Browsed by
Tag: the sf marathon

May 2018 training recap

May 2018 training recap

Comments 2 comments

May was just as I had anticipated it would be: full. In the absence of racing this month, I did a lot of other high-quality stuff: lots of marathon training mileage, of course (posting just shy of 200 miles, about 196 and change) but also quite rewarding and gratifying non-running stuff, too.

While I wasn’t racing, I was instead going to the land of the mouse to celebrate my eldest’s 7th birthday, hosting my in-law(s) at my home for the whole month, doing lots of prep work for my eldest’s Girl Scout bridging (sort of like a promotion from one level in GS to the next), and helping out a lot at school with all the end-of-year stuff that comes at the end of an academic year. Add to the mix lots of freelancing again, and it felt like the month ended just as quickly as it started. Somewhere in the middle, I might have blinked. Maybe. All of that combined with raising a feisty almost three year-old and yeah, the days are long and years are short or some such nonsense. It’s all a blur. At least it’s a good blur, anyway.

not running

Really, I have zero complaints with how this month fared, especially as it relates to running. I took more rest days than I planned, simply due to our time down south at the beginning of the month, but no matter. Experience has taught me that walking around for 10+ hours for a few days in a row confers comparable benefits as does running easily for 30-60 minutes each day. (I still always bring running clothes with me, in the event that an opportunity presents itself, but I sorta assume that it’s not going to happen).

I don’t exactly know how to describe it, but I think May helped me to turn a corner on all this post-stroke stuff, too. I wrote something similar back in April, but I felt it even more in the past month. The passage of time has a way of helping with these things in that regard. I’m at a point where I can safely say that I will go for days on end without thinking even a fleeting thought about it and that, more often than not, when the thoughts do arise, it’s more a statement of fact than one that precipitates a shit-ton of anxiety or a meltdown.

Case in point: when my eldest is at swim practice, I run laps around the school campus. Coincidentally, this often puts me directly across the street from the hospital where I was admitted. I think I’ve said it in this space before, but for a while, even seeing the hospital was gut-wrenching (which was also horribly inconvenient since there’s a great Baskin-Robbins nearby). Fortunately, for the most part, nowadays when I run past the hospital repeatedly on my Tuesday and Thursday night runs, I don’t feel any different a reaction upon seeing it than I do upon encountering any of the other multitudinous businesses and establishments along my way. It’s there. That happened. Move on. It’s little, but it’s big, if that makes any sense at all. I don’t want to particularly think or talk about this anymore.

post swim night mileage. she loves her little parka she got for her bday 🙂

What, no doubt, has helped facilitate these corner-turning feelings has been my running this past month (and the continued passage of time, surely). Running is great for the cardiovascular and physiological side of things, but shit, it sure does wonders for lots of other messy (mental) stuff, too. It was sometime during the past month where I began to feel my confidence returning. Showing up and doing workouts that made me literally laugh out loud — how do I run that?! — and running hard and consistently on fatigued legs, not being intimidated by the prescribed volume or intensity, helped me regain a sense of accomplishment, pride, and really — bottom line — confidence that the stroke compromised a few months ago. I totally, absolutely, wholeheartedly get that as far as strokes go, I got super duper lucky, but that said, that doesn’t change the fact that my world got turned upside down and inside out a million times over there for a while. The mental side was rough, to say the least. Running does so much for me mentally — as it does for so many of you, as well — and I’m just elated as can be that both it and the general passage of time have helped me inch beyond everything.

from a Sunday LR with Janet in the ARP foothills above SJ. Downtown SJ is about at 3 o’clock (and nearly centered)

We do this stuff to feel strong, and regaining the feeling of strength after being robbed of it (for whatever reason) is pretty powerful stuff.

That feeling — of promise, hope, opportunity, potential, second chances, however you want to label it — is indescribable.

easy ‘hood miles are the best

The month of May, and its concomitant miles, gave me plenty of opportunities to have those feelings again and all but think to myself I AM HERE (no shame in this game).   

