Last run for 2011

Today's run felt awesome, I was able to get in some more miles and add in a few nice hills.

Last year I set a goal of running 1000 miles. Although, I didn't complete my goal, the journey was awesome and I met some fantastic people in the process.

The main reason for missing my goal was bad planning. I wasn't expecting school to be 4 days a week and for school to be so demanding (on top of working a full time job). Also Triathlon training took up any time I did have for training. Running 4-5 days a week, ended up to only being 2 days a  week with the other days swimming and biking.  Thus I only hit about half my goal, I think I came in around ~600-ish miles. I don't know the exact mileage for sure because my nike+ system malfunctioned often.

I don't have any events planned and I don't think I will do a tri in 2012.. If I do,  I hope to do Barb's race at the end of July 2012.. but we'll see....

So.. the goal will reset for 2012. I plan to refocus on running to improve and get faster.

Happy Running!
Kick Ass-phalt 2012.

The Nerve of nerves....

After a looong period of being ill then holiday gluttony, on Dec 27 I was 500% motivated to burn off the l-b-s and I felt i-n-v-i-n-c-i-b-l-e.....

I started the morning off with 1 hour of bootcamp (which we did lots of lunges) then a 2 mile run. Then in the evening I did a 4 mile run right before another 1 hr of bootcamp. I felt great, and my muscles had very minimal soreness. 

10 minutes into my 2nd session of bootcamp I stepped to do a forward lunge and my Right  leg collapsed. I gathered myself, and tried again, my left leg was able to do a lunge, however when my right leg stepped forward to lunge, instead of flexing, my quad would completely relax, causing me to lose my balance.

It was odd because I felt no pain or weakness in my leg. I was able to do squats, climb stairs, extensions, flexion. I had a full range of movement. 

I massaged it with a roller, and completed the remaining 40 minutes of bootcamp substituting squats for lunges. 

After bootcamp, I had another 1 hour of yoga. I debated on not going, but I thought yoga would help, and it did. I was able to do the warrior pose, which is pretty much a lunge. 

What I discovered, was probably due to my sudden increase in exercise my muscles were a bit swelled which pressed on the nerve and all the lunges from the morning plus a total of a 6 mile run, my quads and hips were tired. So, as I tried to do another lunge, my femoral nerve fired as a defense mechanism causing the muscle to completely relax in-order to protect my quads from straining or worse, tearing. 

Its a little wake-up call when your body actually prevents you from doing something because it knows something bad is about to happen. 

often time people say, mind over body.. well this time the body won. 

--the aftermath--

After a epsom salt bath, a night of rest and more yoga, my leg is fine now, and able to do lunges again. 

 

Endurance? Where did you go???

My endurance hit rock bottom, literally.
Getting sick really sucks the life and endurance out of you. Its been 3 dreadful weeks and I'm finally getting better.
I've been able to run for a week, but I feel like I'm starting again from 0. :(

Its been so hard for me to do the same 3-4 mile path I used to do all the time without multiple breaks. My poor VO2 max is non-existent.

So.. Since I'm starting from the beginning, I thought it would be a good chance to "re-learn" how to run by focusing on my gait, foot turn over and pace.

It will probably be another 2-3 weeks before I can build up a decent base and attempt to do do 5-6 milers without feeling like my heads gonna explode.

Sigh... its gonna be a long road to recovery..