One Bad Ass Runner

I was very excited to start this week of training because it would be my first 50 mile week in a few weeks (it's been a while since I have felt good enough to run that much).  Last week I finally felt strong enough to train hard and was looking forward to the two quality workouts I had this week. The first two workouts were done on the treadmill, mostly because Miami has been having a heat wave for the last few months and the last few weeks have suffered from heat indexes in the 100s all day long, so I knew running outside every day was dangerous.  Unfortunately, the treadmill gait made my knee swell a bit so I moved my rest day to Wednesday to rest for my first quality workout of the week, the Thursday MLR (Medium Long Run for the non-runners).  This was to be 10 miles with the middle 6 progressive (each mile faster than the last).  I ran before I start working (I work from home on Thursdays) and even then, the heat index was above 90F.  But fortunately, t...

This week I felt more like my old self.  I am still behind on the paces but getting there.  All my runs felt great, even through the horrible heat and humidity that has been here for what seems like forever.  The weather is still hideous and it makes me think Summer is never going to end but some days show me that the 90s (rather than the 100s) are just a day or two away. Or so I hope! The heat and humidity on Monday left me a bit disappointed and I was expecting treadmill runs every day (Monday being one of them), but fortunately it rained most afternoons which lowered the heat indexes from 100-107F every day to something in the 90s (and way more manageable).  So, I was able to run every run outside except for Monday's. This week was also my second straight week doing at least 4 days of cross training.  The two private Pilates sessions I am taking a week are a given, but the other two days I wanted to add were done and with great success.  I used ...

Sorry I have not posted in a while.  Things kind of spiral out of control since my last post.  Where should I begin? After my last half marathon with hubby (Michelob Ultra 13.1 Chicago), I went back to marathon training in earnest for the San Francisco Marathon.  Initially, training went well and I was able to keep my mileage at 55mpw.  But since Summer has been here in full earnest for months, the temperatures were brutal and the humidity as well, so I had to make do with the LRs being partly on the TM.  But I still hit a 20 miler and a 19 miler.  Then, close to three weeks prior to the race, work went crazy.  I had to lower down my miles substantially and I thought, good, tapering at last, ha.  Up to the week of the race, I felt fine (tired, but fine), then, I got sick the Monday of the race.  Exhaustion, headache, joint paint, maybe a fever.  But I was so busy at work, I could only take Monday afternoon off.  So, I was unabl...

Why: Hubby is doing one half marathon a month to get higher on the Half Fanatics level and I don't have a marathon until July, so why not? How:  We had tons of fun and even though hubby was dealing with a groin issue after Mile 10, he finished his third fastest half marathon (out of six) and did pretty well. We had tons of fun.  I FEd with as many people as I could (sorry, Runny_Babbit, Jerry, you are going to be on my next trip to Chicago, fo shizzle - if that's how it's said). So, here is the RR, in pics: I arrived in Chicago at 11:30am while hubby was coming twelve hours later due to work.  LRB, who was in town for business, picked me up at the airport and after many years of friendship, we met in person. We met Mary at my hotel, checked in and went to the Navy Pier for lunch: Fooled around town for a bit. And later said our goodbyes.    I met my coach and RobinCD for coffee (forgot to take a picture), went back to the ho...

I waited a long time to write the RR because I have been waiting for the official pictures, WHICH ARE STILL MISSING!  So, bear with me. This weekend, I ran the Surfer's Path Marathon as my first post-surgery marathon.  Hubby did the Capitola Half Marathon, which was the same race notwithstanding the different name. This race takes place in Santa Cruz, California, along the city of Santa Cruz and the Village of Capitola and passes through what is known as the Surfer's Path.  It is where Jay Moriarity is from, the surfer whose life is shown on the big screen in the movie Chasing Mavericks. Initially, I signed up for the half marathon together with my husband, assuming I would not be ready to run a marathon by May.  My husband asked me three times: are you sure you don't want to sign up for the marathon?  And I said, no, I won't be ready.  Fast forward to a month and a half ago after a 16 miler, when I thought, hey, I think I am ready.  Slow,...

Coming back from my Valentine's Day surgery has been great, much to my surprise.  By Week 4 I was running the PR Marathon with hubby, by Week 7, I had done 16 miles of a LR.  Overall, the comeback has been great and I am back at 50-60mpw range without pain (which was the point of the whole surgery, yo). Therefore, when my husband embarked into this madness that I don't know where he got it from  , of doing a HM per month to earn more moons on the Half Fanatics, I thought it would be a great change for me to have fun and build my base until my first post-surgery marathon in July (San Francisco). Then, I accidentally contacted the RD of my May HM and asked to be switched to the full, so I have a marathon in three weeks.  Going back to this race, I decided to run it with hubby and even put my goal time as 2:30 to be in the same corral as him.  OK, every say awwwww.  Being that this race is on Saturday, da fuck?, we had to fly out of Miami on Thurs...

This week has been great.  First, I had my six week post-surgery appointment and the doctor cleared me up for everything else, weights, kickboxing, LIFE.  I am back to where I was pre-surgery, all healed and not only that, pain free.  This week was a special week of sorts, not only because I was cleared but it was the first week of higher mileage since January.  I would dare to say, for the whole 2014. I did run one 50mpw in 2014, in January, the week of the Disney Marathon but I never felt the way I feel today after running 44 miles this week.  I am running slower than pre-surgery, yes, but I don't have that mechanical impediment nor my abs hurt after 1 hour of running. My next marathon is 17 weeks away.  2014 might not be a year for PRs and I understand and can live with that.  But it WILL be a year of no pain, easy runs, and enjoyment.  Something that has been lacking from my life since October. Bring it on!