tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681995939869828952024-03-06T12:02:02.316-08:00Run Away FastJaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.comBlogger261125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-86606977331486305242016-01-25T20:12:00.000-08:002016-01-26T08:48:18.538-08:00This is LifeThis blog has been dedicated to my running adventures for seven years now. In those 7 years, I have gone from being a somewhat fast runner to an Olympic Trials Qualifier and Marathon Winner. This blog was an important part of that journey for me. Regardless of whether people were actually reading, I felt like I was connected to a larger community cheering me on toward my goals. I am very grateful for that support and truly believe it helped me achieve my goals. Thank you! I have also met some wonderful people both virtually and now in person as a result of posting about my running here.<br />
<br />
Over those 7 years, I have posted much less about my life, especially recently. I started a small business 2 years ago in the ecological consulting field and that currently occupies more of my time than I should probably admit. Self employment has so many wonderful benefits, but my gosh it is a lot of work. My business has really taken off and work-life balance has been a big challenge. I consider myself lucky to marry my passion with my work, so it is a labor of love.<br />
<br />
Running is a big part of my life. While I continue to dream and set big goals, I have less time to devote to it, which includes time I can spend writing about it. The story of my running continues on but it is something I will likely share mostly with my friends and family. If you want to follow the nuts and bolts of my running, I am active on Strava. Give me a follow. I am not saying that this is the last you'll see of me and this blog, but I wanted to explain why you might not see posts from me very often. I am always open to questions via email/Facebook messenger/skywriting, so feel free to drop me a line.<br />
<br />
Keep running your hearts out.Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-650898473726416362015-11-27T14:13:00.002-08:002015-12-04T08:00:45.866-08:00Movin' on up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFpfRM0g5ppw9-aqlZ2ZG26B5SkulPV1ePPmHATKYj9eA8K1jZkhAkmBUFZn8CggZa9rSUKkOiWpiDXW0s4vrO9Sl9sPMgOBbWC9wSOaG5hJLLCpc0l20SCMORjNc_aV57C7VtyzCQ7s/s1600/311_oval_sticker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFpfRM0g5ppw9-aqlZ2ZG26B5SkulPV1ePPmHATKYj9eA8K1jZkhAkmBUFZn8CggZa9rSUKkOiWpiDXW0s4vrO9Sl9sPMgOBbWC9wSOaG5hJLLCpc0l20SCMORjNc_aV57C7VtyzCQ7s/s200/311_oval_sticker.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I have some exciting news! I am planning to run my first ultramarathon! This will be a road 50k where I will shoot for the Masters' national record. I will attempt this at the Jed Smith 50k in February. I have actually been talking about this goal for a long time, but I wasn't sure I was ready to let go of the Olympic Trials qualifier goal. Now, I am.<br />
<br />
Rewind 6 weeks--My training was going fine for CIM. I was running consistent, higher mileage and doing some races here and there. I was putting in the work and waiting for my workout times to fall. They didn't. The problem is not my fitness level, but my biomechanics at this point. For as long as recent memory allows, I have had a hitch in my left side. It wanders but is typically pain/weakness in my lower left leg. This leads to a lack of power in that leg. I notice it most when trying to hop on one leg. No push off. So, I am not able to propel myself forward fast during workouts when half my body lacks power. This became more than just an annoyance a couple of weeks ago when I felt my left glute/high hamstring tighten up during the Clarksburg Half Marathon. That tightness turned into a stabbing pain in my ass, literally--the old piriformis acting up again. I knew if I was smart I would still be able to run CIM, but any hope of a super fast time was out the window.<br />
<br />
I was also lacking the belly fire needed to achieve the OTQ goal. This entire training cycle--well this entire year--I was waiting for that fire that would ignite the same drive I had to qualify for the 2012 Trials. That fire never even became a spark. I loved having the hairy goal out there to push toward. I truly believe in setting those for myself because they make me work harder and push myself farther than I would without them. It wasn't really that I didn't believe I could achieve it but that I didn't want it bad enough to make the sacrifices to achieve it.<br />
<br />
SO, I am running CIM. As with all of my marathon races, I have A, B and C goals for this one. The A goal was always to run fast, relatively speaking. The B/C goal is to make it to the start and finish lines, which will lock in my Pacific Association USATF Masters Long Series title for the year. This last one is big for me. First, I haven't raced a marathon in almost 3 years. The last one was the Eugene Marathon in 2013. Winning the PA Series is kind of a points game since you can win or place well just by showing up to the races and placing fairly high at each race. For me, however, it means that I raced consistently all throughout the year. With a year of significant health issues keeping me from racing last year and a couple of years of injury before that, consistently racing is a big deal.<br />
<br />
With the 50k on the horizon, my focus for CIM has changed a bit. I will be looking to run a fairly hard race but I'm not going to jeopardize a finish nor run so hard that I require a long recovery. I have no idea what that will look like on the clock on race day, but I am looking forward to seeing how it unfolds. This pain in the butt I've had is clearing up with some activation exercises prescribed by the ever-capable Dr. Lau at Elite Spinal and Sports Care and acupuncture treatment from Bradley at ProActive Acupuncture in Midtown. The acupuncture is blowing my mind with how well it works. I do have a long row to hoe with this dysfunction, but I'm on the right track.<br />
<br />
The 50k is a short 8 weeks from CIM, so I will need to come out of the marathon healthy and turn around the fitness I have built to be able to run at a good clip for a longer distance than I ever have in my life. That is an exciting goal for me! As for my future in ultra racing, I really don't like running on trails enough to commit to any trail ultras. But, I didn't like running at all for the first 36 years of my life, so I have learned to never say never!<br />
<br />
Good luck to everyone running CIM. I will be dedicating my race to my dear friend Jane Inouye.<br />
<br />
Oh, I guess I forgot to mention that I set the American 5k record a couple of weeks back. NBD.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQ0wReAYXr1ngYbNvvU2IoXZp2FMKVwIo7RefKPIL4U_Ub1RujtjyNPevjecqtTB6h6v3bPjjNzUkF6UAFJCkugWBd-r8mdE4koSbbYwJ0lgfmlhUBFf-LP2yDZG8iMIkN9GbWfFksWI/s1600/IMG_6532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQ0wReAYXr1ngYbNvvU2IoXZp2FMKVwIo7RefKPIL4U_Ub1RujtjyNPevjecqtTB6h6v3bPjjNzUkF6UAFJCkugWBd-r8mdE4koSbbYwJ0lgfmlhUBFf-LP2yDZG8iMIkN9GbWfFksWI/s320/IMG_6532.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beat The Blerch 5J Results</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-24311980771233529292015-10-16T11:33:00.004-07:002015-10-16T16:04:48.986-07:00There's an App for that!One of my favorite readers, Heather, asked a very good question about the slogging of marathon training. Instead of responding in a comment, I decided to write a post instead. Here's her question:<br />
<br />
"how much fatigue and slogging is an acceptable level for you? Or do you not feel sloggy that often, but simply a bit tired? I have a really hard time determining if I should push through sloggy dead legged phases, or back off before I overreach/overtrain. You've written about being a fan of large amounts of running data, do you use that data to determine if you're recovering properly? Is there an app for that?"<br />
<br />
There IS an app for that! I use it every day, and it's called <a href="http://www.myithlete.com/">ithlete</a>. This is an app that, coupled with a bluetooth heart rate monitor, measures your heart rate variability (HRV). I've posted briefly about it before, but I wanted to spend a bit more time with it since I have really begun to rely on it as a training tool. I have also been reading more and more research about what an impressive measure HRV is for a number of different things in addition to training.<br />
<br />
First off, there are a lot of apps that measure HRV. At one point, I was trying to evaluate a few of them simultaneously which required taking my HRV using 3-4 different apps every morning and that was really not tenable. I quickly zeroed in on ithlete because of the ease of use, the user interface and mostly because of the fact that it interprets the data in a way that I can use. Having an HRV number was really not very helpful for me. Let me show you what I mean.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSq9KelVLMmq4rQrJ4vNNuaODP9Izx65gtBfbFlsKVUGpf15zcGPj0uqH6kFHAaQf1xT6J1j4xTXnoLFze5LFXln0sa5tAWIGFqZOPQayMJu9nL4WaSP4kO8_MMNQixD8MkIu8LNCm-c/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-10-16+at+10.45.17+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSq9KelVLMmq4rQrJ4vNNuaODP9Izx65gtBfbFlsKVUGpf15zcGPj0uqH6kFHAaQf1xT6J1j4xTXnoLFze5LFXln0sa5tAWIGFqZOPQayMJu9nL4WaSP4kO8_MMNQixD8MkIu8LNCm-c/s400/Screen+Shot+2015-10-16+at+10.45.17+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
You'll want to click on the image so you can get a closer look, but what you see here is my HRV data for the past 9 months or so. The green, yellow and red dots connected by the light blue line at the top of the chart are the daily HRV values. You can see I took a break in August. The black bars are showing my training intensity. I enter that data for my workouts basically scoring them from easiest (1) to hardest (9). The red dots in the middle of the chart are my resting heart rate values. I mentioned in a previous post how my resting HR had gone down over the past year and this really shows that drop nicely. Here's a closer look at my HRV for this marathon cycle.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7U18xZwuQoR9ezzxua1lG__b2v_tKE1fDPZxZbzC3TTF4vvA9vdkiWjQQalLTvO3u1O_46GcxWLzB-kMcjfHq7XHTA-4UWWitheYBtdOpHZ1WW3AoVVg00ybqFpfXF-DFrxsHdoEoivc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-10-16+at+10.46.01+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7U18xZwuQoR9ezzxua1lG__b2v_tKE1fDPZxZbzC3TTF4vvA9vdkiWjQQalLTvO3u1O_46GcxWLzB-kMcjfHq7XHTA-4UWWitheYBtdOpHZ1WW3AoVVg00ybqFpfXF-DFrxsHdoEoivc/s400/Screen+Shot+2015-10-16+at+10.46.01+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
You might notice a pattern in this chart of a drop in HRV (usually shown as a red or yellow dot) after a hard workout (tall black bar) followed by a rebound back to the pre-workout value. This is what you want to see. Also notice that there are a lot of other things I could add to this chart (sleep, fatigue, soreness, etc.). These are qualitative ratings you input every time you take your HRV. The idea is that you can look for correlations between HRV and these factors. It can get kind of messy, so I usually just use training load. One really interesting thing to note, for those of you who use resting heart rate as an indicator of fatigue and overtraining is that it is really not very sensitive. My HRV is scooting all over the place in response to training, sleep, and life stress but my RHR is staying pretty darn steady. It makes me wonder if RHR is really a good measure for telling you when you've gone over the edge, but it can't really help you know when you're getting close to the edge. This may be peculiar to me, but worth a few thoughts.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
These charts shown above are screenshots from their website but are also included in the app. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
What I find the most useful for day-to-day decision making is this chart, which is only available on their website and you have to have a "pro" subscription ($5/month) to get access.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHjlquHOpaszJsfLm2-dcC82fqSUHGWDdlvabbakCvHm6BM45DnNYdOpr5mp8FJgp3-8TywHja7zS6J_hXYG4UZG9q5-BT5bcx6BLrMzAV_vi-JiBr9y_ChFKSOJmhfdy-RuSnKgZPMxg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-10-16+at+11.00.33+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHjlquHOpaszJsfLm2-dcC82fqSUHGWDdlvabbakCvHm6BM45DnNYdOpr5mp8FJgp3-8TywHja7zS6J_hXYG4UZG9q5-BT5bcx6BLrMzAV_vi-JiBr9y_ChFKSOJmhfdy-RuSnKgZPMxg/s400/Screen+Shot+2015-10-16+at+11.00.33+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It plots your daily recovery and activation to give you an idea how recovered you are and how much energy you have. It plots these data on the chart based on your values from the last 30 days. It also gives recommendations for training that day. I almost never act on the low activation recommendation. I find it correlates strongly with a low RHR and I think my RHR is falling due to training and not necessarily because I am burning out. I do act on the high activation data. I have found that higher activation levels occur when I am stressed out. If that is coupled with a low recovery, I generally take an extra recovery day. With the higher volume training I am doing right now, I find I am needing more recovery between workouts in general (3 days rather than 2). The timeline chart actually shows that really nicely with the interval of tall and short bars. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
One thing I would like you to take away from this post is that recovery is your best friend. It isn't a necessary evil. You should love your recovery days. Marathoner Kim Jones, drove this point home for me during a <a href="http://runnersconnect.net/running-interviews/kim-jones/">podcast interview on Runner's Connect</a>. Kim Jones obviously had a lot of talent, but she also was super smart about her training. She said she loved her recovery days and when Benji Durdan, her coach, told her to take another recovery day instead of doing a hard workout she really looked forward to it. She said she knew that those days were the days that allowed her body to absorb the training and that's why she loved them. She said she just didn't understand why athletes were so against taking recovery days, so much so that they might even hide how they were feeling from their coach out of fear that they might have to skip a workout. Your body can only absorb so much work.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So, back to Heather's question: I use the daily HRV readings to help make decisions about my training and adjust on the fly. I have a general (slightly ambitious) schedule, but I made a pact with myself when I wrote it that I would be a good self coach and move stuff around based on how I felt and what the HRV data said. I am prioritizing high volume right now, so I am just embracing the tired leg feeling I have most days. My workouts are at slower paces than I would typically run and I am at peace with that too. I am not tapering for races but am instead using them as opportunities to get used to running on tired legs. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
When would I back off? If I saw that my HRV values were remaining low for multiple days without recovering or the overall average was dropping precipitously, I would take some down time. The blue line in the middle chart is the average HRV value and while it is slightly lower than a couple of months ago, it's going up and down just fine for now. I am still 7 weeks out from CIM, so it will be interesting to see what happens to it. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Obviously, you don't need this app and the website to help you figure out when to back off, but I like having a little corroboration when I am feeling tired in training. I find that some days I will have a sloggy running day with a high HRV value or a good run with a relatively low HRV value. It's really more about the trend over time and being able to manage training so you don't push yourself over the edge. I find having this data really helps me. The other useful application is in trying out new training tools like supplements or adding more sleep to your routine, etc. You can see whether your recovery is enhanced by these new things after you start using them. I'm doing that right now with some new supplements that were recommended by a former coach (and elite masters runner). I am excited to see whether I am able to fit in more training while keeping my HRV steady over the next 7 weeks. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
One last thought: I have found that life stress, lack of sleep and strength training can have pretty large effects on my HRV values, even more so than my running. So, I would have to back off of my running training if one of those factors caused my HRV to plummet.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Thanks for the comment, Heather! I hope I answered your questions:) </div>
Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-39618172401762924112015-10-12T19:44:00.000-07:002015-10-12T19:44:23.224-07:00Deep fried frog legsIn case you're not following me on Strava (note the convenient link on the right of this post), here's what I've been up to.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9V0YMbePDkAAu-S91sl7UMOWEFWrsSBpGhhZoPrJrg2mcO4ty4kUWlkBo4OBwI0icx8rvEDakcaD3j0tG2GuP-qVXS0CTnX6HnK3DdbhJu-_u1o2iR539L07G_9bxaoTLeQaWQxoJCo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-10-12+at+7.20.29+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9V0YMbePDkAAu-S91sl7UMOWEFWrsSBpGhhZoPrJrg2mcO4ty4kUWlkBo4OBwI0icx8rvEDakcaD3j0tG2GuP-qVXS0CTnX6HnK3DdbhJu-_u1o2iR539L07G_9bxaoTLeQaWQxoJCo/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-10-12+at+7.20.29+PM.png" width="572" /></a></div>
<br />
Lots of miles. Lots of slow miles, actually and about 2 fast/long workouts per week. My body is still adjusting to the volume. I do get a glimmer now and again that the miles are sinking in and I am becoming stronger.<br />
<br />
It is really amazing how training is such a huge leap of faith. We train through some pretty brutal workouts, niggling injuries, life drama, and utter fatigue; all with the hope that the stress we put our bodies through will eventually lead us to achieve our goals whether they be running a fast time, running a longer distance than ever before or just challenging ourselves to stay fit and focused on good health. One of my goals is to challenge my body in a new way through higher mileage and (so far) my body seems to tolerate it fine. I had lost my confidence in being able to run high mileage but I think I just needed to slow everything down to tolerate the volume. I call my slow easy runs "mitochondriacal runs" to remind myself that slow running serves an important purpose too. I *heart* mitochondria! New t-shirt logo? <br />
<br />
Lately, I have been feeling less fatigued in my runs and, even though my running is not very fast, I know it will be soon enough. In the past, my fitness gains have come in giant steps. I am waiting to grow my frog legs and take that giant leap forward. I don't know when it will happen, but I will look back on all of this work and remind myself that it was good old fashioned slogging and hard work that got me there, with a side of trust in the process.Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-10090448625640166112015-09-05T11:24:00.001-07:002015-09-05T11:42:28.845-07:00All the Miles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMI74accvHovXE2-1_E979Wat5m5fp8_W9z7-UKfBSrJXOvBhAA_Pml-Md0Ckcu6v6Op7rVVN19nSZx6sm60Oaa8fHUcb9X_8eD8X3e4Cb7jhp0LRjq-EyEZw4pDBKUh1Omdi2YNFk9w/s1600/how-i-look-running.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMI74accvHovXE2-1_E979Wat5m5fp8_W9z7-UKfBSrJXOvBhAA_Pml-Md0Ckcu6v6Op7rVVN19nSZx6sm60Oaa8fHUcb9X_8eD8X3e4Cb7jhp0LRjq-EyEZw4pDBKUh1Omdi2YNFk9w/s320/how-i-look-running.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I recently discovered I have the same disconnect as the poor runner in this meme regarding my vision of myself as a "high mileage" runner versus what I actually have been doing for the last 5 years. Forcing myself to be honest and actually look at my running log over that time period made me realize I have been anything but a consistently high mileage runner. I've done a bunch of workouts and had some high mileage weeks (and a couple of good races), but there's been nothing consistent about it. Thinking of myself in these terms has led to inconsistency in my running due to my repeated attempt to jump back into my *usual* high mileage regimen while also maintaining a hard workout schedule.<br />
<br />
Lesson: don't let where you think you should be get in the way of where you need to be.<br />
<br />
I needed to hit the reset button and allow my body to adapt to consistent running again. I think there is probably a window of opportunity that we have when we are forced to take a break from our usual training where we can jump back into training at our typical volume and intensity, but I have a feeling the timeframe is not 5 years. I actually haven't seen much good information on this subject because most is focused on the very short term, like taking a few months down versus years. Nonetheless, I decided I needed to view this more as starting from scratch and listen to how my body responded to training. That's always the best bet, but it is super tough when you have visions of yourself as Lolo Jones in your head.<br />
<br />
I mentioned in my last post that I have been indulging in podcasts during my runs and have now listened to probably 30-40. The information becomes a bit garbled when listening to that many in a short time period in that I am not really able to attribute what piece of sage advice came from which coach or athlete. Aside from realizing that there are a million different ways to train to improve performance, I have been able to pick out the common themes from the many episodes I've listened to. Here are a few:<br />
<br />
1. Volume is king. Nearly every single coach and athlete has said this is the bread and butter for improvement. Some say you can get away with aerobic XTing some of the workouts, but for the most part you just have to run more. People are afraid of adding volume because they think they will get injured. I am starting to change my view of this. I believe people get injured from increased volume because they are also maintaining or increasing their intensity along with it. Some can do this but most cannot. This is why I am trying a stepwise approach to increasing my volume. I am trying to let my body adapt to the higher volume first, whilst maintaining some basic speed and speed endurance workouts before I ramp up my intensity. A couple of interesting things have happened over the past month or more of doing this. My average resting heart rate has decreased by 5-10 bpm. That is huge!!! Plus, I'm able to run faster at a lower HR. That is adaptation in action! <br />
<br />
Lesson: Everything builds from that strong aerobic base.<br />
<br />
2. It takes at least 2 years of consistent training at a high level to start to see the benefits of that training. I know this to be true from my own experience but it was interesting to listen to athletes and coaches discuss this. Only a couple actually recognized this as a "rule", McMillan being the most vocal. His rule that you have to train the athlete, so they can train to be able to train to achieve their goals is an outgrowth of this. This was one of the epic moments of podcast listening for me. It's when I realized I really just need to build a base of training so I could train to achieve my goals. Brilliant.<br />
<br />
Lesson: Patience is a virtue. Give yourself a 2 year goal and be viciously consistent about training.<br />
<br />
3. Strength training is secondary to running, but it can provide another adaptation to help you become a better runner. So many of the athletes/coaches I listened to, most notably Steve Spence, attributed their best performances to times when they had both running and strength training programs dialed. I believe there is a huge amount of trial and error associated with getting this right. I am still working it out myself and always believe it is good to try new things as long as you're willing to fail and let the thing go if it's not working. Oh, and a HUGE mind blower for me from one of the Magness podcasts was the realization that one of the primary benefits of lifting heavy is the increase in a little hormone called testosterone. Yep, lifting heavy is a natural way to increase your T!<br />
<br />
Lesson: Play around with strength training and find what works for you. Bonus lesson: planks are not the best core work for runners!<br />
<br />
Finally, to stick with my long term goals, I decided to opt out of the Chicago Marathon in favor of extending my base training. I am currently planning to run CIM as a goal marathon race. You may have also noticed that I added my strava log to the sidebar in my blog so you can keep up with what I am doing. I just started logging my workouts in Strava this week, so you won't find a lot of history, but I will keep that updated daily. So check back on my blog to see how my running is going or give me a follow on Strava! <br />
<br />
Here are links to the podcasts I listen to. Check them out in iTunes:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://runnersconnect.net/running-podcast/">Runners Connect.</a> Be sure to listen to the interviews with Greg Lehman (mind blown), Deena Kastor, Steve Spence, Steve Magness and Stan Beecham.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://runneracademy.com/running-podcast/">Runner Academy.</a> Be sure to listen to the interviews with Ian Sharman, Deena Kastor, Alex Hutchinson, Tim Noakes, and Matt Fitzgerald on 80/20 running.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/magness-marcus-on-coaching/id961516002">The Science of Running.</a> This one is fairly new and is more of a conversation between 2 run coach geeks, but it has some nuggets in there including episode 3 on strength training and 4 on training/life balance.<br />
<br />
<br />Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-3318379173323278492015-07-16T19:12:00.000-07:002015-07-16T19:19:30.332-07:00SeriouslySomehow, this blog got away from me these past few months. Sorry for that (if there are any of you out there still following along). I have changed a lot of things about my training these past few months and they all seem to be paying off. Before I get into that, I will offer a quick update on my last few months of running and my future race plans.<br />
<br />
<b>March--injury averted: </b>I was <i>really</i> happy with my decision to abandon ship at the Napa Valley Marathon. This may have been one of the smartest decisions I've made in my running career. I spent the month working on the niggles that plagued me during the race and successfully ended the month with pain free running without having to take time off.<br />
<br />
<b>April--we can rebuild her: </b>I ran as much as I could this month despite lots of work commitments. Working as an ecologist in California, spring is my busiest time of year. I ran a couple of 'races' (a 10 miler and a 12k) just to keep the wheels greased.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwudgzx2-FDzOHItMFcWVmpfbC3seW1LIzrsOFgEkoJz3k-ZhWBqYrn8jFhB8fEcoYKiZ7UPs-5RWjIVuzmTObqkxGyEukq0bOx0R45xW4VmDGARaQANwWG6UTLHwwvFULjkAJW0D2TpU/s1600/-309199_199803605_XLarge+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwudgzx2-FDzOHItMFcWVmpfbC3seW1LIzrsOFgEkoJz3k-ZhWBqYrn8jFhB8fEcoYKiZ7UPs-5RWjIVuzmTObqkxGyEukq0bOx0R45xW4VmDGARaQANwWG6UTLHwwvFULjkAJW0D2TpU/s320/-309199_199803605_XLarge+%25281%2529.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RnR SD. The calm before the storm. <br />
