Tag: training

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Therapy.

You want to talk so bad right now, that you think you might choke due to the lack of words being able to escape your throat.

There is just so much to say; but nobody wants to hear it, and nobody really cares anyway.

So you stash it deep down in your gut and let it simmer.. Let it burn.. Let is suck the life out of you.. Until the tension slowly builds. It rises up and heats your entire core until it finally hits your brain and your head is pounding.

You need an escape- need to run!

Then the cravings start attacking for trail time, because you know the pounding in your brain won’t stop until you either speak your mind or get to that freakin’ trail.

And since you can’t speak your mind..
You run.

You strike the ground with everything you’ve got in your body because you’re so sick of holding all of it in. You can cry, you can scream, you can yell, you can run faster, and you can run farther. You can speak your mind to the trees, or shout out to God above. Do whatever you want to do because when you run- you’re you.

After a few hours-
The pounding stops.
The pressure is gone.

Nothing is solved, no.
Yet everything feels good
….if only for a millisecond.

And that’s why you do it again, and again:

Running is your therapy.

*ps – Don’t freak out- I don’t really need therapy, I just write when I’m frustrated because I love how it flows.;)

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Running Dream

I rub my eyes, and look over at my phone.

4am…Again.

Another running dream startled me awake out of a very deep sleep. I can easily recall every detail, because I’ve had this dream countless times…

Continue reading “Running Dream”

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Response to news of hip fracture and possible surgery–

hahaha you kinda had to see the WORST movie ever to think that was funny.

So yeah, I fractured my hip a few miles into Hinson lake.. And idiot me ran roughly 80 miles that day before I quit in pain. It hurt so bad, but I thought it was muscle related so I kept moving hoping to run it out. Tomorrow I will find out if I will need surgery. Apparently there may be a tendon that is damaging (or already damaged) the hip bone by being pulled too tightly across the bone and as a result- tearing off the bone. The tendon may have snapped, or may be close to it.

Either way, I can’t walk, or do anything weight bearing for a long time….Like months. If surgery- way longer. I’m down, okay, I cried my eyes out.. but I’m okay with it. Promise. Yes, it’s true that running well over 100 mile weeks generally means someone is probably quite addicted to running. So NOT RUNNING basically means NOT BREATHING. Which basically sucks. Lol! But hey, what have I always said? Everything happens for a reason!!! I’m going to focus my energy on planning out races I mentioned in my last post. I’ve already contacted a couple of people about it. I think it will all work out very nicely!! Will feel REALLY good to solely focus on others’ happiness for awhile!

I’m determined not to lose my competitive edge and focus during the next few months. I’ve already got a high count pushup and pullup goal and plans to kayak during the day while my kids are at school. Will be fun! Dan had me out lifting as soon as I got home from the doc. Ha! I know he won’t take it easy on me and I’m glad. That crazy torture loving freak set 25’s down on the ground in front of me and said “go.” (I think really its not about his concern for me, but more that he just doesn’t want a frumpy wife! ;))

I refuse to let anything deter my motivation and discipline!!!!! This year has been (hades) for me- emotionally, physically, mentally. Let’s see– I had a health scare this spring with my spleen, then I almost died at fort clinch (ICU), I cut open my thumb a couple weeks ago(stitched) and then here’s this awesome hip drama and possible surgery. Haha I mean really I have like hundreds of thousand in med bills and no way to pay. It’s been rough. No, REALLY rough. Running all of that crazy mileage this year was my therapy. Not running will be so hard. But the key to going through so much crap in life is to KEEP THE FAITH. GOTTA KEEP PUSHING ONWARD TOWARDS THE PRIZE!! No matter what you’re going through, it could almost ALWAYS be worse!!!! Count your blessings, right? I am. Because there is SO MUCH in life to be thankful for, and not enough time to be sitting around miserable. (remind me I wrote this when I’m crying in a few weeks because im not outside playing and running in the beautiful autumn weather!) 😀 🙂 I

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8/8 8 months of torture in the books

Built Ford Tough. by Ashley Ringo Walsh
Built Ford Tough., a photo by Ashley Ringo Walsh on Flickr.