Where I am now is as good or better a place I would have hoped to be going into my first marathon of the year. Honestly, I couldn’t have been/couldn’t be happier.

I’m not particularly interested in comparing my current fitness level to that of yesteryears, but at this point, I can say that I like how I’m feeling and that it excites me. Aside from the usual workouts during the week, the long runs on the weekend — which have often been in ARP, in Janet’s and my neck of the woods — have also been tremendously helpful. Marathon runners will often say that the most important run of the week is the LR, and I’d take it one step further and say that if you’re returning to running after time away — for injury or just due to life, in general — one of the best ways to re-enter the sport, to get strong again, to up your endurance, and a whole host of other attributes, is by doing as much of your LRs on trails as possible. They are tremendous equalizers and injury mitigators and can do such incredible stuff for your mental muscle.

This feeling that I have suggests that things seem to be clicking. Workouts and long runs (the latter with or without built-in workouts) are both fun and challenging, which can sometimes be an elusive or precarious combination. I’m just thrilled to be training to do this marathon rodeo again for the 32nd time in about 8 weeks from now.

and as we get closer to TSFM weekend, it has been fun to put on my ambassador hat and go spread the love! here, with another ambassador, Jason, up at A Runner’s Mind – Burlingame at a Thursday night fun run

It may make for boring blog fodder to say that things are going well and that I’m happy where I am, but … sorry. My head’s in the ground and will be there for a bit longer, seeing what we can unearth along the way. Bear with me.

—

Revelling: New category! I’m still reeling from going down to Ventura a couple weekends ago to spectate at the Mountains to Beach marathon from Ojai to Ventura. It’s a hefty drive from SJ, about five hours +/-, but it’s a hugely popular marathon and half among Bay Area runners. It boasts something like a 700’ net drop (though punctuated with some ascents along the way), and I went down to cheer on many teammates and friends who’d be toeing the line. My friend, teammate, and coach Lisa ran the half (and did great, sub 1:26, notching our club’s master’s F record); my teammate, friend, and training partner Janet killed it in her debut marathon with a 3:26 (and got a sturdy BQ in the process); and I got to see Chicago friend Erica finish her 47th marathon (and score another BQ, too). Many more teammates and friends — like Hannah (sub-3 for her debut marathon), her fiance Phil (2nd place OA), Jenn (first sub-3), Tiffany (sub-3:15 and close to her PR, earning another high master’s level marking in our club), and Melissa (first sub-3) — just killed it out there, and it was so deeply inspiring to watch. I hung out at mile 22 (after seeing Lisa in the half around mile 11) and just had a blast cheering and cowbelling for my teammates. Entertaining Janet for her final 4 miles was also a treat. It was a good day for so many people, and I love that I got to experience a little bit of everyone’s celebration. I’m grateful my sorry ass didn’t cry because these things make me emotional. YAY RUNNING.

Wolfpack and friends pre-race dinner in Ventura. Phil (front, next to Hannah) went on to place 2nd OA at the race, and our other fella, Jonathan, went 3 flat. Such a fast group of humans, holy shit!

 

of course only Lisa looks like she’s out for a fun run when she’s running a 1:26 half. NBD (from ~mile 11)

 

A fast herd of runners – Hannah in black on the left, Jenn just steps behind the group in red, and Melissa up there, too, in blue (all sub-3 and very high placing overall).

 

Tiffany looked strong AF at mile 22! She caught me so off guard that I completely spaced on her name, haha. Sub-3:15 (3:13) and posting our second fastest master’s F record in the process.

 

Running with Janet over her last 4 miles was great. I tried to do that delicate balance of being entertaining and distracting without getting her to the point of wanting to knife me. (I still got a ride home, so I think I was at least moderately successful). This is from the last 1/2 mile or so of the course as it hugs the shore.

