It's been a disappointing week so far - mostly because I seemed to have developed runner's knee. It's annoying really because it makes you cautious about your running, but it doesnt hurt when you run - just before and after. And the before and after pain, while not debilitating, is very bothersome. And it's frustrating because I can't get my miles in for the week. I've just gone for one run this entire week and that was only 3 miles! My only consolation is that I still managed to fit some hill training into there but the knee makes me extra cautious.
At first we thought it might be psychological pain - one of the famous 'taper traps' that runners fall into before the big day. And I did notice going through some of those changes. In the final weeks leading up to the race, you're so acutely aware of the changes your body is going through: the slightest stomach ache, muscle soreness or joint pain is enough to induce a mini anxiety attack. Will I be able to run? Will this get aggravated? Oh, I better rest. And while rest is good, too much of it makes you rusty and rusty makes the chances of injury higher and there you go getting yourself caught up in a viscious circle.
But coming back to the story: so we thought it might be that and I did venture the 3 mile run in on Wednesday. I've been icing regularly since Tuesday, (today is Friday by the way) and the pain did not go away till last night. So thats when we figured okay.. something else is going on here. We figured we'd try the hot treatment instead and I'm glad to say I've woken up today pain-free!! No stiffness either!! Finally a solution!! So I'm headed off to the gym - I haven't had much exercise this week at all and while I can't run today (tomorrow is the big run), I still need to get legs back to performance form. So the plan is to hit the stairmaster for about an hour followed by some lunges, squats and ab work.
For the coming weeks, to prevent runner's knee cropping up again, I'll be building hill interval work into my shorter runs during the week and I'll regularly do the squats and lunges to strengthen my muscles. I can't afford to not run the entire week and then just go all out on weekends. Not good. Ugh.. I think I'm just a little frustrated - I miss going to the gym, I miss the adrenaline and the endorphins.. I can't wait for 9 am to get here so I can leave home and get my workout groove on!!!
Tomorrow's challenge: 10 miles!
Today's power song (I don't have it yet on my ipod but I'm SO wishing I did): Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night by the Black Eyed Peas..
I gotta feeling.. wooohoooo
That tonight's gonna be a good night...
That tonight's gonna be a good night..
woohoooooo
Friday, November 6, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Week 5 - Results and Week 6 start
9 miles!! Yeah baby - time to complete 2 hours!! :) wooohooooooooooooo.. only four more miles to complete.. four miles and four weeks... wow.. I'm almost there!!
I've officially hit the threshold at which my legs ache after the run and I need to ice them to recover. I iced for the first time ever after the 9 mile run and oh my god! I was supposed to do it for like 7 mins and I think I screamed continously for the first 3 of them. For those of you who know me, you also know how much I hate cold water. Like absolutely detest it. I cannot stress enough how much I dislike it. So more than the pain, more than the exhaustion, more than anything else, sitting in the bathtub with freezing water was the most difficult thing that I had to endure.
But I will say this - icing works miracles. I still hate it. But I love how it makes the pain go away instantly. Recovery is almost immediate. It's only been less than 48 hours since the run and already I'm back in perfect form. I'm looking forward to my 5 mile run tomorrow.
So even though I missed out on one of my runs in the week - I still finished Week 5 with a total mileage of 13.5 miles. The target for week 6 is 20 miles! :) Like I said - we're coming into the home stretch now. Just yesterday I downloaded the half-marathon route and I'm thinking for the three long runs that I have left before the big day, I might just attempt some part of the route. Wow, just three long runs left till the big day!!
I was reading up on Runner's World about Monster Month - the last four weeks before the event. So these weeks are the most crucial leading up to the event and you need to make certain tweaks to your training to ensure that you're at your best on the day of the race. So from now on, I'm going to try to 'lighten' my cross-training - I'll still be running three days a week. But on my cross-training days I'd still do something strenuous like the stairmaster or elliptical - the focus now is do something that does not put undue stress on the knees. Any weight lifting too will have to be with lighter weights and I have to really step up the stretching to prevent injuries.