You can get these ridiculously cute shorts <a href="http://runjanji.com/collections/womens/products/womens-kenya-boy-shorts">here</a>. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>May--racing fun: </b>I had been focused on 10k training and a fast 10k on Memorial Day when I saw that the Masters 1/2 Marathon Championship race was being held in San Diego. I made a quick call to my Mom asking if she wanted to go, and the decision was made. My brother and sister-in-law joined too. This wasn't my best race as far as time, but it was a lot of fun. I love Rock-n-Roll events and was happy to get the chance to run this one.<br />
<br />
<b>June--mo miles: </b>Marathon base building was THE focus.<b> </b>My goal for this month was to get my mileage consistently in the 70-80 mpw range. I was successful. <br />
<br />
<u><b>Race plans</b></u><br />
<br />
I have decided to run the Chicago Marathon in October as my goal marathon race. This is where I qualified for the 2012 Olympic Trials. I really enjoy the city and the course and am hoping for a fast finish under the 2:43 qualifying mark.<br />
<br />
I also have a few other races lined up between now and then:<br />
<br />
18 July: Eppie's Great Race 5.82 mile run (filling in for a friend; tempo workout within an 18 miler)<br />
26 July: SF Half Marathon (2nd Half). Not the fastest course, but a good check in on my fitness.<br />
22 August: The Giants 1/2 Marathon. Looking for a check in 8 weeks out from my goal race. <br />
<br />
<b><u>Coaching</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
After my abandoned marathon race in March, I thought long and hard about how my training had gone and how my lifestyle affected my running. This is something I do after every major race, but in this case, I needed a lot more soul searching. When I started working with Coach Jack Daniels, I was a bit of a mess. I had become injured in a build up to a marathon and was just coming out of it. I remained a mess as health issues took me down in 2014, but throughout the time I worked with him, he took a conservative approach to building back my mileage adding about 10 miles per week every 6 months. I started with 40-50 mpw in Nov 2013 and ended up at ~70 mpw by March 2015. This was so important for me. I remained injury free that entire time and now have a great base that I am building upon.<br />
<br />
For this next marathon, I decided to try my hand at self coaching again with the help of a book called "The Science of Running" by Steve Magness. I am pretty sure very few people knew who he was (except those geeks like me who have followed his blog and writing for years) until the whole Salazar doping scandal emerged. I highly recommend reading this book as there are a lot of really great insights in it and a good summary of the latest science and research related to training.<br />
<br />
I am loosely following his marathon training plan right now with modifications to fit my mileage limits and the areas I need to focus on. I am just finishing the base phase of training (roughly 6-7 weeks) with my main focus on getting in a solid base of mileage. I have prioritized building volume over all else in this phase and will be ending the phase at 92 miles this week. This is higher than I've been in a long, long time and I feel good. When I have felt tired during the build up, I have abandoned intensity in favor of just getting the miles in. I have been listening to a ton of podcasts (Runner's Connect, Runner Academy) and the common thread among all of the athletes and coaches I've listened to is that volume is king. The more the better, as long as your body can handle it. <br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>Rethinking all the other stuff</u></b><br />
<br />
...as long as your body can handle it. When I dropped out of the Napa Marathon because I was worried about becoming injured, I initially thought this was because I wasn't doing the rehab work that I should have been. I now believe that I was overtrained from doing too much "extra stuff" in addition to running. This is a pattern I have seen in athletes I coach and now myself. I was constrained in how much running I could do, as I mentioned before, so I had time to add in extra stuff like strength classes and other cross training. The thing is, we only have one body. Injuries occur because tissue gets stressed beyond its capacity to repair itself and I was stressing that tissue in everything I was doing, not just in running. Sure, you use muscles differently in other activities and some are even low impact, but they all stress your body and require repair. I loved the group training I was doing, but when I took a hard look at it, maybe 30-40% was supportive of my running and the rest was just extra energy spent that should have been spent running.<br />
<br />
After Napa, I stopped doing all added cross training and non-running-specific strength work. This decision was somewhat influenced by the Magness book, but mostly I wanted to see how I felt just running. The results have been good so far. Magness writes that a little goes a long way in that you don't have to do a ton of strength work to get a big benefit. Strength work takes many different forms for runners, from weight training to hill running. I have steered my strength program to the more running specific side with hill sprints, plyometrics and some limited weighted and body weight work focused on the core. I like the way Magness applies strength training based on what phase of running you are in: with heavier weights and hill sprints during the base phase followed by a focus on explosive strength exercises like plyos during the pre-competition phase and then tapering off in the competition phase. Core work is important throughout the training phases, but not a lot of that is needed. I do about 20-30 minutes per week now and sometimes none when I'm feeling pretty tired.<br />
<br />
I strongly believe this refocusing of all my energy back to running has been the key to handling the higher mileage without injury (knock on wood).<br />
<br />
<b><u>Rethinking thinking</u></b><br />
<br />
After the Napa Marathon, I also entered a low point mentally. The training leading up to the marathon was tough for me. I was spending a lot of mental energy worrying about how my workouts would go and ultimately did not enjoy them. In fact, I wasn't really enjoying my running in general. When I was being honest with myself, I had to admit this had been going on for a while. I knew I needed to turn this around.<br />
<br />
I was placing pretty high expectations on my workouts since I had a specific time goal and was forcing myself to hit paces that I probably wasn't ready for. I had to ask myself some tough questions. Why am I trying to qualify for the 2016 Trials? Is it that important? For one, I am already an Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier and will be for the rest of my life. This came to me when I recalled a conversation I had with a colleague at The Nature Conservancy back in 2009 or so. She qualified and ran in the 2008 Trials and I asked her if she was training to qualify for 2012. She looked at me sideways and said, "why would I do that? I have already achieved the goal of running in the Trials." Excellent point.<br />
<br />
The reason I want to shoot for that goal is because it is lofty and slightly out of my reach. This is how I achieved the OTQ in 2012. I started working toward it before I even broke 3 hours for the marathon and barely had 3 years of running under my belt. I like the challenge of having a lofty goal and will do everything I can to get fit enough to run it. Having such a lofty goal also means sacrifice. I need to spend a lot of time and energy focused on running and especially on recovery. So, I am trying to arrange my work and life this summer to allow for this. I see Chicago as my first attempt at the time but I will keep trying if I fall short. I would love to PR in the marathon at least and can definitely see myself doing that. <br />
<br />
I am enjoying my running much more now and have worked hard to run workouts at an effort level that is commensurate with my fitness level. Trying to shoehorn my workouts into paces that I think I should be running just harshes my world. I want to have fun running and let the fitness come as I build mileage, confidence and mitochondria.<br />
<br />
My journey to Chicago is underway. I promise to bring you regular updates along the way. And, as always, thanks for reading!Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-68706469020387202832015-03-02T16:49:00.000-08:002015-03-02T18:22:54.418-08:00Knowing when to fold 'em I dropped out of a marathon yesterday. It wasn't an easy decision and took me six miles to make. Of all distances to DNF (did not finish), I think the marathon is the toughest decision of all. So much work goes into preparing for 26.2 miles and to not get to test your fitness after months of hard work is very disappointing.<br />
<br />
I have dropped out of exactly three races in my career including yesterday's Napa Valley Marathon. I have also finished races that I probably should have dropped out of or not even started. The decision to stay or go is always a personal one and has to be one that you can live with.<br />
<br />
When I first started running, finishing every race was my main goal and I powered through lots of bad days to earn the finisher's medal. For better or worse, I became a competitive runner with a concomitant change in my perspective on racing. My lofty goals required a much more measured approach to these decisions about when to stay or go in a race. It wasn't until I became really, really injured that I understood the gravity of this decision when damaged body parts were on the line.<br />
<br />
Right after I qualified for the Olympic Trials at the Chicago Marathon in 2010, I was high as a kite and scheduled to run the Athens Marathon as part of the US Military Marathon Team only three weeks after Chicago. I had always been able to parlay my marathon fitness into multiple marathons without doing damage in the past and expected this to be no different. Two weeks post-Chicago, I was on a training run and started to feel a stabbing pain in my outer knee that was absolutely debilitating. I could not run. I kept trying, but this problem would not resolve. I decided that I would not miss the opportunity to run in Greece and represent the US in a World Championship race, and went ahead and ran Athens.<br />
<br />
The Athens course is brutal. Lots of uphill, but worse, the last 10k is all downhill. My knee was hurting from the first step and eventually went numb as I pounded downhill to the finish in the ancient Panathenaikos Stadium. My performance led the US team to a Gold medal and I absolutely cherish every bit of that experience. However, I had no way of knowing the cost of running that race injured. I paid for it with over 6 months of no running due to this injury. In some ways, I think that prolonged injury also set me up for a cycle of similar and serious injuries over the next several years as I came back (probably too quickly) to running only to get sidelined over and over.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7p8RPqhpfR3nPLlf1yJO7PDFQI2uVt6X3oO5awxN1zoQZLCzm0Ql7VjLD_ung1E2nUBmieszS_uQhKiKe2l8z8wgFVe0VgL3ENpaSzTipqYXccN3Asu23zWFCcQcnibcrDJ_3PjgIcY/s1600/IMG_0202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7p8RPqhpfR3nPLlf1yJO7PDFQI2uVt6X3oO5awxN1zoQZLCzm0Ql7VjLD_ung1E2nUBmieszS_uQhKiKe2l8z8wgFVe0VgL3ENpaSzTipqYXccN3Asu23zWFCcQcnibcrDJ_3PjgIcY/s1600/IMG_0202.JPG" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I got to meet Joanie in Athens!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QxWbvdEVFAYUtI41UndITUwZPh3dCihuVQ1ntg2EYLMi0MR9zb0Vg4ZxUX25A_Knz1FXjkWkcE6qPndafB3GC7M2w3LD66_kxBEg33VFwdkWVlFPf4TWdad6AvUM4TTll4St90LxsbY/s1600/IMG_0219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QxWbvdEVFAYUtI41UndITUwZPh3dCihuVQ1ntg2EYLMi0MR9zb0Vg4ZxUX25A_Knz1FXjkWkcE6qPndafB3GC7M2w3LD66_kxBEg33VFwdkWVlFPf4TWdad6AvUM4TTll4St90LxsbY/s1600/IMG_0219.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_4hhS_iT_x8hD5jzCCJ8lRxd0Y1My1GnlFC1tzJmguDKk5voHU3SGi7kIpYsI9f_xSnSyNwKq1PVn4DlZbUMSJimM3rMa6ZnaWEC80nUeX-y3LQ6KzrK4h0Z0JI4amrHx6-4sXc-1I70/s1600/IMG_0284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_4hhS_iT_x8hD5jzCCJ8lRxd0Y1My1GnlFC1tzJmguDKk5voHU3SGi7kIpYsI9f_xSnSyNwKq1PVn4DlZbUMSJimM3rMa6ZnaWEC80nUeX-y3LQ6KzrK4h0Z0JI4amrHx6-4sXc-1I70/s1600/IMG_0284.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gold Medal Team USA!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So, back to yesterday's race. I went into the race with nothing seriously wrong with my body. I made it through the heaviest training I had done in over 5 years and was actually patting myself on the back for keeping all the niggles that had popped up at bay. For over a year, I have had a constant and very active exchange of power going on between my left foot/leg and my right hamstring/glute. Sometimes, they both hurt, but most often one or the other is getting my attention. I have successfully trained through this with a combo of massage, rolling and targeted strength training. When it is really getting my attention, I am much more diligent about my treatment regimen. In this training cycle I was very aggressive early on in treating the imbalance and actually had both problems resolve completely. So, what did I do? I stopped doing my rehab. Yes, I know. This was stupid and contradicts what I tell the athletes that I coach. I am human too.<br />
<br />
My left foot was getting my attention more and more the last couple of weeks. I didn't pay much attention given that I was starting my taper and thought I'd have plenty of time to work it out before the marathon. That didn't really happen. I just hobbled around when I woke up and forgot about it as it loosened up throughout the day.<br />
<br />
So, yesterday, I was feeling good at the start. Everything had really gone very well aside from some unnecessary negative energy during race week that I couldn't seem to brush off. From the gun, I felt fine running with the lead women's pack: a couple of runners whom I really respect and was excited to race. I think it was around the two or three mile mark when my right leg started to feel weird. It was a soreness that ran from the glute down the outside to the lower leg. I thought this was just a stupid muscle tweak that is pretty typical early in a race. I thought it would go away. Instead, I started to lose power in that leg. I couldn't seem to push off. It became more and more work to keep up the pace and I started to drop back from the pack. I figured I would give this thing a few more miles and just see how it played out. It did not resolve and instead got worse. At this point, I started running through the decision tree of pros/cons and if/then scenarios. I had set goals for myself to make it to the starting line of this race and accomplished that. I had also set a goal to make it to the finish. How badly did I want that? Not enough to risk injury that would possibly sideline me for months and ruin any additional shot at qualifying for the Olympic Trials. Not worth the cost.<br />
<br />
Maybe even harder, was thinking of disappointing an entire group of runners that I had convinced to run the marathon and train with me as their coach, many of them running their first. While I could have "gutted it out" and made them proud of my courage through adversity, I decided I would rather show strength in character and make what for me was a harder decision to let this one go in favor of a bigger goal. I think this latter perspective is one that gets less play in a world where "no guts, no glory" reigns supreme. I want my athletes to push themselves while having respect for their bodies. Learning when to push hard and when to pull back requires maturity and wisdom. I can't ask this of my athletes if I am unwilling to set the example myself.<br />
<br />
As I hobbled out of bed this morning and felt like I had been hit by a Mack truck despite only having run 9 of the 26.2 miles yesterday, I knew my decision was the right one. I'll get back into my rehab regimen and be back on the roads in a few days. I haven't quite figured out what is next on my dance card but will certainly post about it as soon as I have a plan.<br />
<br />
Congratulations to all of the RunAwayFast and P2O Hot Pilates runners who completed the Napa Marathon yesterday. It was an amazing thrill to watch you accomplish your goals. I am so proud of all of you and grateful for having had the opportunity to train with you.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6NLHjGABhHgTwhP5rnNok7X31uZ20vL6x21OocByEPBqtL2MPRo_T2sVmg0_W2dUWG45jtT61-n4E7PYuWmVuKEx1HWdAwNlvaTyqVXUjH8dE6jNCAGYzugCsWkTthOxC-fu-199D9Y/s1600/10959487_10103403378084863_4701692917048534287_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6NLHjGABhHgTwhP5rnNok7X31uZ20vL6x21OocByEPBqtL2MPRo_T2sVmg0_W2dUWG45jtT61-n4E7PYuWmVuKEx1HWdAwNlvaTyqVXUjH8dE6jNCAGYzugCsWkTthOxC-fu-199D9Y/s1600/10959487_10103403378084863_4701692917048534287_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #545454; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><b> </b></span></span>Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-65814842920001155492015-02-14T16:26:00.000-08:002015-02-15T13:09:02.431-08:00Training update PLUS new gadgets and tools for training Since I have fallen behind in updating all of you, I am giving you one monster update with lots of exciting new information on some of the things I'm trying out right now to help with my training and recovery. I'm not even going to try to be brief because I am pretty excited about how I am feeling and don't want to skimp on the details. So, grab a beer, cup of joe or some kombucha and enjoy the ride!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nYR4hU332Q3rnLGWVwqF9BmfBK7bovD8dAsjrfnR9unn9Qq29WE-A8f92RQVF6wrM1IaI94g7lh1MoIbydVfyMgVLX_XJoT1nd7ptTcoW1ZX89AwLsJzmP14ehkA_tcEWoEEwzZp-Ac/s1600/IMG_5468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nYR4hU332Q3rnLGWVwqF9BmfBK7bovD8dAsjrfnR9unn9Qq29WE-A8f92RQVF6wrM1IaI94g7lh1MoIbydVfyMgVLX_XJoT1nd7ptTcoW1ZX89AwLsJzmP14ehkA_tcEWoEEwzZp-Ac/s1600/IMG_5468.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jed Smith 30k 1st female!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
1. <b>Training update. </b>The most important news is that I am still on track to run the Napa Marathon on 1 March. This is huge for me given the fits and starts I've had training for marathons and not running them over the last 12 months. The heavy lifting of my marathon training is now behind me, and I have a taper ahead. I have done the biggest workouts of my life in this training cycle (think 10 mile tempo runs within 22 milers and 15+ miles at marathon pace) and they have gone well for the most part. I have raced twice this cycle. The first was a half marathon at the beginning of February where I had a disappointing performance. I was really hoping for a good race, but my body was not cooperating. I had that feeling of breathing easily while my legs were stuck in thick mud. The following weekend, I ran a local 30k quasi-trail race as a workout and that went really well. I started out around 7:00-7:30 pace for the first couple of miles, cruised the middle 14 miles at ~6:20-6:30 pace and cooled down the last 1-2 miles. I won the women's race, set a 30k PR and the course record by 4 minutes. <br />
<br />
The best part of this training cycle is that I feel great. I recovered from my surgery in December and am finally back to excellent health. Though I have had a bad race and a couple of off workouts, for the most part I feel amazing. I actually feel somewhat undertrained to be honest. I don't have the typical total body fatigue that I generally associate with marathon training. My mileage peaked at 80 mpw about 2 weeks ago and I've averaged around 70 for the last 12 weeks. I have also been doing around 3-6 hours of strength and core training each week. I should be tired, but I am not. I have been smart about taking rest when I need it--sometimes delaying workouts when I am feeling really off or even skipping them (did that twice this cycle).<br />
<br />
On a fashion note: If you see me flying around in cute running shorts and brightly colored tops (as in the picture above), I am most likely wearing clothes from a company called <a href="http://runjanji.com/"><b>Janji</b></a>. I appreciate this company because they have found a way to combine two things I really love: running and environmental protection. They make super cute, high quality running clothes and give back to society by funding individual projects that provide clean water to people around the world. Their colorful clothing and beautiful designs represent the various countries where they are funding projects. I love the idea that some of the money I spend on running clothes (and it is a lot!) doesn't just go to making big companies richer but that it goes to a cause that I can really stand behind. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHd7qX9Gm7u9anaaY69ErZQ-jMndNv6CYzxAnimXXPzvBoRQrlUw94Lxtt7rHKjLa2Kezfwm1yIUwjFytcrwFt7TN3uAgbxZ8plI4GO-YK2cB1POxy-wLP0I0fIBwlx8GV4La88psRzvs/s1600/rightblock1image_copy_07ee5f1a-fe8b-4a8c-881f-d53eb9c984c0+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHd7qX9Gm7u9anaaY69ErZQ-jMndNv6CYzxAnimXXPzvBoRQrlUw94Lxtt7rHKjLa2Kezfwm1yIUwjFytcrwFt7TN3uAgbxZ8plI4GO-YK2cB1POxy-wLP0I0fIBwlx8GV4La88psRzvs/s1600/rightblock1image_copy_07ee5f1a-fe8b-4a8c-881f-d53eb9c984c0+2.png" /></a></div>
2.<a href="http://www.enduropacks.com/"> <b>EnduroP<span id="goog_776905687"></span><span id="goog_776905688"></span>acks. </b></a>This product or rather supplement regimen may be part of the reason I am feeling so good. I read about it on another runner's blog and began looking into it. I was bothered by the fact that the only reviews of the product I could find were all reviews from people who had been given the product free to try in exchange for a review. All of the reviews were so good, that I was very skeptical. As a coach I am always searching for new products to recommend to my athletes but not until I have tested them myself. So, I ordered a 60 day supply and have been following the regimen the last 2 months. This isn't a single supplement but an actual regimen you have to use every day. It includes taking a liquid multi-vitamin, which is actually really tasty. There's an electrolyte spray that you put in your water during workouts, though I do it after. There's an amino acid patch that you put on your skin right after your workout and finally glutamine capsules that you take every night before bed. This is a commitment, to be sure, but I have been really good about following it. Most of the reviews I read mentioned the quicker recovery time that they experienced when they started on the regimen. As I said, I have been feeling amazing and obviously recovering really well from some very tough workouts including a lot of extra strength and mobility work. I feel strongly enough about this product that I will continue to take it after Napa despite the somewhat hefty price tag. If it is contributing to how good I feel, it is absolutely worth the cost and extra effort. <br />
<br />
<b>3. <a href="https://www.fitbit.com/surge">Fitbit Surge</a>.</b> I love my Garmin 620 for tracking my running workouts, but I wanted something that would track my non-running activities: enter, the Fitbit Surge. This device has an optical HR monitor that tracks your HR at your wrist so no chest strap is required! I have worn both a chest strap and the Surge and the readings are almost identical. I wear the Surge all day and night to track everything I do, including running, strength work, hot pilates, hot yoga, and even my sleep habits. There are so many things I like about having this information. I have become acutely aware of just how few calories I burn in a day. This was a bit of a surprise to me. I had always used standard activity trackers to estimate calorie burn, but I am finding they are way off. For example, I am consistently finding that I burn about 60-70 calories per mile when I run depending on my HR. I used to think it was 80-90. That's an overestimate of 400 calories burned for a 20 mile run. I was most disappointed with how few calories I burn in strength training classes. In an hour of hot pilates, I burn 175 calories. I burn 400 calories in 90 minutes of bikram yoga. I burn about 150 calories in a kettlebells class. I wanted to believe that this was an underestimate at first because these values were so low. However, it actually makes sense given how low my HR is in these classes. Anytime I lay down, regardless of what I am doing, my HR plunges below 90 and stays there. The point of taking these classes is to gain strength and not necessarily to burn calories of course, so it is somewhat of a geeky novelty to know the numbers. I wanted to believe that the numbers were artificially low for some reason, but the next paragraph explains why I don't think that's true any longer. <br />
<br />
The fitbit app and website make it really easy to track my food intake and the device measures my calorie burn via the HR monitor coupled with some equation that includes my height, weight and age. While calorie tracking is wholly inaccurate, I have found that I am able to maintain my weight by taking in roughly the same amount of calories as the Fitbit says I am burning each day. It's kind of crazy how well it works.<br />
<br />
One last note about the Fitbit: it has GPS and I have found it to be very accurate, so I often wear it instead of my Garmin on my non-workout running days. A feature that I wasn't sure I would like is text and phone call notifications. I actually really do like it. If my phone is nearby, the watch shows incoming calls and will display text messages. I can also control the music on my iphone from the watch when I have it with me.<br />
<br />
<b>4. Racing Weight. </b>Long time readers know that this is a subject I have blogged about before. Getting down to my ideal racing weight is always a struggle for me and I have the disadvantage of being larger than the average quasi-elite endurance athlete, as I outweigh most of the elite men's field at any given marathon. I had my body fat tested today. I like to calibrate my home scale which uses bioimpedance and, while inaccurate, is precise enough for me to track trends over time. I went to a place called <a href="http://www.beweightless.com/"><b>Weightless</b></a> here in Sacramento because they have a BodPod. I've done hydrostatic testing before, but why get dunked in a tank of water and feel like you're drowning when you can sit in an egg and stay comfortable and dry? The accuracy of the two are comparable and the price was too ($50). My body fat is 10%. While that seems low for a lady, it's actually pretty normal for me just before a marathon. What it tells me is that I have done a good job reducing my body fat but that it's about as low as I can go. I only have 13 lbs of it, after all. I have definitely gained muscle mass with the strength training I'm doing and, while I probably have more upper body muscle than I really need, muscle is what counts for a marathoner. It stores glycogen and will carry me to the finish line. Fat is just dead weight. So, I am very happy with my body composition going into this race. I am slightly heavier but as lean as I was heading into my PR marathon in 2010.<br />
<br />
