Back With a Capital Vengence!

Happy June! And Happy 60th birthday to my mum although she is hiding in a closet somewhere pretending it aint so.

AM1: 2 x 10 minutes of RUNNING!

AM2: Lil biking and 6 minutes of supervised RUNNING at PT followed by a zillion squats. Feeling fabulous!!! May graduate from PT this month :)

Had in my head that I was going to attempt Big Mountain on the bike this morning, but my glutes were still so sore from PT, all that "running" on Friday, and being on my feet for 8+ hours yesterday helping out at the Squaw Peak race that I almost bailed for a flatter ride. But I didn't!

Rode from the base of Emigration to Big Mountain and back with 3300 feet of climbing - vomit! My quads almost quit working at the top and that is the closest I have ever gotten to seriously bonking - it was AWESOME! I am 6 months out of surgery this week and I can finally do things that require a GU :) I am getting my life back!

Speaking of awesome, had a blast working at the Squaw Peak finish yesterday and watching all the amazing runners finish. I think watching people finish races is my most favorite thing to do ever. I took photos of the finishers among other things like feeding Creamies to this one guy that finished in the top 20 having never ran further than 17 miles in his whole life, icing people's heads, doling out chocolate milk, applying sunscreen, and listening to seriously one amazing story after another.

I also got to see my friend's mom finish amazingly strong (I wish my mom could do that) and finally got to meet Bryce from the blog. I heart runners. I am so doing this race next year!

"I'm a less good person when I'm not able to run, and that shouldn't necessarily be the case,” Anton Krupicka's thoughts on injury.

AM: 2 x 12 minutes of RUNNING. Progress.

PM: Windy cruise on the Legacy. 

Eek - I did something crazy and registered for a race today. I had an overly optimistic moment and now I am almost embarrassed to say which one.

PM: Elliptical followed by 5 minutes of RUNNING because I just can't help myself and it feels so good even though I shouldn't try to run 2 days in a row just yet! Did wobble board squats, single-leg squats, and airplane things in addition to the normal daily hip routine. 

The 10% rule can bite me! I have a fall trail marathon to train for :) There is no scientific evidence to support it. When Running Up Mileage, 10 Percent Isn’t the Cap.

AM: 2 x 15 minutes of RUNNING!!!

PM: Yoga

AM: Read a 100+  page protocol on the stationary bike. Wish I could do all my work on the bike! Quite a bit of stiffness/pain in the hip flexor, bummer.  

PM: Lots of squats and normal hip routine.

Happy 6 months out of surgery (tomorrow) Duathlon Day!!!  I did my longest run since the Turkey Trot today and climbed the most ever on my bike. Probably not the smartest thing I've ever done, but I feel fabulous!

AM: Hallelujah! 35 minutes RUNNING on the TM with no walk breaks. Man this has been one long haul!!!

PM: Rode from HCI to the top of Millcreek Canyon and back. Climbed a total of 3990 feet. Wish I would have known and I would have climbed 10 more :) Upper Milcreek is still not open to cars making it super fun! I just wonder how I am going to feel tomorrow for more biking adventure...

Now for a big cold one :)

Met some peeps camping at Rockport State Park and rode from the park to almost Kamas. Was hoping for a chill ride, but that wind pretty much killed me. 

TRAIL RUN of sorts on the BST. Was going to take a rest day, but it was such a gorgeous day I wanted to get out on the trails. Ran on all the "flats" for a total of about a mile. I am 6 months out of surgery now so I should be back to "normal". Time to get a move on!

Last week: 9.9 running miles and 138 biking miles

Goals for this week: 12 running miles, 100 biking miles, more hiking, stop slacking on my PT exercises, and eat more vegetables. Funny how the PT exercises are the first thing to go now that I am able to be more active and that shouldn't be the case!

AM: 2 x 18 minutes of RUNNING!!! Walk breaks are back just to be safe. Feeling psyched! 

PM: More RUNNING at PT. Both therapists analyzed my form, said I am doing fabulous, and essentially released me into the wild :) I have really changed the way that I run - lighter on my feet, keeping a neutral pelvis with a slight lean, absorbing more with my glutes, more hip extension, yada yada. It has definitely taken some getting used to, but it feels really good and like someday I am going to be wicked fast :) I haven't been blessed with the most wonderful of joints so the least impact-ful I can make my running the better.   

