1/2 Marathon Training- Week 8 Recap

Great runs this week! Continued my routine of 3-5-3 for Tues-Wed-Thur. On Saturday I ran 10 (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) miles! 10 miles! Double digits! 10 miles!!! Can you tell that I am a bit excited??? I also had a great 30 minute swim on Sunday.


I've solved (I think) my post-run runs. :) For my long run this week I made the following changes:
~ ran in a shady park route (paved) instead of on the street
~ drank 16 oz of Nuun starting at mile 3, sipping a little bit each mile instead of not drinking at all
~ only ate a banana and nothing else before my run
~ ate a Snickers bar (1/2) at mile 5 and the other 1/2 at mile 7.5 instead of the Power Bar chews
~ walked for 10 minutes after my run instead of stopping pretty much right away
~ stopped by McD's for a chocolate milk within 15 minutes of stopping instead of eating as soon as I finished


I'm not really sure which of these solved my problem, but I am happy to report that after this last run there was no cramping, no diarrhea, no excessive fatigue, no shakes, no nausea. After my run I actually came home and got ready for baby girls birthday party, had her party, went furniture shopping, and then out to dinner. It was a great day! It's amazing to see how far I've come from dragging myself up the steps after running a mile to running 10 and still having a full day of activity. Since I don't know what really helped to cure the post-run sickies, I am going to continue with each of these activities until the 1/2. I only have 2 more long runs (11 and 12) before the half on June 23rd. It's getting close.


Did you have to re-read the Snickers sentence? :) I had read that many runners use Snickers as fuel during their runs. I thought it was crazy, but figured that at this point that I'd try anything. I giggled to myself as I opened my Snickers at mile 5. Who does this? It seemed so odd. Aren't I out here to burn calories? Am I really going to shove 260 calories down my throat? The fat girl inside of me struggled with this candy bar. This was really a light bulb moment for the healthy girl that I am now. I was eating this Snickers bar for fuel! I wasn't eating it because I was sad, happy, bored, confused, or even frustrated. I was eating it because my body is a machine that needs fuel. The type of fuel that I needed was in that candy bar. I needed quick energy. During my run I burned close to 1700 calories. I needed the calories from that bar. 


I have a 3 mile scheduled for tomorrow AM, but am thinking about popping in to a class at my gym. I miss classes. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE being able to run on my own schedule, but I do miss looking over and seeing other people working as hard as I am. Next week is a recovery week and I'll only do 6 on Saturday. 


~Kari

1/2 Marathon Training- Week 7 recap

I'm delighted to report that the ankle brace is doing it's job and my ankle is no longer irritated. Big plans to go tomorrow after work to get fitted for some running shoes. I'm a little bit terrified that they will laugh at me, tell me that I shouldn't be running, make jokes about me after I leave. You know, the usual. I've found on this journey that the fear of what other will think or say if often greater than what they actually think or say. Besides, I am going to be paying A LOT of money for a pair of shoes, they have to be nice to me. :)

Runs this week:
Tues/Thur- 3
Wed- 5
Sat- 9
Sun- 30 min swim (This was suppose to be 45, but my legs were cramping up so bad from my long run that I had to quit after 30.)

Saturday's run was brutal! The first half was harder than the second.

How can I run 9 miles?

It's so hot.

This road is never going to end?
What happens if I can't finish?

Is hubby up yet to come pick me up?

I want to throw up.



Those voices in my head had complete control over my run. I finished my run, but my time was stinky. I walked nearly as much as I ran. What was worse than my run was the sickness that seems to follow all of my long runs- cramps, shaking, the "runs", fatigue. It just plain sucks! I've got to figure out what is making me so sick after my long runs and try to fix it. I am going to work really hard this week at drinking all of my fluids. I am going to put some Nuun in my water on Saturday to see if that helps. I am planning a route for my 10 mile run that will allow me to hydrate and include pit stops.  I am going to figure this out. I am strong. I am trained. I am capable. There has to be a solution....I just need to find it.

~Kari

Do YOU think that you can do it?

So much to talk about.....

First off, I have to share that for nearly a month I have been avoiding the scale. I have felt huge and have been scared of what I might see if I weighed myself. I bit the bullet this morning and decided to "weigh in".  Guess what I weighed...come on....guess. Yep, 193. I have got to learn to trust myself. I know how to maintain my weight. My body is normal. It really does know how to maintain.  

I ran 9 miles today. It was hard. It was SO hard. I had a great talk with my daughter before my run. She always needs to know how far I will be running. It went like this:

Sissy: How far are you running?
Me: 9 miles, do you think that I can do it?
Sissy: Of course I do. What really matters is if YOU think that YOU can do it.

She's so smart! Running is mental. It's me convincing myself that I really do have one more block in my legs. There is a physical component to running, but for me this has become so much more of an exercise in mental toughness. Running is hard. My poor husband must hear me say this 5-6 days a week. Running is hard. My daughter is amazing. She gives me such a perspective. I can only hope that in some way I am helping to teach her to be this amazing young lady who is full of encouragement and hope!

