After the After....

I am SOOOOO sore today!  Ugh.  I had a great run, but I am now paying for my 'speediness'.
Shall I start at the bottom or the top?  Hmm perhaps the top. Note: I am not complaining... in fact it actually feels kind of good to feel 'sore' like I worked out.

My upper and lower back are a bit stiff.
My glutes and piriformis are sore. It hurts to move while sitting.  I rolled them earlier and they did feel marginally better.... but they are sore.
My quads are sore.  I can still maneuver stairs.
My hamstrings are sore... this one is new... they are not injured, I can just really feel them today.
My left knee was a bit sore/hot.  Seems okay this evening
My calves are mostly okay.
My shins are sore, mostly my right side (always interesting when my right side bugs me because my left side is the issue side).
My toes became large blisters.  All of which I popped. (garoooooooossssss). However that was yesterday and they have given me zero pain today!  But I haven't looked at them.
The tips of my toes are still tender.  I also fear that I am indeed losing a toenail. (garroooooosssss again... I don't do well with feet stuff)

Hoping tomorrow is better, and not the usual 2nd day after worse.
I also ordered some injinji toe socks, I will try just about anything to help my toes.  I know I should also try a half size up on my shoes but I can't afford to just go get new ones right now.  Plus they really pretty much are the right size :S  I don't know if anymore room after my toe would help much, or just make my shoes sloppy.

Anyways... onto another week of training!!!

BMO Vancouver Half 2015 - My Poor Feet!

Woke up at about 4. Because I could not sleep and for some reason I did actually set my alarm for 4.  Consumed my traditional Egg and Cervelat scrambled egg breakfast (yea yea seems heavy but its what I do).  Had no coffee and minimal water.  I did have to make it an hour drive into Vancouver and THEN find parking and sky train and bathrooms.  No time for extra water logging.

Friend C arrived 5 am. Drove to Vancouver.  Found a cheap parking place. Deal!  Oh, it is  not open yet and we have to kill 10 minutes sitting in the car in the parking lot until the gate goes up...... We are also not the only ones!  So we spent that 10 minutes getting our stuff together so that we weren't doing the exact same thing once we were parked, wasting more time,,,,, turns out this was a good decision.

Park and hustle our butts to skytrain, and BAM! We are really on our way.  The temp outside wasn't too bad, I wasn't freezing in the cotton tshirt I had over my run shirt.  Didn't need gloves or a hat. The day was going to be soooo nice and sunny!!!

We follow the line of half marathoners to the start line... over a kilometer away but whatevs, we know how to use our legs.

We need to pee.  NOW.  We start running to pass all the people walking so that we are just that many more people closer to the front of the porta potty line ups!  We chose a line, we chose a new line and we commit.... Turns out this is one of the rare times my line switching (in any aspect of life.. grocery, border crossing, etc) pays off.

Now friend C is a pace bunny and we have 15 minutes to use the toilet and get up to the corral... I don't make her wait, I will see her later.

I make my way up to the corral and I see PINK awesome! That is my home.  Except in my haste I totally get into the corral behind me, and really far into it too before I realize that I could move up into my actual colour.  Not a big deal but lets face it, I would rather stay ahead of that many more hundreds of people!!!!  I relocated myself just in time, although I got a few funny looks for pushing forward, but mostly because we were packed like sardines in there.

The elites go.  The next corral goes (can't remember colour, blue maybe) and then its our turn, yay!!!
I am giving the Hoka's a try again.  My lulu socks (Although I am thinking I need to try something new) and the usual other gear.  I am also rocking a water belt (Nathan) rather than my pack, after all.... its 21, there are water stations, I will be A OK.

Finally  it is our turn to go and I have a pretty good run.  Uneventful really.  My shoes bugged me again where the tongue is sewn in.... blister from that.  That happened around maybe 10 km and took a few km before I could 'move' the issue so it wasn't rubbing there.  I didn't have to stop to use another toilet.  Nothing crazy, just a smiley run. Oh I tried to smile for all the camera guys but I probably just look like I'm wincing, or just awful... I am sure.

