Showing posts with label Big Sur marathon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Big Sur marathon. Show all posts

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 11

It's the final countdown to the Big Sur Marathon! One week to go until the race. This was my last full effort. And I am ready!

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 11


Monday: rest day. But I did stop on the way to work to steal me some sunshine. And a yoga pose.

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 11
Reverse warrior
Tuesday: I had 6 miles on the plan, so I went to the pool for some pool running. The lifeguards were very chipper this morning. One of the lifeguards was dancing as he patrolled around the dive well. Apparently earlier this year there was an issue with a swimmer who complained that the music was too loud. Long story short, OSHA came out to check the sound system and found that it was within acceptable limits. So the lifeguards got their groove back.

I didn't get a selfie, though because they were just too observant! I thought maybe I'd get one in the locker room, but all the pool noodlers were in there, getting ready for class. I did overhear this: when asked by another noodler how she was feeling since she got out of the hospital, a lady replied that her "stupid doctor" put her on some heart medication but she's not taking it because she's "mad at him". Don't you love that kind of logic? I wonder how that's working out for her.

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 11

Wednesday: There was speedwork on the plan but since I'm still taking it easy on my feet, I put my bike in the trainer for another GCN video. This one was called HIIT Intense Cycle Training Workout. It was supposed to be 40 minutes BUT there's a little surprise at the end. The instructor threw in an extra set of intervals. I laughed to myself because the people in the class did not look happy when he announced it. I wasn't either because this is another really tough workout. And dammit, there were ads in this video. One of them popped up right in the middle of that last interval too. That really threw me off. The other thing that I noticed is that there is one girl who is in every one of these GCN videos. I call her RBF because, RBF. She looks miserable in every video. At the end of this one she's talking with the girl next to her and I had the thought that this would be perfect for some bad lip reading. "How about that last interval?" "This guy is a real dick." "Let's go get Starbucks."

There was some yoga, after all that.
Big Sur Half Marathon Week 11
Twisted high lunge
Thursday: I headed to the pool for another hour of pool running aka aqua jogging around the dive well. For almost the whole time, I had the dive well to myself, with the exception of the lifeguards. With about 15 minutes left to go, the pool noodlers joined me for their warm up. One lady, a newbie, asked me if this was a class. I shook my head no, but thought to myself, do I look like a freaking pool noodler? I just picked up the pace and kept going.

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 11
He moves fast!
Later I went to see Becky for my final session until after the marathon. She had a tough workout planned for me. I pulled the sled, loaded up with plates, down the street. Every once in a while, she had me stop and do KB swings, KB deadlifts, or sidesteps with the resistance band. When she finally let me turn around, she got the idea to have me walk backwards, pulling the sled. At least I could see the cars coming at me before they might hit me, right? There were more KB swings and sidesteps. No rowing today, thankfully. My hips, glutes, and hamstrings were sore. This will be good for those hills of California.

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 11
This one's for the downhills

Friday: rest day.

Saturday: I had 4 miles on the plan and that's what I set out to do before work. It was a perfect morning for a run. 45 degrees, no wind, bright sunshine--oh my! Spring, where have you been? I took it easy, my legs felt good, and nope, no foot pain. I even picked up a penny for good luck. Could this be happening? 4.31m/8:39m/m

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 11
Warrior 2
Sunday: I had eight miles on the plan and I wanted to enjoy them since this would be my last run until Big Sur. I ran to my favorite place to train, the retention pond with the 2 mile loop. I haven't run much there since my injury. Even though it was early, the parking lot was packed. My foot didn't bother me much but the temperatures did. I haven't run in warm weather since Florida, 6 weeks ago. I'm not complaining, but it did make things a little tougher for me! What a great way to wrap up my marathon training cycle! 8.34 miles/8:54m/m

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 11
It doesn't get any better than this.
And now the final countdown begins. I'm not planning on running at all this week. Fresh feet is the goal. A little cycling, pool running, and yoga just to keep me from going completely nuts.

How was your week? Is spring happening where you are? Do you pick up pennies for good luck?

