training

My NYRR Spotlight

/ Jess / 6 Comments

About a month ago, NYRR sent out an email requesting stories of the folks who planned on running the United NYC Half Marathon. I sent in my story on a whim (kind of like how I did with my race entry!). To my surprise, they contacted me shortly after that to see if I would be willing to share my story on their social media channels – I was floored! What an honor. I’m content to tell my stories here on my little blog and through The Mermaid Club, but I never would have thought I’d be able to reach such a huge group of fellow runners through the NYRR!

10403469_10153068412528329_63437464441116418_nClick the photo to read my story!

Check out the original Post by United Airlines NYC Half on their Facebook page, and stay tuned to read the new stories they’re posting every day until the 15th – if you ever needed inspiration or motivation, you’re sure to find it with this group of awesome folks!

How Do You Caption Your Life?

/ Jess / 15 Comments

The other night I posted something on my Instagram feed that seemed to strike a chord with everyone, so I wanted to share it here. It was about how we have a tendency to put ourselves down, even if we don’t realize it.

11018517_1623977541164541_1307806796_n

You see, too often I see these great pictures from amazingly inspirational folks, but the captions say things like “I’m so slow, but I did it!” or “it wasn’t as fast as I wanted but…” And it got me thinking: What purpose does that negativity serve?

None!

I even caught myself as I captioned the pic up there. I had run 4 hard miles after coming back from a stretch of not running and struggling through Sunday’s 10-miler, and my per-mile pace was a minute slower than I had hoped. And I started out my caption with “Well it sucked and was slow as hell, but…” and I thought, I’ve captioned almost every running picture with something negative like that for almost a month! Wtf?!

Now, aiming for a goal pace is one thing, but constantly putting yourself down and judging every run harshly because you’re not “fast”? That’s wrong. Take my 12:44/mile pace for example. To some folks 12:44/mile is slow as molasses. But to others it might be the ultimate in speed! And regardless of the number, I was hauling ass! I put in a hell of an effort and left it all on the mill. So I changed my perspective and patted myself on the back for a job well done. And wouldn’t you know it: I felt stronger! Instead of dreading my next run and praying that I’m not going to be “slow” again, I’m just going for it.

Now it’s your turn. I challenge you to rethink the way you caption things, whether it’s your runs, or your body, or even your life in general. Because in the end, the only thing that matters is not your opinion, but your effort!

Running in Place for 10 Miles

/ Jess / 8 Comments

This winter thing can take a hike. While we’ve been spared the absolutely ridiculous amount of snow that our northeastern neighbors have gotten (sorry, Boston), here in NJ we’re still suffering. Every week is a loop: snow on Monday, ice on Tuesday, negative temps and high winds through the week, then a thawing day to allow everything to melt slightly, only to re-freeze again when the temps drop back to the single digits on Monday when the cycle begins again.

As a result, running outside is a dangerous and icy adventure and I’m confined to the treadmill for many of my runs – which STINKS. Take, for example, this past Sunday’s 10 mile treadmill run at the local YMCA.

I started psyching myself up on Wednesday by creating a “To Watch” list on Netflix that would have me covered for 2+ hours, I picked up some of my favorite Gu’s, I experimented with Nuun during my weekday 4-milers to see if my tummy could handle it (it could!), and I even bought a new tank top that matches my new shoes perfectly.

IMG_2728and capris. shush, they were on sale.

So when Sunday rolled around, I loaded up my gym bag with all the essentials, charged up the iPad, made some Nuun, and set out on my adventure.

IMG_2790It looked like I was running away from home.

Right from the beginning, I could tell this run would be a struggle. After only logging about 8 miles in 9 days due to lack of motivation, achy knees, and probably a minor concussion after belly flopping into a snow pile that turned out to be an ice pile, I was not very well prepared AT ALL. Looking back, I probably should have set out for another 8 miler to ease back into things, but live and learn, I suppose.

Mile 1-3 went relatively easily as I watched the first half hour of Wayne’s World. But about 40 minutes in, I started to get bored. I needed something to take my mind off the monotony, and having memorized every second of Wayne’s World back in 1996, I knew I’d have to pick something I’d never seen before.

