Okie dokie, here we go.
I went camping with the kids and hubs this weekend, so I am playing catch up here.
Saturday, I ran 5 miles (I was exhausted. I don't camp well).
Yesterday (Monday) I did (2) 4 x 800s and I should have rested after that, but I didn't. So
Today, I ran 2 fast miles and did some strength training.
I'm super busy with work right now getting blog posts written for the month of October. But hoping to get all that done and out of the way so I can get back to hard core training.
Added some (2) 4 x 800 pics on instagram @melruntheworld. LOL
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Rain or shine!
It rained today. The kids didn't mind. When I need to do drills on the track the kids like to come with me to play in the sandbox or on the play ground near the track. It was just a light drizzle. I did all my drills AND my core workout. Feeling great today!
I'm still taking it easy so that my arch can continue to heal.
I am continuing to do pretty well on the runners diet. What I'd really like to do, if I can find money to do it with, is go to a clinical nutritionist. When I diet I feel out of wack because I have low blood pressure and low blood sugar because of hypoglycemia. I need to find some balance.
Weather today: cold and rainy
EDS pain, some in the knees because of the weather..
Stress level: High! My assistant had surgery today and I'm pretty sure the business is going to crumble in her short absence :) She's that good. Also, one of my seamstresses is thinking of quiting and it's our busiest time of year, so I'm kind of freaking out. I like everything the way it is right now and I don't want to go back to the production end of the business.
Hoping to do a long run tomorrow night if my foot is up for the challenge. We'll see.
That's all for today.
I'm still taking it easy so that my arch can continue to heal.
I am continuing to do pretty well on the runners diet. What I'd really like to do, if I can find money to do it with, is go to a clinical nutritionist. When I diet I feel out of wack because I have low blood pressure and low blood sugar because of hypoglycemia. I need to find some balance.
Weather today: cold and rainy
EDS pain, some in the knees because of the weather..
Stress level: High! My assistant had surgery today and I'm pretty sure the business is going to crumble in her short absence :) She's that good. Also, one of my seamstresses is thinking of quiting and it's our busiest time of year, so I'm kind of freaking out. I like everything the way it is right now and I don't want to go back to the production end of the business.
Hoping to do a long run tomorrow night if my foot is up for the challenge. We'll see.
That's all for today.
Monday, September 22, 2014
No time to write, but. . .
. . . I ran 7.1 miles tonight. It was supposed to be an LSR, but I ran until 9 pm and it had already been dark for about 45 minutes. I was running in well lit places and along busy streets, but I don't see well in the dark and I kept missing all the little sidewalk slants and bumps and it was going to mess me up. Felt really good though. When I tried to stop running my legs felt like they wanted to keep going. You know that feeling??
Weather: Perfect, 70 degrees
EDS pain: usual back and spine pain (My spine is collapsing on itself), but nothing I couldn't work through
Stress level: mmm. . . probably middle ground there, 5 out of 10, I'd say. Things have picked up at work. It's probably the best month we've ever had in history. We made as much in revenue this month (and it's only the 22) as we did the first year we were open. That gives me a little bit of anxiety. . . I hope I have prepared my team enough to meet the challenge!
Overall mood: Great, very happy. Things are going smoothly, kids are happy and well. Had a very clear head when I headed out for my run. I was very focused.
Weather: Perfect, 70 degrees
EDS pain: usual back and spine pain (My spine is collapsing on itself), but nothing I couldn't work through
Stress level: mmm. . . probably middle ground there, 5 out of 10, I'd say. Things have picked up at work. It's probably the best month we've ever had in history. We made as much in revenue this month (and it's only the 22) as we did the first year we were open. That gives me a little bit of anxiety. . . I hope I have prepared my team enough to meet the challenge!
Overall mood: Great, very happy. Things are going smoothly, kids are happy and well. Had a very clear head when I headed out for my run. I was very focused.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
How I came to run a 7:36 minute mile.
This blog was never intended to be read. It has served as a record of my progress, mostly. It started as a record of the journey of my mother and I from immobility to a half marathon. But I am still using it to record my journey since the journey of Ehlers-Danlos is never over. Anyway, I have invited some people to read the blog today, but before I begin that message I will continue as normal.
Weather: Great. mid 70s.
Pain level: very mild. Had some hip pain due to weather causing inflamed joints, but nothing I couldn't deal with.
Stress level: Through the roof. Had some unwelcomed information vomited on me today. For the first time ever I wished I was deaf and blind. Can't hear the info, can't read the text. But it was this distressing news that inspired my blog post and invite to others and also contributed to my awesome day.
Dislocations this week: Zero.
My kids had swim lessons (40 minutes long). With the 30 minutes I had, I decided to see if I could run a 5k in that time. Mile 1: 7:52, Mile 2: 8:03, Mile 3: 8:16. And I still feel great. About to put in a night's work! Normally after I do a fast run I'm beat for the night. But I still feel up to getting some work done tonight. (Best mile yet, 7:36).
Now on to the blog post.
Chronic pain is a very lonely thing to experience. There is no one else that knows *exactly* what you are feeling. Pain can be so intense that it becomes all consuming. You have selfish thoughts and feelings about the sweet release that death would bring. Others get angry at these selfish thoughts and feelings as they do not understand that chronic pain can consume your entire being to the point that you are incapable of thinking of anything else. So of course we aren't thinking about you in that moment. The pain has taken all control of your mental faculties. It is unrealistic to think one could manage even the slightest concern for others.