Good luck to everyone running Boston tomorrow!!!

I'm linking up with Holly and Tricia for their Weekly Wrap. It's the place to be. You don't want to miss out, do you?












I'm also linking up with Erin at Her Heartland Soul for her Weekend Snapshot. Got a few of those in this post...

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 10

It's getting real. Only 2 weeks to go until the big show. The foot continues to stay quiet and I'm feeling more excited than nervous! Here's how the week went down.

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 10


Monday: I went to yoga at the studio. The entire class was done at the wall, which really helped me get into my hips. I was a little sore after my long run/long bike the day before, and the class really helped loosen me up.

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 10
Triangle pose with a bind
Tuesday: I had an 8 mile run on the plan, so I pool ran for 73 minutes. I know, it's not an even number, but the lifeguards kicked me out of the pool at 8 am so the pool noodle class could begin.

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 10
Someone asked for a video but I just don't know how I could pull that off. Those lifeguards...
Wednesday: With hill repeats on the plan, I put the bike back in the trainer and decided to do another GCN class. This one was called Extreme Fat Burning Workout. It was a spin class with tough intervals. Even though it was only 50 minutes long, it was 50 minutes of hell. I was a drippy, sweaty, tired mess after this one. A worthy substitute for those hill repeats.

Hero pose. Feeling infinitely grateful for all that I can do, even while injured.
I did yoga at home after that, doing my own Post Run Yoga workout.

Thursday: It was back to the pool for 60 minutes of pool running. The weather has been awful this week--it was snowing this morning--and I'm not minding my indoor workouts at all. No selfie from today's swim. I think the lifeguard is on to me.

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 10
Oh my gosh is this fun! But oh my gosh was I sore the next day.
After pool running, I went to see Becky for CrossFit. She changed things up a bit today. I was excited to see her pull out the slider board. So fun! She also had me do some hip work with the resistance bands. Then there were Romanian deadlifts. Followed by an all out row for 3 minutes again. I continue to improve on my pacing with that.

I met Marcia and Sara for lunch and we talked all things running. Sara's running Boston next week and she has been killing her training. I'm pretty sure she will BQ again. Marcia, who has run Boston a few times, gave Sara some last minute advice. And both of them listened to me moan and groan about my PF. We forgot to get a picture, but trust me, it really happened.

Friday: Today was a rest day but I had another runner meet up, dinner with Michelle, Penny, and Debi! We had never met Debi before but knew her from her FB page, Girls Run the 901. She was in town for the Lakefront 50k. Isn't it great meeting FB friends in real life? It's like we all knew her. She has the cutest southern accent and is a nice as you would imagine.

Michelle, Debi, Penny, and me
Saturday: I had a six mile run on the plan. I woke up to snow. I also woke up to my oldest son's wrecked car parked in the driveway. After I woke him up and learned what happened, I put on my shoes and headed out into the bright sunshine. As sometimes happens on a run, I processed this latest bit of mama drama while taking it out on the road. I had to keep redirecting myself to reign it in, and in spite of wanting to push it, I think I did a good job managing my pace. I also found myself singing out loud to Rage Against the Machine's Killing in the Name. Complete with fist pumping. I hope nobody heard me. Or saw me. 5.55m/8:39m/m

Big Sur Marathon Week 10

The day got better, though. I watched my youngest son compete in an area high school invitational gymnastics tournament where he placed 3rd out of 42 boys on the high bar. I may have cried. And he let me hug him. His team placed 3rd out of 14 schools. What a day.

There he is, 3rd place. On the podium! I'm so proud!
Sunday: Even though I had a 12 mile run on the plan, I cautiously decided I would run 10 and call it a day. It was blustery and cold, with some rain. I headed out to the bike path which would keep me from running directly into the wind for most of my run. My legs felt surprisingly loose and my foot was quiet. I paced myself around 9 min/mile and did a great job keeping my splits consistent. By mile 4, I made up my mind to do the whole 12. I was smiling and singing along to my playlist, but not pushing my pace at all. This was a really enjoyable long run--and I haven't had one of those for a long time! I stopped once to take a picture and that was it. My 12 miles took me right to my driveway and when I stopped, I was still surprised to feel minimal pain in my heel. 12 miles/9:08m/m

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 10
The hay's in the proverbial barn!
I thought to myself that this is how you should feel when you've trained for a marathon. You've done all your work--speedwork, hill work, tempo runs, long runs--and 2 weeks before the race, you should feel loose and ready. What amazed me about this run is that in spite of very little time on the road the last couple of weeks, I feel ready. Is it the pool running? The cycling? The weight training and CrossFit that Becky has been doing with me? Whatever it is, I'll take it!

