Well my recovery started at the finish line when I chugged my chocolate milk. Gone in two seconds!
Then there was walk to the car. The pitiful everything is tight stroll. The shower where you find out all the chafing spots that sting or burn like crazy. These effects will undoubtedly linger for days in the annoying spots you didn’t think to protect.
Then time to eat like a pig. Real food. Real fast. More food. Just a short time later. Hydrate. Relax. Savor the memories. Check the photo reel to relive the experience. So therapeutic. A little massaging or rolling of sore spots.
Tylenol and Advil. A little more chocolate milk. Light stretching. Then the 4/5 hour car ride home. Not ideal to sit but I did get out midway to stretch and used a small roller ball on my legs while I drove.
I did acquire a massive blister on the ball of my right foot and a small blister under my right toe which may or may not make me sacrifice a nail. Time will tell. The blister on the bottom of the foot is a nuisance but should be out of the way before you know it.
Sleep. Solid sleep overnight. Monday had arrived. A recovery night sleep in my own bed has very much helped my recovery overall. Moving pretty well today. Just nourishing and babying my body the next few days. A little shake out ride on the bike erg to keep the body moving today but to keep me off my feet. A little light bench press to engage the upper body. Compression leg sleeves time each day as well to help with inflammation and circulation.
Solid sleep rolling to Tuesday. Making sure I eat and or drink a good amount of protein today to help with recovery. More stretching. Wednesday has arrived. Back to tennis on the courts. Legs are feeling pretty good. Foot is maybe 85% recovered from blistering. Life goes on post marathon.
I rotated rest and light workouts every other day for the first week after the marathon. I focused on sleep and nutrition including protein and veggies. All worked out and I’d say I’ve been more sore from a CrossFit workout than a marathon.
Thanks for following along on my race journey. I hope a tidbit I shared may help you in your first marathon quest especially if you try it after age 50. Patience. Grace. Determination. That’s really all it takes to live through a marathon.
Recovery my way consisted of rest, relaxation, reflection and smart eating choices. I kept it simple. I resumed my normal routine the following week. My blister even healed!
The end of the marathon series. Now on to a new challenge for the mind, body and spirit.
The month started with a physical therapy appointment for knees, but one can consider that progress. Hoping the 10k is smooth this month or at least I’ll be there for the boom on the 4th of July.
I see the lucky 777 come up on the slot machine in my mind. Boy am I lucky to be where I am today. Happy. Healthy. Hopeful. I sure do hope this is the turning point month as I head into heavy training. Stay tuned!
I’m beginning the heavy lifting phase of my running training. The Marathon. 26.2 grueling miles. My race. My pace. My story. How I get there is up to me. How prepared I am rests on my shoulders. How I handle adversity is on me. That’s a big deal when you think about it.
Each month you will get a glimpse into not only my training but my mindset. Both of which are equally important parts of my preparation. I’ll be trying out clothes, fueling options, technology and gear. I’ll be thinking about contingency plans. One being the bathroom dilemma. This one sort of freaks me out and untiI I experience the full 26.2 it will be somewhat of a mystery.
Curveball alert! I broke my wrist. Yes that’s right. I do all my own stunts. Laughing as I type this. Seriously, a scaphoid fracture takes my forearm, wrist and thumb out of commission via a cast. We will now classify this as orthopedic visit one for the month.
It looks like Dr. and PT appointments now take up part of my valued training time. For a visual running in a cast is like moving with an extra 5 pounds of disproportionate weight you don’t know what to do with.
The 10k race is here. Day four of the month. A cast, physical therapy and a race oh my. I had no choice but to run in a cast. My fingers looked like little sausages by the end. No joke! I survived the course despite the extreme heat advisory issued just before they cut off the race. This was by far the hottest day in event history, and I had a cast as an accessory. The race was actually shut down not too long after I finished. The sign had just switched to high alert at mile 5 and went to black while I was leaving. Such a close call for finishing.
As we enter the second half of training I opted for one photo from each of the first six months to post below. A glimpse of how far I’ve come and a little celebration of me and my progress. It’s been a journey so far. I also have an uphill battle in front of me.
Big race recap this month. A local event that attracts 50,000 runners and a lottery entry. The peachtree 10k. A little train ride downtown for this big race. I ran this race over 20 years ago in the mid 1990’s just to experience the hype. I ran it a couple times before the pandemic, consecutive years with my daughter. I see many friends each year as well. This year I even met up with a friend from Hawaii and her daughter. This race experience is one of my bigger races as far as people volume goes.
I was somewhat reluctant to sign up for this particular race, but when I did I had a goal in mind. See if I can beat my past best race time. Not a have to, but more like a little test of age, mindset, and overall circumstances. How did I fare? I survived that’s all. This was probably my slowest time for this race ever. The combination of the heat advisory, the cast and and and just all my body woes took their toll from mile 4-6. I did finish. That’s the main point. I never quit.
Takeaways: I showed up after a rough injury patch in prior weeks. I’m still going. These running lessons, sacrifices and challenges can be great life lessons to apply elsewhere. Life isn’t easy. One just has to attack each day with positivity and a will to get out of the hole one is in.
