Bad bad girl

I did not take it easy last week.

Monday, August 24, 2009: 60 minutes elliptical

Tuesday, August 25, 2009: 10 miles, Body Flow

Wednesday, August 26, 2009: 8.6 miles am, 2.8 miles pm

Thursday, August 27, 2009: 9.4 miles

Friday, August 28, 2009: 10 miles

Saturday, August 29, 2009: 16 miles @ 8:30 pace

Sunday, August 30, 2009: 8.6 miles

Total Miles: 65.4 miles

The quad is feeling pretty good. It kind of ached towards the end of the long run, but yesterday and today it has been feeling great! So, hopefully I am on the mend and will be able to do my first tempo run in a month this Friday. I still haven't decided which marathon I am going to run. I've kind of given up hope on getting sub-3 hrs at this point.

In other news, I think we have rented out our house to a Navy family for the next three years, which is AWESOME. The thought of carrying two mortgages until we could rent out this house has really been weighing on my mind. We close on the new house in 8 days (yipes!) and I have a grand total of ZERO boxes packed. I'm hoping to make good progress this weekend with my mother-in-law here to babysit.

Nugget also has a terrible eye and ear infection. He's quite miserable, poor guy. The grossest thing is that when he sneezes green snot comes out of his tear duct. We just started him on amoxicillin, which I am a little freaked out about because hubby had an anaphylactic response to it as a child. I think I might have Nugget sleep in bed with us so that I don't have to worry about him all night.

And she's BAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!

The quad is feeling much better and I have been able to run the past three days. I'm having a hard time keeping my running in check...in fact, I've already run 30 miles this week and did my first DOUBLE ever yesterday. Ran 8.6 in the am and 2.8 in the pm. I loved it! I'm going to try and do a double on Sunday, too. I hope to work up to 3 or 4 doubles a week, but I'm going to take a few weeks to build up to it. I'm going to run 14 or 15 this weekend and see how it goes. My inner quad is bothering me a bit, but it doesn't hurt post-run and it isn't affecting my stride, so I'm hoping that it will go away in a few days.

Now, I have to decide which marathon to run. Coach still thinks that I can run the earlier Fall Marathon well, but psychologically (and maybe physiologically) I think I would be better prepared for other Fall Marathon, which is 3 weeks later.

Here are the Pro's and Cons. Please help me choose!!

Earlier Fall Marathon
Pros: Will have others to train with; lots of local support to cheer me on through the race; will be able to sleep in my own bed; will complete a marathon before Nugget's first birthday
Cons: Less time to train!!; weather may be warmer than other Marathon; will have to miss a good friend's wedding

Later Fall Marathon
Pros: Will have 3 more weeks to train; weather may be cooler; will be the first time that I have run this marathon in 9 years (it was my first marathon); will be able to sleep at my parents or sister's house; will get to attend a good friend's wedding
Cons: Will have to travel down to marathon; no-one to train with; prolong the training season when hubby is ready for a break;coach pulled in a favor to get me a comp entry in other marathon and I'll feel guilty not using it

Also, we're FINALLY going to have room in the new house for a treadmill. Do you guys have any treadmills that you recommend?

I'm also trying to figure out how long to breastfeed Nugget. I've already had to supplement with formula for the past two months because he drinks WAY more at day care than I produce. I like it...the soft tug of him suckling, our special time together. I think in some ways I also see it as the end of his baby stage and I'm not quite ready to let it go. My original goal was one year...it's only two months and one week away....

Have you all started thinking about birthday themes, yet??? I've been checking out birthday banners on Etsy....

Still on the bench

I am going crazy here.

My husband made a comment that if I was a thoroughbred horse, they would put me down. Apparently, they go mad if they can't run. He said, "you can't stable a thoroughbred." That's totally how I feel.

I'm thinking about running the a later marathon than the one I originally signed up for even though I won't have anyone to train with for the last three weeks just to give me more time. That is, if this injury ever goes away.

I did absolutely nothing for three days this past week and then did the elliptical and it doesn't feel any better. I have gotten 3 massages. I am rolling and icing 3x a day. I have my own electronic stem machine and am using it 1-2x a day. I did run yesterday, but the quad seized up on me.

Ug.

Sorry I haven't been commenting on your blogs lately...on top of all this, we're moving and I've been put in charge of a project at work and am working WAY more hours than I would like.

In Nathan news, I've been dealing with a food strike. He won't eat food. The only thing I've been able to successfully get him to eat is meat. He loves it. Good thing, because he's borderline anemic and I can't get him to eat beans.

Weekly Mileage:
Monday, August 17, 2009: nothing
Tuesday, August 18, 2009: 8.6 miles
Wednesday, August 19, 2009: 9.4 miles
Thursday, August 20, 2009: nothing
Friday, August 21, 2009: nothing
Saturday, August 22, 2009: elliptical 75 minutes
Sunday, August 23, 2009: 9.4 miles
Total Mileage: 27.4 miles

Still Injured

One week later and I'm still hobbling along. I ran Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday and did the elliptical on the "off" days. I should have just taken the whole week off from exercise and maybe this bugger would be better, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was getting behind on my running. I should have realized that trying to do any sort of exercise was just getting me further in the hole and prolonging my healing. So, yesterday I got a deep tissue massage and I'm doing nothing today. I'm debating whether I should test out the legs tomorrow, but I'm still feeling some kinks in my quads and they're tugging at my knee. I forgot how much I hate being injured. We have a lot going on right now and I'd really like the stress relief of a good run. Arg. I don't know why it is so hard for me to just let go and accept that I can't run through this injury. I guess I just really wanted to kick butt in the fall marathon and feel like I am ruining my chances of doing so!

