Tag: slacker

Run!, Training

Week 15- Ouch

Fallon @ Slacker Runner

Upcoming Races:

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

Ouch, ouch, ouch.  It hurts.  Cue panic.   I have a half in 2 weeks and Wine Country in 26 days.  Why?!?!

This week was tiring.  There wasn’t any real reason I can pinpoint it was just tiring.   I actually bought a few beers to help me relax a bit the last time I was at the store but to show how rarely I drink- when I went to have one I realized I didn’t have a bottle opener.   Well crap.  Who knew those multi purpose race medals would actually come in handy? 😛

After a good week of running last week I was looking forward to more of the same this week.   Ha!

Monday- Rest  I had planned on running after work but things ran a little later than I thought.  This is when the tiredness started.  I was also supposed to help my parents with their taxes so I decided there just wasn’t enough time.  I hate taxes.

Tuesday- Rest Hmmm, apparently this is the black hole day of the week.


Wednesday- 3.5 miles Where it all went to hell.  Ok, maybe that was a tad dramatic.   I headed to home town for what I thought was going to be a nice, easy 4-5 miler.  20 feet in I had a feeling it was going south.  My left knee hurt- like a sharp stabbing pain right under the knee cap.  Do I stop or is it going to work itself out if I run on? I ran on, slowly.   By mile 2ish, my knee was under control but now my left shin was throbbing.   My shin is always a hot point but never usually this bad.  What the hell! I had turned around before that point and was gimping my way back to my car.  Walking made my knee hurt but running aggravated my shin.  Both sucked.   Later that night I had shooting pains in my right leg… compensation maybe?

Thursday- Rest  My knee hurt at odd points throughout the day, I did the smart thing for once and just went home.   This was beginning to get irksome.

Friday- Rest  My knee felt 85% better but my shin was still twinge-y.  For only having hobbled my way through 3.5 miles during the week, I was stupid tired.  I took a nap on my lunch.


Saturday- 4 miles  I helped my mother move a bunch of rocks in the morning which may or may not have been the best idea.    I joked that I was just working on my squats and hip openers.    I headed out for a test run in the afternoon to see how things went.  One thing I changed was my shoes- Wednesday’s run was in the Sayonara’s and this was in the PureFlow’s.  I tried to keep things easy and walked anytime I felt any sort of twinge from my left leg.  All in all, it wasn’t a bad run at all.  If anything, my legs really wanted to run but I wouldn’t let them.


Sunday- 10 miles 2 less then my original planned long run but maybe more than I should have done.   A cool front and an incoming storm meant I could run in the afternoon again.  I helped my mother with more buckets of rocks and then got the run in before Easter dinner.   Can I count all the rock lifting as cross training this week?  I wasn’t sure how many miles I was going to get in but I figured I would give it a shot.     I ran the same route as last week and coming up on mile 4 I knew I had a choice- turn left and turn it into and 8 mile run with more hills or go straight across the bridge for a slighter flatter 10 miles.  I was feeling ok so I headed across the bridge.  Per usual, I picked up the pace running across the bridge and slowed it down after that.   The river path is super over grown right now so lately  I slow down, pause my music and keep an eye out for rattlesnakes.  😕    Coming back across the bridge my leg was starting to talk, not pain but not happy.  Ok, 8 miles would have been a better idea.    I slowed down and just kept moving forward.  I think I can, I think I can.  10 miles done.  Where’s my foam roller?

17.5 miles for the week.   Less then I wanted but more than I thought I would get considering how I felt on Wednesday.   I will be spending lots of time with my foam roller and stretching throughout the week to come.  Maybe this will be the kick in the pants to use the roller more consistently?   As for the pains, I think the knee may be a problem with my shoes.  If so, this is the quickest I’ve ever killed a pair of shoes- the Sayonara’s only have 174 miles on them.  I think I might know what triggered the shin so I am testing a theory this week.

Oh did I mention I tried to knock myself out on a tree branch?  😂😂

Last week had some shiny moments-  I made it to the movies to see Fate of the Furious.  Yeah it had it’s over the top moments but it was still awesome.

How was your week?

Happy Marathon Monday!!!!

gear, Run!, Stomach, Training

Leaded or Unleaded

Fallon @ Slacker Runner

And the long run headaches are back.

