At the beginning of August, I started to enter in my mileage into a calendar. Since I was two months away from my half marathon, I wanted to pay closer attention to my training.
This is what the month of August looked like:
[If you’d like to see my training before August, check it out on my run page.]
Last week I realized that I went way over the 10% increase rule, so I decided to make this week a fall back week, where I would decrease my mileage. So I focused a lot on cross training and stuck to 2 runs.
I have never been one to follow a strict plan, so that is why you don’t see much filled in on September’s calendar. All that I have planned is my weekly long run goal and my overall total mileage goal. As for what days I will be running those miles, I will decide that when the week comes! ;)
I feel like my training is coming along really well though. Every once and a while I think back to my 2 month long injury and it is almost hard to believe that at one point I thought I may never run again. It was such a sad time for me, but it also taught me so much. I now know that if I treat my body properly and with some TLC, I can do some pretty awesome things.
Fast forward to today.
I will admit, I was not a happy camper this morning. I guess it is the hormones that get the best of me, but I was feeling really blah and just overall down in the dumps. The thought of strapping on all my gear and having a fun run seemed a bit daunting, so I decided to spend the morning working on business stuff and then see how I felt in the afternoon.
Last night I bought some IT Band Wraps at Running Room because I have been having some problems with my knee sleeves lately. They are giving me a heat rash and I am getting red, itchy welts/bumbs underneath the sleeves. It is driving me crazy! So I thought I would give these IT Band Wraps a whirl. I had a gift card for Running Room, so I figured it was a win win.
After I put them on I noticed that my knees felt much lighter, but I wasn’t sold on them yet. I brought my knee sleeves in a bag just in case because I didn’t want to have to turn around.
After getting my moleskin, electrical tape, sunglasses, sunscreen, hat, water, gel, etc. We were off!
The run (Murder Hill route):
- Distance: 9 miles
- Duration: 1 hour 26 mins 59 seconds
- Avg pace: 9:38 min/mile
- Max pace: 7:34 min/mile (bug was chasing me)
- Max HR: 169 bpm
- Avg HR: 145 bpm
I decided today that I would only stop and walk when I wanted to and I ended up stopping 3 times for about 30-60 seconds each time. At the 6 mile mark, I had some homemade gel (recipe coming soon) to give me a burst of energy.
The run was pretty challenging today because it was really windy out. I was also doing Murder Hill.
My IT Bands seemed to do ok until the 8:40 mile mark and my right knee started to hurt so I stopped and put my knee sleeve on for the rest of the way. I definitely don’t think my problem is my IT Band, I think I just need overall knee support which the knee sleeves give me much more of. I’m not sure what to do about the heat rash though! Do I just have to deal with it? Get new knee sleeves? I’m not sure.
All and all I am quite happy with my run today. Aside from the knee hurting at the end, I felt strong, capable, and well-trained. I know that my cardio is definitely there, so from here on out until mile 13.1 it will be more of a mental game than anything. Last nigth Eric and I were talking about my half marathon (28 days) and I started to get so pumped up! I love the thrill of racing. :)
After my run I immediately gulped down 10 grams of delicious protein:
Told you I gulped it!
I also had a huge plate of leftover zucchini spaghetti:
I LOVE spaghetti!!!!!!
And a Peanut Butter Banana Bomb muffin (sans the bomb- all out!)
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Thanks for all of you who wrote your fitness bucket list yesterday. It was so motivating to read and gave me lots of ideas! I keep looking at mine on the wall and it makes me so excited. Sooooo many fun fitness things I want to do in this life!
Coming up on OSG:
- I will be showing you my homemade energy gel recipe. It is quick, delicious, and CHEAP!
- Wedding Anniversary festivities- We’re going out to 2 restaurants this weekend. I also can’t wait to show you the gift I made Eric. It was so much fun.
- Prickly Pear, anyone?
- A new delicious food product review
Today’s question:
I am taking Eric to this super fun and highly recommended vegetarian restaurant called Fresh in Toronto this weekend. The only problem is- I can’t decide what to get! They have tons of Green drinks, elixirs, wraps, stir-frys. Oh my gosh. I want to have an idea of what I am getting before I go or I will seriously take 30 minutes to decide! Help me choose!
I learned that it is the weak who are cruel, and that gentleness is to be expected only from the strong.
– Leo Rosten
Enjoy your anniversary dinner nights out! How fun!! As for knee sleeves, bands, wraps, etc….nothing ever works just right for me and I find nothing is better than “something”. Plus, usually the things I try irritate my skin so on top of a bone/muscle issue, I have skin irritation and it really sucks :) So yeah, I hear you. Sorry no real suggestions. Other than maybe try to back off your training a smidge to give your body time to rest/recover. Or, maybe increase healing vits/minerals like zinc or glucoasmine, stuff like that.
Enjoy Fresh!! Looks GREAT. The veggie/pesto burrito sounds awesome. I love pesto.
