tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67875257828107483692024-03-12T22:36:03.913-07:00Energizer Momma... she keeps going... and going..This started as a blog documenting the journey to my first Ironman. Been there done that -- and not sure when/ if I will do another. New journeys await -- marathons and trail ultras are next on the horizon.
Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-58549669665916863802016-04-18T21:21:00.002-07:002016-04-20T16:12:38.700-07:00Boston, Take 2: 2016<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5l-in1rzcbd9_bx0hjn4aFvQDXWCv8mfHwUaGAjwi4pK1166zXp-581QH628_cSiDm00gw9D6ffLYXIsNEXBxlDtJkDR43aMYICse7AO64fEA_EFxwU-n4rlAf8cWsIM6MeqoDdozi4Aa/s1600/BostonFinishGretchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5l-in1rzcbd9_bx0hjn4aFvQDXWCv8mfHwUaGAjwi4pK1166zXp-581QH628_cSiDm00gw9D6ffLYXIsNEXBxlDtJkDR43aMYICse7AO64fEA_EFxwU-n4rlAf8cWsIM6MeqoDdozi4Aa/s400/BostonFinishGretchen.jpg" width="265" /></a>I don't really blog anymore, but this was an epic day for me so, I'm blogging tonight. It probably won't happen again for another year or two. :)<br />
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It has been a good running year.. After hitting the wall at mile 20 and passing out at the finish of the Newport News marathon in March 2015, I went on to set personal records in every distance, from the 5K to the 50 miler (to be fair, it was my only 50 miler.) I had a strong finish last fall at the Chicago marathon, and decided to just train hard for this race with the goals of having a good time with running buddies, getting in some good workouts and shorter distance races, and staying injury free. With all that in place, my goal for the day was to run my best Boston and finish without a complete crash and burn in Newton and beyond.<br />
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Weather for race day was looking pretty bad a few days prior, predicting a high of 75 for a majority of the time I'd be on the course. So although the temperatures we were given -- 72 at the start and gradually cooling as the race went on -- were not ideal, they were certainly better than what was originally forecast, and kind of similar to Chicago. I decided to wear as little clothing as possible, to go out no faster than marathon pace, not make the same mistakes I did last time I ran it. (Note: my 7:29 first mile in 2014 was not planned marathon pace.)<br />
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I also decided to run by myself. In 2014 I ran with a friend and we were chatting most of the way. I probably ran faster than I should have because I was distracted. This time, I would run my own race.<br />
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Go time. The first two minutes were so crowded I couldn't get under an 8:20 pace, but then the crowd thinned and I noticed my watch was at 7:30.... oops. Then, <i>all</i> my GU fell out of my race belt. All six packets. I had to turn around and get them - and could only find 4 - and almost got trampled while profusely apologizing and feeling like a total loser, but I was pretty sure I couldn't get to mile 12, where they give out the first gels, without any fuel and still have a decent race. I crossed the first mile in 7:48, including the GU snafoo. I know the first 8 miles are pretty much all downhill, and I managed to keep a pretty solid 7:48-50 pace. For the next 8 miles I tried to settle into marathon pace but take some advantage of the downhills. I had a couple 7:30ish miles in there. It was still very warm with no cloud cover, and I started the routine of drinking Gatorade at each aid station and dumping a cup of water on my head.<br />
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Then I hit Newton. This is where I fell apart last time. My pace had been too fast for the first 8 miles, and after the first hill my quads didn't work anymore. I did the first of the four hills and it wasn't so bad. The legs felt like they could keep going. Hill two is the steepest, and I just kept chanting "Pickett Hill is steeper than you! Pickett Hill is steeper than you!" (Pickett Hill is a .34 mile beast with a 5-9% grade that I run least twice a week on my morning route.) Hill three didn't feel bad at all. And then there was Heartbreak. It wasn't all that steep, it just seemed to go on forever (in reality, it was a half a mile.) It was my slowest mile of the race at 8:27, but I knew I could still PR if I didn't fall apart in the last 5 miles.<br />
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I decided not to turn on my iPod, which was clipped on just in case, and instead to focus for those last miles on keeping pace. I was starting to get a little tired, I managed to keep mile 22 just under 8 minutes, but then I couldn't do sub-8s anymore. And I was running straight downhill. My legs actually felt pretty good, but I was low on energy. Focus. Focus. Focus. The crowds carried me though those last few miles that were feeling like eternity. Finally I saw the finish line and looked at my watch.... If I managed to run a sub-8 pace for the last half a mile I could come in under 3:28... so I pushed it, and ran a little faster down Boylston St. 3:27:41. PR. At Boston. I was stoked.<br />
