Initiative

Initiative.

What a perfect word for my marathon training.

My marathon training is so different from what everyone else is doing. And I'm hearing about it. Mostly about the lower mileage I'm doing.

In the past when I trained for my first marathon, I followed a high mileage plan. I trained using a plan developed by a famous runner. And what happened? Mentally, I wasn't prepared for the distance. And I fell apart. Physically, I got through the race, but ended up with a stress fracture and battled plantar fasciitis for over a year. I never quite bounced back from that bad race. My confidence was rattled. I said I'd never do another marathon after that one. For the next couple of years, I continued to run, and I continued to battle injuries. My pace was slowing. I didn't like what was happening.

So I took the initiative, and I sought out a coach to help me get back on track. At first, I went the obvious route and talked with a running coach. But I didn't hear her say anything that sounded different from what I was already doing. I was looking for something different. And so after consulting with my friend, who owned a CrossFit box, I ended up with Becky, a CrossFit coach and corrective exercise specialist. I figured that it wouldn't be any worse than what I was already doing, right?

You know how this story ends. Last year, I let her train me for Chicago Marathon #2. The naysayers told me that I wasn't training the right way. The doubters told me I was breaking the cardinal rule of marathon training. I wasn't running a lot. There wasn't a 20 mile run on my plan. But the workouts she had me do were hard. Physically and mentally.

What's so magical about 20 miles anyways?

The naysayers are quiet now. There's more than one way to run a marathon.

I'm training for Chicago marathon #3, with my eyes on the prize. If you had told me last year that I would be running strong enough to even think about a BQ, I would have told you that you were crazy. But here I am. Back at it again. And then some.

Maybe I will, maybe I won't....

But I'm sure having fun trying. Does your marathon plan include anything besides running?

It's time to think outside the box. If your training isn't working for you, then maybe it's time to try a different approach. Stop listening to everyone else. Do what works for you. Take the initiative. Step out of your comfort zone.

Nothing great ever happens there anyways.

I'm linking this post with DebRuns, who hosts Wednesday Word. I just love stretching the limits and writing a post based on a word prompt! Be sure to check out the other posts!

Hey Sole Sister...

It's no secret. I love my sole sisters. Since starting this blog and my Facebook page, my circle of sole sisters has widened. I truly believe that my vastly improved running is due to the support of my wonderful running friends. I'm lucky to have a local group of sole sisters, whom I write about a lot. We don't see each other as often as we'd like, but we sure keep in touch. Our group chats are pretty funny. We also meet up at races and try to do lunch or dinner when we can coordinate our schedules. Even as we speak, Marcia and I keep having to reschedule our lunch date--something keeps coming up!

I also have my virtual sole sisters, the ones who live far. I've gotten to meet a few of my distance sole sisters, and I've got some big plans to meet a few more. But even though most of us haven't met, I feel like I know them well. We've shared triumphs and disappointments. We message each other on our Facebook pages, Instagram, and privately too. Last winter, when I had the problems with my son, I was touched and amazed by several of my virtual friends who reached out to me privately to share their stories and support. Ladies, it is an amazing thing we have here!

So when Gone For A Run, asked me to do the Sole Sisters 7 mile virtual run, I was really excited. I posted it on my Facebook page, and immediately, 3 of my distance friends signed up! So we are running virtually together!

I received the race packet this week, and the swag is really amazing:

Check out the medal!

I love the shoe charm!

The dates for the run are 8/28-8/30. I've got mine scheduled for 8/29. I hope you will run this one with me! Anyone who signs up and runs, I'd love it if you'd send me your finish photo so I can add it to my recap post. It's all about the sole sisters!

Are you doing this one? If you're interested, click here for more info! GFAR limits the number of entries and these races do sell out!

Marathon training week 3: KIckstart My Heart

Maybe you all read about my mini-health scare--if not you can read it here. After I got the all clear on Monday, I resumed my training with newfound vigor. I'm back, baby!

Monday: I had a 6 miler at race pace on the plan. I won't lie to you, this one was really tough. I ran on Saturday and Sunday, and this was my 3rd day in a row. I don't normally do that, but with work and CrossFit, I've had to make some adjustments. I was still really tired from that tough long run the day before. But the yoga and foam rolling I had done really helped a lot, and I was pleased with the pacing for this one on tired legs. My plantar fasciitis started to act up though. Sheesh.