I have worked really hard these last couple of months to achieve this leanness. I always run slightly lean, but I know from my home scale that I have lost about 2% body fat over that time period. In case anyone cares, I have a Tanita Ironman Innerscan scale (model BC-554) at home. It read 14% body fat this morning, so that shows the difference in accuracy. Again, for me it does a nice job of showing change over time and that's what matters. While I am doing more strength training than I have in the past, I find leanness begins and ends in the kitchen, or so they say. I cut out all alcohol over two months ago. I have tried to limit my sweets, though that is a constant struggle for me. I pretty much eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch, every single day and then I have been trying out some different options for dinner to try to keep it healthy. In tracking my food intake, I find that I consume about 60-65% of my daily calories in carbs. My protein intake is around 15% and my fat intake around 20-25%.<br />
<br />
I subscribed to something called<b> <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thefresh20.com%2F&ei=Nd3fVPDaEc-zoQTZqILwBA&usg=AFQjCNGxBOVgrSu0jTU88JfL69rstwWZYw&sig2=oFm3luRSWs8mlwVI2lQnuw&bvm=bv.85970519,d.cGU">the Fresh20</a></b> which is a meal planning website that posts a dinner plan each week. It includes 5 meals that feed a family of 4, a grocery shopping list of the 20 fresh (get it?) ingredients that you'll use in those recipes and then fairly simple instructions on how to prepare each meal. We have liked almost every meal we've made and I really like that we rarely throw food out now because we are planning everything in advance. I realized that one of the main reasons I wasn't eating a healthy dinner was due to a failure to plan. With this, I have everything planned for me. I just buy the ingredients on Sunday and then do a little prep each night. The meals generally take 30 minutes to prepare, with a few taking less and more. This has absolutely improved my eating habits and I think I paid $24 for a year's subscription. Cheap. <br />
<br />
<b>5. Heart Rate Variability (HRV).</b> HRV monitoring is a relatively new training tool I've added to my arsenal, so I still consider it to be in the testing phase. However, it has already proven to be really useful to my training. HRV is designed to assess the effects of stress on your body. It is measured as the time gap between your heart beats that varies during respiration. In general, high HRV levels mean you are in good health and have a high level of fitness while decreased levels indicate higher levels of stress, fatigue and burnout. This is a simple thing to measure from a users' perspective. I slip on a bluetooth HR strap (Polar) first thing after I get up in the morning and open up an app that takes my HRV reading from 1 to 3 minutes. Simple. The app then interprets the data and gives me a reading. A single reading is not that useful because you need a baseline so that your readings can be compared to one another over time. The key to getting good data is to be consistent: take a daily reading at the exact same time (not clock time but as soon as you wake).<br />
<br />
I have been taking my HRV reading using 3 different apps: a major pain but for the sake of Science! I have found<b> <a href="http://www.myithlete.com/">ithlete</a> </b>to be the best. There are two reasons I like this app/web-based program. First, it is the easiest to use. The app always recognizes my HR strap within seconds of opening it and only needs a 60-second reading. The other apps (Sweetbeats and EliteHRV) require a 3 minute reading. Sweetbeats never reads my HR strap on the first try, which is a pain. The other reason I like ithlete is for the user interface, especially the web-based tools. They have created a chart that uses Z-scoring to plot a value that incorporates your activation levels (think of it as energy levels) and recovery levels over time. The more readings you have, the better your baseline and the more useful the information will be. They have shaded quadrants on this chart that indicate where you are in terms of readiness to train.<br />
<br />
There are so many cool things to say about this that I may devote an entire post to it once I have more readings and have played with it for a while. The usefulness of it is only as good as the amount of information you put in. You can use the chart to help guide your training in terms of knowing what days you are best suited to the most difficult workouts. You can use the information to help figure out what types of training (strength, yoga, intervals, endurance runs) tend to require more or less recovery. But, perhaps the most useful aspect is in better understanding how other aspects of your life such as stress from work and personal relationships or even stress reduction via meditation or relaxation change your recovery/activation profile. I see this as the biggest issue facing non-pro athletes: they often think they can partition their stress into bins of work/family/training. But, <i>stress</i> is <i>stress</i> to the body. We like to think of exercise as being good for us but it is absolutely a stress on the body. The good part comes when we allow enough rest to recovery and let the body adapt and get stronger. If we can't get that rest and relaxation because we are stressing our systems in all aspects of our lives, then we have to rethink our approach to training and living in order to achieve our athletic goals.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgom89bd6c_KC8UKcBFHByuae1dUS5P6a__fRss6c1_NlWX6e6V5G2D5p8XTcRqz73PAomyvD7RzWfB1d-FD_AS8A4Qmvgx2DoHxo18ghcqMu4QC_KGWGV_0BXRMXydZEZfJ2eXP7ifwuY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-12+at+10.20.09+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgom89bd6c_KC8UKcBFHByuae1dUS5P6a__fRss6c1_NlWX6e6V5G2D5p8XTcRqz73PAomyvD7RzWfB1d-FD_AS8A4Qmvgx2DoHxo18ghcqMu4QC_KGWGV_0BXRMXydZEZfJ2eXP7ifwuY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-02-12+at+10.20.09+AM.png" height="286" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My HRV chart from the ithlete Pro website</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This chart shows my HRV readings for about 2 weeks. There are a cluster of readings up in the left hand quadrant of the chart indicating that I was stressed out and had lower recovery. This was around the time I ran that half marathon. I was also preparing for a really important presentation and was not getting enough sleep. So, the HRV readings during that time just confirmed what my body told me during the race. Since then, my readings have all been in the normal to exceptional range and my workouts have been stellar. I have been sleeping a lot more, cutting back on the heavy strength training and meditating. This is not a free app, but I have found it worth the price so far. I believe the iPhone app cost me $10 and I pay a $5/month fee to use the website (first few weeks were free). <br />
<br />
<b>6. Meditation. </b>Back in 2010, I was really struggling with the mental side of my running and found some wonderful tools on the interwebs to help me. I downloaded a few mp3 tracks of what I was calling hypnosis but now know is actually guided meditation. I posted about the first exciting experience I had using guided mediation in my marathon training <a href="http://runawayfastjaymee.blogspot.com/2010/09/24253.html"><b>here</b></a>. That was truly extraordinary. Meditation has made its way back into my life through the wonderful studio I am part of called <a href="http://www.hotpilatessacramento.com/">P2O Hot Pilates</a>. They offer a guided meditation class each week and then daily open meditation times first thing in the morning a few days per week. After taking my first class with Nick Anicich, I knew this practice would help me in my running. I started one-on-one coaching with Nick a few weeks ago and it is definitely helping my running. I am learning to focus on my breathing, refocus my thoughts quickly when monkey brain sets in and generally lessen the stress of my life so I can recover. The added bonus is that this practice is spilling over into other parts of my life too. I am such a novice at this point, but I know I will get better at it with time, just like so many other things.<br />
<br />
<b>7. Carb depletion and loading. </b>So, my coach Jack Daniels recommended I try a carbohydrate depletion and loading regime for Napa. I know other marathoners who swear by this approach to carb loading and have had some fantastic performances after employing it. To be honest, it freaks me out. Here's how it goes. You do a carb depleting workout on the Sunday before your marathon and then start eating 90% of your daily calories as fat and protein on Monday. You do this through Wednesday and then on Thursday switch to eating 90% carbs through Saturday. The idea is that your body becomes highly glycogen depleted by Wednesday and then supercompensates the next 3 days when you add carbs back to the diet. Because glycogen depletion is one of the main reasons marathoners slow at the end of the race, I am told this particular regimen is only effective at this distance. There are risks to doing this including bloating, feeling like complete dog poop by Wedensday and increased potential for sickness in the week before the marathon. Jack's final words on this were, "at least you can blame me if it doesn't work." I will need every advantage possible in this race, so I am going for it. I will try to keep track of what I eat and how I feel so I can report back to all of you. <br />
<br />
Okay, I believe that is enough for now. Thanks for reading and please feel free to comment or ask questions! <br />
<br />
<br />Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-16400024915276009192014-12-27T00:42:00.000-08:002014-12-29T10:21:35.592-08:00Top 10 lessons in 10 years of runningIn all the craziness of this past year, I forgot that 2014 marks my 10 year running anniversary. I started running in August 2004 and ran my first marathon that December. I walked through every aid station and had the time of my life in that marathon. I remember celebrating every mile over 20 because it was the farthest I had run in my entire life. I qualified for the Boston Marathon in that first marathon and was told that this indicated I might have some talent. I'm glad I have continued to run and push the limits of my training to see how fast and strong I can become.<br />
<br />
I have learned a ton over the last 10 years and have chronicled about half of that in this blog. I decided to try to summarize some of the top lessons in this post in countdown fashion.<br />
<br />
<b>Lesson 10. </b>Know your weaknesses.<b> </b><br />
<br />
Acknowledge them, but don't beat yourself up about them. These may be cravings that keep you from making your goal weight for your big race or mental weaknesses that crop up every time you do a tempo workout. I have found that it helps to face these things and figure out ways to deal with them. One thing I like to do is remind myself of the bigger goal. Say I am craving that bag of <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPH0bZcTDP0MAfWa1vrLyRiZ5ORYkpOs7jOqAzFV4Hz6QbSN5IkukDZvxYH645XzP4cTF4kIppyShX2Cp8yXQz4u5fDs3y05sXV1ytTzxcv5wffRM64Nnywp-YvG22ZX8J5ZtQTR3hqXw/s1600/lindtchocolate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPH0bZcTDP0MAfWa1vrLyRiZ5ORYkpOs7jOqAzFV4Hz6QbSN5IkukDZvxYH645XzP4cTF4kIppyShX2Cp8yXQz4u5fDs3y05sXV1ytTzxcv5wffRM64Nnywp-YvG22ZX8J5ZtQTR3hqXw/s1600/lindtchocolate.jpg" height="200" width="188" /></a></div>
Lindt candies sitting out on the counter (this would be a real craving, btw). When I reach a point in my work where I want a distraction and can't stop thinking about the candies, I will make myself wait 10 minutes and during that 10 minutes review my racing weight goal. I don't tell myself how horrible a person I am or how fat I will be if I eat those wonderful chocolates, I just try to delay the action and remember why I care about not eating the chocolate. It isn't fool proof, but it mostly works, especially if I do this often. For that dreaded tempo workout, I often have trouble just getting out the door. Once I'm rolling, it doesn't seem to be a problem. So, I try to find ways to get myself out running without thinking about the tough workout I have planned. I often make a running date with someone for an early morning run and run the warm up with them. Since I'm already out there, it is easier to just roll into the workout. <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Lesson 9. </b>Chunk it up.<br />
<br />
I decided early on in my marathoning career (at the age of 38!) that I wanted to try to qualify for the <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuSh70hBl9q62MrSJQ1Xykv5xtOytAKvjqfPlnB6W3ceH7jEU1-i6J6xRQd7V7CYonSWaGsTGH8HvnmDQIpnxi6TT6X6qFevspwt0UfF04Wm9xRyaRC2UvDJp5-UjvwiSkqMF-1EUmlhs/s1600/IMG_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuSh70hBl9q62MrSJQ1Xykv5xtOytAKvjqfPlnB6W3ceH7jEU1-i6J6xRQd7V7CYonSWaGsTGH8HvnmDQIpnxi6TT6X6qFevspwt0UfF04Wm9xRyaRC2UvDJp5-UjvwiSkqMF-1EUmlhs/s1600/IMG_0007.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CIM '04. Walking thru <br />
the aid stations!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Olympic Trials (OT). I was a 3:20 marathoner at the time. Rather than be overwhelmed by the massive gulf between my then marathon PR and what I needed to run (a difference of more than 30 minutes!) I decided to chunk it up. That is what I call breaking it down into smaller, bite sized chunks: something I can fit in my mouth and digest. I first set a goal to run a 5k race at the goal marathon pace I needed to get the OT qualifier (6:22 pace at the time). Then, I ran a 10k at that pace, and a 10 miler and half marathon. This took about 5 years. Over that period of time, the standard changed from 2:48 to 2:46, so I had to adjust my pace goals for my races, but I was finally able to take a shot at running an entire marathon at that goal pace. It took me two tries once I was ready to run that pace, but I finally did it in 2010. I use this same approach in workouts and races. It's a simple way of making a big hairy goal doable. <br />
<br />
<b>Lesson 8. </b>Run with people (and dogs) that you like.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9dtuCTr565N2epD_XAwCjUJtTJVHbHKBFaDKDeQSelZUeE_ixO9Newjqs5E68W_UERD4N2BTmcZJ_86DluwxZQawbnVedl8WxieMRznrPq81FOf6I-pCau_wyfz6qG0jCtrmInrrFfs/s1600/IMG_4149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9dtuCTr565N2epD_XAwCjUJtTJVHbHKBFaDKDeQSelZUeE_ixO9Newjqs5E68W_UERD4N2BTmcZJ_86DluwxZQawbnVedl8WxieMRznrPq81FOf6I-pCau_wyfz6qG0jCtrmInrrFfs/s1600/IMG_4149.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My running crew</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This one might actually be more of a life lesson, but somehow it really sunk in for me once I became a runner. I spend a lot of time running, and I like to run with people for most of it. Well, to be truthful, I really like to run with my dogs, and I treat them like people, so that counts too. I run with a variety of people but they all have one thing in common: I feel good when I run with them. We may not run the same pace all the time, but I try to be respectful of their paces when they need a recovery day and then (politely) excuse myself when I need to run a faster workout. I have made some terrific friends through running, but I have also had to let a few go because they didn't make me feel so good. Of course, I met the Genius through running, and will be forever grateful for that. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Lesson 7. </b>Be a good sport.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_4hhS_iT_x8hD5jzCCJ8lRxd0Y1My1GnlFC1tzJmguDKk5voHU3SGi7kIpYsI9f_xSnSyNwKq1PVn4DlZbUMSJimM3rMa6ZnaWEC80nUeX-y3LQ6KzrK4h0Z0JI4amrHx6-4sXc-1I70/s1600/IMG_0284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_4hhS_iT_x8hD5jzCCJ8lRxd0Y1My1GnlFC1tzJmguDKk5voHU3SGi7kIpYsI9f_xSnSyNwKq1PVn4DlZbUMSJimM3rMa6ZnaWEC80nUeX-y3LQ6KzrK4h0Z0JI4amrHx6-4sXc-1I70/s1600/IMG_0284.JPG" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">US wins gold in World Mil. Marathon Championships! <br />
Athens, 2010.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This refers back to Lesson 8, actually. I refuse to run with people that are disrespectful to me or make me feel badly. I think my tolerance for acceptable behavior has narrowed as I have gotten older. I value my time too much to turn something that I love like running into a negative emotional cistern. The "one steppers" and runners that can't run a workout without trying to "beat" everyone are just not acceptable training partners to me any longer. Instead, I look forward to spending time with my running partners. I also love the camaraderie that running offers through team membership and competition. I have competed as a member of the Impala Racing Team for the past 6 years and was a member of the US Air Force Military Marathon Team for a few years at the end of my military career. What on the surface seems like an individual effort or accomplishment becomes so much more meaningful when it is run as part of a team. <br />
<br />
<b>Lesson 6.</b> It's okay to be slightly undertrained but don't overtrain.<br />
<br />
If you want to accomplish big things in your running, you need to push your physical and mental limits. I had the good fortune of being able to train and race hard for 6 years straight without a running injury. I had wonderful coaching during those first 6 years to attribute some of that to, but I also think I was lucky. When I had my first brush with injury, I was pushing my limits. I was clearly overtrained and needed to back off. My coach was sending me messages in <b>bold type</b> with exclamation points telling me to stop!!!!!! I remember telling her that I wanted to know my limits. I felt like I wouldn't know how far I could push myself until I had gone too far. Luckily, that injury only took me out of action for a month or so and I was able to cross train like a maniac to stay fit. I ran my OT qualifier 6 months later. While injury was an important thing for me to experience as a runner and as a coach, it has continued to be a partner in my running since that first injury.<br />
<br />
One of my coaches used to tell me that it is better to go into a marathon slightly undertrained than overtrained, and I don't think I really understood that until I overcooked myself a few times. Recovery from overtraining takes FOREVER! Even if you have a good race, if you trained really, really hard and went into the race slightly overtrained, you can take 6 months or more to recover from the damage of that training cycle. This is okay I think when you're trying to do something big like qualify for an important race or run a big PR. However, you need to understand the sacrifice you're making when you cross that line. I do everything I can to try to keep the athletes I coach from overtraining. I know from experience now that you are much better off being able to train consistently over a longer period of time than throwing everything you have into one training cycle and going for broke. Overtraining doesn't just occur as a result of too much running, either. It is affected by so many other aspects of our lives including life stress, lack of sleep and even excessive strength and cross training. You only have one body and all of these things add stress to it. The key to becoming a stronger and faster runner is to cycle stress and recovery in a way that is anabolic rather than catabolic over time. You can easily become overtrained off of a relatively low volume of running if the other stresses in your life are too great and your body cannot recover. <br />
<br />
<b>Lesson 5. </b>Know your body.<br />
<br />
One of the first important lessons I learned about my running body was that I needed more iron than the average bear. I ran for 3 years, slowly depleting my iron stores until one day, my body just <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2odFyC_WZ23c6URMZFhKiOBVbXscNdHVUCDiUooEqZHW03ePjMjc_xTTex8jOf_lOFj7N7CXg3G3-kpHSn1uBRYixUjTU92aDJtZmCl8zExYrMh57owbm8MG-WTGbscjZLYFQDwncV0/s1600/photo-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2odFyC_WZ23c6URMZFhKiOBVbXscNdHVUCDiUooEqZHW03ePjMjc_xTTex8jOf_lOFj7N7CXg3G3-kpHSn1uBRYixUjTU92aDJtZmCl8zExYrMh57owbm8MG-WTGbscjZLYFQDwncV0/s1600/photo-2.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I heart iron</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
wouldn't move any longer. I was lucky to have a coach at the time who recognized my symptoms and suggested I get my iron stores tested. They were non-existent. What I have learned about my body since then is that, if I don't take iron daily in the liquid form with a vitamin C chaser, I can't keep up with the iron I lose in training and everyday life. That was important to know. I have also spent a lot of time trying to figure out what helps me recover most quickly; what fueling concoction keeps me going in races and workouts; what shoes work best; how I feel under different taper regimens; and on and on. I have found that the best way to quickly figure things out is to pay attention and take good notes. I keep track of a lot of "stuff" in my running log: how I feel in my workouts, what supplements I took; how much strength training I did; what hurt that day; what I thought about the workout; what shoes I wore and how many miles they had on them; etc. Maybe this is too much stuff for most people, but I find it immensely useful when something goes awry and I need answers. I keep a Google spreadsheet with formulas and fancy calculators, but I also like writing in a training journal. I like to say that the spreadsheet is for my left brain and the journal feeds my right. Even with all of this information, I know when I need to cut it out. I know when a pain is no longer something I should run through and when a cold has become more than just a nuisance. These are things you learn about your body over time. There is no substitute for experience. <br />
<br />
<b>Lesson 4. </b>Build a team of body workers.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjadmDMbFP0Q8IM4jZREN93q62jnjWrl_jxGouuapqd3z1JGHVqcruox2HmgNGAtp3Cr_hxqEhN-pSWPvO5bOiDW_10Y7WJH3LIFr9NIaT2DP23XWtFJnT6vyxFBSHmI-ZshThhZpDwA/s1600/IMG_4105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjadmDMbFP0Q8IM4jZREN93q62jnjWrl_jxGouuapqd3z1JGHVqcruox2HmgNGAtp3Cr_hxqEhN-pSWPvO5bOiDW_10Y7WJH3LIFr9NIaT2DP23XWtFJnT6vyxFBSHmI-ZshThhZpDwA/s1600/IMG_4105.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doc Ball's handy work.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have learned a lot about my body and why it does the bad things that it does from a group of awesome practitioners that have helped fix me over the years. During my first 6 running years, I had some little niggles here and there and found a few good local practitioners to keep me on the roads. In 2010, I became seriously broken and I cycled through the local practitioners until, eventually, none of them could help me. I then wandered to the Arizona desert and found Dr. John Ball. I spent over a week in his care and came out running pain free. What Dr. Ball wasn't able to do was keep me from making stupid mistakes with my training. I spent the better part of 2010-2012 injured on and off, making the same training mistakes over and over. I have been back to see Dr. Ball twice more with similar positive outcomes, but he is in Arizona and I am in California. I am not a professional athlete and can't afford the trip to Arizona, so I have worked to develop a team of local practitioners that help keep me on the road. I have learned something really valuable from each person I have worked with over the years. On my last trip to see Dr. Ball he gave me hip mobility exercises and glute strengthening exercises to keep me out of trouble and they have worked! I also roll my legs with a lacrosse ball and <a href="https://evofitforlife.com/ens%C5%8D-roller-muscle-roller">this tool</a> regularly and get a massage from Jen Walker at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/CMT-Sports-Therapy/166581940022085">CMT Sports Therapy</a> every 2-3 weeks. When I start to feel something a bit more serious crop up, I have learned to rest it and get it worked on right away. <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Lesson 3. </b>Believe in yourself.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy189vNamMdm2Xi32qwMVnUXTBBEqAu7SHT1rQUfhGJVfLjYwxdH9L4vdANlE2eRgVFWYidip946kimOK8_-SLLVzaf0ND7pUuj0LQwGwrsu0QdKpywW8oMxQp5EfRFmPGMOc0Y2xcOUY/s1600/Hugs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy189vNamMdm2Xi32qwMVnUXTBBEqAu7SHT1rQUfhGJVfLjYwxdH9L4vdANlE2eRgVFWYidip946kimOK8_-SLLVzaf0ND7pUuj0LQwGwrsu0QdKpywW8oMxQp5EfRFmPGMOc0Y2xcOUY/s1600/Hugs.jpg" height="200" width="142" /></a>So much of our running success is mental rather than physical. We are learning more every single day about the complexities of mind and body and how to maximize our training to benefit both. In some ways, it was so much simpler back when I was new to running. I was constantly improving and learning new things to apply to my training. It seemed like everything I did helped me PR in the next race. I PR'd for years in every distance, well, until I didn't. I not only became injured, chronically, but I found both my physical and mental limits. While injury is a physical manifestation of overtraining, I think the mental aspect is the hardest part to take. You're this runner person who thrives on thrashing your body with these ridiculously hard workouts and are used to watching it bounce back, ready for more. Then one day, your body says no. Not gonna let you do that again. I'm gonna hurt. I'm gonna<br />
hurt for a few weeks. In fact, if you try to do that again, I 'm gonna hurt a lot worse, maybe not even let you walk. The emotional roller coaster ride is obnoxious as hell and you start to lose faith in your ability to run fast ever again. I have watched runners succumb to this and never recover. But there are also many great examples of runners who continued to believe in their ability to come back and end up running even faster and stronger. It is that fundamental belief in yourself that keeps you going when you face the worst. I have experienced the worst health issues of my life in the last year and have begun to train for and had to stop training for 4 marathons in that time because of it. Giving up is always such an easy answer, and I really wanted to at the worst of times. But, I have this megaphone in my ear telling me that I can run faster than I ever have if everything comes together and I believe that. I think back to that 3:20 marathoner who wanted to run in the Olympic Trials. I made that happen. I worked hard and I believed. I can do the same now and so can you. <br />
<br />
<b>Lesson 2. </b>Get a coach.<br />
<br />
I have been fortunate to have some wonderful coaches over the years. I tried the self coaching thing for a very short time and realized that I am prone to running myself into the ground without the guidance of a neutral third party to point out how silly some of my ideas are. I like having a plan to follow and someone to bounce ideas off of. I do believe I have learned enough at this point to know that I need to first and foremost listen to my body and take a conservative approach to my training. However, I will always have that drive to want to do more and a good coach tempers that. I am currently coached by Jack Daniels through the <a href="http://runsmartproject.com/coaching/">Run S.M.A.R.T Project</a> and feel very lucky to have his guidance. I have not been injured in over a year though I have had some serious health issues, as I mentioned in Lesson 3 and have written about profusely for about a year. Despite those health issues, I have been able to keep training and am so excited to finally get to finish a marathon training plan and race in March at the Napa Valley Marathon! To be honest, at this point, I don't much care what the time outcome of that race is. For me, getting in a quality block of marathon training and running a strong race are my goals. That doesn't mean I'm not going to go for it and try to qualify for the Olympic Trials if I feel as though my training justifies that, but for now, I feel grateful to be training consistently and feeling good. <br />
<br />