In 2009 my husband and I decided to have a second child. For someone with Ehlers-Danlos, this means going to a geneticist, evaluating the possibility of passing along the EDS to baby, discussing options, blabbidy blee blabbidy bloo. . . That meeting was pointless because I am pretty sure I went and did everything they told me not to do. They told me not to have another baby. Well, I decided that my first pregnancy wasn't so bad, so surely the second would be okay. It wasn't. And this was apparent as early as six weeks. At ten weeks they told me to abort the baby. Didn't do that either. Well, they told me a bunch of other stuff that I didn't really pay attention to. . . Geneticist bore me to death.
I was sick all day every day. I was put on zofran, an anti nausea that is often given to chemo-therapy patients. I had to go to my mom's for a month so she could take care of my son while I prayed to the porcelain gods day in and day out. I was keen on setting up camp in my mother's guest room. I think I had sufficiently marked it my territory. But I decided to return home at 18 weeks into the pregnancy as it felt cruel to keep my son from his father for so long. Upon returning I started to dislocate daily: knees, hips, shoulders, you name it. I was having trouble walking from about 14 weeks on, but had to resort to a cane at about 18 or 19 weeks. At this point I became high risk and had to go to the doctor every week. At one of these appointments I couldn't even get onto the doctor's table for my evaluation. I couldn't sit either. I could barely stand. I basically couldn't even stand being alive at that moment. The doctor put a pillow on the floor and I knelt on it on my knees and sat on feet. He then checked the heartbeat and did all the normal doctor visit stuff. I begged him to tie my tubes after baby was born. His response, "Well, I don't like to do that in women so young. They always regret it." I was 23 at this time.
So on I went trying to function and take care of a toddler. It was a well orchestrated daily routine of feed child, hurl, dislocate, change diapers, vomit again, pad de burre, chasse, step ball change, rinse and repeat!
At twenty two weeks I had a weird pain in my abdomen. I called my high risk doctor and he had me poke around my abdomen and describe things to him. He said, "Call your husband at work. Tell him to drive you to the emergency room and tell the first person you see that you are 22 weeks pregnant and have appendicitis." FOR THE LOVE! Of course, my husband rode his bike to work that day. OF COURSE! So his co worker drove him home, then he drove me to the hospital, then I had an appendectomy. Awesome. Did I mention it was Halloween? And I missed my darling boy experience the first Halloween that he really knew what was going on? yah, good times. . .
Anyone with EDS knows that not moving around makes you more prone to dislocations and loose joints. So I had a few weeks of recovery where I didn't do much moving around. I was dislocating everything all the time. I tried to go to the arthritis classes at the gym. And the sweet little old people there would say, "Honey, I think you're in the wrong class." It got to the point where I couldn't even get to my high risk doctor's appointments! I couldn't walk to my car. I couldn't even walk to the bathroom. I couldn't take care of my kid. I had five REALLY good friends that took him each day of the week for a few weeks and then my husband would pick him up at the end of the day. I had a large body pillow that I put beside the bed. I would roll out of bed onto this pillow and pull myself with my arms to the bathroom.
I made it to my 32 week appointment. I begged the doctor to end it all and just take her out. He asked me when my mom was coming out to help me. I told him we were still two weeks away from her coming out. He said, "When she comes out, just lay in bed and cry for two weeks, then we'll take her out." Little did he know I HAD ALREADY BEEN DOING THAT FOR WEEKS!
Getting up off the floor or the couch was always a Herculean effort. I would get in a hands and knees position then pull myself up. I got in that position and then had a herniated disc. I got stuck in that position. I asked my son to go get my phone, but he didn't know where it was. I had to stay like like for hours until my husband got home. Toddler was hungry, needed a diaper change, crying and I couldn't do anything. I was just stuck.
The next week I dislocated my right hip. I couldn't get it back in place. It started to swell after three days. My doctor tried to put it back in and couldn't get it.
So we decided to have little miss Miriam. At this point, my doctor medically advised I have a tubal ligation. Yah, told you that twenty weeks ago, big guy.
I was still experiencing morning sickness. I threw up twice the day Miriam was born. And she was born at NOON! I didn't tell the doctors because they kept putting off the c-section thinking I would vomit during the procedure. They wanted to wait till later since according to their sound knowledge, morning sickness only occurs in the morning. Hmmmmm. . . .
I was given a spinal that felt like wild fire spreading through my body. It was a horrible feeling. Then they told me to lie on my back. First of all, lying on my back was a pain WORSE than childbirth with my EDS and second, I was paralyzed from the waist down so I wasn't really sure how they wanted me to do that. Nurses assisted, and I howled like a banshee the whole time. They let my husband come in at this point. They don't let them in for the needle stuff because it makes them faint. haha! (They made him sign a piece of paper that said if he fainted during the delivery they were going to leave him on the floor because mom and baby are number 1). Anyway, I cried and howled through the whole delivery, which took 49 minutes. It was awful. I wanted them to knock me entirely out so badly, but they just wouldn't do it. EDS makes people feel pain more acutely and we do not respond very well to pain meds. I felt much of the procedure even though I had been given the spinal. I got the shakes from the meds and had to be tied down. It was the worst thing I ever felt. The procedure took so long because I had tons of scar tissue from my previous c section. They couldn't even get Miriam out because the scar tissue was so thick. They had to vacuum her out.
