt great. It was so nice being out there. The weather was beautiful. Most of my run was done in the grass – I would say 90%. I have been trying to do this since I started back, and it isn’t bad. I actually enjoy it. Watching the grass and making sure I don’t trip gives me something to concentrate on – and it feels good!! I used to hate running in the grass – but now I love it!

I don’t have much food at my place since I haven’t been staying there much lately, so when I got home I was famished and had to search for something. I made a protein shake and had some cottage cheese- pretty lame!! But, it worked!!

This morning I went at it again… 8 more miles!!! I was super tired though. After I ate last night I started doing laundry and cleaning and next thing I knew it was midnight! That 5:00 am wakeup call wasn’t so pretty – but I got it done anyways J This morning’s run definitely did not feel like last nights, but that is what I get for running 16 miles in less than 12 hours!

When I got back I was feeling pretty tight in my thutt musles so I broke out the Jillian Michaels Yoga Melt down video to get some good stretches in. That lasted about 20 minutes and next thing I know I was  laying on my stomach falling asleep! Haha,  I was doing planks, dropped to the ground and it was waaaay to comofortable!! If I had it my way I would have slept there for a few hours – but I knew I had to get up for work…. I really need to find somebody to support my stay-at-home-mom dream!!!!

Anyways – I have gym time with TB tonight followed by some Tennis!!!

Police Remembrance 10K

Well I raced RAN this weekend!!!

I was really, really excited about registering for this race. It was the Police Remembrance run for 3 police officers that have been killed within the past year. Our local race director, Chris Lauber, put it on so it was also nice to be supporting him.

My race started at 7 am in downtown St Petersburg. I live in Tampa, so it takes a good 30 minutes to get there. I knew that I needed to wake up at 5am to have time to eat, get ready and get down there.

Well, Jaime J’s second Bachelorette Party was on Saturday night!! I honestly did not think we would be out too late, since we were eating dinner, having wine, and then hitting the streets. It just seemed that with dinner and all it would end earlier. Well…. We had SOO much fun!! I was the DD and took care of everyone. It was a blast. Needless to say I did not get into my apartment until after 2am!! So this was already putting me at less than 3 hours of sleep. I had thoughts of not going – but I wanted to so badly. Even if I wasn’t going to do well, I wanted to be around other runners- to get that excitement that I haven’t been able to enjoy in a few months.

All of a sudden at 4:30am I was woken up by a LOUD thunderstorm!!! It was intense –lightening, thunder, wind, the whole nine yards. I thought for sure the race would be cancelled, so I checked my news feed on Facebook since I am friends with Chris. Well – he wasn’t cancelling the race, the storm was going to blow over. I put my head back down thinking that 20 more minutes of sleep was MUCH needed! I was EXHAUSTED.

The alarm went off at 5am – this girl opened her eyes at 5:47!! Race time was in one hour and 13 minutes!! For a couple of seconds I said screw it, Im not running. But then next thing I was doing was throwing my running clothes on, making my protein shake, and running to my car!! I got in my car a little after 6 and FLEW to St Pete. I don’t know how I did it, but I made it! I found a parking spot – RAN to pick up my race packet – and RAN back to my car to drop my stuff off – and RAN to the starting line – and RAN the 10k!

Right away I knew that I was not going to be getting a time that I wanted. I had thoughts of just stopping but knew that was dumb. Just run it, I needed to run anyways. My legs felt tired, my body was weak, my head was pounding, and I was so thirsty!! I just wanted to go back to sleep!!

I don’t have my times for you, but the first mile was about 7:17 and then they jumped up to 7:40-7:59’s. I didn’t even care. The last mile was about a 7:17 as well and the .2 was at a 6:38 pace. When I realized I only had about ½ mile left I started to pick it up. I saw 3 girls in front of me and I just wanted to pass all 3 of them and then I would be happy. Mission Accomplished J

I ended at a 7:40 pace.

4^th in Age Group

40^th Overall

Not a PR.

A fun time for a Great Cause

J

Feeling Good!

After yesterday’s 10 miler I was kind of curious as to how I was going to feel today. Amazingly I felt great.  I don’t feel like I did something out of the ordinary and I may actually log some miles today as well.

Yesterday I met TB at the gym to work shoulders and abs. It felt pretty good. I am hoping all of this strength training is going to pay off in my runningJ.  My body tends to gain muscle fast, so I am getting a little self-conscious about how I am starting to look. I know people love to see muscles, but at a point I think a girl starts looking masculine – and that is NOT what I want. I just want to be lean and jiggle free! No bulk needed- please!

Something else I have been doing a lot lately is playing tennis. Last night we met some people and had a mini tourney. I am getting pretty good at it and love getting out there. It is something different and competitive. Not to mention hanging out with TB is always a great time J. After a while of hitting and running after that ball you really work a sweat!!! So much fun!!

Other BIG NEWS for this runner!!!

I registered for a race this weekend!!! It is the Police Remembrance run. I am running a 10k in remembrance of a K-9 officer who was shot and killed about a year ago (even his dog was killed L). Something I didn’t really like about the race was how we had to choose who we wanted to run for. I feel like you should run the race and then all proceeds get divided out evenly. I chose this guy because I asked a friend who was more familiar with the Pinellas County Police department and he said this one. And not to mention – each officer had a different distance. This one is a 10K!!!

I don’t have a plan. I just want to run and get my race feel back. If I suck I suck – if I do well, then WOOHOO!!!!

