October & November: In Which I Don't Run and Gain Weight

Full Disclosure Time: The past couple of months have been a little rough. I took most of the last three months off due to my pulled calf muscle and lingering hamstring tendiopathy issues. I ran a total of 4 times in September and October. My calf was really sore - like at rest, limping, icing kind of sore and I didn't want to do more damage to it. After nearly 6 weeks of no running, I put in a couple short 3 milers towards the end of October. Those felt pretty good, at least in terms of my calf not hurting. Being out of shape pain was there in spades however.

But about the time my calf started to feel better, my hamstring upper tendon really started bothering me again. Not really sure why exactly but it's been hurting off and on since then. I got in 4 decent 3 milers in the month of November, but again, was not really feeling it. Overall malaise, weight gain from not running and being super out of shape really made those particular runs not very enjoyable. And after every one, I was sore for a full day - a combo of out of shape sore and injury pain. So running more than once a week just felt like too much. Man how far I've fallen. I miss long runs like nobody's business. I want to race again so badly.

All of this non-running has really put me in a funk. I am starting to feel like I'll never be 'normal' and injury free again. I just keep getting re-injured. I am not sure if it's because I am not being smart and working up slowly like I did in the beginning when I'd had very little running experience or if I am just dealing with chronic injuries that are exacerbated by my stubbornness. I went on a run for the first time in a couple weeks yesterday and I was really winded. Embarrassingly so. And it occurred to me that injury-wise, I probably should be working it like I was when I was in PT. I think I need to go back to the walk/run intervals for a while and build back up as well as doing my PT exercises regularly again. That is very likely the reason that my hamstring tendon is bothering me again. I stopped taking care of it properly.

So I am making my way back - slowly and with more smarts I hope. I've sadly gained over 10 lbs and I feel it in a big way. I have never been this big - with the exception of when I was pregnant. So Operation Starve the Beast is under way big time. I found a good food tracking app that I like so far called "Lose It" and I've started tracking my food - trying to be as honest as possible. That has always been my downfall in the past. I've half-assed it by not logging everything I stuff in my face, cheating a bit on how much I am eating, thus not recording the calories properly. I feel pretty disgusting so it's officially time to make some changes. Like when I quit smoking 5 years ago. All of sudden I was ready so I quit.

Along with cutting way back on unhealthy foods, portion control and in general just being a more cognizant eater, I'm going to really step up the cross training. Running may not be in the cards for me to be doing with any regularity this month, but I am going to be doing some yoga and strength training. Hello Jillian Michaels 30 day shred. Starting in January, our gym membership starts up again so I'll be incorporating some classes and the elliptical. I think for now, given how injury prone I seem to be, I need to start building back up my cardiovascular prowess in a non-stress inducing way so the elliptical will be a good way to get some mileage in without putting further stress on my hamstring tendon.

So there you have it. I got hurt, got depressed and then got fat. But I am going to try to shake it off - the depression that is and keep things positive. I can do this. I came back from worse so I just need to get to it and make it happen. And hopefully 2014 will lead me back to a better place.

I'll close with the highlight of my weekend. One of my friends did her first 50k this weekend and I went out to support her - for the record, she totally rocked it!

September: In Which I Take A Break

Spent all of September fully resting my sore calf. By the end of the month, I decided it was time to see the Dr. I saw an Orthopedist on 9.27 and he diagnosed a Gastro Calf Muscle strain (Grade 2 - minor-ish tearing). Technically, it's called the Gastrocnemius muscle, if you'd like the full medical name. He said he was pretty confident of this based on the X-Ray and his exam; he could actually feel the knot in the muscle. He recommended that I continue to rest and that I go back to PT, which I haven't actually gotten around to yet. He didn't think an MRI would confirm anything different and that it would likely just be a waste of money....but that if PT and rest didn't help, I could come back for one.

So far, resting does seem to help. I have gone from being in pain almost everyday to very infrequently. I haven't been on a test run yet but I plan to lace up later this week and see how I feel. I have to be honest too....this one kind of got me down. I was just starting to feel some forward momentum again and I blew it. I have been pretty lazy and although healing is a good excuse, I still feel like a sloth. Fall always makes me want to eat more too....comfort foods and it's the beginning of candy season. I feel like I have definitely gained a few pounds but hopefully will get back into it soon and get things under control.

