Insane

I have access to a great gym at work, and they recently ordered copies of the P90X and Insanity workouts by Beachbody (NOT a referral link).  I have done P90X before, following the full 90-day program as written (well, minus the diet part anyway).  I still occasionally throw a P90X video into my workout rotation every now and then for weight training.  On Thursday, I thought I would give Insanity a try. 

I tried one Insanity video a while ago, and I remember it being hard.  This time around, I went with Pure Cardio - at a little under 40 minutes, it fit well into the limited time I had.  Let me say this - wowza.  Two days later, and I sorta feel like I ran a marathon on Thursday!  That 40 minutes packed one heck of a punch.  I was breathing quite heavy and pretty out of breath after the 10-minute warm-up!  (I should have worn a heart rate monitor, but I bet the warm-up got me to at least 80% of my max HR.)

The workout is basically this: 10 minute "warm-up" that get progressively more intense, break, stretching, break, 15 minute "work-out", break, cool-down stretches.  Yes, the actual workout segment is only 15 minutes.  But because of the intensity of the warm-up, and even the stretches, I felt I got a very solid cardio workout in.  Shaun T encourages you to take breaks as needed, and I definitely took a few myself to catch my breath.  I didn't find any of the moves difficult or needing modification, but there were plenty of times I couldn't keep up with his maxed-out pace, so I just did as much as I could.  My glutes were definitely feeling this workout the day after, and today my calves, upper hamstrings, glutes and inner thighs are rebelling.

I think I will try a few more Insanity videos here and there, but I don't plan to follow the 60-day program.  I plan to be sidelined from this sort of activity very soon..... (wink)

I still managed to run a few miles this week as well, though today was pretty darn slow.  I took off early and it was freezing (literally, like <32 degrees).  It took me the first 5 miles of the run to feel warmed up and loosen my legs enough to have a comfortable stride.  Here is how I fit the 20.34 miles in:

Su 10/30: 4.02 easy, 38:28, 9:34 pace
M 10/31: Rest
Tu 11/1: 4.04 easy, 38:26, 9:31 pace
W 11/2: 5.02 easy, 47:43, 9:30 pace; Ab Ripper X
Th 11/3: 40 min Insanity Pure Cardio
F 11/4: Rest
Sa 11/5: 7.26 easy, 1:13:51, 10:10 pace

And of course, its football Saturday.  Go Blue!

10 pts: Oklahoma over Texas A&M
9 pts: North Carolina over NC State
8 pts: Arkansas over South Carolina
7 pts: Texas over Texas Tech
6 pts: Alabama over LSU
5 pts: Michigan over Iowa
4 pts: Cincinnati over Pitt
3 pts: Baylor over Missouri
2 pts: Utah over Arizona
1 pt: Syracuse over UConn

UPDATE: Pretty bummed that Michigan lost.  Not sure how they are going to make it to Indy now...  As for this week, I had 34 points, and Josh and I are tied for third in our pool.

Being a TOC

In college, I acquired the nickname Toc.  While living in the dorms, some hallmates were going down to dinner.  One asked my roommate what I was doing, and my roommate stated I was being a turd....  on the couch.  Lets just attribute this to girls being silly, but Toc was born (yes, it really stands for Turd On Couch).  I went on to live with these girls for all 4 years of college, with a few others as well, and I have been called Toc (and many variations of) by all of them.  The favorite by far seems to be Tikki Toc, or even just Tikki.  It just stuck.

Why do I share this (somewhat embarrassing) story?  Because I have personified that nickname this week.  I spent most evenings being a Toc.  But I have a good excuse!  I'm still recovering from the marathon.  I few light runs here and there, but no significant miles.  The last two days my left knee has been giving me issues, which is weird because it never bothered me at all this training cycle.  I just have to take in easy next week, and continue to let my legs recover for a while.  I'll probably try to hit the gym a few times to add some strength training back into the mix.

I had a total of 12.85 measly miles for the week, plus a few short walks with puppy.
M 10/17: Rest
Tu 10/18: Rest
W 10/19:1.55 easy walk, 25:00
Th 10/20: 2.4 recovery jog, 25:00, 10:25 pace
F 10/21: 3.39 recovery, 34:18, 10:08 pace
Sa 10/22: 5.5 recovery, 56:29, 10:16 pace

And, because it is football Saturday, here are my picks.  Michigan has a bye-week, so no Go Blue today.

