Gonna Get Me Back - Week Six

  I'm pretty sure last week was tough.... but I can't remember.... but I definitely like creating these blogs using mainly images of my workouts, it saves a lot on time :) :) :) :) :)
Okay, so the week before went really well and I had gotten up to 26.3 miles so I was hoping to do better this week and get in a long run of 10 miles or more.
Monday - April 24

A nice hike that evening with my son.

Tuesday - April 25

Later that evening, Dorian and I went for a hike.

Wednesday and Thursday ended up being unplanned rest days, although I did manage to get in some workouts at home.

Friday - April 28

Saturday - April 29

Hubby wasn't happy that he didn't get to sleep in Saturday, so Sunday I made the painful decision to not get up and get my run in. It pretty much rained all day Sunday, from morning to evening and I was really afraid that I wouldn't get to run my long run.
But, after fixing breakfast and thinking about it a lot, being that it was 66 degrees, humid, windy and constant threat of thunderstorms..... Jetta and I headed out for our run.

Between mile 7 and 7.5 we ended up having to make a very tough and stupid decision.... walking through water. The road/route that was my way back home without adding another mile or getting stuck out when this thunderstorm hits or the lightning starts... about .25-.3 miles of was flooded. I didn't want to turn back around, I could hear the thunder and I feared lightning would soon follow. I figured it was only ankle deep most of the way, knee deep at most......
It just so happened that within 20 feet it went from shin/knee deep to waist deep and Jetta had to swim. Luckily there was no current but it wasn't fun either.... in the middle of this was part of the road that was high enough to be out of the water and we stopped. I looked behind us and in front of us, I felt so bad for putting Jetta through that but we couldn't turn around as it was just as long as what was in front of us. After a few moments, we headed on and it felt so much longer and at some points I feared it was going to get higher than my waist.. but it didn't. I kept telling Jetta what a good girl she was and how we were almost done, she just kept paddling along... lucky for her because I stepped on so many dead worms. The knee deep water sucked more so, it felt like my legs had to work even harder.
We were tired when we finally reached the other side, I put my socks and shoes back on, and told myself never again before we got going it. It slowed  us down a lot, mile 8 ended up being like 18 min/mile pace.
But we got home safely, and I ended up with 31.5 miles and 4 workouts at the gym.

Gonna Get Me Back - Week Five

 Okay, I am really bad at this blogging/blooping crap because week 6 is almost over and I'm just now posting about week 5........ if only this stuff would post itself.
  So last week went really good, even though Sunday looked like it was going to be bad and I feared I'd end up missing another long run - luckily that didn't happen.
Monday - April 17
I can't remember why but I wasn't able to make it to the gym. That afternoon I got in a quick 3.1 miler with Dorian in the stroller and Jetta on leash.

Tuesday - April 18

Wednesday - April 19

Nothing, can't remember why but nothing....... or at least I don't have the workout posted on facebook.

Thursday - April 20

Friday - April 21

Saturday - April 22

Sunday was hectic, I wasn't able to get up early because I knew my husband NEEDED some sleep. And I feared I would miss another long run, and the Harmonie Trail Half Marathon is May 30.

At some point, just before noon I decided that I wasn't going to let this stuff keep me from getting in my long run. I took Dorian and Jetta with me and aimed for 5-6 miles with plans of getting in the other 2 later that day.

I got a total of 26.3 miles and workout out 5 times at the gym.

Getting Me Back - Week Four

  Yeah, this is late.... in fact I am seriously slacking with this blog thing dang it. I just hope I am not mixing workouts or dates on this one because that would really suck. This blog is for the dates 04-10-17 to 04-16-17 or Monday through Sunday, I think... or I guess.... Dang it.
  This also includes my son's birthday party (Saturday, 04/15/17) and the horrible eating habits from Thursday night through to Sunday evening.... just awful. But here it goes, and I will use mainly instagram pics.
Monday - 04/10/2-2017

 Tuesday - 04/11/2017

Wednesday - 04/12/2017

Thursday, nothing happened as Dorian was awake through the night and it was  his birthday (he is now 5 years old). So Thursday was a rest day.

