Monday, February 27, 2006
6000 Miles
Phew. Across the country and back again.
6 days. 6,000 miles. Not including the 18 miles that I ran while traveling.
Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. I assumed my passenger-side position as 'co-pilot' in Andrea's little Toyota. We had 'The Killers' blaring on the stereo as we pulled away from the curb, and we were singing along at the top of our lungs. I was thrilled to be escorting one of my dearest friends to her new life in San Diego. Off we went!
Five minutes later, we pulled over to investigate the source of a soon-to-be-annoying rattle. The end result was a broken jar of peanut butter, and a secured flower pot (thus eliminating the rattle). An auspicious beginning, no?
Back on the road, we pushed through Connecticut, parts of New York and New Jersey, and all of Pennsylvania until we finally hit Mansfield, Ohio where we called it a day.
I got up early Wednesday morning and found myself running down Old Possum Road, which led to Old Possum Run. I passed by a 'geodesic' style house, a road sign indicating that I might be in Amish-country and the smallest ski 'resort' I've ever seen. 5-plus miles in the crisp morning air.
Back in the car, and back on the road through Ohio, Illinois and Indiana...we stopped in Springfield, Missouri to end Day Two. We had hoped to make it a little farther, but the highway was shut down for an accident so we were delayed a little longer than we would have liked. (Bubba, a friendly truck driver, gave us some good directions to get us around the accident. We know his name was Bubba because it was carefully embroidered on his shirt.)
Day Three dawned and there I was, running through the streets of Springfield, passing by the Baptist Bible College and an alarming number of used car lots, one of which had locks on ALL the steering wheels.
We pushed through the rest of Missouri, Oklahoma, and the Texas panhandle, wrapping things up in Albuquerque, NM.
Day Four blessed us with speed limits of 75 mph and clear roads, so we really pushed the pace through the rest of New Mexico and Arizona. It was 35F when we left NM...and 79F in the middle of AZ. We were starting to get a little ripe under the beating sun. We managed to arrive in San Diego at 8:30 p.m. on Friday and would have been there sooner if not for the typical San Diego traffic and the Slowest. St@rbucks. Ever.
Saturday morning, Andrea and Steve took me to Encinitas, CA for my scheduled 8-mile run. They dropped me off on the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and pointed me in a southern direction. I was in heaven. Most of the run afforded me an amazing view of the ocean, and when I couldn't see the water, I watched whole peloton-sized groups of cyclists fly by in a blur of color. The most memorable biker was a guy wearing a pink tutu.
I ran along the PCH through Cardiff-by-the-Sea and turned around somewhere in Solano Beach. I caught glimpses of dogs chasing seagulls, and spotted flowers and champagne glasses at a campsite I passed by. The miles zoomed by...as a matter of fact...I couldn't resist the urge to add just one more mile to the daily total...so I wrapped up the run at 9.05 miles, with an average pace of 8:28. I'm not sure I believe those numbers, but that's what the gadget told me.
And the knee/leg/ITB? For the most part, it was very well behaved. There was the slightest tightness, hardly perceptible during the run, and afterwards it felt pretty good. I did have the urge to rub the leg (sounds kinda dirty!) but it didn't feel like it needed ice or drugs, which was a welcome change. My weekly total was finally over 20 miles!
I guess four days of sitting on my butt, eating fried food, trail mix and Jolly Ranchers was the perfect recipe for recovery. Go figure.
Sunday morning, I was on a plane bright and early and back in my own bed for lights out. What a whirlwind six days!
But now I'm back people. Oh yeah, she's back!
|
6 days. 6,000 miles. Not including the 18 miles that I ran while traveling.
Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. I assumed my passenger-side position as 'co-pilot' in Andrea's little Toyota. We had 'The Killers' blaring on the stereo as we pulled away from the curb, and we were singing along at the top of our lungs. I was thrilled to be escorting one of my dearest friends to her new life in San Diego. Off we went!
Five minutes later, we pulled over to investigate the source of a soon-to-be-annoying rattle. The end result was a broken jar of peanut butter, and a secured flower pot (thus eliminating the rattle). An auspicious beginning, no?
Back on the road, we pushed through Connecticut, parts of New York and New Jersey, and all of Pennsylvania until we finally hit Mansfield, Ohio where we called it a day.