 If I had to put a pace down that I would like to beat it is 7:30. I have promised myself that if this doesn’t happen that I will be ok with it and realize that I need to work a little harder to regain my speed.

Run = Love

Lots of running in the past few days = Happy Penny!

Seriously, I love my life when I can get my runs in! The endorphins run high and I just smile. Life is not complete without my runs.

Lets recap!

Sunday – 8.16 Miles @ 8:02 pace on the treadmill

Monday – 8.16 Miles @ 8:02 pace on the treadmill

Tuesday – 5 Miles @ 8:15ish pace? The screen was broken but if I had to guess this is what it was..

Aaaaaaaaand – waaaait for it!!!!!

TODAY!

10 Miles!!! Yes, I did run 10 whole miles down Bayshore!!! I got up at 5am and hit the pavement at 5:30 am. Such an amazing morning!

8:20 pace.

I was really tight/sore from my leg workout on Monday, so I kept it easy and controlled. It felt great and today has been such a better day. No pain in the foot J

I hit the gym at lunch to work my shoulders with my AMAZING workout partner – and afterwards he helped stretch my legs out and now I feel like I could run the 10 miles AGAIN!!

LIFE IS GOOD

Cinco de Sober!!

This may be the FIRST Cinco de Mayo that I have not cosumed an ounce of alcohol!! I MUST BE GROWING UP!

I am so excited about why I am staying in tonight too! I am waking up and running 10 miles!! Woot Woot! Yes, I am going to attempt my longest run since February and I don't think I am going to be able to sleep tonight because of all the excitement!

My friends are meeting in the morning and little do they know I am going to try and meet them. I say try because I have a bad track record as of lately about telling people I will show and then I run late and run on my own. So the plan is to run and meet them!

I am praying and praying that it goes well and that Seis de Mayo is spent smiling and glowing because of my long run!!!

Thoughts on Training...

What an amazing weekend that just past!! Jaime Js Bachelorette Get-away Weekend was a huge success!! Lots of sun, fun drinks and great times!!! Sad it is over, but we left with some great memories!!

Bachelorette Party = No exercise for this girl! Sunday when I got home my body was B.E.G.G.I.N.G for some gym time. I was able to jump on the stair climber for a solid 30 minutes  - but was so fatigued that I was done after that. I was a sweat factory when that was over with!

This weekend Jaime and I started talking about NYC training and it started to get me in the mood for it. I am hoping that I don’t encounter any problems as far as injuries go. I never thought I would/could be so paranoid about injuries. I do not want to go through it again. Some things that I know I will have to do through the entire cyle

• Diet – make sure I am eating healthy and getting my vitamins – including Calcium, Vitamin D and Iron!
• Ice – and lots of it!!!
• Stretch – look into Yoga/Pilate  classes at the gym
• Cross Train – Swimming and Biking!!!
• Strength Train – maintain a schedule and make sure the core is always solid.
• Log Miles on Shoes – make sure they are always up to par.
• REST! – like real rest. Recovery days need to be spent recovering and not doing crazy things.

All of these things may sound obvious – but I know I get caught up in life and then forget to do these things. Next thing you know days go by and then its weeks and you realize you are not actually taking care of yourself, which is a recipe for DISASTER.

I also want to make sure I am enjoying it. Track is my LEAST favorite part about running. I dread it and get a sick feeling to my stomach when I am out there. Even when I am leaving I do not like it! I have been thinking about not including this in my training. Instead I would do long tempo runs. I would like to be able to do 8 miles under an hour – easy. My favorite part about running is the longer distances, so if I somehow worked in Long Speed Runs I think I would be a happier runner. Why do something you dread – right?!

Holy Windy-ness!!

Since when did Tampa become the new Windy City? I set out for my 8 miler this morning. Starting out I was feeling pretty sluggish because I was so tired. I even had thoughts of sleeping in until the last minute before work, but I knew I had plans to meet Jaime J for dinner after work and that I had to get to the DMV at lunch to get a new driver’s license. If I did not get my butt out of bed this morning to work out I was not going to have time today, which would lead me to feeling guilty and regret because I have to look good in a bathing suit this weekend during our Bachelorette Extravaganza!!!

So, there I was running down Bayshore feeling T.I.R.E.D. I felt the wind, but it wasn’t going against me, it was just windy. It didn’t feel like it would feel any different on the way back, but I still had a little bit of nervousness for my treck back when I turned around. Well, I made it to my water fountain and turn back. It wasn’t bad – haha – uuuuntil I hit mile 5.5 when I went around the bend near Bay to Bay. Then it was windy – not only windy – but like HURRICANE wind! I was cruising at a sub 8:00 pace for my miles and then all of a sudden I was at 8:16 pace and felt like I was running in pace. I might as well of had a parachute on my back and running in place it was that bad! I wanted to stop and walk, but I knew I was already cutting it close to get to work on time – so I continued and hated it. But then I remembered I was RUNNING! I wouldn’t have it any other way. So I embraced the wind and tried to tell myself how much I loved the wind and that I would rather be fighting hurricane weather than riding a stupid stationary bike – these feelings were HARD to mentally have – very hard!

I made it home somehow without stopping. 8:08 pace for my miles this morning – a little slower than yesterday’s flat 8:00 pace – but Ill take it!!!

As far as the foot goes. I do not feel any pain in the foot. Oddly enough I think I have a mild shin splint in my right leg! When I was in high school I would get these, so I know where and what they feel like. I’m not too worried about it, I just ice it and it is fine.