How was your week? What's the weather been like by you? I'm so ready for spring!

I'm linking up with Holly and Tricia for their Weekly Wrap! It's a great place to catch up with everyone and see what they've been up to.

Sunday, April 3, 2016

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 9

I finally settled down into my "new" training plan for the Big Sur Marathon, which involved very little running and a whole lot of cross training. I was pleasantly surprised by the week, and I feel a whole lot more confident heading into the final stretch of my marathon prep.

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 9

Monday: Rest Day

Tuesday: I had 8 miles on my marathon training plan. I put on my big girl bathing suit and went to the pool for some pool running. Armed with my new waterproof iPod, I "ran" around the diving well for 70 minutes. I had some company this time. There were 3 "pool noodlers" drifting back and forth across the diving well. There was also a guy hanging out in the middle of the diving well. He wasn't moving, and he was there for the longest time. Not sure what he was up to, I kept close to the perimeter of the pool. Eventually, he got out of the pool and went to the sauna. At exactly 8 am, the lifeguards blew the whistle and I had to get out of the pool. Since it would have taken me about 70 minutes to run those 8 miles, I felt like I had an equivalent workout. Minus the pounding on my feet.

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 9
Happy with my "run"! And my tunes.
Wednesday: I had hill training on my marathon plan, so I decided to do intervals on the bike trainer. I found the perfect workout on the GCN channel on YouTube. The Power and Endurance workout consisted of multiple long intervals with varying cadences. The goal was to maintain your same effort throughout each interval. Holy quads! And hamstrings. This was tough and it was good! I was so glad I had my Wahoo Blue SC cadence sensor to help me monitor my cadence as well as my miles per hour. The monitor kept me on track for the entire workout. 15.39 miles/1:04

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 9
Power and Endurance right there...
After I finished, I should have gone to yoga class but instead stayed home and did Rodney Yee's Power Yoga DVD. I've been doing this one for years, and it's a great total body workout. It was a nice substitute for my studio class.

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 9
Half Moon on the bench. A balancing act. With wind.
Thursday: It was back to the pool for more pool running. I only planned on an hour today. For the most part, I had the diving well to myself. The chatty lifeguard was there today, and he kept me company for about 20 minutes. The rest of the time I listened to my music. I felt like I finally got the hang of pool running--I felt like I was actually running, not just flailing around the pool. At the end of the hour, I wanted to keep going, but I forced myself to stop. That's a good sign, right?

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 9
Trying to take the selfie without anyone noticing...
Then I went to see Becky for some CrossFit. She hooked me up to the sled and put resistance bands on my ankles, having me monster walk across the gym. I also did sumo deadlifts, leg lifts on the GHD machine, and V-ups with a ball that I passed back and forth from my ankles to my hands. Let's just say my core needs a little a lot of work. It was kind of embarrassing, really. I finished up rowing all out for 3 minutes. Both Becky and I were thrilled to see that my pacing improved dramatically from the past 2 weeks.

Friday: Rest Day. But I couldn't pass up the amazing morning sky, and stopped to grab a high lunge on my way to work.

