Fun Run and Beer

Today's run was supposed to be at the gym.

As you can see, the promise of socializing with fun runners drew me to the Port City Brewery for a Beer and Run fun run. Which is ironic as I don't drink beer, but you know, I'm single and I have to be "out there" I guess. 

And, of course, my buddy was there leading his crossfit run of doom. And because I am a pushover, I went along until I could do no more. Then got lost for a bit. Then found my way back.

All in all, it was a fun night with my buddies. 

Perfect

Today's run was perfect.

Perfect 13 miles down the Potomac.

No asthma issues, no ankle issues, no hamstring issues. Some periods up the hill where the heart rate was over 90%, but nothing too crazy.

With all of this stuff not bothering me, it was actually nice to have some real muscle struggle. Which I can totally work through. And did.

The worst part of the run was actually after the 13 miles, with the long, slow walk up my narsty hill. Because I also RAN FROM MY HOUSE LIKE A BOSS.

I'll update the post later with the Garmin info once I can make it safely up my stairs. Which may take a while because I'M SO SORE!!! HOORAY!

Anywho, time for my usual Saturday routine of laying with a bunch of ice and watching marathons of my favorite show(s).

EDIT:

Garmin Info

Round and Round We Go....

Wednesday night is Speed Work at TC Williams (Remember the Titans!)

Today I was only on the schedule to run 2 miles, since I'm trying not to go too nuts with increasing mileage while I play catch-up.

And my friends over at Pacers told me that today we were running 400m repeats. Which, if you've never run track (and, let's face it, I haven't), means 1 lap.

1 lap running hard (ish)
1 lap jog
1 lap running hard (ish)
1 lap jog

And so on and so forth.

Now running on a flat surface is just the bee's knees. So, naturally, I'm busting out 10 minute miles (and even one 8 minute mile loop). Although, as happy as I was about it, I was doing my "tough" jog at the same pace the other folks were doing their "easy" jog. But at least we finally got to run together!

Total today was just over 2 miles (you'll see I forgot to turn on my damned watch for a minute). I could have done a few more, but, like I said, the focus now is to slowly build mileage.

I will say that Mother Nature is going to be oh so kind the rest of the week, and give us some nice weather. So perhaps that'll do something with my heart rate.

And speaking of heart rate, took it VERY easy tonight, pausing after each loop. Average was 162/84%, maximum was 180/93%.

I picked up my Flovent and took my first puff of it tonight, after the run. I also picked up some more Allegra, so we'll see if that helps with any of the crap in my lungs.

I'm really getting tired of having to deal with this - at what point can I just RUN without all of this shenanigans!!!

In other news..........I really want a big, juicy steak.

Let's get Physical!

(Part I: Pre Run)

So I went for my annual check-up today. We chatted about general things and then I off-hand mentioned that my heart rate is at 175 bpm average on runs lately. Oh, and my arm was tingling.

She didn't think that was very healthy.

So I got my first EKG! 

Long Story Short: My heart is fine (small murmur, but she said that's normal for women). Doc thinks its medicine-related, the combo of the Advair and Albuterol, but mostly the Advair. So I'm switching to a new long-acting inhaler for le asthma. If it doesn't get better in a week, I have a referral to a cardiologist to get an echocardiogram. 

Hope I don't need it. Meh.

Now, off to go run. We'll see how that goes.

(Part II: Post Run Next Day)

Welp, it may not be the medicine.

I took only my albuterol and WHEEEE my heartrate was high. So maybe it's the albuterol, not the advair.

Since I should have been doing this from the get-go, but I'm too lazy to turn on my mac mini more than once a month (that's why I have an iPad y'all), here's my Garmin info:

Mondays are for Scissor Kicks

So it's Manic Monday. 

Or crossfit Mondays.

Today I went 10 minutes on the Strength Training Elliptical (OW MY QUADS) Then I half-hearted attempted to do some scissor kicks and lifts and push-ups....didn't work out so well.

Then I did 20 minutes on the Easy Elliptical.

So we'll call that 3 miles.  

Then I came home and mowed my lawn.

And we'll call that lunges.

/Enough.

ERRRRMEGERRRD.

Glerflibbittyflab.

That's about how I felt after today's run.

It was 82 degrees at 6:30 this morning, with about a billion percent humidity.

