Happy Turkey Day!

Rich and I got our run on this morning at the Waynesboro YMCA Turkey Trot.  I realized after running that if I actually did some training, you know more than just two weeks, I could actually win some small races.  And, if Rich did any training at all it would be a miracle.  I'm not sure he has run since last year's Turkey Trot, but at least he got out there and ran the entire race:)

This year there were over 300 participants and the weather was a tad warmer than last year!  It was nice to actually have people there that we knew this year; Leighton and Laura, friends from the gym, were there as well.  Laura didn't run, thankfully!  She would have smoked me:)  Leighton is also quite the running beast, but he ran with Laura's 9 year old son so I didn't have to worry about him passing me.

I don't even want to talk about the end of the race...I was trotting along with my earbuds in and didn't even hear the woman who beat me sneak up and pass me at the last second.  Her time was 22:53.  Seriously?!  I am still pissed.

2012 Waynesboro YMCA Turkey Trot Results:
Dana - 22:54, 2nd in 30-39  division, 8th overall female
Rich - 32:17, 12th in 30-39 division 

A rare sight....Rich running

Finished!

Rich, Me, Leighton

Happy Halloween, Y'all!

Make sure you hit the gym hard today!  I did a few really light shoulder/chest exercises and then ran 2.5 miles on a .5 incline.  I did two fairly fast miles after the warm up in 15 minutes.  Somehow I've got to get some speed work into my training before the Turkey Trot!

This fricken strained quad is still strained...6 weeks later. Ugh.  We had our last regular season soccer game on Sunday and although I warmed up quite a bit and stretched all it took was one full out sprint for it to seize back up.  So annoying and painful!  I've been using heat, Advil, and doing lots of stretching.  I'm hoping that all of this pays off before the first round of our playoffs this weekend!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

IT IS ON

Training, that is.  The stitches are out and I have the okay to start doing some very light lifting.  I have to pay attention to my body and take it slow, but I am getting my mojo back:)

So, here's to throwing out the Whole Life Challenge and the craziness of trying to get as lean as possible....and on to growing time.  I know that I can't lift heavy anytime soon, but I'm going to work my way up so that I can add some size over the winter.

Why throw out the Whole Life Challenge?  I just wasn't that in to it.  I do like the idea of staying away from most grains and dairy and I'll continue to do that, but the more strict things became the more I wanted to eat things that I normally don't even crave.  It just wasn't healthy for me.  I'd rather stick to a 85% clean diet and keep a fair amount of carbs so that I feel strong and I can grow.  Add into the mix that I ate whatever I wanted after surgery and just got into that downhill spiral of being depressed because I couldn't lift... Just not the right time for me to lean out.

I'm also incorporating more running so that I can hopefully PR at the Turkey Trot this year.  I had a great time last year, so this is going to be a challenge especially since I haven't trained much.   Lord knows, when I am running my appetite is a nasty beast.  Take away carbs and I'd be miserable to be around.

Sweet Recovery

After last weekend's 10k and first soccer game my legs were tore down.  Basically everything from my ribcage down felt like it had been stretched, pulled, tweaked and burned out.  It was brutal.  How do you even get knots in your quads?

Luckily I broke out the compression sleeves immediately after the run and wore them the rest of the day to prepare for soccer.  I continued wearing them on and off for a couple of days and I swear they work better than just about anything.  Along with popping some ibuprofen, I also wore out my foam roller.  I rolled everything from those knots in my quads to the fronts of my shins and I'd be lying if there weren't tears involved.  It is oh so worth the pain to work out the acid and knots.

I took most of these week fairly easy.  I wasn't worth a darn on Monday when I tried to work chest, so I  opted for high reps low weight for everything this week.  I'm so glad that I did because I felt so much better yesterday and even better today.  I foam rolled just about every day and today I managed to get through it without grimacing.

Sunday we have another game and I am pumped!  My legs should be back in action and ready to kick some butt. But I do foresee some additional time in the compression sleeves:)

10k Results

So yeah, not too shabby if you look at the division (5th place, but only out of 19).  However, 200th out of 467 makes you think I was creeping along.  The reality is that there were tons of young athletes and in particular, tons of UVA athletes who were smoking it out there.  I finished where I belonged, although I could have easily made it to 3rd place and should have.  Next time:)

Special Olympics 10k

It's that time of the year, time for the Special Olympics 10k and then transition into my favorite time of year, autumn!

