Redemption MP 4/27/18

Training is mostly very much about your mental state. Yesterday, I expected my quad to feel good when I stepped on the TM. When it didn't, I talked myself into an almost hysteria. Mental fear gripped me. The fear that I had trained for months and might not get to the start line AGAIN! I really felt like I could pass out during the run. When I got back to the house, my son asked me if I had used positive self talk. I told him that positive self talk was the furthest thing from what I was doing. He advised me to tell myself that I was a beast.

So, this morning I was determined. It didn't matter if the leg hurt or didn't hurt, I was running, and I was going to run at MP pace. If necessary, I was going to actually use the words, "I am a beast." That isn't usually my preferred mantra, but I was desperate.

When I got on the TM, my quad just didn't hurt very much. I could feel a twinge of confidence, and I grabbed it. The run was successful, but my leg hurt a great deal after.

I haven't mentioned much about this yet in this log, but I think that I have a hernia. It doesn't hurt, so I am hoping to completely put it on the back burner until June 1st.

Failed MP 4/26/2018

I tried to do my MP run this morning and I just failed. It all started when I got on the treadmill. I expected my leg to feel great, but they didn't. I started to get upset, but instead of talking myself down, I just let the anxiety build. When I went out to run, I started thinking about my leg and the probable hernia that I have and the months of training that I have done. I got so distracted with negative self talk that I missed my turn. I jogged down a short hill before I realized that I was going the wrong way. When I figured it out, I went way too fast up the hill. I started breathing hard, sweating and getting nauseous. I stopped to catch my breath and calm down, but I didn't have the will to start up again. I just walked home.

I will try and run this afternoon and run the MP tomorrow.

Tuesday, 4/24/18

I made a decision, on Saturday, to take a few days off from training. My run on Saturday was difficult. I couldn't imagine my quad taking me 17 or 18 miles on Sunday. I think if I keep pushing, I'm going to find myself seriously compromised. I'm not running again until Thursday. I'll be concentrate on recovery for the next few days. I'd rather lose 4 days and actually run the marathon, than keep pushing and be out completely.  Hopefully, a little rest gets me back on track.

Pineapple-Orange Juice

I have been doing my hip exercises faithfully, and juicing every day. I usually don't juice fruits, but pineapples are an excellent anti-inflammatory foods, so I've been juicing a lot of pineapples lately. The juice is green in the pic, because I juiced the peel, too. If you juice the peel of a pineapple, be sure to use some kind of veggie soap to wash the peel. Pineapple peels hold onto bacteria. You can also make a tea out of the peels.

Neverwear Challenge Part I

I love Skirt Sports, but I never thought that I would buy the Tough Girl skirt. I wasn't sure about the bootcut leg. I just happen to come across a great deal, so I took the plunge.

The best thing about tough girl is the quality of the tights. They feel great! they are perfect for working out with a kettle-bell or doing errands. The skirt is a good length, too. I'm going to get a lot of use out of this versatile skirt.

If you would like to try a Tough Girl, now is a great time. Skirt Sports is having its semi-annual thank you sale. Use TAKE10 for $10 off a $50 purchase. This can be combined with code SHARE15 for 15% off, as well. This offer expires on April 24th.

 After the thankyou codes expire, feel free to use my discount code 825Sign for 15% off.

Neverwear Challenge Part II

If you would like to try a Tough Girl, now is a great time. Skirt Sports is having its semi-annual thank you sale. Use TAKE10 for $10 off a $50 purchase. This can be combined with code SHARE15 for 15% off, as well. This offer expires on April 24th.

 After the thankyou codes expire, feel free to use my discount code 825Sign for 15% off.

Marathon Pace Friday, 4/20/2018

Yesterday was a good MP I was hobbling the rest of the day.

Marathon Pace Run

MToday, I woke up with poison oak rash on my arm and a weird lump on my abdomen. I was sure that I had a hernia, but I was able to get in to see the doctor. He said that it wasn't a hernia, but a swollen gland. Humm...I hope he is right.  No running today.

