Let the training begin!

Here is the half marathon (beginning level) training schedule Nike+ has laid out for me:

Half Training Schedule

Week	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
1		Rest	Run 4 Miles	30 min XT	Run 4 Miles	30 min stretch & strength
2	Run 6 Miles	Rest	Run 4 Miles	30 min XT	Run 4 Miles	30 min stretch & strength
3	Run 7 Miles	Rest	Run 4 Miles + 20 min strength	30 min XT	Run 5 Miles: 1-2 miles easy; 2 min tempo 3 min recover	30 min stretch & strength
4	Run 7 Miles	Rest	Run 4 Miles + 20 min strength	30 min XT	Run 5 Miles: 1-2 miles easy; 2 min tempo 3 min recover	30 min stretch & strength
5	Run 8 Miles	Rest	Run 4 Miles + 20 min strength	30 min XT	Run 5 Miles: 1-2 miles easy; 2 min tempo 3 min recover	30 min stretch & strength
6	Run 5 Miles	Rest	Run 5 Miles: 1-2 miles easy; 2 min tempo 3 min recover	30 min XT	Run 3 Miles	30 min stretch & strength	Run 2 Miles
7	Run 10.2: 2 mile warm up 10k time 2 mile cool down	Rest	Run 5 Miles + 20 min strength	30 min XT	Run 6 Miles: 1-2 miles easy; 2 min tempo 3 min recover	30 min stretch & strength
8	Run 10	Rest	Run 6 Miles: 1-2 miles easy; 2 min tempo 3 min recover	30 min XT	Run 6 Miles + 20 strength	30 min stretch & strength
9	Run 11 Miles	Rest	Run 6 Miles: 1-2 miles easy; 2 min tempo 3 min recover	30 min XT	Run 6 Miles + 20 strength	30 min stretch & strength
10	Run 11 Miles	Rest	Run 6 Miles: 1-2 miles easy; 2 min tempo 3 min recover	30 min XT	Run 6 Miles + 20 strength	30 min stretch & strength
11	Run 12 Miles	Rest	Run 6 Miles: 1-2 miles easy; 2 min tempo 3 min recover	30 min XT	Run 6 Miles + 20 strength	30 min stretch & strength
12	Run 8 Miles	Rest	Run 5 Miles: 1-2 miles easy; 2 min tempo 3 min recover	30 min XT	Run 4 Miles + 20 strength	30 min stretch & strength	Run 2 Miles
	Race

I added in the cross training per Hal Higdon's general wisdom. Per my general wisdom, I'm leaving Saturday and Monday as rest days and Friday as my stretch & strengthen days based on my general overall life. Also, on days where it looks like they're back to back, I'll actually focus on things like core strength one day and arms/legs another so it's not really backed up.

So here's to the start of something new.

Let the games begin

Today is the fist day of training for my first half marathon. It was already in the mid-70's and humid at 6 am, but I got my backside out the door and covered 4 miles.

There is one thing I look for when I start any running/health program: bunnies. For some reason, if I see a bunny when I'm starting something or really struggling, somehow I know it will all be OK. I don't know why, I just do. As I started this morning, there was a bunny just sitting on a lawn a couple of feet from me watching. He didn't try to hop away or anything, he just watched as I went past. About 1/3 of the way through, as I was feeling the humidity, there were two bunnies playing off to the side. The happily played - darting towards me and away before disappearing under a bush. It really renewed my sense that I'm doing the right thing with the right plan.

So 4 miles are in the books and it's time to shower and move on with my day thanks to the bunnies. :)

3.1 on a Sunday morning

After realizing the cramping problem was due to the Asics (damn! I liked those shoes too), I stopped in a Marathon Sports yesterday to be refitted. I left with a pair of Saucony Pro Grids to try out over the next couple of weeks to see how they work out.

I also had the summer cold from purgatory last week that had me feeling a little like Ariel in "Little Mermaid" as I had no voice for 2 days along with our companies 3rd product launch in 10 weeks... well, running was the last thing I had time for (along with grocery shopping and laundry).

This morning the sun was up, so I pulled on my new shoes - which look sort of lizardy because they're a moss colored green with silverish mesh over them - stoked up the Nike+ and headed out for my 3.1 mile route. It was clear when I started running that my lungs still weren't 100%, not surprising to me given last week's congestion, so I opted for a w5+r5 option for the route. That was pretty comfortable for me over all. By the end of the week I'll decide if I'm doing the 4 mile Hingham 4th of July race or not next Sunday.

Out on my run today I interrupted several groups of squirrels out playing tag in 3's and 4's. A couple of them hopped along with me, making me laugh. The birds were in full chorus and you could smell the flowers in the air. Summer is truly here and the world seems to be soaking it all in. All in all, it heralded a nice return from my break as I start to gear up for my half training.

So let's hear it for summer, new shoes and running.

once again, this time with feeling: OWWW

I took almost a week off from running. Any walking I've done has been in my old shoes... per usual. No problems, the calf felt fine so I went out for a run and sure enough, a mile in I got hit with crampcrampcrampcrampcramp again.

After a half hour of normal household stuff (carrying laundry up from the basement, making breakfast, etc.) it feels fine. So tomorrow I try a new experiment: wear my old shoes for my run and see what happens. If things are fine, then I know it's the shoes. If they aren't, I'll call my ortho.

another run turned walk

OK, maybe the leg cramp is coming from needing new warm up strategies. Maybe it's because I haven't been taking my vitamins. Maybe it's just one of those things.

I honestly don't know, but I don't like this happening again 10 minutes into my run. I did try pushing past it, but no.

So today it's a case of searching the net to see what I can figure out. I know it's not fatigue, my mileage goal make look insane, but that's just recording the walking I normally do as well as the running for a Nike+ challenge. So that leaves nutrition and stretching to work on.

Starting today: I will lay out my vitamins for the rest of the week and make sure I take each one. I think I'll start by moving my PT to the front of my run instead of end. Perhaps that will help loosen things up enough.

Tomorrow instead of running in the AM and walking the Marsh Post course, I will walk in the AM and PM and see how that feels. I'll take Friday off, walk Saturday and my "long" run Sunday will maybe be 3 or 4 miles. If I can't make it through Sunday's run, I'll call my orthopedist on Monday.

Sounds like a plan.

owowowowcrampcrampcramow

Today was w5+r10+owowowowcrampcrampcrampow w5+r5+ owowowowowcrampcrampcrampowowow w5 +PT for 2.5 miles

I don't like it when my calves cramp up at all. I haven't really had that problem, I hear about it all the time with runners, but it never really hit me before.

Before the owowowow moments, I noticed some things. I am walking faster. Because of a Nike+ challenge at work, a lot of us are logging our walking as well as our running. I'm covering more distance in less time, which is nice. Today when I went out, I realized that I am covering a 1/4 mile more than I used to in the same time. That is, I walk for 5 minutes as a warm up. Normally that takes me to just inside a set of traffic lights, and then I run. Today it took me to the far side of the lights and then some.

It used be that I would hope to cover a full mile in 15 minutes. Today I noticed I covered close to a mile and a quarter in that same 15. I didn't feel any faster and I wasn't exerting myself more ... or at least it didn't feel that way and there I was - all the way down the block. :)

A little heat and massage and the cramp is now history and it's time to move on with the day. Here's to it being ancient history.

How did I get here?

Today's run was brought to you by some Funky Soul music...the fabulous MISS CHAKA KHAN and Stevie Wonder.

It started by pushing myself out the door on a muggy morning after hitting the genius booger on the iPod while listening to "I Feel For You." iTunes knew better than to mess with a good thing and kept putting up some old school Stevie Wonder mixed with Chaka Khan and every so often tossed in a few other bits here and there.

The first five minutes of my run were, "Well, at least I'm out here." Then the rest of the run was "How did I get here already?" At my turn around point I figured, "Oh, I'll run as far as the turn off and then I can walk." At the turn off it was, "I'm here already? I guess just down the hill..." next thing I knew, I was at my stop running and cool down point.

All in all, an odd run with some old school funk and soul to carry me through.

Not a great run, but a good one and many days that's more than a girl can hope for in the end.

Gotta have the funk..

which would have been today's soundtrack instead of Green Day but apparently my funk stuff is not on my iPhone. Hmmmm.... time to make some new playlists I guess.

Funks happen. For me I know one is about to start when, like the other day, I sat on the couch dressed and ready to go out for a run but couldn't bring myself to make it out the door. My shoes sit there begging me to just slip my feet in and they'll carry me the rest of the way, but I just can't muster the whatever to even do that much.

They always end the same way as well, that is me sitting there in my running gear and I slip my feet into my shoes and they carry me the rest of the way.

