Startng Over Again - The Blame Game!

So here is what happened....

Two months ago I ran a fantastic half marathon touted as "Texas Oldest Half".  I even PR'd!  And, I  was kicking hiney on my 5K pace.  Prior to the half marathon I decided to run a 10 mile trail run.  How hard could it be, right?  I can run 10 miles in my sleep. 

Ha! On the open road sure, but the trails worked a number on my ankles.  If you know me at all (read my previous post) it should be needless to say that - I hurt myself.  The problem is I just didn't know how badly.  You see I ran the trail run the weekend BEFORE the half marathon.  My left ankle was tender so I laid off it all week and just did yoga and elliptical training.  By Saturday I felt fine, so I ran he Half on Sunday.  At mile four my foot started hurting.  I thought I just tied my shoes too tight and they were rubbing.  Nope!  My foot was swelling!

Like a good, responsible runner.......I actually stayed off it for 4 weeks so my foot could heal.  I even got some fantastic Airrosti Therapy with Dr. Christenson.  By week four I felt great, so I got started again...slowly. 

One week later....boom - broken nose.

Two weeks after broken nose and six weeks off....I'm struggling to run 3 miles and my shorts are getting tight! 

I'd love to blame all my injuries, my doctors, my luck, but the fact remains....the only thing to blame is me.  I could have still been in the gym cycling, or (according to my husband) some light weight lifting.  And it's not to say that I didn't go some, but I still could have done more to keep my conditioning level up while I couldn't run. I also could have not eaten every thing it sight!

It's hard to break the eating habit though. When I'm running, I "cheat" a lot, but it's masked by the fact that I am burning a ton of calories. It also doesn't help that the MIL left us with a huge bag of Jelly Belly's that I can't seem to get it out of my head every night.  It's like they are calling my name...even the ugly Black Licorice and Root Beer Float ones.... ugh!

But alas......it's time to get my jiggly butt back on the wagon.  It's time to get my, semi straight again, nose back on the pavement and run.  It's time to stop eating junk.  No more Jelly Belly TV Snacks even if I have to throw them away....oh the torture! 

Pray I don't fall while I'm out running, working out, or just sitting at my desk.  Yes, it's happened before! =)  NO WHAMMIES!

June 6th - Hit the road running

Monday's are always great.  You wake up, hopefully, refreshed and ready to hit the road running.  I literally did just that.  I got up at 5 and was out jogging by 5:30 am.  I had a short 3 m jog scheduled then a Kettle Bell cardio workout....more on that later.  Finished up both by 6:30, felt great and burned an estimated 450-500 calories....cool.  After work I went to cycle and burned another 350ish calories.

I am shocked I don't feel miserable tonight.  Sometimes I get wicked headaches when I push to hard, so I purposely tried not to over do it today....easier said then done.  I guess I will see how I feel tomorrow.  I hope I'm not too sore or it is going to make Tuesday's workout torture.

Time to get serious again......

So I'm officially signed up....again....for the San Antonio Rock n Roll Marathon.  The race is in November, but training is going to start in a couple of weeks.  I guess it's time to get serious again.  My husband will be the first to agree with me that I have kind of half ass'd my training this Winter and Spring.  I did just enough to keep me in moderate shape. With three weeks until my training begins, I have to get focused and serious about my workouts and diet.

Here is to day 1 - 5am wake up call.  IT only gets earlier from here!

Finally got my 4 mile run in

I was supposed to run this on Saturday but spending time with family and baking kinda got in the way.  I'm a few days behind, but I got it done.  Four miles and a strong head wind!

I'm finally healthy......I think!?!

After starting and stopping a couple of times this year, I think I am finally healthy.  To recap, back in November I hurt my left leg pretty bad and had to drop out of the San Antonio Marathon.  I tied to start walking in early January then slowly started progressing to jogging.

