Scheduling.

With my recent re-injury, I was starting to get a little overwhelmed by our training schedule.  The last training run I was able to do (non-elliptical) was 4 miles.  This weekend we were slated to run 7 miles.  That's a 3 mile jump, and my leg isn't exactly healed. I started finding that all I could think about was how far behind I was getting, how many miles I wasn't running, and how I was holding us back as a team.  This was getting really frustrating and it was starting to make me angry.

We tried water running on Wednesday morning - super low impact, a great cross-training option as an alternative to running, especially with an injury. At the time it didn't seem hard, but when we finished I could feel it everywhere. The only downside is that I had hoped to have done it in deep water so my leg had literally no ground impact.  At 4:30am, Lifetime only has the indoor pools open, and then only go 4 ft.  So, my leg was unhappy later that day, therefore Abby was unhappy later in the day. However, my anger fueled good weight lifting that afternoon, so at least that was successful. By last night, I had calmed down, relaxed a bit, and realized I needed to regroup. Again.

I've seen a lot of articles about modifying training schedules, but for some reason, this was a hard concept for me to grasp. I was determined to keep our training schedule set in stone.  However, it's been a busy couple of weeks, we've been tired and/or sick, so we were already starting to modify things.  Despite my hesitation to pull the training mileage back, yesterday at the gym, I realized I had no option but to adjust it.  In talking with Christi, it turned out to be a good solution for both of us.  The entire point of having this long training schedule is so we can modify it to meet our needs each week. It's not set in stone; there is no harm in making adjustments.  We luckily were about to do several weeks at 8 miles, so we decided to build up one mile per week for 5, 6, 7, and 8 miles, and then be back on track and back on schedule.

My main goal is to focus on running the long run. If my leg is hurting, then my short run and interval run of the week will be cross training with lots of resistance, and extra focus on strengthening the surrounding muscles.   I'm not going to be out of shape just because my leg isn't cooperating.  I will run this race and at least be in the best shape I can possibly be.

Fear of running?

The sunlight created a bit of a glare, but this is us coming down the giant sand hill at the end of the race.  Glad I've been training with resistance and hills. :)

This week I experienced something new: the fear of running.

We had been planning on this SandPit 5k for a couple of months. In my mind it was this fun thing we were going to do with a beautiful backdrop for a morning run.  However, when I strained the muscle above my ankle, I suddenly realized what running in the sand actually meant for me.

For the first time, I wasn't worried about the distance. 3.1 miles, no problem. I wasn't worried about the obstacles either. I suddenly became petrified at the idea of running on the sand.  What if I injured myself more? Was 2 weeks on the elliptical machine enough to give me the strength I needed? Would I be able to run the whole thing? Would I completely regret it the next day?

I was absolutely scared.  Butterflies in my stomach, trouble sleeping, mind racing. Seriously? It's a 5k. Snap out of it!  I realized that I had done everything I could possibly do to prepare, the only thing I could do was run!

Friday night, we got to bed later than I had planned on, midnight. We were sleeping on an air mattress on the floor, in a new place. It was warm, the train kept going by, and my mind was racing.  I woke up, semi-refreshed, and decided to put on my shoes and give it a test run.  I ran down the street and back. I knew it would hurt a little since I hadn't run in 2 weeks, but it still freaked me out. Should I compete?

I decided that I didn't drive all the way to California to be defeated without even trying. If I start the run, and I'm miserable, I would pull off. I would walk. But I wouldn't quit before putting my number on my back.

The race itself was hilarious.  My foot did pretty well. By the end, the wear and tear of my feet jerking around on the sand started to get to me, so I walked a little bit. Christi would not leave me behind.  In the end, we finished the race, 37 minutes.

The obstacles? The first half was on packed sand and through the water - running along the shore, running out into the waves (the water literally came to my chin), crawling through sand. The second half was all soft sand.  That was hard enough!! But then came tunnels, jumping walls, going through hoops, running up sand hills (tall ones), and rolling into a water pit. We finished laughing, because that was all we could do.

In the end, I'm happy I did it. I would have been sad to have not even tried.  We weren't fast, but we weren't that slow either. The finish times ranged from 19 minutes to 55. Right in the middle. And while my leg has been sore (really sore on Saturday and Sunday), it's already doing better.  I have realized this just may be something I am going to have to deal with until the Half is over. So I will keep stocking up on ice packs, ibuprofen, biofreeze, and arnica, and keep scheduling massages.

