Did she do it?!

"Many fine things can be done in a day if you don't always make that day tomorrow”

I DID IT!!

Today, I got out there and ran 19K. Post-run, I am doing good! The pain was minimal, my legs were tired and by the end I had cramps in my toes on the left foot (I think the injinji's did that). It was also cold (-5°C/23°F actual, but temperature felt was -12°C/10°F) and freaking windy! But, I don't care because I did what I had to do. My groin is feeling better and better and the healing is going well despite the increased mileage. We can do this (my body and I)! Next week, the plan is 23K...it would be so nice if by then Spring had found it's way over here. I am so over winter!! But, I'm running :) :)

Cheers!

Turning Point?

"Life is always at some turning point."

Irwin Edman

Although my running is going relatively well, no run is completely without pain. The good thing is that the pain does not linger for long after my runs. However, I often feel a little pull or a little tightness where my injury is was (groin). When I run, the pain comes and goes and there is always a feeling of cautiousness. I can't let myself go and just enjoy the ride; I'm hypervigilant and am alert to every little tug. Still, last Sunday when I finished my 15.5K I felt really good and I knew that despite some tightness and mild pain, I was good. Then, again this week, my 6K and my 11K were tough and left me wondering if I'd be okay. Yet,  after two yoga sessions, I’m feeling good again. I saw last Sunday as a turning point, if it went well and I felt good, then I'd be okay for my marathon training. But, after my runs this week, I'm back to seeing THIS Sunday as the turning point. Will I be able to run 19K without hurting myself...can I then go on to complete my marathon training program. My body does seem to be healing even as I continue to push the mileage and I've come to believe that this body is not as fragile as I assumed. So, we'll see how it goes this Sunday...will it be a turning point?! :)  

For some reason, I couldn’t get this posted yesterday – so, let me add that my 3K this morning went well and I’m feeling good about tomorrow’s long run. Fingers crossed!

Cheers!

Yay!

“Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.”

Arnold Bennett

First the yay...today I ran 15.5K and I'm extremely pleased! Pain remains mild and stable...and I'm feeling strong mentally. I like the feeling :) ...I think the warm sunshine is definitely helping (warm is relative of course - somewhere around 32°F when we ran).

Happy running this week. I'm continuing to up my mileage!

Cheers my friends!

Two cool things!

“Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. Christopher Robin to Pooh”

A. A. Milne

We all need to be reminded of this once in a while, don't you think? ...after completing a 12K on Thursday, I ran a nice 3K today to prepare for what I hope is a relatively strong 14 or 15K tomorrow. It's not that I feel absolutely no pain, but it remains stable and I feel real good mentally. I'd say that's a good thing.

Finally, the second cool thing is the most amazing gift in the world. If all goes well, some time in early October, I will become a Grandmother!!!!! I am SO EXCITED! My son K and his fiancée are 3 months pregnant :) I'm ecstatic! Yay!

Have a great weekend everyone. Happy running, and of course, I'll let you know how tomorrow's "long" run goes.

Cheers!

Guidance - Acceptance - Expectation

"Happiness is directly proportional to acceptance and inversely proportional to expectation."

Michael J. Fox

Overall, I'm feeling great, although my groin still pulls a little when I push it ;), which means, don't push it too much I guess. Anyways, the plan is to alternate between running one day and then bike/physio the other. Physio entails lots of jumps, from a squat on both feet or from the step and over the block on one foot. I actually enjoy doing these exercises.

In my last post, I was writing about hoping to get my miles in before my marathon in...10 weeks now (yikes). I want to thank you all for your encouragement and I want to give particular thanks to Paul for reminding me that I can do it, but that I must be "willing to slow down to reduce the stress so [ I ] can up the miles."

This hit home, because I was pretty excited that I seem to be able to run faster than last year...and I was starting to up my expectations during my training runs. Reading Paul's comment reminded me that the important thing for me right now is acceptance of what is, so I should focus on building the mileage back up and forget about pace. So, on long runs, s-l-o-w is the way to go (for now)! Thanks again for your guidance Paul!  

Last weekend, when I ran my 10K, I took it slow and just wanted to get the distance in. It went very well and by the next day I had no lingering pain...yay! However, I did realize that if I take it too slow, then I'll be on my feet much longer, which may not necessarily be better as the miles increase. So I need to find a balance between the two. Slow enough not to stress the body too much, but fast enough to not increase the time on my feet too much. Running is so much more complicated now than it was when I started :)

Yesterday, I ran 5K and, for the first-time, after a 3m30s warm up walk, I ran the whole distance. I was very excited! I tried not to push the speed too much, without going as slow as on the long runs (pace was 10m45s per mile - this includes the warm-up walk). Yay for 30 minutes non-stop!

Happy running everyone!

This weekend I add another 3K!

Cheers!

Green Light!!!!

“Just don't give up on trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong.”

Ella Fitzgerald

At ma last PT appointment, on Tuesday, I was given the GREEN light with caution. I can go ahead and start my marathon program progressively, but I have to listen to my body very attentively.

Yesterday, I ran 8.2K (5.1miles at a 9.36 mpm pace - includes 9 minutes of walking) and I am so thrilled!!! This weekend, I have my first "longish" run planned. I will go for 10K and keep building from there. There are only 11 weeks left until my marathon on May 29th. At this point, I just want to do it and I'm not worrying or even thinking about my pace.

If you're on Dailymile let me know so we can become "friends" and follow each other's progress. I always post my workouts on DM, though sometimes I post them in French (not always). :)

Have a great weekend everyone...Happy running!

Cheers!

So close...(Edit)

“The light at the end of the tunnel is not an illusion. The tunnel is.”

Anon

...I can almost smell that green light! Tuesday is my next appointment with the PT and I do hope she gives me the green light for the marathon training plan. Today, I did 4 X 4 min of running/1 min of walking (with a 4 min. warm-up walk and a 1 min. cool down walk - had to get to the table for dinner). It went amazing. I had a huge grin on my face, especially near the end as I was realizing that I felt no pain. PLUS, my pace was faster than it's ever been at 8:41mpm! Whoopty doo! Granted it was on the treadmill and who knows how precise it was, but I'm thrilled, because I felt great.
*EDIT: I made a mistake entering my mileage, my pace was actually 9:45...I'm still thrilled, considering I was walking some! I knew it didn't make sense :) 

I can't wait to finally do a long run again...and to just get out there and run more miles. Stay tuned and I'll be back to give you the verdict on Tuesday! Until then, you can send happy and healthy running vibes this way :)

Have a great week everyone!

Cheers!