It happens to all of us. It's not about whether things in our lives are pressing or sad or happy or busy or whatever. It's just sometimes you gotta have the funk. The problems come when you wallow in it or let it eclipse your overall goals.

Today was a good run. I got 2.5 solid miles in with running and PT. Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown did a good job helping my shoes carry me along the way.

of yellow chalk lines, wet blankets and tonsure tails

The first half of my run was good today, but 20 minutes in my stomach was not a happy camper and it slowed down to a fast walk. Some days that happens.

Last night I set up a training schedule: Hal Higdon's 10k plan until July 4 and then cut over to the Nike+ 12-week half marathon training plan. I figure I need the base of six mile runs, which I get with Hal, to start half training.

Since tonight is a Thursday race and I don't really like running later in the day, I decided to go for a short run this morning and then walk tonight. After a couple of days of 90* temps, the rain moved in last night cooling everything down. It was still humid, like running with a wet blanket on, but much much cooler. As I started out it looked like there were yellow chalk lines following gentle curves and odd patterns. I was intrigued by whomever would go out and draw so fluidly on wet pavement until I came upon a puddle and realized it was the pollen the rain washed out of the trees.

I saw a family of a Quail like bird. Without my glasses, it's hard to tell if it was a pheasant, quail or some other similar bird. But it was cool watching the little birdies running and playing in a puddle under the larger birdie's watchful eyes.

Among the usual folks I see on my route, today there was a man in business attire walking a labradoodle. He was balding to the point of having a tonsure (when you're completely bald on top with just the rim of hair wrapping around your head from ear to ear) with a pony tail about the length of my middle finger. "That sums up that look entirely," I thought somewhat unkindly as I ran past. Seriously men, if you're bald on top like that, the pony tail just makes you look like a fool.

It was a good run but 20 minutes in my stomach gave a heave and let me know it was an unhappy camper. I know I haven't been eating all that well lately and I still need to find the right combo of stuff. I'll figure it out and there will be a few more uncomfortable runs in the meantime, but today was an interesting tale of running as I followed the pollen chalk lines home.

A pleasant walk

In the fading light of day, I caught this picture of Johnny Kelly's upturned face. The statue, Young at Heart, is along Commonwealth Ave at the start of Heartbreak Hill by Newton City Hall. The statue is the young Johnny Kelly winning his first Boston marathon and the old Johnny Kelly, crossing the finish line of his last full Boston Marathon. They have their hands clasped in a victory grasp - the young and the old forever joined together encouraging all who go past.

Johnny is the coach in my head. When I run along Comm Ave, I always call out my intended mileage for the day to Johnny. Tonight I went for a walk as it started to cool down. Some one started hanging their race medals on Johnny last 4th of July and now there is a 2008 and 2009 Baystate marathon medal hanging around the neck of the young and old Johnny.

Tonight I liked how the light caught his face and pulled out the phone to snap a picture. Tonight's walk was a reminder that sometimes I need to look at familiar routes with new eyes. Next time I pass Johnny, I will call out my mileage like usual, but when I come back, his eyes will shine a bit differently as I go past.

Thank you rhythm section

I'm still struggling with motivation but I did push myself this morning and got out the door. I almost turned around at one point but then I noticed the drummer on "Melissa" by the Allman Brothers. There it was, whispering in my right ear, "step, step, step..." as I worked my way up the hill. On all the music this morning, I would hear the drum gently whispering in my ear to move along: just another step here, and here, and here again.....

By the time I turned the corner for the last 3/4's of a mile or so to home, I was good. I could feel my stride steadily continue on beyond the music so that when "Good Riddance" came on - which has no drums, I could pick up on the guitar and stay in tempo.

So thanks to the rhythm section for getting me through my 3.1 today. I really needed that.

A walk and a run

Last night was the Blues Run at the Marsh Post - one of the "big" races. It's a 4.2 mile course and last night 1300 runners showed up. I don't run the big races anymore. I work the finish chutes, but last night I got there early enough to walk the first loop before the race and, after the race I walked the second loop for my 4.2.

But I still needed to get my 3rd run in this week, so I laced up my running shoes this morning for my usual w5+r30+w5. It's getting to the time of year where it's warm in the mornings and warmer in the evenings, so I forget I have to change my hydration habits. On my way back I realized I had cotton mouth, so I stopped at a water fountain and it really slowed me down. While I was able to pick the run back up - something I wouldn't have done in the past - I realized that maybe it's time to think about how to hydrate during my runs now that summer is coming.

All in all, it was a good run this morning after a solid walk last night.

the Tuesday blahs

I was just not motivated to run this morning, so I didn't. It's not a couple of crappy runs either, it was just a motivation issue. So I had to ask: why am I sitting here in my running gear surfing the net instead of running?

Two reasons: Last night a cyclist was killed at an intersection along my running route. It heavily creeps me out that a person lost their life there and I think I need a little time and space before I run there again.

The other reason: what am I training for? I know I can consistently run a 3.1 distance. I've been doing that the past few weeks and I'm pretty comfortable with it. So what's next? This is the point where I need to pick a race distance and train for it. Probably a 10k. I know the one I was looking at on June 13 isn't happening for me - I have a work meeting that morning (feh!). That means I need to find something to work towards consistently and motivate me now that my challenges are all kind of tapering off until the summer.

So here's the deal: I will pick a 5k, 10k and half races to train for and lay out some training plans. I'll go for two runs this week (tomorrow and Friday most likely) and be back on track by my long run on Sunday. Then I'll have a reason to send my sorry butt out the door in the morning rather than surf the net.

As they say: it's a plan.

The craptastic run of suckitude

which turned into the walk of frustration. It happens and when it does, I ask myself: why?

I think I figured out why today. I didn't eat dinner last night.

Well, I didn't eat a good dinner. What I had for dinner last night and the night before was half a jar of Pedroia premium salsa with black beans and corn and half a bag of corn chips. Not exactly the fuel of champions.

So here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to make myself a berrylicious smoothie of awesomeness, go to my weigh in and try again later. Perhaps just a long, pleasant walk along the river or something and then map out my workouts for the week. That should fix the problem for today and (hopefully) going forward.

iWalk/iRun

Today Apple has challenged all their employees to walk 3k (1.8 miles) or run 5k (3.1 miles). I know there's a Thursday night race in honor of Buddy the Beagle tonight; however, that's a 2.6 mile course and I just don't like running at the end of the day.

So instead I decided I'd run this morning and go for a walk this evening with my husband at the Buddy tribute.

It's odd how at 7 am EDT and I'm watching the numbers from the folks in England and Germany appear. Later on I know I'll see the numbers from across the country appear and then off towards the Pacific Rim. It's not even 7:30 in the morning here but 125 people have all ready logged runs and I'm smack dab in the middle of the pack.

The other marker for me is the goal I set for myself: 50 miles in the month of May. Right now, I've complete 19.6 miles - which is pretty much on track. OK, I'm a half mile behind but I'll pick that up either tonight or with my long run on Sunday.

So the iWalk/iRun challenge is in the books... time for a shower and to head into work. :)

Another day, another 5k

I headed out this morning for a 30 minute run. I didn't want to push hard, I just want my body to be "Oh yeah, it's Tuesday. Time for another half hour run...." So off with a comfortable pace today. I did my usual pattern: walk for 5 minutes, run for 30 minutes and cool down with another 5 minute walk before doing my PT exercises.

For the 50 miles in May goal I set for myself, I'm right on track. I know that I set a 100 miles between Memorial Day and the Fourth of July - which is what the May goal was about for me. If I could do that, then I could do the holiday challenge at work.

Right now I'm struggling with finding the right exercises to add in order to deal with a bit of heel whip I'm having with my right foot. When I'm aware of it, I can focus a bit on how my foot is positioning itself and such, but I know I need to do something... I'm just not sure what. People talk about crap like Q angles and such. It's all Greek to me.

Is it that I need to be a better informed runner or just shut up and deal? I personally have no idea. For now it's hitting the intertubz to see what I can find in terms of training.

Reframing

Reframing is one of those psych terms used along with "changing the negativity tape" and other sorts of phrases. What it really means is "wake up dumb ass."

This morning's long run was a reframing run. Right now it's difficult for me. It wasn't that long ago that I would go for a 5-6 mile run on a Sunday morning. Running a 10k race was a comfortable challenge and I enjoyed it. This morning I had to literally talk myself into 3.5 miles.

First it was the "I know it's up hill, but it will be down hill when you turn around..." speech in my head. Then came the "This is the farthest you've run in a long time..." speech. On the way down the hill it was, "Hey, it's all down hill from here..." before the, "C'mon, just 5 more minutes..." and then the landmarks. There were times when my legs were heavy and I just didn't feel like it was in me. I began to ask myself: "Why?"

