Long Time No Blog...or Run

I felt like it was time I updated this thing! Sadly I don't have any awesome race updates for you like I had planned. I have run a handful of times this pregnancy, which were amazing, but short lived. I recall one 3 miler that actually made me cry, because I missed it so much! I am not even sure I can blame hormones...

So why have I, the woman who was marathon training and eating half marathons for breakfast, totally wussed out on pregnancy running? My body hates ALL OF THE THINGS when I am with child. I don't know why I thought this one would be any different. It has been a real struggle just to not get completely dehydrated this pregnancy (and I failed a few times). Oh the vomiting. I spent the first 3 months on our bathroom floor. Things started to look up at 14 weeks...for about 4 days, then it was back to kneeling at the porcelain throne. Here I am at 17 weeks, and while I can actually function now in between " puke attacks" sometimes, I have accepted the fact that I could very well join the ranks of women who deal with nausea and vomiting the entire pregnancy. I can get out of the house more at least, but unfortunately now when I get dehydrated, it sets off Braxton hicks contractions. Drinking water still makes me queasy, so there is this delicate balance I am struggling to keep. Running has definitely taken a back seat to just surviving. As horrible as it sounds, I cannot decide if I am more excited about having the baby and just HAVING A BABY or not having to throw up every day or two.

Not running has caused my body to freak out. For one, I have chicken legs again. Not happy about that one. On a less vain note, my heart palps have flared up super bad. My OB is sending me back to a cardiologist this week to wear a holter monitor to be on the safe side, but she thinks it's just collectively the whole extra blood volume in pregnancy + my poor body going from eating super healthy and runnig daily to not holding much down for 4 months and laying on the floor waiting to die thing. 

I personally think I am suffering from a true broken heart from walking past my treadmill every day as it collects dust. It's like getting dumped and having your ex and his new chick make out in front of you, basically. I am a little annoyed at the inconvenience of fitting in yet another appointment this month, but I get that it is standard practice to check stuff like that out. This week I have been better about hydrating and keeping my stress levels down, and have only noticed a handful of them. That's a huge improvement. Of course every time I find myself throwing up again, my heart starts skipping and flopping around like crazy. Last night I was horribly ill and fighting to keep my dinner down. After dry heaving about an hour (I am stubborn and dinner was good), I went to bed early. My oldest woke me up coughing at 1 am. I went to get him some water and attempt to find the cough blend essential oils, but suddenly got hit with the nausea, broke out in a cold sweat, and was seeing stars. I dropped to my knees before I could faint and bust my head on something (because that would be my luck. At 1 am when everyone is asleep). I spent the rest of the night in agony so sick that I gagged every time I moved! And guess what? Heart started skipping like mad the whole night. So there has to be a connection there.

I try to joke about being sick all of the time, but truthfully it has been a battle mentally as much as physically. It has made me feel isolated and just plain bummed out. I cannot give my kids, husband, house, or anyone the 100% I am used to. No one understands but my husband and the few women I have encountered who have actually been through extreme morning sickness, or hyperemesis. People think they are helping by suggesting I consume crackers or ginger. If they knew how much ginger and crackers I have tossed, they would stop with the suggestions and just come fold a load of laundry for me. Or take my kids to soccer so I can vomit without traumatizing them. I kid, my children have gotten so used to it that they do not bat an eye when mom is tossing her cookies.

 **I will say, if any woman in my life reading this ever deals with this themselves, please know that I will be there. Know that I will not suggest crackers or anything else, because I will know you have tried it all. There is nothing YOU can do because this cannot be prevented. Instead, I will bring you food that you don't have to smell cooking. You may not be able to eat it, but you at least won't stress about your kids eating corn dogs every night because you cannot get up off the couch to cook. I will clean your kitchen. I will make sure your cat is not eating out of the trash. I will get rid of that weird smell coming from the laundry room that only you can smell. I will not judge you because your house looks like a frat house. On steroids.  I will do what most people think to do AFTER baby, because that is the norm, but for us, nothing is normal, nothing is routine. I will never once assume you aren't grateful for your growing baby just because you complain about being sick. I will know that deep down you worry your body is failing you both and there is nothing you can do about it. I read this awesome blog post from a woman whose sick was exactly like mine. She made a valid point that some women have it worse. There will always be a worse case, but that we should support each other in each case. She, like me, would have enough hours in between to hydrate just enough to keep herself out of the hospital. She even admitted, like I have, that she should have gone in for help a few times, but with kids at home it was just too much to do anything but lay there sipping water and praying it would pass. She, like me, would hear about it stopping for some women at certain points. I eagerly awaited 14 weeks, 16 weeks. Still sick. Now I have a new milestone, 21 weeks. Because I read randomly it stops for some women then. All I can do is hope, but know it could last the whole time. I just feel the need to put this out there, because I better not find out any of my mommy friends are suffering alone. I get it. I will be there.

