Big Sur Marathon Training-Week 2

January 16, 2018January 15, 2018 Fallon @ Slacker Runner16 Comments

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?

Week 37- Hobble, Hobble, Ouch

September 18, 2017September 17, 2017 Fallon @ Slacker Runner9 Comments

Upcoming Races-

Rock n Roll San Jose 13.1???
Rock N Roll Las Vegas 5K
Rock N Roll Las Vegas 13.1!!!!!

As much fun as last week’s trail race was, it took me much longer to recover from it than I had thought I would need. I was walking funny for days. I ended up taking an extra rest day last week and only running 3 days. But there was a very unhappy twinge from my left shin area that I’ve learned that ignoring it can lead to bad things. Another day off was the better option.

Monday- 2.3 miles Ha! I could barely walk straight but I was hoping that I could try to run it out. I managed 2 laps of the lake but it was more a hobble-walk-tiny jog. I still felt so stiff and sore, my legs just weren’t working right.

Tuesday- Rest And flats again to work. Still had trouble getting on and off my stool. 😛

Wednesday- Rest I was moving better so I planned on trying a run after work. I even changed. Once in my car, I had one of my OCD moments where I forgot something very important so I jumped out of the car and ran back to check. Pain shot up my lower left leg. Enough to make me doubt the intelligence of a run. I debated it on the drive back to home town. I ultimately decided to play it safe and decided not to run.

Thursday- 3.1 miles I was definitely moving better and the odd leg pain hadn’t reappeared so I set out for an easy run after work. I was back to following doc’s orders of taking it easy so I went back to 1 minute run/ 1 minute walk. I was sluggish but overall I felt ok. I just kept it nice and easy. I also had a vanity moment where I tried to save a good hair day while running but it drove me nuts and only lasted a mile. 😛

Friday- Rest This day was odd as we said goodbye to my boss after 3 years. So now, we’ll see what happens next.

Saturday- 8ish miles I planned on running my long run on Sunday so I decided to sleep in and catch up on some things. I ended up spending the day shopping in SLO with my mother. Not exactly catching up on rest but fun. Once I got home I randomly decided there was just enough time left in the day to get in my long run. So I changed and took my car across town.

I was under hydrated and not properly fueled but this was surprisingly one of my best long runs in months. I stuck to my 1 run/ 1 walk intervals and just trucked on. I was probably running too fast as my pace wasn’t too far off my typical long runs. It all felt pretty good though. The only irritations were accidentally hitting the lap button halfway through and then completely stopping the watch when some girls shrieked in the riverbed. Turns out they were just trying to carry a piece of driftwood out and dropped it. Well, they freaked me out!

Sunday- Rest I thought about running. I did. My leg was a little ache-y. I was a little tired. I took the parents to the movies. When my dad mentions in passing that he wants to see a movie in the actual theater, I will make it happen. We saw American Assassin. Then I was in a popcorn coma and ended up taking a nap. Oops!

13.7 miles for the week. I miss the miles of that missed run but I know my leg was a little angry after the race. So, maybe don’t run mountains after 2 months of lackluster training months? Haha. 🤣

How was your week? Do anything fun?

Longest it’s taken you to recover from a shorter race?

Run! · Training

Week 18- Step Back

May 8, 2017May 7, 2017 Fallon @ Slacker Runner8 Comments

Upcoming Races:

Destination Races Santa Barbara 13.1- May 13
Rock N Roll San Diego 13.1-June 4

The beginning of this week was full of late work meetings so with the lingering effects of SLO being felt, I figured it was a good reason to use the time to rest. Otherwise I probably would have tried to run too soon. My left ankle was very sore and achy so taking Monday through Wednesday off was probably the smartest thing to do. But it was hard, I still packed running gear and took it to work every day. 😛

There was also the lack of sleep. What I didn’t mention was that pre-SLO, I only slept for about an hour. I generally sleep poorly before races but rarely that bad, I didn’t feel like it affected my race performance though. I was looking forward to sleeping on Sunday night… except I couldn’t. I managed less then 5 hours. Grrr. Monday night was more of the same as was Tuesday. By Wednesday I was running on fumes but it didn’t really hit me until Thursday when I was driving home from work. I started to get sleepy. Like so sleepy I had to change my running plans because I wasn’t going to make the whole drive home.

That’s not to say it was a bad week, it wasn’t at all- it was a good week. I just had some speed bumps. I ate some super yummy food this week and that’s never a bad thing, right? I did start a Random Friday post but dozed off part way through. Oops!

