Next month is around the corner. The marathon month!
A half marathon.
A full marathon.
Can I do it?
Should I do it?
I have my vlog camera ready to go. My clothing is planned and ready. I hope to document my journey for the half and the full to showcase my efforts and memories. It might not be pretty but I’m going to try to commit to the documentary along the way.
A little extra baggage! To carry and maneuver, but I’m committed to the process.
This month is dedicated to overcoming fear. The fear of injuring myself. This is a big mental hurdle. I can get by today pain free, but I’m not running. If I run and run at an extreme level of a marathon will that be too much on my extremities? That’s what’s nerve wracking. Stay where I’m at and not push the envelope or push my limits to the extreme and see if I break or succeed?
What would you choose?
I don’t even like to run. Rather I choose to run to get better at running: this was my whole goal for the year. Somehow my injuries stacked on top of each other in ways I couldn’t even imagine leaving me helpless on the running front while my counter parts trained their little hearts out.
7.5 miles done mid month. A big hurdle was jumped on this day. I didn’t feel like I would run. Somehow I ran. Then I decided to push a little. It felt good to get this out of the way. A little tight the next day but I survived!
Now the hard part. Finding the time to train in the remaining days before the two big events. 3-5 weeks is not much time at all! 2 hours at a time is how I will chip away. Little by little. Here I go!
5.5 miles was my next trek out just a couple days after the 7.5 miles. Progress: the pace was an improvement but still far behind ideal. I am Still choosing to celebrate progress. I mapped out a schedule for my remaining weeks to the marathon. I’m penciling in 2 hour bike time and run time in between paddle sports. Not ideal but what the calendar allows and my body can handle. Focusing quality vs quantity to limit stress on my joints.
Running into people along the trail is a blessing and a curse. It’s hard to ignore them socially but if you’re training your not there for social hour either. My version of saying hello is in the distance as we both pass by. Too funny not to share. Another 5 plus in the training books. And boy does it feel good to even type that I’m back at it!
New panic sets in when I realize the start time is 7 am for the half marathon. A decent drive there, morning prepping, etc. I’ll get through it but man it’s cold and dark these mornings which means extra layers and weight to carry and my body isn’t all the way awake at this hour these days. Got to get up extra early to stretch before the car ride, just to stiffen back up.
Oh another funny to reflect on. A friend sent me my time for my first half marathon in 2019. Sub 3 hours! For some reason I thought my time was 3 hrs 38 minutes. That would be a big no! Based on my practice runs I will be over the 3 hour mark this go around. I will be happy to complete it, not be last, and not be kicked off the course before the end of time cutoff. Let’s just wait and see how the clock treats me this time around.
Cheers to doing hard things in life to test your limits and face your fears. It’s also time to start mapping out my fitness goal for 2025. I can for sure say it won’t be running after this year of injuries!
Happy the way to somewhere or nowhere? That what’s been on my mind this month.
An MRI for the knees. A milestone I didn’t anticipate before I started this running project. Happy I can get up each day and go but frustrated I can’t go at full speed on anything. Unfortunately, injuries can sideline you when you least expect it. This pretty much describes my current stats: ongoing recovery.
This month marks another 5k that I was expecting to be special. Instead I did a park 5k solo and I’m opting for no races in June to work on my overall recovery plan and enjoy my travel without extra aches and pains. A personal choice. This was an easier decision after the 5k I wanted to do had a date change that conflicted with my travel and the course was going to change. All of a sudden I wasn’t destined to do this race!
It was a year ago I ran the 5k. My mental game probably wasn’t as strong as it is today and my body wasn’t as prepared for the run a year ago. To see the comparison in time and how I feel after this race was really something I’ve been looking forward to. A full circle vision of hard work. Did it pay off? I wanted to know. I won’t know exactly because I’m not repeating the race. I do know however my 5k time is almost 9 minutes faster thus I’ll claim winner on progress for year over year.
I guess it doesn’t matter that I couldn’t make the race. The hills were awful. The walk to the start line in the woods is a workout in itself. One could say you’re tired before you even start. This was more of a disappointment than my injuries to date. Go figure. For June I will add in hill training as a little nod to the race that wasn’t in the cards this year!
