Is it normal to be THIS tired all the time?

I have been exhausted lately, and I haven't really even hit the upswing of this spring's training plan. My weekly schedule is as follows:

Monday - REST
Tuesday - 3 mile run, powerlift (mostly arms) 1 hour
Wednesday - 3 mile run, kickboxing (1 hr)
Thursday - 6 mile run
Friday - Zumba (I know, I could rest, but the class I'm taking is so laid back that it really just loosens up all the tight muscles before my weekend runs)
Saturday - Variable, but speed workout - last week was 6 miles
Sunday - Variable long run - last week was 11 miles

My weekly runs are at a comfortable pace (somewhere between 10 and 11 min/mile) and my long runs are at my marathon goal pace of 11 min/mile. I ONLY do speed runs on Saturday and they are usually around 9 min/mile.

I chose to do powerlift and kickboxing to strengthen my arms and core. I need to get ready for my fall triathlon and without access to a pool until summer, I'm trying to get a strength base so its easier when I hit the water.

I could literally put my head down on my desk right now and go to sleep... right here at work ... and that isn't good.

All signs point to nutrition but I'm netting 1600 calories a day (I used to net 1400). So on days where I have hard workouts, I'm taking in roughly 2600 calories and burning 1000. I'm trying to lose some weight, which is why I'm sticking to the lower intake. But I get most of my calories from protein and am making sure I'm eating a balanced diet.

Maybe I'm getting sick? Ugh, its always something :/

Running or ice skating?

So my plan to post more often didn't quite work out as I planned :) I have been keeping up with mileage and writing in my super fancy running log (thanks Mom!) but rarely remember to post! I guess that's because marathon training is in full swing which means I'm either running, working, eating or sleeping... Ahhh, the joys of running.

Good news is, I've made my mileage ever since the epic fail of week 1. I've actually been running much faster than I anticipated (10 min/mile average of all workouts). If the weather would cooperate, running in the winter would be much more fun though. I don't mind running in blowing snow or even the cold but when it snows in Nashville, people don't know how to handle it. I don't think they know about the magical inventions of salt or snow shovels and, as a result, the sidewalks are so icy I end up sliding through the majority of my runs! Luckily, the sidewalks around my lab are clear so I can run the same (albeit boring) mile loop over and over again, but come out and play sun! Melt the snow so I don't have to slide through the majority of my runs.

First Week of Marathon Training Had Its Up And Downs...

Last week was the first official week of training for this April's Country Music Marathon. It started out pretty good but ended in failure...

My family was in town for the holidays meaning my diet was horrible from eating out so much and finding time to run was difficult. My first run on Tuesday morning went fairly well. It was 4.0 miles (supposed to be 3, but I opted to get in miles when I could) at a 10:21 pace. This was great for me because I used to be doing speed work outs at 10:30. Wednesday was supposed to be a 5 mile fun run and ended up at 5.3 miles at a 10:30 pace. Thursday was another 3 mile run but I ran to meet my family at breakfast which was 4.0 miles away and I ran it at a (wait for it) 9:28 pace!!!

With my weekly runs going so well I was very excited for the weekend runs. However, too much to drink on New Years Eve combined with my constantly on the move family made me too exhausted for a 5 mile pace run on Saturday. Since I had already put in some extra mileage I decided to skip Saturday's run. Sunday was my very first long run, at 8 miles. I decided to run from my house to a restaurant to meet my husband for dinner. I hate hate hate out and back runs so this would give me more positive motivation to finish the 8 miles. I ran and a pretty good pace for the first mile and a half. It was at this point in the run that I noticed I had a friend... and this is where things got interesting.

I had picked up a stray coming out of my neighborhood and he was running right along side me keeping my pace. I wasn't afraid of him or anything, but I was more worried about him getting too far away from home or getting hit by a car. I decided to pull off onto a side road and try to get the little guy some help. After calling the local police department, here's how my long run ended (at 2.59 miles - 10:39 pace):

It took two hours to catch the little guy but he's such a good dog I'm sure someone will adopt him.

Week two starts today! Lets hope its more successful (and less eventful) than last week :)

Merry Christmas (and winter sanity swap pics!)

Merry Christmas everyone! I just finished my Christmas 5 mile run and am ready to bring on the Christmas dinner :) Hope everyone is having a fabulous holiday!

I finally got around to uploading the pictures of my winter sanity swap. Thanks to alibear for a great package! Here are the goodies:

Project bag and accessories pouch:
Tin of yummy homemade cookies!
TWO shawl patterns (which are going to be started next week):
Silk / merino yarn in my FAVORITE colors:
ADDI TURBOS!!! and a beautiful palmwood crochet hook:
Scissors and pretty snowflake stitch markers:
T-pins, needles and a stitch counter:
A holiday mug (been in use since the day I got it):
Hot Cocoa! Yum!
Vanilla amber body lotion:
An issue of interweave knits:
Roving in my favorite colors:

And last, but not least, chili-infused dark chocolate:

Thanks again alibear for such an awesome package :)

I'm a marathoner now!

