Trying to make a comeback....

So what I was most fearful of has happened. I ran a plethora of races from May to October and then also immediately lost my desire to run. It started with the injury I was trying to shake off after doing three races in two weeks. After that I backed off on running to try and rest/heal. Once the injury subsided I found my desire to run wasn't as strong as it usually is. I'm still struggling. October-December have been the worst running months I've had in probably half a dozen years. Nike+ is embarrassed by me. They don't actually know me, per se, but they're embarrassed I've been their most loyal user ever and now I'm barely running :p

So I've been trying to ease back into it. I have eye on a 6 hour ultra marathon in April. It's not the traditional 50-100 milers, it's just running as far as you can in 6 hours. My goal would be to break 30 miles. 

I almost feel like I'm starting over with running. I'm back to pulling in just 3-4 mile runs and calling that good. Just a couple months ago 20 miles was my good. How does this happen so quickly to us?

With that said, I don't make resolutions for the new year, but I'm really working on trying to clean up my eating. Not die hard only eat clean but I would like to eat in such a way to I'm getting the nutrients needed to support running. I rely far too heavily on prepared food and the like. How do you guys plan meals ahead? I have to take food with me to work as we don't get any kind of meal break. I think if I can wrap my mind around healthy eating, running distance will come back so much more easily. One day at a time right?

Struggling

Yesterday I got a great relaxing four miles in. The pace was slower than usual but it was mostly pain free, which has been unusual with the hip flexor problem I've been having. I thought there was a chance I was past it. 

Unfortunately today I struggled through three miles barely able to get into a stride. Anytime I can't get into a run I force intervals so that I'll keep going. I know it sounds crazy because I hate intervals more than anything, but they keep me moving longer than an easy paced run would on a bad day. So today sucked. 

I'm sitting here debating my next race now. I had lofty goals of running another half next week down in Jamestown. I know everyone thinks I've been pushing too many races into too short of a time. My only problem is I love to race and if I don't do it now there won't be any races for months. Buffalo isn't very condusive to winter races, although I was loving the Winter Warrior Half in Rochester the first week of January. 

So here I am sitting on the fence. One part of my brain is saying that my hip hurt through the last two races and I did fine because it loosened up after a few miles. The other part is saying back off and rest. Here's the thing: I did rest. I took a little over a week off. Not a long time to most people but it is for me. Running= happiness to me. It's what calms me down and relaxes me after spending all day at my ridiculous job mid-flu season. I get antsy and irritable without running. I actually just read an article in a running magazine about a woman that couldn't sleep the night after a long run. There's no scientific reason for it but they assume the "runner's high" lasts much longer in some people and that's why they're restless at night. I have the same problem and that leads me to believe that's why I get so irritable when I can't run 😁

So I'm going to run light this weekend as I'm working all weekend and try to make the decision on Monday about the race next Sunday. Anyone else doing it?

Patiently waiting....

Well. Maybe not quite so patiently. I may not be the most patient person. This is the first day that I don't feel a strong pull on my hip when walking. Maybe tomorrow I'll wake up cured of this hip flexor pain? It's horrible timing because my favorite time to run is the fall and here we are rushing into it while I'm sidelined waiting for my cute limp to go away. 

What do you guys do when you can't run? This is usually when I go to workout dvd's because I prefer to exercise at home versus going to a gym. I'm a solo workout kind of person, although I don't mind running with large packs of people during a race :) I've been doing the 30 day shred by Jillian Michaels. I don't love to ever repeat the same workouts over and over, though, so I get bored easily. I know it sounds crazy since running is constantly doing the same thing but it never feels that way. 

We've had a ridiculous week at work since our computer systems have been down nationwide. I could use a great long run to provide some stress relief!

I'm looking ahead at races and there are two halves I would love to do over the next month but I'm afraid to sign up for them until I'm feeling at least 75% on normal runs. Thoughts?

The great shoe debate

It's no mystery that I've long been a lover of vibrams. I even recently read the book that spurred the minimalist trend in running shoes, "Born to Run". It's an excellent book and makes what seem to be valid points about more cushioned shoes leading to injuries. I've recently started wondering, though, if I would have this hip flexor pain if I ran my races in more cushioned shoes. 

The pacer for my full marathon talked about vibrams with me for a while before the race started. He mentioned that he used to be a huge advocate of them until he broke his foot a few years in. The podiatrist he saw told him that minimalist shoes were causing quite a bit of injury in foot bones and the soft tissue in feet. 

I purchased a pair of Hokas online yesterday after much hemming and hawing over them. Every great runner I've talked to raves about Hokas. I found them at Running Warehouse (www.runningwarehouse.com) for a steal at about $60 for Hoka conquest. I haven't received them but I do have high hopes that maybe changing my running form in a more cushioned shoe will fix the hip problems I've been having. I read many reviews on many, many websites before purchasing them. People seriously love these shoes. 