I guess I was just too eager to get out running again.  I never re-lapsed back to the point where my leg was so bad I couldn't walk, but I just knew something wasn't right.  I stopped running again in early February, took about 4 more weeks off and then started slowing working up to a 3 mile jog.

I'm happy to say, I'm feeling great.  Next up, 10K training.

Week Three: 20 degrees and a wind chill of ........

This week started great.  I went out for a jog after work Monday.  It was a beautiful 70 degrees around the River Ridge loop.  The wind was kicking, as the the "Winter Storm" was starting to blow in. 

I went out on Monday, even though I originally planned to go to the gym to cross train.  I knew that this was probably going to be the only nice weather day, so I took advantage of it.  Thank goodness I did.  As we all know, the temp dropped to below freezing and the wind were swirling as high as hurricane force.  Uh....no thank you!

Look, I'm not afraid of a little weather.  I love running in a little rain or even a little tail wind but.....20 degree with a wind chill of ZERO....not a chance.  Never mind that I don't have the proper clothing to go out an run in this weather, but my Texas breed body just isn't used to this kind of weather.

The temp is supposed to jump back to normal Saturday, so 'till then........

Week Two: OMG....It's too early

Ten after 5am came WAY too early this morning.  Yeah....that's why I feel back asleep, waking up frantically at 5:40....."oh S*@t!".  I'm late.  I wanted to get started no later then 5:30.  I finally managed to start my morning run at 6:10am.  Man, almost screwed up on the first day.  At least I didn't just say..."F" it and go back to bed.  I got up and got it done.  Albeit late, but still got it done. 

2 mile walk at 1.5 mile run complete followed by the gym, for 1.5 hours, after work for....Muscle endurance training.  Hang cleans are going to be the death of me.  I'm already sore. Let see how easily I get up tomorrow morning...laff!

The First Mile - Running is Cheaper then Therapy!

So how are you supposed to stay focused when you are physically and mentally exhausted?  I had such a hard work week and because I was so tired and busy, I missed running Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  Not off to a good start.

Well, I finally made it for a jog/ workout today and was thinking about this the whole time.  It is already so hard to balance work and personal life. Now I want to focus on running again!  How did I focus on this before.  Then it hit me...."oh yeah, I was getting up at 4am several times a week to get my runs in.

But wait a minute.  Getting up wasn't the focus.  That was the dedication to the focus.  What/ where was the real focus coming from?  Then another "Ah-Ha!" moment.  My self adopted mantra popped in my head.

"Running is Cheaper then Therapy...."  That's what kept me going.  It's what was keeping me sane.  It was/ is the focus on the activity that keeps the balance between work and life.  It is MY personal alone time.  The ME time I have always loved.  I guess I just kinda lost my focus for a little while.  It's good to have it back.

The First Mile - Mental Focus

Some people might think that finishing the last mile is the hardest part.  I say starting the first is harder.

This is my first week back to running after a leg injury.  I thought not running for the past 11 weeks was going to be the death of me.  Getting started again is worse.  11 Weeks is long enough to loose my endurance, strength, and even my focus, but it's not long enough for my mind to forget that I can and should be able to run 10+....no problem.  Heck I use to consider an 8 mile run an easy day!

I've actually been jogging for the last two weeks, but I was resigned to only running 5 minutes on, 5 minutes off for 20-30 minutes...then followed by just walking.  I decided that this was the week to get back in the game, but I have to start slow, so I don't re injure myself.

Yeah, my body is hurting and I am very apprehensive because of the injury, but getting past this metal block is my real struggle.  It's hard not to be discouraged by only being able to run a paltry 1 mile.  Don't get me wrong.  I am grateful for being healthy.  I just know I have more in me and want to push hard.  Doing is counter-productive though.

'Till Tomorrow ~

The First Mile

So.....it's been 11 weeks since I injured my leg.  I actually only thought it had been 8-9 weeks, but just checked the calendar.  Wow...the days sneaked by.