10 pts: Stanford over Washington

9 pts: Clemson over North Carolina

8 pts: Illinois over Purdue

7 pts: Oklahoma State over Missouri

6 pts: Wake Forest over Duke

5 pts: Wisconsin over Michigan State

4 pts: Notre Dame over USC

3 pts: Penn State over Northwestern

2 pts: Cal over Utah

1 pt: Miami (FL) over Georgia Tech

UPDATE: I had 38 points for the week, good enough to move me into 4th place.  Josh had a TERRIBLE week, and has dropped to 5th.  Its a good thing I don't listen to him too much when making my picks.

4:11:29

Well I finished, with a new PR to boot. It wasn't pretty at the end, but I met my main goal of a new PR with a 4:11:29.  I crossed the halfway at 2:02:02, but fell way off that pace in the late miles due to some severe leg cramping.  Oh well, I can't be upset with today.  I gave it my best, and my legs carried me 26.2 miles.  Now for a lot of rest and recovery.  I'll try to write up a race review (with pictures!) tomorrow before I forget everything.

Here is how the last week of training (major taper week) looked, all 35.77 miles (running) of it:
Sun 10/9: Rest
Mon 10/10: 1.41 easy with Lucy, 12:07, 8:37 pace; P90X Ab Ripper X
Tues 10/11: 3.53 easy, 32:35, 9:14 pace
Wed 10/12: 2.47 easy, 22:36, 9:08 pace
Thurs 10/13: Rest
Fri 10/14: Rest
Sat 10/15: 2.16 easy, ,19:14, 8:54 pace; .46 mile walk with Lucy, 7:38
Sun 10/16: 26.2 race, 4:11:29, 9:36 pace

Detroit Marathon Expo

Yesterday afternoon, Josh and I dropped Lucy off at my parents and headed downtown to Cobo for the Marathon Expo.  The hours for the expo were relatively short, 3-8 on Friday and 10-7 Saturday.  Parking was kind of a pain, but Josh found a metered street spot for $1 so we didn't have to pay $5-10 to get into one of the nearby garages.

The Expo itself wasn't all that big.  The had plenty of booths covering a wide range of items, but we were only there about an hour.  I shopped around a little bit, but only picked up a few Gus to stockpile for the next few months.

I had a chance to scope out the course, again.

Since we got there so early (4:00 or so), there was virtually no line for the packet pick up and it was a breeze.  Because of the international aspect of the race, you have to show your passport or an enhanced drivers license to get your bib.  Even though this info is all over the website, present in the registration process, and on facebook and twitter, I am shocked at how many people claim to not know this!  

Go 1727!!!

I even had a chance to stop by the Problems&Solutions table to change my corral - I wanted to move up to corral F, since I think I want to aim for a 9:15-9:30ish pace early on.  Once again, no issues!  (They just have the corrals printed in the upper corner, so I just got a sticker to place over it with a new letter.)

I think I am ready for tomorrow.  I did 2 miles easy today and felt good.  I keep going back and forth about what to wear.  I almost always overdress, but I am afraid of being too cold.  I'll decide sometime tonight, or in the morning after I check the weather for the 345,683 time.

The weather is still iffy.  Temps are predicted between 48 and 52 for the 4 hours I'll be running (which is awesome), with winds from the SW at 11 mph.  No sun, but cloudy with a 30-40% chance of showers the entire time (not awesome).  So really, the only thing I need to finish up tonight is figuring out what I am going to wear!  (Shorts or capris, long sleeve UA shirt or arm sleeves)

As for goals, my main one is a PR (my previous marathon was 4:23:23).  I think I'm going to start out at 4:10 race, but part of me still wants to break 4 hours.  I also want to finish strong so the last few miles aren't torture, so I think I will start out more conservatively than that.

Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with a race report and great news!!!  I can do this!

Stop stalking the weather!

I can't help myself.  The good news: there is a slight improvement over this morning!!!

Now, maybe I can wish the rain away?  I'm sure gonna try!

Marathon Taper: Weather Watch

Man, who knew a 10-day weather forecast was SOOO difficult!  I can't believe how much this has changed over the past week!

At my last update, the weather on Sunday was predicted to be 65 and Sunny.  I was ok with that, but wished it would be a tad bit cooler.  Temps fluctuated over the next few days, and once I saw them reach 71 for a high, I started praying.  Everything comes with a price!  As of yesterday temps were going to be 51 with showers.  Now they are saying 58 degrees, but showers and WIND.  NOOO!!!!!  Really, I can deal with the rain, its not that big of a deal.  But I really, really, don't want to deal with 20 mph wind.  Yuck.  So, I'll keep my fingers crossed for that partly cloudy, 55 degress, calm forecast that I dream of.