Monday- Rest Day 1 of the planned 3 days. I had a meeting after work so I knew running was very unlikely. Which was good because damn my ankle was sore.

Tuesday- Rest Day 2 but like I said I carried my running gear with me every day. Optimistic or in denial? My ankle was still achy. I stretched and foam rolled and planked that night.

Wednesday- Rest Day 3 Car show sponsor dinner. I learned last year that this would be a late night so there was no way running would be happening. But with an awesome dinner, who can complain?

Thursday- 3.5 miles I ran! But I damn near fell asleep on the drive there. I planned on running in home time but halfway there I realized I wasn’t going to make it. So I made an emergency right at the lake path and hoped the fresh air and a few miles would wake me up. Thankfully it did. As for the miles, I was sluggish and a little sore to start but once I got going things loosened up. I still made sure to foam roll and stretch really well that night. I also iced, just for GP.

Friday- Rest I worked open to close so I knew it was going to a long day. We were treated to breakfast which was yummy Acai bowls which almost turned bad. I took a bite of mine and it tasted off. I took another bite, nope- it still tastes wrong, tastes like nuts. Turns out they messed up my order and gave me the wrong base, which wouldn’t be so bad except the 2 main ingredients were peanut butter and almond milk. Umm, I’m allergic to nuts. I was just going to say whatever and have a cookie because you don’t complain about free food but a coworker took it back and the store corrected it to my original order. She’s awesome. (I can’t leave- I swear I’m not just lazy 😛)

Saturday- 6.2 miles My overall fatigue level for the week never really improved so I made the decision on Friday that I was not running long this weekend. I was doing 2 6 milers and I was comfortable with that. Rest is important too. A cold front came in so I was able to sleep longer and head out for an afternoon run. Running wise, it was awesome. Smashrun says it was my fastest run in 6 months. However it was freakin’ chaos- it was moments of running calmly interspersed with moments of running for my life along with some walking. It started out normally but went weird soon. I noticed that a tiny house I’d been watching had recently sold and the new owner had a dog. I wondered if the dog was nice because dogs like to eat me. 1/2 mile later I was running past a couple of parked cars when 4 pit bulls tied in a truck bed decided I looked like a good snack. I freaked out and jumped into the middle of the street. The owner said nothing and just looked me. Asshat. 2 miles later on my way back I stopped at an intersection because I realized I don’t really know a 6 mile route from my house and was wondering if my mileage was going to work out when I heard a loud BANG! It sounded like a gunshot and it was right near me. What the hell?! I know it wasn’t a gunshot because that is actually not an abnormal sound on my longer runs (rural area) but I bolted like a bat out of hell. I’m running neighborhoods, what is going on? Then is started raining on me. Seriously, just get me home.

Sunday- 6 miles Rest It was raining in the morning so I planned on running in the afternoon. At least that was the plan. I ended up super dizzy and nauseous in early afternoon and it lingered into the evening. I kept trying to force myself to get out and run but I am clumsy on a good day, who knows what damage I could do to myself if I tried to run while dizzy?

9.7 miles for the week. Perhaps more of a step back week then I planned post SLO but maybe my body was trying to tell me something. With a race next week, I chose to listen for once. Who knew?

I did go and see Guardians of the Galaxy 2- Freakin’ awesome!

Oh- who watched Breaking 2? What did you think? Kipchoge was so close!

How was your week?

What was the last movie you saw?

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Prepping for SLO

April 28, 2016 Fallon @ Slacker Runner15 Comments

I’ve never been one to believe in the “taper crazies”. Hell, I love taper. An excuse to run less and eat more? Sign me up! 😝 Yes, I know that’s not how it works but let a Slacker lie to herself ok?

I wasn’t really planning on tapering for SLO. I did one speed workout this training cycle. One. Once I realized how few long runs I had actually done over the years, my focus turned to getting in the distance and time on my feet. While I have done much better since that little epiphany, it still could have been better.

My plan for SLO was to treat it more like an epic long run. Enjoy the race, enjoy my pace, take in the view, smile at the awesome crowds and maybe, just maybe take a decent race picture for once. And now?

I had my weird hip/ IT thing on Friday’s long run. That led to limping on Saturday and resting all weekend. This week’s runs have been so-so. Tuesday’s was actually pretty good. But outside of that- my shins ache at random moments. My calves feel tight. Today it hurt my big toe to drive, seriously?! There’s a tickle in my throat that feels like it wants to turn into something more. Bring on the Airborne!! I haven’t slept well in about a month.

