WEEK 16: 32 Miles and some quality workouts and Amherst 5-miler

Previous week: 25 miles
Monday: spin + core
Tuesday: Track with Ramona, 6am

1200/5:31
800/3:43
400/1:55
400/1:45
800/3:45
1200/5:33
Equal distance active recovery in between- no walking; 8 miles overall

Wednesday: 30 min bike trainer; 20 minute run- we'll call it 2 miles; core
Thursday: AM:circuit madness + TM 1% @ 6.0; half-mile pickups at 7.2 x 4 +quarter-mile pickups at 7.5 x 4 = 55minutes for 6 miles;
PM: explore Pisgah- total awesomeness- I'll leave it at that :)
Friday: just off
Saturday: 10 miles rail-trail to Hinsdale; I was going to try to do a negative split but when i turned around I noticed the headwind! So was happy the second 5mi were within 10 seconds of the first 5 miles. 8:40pace/87minutes; Felt great- didn't even think about the achilles. AND my water bottle didn't get stolen!!!  I did hide it better- almost ran past it myself.
Sunday: Amherst 5 miler with 2 mile warmup; 39:09/7:49 pace; pretty hilly/windy as the splits show, but a good run for being tired from the tempo run saturday. 8:11/7:28/8:19/7:23/7:46 Had a side-stitch miles 4-5 which is a bummer because the last 1/2 miles is completely downhill- should've cruised.
This week: 32 miles

Game on.  It's a process and I love it....

WEEK 15: 25 miles and finally some trails

Previous week: 5.5 miles
Monday: spin + core + short elliptical; still feeling good- optimism is creeping in...
Tuesday: Rail-trail to Reservoir Rd, about 6 miles; gets sore but manageable as long as I keep it short....treatment tomorrow and stick to every other day until it decides that I will win....
Wednesday:circuit madness + TM (8 x 30:60sec /7.5:6.0) + 10 minute accelration run 6.8 - 7.5 (2 min increases); Total 3 miles. Feel good- getting excited, but guarded- not sore during run but sore to the touch afterward for sure...
Thursday: Kinda lethargic...bummer because it looks like the last nice day for awhile! 4 miles railtrail- blah and a little ankle annoyance; Tried to regroup for spin class, but again lethargic. Maybe a day off tomorrow?
Friday: off; still not sleeping well
Saturday: 1mi TM - Plyopower class 45min- 3mi TM with hills; 4mi TM Total....FEEL GOOD! Sore to touch but nothing a little ice won't take care of, that was a good workout and test. Trails with Ramona tomorrow 90 minutes! Lets hope this thing stays calm today- getting ice right now!
Sunday: RUN - Trails with Ramona, 90 minutes- we'll call it a nice slow 8 miles.
This week: 25

I'm back.

The bursitis has decided to go away- mostly.  Still get a little sore but ice and a nights rest is all it needs to be calm for the next days run! WOO-HOO!  I was getting pretty stressed.  So time to stop thinking about the time lost and move forward. 

Saturday and Sunday were definitely good tests for it- both 90 minute workouts.  Got to do a plyopower class for the first time in 5 weeks- felt good and not as hard to get back into as I thought it would be.  Did 1 mile on the treadmill before class and 3 miles afterward - most at 8:30 pace- added some hills in the 3 miles.  Felt really good and wouldve done more had I not been so hungry. 

Sunday, 90 minutes with Ramona up in Keene on Drummer Hill....FUN!  We chatted the entire time and just took it real easy.  Exactly what I wanted to do to test out the ankle and the new trail sneakers. She was doing a recovery run so it was a perfect match- she will be a great running partner!  Oddly, I was getting a little motion sick...I hope that wears off after a couple more runs.  The sneakers felt good once I had them tied tight enough.  Can't wait to explore Pisgah St. Park near my house and start adding some higher intensity workouts this week.  Yippee!  It's a process...and I love it!

WEEK 14: 5.5 miles; not much but it's something!

