The more I run, the less I blog - Training week 17

This has been an amazing, soul-sucking semester for me.  I am in school full-time for the first time in 8 years, this time with 2 kids who only go to school half days and I've been training for my first marathon.  I don't know what possessed me to set this sort of schedule for myself, but I've almost gotten through it.  I haven't met my mileage goals but my legs feel strong and I know I'll finish.  Many factors will depend on how long it will take.  I'm looking forward to focusing on some trail halfs for the summer after this.

Last week:

4/1 - 4 miles
4/2 - 4 miles
4/3 - 5 miles
4/5 - 3 miles
4/6- 19 miles

Total: 35 miles

Legs feel strong, with some tightness my posterior tibial tendon and IT band.  I go to PT every week and things are improving and I've been able to continue to increase mileage.  I don't think the Saucony Kinvaras will work out long term, but its too late to switch shoes now for Big Sur.  They are just a little too restrictive and stiff for me... I'm looking at trying out some Skoras next but I'm not sure if any of their models are grippy enough for trails... I haven't seen them in person.

Almost to taper time

So, after that awesome 18-miler the fall I had a few weeks ago really affected me.  I ran probably 5 times in between the fall and when the real pain started.  I went on a 4 mile hilly run in the middle of a warm, sunny day and was probably breathing harder than I usually do.  At the end of the run I could barely breathe because my ribs hurt so badly.  I got an X-Ray to make sure nothing was broken and was forced have light mileage for a couple of weeks because it hurt to both inhale and exhale.  I even went to the doctor twice because I was so frustrated about the pain and wanted them to do SOMETHING besides pain medication but there is nothing you can do for chest wall injuries.  I'm doing much better now and back on plan for my   Here are weeks 14, 15, & 16:

3/11- 6.16 miles
3/12- 4 miles
3/14- 9.37 miles

Total: 19.5

3/20- 6 miles
3/23- 20 miles

Total: 26 miles

3/25- 4 miles
3/26- 5 miles

Total: 9 miles (hah)

The last week can't be blamed on injury.  Getting back to it this week. 20 miler on Sunday!

Big Sur Training Week 13 of 20

I feel like this past week marathon training got real.  I had my longest run to date- 18 miles!  Man, that's a long run no matter how you slice it. It made me feel slightly more confident about Big Sur but it was a flattish 18 miles so I still need to hit some hills on one of my 20-milers before the race. I also fell doing speed (SPEED WORK KILLS) and messed up my knees, my hand and actually went to the doctor to see if my ribs were broken.  It still hurts but I didn't miss any runs and it's not actually bothered by running .

Last week:

3/4: Yasso 800s- 3 miles w/ 8:28 mpm. Fun! Until I fell. I averaged 7:35 pace for my fast intervals and even hovered around 6:40-7:00 for 1/4 mile before I ate pavement.
3/5: 6 miles @ 9:58 mpm 347 ft. elevation gained
3/6: 8 miles @10:00 mpm
3/8: 2 miles @ 11:45 mpm (horrible shin cramps)
3/9: 18 miles @ 10:18 mpm

Total: 37 miles

As far as fueling, I felt like I should have taken another gel (I took 3 Gu packets) and have more water/electrolytes but I was missing the cap for one of my water bottles and my Nathan vest mouthpiece tasted horribly of plastic so I ended up only taking 16 oz of water w/ Nuun tablets and 8 oz of water.  I also super hydrated before, to the point I was peeing clear before and during my 1 of 2 bathroom stops during the run.  Good thing I ran by some bathrooms! I'm hoping I can balance hydration so I don't have to stop so much during the race.

Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve

Last week was a cut back week in my marathon plan so I hit the hills on my 10 mile long run at Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve in Woodside, California. I never get used to how beautiful the trails are in the San Francisco Bay and if you are willing to brave the elevation changes the rewards are great.  The preserve is located on the western side of the Santa Cruz Mountains and you can even see the ocean from the northern part of the preserve. I ran down the Harkins Ridge Trail to the Bay Area Ridge and Craig Britton Trail down into the base of the canyon to the Purisima Creek Trail and then back up the Harkins Ridge Trail.  I stopped to take pictures every few miles because it was so beautiful but the poor white balance on my iPhone dulled the bright green of all the trees so just imagine everything much more saturated than this.  It was pretty slippery with mud in some places, I look forward to coming back when it hasn't been raining so I'm not slipping and sliding down the hills.