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 9
High Lunge
Saturday: I had 4 miles on the plan, but decided to run 5. I must have been half asleep when I looked at the thermometer because I sure didn't dress for the actual temperature. It was cold, it was windy, and yes, those are giant snowflakes in my selfie! My foot felt pretty good during the run. Even more remarkable was how great my legs felt. And yes, I've still got some speed in me. 5.23m/8:31m/m

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 9
Yes, it's snowing! It's spring in Chicago.
Sunday: I had 18 miles on the plan. Yep, it was supposed to be my long run. Although after discussing this with Marcia, I had an idea of what I wanted to do, I also discussed this workout with Becky. Interestingly, her idea was the same as what Marcia suggested. Split the run with the bike. So I planned on doing 10 miles on the run, which would take me about 90 minutes, and 20 miles on the bike which would also take about 90 minutes. I checked the weather, and it was supposed to be crazy windy--again. With the wind blowing hard out of the south, I decided to run the bike path, which is about 10.5 miles, and is a straight shot east to west. I settled into a nice easy pace, carrying my Tailwind for fuel. I felt so good that I actually considered just going for it. I knew that would be a bad idea but it wasn't without some internal struggle that I turned around at the halfway point to go home. The foot felt pretty good until about mile 8 when it started to hurt. I was starting to feel tired, and I adjusted my stride to keep from landing so hard on that foot. That seemed to help, and I got home without too much pain. I was really tired though, and not happy that I had to go back out on the bike. I knew that with those windy conditions, it was going to be a tough ride. 10.46 miles/9:04 min/mi

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 9
10 miles on the bike path
I changed out of my sweaty clothes, drank a protein shake, refilled my Tailwind, and headed back out to the bike path, this time on my bike. Between the wind and the 45 degree temps, I initially needed to do a lot of self-talk to keep moving forward. There were a few points along the ride where I thought the wind was going to blow me over. I've never ridden in those conditions before, and it was a little unnerving. The sun started to come out and it warmed up nicely. I rode to the Forest Preserve and promptly was yelled at by an elderly man who I passed on the path. Apparently he didn't hear me coming and wasn't happy about it. Why are people so angry and confrontational? Everyone else that I passed was friendly. When I got home, I was surprised to see my time: 1:25:58/20.24 miles. If nothing else comes out of this crazy training plan, I am getting faster and stronger on the bike!

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 9
This is actually the same spot on the bike path as my picture above. The sun came out and it warmed up during my ride. Super windy, though!
After this week's training, I'm feeling fairly confident about my marathon. Even though my running hasn't been optimal, I think I had plenty in the tank before I pulled back on the running. I wasn't surprised when I saw my running mileage for March was 57.68. The cycling (there was a lot in March: 166 miles) and the pool running have kept me on track. The long run today was tough, but I got it done. And Kristina promises me that we will run slow (she's going to have to reel me in) and that should help my foot a lot.

If you've gotten this far, thanks for sticking with me. It's been an interesting journey, if nothing else.

Finally THANK YOU to everyone who suggested the pool running and the waterproof iPod shuffle. There will be pool running for a while after the marathon, and I'll be using that thing for a while. I need the music to move me around the pool. Listening to my running playlist summons up those endorphins I get when I'm on the road. The pool running has been a great backup plan.

How was your week? Anyone else training through injuries? Tell me your injury success stories! Snow, anyone?

I'm linking up with Tricia and Holly for their Weekly Wrap! I love seeing what everyone else is doing. Have a great week!













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Sunday, March 27, 2016

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 8

I may as well just throw my marathon training plan out the window. Although my foot and hip are feeling better, they're still not 100%. Early in the week, I took the legs for a test run and it went pretty well. Still somewhat sore, I had the revelation that while I can run some, I need to modify my training significantly. In fact, I did throw that training plan out. Welcome to Creative Marathon Training 101 aka gimpy runner doesn't want to give up the dream. Feeling optimistic with the new normal, I embarked on the week with renewed vigor.

And then the plague struck...

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 8

Monday: Sore after my mega 45 mile bike ride the day before, I went to Megan's yoga class. She always starts off the class with a reading or a quote, and today was no different. Of course, I don't remember it. But trust me when I tell you it set a nice tone for the class. We worked on more twisting poses, and our peak pose was Fallen Angel. I've never done this pose, and initially, I was nervous about it until I realized that you get to put your head on the ground! 

