Marathon Training Progress - 8 Weeks Left

Hi friends!

I hope everyone has been adjusting well to September; the busy schedules and routines setting in again. The cooler temperatures have already started here in the north, I woke up to a brisk 9 degrees (48 F) this morning. And - our leaves are already starting to change color here.

Summer of Fun!

It's hard to believe summer is coming to a close, but I'm ok with it. We've had a summer I will not forget! This was our first summer living in cottage country, and boy, it was a busy one. We entertained constantly and enjoyed a lot of time with friends and family. This year we made the most of living on the water, with constant boat rides and numerous swimming trips. I don't think I have ever swam this much in my life. It was simply amazing.

Over the course of the summer, I ran... a lot. During the months of July and August, I put 503 km's on these feet. During that time I was off about 3 weeks due to an injury, so I consider the km's a great success. Fortunately my injury pain has subsided significantly, but the pain is still there. I was officially diagnosed with "piriformis syndrome".

My birthday gift! I'm in LOVE!

"Piriformis syndrome is an uncommon neuromuscular disorder that is caused when the piriformis muscle compresses the sciatic nerve. The piriformis muscle is a flat, band-like muscle located in the buttocks near the top of the hip joint. This muscle is important in lower body movement because it stabilizes the hip joint and lifts and rotates the thigh away from the body. This enables us to walk, shift our weight from one foot to another, and maintain balance. It is also used in sports that involve lifting and rotating the thighs -- in short, in almost every motion of the hips and legs." - Source - WebMD

It now seems to act up after sitting in the car or at work. I'm doing my best to stretch the muscle regularly, but have been slacking on that the past couple of weeks. This injury was definitely a set back for me and it was tough to get back into training.

Breaking out the headlamp

In case I haven't stressed it enough - let me say marathon training is not easy, I've recently encountered another training set-back this past week. I believe I have reached training fatigue. For the past week I've cut runs short, felt generally awful during my runs and have had to introduce some walk breaks. This is very unlike me and I knew something was wrong. I took Friday as a rest day and decided to skip my 15 km run. I'll only be hitting 60 km's this week, instead of the prescribed 85 km's. It's weighing on me a bit, but I know I need to listen to my body if I want to make it to that start line.

Asides from the injury and set-backs, this training season has given me great gains so far. I've hit some recent PBs in the 5 km and 10 km distances during training. Most recently a 50:12 - 10 km last Tuesday. I've been feeling strong (up until last week) and I'm hitting weekly mileage I never thought possible. Due to my set-backs, I know I will not hit the mileage I was anticipating but I'm happy with my progress thus far. I know I need to cut myself some slack; balancing a full-time job, house duties and running on constant hilly terrain is not easy.

4:30 a.m. Pre-25 km "Runfie"

On other running news, Daniel has recently started running with me! This was voluntary on his part and I could not be more excited for him. He has started building his base with 3 km runs about 3-4 days per week. He has been joining me at the start of my runs and then rollerblading the rest of the way. I'm excited to see what this will progress to.. will he eventually want to start marathon training too? My fingers are crossed.

I have two races on the schedule this month. I have to run a half marathon as a time trial to determine my correll placement at Disney. I registered for the Borden Base Run in Barrie on September 28th. In addition to that race, I won entry to the Zoo 10 km in Toronto! It was a sold out race and I won through Facebook. How amazing is that? That race will be held in two weeks on September 20th. Keep posted for my race recaps.

Yay me!

To all my running friends training for fall races, how is your training going?

Marathon Training - Round Two

I'm training for another marathon. Yep, I said it. I plan on redeeming myself after my 2012 fail.

I've said it before in previous blog posts, my first marathon really ruined me emotionally. After some life changing events that took place at the beginning of this year, I couldn't think of a better way to heal myself emotionally and physically than to train for another marathon. That seems counter-intuitive right? To some, maybe.. but for me marathon training gives me something to focus on. Something to strive for. Something to be positive about.  

Post 15 km run - jumped right in
the lake following this photo

For anyone that knows me really well, they would know that I have an addictive personality. I need to be focused on some aspect of my life to feel a sense of normal. Whether that be dieting, planning a house project, running, crafting, blogging... I need to do something to feel purposeful. If I don't, I become one big emotional mess. Clearly, I have some type of personality disorder.  I just haven't quite figured it out yet. Anyway, that is besides the point.

