50 running miles!

I did a quick run this afternoon to make 50 for the month!

Slow, steady build since I started running again.

It may not seem like a big deal but it was only a few months ago when I was running zero miles per month, thanks to a fissure in the articular cartilage in my left knee.

Almost all of them were run/walks, but I cut my walking from 5:00/2:00 intervals to 5:30/1:30 with no problems. And I did have a couple of straight runs, which I wasn't able to do a few months ago. So, I'm happy with my progress.

My overall pace has also improved as I shorten the walking intervals and lengthen the running intervals, bit by bit:

I'm getting closer to an actual running pace!

As long as my knee continues to cooperate, I am hopeful that I am FINALLY on the path toward being an actual runner once again.

Week in review Aug. 20-26: I managed to salvage a bad week

Not bad, considering all the stuff that popped up during the week.

The first part of last week was horrendous. I had to work late twice, I wasn’t feeling great, I was crunched for time… you know, the usual. (haha)

After doing zero training Wednesday and Thursday I was out for blood on Friday. I am thinking about doing a duathlon (waiting to see what the weather will do that day before I sign up) so I decided to do a run-bike-run test. It went way better than I expected with no knee pain and no dead legs on the bike or second run. I wasn’t pushing it as hard as I could in a race, to be sure, but I ended the workout feeling a lot more confident about the possibility.

Saturday I declared that I was not leaving the house after errands and brunch. It was gross and rainy, so I stayed inside for a long bike trainer ride, a full weights circuit, and my long version of PT homework (the first and only time for the week, eep!). I was tired by the end of everything but it was a good tired and I was glad to be getting in a few hours of training. Sadly, I did have to leave the house later, but only to get essentials from the grocery store. The rest of the evening was spent making a big batch of tomato sauce from my garden spoils and giving myself a pedicure. Another rock star Saturday night.

Sunday I was heading out of town to see family for the first time in years, so my only running window was early in the morning. I got up at 6 a.m. and did a decent run-walk although it was already warm and humid and my legs were tired from Friday and Saturday. Plus, I got to see the sun rise and burn through the fog. It was great to see my family and I don’t regret giving up most of a day at all.

By the numbers, last week was:

Bike: Three times, all trainer, for 35 fake trainer miles in about 2:53. This included a regular, easy-ish ride; a short ride in the middle of my run-bike-run brick; and a longer ride on Saturday. That long ride felt good enough that I threw in a bunch of 30-60-second pickups and felt fine. It might be time to think about bringing back my TrainerRoad account.

Weights: Twice, one barre class and one heavy/body session, for about 2:15. Buying a 10-class barre pass has definitely kept me honest and I have two classes to use up in the next week. The heavy session felt pretty good and I was able to do a couple of hanging pullups again and add more weight here and there.

Run/walk: Well, technically this was one run/walk and two runs, but we’ll count the two brick runs as one and lump everything together for simplicity’s sake. Overall this was 8.6 miles in about 1:33. I have no complaints – I am building slowly, adding in a faster run and a longer run once each per week, and feeling not as great as I was a year ago but like I’m getting there.

PT/Rehab: Terrible – just once for about 45 minutes. This week was bad enough and I just ran out of time to squeeze in PT among everything else.

Yoga: Hey, I did do some of this. One 20-minute stretch (heh) at home.

Total: 9 sessions in about 7:46. Considering the way my week started off, I’m satisfied with this.

I had good intentions to get some swimming in this week but couldn’t make it to the pool before our friends and their kids got there, and I should have done more PT and could have done another run, but overall I’m happy with how everything worked out (heh, again). I am already looking forward to the long weekend but I am hoping to use some of that momentum from a strong weekend to launch into a strong week starting today.

From a great week to a crappy week

Barre is the one thing I've been consistent with.

I knew it was going to be a rough week this week, but dang. Training has been pretty lax so far:

Monday I went to my barre class after work. Because we hung out with friends on Sunday, I had to catch up on food prep for the week afterward. I'm not complaining, because we had a great time, but I still had to adjust my schedule.

Tuesday I knew I had to work late into the evening so I did a trainer ride and some yoga before I went into the office.

Wednesday I had to work not so late into the evening, but because I was up late the night before, I couldn't rally to do anything in the morning. By the end of that day's event (who scheduled these back to back?) I was mentally over pretty much everything.

Thursday we met friends of ours at the pool. I wanted to get there early and do some laps, but I left work late (sense a pattern here?) and got literally less than one lap in before everyone showed up. Oh, well.