And that’s how I met Francis Underwood.

IMG_2723

I love that man like a shark loves blood…

I’m late to the House of Cards party, but damn am I glad I finally showed up. Because 3 minutes into the first episode, I found myself gaping in shock and I was hooked instantly. Full disclosure: I’ve had a mild crush on Kevin Spacey since I was about 13. But anyone with eyes can see that he is at his absolute best here.

I was so engrossed in the show that I almost forgot to reset the treadmill at 4.5 miles (stupid 60 minute limit!) and motored through the next 3 miles and the full first episode. I started on the second episode and got about 15 minutes in (and 7.5 miles into my run) when it finally happened: I hit the wall. Hard.

I still had 2.5 miles to go, but it may as well have been 25. The running was easy: I was (relatively) pain-free and keeping a good pace of 5.8-6mph, but mentally I broke down and the wheels fell off the wagon.

The show didn’t even interest me any more, so I switched to music. And I skipped through, like, 18 songs in a row because nothing interested me. This has happened in almost every run over 10 miles I’ve done: nothing works to re-spark the fire, not even my favorite songs, and I just want to stop moving. It was SO hard to restart the treadmill one more damn time (DAMN that 60 minute limit!!!), but this time I told myself “The quicker you run, the quicker it’ll be over!”

So I stopped assing around with my music and just let it play, stopped walking and started running, and powered through those last few miles. It started to hurt with a mile or so to go, but I knew I had to finish, and finish I did.

IMG_2822

I’m only smiling because I know I get to sit down now.

At first I was super discouraged at my performance. With all the walking I did (and having to stop the machine twice), I had convinced myself that it was my worst 10 miles ever, time-wise. But when I actually added up the times, this was pretty much right on par with my previous 10-milers – in a few cases it was even better!

IMG_2828Final tally: 10 miles in 2 hours, 11 minutes.

While it wasn’t the prettiest (and I still don’t like the treadmill), I count it as a win – any time you run 10 damn miles and spend 2+ hours in the same 6 by 3 foot space, it’s a win.

So how is your training going? Are you stuck on the treadmill like me? What’s your favorite show on Netflix right now?

How to Beat Training Burnout

/ Jess / 7 Comments

This is the first time since before my injury that I’m really sticking to a solid training plan, and I can totally feel a difference in everything I do. My endurance is better, 4 miles is pretty much nothing, and even though I lost two total weeks of training due to illness, I’m feeling confident and strong!

For a hot minute there though, I did feel a little bit of the training burnout I’ve experienced while prepping for previous races. You know it well, I’m sure: the existential dread you get when you’re staring down another 4 mile tempo run on the treadmill after 3 straight 10+ hour work days and the sun has already been down for 2 hours and the temperature hasn’t cracked over 20 degrees in a week? Yeah, that feeling.

BUT – this time around I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve to help me battle the burnout beast:

1. New Music

That little ditty right there is pretty much single-handedly responsible for getting me through my 8 miler this past Sunday, thank you very much.

I don’t know about you, but there’s just something about some new tunes that puts some pep in my step and makes me look forward to yet another day of running when I feel like that’s all I’ve been doing for years.

2. Switching it Up

While my training plan calls for three days of workouts from Tuesday-Thursday, it created a fun new thing that I like to call “Anything Can Happen Wednesday”. Because it’s cross-training day, I’ve used these non-running breaks as a perfect opportunity to go all out and feel the burn in other ways. To break up the monotony I’ve biked, done hot yoga, and even started a personal challenge to get to the pool more often too. Did someone say Sprint Triathlon this May? 😉

10518076_692018487577664_325416926_nMermaid in Training

3. Setting Personal Goals

While it’s nice to do other things, the downside of seriously training for a race means that the majority of my workouts involve running, running, and more running. So to keep things interesting, I set little challenges for myself – sometimes even in the middle of a run! For example: last week, when I finally returned to running after being sick for more than a week, I told myself to take it easy with 2-3 miles of light jogging at the most. Well I ended up feeling much better than planned, and cranked out 4 miles at my pre-illness pace basically without even breaking a sweat.

