It's been nearly a month since my last blog post, and if I'm honest, probably the first month where I've run truly pain free in nearly a year. When I last checked in, Team Napa was about to head south for the big race, but due to my injury, I was unable to run as planned. The great news was that it was a wonderful trip, and the Team Napa runners that ran the marathon all did amazing. Photos and recap to come in an upcoming blog, including a link to Shannon's Napa wine recommendations.
As for me, I'm getting back into my running slowly but surely. I decided to put the focus of my rehab running on getting ready for the Vancouver Sun Run 10K, one of my favorite runs of all time. This will be my 9th Sun Run, and this year I have the special treat of having one of my dearest friends, Anne-marie, who lives in Dallas, Texas, joining me and my Seattle runners for our Sun Run weekend.
I'm so proud of her because I mentioned months ago that if she wanted to get active, training for a 5K might do the trick. Then I casually dropped in the conversation that another alternative for her would be to train for a 10K, double the distance, and run her race in Canada, nearly 2000 miles from her home. She chose to go big and chose the Sun Run, and started training the next day. I get so happy every time she checks in with me about her progress because her running is getting better even if she can't feel it yet. Let's hope she loves the Sun Run so much that this is just the first of many race days for her (and the first of many Sun Runs).
This time around post injury, I've been approaching my rehab runs a little differently. As much as I hate the treadmill, I'm trying to do one day a week on there to work on increasing my speed. I think it has helped too because in the first two organized runs I've done since the injury, my minutes per mile have decreased by nearly 30 seconds per mile. Now, I'm slow, so that means going from a little over a 13 minute mile to around 12:30, but that's a big improvement, and I credit a lot of it to the treadmill speed intervals. So I'll keep that up.
The next change I've been working on is pushing myself beyond my perceived limits. Through my wellness coaching, one thing I've discovered is that I have a tendency to give up or pull back when things start to get a little hard. And as I've discovered, this isn't something that just shows up in my workouts. One great thing the coaching has taught me is that everything is a choice, even the choice between easing up or pushing harder. I've always believed that when I give up and pull back, it's because my body is telling me I need to. What I've discovered is that it's been my mind, and I can always go harder. This change is going to be the hardest, but this is one I'm committed to.
So on that note, it's time for the new challenge. A half-marathon in June on the Olympic Peninsula. This run has a few big benefits. First, it's 13.1 miles, definitely doable and a chance to improve on my previous half-marathon times. Shooting for under 3 hours, and if I continue to push myself, I can do it. Second, I will get to run with my friend Sara, whom I would have been pacing with at the Napa Marathon had I been able to run. So it will be great to run with her. Finally, my friend Holly is doing the marathon on this course on the same day, so I will be there to support her huge accomplishment. Holly was scheduled to do the Edge to Edge marathon with me last year but suffered an injury prior to the run. Like a true champion, she has stuck with it and will be completing her first official marathon this June, and I'm happy I'll be there to cheer her on (as long as I finish before her).
I will be blogging more about this phase of training, focusing a lot on this idea of pushing beyond barriers. We'll see how it goes, but I'm hoping you, the loyal readers, will help keep me accountable. Next week, I'll be exploring running nutrition and how pushing beyond barriers means putting down that piece of pizza. Stay tuned.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Here's To Team Napa
This Sunday, March 4th, is the Napa Valley Marathon. I am signed up to run the race, along with 4 of my friends. But unlike my friends, I won't be crossing the finish line this time. My earlier stress fracture, which sidelined me in October, never fully healed, and I reinjured my leg back in January. This second injury left me unable to run and train. The irony is that my leg is now pretty much fully healed, but with no training or much running at all for the last two months, my role this time is cheerleader.
This is a role I fully embrace. Even though I can't run, it doesn't mean I can't contribute. So to my running friends - Sasha, Sara, Cindy and Janna - I will be in the race with you, to offer my support, encouragement, advice, wisdom from my experience, a ride to the start line and cheering along the course. Finally, Shannon, Leonore and I will be there with celebratory wine at the end.
