5 Day Roller Coaster

When I jump-started this blog at the beginning of this year, I swore I would blog no matter how I feel. Well, I felt awful one day which led to a missed blog post. And then another. And another. I'm not going to back track and write a separate blog entry for each day missed, so I'm just going to unroll on today's blog, the days leading to my crash. Yes, crash.

FRIDAY

After a flu-like feeling last Thursday, I finally got to the Doc today for a physical exam. Blood work ended up being normal. BP med dose reduced to 5mg (half). Any feeling of lightheadedness during marathon training I have to report. Thyroid seems enlarged, so I have to get that looked at. Could it be why I've been SO INCREDIBLY tired????

I napped the day away. It was awful. Completely useless. Could it be the flu shot the Doc gave me??

I did manage to squeeze in my #plankaday and #wallsit challenges. Not stellar, and definitely not as far as I can go on this day, but I did it.

 

Thoughts meandered towards my long run tomorrow, Saturday. 16 miles. I would definitely need an alarm like the one below, preferably the screaming kind, to get me out the door. Yes. I am determined to still make my long run. I'm going to go to bed early, get a ton of rest, and be refreshed the next day. Yes.

 

SATURDAY

Yes, Saturday, the promise of a new day for this sickly runner. Well, not really. I got up, gave my alarm clock a good pounding, and went back to sleep. Not feeling good still, in fact, the not-so-great feeling spilled over into my family. My poor, poor boys, especially, The Hubs, who gets the brunt of all my crabbiness. I was feeling so tired all the time, yet I have a ton of stuff to do, now that I've decided not to run today.

Definitely feeling un-balanced, struggling with the demands of motherhood, wifehood, daughterhood and personhood. My one and only therapy, running, I couldn't even do because I felt like crap.

If this is my struggle and they say that to struggle is to grow, then I'm sure as heck that I must grow like a weed soon. I just can't get myself to celebrate the struggle right now. Not yet.

It became apparent to me how much a part of me running is. How everything seems better after a run.

 

From Run The Edge on Facebook

 

Struggles aside, The Hubs has been great about getting me to do my #plankaday and #wallsit challenges. They were definite challenges today because our boys walked between us and shoved Pillow Pet Sharkie (Little Man's beloved stuffed sidekick) at our faces while we planked.

 

 

I think I took all my frustrations onto my plankaday. One of few times I broke 3 minutes! Definitely a sure sign my inner warrior is lurking in the depths of my pathetic shell of a runner.

SUNDAY, RUN DAY? (The Crash)

So The Hubs and I decided that he would run his 15 miles first and then I would run my 16.

I actually woke up Sunday feeling better. It must be my meds. I'm on the right dose. I made chocolate chip pancakes for the boys and even found something to laugh about with the boys....

Caught Our Foam Roller Romancing Jenga!

 

Next thing I knew, The Hubs was back from his run and I was off to do mine.

It was chilly, but once I got moving, I felt good. What I determined to be my MCL tendon, was feeling a bit sore since Friday, so on this long run, I made the extra effort to be mindful of it and did the most stupidest thing ever.....consciously changed my gait DURING a long run. I'm so, so, very, very smart. My thinking was since my right foot splays out as I push off, it pulls my MCL tendon. So if I consciously keep my foot straight as I pushed off, it wouldn't pull. If my MCL tendon doesn't pull, then no pain.

Wrong.

My right quad felt sore. So sore that I had to stop my run at Mile 6.5 and walk the 1.5 miles home. In the cold. Normally I would've pushed myself if it was just sore, but it did not feel good all around. MCL tendon was starting to twitch along with my ITB. I felt SO discouraged. Tears. More tears as other runners passed me.

More tears at home as I sat on the floor feeling like I don't want to run anymore, feeling tired of injury after injury. I started to question why I want to run another marathon when clearly I can't even balance my life at home. What is wrong with me? What am I doing? What am I trying to prove?

I will always be forever grateful for The Hubs. He listened, he hugged, he offered kind, sensitive words. He just knows me so well to let me wallow in my sadness for the rest of the day. To let me purge every negative cell in my body, knowing full well that I will come around stronger.

He tried to get me out of my huge slump for my #plankaday and #wallsit challenges, but I just didn't have it in me. I squeezed out just the #plankaday challenge early the next day to make up for the missed plank with The Hubs.

