Cheers to the chase

Not every goal will be met nor will every dream be realized, but it is the chase that makes life worth living.

As of Turkey day, I had been running for 9 weeks post-injury. As planned, I built mileage slowly and actually followed the 10% rule. Importantly, I held back and haven't attempted anything faster than tempo pace. That said, the number of "workouts" or more accurately, "up tempo runs", could be counted on one hand. 

1xmile @ 6:55

5k @ 6:45

2x10min @ 6:55

7,5,3,1 min @ 7:00

For mileage, my leg held up for a robust week of 52miles averaging just under 8:00 pace and all on a crazy work week. 

~Off to the races! ~

This year it was unseasonably warm for thanksgiving. The family rode the gravy train to a bunch of speedy times at the seacoast rotary turkey trot in Portsmouth. Bro ran a PR. Pa dipped under 7:00 pace at 60 years old. Ma restrained her racing blood and cruised in under 22 without so much as breaking a sweat. And I surprisingly managed to crank out a sub 20 performance (19:53) off of the "speedwork" listed above and another hellish work week. Considering this is technically only my 4th time under 20 - how'd that happen? - I'm thinking I'm onto something and therefore staying with the hip rehab (Myrtle hip exercises) + mileage for another block and sticking to the extra extra extra conservative reinstatement of speedwork. 

For perspective, my highest mileage week ever was in 2010 at 55, back when I was carefree and relatively injury-naive pre-stress fracture. I have tried various times to increase to that point but have been derailed by injury over and over. It felt like I'd defined my mileage ceiling and it was disappointingly low. It still might be, but the hip and core rehab have been tremendously helpful, so maybe it's different this time. 

The 3 weeks of mileage after thanksgiving are scheduled for 52, 57, 62...

I hit the 57 mark this week which makes for both a longest mileage week ever and longest run ever (14.3). I'm still feeling great and most of the work feels like quality miles and not too strenuous.

Stay tuned for how my body and mind holds out venturing into uncharted waters of 60+. 

Sincerely, 

Robyn "hare, taking a page from tortoise" Runner

Perhaps the most telling part of this picture is the dark scar on my knee from back in September.
Very thankful that my training has healed faster than my skin.

Getting Faster without Running: part 3

Last week I finally got the good news: I could walk on two feet. No crutches, no walking boot, no seat in the shower anymore. I'm still walking slowly and carefully, but what a feeling to wear two of the same shoes! Just a few days into my two-footed ambles, I am nowhere near being able to run again. I start physical therapy tomorrow and am going to work as hard as I can to get back to running sooner than later. The doctor told me that people with breaks like mine (distal fibula fracture, if you're wondering) usually don't run for 4 months. 4 months!! I still have 2 and half months to go before I run if that's the timetable I'm following, and at that point I'll still be far from any good racing shape. But one can hope.

A milestone: two of the same shoes!

In this vein, I'm calling my comeback "cast to 5k." No offense to those who have earned their stripes by following the Couch to 5k program, (and I've looked at it for some of my xc girls; it's prettttty basic) but my plan is only related by tongue-and-cheek alliteration. Despite my inability to run, I've already made strides (pun definitely intended) to run a great 5k at some point this spring. So this brings me back to...my critical nonessentials, part 3.

Since I got off crutches a month ago, I've been in the gym about three times a week lifting. To keep it safe, I've been focusing on arms and core and I can definitely feel and see differences already. I started bench pressing with just the bar, keeping the weight low with many reps. In college we lifted 3x10 (3 sets of 10 reps each) with a focus on low weight and strength endurance, and I still ascribe to that. This doesn't mean, though, that I'm not increasing my weight as I go. As I'm getting stronger and more fit, I've been slowly adding weight to the bar or picking up a heavier dumbbell. Last week I benched 55 pounds--that's 5's on each side of the bar! I'm pretty happy with myself for that. I've also been working triceps, pecs, deltoids, back and all parts of my core. Deb had us doing "7 minute abs" weekly at Colby and I still do those with great results, but I am careful not to neglect the more important but less noticeable other core muscles. Many people don't realize that your core includes your back and your hips and I would argue that having a 6-pack means almost nothing for core strength. In my repertoire of strong core exercises are fire hydrants, superman lifts and rotating planks. I've forsaken my beach body for a warm winter hibernation layer this past month, but I'm still worker towards being stronger every day.

Today I biked for 20 whole minutes with no resistance. It was harder than I expected but I'm not embarrassed about that. Slowly and steadily I will recover and return, and hopefully win that race in the end!

Getting Faster Without Running: part 2

With (hopefully) just a few days left in my walking boot, but many days to come until I can run again, I'm still focusing on my critical nonessentials to prepare me for my comeback. Last week I waxed somewhat poetically about sleep and nutrition, and today I'm focusing on more specific and purposeful running-related advantages.

