Juice Fasting Again

I've started another juice fast (modified, I drink juice and eat raw fruits and veggies only). This time it's for a max of 10 days. I'd like to lose a couple of pounds and feel great before the marathon arrives. I have forgotten how difficult the first few days are... Yesterday (the first day) wasn't too bad. I went to bed hungry, but that was about the extent of my pain. Today started with the headache (which I still have), the constant hunger, and a little crankiness. I've asked my team at work to please forgive my bad attitude for the next couple of days. I'm really trying, but it's hard.

And, to add insult to injury, we had a group lunch to welcome a new hire. I didn't want to be the poor team player by not going, so I did my best to order within the confines of the juice fast. I ordered the soup and salad combo. The soup was gazpacho...and while I'm a hot soup person, I figured I could make do with the cold soup and not blow the whole diet. Well, the gazpacho was green. That was a bit of a shock, once I tasted it, I realized there was a ton of basil in it that must have made it look like pesto. The flavor wasn't terrible, but the texture was. It was the most bizarre thing. It was fizzy, almost like someone dropped a pop rock in it. WEIRD. I attempted to eat it, but couldn't get much down. So I basically had about a cup of lettuce for lunch. I was still starving!

I snacked on grapes and carrots and had a protein bar right before my run today (this is the only allowance I give myself, before a run). But I still couldn't get my full mileage in. I felt weak and a bit dizzy at the 2.5 mile mark. I squeezed out another mile, but couldn't get to 4 miles. Looking back, I'm sure I could have run that last half mile--5 minutes, but mentally I quit.

Hopefully by Thursday I'll be over the juice fast hump and feeling great!

Miles logged: 3.5

Music Monday: Burn

Artist: Ellie Goulding
Title: Burn
Fave Line: "Cause we got the fire, fire fire. We gonna let it burn, burn, burn." (I'm kind of a pyro).

Miles logged: 0.0

I Broke the World Record for the Mile

Actually, according to mapmyrun, I shattered it! I ran a mile in 1:30. That's lightning fast! And it's weird because I ran the mile before took me 21:25. I must have been conserving energy, or mapmyrun was on the fritz today... The lady that announces your progress and your pace was having a hard time giving me feedback, her updates were extremely slow. When I realized that I had gone much further than 7 miles, but hadn't heard my progress, I took out my phone to see what was going on. The app hadn't updated in over a mile and had me far behind. I gave it a moment to catch up and shortly thereafter I received the news of my epic mile!

Anyone else having issues with the mapmyrun app?

Miles logged: 15.0

6 Year Old Half Marathon Finisher

In our great state of Texas, a 6 year old girl has stirred up quite the controversy. Not because of something outrageous she did at recess, or for a YouTube stunt, but for her athleticism. Little Keelan Glass finished her first half marathon this past weekend and made a world record with her finishing time of 2:47:30.

Did you get that? A first grader ran a half marathon; at a time when her friends were watching cartoons, playing Barbies, and coloring in their coloring books, she was out running 13.1 miles. And it was her idea. 

Now critics are surfacing about the damage a child this young could be doing to their body by running such distances. Look, I'm a fully grown adult and I experienced cartilage damage and a stress fracture while training for my first half marathon. Running these kinds of distances is dangerous for all of us, not just kids. But with the proper coaching and training, you can run them safely. 

I think the bigger concern here is who drank her finish line beer? It better not have gone to waste!

Miles logged: 0.0

Music Monday: Summertime Sadness

Since the cold weather has arrived and summer is officially over, it's OK for us to mourn it.

Artist: Lana Del Rey
Title: Summertime Sadness Remix
Fave Line: "Honey, I'm on fire, I feel it everywhere. Nothing scares me anymore."

Miles logged: 0.0

Almost There

I was really dreading today's run. It was the longest on my training schedule and the last of the ridiculously long runs, so I should have been elated. If I could finish this, I would know I was ready for race day. However, I was still feeling soreness from the shin splint episode earlier this week and was truly afraid that I wouldn't be able to finish.