I started training for my first Marathon, this summer, but on November 2nd, 12 days before the marathon, I went out for an easy 2 mile jog on a grass track, hit a divot and twisted my ankle which caused a chain reaction of problems in my left calf, shin, etc.  I was diagnosed with a Stress Reaction on my left tibia and massive soft tissue damage in both my calf and along the tibia/ shin line.  One walking boot (3 weeks) and several sessions of Airossti Therapy later and I am "healed".

On Monday I ran my first mile of the year.  Feels good to be back.

New Training Mission

So it seems like I am always trying something new..... New diet, new workout program, etc...  I guess it is about time I came full circle.  I have a new training mission but it is really an old passion.  Running!

Okay, okay, so maybe I don't really run.  I'm more of a jogger with little spurts of energy, but none the less I totally love it.  I haven't really focused on running in a very, very long time, but something/ everything seemed to "click" this Spring enabling me to get back into it.

I first started running....gosh, as early as 8-9 years old.  Not exactly sure when, but I remember running one of my first "big" road race with my parents and Cousin when I was nine.  It was the Rey Feo/ San Antonio Fiesta 10k.  I was so proud of myself....I kept a 9 minute mile pace for the whole race.  Oh....and the Capital 10k in Austin.  My father and I even were pictured in the paper....along with a ton of other people....but you could see us!  But, even before that, some of my fondest childhood memories are of my parents at local road race events....me just tagging along.  It was so exciting to watch all the adults race off the starting line....at the sound of the gun.  Even more fun was the after race snacks and awards. 

My parents were part of the San Marcos Runners Club for a while when I was a kid, and my Dad was an avid runner.  He ran several marathons, and as I mentioned before, both my parents race a lot of local road races.  It always seemed like we running.  We'll I guess for my Dad it was training.  For me it was just fun.....for my Mom - a chore..heehee.  Especially the weekend runs/ walks we'd take.  We'd start at our house in the Westover part of San Marcos, trek all the way down to "town" then trek it back thru what is now west campus at Texas State, back to our house.  At that age I didn't realize how important that time was.  Major family time.... and the parents keeping fit.

I continued to run competitively thru high school.  You know in track and cross country, but I am the first to admit...I was SLOW!  I couldn't win a race to save my life.  I also wasn't focused, but hey....I always had fun.  My second to third year of college was probably the last time I really ran/ trained.  It was about that time I started having major back problems.  One day while running grass drills in soccer practice I even lost the feeling in both my legs.  Presumably from a pinched nerve.  In actuality, I have a herniated disk in my lover lumbar and tons of fascia damage in my lower glutes and upper hamstrings...but I'll save all the back problems for another time.  Soon after the back problems started, I also met my eventual husband, Stephen.....so you can image what slowly started happening.  Less time running - more time hanging out with him...until my running days were all but over.

Fast forward to my 30's....yep...that's about a 10-12 year gap.   In 2009, I had a friend tell me she was going to run the Capital 10k.  I asked if could join her and we were off.  The only problem was that physically and mentally I was not really ready to push my body to run.  I did train and finish the race, but once it was over I was done.  That experience however, stuck with me and as the 2010 Capital 10K rolled around, I decided I was going to go for it again....and the training began!

Wouldn't you know it, though.....while out with friends, in these really sweet Michael Kors platform sandals I twisted my ankle......actually major bruising and swelling.  No Cap 10K race for me.  This accident didn't discourage me though.  It actually gave me more resolve to rest and recover then start a smart, but aggressive training program.

I am now recovered from my ankle injury and am on my forth week of the new training program.  I've never felt better, mentally, and physically.  I am exhausted by the end of the day, yes.  It's hard getting up before 5 am just to get my runs in, but it has been so worth it.  I am currently running between 2 and 4 miles three times a week and am slowly working up to my 10k pace.  I hope to find one to run in mid June.

My long term goals....well - some might say they are lofty distance goals, but I plan to take the training slow and steady...with the intent of reaching my goal distance in the fall.  I'll keep you posted (hopefully weekly) on my progress!