After a rough winter here in the "north", I picked up my base training again in March. I started really slow and average around 15 kms per week for about a month. I tried to run a minimum of 3X per week and peaked at 4X per week. It was tough seeing my slower than before paces, but I got over that quickly. I was almost 15 lbs heavier than my previous marathon weight, so the slower pace was to be expected.

Since March, I've committed myself 99% to this training cycle:

• I've dropped that 15 lbs and am now at my previous marathon weight. I did this all through healthy eating and good choices (NO weight watchers!)
• I contacted my old marathon coach and he has been coaching me virtually. I believe god sent him here to me. I don't know how I would be doing this without his constant motivation and training.
• I'm now running 6X per week and am following a high mileage training plan.

I've been following my new plan for 8 completed weeks now and I'm feeling really good. I'm currently running at 70 km per week (44 miles) and will be getting to 100 km (or 62 miles). This is quite the different approach from the Running Room plan I had followed previously. That plan I had peaked at 62 kms (plan had called for 66). Surprisingly my body is handling the high mileage quite well with no injury thus far. I chalk it up to the slow mileage build up and plan adjustments when needed.

Running 6X per week can present its challenges, but I've come to embrace it. I've pretty much deemed running to be my part-time job this year. Fortunately, I have a very loving and supportive husband that is 100% on board with this passion of mine. He has helped me find my balance of a full time work load, 3 "needy" puggies, volunteer jobs, house work, entertaining and wife duties. It's no longer a battle of figuring out when to get my run in, I just do it. It's now concrete in my schedule - I have to run each day before my day starts. End of story.

Of course there will be exceptions to this perfect schedule. I didn't get my run in one morning and had to run after work instead. To not cause fatigue by going back to my planned morning run schedule, I decided to run in the evenings all week. This presented a lot of challenges for me, because let's face it... lots of stuff can crop up in the evenings. I immediately switched back to morning running because there are less demands at 5:30 a.m.

Training aside, the most important part of all of this hard work is the two marathons I have planned:

Road2Hope in Hamilton, ON - November 3rd 2014

Walt Disney World Marathon in Orlando, FL - January 11th 2015

I can hardly wait for both race days to arrive. Seeing all my hard work shine through those medals will be priceless. Daniel and I have not been on vacation since 2011, so Disney is a big deal for us. I'm excited that we are planning an entire week vacation surrounding the race. The countdown is now on!

In a nutshell - that is what I've been up to these last 6 months. Oh, plus we bought and moved into our new home (which was 4 hours north of our previous house). That's all...

Who else is running a fall marathon this year? How is your training going? 

Developing a Comeback Training Schedule

Hello friends!

It's a soggy wet day today in Parry Sound and the perfect day to kick back with a cup of tea and do some blogging. I've been brainstorming topics of blog posts and currently have them sitting in my account pending to be written. I hope ya'll are ready for some running inspiration.

I know this has come up time and time again... but my big marathon flop has really affected the past 11 months of my life. All the hard work and dedication I put into training for that marathon seemed belittled by my terrible performance. And by that - I'm not necessarily talking numbers (a 4:20 finish in my first marathon is not dreadful). I'm talking how each of those km's felt, my extreme cramping, the leg spasms! That marathon  ruined me emotionally and physically. As you can tell by my past year of blog posts I've struggled to find my motivation to get back into it. I've had plenty of failed attempts and lost myself within the process. I feel I dealt with a bit of depression because of it. I gained 10 lbs and just wasn't myself.

Fast track to about 8 weeks ago. When Daniel and I took that risk to move 3.5 hours north and make such a dramatic change to our once comfortable and secure lifestyle, I became inspired again. I don't know if it was the weight lifted off my shoulders or pure beauty of this town that inspired me. But, I was immediately itching to run. So, I broke out that dusty running gear once again and then remembered:

Running is not easy.

That's the problem that I struggled with over the past year. I could not pick up where I last left off, nor could I have the expectations that I could run as fast as I once could before. I was such a time driven runner (which I believe is why I was so ruined after my marathon attempt). I could easily run a 5 km at a 5:15/km pace, and could easily clock 4:50/km during track tempo sessions. Every single attempt I made in the past year I was struggling to keep up with a 6:20/km pace. I would end my run feeling defeated and pack away my running shoes at the back of the closet once again.

So let's get back to that "aha" moment.

