The Knee That Just Wouldn't Cooperate

By now, most of you know that for the last few weeks I've been having problems with my left knee. What started out as just a slight pain turned into something that side-lined me for two weeks of training, and stopped me completely mid-race.

Well on Monday, October 24th I got to go to my doctor to start figuring out WHAT was wrong. The recap....they're not REALLY sure. My doctor came in and tested my range of motion, putting pressure on my knee, my heel, twisting me, poking me, prodding me...trying to provoke my symptoms. Well of course, now that I was FINALLY in my doctor's office, my knee didn't seem to want to show any signs of pain. Perfect. Freaking figures my body won't cooperate. Of COURSE my body wanted to be difficult and be the oddball...would anyone expect ANY less from me? Seriously? :)

Well it turns out maybe that's a good thing when it comes to my knee. Because it was a sign that there is no tear in the tendons/ligaments/meniscus. There was no swelling or tenderness to the touch, and the twisting and pressure giving no pain was also a good sign that there was stress fracture either. Nothing appeared in my exam that would give the doc cause for significant worry, or additional testing (e.g. MRI, x-ray, etc). Well that's all great news (seriously it is) but COME ON! Give me a diagnosis! Tell me what I can do! And in a way she did..but it wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear.....No running for a month.....that was the original order.

I guess I say goodbye to the half.....not so fast she says. My doc seems to think if I keep up my endurance training (low/non-impact), that I could still run my half...IF my knee gets better. In the meantime I was ordered to physical therapy twice a week for the next month. Well I wasted no time called up the PT office and made my appointment for a couple hours later.

I went in and basically got a more in depth evaluation than my first doctor did. Lots more twisting, pressing on my ankles, testing strength in my legs....trying to provoke my knee pains. Nothing really happened, except for when they'd ask me to flip from my back to my stomach, or when I'd lower my leg down from some random position. I have to grimace at the fact that I'd have the pain on the most RANDOM times....but it also makes me laugh because it 100% matches my personality. Go figure. I'm a quirky chick.

After the first session, there really wasn't any specific diagnosis other than what they could rule that it WASN'T. Again, no thoughts of any real tears to tendons/ligaments etc. Probably that my knee was just irritated with the increases in distance and pace. Maybe an IT band issue, or patella tracking. They gave me a couple of leg strengthening exercises to do while I'm not running and then we scheduled the remaining appointments.

I will say that it was hard NOT to be downhearted at the end of that day at the doctors office. I mean....I continuously thank my lucky stars that I didn't do something TERRIBLE to my knee, BUT it is almost MORE frustrating to sit in this limboland. To have no idea what caused it, and to not know a straight path as to how to fix it and get back on my feet (literally). I sat in bed that night wondering how in the world I could make my training schedule work with being off my runs for a month. That would mean I'd be cleared to run MAYBE on the 17th of November, which would give me only a week and a half before the taper week for race day. Could I really just hop back on and do an 8 or 9 mile run in that time, and then be prepared to bust out 13.1 on race day? And would that be smart?! Because after no running on the knee I feel like just hopping back into that distance would probably work ON race day, but afterward I'm sure that my knee would be putting up a major fight. But maybe it wouldn't....TOO MANY MAYBES!

I guess its just a wait and see game. Which SUCKS for me because I don't tend to have much patience to just wait and see what happens....I think for me its going to be a new type of training. Training my mind to deal with things one day at a time, and not allow myself to get downhearted before the game has ended. Because nothing is ever lost. Maybe delayed but never lost. Because you can always change, adapt and grow. You just have to have a little faith... a little hope...a little strength.

Training Week #13 - Let FALL begin

So week 13 has turned out to be quite the week let me tell ya! After a beautiful sunny weekend with 85 degree weather in San Diego I returned to 60 degree weather (sometimes chillier) and rain.....oh. yay.

Needless to say our beautiful summer (or lack thereof) is gone, and we're now in full swing of Fall weather. Gotta get used to it though. Vegas in December...at NIGHT...going to be CHILLY..frigid even. So as much as I am tempted to go run on a treadmill inside (although I HATE treadmills), I will refrain and suck it up. Get tough!! It's all for the greater good right?!