Why am I beating myself up for not being where I was before injuries? Why am I beating myself up for pushing myself on my runs but not on race courses? Why can't I just enjoy this like I used to?

The answer is simple: because I knew I could do better once and want to do better again. Like all things this takes time and I can be rather impatient with myself. I demand more of myself than perhaps others do in situations like this.

But I did it. I ran my 3.5 miles today. I've had better runs and I've had worse. I'll go out and do it again next Sunday as well... maybe on a race course, maybe not. We'll see. Right now, I'm reacquainting myself with running on a regular basis and that requires a lot of rethinking - reframing if you will - who I am and what I am capable of at this moment in time. Not what I could do years ago, but, rather, what I can do now.

So put me down for 3.5 thinking about it miles today. Soon it will be just another 3.5 mile run but for now, I'll think about it.

Let the Races Begin

Last night was the first Marsh Post race of the season.

These races are a 2.6 mile course along the river and I tend to struggle with running in the evening, but I love these weekly races. I love the people, I love the community and I love a relaxed race environment.

But I'm still not 100%

So I took off with the others, not expecting much. I decided to keep up with a couple of friends. One is recovering from an injury and the other was keeping him company. I ran with them along the route, a little bit faster and harder than I normally do. I pushed myself pretty hard, but it felt good. After 2 miles, I had to slow it down to a quick walk off and on until the end.

I crossed the finish at the 33 minute and change mark for just over a 12 minute pace. That's my old running pace! That feels pretty good.

As for the music I ran to, it was the mix I put together for the Doyle's 5 miler - that race I wasn't ready for that turned into a 2 mile run and 3 mile walk. The other night I realized just how good a mix it really is. It has a nice pace, a nice rhythm and a lot of good music.

Here's to a new season of Thursday nights and hopefully, by the end of the season, faster and faster times.

Happy Anniversary to Me!

On May 1, 2006, I started a couch to 5k program. The idea was to get my son running for lacrosse and I knew he wouldn't do it alone.

On May 1, 2010, I spent the day spreading mulch and gardening thinking about how after two pretty big injuries, I am now able to run a 5k. I thought about finding a 5k nearby to celebrate; however, with the walk for hunger in Boston and the March of Dimes walk in Lowell ... there's nothing really nearby. So I went back to my "challenge" route back in the day: Heartbreak Hill. It's still a challenge, don't get me wrong, but not like it was back in the day.

It felt good to be back. After a grade 3 sprain. After a partial achilles tear. After regaining the 15 pounds I shed when I was running, I was still out there. I was still running and my pace is increasing. Thursday night will be the first night of the Marsh Post runs which are every Thursday until the end of September.

I'm back bitches... I'm back. :)

Week 7

I'm now over halfway through and also just updated my template. My blog will be changing and morphing as I start maintaining things a bit better. I promise... really. :)

A Good Run

(w3+r2)5+(w5+PT)

overcast

roadways

Today was the first day that felt like I was really running and it felt so good. I managed a couple of miles in the time frame and for the first time since April, I've felt like I'm on my road back to normal.

Week 4: Day 1

Today: w15+r1+w2+PT

Felt: Really good

Weather: overcast

Surface: road

NOTES:

I can't believe I'm on week 4! It's a little easier considering week 2 was called due to weather. Today was weird in that the 15 minute mark couldn't come fast enough for me. After that taste of running segments, I want to just run and it's sometimes difficult to put the brakes on. So I chomped at the bit and when 15:00 showed on the watch, I was off for a minute at race pace. It felt so good to just open up. It was one of those days where I felt in motion the whole time. I could feel my pony tail swinging with each step but I felt smooth and tall.

All in all, today was a really good day out there.

Finishing week 1

The nice thing about working a long shift is the hour long break I have.  The bad thing is working a long shift.  However, today I was able to complete week one on my break (some what unexpectedly).  I went for a walk and thought, "I can just jog for a minute..." after all, I was on a shaded, wooded path so why not?

Today I finished with a (walk 5 + run 1) x2 + walk 5 + PT

Tomorrow is a rest day and then week 2 starts Tuesday.

Walk to Run: Day Two

Week: One

Day: Two

Felt: Excellent

Weather: Sunny, blue skies in lower 60's

Surface: road/asphalt

Workout: (walk 5/run 1)x2 + walk 5 +grapevine on toes +walk on toes

Music: "True Believers in the Long Walk Home" by Thick as Thieves

Did I learn anything? That "Mars Viglia" is a great song to run to.

Monday I got the word I could start a walk to run program, to take it S L O W and if things bother me, to back off.

Yesterday was simple: a 15 minute walk. *pbbbttt* I can do that in my sleep! So uneventful really.

This morning was my first real test: running for a couple of minutes is exciting. I never thought I'd say that but there it is, it's exciting. It's exciting because I know I'm on the way back to recovery and running. :) :) :) Soo so so happy today.

The only down side was the guys from the Mass Pike here to mow the grass on the other side of the fence. I get it guys, watching a woman grapevine back and forth for a block is pretty freaky goofy looking, but that you had no shame in openly mocking me thinking I couldn't hear you is just pathetic. Personally, given the beer guts you two were sporting, you're the last ones to be laughing at anyone.

finding my path

Recently I feel like I've been living in Seattle and forgot I moved. I mean, it's practically July and it feels like all it's done all month is rain, drizzle, rain and drizzle again. Today there was a bit of a break in the clouds and the sun made a surprise appearance. I parked McGreavey by the old running path and went for a walk.

The majority of the walk was wonderful. I forgot how much I love the sights and sounds of the river as I walk along. The lush green foliage, the sound of the rushing river, watching the geese and squirrels play in and along the banks of the water. I needed this as the other option, if the rain had come, was another couple rounds around the Natick Mall. :p

A mile and a half from the car, the sky opened up for a few minutes. I managed to walk along under some trees, so it wasn't too bad.

Best site today: a young squirrel hanging upside down from a branch to reach some berries on a tree. When I laughed, he gave me this "What?" look. His tail was wrapped around the branch and his back claws were dug it - but still, it made me laugh.

I got 3 miles in and included some of the PT stuff: walking on my toes, grapevine on my toes and such With a little icing and ibuprofen, it feels fine.

Mall Walking

Apparently I moved to Seattle and forgot - is there another way to explain this weather? I have been walking as part of rehabbing this Achilles injury but it's hard to be consistent when it's raining the way it has been.

What's a girl to do?

Answer: bite the bullet, pick up the iPod and drive to the mall. :shudder:

Because of the popularity of mall walking programs, most customer services desks can tell you how many laps = 1 mile and then it becomes a matter of the mind numbing journey staring at odd window displays and such. My usual haunts have been the Natick Mall, where each lap is just over a mile (if you include the collection wing and a couple of other little wings here and there scattered through the structure). The other night I was sore after all sorts of tension and frustration lodging in my back and sprung for a massage from the people on the second floor.

It was 20 minutes of pure bliss.

Saturday the weather held enough to walk the short loop of my old running paths and Sunday it held enough to take a walk up Heartbreak Hill to Centre Street. But today the rain is back and I'm sighing into my coffee and figuring on making a drive up to Natick where the parking is free and the walk is dull but climate controlled.

And she's back

After battling injuries, I started running again. I did an ill-prepared Hyannis 10k at the end of February. A more confident Ras Na Heirann and a positively wonderful Doyles 5 miler at the end of March. The world was my oyster and I was feeling good until April came around and it happened again.

On a lovely morning, it felt like someone stabbed me in the back of the heel and I pulled up lame. Cursing and swearing all the way home, I called the orthopedist and got the bad news: most likely a torn achilles.

FUCK!

It is the only word that could be uttered with enough force to begin to express my frustration.

Six weeks with inserts and a boot, I am now ambulatory again. The boot is off and I am now walking. I get to arrange for PT and I go for another check up in 6 weeks. Hopefully then it will be: OK, you can start that c25k again.

But yesterday and today I went for a 30 minute walk around the neighborhood. My goal is to walk at least 30 minutes a day and keep up my muscle strength, regain some of my fitness and move on from there.

So here's to new beginnings.

Uphill - both ways

When you try to explain to people how running on the hill my street is on is really running up hill both ways, they often respond: but do you do that barefoot and in the snow as well?

Seriously, that 1.5 mile stretch is uphill from my house to the crest before it dips and goes back up the hill a bit. When you turn around, you're not really running down hill and you find yourself running back uphill until you reach the crest again and then you have a sharp down hill until you get back to the house. It's one of the hardest 1.5 miles you can run around here - there is actually a much harder one about a half mile from my house as that side of the same hill is much steeper but has more of a downhill feel when you're running down it.

I'll probably go out again today and do the 1.5 a second time to see if it's any easier after running it yesterday. I doubt it will be, it's been almost a year and it's still a tough freakin' run.

