Monday, April 23, 2012

Weekly RUNdown

"Courage doesn't always roar.  Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'" -Pres. Thomas S. Monson

Rough week.  Not really what I was expecting, but I rolled with it.  I had a really fun run, a great run, a run that I quit, and the toughest run of my training thus far.  Mixed bag, eh?!  I'm grateful that I have been able to keep a positive attitude through the multitude of challenges I've had this training cycle, and I see no reason why that is going to change.

If anything, I've sure learned to roll with the punches this year.

Monday AM: Cycling- 13.4 miles in 45 minutes (17.9 mph)

Monday PM:  3.34 miles @ 9:48 pace/mile.  I ran with friends to encourage.  IT WAS SO FUN.  My favorite run of the week, by far!  There were 4 of us that just ran a hill by my house, and it was perfect in every way.

Tuesday:  10 miles @ 8:00 pace/mile.  This was my tempo run for the week.  It felt super tough and I was so, so, so grateful for my last cool down mile when it came.  I saw Mindy drive past right before I was done, and I'm telling you, if she would have pulled over I probably would have hopped in her car and asked her to take me home!

Wednesday: Yasso's x5- sets were 3:14, 3:11, 3:20, 3:16, 3:18.  I was supposed to do 10 sets, but by my second set I could feel my left IT Band really tightening, and by my 5th set I knew if I kept going then I was going to have real trouble on my hands.  I quit, jogged home, and rolled on my foam roller for 20 minutes.

Friday:  Cycling, 13.4 miles in 45 minutes (17.9 mph), ITBS Rehab Routine.  I also was able to get in to see my Physical Therapist.  Since I've dealt with this injury a lot, I knew that if I just got in early to get it taken care of, then I could get myself recovered and ready for Ogden with no problems.  So for an hour and a half he beat me up and left me with this souvenir:
The bruise is 9 inches long and follows my IT Band.  You think foam rolling is painful?  FOAM ROLL OVER THAT.

My PT gave me the go ahead for my planned 15 mile run on Saturday, so I did...

Saturday:  15 miles @8:15 pace/mile.  My leg ached when I wasn't running, so I knew I was probably in for it- but I was feeling positive!  I felt really great until I hit some slight downhill.  With IT, any sort of downhill really aggravates the injury.  I stopped and stretched a couple of times, and decided that instead of quitting at mile 7, that I would just slow the pace and zig zag the flat streets in front of my house.  I dropped Jami off at mile 10, and when I started running again it was so painful!!!  I decided to just go home, but then I kind of went numb again and told myself to finish.  I was glad I did, but it was hard to keep moving forward.  The only thing that got me through was a 5 mile prayer to my Father in Heaven.  Thankfully my IT Band didn't bother me much for the rest of the day- usually it's the other way around and doesn't hurt as much while running, but then it bothers me for days following.  I take this as a good sign because I was on my feet for nearly the entire day after my run (5:30 AM until I left work at 10:30 PM)- coaching soccer, walking around Salt Lake, cheering on runners, and then waiting tables at night.

Today I'm feeling really good.  I will definitely be seeing my PT again this week for another treatment, and hoping to still run 20-22 miles on Friday at my planned 8:15/mile pace.  I'm not worried about the injury because I know it will heal quickly and I will be able to run the marathon.  Experience matters sometimes!  I'm glad I've been through this before so I know I don't need to freak out.

The highlight of the weekend was watching my son score his very first soccer goal, and seeing my sister-in-law Leslee complete her first marathon!

I've also been holding out on you...  I've spent a few more dollars on running over the last month that I haven't added to my total.  Quite frankly, I'm shocked at how much I'm spending!  I have even been holding myself back (although my husband would never believe that).

2 new Nike running shirts: $47.85 (one of these is my shirt that I'm saving for Ogden!)
Nike Running shoes:  $63.95 (I ran across these Nike's at TJ Maxx for a screaming deal and am saving them for when my other shoes need to be retired- they are a $110 pair of shoes!)
Chiropractor- $40
Physical Therapist- $50
RUNNING total: $819.68

Kill. Me. Now.

What was the highlight of your weekend?
How much do you think you've spent on running this year?

10 comments:

Falon said...

You're so brave keeping a running total. Personally, I am afraid to own such a number. I can't believe how bruised you are from pt. ow ow ow

Julia said...

oh man. you are brave. im scared to truly total how much i have spent on running ;)

and eeeeek. i had a nice bruise from the PT like that last spring. whoaaa. totally understand.

glad you are feeling better this week! i totally missed leslee at the marathon. dang it! congrats to her for her first marathon though! amazing!

Rachelle Wardle said...

You are amazing Amy and I am so impressed with the way that you handle obstacles that stand in your way. You are truly a strong women and always find a way to power through despite the odds against you. That bruise is rediculous, your son is the CUTEST thing alive, and I am so sad I didn't see you Saturday. I wondered if you would be there. I totally should have called you. Lastly (please take this with a grain of salt as I am absolutely no expert) I would highly recommend taking at least one recovery day between a tempo workout and a speedworkout. I don't think doing the two on back to back days is smart even for the most elite and injury free runners. Again you know your body better than I know your body so this is just my opinion. :)

Major congrats to your Sister in law!!

Christie said...

Sad I missed you this weekend! Should have planned it better to meet up somewhere. Hopefully Leslee is now addicted to the marathon:D

Love how you keep a positive attitude through all these road bumps. Such an awesome example to watch a REAL person, go through REAL challenges during training, and still pull those awesome 800's while having a funky week!... This means you are shooting for a 3:15-20, right?? :):):)

Vanessa @ Gourmet Runner said...

Yikes- those bruises look crazy! I don't want to tally it up, although I don't think I have bought much this year (expect two big race fees) so I can pretend I'm doing ok so far!

Coy Martinez said...

I can never confess to how much I've spent. I've gone over my budget but I can honestly say that next year I'll keep it in check. Big time! This is my big year and that's it. I just can't afford it. :(

Everything that your saying about your IT Band is the exact same as it happened with me! I got all bruised up and just kept forging on. I would wear a strap around the bottom of my knee and slowed my pace. It was the only thing that helped. The downhills would KILL my knee. Ouch ouch ouch. I really hope you heal up!

When I swim and I get to feeling crappy I pray too. There is a guy that loves to run me over in the water and it makes me panic and I pray over and over and it makes me calm again. :)

Ali Mc said...

WOW! look at you go!!! you are so awesome and holy cow I'd never foam roll over that bruise! you're hardcore.

Highlight of my weekend was romantic night with Colin ;) woohoo!

I haven't spent too much on running, as I'm cheap I'll add it up..... maybe 250?

Suz and Allan said...

That's a great quote! That bruise looks brutal.

Anonymous said...

You're way more hardcore than I am, but I thought I would mention this. KT Tape. Saved my life and limb during Canyonlands Half Marathon last year. I had IT Band problems right before my race, and through my race. It was my first (and currently only...) 1/2 marathon, but I swear by the stuff!!! Also, Biofreeze is pretty nifty. Talk about numbing. It's like brushing your teeth - but it's your leg. KT Tape is cheaper at Harman's than it is at running stores. Heads up. :) Good luck.

Oh, and that bruise is gnarly!

kalie said...

Way to go, Leslee! My 15 miler was also death. And I prayed like it was the end of the world. We are friends for a reason. :)

The bruises in that picture make me want to cry.