I am also trying to be very conscious about my diet right now as well. After feeling so heavy with running I want to lose some of the pounds that snuck up on me, but I don’t want to lose the muscle that I have gained. I want an even balance, but no fat!

Happy Wednesday!!!!

8 Miles of Wonderful-ness

I woke up this morning, hit the pavement and made it all the way to my water fountain!

This means I ran 8.17 Miles

8:17
8:14
8:12
8:06
7:54
8:02
7:46
7:35

1:04:02 8 Miles!

Running late for work, but I am oh so happy right now!!!

I knew I should have kept myself off Bayshore!!!

Kind of Excited/Scared

Monday I ventured out to Bayshore to honor Marathon Monday. I had been avoiding Bayshore like the plague because I didn't want to open myself up to daily temptation. Jaime asks all the time for me to run with her out there and I always decline because of my reason.

Well - Marathon Monday is kind of a big deal in the running world. So I went out and did it. I did not run with my Garmin. I just went. I was originally going to do my full 8 mile path, but turned around at my 7 mile path turn-around because I started thinking that I was being a little too extreme. Now, the Dr. did say that I should not run until mid May. My foot doesn't hurt and running feels good on the treadmill. I LOVED every minute of Monday. It made me the happiest person alive to be out there and see so many familiar running faces! The wind was really brutal on the way back - but that wasn't even going to take my happieness away! I emraced the wind like it was my best friend!! I was not going to tell any of my running friends about this run of mine because they really want me to be with them running and not on my own. So that was my full intention... until I walked in my door and looked at my phone. MY COACH SAW ME!! Of all people, he spotted me. So, I had to let my secret out. I  can never get away with secrets. They always come out. This happens in every aspect of my life. I can not keep things inside, I always get caught so now I just let them out. This is not about friends secrets - just my own.

Since I know myself so very well - this run did in fact open a HUGE can of worms. I went at it again this morning - but this time I wore Mr. Garmin. 7 more miles of amazingness. Now I know people are really curious how my mile times are with this whole break I had to take - so here it is!!

7.12 Miles

58:51

8:16/Mi

8:31

8:24

8:23

8:19

8:10

8:07

8:01

.12 7:28

Nice cut downs right!? I did not plan this it just happened. I wasn't pushing I wasn't doing anything. I just did what I did. I ran. Now, I am going to be 100% honest. I felt HEAVY. Like I felt like I had a lot of weight on me and it was tiring. Yes, I have gained some pounds with this break. Fat and Muscle. Muscle because I have started lifting weights - whereas before I didn't touch them. Fat because of poor diet and not as much cardio as running and alcohol.

So there you have it. My first garmin splits post-break.

I am super excited about this. The times are much slower than I would like them to be.

But, I think there is hope for me.

This has got to be the Good Life!

I went to the doctor yesterday and I do not have to wear that stinky nasty loud obnoxious ugly horrible black pathetic boot! (I am sure I could come up with more adjectives to desribe that thing, but I will stop out of respect for the boot). I wish there was someone in the room with me and the Dr. to tape my excitement. I was so tired before walking into the office - but as soon as he came in and said that I was free of the boot because of how nice my foot has been healing I jumped up and started clapping. He suggested I didn't jump other wise I would probably be right back in it. He kept talking about how I should hold off until May to run and blah blah blah - but at that point I wasn't listening I just smiled and clapped and smiled some more!!

LIFE IS GOOD!

So of course the rebel that I am - this is what I did prior to the appointment - and yes some may call me retarded/stupid but oh well.

I ran 60 minutes/7.5 miles the day before. Why you ask? Well I figured if it was bad and there was still something wrong - then it would really show the next day in the x-ray and or swelling. But nothing showed, he was even impressed that it wasn't inflamed (no I did not admit my run to him). Clearly it is healed. There is no sensitiveness or feeling of the fracture anymore.

So what did I do after the appointment you wonder - well I RAN - and maaaan did it feel GOOD!!



I got in my little Jetta and went to the gym. I hoped right on the treadmill and went at it! 45:00 minutes of pure bliss!!! It felt wonderful - a HUGE smile on my face the entire time!!! I saw a friend at the gym and he came over to talk to me and I was just smiling away!!! Little does he know how crazy a runner can get off of a high.

After running I went and played TENNIS!! The friend that was at the gym had raquets so we raced over to the courts to play a couple of hours of "hitting the ball" back and forth across the net. We were no professionals by any means - but it was still lots of fun!!!

Uuuum, I did it!

I WENT RUNNING!!

AAAND I AM SOO EXCITED AND I JUST CAN'T HIDE IT!!! .... and i'm about to lose control and I think I like it!!!!! hahaha I am so happy :)

I want to SCREEEAM it from the roof top!!!

Yes - everyone is now mad at me for giving in. I am not going to hide my secret, I think it is more fun to share!!!!

My little Jetta drove itself to the beach after work and dropped me off. Somehow my Garmin was fully charged AND my running shoes were on my feet, too! So I put one foot in front of the other, went down to the water and embraced 3 glorious miles!!!! It was AMAZING.. The sun was setting and the seagulls were chirping.

Penny  = HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD!!!!

oh - and MOST importantly my foot did not hurt at.all. In fact - I feel like I should do it again... tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day after that and so forth!!!!

As long as it is on the soft sand I am good -- right??!!!

Oh, and I cut the Bangs again! For those that said they worried that they would get in the way of running... they don't bother me - bobby pins work amazing !!!

