What not to do before you run a half marathon!

Accessory to the crime. Just look how dirty that thing is. Screams criminal.

How can I be such a klutz? I got through a long spring racing season with minimal ITB issues, no colds or illnesses, otherwise all healthy. That is until three days before my last race before the Fall. Oh well, at least I keep things interesting.

Thank goodness for the plethora of sports medicine docs in my hometown. One was able to squeeze me into his schedule yesterday. I was begging him to just please drain it. Little did I know the technology has vastly improved from my athletic training days. He whipped out this little tool, drained out the blood, and instant relief. Woohoo!

So, the verdict for today. I'm guilty as charged of being a klutz. The iPad will get a thorough cleaning for being a dirty accessory to the crime. And the poor victim looks like rather black, blue, and green, but is otherwise healing nicely. I just hope for a decent recovery before 7 am tomorrow.

And because I am a nerd, just how many times will toe hit the ground over the course of a half marathon?

90 foot strikes on the left per minute X 120 minutes to complete a half = 108,000 hits.

Wish me luck.

 

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If you do what you are supposed to do ...

then you are able to run without knee pain. The plan called for 10 miles on Saturday, which I gladly deferred until today.

All the way around, a better run today than last week. I used the handy dandy cadence alarm on my way too complicated Garmin 610. If you need a watch with more bells and whistles than this watch, make sure you have your PhD first. But this watch keeps me on track. If I get sloppy with not enough steps per minute, then buzz ... signal to pick those feet up. Average cadence = 87 or 174 steps per minute.

The route was tricky with several turns downtown (one wrong turn), and a little tiring with all the waiting at stoplights. By the time we got to mile 8, L and I were both quiet and wanting to get this done. Speeding up for the last little bit helped ... and I felt good the rest of the day. Long run accomplished. And the new Brooks felt great.

And hopefully, this is what I'll be doing this time next year.

Courtesy of Run Disney.

Jill

 

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Got to keep on moving

I am so close to my first half, knee don't fail me now. After last week's cut short long run, I was happy for a fall back week. I skipped the recovery run to rest, ice, stretch, you know the drill. On Monday, I did all the exercises my strength coach gave me that I never did before. Shh, don't tell her. Lots of core work to keep my gluts engaged and not sloppy as the miles increase.

I did hit the treadmill for 3 miles on Tuesday, and all felt well (knocking on my wooden head). Aren't you jealous of this amazing fashion assemble I put together below. I sent my BRF a picture to make her jealous or happy she wasn't there to be embarrassed.

I finally got a happy phone call on Tuesday too to let me know my shoes I ordered 3 weeks ago were in. I hate wearing a size 12 because everything has to be ordered, and there was some mixup with my order and it didn't go through the first time. Good thing I am a shoe stalker for my local running store and kept calling to see where these babies were. I cannot believe I ordered Diva Pink, but considering the other options were awful looking, pink it is.

I have worn them for two 3 mile runs so far, and I love the Brooks PureFlow 2. I might even love them more than my PureConnects but since I haven't tried the second version of that shoe (I would love to try them if someone would send me a pair. Hint, hint), I will hold my opinion until I have some more miles on them.

Since my two running buds have conflicts with the long run on Saturday, we decided earlier in the week to wait until Sunday. Boy, I am glad for that call.

This was the radar for this morning. So I knocked out my recovery run a day early ... on the treadmill because I didn't want to go swimming. Actually, it wasn't that bad outside, I just wasn't in the mood to get wet after last week's snowy run. The win for the week was an average steps per minute of 178 for all three runs and this = no knee pain. Woot, woot!

I really should be sleeping because I have 10 on the schedule for tomorrow this morning. Fingers crossed my gluts stay strong. Nighty, nite.

Jill

 

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It was a cold and snowy day

And I was slated to run 13 miles ... but the recovery run on Sunday didn't go well. How do you screw up a recovery run? You run 4 miles on a hilly, trail on tired legs which makes your ITB hurt AGAIN! Ughh!

I ran 6 miles on the treadmill on Tuesday with my ITB strap, and everything felt okay.

I took Valentine's Day off because I had a late work meeting, my knee was ehhh, and I wanted to spend time with my best guys.

I foam rolled, stretched, iced, but still didn't think 13 miles was the best idea today. The other group was doing 10, and both groups were doing loops so I had lots of options. My BRF is a fair-weather runner, so the forecast of rain and snow wasn't going to work for her. My new RF, L, also had a tough week & wasn't ready for 13 either.

It hadn't started snowing yet, but by the time we started it was 37 and snowy big, fat flakes. It was going okay, until about mile 8 when the knee started barking. And L was having issues as well. We cut the 10 mile run short to 9.3 miles because we had to get back to our cars.

So more foam rolling, stretching, icing, and careful analysis of my cadence count. Which stunk. I've gotten sloppy or lazy or something, and it has to stop. Here's to a cadence that comes back into line. Quickly!

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A great run ... how did that happen?

I am happy to say that I finally had a great run.  I was scheduled for 2.5 and it was too beautiful to be anywhere outside, but 86 is a little much for this time of the year.  I would like to see a little of Spring.

I also went into the run thinking this is all about turnover.  Too often when the cadence alarm goes off on my watch, I try to think through my form and undo something that doesn't feel right.  I am rarely successful in doing this and getting my cadence back up to where it should be.  Yes, I might improve a little bit but not completely.

So, new methodology here on out for this training cycle.  If the cadence alarm goes off, I WILL stop running and walk. Not for long, but enough time to reset what I am doing and get back to closer to 180 SPM.  When I'm at 170-180 SPM, I don't hurt.  I just need to be strong enough to stay at that rate.

So with that focus today, the ONLY time the alarm went off for the entire 2.5 miles was when I stopped at an intersection. And the crazier part of the part, I got faster each split.  And I was trying to go slower.  The only data I have showing on my Garmin is the cadence and pace, and that's because I usually need to go slower.

1st mile - 10:30 avg pace
2nd mile - 10:16
Last 1/2 mile - 10:00

And NO pain.

I'm not even sure what to do with this, other than be super excited for my 5 mile run on Saturday.  And remember that I WILL walk when I need to walk.

Jilly Bean

10K Training, Week 2

The second full week of 10K training is done. I did much better this week with getting all training in. 3 run/walk intervals, 1 walk, and 1 day of dedicated strength training. I also did well with extra glut strengthening and foam rolling.

My goal on my steps per minute is to get as close to 180 steps per minute as possible. I hover between 170-175 when I run by myself, street or treadmill. I did not have the same luck running with the group today. I started near the back of the beginner group and the pace was too slow. According to my watch, I was right around 160 with almost a 12 min/mile pace. Too slow to even get my legs stretched out. I was finally able to get closer to the front and work on the turnover rate. Who knew running was going to be so difficult? I have to say, times like this make me wonder why I don't give up running for something that isn't so difficult to do without pain, but I do love it.

This is my third year with the same running group. My frieds that I drug along are now in the intermediate or advanced group with the advanced group running 6 miles today, almost the full 10K. I am so proud of how far they have come. It seems like only yesterday that they were cursing me for making them do this.

Hope this week is just as easy to get the training in now that my husband is back from his 10 weeks of training. I even get to start back with Lululemon yoga tomorrow. I have so missed that dedicated hour of stretching/relaxing.

HOpe you have a great week too.