I will say that in connecting online with other moms, most of them all said that the relief after birth was immediate and amazing. They got to enjoy food after 9 long months, that even hospital food was amazing. I love food, and I love running. I can't do much with either right now, but I do know it will be worth it in the end when I have a healthy baby in my arms. I did read that the sicker your are, the higher your kid's IQ, so I fully expect this kid to cure something major. No pressure.

-teacup runner

Brutally Honest Pregnancy Humor Post

Since I am living in a sea of sick right now, I basically have all kinds of time to have the most ridiculous thoughts. Usually my oddball thoughts are reserved for running, so it is interesting that "morning sickness" (all freaking day sickness) can inspire the same concept. Until I am back to blogging about running, here are the random thoughts of the 1st trimester. This is what a typical morning/afternoon/evening of being sick looks like ;)

1. I am so hungry.

2. I am never eating again.

3. I want to eat those fried pickles, but I bet I will throw them up.

4. I am going to eat them.

5. Well those didn't stay down long. 

6. There are still some pickles left. I am probably going to eat another and regret it.

7. No regrets. Oh God, REGRET! Regret!

8. I've never been so thirsty in my life. I want to guzzle 10 gallons of water. 

9. Water is so gross. 

10. Not being able to hold water down is pretty much rock bottom right? I mean where do you go from there?

11. I am dying.

12. I am dying, but I could still go for some sushi.

13. I remember when I was running 10 miles and eating the entire contents of my kitchen. Those were the days. Last month.

14. I can actually see my muscles wasting away. I am going to have bird legs again.

15. I wonder if birds get morning sickness.

16. If I am going to spend so much time on the floor of this bathroom, we should update the flooring. 

17. Okay, Bob Evans mashed potatoes are literally saving my life right now. I would just waste away without Bob Evans mashed potatoes. What is in these things that makes them magically stay down?

18. I am so sick of Bob Evans mashed potatoes.

19. I might name this baby Bob Evans.

20. Remember when eating was enjoyable? 

21. I am going to eat so many things when I finally stop barfing.

22. Chocolate cake. Philly cheese steaks. Spinach artichoke dip.

23. Thinking about food is a bad idea.

24. When is the last time I cleaned the grout in here?

25. I miss cleaning. I am gonna clean this place so hard when I stop barfing.

26. I hope no one decides to visit anytime soon. This house is scary.

27. Maybe I can wipe everything down in here with Lysol wipes in between hurking.

28. Only I would clean a bathroom while being sick in said bathroom.

29. It smells better at least.

30. Okay, time to talk myself up for teeth brushing. I can do this.

31. I cannot do this.

32. Maybe if I pray first.

33. Okay, pass the altoids. I will give it another hour.

Oddly enough, today was a better day. I was able to eat and clean with minimal nausea. I am hoping this means better days are around the corner! 

-Teacup Runner

A Post I Wrote Last Month

I am not even sure where to start with this one. I have no idea when I will actually publish this post, but I figure it is always good to get down thoughts as they come anyway.

So this marathon, everything seemed to be falling into place perfectly. Training has still been going well, though my ITBS has forced me to run slower than I would like. I got a foam roller and started some good strengthening workouts, and seemed to be able to keep it from going nuts.

Before I go any further, I need you to remember 3 points in this training:

1. I have put on a little bit of weight from all the running. Last time I was at the doctor at the end of December, I was about 5 lbs over my usual weight. I know that is not much to most people, but I am short and lean, so it is noticeable. No, I don't feel it as a negative thing at all, because I am not one to even pay attention to my weight as long as I am active and healthy. It is just something I have noticed.