Tuesday: I worked out with Becky at CrossFit. She had me do another MetCon session. This one was really fun. There was a 10 minute circuit of the slide board, pistol squats, and burpees. I had never done the slide board before, and that was a blast. I could have done that one all day! Then another circuit for 10 minutes. I had to run around the parking lot carrying a 20# medicine ball, then dumbbell snatches, and hanging knee raises (from a high bar). She wanted me to do hanging leg lifts, but my legs just don't go that way.

This is the slide board.

Wednesday: The goal pose for this class was Hanuman aka the splits aka monkey pose. We did preparatory poses throughout the class to open our hips and hamstrings. I really felt Tuesday's workout for most of the class. Forward bends were painful. I was rewarded at the end of class by doing supported Hanuman and was able to hold it while raising my hands in the air.  Of course, there was a pretzelly person in the front row who could go all the way to the floor. Not me, not in this lifetime. But I did get my hamstrings to open up. It's all good...

This is the goal. source: aboutyoga.in

Thursday: More speedwork aka mile splits x 5. Again, I was shooting for sub-8 minute miles for each mile split, and after all that great hamstring work yesterday, I got what I was looking for! Splits: 7:53, 7:56, 7:56, 7:58, 7:58.

After that I went back to see Becky for workout #2. She had me push the prowler, which is 65# with 70# plates added on, around the entire building. That was tough. I had to stop to catch my breath a few times. At one point I apologized, and she told me to do 5 punishment burpees. Apparently, apologizing at CrossFit is a bad thing. Becky did tell me that she wouldn't have been able to do it without stopping to catch her breath either. After I finished the prowler with a few more stops but no apologizing, I did tire flips with the tractor tire, knee ups, and then another round with the prowler, only this time with 50#. That was relatively easier. I went home and took shower #2. Holy. Moley.

Pushing the prowler

Punishment burpees.

Friday: Rest, glorious rest. And I found out won the lottery! Well, the Big Sur Marathon lottery! I'm in, baby! Only a runner would be excited about winning a lottery where she had to pay for her prize! This is a bucket list item for me. I have wanted to run this one before I ever ran a marathon. I also get to meet my friends Kristina from Live Laugh Love Run and Teresa, who I met on Facebook as well. I was seriously over the moon about this. I paid my entry fee to secure my entry. And now I have to put that on the back burner this while I focus on the task at hand, that Chicago marathon. But just a little sneak peak at what's to come...

I don't care how long it takes me....

Saturday: I was up before the sun to get my run in this morning. I had a 5 mile marathon paced run on the plan. I also had a full day conference that started at 8. The struggle was real. But I got it done and I was so glad I did. The sunrise was beautiful. The conference was long. But I needed the continuing education credits to keep my license. That job pays the bills. I may even have learned a few things...

Sunday: I had a bike ride on the plan. Becky never specifies anything about the bike rides. What I do with these is up to me. I like to ride about 2 hours; I feel like the bike isn't as hard as the run and 2 hours at about 15mph gives me a great endurance workout. I was really glad to have a bike ride this week. The last couple of weeks of training have been intense, and I've felt it! Not only did I get to give my feet a break--#$%& plantar fasciitis--but also my tummy, which has been giving me grief. Let's just say that I've been stopping...a lot...these days. Hopefully a couple days off the road will give everything time to calm down. 

A very humid, overcast morning. My glasses kept fogging up. No wind. Perfect conditions. 30.70 miles, 2:01:48. 

Anyways, I rode 30+ miles on this ride. The route I chose is a really pretty ride, for the most part. I ride past Arlington International Race Course, and early in the morning, I get to see the riders warming up those beautiful thoroughbreds. I never get tired of that. My route takes me through 5 suburbs, past 2 "super" churches, a very large community college, through 2 forest preserves, among other things. Most of the route is on paved bike paths, but there is some road riding. I have to cross train tracks too, which is kind of painful on my skinny tired bike! Even though it is very congested in the suburbs where I live, it's nice to find these little oases of nature. I grew up in the country, and riding takes me back to my childhood. Isn't it funny how the sounds and smells of nature can do that? 

