Another mile = another scone

Candied orange peel scones. Yum! Just one mile but it felt better than wednesday's test mile.

Winter riding

Insideride.com = much better trainer ride. I had no trouble riding easily for more than 30 minutes and I pedal much better. I kept to the fixed wheel trainer at first with the knee injury to protect it. Now knee function and stability is much improved and the roller trainer feels so much better.  

And there is progress

Evans Pool at Green Lake for Early Morning Lap Swimming. However, I was able to successful run/walk a mile. The knee does hurt but it does allow me to run and feels much better than it did with my test run a half week ago. It's been feeling markedly better at work even though I have been on my feet a fair bit.  I did have to run slightly differently than usual (altering my gait) and that means i will not be busting out any long runs anytime soon.  Even better it did not bother me at work later in the day. 
One mile is not much of a workout though so I did just a short pull only swim. It wasn't horrible.  What I can't figure out is why those who are there swimming spend half the length of the pool pushing off of the wall? 

In Progresss

I am wondering if I'll be able to run before the new mini-gym at my work is completed. 

Reason #87

Year 6?

Why I hate not running: losing race entry fees that I have paid for in advance.  You have to sign up for events in advance because many events sell out.  This is just a part of running and racing in general and it doesn't have to involve injury. Sometimes your training doesn't go as you had planned and it is smarter to skip a event you'd planned to race. Sometimes the weather is horrible (too hot or too cold) and it's better to skip.  sometimes you oversleep or life just happens. 

With this round of injury, i will miss the rest of the 2 mile race series.  I've signed up for a half marathon at the end of April. I'm probably going to miss that one but it's not something to worry about right now.  Ragnar Northwest Passage is not until mid-July.  As team captain, I signed up for this 2014 race about a month after 2013's event because it was the best pricing and I know with or without me, this race will go on.  that's the nice thing about relays.  I've been delaying starting team building because it has been hard to think about running but I sent out the first email today and was happy to hear from a number of people are are all set for this year's event.  I plan to be there. 

Reason #75

Running is also a social thing for me. If I'm injured, I miss my social, chatty runs with a friend. I made up for that today by meeting her for coffee and a walk around the park. It was great to catch up. And then we had other friends over for dinner and a whiskey sampling session.  they are newbies to whiskey and it was really fun trying some local whiskeys plus we capped it off with a wee sample of a Scotch. Fun day!

12

Seattle is all about the 12th Man right now. Seahawk fever has risen to an all time high.  I'm enjoying it as much as anyone although I don't watch football. It's always nice to see the hometown team doing well.

12? For me, 12 days is that magic time where de-training (ie not running or working out) hits that steep decline.  Blood volume has already been lost. It's been 2 weeks but more like 2.5 weeks since i had a harder workout. I know it'll come back faster having been well trained but since I do not know how long i will be off of running, it is making it harder to stay motivated to cross train.

Run fail today. I didn't make it two blocks and the knee is too sore to run on it. No idea what is the problem, what the fix is nor when it is likely to be better. The uncertainty is the worst. I hope the fix is just more time off but who knows? 

links:

http://www.kemibe.com/distancecoach/labreports/detraining.shtml 
http://runstrongereveryday.com/tag/timeline-for-de-training/

Caution Cuidado Attention

No kidding. Run test tomorrow. And another beautiful day. 

It's a beautiful day

Bus view: Sunset over Lake Union

I had two people tell me this today at work. And they added "for a run" as they know I am a runner. I felt a pang at this each time but it's too complicated to explain the knee injury as right now I am walking pretty normally.  I limp on occasion but it is subtle.  And I realize how profoundly i have changed.  I am used to 6 days of sweating a week.  Right now I just break a sweat working on strength workouts or easy spinning. 

An interesting article about all the benefits of one workout: Link

Lighting candles to the running gods

I'm willing if it'll settle this injury.  And then I remembered KT Tape. Hmm. I have some leftover from when i was having a back/hip injury long ago. I thought it was helpful then if only for a placebo effect for helping remind me about the issue. I've been feeling like the area around my knee could use some support and that would help. And voila! It's not going to hurt. The Winter Olympics start soon and I do find it entertaining to spot the tape! 

Reason #57

Why it annoys me to be injured: I have to take the elevators to catch my bus in the bus tunnel. They are super slow and usually stinky. I'd rather take the stairs but cannot while i am babying my knee. 