As I finish off this post for July it’s ending differently than what I would have planned. MRI results are in. I’ve been waiting restlessly for answers. Well, not good news. A patella fracture on left knee. That one I didn’t see coming but does explain the pain. A torn meniscus on the right knee, this I was expecting. So more rehab for this girl. Walking is not restricted but running is! My body can still move. I just need to modify movements for my situation. Below I am strength training though the weight is light.
If I follow instructions I can still have hope to run in late September. The training will be rough to cram in for the marathon but I will hopefully cross that finish line in November. Stay tuned for updates.
More walking miles than running in my future! And boy is it hard to see my training buddies pounding the pavement while I am sidelined.
Moving that mileage marker up each day or most days when not sidelined with injuries or ailments!
I couldn’t be more excited to have healthy legs back underneath me running. It was 4/4/24 when I really felt pain free on my runs. Almost a month after my injury. Glad to have that injury behind me for now.
I ran in Jamaica. First out-of-country run. I was excited about running internationally. The weather. The views. The overall ambiance. Island time is just a lot different than my daily norm. Stepping out to see what’s around the world is something I value. It fuels me. My runs were short but I ran by the ocean. It was a beautiful way to start the day. I ran on vacation. This may be a new normal these days. The pavement was an uneven stone when I ran. My knees didn’t like it so much but it’s not as bad as running on cobblestones. No matter the terrain, running along side the ocean is blissful. All the shades of blue in the water. The birds flying around you. All of the scenery is beautiful.
Crumbl Cookie 5k mid month. I survived. I also worked extra hard on recovery and stretching to prepare for my CrossFit competition. Happy to say the comp was completed. Still not exactly 100% physically. I guess that comes with aging, but not giving up on competing. Never resting long enough to heal all the aches so just plugging along to see what my body allows.
Now while running I need to shift my cross trainingmindset a bit. Tennis playoffs is the first week in May. The date is approaching fast. Yes that’s right. Paddle sports is also my jam. Tennis includes a different kind of running. Linking hand eye coordination with what your arms and legs do. Many cognitive skill sets firing on all cylinders. Short running spurts. Pivots. Strong legs are needed to plant and avoid injury. This is crazy considering my past several weeks of recuperating. Will my tennis performance lag due to my other training? I’ll let you know next month. Stay tuned.
10k prep is underway. Not as many miles of recent or that I had planned out, but I’m going to stay positive. I read to break the race up into 3 segments trying not to go out too hard. Staying consistent and leaving room at the end to finish strong. I’ve never really had a game plan for a 10k so this is going to be interesting to see how it works out for me. Maybe I’ll try this method on this race and intervals on the next 10k for comparison.
I squeezed in the Crumbl cookie 5k as mentioned above. The allure of this race was a Crumbl cookie waiting for me at the end! I wanted to ensure I didn’t drop my cookie since last race I dropped my cupcake getting my time verified! No joke the cookie was a big part of signing up with a few pals so not dropping my reward is important. This race was gross. It was full of hills and slanted pavement. Two of my least favorite elements when running. My first mile was slower than usual. In the race I was a little mad about it. Into mile two I found my stride and settled in. That led to a faster mile. I finished strong despite the hill climb to the finish. Fun with friends is always an added benefit to races.
April mileage wasn’t noteworthy.
Just over 120 miles logged this year to date thanks to a few setbacks.
1st international run in Jamaica.
1 mile pace now seems irrelevant as I build mileage and do other things. However my best 5k is 36:54 this year which I am excited about. A big improvement from 1 year ago.
I have a little bit of running fever. Am I good at it yet? Nope. Am I learning to enjoy my solo time running? Yes. Am I motivating others along the way? I believe so.
I got the next set of shoes In the rotation. Same Brooks for running, just a different color. Maybe one more pair for the fall. Time will tell. I did find a slight flaw in my last pair. After getting them wet in a puddle the inner big toe piece because an nuisance when running. Good thing for the next pair in rotation. Also second pair of Nike free metcons for in gym runs and short distances when cross training. Sticking with the black theme as well. I also prefer to use feetures brand socks. Not too thick but definitely the ones that cover my heel so I don’t get blisters. These socks are worth the premium I pay for them, but they have good sales throughout the year which also helps.
Equipment tidbit: this one has a safety focus. Light up vests for my running group. Many run in the dark at 5am. One runs in the woods when it’s dark. Neon lights help pave the way for our group keeping us safe. So excited we all have them. They look cool, too. I had fun lighting up myself for a little night jog this month. Light weight is also key.
Oh the end of month came and I was teeter tottering on getting my knees checked. My left knee was just a bit wonky after my competition. I bit the bullet and went to see the doctor. I needed a cortisone shot in my left knee. Not what I wanted or expected but I rolled with it. A few more forced days off. A few tweaks in the coming months to reduce risk while I heal and still allow for running. Wish me luck. You can see the battle wound that was hidden behind the bandaid for the day. I should mention getting old sucks. Your body needs to be handled with care at times over fifty. Be aware of signs your body gives you. Don’t wait until you are 100% out of commission before seeking help. Rehabilitation is part of being an athlete and so is mentally overcoming shortcomings.
