April 13-19 Runs

[Crankin]

I just came back from a really good run, so I thought I'd post it now, before I get busy with work. I finally broke the 3 mile barrier, doing 3.5 miles, by combining 2 of my routes. Including my warm up/cool down, it was 3.9 miles. I finally got my Garmin back to the pace mode (thanks, Oakleaf, but I have the cheapo model, so I needed different directions), so without looking at the breakdown of each lap, my overall pace was 10:30, which has been pretty consistent for me. I am happy with this, since this is a hilly route. I am going to keep it here, until I can run 4 miles, then I will work on speed again. I only walked when I had to slow down and take my wind jacket off and tie it around my waist. It is very windy and I still am forgetting and dressing like a cyclist. Well, I also slowed to a walk crossing a main road and in the middle of the 10% hill for 30 seconds.
Nothing hurt today. I remembered to use Body Glide on my feet and I went to yoga this morning, which helped. I thought about my son, who is in Iraq, because it is his birthday today. He's an awesome runner, and I felt like he was with me on this run, because it felt like I was flying. Not too many moms can say their kid got them into cycling and running!

[reddDesign]

bless your son for being over there, i have many a friend over there as well.

I really wish I could run...I mean I can...but I have bad knees and end up the next day wallowing in pain, hence why I started biking instead.

[kacie tri-ing]

Congrats on breaking that personal barrier! That is awesome! I am sure that the energy from your son's birthday helped you!!!

I am not back to running yet....My hip flexor is still hurting from the HIM, but I am READY. I know from re-injuring myself some post-marathon though, that it is NOT worth it....Last week i just rode my bike whenever I felt like it, and took it really really slowly. I am going to start jumping back into the pool tonight though! Hopefully I will be back in my running shoes by the end of the week! Staying positive!

[alpinerabbit]

My cycling hols/training camp of 10 days must have absolutely wrecked me.


I walked up a hill behind my parent's house and back down the other side to get to a nice area for a bit of flat running. Sunday, I could not run more than 1-2 minutes before walking again. Today, I ran a whopping 1.5 km in one bit. Plus maybe 500 more.

Wednesday I'll try again for 5.

[OakLeaf]

I had the most amazing long run today (11.8 miles @ 10:03 overall).

The wind was fierce, 22 mph gusting to 38, straight up the peninsula. As I've been doing lately, I ran out on pavement and sidewalk and back on the beach.

Okay, half of y'all are going to think this stuff is really "out there," and the other half will probably go, "geez, isn't that how everyone does it?" As I get into the longer runs, I've been doing them more and more as a moving meditation. (I'm in good company. The Presiding Bishop of my church was featured on the back page of Runner's World a year or so ago, talking about her long runs being moving meditation. )

My Yoga teacher often says that gratitude opens all the chakras, so today I did my downwind leg as a gratitude meditation. It turned into free associations - as I'd thank someone it would remind me of someone else connected to them, so I'd thank them next, and on and on. I ran through hundreds of people who'd touched my life in some way; lots of y'all TE'rs; people and pets who are deceased, whom I was able to acknowledge just briefly enough to feel gratitude without grief; people whose overall influence on me was negative, yet who maybe taught me something valuable or put me in a place to gain something that I could thank them for; friends; family; teachers; people I hadn't thought of in years. By the time I was halfway back I just felt so happy, and it only got better and better. I kicked the last 500 meters @ 7:30 with a huge grin on my face.

When I was younger I used to meditate regularly, but I've been away from it for a very long time. So it's like I know what it's supposed to feel like, but in terms of actually getting there I'm pretty much a novice again. I was just kind of bouncing off that place where I had a roaring blinding light of grateful energy shooting out of my crown.

Then from time to time I could make a "sling" out of the energy of my three lower chakras, shoot it out of my pelvis right inside of the ASIS on either side, connect it to my hands and literally use my arm swing to drive my pelvic rotation. Energy driving the body mechanics just like it's supposed to, all the Chi Running and Yoga really, really coming together.