10946258_385301244974827_1302672925_n…or breaking a “sparkle”, I guess.

So what did I decide to do the following run two days later? Beat that time, of course! I picked up my pace at mile 3, pushed harder than I would have normally, and kicked the previous me’s ass!

10932497_404686453045050_1578764512_nTuesday Jess says, “Take that, smug Sunday Jess.”

4. Treat Yo Self (and then Eat Clean the other 80% of the time)

Listen: I’m all about eating to run, and running to eat. Imma be real, there ain’t NOTHING like a slice of peanut butter silk pie after a week of hard training. But while I do like to indulge every now and then, I know that those treats are special because they’re so few and far between. And to balance things out, I experiment in the kitchen with things that make my tummy happy and keep my training on track. Case in point: roasted Brussels sprouts:

10946415_279318275525094_2110719772_n::pauses to lick the screen::

Yes, these were pre-roasting, but damn were they tasty when they came out of the oven 30 minutes later. Finding new ways to make healthy choices makes it a whole lot easier when I do decide to indulge – because let me tell you, those sprouts were definitely healthy, but they were DEEE-licious!

Those are just a few ways I like to shake things up and break out of the training monotony, but how about you? Any go-to’s to keep the crazies at bay? Favorite new running tunes? Share in the comments!

From Zero to Two (Half Marathons)

/ Jess / 3 Comments

So how is it that I went from absolutely loving the “no race to train for” off season to suddenly having only 12 weeks to prep for two half marathons only a month apart? Hmm…

3196d892ad5b284ae2f5800994bf804aThe truth is I’m not really sure what happened, because the fact that I got into that first race was pure LUCK!

On Black Friday I got a reminder email for the Asbury Park Runapalooza Half Marathon in April, and finally signed up. I knew I wanted to run this one again – it was my first post ACL surgery half  marathon last year and I loved it. They’ve finally repaired the last remaining parts of the course that were still damaged by Hurricane Sandy (plus I just really adore Asbury) so it was a given.

Cut to the following week when I threw my hat into the ring for the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon (scheduled for a month earlier than Runapalooza), never expecting to get in. It was a total blind try: my first time trying to get into anything NYC related that wasn’t guaranteed, I’m not even an NYRR member, I was brutally honest about my 3 hour predicted finish time; to say the odds were against me would be an understatement. But wouldn’t you know it, the Running Gods smiled upon me, and I got in!

So within about two weeks I went from leisurely starting my serious training around the middle of January to “Holy crap I’m running two half marathons within a month of each other with 12 weeks to prep!”

Have you ever found yourself in a similar position? I know I’ve asked about running semi-consecutive races like that, but does anyone have any advice (aside from “don’t fall in the first race”), or other training resources for a condensed schedule? HALP!

Tough Times Don’t Last, Tough People Do

/ Jess / 3 Comments

If you know me personally, you know that I’m a big fan of lists (no, really – I freakin love them). And when you combine lists with running, I am allll over that.

So when this list of things the Hungry Runner Girl does to get through the toughest part of a run popped up in my FB feed today, it really struck a chord with me. There are some super helpful tips here! Many of these are tricks that I’ve used on myself before, like the “pick a spot and get there” trick, which I used to great effect in my last half marathon. I’ve also discovered that moving my arms faster actually does help me speed up, so I was happy to see that make an appearance here too!

But there were also a few tips that I never would have thought of in a million years! I love it when I stumble upon a helpful new running tip, don’t you? I was particularly excited by the idea of counting your steps: my major issue when I start to flag is that my mind gets sucked into a negative vortex and nothing short of an atom bomb will bust it out. But focusing on something as mundane as counting the number of steps I’m taking sounds like a fantastic way to break the negative cycle and focus on the literal “one foot in front of the other” motion!

I also enjoyed the idea of tying a rope around the person in front of me – usually I don’t like to concentrate on others in a race, but this seems like it’s more about the idea of visualization and distraction, which, much like lists, I am ALLLL over.