Forging ahead!

Week 5 of the training plan, and I am forging ahead!

Except, I've run into a small snag. After running 3 days a week for 2 months with no problem, the minute we amped up the training and added in our cross training and weight days, I injured myself.  Again!! After lots of research, I've given myself a self-diagnosis: muscle strain located on my inner left leg above my ankle, next to my shinbone.  It felt like a bruise to the touch, without there being a bruise.

I believe the problem was my shoes... my running shoes have been great for running, but that's what they are supposed to do. What they are not supposed to do is cross-train, and I believe that's where it happened. I think I tweaked my leg in Zumba the first week, then aggravated it over the next 2 weeks, and here I am.  A running coach at work explained that some people just have pickier bodies.  I would maybe have the same result if I tried to hike Camelback in Converse, or go for a really long walk in flip flops.  They aren't the proper shoes for that activity.  Running shoes are also heel supported, while cross training shoes are toe supported.  The only thing to truly cure a muscle strain is rest, and that wasn't really an option, with training needing to continue and the fact that I had to pack up and move to a new home.  Not exactly restful!

So. Ibuprofen, ice, biofreeze... and new cross training shoes:

http://www.ryka.com/en-US/Product/19065-5173967/Ryka/Blk_Vpr+Gry_Aqua_Lim/Womens+Synergy.aspx?partnerID=Email_TransShipConf

These are very comfortable, and I think they will work just fine. But, the damage was already done. I about lost my mind, because I couldn't run without my leg throbbing and I began to panic that I was out of the race again. Just when I needed to increase mileage, I was shoved a couple of steps back.  But then I composed myself, ordered my shoes, and declared myself elliptical bound for a couple weeks, which is what I've done.  I've kept up with the mileage, but hiked up the resistance.

My next fear was the 5k SandPit Race we had planned for this Saturday in San Diego: http://www.kozevents.com/Running_Events/Sand_Pit_5K.htm We had planned this awhile ago thinking that a fun race in much cooler weather would be just what we needed at this point in training! But as we got closer, and I was fighting an injury, I started to worry: Would my leg hold up? Would I injure myself more so that I am struggling even more with the next portion of training? What if I tweak my foot and I injure myself in another way? I never run in sand, so do I run in my shoes or run barefoot? I decided on shoes. I am used to running in them, and I am sticking with that, even if it means I need to buy new shoes afterwards.

So, onward! If my leg can't handle it, I will rest on the beach and cheer the runners on. But I am forging ahead and will not be defeated!!

Let the training begin!

Week One of training!

I didn't think I added that much more this week, especially since our scheduled runs weren't any longer than the previous week. But by Thursday night, I was positively exhausted!

Sunday night:
I tried really hard to be prepared for the week. I spent a couple hours in the kitchen juicing fruits and vegetables, making smoothies for the next two days' breakfasts, packing my lunch for Monday, and getting all my workout clothes washed. I was in bed by 9:00.  Of course, I couldn't sleep. I had the worst sleep ever and woke up pretty much every hour between 9 and 5. Not the best start...Sleep is the key to training!! As someone who has spent pretty much my entire adult life being sleep deprived (or maybe I've always been this way? I didn't like to sleep as a kid either), I am worthless at running without sleep! It is the very best nutrient you can give your body and I am reminded of the fact every time I don't get enough.

Monday:
We had a 3 mile run scheduled Monday evening. Christi was exhausted as well.  We pushed forward.  It was the hottest it had ever been in the evening when we ran: 111 degrees. There was absolutely no moving air, the air was thick and stale, and there was a storm over the mountains mocking us. I would have paid every dollar in my bank account for the storm to move over and the rain to rescue us. Or a sprinkler to go off? Throw me a bone, here! Nonetheless, we got almost the entire way without stopping: 2.9 miles.  I'll take it. We walked the rest.

Tuesday:
Zumba class at Lifetime! In case you didn't notice this, I am white. Very white. Not just my paleness, but my rhythm. I have an ethnic booty but boy did I get my ass kicked in this class! However, I had an absolute blast. I think I laughed the entire time.  And I was sweaty and exhausted when done, so it was a well earned 500 calories I burned off.  The entire point is to have fun, so this was achieved. I will go back next week.

