Ice pic(s)

Real quick, I wanted to post some pics from my (drum roll please).............. first ice bath!  Yep - I did it.  I also did my 9 miles last Sunday successfully.  So - into the bath I went!

I asked my hubby when I was on my way home to start the water and make me a hot cup of green tea.  I changed into a MUCH warmer top and just got in.  SO. FRIGGIN'. COLD.  Omg.  My toes stayed numb for hours!  And they were OUT of the water!

Hubby also tested the water and it was 56 degrees.  I stayed in for exactly 12 minutes.

Do I think it helped?  Actually, I do.  Not that day or night, but the next day, I had zero soreness from my 9 miler.  I'll be doing it again.  When needed.

Flu, Pneumonia, Tornados... OH MY!

What a week.  I feel like I start all my blogs with that sentence.

Hubby had pneumonia.  Baby girl just left for the doctors after throwing up on the bathroom floor - due to her high temps and lethargy (flu??).  That stupid mouse is still here - I've named him "Smokey" for his dark gray color.  He avoids every mouse trap in the house - goes around them all.  He SO lives here.  And we had tornadoes and hail and thunderstorms off and on all day yesterday.  Oh, and I haven't ran since Wednesday.

I returned to Shelby Bottoms last Sunday to do my 8 miles again - it was GORGEOUS out!  I did the 8 miles in 1 hr and 27 minutes and I did the previous 8 miles at Shelby Bottoms in 1 hr and 34 minutes - PR!!  I rested Monday.  Tuesday I went out at 6:30 A.M. to do my run (it was a new weekly goal to go run one of my short runs right after my coffee - to burn the calories left in the tank) and it was a bit chilly.  I felt like I was dragging sand bags around my ankles - I could not get going.  My CardioTrainer totally screwed up again (I so need a Garmin!!!) and I realized that I better just get done what I could because I still needed to eat, get dressed and get Lucy to school.  I ended up doing 2.25.  Better than nothing, right?  Until I realized that I was actually supposed to do 4 miles - not 3.  Oh well.  Wednesday I woke up with sore knees and a little pain in my left knee - right below it to be exact.  Right where my stress fracture happened 6 years ago to be very exact.  So, I went to the gym, did 1.5 miles on the elliptical, 2 miles on the TM and that's all I could do.  I ended up taking not one, but two naps that afternoon.  I was exhausted.  So by Wednesday I was supposed to have logged 9 miles but was at 6.  Thursday I went to Wayne and did a light strength training and then rolled out my ITB areas really good.  YOWZERS!  They are really tight and they are still painfully sore as I type this.  Yesterday, Friday, I was supposed to do another "easy" 3 but ended up taking a rest day on purpose.  I am taking another rest day today in hopes of being able to do my 9 miles tomorrow.  However, the first words out of my mouth to my husband this morning were 'I think I have a stress fracture.'  Really?  Please no.  I will head out tomorrow and see what happens.

I think today may be the day to take the plunge (pun intended) and do the ice bath.  Or maybe tomorrow since today is a rest day.  Here are some do's and don'ts I found on ice baths - didn't know there was such a thing:

• DO: Be conservative with water temperature as you get started. Most rehabilitation specialists recommend a water temperature between 54-60 degrees Fahrenheit. Consider starting a bit higher and inch this downward a degree or two each exposure.
• DO: Recognize that each individual will have his or her own cold threshold. Play within your personal comfort zone, and consider investing in booties (toe warmers made of wetsuit material) as your toes are likely the most sensitive body part to be submerged.
• DON'T: Overexpose! At the recommended temperature range above, 6-8 minutes should be sufficient. Unless supervised or you have history with ice baths, do not exceed 10 minutes.
• DON'T: Assume colder is better. Spending a prolonged period of time in water colder than 54 degrees could be dangerous.
• DO: Be aware that moving water is colder water. Much like the wind chill created when you ride, if there are jets in your ice bath and the water that is warmed at the skin's surface gets pushed away, the resulting impact of the water will be cooler than measured by the thermometer.
• DON'T: Assume 54-60 degrees or bust. Cool water (say, 60-75 degrees) can still be beneficial -- as can active recovery (very light exercise to facilitate blood flow to musculature)
• DO: Seek to simplify. Building a personal ice bath daily can be a daunting task. Look for a gym that has a cold plunge, or if you live close to a river, lake or the ocean, keep tabs on the current water temperature.
• DON'T: Rush to take a warm shower immediately after the ice bath. The residual cooling effect and gradual warming are ideal. Consider initial warming options of a sweatshirt, blanket and/or warm drink... but DO take the shower if you are unable to warm yourself.

