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!

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.

June: In Which I "Run" My First Half Marathon in a Full Year

So this happened.....

I started the month still on my NYC high....Love that place. Running there was so fun that the feelings definitely lasted for a bit. Can't wait to go back - I think I definitely want to do a race while I am there next. 

I also went into June feeling pretty good since I officially finished with PT. All that good running juju put me in a race frame of mind. Decided at the last minute to do Rock and Roll....and am SO glad I did.

It was another phenomenal race with Wear Blue  and I had a pretty good race considering I walked over half of it.

Wear Blue Mile 

This photo of my girls was all over the RnR post race emails and updates. Great shot!

Overall a great month and now all of a sudden it's July and time for Ragnar! Here we go...

May: In Which I Officially End PT

After 10 long months, I had my last PT appointment last week. I am healed and no longer 'injured' -- acutely, at least. I will always have to baby this hamstring and take extra precautions. But I am officially 'all running' now and am going to begin to progress up to higher mileage - but very very slowly.

Hudson River Greenway

I also went on a work trip this month. To NYC. My second time visiting and I love that place. I was there for a week - 4 days for work and 2 extra days for fun. I had a phenomenal time and was able to get 3 runs in. 

 Hudson River Greenway - Again. Loved this path and all the piers. This was the end of one I particularly liked. It had these nice lounge chairs at the end overlooking the Hudson River and New Jersey.

 

 New World Trade Center

Run #1 was my second full day. And it was hot. 86* and very humid. This Seattle girl nearly melted but I pushed through and completed a 3 miler. The HRG was only about 6 blocks from my hotel so I was able to get both weekday runs in close by. The second run was much cooler because I went in the morning. There were a ton of other runners out both times. But no one makes eye contact. I am used to the whole smiling and nodding at each other when passing another runner.
Yeah. Not so much here. 

The 3rd and final run was my last full day and I had the time to take the subway uptown to Central Park. I had to do at least one run there. And this one, incidentally, was the most like running at home. The weather took a turn during the week and thunderstorms, wind and lots of rain moved in. So it was in the high 40's, pouring rain, and I was dodging giant puddles the whole time. But it was worth it! 

The Reservoir

May felt like a good month. I feel like I finally turned a corner and am on my way to being back to 'normal'. And I am really glad about that. Realistically, it will be at least 9 months to a year before I am back up to 'half shape' and able to race again. But I am ready to take on this next part of the challenge and embrace my new reality. Cross training, strength training, you name it. I am going to be so on top of it because damned if I am going to get injured again!

 Wet cold run in Central Park in Blue. 

Looking forward to this summer. Ragnar is a couple short months away and it'll be here before I know it. Gotta get serious about the training for real.

April: In Which the Unthinkable Happens

 Source.

"In the immediate sense...[it] was an attack on the highest profile moment of the highest profile event of a relatively low profile, unique culture, which is the marathoners. The endurers.....doing something that is not much like anything else in our American culture. In our instant reward world, marathoners are after a gratification that is not just delayed, it is a form of gratification that most of us have a hard time believing can conceivably be gratifying. But that difference fosters fellowship among marathon runners and that has fostered culture and that has fostered now even a whole economy that you wouldn't know existed unless you went looking."  ~ Rachel Maddow, TRMS, Tues April 16th

April was a rough one for our sport. Every runner I know was pretty devastated by what happened at the end of the Boston Marathon this month. It was horrible to watch that type of carnage and terror mar one of the most amazing feats a runner can experience. And for all the family and friends who came to cheer on their people and who were hit the hardest; we, the marathoners, were particularly devastated to watch what happened to all of you as you stood there excited, proud and expectantly waiting to cheer your runner on at the finish, just when they needed it the most....

The morning after, I read this little piece at Jezebel  - The People Who Watch Marathons - that I thought captured it well....

"The spectators — people who show up and cheer with noisemakers and high fives and encouraging cheers and magic-markered tagboard signs that read "YOU ALL ARE CRAZY! KEEP RUNNING!"— are the people who matter most to runners. Without those people, a marathon would just be an exercise in self-abuse from a large group of crazies. But there is meaning in marathoning: the people who watch"

It's been weeks and we all know the 'ending' to the story by now. The two men responsible have been captured/killed after a week of keeping the city hostage in a paralyzing fear culminating in a manhunt that completely shut down Boston proper and the surrounding communities.  The finish line has been cleaned up and is no longer a crime scene. The hundreds of injured people are slowly trying to heal and start their lives over in their new reality. The dead have been laid to rest.

