chichitao's group - FULL! (Page 68)

Why can't life ever be really easy.  This is the problem, take this pill to fix it and you can run again!  I know it can't get frustrating, but better to really follow through on this, my husband has no meniscus in one of his knees because some sports doctor told him the pain was all in his head and he didn't get a second opinion until years later. 

My next race is the marathon on May 1st, which is 30 days away, and lands on the same weekend we move into our new place...timing is terrible, but it is what is is and my goal right now is just to finish the race. I'm also headed to Mexico on 19th on a girls only getaway....tapering and tequila...I'm looking forward to getting away and just shutting down for a bit!

Did a 6KM run again last night, it was okay so I am going to try to do a 15KM on my long run this weekend, this was supposed to be the weekend I did the big 36KM run:-( 

Have a great weekend everyone!

Had a pretty good run yesterday.  Had to slow it down a bit, dr.'s orders and i don't like it, but what can you do.

So frustrated this morning!  got up and got to the gym at 5:05 and the employee wasn't there to unlock the doors!  A bunch of us waited and at 5:30 most of us left.  I even toyed with staying in bed because my daughter had a rough night and got up a lot and then I get to the gym and no workout for me.  

I need you guys this week!!  I had a terrible run yesterday!  I could not get my pace where it should have been.  I was supposed to run 4 miles at 11:10-11:20, 6 miles at 10:50, and then 4 more miles at the first pace.  Around 3.5 I said "Forget it, I am just running it."  I could not hit the first pace at all with really trying. 

I have been fighting a cold all week that probably is a result of my 10 miles in the cold and dampness last weekend.  John and I also went out Saturday night.  We went to see the filmmaker/movie director Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy, Mallrats).  He is John's favorite.  Total sidenote but he has a new movie coming out in October that he has been touring the country and showing it.  He announced on his website that he may be showing it at the Q&A session we were at.  He was not able to get the people he needed to show it on the East Coast in time but instead Jason Mews was with him.  If you have never seen his movies, you will have no clue what I am talking about but if you have, he is the Jay of Jay and Silent Bob.  It was fantastic!!!  I was thrilled because the tickets I wanted to get John for Christmas were for the Jay and Silent Bob Get Old tour but the closest show was 6 hours away.  It was a great night!!

Anyway, I paid for the late night on Sunday morning with my run.  I wish I could say this run would not get to me but it will be in my head all week.  I have 15 this coming Sunday and I hope to nail it.  My paces will be the same as yesterdays run.  The breakdown will be 4-7-4 miles for the above paces. 

Oh and I wanted to quit and run home at 9.5 miles yesterday but I struggled through.  That was the only good thing about my run!  I told John, a few runner friends, and my coach yesterday that I know I am better than that run.  I need to just keep telling myself that this week.

You are totally better than that run!  Off days happen, the important fact about this run is that you didn't give up and you completed it and that is the training of the mental strength you need to complete a marathon.  So rather than thinking of this run as a disaster for your pacing, think of it as one of your best mental strength runs!  Nothing is going to stop you from crossing a finish line!!

@ Debbie that totally sucks about getting up early to go to the gym and no one being there to let you in...how frustrating.

Sandra hit that one right on the head.  Running is 90% mental.  Pushing yourself beyond what your body and mind think they can do.  I think it just goes to show you that even when you have a bad day that you've developed enough mental toughness to fight through it.  I bet a few years ago you would've given up on that same run. 

Debbie, that totally sucks.  I'd be pretty pissed and writing a scathing email to someone.  Don't let it ruin your day though!

Well, this is my last week of my swim class.  I am a little torn b/c I would like to keep the momentum going but at the same time I am worn out and kinda glad it's ending.  I am going to continue swimming on Mon/Wed after it is over but back at my normal time right after work. 