This bike ride was a wonderful end to an amazing week of training. I'm feeling very pleased and very grateful to my coach. What a great way to train for a marathon! I was so happy with my progress this week. I hit my goals with my speedwork. Pushed through those 2 tough workouts with Becky. On Thursday, she told me how well I am doing, especially in the mental toughness department. That was huge to hear from her. What a difference this training has made for me!

Coming up:

Monday: rest

Tuesday: 8 miles at MP

Wednesday: yoga

Thursday: mile repeats x 5 and CrossFit

Friday: rest

Saturday: 5 miles at MP

Sunday: 12 miles

This week's song really pushed me during that tough speedwork session on Thursday! Back to the 80s for this one: 

How did your training go this week? Got any songs for me?

So there's a new linkup in town...Tricia from MissSissippiPiddlin' and Holly from HoHo Runs are hosting a weekend recap linkup! Be sure to linkup with them and check out all the other blogs!

And now, back to our regularly scheduled program...

Last week, I found a lump.

I had just scheduled my annual screening mammogram. I don't regularly practice self breast exam, but somehow, I bumped my breast just right and found a hard little nodule. I have fibrocystic breasts, as my doctor likes to remind me. I've been told to "get to know my lumps". I would say that in general, I do. They're rubbery, squishy globs.

This one was different. It was a hard little ball. It kind of felt like a pebble. I called my doctor's office, and they told me I needed a diagnostic mammogram and an ultrasound. I called to reschedule the appointment, and was able to get one sooner. At first, I wasn't nervous about it. I've had these "scares" before, even ending up with a biopsy once. Thankfully, that lump was benign. But that was a rubbery, mobile nodule.

As time passed, I kept telling myself not to worry. I was worried. This lump was so different from anything I had ever felt before. Everything I've ever heard about breast cancer made this one very scary. It was hard. It was fixed. It wasn't painful.

I had a few days to think about all of it. Naturally, I thought about it a lot. Selfishly, I thought about how would this finding affect my marathon training. My pursuit of the mother of all goals, that sub-4 marathon?

What if I needed a biopsy? Would I still be able to train? I would be able to run, but would probably have to skip a few CrossFit sessions. Ok. I could live with that.

But what if it was malignant? What then? Could I still train for my marathon? And deal with it after the race? Would anything really bad happen in that time frame, if I waited? How selfish would it be for me to chase my dream? How stupid would it be for me to postpone treatment? Am I really that crazy? Who thinks this way?

I told myself, it's just a dream. I told myself to wait and see what the tests showed. My dream, in the big picture, means nothing to anyone but me. But what if I don't chase that dream? What if...what if...the worst happened? What if I didn't chase my dream, and I never had the chance to do it again?

You all know that I try to live my life with no regrets. Being in my 50s, I want to savor every moment of the rest of my life. I want to live fully. I want my life to be meaningful. I want to travel. I want to see my boys grow up, marry, and have families. And most important, I want to stay healthy. I work hard at the pursuit of health. Hence the name of my blog. I'm in no hurry for my life to be over.

These are the things I thought about this past week. I know that there are some things out of my control. But would you, as a runner, judge another runner on a decision like this? Would you judge anyone who had to make a tough, life changing decision?

I know.

I went for my mammogram. After the technician took the xrays, I looked at the images. I know enough to be dangerous, remember. I saw lots of tissue. I have "dense" breasts. Every time I have a mammogram, the technicians tell me that. So does my doctor. I could see the nodule. It was perfectly round, which was a really good sign. Even borders=a good thing. Seeing that, I felt more optimistic.

Then the technician told me that the radiologist wanted to ultrasound not just that breast, but both breasts. She had seen calcium deposits on the left side and wanted a better look at them. She told me clusters of calcium deposits could be a bad sign. So off to the ultrasound I went. The technician did her thing, smearing cold gel all over my chest and moving the probe over every area possible. She didn't say much. They can't. You know they know. But they can't say anything. My chest covered with gel, she left the room to get the radiologist.

I laid on the table, with my eyes closed, listening to the humming of the equipment. I felt calm. I was tired. I thought about all this again. What if, what if?

The radiologist came bouncing into the room. She wanted to take one more look at the lesion.