Lots to do! Stay tuned for more updates!
I've officially hit the threshold at which my legs ache after the run and I need to ice them to recover. I iced for the first time ever after the 9 mile run and oh my god! I was supposed to do it for like 7 mins and I think I screamed continously for the first 3 of them. For those of you who know me, you also know how much I hate cold water. Like absolutely detest it. I cannot stress enough how much I dislike it. So more than the pain, more than the exhaustion, more than anything else, sitting in the bathtub with freezing water was the most difficult thing that I had to endure.
But I will say this - icing works miracles. I still hate it. But I love how it makes the pain go away instantly. Recovery is almost immediate. It's only been less than 48 hours since the run and already I'm back in perfect form. I'm looking forward to my 5 mile run tomorrow.
So even though I missed out on one of my runs in the week - I still finished Week 5 with a total mileage of 13.5 miles. The target for week 6 is 20 miles! :) Like I said - we're coming into the home stretch now. Just yesterday I downloaded the half-marathon route and I'm thinking for the three long runs that I have left before the big day, I might just attempt some part of the route. Wow, just three long runs left till the big day!!
I was reading up on Runner's World about Monster Month - the last four weeks before the event. So these weeks are the most crucial leading up to the event and you need to make certain tweaks to your training to ensure that you're at your best on the day of the race. So from now on, I'm going to try to 'lighten' my cross-training - I'll still be running three days a week. But on my cross-training days I'd still do something strenuous like the stairmaster or elliptical - the focus now is do something that does not put undue stress on the knees. Any weight lifting too will have to be with lighter weights and I have to really step up the stretching to prevent injuries.
Lots to do! Stay tuned for more updates!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Week 5 - Day 5
I have a confession to make - I haven't kept up with the plan this week. Well not entirely. Well technically just three days off plan (but that IS half a week) - okay so maybe I'm justifying this to myself too much.
Here's what happened:
Last Sunday, as you all know I managed the great 8-miler! And while it was a BIG step forward for me, I have a feeling I may have injured myself a little without knowing it. Not so much that I was incapacitated, but enough to know that something wasn't right. And when 'something doesn't feel right', it's best not to run. Unfortunately, I didn't follow that advice. So after taking a rest day Monday, I ran another 4.5 miles on Tuesday. Good run and everything - just a little discomfort around the kneecap - but it's what happened afterwards that I regret.
Tuesday my legs started to ache - I won't say hurt because there wasn't any pain. The 'ache' was like this tiredness in my legs and I attributed it to the workouts. Wednesday morning I woke up rested but my legs were tired. I figured an extra day of rest during the week would help and that's what I did. Instead of going to the gym on Wednesday, I took the day off.
That was probably one of the wiser things I did. But the fatigued feeling didn't go away. Thursday morning, again - I woke up. I'm rested but my legs felt like they'd been working out during the night - literally like muscle pulling away from the bone tiredness. It worsened during the evening to the point that I couldn't sit for longer than an hour. So I finally took an Advil and took another day off (though technically Thursday was supposed to be another 4.5 mile run for me).
So today is Friday, and today I have finally woken up with the tiredness gone. My legs are back! Whew! Maybe all I did need was rest. Want to go to the gym today but tomorrow is my first 9-miler! And I really want to be at peak performance tomorrow. So I'll keep it light. I'll do some ab work at home but nothing that taxes my legs. I want to be at 100% tomorrow.
I have to admit though - as much as I'm excited about tomorrow's run, I'm scared too. It seems like forever since I laced up my shoes and hit the pavement. I'm scared of going out there and being disappointed or realizing that I did God forbid injure something.
I guess there's just one way to find out right? Until tomorrow then...
