Return to Training (after Injury)

So as I mentioned in my last post (yes, I know it was awhile ago), there was something indeed going on with my right foot.  Turns out that I actually had broken the 5th metatarsal which pretty much ended my fall season.  The broken foot immediately received a present in the form of a fun new boot, and my training drastically altered.  I had to withdraw from the Bourbon Chase relay, IM 70.3 North Carolina, and the NYC marathon.  Not an easy decision, but the good news was that I had taken out race insurance for the flight to the relay and for the HIM, which I filed a claim for, and received all of my monies back with a "Dr's note".  I also deferred my entrance to NY which means that I am guaranteed an entry for 2018.  Not sure if I will take the entry, but I still have time to make that decision.

During the time I had the boot, I had to change my training.  I was able to continue to swim which I did, but really I did a lot of pull for the first few weeks and no pushing off with the right foot.  After the first 5 wks of the boot (remember I didn't get the foot checked until 3 wks after the initial break), I was able to add back "real" swimming i.e. freestyle with kicking, but I still did mostly pull work.  I could no longer cycle outdoors so I started taking spin classes which turned out to be something that I really enjoy.

As for rehabbing a broken fifth metatarsal, I couldn't find a lot of direction as I scoured the internet for folks with a similar situation.  I made sure to take extra calcium in my diet and kept those glasses of wine to a minimum.  I also massaged the foot area daily to maintain blood flow.  After 7 wks in the boot, I finally was able to walk without it, and at that point, I was cleared to ride my bike, but I still was wary of riding outside for fear of falling, so I stuck with spin classes but now I could at least come out of the saddle.  After those two weeks, I was cleared to run.

So I decided to start on the indoor track - and I ran 2 miles, and it hurt.  No the foot didn't hurt, but my lower back, glutes, ITBand, and adductors sure did.  That boot caused me to be off balance and really had my hip out of whack.  I have been working since I started back to running on fixing/improving these imbalances and slowly I'm feeling less pain while running.  So I've run up to 5 miles 3x now, and I've run a total of eight times.  It's coming back slowly but it's coming back.

I'm hoping that I can start Boston training after the first of the year - we will see.

It's Almost Here.........

Wow, it has indeed been a while!  I have done a ton since I last blogged including running the fastest time at Boston since I was 39, winning my AG by 10 min at the RnR Country Music Half marathon, riding the 384 miles of the GAP with great friends, competing at setting a PR at IM 70.3 Muncie, riding my 1st Century at OneLove in South Atlanta, and training, training, training for IM70.3 Augusta.  Ever since I was about to turn 50, I have set my sites on the Augusta race and well, Sunday is finally my opportunity to tackle the course.  Training has been going very well - that was until last week when I twisted my foot walking my daughter's (cute) puppy, Dodger.  Yup, he went one way and my foot went the other.  It seems to be healing ok, and I know that I could run on it if I had to.  Hoping that by Sunday it will all be ok (figuring adrenaline will carry me 13.1 miles of a run and after that I might not walk for a week - lol).

After life threw me a bit of a curveball in May, I'm coming out the other side and so looking forward to this race.  Screw the personal crap as it has no real bearing on my happiness and life as I will be fine.  I have my running/tri/CHQ community and I always will.  Thanks to all of you as you do more for me than you know - and it isn't just running, riding or swimming miles with me.

My original goal for Augusta was to try to once again break the 6 hr barrier although with the weather looking warm and the uncertainty of my foot, who knows.  My goal now is to finish smartly (due to the projected warm temps) and come out unscathed.  I've got some awesome running events coming up including a Ragnar relay on a team where I'm Grandma and the NYC marathon - both of which I am really looking forward to this year.  I love NYC and I missed running either the full or half last year.  It will be great to share it once again with Chris, Laura, MP, and Colleen.  And then back to Boston once again in April to keep my streak alive.  This year, I'm hoping to train with Jody and Courtney once again through the winter whilst getting Courtney prepared to run a BQ and Jody and I threw the race.  I hope to be able to break 4 hrs again myself, but that will again depend on so many things.  I am glad to have "aged up" though knowing that a 4 hr race is more than good enough.
Here are some pictures from my various events:

  Halfway down the Gap

 Nashville Half Marathon

 Boston Marathon 

Muncie Finish

Presque Isle Half Marathon

 Swimming with the Gang @ Mary Alice Park (I am no longer in (too much) fear of the OWS)

 Start of the BBC Ride

Celebration of Boston Marathoners with Susie and the Riverside Gang

Lamenting the Demise of the Local 10K

Over the last two weekends, I have participated in two local road races that have been in Atlanta each for over 30 yrs.  These races used to be quite a big deal and drew the fastest runners in the city.  And you all know how much I love to race.  One course is a very hilly half marathon - Run the Reagan - which is known for being a tough course and has suffered over the years by moving from February to April and back again hoping to draw the crowds that used to come.  They have even added 5K and 10K distances in hopes of bringing in those runners wishing to run a Peachtree Road Race qualifier.  The last time that I ran this half marathon was back in 2011 (now I have been living in Cleveland for the past 4 winters and it was postponed due to weather in 2012 when we had an ice storm in Atlanta) and there were 400+ finishers.  This year a mere 102.  Yup, 102!  Are runners too scared to come run this very tough course? Are runners reluctant to drive "all the way" out to Snellville? Are runners not satisfied to run a hard course that won't generate a PR but will require a good effort to run? Are there just too many other races in the Atlanta area on a given weekend? (There were other 5Ks around, but not really that many).  But that is a definite decrease in participation.  As for the 5K and 10K, they were decidedly smaller as well. I thought well, Reagan is a tough course, but the race next week will bring a much larger crowd right?