AM: Stationary biking at work. Forgot my shorts and socks and read my Mont Blanc trekking guide - so not the most effortful ride.

PM: Evening ride on the Legacy - pretty good effort.

6-month post-op appointment today...

After appointment cancellation/confusion debacle, I finally got to see my doc today. "If all our patients were doing as well as you at 6 months, we would be very happy," says hip fellow. "But I am not very happy! Why didn't you warn me how awful this was going to be?!?" says a very irritated me. Hip surgeon says, "Are you still considering having the procedure done on your other side?" "No way in he!! am I ever going through this again," I say without hesitation.

Anyway... x-rays look good, range of motion is good, strength is pretty darned good, mental outlook not too shabby. Back into the world I am finally, fully allowed to go.

I shared this photo many months ago and I think it clearly shows what my issues were, plus I think it is pretty cool. I just can't say enough how happy I am to be able to be more active - it is like my whole future is now looking brighter. I have been thinking a bunch about that Anton Krupicka quote, "I'm a less good person when I'm not able to run, and that shouldn't necessarily be the case,” and trying to figure out how I can be a better person regardless of my activity level :) But hopefully I never have to go through anything like this again to test out all those fabulous life lessons I have learned these past 6 months.

AM: 2 x 20 minutes of RUNNING.

My new favorite website: No Meat Athlete: Runs on Plants

AM: Stationary bike

PM: Baby Aves loop on the bike. Forgot that City Creek is closed to bikes on even days, but slightly thankful because I could use a rest day of sorts. Just discovered this site called Strava, which you upload your rides to and then you can compare your times to yourself and others. I have to admit that I am getting a bit bored with biking so the site is helping because it lets me earn rewards and stuff :) It is actually super neat how it maps out the segments of your ride and it works for running too.

AM: 45 minutes on the TM, no walk break. Now that's a run. 14 miles for the week, holy crap! 

PM: Hike on the BST. Wanted to try out the new trail shoes :) Must get in hiking shape for Alps! 

Learned one of the most important lessons of my life today! Sorry if this is TMI, but I want to remember the details of today...

Went out for a ride in the hottest part of the day, climbed a good 4000 feet part of it on a newly black topped road radiating heat like you wouldn’t believe, essentially pushed myself harder than I have in nearly a year plus I sweat like an obese man, and drank about 32 ounces of water over the course of 4 hours. I know I needed to drink more and it was kind of freaking me out, but there wasn’t anywhere to refill and I felt okay.

Got home, felt fine, yet tired, drank a bunch of water, an emergen-C, ate some toast with almond butter, stretched, and laid on the couch for about an hour talking on the phone. Stood up and BAM, vertigo like I haven’t experienced in a long time. Then came the nausea, vomit, tunnel vision, crazy wavy lines, imbalance, more vertigo, and sheer and utter panic. Thought I was going to die for sure! 

Long story short, I used to have a huge problem with vertigo and crazy, weird visual aura stuff. After seeing a ton of ENTs and neurologists I was diagnosed with Meniere’s disease, Vestibular Migraines, and recurrent BPPV. Tests showed that my right inner ear was not responding to any stimulus so I was pretty much screwed and there wasn’t a whole lot that could be done. My symptoms seemed random, but I started paying attention to them and started noticing that they would happen after long runs or after I drank a lot of wine. I started thinking my symptoms were related to dehydration, but of course my docs thought that was a bunch of shizzle.

As a personal experiment I started being super conscious about water and electrolytes pretty much to the point of obsession. Anyone who knows me knows that I can be seldom seen without a water bottle and I typically freak out if I go somewhere without water :) And guess what? I have been nearly symptom free for a couple of years now so much that I almost forgot I have ever had these problems. That is until today!  As much as this sucked and I seriously thought I was dying, now I am almost 100% sure all these crazy things can be linked to dehydration, which feels pretty empowering actually. Granted water is not going to make my right inner ear work so I will always have weird issues with that, but I believe that adequate hydration can prevent attacks like this.

I will now be carrying a camel back on my road bike. I don’t care if it is so totally uncool, because what is really uncool is vomiting all over yourself because your vision is so wonky and your head is spinning so bad you can’t seem to find your own bathroom.

Ride: Home to Big Mountain and back. 44 miles, 4031 feet of elevation gain.

Anyone want to buy a road bike? 