It got me thinking about some of my own Tough Times Tips:

1. Imagine how great it’ll feel to tell everyone about this after you’ve succeeded. Pride can be a hugely motivating thing. I personally have lost count of how many workouts I’ve pushed through, just to be able to say “Yeah, I lifted that much/ran that far/did that!” Vain? Maybe. Effective? 100%! Similarly:

2. Do it for the reward. Maybe you’ve promised yourself an awesome victory lap at the local diner after your race. Or perhaps you’ve got a massage on the schedule to relieve those sore muscles? Even if it’s just for the medal or for the personal satisfaction, keep your eye on the prize and you’ll be crossing that finish line in no time.

3. Go someplace else. This one is a little harder to do, and sometimes if you’ve been smushed up against The Wall for too long you may be better trying something else. But when I’m finding it hard to physically push when I’m at my limits, I just look up at the sky, pick a cloud, and imagine what that cloud has seen. Sometimes I’m able to picture some pretty awesome places – even if they’re 100% made up in my mind 😉

So what do you think? Do you have any other tips to add to this already awesome list? I’d love to hear them!

A Tale of Three Runs

/ Jess / 6 Comments

I find it so funny (read: frustrating and incredibly vexing) that three runs of relatively the same mileage can be so vastly different. Usually I can pinpoint when I’m going to have a rough run: poor hydration, lack of sleep, bad fueling, etc. In those cases I expect to board the struggle bus after an hour or so, and prepare myself accordingly. But there are times when all those things don’t seem to matter in the eyes of the running gods, and I pull a good run out of nowhere and wonder why I ever struggled in the past. It’s a roller coaster, I tell ya.

So let’s take a look at two 10 mile runs and an 8 miler, just weeks apart from each other. The first 10 miler – less than a month ago – was pretty much doomed before I even started. I was up late, ate like crap, and had raced a 5k the day before, so imagine my surprise when I had virtually the perfect run and ended up with what I think is my fastest 10 miles in pretty much ever. I chomped on a few gummy bears, stopped here and there where I needed it, broke through the wall at mile 7 and just went. Pain-free, clear-headed and happy.

photoI seriously just scoffed when I saw this.

Then came the following 10 miler, 2 weeks later (I alternated long runs in this training cycle, with 5-6 milers between each week’s build up). I did everything right: proper fueling the night before, lots of good fuel. The weather was absolutely perfect for running – just a tad windy, but I’m racing next to the Atlantic Ocean in 6 days so I could use a little wind in my training.

IMG_7911Seriously: gorgeous.

Alas: the wheels fell off the wagon at around mile 6.5 when I discovered my sure-thing bathrooms at the local park (where I planned to fill up my water bottle) were, in fact, locked. So I called my mom for emergency water (she was only about a mile away), and set out to finish those last miles only to discover that my legs did not want to go. I was shredded. I ran for about 2 minutes at a pop before having to walk, and my total time was somewhere around 2:18 – a whole 9 minutes slower than the previous long run. Talk about demoralizing.

Cut to this week, where I took a balls to the wall “now or never” approach – because I did everything wrong before this run, once again. Saturday it poured all morning, so I decided to start the Great Seasonal Clothing Migration. You know what I’m talking about: the day at the beginning of each season where you spend 6 hours bent, hovering over huge bins of clothing, sorting and separating the “keeps” from the “Goodwills”. Well, my entire back seized up in pain as soon as I finished at 3pm and I couldn’t stand up straight. Then I made matters worse by spending 3 hours crammed into a ball at the movies, and basically went to sleep in the shape of a question mark. When I woke up, even breathing hurt because of the stiff muscles in my back. So when I set out for my 8-10 miler (again, no great expectations), I knew within a half a block that I was going to regret this.

photo 2I would also come to regret my choice of non-stick headband as well, and promptly threw this one in the garbage after my run when I had to fix it every half mile.

