My First Swim

Day 3 of the boot and I'm ready to lose my mind. The thing is heavy, hot and I have to sit on public toilets because I can't squat low enough in this thing. Thank God we have the toilet seat covers at work. Which happen to be called "rest assured." I always thought that was funny. Anyway...

I made it into the pool yesterday. My first official swim workout. I suited up in my flashy pink and black Speedo and pink goggles and felt like a little kid on their first day of school. From reading other blogs, I know there are some rules to follow so I tried to ask the lifeguard about the rules/etiquette before I got in the pool. But the little snoot, who wouldn't even turn her head to talk to me, stared straight ahead and mumbled something about circles. Huh? Circles? Clearly I wasn't going to get any helpful information out of this chick. So I easily decided on the "slow/rehab" lane, hopped in, and started swimming. I got one length of the pool when a nice lady stopped me and explained I was in a lane that was already taken. Yea, I was that confused. Anyway, she explained the lane markers and some other basics and pointed me in the right direction.

At first it was fun being in the pool, doing something different. I've grown up with a pool accessible each summer so I know how to swim. I have no idea if I'm any good at it, but it actually felt really easy to me. I wasn't lagging it, either. I was trying to put a good effort into it and a few times my heart rate got pretty high, higher than it normally does with running. I wasn't able to keep it up there though because I needed my breath so I could keep going.  My upper body didn't tire out but I did feel it in my legs and I had some pain in my Achilles. I switched up my strokes between freestyle and breast stroke and didn't take any breaks. But, to play it safe since I had no idea how my leg or body would feel after it, I called it quits after 50 minutes.

The rest of the day I felt like I hadn't worked out at all. Is this normal after swimming? Or is it just in my head that I didn't get a good workout in? Maybe I need to push harder? I will say though, I woke up a little sore this morning in the legs. Mostly my inner thighs which I think it from the breast stroke. The only other thing that was sore was my face. Yea, my face. I think from breathing and blowing air out hard?? Who knows.

I rode the bike today for an hour and honestly, that sort of sucked. I can't ride hard so it wasn't much of a workout to me. Tomorrow I'm going to lift and I'm sure that will be a ton of fun trying to do leg extensions and hamstring curls with this thing on. Hopefully by next week I'm cleared to do the elliptical.

Has it been a month yet?

Bad News

I've been in denial for weeks about my Achilles. I kept trying to tell myself that the pain was in my head and that it was going to get better. I tried to pretend that the injury really wasn't there and that I wasn't doing any more damage by running on it. I was convinced I was making a big deal out of nothing. Well, I finally came to my senses.

I had an upsetting PT session on Thursday and knew I was being stupid when I couldn't do a simple calf raise without pain. I had not one but two therapists talk to me about how I was pushing it and that not only is the Ultra a bad idea, but I should take time off completely to heal. Hearing them say that was enough for me to bag my 18 mile run on Friday, but I wasn't completely sold on the idea of taking time off completely. On Saturday I hit the gym and then went over to run with the club for what I was hoping was a very easy, pain free 3-4 miles. Before we set off to run I chatted with my podiatrist about how I was feeling, PT, etc and he said exactly what I didn't want to hear. He said the next step to getting this fixed would be to wear a boot for a month and no running.  I started crying right then and there. No running for a month?? No Ultra?? Um, no. I'll lose my freaking mind. Still not convinced I had to go to such extremes, I took off running with the group and made it about 5 steps before the pain set in. I had to stop and headed home hysterical.

I eventually calmed down and realized that this is what I need to do. I thought about how I would feel if I did anymore damage and put myself out of commission for even longer. I would never forgive myself. So as of today, I'm sporting a big black boot. I'm allowed to bike easy and swim so this is going to be a new challenge for me. We just ran to the mall to get me a bathing suit and goggles and I'll be in the pool tomorrow doing laps. I have a little pipe dream to do an Iron Man some day so it's about time I learn to do more than play around in a pool!! There will be no Ultra for me this summer, which really sucks. But if it means I come out of this month healed and strong, I'm ok with that. I have big plans for the Fall and am already looking forward to running in a month.

Oh, this thing is HOT! Goes really nice with the 100 degree weather we have right now.

Three Things Thursday

• I started physical therapy again yesterday. Since my insurance only covers 60 days of treatment per diagnosis per body part per year, I only have until July 5th to get in as much therapy as I can. So I'm going again tonight and will go at least every other day from now till then. Since I've been out of the flat shoes and not running, there's definitely been improvement. But I'm still in a rush to get this sucker fixed up because...
• The Ultra is 3 weeks from tomorrow!!! While I can't believe it's almost here, I'm ready for this training to be over so I can get back to marathon training and racing. But for the first time in months, I'm actually feeling excited about the race. Aside from the pain I've been running through, I've been feeling really strong and I'm ready to knock these 50 miles out! We've been having some really hot days (close to 100 degrees today) so I'm curious to see what race day will be like. There are some rules they enforce based on the temperature and heat index. If the heat index gets to 90-104, all runners have to carry electrolyte replacements (I'm fully expecting this since we've already been in this range out here). If it gets above 105 all runners have to stop at both medical tents along the course to be checked out. If it gets as high as 110, all runners have to walk. I'm really hoping it doesn't reach this level. Not because of the temperature but because it would be miserable to have to walk and be out there even longer.
• I ran for the first time today since Sunday and I felt pretty good. My plan was to try 3 miles and then do the elliptical. I was hesitant to run because I was scared it was going to hurt, but thankfully things felt ok. Not great, but not painful. I could definitely feel the Achilles but it wasn't bad. I was really in the mood to run and my body just wanted to keep going, so I did and ended up with 6 great miles! I have back to back 18 mile runs tomorrow and Saturday. Keeping my fingers crossed that these go well and I can finish without pain.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!! We decided to be spontaneous and head to Atlantic City for an overnight. Going to hit the beach, the beach bar, nice dinner, then some black jack tables. I'm feeling lucky!