Not a ton of miles for June but I didn’t quit.
No stopping me now.
How will my second half differ from the first?
Will my mileage pick up volume?
The half way point of the year is here. Holy cow. Committing six months to running takes dedication, time, and a can do attitude at the very least. Now it’s time to see what it takes to get to twelve months and really dial in on marathon training. We shall call this the building capacity phase.
I don’t even know where the time has gone. I can’t believe that I’m writing that I enjoy the running now. I look forward to it in a way. Whether I’m tired or not doesn’t matter. I’m enjoying the challenge. The thrill of a race. The anticipation of can I do it. Of course how long can I go with my two feet. It’s definitely exciting and I’m so glad I decided to document the process as I’m having a blast looking back. Even a week ago seems like 5 years. Heck I even enjoy the air runner now.
Three solid months of running and overall fitness. Funny my annual physical was this month as a coincidence. This means I get to see how I fare with the good old doctor. Such an important life step as you age. Making sure the girls (boobs) are healthy. No bad cholesterol. Blood pressure and other vitals holding firm. The whole dog and pony show. I passed with flying colors. Yeah me!
The first day of the month I almost didn’t run. It was the first week of the CrossFit open and my body was worn out. Then on a whim I ran a mile at 5pm. 3 months ago I wouldn’t have consider that an option. Today it seems like a necessity. Crazy! I had a great week leading up to week two of the CrossFit open and my DEKA competition. I felt physically strong and healthy. Then the curve ball hit.
First injury was logged on 3/7/24 after CrossFit open workout 24.2 around 7pm. A bad landing on a double under was all it took to jack up my left Achilles, calf and knee. A trip to the hot tub didn’t help. KT tape eased the pain but the injury was still there. Leg sleeves. Ice. Rest day by force. Not a happy girl on this day before a big competition. Limited mobility for a big run, lunges, burpees and high box step overs is not good. My run cycle was broken at day 26 pissing me off a little more. A let down of sorts. One day before my competition. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. It wouldn’t be so bad if my competition wasn’t with a partner. That way I wouldn’t feel so bad. Life moves on. I will compete broken! At least my colorful KT tape might make me smile a little.
DEKA Fit competition held in Knoxville, TN on March 9, 2024. Less than 48 hours post injury. A few miles to run and continuous stretching of my will for almost a hour. I wasn’t sure I could do it at 8am. What an adventure. A little travel. A few friends. Some hard work. A little running mixed in. A bum leg to fight with. 100 percent adrenaline to finish the event. A good health check on where I stand on my fitness journey since this was a decathlon event with running built in. Nothing beats that live competition. Race or otherwise. I tend to thrive in competitive environments of all kinds, however today was about completing the competition since I was injured. I also had a chance to try light therapy on my injured foot prior to my event which I think helped.
Earning my medal had new meaning as I fought hard to get it. Even beat my anticipated time by a few minutes. My partner was great working with my injury which helped. Again I wasn’t sure I could compete let alone finish. Somehow I finished. Onto to more training as I heal.
Just when my Achilles started feeling better my right knee decides to not cooperate. Then a head cold. Out of commission for four days and I’m not happy. Putting emphasis on stretching and rest while my body mends and while I kick my head cold. Not fun at all. The weather outside is beautiful yet I’m not moving outside like I would normally. The frustration builds. I was more upset that I couldn’t run than my body was injured. What an irony.
Failure seems to be on my mind. I’m failing to do what I want to because my body isn’t cooperating. I want to run. My legs aren’t ready. I want to breathe freely but my sinuses are stuffed. My lips are chapped. My mental strength is dwindling. It sucks to be in a state of blah. If I had a dollar for every time I sneezed this week I’d be rich! 24.3 the last Open workout is on the horizon. I’ve been out of commission all week. I may have to throw in the towel on this one to preserve myself long term. Another let down but maybe the smart choice. Jury is still out on this one.