Self-imposed rest day after yesterday's vertiginous vomit fest! 

PM: Guess I lied. 2 miles of TRAIL RUNNING on the Pipeline Trail :) Burch Hollow to Church Fork and 3 rattle snakes. Think that is a record! Instantly heart my new trail shoes.

Last Week: Exceeded my goals for the week: 12 running miles (14 actual), 100 biking miles (106 actual), and ate tons more veggies :)

Goals For This Week: 15 running miles transitioning off the treadmill, get out on the mountain bike, more hiking, and stop slacking on the PT exercises (failed on this one last week). 

AM: Had to bail on my run this morning for the stationary bike because of some seriously tight hip flexor issues. Over the last week, my hip flexor/groin has tightened up towards the end of my runs, but today it was tight and pretty painful from the start. Thought the bike would loosen it up, but nada. Grrrrrrrr.

PM: Took 4 ibuprofens and went to restorative yoga. Bad hip days make me sad. I wish that wasn't the case, but I am where I am right now.  

Thought I was golden this time around, but the darned anterior capsule/hip flexor issue has flared up again. Back to light activity until this thing calms down. This is just how it is going to be for a little while. Up and down, up and down, blah, blah. I am pretty sure it is going to resolve itself more quickly this time. I am not too worried.

AM: PT and lil' bike

PM: Rode from the U to the Church Fork TH. Figured my PT wouldn't have considered riding up Millcreek light activity so I turned around a few miles up. The most perfect night for a ride though. Happy Solstice!

PM2: Hour long glute and hip flexor massage.Wowsers!

Sweet Pre-Western States coverage at iRunFar.com! 

PM: Rode from the U to the zoo to meet up with Andrea and Jake for a ride up Emigration. Just happy I could keep up with those two in something :)  

AM: Stationary biking. Going to attempt some running this afternoon. Hip is so stiff :( 

PM: 2 x 10 minutes of running and elliptical. Here I go back to the baby steps again...

Wedding Bells 5k (Relay Style)

My first race in nearly a year and I did it in a strapless, pink, puffy dress! Somehow I got placed on Team Amazing(ly dressed) with Jake, Andrea, Devra, and Kevin so I tried to run really fast :) I only thought I was running 400 meters so when the baton got passed to me a second time I thought crap cuz I had nothing left. Have to say I am psyched to be running again though!!! Allie and James put on a great race and I feel lucky that I got to be a part of it. I am certain that their wedding today and life together will be equally amazing. 

See Jake's blog for photos and Allie's blog for the official results! 

After the race, I rode my bike up Memory Grove and City Creek (sans dress) to cheer on the Steeplechasers. Way to go Fritz for another ridiculously stellar performance! Scott W, I assume you did awesome as well!

Hiked from the White Pine TH to the base of the Pfeifferhorn with quite the crew of awesome peeps including Kevin, Andrea, and Jake from FRB. I was so unbelievably stoked with my ability to hike that I am pretty sure I annoyed everyone (including myself) with my exclamations of joy every few feet :)

This hike was a huge confidence booster for the hip. There was no way I could have done this hike pre-surgery so maybe it was worth it after all. I had no pain in the hip joint and just a tiny bit of tightness in my hip flexor, but overall my legs actually felt quite strong. With all the cycling, squats, and endless PT exercises I have been doing, this may be the strongest my legs have ever been. So stoked for life right now! What an awesome weekend!

Finally got a quality running shot to use for my blog pic :)

Rode up to the top of Millcreek Canyon this evening. Barely noticed the heat and the climb because I was in good company. Set a downhill PR with my max speed of 35 mph - yikes! Hip is feeling great. The stoke-age continues... 

Late evening hike/run up Memory Grove/City Creek. Downhill running feels good, uphill not so much. Seems like it should be the other way around. 

AM: Little ADD problem at the gym this morning. Bike warm-up, followed by 2 x 15 minutes of RUNNING on the TM and then the elliptical. Emigration Canyon after work. 

PM: Tried to ride Emigration in less than an hour and ended up at 60 minutes and 3 seconds even with my all-out-kamikaze downhill. Next time!

Took my road bike in for a tune and won't get it back until next Thursday. I already miss her. I think I am a cyclist. Borrowing the words from Greg Brown, "Who woulda thunk it?"

PM: Elliptical and squat-fest.