Friday - 04/14/2017

Saturday - 04/15/2017

 Saturday morning's run was really tough, my legs were feeling shot but I wanted to get another run in Sunday. It didn't happen, the weather just wasn't going to allow it. But overall the week went really well, and I again didn't have any kind of pain during my runs.

Getting "Me" Back - Week Two

Okay, I'm slacking just a little.... but I don't have time to make this long or with a lot of words so it's mainly going to be screen shots of my workouts. 

Monday - Rest Day

Tuesday


That same day but in the afternoon.

Wednesday

Following the gym workout

Thursday

Friday ended up being a rest day, due to a very chaotic night Thursday.

Saturday morning

Following that, I took the dogs on the trails and I'd have to say that nearly 75% of the trails were flooded or muddy.

Sunday morning

Then an out and back from the gym

New Goal - Week One

I've gotta come up with a name for this new goal... maybe "Get It Back" or something.
Anyways, so last week went well. No real aches or soreness and I didn't feel any pressure to run more than I felt comfortable with. Of course I already wrote about the first part of the week.
Friday I headed to the gym for Back

Then got home and took the dogs for a 5.3 mile run... Jetta of course drove me crazy.

Saturday morning I got up and headed to the gym for Biceps, Triceps and Chest. I also got on the Hip Adduction and Abduction machine too, while my mileage is low I am going to use these two machines and the leg press at least 2-3 times a week.

Then I changed at the gym and headed out the door for an easy run.

I got in 15.5 miles that week and 5 hours and 49 minutes at the gym, and I feel pretty damn good about it. I can already tell that my body is adapting to it and the soreness is nearly unnoticeable.
On Sunday I didn't run or go to gym, but the husband and I tore up the carpet and carpet mats in our living room and dining area and pulled the staples AND the tack strips which took like 4.5 hours to do, and boy did it feel like a workout.... which is why I didn't go anywhere this morning lol.
In order to focus and reach my goal, I am printing out pics of what I had attained back in 2015 when I was at my peak. I'll stick these to the wall in my office, in the bedroom, and in my kitchen to constantly remind me of my goal so that I don't fall off track and eat something I shouldn't.
Here are the pics and where I want to be by Fall if not sooner.

Looking Things Over and Changing Plans..... A New Chapter

The Harmonie Trail Marathon is not going to happen this year, the half still might, but at this time I am not sure. For the last 2-3 weeks I have been seriously debating and arguing with myself about it all, I was determined to do the marathon even if my longest run hadn't reached 16 miles by the time the taper started, I know I could do it but at what cost?
Two to 3 weeks of no running at all just to recover from a grueling distance? I don't want that, I want what I was able to do last year and it's time to admit that isn't going to happen. I've come to the realization that I must start over and rebuild my base, back to where 13.1 miles and even 16 miles came easy for me and that is going to take some time. Having a big race glaring at me just 8-9 weeks away wouldn't be helping me but causing me to constantly try and get out there and put out the mileage even through pain and injury. I am not going to do that, no freaking way. 
So with that decision having been made, I am starting over and that includes going back to the gym and getting back into my weight lifting. 
Chapter 1 - Week 1 of this new plan. 
My goal is to get stronger again, to get back where I was in 2015 when half marathons back to back came relatively easy and when two trail marathons just barely 2 months apart came without a cost. 
Last Friday I went back to my gym to sign back up, and I knew deep inside that I was making the best decision.
Saturday morning I headed to the gym.... I think at like 3 AM.... and I focused on my back. I told myself to expect to be weaker than I was when I quit going.

