tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54269395360759159162024-03-21T22:30:37.322-07:00 Kim is Obsessed{kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-58747705839312809192017-09-10T16:45:00.001-07:002017-09-10T19:34:50.292-07:00Big Cottonwood 2017 Marathon Race RecapI wanted to train for a marathon during the summer (instead of the wainter like my last 5 marathons) and felt so strong after the Phoenix Marathon that I really wanted to go for a big PR. The Big Cottonwood Marathon was the perfect choice-fast course, early September, not too far away from home so I signed up in April and started training in the middle of May. <br />
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I had previously used Hansons Marathon Method beginner plan and had such great success with it that it was only obvious that I use the advanced plan this time around. It really wasn't much different from the beginner, except the recovery runs tacked on a few extra miles. <br />
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I used the goal finish time of 3:25 to determine the pace of my training runs. I knew this was a lofty goal, but I felt up to the challenge. I'd say I hit all of my paces, although they never quite felt comfortable. I only missed a handful of easy runs, like when we were at Lake Powell for a few days or when we went to Roosevelt. <br />
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The week before the race was uneventful. I did a few easy runs and was feeling good. I looked up race reviews from previous years and was starting to get a little freaked out about the downhill, but there was nothing I could do about it now. <br />
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I was planning to drive to SLC by myself, but Steve was adamant that he was going to drive me. I was so thankful he was there for me. I don't think I would have finished if it weren't for him being at the finish line waiting for me. And I definitely would have struggled driving home by myself. <br />
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On Friday, we got to SLC around 4:30 and went straight to the packet pick up. Then, we headed to the hotel and laid everything out, and went to dinner at a Cafe Rio nearby. We also had to stop at Target for a few last minute things and were back at the hotel by 8 and asleep by 9:30. I actually slept really well considering it was the night before a big race. <br />
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My alarm went off at 3:41 and I got dressed, put in my contacts, and was out the door by 3:50 so Steve could sleep. In the lobby I drank some water with nuun, and ate my usual Starbucks banana nut bread. At 4:15 I headed outside to meet the bus in the parking lot. On the bus ride up, I slowly ate my banana and talked with some other ladies about the race (what else?!). As soon as we got to the top, I used the porta potty right away and then sat in my blanket and tried to stay warm. I was actually expecting it to be colder since we were 8,000 ft up, but it wasn't too bad. The whole time I kept sipping on my water with nuun, and around 6 I got back in line for the porta potties. This line took a lot longer so at 6:15 I started to drink my UCAN while in line. Once I used the bathroom, I took off my sweats and sweatshirt, loaded up my gels, iPod, and headphones, and dropped my gear bag off. Then I sat by the start line and had about 5 minutes til the start. I started to feel like I needed to go pee again, but I didn't think I had time with how long the lines were. I couldn't take it anymore and went back to the porta potties. Luckily the lines were short, only 2 people in front of me, so I was back at the start right on time. <br />
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I didn't see any pacers cause I was towards the back so I wasn't really sure how to pace myself. I've always heard, "Don't start out too fast!" so I really tried to hold back that first mile even though it was STEEP. My watch beeped at 8:03 and I knew that wasn't good. I was hoping to stay under 8:00 for all 26 miles. Looking back, that should have been my fastest mile. By the end of mile 2, my calves were not happy. They were already feeling the strain of the downhill and cramping up. At mile 3 there was a pretty big uphill and flat section so I knew that would be a slower mile. I was passing a lot of people on this one as there were a lot people walking. <br />
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Around mile 4 I started to get really uncomfortable because I had to pee so badly! I couldn't believe it as I had used the porta potty 3 times before the race. It's normal to feel like I have to go at the beginning of a run, but that usually goes away pretty quickly and I don't even need to go until an hour or so AFTER I've finished the run. But this was just getting worse and worse. I even considered peeing my pants because I didn't want to lose any time, but it's a lot harder to pee while you're running than you might think. Between miles 6-7 I sipped on my first GU and took some water, hoping to get my mind off my bladder. However, when I passed mile 9, I noticed we were at the start line for the half marathon. There were tons of empty porta potties so I did something I've never done in a marathon before. I ran off the course and used it. I probably lost about 1:30 off my time but it was so worth it! I peed a ton and felt so much better after that. <br />
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Finally I was settling into a groove. I had my audiobook going, The Champions Mind, and was feeling good. For the first time this race, I felt like I might actually make my goal of sub 3:30. Most of my miles at this point were around the 7:40s and felt effortless. While my calves were still throbbing, I knew there was nothing I could do about it so I kept telling myself to Deal With It, a mantra I had just heard in my audiobook. <br />
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I took another gel around miles 11/12 and again at mile 17. At this time, I switched to music and tried to get pumped up for the hardest part of the race. I knew at mile 18 I would see Steve for the first time so I was really excited for that and spotted him right away with his Ohio State shirt! <br />
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somewhere around mile 21</div>
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Miles 18-22 were death. There were gradual rolling hills and we were not in the shade of the mountain anymore. It was hot, my legs were heavy and cramping, and it would have been so easy to just stop and walk. There were people everywhere stopping and stretching. I just put my head down and kept going. I took another gu at mile 20 and was getting a little nauseous. I tried to pass one person at a time and just focused on that. My paces were in the 8:30s and it felt so hard. I saw Steve again at mile 21 and he said I'm still on pace for a 3:25 finish. He ran with me for a second and it gave me a little boost to keep going strong. But at mile 22 I did something else that I had never done in a race before...walk. I was running up a hill and I was going so slow that I figured I could walk just as fast, so that's what I did. It lasted maybe 30 seconds, but it gave me the rest I needed to finish strong. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKzjNfPWul39xAZkt57TI-b9kmTQuxKE7nJ5DUyjAOuuj710mdF3zYSQm0tBi5i7qL_ETk1kLp-iKLrS5fRR8YivSsaoftIHYzWCGeErWNXkPGUPmbMrG-URQnUuYcJzuL08prttDWzAG/s1600/2017090995101801_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1465" data-original-width="1099" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKzjNfPWul39xAZkt57TI-b9kmTQuxKE7nJ5DUyjAOuuj710mdF3zYSQm0tBi5i7qL_ETk1kLp-iKLrS5fRR8YivSsaoftIHYzWCGeErWNXkPGUPmbMrG-URQnUuYcJzuL08prttDWzAG/s400/2017090995101801_2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out that form just seconds from the finish line! </td></tr>
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At mile 23 there was another uphill, but I actually went up it feeling strong. At mile 24 there was a big time downhill and I flew down it. My legs were hurting so badly, but I knew I was so close. I thought maybe I could still get my sub 3:30, but math is hard when you're delirious from running 25 miles. The last mile I passed a lot of people, and noticed a few others laying on the ground with medical help around them. I just kept thinking how mad Steve would be if I didn't at least PR so I ran as fast as my legs would take me. I finished in 3:31, a 3 min PR!!! <br />
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The best thing that ever happened was when they handed me an icy towel as soon as I crossed the finish line. It was amazing. I went over to Steve and started crying and laughing. I was happy to be done and have a new PR, but I was hurting all over and a little sad from missing my goal of sub 3:30. <br />
My calves were crippled at this point and I literally couldn't walk, but otherwise I felt totally fine. I didn't have an appetite for anything other than cold water, so we left right away. We went back to the hotel, showered, and left for the long drive home. I'm sure sitting in the car for 8 hourse was the worst thing to do after a marathon, but I just wanted to see my kids and sleep in my own bed. <br />
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While I was in the race, I was thinking about how miserable I was and that I didn't want to run any more marathons. But here I am now thinking about which race I want to do next and how much fun running marathons is. We runners are funny people! <br />
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A few things to celebrate from this race:<br />
<ul>
<li>No injuries, besides being very sore, not even a single toe nail is gone!</li>
<li>Never hit a wall, nutrition was on point.</li>
<li>Qualified for Boston by 9 minutes!</li>
</ul>
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A few things to learn from this race:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Prepare for the race you are training for! If your race has 18 miles of downhills and 5,000 ft of descent, you should probably do a few downhill runs to prepare. </li>
<li>Stop drinking water an hour before the race begins</li>
