M5T W5 Recap - Runfession Time

 
My last recap concluded with me cutting my long run short due to nausea.  The trend continued for a couple more days last week.

Sunday - Rest day
Still not feeling good, rested

Monday - 4 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Ran 2.81 miles

Tuesday - Intervals - 8-9 miles
I don't even remember why I didn't run on Tuesday.  I just didn't.

Wednesday  - 3 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Ran 5.5 miles.  Still a little nauseated, but started feeling good and had a few strong miles.

Thursday - 4 miles easy (10:35 pace)
I had planned on bike commuting with Les.  We gave our notice to our Hawaiian landlady and will be clearing out of there at the end of October so I knew my bike was coming home this trip.  We were rained out and I was really bummed about that.  Les will still be working for the company that is based in Hawaii, but he's got a project with a company in Connecticut, so it makes more sense for him to be in California.  We will still go back to Hawaii (like in December for the marathon!) but not for more than a couple of weeks at a time at least for now.

Friday - Rest day
Walked 4 miles
Since I had taken Thursday off, I thought I would do my long run on Friday.  I knew I'd have fresh legs.  Obviously that didn't happen.  What happened was the conclusion of two weeks of not wanting to run.

Friday morning I was feeling really negative about running in general.  "Why am I doing this?  Why did I even sign up for another marathon?  I don't think I want to do it this year..."  I am usually not a negative person, so when this happens it seems to be magnified. As I was walking, I was trying to figure out my next steps when it finally dawned on me what was going on...

Hormones.

Yep, it all boiled down to that.  But it's not as easy as it sounds.  In my 20s and 30s, I recognized PMS for what it was, because it was almost always the same - a few days a month I was irritable, then I was fine.  In my 40s, migraines got added to the repertoire, but it was still predictable.  Now I'm in my 50s and for the past couple of years it feels like anything goes.

If PMS is an emotional roller coaster, perimenopause is the entire amusement park.  I feel like I've had it all - from the Tower of Terror to Mr. Toad's Wild Ride to the Haunted Mansion!  Some days I'm ultra sensitive, other days I'm tired.  I've had anxiety and insomnia.  Last month I had about 3 weeks of multiple hot flashes every single day.

I hate this feeling of being "off."  I've never suffered from depression and I can usually work my way through hard stuff, but this is just so different.  I don't know from one day to the next how I'm going to feel. One of the really frustrating parts about all this is my legs are fine.  I'm currently injury free so running should be great.  Our life in general is great - we're super busy and traveling gets old at times, but we're healthy and happy.

When I got home from my walk last Friday, I had pretty much worked all this out in my mind.  I talked to Les about it (he's SO patient with all this) and came to this conclusion:  "My decision is not to decide."  How many times have I made a decision I regretted based on emotion?  That rarely ends well.  For now, I'll continue training and hope I start feeling more normal soon.

Saturday - LSD 14 miles  (10:35-10:50 pace)
Rode 15.52 miles - my last Hawaiian bike ride (for now!)

Total planned miles 34
Actual
Running 8.31
Walking 4.00
Cycling 15.52
Total  27.83

I must runfess that this is quite the downer of a post!  I don't usually share this much, but I'm hoping by typing it out it will help me sort through all I'm experiencing.  Hopefully the pictures will make up for the text.

Help a friend out - What do you do when your head's not in the running game?  What about when life throws curve balls?

Seasons Greetings!

Life has many seasons.  Les is finishing his cycling race season.  His final race is this Sunday - the Dick Evans Memorial Road Race.  This is the biggie.  The race is in memory of Dick Evans, a cyclist who was killed while riding.  "The course is a 112-mile loop around the beautiful island of Oahu, passing through Waikiki, Honolulu and along the famed surf breaks of the North Shore. The Dick Evans Memorial is an event rich in history and competition, routinely contested by Hawaii's best as well as top amateurs and pros from California, Japan and elsewhere. Triathletes also know that this race was once combined with the Honolulu Marathon and Waikiki Roughwater Swim to become the first ever "Ironman" triathlon competition (and now you know why the cycling leg of any Ironman-distance competition is 112 miles!)" (Source: CyclingNews.com)

Tradewind Cycling Team at Feed Zone #2 2014 DEMRR

While Les is riding, I'll be driving to the North Shore and helping at Feed Zone #2.  Cyclists do not stop on this race.  They ride through four feed zones and an army of volunteers is there with filled water bottles.  Les raced the course two years ago and I volunteered.  I was so nervous about handing off to cyclists as they rode, but no one crashed in our feed zone!

After last Sunday's Olomana Road Race - Les was 3rd in his AG

I kinda consider myself a cycling groupie.  I've volunteered at three of the five races Les has done so far this year and I've been at the finish line for the other two.  Last week I was on traffic duty with a Honolulu Police officer trying to keep drivers from running over cyclists.  The cycling community here is very close - they rip each others legs off during races but they are all great friends off the bike.

Text exchange last week.

Next week I will kick off marathon training season #5. Since my 10k race in May, I have definitely had an off season!  I've run without any intensity.  I have no speed or endurance.  My first long run is a week from Saturday - 10 miles.  That is going to hurt!  I'm sure there will be multiple walk breaks.  But I've got to start somewhere.

#RainbowSelfie - that's not a wart on my face, just a large raindrop!

I love the training plan that I use.  I bought it for my first marathon and Training Peaks lets me reapply it.  It has been similar each time, but not exactly the same.  I am definitely going to keep cycling.  Running three days, cycling two days and resting two days seems to be a really combination for me.  I'll be posting my weekly schedule on Sundays and posting a recap on Saturdays.

Marathon PR from last year

I've also been going through a hot season, and I don't mean summer.  My hormones are back on the crazy train.  Two years ago I was on the emotional crazy train, now I'm dealing with hot flashes about 4-6 times a day/night.  They don't last long but they sure are uncomfortable when they hit!  While I keep hoping this season will come to an end soon, I know I'm not the only woman to live through it.

What season are you in?

It Wasn't Pretty, but It's Done. 22 Miles!

I've been both dreading and looking forward to today's run. 22 miles is a long way to run without a finish line waiting for you! Training Peaks said this about today's run: "Just focus on finishing. Remember, this is your last long run. When you finish, it's tapering time. Many runners mistakenly take advantage of their well earned fitness and run this last long run too fast. DO NOT make that mistake, save that effort for race day. (Pace:10:35-10:50 /mile)"

With that in mind, I planned my route for today's run.  When I leave my house I have two choices - up or down.  I chose to go up,  I knew that would keep me from running too fast.  I also ran with a light for the first 10 miles so I wouldn't fall again.  I was hoping to finish in about 4 hours, that would have been at the upper end of my planned pace.  If you read my weekly recap, you know that didn't happen!

I don't really like to overshare.  (So why am I a blogger, right?)  Anyway, in a nutshell, I am dealing with lots of side affects of peri-menopause, one of the worst being insomnia. Bottom line, I really didn't sleep much all week.  Some nights I'd get about 3 hours, others maybe 6, and those were interrupted.  It was the "stare at the clock and the ceiling" type, not worrying about anything, just not sleeping.  Definitely not enough sleep. It is what it is, other than taking a sleeping pill, there's not much I can do.  Fortunately, this only happens about once every other month so I'm very hopeful that I will be well rested on November 7th.

So, back to my run...

I woke up at 4:00 a.m. and after about 10 minutes of ceiling staring, knew I might as well get going.  I was out the door at 4:45.  My legs felt pretty good, my right knee is a little tender from Thursday's fall, but I can't blame it for slowing me down.

I ran the first 10 miles in 1:54:47, 11:30 pace.  Not great, but not too terrible because this had the biggest hill of the day in it.  I made a pit stop at home and exchanged my light for sunglasses.  I was still feeling pretty good about things at this point.

At the 14 mile mark a made another pit stop at the park.  My GI was a bit off, but I was determined to keep going.  This was my last chance for 20 miles or longer.  Mile 17 was my slowest because I started feeling sick to my stomach again!  I was pretty discouraged and feeling sorry for myself.  I really gave myself a talking to and reminded myself that my Mom went through menopause at the same time she was going through chemo.  That didn't make my stomach feel any better, but it did make me determined to finish!

One last pit stop just before mile 18 and then I was determined to get home.  Luckily I had run a big enough loop that the only way to get home was to finish my 22 miles!  No shortcuts at this point and Les was an hour away on a bike ride.  Mile 20 was my third fastest mile at 10:40. I was happy to see my pace drop to about 9:30 for a little bit during that time.  I hit 22 miles about a quarter of a mile from home but I stopped by watch immediately!  I was done.

I'm starting to wonder if GU is the culprit with my stomach issues.  Until late last year I'd always used Hammer Gel.  I'm going to use Hammer Gel next week and see how I do.  Although I used GU during my 25k and didn't have any problems, so I just don't know what is going on!

I've had several hours to think about this.  While my pace wasn't what I wanted, I'm glad I went the distance.  Surprisingly, my legs aren't feeling too bad.  My plan for the marathon will now include Imodium.

A bunch of data:

22 miles in 4:32:29, 12:23 pace
Ave HR 128
Max HR 151
Calories burned 1,116
1,129 feet ascending
1,207 feet descending
Recovery time 53 hours
Average temperature 76

M4T W5 Results

I had a much better week this week.  I am continuing cross training and really seeing the benefits.  Two longs runs in one week and I survived.

Sunday - Rest day
Result:  Ran 8.04 miles in 1:26:21, 10:44 pace
I ran Santa Susanna Pass road again.  This is my third time and I ran it faster than before.  It's basically 2 miles up, 2 miles down, 2 miles up, 2 miles down.  I held back on the uphills and pushed hard on the downs.  My four downhill miles were 8:31, 8:03, 7:57, 8:01.

Monday - 4 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Result:  Rode 7.17 miles in 35:55, 12 mph
I kept this one really easy.

Tuesday - Intervals - 8-9 miles
Result:  Ran 7 miles in 1:26:02, 12:17 pace
I opted out of intervals, my legs were still sore from Sunday's run.  Instead I hit the trail.  It had been a while since I'd run in the dirt.

Wednesday  - 3 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Result:  Rested
It was time for a rest day!

Thursday - 4 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Result:  Rested
Err.... I been having some pretty restless nights, multiple night sweats (about one an hour) and have been feeling wiped out.  I bought a sleep aid and it helped so much.

Friday - Rest day
Result:  Rode 10.54 miles in 49:30, 12.8 mph
I had another good night's sleep (thank you, sleep aid!) but wanted to take it easy for Saturday's long run.

Saturday - LSD 14 miles  (10:35-10:50 pace)
Result:  Ran 14.03 miles in 2:27:30, 10:29 pace
I didn't use a sleep aid and slept well, so I'm hoping that those tough nights are not going to be a regular thing.
This is the longest run I've done this year and it went really well.  I started out easy, wanting to finish strong and I did!  I ran the first 7 miles in 1:14:23 (10:38 pace) and the second 7 in 1:12:39 (10:20 pace.) My slowest was mile 9, which was all uphill.  My fastest was mile 11 at 9:18 and it was mostly downhill.  My final 5 miles were 10:07, 9:18, 10:01, 9:32, and 9:52. 
Average heart rate 145, max 161
Calories burned 1,335
Also walked .42 miles cool down.

Total planned miles 34
Actual
Running  29.07
Walking 0.42
Cycling 17.71
Total   47.20

M4T W4 Results

I took a bit of a step back this week.  I was tired, Les was out of town so I didn't sleep well, and my hormones were a little wonky!  I actually only ran once.   Not whining, just sharing my reality!

Sunday - Rest day
Result:   Rested

Monday - 3 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Result: Rode 10.55 miles in 46:51, 13.5 mph
I had a slight crash at about mile 5 on this ride.  I was making a U-turn and ended up in some sand.  I am okay, just a little bruised.

Tuesday - Intervals - 8 miles
Result:  Ran 6 miles in 1:03:25, 10:34 pace
This is what is called a "Ladder Interval."  I call it the "Interval Ladder of Pain."  Intervals are tough - I start each run thinking, "I don't know, I feel stiff, I probably won't be fast today..."  And somehow I get it done.  This was my closest to goal pace yet!
Goal paces for intervals - 400m in 2:00, 800 in 4:00, 12:00 in 6:00.
My reality:
2 x 400 - 2:06, 2:04
800 - 4:10
1200 - 6:17
800 - 4:10
2 x 400 - 2:10, 2:00
Also did 0.93 cool down.

Wednesday  - 3 miles easy (10:35 pace)
Result: Rested
I went to bed planning on going for a trail run.  I woke up so sore - both from my crash and the intervals.

Thursday - 4 miles hills (10:35 pace)
Result:  Rode 9.32 miles in 42:59, 13.0 mph

Friday - Rest day
Result:  Rested
I had planned on doing my long run, but slept fitfully with multiple hot flashes/night sweats.  It was one of those "I feel like I've been hit by a truck type of mornings."

Saturday - LSD 10 miles  (10:35-10:50 pace)
Result: Rested
Les was suppose to arrive around 9:30 Friday evening.  I thought I'd be home and in bed at a decent hour.  I should have known better!  I'm pushing my long run to tomorrow, which puts two longs runs in one week.  I may just do 8 miles, but make it a hilly one.

Total planned miles 28
Actual
Running 6.93
Cycling 19.87
Total 26.80

Marathon Training Week 5 Results

Somebody please stop this roller coaster!!  Another week, another seven days as the hormone hostage.  Yes it's bad.  My blood pressure has sky rocketed (as in 162/90!) and it has wiped me out.  I've cut way back on my salt intake, am eating a banana every morning, and trying to find ways to eliminate stress.  When I get myself out the door to run or ride, I feel SO much better.  It's the getting out the door part that I failed at greatly this week.  Here's to a better week next week!

Sunday:  Rest Day
Result:  Rested

Monday: 4 Miles Easy w/4 Strides (pace 9:58 pace)
Result:  Walked 4.7 miles in 1:18:28, 16:42 pace.  I had nothing!

Tuesday:  7 Miles Hills (no planned pace)
Result:  Rested

Wednesday:  Rest
Result:  Rested

Thursday: 4 Miles w/2 Miles @ MP (marathon pace = 9:09)
Result:  Rode 12.57 miles in 1:27:50, 8.6 mph

Friday:  4 Miles Easy (pace 9:58)
Result:  Rested

Saturday:  16 Miles LSD  (pace 10:04-11:04)
Result:  Ran 16 miles in 3:04:12, 11:31 pace
I was determined to get my long run in this week.  I started out slow, feeling very sluggish, but I just kept moving.  Almost every mile was in the 10:50-11:20 pace range with one exception that was all uphill.
My blood pressure when I got home?  102/61!  Yes, exercise is a must!

Total planned miles: 35
Walking: 4.7
Cycling: 12.57
Running: 16.0
Totals miles 33.27