Does this NOT look like excellent running weather? Lightning & Thunder & all?
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| From 365 |
Running again… yes, I AM a runner!
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Last time I started a training plan just as I was well established in my routine I had a terrible flare-up. It took about six months for me to get my back fixed up and I am still (as always) working on my neck & shoulders. It’s been an excuse not to run (for fear of a flareup or aggravating my already bad shoulders) or bike or swim, or… well, you get the picture. However, I want to get beyond this. I need to push through it, and I need the motivation to do it.
Whenever I feel this need for motivation I pick a goal that has some other motivating factor – in many cases it includes fundraising and raising awareness for a worthy cause – Diabetes. Now is the time. I am about to sign up to run for Team Diabetes at the Bluenose Marathon, again. This time my oldest girly wants to run for them as well. We’re going to run the 5K together. However, I need more motivation than a 5k that I can probably run untrained (I will be running at a ten year-old-who-doesn’t-train’s pace).
Conveniently though I have a team of runners that I cannot let down. We are signed up for the Cabot Trail Relay again this year, just one week after Bluenose. My leg is 17.92km, just 3.2km shy of a Half Marathon. Reality tells me that I need to train for a Half Marathon and the Bluenose will be my taper race. 🙂
Once I am signed up the momentum will begin to build and I will have the drive to get myself back in shape. It is just the way I work. I expect to be registered by Monday night. In the mean time, I need to keep on with my rehabilitative exercises and start with a SLOW build up of training to avoid a flare-up.
Today was a lovely day for my first run of 2011. It was in fact my first run since September. Fortunately one of my closest friends in this city is someone I met because of running and she is happy to help me get moving. Fortunately, I also have another friend who likes my company when running, and both are people I love spending time with. We’ll hopefully have some standing running dates set this week (hear that friends?) If things get really desperate (kidding!), I suppose I can also enlist my pseudo-hubby … 😉
It was a lightly snowing mild winter morning when we headed out for my introductory run today. It was Ang’s short run day, which worked well for me. We did a substantial warm-up walk of 20 minutes, ran 3km, then the same 20 minutes walking to cool-down. It was perfect winter running weather. The sidewalks were clear, and there were runners everywhere! I felt like I was/AM a runner again. 🙂
Rum Runners Relay 2010 – Leg 5 (or return of the mojo)
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For those who do not know, the Rum Runners Relay is a ten stage relay race starting in Halifax, NS, traveling along the South West Shore to Lunenburg, NS, where teams of ten runners (usually) each take turns running a “leg” (or stage). The legs are selected in advance by the team. All of these stages are very scenic and they vary in difficulty as well as distance. I was part of Team 16: RunningMania.com Long story short, due to nagging back pain I switched from my planned second shortest (8km) leg of the race to “the short leg” (3.9km), thanks to a very flexible friend.
I was in no way motivated to run this race, my back pain had prevented me from continuing my training for the last 4 weeks. In fact I considered dropping out (Ian would have readily and easily run the leg for me in addition to his own). I actually ran because it was our anniversary.
We’ve been celebrating our anniversary at Rum Runners Relay Race every year (except last year, when I spent the day with my sister who was visiting from BC, while I recovered slowly and poorly from an injury). Technically Ian & met online, and we met in person on the day that we did because Ian was going to run with our relay team and he needed to sign the team waiver. We went out for supper and a walk along the harbourfront and hit it off. This year it was kind of special. The anniversary of the day we met fell on the day of the race. I felt I just couldn’t miss it. I think if we ever do decide to have some sort of a ceremony, it will have to be tied in with the relay. 😀
I was pretty sure I could run the 3.9km leg without much trouble. I was more concerned about how my back would handle all of the time in the car. At the last minute we decided to take our own car, rather than car pool so that I could leave after my run, if need be. I felt pretty good in the morning and we managed to get to the race course during my previously scheduled leg and cheer on my good friend.
Leg 4 ends and leg 5 begins at one of my favourite beaches (Queensland). This summer our family had spent several beach days there body surfing. My run starts along the road following the beach then turns up onto the secondary highway that most of the race course follows. It then takes a little detour through a beautiful neighborhood, has a few rolling hills, with a relatively steep climb before ending with a sharp turn downhill to the Hubbards public wharf.
The only real negative for me with this switcheroo was that it meant I couldn’t do my customary swim in the Atlantic Ocean at Queensland. I just couldn’t see getting all cold and covered in salt water before running, and I couldn’t go back and swim after because Ian needed to get to his start (leg 7). It would have been a great day for a cool fall Atlantic Ocean swim, and one of my team-mates made up for it, by diving in when he finished leg 4.
