Another rest day. But no rest from driving around in the morning! These west county trips and lack of biking aren't my favorite way to spend the morning...but oh well. Only for a little while longer.
Last night my back was tired and pained. I lied down (lay? laid?) on the floor to play with Sugar and my back didn't want to straighten out. Pulling pillows from the bed, sitting, everything was uncomfortable. Call it a painful discomfort, not really a "pain". Denial.
This morning at therapy even the drive out wasn't great, hitting a speedbump hurt too. H started on my lower back and ouch -- so the heating pad came out, first time for this. After a few mins of that (warm...) she started again. Yup, I was in a painful discomfort. She worked on a few muscles, one low in the back and one around T5 that were tight and hurt when manipulated. I did my exercises, but no weights today.
I'm not too worried, don't see it as a step back. I've been more posture-conscious the past few days, and my body is responding to the reduction in training. See how the rest of today and tomorrow goes.
Friday, May 29, 2015
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Thursday on the Taper
RUN 7 miles in 60 mins
BIKE COMMUTE 6.4 miles
My first and only bike commute this week. I miss my bike, and dislike all the driving.
Gorgeous morning, still and calm, warm and humid, sunrise and friends. After a brief stop by work, a quick run, back to work, walk the dog, back to work, take the dog home, back to work....whew....these timecourses take time! I ran mostly with JA this morning, he's tapering for Kansas and we both knew we needed to slow down, but had trouble doing so. Hee, and I said I'd be slow for a taper run today!
More SCD research today, learning A LOT. Wonder if I should start a separate blog. Maybe just a journal. Not like anyone else would want to read it, not like I would ever want to read it. Or would I?
BIKE COMMUTE 6.4 miles
My first and only bike commute this week. I miss my bike, and dislike all the driving.
Gorgeous morning, still and calm, warm and humid, sunrise and friends. After a brief stop by work, a quick run, back to work, walk the dog, back to work, take the dog home, back to work....whew....these timecourses take time! I ran mostly with JA this morning, he's tapering for Kansas and we both knew we needed to slow down, but had trouble doing so. Hee, and I said I'd be slow for a taper run today!
More SCD research today, learning A LOT. Wonder if I should start a separate blog. Maybe just a journal. Not like anyone else would want to read it, not like I would ever want to read it. Or would I?
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Weds OFF! And Dr M visit
RUN ZERO!
AHHHHHH my 10-15 miles/Wednesday habit is...OVER!?!?!?! I was so bored I dusted the dining and living rooms. OK not so much boredom, it needed to be done.
I had an appt with Dr M, I'm good to go. After trying to talk me into the Great Wall of China Marathon he said I can start swimming again too as long as I can bilateral breath. As for the race, keep the Camelbak light, and get more PT afterwards.
Having some taper pains, one in the left hip and the other in the right quads/knee. Thankfully they aren't freaking me out.
Without my drug hit, I got a little hungry frenzied in the afternoon, and the stress of my GI upset has me taking this research into the SCD more seriously. So serious, in fact, that I placed orders to day for probiotics, enzymes, and betain HCl. When money is involved, you know I'm getting serious.
TV suggested a 50K in Greensfelder for a fall race. Whoop!
AHHHHHH my 10-15 miles/Wednesday habit is...OVER!?!?!?! I was so bored I dusted the dining and living rooms. OK not so much boredom, it needed to be done.
I had an appt with Dr M, I'm good to go. After trying to talk me into the Great Wall of China Marathon he said I can start swimming again too as long as I can bilateral breath. As for the race, keep the Camelbak light, and get more PT afterwards.
Having some taper pains, one in the left hip and the other in the right quads/knee. Thankfully they aren't freaking me out.
Without my drug hit, I got a little hungry frenzied in the afternoon, and the stress of my GI upset has me taking this research into the SCD more seriously. So serious, in fact, that I placed orders to day for probiotics, enzymes, and betain HCl. When money is involved, you know I'm getting serious.
TV suggested a 50K in Greensfelder for a fall race. Whoop!
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Therapy update
RUN 4 miles in 38 mins
The was a very light rain (and high humidity!) on today's out n back to LP on my new 4 miler route. My right knee was tight, but I'm calling it a taper pain. All felt good!
Today at therapy she talked about how to pick things up and some of the exercises practiced that. She also said that I need to be careful for probably years, not just until the pain goes away. I'll have a more full report after I see Dr M tomorrow.
And I'm pretty much set on trying the SC Diet. After having symptoms all weekend, and after reading and listening and learning so much about it...I have nothing but 30 days to lose.
However, if I do this, I'll probably set back any race plans for this fall. One thing at a time.
The was a very light rain (and high humidity!) on today's out n back to LP on my new 4 miler route. My right knee was tight, but I'm calling it a taper pain. All felt good!
Today at therapy she talked about how to pick things up and some of the exercises practiced that. She also said that I need to be careful for probably years, not just until the pain goes away. I'll have a more full report after I see Dr M tomorrow.
And I'm pretty much set on trying the SC Diet. After having symptoms all weekend, and after reading and listening and learning so much about it...I have nothing but 30 days to lose.
However, if I do this, I'll probably set back any race plans for this fall. One thing at a time.
Monday, May 25, 2015
Memorial Day weekend summary
Saturday RUN 11 miles in 1:48
Sunday REST!
Monday REST!
The family visited this weekend, so a perfectly timed visit in my taper. By moving one of the mid distance runs to Friday, I was able to not miss out on family time :)
My symptoms kinda continued through the weekend. But I did test a few things -- puffed amaranth and jaggery balls, and Moroccan food. Mild symptoms, lack of appetite in the morning, periods of 'pressure' in the back of my throat most of the day.
The run felt great, if anything I was bored. :) My back was a total non-issue.
NUMERICS
RUN 40 miles in 6:19
BIKE COMMUTE 22.4 miles
WALKIES 19.1 miles
Sunday REST!
Monday REST!
The family visited this weekend, so a perfectly timed visit in my taper. By moving one of the mid distance runs to Friday, I was able to not miss out on family time :)
My symptoms kinda continued through the weekend. But I did test a few things -- puffed amaranth and jaggery balls, and Moroccan food. Mild symptoms, lack of appetite in the morning, periods of 'pressure' in the back of my throat most of the day.
The run felt great, if anything I was bored. :) My back was a total non-issue.
NUMERICS
RUN 40 miles in 6:19
BIKE COMMUTE 22.4 miles
WALKIES 19.1 miles
Friday, May 22, 2015
Finally the week is over
RUN 8.2 miles in 1:15, afternoon in FP
Lotsa topics, I'll break them up
The run: Felt surprisingly good, considering that my afternoon runs are usually sluggish and heavy. And this was my 4th run day in a row! Tomorrow will be 5!
------
PT: PT was good, she noticed that the left side of my neck muscles, when viewed from the back, had more 'tone' than the right side. So she added on some neck strengthening exercises. She also noted a rotation in my lumbar, and added some fixes to that. I'm 98% pain free, and +90% discomfort free, so I'm pretty damned happy with this so far.
------
Last night went badly. I didn't commit to a good dinner, in addition to a good salad with veggies and ground turkey, I munched carrots and zucchini, had 2 pieces of chocolate, an extra banana, then some potato. Why was this bad? Well, let's see...
The chocolate is a known belly-problem-causer. I limit myself to 1 piece because those symptoms are pretty tolerable and minimal. So why did I eat two? Dunno, but I threw the rest out in frustration. The carrots were mostly raw, and totally munched, so those are problem because I have no idea how many I ate. They're sooooo good! Two big zucchini, those are so good too but I've very recently read that more than 3/4c of zucchini is considered a FODMAP problem.
Again, all good foods. It wasn't just what -- it was HOW. I grazed. And I grazed myself sick. By the time I hit the pillow, my tummy was hugely bloated and I hurt. When I woke up, I could hear the terribly gurgling, fluidily flowing, gas-filled intestines waiting for some toilet time. Ugh. 3 trips to the bathroom this morning, and a potential 4th. Want to hear a stupid measure for "how you know your BMs are right?" How many times you have to flush, and how many times a week you have to scrub your bowl clean. :(
So I like to track and pinpoint the problem. Too much chocolate? Too much zucchini? Too much carrot + zucchini + salad? It wasn't one or another, it was all of them together. And I probably swallowed some air. I felt terrible yesterday, no energy and brain fogged. Coming home this way, even though I took a break to get some mint and walk the dog, I wasn't focused. Instead of a well-thought out meal I just grazed.
But really now. I've been having symptoms a lot all week, and they've been more on and off lately. I'm sure stress and training have a role in this. But I can't keep living like this -- getting up early to make sure I have enough 'toilet time', setting a timer for 'tt' so that even though I feel the need to sit longer I don't, and wanting to have a private toilet available during the day just in case.
I'm reading and listening more on the SCD. I'm still not sure it's right for me. I don't have the serious IBS symptoms the others describe. Or do I, and it's a mild case? I kinda decided that I'll read as much as a I can and make a final decision after the race.
In the meantime, I need to get my gut and head back on line. My health can't afford many days like this!
Lotsa topics, I'll break them up
The run: Felt surprisingly good, considering that my afternoon runs are usually sluggish and heavy. And this was my 4th run day in a row! Tomorrow will be 5!
------
PT: PT was good, she noticed that the left side of my neck muscles, when viewed from the back, had more 'tone' than the right side. So she added on some neck strengthening exercises. She also noted a rotation in my lumbar, and added some fixes to that. I'm 98% pain free, and +90% discomfort free, so I'm pretty damned happy with this so far.
------
Last night went badly. I didn't commit to a good dinner, in addition to a good salad with veggies and ground turkey, I munched carrots and zucchini, had 2 pieces of chocolate, an extra banana, then some potato. Why was this bad? Well, let's see...
The chocolate is a known belly-problem-causer. I limit myself to 1 piece because those symptoms are pretty tolerable and minimal. So why did I eat two? Dunno, but I threw the rest out in frustration. The carrots were mostly raw, and totally munched, so those are problem because I have no idea how many I ate. They're sooooo good! Two big zucchini, those are so good too but I've very recently read that more than 3/4c of zucchini is considered a FODMAP problem.
Again, all good foods. It wasn't just what -- it was HOW. I grazed. And I grazed myself sick. By the time I hit the pillow, my tummy was hugely bloated and I hurt. When I woke up, I could hear the terribly gurgling, fluidily flowing, gas-filled intestines waiting for some toilet time. Ugh. 3 trips to the bathroom this morning, and a potential 4th. Want to hear a stupid measure for "how you know your BMs are right?" How many times you have to flush, and how many times a week you have to scrub your bowl clean. :(
So I like to track and pinpoint the problem. Too much chocolate? Too much zucchini? Too much carrot + zucchini + salad? It wasn't one or another, it was all of them together. And I probably swallowed some air. I felt terrible yesterday, no energy and brain fogged. Coming home this way, even though I took a break to get some mint and walk the dog, I wasn't focused. Instead of a well-thought out meal I just grazed.
But really now. I've been having symptoms a lot all week, and they've been more on and off lately. I'm sure stress and training have a role in this. But I can't keep living like this -- getting up early to make sure I have enough 'toilet time', setting a timer for 'tt' so that even though I feel the need to sit longer I don't, and wanting to have a private toilet available during the day just in case.
I'm reading and listening more on the SCD. I'm still not sure it's right for me. I don't have the serious IBS symptoms the others describe. Or do I, and it's a mild case? I kinda decided that I'll read as much as a I can and make a final decision after the race.
In the meantime, I need to get my gut and head back on line. My health can't afford many days like this!
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Foggy brained Thursday
RUN 6.6 miles in 57-58 mins
BIKE COMMUTE 6.4 miles
Another chilly day, at least it's dry. Most all of the day I felt like I was in a brain fog, as if underwater or sludgy or ... ? I am sleeping OK, but not getting to bed on time. So I'm not sure what is causing the super brain fog. It sucks. I just want to curl up and sleep!
No problems on the run, felt the fog there too, only a few niggles in the front right shoulder and the ball of my left foot. Let the taper niggles begin!
I've been reading and podcasting on the SCD, trying to decide if it's for me and/or something I need. No way I could do it until after my race, so I have time to keep thinking on it. The Intro is just a few days, then a phased re-intro follows that. Would this help me get away from some FODMAP limitations? Maybe be able to eat apples again? That's one of the things I need to decide.