I'll write more about my run tomorrow when I do my weekly running recap. Did I mention that it was hard? SO very hard.

More tomorrow!

~Kari



Injury update

I went to the podiatrist yesterday and it was a really positive visit. The nurse took X-rays and the put me in this tiny room for what seemed like forever while she "deveoped the xrays". I texted. I waited. I Facebooked. I waited some more. I emailed. I waited. Finally the doctor came in.


Him: What's bothering you?
Me: Well, I'm training for a half marathon and I think that I hurt my foot. It doesn't hurt too bad today, but I want to make sure it's healing.
Him: That's great that your training. I've run 4 marathons and more 1/2's than I can count.




HOT DOG! He speaks running. We talked for a while. He ran in the first Seattle R&R. (That is so cool!). He asked me about me shoes. It went like this...


Him: What type of shoe do you wear?
Me: Asics
Him: Which style?
Me: Bright green


He laughed and told me that that wasn't exactly what he meant. I couldn't tell him the actual style type. We talked for a while about getting fitted for shoes at a real running shoe store. He speaks running!!!


Eventually we got to my foot. The x-rays show no significant damage. He believes that it's simple soft tissue damage. Great news! I have an "irritated tendon". He gave me a brace to wear (it's really just a fancy ace bandage with velcro) and some anti inflammatory meds that I am suppose to keep taking- even if my foot feels all better. He's concerned that the tendon could tear if we don't get the inflammation under control.  


I asked about reducing my runs and he told me that I should be able to continue with my training schedule. I ran 5 miles this morning. I was slow and a bit distracted, but my foot didn't hurt. :) Looking forward to 9 miles on Saturday. He wants to see me in 2 weeks just to make sure everything is healed. 


I a little embarassed to admit this, but I floated out of that podiatrist office. I felt so cool that I had an injury that athletes get. I know that I shouldn't be excited about being injured, but to go from the girl that I once was to the athlete that I am today made me feel pretty amazing. 


~Kari

Injury and Weekend Update

Yep, my ankle still hurts. It's really more in the right side of my foot than the ankle itself. After runs or a lot of walking, it swell up pretty bad, but ice does help with the swelling. I've been icing and elevating it 3-4 times a day. On Saturday we went to Target to do some post-birthday-gift card spending. After an hour and a half of walking the isles, my foot was on fire. I haven't been taking any ibprophen, but am thinking that I need to start today. I hate taking medication. I ran on Saturday with an ace bandage and was able to do the 3.12 miles that was on my schedule. Today (Sunday) is my "cross-training" day and I plan to hit the pool after church.

First thing tomorrow morning I am going to start calling a few podarists offices to see if I can get in some tomorrow. My schedule is pretty flexible and can take some sick leave if they can see me right away. I hate the idea of going to the doctor, paying a co-pay (and probably deductible), and having him tell me to ice and elevate. More than hating the co-pay, I hate the idea of continuing to run and doing more damage. I've actually imagined myself driving home after being told that I can't run any more and it's not pretty.

On one hand....I love running (most days). I am committed to this 1/2 marathon. I don't quit.

On the other hand...I love my feet. I need my feet to last me a long time. I could be doing long term damage for a very short term goal.

So, now I wait to see the doctor.

For the fun stuff....Weekend update...

I have had a great weekend! On Friday night, I was able to hang out with one of my oldest, dearest friends without any kids, husbands, or boyfriends. It was fantastic! We went out to dinner (yummy Mexican!), watched a chick flick (The Vow), spent the night at her house and had a yummy breakfast of Starbucks and bagels. After vistiting her, I went for a run in a park near her house that I had never been to before. I love running in new locations. After my run I came home and met hubby for a movie (The Avengers). Hung out with the kids after the movie and played in the amazing weather we've been having.

It's Mother's Day today. My daughter woke me up with a card and breakfast choices:
~ Waffles or cereal (waffles)
~ Butter or syrup (I picked peanut butter)
~ cut or not cut (not cut)
~ milk, juice, or coffee (coffee)

She's so sweet! Hubby bought me some beautiful flowers and they were on the table when I got up this morning. My plan for today is church, swimming, lunch with the fam, and then taking the kids to the spray ground.

What a great weekend! I am truley blessed. It is an honor to be a Mom and I am so thankful for my amazing children.

Injured- Part 2

Thank you to everyone for your encouraging words after my last post about my ankle. Two of my friends even called me an athlete and that made me feel amazing. It is still really sore and the swelling has moved to the side of my foot and I can feel it with each step I take.


I woke up yesterday morning and was suppose to run 3 miles. The ankle was feeling "OK" so I decided to go ahead and run, but only do 2 to "take it easy". The 2 miles felt good, but as soon as I got home and took my shoe off, I could feel the throbbing. I tried to stay off my foot and elevate as much as possible yesterday, but it just didn't happen (work, t-ball, cooking dinner, bed time stories, dishes....you know- Mom, Wife, Teacher stuff). 