Other than the chillier weather though the week went pretty damn smoothly. Monday evenings training was somewhat difficult as I'd been up since oh 4am getting ready to get on a plane return to Seattle, and put in a full days work. BUT I sucked it up and did a 6 mile bike ride. Not the original plan (I was GOING to run but that thought was somewhat painful as I sludged through my work day). The quads got a GREAT workout, and I felt good that I'd at least gotten a cross train in. Tuesday and Thursday were my run days. Getting in two great 4 mile runs. My pace on both days were sub 9 minute miles. Pretty damn good if I do say so myself! My timing seems to be getting better, but its not by anything that I'm specifically trying to do. I'm not forcing a faster pace it just seems to be coming in on its own. Wednesday and Saturday were hot yoga days....again I have to give my love for hot yoga a major shout out. I mean it really just cleanses me mind, body and spirit (Am I becoming a hippie? Has Seattle gone to my head????)

Sunday was the long run. First 7 miler of the training series. Jenny and I went out to Alki Beach (my most beloved spot for a run I must say), and somehow I pulled off one of the best runs I've EVER done. It was a pretty decent evening out. Not really too cold or windy (Thank GOD!). I had some pretty stupid stomach issues to deal with along the way but it didn't hinder my pace. I ended up at an 8:51 pace....ummm HOW?! No idea. It was my first 7 miler and yet somehow I managed to pull out a better average time than I had with any of my previous long runs.....will I take it?! YES!

Vegas looks so close yet so far still, but as I have no surpassed the halfway point in mileage I'm feeling more and more comfortable and confident at how the race will go.

Training Week #12 - 2 months till VEGAS!

This week's training did not necessarily go as well as I would've hoped. It didn't necessarily go BADLY, but I think my expectations were a little higher. I had planned to have 4 run days (totaling 18 miles) and a cross train day, with the long mileage being 6 miles. And those 6 miles were being run in San Diego.

Well I only had 3 run days and one walk day. After doing our 8 mile hike on Saturday, a 6 mile run on Sunday, I woke up Monday and decided that it was going to be a rest day. The body (and knee) needed some recovery time and I didn't want to push it too hard. Tuesday I set off as planned and ran my 4 miles. Feeling good but definitely could tell I was still tired from all the weekend activity. Wednesday was my walk night and just did a nice walk around the lake with mom. Thursday was supposed to be another 4 mile run, but around 2pm my body tanked on me. I was dizzy, lightheaded, and feeling sick to my stomach. I thought maybe I just hadn't eaten enough. Took down a granola bar. No help. Got home, took a little nap, and woke up still feeling the same. By about 6pm when nothing had changed I thought I should TRY to get something down. So I had some ground turkey meat and veggies I'd cooked the night before. Not kidding, two minutes after I took in the turkey I started feeling better. Apparently my body needed protein FAST! 

Needless to say even though I felt better I wasn't going to push it and try to run. But the next morning I woke up feeling great and didn't have to get into work until a little later so I did a quick 3 mile run. It was still rough. Given it was at 6:30 in the morning and very very cold. Probably shouldn't have pushed it so soon but that's a lesson to learn! 

Saturday was my attempted 6 miler in San Diego. I pulled out 5, which I have to say I'm pretty proud of. SD was WAY different than running in Seattle. Probably a lot of it was the mental factor. I'd been prebuilding that it was gonna be a rough run. So I think i MADE it rough. But it was also at 6:30 in the morning, after going out the evening before and having a few cocktails. It was also VERY humid that morning. By 6:30 there was no marine layer at the beach and was bright and sunshiny. I loved it don't get me wrong, but made for a more interesting run. 

So the week was not as successful as it could've been, but overall still pretty good. And given that I seemed to have exhausted myself the weekend before I think I was wise not to push it too hard and risk injury. This week also marked the end of basically 3 months of consistent training. WOOT WOOT! 2 months (and a week technically) to go!! Vegas baby!

