Thank You, Hal Higdon.

I've been saying I'll put up my training plan, so here it finally is.  I'm using Hal Higdon's Half Marathon training plan.  I liked his because it includes a stretch & strengthen day, which I think is important for any training plan.  It also has cross training options too, which is also nice to switch it up a little.  I crossed off what we've done so far, so you can see how far we are into the plan.

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Stretch & Strengthen	3 m run	2 m run or cross	3 m run + strength	Rest	30 min cross	4 m run
2	Stretch & Strengthen	3 m run	2 m run or cross	3 m run + strength	Rest	30 min cross	4 m run
3	Stretch & Strengthen	3.5 m run	2 m run or cross	3.5 m run + strength	Rest	40 min cross	5 m run
4	Stretch & Strengthen	3.5 m run	2 m run or cross	3.5 m run + strength	Rest	40 min cross	5 m run
5	Stretch & Strengthen	4 m run	2 m run or cross	4 m run + strength	Rest	40 min cross	6 m run
6	Stretch & Strengthen	4 m run	2 m run or cross	4 m run + strength	Rest or easy run	Rest	5-K Race
7	Stretch & Strengthen	4.5 m run	3 m run or cross	4.5 m run + strength	Rest	50 min cross	7 m run
8	Stretch & Strengthen	4.5 m run	3 m run or cross	4.5 m run + strength	Rest	50 min cross	8 m run
9	Stretch & Strengthen	5 m run	3 m run or cross	5 m run + strength	Rest or easy run	Rest	10-K Race
10	Stretch & Strengthen	5 m run	3 m run or cross	5 m run + strength	Rest	60 min cross	9 m run
11	Stretch & Strengthen	5 m run	3 m run or cross	5 m run + strength	Rest	60 min cross	10 m run
12	Stretch & Strengthen	4 m run	3 m run or cross	2 m run	Rest	Rest	Dallas Rock n' Roll Half Marathon 3/14/10

 Check out halhigdon.com for more training plans!
Happy Running!

Let's try this again....

So I've been trying to rest up and let my shin splints heal... I work at a gym (Anytime Fitness, to be specific) and I've been talking to our trainers as well.  One trainer showed me a good stretch/tension to put on my calves/shins using a foam roller.  I've been taping them too (yep, I've been doing it myself.) I looked up some athletic trainer videos online on how to properly tape your calves/shins..... which may or may not have been a good idea, but I did it anyway.  Our male trainer said it looked okay.  I may look into seeing a Doctor specializing in sports injuries, per recommendation from our female trainer.  They may be able to help me from continuously getting shin splints, since I seem to get them so easily. 

I've been icing them quite a bit and cross training using low impact cardio. So I wanted to try running today... for some reason I feel like treadmills are what gave me shin splints.  I know cement on streets/sidewalks is a harsher surface, but I've never gotten them this quickly before now.  This time around, I was strictly running on treadmills for about 2 weeks, so I feel that had to be it.  My running partner & I ran our 4 mi today instead of using other cardio to replace running, and we ran it OUTSIDE.  It felt AH-MAZING.  I've had the running itch for the past week & a half... so this was awesome.  The run, surprisingly, wasn't that difficult either. I thought for sure it'd be a hard run after my rest period.  I tried to run on grass when I could and only run on the street when I had to & that seemed to help.  The pain in my shin was a little noticeable, but it definitely didn't get any worse.  I take that as a good sign.  I'll continue to ice it, take ibuprofen and run on surfaces that aren't too harsh.  I may look into seeing a specialist in sports injuries.

Tomorrow is a rest day, we switched a couple days in our training plan this week.  And Sunday is our long run as usual, 6 miles here we come!   

A quote I found that I really liked.....for anyone who's THINKING about whether they can be a runner or not, read this!
"If you want to become the best runner you can be, start now. Don't spend the rest of your life wondering if you can do it."
-Priscilla Welch  ( And no, I have NO idea who Priscilla Welch is... haha)

Happy Running!
Jen

Here are some pics from the 5K Run I directed with my co-worker (as mentioned in my profile).  
 The Run For Your Life 5K Run/Walk benefited the American Cancer Society/Relay for Life.  We managed to raise nearly $4,000 to contribute to this wonderful cause!