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{kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-78397154780318367722017-02-27T18:41:00.000-08:002017-02-27T18:41:16.326-08:00Phoenix Marathon 2017 Race RecapAlthough I've run 4 marathons, this was the first time I was trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I knew I would have to beat my previous PR of 3:54 by over 14 minutes. Right away I decided to use Hansons Marathon Method for my training. I had read about it a few years ago and fell in love with it, but I wasn't quite ready to try the high mileage weeks it demanded with my young family. Now that my kids were older, this was the perfect time to try it. <br />
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Even though the 18 week training plan officially started on October 26th, I really started building a good base in August. I wanted to get my body used to running 6 days a week.<br />
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I was laser focused and disciplined all through training. I literally followed the training plan to a tee, including both distance and pace. I only missed 3 runs (all easy recovery runs) due to strep throat in January. <br />
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The week before the marathon was rough. I was so excited, but also nervous and began to let doubts creep in. I could hardly run even a few miles cause I felt so sluggish. I kept giving myself pep talks and read every motivational thing I could. I even listened to the audio book Elite Minds on my drive to Phoenix and got some good advice. <br />
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I met Moni, Larissa, and Christie at Olive Garden for our pre race dinner. FYI my pesto is waaaay better than Olive Garden's. <br />
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After dinner I went straight to the hotel, made sure my race stuff was ready, and watched netflix. Lights out around 9:30, but to be honest I don't think I slept much. I woke up around 2:30 and couldn't fall back asleep so I finally got out of bed at 3:05 and drank some warm lemon water (my morning ritual). Then I slowly got dressed, ate my banana nut loaf, and drank a water bottle full of nuun. I finally left the hotel around 3:50, which I'm glad I did because the freeway on ramp was closed so I had to drive through main streets all the way to the race. <br />
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On the bus ride to the start line I ate half of my banana. I got to the start area at Usery Mountain around 5:15 and went straight for the porta potties since there was no line. Then I huddled around a fire pit with some random people and talked about running (what else?!) and finished my banana. After one last stop at the porta potties, I dropped off my gear bag and headed to the start line. Right away I found the 3:35 pacer and stood a little ways back from that pack. I didn't want to run with a big group of people, but knew I needed to keep the pacer in my sight at all times. I also did something I had never done before...I ate one of my gels right before the race started. I was feeling hungry and it had been awhile since my breakfast so I figured, why not? <br />
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The first few miles are downhill so I wanted my pace to be effortless. I started my audio book (Elite Minds) and just tried to think that this was no big deal, just another long run. I stayed right behind the 3:35 pace group and didn't even check my mile splits. After 1 mile I threw my long sleeve shirt off and dropped my gloves. Things were starting to heat up! <br />
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Miles 5 and 6 are a pretty significant hill, more so than I remember from last time. I definitely felt like I was working harder now, but I knew it wouldn't last long so I didn't let myself get psyched out. Although the 3:35 pace group had gotten a ways ahead of me, I could still clearly see them. Right on track. I had my second gel at the top of this hill, around 45 minutes in. <br />
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Finally the course started going downhill again and I got back into my groove. I was pretty close to the pace group at this point and just litening to my audiobook. I wasn't checking my watch at all yet. I was focusing on taking in a gel every 30 minutes, so I took a third one around mile 10/11. <br />
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When I got to the half marathon start, I rewarded myself with music and another gel. I also checked my watch and saw that I was at 1:47. A little faster than I had thought I could do, but nothing to worry about. I still felt really good at this point. <br />
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I don't remember much along the next few miles, except that I was happy. I kept smiling and picturing myself crossing the finish line with a BQ. At mile 16 I started the countdown for how many miles left. I thought about all the training runs I had done around 10 miles and knew that I could do this. <br />
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I continued to take a gel every 30 minutes, and also got water at every aid station (every odd mile). I think I took Gatorade a few times, but mostly stuck with water. <br />
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Miles 21, 22, and 23 were my hardest. I could feel myself starting to slow down, and usually I would just give in at this point and let myself. However, this time I kept talking to myself and refused to give in. I saw a lady run past me who had good running form. I told myself I was going to stay right with her, and I did. I talked to her a little and we kept encouraging each other. I used the beat from the music and the thought of crossing the finish line keep pushing me forward. Surprisingly, I wasn't in any pain (besides the usual fatigue/discomfort from running 26 miles) and felt pretty good. <br />
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At mile 24 I started to pick up the pace because I knew I was going to meet my goal, possibly even better than I imagined. I couldn't believe it, but in the last mile I passed so many people I had seen at the beginning of the race who I thought I could never catch up to. When I turned the corner and started coming down the last stretch, I saw my sisters waving and jumping up and down. I yelled to them, "I'm going to do it!" and got a little teary eyed. I ran as fast as I could until the finish line and threw my arms into the air. I was smiling and sobbing at the same time. I did it. I freaking did it. <br />
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3:34:59. A 20 minute PR, and qualified for Boston!!!!!!!!</div>
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<br />{kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-16886673832214764132016-01-30T18:50:00.002-08:002016-01-30T18:50:24.051-08:00Desert Classic Marathon Race RecapAfter 12 half marathons in 12 months, what better way to celebrate than with a full marathon?<br />
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I wanted to do one in January, and the Desert Classic Marathon was the only one on a Saturday. This didn't give me time to properly train for a full, which is usually 16 weeks, but since I had just been doing half marathons I figured I was in pretty good shape. I also didn't want to run too much and get injured. I was trying to keep it low key and relaxed.<br />
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The Saturday after Christmas I did a 14 mile run, the following Saturday a 12 mile run, then 18, 14, and finally 9.5 the Saturday before the race. I only ran once during race week, a 4 mile easy run, with the middle two miles at tempo pace (7:40ish).<br />
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I took Friday off work and drove to Gilbert. After running a few errands I got takeout out from Cheesecake Factory and settled in for the night. <br />
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My alarm went off at 4:41 so I quickly dressed, ate my banana nut bread from Starbucks, and got in the car. The race was in west Phoenix (aka Los Angeles) with a 7 am start time. It took an hour to drive there! I ate my banana and drank a Nuun on the way.<br />
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I got registered, used the porta potty, and waited for the start. It was cold, but I tried to enjoy how it felt cause I knew it was going to heat up during the race. <br />
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Miles 1-13 were easy and uneventful. Which was a good thing. I kept my pace around 8:40 and listened to my audiobook. I took in a GU at mile 6 and 12, along with water from every aid station. I tried to keep my mind from the reality that I had to run 26.2 miles and just pretended I was on a training run. It felt like a LOT of the run was uphill so once I hit the turnaround at 13.1, I was ready for some relief. It never came. As soon as we turned I was surprised at the strong headwind I had to run into for the last 13.1 miles.<br />
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Miles 14-26 were somehow ALL uphill. Or at least they felt like it. Between that and the headwind, my pace really took a dump. I was pretty consistently between 9:00 and 9:20 now, so I knew my goal of 3:49 was out of reach. I took anther GU at mile 18 and got water and Gatorade from the aid stations. I also switched from my audiobook to music at this point for some motivation. I repeated the mantra "I can do hard things" about a thousand times during these miles. No joke. <br />
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My right foot was hurting pretty badly by this point (although not as bad as during the Phoenix Marathon). My right IT band was also really starting to feel it, which is weird cause I have never had problems with that side before. I'm guessing it was from changing my gait to compensate for my foot? I took in my last GU around mile 23, but really only ate half of it. I was feeling good and didn't want to make myself nauseous. I also started dumping water on my head, back, and chest. I've never been so happy to see a finish line before that I actually "sprinted" in!<br />
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A 5 minute PR of 3:54:09!<br />
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The good news is I never hit a wall or felt hungry/or weak because my fuel was spot on. I had three goals going into the race. My A goal was 3:49 (which I think I could have done on a flat course with no headwind). My B goal was 3:55, and my C goal was to finish with no injuries. Considering I only did one long run of 18 miles, I'll happily take my B goal! <br />
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The bad news is I can hardly walk, between my right IT band and a few toenails, which I'm afraid are goners. <br />
