Contemplating Many Things

   I should be getting excited with the Half Marathon coming up next Sunday, but I am a little nervous with my leg acting the way it is. I am hoping that with this rest from running until next Sunday, my leg/s will be healed enough for the race, I have gotten back to doing my squats to strengthen my legs, I haven't done them since June and I am beginning to think that could be partially the problem. Right now I am looking for other Half Marathons with in 3-5 hours from here, starting from November and on just in case I can't run the Evansville Half. Indianapolis has the Monumental Half Marathon on November 3rd, my birthday which would be pretty cool if I think about it. I don't know if Cameron will go for it or not, I mean we could book a hotel for Friday night, the race is at 8 a.m and then we could find breakfast afterwards and then head home or stay another night.
   I have 33 days, but I am giving myself a couple weeks (probably less) before I decide. I think it would be cool to do two Half Marathons this Fall (year) and then run the Indiana Classic Half in April next year and then the Evansville Half again, and the Indianapolis Monumental Half again; averaging 3 a year. I don't want to focus my running passion on Half's, although I don't see myself doing full Marathons anytime soon. My main goal is to focus on trail races more than road races, but since there isn't a whole lot of those around here (within a couple hours drive) and I enjoy races. This winter I plan on focusing on picking up in speed, mainly out of curiosity on just how fast I can get.
   Well.... I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Bought New Shoes, Excited to Try them out Tonight

   Last night I finally decided to go out and buy a new pair of shoes, I was going with Brooks Ghost 5 in mind, but when I got to Dick's Sporting Goods I liked the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12 more. They seem to have more cushioning and a softer landing than the Ghost 5. I am going to try them out tonight, haven't decided whether I am going to run 5 miles or 3 miles though, we will have to see how I feel when I get going. I really hope things are healing, I don't know if I'd be able to accept not running and finishing the Half this year, I want that finisher's medal dang it.
   I guess we will just have to see how tonight's run goes, Shauna won't be running as she isn't feeling good so I am on my own tonight and probably this weekend with an 8 mile run (if all goes well tonight).
   (Continued) The run sucked, all 3 miles of it. The shoes felt great but apparently I haven't given my leg enough time to heal. I had to actually pick up my pace to help ease some of the pain but it was still there and still noticeable. I made a tough decision and decided that I won't run until the Half next Sunday AND I am going to set up an appointment with a Sports Medicine person (or whatever they call them) which hopefully I can see sometime next week. I am going to keep foam rolling and stretching, next week I might walk a little but we will just have to see. I will be really upset if I have to miss this race so hopefully things will begin to get better soon. My average time was 10:52 for the 3 miles.

Feeling a little Better

  I did not run last night, I didn't walk Monday or today and yesterday I began using my foam roller 4 times during the day, and I am already beginning to feel better. I am barely limping, though still sore but nothing like Monday or Sunday. I am still debating whether or not I will run tomorrow night, wondering if I should wait until maybe Friday and run an easy 3 miles. This weekend I need to run 8 miles, and then taper down to 3 miles twice next week before the Half Marathon. I want to run tomorrow night, but I am worried that 3 days is not enough time for this injury to rest so I am not the happiest camper right now.... I guess I could walk my 3 miles tomorrow morning and see how my leg feels with that and if everything seems good then run 5 miles Friday evening with the 8 mile long run on Sunday (depending on how things are feeling Thursday and Friday).
   It's a bit nerve racking really, I want to run, I am feeling better but I am scared that the moment I get out there then the pain will start up and I will have to start all over again. I am not sure how long it normally takes for any kind of overuse injury to really heal and be ready to get back into training/running. I guess, after going on in this blog I will take Dorian and try to walk 3 miles tomorrow morning and see how things go.

Another Crappy Run, and...

   I am really wondering if I've got a serious injury going on, the top of my right thigh is hurting, enough so that most the time I am limping. It has gotten like this since the 10 mile long run, and I am a little nervous and scared. The Half Marathon is 2 weeks away and this morning's 9 miles blew, I mean I have to be happy that I at least ran 9 instead of the low target of 3 miles, but I think I am going to take a break until Thursday, maybe ride my bike Tuesday for 6 miles or more. My time was 1:45:38, and the pain in my leg didn't let off until around 7-8 miles. I ran it though, but it wasn't very fun. I had to talk myself into every mile after 3, once I reached 4.5 then I had no choice but to turn around and run the same 4.5 miles. It is frustrating, thinking that the Half Marathon could suck.... a lot, I mean I wasn't aiming for anything spectacular this time, I just wanted to run my 2nd Half 6 months after giving birth and then worry about my time next year, using the winter to train and improve on my speed. Now I am wondering if I should take the remaining 2 weeks off, maybe small mileage or at least wait until Thursday and see what happens and how I feel.
  I been trying stretches, the foam roller but it is not going away.... it is right where I believe my piriformis is.... the pain goes from the front inner thigh (very top) around the front and to the side of my butt cheek. It causes me to limp.