BIKE COMMUTE 6.4 miles
Another chilly day, at least it's dry. Most all of the day I felt like I was in a brain fog, as if underwater or sludgy or ... ? I am sleeping OK, but not getting to bed on time. So I'm not sure what is causing the super brain fog. It sucks. I just want to curl up and sleep!
No problems on the run, felt the fog there too, only a few niggles in the front right shoulder and the ball of my left foot. Let the taper niggles begin!
I've been reading and podcasting on the SCD, trying to decide if it's for me and/or something I need. No way I could do it until after my race, so I have time to keep thinking on it. The Intro is just a few days, then a phased re-intro follows that. Would this help me get away from some FODMAP limitations? Maybe be able to eat apples again? That's one of the things I need to decide.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
John on my ACV, Rainy Day run
RUN 10.1 miles in about 1:38
BIKE COMMUTE 9.6 miles, errand to Walgreens
Last night I was looking at my new bottle of ACV and found my STALKER JOHN on it!
3 John 2: Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along wellThis is now the 4th time he's found me! I'll get back to that later. First the run. Another mid-50's temp day like yesterday, this time with a very light rain in the first few minutes of the run. Yay! The route was a simple out-n-back to TGP with the MoBot loop. No music, no food, just water. And the Whisper of Rain :)
Now back to John. My STALKER. I should come up with a better name, it's probably not nice to call him that. Especially in all caps.
I don't think I've detailed this yet, so here goes. On the way to B2B last fall I was consumed with the idea of a 1 year transformation. I'd been watching that TV show with the fitness trainer giving people that 1 year to get healthy and reach a weight loss goal. I started watching it on the trainer after MiTi. For some reason I was craving a change. In retrospect, I know why. I started mapping out this 4 phase plan to make changes, set goals and mini goals, and "fix me" by the end of one year -- my 40th birthday! I was so unhappy, needed something, and this seemed to fit.
On October 23rd while driving through Tennessee I went for a short run from the hotel, and came across a church on a rural road with a sign saying
John 3:3 Thou must be born again.
In the first pass, I saw it and smiled. Sounds like what I was thinking about -- being reborn! On the way back, I realized how much this struck me and stopped to take a picture. There are many many times I want to stop and take a picture while running, but don't, because I don't want to stop. And besides, what will I do with the picture? Load it to my SpaceBookTweetAgram account?! But there I was, taking the picture.
Later in the car, I started reading up on it. It's Jesus talking to Nicodemus, saying Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. I read more, laughed a bit at the idea of being reborn in to the church, read more on being reborn. Then moved on to my race.
On Oct 25th I start not only the race, but Phase I. Phase I was heavily disrupted by life events and it wasn't until it ended on January 24th that I took stock to begin Phase 2.
Sometime in mid April I'm surfing the radio during dinner, seated in the DR as per my new goal to eat like an adult and not surf at the counter top. While randoming through the stations, I'm caught by a strong voice delivering a sermon. I'm so caught that I stop to listen:
Wilt thou be made whole
I listen, he talked about making choices in life to heal and be free. Interested, I google it only to find out it's John!! John 5:6, in which Jesus is asking a sick man if he wants to be healed. What?! Isn't that what I'm doing?! Trying to heal myself?!
To learn more, I pull out Gramma L's bible from the China cabinet. Over the next few dinners, I'm flipping through it. None of it is familiar, even though I did attend 8 years of Sunday school and church. I'm more fascinated anyway by the maps included in the back. While flipping through them I come across a list of gospels to read on certain dates. Since the next day was May 1st, I look that date up. And get the F out of here, it's JOHN!
John 14:1 Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.
Whoa. This can't be just coincidence, can it? I talk to JG about it, she thinks someone is trying to talk to me. She loans me a few books, I'm still reading them over. I'm not yet convinced. As the meme joke says, just because a Bible was written doesn't mean God exists because if it did, think of Spiderman and Marvel comics... Or better yet Gondor and Lord of the Rings!
Then I buy my ACV, and while reading the label I see 3 John 2. At first I think it's really John 3:2, but I learned soon enough that no, the 3 refers to a separate chapter not the gospel.
WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON!? Well from what I learned last night, John wants me to have good shits :)
This has been a somewhat stressful week so far, learning more about my future plans and making decisions. I've talked only to JG and TH about this, they've been great resources. But now what do I do?
As for the ACV and stomach acid experiment, in my 3 baking soda tests I did have small burps, so I think I'm OK there. They were mini burps, is that enough? Should I be able to detect something I ate 7 hours ago? Dunno. It's too early to tell with the ACV, give that a few more days. I'm skeptical, but willing to try. And the more I read, it seems that a diagnosis of SIBO could fit me. But there's so much overlap with IBS, they seem linked and collaborative. Still debating the SCD after the race.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Easy four miles, and The Mother
RUN 4.1 miles in 40 mins, LP and back
No commute because I drove to therapy. Miss my bike on these days! But I gotta do what I gotta do.
The run felt surprisingly easy, I thought for sure I'd be too run-down after the last weekend. It's going to be hard to let this fitness go after the race. Maintaining a 70 mpw habit doesn't seem like something I'll do though.
I had nothing but positive reports for PT. Minimal if any pain/discomfort. Strength building exercises are getting easier. She notes increased flexibility, but also that more work needs to be done. We mapped out a plan to cover the pre and post race PT appointments, which means I'm seeing Dr M next week.
Another medical follow up -- the CD tests Dr A ordered probably aren't going to happen, the codes and the labs and the tests just don't come together. I figured the test would be a negative anyway, so I'm not disappointed. Just would be nice to rule it out. I had time today for some SIBO research, the symptoms overlap with IBS but they are also vague symptoms that don't point to a specific diagnosis. I'm willing to self-test, but knowing the direction for it would help.
I repeated the baking soda test this morning, a very small burp after one minute, so inconclusive. Then I had bad GI output, again, not sure what caused that. Maybe stress.
On the way home from PT I bought some real ACV, the kind with The Mother, to test how my stomach handles it. I mixed it with lemon green tea in my new Camelbak bottle (1L!) and enjoyed it. Although I didn't mean to drink the entire dose like that. The recommendations are 1-2 tsp/8oz, so I added 4 tsp to the liter to hit the lower and of the range. It didn't taste bad at all, actually it was pleasant. Why am I testing this? For the heartburn-like symptoms, the heavy-in-the-belly post meal symptoms, and the lack of appetite. My Dr Google research (the worst kind, btw) suggested low stomach acid. Which not surprisingly is connected to IBS and SIBO. I think those websites are all in league with each other. Probably update their blogs from adjacent workstations...
Too early to tell effects of ACV, but I have a stress-y feeling in my gut (probably from the phone call I received during PT!) that I just need to wait out. See if the probiotics or apple content sets off FODMAP like symptoms. See if my teeth rot out. haha!
Oh, and I found a special deal online to order kefir grains. Another experiment!
No commute because I drove to therapy. Miss my bike on these days! But I gotta do what I gotta do.
The run felt surprisingly easy, I thought for sure I'd be too run-down after the last weekend. It's going to be hard to let this fitness go after the race. Maintaining a 70 mpw habit doesn't seem like something I'll do though.
I had nothing but positive reports for PT. Minimal if any pain/discomfort. Strength building exercises are getting easier. She notes increased flexibility, but also that more work needs to be done. We mapped out a plan to cover the pre and post race PT appointments, which means I'm seeing Dr M next week.
Another medical follow up -- the CD tests Dr A ordered probably aren't going to happen, the codes and the labs and the tests just don't come together. I figured the test would be a negative anyway, so I'm not disappointed. Just would be nice to rule it out. I had time today for some SIBO research, the symptoms overlap with IBS but they are also vague symptoms that don't point to a specific diagnosis. I'm willing to self-test, but knowing the direction for it would help.
I repeated the baking soda test this morning, a very small burp after one minute, so inconclusive. Then I had bad GI output, again, not sure what caused that. Maybe stress.
On the way home from PT I bought some real ACV, the kind with The Mother, to test how my stomach handles it. I mixed it with lemon green tea in my new Camelbak bottle (1L!) and enjoyed it. Although I didn't mean to drink the entire dose like that. The recommendations are 1-2 tsp/8oz, so I added 4 tsp to the liter to hit the lower and of the range. It didn't taste bad at all, actually it was pleasant. Why am I testing this? For the heartburn-like symptoms, the heavy-in-the-belly post meal symptoms, and the lack of appetite. My Dr Google research (the worst kind, btw) suggested low stomach acid. Which not surprisingly is connected to IBS and SIBO. I think those websites are all in league with each other. Probably update their blogs from adjacent workstations...
Too early to tell effects of ACV, but I have a stress-y feeling in my gut (probably from the phone call I received during PT!) that I just need to wait out. See if the probiotics or apple content sets off FODMAP like symptoms. See if my teeth rot out. haha!
Oh, and I found a special deal online to order kefir grains. Another experiment!
Monday, May 18, 2015
First day of taper, and some nutritional testing
BIKE COMMUTE 6.4 miles
I think this is the first day this year I was able to comfortably wear just a t-shirt on the morning ride :)
I wanted to sleep in this morning, I had trouble falling asleep again after a busy cook-up and hoped to get 7.5+ but both habit and Sugar conspired otherwise. I felt OK waking up, no pain or aches, just stiffness and slightly swollen feets.
I repeated my 'low stomach acid' test of drinking 0.25t baking soda in a few ounces of water, to see if I burp or not. Last week I had lots of 'pressure' in my esophagus with eating and drinking, and my stomach always felt too full, like it never emptied. Of course I start reading on it, and with all the podcasts and emails about SCD and FODMAPs I had it in my head that low stomach acid (high pH) could be one issue. Last week's test was done with older baking soda, so when I didn't burp it wasn't conclusive. Was the baking soda old or was it the pH?
Today was fresh, just-opened baking soda. I burped just a little bit after 4 minutes. But when I did, I could taste the peanut butter I'd eaten 7 hours prior!!! My stomach should be emptied by then?! Low stomach acid means slower digestion? I need to repeat the test before deciding anything.
But following up on the failed (?) test today, I tried drinking 1T of ACV in a mug of water to see what happened. This is supposed to "get the stomach going", encouraging pepsin production, lowering the pH, and blah blah blah insert your favorite health benefit. I've been reading on this, both sides have good arguments. But I just need to find out for myself!
At the store yesterday I saw the "good" ACV that has the probiotic "Mother" in it, but it was $6 a bottle. If I see benefits from what I'm doing, I'll feel better about spending that much. First things first. Also I don't think I'll have a FODMAP reaction to the small amount of apple in the tablespoon of ACV -- I think I read 0.04g fructose in that serving. I think I'll be OK!! Aside from the off taste, I didn't notice much different yet. Except brekkie seemed unsatisfying and I was hungrier sooner. But that happens a lot post-big weekend and on off-training days.
See I need to get my nutrition issues fixed. I can't keep living with TMI issues most mornings, can't keep wondering what nutrition and hydration I lose when that happens, and especially can't keep being afraid to try some foods for fear of what they "could" do to my stomach.
Over the weekend I thought about trying corn tortillas with my shrimp pineapple salsa, as 2 6" tortillas is supposed to be FODMAP safe. But the ingredients also listed guar gums! And in previous tests that was upsetting for me to eat, so corn + guar gum was a turn off, I didn't buy the tortillas. Stuff like that -- needs to be fixed if possible. As much as I want to test them, I don't want to be sick even more.
So here's to some food testing in the taper weeks ahead, at least maybe up to race week!
Also things I'm thinking on -- a caffeine taper. And working on reducing the amount of salt I consume.
I think this is the first day this year I was able to comfortably wear just a t-shirt on the morning ride :)
I wanted to sleep in this morning, I had trouble falling asleep again after a busy cook-up and hoped to get 7.5+ but both habit and Sugar conspired otherwise. I felt OK waking up, no pain or aches, just stiffness and slightly swollen feets.
I repeated my 'low stomach acid' test of drinking 0.25t baking soda in a few ounces of water, to see if I burp or not. Last week I had lots of 'pressure' in my esophagus with eating and drinking, and my stomach always felt too full, like it never emptied. Of course I start reading on it, and with all the podcasts and emails about SCD and FODMAPs I had it in my head that low stomach acid (high pH) could be one issue. Last week's test was done with older baking soda, so when I didn't burp it wasn't conclusive. Was the baking soda old or was it the pH?