Wide Grip Lat Pull Downs - 60x8 / 55x12 / 60x8 / 55x12 / 60x8
Underhand Grip Cable Row: 5 sets of 60 lbs for 8 or 10 reps (I can't remember)
Bent Over Dumbbell Row: 30x12 / 35x8 / 30x12 / 35x8 / 35x8
Torso Rotation: 50x12 / 70x8 / 50x12 / 70x8 / 70x8
Cable Rows: 60x12 / 65x6 / 60x12 / 65x6 / 60x12
Narrow Grip Lat Pull Downs: 60x8 / 50x12 / 60x8 / 50x12 / 60x8

  Surprisingly it didn't feel to awful but I am definitely not where I was 18 months ago in some areas. After that, I got home and then took the dogs out on the roads to run 3.3 miles.

Sunday I rested and I was definitely feeling the workout in my back. 
Monday morning I headed to the gym to focus on my Biceps, Triceps and Chest. This one was a little tougher, and humbling.
Standing Barbell Curls: 40x12 / 45x8 / 40x12 / 45x8 / 45x8
Standing Triceps Cable Pull Downs: 40x12 / 50x8 / 40x12 / 45x8 / 40x12
Loaded Plate Chest Press: 90x8 / 80x8 / 70x12 / 80x8 / 80x8
Triceps Dumbbell Kickbacks: 15x12 / 20x8 / 15x12 / 17.5x8 / 17.5x8
Dumbbell Curls: 20x10 / 22.5x8 / 20x10 / 22.5x8 / 22.5x8
Torso Rotation: 55x12 / 70x8 / 55x12 / 70x8 / 70x8
Fly Delts: 50x12 / 60x8 / 50x12 / 60x8 / 60x8


Later that day I took Dorian to the riverfront to run 3.1 miles, it was like 74 degrees and sunny.... I was not enjoying that part but no pain so that was nice.... Pushing a stroller after a morning Biceps, Triceps and Chest workout..... really hard.

This morning I headed to the gym and focused on Shoulders and Delts
Cable Face Pulls: 40x12 / 50x12 / 50x12 / 60x8 / 60x8
Plate Loaded Overhead Press: 60x8 / 50x12 / 60x8 / 50x12 / 60x8
Dumbbell Shoulder Shrugs: 5 sets of 20 lbs for 12 reps each
Upright Barbell Rows: 30x8 / 25x12 / 30x8 / 25x12 / 30x8
Rear Delt: 40x10 / 50x6 / 40x10 / 50x6 / 40x10
Front Plate Raises: 5 sets of 12 reps, 25 lb plate

 From there I headed to the river front and ran 4 miles, then for the first time I ran up a pretty big flight of steps twice. I'll have to get a pic of it during daylight but this is what I took at the top.

I'm Still Here.... Barely....

Yeah it's been tough, my body is fighting me every step of the way and I'm losing hope on being able to do the Harmonie Half, today it is 8 weeks away and the longest run I've gotten was the Bound the Mound 13.1... and I've been suffering since.
The week following the race I only managed 17 miles, the side of my right glute or Gluteus Maximus part.... I don't know just where but following it is a soreness in my left Piriformis thing and kind of into my hamstring or quadricep.... It is seriously driving me crazy.
This morning I woke up and my neck and shoulders were so sore when it finally hit me, my pillow is as flat as a pancake... and I don't normally keep a pillow when it reaches that stage but this thing has been flat for a couple months.... so I bought a new pillow today and hopefully I'll notice a different in a couple of days. 
Last week I ran nothing.... I just didn't want to push it and end up sidelined again for 3 weeks or more. Yesterday morning I ran 3.6 miles and the first mile was fine but by mile 2 I started feeling sore in my Gluteus Maximus part but not horribly. It really felt like I need to stretch it or foam roll it, it was sore for a couple hours after but went away. I didn't run today and hopefully I can run 3-4 miles tomorrow on the trails with the dogs.
Thanks to that stupid storm on the East coast, we're dealing with normal winter weather.... I was hoping winter was over dang it!