A Crappy Run

   Yesterday sucked, normally I plan my eating schedule according to my workouts so yesterday was supposed to be my 5 mile run so I ate a Fiesta Lime Chicken from Applebees for lunch (no rice) which was almost 900 calories right there. At 3:00 p.m my mom texts me saying she has to clean from 6 p.m to 10 p.m.................. and Cameron couldn't watch him because he is extremely busy getting a new product up and going, and then his mom who works occasionally here at the shop got really sick so he had stayed with her at her house for a couple hours after 6 p.m. I was really upset, running is my therapy and it sucks even more if I eat the majority of my daily calories before  4 p.m thinking I was running and then it doesn't happen. And for those who think I have issues or need help, I don't.. I have goals and I do my best to stick to them, and I like a schedule without too many spontaneous changes, because that is just how I am. I like and feel safe and happy when I have control over situations in my life, my situations not others' situations. Sudden changes in my schedule can disrupt my peace and "center of self" (haha but seriously), maybe I do have issues but they work for me and have kept me going in the direction/s I want to go.
   This morning I said screw it, and took Dorian for my 5 mile run. Let me mention that my right butt cheek muscle has been hurting since the 15k race, like there is a knot or something. Dorian threatened to throw a fit for the first 1.8 miles while I contemplated turning around and then he fell asleep. I did not run all of it, I walked some if not a lot and it was not a good run for those reasons... it made me debate on running this weekend or taking the week off with MAYBE a 5 mile run, but I don't think I am going to run further than that.... I think.
   The last time I ran with Dorian was in May, he was around 8 lbs and it was only 2 miles....then the heat/humidity wave hit. Today he ways 8 lbs more and my butt cheek hurts. Oh well, there will always be the occasional bad run, at least I got out there. 

Trail Running Craze

  After last night's 3 mile trail run, I am fighting to stick to my plan with the Half marathon, which is 17 days away now. I mean, after the Half then all gloves are off, I want to focus the majority of my runs this Fall on trails and half of them on trails during winter. I love running trails, there just isn't anything that can compare to them, the feeling, the serenity, being one with nature is just amazing. John James Audubon is the closes park with great trails, but Lincoln State Park has some trails that I have never actually ran on and even though it is 30 minutes away I am seriously thinking about running 6 miles this weekend on some of their trails....... maybe more than 6 miles who knows. I know I need to do my 10 mile run this weekend, but I really want to get out there on the trails, this 60 degree weather is so gorgeous and begging me to get out in the woods.
  I really need to get my head back in the game, I am only 17 days away from the Half Marathon, but my heart is swaying towards the trails, I mean 17 days isn't to far away now.....after the Half I can run on the trails all I want dang it, but last night was like a drug, or tequila, maybe rum actually.... the feeling out there in the dark with only my knuckle light guiding the way on this single track of dirt; the roots, the twists, the turns and the uphill and downhill, soaring over fallen logs and racing around the tight turns.... I felt so alive, more alive than I have since.... well since Dorian was born actually (but I was really tired too). The trails bring me so much closer to feeling like an animal, free and apart from society and so much closer to nature.
  Okay, I am going to force myself to stick to the last 2 weeks of my training dang it, tomorrow night is 5 miles (maybe 6 since I only ran 3 last night), and then this weekend I will aim for my 10 mile run. Next week will be the usual 6 mile run on Tuesday, and 5 mile run on Thursday, then Saturday will be the 8 mile taper run, Tuesday 3 miles and Thursday 3 miles.

Oh How I've missed the Trails!!!

  Tonight I ran 3 miles on the trails, oh how I have missed it. The only time I really prefer running on trails at night is during winter (no trees) and full moons or a lot of the moon out. I did have my knuckle light on, but it was still dark around me which made things exciting and also a little nervous as I ran into a large buck before the run (he didn't want to be the one to run first). It was great, it was an amazing change of scenery.