Thankfully it was freezing out (in the low 40s, the coldest temps we've seen this season, so it felt much colder than it actually was), so I could focus on how cold my hands were and how much my ears hurt and by the 3rd mile, I wasn't feeling any pain in my legs at all. That doesn't mean this was an easy run for me, because it wasn't. I made it through 16 miles before having to stop to go potty (which means I should only have to stop once during the marathon) and since I usually am about to pee on myself by mile 3, I think this is significant progress!

Let the tapering begin!

Miles logged: 22.0

Shin Splints

So this is what I get for hauling ass, anterior shin splints. Either that or I have a tumor (thanks to a quick google search, I could be dying). 

Ever had them before? I haven't, and they hurt like hell. When I was running my long run this weekend, I noticed that the lower part of the inside of my shin was sore. The pain wasn't unbearable and everything hurt at the end of that run, so I thought nothing of it (I blame this on a different pair of aqua sox that I didn't like). It also was bothering me a bit yesterday, but I couldn't figure out how to stretch it out. I felt like I needed to use the foam roller on it.

Normally I don't run 2 days in a row, but due to some work obligations tomorrow, I had to run today instead. Boy did the pain come on strong. I couldn't even finish my 4-mile goal (I may have also been struggling a little bit from the Tiff's Treats cookie I had minutes before leaving the office). It hurt on both legs, but my right leg was much worse. I stopped my run short and spent a few minutes on the elliptical. 

I came home and iced the area and used the Thumper to massage it. I don't have another run until this weekend, so I'm hoping that a few days is enough rest for the pain to subside. 

Miles logged: 2.5

Bad Days

Do you ever just have days where everything is off. I had one of those evenings, but the running was fine, it was everything else. This week is my highest mileage week, with a 22-miler coming up this weekend, and my body is starting to feel the wear and tear of training for a marathon. The outside of my knees are starting to hurt, as are the inside of my lower calves (no idea what the heck to attribute that pain to). But all in all, I'm feeling pretty good. 

So, what all went wrong, you ask? Well, let me tell you. Just over halfway into my run, some guy got on the treadmill to my left. He had a beard, a backpack, and a horrible funk. The kind of funk that you would imagine comes from lacking a shower for a week. It was repulsive. I almost turned to him to say something about how offensive he smelled, but decided against it. I coughed and gagged, but made it through. I did not complete my quarter mile cool-down. I hopped off that treadmill as quickly as possible once I was done. 

After running, I've taken to using one or two of the arm machines before going home. I had plenty of time today, so I did just that. And my stupid cell phone died between sets. For the record, it had 27% power when it spontaneously died. So I couldn't call my husband on my way home or check how bad the traffic was in the pouring down rain. And I had to stop and get gas. And some a-hole almost hit me on my way to fill up while I had a green light to turn. And Eddie pooped on my bathroom rug because it is just too wet outside for his bowel movements. 

Miles logged: 4.0

Healthy Competition

I guess I'm more competitive than I like to think, especially when it comes to running. I run for me. I know I'll never win a race. I'll never qualify for Boston. I'm totally fine getting beat by thousands of people. I can only run as fast as my training has prepared me, and I'm OK with that slow pace.

So I was surprised with myself today. As I was running up a fairly long hill, complaining to myself about the hot humid morning, about how tired my feet were, and pondering walking, I saw another runner in my peripheral vision, who was beating me up the hill! I don't know where she came from. I don't know if she was running on the other side of the street the and got ahead of me, if she just turned onto the street, or if she had been running up the hill before me and I was catching up to her.

I don't know what clicked in my head, but I had to beat that woman. I turned on the afterburners and sped up the rest of the hill. By the time I reached the top to turn around and do it again, the woman was way behind and walking. I totally beat her!