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 8
Fallen Angel pose
Tuesday: I had 8 miles on the original training plan. It had been a week since I last ran and I decided to go for a slow 6 miles. I felt pretty good during the run. Certainly, I was aware of my injuries but I wasn't in pain. When I finished, I did my heel and calf stretches. As the morning went on, my foot began to bother me, but it was nothing like I had experienced the weeks before. At this point, I realized that a long run was not going to be a good idea. This is when I made the decision to completely modify my training plan. 

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 8
Ecstatic to have a mostly pain free run!
I am 4 weeks away from Big Sur and right now my goal is to get to the start line and finish. I've heard from quite a few people (thank you!) who've trained for marathons by cycling and pool running, and that's what I'm going to focus on. There will be some running, just to keep my legs in the game. But there will be no long runs. Marcia suggested I split the pool running with running on my long run days, which I thought was a good suggestion. 

I'm not at all anxious about this. Well, maybe a little bit. But Big Sur is a bucket list race for me and I am running it for the experience, not for time. I also don't want to be trashed after and not be able to enjoy my "not second honeymoon" with my husband. While this is not the way you want to train for a marathon, I'm at peace with my decision. 

Wednesday: the original marathon plan had hill repeats to do, so I put my bike back in the trainer and pulled up one of CTXC's interval videos. I rode hard and it felt great. Except for the 3 minutes of that EDM version of What Did The Fox Say? Not again! Afterwards, I did the SeaWheeze yoga video that I love so much.

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 8
Cobra Pose
Thursday: I had planned on a 6 mile run, followed by CrossFit. What I didn't plan on is getting the stomach flu. UGH! I had started to feel crummy at work the day before. About 2 am I woke up and the party started. I sipped on Tailwind most of the morning. Because having the stomach flu is kind of like an endurance event, isn't it? All those trips to the bathroom? The pain? The "I just want to die" feeling? And the feeling of victory when you realize it's all over? No medal tho.

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 8

Friday: A scheduled rest day, I was still feeling ill and had to call off work. I may have shed a few tears of frustration. I spent yet another day on the couch and ruminated about this marathon training cycle and all the missed running. In my Runfessions post I asked for good vibes and received a ton of them. Thank you to everyone! I used the time off my feet to write my blog posts for the week. I watched a wonderful movie, Brooklyn (more tears). I started eating again, focusing on bland but protein rich foods. I jumped into a short IG yoga challenge. Luckily, today's pose was sun salutation. The sun felt good but the pose was about all I could handle!

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 8
Sun salutation
#yogaisintheair
Saturday: A good night's sleep and a mostly calm tummy had me feeling optimistic. The sun was shining, it was 50F, and I was beyond excited to put on my running shoes to run 6 miles. I promised myself I'd go slow, and as it turned out, I had no other choice since I struggled to reach 9min/mi pace. Only one pit stop needed, and I even got my pose of the day in for the #YogaisintheAir IG challenge. 6.08mi/9:03m/m

Eye of the tiger, baby!
Crow pose
#yogaisintheair

Sunday: I had a 15 mile run scheduled for today. I hemmed and hawed over how to accomplish something that would be equivalent. My first "brick" workout (and I'm not even a triathlete!), I would have gone pool running first but the pool was closed for Easter. Instead, I decided to run 6 and bike 20.

The run again was slow--I'm still somewhat fatigued from my illness--but besides my foot pain, I felt strong. My legs felt fantastic and I lamented that my foot was holding me back. Yes, it hurt. But no worse when I finished. I consider that a win. 6.20m/9 min/mi

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 8

I came home, ate breakfast, and changed out of my sweaty clothes. It's funny, when you run you dress for warmer conditions because you heat up as you move. But for the bike, you need to dress for cooler temps because the wind resistance cools you down. Even though it was 52 when I went out, I covered my ears and slipped on my gloves. I rode to the bike path where I have done so much of my race training. The path was getting crowded with walkers and little kids on bikes. Note to self: it's that time of year. Must go earlier. Overall, it was a good ride, and I'm grateful to be able to train like this. 