Great training plan…like I said in my email you have done awesome. You should be proud of your progress!!
Wish I could help you with the menu choice, but I’ve never been there. However, my friend works there and she says that pretty much everything is amazing – I’d say you’re safe no matter what you choose :)
Nice job on the 9 miles! Your post-run spaghetti meal looks great.
Thank you for sharing your training schedule :-) I’m excited to read about your homemade energy goo!
I would try olive oil the day before the run. The day of the run no way. It makes you sweat more. From having casts a lot and wearing wraps the only true solution I have ever found was corn starch. My grannie told me to use it. It is a wonder product for heat rash and this includes butt heat rash on babies. My kids always got heat rash in summer, knees, butts and elbows and the corn starch took out the pain for them and cleared the rash. Also if you are having a bath some baking soda will help clear up heat rash.
I would try the corn starch first as it helps to wick away sweat and even prevents sweat. It was a god send in my leg casts in summer.
ohhh cornstarch what a great idea! I will try this for sure.
I was about to post the cornstarch thing, too! I used to have to wear “drysuits” (like a wetsuit, only totally sealed off so no water actually enters your suit) for volunteer work that I did and I got such a rash where the neoprene rubbed my skin. Cornstarch powder was a lifesaver.
Hey Angela!
Last year I did a 4-day walking event, I walked 50k a day! It was in summer and can imagine that many people have heat rashes under their socks at some point.I already had some during training and I founda homeopathic lotion that helped me a lot to PREVENT it. It is called calendulan and it is supposed to help you with minor burns and grazes. I found that it really cured my skin fast, but that it also prevented most of the rash if I put it on before I went walking.
I don’t know about Canada, but in the Netherlands it is called calendulan and the active ingredient is calendula. But you might try anything that is available that helps with burns.
Good luck with that! And what a luxury dilemma: what to eat at the restaurant where eveything is good! I haven’t seen it but my advice: order something you don’t know together with something you will definately like. Or make a deal with eric to each orde something different and split the plates so you can taste even more dishes. Have fun!
I am going to look for this in Canada! Thanks :)
Everything looks so good! I would love that place.
I haven’t had that issue with my knee sleeves. I wonder if you are allergic to the material. Perhaps another brand? The olive oil idea sounds interesting. You’ll have to report back if you try it.
Not related to the post, but I thought you would find this interesting: http://www.forbes.com/2006/02/11/rich-live-longer_cx_mh_money06_0214livelonger.html
Look forward to the restaurant review!!
That is really interesting! I like the point about the mental stress of it too.
Have you ever thought about going to a physical therapist for your knees. I am one down in the States and a lot of time the knee pain your describing can be caused by muscle imbalances, especially in the hips in women. A PT could get you on a targeted strengthening and flexibility program as well as doing some deep tissue massage to help release your IT bands. They can also look closely at your gait when you run to see if you need a different type of shoes. I have gotten patients out of braces and pain free within months if they stick to their exercises once they are discharged from therapy.
I have been to a sports doctor before but never to a PT. I really should make the time to go. The only thing I am concerned about is coverage since I don’t have a health plan right now (only thru Eric), so I have to see what his plan covers for me. I would LOVE to learn some strengthening moves for sure!!!
I second this! Seeing a PT is probably a good idea. I wore knee sleeves for two runs and absolutely hated them…really, they were more of a “crutch” and don’t do anything to help prevent knee problems. Knee problems can step from weak quads, weak hips, weak IT bands…you name it. There are DOZENS of strengthening exercises to do. I was put on a rehab plan of strengthening exercises and was able to fully recover.
You could try dusting the inside of your sleeves with baby powder or something like that so that it can absorb a little of the sweat instead of having it sit there forever…
That restaurant looks delicious! I hope you guys had a great meal!
hi angela!! i just wanted to drop a line… i’ve been reading your site for awhile now, and i think you’re very fun and informational! i’m training for a half as well, mine is sept 20 (a week before yours only!!). i run really slow, but it’s been a long journey to get to where i’m at and i’m proud of myself. good luck with your run!!! :)
About your pasta, it looks delicious, but I prefer to eat more natural and less processed foods. Let me share with you what I do: I base my nutrition -specially 3 days before a race- on steamed vegetables, baked potatoes, whole rice and beans, fruits, fish, nuts, and steamed platains. This foods give you the fat, protein, and overall the carbs (complex carbs that is) that your body needs to face a race.
About your training log, I would have liked to have seen more miles in those 7 weeks prior to your race; in some cases you ran only once a week, to build a better mileage base, and to get your body used to running longer distances. It would have been better for you to run more 9miles, 10 milers, 11 milers, and even 13 milers. Every week you should do some sprint training, some hill training, and some easy mileage besides your weekely long run.
Nice talking to you…. you have a beautiful cat; it looks like the cat I had when I was a kid.
By the way, what was your time in the 1/2 Marathon?