Today was fresh, just-opened baking soda. I burped just a little bit after 4 minutes. But when I did, I could taste the peanut butter I'd eaten 7 hours prior!!! My stomach should be emptied by then?! Low stomach acid means slower digestion? I need to repeat the test before deciding anything.
But following up on the failed (?) test today, I tried drinking 1T of ACV in a mug of water to see what happened. This is supposed to "get the stomach going", encouraging pepsin production, lowering the pH, and blah blah blah insert your favorite health benefit. I've been reading on this, both sides have good arguments. But I just need to find out for myself!
At the store yesterday I saw the "good" ACV that has the probiotic "Mother" in it, but it was $6 a bottle. If I see benefits from what I'm doing, I'll feel better about spending that much. First things first. Also I don't think I'll have a FODMAP reaction to the small amount of apple in the tablespoon of ACV -- I think I read 0.04g fructose in that serving. I think I'll be OK!! Aside from the off taste, I didn't notice much different yet. Except brekkie seemed unsatisfying and I was hungrier sooner. But that happens a lot post-big weekend and on off-training days.
See I need to get my nutrition issues fixed. I can't keep living with TMI issues most mornings, can't keep wondering what nutrition and hydration I lose when that happens, and especially can't keep being afraid to try some foods for fear of what they "could" do to my stomach.
Over the weekend I thought about trying corn tortillas with my shrimp pineapple salsa, as 2 6" tortillas is supposed to be FODMAP safe. But the ingredients also listed guar gums! And in previous tests that was upsetting for me to eat, so corn + guar gum was a turn off, I didn't buy the tortillas. Stuff like that -- needs to be fixed if possible. As much as I want to test them, I don't want to be sick even more.
So here's to some food testing in the taper weeks ahead, at least maybe up to race week!
Also things I'm thinking on -- a caffeine taper. And working on reducing the amount of salt I consume.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
16 miles of bad math, more walking, and success!
RUN 16 miles in 3 hrs
Some delay in getting started for this one. I had trouble getting to sleep last night, a normal aftereffect of a long run. I also stayed up to clean my muddy shoes in the hopeless hope that they'd be dry enough for a trail run today. Silly bee, they don't need to be dry to run in!
So even though I didn't sleep in much, I was still moving slow. And since I wasn't committed to where I was running, that became another excuse to delay. I guess in all honesty I wasn't that delayed, I was at the Mound trailhead by 9am.
I chose the Hamburg for the road shoe runability, that fact that it had some hills unlike Forest Park, and this might be the last time this year I'd be out here! My motivation so low this morning that I don't envision coming back for long runs after the 100 miler. But who am I kidding...I'll be back. I picked this too because I knew I didn't really want to do it, meaning it was harder than FP and the honest part of me knew that was the better option. Really, trails would be the best option...
16 miles. Ooof. I tried to comfort myself by thinking 'well it could be 20 like the plan says' but that didn't work so great. Yesterday morning I thought I could do 35 on Saturday, then only need 14 on Sunday. But after doing only (did I just say only?) 33 miles that means those extra 2 miles carried into today. Really, two miles, ain't all that much physically, it's all mental!
It's also all mental just how bad my math can be. First I'm thinking I just need to run out-n-back on Hamburg. It's 4 out...4 back...how does that add up to 16?! Umm it doesnt!! When I realize that, the true distance of 16 gets heavier.
I start with a loop around the Mound. I have jelly beans again but I decide I hate them and as I eat them I spit them out. Gone in the first mile. By mile two I was near the drop into Lost Valley and I turned off the Hamburg to take the short route. Knowing it had hills and gravel was a bit of a deterrent, but what I needed. My original plan for this last blow out weekend had me on trails the entire time. I had to keep reminding myself of that as I walked uphills.
And I walked, way more than I thought I wanted to but less than I needed too. I need to walk more and sooner. A hard lesson to learn, apparently.
I was saving a ginger chew for 8 miles, which seemed to never come. I hit 8 near Defiance on the Katy. My plan was to run from LV to Katy, then Katy far enough to reach 12 miles by the time I came back to Hamburg. But I couldn't muster the math to get more than an estimate. I came back to Hamburg at 11.5, burned out and tired and mostly walking.
I probably didn't eat enough -- only 2 gels and 6 miles apart. I wasn't hungry but my stomach was growling. I was thirsty and drinking a lot but never satisfied. So I 'let' myself walk. Probably all of a half mile! But it felt sooooo long. I know that walking now means running later, this was a comforting thought, still hard to do.
I got back to the Mound at 15 miles, more bad math, leaving me with only 1 more mile! 0.9 miles if I wanted to carry over from Tuesday's 5.1 miler! Around the Mound...and oooof it was hard. I was making the mistake of focusing on the number, not the finish. Instead of saying, I'm done at the finish line I was saying I'm done at the Garmin beep. I ran sign to sign to sign, then weed to weed to weed in the last tenths.
Ugh. Done. I didn't hurt anywhere, I wasn't sick or blistered or nothing like that. I was mentally drained, meaning I could benefit from more fuel. Really gotta work on that. I'll get back to this more when my head is recovered! Tomorrow!
NUMERICS
RUN 75.1 miles in 15hrs
BIKE 12.8 miles
WALKIES 18.3 miles
Taper Time!
Some delay in getting started for this one. I had trouble getting to sleep last night, a normal aftereffect of a long run. I also stayed up to clean my muddy shoes in the hopeless hope that they'd be dry enough for a trail run today. Silly bee, they don't need to be dry to run in!
So even though I didn't sleep in much, I was still moving slow. And since I wasn't committed to where I was running, that became another excuse to delay. I guess in all honesty I wasn't that delayed, I was at the Mound trailhead by 9am.
I chose the Hamburg for the road shoe runability, that fact that it had some hills unlike Forest Park, and this might be the last time this year I'd be out here! My motivation so low this morning that I don't envision coming back for long runs after the 100 miler. But who am I kidding...I'll be back. I picked this too because I knew I didn't really want to do it, meaning it was harder than FP and the honest part of me knew that was the better option. Really, trails would be the best option...
16 miles. Ooof. I tried to comfort myself by thinking 'well it could be 20 like the plan says' but that didn't work so great. Yesterday morning I thought I could do 35 on Saturday, then only need 14 on Sunday. But after doing only (did I just say only?) 33 miles that means those extra 2 miles carried into today. Really, two miles, ain't all that much physically, it's all mental!
It's also all mental just how bad my math can be. First I'm thinking I just need to run out-n-back on Hamburg. It's 4 out...4 back...how does that add up to 16?! Umm it doesnt!! When I realize that, the true distance of 16 gets heavier.
I start with a loop around the Mound. I have jelly beans again but I decide I hate them and as I eat them I spit them out. Gone in the first mile. By mile two I was near the drop into Lost Valley and I turned off the Hamburg to take the short route. Knowing it had hills and gravel was a bit of a deterrent, but what I needed. My original plan for this last blow out weekend had me on trails the entire time. I had to keep reminding myself of that as I walked uphills.
And I walked, way more than I thought I wanted to but less than I needed too. I need to walk more and sooner. A hard lesson to learn, apparently.
I was saving a ginger chew for 8 miles, which seemed to never come. I hit 8 near Defiance on the Katy. My plan was to run from LV to Katy, then Katy far enough to reach 12 miles by the time I came back to Hamburg. But I couldn't muster the math to get more than an estimate. I came back to Hamburg at 11.5, burned out and tired and mostly walking.
I probably didn't eat enough -- only 2 gels and 6 miles apart. I wasn't hungry but my stomach was growling. I was thirsty and drinking a lot but never satisfied. So I 'let' myself walk. Probably all of a half mile! But it felt sooooo long. I know that walking now means running later, this was a comforting thought, still hard to do.
I got back to the Mound at 15 miles, more bad math, leaving me with only 1 more mile! 0.9 miles if I wanted to carry over from Tuesday's 5.1 miler! Around the Mound...and oooof it was hard. I was making the mistake of focusing on the number, not the finish. Instead of saying, I'm done at the finish line I was saying I'm done at the Garmin beep. I ran sign to sign to sign, then weed to weed to weed in the last tenths.
Ugh. Done. I didn't hurt anywhere, I wasn't sick or blistered or nothing like that. I was mentally drained, meaning I could benefit from more fuel. Really gotta work on that. I'll get back to this more when my head is recovered! Tomorrow!
NUMERICS
RUN 75.1 miles in 15hrs
BIKE 12.8 miles
WALKIES 18.3 miles
Taper Time!
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Broke the 30 barrier!
RUN 33 miles in 8 hours, Greensfelder
I'm both happy and nervous about how this run turned out. I finished, I broke the 30 miler 'barrier', it's done. But was I fast enough, did I eat enough, did I drink enough, did I manage it right?
In other words, has my training prepared me for the race. Like the ultra running quote goes, if you wait until you're ready, then you'll never sign up.
Well I'm signed up. And ready or not, I'm going to this race!
Quick run-down: I ran the 50K route planned by a local group for an April race. I wanted to save it to run with TV, but he was busy at the Berryman today, his loss ;) I had my trail maps marked, with studies of the trail switches and mileages. The weather was warm with light rain. My stomach was giving very few issues all week. My back feels great. I had the whole day ahead of me!
Once on track, I was feeling good. Here's the plan I used:
Nutrition: eat every 40 mins, no matter how it feels. I used EFS, powerbars, and rice balls
Hydration: sip whenever it crossed my mind, and drink more when eating
Pace: be able to breath with no effort
Hills: walk the ups and the technicals. and mud
Perks: a ginger chew every 10 miles and jelly beans as desired
Progression: one trail section at a time, in the race it will be one aid station at a time. Today was Deer Run/Eagle Valley to Eagle Valley to Deer Run/Declue to Eagle Valley/GreenRock to Overlook to Beluah to Declue to Dogwood. Except I had them in my head as yellow/blue to blue to yellow/orange to blue/GR to....etc...
First loop 17.4 miles just under 4 hours: The first 5 miles were very broken up by having to map the turns. Looking at the list of trails to run, it's evident how I was getting confused, but it was run, stop, map, stop, walk, run, map... Thankfully I had the iphone to point me in the right direction! Without the sun, I was taking the wrong north/south direction! So I added at least a few tenths of a mile in these initial miles. (When I looked again at a map later in the day, I found that one point of my confusion was the re-routing of the norther end of DeClue with Eagle Valley resulting in a blue/orange run that wasn't on my map!).
And I thwacked my head on a fallen tree or branch around mile 2-3...the leaves obscured a lower-hanging section, I was ducked down and moving slower but BAM and OUCH! I had a headache for about 10 mins, but after that only worried about what I could have done to my back hitting the top of my head like that.
I only saw a handful (if that) of runners all day, mostly horses and poop. Not one bike either! I figured that everyone was racing Berryman. This weekend is what I've called Opening Day weekend -- so many races on the calendar -- so most all friends were out of town too.
Felt great, surprised myself, and felt strong. No fade like I'd sometimes get as I approached the 20 mile point. I hit the truck and had some rice balls, only 3 at only 40 calories each, so not much more than a regular feeding. I mention this because I'll come back to this later. I'm somewhat disappointed with the time this loop took to finish.
Second loop, 15.6 miles, 4 hours: Since I didn't get lost on this loop in the beginning (and used a stick leaning against a trail marker to help with this!) (and BTW the stick explained A LOT about how I was getting lost in the first loop) so I was feeling very confident the first miles. I was having fun too, even though my iPhone battery was too low to play more podcasts. This threat of 'silence' scared me at first but I'm thinking now it was better to run without the noise of a podcast??
The fun continued even on the Beluah trail, that horse-torn mud fest of hills. I was saying Be-lu-ah to De-Clu-ah. This continued to be amusing until about mile 28. I was eating jelly beans and starting to hate them, I was spitting them out in the end. Around mile 25 I realized I was focusing too much on the finish, a mental problem I've been having in these long runs. I'd get so focused on 30 miles 30 miles 30 miles that when the Garmin read that number it was like a switch turning me off -- nothing over 30 miles at all seemed possible. Today I was in a position to run 32, 33, 35, whatever. I had trouble deciding, and that's a problem too.