I thought I was going to start with a LSD pace of maybe 7 ish minutes a km but that apparently was going to be 6:30 and less... I didn't know I was going to keep it up...  it just happened!! Too many people around with the 2:15 goal (which was where I put my goal when I signed up, a year ago, before I signed up for a full marathon)....

Anyways around the 10 mark I realized that if all went well I could possibly PR it!  I played with this idea during my blister embarking km and decided..... we will see.... I am not going to push any harder than what I am doing.... I also switched from a run 10 minute walk 1 minute interval to a run 3 minute walk (or slow run) for 30 second interval.... and what do you know, my 2nd half of the run was actually a few minutes faster!! Not a PR though, and again that is okay... I was not at all training for one.

The run was over. I finished. My blisters are back and they are ANGRY.  In fact my feet are really angry looking :(  When this next 1.5 months is over I am going to be so so so kind to them... they do not like this marathon running as much.

We walked around a bit, got changed, found some friends, chatted, enjoyed the sunshine..... it was freezing cold in the shade though!!  And then headed home for lunch.  I took no pictures though.  My phone is massive and once I get it in the running belt it does not come out, it takes several minutes to work it in there so it is just not worth it.

Anyways, that is my race recap!

Next weekend : Mothers day and possibly a 32 km training run.
2 Weekends... Rock and Roll Portland road trip!!!!
1.5 month.... Rock and Roll Seattle!

The Day Before This Half Marathon.

So today is Saturday, and this Saturday in particular is the day preceding a half marathon.  The BMO Vancouver Marathon.  I have a few thoughts today.

First.  I am not anxious today.  I mean a little bit because driving to Vancouver and parking and finding the starting line is never just 'easy'... waking up at 4/430 am is not easy. But for the actual race/run.  It will be okay.

I have now realized that for the past 5 weeks in a row I have run at least 21 km.  This is kind of scary but it is fact.  So going the distance is okay.  I know I can go the distance.  I know that sometimes it is slow. Sometimes it seems to take so so so so so so long and forever and hours and hours it seems, but it gets done and usually within the same half hour.  I know that sometimes the miles fly by and then I am on the last 4 or 5 and its half an hour until finish.  I know I can do 21.1 kilometers and that is pretty sweet.

Tonight as I get my things ready. I am more concerned with what part of me is going to be hurt first... not 'hurt' but maybe blisters, or what have you.  No run has gone smoothly.  I can say that.  They have all been coming with their own new war wounds.  So that is my question of the night as I go to bed.... which one will find me tomorrow.... and will I have something packed to deal with it after!!! ;)

Also it is supposed to be a beautiful day in Vancouver!  I have decided to give my new Hoka Bondi 3s another long run.. since I am not 'racing' tomorrow, just another good ole training run.  And thats all I got. I need to go pick my clothes now and get to sleep.

30 km Long Run .. A First

The morning was beautiful, although I knew it would be a bit warm but at least it wasn't raining.  I had received my new Hoka One One Bondi 3s Thursday and had gotten 2 shorter runs in with them, and I was going to try them out on the long run.  I would do almost anything to take some stress off of my legs.  

I dressed in a Tshirt and some CWX long shorts that I had gotten on discount, filled the bladder of my Nathan pack, packed my Honey Stinger chews, charged the iPod and Garmin and applied some ReSkin to my poor toes.  I was set.

I met the Running Room group at the store (this was my warm up, walking to the store as DH had the DDs at a ball tournament so that I could do this).  I met a friend who was going to do a long run also.  So our goal going in was to run the 10 km loop that the rest of the clinics were doing, and then run another 10ish loop and then add another 5 and so on.  She said at the store that perhaps she would be doing a bit shorter but we will see, so that is where the strategy came from... And seeings how this was the first time in my Shoes for longer than an hour and the shorts for longer than an hour I knew I could be in for stopping sooner than planned too.