There was one funny thing that happened on the way back. Part of the path crosses a busy road, and I pulled up next to another woman on a bike. I had passed her earlier on the path. She didn't acknowledge me and when we had an opportunity to cross the road, she pushed off in a hurry, pedalling furiously. What was that all about? Ohh hell no! My inner competitor woke up to the challenge, and I began to pedal strongly. She was moving pretty well but it wasn't long before I passed her up. Smokin'. I might not be able to run fast, but I've still got skillzzzzzzz....

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 8
Today's #yogaisintheair challenge pose was lotus. Which is a huge challenge for me with my tight hips. When I got into this pose, a cyclist stopped to ask me if I was ok. I laughed and told him I was taking a selfie. LOL! BTW, I love this mural, which is on a school that I pass to get to the bike path..
How was your week? Any funny training stories you want to share? Anyone else changing their marathon training plan? 

I'm linking up with Holly and Tricia for their Weekly Wrap! It's the best! And they are too!



Sunday, March 20, 2016

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 7

This week started in Florida and ended back in chilly Chi-town. Not only that, but there wasn't a whole lot of running this week. Have you ever trained for a marathon without doing much running? Can you say anxious?

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 7
Anna Maria Island Sunset
Monday: Post half marathon rest day. I was incredibly sore--in my quads! I guess those downhills on the bridges took a toll on me. Who says Florida is flat? I did my yoga for runners workout and tried to stretch everything out. I also walked on the beach for about 2 hours. Secretly, I have an obsession with seashells, and I could spend all day, every day looking for the perfect shells. The gulf wasn't giving up anything, but no matter. It's always wonderful to be out on the beach. The waves crashing on the shore, the feel of the sand on my feet...it's like therapy, really. My foot was a little sore but no more than usual. I found this really encouraging after running 13.1 miles the day before.

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 7
Warrior one on the beach
Tuesday: I wanted to test out the legs before I headed home. Plus I just wanted to run one more time in Florida! It was really foggy! I went out for a 6 mile run around the island. From previous years spent there, I had a nice 6.5 mile loop and hoped to complete it. But around mile 3.5, I felt a strong tug in my right hip flexor. This wasn't the soreness that I experienced during the race, but a more sharp pull. People always give me a hard time about running through pain, but this was one of those pains I knew not to ignore. I stopped immediately to walk and rubbed the spot that was hurting. I started running again, and it hurt, but not so sharply this time. By mile 4 (my OCD likes even numbers), I decided to stop and walk back to my parents' place. There was no sense in risking injury. I was pretty sure that the pain was due to my bike crash from the previous week, but to be safe, I called the sports medicine specialist and set up an appointment for the next day once I got home.

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 7
Last run before I head home.
Wednesday: I had hill work on the plan, but since I wasn't running, I did intervals on the bike. I could not get YouTube to stream through my Apple TV, and so I just listened to my running playlist. Which turned out to be the best thing for me. I rode hard and fast. There was no pain with this ride.

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 7
Frog pose post bike ride
Later that afternoon, I saw my doctor. Of course, she shook her head when I told her what had happened last week on the bike. She was concerned about a femoral head stress fracture, although both of us discussed that it was pretty unlikely, considering that I ran a half marathon on Sunday. Still, she ordered xrays. No fracture was seen, although I do have some "degenerative" joint changes. You know, arthritis. Smh. My doctor told me to take a week off and try some gentle running after that. If it was still painful at that point, she would have me get an MRI. She did reassure me that provided I didn't have a fracture, she would get me to Big Sur. After the race, she told me I needed a real break and some rehab.

Thursday: I drove to the indoor park district pool to do some pool running. On the way home from work the night before, I had stopped to buy a pool running belt and a waterproof iPhone case. Armed with all my gear, I waded into the diving well. Alarms were sounding off in my head as I lowered into the pool with my iPhone. There was no one there but me and the lifeguard, and I started "jogging" around the perimeter. My tunes were playing and I started to think that maybe this pool running wasn't going to be so bad. After one lap around the pool, I heard zzzzzzttt in my headphone and yep, my music stopped. Dammit. When will I learn to listen to my gut? Why would I listen to the teenager at Best Buy? I took my wet phone out of the "waterproof" case, set it on the bleachers, and got back in the water to finish my workout. The teenage lifeguard didn't laugh at me, surprisingly. He walked around the pool while I jogged and we chatted. That helped the hour go by quickly.