Miles logged: 15.0

Music Monday: Applause

Title: Applause
Artist: Lady Gaga
Fave Line: "Live for the applause-plause. Live for the way that you cheer and scream for me." I think this could be the best finish line song ever!

Miles logged: 0.0

The Year of the Run Blogger #Exposed

It's Exposed Movement Week and if you read any other fitness related blogs, you've probably heard of this movement already. It's about exposing your body (not like that, you pervert!) and recognizing it for what it has accomplished. Basically you post a photo of yourself, up close, in a bikini and celebrate your body. 

In theory I love this idea. Break down the barriers of self hatred, improve self esteem, and applaud the amazing things your body has done.

In reality, there is no reason for there to be a picture of me in a bikini floating around on the internet. It's not that I have body image issues, because I really don't. I wear spandex, tank tops, and white pants, but not all at the same time. It's not because I am not proud of the legs that have carried me through 13 half marathons and 1 full marathon that I've completed, because I am-I talk about them all the time.

I just don't need a bikini photo popping up if my current or future employer googles me, or if an old boyfriend needs a target for dart practice, or for some reason I'm on the news and that's the stock photo they pick (you know how unfortunate some of those pictures are). 

More power to the ladies that are embracing Exposed Movement Week! You all are an inspiration to me and others and deserve tons of recognition for what you are doing!

Miles logged: 0.0

A Big 20 Miles

The good news is that spring fall has FINALLY arrived. The bad news is that I'm still sick. I skipped running yesterday in favor of sleeping in, cooler temperatures and hopefully, less congestion. I got 2 out of the 3.

I woke up around 7:30 unable to breathe through my nose and with a hacking cough that made me think those guys from the mucinex commercial had taken permanent residence in my chest. I took a decongestant and waited around for the magic to happen. It never did. By 9, I knew I had to get started. No matter if I had to crawl the whole way, I was going to finish the 20-miler. And if I was crawling, it was going to take me a long time! 

Thankfully temps in the 50s made running bearable, and by the second mile, I was feeling like I could breathe. I ran 2 8-mile loops, pausing at the driveway after each to collect a new water bottle and grab a Clif bar. I felt remarkably good and was maintaining a sub-11 minute pace, including 2 bathroom stops at the park. The last 4 mile loop was pretty tough, but I made it through and I feel like I'm actually on track with my training. Last week I felt the opposite. It's surprising what 30 degrees can do!

After I finished my run, I was so excited to use my new foot bath. I've been climbing on the countertop in the guest bathroom for years and soaking my feet in the sink (my bathroom was a pedestal until just recently and is now a vessel sink, which is also not conducive to foot soaking). But, we just went through a major remodel and replaced the vanity with a much taller one and it's difficult for me to clamber up after a long run. 

So I've been looking for a foot bath that will allow me to sit in a chair and ice my feet. I remember my mom had one when we were kids and you put hot water in it and it vibrated and it was so cool! According to the reviews on Amazon, something like I remember doesn't exist. Instead, I settled for one that would (hopefully) fit my husband's size 13 feet. It's features included not keeping water hot, not massaging, and bubbles. For $25, it would hold enough water and ice to refresh my feet. And on that, it did not disappoint!!

Miles logged: 20.0

Sweat Much?

I used to joke that I worked out in the comfort of an air conditioned gym because I didn't like to sweat. Mostly it was because I was lazy and climate control made exercising easier. What I've learned since I started running is that I'm quite a sweater, inside or out.

For example, today I sweat so much (inside the gym) that I couldn't hear my headphones through the sweat that had dripped into my ear. I use those Yurbuds that fit a bit deeper into your ear than traditional earbuds. Apparently my ear canal filled with sweat and sweat must have the same sound conducting properties as water, because I couldn't hear any music in my right ear. It was a bit disorienting, as I could feel the bass in my head, but I could only hear it in one ear.

I managed not to fall off the treadmill, though I did have to pause to dry out my ear. Gross!

Miles logged: 5.0