 

always such a treat to see Chicago Erica when she’s here! I hadn’t seen her since I was about 20 weeks pregnant with G, back in 2015. Erica did great, and it was when I was waiting for her at the finish line that I got all teary. 🙂

Reading: May had a lot of good stuff. Deena Kastor’s Let Your Mind Run (recapped here) was excellent and one that I would all but implore every runner — particularly distance runner — to read. Maria Shriver’s I’ve Been Thinking was meh, not really my style. I was genuinely surprised at how much I liked Jim Comey’s A Higher Loyalty simply because after reading Hillary’s book last year, I didn’t think I’d be able to stomach anything coming from him. (If you’re even minutely interested in politics and the shitshow that is Washington right now, I’d recommend reading it. It is fascinating and at times, tragic). Michelle McNamara’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark about the Golden State Killer was equal parts awful and fascinating to read — how are some humans capable of doing such horrible things? — and reading it just weeks after the alleged killer was apprehended — and not long after McNamara, herself, died — was borderline creepy. Bonus creepy factor: the GSK’s slayings in SJ were relatively nearby, and I’m about 90% certain I’ve run by the homes several times. (!!!!) Finally, I finished Scott and Jenny Jurek’s North and loved it; the review is in my drafts folder and is forthcoming. The running lit world is … lit (not sorry) right now.  

Listening: No new music that I can remember in the past month, but a couple podcasts stand out to me: the longest shortest time’s interview with Cecile Richards and sounds like an MLM but OK’s special episode related to NXIVM. The former, with Richards, was really interesting and made a traffic-riddled drive bearable, and honestly, the latter, about NXIVM, was just weird AF. I have so many questions.

Watching: With my MIL staying with us for the entire month, C and I have had more date nights than we’ve had in a while (hooray!), and somewhere in the mix, we got to see a Deadpool 1 & 2 double feature. I won’t elaborate on my opinion about the new movie, in an effort to avoid spoilers, but I’ll admit we had a good time.

and that thing is still in my pencil pouch purse, unopened. I just noticed that person behind me putting her (his?) down into the t-shirt, hahaha

Anticipating: Once school ends, the girls and I will be heading to the midwest to see family for a few weeks, which will be great. While I’m there — in the thickest part of SF training — I’m planning to do a couple races, too. Change of scenery is always fun! *cough don’t get lost cough*

mother’s day 2018 = an excellent morning long run with Janet followed by most of the day in pajamas. yes, please

Writing: Lots of freelance stuff this past month but not much in this space, unfortunately. Between EOY obligations at my daughter’s school and her GS troop, my writing here suffered. I should perhaps consider committing to a post-a-day challenge or something. Maybe…

Dreading: Nothing comes to mind right now, aside from annoying insurance issues. All that BS I talked about last month is still up in the air and will be so until late July, until my “investigation” gets “finalized” er whatever (and in the interim, we started receiving collections notices, blerg). At the end of last week, I also finally had that super obnoxious test done that my GI ordered, the one that necessitated me eating only plain white rice for 24 hours before the test and then fasting for 12 hours the day of the test, all before going to the actual appointment, sitting around for more than three hours, not drinking or eating anything (and not being allowed to nap), and getting my breath analyzed every 20 minutes. Who the hell knows at this point. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

May was great, and I’m looking forward to all that June has to offer. 

yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaw 

March 2018 training recap

March 2018 training recap

Comments 5 comments

That saying that claims if March comes in like a lion, it’ll go out like a lamb (or vice versa) only generically applied to my March, I suppose. Shoot, realistically speaking, after coming off the stroke in early February and slowly but surely beginning to piece life together after that, I would have been more than satisfied to have March enter slowly and quietly, without much fanfare, if it meant that life was going to be normal as usual — or pretty close to it, anyway. I had more action in February than I would have cared to, so lamb, lion, meerkat, or protozoa notwithstanding — I’m not picky — I just really hoped that March would be unremarkable — that magic word — and that it’d more often than not resemble, and be indicative of, normalcy.

