Phantom Pain?

I said that I wasn't going to do lunges or squats until after the marathon.  Really, I did say it.  I even believed that I was telling the truth.  On Monday I went to Tabata class because I was a little bit tired of running.  Well,  I did some squats and lunges, but that was going to be the last day.  Then on Wednesday I went to Kettlebell class and of course I did squats and lunges.  About half way through the Kettlebell class (as I was doing squats on the bench) my left quad started to hurt.  It wasn't the normal "feeling the burn" kind of pain, it was deep, something is wrong kind of pain.  But, being the idiot that I am, I finished the class.  I realized I was in big trouble when it was very painful to walk up and down the stairs Wednesday night and Thursday.  I was supposed to meet with my trainer to do an interval run on Friday, but I texted her and said that I thought that I had injured my IT band and that I needed to rest my leg.  Thursday night, I ran into my friend Kim (who has ran several marathons) and I told her that I was worried that I had injured myself.  After listening to me complain, she told me that in the weeks leading up to a marathon she will sometimes have "phantom pain."  This has really got me thinking.  On a normal day, I try to push myself with every workout.  Therefore, everyday something hurts.  Even though something always seems to hurt, I do it again the next day.  However, the closer I get to a marathon, the more I worry about these aches and pains.  I dwell on every little thing and then I start to think the worse and then I worry about how it will affect me on race day.  I decided to take my runs a little bit easier on Friday and Saturday.  Today my right quad is still sore, but my attention has shifted to my sore calves.  Am I nuts?  Yes, yes I am.  But am I suffering from real or phantom pain?  I'm not entirely sure.

Despite this real or perceived discomfort, I still managed to get in 24 miles of running, the tabata and kettlebell classes, 2 pilates class and 1 at home pilates workout, upper  body strength training, and a 6.68 mile walk/hike (plus the neighborhood walks with my dog).  All in all, it was a good week.  I'm looking forward to relaxing this next week at my sister's pool in Las Vegas.  I plan on doing some pilates, pool exercises, walking with my sister, and 2 shorter runs.  Other than that I will spend the week lying on a lounge chair, watching movies, enjoying the company of my sister and brother-in-law, and just being lazy.

 

Starting to taper

I wrote this on Sunday and forgot to post it. Better late than never!

Last week was my "peak" week. I ran a total of 38 miles. A 6 mile run that included 10- 400 meter repeats, a 10 mile run as close to race pace as I could muster and a 20 mile run. The 20 mile run was my slowest one yet. I don't know if it was because I was alone, or because everything kind of went wrong. I usually run on Saturdays, but the weather was forecasted to be bad so I decided to run it on Thursday. I had worked the day before so I didn't drink as much as I should have. Because of this late change, I had done my repeats before work on Wednesday and then kettle bell class afterwards. My legs were exhausted before mile 10. I also had to stop for a potty break and I added in an extra hill climb. Although the run was hard, the weather was perfect and the scenery was beautiful. I also listened to "The Secret Keeper" by Kate Morton, so that made the 3 plus hours fly by.
Today I'm exhausted. I think that it will be nice to decrease my mileage this week. I'll still keep my regular workout schedule for one more week, but the 2 weeks after I will cut everything but Pilates.
These past few weeks of high mileage have been accompanied with lots of justifying of extra treats. However, now that I'm starting to taper, I'm also starting to clean and tighten up my diet. Food prep, lots of greens, and planning will be crucial.
I have been trying to come up with a granola/protein bar recipe, which has led to much sampling. I just want to find something that's a better alternative to granola bars at the grocery store. On the days I work, I am either going to the gym at 5 am or right after work. I need something that is convenient and nutritious. It's a work in progress, but I have found a recipe for a no bake cookie that I'm using as my guide. I will share it when I get it right.

I ❤ Hal

I love Hal Higdon! I think that I have said it before, but I felt like I needed to say it again. I wait impatiently

for his tip of the day on Facebook everyday. Often his tip is just the encouragement or insight that I needed. Last week I was dealing with a great deal of self doubt. I have set a goal of breaking 4 hours on my next marathon. I also have a BQ as my long term goal. Since I have said it on KPVI More and also on my blog and told other people of my goal, I worry about feeling stupid if I have to say I failed. I hate failing!!! This was Hal's tip when I needed it the most-



I love that! After I read that my whole attitude about running has changed. I'm back to loving it and doing it for me. Not to prove anything, not to care about what anyone thinks. A PR is just that- a personal record. No matter what your goals are- they are for you! Don't worry about where anyone else is. Focus on what you want to prove to yourself. Whether its getting your butt off the couch more, taking out the food that isn't food from your diet, or signing up for a race or fitness competition. Do it for you!