I just can't wait to thank my Yoga teacher in person tomorrow morning! Thank you all TE runners for the inspiration, support and advice!

[mudmucker]

Wow Oakleaf. That's a very introspective and inspiring post. Positive and contentment just oozes out of it. Very refreshing to read. I'm happy that it came together for you in such a way. Treasure those days for sure. Sounds like you've worked to link many of these various holistic aspects in your life together or at least regarding your moving meditation and it's starting to work.

I run also and I ran outside all through this winter in the ice and snow and very cold temps but I never post about it. Back in February or so you posted several times on the Chi Running book again. I finally picked up the book because of your informative posts about it. I have to say it has really helped me run pain free. I used to do Tai Chi many moons ago so the grounding and body sensing was easy for me. I had never though of putting it into running. After reading excerpts from the book and applying it to my running, it worked by the first 2 runs after. It really works and it's pretty exciting to have the power to run pain free. Thanks. Although I certainly haven't reached the point of focusing my energy to drive body mechanics to a high level yet.

[yellow]

Oak, that is a great post. These days I often find myself looking for the positive in what on the surface seems to be so negative, including relationships that I had with others years ago. Usually I don't have to dig too deep to find the positive and recognize the gratitude that is owed. Usually.

~~~~~~

OK, I have a dilemma of sorts. It's my "easy" week (I practice periodization when I'm training for something and this is a cycle down week) and I have a scaled back long run on 10 miles on Friday. It's supposed to snow 3 feet between now and Friday AM, ski season is coming to a close, the mountain is pretty much devoid of humans, and I really, really love powder skiiing. Do I go ski until I can't stand up anymore on Friday or do I forego a potentially killer powder day for a 10 mile run on (probably) muddy trails?

Life can be so hard.

[Shiraz]

Hi Ladies,
I too enjoy reading your positive post. I know I have not posted like I should but so enjoy coming back and reading your success' and challenges. It seems everyone is dealing with challenging circumstances. Our lives are more demanding than ever. Many of us have family and friends without jobs and it can be hard to stay positive with so much pulling us into negativity. But this is the times like OakLeaf said we (I)must concentrate on the positive! I am blessed with good friends, family and health! No matter how fast or slow I run I can walk out my door on my own and run!

Yellow I am excited to see you on Saturday in Salt Lake City for my half! It means so much to see a friendly face cheering me on. Last year I had a painful last 3 miles so I am hoping for a healthy and happy finish.

[Susan Otcenas]

oakleaf - thanks for sharing that with us. It sounds like it was a very powerful experience for you!

yellow - Speaking for myself... I'd go skiing. I love my training, and I'm very disciplined about it for the most part. But for me, it's important that I not feel like it's depriving me of something else I really might like to do. Otherwise, I might come to "resent" the training a little bit. I find that when I allow myself to do some other fun cross training thing from time to time, especially if it's an opportunity that won't come around very often (as in your expected amazing powder day), that I'm actually MORE energized when I resume my regular training schedule.

kacie - Hope your recovery is going well. I didn't post a comment on your race report thread, but I wanted you to know I really enjoyed reading it. How wonderful to have had your fan club right there with you!


As for me - as I mentioned on last week's thread, I had a stupid fall in my SIL's kitchen on SUnday evening and really banged up my left foot. This morning was my next scheduled run, and I had a little trepidation going into it, as I was still feeling a wee bit tender yesterday. Well, I'm VERY happy to report that I had absolutely no issues with it this morning! Whew! I had a 5 mile tempo run on the treadmill ( 1 mile @ 5.5, 3 miles @ 5.8, 1 mile @ 5.5, 0.75 mile cool down @ brisk walking pace. Total = 5.75 miles). My foot felt great. My left forearm, on the other hand, looks like someone has been beating me up. The whole underside is bruised. I know it's from the fall, but for the life of me, I can't remember it getting banged up.