Overall, anxiety is starting to set in a little bit.  I struggle with the taper - I understand the importance, but its hard.  You want you legs to be rested, but not stale.  I have 2 more short 2-mile runs to do before the big race.  I know I'm ready.  I've put in the miles, injuries are now minor tweaks every now and then, and I'm concentrating on my carb and fluid intake.  I'm still icing every day, but more as a preventative precaution than because of any pain. 

I've been going back and forth over my pace.  With my recent half-marathon PR, a few running calculators are predicting I can complete a marathon in 4:02.  I don't know about that.....  I'm leaning more towards a 4:05-4:10 marathon time, but the idea of breaking 4 hours is pretty lucrative as well.  I really want to push myself and do the best I am capable of, but I am so worried about starting out too fast.  That is the biggest mistake a marathoner can make: start out too fast, and can't finish strong.  I've managed to maintain a 9:20-9:36 pace on my long training runs, but those had untimed breaks in them.  Really, there should be no reason I can't maintain a 9:00 min/mile pace, but I think I'm too nervous to start there.  What to do, what to do....  I'll make a decision closer to the race, I need to be sure of what the conditions are and see how I'm feeling that morning.

And since I like winning free stuff, I'm going to mention 2 upcoming giveaways so I can have an extra entry in each.  You should check these out!
SkinnyRunner is giving out a bunch of stuff, including Odwalla bars, laces, Gu, and a SR shirt.  Just vote for her for the Refuel with Chocolate Milk grant.
Shut Up + Run is giving away what looks like some super-comfy champion gear.  Just let her know what you wear after a long run.

New gear and the taper

This morning I started out on my last long-is run before the marathon.  I took it nice and easy; I am trying to respect the taper.  But really, tapering kind of sucks and I added in a few extra miles this week - it is just so hard to cut back now, I'm ready to run this thing!  But deep down, I know I need to let my body recover to be ready for the exertion I expect of it next weekend.

I tried out some of the new gear I picked up at the Brooksie Way expo.  I am most excited about the arm sleeves - I've wanted a pair for over a year now, and I think I will wear them for the marathon next weekend.  They are treadwear and were only $15 (about half the price of others I've seen).  I like that I can easily hang these from my fuel belt when I get warm, and I don't have to try and take off a shirt over my head while running.  These are the Tech Series which are moisture wicking and they double as hand warmers with their foldover cuff - very cool! 

Look ma, no hands!

I picked up a Bondi Band for $7, since I am too lazy to order a Bic Band online.  I hear great things about the Bics (and they have bands with glitter!), but the Bondi is supposed to help wick away some sweat and I always end up with some sweat stinging my eyes by the end of a long run.  I wore this under my hat, and I think it helped.  I have tried it without the hat as well, and it doesn't slide around or fall off - a BIG plus.  I also picked up a new running short sleeve shirt - this one is Mizuno, and I bought it solely for the color.  I needed something to match my socks.  :)  I think my marathon outfit will probably look very similar to what I wore today - except for black shorts instead of blue.  I wore my fuel belt loaded up and want to test to make sure nothing shifted around too much. 

So here is how the last week looked for a total of 22.01 miles.  It was technically the second week of the taper, I have 3-4 more short easy runs this week before the race next Sunday.

M 10/3: Rest
Tu 10/4: 4.29 easy, 39:56, 9:18 pace
W 10/5: 4.67 easy, 43:33, 9:19 pace
Th 10/6: 4.12 easy, 38:40, 9:22 pace; 15 min Ab Ripper X, 15 min light lifting for arms, chest, shoulders
F 10/7: Rest
Sa 10/8: 8.93 long, 1:26:00, 9:38 pace

And... its football Saturday!  So here are my picks:

10 pts: Stanford over Colorado

9 pts: Oklahoma over Texas

8 pts: Nebraska over Ohio St

7 pts: Arkansas over Auburn

6 pts: Virginia Tech over Miami

5 pts: Arizona State over Utah

4 pts: Georgia over Tennessee

3 pts: Iowa over Penn St

2 pts: Texas A&M over Texas Tech

1 pt: Missouri over Kansas St

UPDATE: 51 points for the week, my best week of the year, but still only good enough for 8th place in my group.  Good week for everyone, lots of people with 1 low-point miss.  Josh is hanging onto first by a point.

