Cross Training

Yesterday Jim and I ran 3 easy miles.  My ankle/shin was killing me.  I'm getting tired of this.  I want to run pain free.

Jim is going backpacking in three weeks.  Tonight he put weights in his backpack and we went over to Castlewood and hiked up and down the hills.  I think is it finally spring.  The weather is nice.

Plans

Sometimes plans come together perfectly.  Sometimes uncontrollable factors affect the plan.  Today Kathy ran the Mt. Charleston Marathon.  She worked her butt off for this race.  She trained in the freezing cold.  She trained in the rain.  She trained in the wind.  Due to a cold spring in St. Louis she did not have a chance to train in the heat.  There are been very few warm days in St. Louis this year.  Consequently, the heat affected her run.  Somehow she was still able to complete the race and nail a PR.  This is amazing.  This is inspirational. 

Arbor Day Tree Hugger Be Brave 5K

Tonight we had the Wildwood Arbor Day Tree Hugger Be Brave 5K.  That is a long name for a 5K.  I used the Jim Goldsberry training plan.  Run a little,  taper a lot, race.  I have been cross training the last 10 days to rest my shin/ankle.  Tonight I ran.  It was a nice night in the high 60s.  I wore shorts and a tank.  I can't say I ran pain free but I was happy to be running.  Jim and I both came in first in our age groups.  Came home and iced my leg. 

More Crosstraining

My last day of cross training.  I am so ready to run in shorts!

My new magazine

I have read Runner's World for years.  I read it cover to cover every month.  I like reading about running and runners.  I ordered a new magazine called Women's Running.  The first issue came today.  I have not started reading it yet but I think I will like it. 

What Happened to GO St Louis?

The Go St Louis Marathon used to be much bigger.  In 2011 when I ran the full there were 1941 full marathon finishers and 11547 half marathon finishers.  That was the biggest they ever had.  The numbers have steadily declined each year.  This year there were 1077 full marathon finishers and 3593 half marathon finishers.  The expo has also shrunk in size.  They advertise that they have 25,000 participant in their race weekend.  I don't know how they count that many.  There is the 7K, 5K, relay and kids mile but I don't think all that adds up to anywhere close to 25000.  I wonder why the race has gotten so much smaller.  It is probably due to the tact that there are a lot more half marathon in the area now.  The Go St. Louis organization has also added other races throughout the year.  It's too bad that they haven't concentrated on making St. Louis a destination for marathon.

I am still resting.  Today I walked Willow, spent 30 minutes on the elliptical and took a hike with Jim in the evening.  I am feeling better.

More cross training

Adam Wainwright is on the 10 day disable list for some kind of elbow issue.  Major league baseball thinks 10 days is a good amount of time to be disabled.  I have not run for one week.  It is driving me crazy.  I was going to try to run today but Jim said I should wait until the race on Friday to give me more time to heal.  I should give it 10 full days just like Adam Wainwright.  I reluctantly agreed.  Friday I will run easy.  It's just a fun 5K.  Jim said I could run a 5K in my sleep.

Today I spent 40 minutes on my elliptical trainer, did runner's yoga and myrtle.  It's still not like running outside.

In the mean time my slug sister has been working her butt off training for her marathon this weekend.  She is a little worried about the heat.  She has not had a chance to train in the heat or even in slightly warm weather.  Last year I was at Sherman Beach one day getting ready to run.  It was about 70 degrees.  There was a man also starting a run.  I was dressed in shorts and a tank. He had on thick tights, a long sleeve, a jacket and a hat.  We got to talking and he said he was training for a race in Arizona that was going to be really hot.  He was trying to get used to running when he was hot.  I haven't seen him since so I don't know if it worked.

Hiking

Yesterday Jim and I took a hike on the Rock Hollow Trail.  The blue bells are in bloom.  It was beautiful.

Today we hiked at Mastodon State Historic Site.  The was a little rain but it was a nice hike.

I am still resting my shin/ankle.  I have been very cautious because I know that shin splints can lead to stress fractures if you don't be careful.  I have a 5K on Friday which I will walk if I have to.