Once she was out, they proceeded with the tubal ligation. Not only did he cut the tubes, he cut out an inch of each one, burned the edges then buried the ends in my organs. He wanted to seal this deal! He put the one inch pieces of my fallopian tubes in a jar and showed them to me saying, "No more babies!" It was a little creepy, but it was a welcomed gesture meant to relieve my anxieties.
After I got home, I still experienced a lot of EDS problems. I would dislocate my knees every time I changed Miriam. I struggled with intense hip pain. On some days it was even too much to stand.
I returned to the arthritis classes so I could try to strengthen the muscle and tissue around my joints to keep them from dislocating. When that made me stronger, I decided to get a rehab physical therapist to teach me how far to go on the weight machines (with the flexibility of EDS, I can go ALLL the way on those strength training weight machines). The therapist showed me at what point to stop on all the machines. I used them regularly to build up my strength. One night I decided to start walking. I made it all the way around the block! I walked further distances until one day I decided to see if I could run. I ran all the way around the block. .2 miles. It took me about ten minutes! ha! I probably walked faster than I ran! I thought, If I can run around the block, surely I can run a half marathon! Hahaha. I tend to be a bit extreme when I decide to do something. . .
So I registered for my first half marathon which kept me working on running and focusing on my mobility. I ran the Dublin, Ireland Rock N Roll Half Marathon in 2:57. :) My goal was to make it under three hours. My mom ran it with me. She also suffers from EDS. We decided to make it a huge deal and run it in Ireland because IT WAS A HUGE DEAL! I went from being immobile to running a half marathon!
I continue to improve since that time and feel more in control of my body than I ever have in my life. I have little to no joint pain. I have gone from dislocating daily to dislocating maybe once or twice a month. I can play with my kids. I can take care of my house! I can be around other people and care about them because my entire being is not consumed by chronic pain!
I am still working at it and improving each day! I can run a mile faster than I ever imagined. I can run for hours with ease and comfort. I hope to continue to work hard and improve. Ultimately, I have a goal of running in the NYC, Boston , London or any other Marathon Majors race! And, probably dreaming, but it would be super awesome to make Olympic Trial. So. . . I'm just going to do it. Okay?
Another part of this running thing is that it helps me cope. My husband and I would have loved to bring more children into our loving home and family. I get sad often thinking of what great big siblings Josh and Miriam would be. It makes me frustrated and angry sometimes that my body can't do what it should naturally be able to do, what it was intended to do! Running helps me cope with the sadness of not being able to do what I want. Running puts me in charge of my body. EDS was in charge for a short time and took away from me the ability to have children. But I'm taking my body back!
I'm in charge now. I'm going to tell my body what we're going to do today instead of it telling me what it wants to do. So guess what, body? We're going to go to Olympic Trial in July 2016. Okay, body? Got it?! That's what we're going to do.
I've been in touch with Roanoke Valley Elite, a running club that trains professional competitive athletes. They like my story and think it will attract sponsors :) They are in a brief hiatus at the moment looking for a new chair person. Which is okay with me because it gives me more time to work on my qualifying times to get on their team.
Today's blog post is brought to you by the letters F and U. EFF YOU EDS! Consider my incredibly successful run this evening as a swift kick in the pants to you, EDS. A flip of the bird. I bight my thumb at you, EDS. You're no longer welcome to dwell in this body, Jerk.
Weather: Great. mid 70s.
Pain level: very mild. Had some hip pain due to weather causing inflamed joints, but nothing I couldn't deal with.
Stress level: Through the roof. Had some unwelcomed information vomited on me today. For the first time ever I wished I was deaf and blind. Can't hear the info, can't read the text. But it was this distressing news that inspired my blog post and invite to others and also contributed to my awesome day.
Dislocations this week: Zero.
My kids had swim lessons (40 minutes long). With the 30 minutes I had, I decided to see if I could run a 5k in that time. Mile 1: 7:52, Mile 2: 8:03, Mile 3: 8:16. And I still feel great. About to put in a night's work! Normally after I do a fast run I'm beat for the night. But I still feel up to getting some work done tonight. (Best mile yet, 7:36).
********************
Now on to the blog post.
Chronic pain is a very lonely thing to experience. There is no one else that knows *exactly* what you are feeling. Pain can be so intense that it becomes all consuming. You have selfish thoughts and feelings about the sweet release that death would bring. Others get angry at these selfish thoughts and feelings as they do not understand that chronic pain can consume your entire being to the point that you are incapable of thinking of anything else. So of course we aren't thinking about you in that moment. The pain has taken all control of your mental faculties. It is unrealistic to think one could manage even the slightest concern for others.