Prepped and waiting for my start (accompanied by Ian)
Photo credit: Mike M
The run went much better than I’d expected. The lower back pain went away while I ran, but moved to my shoulder and ribs. By the time I finished it had all sort of worked itself out. My only goal was to run just a little faster than my training pace has been. After 4 weeks of not running I wasn’t sure how that would go. As it turned out, it was not a problem. But I was really feeling it when I made the final climb before turning into the downhill finishing chute.
Leg 5 start: Queensland Beach road
Photo credit: Ian M
That downhill was one of my favourite race finishes ever. I’m always afraid to over do it when taking advantage of gravity mid-race, but this was the end and I just let myself go with the pull of gravity! It was so much fun to whip past (at least) 4 runners who’d been ahead of me (perhaps all had passed me at some point). The reaction of the woman who was just meters from the finish line was priceless, she just didn’t see/hear me coming. And the only person I know who witnessed it was Mark, the race announcer. None of my team were able to get to the finish before me because it’s such a short leg and they got caught up in a little detour. I wandered around cooling down and stretching for several minutes before they all arrived. They seemed to still be expecting me to cross the finish line when I found them. 🙂
The rest of the day was your typical Rum Runners fun-filled cheering, eating and air-guitar.
Air Guitar
Photo credit: Ian L
The best part about it, I am feeling motivated, inspired and determined to make a conservative/cautious fitness routine work for me. I got my mojo back!
Happy Anniversary Sweety! 😀
Fall Running & Back to Cool
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With the exit of Hurricane Earl has come the cooler and drier fall air in short order.
Fall is my favorite time of year. It is also my favourite season for running. I love the changes. I love the change in the air from how it feels so cool & crisp to the smell of everything. I love the change in colours of everything around me. I love the crisp leaves crunching under foot. And I love the change from sleeveless and shorts to pants and long sleeves.
However, this is the second summer that I’ve felt summer wasn’t long enough. Last year we were just royally ripped off, with summer weather starting and ending (other than a one-off day here and there) way back in May. This summer has been fabulous in all respects. The weather has been out of this word straight through, and I had just graduated from my professional degree, begun my new job and reduced my working hours from a full-time job, plus school, to a 3 day/week job in my field of study. 4 day weekends, all summer long, plus vacation time – it’s been a dream.
The relaxing pace of summer was just what I needed on top of it all to rejuvenate and make up for some lost time with my children. However, I found as summer was coming to an end, that I still wasn’t looking forward to Autumn, my favourite season. I didn’t want the girlies to return to school, nor did I want the busy fall schedules to start. Yet here we are. The first day of school under our belt, and one of the many after school activities already begun.
It didn’t help that the summer weather was hanging on. setting records, and reaching the highest temperatures of the year, just as we were to let it all go.
About 4 weeks ago I decided that I needed to establish a manageable and sustainable fitness routine before everything else wound back up. Running has been my favourite means of exercise for nearly five years now. However, it’s been a constant struggle of two steps forward one step back, then two steps backward, one step backward, forcing me into a constant state of trying to get back on track. Fibromyalgia and the sleep problems that coincide present additional challenges, and it’s hard for my brain to forget the easier fitter days of my youth, (prior to letting myself go for nearly a decade).
But, I digress.
Just as I had gotten into a groove with a new routine of running first thing in the mornings, with plans to continue getting up before the rest of the family and get my workout in before getting everyone off to school and work, my back started spasming. For more than a week now I have nursed it, and it’s still not quite “right”. Now that Earl has cleared the air and autumn seems to be on its way, I am looking forward to getting back on track this week.
Running Cut-back Week
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Today is the first evening in a week that the house temperature has dropped below 26 celcius INSIDE. Not only that but it’s happened while I was still awake to witness it. We have Earl to think for this. We’re currently at 23c (and dropping?).
This realization got me thinking about what else hasn’t happened in a week. I have not been without back pain – in a week. It is really discouraging that every time I get past that 2-3 week hump in establishing a new fitness routine, it seems to happen yet again, a road block. Just as I am feeling successful and excited and beginning to note progress in my abilities, on slam the brakes! The only good thing about the heat wave and the back pain coinciding is that I haven’t been out running in the 40 celcius humidex.
Today I thought my back pain was gone, but decided to wait before making the decision to head out for a run, within a couple of hours I could feel the strain and twinging once again, this time with far less intensity than earlier in the week. So I took another rest, choosing to make swimming a priority as soon as the girlies returned home from school. With the heat at its highest point of the week it was certainly a welcome option.