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I wish I could say that my race story ended there, but things got a little scary later on. I met up with my husband and friends and we headed to a restaurant for a celebration drink. I just stared at my beer - it didn't look appetizing. Nothing did. I started to get those hyponatremia warning signs -- nausea, headache, dizziness... so I asked the waitress for some salt. I drank a tablespoon of salt which usually helps in about ten minutes, but I was still feeling bad. I walked to the bathroom and realized I was close to passing out. My friends and husband walked me to the med tent, and on the quarter mile walk I started to lose feeling in my limbs and lips, and turned blueish. By the time we got there I was shaking. I've never felt that horrible after a race, and was terrified. They did blood work, and I had low blood sugar, low sodium, and dehydration. I was there for 90 minutes, and after an IV and some time flat on my back, I started to feel better. I was able to eat dinner a couple hours later and am back to feeling normal.<br />
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I'm thrilled about the PR, but the after situation scared the pants off me. This is the third time I have ended up with an IV after an endurance race, and I have had three other similar situations where the onset came well after I'd left the race site. Looking back, I actually felt fine when I finished the race.... and then I didn't eat. For two hours, I didn't eat or drink anything. I am so angry with myself - likely if I'd downed the recovery shake they handed me, I would have been fine. Instead I ended up in a potentially life threatening situation, and halted the celebrations of my husband and friends who waited nervously outside the medical tent. I guess every race comes with some lessons to be learned.<br />
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Other than that, though, couldn't have had a better weekend. Boston knows how to put on a race -- I was congratulated by everyone in the entire city, including police, subway drivers, and passersby. This city comes together for the marathon -- there is nothing like it.<br />
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<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/549513425" target="_blank">Boston, Take 2: 2016</a><br />
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<br />Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-85623607824856342382016-04-18T21:20:00.001-07:002016-04-18T21:33:16.162-07:00Bull Run Run 50 Mile - 2015 ReportI had wanted to do this race for three years now, but it just hasn't worked out. In 2012, I ended up third on the wait list (in restrospect, I was in no mental or physical shape to run it that year, anyhow.) In 2013, I got in, but fractured my hip 5 weeks before the race. Last year was my first Boston, so doing a 50 miler the week before didn't seem like a great plan. This year the date worked, and I planned my race schedule around it, but I still wasn't entirely convinced I'd remain injury free until, well, Friday. :) <br />
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In the weeks leading up to the race, I had nightmares about the last 20 or so miles. It's a tough course with about 25 short but steep climbs, and anything over 31 miles was a big unknown to me. I had done a 50K put on by the same running club on the southern part of the course (definitely the more challenging end) in December 2012, but other than that, marathons had been my longest distance. I also have had some somewhat concerning health issues at endurance events, including collapsing at the finish of my last marathon a month ago. I have since found a GP who is an ultrarunner, and we discussed this race and my nutrition plan in detail. </div>
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Also, I was feeling a little unprepared. The night before, I got some texts from my friend who did the JFK 50 last November. How many pairs of shoes was I bringing? What about socks? Who was my crew? Was anyone pacing me for the last 10 miles? Whaaaaa?????? Um, I was bringing one pair of shoes. One pair of socks. I had no crew. And pacers weren't allowed on this single track trail. I actually wasn't bringing anything except my fuel belt, a change of clothes for after the race, a bottle of shampoo, and a hairbrush. </div>
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I carpooled with a guy from DC Road Runners -- an experienced 50 miler -- and he assured me I had brought everything I needed. Phew. We arrived at packet pickup at 5:10 a.m. Just like the 50K, which started from the same location, I was immediately taken with the vibe of the crowd. Such a friendly bunch of people. I made myself a peanut butter bagel and chatted away with, well, everyone around me. My former boss, Tim, who inspired me to do this race about 5 years ago (I think he has run it 21 times!) showed up around this time. We wished eachother well.... and it was time to head to the start.</div>
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The start of the race is a loop around the paved road at Hemlock Regional Park -- the only paved section of the course. The goal is to spread out the runners before they head onto the the single track trail for the remaining 49 miles. I knew I had a bad habit of starting entirely too fast, and also knew the first 16 miles are the most runnable, and so, with no time goal other than to finish under the cutoff and not crash and burn, I practiced my "snail pace" from the start. I was also forced to stop and walk/ simply pause at some of the tricky parts, as there was a huge backup. </div>
