Pandemic running: Week one

So running last week was weird.

Everything in the world is completely weird right now. The virus, which was looming in the distance finally made its way to our county, and then the town next door. The first person I know in real life become (thankfully, mildly) ill. It's here. And it sucks.

We are absolutely social distancing. We have eliminated all human interactions other than the ones with my parents, who we had been interacting with daily anyway. (so we are all kind of screwed.)

We are trying to help the local economy by buying curbside pick up food (all restaurants have closed sit down service) and to-go beer (again, nobody allowed inside.)
But honestly, my job security is a bit uncertain at the moment, so we are mostly hunkering down and being frugal.

As far as running goes, I had a really decent week. My legs definitely took a turn for the better, and I had a couple breakthrough runs. I felt weird doing a few double digit runs (like... why..?) but running felt good, so I figured, why not....? If I had a marathon in a month I would be feeling happy. I know that there is a time in each training cycle when I feel the work paying off. This is that time.

Since it is already a new week (late post here), I must admit that I have had a couple days of feeling really exhausted and completely unmotivated to run. My job has been extremely complicated since this crisis began (not that I'm really complaining. I am not a health care worker. I realize my problems are actually REALLY fucking minor.) Basically, my schedule for the next 3/6 months is in chaos, I literally may have NO summer work, and I must adjust my plans daily, if not hourly as things in the world change. It has been exhausting.
I suppose that being in a state of almost constant stress is bound to take a toll, and I'm pretty sure the past couple days are a reflection of that. I'm extremely worried about my family members who ARE working in the medical field. The updates I have gotten are nothing short of terrifying (so, anyone who thinks this virus is "media hype" can literally fuck off. Bye.) I'm terrified about what this is going to do for the economy. I managed to survive the 2008 recession, but juuuust barely. While I am in much better place now, I will NEVER forget the financial terror of those years. I'm worried every day that I'm going to lose a friend or family member to this virus. (weirdly, I'm not having concerns about getting it myself. typical of my anxiety, I'm much more scared of watching suffering than having it. go figure.) So yeah, worry worry.

No matter what, I'm going to run tomorrow. Even though I am an unmotivated sloth, I know I will not regret heading out for a few miles.

I hope that everyone (anyone) who reads this is staying safe, and well. May the odds be ever in our favor.

Boston Training 2020: Week 13: The time there was a pandemic

Things are not normal..

As everyone knows, there is a terrifying global pandemic. In the light of this, Boston has been postponed to September 14th. (although, who really knows)

Basically, I am 100% ok with this, as it seems like a completely insignificant thing in the light of what the world is dealing with. I can honestly say that the postponement was unsurprising, and I accepted it immediately and never thought of it again (until today, when I am addressing it.)

I have absolutely no competitive running plans at this time. I imagine that most races will be cancelled for the foreseeable future, and (if we are being real) probably well into the summer, maybe beyond. 

I do plan to keep running. 

In the meantime. Stay safe. Outside of the time after 9/11 I can never remember the world feeling so scary, so uncertain. 

I may continue to post a weekly update (since blogs are not a thing anymore, it will be more for my own amusement.) 

I did run last week. I believe around 35 miles. Unbelievably, we lost another close, longtime family friend quite suddenly. Between this, and the stress surrounding the COVID crisis, it was good stress relief. ALSO. Jesus Christ. Two close friends in the span of 12 weeks is just brutal. My heart is in shreds. 

Stay safe, my friends. 

Boston Training 2020: Week 12: the time when I ran a 13.1 and everything went wrong

Last week was a decent week. All runs outdoors. Highest mileage in basically a year.

Tuesday was hill day, and since I needed to vote I ran over Bitch Hill and then over to the town office (also on a hill)

It was a decent enough run but I was first aggravated by some GI issues, and then it got very dark, very quickly. (Yes, I know what time sunset is. But as dusk arrived it also became quite cloudy.)

After an easy run Wednesday, I was ready (ish) to tackle mile repeats on Thursday. 

Overall, I felt good about this workout. It was a pretty windy day, and fighting wind while doing speedwork is no joke. Out of the 6 reps, I believe the slowest was a 7:35 (wind) and the fastest was 7:21 (literally being chased by a pack of junkyard dogs. really. it happened.)

One but of misfortune did occur. 

My speedwork road is located right next to the outdoor gun club (they shoot skeet, and such) As I passed by, an unexpected gun went off, causing me to jump in surprise. When I landed, I completely rolled my left ankle over. RIGHT over. Of course I did..... After a bit of hippity-hopping around, I felt fine and continued on. 

Fast forward to Saturday, and I couldn't figure out why the outside of my ankle was really sore. (I did remember, because I am not that forgetful.) I ran a few easy miles that day and felt basically ok. I did notice a little tightness while going uphill, but nothing to get worked up about. 

I did a few easy miles, and then we took my cousin and husband out for a beer. (we actually drove over there like ordinary humans)

Beers with friends <3 td="">

On Sunday, I woke up and felt like I had broken the pinky toe on my left foot. I, literally, was like "what the fuck??" I could not bend my toe without discomfort- it was the VERY strangest thing. I ran around the house for a moment, and things felt fine. It was the strangest thing- I really could NOT bend my toe without feeling like it had been dislocated, but I could walk and run around just fine. 

This being determined, I continued with my plan. 