I can only hope that this feeling of being dragged could only mean that tomorrow will be better.

 

 

MONDAY - Resurrection

I started my day with this:

I pushed away the dark clouds to let the sun shine through. After a day of darkness I just wanted to get back and move on. I really like the quote above, about embracing the flow of life....to see life as an adventure, not a hardship.

So I got back on the bike trainer for just 15 minutes, not too long, but enough to loosen up my legs. I then started working on strengthening my ITB, my MCL, hip abductors, then rolled the heck out of my legs and upper back, and finally iced a lot. ]

Starting to feel more myself. Determined and hopeful.

 

TUESDAY - Today!

I almost didn't, but I did. And i'm glad I did. I ran today. 5 miles. Very easy pace. I was a bit creaky, a tiny bit sore from yesterday's workout, so I was happy about the easy pace.

The 43 deg F temp felt like a heat wave! The sun was out and I knew this may be the only Run Day for me this week. So at the very last minute, met up with my friend, "J," and since we had a lot to talk about, we didn't care about pace and took it very easy. It was definitely a therapy run.

Halfway through our run, my friend "S" catches up to us and the three of us ran the rest of the hilly route home. For a moment I felt this surge of my old self again. I didn't care about my gait, let my legs and feet land however they want to land. Surprise, surprise, no pain! I just felt sluggish. (It's gotta be the flu shot).

I'm still looking for my old self, that happy runner girl who lives for every run. Hopeful my running mojo will be back. Well, it better, because in less than 7 weeks.....

EEEK! How is that to break you out of the slump and get back to busy?!!! I'm excited to run it with The Hubs. It will be his first full marathon! I just want to get there in one piece and finish in one piece.

I finished off the day with my ITB Rehab Routine, a short Myrtl Routine, some Foam Roller Moves, and of course, my #plankaday and #wallsit challenges.

 

A couple of things about the roller coaster last couple of days - it's ok to have bad days and to let yourself feel bad for a little bit. The next day, forgive yourself and pick yourself back up again. Let go of things that keep you from being strong. Listen to your body. Be kind to your body. Be patient. Embrace the flow of life.

I'm going to do everything I can to get to Shamrock Marathon. I won't let fear keep me from it. I will go with the flow, with what The Universe gives me. And know that everything will be ok.

 

Janathon Day 25, 26, 27, 28, 29

Moon Joggers Mileage To Date: 89.82

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Snow Day Somewhat Sick Day

Going to see my doctor tomorrow, but I've been so tired lately. Like run over by a truck tired. I hope it's not the flu, but I don't have a fever. It's not fun feeling tired all day!

Little Man having a blast scooping snow

 

Today was a snow day, so the kids were home which meant no run for me, or so I thought. I discovered that 3 laps up and down and around my street is half a mile. So while watching the kids play, I did laps. I only got to 0.67 though, no thanks to the trash truck who left leaving tracks of black ice on the road. Ugh. So much for my 4 miler today! Nope, I do not have a treadmill and this is one of those days when I wish I had one.

 

The temps were in the teens. I couldn't last out there especially in running shoes, but the boys were loving it. "It's an after Christmas miracle, mom!" I do like it when it snows. We get to stay in after playing outside, have hot chocolate, and just be lazy and cozy in our warm house. Very grateful today.

Tank (8yo) making snow angels

 

Since I've been feeling so blah and low in energy, I did not try to make up for not running by getting on the bike trainer (which I thought about doing). I just decided to rest and hang out with my boys.

I forced myself to do my #plankaday and #wallsit challenges with The Hubs. Took a lot out of me. So I'm hoping this lack of energy is just from my meds and NOT the flu. I'm anxious to find out tomorrow. I cannot afford to get sick right now - not because of Shamrock Marathon training, but because I'm the captain of this ship and I've got boys depending on me.

Yes, ironic, but this is all I've got tonight.

 

Janathon Day 24

Moon Joggers Mileage To Date: 76.67

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Seeking Inner Peace

I chose wisely today. I was feeling worn out, uninspired to run on another dreary, cloudy, cold morning, but I got out there anyway before I had a chance to think about it again. I felt off-balance running, and the inside of my knee was aching. :( It is not fun to have your right leg shorter than your left. I honestly think that's the source of my injuries (note to self: do SI Joint exercises from PT). The other thing that's so wrong with me (LOL) is that my right foot is at an angle, to the right - even though my knee is pointing forward. It's no wonder I run like a duck. Another root cause of all my injuries? Probably.

