It's April 2nd So You Know I'm Not Fooling You

So many awesome things happening around here! Let’s get down to some updates:

1.Training is going great (although read #2)! I feel like I am at home now, following Meghan’s workouts. If I were writing things for myself, this is how I would write things – but HURRAH – someone else is telling me what to do, holding me accountable, and telling me to suck it up or pointing out the little break-throughs, and also holding me back when I need to be held back. So far it’s a moderate high mileage build (80ish as a recent high, most comfortably around 70), touching on each training system. Turns out when you don’t do hills for a long time – or don’t work on foot speed – you lose it! So it’s been fun to get back to the “roots” and begin building a solid foundation.

Celebrating the sun and the dwindling snow

Not my best time, but a very solid race for me. This was my 5k pace last fall/winter, so I am happy to see the progress!

Just the other day I did mile repeats starting at 10k pace. Simple enough workout: start at 10k pace (6:10 for me) and work down. Well… the previous 80 mile weeks had accumulated in my legs… and I couldn’t move any faster! I started at 6:10 pace and instead of working down, my last mile was in 6:31. And I. Was. Trying. My HR peaked at 180 (instead of 197-200 that I usually see in interval workouts!). I reported the mess back to Meghan who immediately told me not to lift that evening and take the day off tomorrow. I was due; it had been over 2 weeks and I had been sailing through workouts! However, when she took away an evening lifting session I thought: oh, but I’d love to go lift HARD! As long as I’m taking a day off, I might as well pummel my legs! Wouldn’t that be fun?!? (Yes, I think that way… and yes, I know that is not a healthy way to react/think… hence needing someone else to hold me back!) I lamented not being able to double the next day. The workout hadn’t been that bad, had it? I know the fighter in me is what has made me a good runner/marathoner — but it is also something that is much easier tamed when I can rely on another expert :). I’ll start being able to share workouts again with y’all, which will be fun.

At least 26 sit-ups and push-ups after every run

2. Another PRP injection: The PRP injection last year has helped my leg clumsiness a lot. I had the injection in my right hamstring insertion (where it connects to the ischial tuberosity, or sit bones) and now on bad days I feel that my left leg is the one holding me back. After consulting with Dr. Moser, he is not surprised that I now see symptoms on the left, as the MRI showed an equal amount of hamstring fraying on both sides. At the time, the right was just displaying more symptoms (trippy and clumsy for anything long and sustained – fine on anything short). So, we will try a second injection on the left side. Since we are already set up, he will take enough blood to do a second follow-up injection on the right side as well.

I go in this Wednesday. I’ll need to have two days off from running, but then should be able to resume easy running and then normal training within a week. Hopefully we will see just as remarkable results as we did with the right side, but even if it is just moderately successful I’ll be happy!

3. Coaching – so many awesome updates! I was offered the middle school track distance coaching position in Northfield and couldn’t be happier. I am so excited to train young distance runners – and hopefully convince them to try XC in the fall! Look out folks: when I took over at NHS there were few to no middle school runners on the XC team. I’ve slowly recruited a handful of middle school runners – but really hope this position allows me to recruit a lot more! It helps that I’m about everyone’s height. I told them, “If I can do it, imagine what you can do!” Obviously a little more to distance running than that, but hey, whatever gets them to chuckle a little and actually consider trying distance!

TNC Endurance coaching is going extremely well. I am working with 16 athletes from across the country and all abilities. A few recent highlights include: CL just qualified for the elite wave of the Chicago 1/2 marathon and couldn’t be more surprised (amazed? or terrified that now it’s “official” that she’s fast!??) of her new-found fitness. AMC just set the 10k world record pushing a triple stroller by over TWO MINUTES. She’s on her way to re-setting every single one of her previous PRs in one calendar year. Apparently I attract stroller-pushing fanatics as JL is attempting the men’s 1/2 marathon double stroller record at the Get it Dunn 1/2 Marathon in May. One athlete just started with the goal of hitting her OTQ at Grandma’s (here’s looking at you, SI!), and another is contemplating gunning for her OTQ in NYC (former Olympian in cross country skiing). This list is leaving out way too many other highlights. TNC coaching is downright fun!