My daughter has been dealing with a foot issue for several months, so we sadly put the gym memberships on hold for a couple months. But I plan to re-up just as soon as I can get back to my thrice-weekly running schedule. I am not looking forward to the out-of-shape/pain that will come when I start again though. That always sucks in a big way. But I am ready - Fall is my favorite season to run in and for the second year in a row, I am missing out. Sad face....I do hope to get back to more regularly blogging as well. That is hard to do when you aren't really running. My life is not that exciting so I'll spare you the deets. I'll update once I've gone on that test run. Hopefully I'll have some good news.

August: In Which I Hurt Myself. Again.

How is it almost the middle of September already? The beginning of the school year is always busy getting The Girl all set and ready. Sophomore year. I am not sure how that happened. Time is flying by so fast! So forgive the tardiness of this August recap.

So I mentioned that we joined a gym in July. I didn't get to go as regularly as I'd planned throughout because of Ragnar, recovery, etc. So I hit it full steam in August. I really like the Elliptical - it's a great way to add more mileage in without too much strain on the hamstring. Or so I thought.....

And, as per usual, I overdid it a bit. I'd been averaging between 30-35 miles from about April on. Then came August and I did about 25 miles running and an additional 23 miles on the Elliptical. Adding on an extra 10-15 miles on in one month, even if it was lower impact, really did a number on my left calf.

My upper hamstring tendonitis is on my left leg and for the past week and a half, I've had some serious pain in my left calf. Not the muscle exactly, but right under it. Google tells me that is could be achilles tendinitis. I do NOT need more tendon issues. Seriously. I am over it. I've been resting and haven't run since the 9/4, icing and wearing my compression sleeve when it's really tight. But it makes me really sad. I miss running. I miss long runs. I miss thoroughly exhausting myself and getting all the angst out on the pavement.

I'll be taking it easy until the pain is gone....if I'm not feeling better in another couple weeks, I'll make a Dr.'s apt or go back and see my PT. Until then I'll be taking it easy and hoping it goes away.

July: In Which I Ragnar'd Again.

Reusing this one. It's just so perfect.

So Ragnar happened again. Best time ever. I cannot wait to do it again. I want to do every single one....I guess I should start a Race Bucket List. There are many more to conquer so I'd better start saving my pennies. 

Pre - Relay....before we checked em all off.

61 Kills.....not too shabby.

I spent the rest of the month after doing Ragnar writing about Ragnar. You can read all about it here: Start, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and The Big Finish, among a few other posts. The other thing I did this month was join a gym. Which I am excited about. I've been several times already and have definitely have a new-found inspiration to really focus on my weak spots and get in shape. And prevent injury - that is the goal. So far so good. Can't wait until I am actually seeing some results! I still haven't lost all of the 40 lbs I gained when I quit smoking...and I finally ready to be rid of it. Forward motion- it's a good thing.

Ragnar Relay NW Passage: Odds, Ends and Van 2

I had to do a final post with some of my favorite random pictures. Also included here is a little peak into what Van 2 experienced along the way. After two years in a row in Van 1, I think I really want to be in Van 2 next year to experience a different part of the course. 

Our friend Holly, from the Wear Blue team and I at the start.

Photo credit: @deidracanfly

I love this shot.

Photo credit: @deidracanfly 

Deception Pass - on the way home.

  Bad JuJu and I.D.10.T 

Photo credit: Maniac

Honey Badger tagging some vans, Duckie style.

Photo credit: Lucke

 Found these 'tags' on the van when I was cleaning it....

 Rag Swag - Two Medals.

Honey Badger don't care....She is one tough Duckie!

Photo credit: Lucke

Beast, Lucke and Honey Badger: "Are they here yet?"

Photo credit: Lucke

Woot! I made it. 

Photo credit: Maniac

 Fury - running 'like a Ross'. 

Photo credit: Maniac

Big smile - despite the big road bite out of her hand.

 Early on....can't wait to till next year!

Ragnar Relay NW Passage: The Big Finish

We did it. No big deal.