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But it was so worth it!<br />
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<br />{kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-32806853734674529332014-03-07T16:47:00.000-08:002014-03-07T16:47:04.921-08:00Stress Reaction<strong>The Diagnosis</strong><br />
After 5 weeks, 4 doctors, 3 x rays, and 1 MRI, the results are in. They are determining my injury a "stress reaction". Basically, the radiologist and 2 foot specialists reviewed the MRI and couldn't find an exact fracture site, just an area in the 4th and 5th metatarsals that had some edema, inflammation, and trauma. If I continued running on it, eventually I would have a fracture in the bone. <br />
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<strong>The Treatment</strong><br />
I'm supposed to stay off my foot for a week or so, and use crutches or a walking boot. It could take 6 days to heal, it could take 6 months to heal. I'm allowed, and encouraged, to cross train. Then, when I don't have pain walking in my normal shoes for a week or so, I can slowly start adding in running. <br />
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<strong>The Cause</strong><br />
The foot specialist says he doesn't know what caused it. I would love to know the reason so I know how to prevent it in the future. Since my training has been legit (NOT too much, too soon) and my diet is healthy and well-balanced, the dr speculates that when I had the pain in the ball of my foot, I may have altered my gait. This may have put undue stress on the outside of my foot, hence my 4th and 5th metatarsals. <br />
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<strong>The Good</strong><br />
It is encouraging that there isn't a broken bone. Which means it should heal faster than a normal stress fracture (6 weeks). I've also been running for 33.5 years without ANY type of foot pain or injury. Hopefully this is a one-time fluke and not a regular occurrence. <br />
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<strong>The Bad</strong><br />
As previously stated, the doctors and myself don't really know exactly what "this" is, and what caused it. Therefore, it's hard to prevent it from happening again. {kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-42961282357277026012014-03-03T12:34:00.000-08:002014-03-05T07:51:46.255-08:00Phoenix Marathon Race RecapMarathon #3 is in the books. <br />
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After my foot scare and getting the green light to run, the big worry going into race day was the weather. All along we had planned on running in sun and heat. Two storms were headed our way though and there was a 100 percent chance of rain for the Valley of the Sun. And 15 mph winds. I was pretty nervous, but then remembered that we have done all of our training in northern Arizona, where wind is an everyday occurrence. And, who can forget when we ran 12 miles in the freezing, pouring rain on the day of the Christmas Parade?<br />
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The night before was very uneventful; drove to Phoenix, made a quick stop at the expo, carbo loaded at Olive Garden, went to the Gilbert house and laid out race stuff, and in bed by 8:30. I think I slept pretty good until 2:30. Then I was tossing and turning until my alarm went off at 3:45. We left the house at 4:15 in time to get on the bus that takes all the runners to the start line at Usery Mountain Pass.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRgyTQI1_cAyL_8nd8NAaAaEdeb1kAWM-q3xVSsjZrK_AcVxGJjs0tK4xS2WA70fC8fy2s63l2rvBg6VRDnv3B7Xs-zfEjFPcH2rvMkS8yGpM4cUBCzpUX6SQ9X9CGo9SaEAvk6G8J2pd/s1600/imagesCAGW7BZ8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRgyTQI1_cAyL_8nd8NAaAaEdeb1kAWM-q3xVSsjZrK_AcVxGJjs0tK4xS2WA70fC8fy2s63l2rvBg6VRDnv3B7Xs-zfEjFPcH2rvMkS8yGpM4cUBCzpUX6SQ9X9CGo9SaEAvk6G8J2pd/s1600/imagesCAGW7BZ8.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Usery Mountains photo courtesy Arizona Oddities</td></tr>
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As the full marathon runners were loading the buses, some guy asked, "Is this the the bus for the fun run?". Then as we were getting off in the middle of nowhere in the dark and wind, another guy said, "Are we at six flags?" We had a few good laughs and lightened up a bit after that. On the twenty minute ride to the start I ate my banana bread and banana and drank a bottle of water. We hit up the port-a-potties right away, then found a place to sit down to get our wardrobe and gadgets finalized.<br />
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At this point it started to rain! We dropped our gear bags off, put on our trash bag ponchos, visited the port-a-potties one last time, and made our way to the start line. Just as we found the 3:45 pacer the cannons shot off and the race started. <br />
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<strong>Miles 1-4</strong> were downhill and easy peasy. I said adios to Larissa after the first mile and settled in with the 3:45 pace group. It rained for about the first 20 minutes, but I didn't mind. It was a nice distraction.<br />
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<strong>Miles 5-6</strong> were uphill, but I stayed on with my pace group and had a GU. I couldn't believe how fast it was going by. <br />
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<strong>Miles 7-10</strong> I was loving life! I was so happy to be running and felt great. I ate half of my PowerBar and was still with the 3:45 pace group.<br />
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<strong>Miles 11-15</strong> I started noticing some ball of foot pain and it was getting uncomfortable to run. Not good. As I passed the half marathon point I checked my watch, 1:51. Not bad! I finished my PowerBar and hoped the pain would go away like it did on my 20 miler a few weeks ago.<br />
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<strong>Miles 16-20 </strong>were into a headwind and now the top of my foot started hurting too. I took another GU and knew my goal time of 3:45 was slipping away. <br />
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<strong>Miles 21-25</strong> I was miserable, wincing, and limping. I promised I would drop out as soon as I saw Jason or a medical tent. But I saw neither and I didn't have a cell phone with me so I just kept trudging along. I alternated between walking and jogging. <br />
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<strong>Mile 26</strong> I was in a sad and pitiful state, but when the 4:00 pace group came up behind me I said, "Oh heck no, not again!" and started running as fast as I could all the way to the finish line. <br />
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I finished in 3:58.<br />
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I walked around the finishing line looking for medical help or Larissa, but could find neither so I did the worst possible thing for my muscles and sat down in a chair. When I took off my shoe and saw what I had done, I started sobbing. </div>
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Just then Larissa walked up to me and immediately left to get medical help. The people all around me were freaking out that my foot was broken and offered me ice and Advil. They brought me a wheelchair to get to the medical tent and that was the most embarrassing thing ever. How can I possibly run 26.2 miles but need a wheelchair to go 30 feet? A doctor examined my foot and recommended I get an x-ray. They gave me some ice and sent me on my way. </div>
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I wish I had a different ending to this story. My training partner (who did every single run with me for 18 weeks) ran a 3:34 and qualified for Boston; I limped across the finish line and may never run again. </div>
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{kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-48159993618140703112014-02-26T13:17:00.001-08:002014-02-26T13:17:29.952-08:00Best News EverTurns out it wasn't a stress fracture after all. <br />
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After a few days of wondering and thinking the worst, I couldn't stand it anymore so I went to a sports med doc. Luckily I got a physician who is a runner, and therefore sympathetic to runners. She spent lots of time asking questions and poking and prodding my feet. Then, she brought in another physician who did the same. He said that he was "reaching into the very bottom of his bag of tricks" but he thinks that somehow I got a broken blood vessel. That would explain the bruising and pain. A lot of the symptoms were similar to a stress fracture, but in my heart I just KNEW that I couldn't have a stress fracture. I have slowly and safely built up my mileage, I take rest days, cross train, and have a healthy diet. But I let negative thoughts and Google searches take over. I was convinced that I wouldn't be running the Phoenix Marathon, or even running at all for a few weeks. <br />
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The sports med docs suggested that I go for a test run and call them if there was any pain to schedule an MRI. It's amazing what some ice, elevation, and rest can do for an injury. I ran the happiest 4 miles of my life that night...PAIN FREE! <br />
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I learned a few things from this little experience.<br />
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<strong>1)</strong> <strong> Running is pretty important to me.</strong> I always knew I liked it, but when I thought I couldn't run I can't believe how devastated I was. This could be a good thing or a bad thing. <br />
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<strong>2)</strong> <strong>Don't believe everything you read on the Internet.</strong> Everyone has a running blog with their own story. Just because it happened to another runner doesn't mean it's going to happen to you the exact same way. <br />
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<strong>3)</strong> <strong>Hope for the best.</strong> When the podiatrist told me, "it could be a stress fracture...or a broken blood vessel", I only focused on the part about the stress fracture. I should have instead treated it like a broken blood vessel from the beginning. If that didn't heal, then I should have started considering a stress fracture. <br />
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I can't believe how grateful I am to be able to run 26.2 miles this week!<br />
{kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-67833277170390576282014-02-22T14:44:00.000-08:002014-02-22T14:45:06.629-08:004th Metatarsal Stress Fracture?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Things were going just as planned during the taper. I hadn't experienced any more ball of foot pain on any of our runs for the past two weeks. Tuesday morning I set out for a 3 mile tempo run. The pace was fast and easy, and I was well rested. </div>
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About a mile and a half into it, I felt a pretty strong pain in my foot. I want to say it was in the top and the bottom and just all around, but it's really hard to even describe where it was. It hurt bad enough that I considered stopping right there, but being a mile and a half from home I decided to keep running. I was slowing considerably and wincing by this point, and the pain certainly was not getting any better. Another mile into it and I couldn't go any longer. Unfortunately, at this point even walking hurt. I limped home and was making some moaning/crying sounds. As soon as I got in the house I took off my shoe and noticed some bruising on the top of my foot going into my 4th toe. Not to mention it hurt like heck. Not good. </div>
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This was the first time since I experienced ball of foot pain a few weeks ago that I wore my Newtons. I don't know if it has anything to do with it, but it seems like they put more pressure on the balls of your feet. Maybe not my smartest move regarding running shoes? </div>
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From my research on metatarsalgia, I knew that bruising on the top of the foot likely meant a stress fracture. I iced and elevated for the rest of the day and made an appointment with a podiatrist for the next day. I sent Larissa a text that said, "Have fun running the marathon by yourself." I don't think she believed how serious it was.</div>
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The xray didn't show any signs of a stress fracture, but the dr said it probably wouldn't show up for a few weeks when it starts to heal. (So what was the point of the xray?) He also said there was a small chance it could be from a broken blood vessel and that I could still run the marathon in ten days. </div>
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With how much pain I've been in, I highly doubt that. It's been a constant ache since it happened. </div>
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I'm supposed to take a test run in a few days to see if it hurts again, and honestly, I'm gun-shy and don't know if I even want to try. </div>
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{kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-9197147544527388902014-02-11T14:05:00.000-08:002014-02-11T14:05:13.746-08:00Injuries Make Me SadApparently I have metatarsalgia. It's a vague term that means the ball of your foot hurts. I first noticed it on a recovery run on a Thursday. Then on Friday we went to the Open House of the new LDS Gilbert Temple. <br />
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It was amazing, but I didn't do myself any favors by wearing high heels. We had to wait in line to get in and had to go on lots of stairs. That means there was a lot of time on my feet, with pressure right on the ball of my foot. I didn't notice any pain at the time, but the next morning at about 5 miles into our 12 mile long run, the ball of my foot started hurting. By the end it was excruciating and I could hardly walk into my house. Foot pain was something I wasn't familiar with, so naturally, I started Googling my symptoms. For the next few days I drove myself crazy trying to find a name for what I had. No luck. I ran on Tuesday and about 4 miles in it started hurting again. So I Googled some more and decided to skip my next two runs and in hopes that it would be better by Saturday. Just in time for a 20 miler. <br />
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I'm trying Dr. Scholl's Ball of Foot Pads for now. My foot hurt off and on for the first 5 miles but then seemed to do okay. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18O5j_9XDKjd2PZ13ESd83CBwte6WnMjRT9LGGF4bIWdmjJ_QVj7dpC9GXBj_ImdLmIz8jOzrOjcWGcGldghRRDwVCHEiY0Ke5x-HMuLGfE1WLRHHAnTfXIG1G1u0iRhIBKQ4LAX8lgKH/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18O5j_9XDKjd2PZ13ESd83CBwte6WnMjRT9LGGF4bIWdmjJ_QVj7dpC9GXBj_ImdLmIz8jOzrOjcWGcGldghRRDwVCHEiY0Ke5x-HMuLGfE1WLRHHAnTfXIG1G1u0iRhIBKQ4LAX8lgKH/s1600/image.jpg" height="200" width="118" /></a></div>
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And if that isn't enough to deal with 3 weeks before a marathon, might as well throw in some IT Band issues as well. Oh, and some shin splints. </div>
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I haven't had an IT band flare up in over a year so to say it took me by surprise on the 20 miler would be an understatement. I'm not too freaked out about it yet, because it was just one incident and I have been slacking on my IT band exercises. Luckily I came across this little <a href="http://strengthrunning.com/2011/02/the-itb-rehab-routine-video-demonstration/">gem</a> to help. </div>
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My left shin has been bothering me off and on since June. Again, I've been slacking on my regimen so I need to be diligent about doing that as well (things like rolling my foot on a golf ball, stretching my calves, wearing compression sleeves, ultrasound). </div>
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I don't know if this has any significance, but just before all of these injuries started popping up, I got new shoes. I researched for weeks and finally came to the conclusion that the Brooks PureFlow 3's were going to be my next marathon shoe. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0c7RIcOcX9gBFGvwzKeW10PVHC8TNawkN1caYU9pQnUJ4gWM2E8FuUx8Sj01todFNIk1iY6AB6YVBhozJqgyh89hrhvwwxQcdwX2x_jboT7O30hQaY472G-XUXgFOBwj8jnovuiTNejfn/s1600/imagesCA2AWNIZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0c7RIcOcX9gBFGvwzKeW10PVHC8TNawkN1caYU9pQnUJ4gWM2E8FuUx8Sj01todFNIk1iY6AB6YVBhozJqgyh89hrhvwwxQcdwX2x_jboT7O30hQaY472G-XUXgFOBwj8jnovuiTNejfn/s1600/imagesCA2AWNIZ.jpg" height="149" width="200" /></a></div>
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I wore them on a few easy runs first, and then the 12 mile run (where the metatarsalgia flared up) and the 20 mile run (where the IT band tightened up). Note that I did not wear them on my amazing 19 mile run. It could just be coincidence, but at this point I'm not interested in testing them out any further. My running store, RoadRunner Sports, has a "90 day wear them and exchange them" policy, so lucky me, I am returning them and getting what has worked for me in the past. Say hello to the Saucony Kinvara 4</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEr7-SGLda94d7TS2WnOFEnhDbZJcsh-FGNCJ9SWwD7uhl6wZffKAekVMB81SAXCy247VikQJtt93R9ndaHt3wgzQYsABffmHpACSoUE0AEll4YY86WQMMJEL875iHGLtcCAmC0c5MEkyh/s1600/imagesCAA13GDW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEr7-SGLda94d7TS2WnOFEnhDbZJcsh-FGNCJ9SWwD7uhl6wZffKAekVMB81SAXCy247VikQJtt93R9ndaHt3wgzQYsABffmHpACSoUE0AEll4YY86WQMMJEL875iHGLtcCAmC0c5MEkyh/s1600/imagesCAA13GDW.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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I don't know why I seem to get injured so much. I feel like I am doing things right (cross training, strength training, easy vs hard days, rotating shoes, and rest days) and yet I still get injured. Some things are just out of my control, but I am going to do what I can in these next 2 weeks to give my body the best shot at being healthy and rested for the marathon.</div>
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-rest and sleep more</div>
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-healthy, nutritious food (no processed sugar for the month of Feb.)</div>
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-it band and shin splint regimens</div>
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-trust in my training</div>
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{kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-75203405074914005852014-02-11T13:06:00.000-08:002014-02-11T13:08:59.992-08:00Phoenix Marathon Training Weeks 13-15Week 13 was easily one of the best weeks of running in my life. Weeks 14 and 15 were some of the worst. <br />
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Week 13 was exactly what I needed. I had so many doubts and questions about pace and times and heart rate and everything else that it was making me crazy. Then our 19 mile long run happened. I decided before the run I wouldn't check my watch throughout and that we would just run by feel. We ran four <5 mile loops around town and hid a water bottle and oranges in bushes. On our third lap around the water bottle was missing! I could have really used that Gatorade but knew it was a lost cause. Luckily the oranges were still there and provided enough juice to quench my thirst. At the end of the 19 miles I felt great; I never hit a wall and NOTHING on my body hurt! To top it off, I was pleasantly surprised to see that our average pace was 8:33. The only mile that was over 9 minutes was when we were searching for the missing water bottle. This run was a huge confidence booster for me. <br />
<br />
Then week 14 happened. On my easy, recovery run on Thursday I noticed the ball of my foot felt a little sore. Didn't think much of it, but by the time I was 5 miles into the long run on Saturday it flared up pretty badly. At the end of the 12 miles I could hardy walk into my house. I iced it and took a few days off and ran on the treadmill on Tuesday. The pain came back at about 4.5 miles. That's when I decided to skip Wednesday's tempo run and Thursday's easy run. I went to the pool instead, and even tried aqua jogging for the first time. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNR3B26K0F7f2-tQPAsmpBjnYiLi7_L7SxBbIH1ZHrOl-v2jsfCcN04a5axInWGps_PMMOvYDFVtzK3uOrHn4dwCOYMIx6vFY6vvGRmzAAFo3nDhwFffbb0mU5BPRgmqwc_Qa9cugB3Vq2/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNR3B26K0F7f2-tQPAsmpBjnYiLi7_L7SxBbIH1ZHrOl-v2jsfCcN04a5axInWGps_PMMOvYDFVtzK3uOrHn4dwCOYMIx6vFY6vvGRmzAAFo3nDhwFffbb0mU5BPRgmqwc_Qa9cugB3Vq2/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