 |
| I want to note that I have lost weight since this picture :) I sustained a significant injury that took me 8 months to heal from. I didn't do much running in that time :) |
I was sick all day every day. I was put on zofran, an anti nausea that is often given to chemo-therapy patients. I had to go to my mom's for a month so she could take care of my son while I prayed to the porcelain gods day in and day out. I was keen on setting up camp in my mother's guest room. I think I had sufficiently marked it my territory. But I decided to return home at 18 weeks into the pregnancy as it felt cruel to keep my son from his father for so long. Upon returning I started to dislocate daily: knees, hips, shoulders, you name it. I was having trouble walking from about 14 weeks on, but had to resort to a cane at about 18 or 19 weeks. At this point I became high risk and had to go to the doctor every week. At one of these appointments I couldn't even get onto the doctor's table for my evaluation. I couldn't sit either. I could barely stand. I basically couldn't even stand being alive at that moment. The doctor put a pillow on the floor and I knelt on it on my knees and sat on feet. He then checked the heartbeat and did all the normal doctor visit stuff. I begged him to tie my tubes after baby was born. His response, "Well, I don't like to do that in women so young. They always regret it." I was 23 at this time.
So on I went trying to function and take care of a toddler. It was a well orchestrated daily routine of feed child, hurl, dislocate, change diapers, vomit again, pad de burre, chasse, step ball change, rinse and repeat!
At twenty two weeks I had a weird pain in my abdomen. I called my high risk doctor and he had me poke around my abdomen and describe things to him. He said, "Call your husband at work. Tell him to drive you to the emergency room and tell the first person you see that you are 22 weeks pregnant and have appendicitis." FOR THE LOVE! Of course, my husband rode his bike to work that day. OF COURSE! So his co worker drove him home, then he drove me to the hospital, then I had an appendectomy. Awesome. Did I mention it was Halloween? And I missed my darling boy experience the first Halloween that he really knew what was going on? yah, good times. . .
Anyone with EDS knows that not moving around makes you more prone to dislocations and loose joints. So I had a few weeks of recovery where I didn't do much moving around. I was dislocating everything all the time. I tried to go to the arthritis classes at the gym. And the sweet little old people there would say, "Honey, I think you're in the wrong class." It got to the point where I couldn't even get to my high risk doctor's appointments! I couldn't walk to my car. I couldn't even walk to the bathroom. I couldn't take care of my kid. I had five REALLY good friends that took him each day of the week for a few weeks and then my husband would pick him up at the end of the day. I had a large body pillow that I put beside the bed. I would roll out of bed onto this pillow and pull myself with my arms to the bathroom.
I made it to my 32 week appointment. I begged the doctor to end it all and just take her out. He asked me when my mom was coming out to help me. I told him we were still two weeks away from her coming out. He said, "When she comes out, just lay in bed and cry for two weeks, then we'll take her out." Little did he know I HAD ALREADY BEEN DOING THAT FOR WEEKS!
Getting up off the floor or the couch was always a Herculean effort. I would get in a hands and knees position then pull myself up. I got in that position and then had a herniated disc. I got stuck in that position. I asked my son to go get my phone, but he didn't know where it was. I had to stay like like for hours until my husband got home. Toddler was hungry, needed a diaper change, crying and I couldn't do anything. I was just stuck.
The next week I dislocated my right hip. I couldn't get it back in place. It started to swell after three days. My doctor tried to put it back in and couldn't get it.
So we decided to have little miss Miriam. At this point, my doctor medically advised I have a tubal ligation. Yah, told you that twenty weeks ago, big guy.
I was still experiencing morning sickness. I threw up twice the day Miriam was born. And she was born at NOON! I didn't tell the doctors because they kept putting off the c-section thinking I would vomit during the procedure. They wanted to wait till later since according to their sound knowledge, morning sickness only occurs in the morning. Hmmmmm. . . .
I was given a spinal that felt like wild fire spreading through my body. It was a horrible feeling. Then they told me to lie on my back. First of all, lying on my back was a pain WORSE than childbirth with my EDS and second, I was paralyzed from the waist down so I wasn't really sure how they wanted me to do that. Nurses assisted, and I howled like a banshee the whole time. They let my husband come in at this point. They don't let them in for the needle stuff because it makes them faint. haha! (They made him sign a piece of paper that said if he fainted during the delivery they were going to leave him on the floor because mom and baby are number 1). Anyway, I cried and howled through the whole delivery, which took 49 minutes. It was awful. I wanted them to knock me entirely out so badly, but they just wouldn't do it. EDS makes people feel pain more acutely and we do not respond very well to pain meds. I felt much of the procedure even though I had been given the spinal. I got the shakes from the meds and had to be tied down. It was the worst thing I ever felt. The procedure took so long because I had tons of scar tissue from my previous c section. They couldn't even get Miriam out because the scar tissue was so thick. They had to vacuum her out.
Once she was out, they proceeded with the tubal ligation. Not only did he cut the tubes, he cut out an inch of each one, burned the edges then buried the ends in my organs. He wanted to seal this deal! He put the one inch pieces of my fallopian tubes in a jar and showed them to me saying, "No more babies!" It was a little creepy, but it was a welcomed gesture meant to relieve my anxieties.
After I got home, I still experienced a lot of EDS problems. I would dislocate my knees every time I changed Miriam. I struggled with intense hip pain. On some days it was even too much to stand.
