Race Recap [sort of]

This past Sunday September 8th was the Canmore half marathon. While I'd love to report that I hit a PB, ran like the wind, and left it all on the course, I can't. In fact, I can't even report that I ran.
Two weeks ago I started noticing pain in both of my knees after I would run. I would stop and walk for a while, then get back at it. Eventually I wasn't able to run at all due to the pain. So I stopped running. Completely. On Friday I headed to my chiropractor to get an assessment and find out if I could run without causing damage. After checking the mobility of the joints, the muscles around them, and the location of the pain, he found that it was a "tracking" issue. In my case this means that my knee caps are pulling up and to the side as I move, instead of the straight up and down that they are suppose to do. This particular problem is being caused by severe tightness in the outside quadriceps muscles.
  And so, instead of running a half marathon, I've been stretching, icing, walking, and resting. No running, no weight lifting, no carrying anything other than Audrey for the next two weeks. As he laid the diagnosis and prescription on me, I knew I had two options: 1) I could take this as a major buzz kill, get super disappointed, and pout about not being able to run my goal race. Or 2) I could take this as a wake up call to put more of a priority on stretching and joint health, and be grateful for all that my body does let me do. I chose the second.
My knees have visible bruising all around the knee caps, I spend more time icing them than I have ever done with an injury before, and I've been doing targeted stretching, as well as yoga for full body flexibility.
 So yes, I missed my goal race this past weekend, but I am healing instead of hurting my body, which is a big win in my books.

Training update

Before I dropped off the mystical blogging cliff of busy mama life, I posted the half marathon training plan I created to prepare to run a half marathon in September. It's been a great plan to follow so far, and with nine weeks behind me and the final three to go I'm feeling back on my feet once again. Getting back into a running groove has been a challenge at times, but focusing on one workout or one week, at a time has really helped me push through the discomfort and lace up my sneakers anyways. One of the most helpful things I've found is looking at my training as a week long endeavor. Looking at training one week at a time allows me to juggle my workouts according to my schedule. Some weeks my long run has been completed on Friday, others Monday, but the point is it always gets done.  It's not always easy, but man is it ever worth it!

I have trained for and completed many races, and by far this training plan has been the most effective - and yet it has the fewest runs per week. For some this would be a deterrent, but with a small babe on hand I needed to make sure that I was maximizing my training time and keeping my time away from her to a minimum. Between cross fit, strength training, and yoga I gain awesome strength, conditioning and cross training. My running workouts each week consist of one speed or hill training day (it alternates week to week) one mid distance run which caps at 5 miles, and one long run on the weekend. My longest run of the training program is coming up this Saturday, 10 miles. Hitting this week, the week of maximums, is always one of my favorites.  Not only do I know I have come A LONG WAY but I know that come Monday it's time to taper off to race day :) Cause in the end, 12 weeks of training is focused and directed towards one end goal - completing the half marathon with a smile on my face and burning legs! "Leave it all on the course" is my motto, and a training principle I rely on to make me stronger, better, and faster. After all 12 weeks will pass anyways, why not discover my potential in the process?

Monday....

...marks the beginning of my half marathon training! I can't wait to hit the starting line again - it's been a long break! I've decided on a race being held on September 8th in the mountains. It will be challenging, but oh so rewarding to cross that finish line! If you're in the mood to kick up your training this summer and cross some mileage and goals off your list, then join in the fun! Here's the training schedule I cooked up for the next 11 weeks:

Half Marathon

Training Plan

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	8x 200m hills w/ jog down recovery	Stretch & Strengthen	3 m run	crossfit	yoga	4 m run	Rest
2	4x 4 min w/ 90 second jog recovery	Stretch & Strengthen	3 m run	crossfit	yoga	4 m run	Rest
3	8x 200m hills w/ jog down recovery	Stretch & Strengthen	3.5 m run	crossfit	yoga	5 m run	Rest
4	4x 5 min w/ 90 second jog recovery	Stretch & Strengthen	3.5 m run	crossfit	yoga	5 m run	Rest
5	8x 200m hills w/ jog down recovery	Stretch & Strengthen	4 m run	crossfit	yoga	10 k race	Rest
6	2.5 m tempo run	Stretch & Strengthen	4.5 m run	crossfit	yoga	7 m run	Rest
7	8x 200m hills w/ jog down recovery	Stretch & Strengthen	4.5 m run	crossfit	yoga	8 m run	Rest
8	16x 1 min w/ 1 min jog recovery	Stretch & Strengthen	5 m run	crossfit	yoga	9 m run	Rest
9	8x 200m hills w/ jog down recovery	Stretch & Strengthen	5 m run	crossfit	yoga	10 m run	Rest
10	4 m tempo run	Stretch & Strengthen	5 m run	crossfit	yoga	8 m run	Rest
11	8x 200m hills w/ jog down recovery	Stretch & Strengthen	4 m run	crossfit	yoga	rest	Half Marathon

Feel free to print off a copy for yourself - success is so much sweeter when there are others to share it with :) But remember, if you haven't been active in a while, build up to this. And as always, check with your doctor first* before starting this or anyother plan.

You'll notice that the long run cps out at 10 miles, and a half marathon is 13.1 miles. Don't worry about those last 3 miles - adrenaline, fitness, and excitement will carry you through! My focus in this training plan is over all fitness, which can be reached better through multiple facets then simply focusing on the long runs.

What races are on your horizon? Have you run a half marathon before? Or a marathon? What's your dream distance?





*that old disclaimer that means, you can't blame me if you hurt yourself following my training plan as I designed it for ME.

Goals

Fresh slates are additive for me. Mornings, Mondays, 1st of the month, and the creme de la creme JANUARY! I have been letting myself start goals early [meaning, right when I decide to do it, whether it be the afternoon, the 15th of the month, or March] lately, which means I have a running to do list of items needing to be checked off at all times. But January brings order and determination with it, and so I seem to set my grandest goals at this time of year! With my goals written out, posted in my most often view areas, and broken down into steps [yeah for manageable segments!] I have busted through the 2012 starting gates and am feeling great! One of my resolutions is not yet set though, and currently, I'm okay with that. I created this blog to track my progress back to the marathon starting line, and all the wonderful adventures that I encounter along the way with my little family. Now, I'm wavering as to whether I will be doing another marathon in the next couple of years, or whether I will stick to the half marathon distance. Here's the internal debate:

Marathon

 [POSITIVES] lofty and courageous goal; feels great to finish; only a small percentage of the population will ever even attempt a marathon, and fewer will complete one [or more in my case ;)]; [OBSTACLES] time consuming training plan which is trickier than a rubixcube with a young family in tow

Half Marathon

 [POSITIVES] long enough distance to challenge me and keep me interested; easy on my body; training fits my schedule; more races to choose from; more training partners to run with [a serious plus!] [OBSTACLES] does not give me the same thrill that a marathon does

And so you see, they're both great options, but neither is completely perfect for me right now. Either my family will need to make great sacrifices so I can run another marathon right now, or I will change my mental state and meet the half marathon with the same zeal and passion of a marathon. One of my sisters, who is also a runner and my favourite person to run with, suggested running back to back half's [for example one on Saturday then another on Sunday] which would be a challenge, and may just be the tipping point towards the half for me.

January is rolling along, the rest of my goals are formed and stepping along to greatness, and soon enough my running goals will be solidified and ready to pursue full throttle.

Both are fantastic - which would you choose?