Here's what happened:
Last Sunday, as you all know I managed the great 8-miler! And while it was a BIG step forward for me, I have a feeling I may have injured myself a little without knowing it. Not so much that I was incapacitated, but enough to know that something wasn't right. And when 'something doesn't feel right', it's best not to run. Unfortunately, I didn't follow that advice. So after taking a rest day Monday, I ran another 4.5 miles on Tuesday. Good run and everything - just a little discomfort around the kneecap - but it's what happened afterwards that I regret.
Tuesday my legs started to ache - I won't say hurt because there wasn't any pain. The 'ache' was like this tiredness in my legs and I attributed it to the workouts. Wednesday morning I woke up rested but my legs were tired. I figured an extra day of rest during the week would help and that's what I did. Instead of going to the gym on Wednesday, I took the day off.
That was probably one of the wiser things I did. But the fatigued feeling didn't go away. Thursday morning, again - I woke up. I'm rested but my legs felt like they'd been working out during the night - literally like muscle pulling away from the bone tiredness. It worsened during the evening to the point that I couldn't sit for longer than an hour. So I finally took an Advil and took another day off (though technically Thursday was supposed to be another 4.5 mile run for me).
So today is Friday, and today I have finally woken up with the tiredness gone. My legs are back! Whew! Maybe all I did need was rest. Want to go to the gym today but tomorrow is my first 9-miler! And I really want to be at peak performance tomorrow. So I'll keep it light. I'll do some ab work at home but nothing that taxes my legs. I want to be at 100% tomorrow.
I have to admit though - as much as I'm excited about tomorrow's run, I'm scared too. It seems like forever since I laced up my shoes and hit the pavement. I'm scared of going out there and being disappointed or realizing that I did God forbid injure something.
I guess there's just one way to find out right? Until tomorrow then...
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Week 4 - Summary
Really racking up the mileage now.. I ended week four with a total of 17 miles!! It's funny: I was talking to my mother the other day and I was telling her that there was a time that I'd be talking to someone and they'd tell me how they'd run 6 miles that day or 8.. and I'd think to myself: 'Wow! I'll never be able to do that!' I always thought that if I did take up running, my body would not be able to withstand more than 3 miles. This was a time when I couldn't run for more than a minute at a time.
And now? I ran 1 hour, 36 mins and 31 secs!! 8 miles on Saturday!! I finally did it.. It WASN'T easy.. not at all.. I think the 8-mile mark is another one of those major thresholds I had to cross. The first threshold was the first mile. Then the three mile mark, then the 5 mile mark and now 8 miles.. why I say this is because you can feel your body work extra hard to push you that extra mile. I really had to dig deep to manage to finish the last mile. I didn't need that nudge when making the transition from 5 to 6 miles or 6 to 7. But 7 to 8 miles was tough.. I'm hoping 8 to 9 miles will be easier too :)
Important lessons for this week: I have to start fueling up better for my runs, especially the long ones. I've suddenly started feeling hungry after hitting the 5 mile mark and like REALLY hungry. Until now I could manage a 4 mile run on about 250 calories but I had a 400 calorie breakfast for the 8 miler but by mile 6 I was hungry. I need to research better breakfasts..
Also, I absolutely have to keep hydrated. One of the reasons the 8 miler was so difficult was because I hadn't hydrated properly.. I had only had like 4 glasses of water the day before and I hadn't had time to drink more than two glasses on the morning of the run. By mile 4 my legs were aching and I had to stop and rest and stretch. But if I have to power through without stopping, I need to hydrate better too. So from now on, I'll be carrying Gatorade on my runs as well as some nutrition to give me that extra burst of energy when I need it most.
Week 5 is about to start - target mileage: 18 miles!!
