Back Pain = No Bueno

This week has been quite the medical adventure.

Since Wildflower (May 1) I have logged exactly two workouts - one Bikram Yoga session and one sad four mile run. I definitely injured my lower back during the race, so I thought it would be wise to take it easy for a couple of weeks.

Yoga session + run = pain.

I finally made an appointment to see my doc this week, followed by x-rays and an order for physical therapy. So far I have not heard about the x-rays, but was told no news was good news. My prescription for super-charged Aleve seems to be helping, but it will take a good two weeks for the swelling to subside.

Meanwhile, I am hoping to sign up for Barb's race and start training again. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Wildflower, Post-Wildflower

Ah.....the familiar 2-week funk! It has been just over 2 weeks since Wildflower, and they have not been my favorite 2 weeks. After any big race, I experience a period of "down" time where I usually eat bad food, lay around, and avoid workouts at all cost. It is similar to studying for a big test or writing a long paper - the last thing you want to do after all that prep (and accomplishing the task itself) is pick right back up again. This is probably not the best philosophy, but it's how these things go down with me. The post-race funk this time is much more complicated, since I didn't finish my race...

Wildflower: May 1

I remember this race experience in fragments, so bear with me...

Fragment #1 - Camping + triathlon = complicated

Fragment #2 - I LOVE my teammates. What a great time hanging out, enjoying the great outdoors, and reflecting on the past 6 months of hard work.

Fragment #3 - The swim was my favorite part - fun, challenging, exciting - and I felt strong. T1 was uncomplicated, and actually faster than I thought, given the hill from the swim finish to my bike.

Fragment #4 - Beach Hill was KILLER in the first mile, but I stayed on my bike and did not stop. All I could think about was throwing up. Or hyperventilating.

Fragment #5 - My lower back started hurting after Beach - REALLY hurting. Sharp pain. Distracting pain.

Fragment #6 - Stopping for sunscreen & Extra Strength Tylenol at an aid station early on in the ride. Realizing at this point that I might not finish.

Fragment #7 - Pushing through in the heat and wind to get to Nasty Grade. I made it halfway up before stopping (mile 43). Not worth the pain. At least in that moment it was not worth the pain.

Fragment #8 - I cried for the first time in a race - definitely not finishing and waiting for a ride. Thank God Sara D. came along. We both won't make the cutoff at this point anyway.

Fragment #9 - Seeing the coaches and other DNFers back in transition. NOT a good feeling, but we are definitely not alone.

Fragment #10 - Waiting at the finish line with the team. Waiting for EVERY last Ironteamer to finish. These people are amazing, and I miss them already!

So...I need to decide what to do next! I want to sign up for another half as soon as possible, and July 31st is an option. We shall see. Meanwhile, I need to try and harness that once unquenchable excitement for training, and get out there NOW!

Happy New Year!

I can't believe it's 2010! I know this is going to be a great year in the world of training, racing, and beyond.

One of my resolutions is to maintain my blog a bit more consistently, so in the meantime, here are some "mini updates" from my TNT website. More to come soon!

1/3/10: Happy New Year friends! It's been a great couple of weeks - getting deeper into training and working in some early morning sessions. I am beginning to experience some aches and pains, but I know this comes with the territory as the schedule gets more intense. I am not quite used to the days that include two sessions, but I'll get there.

We had a hilly team ride through Pacific Palisades yesterday, which definitely tested my nerves. I feel much more comfortable on the bike, but going downhill on Sunset Blvd with cars flying by has a way of challenging that comfort :)

12/20: It was a beautiful morning yesterday for a good team ride at the Rose Bowl. I'm feeling much more comfortable with the bike (especially the dreaded clips). Swimming and biking are a blast, but I need to get some running in!