I have also been ramping up my biking and can see some pretty good improvements.  Last week I was able to keep up with the fast guys for longer than I ever had before.  I did another charity ride on Sat for 44mi and felt very strong.  This week will be a recovery bike week for me but then increasing again as I am building up for a 100 miler on May 7.  I've never ridden over 65mi at once before. 

Oh, and I will be running this afternoon before swim class.  Gonna do 2-2.5mi this time.  We'll see how it goes. 

Happy Monday!

T1 - You really are the best mentor!  You're so good at checking in on me, I love it.  Keeps me honest! 

The reason I've been quite MIA from here and from working out is just because of my knee.  I'm so frustrated beyond belief with it.  Even though there was no sharp pain in my knee on my bikes, it was getting really sore and stiff during the ride.  Then, it started getting sore on my swims.  For lack of any better ideas, I've just taken the last week totally off.  I haven't worked out since last Monday, and it's still sore.  I'm going crazy about it. 

I decided to bag my half-mary in May because I just didn't think it was safe to ramp up to it in such a short time.  I cried when I transferred it to Ryan's cousin who decided LAST WEEK to do it.  I've been training so hard for it since November, it sold out in February, and now I transferred my bib to someone who decided to train last minute?  I'm not a happy camper.  I've been icing and stretching, but nothing seems to really help except inactivity. 

Then, this inactivity has really gone to my head, and I'm beginning to question my ability to even do the HIM in July.  I mean, gosh, I'm injured now, have to ramp up to 13.1 by then, AND be able to swim 1.2 miles?  Ughhh.

On top of all that, I've still had an increased metabolism the last few weeks, even without my running, so I just feel like I'm eating tons of calories and not burning them.  I refuse to weigh myself, but I just have that feeling of gaining weight, ya know? 

I think I'm going crazy.

So, thanks for letting me vent.  I appreciate it.

I agree with both of you, running is SO mental.  Meggan - Chalk it up as a bad run, and move on.  We know that you're totally capable of doing these runs!  Don't let it get the best of you, you're a superstar!

Debbie - I know how you feel!  The pool here in town I go to is only open for an hour from 6-7am, but they're late a lot to open up.  I hate cutting my swim short because of that.

T1 - Good luck on your run tonight!  Your biking sounds awesome.  I'm glad you're making the best of a sucky situation.  You are awesome.

Erica, sorry to hear the knee has become such a major issue.  Have you gotten a doc to look at it?  I didn't when I first got my knee pain and wish I had.  I don't know if it would've have changed anything, but I could have started on the healing/rehab process much sooner.

I wanna say 'don't let it get you down' but after having been in that situation it is hard not too.  Especially when it is affecting all three tri sports.  I know money can be tight, but I highly recommend getting it looked it.  I would hate and feel so bad for you if it turned into something major. 

Use this time to try something different.  Work on upper body and core workouts, or try some yoga. 

And I hear ya about the eating.  I do the same thing when I get the funks.  I kinda let myself go for a few days and then I weigh myself and realize that I put too much effort and work into getting my weight down that I am not going to let it get out of control again.  I want you to do something for me...I want you to weigh yourself and come post your weight in big numbers on our board.  There is no judging here.  Time to get you out of that funk!

Today I weighed:

207.8lbs

Injuries are the total suck, and I agree with Tim, get yourself checked out, the sooner the better to ensure you don't do anything that might aggravate the problem more.  It could mean the difference between a couple of weeks recovery to a few months recovery.  I used to wait and hope pains would go away on their own, but after losing months to recovery a couple of times because I didn't have it checked out right away, I have seen the error of my ways.   That being said, I also have pretty good extended health benefits through my job, and live in Canada...so I can't speak to the monetary implications of your seeking medical help.  I hope you get it figured out soon, as I hate to see anyones goal aspirations having to be put off. 

I also agree with Tim on finding something else to do while you figure out your knee, anything you can do to keep you active, build up some upper body/core strength, get that six pack, anything to focus yourself on and keep you motivated.  When I get off track diet-wise, I usually start reading healthy eating books, magazines, recipes for inspiration to stay on track(easier said than done) 

We all struggle with injuries and weight at times, just remember we are here to support you!