And now? I ran 1 hour, 36 mins and 31 secs!! 8 miles on Saturday!! I finally did it.. It WASN'T easy.. not at all.. I think the 8-mile mark is another one of those major thresholds I had to cross. The first threshold was the first mile. Then the three mile mark, then the 5 mile mark and now 8 miles.. why I say this is because you can feel your body work extra hard to push you that extra mile. I really had to dig deep to manage to finish the last mile. I didn't need that nudge when making the transition from 5 to 6 miles or 6 to 7. But 7 to 8 miles was tough.. I'm hoping 8 to 9 miles will be easier too :)
Important lessons for this week: I have to start fueling up better for my runs, especially the long ones. I've suddenly started feeling hungry after hitting the 5 mile mark and like REALLY hungry. Until now I could manage a 4 mile run on about 250 calories but I had a 400 calorie breakfast for the 8 miler but by mile 6 I was hungry. I need to research better breakfasts..
Also, I absolutely have to keep hydrated. One of the reasons the 8 miler was so difficult was because I hadn't hydrated properly.. I had only had like 4 glasses of water the day before and I hadn't had time to drink more than two glasses on the morning of the run. By mile 4 my legs were aching and I had to stop and rest and stretch. But if I have to power through without stopping, I need to hydrate better too. So from now on, I'll be carrying Gatorade on my runs as well as some nutrition to give me that extra burst of energy when I need it most.
Week 5 is about to start - target mileage: 18 miles!!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Week 4 - Day 2
Really increasing the mileage now - this week's goal is 17 miles! But I'm making good progress. A small part of me is proud that I've made it this far - I didn't expect to make it till this point. I'd always thought it'd be too difficult and that I'd probably give up a long time ago. But I have to admit that this has become a new passion of mine. I'm at the point of no return - it'd be the greatest mistake of my life if I were to turn back now. And I've never been one to shy away from a challenge. So the days when my legs feel like they can't go any further or when my lungs feel like they're about to explode, I think about what it's going to feel like crossing that finish line for the first time - and it always brings a smile to my face and I feel just a little bit lighter, and my legs feel just a little bit stronger and I get all my energy back.
Yesterday was the first 4.5 mile run for the week - I'm making slow progress on increasing my speed - shaving a few seconds off my 4 mile time every time. But more than anything, I'm racing to finish - sprinting across that finish line is not a priority. I'm managing to keep my average pace just under a 12 min/mile and that's where I'm most comfortable.
Yesterday's power song: Dangerous by Roxette! :) One of my all-time favorite bands..
I've also lost the 2 lbs I'd mysteriously gained over the course of last week. My body fat percentage had also increased and that really scared me. I want to stay lean for the race. So I was extra careful the last two days and I'm back on track as of this morning! :) yipppeee!! I just have to make sure I stay on course..
Today is a cross-training day - so I'll probably tackle the stairmaster again followed by weights for my upper body, abs and back. I'm actually already looking forward to tomorrow's run :)
I'll write again soon!
Yesterday was the first 4.5 mile run for the week - I'm making slow progress on increasing my speed - shaving a few seconds off my 4 mile time every time. But more than anything, I'm racing to finish - sprinting across that finish line is not a priority. I'm managing to keep my average pace just under a 12 min/mile and that's where I'm most comfortable.
Yesterday's power song: Dangerous by Roxette! :) One of my all-time favorite bands..
I've also lost the 2 lbs I'd mysteriously gained over the course of last week. My body fat percentage had also increased and that really scared me. I want to stay lean for the race. So I was extra careful the last two days and I'm back on track as of this morning! :) yipppeee!! I just have to make sure I stay on course..
Today is a cross-training day - so I'll probably tackle the stairmaster again followed by weights for my upper body, abs and back. I'm actually already looking forward to tomorrow's run :)
I'll write again soon!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Week 3 roundup
It's been a while since I posted - not that I haven't wanted to but I guess I just didnt find the time. But I did keep with the training. Week 3's mileage: 14.7! Just under the 15 mile marker that was supposed to be my goal. Here's a summary of the week:
Monday: Was supposed to be a strength and stretch day but I was just so tired. I got ready for the gym (atleast I was motivated - you have to give me points for that). Then we got to talking and I fell asleep while talking!! Right there, in my gym clothes, on the couch - and I was out for like 45 mins! I was exhausted - we'd had a busy weekend. But I didn't worry about it too much because more than anything I wanted to have my energy for my run on Tuesday.