Marathon Training Blues

As I mentioned in my last post, I have been in a bit of a slump.  I have hit that 20 mile point in training, which I think is the most mentally and physically challenging part of preparing for a marathon.  The weather is improving so that helps a little bit.  When I trained for my past 3 marathons, I followed one of Hal Higdon's plans.  A typical week consisted of an moderate distance easy run, a shorter speed work run, and a long run, with 2 cross training days.  I have never done much strength training while doing this training schedule.   This time, however, every run is geared to improve my pace.  I am also doing 3-4 days of strength training, which includes 2-3 days of kettlebell class and 1-2 days of upper body weight training.  I usually cross train 2 days a week.  Right now I am walking or doing the elliptical.  I may start road biking when it warms up some more.   I  Sometimes I wonder if I'm overdoing it (like today because I am exhausted and I want to curl up in a ball and cry).  I'm also struggling with a bit of self doubt.  I have set a goal to improve my marathon time, specifically to one day qualify for Boston.  This will not happen this year, for sure.  Maybe 2014 or 2015.  I'm not in a huge hurry.  I want to train so that I can enjoy these other exercises that I love and I do not want to get injured again.  My PR to beat is 4:22.  I feel pretty good about being able to beat that time, but I would also like to break the 4 hour mark at the Utah Valley Marathon.  I'm not so sure if I'm there yet, though.   On my run today I was slower than I have been in a long time.  I was struggling with sore legs and feet, stomach issues, and lack of motivation. Maybe it's because I'm eating clean and not "treating" myself after each run with a Diet Coke and a cookie!!!

I went running on Saturday with Priscilla.  We started up on Buckskin and then ran down into Inkom.  She needed to run 20 and I only needed 14 (we are running races 3 weeks apart).  I ended up running 16.  I probably should have kept going with her, but I could tell that I was getting blisters on my toes.  Now, I'm not the most girly-girl out there, but I do like to have my hair and makeup done and I am somewhat of a foot snob.  I think that cracked, calloused feet are disgusting.  Well, guess what?  I'm pretty disgusting right now.  I don't even want to get a pedicure because it would hurt too bad.  I just love when the toenail turns black and quits growing (I'm being sarcastic).  I have lost the big toenail on my right foot already twice, but I guess that this time I'm going to lose the left toenail too.  I know that it's because I run with my toes up.  I try to hold them down, but some habits are proving difficult to break.  

For anyone interested, this is the recap of what I'm doing with the 6 Figures Fitness Challenge.  Each week we do a little update for their webpage.  This is what I sent in to Libby (I must of been having a better day when I sent her this, because of state that I feel rejuvenated):

I met with Evelyn on Monday for another session of hell.  I have 6 weeks until my marathon. Evelyn wants me to concentrate on speed and proper form right now. For our PT session she put me through some drills using the bungee contraption and also tubing. These drills are to get my foot strike and form correct. After the drills, she had me do speed work on the treadmill. She did different speeds to help me find what speed I could run my 400 meter intervals at, so I can use it to gauge where I need to be when I do them.  It was really a hard workout and I wanted to vomit, pass out, and cry. Although it was hard, I love how hard she pushes me. I wouldn't be pushing myself this hard on my own. Evelyn has changed up my schedule.  She wants me take out one of my workouts and add in another recovery day, so instead of 6 days of exercise I'll be doing 5. Most people would be happy to be told not to workout, but it's really difficult for me to take more than one day off per week.  However, after this past week of feeling burnt out, I'm a little bit relieved.  I will be doing 2 speed work session- one with longer intervals and one as a HIIT, kettle bell or tabata classes 2-3 times a week (focusing on upper body, since I need to keep my legs fresh for running), and a long run at race pace (I have a 20 mile run on Saturday, but she wants me to just do as many miles as I can at race pace and then be done). I was struggling with trying to cut calories at this point in my training, so right now I'm focusing on maintenance and keeping my foods nutritious. Evelyn wants me to focus on getting lots of veggies and fruits.  I need to focus on fueling my body for the workouts that I do. She encouraged me to focus on the quality of my workouts and that by taking off an extra day for recovery, I can use that time to do food prep and planning, stretching, and relaxation. 

Last week I was really struggling, but now I feel rejuvenated and excited about my new schedule.  Evelyn is the perfect trainer for me because not only does she understand the ups and downs that come with training for long distance running, but she also pushes me. She motivates me to run faster and harder than I have ever done before.