This quote struck a chord with me: "I don't have a runner's body, but I have a runner's heart - and that is all you need." Jennifer Morris. I also may not run like a runner, but I do have a runner's heart, duck feet and all!

The longer I ran this morning, the less ache I was feeling, so I kept going and felt good about shaking my legs off a bit. I didn't know where to go, so I just followed the sidewalk again and ended up tracing them around my neighborhood.

My treadmill when I don't know where to go, where to run...

I ran by feel, as always, and today I did not want to run fast. I thought about how good and relaxing it felt to slow down. It reminded me about an article I read about running based on how your day/week went/is going - if you're having a stressful day or have had a stressful week, run easy. I've had a stressful week, so it's no wonder my body just wants to chill out on a run.
I didn't get a negative split on this run, but I did finish my 4 miler with that last mile being at a faster pace. I had that happy, satiated feeling at the end of my run. (Note to self: you will never ever regret going out for a run, so just go out and run. Don't think, just run.)

My kids were equally as stressful to me as yesterday. I'm sure being cooped up in the house due to the damp, dreary, cold weather is not helping, and neither is Little Man's interrupted sleep. He woke up again at 3am, then at 5am. I had a cooler head today, so I think the 4-Miler was long enough to give me a little bit more patience, haha! Yup, THIS is why I run, people! LOL.

So did I find my inner peace today? Not until this evening. I am learning and trying to cut myself some slack. I am learning to accept that I will never get everything done and it's ok. I am learning to simplify. I am learning to show love more and focus more on all my boys. I am learning to accept my duck feet.

I capped off the night with some foam roller love (gotta love that kind of hurt), and my #plankaday and #wallsit challenges with The Hubs.

I totally surprised myself by holding the plank up to 3 min. again. I almost died the last time I did 3 min. The Wall Sit challenge was HARD! Burning! Legs burning! I collapsed afterwards, and swore my head off. It's all done, the day is done, and I'm done. Good night, the end!

Janathon Day 17
Moon Joggers Mileage To Date: 53

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Stormy Weather Outside, Inside

No matter what kind of weather Mother Nature throws at me, I still go out there and run. Rain, snow, ice (yes, ice), sleet, wind, heat, humidity, hurricane (weather during MCM)....but I do draw the line when it comes to tornadoes and lightning storms. I do not have a treadmill at home, nor am I a member of a gym. As long as I dress for the weather, I'm good.

Today, however, it was HARD to get out there for a run. Damp, cold, drizzly morning. The kind that makes you want to just stay in bed under the warm blanket. I thought about skipping today's run - it's ONLY 3 miles - junk miles I can afford not to do...right? But before I could think about it again, I was lacing up an old pair of Kinvaras and ran out the door.

The drizzly rain wasn't so bad as long as you have a brimmed hat. I decided to run to my Wednesday Workout class again, so I did a warm-up jog, added a few so I got a mile and half jog, and then went to class.

Class was a lot of fun. I don't know why I stopped going during MCM training. We did some plyometrics, a lot of lunges, squats, jumping, lots of planks, pushups, dips, hand weights, and some circuit training. I was happy at the end and really felt like I got a good sweat off of the workout. I skipped the ab workout because I hate crunches with a passion (I prefer to do planks), so I set off for home and got another 1.5 miles in (easy, cool down jog) for the 3 miles I'm suppose to do today (btw, negative split, baby!)

My morning jog-workout-jog combo left me feeling very centered, relaxed, and ready to tackle the rest of the day. Or so I thought.....

Little Man woke up twice last night. Yes, twice. One at 5am, the next at 6am. Not sure if he ever went back to sleep after I walked him back to his room. Well, he was one cranky, whiny boy today. Something I didn't have much patience for. To make the day even more challenging, my two older boys decided to push Little Man's buttons - all afternoon! So lots of crying, yelling, and fighting. I normally would have a little bit more patience, but I didn't get much sleep last night, and The Hubs was working late.