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Tim caught up to me when we got to to those tricky bits -- he is an amazing trail runner. I was scared to death of falling, but he ran though the steep and rocky sections like it was second nature. It was nice to catch up with him, and he gave me some good advice for the rest of the race. Stay steady on the runnable parts. Plan what you need in advance from the aid stations, and don't waste any time there. And... it's all mental. You can do this.</div>
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Around mile 5, we hit a rocky section, and I saw a small crowd of people gathered around a woman who had fallen. She looked like she was in pretty bad shape, and they were waiting for medics. It's always hard to know what to do in those situations -- stop and help? Keep going? I asked if they needed anything, and they didn't... so I kept going. How awful to fall in the first few miles. (Note: she was okay, I found out at the finish - she had done something to her arm.)</div>
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At mile 7 we hit the first aid station. I grabbed some of my favorite treats -- some cookies, some jelly beans, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I filled my bottles with Gatorade and headed to the out and back - the only long flat section of the course. I ran conservatively so I could eat my food without cramping - I know how important it is to eat early on - and I didn't want to trash my legs with more miles left than I'd ever run in my life. As it was an out and back, I could see the leaders coming in... they were looking strong, and even had smiles on their faces as they ran by. We got to hit up the aid station again four miles later, and I noticed that the food was looking less appetizing. I asked for a salt pill, and kept on going.</div>
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The next few miles I ran with a guy from upstate NY -- it was great to chat with someone, and it made those miles fly by. You have to climb a small mountain to get back to the start area -- I remembered this from the 50K, and we would again climb it at the finish, at mile 49.5. I got to the Hemlock aid station and got a little confused on where to head from there. I grabbed some food and headed back to the course, but had lost my NY friend. Soon, though, I fell into stride with a woman from Philly, who I ran with for a few miles. She was a veteran Bull Run Runner, and had to turn around in order to be on the road by noon to get home for her son's senior prom. I was amazed she came all the way down to run only half the race, but was beginning to see how special this race was to so many people who keep coming back again, year after year. After she and I parted, I was all alone. I could hear gunfire up ahead, and knew that meant we must be coming close to Bull Run Regional Park, where there is a firing range. Sure enough, I was soon at the Marina. They had a great spread of food, but nothing looked very good. I got some salt pills, a cup of cola, and tried to make myself eat a PB&J, however, I wasn't able to swallow it. My mouth was pretty dry. I ended up spitting it out about a quarter mile later. <br />
Since I'd run the 50K on the south end of this course a few years ago, this part of the course was familiar, and I knew was was coming up. Up, down, up, down, and more up, down. Relentless hills. My quads were starting to hurt already. I'd been walking the ups but running the downs. The downs were really beginning to bother me. I was starting to get a little discouraged as I ran into the next aid station, but then I saw the sign - MILE 26.1! - and I knew that meant I was over halfway done. Never mind the fact that I had 24 miles left. Never mind that my cumulative time was 5:20 -- almost two hours longer than my last marathon. I could do this. I could finish. I turned around, and there was Tim again. It was nice to have some company for the next couple miles, but then I lost sight of him at the next aid station - Fountainhead. The volunteers were great and told me to "Enjoy the Do Loop." This would be the fourth time I've run the Do Loop -- I'd done it at the Women's Trail Half Marathon, the 50K, and earlier this year on a training run -- and it's killer. Massive hills. Beautiful views of the Occoquan Reservoir. On the way in, you catch people heading out, who are a good hour or so ahead of you. These were the same people I'd seen on the out and back at the beginning, all with smiles on their faces. Now, they all looked exhausted. <br />
I ran the Do Loop by myself -- there was a guy a ways behind me keeping a steady pace, but other than that, it was just me and the trail. I hit the Do Loop Aid Station, and knew it was only 2.5 miles to get back to Fountainhead. Those miles took For Freaking Ever. FOREVER. How could 2.5 miles take so long? And then I still would have ten miles to go. TEN MILES! Never mind that I would be 3/4 of the way done. The hills were killing me. I could not stomach food. I heard two guys behind me talking. One said "When I get to the next aid station, I'm finished." The other guy said "You have it in the bag! You are 2.5 hours ahead of the cutoff. You can walk the rest of the race and still finish." <br />