Challenging Tuesday, 4/18/2018

Trouble is brewing, but I'm on it. My right quadricep is compromised in some way. It hurts just about all the time. I’m working on some rehab. My left foot is giving me some trouble, too. I took yesterday off to try and facilitate some healing. This morning I was supposed to do some strength work at MP-10, but, believe it or not, my watch wasn’t charged. I ended up running easy. As I was walking out the house, I was having trouble putting me key in my pocket. I realized my tights were on inside out. I changed the tights and went back out to realize that I only had one glove on. Really... Tomorrow is a SRD. Thursday, I'm coming back fresh.

I am constantly managing foot problems, especially on my right foot, and I've tweaked my foot rolling technique, recently. Here is a demonstration.

Depression Monday, 4/16/2018

Well, I am encountering problems. My right quadricep is hurting (high-near the hip flexor) and my left foot hurts (toes). I’m working on it and trying not to get discouraged about it.
I wanted to do a double today, but I figured with everything hurting, it probably wasn’t the best idea. I didn't run again, and my kids were clearly disappointed.  Good grief, give me a break, right.

Happy Memories
Skirt Sports ambassadors have a challenge to share a race pic. I love this pic, because I ran it with a good friend, and we were happy and excited. I think that it is ridiculous that we didn’t figure out that the porta potties were our backdrop...lol

Long Run Sunday 4/15/2018

Last week's mileage was terrible, but yesterday was lots of fun.  The family went hiking and we had a great time. It was a fun drive with lots of water crossings.

The hike itself had lots of boulder hopping too. It was a great time.

Today was a long run, and it was rough. My right quad is hurting. People often question my dedication to training during times like these. I run for several different reasons, but I train hard really for only one reason. I have a competitive spirit. I didn't know that about myself until I started running as an adult. I never played sports as a kid, and I don't feel competitive when it comes to games. I like competing, and you can't win unless you train hard. I honestly never knew that about myself.

When it comes to working out, that is something I have to do. I have known since being a small child that I have a problem with anxiety. Even when I don't feel nervous, anxiety causes physical symptoms. I found out early that working out helps me deal with anxiety. When I was in high school, aerobics classes were coming into their own. I went to one class and I knew that I had to do it. I felt better, and I put it all together, that working out eased my anxiety symptoms. If I stop running, I'll have to do something else.

Marathon Pace Thursday 4/12/2018

Last week was a 85 mile week, but the miles and the race took its toll. I had to take Sunday off. I was really sore, and I probably needed a mental break. I had to really bring it in order to reach 85 miles last week.

At the end of the 25k, I realized that instead of a PR mileage week of 82, I was pretty close to 85. I ran to the parking-lot in  order to get as many miles as I could muster. There was no internet connection on the Ranch, so on my way home I stopped the car and uploaded my last few runs to see if I had made it. I had run 84.8. I had no choice. After all I had been through that day, I was going to get that last half of lap. I had two problems. My feet were wrinkled prunes. My water-proof socks had filled up with water, so each foot had its own personal swimming pool for 4 hours. Second, my legs hurt. They legitimately hurt with each step. I pulled into a neighborhood and pulled over. I put on some dry shoes with no socks and hobbled up and down the street. Mission accomplished, thank goodness.

The next day (Sunday), I was very sore, so I took the day off from running.

Monday 4/9/2018
Monday, I was still extremely sore. I ran ten miles at an excruciating snail's pace.  I say excruciating, because everything hurt. I thought that I would run 12 when I set out, but there was no way. The only reason I ran 10 was, when I finally accepted how bad my body was hurting, there was no way to get home. If I would have had my phone, I would have called my husband to come get me. I did some stretching and used the roller. It was a painful, unpleasant day of training.

Tuesday 4/10/2018
I was up late the day before, so when my alarm rang, I didn't get up. I was also gun shy from yesterday's fiasco of a training day. By the afternoon, my foot was hurting a little. I decided to take another rest day.