"It's a cyst," she proclaimed. "Nothing to worry about." And those calcium deposits? Nothing to be concerned about. She just wanted to make sure. She was new, she told me. And she wanted to be thorough. Not a problem.

She told me to come back in a year for my annual screening mammogram.

Relief washed over me. I felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from my shoulders. I was so grateful that everything was normal. I didn't have to make any tough decisions. Life could go on.

Since then, my runs have been easier, and I've been able to push harder at CrossFit. Those little annoyances at work aren't getting under my skin. I have been waking up with a smile on my face. I feel energetic.

Take good care of yourself. Follow the recommendations of the American Cancer Society for breast cancer screening. Do your monthly breast exam. That first lump I had biopsied a few years ago? I found that one. It was not seen on the mammogram. If you are over 40, you should have an annual screening mammogram. And if you find anything unusual, call your doctor. Don't wait.

Have you ever had a health scare? How did it affect your training? 

Commitment

Have you ever DNS'd a race? Not for an injury, but just woke up one morning, and said, F---it, I'm not running?

A few years ago, I worked with a physician who was also a runner. He offered to run a 10 mile race with me. Since we worked alternating Saturdays, he pulled strings to get us both the day off, so we could run this race together. I picked up our race packets. On race day morning, it was 40 degrees and pouring rain. But knowing that I was going to meet him at the race, I didn't give it a second thought. I drove into the city and waited for him. Twenty minutes before the start, there was still no sign of him. I called him, and it was clear to me that I woke him up. He told me that he decided not to come. I hung up on him.

Who does that, not show up to a race when you've committed to someone? 

Oh, yeah, that guy.

What if that someone is yourself?

I used to be that person. Before I started running, I was that person who would call in sick at the drop of a hat. I would make plans with people and cancel at the last minute. Commitments? I wasn't good at them. Don't count on me. I used to DNS on life.

Running changed all that. I started making sure I got my runs in, and interestingly, committing to myself to run made me more reliable in other areas of my life. I went from someone that you couldn't count on to someone who was there when I said I would be.

It didn't happen overnight, but I started to notice that if I didn't get up to run, I had a bad day. I would get mad at myself for missing a run. I didn't like that feeling. And eventually, I really didn't like the feeling of letting people down. No matter what it was--work, dinner, you name it.

I especially didn't like the feeling of letting myself down. 

I can see how easy it would be to fall into the pattern of blowing off your runs. 

So many excuses:

It's cold, it's hot. 

It's raining, it's snowing. 

The baby cried all night. 

Your spouse snored all night.

Your legs are tired. 

You're tired.

Your tummy is funky. 

Your feet hurt. 

You have to work early in the morning. 

You worked late last night. 

You had too much to drink. 

You had too much to eat.

You just don't feel like going.

And in case you were wondering, yep, I've had all these reasons not to run.

But I get up and go. It's not always easy. In fact, most often it's a tough sell. I push myself out the door. I push myself through a dark run, tough run, a tough workout. I've run before the sun. In the bitter cold of winter, in the blazing heat of summer. I've outrun skunks and coyotes. I've dodged lightning bolts, and I've run in a blizzard. It's not always picture perfect and it's not always fun. I've tripped over cracks in the sidewalk. Dodged into the trees to take care of nature's call. But I don't quit. I finish what I've started. 

Because I've made a commitment.

To myself. 

I don't ever want to be that person again. 

I don't want to be that person that you can't count on. 

I don't want to be a quitter.

If I can't count on myself, who can?

Have noticed the positive effects of running in other areas of your life? 

I'm linking up with DebRuns who hosts this awesome Wednesday Word linkup! This week's word is Commitment. Make sure you check out what everyone else says about commitment!

Race Recap: Road Shark Virtual 5 miler

I've been doing a lot of virtual races this year. I've always been kind of on the fence about them--I get plenty of opportunities to do live races, but I have to say that the virtual races have all been fun and motivating.  This one, #5 for the year, the Road Shark Virtual 5 miler, was the first one that actually pushed me to hit my goal pace.