When we got to Fountainhead, my good friend Ami was there waiting. I tried to smile - I was so grateful to see her! She did her first 50 in the fall, and she knows how bad you feel at this point in the race. She had brought me trail mix, socks, and a new t-shirt. I felt horrible turning them all down, but my socks and shirt were working for me, and a couldn't even fathom putting anything solid in my body at this point. I thanked her, drank some Coke, tried to eat something solid (I might have managed a strawberry), and continued. That guy I mentioned above? He dropped. As bad as I felt, I don't know how you could drop when you'd accomplished so much.<br />
That other guy, the one who tried to convince him to stay in the race, passed me as I was relieving myself behind a tree. I noticed that my urine was the color of copper. I was a little concerned, and then remembered how my mouth was so dry I had to spit out my sandwich. I had been good about my salt intake, but maybe not drinking as well as I should have. I caught up to him and asked him what he though (hey, long distance runners can talk about their pee. It's okay.) He was great -- this is someone who had run the race 12 times, done multiple 100 milers, and he figured I was dehydrated and told me to drink all my water in between aid stations. I realized I'd been drinking a cup or two at each station, but not much in between. For the next five miles, we chatted on the flat sections, he'd fly ahead on the descents (which I could no longer actually run due to quad pain), and I'd catch up on the uphills (as long as they weren't straight up, I could still run them.) He confessed that he had not run at all since Marine Corps Marathon. I figured he meant he hadn't run much. Nope. He hadn't run at all. Not a step. HOW DO YOU GO OUT AND RUN A 50 MILE TRAIL RACE ON ABSOLUTELY NO TRAINING? He says it's all muscle memory, and mental. He knows he can do it. Apparently he can.<br />
At the final aid station, I see my next door neighbor, who is volunteering. He tell me I've only got five more miles to go! I tell him that every mile is now taking freaking forever. My new friend (the one who can run 50 miles without any training) reminds me that we've got a lot of flat parts coming up. That's it. I'm finishing, and I'm running as fast as I can.<br />
Which isn't all that fast. I'm actually really excited when my GPS registers a 12 minute pace for some of the miles. We reach the river bed, and those ridiculous rocky sections which my new friend is really good at and I am not. He runs over them like they are no big thing, and I'm holding on for dear life. So I lose him. But I know I'm close, really close. I remember from the 50K that I pass two mile markers, and then I reach that ridiculous mountainous climb, and then it's about a half a mile on a flat field to the finish. So I run. I pass a group of guys, and they tell me that mountain is just up ahead. I run, and then I have to walk up, up, up. but then I run... and I see the finish. And I smile. I cross. I am done. I just ran 50 miles. <br />
The finish line is incredible. A feeling I haven't ever felt at a road race. Such support for the runners coming in. One of the most touching moments of the day happened after I'd met up with my family, showered, and was enjoying the amazing finish line food. A runner, aged 71, who had finished this race 22 previous times, neared the finish line. Everyone cheered for him by name. He crossed with such determination and joy in his eyes. He wasn't the only 71 year old runner, either. <br />
I think I'll run Boston next year, and pretty sure I can't do them both within a week of each other, but I want to do this one again. Hats off to VHTRC for putting on such a great event.<br />
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Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-59945027245960143902014-06-26T21:30:00.002-07:002014-06-26T21:33:44.639-07:00Here we go again...It's officially been two months (plus a few days) since the Boston marathon, which was really the last time I had a somewhat decent run. Turns out my hunches about being injured pre-marathon were correct.<br />
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In the weeks following the race, I felt horrible. Beat up. Like I never recovered. I tried to follow reverse taper schedule, but instead of getting better, I was getting worse. A month after the marathon I attempted to race the 5K my school puts on every spring. I finished over 2 minutes slower than my normal 5K time and my knee swelled up like crazy. A week later I tried one more time to get in a decent run. I did three half mile repeats, and by the last one I couldn't walk on my right leg.</div>
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Back to the orthopedist. He suspected a torn meniscus. The MRI confirmed what I already knew. </div>
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So... here I am on the couch recovering from knee surgery. I'm a terrible patient. I can't stand lying around. My doctor says I can try running in about a month. A month. A month feels like forever, especially since I haven't run at all for three weeks. Granted, it's better than four months. That's what I keep telling myself. </div>