Wednesday 4/11/2018
Wednesday is my scheduled rest day. I don't want to take any chances with this foot, so I gave it one more rest day.

Thursday 4/12/2018
I know that body needed some time off after that race. I was back at it today with a 9 mile MP run. It was tough, as usual, but I ran the perfect MP on a hilly course with a tiny bit of a headwind.

As for SOS runs, I'm down a strength run for the week. I'm hoping to fit it in on Saturday.

I wanted to run a double today, but my body is so sore! My mileage is going to suck this week.

Skirt Sports Challenge
You know I love Skirt Sports, and I love challenge, but this dag-gone poetry challenge is hard! The lioness is one of my favorite skirt. I'm wearing it at the top of the blog. Here is my "Ode to the Lioness."

Lovely legs stretch
Ice bags packed
Occasional chases
No time to be wasted
Early trials prove
Spectacular races
Sore legs, but happy faces

If you would like to try the lioness, feel free to use my discount code. It provides 15% off any full priced item. The code is 825Sign.

Tar Springs Ranch 25K, 4/7/2018

5:00 AM wake-up. Breakfast consisted of a sugar covered sweet potato. I tried something different for race nutrition. I mixed some Ucan and put it in a plastic bag to have during the race.  I also brought tailwind in my handheld. The RD sent out a an email yesterday saying that the race was cupless. That was new to me. Cupless is so irritating when I haven't planned for it. I made a raincoat out of a plastic bag so that I wouldn't get too wet before the race. I wore some old shoes and packed the shoes that I planned on wearing for the race.

The drive up to the race was spectacular! It wasn't raining too much and the hills were amazing. When I go to the Ranch, I realized that there was no cell coverage. That was going to be a problem because, my husband was going to meet me there after the event. I told him that I would text him when it was over, probably around 11. I was expecting to run about 2 1/2 hours.

Everything went smoothly. Packet pickup was a breeze.  I got some socks and a shirt that I needed to put in my car. When I got to the car, the rain picked up a little, so I put on my rain jacket and my garbage bag on top of that.  I didn't plan on running with the garbage bag, but I planned to wear it up until the race start.  There were few instructions before the on-time start.  We were warned that there was a lot of poison oak on both sides of the trail, and off we went.

Tar Springs 25K Course Pics

This race started out great. The rain was steady, but light and the beauty was overwhelming. The thickness of the mud and the rain steadily increased. At one point, after an incredible climb, there was a DJ, a dance floor and a dancing dinosaur that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Dino on the dance floor

That was the demarcation point. After the dancing dino, the race started seeming like work. The mud was sticking to my shoes. The rain got harder and what seemed like a fog descended, so I could no longer see the hills. The mud got thicker, and the rain got harder.

Muddy Conditions

I'm a competitive road racer, but I'm not a competitive trail runner. I walk the downhills whereas most people pick up speed on the downhills. That kind of racing strategy is no way to compete, but I don't have a lot of confidence in my balance under ideal circumstances. Some people did a half slide down the hills on purpose. That surely wasn't going to be my strategy. We were surrounded by poison oak. The trail was just slop, so it was slow going for me. Also, my waterproof socks had filled up with water, so each foot was submerged in its own personal swimming pool.
All of the racers started trying to distract themselves by talking and helping each other. We were racing, but we were in it together. By the end of the race, I just wanted it to be over. I had had it with the rain, mud and elevation.

Elevation Profile of Tar Springs Ranch 25K

Relive 'Morning Apr 7th'

There was a band, tacos and beer at the finish, but I knew my husband would be worried. I told my husband that I would call him at 11:00 and it was 1:00. Besides that, I was really ready to be done, so I left pretty quickly.

My final thoughts about this race is that it was top notch. The parking was easy. The aid stations were fully stocked. The course was accurately marked. There were actually porta potties at a couple of the aid stations. The after-party was good. After I recover a little, I would probably do it again.

Celebrating a few hours later!

