Marathon Training: Week Four and March Numbers

I have been seeing so many pictures of Easter egg hunts, candy, yummy food and family gatherings so it looks like everyone had a great Easter. The weekend passed way to quickly for me since I had to work a full five day week. My Easter was great but I am saving that for another post. I am happy to add another week of training in the books and I survived my 2o miler run! I had a good week and I am looking forward to a little less miles next week to give my legs a little break.

 

Week 4 in Summary

Run #1: 6.50 Miles @9:26 (on the dreadmill). I decided to do this run onto the dreadmill just in case my back was not cooperating and I had to stop. The plan was to hop on the elliptical or do some other form of cardio if running was not in the cards. I started at a 10:00 pace and gradually took myself up to a 9:18 pace and kept it right there. I had no pain while running and no pain the following day. What a relief.

Run #2: 7.13 Miles @8:24 . I did push it a little here and wanted to get 7 miles in within a hour since I am usually limited to 60 minute workouts during the week. I started slow and then just kept picking it up until I was at an 8:00 pace. The last two miles were at an 8:00 pace and I did not die so that was encouraging !

Run #3: 20 Miles@ 9:15. Yes, it happened but it was not as great as I was hoping it would be. I am going to map out a flatter course for the next big run because I was really tired at the end. I had a couple of big hills in and when I hit the last hill at miles 16-18 I was pretty beat. It was a little windy for the first few miles so I think that had something to do with me feeling tired as well.

I think I forgot what 20 miles felt like and I really need to be able to run this distance feeling a little more confident in the end. I also started to feel a little discomfort in my back around mile 18 so instead of picking it up in the end, I had to slow it down. My back is feeling fine today but I am still icing and keeping a close eye on it.

My long run for next week is only 14 miles so the Hollywood Half Marathon will be substituted for this run. At least I will get a medal for my long run this week, right? This run should be long and steady with an easy pace so hopefully I can be obedient and not push myself too hard. I know it is going to be hard not to race it but I am going to try my best.

TOTAL MILES:33.50

March was the best month that I have had so far this year with 122 miles in the books! 

  

 Do you plan races into your training?  

 Do you race them or do you follow your training paces? 

 I usually run a half marathon a month or so before a marathon but I run them at race pace just to see where I am at.

Another Race for Me and a First for Someone Else

My back is feeling much, much better! I am going to attempt another short run tonight and if all goes well I am going to attempt my long run this weekend. I have been religiously icing my back at work and at home and I think it has helped me tremendously.

Over the weekend, we attended a family gathering to celebrate a family member's first birthday. When we get together for family functions my niece and I like to talk running. My niece is new to running and she just ran her first marathon in January and hasn't stopped since. She mentioned a few races that she has coming up and you know how the rest goes. She twisted my arm and made me sign up for my fourth half marathon this year which is next Saturday. I missed the inaugural race last year due to an injury but I am kind of glad that I did because there was a big hill at the end of the course that has since been removed. There were also some issues with running out of water or cups at the event last year so I am glad that I did not miss out on that disaster either. In any case, I will still be playing it safe and bringing my own hydration like I always do. 

 

This distance fits in perfectly with my scheduled long run of 14 miles for next week. I have no goals for this race except to keep my pace in line with my training. I have my Ragnar Relay coming up in a few weeks too so I can't do anything too crazy.

My niece and I are not the only ones who will be running on this event. They also offer a 5K and a 10K so our other halves will be running their first 5K! We did the Color Me Rad 5K as a family last year but it was an untimed event without medals and we walked more than we ran. They will both be ready to actually run a 5K with no walking this time around. I am pretty excited for both of them! My niece mentioned going to brunch after the race at a place that is supposed to be really good so I am looking forward to that as well!

Does your spouse or significant other run with you?
 

Is My Back, Back?

My back was feeling a whole lot better yesterday so I couldn't wait to get home from work to run a few miles. The pain I have been experiencing is in the lower left part of my back and I only feel it when I turn my body to the left or sit for long periods of time (like my hour plus commute home). I do not feel any pain when I run but I am sure that running probably aggravates it. I have to say that I am proud of myself for not running for an entire 4 days! Of course I thought about it everyday and I was tempted to but I kept my eye on the prize and didn't do it!

I have also been finding ways to keep myself busy and distracted from running. All I have to do is hang out with my kids and somehow we end up in dangerous places! In case you are wondering who ate the biggest pizookie....it was me!