I ran my first full marathon this morning! I will be thinking long and hard about doing this again :)

My training buddy and I ran the Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon in Nashville. With it being such a hilly course, its not recommended for first time marathoners but we trained as best we could and gave it our best attempt!

We made it to mile 8 without stopping but the hills just became too steep so we changed to a walk-run strategy (i.e. walk up / run down). We cruised through the first 13.1 before the proverbial sh#t hit the fan. It progressively became harder and harder to continue running and by mile 20, we were both in pain. We pushed through and continued walk/running (more walking than running) to mile 24 where running no longer became an option. She tweaked her hamstring somewhere around the halfway point and I was in excruciating pain from just about the neck down. We walked to mile 26 and then jogged to the finish.

This race was 100% about finishing and not about times. There were just too many hills to be concerned with a PR or fast finish. We completed the run in 5:30 and couldn't be happier.

I've never been in so much pain in my entire life! I've been icing, taking antiinflammatories and resting since I got home. I have three weeks of recovery left before starting the training for the Country Music Marathon... Hopefully, by then, I'll have forgotten the pain and will continue preparing for marathon number 2. If not, I'll cross it off my bucket list and continue with my beloved half-marathon distances :)

I should really remember to update this every once in awhile :)

I am on my blog a lot (mostly reading from my blogroll) but I rarely update!

My knee is no longer swollen and is getting better. The anti-inflammatories, crosstraining and my new compression sleeve are really helping, although I miss running on a regular basis. Thankfully, I've had two races in the past few weeks, and my knee has held out for both of them.

I ran in the Tennessee Ragnar Relay last weekend (Nov 5th and 6th) and did better than ever! My legs were 4.2, 2.7, and 4.4 miles in length (thanks to a last minute switch to purposely take shorter mileage so I didn't completely kill my knee!) I ran the 4.2 with a 9:30 pace, the 2.7 with a 9:00 pace and that 4.4 with a 10:00 pace! Considering I normally do my tempo runs at 9:45, I rocked it!

Yesterday I ran in the iRunForTheParty Nashville half marathon. I was worried because this is the first race that I ran without my training partner. I wasn't sure how I would fare without her encouragement! But, I BEAT MY OLD PR BY 18 FULL MINUTES! :) I finished in 2:17:50! That's a 10:27 pace! :) I stayed with the 2:15 pacer for the first 6.5 miles but, due to poor planing by race officials, there weren't water stations between miles 2.25 and mile 9! The lack of water and gatorade really took its toll on me and I had to break away from the pacer so I could make it to the finish in one piece. At mile 8, there was a table with two volunteers PICKING DIRTY WATER CUPS OFF THE GROUND, refilling them and handing them to runners. GROSS! I passed and kept struggling through the dehydration and heat. After grabbing an orange slice and gatorade at mile 9, I resumed my pace and finished strong :) I ran across the finish line and received my crappy "all access pass" instead of the promised medal but considering the water issues, I was just glad to be finished. On the positive, I was hoping to do 2:30 so finishing 12 minutes under my goal was a great accomplishment, especially with a somewhat shaky knee.

Next up is the flying monkey marathon, which is this Sunday. I think if I can pace it out and take my time, I'll be okay. I'm not going for speed or anything (just want to finish the 26.2) so it should be a nice run through the park. If my knee cooperates, it'll be a great day :)

Ice, rest, ice, rest, rinse, repeat...

My training has come to a sudden halt. After Tuesday's run (8 miles, moderate pace), I started feeling discomfort in my right knee. It was just a little sore, but not more so than any of the other random aches and pains I've had this season. I ran my short run (6 miles) on Wednesday and about an hour afterward, my knee started 'giving'. I would feel this intense pressure / pain on the sides of my knee, it would release (and give), and then the pain would stop for a little while (rinse, repeat all day long). My knee was also swollen... not to the point where it was noticeable to everyone, but swollen enough that I could feel it (and see the fluid build up).

I called my doctor right away because knee injuries ended my first attempt at running back in December of last year (a couch to 5k program that ended abruptly when I got severe tendinitis in my right knee). The FIRST doctor I saw (not my normal one, but the only one who could see me right away) thought I had a torn meniscus.... I FREAKED OUT! She referred me to a sports medicine doc for a consult and I got in the very next day (Friday).

I LOVE my sports medicine doctor. Our first conversation when something like this:
Doc: What brings you in today?
Me: I've injured my right knee during marathon training.
Doc: You're training for a marathon? How cool! Which one?
Me: The Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon in three weeks. It would have been my first.
Doc: It WILL be your first. I am very confident you'll be able to run it. You're already prepared enough to run it, even if you do no exercise for the next three weeks.
Me: *HUGE RELIEF*

After X-rays and a physical exam, I found out that I don't have a serious injury, just inflammation and runner's knee. I'm clear to finish the season, but only running the races I've planned (i.e. no more training runs). I'm limited to non-weight bearing exercise for 4-6 weeks. I will take my time on the bike and elliptical and enjoy it because given the alternative of a severe injury requiring surgery, I am so happy to have runner's knee.

So for now, I'm icing, resting, icing and taking high dose anti-inflammatories to keep the swelling down. So far so good but I'm anxious for the Ragnar relay this Friday. Hope my knee cooperates!