Some days the bear eats you

Tonight was my first race since... well, since March.

It was one of the weekly 2.6 mile races and I decided to give it a try. It wasn't a question of being physically ready - as I pretty much am sure I was. I wasn't mentally ready, and that makes a difference.

This isn't a "well, well, you tried..." sort of thing. This is a mile in I realized I just wasn't there. I ran about a mile and realized I was done. I walked the last 1.6 miles and threw in a bit of jogging here and there, but emotionally I was not in a good place. Perhaps I tried to push myself a bit too soon. Perhaps all those injury fears that I had finally dumped the day I set up a 1/2 training program and then promptly went down for the count were still a bit too close to the surface. Whatever it was, it wasn't a case of willing myself through.

It was a horrible run, no two ways around it. I will eventually figure out how to run that course with joy again, it just wasn't going to be tonight. In the meantime, my vertigo seems to have gone away and it's time for me to figure out a new course of action and give this a try again next Thursday night.

Where Am I? What Am I Doing?

Just as I started running and feeling good about it again, I started having problems with vertigo. So after a week of taking anitbiotics for a possible low-grade sinus infection, I'm better. Tomorrow I'll try going for a run and see how I do.

Two down

This morning I was committed to volunteer at the New Charles River Run and I had 2 miles scheduled on my c25k plan. This meant getting up hella early on a Sunday to get my run in.

But I did it. I ran two miles in 24:49 - which is a 12:24 mile. So even though I was saying things to myself like, "Whoa girl, take it down a notch...." and forcing myself to slow down, I ran 2 miles at my regular pace. There's something truly gratifying about that. I'm scheduled to do a 2.5 long run next Sunday, but I may move it up to Thursday and run the US Blues 2.6 miler... we'll see.

Either way, I'm feeling like I've got 2 down and a whole life more ahead.

Lies We Tell Ourselves

I made myself a pair of sarong pants last night, but grappled with wearing them today because I was worried about looking fat in them. Then came the inevitable, "I only I were 70 pounds lighter...."

That's when it hit me, even if I were 70 pounds lighter, I would still be stressing over my weight. I would be worried about putting on or increasing a size. Size 8? Maybe if I skip lunch a couple of days I could squeeze into that 6....

I don't know if I'll ever be comfortable with my body, that's the reality. In the meantime I'm happy to be running again and maybe the rest will come.

Spirt of a Great Heart

Let me just start with RIP George Carlin. The world will be a sadder place without you in far too many ways.

Today is day 1 of a c25k program. I am using the Runner's World 5 weeks to a 5k and today was a 20 minute walk/xt day.

With my iPod on shuffle, I went out for my walk and the first song up in the playlist was "Spirit of a Great Heart" by Jimmy Buffett. I must admit that song really set the tone for today's workout. After 5 minutes in I thought "what the hell" and started to slowly jog for 5 to prove to myself I could. It felt so good to just be outside moving like that. I did throw in a couple of more minutes when the Nike+ warned me I had 5 minutes remaining.

In all, I covered 1.5 miles. Not a lot and yet what a great distance.

Sunday morning

I can now use the glider, I'm walking and growing more flexible day to day. Yesterday our reel mower came back from the shop all sharpened and lubed and ready to go - so what's a Pika to do on her Sunday morning if she can't run? She spends 45 mowing down the hay field that our front lawn has sprouted.

I felt compelled to do this on this particular Sunday morning because about 300 runners will be passing my house for an inaugural 10k that I had worked into my training plan a few months back. I was going to run the Harpoon 5 miler on Saturday and the local 10k on Sunday to see how I felt. At this point in my training, it seemed to make sense... alas, the best laid plans of mice and men as they say.

So upon waking and looking out the window at my lawn this morning, the thought of waiting for any of the teenage boys in this house to "get around to it" didn't work for me knowing neighbors, friends and people whom I would never meet would run past all these well manicured lawns and then see mine.

Sorry Charlie, doesn't work for me.

So for 45 minutes or so, I happily listened to my baseball soundtrack on my iPod while mowed away. The boys can rake and trim later.

Beyond that, this week I work up to 30 minutes of walking and start working on the elliptical and bikes at physical therapy. If all goes well, I start on my c25k in a couple of weeks - a month earlier than expected. It's a nice way to start the week: feeling like you've accomplished something with the optimism of moving forward.

Another Day Another 20 Minutes

Today I just took a quick walk from work to the near by woods and walked along the trail for 20 minutes. It really was a pretty walk - the leaves were green, the sky was blue and the weather was warm. I'm down to a 16:09 pace for my walking, which is particularly excellent given I was walking on a trail rather than paved surface. I also did a couple of quick sets of jogging 15-20 steps along the way.

The orthopedist said my right foot is still about 5* less in motion than my left, but to keep gently stretching.

So right now I'm feeling good.

Captain My Captain

As promised - that's me and the Captain. Yes, he really is that much taller than me and no Gazelle Boy didn't think to do a vertical shot.

My ankle is growing stronger daily. I've been told I can walk 20 minutes 3x weekly and use the glider or elliptical on my off days for cross training. Today I did try jogging between phone poles, but the inside of my ankle complained loudly after a few steps, so I stopped.

I'm still doing my PT exercises and still growing stronger.

A good day for a walk

I am down to a lace up brace and new exercises were added to my PT: standing on my right foot for 30 seconds, runner's stretch and soleus stretch, I'm also able to take short walks.

So I restructured my "training" to go for 20 minute walks a few times a week. I decided to try and stay on mostly level ground but when I walked up the hill near my house I was feeling it. What was frustrating was wanting to walk at my regular pace and knowing I had to slow it down to an 18 minute mile. I know, I know, it's part of healing but it's one of those things.

When I was out, the colors were beautiful. The lilacs are starting to fade and the rhododendrons are starting to come into full bloom. There were a couple of gardens starting to bloom. As I finished up my walk, the sun was setting and the colors across the sky were breathtaking.

It was a reminder that no matter how rough the past six weeks or so have been, I'm getting stronger and it won't be long before I'm up and running and training. As if I needed a reminder that I"m getting back on track, today I got the notice for the Tufts 10k on October 13. If I start training the first week of August, I'll be right on track to run it. The PT told me that I should be starting to think about running about mid-July, so it looks as though it will be a good time to start training.

It was a good day for a walk and hopefully soon it will be a better one for a run.

The New Apple Store

OK, so I'm sitting here in the brand new flagship store where I have just had my photo taken with my hero.... Jason Varitek!!!!!!! Yes folks, the Cap'n himself is in da house.

Now you may wonder how someone with their right leg in a splint managed to make it up the spiral staircase. One word: carefully. In fact, I almost did a header when a Japanese tourist with a video camera just missed plowing into me.

But as I said, the Sox are in the house and I'm a happy Pika. The pix will be up soon (as I'm using the computer here at the store)

It's a happy day for me. :) I'm glad tomorrow will be about icing down my ankle!

The Sweet Smell of Lilacs

One thing I love this time of year is the smell of lilacs.

Today they were even sweeter because I walked several blocks to stop at two different bushes and take a deep, lingering inhale of the sweet fragrance. I was also able to stand for a couple of hours on the floor at work to cover some breaks. Yes, I'm paying the price a little bit as I have my ankle up and iced right now - but it just felt so good to be able to do something other than totally hobble all over.

I'm happy. I'm relieved and I'm feeling good.

Hooray for lilacs. Hooray for feeling strong.

Let the Physical Therapy Begin

I went in today for my first PT appointment where I learned some interesting things.

For example, I learned that my ankle joints have a larger gap in them than normal. It's not a bad thing, but it explains why I tend to roll them. I also learned that because my hips are weak, my ankles are picking up the slack... again, part of the rason why they tend to roll.

My PT is a runner, so she is going to structure everything towards that goal as I heal. So now I've got a set of exercises to start working on to strengthen the gluteus medius (one of the hip/butt muscles) as well as some easy sets of ankle things to do as well.

Good times, baby, good times

Getting ready to dance

The cast came off today! While I'm still not quite able to do the happy pika dance, it's a good first step. I'm on the crutches for another week and I didn't need a bivalve cast (splint/cast hybrid). I'll start physical therapy as soon as I can get an appointment and the hope is I can start back on a c25k program possibly as soon as the beginning of July!

The people at Harvard Health kept my cast to put on display in the cast room since I was just going to chuck it. Amazing what you can do with some sharpies and a lot of time sitting around singing songs about how much you hate people who can run when you can't. Right now - no more need for songs, no more Jim Carrey from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, loathe, despise....) and certainly no more sulking about this.

All of this makes me want to dance, even if I can't yet. So I'll let Pika dance for me for now.

future plans

So I figure the best way through things is with a plan. So here's the plan, I will get through this and set my sights on the Disney half in January. Once I have a bench mark I will work from there - but that's the plan. When I see my orthopedist on Tuesday (who is a runner), I will discuss my plan with him and see if it's a viable one and if it is - then there's the plan.