Tuesday: Regular 4 mile run - time to complete was 51 mins
Wednesday: Hit the stairmaster today. First time since the half-marathon training began. I think I wasn't sure about this machine because I thought it might overly exert my quads, glutes and hamstrings. But 30 mins on that machine is quite the workout - I don't sweat that much while running! Follow that with a good bout of stretching and the legs felt great. Perfect for preparing for my Thursday run.
Thursday: Guess the stairmaster workout paid off. I was able to shave an entire minute off my 4 mile time. Time to complete: 49.56 mins!
Friday: Rest day
Saturday: What a day! What a run! Unforgettable. It had been raining all morning and around 11 it stopped for a bit so we thought we'd head out before it started up again. It was our long run - 7 miles and we thought we'd jazz it up a bit by attempting some hills :) (yeah, we're a little masochistic that way). Anyhow, we're 3.5 miles out, we've done two uphills (or three, I don't remember) and we're just about to turn around and suddenly it starts to pour. Like seriously burst down on us. It was like someone was filling buckets of water and throwing them down on us.. We couldnt believe how hard it was raining - it made us laugh so hard.. But what could we do. We turned around and the whole way back, we ran in the rain.
It was the most wonderful feeling ever! I wasn't cold, but the rain really made me push myself. I was running faster, I was able to fit in a few more hills, I was loving it! Our clothes were soaked through - it was like running with weights, but I was loving the burn. Is there any high better than this? The result? 6.7 miles in a completion time of 1hr 20 mins. And the best part: I got to reward myself with a foot massage and a mani-pedi! Do I know how to motivate myself or what? :)
Looking forward to next week!
Monday: Was supposed to be a strength and stretch day but I was just so tired. I got ready for the gym (atleast I was motivated - you have to give me points for that). Then we got to talking and I fell asleep while talking!! Right there, in my gym clothes, on the couch - and I was out for like 45 mins! I was exhausted - we'd had a busy weekend. But I didn't worry about it too much because more than anything I wanted to have my energy for my run on Tuesday.
Tuesday: Regular 4 mile run - time to complete was 51 mins
Wednesday: Hit the stairmaster today. First time since the half-marathon training began. I think I wasn't sure about this machine because I thought it might overly exert my quads, glutes and hamstrings. But 30 mins on that machine is quite the workout - I don't sweat that much while running! Follow that with a good bout of stretching and the legs felt great. Perfect for preparing for my Thursday run.
Thursday: Guess the stairmaster workout paid off. I was able to shave an entire minute off my 4 mile time. Time to complete: 49.56 mins!
Friday: Rest day
Saturday: What a day! What a run! Unforgettable. It had been raining all morning and around 11 it stopped for a bit so we thought we'd head out before it started up again. It was our long run - 7 miles and we thought we'd jazz it up a bit by attempting some hills :) (yeah, we're a little masochistic that way). Anyhow, we're 3.5 miles out, we've done two uphills (or three, I don't remember) and we're just about to turn around and suddenly it starts to pour. Like seriously burst down on us. It was like someone was filling buckets of water and throwing them down on us.. We couldnt believe how hard it was raining - it made us laugh so hard.. But what could we do. We turned around and the whole way back, we ran in the rain.
It was the most wonderful feeling ever! I wasn't cold, but the rain really made me push myself. I was running faster, I was able to fit in a few more hills, I was loving it! Our clothes were soaked through - it was like running with weights, but I was loving the burn. Is there any high better than this? The result? 6.7 miles in a completion time of 1hr 20 mins. And the best part: I got to reward myself with a foot massage and a mani-pedi! Do I know how to motivate myself or what? :)
Looking forward to next week!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Week 2 - Day 6
6 miles!! First time ever!! What a rush!!