In reality I don't know if I'll actually come out of vibrams. I'm hesitant to put all my stock in hokas fixing the problems I've been having. I've tried to come out of vibrams a few times and always come screaming back to them after I realize how different my running is in standard shoes. My only reasons for wanting to come out are the injuries I have now and the pain I feel in my feet after full marathons. I love vibrams for distances up to about 15-16 miles. After that, on pavement, my feet start to hurt. The ball of the foot will start to ache and the toes will go numb. My body doesn't love long distances in these shoes. 

What do you guys wear for distance?

I'm hoping these hokas are the answer to my problems. 

Saying Goodbye

So I wasn't entirely sure I was going to run the full marathon until the day before the race. I had some hip pain as I had mentioned, but the biggest difficulty for me was saying goodbye to a pet of mine. I had Hobbes for his entire life, a third of mine and lost him quite unexpectedly. He showed no signs of sickness, I actually took him into the vet for litter box issues and it was determined that he had really aggressive cancer that really couldn't be fought.

I had no idea how to deal with this because this little guy had become one of my best friends. I had formed this attachment to him that I couldn't quite explain to anyone. I don't have kids so essentially Hobbes was one of my kids. I loved this guy to death. Losing him with no notice really shook me to my core. I had no time to brace myself and no idea how to cope with his loss. I found myself still saying his name and found our other cat walking around looking for him. It seemed like we all needed some time.

I was really quite upset about the whole situation and wasn't sure if I was in the right mindset to run a marathon, and run it completely alone. Something came over me the day before the race, though. I found myself packing a cooler and race bag before I even realized what was happening. I told my husband that I was doing this race for our buddy. Hobbes had this funny habit of running up on the bed or couch and laying directly on my legs after every race. I always joked that he thought he was the secret to my recovery. He was like a nice 18 lb heating pad. When I got to that race I knew I was going to be fine running it and finishing it after I met up with a pacer. I honestly didn't even question my ability to finish and that was one of my happiest races.

It's all lost

Hey guys! I'm sorry for the long term disappearance. I was trying to redesign the website at the same time my computer decided to die :( It ultimately ended up in me losing all posts. I felt like it was such a huge undertaking to try to repost everything. I also thought there was a chance I could save everything on the computer, which didn't happen. Long story short, I'm back.

I've had an awesome summer of running. It started with the Buffalo Half Marathon over Memorial Day weekend. I ended up backing off from the full marathon and only doing the half. I'm really thankful I did that because I had been battling tendonitis in my foot. It ended up being a really difficult race for me, but I finished. I was originally running with a coworker of mine trying to sub 2 the half, but I had to tell him to go ahead about 2 miles in when my foot tightened up. It felt like I could barely put weight on it so I backed off my pace and sort of ran/limped through the next 11 miles. It was a slow race for me, but as always it was amazing weather and a great atmosphere.



I took some time off to focus on training strong after that. My next goal was lofty. I had designed a half, full, half all within 13 days. I felt great as I neared the first race which was the Biggest Loser half in downtown Buffalo over Labor Day weekend. I ran strong, but about halfway through the race I noticed some tightness in my right hip flexor. I took a couple of days off to recover for my full that was only a week later.

The full marathon was what I was most nervous about. It was my second full marathon, ever. It was also the first race I was attending completely alone. I woke up at 2:45am, got myself dressed, ate breakfast and headed down to Erie by 3:30am. I got there around 5:30, which was good as the parking lots in Presque Isle had flooded, so parking took a lot longer than anticipated. I picked up my bib and lined up. It was already almost 7am and the race was about to start. I extremely excited that I saw a 5:25 pacer as there are never pacers near the back of the pack with me. Bob and his wife Lesley ended up carrying me through the first 21 miles. He was arguably the best pacer I've ever had the pleasure of running with. My hip felt tight the first five miles or so, but around that point it felt like everything just let go and loosened up. After that I held steady until 21 or so. I hit a mini wall there. I call it a mini wall because it was nowhere near the wall I hit in the first full. I walked a little bit, had some OJ and started right back up running. After I crossed I drove back home two hours to watch the Bills win :)

I took almost the full six days off of running to the third and final race in this thirteen day madness. By the time I hit this race, though, I knew I was fairly injured because the hip flexor pain was prominent while I was walking around too. I ran the third race really slow. It was the Mighty Niagara in Lewiston last weekend. It's supposed to be a downhill, fast race. It ended up being my slowest race because I was babying my right side. It was hot, muggy and raining off and on. I worked the next day and knew I would need to take some time off running, just not sure how much time. I tried to run again yesterday after 2 solid rest days and barely made it 2 miles. So for right now I'm doing Jillian Michaels 30 day shred praying that I will wake up tomorrow miraculously healed.

Interestingly enough I've been reading the best stretches involve contracting the hip flexor instead of relaxing them. This apparently causes the glutes and hamstrings to work more which conversely loosens up the hips. I'll be trying this and foam rolling every night. Send me positive vibes :)