I got up early Wednesday morning and found myself running down Old Possum Road, which led to Old Possum Run. I passed by a 'geodesic' style house, a road sign indicating that I might be in Amish-country and the smallest ski 'resort' I've ever seen. 5-plus miles in the crisp morning air.
Back in the car, and back on the road through Ohio, Illinois and Indiana...we stopped in Springfield, Missouri to end Day Two. We had hoped to make it a little farther, but the highway was shut down for an accident so we were delayed a little longer than we would have liked. (Bubba, a friendly truck driver, gave us some good directions to get us around the accident. We know his name was Bubba because it was carefully embroidered on his shirt.)
Day Three dawned and there I was, running through the streets of Springfield, passing by the Baptist Bible College and an alarming number of used car lots, one of which had locks on ALL the steering wheels.
We pushed through the rest of Missouri, Oklahoma, and the Texas panhandle, wrapping things up in Albuquerque, NM.
Day Four blessed us with speed limits of 75 mph and clear roads, so we really pushed the pace through the rest of New Mexico and Arizona. It was 35F when we left NM...and 79F in the middle of AZ. We were starting to get a little ripe under the beating sun. We managed to arrive in San Diego at 8:30 p.m. on Friday and would have been there sooner if not for the typical San Diego traffic and the Slowest. St@rbucks. Ever.
Saturday morning, Andrea and Steve took me to Encinitas, CA for my scheduled 8-mile run. They dropped me off on the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and pointed me in a southern direction. I was in heaven. Most of the run afforded me an amazing view of the ocean, and when I couldn't see the water, I watched whole peloton-sized groups of cyclists fly by in a blur of color. The most memorable biker was a guy wearing a pink tutu.
I ran along the PCH through Cardiff-by-the-Sea and turned around somewhere in Solano Beach. I caught glimpses of dogs chasing seagulls, and spotted flowers and champagne glasses at a campsite I passed by. The miles zoomed by...as a matter of fact...I couldn't resist the urge to add just one more mile to the daily total...so I wrapped up the run at 9.05 miles, with an average pace of 8:28. I'm not sure I believe those numbers, but that's what the gadget told me.
And the knee/leg/ITB? For the most part, it was very well behaved. There was the slightest tightness, hardly perceptible during the run, and afterwards it felt pretty good. I did have the urge to rub the leg (sounds kinda dirty!) but it didn't feel like it needed ice or drugs, which was a welcome change. My weekly total was finally over 20 miles!
I guess four days of sitting on my butt, eating fried food, trail mix and Jolly Ranchers was the perfect recipe for recovery. Go figure.
Sunday morning, I was on a plane bright and early and back in my own bed for lights out. What a whirlwind six days!
But now I'm back people. Oh yeah, she's back!
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
A Quickie
SoooOOooooo. The long run was on Saturday.
Basically, in a nutshell, I could copy and paste the text from last week's 'long run' and add a mile to it. And substitute Michelle for April-Anne.
Felt the same. Got the same tightness at 3.50 miles. No pain, just tight. When I focused on my form and relaxed my legs, the tightness eased up. And it did seem a little less noticeable than last week. But still there.
There was no residual pain afterwards and I made sure to rest, ice and elevate.
I'm getting closer to 'normal' but we're not quite there yet. Still got some work to do!
I'm off for a cross-country drive to California. You know, just for fun.
Back in a week. Try not to miss me too much. (And try not to post too much. I can hardly keep up as it is.)
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Basically, in a nutshell, I could copy and paste the text from last week's 'long run' and add a mile to it. And substitute Michelle for April-Anne.
Felt the same. Got the same tightness at 3.50 miles. No pain, just tight. When I focused on my form and relaxed my legs, the tightness eased up. And it did seem a little less noticeable than last week. But still there.
There was no residual pain afterwards and I made sure to rest, ice and elevate.
I'm getting closer to 'normal' but we're not quite there yet. Still got some work to do!
I'm off for a cross-country drive to California. You know, just for fun.
Back in a week. Try not to miss me too much. (And try not to post too much. I can hardly keep up as it is.)
Friday, February 17, 2006
Out of the Nest
*Sob*
It's over. He finally broke up with me. For real this time.
