Week 4 Training Recap

I have been training for 4 weeks now, and things are going great.  I am still experiencing some soreness/stiffness after some runs, but I am managing it very well with ice, massages, stretching, and rest when I think I need it.  I think I'm still in the healing process and it will take some time for it to completely go away.  I have changed up my stride and am trying to correct slight overpronation, so I am still adjusting.  The good thing is, I am definitely able to run 4-5 days per week!  It was so bad before, that if I ran I would hurt for 3-4 days and would be limping.  That is definitely gone!  My husband has become the best little calf massager, so it's all good!

I accidentally skipped Week 3 recap, so I will do that first.
7/5:  4.85 mi in 50 min (10:18 min/mi) also my 26th birthday!!
7/6:  off
7/7:  3.8 mi in 40 min (10:31 min/mi)
7/8:  3.62 mi in 40 min (11:04 min/mi)
7/9:  5.0 mi in 50 min (10:00 min/mi)
7/10: off
7/11: 6 mi in 66 min (11:03 min/mi)
total: 23 miles

Week 3 was a really good week for me.  I got some confidence in proving to myself that I could run faster paces.  Last year, I really held myself back training in certain heart rate zones.  Now, I just run based on how I feel, and that has put me at a faster pace.  I got in 5 good days of running and my ankle/achilles didn't bother me too much.

Week 4:
7/12:  cross training - weights/abs
7/13:  5.12 mi in 55 min (10:48)
7/14:  off
7/15:  4.07 mi in 45 min (11:03)
7/16:  4.75 min in 1:02 (13:04)
7/17:  off
7/18:  6.36 mi in 70 min (11:00)
total: 20 miles

This week was a little weird for me.  Week 3, I started running this somewhat hilly route with Becca near her house.  It's a nice quiet run, with enough small hills to transition me into hill training to come.  Plus, it's a good test for my ankle and achilles to see how they are going to react to hills.  I ran this Monday, 7/13, and it was a good run.  7/15 was a bad run.  My legs felt heavy and it was so humid outside I could barely breathe.  Still a decent run, numbers wise.  7/16 was the biggest epic fail of a run.  My mistake for trying to get a run in at 4 in the afternoon in humid/sunny weather.  By the time I realized what a mistake it was, I was more than 2 miles from my house.  I ran/walked 3 miles of it, then walked the rest back.  Saturday, my 5k got rained out, and I ended up not getting my run in at all because I had a jewelry party that lasted all evening.  Today, 7/18, was a turnaround after 2 bad runs and a missed run.  I got up early this morning to beat the sun and heat.  It was a very solid run for me. 

The rest of this week, I have two 60 min runs and two 50 minute runs scheduled.  One of the 50 min runs will be run on a hilly course of some sort.  I would like to start training on the Distance Run hills, but I don't think I'm ready for that yet.  Maybe here in a couple of weeks.  I am also going to finish remodeling my kitchen.  I took vacation from work to go to the beach this week, but we decided to finish our kitchen instead.  We bought cabinets from a warehouse a few months ago, and they have been sitting in our garage ever since.  Time to start destroying the old kitchen!  I really don't want to do it, but I will be very happy when it's done!

Weekend recap and randomness

I finished up my second week of training.  I did a couple miles less this week, 15 to be exact.  I think I ran 5 days last week and 4 this week.  I usually run every Sunday with Becca for her C25K, but with the holiday and stuff we just couldn't get together.  We normally run at 8PM so that it's not so hot and humid outside, but she went to see the new Twilight movie.  I haven't seen any of them, so I didn't go with her.  I need to catch up on these movies!  Anyways, my calf got pretty tight this week, which made my achilles a little sore, so I decided to take Saturday and Sunday off, instead of running without Becca.  I'm trying to play it smart and listen to my body!

Friday evening, I ran in the Independence 5k with Becca.  I ran the whole thing with her, as it was her first 5k.  I pushed the baby stroller most of the race, so she could focus on her running.  My goal for her was under 35 minutes, and we did it in 33!  She wasn't ready to run the entire race straight without a walk break, so we took 2 walk breaks.  She made it to the turnaround point (about 17 minutes) before taking a break, and that's the longest she has ran straight, so I was really proud of her!  We took the pace really easy till the halfway point, about an 11 min pace, then did a 10:30 pace another mile, took another walk break, then did about a 9 min pace the last half mile.  We had a great time!  I just hope Becca enjoys running as much as I do, lol, because I really want her to keep running so we can run together.  All last year I ran mostly by myself, but I have had a blast having a running partner this year!