:<

Weekly Mileage:
Monday, August 10, 2009: 60 minutes elliptical
Tuesday, August 11, 2009: 5 miles, w/ 3 x 800 and 400 laps
Wednesday, August 12, 2009: 60 minutes elliptical
Thursday, August 13, 2009: 8.6 awful miles
Friday, August 14, 2009: 60 minutes elliptical, yoga video
Saturday, August 15, 2009: 75 minutes elliptical
Sunday, August 16, 2009: 8.6 miles
Total Mileage: 22.2 miles

Overdoing It

So, between running all those hills and hiking and biking in Tahoe....then running 10 miles the day before a hard race....and I'm left with what I believe to be a hip flexor strain. Awesome. It wasn't bugging me during the race, so it kind of came out of no-where. I got a massage on Sunday and took yesterday off. This morning I felt a little "creaky" at the beginning of track practice like my old bones were just waking up. After my 3rd 800, it was definitely bugging me, so coach kicked me out and I did 2 really slow miles. And, now it hurts when I walk. I'm so brilliant. I was so wrapped up in getting in my mileage because I really think I ought to be putting in 70 mile weeks that I screwed up my race and now I have to take a couple of days off to let this bugger heal. I traded the short-term instant gratification of higher mileage at the expense of good training in the long-term. Ug.

Sometimes I forget that discipline is not just about getting out there and putting in the mileage when you would rather be sleeping in bed and cuddling with your hubby and baby, but more about having the discipline to listen to your body rather than your mind.

Needless to say, coach thoroughly chastised me for my foolish running last week and pushing it this morning.

Oh well. Hopefully with ice and foam roller it will go away.

What I Forgot

Remember how I was worried that I would forget something REALLY important on our trip?

Guess who forgot to pack food and formula for the 8 HOUR FLIGHT to Tahoe (including layover) and only realized it after passing through security with 5 minutes to take-off?

That's right, yours truly!!

I know I have the boob buffet, but on the last flight Nathan refused to eat and I was scared to death that he wouldn't eat again this time. Luckily, he was in a boob love mood, but man...I was worried that he was going to be cranky and starving!

A picture narrative of our trip because I am too tired to write....
A picture from one of our hikes
Lake Tahoe
Nathan on a bike ride...they didn't have a helmet small enough for his wee head.

The View from Our Back Porch

Daddy and Nathan in the lake

Last Week's Weekly Mileage:

Monday, July 27, 2009: 8.6 miles

Tuesday, July 28, 2009: Track workout: 1 mile warm-up, 8 x 800 w/ 400 jogs (3:03, 2:53, 2:51, 2:49, 2:48, 2:51, 2:51, 2:51), 1.75 mile cool-down (~8-9 miles)

Wednesday, July 29, 2009: 9.4 miles

Thursday, July 30, 2009: off (travel to Lake Tahoe!)

Friday, July 31, 2009: 9.5 miles @ 6500 ft elevation HARD!! (ran 8:49 pace!)

Saturday, August 1, 2009: 10.2 miles @ 8:39 pace (and 6 mile hike)

Sunday, August 2, 2009: 16 miles @ 8:45 pace (and 1.5 hour bike ride)

Total Mileage: 62.7 miles

This Week's Weekly Mileage:

Monday, August 3, 2009: 8 miles (and one hour hike)
Tuesday, August 4, 2009: Nada...travel back home...legs were feeling pooped
Wednesday, August 5, 2009: 9.4 miles
Thursday, August 6, 2009: 9.4 miles

Friday, August 7, 2009: 10 miles

Saturday, August 8, 2009: 10 miles

Sunday, August 9, 2009: 3 miles warm up, 20 K (12.2 miles), 2.5 cool down
Total Mileage: 64.5 miles

I don't want to talk about my 20K. Maybe I'll write a race report later, but I sucked @ss. Of course, I don't know what the hell I was thinking running 10 miles the day before the race when my legs were already feeling wrecked from running, hiking, biking, etc. in Tahoe. Smart move on my part. Let's just say I didn't even run as fast as my 1/2 marathon time. :<>

Nathan News!

• Nathan started crawling two weeks ago and he is INTO EVERYTHING! We totally need to baby proof, but I kind of want to wait until we move.
• Nathan said "mama" today when I left the room for the first time!!! Not sure if he knows what mama means, but I'll take anything to brighten my day after my crappy race.
• Nathan went to his 9 month appointment on Friday....he's in the FOURTH percentile for weight and SIXTIETH for height? Guess I grew a string bean baby! He's still wearing some 0-3 and 3-6 month clothes....
• Nathan figured out how to pull himself up in the crib and now wakes me up by screaming when he can't figure out how to get down 2-3 times a night. Awesome.