Following the plan...

Here's a disjointed blog post, but I'm gonna do it. A grand experiment...the Don't Run, Run Faster Plan will be tested like never before!

I have not run since the first week of the month. I have, however, been using cardio machines and biking, doing strength work and stretching. I've walked up and down my favorite monster hill a few times to get some "impact" (albeit low) and real time on my feet.

And Race Day is 10 days away.

I might run this weekend. Depending on how that goes, I might run once or twice next week. But other than that, Hey there, Mr. Race! Be nice to me! I have no idea what to expect from you :)  That's not entirely true. It will be hard. My feet and ankles will be full of twinges, my calves will get super tight and sore, and my hip is bound to hurt. But...my lungs and heart can handle it! This I know.

I just wish had this super easy, free running ability...

She really is a natural.

And can you believe it's January?

Throwing now!

Maybe she's a budding heptathlete?

As we were on this family walk at the park we visited the other day, I was reminded of how good I have it. How good WE have it.

The kids and I passed by these benches and decided to sit there for our snack. Turns out they are memorial benches for local youth killed by violence. The kids were mesmerized. They started asking all sorts of questions...why did they die? how did they die? why would someone do that to them? how could someone kill someone's daddy? how could someone kill a baby?

I did my best to answer the questions with compassion and truth. Sometimes being a parent is really tough stuff. *sigh* But I've got it good. Better than most. I have to always remember that.

Then they ran off and played...

And the sun went down...

 And everything was beautiful...

Putting it to the REAL test?

The other day I was talking about patience. I outlined but didn't detail my new training approach, or rather, my return to an old and effective for me training approach. As I proceed with strengthening and stretching and massaging and cross-training and not running, I'm wondering what would happen if I didn't run at all before my race on Feb. 3.

My hip still isn't perfect. And running does make it more sore. Not irretrievably painful but sore nonetheless. The more pliable and strong things get, the better it will hold up. Anyway, that's my understanding of it, so that's where my focus is right now.

What do we think would happen if I really adhered to the Don't Run, Run Faster Training Plan leading up to my 5K in 2+ weeks? Honestly, I think it would be okay. But also honestly, I don't think I have the self-restraint to not run at all before then!

Opening up the opinion poll:

What's your take on this idea?

It felt like a really long, hard week...again.

This girl's smile celebrating her first popsicle made it all worthwhile.

I'm not as cute as she is.

I spent a lot of time looking like this...

 A lot of time...see? 

Different day... really.

You can tell it's later in the week because 

the bags under my eyes are markedly more pronounced.

Here's what happened...

Monday:  The previous week had taken its toll...I was exhausted and had a migraine. My birthday run the day before in the hot sun and getting lost and all that was an extra-exhausting way to finish out what had already been a solid training week. I had a climbing date Monday evening and decided to hit the elliptical for 30 min @ HR 130-140 first.  30 min cardio + 90 min climbing = 120 min.


Tuesday:  I still had a migraine but had "hills" on my schedule. Following my morning stint as preschool chauffeur/chaperone, I somehow rallied that evening to tackle my first-ever Double Moeser...

Look... it's a camel!

each hump a 700+ climb, total distance was 4 miles

Honestly, I don't know how I did this one, but did it I did. 4 mi running = 52 min.

Wednesday:  Revisiting 100 minutes of exciting cardio @ HR 130-140, changing the scenery by going from one machine to another...you know...so I wouldn't get bored. 30 min elliptical/20 min StairMaster x 2 = 100 min.

Thursday:  Utterly spent myself mentally and physically in a one-hour climbing session during which I managed to complete two 5.10c routes that seriously kicked my butt in every way. Instead of having the courage to tackle the tempo run on my schedule, I reluctantly dragged my bike out of the garage when I got home to make an attempt at some small cardio something and ended up enjoying 40 minutes of a gorgeous day while easy-pedaling on a flat trail just enough to break a sweat and loosen up my tired legs. 60 min climbing + 40 min bike = 100 min.

Friday:  Tempo time. Having a very full day with a preschooler in tow and then dealing with a kid being picked up from the airport while all the other kids needed to be put to bed kind of put a damper on my excitement for the tempo workout. Once I realized that I wouldn't be able to start it until 9 p.m., I decided that I would see how it worked on the elliptical...sooooo radical, I know. HR supposed to be Zone 4...I am new to all this HR stuff. Zone 4 for me used to be 175-185, I think. So I went into the workout thinking that was what I needed to hit. So. F*cking. Stupid. Thankfully, I decided early on to just do what I could with the workout and not dwell on the numbers. I spent the whole 33 minutes of the tempo part just under 160. Which, it turns out, is actually what it should have been for a 49 year old woman! Go, me :) Need to remember that I am not 28 anymore.  43 min cardio = 43 min.

Saturday:  Not sure exactly why I wanted to 'go long' on this workout...long wasn't on the schedule. I had a climbing date and so was already at the gym. I had the window of time free of responsibility. I took advantage of it. 90 min climbing + 30 elliptical/20 SM/30 elliptical @ HR 130-140 = 170 min.


Sunday:  Long Run time.

That incline should look familiar...you just saw it twice on Tuesday.