2. My ITB has caused me to run slower than my norm. Annoyingly slow. But hey, marathon pace is supposed to be slower.

3. Marathon training has helped me tremendously with overcoming health anxieties. If you are worried about your health, first off, have a checkup. If all is well, make a 10 mile run your "short run" and you will really feel confident in your health.

Now, moving on to 2 weeks ago. It was a fallback week and I had a bad cold coming on. I managed to get my 10 miler done with Sarah (hill repeats!) before I succumbed to some major yuck in the sinus department. I ran a low grade fever for a couple of days and then it started to let up, but my energy level was NOT recovering. To top it all off, I felt like I was coming down with a stomach virus. All of this on the verge of the week I was supposed to run a 15 miler...

I won't go into the details of what made me suspicious, but let's just say I knew based off of certain events this past month that I should probably rule out pregnancy before continuing with my weeks training.

Just to "rule it out." Ha.

My face as that second line popped up.

I am 30 years old. I have never had a pregnancy that was not tried for eagerly for months with ovulation predictor kits and analyzing fertile signs like it was my JOB. Months of tears and excessive chocolate when the "witch" showed her face. Peeing on far too many sticks than I care to admit. After the initial shock (I am still actually pinching myself hourly on this one), I had the thought of "How did we get so lucky the one time we were not planning?"

Ah, God. Trust in me. How many times over the past year have I felt that whisper in my heart? It should not have been a shock. He has been preparing us for this blessing for a while. There have been numerous non-running related signs, but for the purpose of this blog I will just go over the ones that have to do with my training.

Remember our 3 points?

1. When I was pregnant with Emmalyn, I was so sick that I stayed dehydrated and lost a good bit of weight in the beginning. I am starting this pregnancy out the same amount over my normal weight that I lost before my first appt. with E at just under 7 weeks. God's design.

2. I would really like to continue to run as long as I can throughout this pregnancy. My OB says I can as long as I do not train past my current level, and that I run at a slower pace. This week I have been running at a slower pace. Anytime I speed up, my ITB flares up. I slow back down and have no trouble. God's design.

3. I never thought I could go through another pregnancy after hemorrhaging after E's birth. That is the number 1 reason I decided I wanted to be done. It made me sad to think about, and I am sure that experience has played a part in my worry over my health. God has used running, and specifically long distance running, to show me my body is strong and healthy. All of this was by God's design. 

The Plan

So once again, marathon training is postponed. At least it is for a much better and cuter reason than migraines this time. I still plan to run Scottsboro half and also to run the shoals half instead of the full. I found out recently they will offer a flatter half course, that I will probably opt for just to be safe. So last year I ran 2 half marathons 2 weeks apart....this year I do it with a tiny passenger! I also plan to use 4:1 pretty much for all runs. This is the plan, so let's hope everything goes well and I can follow through. I do have a tendency to have contractions early on, but usually that isn't until about 15/16 weeks. My OB does not want me to have any contractions due to a thin uterine segment I had at E's delivery, so that may impede my running later on, but these from what I have read, they can heal up over time. It has been 3 years, so it may not even be an issue.

I will say that I just don't have the desire to answer all of the intrusive questions that come along with announcing you are pregnant with your 4th child. Examples of these questions would be as follows:

1."You DO know what causes this, don't you?"



2. "Where are you going to put another one?"
It's not a pet elephant. I am pretty sure it will fit in our house with the rest of us.

3. ANY talk of my husband and my reproductive organs... off limits.
-"Aren't you getting your tubes tied NOW?"
-"Your husband needs to get snipped!"
-"Please tell me you are getting fixed.."



First of all, as a whole, we seem to have enough trouble getting our pets spayed and neutered in this country without worrying about what grown consenting adults do with their "parts." When did this become acceptable to ask someone? Just don't do it.

4. "Was it planned?"
What kind is question is that? Rude. The answer is rude.

5. "Ya'll trying to be like those Duggars?"
 Because 4 kids is exactly the same as 19.

6."How are you going to find time for each other?"
Clearly we do not have issues in that department...

You get the idea. I know most people mean well, but it's a baby, not a grenade. Of course we are happy about it. Despite being probably "done" I have always prayed for the health of any future children God may give us. We have always known that by leaving it up to Him, we cannot ever fully declare ourselves "done" having kids. This is definitely a case of God's timing and not mine, and really, there is a certain peace about that. My timing is always awful anyway.

