TAPER TIME! (Marathon Training Week 14 + 15)

Week 14 + 15 went like this...

Week 14
Monday: Rest after 20 miler
Tues/Weds/Thurs: painful 5 milers
Fri/Saturday:  I gave in... painful foot is not going away. Rest!
Sunday: 12 miles... last few miles were painful

Week 15

No running :)
yes, that is a smiley face. I fought the urge every morning to try out my foot. I was miserable (and im still partly miserable).

Monday and Tuesday were the worst... I was suppose to go out marathon shoe shopping but I refuse to walk into a running store without being able to run. That was like a meth addict walking into a... well.. you know what I mean lol. So i was pretty depressed the first few days of the week (and having withdrawals).

By Wednesday or Thursday? I snapped out of it. Partly because I felt sorry for myself. I had stuffed my face over the weekend and just ate my feelings away. I had too much time on my hands.. so I decided my mood wasn't going to get any better unless I did SOMETHING. I was only making things worst.. So I did p90x along with Insanity and actually went to the gym the rest of the week. I forget exactly what I did but I worked out :) it was a combination of cycling and elliptical and I felt 100% times better (mentally). Insanity KILLED ME (and my quads). After the marathon I'm hoping to finish a whole round of Insanity (or some workout plan) and incorporate some running into it.

Anyways. besides cross training and eating anything and everything in site (mostly cereal out of the box) I also studied during my free time and aced all my midterms! Hurray for free time :)

Today I finally went to see a foot doctor.. got x-rays.. got a foot injection (ouch) and got some meds perscribed so the inflammation can go down. Going to go back within a week to see how my foot is holding up. Doctor said I could run as soon as my foot feels 100%.. and only 100%

3 weeks to heal.. and anything that may disturb the healing would be cutting it close.

For now... I'm thinking positive. I may have missed last long run yesterday.. and only ran one 20 miler during marathon training.. but I did what I could. I'm a big believer of mind over matter and i really think that our mind is very powerful.. I gave it my 100% before my injury and will give it my 110% the day of the marathon.

What i learned?: things happen for a reason..
So maybe I injured myself at the total inappropriate time.. but I'm going to learn my lesson and not over train (and remember to stretch and ice and listen to my body next time). Yes, next time! I am looking into a fall marathon... more on that later

So umm.. taper time? :D

Update on fundraising: My mom is a lifesaver! She went to Wisconsin over the weekend where half my family lives and raised $360 for me! AHH! i love her so much :)



Im wondering "how am I suppose to adjust to my running schedule once I do come back?" Hmm.. im guessing nice and slow.. but im suppose to decrease my mileage... ah. anywho..

19 days until L.A.!!!!

SpiBelt Giveaway winner!

Winner: Ginger Foxxx!

Thank you all for the donations! I'm well on my way to reaching my fundraising goal. Be on the lookout for another giveaway soon :)


Update on thee injury: Not running yet. Today will be day 5.. I feel a tinsy bit better.. but I'm not taking any chances.

LA Marathon: 22 Days

Runner Down...

I hate to admit it.. I really do. But I think I may have to take time off.

How did this happen?
I'm not exactly sure. After last weekends 20 miler I noticed the top of my foot bothering me right after and during the last few miles of that run. I ignored it. 
All last week I noticed it, didn't pay much attention to it until last Thursday. I knew it wasn't going to get better because even walking triggered pain and I noticed some inflammation. 

So I listened.. and rested. Friday and Saturday. No Running. Rest ice massage heat

Sunday morning I was feeling good. No pain when I walked. It was long run day and I wanted to test out the waters.. see how far I could go without feeling any pain. Mentally I wanted to run 13+mi... My legs felt well rested but not my foot. Past mile 9, I knew I needed more rest. And part of me regretted Sundays run.

I googled and self-diagnosed myself with Extensor Tendonitis
everything matched what I had... pain on the top of my foot, inflammation... 

I came across something that broke my heart..
"The joint should be rested until all signs of pain have disappeared; this could take several weeks"

several weeks?!

