I thought I was going to be really good about posting on my Chicago Marathon training every week. 3 months later....my next post! haha, oops. Life got in the way from posting I guess. But let me give you a quick summary of how my training went through the months of June, July and August.
June:
My miles were still at a very enjoyable level, I worked hard on my speed and strength training follow my schedule to a T every week - M-Strength training and stretching for 45-60 minutes. T - 3-5 miles of hills (bridges here in FL) rotated every week with 3-5 miles of tempo work. W - Easy 3-4 milers with Sarah. Th - 3-5 miles of speed work on the UNF track with my Absentee running group. F - REST. Sa - 5-7 mile long slow distances. Su - Yoga and/or swim/surf for 45 minutes.
I had no pains. I could noticeably start to see my muscles get more defined and I had high energy during the days.
July:
Miles picked up to a level where I really start to feel accomplished after my weekday tempo and weekend long runs but not so many miles that all I want to do on Saturday afternoon is sleep and lay around. I was still following my schedule to a T but mixing up what days I did what runs depending on when I had someone running with me. M - Strength and stretch still. T - 4-6 miles of bridges. W - 5-6.5 tempo. Th - 4-6 Speed work. F - rest. Sa - 9-13 mile long slow distances. Su - Yoga and/or swim/surf for 45.
My right hip flexor and gluteus started tightening up towards the end of the month but not much pain in the SI joint during or after workouts. My body felt great!
August:
Miles picked up to the difficult levels and hip/SI joint pain caused me to change my schedule around quite a bit and even cut back and take breaks. I also started coaching TNT so my easy runs were moved to Saturdays with them and long runs to Sundays. M - strength and stretch. T - 4-6 miles at whatever pace was comfortable. W - Strength and stretch. Th - 3-5 miles at whatever pace was comfortable. F - rest. Sa - 10-16 long slow miserably painful miles. Su - Yoga.
My SI joint started to be very painful during and after runs. I was going to the chiro/therapist and was very good at doing the exercises he was giving me. It started out not hurting tremendously till 8-9 miles, then it wouldn't hurt tremendously till the end of runs, then it started hurting after 6, 5, 4, 3 miles and the pain after runs would hurt for longer. I tried kinesiology tape which seemed to work for two runs with no pain at all. Then I ran an almost tempo paced 5 miles with TNT and the pain started around 3 or 4 miles but I didn't stop because I was trying to catch up with another group to encourage them on. I got home and the pain was horrible the rest of the day. When I tried to run across the street later that day, I almost didn't make it from the extreme pain. It hurt all night and the next day when I looked in the mirror I noticed it was very swollen and had some bruising right around the SI joint. I iced, biofreeze, rest, repeat. Then ran an easy 2.75 miles on the bridges with TNT. It was hurting but not excruciating except for when I'd turn to look about for my Team. Immediately after it started hurting gradually more and then on the way home it was so bad I almost pulled over. The next day I went to my chiro/therapist and after I told him about the swelling and bruising, he immediately said, "you know I'm not one to take people off the playing field, but....it sounds like a bulge has formed and worst case a herniation." Either way, we'd treat it the same - Rest. The only way to tell the difference between the two is with an MRI. Doc said he isn't going to have me do that unless it starts affecting my every day life. Plus, treatment is the same, time to heal is the only difference. After much lecturing, I asked "So what you're saying is that I shouldn't run the marathon in a few weeks?" He said, have you not been listening?! (in a sarcastic polite away of course). He said continuing to run on it like this will only make it worse and possibly lead to me not being able to run ever again. Hmmmm. Guess I should listen to him!
So as of September 7th, I have not run, stretched, strengthed, cycled, swam, or zumbad (haha, ok I never do that!) and it has been 3 long aching days. Only 4 more days to go to re-evaluate doing any kind of activity for another week. But it could be worse, right?!
Friday, September 9, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
Not as strong as I thought was
I'm writing this in pain today....well not so much pain but excruciating soreness! Let me explain how this happened....
My friend Sarah and I started running together after work 2-3 days a week when we both entered the "real world" and realized that we couldn't stay trim and fit without working out like we used to be able to do. Sitting at a computer 8+ hours a day wasn't cutting it. I never enjoyed running until we started running together regularly. We trained and ran the Gate River Run 15k after a year or so of running together but I still NEVER had any desire to run a marathon. A half-marathon, maybe if Sarah wanted to but nothing more. Then when the economy got really bad we stopped running as much and right as we were getting back into it, Sarah found out she was pregnant. Long story short, we stopped running, got busy and were out of shape again. When I found out my aunt was relapsing with lymphoma, Sarah was at the end of her pregnancy and I was itching to start running again. So I signed up for Team in Training to train for a HALF marathon and raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. After a few weeks I realized that training for the half wasn't going to be the challenge I was hoping to endure for the sake of my aunt and my donors so I decided to train with the full marathoners in TNT. Then I decided to actually run the FULL marathon in San Francisco. After the marathon I was on the sidelines, resting and doing a little yoga till my hip was healed and I got back into running in January of this year.