Wednesday:
4:30 am run, 4 miles.  Usually, we have Tuesdays off, so we weren't expecting to be so tired on Wednesday.  However, we were.  I basically got home from class about 9 and then went to bed. Immediately got up and went running. Every part of my body felt heavy and I had a hard time with the first mile.  Even my shoulders felt heavy, which made it hard to swing my arms and keep up my pace.  We ended up walking part way in between, but honestly that's because it was also so hard to breathe in the heat.  I just wish the air would thin out already! Would be so much easier! There are lots of articles that talk about how beneficial it is to train in the heat, because then when race day arrives, you are that much faster! But they made a very valid point: "It will always be difficult, and that is normal." We are not failing. I've learned to realize that if I have to walk for a second, I am not a "failure" as a runner.
....
After work, we hit the gym to do a 30 minute core/weight workout.  This was the perfect amount of time, and despite our short workout, it was beneficial and I was sore afterwards! The hardest part for me is that I have very weak chest muscles post-surgery, so it's going to take some extra time to build up the muscle and get used to the feeling of using them again.  We tried out the Push/Pull workout I had posted about previously: http://abbyduval.blogspot.com/2012/06/push-pull-workout.html. Some of the exercises on the ball were so difficult! (and I'm sure we looked so ridiculous doing them in the middle of the gym..) I'm not sure that I like this one as a repeat workout.  Next week, we're going to try Cross-Fit: http://www.active.com/running/Articles/Improve-Running-Performance-With-Crossfit.htm. BOOM! Talk about an ass-kicking!

Thursday:
No rest for the weary! Sore and exhausted, we trudged over to the gym at lunch to do a treadmill speed workout.  20 minutes was the perfect amount of time, but we are realizing now we need to pick up the pace on the speed workouts.  No matter how fast 7.5 felt, we probably need to get up to 8.5 or so for our sprint minutes. (We are doing a slow pace 1 minute, followed by a fast pace 1 minute, and then alternating, gradually speeding up our fast minutes).

Friday:
REST! So thankful.  I was starting to feel terrible. Feel better now. :)

Saturday:
Tomorrow we are going to a Barbell Strength class at Lifetime. I'm nervous for this, but excited. It's supposed to be very hard. We needed a good strength day, and this seemed like the best way to do it.  8:15am. :)

Sunday:
More REST! Hooray!

I've noticed that this week I have been absolutely ravenous. I'm listening to it, and eating when necessary, but want to be cognizant of it so that I don't continually put on weight when I am trying to get into shape for the race.  I just read an article that brought up some great points about why runners actually gain weight when they train, and it's not just muscle mass.  A great point was the "I deserve this cookie" post run scenario (guilty), or the fact that we are eating more carbs, which leads to water retention.  Good to know! If you are interested in reading it, here's the link: http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-304--14055-0,00.html?cm_mmc=NL-Nutrition-_-1009824-_-08162012-_-Adding-Pounds-as-You-Add-Miles%3F

Special shout out to everyone who has been so supportive throughout this process.  I am fortunate to have an amazing boyfriend who tells me he is proud of me and urges me to go on when I am exhausted. I'm thankful to have an awesome training partner who also has a supportive husband as well. It is a team effort after all...

Love to you all!

Kale. Juicing. One week. I'm a cripple.

This summer is absolutely flying by.  How did it become August already? In addition, this marks my 4th year here in Arizona... where has time gone?? It's amazing!  I can also tell that it is August because I am suddenly very OVER the heat. I do well throughout June and July, but by August I am tired of it being hot at 4am, missing eating outside at lunchtime, and wishing the evenings were cool enough to go for a walk or sit outside.  That being said, forging on!

Next week begins training for the half marathon!!

We had set this day several months ago and at the time, it seemed so far away. And suddenly, it's game on.

With our (hopefully) impending move in a month, and the beginning of training season happening, it was time to get set up with an official gym membership.  One reason being that soon I will not have free gym access. The other being that Christi and I need to be able to work out together more during the week, and having a gym we can access at lunchtime or classes directly after work will make that much easier.  Despite it's price, I went back to Lifetime Fitness. It's an amazing gym, it's huge, right next to work, and has a huge dressing room/shower area for when we work out before work or at lunch.  