Previous week: zero miles and bursitis
Monday: spin + core; LOSING MY GOOD ATTITUDE! :(
Tuesday: Circuit Madness with elliptical; perhaps some improvement in the ankle???? I won't get too excited yet.
Wednesday: spin + elliptical + core; I think it really is getting better! Maybe a little run tomorrow?!?!? I'm so excited!
Thursday: spin + elliptical + 1 MILE TREADMILL!!!! A little sore still but it didn't get worse even after Spin class.....might be making some headway....
Friday: Spin + core + 1.5 miles Treadmill - no good. Bursitis blew up- i might lose my cool... iontophoresis treatment at KSC
Saturday: IONTO WORKS???? Feel good, but I"m cautious- will test it out tomorrow....Spin + circuit madness with elliptical
Sunday: rail-trail????? Yep- 3 miles of bliss....
This week: 5.5

So a tough week emotionally!  I was really going to lose it when my attempts on thursday and friday failed.  I freaked out to Dr. Swiger at KSC (and anyone that would listen really) and she suggested iontophoresis...I always thought this was a bogus treatment but I was going to try anything at that point, so they hooked me up.  Burnt my skin a little and didn't feel much different right away.  I went to work that afternoon and we had a track meet....I ran from the track to my office for something without thinking and realized it didn't hurt to run!  Un-freaking-believeable.  I woke up satruday and same thing - no pain with walking or a couple steps of running.  I stuck to my plan of spin and circuit to see if that would irritate it...nope....treated with ultrasound and ice anyway.  Hmmm.  Decided I would test it out on the rail trail today...about 3 miles of bliss (and it's been a long while since I've experienced bliss believe me! ;))  No pain and I even stopped to walk and assess every so often. I could "feel" it, but I wouldn't call it pain.  So I cut it off at 3 miles and am icing now.  The guy down the road yells from his porch "Where you been? I thought you moved!"  HAHA Kinda funny and a tad creepy at the same time! Anyway, will ask for another iontophoresis treatment tomorrow and maybe wednesday and go from there!  Maybe a little further on the rail trail tuesday!?!?  I can only hope!  The kids at school will be as excited as I am in the progress... I may have been a teeny bit crabby last week! :)

What have I learned from this minor blip in my training called "bursitis"? First, the runner in me is way more difficult and IRRATIONAL than the athletic trainer- but both are pretty damn stubborn. Second, injuries will heal- especially ridiculous ones like this one, even on me...you'd think I would have a grasp on that considering I get athletes back on the playing field every week!  But again, the irrational runner prevailed.  Third, with all the time not spent out on the roads I have rekindled my love of the kitchen and cooking!  Homemade Marinara on the stove now and meatballs chillen in the frig!  Also made some breakfast bars and marathon cookies that aren't half bad.  Oh and a chicken, qunioa, and olive salad (with artichoke, tomato, spinach) (Mmmmm)...took that one to a get together last night and have a teeny bit left for my lunch.  So I will get back to cooking more often- it calms me- will need to make some "recovery Chili" when i finally get to run some races anyway.

I am looking forward to getting back in gear and getting on the trails!  At least I got to keep my fitness and strength up so I am not starting totally from scratch...like I did in January!  Not sure about my next race- have to see how it goes.  Would like to do something before I go home for the trail race in NY on May 8th, but we'll see..  I have to take it slow this week and not get ahead of myself ...I can definitely feel it now that I've run, whereas this morning there was nothing, so steady as she goes....I think I'll celebrate with a beer - Harpoon UFO White- PERFECT!  Don't I sound calm and collected?  It's a process, almost back on track, and I love it....

WEEK 13: ZERO miles and stubborn bursitis

Previous week: zero miles and bursitis

Monday: spin + core
Tuesday: circuit madness + elliptical x 60min; actually worked up a sweat on the elliptical!
Wednesday: spin + elliptical; back into the walking boot in between workouts- just not getting better, I was wrong yesterday. Progress in that it does calm down overnight, but not enough to run- shut her down until sunday! DRATS!
Thursday: spin + elliptical (NO RUN); Good workouts, but not sure how they will transfer to trail running! "Speed intervals" on the elliptical are kinda wonky. Good spin class, but I stayed seated the whole time so as to not irritate the ever-ruling bursitis- I hope that's really all it is. Trying not to get really freaked out, but I had hoped to be running by today- it's SO nice out!
Friday: core; gave up on being ready for the trail race as the bursitis is "better" but hurts walking today.
Saturday: spin + ellipitical + pout about not being able to run inthe great weather!
Sunday: short circuit madness+ more pouting
miles this week: 0

So another week without a single mile.  Trying not to freak out but it is getting harder to not be anxious. The bursitis is definitely calmed down for walking and stairs, but not for running at all- not even a step.  Am I really one of the 3% of people that doesn't respond to cortisone? Really?!? And such a stupid "injury", but it completely shuts me down!

I did get some cross training in all week and lots of strength and core.  Backed out of the Merrimack Trail race :( so my trail running race debut will be in NY in May...assuming I can get back at it soon!!!!!  Will have Dr. Shafer check on my ankle on tuesday- could be another week?!?  Ugh I don't know if I can handle it. I guess I should figure out some trails and routes for next week?  That'll be fun if I can actually use them!