Those who know me, know I don't give up easily. That is what makes this decision so difficult. In May I had full intentions of recovering from my surgery and giving it my all, training right to prevent injury and keeping my love for running going. Unfortunately, as life usually goes, that is not what has happened. 2 weeks ago I suffered from pure exhaustion, not enough sleep, not enough food, and too much training. I did the right thing and I took 4 days off to regain my strength and energy. My next run was a wonderful 5k around town, where I had my fastest time and I was SO happy! The very next day I dislocated a rib, which put me out for another week.
I was disappointed with the new injury, but did ad the doctor told me and rested. I was released Monday (5 days ago) and started my training back up. 1.5 weeks off doesn't seem like long but it has reset my training back atleast 5 weeks. I can barely run 5k now and today to keep on track I should have ran 8. It is because of this that I have decided to call off my training for the Disney Marathon in Jan 2012. I will continue to train for the half in Des Moines at the end of October, and who knows maybe at that time I will reconsider the Disney, but for now I am suffering from Runners Depression which I will explain more about below, and it's more important for me to be able to run forever, then to push myself and get hurt and never be able to run again.
Runners Depression- What is that you ask? Well, we all know what a runners high is. Is the endorphins racing through your body after a run, what makes most of us runners run, and why we love it. It's a peaceful all over body high that leaves you genuinely happy. I miss that feeling, it is why I run and it's what I look forward to each day. Lately I've been experiencing what I would call a Runners Depression. I characterize this by finishing a run and feeling lousy, disappointed, and genuinely upset with my performance for the day. This is a feeling that has happened alot over the last month, and in turn has set me up to hate my runs.
I love running, but the pressure to stay on my tight schedule for the marathon has started to ruin it for me. And that pressure pushes me to go distances that I know I'm not ready for, and risk permanent injury to my foot that is already weak from surgery in May. I've thought long and hard about this, and to save my body from injury, save my mind from runners depression, and give myself the JOY of running back, Disney is going to have to go away.
This is not an easy choice for me, and I am rather upset about it, but I know it's what needs to be done. I will be resetting back to week one for training for the half marathon in October, and hope to regain that beloved runners high again!
Sometimes the smart thing is knowing when to stop- that is my advice for the day. It might be a hard pill to swallow, but I think it's what I need.
<3 Amber
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Ups and Downs of Training
The Bad Run
Tuesday of this week I went on my first 3 mile run since I ran my half marathon in October, and broke my foot. I had named this the turning point of my "training" and that if I did well, I would be all set for full blown marathon training. It's now been about 7 weeks since my surgery, and I've been running for 3 of those weeks (small distances). I was not prepared well... I had been slacking on drinking my water for the last week, I didn't have much to eat the day before (or anything to eat that day prior to the run) and I was laking on sleep... along with other issues I was having unexpectedly (sometimes being a woman just sucks).... I also thought the temperature read 69 degrees... when in reality it was more like 86, still not sure I misread that!!!
Anyway, I went out for my run feeling really good, my 2 mile run on Sunday rocked and I was VERY happy with how relearning to run has been going. I thought that the 3 mile run would be smooth and easy. I did take a different route, because it was too hard to make an extra mile into the route I had been running, and there were alot steeper longer hills then I normally run, but at about the 1.5 mile mark I wanted to die. My pace was a good 2 minutes slower then my pace had been on Sunday (NOT good) and I was only at the half way point which included alot of those steep up hill roads... at the 2 mile mark I physically was still doing the motions of running, but I am sure a crawling infant would have beat me with no problems... I finished the 3 miles without stopping, but my pace was ridiculous... instead of 13min miles I ran 16min miles... YUCK!
Now if I was a new runner, that probably would have been the end of my dream to run a marathon. But because I trained for a half marathon last year I know that bad run days happen, and considering everything I had going against me, its probably amazing that I even finished. Friday when I go out again I'm sure to do better, I know it wont be easy, but it shouldn't be the end of my running, marathon training is still on! I know that I am still a runner, because even after that hell run, my body doesn't hurt.... I can remember the first time I ran a 5k, I was sore for days :-) So my body still remembers that running is part of me!