-Teacup Runner

"For this child, I have prayed, and the Lord has granted the desires of my heart."-1 Samuel 1:27

8 week update: so due to a series of unfortunate events (mainly my forgetting that I cannot hold ANYTHING down once week 6 hits), I will not be running until I hit the 2nd trimester. My main focus is trying to stay hydrated right now, as I cannot hold water down. I did discover over the past week that I can tolerate sprite. Not the best option, but better than nothing. I keep sneaking water sips in between. Thanks to Bob Evans and his delicious side items, I have also been able to eat mashed potatoes and Mac n cheese the past couple of days. Hopefully I can build myself back up. The good news is we saw the heartbeat Monday. Baby is healthy despite the horrible flu I had last week and my extreme drop in calories. I am so looking forward to any sort of exercise! If you are a runner who has ever been down with any sort of illness or injury, you know how much not running effects your mind! I dreamed about running last night! It was glorious! I have been tempted to get on the bike (with a bucket), but I know it isn't wise until I can get my fluid intake back up.   If this is anything like last time, I am hitting the peak now, and things should start to settle down in the next few weeks to a less extreme version. Until then, I will be running vicariously through all of my running buddies :)

The Importance of the Running Buddy

I have so much excitement right now. Just stay with me here, because I am going to ramble and  word vomit absurdly all over the place.

First off, training is going really well considering I am dealing with an ITB issue. This is totally new to me, as I have never actually had a running injury that I couldn't just run through and deal with later. If you have ever had knee pain from ITB syndrome, you know that there is no running through it. It feels like a rubber band is about to snap in the side of your knee/leg/butt. At first I thought it was my sciatic nerve being a literal pain in my butt, but once it hit the knee, I knew it was something else. Thankfully I seem to have a handle on it with some strengthening exercises, yoga, taping, and rolling. I was able to get 9 miles in to my 12 miler before I felt anything on Friday, which is better than the 3 miles in that was Wednesday. I am also doing 4:1 for anything over 5 miles, and knocking out one of my 3 miles days in favor of extra yoga, PT exercises, and rest until it is better. REST is so important. When I space the running and do yoga daily, it helps so much. I am just praying I can fix this before it gets worse.

If you have never used rock tape for injuries, btw, I highly recommend it. When I had my chest wall strain it did wonders, and it stays put through showers and running in 90 degree heat. I did have some sensitivity to the adhesive when I used it on my chest, and my skin got itchy and had some bumps around the edge of the tape. I found I do not have that problem on other areas of my body. I am prone to breaking out there (ladies who run, you get it), so that is probably why.

So, week 7 is DONE! This week I learned that naked juice makes an excellent fuel, and my stomach handles it wonderfully. Also, I am pretty sure I am already gaining weight, because running and biking this much makes me want to eat ALL OF THE THINGS. I swear my thighs have doubled in size. The good news is it is all muscle. The bad news is you can forget me wearing real pants until this training is over. Putting on jeans should actually count as a training exercise, and getting them off should count as a punishment. We had an "arctic blast" this week in our area, and to avoid wearing jeans or pants, I wore 2 pairs of leggings. At one time. 

And yes, I know leggings are not pants. That is precisely why I am wearing them.

I am signed up to run Scottsboro Half again this year! I was going to skip it with it being so close to my full, but I noticed that day on my training plan I am supposed to run 12 before my taper starts. My good friend Sarah (Previvor Fit Mom) and I have been trying to decide on our spring race calendar, and we both have a soft spot for this race. It was her very first half, and my PR half.  It is a great course. Last year it was in the cold rain, and I loved every minute of it. This year they have a Mardi Gras theme (hello! I LOVE themes!) and give you beads at each aid station. The medal is pretty sweet too. Long story short, she signed up to run the half at the Shoals where I am running the full, and we agreed to run scottsboro together as a slow training run! So this means she is joining the crazy that is running back to back half marathons ;) Welcome to the club... the club of FUN.