To Bang or not to Bang

I need HELP!

I am going to be getting my hair cut soon, again... but I am undecided if I am going to keep the bangs or not....

Basically - I need HELP deciding.... should I keep them or grow them out??!!

My Theories on the Causes

I have had well over a week now to stew and think about what was the real cause of the stress fracture.

I am also going to state that I still do not believe it is a stress fracture. I know I can not argue with a doctor, because he is the one that looked at the x rays and they revealed the fracture. Even knowing this, my gut is still saying it is not.... maybe I still do not want to believe it.... but I just wanted to say what I thought for the record :)

On to what I think caused it.

1. The Brooks Ghosts (the name is so fitting for the situation... the Ghost is HAUNTING me!)

Remember the 24 mile relay I did? Well, I got these shoes 2 days before the race. I wore them for a 3 mile run and then wore them around the gym doing weights. Then I ran the relay. Up until this day I was wearing the Nike Volmero's 

The Volmeros are a very cushioned shoe. Most people compare these to running on marsh mellows. The Ghosts do not have any cushion when compared to these. It was probably the dumbest move on my part, to run 24 miles in shoes that my feet were not used to. Honestly, it never even crossed my mind that it would be a problem. I just put them on and went and never thought twice about what I was doing. The pain in the foot did not really appear for another week. The pain came right after my next long run which was the following Saturday. I definitely think these shoes played a HUGE role in the fracture. My feet were not used to running in non padded shoes and there I was running 24 FAST miles in them. Then I turned around and ran 16 miles the next week- even faster in these shoes. I should have broken them in before going straight into the long runs.....

The next theory...

2. My form.The coach I run with has been telling me for a few months now that I land on my heels and I should make a conscious effort to land more on my fore foot.... Well, I had been trying during every single run to land on my fore foot rather than my heels. The metatarsals are in the forefoot area! With that said, I think this is another contributing factor. I had been landing more on my toes and putting the pounding impact on my metatarsals and on top of this, I put the Ghosts on, and the poor metatarsals that were pounding had no cushion!!! 

Regardless of the cause, I am thoroughly enjoying my swimming, biking and weight training right now!!! Someone asked me today "Are you over not being able to run" ... aka are you done whining and being a baby about not running? My response - yes actually I am. I am having so much fun with my new activities that I am not missing it as much, and I am not depressed I am actually very excited!! Now, please do not get me wrong, I am craving one of my 8 mile runs right now and would do anything to be able to do it!!!! I am just at peace with the situation and loving the newness that I have found :)

Switching Gyms

This week has been such a crazy week!!!

Work has been intense for a while now, but was brought to a whole new level last week when I was PROMOTED. I have not even had a chance to celebrate or get excited about this promotion because of everything else that has been going on in my life. I am really looking forward to this weekend so that I can breath!!

Yesterday I made a big decision. I changed gyms (sort of). The LA Fitness that opened up across the street from my work has a pool and is brand new. I went in earlier this week and talked to the guys. These guys are EXTREMELY nice, outgoing and fun. I talked to them about my stress fracture and what I typically do as far as workouts. The immediately gave me 2 free training sessions (of which I have used and now and way beyond sore). They obviously wanted me to switch gyms. The only thing that was stopping me was they do not have any locations in Tampa. I kept talking to them through the week and they kept adding on free training to try and bribe me :) I do negotiate for a living and now it is paying off at the gym!! Well, I looked into my gym membership and this is what I did...

Freeze Lifestyles $12.00 mth
Join LA Fitness $29.99 mth
Total gym fee $41.99 mth

This is SAVING me money!! My lifestyles member ship is $48 a month. Oh and by the way - these wonderful guys hooked me up with the "Friends and Family Rate" otherwise it would be $39.99 month. So THEN we talked about the personal training. I ended up buying 4 sessions.... BUT they threw in 16 free sessions!! And on top of that, 3 more to cover the enrollment fee!! So now, I have 20 free sessions + the 4 I bought. There is no cancellation fees for LA Fitness, so if I want to go back to Lifestyles I can do that anytime. This is going to work out perfectly while I am not running.

Penny is going to get toned!! This injury thing may not be so bad after all!!! I love new things and changes, and this is making me really excited right now.

Biking and Swimming my way through Recovery....

I wore the boot to work today and I wore it proud! I do not like the spotlight on me and I really don't like playing the sympathy game - and unfortunately that is how my day went and my week will continue to go. People were stopping me with these looks of pain and making me tell my story. Little did they know it hurt to tell them, because it was a reminder that I could not run! I got quite used to the boot over the weekend. My family nicknamed me "Peg Leg" and joked and made fun of me as much as they could.

At lunch today I made a point to go to the gym that is across the street from my work. They have a pool!! AND their rates are MUCH lower than mine!! Unfortunately, they do not have any gyms in Tampa, where I actually live. I spent an hour talking to a guy and begging and pleading for him to just give me a month or two at a cheap rate just so I could use the pool - and yes I did use the sympathy card - but it didn't work. What he did give me was a 2 week guest pace and 2 free sessions with a personal trainer. I even met the personal trainer and told him I did not want to waste any time with the introductory stuff ( I already know my weight, I know how to eat, etc) I just want him to show me some good strength training work outs so I can feel confident about doing it alone! He agreed and we have a date set!!! It was a very productive lunch.

So after work I went to the gym. I know absolutely nothing about biking and swimming in regards to what is actually a good work out - so feel free to comment.