The Good Swim
Today I went for swim #2, I had my new one piece ( a little snug, but it'll work) and my new googles (totally awesome goggles!!) this round. My goal was just to do 400 yards... swim half lap crawl, 1.5 laps of side stroke for recovery, repeat. I didn't have a time in mind, I just wanted to complete the distance. I ended up doing all 500 yards (triathlon distance) and I did it in 18min, which is the same as my race time during last years tri :-) I have 9 more weeks to get down to my goal of 15min for the swim, which I now know is possible!
About an hour before doing this I met Josh so he could try out swimming (he's doing the Tri this year with me), I swam a couple of laps there too (Noelridge) but I was having problems swimming in their pool so I got out and just watched Josh do his part, and went to my gym afterwards where I am comfortable (less people, the sun isn't bothering me, the water is deeper (water at Noelridge was only waist deep...). So here's to an awesome swim, especially for it only being #2 of the season!!
Tuesday of this week I went on my first 3 mile run since I ran my half marathon in October, and broke my foot. I had named this the turning point of my "training" and that if I did well, I would be all set for full blown marathon training. It's now been about 7 weeks since my surgery, and I've been running for 3 of those weeks (small distances). I was not prepared well... I had been slacking on drinking my water for the last week, I didn't have much to eat the day before (or anything to eat that day prior to the run) and I was laking on sleep... along with other issues I was having unexpectedly (sometimes being a woman just sucks).... I also thought the temperature read 69 degrees... when in reality it was more like 86, still not sure I misread that!!!
Anyway, I went out for my run feeling really good, my 2 mile run on Sunday rocked and I was VERY happy with how relearning to run has been going. I thought that the 3 mile run would be smooth and easy. I did take a different route, because it was too hard to make an extra mile into the route I had been running, and there were alot steeper longer hills then I normally run, but at about the 1.5 mile mark I wanted to die. My pace was a good 2 minutes slower then my pace had been on Sunday (NOT good) and I was only at the half way point which included alot of those steep up hill roads... at the 2 mile mark I physically was still doing the motions of running, but I am sure a crawling infant would have beat me with no problems... I finished the 3 miles without stopping, but my pace was ridiculous... instead of 13min miles I ran 16min miles... YUCK!
Now if I was a new runner, that probably would have been the end of my dream to run a marathon. But because I trained for a half marathon last year I know that bad run days happen, and considering everything I had going against me, its probably amazing that I even finished. Friday when I go out again I'm sure to do better, I know it wont be easy, but it shouldn't be the end of my running, marathon training is still on! I know that I am still a runner, because even after that hell run, my body doesn't hurt.... I can remember the first time I ran a 5k, I was sore for days :-) So my body still remembers that running is part of me!
The Good Swim
Today I went for swim #2, I had my new one piece ( a little snug, but it'll work) and my new googles (totally awesome goggles!!) this round. My goal was just to do 400 yards... swim half lap crawl, 1.5 laps of side stroke for recovery, repeat. I didn't have a time in mind, I just wanted to complete the distance. I ended up doing all 500 yards (triathlon distance) and I did it in 18min, which is the same as my race time during last years tri :-) I have 9 more weeks to get down to my goal of 15min for the swim, which I now know is possible!
About an hour before doing this I met Josh so he could try out swimming (he's doing the Tri this year with me), I swam a couple of laps there too (Noelridge) but I was having problems swimming in their pool so I got out and just watched Josh do his part, and went to my gym afterwards where I am comfortable (less people, the sun isn't bothering me, the water is deeper (water at Noelridge was only waist deep...). So here's to an awesome swim, especially for it only being #2 of the season!!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Training Swim #1
Background
Today was my first session swimming for my Triathlon training. The event is 500 yards long, and I like to train for atleast 600 yards, just in case I zigzag in the water and add extra distance unknowingly.
For those who don't know, June 2010 I decided I wanted to do a triathlon. I had recently finished the Fairfax Days 5k, and ran the entire thing without stopping, which for the few months before that had been my #1 goal. In my Fairfax Days 5k race bag was a flier for the Trihawks Sprint Triathlon to be held September 17th... it seemed like a logical step for my next goal. There was just one small problem... I knew I could do the run part, it was a 5k, and I figured I could ride a bike 16 miles even if I hadn't been on one in 10+ years, the problem was that I didnt' know how to swim...