So we started off, a nice easy 8ish km before we separated from the group.  During this 8 km I had to take off both ReSkins from both toes, and adjust a few things a few times.... nothing critical.  I was weary that my toes would be turned into huge blisters but for now I had no choice.  It was a good first part, other than those minor annoyances.

As we separated from the group (realistically we already were separated because we were so behind) we decided to head the the ball park where my family was.  I had stashed a change of socks in the backpack they had and a pair of shoes in the car, just in case.  Those km took a long time! And it was not nearly as many as we were hoping.  We strolled into the ballpark, probably looking a little beat up (which is humorous because it was only 12 km in) got some fresh water, I changed my socks and we used the facilities.  Then off we went.  

We decided to do a paved trail that goes for a few km to make a large loop that would hopefully bring us between 20 and 25 km.  It is called the Discovery Trail here and it is really quite nice, quiet, out of the way of listening to cars constantly.  Although there were gnats or something similar everywhere and we ate a few, it was refreshing.  During this time I was having knee flair ups.  Sore, hot, ups and downs.  I have had them a few other times.  When it started I really had to concentrate on HOW I was running.  This seemed to work, it lasted a few kilometers and I somehow managed to will it mostly away.

During this section I also realized I really enjoyed the Hoka's.  I hadn't felt anything 'wrong' besides a rub from the tongue after I did our pit stop and I changed socks.  This rub did end up producing a new blister but I think it is a completely preventable spot for next time, I was probably rushing at the park and didn't take the time to put my shoe on just right.  During this section I also realized that my feet were sore, but not as sore as I thought they would be since I have previous blisters that were taking a battering.

We finished our Trail section and saw a few friends a long the way, it was quite nice.  Then we started back across town towards home.  During the first couple km of this I was tired.  I was thirsty, I wanted cold water, I wanted more km, I mean how could it only have been 2 measly kilometers!!!!  We pushed on.... the last couple of km back to the store I began to feel human again, like a second wind. (or 3rd or 4th?)  I picked up my pace the teeniest bit (Well I felt like I did, I don't know that the numbers say too much... oh wait, I don't have my numbers... more later). And I had a 'strong' or 'fast' finish.  I apologized to my friend at this point because I knew I was pushing it a bit and I wasn't sure how she felt about it.  We finished up 25ish km right on the mark..... She headed her way and I headed home.

I ran / climbed (huge hill) home.  I passed home.  I was at 26 km.  I knew I may as well try for 30, I had the time, so to speak.  My feet felt like they may or may not be hamburger.  They were either so sore at this point that they were fallen apart and numb, or, they just weren't so bad and were numb/'ok'.... I didn't know, I wouldn't know until I was done, I assumed the hamburger option.

At this time I changed to a run 3 walk 30 strategy.  (the first 26 km we were run 10 walk 1)  I ran about 2 km out. By then my Glympse app had shut down (as I had started it more than 4 hours earlier and with pit stops etc I was past that mark) and had a few friends message me saying 'great job, you are done!'.... I really enjoyed the messages, as simple as they were, they were encouraging.  My reply was 'I just need to make it back, and it better be 30 km!!!'  I got a couple 'how are you feeling?' texts too.... to which I replied, I am okay actually.  Surprisingly. LOL!!!

So the last 2 km back I tried to lift my spirits, not that I was feeling broken or abused, but only that it was that last 'boring' couple of km back home, the same km you inevitably have to run past every single time  you do a route from your house.  I found a good song and just rolled with it.  This always helps me when I am on my own for the 'boring' and 'tough' sections.  I got to my house and.......... not 30 km! freaking hell had to run down the road a bit more and back.  

And I did it!!!!! I am not sure I can say it was easier or harder than I thought.  There were a lot of confused thoughts when I was done... possibly also because my brain was mostly shut down.  But I did it, and I am pretty darn proud of myself.