12/17: Training is definitely getting more intense, and I am quickly realizing I need to make some sacrifices if I am going to be successful. This morning I was up at 4:30 am and off for a bike ride. Last night I swam for about an hour at the LMU pool. Today = sore legs! Looking forward to a rest day tomorrow. Thankfully, I am still feeling excited and optimistic about this adventure :)

12/05: First fundraising event was very successful! Thanks to all the Murrieta community members who supported LLS at the garage sale today. A special thanks to my parents for their help/use of the driveway!

12/02: First bike practice took place last Saturday. It was great to be on the road. I see how people easily become addicted to this sport! Last night we took the swimming up a notch at the group practice. I need to concentrate on drills and form this week in my individual practice time. A long road to go!

11/21: I bought my first road bike yesterday! It's a Trek 1.5 2009. I can't wait to get on it more and learn the ropes. One of the best things about triathlon training is learning two new sports. The swimming continues to go well, but I have a long way to go! Thanks for all the support, friends.

11/10: First swim practice in Culver City. It was great to train with the group for the first time, and I really enjoyed being in the pool. I can tell this is going to be tough, but COMPLETELY worth it!

Feelin' the Funk

When stressful situations occur at work or in our personal lives, activities we enjoy tend to fall away from our carefully planned schedules if we don't prioritize them. Running and writing tend to fall in that category for me. After my run (and fall) last Saturday, I've been reluctant to hit the road. First, I've been concerned about injuring myself post-incident. Second, there have been major changes/challenges at work. These changes have not impacted me directly, but definitely have contributed to my fitness funk this week. Tonight I am really hoping to get out and tackle 4 miles, regardless of how exhausted I feel now. The thing is- we all know we feel better after exercise especially if we are feeling extra pressure or anxiety. The difficulty lies in conjuring the motivation to get your shoes on and run those first few steps.

What do you do for motivation?

Ouch...

I woke up early this morning, excited to tackle a hilly 8-miler in PV with the TNT crew. I could tell it was going to be very warm, and we didn't get started until about 7:45am. It was definitely hot, and the run was more difficult than I thought it would be...especially when I bit the dust (literally) around mile 2.

My running partner and I decided to veer off the road and take a trail that leads along one of the many seaside bluffs in the area. This particular trail was less smooth than most, and it didn't take much to send me flying when I tripped over a rock (that seemed to be much bigger, mid-fall). I slid for a few feet across the gravel, and it took me a few seconds to realize I wasn't completely broken. The first thing I noticed were the stinging cuts on my arm and knees. To top it all off, I was also covered in a nice layer of dust and mud. We were off and jogging again after I managed to clean up a bit and gather myself.

About 2 more miles along our route I started feeling pain in my right knee. My left knee actually looks worse, but something is definitely amiss with the other. I feels like a cross between IT pain and bad bruising. I remember thinking to myself that I should stop and walk the rest of the way, but of course I did not.

After multiple rounds of icing, and lots of lounging on the couch, I feel a bit better...but new aches and pains are cropping up. I'm sure the moment of truth will be in the morning, when I get out of bed and try to venture downstairs.

Even though I had grand plans of cross-training tomorrow, I might lay low (or attempt an upper-body workout at the gym). Despite the fall, and subsequent walking breaks, our splits weren't half bad (especially considering the heat and hills):

Split 1- 11:50

Split 2- 12:56

Split 3- 11:28

Split 4- 12:42

Split 5- 11:51

Split 6- 14:45

Split 7- 13:10

Split 8- 10:29

Total time: 1:39:15

In Love...

with the new Garmin! How did I ever live without this before?? I'm still learning some of the tricks and advanced options, but so far this is a fantastic tool. I highly recommend taking advantage of the Costco.com sale if you are thinking about getting one. (Caution: the sale ends July 5th). I also tried the HR monitor this morning for the first time. I was initially concerned it would irritate me, but I barely felt it. Mind you, the run was only 3.5 miles. Something tells me that after 16, you'd definitely be aware of the strap wrapped around your torso.