Anyone who knows me, knows that I don't like being told I CANT do something... especially by myself. So I set out to figure out how I COULD swim. I enrolled in swimming lessons, and slowly introduced myself to the water. I trained doing mostly side stroke because it was easy and I felt comfortable doing it, and I had limited time to figure out how to go the 500yrd distance. I had tried to learn freestyle but just wasn't picking it up fast enough. I did the entire swim portion of the triathlon side stroke... and it took me 19 minutes. This year with 10 weeks to train, I want to do as much of the swim portion as I can in crawl (freestyle) and I am really hoping to get closer to the 15 minute mark so I'm not last out of the water again (OK, I wasn't last, but close!).
Today's Swim
So, like I said today was swim #1, after 9 months of no swimming... I planned out my swim training and assumed I'd be unable to swim longer then 50yrds doing any stroke, as that was hard to start at last year during training. So today I wanted to just get to one end of the 25yrd pool and back without stopping doing any stroke I could muster, and throwing some crawl into the mix as well.
Right off the bat I felt silly in my 2 piece swimsuit, and noted that I would invest in a 1 piece for training. Last year I trained in this suit, but then wore shorts and a sports bra to the event. I couldn't find my goggles before I left the house and was in a hurry to get to Pilate's class so I grabbed a pair Josh had and was on my way... within the first 2 seconds of being in the water I realized these goggles weren't going to be my friend, they leaked, and they leaked badly, but I pushed on.
I started off with side stroke and then attempted some crawl... I was gasping for air after just 4 arm strokes, so I switched back to side stroke and finished my 50 yards. Those 50 yards seemed very easy so I continued. During my several attempts at crawl I noticed each time I was gasping for air, and seemed very rushed. I FINALLY figured out how to rotate my body, not just my head, but it still didn't feel right. After awhile more doing side stroke I came to the conclusion that because when I run I breath slow and long maybe I should try to slow down my stroke and that might allow me enough time to breath without feeling rushed and later down the road I could work on speed if needed...
That was an amazing conclusion and it really worked. I pushed it to 300 yards and for the last 4 laps I did half a lap of crawl at a slower pace, followed by 1.5 laps of side stroke for recovery. My last lap I did 3/4 a lap of crawl and quickly realized that soon I'll be doing lap after lap of crawl with no problems. And with 10 weeks left to train, I should be in good shape for the triathlon!
When I got home I ordered new goggles, and a one piece swimsuit. And I'm considering jumping my swim training up to twice a week :-)
Happy Training everyone!
Today was my first session swimming for my Triathlon training. The event is 500 yards long, and I like to train for atleast 600 yards, just in case I zigzag in the water and add extra distance unknowingly.
For those who don't know, June 2010 I decided I wanted to do a triathlon. I had recently finished the Fairfax Days 5k, and ran the entire thing without stopping, which for the few months before that had been my #1 goal. In my Fairfax Days 5k race bag was a flier for the Trihawks Sprint Triathlon to be held September 17th... it seemed like a logical step for my next goal. There was just one small problem... I knew I could do the run part, it was a 5k, and I figured I could ride a bike 16 miles even if I hadn't been on one in 10+ years, the problem was that I didnt' know how to swim...
Anyone who knows me, knows that I don't like being told I CANT do something... especially by myself. So I set out to figure out how I COULD swim. I enrolled in swimming lessons, and slowly introduced myself to the water. I trained doing mostly side stroke because it was easy and I felt comfortable doing it, and I had limited time to figure out how to go the 500yrd distance. I had tried to learn freestyle but just wasn't picking it up fast enough. I did the entire swim portion of the triathlon side stroke... and it took me 19 minutes. This year with 10 weeks to train, I want to do as much of the swim portion as I can in crawl (freestyle) and I am really hoping to get closer to the 15 minute mark so I'm not last out of the water again (OK, I wasn't last, but close!).
Today's Swim
So, like I said today was swim #1, after 9 months of no swimming... I planned out my swim training and assumed I'd be unable to swim longer then 50yrds doing any stroke, as that was hard to start at last year during training. So today I wanted to just get to one end of the 25yrd pool and back without stopping doing any stroke I could muster, and throwing some crawl into the mix as well.