So I told myself, as I heard in a first loop ProYou podcast: don't think about yesterday, don't think about tomorrow, think about RIGHT NOW and what you need to do to be ProYou (terribly paraphrased). I was not thinking about the miles I'd already done. I was avoiding the miles left to go (tomorrow). The choices I made were in the moment, even though what I'd do 'tomorrow' depended on now. I stayed ProBee, if that makes sense. What I am I doing right now to be ProBee? Good nutrition. Good pace. Good effort. Walk if needed. Drink if needed. Smile. Sing. Airplaine and 'wheeeeeee' though the switchbacks. Arms up to celebrate each mile. This all continued to be amusing until about mile 31.
My mood swung up and down a lot after that point. It seemed to correlate with the up and down hills. I "let" myself walk more, and really I shouldn't be saying that. I needed to walk more. I'd already decided miles ago that even trying to run a rocky, muddy, technical, stutter-steppy area wasted more energy, especially mental energy. For some reason it really torques me to slip and slide and stutter step on rocks. I've learned to calm down and just relax about it, much to my mental health benefit!
I'd given myself the option to cut Dogwood out if I was short on time or energy, but I was too determined to stop. The biggest think my mind started to focus on was the fact that my doggie was being left home for a 9-9.5hr day, and I doubted whether that was real or an excuse cooked up by the part of my mind that wanted to quit. Either way, I needed to get this done.
At mile 32.5 I was back at the parking lot and at 7hrs 52 mins. Run to 33! Out n back on the road, wow it felt weird to run a smooth surface! This drug on....longest half mile....and the camelbak emptied at 33.8! DONE! With muddy feet, disgusting probably horse poop covered shoes, happily sweaty face (no more cold!), a terrible thirst, some hunger...I broke the 30-mile barrier!
And before I forget again -- my back felt just fine the whole run. Even with the K Tape that I thought would bother it.
So mixed good and bad, with the good way out-weighing the bad. I learned a few things for the race:
1. Gaitors!
2. Change of socks if it's muddy?
3. Chamois butter, even with comfy shorts would be nice
4. Eat more! More solid stuff like the rice balls in a drop bag? Potatoes?
5. Eat more than sugar, try some solid with fat or protein? Not much, just some
6. Toothbrush in drop bag
7. Walking is OK. Very OK. More than OK. Let's say it's required
8. 100 miles will be a terribly long way....
9. If the 100 miler is broken into 3 segments like I'm planning to do: first 31 out, next 31 back, then 38 out-n-back...this is a very terribly long way...
10. YIKES! Get positive!! I can do this!!!
I'm both happy and nervous about how this run turned out. I finished, I broke the 30 miler 'barrier', it's done. But was I fast enough, did I eat enough, did I drink enough, did I manage it right?
In other words, has my training prepared me for the race. Like the ultra running quote goes, if you wait until you're ready, then you'll never sign up.
Well I'm signed up. And ready or not, I'm going to this race!
Quick run-down: I ran the 50K route planned by a local group for an April race. I wanted to save it to run with TV, but he was busy at the Berryman today, his loss ;) I had my trail maps marked, with studies of the trail switches and mileages. The weather was warm with light rain. My stomach was giving very few issues all week. My back feels great. I had the whole day ahead of me!
Once on track, I was feeling good. Here's the plan I used:
Nutrition: eat every 40 mins, no matter how it feels. I used EFS, powerbars, and rice balls
Hydration: sip whenever it crossed my mind, and drink more when eating
Pace: be able to breath with no effort
Hills: walk the ups and the technicals. and mud
Perks: a ginger chew every 10 miles and jelly beans as desired
Progression: one trail section at a time, in the race it will be one aid station at a time. Today was Deer Run/Eagle Valley to Eagle Valley to Deer Run/Declue to Eagle Valley/GreenRock to Overlook to Beluah to Declue to Dogwood. Except I had them in my head as yellow/blue to blue to yellow/orange to blue/GR to....etc...
First loop 17.4 miles just under 4 hours: The first 5 miles were very broken up by having to map the turns. Looking at the list of trails to run, it's evident how I was getting confused, but it was run, stop, map, stop, walk, run, map... Thankfully I had the iphone to point me in the right direction! Without the sun, I was taking the wrong north/south direction! So I added at least a few tenths of a mile in these initial miles. (When I looked again at a map later in the day, I found that one point of my confusion was the re-routing of the norther end of DeClue with Eagle Valley resulting in a blue/orange run that wasn't on my map!).
And I thwacked my head on a fallen tree or branch around mile 2-3...the leaves obscured a lower-hanging section, I was ducked down and moving slower but BAM and OUCH! I had a headache for about 10 mins, but after that only worried about what I could have done to my back hitting the top of my head like that.
I only saw a handful (if that) of runners all day, mostly horses and poop. Not one bike either! I figured that everyone was racing Berryman. This weekend is what I've called Opening Day weekend -- so many races on the calendar -- so most all friends were out of town too.
Felt great, surprised myself, and felt strong. No fade like I'd sometimes get as I approached the 20 mile point. I hit the truck and had some rice balls, only 3 at only 40 calories each, so not much more than a regular feeding. I mention this because I'll come back to this later. I'm somewhat disappointed with the time this loop took to finish.
Second loop, 15.6 miles, 4 hours: Since I didn't get lost on this loop in the beginning (and used a stick leaning against a trail marker to help with this!) (and BTW the stick explained A LOT about how I was getting lost in the first loop) so I was feeling very confident the first miles. I was having fun too, even though my iPhone battery was too low to play more podcasts. This threat of 'silence' scared me at first but I'm thinking now it was better to run without the noise of a podcast??
The fun continued even on the Beluah trail, that horse-torn mud fest of hills. I was saying Be-lu-ah to De-Clu-ah. This continued to be amusing until about mile 28. I was eating jelly beans and starting to hate them, I was spitting them out in the end. Around mile 25 I realized I was focusing too much on the finish, a mental problem I've been having in these long runs. I'd get so focused on 30 miles 30 miles 30 miles that when the Garmin read that number it was like a switch turning me off -- nothing over 30 miles at all seemed possible. Today I was in a position to run 32, 33, 35, whatever. I had trouble deciding, and that's a problem too.
So I told myself, as I heard in a first loop ProYou podcast: don't think about yesterday, don't think about tomorrow, think about RIGHT NOW and what you need to do to be ProYou (terribly paraphrased). I was not thinking about the miles I'd already done. I was avoiding the miles left to go (tomorrow). The choices I made were in the moment, even though what I'd do 'tomorrow' depended on now. I stayed ProBee, if that makes sense. What I am I doing right now to be ProBee? Good nutrition. Good pace. Good effort. Walk if needed. Drink if needed. Smile. Sing. Airplaine and 'wheeeeeee' though the switchbacks. Arms up to celebrate each mile. This all continued to be amusing until about mile 31.
My mood swung up and down a lot after that point. It seemed to correlate with the up and down hills. I "let" myself walk more, and really I shouldn't be saying that. I needed to walk more. I'd already decided miles ago that even trying to run a rocky, muddy, technical, stutter-steppy area wasted more energy, especially mental energy. For some reason it really torques me to slip and slide and stutter step on rocks. I've learned to calm down and just relax about it, much to my mental health benefit!
I'd given myself the option to cut Dogwood out if I was short on time or energy, but I was too determined to stop. The biggest think my mind started to focus on was the fact that my doggie was being left home for a 9-9.5hr day, and I doubted whether that was real or an excuse cooked up by the part of my mind that wanted to quit. Either way, I needed to get this done.
At mile 32.5 I was back at the parking lot and at 7hrs 52 mins. Run to 33! Out n back on the road, wow it felt weird to run a smooth surface! This drug on....longest half mile....and the camelbak emptied at 33.8! DONE! With muddy feet, disgusting probably horse poop covered shoes, happily sweaty face (no more cold!), a terrible thirst, some hunger...I broke the 30-mile barrier!
And before I forget again -- my back felt just fine the whole run. Even with the K Tape that I thought would bother it.
So mixed good and bad, with the good way out-weighing the bad. I learned a few things for the race:
1. Gaitors!
2. Change of socks if it's muddy?
3. Chamois butter, even with comfy shorts would be nice
4. Eat more! More solid stuff like the rice balls in a drop bag? Potatoes?
5. Eat more than sugar, try some solid with fat or protein? Not much, just some
6. Toothbrush in drop bag
7. Walking is OK. Very OK. More than OK. Let's say it's required
8. 100 miles will be a terribly long way....
9. If the 100 miler is broken into 3 segments like I'm planning to do: first 31 out, next 31 back, then 38 out-n-back...this is a very terribly long way...
10. YIKES! Get positive!! I can do this!!!
Friday, May 15, 2015
Good day at therapy
Nothing! Had to drive to therapy, so no bike ride either. Wore my Fit and Vicious shirt :)
Tried to take it easy and rest, mind was wandery and thinking ahead to the big weekend with some apprehension. I'll be running alone for at least Saturday, not sure if TV will join for Sunday or not. I'm nervous about...being alone that long...getting this last weekend "right"...about my motivation to run that far... Starting to burn out a bit, must be time to taper!
Therapy was great, little to no pain and the strength building exercises are improving. This was my 6th session. Dr M gave me 3 more, then I have to get a follow up visit from him beyond that. See how I feel after this weekend.
Tried to take it easy and rest, mind was wandery and thinking ahead to the big weekend with some apprehension. I'll be running alone for at least Saturday, not sure if TV will join for Sunday or not. I'm nervous about...being alone that long...getting this last weekend "right"...about my motivation to run that far... Starting to burn out a bit, must be time to taper!
Therapy was great, little to no pain and the strength building exercises are improving. This was my 6th session. Dr M gave me 3 more, then I have to get a follow up visit from him beyond that. See how I feel after this weekend.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Mental crash --> Rain --> Awesome run --> Get back on track!
RUN 7 miles in a squeak under 59 mins. An 8:26 pace!
BIKE COMMUTE 6.4 miles
Last night my energy crashed. I had zero oomph, motivation, or clarity. It was like living in a fog. I'm guessing it's nutritional, because I carb-binged on rice and PB2 after dinner. I ate to try to satisfy something I thought my body was craving, but I never did get satisfied. I didn't feel good AT ALL afterwards. It ended up being a zero points day :(
But this morning I had great energy as evidenced by a great run! However, the energy was countered by an upset tummy.
I'm still having that heavy, swollen belly feeling I've had all week. On the plus side, the back feels great today -- minor if any discomfort so I'm pretty happy with that.
So what happened yesterday? I'm guessing a had a nutrition or refueling gap, brought on by the lack of appetite and lack of motivation to prepare good foods. I skated by yesterday morning on one of my egg+banana+quinoa/rice pancakes. Unsatisfying. This probably set me up for cravings and sugar highs and lows.
Problem with this is that it doesn't just end there, it tends to spill over into the next day. So I wake up this morning still feeling unsatisfied. Out with the MS, RC, reds left from yesterday, then the greens. And a bunch of PNs. As I was throwing out the first batch of above, I felt raindrops! The rest of the morning was light rain, and a little heavier rain for my ride in.
So I'm still fighting a few problems off, and it's interesting I say "fight" because TH sent me a song recommendation this morning: Fight Song by Rachel Platten. I just played it while typing this. Will it make the Songlist? See below for some lyrics. Anyhoo, off track...
Aside from my Disney issue, the back pain, the upset stomach, the dog's potential skin problem (she's maybe developing hot spots on her back), the lack of serious work engagement, the upcoming race, the upcoming taper, the upcoming last big training weekend....!! WOW that's a lot to mull over, then add in poor nutrition and energy dysregulation and you have a good storm.
TH just sent me a suggestion: Also try to see if this has something to do with a control issue. If you can control the situation then figure it out and resolve it. If you can't control the issue, like when you were worried hoe he would react about releasing your phone, then put it in your God box or in your case John box. Either an imaginary box or write it down and put it in a box and let John help you. He is there to take your burden away. It really does help. If you don't know the issue. Describe the feeling and what your body is doing. Then put that in Johns box. Something to try that won't hurt anything.
So...(she's referring to my STALKER JOHN)...what can I control. It seems everything I listed above is my doing. What can I put away in a box right now? Disney. What can I put away in a box until the weekend? The long runs. What can I put away into a box for after this weekend? The taper. What can't I put in the box? My nutrition, my sleep, my rest. Oh and the dog. haha!