Fortunately, that was the case. March began, of course, with my repeat MRI scan on 3/3, nearly a month out from my stroke, whose results, eventually interpreted by my neurologist, showed to be unremarkable — or in other words, not anything to be excited about. I wrote about it earlier in the month, but honest to sweet baby Jesus, I was never/have never been so excited to be ruled boring. The day after my MRI, I spent my morning volunteering in the streets of the Rose Garden neighborhood with my Wolfpack teammates for the 408k, and sure enough, just a couple days later, on March 7, exactly 4.5 weeks post-stroke, I got the all-clear to begin running, lifting, picking up my kids, and to generally begin doing life per yoosh again.

that first-run-back feeling

I was going to write a separate post about what my running has looked like post-stroke, and I probably will still, but I’ll also talk about it here, briefly. This is redundant and probably a bit obnoxious and self-evident, but the thing about running after stroke is that there’s obviously not a one-size-fits-all formula to heed. Each person’s stroke can vary tremendously — as well as all the short- or long-term stroke-related sequelae — that googling “how to run after stroke” is a hefty exercise in futility. My experience with this — again, based on my own stroke (somewhat obvious, yes, but still probably worthwhile to remember) and based on what my own running looked like pre-stroke — kinda makes me liken post-stroke running to postpartum running.

More than anything, it boils down to listening to your body each and every day.

I have been/was so remarkably lucky with my stroke insofar as I don’t have any deficits that could affect my ability to run, at least as far as physical limitations go. (The mental side is another story for another day, but even there, running helps tremendously). However, when I had my stroke, I had basically gone from consistently running a solid mileage volume each week to ZERO and stayed there for 4.5 weeks. I still walked a bunch, walked up and down the stairs at home several times a day, and did all “life-related” physical activity (sans picking up children or anything else heavy), but when I began running, I all but assumed I was starting from scratch. That’s what it felt like, anyways.

 

we just re-introduced the run-ride commutes; they were both pretty stoked, especially A. I think she genuinely missed riding her bike.

Right now, I’m just shy of 8 weeks post-stroke, which means that I’ve been running for 3.5 weeks. Generally speaking, I’m taking more rest days than I usually would (out of an abundance of caution); my “long runs” on the weekend are more time-based than anything and progress only if I’m feeling well and am interested in the effort (which is still very comfortable and casual); and finally, I’ve been much more deliberate about all the ancillary things — such as lifting, rolling, self-massage, and all that good stuff — than I have been in a long time. Pre-stroke, it was rare for me to feel especially sore after a run (beyond racing), but right now, as I’m working to get into shape, I feel like I’m sore all the time, like the way you feel when you’re running for the very first time in your life and you wonder if you’ll ever feel not sore.

getting strong via the hills with Saurabh: 90 minutes +/-, 10 miles, 1600′ + of gain, and some lovely views.

Listening to your body and consequently running by feel is as good a way to run and get into shape as any, in my opinion. When you’re in the thick of marathon training, for example, it can seem counterintuitive to sometimes abandon the plan, yet I think taking the bigger-picture view can pay dividends. One missed or altered run isn’t going to make or break your race day performance; on the other hand, a handful of runs that you power through, even when you’re feeling sub-par or on the brink of something, can. That’s my soapbox, anyway.

And sometimes, I think one of the best things we can do for ourselves — particularly if we’re working through a funk — is to venture outside ourselves and be immersed in good vibes, and races sure are excellent avenues for that. Just a couple weeks after I began running, G and I went down to Santa Cruz to race in she.is.beautiful’s baby mama 10k division. The upshot is that it was a lovely morning and something equally positive for my soul and for my brain. Good people in a good environment? You can’t go wrong. I knew I wasn’t in “racing shape,” (duh) and that it’d be hard-in-a-good-way, but I didn’t care. Immersing myself in my supportive community has been really helpful, and when I’m feeling really low (or angry or otherwise off-kilter) about everything, remembering that there are people out there who are rooting for me means a lot.

that first race back. (PC: Dave/fitfam6)

Suffice it to say that March was a step in the right direction. Getting the good news from my neurologist, going to counseling, getting all my other medical issues in order and seeing all the concomitant specialists, resuming running (just cracked 100 miles for the month, hooray!), reading and writing a bunch, spending lots of time with my family — and more stuff that I’m surely omitting — makes me feel optimistic for April and for the rest of the year. It can be easy to negatively, quickly, and catastrophically spiral when I have a rough day, but most of the time, I have many more good days than I do rough.