Along with the intense lower back pain that stabbed up my spine & down my thighs with every step (seriously, it was murder), fueling was a major issue too. I had run out of gummy bears so I opted instead for a handful of sweet n salty sunflower seeds. They were not good fuel. I also had major chafing issues this time around too. I deliberately wore shorts that I’ve never chafed with before, but by mile 4, my thighs were screaming for mercy (TMI? #sorrynotsorry). And to cap it all off, I developed a brand new, throbbing foot pain along the side of my big toe. What the ever-loving hell?? I was doing nothing different – same socks, shoes, route, everything! When it rains, it pours, I suppose.

photo 1But it was another really pretty day, so that’s nice.

I bargained myself down to 8 miles and finished around 1:42. Which is still just under a 13:00/mile pace, although I don’t think I could have maintained it for another 5 miles for 13 – not with all those random issues. I chalked it up to poor planning and vowed to hit the cross-training hard today and Wednesday, with shorter runs Tuesday and Thursday to prep me for Sunday’s 13.1.

I suppose the only thing we can do is just keep logging those miles – I know the whole “bad runs make the good runs even better” mantra is a popular one, but damn. It’s been pretty hard to keep up the “yay, PR for me!” attitude when the long runs are this spotty! I can only hope that the running gods will smile upon me in 6 days and give me the perfect run I’ve been chasing for these past few weekends.

How about you? Have you experienced this hit-or-miss phenomenon? Please tell me I’m not the only one!

Breaking the Cycle

/ Jess / 11 Comments

This Sunday I took my new-found confidence and my happy knees on a long run and surprised even myself!

I know from my extensive background in anxiety that once I get anxious about a particular situation, I need space from it to break the cycle. I’m sure there’s some psychological principle behind this, but all I know is that it works for me. So I decided to approach this long run in a new way:

  • Rather than have the hubby drop me off 10 miles from home and running back, I would run around my town. I usually hate long runs that take me around the same loops over and over again, but recent runs in the area had my confidence pretty high on my home turf, so I went with it.
  • I ditched the bulky hydration vest. In my last few runs with it, I leaned too heavily on it: I got distracted by fussing with the cords, drinking more than I needed to, etc. And since I planned on running near convenience stores and public bathrooms, I stuck with my little fanny pack and some change.

photo 1

Baby Got Pack

So after fueling up with a Raspberry White Chocolate Quest Bar (HELLO, new favorite flavor!) I set out on my normal 2-3 mile route that would take me into the park where I planned on just running 1 mile laps around the football fields and along the water. Anything past 7 miles would be a win, and 10 miles would be the ultimate.

Mile 1 was the usual struggle, but soon I fell into a rhythm by mile 2, and by mile 3, I was jammin. Mostly because I was listening to my new favorite running song: this track by Kendrick Lamar. It’s got the perfect beat to push me up tough hills while maintaining a respectable pace, and I also get to showcase my fantastic runner’s swagger when I lip-sync to the more filthy verses.

So mile 3 & 4 saw me coasting down Broadway and into my waterfront park, weaving around the usual walkers and bikers and kids and dogs, and mostly just loving the fact that it was about 70 degrees and perfectly gorgeous.

photo 3You think I’m kidding?

After a lap, I stopped at mile 5.5 to stretch and refuel with gummy bears & almonds. photo 2I had to laugh – the folks that passed me were completely perplexed (“She’s running and eating??”) but it didn’t matter – I’m a professional (idiot) after all. I took off again after some water and mild stretching, and before I knew it I was at 7.2something. I wasn’t even feeling it! I coasted around for another mile or so, and started to feel the fatigue in my ankles and calves at around 8.5.

I stopped for some heavy stretching and set out for the last mile, when this song came on. That’s when I shut down the part of my brain that focused on running and lost myself in some daydreams. I traveled to the Riviera Maya with Trent Reznor for some pretty NSFW action, and at one point I actually made myself giggle and blush while I was running! I was giddy –  and frankly, probably a little dehydrated too – but as I glanced at my watch and realized I could get in 10 miles under 2:10, I gunned it.

And it worked!

photoBarely – but I’ll take it!

