Friday, February 19, 2010

"First Rule of Fight Club....."


You DO NOT talk about Fight Club..... or the possibility that I've injured myself while training for Boston!
So that's what I've done, not talked about the fact that my hamstrings hurt, my groin muscles hurt, and my left foot feels like it's broken. I've talked to the people I need to talk about these issues and that's all the talking I'm going to do.
Slap another band-aid on, because I'm running Boston even if I have to crawl.

I will talk about this though. I got new shoes to fit my narrow foot. So now I have one leg shorter than the other requiring a lift and one foot wider than the other. This is why my bloody toes keep coming up through my left shoe. It's swimming around in there. So hopefully problem solved.
I ran yesterday and felt wonderful comparatively. The aches were so minimal and the foot was 90% better. So that is what I'll talk about.
My prayers have been heard and I know my God loves me. So much that he provides even the silly desires of my heart. Like a desire to run 26.2 miles at one time. God is good, all the time.

I will also talk about my family. They've prayed with me everyday and hoped and believed with me. Together we've all been able to keep it in perspective too. My injuries are minuscule when mirrored against the realities of this world. There are children starving all over the world, illnesses in my own circle, jobless families.... the list could go on forever. When I put it in order, my spirits have remained incredibly high, because I have so much and am truly blessed.
Boston is my gift. I plan to receive that gift with joy, no matter what form it comes in.

So on to more things I like talking about.
Even though the runs have been "ify" and the weather's provided some slippery surfaces, there are some note worthy antidotes.
Two Saturday's ago I met with the group for our miles. In order to get maximum time with all the runners, some of us go early to get in the extra miles we need and then head back in to start with the rest of the group. All this to say, when we were approaching the dead opossum for my 2nd time that morning, I gave warning to the others so they wouldn't be surprised like I had been. After I hollered my, Watch out! Dead opossum!" My friend chimed in, "Yeah, you should of seen her earlier, she yelped. That's the first time I've seen Lacy act like a girl!"
I had to laugh too. I don't spit, I've never let a fart fly on a run, never shot a snot rocket, and I barely ever sweat enough to stink too bad. But when you are accused of "chicking" the guys, I guess there's not room for being too girly out there. But I guess dead opossum brings it out in me.
On Monday after the Super Bowl, snow covered the city. It was soft slushy snow. At 5 AM, it was already well above freezing, it was calm, and actually very nice outside. I met one of my training partners for our 5 am run. Due to said partner's position in our fair city, the plows were sure to be out plowing the streets they know he runs on every morning. Bonus for me. I guess running with Mr. City Manager has it's perks. We ran our normal Monday route. We had some trouble where the snow wasn't cleared. It was deep, over 4 inches in some spots. Due to this we decided to skip the river path on run on the street. Up until this point our run had been pretty quiet. Only one car passed too close and soaked us in slush. As we rounded the curve on the street we noticed a car had done a 180 over the median and was attempting to get back on the road. As we passed we watched as another car came around the curve, fish tail, lose control, go up onto the median, slide into a small tree, and have all the snow from the tree fall on it's roof. I reached for my phone assuming I'd need to call for assistance. Nope! The little Ford Festiva restarted , put it in reverse, and took off down the street. We laughed thinking that was the most drama we would see for the morning. Then we looked up and saw a city bus nearly mimicking the little festiva's every move. As it came too quickly down the street, I jumped in the grass. I hear Mr. Manager drop a bomb, which he spent the rest of the morning apologizing for, and see the bus fishtail right past us. After we did the individual "am I still here?" pat down, we checked on each other and got the heck off the street.
As the adrenaline surge died down, we finished up. Only to hear Mr. Manager tell me with glazed over eyes that he had often joked he'd like to choose the way he'd die. "I always said I'd like to be out running and just get hit by a bus, " he said. As we realized that had just nearly happened, he changed his mind. Who knew running could be so dramatic?

Here's The Numbers:
Saturday 2/6: 18 miles
Sunday 2/7: 3 miles
Monday 2/8: 10 miles
Tuesday: 6 miles and weights
Wednesday: 10 miles
Thursday: 6 miles and weights
Friday: 5 miles and 45 minute spin class
Saturday 2/13: 12 miles
Sunday 2/14: 3 miles
Monday: 10 miles
Tuesday: 6 miles (on indoor track 14 laps=1 mile!) Weights
Wednesday 6 miles
Thursday 2/18: 10 very comfy miles!!!!
Friday:6 miles and weights




Friday, February 05, 2010

Bigger Fish To Fry

There's been so much more than running going on these days. Things to really keep me in check and get my priorities straight.
As a family we were able to help load a few of the 1 million plus meals with Numana Inc. We loaded meals on Sunday 1/24 and saw pictures by Thursday 1/28 of Haitian's carrying these meals to their families. Incredible feeling!