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Then a PT friend helped me put these Ball of Foot Pads into the right place in my running shoes. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_f_HAJLOa4C8Ke13C1bIsMBbT2jjY7MhphatXT_BJ75bBOD9cTB4efqelDS8yyw_a_V5fRye3mRvw_rY_qb5RZj-tZN4y_0B5e0zVLgKNKX8mBbrwhnAeuPzsOM4uETa0k_EYZmq7gGTy/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_f_HAJLOa4C8Ke13C1bIsMBbT2jjY7MhphatXT_BJ75bBOD9cTB4efqelDS8yyw_a_V5fRye3mRvw_rY_qb5RZj-tZN4y_0B5e0zVLgKNKX8mBbrwhnAeuPzsOM4uETa0k_EYZmq7gGTy/s1600/image.jpg" height="200" width="118" /></a></div>
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Fresh off from a few days of not running and with some new pads in my shoes, I was ready for THE 20 MILE LONG RUN; the run that I have anticipated for the past 15 weeks. <br />
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<strong>The good:</strong> <br />
-perfect weather<br />
-new route (some minor hills, mostly on trails, new scenery)<br />
-fueling was spot-on (Gatorade in new handheld water bottle, ate about 3/4 of Power Bar)<br />
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<strong>The bad:</strong><br />
-ball of foot hurt off and on first 5 miles, but then went away. However, my feet were sore from the Ball of Foot Pads. Takes awhile to get used to them.<br />
-heart rate was high even though our pace was slower than usual. <br />
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<strong>The ugly:</strong><br />
-Left IT band flared up from miles 17-20. I stopped right away and stretched it and that seemed to help a little, but it was still excruciating.<br />
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How can I do a 19 mile run that seems so perfect (effortless, pain-free, low HR, fast pace) and then just two weeks later do a 20 mile run that is crap (hard, painful, high HR, slower pace)? <br />
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I'll never know the answer but I need to stop focusing on it. I am going to clear my mind and rest my body. <br />
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Let the taper begin! {kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-25724853381651253892014-01-18T14:00:00.000-08:002014-01-19T08:20:43.333-08:00Phoenix Marathon Training Weeks 9-12To run or not to run when you're sick? That is the question. <br />
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Training for a marathon in the winter, and living with 3 little germ magnets, is almost a guarantee that I'm going to get sick at some point during the 18 week program. That time came on Christmas Eve in the form of a sinus infection. I got home from my easy run, and later realized I had a fever and I couldn't stop sneezing. On Christmas day we had a 7 mile tempo run planned and I was pretty miserable, but being the Type-A person that I am, I couldn't bear to miss it. I did, however, agree to shorten it. We did 5 miles fast (7:45ish pace) and I felt okay, besides the heavy breathing and snot running down my face. By that night, the coughing started. I've always heard if you are sick above the neck, it's okay to run, but once it gets in the lungs you need to rest. So I abandoned my easy run for the following day and decided to rest. We had a half marathon scheduled for our long run in a few days and I was hopeful I would be well enough to do it. For the next 4 nights though, I was up all night coughing. I had no business running. Although it killed me to miss a long run, especially the one where we were going to test our marathon pace on a half marathon, I knew it would be better in the long run (no pun intended!) to rest. I would rather miss a few runs and let my body get better, than to keep running sick and end up missing even more. While at the time it sucked to miss a few runs, looking back I am glad I did.<br />
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The week after Christmas we went to Colorado Springs to visit some friends. After taking a few days off, I was itching to run again. Especially on the beautiful trails that I had heard so much about. They definitely lived up to the hype. I did an easy run in Cheyenne Mountain State Park, a tempo run on a trail along a creek, and another easy run on the same creek trail but at a different spot. It was nice to see some different scenery. <br />
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Our long runs have gone up to 17 and 18 miles. We usually do them at a pretty comfortable pace, going off of heart rate. However, last week I had a little moment of panic about how slow we were doing them. How can we possibly expect to run a marathon at an 8:30ish pace when our long runs are done a minute slower than that??? Our tempo runs have been solid at a 7:35ish pace, but the longest tempo run is only 8 miles. So we had the genius idea to ignore both pace and heart rate and just run at a pretty solid effort for our 18 mile long run. I didn't look at my watch at any time, and the whole 18 miles felt hard. At the end, I was a little disappointed to see that our average pace was only 8:45. The first 9 miles were 8:20-8:30, and the last 9 miles were 8:50-9:15. For how hard it felt and how spent I was at the end, I thought our pace should have been faster. But I did learn that it's not smart to do long runs at a fast pace, at least without building up to it first. There's a reason most training plans tell you to do them slow and steady. I think from now on we will start out slow (going by heart rate) and then add a few miles in at marathon pace. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlF-nShtG-h-Ls6wKwl9paCIpa34a_g_esmO01-ETzc3AXImqbxfyStrtvzVU3F-4xvS7HiIv4lLdpHoBhCSVFndM3x1-tGMNoa0V69VOs14yre5Z45PNFPSEOWp1_q-MkTmZQldfTZSa/s1600/20140107_172416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlF-nShtG-h-Ls6wKwl9paCIpa34a_g_esmO01-ETzc3AXImqbxfyStrtvzVU3F-4xvS7HiIv4lLdpHoBhCSVFndM3x1-tGMNoa0V69VOs14yre5Z45PNFPSEOWp1_q-MkTmZQldfTZSa/s1600/20140107_172416.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From our 8 mile tempo run.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Although we won't do our longest run of 20 miles for a few more weeks, we did reach our highest mileage week of the training plan at 36 miles. And we did it like champs, even adding in weights and yoga on the off days. <br />
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Barring some unforeseen disaster, we will continue to improve and finish this training strong. Only 5 long runs left until race day! I even had my first marathon dream, and it was a doozy. I went into labor the night before the race and still wanted to run it. I would love to know the interpretation of that dream.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieFHuYzjA8Svva8f_6mbxW8NaQGk4dc2jOGLkZ2PR63zoJRl36GJa_qrpeqc3TbRMiywEGDvZIJ74hTTFPiVnch9JUqvzlzkAmzpTZRwAzgC4OGIDf0lGTP0_AbPsuYM6Sn2QqziVvVSAf/s1600/20140118_134044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieFHuYzjA8Svva8f_6mbxW8NaQGk4dc2jOGLkZ2PR63zoJRl36GJa_qrpeqc3TbRMiywEGDvZIJ74hTTFPiVnch9JUqvzlzkAmzpTZRwAzgC4OGIDf0lGTP0_AbPsuYM6Sn2QqziVvVSAf/s1600/20140118_134044.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After 13.1 mile long run. Always happy to see these guys.</td></tr>
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{kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-35197274728728272992014-01-04T16:05:00.001-08:002014-01-04T16:09:52.970-08:00New Year, New Goals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
For 2013 I had 3 goals: </div>
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1. Run a sub 4 hour marathon<br />
2. Enter a half marathon<br />
3. Complete P90X2<br />
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So, how'd I do?<br />
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1. Missed it by 26 seconds.<br />
2. Did the <a href="http://kimisobsessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/bucket-of-blood-half-marathon.html">Bucket of Blood Half Marathon</a>, but it was a trail one so I didn't get the time I was hoping for.<br />
3. Nailed it. <br />
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For 2014 I am not going to set any goals yet besides getting that sub 4 hour marathon I have been chasing for two years. I have a few things in mind, but nothing that I am ready to commit to right now. I would like to do a road half marathon and see what kind of time I could get. I may or may not do another triathlon. Some days I say I am done with triathlons, and other days I feel like I want to keep trying them. I will also keep doing yoga and strength training. <br />
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Right now my focus is on training for the Phoenix Marathon. Depending on how I do on March 1st, I will reevaluate my focus and see what goal I feel like doing next. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPHao7CxWN3bD6E2zH9AyLSt8CGrqFgv7ZZ-UsbwH6H7sQ1fTnf75BXzy5v-R7-HHdE_utw2Iei_j4rei4C7sG4KWOvcVlxMTeNnPMA0N1IDM2Ayq24jR3P3Th2rbYRy3OvNvnSKrvnaQT/s1600/imagesCAIF40BG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPHao7CxWN3bD6E2zH9AyLSt8CGrqFgv7ZZ-UsbwH6H7sQ1fTnf75BXzy5v-R7-HHdE_utw2Iei_j4rei4C7sG4KWOvcVlxMTeNnPMA0N1IDM2Ayq24jR3P3Th2rbYRy3OvNvnSKrvnaQT/s320/imagesCAIF40BG.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
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{kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-91915549393700793252013-12-19T11:09:00.000-08:002013-12-19T11:26:53.547-08:00Phoenix Marathon Training Weeks 5-8This past month of training has flown by and the miles are adding up! <br />
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A few things of note: <br />
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-I got bit by a dog in the butt, and I have the bruise to prove it. Luckily it didn't break the skin. <br />
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-I ran in single digit temps and legitimately thought my lips would have frostbite by the time I was done. Exactly one week later I ran in shorts and a t-shirt. <br />
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-I finally caved and bought a handheld water bottle for long runs. I REFUSE to wear a fuel belt, and in the past we would go drop a few water bottles along our route but that got annoying. I've only used it once, but so far I really like it. I can't believe how comfortable and easy it is to hold while running. Hopefully it stays that way. <br />
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<a class="irc_mutl" data-ved="0CAUQjRw" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=handheld+amphipod&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=HlTj6BLMTJyi7M&tbnid=aEdz6DVyObEWbM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rei.com%2Fproduct%2F813478%2Famphipod-hydraform-handheld-thermal-lite-bottle-with-pocket&ei=37qwUsvqO8rioAThs4KIDA&bvm=bv.58187178,d.cGU&psig=AFQjCNFXUSxRxAiHA72NEuh-Ftn_fRNdag&ust=1387400257329680"><img class="irc_mut" height="320" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTo1mwWQXPRjFvQe3RvOfoZ0dJke3ZUrY64GpxUMLqUOInOxWeQGQ:www.rei.com/zoom/nn/f4b14332-fa04-4067-98b3-9c05dd923a58.jpg/440" style="margin-top: 10px;" width="197" /></a></div>