30 minutes on the Bike : 

9 miles

30 minutes swimming: 

(200 meters Free Styles & 200 meters breast stroke) x 4 = 1600 meters

It was an hour of cardio, but I don't know if I should be pushing harder?? The bike makes me sweat like crazy and I can't do any stand up stuff right now because I can't put the pressure on the foot. The swimming was making my arms feel like rubber! I actually really enjoyed it... and it was WAY more enjoyable than the stationary bike. There is something about being in a gym doing cardio that drives me crazy!!! I get so impatient!!!

The verdict is in

And it is a stress fracture!!!

I have been trying to digest this in a positive way and it is working. When the doctor called me yesterday it seemed sureal. I didn't believe what I was hearing, and I actually laughed yet had tears in my eyes. Now, I knew my foot did not feel right. Especially when I could feel the throbbing when I was laying in bed. Never, did I really think it was a stress fractture!!! He gave me a boot and basically said if I want to run again, I will wear it. I was extremely stubborn and hard headed yesterday and refused to wear it. So, starting today DAS BOOT will be worn. It will become a part of me. The girls at work even said they would bedazzle it with jewels and bows!!!

I have already looked into a swim plan from swimplan.com. It's going to be tough getting up in the mornings when it's still chilly. But there are some pools that are heated in my area so, I will just have to get over the initial shock. When I was in middle school I was actually a pretty good swimmer and always came in first and second place during the meets. I'm anxious to see how I will do now!! Maybe this is a way for me to start my triathlon adventure that I have been thhinking about lately!! I have actually gone and looked at bikes, so maybe that will also happen now. I'm going to take this time to explore new things and have fun with it.

Todd, one of my great running friends, has also said I can start weight training with him. He was actually pretty excited about it. A few weeks back when I wasn't feeling great on a long tempo run I told him he was not allowed to make me laugh when we had to hit the paces because it was taking the breath out of me... Since then he has always been cautious about his stories because he doesnt want me to "laugh"... His comment yesterday was something along the lines of "this is going to be fun... We aren't running so I can make you laugh the entire time,," and for those of us that now Todd, this means some very crazy stories and some fun times. I am super excited about this new workout time with him!!!

As much as this is killing me, I think I am going to be ok. I really don't understand how something can be taken away from you that you love so much. I know it sounds silly to some, that I am talking about running like this, but running really helps me in so many ways. Mentally, physically and emotionally. I went through some very hard times And running was what kept me afloat. They say self help is best, and it truly is. When I was feeling down or feeling like it was the end of the world, going for a run would make things better. It's time for me to have alone time and to think clearly. Then the happy endorphins start flowing and life seems wonderful. People can usually tell 95% of the time if I have gone running in a day, just by the way I act... And usually they would prefer that I had!! I have a coworker that has suggested I leave work... Go for a run... And then come back!!! Unless you are a runner you may not understand this, but if you are a runner you know the feeling!!!

My Prayer

Dear God,

I am going to the Doctor in an hour. Please only let it be something minor. I would even be ok with the doctor telling me that I am crazy and that it is all in my head, he could even tell me that I am a big baby and a wimp... I will take that proudly with a smile.

If this only ends up being something minor I can make a few promises to you!! I will ...

Never complain about my times or stress.
I will constantly compliment other runners, even when they are faster than me!!
I will give myself to my group runs every day (well maybe 2 days).
I will stop complaining about my weight. These 2 weeks are starting to show on my body, and I must run!!! I promise I will never say anything about my weight if I can run again - this is a HUGE thing for me!
I will practice better recovry - ICE and REST!!!

there is so much more I am willing to do - but I have to get to the Doctor - you know what I am willing to do -- ANYTHING!!!

Please, do not take this away from me for a long period of time. I love it way too much. I love waking up at 5 am and running on Bayshore. I love seeing the sunrise. I love being sweaty and nasty. I love passing guys on Bayshore :) I love the feeling of every part of running - my life just is not complete without my running. My days are empty. I am not smiling. I don't know what to do with myself in the mornings!!

Spinning is not the same. I was in spin class last night and I was praying to you for some sort of enthusiasm and it wasn't there. All I could think about was running. I was looking out the window at the treadmills wishing I was on one of them, rather than a bike. YES I was WISHING I was on a treadmill!! Another promise to you God, I will stop complaining about the Treadmill!!!! I will embrace it and LOVE it.

God, I will appreciate running so much more now. I realize how much it means to me and how much I need it in my life.

Please, please, PLEASE let this only be something minor.

Amen

Can I tell you how sad I am?

This may have been one of the most depressing days I have had personally....

The foot pain that has been lingering for the past week came and haunted me today. I thought for sure that my foot would have been better by today but I was very wrong. When I woke up this morning I felt it and it sort of felt worse than it has all week. I did not say anything to anyone because I wanted to ignore it and it just disappear - I thought it would be one of those things that if I didn't think about it or acknowledge it then maybe it really wasn't there.

Stephanie gave me her bottle of 500 mg Ibuprofen the night before, so I took 2 an hour before the race. Once we started to line up I continued to feel my foot... this time it was THROBBING. I had to re tie my shoe, because it was too tight on the pain.. my foot was swelling! I still did not tell anyone. We met up with Todd and Dennis and everyone was in high spirits. I was so excited about the race, the atmosphere and people were just as amazing as I had remembered it from the previous year. This is my FAVorite race, I had been looking forward to this for a year!!!!