Today is definitely rest day.
Now the question is... to go see someone (a foot doctor, Accelerate..?) or try to just stay off it and ice it? With my last 20 miler this weekend... I'm not sure what to do. Avoid running all week and wing it on Sunday? I'm honestly about to have a full on panic attack. I can't imagine taking more than 3 days off from running. Especially now.. week 15 of marathon training. Tapering is suppose to start next Monday... Help?

Have you ever injured yourself and NOT went to see a doctor? 
Have you tried out Accelerate? 


I should really listen to Deena Kastor's advice...  but I'm just too stubborn.

SpiBelt & Goodies GIVEAWAY!**

As you all know by now, I am running the LA Marathon next month. One thing I have not focused on was fundraising the money for the charity I'm running the marathon for (Susan G. Komen foundation). First Marathon... and I hardly know what to do in terms of fueling, imagine trying to fund raise money :D

I decided well why not host a giveaway?

I will be giving away a SpiBelt along with a pink* Pepper Spray (safety comes first!) and (my current addiction) 3 packs of Sport Jelly Beans. When I was thinking up items to giveaway I thought of an incident that happened to me last year. I was harassed during one of my runs in the early morning before sunrise. I had no cellphone on me or anyone close by. It shook me up that now I run with my cell phone at all times. So I thought, why not giveaway a SpiBelt (and to go along with the Komen foundation color theme, in the color pink). You could fit anything compact in it. I usually carry my cellphone, cash, bus card with me in case I get stranded somewhere.

I will be giving away these 3 items to the one lucky winner. Winner will be selected by random number generator and announced on Friday February 22nd at 9am! 

*Also available in Black, if you don't like the pink Pepper Spray

(3) packs of Sport Beans, choice of flavor Fruit Punch or Assorted
both taste AMAZING!

To enter leave a separate comment for each of the following, 1 comment = 1 entry:

• Required: Donate to my Charity Page HERE! (please leave your first and last name where it indicates to Personalize Gift, you don't have to show the gift amount)

For bonus entries:

• Leave a comment telling me what your current running goal is
  and/or
  any running items you would like to see me giveaway next
• Leave a comment telling me you followed me on Twitter
• Share this giveaway link on your FB/Blog/Twitter. Leave a separate comment for each letting me know where you shared and include URL link
  --You can share daily for extra entries! Just include your URL link every time you share
• Sign up by email to this blog for upcoming giveaways!
  
  
  
  ALSO --> any other ideas of how I can fund raise my minimum ($500), 30 something days away and I am not close to it at all... *sad face*

Marathon Training Week 13

I just realized I ran too many miles.. oops.

Monday: Complete rest.. foot issues
Tuesday: Planned 5mi, executed 4.5 Treadmill miles  + Arms&Abs
Wednesday: Overslept, so I ran 5mi in the morning, and 3 TM miles in the evening = 8mi
Thursday: 3 mi outside, 2 mi on TM (intervals) + Arms&Abs = 5mi
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 10mi @ 8:09 the weather was just too damn perfect to pass up + Arms&Abs
Sunday: 20 miles

Total Miles= 47.5 (peak of marathon training)
Times on treadmill = 3 days this week! Woahhh. Thanks to New Girl, I survived

So I thought Saturday's run called for 8 miles when actually I was suppose to run 5.. my bad. Now I know why I felt so tired on Sunday..

The Weather: I feel like I don't even know what to wear anymore..
Thursday was crazy icy outside.
Saturday felt like it was Spring
Sunday's weather sucked compared to Saturday. (high 30s, strong winds, rain)

It was raining when we first started running... As soon as it stopped, it felt 5-10 degrees warmer.. and we started seeing more runners on the path (with shorts) haha, we were no longer the only ones on it.

I had packed skittles and a granola bar in case we got hungry and by mile 7, they were gone haha oops. At one point on the path, there was still snow and ice... apparently they hadn't gotten around to plowing it.. It was def a tough run and took more walking breaks than I would have liked to but at least it's done.

Update on my foot: NO PAIN! woohoo.. I guess the treadmill runs this week helped.. less impact on my foot.