Hope everyone continues to have great runs this week!

Susan

[Jolt]

I went for about an hour walk/run (mostly walk) on the local conservation trails today; decided to take it a bit easy since I am coming down with a cold. Still working on the IT band stuff; no pain today but it wasn't a whole lot of running either. I definitely still need to strengthen the glute medius and get rid of the trigger points in the TFL (which have been acting up lately, especially if I sit too long--anyone know any tips for getting rid of really stubborn ones)? I'm thinking it would be good to work up to doing one-leg squats for strengthening.

[Urlea]

My ADD thought for this evening (didn't run today so don't have anything to contribute otherwise) is:

Where is Eclectic? I've been missing posts from her lately!

Really tired this week. Haven't missed any training sessions, but my schedule is a little off I'm having to shuffle the normal order of things. So far so good, but I'm sorry I haven't had as much energy to congratulate you ladies on your running!

Stay strong & keep it up!

[Crankin]

I was thinking the same thing last night.
Eclectic, where are you?

[eclectic]

Thank you all! it is so nice to be missed

I am back. I took the last week and a half off. I had a massage, got my legs back to feeling better but was just major tired last week and being Holy week there was a lot of church commitments so i used that excuse to recover.
Also there has been a little sandbagging going on around here so I have helped w/ that.

I filled sandbags for 2 hours straight on Tues night. Excellent upperbody/torso rotation workout.

I am back to training and have decided to stick w/ the walk/run program.
Also I am FINALLY outside! whoooo hoooo. I am on the 1.3 mile trail and it really does go so much faster than on the TM or track!
I did a walk/run for 5.2 miles and was able to hold a 11:28 pace and that is outside, some incline (no hills) and wind. So I am very happy w/ that progress (10 min mile by next year is still the goal but I am OK w/ where I am at.)

Oak I LOVED your report. I practiced Zen meditation for awhile - difficult to do but great rewards and it definitely helps w/ the mental stamina

Kacie - keep recovering you put your body through a lot!

Susan - glad to hear the injuries weren't worse and that you could get through the tempo run (which sounded awesome BTW)

Crankin' I loved the report on your run too. Prayers that your DS stays safe
good job on breaking through to the next level

Urlea - good job on plugging through the training. It will pay great dividends

[kacie tri-ing]

Welcome eclectic!

Still recovering over here. I am hoping to be running on Sunday (trails, not the road), but I am already back on my bike and the pool everyday!

I also loved the report about the meditation! It was wonderful!!! It made me want to pick back up the chi running book and take it into account as I start to run again!

So, I was reading this blog:
http://dean.runnersworld.com/

I loved reading the book ultramarathon man, and I do follow his blog some. He had a guest writer who wrote about recovery. Things like, race more to recover faster.

I wrote my coach and said, "I know I am not like them, but they make me feel like a total wimp!" He wrote me back and told me not to read it anymore, that the goal is life-long fitness and not deranged views of recovery. hehehehe I thought it was pretty funny I was certainly not planning on doing any of those things, and I think I might have scared him a little bit!

Keep up the running and reporting! I like hearing about it as my body heals slowly!

[Crankin]

Glad you are back Eclectic. It's nice to take a break.
I just came back from a 2 mile run. It's all I have time for. That seems to be the story of my life right now. I was writing a paper for 4 hours and finally, I couldn't stand sitting on my a$$ any longer. I am not at the point in the paper where I want to be, so I gotta write fast, hop in the shower, and hope I have more time before I need to leave for class, to write more. The only way I can manage this work is to "schedule" it.
I really wanted to ride today, but there's not going to be time for long rides or runs except on the weekend until May 6th. The weather has been gorgeous, too, but at least I know it won't be snowing (well, never say never) tomorrow. Anyway, my run was ho-hum. Down the hill at 9:15 pace and back up at a slower pace, for an overall pace of 10:50. I am not quite at my 10:00 pace, but I have to figure in the hill (s) which are significant.
I will probably do my long run on Monday and am shooting for 4 miles, at closer to an 11:00 pace.