There were no balloons, no flowers, no party...not even a lollipop. Heck, not even a pep talk! No "you can do it Dianna!" Just a caution about not over-stretching (as if I would ever *overdo* something...that's just crazy talk!) and insistence that I not neglect my strength training.
He did as much as he could for me with the physical therapy, and now the rest is up to me. I've been pushed out of the nest.
And my wings feel pretty strong this week.
Monday, I had yoga and an easy-paced 3.5 mile run.
On Tuesday, I think my physical therapist was trying to kill me. Either that, or he wanted to make our 'break-up' easier by wearing me down, making me want to leave him. We took the strength training to a new level - increased the resistance, added some new exercises. At one point, we watched my quad muscles ripple from muscle spasms. It was cool, but in a horrifying kind of way.
Wednesday, I woke up feeling a little sore. I had yoga at lunch time, and a 5.3 mile run with one of the Running Chicks after work.
Yesterday, I woke up feeling a little more sore. I swam (horribly, slowly) 1350 meters at lunch, then ran 3 miles after work (24:44!), before going to my final PT session. Did some stretching, some light strengthening and had my final blissful massage. Sigh.
Through it all, my ITB felt pretty good. Not completely unnoticeable, but nothing painful or achy. And definitely better than it has felt in two months. I am now a stronger, smarter runner, thanks to my physical therapist. I know he really went out of his way to help me, and I'm not sure what I did to deserve such special treatment, but I will be forever in his debt.
As always, the big ITB test will be tomorrow's long run. I'm shooting for 7-8 miles on a flat course. Slooooww and easy.
But today? I think I've earned some rest!
[thanks for all the good wishes for my dad. the surgery went well and he sounds great!]
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It's over. He finally broke up with me. For real this time.
There were no balloons, no flowers, no party...not even a lollipop. Heck, not even a pep talk! No "you can do it Dianna!" Just a caution about not over-stretching (as if I would ever *overdo* something...that's just crazy talk!) and insistence that I not neglect my strength training.
He did as much as he could for me with the physical therapy, and now the rest is up to me. I've been pushed out of the nest.
And my wings feel pretty strong this week.
Monday, I had yoga and an easy-paced 3.5 mile run.
On Tuesday, I think my physical therapist was trying to kill me. Either that, or he wanted to make our 'break-up' easier by wearing me down, making me want to leave him. We took the strength training to a new level - increased the resistance, added some new exercises. At one point, we watched my quad muscles ripple from muscle spasms. It was cool, but in a horrifying kind of way.
Wednesday, I woke up feeling a little sore. I had yoga at lunch time, and a 5.3 mile run with one of the Running Chicks after work.
Yesterday, I woke up feeling a little more sore. I swam (horribly, slowly) 1350 meters at lunch, then ran 3 miles after work (24:44!), before going to my final PT session. Did some stretching, some light strengthening and had my final blissful massage. Sigh.
Through it all, my ITB felt pretty good. Not completely unnoticeable, but nothing painful or achy. And definitely better than it has felt in two months. I am now a stronger, smarter runner, thanks to my physical therapist. I know he really went out of his way to help me, and I'm not sure what I did to deserve such special treatment, but I will be forever in his debt.
As always, the big ITB test will be tomorrow's long run. I'm shooting for 7-8 miles on a flat course. Slooooww and easy.
But today? I think I've earned some rest!
[thanks for all the good wishes for my dad. the surgery went well and he sounds great!]
Sunday, February 12, 2006
The Process Continues
The long run was not perfect yesterday. The only ass that got kicked this time was mine.
On paper, it looked good: 7 miles, 1:02:20, avg. 8:53 - mostly flat course.
Splits:
8:56
8:55
8:51
knee/itb started to feel tight somewhere in here; stopped to stretch at
mile 4.
8:55
8:46
8:52
8:58
It never got to the point where I felt like I had to walk...but it was not exactly "comfortable" during the last three miles. Having someone to talk (THANKS APRIL-ANNE!) kept me distracted enough to keep going. I never felt like I was 'pushing thru the pain' - it felt tight and a little achy but not painful.
Of course, I had to carefully examine why this might have happened. Here are my thoughts:
1) I jumped from 13.20 miles last week to 19.41 miles this week...shamefully violating the 10% rule. (And went from 3 days of running back up to 4 days).