I'm down, but not out! Stay positive, I've got a lot of fight left in me.
This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I'm alright song
My power's turned on
Starting right now I'll be strong
I'll play my fight song
And I don't really care if nobody else believes
Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me
BIKE COMMUTE 6.4 miles
Last night my energy crashed. I had zero oomph, motivation, or clarity. It was like living in a fog. I'm guessing it's nutritional, because I carb-binged on rice and PB2 after dinner. I ate to try to satisfy something I thought my body was craving, but I never did get satisfied. I didn't feel good AT ALL afterwards. It ended up being a zero points day :(
But this morning I had great energy as evidenced by a great run! However, the energy was countered by an upset tummy.
I'm still having that heavy, swollen belly feeling I've had all week. On the plus side, the back feels great today -- minor if any discomfort so I'm pretty happy with that.
So what happened yesterday? I'm guessing a had a nutrition or refueling gap, brought on by the lack of appetite and lack of motivation to prepare good foods. I skated by yesterday morning on one of my egg+banana+quinoa/rice pancakes. Unsatisfying. This probably set me up for cravings and sugar highs and lows.
Problem with this is that it doesn't just end there, it tends to spill over into the next day. So I wake up this morning still feeling unsatisfied. Out with the MS, RC, reds left from yesterday, then the greens. And a bunch of PNs. As I was throwing out the first batch of above, I felt raindrops! The rest of the morning was light rain, and a little heavier rain for my ride in.
So I'm still fighting a few problems off, and it's interesting I say "fight" because TH sent me a song recommendation this morning: Fight Song by Rachel Platten. I just played it while typing this. Will it make the Songlist? See below for some lyrics. Anyhoo, off track...
Aside from my Disney issue, the back pain, the upset stomach, the dog's potential skin problem (she's maybe developing hot spots on her back), the lack of serious work engagement, the upcoming race, the upcoming taper, the upcoming last big training weekend....!! WOW that's a lot to mull over, then add in poor nutrition and energy dysregulation and you have a good storm.
TH just sent me a suggestion: Also try to see if this has something to do with a control issue. If you can control the situation then figure it out and resolve it. If you can't control the issue, like when you were worried hoe he would react about releasing your phone, then put it in your God box or in your case John box. Either an imaginary box or write it down and put it in a box and let John help you. He is there to take your burden away. It really does help. If you don't know the issue. Describe the feeling and what your body is doing. Then put that in Johns box. Something to try that won't hurt anything.
So...(she's referring to my STALKER JOHN)...what can I control. It seems everything I listed above is my doing. What can I put away in a box right now? Disney. What can I put away in a box until the weekend? The long runs. What can I put away into a box for after this weekend? The taper. What can't I put in the box? My nutrition, my sleep, my rest. Oh and the dog. haha!
I'm down, but not out! Stay positive, I've got a lot of fight left in me.
This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I'm alright song
My power's turned on
Starting right now I'll be strong
I'll play my fight song
And I don't really care if nobody else believes
Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Back is much better today!?
RUN 14 miles in 2:15
BIKE COMMUTE 6.4 miles
What was I saying yesterday...about only 'needing' to run 13 miles today...? Yeah, well, never mind that. At least I didn't run 15, right?! ;)
I ran to LP and back for just over 4 miles, then out to TGP, MoBot, and the grocery store (bio break) then back again. My math was terrible. First I was excited to think that the LP out-n-back combined with a TGP loop would combine two of my routes and still be different. But that only adds up to 10 miles! Then after the bio break stop I thought I'd need a loop around the MoBot to hit 14, but when I reached the pavilion at 11.85 I realized I had that wrong too. I think too much about mileage checkpoints sometimes. Just run!
Listened to the 10 Junk Miles podcast for most of the run. They mentioned the 'extra' 2 hours at KM100 (it's a 32hr cutoff) and how you could walk to finish it. I kinda knew this, but hearing it helped me calm a bit from yesterday's fears. Yes, I could walk major sections if in pain and probably still finish. This might help TV too, who is also facing an injured run. I'm going to look into the paces and cut-offs a little more.
And I remembered that I need to be working on my tutu!
Yesterday's 5 miles were plagued by back pain, and when I wrote up yesterday's log I lamented how I was feeling and expressed doubts about the upcoming weekend long runs. Then today: my back feels great! Not 100% certainly, but the pain is gone and replaced now with a very mild and inconsistent discomfort.
So what gives? Why the change? I'm more conscious of my posture since the therapist reminded me multiple times about it yesterday, but that shouldn't cause an overnight change. I'm also more careful with my running posture, but again, not an overnight thing. What I'm thinking -- is that it's the lack of kinesio tape? It was first applied last Tuesday, and the pains started last Wednesday. Then this week I run in pain Tuesday, take the tape off after the run, and have little to no pain the next day.
I'm suspicious of the tape. See how tomorrow goes.
In other news, 32 jelly beans isn't much fueling for a 2:15 run. I came home famished.
And since this past weekend I've had a pressure in the back of my throat and my appetite is diminished. I'm making myself eat, and I'm eating enough, but there are times when I don't want to eat or I want to wait to see if I feel any better in an hour or two.
BIKE COMMUTE 6.4 miles
What was I saying yesterday...about only 'needing' to run 13 miles today...? Yeah, well, never mind that. At least I didn't run 15, right?! ;)
I ran to LP and back for just over 4 miles, then out to TGP, MoBot, and the grocery store (bio break) then back again. My math was terrible. First I was excited to think that the LP out-n-back combined with a TGP loop would combine two of my routes and still be different. But that only adds up to 10 miles! Then after the bio break stop I thought I'd need a loop around the MoBot to hit 14, but when I reached the pavilion at 11.85 I realized I had that wrong too. I think too much about mileage checkpoints sometimes. Just run!
Listened to the 10 Junk Miles podcast for most of the run. They mentioned the 'extra' 2 hours at KM100 (it's a 32hr cutoff) and how you could walk to finish it. I kinda knew this, but hearing it helped me calm a bit from yesterday's fears. Yes, I could walk major sections if in pain and probably still finish. This might help TV too, who is also facing an injured run. I'm going to look into the paces and cut-offs a little more.
And I remembered that I need to be working on my tutu!
Yesterday's 5 miles were plagued by back pain, and when I wrote up yesterday's log I lamented how I was feeling and expressed doubts about the upcoming weekend long runs. Then today: my back feels great! Not 100% certainly, but the pain is gone and replaced now with a very mild and inconsistent discomfort.
So what gives? Why the change? I'm more conscious of my posture since the therapist reminded me multiple times about it yesterday, but that shouldn't cause an overnight change. I'm also more careful with my running posture, but again, not an overnight thing. What I'm thinking -- is that it's the lack of kinesio tape? It was first applied last Tuesday, and the pains started last Wednesday. Then this week I run in pain Tuesday, take the tape off after the run, and have little to no pain the next day.
I'm suspicious of the tape. See how tomorrow goes.
In other news, 32 jelly beans isn't much fueling for a 2:15 run. I came home famished.
And since this past weekend I've had a pressure in the back of my throat and my appetite is diminished. I'm making myself eat, and I'm eating enough, but there are times when I don't want to eat or I want to wait to see if I feel any better in an hour or two.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
By doing 5 instead of 4....
RUN 5 miles in just a few seconds under 50 minutes
No bike commute today, had to drive to therapy.
The plan called for 4 miles but I ended up doing 5. The goal is 25 miles midweek, so I do 13 tomorrow and 7 Thursday to hit that number. I've checked the math on that a few times. In fact, I just pulled out my calculator again to be sure :) Now watch I'll do 13+ tomorrow. Because.
My right shoulder blade/scapula and upper mid back were pained today. I'd like to think I'm seeing improvement, but I'm not sure. The flexibility I had just 10 or do says ago seems again limited. I've been hurting (hurt, discomfort, depends on what level of denial I'm exhibiting at the moment) since last Tuesday's therapy, maybe more accurately since last Wednesday's long run. Is it another injury? Therapy pains? Soreness due to the strength training and manipulations or kinesio tape? So hard to say.
Today's therapy manipulation was short. It was uncomfortable to lie on my belly due to the right-lower rib 'discomfort'. On my back, she manipulated what felt like a rod or rock in my back. When asked, she said it was a tight muscle. It felt solid! And I confirmed the 'missing' muscle I mentioned in a recent post. What ever it was that began with an 'i', I had guessed it right.
I did my on-hands-and-knees twists this time with a 2# weight, moved up from a 1# and unweighted. Those definitely improved over time. New strength moves were the T, Y, W, and I: on the belly holding arms in a position, thumbs up, thoracic region up. When I did these last week I had trouble keeping my right shoulder up as high as the left. Today that wasn't mentioned. And I confess I forgot to do these over the weekend! Honestly. Forgot!
So where am I with this? Not feeling great. Still want to rest the upper body a lot and lean or slouch. I'm wondering how this last long weekend of running will go -- pained, shortened, just fine? Am I re-injured?
When I'm really honest with myself, I know that I've lost so much strength and flexibility due to this injury over the past months. That's hard to swallow.
No bike commute today, had to drive to therapy.
The plan called for 4 miles but I ended up doing 5. The goal is 25 miles midweek, so I do 13 tomorrow and 7 Thursday to hit that number. I've checked the math on that a few times. In fact, I just pulled out my calculator again to be sure :) Now watch I'll do 13+ tomorrow. Because.
My right shoulder blade/scapula and upper mid back were pained today. I'd like to think I'm seeing improvement, but I'm not sure. The flexibility I had just 10 or do says ago seems again limited. I've been hurting (hurt, discomfort, depends on what level of denial I'm exhibiting at the moment) since last Tuesday's therapy, maybe more accurately since last Wednesday's long run. Is it another injury? Therapy pains? Soreness due to the strength training and manipulations or kinesio tape? So hard to say.
Today's therapy manipulation was short. It was uncomfortable to lie on my belly due to the right-lower rib 'discomfort'. On my back, she manipulated what felt like a rod or rock in my back. When asked, she said it was a tight muscle. It felt solid! And I confirmed the 'missing' muscle I mentioned in a recent post. What ever it was that began with an 'i', I had guessed it right.
I did my on-hands-and-knees twists this time with a 2# weight, moved up from a 1# and unweighted. Those definitely improved over time. New strength moves were the T, Y, W, and I: on the belly holding arms in a position, thumbs up, thoracic region up. When I did these last week I had trouble keeping my right shoulder up as high as the left. Today that wasn't mentioned. And I confess I forgot to do these over the weekend! Honestly. Forgot!
So where am I with this? Not feeling great. Still want to rest the upper body a lot and lean or slouch. I'm wondering how this last long weekend of running will go -- pained, shortened, just fine? Am I re-injured?
When I'm really honest with myself, I know that I've lost so much strength and flexibility due to this injury over the past months. That's hard to swallow.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Fit and Vicious
My new shirt, compliments of my great boss :)
I don't feel particularly vicious sometimes, but this is a good reminder to know that I can be.
My rest weekend ends early tomorrow morning, I'm counting today as part of that rest. The back is "uncomfortable" when I try to jog steps or pick up too much. When I'm honest with myself I realize just how much this has limited me. My strength and flexibility are falling off. I feel so far behind!
The triathlon I thought I could do in September isn't looking too good. By the time I recover from Kettle and start training again...all this time away from the pool and off the bike will really leave me at the bottom of the build-up.
Even though I rested, I'm still tired but I'm chalking that up to mental stress.
This is my last big week, then a taper. And I'm starting it with fatigue and discomfort.
GET POSITIVE!!!!!!!!!!!
GET POSITIVE!!!!!!!!!!!
I've worked so hard for this goal, and it's coming right up! I've got this last week to polish off preparations, I've narrowed the list of to-do's down to just a few questions. I've discovered new nutritions, and learned a lot about what I can do in terms of running slower to conserve energy and stay fueled. The weather is warming up and I can finally simulate what the race might be like.
It's not all sunshine and rainbows (although it did rain this morning, a wonderfully calm and quiet rainfall to enjoy) there's plenty of good to appreciate.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Summary of rest weekend at home
Saturday: RUN 10 miles in ?1:35? on IM path
Sunday: RUN 9.5 miles in 1:31 at home
Friday I rested, busy but resting.