But the path to real healing is months and years away. For everyone. And for us runners, we are just going to do what we do - keep running. One step at time. One foot in front of the others. For those that we lost and for those that won't run again, we run for you.

March: In Which I am Very Very Lame

Not really sure how that happened. I went a whole month without a single post. How lame am I? Don't really have a great excuse...other than work has pretty much kicked my a$$ this month. I've been so busy and kept meaning to write a post here or there and just never quite made it happen.

Recovery Update: We reduced my PT visits to twice a month in February. That continued through March and we have since decided that once a month is now sufficient. So I will not be back until the third week in April. We'll see how I do managing the tightness in my hammy without that massage. I can keep it at about 70-80% loose on my own with stretching and foam rolling.

My runs, as assigned by PT until my next visit include doing two as ALL RUNS! I've gotten pretty good at tolerating my 5/1 intervals...so the next jump will be to all running. It's time to start getting serious because Rock and Roll is only a few short months away. And then a month later it's Ragnar time. Kind of makes me a bit nervous. But I have realistic expectations so that should serve me well.

Happy Spring! 

February: In Which I Keep Slogging Forward

Feb Miles -  34

 2013 has started off slowly....but that is ok. Winter is now almost over and it's time to start enjoying the changing season and being able to do a run after work and have it still be light!! Love this time of year....It's such a relief after all the dark runs wearing my nerdy safety gear.

Taking it slow is paying off....baby steps aren't fun to document b/c frankly, it's a little boring. And every so often, I get a little excited and over do it a bit and have to take a step back. That happened this month. I was doing well with my 4/2's and got the go ahead to do one 5/1 in the two week period between PT apts but somehow heard that I could do one a week...so I did two runs at 3 miles with almost all running. Not ready for that and the result is that there has been increased tightness and pain. So backing off and sticking with mostly 4/2's right now is the plan. One 5/1 only...before my next PT visit on 3/12. Moving forward, slowly.

I finally got a new pair of shoes! I have been needed a pair for a while but was really unsure of what to get since my Brooks Ghost 4's had been discontinued and I wasn't sure if the 5's would work for me. I spent an hour or so trying on about 6 different pairs and finally settled on a pair of Mizuno Wave Inpires. Verdict after wearing them for a month? LOVE them. I get support and spring, but I can actually feel my feet hitting the ground. The Ghost 4's were pillowy and glidy...and sometimes maybe a bit too cushy. But I'm in love and may just be a Mizunos convert....we shall see!

The month ended with a little reflection on the mental aspects of injury recovery.... I am doing it right...and in the right frame of mind at the moment. It's just requiring an infinite amount of patience.

 

January: In Which I Hibernate & Reflect

Last month was very quiet.....it brought a little bit of reflection and a little bit of regrouping. Overall, not a whole lot happened. I have been focusing on getting myself back on track and decided to do a post that covered all of the injury - total recap, timeline and current status. 

That was a good thing for me because it allowed me to get outside myself for a moment and try to really look objectively at my injury, what led to it and what I am doing to come back from it. Looking at where I was last August and where I am today was just the affirmation that I needed. I am doing this right. I am taking my time and the patience is paying off. I will be back. And not only will I be a runner again, I will be a stronger and smarter runner.

I also tried to objectively look back on the year and examine my goals from the beginning of this journey and how I did with them. It was interesting to examine which things I succeeded at and what I missed the mark on. Some of it was out of my control due to injury, however, I also wanted to examine why those goals may have led to the injury in the first place.

Taking a closer look was a good thing. It helped me re-evaluate my larger goals and figure out where I might need to put some focus. It turns out, the focus needs to totally shift. 100%. And shift it has.

No more craziness. No more Too Much Too Soon. 2013 is all about Building the Base. Small, reasonable goals. That are aligned with my current abilities (both injury-related and in general). Keep it simple. Build slowly. Keep racing to a minimum. Focus on strength.

I am ready. Let's do this!

December: In Which I Celebrate My Blogiversary

It's been a quiet month, relatively speaking of course. The holidays always make December just fly by in a blink. My least favorite holiday but I try to make the most of it and not be too grinchy for my daughter's sake. In fact, just a few weeks ago, she nudges me while we are sitting on the couch and says, "Mom, this is totally going to be your tree when I move out."

My future Christmas Tree

Or maybe this one....

In any case, it's been pretty quiet around here this month. I celebrated my birthday, my blogiversary, Christmas and now we've said goodbye to 2012.

My daughter did end up getting the one thing she really really wanted for Christmas....

Only about an inch...but it made her so happy!

I am looking forward to 2013....I will run again this year and it's going to be good.