Feb 25, 2013
Starting the day with my Ashtanga yoga practice. It's been a long time since I've practiced, so I'm expecting several days of sore muscles (and a clearer, calmer mind).
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Starting the day with my Ashtanga yoga practice. It's been a long time since I've practiced, so I'm expecting several days of sore muscles (and a clearer, calmer mind).
Day #129 of my marathon running journey~
3 Miles this morning. Threshold run-- 4 minutes @ threshold pace, followed by 90 minutes recovery pace, 4 repetitions. Felt great. Much easier than the first time I did the threshold run a couple weeks ago.
Tomorrow will be a rest day, but I'll be back at it with cross training on Saturday and a long run Sunday. There's another winter storm headed our way, so my Sunday long run will likely be thru nearly a foot of snow! The joys of winter running!
Total Mileage Since October 1, 2012: 189.41 miles
Day #125 of my running journey!
Just ran 8 miles on sidewalks, trails and roads covered in several inches of thick, powdery snow. That was quite possibly the toughest run of my life! The good news is that I only fell once, right off the side of the sidewalk into the grass--rolled my ankle and landed on my left knee. At first, the pain was pretty intense and thought I was going to have to go home immediately (it happened in the 1st mile of my run!). But I walked it off in a few seconds and kept on running. I considered going home every 15 minutes for the next 7 miles. HAH! Really this run was all about willpower and mental toughness. The snow was so tough to run through, that even short walking breaks were difficult.
Also, today was the first time wearing my YakTrax. I think they may have made the run harder bc my foot was landing a tad differently.
No matter what, I am so proud of myself. I can't believe I made it the whole 8 miles! Every time I wanted to give up, I just thought about the marathon and how badly I want to run it. So giving up now is not an option!
Total mileage since October 1, 2012: 183.11
Day #120 of marathon training!
Got in a short 2.8 miles today on the treadmill, still sticking to the "good form running" recommendations. No noticeable knee pain at all, but I do notice my feet are sore due to landing midfoot instead of heel-striking. Pretty awesome, since that means I am doing things correctly so far!
Total Mileage Since Oct 1, 2012: 172.00
Official Registration for the Full Marathon is COMPLETE!!
"Thank you for submitting your entry for the May 26, 2013 Buffalo Marathon: Marathon."
Today is the day! I have officially registered for the Buffalo Marathon (finally!). Only 116 days to go! This is what I am working for!! I have one half marathon in Pittsburgh on May 5 and then the full marathon is May 26th!! So much work to do before then!! So excited!!
Day #107 of my journey to running my first marathon...
Today is a cross-training day in the marathon training plan that I am following. So I started off the morning with 45 minutes of Ashtanga (Primary Series). I took it easy on the knee today, so my practice was shorter than usual, but according to the training plan, I only needed 40 minutes of cross training plus stretching. I'd say 45 minutes of Ashtanga covers that. I am going to squeeze in 15-20 minutes of meditation around lunchtime today once I get the puppy down for a nap. :) I have missed my regular meditation practice so I am determined to bring it back!
I'll also be going for a 20-30 minute walk at some point today, just to get some fresh air for me and the pup. As long as I keep moving, I'm happy!
Total Mileage since October 1, 2012: 149.23
Day #106...
2.8 miles this morning outside in the chilly 27 degree sunshine! Since I got the Garmin GPS Forerunner 10 watch for xmas, I am using their marathon training plan to get prepped in the next 16 weeks! The run was nice and easy, conversational pace most of the way, per the training plan. I figure that since my knee is being so fickle, I should treat my training like I am just beginning to run. So this training plan with help me keep to that.
Unfortunately today when I got back from the run, my knee started to hurt while I was sitting down. :( :( That doesn't usually happen, so it seems that my running is still managing to aggravate my knee. Super sad face. But I refuse to give up.
Instead of giving up, I FINALLY called my doctor and scheduled an appointment for Friday. Hopefully we can get to the bottom of this pain so I can stop worrying that I am destroying my knee to point that I won't be able to run at all this Spring. That would be the worst case. The best case scenario would be that it's a torn meniscus, which can be easily fixed via orthoscopic surgery (recovery time only 4 weeks!).
As always, I will keep posting updates and I will NOT give up on my plan! My advice to others---> Take it slow and steady if you're coming back from a running break. I went too hard, too soon and am now paying dearly for it!
Total Mileage since October 1, 2012: 149.23
Day #103 of my journey to running my first marathon...
It is a gorgeous day here in Western New York. Sun is shining, snow is melting and it's a perfect 58 degrees right now! Spending lots of time outdoors with the puppy today, in anticipation of tomorrow's long run. So glad the ice is gone and the sidewalks are clear for my feet to run on!
This morning I finally practiced my usual Ashtanga yoga routine (primary series) for about an hour. I made it all the way to backbending before the puppy decided he needed to go outside and pee. two thumbs up for him making it that long! I came back in after that and did the closing sequence, with the puppy on my lap during Padmasana (पद्मासन) and Utplutiḥ (उत्प्लुतिः). He then laid on my belly during Shavasana.
Post-ashtanga meal: Potatoes, kale and fakin bacon. Clean eating never felt so good!!
Total Mileage since October 1, 2012: 141.63