Back in the Gym

It felt great to get back into the gym this morning, eventhough it was only for about half an hour. 20 minutes on the bike and a few minutes of strength training were good for the mind as well as the body. While I've got a busy week ahead, I'm shooting for 10 miles of cardio this week, and hope to do at least one more strength training session.

I'm also happy to report that my weight is down a little from yesterday. Glad to see the upward trend going in the opposite direction now!

Light Exercise

I'm still here, but taking it pretty easy these days as far as exercise goes. My right ankle still bothers me a bit, especially first thing in the morning, but at other times too, like when I take the stairs at work or home. I think it's Achilles tendonitis, so I don't feel too bad about taking it easy right now. I did buy a swimming cap and goggles recently at Wal-Mart, so I would be ready for swimming when I'm tired of taking it easy! :)

I have been taking some occasional walks, sometimes with co-workers during the day, and that's been nice. The weather's been pretty temperate during the day here this week, which has been nice.

Truth be known, though, I'm ready for the calorie burn of more intense exercise for the short term, and long term, I'm thinking about walking another half marathon in March. I've got a time to beat! :) Meanwhile, I'm in the middle of a really busy stretch at work and especially at home, so I am enjoying the extra time for other things. I sure do miss the exercise, though, and am looking forward to getting back on the horse soon.

Recovery

I've been taking some short walks the past couple of days to recover, but am taking it slowly. My legs aren't sore, but my body still feels tired. Also, I have some tendonitis in my right ankle, probably from compensating for the pain in my toes during the half. Not as bad as it could be, but I'm taking it pretty easy for now. I'm eager to get back to the gym, though, so I can keep my endurance up.

Meanwhile, I'm looking at some other half marathons that I can actually walk and finish like the Outer Banks Half. One good possibility locally is the Tobacco Road Half Marathon on March 20, 2011. It's held on the American Tobacco Trail, which I love! Ya know, I was concerned about being goal-less after the Outer Banks Half, but I'm feeling better about things already. Meanwhile, I'm still eyeballing those custom orthotics after the first of the year.

Race Report: 2010 Outer Banks Half Marathon

Yesterday morning, I really surprised myself by finishing the Outer Banks Half Marathon! I signed up for this race back in the spring, before I was diagnosed with the foot issues. As my training progressed (or didn't, rather) I was doubtful that I could do this race. We were invited to stay with some friends in a oceanfront house in Nags Head, since George and I were both registered to run the half marathon. I decided several weeks ago that I would start the race and go as far as my right foot would allow me to walk My crosstraining since then has been less than spectacular, so yesterday morning, I was even less sure that I would finish. The weather forecast was beautiful, though, which helped me get into the right mindset. I decided to try to relax and see what happened. Before the half marathon started, I got to chat with several runners from the Raleigh area, including Pauline, Jeanette, Susan, Linda, Marjorie, Barbara, and of course George and Ashby. (Many thanks to Meri for the drop-off near the start in Nags Head!)

Once the race started, George walked with me for the first two miles, and I really enjoyed his company. He headed off to run at the beginning of Mile 3, and I started listening to music and taking in the surroundings. It wasn't long before I caught up with a combination of walkers who I enjoyed meeting and talking with, including Danny (from the Los Angeles area) and Susan (from Huntersville, NC), who I walked and talked with the most. Danny and Susan were planning to keep around a 20:00 min/mile walking pace, so I decided to see how long I could keep up with them. They were fun to talk to--and to listen to when I felt like being quiet.

Before I knew it, I had passed my first goal at the 3 mile mark, and was quite surprised to hit 6 miles and the half way point without enough discomfort to stop to rest and massage my foot. My next goal was the bridge, which I never made it to in last year's DNF of the Outer Banks Marathon. I wanted to see the bridge so badly this year that I could taste it, so it was good motivation to keep moving at a good (for me) walking pace with Danny and Susan! During this stretch, the front marathoners passed us, and it was a lot of fun to see and cheer them on!