To the right: Just some of our AWESOME volunteer crew. We could not have done any of it without their help.

Race Directors with 2 lovely ladies from ACS. They were a HUGE help.

Check out our awesome t-shirts too!!



Here are some more pictures of the runners mid-race if you'd like to look: Run For Your Life - Runner Pics.

The Infamous Shin Splints

Problem #1 of Dallas Rock & Roll 1/2 Marathon Training:
The Infamous Shin Splints
Infamous: having an extremely bad reputation; deserving of or causing an evil reputation. <-- sounds about right, doesn't it?

If you've ever ran in your life you've probably gotten shin splints.  For some reason, I get them more easily than most.  I've gone to professional running shoe stores, they've looked at my pronation, I have the right shoes with the right amount of cushion, I don't think I increased my mileage too quickly, I haven't been running on cement....
See my problem?

Like I said, I've dealt with them before so I've read up on what your supposed to do to treat them.  And now that they've decided to make another appearance...so continues my research.  Oh how I wish there was a "magic cure."
Here's what I've done this time around:

• wrap with ace bandage (per instructions i found online)
• purchased training tape - haven't used yet.  found a "how to" video online showing how to properly wrap.
• ibuprofen 
• ice pack
• elevate while icing
• stretttttch

As of now, I'm sitting on my couch icing my elevated leg.  I haven't run since... last Thurs? I was supposed to run 3.5 mi last Thurs & only could run 1 mi before I had to stop.  I've been crosstraining since then.  Today was supposed to be my long run, 5 mi.  Didn't run... but did go to the gym and do 5 mi worth of cardio on an elliptical & bike.  All of the "research" I've read says to keep training, just don't run... give yourself time to heal.  Blahblahblah... I've got the itch to run!! There's nothing worse than WANTING to go out for my 5 mi run & not be able to. 

I found mayoclinic.com to be one of the most helpful sites, especially when it comes to prevention.  Thought I might share my new knowledge with you....
Prevention:

• Choose the right shoes. Wear footwear that suits your sport. If you're a runner, replace your shoes about every 350 to 500 miles.
• Consider arch supports. Arch supports can help prevent the pain of shin splints, especially if you have flat arches.
• Lessen the impact. Cross-train with a sport that places less impact on your shins, such as swimming, walking or biking. Remember to start new activities slowly. Increase time and intensity gradually.
• Add strength training to your workout. To strengthen your shins, try toe raises. Stand up. Slowly rise up on your toes, then slowly lower your heels to the floor. Repeat 10 times. When this becomes easy, do the exercise holding progressively heavier weights. Leg presses and other exercises for your lower legs can be helpful, too.

It's also important to know when to rest; at the first sign of shin pain, take a break.
They also have great info. on treatments, causes, etc.  For more info., check out MayoClinic - Shin Splints

I'm definitely open to tips on a quick recovery.  In the meantime, I'll be here... trying to get these stupid things to heal.  Tomorrow is a stretch & strengthen day, so another day of rest will be good.  Tuesday I'm back to running... so we'll see how I feel then.

I'll be posting my training schedule soon too; another effort to keep myself accountable.
Back soon!

Get Inspired

These are some good running books I recommend to any level runner, incl. non-runners:



Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner
By Dean Karnazes

 This book was truly inspiring.  It explains Dean's journey from non-runner to ultra-marathoner.  His journey was amazing and fascinating to read about.   A definite must-read for ANY level runner.  I even recommend this book to non-runners.






Marathoning for Mortals - "A Regular Person's Guide to the Joy of Running or Walking a Half-Marathon or Marathon."
By John "The Penguin" Bingham & Coach Jenny Hadfield

 The books provides a great mix of advice - anything from training plans, what to eat, what to drink, energy gels, running shoes, etc.  It's a great tool to jump start a beginner's running program. I know it was helpful for me. 


 


These 2 books specifically really helped motivate & educate me.  When I first started training, there was a lot I didn't know and the second book especially helped with tips & advice for beginning runners.  The authors of "Marathoning for Mortals" are from Runner's World.
I got the following book for Christmas, it's next on my "To Read" list. 

