Little Red Running Hood

Miles: 409 Hal Higdon says… "One alters their natural cadence at their own risk"…. I like Hal, have used his program many times…. He is like my go to guy for marathon info.  But DAMN that statement. He is of course correct.  And I really really H that…… But instead of being happy with my hard earned 8something natural pace…. I have to struggle through and push harder and do better.  Because 8something isn't getting me anywhere very fast.  It is aout 2 minutes too slow, per mile.  So.  What now Hal…. any advice????   Keep working… right… people often miss that slow progress is still progress… Alright already…. I would like to win a race before I am 100 years old. SIGH….. I remember when the 8s were a big deal.   In, fact, I once remember asking my trainer if we could start every morning with an 8 minute mile.  So I could get into the 8s…. Yep.  I was a 9something runner and before that…. GASP of DISBELIEF…. I was a 10something ru...

MILES 403(OMG JUST SHOOT ME) 1 full week.  7 whole days. No running. It has been so hard.  It is something I don''t think anyone can understand.  I have been sleeping, hobbling around, dragging myself to yoga in an abhorrently depressed like state.  And the physical pain is beginning to subside….. As Geist draws near and I realize even the 5k is 90% out I am so sad at seeing all I worked for slip away… the emotional pain is really hanging on. OR I really need a good run. This morning I woke up and realized something.  No matter how much I want something, work for it, try, cry, fight and wish… somethings will never be…. I will only end up with a hurt body and a broken exhausted heart… That sounds so sad and discouraging… but in realizing this, it gives me a chance to find happiness…. nothing is making me sad…. expect expectations…. and ideas of what I want and can not have. I need to let that go or I will lose something far more valuable than running…. I wi...

So, this is day 4.  No running.  No running, no hiit, no boxing, no bootcamp.  And I didn't die.  I feel like I might be severely depressed, I want to cry every 5 minutes and I have only enough energy to lay in bed.  But I am surviving.  I imagine when I finally run again, the sharp pull of the inhale will burn my lungs and I will be filled with struggling to maintain any pace at all.   Hello, my name is Shannon and I am an exercisaholic…. So I am kind of looking for wisdom, strength and courage….  The wisdom to listen to my body, the strength to follow through on listening to my body and the courage to get in there and race again. I keep seeing all of these Chicago Marathon posts… and I am almost fearful…. I could barely run 13.1 on sat… how ever will I run 26.2…. That was a different girl who did that before… not me… I don't like pain… as much as I like running…. I have discovered… I also like walking…. very much.  And since I have been t...

Miles 403 (notice that hasn't changed in 2 freaking days.) 8:45am and I am in hot yoga. Stretching and lengthening and praying for magic leg repair. Maybe it will just stretch itself to healed. Sounds reasonable. I don't even push, no left leg stress… I actually lunge when we work the left side no weight on my left leg…. stretching my leg into the 90 degree heat of the room. Being compassionate and hoping for the best. No. It still hurts. Day 1… no run It's not just no running, it is no cardio…. If I have any hope of enjoying a summer of outdoor running I have to be patient and back off. Like ALL week. A full 7 days. I haven't run in 2 days. And it still hurts. Sadly nothing else hurts… My body is fine after 13.1 miles… I know that sounds crazy…. but with my first half being in 2001…I am physically and mentally trained to do this. 13.1 is actually ok. It is not hard to run. It is hard to run fast… it is hard to run hurt… but when I just run… it is ...

MILES 403 So.  How did it go…. on the other side of finish… like for the 100 time… I haven't run more than 100 half marathons, but I have undoubtedly run more than 100 races.  How did this one go? In all of my races, injuries, pain, humiliating finishes, I think at mile 7, this race became my worst ever. I knew I was in trouble. All week I knew it.  My leg hurt.  My abductor muscle.  It has been nagging at me for over a month I think… since I have been ignoring this, I can't remember how long.  Enter extra strength anti inflammatories from my DR….. 1000 mg a day… so yes, I can ignore it quite well. I have pushed through injury before. Early on in my running days I had calf muscle pulls and hip flexor pain.  It all gets better eventually.  But I have used different methods and pain meds to help speed up the healing process.  My DR gives my something a little less harmful than most NSAIDs, but still, over time, they are very bad on yo...

I am calm.  As calm as a cucumber filled with dynamite, ready to explode….AND my leg and I are in a very heated convo that sounds something like this….. Can you give me 13.1 today???? If you can do that we can rest all week…. I can try …… I NEED you to give me 13.1 today…. I can try …… Look we are wearing the shirt… we can't be weak today ok?  We need 13.1 of strong….. LOOK B$&#$ MAYBE you should have let me rest a few weeks ago… I am just out here walking and s#%$ trying to function as a leg and I said I would try and DON'T push me too hard because you need me…GOT IT?  Ok, we can try. I am desperately trying to choke down a bagel…. NOT going to happen… not even half…. and I am so thirsty….. and I think my knee hurts too……. 13.1. My leg hurts and my throat is sore…… I weakly say to myself……..cover the distance…. don't worry about time or anything else…. it will come…. just cover the distance and prepare for Geist… AND don't forget…..do what you love……..SO….. I...