Ice, Ice, Baby

Ice is a runner's BFF.  And sometimes the ONLY thing that will make your knees or your quads or your calves or your glutes - anything - feel better.  I have yet to do this, but a lot of runner's take an ice bath immediately following a long run or race - to reduce inflammation to ALL parts at once.  I can't even imagine.  I hate the cold so plopping down into my nice relaxing, over sized round tub ... into ICE??  I think I'll pass (for now).  And what about my girl parts?  I think I'd wear a bathing suit to somewhat protect 'em.  (giggle)

Saw this on Pinterest today and it is so true:

The last pic would definitely be me.  I think I'd rather do just about anything than submerge myself in ice.  Makes me want to cry just thinking about it.

FAT Tuesday!

(FYI - To date, I have ran over 100 miles for my half marathon training - whoo hoo!!)

So to celebrate Fat Tuesday, let's revisit the issue of losing weight - or lack there of.  After asking on running forums, talking to my personal trainer, talking to other runner friends, and doing every weight loss calculator I can find online, I have succumbed to the fact that I need MORE calories to lose weight.  I looooove food.  So this should be a piece of cake.  =D  Right?  (MmMmMmMmmmmm - cake.)

Because 3,500 calories equals about 1 pound (0.45 kilogram) of fat, you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in to lose 1 pound. So if you cut 500 calories from your typical diet each day, you'd lose about 1 pound a week (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories).


Ok - so I was eating around 1250-1300 calories/day - most days.  I am now at a MINIMUM of 1600 calories/day.  So, it's 5 pm and I've already had 1300+ calories and haven't even had dinner AND I burned 500+ today running and at the gym, so I need the rest of my evening to calculate to at least 800ish calories.  I just poured a glass of pinot noir so there's 100 to start.

By the way, my 8 mile run on Saturday with the Nashville Striders - loved it!  That was the quickest (in my mind) run to date.  I burned 924 calories with that run - amazing.

Let the weight loss begin!!!  (It better.  If I gain weight with all this, I'll be one pissed off chica.)

Facing Fears

I have not followed my schedule this week.  I won't even be getting all my miles that I am supposed to in week 8 - which is 19 - gonna be about (exactly) 5 short.  I skipped my 5 mile run yesterday.  Not just to skip it like you just 'skip school' back in high school (everyone did that, right?), but I kinda rearranged my schedule and now I don't even have a chance to squeeze the 5 back in.  I'M. OK. WITH. THAT.  I have to keep telling myself this or the guilt will start to ooze.

So, last Sunday's run of 7 miles left my knees barking at me.  Monday was a rest day, and I had my echo on Tuesday - so I took another rest day for Tuesday because my knees were still bothering me.  Wednesday, I did Tuesday's run of 3 miles and 4 strides, and Thursday I did the elliptical (still trying to go easy on the knees) and an awesome strength training session with my trainer Wayne.  Dude made me do 45 dead lifts and 100 squats!  I'm sore this morning.  And on that note, today I will either 1) go to the gym and do the bike, or 2) stay at home and do yoga - to get some of this soreness out.  Why am I not running today (besides the knees) when I could do my 5 miles today, rest tomorrow (or cross train) and do my normal long run on Sunday?  I thought you'd never ask.