Today is pretty much the same as yesterday morning, but it does appear that the swelling has gone down a bit. I am going to swing by the store and get a few ice packs that I can use throughout the day. I am hopeful that the ice will help the swelling. 


For weeks, I've been planning on going up to visit a friend for a "slumber party". My husband is convinced that we are going to run around in our nighties and giggle. My daughter is convinced that we will say up "way late- like 10 o'clock and watch princess movies". I'm going with her guess. :) The weather is beautiful and I was planning on running around her area before heading home Saturday morning. What if I can't run? What if for the first time in 6 weeks I miss my scheduled run? Bigger than that~ what if I can't run this 1/2 marathon? I'm a planner. I follow a program. I follow the rules. What happens when the rules (run 3 miles tomorrow) clash with other rules (ice, rest, elevate)? I know the simple answer of "this run can wait", but my brain is telling me that I will be a failure and if I miss one run, what is going to stop me from missing other runs.  


Off to work....


~Kari

Injured

This normally positive blog is going to be interrupted with some complaining and whining....

My ankle hurts. :( I woke up several times during the night with pain. The morning didn't seem much better, but I figured that it was just stiff, so I headed out for my 4 miles. My husband sprained his ankle years ago and I dug his ankle brace out and put in on before lacing up my shoes. I've never run with a brace before and I can now say that I don't like running with a brace.

I could feel my ankle with each step and after getting a mile and a half from home, the pain became too much to bare, I did what I think any good runner would do. I stopped in the middle of the road, cried, and then talked to my ankle. My ankles carried me at 356 pounds, why, why, why would they not be ok at 190ish pounds. (I have no idea what I weigh, but that's another post entirely!) Yes, I did run 8 miles on Saturday and another 3 yesterday. Yes, we are in state testing and I am pretty sure I did a few miles running all over school yesterday supporting kiddos and teachers alike. BUT, I am almost 1/2 the size that I once was. It is unfair of my ankles to complain now. If anything, they should be writing me a thank you letter.

I wish I could tell you that after a good cry and chat with my body that I ran the rest of the way home and set a new PR. Nope, not the case today. I walked home (quickly, but still a walk). My overall pace was a minute slower than usual. My ankle is swollen. I have a long day ahead of me and I am mad. I'm mad that I'm hurt. I'm mad that I might not be able to run tomorrow and fill in my chart. I'm mad that maybe I really am too large to be running so much and might be hurting my body. I'm mad that what seems attainable for so many others seems out of reach at this moment. 

~Kari

1/2 Marathon Training- Week 5

I ran a lot this week. It seems like that is all I am talking about, reading about, dreaming about lately is running. Yep, I dream about my runs. I go to sleep thinking about my route and actually dream about the different stops that I will make along that way. I am just about half way through my 1/2 marathon training and to be honest with you, am getting really tired of all this running. Come June 23rd, I will complete this 1/2 marathon, but I may never run again.

Here were my runs this week:
Tues-Wed-Thur (3-4-3)+ Shred class on Tuesday night
Sat- 8 miles (felt way better than 7 miles with my new fanny pack to carry chews and water!!!)
Sun- 30 minute swim

TMI ALERT!!!!! 

Ok, you've been warned....I have a huge running problem and I hope someone out there has an amazing solution.

When I get home from my long runs 4+ miles I have really bad cramping and diarrhea for hours afterwards (or until I take some Imodium). On this past long run (8 miles), I used chews and drank water during the run. I felt amazing when I got home (may have even teared up a bit when I rounded the corner to my house...), ate a great lunch, and then BAM instant life sentence to the bathroom.

Google "diarrhea after running". Come on, you know you want to. This is a common problem with not a lot of solutions. I eat light before my runs. I carry fuel and water for the run. I hydrate and eat low fiber the day before. I have read about some people taking Imodium before they even leave for a long run. This is pretty much the only thing that I haven't tried.

So....do you suffer from runners diarrhea? What have you found that works for you?

 

~Kari

1/2 Marathon Training- Week 4 recap

Ok, this will be super quick... I have been MIA from Blog world, but wanted to document my week 4 runs.

Tues-Wed-Thur: 3-4-3
Sat: 7
Sun: Cross train- body work resistance, swimming with the kids, Kinect Fit

The long run was tough. I hit mile 5 1/2 and hit a wall (right around 1 hour). I stopped right in the middle of the road and just stood there for what seemed like forever. Somewhere, down way deep, I was able to pull it together and finish the last mile and a half. It took me an hour and 15 minutes to complete the 7 miles. I got SUPER sick (read really bad stomach cramps and the runs- not the fun kind of runs....) and need a better plan for hydration and fuel during my next run.

I have a belt with a pouch and place for a water bottle to use on my next run. I am going to try these PowerBar Energy blasts on my next run (8 miles) to see if that helps with the post-run tummy issues.

My mid-week runs feel solid. It's nice to be in a place where 3 miles now seems like I am just getting started. The 1/2 marathon is next month and I am starting to get really nervous. Each week, an each extra mile, heightens my anxiety. I know that I can do this. I want to do it well.

~Kari