I didn't set any goals for this race mainly because I didn't train for it and just wanted to support a good cause.  Anything under 60 minutes would have been okay with me because I've cut cardio down to just about nothing and if I do something it is HIIT.  Of course once I got out there my competitive spirit came out....

Not sure what I was thinking busting out the first mile in 6:30, second in 7:10, and then finally slowing it down.  I guess I was just excited and not paying attention to my watch!  Whoops;)

I did think I might puke a couple of times so I walked for a 20 yards...didn't help that I had to leap over 4 squished snakes and then roll up on a 2 day old dead deer carcass.  Sick.  

I finished in 51:20, which is an average of 8:17....not too shabby for something I hadn't trained for. My time last year was 51:00 and I trained a whole lot more in terms of running a year ago.  We'll see how I placed once they publish the results. 

Rich, E, and J walked to 2-mile course and had a great time as well!

I can't remember a time when I was as hungry as I was after this race.  Since we are diving into the WLC tomorrow morning, I tossed the idea of no grains for the weekend and pounded 2 big cookies, a bagel, pancake and some grapes. Then came home and ate an apple, cottage cheese and cereal.  Lunch at Mi Rancho and then dinner at Pizza Hut before eating oatmeal before bed.  5000 calories?  Likely.  Sorry about it? Not a bit.

Totally forgot to take pics, but here's the shirt we all received.

4-Miler 2012

In Honor of Betty "Mimi" Stokes

I'm happy to report that although I didn't make my goal of running in under 30 minutes (31:51), I did make my last minute goal of placing in the top 200.  I was 146 out of 3,024 racers.  I really wanted to place within my class (top 19), but that fell out of reach during the last mile.  I ended up placing 26th in my division.

Who invited these characters? 

The compartment syndrome in my leg really started acting up so I slowed to a walk for 10 yards while 20-30 people passed me during that last mile.  Agh.  I was not happy, but I picked it up again and finished strong.  I guess I'll have to get this leg checked out after all.

Regardless of the goal and the rain, Jennie and I had a great time.  I was so proud of Jennie for completing her first race! Rich and E were there to support us and we rocked out our "High Kickin' Bettys" outfits for Mimi.  Unfortunately, Mimi wasn't able to be there with us, but she will be the recipient of her own t-shirt and plenty of pictures! It is inspiring to be around 3,000 other runners who are running for the same cause.  I was also rather impressed at the total organization; we were parked and ready to rock in just a couple of minutes.  I can't wait to do it again next year!

All of the High Kickers

Jennie forgot her socks, so we split them:)  

Boy do I look small?! 

Getting it done. 

Almost home! 

Soaked from the rain and sweat! 

Goal time

Alright, I'm just going to put it out there again.  My goal for the Women's 4-miler tomorrow is to run something under 30 minutes.  I don't think I'm going to be able to shave off that much time, but it was my goal and I'm sticking to it.  My foot has been feeling pretty good, but the compartment syndrome in my right leg that was never fixed is driving me crazy.  After a mile or so my calf muscle fills with blood and goes numb.  The lovely "drop foot" returns making it easy for me to trip over my own feet and it just plain makes it hard to run.  If this wasn't an issue I think I could crush my goal because my cardiovascular fitness is on point.

We shall see what the morning brings!  Do you really need to carb up to run 4 miles? I think not, but don't think for a minute that I haven't been bringing on the carbs all day today;)

I can't wait to post pictures of my race day outfit!  Get ready for the "High Kickin' Bettys"!

What I'm Loving Lately

Using my Garmin on longer outdoor runs to keep me motivated and sweaty!

Lots and lots of eggs and egg whites mixed with random veggies!

Eggs, egg whites, greens, fresh tomatoes, onions

Spending time on the boat!  

After weeks of work, Rich just finished painting and putting in new seats and carpet in the boat, as well as painting the trailer and installing new LED lights.  Did I get lucky or what with my Mr. Handyman husband?!

Showing off the newly refurbished boat!

My favorite captains

Goal Met!

Well, that was much faster than expected; I met my goal to reduce my 4 mile time by 1:15 each week.  I  shaved off 1:28 this morning with a time of 33:20 and that is only 4 days after I set the goal.  I'm not going to get overly excited because the faster I run the harder it will be to take time off, but it felt good to beat my time that quickly!