Training Week #10

Training week 10!!! Holy cow we're almost to the half way point! Can't believe that we're already to this point though. I mean it does NOT seem like I've been training that long. And while it doesn't it does at the same time...but then I can't believe that I STILL have another 11 weeks after this...and yet again I DO believe it. Am I making ANY sense to ANYONE?! Hopefully because I'm pretty sure I don't understand what I just wrote.

Moving on. Week 10 was actually a pretty standard week. So this week I had two 3.6 mile runs, a hot yoga night and then a 5 mile run on Sunday. TWO rest nights this week but only because one of the days I was just BEAT after work and couldn't muster it up to go do anything. Ehh oh well. I've typically been doing 4 runs a week, a cross train and then one rest day. And really my rest days are a walking evening. Because I still like to have movement in my legs. Nothing crazy. Not a high paced walk or anything. Just something to keep the blood flowing and keep me feeling active. I've now started feeling like a loadtoad if I am not out at least walking or something. Gotta feel productive at the end of my day! So I don't feel bad that for one week I took an extra rest day.

The one cross training I DID do this week was hot yoga....and oh let me tell you I LOVED IT. I don't think I've said enough how MUCH I LOVE hot yoga. Well just know that I do. It just works you to the core and cleanses you mind body and soul. I sound hippyish but oh well...I live in Seattle right?! Where all the hippies are.....

This was also coupled with A LOT of walking around on Saturday and Sunday as my friend Rosie came to visit from SD! We went around and saw the sights. Walked Pike Place and just thoroughly enjoyed a relaxed touristy weekend...complete with rain in TRUE Seattle tradition :)

My average pace for the week ranged from 9min/mile to 9:20/mile so things seem to be going pretty well on the pacing side. Not TRYING to go fast at all, just going with what my body tells me. 

And for all you stat keepers out there here's the facts for the week!

WEEK 10 STATS (Sept 12 - Sept 18)

Total Miles Run - 12.2
Total Miles Planned- 12

Total Miles Walked - 3
Hot Yoga Classes - 1

Long Run - 5 miles

Training Week #4

This last week's training is something I feel is a testament in my ability to be versatile and stay true to my training schedule. The week began as all other training weeks have been so far. My Monday night run with Jenny for a solid 2 miler. Tuesday night, no Bikram this week unfortunately as I was working on getting packed for my trip down to San Diego, the 3 day trip up the coast with mom, and had limited time to get prepped. So instead I pulled another running night, and did 2 miles around Green Lake on my own. Had to say I was proud of myself. When running on my own I tend to be a little less focused and sometimes find it harder to stay on track. But I did the whole two miles on my own! Yay for me!

Wednesday was my travel day, and so no work out (felt REALLY weird!). But since I missed my run on the previous night, I was determined to make it up. So I woke up at the crack of dawn and was on the road running by 6:45am. I hit the downtown SD waterfront and did another 2 mile run. Let me tell ya something ladies and gents, SD is WAY different than Seattle. It was much more humid and it definitely felt more strenuous to run there. But I pulled it out and did the two miles. Give it I was at a much slower pace, but it got done! I also pulled in my cross training as I normally would on a Thursday, and did it by doing an hour and a half dance class with my fave Bridgie! :)

And then we hit the road for the 3 day coastal adventure....14 hour day on the road Friday. (thank GOD it was my rest night!!). Then Saturday am before we hit the road again I went and ran a mile on the treadmill at the hotel, and did another 5-10 minutes of walking (including going backwards on an incline - oh my buttox is going to look FAB!) Then another 9 hours of driving up the coast. Sunday after a short 3 hour drive I spent the day recooping (2 hour nap man!) and then hanging with the fam. Then met up with Jenny for our 3 miler run that evening.

Almost every night was against what I'd done the last 3 weeks, but I pulled it out and it felt good. To know that my week could go topsy turvy and that I could maintain my progress, and even go further. The 3 miler on Sunday actually felt the best so far, and thats on top of how tired I was from the whole weekend.