Here's hoping.

Bored, bored, bored

I'm so freakin' bored that I'm doing things like drawing on my cast, making up songs... the usual. No matter how upbeat I try to be, there are days like today when I want to be out and about and running on the paths or on Heartbreak Hill.

Today we were driving along Storrow Drive and I was getting mad at the people out there jogging and running. So I started singing:

I hate these people,
look at them running
and I'm stuck with this cast
on my right foot

Look at them jogging,
I hate these assholes
now that I"m stuck with
this cast on my foot


and so on.

As you may guess, I'm not in a happy mood about all this today. Tomorrow I'll be fine, I know I will be, but right now I'm sulky. So it goes.

No Dice Charlie

Well the trip to the orthopedist was not a happy one. Bilateral tendon damage upgrades you from a severe sprain to a fiberglass cast for a couple of weeks, a bivalve cast after that and then PT and a series of braces.

In other words: no races for a while.

On the upside, hauling myself around on crutches for a while should do wonders for my biceps and upper body. I'm starting to research what core exercises I can do and will think of it as "cross training" until I get the green light to start walking.

So for now, I have a blank, white fiberglass canvas calling out for some spectacular work with some sharpies.

The Little Engine

Most of us were raised on the book "The Little Engine That Could" by Mary Pipher. The whole "I think I can, I think I can..." mantra comes from that story of a little train pushing itself up a major hill. It's all about believing in yourself in all that.

So here I am, a few days out from my injury with a foot that looks as ugly as it feels (and I"m feeling it through the good pain stuff too). But I've spent the last couple of days with my foot up thinking, "What's next?"

Well, first it's seeing my orthopedist to get a full assessment. Once I have that, it will be a lot easier to to figure out my plans. Until then we have a few things: The first is coaching Mr. Pi.

That's right, I'm coaching Mr. Pi again. He's doing the Runner's World 5 weeks to a 5k program for gym credit. I picked up a Nike+ Sport Band to help him record his info. He'll also be keeping an online log with notes and writing up a short report ... all for gym credit.

He's really excited about the whole thing - which is nice. Who knows what will happen with him.

So for a couple of weeks while I wait for the swelling and bruising to reduce, I'll be advising and watching Pi. As soon as I can bear weight again, I'm going to start building time on the glider (no stress on the knees/ankle/etc.) so I don't lose fitness capacity. As soon as I have the word, I'll start in on a walk to run plan and build up with the goal of the BAA 1/2 this fall.

This is a set back, not an ending. All I need to remember is "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can....."

This Blows

I go out for a run today - the weather is beautiful, I worked out a training plan with an eye towards the BAA half in the fall. A mile and a half out my foot slipped on something and next thing I know, I'm in a heap on the ground with my right ankle is puffing up like a scared puffer fish.

A person nicely let me use their cell to call Mr. Bear and a woman driving by who saw me go down turned around to offer me a ride to the hospital. She nicely dropped me at the house and Gazelle Boy took me into the ER where I was given some percoset, an aircast and a pair of crutches before being shown the door to make a follow up with my orthopedist.

The golf ball sized lump on my ankle is an unhappy reminder of last fall. I know that I will get past this but it blows.

Keep Me In Your Heart for a While

Not that long ago, an online friend died suddenly. His sister thought to go through his online address book and let his running friends know. James "Cat" Cattano was one of the first guys to really get me to realize I was a runner. He worked with trouble kids and was often a confidant when I was going through some stuff with a crazy person in my life.

Last Sunday he would have been 46, so a group of us decided to celebrate his life by doing something we enjoyed. For me, I spent the day in my pj's reading the papers and doing the sudokus. I was going to run Cohasset but there were coordination issues with vehicles, timing issues and enough of a pain that I decided to pass and dedicate my run in the Doyle's Emerald Necklace run to him this week.

I love this run. This is through part of Olmstead's "Emerald Necklace," a string of parks around Boston. This is an out and back race at the Franklin Park end and it starts by the hospital near Forest Hills. From there it winds along the golf course, past the softball fields, the zoo and the stadium. It goes along water, where the ducks and geese were starting to swim and nest and through woods. If you didn't know that the funky end of the city was just the other side of the zoo, you never would have guessed by the scenery.

The weather was funky - overcast, chilly and threatening to rain. I stayed towards the back of the 1800+ runners and stuck to my strategy of run a song/walk a song and I was running pretty well. There were times when my inner loser would start raising his voice - which had me thinking, "I can just cut across the fairway..." or "No one would know if I ran across that triangle of grass instead of around it..." and I would think about Cat - which send the inner loser off to sulk in the corner and keep me on course.

The last quarter mile, you come out of the park and the last quarter mile is up Williams Street to Doyle's Bar and Grill. The street is lined on both sides with triple deckers filled with artists, hipsters and college students. As you come down that final stretch, they are out clapping and cheering. One group sits out drumming in the driveway, complete with baby hippies dancing in organic clothes. The college students were the loudest and most enthusiastic, thanking me for picking up the pace and I thanked them for their support.

As I approached the finish, there was a guy in a red hoodie cheering me on pretty enthusiastically and I realized it was my big brother! It was a real surprise and a happy treat to see him there.

Later, I was listening to a bunch of songs shuffling through my iPod and there was the one Warren Zevon song that still makes me tear up: Keep me in your heart for a while. It is the last song he wrote for his wife when he was dying. The words, "hold me you thoughts, take me in your dreams ... and I will be right there with you."

So yes, I kept him in my heart for a while and it was a good.

Dirty Water

My first ever 5k was the Ryka Irongirl back in 2006. I ran the first mile, walked the second mile and just started running again when I was wondering what the hell I was doing out there. At that moment two things happened, the first was I came around the bend as the song "Dirty Water" was playing. There in front of me was one of the most beautiful panoramic views of Boston across the water. The sky was the perfect shadings of blue, not a cloud in the sky, the skyline reflecting a bit off the water... absolutely gorgeous. As I came on that view, the line "Oh Boston you're my home" blasted in my ears.

In that moment I knew why I was out there, I was a runner. The second thing was the elite runners doing the 10k race started to pass us as they did their second loop. It was breathtaking and inspiring at the same time. Us slow people questioning ourselves just stopped and applauded them before going back to our shuffling.

This morning was similar. The weather was perfect: 48* with no wind and a little overcast. I realized this is really the first time out there where I was running comfortably more than walking. I wasn't talking myself into the just to that pole... just to that mailbox... just to that tree.... - I was out there jogging along and feeling good. I was just coming down the pedestrian road by Newton City Hall when "Dirty Water" came on and as I passed the Johnny Kelley statue the line "Oh Boston you're my home" blasted in my ear.

"Dirty Water" is also the unofficial anthem of the Boston Red Sox. When the Sox win at home, they cue up "Dirty Water" and then "Tessie." It is a victory song for people like me.

I have to say that while I have been rebuilding, I've been wondering why the hell am I doing this? This morning, it was that same feeling I got that July morning almost 2 years ago.

This is my home, the BoSox are my team, I am a runner and I couldn't be happier.

Home Opener

This morning I woke up at 5:30 to a truly obnoxious alarm clock. The youngest ordered one from Pop Tarts a few years back and it has this grating voice that says, "Get up or I'll tell every one you wear jammies..." "Some one has to get up, and it's not gonna be me..." "Get up or I'll...."

After 10 minutes, I got up and shut it off saying next time it goes out a window. Mr. Bear decided no more alarms before 6 am unless you need to be up and out before 6 am (I'm fully behind that one).

But I was up and got dressed for a run in spite of it being around the freezing mark. I decided to go out for 2.5 today to work on my pace and I'm happy with the results. Until today I've been running a slow pace (even for me). OK, granted there was a time when a 14 minute mile was a major accomplishment for me, but now it's a source of frustration. Today I got out there and managed to cover 2.5 in just over 30 minutes for a 12:08 pace. It was the first time I felt like I was fully back in the game.

Of course how could I not enjoy today's run? Today is the Sox home opener so I put on my baseball soundtrack - which starts with Jake Shimabukuro's version of the National Anthem on uke. From there I have songs like:

The Ballad of Yankees Suck
Tessie
Dirty Water
Centerfield
Heart
As We Walk to Fenway Park

How can you not smile listening to songs like that?

I registered for the Doyle's 5 mile race on Sunday so this morning was a good prep. I may try for a longer run tomorrow since I don't have to go into work until noon. Perhaps I'll do an hour long run and see how it goes rather than go out for a distance.

