Slow but Steady

Slow but steady...slow but steady... slow by steady:

The chant in my head as I made my way across 3 miles of pavement at a jog for the first time since I pulled my left hamstring weeks ago.

It felt incredibly slow, but good.  And this run was just in the nick of time since this weekend I have a 6 mile race with my sisters.

Back to chanting....

It's a hammie!

I have done a wonderful job of pulling my hamstring!

On my long run of 12 mines last week I pulled my hamstring on my left leg.  The entire back of my leg is tight.  I can't even fully extent my leg.  I rested it for six days, babying it, taking meds and stretching it.  This morning I tried to run again, just six miles.  At mile three, I was so tight I had to walk myself home.

So a call to my PT sister told me that I have to massage it with a foam roller.  And hopefully soon I will be able to run again.  As for this weekend.... no long run for me.

Advice

How to Run a Marathon
by Barney Stinson

"Yon don't train for a marathon.  You just run it.
Here's how you run a marathon.
Step 1: You start running.  There is no step 2."

A new plan

After studying many marathon training plans, my sisters and I found one that seemed to be the newbie classic, so that was the plan of choice.  The plan was 2-3 days a week of running 3 miles, with an additional day of a long run.  The long runs generally increase to 20 miles in the 24 weeks leading up to the Marathon.  Over the last eight weeks, I have been sticking to this plan, but the weekend long runs are just increasingly scary.

Over the weekend, I was speaking with a friend who ran a marathon a few months ago for the first time.  She used Hal Higdon's Novice 2 Marathon Training Guide.

http://www.halhigdon.com/marathon/novice2.htm

The difference is a gradual increase in the baseline, or week running.  It makes the long runs much less intimidating and hopefully makes the whole experience better.
Here's to a new plan!

Shin Splints

The pain and burning!

Why do I do this to myself.

I have shin splints and yet I'm still running.  But I must admit it looks really funny when I do so. : )

I have been keeping to my training plan, running 9 miles early last week (the longest to date).  This week it's the normal 3 days of 3 miles and 2 days of cross training.  My favorite cross training is a combo of yoga and yard work.  The big scary item coming up is 11 miles this weekend.  I was dying after mile 8 before and now I have 3 more to add to it.  And with the shin splints I'm just not sure how I'm going to do it.  My goal is to travel 11 miles.  I hope the majority of that is running, but only time will tell.

8 days

I have been bad.  I have spent the last 8 days of my life working and traveling.  I have not run or exercised in those last 8 days.
So tomorrow will be painful, but its time to hit the pavement.

Bay2Breakers

What is more fun than running with people dressed up like Where's Waldo, Black Swans, Crayons, Angry Birds, or simply wearing their favorite S&M outfit?  Running with 10,000 of them and your sisters through the streets of San Francisco!
My sisters and I embraced the vibe and wore tutus and hats celebrating the sea (get it Bay2Breakers with a fish, shark and pirate?)
We actually ran/walked the 7.3 miles from the Embarcadero to the sea side of Gold Gate Park on Sunday in just over 1hr 45 min.  It was beautiful with the best weather of sun, sprinkles and a bit of overcast making it a great day.
The company was good and the laughs were plenty.
Too bad every long run could be this fun. :)

And the beat goes on

A plan is set, a training plan that is.  It is truly amazing how difficult it is to try and fit exercise into your life  six days a week.
But the plan is:
Monday      -Yoga
Tuesday      -3 miles
Wednesday -Cross Train
Thursday     -3 miles
Friday          -Rest
Saturday      -Long Run
Sunday        -3 miles

Now there is just the goal of working a career, and social life into the plan.

No Scale and 5 lbs gone

As you know, for lent I gave up my scale and measuring tape, as I felt that I had been becoming obsessive over the constant monitoring of my waist line.  Well, on the Tuesday after Easter, I hopped back on the scale and learned that I had lost 5 lbs over the previous 40 days!
If I can keep this up I'll be 25 lbs lighter by the fall.
Now the plan to only hop on the scale once a month, just to check my progress, but not get too bogged down in the week to week details.