After all, I ran the Reagan Half as a training run myself - and was extremely surprised to find myself 2nd in my AG with only three entrants - just three in the F55-59 AG?  Wow, really?  And my time was good for a training run especially on a difficult course - but only three of us, really?

Me at the finish of Reagan

So fast forward to this past weekend, and the running of the 34th Chattahoochee Road Runners 10k. Now this has always a been a fast course (even with the course changes over the years) and most runners used to run either it or this coming weekend's Charles Harris 10K to get their PRR qualifying times.  These two 10Ks have the reputation of being flat to slightly downhill and fast.  Now I had not run this 10K since 2007 opting for Charles Harris a couple of years and then of course, spending the last four years in Ohio.  Well was I surprised when I finished 1st in my AG with a time of 46:23 - not that it is a bad time, but still the race was only 480 participants way down from the last time I ran it with 1500 10K runners.  So maybe the addition of a 5K decimated the 10K numbers?  Nope last year there were 521 5K finishers and 430 10K finishers - not exactly 1500 runners.

Alex, Courtney & I at the Start

So where has everyone gone?  There are still lots of runners out there as the Publix Marathon that will be held on March 19th is sold out (the half still has plenty of entries available.  The Boston Marathon turns runner away.  Are there so many small races out there that the runners have been diluted?  I know runners who seek out the smaller races so they can win a medal in their AG.  I'm seeking out races so I can see how I stack up to my AG competition.  Has running society changed so much that we just want to show our friends on FB on medal on Monday morning?  Have I become just an old  runner hoping for the good old days?  I'm not really that interested in posting pictures of medals (and here I am ranting in a blog - lol), I'm just seeking out competition and hoping that I'm still running in another 5 yrs, and I hope the Run the Reagan Half Marathon and CRR 10K are still  there for me to challenge myself.

Me at the Downhill finish of the CRR 10K

Until then.........1L is still running.  Always Boston Strong.

Indoor Bike Training with the Atlanta Triathlon Club

If you had told me back in January that I would actually like riding on the Computrainer at the Energy Lab in Atlanta, GA, I would have told you that you were nuts.

http://energylabatl.com/


However, like it, I certainly do.  Showing up on January 18th, I was skeptical and frankly scared to death.  As you see, I'm not a great cyclist and I don't really have the mentality to be "bad" at something when I'm determined to be better at a sport.  I mean, I can certainly ride a bike, but ride well enough or fast enough to compete in my AG as part of a triathlon - that is another issue.  I showed up that day and when I was asked by Tim to ride at 25 mph to set the computer, I was like - what are you, nuts?  I can't ride at 25 mph - no way - even if it is for 30 sec to set the computer.  I did it but it was hard, I mean almost next to impossible hard, and then I couldn't even get the setup to work right, but for the first time, it wasn't that bad.

Fast forward two weeks when I came back and we did an FTP - or Functional Threshhold Power test. I understood the concept as I run often, if not at least 1x per week, at this level.  Cycling at this level though was a whole other beast.  I survived the 20 min test (and maybe I could really do a better job since I didn't know it was coming and I had run a hard workout the day before and I had run 6 miles that morning) with the predictably low FTP of 129.  But it was easier than it had been the first time and the encouragement from the others in the class was 2nd to none.  Now I'm use to being the experienced runner/coach/mentor and well, it is a weird feeling in the opposite direction.

Came back I did again, and today, well, today was definitely a breakthrough (at least for me).  I came in, I actually set up my bike with very little assistance, and I rode.  And I bumped up that resistance as we went along and although it was hard, it was actually easier than it had been.  When the program had us ride at 80% and 80 rpm, I was there, at 85% and 85 rpm, I was there and even when we had to do the surges at 110 rpm - I was there.  Now I might not be at the killer mph speed of others and my FTP is still low (although increasing), I actually felt not only like I knew what I was doing but also that I was making headway.

Sure it is going to take a while to transfer anything to the actual roads, but at this point, I am seeing where I can get to and even 1 mph increase will help me achieve my goals on the bike and in racing.
Special thanks go to Coaches Tim Myers and Bethany Rutledge and the others in the class.  And although I certainly still consider myself a runner, I might actually become a triathlete too.

2016: The Year That Was

I have been very lax with this log - guess, I wouldn't make it if my job relied on "Social Media Postings" - so I thought I would finish things out with a little wrap up of 2016.  All in all, it was a good year for me competition-wise.  Here are a few highlights:

1) Ran a surprising sub 1:40 half marathon at the United NYC Half Marathon in March with a time of 1:39:49 placing 15th out of 642 in the last year of my 50-54 AG.

2) Ran my 4th Boston Marathon in a row and although it was a bit warm and although I wasn't that pleased with my time (3:56:01) for 410th out of 1254 in my 50-54 AG, it was another completed Boston Marathon with a BQ as well.

3) Completed my first Ironman 70.3 in Delaware, OH in August in a final time of 6:08:11 for a 19th place finish (out of 95) in my AG.  I ran a 1:55 half marathon in the race, went under my goal finish time of 6:15, and loved every minute of it.

4) Ran a solid race at the Columbus Half Marathon with a decent time of 1:43:01 which was good for a surprising 3rd (out of 403) in my AG.

5) Finished out the season with a solid showing at the USATF XC Club Nationals in Tallahassee, FL.

Completed only 1434 running miles, but added to that lots of biking and swimming yds as well.  My goals for 2017 are to complete Boston once again with a solid race and a BQ (hopefully), complete both the Muncie, IN and Augusta, GA Half Ironman races and run a solid New York City marathon to finish off the year.  My biggest goal as always is to stay injury free and competitive in my new 55-59 AG.

Here's to 2017....