 

Big Sur Training Week 12 of 20

2/26- 5 miles
2/27- 8 miles
3/1- 5 miles
3/2-10 miles

Total: 28 miles

I ran Purisima Creek Redwood Preserve today! Over 1800 ft. elevation gain over 10 miles... what a beating.  I will post pictures later.

Week 11 of 20

2/18- 3.07 miles

2/19- 4.87 miles (supposed to be 5, GPS went crazy and I went by time)

2/20- 8 miles

2/23- 16 miles

Total: 31.9 miles

I had some cramping issues with my left shin this week... including the first 4 miles of my long run.  It gets painfully rigid and I had to stop every mile or so. 

Week 10 of 20- Big Sur Marathon Training

Halfway there! Trying to hit lots of hills this week in preparation for Hurricane Point.

Wednesday 2/12- 6 miles / 602 ft. elevation gained / 10:18 average pace

Thursday 2/13- 7 miles / 275 ft. elevation gained / 9:48 pace

Saturday 2/15- 6 miles / 105 ft. elevation gained / 10:00 pace (end of a long day in the dark)

Sunday 2/16- 9 miles / 572 ft. elevation gained / 10:44 pace

Total: 28 miles

I'm feeling pretty fatigued this week.  It's another week of my highest weekly mileage so far and I'm slacking on the nutrition area.  I'm hungry but instead of eating high quality protein or anything good I'm eating a lot of ice cream sandwiches.  I'll work on that this week.

Big Sur Training Week 9 of 20

21 of my miles last week were done in the rain.  I missed some runs last week but considering I was switching shoes that probably isn't a horrible thing.  I don't mind running in the rain too much... the rain in the San Francisco Bay is a light drizzle that last for days and not the spurts of downpours I grew up with in Texas.  Pretty easy to run in, but I do wear a hat on rainy days.  This week I'm trying to run more hills in preparation for the killer hill in the middle of Big Sur, so I'll start adding in elevation information for each run as well. I'm going to try to run trails on my weeks of shorter long runs because that's where I love running most but I have to work up to some of the challenging hills the area's trails provide and I'm not quite ready to run 14-16 miles with huge climbs.  I tried out a 6 mile run with maybe a hill 60-70% as challenging as the hill in the marathon with regards to grade and length and it was a beating.

Week 9 of 20
2/5- 4 miles (243 elevation gained)
2/6- 7 miles (203 ft. elevation gained)
2/9- 14 miles (686 ft. elevation gained)

Total: 25 miles

Picture of cherry blossom trees, of which I saw many, around mile 10 of my long run last week:

Big Sur Training Week 8 of 20

I guess I have to change the name of the blog because I bought a pair of non-minimalist running shoes.  I've been in physical therapy the past few weeks because of posterior tibial tendonitis after the week I ran all my miles under 9:00 min/mile.  I had a gait analysis done and to my horror, I was still heel striking- 3 years into barefoot/minimalist running.  I was shocked and upset.  I have some other issues-overpronation, hyperdorsiflexion, asymmetry in several areas.... I'm doing strength training to improve where I'm weak. But the wear on my minimalist shoes show that I'm heel-striking even when it feels to me like I'm landing mid-foot.  I still am pretty sure I don't heel-strike while actually barefoot because I doubt I would have been able to run 14 miles barefoot while heel-striking and not have some sort of insanely bruised heel.  After I got over the inital shock, what concerned me more when viewing my gait videos was the collapsing in of my right ankle.  That's where I've been feeling consistent pain and on my last 12 mile long run I could really feel my form falling apart and being unable to prevent it from collapsing in.  If both ankles were doing it to the same degree I would be less worried about it but my right is doing it significantly more than my left.  So, after much thought I'm trying FOR THE FIRST TIME in my running career, some more "traditional" shoes.  I'm not sure if my body is just not cut out for barefoot/minimalist running or if my goals just don't coincide with it at this point.  I am super nervous to switch over to a different type of shoe- who knows if I will be trading my current injuries for new ones.  Only time will tell.  I definitely think the Bikilas aren't the shoe for me for marathon distances.  I'm only interested in running as many pain-free miles as possible right now.