The Tri Dash!

I DID IT!
Well, really, WE did it!
My sister and I, that is.
Yesterday, before the sun was even up, at 6AM we left the house and headed to the lake where the triathlon dash was being held, start time 8AM.
Our nerves were really going. We weren't sure if we were ready of 200yds cold lake swim, 6.5 miles of biking, and a 2 mile run.  In separate bits these things were no big deal, but combine them and it is a Triathlon Dash!
But as we paid our $10 for parking, saw the giant Red Bull tent, all the Fleet Feet stalls, and the racks and racks for bikes, we bit our lips and headed over to the transition area.
I learned that my sister and I were not in the same heat, because I had been put in the over 40 category.  My 29 year old pride was a little hurt at the point I must admit.  But I decided to make waves in the water instead of with the organizers and we set up out stuff.
Bike: set, Shoes: untied, Socks: in place, Number: on the shirt, Clothes: laid out, Helmet: unbuckled.
Now to put the suction cup of a wet suit on.  God Bless BodyGlide! It really did help.  Now, swim shoes, cap and goggles on, and start?
After a short, but scary briefing by the announcer, we headed down to the water, and got in.  God Bless wetsuits!  They made all the difference in the world.
As 8AM quickly approached, my sister's heat was set, and then they were off!  She rocked in, the awesome swimmer she is, and was 7th out of the lake. And on to the bike.
Now it was my turn and all I could think was, What in the World am I doing! But the gun went off, and off I went.  I started swimming as soon as I could, and my shoe was quickly knocked 1/2 off by a swimmer behind me.  I fixed it and then really felt the cold.  Taking a breath was hard!  And little did I know that it wouldn't become easy again till at least the last mile of the run.  But for now I was in the water and having a hard time breathing. So I rolled over onto my back and did back stroke.  Ok, I thought, I can make this.  The 200yds were over quickly, then up the hill to the transition area.  My family cheering me up the hill.
I got the wetsuit off after shimming it down and doing what I can only call, a version of the pee pee dance.  Next clothes, shoes, some water, and honey goo.  Now helmet and off.
I had done this part before, but never out of breath like this.  I knew that there were 6 true hills to tackle, but tunnel vision came and I lost count.  I passes my sister just as she was coming back from the turn around, so she was maintaining her 6 min lead.  Just as I was coming back from the turn around, the tire of the woman in front of me went off like a shot.  Her day was done, but I keep going, knowing I would send help to her, if I saw a volunteer.  I did pass a few people, but was passed by more.  Each hill was something to pump up and the downhills always proved short lived.  But the 6.5 mile loop was completed.  And back to the transition area, where the bike and helmet was dropped and the honey goo and water bottle was picked up.
I tossed the wrapper of the goo to my family, and tried to jog off.  The jog only lasted for the first little bit of the 2 miles, and was picked up whenever I felt I could do it.  My legs weren't as bad as I thought, but I was still breathing really hard.  The path quickly became a trail, and my mantra became "No poison oak, no poison oak, no poison oak...." I did grab Gatorade at the aid station that seemed far longer than the 1 mile marker said.  But on the last 1/2 of the run loop, my new mantra stayed in my head.  And then I realized I was almost done with a triathlon!  And the best part was, when I finished, I never had to do one again, if I didn't want to!  I saw my family cheering me on about 300yds from the finish, and they got me to sprint in.
I finished it hard! And in just over 1 hour.  (I thought if I could do it in 2 hours I would be good)
My sister and I celebrated with water, cuties and graham crackers at the lake.  At home a hot shower and a nice nap awaited us, followed by hamburgers off my new grill!  It was a good day, a hard event, but a good one.  And as for doing it again, we;;, we'll just have to wait and see.