Photo credit: Lucke

Once we saw Van 2 off for their final set of legs, we were ready for breakfast in a big way. They sell pancakes and eggs at the last major exchange so we headed over to eat since we were pretty famished. Food wasn't too bad.....meaning it was edible. The eggs looked funny and even though we were told they were 'real', @deidracanfly was convinced they were military eggs. Apparently they use real eggs, but they are already broken out of the shells and put in big bags so they end up tasting different/weird. Ahhh the flavor of food cooked for the masses; always delicious.

After eating, we decided to make our way to the finish. We were headed to the car when we saw this guy:

I didn't know it at the time, but his team was called "Holidays Ragnar Style".

So I guess he was cupid?

They won the 'Farout Fashion' Award, as voted on by 

teams along the course. Source.

But back to us.....after fighting over who's new boyfriend that guy was, we drove down to the Fairgrounds at Langley. It didn't take long and once we were there, we realized that we had a few hours to kill. Usually by that point in the relay, everyone is pretty tired and just wants it to be over already. We all did our own thing once we got there....there was some van napping, some eating, some finish line watching and more shopping for Rag Swag. The earlier fog burned off and it got hot again....but Van 2 was pushing through and making pretty good time, despite the heat and the fact that we were a little off on our time calculations. 

 Wear Blue Team! They were FAST and totally kicked butt on their first
Ragnar. They started an hour after us and finished a couple hours before us.....Speedy McSpeedersons.

Before too long, we got word that Lucke was out - running the very last leg. Van 2 arrived, parked and we all met up at the finish so we could run him in. We were getting ready but thought we had another 10 minutes or so....and then all of sudden he was there! So we made our little tunnel for him to run through and then we all ran together to the finish. What an amazing 32 hours with a great group of people I am proud to call friends, my fellow runners and best of all, my Duckies. 

Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies - sporting some serious bling.

Ragnar Relay NW Passage: Recap Pt. 3

We left off at Oak Harbor HS where Van 1 bedded down for a few hours of sleep rest. I found a good spot near the wall (read: next to a plug)  in one of the gyms so I tried to get some rest but I couldn't sleep. I ended up watching a few episodes of The West Wing on my iPad so I guess that was enough 'rest'. I was also a bit worried about one our runners in Van 2 who took a bad spill during her night leg. She bit it hard and the road took some big bites out of her, but she rallied after some first aid and was back on the road to finish off her killer 8.7 miler. Like a Boss.

Lost Lucke - Runner 12 - brought it in and handed off to

 #meanjess for Van 1's final round of legs. 

#meanjess ran her 3.1 miles and then it was my turn again. My final leg was still during 'nighttime hours' so I had to wear the required gear. I am defnitely getting a new vest for next year. The one I have moves around too much while running and it's annoying to have to constantly adjust anything while you are running.

I ran Leg 2 in honor of CW3 Frank Buoniconti,

12/12/2011

WB - R2R

We all had final legs that were on the short side....which means moving between exchanges happened at a pretty rapid pace. Crazy Lady ran her 2.4 miles in a jiffy and then it was Rob's turn. At this point, we were on Whidbey Island and it was a really beautiful combination of farmland and beach scenery - often at the same time. I.D.10.T handed off to Bad Juju after his killer 8.1 miles. So almost everyone had short legs. All except Rob. He had the killer hill from last year, which we actually dubbed 'Norman's Hill' because he was the Beast who had to run it. At least it wasn't hot anymore....because hot damn he had some killer hills. But he ran them like a champ and made us all proud. 

Love these two. If I had a husband, I would 

totally make him do Ragnar with me.

Right before the above handoff, we were driving to the exchange and came across a house whose yard was filled with plastic fake animals. There was an alligator, a pig, some deer, and a bunch of other random animals. And this horse. 

I was waiting for someone with a shotgun to come out & yell at us.
But we are stealthy inappropriate picture takers. 

Bad Juju ran her final 4.5 miles all speedy like and before we knew it, we were off to Coupville HS, the final major exchange to wait for Obama Money to finish her last baby leg of 2.4 miles (which she totally deserved after running heavy miles the day before - nearly 19). 

Final Van 1 to Van 2 Handoff - Obama Money to Honey Badger.

161/196 Miles - DONE!

Happy faces - because we are finished! Nice work Van 1. Up Next - the Big Finish!