This is how I feel right now:

But I muddled through it at probably just around 9.5 miles (I had a bit of runners brain and forgot to turn my Garmin back on for maybe half or three quarters of a mile). Took me just under 2 hours too. 

Earlier in the run, I had an epiphany. Those who know me know I like to plan (read: I like to control things). And I really get pissed off when my plans do not happen the way I want them to (read: I don't like it when I lose control of things). So I think that's probably why I get so annoyed with myself when I don't run as fast or work as hard as I think I'm capable of. 

But I started a new running mantra today. The mantra is, "I am in control of this run." Sure, I will take input from my body and the Blergh (who was so kind to bark in my ear every time my heart rate hit 95% and my shoulders started to tingle - I'm sure that's healthy). But I decide how the run will go and I will decide how I feel about this run.

Today I decided to be satisfied with the effort I put in. It was hot, it was humid, it was 10 miles, and I have an arch sprain (surprisingly very little barking from the arch today). Today's goal was distance and I did the distance.

And speaking of distance:

Monday - 2.5 on the treadmill + strength training

Tuesday - 3 with Pacers

Wednesday - Did Not Run (:X)

Thursday - Handed out ice, but DNR

Friday - 3.5 miles on the elliptical (IT COUNTS.)

Saturday - 9.5 miles with Pacers

Total Mileage: 18 miles

I'm 3 miles shy of my goal mileage for the week. But we had heat advisories and code reds and such all week, so I believe I'm going to accept this week's work as satisfactory.

Ice Ice Baby!

So this morning, we got the lovely news that it was code orange air quality. So in my new embracement of not killing myself outside, I opted for the gym.

Except that didn't happen...

I was all, "Yeah, time to go to the corporate office."

Then my boss was like, "Eeh, I'm teleworking today."

And then the prospect of driving ALL THAT WAY....

So that didn't happen. 

But I did go to Fun Run.

To hand out ice.

Let's just say this was the general reaction when they got their ice:

Just a lot sweatier. 

So tomorrow morning, 7am elliptical date. My penance for my laziness. Then work, then 10 miles on Saturday.

Now the question is, do I want to drink a glass of wine tonight?

The Blergh and the Arch Sprain (Take 2)

(I am a web developer by trade and the margins on the other post were driving me INSANE. So I fixed it)

If you haven't seen this comic strip by the Oatmeal, it is everything that I think while I run.

http://www.theoatmeal.com/comics/running

Especially the part about vanity, eating my face off, and the Blergh, the little fat me who follows me and tells me I need to quit while I am ahead.

The Blergh is what I fight against, daily. 

But today's foe is more annoying.

I apparently have an arch sprain in my right foot. 

What the front door, man.

I don't think it's that bad, but it's still annoying. The less I'm on it, the better off I'll be. (Thanks to Mackenzie at Valens Physical Therapy for being the bad news bear.)

So it's time for RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation). Luckily, I have a date with an old friend tomorrow, and it's 10 BILLION degrees outside.

Speaking of which, my heart rate was at a nice 90-95% the whole run. I'm sure that's healthy. 

In other news, I need to get new shoes. 

Crossfitting at the Corporate Office

So today was the first time I used my corporate dungeon, I mean gym, to do a cop-out workout. I say cop-out, and I feel kind of like it is, but it isn't. 

So I did 1.5 mile on the treadmill, going somewhere between 6 and 7mph (hooray!) in just above 15 minutes. Then I went and did all of the things our fun run leader makes us do, except I was happy as a clam in air conditioning. So 60 reps doing tricep dips, then 20 push-ups, then some bicycle kicks, then some planking, then some lunges. Then, when I was done, I went and ran another 1 mile in just over 10 minutes.

Boom! 

Tomorrow's weather is hellfire with a chance of swamp and pollution. So we shall see how that goes. Bad, most likely. But c'est la vie.

(Making a note of this, but my plantar fasciitis in my right foot is acting up.) 

Marathoning....take 2....

I really fail at blogging lately, but I'm trying to get back into it.

So since my last post, I ran the Marine Corps Marathon in just under six hours (5:57:39 to be exact). Kind of disappointing, especially because I had an internal mental breakdown at mile 14 (MILE FOURTEEN I TELL YOU!). Basically, did not take Tums, got feeling ill, didn't eat or drink for 2 hours, and by that time...well it was just finishing at that point.