Note to self:
-no skittles or juju fish before a run. Stomach cramps started after mile 12.. or maybe it was the granola bar. Need to keep experimenting with food. ASAP
-Don't drink 24oz of Gatorade before a 20 miler... had to stop twice.
-Look at the marathon plan before going on for a run.. lol
-I think I'm going to need to buy a pair of shoes for the marathon... my Adidas don't feel very comfortable past mile 15. My feet are feeling it today.

34 DAYS TILL THE MARATHON!

*panic attack*

2 weeks till tapering starts! 2 more weeeeeeks!!!!!!

January & Marathon Training Wk 12

First things first.

To describe January in one word would be... hard to put into one word.
But I could use a picture. (...or 3)

pictures from the f^3 Lake Half Marathon

I cannot believe they actually shot that picture where it looks like I'm about to cry. haha.. awkward...
I was just celebrating in disbelief. I promise, there was no tears lol I really really like the other two tho. Anyways January was filled with an amazing PR, highest mileage and just a great overall training month.

Mileage: 170 miles (WOOH! last February of 2012 I peaked at 142, so this is a new record)
PRs: 3
Races: 3 (one 5k, 2 half-marathons)

DietBet January Weight-Loss Challege: I signed up for the weight-loss challenge, paid $10 took my weigh in pictures and cleaned up my diet.

The Good: I managed to lose 5 pounds! And won $21
The Bad: Now that the challenge is over, I'm slacking off.. I knew this was going to happen. And I'm not paying $10 to do it again (even though I earned ~$21 for losing, my $10 were given back to me so technically earned myself 10 bucks). Should I do it again? Meh.. It gets me motivated not to slack but what if this time I can't lose 4% of my starting weight? I will keep debating.

I also have a streak going so far for half-marathon and 5k's... every single race I've done in that distance, I have PRed. I don't want to jinx it now..  I've started to develop some pain on my foot after yesterdays long run, so I'm planning to take it easy this week and maybe even take some time off (and get new shoes). The last thing I need is an injury 13 weeks into marathon training.

That being said, as soon as January was over, my workouts have sucked.
______________________________________________________________

Marathon Training Week 12

Monday-Rest
Tuesday- 5 fartlek miles + Spin (50min) + Arms (tried out spin at my gym, loved it! Crossed off #22 on my to-do list)
Wednesday - 5.08 miles in the rain
Thursday - 4.02 miles (semi-intervals) --> (suppose to be 5mi, but got lazy)
Friday - Rest
Saturday - 8 mi @ "marathon pace" went slower than I should've, I blame the snow
Sunday - 12.7 (painful) miles

Total: 34.8mi

How I felt: ...like crap. This week was "step back" week and I literally did the least I was suppose to and even cut back on Thursday's 5miler to 4. I had no motivation in the mornings to go out in the cold but I would still drag myself. I think I've hit a wall. Or I'm burning out...I HATE the cold and the snow at the moment.. It doesn't help that it's dark and freezing at 6am and I have to crap out 5 milers.. ahh. (I refuse to jump on the TM for more than 3)

Sunday I felt good in the beginning, but I had to cut down the 13miler because my foot had been really hurting. The last 6 miles were painful. I took a million walking breaks. Me and JV decided to park near McCormick and run 6.5 miles south and run back to the car to make it 13 (smart buuut not so smart today), so we had no way of getting back to the car, but to run (or walk). Every time my left foot would hit the ground, I felt my arch explode. We were hungry, we were COLD, my foot was in pain but my legs were fine...

My best guess why it hurts:
A) Running too much (peaked in weekly/monthly miles in January)
or
B) I need new shoes, my long run shoes are 4-5 months old

Today will be complete rest. Depending how I feel Tuesday morning, I'm def going to take extra good care of my foot. Especially if I have a 20 miler this weekend (womp..womp...) Not excited..

I have to remind myself 5 more weeks.. only 5 more weeks..

I don't know how I went from feeling super good to feeling like crap.. but Hey, marathon training isn't suppose to be easy. And I was bound to feel some kind of pain eventually. I just have to be smart about it. I also have to be realistic, I'm not going to enjoy every single run. I'm going to tough these next 2 high mileage weeks out. The snow isn't going to help one bit, or my arch..
I just have to stay positive.

40 days until the marathon...

During Saturday's 8 miler, glad they plowed around Midway
i don't know where else I would run.