The discipline to rest

I still need to take time off to let me ankle/shin issue heal.  It takes discipline to rest.  I really, really want to put shorts on and go for a run.  I could do it but I know that in the long run it would not be a good thing for me.  Instead I have been working out on the elliptical, doing mrytle, foam rolling and yoga.  I want to run.

DNF

I have run a lot of races.  Some have been great and some have been ugly.  I have never had a DNF.  There were times I wanted to quit.  There were time I wanted to sit on the curb and  cry.  There were times when I questioned my sanity.  But I never quit.  My mantra:  right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot, repeat.

The Boston Marathon this year was cold wet and raining.  There were 23 DNFs (did not finish) among elite runners.  Notable:
Deena Kastor - I was rooting for her.  At 45 she is running strong.  She set the master marathon record.
Galen Rupp - 2nd place last year dropped out at mile 18 with hypothermia and dehydration.
Lemi Berhuna - 2106 men's winner
Lelisa Desisa - 2013 and 2015 men's winner
Caroline Rotch - 2015 winner
Mamitu Daska - had a commanding lead much of the women's race but dropped out
Bazunesh Deba - One of the favorites in the field of women

In total 9 elite women and 14 elite men did not finish the Boston Marathon this year.

I am resting my shin/ankle.  I want to run but I know rest is best right now.

10,000 Steps

Every day I try to get 10,000 steps.  This is easy on days I run.  On rest days it's not too hard because I like to walk or hike.  Today I took my granddaughter for a walk.  I learned that when I am pushing a stroller I don't get credit for my steps.  I guess my arm doesn't move enough.  The same goes for pushing a shopping cart.

My ankle/shin is very sore today.  I decided I really need to rest it.  I am not very good at taking days off.  Foam rolling and yoga for me.

Shorts Weather

Sunday I was in tights with a jacket, hat and gloves.  Today I was in shorts.  When will spring come to stay?  What happened to global warming.  When can I work on my runner's tan?  Jim went with me to Sherman Beach for an easy 4 mile run.  My ankle/shin is still sore but I can run slow.  Any day I can run is a good day. 

Something I learned from the Boston Marathon:  Kenyans and Ethiopians do not run well in cold, wet, windy conditions.  Americans do run well in such conditions.  No one ran their fastest but when you are running against 32 mph winds it slows you down.

Boston Marathon

Today Kathy came over to watch the Boston Marathon.  I was excited about the USA women.  Des Linden won.  She was the first American women to win Boston in 33 years.  I was babysitting Willow today.  Her mom Jen was 2 the last time an American woman won.  I hope Willow doesn't have to wait 33 years to see another woman win.  If it is another 33 years I will be 95.

It was cold in Boston,  It was raining in Boston,  It was windy in Boston.  Temperatures were in the mid 30s with wind gusts up to 32MPH.  It was not great running conditions but the runners gutted it out and raced.  1298 people visited the medical tents along the course many more visited at the end, many with hypothermia related issues.  72 people were transported to the hospital.  Runners are hardy souls with tough minds. 

I watched the TV coverage.  I didn't see any hills that were worse that the Zombie Trail.  Next year we will be there.  Hopefully the weather will be better.

Running Slow

This morning I really wanted a church run with my Slug Sister but my shin/ankle is hurting and I didn't want to hold her back, do hills or speed.  Jim went with me.  We started at Sherman Beach and did a 4/1 run/walk.  My ankle hurt but I was able to do five miles.  Yoga, foam rolling, and ice seem to help a little.  In the mean time Kathy blazed through 17 miles. I am so proud of my slug sister and her dedication to her training. 

Looking Back on Half Marathons

I was looking back on my half marathons.  I started out my running career with a half marathon.  No 5Ks no tune up races.  I had no idea what I was doing

2007 - I was going to run the Go St Louis.  I started training in 2006.  I was wearing old shoes - I thought since they were comfortable they were okay.  I skipped a lot of runs because of snow and ice then ran too much to quickly and ended up with a stress fracture in my heel.  Had to scrap 2007.  Six months off.  I was determined to run a half marathon.