Anyway,  I got some Saucony Kinvaras and am going to be slowly switching over to them for the marathon.  I tried on several low-heel drop shoes at a local running store and the Kinvaras feel pretty comfortable, though it is odd to run on these pillows of comfort.  I only wore it for my 5 miler Saturday.... no real difference in speed, which is good.  If I was suddenly running 1 minute per mile faster I would be more worried about injury.

Miles this week:

1/28: 4 miles
1/29: 5 mile trail run
1/30: 6 miles
2/1: 5 miles
2/2: 7 miles

Total: 27 miles

Big Sur Training Week 7 of 20

1/21- 3 miles (barefoot)
1/22- 3 miles (barefoot)
1/23- 5 miles (VFF)
1/25- 3 miles (VFF)
1/26- 12 miles (VFF)

Total: 26 miles

I went for a couple of barefoot runs this week, as my achilles issues seem to disappear when I take the shoes off.  I'm still doing most of my training in VFFs and will probably do the marathon in them as I don't have time to build my plantar skin back up to do it bare.  I'm also hoping the exercises my PT gave me will help with any issues I'm getting from the switch to VFFs.

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 6 of 20

Nearly back to where I need to be.  If I hadn't been derailed by the flu Friday.  I probably should not have even run today as I have had horrible body aches and a fever.

1/13/14: 6 miles
1/15/14: 3 miles
1/16/14: 4 miles
1/19/14: 8 miles

Total: 21 miles

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 5 of 20

Last week was still light on the mileage due to my posterior tibia tendonitis but I think I rested the perfect amount and was able to go for a very enjoyable 6 mile trail run today. I've been resting, ice, compression, elevating, stretching, etc... and will try to really run my easy runs "easy" from now on. I have a PT appointment Thursday and hopefully they can tell me what else I can do to prevent injury while I build mileage.

Week 5 of 20:

1/7/14: 3 miles @ 9:04 min/mi pace
1/9/14: 4 miles @ 9:45 min/mi pace
1/11/14: 3 miles @ 10:09 min/mi pace

Total: 10 miles

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 4

I probably ran too fast last week for my ankles because they feel horrible this week. I have an appointment with an ortho and PT clinic and have had to severely reduce my mileage.  I think its several things but mainly posterior tibial tendonitis.

Two runs- 4 miles, followed by lots of pain and a few days off and 3 "ok" miles today in compression socks.

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 3 of 20

Still in Texas. Still running. Will be back in the Bay for the New Year.

Week 3 of 20

12/24- 3.54 miles (supposed to be 4, MapMyRun GPS went all crazy in the beginning of the run) @ 8:40 pace
12/25- 5 miles @ 8:52 pace
12/26- 3 miles @ 8:39 pace
12/28- 3 miles splits at 10:47/11:20/8:40 because I was dragging my mother-in-law's Great Pyrenees for the first two miles before I dropped him back off for the final mile.
12/29- 8 miles @ 8:54 pace

Total miles: 22.5 miles

Big Sur Marathon Training Week 2 of 20

Late on the update! I'm visiting family deep in the heart of Texas and haven't had a chance to post last week's training (if anyone is out there reading with bated breath).  I ended up skipping my speed work day because I was still dealing with my bronchitis-type cough and went to the doctor for some Symbicort and cough medicine.  I probably could have run that day but my daughter was having a hard time in dance class (when I usually do my speed work) so I wasn't able to get away to run. ANYWAY, excuses, excuses right?  I'm on the right track this week and hope to actually do 100% of my planned runs.

Week 2 of 20

12/18- 5 miles @ 9:17
12/19- 3 miles @ 8:42
12/21- 3 miles @ 8:43
12/22- 7 miles @ 9:15

Total: 18 miles

Felt good.  Definitely getting better about getting out there (with the exception of 12/17) regardless of what else is going on in my life.  12/22 I flew out to Texas but still managed to get 7 miles in even though I really didn't feel like it.  I've been running exclusively in Vibram Bikilas and they have been fine... although I am having some heel issues that I'm hoping is not plantar fasciitis. I've been trying to be conscious of shortening my stride and that seems to help.  I also seem to be getting moderately faster- it's hard to slow down to what I think my training pace should be because my natural comfortable pace is around 9:15-9:30 now and that is a huge improvement from the 10:30-11:00 "easy" pace I was at least year.  Thank you SF hills and speed work!

