THOU SHALT BE A COMEBACK

Horrible run today.  The plan was 1 mile warm-up, 6.2 mile tempo, and 1 mile cool down.  Well the new year had a nasty surprise for me.  I felt good during the warm-up, and kicked into the tempo feeling strong.  It started out GREAT.  I was cooking along at well under 8:00 pace and feeling pretty comfortable doing out--got about 3 miles and some change into it and then BAM my right ankle blew up.  No warning.  I felt that familiar tug on the outside, and my gait immediately turned into a limp-run.  The tempo run came to a screeching halt.  Jogging very slowly and limpy, I went a few more miles in denial to see if it would settle down.  I know what it is, because I experienced this with my left ankle several months ago.  Pereoneal tendonitis appears again.  The good news is that it is not as severe, I don't think.  I am still able to walk without limping--a plus.   I came home, did my ankle stretches, popped 800 of motrin, and plunged my ankles into a fifteen minute ice bath.  I am 16 days away from my half and I have already paid the money.  So maybe there is a little denial going on here, but I think I can nip this thing in the bud in a few days if I am aggressive with treating it.   I am not looking forward to the elliptical machine but I foresee its use for a few days at least.

Update: Ok I have calmed down now. I have been walking around at work so far with no limp and no problems. Ankle seems fine. My ankles seem very sensitive to even the slightest bank in the road--I have been running on the right shoulder a lot to make my left ankle feel better but now my right ankle is mad. Sooo..I think I will be able to run tomorrow but it will have to be either the treadmill or a track. Time to start looking for some bike trails and maybe limited running on sidewalks as too much concrete could cause other problems.

Anyhow HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Oh yeah I measured the distance I had gotten in the tempo with my time and it puts me at 7:34 pace for 3.17 miles before I was so rudely interrupted--that's a good pace for me so I am happy about that!

6.3 on the treadmill in the laundry room at my mom's apartment complex.  The treadmill faces out a window about 10 feet from a wall.  So I ran and stared at the wall.  No tv and no music. Yuck.  I will have to borrow my son's zune tomorrow.  Tried to run overground a little bit and my ankle said NO.  I guess I am lucky that I can at least run on the treadmill.  I am so much slower on the treadmill!  I started out at 10:00 and eventually accelerated into 9:13 pace which was taking a lot of effort.  Overground those paces are a piece of cake for me but on the treadmill they are killer.  What's up with that???  Anyways I am trying not to panic.  I keep telling myself I will be able to run overground soon.  15 days until the half.  Ugh.  I better get to icing.

6.4 miserable, and I do mean miserable, miles on the treadmill in the laundry room at my mom's apartment.  I borrowed my son's zune and this was my first experience running with music, but it didn't seem to help much.  I have a new respect for treadmill runners.  The unrelenting, monotonous pace...ugh.  I ran at 9:22 pace which overground is a piece of cake for me but on the treadmill was quite brutal..I don't know why this is?  I suspect the heat and humidity in the laundry room contributed somewhat to my distress--I have become quite accustomed to cold air and wind--perhaps running in the exact opposite is a shock to my system.  I tried to jog a few steps overground but it is still a no go for my ankle.  I have decided if there is no improvement by Monday I will bypass the treadmill and either do a stationary bicycle or an elliptical for as long as I can stand it in place of a long run.  14 days until the half.  Oh please little ankle get over yourself and let me run my race I have worked so hard for.....

one hour and 52 minutes on the elliptical early in the a.m.  I can't even walk without limping.  Looks like I will be shelving the half.  How disappointing.  All this work.  That STINKS.  Doing the ice bath thing now hoping for a miracle. 

Ok, the good stuff.  Went out with another couple for my husband's birthday last night with NO KIDS and had a good time.  Got Jesse's 14th birthday on Saturday.  All these birthdays after Christmas! 

Gotta go to work today.  If my patient's aren't limping worse than me then they will walk to the truck and climb in themselves.  I'm not carrying attention-seeking whiney brats today.

I broke down and paid for one month to use the local rec center.  I spent one hour on the recumbent bike watching television and then tried out the virtual reality bike and it was COOL!  I am going straight for that virtual reality bike tomorrow.  My ankle is swollen and I can hardly stand to walk so no elliptical today.  I have been thinking about what Sasha said and the timing is actually perfect.  One year of nursing school=one year of base building.  Then I am out of school, a bit more injury resistant, and ready to train for some bigger races!  This blog is great--it will help keep me faithful!  Not sure how work is going to go today.  Fortunately, I will only have to walk in short spurts for most of it--from the truck into a house, back out, from the truck to the hospital, and then back out, from the truck into the post.  Of course, this would be the day that somebody crashes something in the middle of nowhere and we go hiking...I hope not...I  will look ridiculous trying to speed-limp.