I had a blazing fast speedwork run on Thursday, with sub 8 minute miles. But that was not a race. If it was, I would have finished with the pace I ran for today's race, 8:45. Because between each mile repeat, I get to stop and walk, which I do for about 30-60 seconds. That's the nature of speedwork. You go all out for the set distance, and then you recover. Briefly. I even stopped for water after mile 4. In the interest of full disclosure, I have my Garmin set to stop when I do. So sometimes, my paces don't accurately reflect actual time on the road. It really depends on what workout I'm doing for that day. But when I do these virtual races, I make an effort to simulate an actual race and I don't stop.

This morning on the training plan I had 5 miles at marathon pace. I wanted an 8:45 min/mile average pace. I looked at the weather--it was perfect: 65 degrees, low humidity, bright sunshine--and took my sore legs outside to get a signal on the Garmin. CrossFit this week took a toll on me!

Once the signal finally locked in, I slowly headed down the street, willing those really sore legs to loosen up. Even with all the foam rolling and stretching I did, I was tight and sore. I haven't had a run start out easy since before we did that strength cycle. Ouch. Thinking about all the benefits to come from that hard work, I pushed through the pain. Money in the bank, right?

About a half mile in, I felt things start to loosen up, and the legs moved much easier. I picked up the pace. Listening to my music, I moved along the frontage road towards that busy suburban arterial that borders my neighborhood. 

For such an early hour--630 am on a Saturday--I was surprised by all the traffic! The road is being resurfaced, and the crew was hard at work when I ran by. Not something you see on a race course, there are some interesting distractions on the virtual run! After the first mile, I turned onto the sidewalk back into my neighborhood. 

Lots of people were up walking their dogs. I saw a couple of my neighbors and waved hello. But no stopping to chat. I was racing, even if no one knew it! 

I rounded through my route, along the other busy road that also borders my neighborhood, and headed into the large park where there's water. I assessed my thirst and sweating--I felt good. The low humidity was really a plus today, and I decided not to stop. At the south end of the park, a large group of cyclists was getting ready to roll. They all greeted me with a wave, and passed ahead of me. I decided to take the frontage road home for that last mile instead of weaving through the neighborhood streets. 

Good thing, because I saw another neighbor walking his new dog. Mud, the new dog, is a pit bull and is bursting with energy. The last time I stopped to say hi, the dog lunged at my neck. I'm pretty sure he wanted to puncture my jugular, just for the blood. Ok, maybe not, but my neighbor just laughed when the dog jumped on me, and told me, "oh, he's just a puppy". Yeah, right. A puppy who wants to kill me! I don't know about you, but if someone brings a dog to a shelter and it's a pit bull....clearly, they had problems controlling the dog. Maybe not a great candidate for adoption. Thoughts for another post. We've got our blog link up "That Time of the Month" coming up. Hint, hint...

Anyways, glad for my impromptu detour, I reflected on all the thoughts I had on this run. I tried to shake them off, focus on the run, and pick up the pace. Mile 4 was slow. Tom Petty's Running Down a Dream came on, and that got me moving again. I thought about the lyrics, and how great they were for a runner chasing a dream. Think I can make my goal at Chicago? I do. I can. I will. God willing.

I hit 5 miles right at the intersection of the frontage road and my street. I hit stop on the Garmin, and walked the last half block home. Assessed how I felt. Pretty darn good. 

I am so glad I had committed to this virtual run. The distance of 5 miles and the fact that it was a race kept me accountable, especially because I was so tired from a very intense training week. Plus there was that bling to earn. It would have been easy to just make this another 5 mile run. But I hit that goal pace of 8:45. On the dot. It's all about confidence at this point. I have to believe that I can do this thing.

Yep! I can and I will!!!!

Gone For A Run provided me with a free entry and swag in exchange for a blog post about the race. But all the opinions are mine. 

I'm linking this post with The Silvah Lining and her weekly Race Recap link up! Got a race to share? Link it up! You know we all love reading those recaps. 

Marathon training week 2: Hallelujah!

I've decided that while I'm posting my weekly marathon training, there's no need to do my monthly #RunThisYear recaps. That and also, since I've met all my goals except the one I'm currently pursuing makes me think that it would be kind of redundant to post both. But I'll put my monthly stats and year to date mileage at the end of the post, just to keep it all on the up and up! This post is chock full of info, so if you manage to stick with me, thanks in advance!

Anyways, how did the week go?

