Author: Fallon @ Slacker Runner

Big Sur Marathon Training-Week 3

If I had one word to describe this week, it would be ouch.

If I used more words, ouch would likely be followed by a couple of colorful expletives and then some more ouch.

Work was stressful and busy.  I ran but it didn’t go well.   I bought new running shoes, oh and I cut most of my hair off.  Surprise!

The plan-

Week 3

Life-

Monday- PT/3 miles It was a day off from work and part of me really wanted to run the 6 miles of speed work that was on the plan for the week.  Part of me was also really feeling the 15 miles I had put on them in the previous 2 days and wanted a rest day.  I compromised and stuck with the plan and headed out for 3.    I should have gone with the rest.  My legs were not having it.   Not even turning to my long run run/walk intervals helped.   I probably shouldn’t have run the same day I had a PT appointment with traction.  I ended up just walking it in.

Tuesday- Rest Insanely busy work day plus I was listening to my legs.

Wednesday- 2 miles Another busy day and mentally, I did not think I could handle the treadmill. I changed into my running clothes at work but was talking myself out of it the entire drive home.  I was thisclose to bailing entirely but instead I parked my car and a headed out for a dark few miles.  Things were a little stiff but I chalked it up to all the uneven sidewalks I have to run on at night and figure I run a little differently in the dark.

Thursday- 4 miles -400’s On the lake path, my typical 400 pace ranges from 7:55-8:15.  On this night, due to some very poor treadmill math, I was running these 400’s around 9:45.  And they were kicking my ass.  I normally love 400’s.  Not tonight.  My legs and back were not agreeing with the treadmill at all.    I called it at 4 miles because an ache in my upper left leg started to turn into pain.  I hate treadmills.  Particularly bouncy ones.

Friday- Rest/ PT exercisesI wore compression socks all days and my for the most part, I felt ok.

Saturday- 9 miles/ PT exercises I wanted 11, should have quit at 5.  The plan was to run from home, do my 11 and finish at the high school where my mother was having tennis practice then she would give me a ride.  I was super achy and stiff the first 2 miles but sometimes it can take until mile 4 for me to loosen up so I kept running.   By mile 5, the aches had turned into straight up pain and I knew I was in trouble.   So I took a shortcut and hobble-ran my way to the high school stopping occasionally to stretch as best as I could.  Once home, I iced, and stretched and foam rolled as much as I could.

Sunday- Rest  I did wander around SLO and do some shopping.  My left leg is still not to happy but I was able to walk without pain.  But certain muscles and bones are making their presence known if that makes sense.  I stopped in at the Running Warehouse and made the leap into a new pair of shoes.  I’m moving around too much in the Adidas right now no matter how many pairs of socks I wear.  Fingers crossed these help.

18.19 miles for the week.  5 short of where I should be.  But it’s early days and I am not going to freak out yet.  No, I am not.  If I repeat it enough, it’s true right?

How was your week?

Rambling On 26

As long as I’m doing the things in my 2018 post, it’s cool if it’s not posted until almost February, right?? Asking for a friend. 😂

This week, man. Seems like I can’t do anything right. Running has been ok… other stuff? Not so much.

We’re taking employee pictures this week and can I just say that is so much harder than a running selfie? I’m like suck it in… wait, too much, now my neck looks scary, wth. Smile but not too big… does this look professional? Then a customer asked why we were all wearing black. Apparently we all think alike. 😛

My back and the treadmill are not friends. Nope. Why is daylight savings in March?

Another thing I’m not doing well this week? Sleep. As I type this, it’s past midnight. 4th time this week. Gotta love those can’t sleep nights.

On that note, maybe I should try to sleep and dream of the tri tip lunch that will be Friday’s treat. Good fuel for a long run weekend right?

What are you up to this weekend?

Big Sur Marathon Training-Week 2

This week had some rough patches.

I started the week with that pesky, painful shoulder pull.  I couldn’t raise my left arm, getting dressed was awkward.  Then a migraine came to visit for an extended period which is ironic considering I had an appointment with my neurologist to discuss my migraines.  😒   And as an aside– aren’t I too young to say I have a neurologist and a gastroenterologist I see on a regular basis?   Then my stomach turned into it’s butthead self at the end of the week.

Work is also a little busier than normal as we are one person down.   I was beginning to wonder if I was going to manage any decent miles.

The plan-

week 2

Monday- Rest  9 hours at work took my shoulder knot ( I don’t know what to call it) to a whole other level and I could barely move by the end of the workday.  Boo.

Tuesday- 1/2 my PT exercises.  I knew I needed to do my exercises but they also hurt so I managed to get through 1/2 of them.  With the help of my boss, I also rearranged everything on my desk so here’s hoping it helps with some of my constant aches and pains.

Wednesday- 3 miles I could finally lift my arm high enough to put on a sports bra so running was back on the table.   3 slow, treadmill miles that is.  I felt like I ran them faster than my last treadmill run but according to the treadmill not so much.  I also forgot to stop my watch when I stopped the treadmill so it left me some interesting numbers.  😜

Thursday- PT exercises Oops, I should have run. I changed to run.  Running was on the schedule.  Yet somehow it didn’t happen.  That is not a good start to training.  Nope.