So I registered for my first half marathon which kept me working on running and focusing on my mobility. I ran the Dublin, Ireland Rock N Roll Half Marathon in 2:57. :) My goal was to make it under three hours. My mom ran it with me. She also suffers from EDS. We decided to make it a huge deal and run it in Ireland because IT WAS A HUGE DEAL! I went from being immobile to running a half marathon!
I continue to improve since that time and feel more in control of my body than I ever have in my life. I have little to no joint pain. I have gone from dislocating daily to dislocating maybe once or twice a month. I can play with my kids. I can take care of my house! I can be around other people and care about them because my entire being is not consumed by chronic pain!
I am still working at it and improving each day! I can run a mile faster than I ever imagined. I can run for hours with ease and comfort. I hope to continue to work hard and improve. Ultimately, I have a goal of running in the NYC, Boston , London or any other Marathon Majors race! And, probably dreaming, but it would be super awesome to make Olympic Trial. So. . . I'm just going to do it. Okay?
Another part of this running thing is that it helps me cope. My husband and I would have loved to bring more children into our loving home and family. I get sad often thinking of what great big siblings Josh and Miriam would be. It makes me frustrated and angry sometimes that my body can't do what it should naturally be able to do, what it was intended to do! Running helps me cope with the sadness of not being able to do what I want. Running puts me in charge of my body. EDS was in charge for a short time and took away from me the ability to have children. But I'm taking my body back!
I'm in charge now. I'm going to tell my body what we're going to do today instead of it telling me what it wants to do. So guess what, body? We're going to go to Olympic Trial in July 2016. Okay, body? Got it?! That's what we're going to do.
I've been in touch with Roanoke Valley Elite, a running club that trains professional competitive athletes. They like my story and think it will attract sponsors :) They are in a brief hiatus at the moment looking for a new chair person. Which is okay with me because it gives me more time to work on my qualifying times to get on their team.
Today's blog post is brought to you by the letters F and U. EFF YOU EDS! Consider my incredibly successful run this evening as a swift kick in the pants to you, EDS. A flip of the bird. I bight my thumb at you, EDS. You're no longer welcome to dwell in this body, Jerk.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
New plan!
Okay, finally have a minute to write down my new plan. . . before I forget it.
Side note, before I forget this too, Be sure to tune in tomorrow for my humorous look at running post child bearing. :)
Okay, her goes.
5K
Nashville, TN, April 25, 2015
Savannah, GA Nov 2015
10K
Portland, OR May 17 2015 (for time to get in a higher corral at next event)
Las Vegas, NV Nov 2015 (for qual)
Half Marathon
Washington, DC Mar 14, 2015 (for time)
Philadelphia, PA Sept 2015 (for qual)
Full
Raleigh, NC Or Nashville, TN April 12 or 26, 2015 (for time)
Virginia Beach, VA September 6, 2015 (for qual)
I shouldn't do a half and a full in the same month. so I need to rework that one. But this is the plan so far.
In other news, I did intervals tonight (2) 4x 400s Not my best times, but it's the first night I've actually run in ten days since I injured my arch. Feeling pretty good, but I'm still being cautious.
Side note, before I forget this too, Be sure to tune in tomorrow for my humorous look at running post child bearing. :)
Okay, her goes.
5K
Nashville, TN, April 25, 2015
Savannah, GA Nov 2015
10K
Portland, OR May 17 2015 (for time to get in a higher corral at next event)
Las Vegas, NV Nov 2015 (for qual)
Half Marathon
Washington, DC Mar 14, 2015 (for time)
Philadelphia, PA Sept 2015 (for qual)
Full
Raleigh, NC Or Nashville, TN April 12 or 26, 2015 (for time)
Virginia Beach, VA September 6, 2015 (for qual)
I shouldn't do a half and a full in the same month. so I need to rework that one. But this is the plan so far.
In other news, I did intervals tonight (2) 4x 400s Not my best times, but it's the first night I've actually run in ten days since I injured my arch. Feeling pretty good, but I'm still being cautious.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Work. . .
I run a custom window treatments business. We have employed 18 people. The idea behind this is so that I don't have to work :) I still make money off my seamstresses. But if I want to do something that costs money, like go to Disneyland, then I have to work. So I took on some work because I thought my injury would take a lot longer to heal. But it feels perfectly fine today! So I went out for a little run tonight. But then I started bleeding profusely. I'm grateful to be a woman. Really, I am! REALLY!
I did about an hours worth of drills yesterday after doing my kids piano lessons. An hour was all I had before I had to make dinner for the fam and get to work. I would have done more, otherwise. Miriam did my drills with me. She's precious. :) I started skipping and she couldn't figure it out. So she said she was just going to hop :)
So, I'm going to work my tail off this week and get these orders out, then I'm going to step it up next week. I hope. . . Life has a way of interfering with my big plans.
I did about an hours worth of drills yesterday after doing my kids piano lessons. An hour was all I had before I had to make dinner for the fam and get to work. I would have done more, otherwise. Miriam did my drills with me. She's precious. :) I started skipping and she couldn't figure it out. So she said she was just going to hop :)
So, I'm going to work my tail off this week and get these orders out, then I'm going to step it up next week. I hope. . . Life has a way of interfering with my big plans.
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Tear
I tore something in my arch. Might have to go see a doctor. It is starting to feel MUCH better because I have been taping it up and not running this week. Last night I did a few drills, nothing strenuous and nothing where I stretch my arch. Just a lot of flat feet landing type stuff. It felt great to move again!