One of the hardest runs I've ever done, primarily because I was not in the headspace to tackle it. It had been a very difficult 18 hours leading up to the moment I walked out the door. Thankfully, I took it slow and followed the HR format...holding it to 130-140 (it did jump into the 150's on that uphill and slip down into the 120's on some of the downhill). I forgot to turn on my garmin for the first little over half-mile. The run was intended to be 9.7, but I started 45 minutes later than intended and it was getting dark. I ran through neighborhoods I've never run through (only driven) before.


– Hello, Mr. Drug Dealer lurking under the freeway overpass...oh, I'm sorry... I mean Mr. Drug User. Sorry...I got you confused with your supplier there at the end of the dark tunnel :P

It was kind of freaky...not so awesome coming upon someone while he's shooting up. And by then I was tired. The guy with the loaded shopping cart and the loaded pants (yes, you're understanding that correctly) ranting to himself and waving his arms wildly cinched it. I made the call.

– Hi, honey...

Ten minutes later I was safely ensconced in my minivan with my husband at the wheel, driving back to suburban Shangri-La and my awesome pink carpeting. I was and am beyond fine with "just" 7.9 miles.

Later this week I want to share a bit more information about my "revolutionary training plan for invalids." I am really fortunate to have a friend who was interested in creating this with me. My primary objectives for the training cycle involve minimizing ouchy pain (as opposed to the beneficial pain of hard work) and feeling solid about my training. I hope to feel confident and strong as I head into my next few races. We'll see how it goes.

Prepping for my new plan...

It's been an XL Cardio Extravaganza over here lately.

And I just realized that I feel like I did in the old days. Just this very minute I realized that. I wrote this whole post and have come back to the beginning to add this. I've been lying on the sofa nearly comatose since 9 a.m. this morning (it's now almost 2 p.m.) and not because I feel sick. It might have a little to do with getting up at the butt-crack of dawn to take Big G to the airport for his school field trip to DC...but this feels differently than just lack of sleep for one night. Poor little Miss C has watched the same Shaun the Sheep DVD no less than 6 consecutive times while I have been crashed out. Bad mommy.

Of course, she did her crashing on the floor at the airport this morning...

but only for about 10 minutes...not 5 hours!

Here's what I've been up to...

After getting some solid cardio in 5 times the previous week for a total of a bit over 5 hours, the training goal this past week was to get something in every day...hopefully for at least an hour. I managed 7 cardio workouts for a total of just under 8 hours. It looked something like this...

• Monday: 55 min. on the elliptical trainer henceforth referred to as ET (followed by 90 min. of rock climbing, not counted toward workout time total)
• Tuesday: 40 min. bike ride + 20 min. easy run = 60 min.
• Wednesday: 90 min. cardio extravaganza! 20 min ET/10 min StairMaster (SM) X 3
• Thursday: 40 min. ET (followed by 2 hrs of climbing, not counted toward workout time total)
• Friday: 60 min. cardio... 20 min ET/10 min SM X 2
• Saturday: 95 min. cardio extravaganza! 25 min ET/10 min SM X 2 + 20 min ET/5 min stair climber thing (different from SM...this one is those weirdly rolling stairs)
• Sunday: 74 min. easy run

Increasing my volume did come with a price. My Thursday workout felt super blah or even blech. I was tired and sluggish. Usually on the machines I am revved and excited and hit my HR targets cleanly and consistently while maintaining a very even (or often slightly increasing) pace. But Thursday I was struggling. My legs just didn't really want to turn over with any alacrity. My mind was wandering all over the place, and little things started to annoy me...a sure sign that I am not doing so well. But it was short, and the climbing after it was great...so I'm not dwelling on one imperfect workout :)

I'm LOVING the longer sessions. There is something super satisfying about 90+ minutes of hard work.

This coming week will involve a bit more running. I miss being outside. And my run Sunday told me that I do need a little more pounding of the pavement. I think had it not been a whole lot hotter than I am used to it would have felt like a great, chatty run with a great friend...or two :) All of the cardio work certainly helped, I didn't feel tired just hot and distracted by being hot. Oh, and then we got lost on the return of our out-and-back! We were bringing up the rear of a whole lot of runners participating in the local Lululemon anniversary fun run and didn't see where everyone else had turned. Oops.

"Did we go through a tunnel on the way out?"
"I don't think so..."
"Me neither..."
"Where the F are we?"

...and that question hung in the air for quite a few minutes while we tried to figure it out....

We made it back to all of our friends at the meeting place after running an extra mile and went out to brunch with quite an awesome group...

top row: page, sima, kristin, aron, courtney, cate, A, beth

front row: katie a, SFMarathon, me, layla, jessica, karin

and forgive me if I screwed up any names or links...and sima, I couldn't find your info!

and you can see my Happy Birthday balloon from katie reflected in the mirror!

And because I was having a great time running and brunching with friends yesterday, I missed my joint birthday party with George Clooney. Yes, we were both celebrating our special day...sadly, not together...again.

It's hard to tell who was more bummed that I couldn't make it...

him or me?

Nah, he looks like he's doing alright...

But my family did make me a cake and brownies. And if he could see my cake...

I know it looks like I turned three hundred nineteen, but seeing as how we found ourselves 

once again lacking the proper candles, we needed to get creative...

3 + 1 = 4...that's the tens. And the 9 is the ones.

Put them together and you have...

49!!!

...you know George would be jealous.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and is looking forward to a fantastic week!