Getting to the bridge was my favorite part of the course, I think! Before the ascent, Danny and I (Susan had dropped back a bit) decided on a game plan for tackling the bridge, which helped. We hit the 10th Mile Marker while on the bridge, and the view all the way across it exhilarating! Yes, I was still walking it, but the bridge wasn't as difficult as I expected it to be. My foot was bothering me, of course, but I still had energy left in the tank. (I had stopped and had my water bottle refilled at every water stop but the first one, and took a couple of Hammer Gels along the way, and that all helped, I think. )

After we hit the bottom of the bridge, we could see the stoplight where the runners and walkers were making the right turn to head into Manteo. It was a great feeling to know the end was near! I had been worried at the start about being able to finish, so hitting Mile 12, my last goal before the finish, brought a huge sense of relief, and I really enjoyed taking in the sights around me! By now, we were seeing people with finishers medals hanging from their necks, and that was great motivation too. :)

I called George and let him know that I had about a mile to go, and that I was still walking toward the finish line, and he was almost as excited as I was! When we passed Mile Marker 13 and could see the finish line, Danny and I took off and ran across the finish line, a great feeling to finish strong! My foot hurt, but I was done! That finisher's medal never looked so good!

I ended up finishing with a chip time of 4:24:15, and gun time of 4:35:18, 3747th out of 3757 overall, and 258/258 in my age group. Before the race, I told George that finishing before 4:30:00 was my over-the-top goal at a walking pace, no way would I finish by then. There ya go. :-) Kisses and hugs to George for walking with me at the beginning, and my gratitude to Danny and Susan for seeing me to the end!  Official results are here.

George met me at the finish line, and it was great to share war stories with him. We ate at the Full Moon Cafe in Manteo, before heading back to the beach house. The big group enjoyed a great meal together last night, and George and I returned home this afternoon.

I took a few pictures over the weekend, but as usual, I wish I'd taken more. They're stored online here.

Now I'll work on recovery and am looking forward to trying custom orthotics early next year. I'll be back in the gym soon, though! Maybe there will be more half marathon walks in my future!

New Cardio Machine

I think I may have found a new challenge for me at the gym. It's the Cybex ArcTrainer. It's like the elliptical machine, but to me it's harder! I couldn't stay on it all that long this morning, and I felt pretty uncoordinated on it, to boot. Watch out, ArcTrainer, I'm going to tackle you!

A New Workout Schedule in the Works?

This week, it just so happens that I've only worked out three times since Monday (when I start my workout week). I'll work out tomorrow morning, too, of course. It's a big shift from my usual workout week of 6 trips to the gym or the trails. I've been busy with work after last week's vacation, as well as the start of National Novel Writing Month on Monday (November 1). I must admit that I've made good use of the time I missed my workouts, and have enjoyed getting a variety of things done. Is it the busy time of year? A shift in priorities? Hmmm. Part of what I'm thinking about now is how I can make the most of my workouts, and to maintain a minimum of 3-4 workouts a week.

I walked about 4 miles last Saturday, and my right foot hurt again. :( So, I'm still looking at orthotics after the first of the year, and we'll go from there with the running. You know what I miss? Having a road race that I'm shooting for! At some point, I'll need to look at how I can set other meaningful goals to shoot for.

Back From Vacation

George and I returned from vacation tonight, a few days away where I did lots of walking but only one intentional workout in the hotel gym. I'm pretty tired tonight, but am looking forward to returning to the gym in the morning! More soon!

Getting Back in the Groove

After a low key week last week, and taking Sunday and Monday off from exercise for the GRE (standardized test for graduate school admission), I've enjoyed getting "back into the groove" the past couple of days, with the elliptical machine and some weight training yesterday, and biking and some more weight training (different muscle groups) today. I've included some intervals on the cardio to help get my heart rate up and continue to work on speed. It's made for a good couple of workouts, feeling a little tired afterward without interfering with work for the rest of the day.  :)

Have You Tried Water Running?

George is thinking about joining my gym after the running season is over, with the hope that we can train together doing water running, since I've been having such trouble with my foot. I found an interesting article about it in Runner's World, posted back in September 2003. Check out the article, "Head for the Pool."

Would love to know if any of you have ever tried water running to train due to injury or weather!

Looking Up at the Gym

After a call to the employee health office yesterday about my new gym membership (and still not being in the system), I returned to Gold's this morning, and I'm finally "in the system!" :) I have a name and number to call there to set up an appointment for an orientation, and I'll get my key chain swipe card then. Yay!
Heartened, I went to the cardio area and had a good elliptical workout, followed by some hammer and bicep curls. Good way to start a busy Friday!

Low Key Week

This has been a low-key exercise week, with a couple of biking sessions, a walk, and some upper body strength training. I've been a little sore and tired overall, plus I've been studying for Monday's GRE (Graduate Record Exam). Today I'm taking a break from the gym, something normally reserved for Fridays. I'll get back on track soon!