The gun went off at 7:35 ... and immediately my worst fear came true... every step I felt my foot. I immediately reached down and grabbed an ibuprofen, swallowed it, turned my music up and tried to forget about it. The spectators were out in full force and the weather was AMAZING. I was set to have the perfect race.... 3:10 was all mine!!!!

Mile 1 passed... and it was not fun. Mile 2 came and this is when I realized that I probably needed to just stop and give up, but I couldn't bring myself to admit this. All of a sudden the pain was strikingly painful and every time my foot hit the pavement it was there. Around mile 2.5 Jaime came up beside me... and thats when I realized my pace was waaay off and not where I needed it to be. She asked how my foot was and then I lost it. I started sobbing!!! I said I am going to quit and she said something back to me and the tears and sobs just started... I had to look away from her and try to collect myself  (still running).... I then put my earphones back in my ear because I knew I couldn't talk... I was way to upset to form a sentence. I think she realized this because she dropped back. I was so distraught. Something clicked in my head at this point and I took off! I was NOT going to quit - this was my favorite race, I tell everyone how much I love it, I had trained hard for it and I wanted to enjoy every last mile!!! I threw my gloves off and got back to my 7:20 pace.... I thought if I ignored it I would be fine. Next water stop another ibuprofen was taken..... now I am at 2000 mg!!!

I was enjoying it all, and still trying to mask the pain. We got out on the beach and happiness just engulfed me. I was smiling and happy and loving life. This lasted until we got off the beach at mile 7.65... then the pain was back in full force. I tried so hard.... I got mad, very mad so I took another ibuprofen!! After taking the 5th one I started realizing just how stupid I was being... Lots of thoughts were going through my head...

Well you can slow down and finish - who cares about the time?
Penny, just stop, you will only hurt yourself and then you won't be able to run because of the recovery.
Penny don't be a baby, it doesn't really hurt.
Penny, you are already off pace - you will not be PR'ing today... just stop!
Penny, you are going to OD on  Ibrophen
Penny... if you stop now, you can recover and then run another marathon sooner AND be able to run everyday like you love!!!
Penny - just settle for a 3:40 and slow down

aaaand these thoughts just kept coming.... it was retarded.

Then I read a sign that said "Finish the Race. Finish Breast Cancer" this made me feel pathetic- if people can suffer through breast cancer, I could surely suffer through 26.2 miles.... right??!!! Then people were cheering me on - I couldn't quit!!!

I crossed the 10 mile mat and stopped - next thing I know the 3:20 pace group passes by and say start running!! Just run with us!! So I said fine... and I was running again!!! Then the pain was 10 x worse!! My foot started giving out on me.... like I was going to land on my knees because my foot was not supporting me anymore...

So.... I QUIT ... I QUIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and now I am going to crawl in a dark hole and never come out. I quit my favorite race and every single person from the 3:15 group - 3:40 group saw me walking and crying and giving up....

such a sad day in the life of Penny Bloom

this is how I really feel, and now I am trying to find the positive - because I still believe everything happens for a reason - now I am searching for the reason!

So after almost OD'ing on drugs - I turned to beer to cope

Forced Tapper - again!

Someone is looking out for me... yet again. My last marathon I fell 4 weeks before and was pretty much forced into a tapper very early - well, here I am again with another problem.... I promise I am not a hyper condriac (I think thats the right word to use...) - I love running too much to create problems in my head.

I have a mystery sprain-ish feeling in my left foot and now I am going to actually tapper!! This time I am going to be cross training all week and not running until the marathon. After I googled and talking with people, it is yet another over use problem. The best remedy for me is to just not run until the race, ice it a few times a day, and take ibuprofen before running. I may end up goin stir crazy from not running, so people watch out!

I spent an hour at the gym today doing 30 minutes on the stair climber and 30 minutes on the bike. The stair climber is my new favorite. I have been starting at 9 and then every 5 minutes adding a level. This machine kicks my a$$! My heart beats faster in the 30 minutes I am on it then it does in a marathon. I sweat like I am in a sauna, and I do not do that when running!! It is amazing. The bike is ok, I am learning to use it. I was checking my heart rate today and I maintained about 150 bpm, which is not max but it is high, so it must be doing something!! I did almost 8 miles in 30 minutes - but then later found out that 10 miles is better...game on next time!! All of this cardio at the gym is actually boring to me, I find myself people watching and then watching the minutes on the timer... its the longest minutes of my life. I don't know how people do it daily... they have way more mental power than I do.

Everyone should wish me luck this week and hope that I don't secretly try to run... because I have a feeling that I may not make it....

Lovin' Every Minute of It...

This horrible week has slowly turned into pure excitement!! Maybe I am quickly becoming delirious... with less than 5 hours of sleep each night this week - my brain is pure mush - but things seem to be falling very nicely into place.

I am a huge believer in "everything happens for a reason" Sometimes it takes a lot of sole searching to find that reason, but if you are patient enough the reason will come. Staying positive and happy through these times can be tough, but keeping your head up and moving forward is the best thing.

I am staying positive, happy and I am trucking along ... and I am PRAYING hard for a GREAT day tomorrow!!

All you need is a run...

to turn bad days into better days!!! These kind of days end up being the best running days. All the emotions that are pent up in your head get to be released through running and the result is usually an insanely fast run that flies by and then a happy person!!! So yes, I am on cloud 9 right now - Maybe I should have started my day with this run!!