2) I noticed that my legs felt very tired Thursday after swimming. At phyiscal therapy that night, my ITB-leg was very 'wobbly' when I was doing the balancing exercises - further proof of how tired my legs were.
3) I ran an easy 3 miles on Friday afternoon, and then did the 'long run' first thing Saturday morning. Not enough recovery time between runs for a still-healing-injury.
I'm not discouraged. In the past, when this has happened, I've spent the rest of the day limping around and wincing, especially when going down stairs. But yesterday, after I iced the knee for 20 minutes, I didn't feel any tightness or pain for the rest of the day. And today, everything feels 'normal.'
Still testing the waters. Still learning my limitations. Still have my sights set on a fun race in San Diego.
[*Dad: good luck w. your surgery tomorrow - trust in the medical staff, they will take good care of you! I'll be thinking of you!!]
|
On paper, it looked good: 7 miles, 1:02:20, avg. 8:53 - mostly flat course.
Splits:
8:56
8:55
8:51
knee/itb started to feel tight somewhere in here; stopped to stretch at
mile 4.
8:55
8:46
8:52
8:58
It never got to the point where I felt like I had to walk...but it was not exactly "comfortable" during the last three miles. Having someone to talk (THANKS APRIL-ANNE!) kept me distracted enough to keep going. I never felt like I was 'pushing thru the pain' - it felt tight and a little achy but not painful.
Of course, I had to carefully examine why this might have happened. Here are my thoughts:
1) I jumped from 13.20 miles last week to 19.41 miles this week...shamefully violating the 10% rule. (And went from 3 days of running back up to 4 days).
2) I noticed that my legs felt very tired Thursday after swimming. At phyiscal therapy that night, my ITB-leg was very 'wobbly' when I was doing the balancing exercises - further proof of how tired my legs were.
3) I ran an easy 3 miles on Friday afternoon, and then did the 'long run' first thing Saturday morning. Not enough recovery time between runs for a still-healing-injury.
I'm not discouraged. In the past, when this has happened, I've spent the rest of the day limping around and wincing, especially when going down stairs. But yesterday, after I iced the knee for 20 minutes, I didn't feel any tightness or pain for the rest of the day. And today, everything feels 'normal.'
Still testing the waters. Still learning my limitations. Still have my sights set on a fun race in San Diego.
[*Dad: good luck w. your surgery tomorrow - trust in the medical staff, they will take good care of you! I'll be thinking of you!!]
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Premature Rejection
I've been in physical therapy for seven weeks now. Twice a week, seven weeks. Usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Tuesday, I went to PT. Towards the end of my session, the aide who assists my PT-guy says 'Hey Jon, her script is up tomorrow. Not Thursday.' He goes over and looks at the computer screen, concerned.
My mind starts whirling. What does *that* mean?
Jon mumbles something about not realizing that he hadn't put the right end-date on the paperwork. He looks at me, apologetically.
I sat there, stunned as I began to realize that *this* was my last session. Then I let loose: "WHAT?! You're breaking up with me TODAY!? I'm not emotionally prepared for this!" I continued to rant and rave for the next 15 minutes, carrying on about how I couldn't believe that THIS was my last session. I started asking all sorts of questions about how often I should do the strengthening and stretching exercises.
Then I realized that I had plans to bake something for the office as a 'thank you.' So I start telling Jon about how I'll have to drop it off on Thursday morning, and he tells me that he's not even IN the office until 11 a.m. on Thursdays...which meant I wouldn't even get to give him the stuff in person.
I was borderline despondent. This wasn't ending the way I wanted it to. Things were not going according to The Plan. I hate that!
I got quiet.
Finally he says..."I made her (the aide) say that. You're fine. Your script is good until the 20th actually." Translation: I wasn't getting kicked out. Yet.
For a split second, I was speechless.
Then I hit him - actually physically hit him. Maybe more than once. And I called him a jerk. I may have even said 'I hate you!' We laughed.
Boy, did he 'get' me...I mean, not only did he 'get' me with the joke, he totally knew exactly which buttons to push. It made me feel good though - to know that they were comfortable enough with me to joke around like that.