Yesterday, I went to a spa and got a calf massage.  The lady was really nice, but she didn't work my calf out like my physical therapist does.  I mean, it felt good, but it wasn't as effective as when he does it.  Good thing I see him this coming Thursday so I can get a good massage.  I'm using that stick roller, too, but it's also not as effective as my PT.  I'm still a little tight tonight, so I'm going to stretch really good before bed.

A new 24 hour gym just opened up this Friday.  It's called Anytime Fitness, and it's the only 24 hour gym around here, so I signed up for a membership.  I hope this new gym will motivate me to get some cross training in.  I have really fallen off my ediets plan because I've been so down and out about my injury.  After a weekend of poor eating, I need to get back on track.  I guess I will wait till Tuesday to get back on track because my birthday is tomorrow, and the pharmacy is throwing me a little bday party.  One girl is making oreo bon bons, and I can't turn that down, lol.  I need to get these last few extra pounds off, then start to drop more weight.  I really need to get back into weight training.  I felt so much better when I was doing that (years ago, haha).

I think this coming week, I'm going to start the long run.  I will probably do about 55 minutes, so about 5 miles.  I have been leary of doing a long run right off the bat, but with 2 weeks of training and my achilles behaving pretty good, I think I can start doing a long run.  I'm going to increase my weekly mileage slowly, and I should have just enough time to build up to the Charleston Distance Run.  If that goes well, I'm going to run the Marshall Marathon in November.  I've never thought I would ever run a marathon, but for some reason I really want to run one now!  I just hope I can stay healthy!

I'm back beotches!

I am happy to report a whole week and a half of running with minimal complaining from my ankle and achilles.  Yep, that's right!  I'm back, bitches!! 

Last Thursday, I had another PT appointment.  We didn't really do a whole lot.  He massaged my calf for about 10 minutes, and man oh man, did it feel good!  When he was finished, it felt as if I didn't even have an injury.  No tightness whatsoever.  That lasted through to Sunday, then the tightness started to creep back up.  My injury is so weird lately.  It's healed enough so that I can run daily on it, but that stupid calf gets tight on me and puts a lot of strain on my achilles.  I bought The Stick massager, so that I could massage my calf myself, so I have been doing that since last Thursday.  It works pretty well, but it's nothing like a professional massage, lol.  It's getting me through, though.  I also discovered the ThermaCare Heat Wrap.  Wonderful product.  I have been using a wrap every other day or so after a run to keep my muscles loose.  Love the heat wrap!  I scheduled a calf massage for this coming Saturday.  My PT is on vacation this week, but I will go back to see him next Thursday.

As for my runs, I ran 17 miles last week!  I have been training my friend, Becca, on the Couch to 5k Program.  It has pretty easy runs, and I think she is on week 7 this week.  I did a couple of 35 minute runs with her last week, and two 40 min runs by myself.  The calf massage did me wonders through 3 runs.  Monday, I rested because it felt like it was getting a little tight again.  This week, I have run Tuesday and today.  Tuesday, I did a 45 minute run, and it was amazing.  It was my first real run without breaking to walk.  I had been breaking to take it easy on my ankle, but I'm barreling forward now, lol.  Today, I did a 35 min run in the sun.  I'm feeling pretty tight tonight.  I made my husband massage my calf with the stick tonight, and I'm hanging out on the couch with a heat wrap on, catching up on my shows on the DVR.  The funny thing is, I am running faster paces now than I did last year when I was training, lol.  I took 3 months off from running.  I cross-trained a little bit, but definitely thought I would struggling when I came back full force.  I guess I kept up enough cardio on my break to still be able to run a decent bit.  I'm taking the advice of local runner, Jason Pyles, who recommends I run based on how I feel, not based on a pace chart or HR zone.  Running how I feel has me running faster than before!  I ran today's 35 min run at a 10:00 min pace, and last year I would've ran an easy run like that at an 11:15 pace.  The 10:00 pace felt good, so I just went with it!

I am very optimistic that I am on the up side of this injury.  At least now, I can actually run on it regularly.  A little tightness I can deal with through massage and stretching.  As of right now, I believe that I have enough time to train for the CDR.  I don't know that I will run it any faster than last year because I'm getting a much later start, and I'm fresh off an injury.  Last year, I took 16 weeks to train, but I started from scratch.  This year, I have 10 weeks to train!!  But, I know from last year that I am capable of pushing myself harder.  I know that I can do more weekly miles, and I can do them faster.  I may just surprise myself!