I wanted to be rescued and I so wanted to run away. Sigh. Note to self: get more sleep for more patience! I put everybody, me included, on time-out, which means everyone goes off do their own thing, no talking. We needed a break from each other! So I went to the dining room, got productive, and put away the Christmas decor from that room. I know. I'm STILL not done! But another room down, 2 more rooms to go (living room and family room).

Dining Room Ornaments

I was so relieved when The Hubs came home earlier than expected. Hurray! I'm saved! As a team, The Hubs and I fed the boys and got them all in bed by 8:30am! It was awesome! Before collapsing on my bed, I managed to get enough energy to do the #plankaday and #wallsit challenges. The Hubs did the plank with me. 

NOW I'm ready to call it a day. Good night!

Janathon Day 16

Moon Joggers Mileage To Date: 49

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Running: My Refresh Button

It was one of those stay-at-home mom days when you feel utterly stretched out thin that you feel paralyzed. The Christmas decorations are still up, toys are scattered everywhere, dishes in the sink, clean clothes piled up as high as the dirty clothes..

So I decided to take a day off. While Little Man was in preschool, I just sat on the couch reading. I realized it was the longest time I've sat down in awhile where I'm not eating a meal. It gave me a much needed pause.

The two and a half hours went by fast, though, and next thing I knew, I was on my way to pick up Little Man. The day dragged for me and a lot of it was due to the dreary weather. It's a Friday, after all, and I was ready to call it a week! I couldn't shake off the cloud over me, especially when I had things to do (groceries, cleaning, oh what to have for dinner!), but I didn't want to do them!

 

As Little Man played, I got sucked back into the couch with my laptop. I stumbled into my Daily Mile 2012 year in review and was surprised at how many miles I ran last year! I nearly doubled last year's total mileage! At the same time, I couldn't believe how close I was to 1,000! So close! It gave me the determination to reach 1,000 this year.

A few clouds lifted as I got excited about 1,000 miles.

Then came this pleasant surprise in the mail! My running club's 2013 calendar!

It brought back so many wonderful memories from last year. We virtually trained together for marathons, ultramarathons, half marathons, and every distance in between. We met up for races, encouraged each other, cried, whined, sympathized, and celebrated each other. The calendar lifted more clouds. (Btw, check out the butterfly girl on the front cover! Ahem....yup, that's me!)

Once again, on my "No Running" Day, I get the doldrums and I am lifted up from it by thoughts of running. Yes, I'm THAT addicted to running, I guess. It's my drug. It makes me happy. When my life at home starts to feel overwhelming, I want to run, but not to run away from it all. I run until I hit that refresh button somewhere in my body so that I come home a refreshed mom, a stronger mom, who can't wait to tackle another week and be with her boys.

Tomorrow is my long run. And I can't wait!!!

 

P.S. I did squeeze in a little workout while I caught up with a friend on the phone (ITB Rehab Routine) and while my boys took showers (Myrtl Routine). Of course the night has to be capped by #plankaday and #wallsit challenges. Good night and thanks for following!

 

Janathon Day 11

Moon Joggers Mileage To Date: 29

Plank A Day: 2:17.2

Wall Sit: 2:25.1

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Running Towards Free

Fave kicks - Nike 3.0 v.3

You know it's "love-at-first-run" when you cannot wait to run in them again. That's what my Nike Free 3.0 v.3's are for me, my go-to-shoe for runs up to 10 miles. I have yet to try them for distances beyond 10 miles. I'm no expert in minimalist shoes like my Nike 3.0s, but I can tell you that I love feeling closer to the ground, how very flexible the soles are, and how much "faster" and free I feel running in them.
But this is not a shoe review. No. Just a post about a run that I couldn't wait to do, in my favorite running shoes on a slightly warmer day. I had 4 miles on my training calendar, and I think my expectations were high starting out on this run until I started moving. I. Felt. So. Sluggish. My first mile split says it all - 12:08 min./mile. (Daily Mile run details HERE). It was one of those runs where you just want to get it over with, but I knew I had to hang in there, so I plodded along feeling betrayed by my "fast," free shoes.

At Mile 1 - waiting to feel "free"

Am I feeling burned out already? From life? From training? I can't be! No! So I push on, stopping to take a quick pic, deciding to take it easy, just to get the miles in. (But how I long to be free).