I trained for the Gate River Run again, snowboarding trip and to reduce my time in 5k races from January to April along with studying for my PE exam (even more of a sore story there!). Even though I wasn't running or working out over 3 days a week to concentrate on studying, I was in shape. I also started a "new" job. In April, I started working with my previous employer again and with Sarah. We both keep joking that they hired me back so that she could have someone to run with again. Hopefully that isn't the reason but it's been a nice bonus!
In June, I started training for the Chicago marathon and helping Sarah get back into shape. I'm working out or running 6 days a week now and she runs with me 2 of those days. It's been kind of a joke that our goal is to take advantage of the free week of gym membership at all of the gyms in town so we don't have to pay for a real membership for awhile. Last week there was a LivingSocial coupon for 5 fitness classes for $15 at one of the local gyms and a friend also gave us week passes to another gym where his wife works. So far so good on that goal! We have at least 4 weeks of gym membership for $15 so far....Another running joke is that I'm now Sarah's coach!
This week Sarah and I decided to do a TRX class at the gym with our LivingSocial deal. The website said Intermediate which we thought we were at least in intermediate shape. We get there and there are about 30 straps that split into two with handles and loops at the end attached to a metal pole on the ceiling. The instructor begins right away without stretches or warm ups. We begin with plank push ups where you put your feet in the straps and hold yourself up in a plank position and dip down in a push up. You do these for one minute, rest for 8 seconds, do another set for 45 seconds, rest for 8 seconds, do another set for 30 seconds. Rest for 15 seconds before your next set of three drills. Plank position again with 45 sec. of push ups, then 45 seconds of mountain climbers in plank position, then knee pulls in plank for 45....that's one set. Repeat 2 more times. I'm not going to go through the entire HOUR long routine but that is pretty much what it consisted of with 15 second breaks in between. Turns out, we aren't in intermediate shape! I couldn't walk, run, bend, MOVE for 2-3 days. I did manage to squeeze in 8 miles on Sunday morning but it wasn't easy.
My friend Sarah and I started running together after work 2-3 days a week when we both entered the "real world" and realized that we couldn't stay trim and fit without working out like we used to be able to do. Sitting at a computer 8+ hours a day wasn't cutting it. I never enjoyed running until we started running together regularly. We trained and ran the Gate River Run 15k after a year or so of running together but I still NEVER had any desire to run a marathon. A half-marathon, maybe if Sarah wanted to but nothing more. Then when the economy got really bad we stopped running as much and right as we were getting back into it, Sarah found out she was pregnant. Long story short, we stopped running, got busy and were out of shape again. When I found out my aunt was relapsing with lymphoma, Sarah was at the end of her pregnancy and I was itching to start running again. So I signed up for Team in Training to train for a HALF marathon and raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. After a few weeks I realized that training for the half wasn't going to be the challenge I was hoping to endure for the sake of my aunt and my donors so I decided to train with the full marathoners in TNT. Then I decided to actually run the FULL marathon in San Francisco. After the marathon I was on the sidelines, resting and doing a little yoga till my hip was healed and I got back into running in January of this year.
I trained for the Gate River Run again, snowboarding trip and to reduce my time in 5k races from January to April along with studying for my PE exam (even more of a sore story there!). Even though I wasn't running or working out over 3 days a week to concentrate on studying, I was in shape. I also started a "new" job. In April, I started working with my previous employer again and with Sarah. We both keep joking that they hired me back so that she could have someone to run with again. Hopefully that isn't the reason but it's been a nice bonus!
In June, I started training for the Chicago marathon and helping Sarah get back into shape. I'm working out or running 6 days a week now and she runs with me 2 of those days. It's been kind of a joke that our goal is to take advantage of the free week of gym membership at all of the gyms in town so we don't have to pay for a real membership for awhile. Last week there was a LivingSocial coupon for 5 fitness classes for $15 at one of the local gyms and a friend also gave us week passes to another gym where his wife works. So far so good on that goal! We have at least 4 weeks of gym membership for $15 so far....Another running joke is that I'm now Sarah's coach!
This week Sarah and I decided to do a TRX class at the gym with our LivingSocial deal. The website said Intermediate which we thought we were at least in intermediate shape. We get there and there are about 30 straps that split into two with handles and loops at the end attached to a metal pole on the ceiling. The instructor begins right away without stretches or warm ups. We begin with plank push ups where you put your feet in the straps and hold yourself up in a plank position and dip down in a push up. You do these for one minute, rest for 8 seconds, do another set for 45 seconds, rest for 8 seconds, do another set for 30 seconds. Rest for 15 seconds before your next set of three drills. Plank position again with 45 sec. of push ups, then 45 seconds of mountain climbers in plank position, then knee pulls in plank for 45....that's one set. Repeat 2 more times. I'm not going to go through the entire HOUR long routine but that is pretty much what it consisted of with 15 second breaks in between. Turns out, we aren't in intermediate shape! I couldn't walk, run, bend, MOVE for 2-3 days. I did manage to squeeze in 8 miles on Sunday morning but it wasn't easy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)