Ha

But it wasn’t really torture bc I loved every minute of it. Especially now, when running so much is like second nature.

I’m feeling fit, fast, tough, and confident. Continuing to push myself, but staying smart & remaining very focused..& HAPPY!

M-
Early am- 800 repeats w/ 400 recovers
Late am- ran up & down mountain with Brooklyn on my back. (She’s almost 4)
Afternoon-8mi technical trail
Pm- 1 set tabata intervals

T-
Early pm-14 mi technical trail
Late pm- 7.5 mi pave

W-
Am- tabata
Am-7mi tech trail pushing Brook(ouch)
Pm-400&800repeats, stadiums

T-
Early Am- 9.25mi progressive tempo, 100m repeats, stadiums
Early Am- tabata abs
Pm-6mi recovery
Pm- tabata burpees

F-
Early Am- 11.75mi paved, steady/ fast
Late Am- 5 mi stroller- route PR!
( hit 6min flat several times. I knew we were flying when brook shouted at the finish: “wow, mom! You won the 1 mile race! Great work!”:))
Noon- 2.6mi mountain run with brook on back..

Sa-
Pm- 15mi trail for speed (w/ Magnum!)

Su-
Am-10mi trail am
Early Pm- 3.75 with my lil bro!:)
Late Pm-7mi trail

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6/20 – taper

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view from yesterday’s night run^

Man… Yesterday’s runs were phenomenal. Gosh. Just pure running, thick with raw emotion. ..YOU KNOW..
Just one of THOSE days!! I’m such a woman. 🙂
I often feel thankful just to be running, feeling, enjoying…breathing. I spend a lot of time in deep prayer during my runs. Yesterday was no different. I started feeling really thankful that I broke away from pretty much everyone this year and started training exclusively. Before 2011 it was all about “what is everyone else doing?” and “I want to go too!” But not anymore..No social media, no wasted time, no communicating with rude people I don’t even care about just to save face, no FOLLOWING. More time with family, more time actually TALKING to friends instead of typing to them… much more time running. Like 25 hours a week running, where it used to be MAYBE 10. I simply just left everyone else & molded into myself. I stopped caring about what anyone else had to say about my running. That change in my life helped turn me into the runner I’ve always wanted to be. A better one. Sure maybe I still can’t race worth a flip.. But I actually can RUN fast for over 70miles. I never thought I could do that, because i never had the nerve to try it on my own! Anyway, yesterday’s highly emotional running was a great way to end my week & prep for another 100.:)

So this week is all about the intense taper. My body is used to the abuse (stacked speed work, 100 mile weeks, quadruple days, etc.) so I can handle it.

MON
10k pm, slow 5mi after
cardio XT

TUE
Slow 3mi AM, 5k pm
cardio XT

WED
6-8moderate
cardio XT

THUR
5k am

FRI
off

SAT
Race 100miles

SUN
shake out run

Any number with a K after it is done at threshold.

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6/6

This week was a family vacay, so it wasnt too terribly hard to ignore the urge to run. I will say my nights were riddled with crazy dreams, longing for a 20+, but I kept my cool. Walking over 20miles helped a little bit

Mon- 7mi speed. .75 on, .25 moderate300 rep core
Tue- Disney 12hrs walking. Umm dont shake your head, my legs hurt the next day!
Wed-4.5 tempo, 300 rep core
Fri- 5mi sprints 200 rep core
Sat- 10mi warmup, 5k, 10mi cooldown
Sun- 20 recovery pace, Xtrain

After this week, its back to increase in prep for Ft Clinch..Hoping for the best! Cant wait for 100#3

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5/30

“if I was a blade, I would shave you smooth.” love that song

This week is a low week, & strangely, I’m not looking forward to it. Since January, I haven’t done anything less than a 70 mile week. I find that when I get low in mileage, my mood greatly suffers aka everyone hates me! So a low week is not something I’m looking forward to. The intensity isn’t lowered at all this week, so that’s a positive I can be somewhat happy about. However, it’s hard to hammer your body when it’s supposed to be in rest mode. It’s a strange concept… One I’m supposed to be getting used to apparently. Also, I’m signed up to run Fort Clinch 100 benefitting The Endurance Trust on June 25. My training may take a turn, or it may not. I will have to get the input. I will definitely be RACING (as in against my own clock) versus just running it.. as I really need to destroy my body completely, and run it absolutely ragged. Looking forward to that awful pain.

Tues- 1.) 6mi bluegrass intervals 🙂
*music based fartlek. Easy pace until fiddle kicks in & switch up to 100% effort for the duration of it (You should feel lightheaded….& redneck.) majority of this was done on coosa- a steep mtn trail in north ga 2.) pack hiked majority of the day 3.) 30min recovery night run
Total -9mi running

Wednesday- 12mi trail, progressive. Increasing pace from easy start to 100% vo2 finish. Hit the technical hill repeat section of biking trail known as “monster mile” to drain out my legs (it worked).

Thursday- 16 miles on the toughest route around with 2 very fast girls. Trails and road. This one hurt pretty freaking bad.( I told beth I would take tmrw off so we can attack Saturday hard together, but I’ve gotta train my girls. Hopefully I can get more than 4 hours of sleep and maybe catch a nap! :))

Friday- 1.) stone mountain with kids in tow. I shouldn’t count this as a workout, because I didn’t break a sweat. It’s no longer even remotely hard to hike up with a 3 yr old on my back. However, I know I used my legs and it may or may not have any impact on my long run tmrw. 2.) 1 hr easy run without counting mileage.

Saturday- 30mi for speed-done in 4:10. Splits were in the 8’s first 15mi, 7s & 6s 15-25mi, last 5 high 8s and a few rogue 7s.
I couldn’t sleep a wink before the 30. literally did not even sleep for one minute. My whole body was burning with restlessness and anxiety. Sucked. I tossed and turned like crazy and finally decided to screw it & take it to the streets, logged a few miles.. not sure how many & did a workout. Thx bethP for meeting me for the first 20!

Sunday- 5mi recovery & vacation running coming up over the next few days. Heat training -yes.

So my off week was over 70miles packed into Monday- Saturday. Felt good and bad all at once .

But..you know..I’ll never get too sick of the pain. It’s a twisted sort of crazy & fierce love. So I’ll smile, and keep going. Always. 🙂

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5/23

With the sound advice and wisdom of some top notch trainers & coaches, my running has officially been revamped. I’m training towards a couple of goals.. My major goal is a good performance at a 24 hour race this year (“good” is all I’m saying). Keep track of my
training if you’re interested & see what happens.

*Monday- 1.)4:30am interval session
90 seconds @ 100% 2 min @ recovery pace- 3.5mi, 2.)evening 6mi tempo- warm up@recover pace, 5.5 mi race pace
300rep core training
Total 9.5mi

*Tuesday- 1.)maximum heartrate/ threshold training on mountain(2mi) with my 3.5 yr old on my back in a kelty pack & additional weight 2.) 5 mi @recovery pace (while pushing stroller) 3.) evening 8mi technical trail run @ recovery pace
200 rep core training
Total 15mi

*Wednesday- 1.)my DO WHAT I FEEL day 🙂 I chose a progressive tempo run. I started at a 9:45 pace and increased quickly to a 5:45 pace over the course of 3.5 miles. & a couple rounds of core work today not sure on the rep count- prob 200-250.
Total 3.5mi

*Thursday- 1.) 5am session training Traci. running supersetted with sets of high jump burpees for cardio and dead leg training. 4 mi/ 70 high jump burpees completed in 33min. 2.) 7mi trail run pushing stroller -1 hr 15min (youuch!)
3.)8mi technical trail run 1hr 12min
200 rep core training
Total 19mi

Weekend plans
Fri- Xtrain cardio
Sat-10mi w. Sarah@recovery 2mi trail hard
Sun-50mi for time

Got cali on my mind…..

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