Easy Friday, 4/6/2018

Training was light today. I have a half marathon tomorrow, so I dialed it back with an easy 7 Honestly, it was tough. I didn't want to run. I have been working toward this goal of an 80 mile week. It is within reach, but this slow run was not at all what I wanted. My legs were heavy. Frankly, it was a bit miserable. Everyday can't be fantastic. It's done and unless I fall off a cliff, I'll hit 80 miles tomorrow.

In a couple of hours, I'm going to packet pick-up, so I may post again today.

Fueled By Positivity Recommendation
I'm not sure of the future of Skirt Sports Fueled by Positivy segments on SportTv, but I have enjoyed them. I have one more recommendation for you. It is the the Feb. 12, 2018 Episode: How to Live a More Optimistic Life with Dr James Rouse. The best thing that I got from this episode is the notion that optimism is anti-inflammatory. As a runner, I take turmeric and eat pineapples. I always looking  to reduce inflammation. It turns out that optimism not only makes you feel good emotionally, but also, physically, in specific ways. Dr. Rouse gives specific suggestions for increasing optimism. About 2/3 into the episode,  Dr. Rouse talks about Skoop, his brand of nutritional supplementation. I have never used Skoop, so I can't provide any additional about the product.

Fueled by Positivity Marathon Pace Thursday, 4/5/2018

Today's Training

Today's training was a beast. I ran 8 at marathon pace with some serious hills, and then 8 easy. Including warm-up, I ran a total of 16.65 miles. The MP run was very difficult. I was running against a headwind for the entire time, and I probably started a little dehydrated. I had Ucan before I started, but I carried an empty handheld that I could fill up after the MP portion, so no water during the run. The 8 easy were extremely difficult. I stopped something like 5 times to give myself a pep talk. I'm at the 60 mile mark for the week and honestly, I'm exhausted.

I lost my super expensive Oakley Commit sunglasses. I bought a cheap pair of Goodr. I can't lie. No matter what anyone says, they don't perform as well as my Oakley's, but they were close. During an easy run, I'm sure they will be just as good.

During the second half of the run, my legs had an overall pain. It felt like the pain you get all over near the end of marathon. The pain wasn't localized. There was no particular injury, just general pain.
My legs are truly unhappy with me. I've got twenty miles to go, including a half this week, so I've got some rehab to do. I soaked in the spa, used the compression unit and used my new roller. I haven't mentioned my medical grade compression unit that I bought off ebay, but I'll get to that soon.

Fueled by Positivity Episode Recommendation

I've recommended a few Fueled by Positivity Episodes, but I think the episode titled Why We Run is my favorite thus far. What I like about the episode is that is isn't deep and theoretical. It is practical. In this episode, people talk about why they run and truths about runners. Nicole said that she started running, because it was the only sport open to her in 6th grade. One of the things that I love about running is that running is sometimes challenging. It is sometimes easy, but if you get out the house, you are a runner. Anyone can run and even compete at the age of 10 or 85. It is a great sport!

#24 Skirt Rest Day Wednesday, 4/4/2018

Today is a rest day for me.  I need it! So, I figure that it is a good time for a Skirt Sports challenge.


#24Skirt Challenge

I really do love my Lotta Breeze Capris. I can wear them to workout, and to do errands. I actually wore the first outfit to work on a casual day.

Lotta Breeze Capri

If you decide to make a purchase from Skirt Sports, feel free to use my discount code: 825Sign for 15% off full priced items.

Hansons Strength Intervals Tuesday, 4/3/2018

I had a good run today, but I am tired, and I have a dehydration headache. I started with 7 miles of MP-10 intervals. I did a 1/2 mile warm-up on the TM and headed out for intervals. The first was 2 miles. I ran it too fast, but with so many hills its is difficult to judge. It should have been at 7:43, but I ran it at 7:34. The first recovery was 1/2 mile. The next interval was 2.75 miles. I ran it at 7:40, and I only took 1/4 mile recovery, because I was ready to get it over with. The last interval was 1.5 miles at 7:42. I only had an 8 oz. handheld with me. I would normally stop at a water fountain, fill up, etc, but I was running late for an appointment.  I did the 8 easy home without water or any nutrition. The last 3-4 miles were rough. I've run 44 miles the last three days. I'm pooped and so... ready for a rest day.