F'in Flip Flops

I'm blaming it on the flip flops! Yesterday was supposed to be my last 31 mile run before the Ultra which is only a short 4 weeks away. Well, in the days leading up to Sunday, my Achilles really started bothering me again. Not just the tightness that has been there for the past few weeks but actual pain. I took off Saturday to rest it completely and hoped for the best. Unfortunately, it didn't go so well. I felt incredible and knew I had at least 30 miles in me mentally and physically but the Achilles had other plans. I felt some discomfort right from the get go but thought it would loosen up as I went. For a few miles I thought I might actually make it through the whole run but after mile 12 I knew I shouldn't push it. I could have pushed through the pain but I opted to stop at mile 18. At this point, it wasn't just my Achilles that was hurting, the pain was starting to move up my lower calf. Completely disappointed, I called it a day. I know I made the right decision and know I'm still well prepared to run 50 miles, but I'm devastated that things have taken a turn for the worse.

So, why am I blaming the flip flops?? When this all started (back at the end of April) and the doc asked if my shoes changed, the only thing that was different was that I had lived in flip flops the week prior while we were in Jamaica. I mentioned that and he suggested I wear shoes with a slight heel so my Achilles wasn't always in a stretched state. It actually felt better wearing shoes with a heel so that's exactly what I did. Well since then, I got a new job where I'm sort of hidden in a secure access area and aside from my group; I don't see many people all day. We're a casual group when it comes to footwear and I've been sporting flip flops ALL day EVERY day for about a month now. This is right around when I stopped physical therapy and things were going well. But for the past few weeks, the tightness and discomfort has been getting worse.

So today, after riding the bike, tooling around the house, etc, I threw on my flip flops and headed to work. The walk from my car to my desk, which is about a 5-7 minutes, was terrible!!! Each step hurt more and more and when I got to my desk I emailed Andy with tears coming down my face saying, "I think I'm out for the Ultra."

I've since calmed down and have decided to rest it for most of this week to see how it feels. I put in a lot of time for this race and I'd like to make it to the starting line. If the flip flops were aggravating it, hopefully never wearing them again along with my PT exercises and some rest will fix me up. I'm wearing sandals with a heel now and the pain has completely subsided.

I love wearing flip flops...so this really sucks.

7 Random Things

I was tagged a while ago when the 7 random thingy was going around. Since I don't have too much to talk about, I guess now is a good time to play along.

1) I have more nicknames then I know what to do with. When I was little, we were watching the "Facts of Life - Down Under" and I fell asleep on the floor with a major wedgie. My sisters started calling me "Nezzie Wedgie Aborigine." To this day, my dad and my sister still call me "Nez." While most of my friends call me "Dennis", some call me "Dee Dee" and "Sunny D."  And Andy calls me "Little Coconut" and "Biscuit." Pretty much say anything but Denise and I'll answer.

2) I graduated with honors with a degree in Chemistry. But based on more than one occurrence when someone assumed I was a hairdresser, I'm confident I don't look/act like your typical science geek.

3) I have 7 tattoos. While some might be silly, they each mean something to me and take me back to that time of my life when I got them.

4) I LOVE having my nails painted. I could be in a bad mood and if I paint my nails, I feel better. I recently had a job which involved going into aseptic manufacturing areas (think hair net, booties, white overalls) and I couldn't wear make up, jewelry, nail polish, etc. Thank goodness I have a new job...I'm sporting "Funky Dunky" as I type. 

5) I play with my ears...a lot. It's a nervous habit and it drives Andy insane.

6) I can write backwards just as quickly as I can write normal.  I don't mean just rearranging the word order, I mean where every single letter is backwards so when you hold it up to a mirror it reads correctly. I can do it in cursive, too. My mom taught me this fascinating trick when I used to play hooky from school.

7) One thing that really gets my panties in a bunch is bottle water. I will not drink bottled water unless it's an emergency and there is no other water to be found. It's not the fact that it has stuff added to it, sits on shelves, trucks, etc for who knows how long going stagnant, it's the waste. Come on people, you can drink safer, for free, and save the environment right from your own tap!