My plan was to head to NH and run a 5 mile warm up, and then the half marathon (on nice, flat ground) with 8-10 miles at/near marathon pace (anywhere between 8-8:15) 

It was a pretty nice day. Dry roads, no snow at all, sunny and beautiful and windy AF. (typical) 

My 5 miler was nothing exciting at all. Basically, laps around the start area with a couple stops to pee, change clothing, and grab my race gear. After standing in a needlessly long bathroom line, I discovered two more, basically unused bathrooms a bit farther from the start. YAY!

When the race portion of my day began, I was very pleased with how my legs felt. I was dropping a solid (just sub 8) pace without even breaking a sweat. I have been waiting for a breakthrough workout this cycle, and thought that this was it. 

YEAH. Then, at mile 3 I needed the restroom. Since I had already scoped out every bathroom option, I dashed into one of the ones close by the start, as the race route took us on a loop past there within the first 3 miles. I (delightfully) discovered that lady time had made an appearance. Early. Uninvited. Unprepared. YAY FUCKING YAY. 

So, there was that. 

Plus, some really debilitating cramps that began showing up around mile 4. I was like "body, are you actually serious???"

And my body was like "yes, enjoy the ride."

And, of course, because my female parts were losing their ever loving minds, my whole GI system began to panic. I know there was a porta potty at mile 10.2 (FYI: one on course bathroom is not enough, in any world, ever.) So from mile 5 to mile 10 I basically skipped along, clenching my butt cheeks together. 

It was cute. 

Finally, the bathroom was in sight. 

I dashed up to it!!!

And it was locked up tight with a zip tie. I could not believe my eyes. 

Since it was next to a water stop, I asked for assistance (and suggested that next year, the bathroom should be opened PRIOR to the race... FFS.) Anyway. This took some time. 

Oh, and also? While I was running along, period in full swing, poop action making things EXTRA fun, my damaged left leg also began to holler. SO many things going wrong. ALL if them. It was not my shin, or even my broken toe, but my KNEE of all things. And my knee never hurts, so this was extra freaking bizarre. 

OK so where was I.

Right. Potty open, business taken care of. 

I left the bathroom and reached into my flip belt for a Huma Gel, and (of course) it was GONE. 

Of course it was. Why would it not have been??

So final 3 miles. 

-Period on full blast

-Hungry/hitting full wall. Big wall. 

-Knee, occasional weirdness

-Stomach, still bumming out

PURE FUCKING MAGIC. 

I still managed to finish in 1:48:43, which (remarkably) still meant I hit my goal paces. Only a couple miles over MP, so yay? UGH.

How I felt

I always say that I can handle a single system breakdown. But this was FULL chaos. I needed to go to the ICU of shitty running after this, as it was just head to toe chaos. 

But speaking of toes, my toe was fully normal and fine after running. So who knows what the hell that was all about. 

So a good week. Definitely putting in some work. Some terrible work. 

Total miles: 50.7
Long run: 18
Coldest Day: Not very cold. It was chilly and windy on Saturday (I don't think it was even 40) but nothing terrible. 

Snow? NO
Random: When people ask how to locate me in a crowd, I give a valid clothing description and say "and I am shorter than you are expecting" As much as I hate to say it (because I feel big) 90% of the time people say those exact words to me, so I assume it is true. 

Boston Training 2020: Week 11: The time when I ran, possibly not well

The good news: Last week I was finally recovering from the death cold. 

On Monday I ran some serious bitch hills. Compared to the previous day, I was feeling a lot better and no longer felt like a bubble head. (My ears were still blocked though, and are actually STILL blocked. Absurd.)

The hill BEFORE bitch hill 

I shuffled around for some easy, late, after work treadmill miles on Tuesday. Boring, and my legs were pretty junky. (not sore, just made from concrete)

Wednesday was my official return to speedwork day, and also marked the first outdoor speed day of 2020. Kind of a big deal! 

I ran 6x1200 in the mid to teen 7's. I was quite happy with this, as I missed my last TWO speed sessions because of poor health. 

Post speedwork tired face

Thursday was another dead legs on the treadmill day. It was pouring buckets of rain, and we also got about 2 inches of slop, so it was GROSS out. 

I took two days off (off running, anyways) so that I could spend some time with my sister. 

We enjoyed a really fantastic lady date which included brunch, shopping for gorgeous handbags that are basically *investment* pieces (read: expensive...) going to soakology, and then having dinner (where I promptly had a colossal anxiety attack- cute! fun! #mylife)

Anywhoo. Fast forward to Sunday. It was windy AF, and chilly (about 24) but the roads were dry, and I was finally reasonably healthy, soon I went. 

After two days off, my legs had forgotten how to run. Luckily, after a few miles the feeling of junk leg began to ease up, and the run was decent, if not spectacular. The cold temps made breathing pretty sucky for the final few, but that's to be expected. 

I met my peeps at the pub (NOT "THE pub" because it closed.... but *another* pub.) We had fries and beer and laughed about the misfortune of having a terrible name (my sister and I have a list of terrible names that we always laugh about. inside joke maybe? who knows)

Pub run!!

Anyway. Clearly a better week than the past couple. The hill workout and the speed workout felt pretty decent. Everything else was mediocre. But, I finished a solid week and that is a win. 

Total miles: 46.7
Long run: 16.3
Coldest Day: It was about 6 on Sunday morning. And in the low 20's over the weekend 

Snow? Yeah, like 2 inches of slop plus an inch of rain on Thursday. Mess. No school 
Random: Kate and I would not name our children Keith, Kyle, Dwayne, or Quentin. No offense to people with those names, we are sure you are truly lovely. But maybe not our first choices. Or Todd. No.