And the ALCS Game 1 is tonight... with JV on the mound, I predict a Tigers victory! Major bummer.

A new Half Marathon PR!

I ran the Brooksie Way half today, and it was awesome!  The weather was nice and cool, and even though I though the course would be difficult I managed a PR.  I ran a 1:54:56, 8:47 pace; which is a >3 min PR for me!

I just finished my 5th half marathon!

 I'll write up a race review tomorrow, but generally I would recommend this race.  In the mean time, its 2 weeks until marathon day, and here is how the training is going:

M 9/26: P90X Ab Ripper X 16:00; 3.35 mi exercise bike, 16:10, 12.4 mph
Tu 9/27: 5.01 easy, 45:54, 9:09 pace
W 9/28: 7.05 pace, 1:02:52, 8:55 pace
Th 9/29: 4.05 easy, 38:11, 9:26 pace (in the rain)
F 9/30: rest
Sa 10/1: rest
Su10/2:  13.1 race, 1:54:56, 8:47 pace

Total: 3.35 bike, 29.21 run

Rainy run

It was a rainy afternoon and instead of hitting up the gym, I took to the streets:

It was just a heavy drizzle, and I only had 4 miles easy to get though.  I took Lucy with me for the first mile, and she sure liked splashing though the puddles! 

Going long

Today was 20-miler day.  (Most) everyone training for a marathon does one - a run of 20 miles or more.  When I trained for the Bayshore Marathon, I actually ran a 20 miler and a 22 miler - no room for that this time around due to injuries.  So after running 19 last week, I pushed this run to 21 miles - making it the 3rd farthest I have ever run.

Yes, I know I look like a huge dork.  But at least I'm a dork that just finished running 20+ miles.

Nothing exciting to mention, except the mountainous blister on the inside of my right big toe that I am nursing...  other than that, I felt pretty darn good!  I did make a few untimed stops along the way, but my average pace was 9:32 min/mile - definitely canNOT complain about that!  I tried to keep my pace 9:30-9:40ish and it felt pretty good.  I still managed a negative split.

In SkinnyRunner style, I snapped a few pictures along the way.  I ran out the the State Park, then down along the Riverwalk before heading home.  It was a beautiful morning for a run - I would definitely take this on race day!

 I really do like the rail trail system we have around here - its really pretty, and there are a lot of shaded areas for when its hot.

Here is a lookout point out at the State Park.  I run along the Saginaw Bay a little ways, and this is a small branch off of that.  I love early morning runs and how serene everything looks.

Here is the view of downtown Bay City from one of the bridges I run over to cross the river.  The Riverwalk (on the west side) is usually pretty active and is part of the overall Rail Trail system (it is all connected).

And here is the part that SUCKS - the ice bath.  I am such a baby about getting in, but I really do think it helps with recovery!

I also reached a new weekly mileage high for this training cycle:  41.81 miles running, 6.45 biking.  Here is how it looked:

S 9/18: 6.45 bike, 35:51, 10.8 mph
M 9/19:  P90X Back & Biceps, 35:00 min
Tu 9/20: 5.19 easy, 48:05, 9:16 pace
W 9/21: 10.52 pace, 1:36:01, 9:08 pace (last 5 miles all under 9:00 pace)
Th 9/22: 5.02 easy, 46:18, 9:13 pace
F 9/23: Rest
S 9/24: 21.08 long, 3:20:54, 9:32 pace

And, its football Saturday!  Here are my picks for the week:

10 pts: Oregon over Arizona

9 pts: Ohio St over Colorado

8 pts: Alabama over Arkansas

7 pts: LSU over West Virginia

6 pts: Notre Dame over Pitt

5 pts: Michigan over San Diego St

4 pts: Georgia Tech over North Carolina

3 pts: Florida State over Clemson

2 pts: Texas A&M over Oklahoma St

1 pt: Arizona State over USC

UPDATE: I had 50 points for the week, which was middle-of-the pack for my group.  I did manage to sneak back into 4th place, and Josh is still holding on at the top by a of couple points.

Let's Go Blue!  You'll find me on the couch the rest of the day, watching some college football.

Its always something...