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 7

After my pool workout, I went to see Becky for CrossFit. I talked to her about my week, my drowned phone, and my doctor visits. Then I started to cry. I hadn't cried at all since the bike crash, and when I finally do break down, it's in front of my tough as nails coach. She let me cry, and then we talked about what I was going to do. She talked about all the positives. How well I did in that hot half on Sunday. That I got back on my bike after the crash. That she seriously doubted I had a fracture since I ran that half without much pain. That I was going to get to Big Sur, no matter what. And that I wasn't going to cry anymore. For my modified workout, she had me do cleans into front squats, 3 sets of 10 alternating with squats/plate flips. Then I pulled the sled across the parking lot alternating with 3 sets of 10 slam balls. Finally, I rowed all out for 3 minutes. It was hard, it was therapeutic, I was pain free, and I felt strong and badass when I left.

Of course, I have no pictures from this day, since I had no phone. I know the rule, no pictures, the workout didn't happen, right? Trust me. If I could have a do-over for this day, I would. And yes, the workouts happened. Note to self: there is no such thing as a waterproof phone case. I spent the rest of the day getting a new phone and setting up all my apps. Second note to self: do not ignore those alarm bells. Trust the gut. Pity party? Over.

Friday: rest day. By the way, I got my attitude adjustment at work. Remember my patient Jolie? She and her mom stopped by the clinic to see me. Her hair is growing back, but she's decided she likes being bald and wants to shave it! She climbed on my lap and wouldn't stop hugging me. Life is indeed very good.

Saturday: What would have been 5 miles on the road ended up being 50 minutes of spin class on the trainer. I used one of the GCN's spin class videos, and it was a good one. The only thing I don't do is stand up in the pedals when the class does. I'm too afraid of aggravating my PF.

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 7
Post spin cycle!

Sunday I had a 12 mile run on the plan. I read somewhere that cycling and running time on the road are not equivalent, and that a cycling workout should be about 1 1/2 times longer than a running workout. I don't know if this is true, but it was incentive for me to plan on a 3 hour bike ride. There are a bunch of forest preserves around here, and I found a way to connect my usual 2 hour route to the preserve where I ran that half marathon last November. I layered up, as it was 40 degrees, and slipped on my neoprene toe covers that Kelli recommended. The sun was shining brightly, and that made it feel a little less cold. I had the path to myself. Getting to the other preserve was interesting. Even though the suburb I had to ride through boasts that it is "bike friendly"--yes, I rode on a well-marked paved path-- the people driving on the busy roads were not at all bike friendly. Part of the route took me over Interstate 90 on a bridge that was under construction. There was still a bike lane but OMG, it was a little hairy. I also had to ride past Woodfield Mall--who knew that would be on the bike route?--so I also had to contend with the shopping crowd. After that, I crossed under another highway and came to the entrance to Busse Woods. I felt myself relax as I was able to increase my speed on the smooth path without worrying about cars. This preserve is yet another pretty oasis in the middle of suburbia. I circled around the 8 mile loop and headed towards home. One more scary crossing--damn you road construction!--where I actually had to ride on one of the busy roads for about 1/8 mile. Then it was home free. 45 miles/3:16.

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 7
These pretty birch trees made me stop and strike a pose!
I know what you're thinking. Or maybe you're not, but I had this thought. Why didn't I go the extra 5 miles to make it a half century? I was going for time, not distance. This was the farthest I've ever ridden on my bike. It was also the coldest temperature I've ever ridden in. My quads were screaming at this point, and my hands were numb. I was more than ready to be done. And I was really happy with this ride. I hope it counts for marathon training. It sure was fun!

Have you ever trained for a marathon using cross training? How did it go? Any suggestions for making pool running more interesting? 

I am linking up with Tricia and Holly for their Weekly Wrap!