A reminder of our weekly schedule:

• One long run, spanning between 4 miles and 10 miles, trying to get to the ultimate goal of 13.1
• One short, pace run, 25-75% of the long run distance for that week
• Speedwork day: 10-30 min of interval training (sprints, stairs, running backwards, hills)
• Cross-training (2-3 times/week): weight lifting, resistance training, fitness classes, elliptical, yoga, hiking, etc.

Oh yeah, and rest.

We've been pretty good until now with the exception of the weight training, and several cross training days together. I have gotten some hikes and yoga in, but nothing dedicated each week.  

Which brings me to my latest dilemma, I'm a cripple.  I'm not kidding, I haven't been able to walk since Saturday.  We were going to do hill training on the treadmills at my gym, but there are only 2 available in the gym, and 1 was taken. We decided to run stairs on the fitness steps for 18 minutes, followed by 3 circuits of sqauts, leg press, and hamstring curls, followed by a half mile loop. We were tired, but had no clue how sore we would be. Cripple. It's awful. My poor calves didn't know what hit them. It literallly took me 5 minutes to get out of bed the next day.

Lesson learned: NEVER do this the week before or of the race!!

Miranda gave me her old juicer. I'm in love!! <3  It's taken my breakfast smoothies to a whole new level! Tomorrow's smoothie: almond milk, protein powder, banana, strawberries, peach, maca powder, flax seed, a bunch of kale, and carrots.  Yes, kind of looks like ass... but it's going to be delicious. :)

Lastly, this year I have become obsessed with kale.  Not only is it an antioxidant that is chock full of vitamins, but it is delicious! I buy it at the grocery store, and then it's been in season a lot, so it's arriving in my produce as well. As a result, I have a ton of it.  And while Jay likes it, and has been a good sport about my new obsession, when I'm not home he's not likely to nom on a bunch of kale just for the fun of it. :)  So, I've had to get a little creative with what to do with it.  I'll throw it on pizzas, in quesadillas, in pasta, smoothies.  This week, I tried it in hummus...

I found this recipe on TakePart's Meatless Mondays series* and followed it exactly just to try it out. I found the garlic powder an interesting choice when generally hummus calls for fresh garlic (but the flavor was great). I also did dried herbs (that's what I had, and the recipe didn't specify), but I think fresh would be awesome:

Green Monster Hummus

1 can chickpeas

1/4 cup tahini

2 cloves of garlic

2T lemon juice

1T soy sauce (I use gluten free)

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup olive oil

1t salt

1t dried oregano (or 1T fresh)

1t dried basil (or 1T fresh)

2 cups kale (or spinach)

Pour all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until well combined.  Refrigerate for best results. Serve with pita chips, pita bread, or veggies. Enjoy!

*http://www.takepart.com/photos/meatless-mondays/green-monster-hummus

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

So... it's always at least 105 at this time of the year. More often than not it's closer to 110. By default, Arizonians are thirsty people.

Add to that running three days a week, and the Bikram yoga trial I have been doing 2-3 times per week.... I'm thirsty, very thirsty! They say that when you are running and you feel thirst, you are already past the point of being dehydrated.  You have to hydrate in advance.

Considering I already had a concern about my potassium levels, I was highly encouraged to make sure that I am watching my vitamins and supplements, and making sure to be drinking a LOT of electrolytes.  I always shrugged off electrolytes because it used to be that you would have to drink Gatorade to get them, and I can't drink the stuff. Too much sugar!

On the days that I have been doing Bikram and running on the same day (which I'm not sure how much longer I will do that honestly, it's pretty draining), I have had to get creative about hydrating and fueling the next course. When I get out of Bikram at 6pm, I have been drinking a protein shake to fuel me for my 7:45pm run, and then I can have a snack or light dinner when I get home.  I have been experimenting with some pre-run and post-run standards and have noticed how much better I feel!

• Coconut Water - VitaCoco w/pineapple - I have tried several brands of coconut water and have decided that I just don't like the taste of plain coconut water. It's bland and has a weird taste to me.  However, I really love the one with a bit of pineapple juice in it.  It's only 80 calories and doesn't have too much sugar, and a great source of potassium. *Must drink it cold*
• Coconut Milk - So Delicious Chocolate Coconut Milk - Um, yum!! Delicious. I have been doing 1 cup of coconut milk, 1 scoop of Gold Standard Vanilla Whey protein, and then top it off with cold water. A delicious recovery drink, a nice way to kill a sweet tooth, and again, lots of potassium (and protein). I have also experimented with adding maca powder to this, and will add spirulina as soon as the bulk source has more stock. 
• Emergen-C - Lemon lime - I have been drinking a small glass with one of these packets in it every morning. When I feel like my coffee isn't kicking in, the Emergen-C gives me an immediate boost of energy. I can literally feel the vitamins hit my system and just feel overall better! I've noticed that I am less achy aferwards as well.
• Nuun Energy Tab - Lemon lime - Gatorade without the sugar! And great to travel with. Just throw a tab into water and dissolve.