I had a lot going on today.  It started out with a monitoring appointment at the REs office.  Today is CD13, and I was shocked at the progress so far!  I had a 14 mm follicle on the left, and a 20 mm on the right, with a few smaller non-dominate follicles on each side.  In the previous cycles, I have been a much later ovulator so this was a surprise.  My uterine lining was only 5.5 mm, which is a little low, but thinned lining is a known side effect of Clomid.  The nurse called back this afternoon with the blood work - my LH is a little elevated, so doctor said to trigger tonight! 

Josh gave me the hCG shot tonight after dinner, and it was much less of an ordeal than last time.  I am so confident that this cycle will work for us.  It has to, because the timing really couldn't be worse:  Our estimated due date would be around June 15th, and I am supposed to stand up in my best friends wedding on June 9th.  But I would happily take on this challenge if it means having a baby in 9 months :)
**I do want to point out that I have talked to my best friend on many occasions, and she is fully supportive of the fact that Josh and I do not want to take breaks in this process, and that we will deal with the wedding conflict if and when it is an issue.  She really is my best friend for a reason.

On top of all that, I got in a fabulous 10.5 mile run tonight - I averaged 9:08 pace, but ran the last 5.5 miles all under 9:00/mile.  I felt great.....  except for the HUGE blister on the inside of my right big toe.  I got the blister on my long run on Saturday, and my runs yesterday and today have aggravated it more.  I want to drain it, but Josh keeps telling me not to.  To pop it, or not to pop it, that is the question.  Its always something....

You might see me on What Not to Wear.

But only because I choose function over fashion when it comes to running.  We already know that my new shoes don't match my wardrobe.  But why did I pick bright pink compression socks?  Sure, they look AWESOME, but I own one single bright pink shirt.  And these bright yellow water bottles really compliment this color scheme I had going on:

And check out that MP3 player from 2004.  Still going strong!

Not pictured: my $5 flea market sunglasses, my Garmin, and for some reason, my wedding rings.  I'm still married, I swear.  Oh yeah, and to all those who I passed on the trail this morning:  sorry, I forgot to put on deodorant.  Oops.

All that aside, what a beautiful morning for a run.  Temperatures in the 50s and sunny - a runner's dream (OK, I would also go for 60 and cloudy).  The air had a wonderful bite to it, and the cooler temps drastically improve my performance.  It was by far my best run of the year, and the longest at 19 miles.  I ran a negative split to boot: 1:33:52 / 1:30:51.  The only thing I would have changed: I do wish I had worn shorts instead of capris, but that is it.  This was a great cap to the running week, and now I fully feel like I am back on track for the marathon a month from now..  Here was the week, 38.74 miles total:

M 9/12: P90X - first half of Chest and Back, Ab Ripper X
Tu 9/13: 5.06 easy, 47:12, 9:20 pace
W 9/14: 9.48 easy, 1:28:21, 9:19 pace
Th 9/15: 5.15 pace, 47:30, 9:13 pace
F 9/16: Rest
S 9/17: 19.05 long, 3:05:22, 9:44 pace

And I can't end this post without sharing my College Football picks for the week:

10 pts: South Carolina over Navy
9 pts: Nebraska over Washington
8 pts: Stanford over Arizona
7 pts: Iowa over Pittsburgh
6 pts: BYU over Utah
5 pts: Oklahoma over Florida State
4 pts: Notre Dame over Michigan State
3 pts: Ohio State over Miami
2 pts: Texas over UCLA
1 pt: Clemson over Auburn

UPDATE: I had 46 points for the week, which isn't great but not bad either.  I dropped 1 spot to 5th overall - but Josh tied for second best week and remains in first.

Wine and Victory!

What a weekend!  This will be a long post, but it was an eventful and busy weekend.  I had a lot of fun up north, drank a lot of much-needed wine, "watched" Michigan beat Notre Dame in one hell of a nail-biter while drinking and dancing in a gay bar, watched the Tigers complete their third consecutive series sweep, and got a good long-ish run done.  Whew!

So on Saturday, I carpooled up to Traverse City with some great girls.  We grabbed a quick bite to eat downtown and then headed up to Suttons Bay for a wine tour.  It was such a beautiful weekend and the scenery was gorgeous!

The view from Leelanau Cellars Tasting Room

The wine wasn't bad either.... We went to four wineries on the Leelanau Peninsula: 45 North, Chateau Fontaine, Good Harbor Vineyards, and Leelanau Cellars.  45 North had the best wine, and Leelanau Cellars offered the best tasting experience (as in, all you can taste), but Chateau Fontaine wasn't far behind.  I would not go back to Good Harbor, we didn't have a great experience there, unfortunately.