Tonights run was a little different for another reason... my Garmin was dead when I got home and I was not waiting on it to charge. Random day for it to be dead, because just yesterday I was having a conversation with someone about running for time vs running for miles. I am big on running for miles AND time... maybe it is the distance runner in me? When using my Garmin, I don't look at it and think "oh I need to speed up" or "Oh no I am going to fast" I just like to know what pace I am going. The only time I use it to speed up is for Tempo runs. My easy days I just run how I feel. If that is a 7:00 pace, so be it... if it is an 8:45 pace that is fine too (I may not be happy or feeling to good about that pace... but easy = what your body wants to do) I also like to see how my paces change over time. If you look at an 8 miler last year at this time it was - actuaaaaally - last year at this time I had not even ran 8 miles!!!! I just looked that up and that is insane to even think! I have not even been doing this for a year yet!!! My Garmin is still only 10 months old; such a young little guy.  Anyways, looking back on my "easy" days back in March they were 8:30s pretty consistently and some days were 8:15's... now a days it is more like 7:45-8:10's. This is the kind of stuff I like to see - my progression over time. If I wasn't running for miles and time I wouldn't be able to see that good stuff. Now, tonight when I ran I used an old watch that had a stopwatch. I know my route very well, so I did the 9 mile run. I couldn't see the watch while I was out there, so I had no clue what was going on. Once I was done I came in at 1:11:10 for 9 miles - 7:54 pace - which is dead on normal for me. I felt like I ran faster on the way back, but since I didn't have the Garmin, I can't tell you if that is true!!

I have less than 2 weeks to the marathon and I am showing absolutely NO steps towards a tapper - which is bad news for me... someone needs to hide all 1500 pairs of running shoes I own if I want to have a good race!!!!

Surprisingly Successful

When I received a text message a few weeks back that read

"Will you run for Haiti on Jan 22, have to run 10 miles - 35 dollars!?!"

I responded

"Yes! Does time matter?"

and the response received

"Well we could win we have some awesome runners"

END of conversation for a few weeks....

I knew that the day after, January 23rd, I had committed to two other running friends for a 23 Miler for my training schedule. I had planned to do 10 Miles with Todd and then the next 13 to do with Jaime during her Clearwater half. I figured if time didn't matter for this Haiti run then I could do 10 easy in the morning and then have the entire day to recover..... well.... things were not the way I had imagined nor did they go or end up in any way that I would have ever imagined!!! Life can be fun and spontaneous, which is the best part of living sometimes!!

As the Haiti run started to unfold, I realized it was actually a relay - a 100 mile relay. So I am thinking that 10 runners 10 miles... right? Well, a week before the race my friend says "Penny, I have to tell you something... you are actually running 15 miles and you are the 9th leg" translation - Penny you are running at 15 miles at 9:30 at night... the night before your 23 miler. I pretty much had a panic attack. I didn't know what to do. I felt I needed to back out of the relay because I knew I had commitments to other people, but I also had commited to do this relay! I am only one person, and all of a sudden I felt I needed a clone. I could not get this off of my mind. I spent days trying to figure out what to do! Jaime got an ear full of this... thanks for listening ;)

I tried to switch to be the first leg, but that wasn't happening, it was already given to someone. My next thought was ok, well I will run my leg and then do 8 more to complete my 23. Then I started panicking about running so late and where I would do it. Finally I really analyzed the legs of the relay. There were 2 12 milers back to back. I decided I would ask for the first 12 miler and then run with the next runner for 11 of their miles and then I would be done! After talking my friend into this, she finally agreed. Well, next thing that happens is a runner felt she should not run, leaving the next 12 miler open! So, what happens? Penny gets 2 legs of the relay!! I honestly was very nervous. I didn't know how this was going to work. 24 miles out in the middle of nowhere with no one else but myself! I have never run 23 miles, let alone 24 miles, for a marathon training run... and now here I was REGISTERED in a RACE for 24 miles all by myself in the MIDDLE of the day. I was planned to start at 11:30!!

Now, at this point I was freaking out about what I was going to EAT before I ran. I am so used to eating a Luna Bar and then heading out at 4:30 am.. this was beyond different. My plan was to wake up, have a good breakfast early and then eat a power bar an hour before the race.. and the night before eat my staple pasta dish for carbs... well, once again... this did not go as planned!!

The night before I went out to eat with friends. We went to Ceviche and I ordered Ceviche... it was just Tuna... no carbs!!!! AND I was drinking wine... aaagh what was I thinking?!?!

So, fast forward to the next morning - I wake up... getting ready to eat that breakfast and sipping on some coffee when I get a phone call from my friend...

"Penny, you need to get down here ASAP! Matt just BLEW his first leg out of the water and we are way early... leave your house now!!!"

Haha, well I had coffee in my  system and that was it. I ran out the door, stopped and got some gatorade and I was off... no food in the belly!! Luckily I had a cliff bar stashed in my bag. I get to the start with about 40 minutes to go. I had done nothing to get ready, so I was standing around stretching and talking to the girls. It was really windy and cold.

