Twelve Days

I did not realize how emotionally invested I was in running the Bellingham Bay half marathon until suffering through this injury. I am so depressed about not being able run and train like I had planned. It has been 12 days since my last real run and it is now only 12 days until race day! Neither of those numbers are good for me. It is extremely depressing to go to bed each night hoping that I will wake up with a leg that is no longer injured but instead get out of bed and limp through my morning. Over the past two weeks it feels like it has been endless Epsom salt baths, ice packs, stretching and massaging and I still feel like I am not healing fast enough. I try not to let it get to me but it is very difficult. I should be anxious and excited for the upcoming race and instead I am just wondering if I will be even be able to run by then. I attempted the elliptical machine and then the stationary bike in the hopes that maybe I could get some cardio in and remind my legs that I expect them to carry me a great distance. I failed. Both machines hurt my leg too much for me to continue. I had to use all of my strength to not break down and cry right there in the gym. I want to run again. I'm tired of resting.

On the bright side I rolled out my IT band on the foam roller today and there was very little pain. This is the first time since I hurt myself that this has happened. I am hopeful that this will mean that I am healing and I am grasping at what little hope I have left of participating in and (*fingers crossed*) completing my half marathon. I have been trying to figure out what will happen on race day. These are the possible outcomes that I see for me.

1. I am able to run soon and get in as many miles (without overdoing it) before the race and then give it my all on race day. This leaves an opening for a big fat blow to my ego as my injury may prevent me from completing the race. If it acts up I will not be able to complete the race...it is excruciatingly painful to run on it and I don't want to ruin my chances of running my next half marathon on October 19th. If it starts hurting I will have Travis (my hero) come and pick me up. Fingers crossed that I will be able to finish it!!

2. I am healed but not ready for the 13.1 miles I could join Kristy, Jo and Bryce on their 5k, cheering them on and probably taking far too many pictures!! 

3. I wake up in pain (wallow in self-pity for a little while) and head to the race to cheer on Kristy, Jo and Bryce as they complete their 5k.

I am very hopeful that I will be able to run and finish but I am preparing myself for the worst. If I am unable to run the race I will find another one to sign up for so that I am still running the two half marathons that I am committed to doing. There is still time. Think healing thoughts for me!!

One Lazy Week

So it has been a long week of babying my injured IT band and honestly I am extremely tired of it. Resting it, massaging with a foam roller (which hurts A LOT by the way) and stretching it out are starting to become despised activities in my daily routine.

I just want to run. I want to put on my running shoes, pop in my headphones and head out the door. That should be as easy as it sounds. Unfortunately after a full week off of running my IT band is not completely healed yet. Every night I hope to wake up feeling good and ready to run but instead find myself in pain. Today has been the best day yet. I haven't had to limp around and I really feel like it is getting better. I even did a leg workout at the gym just to remind those muscles that I haven't forgotten about them! They do have to carry me for 13.1 miles in just 17 days from today!!

I am very hopeful that tomorrow will be the day that I can run again. Hopefully I will be able to put this injury behind me and move forward. I do not have much time left to get in the amount of training that I had wanted before my race but I know that I can do it. I am determined to run and finish this race, hopefully comfortably (reasonably so anyway) and without pain but I will complete it no matter what. I may have to adjust my pace expectations and go easy a little easier on myself but I will be there, ready to run  and excited to cross the finish line. My heart will motivate my legs to continue.

And just for fun...

23 Days To Go

Time goes by so, so quickly! There are only 23 more days until the Bellingham Bay Half Marathon or if you think about it like I do, 2 more long training runs and a taper week. I felt like this was a good time to update you all on my training progress. I have been running around 20-30 miles per week with one long run on Wednesdays. I have been adding on between 1-2 miles to my long run each week and Wednesday before last I was up to 10.3 miles. Not quite half marathon distance but I was feeling a little more confident! Yesterday was a little bit of a setback. I had been suffering from Illiotibial Band Syndrome , or IT band syndrome, for a few days and should have known better than to go for a long run. If you are lucky enough never have experienced this it is a very irritating and painful injury and is really good at halting your training run efforts. Because of this my long run yesterday only amounted to (a very uncomfortable and at the end downright painful) 8.25 miles. I should have rested but I am not always good at doing what I should do. I paid for it with an evening of excruciating pain any time I had to walk (hobble) anywhere in my house. Fortunately I have very understanding and supportive guys in my house. Bryce did the laundry for me so I didn't have to go up and down the stairs and Trav helped me massage out some of the tension that had built up in my leg and hip. I am lucky to have them! Today after using the foam roller to massage it and stretching it as much as possible I am feeling almost normal...will definitely be taking at least another day off to help it heal properly!

During my last long run (not yesterday's catastrophe) I was thinking about how training for a half marathon is so much more than just physical training. The mental training is just as important and on race day might prove to be even more important than the strength and endurance of my body. During every run, and numerous times during my long runs, I start to question what I have gotten myself into. Why am I out here exhausted, aching, sweaty, hot and thirsty but still running? This is when my mental strength gets a workout. This is where I remind myself what I am doing and why. For me Running For Tish is all about living life to the fullest, pushing myself to the limit and feeling alive. Tish taught me how precious life is and how short it can be. She taught me to keep my loved ones close and remind them how special and important they are to me. She also taught me to keep going, push forward and just keep running. I believe that it would be hard to find a moment that you feel more alive than you do at about 7 miles into a long run. Your sweating, aching body is questioning your sanity and wondering if you are serious about running "a few more miles". You feel every breeze and smell the world around you with intensity. This is usually wonderful as the most common smells during my runs are the ocean or the rain (I do love the northwest). Occasionally this can be not so wonderful like when you run by a group of smokers or have a giant truck drive past leaving behind a not so awesome trail of exhaust. It is a good feeling to know that you can (and will) keep running. The best part of any run is finishing. The sense accomplishment (paired with all of those endorphins you released) is a very wonderful thing and is often the drive to keep running or to get out there the next day and do it all over again! If you just keep going you will make it to the end of your run and enjoy your own little celebration of accomplishment. Often on long runs Dory from Finding Nemo pops into my head and repeats "just keep swimming, just keep swimming", I don't know why but it seems appropriate and motivating while I am struggling through the longer runs.

One other thing that I would like to mention is that two of my very favorite ladies have signed up and are training for the Bellingham Bay 5k. Jo who would be my Aunt in law and Kristy who would be my sister in law if of course Trav and I were married. That is a whole different story and all that matters is that they are family and I love my family! It will be Kristy's first 5k ever and I am very excited for her! I was lucky enough to run Jo's first 5k with her a couple years ago and am super excited that she is making a running comeback!! They have been running and training and are going to rock the 5k! Bryce will be running with them as well. He is very excited! I am proud to add them to the Running For Tish roster!

Jo (left) and Kristy (right) 

Jo and I after her first 5k in 2010

Bryce after finishing a run