Friday I was finally able to rally for an after work run-bike-run brick. I am thinking about a duathlon next weekend and wanted to see how my knee (and the rest of my body) felt after doing a couple things back to back. It actually went much better than expected and I'm keeping an eye on the weather for that day in anticipation of signing up. It would be my first du so automatic PR, right? =)

Today is rainy and gross so I am staying inside. I hope to get in a long ride, some weights, and some PT, but I have to squeeze in errands today since I'm probably going to see family tomorrow. UGH! Why can't everyone come to me and cater to MY schedule? I kid, I kid.

Some weeks, like last week, are great. Some weeks, like this week, I'm just hanging on. I'll try to get in some good sessions today but at this point I'll take whatever I can get.

Week in review Aug.13-19: Near perfect for bike, run, weights, and PT

My biggest week in a while!

Last week was my best week for training in a long, long time. I’m going to call it perfect for the run: three runs, all outside, one faster than usual, one longer than usual; the bike: three rides, including one long ride outside; and weights: one barre class and one heavy/body weight session. It was also not shabby when it came to PT, with four sessions at home.

I made this work by having almost zero plans during the week. I was home alone twice, so on both of those nights I did two workouts (barre/PT and bike/weights) and ate a quick dinner afterward on my own. I only ran errands one day. It was beautiful weather on Saturday so I made sure to get out for a long bike ride while I could.

I don’t really care right now that I didn’t make it to the pool, but I do wish I would have gotten in a bit of yoga. My hip flexors have been pretty grumpy and they could have used it. I could have done this Saturday or Sunday evening, but we ended up hanging out with friends both nights, which was relaxing in its own right. They ended up barbecuing both nights and my most important duty was to bring a side dish and wine, and relax in the hammock. It was an amazing way to spend a couple of summer evenings, even if the mosquitoes did munch on me a bit.

Of course, I say “perfect” for the run and bike regarding to where I’m at right now. “Perfect” a few years ago was a 55-mile week with one day off. Right now it’s three run/walks with no knee pain. I’m building back my run and that makes me happy and that’s “perfect” enough.

Anyway, but the numbers it was:

Bike: Three times, twice on the trainer for 20 miles total and once on the road for a 35-miler, for a bit longer than 4 hours in the saddle total. I decided this week to bump up my trainer rides to 10 fake trainer miles at a time, instead of 45 minutes and then rounding up to the next quarter mile. So far my knee is cooperating. I also HAD to take advantage of a day with no obligations and perfect weather on Saturday. I didn’t set out to do 35 but I was FINALLY feeling confident riding again – I even rode in the big ring! – and I wanted to enjoy it as long as I could.

PT: Four at-home sessions, three of them longer (I have a few exercises I don’t do every day), for about 2:45. I’m proud of myself for being consistent this week.

Run/walk: Three times, all on the road, for 12.55 miles in about 2:35. I had lots going on this week in regards to my run:

• I added another 30 seconds to the run portions and decreased the walking to make my intervals 5:30/1:30. After I knew that felt OK …
• I ran my Friday evening run intervals a bit faster (for me that’s about an 8:30 minute per mile pace right now), and …
• I added one more interval for my Sunday “long” run to make it five run intervals of 5:30 each.

I’m still doing a pretty significant warm up and cool down (about 0.5-1 mile each) which skews my overall pace slow, but the important thing is that my knee is feeling pretty good. I will continue to build slow and steady.

Weights: One barre class (I am still on pace to use all 10 classes in my package before they expire) and one heavy/body session. My heavy/body weights (pullups, pushups, weighted lunges, all that kind of good stuff) takes me a while, so I usually save it for the weekend. This week I found time on one of the nights I was home alone and could do whatever I wanted. =)

Total: 12!!!!!! sessions in about 11:40!!!!!!!!!!! I can’t even remember the last time I had this much volume.

My legs are tired, but happy. Everything is functional, knock wood. I have been enjoying myself for the most part; I endure my PT, but I know it’s for the best, and I pass the time watching Instagram stories of funny dogs. I couldn’t ask much more from my week.

I like to ride my bicycle

Wheeee!

I was thrilled to get out for a bike ride today. It was humid and warm, but otherwise a good day for riding. Not too sunny, not too windy, and not raining.

I did my longest ride (35 miles) since last September and my knee felt mostly OK. It was also my fastest ride since then, my first time trying to ride in the big ring, and my first time trying to eat and drink while moving.

It's days like this that make me think I am actually on the way to having close-to-full knee function sometime soon-ish.