I still need to update the new game plan, but with this injury the November marathon isn't going to happen. I don't have time today as I took on some work so we can attempt to go to my husband's Family reunion next summer. I just wanted to record really quickly that I did drills yesterday for one hour before I forgot to record that. Might have some time to write the updated plan tomorrow afternoon. I've been spending a lot of my down time writing blog posts for the business blog since we reinstated that at the beginning of the month.
Be back soon with details.
I still need to update the new game plan, but with this injury the November marathon isn't going to happen. I don't have time today as I took on some work so we can attempt to go to my husband's Family reunion next summer. I just wanted to record really quickly that I did drills yesterday for one hour before I forgot to record that. Might have some time to write the updated plan tomorrow afternoon. I've been spending a lot of my down time writing blog posts for the business blog since we reinstated that at the beginning of the month.
Be back soon with details.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Sad face.
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Face it!
Today's run was very telling. I'm definitely not going to be ready to run a marathon in the time I want by November. So I've had to rethink the plan. I've come up with a new one, but don't have time to share it today. But all I can say is that the Richmond marathon isn't happening in November. And I'm okay with that. But next year is going to be a big year in many ways. Sorry to be vague. I hate it when people are vague. But that's all I an say for right now.
Today was dangerously hot. It was 92 degrees when I started my run this morning. And t just got hotter and hotter. And the humidity was killer. I was really slow and got light headed often.
In other news, my mystery abdominal pain seems to have gone away. My business is finally in a position where I can let it get crazy without it affecting my own life. So bring on the orders! My kids are in school during the day now. And hockey season starts next Saturday :) So basically, life is good and I'm in a good mindset to continue training.
Also, I'm definitely buying the year pass for Rock n Roll marathons. What a great deal. In 2016 I might buy the world pass depending on if I've met my goals to go to olympic trial. Since I'm not so focused on the marathon in November anymore, I'm considering dabbling in other area like the 10,000 meter. Even trying for that will improve my marathon time so it doesn't really matter if I train for one or other. 10,000 m marathon trial is in Eugene, Oregon. I need to run a 10k in 32 minutes. hahaha!!!!!!! Laughable, now. But we shall seeeeeeee!
Today was dangerously hot. It was 92 degrees when I started my run this morning. And t just got hotter and hotter. And the humidity was killer. I was really slow and got light headed often.
In other news, my mystery abdominal pain seems to have gone away. My business is finally in a position where I can let it get crazy without it affecting my own life. So bring on the orders! My kids are in school during the day now. And hockey season starts next Saturday :) So basically, life is good and I'm in a good mindset to continue training.
Also, I'm definitely buying the year pass for Rock n Roll marathons. What a great deal. In 2016 I might buy the world pass depending on if I've met my goals to go to olympic trial. Since I'm not so focused on the marathon in November anymore, I'm considering dabbling in other area like the 10,000 meter. Even trying for that will improve my marathon time so it doesn't really matter if I train for one or other. 10,000 m marathon trial is in Eugene, Oregon. I need to run a 10k in 32 minutes. hahaha!!!!!!! Laughable, now. But we shall seeeeeeee!
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Drill program
I'm sick :( And I didn't feel up to do anything today. But I did. TWICE! So today I started my drills. Here's the run down:
15 min jogging warm up
Skipping:
a) simple "school yard" skip at least 60 yards, then run back to the start and back the 60 yrds, then walk back to start
b) high knee skip at least 60 yards, run back to start then back again and walk back to start
c) long skipping. ugh. . . I can't figure this one out. Going to have to consult the coach on this one. . .
d) skip kicks (like the rockets) 60 yards, run out
Knees:
a) Flat foot march, 60 yards walk back to start
b) high knees, on toes, no skip 60 yards, walk back to start
c) Bounding, hopping forward (somehow this is in the knee category. . . )
Misc:
a) Foot shuffles, no knee lift 60 yards, jog and stride back
b) butt kicks, 60 yards, jog and stride back
c) Carrioca, latteral hip swivel, 60 yards one side, 60 yards the other sides run/walk back
d) hip thrust: with back flat on ground, shoulders down, knees up, thrust hip upward. Put fingers in back of shoes to make sure your feet are far enough back
Birddog:
a) shoulders over hands, hips over knees, extend opposite leg and arm 30x3
b) hold extended position for 1 second 30 x 3
Planking
1) on forearms
a) neutral, 10 sec
b) rotate on left arm, 10 sec
c) neutral, 10 sec
d) rotate to right arm, 10 sec
3) neutral, 10 sec
repeat two more times with 30 seconds rest in between each rep
2) on hands
a) neutral, 10 sec
b) rotate on left arm, 10 sec
c) neutral, 10 sec
d) rotate to right arm, 10 sec
3) neutral, 10 sec
repeat two more times with 30 seconds rest in between each rep
Did that this morning. Took one hour and thirty minutes. Then I ran this evening, but only 2 miles. I am not feeling really great. I have a cold or something. Some kind of throat thing.