Big Sur Training Week 1 of 20 / Music of the Day

Week 1 of Big Sur Marathon training complete!  Week 1 was done in Vibram Bikilas and it went alright... time will tell how the transition back to shoes will go. I might take my invisible shoes out for a spin next week to see how they feel- I have used them for walking but never run in them because one of my toe knots were a little bothersome.

I missed one short run because I took a 20 minute afternoon nap yesterday that turned into a 3 hour nap and I woke up and it was dark at barely 5.  Can't wait for the longer days to come back! I've also been dealing with a lingering upper respiratory illness and was proud I made 4/5 runs this week since my breathing is somewhat compromised and I was spitting a lot of residual lung mucous at the end of my long run today.

Week 1 of 20, Big Sur Marathon 2014

12/10- 3 miles @ 8:47
12/11- 4 miles @ 9:40
12/12- 4 miles @ 9:46
12/15- 6 miles @ 9:34

Total: 17 miles

Now, some tunes that keep me running this week (I in no way endorse any lyrics regarding driving under the influence, in fact I think the lyrics aren't promoting that at all, and I do love me some Kid Cudi featuring MGMT):

and Lorde, who is doing an AMA on Reddit as we speak:

Wearing shoes again

So after the Half I did what I always do after a race- I completely stop running.  I can see I improve over the months & years but I would probably improve a lot faster if I didn't lose all motivation to run every few months. I ran 8 miles a few weeks ago and 3 miles today.

The 8-miler a few weeks ago ended in quite literally, bloody disaster.  I ran on a really rough trail (cheap and seal asphalt) after having done little barefoot running in the month or so before that.... because I ended up running my 16-miler and half in Merrell Trail Gloves and what do you KNOW when you don't condition your soles you can get blisters when you run 8 miles on rough surfaces.  I looked like an idiot hobbling, whining, EXTREMELY slowly for the last 2 miles to the end of the trail after I totally thrashed my soles.  Some other British runners who my running partner and I had passed even got to see my shame and suggest, "Maybe wear some trainers next time?" Yes.  Probably next time I will wear some "trainers".  I wanted to yell at them that I had run nearly twice this distance with no pain before but its useless... but once you're the insane barefoot runner who runs until her feet are slinging blood splatters all over your ankles there isn't much you can say.

You see, I've only been running for a few years. I am by no means a running expert.  I started running in Vibram Fivefinger Sprints with the Couch to 5k program in March 2011... by the time I was running ten miles I had some pain in the tops of my feet (where the straps were) so I took my shoes off.  It felt great.  I learned about barefoot running and decided to see how far I could take it.  In August 2011 I started building up to 3-4 miles and I had blisters. I read about form... a million things... high cadence, soft feet, relaxed legs, lean forward, etc... and it got better.  I could run 6-10 miles easily barefoot for a couple of years. I stopped wearing shoes.  I still got injured.  A few times I bloodied my big toes and though about putting shoes back on but even the minimalist Vibrams weren't as comfortable as being barefoot.  Even my everyday walking around shoes became uncomfortable... anything with a structured sole or the slightest heel was uncomfortable.  It wasn't that big of a deal.  I wore ballet flats and flip-flops and continued to run barefoot.

I also continued to have bad experiences.  My first half marathon was a trail race.  Filled with sticks and tiny rocks and root and slabs of rocks and more roots.  By mile 9 my feet were bruised to hell and I put on my Vibram Bikilas to finish.  It was not a fun race.  I decided to at least wear minimal shoes for trails longer than 10ks.  Trails weren't always miserable barefoot- mud and soft pine needles on dirt are actually quite wonderful to run on barefoot.  I broke in minimal shoes on the road and started running more 50% shoes and 50% barefoot.  My last half was in shoes and it felt great, physically.  I don't think they are quite the right shoes (Merrell Trail Gloves) because they give me achilles pain I don't have when barefoot but I also don't have to constantly be looking out for surface dangers that I would need to be wary of when barefoot.  I ran my 3 miler today in Vibram Bikilas and it felt pretty good.

