Tag: sick

Week 39:Upcoming Races-Rock n Roll San Jose Training Week 11

Fallon @ Slacker Runner2 Comments

Upcoming Races-

  • Rock n Roll San Jose 13.1 (Thank you BibRave!)-10/8
  • City to the Sea 13.1-10/14- maybe
  • Rock n Roll Los Angeles 13.1 (Thank you BibRave!)- 10/29
  • Monterey Bay Half Marathon (Thank you BibRave!)- 11/12

Peek weak redux? More like epic fail.

Like I said in Friday’s post this week was less than stellar.   I was in a funk with no real reason as to why.    I started the week out sick and things just kind of went down hill from there.    We had an employee with a last day on Friday and it’s always sad when the team changes.  On the upside, I finally have a hotel for my work trip coming up in October so I won’t be sleeping in my car, haha.

The plan called for a 6 mile run, 6 mile pace run, 10 mile long run and 3-4 cross training workouts.

Monday- Sick
I felt fine in the morning and had my running gear with me at work.  However things went south around 4:00pm when I suddenly felt nauseous, clammy and like I was running a fever.   I went home and just curled up under a blanket.  It was still hot outside so it was a sign that I really wasn’t feeling well.

Tuesday- Liift4
I still wasn’t feeling well.  I couldn’t focus and everything took so much more effort.  I ran into my uncle during the day and he took one look at me and asked why the hell I went to work.  I’m stupid??  I felt like a total sloth so I dragged my way through a Liift4 workout in the late evening.  I did feel a little better after.

Wednesday-1.2 miles
Not what I intended.  I planned to attempt 5-6 pace-ish miles around the lake path but the path had other plans.  Creeper alert!  Both could have been false alarms but my #1 rule is Be Paranoid.   The first creeper was a windowless van parked on the path.  Ummm, why?  Next up was a gold Ford Fusion that slowed as it passed me, then drove in front of me.   When it came back for a second, slower pass, I was done -I’m out.  I’ll run another day.

Thursday- 3 miles
My leg was hurting.  I was stupid and sat in my chair this week- why do I keep doing that- and it aggravates my right leg in a bad way.  I toughed out 3 miles but managed to find a decent, easy pace actually.  I knew more would probably be stupid judging by how the leg felt though.

Friday- Nothing
I just wanted to stay in bed all day but I went to work.  I did bring back the desk chair instead of my stool though.

She had the right idea

Saturday-Nothing
And I mean nothing.  I set my alarm to get in my long run but when it came time to run I was so not feeling it.  In fact I was feeling like being a sloth.  So I did.  The upcoming month of October is looking to be crazy busy and this was my last weekend before things get crazy.  So, I did the bare minimum.  I ran 2 errands and I napped.

Sunday- 6.35 miles
I should have napped more.  I kept putting off this run because I really didn’t want to run.  I wanted to be lazy but I told myself that was stupid.   So I headed out for a run.   Why?  It was miserable.  It was too warm, I wasn’t into it and my leg started to hurt towards the end.  I walked a lot.   I was done.  I just looped and headed back to the car.   I should have just skipped it.  My pace wasn’t completely horrible- it was actually near marathon long run pace so I guess I have made some improvements in the last few weeks if I tanked that badly but it doesn’t look like it.

10.56 miles for the week.  Yay. And with that it’s race week.

How was your week?

SLO Ultra 5K Recap

Fallon @ Slacker Runner3 Comments

A part of me almost upgraded to the half during the week leading up to this race. Now, I’m so glad I didn’t.

Race morning came and my stomach was being a total asshat. Not too unusual so I just got ready like normal and hit the road. While I drove, I had some ginger mints hoping to calm my stomach.  I thought it helped.

The race was held in a combo of El Chorro Regional Park and Dairy Creek Golf Course, parking was across the highway at the community college.   It was stressed heavily that we either had to pay for parking during registration or have cash on hand on race morning.  I paid during registration.   Yet on race morning there no sign of anyone to take cash, so half the runners didn’t pay.  Grrr.  I ended up talking about it with with a couple.   I spoke with a volunteer as I left the lot, chatted with another as we waited to cross the highway.  Actually, this was the most I’ve ever talked at a race and some of the friendliest people throughout.

The start was about a mile away and I arrived in time to see the delayed start of the half marathon.   Turns out the inflatable arch had a little issue.  The 50K had started at 6:30.  I got in line to use the port-a-potties which is when I had my sad sunglasses incident.  Boo. After some announcements and the National Anthem, we were off and running.

Mile 1-11:07

Oh, god, I’m nauseous, why am nauseous? Where did that come from? And I’m breathing like I’m sprinting but I’m not. What is going on?? The first mile wound up a back road away from the park towards a ranch. It was paved but in poor condition and you were dodging cow dung along the way. It was a tiny incline but all of this would have been fine had I not been feeling like I needed to find a bush to throw up in. I slowed to a walk about 3/4 a mile in and tried to walk it out. I wasn’t upchucking in public!