Mod Quad Skirt Sports Review Part 1

I bought my sister, Lisa, a the Skirt Sports Mod Quad for Christmas. She was skeptical, but she agreed to write a review after she tried it out. The review she wrote follows.

This was my first time trying a skirt for working out, and I liked it a lot.  I usually where capris when I teach dance fitness classes because they are full coverage and the most flattering for my shape, but I got this skirt as a gift and decided to give it a shot.  I found it to be more comfortable than capris which is a big plus.  I also love the pockets, especially the hidden one on the shorts.  With this skirt it is very easy to move in every direction, it is a great length for me and it helps me to stay a bit cooler than with capris or leggings.  The only thing I would improve on is the sizing.  I would love more exact sizing rather that small, medium, large, etc.  This skirt was just a tad bit tight through the hips and large in the waist.  The drawstring did help but it is not perfect for someone with a small waist and big hips.  Despite this, I do love the skirt and think it will get plenty of use.

If you are interested in the Mod Quad or any other Skirt Sports product, feel free to use my discount code: 825Sign.

Mod Quad Review Part 2

Mod Quad Skirt Sports Review

If you are interested in the Mod Quad or any other Skirt Sports product, feel free to use my discount code: 825Sign.

Recovery Monday, 4/2/2018

Even though I kept having to make up runs and I always seemed behind, I ended March with good mileage. I ran 266 miles, and I did all of my SOS runs.

Yesterday, I had to wake up very early to get my long run in. I ran 18 miles. My legs felt incredibly heavy. I ran very slow, and there was little fun to be had. I don't know what the problem was. Later that day, we all went hiking and I felt fine.

Hiking

I almost missed this guy in the tree. I think that it is a California Whipsnake (striped racer). I know little about identifying snakes, so I could be wrong. The only snake that I can identify is a rattle snake. I'm not particularly afraid of snakes, but I don't like them a whole lot either.

Today was a recovery run. I ran 11 miles very slowly. this should be my peak week in mileage. We'll see how it goes.

Neverdo Skirt Sports Challenge

Skirtsports always offers challenges for ambassadors. Some of these challenges celebrate life and overcoming obstacles. The neverdo challenge is one of those.

This is my last neverdo challenge, and I have saved the best for last. My never do activity is parasailing. To start, I am afraid of heights. My fear isn't completely debilitating, but it can be a real hassle to everyone around me. If we are hiking and I am high up, it isn't necessarily a problem. However, if we are close to the edge, it a whole different story. I get so scared that I shake. The last thing anyone needs when they are on the side of a mountain if to shutter in fear. Most of the time I can accomplish whatever needs to be done, but it takes time and patience on everyone's part. My fear is usually directly proportioned to the likelihood of death if I should fall. When I planned the parasailing trip (which my kids begged for), I knew I would be afraid, but I thought that I would be OK, because I didn' t think that I would fear falling.

Parasailing

When we got on the boat and I saw what was actually happening, my guts twisted. It had nothing to do with a logical fear of falling. I was just terrified for no apparent reason. I can't give words to describe how scared I felt. If I were alone, or it was just me and my husband, there was no way that I would have done it. I was paired with my 11 year old son. He didn't weigh enough to ride alone. If I didn't go, he couldn't go. I just had to do. To make it worse, the employees on the boat had fun by invoking fear in the passengers. By the time our turn came, I was silently holding back tears.

I can happily announce that my fears were completely unfounded. Parasailing is peaceful, relaxing, fun and UN-scary. It was a great experience. If I ever get an opportunity to do it again, I'll jump on it.

Parasailing

I have really enjoyed the Skirtsports neverdo challenge. If you are shopping at Skirtsports, feel free to use my discount code for 15% off full priced items: 825Sign.