<b>Lesson 1. </b>Don't give up on your dreams.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33n2RIAdTjvr9QScUy1hgx227-cKd1OSuVJRTcq-yaoMj1I7wc1f5uvXOCIb6gmgC7J4nPW0bW99r1cmt0IZrDIrn2wbxG3SUDF6tYXl-_A9eTzTxnnY45xi5lvLvQ1iPpgXCgeyplyY/s1600/IMG_1721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33n2RIAdTjvr9QScUy1hgx227-cKd1OSuVJRTcq-yaoMj1I7wc1f5uvXOCIb6gmgC7J4nPW0bW99r1cmt0IZrDIrn2wbxG3SUDF6tYXl-_A9eTzTxnnY45xi5lvLvQ1iPpgXCgeyplyY/s1600/IMG_1721.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
If you made it to this final lesson, I hope you can see that they all tie back to this one. Sometimes the pathway to my dreams seems to be paved with excuses and the faces of a few ugly people who want me to fail. However, when I can see my dream and really believe in myself, those things are simply small pebbles in the path and I can easily step over them (or crush their faces under my feet!). The foundation of the path includes the hard training that I have put in over the years and everything I have learned about myself. It includes the hardships I have faced and overcome as well as the stories of others who have accomplished amazing things in their lives. It includes my huge support system--those people (and animals) that help me on a daily basis to keep moving forward, one chunk at a time. If I choose to focus on the larger goals and the positive, then the dream remains alive.<br />
<br />
Keep the dream alive people!!! Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-84908132890624914782014-11-10T18:05:00.001-08:002014-11-10T18:05:21.456-08:00For Sadie Pants<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLRnIL9DffXf4BaH6KKvO86ItW6R_vw6_zJGRdd714VBcQ_RW70_Mcgl7mjofSlcpPLMTf4TAFx1LF5Y6iL1amtyNgxrfwwHivsGKbxAr0HV58z04_u9SGw2hW5-Oz_lRrtzNZaWa2CH4/s1600/AUT_4437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLRnIL9DffXf4BaH6KKvO86ItW6R_vw6_zJGRdd714VBcQ_RW70_Mcgl7mjofSlcpPLMTf4TAFx1LF5Y6iL1amtyNgxrfwwHivsGKbxAr0HV58z04_u9SGw2hW5-Oz_lRrtzNZaWa2CH4/s1600/AUT_4437.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sadie Pants Marty. 2001-2014</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I had always thought that animals come into our lives somewhat randomly. We go to the pound or look at pictures on a website and choose them almost arbitrarily. Someone once told me that they thought animals chose us, and the animals that I've had the good fortune to share my life with have made me a believer. </div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcR22j6MgUWpiMNj4pHerTB6XbNFnnT1UF7rLZjzYFwb62c1pFgYHbZbqFOdTOGkFXphPQpjUq8aaalVr_I7wKu6IRjSqcjZ0q1WdR8woPEFp-Umc77gLghxkDOHebkOUZtSYJVgpEHgs/s1600/cutiepie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcR22j6MgUWpiMNj4pHerTB6XbNFnnT1UF7rLZjzYFwb62c1pFgYHbZbqFOdTOGkFXphPQpjUq8aaalVr_I7wKu6IRjSqcjZ0q1WdR8woPEFp-Umc77gLghxkDOHebkOUZtSYJVgpEHgs/s1600/cutiepie.JPG" height="320" width="269" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sadie, aka Hope, 2001</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sadie was named Hope when I first found her on the internet in 2001. I think these were the days of the cable modem, so it took a concerted effort on my part to hunt her down. She was from a bad part of Modesto and part of a large litter. Her SPCA picture captivated me, but it was the actual meeting of this little butterball that convinced me she was the one for me, even as her brothers and sisters tried very hard to convince me they were the better choice. The name Hope didn't seem to fit, though I now see the beauty in it. I named her after lyrics in a Dr. Dre song I was listening to on the drive home: "...and get to mackin with this bitch named Sadie, she used to be the homeboy's lady." It stuck.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sadie enjoyed a long life of adventure. I lived in Knights Landing, CA when I first got her and she had a large yard and acres and acres of farmland to cruise around on our daily walks. She developed a hatred for chickens after she was terrorized by the mean-as-shit roosters that the previous tenants had left behind at the house I was renting. Many chickens would be sacrificed for those roosters' hijinx. I hope never again in my life to ask someone, "how can I reimburse you for your chicken?" </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sadie had many companions over the years. She loved kitties. Well, she ate a few too, but she loved </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGH8ZltzpAJifVLa4mxLSkEn7fU1vwUALezRBFlTg9EQBk8AsVvjWB_wnBqU-RALzG6WcqKyg-1JPdb8AfOqJO52voITIjJJ87EowtQrUj5lgh1H3B4OlqBBs_50RJAfucrJ-iXYAGAVU/s1600/dogme.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGH8ZltzpAJifVLa4mxLSkEn7fU1vwUALezRBFlTg9EQBk8AsVvjWB_wnBqU-RALzG6WcqKyg-1JPdb8AfOqJO52voITIjJJ87EowtQrUj5lgh1H3B4OlqBBs_50RJAfucrJ-iXYAGAVU/s1600/dogme.JPG" height="266" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sadie and Astro, 2001</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
the ones that I loved. She also had her doggie companions. Astro, a world-renowned, pig-hunting Catahoula, was unfortunately a short-lived partner. He died when she was about 6 months old but no doubt taught her quite a few important details about being a dog. <br />
<br />
The love of her life was a coonhound named Buddy. He was the most loving dog I have ever had the pleasure to meet and a perfect, low key, companion for her. Sadie liked very few dogs, but Buddy was love at first sight. They shared the better part of nine years together and were only separated when Buddy became suddenly ill with a sickness that took his life in 2011.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGOIn2Kp7SwFYQ4gFxKTio_v1EzRx960TVO0l-mKQuumbM2cLEMTNJPLhq55yCnnTor_uWs_Izj94kzx67rvRtwxTywyvnv94gmM1AHgrWRNdPOc7yn9ncDQPXsqjyFGX9cerfkvxoxs/s1600/AUT_4522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGOIn2Kp7SwFYQ4gFxKTio_v1EzRx960TVO0l-mKQuumbM2cLEMTNJPLhq55yCnnTor_uWs_Izj94kzx67rvRtwxTywyvnv94gmM1AHgrWRNdPOc7yn9ncDQPXsqjyFGX9cerfkvxoxs/s1600/AUT_4522.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sadie and Buddy, 2002. The day I brought Buddy home for Sadie.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIZ9C2Lcq46UxTXY0B_AFDKZ-VSIOJ8aGiJ6WCsyffuJ1JjFPCfaooZphlTYt23gk-iYshWic86IbWPNoHL8CY2YMwnlBUOf5V4I5xRqn9NFrE96yVRhXV3Sdn_Lq3SwhfeB7OxGyBEM/s1600/IMG_0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIZ9C2Lcq46UxTXY0B_AFDKZ-VSIOJ8aGiJ6WCsyffuJ1JjFPCfaooZphlTYt23gk-iYshWic86IbWPNoHL8CY2YMwnlBUOf5V4I5xRqn9NFrE96yVRhXV3Sdn_Lq3SwhfeB7OxGyBEM/s1600/IMG_0011.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Logan and Sadie, 2011.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
After <a href="http://runawayfastjaymee.blogspot.com/2011/01/for-buddy.html">Buddy went</a>, I knew that I needed another companion for Sadie. I wanted another Coonhound and found Logan on the internet (how I find all of my dogs). The Genius and I drove all the way to Yreka to meet him and adopted him on the spot. I was terribly nervous about whether this little guy would be welcomed by Sadie, given that she really didn't get along with many other dogs. Maybe this wasn't love at first sight, but they got along very well. Logan added years to her life, I am sure. Because I have a thing for hounds, I adopted a third dog in 2012 to bring me very close to the edge of "crazy dog lady". This one has been a handful, but I am glad that she chose me when she did so she had a chance to learn from Sadie and bring some puppy energy into Sadie's last years. One of my favorite pass times was watching Sadie and Bella spar in that fun dog way that they do--full of pomp and circumstance and lots of great puppy noises. </div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkCO9QbHpfQBuDKA9gxbNnWI02nw0dgNRbqp5O79sq9mh0NqQWaLaMlNvzI4KPl6h8jtDvY2nQmhcFnKfcAG-UUmmGa0Ojn55rcgbdoXrLQfuG3rZCmc6lZWbqZ_MBPTu2uB938XFXtE/s1600/IMG_3522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkCO9QbHpfQBuDKA9gxbNnWI02nw0dgNRbqp5O79sq9mh0NqQWaLaMlNvzI4KPl6h8jtDvY2nQmhcFnKfcAG-UUmmGa0Ojn55rcgbdoXrLQfuG3rZCmc6lZWbqZ_MBPTu2uB938XFXtE/s1600/IMG_3522.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Logan, Sadie, and Bella. 2012. Where do the people sleep?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sadie has been a part of my life for so long, it is hard to imagine it without her. In fact, as I was watching her sleep in the sun yesterday, I realized that she has been the basis for numerous major life decisions during the last 13 years. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I chose the house I currently live in for its proximity to the American River and the opportunity to take daily walks with Sadie and Buddy. I wasn't a runner back then, and am now incredibly grateful for them guiding me to this gorgeous spot so I can now run along the river too.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuq_FJ-S5n2FlieF0L5-LfnL-v4keF7g-1REbgBNVjK5TOlHld8YlFvGaZRg83qXTNNG-7NmO_6Ul-no-WFtuYnZVOV6hnYuqwRozgAMRejsXuBS_dmPqD44jDnpsjEEhzlN9Fuaqw2j0/s1600/IMG_0846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuq_FJ-S5n2FlieF0L5-LfnL-v4keF7g-1REbgBNVjK5TOlHld8YlFvGaZRg83qXTNNG-7NmO_6Ul-no-WFtuYnZVOV6hnYuqwRozgAMRejsXuBS_dmPqD44jDnpsjEEhzlN9Fuaqw2j0/s1600/IMG_0846.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dog van. 2004.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I bought Sadie and Buddy a Vanagon for Christmas one year so we could travel around California camping in style. Of course, she was my litmus test for people too. If Sadie didn't like someone, I knew something was wrong. Then there were the numerous small decisions I made every day, always with her best interest in mind. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Unlike my two hound dogs, Sadie never ran much with me. I didn't become a runner until later in her life, and we had a routine of walking, not running, twice a day down by the river. Ironically, as she got older, she ran more with me. I didn't want her to feel left out after I would run the youngins, so I would take her on a leisurely 1-2 mile dog jog afterward. We were able to run together up until about a year ago when arthritis in her back made it uncomfortable.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_drPIDW3m4MBaRJFRriMu1Sw7idVBmH-dyGQ1PoANU2AYqVV42JEuanx-ZltLy0lRqGg0vc35MStUyUBQzL2QpnIhJZiRnUwT25l-9_McTLX2AzinS2Qtue0Xw1zcNFw2_I2HkmBUJFc/s1600/IMG_0766.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_drPIDW3m4MBaRJFRriMu1Sw7idVBmH-dyGQ1PoANU2AYqVV42JEuanx-ZltLy0lRqGg0vc35MStUyUBQzL2QpnIhJZiRnUwT25l-9_McTLX2AzinS2Qtue0Xw1zcNFw2_I2HkmBUJFc/s1600/IMG_0766.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coach T</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Some of you may recall a few years back when Sadie <a href="http://runawayfastjaymee.blogspot.com/2011/04/ch-ch-changes.html">became my coach for a while</a>. It was in response to Ryan Hall's announcement that he was being coached by God. I figured I could then be coached by Dog. She wanted to be called Coach T, for Tuner Pants, because that's the name she liked best. She was a hard ass and ultimately, we had to end the coach-athlete relationship. Her training methods were unorthodox, always about running for treats and chasing after things. She didn't really understand the concept of intervals. Run them into the ground was her method.<br />
<br />
I feel extremely fortunate to have been able to work from home these last two years, especially in these last couple of months. To be able to spend so much time with her in her final months was priceless. She was my office companion. She would hobble into the office at around 9 or so and flop down in the middle of the floor, sprawled out like a rug. There she remained all day long unless something outside needed her attention.<br />
<br />
I struggled mightily with the question of when/if to put her down. I believe that death is a natural part of life and was so worried about robbing her of a natural process that she needed to go through to pass from this world. I absolutely did not want to do it out of convenience for me. I tried the best I could to respect her needs. Deep in my soul, I knew that I could not let her suffer unnecessarily and would choose the option to have her put to sleep to spare her hurting.<br />
<br />
That day came today. Saturday night was a horrible night for her. She woke in the middle of the night and was clearly in pain. I upped her pain meds until she finally quieted. I had a race to run on Sunday and really, really, really did not want to leave her. I had made a commitment to my team that I would run the race and did not want to leave them short a runner, so I went. I ran thinking about her every step and cried the whole way. I ran past the finish line straight to my car and drove back to her. Though she was doing much better all day, and ate lots and lots of doggie treats, she had another horrible night last night and I knew it was time.<br />
<br />
We enjoyed a few more hours this morning, sitting in the sun in the back yard, with me staring at all those spots, trying to memorize every last one of them before never seeing them again and her nose actively sniffing the scents of her domain for the last time. The Genius and I were holding and petting her when she went very peacefully. I plan to take her cremated remains, along with Buddy's, up to Fiske Peak and let them be carried by the wind into the wonderful canyon below where we spent so many Thanksgivings.<br />
<br />
And so I go back to a favorite book of mine by Pam Houston called Sight Hound when mourning my loss. It's about the intersection of dog and people love, and I always draw comfort from this quote of hers about her dog, Dante: <br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"What I didn’t understand then, what I couldn’t have understood until I watched him breathe his last breath, is that nothing could take him away from me, not cancer, not an amputation, and not even sodium phenobarbital; that only in his dying could I truly understand the way I would have him forever, the way I’d had him forever all along, the way I will see him, whenever I need him, running across that big green pasture into my arms."</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQO5KrlVI56Ajcer5M7WqQEDeInRqdOlWXQkku42Gw8PwZn6ZyR_wKikmTIFUdH-okQTuPlNv8zrNODnWdb4wC4avgy1tys2_MSbOG3lmFuhL-OIK2nThBsQ2n58bY1TOk9tpYCE1Rm3g/s1600/IMG_1529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQO5KrlVI56Ajcer5M7WqQEDeInRqdOlWXQkku42Gw8PwZn6ZyR_wKikmTIFUdH-okQTuPlNv8zrNODnWdb4wC4avgy1tys2_MSbOG3lmFuhL-OIK2nThBsQ2n58bY1TOk9tpYCE1Rm3g/s1600/IMG_1529.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love you Sadie Pants.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-67275041559928398862014-10-25T15:07:00.002-07:002014-10-25T15:07:54.422-07:00CIM minusFrom the title of this post you can probably already tell what's coming: I'm not running CIM. Why? Because I'm scheduled for surgery on December 2nd.<br />
<br />
When I had my first surgery to remove my fibroid baby in August, the surgeon was able to scrape about 80% of it out. The doc told me that, for many women, this was sufficient to resolve their problems and suggested a wait-and-see approach. I did not want to wait and see whether my hemorrhaging resumed and asked him to schedule the second surgery to remove the rest. I waited for about a month and finally got a call from scheduling offering me the December 2nd date. I told them that I had a marathon 5 days later and couldn't take the date. They said they would see if they could find something else.<br />
<br />
A month went by with no calls from Kaiser. I was fine with this because I wasn't having any symptoms. A little over a week ago, that changed. I was back in hemorrhagic hell for about 5 days and missed a race because of it. I realized that I needed to take the surgery date that was available. I have also asked to have the inside of my uterus cauterized (called ablation) so I never bleed again--or at least for several years. Because I was able to get my blood levels up after the surgery, this episode didn't take much out of me. However, I definitely felt the impact. It is absolutely stunning how good I feel with higher hemoglobin levels. I vow to never let them drop again!<br />
<br />
In case you're counting, this is the 5th time I've started training for and not been able to run a marathon in the last 12 months. It is frustrating, but each training cycle I have gotten a little stronger. I had some of the best training of my life in the last couple of months and that fitness does not go away overnight. As long as I keep training, it will carry right over to the next race.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLSZ6PaCbTwJ9HInce-ZPSMQN6jtGetigMQMXQ82MZ4tHhc9ytpRcSkWJRRz-QXsp2XqKDEcymYYkzbiT4qbizAzNXa2S-_CO13NJMpEilHY4QDvHNfLfgGt5z9H2x1x0wtfTfU-xq58/s1600/scenic-04+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLSZ6PaCbTwJ9HInce-ZPSMQN6jtGetigMQMXQ82MZ4tHhc9ytpRcSkWJRRz-QXsp2XqKDEcymYYkzbiT4qbizAzNXa2S-_CO13NJMpEilHY4QDvHNfLfgGt5z9H2x1x0wtfTfU-xq58/s1600/scenic-04+2.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lovely Napa Valley Marathon course.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My current plan is to run the Napa Valley Marathon on March 1st, which seems fitting since it's sponsored by Kaiser. It's a great race and fast course, though the only time I've run it was in 2006--the year that there was a 15 mph headwind and freezing rain the entire way (it's a point to point course). A headwind is unusual for that race, so I am hoping the weather will be more favorable this time around. They've also had tailwind years. Fingers crossed for that!<br />
<br />
I worked my way up to 20 mile runs with 10-13 miles at marathon pace before all of this went down, and I was feeling really strong. I am reducing the mileage of my longer runs now (though maintaining my overall training volume) and getting back to some speedier running before I launch back into marathon training in a few weeks. I'm hoping to get a fast half marathon and 5k out of my current fitness in the next month. Keeping my fingers crossed that my body cooperates.<br />
<br />
A little hip niggle over the last couple of weeks scared me back into doing my rehab work. When I'm feeling good, I tend to forget the weaknesses in my right side that need constant attention. I have been doing tons of strength work these last several months, but as the PT noted, I am using the same compensations in that training as in my running and making everything else strong while my poor glute is neglected. Focused exercises are the name of the game. The niggle went away and I've noticed some improvement in my right side strength. It was also a good reminder to me to roll both sides of my body equally. My left side tends to be tighter than the right, but the left side never hurts. I tend to roll the side that hurts more than the other and that just exacerbates the problem leaving my left side tight and loosening up an already mobile right side. <br />
<br />
Speaking of rolling, if you haven't seen this guy before, you should check him out. His name is <a href="https://evofitforlife.com/">Enso</a>, and he works miracles. All those little discs are adjustable. Painful genius.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzyGDkDk1_5c7vPXhOdM13i2wUHmKOW-gPkTbAXAHUTlV1mQx47LYu_py8CMWxlrqo8nSATj5dTjY7rRv5NSDQRdW_R3-kwBlSfNbb2a-EFsaVJX1bPcdbwdvPPqgi57enpHcEz4SGOFc/s1600/IMG_4992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzyGDkDk1_5c7vPXhOdM13i2wUHmKOW-gPkTbAXAHUTlV1mQx47LYu_py8CMWxlrqo8nSATj5dTjY7rRv5NSDQRdW_R3-kwBlSfNbb2a-EFsaVJX1bPcdbwdvPPqgi57enpHcEz4SGOFc/s1600/IMG_4992.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-4778110234452554972014-09-28T13:00:00.001-07:002014-09-28T13:00:11.169-07:00CIM minus 10 weeks: aiming high<u><b>Weekly summary</b></u>:<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>70 miles</b></div>
<div>
1 speed workout: 5 x 1000m/3 min recovery (3:26 ave.) + 6 x 200m/200m recovery (34 sec ave.)</div>
<div>
1 long run: 20 miles moderate (7:05 pace)</div>
<div>
6 hours strength training (3 x hot pilates, 1 x kettlebells, 1 x barre, 1 x bikini butt) </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This has been an interesting week in a number of ways. I was anxious in the first half of the week about the speed workout I had lined up for Wednesday. I haven't run many speed workouts in the past several months and the last attempt (3 weeks ago) went really badly. For those of you who have followed my blog for a while, you are aware that, relatively speaking, I am much faster at the longer races. For example, my marathon PR equates to a 16:57 5k, but I have only barely broken 18:00 for that distance at my fittest. The main reason for this disparity is that I don't practice at 5k pace. I started running as a marathoner and have focused on that distance at the exclusion of all others. I am very comfortable with the discomfort of running a lot of marathon paced miles but am very uncomfortable holding 5k pace. That's why I was anxious. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My paces for this workout were also very ambitious. 5:24 pace is fast for me, but I wanted to give it a shot. I asked the Genius if he wanted to do the workout with me and maybe help pace me for some of it. Thankfully, he agreed. I'm not sure I could have pushed myself that hard without help. I was pretty sure I could hold 83 second quarters for this workout and that was my goal, even though my training plan called for 81. My fastest 1000m workout ever averaged 3:35. So, this would be new territory. I wondered whether I had ever really pushed myself in an interval workout and I really wanted to try to do that here.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We started off the first 1000 and I was right on The Genius' heels. Despite getting a slight tingling feeling in my fingers at the end, it felt reasonable. First 1000m = 3:22 (81 sec/400m). We jogged the 3 minutes (which is a long time) and started again. This time, I started to fall behind my pacer. I felt like I was going backwards fast. I didn't look at my watch, but he pulled away from me in the last 200m and I started to feel heavy-legged and tingly as I tried to keep up. Second 1000m = 3:22. The Genius was speeding up, which made me feel better. However, I also realized the signs of oxygen debt coming on too early in this workout and decided to dial it back a bit. I ran the next three 1000m repeats in 3:30-3:31. I didn't take my splits during the repeat for these but just tried to concentrate on holding a hard but steady pace. I was happy that the early fast intervals didn't compromise the final miles of this workout. I felt good at the end. I finished the last 200m of the last repeat with a very strong mind repeating my new mantra, 2-4-2, to myself as I pushed it to the line. We finished this workout with some fast 200s. I ran all of them in 34-35 seconds and they felt great. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Much like the threshold pace run last week, this workout was a huge confidence booster for me. I lack confidence at the shorter distances so this was a really important training experience. To know that I can push myself and even start out too fast and still hold it together was big. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I had a straight up, easy to moderate paced long run of 20 miles on Saturday and wanted to try to get my legs a bit tired before that run so I could work on running long on tired legs. So far, my mileage for this cycle hasn't taken me to a point where I experience muscle fatigue during my runs. I decided instead to use strength training to tire my legs out before this long run and see how that felt. I did back to back classes at P2O Hot Pilates on Friday night taking Bethany's Kettlebells and Barre classes. These were great workouts and my legs did feel pretty tired. I want to add a caveat to this experiment, and say I would never tire myself out with strength work the day before a hard workout (meaning a workout with faster paces in it). In fact, I try to "protect my workouts" by doing easy strength work two days before a planned workout and none the day before. Last week's botched midweek workout taught me an important lesson about how long it takes me to recover from strength work. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
I met my speedy friend, Juliet, again this weekend for the first 10 miles of my long run. She needed to be home early so we started at 5:15 a.m. I am always willing to wake up super early on the weekend to meet a good friend and training partner! We negative split that first 10 and had a great run. I was able to lose my headlamp at the halfway point and take in another dose of Generation Ucan before heading back out for the second half. I also negative split that 10 miles and averaged 6:37 pace for the last 5 miles. My legs did feel tired at the end, but they were still very capable of running fast. The bonus of starting so early was that I was done by 8:00 a.m.!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I had someone mention on Facebook that she thought it was great that I was putting my goals out there so boldly. My goal of running 2:42:XX is absolutely a stretch goal for me, but I believe I can run that time if everything comes together. It is absolutely a gamble to put it out there in the world though--telling people that I am trying to do this huge thing. What if I fail? Will people think I was stupid for trying? While I risk taking a hit to the ego if I come up short, I think putting my big goals out there will help me more than hurt me. Every time I tell someone I am trying to run 2:42 for a marathon, it makes that goal a little more real. It keeps me honest in workouts and even in my strength training where I use my mantra of 2-4-2 when I start to shake in the last few reps in a tough class. It is becoming part of my psyche right now. I am gaining that mental focus that I remember developing before I ran my qualifier in Chicago. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Running healthy again has given me perspective. The last 9 months of health problems kindled a fire inside me that is helping me accomplish extraordinary things in this training cycle. I am running faster than I ever have and am challenging myself in new ways. It is both exciting and scary. I never want to experience health problems like that again, but I am grateful for the perspective it has given me.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZxbemrlWwiJ4AG_z3pyHeErJnFIhJIQQQ8dzF6RO3vIQ2BaHQdZY03dJEbiv7DDJbEyWiPAbye19sEo3hw9ZFJuXXwvZD7JVFEvkgdPxICQwCmCmxU4O1DlwKBKz5Y9jSP4PfSzRks3k/s1600/ts+eliot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZxbemrlWwiJ4AG_z3pyHeErJnFIhJIQQQ8dzF6RO3vIQ2BaHQdZY03dJEbiv7DDJbEyWiPAbye19sEo3hw9ZFJuXXwvZD7JVFEvkgdPxICQwCmCmxU4O1DlwKBKz5Y9jSP4PfSzRks3k/s1600/ts+eliot.jpg" height="154" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
</div>
Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-84183299176044127472014-09-21T16:54:00.001-07:002014-09-21T17:10:46.119-07:00CIM minus 11 weeks: the reality show<b><u>Weekly summary:</u></b><br />
<b>61 miles</b><br />
<b>1 missed workout</b><br />
<b>1 long run: </b>19 miles w/ 4.5 miles easy + 2 miles T (LT pace) + 5.5 easy + 2 x 2 T pace w/2 min jog + 2.5 E <br />
<b>6 hours strength training</b><br />
<br />
This training week was both marginal and spectacular for me. It was marginal because I missed a workout. That is such a hard thing to deal with emotionally, especially when it is due to stupidity (on my part). The spectacular part was the long run I did get in. I am pretty sure this one counts as a breakthrough workout. I had planned to run 65 miles this week, so I came close to that. All in all, I would put this week in the plus column.<br />
<br />