Ragnar Relay NW Passage: Recap Pt. 2

We left off after the first major van exchange at Bellingham HS. We were starving - like eat a dirty child starving. So we ended up at the same place we went last year after finishing our first round - Bob's Burgers and Brew. It didn't hit the spot like it did last year though. It's entirely possible it was because I was too smart not to eat a bacon burger last year....that was a bad bad meal choice; it was in a lump at the bottom of my throat for my entire first leg. After grubbing down, we headed directly down to the next major exchange - Burlington HS. We had a couple hours to rest, stretch, and shower if we needed to. Break time was over before long though and it was time for Round 2.

#meanjess ready for her 4.5 miles. 

I was starting to get my 'pre-race' nerves...it was weird sitting the first round out; it made me all the more ready once it was finally my turn. I was also not feeling great since it was approximately a zillion degrees out and the aforementioned burger was not digesting well. But I was still ready to bust it out on fresh legs.

First hand-off picture - and we are twinsies! 

Leg 1 - 3.8 miles.

Photo credit: I.D.10.T

I didn't really pay attention to the route that this leg was on. Turns out, I was running right past where I went to college. I didn't even realize it until all of a sudden, I was right next to it and thinking...'hmmm this looks familiar'. It was a bit hilly, a LOT sunny and pretty warm but I still made good time. 

More handoff pictures!! Sending Crazy Lady off on her 6.7 miler.
Photo credit: I.D.10.T

Leg 1 - I ran for SSG Nathan Wyrick

KIA 10/10/2011 OEF

WB - R2R

Despite the ginormous farm country mosquitos, this was my favorite set of Legs. We were just starting to get a little loopy but still firmly in 'runner's high' territory. This is when the fun starts people. After Crazy Lady got us all the way to La Conner, it was I.D.10.T's turn. The exchange was at this really cute little church. It was beautiful, but all of a sudden the sun set and the temps dropped about 15 degrees just like that. 

Nice little 4.1 miles through farm country at dusk....

he only ate a couple bugs. Gulp.

The exchange where Rob handed off to Bad JuJu was another great little country place - this time a roadside produce stand. There was also ice cream cones - which was a hot seller with this large group of hot, sweaty runners. 

Pickles are an excellent re-hydrating option if you are wondering. 

Salty goodness - which went well with the ice cream cone Crazy Lady is eating...

For this leg, Bad JuJu decided the Leroy needed to get some exercise too. So she brought him along. Unfortunately, he wasn't a very good running partner. He made the rookie mistake of wearing jeans to run in and lost them about a mile in....So Leroy was banished back to the van to think about what he did and Bad JuJu finished up her 8.1 miles like a champ.

We quickly realized that Leroy was better as a mascot - 

once he lost his pants, it was all over. 

By the time Juju was done, it was dark and Obama Money had to run her last 5.6 miles of the day. This brought us all the way to La Connor HS for the final major exchange over to Van 2 for the night shift. There was supposed to be food for sale here, but it was gone by the time we got there....so no dinner for us. We decided to head straight to the next major exchange (Oak Harbor HS) to get some sleep so we could be ready for our final legs early in the morning. 

Ragnar Relay NW Passage: Recap Pt. 1

 

Me and Leroy. He was one of our 'mascots'. 

Photo credit: Bad JuJu

#Meanjess kicked it off for us running 6.3 miles through Blaine. It was early but already starting to get warm....which in WA means it's gonna be a hot one. Our hottest parts of the day tend to be between 4-6pm - so if it's hot early it pretty much means you are gonna melt later. I mentioned that I gave up my first leg of 6.8 miles. Miss Deidra, AKA Obama Money graciously ran those extra miles for me like a boss. So of course, Leroy had to come out of the van to cheer her on.

Go Obama Money Go!
Photo credit: Bad Juju

One thing I did not do this year was get very many pictures. I am not sure why....I just never really brought out my camera and ended up taking most shots with my phone. And I've stolen quite a few from my teammates so I'll try to credit as much as possible. That means this lovely recap will not feature awesome hand off photos for every leg my Van did. So disappointing, I know. 