I stretched outside in the sunshine and came inside to assess my hamburger feet situation.  I was fearing there would be a bloody pulp in my socks..... THERE WASN'T. This was probably my largest achievement of the whole thing. ;)

Upstairs, plug the Garmin in, and hop in the ice bath..... 

I see on strava that my run is ready.

I click it.

I see my treadmill run from the day before.

Where is my 30 km.

.....

I finish my ice bath.

I run to the computer.  

ITS NOT THERE.

I check my watch history and.... ITS GONE.

Like it never happened... except I took a picture of my watch, you know, for instagram, so I had that.

Like it never happened... on paper.  But in my heart, you bet your ass it happened!

I will try again in 2 weeks for another 'super long' run.  This weekend I have BMO Vancouver Half and am still debating actually racing it (for a PR maybe? my current is 2:13)  i have been running so slow that I am not sure it is possible.  We will see the morning off if it is a training run or a push it run. :)

Will be back to report after that!!

Half Marathon Distance

So this past Sunday I went and I ran my 21 km that was on my training program.  Actually it was supposed to be 16 but ... yeah.

The clinic group was going for a 21 run and I figured I could start whenever my DH got home and just do the same course and by half way the first people SHOULD be catching up to me, after all, I am going very slow, like 7:15 min/km slow at least... and they are doing like 6 or less for the fast ones!

It was a good day mostly.  The sun was out, it wasn't too hot at 8 am, not too windy. I tried out my HeadSweats visor (fit wonderfully) and I was experimenting with some blister prevention.  I hate blisters.  They keep coming.  Well so I tried this ReSkin product on a shorter run earlier in the week and it seemed to work alright.  On the other foot (same place, inner side of big toe) I tried moleskin during this short run.  Both stayed on ok, moleskin not as well, both prevented irritating my blisters.

Long Run Sunday trial I only used the ReSkin and I think I stopped every half kilometer or so for the first half of my run, taking off my shoe, then my sock, then trying to restick the ReSkin.  Fail.  Or not. My blisters were no worse at the end of my run!  My legs felt good, feet felt good, everything was good.  I was in my own head listening to tunes (made a 180 BPM playlist for fun) and the time passed alright, even WITH stopping to reconfigure my socks and things many times.

Around half way one of the fast guys went past, he said a few words I said a few words, he said a few words, I said some more... ugh I forget that sometimes people are fast and just want to zoom away, stop talking Kristy, seriously, stop talking.  Perhaps its because I have only children all day and all night to talk to.

By 1.5 hours and a different part of town it was starting to heat up, it was hot... really... 13 C maybe, hot for running. ;)

I stayed ahead of the rest of the group until the end, which was probably some sort of miracle.

I also did the entire run with a Run 3 minute walk 30 seconds ratio.  At 17 ish km I felt my knees start to ache.  Well I still needed to get back home! 4 km, of pain...... I would do anything for no throbbing so I tried the only thing I knew, I ran raster.  For my 3 minute run intervals I (apparently had enough in me) ran faster at maybe a 615/630 pace back to the store.... and it felt GOOD!  The throbbing went away and I just plowed ahead, also probably the only reason why I managed to stay ahead of the others.  It isn't a race on a training run, but lets face it, we all have small goals like that that help us conquer a run.

It was still a 2:29 "half marathon" but that is okay, it was a good run.  I got home, had an ice bath, and then went right back outside for yard work and playing with the kids.  I have learned that if I keep moving I don't seize up for the day.

Monday I felt pretty darn good!  No complaints. Did my 10-15 minutes of yoga and some foam rolling and took it easy.

Tuesday I did a faster 5 km on the treadmill after lunch when I had 40 minutes.

And today, Wednesday, I went to a nearby pond with a 2.5/3 km loop and did 3 with a friend at a nice relaxed pace.  No shin issues, no knees, no ankles. (knock on wood) and when she left I did another bigger loop and finished the last 2 km at a 5:30/45 pace.  I just wanted to let go and run 'fast' ..... as long as it didn't hurt.  We will see how I am tomorrow.  Another easy 5 km (probably on the treadmill) planned.... a couple on Saturday and then hopefully 26+ Sunday......wooooohooooo

I guess that is all. Sorry for the rather long post!