I drink plenty of water so it’s not a lack of hydration.    Granted I am prone to headaches and migraines so there is that.   I am still loving the Ultima for shorter runs but I am wondering if my issue with longer runs is a lack of calories.  I still fuel horribly…as in I don’t.   I just can’t eat on my longer runs.  I buy gels and gu’s and chews and never eat them.  I carry them with me but they just end looking very beat up and expired.  So maybe my water needs to gain some weight?

With that in mind, it was time to experiment.  So I hit up The Feed.


#1  Gen Ucan Orange-   I heard great things and I really liked their protein powder so I was hopeful.   Out of the package, it mixed chalkier than I had expected.   It kind of seemed like it didn’t dissolve.  It didn’t taste powdery it just looked like that.  It actually had very little taste.   Very bland.    Taste aside, I had a surprisingly great 8 mile run.   I ran a hill I have never run in its entirety before.  I even posted about it on Instagram.  My mother made fun of me.   My post run headache was very muted.

#2- Glukos Orange-  Mixed and dissolved well and was very orange in color.  It also tasted very yummy.    That said, I slammed into a wall at mile 6 of a 9 mile run.    I felt ok leading up to that point and then things went very south.    It was the same route as before and at first I thought to blame it on the French toast that I had for breakfast but again that was the same as before too.    And I had a headache.

#3 Tailwind Raspberry Buzz- Caffeine!!!!    I was heading out for what I thought I was going to be a shortened long run because I wasn’t feeling it so I admit I only mixed 1/2 the pouch.    It blended well but oh man, it tasted like medicine.  I wasn’t a huge fan of the taste but a I went from not wanting to run at all to bartering with myself to just run 4 to actually running a solid 8 miler that day.  Hmmmm.   I do like that it has caffeine in it.   I feel like my asthma cranky lungs appreciate it sometimes.  I had a medium headache.

I am still cycling through these options.  I bought multiples so I could try each one on multiple runs in hopes of finding the golden ticket.    But a new contender has entered the ring too.


Thanks to Bibrave, I get to try the Beachbody Performance line.  I’ve heard great things about their Hydrate product so yay!    One of these has to solve the long run headaches, right?

How do you hydrate?

Fuel?

 

 

Run!, Slacker, Training

Week 8 Recap- Sleepy Time

Fallon @ Slacker Runner

Training for:

  • Livermore 13.1 -March 26
  • Destination Races Santa Barbara 13.1- May 13

This was a blink and you missed it week but it wasn’t without its own headaches.  That said it wasn’t a bad week it was just odd.   Well unless you count me finding out that someone has already filed a tax return using my social.  😒

Monday- Nada–  I had big plans to run but it was cold and windy and I just couldn’t make myself get out the door.  I usually love having Mondays off so I can get in a good run but the cold front rolling in just made me a big baby.  My toes have been so damn cold!

Tuesday- Rest- The work day was straight chaos.  With the power issues last Friday and this being the first day back after a 3 day weekend, things were nuts.   I wore a pair of old faithful boots but by the end of the day my feet hurt so bad that I wanted to cry.   My shoes turned on me!


Wednesday- 2.7 miles-  I headed out for my usual post work route run.  Except I hadn’t taken into account the cold and the wind.  I wasn’t dressed right with just capris and a long sleeve.   The winds were in excess of 20 mph and they almost took my Buff off my head twice.  My wool Buff that I recently accidentally dried.   I hit the spot where I take the sunset pics and decided it was too cold and turned around to head for the car.


Funny moment on the way back- if I am coming up on an intersection the same time as a vehicle or two and don’t want to play the “no you go, no you go” game, I stop before and stretch or fake tie my shoe.    This time one of those cars was a cop car and I guess they thought I looked shady.  I got the stink eye for a moment when I straightened back up.  😛    Nothing to see here, move along.     Even though when I damn near had an asthma attack 2 blocks later on a street corner I was wishing they could come back.


Thursday- 5 miles.     Blood work test fail #1.  Doctor said that I did not need to fast for a glucose test.  He even wrote it on the work order.   I took time off work in the afternoon and headed back to home town for the testing.    He was wrong, the lab refused to do the testing.  Grrr.  Now what?    I went running!   I dressed a little smarter this time but could have used another layer.   I’ve determined that as long as we have rain in the forecast, speed is not likely because my lungs just can’t handle the moisture in the air.  No sooner do I accept that than Strava informs me that I broke my previous record for 400m and wasn’t even trying…


Friday- Rest  Glucose test fail #2.  And then success.    I tried to get the process started in work town before work but was unable to, the line was insane.   Luckily my boss is awesome so once everyone got to work I went back to the lab and got the process started.  And then went back and forth for the next 3+ hours.   I didn’t finish the glucose testing until 1:30.  By then I was hangry and already bruising.  My lunch was around 2 and I went through a drive thru intending to treat myself to some french fries but I ended up being lured by a picture of giant burger so I ordered that and some fries.   Instead of feeling stuffed after eating it, I still felt oddly empty.  It was very odd. I was so hungry all day.