Run Fail

And no. I started running (on the track where it is flat with good footing) and made it not even 100 meters before i realized that it was too soon to run. The knee is feeling ever so much better but not for running. The green colors of the bruising are quite lovely plus it is still swollen.

Next cross training

Next in the cross training repertoire. And I was delighted that i could go down the stairs without pain today. 

I can't remember

And that is a good thing. I cannot remember the last time i was in a pool because I could not run. I'd tossed out my exercise swimsuit last year as the elastic was gone. The float belt still works and I got a swim suit after an invite from a friend to go pool run. The doc was really pushing this activity.  And? It wasn't horrible only because it was fun to chat with the friend. the knee protested the movement at first and then it felt better. After twenty minutes I was getting twinges and so i swam (with a pull buoy) for 10 minutes until my ears were filled water. Done! Movement was good.  And the flats I'd bought in San Diego were even better so I didn't feel the need to wear heels with my opera outfit.  Why tempt fate with the knee? 

Doctor Prescribed

Anti-inflammatory.  The outward swelling is mostly gone from the knee but it is still swollen within the joint. Yes ibuprofen works but i don't like it and I've taken more in the last week than i have all year. Done. Tumeric? yep. Omega 3 in flax seed? Yes. Thanks to RPD for a tumeric ginger tea. Ginger tea is pretty tasty, you know, for a tea and adding in turmeric certainly cannot hurt.  I'll be adding ground flax seed to my oatmeal tomorrow morning. Day 153

Grumpapotamus

But i did get good news at the doc. At this point, knee is stable. yes it got a big ol' knock and yes the swelling could be causing some of the issues i've been having. Meanwhile ice more and try some various anti-inflammatory tactics.  I can't do a lot of ibuprofen. No it doesn't bother my gut. I just don't like the way i feel on it if I take more than 200 mg.  Ice it is! 

This is good news and how. I'm seriously grumpy though. I miss my running/workout endorphins! 

Uncooperative Weather

It would be much better if the weather was pissy when I cannot run. Doc appointment tomorrow.

Day 3

And I'm sick of the enforced inactivity.

Ice

the knee is a bit better. Still very swollen and sore but with a teeny bit more range of motion. It made getting through an airport and onto and off of planes challenging. I used to use these ice packs all the time but had to go fishing one out of the chest freezer in the basement. I think it has been years since i've used one which does make me happy.

And this was a bad one.

I took a bad fall yesterday a mile into my run. No, this was not skunk related. And I had to sit down after i'd popped back up because i was pretty certain I'd faint.  And this is what the knee looks like today. The right knee is so swollen i can barely bend it and walking is a problem. I did run back home after the fall so I don't think it's anything worse than some bad swelling. I hope. 

San Diego Wildlife

We did go to the zoo but this was seen on the run!  And then i took a pretty bad spill. the knee is not going to be happy. 

San Diego

A short walk along Spanish landing Park in the sun and soft air. Lovely.

Not well used.

Yes,I'll be needing these this weekend. 

Mixing it up in the New Year

I'm not a resolution person but once done with a planned running event and past the holiday crazies, it is time to consider what events or goals to aim for in 2014. One of my goals is to try and run with more people mid-week. This will help me meet new people, get in more miles and at a slightly faster pace then my lazy jog.  There is a group which has been growing over the past year and I tried two different runs this week to see what it would be like. It's time to mix it up a bit . Those 9.6 miles flew by quick with a whole herd of people running around me. 

Farro

Faro and barley. Yes, I am glad to be done with holiday eating. 

a missing training ingredient?

No not drugs. well yes, drugs but only the occasional allergy medication. I realized the pills i had expired in 2009. Oops. I take the daily inhaler to control mild inflammation with allergies. When I actually need an allergy medication, it might be useful it was effective. Yes, as a tablet it probably is still pretty effective but 2009? I swear i just bought this.

Weekend Spectacular

A frosty morning. K went off to ride at a group trainer class and i needed a run but with no car that dictates a run from home.  As I left, i was just seeing some pretty clouds painted by sunrise and realized i'd be going by the new Maple Leaf Reservoir Park just at sunrise. There were quite a few other people out admiring the view as you can see by their shadows over the frosted grass. I waited and waited for the sun to hit Mount Rainier but the way the sun peeks over the Cascades right now meant i was waiting too long and got chilled. Another lap of the park and yes, that's better. I happily trotted along pleased I'd caught that one right. We've also been having very persistent hummingbirds at our feeder.  This is a female Anna's Hummingbird sitting still long enough for me to get a photo using my iphone and binoculars.