30 minutes on the virtual bike and 30 minutes on the elliptical.  Ankle swelling is down but still hurts like mad when I walk.  Still limping--it was a little embarassing at work because people kept asking why I was walking funny.  Took some motrin--hope it helps today.  The weather is going to be nice later this week--too bad I can't get out in it and run.  Maybe next week I'll be able to stand a mile or two.  We'll see!  I am looking forward to comfortable morning jogs to start my day!

Spent just over 60 minutes on the evilliptical.  The weather outside is gorgeous, I can't believe this is January in Kansas.  I iced the ankle really good this morning, and was able to get one icing session in last night at work.   It's not feeling any better, but not any worse either, and the swelling is gone.  One more shift tonight and then I am on vacation for 10 days!  Yay!  Nursing school starts Tuesday.  wow.  The new year is here, let the craziness begin.  I have known that this was going to be a tough year with school, but it sure came fast!  I bet the year flies by though.

one hour on the evilliptical bright and early this morning.  I am hoping to do my husband's boot camp workout video later this afternoon and maybe a little strength training at the rec center.  Stronger legs will help my joints take the pounding better, right?  I'm still super limpy but have improvement when I take motrin--at first motrin wasn't even helping but now it is so I guess that is progress...I'm on vacation now!  Ok, staycation. First day of nursing school is Tuesday.

p.m.  30 minutes on the virtual bike, then 2 sets of 10 each on quads and hamstrings(light weights)

Jesse turns 14 tomorrow so I better get moving on party preparations!

60 minutes pretty easy on the evilliptical.  I watched the first episode of the new Real World on television while I did it.  I am way too old to be entertained by that show but something about reality television is amusing.  I am off to clean house and prepare a meal for Jesse's birthday party.

I had a pleasant morning followed by a nice church service, followed by some quiet time.  Ankle is markedly better today!  I can walk with only a slight limp.  Finally!   It was nice enough to take Vanessa outside today and she was fascinated by the chickens and the riding lawnmower.  I'll do a "long run" on the elliptical tomorrow morning.  Once this limp is gone I can walk on the treadmill--hopefully sometime this week.  Did a little 10 minute core workout video.

Two hours on the elliptical to pay for my weekend sins, which were many, including birthday cake(several times over) and ice cream with my husband last night.  Ankle is better but not ready for running yet.  Nursing school starts tomorrow.  I don't have work today!

45 minutes on the elliptical, 21 minutes on the virtual bike.  I kept my heart rate between 165-170 for most of the elliptical session, and about 150 on the bike.  It is really hard to get my heart rate up on the bicycle.  The 5 am crowd is the biggest one at the rec center, apparently.  I am usually in there alone so it was a shocker to see other people in there.  Anyways, off to a lovely 1.5 hour drive to Hutchinson to start nursing school!

55 minutes on the elliptical with the 5 am crowd again.  I kept it easy--heart rate hovering around 140.  Then I tried walking on the treadmill.  Denied.  Still limpy, but not much pain.  Off to another day of nursing school--today we are doing skills checkoffs so it should be pretty easy since most of this is stuff we have done before--iv's blah blah blah.  I am not as overwhelmed as I thought I would be.

60 minutes medium effort on the elliptical.  A couple of inches of snow dropped last night and it was frigid--it put quite a damper on the 5am crowd.  I was there by myself most of the time.  I am able to walk without limping today!  In the pm I went to Genesis with my mother and did strength training, then walked a few laps around the indoor track.  I think I will do some walking on the treadmill tomorrow.

It's not much, but I'm counting it!  55 minutes on the elliptical trying to keep my heart rate close to 170; then hopped onto the treadmill and walked briskly for .75 mile with no pain and no limp, so got brave and finished the mile jogging--no pain.  Yeah!  Finally, a breakthrough.  I will probably try to jog a bit further on the treadmill tomorrow.

50 minutes on the elliptical. Then I hopped on the treadmill and did 1.25, mostly at 10:00 pace.  No pain, felt good!  Good luck to all you folks out there racing today!

Day of atonement for weekend sins, although I was not too terribly bad this weekend.  One hour on the elliptical, 3 miles on the treadmill, mile 1 6mph, mile 2 6.5 mph, mile 3 6.6mph with 7 mph for the last quarter mile.  No pain, felt good.  Topped it off with 4 miles on the virtual bike.  Ankle is doing fantastic but I'm going to keep up the crosstraining and ease back into the running as slowly as I can stand it.  Staycation is over and I am back to work today.

30 minutes on the recumbent bicyle, then 30 minutes on the treadmill.  Ankle still feels good. I think I will try some overground running later this week.