To keep my mind off of this sluggish run, I thought about how nice it would be to run to a gorgeous view. While you can't get much scenery in suburbia, I remembered a little trail that made you forget you live in a culdesac world. So I ran to that, hoping to find my free. I got distracted by what I thought at first was a pretty cool looking thing on the ground, only to realize that what I was looking at was the remains of a doe? A deer? And where its eyes used to be. Ugh. I don't know why I thought it was something else, but then this IS suburbia!

After leaving that awful discovery, I turned and ran to where the little trail was, but stopped at the top of the hill. I was alone, and while I longed to lose myself down in that little trail....to feel the wide open-ness of the field...and trace the meandering little trail, so I can forget the monotony of my suburban life, I didn't feel safe....

...which was more disappointing than feeling sluggish at the start of my run. I've run that little trail before, but only with friends, and I wasn't about to chance it, running down there tucked below the hill, completely out of sight.

So I stopped to just look out at that little trail with my back towards the cookie cutter landscape....imagining that I was somewhere else for a few minutes. It is so peaceful down there on that little trail. Sigh.

When I was ready, I turned around to run back to my cookie-cutter world, to my routine, to my boys with fighting, angry, whining words, and ran home happy towards free.

(Imagine my surprise after I uploaded my run to Garmin Connect and saw that I got a negative split!)

Janathon Day 10

Moon Joggers Mileage To Date: 29

Plank A Day: 2:11.8 

Wall Sit: 1:33.2

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A Sandwich Type of Workout and A Wordy Wednesday Rant

A 3-mile run with a 30-minute workout in the middle was not enough to carry me through this day. I don't like to dwell too much on the not-so-great stuff here, so let's just say that this momma could use a long run to hit that refresh button. Patience. I need more patience with these 3 boys. If only long runs could come in a pill form so all I have to do is pop one in my mouth. Ok, end of rant.

 

Pre-frustrations, I had a GREAT run/workout today! My training schedule called for only 3 miles today. I was all set to just go and run after preschool drop-off when a friend asked if I was going to exercise class. This exercise class is a free class offered by a friend at her church.

 

Yes, you heard that right...FREE. No strings attached. A group of stay-at-home moms attend this class and we are allowed to bring our kids. So the only thing is that kids are free to roam, run, and crawl around the gym while the moms work out - plyometrics, ab workout, cardio, etc. It can be challenging sometimes to make sure you're not kicking a toddler in his/her face when you do kick-boxing, BUT it's a great class. The kids are great, there are toys for them to play with, and the gym is big enough that it never feels too crowded. My friend, who teaches it, is also a runner, so she knows what we need. I've been going for almost 3 years now, but had to stop once MCM training last year got really heavy.

 

Anyways, I decided to go since I only have 3 miles to do today, so I ran to class (0.6 miles), worked out for 30 minutes (lunges, squats, planks, cardio, plyometrics), left early so I can run the last 2.4 miles and got back home just in time to shower, dress, and pick up Little Man from preschool. It's crazy - I have just 2 hours - yup, 2 hours to run/exercise/shower while Little Man's in preschool. I can't complain, really...better than no "me time" at all, right?

 

So this run I did, I was really excited about because I got a negative split! I usually run by feel and never really look at pace or try to hit a specific pace range, but when I get back home to upload my run data, I'm happy when I see I got a negative split. I don't feel 100% back to my old self yet pre-sickness, but I ran it at a comfortably hard pace for me - 10 min/mile - which is a notch below my 5K race pace, but I was happy to get a good hard workout, a change of pace.

 

Daily Mile post with my splits HERE.

 

I'm sitting on the floor typing this and I have yet to do my timed plank. I did a whole set of planks in class, but I want a timed plank. Waiting for The Hubs and I'm growing tired. Thinking about running my 4 miles tomorrow easy or doing some fartleks along the way. Not sure.

 

Ok, time to plank.

 

 

Janathon Day 9

Moon Joggers Mileage To Date: 25

Plank A Day: 2:42.3

Wall Sit: 1:38.9

 

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No Run Days and Some Math Love

No Run Days. Rest days to me are just "no run days." Today was a "no run" day. I REALLY wanted to get on my bike, but then realized I hadn't set up my bike computer thingy that I got from Christmas that tells you distance, pace, time, etc. I had zero time to figure out how to set it up so I just opted to do Coach Jay Johnson's Myrtl Routine.