Monday: I was off work most of the week! That was really helpful for kicking off the training and getting my head in the game.

I had a 6 mile race pace run on the plan. My legs were super tired after that epic bike ride Saturday and my 10 miler on Sunday. I foam rolled like crazy Sunday night to convince my legs that they could do this. And they did. It was a hot and humid morning, but I got it done. 6 miles at 8:45 mins/mile. My dog wasn't as convinced though! She's 12 and doesn't quite get the need to push oneself.

Tuesday: I met Becky for a MetCon session. She had me row, slam ball, kettlebell swing, sit up, and hamstring curl AMRAP x 1 minute for 3 rounds. It was much harder than it looks. As you can see.

Wednesday: So sore from that CrossFit, I headed to yoga. Initially, everything was painful. But it turned out to be one of Kathy's usual amazing classes, and she hit all the high points. I walked out of the studio feeling taller and more mobile. Namaste.

Exactly.

Thursday: I had speedwork on the plan, mile repeats x 5. My goal was to hit sub 8 min/miles. I was really happy with this run. Not only did I average sub-8 for the 5 miles, I showed some nice consistency, especially with the last 4 miles.

Lots of reasons to be happy after this one!

After that I headed back to Becky for my 2d CrossFit session of the week. This one was fun. She initially had me throw the slam ball (15#) forward across the field. But on the way back, I had to throw it backwards over my head. I did that for 3 passes. Then I did squats, lifting a sandbag over my head alternating with GHD back extensions. Holy hamstrings! Finally, I did forward lunges with a bar for 3 laps.

Who says marathon training isn't fun?

Friday: Rest day and back to work. Oh, and I ate ALL THE FOOD today. Saw 27 patients too.

Saturday: I had 5 miles at RP on the plan. I also had a 5 mile virtual run to complete this weekend. So being the ultimate multitasker, I did kill two birds with one stone. I'll recap this race on Tuesday. But suffice to say that I hit my goal pace. Even on those really sore legs. Back to the foam roller for me!

Sunday was long run day. Becky had a 12 miler on the plan. When I got up at 6, it was already 75 degrees and 70% humidity. The sun was bright in the sky, and the weatherman was predicting a high of 90 today. I sat on the couch, drinking my coffee, and considered all this. I was also very tired, having been woken up by my dog twice, and then wondering when my oldest son was coming home. My dog left me a present on the kitchen floor, too. I guess I should have let her out when she woke me up...but somehow I felt like cleaning up poop was better than having a skunky dog.

That's my city in the background!

When I headed out the door for my run, I was already in a negative state of mind. Sometimes its better just to not think about it and go. I decided to run the bike path, and to shoot for a 9:30-10 min/mi pace. I started out slow, and let my legs loosen up. Already at mile 3, I stopped for water, and at mile 4, I needed to make a pit stop. Starting back up was hard! When I got to the end of the path, I needed another 3/4 mile to make it to 6. I pondered my options. Should I head into the forest preserve and make it a loop run or should I turn around at mile 6, and make it an out and back? When I thought about the loop, I reminded myself that it was all open field and that meant the sun would be killer. So I decided to turn around and retrace my route on the path, where there was a lot of shade. I started sipping my Tailwind at mile 6, and it seemed to give me wings for a bit. My splits on the back half were a little faster than I wanted, but as I was struggling mentally, I just couldn't get control of my legs to slow them down. The wind was at my back too, and that helped push me forward a little bit. I still wanted to quit on this run, but I kept telling myself I had to push through it. Talk about digging deep. Lots of negative thoughts were going through my mind, and it took a lot of strength to push them out, especially because I was dying out there. It was really hard to convince myself to keep going. I finished, though, and hobbled into the house. When I showered and recovered, I did some yoga to stretch it out, and I have to say that helped a ton.

Coming up next week:
Monday 6 miles at RP
Tuesday CrossFit
Wednesday Yoga
Thursday Speedwork and CrossFit
Friday Rest
Saturday 5 miles at RP
Sunday Bike!

RunThisYear

Month end stats for July: 

Running 94 miles

Cycling 99 miles

Year to date: 705

Finally, today's song that pushed me through the last mile: 

How's your training going? Anyone else struggling with the heat? Got any songs for a tough run?