Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Hardships



Week 10

This week was bad. No this week was terrible. No, it was one of the hardest weeks of my life. It started out ordinary enough. The kids had Spring break so Monday and Tuesday was a little nuts trying to keep and 3 and 5 year old entertained without school and with rain outside. I felt fine, but I knew I was pretty tired after Saturday's 16 mile run. I even fell asleep at my in laws on Sunday after dinner. I was wiped out. I took Monday's 5 mile run off in a hope that I would be able to recover and bounce back Wednesday for 8 miles that day. All hell broke and our son got sick with some sort of stomach flu. I spent Monday night and Tuesday caring for a very sick little boy. Tuesday night came and I noticed as I went to bed that my throat was bothering me. I woke up Wednesday ready to do my 8 miles. I sent one child off to school and the other stayed with my sister in law while I ran. I actually wish I could call it a run, but it was more or less, a sad excuse for a jog. I got to mile 5 feeling like my head was going to explode. It was cold and windy outside and my ears were feeling so much pressure, I decided to call it a day and walk the last mile back. The rest of the day I was in total denial that I was getting sick. I was going to be fine. Just a little allergies. I spent Wednesday night shivering and getting the chills so bad that my teeth were clashing together. I was NOT WELL. On top of it all, Charlotte got sick. She threw up after her nap. I had spent the last 24 hours bleaching our house and I had to start over.
By Thursday I thought I seriously might die. Writing this now, I sort of smile, but in all honesty- I hadn't been that sick since I had a serious infection in 2010. I was feeling like I couldn't come up and out of what was happening to me. I could hardly even move. My whole body ached, right down to the joints in my toes and fingers. My throat was closed off. My ears and head were pounding and pulsing. Over and over. I reached a fever of 104.3. Friday morning I called every ENT within a 25 mile radius that would accept a new patient same day. I found one at Tanner Clinic in Layton and headed up there with both kids, who were now on the mend. The ENT told me everything in my face was infected. Adenoids, tonsils, and sinuses. Pus was draining from the back of my throat and I was so swollen. He told me that this would have put a person not as healthy as me in the hospital and I must have a pretty high pain tolerance. I was given a prescription for an antibiotic and was told I could resume running on Wednesday.
My point to this whole post is not to make you feel sorry for me or by any means make it seem like I am the only who has ever been sick. My point is that during all this, is that I had a wake up call. That I am so lucky. Lucky for my health. The ability to run several miles several times a week, I am lucky to have dear family, friends, and a spouse that bail me out time and time again with watching kids, listening to me complain, and being my support system. I love this quote because without the hardships, how do we learn to prevail and push ourselves to carry out our dreams and desires? When I set out to do a marathon, I did it on a crazy brained idea that I would show the new age of 30 a thing or to. To prove to myself I was capable of doing anything I set my mind to. This was a HUGE setback for me and tomorrow I set out to run like I have been for the last 10 weeks. I am seriously hoping it's like riding a bike. I hope my legs will carry me and my lungs will provide the air needed to get me where I need to go. I am just an ordinary person. I hope this hardship with help me pursue the destiny I desire, a training complete and a marathon accomplished.

Month 2 & 3 of Marathon Training


Well into Month 2 of training and I was feeling pretty good. I logged miles ran and how I felt in a small running journal because, let's be honest, I am not very diligent in keeping up on typing!

Week 5
Monday 3 miles 10 pace
Wednesday 5 miles 10.5 pace
Thusrday 3 miles 10 pace
Saturday 10 miles 10.5 pace- hard run in strong headwind!

Week 6
Monday 4 miles 9.35 pace
Wednesday 5 miles 10 pace
Thursday 4 miles 10.5 pace
Saturday 11 miles 10 pace- felt really great after this run except I realized that after mile 10, I need water and some sort of GU. Felt seriously run down when I got home.

Week 7
Monday 3 miles 11.5 pace
Wednesday 6 miles 10 pace
Thursday 4 miles 9 pace
Saturday 12 miles 11 pace- one of the hardest runs for me. I was all over the place! Stayed up WAY too late the night before and ate terrible! Stopped a lot and felt side aches. Got home and went right into mommy mode. I didn't stretch, hydrate or rest.

Week 8
Monday REST- I was feeling so bad after not taking care of myself after Saturday's run that I had to rest today.
Wednesday 6 miles 11 pace
Thursday 4 miles 10 pace
Saturday 14 miles- I was going to run this run with my grandpa, but he ended being the one who watched the kids so I could actually run. He gave me a course map of 14 miles and I set out to run it. It was a lonley and weird run out to Backus Highway and back. I cried a bit and felt pretty defeated. I never realized how mental all of this would be. I thought I would just do the runs and it wouldn't be easy, but it wouldn't be this hard. Came home and hydrated and sat in an ice bath. Learned my lesson from last week.

Month 3  A big turning point for me! I am now running miles higher than I ever had and it's pretty intimidating! The most I have ever ran is 13.1 miles 2 years ago. I am really pushing myself not only physically, but mentaly. I did't even know what that meant till now.

Monday 4 miles 10 pace
Wednesday 7 miles 9:30 pace- just wanted to get out of the rain!
Thursday 3 miles 111 pace- was really going to do 4 but ended up pushing my kids and his bike in the jogger stroller in the RAIN!
Saturday 16 MILES!!!This was by far a more enjoyable run and I felt like I figured a lot out on this run!
 
 
Shoe log: 209 miles
Weight 146
 

My Marathon Experience Month 1

January 27, 2014

Week one I'm officially DONE.
3 miles Monday 10.5 pace outside
4 miles Wednesday 10 min pace treadmill
3 miles Thursday 11 min pace treadmill
5 miles Saturday 10.2 mile pace outside
Was sick with a cold this week, but felt better after a couple visits to the chiropractor. Hoping to keep pace at 10.5 through out training. Concerns: need orthotics, continue to get trigger point injections and adjustments for neck/shoulder pain. Remember to get water belt and gels for runs over 10 miles.
Shoe mileage log: 30 miles
Note to self: don't run past Taco Time, smells like "stop running and go inside to have a taco."

February 3, 2014

Week 2
3 miles Monday pushing Charlotte in jogger stroller 11 pace
4 miles Wednesday 9.5 pace outside
1.5 miles Friday 12 mile pace treadmill + weightlifting class
6 miles Saturday 1 mile on indoor track rest on dreaded treadmill. Not sure of pace but it was super slow.
Out of town most of the week made for an interesting training week but I made due. Note to self: get a roller bar for sore muscles.
Shoe mileage log: 45 miles

February 10, 2014
 
Week 3
3 miles Monday not completed. Rest day
4 miles Wednesday outside 10.5 pace
3 miles Thursday outside 9.5 pace
7 miles Saturday outside 10.38 pace

Ran weekend runs in St. George
 
Shoe log 59 miles

February 17, 2014

Week 4
3 miles monday 10 pace
4 miles wednesday 12 pace
4 miles Thursday 9.5 pace
8 miles Saturday 10 pace

Shoe log: 78 miles
weight: 151