On a not so fun note, my right calf muscles got tight and full of blood with only 2 minutes into the run....good ole compartment syndrome.  I'm sure it was my fault for not warming up enough before sprinting up a hill, but regardless it bothered me the entire run and is still swollen making my foot numb.  I'm going to throw some ice on it for now and then put on my compression sleeves for recovery today. 

This fricken foot has been a lot better lately, but still creates a nagging pain.  My whole joint is now discolored and looking way more vascular.  Gross.  But check out my pretty toes thanks to a pedicure and lunch date with the girls last week:)

Purple, blue and see thru ;) The bone that is the problem is under this joint. 

Split Personality

I want to be STRONG.  I want to be FIT.  I want less body fat and more MUSCLE.

But,

I want to be FAST.  I want to run FARTHER.  I want to PR each race.

Nice and sweaty after my run

Yep, I am well aware that running long distances and the training that goes along with it won't allow me to sustain and build more muscle.  Instead I've been focusing on HIIT training; running sprints and hills and then recovering.

But, I signed up for the Women's 4-miler on September 1st and it is just not possible for me to go out and "have fun just jogging."  I want to run well and to me that means being faster than I have in the past.  So I guess I need to continue to lift heavy, but also get my butt out there and put in some miles.

I haven't run 4 miles since my foot injury so I thought I'd give it a go this morning.  I don't know where I get my endurance from because I could have easily kept on booking it, but I made sure not to overdo it.  I had no idea what my time would be, so this was a good test for me.

Ideally, I'd like to run 4 miles in less than 30 minutes....Nothing spectacular in the running world, but I guess that will be my goal for the race?!

4 weeks = 1 minute 15 seconds off my time each week.  Let's see if I can do it and keep some muscle;)

Can't I just have it all?

He's a sprinter

And by he, I mean this guy...

Jack

Aren't Huskies supposed to be sled dogs?  You know, the long distance endurance runners of the wild?!  Well, this guy must have gotten short twitch muscles instead.

That is some serious speed!

For the first time since I received my Garmin Forerunner 410 for Christmas, I decided to go for a long run.  What better company to keep than a big scary  dog? Since Jack has only ever run with me around the neighborhood, I took us out the gates slow.  I figured he'd be able to hang with a 9 minute mile pace for 4 miles or so and then I could drop him off at home if I wanted to keep going.

There was none of this going on after 6 minutes of running...

Boy was I wrong.  After the first 1/2 mile he stopped running and walked just fast enough to keep up with me.  Once we hit 1 mile and a hill, it was all over.  He was 15 feet behind me with his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth and his rib cage was pumping.  I was shocked that he wasn't running around wild trying to chase or sniff everything in sight.  So that's where the run ended.  We walked all the way home at a snail's pace.

2 miles in 37 minutes.  Woof.  I guess I need to start taking him on 1/2 mile to mile runs over the next couple of weeks so he can build up his endurance.  I know the heat doesn't help, but really?

I still love the sprinter that he appears to be:)

Trying to make up after making a disaster out of my run. 

New Kicks!

I spent an hour and a half in Ragged Mountain Running Shop (LOVE this place!) looking for a new pair of running kicks.  My last pair were Saucony Guide 4's, but I was ready for something different.  After the evaluation it looked like I had very little pronation, so we went with a more middle of the road shoe.  I left with a nice loud pair of Adidas Supernova Glide 4.  Nothing beats a pair of bright new shoes!

 I tested them out in the today and so far, so good. You can't miss these kicks when I'm pounding the pavement!

Geez, I look wide on top! Need to work on those legs!

Adidas Glide 4

Nice look at the old compartment syndrome scar.

Still around

Two things are still around in my running career: the ability to get out there and pound out miles without training and this fricken nagging pain in my foot!

We had fabulous weather for our school's track and field day yesterday!  In fact, it was the best field day that I can remember having.  The kids were well-behaved and most of them participated in multiple events and really enjoyed themselves.  There was just enough sun to offset the cool breeze and keep you switching from a tank to a sweatshirt.  My kind of weather indeed.