When I stopped, both calves wanted to cramp up and freeze, but I stretched for a good 15 minutes in the park before calling my husband to come pick me up for a triumphant ride back home (and a big sushi lunch).

photo

that’s what I call a victory lap

And that’s the story of how I broke my bad long run cycle – with Kendrick Lamar, Disclosure, gummy bears, and Trent Reznor. 🙂

The Girl Who Cried Marathon – Part 2

/ Jess / 7 Comments

OK so when we last left off I was fresh off a great 6 mile run and feeling good and pain free. Hooray!

However. You know how they say that running is like 30% physical and 70% mental (or something, I don’t math good)? Well, I started psyching myself out basically as soon as I got out of the shower that night. Even though I had a great 6 miles, the end was rough. How was I going to build up to 26.2 – with confidence – in a little more than a month, with time for a taper too? I wasn’t. Or maybe I could. I don’t know. Where’s my xanax?

1527

Friday I rested and aimed for 12 miles over the weekend. Saturday morning I woke up and got prepped for the long run; fueled up, strapped on my hydration vest, and stood at the door stretching out, but I just wasn’t ready. I wasn’t mentally in the game. In fact, I was paralyzed with fear, indecision, anxiety, and frustration. I couldn’t fail at another long run, it’d break me. After my failed 10 miler the week before, I had built up “the long run” so much in my broken, anxiety-riddled mind.. so much that I worked myself up into a full-on panic attack there with my hand on the doorknob, unable to open the door and run. My husband found me there and talked me down. “Head out there with no expectations. Just run. If you go for 1 mile or 10, call it a win.” It helped – so I walked out the door and into the soupiest, hottest, most humid day New Jersey has experienced since last summer.

sweating

It was about 97 degrees with 98% humidity, and there was no relief to be found out on the pavement. I struggled physically for a mile or so, then walked, and realized it was time to face the fear that’s been on the edges of my brain for a while now: I may have to drop down to the half marathon this October.

I had thought it before but was too scared to really explore it. “Failure” was not an option. But “Compromise” had to be considered. What would the real cons be? Honestly, it was the fear of having to become “The Girl Who Cried Marathon.”

My best friend up in Cape Cod said she was going to come all the way down to cheer me on. My local friends always ask how training is going, and say they can’t wait to celebrate. So many of my internet friends here and on Instagram have all said how excited they are to follow my journey to the finish line… What a let down it would be to tell them that I wasn’t going to run it. What a fool I’d look like.

That’s when it finally dawned on me: I was more concerned with what my friends and family (and internet friends!) would think of me than I was with my own health and sanity. I was prepared to just push through and barely make it – and possibly injure myself – just because I didn’t want to look like a fool.

That was my wake-up call: if I’m only running the marathon for other people, I am truly doing it for the wrong reasons. When I signed up, I wanted to prove to myself I could finish happy and healthy, but a slew of injuries this summer (runner’s knee in both knees, calf strains, etc) have seriously derailed my training and turned running into a painful chore. And to be honest? Before that 6 miler, I hadn’t really enjoyed a run in a LONG while.

balki

#sorrynotsorry #truthbomb

So maybe dropping down is the right thing to do. The last thing I need to do is go out there unprepared (mentally or physically) and DNF, or worse, injure myself again. In the end, it comes down to what’s right for me. Not for anyone else. Because honestly? No one else really truly cares if I have to drop down to the half. Why in the hell would it matter to them? In classic overthinker fashion, I convinced myself that everyone else would view me as a failure, when in fact it was ALL ME doing the “you’re a failure” finger pointing, at myself.

(If you haven’t already noticed, I’m a classic overthinker. Whether I’m choosing chicken or fish at a wedding or buying a car: I will obsess over every little detail of a decision until I can’t keep my eyes open, and then I’ll keep obsessing until 3 am in bed, and eventually I’ll worry myself into a state of paralysis. It’s really the one thing I’m actually good at.)

alan

Yay for succeeding at something!

So as I walked back home, I pulled the trigger and messaged the handful of friends that said they were coming down to cheer me on, and their responses were so unbelievably sweet and supportive that I wondered why I had waited this long to say anything in the first place. When I got home I told my husband and it was like a weight had lifted. I cried in relief – even though I hadn’t officially changed my registration, I found such comfort in getting to the bottom of the issues that have been plaguing me for the past month. It really is true: Running is cheaper than therapy!