Saturday I ran on the I&M. Warm day, needed to shed the t-shirt! YAY warm weather! This run felt good, but behind my right shoulder I had pain. Much like before, in that it's worst when starting from a stop. I talked to some bird counting citizen scientists, other than that, quiet.
Sunday I ran from the house. It was not quite raining, but it had rained overnight and the air was something like 99% humidity. No phone or podcast, just me. Out n back based on time. Although I spent most of the run planning the turn around based on distance.
Sunday was pushed for time (but I stuck to my schedule wonderfully) because we had a Mother's Day planned! Walking around the zoo and botanical garden with the family was great. The stressful and speedy drive back to STL to get the doggie from boarding was not great. But I got to drive through pretty storm clouds right at the end. Gotta find the positive somewhere!
One year ago I ran the SR Marathon. What a markedly different year this is, with the injury and goals as limiters. I don't think I could sustain a sub-9 pace for even a half marathon right now.
I'm feeling rested, but worried about my back. It was getting better, is this a set back? New injury? Or therapy pains?
NUMERICS
RUN 39.5 miles in 6hrs 18 mins
BIKE COMMUTE 12.8 miles
WALKIES 9.69 miles
Sunday: RUN 9.5 miles in 1:31 at home
Friday I rested, busy but resting.
Saturday I ran on the I&M. Warm day, needed to shed the t-shirt! YAY warm weather! This run felt good, but behind my right shoulder I had pain. Much like before, in that it's worst when starting from a stop. I talked to some bird counting citizen scientists, other than that, quiet.
Sunday I ran from the house. It was not quite raining, but it had rained overnight and the air was something like 99% humidity. No phone or podcast, just me. Out n back based on time. Although I spent most of the run planning the turn around based on distance.
Sunday was pushed for time (but I stuck to my schedule wonderfully) because we had a Mother's Day planned! Walking around the zoo and botanical garden with the family was great. The stressful and speedy drive back to STL to get the doggie from boarding was not great. But I got to drive through pretty storm clouds right at the end. Gotta find the positive somewhere!
One year ago I ran the SR Marathon. What a markedly different year this is, with the injury and goals as limiters. I don't think I could sustain a sub-9 pace for even a half marathon right now.
I'm feeling rested, but worried about my back. It was getting better, is this a set back? New injury? Or therapy pains?
NUMERICS
RUN 39.5 miles in 6hrs 18 mins
BIKE COMMUTE 12.8 miles
WALKIES 9.69 miles
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Thursday cut short by pain
RUN 57 mins, 6 miles
I usually do 7 miles, but not today. As if the stress of it being a travel day, therapy day, run day, dog boarding day, errand day .. wasn't enough, add on some back pain!
SayD ran with me today, I was so grateful for her company :)
Then a short walkies, then off to therapy. Because I was in pain, another therapist looked at me and identified a lot of "wow this is...". Humph. So my rib cage is rotated, what else is new. She also noticed that I'm "missing" a right shoulder muscle. Can't recall the name, I'll have to get back on that one. It began with an "i", I think. Infraspinatus?
Then drop off dog. Then errands, then finish packing, then drive home. My goal was to not get stressed by all this, I did OK :)
I usually do 7 miles, but not today. As if the stress of it being a travel day, therapy day, run day, dog boarding day, errand day .. wasn't enough, add on some back pain!
SayD ran with me today, I was so grateful for her company :)
Then a short walkies, then off to therapy. Because I was in pain, another therapist looked at me and identified a lot of "wow this is...". Humph. So my rib cage is rotated, what else is new. She also noticed that I'm "missing" a right shoulder muscle. Can't recall the name, I'll have to get back on that one. It began with an "i", I think. Infraspinatus?
Then drop off dog. Then errands, then finish packing, then drive home. My goal was to not get stressed by all this, I did OK :)
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
The problem is not the problem...
RUN 10 miles in about 1:35
BIKE COMMUTE 6.4 miles
From my tea tag this afternoon: The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem. By Captain Jack Sparrow
So anyway, back to my original point above. When I have moments like this, I stop to "listen to the Whisper of Rain". To find the positive, the joy, the happiness, the benefit, the flowers Henri Matisse referred to. To be honest, I don't think I found any that I really believed in. Then I see my tea tag. OK so that's not the Whisper I'm looking for, but it is a bit of no-honey-coated honesty. The problem is my attitude, and sitting here looking for the positives ain't gonna fix things. Gotta be a little more pro-active!
Ironically, my Happier podcast Tip was The Positive Argument. I'm surrounded my prompts to think positive. And just because I can't see the positive or hear the Whisper, doesn't mean it's not there!
Oh and the run! That's why I'm really here, isn't it? Good energy, felt good, just BORED. Another out-n-back on my TGP-MoBot-TGP route. The last 3 miles I really started hurting. I ate half a powerbar mid run to keep my energy from bottoming out, but it bottomed out anyway. Mental? Physical? Both?
Immediately afterwards I felt like a clumsy FumbleBee, struggled to focus, worked in auto-pilot, took an extra half hour to get to work. Then the ride to work was OK but painful. Sitting, standing, leaning forward, leaning back, it all hurt. Not going to be a good report tomorrow at therapy. "yeah I ran 10 miles and hurt, then the next day I ran 7 miles, and here I am, still hurting..."
BIKE COMMUTE 6.4 miles
From my tea tag this afternoon: The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem. By Captain Jack Sparrow
Took some google'ing, wasn't sure who Jack Sparrow was. Anyway...
Having a rough day (again!). My back is hurting, still Kinesio Taped into position, so I'm kinda 'locked' into an upright posture. It's awesome to have this reminder and a lesson in just how bad my posture was/is.
But at the same time, I'm in constant discomfort (the denial word for pain), having discomfort reminds me that I'm injured, which reminds me that I have medical issues, reminds me how this might have all started, reminds me that I'm going to Disney... No wonder I want to slouch somewhere, just to escape it all.
And I just spent the last two hours waiting in the QLabs waiting room while playing the voice mail game with the Dr's office. They STILL don't know what test to run! More waiting...
Ironically, my Happier podcast Tip was The Positive Argument. I'm surrounded my prompts to think positive. And just because I can't see the positive or hear the Whisper, doesn't mean it's not there!
Oh and the run! That's why I'm really here, isn't it? Good energy, felt good, just BORED. Another out-n-back on my TGP-MoBot-TGP route. The last 3 miles I really started hurting. I ate half a powerbar mid run to keep my energy from bottoming out, but it bottomed out anyway. Mental? Physical? Both?
Immediately afterwards I felt like a clumsy FumbleBee, struggled to focus, worked in auto-pilot, took an extra half hour to get to work. Then the ride to work was OK but painful. Sitting, standing, leaning forward, leaning back, it all hurt. Not going to be a good report tomorrow at therapy. "yeah I ran 10 miles and hurt, then the next day I ran 7 miles, and here I am, still hurting..."
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
For once I'm happy to be manipulated
RUN 4 miles in 40 mins
Yeah, I know, yesterday I was happy to think I needed only 3 miles today and then I went and ran 4. I'd like to say that it was too gorgeous of a morning to not run more (perfectly still air, shorts and t-shirt temps, colorful early sunlight, hazy just-past-full moon) led me to do this. But in all honesty I decided before I went out the door that if I was feeling good I'd do a full 4.
Gorgeous, perfect running weather. Gimme more!
I might have a new 4 mile route. I've always done to the TGP pavilion and back as a 4-miler. Today I did LP via Russ to MS, NE around the park staying on Park to Jeff. Right at the Jeff stoplight, literally as I was crossing the street, the 2-mile beep! There and back again.
Then off to therapy, where for once I'm happy to be manipulated. The past few days were up and down for my back. Friday after therapy it felt so freaking amazing that it really opened my eyes to just how bad it was in terms of pain, discomfort, and poor flexibility. Saturday's 20-miler was racked with pain. Sunday's 30-miler was so much better?! Yesterday I was tired all around so it's hard to conclude anything.
Today she really focused on the right side of T10, a painful spot. And up higher, maybe T6, on the left. She did a lie-on-the-left-side, pull-the-hip, push-the-shoulder rotation that oooooooh yeah hit the spot for pain and tightness. I felt like my doggie when you scratch that perfect spot near her tail -- more more more.
A few new exercises for rotation including the lower back, then the cold e-stim. Then what might be the biggest bonus yet -- K Tape on my back and shoulders. It's to cue my posture and muscles. I said that while I expected the Camelbak to make things worse, it didn't maybe because it reminded me to mind the back. So she tried the K Tape. NICE!! I'm sitting up more and walking taller with the pull of the tape. Can't live with the stuff, can't get a full range of motion, but it's working!
No other effects yet of today, I think the tape is impeding some movement, but I am noticing it's easier to look over my shoulder while driving, for example.
Doing some nutrition research after this weekend. Green plantains, like I used in my cracker recipe, have upwards of 50g of resistant starches per 100g. Hmmmm...... Sushi rice is mostly amylopectin, the easier to digest starch, while other rices have more amylose which is the resistant starch form. Basmatic is high RS, Jasmine is low RS. So I'm guessing my digestive issues over the weekend (that lasted at least into yesterday: swollen belly, that feeling of 'needing-to-go-more', and the ... ahem... D...might have been due to the sudden introduction of plantains. I haven't eaten them in some time, but I do eat fufu flour which is a mix of casava, plantain, and yam. Interestingly, this weekend was the first time I'd eaten fufu in awhile too....
Resistant Starches Per 100g, type of RS not specified:
Unripe banana = 5-34
Ripe banana = .3-6
waxy or sweet rice = 3
carrot = 1-2
baked potato = 1
roasted and cooled potato = 19!
plantain/green banana flour = 35-68!
cooked banana = 1
cooked plantain = 3.5
tapioca pearls = 5.
The units are grams RS? Just copying the numbers for comparison and reference. Not sure where fufu flour fits into that.. prolly high. But I don't eat much at one time. Or I won't be in the future!
Thankfully it probably wasn't the jelly beans or rice. And I've been looking at maple recipes. I need to get the maple into a candy or hardened form, since it FOAMS so damned much in my flask. Certainly don't need more air in my belly!
Yeah, I know, yesterday I was happy to think I needed only 3 miles today and then I went and ran 4. I'd like to say that it was too gorgeous of a morning to not run more (perfectly still air, shorts and t-shirt temps, colorful early sunlight, hazy just-past-full moon) led me to do this. But in all honesty I decided before I went out the door that if I was feeling good I'd do a full 4.
Gorgeous, perfect running weather. Gimme more!
I might have a new 4 mile route. I've always done to the TGP pavilion and back as a 4-miler. Today I did LP via Russ to MS, NE around the park staying on Park to Jeff. Right at the Jeff stoplight, literally as I was crossing the street, the 2-mile beep! There and back again.
Then off to therapy, where for once I'm happy to be manipulated. The past few days were up and down for my back. Friday after therapy it felt so freaking amazing that it really opened my eyes to just how bad it was in terms of pain, discomfort, and poor flexibility. Saturday's 20-miler was racked with pain. Sunday's 30-miler was so much better?! Yesterday I was tired all around so it's hard to conclude anything.
Today she really focused on the right side of T10, a painful spot. And up higher, maybe T6, on the left. She did a lie-on-the-left-side, pull-the-hip, push-the-shoulder rotation that oooooooh yeah hit the spot for pain and tightness. I felt like my doggie when you scratch that perfect spot near her tail -- more more more.
A few new exercises for rotation including the lower back, then the cold e-stim. Then what might be the biggest bonus yet -- K Tape on my back and shoulders. It's to cue my posture and muscles. I said that while I expected the Camelbak to make things worse, it didn't maybe because it reminded me to mind the back. So she tried the K Tape. NICE!! I'm sitting up more and walking taller with the pull of the tape. Can't live with the stuff, can't get a full range of motion, but it's working!
No other effects yet of today, I think the tape is impeding some movement, but I am noticing it's easier to look over my shoulder while driving, for example.
Doing some nutrition research after this weekend. Green plantains, like I used in my cracker recipe, have upwards of 50g of resistant starches per 100g. Hmmmm...... Sushi rice is mostly amylopectin, the easier to digest starch, while other rices have more amylose which is the resistant starch form. Basmatic is high RS, Jasmine is low RS. So I'm guessing my digestive issues over the weekend (that lasted at least into yesterday: swollen belly, that feeling of 'needing-to-go-more', and the ... ahem... D...might have been due to the sudden introduction of plantains. I haven't eaten them in some time, but I do eat fufu flour which is a mix of casava, plantain, and yam. Interestingly, this weekend was the first time I'd eaten fufu in awhile too....