Saturday- Rest.  I crashed hard the night before around 9:30 which is odd for me.  Normally I am up late reading and catching up on tv on Friday nights.  I slept for 12 hours!  It wasn’t un-interrupted but that’s a little ridiculous!   Even when I did get up and get going I had zero energy.  After doing a few errands I ended up taking a long nap.    I had planned on running both Saturday and Sunday but decided that my body was trying to tell me something.

Sunday- Rest Yeah, this was just a total lack of motivation on my part.  I kept telling myself to change and get out the door for 10 miles but I couldn’t actually do it.   It was cold and my toes were frozen in my slippers in my house and no matter how much I berated myself I couldn’t make myself run.  I just kept pushing it back later and later.  #longrunfail

7.7 miles for the week.  I’m not going to say ouch because missing my long run was entirely up to me.   Was a case of the blah’s worthy of missing a long run?   Maybe, maybe not.   Only time will tell.   I do know I am over the cold weather.    Timehop keeps showing me pics from last year and I was running in shorts and a tank.  I miss those days.  This weird cold front and crazy wind, rain just needs to take a break.  I’m not saying it’s entirely responsible for my lagging motivation but it’s part of it.

How was your week?

Do you have warm weather?  Wanna share?

 

Run!, Slacker, Training

Week 6- Ouch- Fail

Fallon @ Slacker Runner

Training for:

  • Livermore 13.1 -March 26
  • Destination Races Santa Barbara 13.1- May 13

Did anyone else have an odd week last week?   Did it seem freaky long and just off for no real reason?    Everyone at work seemed to feel it too.  I know there was a full moon on Friday but still the whole week was just odd.

Monday- Rest-  Last week saw a wealth of knowledge drop on us at work- all merger related.  It started today with a meeting with the new CEO.     It was a good meeting but I was kind of fried by the end of the day, I can’t remember what I did when I got home.  😞


Tuesday- Gym Fail- Work was a little busy but overall the rain and the highway closure is keeping us a little slower.  I changed after work and planned on heading home for some #bibchat and hitting the gym for intervals.  What the hell? Traffic was ridiculous.  It was raining but nothing like it has been lately but I didn’t get back to home town until almost 7.    So much for #bibchat.  Ok, gym time.  Every single treadmill was taken.  What?!  I admit I gave up.  I bailed.  I headed home and ordered a pizza.


Wednesday- 4 miles– After the previous day’s snafu, I decided to do another baby tempo at work.  Except when I set out I realized I has somehow lost my inhaler the night before.  For crying out loud.  Ok, so no speed work.  The marine layer was heavy so running without my inhaler was probably asking for trouble but I really needed to run.   I kept it nice and easy but even with the slower pace, my breathing still sounded like I was sprinting, ha.    The marine layer holds light pretty well so I pushed further into the state park and was able to make it to the Natural History Museum before I had to turn back.  I love running though the eucalyptus grove.

Thursday- Ouch–  I woke up to some not so good pain in my left leg.  And not the typical shin variety pain.  I took my running clothes to work but when it didn’t get better throughout the day I conceded defeat and decided to make it a rest day.

Friday- More ouch– My leg still hurt.  It was isolated to the inside of my left ankle and I was starting to freak out a little.   I also figured I knew what did it.   While I loved running the trails through the eucalyptus grove on Wednesday, I shouldn’t have done it in my Nike’s.   While I love my Nike’s for speed work, they are not big on traction, they have very smooth bottoms and the trails were pretty slick and muddy from all the rain.  But I was having fun in the moment.


Saturday- More of the same–    Good thing I decided it was too muddy to that run that 10k!  I opted for active rest and wandered around SLO doing some shopping and consoling myself with some amazing pizza.  I may have spent too much money at Lululemon. 😛  The clearance rack was just too tempting.