It's going to be a looong day.  I have to drive an hour and a half to Hutchinson for class, then drive straight from there to Wichita to work, and won't be off until midnight.  I joined the 5 am crowd this morning for 25 minutes on the elliptical and 35 minutes on the treadmill.  I ran mostly at 6.6mph, then scooted it up to 7mph for a minute, then finished off with a fun minute at 8mph, then figured I better stop and call it good.  Ankle still feels good, but I am still nervous about it flaring up again.

I'm sick.  My gut hurts so bad.  Can't eat.   My daughter is sick too.   She was up all night with breathing problems and vomited yesterday.  No workout today.

After being violently ill yesterday I was surprised to feel pretty good this morning after a good night's sleep.  Must have just been a 24 hour bug.  I ran 6 miles overground today, nice and slow, in 1 mile loops by my house.   3 loops in one direction and reversed for the other 3 loops to keep the wear and tear even on my ankles.  It felt really good.  Between loops I would run through the house and do a head count and check the kids, which they found quite entertaining!  "Mom!  Why are you RUNNING in the HOUSE?!"  I would come through the back door, dash down the hallway, through the kitchen and living room to ensure all was well, and back down the hallway and out the door.  Vanessa is better.  I had to give her one breathing treatment last night but she has no troubles this morning and is back to her active and mischievous self.  It is a sad day today--my husband David's late wife's grandmother died yesterday.  I did not know her well but Grandma Kathy is devastated and David is sad too.  The kids did not know her incredibly well either but I suspect the older boys in particular will have some troubles since they have already experienced a lot of loss in their lives(their biological mother about 6 years ago).  So, keep us in your prayers.  

Same routine as yesterday, reversing directions on loops and dashing through the house between loops to check on the kids.  It was downright frigid today but no snow or ice so I can't complain. It was a nice slow run and I had to field a few phone calls as part of the funeral planning frenzy-- I can talk on a cell phone and run at the same time!  I'm sure that looks ridiculous if anyone saw it...

Atonement Monday.  6.74 on the treadmill at 6.6mph for 6 miles, then I couldn't help myself and sped up bit by bit to 8.5mph before making myself stop.  Then I rode the virtual bike for 30 minutes.  Lots of careful stretching and now I am having my morning coffee.  Saw a number on the scale today that I can hardly believe--especially considering the type and amounts of food I ate this weekend.  

6 loops, reversing directions, in the wintery wonderland.  It was actually quite beautiful.  Everything is covered by a thin layer of ice and looks crystalline.  It is 14 degrees.  Brrrr

It was absolutely gorgeous outside.  Just as cold as yesterday but no wind so it felt a low warmer.  The sun was out, the sky was blue, the snow was white--it was beautiful.  I ran on the dirt roads and the traction was mostly decent.  I wanted to run a few more miles or so because I was enjoying the run so much but controlled myself and told myself if everything felt good still I could start running further next week.  Did some strengthening exercises afterwards--pushups, triceps dips, squats, lunges, calf raises.  Yesterday I did 15 minutes of core work.  I am going to start incorporating more of these exercises after my runs.  Later on when I am sure I am completely healed and not dancing with any injuries I want to start doing more explosive type drills and jumps at the ends of my runs.  I was reading about this type of training in running times yesterday and it sounds like it could really increase running power and help with injury resistance.

6.2 nice and easy today.  I enjoyed the run and needed the release.  Got into it with a co-worker on another unit last night and it was pretty ugly.  I am trying to stop being angry but the guy was so outrageously disrespectful that I told him it was unacceptable and don't talk to me like that again and the whole conversation just went downhill from there.  I haven't gottten into it like that with someone at a work for years.    Anyways the run felt really good and helped calm me.  My glutes,quads, and a hamstrings are all a little sore from the exercises yesterday!

5.4 at a very gentle pace.  Then I just felt like running faster so .46 in 2:58--6:26 pace(I measured the distance with mapmyrun so I don't know how accurate it is).  Felt good. Jogged back and stopped myself from doing more because after that I felt rejuvenated and my muscles felt fresh and bouncy and I was just ready to go.  I know, I know, fresh off of injury I shouldn't be pulling stunts like that.  Just a few minutes is okay though, right? Did my strength drills afterward and will probably do abs later today.  I can't wait to up the  mileage a tad bit next week if I'm feeling good and want to run further!

pm--did 15 minutes of core workout

Beautiful day.  Run felt GREAT.  It is sunny today and actually warm enough to wear short sleeves.  It is supposed to get up to 66 degrees although right now it is 30-something.  I foresee a jaunt later this afternoon with Vanessa in her jogging stroller!