 Ready to start the wine tour at The Vineyard Inn on Suttons Bay

Gettin' our drink on!

After the wine tour, we chilled on the beach at the Vineyard Inn before heading back to our condo at the Grand Traverse Resort.  While getting ready to go out, I took the opportunity to turn on the Michigan game (though muted) to follow the action in between gift opening and other things.  At one point someone said - "Pizza, Beer, and a Football game - this looks like Neil's [the groom's] bachelor party!".  Ha!  Girls still know how to have fun!  We beautified ourselves and headed downtown to Sidetraxx, which is a gay bar.  You know what they do NOT put on TVs inside of gay bars?  Sports.  So, this girl "watched" the last quarter of the Michigan game on ESPN Gamecast on her cell phone.  It was sufficient (though I caught up on the video replays later), and I am so glad I got to spend the night celebrating Magen!

Me and the Bachelorette!

And besides, if I stayed behind, I never would have had the chance to see this beauty:  a Disco-Chest!

Only in a gay bar... I hope anyway.

We took off pretty early the next day to get home and recuperate.   I spent a good portion of the afternoon on the couch and watched Doug Fister and the Tigers sweep the Twins for their 9th win in a row!  They are on FIRE right now, and it is so exciting to watch them play.  I just hope they can keep this momentum into October and win then too :)

Around 5:00, I got my butt off the couch to go for a run.  I spent the day hydrating fairly well, so I really wanted to get a good 14-miler in.  This would officially put me back on track for the marathon, having only missed 1 long run (an 18-miler) and 2 weeks worth of shorter runs.  I made it!  It wasn't pretty at the end, but that was a great cap to a week of come-back running.  Here is how Week 13 shaped up:

M 9/5: 9.18 bike, 49:27, 11.1mph; 2.55 easy, 22:39, 8:52 pace
Tu 9/6: 4.02 easy, 37:34, 9:21 pace
W 9/7: 5.21 easy, 48:30, 9:18 pace; first half of P90X Shoulders and Arms
Th 9/8: 7.06 easy, 1:05:03, 9:13 pace
F 9/9: Rest
S 9/10: Rest - up north
S 9/11:14.0 long, 2:14:58, 9:39 pace
Week total: 32.84 miles running, 9.18 bike

After all that, I am exhausted!  To cap off the night, I watched a replay of the Michigan-ND game on the Big 10 Network.  It's great, to be, a Michigan Wolverine!!!!!

VICTORY

Everyone needs compression socks

I've been thinking about compression gear for while now, but my recent foot issues really pushed me over the edge.  I saw some socks I liked at the Crim expo, but they were a little cheaper to order online so I did just that.  They came yesterday!

These are CEP running compression socks in pink.  I cut off my head in the picture because I looked like crap this morning.

I know, they are a tad bright, but don't they look AWESOME?  Now I look like a very serious runner who knows what she is doing.  Really though, compression is supposed to help with targeted blood flow to help reduce injuries from occurring and also to help you recover faster.  You can wear these socks before, during, or after running.  Since I'm still resting my foot, I just wear them around the house a lot for now.

There was not a lot of running this week (like none), but I rode my bike a bit to try and keep up some level of cardio.  Here is the week 12 recap, 0 miles run, 32.07 bike:

S 8/28: Rest
M 8/29: P90X: first half of Chest/Shoulders/Arms, Ab Ripper X
Tu 8/30: Rest
W 8/31: 10.98 bike, 58:55, 11.2 mph
Th 9/1: P90X: Back and Biceps, Ab Ripper X
F 9/2: 4.03 bike to work, 22:17, 10.9 mph
S 9/3:17.06 bike, 1:27:11, 11.7 mph
S 9/4: Rest

Crim 10 mile 1:33:34

Well, it was a disappointing race, but I still managed a PR.  I finished the Crim in 1:33:34, I was hoping to break 1:30.  Given the issues I've been having with my foot, I really shouldn't be too upset.  My foot didn't bother me too much during the race though - the course was hilly and I ended up walking a LOT.  Way more than I ever have in a race.  I write a full race review in a few days.  In meantime, here is what week 11 looked like, 13.48 miles running (blah) and 4.06 on the bike:

Tu 8/23: 1.04 easy, 9:22, 8:59 pace; 100 push-ups, 50 pull-ups (assisted), 250 crunches
W 8/24: Rest
Th 8/25: 2.44 easy. 26:21, 10:48 pace (some walking with Lucy)
F 8/26: 4.06 bike to work, 25:33, 9.5mph
Sa 8/27: 10mi race, 1:33:34, 9:22 pace

Back in the saddle

So the saying goes.  I took off of running for a few days during our trip to Florida.  My foot desperately needed some real rest, and it was too hot and humid to run down there anyway.  I took Monday off of work, figuring I could use a 4-day weekend, so I got a nice long run in this morning.

