Today's run was mostly possible because of my dutiful and loving husband. I woke up around 5:45am, ate 1/2 a banana and a breakfast bar, took some Excedrin, did 10 minutes of Yoga, then 5 minutes on the elliptical. After all of that, I woke up my husband who drove me up the canyon so I could start my 20 mile run at the top of Buckskin Road, where the Pocatello Marathon route begins. The first 10 miles were glorious: no walking breaks, the sun coming up over the mountains, 35 degrees, no sounds but the birds chirping and my music playing - I felt really good. At the halfway point, I decided I needed to remove my jacket, so I stopped for about 1-2 minutes while I rearranged my various gear and tied my jacket around my waist. I started to run again, but by miles 12-13, the weather had suddenly taken a turn for the worse. The wind started howling, and I started to feel a few snow flurries. I stopped again to put my jacket back on, then resumed running. From then on out, I did take a few more walking breaks, a couple of times due to extreme fatigue in my leg muscles, once because I was feeling a little bit like I might faint and decided I'd better drink some of my hydration/electrolyte drink, and a couple more times because of the crazy, strong wind. When I had a little less than 4 miles to go, I called my husband and told him what time and where to pick me up, then I just tried to run as much as I could the rest of the way. My husband came a few minutes earlier than I had expected, so when he picked me up I was at 19 miles. We went into town and had something to eat at IHOP with the kids, then when we came home about an hour later, I jumped on the treadmill and did another mile - I had to reach that 20 mile mark! I was actually quite glad Chris "rescued" me a mile short, because the cold wind was just about to do me in, and doing that last mile on the treadmill felt much more refreshing. Now I look forward to relaxing the rest of the day away - especially since it's still snowing outside.
I HATE WIND. I'm glad you pounded through the nasty weather- rest up! Did you ice bath?
ReplyDeleteNo, and I regret the decision already. My legs are very, very sore and tired. I feel like I did after the marathon. Good thing I have more time. Do you think it's too late to do the ice bath? I don't want to put myself through the unnecessary suffering unless it's actually going to help.
ReplyDeleteI love reading your posts- I just started running (training for the marathon in San Diego this year) and it's nice to hear some other "real mom" runner experiences.
ReplyDeleteWe did a 1/2 marathon last weekend, and now I'm totally in a running funk...any advice? Also, I wanted to know what Pilates/Yoga videos you use...I'm looking for a good one to add to my workout- I'm continuing the 30 day shred this week- I quit doing it, but feel like I need to start again because the running just isn't helping my weight come off like I was hoping. :)
Rachel- Yay, San Diego...that's awesome! I completely understand what you mean about the "running funk". Sometimes it's a good idea to take a few days off from running after a race, then come back to it fresh. It's hard, I know, when you're trying to get into a routine or follow a schedule, but it does help. You can do other things (crosstraining of some kind) while you take a break from running, and you won't lose your aerobic gains. Something else that I find helpful is to find something to motivate you to get out and run: some new songs on your iPod, a new running outfit, plan a run with a friend or do a new route.
ReplyDeleteAs far as my Yoga and Pilates, I have several favorites. I like Jillian Michael's Yoga Meltdown because it's only 30 minutes and it combines Yoga with more dynamic moves for a better cardio workout - a better workout in less time. A lot of Yoga DVD's are over an hour. What mom has that much time, especially when you're running too? One of my all time favorites is Crunch Super Slim Down Pilates Yoga Blend. I have the DVD, but it's also on Netflix available for instant play. Then there's Crunch Pick Your Spot Pilates (same instructor and also on Netflix). When I have time and really want to relax, I do Yoga for Health with instructor Jenny Cornero (again, on Netflix). Hope that helps and good luck with your training!