Friday- Rest We’re running a little short these days so it was an open to close for me.  I felt like I ran circles around the building though.

Saturday- 10 miles First double digits of training.  The schedule called for 9 but I added 1 to partially make up for the miles I missed.    I’m keeping my run/walk intervals for the first month of training while I get back into the higher mileage again.  I never felt tired but my pace tanked for miles 7, 8 and 9.  I felt like I was running the pace and putting out the same effort level but the numbers popping up were 30 seconds slower than the previous miles.  The overall pace was perfectly fine for a long run but I just could not figure why I was moving slower but not feeling it.  Maybe it was because my headphones died at mile 6?

Sunday- 5ish miles  I wanted 7 so I could hit the overall mile total for the week but my legs were not having it.  Not at all.    My ankles were so damn sore.  That’s a new one.  I took more than few breaks.  I knew pushing it to 7 would be stupid so I satisfied myself with 5.2.

18.38 miles for the week.  Not what the plan had but considering how the week started, it ended pretty ok.  Minus the leg pain but then again I did put more miles on my legs in a short period of time than I have recently so I only have myself to blame.

How was your week?

Rambling On 25

Happy Friday!

So that 2018 plan post is going to have to be next week. I had such big plans for it, wrote a great one in my head while on a run last week but can’t quite get it right in print.😛. Which is partly why I’ve been so quiet this week.

Another reason is that I’ve been freakin’ tired. Like in bed every night before 11:30 and dozing off in the chair well before that. For this night owl, that’s highly abnormal. But considering everybody and their brother I see has some kind of flu/ plague, I won’t complain about a little extra tiredness. Knocks on wood.

It took until Wednesday for me to be able to lift my left arm above neck level, so running has been a little absent. Kind of hard to run when you can’t put on a sports bra.😒

I think I like my bed but again, knocking on wood.  Then again, I’m stuck with this one so I better learn to like it!

I have lots of miles to make up this weekend, but I also have a 3 day weekend to look forward too, so yay!

What are you doing this weekend?

 

 

Big Sur Marathon Training-Week 1

Well crap, it’s real huh, now that it’s in writing. 😜

This week went almost exactly like I planned.  Notice I said like I planned and not according to THE plan.

Plan-

Week 1

Life

Monday 5 miles / PT exercise-  I couldn’t waste a perfectly good day off so I moved Wednesday’s 5 miles to Monday.  It just made more sense.  I also finally found the sluggish feeling I had been expecting to feel on Saturday’s and Sunday’s run.  Then again it has also been a while since I’ve run 3 days in a row.   Other than sluggish, it was a pretty solid 5 miles though.  Could have done without the buzzard spectators though.  Back off buddies.

Tuesday- Rest/ PT exercises.  Nailed it.  Work was crazy busy so that’s all I had the brain power for anyways.

Wednesday- 3.1 miles/ PT exercises  Slow, sore, treadmill miles. Man, my back was so not happy so I was really glad I switched Monday and Wednesday around.  I was also very surprised by how empty the gym was.  I had been expecting to find a crowd but instead I was able to find both a parking spot close to the gym and a treadmill easily.  What gives?  That is highly unusual for January 3.

Thursday- Physical Therapy   I had another session of lumbar traction, this time with increased tension.  Is that what it’s called?    While it felt good, I was super sore too.   I took easy the rest of the day, doc’s orders.

Friday- Rest If only that word was an accurate representation of how Friday’s actually go.  🤣

Saturday- 8.3 miles/ PT exercises First long run of training! Just to play things smart and to be nice to my back, I was keeping to my intervals of run 1 minute, walk 1 minute.  Also helped that my watch was set to that and I was too lazy to fix it.   My pace was keeping pretty steady in the mid 11 range, which I was more than fine with and my plan was to pick it up for a fast finish. Everything was working great up until mile 6.5.  Then I felt AND heard something pop on my back near my left shoulder-blade and came to a screeching halt.  Literally.  I was ripping off colorful words in multiple languages and probably sounded like I was screeching.   Are you freakin’ kidding me?  Now, this is unfortunately an injury that I am familiar with.   This is the 5th time it’s happened, first time while running though.  Usually, it leaves me with restricted mobility on my left side for 3-5 days, how the hell was I going to get back to my car let alone finish running??

I ran a pace that didn’t jostle me too much and stopped multiple times to stretch.  Stretching would have gone better without my Orange Mud pack on, but I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to get it back on it I took it off.  I made it back to my car and stretched as best as I could before driving home.   Grrrr.

Sunday- Rest.  Damn shoulder.   Running actually seemed to help it a bit because it didn’t seem as bad today as it was the last time this happened.  Which oddly, was almost exactly a year ago.   So I rested and worked on some deep stretching with my foam roller.

16.42 miles.   Other than the damn shoulder, the miles are exactly how I thought this week was going to go, so yay for that!   I had originally thought about making up Thursday’s run on Sunday but again, shoulder.

How was your week?