I brought my phone so I could call Josh and bail on the run if needed.  I felt a little discomfort in my foot, but not enough to make me stop, I just took it really easy.  I got all 17 miles in!  The bad news: my foot hurt after.  I think I'll take it easy this week since I have the Crim 10 mile race on Saturday.

If I count Monday as part of last week (since I just pushed back the run from the weekend), I managed 30.37 miles.  Here is how Week 10 looked:

M 8/15: 4.23 easy, 38:40, 9:09 pace
Tu 8/16: 35min P90X Shoulders and Arms
W 8/17: 7.97 (pace run, but a very bad one), 1:16:25, 9:36 pace
Th 8/18: 1.09 easy with Lucy, 9:53, 9:02 pace
F 8/19: Rest
Sa 8/20: Rest
Su 8/21: Rest
M 8/22:  17.08 long, 2:51:46, 10:03 pace

Bad News Bears

Today was one of those days.  No good news from the doctor, a craptastic run, and a possible injury to sideline me for a while.  Ugh!

I'm really frustrated with this cycle.  I went in for another monitoring appointment this morning (CD13), and I seem to be making backwards progress!  This time I didn't have any follicles larger than 13mm, and the nurse was a little concerned with my uterine lining.  They like to see it around 9, and mine was only 4.5.  Since we are going out of town this weekend, I have to use OPKs through the weekend and go in again on Monday if there is no sign of ovulation.

Then after work, I had an 8 mile pace run to do.  Blah, blah, blah!!!!   It was easily my worst run of this training cycle, possibly my worst run of the year.  I could barely keep my pace under 9:30 when I was actually running (I've been targeting 9:00 miles during pace runs), and I took literally like 20 breaks.  The stats for the run won't look all that bad, but that is because of a lovely feature on my Garmin called auto-pause.  I stop moving, it stops ticking away the time.  I had about 14 minutes of stoppage.  It was only an 8 mile run!

To top it all off, I think I hurt my foot bad enough to require a few days rest.  It been bugging me on and off for a week or more, but tonight it really hurt.  Look at the picture below - see the slightly bruised, slightly puffy area on my left foot?  Yeah.... not sure what I did or when I did it, but I hurt something. 

I realize it is really hard to see in this picture, plus my sandal-tan-lines make it a little harder to see the color difference.  But you can definitely see the puffiness, right?

So, here's the game plan for the next few days: pee on a stick to test for ovulation and take a few days off from running.  At this point, I'll try to get my 17-miler in on Monday (since I have the day off), so long as my foot is feeling better.  I definitely need this 4-day weekend!

Between the Drops

Its a rainy weekend here in Bay City, but I'm OK with that.  This is the first weekend in a month that we have zero plans, and our next few weekends are booked too.  It was a great excuse to relax around the house, catch up on cleaning, and watch the rest of our On-Demand cue. 

I also managed to fit a run in, though it was delayed a few hours because I decided I didn't want to run in the rain.  It was another step back week, so I only had 11 miles to do.  I managed to fit in a few P90X videos this week - whew, its been a long time since I did those!  Lots of push-ups, pull-ups and some Ab Ripper left me sore for the next three days!  I think a few more of those videos in rotation will do me good.

S 8/7: Rest
M 8/8: 4.11 pace, 35:12, 8:34 pace
Tu 8/9: P90X Chest and Back (first half), Ab Ripper X
W 8/10: 7.04 pace, 1:01:16, 8:42 pace
Th 8/11: 4.04 easy, 37:15, 9:13 pace
F 8/12: Rest
S 8/13: 11.05 long, 1:44:37, 9:32 pace

I ran 26.24 miles last week.  I'm already thinking about how I can adjust my training schedule for the coming week - we will be in Florida for my cousin's wedding next weekend.  The temps are rather undesirable, with overnight lows of 78 degrees.  Couple that with the fact that they are calling for thunderstorms every day, and it will be a hot and humid mess.  So I'm thinking I will get my 17 mile run in after we get back, either Sunday evening or Monday morning (since I took an extra vacation day).  Who wants to spend 3 hours running on their vacation anyways?