Right off the bat I felt silly in my 2 piece swimsuit, and noted that I would invest in a 1 piece for training. Last year I trained in this suit, but then wore shorts and a sports bra to the event. I couldn't find my goggles before I left the house and was in a hurry to get to Pilate's class so I grabbed a pair Josh had and was on my way... within the first 2 seconds of being in the water I realized these goggles weren't going to be my friend, they leaked, and they leaked badly, but I pushed on.
I started off with side stroke and then attempted some crawl... I was gasping for air after just 4 arm strokes, so I switched back to side stroke and finished my 50 yards. Those 50 yards seemed very easy so I continued. During my several attempts at crawl I noticed each time I was gasping for air, and seemed very rushed. I FINALLY figured out how to rotate my body, not just my head, but it still didn't feel right. After awhile more doing side stroke I came to the conclusion that because when I run I breath slow and long maybe I should try to slow down my stroke and that might allow me enough time to breath without feeling rushed and later down the road I could work on speed if needed...
That was an amazing conclusion and it really worked. I pushed it to 300 yards and for the last 4 laps I did half a lap of crawl at a slower pace, followed by 1.5 laps of side stroke for recovery. My last lap I did 3/4 a lap of crawl and quickly realized that soon I'll be doing lap after lap of crawl with no problems. And with 10 weeks left to train, I should be in good shape for the triathlon!
When I got home I ordered new goggles, and a one piece swimsuit. And I'm considering jumping my swim training up to twice a week :-)
Happy Training everyone!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Week 2- The 2 Mile Run
The Run
This is week 2 of my 6 month long training. I was able to do my first 2 mile run today, and it was great. My pace was slow, but I think that is ok, because I'm sure as I get use to running again my pace will get better.
I decided to try out a new waist pack water bottle holder a friend had given me. I wanted to try it on a short run, so that when it comes time to needing it for the longer ones I'd know if I like it or not, before being stuck with it for 5+ miles. It is the Nathans Elite 1 Hydration Pak and holds a 22oz bottle (which I had to take back to the running store because the spout part of the lid broke off completely, Running Wild gladly exchanged it for a non-defective one even though I didn't have a receipt). I had a hard time deciding how to wear it at first. It seems like it's suppose to sit on the side of your hip, but on me that meant my arm would constantly hit it while they sway back and forth as I run. So, I put the water part in the middle of my back.... it was out of the way and in the house jumping around it seemed as though it would work just fine. Unfortunately during my run I had to take the water bottle out because it bounced around too much, and then I had to also constantly pull it back down as it road up my hips to above my belly button... so, I'm sad to say this is not a winner :-( and I'll be sticking to holding a bottle of water instead of wearing one.
Tomorrow is my first Pilate's class, and it's also my first swim training.. it'll be my first time swimming in 9 months so I'm a little nervous to see how much stamina my body will still have in the pool... also not real excited about putting on a swimsuit, but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do I guess.
This is week 2 of my 6 month long training. I was able to do my first 2 mile run today, and it was great. My pace was slow, but I think that is ok, because I'm sure as I get use to running again my pace will get better.
I decided to try out a new waist pack water bottle holder a friend had given me. I wanted to try it on a short run, so that when it comes time to needing it for the longer ones I'd know if I like it or not, before being stuck with it for 5+ miles. It is the Nathans Elite 1 Hydration Pak and holds a 22oz bottle (which I had to take back to the running store because the spout part of the lid broke off completely, Running Wild gladly exchanged it for a non-defective one even though I didn't have a receipt). I had a hard time deciding how to wear it at first. It seems like it's suppose to sit on the side of your hip, but on me that meant my arm would constantly hit it while they sway back and forth as I run. So, I put the water part in the middle of my back.... it was out of the way and in the house jumping around it seemed as though it would work just fine. Unfortunately during my run I had to take the water bottle out because it bounced around too much, and then I had to also constantly pull it back down as it road up my hips to above my belly button... so, I'm sad to say this is not a winner :-( and I'll be sticking to holding a bottle of water instead of wearing one.