Because, I am going to face some of my running fears tomorrow.  A Saturday.  THE one day a week that I don't do any exercise.  Ever.  This was another subconscious reason that I rearranged my schedule.  But I had to let the week go by and see if I'd actually go through with it. <----------- I'm good about not following through with things.  Sometimes.  ;)

So, here we go - I am going to do a group run (a first!) tomorrow (Saturday - another first but not very earth-shattering) with the Nashville Striders (Nashville's most popular running group - a major first!) that is at Shelby Bottoms (another first - never been there!) that starts promptly at 7:00 a.m. (definitely a first!).  


I have never ran with anyone.  ANY.ONE.  I've stared at these training runs on Nashville Striders website for weeks and weeks now.  They do a half marathon and a full marathon training run of about what you should be at in your training.  (I happen to fall right on target with the half marathon training run of 8 miles tomorrow - yay me!)  I talked to my trainer and my hairdresser (both are like talking to bartenders - spilling all your guts of what's goin on or what's goin wrong in your life) yesterday about the possibility.  They both thought 'do it!'.  But I have been so nervous because of the above paragraph!  Just show up and say 'hey I'm here - don't know any of you, oh, and I'll probably slow most of you down.  oh, what?  you'll just go on ahead and leave me back here.  Oh hey - no problem."

So, last night I copy and pasted the 2 people's names on the website who were contacts for the training runs.  I was very pleased to get a reply within a couple hours!  (I hate when I send a question in an email and don't get a reply!!  Bugs the piss out of me.)  Peter is the man!  Like I told him, he already made me feel very welcomed and I told him because of that, "I'll be there!".

This is going to be so good for me!  So eye-opening.  So liberating.  So 'I can do anything I want'.  I am going to learn so much from this run.  I can watch other people run, watch their stride, how they land, etc.  I can TALK to someone - never done that before.  Well, once, to my friend Michalyn on the treadmill.  She said 'see!  you can run and talk.'  But what I'm most excited about is running 8 miles and not counting every freakin' 10th of a mile!  I don't really do that - but as Peter (my new BFF) said, "You don't have to experience the loneliness of the long distance runner while you train."  BINGO!  No, no I don't.  Oh, and did I mention that Pete is the PRESIDENT of Nashville Striders??  I have to show up.

During strength training yesterday, Wayne said 'you do need to learn to run with other people.'  Ya think?  It's only gonna be me and 31,500 of my closest friends with me on April 28th.  No sweat.  (running pun!)  I guess I do need to learn how to share my toys.

So tomorrow when you guys are all snug in your beds, I will be rolling out of mine around 5:00 a.m. so I can have a lot of coffee and a little food, leave by 6:00 a.m. so I can find this place that is basically downtown - remember that whole 'I live in the sticks' post - park, warm-up, get instructions (??? don't I just run?) and start at 7:00 a.m.  God I hope there is at least 1 person that is as slow as me.

Brrr.

Time has really been flying by lately - can't believe I'm in the 70's for days left.

This week is a recovery week - so hopefully with my **forced** recovery week last week PLUS a real recovery week, my knees will cooperate for my long run on Sunday - which is 7 miles - man o man!  I just can NOT believe how far I've come!  Now, if my weight would follow suit, that would be shiny.  (sigh)  I was down 2 lbs, but they're back.  Story of my life.  I have been on a very clean eating streak for the past month or so, watching calories yet getting in enough for my running, and obviously exercising.  But my weight doesn't budge.

(I started the above post on Thursday.  It's now Sunday.  Busy much?)

SO, did my 7 miles this morning - at a balmy 28 degrees - took me an hour and 37 minutes (I think) and my knees are not real happy.  I think this just may be the way it is?  Knees start hurting at about the 5 mile mark?  As long as it's not a major injury, and I can treat it with ice, rest, ibuprofen and a glass of wine, I'm good.