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-We are getting pretty serious about doing our easy runs easy and our hard runs hard (aka heart rate training). I still have billions of questions and at times get a little freaked out about running so slow, but for the most part I am on board. <br />
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-I registered for the marathon with a Cyber Monday deal. Stuff is getting real. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNonNI5oWe-UXSHaaB3aq7CHx1FXfcrHLquLxJllaUvft1y0t0vtRN0dAidxTGVuHDvoNXEITCtX01zgnXvVvsmA32bGTNfEvd2HkIsGOfMKRGmwzJum0fhLKffaTuijI7ocSMiXhceDsR/s1600/20131202_130749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNonNI5oWe-UXSHaaB3aq7CHx1FXfcrHLquLxJllaUvft1y0t0vtRN0dAidxTGVuHDvoNXEITCtX01zgnXvVvsmA32bGTNfEvd2HkIsGOfMKRGmwzJum0fhLKffaTuijI7ocSMiXhceDsR/s320/20131202_130749.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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-We had our best tempo run to date, 7 miles at a 7:36 pace! The stars must have aligned because I couldn't have asked for a better run. It's important to remember these good runs on days when things don't go so well. Such as the following day when we did a 4 mile recovery run and it kicked our butts. </div>
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Can't wait to see what the next four weeks of training have in store...</div>
{kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-66240878119559498262013-11-23T11:41:00.001-08:002013-11-23T11:41:14.602-08:00Phoenix Marathon Training Weeks 1-4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The first 4 weeks of marathon training have been going great. I have no complaints and so far I am really liking this <a href="http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51138/Marathon-Novice-2-Training-Program">plan</a>. It has us running short and easy on Tuesday and Thursday, a tempo run on Wednesdays, and then the usual long run on Saturday. I have been cross training on Monday and Friday with Focus T25, swimming, and yoga. </div>
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Something new that I have been doing for this marathon training is wearing my heart rate monitor and really paying attention to what zone my heart rate is in when I run. I'm trying to get used to running by effort and keeping my heart rate in a certain zone, instead of just focusing on the pace. Sometimes I have to slow way down, which is hard for me, but I'm confident it's the smart thing to do.</div>
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This morning we got up to 11 miles...and it just happened to have been raining for the past 24 hours non-stop. I was a little nervous about running in the rain (since it never rains here), but Larissa assured me it would be fine, even a little fun. She was right. Those were some of the best miles I've ever run. </div>
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I even braved an ice bath when I got home. Complete with hot chocolate. </div>
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<br />{kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-72034756540813520642013-11-22T14:20:00.000-08:002013-11-22T14:23:49.555-08:00Fun Runs? Thanks, But No Thanks.Recently I've noticed an influx of races that offer more than just running, such as mud, paint, glow sticks, costumes, or obstacles. I've also had quite a few friends invite me to some of these races. They ask me because they know I love running, so assume that, naturally, I would want to do one of these fun runs. While I am flattered that they would think of me, I have to politely make up some excuse as to why I can't. The reality of it is I have no desire to pay to run 3 miles and get paint sprayed all over me. Or do some burpees in the middle of my run. Ain't nobody got time for that. If I'm going to pay to enter a race, I better be going for a PR. That's just the way my Type A personality works. <br />
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I would almost go so far as to add trail runs to that list, although I have done a few (Flagstaff 10K and Bucket of Blood Half Marathon). My thoughts are that it's already hard enough to run; I certainly don't need a mountain to climb up as well. Or some rocks or trees to avoid. Now, this could have something to do with where I live. Here in the high desert of northern Arizona there aren't many trails. My runs are on mostly flat, straight roads. I think it is absolutely beautiful and I love running here. <br />
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I guess I'm just not all that into obstacles and mud and glow sticks. Maybe that makes me a boring runner; maybe that makes me a serious runner? <br />
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Although I probably won't be suiting up for one of these fun runs, I love that they are getting people who would otherwise never run out there and running!{kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-58442859326058529892013-11-07T14:17:00.003-08:002013-11-07T14:17:56.385-08:00Marathon #3Fresh off a week of some much needed rest, I am ecstatic to announce I have started training for my 3rd marathon. I debated a few different options and races, and finally decided that the Phoenix Marathon on March 1st would be best. It's 17 weeks away, on a Saturday, close to our house in Gilbert, and not too big or expensive. Plus check out this elevation map!<br />
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Choosing the race was fairly easy compared to choosing the training plan. I used the FIRST marathon training plan for my previous two and just felt like I needed something different this time around. Finally I settled on Hal Higdon's Novice 2 program. I really like that it has 4 days of running and 1 day of Cross Training. As a busy mom, it's hard to get out to run 4 days a week, but that's what alarm clocks and treadmills are for. </div>
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Luckily, I have my little sis to train with again, and Brandi is hoping to train along with us for her first half. The more, the merrier! </div>
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Although Larissa and I have different finishing times in mind, it's almost comical how focused we are. We both have something to prove and we're not messing around this time. I'm determined to break 4 hours. So much so that I made a deal with the hubs: If I don't break 4 hours I won't run another marathon. Talk about pressure. </div>
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Although I'm not crazy about having to train through the cold winter again, I am excited and ready to do this.</div>
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Third time's the charm, right?!</div>
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{kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-60231299883107962012013-10-29T13:55:00.000-07:002013-10-29T13:55:24.377-07:00Mesa Halloween Olympic Distance Triathlon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I had been looking forward to this triathlon for exactly 365 days. I've had it on my radar since I crossed the finish line last year. I especially wanted to beat my time of 3:04 from last year. I thought I did everything right to get that PR, but unfortunately it wasn't my day. </div>
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I had finally talked my good friend Brandi into doing it with me, although she was still reluctant and had a few panic attacks leading up to race time. I knew she would do great though because we trained together. </div>
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Everything went smoothly the week of the race. I tapered my workouts and rested the few days before it. Believe it or not, I didn't even have a cold, sore throat, or sinus infection! I felt good going into it. </div>
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Race morning also went smoothly. After a crappy night of sleep, we were up and at 'em by 5 am and in the car before 5:30. We had to take our front tires off our bikes to fit them in Brandi's car. I had a little trouble getting mine back on in the dark parking lot, but finally got it on and everything seemed fine. We thought we should probably ride around the parking lot a bit to make sure, but we were so nervous about getting our stuff into transition before it closed at 6 that we never did. We rushed over and got good spots and laid everything out. Then we went to pick up our timing chips, get body marked, and listen to the pre-race meeting.</div>
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Since the kid's and sprint triathlons both started before ours, we had time to kill so we left to go get breakfast at Starbucks. I had my usual pre-race meal of a banana and banana bread. </div>
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After going to the bathroom 700 times once we got back, it was finally time for us to line up along the pool. Brandi started about 20 people before me, so she was already 200 m into her swim when I started mine. I was doing good on the swim and remembering to do the things I was supposed to (fingers closed, toes pointed, pull water, etc...). At one of the walls I checked my Garmin, and it was still stuck on the start screen. I had pushed the wrong button when I started. Now I was all flustered and couldn't figure out how to turn it on. It's impossible to do anything while swimming so I knew I would have to wait until I got on the bike to mess with it. <br />
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I saw Brandi get out of the pool when I had 200 m left to go so I knew we were right on track! Transition from swim to bike was pretty uneventful, and fairly fast. I don't mess around over there. Towel off, socks on, shoes on, helmet on, go! As soon as I started pedaling I knew something wasn't right. It felt so HARD. My quads were burning and I was hardly moving. I kept shifting gears to make it easier, only it wasn't helping. I thought maybe I had used my quads a lot on the swim so that's why they were burning. On the 2nd lap, I finally noticed a noise coming from my front tire. At first I thought it was a air coming out (nooooooo!!!!) but then looked closer and one side of my front brake was rubbing against the tire. I tried jiggling it and loosening the brake, all while still riding, but nothing helped. At least I had figured out why it was harder than usual. I was riding against my brake! I didn't want to risk stopping if I couldn't fix it so I just kept on going. I finally got my Garmin going, and got my pace up to around 16 mph. That's the best I could do with that tire. I had one GU on the 3rd lap and sips of Gatorade/water mix every once in awhile. I was feeling good despite sabotaging my own bike. On my 6th and final lap, I didn't see another soul on the bike course. I was pretty dejected by this point. I thought for sure I would catch up to Brandi, and now I hadn't seen her or anyone else for that matter. <br />