Tomorrow is my first Pilate's class, and it's also my first swim training.. it'll be my first time swimming in 9 months so I'm a little nervous to see how much stamina my body will still have in the pool... also not real excited about putting on a swimsuit, but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do I guess.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Introduction to Ammer!
Hello world. This is my first attempt at blogging. I have some interesting life experiences that I share with a group of fantastic people all over the world and thought only fitting for me to blog instead of email each person individually.
Background:
I am a 27 year old female. I was born, raised, and am still living in Iowa. I have the perfect job and work hard. I have a big heart and enjoy helping other people. I really believe in doing the right thing, and will go out of my way to help if I can. I am passionate about what I believe in and don't have a lot of tolerance for ignorance or laziness. I never was great with grammar but love to write, so if you are an English grammar freak you might want to move on along now. If you want to know more just ask!!
What I Will Write About:
My email sharing usually consists of a couple different things. One being funny things that happen in my life... usually envolving animals. I have an 11 year old deaf all white beautiful pittbull named Kiki, whom I adopted when my boyfriend and I started dating 8.5 years ago. He rescued her when she was 1. In Janurary of 2010 Josh (against my wishes) brought home a stray cat, whom he named Lucky. Lucky has since become MY cat and I love him (which is not a small feat since prior to him I have hated every cat I have met).
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Another item I will likely write alot about is my training. I started Running for the first time in May 2010 and got hooked. During my 3rd 5k race I got a flyer for a sprint triathlon, and decided to train for that. I learned to swim, recently had learned to run, and got back on a bike after atleast 15 years off one for that race. The race was Sept 2010, and it was difficult but I finished. I then ran a half marathon in October 2010. The interesting part about that is 3 weeks prior to the race I apparently broke a bone in my foot. Xrays didn't show anything, and it wasnt until I had a MRI in March 2011 that we found out the bone died. I had a sesamoidectomy surgery on my inside sesmoid bone on my left foot in May 2011 (this is where they remove the dead bone)
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THIS week I was finally cleared to run for the first time in 8 months.
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I am training for 3 events: Redo the triathlon I did last year which is Sept 18th, redo the half marathon which is in October, and complete the Disney Marathon Jan 8, 2012!! I am also thinking about trying to complete a short adventure race...
So there is the intro to me. Questions, just ask!
Background:
I am a 27 year old female. I was born, raised, and am still living in Iowa. I have the perfect job and work hard. I have a big heart and enjoy helping other people. I really believe in doing the right thing, and will go out of my way to help if I can. I am passionate about what I believe in and don't have a lot of tolerance for ignorance or laziness. I never was great with grammar but love to write, so if you are an English grammar freak you might want to move on along now. If you want to know more just ask!!
What I Will Write About:
My email sharing usually consists of a couple different things. One being funny things that happen in my life... usually envolving animals. I have an 11 year old deaf all white beautiful pittbull named Kiki, whom I adopted when my boyfriend and I started dating 8.5 years ago. He rescued her when she was 1. In Janurary of 2010 Josh (against my wishes) brought home a stray cat, whom he named Lucky. Lucky has since become MY cat and I love him (which is not a small feat since prior to him I have hated every cat I have met).
Lucky sleeping after a 3 day Tom Cat adventure that had me hysterical
Kiki, my princess!!
Another item I will likely write alot about is my training. I started Running for the first time in May 2010 and got hooked. During my 3rd 5k race I got a flyer for a sprint triathlon, and decided to train for that. I learned to swim, recently had learned to run, and got back on a bike after atleast 15 years off one for that race. The race was Sept 2010, and it was difficult but I finished. I then ran a half marathon in October 2010. The interesting part about that is 3 weeks prior to the race I apparently broke a bone in my foot. Xrays didn't show anything, and it wasnt until I had a MRI in March 2011 that we found out the bone died. I had a sesamoidectomy surgery on my inside sesmoid bone on my left foot in May 2011 (this is where they remove the dead bone)
My foot a week after surgery (so 5 weeks ago)
THIS week I was finally cleared to run for the first time in 8 months.
6 Weeks Post Surgery, looks SO much better!!
So there is the intro to me. Questions, just ask!
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