Overall, it's been an extremely busy week. My business is getting a credit the Land of Nod catalog this fall. So I hired a bunch of people to handle that load. Then I was given a $1,000 ad credit on houzz.com. So I hired three more people this week to handle that load. I'm going to add two more. I have one in mind. I've been talking to my husband's cousin's wife about sewing recently. But then I'll need another person.
I used to train each seamstress in person. But my husband and I made training videos on everything we make. It's taken months! So I just send a person materials to make a shade, give them some specs and then they ship it back for notes. When I approve I send them supplies and add them to the list of people my assistant can issue orders too and there we go! That's the easy part, though. I've spent the past two days setting them up, which is the hard and time consuming part. But it's all worth it in the end. For everyone :)
My husband has started running too. We've both been talking lately about how our lifestyle is so different now. We used to want the house, the car, etc. I used to enjoy decorating and keeping a garden. Our lifestyle doesn't really include any of those things any more and even our small house feels burdonsome. We've been talking about making BIG changes. It won't be for a year or two and may in fact just be fun conversation. But we have been talking about BIG lifestyle changes. I'll clue you in as things become more concrete.
15 min jogging warm up
Skipping:
a) simple "school yard" skip at least 60 yards, then run back to the start and back the 60 yrds, then walk back to start
b) high knee skip at least 60 yards, run back to start then back again and walk back to start
c) long skipping. ugh. . . I can't figure this one out. Going to have to consult the coach on this one. . .
d) skip kicks (like the rockets) 60 yards, run out
Knees:
a) Flat foot march, 60 yards walk back to start
b) high knees, on toes, no skip 60 yards, walk back to start
c) Bounding, hopping forward (somehow this is in the knee category. . . )
Misc:
a) Foot shuffles, no knee lift 60 yards, jog and stride back
b) butt kicks, 60 yards, jog and stride back
c) Carrioca, latteral hip swivel, 60 yards one side, 60 yards the other sides run/walk back
d) hip thrust: with back flat on ground, shoulders down, knees up, thrust hip upward. Put fingers in back of shoes to make sure your feet are far enough back
Birddog:
a) shoulders over hands, hips over knees, extend opposite leg and arm 30x3
b) hold extended position for 1 second 30 x 3
Planking
1) on forearms
a) neutral, 10 sec
b) rotate on left arm, 10 sec
c) neutral, 10 sec
d) rotate to right arm, 10 sec
3) neutral, 10 sec
repeat two more times with 30 seconds rest in between each rep
2) on hands
a) neutral, 10 sec
b) rotate on left arm, 10 sec
c) neutral, 10 sec
d) rotate to right arm, 10 sec
3) neutral, 10 sec
repeat two more times with 30 seconds rest in between each rep
Did that this morning. Took one hour and thirty minutes. Then I ran this evening, but only 2 miles. I am not feeling really great. I have a cold or something. Some kind of throat thing.
Overall, it's been an extremely busy week. My business is getting a credit the Land of Nod catalog this fall. So I hired a bunch of people to handle that load. Then I was given a $1,000 ad credit on houzz.com. So I hired three more people this week to handle that load. I'm going to add two more. I have one in mind. I've been talking to my husband's cousin's wife about sewing recently. But then I'll need another person.
I used to train each seamstress in person. But my husband and I made training videos on everything we make. It's taken months! So I just send a person materials to make a shade, give them some specs and then they ship it back for notes. When I approve I send them supplies and add them to the list of people my assistant can issue orders too and there we go! That's the easy part, though. I've spent the past two days setting them up, which is the hard and time consuming part. But it's all worth it in the end. For everyone :)
My husband has started running too. We've both been talking lately about how our lifestyle is so different now. We used to want the house, the car, etc. I used to enjoy decorating and keeping a garden. Our lifestyle doesn't really include any of those things any more and even our small house feels burdonsome. We've been talking about making BIG changes. It won't be for a year or two and may in fact just be fun conversation. But we have been talking about BIG lifestyle changes. I'll clue you in as things become more concrete.
Monday, September 1, 2014
Me Vs The Wind
. . . the wind won :(
Today: Weather started sweltering even at 78 degrees. Just so humid! Then cooled off with some cloud cover. With the cloud cover came the wind (we're expecting some weather activity today). I felt great today. No EDS pains, really, except the usual feet issues (plantar's Fasciitis and flat feet pains). Back still hurts a little from the long run, but nothing I couldn't stretch my way out of. I've successfully been without caffienne for about a week now, so I have been waking up feeling really refreshed! It's nice. but I do miss coke :( and I still have mystery abdominal pain. Now it's kind of dull and relentless, whereas before it was cramp like with occasional relief. I don't have an appendix anymore so not sure what else it could be. It's not GI. Mystery! I need Dr. House!
Today we were going to do a tempo run with Garren setting the pace at 8 miles per hour. We got the bike trailer hooked up to the bike for the kids. Just as we were getting ready to leave Josh got sick. So we set him up on the couch with blankets, towels, a trash can and a movie. Garren helped me get a feel for what an 8 mph pace was by just running up and down the street with me so we would be in shouting distance of Josh if he needed us. And Miriam still wanted to go for a bike ride. So we just went up and down the street a few times. Turns out that pace is pretty wicked. I did okay for less than 1/4 mile. I chalked it up to needing a warm up. So I tried to run first and then have Garren catch up to me and we would start the timer and pace mid run instead of starting and then working up to 8 mph pace. So we tried that for a bit but the best I could do and keep going for any amount of time was 9 mph. Then I was at 7 mph going up hill :( Got lots of work to do. After we did that for a bit Garren took Miriam around the block a few more times in the trailer and I went to the track to do four sets of 4x400s. I was successfull at getting most of those under two minutes. The weather got worse and worse as my time at the track went on. I went from running 1:50 400s to 2:58 when I was running against the wind. Some of that, too, was likely that I was tired because I was on my last set. But I'm pretty sure the last sset did nearly nothing for improvement.