I still baked for them (mango gingerbread with Macadamia nut streusel). What can I say? I'm a sucker for a good massage.
|
My mind starts whirling. What does *that* mean?
Jon mumbles something about not realizing that he hadn't put the right end-date on the paperwork. He looks at me, apologetically.
I sat there, stunned as I began to realize that *this* was my last session. Then I let loose: "WHAT?! You're breaking up with me TODAY!? I'm not emotionally prepared for this!" I continued to rant and rave for the next 15 minutes, carrying on about how I couldn't believe that THIS was my last session. I started asking all sorts of questions about how often I should do the strengthening and stretching exercises.
Then I realized that I had plans to bake something for the office as a 'thank you.' So I start telling Jon about how I'll have to drop it off on Thursday morning, and he tells me that he's not even IN the office until 11 a.m. on Thursdays...which meant I wouldn't even get to give him the stuff in person.
I was borderline despondent. This wasn't ending the way I wanted it to. Things were not going according to The Plan. I hate that!
I got quiet.
Finally he says..."I made her (the aide) say that. You're fine. Your script is good until the 20th actually." Translation: I wasn't getting kicked out. Yet.
For a split second, I was speechless.
Then I hit him - actually physically hit him. Maybe more than once. And I called him a jerk. I may have even said 'I hate you!' We laughed.
Boy, did he 'get' me...I mean, not only did he 'get' me with the joke, he totally knew exactly which buttons to push. It made me feel good though - to know that they were comfortable enough with me to joke around like that.
I still baked for them (mango gingerbread with Macadamia nut streusel). What can I say? I'm a sucker for a good massage.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
I Didn't Rock Saturday's 5-Miler...
i kicked it's ass and added another mile!
yup.
you read that right.
6 miles. 6.03 miles, 53:34, avg. pace 8:53 to be exact.
splits:
8:57
9:02
9:07
stopped to stretched
8:52
8:47
8:32
0:14
i'd give the ITB a 95% on this run. sadly, my 'unaffected' leg feelssoooOOooo tight and achy compared to my new bionic leg. i'm seriously considering bribing my doctor to prescribe PT as 'medically necessary' for me. for the rest of my life.
my energy level was great - i never felt tired and the lungs and heart felt good too. quick stretch afterwards, drove the mile home (sigh), had some chocolate milk and a banana while stretching some more and then iced/elevated the leg.
it wasn't all kittens and rainbows though - i will admit that the ITB was a little sore, right around my knee, for the rest of the day. but by sunday morning, it felt 'right as rain.'
that gave me 13.20 miles for the week, which was only .36 miles less than last week and i felt much better this past saturday compared to last saturday.
no walking, no sulking, no pouting.
and not to sound redundant, but today's 4-mile track run produced equally encouraging results (even if i did 'accidentally' run a little too fast. oops.)
so. i've turned that corner...now on to that finish line. but at a relaxed pace. and on flat terrain.
|
yup.
you read that right.
6 miles. 6.03 miles, 53:34, avg. pace 8:53 to be exact.
splits:
8:57
9:02
9:07
stopped to stretched
8:52
8:47
8:32
0:14
i'd give the ITB a 95% on this run. sadly, my 'unaffected' leg feelssoooOOooo tight and achy compared to my new bionic leg. i'm seriously considering bribing my doctor to prescribe PT as 'medically necessary' for me. for the rest of my life.
my energy level was great - i never felt tired and the lungs and heart felt good too. quick stretch afterwards, drove the mile home (sigh), had some chocolate milk and a banana while stretching some more and then iced/elevated the leg.
it wasn't all kittens and rainbows though - i will admit that the ITB was a little sore, right around my knee, for the rest of the day. but by sunday morning, it felt 'right as rain.'
that gave me 13.20 miles for the week, which was only .36 miles less than last week and i felt much better this past saturday compared to last saturday.
no walking, no sulking, no pouting.
and not to sound redundant, but today's 4-mile track run produced equally encouraging results (even if i did 'accidentally' run a little too fast. oops.)
so. i've turned that corner...now on to that finish line. but at a relaxed pace. and on flat terrain.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Learning My Limitations
For those of you that have ever been side-lined by an injury, what I'm about to say will most likely sound all too familiar.