Mile 2-10:48

More walking. Still nauseated. The road had switched to dirt and the incline picked up a bit. Part way up the road was blocked by a gate- it wasn’t open. We had to climb over it. Single file. Surprise! I think the complete stop I came to while I waited for my turn helped a bit because I picked up the pace on the other side and ran a bit. Then walked a bit, then ran. We had a little downhill and I was able to pass a few of the people who had passed me previously. Truthfully at this point, I didn’t care.

Mile 3-10:46

I’m still not feeling right but I just want to be done. I take water at the one aid station and hustle on. The next 1/4 mile was the “trail-iest” section of the whole race. We climbed a small hill and could see the finish line a ways off- across the golf course. My watch was already at 3 miles. Grrr. I ran past a few people (even sick, I’ll take advantage of any tiny downhill) then it was sidewalk and golf course running to the finish line.

A little boy and I had been playing leap frog for 2 miles- he’d pass me every time I’d walk. We were both powering to the finish and it’s sad that instinct is telling you to win. 😂 I pulled up and let him cross first.

Finish-36.23   Garmin Pace-10:49*3.4 miles    Official pace- 11:44

For once in the numerous times I’ve run races by this organization, water and snacks were easy to find at the finish.  Yay!   I grabbed a bag of salty chips thinking they might help with nausea.  I chatted with some other runners and we helped each other take finisher pics.  Then I started the trek back to the car.

*I am normally never one to say the course ran long; I know I suck at tangents.  However, I really couldn’t go wrong during the first 2 miles and mile 3 was more of a follow the leader with no course markings.  Plus, thanks to Strava I know that I am not the only one who measured it long.  All the public users did- so I am going to call the course long.   Doesn’t change the official pace though, it is what it is.

This wasn’t a bad race.  I really wouldn’t call it a “trail” race, I know the other distances were.  It wasn’t the great views of last year and I missed those. The organization was better than previous races and the medal is a good one.   Bling makes everything better right?😀

Week 32:Upcoming Races-Rock n Roll San Jose Training Week 5

Fallon @ Slacker Runner6 Comments

Upcoming Races-

  • SLO ULTRA 5K-9/2
  • Rock n Roll San Jose 13.1 (Thank you BibRave!)-10/8
  • City to the Sea 13.1-10/14
  • Rock n Roll Los Angeles 13.1 (Thank you BibRave!)- 10/29
  • Monterey Bay Half Marathon (Thank you Bibrave!)- 11/12

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

I think I watched more stupid movies than ever before.  Netflix shamed me with “are you still watching” a few times.  😛I kind of buried myself in a dark hole, I was barely even paying attention to those movies, I just needed background noise (there were some good ones though).

The plan for this week was 3 runs- 4 miles, 40 min tempo, 8 mile long run- and 4 Liift4 workouts.  Reality, however-

Monday- 2.5 miles 
I was looking forward to my run after work.  I thought I had 5 miles on the plan -oops – but I was on board with that.  The bottom half of me apparently was not.  Right from my first few steps, things felt off.  My legs hurt- not just sore but hurt.  I walked the first half mile hoping they would loosen up but no luck.  I tried running and it felt like the pain was deep in my bones.  WTH?  A little over a mile in, I stopped to try and stretch it out and almost screamed.   It hurt from my hips to my knees but in the bones.  I turned around and hobbled back to the car.     I didn’t know what was going on but it wasn’t worth risking an injury.

Tuesday- Liift4
My legs were still not right so I focused on my form and modified anything that required any jumping. I kind of do that anyway as I know my limitations but I really did it now.

Wednesday- Liift4
I drove to the lake path to run.  I had changed, I had my pack in my lap but I wasn’t feeling it.  Like deep down, really NOT feeling it.   I’m not a believer in there are no bad runs.  Yes, there are.   The times in the past that I have forced myself to run when I feel that against it I have either hurt myself or broken a piece of running gear.  I drove away without running but I wasn’t completely lazy.

Thursday- Migraine
Bring on the pain.  I woke up to the oncoming pain but hoped it would ease up.  Both because I had an early morning meeting and because I wanted to run after work.   I finally admitted defeat around 11:30 and did something I rarely do- I went home sick.  Then I spent the rest of the day napping, watching movies and alternating between being too hot or too cold.

Friday-Liift4 ish
I still had a migraine but I made it through work.  I attempted Liift4 in the evening but I only pulled off the lifting portion.  When it transitioned to the HIIT work, I tried one move and was like, umm, not happening.

Saturday-8 miles
Maybe it was the migraine that was still around but this was the hottest 8 miles of my life.  In hindsight, I maybe shouldn’t have tried for my long run after 2 days of pain.   I started my run around 9:15 and while that is early for me; it was already hot.   Miles 1 and 2 were good and I was optimistic.  I slowed during mile 3 but I was also entering the section I lovingly call the “surface of the sun” so that was to be expected.  However mile 4 went south.   It got super warm, I was too hot, I was feeling dehydrated and I almost threw up.    I was almost out of water and I was only 4 miles in.  I rerouted back to my car but I had slowed to a shuffle.  I refilled at my car and sat there a bit as it was fully in the shade.  By then I needed less than 2 miles so I dumped my pack thinking running without it would be cooler and just shoved my phone in a pocket and carried a water bottle and my pepper spray.  I then looped the river trail and the neighborhood until I hit 8.   This route needs some shade!