Sun!

What struck me? The moss is glowing green all over. This is driveway moss, Maple Leaf variety.

Mostly i'm annoyed because i didn't have a chance to get a photo over at Magnuson Park. it was so pretty in the sun.

And oh yeah, the race. it's the next in the series and the XC race. The goal of the series is to go out hard and not be afraid to take a risk. I took a risk today and it didn't pay off.  First lap 7:40 pace. Second lap 8:13 pace. 15:38 overall. Ouch. I say that literally.  Oof, that hurt.  It was all i could do to get to that 8:13 pace too.

I've increased miles last week and this week. I was hoping the legs wouldn't notice but they did. I was really tired Thursday after six days of running including some quality miles. I have been a slacker with strength training the past month. Some of that was taper before and after Deception Pass but i could tell as my shoulders and upper body were tired the second lap. I wore my trail shoes again which I realize are just not the right shoe for these races. They feel way too heavy for speed work. I got a good workout in but it was not the race I wanted.

Still, the main goal was met. I went out hard, tried something new and still stuck with it even though things weren't going so well.  That's still a win.  

K had a fantastic race however.  And there was a Bald Eagle sitting in a tree on course the whole time I warmed up and when we raced.  The bird seemed perplexed by the hoard of runners streaming over the field and hill.

Why get off te couch?

In this case I didn't. here is an easy and quick finished knitted project. Fetching is a lovely little pattern which is quite quick. If I knit this again (for myself in particular) it will have to a be a lot smaller and i did not like that picot edging around the palm. 

The next 2 mile race is tomorrow.  I've just finished The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance by David Epstein and guess i will continue training even though I didn't grow up at 7,000 feet running 6 miles each way to school nor have a genetic variation which gives me an EPO-like effect of more hemoglobin or do I have 10,000 hours spent on an activity (yet). I'm not tall enough (or too tall), my eyesight is not perfect and the biggest handicap of all is that I'm female.

A very interesting book and has me wondering what needs to change for me (deeply me - the gene level me) to run best. Oh wait, maybe I would've been better as a skier or a ____? Fill in the blank and read the book yourself! 

Resolutions?

No, I don't really believe in them. If a change needs to happen, why wait? Possibilities are better!  Try new things and get into new habits and see what old (don't say bad but just not as useful) habits fall by the wayside.  Possibilities abound with this doorway that has appeared at work. What is it? It will be a new gym facility in my building.  There just used to be the cinder block wall and then this doorway appeared! 

Onto 2014!

All ready to volunteer! Bring on the runners.

Happy New Year! With no snow and staying in-town, I went to volunteer at my favorite race NOT to participate in as a runner.  The Resolution Run 5k with optional Polar Bear Dip into Lake Washington is a really fun race but I don't need to go jump in the lake again in the winter uh ever again!  It is fun to volunteer though when i have the time and I was kept hopping by doing clothing check. I got up early to get in my 8 miles before the event and then spent the next couple hours in a very busy pace.

2013 was a good year for a lot of reasons.

Family and friends continue to be in good health although there have been some challenges to this.  Work continues to evolve and keeps me interested. I'm excited about the work we've started in the back yard with finally getting to some basic landscaping. The front and side yards will need some work this summer but overall, it's looking good.  With the time off that K had over the holidays, we got the basement tidied up but that, of course, is a work in progress and will probably require a run to the dump.

Running?  I set a 5k PR this year which still delights me. I ran a solid marathon. I ran 6 half marathons, two of them were on trails (and one of those was actually 14 miles instead of a half marathon).  I had a solid half marathon time for where i was in training.  The Deception Pass 25k was a great way to end the running year and as usual, the short 2 mile series is proving to be a lot of fun.

Total Miles: 1775
Total miles per week: 34

This is a bit less than my high from last year but only by 35 miles. I had planned down time but no injuries besides a random tweak here or there.

Biking?  Just 280 miles and most of that during the summer when it was nice and K was working towards some biking goals.

Strength? I have been fairly regularly enjoying a weekly barre class and plan to keep that up in the new year. After the switch to a new phone and new operating system, i've re-established the strength training plan i like and will pick that back up in the new year. I've come to realize that I do really like the way regular strength training makes me feel and not just when running.