 

 

If you're not familiar with the Myrtle Routine, it's this strengthening exercise routine that works out your hip girdle area and gives you a wide range of motion in that area. The routine is great for those with tight hip flexors, like me, and recently, I heard it's great for those who suffer ITBS. Instead of doing 5 reps, I did 25-30, because this momma clearly has no time to do anything else and all I had on this crazy busy day was 30 minutes. I know, such is my life most days.

 

 

I did manage to squeeze in Plank A Day and Wall Sit Challenges, and a few yoga poses to stretch out some tight areas. I was hoping for more yoga today though, but will try another day. Planks on my hands/straight arms are not as easy as I thought. I couldn't hold it as long as the planks I do on my forearms.

 

Some Math Love. Ok, proud momma moment here. My preschooler, Little Man, has declared his love for math today. I'm not talking counting to 10. No. More like addition and subtraction problems - 3+3, 5-2. He totally gets it. Instead of doing his preschool homework of coloring these pages and practicing his scissor cutting skills, he would rather do addition and subtraction problems. The boy could not get enough of math problems. So I HAD to document this moment, so that when he decides to give me excuses for not wanting to do his math homework in high school, I can remind him about this moment of math love....

 

Janathon Day 8

Moon Joggers Mileage To Date: 22

Plank A Day: 2:05.8

Wall Sit: 1:29.7

 

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I Run So I Can Think Of Ways To Play With Food: Gummy Worm Habitat

Sorry, non-running related post here. Let me preface this by saying that I keep up with my running so that I will have enough patience to play referee when a quarrel breaks out between my boys. Running has kept me sane and inspired enough the next day to think of fun stuff to do with my boys (because they're driving me crazy! Lol, just kidding).

With just one more month of summer vacation, what else can I do at home, for dirt cheap, to distract them from fighting over who gets to fall into the Sarlacc next? Enter the old "Gummy Worms Dirt/Mud Cake" food craft with a geeky twist, from yours truly, which was enough to delight and entertain my boys (ages 10, 7 1/2, and 4 1/2).

I told my boys that we're going to make habitats for worms. I love fun activities that have (sneaky) educational opportunities.  So the first thing I did was give each boy a small glass, like this one above, to hold our worm habitat.

Next I showed them what the layers of the soil look like:

Source

I told them we're going to make the layers of the soil out of chocolate chips, Oreos, and chocolate pudding.

Chocolate chips in action tumbling into our mouths...errr...glasses (sorry for the blurry pic).

Making bedrock with chocolate chips.

Mmmm....Oreos...

Crushing Oreos to make the Parent Material, making sure we don't crush them into too small pieces. Then we added the layer of Parent Material (crushed Oreos) on top of the bottom layer of Bedrock (chocolate chips).

Next step, adding a layer of the chocolate pudding for the Sub Soil.

The boys had a hard time not licking their spoons, so not a whole lot of Sub Soil went in.  Haha!

 

More crushed Oreos, this time, finely crushed, for the last layer in our soil matrix, Top Soil. We skipped the Organic Layer because frankly, I think this is enough chocolate, although crushed vanilla Oreos would've been perfect! Shhh...don't tell my boys!

Alas, the gummy worms that will reside in our perfectly yummy habitat...

Happy worms in Sporto's cup (10yo). By the way, for a 10 yo, he thought this was a fun food craft, and he wasn't just saying that because he loves to eat.  Proud mommy moment when he recalled details about the soil layers he learned in school!

Tank's (7yo) worms...already making a mess, just like Tank. The boy cannot stay clean even if he tried. I have to give this boy credit for imagination, suggesting that we plant a broccoli tree next time. Hmmm....if that would get them to eat vegetables, sure! Why not? Chocolate and broccoli!

Little Man's (4 yo) worm habitat.  The boy has no patience.   Look at the spoon already in the glass...the poor worms did not even get a minute to get settled in!

Little Man's worm habitat minus one worm already. Haha!


So this was our version of that Gummy Worm Mud Pies. To those with kids, do you know of any other fun food craft to do with kids? Any other suggestions to keep kids entertained at home in the summer? I would love to hear about it! 
 

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