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The transition from bike to run was once again fairly fast. Helmet off, hat on, running bib on, sunglasses on, and go! My first mile felt great. It was a 7:5x pace. However, I knew I wouldn't be able to keep that up. I started to feel a cramp in my right quad (I NEVER get cramps when I run) and the heat was almost unbearable at this point. It was around 11 am and the temperature had crept up into the 90's. I slowed waaaaay down and came to grips with the fact that I would not be getting my PR today. I actually had no idea what my total time was, but at least I was passing people on the run. My mile paces were anywhere from 8:30 to 9:30. I have honestly never wanted to walk so badly in my life. I finally saw Brandi at the turnaround and she looked pretty miserable too. Come to think of it, every single person I saw out there running looked miserable. After I turned around I caught up to Brandi and passed her. Although I had to keep fighting the urge to walk, I ran in strong to the finish.<br />
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Swim: 39:42 (11th place overall)<br />
Bike: 1:32:52 (14th place overall)<br />
Run: 54:43 (3rd place overall)<br />
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Total: 3:07 (8th place overall)<br />
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My swim was 2 minutes faster than the previous year.<br />
My bike was 4 minutes slower than the previous year.<br />
My run was 1 minute slower than the previous year.<br />
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Overall, my time was 3 minutes SLOWER than last year. <br />
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It was a tough race. There were a few women who dropped out and didn't even attempt the run. I'm proud that I never gave up, even though I had so many reasons to. <br />
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I even ended up 1st place in my age group (30-34)!<br />
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<br />{kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-39352610504322120032013-10-18T11:17:00.001-07:002013-10-18T11:17:18.191-07:00Back to Reality<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was in paradise for a week. Literally. We went on a 7 night Disney Cruise to the Caribbean for Fall Break. Some people may not work out while they are on vacation because it's their time to relax, but for me that's not the case. I enjoy exercising; I think it's fun! Plus, I had a triathlon coming up in a few weeks that I had to keep in shape for. </div>
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I got in a workout every day while on the cruise, not to mention daily swimming and snorkeling. </div>
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Day 1: 6 mile treadmill run</div>
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Day 2: 20 miles stationary bike/2 mile treadmill run</div>
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Day 3: 6 mile run (15 laps around Deck 4)</div>
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Day 4: 6 mile treadmill run/core</div>
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Day 5: Pilates class</div>
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Day 6: Group cycling class</div>
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Day 7: 6 mile treadmill run</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxl-JdrNIrRonYHubZB07wFifo9Rv7UWR329TiSp6lxbW0hqjngJbALcNKQPz-G4e4JKtK91ToK_4Ks5l2jnm9v1-JIauxqQaCVRHE_ztZjbBS2LcZ1iCXD3AMNGocg5e2K4c_Bp8n8AH/s1600/20131004_081230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxl-JdrNIrRonYHubZB07wFifo9Rv7UWR329TiSp6lxbW0hqjngJbALcNKQPz-G4e4JKtK91ToK_4Ks5l2jnm9v1-JIauxqQaCVRHE_ztZjbBS2LcZ1iCXD3AMNGocg5e2K4c_Bp8n8AH/s400/20131004_081230.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from my treadmill</td></tr>
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The food on the cruise was ah-mazing and it would have been so easy to get carried away. Luckily, there were lots of yummy and healthy options. <br />
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After the cruise we spent a few days at Disney World (lots of walking!) and then in Huntsville, Alabama visiting my brother. I got to go running with my sister-in-law on a beautiful trail with fall leaves, and then I took a few days off because of a sore throat/cold. <br />
<br />
Now that I'm back to reality, I've been in beast mode trying to get ready for this triathlon. This is the last week of hard training before the taper.<br />
<br />
Monday: 6 mile run/1600 m swim<br />
Tuesday: 20 mile bike/4 mile run<br />
Wednesday: 1 hr yoga/swim sprints (2 x 200, 2 x 100, 2 x 50)<br />
Thursday: 4 mile tempo run<br />
Friday: 30 min swim/20 mile bike<br />
Saturday: Long run {kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-84457236677798662172013-09-20T14:06:00.001-07:002013-09-20T14:06:16.768-07:00Triathlon TrainingTime flies when you're having fun. Somehow it's been 3 weeks since I posted about my triathlon training. It's been going good, really good actually. <br />
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Now I'm training for the Mesa Iron Gear Sports Olympic Distance Triathlon in 5 weeks (1600 m swim, 24 mile bike, 6 mile run). I've already done a 1600 m swim a few times, have learned how to do a flip turn, and gotten my 50 m sprint repeats under 55 seconds. I've done a few bike rides over 20 miles with a good pace (around 15.7) and I'm finally getting the hang of shifting. 'Bout time, right? I'm trying to build up some running mileage again, while still working on speed. It's been hard to get in a good long run because my legs are usually tired from biking the day before. I switched some things around this week so I'm hoping for a good long run tomorrow. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWlJi0i-lDVkl6U0JUldGrSWjJejvdai6bIXNCtVvPgngceNTkNPONIsD2-qDAvGzn5-xAFbGtQDuuBiD1yoBieLHFz3Sj38aii5-Wgp09MIl3tBlzANeL5m59abE0xAPRx2ugPsjGcHw/s1600/IMG_20130906_091032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWlJi0i-lDVkl6U0JUldGrSWjJejvdai6bIXNCtVvPgngceNTkNPONIsD2-qDAvGzn5-xAFbGtQDuuBiD1yoBieLHFz3Sj38aii5-Wgp09MIl3tBlzANeL5m59abE0xAPRx2ugPsjGcHw/s320/IMG_20130906_091032.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before 23 mile bike ride</td></tr>
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Our coed volleyball season has also started so we usually have games 3 nights a week. I thought I might be too tired from all the training to even play but so far it's been okay. It pays to eat healthy and fuel properly. <br />
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This week so far:<br />
Monday-6 mile run<br />
Tuesday-16 mile bike/2 mile run in morning and 1600 m swim in evening <br />
Wednesday-1 mile time trial and yoga (1.5 hours)<br />
Thursday-19 mile bike/2 mile run<br />
Friday-swim (3 sets of 5 x 50 m sprint repeats)<br />
Saturday-Hoping for 10 mile long run<br />
{kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-31809356641156838532013-09-04T12:25:00.001-07:002013-09-04T12:25:20.641-07:00Sweet Tri Race ReportI did the Sweet Tri in Snowflake on Saturday morning. It was a 525 swim, 13.1 bike, and 3.1 run. This was my first official sprint triathlon (not counting the one I did on my own last year). <br />
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As per my usual, I got sick the week before. It is an unwritten rule that if I sign up for a race, I'm going to get sick, usually a sore throat or sinus infection, the week of the race. And this time didn't disappoint. My kids brought home the "back to school bug" and were nice enough to share it with us. I immediately started cutting back on workouts, taking Airborne and lots of vitamin C, eating cleaner, drinking tons of water, and getting extra sleep. Well, nothing was helping. I had finally been sick for 10 days when I contacted my dr and got a prescription for some antibiotics the day before the tri. I had a bad sore throat and a rough night of coughing that kept us both awake, but miraculously when my alarm went off at 4 am, I felt better than I had in a week. The medicine kicked in just in time. <br />
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I was one of the last people to start because they started in numerical order, and I was number 98. It was good because I got to watch a lot of the people before me and get a feel for things, and I also got to see Larissa finish her part running on a relay team. <br />
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My swim time of 11:31 was about a minute slower than I had hoped. The pool was 11 ft deep on one half and it kind of freaked me out seeing how deep it was. I had a little panic attack on my first lap, so I forced myself to slow down and take deep breaths after that. My transition could have been a little faster, but it always takes forever to put socks on wet feet. <br />
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I assumed I could do the bike in 50 minutes. I purposely kept my eyes off my watch cause I didn't want to know how I was doing, but I did notice I kept passing people. I was shocked to see my time coming in to transition area was 44 minutes! The transition from bike to run was quick as usual, and then I was off running. <br />
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The hard thing about this 5K was that I was still recovering from the bike ride and swim. I had a hard time catching my breath and it felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest the entire time. Somehow I finished in just over 24 minutes. <br />
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My total time was 1:21:50 and I was the 6th female out of 50. I was 1st in my age group of 30-34 year olds. My swim time was 14th, bike time was 11th, and run time was 4th. <br />