 I am so excited for the both of us. Sarah was my very first running buddy. We met at Cotton Row through MRTT, and have run several races together since. Sometimes we stick together and chat the whole time, and sometimes we start together and then meet up at the finish. Even when we don't run the entire thing side by side, knowing you have a friend out on course is SO incredibly motivating. There is a very mental aspect to long distance running. Your support system can make or break you in a race. We are lucky to have great families that stand by us and support us in our crazy goals. Having that friend that understands the blood, sweat, and tears of training can be a major part in crossing at finish. I remember how defeated I was running BSTC. I was overheated and sick and contemplating my first DNF when Sarah came up behind me. She was with me just long enough to get me motivated again. My race was suck-tas-tic, but hers was going awesome, and I could read it all over her. She had a great pace, and eventually went on ahead of me, but knowing she was having such a great race pushed me to finish. This is the importance of the running buddy! We are both just giddy about these two races, and are looking forward to having someone to push us through training. I feel blessed to not only have my husband out on this course, but 3 of my best friends. We are covering all 3 distances too, which really appeals to my RuNERD side! So awesome.

So get ready, half #5 and full #1, I am coming for you!

-Teacup Runner

"Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you."-Psalm 84:12 NIV

A Post From A Couple of Weeks Ago That I Forgot to Publish...

So I wrote this post right before Christmas, and then an update last week. I just have been too busy to put it all together in a post that isn't jumbled. I never did organize my thoughts very well, but here it is! I will post more in the subject hopefully later this week :-)

December 23rd:

I have some really exciting news to share. As I have talked about endlessly, I am 3 months migraine free thanks to a medication my GP has me on, and some lifestyle changes. Migraines, and the week long suffering that came with them every month, were the reason I dropped out of marathon training at week 7. My new goal became finding a migraine solution while continuing to run and rediscover actually enjoying it instead of fearing it setting off more migraines. I feel confident enough that I have succeeded in that goal. I am running great, getting back into cross training, and feeling stronger and better than ever. 

I even did speed work last week.

I have been lifting weights again. I have discovered barre, and thanks to finding a perfectly fine recumbent bike someone set out for trash, I am now cycling as well. Thank you random neighbor who cleaned our their garage! I biked 17 miles on my 1 hour cross training day this week, and I was amazed at how different my legs felt after in comparison to after a run. Of course now I really want a road bike!

Back to the news though. The day of RCM when I was scouring race reports, the race director for a half marathon about an hour and a half away announced they would be adding a full to the 2015 race. I immediately bombarded him with questions, which he very kindly and thoroughly answered for me. This race will be a tougher course than one might normally chose for their first full. It is on a golf course, so very hilly. But you have 8 rather than the usual 6 hours to finish (which is great for me, as I've calculated I would finish a full in just over 5.) There is the option to step down to the half as late as 6.3 miles in, so if you got sick or had an injury, you still run a great race and earn your medal. There is a 5k too. 

What could possibly go wrong?

Long story short, I felt so strongly that this was the race for me, that I immediately started full training again, jumping in on week 4. I decided to sign up right away before the registration fee went up. With RCM I went into it feeling like I would train a while and then see if I felt I could do it before signing up. I was sick a lot when I started to train, and I couldn't really give each run my all.  I feel completely different this time. I know I will finish this training and the race. I have already put more strategy and effort into this than I ever did before.  I am still lifting, and still doing plenty of cross training. 

I have an actual plan for pacing too. In addition to weekly speed and hill work, I now have a plan for longs as well. Week 4's long run was only 9 miles, so I decided to try Galloway's 4:1. Basically he has this magic mile formula where you walk for a certain amount of minutes, and then walk a minute (or 30 seconds, whatever your magic mile is). I settled on run 4 walk 1, and it was amazing! I stayed energized the entire 15k that I ran. I ran it in the exact same pace/finish time as the monte sano 15k that I ran with no walking, but this time I didn't feel any hip flexor pain, any fatigue. I felt like on the 4th minute, I could really push my speed. By the end I was running the full 4 min at maximum effort and recovering perfectly. This will be my long run strategy and how I plan to run all longer distance races from here on out. I can't wait to test it out on some higher mileage runs, specifically the half distance.

Every thing has fallen together perfectly for this race, from finding out about it when I did, to finding the bike to help me keep up my cross training. From the funds to sign up, to the best part of all, friends to run the 5k that day! The Bestie and I decided that she and our husbands had to do it. For 1, THEY HAVE FINISHER MEDALS. You never get medals for 5k's around here, so obviously they have to run this.  The husband did start running this week, and he is actually not venomously opposed to this, and even wants to train for speed. My running buddy S even said she would be at the end to cheer me to the finish. Support makes it seem so much more realistic of a goal.