Total work out time 2:50:00. I have to work out AT LEAST three hours a day to reach my goals. This is going to be tough. Pretty much I am replacing my work life with this. But at least I get to do this with my family. After Miriam and Garren stopped riding bikes they came to the track with me. Miriam, Garren and di d 2 x 400s together. Miriam is FAST. Then we did a few 100 m runs with Miriam because she is super good at those. She's hard to keep up with. She turns her head and looks at me like, what are you doing back there? She likes swimming and gymnastics and asks me to turn on olympic swimming youtube videos all the time.
Hopefully Josh will feel up to coming out to the track with us again soon.
Update on nutrition: I've got the hang of the marathon runners diet. But I veer every once in a while when my kids want to make cakes and cookies :) I never pass up an opportunity to bake with my children. It's one of my favorite things to do with them :) But I've got the hang of it now and doing really well. It isn't really a struggle anymore. Increasing the amount of berries and high water content foods has helped enormously to make me feel hydrated without having to go to the bathroom every five miles. Lots of watermelon!
My muscles are getting to be really defined, You can see my muscle now when I am not flexing. I can just hear my Grandma Joyce saying, "That's not very ladylike, but that's none of my business. . . ." :) It's kind of fun to watch the transition and actually see results of hard work.
Tomorrow both kids are in school. I need to look at my training program and see what's on the agenda. but I think it might be a strength day.
Happy Labor Day!
Today: Weather started sweltering even at 78 degrees. Just so humid! Then cooled off with some cloud cover. With the cloud cover came the wind (we're expecting some weather activity today). I felt great today. No EDS pains, really, except the usual feet issues (plantar's Fasciitis and flat feet pains). Back still hurts a little from the long run, but nothing I couldn't stretch my way out of. I've successfully been without caffienne for about a week now, so I have been waking up feeling really refreshed! It's nice. but I do miss coke :( and I still have mystery abdominal pain. Now it's kind of dull and relentless, whereas before it was cramp like with occasional relief. I don't have an appendix anymore so not sure what else it could be. It's not GI. Mystery! I need Dr. House!
Today we were going to do a tempo run with Garren setting the pace at 8 miles per hour. We got the bike trailer hooked up to the bike for the kids. Just as we were getting ready to leave Josh got sick. So we set him up on the couch with blankets, towels, a trash can and a movie. Garren helped me get a feel for what an 8 mph pace was by just running up and down the street with me so we would be in shouting distance of Josh if he needed us. And Miriam still wanted to go for a bike ride. So we just went up and down the street a few times. Turns out that pace is pretty wicked. I did okay for less than 1/4 mile. I chalked it up to needing a warm up. So I tried to run first and then have Garren catch up to me and we would start the timer and pace mid run instead of starting and then working up to 8 mph pace. So we tried that for a bit but the best I could do and keep going for any amount of time was 9 mph. Then I was at 7 mph going up hill :( Got lots of work to do. After we did that for a bit Garren took Miriam around the block a few more times in the trailer and I went to the track to do four sets of 4x400s. I was successfull at getting most of those under two minutes. The weather got worse and worse as my time at the track went on. I went from running 1:50 400s to 2:58 when I was running against the wind. Some of that, too, was likely that I was tired because I was on my last set. But I'm pretty sure the last sset did nearly nothing for improvement.
Total work out time 2:50:00. I have to work out AT LEAST three hours a day to reach my goals. This is going to be tough. Pretty much I am replacing my work life with this. But at least I get to do this with my family. After Miriam and Garren stopped riding bikes they came to the track with me. Miriam, Garren and di d 2 x 400s together. Miriam is FAST. Then we did a few 100 m runs with Miriam because she is super good at those. She's hard to keep up with. She turns her head and looks at me like, what are you doing back there? She likes swimming and gymnastics and asks me to turn on olympic swimming youtube videos all the time.
Hopefully Josh will feel up to coming out to the track with us again soon.
Update on nutrition: I've got the hang of the marathon runners diet. But I veer every once in a while when my kids want to make cakes and cookies :) I never pass up an opportunity to bake with my children. It's one of my favorite things to do with them :) But I've got the hang of it now and doing really well. It isn't really a struggle anymore. Increasing the amount of berries and high water content foods has helped enormously to make me feel hydrated without having to go to the bathroom every five miles. Lots of watermelon!
My muscles are getting to be really defined, You can see my muscle now when I am not flexing. I can just hear my Grandma Joyce saying, "That's not very ladylike, but that's none of my business. . . ." :) It's kind of fun to watch the transition and actually see results of hard work.
Tomorrow both kids are in school. I need to look at my training program and see what's on the agenda. but I think it might be a strength day.
Happy Labor Day!
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