Running towards the sun (Daylight Savings week 3/9-3/15)

[Jolt]

It was a nice sunny 50-degree day here today, so I went on about a 45-minute trail run with my roommate (she does some running so I thought I'd see if she would be up for it). We had a good time even though she isn't really used to running trails, and I don't think I totally turned her off to it .

[Crankin]

I fear my excitement about running is going to wane, now that I am back on my bike outside. Help me! I just don't want my legs to feel dead from running when I get on the bike. Yesterday, I barely made it up my driveway at the end of my ride. Yes, it's a 15% grade, but it told me I have a lot of work to do, to get myself back to where I was last fall. And then there's all of my on going injury issues.
I got a really good book, called Core Performance Endurance. It's for all types of endurance athletes, by the guy who runs the conditioning center in Tempe, that a lot of professional athletes go to. Going to start on some of his suggestions this week.

[Shiraz]

I am heading out for a 14 miler run of rolling hills with two friends. The winds are suppose to blow at 15+ I really am needing some positive vibes from anywhere I can get it! So if you read this send them my way!!!

[Veronica]

I did 2.1 miles this morning. I wasn't thrilled with my pace - avg. 10:20/mile. But given how little I ran in Feb. - 9 miles total, I guess that's not bad. It is more than 2 minutes faster than I was last April.

Veronica

[eclectic]

I did 2.1 miles this morning. I wasn't thrilled with my pace - avg. 10:20/mile. But given how little I ran in Feb. - 9 miles total, I guess that's not bad. It is more than 2 minutes faster than I was last April.

Veronica

Whoa! 10:20 mile - 2 min faster than last April! so does that mean there is hope for me ?? ? ?

Correction - I reread my last post - YES I can do math! I am so anal about these things

it was supposed to read 4 X 800 @ 5 min w/ 400 recovery

I did 4 x 875 @ 5:30 w/ .25mi recovery I figured that was close enough - I am NOT anal about that

[solobiker]

I got in about 4.5 miles in today. The first half I felt great the second half I could feel my hamstrings tighten up as they usually do. I hope by next weekend to do a 6 mile run..I need to get my legs ready for my duathlon on May 9th. The weather was so nice, sunny with temps in the 40s during my run and right now it is close to 70s. Yeah Spring!!

[michelem]

Ran the Shamrock'n 1/2 Marathon as a 2-person relay this morning. Yesterday, I rode a really hard 50 miles on my bike, which was not the smartest thing to do the day before a race. What made it so hard was the wind -- gusts up to 27mph. There were times where it was all I could do to go about 7mph and stay upright. I didn't have anyone to draft behind . . .

This morning, it was cold, drizzly, and still windy (today's gusts were up to 26mph). We got to Raley Field at about 6:20am, more than enough time before my brother and sister-in-law's 8am race start. Since I was doing the second 1/2 of the relay, I didn't have to be out at the transition area 'til about 8:45am. So, I stayed in the car and dozed. It was nice having indoor toilets to use at the field/baseball stadium. After "taking care of business," I walked over to the transition area, took off my sweats and got myself situated. Five or ten minutes later and my SIL handed me the "baton" (bracelet). I handed her my sweats and car keys and took off. Around mile 3 and I got a HUGE/PAINFUL side stitch. It lasted throughout the rest of the race. There were about 3 times where I had to stop and walk, it was so bad. I felt nauseous as well. It was all I could do to keep from puking. People passed me left and right throughout the race. I felt so defeated and crappy about my performance; like I was letting SIL down. Who did I think I was running a race after not running a step in over two months? Luckily the wind was not in my face the whole way, but when it was WOW! I felt like I was going SO SLOW!

Crossed the finish line at 1:50 and a couple seconds (8:24/mile). This was gun time as the relayers didn't get the luxury of chip timing at the start (only the second leggers got a chip). Amazingly enough, this was good enough to put us in seventh place out of 178. Not bad for an old lady like me (my SIL is 7 years younger, and I give her all the credit for our finishing time).

My brother crossed the finish just a couple minutes after me. We all agree that we'll never do this race again. It was not fun at all. Crummy scenery, for one. I guess we've been spoiled with the other races we've done (me SF, Folsom and them Reno, Truckee). After you've run across the Golden Gate, along the American River, Truckee River, Donner Summit, etc., West Sac is quite a letdown.

Anyway, not sure what I'll do next. Definitely the 10k here in Folsom in May, the Four Bridges Half here in Folsom in late October, and the California Int'l Marathon from Folsom to Sac in early December again. Other than that, who knows?

HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY!

[kacie tri-ing]

Hello all....

I had an amazing 65 mile ride in charleston. When I got back from the ride, I got a phone call that DH had crashed (dodged another crash on a corner, hit a curb, and flew into a tree) at his race. He was in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. So, I convinced one of the girls to drive me back 5 hours to atlanta a day early. He is hurting (broken clavicle and scapula on the left side), and his bike is broken in half We are going to see an orthopedist tomorrow in the morning. Hopefully the news will be good.

My lesson from this for running:

65 miles on bike + no stretching +emotion catastrophe + 5 hours driving + little sleep delivering pain pills + on and on = don't even try to run.

I got 3 miles into my 14 and about lost it physically and emotionally. I just couldn't do it. Everything hurt, and it was the first time my mind had been quiet enough to start to process how scary the accident was and how upset I really am about it. I had spent 24 hours trying to keep the logistics going, and everything working right, that I had not let it sink in. I know I don't need that 14 mile run to finish my race in 3 weeks. I can run just fine. DH was worried that the busted collarbone (in 2 places) would limit his cheering abilities at HIM He is very sweet....

Advice? Has anyone else had this lovely/terrible/painful/frighteningly common injury?