To tell you the truth, I was apprehensive about running today. I don't know why that is. I've noticed I'm almost always a little nervous before my long runs. Maybe because there's a certain amount of expectations tied to them: Will I be able to go as far as I'm supposed to? Will I be able to pace myself properly or will I burn out fast? Will my breathing be stable or will my lungs feel like they could explode? But since I need to be able to run increasingly larger distances, there's always the question, can I do it? And God forbid I can't, it's disappointing..
But that wasn't the case today! No sirree!! My long runs are usually supposed to take place on Sunday but we really wanted to go today instead so that we'd have Sunday free for other things. So I started preparing myself since yesterday night. Early dinner, relatively healthy, slept on time (which was a MAJOR plus) and woke up rested. Had a great breakfast. I'm such a bran flakes junkie, it's not even funny - I could snack on it plain. And no, it doesn't taste like cardboard :) That, soy milk, cranberries and walnuts and you've got yourself a power breakfast with all the right nutrients.
Today was chilly - another reason for my apprehension. So I wore two layers to run and took my jacket with me. Basically I took care of everything that could prevent me from having a great run: I ate right, I made sure I was rested, I dressed appropriately, I stretched before the run so I remained limber and I was off!
Towards the last half mile it got tough - I kid you not. I was like how bad would it be if I walked this last portion? And right away I shot myself down. Was I kidding? To come this far to quit? No way! And just at that point in time, the song 'Under Pressure' by Queen came on :) That helped and before you knew it, I was pumping my arms, running faster and saying to myself, 'Come on - just a little further - come on!' Seriously, if someone had passed by me on the trail they'd think I was talking to myself. But I just didn't want to quit.
The result? 6.04 miles with an average pace of 11:32 per mile!!! Not only did I run my longest distance ever but I set a personal best in terms of pace!! :) I'm so glad I didn't give up :)
Now I can enjoy the rest of the weekend :)
To tell you the truth, I was apprehensive about running today. I don't know why that is. I've noticed I'm almost always a little nervous before my long runs. Maybe because there's a certain amount of expectations tied to them: Will I be able to go as far as I'm supposed to? Will I be able to pace myself properly or will I burn out fast? Will my breathing be stable or will my lungs feel like they could explode? But since I need to be able to run increasingly larger distances, there's always the question, can I do it? And God forbid I can't, it's disappointing..
But that wasn't the case today! No sirree!! My long runs are usually supposed to take place on Sunday but we really wanted to go today instead so that we'd have Sunday free for other things. So I started preparing myself since yesterday night. Early dinner, relatively healthy, slept on time (which was a MAJOR plus) and woke up rested. Had a great breakfast. I'm such a bran flakes junkie, it's not even funny - I could snack on it plain. And no, it doesn't taste like cardboard :) That, soy milk, cranberries and walnuts and you've got yourself a power breakfast with all the right nutrients.
Today was chilly - another reason for my apprehension. So I wore two layers to run and took my jacket with me. Basically I took care of everything that could prevent me from having a great run: I ate right, I made sure I was rested, I dressed appropriately, I stretched before the run so I remained limber and I was off!
Towards the last half mile it got tough - I kid you not. I was like how bad would it be if I walked this last portion? And right away I shot myself down. Was I kidding? To come this far to quit? No way! And just at that point in time, the song 'Under Pressure' by Queen came on :) That helped and before you knew it, I was pumping my arms, running faster and saying to myself, 'Come on - just a little further - come on!' Seriously, if someone had passed by me on the trail they'd think I was talking to myself. But I just didn't want to quit.
The result? 6.04 miles with an average pace of 11:32 per mile!!! Not only did I run my longest distance ever but I set a personal best in terms of pace!! :) I'm so glad I didn't give up :)
Now I can enjoy the rest of the weekend :)
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