Berry Smoothies in the morning

After the chocolate bannana smoothie debacle of a year or so back, I have occasionally tried to figure out the smoothie process. This weekend I finally hit on the right combo: 1/2 a bag of frozen berries, 1 cup of OJ and a container of my favorite yogurt. Woo Hoo! Berry smoothie time!

In the meantime, I signed up for the Doyle's 5 miler on Sunday and the Harpoon 5 miler in June. I decided I'll go for a long walk today and a short run tomorrow. Long range forecasts have it warming up all week, which is a sure sign spring is really here finally. Woo Hoo again!

Berry smoothies and spring... life is good.

April Fool

I thought the weather widget on my dashboard had to be an April's Fool joke - I mean after the cold raw weather of the past few days to be 56* at 5:30 in the morning just didn't seem to parse for some reason. When I opened the door to check for the newspapers, I realized it wasn't a joke, so I munched a Pria bar, drank some water and headed out.

Near my house are some hills that have been known to make freshmen runners weep and varsity runners whine like spoiled children in a toy store. They are mean, steep and unrelenting. So of course I had to give it a go.

I made it about a block before I was walking to the top of the first rise. I started running again and made it a block before dropping back to a walk again. All the way up the road that was the pattern and when I got to the top, I turned around and ran back down to do it all over again.

But 3/4's of the way down I decided to go on an adventure and veered off on a side road. The road went up and down. It twisted and turned to another quiet road, which went up and down and twisted. I ran those roads more steadily - more of my run a song/walk a song interval before I took a turn and realized, "Hey, I live on this street!"

So that's where that road I drive past goes .... up down and all around before it opens out onto my street.

It was a nice way to start the month and for the first time since the calendar turned, it really felt like spring out there this morning. The early sunlight, mild temps and playful squirrels racing me on occasion. It felt good. It reminded me why I fell in love with running. I may not have my paths any more, but knowing there are these quiet roads in the morning is almost as good.

Why I need to run (a sorta RR from the Ras Na Heirann)

The past couple of weeks, piled on the last few months, have had me really asking why I haven't been running. I came out of the Hyannis 10k full of enthusiasm and excited. I knew I could get back to form after getting past a major hurdle.

So what happened?

I often read people's "I've lost my motivation" posts with understanding and sympathy. When you don't want to run after letting it define you, it really feels like breaking up with your high school sweetheart or losing someone special. Last fall I spent 3 months watching runners go by my window or pushing themselves along my running routes knowing I couldn't join them because I stupidly ran a 5 mile race after rolling my ankle. It felt fine, but I knew it wasn't and should have acted with restraint. But no.... I had to run.

Coming back from that injury has been scary. I was shocked at how much fitness I lost. I was saddened at my lack of stamina and fearful I'd roll it again and have all of it gone in a flash. So up until Hyannis, in the back of my mind was a little voice saying, "If you don't run, you'll learn not to miss it." But Hyannis reminded me why I run. The feel ing of exhiliration and freedom I feel when I run and I knew in that moment I could never give this up.

But then I didn't run again until yesterday when I ran the Ras Na Heirann - a 5k race that Gazelle Boy and I refer to as the running of the Irish. (It's idiomatically the Irish run or the Irish race, but literally it's the running of the Irish, which is the version I prefer.) There's something thrilling about running in a pack of 3,000 people and it takes over 3 minutes to get over the start line. This race is particularly silly because almost everyone is wearing green something, there are guys running in kilts and combat boots, leprechaun hats and outfits - you name it. I was there in my Red Sox St. Patty's shirt (an xxl number shirt with Matsuzaka's name and number on the back) ready to go.

Along the route is the Gaelic column - which always reaches an emotional core in me and I almost wept as a result of hearing those pipes and drums.... which I didn't do, but it did get me thinking. These past couple of weeks I have been so drained with fighting the school system to insure my son gets an equal opportunity education rather than ceremoniously shoved out the door with a piece of paper in hand and a "so long and thanks for all the fish." It has been draining physically, emotionally and spiritually. If this is what the battle is like in a supportive system, I can't even begin to fathom what parents in non-supportive systems have to face.

Ironically the one thing that I need to lighten the load, running, is the one thing that I just can't seem to work up the energy for. But somehow there I was running through Davis Square, trotting up college hill and through Powderhouse Circle, down the bike path to the Davis Square finish in 42:47. Not a great time, but I made it before a couple hundred other runners nonetheless. I've started selecting spring races: the James Joyce Ramble (10k), the Doyle's 5 miler, the Harpoon 5 miler, the Johnny Kelley Memorial (5 or 10k - haven't decided yet) among the choices. I have entries into the 5 big races on the Charles this summer and it won't be long before the Thursday night running group starts up again.

Yesterday someone I know who "doesn't get the running thing" asked me: do you feel stronger when you run? I realized, yes I do. when I finish a run I feel like I have accomplished something big - even a little run feels fulfilling. After the race I decided that maybe part of my problem is I expected to just restart rather than rebuild. I have time, so I'll go to the appropriate spot in a c25k program and start from just past the beginning again.

Today I have meetings and work, tomorrow I run.

Today I go into more meetings with guns blazing and tomorrow I run.

Hyannis Marathon

Today was a glorious day on the Cape once again for the Hyannis 10k, half marathon, marathon and marathon relay.

This is my first race since Labor Day and I wasn't sure I was going to run until we were actually in the car and on the way. I signed up for the 10k and I was feeling strong and confident until a week ago when I was felled by a nasty cold going around. I spent Tuesday ensconced in my chair wondering if I'd have the lung power to make it. By Thursday I felt better but I took a spill down a handful of stairs in the house, landing on my right knee and left hip. I lay on the floor in the entryway swearing and asking who I pissed off to have this happening.

But this morning I woke up at 6, took some ibuprofen and packed my bag to head to Hyannis determined to walk the race if necessary.

It was cold - no two ways about it, but I shed my track pants - wearing my running tights, an underarmor long sleeve t and my oversized Dice-K shirt and was glad I had shed the pants the moment I stood in the sun. I would have been too hot and they would have been too heavy for me today.

I met up with Kristen from the Runner's World beginners forum before she went off for the early start on the marathon.

The mix on my iPod: the Apple commercial play list on shuffle mode.

It took a couple of minutes to get across the start line, but it wasn't long before I was off with my recent strategy of run a song/walk a song and the first 3 miles flew by. My goal was a 13 minute mile and I was pretty close to that for the first half of the race. After the first water station, I could start to feel the lingering effects of the cold but was able to keep pace until mile 4.5 when my knee began to stiffen up so the strategy became run a song, power walk a song, walk a song. By mile 5 I was pretty much down to power walking with the occasional jog for a few minutes before dropping back to a power walk again. In the final quarter mile, I was able to break into a jog to the finish for a time of 1:28:02 - which is certainly a respectable enough time.

There are a lot of reasons I love this race course, the main one being I just love the smell of the salt marshes as you run past them and the views of the ocean along the route. The relative flatness and tree lined streets are a bonus. It is certainly among my favorite races and I look forward to returning to this course for the Johnny Kelley Memorial race at the end of May.

So that first time returning fear has now been stared down. I have the Running of the Irish (Ras Na Heireann) in 3 weeks which is a 5k through Somerville in honor of St. Patrick's Day.

Gentle Reader

I have not been good about keeping up with this since being injured. Like I didn't run this past week as I've had a cold and have been trying to rest before Hyannis tomorrow - my first race since Labor Day. To make matters worse, Thursday I took a minor tumble down a couple of stairs and my knees have begun to stiffen up a bit. My work schedule has been crazy while they try to figure out rhythms and times for all of us new folk.

I am racing Sunday, I don't care if I walk most of it. I need to break through that psychological hurdle that seems to keep getting in the way of me moving forward.

So if you will be in Hyannis - look for me as I trot along the route and give me a big "Gambatte" (a Japenglish word meaning: go for it in sporting events). If you won't, then check back here later Sunday as I post my race report and maybe a photo or few.

Surreal Snow

I beat the bed magnet to get out the door this morning at the butt crack of dawn and into a surreal world. It snowed last night. Not a lot - a dusting is the official term. You know, enough to cover bare patches and make the roads slick but not enough to really measure.

But the temperature was warm enough so when the snow stopped, there was this surreal fog over the road... almost as if the snow had suspended itself midair and just decided to stop before reaching the ground. Because it wasn't fully light out and the world was still mostly asleep, there was an eerie quietness in the air as well running up Commonwealth Avenue today.

I was early enough that the running clubs weren't out enmass yet. Every so often a pair or so of elite runners would glide past and there was the occasional dog walker, but the first half of my run was mostly me and my soundtrack for the morning.

Because I went for time instead of distance (I really only had an hour before I had to shower and get to work), it was interesting to hear that voice in my ear call out 5 minute intervals instead of mileage calls. I did manage to cover just over 4.5 miles in that time - I'll take it.