The lake was the busiest I’d seen it all summer, and here we are September, coming up on Labour Day – the lifeguards are no longer on duty. As soon as my spouse arrived on his way home from work (and could supervise our lot) I headed for the open water, away from all the crazy kids who’d arrived directly off of the school bus. I would have liked to make a second loop, but one of the girlies was having issues that needed to be headed off, so a medium intensity 400ish meter swim was the extent of today’s workout. Tomorrow may be a write-off, unless we have power and my back feels well enough for a treadmill run – I won’t be heading outside in Hurricane/Tropical Storm winds and rains, and I am pretty sure my back will not go for a bike ride, even indoors on the trainer.
Usually at about this time in the cycle I get completely discouraged and feel like I’m back to square one. Not this time. I was consistent and stuck with the plan well enough that I KNOW it will work. After discussing the frustration with my Osteopath he assured me that it’s just a part of starting back up, and that it’s a good sign that my back is feeling significantly better within a week. He did not discourage me from getting back out there, in fact I felt like I had done all the right things for once. So, as soon as I feel ready I’ll be back out there following the same plan, as it turns out my body gave me a forced cut-back week. Not such a bad thing, considering I hadn’t actually figured out that part of the plan yet. 😉
Dedicated supporter & My fitness/training plan
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I am so fortunate to have tremendous support when it comes to bettering my life, in almost any way. If I want to become more learned, he’s behind me. If I need to follow a crazy strict sleep schedule to combat insomnia, he’s behind me. If I want to make more time for my children, he’s behind me. If I want to spend more time with family or friends, he’s behind me. Lately, his support has been focused on helping me get into a regular daily morning exercise routine. So much that he thought he’d rally the troops, by asking my mom for a favour… for her to push my butt out the door on Thursday while I’m at their place… little did he know, it’s a scheduled rest day. 😉
Tomorrow after work I’m heading to my parents (some other big supporters) where my children have been visiting since Sunday. I haven’t seen my girlies, except for a three hour visit on Sunday afternoon. In three weeks (less two days). I miss them, so I’m taking the first chance I’ve got to get to them. I’ll stay overnight and have a nice relaxing visit with mom & dad, then return to the big city (& home) on Thursday morning.
Part of my planning involved the consideration of my fitness routine. And I’ll admit I wasn’t at all disappointed that it would work out that Thursday is a rest day. Of course, I haven’t fully briefed himself on my plan, as it is a work in progress. Since I am prone to fibromyalgia flare-ups, and often overdo it (what seems reasonable for everyone else, often feels fine in the moment, but is a killer for me in the immediate aftermath) I want to be extra careful. I also have a nagging ankle injury that will never entirely be back to normal.
So, I started off a couple of weeks ago with a plan to run 30 minutes (my limit from my physio/osteopath) every morning before work (and the same time every day that I’m not working – to establish a sustainable routine), I didn’t want to give myself an easy out (but in the back of mind mind I was thinking 1-2 rest days/week would be reasonable). However, I don’t want to allow myself to just skip a workout because I found an excuse not to go.
After a few days, my ankle started hurting – so the plan was altered to include rest days when my body tells me I need them. Then I decided to try substituting some cross training once in a while to help prevent the problem while still maintaining the routine. What seems to be working for my body right now, is no more than 2 days in a row of running. And one rest day/week to rest & repair longer than the 24 hrs. It’s all experimental, so I’ve been working through most of this in my head.
The current “training plan”: run 2 days, ride 1, run 2 days, rest 1, run 2 days, ride 1, run 2 days, rest 1, etc. Most weeks I will workout 6 out of 7 days, occasionally the cycle will allow 2 rest days in a week – which allows for a cut-back week.
I know eventually I will need to change things up a bit to make it interesting, but for now the current challenge is to establish the consistent routine of early morning workouts. Since 30 mins seems to be a reasonable limit for me, I thought rather than attempt to increase the length of time I would gradually increase the intensity, as my fitness level improves. When I’m ready to attempt long runs again, I will have a good solid base of weekly mileage to start with.
I won’t run if it hurts me, but I have a plan now that I am going to stick with.
To get back to himself. I am so thankful that he’s thinking about me and that he’s got my back. Hopefully we’re both on the same page of the training plan again. 🙂
Eye on the Prize ~ Reflecting on life as a single mom
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When I first became a single mom, I turned to running to maintain my sanity. Single parenting has been a lot like endurance sport training. I must pace myself, sustain myself, take cut-back weeks and most of all, keep my eye on the prize.
How do I pace myself at this? Sick kids, challenging behaviours, overwhelming sense of responsibility. Something I continue to learn about: not taking on too much, not in the things I choose to do, nor the emotional sense. Just as training plans sometimes call for something beyond my current limits, so too does life. What then? How do I keep on moving? There are times, when I simply have to grin and bear it, but for others I must learn to say no. Perhaps it’s saying no to that playdate arranged last week, or giving myself permission to serve PB sandwiches for supper. Perhaps it’s a much needed soak in the tub while my children watch more TV than usual, or letting go of the guilt when the boyfriend sneaks in after bedtime.