Sunday- Rest
I may have gotten in my long run but I was kind of broken the rest of the weekend.  Not only did the migraine not go away, it was a little pissed at me after those 8 miles.  The most strenuous thing I did on Sunday was clean my car.  Except it was so dirty, that really was a workout.

10.5 miles for the week.   I couldn’t have 2 good weeks in a row, could I.  Shake it off.

How was your week?

Rambling On 38

Fallon @ Slacker Runner9 Comments

Happy Friday.  Right?

Running has been more miss than hit this week.   I felt a little off all week and actually went home sick on Thursday.  Say what? Who am I???

On the upshot, my boss is back so I was actually able to go home when I finally made that choice.  Is it sad that one of the things holding me back from going home was that then I would have to admit that I wasn’t running that evening?😂

We had a few days break in the triple digit weather and they were all the days I didn’t run due to feeling poorly. Meanwhile this weekend will start another above 100 trend. I have to laugh, right??

Maybe it’s time to go the movies?? Is anything showing? I won’t tell you the quality of TV I’ve watched this past week.🙃

Or that my food choices haven’t been the greatest this week.

Moving on, onward and upward, right?

What are you up to this weekend?

Week 31:Upcoming Races-Rock n Roll San Jose Training Week 3

Fallon @ Slacker Runner11 Comments

Upcoming Races-

  • SLO ULTRA 5K-9/2
  • Rock n Roll San Jose 13.1 (Thank you BibRave!)-10/8
  • City to the Sea 13.1-10/14
  • Rock n Roll Los Angeles 13.1 (Thank you BibRave!)- 10/29
  • Monterey Bay Half Marathon (Thank you Bibrave!)- 11/12

This week was rough.    I hit a stumbling block I wasn’t anticipating but it made me glad that I picked a 12 week training plan instead of the 10 weeks.  That said, my miles are kind of sad.   9 more weeks to go!

This week was one I had been thinking about for months because I put a few too many things on my calendar for Saturday and had to decide what was going to lose.  There was a half marathon in Salinas I wanted to run, a concert by my favorite band in Irvine, a good friends baby shower and then a hair cut appointment.  I need to pay more attention to calendars.

The plan this week was for an easy 5, 3 mile pace, and 7 mile long run plus the 4 Liift4 workouts.   Yeah, well….

Monday- 4 miles
I knew my foot could be a problem so I was prepared to call the run short if it ever reached a point of pain or stupidity.  In fact I walked the entire 1st mile just to see if my foot protested immediately.  Then I used a 60 second run/ 30 second walk method just to ensure I wasn’t getting to crazy.  As long as I followed the intervals and paid attention to my form and how I landed the run was actually ok.  All the extra thought going into it tired me out though. Haha.

Tuesday- Liift4
Wanted to give my foot 2 days in between runs and not double up on workouts so I loaded up my first Liift4 workout of the week.  Which actually ended up being day 2 (backs/biceps) instead of day 1 because day 1 involved a lot of floor work and I did this workout in the garage so I could wear shoes.   Concrete is hard on the back so I flipped them.

Wednesday- Liift4
Ahhh, hello day 1.  This time on carpet so it much easier.

Thursday- .5 miles
I was ready to run and looking forward to it.  About 15 minutes from home town and the river path though I started to feel really weird.  My top lip was tingling and my arms were kind of numb.     I still drove to my parking spot and tried to run thinking I was just being a big baby about the 95*.  However .25 miles in, I knew I was being stupid.  I felt so off balance and half of me just felt numb.   I turned around and slowly walked back to the car.  I went home and just crashed for the night, hence no post on Friday.

Friday- Rest
I woke up feeling like complete crap.  I still didn’t feel right and was having trouble regulating my body temp.  I had zero desire to go to work but also knew the odds of finding another manager to come out and cover my location was unlikely so I dragged myself in.   My coworkers are amazing though so we made it through the day and then I went home and crashed again.

Saturday-  Rest
I was still a little off but mostly ok which was good because I had an early morning hair cut and then a baby shower in the afternoon.   Something about the heat of the day- 105- felt oppressively hot so I decided another day of rest wasn’t a horrible idea.  We’ve had hotter days but this just felt Rough.  I was still having issues regulating my internal temp.

Sunday- Liift4/ 4 miles
I couldn’t bring myself to get out bed early on the one day of the week that I was really able to sleep in.  Which was not a great idea as we’ve recently broken the local record for days in a row over 100 degrees.  Yay.     I made up Thursday’s missed Liift4 in the afternoon then rested a bit before heading out for my run a little after 5.  Never having run that close to a weight workout, I was a little concerned how my body would feel.  I should have been concerned about the heat.   My 7 miler turned into 4.  For once I listened to the signs of the impending heat headache and knew that even though I slowed it down, it was still 98*.  I will probably acclimate about the time fall arrives.  🙂

So, what, 8.5ish miles for the week and 3/4 Liift workouts.   Hopefully the weird sickness has gone away but I will be making a doctor’s appointment this week.   Seems like the thing to do.

How was your week?