Now off to shower so I can get to work. After a serene, surreal start to the day, I'm in a good frame of mind - so it all works for me.

Two Against My Will

There were a whole lot of reasons not to run today:

- I have to be to work by 1
- It's snowing
- It's below freezing
- The bulk of my running clothes are in the laundry
- Do I really want my neighbors to see me
- I haven't eaten
- I really have anything to drink
- I haven't been eating well this week
- I over slept

and the list goes on and on. Yet the thought of a double digit week for the first time since Labor Day was just so enticing that I knew it would trump all the reasons not to. So I put on the running tights, the compression shirt and the oversized Dice-K shirt and strapped on the shoes for 2 miles.

That means this week I logged 11.5 miles and it feels good.

Up the Hill, Down the Hill, Up the Hill, Down the Hill

There is a big mambo hill outside my house. I really needed to get a 3 mile run in today so I went to the trusting distance tools at map my run and the nike+ sites and mapped out 3.1 miles. Essentially it was up the hill, around the cul de sac, back down the hill, around the little park, back up the hill and back down the hill.

It was around 40* and drizzly out, but I sucked it up and did it. While my times still aren't great, I'm feeling better about getting out there especially when my inner loser decided to pay a visit. I came down the hill and was heading around the little park at the end of the road when my legs began to feel heavy and the voice started.

"I'm tired," it said, "the house is right there. You got a mile in on a day you weren't even gonna run... c'mon."

I'm not sure where I found it in me, but I did. Next thing I know, I'm cresting the hill and thinking, "Wow, that was fast."

That gives me a 10k run and a 5k run on the week so far - more mileage than I've done in a long time. It feels good. Maybe it's being able to run outside again, maybe it's just time. No matter what the reason, I'm running and it doesn't get much better than that.

I'm a New Soul

Ever since Apple announced the new Macbook Air, the song "New Soul" by Yael Naim has been in the background of most of our hearing ranges. It's a lovely little song and the video is such a joyful little romp.

You can watch the video here.

It was the theme song for today.

The other day I downloaded the "Apple Commercial" mix from iTunes which included that and Feist's 1234 (from the Nano commercial) and Perfect Timing (This Morning) from the iPhone ad. Basically, it's just over 1/2 an hour of really good music.

Realizing I'm running in a 10k in 3 weeks, I went out for my longest run since Labor Day - I went out for a 10k run with the Apple commercial songs as my soundtrack. To encourage myself, I did my run on Heartbreak Hill.

Since all the songs are around the 3 minute mark, I decided the best thing to do was run for one song, walk for the next and then run again. It took 90 minutes to cover the 10k distance, but I did it. The carriage road was filled with running clubs doing their training mileages for Boston, Sunday runners, dog walkers, you name it.

When I started out and at the 5k mark the song "New Soul" popped up. My run finished to "Perfect Timing (This Morning)" and those two songs say it all. It was a perfect morning. The weather was warm enough to run outside, the sun felt good and it was just a nice feeling to run outside for a change.

10k - not too bad. I feel renewed for the first time in a while.

Happy Birthday Mr. Pi

I can't believe Mr. Pi is now 16. He wanted a rock n roll cake, I ran out of time, so I ended up buying a cake at Stop & Shop but I did decorate it. All it took were some guitar swizzle sticks for the sides, some Little Debbie Cosmic brownies for the stage, drum kit and amps and lots and lots of Teddy Grahams for the musicians and audience. There were bears crowd surfing, laying out for sun, stage diving - you name it.

It was a truly inspired cake. :D

It was a busy day - running here there and everywhere figuratively and literally. I really didn't want to run yesterday. The treadmill is just really depressing no matter how spiffy it may be. But I made myself run the 5k loop program on the treadmill and pushed myself through the mileage. I want to run outside again but the weather is just too funky these days.

I did run the distance, so I'm giving myself a lot of pats on the back. I feel a bit sore. I also think I figured out why I stopped wearing the white socks I used to wear running as I now have a small, but annoying, blister on the bottom of my foot on the pad just below the big toe. I'll probably go and run a couple of miles on the treadmill today as well because sometimes you just have to suck it up and run.

I forgot about the hills

Today I took advantage of the January thaw and went for a 4 mile run up Heartbreak Hill. Having spent the past few weeks on a treadmill, I realized I forgot about how hard it can be to run up hills... but even then, it was a good run.

One of the advantages of a treadmill is you can be a little lazy. If you start to run out of gas, you have the motor and the belt moving at a constant pace and it can pull you along. When you're on the road, that doesn't happen. You're on your own power the whole way.

But the thing I like about running on the road, there's a lot to distract me. The treadmill is the same scenery and it's not long before I'm checking my watch and waiting for the numbers to count down. On the road I get lost in sights, sounds, smells and colors. I love looking at my watch and realizing I just ran 2 minutes longer than I thought and want to keep going.

It was a good run. It was enough to keep me going for a while until we start getting real thaws.

Oooo! New Treadmills!

Today I headed into the gym to run, in spite of the January thaw, since Mr. Bear is nervous that I'll hurt myself outside. When I got there I was surprised to see 2 and a half rows of new treadmills.

They are sleek, brushed aluminum beauties with a built in fan, instant read HR monitors, 1 button 5k course setting - truly a thing of beauty. I pushed the 5k loop button and pushed the speed to where I wanted and I was off. The fan kicked on by itself at a certain point (even with it, I was a sweaty mess at the end but I was loving that it was there) and the whole thing was a smooth, enjoyable experience. How cool is that?

They also got a tone of new cross trainers in that look like that thing I see advertised on TV where you can combine an elliptical motion with a stair climbing and treadmill.

I'm glad I pushed myself to go in because I really didn't want to run today. Having a new toy was just a reward for doing what I was supposed to do, and I'll take it.

Land of New

New day, new week, new month, new year - it's all part of the land of new.

Basically it's been a rough fall due to injuries, life and everything else that often gets in the way. But I'm planning on running the 10k race at the Hyannis Marathon (there's a 26.2, 13.1 and 10k race) in 7 weeks and this was week 1 of a 10k training plan.

I'm looking at the Cherry Blossom 10 miler the first weekend of April and figure on the Ras Na Heirann on St. Pat's weekend and the Doyle's 5 miler in the spring. I'm keeping my eyes open for the Harpoon 5 mile registration because I really enjoyed that run.

So far this week I've logged 8.5 miles on the treadmill - not bad for a first week back. I realized I really enjoy intervals of walking/running and have gone from 5 walking/3 running a couple of weeks ago to 4/4. I did up my paces to 3.5 mph walking/11 min mile pace running (5.5 mph). I know I'm starting to feel comfortable at this pace as I went long past the 4 minutes I usually run and after a couple of minutes of walking I'm antsy to start running again. When I get to the 3 min walking/5 min running mark, I'll probably stay there until I'm comfortable enough to push the pace again.

In the meantime, happy new year all.

One for the money, two before snow

I wanted to get a quick run in this morning, which usually means a mile up a big mambo hill and a mile back down. Not a happy thing as it's a big freakin' mambo hill.

OK let me put it to you this way, I usually train on Heartbreak Hill and this hill basically goes up the same height, only in a shorter distance so the grade is much steeper than Heartbreak.

I wanted to get out early because it was supposed to rain around noon time, so by 8 am I was in my tights and under armor shirt and running up the hill. I got to the top, turned around and came back because I had a 9:30 appointment, I still have to pull together the turkey day shopping list (even though I bought the turkey yesterday) and meet with the teacher of my tutoree to see where she is vs where the student is and prepare this weekend for our first session next week.

Oh yeah, did I mention I'm also learning some ASL because apparently this girl had some speech problems at one point and sometimes uses signs as she speaks to make sure she's understood. So in order to understand, I guess I need to learn some basic ASL that doesn't include obscene gestures.

It was cold out there and I was worried that it wouldn't rain, but rather snow and sure enough, by the time I got home, showered and went back out the door for appointment #1, the snow was starting to come down. By 10:30 it was starting to tick. While it shouldn't be a significant snow fall, it's still covering parts of the ground. Welcome to New England.

In the meantime I discovered something new and interesting today (and to the RWOL folks that actually read this - my apology for carping on this discovery yet again) - we have a Narnia lamp post in the woods between our house and the neighbors' house.

How cool is that? I never noticed it before because of the leaves. I'll take a picture of it later.

The not cool discovery... OK, well maybe it's cool sort of: the squirrels started eating the pumpkins on my front step. *sigh* Not little bitty bites but ginormous chunks of my pumpkins are now gone.

Well, we'll see what the weather does. Tomorrow is suppoed to be close to 60 and I have a 3 miler planned. I survived today's hill and the cold, so hopefully tomorrow will be more pleasant (and less steep).