And now - I sit looking over the next 17 weeks (yes SEVENTEEN!) and there are no more easy 1 or 2 mile runs. Its 3+ miles from here on out. Its scary, but at the same time invigorating. To know I've completed a solid MONTH of training. And still feel like I'm going strong. So cheers to me and to my fabulous running partner Jenny! We're trucking on and not looking back!

Month 1 - COMPLETE!
Total Miles Run - approximately 30
Total Miles Walked - approximately 10
Total Mileage Completed - 40

I'll report back on what our average mile time is. Just don't have it with me at the moment! :)

xoxo
Ames

Training Week #2!!

Miles Run: approximately 5.6
Miles Walked: approximately 3.4
Total Mileage: 9 miles
Bikram Classes Attended: 3

Best Mile Time: 8:56
Previous Best: 9:36

Average 2 Mile Time: 9:36
Prior 2 Mile Average: 10:04

Sunday evening and I've just returned from my third bikram yoga class of the week. Yes third! The previous two went much more smoothly than my first bikram class last week. In fact, I was surprised at how GOOD I felt throughout the classes. I was strong and in control. I sweat A LOT! But its a time to focus and work through all your crap. You can't THINK of anything else other than what you are doing and for me thats a huge blessing these days! To leave everything at the door, and focus on whats within the four walls of the room. When I leave I feel relaxed and refreshed. My teacher tonight put it in a great way tonight. She said you break yourself apart and put yourself back together in the 90 minutes you're in that class. And I completely understand it after having taken the class for two weeks now.

And I feel like I'm hooked. I still have a couple weeks left on the unlimited pass and so my plan is to continue going three times a week. They're my cross training days on my schedule now. I also have already purchased two other groupons to other studios in the area so I've got another 15 classes after I finish my month long unlimited! :)

I'm pretty stoked if you can't tell!

As for my running....which is what this is all about right?! The runs I feel have been getting better and better. As you can tell from the mileage times I noted at the top my friend Jenny and I shaved 45 seconds off our fastest mile time from last week. And our very first run we started at 9:56. So we shaved a total minute off our mile run in just two weeks! Approximately 30 seconds off the average 2 mile run from the first week to the second. I'm pretty damn proud of us!!! We started stronger than I anticipated and continue to kick ASS! :-) Or at least thats MY opinion.

This week we finished what will be the last of what I call our easy run weeks. Gone now are the easy one milers that we've had the first two weeks. Starting tomorrow night our weeknight runs are bumped up to two milers, and the long runs on the weekends jump up to 3 miles. I'm slightly nervous, but know that Jenny and I can do it. We've gotten through two full weeks of training and are going strong. And I feel if we can make it through this third week, the first of which we jump our mileage, that we'll be golden for the rest of our time. I mean obviously I know there will be trials and tribulations throughout....but once we've gone three straight weeks (21 days to build a habit right?!) it will almost be like second nature to take out to the running path.

I continue to look forward to what will come throughout this journey. To see where we'll be one month in, two months in, and so on and so on. It will be an extraordinary adventure.

Also - please remember that I'm doing this for a great cause! I'm being a St. Jude Hero and striving to raise $1,500 for the children of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Please take the time to make a donation at my heroes fundraising page at www.mystjudeheroes.org/amybodnar

I found a quote (courtesy of the lululemon athletica site) that really spoke to me today that I'll leave this entry off with....

"When you want something you've never had, you have to do something you've never done."

Training Day #3

Another run day! :-)

Jenny and I headed to Gasworks Park for our nightly run and went out on the Burke-Gilman trail. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and running by the water was a wonderful treat. Given I live by Greenlake, but a change in scenery is always a pleasure!

We successfully completed our 1 mile run, improving upon our time from our Monday run. We also ran/walked another 2 miles, going about half and half the remainder of the way. The run seemed a little tougher this day, but I think it was primarily due to my slightly sore muscles from bikram yoga, as well as the fact that the first run day was cloudy and sprinkling :-)

Its going to take time and effort to get through this training program, but the first few days have definitely been motivating. To be able to head out and feel like I'm tackling my goals head on and doing pretty well at them is amazing. It would be slightly harder if I'd started the process and struggled through it. But I know there are many struggles to come along the way. I just have to continue to press on throughout the journey and KNOW that I can DO this!