I missed the workout because I was testing my limits with strength training. I started adding serious strength work into my exercise regime about 6 months ago. It started with a couple of months of hot yoga and then I found P2O Hot Pilates in Midtown Sacramento and knew I'd found a the right place. I have been training there for 4 months now. I started gradually taking a variety of classes but no more than 2 per week. I worked my way up to 3 and then 4 per week within a couple of months. Now, I do 4-6 workouts per week. These are mostly hour long classes and they are hard--the hardest strength classes I've ever taken.<br />
<br />
This week, I was feeling ambitious and decided to double up on Monday with a kettlebells and hot pilates class followed by a 6 mile run with our run group. I think that would have been okay had I not done hot pilates and a bikini butt class the two days prior. On Tuesday, I was feeling pretty worked. By Wednesday, my planned workout day, I knew I wasn't going to be able to deliver anything close to fast running, so I just ran easy. I thought I would postpone the workout to Thursday, but work got in the way of that. So, there I was, on Friday with a workout to do. I got my new training plan from Jack and the Saturday long run meant I wasn't running anything fast on Friday. I bit the bullet and let the midweek workout go and decided to focus my energy on having a great workout Saturday.<br />
<br />
I was lucky enough to convince a friend to meet me for the warm up of this workout, but she needed to meet at 5:30 a.m. Having someone to meet and getting the workout done early were way more important than sleeping in on a Saturday. My friend is 4 months pregnant and amazingly fit. She pushed me for the first 4.5 miles!! After we parted ways, I put in my headphones and took off at T pace. On my training schedule, my T pace has been 5:54 for over a month now, but I have not been able to hit that pace. The last few weeks, I've flirted with it, but never nailed it. I didn't intend to do it on Saturday either. I have been treating my target paces as something to work toward as I become fitter.<br />
<br />
It was completely dark out when I started my speed work, and I was able to just get a nice rhythm going. I decided I would only look at my pace at the 1/2 mile markers. I hit the first one and saw 2:54 as my split. I thought, "this is going to be a long day" realizing I was really pushing the pace early. I split the first mile in 5:51 and the second in 5:55 (hilly mile). I now had 5+ miles to think about those next 4 miles at T pace. My legs were feeling a little tired from the barre class I had taken the night before.<br />
<br />
With 13 miles on my legs I started the next 2 miles and split that in 11:46! I was so excited, I was actually running my goal T pace at the end of this long run. The last 2 miles weren't nearly as pretty, but I still split 11:52. I then jogged back to my car, pretty pumped about what had just gone down. I love the breakthrough workouts. You never know when they'll happen, but they always do when you're putting in the work and taking care of the machine.<br />
<br />
I definitely need to keep playing with the strength schedule to find the ideal mix to compliment and not detract from my running workouts, which have to be the priority. I tell my athletes to "protect their workouts" which means don't do a super hard strength workout the day before a hard running workout or try to run off of 4 hours of sleep. Treat your workouts like races. I think I have given an example here of what happens when you don't! The key to experimentation of this kind is not pushing yourself so far that you can't recover from any mistakes you might make. The smart decision I made was not doing the running workout midweek after I had cooked my body. Had I done that, I might have pushed myself over the edge into injurious territory or overtraining. Neither pops up immediately, so I'm not out of the woods. <br />
<br />
There is no doubt that the strength work I am doing is making me a faster runner. I have never been able to hit paces like I did this week in a long run like that, not even during my build up to my fastest marathons. Get your strength work in, listen to your body and make smart decisions! These are the lessons to be learned from this week.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJM9QVY03nCvpMLtLWJ7WOi_tKXUzx_M4PUXv3Nk_wRatdqgVKqitHoIn0wfoyfI0n2-lOp0mu59Eu0_dUen8Pe9WmMM319MI5ZALvY90Rp4tgQHeHOMIzxeQqvPeUROpdq4MRGzT_WA/s1600/IMG_4898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJM9QVY03nCvpMLtLWJ7WOi_tKXUzx_M4PUXv3Nk_wRatdqgVKqitHoIn0wfoyfI0n2-lOp0mu59Eu0_dUen8Pe9WmMM319MI5ZALvY90Rp4tgQHeHOMIzxeQqvPeUROpdq4MRGzT_WA/s1600/IMG_4898.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On Saturday, I took those Oiselle Distance Shorts for a ride and earned my coffee! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-78942434370478065222014-09-17T16:41:00.000-07:002014-09-17T16:48:55.466-07:00The build up to CIM<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJWFKdd9f0bN1qdTr3lijFSb-rTBwGaSnORaMO62LgkhP1NM7YzCeUc8gfHhKZCAqshEqw1uGEhXtXgD-2GRgg4DMNR_XgLsMs_VfE_313ulDwA3_10dvkTY-gPC6tdfmWQXGb6MlKtI/s1600/CIMheader12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJWFKdd9f0bN1qdTr3lijFSb-rTBwGaSnORaMO62LgkhP1NM7YzCeUc8gfHhKZCAqshEqw1uGEhXtXgD-2GRgg4DMNR_XgLsMs_VfE_313ulDwA3_10dvkTY-gPC6tdfmWQXGb6MlKtI/s1600/CIMheader12.jpg" height="26" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
It is official. I am entered in the Cal International Marathon to be held on 7 December 2014. This will be my 7th time running CIM and my 21st marathon. Did I mention that 7 is my lucky number? Kismet.<br />
<br />
I have decided to update this blog much more frequently as I build up to the marathon--posting about my training and racing each week as well as the little things that I am doing to stay healthy and strong. If my past marathon training is any indication of how this one will go, it should be an interesting ride.<br />
<br />
I am finally feeling healthy enough to make a run at an Olympic Trials Qualifier in this race, and that is exciting. However, so many things have to come together to make that happen. I have had magical days before and will continue to push myself in training and believe that I can achieve this big goal.<br />
<br />
Please, join me for the ride. Eleven weeks and counting...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmB86bQ83qfKDTL3S5FqQWlkyKvCipD6OFc9eOSWRcR2TKb-1UdHBCmYRkYz9krEoIFR_lxI8NRWcDfUoWfCVZUPxVE_2VbBkpchVrUeTHaX64rNJp_wPCpjvVoEkDnHgnFh0Ii5vJww/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-09-17+at+4.38.54+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmB86bQ83qfKDTL3S5FqQWlkyKvCipD6OFc9eOSWRcR2TKb-1UdHBCmYRkYz9krEoIFR_lxI8NRWcDfUoWfCVZUPxVE_2VbBkpchVrUeTHaX64rNJp_wPCpjvVoEkDnHgnFh0Ii5vJww/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-09-17+at+4.38.54+PM.png" height="257" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks, Lindy, for posting this! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-42424467712099002612014-09-09T14:37:00.001-07:002014-09-09T15:14:10.761-07:00Four weeks post-surgery and a win!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHji9Mf27uoGtug00MFKVL_W494tsbaMV6HnObuRl8fR2NVjHh2pFJ1QTJpfiqyQfpsBMm-HI3l_GdlThKSB_u18Q8-0pATheAx0mHOOGMOm3ml3_KOlZI5zCXZZ16b06Fp8K7QQEFzd8/s1600/IMG_4853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHji9Mf27uoGtug00MFKVL_W494tsbaMV6HnObuRl8fR2NVjHh2pFJ1QTJpfiqyQfpsBMm-HI3l_GdlThKSB_u18Q8-0pATheAx0mHOOGMOm3ml3_KOlZI5zCXZZ16b06Fp8K7QQEFzd8/s1600/IMG_4853.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wings out. My debut race as a Oiselle runner and I won!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;">I am really happy to finally be able to report that I am cured. After months and months of seemingly endless posts about my struggle with out-of-control uterine fibroids and my anemic state, I am sure you are happy to get this news. No more posts about bleeding and lady parts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;">Well, maybe one last bit. I was cured with a procedure called hysteroscopic resectioning. In this procedure, you are put completely out while a skilled surgeon sticks a device fitted with a camera and laser up your va-jay-jay and whittles away at the fibroid growing inside the uterus. The laser cauterizes as it goes so there's no risk of excessive bleeding. My fibroid was occupying the whole space, so there was a lot of work to do. In fact, they were only able to remove 80% of my fibroid baby before I became borderline hyponatremic. That's the risk of the procedure. The fluids they pump inside the uterus to keep things flushed out start to get absorbed by the body and at some point the electrolyte balance in the blood is compromised to a dangerous level. I knew ahead of time it was unlikely that they would be able to get it all in this first try, but was assured what they did get would still solve my problem.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;">I doubted this but have to say I now believe. I am 4 weeks post surgery and training like a mad woman again. It took a couple of weeks to stop bleeding completely, so my blood levels are still recovering, but, lifestyle wise, I am blissfully normal again. One odd thing that occurred within a day of the surgery was a return of massive energy and cognitive clarity. I have found nothing on the interwebs that can explain this. I was still taking the same (damn) hormones (massive dose of progestin) at that point so this had to be from the lack of fibroid. The only thing I can surmise is that the little bastard was stealing my energy. It makes sense physiologically that growing one huge ass muscle (fibroids are all muscle) inside the body over a very short time period would require a lot of nutrients and energy. So, my body must have been directing a lot my energy to it. Think about it. I was basically growing a bicep inside my uterus.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;">The surgery was a breeze. I was recovered in two days. I ran 13 miles three days after surgery and have not looked back. My training has gone really well too, though I am trying to be very cautious about not overdoing it. It is really easy with this much energy to want to ramp up fast and push myself too hard. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLd6UUOIFYeteLCY_m3Wz5RcRonBw_GbuBQG2Zz3XOtgxaxe3TM43tv3mF-3qNd-0cVhJQJSBYsdlAAsncDATA7CA1Cnnh-U97rbbobWgq1f5lLN2w-5gS5S1L47O9HZQmI7qjqYXZ9gE/s1600/IMG_4850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLd6UUOIFYeteLCY_m3Wz5RcRonBw_GbuBQG2Zz3XOtgxaxe3TM43tv3mF-3qNd-0cVhJQJSBYsdlAAsncDATA7CA1Cnnh-U97rbbobWgq1f5lLN2w-5gS5S1L47O9HZQmI7qjqYXZ9gE/s1600/IMG_4850.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">My race shoes had Schwings! Thanks to Christina for the photo from mile 10.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;">I ran a race on Sunday. Well, I won a race on Sunday! It was thrilling to feel strong again. This race was the Buffalo Stampede 10 miler and it was my first race running for Oiselle. I have run this race numerous times and actually won it once before in 2010, just before my PR marathon in Chicago. My workouts leading up to the race were mixed. I caught a cold the weekend before (lack of sleep does it to me every time!) but still had a great long run workout of 17 with 2 x 2 miles at lactate threshold (T) pace, then 5 miles easy and another 2 x 1 mile at T pace. My last T mile was 5:50 and I knew I was on a roll. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;">Midweek was another story. The cold was fully embedded in my sinuses and I couldn't breathe. I did a track workout of 5 x 1200m and had to cut the third one to 800m because of the breathing issues. I was barely holding the pace I had run for my 15th mile on Saturday! Did I panic? Nope. I wish I could recall who wrote this: "you can't fake a good workout". You can have bad workouts, but there is no questioning your fitness if you have a good one. So, I clung to my Saturday workout for confidence in my fitness and let the track workout go. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;">On Sunday, I was excited to see one of my Impala teammates at the starting line. She and I have always been really well matched in fitness and have battled at the line on numerous occasions. I love racing with her because I know we will push each other. What I wanted from this race was a hard effort and a strong finish. I have never finished strong in this race. I always die the last 3 miles. We ran together for the first 8.5-9 miles, in and out of a pack of boys and it was great. Our first mile was my slowest, and we negative split the race. At mile 9 or so, I saw The Genius with our hounds on the side of the road. This gave me a huge boost, especially as I heard my girl Bella start hound barking at me as I passed by. She was telling me to go. So I did. I had a lot of kick left and used it to get myself to that finish line as fast as possible. Megan is a fierce competitor so once I kicked, I knew I couldn't let up. I felt so strong rounding the corner and pushing myself through to the finish. My last mile was my fastest by about 15 seconds per mile.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivszurBpWR8MAbLRGIW_A6IliBC_5qLY0k2XrSrW7DdH9RD_gQGW4Zc9O1wZCWKfF5bZ8MxSgTdfua7-UEzm8rJLojFYMVWz684RL9KkW6rQBpjORn07xXA3WsHhZ3bu5qF1gepB2AZi0/s1600/me+and+the+genius.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivszurBpWR8MAbLRGIW_A6IliBC_5qLY0k2XrSrW7DdH9RD_gQGW4Zc9O1wZCWKfF5bZ8MxSgTdfua7-UEzm8rJLojFYMVWz684RL9KkW6rQBpjORn07xXA3WsHhZ3bu5qF1gepB2AZi0/s1600/me+and+the+genius.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and the Genius. And our shy dogs. Thanks for the picture, Maria!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;">I ran 1:02:23. This is not close to my PR, but I wasn't racing for time. I ran my goal marathon pace, and it felt good to feel so confident at that pace for 10 miles three months out from my goal race. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;">My legs have felt amazingly strong lately in workouts and in this race. While I was dealing with my fibroid issues, I hunkered down and concentrated on my strength training. That has paid off. I have mentioned before that I go to (and am a run coach for) a Hot Pilates Studio in town called P2O and the strength work has made all the difference. I take 4-6 classes a week there, which is a lot more strength work than I've ever done. I love the hot pilates class, and that's what I do more than anything else. I am also a fan of the kettlebell classes for heavier lifting and TRX. I don't let these workouts interfere with my running workouts and use the "keep your hard days hard and your easy days easy" philosophy. I was very proud of the group of runners from the Studio at the race for pushing themselves and accomplishing their goals too!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;">I wore the Hoka Cliftons in my race on Sunday and I really liked them. I debated about this and did my track workout on Wednesday in my Lunaracers as a comparison. However, I didn't notice that it was a very tired pair. I grabbed the wrong ones from the shoe box and they were dead! Big mistake! I ended up dealing with a calf/tibialis/achilles problem the rest of the week and was nervous about that impacting my race. With some good self-PT and focused rolling, I didn't feel it at all in the race. It actually feels much better after having raced. That's a good sign! The Hokas definitely take some getting used to. My only concern with the Hokas is that I won't be able to go back to the lightweight, less cushioned shoes after wearing them exclusively. As long as Hoka sticks around, I guess that's not a problem.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;">The outlook for CIM is good this year! I am looking forward to the next 3 months of hard training and a few long races to test my fitness along the way. After having to pull out of my last three planned marathons, I am very excited for this one! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;">I am mostly excited to be living a normal life again. In looking back on what I endured and how much it affected my life, I am not sure how I got through it in one piece. It was a wild ride but I am happy it is behind me. Thanks for your support along the way! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;">Did I mention I won a pile of poop?</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFr4D7BXZ8XAe6hT100HW7VsWd7afLuChLK9m84bcZnhKOQf7__NKgBovZ7DX29lBo91eraJy3kuT6wR2L-EnDx1Kh9_L_4wG4LBKeweUJKFp4fmCmtFBUxcyypYcXzUosy1vwNxVdrwg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-09-07+at+5.12.10+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFr4D7BXZ8XAe6hT100HW7VsWd7afLuChLK9m84bcZnhKOQf7__NKgBovZ7DX29lBo91eraJy3kuT6wR2L-EnDx1Kh9_L_4wG4LBKeweUJKFp4fmCmtFBUxcyypYcXzUosy1vwNxVdrwg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-09-07+at+5.12.10+PM.png" height="320" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First place wins a pile of buffalo poo!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial;"> </span>Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-57047584822265629232014-07-17T12:11:00.001-07:002014-07-17T12:15:40.400-07:00So many good things to shareDespite the setbacks I am having in my running due to my health problems, there are so many things going right at this moment, that I can't possibly be bummed out.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2UOSWzE6ElazO6z7M2FiR40yey_HSNFWtnlA2LAIMxrYPnqpGVl1Vsz63JuDdTvL8PsRP4Zhwo1cDS-WW1cgyrUbXnn1FnViSIyLvV-Sw5_eivafvIQWq4BdtxRX2-5ycybesVlw7SY/s1600/Oiselle+Team+Badge+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2UOSWzE6ElazO6z7M2FiR40yey_HSNFWtnlA2LAIMxrYPnqpGVl1Vsz63JuDdTvL8PsRP4Zhwo1cDS-WW1cgyrUbXnn1FnViSIyLvV-Sw5_eivafvIQWq4BdtxRX2-5ycybesVlw7SY/s1600/Oiselle+Team+Badge+2.png" /></a></div>
<br />
First, I am pleased to announce that I am now representing a fantastic company, <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/">Oiselle</a>. This company first caught my eye when they sponsored one of my favorite runners, Lauren Fleshman. They are a group of strong, outspoken women who provide awesome support for female athletes of all levels. I love that they have opened up the team to more runners and are able to support so many athletes despite being such a small company. I saw this as a chance to be part of something that is wonderful. <br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHK8Bo-CsCkoy3LZvJ0kL3IOSTya-QSav7GfNcajosGAYyI01eOYijKM6x4o9LY2fFeTe9Sn6gMZUUsqOCbS18smtUcXAdLtyA0pQWN7_PHsYmtMeXvAUclDHR2S548WUbyNCsVUuvD5o/s1600/10507912_679581918777704_1292767643_n+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHK8Bo-CsCkoy3LZvJ0kL3IOSTya-QSav7GfNcajosGAYyI01eOYijKM6x4o9LY2fFeTe9Sn6gMZUUsqOCbS18smtUcXAdLtyA0pQWN7_PHsYmtMeXvAUclDHR2S548WUbyNCsVUuvD5o/s1600/10507912_679581918777704_1292767643_n+2.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our fun running group last Sunday!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Second, I have partnered with a local studio, <a href="http://www.hotpilatessacramento.com/">P2O Hot Pilates</a>, to help with their running program. I joined this studio on an introductory offer and fell in love with the family atmosphere and the work ethic of the instructors and members. These classes are no joke and are fantastic for developing strength and mobility in runners! I love that they offer a free organized running program that is open to all levels and even non-members. The owners want to encourage running in their community, and I am excited to be a part of that! I am currently leading the runs on Thursday a.m. at 5:30 and Sunday a.m. at 7:00, both from Big Lots at 8700 La Riviera Dr. We head to the bike trail and have a lot of fun. Please feel free to join us for a run!<br />
<br />
Third, my businesses are doing really well right now. I am enjoying an amazing explosion in my ecological consulting business. I love the work that I'm doing, all of which is supporting the conservation of biodiversity in California and beyond. I care so much about this work and am grateful I am able to make a living doing what I love. It's also wonderful working for myself. I was pretty freaked out at first about the challenges of starting my own business and all of the hardships that come along with that. I have been pleasantly surprised at how easy and fun it has been. Even with the health issues and medical expenses, I am able to make it work. My coaching business is also thriving, with athletes doing really well all around the country. It is an honor to help them and watch them work hard and reap the rewards of that hard work. That is why I love coaching. <br />
<br />
Finally, it wouldn't be an RAF blog post without a health update. I know it seems weird that I am so public about something that is so personal and really unflattering. This blog has always been about honesty and sharing information and experiences with others in hopes that it will somehow help. The messages I receive from women who are either going through this same thing or know someone who is confirm that my openness is helping others, and that's what it's all about.<br />
<br />
This week confirmed that I made the right decision to postpone my marathon until December. My health issues reemerged at an alarming level this week, and I have become even more anemic, yet again. The good news is that I am working on the things that I can: overall strength and running speed. My endurance is not good at all, but I can do speed work without a problem. As always, once the spigot shuts off, I will be able to get my blood levels up and will be back where I left off.<br />
<br />
I had a hysteroscopy (scope inside my uterus) last week and confirmed that my big daddy fibroid is in fact occupying my entire uterus and is stuck inside the lining. I have a picture of this guy on my refrigerator. My friends who saw the picture started seeing fibroids in everything: banana muffins, emoticons. I will spare the rest of you that torture. So, the fibroid I have can't be removed surgically without taking everything with it. What they can do, and I go in for a surgical consult tomorrow, is shave away at the fibroid a little at a time. This supposedly will reduce the hemorrhaging. That's the hope, anyway. I may need to go in a few times to get this big guy shaved down, but the recovery time is a matter of hours rather than weeks with this procedure. Totally worth a try. I will look forward to losing a few pounds as well with the removal of this little ball of muscle! <br />
<br />
I am proud that I have held my ground and fought the doctors who were ready to yank out my useless uterus, telling me I had no other options. I may be on my 4th OB/GYN, but I now have doctors telling me that I have some great options available and they are actually treating me as if I have a choice. In the end, I may end up having a hysterectomy, but nobody should be pressured into that decision. There are so many other options out there, and we deserve to at least hear about them!!!<br />
<br />
So, all good things. Give good stuff to the world, and good stuff will come back to you! <br />
<br />Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-85180675926125596552014-07-02T08:15:00.000-07:002014-07-02T08:15:22.060-07:00I Got You BabeI had to make a tough decision this week about my racing schedule. I have been training for the Eugene Marathon now for months and am as fit as I have ever been heading into a marathon. I have conquered some major workouts and have been putting in the highest mileage since last fall. In my last post, I mentioned that my health issues had cropped up again and that I was taking some new medication to try to bring things under control. As luck would have it, the new medication worked for its intended purpose, though I had to up the dosage to get it to work. However, the side effects from the meds were pretty dramatic. Several days last week, I experienced severe GI distress for hours so terrible that I was unable to eat or even stand. I understand this to be a common side effect of the medication, but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As I missed a couple of days of training (and work!) I realized that I just wasn't going to be able to rally from this one. I could feel in my easy running that my blood levels had dropped again (confirmed yesterday with hemoglobin of 11.5 and hematocrit of 35). It feels like I'm running at altitude or through molasses. The easiest efforts feel harder than they should. I've had success at getting my blood levels to recover quickly, but my training suffers until they improve. So, I conferred with friends and coaches and decided that I should let Eugene go.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
One of the things that really struck me in my conversations about this was the distinction between just running another marathon and trying to achieve a gigantic goal. I have no doubt that, if my blood levels did rally in the next couple of weeks, I would have a decent race in Eugene. I'm sure I'm in sub-2:50 if not faster shape. I had to ask myself the question: what are you really wanting to do in Eugene? Do you just want to run a decent marathon or do you want to run your fastest marathon? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We've all read stories of elite runners who overcame years of injury or sickness to come back and have spectacular races or seasons. What I am realizing is that you don't get to play the lead role in that story without making some really smart decisions about your training and racing. You have to decide what is most important and you have to go after that goal with the determination and drive of a predator. It is perfectly fine to race a bunch of races because you love the thrill of competition or racing, but that comes at a cost. You won't maximize your potential with that approach or if you do, you will pay later with a broken down body. I've seen it over and over. The people who achieve the big goals make sacrifices and smart decisions along the way that move them closer to their goals. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, I did the calculations. If I ran Eugene and then took the 4 week recovery into account, I wouldn't be ready to start training for another fast marathon until September. I think my best chances for a fast marathon are in my own back yard at the Cal International Marathon. I would need to get started training for that in a few weeks.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, my body decided not to cooperate this time around. As frustrating as this continues to be, I do know that my day will come and that there is a marathon PR or even an Olympic Trials qualifier in my future. I also know that if I don't work with my body and make smart decisions along the way, I won't reach my potential.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, I am starting over again, getting back to some speed work and letting my body recover a bit before launching into another marathon training cycle. I feel like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, waking up to Sonny and Cher over and over and over. But, I'll take that over the alternative any day. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Keep your dreams alive people! <br /><div>
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
</div>
Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-18284408811054239962014-06-20T16:57:00.004-07:002014-06-20T16:58:14.378-07:00The one where I run a 1/2 marathon distance PR<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