I feel like the barefoot running community is not as upfront about the injuries that come along with it.  Sure, you probably won't have shin splints or as many knee problems and for me it was the most comfortable way to run for a long time.  But after the blister fiasco from the 8 mile run a few weeks ago I have to wonder if I'm just trading some injuries for others.  I think I will probably always do some mileage barefoot because I still enjoy it but my running goals aren't based around that anymore.  I want to go farther and faster.  I am about to start training for my first marathon- Big Sur 2014.  I'm sure I could do it barefoot; I think I might have a little more fun and achieve loftier speed goals if I put some (minimalist) shoes on. So that's what I'm doing for now.

Nike Women's Half Marathon

Sunday, I ran the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. 30,000 runners, mostly women, filled the streets of San Francisco to run half or full marathons.  This was the 10th year of the race and had about 5,000 more participants than the previous year- entry is only available via lottery because of the swanky Tiffany necklace you get in place of a medal handed to you by a San Francisco Firefighter.  The course is mildly hilly (I would have said very hilly when I first moved here from Texas but after trail running have reevaluated what I think hilly means) and runs down the Embarcadero, near Fort Mason, through Golden Gate Park and ends at the Great Highway on the Pacific Ocean.

Race morning I got up at 3:45 a.m., a little earlier than I usually have to get up for races but it started at 6:30 a.m. and because it is such a large race I wanted to make sure I parked remotely close to the starting line.  I picked up an iced latte and a bagel on the way and ended up in a parking garage a few blocks away that was nearly full over an hour before the race started.

I started the race with a few friends in the last corral, which didn't end up getting over the starting line until 45 minutes after the gun.  Unfortunately, because I was in the last corral and it was such a crowded race I ended up dodging slower runners and walkers the entire 13.1 miles.  The energy was really something special but I doubt I will be signing up for a race that large again.  I like my space! Along the course to motivate us were a full choir some time in the first 5k, many spectators with signs and even chocolate (that I didn't partake in because I was booking it) at mile 11.  This was the largest race I've ever been a part of and I was a little unused to all of the people cheering us on but it sure did help to hear the crowd at the finish line who were loudly cheering on the first place marathon finisher as I finished my half.

I came in with a time of 2:08:19, which was pretty darn good for me! I've been doing about 10:30 pace on my long runs with the longest being a 16 miler a couple of weeks before the Half.  I attribute my increased pace with trying to keep up with my running partner Courtney who kept me pushing through every mile and I even had a 7:50 pace on mile 11 (flying downhill).

Unfortunately, the finish line was insanely crowded because of a change in the land available to the race organizers and that caused me to not be able to find any of the people I came with (cell phones were not working because of how many people were trying to call out at the same time). I ended up just picking up my Tiffany necklace, shirt, drop bag and getting on the shuttles back to the starting line after an hour of trying to find anyone I knew and my phone ended up dying.

ETA: I ended up running in Merrell Trail Gloves instead of barefoot... I debated up until morning of what I was going to do but after my first half experience with an unknown course and it being an early morning race with a bit of chill in the air I put on my shoes.  I've run in them a few times including a 16 miler a couple of weeks before the race and I've also been having a couple of new "twinges" in my achilles... Coincidence?  I'm not sure but I'm definitely going to stick with bare feet for my familiar training routes.  I definitely could have done the course barefoot after seeing it but you never know.  The gravel I stood on waiting for the shuttles back to the start would not have been fun after a Half, either!

Overall, it was a great race and I was happy about my time but the sheer number of people caused a lot of logistical problems both during and after the race.  I also didn't get any course photos so I'm still on the hunt for the mythical "floating" running picture! I did get one before crossing the starting line as my corral moved towards it:

Weekly Mileage ending 9/29/13

9/26- 5 miles
9/29- 14 miles

Out for a week + Mileage ending 9/22/13

I fell on that awesome Wunderlich trail run the other day when my foot caught a root and although I ran about 2 more miles after that, I ended up taking a week off because I mildly sprained my knee on the fall.  I was limping for 4-5 days the first week and even this last week took it VERY light on the mileage. It feels fine now- no pain on short or long runs- and I hope to be back to building mileage this week.

9/17- 3 miles
9/22- 10 miles

Pictures from my run out and back over the Golden Gate Bridge yesterday: