longing for the twenty-six-point-two.

I haven't run a marathon since 2008.

that is sad.

our conversation this morning.

peter: "the mud run is one-and-a-half-weeks."

anna jo: "I guess I better start training."

so we're running a 10K soon and I haven't really been doing anything to prepare. I've gone swimming a couple times, I've gone to spin, sometimes I do bikram yoga. and last week I was headed out on a fitness walk that turned into a run (okay, so more of a run/walk but I was actually able to run more than I thought I would). too bad my hamstring hurt the next day or so. maybe I over did it. and that was only three'ish miles. so maybe 6.2 would be really over doing it. but there is mud + obstacles involved so it will be fun even if we have to walk most of it. (because let's be honest, I don't think those on my team have been doing that much training either)

I'm really just excited for the vacation. and the beach. oh, and the mud.

the 5K and other musings

running with the drop foot brace -- look how my foot is even going in an upward motion! too bad you can't see the totally cool huge piece of plastic running down the back of my leg...

a couple of weeks ago miles and I came full circle. last year he did the 5K with me on the inside, all snug and cozy in the womb. this year he rode in style on the outside all snug and cozy in the bob. I guess maybe when he's old enough to actually run it with me we will really have come full circle.

with this whole drop foot thing I wasn't expecting too much out of this race. I was sure I'd have to walk most of it. a slight bummer but I was really out there for the sentimentality of it all. I wouldn't have done the 5K otherwise. {I don't really believe in paying that much money for a 5K -- especially when I don't even get a cool tech-tee} I was surprised by how much I was actually able to run, though. and the fact that my gait is feeling more normal. {I really haven't mentioned my progress on this blog or the other in a while; I'm actually able to hold my foot up these days, though I still can't flex it or my toes really any higher than the neutral position. but this is such progress, folks!} so I was pretty amped by the whole thing, regardless of my slower finish time.

37 minutes, chip time, if you were wondering.

and my hamstring felt fine afterward. {but later that night I played an indoor soccer game... that might have put it over the edge slightly...}

the next week I went on a couple fitness walks. like four and three mile walks respectively. I would have tried to throw a little running in there, but my hamstring was tweaked a little bit. and then I think I've done nothing since. except play soccer on saturday.

I had a talk with the husband about working out a schedule for my physical fitness. I have been totally slacking ever since miles came along. it's just so hard for me to figure out a time when I can do this. I don't know how moms fit this in on a regular basis. it is seriously blowing my mind. I know that if I wake up really early I could get it in and not have to worry about the small boy. but hello, have you met me? early mornings are hard sometimes.



so this is what we came up with:

swimming -- I really need to get back to masters, I feel. and I hear the big kid pool is opening up next week. yay! so if my husband comes home from work early on swimteam days I could totally do this.

spin class -- this still requires me waking up early, I fear. but a couple times a week I could do it... right? once I'm up it's really not that bad. and I like that I have it done and over with before my day really begins. I can do it. I can totally do it.

luna chix -- the team starts workouts next week, I believe. it will be fun to have a group of ladies to train with. even if I am the slow girl with drop foot now. on running days I'll even be able to bring miles with me in the running stroller. on bike or swim days pete will just have to come home early or something. totally doable. and this gets me out on my bike.there's safety in numbers, friends.

running -- now that the days are getting nicer (in general, I know that it's currently snowing right now, but whatever) I can at least get out with miles. I'll still probably be doing a walk/run combo, but I really want to work up to being able to run for longer stretches.

physical therapy -- I'm still going every few weeks or so. sometimes I struggle to actually do my exercises every day, but mostly I'm doing them. and my muscles are getting stronger I can tell.

indoor soccer -- I was a little worried that indoor was going to be the worst idea ever for my drop foot self. and everyone else kept telling me it just might really help. {but my PT doesn't know. so don't tell her.} and despite some close-calls and slight injuries (like when I thought I broke my big toe on the drop foot side) I think it really has helped me. over the course of our season I have started feeling better about things. it has gotten easier and I have improved. that was my only goal, to improve. it's starting to feel a little bit like it used to, and that's a really good feeling.


so that's the basic jist, what do you think? do you think I can stick to it? we made the plan last week and I've already yet to do a single thing on it. but in my defense, both peter and I were hit with some serious food poisoning earlier this week. it turns out that huge burritos from loco lizard just might do you in.