That's right kids. What are the chances that both half marathons I run this spring end up being long, and not just a little long from Garminization, but 3/4 mile long? I feel like I should play the lottery some time soon. Here's a picture of me right after I finished. Do I look pissed?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLIW61nC0XwsMIzkWkzcAAW3-OFC4f5zc4UsBgOh_XMxjKrlqqXhj4axtzxKWJymwPsC26TTpSNtuHjdg_JMh8oUxeaCdRzBz1L9frTwQ-t1ihyoovdSa9KIlpAiVIqp6e3WJiq2N-Spg/s1600/pissed+off+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLIW61nC0XwsMIzkWkzcAAW3-OFC4f5zc4UsBgOh_XMxjKrlqqXhj4axtzxKWJymwPsC26TTpSNtuHjdg_JMh8oUxeaCdRzBz1L9frTwQ-t1ihyoovdSa9KIlpAiVIqp6e3WJiq2N-Spg/s1600/pissed+off+.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think this is right before I exclaimed, "Damn it, Chad!" (a Fleet Feet Event Mgt. employee) as he put my finishers' medal around my neck.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have put off writing this race report because, quite frankly, it isn't fun to write about failures, and I also needed some time to cool down. I am not going to bash Fleet Feet Event Management, the organization that put on the event. They typically put on really professional races, but they had some bad luck of their own in the days leading up to this one. In short, they were short on volunteers for the event and they weren't able to supply enough course monitors to man the half marathon course. I'm sure they thought they had set up enough barriers and laid down enough chalk to keep everyone straight, but the course was very confusing to even the cyclists with maps who were leading the runners all over Sacramento.<br />
<br />
The first problem I had that day was forgetting my Garmin. I have never done that before! I thought I might try to be Zen for this one and just not use a watch, but OMG am I glad I found a loaner! I can't imagine how much more disastrous that race would have been had I not known how long I had been running after I lost the course. And, then having a record of some of my splits for posterity's sake since the recorded time was about 5-6 minutes slow. I saw my friend Erika right before the race and luckily she had a friend, Jacqueline, who was running the half marathon and generously offered me her Garmin. I was so humbled by this gesture! I will pay it forward one day, I promise!<br />
<br />
As I saw the pleas for volunteers from Fleet Feet Event Management stream across Facebook in the days leading up to the race, I had a bad feeling that something might go wrong. Given my experience at the Parkway Half and the fact that I had missed a 10k race the month before because of my health issues, I just wanted to run a legit race and test my fitness.<br />
<br />
I met the eventual winner at the start line and introduced myself. She runs for the Oiselle Racing Team, and I knew that she would lead the race from the gun since she has a 1:17 half marathon PR. I also found a friend at the start, Kristen, whom I have met at other races and expected her to be right up there in front too. This is an all-women's race, by the way, so the three of us formed the lead pack. Except that we really weren't a pack. From the gun, Alison was in the lead as I expected. She went out hot. I stuck to my race plan which was to run 6:10-6:20 pace for the first couple of miles to get in a groove. I didn't become discouraged as Alison and then Kristen increased their lead on me in those first few miles. I had read a <a href="http://www.irunfar.com/2014/06/never-ever-give-up-ellie-greenwoods-2014-comrades-report.html">fantastic race report from Ellie Greenwood</a>, the winner of the 2014 Comrades Marathon, the day before where she emphasized the importance of never giving up. You just never know what might happen in a longer race. Especially a hot race. The temperatures would reach 100+ later that day, and I think it was about 80 degrees when I finished, so not exactly cool. I have been heat training so I knew I would race relatively well in those temperatures and that would be an advantage.<br />
<br />
Back to the race: Alison had gained a lead on Kristen and me by mile 3 and a cyclist dropped back to help us figure out where to go since we could no longer see the lead runner. Kristen was right with the cyclist and I was a few seconds behind her. We made a couple of turns and then I saw the cyclist stop abruptly while Kristen followed some cones around to make a left turn onto Folsom Blvd. This is one of the most heavily trafficked roads in Sacramento and I was a little surprised that they would shut down traffic for the race. In actuality, I wasn't really thinking. I was racing and following the cyclist and Kristen. As I turned onto Folsom, the cyclist, parked safely on a side street, looked up from his phone and smiled at me. I could see Kristen running in the vehicle lane and, at first, there wasn't any traffic coming toward her. I thought it odd that they wouldn't have coned off the shoulder of the road for the runners, but whatever. Then, the traffic light changed at 65th and Folsom and cars started streaming toward us. I was in the gutter at this point recognizing that something was seriously wrong, but Kristen hadn't caught on yet and cars had to swerve around her as she held her lane. I finally realized we were screwed and yelled at Kristen to turn around, but she was wearing headphones and didn't hear me. Don't wear headphones in races, peeps!!!<br />
<br />
I took the first left that I could, which was 65th street and took it to Elvas Ave. I knew that the course hooked up with Elvas at some point, though I didn't know whether it was on the way out or the way back. At this point I had no idea how to get back on course or whether I was cutting it short or running long. I finally found a police officer acting as course monitor and stopped (and didn't stop my watch) to ask where I was. He directed me down an off ramp and I started seeing what looked like course markings. It wasn't until I found an aid station around mile 6 that I found out where I was on course. That's when I knew this was going to be 3/4 mile long. I also found out that the leader had run the correct course, so now she was completely out of reach (as a side note: she ended up slowing a lot in the latter part of the race, which makes me wonder what Kristen or I could have done in the latter stages as we caught up to her). I didn't see Kristen anywhere even though I half expected her to catch up to me as I had lost some motivation at this point. I found out after the race that she was misdirected not once but twice and eventually dropped. Unlike the Parkway Half where everyone ran a long course, I knew that no adjustments would be made to my time for this one since at least the leader had run the correct course. How deflating.<br />
<br />
Of course, dropping out crossed my mind A LOT in the second half of the race. Luckily, my friend Christina Applegate was on her bike not only giving me info on what was going down from an effed-up race standpoint, but also keeping me focused on getting my job done. I love that she decided to put these words on this photo she took because they are the same as the title of Ellie's blog post. I did not give up!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVovYMchga1w3OL3ie0iXYh8iUtarVA_lN1CLWaiT2DQywxgbCpzneKF0CF-q414c6UCDlILNws4dKcKSFVp0jfBXcx3hQDHpYCZulXVwV-Ft3XY7jYlms0LwVwW7cMS9U4qqRt-tFco/s1600/IMG_0654.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVovYMchga1w3OL3ie0iXYh8iUtarVA_lN1CLWaiT2DQywxgbCpzneKF0CF-q414c6UCDlILNws4dKcKSFVp0jfBXcx3hQDHpYCZulXVwV-Ft3XY7jYlms0LwVwW7cMS9U4qqRt-tFco/s1600/IMG_0654.jpeg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks, Apple, for the pic and the support!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The final insult happened when I approached McKinley Park and there was a cop directing traffic at an intersection. He had his back to me (!) and was waving cars to move through the intersection. I made eye contact with the lady in the car who was being directed to cross the lane I was in, but she just kept moving right on through! I kept running thinking she would stop until she eventually nicked me with her bumper as I yelled out in surprise. I wasn't hurt at all, but Jesus Christo that was ridiculous!<br />
<br />
I didn't quit the race even though I did slow at the end. Even running to the 13.1 mile point and lapping my borrowed watch was pointless because I had stopped running a few times to figure out how to get back on course without stopping the watch. I am still unsure what I really ran that day, and I guess it doesn't matter. I estimate I was about 5-6 minutes faster than my gun time but who knows?<br />
<br />
I ended up coming in second place and found out that a pack of runners behind me also ended up running different configurations of the course., though most ran shorter than me because they figured out the mistake sooner. Eventually, someone figured out the problem and the rest of the runners were directed along the proper course. <br />
<br />
I am not going to lie and say that I let this one roll off my back. I didn't. I really felt sorry for myself after this one. I didn't get to run a single legit race in my build up to the Eugene Marathon because I was either anemic or the course was long. That is some bad luck.<br />
<br />
The next day, my health issues cropped up in a major way. I had cramps of the same magnitude as the ones that sent me to the ER back in the winter. This time, I had a bottle of Norco to ease the pain, and I knew that it was just my fibroid baby talking to me. But, holy cow, those cramps are debilitating. It took me out for the entire day. Then, I started bleeding like crazy from Tuesday until, well, yesterday. I had my blood levels taken on Monday to just get a sense of where I was and I was only borderline anemic (hemoglobin = 12.3; clinical anemia is < 12). This actually made me happy to think that I could experience as much blood loss as I had the week prior and still not get nearly as low as I was back in March (hemoglobin < 10). Nonetheless, these levels are still low, and I have found anything under 13 has a noticeable impact on performance, particularly my endurance. I ended up having to skip both of my hard workouts last week because of the uncontrollable blood loss, but I am back training as normal again this week. <br />
<br />
I ran a long workout Wednesday (shout out to Jen P. for getting my butt out there!) and attempted the workout as written. I knew I would have to play it by ear given how I had been feeling, but I wanted to give it a try. The workout on my schedule was 16 miles with 5-7 mile warm up and 4 x 2 miles at threshold pace. I was pretty certain my threshold pace was going to be slow but I thought I might be able to do at least 3 of the repeats. It went better than expected with my 2 mile splits at 12:15 for the first 2. I could definitely tell I was working though. I ran one more mile at around 6:08 pace and then the wheels started coming off. The last mile was around 6:15-6:20 pace and I knew it was time to jog it back in. I didn't really jog though. I finished all 16 miles at an average of ~6:50 pace, so that was another surprise. I will say that I felt like hell afterward. However, I rebounded quickly and enough to get in a TRX workout that evening.<br />
<br />
I am on a new medication that is supposed to help control the bleeding, but it does have side effects. It is basically a super dose of progestin. It seems to be working to control the bleeding so far (fingers crossed).<br />
<br />
So, what does this mean for my Eugene Marathon training? It means that I am going to continue to train as if I didn't have these health issue and just do what I can. I can't push my body harder than it can go, but I am hopeful that these new meds will keep the bleeding to a minimum so I can use the next 5 weeks to create more red blood cells. The good news is, once my hemoglobin levels get close to 14 again, I am going to feel like a freakin' rock star! I have been there and I know that feeling. It may or may not happen before Eugene, and that's okay. There will be other races for me to attempt to run under 2:43.<br />
<br />
If I've learned anything from this spate of bad luck and bad health it is to never, ever give up on myself. <br />
<br />
<br />Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-44955725288322865992014-05-31T14:24:00.001-07:002014-05-31T14:24:44.025-07:00Shoes, Supplements and StrengthAfter months of posts about my health issues, I am happy to move on to much more important things: shoes, supplements and strength training!<br />
<br />
First, I should update you on my training. I can't say things have been as great as they were around the time I ran the Parkway Half Marathon. That truly was an exceptional time for me. My blood levels were peaked and I felt awesome. Since then, my blood levels have dropped quite a bit and I had to miss a race because of it. This regression is upsetting, for sure, but I am learning to cope with my new 'normal'. My condition is progressively improving, but that improvement curve is more sinusoidal than linear.<br />
<br />
I am learning a lot about patience and attitude. When my blood levels are higher, I have great workouts and when they are lower, my paces slow. BUT, I am doing the work that I need to to become a faster marathoner. I have really had to work on my attitude when my blood levels start to drop. I know it will affect my performance and it is really hard to even motivate myself to go out and run. I know that my goal for each workout is not how fast I run it, but just that I get it done at the right level of effort. As my blood levels rebound I will naturally get faster and paces will feel easier. The work I put in, regardless of how I feel, will pay off in fitness gains.<br />
<br />
I make this sound easy, but it's not. I am in the meat of my training for the Eugene Marathon right now and am doing the big Jack Daniels' workouts. I generally have two long runs per week with 10-14 miles of marathon and/or threshold pace mixed in. In the last week, I ran two marathon paced workouts of 10 miles. The first one was run with reasonable (not great) blood levels and the second was a week later with lower levels. The first workout felt absolutely great. I cruised along for 10 miles @ 6:10 - 6:20 pace with ease and felt fantastic. This was a pretty remarkable workout for me given how far out I am from the marathon (8 weeks!).<br />
<br />
In contrast, the one I did Thursday of this past week was not so fun. I had experienced the worst bleeding since March and am likely close to anemic again. I knew going into this workout that I was going to suffer. I drug my feet all day about even doing it and finally pushed myself out the door at around 7 pm. It was 85 degrees. This workout was a total of 14 miles with a continuous workout of 6 miles marathon pace + 1 mile threshold (T) + 3 miles marathon. I was mostly dreading that T pace. I started out into a headwind which really pissed me off and I decided to run back and forth on a two-mile stretch of the bike trail to get relief from that for at least half the workout. For some reason, this is easier for me to handle mentally than running out 5 miles and back. I broke the run down into two-mile chunks in my head. I started off around 6:25 pace for the first two miles into the wind. It felt hard. I turned and, with the wind at my back, was able to speed up ever so slightly. 4 miles done. I got some water and turned back into the wind. My pace remained steady around 6:20 through 6 miles. I had already decided to ditch the T pace mile if I was feeling crappy and almost forgot about it until I hit the half mile split in mile 7. I saw that my split was 3:03 and I decided I should try to get under 6:00 (my T pace) for this mile. I actually felt okay running 5:59 for that mile and then slowed for the M pace to complete mile 8. I stopped again for water and then finished up the last two miles under 6:15 pace. So, all in all, this workout was only 1-2 seconds slower per mile than the one I did the week before even though it felt less comfortable. I was mostly proud of that 7th mile.<br />
<br />
This entire workout was a HUGE mental battle. I kept feeling sorry for myself and let the worry slip in at every curve. Would I be able to finish the workout? For how many days would my blood levels continue to drop? Will they recover in time for my half marathon next weekend? Would they keep me from running a good marathon in Eugene? When will the madness end? I must have had the most horrible look on my face the entire workout, but I will say I was glad when I finished.<br />
<br />
So, my marathon training is actually going well. I am up to around 70 miles per week and I won't go much higher than that this cycle. I am doing major workouts and they are tiring, but they are really giving me confidence in my marathon fitness. I have never run so many long workouts this close to goal pace this far out from a marathon. Fingers crossed that the stars align and I get to the starting line in Eugene fit and healthy! I am defending my title, after all. <br />
<br />
<u>SHOES</u><br />
<u><br /></u>
I've been meaning to write about some changes I've made in my running footwear over the past months. Typically, shoe changes lead to injury for me. It normally takes about 3 weeks for me to see the effects, but my last couple of changes have been right before I became pretty majorly injured. I normally wear the Nike Pegasus as a training shoe and the Nike Lunaracers as my racing shoe for all distances including the marathon. One thing that I dislike about the Pegasus is the fact that I wear them down quickly. I get about 200 miles out of them before I start to lose support and need to swap them out. This is about 2 1/2 weeks of training for me, so pretty expensive. So, I began adding shoes into my rotation to break things up a bit and to just see what would happen (I can't leave well enough alone). Here's what I'm wearing.<br />
<br />
1. <b>Nike Pegasus 30</b>. I now wear these about 1-2 times per week for easy runs.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfKW-VAx08E2W1-q0I38_HmB9B68BppFTn3MsU_iFgYYnaK8Ivd7cHz0zYUg9V9iJ_3QGae1BjHij9Wl9SBhOzorQT3edN6jPtCO9jD3U3lOBArTOFrZ4CtQpvPSLw85LOPrQozN-gqQ/s1600/IMG_4597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfKW-VAx08E2W1-q0I38_HmB9B68BppFTn3MsU_iFgYYnaK8Ivd7cHz0zYUg9V9iJ_3QGae1BjHij9Wl9SBhOzorQT3edN6jPtCO9jD3U3lOBArTOFrZ4CtQpvPSLw85LOPrQozN-gqQ/s1600/IMG_4597.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pegasus 30</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
2. <b>Nike Flyknit Lunar 1</b>. I'm on my third pair of these lightweight trainers and really like them. I like that they have a higher heel drop, good cushioning and are super lightweight. I've been able to get away with wearing them for my long (14-18 mile) workouts. I've been getting about 150 miles out of a pair of these before needing to retire them.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc5Fm71H0W8RGAxEXLfIXcN1LOsMDqAPitoJLKzeUxEZ3OLDwDsC9GS7W0SD_1To72urHDFeGaL6F_aRg6U620Ti_vzoCmmKyxlRqJ6fimTqf5BvdH2esD1E2UcE_kXBGUR-LiKV-X5HY/s1600/IMG_4598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc5Fm71H0W8RGAxEXLfIXcN1LOsMDqAPitoJLKzeUxEZ3OLDwDsC9GS7W0SD_1To72urHDFeGaL6F_aRg6U620Ti_vzoCmmKyxlRqJ6fimTqf5BvdH2esD1E2UcE_kXBGUR-LiKV-X5HY/s1600/IMG_4598.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flyknit Lunar 1</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
3. <b>Nike Lunaracer 3</b>. These are my racing shoes and I train in them when I'm doing fast and short speed work. I'm not sure I'll ever change these out. They work way too well for me.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHqtfdUAtyAM7aqiohYfgm7QdSl2wy-Wtxz4ZUBwGfi6Y8kwC3c02TrTadEiIhSnheOFJXumbhAVnk7p41mTaFzJP72yyqUDuEjI8JbcIev1es8KsojffVt1oXuhH4irU78uDNuTztuo/s1600/IMG_4601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHqtfdUAtyAM7aqiohYfgm7QdSl2wy-Wtxz4ZUBwGfi6Y8kwC3c02TrTadEiIhSnheOFJXumbhAVnk7p41mTaFzJP72yyqUDuEjI8JbcIev1es8KsojffVt1oXuhH4irU78uDNuTztuo/s1600/IMG_4601.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunaracer 3</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
4. <b>Hoka Kailua Tarmac</b>. These were a big gamble for me. I wanted to try them because of the extreme cushioning they provide and thought that might be beneficial for recovery days. I also wanted to see if I could get more than 200 miles out of them. The risk was the low heel drop. Each time I've tried to go lower than my Nikes, I have ended up with niggles and injuries. So far, I haven't had a problem with these and I can't quite say why that is. Perhaps it's the rocker bottom that they use, but I don't have achilles or calf soreness from the low drop. Instead, I feel like I get that cushioned ride that I was looking for and can tell the difference running in them. I'm at 200 miles on this pair and I feel like I can wear them longer. My legs feel better recovered after a recovery run. I wear these on my easy days 1-2 times per week.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQK1tdlYsI2PUCrTgk_dpeKJkxulwfJxtcYPyxAxZvHBVSEJxy0O2EjjNfl9uT4-PcLjxE_NoMd43DUwxIUbGIvV5zUoWMf8GT_66ZYCsxZd2hx_OwhTAtdIwi0CeCamqw1p9GpxU9j-M/s1600/IMG_4599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQK1tdlYsI2PUCrTgk_dpeKJkxulwfJxtcYPyxAxZvHBVSEJxy0O2EjjNfl9uT4-PcLjxE_NoMd43DUwxIUbGIvV5zUoWMf8GT_66ZYCsxZd2hx_OwhTAtdIwi0CeCamqw1p9GpxU9j-M/s1600/IMG_4599.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoka Kailua Tarmac</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
5. <b>Hoka Stinson Trail</b>. I started running on trails a few months back and decided that my road shoes were a hazard. I invested in these right after getting the Kailuas. These are like running on marshmallows, and I really appreciate the cushiony ride on my easy days. I wear these on trails and when I feel like I need a little less impact on tired legs. I also like a heavier shoe for easy days which makes my light shoes feel like slippers.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4HsV_asmWaWXg9uiVpUzGRKU0JCKOjT0U76EDGKClMlJD3JThRldv3dmuVxUUDoXZr50CdJL1K-0TUZfbRfnVPEbBeL_teoxRrQBIZj0MyCoVtfLkeiu0T2r0FBzCii6i1VoM-U-4U8/s1600/IMG_4600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4HsV_asmWaWXg9uiVpUzGRKU0JCKOjT0U76EDGKClMlJD3JThRldv3dmuVxUUDoXZr50CdJL1K-0TUZfbRfnVPEbBeL_teoxRrQBIZj0MyCoVtfLkeiu0T2r0FBzCii6i1VoM-U-4U8/s1600/IMG_4600.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoka Stinson Trail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So, that's my current rotation and it appears to be working well for me.<br />
<br />
<u>SUPPLEMENTS</u> <br />
<br />
Right now, I am taking a boat load of (legal) stuff to try to "cure" my health issues and to help my body replace the RBCs I lose. On the sports nutrition side of things, I recently found a couple of products that I am really loving. They are manufactured by <a href="http://brlsports.com/">BRL sports nutrition</a>. The first is a recovery powder that I also use as a mid afternoon snack. It is called <a href="http://brlsports.com/invigor8/">Invigor8</a>. I have tried both flavors and they are both excellent. I typically mix this in my Nutribullet with frozen fruit and either water, almond milk or coconut water. What I love about it is that it has everything in it already so I don't have to add things like probiotics, omegas, digestive enzymes, BCAAs, etc. While I don't ride the 'sugar is evil' bandwagon, this product only has 1 g sugar. I add my own sugar:)<br />
<br />
The second product is one that I use more for pre-workout fueling. It's called <a href="http://brlsports.com/trifuel-energy-and-recovery-drink/">TriFuel</a>. It is also billed as a recovery drink and I sometimes take it after a workout. It is unusual in the sports drink market in that it has BCAAs, carbs, a load of electrolytes and some stuff that keeps you going and focused during your workout including caffeine. I typically take this within 15 minutes of a long workout and it holds me over for up to 2 hours. I was skeptical about the manufacturer's claims about improved mental focus, but I do notice an improvement in that aspect of my workouts. My recovery has also been very good especially now that I'm adding in a lot of extra stuff (see below).<br />
<br />
<u>STRENGTH TRAINING</u><br />
<br />
Every day, I am bombarded with an endless feed of running-related tweets and articles about how important strength training is for runners. I have long been a believer in the importance of strength training for performance and injury prevention. When I was experiencing the worst of the anemia, I lost all interest in doing strength work. It took every ounce of energy I had to work and to run. Doing anything more was not in the cards. When I started to feel better, I still lacked motivation to do my usual extra strength, core and basic maintenance routines.<br />
<br />
So, to get myself back into the groove, I decided to start going to group training classes to motivate myself as well as try some new things out. It started with Bikram yoga. I signed up for a new student special at <a href="http://sacramentobikramyoga.com/">Sacramento Bikram yoga</a> and was shocked back into the torture of this practice. The first day I went, the 105-degree room was filled with the vaporized sweat of about 50 people. It felt like Florida in there. I just about hyperventilated for the first 10 minutes and literally swam in my own sweat when I got down on my mat for the ground poses. I have continued to do bikram 2-3 times per week and have noticed the following changes:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Doing yoga in a very hot room hastens heat acclimation due to physiological changes that occur when exercising in the heat (e.g. increased blood volume). My transition to running in the heat (80-90 degree temps) has been very easy so far this spring.</li>
<li>I am gaining flexibility in my lower back. It wasn't until I started yoga that I realized that the area with the least amount of functional mobility on my body is my lower back. All of the twists we do in this class are making tiny improvements in this area. </li>
<li>I can sleep on my stomach without pain now. This may not have anything to do with running, but I had to stop sleeping on my stomach about a decade ago because my neck would start to stiffen up and ache after about 10 minutes. It took about 4 weeks for my neck to loosen up but it did and I am happy.</li>
<li>My balance is improving all the way from my toes to my head. Several of the poses require balancing on one leg and holding various parts of the body in strange configurations. I wobble and sometimes fall, but each week I can tell I am getting better and believe this will translate to being steadier on my feet while running.</li>
</ul>
Will bikram yoga make me a faster runner? I don't know. For now, I appreciate the positive changes I am seeing and it is helping to motivate me to get in additional strength work.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnH96l9rXnU2dzXiKCXfCYTqb4wSRNQJgfXj_pcRBbpWECIzKyqAfaenM0jjVmHne18nDdfuBjd8DVcjkUu8iT868DWPwfFV1tgtZI80NKPsFykvxLGFnOapvbNtSk2zo7rZe6nUAeiNI/s1600/TRX.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnH96l9rXnU2dzXiKCXfCYTqb4wSRNQJgfXj_pcRBbpWECIzKyqAfaenM0jjVmHne18nDdfuBjd8DVcjkUu8iT868DWPwfFV1tgtZI80NKPsFykvxLGFnOapvbNtSk2zo7rZe6nUAeiNI/s1600/TRX.jpg" height="181" width="320" /></a></div>
I also joined a studio called <a href="http://www.hotpilatessacramento.com/">P2O or Hot Pilates</a> here in Sacramento, of course taking advantage of a 30 days for $30 new member discount. They offer a lot of different classes. So far, I've only tried the TRX class. This class is a butt buster. It challenges your core muscles while also getting the heart rate up with some calisthenics. The thing I like most about it for runners is that it challenges your range of motion, especially in the hips, in a very functional way for running. I'll try their hot pilates class tomorrow after my long run and see how that goes.<br />
<br />