My first run in Parry Sound; I laced up my shoes, turned on my GPS and just ran. I didn't look at the speed on my watch once. I frankly didn't care. Instead, I enjoyed the sights around me. Then it clicked: I had to develop a training schedule for my level of fitness. Who cares if I could only run 3 km? I just needed to commit, find my passion and build back up... again. No one is judging me, only myself. Who cares who I once was, I will find that runner again!

I remembered all of the advice from my marathon coach Bob, broke out my Jack Daniels Running Formula and John Stanton running books and started developing my comeback plan.

Here were the points I had to consider:

• What was my current level of fitness? I could run 2 - 10n1 sessions. Approx 3 km.
• What was my goal? To run another marathon of course! This time: pain and injury free. 

Some things to remember when making your training schedule:

• Remember the 10% rule. Don't increase your weekly mileage by more than 10% per week. You cannot become a marathoner overnight. You do not want to become injured. 
• Try to avoid running back-to-back. I wanted to run 4 days per week, this means I would run 2 days back-to-back, but I ensured the other days were every other day. 
• Don't worry about pace. It will come naturally overtime. 
• Building your base will take at least 10 weeks. During this time, DO NOT do any speed sessions or hill training. You will be prone to injury as your body and muscles are adjusting once again. 

And last but not least:

• If you miss a run, do your best to make it up. Remember your 10% rule? Say if you miss a 5 km run (you are running 20 km per week), and jump your mileage the following week up 10% on your previously planned mileage. This means you will have actually increased your mileage 23%. If you continue on this path, you will most likely be headed on a path of injury. I can attest to this.

This is a sample plan and how I started getting back into it:

Please note: I am not a qualified running instructor and this plan was developed solely for myself with my current level of fitness. Take caution before starting any running plan and consider your own personal needs.

I've been running for 8 weeks now and already am starting to feel like myself again. My fitness has dramatically improved in such a short time. Last night I logged my steady 5 km run at a 5:32/km pace. All it took was a little patience (ok, a lot of patience) and dedication. I'm naturally eating better again and have started my cross training. My plan is to run the Ottawa Marathon in May 2014. This gives me enough time to gain distance and train smart.

Never forget:

Running: Cheaper than Therapy!

If you've lost your running self along the way, I really encourage you to get out there and try to find yourself again. It's worth it.

Once a runner, always a runner!

Tapering for the Marathon

Well, its finally here... the last week of tapering before my first marathon. This week is crucial to my success and cannot be taken lightly. There are so many things to focus on: de-stressing, getting adequate sleep, eating a carb enriched diet and most importantly cutting back on mileage.

Saturday was the last official run of notable distance, 16 km. My schedule for the rest of the week looks like this:

Yesterday:  6 km

Monday:  off

Tuesday:  6 km

Wednesday:  10 km

Thursday:  off

Friday:  off

Saturday:  3 km (optional)

Sunday:  42.2 km

It's hard to believe that cutting your mileage down that much during the last week can be beneficial but there are many reasons to it:
 

• Minimize fatigue

• Repair muscles

• Replenish hormones, glycogen, enzymes and antioxidants

I missed one of our last 32 km runs a couple of weeks ago due to a migraine, so I pretty much started my taper early. I can tell you that I have felt my strength rebuild so far and I'm starting to feel back to normal. I'm curious to see what one more week will do!

In addition to this physical preparation, I've been mentally preparing too. I'm full of quotes and positive imagery which I know will help me cross that finish line with a smile.

 

This past Sunday I only ran 6 km. This was a nice change from the usual 2-3 hours of running, followed by a long shower, followed by a 1-2 hour nap. I didn't know what to do with all of this free time, so I decided to spend it in the kitchen.

Throughout the day I made:

 

Healthy Homemade Granola Bars

Yogurt Blueberry Bran Muffins

Tandoori Salmon and Zucchini Boats

Fresh Tex Mex Salad with Southwest Beans on Toast

and finally.... Full Fat Apple Crisp!

 

Are you exhausted yet? I was. That's what I would call a busy day in the kitchen!

 

Let me share one of my favourite recipes from the day.

