Running Week 5/18-5/24

[ElizabethAdams]

Running, Running, Running….

I am just loving it these days. As the weather gets better it so wonderful to be out in the sun shine. Yesterday was 80 degrees (in Portland, OR) and I just had to run. We went to the Springwater Corridor (paved trail that runs along the water – no roads or cars, just foot and bike traffic) it was hot and sometimes felt unbearable, but we did our 4 miles. The high after is always the best especially when you can get in the car to go home and crank on the a/c.

Planning to run:
Tuesday 2.5 miles
Wednesday 2 miles
Thursday 3 miles
With my long run on Saturday’s 5 miles this week.

I am also running the Half Marathon that Susan is in October, so getting up to the distance needed is important. Happy running to all!

[Susan Otcenas]

Yay, Beth! I'm so glad you're enjoying running so much!

The Girlfriends Half Marathon in October is going to be SO much fun. I'm so excited to be able to do it surrounded by so many of the wonderful, supportive women I know. And hey - did you know that they feed the runners CHOCOLATE at the end? I'll run for chocolate. Heck yeah.

[Crankin]

I decided to work on speed a bit today, after 2 weeks of trail running and/or increasing my mileage up to 4 miles.
First, I went to see my rheumatologist. It took him about 3 seconds to diagnose my neck problem as a disc issue/pinched nerve. He didn't feel it's related to any sports issues. I think the fact that I now sit down a lot, at the computer, studying, or in class, as opposed to standing up teaching has made my already degenerating discs kvetchy. Well, I got my PT scrip. My therapist is no longer at the place I went to last year. They said someone would call me back, but I am not thrilled. There's a new place, more sports oriented I want to go to, but I can't remember the name. So, tomorrow, I will drive by and scope it out, since I know where it is.
Back to the run. I warmed up for 1/3 mile and ran 2 miles in exactly 20 minutes! Yay! It might have been a sub 10 minute mile, but the last half a mile is up a 3-4% grade, which slowed me down a lot. Then I walked the rest of the way home, about another 1/2 mile.
Going on an easy ride tomorrow (I have dental work in the AM), perhaps followed by another short run.

[Urlea]

Wow, you ladies picked the right half marathon to run. Chocolate at the end?Yum!! Great incentive.

Since the car needed to have work done & it was a sweltering (to me anyway, not acclimated yet) 76degrees out today I decided to drop the vehicle off at the shop & run home.

It was close to a 3mile run. Nothing really exciting to report. As I said it was boiling lava hot (to me) and windy. The wind was actually a good thing though as it helped keep me a little cooler.

Overall physically the run felt pretty good, this is the longest consecutive run I've done since the marathon. My muscles, especially the quads, feel like they fatigue easier right now. I did close to a sprint tri in training today so that probably has something to do with it though.

Still awesome to run again! My legs might actually get color this summer.

[Susan Otcenas]

Urlea - glad to hear you are recovering from your marathon and not trying to do too much too quickly.

I had a big weekend. 4 mile run Saturday morning plus 30 miles on my bike. Followed on Sunday by an 86 mile bike ride in the Columbia River Gorge - plenty of hills there. So it was no surprise that - even after having a total rest day yesterday - this morning's 8.3 mile run was sloooooow. Total time was 91 minutes.

I really need to get out of the house earlier on these long run days. I left at 5:45 which got me home at 7:15. I can't manage to eat, shower and get to work by 8:00 when I finish my run so late. And I hate being late to work! Still, getting started at 5:00 seems soooooooo early. But I guess a girl's gotta do what a girls' gotta do!

[Crankin]

Well, my little bit of replacing old dental work threw me for a loop. I always get nervous with novacaine, because I have reactions to everything. The actual procedure went fine, but I felt wiped out, let alone my mouth aching just a bit. So much so, that when my DH came home at noon, to work at home, we were going to go on a ride later, but about an hour before we were going to go, I had fallen asleep on the couch up in our loft. The printer started going, it woke me up, scared me, and i rolled off the couch, onto the hard wood floor! Oy, was I out of it for awhile. Finally, we ended up going on a 3 mile walk, totally abandoning my plans to ride and then run.
I have an appointment with a sports medicine specific PT on Thursday, to start working on my neck and spine.

[roadie gal]

Cranklin, the sports medicine PTs are definitely the way to go. They know what athletes want out of themselves and push you a little more than the PTs that don't deal with *driven* folks.

My new stride is working well for me. I went out on the local multi-user path that runs along the river and did a little over 6 miles in 60 minutes. It's a nice, flat, paved path. So the going was pretty easy and I could get into a rhythm. I swear though, I am the GODDESS of the headwind. It was blowing in my face on the way out and then it switched directions and blew in my face on the way BACK.