Coming back from an injury takes even more patience than getting through the initial pain of the injury. The tendency of many athletes, once they feel 'better,' is to get right back in the game and try to pick up where they left off. And no matter how many times one hears the phrase 'take is easy - don't do too much!' it never applies to oneself. It must apply to *other* people.
You can already see where this is going, can't you?
Three runs went well last week - Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday. A few twinges and niggles...even a bit of tightness. But no pain. A little soreness, but nothing alarming.
When I woke up Saturday morning, there was a little voice that said 'rest today and run tomorrow.' But I foolishly stuck to The Schedule. And then the voice said 'drive to the Greenway and run a flatter route.' Again, I ignored the sage advice and headed out onto the hilly route near my house.
Things didn't go well and I knew within the first mile that there was a good chance I'd be walking home. I should really learn to trust my instincts. By the third mile, no amount of stretching was helping and I could tell that my ITB was just on the verge of pain. I refused to get to that point...so I walked the last 1.6 miles home, with my tail between my legs.
I'll be honest., I was a bit depressed about the results. I sulked. I pouted. Finally, I asked my coach to help me find the 'silver lining.' As expected, coach had the perfect response: 'Well, now we know your limitations.'
As much as I hate the word 'limitations,' I recognize that this is all part of the HEALING process. I'm still rebuilding and recovering.
We made adjustments to this week's schedule - scaled back to three days, with flatter routes - less hills. Yesterday I took the legs out for a spin around the indoor track. It was hard to keep the speed down - it's so easy to fly around in circles when there's no terrain or weather to impede the legs and lungs! Amazingly, I managed to keep the pace fairly even for the 3 miles. I felt like a million bucks when I was done - I had a smile plastered across my face for the rest of the day.
And the leg? It felt good. Still not 100%...but it felt the best is has in WEEKS. I topped the day off with an awesome massage at Physical Therapy and since then my mood has seen a serious improvement.
I had similar results at the track again today. Encouraging. Still cautious. The big test will be the 5-miler this weekend. On a flatter route, I promise.
But I finally feel like I've turned a corner with this thing. Stick around...the best is yet to come.
|
Coming back from an injury takes even more patience than getting through the initial pain of the injury. The tendency of many athletes, once they feel 'better,' is to get right back in the game and try to pick up where they left off. And no matter how many times one hears the phrase 'take is easy - don't do too much!' it never applies to oneself. It must apply to *other* people.
You can already see where this is going, can't you?
Three runs went well last week - Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday. A few twinges and niggles...even a bit of tightness. But no pain. A little soreness, but nothing alarming.
When I woke up Saturday morning, there was a little voice that said 'rest today and run tomorrow.' But I foolishly stuck to The Schedule. And then the voice said 'drive to the Greenway and run a flatter route.' Again, I ignored the sage advice and headed out onto the hilly route near my house.
Things didn't go well and I knew within the first mile that there was a good chance I'd be walking home. I should really learn to trust my instincts. By the third mile, no amount of stretching was helping and I could tell that my ITB was just on the verge of pain. I refused to get to that point...so I walked the last 1.6 miles home, with my tail between my legs.
I'll be honest., I was a bit depressed about the results. I sulked. I pouted. Finally, I asked my coach to help me find the 'silver lining.' As expected, coach had the perfect response: 'Well, now we know your limitations.'
As much as I hate the word 'limitations,' I recognize that this is all part of the HEALING process. I'm still rebuilding and recovering.
We made adjustments to this week's schedule - scaled back to three days, with flatter routes - less hills. Yesterday I took the legs out for a spin around the indoor track. It was hard to keep the speed down - it's so easy to fly around in circles when there's no terrain or weather to impede the legs and lungs! Amazingly, I managed to keep the pace fairly even for the 3 miles. I felt like a million bucks when I was done - I had a smile plastered across my face for the rest of the day.
And the leg? It felt good. Still not 100%...but it felt the best is has in WEEKS. I topped the day off with an awesome massage at Physical Therapy and since then my mood has seen a serious improvement.
I had similar results at the track again today. Encouraging. Still cautious. The big test will be the 5-miler this weekend. On a flatter route, I promise.
But I finally feel like I've turned a corner with this thing. Stick around...the best is yet to come.