Resistant Starches Per 100g, type of RS not specified:
Unripe banana = 5-34
Ripe banana = .3-6
waxy or sweet rice = 3
carrot = 1-2
baked potato = 1
roasted and cooled potato = 19!
plantain/green banana flour = 35-68!
cooked banana = 1
cooked plantain = 3.5
tapioca pearls = 5.
The units are grams RS? Just copying the numbers for comparison and reference. Not sure where fufu flour fits into that.. prolly high. But I don't eat much at one time. Or I won't be in the future!
Thankfully it probably wasn't the jelly beans or rice. And I've been looking at maple recipes. I need to get the maple into a candy or hardened form, since it FOAMS so damned much in my flask. Certainly don't need more air in my belly!
Monday, May 4, 2015
Sluggy Monday recovery
BIKE COMMUTE 6.4 miles
When I peeked ahead to my run schedule this week, I was relieve to see I'm only doing 3 miles tomorrow. Instead of 4. Awwww is somebody tired?! ;)
The run sequence this week is 3-10-7 midweek then 10-10 this weekend. Therapy sessions with the 3 and 7. The 7 might have to change for that so I can get there on time? I know it's sports therapy and all, but no need to be stinky! Thursday will be a schedule challenge no matter what. Bah, plan it later.
Today -- holy cow -- tired. Puffy. Swollen. Sluggy. Even my face is tired and swollen. I slept great last night, hydrated, and have an appetite. Happily I'm not hurting (back or legs or feet) and that's a good thing. Just feel like I'm carrying pounds and pounds of water weight. I can see and feel it in my feet and toes! From experience I know that the day or two after a long weekend can be like a body flush -- might not be drinking much but a lot coming out anyway!
Things to be thinking ahead on, now that the race only has 4 more training weekends! EEEK!
1. Drop bag planning and nutrition counting.
2. The mental breakdown of the race, I'm thinking 3 legs: out, back, then out-n-back.
3. Gear packing and checklists
4. My ride home Sunday!
5. Drop bag treats to look forward to during the run.
Other goals I feel like I need to hit:
One more solid all-trails 30+20 weekend. So far I've done a few 30+15, this past weekend was a 20+30, but the 20 was road. Trails take longer, are more entertaining, and better simulate the race. In talking to a runner I met yesterday, I learned that the first out and back of Kettle is "runnable", rolling meadows, the like. Look for a trail or path that sims that for the 20?
When I peeked ahead to my run schedule this week, I was relieve to see I'm only doing 3 miles tomorrow. Instead of 4. Awwww is somebody tired?! ;)
The run sequence this week is 3-10-7 midweek then 10-10 this weekend. Therapy sessions with the 3 and 7. The 7 might have to change for that so I can get there on time? I know it's sports therapy and all, but no need to be stinky! Thursday will be a schedule challenge no matter what. Bah, plan it later.
Today -- holy cow -- tired. Puffy. Swollen. Sluggy. Even my face is tired and swollen. I slept great last night, hydrated, and have an appetite. Happily I'm not hurting (back or legs or feet) and that's a good thing. Just feel like I'm carrying pounds and pounds of water weight. I can see and feel it in my feet and toes! From experience I know that the day or two after a long weekend can be like a body flush -- might not be drinking much but a lot coming out anyway!
Things to be thinking ahead on, now that the race only has 4 more training weekends! EEEK!
1. Drop bag planning and nutrition counting.
2. The mental breakdown of the race, I'm thinking 3 legs: out, back, then out-n-back.
3. Gear packing and checklists
4. My ride home Sunday!
5. Drop bag treats to look forward to during the run.
Other goals I feel like I need to hit:
One more solid all-trails 30+20 weekend. So far I've done a few 30+15, this past weekend was a 20+30, but the 20 was road. Trails take longer, are more entertaining, and better simulate the race. In talking to a runner I met yesterday, I learned that the first out and back of Kettle is "runnable", rolling meadows, the like. Look for a trail or path that sims that for the 20?
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Full Moon 30 Miler
RUN 30 miles in 7 hours, 7 minutes
Roughly, anyway. There was some pauses, stops, and Garmin mismeasures along the way. But that's for the end of my story!
And although I wouldn't see the full moon at all this time (clouds at night) was fun knowing it was there.
As I said before, the original plan for today was 50 miles. This was going to be my 50-miler training weekend, in lieu of traveling and paying for a race. Couldn't happen, and now I'm thinking ahead to my last big weekend in two weeks -- another 30+20 weekend block that has to show some improvement over this one.
My back that hurt so much yesterday was feeling fine this morning. However my GI system was upset with something -- either the jelly beans or the plantains from a recipe? Or maybe the stress of my back hurting yesterday? A combination? I'm guessing the plantains, I haven't eaten them in a few weeks and they are a new introduction. Beans and stress, well they're pretty common lately!
I got a later-than-intended start so I could walk the dog, hydrate, and get fueled. I never know just how much water or nutrients I really lose on a symptomatic morning, but I feel better knowing I did what I could to make up any gains. By the time I got to the trail, I was feeling much better but it was 9am!
I ran into a guy in the parking lot and learned he was running with the group, but wasn't with them at the moment. Chatted with him, and a cyclist while I packed up, then headed out on Declue for what I hoped was a 10-mile Declue-Dogwood loop. The first few miles were downhills, the trail was dry and clear, Six Flags was noisy, the bikers and riders all pleasant, shaping up to be a great trail run!
Now usually when a few hours have passed, as well as a number of bikers and riders, the trails are clear of cobwebs. Not so today. I was constantly pulling sticky fibers off my face! I realized soon enough it wasn't cobwebs -- it was those tree worms dropping out of the trees on little silky threads! UGH! And what I thought at first to be something in my eye turned out to be tree allergens! And as I was trying to get 'something' out of my eye, I was likely adding to the pollen count in my eye by rubbing them. Once I realized what was happening, I was able to control it, but by then my eyes were like sand. At one point near mile 5 a runner came up behind me, I offered to let him pass, but he declined as he planned to turn around soon. We chatted, and only when he said he was turning back did I realize who it was -- my neighbor B!! HAha!!
At the end of the first loop (it was 10.1 miles in the end!), I could see the particulate matter in the air and a coating of tree dust covering the truck. Nice, and 20 more to go.
Stopped by the truck to refill and refuel. Ate one of my nummy rice balls with sticky rice, raisins, salt, and maple syrup -- one per loop and these were working so far! -- then off to the second loop. I was feeling good, by back was OK, I was more tired than I thought I should be, and determined to finish.
The second loop much like the first, started texting with family a bit in walk breaks. I was eating about every 45 mins. Time seemed to drag on. If anything I think boredom was the biggest problem. And I was low on water, good thing!
Another stop by the truck, this time I met the group I was 'running with', chatted, learned they also experience allergy/tree dust problems in the Dogwood section (so I wasn't imagining that one part of the trail was worse!), and as much as I wanted to run with someone I didn't. So I declined joining them on their last miles and planned an out n back that kept me out of the Dogwood.
Off to the last loop, again boredom and worms my biggest problems. My back and unquenchable thirst more minor. But I started watching the distance, that's a big mental problem. I started the last leg at 20.36 and my mind was tumbly-turny with math problems. I was starting to stumble a bit more, forced myself to walk, which was good because I should have been walking more all along. That Galloway interview podcast I started the day with was supposed to be an inspiration for that. I was shooting for the All Day Pace, I had it, but wasn't sticking to it.
Speaking of podcasts -- I did OK the first hour silent but needed mental stimulation. So here's what I remember listening too: Marathon Training Academy Jeff Galloway; NPR TED on Organization, Ten Junk Miles and the Hennepin Hundred;....um.....NPR on Slinky; NRP on Abolishing Death Penalty; then a Procrastination research on To Do Lists.
By the time I reached 25 miles and turned around, I was getting pretty cooked mentally and physically. The other group as it turned out was close behind me and I passed them as I turned. I was again counting miles, barely listening to the podcast on To-Do Lists (but enjoying it nonetheless) when I saw TV!! All day I was wondering if I'd see or hear from him!! I needed the company :) but poor TV just got my flood of pent-up talking and thinking, my slow pace, and my lack of fizz to put up with. I was happy to see him, talk-talk-talk :)
I know my math is bad, but I was pretty sure that by turning around at mile 24.9 that I'd end up at mile 30 near the truck. But as we were climbing the last hill my Garmin beeped for mile 29. WHAT!? ANOTHER MILE?! But soon I could see the buildings, and realized it was a mile off. NOW WHAT, do I run another mile? Ugh, didn't have it in my.
And therein lies a problem -- I'm so focused on the finish goal distance that I don't have anything left for distance beyond it. It's not so much a pacing problem, or nutritional, it's mental. Like a switch turning me off at 30.000 miles and nothing for even a few steps beyond.
And if the 100 miler is mostly a mental challenge, I'm facing some doubts. That's normal I guess? Maybe the doubts creep in because I'm so tired?
At the end of the day in the run I ate 2 servings of rice, 3 gels, 50 jelly beans, 5 ginger chews. Threw away my special rice-raisin-maple recovery for fear of them going bad from being warm. Was insatiably thirsty, lacked hunger on the drive home.
This is getting rambly. Guess I meant to say that my nutrition should be a more frequent, is improved with little candies and chews, needs some 'spark' for the water (maybe even just ice would help). My feet were swollen (didn't have compression socks today) but no blisters or chafing problems.
Next is a mini-rest week, then one more 75 miler. Since I didn't get my 50 miler in, I'm really going to have to invest quality trail into that last weekend. Rest first, study the cut-offs and maps, fix my back, play with rice ball recipe (and ice blocks)! And gotta get the mental thing under control.
NUMERICS 14 hours and 21 mins of running
RUN 75.1 miles, I think that's a personal most!
BIKE COMMUTE 19.2 miles
WALKIES 21.5 miles
and stretching for my back as indicated by therapy. Still no strength training yet.
Roughly, anyway. There was some pauses, stops, and Garmin mismeasures along the way. But that's for the end of my story!
And although I wouldn't see the full moon at all this time (clouds at night) was fun knowing it was there.
As I said before, the original plan for today was 50 miles. This was going to be my 50-miler training weekend, in lieu of traveling and paying for a race. Couldn't happen, and now I'm thinking ahead to my last big weekend in two weeks -- another 30+20 weekend block that has to show some improvement over this one.
My back that hurt so much yesterday was feeling fine this morning. However my GI system was upset with something -- either the jelly beans or the plantains from a recipe? Or maybe the stress of my back hurting yesterday? A combination? I'm guessing the plantains, I haven't eaten them in a few weeks and they are a new introduction. Beans and stress, well they're pretty common lately!
I got a later-than-intended start so I could walk the dog, hydrate, and get fueled. I never know just how much water or nutrients I really lose on a symptomatic morning, but I feel better knowing I did what I could to make up any gains. By the time I got to the trail, I was feeling much better but it was 9am!
I ran into a guy in the parking lot and learned he was running with the group, but wasn't with them at the moment. Chatted with him, and a cyclist while I packed up, then headed out on Declue for what I hoped was a 10-mile Declue-Dogwood loop. The first few miles were downhills, the trail was dry and clear, Six Flags was noisy, the bikers and riders all pleasant, shaping up to be a great trail run!
Now usually when a few hours have passed, as well as a number of bikers and riders, the trails are clear of cobwebs. Not so today. I was constantly pulling sticky fibers off my face! I realized soon enough it wasn't cobwebs -- it was those tree worms dropping out of the trees on little silky threads! UGH! And what I thought at first to be something in my eye turned out to be tree allergens! And as I was trying to get 'something' out of my eye, I was likely adding to the pollen count in my eye by rubbing them. Once I realized what was happening, I was able to control it, but by then my eyes were like sand. At one point near mile 5 a runner came up behind me, I offered to let him pass, but he declined as he planned to turn around soon. We chatted, and only when he said he was turning back did I realize who it was -- my neighbor B!! HAha!!
At the end of the first loop (it was 10.1 miles in the end!), I could see the particulate matter in the air and a coating of tree dust covering the truck. Nice, and 20 more to go.