Thanks guys for the help!

I did go to the doctor a few weeks ago, and he said it was patella tendonitis, and that if I took 3-4 weeks off from running, it would be fine.  According to him, a week from today, I can start trying to run again.  He said I could bike/swim as much as I wanted, but those made my knee ache, as opposed to the sharp pain I got while running.  Which is why I've taken the last week off. 

I'm going to try swimming tomorow again, and I'll probably take the rest of this week off biking again, and then try getting back into everything next week. 

I'm nervous though.  It's a bit scary.

I will weigh myself in the morning (I won't get home 'til like 10:30 tonight), and post it.  Thanks for the motivation, you guys are awesome!

A little side note...we began this little group one year ago Friday!  Pretty cool.  It's always fun to look back on things.  At this time last year I  had just got bitten by that dog.  That seems like such a long time ago!

Erica, that sucks about the knee! Hopefully it gets sorted out sooner than later! I totally understand about the nutrition thing. I have a hard time staying on track when I'm doing good training. I'm actually considering going to a nutritionist, because I think that might kick my arse into gear (if I pay for something, I'll be more likely to take it seriously). Does anyone have any experience with them?

Tim, congrats on the weight! Looking at your log, it's been on a downward trend. Keep it up! I'm sure ramping up the bike volume will help a lot!

So I have a question about recovery. We all know how important it is after races and what have you, but I did my first real endurance race 1.5 weeks ago, and my legs are still really tired from it. Running 5k at any sort of pace is pretty tough for me right now. How long of a recovery should one expect for long runs/races? A friend told me this morning 1 day/mile. I had never heard that before. What have you guys heard on ballpark recovery times? I should be starting to build for my half marathon already, and I've had a real hard time on both of the runs I've done this week. I know one week probably really isn't quite enough for 30k, but I didn't think I'd have this hard of a time after a full week of rest.

Also, that's wild about it being a year! I had no idea! It seems like we have a pretty good core group still going, even if we have dwindled from a pretty big group at the beginning. I know we've said it a few times throughout the year, but it hasn't been enough. Thanks a lot, Tim, for taking your time to be our mentor! I know we all appreciate it more than we vocalize!

Thanks Pete.  Y'all have been a great group and it really hasn't been too much work at all, except for all Meggan's whining!    So totally kidding Meggan!!  It's been super easy and fun. 

Here is a great little article by Hal Higdon that mentions exactly what you are asking.  It also mentions the day per 1 mile thing and talks about doing a reverse taper to build back up.  Pretty good info.

Just wanted to bump this back up to the top!

I will post my weight tomorrow.  I promise.  I keep forgetting to weigh myself!  I'm scared... I haven't weighed myself in a while.

Pete - I know next to nothing about recovery, but I've always been a fan of just listening to your body.  After my tri last August, I kept right on working out afterwards, and then Tuesday night, 2 days after the race, while I was playing soccer, it hit me like a ton of bricks and I couldn't move.  I think I took a couple days off then!

OK... my weight...right.  159   yuck.  My lowest was 155.8, so I guess it's not TERRIBLE, but to me, it sucks because that's over 3 pounds that I have to worry about losing again!  I'm starting to count calories again today!  And hopefully I can start running again next week.

T1 - do you have a goal weight you want to be down to for this season?  We can keep each other honest. 

I'm going to try to get under 150 for when I get to Portland this fall, and because I have a wedding to go to this October that I'll have to look perfect for because the father of the bride is a "who's who" in Detroit.  I'll be rubbing elbows with some sports big shots, so I have to impress!  Being a girl in the sports industry is VERY image-driven.  Sucks, right?  That gives me 4.5 months to lose about 10 pounds.  Here it goes again!

I have been swamped at work this week!  I am ready for the 15th. 