So to my four amazing friends, here are my words of "wisdom" about the big day. Of course, since this is also Janna's second big day, she knows all this stuff already, so she can skip to the end.:-)
1. Use all the fueling knowledge you've been gaining from all your long training runs. Sit down this weekend and really figure out what worked best for you and only do that.
2. Embrace the tears; they will come. Maybe at the end when you cross the finish line. Maybe when you see your daughter and husband cheering you on along the course. Maybe when, like me, you get so close to the end that you have that moment of realization of what you are about to accomplish. Maybe when you think about all the wonderful friendships that have been formed during this process.
3. Enjoy the experience. There will be times on the course when you will feel pain, and there may be times that you feel discouraged, like you will never get to the end. When that happens, stop and take in your settings. You will be running through the vineyards of the Napa Valley. It will be a 70 degree day. For the next three days, all you have to do is drink wine, go to a spa and eat great food with friends.
4. Appreciate the accomplishiment no matter how the day turns out. I am confident that all of you will do very well on Sunday. But in case the unexpected happens - an injury, nausea, or just some fluke thing that keeps you from officially crossing the finish line - know that you are all marathoners. You are doing something that only 0.1% of the human population will ever do. You are now part of an elite family no matter how this day turns out because all the hours and miles you've already put in to prepare for this day have made you all marathoners.
And beyond all that, please accept my gratitude for all the support you have given me, both when I was able to train with you and once I got injured. I am grateful for all the friendships that have grown throughout this process and will endure long after this adventure.
Finally, thanks to Mea, Holly, Janna and Tara for getting me through my first marathon. Without all of you helping me finish that first one, I don't know if I would have handled as well the disappointment of not being able to do this one. Long live the Baby Monkey.
Now let's go to Napa and drink some wine, shall we?
This is a role I fully embrace. Even though I can't run, it doesn't mean I can't contribute. So to my running friends - Sasha, Sara, Cindy and Janna - I will be in the race with you, to offer my support, encouragement, advice, wisdom from my experience, a ride to the start line and cheering along the course. Finally, Shannon, Leonore and I will be there with celebratory wine at the end.
So to my four amazing friends, here are my words of "wisdom" about the big day. Of course, since this is also Janna's second big day, she knows all this stuff already, so she can skip to the end.:-)
1. Use all the fueling knowledge you've been gaining from all your long training runs. Sit down this weekend and really figure out what worked best for you and only do that.
2. Embrace the tears; they will come. Maybe at the end when you cross the finish line. Maybe when you see your daughter and husband cheering you on along the course. Maybe when, like me, you get so close to the end that you have that moment of realization of what you are about to accomplish. Maybe when you think about all the wonderful friendships that have been formed during this process.
3. Enjoy the experience. There will be times on the course when you will feel pain, and there may be times that you feel discouraged, like you will never get to the end. When that happens, stop and take in your settings. You will be running through the vineyards of the Napa Valley. It will be a 70 degree day. For the next three days, all you have to do is drink wine, go to a spa and eat great food with friends.
4. Appreciate the accomplishiment no matter how the day turns out. I am confident that all of you will do very well on Sunday. But in case the unexpected happens - an injury, nausea, or just some fluke thing that keeps you from officially crossing the finish line - know that you are all marathoners. You are doing something that only 0.1% of the human population will ever do. You are now part of an elite family no matter how this day turns out because all the hours and miles you've already put in to prepare for this day have made you all marathoners.
And beyond all that, please accept my gratitude for all the support you have given me, both when I was able to train with you and once I got injured. I am grateful for all the friendships that have grown throughout this process and will endure long after this adventure.
Finally, thanks to Mea, Holly, Janna and Tara for getting me through my first marathon. Without all of you helping me finish that first one, I don't know if I would have handled as well the disappointment of not being able to do this one. Long live the Baby Monkey.
Now let's go to Napa and drink some wine, shall we?
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