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My first thought after finishing was that a sprint triathlon is harder than an Olympic distance. Probably because you are red-lining the entire time; you never get to settle into your pace. My second though was that it was so much fun and I can't wait to do another one! <br />
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My week leading up to the race looked like this:<br />
Monday-1 hr yoga<br />
Tuesday-14 mile bike/2 mile run<br />
Wednesday-20 min swim<br />
Thursday-rest<br />
Friday-rest<br />
Saturday-triathlon!{kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-87641746766104397152013-08-28T10:42:00.001-07:002013-08-28T10:42:26.590-07:00Triathlon Training Week 4The word for this week was BRICKS! <br />
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I was so busy trying to fit everything in and working on speed and distance that I realized I hadn't done any bricks yet. Oops. I made sure to get a few in this week and already felt a difference. It's such a weird feeling going straight from biking to running so I'm glad I am starting to get used to that again. <br />
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This is how my week went down: <br />
Monday-12 mile bike/ 2 mile run<br />
Tuesday-6 mile run<br />
Wednesday-1200 m swim/8 mile bike<br />
Thursday-12 mile bike/3 mile run<br />
Friday-rest<br />
Saturday-7 mile run{kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-3960044498228789072013-08-21T11:33:00.000-07:002013-08-21T11:33:06.531-07:00Triathlon Training Week 3I had to ease back a little this week because I think I overdid it last week. The good news is that I only had to set an alarm 1 day this week. Instead I squeezed workouts in during the day or after work. The bad news is that I forgot how hard it is to get in a workout in the evening. There is just too much going on with dinner, homework, and soccer practice. As much as I would like to sleep a little longer in the morning, I think it's worth it to set an alarm and get my workout done while my family sleeps. <br />
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I only did 1 run this week because I was letting my shin rest. I've noticed quite a few lumps along the bone so I had one more treatmnent of Graston to try to smooth those out. I am crossing my fingers that I can finally kick this nagging case of shin splints. <br />
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I closed out week 3 with: <br />
1 yoga session (1.5 hours)<br />
1 run (8 miles)<br />
2 bike rides (18 miles and 12 miles)<br />
3 swims (2 x 525, 1200, and 1200){kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-89647863298148046412013-08-10T14:47:00.001-07:002013-08-21T11:34:19.085-07:00Triathlon Training Week 2It was a hard week and I'm feeling it. I may have done too much too soon, but I just couldn't help myself. I have big goals for my two triathlons coming up. <br />
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I'm happy to report my bike pace has improved. Last week I was around 13-14 mph, and this week I hit 15.6 for my avg mph. Hopefully I can get up a little more by race day. <br />
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I've been reeeeallly enjoying yoga lately. I've always liked it, but now I am seriously loving it. This week in class we did Pendant Pose, or Lolasana. I'm still sore 3 days later! <br />
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I closed out week 2 with:<br />
1 yoga session (1.5 hours)<br />
1 swim (sprint intervals)<br />
2 bike rides (16 miles and 13 miles)<br />
3 runs (400m repeats, and two 6 mile tempos)<br />
<br />{kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-20833538436111799562013-08-03T09:48:00.002-07:002013-08-03T09:48:59.706-07:00Triathlon SeasonJust like that triathlon season is upon me. I'm hoping to be able to do the sprint tri in Snowflake in 4 weeks...unless the hubs decides we are going out of town instead. But for sure I am planning on doing the same Olympic tri I did last year. <br />
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I have been eagerly waiting to start training again. I got my bike out for the first time since October and did a 15 mile ride. My pace was pretty pathetic, but I felt good. I was terribly sore in my back/shoulders and crotch area the next day, but I didn't let that stop me and went out again two days later. Already my pace had improved. <br />
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Thankfully, this year I'm not just barely learning to swim, and I've been keeping up with it almost year round so I feel much more confident in the water. <br />
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And, my running is stronger than it's ever been. Now if I can just put it all together...<br />
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I closed out the week with:<br />
1 yoga class (1.5 hours)<br />
2 swim sessions (1,000 yards and 525 yards)<br />
2 bike rides (both 15 miles)<br />
3 runs (5 mile tempo, 1 mile time trial, and 10 mile long run){kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-3763523372661879102013-07-14T13:46:00.000-07:002013-07-14T13:46:04.304-07:00Bucket of Blood Half MarathonTwo years ago I said I'd never do the Bucket of Blood Half again. Here I am two years later with my feet up recovering from the Bucket of Blood Half Marathon I ran this morning. I guess racing is a little like childbirth, you truly forget how bad it is as time goes on. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two years ago</td></tr>
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I'm happy to say I had a much better race this time around. Last time, I wasn't prepared for the record heat that day . This year, I had sunblock, sunglasses, a hat, and poured water over myself at every aid station. Not too mention the race started out with cloudy skies and probably never got above 75 degrees. Last time I wasn't prepared for a trail run. This year I knew the course so it helped mentally to know what to expect. Not too mention I have incorporated hills into my weekly running schedule. Last time, it was the first annual race, meaning there weren't many runners, the course was marked and measured poorly, t-shirts were a bust (they said 13.1K instead of 13.1 miles), and there was not even an official finish line . This year there were a lot more runners, the course was well marked and measured, t-shirts and medals were cute, and they had a great finish line area. <br />
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Now for the important details. Last time I finished at around 2:15. I ended up walking the last 3 miles because my IT Band tightened up. I could barely walk by the end. This year, I ran the whole thing pain free and finished at 1:54. Not my personal best, but not bad for a trail course (there were only about 2 miles total on pavement).</div>
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Splits:</div>
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1) 8:15</div>
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2) 9:09</div>
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3) 8:49</div>
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4) 8:56</div>
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5) 8:37</div>
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6) 8:31</div>
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7) 9:05</div>
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8) 8:22</div>
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9) 9:04</div>
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10) 9:16</div>
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11) 8:44</div>
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12) 8:55</div>
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13) 8:52</div>
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{kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426939536075915916.post-82129257211818130342013-07-12T13:45:00.000-07:002013-07-14T13:45:49.219-07:00Graston Technique for Shin Splints<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My shin splints were just not going away. I felt like my new stability shoes, orthotics, and calf sleeves were preventing it from getting worse, but that I needed to do something more to heal that area first. </div>
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I had a few treatments of the Graston Technique and I think it did the trick! </div>
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Here's how my leg looked a few hours after a session.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ69u10QJoSI4BpfDWYoVA5qiYNaAwHCD2tETVfhQWbtssPztzeoe1xtpVX_3DZ1-ft4NElK8B9PdVCs7TUuCtenCY_SsTmwCJtxp-BaeHvM-p7BomZ7SwFmhsBV0Ipk5KRA9l_js75Rny/s1600/20130702_142737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ69u10QJoSI4BpfDWYoVA5qiYNaAwHCD2tETVfhQWbtssPztzeoe1xtpVX_3DZ1-ft4NElK8B9PdVCs7TUuCtenCY_SsTmwCJtxp-BaeHvM-p7BomZ7SwFmhsBV0Ipk5KRA9l_js75Rny/s320/20130702_142737.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Here's how it looked a few days after a session.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCLxmPTIKtb1WCAsBCN0GXZPrEVTvM7pM31rta3BRczpQgxohewQPvh_0oYvm8DvYe6aIaI_mORVWYo31lNLndaTGLK04IGOwkU2qKV_WltL-bVpVYvjYeUWdgJpqBZ3wLM0eqZ_819J7p/s1600/20130703_092303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCLxmPTIKtb1WCAsBCN0GXZPrEVTvM7pM31rta3BRczpQgxohewQPvh_0oYvm8DvYe6aIaI_mORVWYo31lNLndaTGLK04IGOwkU2qKV_WltL-bVpVYvjYeUWdgJpqBZ3wLM0eqZ_819J7p/s320/20130703_092303.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-cbiRCfttq0Gktq-w10aKpvQIqZr8YmpxeXF_nraUHjJH01C_oHgnZ8buyIqBwQ4sVuxFAekmknyUOmKRPSHRTiFjXKZLOD7bZC4MQmTqhC3ozDVnh5OX-9nRpUewKnCuP4El6JCKgxQH/s1600/20130703_092316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-cbiRCfttq0Gktq-w10aKpvQIqZr8YmpxeXF_nraUHjJH01C_oHgnZ8buyIqBwQ4sVuxFAekmknyUOmKRPSHRTiFjXKZLOD7bZC4MQmTqhC3ozDVnh5OX-9nRpUewKnCuP4El6JCKgxQH/s320/20130703_092316.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Be warned, the Graston Technique is not for the faint of heart. It hurts like heck while it's getting done. Think of metal tools digging repeatedly into an area that is already injured. Plus, it will leave you pretty tender and bruised for a few days afterwards. </div>
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But, it's all worth it. I'm a big believer in this type of healing. ASTYM healed my chronic IT Band pain, and now hopefully Graston Technique is going to heal my shin splints. After just a few sessions I can already feel a difference. </div>
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{kim}http://www.blogger.com/profile/16717895471612445944noreply@blogger.com1