Off to do my PT homework to help that goal of close-to-full knee function along.

Week in review Aug. 6-12: The theme was “crunched on time”

I was surprised I did this well considering how busy my week was.

Last week was one of those weeks when I felt like I didn’t have time to do anything. I feel like I was stuck running dumb errands on a couple of days. I watched election returns for most of Tuesday evening (and stayed up way too late) and had to work a special event on Friday evening. Honestly, I was thrilled I could do one workout per day.

The weekend was more fun: We spent Saturday evening with friends at a barbecue (the only kid that fell asleep before me was the 9 month old) and we had a massage appointment on Sunday. We met friends for brunch. We slept in. The weather was gorgeous and it was nice to be outside.

As a result of having plans every day, I was something of a drill sergeant during the “off” times. As in, we have to leave in an hour and a half, which means we need to leave RIGHT NOW for a run so we have time to shower. And, I don’t have time to do my PT AND lift weights before we leave for the barbecue, so I have to pick one.

Of course, I always wish I had more time, but I was happy with what I DID get done:

Bike: Three times, all on the trainer, for 34 fake trainer miles in a bit longer than 3 hours. This included a long ride on Saturday since I didn’t have time to take my bike anywhere for an outside ride.

Run: Three times, all on the road, for 11.3 miles in almost 2.5 hours. This included my fastest run/walk since I started running again in May. This was also the third week in a row I hit double-digit running mileage. Woo-hoo! I’ll celebrate all these small victories.

PT/Rehab: Twice, both solo rehab homework sessions, for about 1.5 hours. Not nearly enough.

Weights: Just one hour-long barre class.

Total: 9 sessions in just a hair less than 8 hours.

No swimming, no yoga, not enough PT, but my running and trainer riding is almost right where I want it. (I do wish I could have ridden outside once.) My knee feels good enough that I’m going to add another 30 seconds to my run intervals this week and, assuming that goes well, maybe try to run FIVE intervals once per week. The rest will be dependent on what I can get done when.

Other than that, I am hoping to fly under the radar this week so I can get in a few extra minutes of movement here and there. Unless someone else invites me to a barbecue. =)

My fastest run (wog) in months!

It was good to see 8's today.

This morning I had time to go for a wog (walk/jog) and I was feeling great. So, I decided to push it a bit on the run intervals.

I felt awesome! Looking back at my Garmin data, my pace during the intervals (up to 5 minutes at a time now) ranged between 8 and 9 minutes per mile. My knee didn’t give me any problems at all. I felt more restricted by my run fitness than my knee.

Looking back, it was the fastest overall run/walk I’ve done since I started running again in May.

I still have a long way to go, but today I felt like I am actually moving forward.

Week in review July 30-Aug. 5: A good start before some knee pain and days off

Not terrible, considering.

The week started off pretty well – I had taken Monday off work and gone for a quick outdoor bike ride for the first time in forever. Even though I was eventually rained out, it was good to be back in the saddle for even a short time.

The rain continued Tuesday and I did my run on the treadmill after work (I had gone to barre before work). My treadmill belt needs to be tightened, and the occasional jerk has aggravated my knee in the past, but I told myself I would be super careful and cut it short if I had any pain. I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary and considered the run a success.

On Wednesday I hit the bike trainer, even though I was exhausted. I pushed a bit harder than usual, hitting my longest fake mileage in my usual “45 minutes and then round up to the quarter mile” routine. My knee felt a little uncomfortable but nothing out of the ordinary, again, I thought.

Thursday was hot but I didn’t notice any pain in my knee when I did my walk/run. So it was weird when my knee started to bother me on Friday. My treadmill run Tuesday and the ride Wednesday might have aggravated it, but why wait until Friday? A friend was hosting an event that evening so it was a good excuse to take the day off, anyway.

Saturday morning my husband and I took the dogs out together (I usually take them out one at a time) and that kicked off Full Canine Freakout Mode. They get so excited when we all go for a walk together, because surely the four of us are going to the park, or the butcher shop, or squirrel hunting, or garbage diving, or on some other Great Adventure. They would not stop pulling and the motion was absolutely killing my knee. I was in no condition to do much of anything active after that and instead worked in the garden for a few hours and lounged by the pool later (without swimming any actual laps).