I have been in panic mode for the past few days thinking that another marathon is not going to happen for me. I have the option of dropping down to the half marathon but I really don't want to do that if I can help it. I really want to run this race but at the same time I have to be prepared for it both mentally and physically.

So how did my run go? Well, since I don't feel the pain when I run it is hard to say. I took it really easy and averaged about a 9:26 pace and now it is kind of  wait and see what happens.  I feel fine this morning but we shall see how the next 24 hours go.  I am keeping my fingers crossed but if the pain returns, I am going to be a huge mess stop running and re-think this.

In other news, my laptop decided that it likes to stay in "blue screen mode" and of course my warranty just expired! Isn't it great that things always decide to take a crap right after the warranty expires? I called HP to get some help/support with the blue screen issue and they basically wouldn't even talk to me if I didn't give them my credit card number and allow them to charge more that I paid for the laptop!  It might be time to look into that MacBook I have been lusting after for the past two years!

Thank you to everyone who has been so nice and supportive of me and my 10,000th injury! So many have asked how I am feeling and have sent encouraging thoughts my way. I really appreciate it :)

Anybody ever have the "blue screen" computer problem?

PC or Mac?

I have an iPhone and an iPad but not a MacBook.That's weird!

Marathon Training: Week Three

I was amazed at how well my legs handled the 17.5 miler last week. I had no soreness the following day and  it was a real confidence booster for me. I am also continuing to live in my compression socks and I have invested in a few more pairs. I have noticed my co-workers staring at my feet wondering why my socks are marked with "L" and "R." Hydrating after my runs is also important so I make sure I have plenty of this stuff on hand. I am loving the new Watermelon flavor right now! It reminds me of a watermelon flavored Jolly Rancher. I keep the tube in my purse so I always have access to it on the road and at work.

Since recovery has been going really well, I felt that it was safe to add a little more to my long run this week and then I hurt my back. BUMMER! I promised myself that I would back off  if I am not feeling 100% so I am taking some time off and resting per the doctor's orders. I spent all day Friday and Saturday resting and laying in bed with this guy and it seemed to help tremendously. I still feel a little bit of pain and am not 100% so no running until I feel zero pain!

Here is a summary of how Week #3 went:

Run #1: 7.25 Miles @9:22 (Hill Day!) This run was on a local trail that is 3 miles uphill and 3 miles downhill. It is a tough run up the hill for me but I know that it will only make me stronger, right?

Run #2: 8.25 Mile Tempo Run @9:08 . I ran the first 2.5 miles with my other half and the rest on my own. This run had some rolling hills but nothing too serious.

Run #3: FAIL!! My long run did not happen this week due to my back and I was pretty bummed! I woke up feeling much better this morning ready to run but knew that it was not the right thing to do. 

I will remain positive and focused and move things around so that I can stay on track with my training. It was tough not to run because I don't feel the pain when I run. I know that it is for the best and most importantly I don't want to do anything that is going to cost me in the long run!

TOTAL MILES: 15.50

Just when I was starting to feel a little more confident about this whole marathon thing, this back strain happens. We will see what this week brings and take it one day at a time.

How do you adjust your training plans when something gets in the way?

Why I Spent Most of My Day in Bed

I am more than bummed to share that I may be having a small setback with my training. I woke up with a pain in the lower left side of my back a few days ago. The pain does not bother me at all when I walk or run but it's there and I am thinking that continuing to running could make it worse.

I decided to make an appointment with my doctor to have it checked and he seems to think I have a lower back/lumbar muscle strain. He asked me to take a few days off from running, rest and ice the area. WHAT? I looked at him like he was crazy and asked him how many days is a few. He knows that I run and we always talk running when I see him. He used to run too so I am pretty sure he gets it when I look at him like he is nuts. I can only think of one way that this happened. Last Sunday I reached over the side of the four foot exercise pen, as seen below, that I keep the puppies in to grab something and I almost fell in. I guess I should have opened the door and entered the correct way! The pain dissipated and then a couple days later it was back and it was much worse.

I was planning my long run for tomorrow but it is on hold for now. I spent most of the day resting and icing my back in hopes that it will go away. The doctor gave me some anti-inflammatory pills but I am trying not to take them since they have a lot of side effects. I am hoping to be able to run on Sunday but if the pain is still there then I will go out of my mind and want to kill myself for missing my long run won't run. I really don't want to take a break but I know it is probably the best thing for me. It sucks that I may have an injury that was not brought on by running. I will take it one day at a time and see what happens. 

Have you ever had a lower back strain? Any advice?