Other than a few aches and pains (left knee and right ankle), I am feeling good about beginning a schedule to maintain/increase my fitness for the Disneyland Half Marathon on September 6th. Ongoing TNT alumni runs on Saturday mornings will be a big plus, as I motivate myself to keep up the weekly long runs. Next step: adapting the marathon training schedule to the mileage necessary for the half. I'm guessing this will seem like a breeze compared to the last 5 months!

26.2 Here I Come!

Only 2 days to go until the San Diego Marathon! I'm spending the day working from home, packing, and HYDRATING! You cannot imagine how much there is to remember in the packing process, and I still have to make another trip to the store tonight.

I took it easy this week...2.5 miles on Tuesday and about 3 on Wednesday. I am toying with a quick 1-2 miles tomorrow, but might pass. My left knee is not behaving, and I want to be as rested as possible for the big day.

Tomorrow morning I head down to SD in time for lunch, the expo and relaxation (hopefully!) Our check-in time for the shuttle to the start line is 4am--yes, 4am Sunday morning. If you pray for nothing else, pray that I get to bed early and that I sleep well!

Can't wait to update everyone on the experience!

17.6 and Counting...

This past Saturday morning, I made it through 17.6 HOT miles during my run with the Team in Training group. It was a beautiful morning, but the temps rose fairly quickly and I drank close to 50oz of fluids during the process. As much as I hate to get up early on Saturdays to make our 7am start time, I'd gladly get there at 6am if it meant avoiding the heat! Overall, I made it through much quicker than I originally anticipated...feeling pretty good in the end.

The first 8 miles were strong (minus the fact that I tripped at an intersection and cut my hand/bruised my knee). It was more embarrassing than anything, since the intersection was packed with cars, bikers, and other runners. I suppose it could have been worse. Needless to say, I will never hesitate at a yellow light again!

Miles 14-16 were the most difficult. At times it felt like if I stopped, I would just lock up and fall over. This forced me to run (or hobble) the entire time, except for 2 aid station breaks. My shoes also felt like they no longer contained padding after a while. It seemed like I could feel every little pebble as I ran along. I'm thinking about buying another pair, just to rotate. On the positive side, I think my new knee support wraps helped minimize the knee pain I typically feel (though not eliminating it altogether). Thankfully, right around 16 miles I caught a sudden second wind and was able to finish stronger than previous, shorter runs.

The first thing I did after finishing (besides stretch) was limp over to the market across the parking lot and buy some nice cold chocolate milk. The first thing I did when I got home was sit in a bath of freezing water (which was completely worth it).

Screaming Peacocks!

Yesterday we ran 14 miles, again in Palos Verdes (land of the never-ending hills). Our practices now begin at 7am, which means a 5:30am alarm for me. After a week of work, this can be a rough endeavor, but completely worth it after the fact. I was very conscious during the last week of hydrating and stretching more, which I think paid off in a big way. I tried Nuun for the first time, after reading a great post on www.bananasauce.com. I am definitely a fan! I also tried Jelly Belly Sports Beans and don't think I will use them again. They were WAY too sweet, in my opinion.

Due to IT band/knee issues, I ran by Road Runner Sports and picked up an IT band compression wrap. What a difference! No IT band pain post-run and very little during. Now I just need to tackle the kneecap pain (which is the worst post-run, resulting in a strong burning sensation).

I also tried to incorporate a run/walk strategy during part of this long run (5 min run/1 min walk). I am not completely sold, but might try it again for our 16-miler next Saturday. I tend to feel better when I just push through, even if it means significantly slowing my pace to recover at times.

Below you will find a link to the course, which included a tour of the Palos Verdes Golf Course. The best part of running (unless you are moving along with an annoying partner or group) is the solitude in the early morning. The area around the course was particularly peaceful and lush. Shortly after getting into my groove around mile 2, I heard a terrifying noise that sounded like a child screaming. After another half mile I heard it again. Thankfully someone pointed out the local peacock population, and this their typical mating call.