When I'm healthy, one of the best things I can do for myself is to practice yoga regularly. I'm lucky that I have free yoga classes at my school and that I have a great rapport with the instructor, who is also a colleague and friend. Yoga is great for a number of reasons, and you can choose which you want to focus on in your time on the mat. If I'm particularly tired from running or burnt out from work, I can use yoga to recharge and refocus, and the practice becomes less about the poses and more about the intentions. I can really unplug and let go of stress, tensions or worries. Other days, I want my yoga to help me become stronger or more flexible. I've made great progress with crow pose and headstand, although sometimes it feels like I'm still just a beginner. Yoga is very humbling and can be a perfect antidote to competitive running because you truly can't compare yourself to others. Sometimes, even just turning your head to look at someone else's pose can mess up your alignment and cause neck and spinal damage; you just need to look inward. I haven't been doing yoga since being in my boot but I'm looking forward to moving a little more freely and confidently very soon!

Some preseason flow

One of the least considered critical nonessentials is the compression sock. In fact, when I was getting my USATF coaching certification, I suggested compression socks as a recovery method and the other coaches were very surprised. I swear by compression socks, for both during and after a workout.  They help to drain your legs of "dirty" blood and get fresh blood pumping and restoring. I have a pair of fancy, neon compression socks but I also have $9 airplane compression socks that I bought at Walmart. I've been wearing a compression sock on my bad leg for the past month because it helps reduce swelling. Now I can finally see my ankle bone! Another great perk of compression socks is that they simply look fly.  They may not make me a faster runner merely because I'm wearing them but there is definitely some placebo effect when I put them on. If I look fast, and I feel fast, then I am fast. How's that for a new motto?

Don't knock these things until you've tried them, but at the same time, you should probably be running instead of reading this or browsing Running Warehouse for new socks. If I can't run, at least one of us should be logging miles. Get out there already!

Getting Faster Without Running: part 1

This past week we've experienced some beautiful days here in Connecticut, and all I've wanted to do is head out for a nice 6-mile run. Unfortunately I'm still in my walking boot and my leg is still on the mend, so I have to find other ways to satiate my desire to run. And although I have a long time until I'll be able to run, whatever I can do now to get and stay healthy and fit will help speed my recovery process down the line. Along the way, I heard someone call these things the "critical nonessentials," actions you can take that aren't essential to making you faster (only by running will you run faster/farther/whatever), but you will become a much stronger and more balanced person and athlete by taking the time to do all of these. Often the difference between a mediocre runner and a truly successful runner is not the running, but rather what he or she does off the track. Since I won't be blogging about my running any time soon, I'm going to spend the next couple of posts giving my professional and personal opinions about other aspects of the sport.

Today: sleep and nutrition.

I would argue that most important thing you can do besides running is to get enough sleep. Sleep is key for recovery as well as tackling the next hard workout. I'm no scientist so I'm not going to preach about how impaired you become after x-number of hours of sleep, but when your cognitive functioning goes down, so does your reaction time. Think about that next time you're running on a road with no shoulder and the car doesn't swerve fast enough! I love naps (and cats, coincidence?) but naps don't really take the place of a good night's sleep. For better or for worse I am a night owl and do my best work/lesson planning/Pinteresting after dark. I usually get to bed around midnight and wake up around 7:30. My body hates this, though. I am one of those people who needs a minimum of 8 hours of sleep, or I start to feel like I've been hit by a bus. I should be going to bed earlier, especially because hours of sleep before midnight are more valuable than those after midnight. Sleeping 2 AM to 10 AM is definitely not the same as sleeping 11 PM to 7 AM, wouldn't you agree? The other important aspect of sleep that I wholeheartedly ascribe to is the idea of a 2 day sleep cycle. When we were racing Saturdays in college, I would always get my best night's sleep on a Thursday and worry less about the night before. I remind my runners now about that as well, and it's just generally an important consideration for leading a healthy and balanced life. Many of my colleagues rely on strong coffee to get through the day, but I would rather be energized by a good night's sleep than by a caffeinated hot cup.

Another easy way to improve any sort of performance is to eat better and with more purpose. I don't necessarily "eat clean," (whatever that even means) and I don't eat paleo or low-fat or ascribe to any diet. Again, I'm not registered dietitian, but I do know about macro- and micronutrients and recognize that what I put into my body is not purely for my enjoyment. Ideally I enjoy my vegetables and fruit, eat protein (I keep kosher so this often means no meat), and incorporate whole grains. But I always eat dessert. And some days I eat two servings of mac and cheese and ice cream for dinner. Whatever! I always make sure to eat enough calories. I get crabby and tired when I don't eat enough and who wants that? Not eating will not make me skinnier and will not make me faster; for me it is just not worth it. I do take a multivitamin for "nutritional insurance" but I would so much rather reap the benefits of nutrients from eating well than from a manufactured pill. I don't stress about what I eat too much because I know that at the end of the day, I have a surplus of healthy foods and enjoy my refined sugar desserts.

Some examples of homemade food that I enjoy:

Apple pie with hand picked, local apples

Whole wheat bagel with zucchini, green bean and goat cheese scramble

Homemade kale chips

Stay tuned for more critical nonessentials in the coming weeks. Up next: yoga and compression socks!