 

Healthy Homemade Granola Bars

 

Dry ingredients:

3 cups whole oats
1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped cashews
1 tbsp sesame seeds

2 tbsp chia seeds
4 tbsp sunflower seeds
4 tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp ground flax seeds
1 tsp cinnamon

Wet ingredients:

1/2 cup light olive oil
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp natural peanut butter
1 tbsp molasses
2 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice

 

Preheat oven to 350 f. Line a 13 x 9 inches baking pan with parchment paper.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan, heat oil and add the other wet ingredients. Stir until smooth and pour over dry ingredients. Mix well.

Spread the mixture into the baking pan, and press to form an even layer. Bake for 25 minutes, and allow to cool completely before cutting into bars. Keep refrigerated. Makes approx. 15 bars.

This recipe was adapted from alive.com

 

Nutritional Facts:

 

Calories 253

Fat 14.1 g

Sodium 19.5 mg

Potassium 127 mg

Carb 29 g

Fibre 3 g

Protein 4 g



This granola bar was a nice change from the store bought bars. Higher in calories than the popular 90 calorie bars, but this is filled with many good items and is very filling. I think it will be a regular in our household as it required minimal effort and not a lot of time. A win-win in my books.

I hope to post some of the other recipes I made yesterday in the upcoming week.

I'm off to get my read on and catch some much needed Zzzzz's. I hope you all had a glorious Monday and a great start to your week.

 

I am Thankful for....

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you are all enjoying your time with loved ones and thinking about what you are truly thankful for.

Yesterday marked my last "longer run" of marathon training. The past 16 weeks have been tough; I've been through many ups and downs and faced many challenges. With the past 3 weeks being the most challenging yet, I was anticipating this run to be a battle.

A few weeks ago I reached that point in my training where my body just didn't want to partake in any more running activities. I had a couple of horrible runs that left me in tears mid-way through. Thankfully I am surrounded by plenty of positive and encouraging running friends. When out for a long run with Joanna, she encouraged me the whole way telling me I wasn't a failure and that I was a good runner. I didn't believe her at the time, but I really channelled her and her positivity yesterday.

Since it was a few weeks since I had a good run, I was nervous going into it. It was my last chance before the marathon to prove to myself that I could do it. To prove that I am a long distance runner. Running a marathon is 90% mental attitude and that has been the hardest thing yet. I beat myself up mentally and it drains you. I knew that if I didn't have a good last long run that going into the marathon I wouldn't have confidence in myself to run the whole 42.2 km's.

I had 23 km on the agenda and set off around noon for my run. I was pumping myself up by listening to some upbeat music while getting ready. I pulled out my favourite running gear that included my pink CEP compression socks and then I laced up my Mizuno's. Feeling spiffy, I had to take some self portraits before the run. I then went to the Running Room to start my run from there and had a very inspiring chat with the Assistant Manager Jenn before heading out.

The first 5 km breezed by; it was a beautiful day (8 degrees and sunny) and it was my first time wearing a long sleeve shirt since starting training. I was so comfortable and cool the whole way through. Around 10 km in I really started to think about what I was thankful for. I determined that was my goal throughout the run, to be able to dig deep and really think about it.

14 km - I was smiling and realized I was so thankful for a healthy body that was allowing me to run that day. I almost teared up at this point.

17 km - I am so friggin' thankful marathon training is almost done. Only 13 more days to go. Wow.. I am really going to do this.

20 km - I am so thankful for my husband. He has always been so supportive, especially with my running journey. Last week he even offered to roller blade 32 km alongside me because he knew I'd been having a real hard time with my runs. THAT is love.

21 km - I'm thankful for taking all of the adversities that have been present during my life and learning from them. I wouldn't be whom I am today if I didn't go through everything that I have.

Before I knew it my run was done. I gave Jenn a big thumbs up when I got back to the store and she gave it right back to me as well. I was speechless. At that point I realized that I am ready for my marathon. I can do this. When times get rough you really need to think about what you are truly thankful for. It's what kept me going.

After my run I had to quickly get home and get ready for Thanksgiving with my family. At that point I was thankful I burned off 2000 calories earlier in the day and I got to enjoy my dinner guilt free. This dinner also marked the first time my immediate family had shared Thanksgiving together in over 10 years. I honestly could not remember the last time. I was so thankful for spending that quality time with them.

I don't think I have ever been so thankful for so many things in one day. I can tell you it is good for the soul.

I now need to get some housework done, and make my Thanksgiving dinner for two. I might even get out for a nice hike with the pugs and hubby to enjoy the colors of the season.

I hope you all enjoy your last day of the long weekend. What are you thankful for?