Kimberly and I got out there and did 3 miles in 30 minutes before lunch.  It was a nice slow pace for my first outdoor run in 4.5 months.  I'm convinced that getting my heart rate up during heavy lifting sessions is what keeps my cardiovascular endurance up enough to just keep on running without even getting winded.  That is something to celebrate! I know last year at this time I probably couldn't have done three miles that easily even when I had been training for a few months.  My foot didn't really bother me until I was done and then it was just a nagging pain.

However, Leslie and I couldn't let down two 8th grade boys who needed two girls in their 4x200 relay race.  I knew better than to sprint on this jacked up foot and told myself just to keep it slow because the important thing was supporting these boys.  I think I did pretty well...I ran hard, but didn't break into a full out sprint.  The only thing that bothered me was the start, pushing off on my toes.  That split second of pressure caused my foot to hurt all last night.  I just don't get it?  Will I never be able to do burpees, squat jumps, box jumps, sprints, etc. ever again?  I'd actually prefer to do HIIT workouts than long runs, but I just don't see it happening.  We'll see what Dr. W says next Thursday, but from what I'm feeling I don't see how much has changed in 18 weeks.  Sure it doesn't hurt on a daily basis, but the minute I do any moves that require a bend and push off with that foot I'm right back in the same boat.

Not what I expected

I was thinking that a quick diagnosis of Piriformis Syndrome or some other sort of sciatic nerve issue was going to happen at the orthopedist.  Two hours and several x-rays later the diagnosis was "probable stress fractures."  Since nothing specific showed up on the x-rays I am going back on Friday for a bone scan of my hips/pelvis and lower legs.  The last bone scan I had about 10 years ago showed several stress fractures so I am not excited about doing this again.  I have to be there 3 hours ahead of time to get the injection and then wait around to get strapped down and shoved into the lovely claustrophobic tube.  Can not wait. 

Relief?

Ran 2.0 miles on treadmill.  Not quite sure how I got 2 miles in b/c every fricken second of the run caused pain from my hip to my toes.  It's a darn good thing that I am getting in to see the Orthopedist today at 1:00 pm.  I called yesterday thinking I wouldn't get in until February since it is a specialist appointment.  For once in my life I got lucky because someone had just cancelled their appointment for this afternoon.  I hope that we figure out what the issue is today!  Fingers crossed that I don't get the good ole "take 6 weeks off" remedy. 

Turkey Trot!

Pre-Race

Boy, was it chilly out yesterday morning! I'm glad I went wtih a long sleeved shirt and my new compression sleeves.  Speaking of those new hot purple sleeves....I could not be more impressed!  I am sold after one run.  I wore them the night before the race and my leg pain already started to feel better.  I was a bit hesitant to wear them for the "first time" during the race, but I am so happy that I did.  I had zero pain while running and I am NOT sore this morning, at all!  I usually get pretty sore after running outside because there is more rotation than on the treadmill, but I'm not feeling anything today.  Hot pink seems like the next logical color for me to invest in... Christmas present anyone?!

Post-Race

 The official race results finally came in this morning.  It was driving me nuts yesterday that we sat through half the awards ceremony before they told us that the adult division results weren't sorting correctly.  They promised to have them up on the website yesterday, but they finally came in this morning.

Official times for the Waynesboro Turkey Trot 5k: 

• Dana- 23:04 (2nd in the 30-39 division and 5th overall female)   

• Rich- 32:07 (15th in the 30-39 division)

I caught a nasty cramp during the last quarter mile and had to stop and walk for 20 yards.  I was pissed because I had worked so hard to pass every female except for one, which I knew I couldn't catch (she finished with a 19 min time).  While I was trying to work the cramp out of my side, three teenage girls passed me.  GRRRR.  I was not a happy camper so I picked up my run knowing that this cramp had just ruined my chances of a 21 minute finish. 

However, I am pumped that out of 300 participants I was 5th and 2nd in my division, which is typically one of the harder divisions.  No one in the 20-29 year old division got close to my time either which makes me feel great.  It's just those darn high school cross-country runners that I have to watch out for;)

Feeling good!

 I was definitely "that girl" who was running in a skirt.  I heard people whispering about me when we were getting ready for the race and I knew if I didn't back it up with a good run then I would have been out there just trying to make a fashion statement among all of the sweat pants and gloves.  Good thing I was able to pull through in the end!  And, the skirt by the way is the Nike Challenge skirt that was on my Christmas list.  They don't make it any longer so I had to fight off the other bidders on Ebay to finally win one!  LOVE IT!