so next week. next week is the start of my new life. and to stay motivated I will keep watching those ironman championship reruns during the day while I feed miles. people finishing without legs? I just have drop foot. totally inspiring.

swimteam

ahhh, back in the pool. here is the workout:



500 warmup

8 X 50 kick (I did half before and half after the stroke drills. my drop foot ankle was starting to bug. and let's be honest, it made my legs really tired.)
8 X 50 stroke

3 X:
200 moderate
100 fast
50 easy

2 X 75
(50 easy, 25 fast
25 easy, 50 fast)

cooldown

the long road back

okay, I'm trying to fit exercise back into my life. it's hard with drop foot and a baby.

january 01: went on my first run post baby (thus post drop foot) it was a little less than a mile. I wore the brace and could do this awkward, gimpy type of run. at first my calf was tight, then it was my hamstring. I mostly "ran", but had to walk at times too. my hamstring hurt for the next five days. I need to strengthen my hamstring.

february: went to hawaii for a little over a week. we did a lot of snorkeling. I found that I really can swim, even with fins. this is good news. (always pretended I was out doing an open water ocean swim. great practice for any upcoming open water ocean swim triathlons I might find myself doing... I only wish!)

february 13: renewed the gym membership. finally! did 35 minutes on the elliptical + 15 minutes on the stationary bike. my hamstring was alright.

february 15: bikram yoga. it was a good session. I pushed myself and can do more poses now that my foot isn't as hyper sensitive. I still can't balance on my right leg. it left me feeling exhausted/energized. and very sore then next day (meaning today)

february 16: was going to go to the 6am spin class, but woke up with a raging headache and aching body. went back to sleep. am planning a walk with the boy + my pt exercises that I should have been doing this whole time.

the long road:
my race schedule is pretty much scrapped at this point. drop foot is taking a lot longer to heal than I had hoped. thus, I think I will switch my focus to triathlon, since I can do two of the three disciplines with out too much problem. I will be working on strengthening my hamstring so I can at least get out a gimpy run without being sidelined for five days afterward. I want to do the little red riding hood ride and I am for sure still doing the salt lake marathon 5k with miles in the stroller even if I have to walk. this looks like a rebuilding year for me. rebuilding from the lowest point I've ever been. I'm starting at absolute zero. but maybe it will be good for me in the long run.

oh, and I'm going to be on an indoor soccer team. yikes!

2010 race season: the tentative commitment.

here is what I'm looking forward to next season. am hoping the foot cooperates!

salt lake city marathon 5K - this time with the little pj man on the outside of me, in the running stroller. we will have come full circle, one year later, my little training partner and I.
saturday, april 17, 2010

camp pendleton mud run - we didn't end up doing this last year because of pregnancy and injury and it was really sad. so I vow to do it this year. it's my favorite race ever and it's a great excuse to play in the sand + surf in SoCal.
saturday, june 5 (or 12), 2010

hobble creek half marathon - I'm trying to talk my mother into walking this. she's pretty hardcore, even though she doesn't believe she is. she does at least half this distance on a daily basis, so training for the full 13.1 wouldn't really be that big of a stretch. everyone who knows her should tell her to do it.
saturday, august 22, 2010

atlanta marathon - if we can swing it, I really want to do this with my sister + brother inlaw. what better excuse to eat your heart out on thanksgiving than having run 26.2 that morning? free pass for sure! plus I just want to go out and see them and their cute kids in georgia. it would be a win, win, win.
thursday, november 25, 2010

I know I want to do at least one triathlon somewhere in there, but not really sure which one(s). at this point I'm not even sure if it would be sprint or olympic (probably olympic). may and july don't have anything, so that might be something to look at. decisions, decisions! oh how I love planning out the future races. it does my heart good.

bikram

for my birthday this year peter gave me a gift certificate to bikram yoga. unfortunately at the time I was cooking a little guy in my belly and even though they had a "pregnancy corner" I didn't feel comfortable exposing him to 100+ degree heat for 90 minutes at a time. maybe if I had already been a regular it would have been one thing, but that room is intense enough for me sans baby, I can only imagine how it would feel with baby.

anyway.

so recently I busted out the gift certificate and have rededicated my life to bikram yoga. I'm hoping that by loosening and opening up my body it will take some pressure off my nerves and lower back, thus speeding up the healing process. we shall see.

the up side to bikram is that the latter part of the series of postures are all supposed to work on the spine. the down side is that those postures involve sitting on your knees or laying on your stomach which places the top of my foot, the most hyper sensitive part, directly on the floor. so I'm not even getting the full effect of the spine series. today I wore a shoe during those poses and it helped--I was able to do more of them than last time--but it was still a little painful. hopefully one day that won't be the case.

I have three more sessions left on the gift card. maybe after that I should buy a pass. this will be my rehab. too bad it's uber expensive.

right now

right now the only exercise I can really do is walking. and swimming, but only with the pull buoy. oh, and all my PT exercises. PT exercises, you say? what happened to your kenyan?? nerve damage. foot drop. no postpartum bounce back for anna jo.

oh how I yearn for running. lacing up those shoes on a chilly autumn day. heading out in a long sleeve tee and shorts. or even tights. to just feel that freedom of movement; my legs moving, my lungs and heart pumping. I miss the motion.

sometimes when I'm out walking with the little man I pretend I'm running. I try to feel that motion inside of me. sometimes it almost works.

right now I have to be positive. I have to be hopeful. I have to be patient.

eventually the nerves should regenerate. my foot will remember how to hold itself up. I won't have to wear a brace just to walk normally. it will just take time.

so right now I'm looking forward to the future. planning a tentative race schedule for next season. we'll see what time brings. hopefully it brings my foot back.

joint swimteam

pete and I made it to the pool last night for a little bit of joint swimteam! we got there kinda late and were only able to swim for about half an hour until they closed the pool. but really, who are we kidding? a half an hour swim workout is good for the both of us, especially as pete is trying to ease back into working out since the accident. and I'm pregnant, so you know, whatever that means.

I must confess, I haven't been swimming much at all this summer. I know, total slacker! the pool should have been my second home. you'll feel so weightless in the pool, they all would say. but truth be told, I don't feel so weighted down so going for a walk isn't all that bad either. {really, really wish my knee didn't bother me because I feel I could still be running otherwise - albeit slowly and probably not very far} and it's true that sometimes I just like the exercise that takes less energy preparing for. I like the idea of heading out my door whenever I want and not having to worry about anything other than making sure I have some shoes on.

anyway, the workout:

freestyle. lots and lots of freestyle. basically, I just swam. I didn't really do anything specific. just some 50's, 100's, and I think I even through in a 300. once I tried to do the backstroke, but my left calf kept cramping up. oh, did I mention that the last two days my right hamstring had been bugging me? so that's why all the freestyle; I didn't want to aggravate it more.

so the outdoor meter pool is still open, it will be until the end of october! I remember when I used to be scared of the meter pool. the big kid pool. now I welcome it. my how things have changed. plus they're redoing the deck on the indoor yard pool, so that's exciting news too. yay for the pool!

a little update

on friday we drove by the runners doing the deseret news marathon, and I was a little sad in my heart that I can't even really run right now. but also very excited that one day I'll be able to run a marathon again. it's a crazy thing, that marathon. it's a siren song of pain and beauty -- perhaps a lot like chidbirth? we shall see. . .

as for an update with my kenyan: I haven't been doing a whole lot. I can't run, but it's too hot for that anyway. I haven't made it to the pool in a long time, because after work I just want to go home. I do, however, do a lot of walking at work, so I definitely count that. even though I've gained what seems like a gadjillion pounds, I don't feel heavy or that uncomfortable and it seems (for now) that my belly is just growing and not really the rest of my body. thank you for small miracles in my life.

pool run canceled due to lightning

okay, so I was totally going to try pool running today to see if it bugged the knee.

oh, you don't know about my mysterious knee injury? it's probably because I haven't blogged about my kenyan in so long. long story short, my knee hurts when I bend it. running, even the eliptical seems to aggrivate it (and also shallow end water aerobics with the geriatrics). but swimming? swimming I can do. so that's what I've been doing these past few weeks.

{and btw, I have no idea why my knee is hurting me all the time. I blame it on pregnancy hormones loosening everything up, making me more susceptable to injury. it pretty much sucks; I can't even kneel down.}

so pool running. didn't happen. I got to the pool, swimsuit in hand, but just didn't make in the pool. I guess there was lightning so the outdoor meter pool was closed temporarily. that meant everyone was inside using the yard pool. which meant no lane for anna jo. and anna jo needs her a deep water lane for some good ol' pool running.

so what did anna jo do? she sprinted those few blocks from the rec center to the bus stop so she could catch the next bus. and she barely made it.

I did a lot of walking today (plus that sprint), so I'm going to count that. good workout.

luna-tics

I went and worked out with the salt lake luna chix team for the first time today. it was there season kick-off. why oh why did I not workout with them last summer?

I've been on there mailing list since last year. I could have gone to a lot of their workouts, but I found excuses not to. I guess joining a new group is hard, especially by yourself. but one thing I've learned in my life is if you really want to do something, you just have to go out and do it. you can't count on anybody else doing it with you. so today I went. by myself. and met a bunch of really nice, friendly women who all have a passion for being active through swimming, biking and running.

I'll admit, a few things made it easier for me. it was their first workout of the season, so there would be a lot of new women to the group. and I'm pregnant, so there's no pressure on me {if you're competitive at all, the thought of training with a bunch of uber athletic women who will most likely kick your trash is slightly intimidating. though it really shouldn't be.} and let's be honest, the siren song of free stuff was really what got me there. I even won a prize in the raffle. water bottles, luna bars, sweet arm warmers. yeah, I'll do just about anything for the chance at free stuff.

the workout was a run around liberty park. people just split up into different groups depending on how far you wanted to go/pace, etc. the weather was great and I made some new friends. we ended up doing three loops around which is something around three miles'ish. it felt great! {my left tendon near my ankle was bugging, and so was my left IT band... I think it's from running on cambered streets all the time}

if any of you women in the salt lake area are interested in joining the team, you should totally do it! it's free to join and it gives you a great group of ladies to workout with. all abilities are welcome. I'm excited to have a support group, especially through the pregnancy and as I get back into training next season after the baby comes. hopefully I can fit the workouts into my new mommy schedule.

the five-k

me and my new training partner ran our first race yesterday. I love training with this person. I mean, we run and swim the exact same splits. we are perfectly on pace with each other. how often does that happen? I must admit, though, that training with this person has definitely slowed me down quite a bit. and--especially in the beginning there--has sucked the life out of me. but we're getting back on track now.

we're in training for the long course right now. so we'll have to pace each other. september 26th is the big race. and I cannot wait.

but back to our first race together. . . the salt lake marathon 5K. we paced ourselves and made sure we weren't running too hard. it's important to keep that conversational pace, or so they say. I actually felt pretty good. especially since I hadn't gone on a run at all last week. {work sucked the life out of me. every day felt like a workout anyway, so I think I'm okay} there's that stretch of road while you're on state street, heading up to the turn at south temple that felt like it took forever. the long, slight incline is deceiving, that's for sure. but the finish at the gateway is always fun.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't at least slightly bummed to not be running the marathon or the half. there will be time for that in the future. I mean, I had a blast with the 5K and our first race together as training partners. {and with my other running buddies, marta and heidi, of course!}

I'm pretty sure fetus took first place in the unborn division.

chip time: 30:41
pace: 9:53

psssst! (I'm alive)

okay, so I know you have been wondering about me. I am here, don't worry. I am alive.

a little while ago {right around the new year} I made a decision that I would document my workouts in my running log as well as here on the kenyan within. the log would go into more detail about workouts--pace, location, distance, time, weather, et cetera, et cetera. but then a funny thing happened, I stopped writing on the blog.

part of the problem is that I wasn't running as much. there was a time when all those inversions forced me inside because of crappy air. so I scaled back. I did the elliptical. sometimes I swam. it wasn't all that exciting.

the air has cleared up for now and it feels like spring. which I hope means more running in my future.

oh, and btw, I totally flaked out on the marathon I was going to run in february. let's just say I never even signed up for the dang thing and we were a little too busy to take a random roadtrip. oh, and the fact that I wasn't actually that trained for it. (not like that's ever stopped me before.)

so I don't know what my running future holds. I don't have anything big planned right now. I have no idea what my upcoming racing season will even look like. and right now I'm okay with that. maybe I'll just run.

again, a weekly recap

monday: the standard four mile route + core

tuesday: 45 minutes on the elliptical

wednesday: I ran around the park because for some reason I thought that might be a good idea. see, when I run around the park I don't just run around the road inside the park, I actually run around the park. the perimeter. which right now is covered in snow, if you do recall. but it was a sunny day and the snow was turning more to slush and I was kind of slipping around. not so good for the ankle or the hamstring. I iced when I got home in leu of doing my core workout.

thursday: I walked around town doing some errands. and by that I mean I walked a. long. time. it was probably a few miles all in all.

friday: the day kind of slipped away from me without a workout. we'll just count it as a rest day.

saturday: twelve mile long run. and yes, it was outside. thank goodness! my left arch felt a little weird for the first few miles again, but then it felt normal. my right hamstring is bugging me a little bit. the legs were getting pretty tight by the end. to be honest, I didn't take an ice bath or even ice at all afterward. I ate and then jumped into a warm shower. my legs are a little tight today.

10 on the tready, does not a fun run make

I did buy shoes on friday, but didn't have time to make it to the gym. so I decided I would wear my new shoes on the long run (which isn't necessarily a smart idea) to avoid having to wear the old ones (I think they were doing more harm than good).

driving to the gym broke my heart. it was such. a. beautiful. day. I was jealous of every runner I passed. but I didn't want to get the new shoes dirty--just in case. and if I was starting to get blisters or anything weird, I wanted my old shoes at the ready. so the treadmill seemed like the best option.

I pretty much wanted to kill myself the whole time. I really don't understand the people who love to run on these things. (like my friend scotty who trained for the salt lake city marathon purely on a tready and then went to rock the marathon like it was nothing) I'll take a cold day on the streets in january over that anytime.

I didn't get any blisters. my left arch felt a little weird for the first mile or so, but then that subsided. my IT bands would flare, but I kept stretching about every two miles. so far so good in the new shoes.

10 miles

new year

I swear I've been running.  at least somewhat, anyway.

the weekend after the worst long run in my life, I didn't run.  I just couldn't bring myself to do it.  I needed a break.  

the next week I ran a couple four mile runs, I think.  

that weekend I pulled out a twelve miler.

the following week was christmas, I think, and I did a few four mile runs again.

last weekend I only did an eight mile long run.

monday I went on a baby snowshoe hike

tuesday I went cross country skiing

wednesday I really only went ice skating

yesterday I ran a four miler

today I will hopefully make it to the gym to do the elliptical...  

I need to buy some new running shoes sometime before salt lake running co. closes tonight.  let's be honest, I should've gotten new shoes a long time ago.  I am in serious need. 

tomorrow I hope to get a ten miler in, wish me luck.

yeah, so...

here is another update:

friday -- I'm pretty sure I took this as a rest day. I was going to try and at least get my core workout in, but didn't really remember that until I was drifting off to sleep that night. whoops!

saturday -- the worst long run of my life. or, the one in which anna falls. okay, so seriously I think everything was starting to catch up with me last saturday. I. was. tight. and tired. and fourteen miles? seemed like forever. by the end my little legs were just shuffling along. and within the last 1.5 miles of being done with the whole sordid affair, I tripped. I'm not even sure if I tripped over anything! there's a huge possibility I just didn't pick one of my feet up off the ground! I took a tumble right there on the sidewalk and scuffed up my hands and my right knee. and my shoulder and hip were sore afterwards too. the fall seemed to happen in slow motion, but my muscles were so tight I had no control, of them, of the situation. it definitely humbled me.

monday -- four miles + core

tuesday -- five miles

wednesday -- swimteam
500 warmup
6 X 50 drill
3 X 100 {slow, medium, fast}
200
3 X 100 build
300
3 X 100 {slow, medium, fast}
cooldown

thursday -- three miles + core

it's not a race, but sometimes it feels like one

I went out this morning after it had stopped rainny/snowing... the skies were still in shades of grey, but there were blue patches poking through here and there. the air in the city was clear. it was a beautiful run.

it ended up being a tempo run motivated by me being faster than the other runners out there. I just can't help my competitive nature sometimes. I ran past a couple people, determined to not be repassed, but for all I know they turned and went down another block a short time later. I never saw either of them again, even after I made my turnaround and headed back the other direction.

4 miles

{post script}

I love this picture because it shows my support team in action. in every marathon I've done with pete in my life, he's been on his bike riding the course. he's there to cheer me on. he's there to give me anything I need. he's the bright spot up ahead. it makes me happy. now if only I could get him to run one with me!

I have a lot of big dreams these days. and it's funny, I don't think I would have been as likely to accomplish them before peter came into my life. I truly believe that. he is my motivation + my bedrock of support. I feel like I can do anything with him by my side.

{for more official race photos, please click HERE.}