Training for the Sarasota Half Marathon (3-15-10) begins Saturday, Nov 21st. I have read and reread "4 Hours To A 4 Hour Marathon" at least 4 times. I bought this book when I was attempting to begin to qualify for Boston last year. "Space Coast Marathon" was to be my 4:40, last year's "Sarasota Grouper" was to be my 4:20 and then this year's "Space Coast" I wanted to be REALLY optimistic and go for the 3:50:59 to run Boston 2010.
That never happened and I was so bummed. I've been optimistically hopeful about getting some miles in. I decided that if I could do 8 miles by Nov 21st, I would get back to training. Last Saturday I did the 7 miler and survived it! This Saturday is the 8 mile run that will signify my being back in training. I am thrilled, excited, hopeful and most of all...READY!
This book has training guides for finishing times anywhere from 4 hours up to 5 hours, depending on your level of running and your goals. I've tailored it down for a half marathon with 4 months to train. There's a tiny kernel of hope that when I get to week 6 (15 miler) I may be able to do it. If I can, I am going to continue on with the training and attempt the full. So, yes...I'll be really doing the full marathon training for the first 6 weeks. This gives me the opportunity to pull back and be satisfied with the half if need be. I'm following the 4 hour guide knowing full well I can switch to a slower guide at any time. Have I convinced you? LOL...
The reason I'm training this way is because, truth be told...the problems I'm having with my muscles are not new. I just didn't understand that the pain was not normal when I started running. Nov 2, 2007 was the first time I ever ran, and I got right into training for the full marathon to be run on Mar 2, 2008. I ran one marathon while having these problems...I can do it again, right????
That's right folks!!! 4 months into running and I completed a marathon. I see now what a feat that was. (do I sound all proud of myself???...LOL) At the time I had no clue. To many things. So it took me 5:33:38 to get to the finish line. Not w/o injuries. I ran through pains that I should have seen as a signal that something wasn't quite right, but I didn't know. Now I do know...armed with all these valuable lessons learned, I'm ready to take on my 2nd marathon. I'm wondering if, by ignoring the signals last year, if I damaged my body to the point that I couldn't run at all... Who knows? I'll find out this time by paying closer attention.
I will also be paying closer attention to nutrition this time. My husband and I are discussing the P90X program. So far it looks like the perfect program to go hand in hand with my training. My husband just had 2 back surgeries since May and he's ready to get back to cycling and the gym. He's feeling very unenergetic, tired and a little down. I think doing this program together will benefit both of us.
If any of you have done this P90X let me know how you like(d) it. I know a few people who are doing it and they LOVE it...they look fabulous too!!!
I just peeked at the schedule and I see I'm supposed to do 7 miles this Saturday, not 8. And 9 miles the 2nd week...and the training pace the first couple weeks for the 4 hour marry is 10:40 to 11:10. I think my pace for the 7 miler last Saturday was 10:15. I'm screwing it up already....LOL
So I'll do 7 again this weekend. =P
Showing posts with label don't tell me I can't. Show all posts
Showing posts with label don't tell me I can't. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
I Got Some News...
Went to see the neurologist (Dr L) Friday morning. Got some answers. One was not surprising, one was kinda discouraging, the other was very upsetting. Here they are, in said order:
1. Complex seizures, which I suspected anyway and my family doctor (Dr R) had already called me into his office last week to deliver this news. Back on seizure meds...so be it. Been there, done that. (got no t-shirt)
2. Poly-neuropathy, which I also knew from that visit with Dr R, so no surprise. Dr R told me it was not something that would go away but that I'd get used to it. He said running will not make it worse, but the pain was here to stay. Sucks, but I liked that he didn't say no running. Being an endurance runner, overcoming pain is what it's all about. NNNNext!!
3. Muscle cramping. This was the biggie. This is very painful and together with the imbalance was stopping me from running. Dr L told me he was still testing to figure this one out, but that he didn't think any of the 3 were related.
Here's the upsetting part. He told me to go to the track and instead of running on the line, to have my feet land on either side of the line. Yeah. Like a gorilla. SEXY!!!! But that's not even the insulting part. When I started to cry (both from fear and anger) he looked me in the eye and asked me if I got paid to run. I said no. Then he shrugged his shoulders. He dismissed all my goals in that instant. Like they didn't matter.
He doesn't know me very well, does he???
Anyway, he gave me anti-seizure meds that have a pretty cool side effect: helps neuropathy while it's controlling the seizures. Nice. Seems that the type of seizures I have make me forgetful, confused and tired. Like Alzheimer's. Seriously. Many times I thought I was going crazy, so I'm happy with this getting fixed/controlled.
He gave me meds to help me sleep which also contain a muscle relaxer. He hoped that would help with the cramping. He also told me to take potassium once a day and to drink quinine water. I couldn't find that anywhere. I saw Jim at the gym and he told me it's in tonic water. I went and got that. Diet tonic with quinine. Oh yumminess. It tastes like I chewed an aspirin. BOGUS. Oh, Dr L also told me to forget the bananas and drink tomato juice. It has way more potassium in it! YAY!! I don't really like bananas anyway, but I L-O-V-E tomato juice. I mix the tonic with the juice and I have a virgin bloody mary. Which is good, because I cannot have beer while I'm on seizure meds! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll move on.