PS? Sure.  I also just ordered some Hoka's.  I have been wearing the Brooks PureFlows 2 and 3 but I am hoping to try the Hokas with a similar toe drop, but that extra cushion for my long runs..... maybe it will help keep my legs happy? I get them tomorrow hopefully so I can give them a spin on the treadmill later in the day. ... Hoping!

MidWeek

Sundays run was awful. I think I have already recapped it.
And Monday I began having those thoughts, those why thoughts! Why am I running a marathon? This is so dumb. I'm just going to keep getting hurt and I will end up there on race day which Is still 2 months away feeling hurt. Bad idea. And just forget any goals other than just finish. I'll be lucky to have that goal!!

Ugh, I just don't know.
Tuesday at 6 am I hopped on the treadmill and at 1 mi my knee was throbbing so I got off, made coffee and opened google.

Helped at school and after that around lunch we came home and I decided to try it again. I used one of those straps for under the knee... Well my version, and I made it 5 k on the treadmill before the throb began.

Today I met a friend at the park and we did a run 5 walk 30  for a few loops.  I made it about 7 km before the throb....
I think it's my piriformis / sciatic. Well I'm positive it is and it's derailing me.

Interesting, isn't it, that this problem Area from waaaaay back when I was pregnant for the first time has plagued me even until now!

I stretch and roll.
I do my exercises faithfully.
Hopefully it will be enough.

5 am tomorrow for the treadmill and hoping I can get closer to 10 km,..,.

April.....

I have now done two of the longest runs I have ever done.  I meant to write right after the first but I simply did not get enough time to sit down and do it.

The 'first' was 24 km.  It was blustery, damp, grey, and I ran with the full marathon group rather than the people I was used to.  I didn't have much conversation, (they were quiet people maybe).  I stepped in a puddle in the first 5 minutes.  I was a bit sore before I even started and it was multiplied by a thousand by the time I finished (ITBS, for the first time, too).  My Serial podcast ended and I was left with some random ones that I was going to try and they were horrid.  It was just not my run.  I normally do about a 6:45-7 min/km pace with the half group (up to 20 km) but this run we were closer to 7:30 and I felt it... I really, really, felt it.

Took two days off with lots of foam rolling and stretching/strengthening exercises and then got back to it.  Did some of my fave loop trails, that type of thing.  Easter weekend was away most of it and decided to do my long run on the Monday.  Had one friend from the half group join me.  We did a chill 18 km (again around 6:45/7) and from the end of that I added on 8 more at around a 7:20.  It was mostly a good run, I had good company and great weather, no wet feet except from sweat..... which still landed me with blisters but, such is life.

So now it is my next long run, tomorrow it is Sunday and I have/had? 27 km planned.  I was going to go and do 18 again with the half clinic and then run out to the ball park for another 9 to meet my DH and the kids where he is playing.  But while at the LRS it was suggested that I could join the full group for 32 km .... most on dyke trails rather than road, very appealing!  But also a huge jump from my farthest of 26.  The other nice thing about the full group is that they all run together, they don't spread out to do their own things for the most part. They all stick together and do around a 7:15 or slower min/km pace for the whole thing.... Definitely nice for support.

Too bad in the last 20 minutes things have changed....

Perhaps no long run for me tomorrow, DH has to be at the ball field for 8 am and that is 6Celcius and breezy and rather ridiculously early for a 5 and 7 year old to be sitting at a ball field needing breakfast and things because it is the weekend and they should be allowed (for my sanity really) to SLEEP!

I am always a bit shocked at just how incredibly disappointed this leaves me, not being able to do my scheduled runs because DH feels like his activities are priority (even though he knows I won't get another chance to do my run, you see, he goes to sleep as soon as he gets home because he is on night shift).... Ugh, so now I just assume no run for me.  Lame.