And because I am my own worst critic and a self-described perfectionist in everything I do (with the exception of cleaning, LOLZ), that only meant I had to try again.

And I tell you, I had a great plan back in December:

1. Train for a fast 5k in February
2. Train for a fast 10 miler in April
3. Train for a fast half marathon in June
4. Train all summer for a fast(er) marathon in October.

Boss, right?

WELL....as I have found out repeatedly this year, planning is useless. (Seriously, ask me about that wedding I'd planned to have sometime next year....)

1. I plum-ass FORGOT to sign up for the 5k, which was Love the Run You're With. Like....walked up to the registration desk, checked bank statements, etc. before it dawned on me that I FORGOT TO SIGN UP FOR THE RACE I WAS TRAINING FOR.

2. Right around March I started to have really bad hamstring pain, which put a huge damper in my training. I was actually considering pulling out of the race, but then the Boston Marathon bombing happened. And let's just say, it dawned on me that this could very well be my last race (I mean, you never know, see post above about planning). So I ran the GW Parkway Classic in something...who knows. Because I had SERIOUS GI issues; the difference between my watch time and bib time was something like 15 minutes.

Oh, and that hamstring pain? Turns out my left butt was "asleep" (not firing correctly), and causing my gait to be off. Pain was gone in about three days. WTF.

3. I knew going into the VA Wine Country Half that SOMETHING was going to go wrong. I mean, I was 0 for 2, how could this one go any better? And, I was right (hooray?). It was humid, hot, gross, and miserable. And it had been a ridiculously cold spring, so I was woefully unprepared for the humidity. In fact, I actually considered going to the medical tent and/or passing out. But if I passed out, they would call my emergency contact, which happened to be my ex-boyfriend (see aforementioned comment re: wedding above). So I finished in - literally - my worst time ever.

Which brings us to #4 - train all summer. Well first thing, I was in Florida, and my great dreams of keeping to my running schedule were dashed due to high humidity and high alcohol levels (hey, I'd just gotten out of a long-ass relationship, quit judging). Then, during week 1 of training, I was driving my baby cousin all over south Florida looking at colleges. Then aforementioned cousin got me sick, like - fever-sick (I can't remember the last time I had a fever). So two weeks went by with very little running, and the running that did happen was slow and miserable.

HOWEVER.

Last week, I finally got back on schedule, due to a couple of things. I realized that being sick with a gross-ass lung infection + asthma + humidity + pollution = nearly fainting, so I did something I haven't done in at least three years - run on a treadmill.

But I was sprinting 9 minute miles. Easy. Like, I might have been able to do 8:30s. And I wasn't coughing my face off. And I wasn't dizzy. At ALL.

Then I was able to do 7 miles yesterday on my first "long run" of the marathon training season. And I actually enjoyed it - I was like, "Damn, Whit, you're drinking your Nuun, out at 7am, it's only 75 or so and cloudy, and you're at Haines Point. This is exactly where I want to be right now." And I even smiled (You should click on that link to hear how I am saying "smiled").

In all, I did a grand total of 19 miles this week: 3 on Monday in my neighborhood, 3 on Tuesday with Pacers, 3 on Wednesday in the gym, 3 on Thursday with Pacers, and 7 on Saturday with Pacers.

Next week, I am aiming to do 21 miles:

Monday: 3 Miles + Weights and such at the gym (In lieu of killing myself in the heat and humidity, I'm going to take advantage of the gym, free weights, and dog-less stretch time.)
Tuesday: 3 miles with Pacers (depending on how I'm feeling, maybe 4)
Wednesday: Speed Work with Pacers (distance is maybe 2-3 miles)
Thursday: 3 miles with Pacers
Saturday: 10 miles with Pacers

I'm planning (dammit Whit, what have I told you about planning!!!!) to do a little more building of my base mileage until I am completely caught up, 21 this week, 24 next week, 28 week after that, before dropping down during my off week. I'm also going to start off only doing 3 every day during the week, before gradually upping my mileage to 4 miles (during the long run off week), then 5 miles at the next long run off week. I think the biggest thing I didn't do last year was keep up with my mileage during the week.

So that's a long story of what's happening in the Full-Whit universe. I really am going to try to continue and blog this marathon training this year, because I feel like it motivates me and allows me to overanalyze every single thing that I do, which is kind of my cuppa tea.

So with that, I leave you with a little bit of running humor. I'll be here in just a few weeks....