We took Judah to his first hockey game. The new Intrust Bank Arena has opened and the Thunder moved in for their first arena game. While we're not big sports fans (we won the tickets at public television raffle...just to give you an idea what sort of sports fans we are) it was fun to take Judah. And he's still a boy, so fighting, funnel cakes, and face painting were right up his alley!
For me, running has to be lower on my list. While it's high enough, there are still many more important things. In the past I've missed the blessings right in front of me by devoting myself wholly to running. I respect the marathon distance and pray for an incredible dream come t
rue. However, it is just a race after all, and my baby will only be six once.


Running is ...going. I'm getting the miles in, one way or another. The weather
has been making that kind of difficult. Last weekend's long run followed an all city "snow-day." Therefore 16 miles were clip clopped through several inches of snow. But the run was completed and another week of training was marked off.
In the middle of these last two weeks I started feeling a tiny twinge of pain in my right upper leg. In the hamstring/groin area. Two years ago I ignored pains of this nature and found myself with a stress fracture two days before a marathon. So, I called up my PT (who is just too good to me) and he had me lie on his table. His pushed, pulled, stretched, pushed some more, and then we noticed how awkward it all looked to the other patients and closed the curtain.
I was hooked up to a weight machine and had my strength tested. I went back over the two stress fracture tests. Jump on one leg: no pain? OK. Bend over and mimic putting pants on: No Pain? OK.

We set down and discussed an official training plan and my need to stretch my super tight muscles like it's going out of style. I was instructed to follow the guide and stretch my hamstrings at any opportunity I could find. It's an accepted occurrence for my family to find me throwing my leg up on the bathroom counter in mid-sentence or reaching for my toes while on the phone. I have a yoga mat permanently out on the bedroom floor. I took his advice to heart.
We're going to Boston whether I'm hurt or not, but going and not running? (*Holding back tears*) Don't even talk to me about it!

I'm not feeling any worse, but I hate that this little nag is still there. It's amazing how little problems like this can really magnify when you've got so much riding on it. Trying to keep it all in perspective, but still being consumed with fear, I've really been learning to cry out to my God. He heard me too. After being honest with my fears in prayer, my pastor randomly came up to me after service to talk about my running. After I explained how Boston is coming and how my fear of injury was looming, he shocked me with a gift. With tears in my eyes I was "invested" in.
I was given the funds to see a massage therapist. My tear filled eyes and dropped jaw were so thankful for a response from God. Running has been a never-ending faith journey for me.
I'm going to a sports massage therapist tomorrow after my long run. Amazing.

Here's my latest numbers:
Saturday 1/23: 16 miles
Sunday: 3 Miles
Monday: 10 Miles
Tuesday: 6 miles on Elliptical and Weights (PT Appointment)
Wednesday: 10 miles
Thursday: 5 miles and weights
Friday: SNOW DAY! 5 miles (treadmill) and 5 miles on Elliptical
The picture doesn't really capture the snow blowing down. This was after Judah and I trekked to the gym, Marathon training doesn't take snow days!
I had to scrape the windows before we could leave the gym. Judah was mad because I wouldn't let him do it with his hands. He's such a trooper. I love that kid. He's my muse. In so many ways Boston is all about him. I want him to see proof that going after your dreams is worth the trouble. Even inching along at 20 MPH in a snowstorm kind of trouble.


Saturday: 16 miles on the snow 15 degrees
Sunday: 3 miles
Monday: 10 miles
Tuesday: 3 miles to the gym, weights, 3 miles back
Wednesday: 10 miles
Thursday: 3 to the gym, weights, 3 back
Friday: 5 miles and 45 minute spin class

I'm trying to stick to the guide and throw in more cross training. If I can lessen the impact on my bones, I'll be better off. I guess we all have our limits and I will just have to accept, I'm not an ultra marathoner and my body won't let me run more than 50ish miles a week.
And it's all worth it. Whether on foot, on a machine, in the pool, or on a bike that goes nowhere. When the waitress at Tsunami puts the heap of coconut curry in front of me, all the early mornings, aches, cold limbs, and endless heaps of sweaty laundry blissfully disappear!