Continuing the story, we chugged along all morning. Everyone was in great spirits and even though it was getting warmer by the minute, we were making good time. Obama Money handed off to Crazy Lady, who ran her 8.2 miles through Ferndale. This was my leg last year and I didn't miss it; it is a toughy. Crazy Lady handed off to I.D.10.T. and he was off for his first leg (3.9 miles) officially running his very first Ragnar. Rob was our awesome van driver last year and he returned this year as a runner on the team. He did us proud and ran his legs like a champ. Rob handed off to his lovely wife, Bad JuJu, our Team Quackptain for 5.8 miles. That leg brought us from Ferndale all the way into Bellingham. 

Waiting with some water for Bad Juju to pass by.....
Photo Credit: Bad JuJu

After the handoff  to Obama Money for Leg 6, she was off for another 6.5 miles. Girlfriend ran nearly a half marathon during the first round..and it was getting hot. Since her leg took her right by my sister's house, we decided to stop there as our mid-leg cheer stop. We tried to make at least one or two of these for each runner's leg so they got water and felt the love. 

 @deidracanfly's cheering section
Photo credit: #meanjess

It was getting so hot that I texted my sister and asked her to put out her sprinkler so D could run through it...but I forgot that the runners were going to be on the opposite side of the street. So it didn't work out quite as planned....but the breeze sent a nice little spray across the street. 

Once she passed us here, it was only a mile or so to the next exchange - which was the first major exchange - so we hopped in the van and headed over to meet her. We also got our first chance to meet up with Van 2 so they told us all about going back to hotel to swim and the bum fight they witnessed since we last saw them. Never a dull moment at Ragnar. Once we officially passed off to Van 2, we were starved and ready to grub. But first, we had to pay a visit to the Merchandise tent to blow some $$...I was bummed they didn't have the jacket I was planning to buy, but I found a couple cute tops so all was not lost. Once we all were sufficiently swagged up, we headed off to find food and then to the next major exchange - Burlington HS and Van 2 set off for their first round, Leg's 7-12.

Ragnar Relay NW Passage: The Start

Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies - Reporting for Duty!

We had a 7am start this year, half hour earlier than last year. Beautiful Pacific NW summer morning....clear skies, nice sunrise and put all that against a backdrop of crazy runners and you have an absolutely perfect day. We were required to be there an hour ahead of our start time in order to check in and have our 'Safety Briefing'. Ragnar requires everyone in the van have a reflective safety vest and each van must have two headlamps and two blinking tail lights. They actually verify this when you check in and get your van packet, in addition to going over all the safety rules for the entire relay. 

Van 1: I.D.10.T, Bad JuJu, Crazy Lady, Obama Money,

#meanjess, Moi, and The Durfster, AKA van driver extraordinaire, 

AKA 'plus one' of #meanjess
Photo Credit: Bad JuJu

Van 2 could have slept in since they weren't required to be anywhere until their check-in and safety briefing at the first major exchange. But they were nice enough to get up and head over to the start to see us off and get some group pics.

Ran into a fierce Viking....think he belongs to the #fastattacks, 

but it's possible they just found him on the side of the road. 

Once we handled our business, we got some great shots, cheered on other teams starting and just hung out until it was our wave start. #meanjess kicked things off this as illustrious Runner 1. She had big shoes to fill (*cough*aaron*) but didn't let us down. 

200 miles? No problem - we got this. 

Ragnar Relay NW Passage: Prefunking...AKA Getting to the Start.

Van 1 - Canada Border Bound! They let me drive. 

Good news: we made it!
Photo credit: @deidracanfly

Our caravan of madness headed north mid-afternoon Thursday. This year, the team opted for hotel rooms instead of camping out at Casa Wright. My brother and his wife would have totally hosted us again....but after last year, we all decided that sleeping in an actual bed was better for us old folk than sleeping on the ground the night before a 30+hour relay. Good call team. 

Pre-relay carbo-loading done right. Pizza FTW!

Photo credit: Honey Badger

Van 2 made much better time this year; they are mostly our South Sound (Bremerton) folks so they had a ferry ride added to the trip. Which, added to the mad traffic they got stuck in on the way up last year meant we didn't get a team dinner. Really glad we got to this year. Once we were sufficiently loaded up, we called it a night. Well, most of us did.

Everyone was in the same hotel except Norman and I....

so they had a team toast. With Fireball of course; 

it is the official team beverage after all.

Photo credit: Maniac

Next up - the start - so stay tuned for more Duckie shenanigans.