I am going to make a concentrated effort to buy hydrating foods, like in the picture above. Nature is amazing - these foods just naturally hydrate you.. who needs supplements when you have good food??

Bikram Yoga

Words I never thought I would utter: "I'm going to a bikram yoga class."

1. I hate sweating. Especially, when it's on my face.
2. Up until this point, I have always said I hate yoga.
3. It's 108 outside, do I really need to pay money to stretch in a room that is heated to 108?

The truth is, I took my first two classes this week... and I kind of loved it.

Angie and Miranda have always been large proponents of bikram yoga, and I promised Angie that the next time a groupon came along for an unlimited yoga class, I would try it.  And it did: $30 for 30 days of unlimited yoga, at a highly recommended studio.  Why not?

Let me preface this by saying that I have never liked yoga until this point.  When I was in college, I thought it would be "fun" to take a 1 unit yoga class on Friday mornings.  It wasn't fun, it was hard, and my teacher, sometimes known as the "Yoga Nazi," lived up to her name.  She would actually scold you and get frustrated with you if you couldn't do the pose right. Um, I'm sorry, I'm not that limber and this is a really difficult pose! Needless to say, this did not start my yoga experience off on the right foot.

Fast forward to tribal bellydance workshops - yoga and tribal bellydance became very intertwined as dancers with strong core muscles also tend to be amazing dancers.  So, as a result, a lot of workshops began with yoga.  The meditation exercises I found relaxing, but often the workshops were so yoga-centric (and advanced yoga, for that matter) that it would just frustrate me.  Not fun!

With all my headaches and neck aches, I was often told that yoga would be beneficial for me. In fact, it would probably make my mother happy to know I am finally doing yoga.  It wasn't that I didn't believe these statements, but my previous efforts at the practice hindered me from branching out and trying it again. And let's face it, massage can only do so much.

Now that I've been running, I've been doing a lot of research on training and practicing in the summertime.  There are a lot of articles that mention that yoga can be a runner's best friend.  Again, good, strong core muscles mean for a good, strong runner that is less likely to suffer injury.  It was starting to appear that I just couldn't hide from it - yoga was going to find me one way or another.  So, here I am...

Last Monday, I tried bikram for the first time. I've heard that you either love bikram, or you hate it. For those that have never taken it, the class has a set series of postures and breathing exercises in a very hot room. They heat the room to 108 and it is HOT!  The main goal for the first class is to stay in the room. I see now why they say that.  I was laying on my mat 5 minutes before class started, to "acclimate." (Note: I think running in the heat has helped me acclimate to this, if you can ever truly acclimate to heat like that).  As I was laying there, staring up at the running ceiling fans, I thought, "this isn't too bad." Then, the instructor entered the room, turned the fans off, and began class.  Oh no. Different story.

I did better at the yoga than I thought. I have never been incredibly flexible, but by the end of class my muscles were so warmed up that I had a lot more range. I did pretty well at the balancing poses as well (I was shocked,  I'm clumsy!). There were only two poses that I couldn't do at all, even in a clumsy, awkward version of the actual pose.  This was promising!  The heat was a different story.  You are just soaked. Good thing I had a hand towel, I put it to good use. I just made sure to drink lots of water during, and wipe myself down at any opportune moment.  Looking around, other people didn't seem to mind it. Maybe you get used to it? I tried not to be horrified at the man in front of me, literally dripping like a faucet.  I looked the other way...

I ran Monday after class, which was rough, but doable.
Class again on Tuesday, which took me awhile to get focused, but class flowed faster because I knew what was coming next.

I always wondered why people willingly did such an activity. It is gruesome! There is no preparing yourself for that. But I love how I felt afterwards! (Well, at least I did after my shower).

We shall see how I feel at the end of the month. :)

**Interested in trying? Check out Bikram Yoga Tempe: http://bikramyogatempe.com/