As of right now, I’m not sure if I’m officially dropping. I’ve got until 10 days before the race to decide, and I’m going to really focus on my training now that I’ve gotten my gait right and my knees are healing. I’ve done a few really good hour + runs, and banged out a great 10 miler today, so we’ll see what the future holds. I could possibly still pull the full out of thin air, but I’m not going to be disappointed if I have to drop when the time comes.

What matters is that I keep running happy – which I plan on doing for a VERY long time 🙂 And PS – We’ll be back to our usual running/training related posts tomorrow. In the meantime, how is your training going? Does anyone else out there struggle with doubt? How about my fellow overthinkers out there? Share your story!

The Girl Who Cried Marathon – Part 1

/ Jess / 5 Comments

It’s been a while since my last post, but I’m back! And it has been a week or two, let me tell you. After getting all jazzed up for my long run with my last post, I made the bold choice of going for a 6 miler that Thursday night.

IMG_6976

The first three miles were filled with pace-destroying calf pain, a totally new issue. I’d had calf strain issues due to overcompensation on that leg in a few recent runs, but nothing like this. I couldn’t go more than 50 yards without walking because of this intense burning sensation from my ankles to my knees. It subsided around mile 3 and was replaced with major chafing for the last 3 miles. BUT I finished 6 in [relatively] good time, then rested Friday and set out Saturday for my long run. And it was bad.

I was motoring through mile 6 when the wheels fell off the wagon. My knees locked up, my calves coiled into tight springs, and I felt a shooting pain grow from the outside of my right foot straight through my right calf up to the knee. I walked in circles, stretched it, even sat on a curb to rest, but it wasn’t having any of that. When I tried to run one last block, my right knee gave out and I had to call my husband to come pick me up.

Talk about a shame spiral while I waited? In 15 minutes, I went from “You can’t even finish a 13 mile training run” to “You can’t finish anything you start, even your marriage is just you trying to pretend to be an adult.”

photoMy inner voice can be a real douchebag sometimes.

So I punished my body all of the next day working in the yard, rested on Monday, then tried running again on Tuesday and found that I was ok after 2 miles. Not 100%, but OK. Wednesday I took off from running and told myself to focus on really pushing for a full night of cross training. So I surprised the hell out of myself with a double workout at the gym.

photo 1 And I felt great!

I started with a nice slow stretch, then did 4 miles in 50 minutes on the elliptical. After some more stretching I finished with 25 solid minutes in the pool. Lap after lap, I build my confidence up, stretched out those sore muscles, loosened everything up and generally played mermaid.Then that night I spent some time researching the possible causes of my injuries. I watched videos on common running problems, read up on knee issues, and picked up a few things that I couldn’t wait to try out on Thursday. I was tired by the time my run rolled around after work, so I told myself to go by feel with my new knowledge.

And 6 absolutely pain free miles later I was smiling from ear to ear 🙂

photo 2

That is one happy runner.

Throughout the run, I focused on 3 little things that added up for a huge difference:

  1. Shortening my stride. Overstriding is a common running issue that creates knee/calf issues, and as it turns out, I was doing it. A LOT.
  2. Paying closer attention to my pace. I stopped doing that a while ago because I just wanted to get faster but I only ended up going too fast and burning myself out early.
  3. NOT paying attention to my overall time. In my rush to get faster, I was too focused on what my overall time should be, and getting discouraged when the number wasn’t what I expected.

By the end of 6 miles, I felt great! Tired and spent, but good. A few aches in my calf, a tight back… I certainly couldn’t have done it all over again back to back to make 12, though. So while I was thrilled to have figured out what was causing some of my major issues I still had some lingering doubts, mostly about how I was going to build up my endurance to:

  • do what I just did 3 more times in a row
  • PLUS 2.2 more miles for a full 26.2 miles…
  • in just 6 weeks.

In my next post, we’ll look at that list in greater detail… and you’ll finally learn what the title of this post is all about!