Stopped by the truck to refill and refuel. Ate one of my nummy rice balls with sticky rice, raisins, salt, and maple syrup -- one per loop and these were working so far! -- then off to the second loop. I was feeling good, by back was OK, I was more tired than I thought I should be, and determined to finish.
The second loop much like the first, started texting with family a bit in walk breaks. I was eating about every 45 mins. Time seemed to drag on. If anything I think boredom was the biggest problem. And I was low on water, good thing!
Another stop by the truck, this time I met the group I was 'running with', chatted, learned they also experience allergy/tree dust problems in the Dogwood section (so I wasn't imagining that one part of the trail was worse!), and as much as I wanted to run with someone I didn't. So I declined joining them on their last miles and planned an out n back that kept me out of the Dogwood.
Off to the last loop, again boredom and worms my biggest problems. My back and unquenchable thirst more minor. But I started watching the distance, that's a big mental problem. I started the last leg at 20.36 and my mind was tumbly-turny with math problems. I was starting to stumble a bit more, forced myself to walk, which was good because I should have been walking more all along. That Galloway interview podcast I started the day with was supposed to be an inspiration for that. I was shooting for the All Day Pace, I had it, but wasn't sticking to it.
Speaking of podcasts -- I did OK the first hour silent but needed mental stimulation. So here's what I remember listening too: Marathon Training Academy Jeff Galloway; NPR TED on Organization, Ten Junk Miles and the Hennepin Hundred;....um.....NPR on Slinky; NRP on Abolishing Death Penalty; then a Procrastination research on To Do Lists.
By the time I reached 25 miles and turned around, I was getting pretty cooked mentally and physically. The other group as it turned out was close behind me and I passed them as I turned. I was again counting miles, barely listening to the podcast on To-Do Lists (but enjoying it nonetheless) when I saw TV!! All day I was wondering if I'd see or hear from him!! I needed the company :) but poor TV just got my flood of pent-up talking and thinking, my slow pace, and my lack of fizz to put up with. I was happy to see him, talk-talk-talk :)
I know my math is bad, but I was pretty sure that by turning around at mile 24.9 that I'd end up at mile 30 near the truck. But as we were climbing the last hill my Garmin beeped for mile 29. WHAT!? ANOTHER MILE?! But soon I could see the buildings, and realized it was a mile off. NOW WHAT, do I run another mile? Ugh, didn't have it in my.
And therein lies a problem -- I'm so focused on the finish goal distance that I don't have anything left for distance beyond it. It's not so much a pacing problem, or nutritional, it's mental. Like a switch turning me off at 30.000 miles and nothing for even a few steps beyond.
And if the 100 miler is mostly a mental challenge, I'm facing some doubts. That's normal I guess? Maybe the doubts creep in because I'm so tired?
At the end of the day in the run I ate 2 servings of rice, 3 gels, 50 jelly beans, 5 ginger chews. Threw away my special rice-raisin-maple recovery for fear of them going bad from being warm. Was insatiably thirsty, lacked hunger on the drive home.
This is getting rambly. Guess I meant to say that my nutrition should be a more frequent, is improved with little candies and chews, needs some 'spark' for the water (maybe even just ice would help). My feet were swollen (didn't have compression socks today) but no blisters or chafing problems.
Next is a mini-rest week, then one more 75 miler. Since I didn't get my 50 miler in, I'm really going to have to invest quality trail into that last weekend. Rest first, study the cut-offs and maps, fix my back, play with rice ball recipe (and ice blocks)! And gotta get the mental thing under control.
NUMERICS 14 hours and 21 mins of running
RUN 75.1 miles, I think that's a personal most!
BIKE COMMUTE 19.2 miles
WALKIES 21.5 miles
and stretching for my back as indicated by therapy. Still no strength training yet.
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Didn't go as originally planned, but got it done
RUN 20 miles in 3:16
The original plan was to rest in preparation for a 5x10 mile loop train run tomorrow. Then I remembered (how could I forget?!) that I can't leave my doggie alone for that long while I'm out running.
My next plan was to run an out-n-back on the Chubb trail, shooting for 15 or so miles and leaving 30-35 for Sunday. Thought about doing this in the afternoon to more closely simulate the fatigue and low recovery time.
Then I woke up Saturday morning. All plans changed. I decided early morning that I had too much to get done to be driving across town to a trail, so I planned an in-town 20 miler. I wasn't so much goofing around, but I was goofing around. MMR'ing a route to no success. Counting beans (literally) as I put together a jelly bean mix for the day and pulled out favorites as I worked for a race-day special banana split recipe. (Waaaaaaaayyyyy too much time lost here).
I didn't get running until 9:30! I told myself that was OK, since I was looking for that low recovery time aspect, but who am I kidding?! Not me! If I had so much to get done, then starting late was not really an option.
The route I have to TGP around MoBot to TGP and loopy-looping around there is getting old, but I keep doing it. Maybe because I know where I am, have water and bathroom options, and like the lack of traffic noise in the park. I wandered around that area until mile 9-ish before spinning out to the hill area, feeling good but a bit bored. Stop by the Y for water and bathroom at 10, then head out to Hampton, then decide to stop by BRR in the hopes that someone could review my running form. Why?
Because my back was hurting!!!!! NUTS!!
Yesterday after my session I was feeling great, like major gains had been made. I was able to move, bend over, pull pillows off the bed, feel the dog, etc, with more flexibility and less pain than I've had in some time. I didn't realize how limited I was feeling until then! I was looking forward to telling the therapist that whatever stretches we did Friday were golden, and More Please!
But now around mile 12 I was getting uncomfortable. At mile 14 I hit BRR and got a brief video taken. The video started after the initial start-from-stop pains subsided, and even then you could see I was tight, hunched, and not quite optimal. She said my elbows have too tight of an angle, that from hips down I was OK but my upper body looked too upright (like I was sitting back into my hips), and my head seemed too far forward.
I didn't have the back pack on, just the handheld bottle. It's possible that I run differently with it, I could see how that would increase my elbow angle. I was starting to get worried about my trail run for tomorrow! The pain was pretty constant: focal but not sharp between the shoulder blades, brought on my starting from a stop, standing up after bending over, and thoracic rotation. Pretty much the same as it was before in March. But no intercostal or rib pain. Just between the shoulder blades.
The therapist said to not let pain exceed a 4 on the 1-10 scale. Dr M said run what I could tolerate. And my pain scale is messed up. And how to measure the pain? It only hurts for 30 seconds or so. Very tolerable! Temporary! Once the worst subsides it's pretty minor.
I was still and cautious the rest of the day. Had shopping, my cook up, and stayed on my feet most of the rest of the afternoon to push the fatigue.
The 20 miler felt great, excepting the pain it wasn't hard.
The original plan was to rest in preparation for a 5x10 mile loop train run tomorrow. Then I remembered (how could I forget?!) that I can't leave my doggie alone for that long while I'm out running.
My next plan was to run an out-n-back on the Chubb trail, shooting for 15 or so miles and leaving 30-35 for Sunday. Thought about doing this in the afternoon to more closely simulate the fatigue and low recovery time.
Then I woke up Saturday morning. All plans changed. I decided early morning that I had too much to get done to be driving across town to a trail, so I planned an in-town 20 miler. I wasn't so much goofing around, but I was goofing around. MMR'ing a route to no success. Counting beans (literally) as I put together a jelly bean mix for the day and pulled out favorites as I worked for a race-day special banana split recipe. (Waaaaaaaayyyyy too much time lost here).
I didn't get running until 9:30! I told myself that was OK, since I was looking for that low recovery time aspect, but who am I kidding?! Not me! If I had so much to get done, then starting late was not really an option.
The route I have to TGP around MoBot to TGP and loopy-looping around there is getting old, but I keep doing it. Maybe because I know where I am, have water and bathroom options, and like the lack of traffic noise in the park. I wandered around that area until mile 9-ish before spinning out to the hill area, feeling good but a bit bored. Stop by the Y for water and bathroom at 10, then head out to Hampton, then decide to stop by BRR in the hopes that someone could review my running form. Why?
Because my back was hurting!!!!! NUTS!!
Yesterday after my session I was feeling great, like major gains had been made. I was able to move, bend over, pull pillows off the bed, feel the dog, etc, with more flexibility and less pain than I've had in some time. I didn't realize how limited I was feeling until then! I was looking forward to telling the therapist that whatever stretches we did Friday were golden, and More Please!
But now around mile 12 I was getting uncomfortable. At mile 14 I hit BRR and got a brief video taken. The video started after the initial start-from-stop pains subsided, and even then you could see I was tight, hunched, and not quite optimal. She said my elbows have too tight of an angle, that from hips down I was OK but my upper body looked too upright (like I was sitting back into my hips), and my head seemed too far forward.
I didn't have the back pack on, just the handheld bottle. It's possible that I run differently with it, I could see how that would increase my elbow angle. I was starting to get worried about my trail run for tomorrow! The pain was pretty constant: focal but not sharp between the shoulder blades, brought on my starting from a stop, standing up after bending over, and thoracic rotation. Pretty much the same as it was before in March. But no intercostal or rib pain. Just between the shoulder blades.
The therapist said to not let pain exceed a 4 on the 1-10 scale. Dr M said run what I could tolerate. And my pain scale is messed up. And how to measure the pain? It only hurts for 30 seconds or so. Very tolerable! Temporary! Once the worst subsides it's pretty minor.
I was still and cautious the rest of the day. Had shopping, my cook up, and stayed on my feet most of the rest of the afternoon to push the fatigue.
The 20 miler felt great, excepting the pain it wasn't hard.
Friday, May 1, 2015
Let not your hearts be troubled ... believe in me
REST DAY
Not even a bike commute since I had to drive out for back therapy.
Once again, John the disciple has crossed my path. This makes at least the third time. The first was on the way to B2B when I ran past a church with John 3:3 "You must be born again". Then he appeared again in a radio sermon I randomed across with John 5:6 "Wilt thou be made whole". Now here he is again in John 14:1 "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.
How did this one come to me? I had picked up the family bible again and found the gospels for holidays and dates. Turns out May 1st had one -- John 14:1-13. And it spoke to me, and it had my word in it -- BELIEVE!
I'm not a religious person in the Christianity sense, but this is weird.
Therapy went great today, no headaches or pains afterwards. In fact, this is the best my back has felt in probably weeks. From walking, sitting, stairs, opening doors, bending over -- I feel so much better. Flexible, less 'kinked', and no pain like I had Tuesday. We'll see how this weekend's running goes.
Speaking of which, I realized yesterday that if I do the 50 miler Sunday, my doggie will be home alone for too long. (Did I mention this already?). Still don't have that worked out yet. Can I trust her with the pet door?
I didn't mention yesterday that while waiting at the Quest lab for my blood work I heard the Set Fire To The Rain song and I'm maybe adding it to the 2015 song list. Then soon after I heard the Breakaway song!
Oh, and one of my first emails this morning opened with "tj, Today is your day...you are amazing :-)"
Thanks SCD Lifestyle! Your name isn't John, is it?
Not even a bike commute since I had to drive out for back therapy.
Once again, John the disciple has crossed my path. This makes at least the third time. The first was on the way to B2B when I ran past a church with John 3:3 "You must be born again". Then he appeared again in a radio sermon I randomed across with John 5:6 "Wilt thou be made whole". Now here he is again in John 14:1 "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.
How did this one come to me? I had picked up the family bible again and found the gospels for holidays and dates. Turns out May 1st had one -- John 14:1-13. And it spoke to me, and it had my word in it -- BELIEVE!
I'm not a religious person in the Christianity sense, but this is weird.
Therapy went great today, no headaches or pains afterwards. In fact, this is the best my back has felt in probably weeks. From walking, sitting, stairs, opening doors, bending over -- I feel so much better. Flexible, less 'kinked', and no pain like I had Tuesday. We'll see how this weekend's running goes.
Speaking of which, I realized yesterday that if I do the 50 miler Sunday, my doggie will be home alone for too long. (Did I mention this already?). Still don't have that worked out yet. Can I trust her with the pet door?
I didn't mention yesterday that while waiting at the Quest lab for my blood work I heard the Set Fire To The Rain song and I'm maybe adding it to the 2015 song list. Then soon after I heard the Breakaway song!
Oh, and one of my first emails this morning opened with "tj, Today is your day...you are amazing :-)"
Thanks SCD Lifestyle! Your name isn't John, is it?
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