Serendipity Strikes

American Triple-T Finish
Originally uploaded by dukefan86

Yesterday, George and I took a daytrip to Bladen County for my NC Odyssey Project blog, and when we found White Lake, there were some runners going along the side of the road, within traffic cones. We followed the road around, a slow go in part because we didn't want to HIT anyone, but we were also looking for a place to take a picture of the lake. Well, we happened to pass the place on the lake that was the staging area for not just any race, but a triathlon to beat triathlons, at least to me! This triathlon didn't happen on one day, but over THREE! It's the American Triple-T.

Friday: Super Sprint: 250m swim, 7 mile bike, 1 mile run
Saturday: 2 Olympics, an AM and a PM: 1500m swim, 40K bike, 10K run
Sunday: Half Iron: 1.2 mi swim, 56 mile bike ride, 13.1 mile run

Okay, so George had the bright (very bright, seriously) idea that we should park, go into this area and explore (i.e. take pictures of the lake). When we first walked into the area, we didn't have a full understanding of what was going on. We saw the runners, spotted the bike transition area, and numbers on the athlete's arms, so we figured a triathlon, but OMG! For a while, we stood at the finishline and clapped people in, just totally amazed at the athleticism of these people! I was so impressed and inspired!

We didn't go to White Lake to watch this race, but I'm so happy it worked out that way! What a cool way to spend part of a Sunday afternoon!

Walk Report: Triangle Run/Walk for Austism

This morning I decided to take a break from the new gym and walk a 5K race, the Triangle Run/Walk for Autism. I was ready to walk with a bunch of people around, like when I used to be able to run with the group. I got to Moore Square in Raleigh early to register on-site, enjoying the crisp fall air. I didn't see anyone I knew, but it was still a great morning to be outside. I did have doubts as I lined up near the back of the pack before the race, but once the horn went off, I was happy to be there.

It was hard at first, adjusting to just walking this one, but I wanted the practice in walking faster and using my arms to help me move forward. I ended up talking with a mother-daughter pair for most of the race, and that helped the miles go by quickly. We enjoyed talking about the big, old homes we walked by, including the Executive Mansion.

I had some discomfort in my right foot, as expected, but nothing that caused me to stop. I ended up finishing the 5K walk with a chip time of 56:29 and gun time of 57:03, good for 840th place out of 853 overall, and 32/32 in my age group. I'm glad I did this! (My only regret was not taking my camera with me.)

What's New

My arms are finally sore for the additional strength training I've been doing at the new gym! I was beginning to wonder if I were doing big enough weights. Yep, that's good.

Speaking of the new gym, I've figured out that there's a disparity in the follow-through-ness (I know there's a better word) of the front desk staff there! I've already discovered that the front desk person AKA Brian will answer questions and point things out with a positive attitude. Others have been less responsive. My biggest concern right now is getting my name into their system so I can get a swipe card and not have to sign in every time I go there. Brian gave my name and number to two different staff members after I talked with him a couple days ago, and someone was supposed to give me a call. Nada. So, Brian checked again this morning to see if I was in the system yet (no), and got my name and number again. I just feel like being persistant about this.

Meanwhile, I biked againt this morning, but didn't do any weight training, opting to give my upper body a rest. Since I haven't been running, though, I've noticed I haven't been burning as many calories, and it's making a difference on the scales. I definitely need to reverse that trend!! Tomorrow, though, will probably be a rest day from exercise. I'm thinking about testing my foot with some walking on Saturday.

Good things I learned from this morning's gym visit included learning where the steam room is in the ladies locker room (though it's broken right now) and the hot tub (which is outdoors, just outside of the indoor pool area). Can't wait to use those things! :)

New Gym, New Me?

I decided to go ahead and sign up for Gold's Gym through my employer's Occupation Health Office, and went for the first time yesterday morning. (I went back this morning too.) I've done some cardio (but no treadmill) both days, as well as some upper body strength training. I think the strength training "opportunities" there are what I like most so far. My "old" gym's weight machines and dumbbells don't hold a candle to the equipment and space at the new gym. (Who knew there were so many muscle groups from the waist up to work on?!)

I'm also eyeing the class schedule as well as the pool, but haven't tried them yet. Soon, I hope. I'm still getting used the the new routine, including increased strength training (which I think will pay off in the weeks ahead!).

