Taking a break

It's been a couple weeks since I posted any running updates.  I'm no longer training for the half marathon in April, and I'll share more about what's been going on soon.  It's exciting!  Way more exciting than running a half marathon!

Week 11

I started getting back on track during Week 11.

On Sunday (2/26), I ran 2 miles.  It felt so good to be running again.

I ran 5 miles on Wednesday (2/29).  My foot start hurting at about mile 3, but I finished my run.  I skipped my run on Thursday, since my foot was still sore.

I was out of town on Friday evening and Saturday, so I didn't finish up the week's runs until Sunday (3/4).  I was supposed to do 9 miles.  I managed to do 7, but I just couldn't push myself to do those last two.  My foot never bothered me, but I was just exhausted!  Being sick and then having an injury really took a toll on my endurance.  Week 12 is an "easy" week, so hopefully I can build back up over the next couple weeks.

7 weeks and 6 days until my half marathon.  Oh my!

Week 10

For most of the week, I was still dealing with foot pain. I iced my foot every evening, and I tried to keep weight off of my heel. Since I couldn't run, I did a lot of cycling.

Week 9 - another failure

I was finally feeling better, so I started Week 9 with a two mile run on Valentine's day.

And then I ran 5 miles on Wednesday.  The run felt great.

Thursday morning, I woke up with some pain in my left foot.  As the day went on, the pain got worse.  It really hurt to put pressure on my heel, and the pain wrapped around to the outer side of my foot below my ankle.  I skipped my 2 mile run that evening.

On Friday, I asked my friend Joel (a physical therapist) about my foot pain.  He said that it was probably an inflamed peroneal tendon.  His advice was "ice, ice, and more ice".   My 8 mile run on Saturday was out of the question.  I rode 21 miles on the bike instead.  I figured I could still get some long cardio time in and work my legs without putting much pressure on that tendon.

I'm not going to run until my foot is feeling better, so I plan to bike a lot more for now.  I have 10 weeks until my half marathon, and I'm eager to get back on track with my training.

Week 8 - Fail

I felt a cold coming on Monday, but I really didn't want to miss my run that day and get off schedule.  I planned my route, so that I could stop at Walgreens about midway through my run and pick up some Airborne.  While I felt better shortly after my run, the head cold and sinus pressure got worse by the evening.  


I rode the spin bike on Tuesday evening rather than running outside.  because I still thought that I might be getting a cold, so I thought that staying in might keep me well.  I had dinner plans on Wednesday, so I knew that was a skip day.  I had the best of intentions to run after work on Thursday, but I ended up at the urgent care.  I was afraid that I might have strep, because my boss had it last week.  The strep test came back negative, but the doctor said I definitely had an infection.  I left with a prescription for a week's worth of antibiotics and strict orders not to leave the house for 24-48 hours.  I didn't feel too bad on Friday, so I used that day to get things done around the house.  I wanted to go for a run so bad, but I knew it was best to stay inside and get 100% better.  Just as I felt my infection was clearing up, I got hit with an awful cold on Saturday.  The weekend was a total loss.  I couldn't even get up enough energy to hop on the spin bike for a quick workout.  


I'm definitely disappointed that I only did one of my four runs this week.  Fortunately, though, it was an easy week on my training program.  I may modify my longer runs this week, so that I can ease back into my training.  Hopefully, I'll feel well enough to start Week 9 tomorrow.

Week 7

I started the week with a 2 mile run on Sunday afternoon.  I always run alone, but Brad joined me that day.  He's going to do the marathon relay with some of his coworkers. 

My second run was after work on Tuesday.  I did 4 miles, and the weather was gorgeous!  63 degrees at 6:00pm on January 30th!  I wore shorts, a tank, and a light jacket.  I probably could have run without the jacket, because I got a little warm about halfway through.

I had another 2 mile run after work on Wednesday.  It was another beautiful evening! 

This morning (Saturday), I ran 8 miles!  That was my longest run ever!  I felt really good, and I only stopped for a few seconds around mile 5 to get a fresh piece of gum.  I don't know if chewing gum while running is a good or bad habit, but I always chew gum while working out.  I think I do it, because it keeps my mouth from getting dry.  By about mile 7, my left hip started getting a little sore.  This evening, it's still a little achy.  I plan to get in the whirlpool during halftime of the Thunder game.  Maybe the heat and circulating water will help it out.

12 weeks until the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon!

Week 6

Week 6 - my last week of running 3 days/week.  I'll be doing 4 days/week from here on.

I started the week with a 5 mile run on Tuesday.  I hurried home from work, changed clothes, and headed out pretty quickly, because I wanted to beat a storm that was moving in from the southwest.  I did beat the rain by about 15 minutes, but the lightening definitely picked up during my last mile.

I ran 4 miles after work on Thursday.  I could really tell this day that it's starting to stay a little bit lighter longer in the evenings.  I've been so used to running my last couple miles in the dark, but it stayed fairly light through my entire run.

My long run was 6 miles on Saturday.  It was in the 30s but sunny.  I wound my way through the neighborhoods north and west of my house.  At about mile 4, I made my way back by my house to grab a quick drink from a water bottle that I had put out on the porch before my run.  The last couple miles seemed pretty easy.