I put in the effort for 24.3 in the Open. Not my best showing but I showed up. I showed up for me. I walked some in the coming days. I rested more than usual as well. I focused on healing. My mind. My body. My ego. All of it. Being off my routine has taken a toll. My eating is off. My sleep is off. Each day I’m getting closer to 100% but I’m not there yet. I still have a visible injury in my left calf. I’m moving better but my gait is off.
Celebrating milestones was important this month. Passing 100 miles run even after my injury was a quiet celebration for me but yet a big one in my mind. I fought so hard for those last 10 miles. It took many more days than it should have. Again if it was easy everyone would do it. For that reason I celebrate me.
End of month 5k knocked out to check off a box on 3/30. I proved to myself I can do hard things. A little time crunch to catch my flight but I still ran to say I did it. A quick trip to Jamaica for my first out of the country run. A much needed break from reality based on just reading above. My time was 37:49 for the 5k. I didn’t have expectations here since I’m still recovering from my injuries and now allergies. I was excited to see how I progressed in my running in the first 90 miles until I got hurt. Guess my progress will be validated on my next race. A few friends in tow always make it better even if we don’t have the same pace we still cheer for each other for getting out there on race day. Photo ops at the end to celebrate is also a must do.
I somehow slid a 10k Super Mom race into the calendar for May. A little Mother’s Day gift of sorts to myself. Just another training exercise to test me and gauge my progress as I near the halfway point of the year. Also it will mark a larger run for me to see how I hold up. Hoping to squeeze in another race day 5k before May as another health check. I can’t even believe I’m actually doing this and enjoying it. Seems crazy when I reflect back.
While we mention cross training I do most of my training in Nike Metcons. The Free version for 2024 to help with running workouts and air runner intervals on days I don’t want to change into my running shoes. These are also what I compete in. Lifting, box jumps, short runs, rowing, etc. They have been a great shoe for me. Light enough in weight but also enough cushion for short runs. I of course have two pairs in rotation which keeps me happy. Current day these white shoes are much dirtier as they are used 5-6 days a week.
Over 106 miles in 2024 so far.
I got stalled at 90 miles while I battled a tough cold. This nearly broke me!
I didn’t quit yet.
I battled my first injury. Ironically not running.
I had to mentally manage being out of commission with a sickness and injuries.
Let me repeat that. I didn’t quit yet!
I’m growing as a person and loving the challenge and the experience that goes along with it. Enjoying time with fit friends. Milestones. Memories. This journey should show any person they can do hard things and train themselves to be better. Documenting this process has been so gratifying. It’s also an experience I’m sharing with my small group of fit friends and our bond and connection has grown immensely. Another unexpected benefit that I value.
I ran in 3 states. Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida.
Missed my fourth state due to resting from an injury. Guess that makes me a busy girl this month. I’ve also been training with a girl in her 20’s. Just keeping up at my age is another big celebration in my mind. Finding that person to push you is so good for the soul.
My mindset is locked in and focused on improving my running pace, distance and overall fitness. I seem less focused on my one mile time although I like to check in here and there to see we where I am. I seem to like a 5k as short and faster run, although I’m really not fast. I’m building my distance in my training runs focusing on slowing the pace down to endure longer. I might have been a 200 meter girl when I started the year. Now I’d say my comfort zone is a 5k. My pace but nonetheless I’m not bothered by a 5k. I can do it and not be knocked out for the day. That’s yet another celebration.
Best memory so far is really witnessing the rippling effect of my running project. The cascading of others running, supporting and cheering for you as you tackle something big.
Worst memory so far has got to be my first non running injury and cold at once.
Shoes update: loving my Brooks. No plans to change, just add shoes in rotation as the mileage builds.
Weather changes means more daylight. More pollen. Warmer days to run outside. Less rain. No gloves needed. Just a new climate to train in I suppose.
I thought I’d add an equipment tidbit this month. I have already mentioned the importance of shoe quality and the running vest. Now I’m going to talk about a stopwatch/interval counter. The reminder to run/walk at preset intervals to not lose sight of pace and goals. Such a great tool while training on longer runs. This is critical for somebody liek me with attention issues. A beep or vibration that doesn’t drain your music battery or cellular service. The most helpful and easy 5 mile run I did on my first usage. Highly recommend.