Right now, I am doing some form of strength-based training (yoga, weight lifting, pilates, TRX) at least 4-5 days per week. That's a lot more than the zero days per week I was doing a couple of months ago. I feel so much stronger and can actually feel the improvement in my core strength during my runs. I have also been quite pleased with how much more quickly weight has come off over that time period. My weight peaked during the winter when I was dealing with all of my health issues. I was eating a lot of ice cream to make myself feel better and wasn't doing a lot of running. That's a bad combo. I am just a few pounds off of my racing weight now and quite certain I'll get there in the next 8 weeks.<br />
<br />
Next weekend, I race another half marathon. I really hope that my blood levels rebound from this last drop in time for the race. I am downing iron shots like they are whiskey three times a day and crossing my fingers. Hopefully, I'll have a race report to share next Sunday!<br />
Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-31762605933216042812014-04-29T12:06:00.001-07:002014-04-29T12:23:11.933-07:00The one where I run my fastest half marathon in almost five yearsI am giddy about what has happened over the past four weeks. I have felt progressively better as my body has recovered from the most recent bout with anemia. I found out last week why when I got my blood test results back:<br />
<br />
Hemoglobin: 14.0 (11.9 a month ago!)<br />
Hematocrit: 42.6%<br />
Ferritin: 38 (19 a month ago!)<br />
<br />
These are numbers I have dreamed about. They are the levels that Jack said he thought I should be striving for. I didn't think it was possible for me since they are higher than I have ever tested! How did I do it? Well, the biggest factor was the lack of blood loss. I have swung in the opposite direction of where I was two months ago. I haven't lost any blood in nearly 30 days! This is unprecedented for me, but I am NOT complaining!<br />
<br />
I have also continued to supplement with liquid iron 2-3 times per day. I had been taking other products and was watching my blood levels either stagnate or decline. Once I stopped taking those, I seemed to do a lot better. It is really difficult to determine cause and effect with the supplements. What I know works is: liquid iron supplement + no blood loss.<br />
<br />
The challenge with this condition is that you never know when the flood events will hit. I have been walking on egg shells these last couple of weeks just waiting for one to hit. I can't say exactly why I haven't had one, but I suspect the progestin-only BCPS and all of the things I'm doing to reduce my estrogen levels must be contributing. It is also possible that the fibroids are shrinking. I can still feel them, but they do seem smaller. Wishful thinking? Maybe.<br />
<br />
I decided a month or so ago that I wanted to plan some races. I had to cancel two of the three races I had planned for the winter/early spring racing season due to this health issue and was anemic for the one race I ran. So, I wanted to test out my fitness in a low-key half marathon. I chose the American River Parkway Half Marathon. This race course runs along the American River Parkway Trail which is where I do all of my training.<br />
<br />
I held off signing up for the race, because my calculations showed the next scheduled flood event would occur somewhere within the week leading up to the race, if I stayed on schedule. As I mentioned above, that didn't materialize but the anticipation was overwhelming. It also meant paying an extra $25 for the race ($75), but I figured that was worth it, especially since some of the funds went to support the Parkway Foundation. I use this trail so much, I was happy to contribute to that cause.<br />
<br />
I have been running well in training and doing some hefty workouts again in preparation for the Eugene Marathon in July. My lactate threshold pace is back down around 6:00/mile and my marathon pace has been around 6:20-6:25. I suspected, on a good day, that I could at least hold the same pace that I did for the 10 mile race a few weeks back (6:25 pace). I decided to start out around there and then try to negative split the race.<br />
<br />
Race weather was as perfect as you get here in Sacramento in April. It was foggy and cool. I actually wore arm warmers and gloves! The announcer said at the start that he was expecting some really fast times as a result. After the inexperienced and over-exuberant racing chaff separated from the wheat in the first 400m, I found myself pacing with a couple of guys. One was a friend who is faster than me, but he was doing a brick workout so had ridden for 90 minutes before the race. I was happy about that because for me it meant I had a chance of keeping up with him. Even though there was little to no wind, drafting is still a huge advantage in a race. As we clicked off the miles, I saw that our pace was faster than I wanted to go out. However, the advantage of having a group to work with was much more valuable than running my own race. I would try to hang with the boys for as long as I could.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPn7_0hxqvb1F0pZBkZ6OyAwd65xi-Mkykl3FWKxt6dtYoORpa3uX-Q7iTQ9KshzpdnaBQmRcBEZ0TPFaHjF92Rg2CzYXbLd_S9unXEk_hPRsjWF_QYnK0q84QhhLSwI51bUYGZWkAOP8/s1600/ARP_2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPn7_0hxqvb1F0pZBkZ6OyAwd65xi-Mkykl3FWKxt6dtYoORpa3uX-Q7iTQ9KshzpdnaBQmRcBEZ0TPFaHjF92Rg2CzYXbLd_S9unXEk_hPRsjWF_QYnK0q84QhhLSwI51bUYGZWkAOP8/s1600/ARP_2014.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My pack. Isn't this a great photo? Thanks to Randy Wehner!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We were averaging about 6:15 pace for the first 6 miles, and I felt good. We hit the one major turn on the course and headed back toward the finish. When we hit the 7 mile marker, our pack leader proclaimed that they had turned us too far down on the course and we were going to be running long. I looked at my Garmin and the total distance at 7 miles read 7.66. This sucked the air right out of me. I was so irritated that the course was going to be long and that I wouldn't get the chance to see where I was fitness wise.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Normally, I would have shaken this off better. It's only one race, right? Well, consider how difficult it has been for me to get to the starting line of a race for the past 3-4 months. Experienced runners know how rare it is to have the stars align on race day where you are healthy, you feel great, the weather is perfect, you have a pace setter. I mean, this was my day! I cogitated on this for the next mile or so but held on to my pack. Then, I saw the Genius at around the 8 mile mark and blurted out, "the course is long!" Something about vocalizing that made it real and I let one of my pacers go at that point. I slowed to 6:20-6:25 pace for the next few miles. I was feeling sorry for myself and tried to figure out how I could salvage this race given the circumstances. I knew that I was pretty far ahead of any other female runners, so I would at least get the win if I stuck it out. I will never pass up the opportunity to win, no matter how small the race! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
At around mile 11 I decided I could salvage the race by lapping my Garmin at 13.11 miles. I would then at least know what I had run for the distance. That time was 1:22:25. This lifted my spirits. While my PR is just under 1:20 for the half (set in 2009), I haven't run faster than 1:23 since July 2009. It felt really satisfying. I continued on for another kilometer and crossed the finish line as 5th overall and 1st female. I will say that I had little motivation in that extra kilometer to push myself and I didn't. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Immediately after the race, there was a flurry of Garmin checking and discussion going on about the distance. I had the two lead men run up to me and ask what my Garmin read. They had traveled from Southern California to run this race and were trying for a qualifier for some collegiate event. I felt horrible for them but I told them to talk to the timing company. They would help them however they could to make it right. That afternoon the timing company measured the extra distance we ran and adjusted times accordingly in the results. While I would rather have run the right distance, I was pleased with their quick action and am grateful that my time was adjusted. It was pretty close to what I had split at 13.11 (1:22:35).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I have some really tough training ahead and have my fingers crossed that I will stay healthy for it. My fitness is in a really good place right now given the times I was running at this point in my marathon training for Twin Cities 2009 (2:46) and Chicago 2010 (2:45). I am right on schedule if not a little fitter. Wishful thinking has me hoping the health nightmare I have experienced this year is completely in the past, but only time will tell. All I know is that running is effortless and fun again and I will cherish the healthy miles I get. <br />
<br />
<br />
</div>
Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-42386808791805603792014-04-07T09:16:00.000-07:002014-04-07T10:00:27.359-07:00Still running a few pints lowAnd then, it was six weeks later. I'm not sure how time got away from me, but I apologize for not updating my blog sooner.<br />
<br />
To recap: Over the last 2-3 months, I have lost a lot of blood and become clinically anemic (low hemoglobin) because I have fibroids in my uterus. There are three of them and one is the size of a 16-week old fetus and the other 2 are about 6 weeks along. In fact, the big one completely fills my entire uterus! I got to see them in ultrasound pictures but decided not to get a printed copy to hang on the fridge. The main, troubling symptom is massive blood loss and the only way to recover from that is to take iron supplements and, well, stop bleeding.<br />
<br />
Last time we met, my hemoglobin had tanked to a low of 9.7. Over, the past six weeks, I got it up to a high of 12.4. My goal is to be around 14. My running mileage and intensity increased steadily with my blood levels. I began feeling so much better with each incremental gain in red blood cells. I have also found that this is not necessarily a linear process. Some weeks, my blood levels rose in what appeared to be regular increments while in others, they didn't go up at all, even under the same supplementation regime and without any blood loss. Then, some weeks, like last week, I lost so much blood that I ended up losing ground and became anemic again. <br />
<br />
Here is a quick record of my blood levels and corresponding workout milestones:<br />
<br />
2/14/14<br />
Hemoglobin: 9.7<br />
Hematocrit: 29.3<br />
Running workouts: Kept all workouts to short speed efforts. Ran about 3-4 days per week, ~20 miles/week. Felt very tired running. Had to stop numerous times to get through an easy run. Had to walk rest breaks when doing speed work.<br />
<br />
2/18/14<br />
Hemoglobin: 10.8<br />
Hematocrit: 33.7<br />
Running workouts: Still keeping to short speed efforts. Ran about 3-4 days per week, ~20 miles/week. Still felt very tired running. Still walking in rest breaks when doing speed work. <br />
<br />
2/25/14<br />
Hemoglobin: 11.2<br />
Hematocrit: 35.4<br />
Running workouts: Finally starting to feel better. Ran a long run at around 7:30 pace midweek and it was hard. Heart rate averaged 88-90% of max for the whole run (usual pace at that HR range is ~6:10). Did a short speed workout over the weekend and it was the first time I didn't have to walk the recoveries! 48 miles this week. Felt less tired running in general. <br />
<br />
3/6/14<br />
Hemoglobin: 11.7<br />
Hematocrit: 35.7<br />
Running workouts: Not much change here. Pretty disappointed that my hemoglobin didn't rise more over the last two weeks despite the iron supplements. I guess recovery from anemia isn't a linear process. I did some running on hilly trails and felt much better than I thought I would. However, I had to cut my first lactate threshold workout into chunks a few days later because I couldn't hold 6:15 pace for more than 800m:(.<br />
<br />
3/12/14<br />
Hemoglobin: 12.3<br />
Hematocrit: 38.7<br />
Running workouts: Had my first long workout with 9 miles at alternating marathon and lactate threshold pace. Ran all of it, but boy did I stop a lot. Averaged about 6:25 pace, but I did stop about 6 times during the course of this "continuous" workout. <br />
<br />
3/21/14<br />
Hemoglobin: 12.4<br />
Hematocrit: 37.8<br />
<b>Ferritin: </b>35<br />
Running workouts: Had my blood drawn on my own and decided to get ferritin checked too. Was happy to see that my iron stores are still up there! Ran a couple of lactate threshold workouts and stopped in at least one of the miles to complete at the faster paces (5:58-6:07). I don't recommend this, btw. It's not the way you're supposed to run them, but this is what happens when your brain is disconnected from your anemic body: you think you can run faster than you actually can and then you die during the repeat.<br />
<br />
3/28/14<br />
Hemoglobin: 11.9<br />
Hematocrit: 36.8<br />
<b>Ferritin:</b> 19<br />
Running workouts: I had my blood drawn because I had experienced another major episode this week and was very worried about the effect on my blood levels. I had good reason to be concerned. Not only were hemoglobin and hematocrit low, but my ferritin took a nose dive because my body was really needing the stored iron to make new RBCs. I also changed my supplements a little this week from taking the liquid ferrous sulfate 3 times/day to taking it once and adding in a "gentler" product called "blood builder" with non-heme iron, folate, and B vitamins. I won't do that again. That stuff doesn't work for me.<br />
<br />
_________________________________________________________________________________<br />
<br />
So, that was last week and I had a race yesterday. Maybe you can imagine the deflation I felt when I was making such good progress with my blood levels and then, BAM, I lose nearly a month's worth of progress and turn into anemia girl again. IN TWO DAYS!!! I had hoped I might be close to normal by the time the race rolled around. <br />
<br />
I was a bit conflicted about whether or not to even run the race. I had missed two other races I had signed up for in March because of my health issues. The first race in early March was a 10 miler and I couldn't even run 10 miles at any pace without stopping to catch my breath at that point, so that was kind of a no brainer. Then, there was the hilly but beautiful Race across the Bay in San Francisco where I did so well last year. I was feeling better by then, but wasn't sure I could run without walking the hills. No go. <br />
<br />
With yesterday's Sactown 10-mile race, I knew that the anemia was going to affect me, but I decided I didn't want to miss another race. There is this little thing called ego that tried to get in the way of my decision, but I decided to just suck it up and go for it. I'm really glad I did. I had hoped to run around 6:30 pace for the whole race and try to pick it up a bit if possible in the second half. I stuck to my plan and was at least able to even split the race. I ran 31:59 for the first half and 1:03:57 overall. I was very pleased with this given the fact that 3 weeks ago I couldn't hold that pace for 9 miles. What I have to forget about is that I was running 30 miles/week at less than 6:20 pace two months ago in training.<br />
<br />
The good thing about being anemic is that I will feel like a freakin' rockstar once my hemoglobin levels get over 13. I still have a long way to go, but I am hopeful that the meds I'm taking to control the bleeding will eventually kick in. I have been able to keep my mileage up around 60 these past couple of weeks and will be gradually increasing as I get closer to the Eugene Marathon.<br />
<br />
So what is the solution to my medical problem? Well, the "easy" answer is to have a hysterectomy. In fact, the two gynecologists I saw prior to seeing a surgeon a few weeks ago, had already written my uterus off. When I walked in to see the surgeon, she said, "so, you're done with your uterus and just want to take it out, huh?" I told her that I never said that and, in fact, had told both of the other doctors that I did not want a hysterectomy. I wanted to see if I could manage the problem with meds before yanking the thing out.<br />
<br />
This doctor was very good. She told me I had a few options available before resorting to major surgery. She explained these to me and said that I could totally live with my fibroid babies as long as I could deal with the symptoms. She also confirmed that they were living off a diet of estrogen and that, decreasing that would make them shrink and die. This is why they go away in menopause. I am a few years away from that big change, but it at least gives me a timeframe to work with.<br />
<br />
What I have been doing is looking for other alternatives to reduce estrogen levels in my body and to shrink the fibroids. Those of you who've been regular followers will recall that I had my blood estrogen levels tested about 2 years ago (on my own because my docs said it was not useful) and was shocked that they were in the 500+ range which is the ideal level for someone on IVF treatment (very high). The medical doctors I have dealt with think estrogen tests are useless because they change with the monthly cycle, etc., yet they prescribe hormonal pills to increase them in order to remedy problems like I am having.<br />
<br />
I am operating on the assumption that my estrogen levels are high (well, I have tests to prove that) and that my progesterone levels are low (taking BCPs for that). I am taking a product called Myomin to reduce my estrogen levels. It takes about 3-6 months to see reduction in fibroids if it's going to work. This is a long-term strategy, obviously. I also believe that I can quash the Occupy Jaymee movement inside my uterus by taking systemic enzymes that help to break down fibrin. This is based on internet research I have done and there is some science behind it, but it is purely a trial. I am assuming it can't hurt me to try.<br />
<br />
In making this choice to try these alternative treatments and give my body a chance to kill the little bastards I have chosen a tough option. I won't get quick relief from this route, but I will at least know that I exhausted my non-surgical options. It is so tempting to think about surgery on the days, like the two days last week, where I am bleeding uncontrollably and know that I am becoming anemic yet again.<br />
<br />
I am seeing progress. My blood levels aren't dropping as much as they were over a month ago every time I have a period, and I have new ways of coping with the massive bleeding when it comes. Ladies, if you are in the same boat as me and haven't tried the <a href="http://divacup.com/">Diva Cup</a> or <a href="https://www.lunette.com/">Lunette</a>, you are missing out on a wonderful world of leak-proof protection! Gross, I know guys, but this little device has literally changed my life. I can do everything I want to do without worrying about the flooding interrupting the party. It is perfect for runners and offers 12 hours of protection (for me that's about 3 hours, but way better than the 5 minutes I get from the other options).<br />
<br />
And, I do believe my fibroid babies are shrinking. They are big enough that I can actually feel them in my abdomen (be grateful I spared you the baby bump pictures). They are definitely smaller than they were a month ago. As my symptoms subside, I'll try to get in for another ultrasound in a few months to see how much they have shrunk. <br />
<br />
I am happy to be able to share my story with all of you and add another anecdote to the interwebs about dealing with fibroids--one that is specific to athletes. I got confirmation of the educational benefit of my efforts from a fast guy runner yesterday who confessed that he has been reading my blog despite the warnings I have posted. He said, "I had no idea how much older women have to deal with!" I told him these problems are a lot more common than he could imagine, but most women choose to keep their stories private--and for good reason! I'm glad I didn't.Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-81264012798642555882014-02-16T14:29:00.000-08:002014-02-26T11:58:18.069-08:00Running with AnemiaThings are never so bad that they can't be made worse. ~Humphrey Bogart<br />
<br />
I believe I first heard that quote while in the Air Force. It was probably in reference to a bad commander that I couldn't wait to see move on. The military tends to rotate commanders every 2-3 years so we would rejoice when a bad one left. I'm sure some crusty old Chief Master Sergeant saw us rejoicing and threw that quote our way. Inevitably, I learned from experience he was right when the bad commander was followed by someone much worse. I have held that quote in my brain for over 20 years not because I'm a pessimistic person, but because I am a realistic person who likes to be prepared.<br />
<br />
I'm going to pick up where we left off because I want to chronicle this adventure for those of you who may find yourselves in a similar situation. I get a great amount of info from others' blog posts and articles I find on the web. What I have found so far is that the issues I am dealing with are estimated to affect up to 80% of women and athletes are not spared. However, there is very little information specific to athletes out there on these topics. I decided I would at least share what I am going through in hopes that others will do the same making more information available to female athletes (and their significant others) everywhere. <br />
<br />
<b>Where we left off</b>: Two weeks ago, I had dropped out of a half marathon race because I had an episode of blood loss the night before. I decided to contact my lady doc since I realized 4 weeks of continuous bleeding was no longer within a normal range of variability for me. She scheduled an ultrasound for me the Thursday of that week and my regular doc scheduled some blood tests for me. I was relieved to get the blood test results showing that I hadn't become anemic since my last blood tests in November. <br />
<br />
Just when I thought things were pretty bad, they got much worse. On Friday, I had a meeting scheduled and came prepared in case I had a major flooding episode. Well, the flood gates opened during the meeting and I could not control it. I had to politely excuse myself and drive home. This was flooding of biblical proportion. I had a dinner date with a friend that night at her house and experienced another flooding episode that led to an embarrassing admission on my part and sitting on a towel for the rest of the evening. My friend was, as I of course expected, very gracious.<br />
<br />
I went for two runs over that weekend. Seven miles on Saturday and 12 miles on Sunday. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to pull this off and maintain a decent (7:30) pace. I was definitely tired, but I was never on the verge of passing out or anything extreme. <br />
<br />
Last Monday at 2 a.m., I woke to heavy bleeding and decided I needed to take action. I immediately sent a message to my lady doc. It was returned immediately with an out of office message. Damn it! I was luckily able to make an appointment with my former lady doc for that morning.<br />
<br />
During that visit, my doc started with my ultrasound results which showed I had fibroids growing somewhere in my uterus. One of them was a big daddy, protruding 7cm into the uterus. The doc explained this was the likely culprit causing my excessive bleeding. However, she said that the IUD I had in place should be spewing out hormones to counteract the bleeding. We decided to have her take a look inside the madness, do an endometrial biopsy to rule out super bad stuff and remove the IUD to see if maybe it was contributing to my problems.<br />
<br />
When she started checking under the hood, she got a concerned look on her face. She told me she couldn't find the IUD. She then checked the ultrasound report which would certainly note a foreign object in my uterus had it been present. No notes. She said that she has seen this a couple of times in her long career, and it was always associated with heavy bleeding. So, it appears I am now a human pez dispenser of IUDs. It seems crazy to me that something that big could come shooting out of me and I would not have seen or felt it. She said it is rare, but it happens. When I told my mom about this her response was, "well, I always told you you were special". <br />
<br />
It was a convenient explanation for what was happening. At some point, I lost the IUD and the hormones it was pumping into my system. When that happened, everything went haywire. So, the temporary solution was to put me on a heavy dose of progesterone pills and see what happens. We also went over the options that may be available to me depending on the results of the biopsy. Surgery of some kind looks like a probable next step. She explained that she was happy I had the blood tests done the week before because anemia was the most immediate concern with this issue. Since I wasn't anemic, we had some time to experiment with different treatments.<br />
<br />
Not so fast...I got the blood test results back that I had taken after my appointment with the doc on Monday evening. I had become anemic over the weekend. Since this mess started, way back in November, I had wondered how much blood loss I could sustain before becoming anemic. This made me even more impressed with the two runs I had been able to complete over that weekend. This wasn't like low ferritin making me lose a few seconds per mile in my workouts. This was full on anemia. Interestingly, I asked to have my ferritin checked and it was 28, which is the same as it was in December. So, the iron supplements were clearly maintaining my blood iron levels high enough to continue to store iron. I thought this was particularly germane given my discussion in last week's post about hemoglobin and ferritin. I just didn't expect to become Exhibit A in my own experiment so quickly. <br />
<br />
The progesterone started working within the first two days to reduce the bleeding but then, Wednesday morning, I woke to mind-blowingly painful abdominal cramps. I complained a bit to the Genius before he left for work, but told him I'd be fine. Then, I wasn't fine. I tried to stand and started seeing stars. I became clammy and sweaty. I looked in the mirror and was pale as a ghost. My fingertips were ghostly white. The pain was unbearable and NSAIDs were doing nothing to curb it. I called the Genius and asked him to shuttle me to the ER. He raced me there as fast as he could while I lay moaning in the seat next to him. I pleaded with him to run a red light when we seemed to be stopped there for hours. <br />
<br />
As per usual, the ER was an adventure, but not as great as the one I had there that <a href="http://runawayfastjaymee.blogspot.com/2011/12/you-cant-make-this-stuff-up.html">time I left with a full leg, bi-valve cast</a>. I was lucky to have a good ER doc this time who has actually been following up with me via email. He gave me an IV to help hydrate me and a big dose of ibuprofen to help with the cramps. It wasn't until I got the narcotics that the pain finally went away. They also ran more blood tests and the results came back showing I had become more anemic in the last 36 hours with a hemoglobin level of 9.6. The doc discharged me, declaring this heavy menstrual cramps and told me to keep up with the iron supplements. I will admit I felt like a bit of an idiot having gone to the ER for "menstrual cramps". I should return if the bleeding came back full force or if I pass out though he reassured me that I could still lose a lot more blood before it would be dangerous enough for them to transfuse. Comforting.<br />
<br />