Grrr. I love this race, I do not want to stress about it. As of right now, I honestly have no idea what my finishing time might be. I feel unprepared for the hills. My fault, I should have sought out more hills. The hill I use for hill repeats has been a construction zone for the last few months. No excuses. I should have found another one. After last year I feel like I have unfinished business with this race.

Maybe that is influencing how I am feeling this week? I have no idea. So now, I need to calm down. I need to make sure I am sleeping better (or trying to), I need to ensure I m still keeping my carb count low to moderate and I need to not stress. I have been looking forward to this weekend for months. There are so many people that I am looking forward to seeing again. I enjoy looking around the expo, and really this is my favorite finish line.

Actually, I think venting about it for a few hundred words helped. Bring it on SLO, let’s do this. Now if only I could figure out what I am wearing. 😝

Do you believe in taper crazies?

Any tips?

Run! · Slacker

Vacation Week 2 Recap

December 6, 2015December 6, 2015 Fallon @ Slacker Runner8 Comments

Started off with a bang and ended with a whimper. Whereas week 1 was crazy mileage for a Slacker like me, week 2 was more like my usual. Maybe I can say I embraced the relaxation vibe of vacation? Even though I didn’t go anywhere?

Monday- Rest My ankle/calf was twinging from all the miles last week so I chose to rest. This also worked out as I ended up spending way too much time in AT&T stores this past week. My parents, brother and I share a family plan and have for years. One it’s more cost effective and two, I refuse to lose my unlimited data. It was time for my mom’s phone upgrade and since she needs me as the plan holder to make changes it worked out that I was on vacation. She picked out a shiny new HTC A9 or something another. She’s anti iPhone despite owning one the last 2 years. Her new phone was pretty until we realized over the weekend it wouldn’t send text messages. Well, that’s a problem. So, after hours of internet research and on the phone with tech support on Monda, the verdict was to give the phone back. Seriously, that’s what tech support said. 😒 So days later, after shipping fiascoes, rigged up iPhone 4’s, she is now the owner of shiny new, working, iPhone 6s.

Tuesday-4 miles More late afternoon running for the win. Well kind of. I headed out closer to dusk than planned but figured I would see how many miles I could get in before it got too dark. Parts of my run were great and other parts not so much. Once again my pace was better than I had expected and I didn’t need any walking breaks. However I stopped 3 times to stretch. My calf/ ankle thing is not happy at all and I kept stopping to stretch it out along the ways. Trees and curbs were all fair game. Grrr. The run turned out to be a nice little progression but my leg is not happy.

Wednesday– Rest With my ankle area being weird, I decided to try an every other day running schedule this week. Which works out as both my parents had birthdays this week. My mom’s was today. The brother and I took the parents to dinner that night. I may have eaten a few too many bread sticks at Olive Garden. 😉

Thursday 3.75 miles– holy ouch, batman. That rest day didn’t help the tightness is my ankle/ calf area. Once again I was using trees and curbs to stretch it out along the way. It started raining on me on the way back but I was too cranky to enjoy it. I shortened my run which made me cranky. I was hoping to hit 6 but there was no way. 😐

The weather man lied- it rained!! Oh and I saw this lovely sign. 🙂

Friday- Rest Pop’s birthday!

Saturday- Rest Unplanned, I was hoping for a run but I felt crappy. I had tossed and turned all night and felt exhausted. I also felt a little nauseous. I meant to take a 30 minute nap after lunch but ended up napping for 2.5 hours. Oops.

Sunday- Rest Sensing a pattern here? Part of me wanted to run and part of me wanted to be lazy on this last day of vacation. I still wasn’t feeling so hot so I wasted the day away watching cheesy tv Christmas movies. #sorrynotsorry

Somehow vacation has come to an end. Normally by now I am itching to get back to work. However I don’t feel ready to go back. I feel like there was so much more that I needed to do (like clean my car) but time just seemed to move quickly these past 2 weeks. Make it slow down! How is Christmas so close? And I seriously have no gift ideas. Normally by this time I am done shopping! I have wrapping paper but nothing to wrap!

So it’s back to work tomorrow. Back to treadmill running, boo. Back to better eating habits, hopefully. 😃

How was your weekend?

How is your Christmas shopping coming?

Any good calf stretches? I need help.