Sunday, March 13, 2016

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 6

I'm halfway through my training for the Big Sur Marathon! Unfortunately, this week was not quite as epic as the last two. Marred by injuries, I was forced to take a couple of days off to recover and rest. Since I spent the latter part of the week in Florida, it wasn't hard to convince myself to put my feet up!


Monday: yoga with Megan. She started off the class talking about digestion and had us do some deep abdominal breathing. Throughout the class, she incorporated twists. It was a challenging class but I really enjoyed it. I also finally mastered side crow! I actually found it easier to balance than with regular crow. Go figure.

Side Crow
Side crow
Tuesday: I had 6 miles on the plan. It was 62 degrees, and I couldn't wait to get outside. I felt great. Until mile 6, when my foot started hurting. Badly. I got home and iced it. By the time I got to work, I was in so much pain I could barely walk. I texted our sports medicine doctor (I work in pediatrics) and he got me in to see his "adult" colleague over lunch. She was happy with all the work I had been doing at home, and said she would be willing to try a steroid injection if I was.

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 6
6 miles at sunrise
You all know how I feel about this. There is the risk of tendon rupture and fat pad necrosis with steroid injection into the plantar fascia. However, I was in so much pain that I made the decision to go ahead with the shot and take the rest of the week off of running. She was good with that, and prepped my foot for the injection. It hurt, but no worse than the pain I was in. Afterwards, she gave me a referral for PT to work on my kinetic chain, since I always seem to be injured on my left side. And she told me she would get me to the start line of Big Sur. She wasn't happy about my plans to run a half marathon on Sunday though.

Wednesday: In lieu of my scheduled hill training, I went for a bike ride. It was a little drizzly to start but still warm, in the 60s, and it felt good to be on the bike. About 4 miles into my ride, I passed a runner, went around a curve, slipped on the wet pavement and crashed to the ground. The runner came up to me and asked if I was ok. I was able to move everything, so no broken bones. I felt like crying but I let him help me up and I thanked him. I gathered myself and got back on my bike. I decided to finish my ride. Slowly and a little bit shakily. As it turns out, it wasn't the best day to be out on the path. There were workers cutting trees down, and they had their truck parked in the path. More mud for me to slog through. But once I passed them up, I was rewarded with singing birds and chirping frogs in the ponds. I do love spring! 17 miles/75 mins

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 6
After the crash. In shock, I think.
When I got home, I assessed my wounds, which were mostly road rash on the arm and leg where I fell. I was covered with mud, which must have been what made the path so slippery. I had some pain in my adductors and hips too, and as the day went on, the soreness took hold. I guess this was some kind of sign that I needed to take it easy the rest of the week. The good news? My foot didn't hurt much at all.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday: I headed to Florida with a wish and a hope that I'd be able to line up at the start line of the Sarasota Half Marathon on Sunday. I rehabbed my sore body by doing yoga in the sun, splashing in the pool, and walking on the beach. Therapy. It was rough.

Tree pose 
King dancer
Crow pose
Camel pose
Sunday morning I woke up feeling good and ready to run. I'll post a full race recap on Wednesday, but since this was a training run (ha!) I wanted to include it in my summary. We started in the dark humid morning and I have to say how great it felt to be running. But I struggled with the heat and humidity and ended up really slowing down. My foot felt pretty good but I every time I started running again after a walk break, I felt a twinge in my right hip. When I finished, I was really uncomfortable. My foot started to throb and the hip pain became a little more intense. I'm pretty sure the hip pain is from the bike crash. I was pretty upset about it, but as the day went on, the pain subsided, and I felt a little more optimistic.

Sarasota Half Marathon
At the finish
I know when I get home on Tuesday I'll need to make another appointment with the sports medicine doctor as well as look into alternative training for Big Sur. One of my friends and fellow bloggers, Holly, trained for WDW doing pool running, and I think I'll need to explore that. I'm not happy about this at all. 

Stay tuned.

How was your week? Any mishaps? Have you ever trained for a marathon using alternatives to running?

I'm linking up with Holly and Tricia for their Weekly Wrap!