Next thing I know, the girl that I am running after is right in front of me, which means I had to take off! So in an instant I was off on my 24 mile journey!!!! It started out nice... for the first 2 miles.. The map showed that I was going out 6 miles and then going back and then repeating. Well, I got to mile 2.5 and this lady tells me I had to turn around. I tried to say no, that I was supposed to go out 6 and she insisted, that that was not correct. So I did as I was told. All of a sudden a boy (yes boy, he was a x country hs runner) came up next to me and said.. are you leg 4? I said yes, he said why did we just turn around...? so now we are both confused... at mile 3.4 this guy is yelling at us to run back!! So we turned around. He realized that the lady was wrong and we were not supposed to turn around at 2.4! So we finally get back to him, get in his truck and he dumps us at a point that he felt was appropriate to get us back on track - confusing I know!!

At this point I am frustrated  because of the team time.. this was going to affect it. My garmin was stopped for the drive, but the relay clock was still going.

This course to be quite honest was HORRIBLE. 4 of the 6 miles out were on country roads with cars FLYING by. There was no shoulders to run on. So when I saw a car coming I would dart off into the ditch and then back on the road. The wind was ridiculous. I felt I was running in place! There was quite a few times that my legs when they were taking steps through the air, would be pushed by the wind. My music, was loud, and I could still here the wind. At another point the wind was so bad, that I was crying with tears in my eyes, wondering if I was actually going to finish this run or if I should just give up! The water situation? Well that was only at the turn arounds, so every 6 miles. GUs? Well, I took 2 with me and gave my friend my other 2 to give me when I finished my first 12 miles... well, she forgot she had them! So, I had 2 GU's at the beginning and then had nothing for the 2nd half when I would probably actually need them!!! AAAH I couldn't believe what I had gotten myself into!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Through all of this pain I had great splits... which made me the happiest girl alive...

7:53
8:03
7:26
7:37
7:23
7:32
7:41
7:33
7:27
7:23
7:24
7:29
7:42
7:48
7:37
7:35
7:27
7:33
7:46
7:45
7:41
7:39
7:36
6:15 Only .89 (7.18 pace)
 3:01:27

So avg of 7.36 pace for 23.89 miles!!!

The team finished 2nd place (The HS XCountry team won) with a total of 13:36:10 for 100 miles!!!! We were awesome. The race was great (even though it was tough) and we were doing it for a great cause!!!

My total time with that fiasco of having to stop was 3:06:02 so it added an additional 5 minutes to our teams time. SO aggravating :( but still put me at 7:46 avg pace for my 2 legs which totaled almost a 1/4 of the 100 mile relay!!!

Now, there are a few reasons this gives me mega confidence for my marathon

1. I was not tappered AT ALL! I had ran a paced 21 miler the week before and ran all my normal 8 milers + speed and tempo during the week leading up to it. Not to mention my double run + weights on Thursday!

2. The pace I maintained was the same pace as my marathon in October - that I was tappered and carbed up for!

3. I was not prepared for this at all. I had full intentions of running EASY

4. I do not feel the run on my body right now at all.

With all of this, I think I am ready for my marathon!! I have been doubting myself for a while, and have wondered if I should just not do it... well I think I should be excited now - right?!?

This is not my Forte

No matter what I say I will never ever be a blogger. As bad as I want to be, I am not. I admit it and I am sorry for that!

But here is another random post by me..

I am 3 weeks away from marathon #2 and I have no idea what to think about it. It does not seem like I have been training for it. There is something so different this time about the whole process. There are days at a time that I do not even think about it, and then something crosses my mind that reminds me that I have a marathon coming up. Maybe since I have "been there, done that" it isn't such a big deal anymore. This attitude scares me because what if I am mentally not ready for it. I have completed my long runs (besides one 16 miler at goal pace) and tomorrow I am doing a 24 miler. So, physically I am fit for it. I am just not putting my thoughts into it. Its so strange to me.

Tomorrow I will need tons of prayers from everyone out there. I have committed to doing a relay. This relay is a 10 person 100 mile relay. Since I have my 23 mile long run planned this weekend, I went ahead and picked up 2 12 mile legs to incorporate my training. I am really nervous about this because it starts at about 11:45 am and I will be running in the middle of the day. My body is accustomed to running in the early mornings or at night, so hopefully I will adapt well. The other nerve wrecking part is that it is a 6 mile out and then back that I have to do twice. Going into this I am going to think of it as 4 6 mile runs. There are about 100 runners total and the path is in the middle of nowhere... a trail through woods. I am really hoping to see people out there to make it somewhat less lonely! AND there will only  be water every 6 miles. The weather claims it will only be a high of 61*. I am hoping this is accurate, but with Florida weather it could be in the mid 70's!! The next thing I am worried about is what the heck am I supposed to eat in the morning! I mean, I usually eat oatmeal and PB and I am out the door. This is later than usual so maybe I eat more earlier??

Everything is just so out of wack this training cycle!!

2010/2011

Mileage by Month



This does not include some/most of my runs where I did not have my Garmin. With that said, my 1st Running Goal for 2011...  is to track my mileage "Jaime Style"

March: 111.63

April:115.67

May: 149.65

June: 151.96
July: 184.45
August: 167.04
September: 192.56
October: 132.68

November: 212.13

December: 147.07

November really sticks out to me. My marathon was October 23, so my highest month was following a marathon? This started to make me realize that this could be the reason from all of my FATIGUE the past couple of months! I never recovered from my marathon. which leads to my 2nd Running Goal for 2011 ... PROPER RECOVERY!

In Summary my Running Related Goals for 2011

Track mileage Jaime Style

Proper Recovery

STRETCH after runs

ICE ICE!! all the time

Strength train 2x per week

Cross Train 1-2 x per week

Be happy and proud after all races

Lose 10 pounds! My poor knees and hips need a break ;)