Quite honestly, I haven't been running much. It's not that I dislike running, it's just that there have been so many other things I'd rather be doing lately. So... the running's been spotty. It's like I'd not run for a couple weeks and then I'd have to do a little fitness check on myself to make sure I could still do it - there was a 10 mile trail run, a 14 mile long run for the heck of it, a 14 mile trail race - you get the picture. Nothing consistent but just some runs here and there to make sure I could still do it.
I don't know where my Fall went. Suddenly it's halfway through December.
Last week I realized I hadn't run in several weeks and Boston was coming up in mid-April. I had a feeling I might actually be behind in starting a training plan but was too stressed to count the weeks. Instead, I just started running again.
Monday December 7th - 3 miles. I thought I was going to die. I broke out in hives half a mile in. I have exercise-induced urticaria. That means I break out in hives when I'm out of shape and start exercising again - like my whole entire body breaks out. It's miserable but it all goes away if I just ignore it for half an hour or so... So I kept running. The hives went away. I lived but it was a wake up call.
Tuesday - 5 miles. No hives. It was actually uneventful (Thank you Jesus!)
Wednesday - Rest day. Stayed home all day because I was getting new carpet installed in my living room. Installers finally showed up at 3 pm and stayed til 7 pm... but I LOVE my new carpet.
Thursday - 5 miles. I ended up having to run on an unfamiliar treadmill at the YMCA on the north side of Indianapolis as it was pitch black and pouring rain by the time I had a chance to run. I couldn't figure out how to make the treadmill go faster once I turned it on. I ended up pushing buttons randomly until the belt started moving faster and I finally found a screen that showed pace and minutes. By the time I had it figured out, I had run my first mile in 11:30. Well, I wanted 10:00 miles... so I cranked up the pace to 9:30. Remember though, I just started running again 2 days before. So, after 3 more miles I thought I was going to die again. Plus, I don't run well on treadmills indoors anyway. Rather than collapse and cause a scene, I dialed down the pace, caught my breath, then cranked it way up my last quarter mile. Finished 5 miles in 50:05, staggered off the treadmill in a daze putting one foot in front of the other until I got to the privacy of the locker room, then had to sit on the floor and recover.
Friday - 7 miles. I actually felt surprising well given the events on Thursday. I went to the hamster track and cranked out 7 miles. Felt like I was BACK.
Saturday December 12th - This was the day Indiana Timing had their last 5K of the year and their awards ceremony. I didn't run enough races to even vie for an age group award but I had thought about going just to see everyone again. I wasn't even planning on running the 5K because I'm not in any kind of racing shape. However, J wanted to go shopping and I rarely have time to do things with her anymore. So, I spent the morning shopping with my daughter. Then I had to work from 5 pm to 2 am. It was a hellish shift. Triage was already full when I got there at 5 pm. I didn't clock out until 3:48 am. I was so sleepy driving home that it took an eternity to get home. Needless to say I was too trashed on Sunday to do anything.
So then LAST WEEK...
Monday - Let's try this again. 7 miles. No problems.
Tuesday - 10 miles, just because I felt like I needed a double digit run.
Wednesday December 16th - It finally occurs to me that I should look at a calendar and count the weeks to Boston to see what I need to do about a training plan.
HOLY CRAP!!! This is Week 18 - meaning there's only 18 training weeks left til Boston. This has to be the first week of training. Full on panic sets in.
The plan for this week had been 5 on Wednesday and 15 on Thursday just for the heck of it. Now the runs felt more mandatory. I was sore on Wednesday. I toyed with the idea of riding a stationary bike and doing some weights instead of running but the realization that this was actually going to be Week 1 of training put the cabash on that. I ran 5. I was sore the first mile but fine after that.
Thursday - 15 miles. I still felt sore. I didn't know if this was the right thing to do or not. Most marathon training plans don't have you doing a 15 mile long run in Week 1. I really didn't have much of a distance base either. But... Ackk... I wasn't doing a regular marathon training plan! I have to train for two marathons in 6 days. And I DON'T HAVE A PLAN! I decided to play it by ear on the hamster track. 5 miles. Sipped some water. Felt fine. 5 more miles. Took a GU and some water. Still felt fine. 2 more miles. Felt OK. 1 more mile. Oh heck, I might as well run the other 2 now and get all 15 in. So 15 miles. Done.
Friday - Rest day, at least from running. Got up at 4:30 am to go to work than went to see my daughter cheer at the Center Grove vs. Whiteland Varsity Basketball game after work in the evening.
Saturday - Ugh. Meant to run in the morning but it just got away from me and then I had to go to work at 1:30 pm so no miles.
So there you have it, Week 1 - 37 miles.
I know, I know, I know. You shouldn't go from zero miles to 20 miles to 37 miles in two weeks but it is what it is. 37 miles is where I'm starting from. I still need a plan but at least I have a starting point.