Sunday I tested my knee with easy, SEPARATE dog walks and my knee felt OK, so I dragged my husband out for an easy, early morning wog afterward. The first running interval felt a bit uncomfortable but it was fine after that! Hooray! I went about my day like usual, so I was surprised when my knee got super stiff while doing food prep later. I had been doing food prep (standing at the counter on my hardwood floor) when it seized up to the point of non-weight bearing pain in November. I am always a little cautious now, and had been wearing cushioned shoes, but I think I need to order that anti-fatigue mat. I was able to loosen it up with some stretches and gentle knee bends.

I’m not sure what to make of this. I definitely can’t walk my dogs when they are pulling and being crazy, but did the treadmill run contribute? And why didn’t my knee get inflamed immediately after a tougher-than-usual bike ride, if that was the cause? I’m confused. I really don’t want to go back to my orthopedist if I don’t have to, but maybe it is time to consider chicken cartilage and other next steps.

In spite of the knee drama, I did do:

Run/walk: Three times, twice on the road and once on the treadmill, for 11.55 miles in about 2:35. I’m pretty sure this is my highest mileage since I started back ever so slowly in May.

Bike: Twice, once on the road for 11 miles and once on the trainer for 8.75 fake miles, for about 1:42 total.

PT/rehab: Only twice for about 1:15. Honestly, once my knee started hurting I didn’t know if PT would help or harm.

Weights: One barre class for about an hour.

Total: 8 sessions in about 6.5 hours. Still not terrible, considering.

I'm glad I got anything done, and I'm happy I was able to get in three solid runs. The week was not without success. Hopefully I can have another solid week this coming week without any knee pain.

A little bit of everything in July

Approximate hours trained this month.

I did a wide range of activities in July. It wasn't quite as big a month as June, but I still felt good at the end of the month. I didn't do as much running or biking as last month, but I did make it to the pool twice and went to barre once a week after buying a 10-class package.

Like every month, I wish I had more time to do more stuff, but I think I did OK overall:

Run: 11 times, 10 on the road and once on the treadmill, for just more than 40 miles in about 9:21. I'm still doing a walk/run rotation, and I was able to bump up the running portions from 4 minutes to 5 minutes (still using the 2-minute walk recovery). I was able to add something that resembles speed to one or two runs. My knee had a bit of discomfort here and there but I could never not run, and it was never actual pain.

Bike: 9 times, 7 on the trainer for about 62 fake miles, and twice on the road (one long and one short ride) for 37 real miles. This worked out to just less than 9 hours in the saddle. Again, this was another case of building up a bit more strength on the bike. I usually ride for 45 minutes and then round up to the next quarter mile, and I was adding an extra gear and riding an extra mile or two within that same 45-ish minutes by the end of the month.

I only got to go on one long Saturday ride but I did sneak away on my day off Monday and get in 11 miles before it started raining. Nothing spectacular, but the fresh air did me good.

Weights: 8 sessions for just longer than 8 hours. Like I mentioned, I bought a 10-class barre package that I have two months to use up, so I was sure to go once per week for 5 total times during the month. I also squeezed in a video twice on busy days, and did one heavy/body session that included what may have been my first unassisted hanging pull-up ever.

PT: 11 homework sessions for about 6:15. Yes, this should have been more. I should be doing something at least every other day. I prioritized family and friends a lot this month over PT. My knee is feeling OK, but I need to do at least this much next month.

Swim: Hey, I made it to the pool not once, but twice! I have been doing slow drills to get my feel for the water again, so this was 3200 total meters in a slow almost 2 hours. I'm totally OK with this, as I re-start wherever I'm at, and I have been doing pretty well with avoiding the anxiety I was getting.

Yoga: Hey, I made it to my yoga mat! I only did 3 solo sessions for about an hour total, but at least it was something.

Total: 44 sessions in about 35.5 hours. Not bad!

I also like to look back at the casual goals I made for myself at the beginning of the year: 

Work through my health issues and re-start a training schedule that gets me back to racing. I feel like I'm getting there. I did a fun 5K in July and am adding more running time to my run/walks. I changed around my thyroid medication and am feeling better. This is a work in progress.

Run some cool places, maybe another marathon. I didn't really do this for July. I ran a lot of laps around my neighborhood.

Work on whole-body health, incorporating things like yoga and pre-hab. Not as much as I would have liked, but yes.

Keep a healthy work-life-training-family-friends-other balance. I hung out with family and friends quite a bit, and took a couple days off for myself.

Have fun. Barbecues with friends, family parties, a wedding, hanging out at the pool -- all fun.

I don't want to set any mileage goals or anything because I don't know if my knee will behave, but I hope August brings me more healthy running, more outdoor rides, some swimming, and other fun stuff.