Now here's some miraculous news:
I took all the pills/juice/quinine/(oh, and I took it upon myself to get some B-12) throughout the day. Went to bed at 11pm. Woke up, and here's where the miracle comes in. *giggling*
I woke up at 8:15am, not 5am. I woke up naturally, not because my feet and legs were cramping. At first I thought I must be paralyzed so I woke my husband. I got out of bed and walked and my legs felt like they were a part of me again. Yes, my feet were tender, tingly and numb...but my legs felt wonderful! I couldn't believe it! I still can't. So I called my friend Mike, knower-of-lotsa-stuff. I told him all of this and asked him if potassium worked that quickly and he said YES! It's fast acting. Also, the fact that the meds I'm on have muscle relaxers and side effects that help neuropathy probably are a plus! OH YAY!!! We promptly set up a time to meet at the gym this afternoon for a little run. *Running report tomorrow*
Sooo...tonight, I feel like myself again. Which ever thing is helping me, I don't know...probably a mix of all of it together. I feel so good! My eyes feel better, clearer. My crampy legs are 85% better. Feels like a gauzy veil has been lifted from my body. Bobby said I'm back to my old self.
And I'll give y'all one guess as to what I'll be doing February 15th......first correct guess gets a custom made lil something from Kim's In Stitches. Ooooohhhh....lucky...LOL
1. Complex seizures, which I suspected anyway and my family doctor (Dr R) had already called me into his office last week to deliver this news. Back on seizure meds...so be it. Been there, done that. (got no t-shirt)
2. Poly-neuropathy, which I also knew from that visit with Dr R, so no surprise. Dr R told me it was not something that would go away but that I'd get used to it. He said running will not make it worse, but the pain was here to stay. Sucks, but I liked that he didn't say no running. Being an endurance runner, overcoming pain is what it's all about. NNNNext!!
3. Muscle cramping. This was the biggie. This is very painful and together with the imbalance was stopping me from running. Dr L told me he was still testing to figure this one out, but that he didn't think any of the 3 were related.
Here's the upsetting part. He told me to go to the track and instead of running on the line, to have my feet land on either side of the line. Yeah. Like a gorilla. SEXY!!!! But that's not even the insulting part. When I started to cry (both from fear and anger) he looked me in the eye and asked me if I got paid to run. I said no. Then he shrugged his shoulders. He dismissed all my goals in that instant. Like they didn't matter.
He doesn't know me very well, does he???
Anyway, he gave me anti-seizure meds that have a pretty cool side effect: helps neuropathy while it's controlling the seizures. Nice. Seems that the type of seizures I have make me forgetful, confused and tired. Like Alzheimer's. Seriously. Many times I thought I was going crazy, so I'm happy with this getting fixed/controlled.
He gave me meds to help me sleep which also contain a muscle relaxer. He hoped that would help with the cramping. He also told me to take potassium once a day and to drink quinine water. I couldn't find that anywhere. I saw Jim at the gym and he told me it's in tonic water. I went and got that. Diet tonic with quinine. Oh yumminess. It tastes like I chewed an aspirin. BOGUS. Oh, Dr L also told me to forget the bananas and drink tomato juice. It has way more potassium in it! YAY!! I don't really like bananas anyway, but I L-O-V-E tomato juice. I mix the tonic with the juice and I have a virgin bloody mary. Which is good, because I cannot have beer while I'm on seizure meds! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll move on.
Now here's some miraculous news:
I took all the pills/juice/quinine/(oh, and I took it upon myself to get some B-12) throughout the day. Went to bed at 11pm. Woke up, and here's where the miracle comes in. *giggling*
I woke up at 8:15am, not 5am. I woke up naturally, not because my feet and legs were cramping. At first I thought I must be paralyzed so I woke my husband. I got out of bed and walked and my legs felt like they were a part of me again. Yes, my feet were tender, tingly and numb...but my legs felt wonderful! I couldn't believe it! I still can't. So I called my friend Mike, knower-of-lotsa-stuff. I told him all of this and asked him if potassium worked that quickly and he said YES! It's fast acting. Also, the fact that the meds I'm on have muscle relaxers and side effects that help neuropathy probably are a plus! OH YAY!!! We promptly set up a time to meet at the gym this afternoon for a little run. *Running report tomorrow*
Sooo...tonight, I feel like myself again. Which ever thing is helping me, I don't know...probably a mix of all of it together. I feel so good! My eyes feel better, clearer. My crampy legs are 85% better. Feels like a gauzy veil has been lifted from my body. Bobby said I'm back to my old self.
And I'll give y'all one guess as to what I'll be doing February 15th......first correct guess gets a custom made lil something from Kim's In Stitches. Ooooohhhh....lucky...LOL
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