Sustenance comes in many forms. Balanced meals, nutritious snacks, and tide-me-over-fuel-to-go-the- extra-mile energy drinks. But there are also recovery workouts when I take it easy but keep my muscles moving to prevent them from seizing up. I needed to figure out what sustains me, especially mentally and emotionally. For me it is literally running out the door away from it all to focus on no one but myself. It’s rarely easy. Sometimes I have had to sneak minutes (and even a little “crosstraining”) here and there. I had to learn to ask for and accept help when I needed it.
Taking cut-back weeks have been challenging. There is a fear of losing ground. But studies have shown that athletes are much better off when they take them, than when they don’t. In parenting it means, I try say no to some of the regular activities and demands. To make a conscious effort to be less busy for one week out of four. No playdates, no favours for friends, no stressing over bills, no arguing with the ex, no, no and no. This is one that I am often less successful at.
Keeping my eye on the prize can be the most challenging part. I am no elite athlete. But I will finish, and in a goal time that I have realistically set to challenge myself. As a single mom, my prize is a little harder to quantify, but is so much more rewarding. It’s the smiles and hugs from the two who love me unconditionally no matter how much I mess up. The ones who know that whatever I bring, is the best I have to offer in the moment, and is everything they need. And sometimes it’s in the secret rendezvous. 😉
Team Diabetes Bluenose 10k
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Just over 6 weeks earlier, I had finished the very last of my school obligations, and decided that since I had a little time on my hands and needed the motivation to get off my butt for some more regular exercise, I may as well sign up for Team Diabetes to run the 10K at the Bluenose Marathon. The fundraising deadline was just 30 days away, but I was certain I could raise $500 in 30 days, in fact I did it in just over 2 weeks! I have raised a total of $555, so far – and can still collect more if anyone missed their chance to donate before the race.
Training was still tough. My ankle will never be the same, and most weeks that I ran consistently at least 2 days, cycle-commuting 1 other, I felt it in my ankle afterwards. It swelled and it ached, but it rarely gave me any pain while I ran, and I really do love running, so I did what I could. I’d built up form a limit of 20 mins/run, to about 45 mins, or 6.5+km. I also walked additional time, so that my longest distance on my feet accumulative, the week before the race, was 8km.
The day before I jog/speed walked with Payten as both girlies ran the Youth Run, a 4.2km event with more than 2800 kids participating. This event was a blast. I was so proud of my girlies for doing so fantastic and I woke up on my race day felling like I’d already run my race. I wasn’t feel motivated, and with a lack of sleep the previous week due to insomnia clinic changes to my routine I was seriously tempted to DNS.
However, I was confident leading up to the event that I could finish 10km within a reasonable timeframe. While I went into the race with no time goal whatsoever, there was a little voice saying go for one hour, and an even smaller voice saying, hey wouldn’t it be amazing to pull a PB out of your @$$ ?? I didn’t PB ( My PB was just under the hour), but it was a slightly tougher course and I wasn’t far off in the end.
DVH, a buddy of Ian’s was visiting from SJ’s for the long weekend and had registered for the 10k, hoping to run with Ian who was pacing a 55min. finish. He didn’t get the training in that he’d hoped, and wasn’t sure what he’d do after all. I’d told him he was welcome to run with me if he felt so inclined, I knew my own limits and with the little devil-voice firmly pushed under, I planned to push it without hurting myself. As it turned out, we ran together for almost the entire race, a little chitchat, a little time to enjoy the view, and a little discussion of heart rates and pace.
At about the 8km mark my body was telling me “Woa! You haven’t pushed us this far, or this hard for an eternity! Are you sure you want to do this?” I let myself take a couple of walk breaks when another part of me was saying, just push through it – you can do it! The twinges in the knee were enough excuse for me, and who knows without those walk breaks early on, I may have been crawling through the finish. In the last 700m it was all I could do to keep pushing through. I kept hearing this other evil voice in my head saying, you COULD just walk it in! I was determined that I could make it and that I would do it running, but when I finished I had nothing extra left in me, not even the slightest sprint. I was confident that at 1:04:21 chip time, I had run as hard as I safely could.
Thanks to Caro, the girlies got to come out and cheer once again. They seem to be really getting into the whole road race lifestyle.
But the best news of the weekend was when I suggested to the director of Team Diabetes that they really ought to include some youth events (I just know Breanna would eat that up) and he told me that they are in the works for next year, including the Bluenose! As it turns out Breanna has already decided she can handle a 5k anyway, so we’ll be signing up for more Team D events in the near future. 🙂
