still hurtin'

Ahhh, injuries.

I remarked to a friend the other day that I felt a bit empty without a marathon on the horizon ;) Isn't that sad? But ever since the marathon bug bit me in 2010, there's been no looking back... until now.

A few runs before my last marathon (Feb. 19th), my hamstring felt tight. And then I ran a marathon on it, which made it HURT. So much so, that I went to physio and learned I had pulled it! Smart girl. After 6 sessions of treatment (including 2 rounds of acupuncture) and many a stretching exercise, my physiotherapist finally cleared me to do a short run, no more than 20 minutes. It felt pretty good, just a bit tight! So then I did a few more in the weeks following. They felt okay, but not 100%. And then this morning's felt about 70%, which was completely demoralizing. Here I was, SO excited to be back out running again... and now, the realization that it's still going to take some time yet before I can even THINK of training for a marathon.

I'm signed up for the Whistler half-marathon in mid-June... here's hoping I can at least manage that, for my physical AND mental well-being ;)

So 'chin up' to any of you who might be in the same boat! Happy running... or rehabbing :)

:)me

new blog post!

Hola!

Sorry for the delay in writing part two of my Birch Bay Marathon story-- the experience of being in the town! It's now posted in the 'run' section of the website. Enjoy!

:)me

new blog post!

Hey y'all, I've finally posted my review of the Birch Bay marathon, under the 'run' section of the website. But fear not, I'll have another blog post in the coming days about my overall experience in the town... including the LOVELY cottage I stayed in. Coming soon, stay tuned!

Happy running,

:)me

on commitment

My blog ideas always seem to come to me while I'm running. Today was no different. About a third of the way through my 15km run, it came to me: most of what I've learned about commitment has come through marathon training.

That's not to say I haven't committed to other goals in life, and worked hard to achieve them. But nothing has compared. A mere look at a typical marathon training schedule is daunting... but actually DOING it is an amazing test of mental strength that I wish everyone would try at least once in their lifetime.

I thought about this as I ran today, because I know my commitment hasn't been there over the past few months. A lack of motivation, an interest in other physical activities like the gym, and a litany of excuses like the bad weather meant that I slacked pretty badly on my 18-week training program. Now here I am, 3 weeks away from my next marathon, trying to test my body's limits and nervously hoping I can pull it off. Physically, I can tell my legs are trying to catch up... and mentally, I am off. Gone is my self-assurance and total confidence that some way, some how, I will absolutely get it done. There is a sliver of doubt.

It's kind of like our relationships in life. When you invest time and energy, and when you show up for that person whenever it's needed, you give him or her a sense of assurance about the strength of your bond. So today, as I tried to rush my relationship with my marathon legs, they pulled back. My ankles felt a bit unsteady. My shins told me they weren't happy. I got through those 15 kilometres, but it wasn't as smooth or as easy as when we used to interact more regularly. It was like they didn't know me anymore... and it was my own fault.

So for the next three weeks, I will beg my marathon legs for forgiveness. I will run as much as I can without burning them out, and give them the attention they deserve. I've thought about dropping down to the half-marathon at Birch Bay, but anyone that knows me well knows that I am stubborn as a mule ;)  So let's do this!! :)

falling off the face of the earth

I have to start my first post of 2012 with an apology: that's right, I'm sorry. Sorry that I fell off the face of the earth and didn't blog for two whole months.

Do you ever do that? Maybe it's not with regards to a blog, but various aspects of life in general. I do it from time to time. Usually there's one thing in particular that starts it, triggering a snowball effect that culminates in... silence.

I've spent a fair bit of time pondering what prompted this latest retreat. At first, I thought it was just post-marathon fatigue. I took a break from running, so I felt like I had nothing interesting to say to you. But then I realized I could have posted some thoughts on the negative realities that marathoners DO face. They get tired, and they stop. And for days or weeks or even months, they lack motivation. I've realized I've been reluctant to post the negative things I've been feeling, maybe out of embarrassment after reading other people's online posts about how much they're achieving in training or racing.

So here's today's nugget: I went for my first run after taking a good month off from the pavement. I went to the gym a few times a week in that time, because that's what I felt like doing, but I rarely ran on the treadmill. I biked, I hit the elliptical, and more than anything... lifted weights, which I love to do and missed during my intense marathon training regimen. But today I returned to the Galloping Goose for an easy 5k... easy, because that's all I could handle. It took 3k to even find my legs. I wheezed up a hill. I got two horrible cramps. I wanted to stop every 1k. Except the last one. Because I felt 'IT'... the reason I run... the joy. It was back, and so was I. So here I am... and I vow to begin sharing as many of the lows as I do the highs of marathoning.

I think the end of any year can also create some introversion though. We're reflecting on the year that was, the ups and the downs, and how we can fix those downs. The holidays were a point of deep reflection for me, and I've come up with several resolutions for 2012 based on an exercise I came across on the No Meat Athlete's website. I'm not going to share them specifically, but my overall theme as I travel through 2012 is to pack light, both mentally and physically. Do you have any resolutions you'd like to share? You can do so here.

P.S. I also signed up for my first ultramarathon... the 25th Annual Island Runner Elk/Beaver Ultra... 50k on May 12, 2012 :)

:)me