Pretty buff runner, if I do say so myself.

Speaking of cramps, this guy also got a nasty one and had to walk for a bit.  It took a couple minutes off of his time, but the fact that he doesn't run at all makes finishing in the 10 min/mile range great!!  I'm just happy that he agreed to be my side kick before and after the race!

Gearing up for the T.T.

Rich thinks that we need to carb up for our big 3.1 mile/5k Turkey Trot tomorrow morning.  He doesn't realize that I run that much on a normal morning and then some, but don't think that I am not going to hit up Mi Rancho or Pizza Hut this evening just for him;) 

We'll see how tomorrow goes....I went from being super excited about it to very frustrated because I have nerve pain down my left leg.  It has been going on for a couple of weeks, but keeps getting worse.  The minute my foot pounds on the pavement or the treadmill I get shooting pains from my hip to my toes.  It is too the point that I'm afraid to run on the treadmill because I keep tripping myself up when the pain shoots down my leg.  The last thing I need is to go flying off of the treadmill.  Anyhow, I made it to the chiropractor on Friday and again today.  After my adjustment she did eletric stem and ultrasound on my low back to try and move the fluid that is building up there.  I hope it made enough improvement for me to actually run the race tomorrow. 

My goal was to run it in under 27 minutes (9 min/mile pace), but I would love to be close to a 7 min/mile pace....maybe 22 minutes?!  I guess it depends on these legs!

Fall Weather

This past week was a great one for doing some outdoor activities.  There was a bit of a cold snap in the middle of the week, but other than that we tried to get in some extra long walks with the dogs and do some yard work.  I just got back from a beautiful outdoor run....a long one at that.  6.55 miles in 56 minutes to be exact:)  I seem to forget how much nicer, but harder it is to run outside.  I managed to keep an 8:30 min/mile pace even though it was a hilly and windy.  Hopefully this will help prepare me for the Turkey Trot that Rich and I signed up for this morning.  I wish that it was longer, but kicking off Turkey Day with a 5k should make us feel a little better about stuffing our faces later in the day!

As for enjoying the rest of today's weather, I think we'll be painting the mailbox, installing a new mailbox flag, and trimming some bushes.  We'll see how far we get though because Rich is pounding away at his keyboard trying to finish up one of the two papers he has due this week.  I'm slightly envious that he will finish up this week, get a week off for Thanksgiving, and then only return for two more weeks before the semester is over.  Oh how I miss those days!

I almost forgot that I actually got a bit a of a break this week.  Monday was a work day and Tuesday was election day so I had the day off.  While Evan went to lunch with his therapist, Rich, Jess and I went to Stone Soup and enjoyed our lunch on the patio.  Have I told you how much I love this place?! Rich and I both had the signature salad and turkey cranberry sandwich on multi-grain bread, while Jess had a nice big bowl of tomato basil soup. 

Signature salad with spiced walnuts, blue cheese, and cranberries.

Tomato basil soup.

S-I-C-K

and no, not with a stuffy nose or vomit.  This is what is sick:

...almost 20 cc of fluid that I sucked out of a blister (well actually two blisters on top of each other) the size of China on my right pinkie toe!  After hobbling around at school all day on Thursday, I couldn't take it anymore and spent 40 minutes at work reconstructing my nasty, incredibly painful toe.  The good news?  Friday morning I woke up and was able to walk like a normal human being.  I held myself back at the gym and rode the bike 2 miles instead of running, but I think today is going to be another story.  I'm ready to get back out there and see how the toe holds up. 

I almost forgot the best part....how did I get such a nasty blister?  From running?  Nope, from wearing cute Halloween tights to school on Monday.  Never, ever again.  

While we are on the subject of gross things.  My right hamstring is still sporting a scar from my attempt at walking all four dogs at the same time in July!  I've been able to handle the task in the past because I get out there before anyone else is running or walking, but on this day some stupid lady decided to run at the same time.  I don't know who she thinks she is running on my street.  Anyhow, the dogs went nuts and Jack ran behind me causing the Flexi leash cord to burn the crap out of both my hamstrings.  There is a reason why there is a warning on these leashes!

I promise it felt much worse that it looks! Just try sleeping when the touch of the sheets cause the wound to stick.  Gross.