[Jolt]

I swear though, I am the GODDESS of the headwind. It was blowing in my face on the way out and then it switched directions and blew in my face on the way BACK.

That sounds like what happens to me on the bike!! Especially when I have a load on the back. As for running, I did about a half hour in the dark tonight around the neighborhood. Got off to a less-than-great start but then got into a better rhythm about halfway through and didn't want to stop!

[yellow]

A belated congrats to SJCzar and divingbiker on their races last weekend!

I've been in Zion NP since Saturday, just got home tonight. I went with some friends and we did a 12 mile run-hike on Sunday (including Angels Landing), a 10 mile run-hike on Monday, about 8 miles of hiking on Tuesday, and about 2 miles of hiking today (well, I am tapering ). It was a great trip...a little hot, but it felt really good to be able to run up most of the trails. Here are a few pictures. Yes, the sky was really that blue. (My friend took most of the stills, which I don't have access to; watch for a movie in the near future!)

This first one is me (left) and my new friend Yanina from Poland.




And here are a couple of others!








50k on Saturday. Resting the rest of the week.

[kacie tri-ing]

Amazing pictures! DH and I are planning some time in Zion this summer. I love that park!!!

So I have started physical therapy, and I have started working with another person who does egoscue therapy as well. Hopefully it will all be coming together soon : -)

Good luck in that 50K! Can't wait to hear about it!

[Urlea]

Good job getting out there for those runs already this week!!

Yellow-Very beautiful pics & best of luck this weekend!!

Kacie- I hope the PT has you feeling 100% soon.

Thursday morning kind of snuck up on me. I didn't realize until 11 last night that I needed to get up at 5a.m. for my group run! Needless to say I'm a little tired, but the 5miler I did with the group felt great. I had biked 50miles yesterday and was a little concerned my legs would feel pretty fatigued this morning, but it wasn't much of an issue. Which was much needed encouragement knowing the HIM is only a few weeks away!

DH & I are headed up to Lake Superior this weekend to spend some time on the sailboat, but we're both bringing our running gear. There are a lot of scenic places to run up there. I'm looking forward to it!

[Crankin]

Yellow, nice pictures!
I had my PT eval this morning. He feels the neck, head, and shoulder issue is a combination of things. First is bio-mechanical. Apparently, I am sticking my neck out when I sit and stand. Then, a combination of sitting at the computer, sitting more in general, sitting in my weekend class in April, and the stress of running have all conspired to cause this. He told me I might need just 2-3 weeks of therapy and then he will re-evaluate. I have to stop running until then, which is sort of fine with me, since it gets worse after I run, but I can keep cycling. Now I just have to figure out where I can use my lap top that is more ergonomically correct.
I will probably walk or hike on the days I was running, to kind of keep those muscles engaged.

[spindizzy]

Yellow- Beautiful pictures.

Urlea - I admire you early morning gals getting up at the crack of dawn to get it done. I think about it often, but I rarely make it!

Kacie- what is egoscue therapy?

Crankin- good luck with your PT and work on ergonomics.

Me - did what I did last week X5 (800m, 600m, 400m, 200m, 100m) after cranking out many hills last night on my bike - I am seriously done!! Rest week on the horizon.

[OakLeaf]

Yellow, that's beautiful. Good luck tomorrow!

Crankin and Kacie, hope the PT works well for you both.

It's hot here too. I'm just not acclimated to it yet - temps are so variable in the springtime.

My legs are still a little fried from a hard ride on Tuesday, aerobics on Wednesday (which my calves are totally out of shape, since I'd been working so hard all winter on NOT toeing off in any sport) and an easier ride yesterday. But I had to run, especially with the weekend coming.

So, three minute intervals with three minute jogging recovery x 5. I ran from home but took the "flatter" out-and-back, still about 75 ft/mile (15 m/km) climbing according to SportTracks, although I'm thinking that's a bit inflated. As hot as it was, I brought a bit of water even for a short one, and I'm glad I did. I started last night's ride a little dehydrated and didn't bring enough water, and that was really stupid.

I am so coveting the new Garmin 310XT. Oak, step away from the keyboard and put your credit card BACK in your wallet...

[SJCzar]

Loved the pictures Yellow. Have a great run Saturday.

I've only done a 2 1/2 miler this week. The weather has been so perfect that I haven't wanted to miss any opportunity to get out on the road bike. I will do a 10 mile run sometime during the weekend though. I hope to get back into a regular routine by next week.