2008 - brand new Brooks shoes and smarter running plan.  Go St Louis Half Marathon.  I finished in 2:15:46.  I was very happy.  I had no idea if this was a good time but I knew it was good for me.

2008 - Lewis and Clark Half Marathon - race was cut to 10 miles because of hurricane Ike.  There was flooding on the last part of the route.

2008 - Since I had trained for a half marathon I didn't get to run due to the hurricane I ran the St Louis Track Club Half Marathon.  Finished in 2:07.  Another PR.

2009 - Lewis and Clark Half Marathon.  1:59:14.  Broke 2 hours!  This was a pretty flat course.

2010 - Go St Louis Half Marathon.  Jennifer ran and signed me up for the 1:55 pace group.  What was she thinking?  I ran in 1:54:13.  I stayed near the pace group but sometime was ahead and sometimes behind.

2011 - Didn't run a half marathon this year.  Did run the Go St Louis Marathon.  Didn't know that a half marathon would be a good warm up run.

2012 - Mo Cowbell Half Marathon.  1:53:10.  This stands as my PR.  It also makes me want to run the Cowbell again.  It is a flat, fast course. 

2013 - Girl Scout Thin Mint Sprint - This was supposed to be a half marathon but due to a tornado the night before ended up being some laps around the parking lot.  They called it a 10K but it was shorter.

2013 - Go St Louis Halloween Half Marathon 1:55:16.

2014 - Wildwood Frozen Feet Trail Half Marathon 2:03:30.  I was happy with this time for a trail race.

2014 - Chesterfield Half Marathon 1:56:12.  I think this is the only year this was held.  There were not many people.  It was a nice course from the mall down into the valley and back.  The hill at the end was a challenge.

2015 - Wildwood Frozen Feet Trail Half Marathon 2:00:18.  I'm not sure how I ran this fast considering I had to run up the Zombie hill.

2016 - Wildwood Frozen Feet Trail Half Marathon 2:04:47.  This was the year it was snow packed and I was cautious.

2017 - Go St Louis Half Marathon 2:03:08.  This was a training run for the Flying Pig.  I was not concerned about speed.  I was concerned about being able to continue training.

2017 - Go Girl Half Marathon Kansas City - 2:07:49.  This was a training run for the St. George Marathon.  This was hillier than expected.  It was a fun race.

2018 - Go St. Louis Half Marathon 1:57:33.  I had been cutting back on training because my shin/ankle was hurt.  Somehow I finished well under 2 hours.

This is a total of 15 half marathon completed.  2 were started but the courses were cut short due to weather.  Now I ask myself the question  - Am I a half marathoner or a marathon? 

Hiking

This evening Jim and I took a hike on the Stinging Nettle Trail.  We had not been on the trail since the recent flood.  It was a mess.  There were trees and branches.  Some places the trail was rerouted around the junk.  One place part of the trail fell into the river.  I always think of the trail marathon when I am on that trail.

Ugly Run

Today it was 70 degrees.  There was not way I was going to skip running.  I put on shorts and a tee and headed to Sherman Beach.  Jim went with me.  After 10 seconds by ankle was killing me.  After a mile Jim's hamstring, knee, groin and probably a couple other things hurt.  We shuffled through 3.1 miles taking a little walk break and finish.  Any day I can run is a great day.  I iced my ankle when I got home.  I think rest may do me well for a few days.  I don't have any big races coming up.  I have the Wildwood Arbor Day Be Brave 5K in 2 and a half weeks and Senior Olympics the end of May. 

The race photos from the Go St Louis are available.  I never really like my race photos but there is a cute one of the slug sisters at the end.

Another Rest Day

Today I felt really good after running a sub 2 hour half marathon on Sunday.  My shin/ankle is still sore but no worse than before.  I decided to rest another day and just took a walk in the subdivision.

I signed up for the Wildwood Arbor Day Be Brave 5K.  Jim wanted to sign up too. 