Week 5 has been a training cram week thanks to traveling for Christmas. I ran 3 Monday, 5 today, and have to do 10 tomorrow. Technically I will still have 3 left to run, but I am going to see how I feel. The long run is what I cannot skip. So that's a lot of mileage in a row, but I am taking it slow and doing lots of yoga. I can tell my legs are feeling a little fatigued, so I am pretty relieved that his week's long run will have to be on the mill. Hopefully I can Netflix my way through, still using 4:1 of course. Next week is a step back week, so that helps too. Especially since kids are home on break! 

I wish you all Merry Miles for 2015! 

January 2nd update:

I am still using 4:1 for longs and even some 5 milers. My 10 went well last week, but as expected, my legs were DONE by the end of it. Still though, pace was great using 4:1. This is definitely the way for me to go! I am waking up with a little doubt this week, kind of like, "what have I gotten myself into?" Which is completely right on target considering I am entering the week I dropped out of last time. Yesterday I was lacking run motivation, so i got on the bike for 10 miles, and then felt amped enough to run! I feel like I have way more of a strategy this time, which is going to take me far. So here we go, week 7!

January 6th update:
Holy crap, you guys. I am going to run 26.2 miles on a golf course. What is WRONG with me?!

-Teacup Runner

"Jesus replied: 'love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment."- Matthew 22:37,38 NIV

Thoughts the Night Before the Race I'm Not Running

So tomorrow is the RCM. I find it only fitting that I should post something seeing as how it was that race that got me started blogging. Ironic that I am NOT in fact running this race, but eh, details. So how am I feeling? I feel excited for one. It is part of that runner weirdness. I know plenty of runners that ARE running it, and I am super stoked for them.  I'll be thinking good thoughts all morning long for them. Tomorrow my friend S and I will be getting out on one of our favorite trails to run for about an hour, so it will be a good running day, because running with a buddy is always a good run. I will be stalking Fb for updates on the race and runners. I only wish I could have volunteered at an aid station. That would have been awesome. Note to self, look into spectating. I would be so great at that.

Because no one likes a Rungie.

I also feel a little heart sick. I didn't even get to the hard part of training and had to stop. However, when I stopped, I stopped with a health goal that I have succeeded in.  That is a win. I feel like I could resume marathon training at this point and do ok. In fact, I am going to browse some nearby races, because I need that structure and motivation back. I kind of don't know what to do with myself without a race goal. I have plenty of half marathon options coming up, and I could resume the sub 2 hour goal. The thing is, being seconds off of that goal made me all, "meh. Close enough." That's probably a horrible attitude to have. I am sure I will have the desire to run fast again eventually. I also really wish I had a marathon partner to train with. I think that is something I need right now. Accountability and just having someone going through it with me would make a world of difference.

My easing back into cross training has gone well. Even just a little bit is making a difference, and it is nice to break up the running a little. Life has been busy, so it is handy to be able to throw in 30 min of barre or strength training on the days I don't have time to hit the pavement for an hour +. To answer your question, yes, my upper body still sucks, and I am avoiding heavy weights for that area still for the time being. I did have some success doing some body weight exercises for that area though. Baby steps. In the meantime, I get to pretend I have graceful long ballerina legs, when in reality I have short and scarily muscular legs that I trip over on a daily basis. Yay barre!

Believe it or not, I did do dance for years. Unsurprisingly, ballet was quickly dropped.

I also have yet to start speed work again, because I don't wanna. Boo. Hiss. (I know, I know!)

But I am doing way more yoga, and thus have happier hip flexors. Yay again!

In other super exciting running news, The Husband has agreed to try running with me! He will be on vacation this coming week, so it is a great time to get out there and get training. He immediately regretted agreeing to this when I told him I would have him running a half by the end of 2015, and started discussing His and Her medal holders. Which would be AWESOME by the way. 

SO MANY ACTIVITIES!!

So, in closing, GOOD LUCK ROCKET CITY RUNNERS! And GOOD LUCK, CAKE, who is running her first marathon Sunday. Enjoy your race, and then enjoy eating the entire contents of your kitchen and probably your neighbor's kitchen as well :)

- Teacup Runner

"Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind;"-Psalm 26:2 NIV

Project Cross Train!