Sunday- 9 miles  I had rested for 3 days, what was my ankle going to do???   I knew I was going to be slow and that was fine.   I was stiff for the first few miles which is typical but I made sure to focus on my ankle and walk anytime I felt more than a twinge.   Overall I felt ok.  I picked up the pace a bit across the bridge per usual and indulged with a little river watching when I made it down to the river bed.   Everything was going ok until a little past mile 6.  Then things went south real fast.  I was hustling to cross an intersection before a car and I suddenly felt ill.   I had to pause for a breather rather than be sick and even when I got going I had to walk a lot.   I felt very crappy for the last 3 miles, it was all I could to finish.   If I could have bailed sooner I would have but it’s not like I was getting to the car any other way.   My lungs were abnormally pissed too.  They were angrier then they had been on Wednesday but I had found my inhaler so what gives?    I wasn’t quite right the rest of the evening either which is why this post is a day late.

13 miles for the week.   Once again, I missed workouts.  Grrr.     Between merger stuff, crazy rain, and my weird dizzy, nausea spells, I feel like I’ve turned into a giant flake.  My lab work should be done next week but knowing my luck it won’t show anything.   I’m not even sure what I should keep my fingers crossed for?    This year is Challenging in me in different ways than I planned.  I broke down crying in a meeting with my boss last week.  Get it together!

Anyways, moving on to a shiny new week.  One good thing— my road is open again!!!!!  30 less miles a day!!!  It’s the little things right?

How was your week?

Ever bailed on a workout when you were in workout clothes already?

Tell me something shiny!

 

Run!, Slacker, Stomach

Week 5- Training Begins??

Fallon @ Slacker Runner

Training for:

  • Livermore 13.1 -March 26
  • Destination Races Santa Barbara 13.1- May 13

Or does it?     I was looking forward to putting my money where my mouth is as it were and hitting the marks during week 1 of training.   Or at least trying to.   I knew the miles were going to be hard and I knew I had a busy week but I was looking forward to the challenge.


Monday- 3.1 miles   Baby tempo!   You can read all about that enlightening run here.   I’m still debating where to run my tempo miles.    I’ll figure something out.

Tuesday- Planned rest day  My legs were a little tight after the attempt at speed the previous day.   I wore compression socks under my slacks most of the day and made sure to foam roll.

And here’s when things went south-

Wednesday- Intervals– rest  I woke up with a headache and stomach pain.  I held fast that I was going to run after work.    Except that I didn’t make it through the day at work.  It got to the point that I couldn’t even stand up straight my stomach hurt so bad.    Joy.

Thursday/ Friday- Rest   What I didn’t mention was that starting  Tuesday night I woke up every night sweating ridiculously.  TMI?  Sorry.    Maybe I was fighting something?  My brother had been sick, my boss missed a day being sick.  Whatever it was, my migraine wouldn’t quit and I felt weird.  I also had a doctor’s appointment where he ordered a series of fun tests.  Yay.

Saturday- Planned rest.   We were going out of town for my grandmother’s memorial.  I knew I wasn’t running that day.    It was a sad, nostalgic, interesting morning and a long day.


Sunday- 8 miles.   I didn’t want to run.  I still wasn’t feeling great but I also wondered how much of that was real and how much was just lingering inertia of the week.   I slept in in the morning and headed out a little before 3.  Yes, I was running during the Super Bowl.   😛     I was bartering with myself in miles 1 and 2, the week was already a wash so I could call it at 4 right?  I even slowed down in mile 3 which has a downhill and is usually a little faster.  Grrr.   But I kept running and something changed around mile 3.5.      I just kept going, mile 4, across the bridge- where I pulled a sub 10 mile.  This is only interesting because I average around 11:30ish until I hit the bridge and bring the pace down over the next .3 mile.   I swear I wasn’t sprinting.   Mile 5- still going and feeling pretty good.  Mile 6 and I ran an entire hill that I have never run all of before.    I celebrated on IG and my mother laughed at me.  Ok, so the hill less than 1/2 mile and only gained 92 feet but let me have my tiny victory!!!   Onto mile 7 and mile 8 and I still felt good!  Woo hoo!!   I have no idea what happened but I’ll take it!

11.1 miles for the week.  1 half completed workout, 1 fully completed workout.  1 missed run and 2 missed cross trainings.    I’m still on the long run high though so yay!  But I am thankful that this is a longer training plan now.  If it was the standard 12 weeks, I may be a little nervous but the longer plan is keeping me a little calmer.  It may be a false sense of security but only time will tell.

How was your week?

Did you watch the Super Bowl?  Puppy Bowl?