Motivation baby! Gotta keep your eye on the prize....and mine is SET! Here I come VEGAS!

Training Day #1!

So yesterday evening was Training Day Numero Uno!!! That's right folks!

Training Day 1 Goal - run 1 mile

Ok - now I know what you're thinking....she's going to try and run 13.1 miles and her goal for training day one is 1 mile???? Is she serious?!? Oh yes I am ladies and gents! So here is the thing. I haven't honestly TRIED to run in I don't even know how long. When I put on all my weight running was a very unpleasant task. It was painful. I got shin splints had a hard time breathing....it just wasn't something I did. And over the last year while losing all my weight, my primary activity was walking. I'd walk for an hour or more, and so I was walking 3-4 miles a day 6 days a week. Averaging about 20 miles/week.

But running?? I had this huge fear that when I actually tried running again that my body would say "WTF! WHAT are you thinking?!?" So I found a training schedule from the Hal Higdon website (apparently he's the training guru for running ANY distance). His is a 12 week schedule which starts assuming you are running 3-4 miles a few times a week. Well thats definitely NOT what I'm doing. I have 21 weeks until the race, so I modified the schedule out and made it start with just a plain ONE mile run. :)

My friend Jenny (who is also running the half marathon in Vegas) met up with me last night for our first run. We're training buddies because we both need a little kick in the pants to keep us on track. It's called accountability people! We met up and started our venture out around Green Lake (approximately 3 miles around).....and our ending result.....we ran 70% of the time! We ran the first mile solid and then did intervals the remaining way around. And honestly I felt very comfortable the whole time, which surprised me. There were points toward the end that my muscles burned, but I didn't feel like I couldn't push through it.

And I think my favorite part of the whole run was my SNEAKS! It honestly felt like so much fun to be rocking my new kicks! They're just so bright and loud! I LOVE IT! :)

So that was training day one....tonight for training day two BIKRAM YOGA! :)
I've never done it in my life so its sure to be interesting....and sweaty! The training program says that one night should be to stretch and strengthen....I can't think of a better way to stretch and strengthen than hot yoga! I've been hydrating all day and now am just waiting till the class time comes! I'll post tomorrow on how it goes!


Training Day 1
Goal: 1 mile
Result: 2 miles run, 1 mile walked

Half Marathon - Here I Come!!!

It's Official!!! I have signed up for my first ever HALF MARATHON! Yes thats right! I've signed up for the Rock & Roll Half Marathon in Las Vegas on December 4, 2011. :-)

You all know that I've spent the last year or more working on losing weight. Well I wanted to now start working toward toning up and getting more fit. So now I've decided that I need a new challenge to do this. And that challenge is a half marathon. I've never been much of a runner, but its my new found goal to become one! I've got my training schedule set up, I've looked up nutrition information for how to make sure I'm getting all the right types of food and supplements while I'm training, and the whole program starts TOMORROW!! Whoa!

But I was shy of the MOST important piece of this whole thing....SHOES!! All of my friends who have run one, as well as all the training guides say that the SHOES are the most important piece of your training. So what did I do?! Go shoe shopping of course!! And here are my new pairs!!! (Yes PAIRS)

Yes I got TWO pairs! Why?? Because all the articles I've read say you need to have pairs that you rotate. So thats what I got! I went to Road Runner today and did the ShoeDog tool. Its a tool that measures your balance between left and right, as well as where you place pressure on your feet while you run, and also monitors how you run to see how you distribute weight throughout your run. So from all of this I learned I have VERY high arches, but run very evenly! It was amazing to actually have them be able to tell me which shoes would work best for me, and sculpt inserts for my shoes! The quick runs I did while trying the shoes on in the store felt phenomenal! :)

I'll be putting up posts throughout my training to keep everyone posted on how I am doing! I've got 147 days people!! Time to start rocking and rolling!!!