First of all, I need to say that it has been 2 MONTHS since my last migraine with aura attack! I haven't gone this long in between attacks since they started last year. Yay to finally getting some results (accidentally). I have been feeling so much better lately, so I am ready to amp up my training again, and get back to where I was last spring.


How I feel without migraines. Oh yes, I have done this dance.

I have cut back on my running since HSV half. I have decided I will not sign up for another race until I have made cross training a habit again. Lately I have noticed more back pain, which is a direct result from letting my core strength go. Not to mention I am running slower. This is also a result of not cross training. It is not all about abs and getting ripped again. My stomach is flat, my weight is the same, but I am weak right now, and I don't like that. I remembered last year when I was at my peak performance running wise, and I was lifting weights several times a week. So, my new plan is run 3x a week and cross train 3x a week. My goal was to alternate days, but so far I've done a short 3-4 miler plus 20-30 min weights or other cross training on the same day, and have taken more rest days. This isn't really my ideal, but I have been sleeping bad, and the holidays are already jumbling my schedule. I have a tendency to workout cram when I am forced into rest days. Next week I am going to devise a more organized plan. In general, I pretty much hate cross training, but as a runner I find it to be a necessary evil. No one can deny you get better running results with a little cross training thrown in.

My plan is to start writing out my workout schedule again. This is another thing I did last year to help. I was training for the two back to back half marathons, and needed to make sure I got in a lot of workouts at optimal timing. Basically my week would consist of 1 long run, 1 speed run, 2 easy runs,  1 full body cross train, 1 active rest day, and one full rest day. The active rest day would be yoga or something light. I would then squeeze weights in after the easy runs, sometimes an hour or more, and maybe after speed work. I always took my full rest day after speed work day. I will have to work my way back to that. For now I want to have 3 running days total (1 long, 1 speed, 1 easy), and 3 cross training days of my choice. To start, of course these will be lighter weights, lighter workouts, but eventually I will get back to the heavier weights and longer cross training sessions. The last day will be a total rest day, as I now do at least some yoga with every cross training day.  I think giving running and cross training their own days to start out will be a nice transition instead of doubling up right away. I realize this is only 1 rest day, but I am an oddball. I feel like crap on the days I don't work out. I have played around with different combinations of rest days, and working out 6 days a week just works for me. It also was something that kept my migraines more spaced out before I started treating them. Plus, on the days I work out, I eat better and hydrate better. I am guessing that has a lot to do with me feeling so good those days.

I hate rest days not because I am a super tough chick, but because I like to put off house work.

Since my chest wall injury last May, I have lost a lot of upper body strength. I don't want to jump right back into weights as far as that area is concerned, so I am trying out other new strengthening exercises. So far I am loving barre! I am using light weights for my lower body, but to get a good all over body workout, barre is perfect for me. It combines strength and stretch, which is so important for a runner. I got the idea to try after seeing one of my favorite bloggers, The T-Rex Runner, posting about it. After the hip flexor trouble I have had my last 2 races, I think this is going to be a go to CT exercise for me. My chest wall has been a little sore, but nothing like the agony weight training had been causing. I think for a while, this is what I need for my upper body. It has always been my weak area, but since that one little injury, I have constantly managed to hurt myself. Since then I have been trying to figure out the right exercises to start back with. Barre is the winner for sure! I feel the appropriate amount of soreness after, not the "Oh God my chest is broken forever and I am possibly having a heart attack" pain that I kept rebounding into before.

Weirdly accurate.

Another thing my GP recommended for my upper back/chest wall issues is a deep tissue massage. I am still trying to talk myself into this. For one, deep tissue massages hurt, and I am a wuss. For two, I don't like people touching me, so a stranger touching me really painfully is probably not going to be a  comfortable experience for me, but if it resets me and helps with my muscle tightness, it will be worth it. I have also debated a chiropractor, but again, not yet brave enough. I need to do something though, so I figure fixing my core is a start that doesn't involve other people touching me.



So my question for the probably 4 people who read this blog: Have you gotten a deep tissue massage or gone to a chiropractor to help with a work out injury? Did it help?

I will report back next week on my new schedule!

-Teacup Runner

"I love you, Lord, my strength." -Psalm 18:1 NIV