I Run to Eat

I cranked out 15 miles this morning, to bring my weekly total to 30.39 miles running and 14.0 on the bike.  Whoo hoo, I broke 30 miles!

S 7/31: Rest
M 8/1: Easy bike ride on the rail trail, 9.99 mi, 54:12, 11.1 mph
Tu 8/2: NRoLFW Stage 3, Workout B-4; 2.9 mi HIIT, 25:00, 8:37 pace; 1.31 mi easy, 12:10, 9:16 pace
W 8/3: 7.03 easy, 1:04:00, 9:06 pace
Th 8/4: 4.05 easy, 36:53, 9:06 pace
F 8/5: Bike to work, 4.01 mi, 22:19, 10.8 mph
S 8/6: 15.10 long, 2:24:06, 9:32 pace

Most runners will say they run to eat, and I'm one of them.  One of the huge benefits of running 15 miles in the morning, is getting to stuff my face at the annual Pig Gig festival in Bay City.  (Though I usually prefer sweets, barbeque and beer works too!)

My company hosted their annual "Pignic" at the Pig Gig this year, so that means we got reserved parking, a tent to eat in, meal tickets to any vendor we choose, and 8 drink tickets between the 2 of us.  (Yeah, plenty-o-drinks, that's for sure.)    Josh and I had pulled pork and ribs from Aussom Aussie and Two Fat Guys BBQ, and they were both really good - even with a long run, I couldn't eat all the food they gave us :)

There is a free concert each night on the festival grounds, and tonight's was Saving Abel.  I'm familiar with a few of their singles from the radio (18 Days, Addicted), so Josh and I brought some lawn chairs to watch their set and Josh's friend Tom joined us.  They played a little more than an hour, but that was enough since it was raining on and off the whole night, and picked up quite a bit towards the end.

(I took some pictures and video on my phone, but now they seem to have disappeared.... huh.)

So, we dragged our wet butts home to catch up with Tom for a bit.  It was a fun night - I always enjoy taking advantage of the things Bay City has to offer in the summer.

A MAY-be Baby

I started a new cycle today, which makes 10 cycles and 16 months trying to conceive baby #1.  We are hoping for a MAY baby this time around!  The protocol for this month is 150 mg of Clomid on days 3-7, which is earlier than my other Clomid cycles and will hopefully stimulate my follicles faster.  We go in for monitoring on day 11, and then will continue to go back until ovulation is imminent.  We have decided to forgo artificial insemination this cycle in favor of timed intercourse, but will consider IUI (intrauterine insemination) in the future (but hopefully we don't need to!).

I'm feeling good about this cycle and am in a pretty good place right now emotionally.  Training is really picking up, so my running is helping keep me distracted.  On top of that, I'm pretty excited for the races I have on the horizon.  At times I have struggled hearing pregnancy news from friends and acquaintances, but I have seen a couple new announcements in the past week and have avoided any tears.  Don't get me wrong, I am always incredibly happy for the couple when I hear the news that our friends are expecting.  I just get even more sad and frustrated with our own situation.  I have really tried to de-couple the emotions and remind myself that our situation shouldn't have any bearing on my excitement for our friends.  Josh is also really good at reminding me of this, so that helps too.

On an unrelated note....
Early to bed tonight so I can set my alarm for pre-sunrise tomorrow morning.  We've had some "cooler" temps for running this past week (like around 80 degrees, which is way better than 90), but of course tomorrow is supposed to be sunny, hot, and humid so I'll get my 15 miles in bright and early.  I had to make a Kroger run because I am out of my normal running fuel.

Last minute Kroger run: bruised banana, 12-hour old bagel, and vanilla Power Bar energy gels

Before a long run (of about 12 miles or more), I normally have a bagel (or toast or english muffin) with peanut butter and a banana.  Then I'll take a Gu (in this case Power Bar gel, but I prefer Gu) with me on the run and have one every 6-7 miles or so.  I also sip on some G2 in the morning and fill at least one of my fuel bottles with the Gatorade.  I really need to get to a race expo to stock up on some more gels and sport beans, since they are so overpriced at my local running store.