my new philosophy. i have opted in my training for surf city to push things a bit. i'm not certain this will actually yield any positive results come race day but it has been interesting all the same thus far. prior to this week training had honestly gotten off to a rocky start. i think i needed a little more time to recover physically (and mentally) from portland. it was an amazing experience and i was taking it all in while trying to figure out what the heck was up with my hip. i preemptively (perhaps) registered for another marathon and may have suffered from a little buyers remorse after the fact. but no more! last week i ran. intervals. tempo. and then a shorter weekend run with some cross-training at the gym. this week was all out on task. 6 miles of intervals on tuesday where i pushed my pace and enjoyed the burn. 7 mile tempo on thursday. a delightful run where the last three miles were so fantastic i didn't want to stop. (all 15 seconds faster than scheduled). and then this morning ushered in the return to the long run. i was excited and nervous. it has been just over a month since the portland marathon and i haven't run further than 7 miles in the interim. and i have been diligently doing my strengthening and stretches for my hip it/bursa issue. (while i think PT is great i don't really want to hang out there all the time...)
so this morning i opted for 13. plotted a course of 6.5 miles out along west river parkway
and back. and then i set out. the morning was almost breathtaking. 47 degrees. cloudless sky. a bit past sunrise with a slight wind. very un-november like. so i started running. made it to the first scheduled "water stop" fountain around mile 1.6. no water. kept running. tried the next one at 2.3 miles. no luck. and then it dawned on me that it really is november. in minnesota. and the water has been turned off even if the weather seems confused by this. so i had to mentally reroute my course to accommodate for this oversight. immediately designated my vehicle as my water stop and kept running (i was running while rerouting as well). ran 7.5 miles and finally had some water and vitalyte (the beverage of choice for surf city and not a bad choice i might add) - much better than the ultima at portland). set out for another loop going the opposite direction on the mississippi river. i was tired but happy to see that i still had it in me to make it this far. sometimes i wonder after i have run a long distance if i haven't just lost the miles somewhere. like i was pouring water out of a pitcher. clearly not the case but these are the things that float through my head at times. okay back on task. i ran over the stone arch bridge and into the two mile home stretch. but as i was getting closer i thought i bet i can run further than this. i had told myself before i started that when you think you can't go further, run two more miles. so i made it back to my car at 13.35 miles and decided to go for 15. smaller loop this time. just bridge to bridge and back. ran. said hello to some homeless looking gentleman and crossed the second bridge at mile 15. and i was spent. super spent. but i still had a little ways to go before i was back at the car so i ran. 15.5 miles total. walked .25 miles to cooldown. (all done over a minute faster a mile than what i was slated for. i will happily take it.) could i have pushed 17. maybe. but why? i suppose there is always a reason. but i was satisfied. i felt good. my hip felt good. (apparently following the stretching and strengthening recommended by PT is beneficial). and then i went home. showered. ate. spencer and i took the dog out for a walk. he rode his bike. i walked. and chatted with amy who is suffering with hip nonsense. different hip nonsense. possibly more annoying injury than my it issue which hopefully is on the up tick. all in all it was a delightful morning and early afternoon.
and finally to cap off my afternoon. i followed some sage advice. last week my PT at TRIA also recommended getting superfeet insoles. and new shoes. i knew the shoes were on the horizon. but oddly i dread this every time. just when i get a pair of shoes feeling great i need a new pair. the superfeet were not surprising but had not been completely anticipated. today i scored both. my running store
- which i as general rule love - does not carry superfeet. so first stop was rei (the place where when someone asks "where would you spent thousands of dollars? " -this would be my answer). then on to run n' fun. small local establishment that is fellow runners helping you run better. at least thats how i think of it. i brought along the superfeet and had my feet once again "fitted" for the proper shoes. tried on a few different pairs of narrow stability, but not quite motion control, shoes and ran up and down the sidewalk in my jeans. yup thats how i roll (hey its usually work clothes). it was between a pair of new balance and a pair of saucony. they both felt good. i asked my helpful salesperson/super fast runner man his opinion and went with the new balance. i am hopeful. but ever appreciative of the return policy as well. hope to knock out a few miles on the treadmill tomorrow to test them out and then we should be good to go.
tomorrow is supposed to be unseasonably lovely as well. looking forward to lunch with friends (but not to cleaning). i think pushing it is working out for me. at least it seems like a good philosophy...
so this morning i opted for 13. plotted a course of 6.5 miles out along west river parkway
and back. and then i set out. the morning was almost breathtaking. 47 degrees. cloudless sky. a bit past sunrise with a slight wind. very un-november like. so i started running. made it to the first scheduled "water stop" fountain around mile 1.6. no water. kept running. tried the next one at 2.3 miles. no luck. and then it dawned on me that it really is november. in minnesota. and the water has been turned off even if the weather seems confused by this. so i had to mentally reroute my course to accommodate for this oversight. immediately designated my vehicle as my water stop and kept running (i was running while rerouting as well). ran 7.5 miles and finally had some water and vitalyte (the beverage of choice for surf city and not a bad choice i might add) - much better than the ultima at portland). set out for another loop going the opposite direction on the mississippi river. i was tired but happy to see that i still had it in me to make it this far. sometimes i wonder after i have run a long distance if i haven't just lost the miles somewhere. like i was pouring water out of a pitcher. clearly not the case but these are the things that float through my head at times. okay back on task. i ran over the stone arch bridge and into the two mile home stretch. but as i was getting closer i thought i bet i can run further than this. i had told myself before i started that when you think you can't go further, run two more miles. so i made it back to my car at 13.35 miles and decided to go for 15. smaller loop this time. just bridge to bridge and back. ran. said hello to some homeless looking gentleman and crossed the second bridge at mile 15. and i was spent. super spent. but i still had a little ways to go before i was back at the car so i ran. 15.5 miles total. walked .25 miles to cooldown. (all done over a minute faster a mile than what i was slated for. i will happily take it.) could i have pushed 17. maybe. but why? i suppose there is always a reason. but i was satisfied. i felt good. my hip felt good. (apparently following the stretching and strengthening recommended by PT is beneficial). and then i went home. showered. ate. spencer and i took the dog out for a walk. he rode his bike. i walked. and chatted with amy who is suffering with hip nonsense. different hip nonsense. possibly more annoying injury than my it issue which hopefully is on the up tick. all in all it was a delightful morning and early afternoon.and finally to cap off my afternoon. i followed some sage advice. last week my PT at TRIA also recommended getting superfeet insoles. and new shoes. i knew the shoes were on the horizon. but oddly i dread this every time. just when i get a pair of shoes feeling great i need a new pair. the superfeet were not surprising but had not been completely anticipated. today i scored both. my running store
- which i as general rule love - does not carry superfeet. so first stop was rei (the place where when someone asks "where would you spent thousands of dollars? " -this would be my answer). then on to run n' fun. small local establishment that is fellow runners helping you run better. at least thats how i think of it. i brought along the superfeet and had my feet once again "fitted" for the proper shoes. tried on a few different pairs of narrow stability, but not quite motion control, shoes and ran up and down the sidewalk in my jeans. yup thats how i roll (hey its usually work clothes). it was between a pair of new balance and a pair of saucony. they both felt good. i asked my helpful salesperson/super fast runner man his opinion and went with the new balance. i am hopeful. but ever appreciative of the return policy as well. hope to knock out a few miles on the treadmill tomorrow to test them out and then we should be good to go.tomorrow is supposed to be unseasonably lovely as well. looking forward to lunch with friends (but not to cleaning). i think pushing it is working out for me. at least it seems like a good philosophy...
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