The day after

Today I felt good.  I remember the day after my first half marathon when I could barely walk up and down stairs.  My ankle/shin is still achy but I don't think I did any great damage to it.  After sitting at my desk from 8 till 6 I decided I needed to move to get the circulation moving in my legs.  My legs feel good after the race.  I went to the trail and walked 3 miles.  It was pleasant.  Jim was tired from cutting up a tree all day so he stayed home.

Race Weekend

This was Go! St. Louis race weekend.  Saturday Kathy and I went to the race Expo.  It was somewhat disappointing.  It was much smaller than previous years.  The best part was the photo booth where we had a slug sister picture taken.  Next we headed downtown and checked into the Hilton.  We walked to a little Italian Restaurant called Gio's.  Not crowded at all which was weird for a Saturday after a ball game and before a marathon.  Service was good.  Spaghetti and bread were good.  It was nice and close to the hotel.  Watched Jurassic Park on TV in the hotel.  This was a good movie to watch the day before a race.  During the race we could imagine dinosaurs were chasing us and run really fast.

Race morning we got up and had our standard race morning bagel with peanut butter.  We stayed at the hotel as long as possible because it was cold.  Found a port-a-pottie with only one person in line near the start.  Temperature was 29 but felt warmer.  We were in corral D near the 2 hour pace group.  We both had a great race.  My shin was sore on the uphills but I pushed through and finished in 1:57:33 which was second place in my age group.  I was only 16 seconds behind first place.  Kathy had an amazing PR and fourth place in her age group.  We were too cold to wait for results to be final to pick up awards.

After getting back to the hotel and showering our husbands and Sean (Kathy's awesome son) met us for a late breakfast.  Then we all went to the Cardinals game.  I wish the Cardinals did as well as Kathy and I did today.  It was a cold day.  Even though we dressed very warm for the game it was chilly.

Three Days

Only three days until the Go St. Louis Half Marathon!.  I have been resting my ankle that has been sore.  Today I was going to run.  I ended up on conference calls until after 7 (those darn people on the West coast).  Then Jim had dinner ready (what a guy).  Then it got dark.  I spent an hour on the elliptical.  I feel I get a good workout on the elliptical.  My heart rate increases and I sweat in my cold basement.  But there is nothing like running outside.  I did watch the Cardinal game while I was on the elliptical.  I also did the Myrtle Routing, Stretching a foam rolling.  I hope my ankle feels good for the race on Sunday.

Taking it easy

My ankle still hurts.  Jim diagnosed shin splints.  We had a discussion about shin splints.  I said it was only one so it would be a shin splint.  He said it is always plural because there are multiple muscles.  Like pants is always plural.  The pain is on the lower shin near the ankle so it may be a shin splint.  Then I read about shin splints.  Of course the best thing is rest.  I don't much like resting but I am going to run a half marathon in 4 days so I am taking it easy.  Today I did the equivalent of 4 miles on the elliptical trainer then I did the myrtle routine. runners yoga and foam rolling.  I also wore my calf compression sleeves all day.  I am determined to feel better for the half marathon.

Looking at the race day weather it will be cold.  This is not typical April weather.  There is a chance of snow on Saturday.  Sunday is high of 38 with chance of rain or snow.  Whatever happens it will be a memorable slug sister weekend.

Rest Days

My ankle has been sore for a couple weeks.  I really don't know why.  I decided that it is best to rest it right now.  Therefore, I did squats and lunges and runners yoga.  I  hope it is good for the race on Sunday.

Easter morning church run

This morning was my taper run for the half marathon next week.  I had 8 miles on the schedule.  Kathy ran yesterday because they were predicting rain for today.  Jim went with me.  He ran 3.5 and walked 3.5.  I ran 8.  It was 36 degrees but the sun was out some of the time.  It was quite pleasant.  I keep thinking that this will be the last run in tights this season and that I can wear shorts or capris but it keeps getting cold again.  I was dressed a bit warm today.  Ran from Sherman Beach.  The river was high but the trail was dry.  It was a nice easy run.

Next Sunday is the Go St Louis Half Marathon.  Right now the forecast is for low of 43 and high of 48 and cloudy.  They weather forecaster are not very good at predicting weather this far in advance.  I will keep my tights ready.