Next week (tomorrow) starts week 8 and it's a busy one - personal-wise AND exercise-wise.  Upping the mileage, adding more strength training, and adding an extra day of cross-training - all to end with an EIGHT mile run on Sunday.  I'm tired just typing all that.  Personal wise - hubby is gone majority of the week which always = me extra busy.  Monday night it's supposed to snow which means Nashville will shut down at the first site of flake which also means there is a BIG chance the kids will be out of school on Tuesday.  Occasionally, I really enjoy those days, but I'm already having to cancel my personal training on Tuesday because I have an echo (not 'yoda-lay-HEE-hoo.....hoo.....hoo - but an echo cardiogram) scheduled to make sure I have a healthy heart - which the doc is pretty sure I do - so that's all I go into that for now.  Thursday I get my hair cut and colored - YAY!!  I know there's more - it'll come to me.

Well that was an exciting post!!  Geesh.  I'll do better next time.  I think the 7 miles has my mind a little fuzzy.

Do You Know Your Enemy?

(love me some Green Day - some of my all time fav running tunes)

I do!  --------------> Andrea.

Yep, I am my own worst enemy.  Always have been.  My husband just rolls his eyes - and slightly braces himself - when he hears the guilt start coming out of my mouth.

Trying not to do another Debbie Downer episode, but this week sucked (training-wise).  After my 6 mile run on Sunday, the pains just kept coming.  I *know* I'm being smart about getting more good food in my body and getting some extra zzzz's here and there this week, but I *feel* like a total slacker.  Not lazy, but like I've just folded and gone home.  Given up.  Thrown in the towel.  BUT I haven't.

Let's look at this in a brighter light:  I got 2, instead of 1, really good strength training sessions in, I got 2, instead of 1, semi-good core sessions in, I did 1 day, instead of 0, of cross-training (elliptical), and we all can guess that I got some extra rest days in.

For that part of the week, pity party over.  The other part = today.  I was supposed to do my first 5k with my 13 year old this morning.  He was so excited!  I was too!  He's been coming home from school and changing into running clothes for the past 2 weeks.

(He's come such a long way with this whole running thing - I'm SO proud of him.  I forced him to join cross-country his first year in middle school.  He's not very athletic so this was the safest activity.  Yes, I am that mom.)

I went and picked up our race packets yesterday, even though we couldn't get our bib numbers b/c the printer had a burp in the numbers (those would include our numbers - of course) so I would either have to come back (um, no - took me 50 minutes just to get there) or get them at registration this morning - which is what I was trying to avoid by picking them up when they were     "available" the day before. Whatever - we'd go a bit earlier than expected and get our numbers with the rest of the 2000+ people expected to run.  No biggie.  As I was watching the news last night, it said there was a 95% of rain, thunder and wind gusts today.  Joy.  I warned Isaac that there was a possibility that we may not go due to all that.  I don't have anything against running in the rain.  In fact, I have actually enjoyed it the few times I was faced with it.  But thunder?  Doesn't thunder = lightning???  No thanks.  And wind gusts?  Wind alone - I hate running in it.  So, this awesome date with my son was quickly looking like a disaster.  Not to mention my mood on the way home I'm sure.  Anyway, long story short (little too late for that), the news was right.  There was a huge and very colorful front on the TV - looking like it was coming through downtown Nashville just about at starting time (10:00 a.m.).  So I made the decision and have felt guilty ever since (see paragraph 2).  Anyway, I've promised Isaac I will find us another 5k to do together soon.

But guess what I found with all this??  A silver-lining!  Yes - me!  I get to keep my training on schedule by (re) doing my long run of 6 miles tomorrow (I was moving it to Monday due to the 5k today).  So, today I will try to decide where I'm going to do my long run (I'm not going back to the Greenway - it will be muddy and quite slippery with all this rain) and I'm going to take it slow.  I definitely overdid it last Sunday.

So CHEERS to a new week!