Long Run Paces

A few of you have asked what pace I run my back to back long runs at while training for the Ultra. First of all, the point of the back to back long runs is to get time on my feet, to run on tired legs, learn what it's going to feel like on race day. It's not about speed. The other purpose of these runs is to practice my race day strategy  (well, I should be doing that) by doing "5:1". That's 5 minutes of running with a 1 minute walk break...repeat. People practice different run-walk strategies but I like the 5:1. I know someone doing 25:5 and some others who are doing 2 mile run, 2 minute walk. The walk break gives your body a little break from the pounding on the pavement, a chance to eat/drink and also provides a little mental break. Personally, I could not do anymore than 1 minute of walking because it gets hard to run after these little walk breaks when you're miles into it. I don't want to give my body any more time to get used to walking then I have to. The main thing is that you just always keep moving forward.

Last year I was really good about always doing the 5:1's on my long runs. This year, not so much. I really want to run and I hate the walk breaks. So as a compromise, I've been doing a few walk breaks on my first long run of the weekend and then I take them all on my second long run. As for pace, it really comes down to how I'm feeling that day and lately, how freaking hot it is. Here are some example of how things have been going, listed by the first long run then second the next day:

15 mi - ave 9:55 (took all walk breaks because of 31 mile run the next day)
31.5 mi - 10:45 (towards the end for our last few miles when we were running we were in the low to mid 9 min pace)

18 mi - ave 9:50 (with walk breaks taken from mile 10 on)
18.2 mi - ave 10:44 (took all walk breaks)

15 mi - ave 9:25 (with 4 mini (30 seconds) walk breaks)
20 mi - ave 10:30 (took majority of walk breaks but not all)

So as you can see, it's a slow and steady pace. Last year, I ran at least one run during the week with the walk breaks in addition to the weekend long runs and the paces killed me. I came out of this training a slug and felt like I could not generate any speed. Determined to not let that happen again this year, I've been trying to do at least one run during the week at a quicker pace. Last week I ran a 6 miler at 8:20 (which was my marathon pace for Philly) and last night I ran 10 miles averaging a 9:00 minute pace. Still a far cry from my 7:20 climb the ladder pace, but I'll get back there soon enough.

I've been itching to race during this entire training cycle and all the summer 5ks around are killing me. I'm so tempted to do one but with the Achilles being temperamental, I don't want to risk it. I'm going to keep plugging along for the next 4 weeks; recover from the Ultra, then let these legs do what they really want to do...race!!

First Timers!!

Funk is slowly lifting and I think I have a good game plan for how to get me back on track with stuff. I also think making the decision to not hold myself so strictly to the training schedule was the right call. That run on Friday was exactly what I needed. It might not have been the 20 miles that the schedule called for, but it was a fun, relaxing 15 miles, which in my opinion was more beneficial. Saturday I ran 20 miles and aside from some aches and pains, I felt strong and the miles really flew by. I'm keeping this attitude as I head into this week and I'm going to run what I want, when I want and not beat myself up over lost miles. This should be the biggest week of my Ultra training, nearing 80 miles, but I'm not going to worry about whether or not I make it to that number. The only thing definite for this week is my 30-35 mile run on Sunday.

So, yesterday my sister and Andy ran their first 5k!! Michelle recently lost over 30 lbs and during the course of her weight loss journey I some how convinced her to run a 5k. Not sure how Andy got roped into it, but I'm sure he had a few beers in him when he agreed. Anyway, it was a really, REALLY, small race on a REALLY hot day!! It was so small that not only was there not a gun at the start, but there wasn't a horn, or anything else! In fact, we didn't even hear anyone yell "start."

I was itching to race this when I saw how small the field was but it was more important for me to stick with my sister. I ran with my other sister when she did her first 5k, so now it was time to get Michelle across the finish line. Andy has been running a few times a week for months and could have done his own thing, but he wanted us to all stick together. I love that it was more about being a team then anyone outdoing the other.

When we took off running, the temperature was around 80 degrees and it was humid with absolutely no breeze. We ran our first mile at a 9:36 and I was beyond impressed with this! However, it was probably a little too aggressive of a pace in the heat. The heat quickly took its toll with a lot of runners and there were a lot people taking walk breaks. I could tell Mich was struggling a bit between the heat and a groin pull so we played the mailbox game. We would run from one mailbox to the next, and then walk the next set. We kept up this run-walk for the remainder of the race. Mich never once complained and there was never any doubt in my mind that she wouldn't finish. She's an athlete and a tough competitor and she pushed through finishing strong. We all crossed the finish line together in 33:41.

Not too shabby for a first timer! If it wasn't so hot out, I think it could have been a much more enjoyable experience. Thankfully though she didn’t hate it and I feel pretty confident that there will be another one in her future. Same thing goes for Andy. Before this race he told me this was it. But on the way home he said he would do another but that he would stick to 5ks only. Which is fine by me, I'll take what I can get!

Congrats to Andy and Mich for finishing their first 5k, I am so proud of each of you. Not only for finishing but putting in the time and effort to get to the starting line. Running a 5k isn't easy and you did it! And just remember, this is how it all starts…

All smiles before the race...

Our first race together

Andy looking oh so happy afterwards