Balancing life is getting harder. Work travel. Busy events schedule. Personal travel. Fit adventure travels. Eating on the go. Busy season is here, but I can run anywhere which is great. Balancing the run and the travel. Just making the time and doing the work.
I’m currently getting ready for my next CrossFit Competition in April. The Festivus Games. A trio of three working hard to compete against others. None of us are extreme athletes yet all of us are committed to being the best version of ourselves in the competition. Lots of training on the front end for certain movements while keeping up with miles to run. Again to keep up with my strength training vs solely running. Another health check of sorts to see where I am on my fit journey. A little benchmark. No running in this competition but I can see if 100 days of running or so has helped my cardiovascular fitness and/or endurance. Fingers crossed!
As I move into April, I’m looking to increase my weekly mileage in preparation for longer races. That 10k is just around the corner. Making sure I can keep my focus for the duration. I’m going to have to find tasks to practice on the keep my attention for six hours while taxing my body to its limits in a marathon this fall. Little by little I’m working toward my running goal. How many miles will I achieve this year?
300 miles?
500 miles?
700 miles?
more?
Guess you have to follow me for a few more months to find out the ending of my story. Or maybe it’s just the beginning of something bigger.
Most people have a to do list somewhere. Maybe it’s it’s their own. Maybe it’s for their kids or even a spouse. I probably have many to do lists in a given day.
The must do’s
The I don’t want to do’s
The to do eventually
The to do’s that I never do
And some days I have the ta da’s!
Ta da, I survived a another day!
Ta da, I accomplished something today!
Ta da, I took care of a personal errand today!
Ta da, I made lunch today!
Ta da, I talked to my friend today!
What I have come to realize: I have more ta das to celebrate than to dos off the pending task list. Could this have anything to do with me? Why of course it does. I choose where I focus. I choose the wants tos far more than the need tos. Sad but true.
Some days this can be depleting. While other days it’s therapy. Today I read more and blogged more. I also bought some new notebooks to write my to do and ta da list in. I might have even color coded the books: pure nerd alert right here.
Ta da, I just finished this post. A thought post at that. Are you more a ta da or to do type of person? Do you blow off some tasks just because you want to even though you know you shouldn’t?
I was adamant I wasn’t officially participating in the CrossFit Open this year. The main reason for this decision is: I wasn’t feeling like I was in the same shape I was a few years back. Making me think I wouldn’t be happy with my results. I thought about it a good bit. I answered NO, when asked if I was participating many times.
Then I decided to log into my Open app. It showed my participation history and I had already invested five years in tracking my performance. Why not make it six years? Why not see how many years I can physically participate vs focusing on what number I am on the leaderboard?
This year I am 50. I hit a new age band. I had competed in RX the past few years but I have shifted to scaled workouts in most of my recent events. I also focus on going the distance or continuing to move through a grueling wod vs pausing. Slow and steady is my pace these days. It has taken me some time to adjust, but I have come to terms with being a scaled athlete. However, I strive to be the best version of scaled I can be. Thus I will see how I fare as a masters athlete in year six of my CrossFit Open history.
Another fitness benchmark. A couple of weeks of focus and self-motivation. A snapshot of my abilities at that point in time. A worldwide leaderboard allowing me to compare my peers worldwide. Why pass up the opportunity to get better?
Once my decision was solidified I decided to write this post. At the same time I glanced back at what I wrote last year about my Open participation. To my surprise I was on the fence about signing up but I did it. Just as I am doing again this year. Funny how my blog posts serve me purpose time and time again when I want to reflect on a subject.
My vault is online. Cataloged for many to read. It is by no means all-inclusive memoirs however, the content is genuine. I write with feelings and undoubtedly express emotions to others in a very public way. I’m sure some will read this and the feelings are relatable. Others may lose interest and click away. It’s okay either way.
As I want to end my evening with a dessert, I instead wrote this blog. In good conscience I will attempt to eat better for the coming days to prepare a tiny bit. Wish me luck. That translates to no dessert. Even if it was my favorite Kind bar frozen treat.
2 Chicks and a blog 