My Life on the Run - "The Wit, Wisdom, & Insights of a Road Racing Icon."
By Bart Yasso

I almost got to meet him too - a local marathon called "Spirit of Survival" invited Mr Yasso to a luncheon in which he spoke and I wasn't able to make it. 

I'll be sure to let you know what I think when I complete this book.




More to come.
Jen

Why Hello. Good to meet you.

Let me introduce myself....

I've been running on and off for about 10 years, basically to stay active & healthy.  My passion for running didn't really start growing until about a year ago.  Some friends & family members of mine were running the Walt Disney World Marathon last January, I tracked their times & progress via the text msging the marathon had set up... I was so excited FOR them while they were running.  I thought to myself... "Hey, I could do that."  It actually sounded fun (running 26.2 miles sounds fun?! some of my family & friends thought I was craaaazy). What an amazing accomplishment that would be!

Well I spoke to a friend about his experience with running marathons, got some tips, researched training plans and finally chose one from runnersworld.com.  I started training and all was going pretty well.  Late August I started not feeling well and wasn't able to run for the entire last week of August...the Dr's couldn't really figure out what was wrong for about a week.  Long story short, after tons of tests, pain meds, multiple Dr's.  They finally figured out I had shingles....Shingles?!? Really?? I'm not 83, what 25 yr old gets shingles?! If you're not familiar with Shingles - here's an explanation (thx to shinglesinfo.com):  Shingles is a disease which can cause a painful rash- it is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox.  If you’ve had chickenpox, the virus can live, but remain inactive, in your body for many years. If it becomes active again — usually later in life — the chickenpox virus can give you Shingles.

Shingles, is without a doubt, the most painful thing I have ever experienced in my life.  Each Shingles case can vary in severity, mine was pretty severe.   My rash appeared on the left side of my face, scalp, & partially into my eye.  At one point, I couldn't see of out my eye.  It was constant, throbbing and stabbing pain.  I also experienced Allodynia (pain from a source that would not normally cause pain — such as pain from a slight breeze over the skin or the touch of clothing on the skin).  It took over a month for the actual pain to go away, then it was still sensitive to touch for awhile, then as it started to heal it was extremely itchy.  I still get pangs of pain from time to time, not very severe, some days worse than others.  Shingles CAN come back, but is supposedly rare.  They don't actually know what caused it.  It could be many things; stress, weakened immune system, certain meds, or the virus can just "wake up" when it wants to for no reason at all.... which they're thinking was my case.  I wasn't really under an unusual amount of stress, I wasn't sick prior to the Shingles...etc.  My ONLY guess was that I was training for the Chicago Marathon so my body was being put under a lot of physical stress but...... I don't like to stick to that conclusion.  I won't let Shingles get me down again.

Moral of the story: I obviously couldn't run the marathon, considering I was still healing from Shingles.  Running was out of the question from Day 1.  A slight breeze brought on excruciating pain, so running was certainly not an option.  I was NOT happy about that, all the time & effort I put in didn't get to see an end result.

This post was not meant to be a sob story, I just wanted you to see how I got to where I am today.  I began running again & searching for a nearby half or full marathon.  I'm originally from Northern Illinois, hence the Chicago Marathon, but I now live in Oklahoma.  My husband is in the US Army & is stationed at Ft. Sill.  My searching brought me to the Dallas Rock & Roll Half Marathon....what a perfect transition back into my long term goal of running a marathon!  I've heard good things about the Rock & Roll Half&Marathons.  A friend & I are now officially registered for it.  It's nice to have a training partner (even tho we don't run at the same speed, I'm a little slower).  I didn't have a training partner in the same town last time, so this is a great way to be held accountable.  My previous marathon training brought me to about 13 or 14 miles, so I know I can run a Half.  I'm just excited for the race experience itself!  I can't WAIT! 

You'll get to hear about my experiences along the way, but I'll also try to post things I learn throughout my training, tips I get from other runners & info that I think may be helpful for other new runners.

Thx for reading!
Back soon!

Aw man, I'm a n00b?!?!

You'll have to forgive me... I just got this bad boy up and running tonight.  I'm still figuring out how blogger.com works....

Any helpful tips would be greatly appreciated.

Entertainment to arrive shortly.