Respect the run; 7 weeks till Rock N Roll Half

Posted: 2012/06/03 | Author: | Filed under: Running | Tags: , , , , , | 1 Comment

On July 22 I’m registered to run the  XSport Fitness Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon, a mere 7 Sundays away. The hotel is booked and the sitter is arranged. Now all I have to do is run.   I don’t think I’ve ever slammed in training for a race this quickly before. I have been off  the Doctor mandated four weeks and only was a short 2 miler once to test my foot out.  I don’t think it really is/was a sesamoid fracture, but rather  more likely inflammation and flare up.  He also mentioned arthritis so I’m hoping for “old” vs. broken.  This will likely be the last time I hope to be “old”.  The down side to that diagnosis though is the foot/joint is going to be my new potential whiner and fit thrower, not unlike the ticking time bomb of kids on long car trips.  It’s going to try to screw with my mind and my confidence.  Hyperfocus on an injury or body part is not a good part of a run.

The last four weeks have both crawled and flown by.  When I can’t run it’s almost like time stands still so I’m really looking forward to getting back out there this week and seeing how the foot feels.  I’m interested in how bad the first 2 weeks of training are going to suck as I shed my lazy  and recondition my lungs and heart.  My legs have certainly enjoyed the break,  almost 4 weeks of zero muscle soreness has been  quite lovely.   I haven’t been a complete and total sloth; there was gardening, dancing and one trial run,  but I still didn’t do any cross training.  I blame the ADD, it’s a task I wasn’t really all that pumped about, so I just didn’t do it.  Given the short timeline to the next race, play time is definitely over.

There is a new running schedule to negotiate because Babu is supposed to run this one too, but I”m not going to hound him about  training or buying his bib, I need to focus on myself. I’ve got to get my mental crap together so I can push past those last 3-4 miles.  I’ve only got two more races scheduled for this year and I’d like to realize my goal of not walking that last 3 miles sooner rather than later.

I need to focus on my physical strength by adding an extra 1-2 days of either strength, flexibility or cross training is a must. I’ve already got my sights on another round of Yo-Pi, nothing like some downward dog and scissor kicks to tone and lengthen.  There is one school of thought to run 6 days a week, but with less miles on the short days, I may look into that if only to keep it a part of almost every day, and maybe shed some more weight while I am at it.

A training plan must be documented and followed, or I will skip runs from laziness or bad planning.

I have to eat cleaner, drink more water, get enough sleep, take my vitamins.

I need to be gentle, yet firm with myself.

Things are getting full of chaos at the office, and I may be spending the whole summer  working remote at home. This  means I can run in the morning at a reasonable hour and don’t have to commute or be pretty for my first round of meetings.

My running posts may get more boring and technical as I plan to really analyze and look critically at my diet and training and how it affects my performance,  I think this means I can  feel like a ‘real” runner now, maybe?

We’ll see 🙂

 

Respect the run: Less than 3 weeks till race day with confidence issues.

Posted: 2012/04/17 | Author: | Filed under: Running | Tags: , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hello Lovies!  Somehow I am less than 3 weeks until race day.  We run our 12 miles tomorrow night and then it is taper time.  Nothing super long until race day on Cinco de Mayo!  I’m excited, but I am also more than scared of this race. I’m scared because I don’t know which legs I will have on race day, the ones that can push through long miles or  the ones that can’t complete a 4.  Yes, I am still struggling with the shorter miles. I’m starting to worry and it affecting my mojo.  Now I know that worst case scenario I will still finish the race, even if I have crawl across that finish line I’ll get there.  I wanted to do “well” though, and at this point, a day after I had to walk most of a 4, and I cut it short to a 3.46.  This sport is so mind over matter driven and some days my mind just can’t exert its will over the matter of my body.  That’s been my burden ever since that awful 10k run in  March.   I’m not mad, or sad or even that worked up about it,  I suppose worry is the main component here.  I start to play the what if game,  It’s dangerous.  What if I can’t figure out why I keep having stupid muscle issues,  why do my thighs have to be so stubborn, why did I get through two previous 13.1 training sessions with none of these issues, why I am having them now?   This isn’t a rant per se, more curious reflection.  I could cross train more, but I don’t. I could stretch and roll more, but I don’t. I could eat better, drink more water, but I don’t.   For someone with such a strong will I seem to struggle a lot this running season.   In a moment of I’m a badass I signed up for a 3rd race , the Rock and Rock Half in Chicago  in July.  I have my sights on choosing a 4th for this year in town in either October or November, I told some friends if I was healthy I’d do the Geist Half,  a mere  5 weeks away and I’m so iffy on it I haven’t even put it in my mental count of races this year.   My mind and attitude are willing, but my body is just not cooperating.  I don’t mind being “slow”, I’m faster than some and even faster than those who don’t do anything.   It just seems that my body shouldn’t be this weak after so much training.  I refuse to head to a sports doc until after the race b/c I don’t want bad news.  I bet sports docs are jam packed  the week after the Mini, so waiting seems counter intuitive. I dunno, shrugs, mostly just random thoughts pouring out here this morning.  I know I will run the race, I know I’ve run more straight miles without stopping in this training series than I ever have in the past. The first one I had an injury during training and had to sit out 6 weeks, still knocked it out in under 3 hours. The 2nd one was run/walk intervals with more walking than running, still knocked it out in under 3 hours.  I wanted this one to be better, faster, stronger and only time  and the work ahead of me is going to tell how it will turn out.

Like so many other things in life, the only way out is through. I’m good at going through.  I must keep reminding myself of the things I tell others.  You are a warrior, don’t ever forget that.  I am a warrior, I need to remember that.  It will all be fine, it will be over before I know it and I’ll have one more shiny medal to hang on my trophy wall.  In a few more months I”ll have  another and another a few short months after that.   I won’t ever be an elite runner and I am not striving for that level of excellence.  I’d just like to feel more like the serious runner  Process ( I love that girl)  called me the other day.   I never thought of myself  as a serious runner, I have a few friends I’d put in that category but for some reason I hadn’t slated myself there.  It was a nice POV check and a bit of an ego boost. Someone out there thinks I’m a serious runner. Ok then, time to go get that!!! More running shenanigans to come as we get closer to race day  #1 for the season!