I had follow up blood work taken on Friday, and it came back showing no improvement over Wednesday's results but at least it wasn't worse. My results for the past few blood tests are shown below for reference:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYcTYGv2A2scSZa2UDdRzlI_dR4_ESzoOaNbsFZfZne0nHABHt6Gv_B9YwUyMxtw9mjzyplnqkpxlw5wPJmevDxEDLzvH5kH-7Cdh2UXuGnzN-Tj3U6Grszy-eaXic2yDgl3kVeq8maQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-02-16+at+11.54.35+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYcTYGv2A2scSZa2UDdRzlI_dR4_ESzoOaNbsFZfZne0nHABHt6Gv_B9YwUyMxtw9mjzyplnqkpxlw5wPJmevDxEDLzvH5kH-7Cdh2UXuGnzN-Tj3U6Grszy-eaXic2yDgl3kVeq8maQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-02-16+at+11.54.35+AM.png" height="246" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And that's what a week of blood loss will do to you.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This weekend, the mad scientist came out in me, and I decided this was a great opportunity to see how much the anemia affects my running. I first asked the ER doc if it was safe to exercise and he said that I could exercise to tolerance but to try not to pass out. Doctor Mom did not agree with these medical instructions and ordered me not to run. Sorry Mom.<br />
<br />
I ran Thursday, the day after the ER visit and it was slower than the runs over the weekend, but I didn't pass out. Yesterday I decided to run a workout. It was the workout I was supposed to have done earlier in the week. After deciding to push my next marathon to the summer or fall, Jack put me back on short repetition training similar to what I had been doing last winter.<br />
<br />
I must admit that I was a little afraid about how my body might respond to high levels of exertion, so I brought my iPhone with me just in case. I also used the livetrack feature on my new Garmin 620 so that the Genius and my mom could track me during the run. I ran to the practice track at Sac State and had to climb over the fence to gain access. I realized that I must be pretty determined to get this workout done if I was willing to climb the fence to get to the track.<br />
<br />
After huffing and puffing through a few strides, I started my workout:<br />
<br />
4 x (200m Rep pace/200m jog + 200m Rep pace/200m jog + 400m Rep pace/400m jog)<br />
<br />
The first split was 37 and I felt it. I jogged the next 200m and decided I would try to slow the rest of these down. The 400s were tough. I got heavy-legged in the last 100m like I had done 10 or 12 400s before the first one. I walked a bit of the 400m recovery lap and then slowly jogged to the start line to start again. I was shocked at how well this workout went. I ran within a few seconds of my prescribed (non-anemic) paces with the 200s averaging around 39 and with every 400 in exactly 82 seconds. I was tired for sure, but I wasn't passing out. I did notice the anemia during the recovery jogs which became recovery walks for the first few meters between reps. That didn't compromise the workout at all given that the purpose of a repetition workout is to improve running economy by running fast with good form and without strain. This means taking full recovery in between each repeat even if it means taking a little longer to start the next rep.<br />
<br />
I jogged back to my car feeling really proud of myself. It wasn't so much about having run a great workout despite my condition. I was happy to have overcome the fear of the unknown. I have felt tired from low iron stores before, but this was serious stuff that had me staring down the barrel of a potential blood transfusion. How would my body respond to the effort? Would I pass out at some point? Would the effort trigger more blood loss? These were the fears I started the workout with and effectively slayed.<br />
<br />
I'd like to end with a look back at why my experience is relevant to you, my readers. Many of you will never have to run with full blown anemia, but if you do, at least you'll have my experience to draw from. I will be continuing to post about my progress in recovering from the anemic state I am in and how it affects my activities. There is a ton of information about running with sports anemia (low iron stores) and pseudo anemia (relatively low concentration of red blood cells due to higher blood volume in athletes), but I found zero about running with clinical anemia. If it's out there, I'd love to know about it and post a link.<br />
<br />
And, for you lucky ladies heading into your 40s, there is a good chance (maybe as high as 80%) that you either have or will have fibroids. Many women never know they have them and get along fine. For others, they can cause crazy problems like the ones I am experiencing (assuming it's the fibroids doing this to me) but might even present as a sports-related injury like this Aussie triathlete describes in <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/healthreport/uterine-fibroids/3008714">this interview</a> (be sure to click on "show" next to the word "transcript" on the page to read the interview). Her fibroid was pressing on nerves in her spine giving her severe leg pain that wouldn't resolve and made her stop running altogether. It's a great story of courage and the power of pushing back on those in the medical profession.<br />
<br />
I will continue to use my body as a laboratory of sorts and post the information. I am most interested in follow up blood work and how my running and racing times and perceived exertion levels change along with my CBC readings. I am of course curious to see how long it takes to dig myself out of this anemic state as well. I have read predictions of 1-2 months all the way up to a year. I imagine this is an individual thing, but I will at least share my experience. <br />
<br />
Thanks to everyone who has wished me well through this journey. I wish it were nearing conclusion but I have a feeling it has just begun.<br />
<br />
Until later,<br />
<br />
Anemia girl, signing off.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-89829517879617184722014-02-04T15:30:00.003-08:002017-03-21T09:44:24.679-07:00This one's for the ladies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimc_5hxPYWHrFZceZmWz3eRzPQ9_D2_zmI7yZ5LsRzp6LvQQ92VDwccYHqd7FwRt8w99YBuNzQYf1xbmUXzHONQCW9OZh2CBVV5j7BgTsb4mCAnHHCS61AANpmTGS88YLzi-FG5KE-I3s/s1600/red+blood+cells+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimc_5hxPYWHrFZceZmWz3eRzPQ9_D2_zmI7yZ5LsRzp6LvQQ92VDwccYHqd7FwRt8w99YBuNzQYf1xbmUXzHONQCW9OZh2CBVV5j7BgTsb4mCAnHHCS61AANpmTGS88YLzi-FG5KE-I3s/s1600/red+blood+cells+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
My title is intended to serve as fair warning to readers of the male species and any women who are uncomfortable with girlie talk that this sh*t's about to get real. Fast. I really, really don't like talking about this stuff, even with close friends, so writing about it is not fun either. This blog has never been about comfortable writing for me, though. So, I'll just do what I normally do when I feel uncomfortable and picture you all naked, reading my blog, eating cheetos on your couches. There. That's better.<br />
<br />
I dropped out of my half marathon race on Sunday. Not a proud moment for me, but a necessary one. With all of the hard work I had put in, it was a great disappointment to not be able to test my fitness in a race. Again. Conditions were pretty abysmal, as all of the rain California was missing for these past few months blew in and dumped on the race course that morning. Seriously. I saw waterfalls in Golden Gate Park draining the burgeoning drainageways into lower lying areas. Given that and the fact that my Garmin completely fritzed out, I'm not sure it would have been a great test anyway. I still have no idea how fast I ran the 8 miles of the race that I did run before walking off the course. What ultimately stopped me was a health issue that has been developing for months.<br />
<br />
I know. I just got through an injury that sidelined me for months and now this. It sucks.<br />
<br />
My health problem is no doubt related to being in my mid-40s and likely some wackadoodle hormonal changes associated with my age. I've blogged about that before. However, this time, I am not talking about feeling a little tired or taking a day longer to recover. Here I am talking about, to be indelicate, bleeding like a stuck pig. I can't begin to quantify the amount of blood I have lost over the past few months, but it is a triumphant amount.<br />
<br />
Of course, with the loss of blood comes anemia, and that's what is limiting me right now. I am supplementing as much as I think I can safely (liquid ferrous sulfate in OJ, 2x per day) and doing everything right in terms of not eating calcium rich foods, no tea or coffee with it, etc. I just think supplements are no match for my archenemy or, as I like to call her: She Who Must Not Be Named (SWMNBN).<br />
<br />
I have tested my ferritin levels (iron stores) regularly since last June and have seen a gradual decrease in those values over time: 70+ng/ml (June), 38 (Sep), 38 (Oct), 25 (Dec). So, clearly my body is losing iron stores despite the supplementation. That last downward jump, between October and November happened after my first encounter with SWMNBN. It lasted for 5 hours straight and, being my first episode, I was so afraid, I had the Genius on standby to take me to the emergency room if it didn't stop.<br />
<br />
I started really feeling the effects in my training about 3-4 weeks ago. My legs started getting that heavy feeling, and it seemed to take more effort than necessary to hit paces. I especially felt the effects after a big episode. I've now had 4 of these with a lot of "normal" ones in between. I would need to take 1-2 days off from running right after the major events and felt like I needed tons of sleep to recover.<br />
<br />
Without mentioning SWMNBN, I ran my fatigue and lower ferritin levels by my coach and said I thought that was contributing to my lower energy levels. He explained that a given ferritin value isn't really that useful. What is useful and important is the trend in values. He explained that hemoglobin levels were also very important in evaluating whether low iron stores were having an impact on sports performance. This all made sense to me when I read a bit more about how ferritin and hemoglobin interact to form red blood cells in <a href="http://www.runningwritings.com/2011/11/ferritin-hemoglobin-and-iron-deficiency.html">this link</a>.<br />
<br />
Jack explained that a ferritin value of 20 ng/ml may be "good" if it was, say, 15 a month before. That indicates the body is storing iron and that iron can be used by hemoglobin to make red blood cells. If the value was 30 a month before, then there's a problem, because iron stores are being depleted and that will affect hemoglobin and hence RBC levels. He also mentioned that ideally I would want a hemoglobin level close to 14.0. He said the difference between a 13.0 and 14.0 hemoglobin level is about 40 seconds in a 5k.<br />
<br />
I didn't have my hemoglobin levels tested every time I had my ferritin tested, but I did have a value from right after the first major incident (when my ferritin was 38 and normal), and sure enough, my hemoglobin was the lowest reading I've ever recorded: 12.4. So, even though my ferritin level appeared normal (for me), it was on a downward trend (from blood loss + high intensity training), leaving me with less and less available iron for my hemoglobin to turn into RBCs. As a comparison, my hemoglobin level was 13.9 when my ferritin levels were 70+ ng/ml. Without sufficient hemoglobin, I'm not producing enough red blood cells and performance eventually suffers, in a big way.<br />
<br />
I should note that a hemoglobin level of 12.4 is not considered low for non-athletes, just like a ferritin value of 25 or even 15 isn't generally considered low. However, most coaches and athletes who have dealt with "sports anemia" know that there is a real impact on performance for athletes when their levels drop below a certain point. That point may be different for each athlete, but performance is affected well before a clinical diagnosis of anemia would be made based on the ranges most doctors use. There is also a lot of discussion on the internets about "pseudo" anemia which is actually a dilution of hemoglobin in the blood due to athletes having a higher blood volume. Some have hypothesized that the normal range of 13-14 that Jack gave me are high for fit athletes. If true, then my hemoglobin levels are normal for a fit athlete. The link I posted above discusses this. Bottom line: there's a lot to be learned about all of this stuff and we don't quite understand cause and effect yet. The best we can do in the mean time is track our own stats and performance values to try to come up with our own normal ranges.<br />
<br />
Once Jack pointed out the hemoglobin/ferritin trend link, a lot of the conflicting research results I had read in the past regarding ferritin and performance started to make sense to me. If you look at just the ferritin value and not the trend then, there likely isn't a strong correlation with sports performance. However, speaking to the trend effect, in <a href="http://www.runnersworld.com/health/ferritin-and-fatigue">studies where women with low levels of ferritin have been given iron supplements</a> and experienced an improvement in iron stores (ferritin values), they generally show an improvement in fatigue levels and performance.<br />
<br />
One of the biggest challenges I have faced and I know other athletes face, is getting a doctor to give you tests often enough to see whether there is a trend. I have gotten around that issue by ordering (and paying out-of-pocket for) my own tests through healthtestingcenters.com. It's $39 for a ferritin test and I get the results in 2-3 days. I will now be ordering hemoglobin tests too! <br />
<br />
So, Saturday night before the race, SWMNBN paid me a major visit (even though she had been taking up residence for the past 9 days already). She swooped in with particular force, and I knew that didn't bode well. I still felt like I needed to see what would happen on race day, allthewhile knowing the odds were against me. I started the race and it felt hard to run. I'm pretty sure I wasn't going that fast. I wanted to at least make it to the point on the course where it hits the ocean because there's a nice, long downhill section where I thought I might be able to get my stride. Nope. We hit the ocean and ran into a major headwind for another 3 miles. I gave it a mile more before I dropped.<br />
<br />
Over the next few weeks, I'll be trying to find the cause of this troublesome issue. I have decided to abandon my plans for a spring marathon in favor of keeping myself healthy. Along with low iron levels often comes injury, or at least that has happened for me a couple of times. I will be even more vigilant these next few months as I **fingers crossed** kick SWMNBN out the door and fight tooth and nail to store some iron in my muggle bones. Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-10565533993092599972014-01-25T14:45:00.000-08:002014-01-25T14:54:16.936-08:00Playing with intensity and volumeMy training has been going very well this past month. The running injury I sustained from being overtrained in September is a distant memory. I knew that, when I resumed full training, I would need to do something differently, and the decision to work with Jack Daniels was a good one. I am excited to get my training plan every month, and it always surprises me. I have been able to execute the plan without an issue, and it is not an easy plan by any means! <br />
<br />
One thing that is very different with my current plan is the amount of quality running (defined by me as anything faster than marathon pace) I am doing as a percentage of my weekly mileage. When I saw that my mileage was to be kept at 55 miles per week (MPW) through January, I was a bit concerned having always believed that I had to run high mileage to be super fit. I am trying to prepare for a marathon in March, and I have always taken my mileage up to at least 90 MPW before a big race. I also know that Jack won't increase my volume by more than 5-10 miles per week, every three weeks, so projecting forward, I won't be running much more than 70 MPW max for this marathon. Do I need to in order to run a PR in the marathon? I don't think so.<br />
<br />
Why? Because of the volume of quality training I am doing. For example, this week, 50 percent of the 60 miles I am running will be run at faster than marathon pace (range of 5:30-6:30 pace; average ~6:15-6:20). That's 30 miles of running at faster than 6:20 pace! I have never done that much quality volume in training. And, because my total volume is lower, I am handling it just fine. I am not sure that I could handle it if I were running 80+ miles per week. This is significant because I used to get my race-ready confidence from being able to hit goal marathon pace for 9 miles (3 x 3 mile workout) before my marathon. Now, I'm running anywhere from 10-12 continuous miles at a few seconds slower than GMP a couple of times a week and that is an amazing confidence booster. As we all know, so much of marathon performance is based on confidence in our training and ability to hold GMP.<br />
<br />
What I notice with this high quality training is that I go into each run feeling relatively fresh. I don't have dead legs to contend with because I'm running 5-8 miles easy, often including 6 strides, on the days between them. The other thing that I really like about this training is it gets me back to having distinct phases of training with a specific training focus for each. I know that I do much better when I progress from speed to strength to race specific training. My last program alternated speed and strength workouts on a weekly basis, and I didn't respond as well to that.<br />
<br />
The biggest lesson I've learned about training lately is that one size does not fit all. And, even if the size fit a few years ago, it may no longer fit today. The best plan for each of us is the plan that keeps us running consistently, and we are often the best judge of what that plan looks like. There are a number of different ways to train to become a faster runner. Trying something new is a gift, even if it doesn't pan out. At least you've learned something new about yourself as an athlete. Maybe this big experiment I am undertaking with quality and volume won't pan out, but I don't care. I am hopeful that it will, but I will learn something no matter what.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivAmLqBTo7a1NOQ-X42HCNMdFQnSbYb-kuMxC5ZXurqDs9Zi1jO20T05ItE2SgsHS8rxhh-JO_dJtJBMoh-jvfCvwb2S20bmKHPjxKVNIml-1ww8o4Tlr7yUmQLx7dz1T2iWJbjJFhk5Q/s1600/eco+harder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivAmLqBTo7a1NOQ-X42HCNMdFQnSbYb-kuMxC5ZXurqDs9Zi1jO20T05ItE2SgsHS8rxhh-JO_dJtJBMoh-jvfCvwb2S20bmKHPjxKVNIml-1ww8o4Tlr7yUmQLx7dz1T2iWJbjJFhk5Q/s1600/eco+harder.jpg" height="233" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Ian Shive (text added).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Maybe the most significant thing that has changed in my life recently is that I quit my day job. Well, sort of. I actually had about 4 jobs I was juggling and now I have 3. The one I quit was paying most of the bills. I had to make a tough call about whether I could put up with some things that I felt were very wrong. I realized I couldn't and decided I would suffer the consequences, if there were any to be had. I had enough independent work built to make the transition financially workable.<br />
<br />
Theoretically, this should give me more time to train, right? Theoretically. Like magic, my time shifted to so many other places. I have been somewhat stunned. I had grand visions of enjoying bon bons, wine and napping anytime I wanted. Uh, not even. What this means for those of you who were disappointed that I was not taking any more coaching clients is that I have room to grow now!<br />
<br />
One of the wonderful things about making this decision is how much it has freed up my brain to dream about what's next. Maybe I'll continue to work as an independent consultant. Maybe I'll find the perfect fit with a non-profit, University or for-profit company. Maybe I'll start my own non-profit. What I know is that, when I set my mind to whatever it is I decide I want to try next, I have a high level of confidence that I can make it happen. I have running to thank for helping me find that confidence in myself. <br />
<br />
Now, get out there and train like it's your job!Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2668199593986982895.post-16930192228729527832013-12-29T17:41:00.002-08:002013-12-29T17:41:28.007-08:00Ending 2013 on a high noteI honestly can't believe that we are at the end of 2013 and that I haven't updated my blog in almost a month! Sorry!<br />
<br />
So much has happened these last several weeks, so I will attempt to quickly hit the highlights.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYAgp62xd2oHPPPTzj1tHw6XeUR5ZvCmyuysZyuYHiBrpkfNMVVw77rZWvIAOEX8W359LHoiU1v08Bx1oOms71WQH2SPqX6qGdE0_j5DZ5sCtwP-LNpODnFy5KEJ30IgL3bPDpV-TXLmw/s1600/IMG_4236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYAgp62xd2oHPPPTzj1tHw6XeUR5ZvCmyuysZyuYHiBrpkfNMVVw77rZWvIAOEX8W359LHoiU1v08Bx1oOms71WQH2SPqX6qGdE0_j5DZ5sCtwP-LNpODnFy5KEJ30IgL3bPDpV-TXLmw/s320/IMG_4236.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 5 a.m. running crew. <br />They are up to running12 milers!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
1. <u>I am training Pain free</u>. This is a HUGE deal. I have not had pain from my injury for at least three weeks and am now able to train like normal. I might go so far as to say that I am taking running for granted again. It is so nice. I know many of you can relate to the mental torture that an injury wreaks. This one was insidious. The pain didn't come on until after about 4 miles, so I wasn't really able to do out and back runs longer than 2 miles. I was stuck running loops so I could abandon ship if I felt pain. This also meant I couldn't meet anyone to run since I couldn't really guarantee I would make it all the way. This sucked because I love my running buddies and there's no better way to socialize with running buddies than running together. I am so glad I am able to train with them again. I am also back to running with my 4-legged buddies. We have worked very hard on not pulling.<br />
<br />
2. <u>I am getting fit.</u> After spending 12 weeks on the injured reserve list, I was not sure how much fitness I had lost. I didn't completely stop running during that period, but not being able to run longer than 4-6 miles at a time takes a toll. These past four weeks, I have been able to execute my plan as written and it has not been easy! Whereas at the beginning of the month, I couldn't run over 8 miles, this month I've run four, 12+ mile runs! So, exciting. Two of those runs had 10 miles of marathon pace (MP) in the middle. I was nervous about these workouts given how little longer running I had done in the preceding 3 months. I was shocked when I ran the first 10-mile MP workout in 1:04:30. It felt awesome and my heart rate was well within the marathon zone (for me, anyway). Last weekend, I ran 13 miles with 10 miles at MP and was thrilled to run that in 1:03:10 for the 10 miles with the same average heart rate as the workout two weeks before. My interval workouts are becoming speedier as well each week. Clearly, I didn't lose much fitness during the time I was injured. I wonder about this since my mileage was so low, AND I decided not to cross train. This was a big change for me. I typically work my butt off cross training when injured, but I ran across <a href="http://runsmartproject.com/coaching/2013/04/03/the-danger-of-cross-training-when-youre-injured/">a video of Coach Jack Daniels discussing cross training</a> during injury, and it resonated with me. Of course being able to do some running and being able to do speed work were huge factors keeping me from going crazy. So, not cross training was palatable. Oh, and my Garmin 620 is a dream. Last time I mentioned that it was not quite reporting accurate VO2Max results, but that changed this month. As of today, my VO2Max is now at 59! That's actually pretty darn close to where I think it should be given my workouts and heart rates, though it might be a bit on the high side. <br />
<br />
3. <u>Next Marathon?</u> Right now, I am running ~50 miles per week with a long run of 12-13 miles. I am signed up for the Napa Valley Marathon on March 2nd. The math reveals that I have about eight weeks to go before that race. It's hard for me to picture a world where I can be ready to run sub-2:43 in eight weeks given where I am now. I actually feel really confident about my fitness, especially after running 10 miles at very close to goal marathon pace last week. However, I am not used to having so little weekly mileage and long run mileage under my belt at this point in a training cycle. On one hand, I feel like I should take advantage of the fitness leaps I'm making and just see how far I can get in the next month or so. I will absolutely not push my training to a point that will injure me, but maybe I don't need all the mileage and long runs. Could I run a marathon PR off of a max of 70 mpw and few if any 20 milers? My friend Jen reminded me that I have years of endurance under my belt and maybe I don't really need to work on that aspect of my training for this next race. It is a leap of faith. I have toyed with the idea of pushing my next marathon race to the Modesto Marathon, 3 weeks later, or even Boston in April. With Boston, I am waiting to hear whether I can gain entry into the elite women's field. The cut off is 2:48 for masters runners and I ran 2:48:50 in Eugene. They will give the remaining elite entries to those not meeting the standard, but I have been told they won't reveal this list until late January at the earliest and early March at the latest. Maybe a little too late for planning purposes.<br />
<br />
4. <u>Coaching.</u> I recently jumped in the USATF Level 1 Coaches' training because it was being taught locally, and I wanted to be credentialed, officially. It was a serious time commitment, but I decided it was well worth it since I really enjoy coaching. I actually learned a ton from this course even though it was very focused on youth and track and field events. My coaching side business is soaring right now and I am having so much fun with the athletes that I help. I am learning so much from them and am grateful to have the time to be able to work with them. I have pretty much reached my limit in terms of number of athletes I can handle at this point. I might be slightly over, but that just means I sleep a little less.<br />
<br />
The Coaches' training also gave me a goal for 2014. There was much talk about the pistol squat being this magical exercise that every athlete should be able to do. When I asked the trainers to demonstrate, not really knowing what it was, they looked at me sheepishly and pointed at someone else to demo the move. Once I saw what it entailed, I realized why they couldn't demonstrate it. It's hard! There are so many aspects of strength and flexibility needed to do this move. So, I decided it would become my strength-training focus for 2014. I am doing progressive training to get there, but it is going to happen! The Genius thinks I'll have it in a few months but my big limiting factor is my ankle flexibility. I will work on that and be pistol squatting to impress the masses soon enough. Here's a video of some knucklehead doing pistol squats, but it's really the most impressive example I could find.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/DjxQrgLsty4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
Happy New Year Everyone! <br />
<br />
Jaymeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680519617786773673noreply@blogger.com4