Pete...I did not take enough time off after the marathon.  I slowly built back up and my mileage was down the month of December but I should have taken more rest days.  I don't know what the plan is after this marathon.  I have a coach to make those decisions for me!  Just another thing I love about working with one. 

What is on tap for this weekend?  I overslept this morning so I have a 45 minute run tonight, 30 minutes tomorrow, and then 15 miles on Sunday.  I hope it is better than the 14 last week!

Erica, good to see that weight being posted.  I think your goal is super doable.  Just don't try to overdo the physical part of it right now just to hurry up the process.  We need you healthy and not injured!  My goal is to be steadily under 205 by my 100mi bike ride on May 7.  I hit 205 a few days ago but haven't gotten to weigh myself since then.  I bet I am back up a few pounds (I fluctuate a lot).  So, I have about 1 month to get there. 

Meggan, it must be hell week for you leading up to the 15th.  Almost there! 

I don't have much going on right now.  Took the day off yesterday and went to a baseball game.  Gonna get a bike ride in this afternoon.  I have to work Sat and hope to get a run in then another bike on Sun.  I took all of next week off of work for a mental break.  Gonna just do a lot of stuff I've been putting off in the yard and around the house.

Had PT this morning and the knee has been feeling much better.  I still get some very minor pain in it occasionally but it hasn't been getting sore or lasting very long when I do.  PT this morning and she is very excited about that news.  She too wants me to really push it and increase my running and not see her for 3 weeks.  Thats the longest I have gone without seeing her since I got the injury.  We'll see how it responds but it is definitely good news.  Maybe that cortisone shot was all it needed. 

Fixed that for ya!

Way to catch that one Tim, definately fixed that up nicely. 

I'm visuallizing a fantastic run for you on Sunday Meggan.

Tim, great news on the knee!

Erica, like Tim said, your goal seems very do-able, just keep your eye on the prize and don't overtrain and injure yourself(says pot to kettle:p)!

I did a 5K run on my own last night to push myself a little on the leg, started out kind of rocky, but  once I got going the muscle relaxed and I was good for the rest of the run.  I haven't been taking any vitamin I at all before of to ensure I am not hurting myself during the run and to see what kind of pain is there after the run is finished.  So far, so good, the pain in my shin was better after the run than it was before!  I'm hoping to get in a 10K tomorrow and a 15K on Sunday to put some mileage on the leg but not all at once.  I'd like to do a 30K next weekend, since it will be my last long run before I head off to Mexico to taper:-)

I hope everyone has a really great weekend

T1 - Awesome news about the knee!  I know you can get down to that weight.  I'll be keeping my eye on you if you keep yours on me!

Meggan - You'll do great tomorrow! Stay positive and focused!

Sandra - Be careful and keep that shin in line!  Keep us posted.

If anybody has time to check out my workout plan and let me know what you think, I'd really appreciate it!  I combined a BT custom HIM workout plan for the swim/bike with a beginner Hal Higdon half-mary for the run.  The HH plan builds up REALLY slowly, so I'm hoping it keeps my knee in check. 

Erica, maybe it's just me but I can't get your workout plan to download right.  It just shows up as a blank page.  If you want to try emailing it to me you can.  Use my username on here at hotmail.

ps - I've got my weight goal saved as a goal chart in my training log so it should be easy to check up on me.  I am in total vacation mode right now and haven't been making good choices so far this weekend. 

This should work! 

That one worked.  Thanks.  I wonder why it worked and not the previous one.  I have Office 2011.  Oh well.

It looks like an awesome plan.  I think you have the right idea with building up the run very slowly right now.  I would try to get a few more OWS in if you can.  Not a huge deal if you don't but the more the better.  Looks like Sat will be your tough days, getting in the long bike and short swim.  But I think you have it set up right.  Just make sure and try to separate those workouts and not do them back to back if possible.

Good work on getting that all set up.  Preparation is half the battle!