Four More Down

Yesterday I was scheduled to go for a 4 mile run and a tight schedule. The compromise was to head into the gym first thing in the morning to run on the treadmill. Not ideal, but at least I'd get a run in and a steady pace.

Worst of all, because of scheduling it means the health club where I'd get the 360 degree view of my ass. How joyful!

Well, that was not to be because all the treadmills in the women's gym were taken, leaving me to head into the main room where all the jocks use the various machines with lots of groans and sweat (and never wipe anything down when they're done... ick!). I took up the open treadmill in front of the set with CNN on and push the buttons to get going.

I was surprised at how easy it was to just keep running on the treadmill. That whole sort of motorized steady pace really does help, but I also began to feel certain changes in myself as well. I'm remember how to breathe again when I run, something you think would be somewhat innate but apparently isn't. That leads to being able to run longer with less walking breaks.

My legs are starting to feel stronger again and I've noticed my calves seem to be strengthen up again and that shivery feeling I get when my legs are feeling weak seems to be going away.

I'm going to up my mileage a little this week - squeezing in an extra, but shorter, run on Wednesday. Gazelle Boy and I are thinking about doing the Fried Turkey 5k on Thanksgiving.

Which reminds me - remember to do something nice for the police and fire fighters that will be working on Thanksgiving while we're gathering together to feast. In fact, these will be the same people helping to put out the fires caused by idiots with no clue trying to deep fry turkeys. About 11 years or so back, Gazelle Boy decided we needed to make cookies to cheer up the police that had to work on Thanksgiving and it's become an annual tradition ever since for our family.

A better run

Today I went out for a 3 mile run and ended up going a little extra to make it closer to 3 1/3. I ran the same route as Sunday, but this time rather than feeling discouraged, I felt energized. I have to admit part of what helped was today's mix on the new iPod.

Now because the old iPod worked mostly, I had no idea that there were certain things that I was missing out on, like a fully charged battery and being able to listen while it was charging. Who knew? Apparently not me.

Unfortunately iTunes is not communicating with Nike+ right now so my challenges will be missing a run (or more) until they find a way to talk again.

But while I was running, the "Running Inspired" play list made a difference. Now I know there are lots of folks who don't see why folks run with music. I get it, really I do; however, I need that steady beat and lyrics to grab my attention and lift up my spirit. It is who I am.

Sometimes the beats carried me through, sometimes the lyrics, sometimes my thoughts as I filter everything else out - that is often the case when I'm running. What makes it even easier is that, since I'm currently running for 6 minutes and walking for 3, I can keep track even when I do things like forget my watch (as I did today). I can say to myself, "I'll walk when I get to the end of 'Tessie' and run when the song after that is winding up...."

The bottom line is that it got me through today and today was the first day where running wasn't a scary chore but rather something I love to do. It was a good feeling.

I don't know if I'll race next Thursday, if not I will at least go out for a 5k run. In the meantime, I'm planning a long run Sunday morning and maybe a quick run tomorrow.

It feels good to be back.

The land of almost new

The other day I did go out for a 3 mile run. It was a tough one too. Not in terms of terrain or anything like that, in fact it was one of the flatest runs I've done in a while. It was hard work and I'm not used to 3 miles being hard work. I'm used to going out for 3 without really thinking about it but to have to really push through that second mile made me want to cry.

When I passed the Johnny Kelley statue, I could almost hear him telling me to stop be such a cry baby. I pushed myself to jog along as the dog walkers, marathoners and others passed me in both directions on Comm Ave. Because I tend to leave my iPod in shuffle mode these days, just as I was contemplating walking the rest of the way, the song "Don't Give Up" by Moshav Band came up for play.

It was what I needed to hear in that moment. It also made me realize I probably need to put together a play list of songs that make me happy or inspire me to get through the next month or so as I rebuild my base. I know 3 miles will be easy again and maybe I just needed to remember that it wasn't always the case.

When I got home, I couldn't turn off my iPod.

So today I made an appointment at the local genius bar where I ended up going through the process of swapping out my old Nano for the same generation/model as before. (The new ones are just a hair too seductive and I think if the Apple genius had said something like, "Well, we'll upgrade you to a new one for only..." I would have said, "OK.")

At least now I have a "new" iPod to keep me in sync with my new running. It meant postponing today's run because by the time they were finished going through the paperwork and such, it was time to get home for boys. So I cleared my slate for tomorrow morning and will go out first thing and try for 3 again instead of the 2.5 I was going to go for today.

Yesterday's 2 miles

This is what a 2 mile run looks like to me these days.

I did it, I survived and tomorrow I'll do it again. My ankle and I had a little chat last night about what is expected of it from now on and it seems to be cool with things. In the mean time, I'm trying to find a Thanksgiving race to do.

Braving a Single Step

When I started this blog a couple of years ago, I called it "Working out With Tek" because I thought of Jason Varitek as my imaginary trainer. At the time, my son's bedroom was off the living room and I could see Tek looking down on me from the wall from the spot where I'd work out. I could imagine him telling me to quit whining and keep going. When the going gets a little rough or challenging, I can see him in my mind's eye pushing me through to the end.

Yesterday I was brave enough to run again and I again needed my imaginary trainer to help.

The PT gave me the OK to run 1 mile only and to wear the brace when I did so. Finally the one thing I had been pining away for was about to become a reality - but I couldn't do it. There was this lingering fear in the back of my head: what if I roll my ankle again? There's uneven pavement, curbs, potholes and other hazards... can I bear to go through all this again so soon?

I couldn't bring myself to lace up my shoes and head out the door - so I figured maybe if I went to the gym and ran on the treadmill: no pot holes, curbs or uneven pavement. In fact I would even have the belt to help me along. But even that has it's own set of fears as well.

It took me a couple of hours to get to the gym as I decided I needed to run errands first. In fact, it took an awful lot not to say, "Screw it, I'm getting a pedicure!" when I walked past the nail place. Because I delayed things the way I did the gym was empty when I got there. I changed up and headed for the treadmill behind the pole - my usual station. Once on there, it was a matter of what playlist was I going to opt for and I ended up going with my baseball music.

Setting off, I walked for 5 minutes as a warm up through "The Star Spangled Banner" and "The Ballad of Yankees Suck." But then I started running to Jonathan Richman singing "As We Walked to Fenway Park." It's easy to run through songs like "Centerfield" that are designed to get the blood pumping and for 5 minutes I was good - but my fitness level has really declined over the past 6 weeks and it was almost painful pushing myself through the last part of the 5 minutes - which should be no big deal.

After walking a little more I was thinking about bagging it. I had run 1/3 of a mile and maybe that should be enough for a first time out and that's when I saw my virtual coach hitting the 2 run homer against Cleveland the night before as the song "Heart" from "Damn Yankees" came on my iPod. I could remember the look on his face as he stepped into the batter's box and faced the pitches. I remember the look on his face as the ball kept going as he rounded first base and the arm pump as it bounced off the top of the wall.

If Tek could reach down and find hope, well maybe then I needed to as well.

I punched up the speed to my 12 minute pace and promised myself I'd hold it for at least 2 minutes until the end of the song - that's when I got a cosmic push to the song "Dirty Water." For those of you who know the Sox, you know the home win ritual is they play "Dirty Water" by the Standells and followed by "Tessie" by the Dropkick Murphys - which was written as an anthem for the 2004 Sox early on in the season long before there were any thoughts of the post season playoffs and World Series. To be a Sox fan and hear those songs back-to-back can be an inspirational thing when your determination is flagging.

Yesterday they played just that way and kept me running for the additional 7 minutes I needed inspiration.

In the end I probably ran a hair more than a mile broken up by a bit of walking in the middle and I ran for 10 minutes solid in the end. It may be small in the grand scheme of things, but it was a major feat in overcoming my fears.

Rehab

If only that word meant a vacation in Antiqua or riding horses in Utah... alas, I'm no celebrity, just a regular person coming back from tendon and (it turns out) minor achilles damage.

For me that word means doing exercises with resistance bands, icing and, starting today, rehab walks with a lace up brace.

I went out for a 2 mile walk today, my first real exercise in quite some time.

I'm still planning on running my first 5k on Thanksgiving and hopefully I'll be able to think about half marathon training again about that point. Gazelle Boy would like to run the Sarasota Half Marathon and promised he'd actually train for it (unlike last year's Hyannis Half Marathon). Nini is thinking about putting together a relay team for the full marathon and I should be able to handle that if I'm not up to training for a half.

I'm grateful that, even injured, I walk faster than when I started a year and a half ago. Running is still a week or two away (at best) and I'm able to do most things without the brace on.

But tonight will be about kicking back with an ice pack and watching the Sox while dreaming of the beaches of Antiqua.