Biggest accomplishment so far:
Signing up for a marathon
Biggest fear so far:
Completing the marathon.
Mental mountain: learning to adapt to limitations that appear despite wanting to go the extra 10 miles.
What I want to improve on in next three months:
My distance or time out for a run in one swoop. Can I go for 3 hours or more? How far can I go? Can my legs hold out?
Questions I need to keep asking Is my nutrition dialed in? For now the answer is I’ve slacked a little as of late. Not off the rails but not dialed in. Need to make this a priority before summer’s end to be in peak nutrition state for fall.
Is it better to run one mile or none at all?
My last bit of business for the month was mapping out my next 12 week training plan. The real start to marathon training. Putting running at the top of the priority list to make sure I’m ready on the actual day of the marathon. My first time ever planning this much for a race. Let’s see how it goes. To this point I just practiced.
What a year. So many cool things came up on my radar. Many fun adventures. A few trials. A few set backs. Many lessons learned. All in all it was a good year.
I learned to play pickleball in 2023. A new sport for me. A new social group. I very much enjoyed picking up this new hobby. I even enjoyed getting beat by old people my first season in a league. Maybe a little humbling too.
For 2024 I’m spending time with the 1sE app a friend recommended. Basically documenting a second a day for the year. A picture or video or combo. Can’t wait to see what makes the reel. Seems like a fun way to rewind 2024 a year from now.
I got a chance to travel a good bit in 2023. Spent time on the road with different travel mates adding to the adventures. Travel by plane. Travel by car. Travel by RV. The variety kept things spicy. Some planned in advance. Some spur of the moment. Each memorable. The travel bug that hit in 2023 will continue in 2024. I’m feeling the need to explore on my horizon. New places. New experiences. Checking out the hidden gems along the way to each destination. Being present in my life journey while I’m able to enjoy it.
Fitness has been in the forefront in 2023 and will continue in 2024, adding a running goal for my special focus and long term goal. In 2023 I chipped away at 1 million meters by row, bike or ski erg and now I need a new focus. I was recently asked about the why of my long term goal. Since I have a short attention span it’s important for me to have a long term goal to chip away at. I might have to break it up into bite-sized pieces or add variety to get it done, but it helps me overall to have that focus in the background. Somehow I’m able to mirror my life and fitness balance in similar ways. Chipping away seems to work for me.
Friendship has been valued in 2023. Through the high and lows of life it’s good to have a solid group of trusted friends to help you sort through the chaos. Friends are by choice. Some stay awhile and others fade. I’ve seen friends fall ill, needing support while I remain healthy. I hope to continue to fuel myself so that I may continue to be a good friend to others in times of need. i don’t expect much in return but it’s nice to know I do have good friends in my corner. I plan to spend 2024 nurturing relationships that are meaningful.
Reflecting on the year was bitter sweet for me. I focused on thankfulness and let others know how valued they were. I wrote sweet notes. I gave away funny keepsakes. I made a point to impact others as the year closed out. It felt good all around. I even played Cupid in 2023 and the couple is still going strong. Such a fun and unexpected part of 2023.
Feeling free as I roll into 2024. Free of baggage weighing me down. Free to explore and enjoy life and its beauty. One day at a time. I guess I may choose to write a little along the way too. Just a glimpse of my reflection from me to you. Wishing you all the best in 2024 and beyond.
2024 is around the corner. I’ve been thinking. I’ve been looking for the right target. I’ve been thinking about how to hit the target. I put the pen to paper. The idea was hatched.
The hamster wheel. My idiotic quest. My target. My stretch goal. My to do list item on repeat. The few I’ve shared this goal with asked why? Well, I was motivated by a friend who chose run every day in 2023. She has just 40 days left. She ran with stitches in her foot. She ran on cold days. She ran when she didn’t want to. She ran on the treadmill. She ran races. She ran alone. She ran with friends. She overcame so much adversity.
I looked at that success in awe. I also knew I was not as dedicated to running daily. Thus I had to find a broader way to hit a similar milestone. 1 mile a day may last me a week. I can’t do the same thing so many times. I’m just not wired that way.
I will have to manage my miles my way. Adding a mile here and there at lunch. Running a 5k here and there to build the mileage. I’m looking for variety. Maybe a 10k, 15k or half marathon. Maybe some new destinations to entice me. Maybe become friends with the air runner at my gym. Who knows.
All I know is I have a goal. I bought a journal to track my progress. I wrote this blog to have a placeholder in time. Now it’s up to me to mentally prepare for January 1, 2024. For that is when I begin my hamster wheel activities. Round and round I will go.
How many pairs of shoes will I use?
How many states will I run in?
Will I run in another country?
Will I do my mileage alone or with friends?
How many races will I register for?
Will my time improve with consistency?
Will my body change any?
Will I motivate anyone to run/jog/walk?
Is it possible for me to end up liking running?
We shall see. Look for updates in 2024 or maybe it will be a memo of defeat? Anyone want to make a wager?
2 Chicks and a blog 