Holy crap! It's been a month!!

I find it hard to believe it's been a month since I've posted.  Sigh.  Like most things, I have great intentions and then fall off the wagon once I actually start something, if I start at all.  Which brings me to training.  I think, even though I would have denied it while it was happening, I had some sort of post-race blues or training slump after my half-ironman.  Motivation has been lacking.  I've missed two races (FORGOT to pick up my race packet on Saturday for one of them), did some half-assed training for another (which I will expand upon in a minute), and generally have had noooooo problem talking myself out of getting up to train and talking myself into going back to sleep in the morning.  Put on 5-ish pounds during this time, as well.

But, I think I have turned a corner, and I will attribute it, deservedly or not, to Dr. Fuhrman's Eat to Live.  I have been doing it for 2 weeks and am LOVING it so far!  Vacation weight is almost all gone, and I am back at the gym.  Swam 1500m this morning, and I was able to run about 1.5 miles yesterday and walk another mile.  Got back on my bike this week, as well.  Long story short, I'm hoping I'm back.  I have an oly tri schedule for mid-September, and I'd really, really like to race it.  So, I'm training.  And eating better.

Missoula 1/2 Marathon Race Report


My plan for this race was to beat my time of 2:46 from last year, which I knew was totally do-able given I am consistently running about 1:00 faster per mile this year.  HOWEVER, approximately 2 weeks before the race, I went on a long run and after about 8 miles, I could not run another step and had to walk about a mile home.  S#it!  It was my IT band, I'm pretty sure, but on my other leg.  I went to see Dr. Wilkens to get some ART, and it helped a little, but I was terrified!  I ran a few times once we got to Missoula, but was only able to go 2-3 miles before pain began to set in.  So, I rolled, iced, ibuprofened, and stretched for 3 days, and by the day of the race, I felt ready.

Will was running the race with me, as was BS and CB, so this year's bus ride was much more entertaining.  There were superheros in underwear at the start, and a ginormous line for the bathroom.  I was smart this time and took some immodium before we left the house, which really helped my nervous stomach.  We lined up, the cannon went off, there were fireworks, and we were off!  CB, BS, and Will were off like a shot and lost me immediately.  I turned on Runtastic (not so much "tastic", as I would later come to realize), and got into a groove.  There is a slight incline initially, so I took it a little easy so as to not aggravate the IT band too early, but then I was on pace to smash last year's time.  The coolest thing about this year is that even though I had not trained quite as hard, I knew that I could make the distance because I had done it twice before.  The only thing that would get in my way was the stupid IT.  It began hurting ever so slightly at about mile 8 and I popped an ibuprofen.

Mile 10, still happyish

By mile 10, it was really letting me know it was not happy and might not cooperate with my plans.  I had been walking aid stations, but after walking around mile 11, re-initiating running was very, very painful.  I decided to run through mile 12 aid station, because I hurt so badly and was quite sure I would not be able to start running again once I stopped.  Shortly after that aid station, I just couldn't take the stabbing pain for one more second, and I decided to walk the last mile.










I was sooooooo pissed, frustrated, and disappointed.  Argh!  My time:  2:53 something, 6 minutes slower than last year, but still faster than Al Roaker ;)

Finish line, PISSED

The really bad part came later, though.  I cannot express how much pain I was in for the next week, especially when I would sit for an extended period and then stand again.  Holy moly.  So, the fact that I have taken a few weeks off might make more sense to readers.  I probably should not have kept running on it...I should have either stopped running at mile 10 or DNF'd.  But, being the stubborn-ass that I am, I didn't stop, and I am just hopeful I haven't done permanent damage.

Anyway, thanks for reading if you did.  :)