I can’t complain. I am so, so lucky and so enormously grateful.

On 3/26, I went back to the ICU for the first time since coming home. It was very hard to do, but I think that — and beginning to register for races, as mundane as that may sound — was instrumental in helping me begin to feel “normal” again. I signed up for The SF Marathon in July (AMBASSADORERIN10 for a discount) and am about 18 weeks out now, which is convenient.

—————————————————————–

Reading: March had a lot of good stuff: When: the Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, which was a fast and interesting read about our chronotypes and how timing is everything (or “the only thing,” as the author would assert); Why Buddhism is True: the Science and Philosophy of  Meditation and Enlightenment, a shittily-titled book but one that was full of insightful and fairly compelling information related to Vipassana Buddhism and the case for meditation, among other things; Everything Happens for a Reason (and Other Lies I’ve Loved), which was both entertaining and heartbreaking (and one that a critic aptly described as being “a love letter to life”); and finally, A Man Called Ove, which repeatedly surprised and emotionally drew me in more times than not and that challenged my “I don’t really like fiction anymore” attitude. Lots of good stuff this month, to be sure, and I’ve got a hefty pile on deck already for April. There aren’t enough hours in the day for all the reading, running, and writing I’d love to do. Oh, and one last one – the Peak Performance newsletter. I loved the book, and the newsletter is equally excellent. 

Writing: March brought a lot of ghostwriting opportunities again, which I appreciated. It’s either feast or famine with that stuff, it seems.

Racing: March featured SIB 10k pushing G, and April will hopefully bring with it Sactown 10 miler (a PA race), the inaugural Silicon Valley 5k and half marathon, and Stow Lake 5k (another PA race). Pre-stroke I had lofty goals for an audacious and arduous spring racing season, but now I’m gravitating toward getting strong and confident again in the spring (and training through the racing atmosphere) and going for total world domination in the autumn. If nothing else, I’m patient and ready (and willing) to work. Time off — whether forced or voluntary — has a way of doing that to a person.

Watching: I’m veritable decades behind anything of interest or relevance here. Decades. That said, many people in my household are genuinely excited that the new series of A Series of Unfortunate Events came out on Netflix on 3/30. 

Listening: I’ve enjoyed the few podcasts from Mario Fraioli’s The Morning Shakeout that I’ve heard so far, namely with Meb Keflezighi, Des Linden, and Shalane Flanagan. Ali On the Run had an excellent podcast interview recently, too, with Gabe Grunewald that pretty much left me speechless and with an entirely new perspective on just about everything. I’d highly recommend these four interviews in particular. 

Using: Marco Polo, the app. It’s wonderful and has allowed my DePaul undergrad BFFs and me to stay in contact so easily that I feel compelled to give the app dev a huge hug or high-five or something. What a game-changer.

Anticipating: I feel like once April hits — and parents of school-aged children will agree with me here — that we just barrel toward the end of the school-year with furor. All of the great end-of-the-school-year stuff will be here before we know it — family birthdays, end-of-school-year celebrations, a Girl Scout bridging ceremony, and more that I’m surely forgetting — and then it’ll be summer and 1000 degrees outside and I’ll be wondering how time seemed to move so quickly all of a sudden. That’s how it always seems to happen in these parts, anyway. A has her first tri of the year in April, too, so that’ll be super exciting!

she blows my mind. this is from last weekend’s swim meet, where she swam 25 breast, free, and back. she had a blast.

Spring, she is a-coming; here we go.