Meanwhile, I'm going to a new-to-me hairstylist this evening! What does that have to do with running and exercise? Not a thing, but with all the troubles I've had with my sore toes and running lately, I'm hoping the haircut will be a nice lift for my spirits.  :)

Clipart from Clipartheaven.com.

Good Walk Plus Workout Today

Since yesterday's "long walk" was cut short, I hit the treadmill at the gym this morning to put my sore toes to the test. The pain hit a little before 2.5 miles, but I pushed on a bit, and finished with 3.4 miles in 60 minutes, a pretty good pace for me. Still, my walking pace is something I need to work on in addition to my endurance.

I decided to take a break from cardio after an hour, so I did some upper body strength training with 5 lb. and 8 lb. dumbbells. It felt really good to work on my arm and shoulder strength, and I hope it'll help me if I decide to go ahead and give the Outer Banks Half Marathon a walking try.

After that, I stretched my quads, glutes, and hamstrings, then finished with 2.02 miles (11:01 minutes) on the recumbent bike. All in all, a good workout for me.

Back On My Own

Well, I made the hard decision to stop being coached for my running. I have mixed feelings, really, because it feels like giving up on running, but also realistic, at least for now. It also has forced me to start looking more seriously into other forms of exercise.

For instance, I looked at the Gold's Gym closest to home last evening, and was impressed by the amount of equipment, especially for strength and core training. There are also some cardio classes I could attend, plus there's a pool! The membership sales guy I talked with was surprisingly unenthusiastic, though. I told him my story--running, injuries, running, half and full marathon, wierd foot bones, and his reply when I finished, was, "Okay." I asked if he could give me a tour, and he said something like, "Okay. This is the weight equipment. Cardio machines. Pool's over there," with some walking in between. Can I look in the ladies' locker room? "It's over there to the left." I see you have a massage therapist, what are the prices? "They're in this brochure somewhere." I swear, he didn't ask me a thing about my goals, wishes, or impressions. Maybe he was on his way out the door when I walked in. He just didn't seem to be into a conversation about his gym. Business must be good.

Anyway, I have printed out the information on my employee discount and enrollment through work. I'll still probably go that route, then cancel my current gym membership if I like Gold's.

I'm continuing to exercise. I cut yesterday's speed workout short due to foot pain. Today I had to sub the elliptical for the assigned bike workout, and cut it short to get into work for a meeting. My workout life seems to be a series of short workouts lately, partly due to my body and partly due to increasing time at work. Interesting.

I'll miss working with my coach, and would love to work with her again if my orthotics work out in the winter!

These Shoes Were Made For Walking

This morning, I walked 2.17 miles in 40:04 minutes on the treadmill, and followed with some upper body dumbbell work, as well as some ab crunches and stretching.

Meanwhile, I'm pondering a phone conversation I had with my running coach last night, where we talked about the possibility of my backing off of running much of any distance for a few months, while I wait to order custom orthotics and my foot has a little R & R time. It makes the Outer Banks Half Marathon seem a little dimmer, but I'm not quite ready to give up hope of walking it, especially if I continue to work on my fitness level and weight loss.

Saturday's Walk

I fell short of my 10 mile goal today due to my fussy foot, deciding to stop at 6.52 miles. I'm discouraged about not being able to get the distance in,  but I was pretty pleased with my overall average pace per mile of 19:29, especially considering the foot discomfort. It was a pretty morning out on the Crabtree Creek Trail, but started getting warm. I was thankful for plenty of water.

Still undecided about what to do about my half marathon in November. *sigh* One week at a time.

1) 19:53

2) 19:19
3) 19:04
4) 19:10
5) 20:00
6) 19:22
0.52) 10:10

What Do You Listen To?

This morning I hit the treadmill again, and had a decent workout, despite the pesky foot pain in Mile 3.

Walked 0.51 mi in 10 min
Ran 1.55 mi in 24 min
Pit stop here
Ran 1.03 mi in 16:00

Part way through, I decided to steer away from my workout music and return to an audiobook I've been listening to in bits and pieces, a book called Think and Grow Rich, by Napolean Hill. I'm finding the audiobook a nice change of pace from the quick-paced music that encourages me to keep going when the pain in my foot tells me to rest it. Although the book has some Christian overtones that some might disagree with, I'm intrigued by what the power of personal belief can do. Part of running is mental, so it certainly applies in this area of my life! I'm also listening to this book with my work ears as well, especially as I work on my graduate school application. Having something to think about (besides my foot) as I run has been refreshing!

What do you like to listen to when you run? How does it help motivate or refresh you?