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Check out this quote I found today when I was bored out of my mind and reading medical journals on meniscus surgery (yeah, I'm a nerd.)</div>
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Dedicated seemingly beyond logic. A difficult group indeed.</div>
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Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-59198404415030336152014-04-25T21:33:00.001-07:002014-04-26T17:05:56.990-07:00Boston Part 2: Game On!<b>PRE-RACE</b><br />
6 a.m. and I'm wide awake. I'm the only one in the whole apartment. I don't know WHY I'm awake, we don't have to leave until 8:30... the whole reason we stayed by the start was so we could avoid the crazy early race wake up time (that, and it was $144 a night for a two bedroom apartment with free breakfast and parking.) I went downstairs to the buffet when it opened and expected to see tons of runners, but no, it was just me. Apparently everyone else was still sleeping. I had some oatmeal, a waffle, and some coffee, and headed back upstairs. Everyone was STILL asleep. 7 a.m. What was I supposed to do for 90 minutes? <br />
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Eventually, after an hour that seemed like eternity, Jamie (and Jack, and my dad) got out of bed, got ready, and headed to the lobby with Tuan. They ate, I watched the news which was now predicting high 60s by 2pm,-- likely when I'd be in the last 10K, fantastic -- and headed to the car. <br />
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I was predicting mass chaos similar to our traffic jam disaster prior to the Philly Marathon, but there was none. We got to the South Street athlete shuttle in less than ten minutes, and the line moved quickly. There was a man with a metal detector, and I "went off" when he scanned me. Why? GU packets. Haha. The detector really went off like crazy when he scanned Jamie, who removed a box he was holding under his sweatshirt. He had Clif Shots. "How many Clif Shots did you bring?" I asked him. "Not sure." he said. I grabbed the unopened box that I had recently bought for $25. "Um, honey, how many gels are you going to take? There are 24 here. You didn't want to grab, like, 6?" "Ooops?" he said. Tuan quipped "He's not taking any chances with his nutrition!" I just rolled my eyes and we got on the bus. <br />
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By the time we got to the Athlete's Village it was starting to get warm. Jamie, whose wasn't exactly in tip top marathon shape (the whole breaking a rib by falling on the ice back in late January didn't get his training off to a great start... six weeks of recovery, so he really only got in a six week cycle), decided he would go ahead and start in Wave 1 (which I wasn't allowed to start in) to avoid the later heat. Tuan and I still had a 25 minute wait before I was allowed to walk to the corrals. Jamie handed me the 18 Clif Shots he apparently didn't really need (which I tried to donate to other runners, but nope, no one wanted them, so I left them on the bagel and banana table) as he headed off. Tuan and I got in the port-o-pot line. <br />
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It didn't move. At all. Not one step in ten minutes. And then they called my corral.<br />
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There is no good place to pee in the Athlete's village. And I really, really, really had to go. We headed towards the start and I heard my name. I turned and saw my (fast) friend Andie. The first thing out of my mouth was "I have to PEE!" I was really about to cry. She pointed behind the dumpster. "Just go!" There was a police officer standing right down the road. Game time decision -- I did not want to pee on myself. So I went behind that dumpster and I swear the officer saw the whole thing. He did not arrest me, and I felt SO MUCH BETTER.<br />
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I drank a half bottle of Gatorade on the 15 minute walk to the start, and when we arrived, I saw this HEAVENLY SEA OF PORT-O-POTTIES WITH NO LINE! Seriously. There were like hundreds of them. "I'm going again!" I told Tuan. So I did. By the time we got back, my entire wave was gone. We had missed the Wave 2 start entirely, and Wave 3 was nowhere to be seen. So it was kind of a weird start.... we just started running. And as I clicked on my Garmin and crossed the timing mat, I welled up with tears. I was really running the Boston Marathon. <br />
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MILES 1-6<br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">1: 7:29 </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">2: 7:49 </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">3: 7:46 </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">4: 7:51 </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">5 - reset clock to match mile markers so 1.1 miles in 8:01 (7:53 pace) </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">6: 7:47 </span><br />
I was so excited! I didn't really look at my Garmin much, and as usual Tuan was chatting to everyone, high-fiving all the spectators, throwing cups of water into my face... he qualified for this race with a 3:00:23, so going out at a... hey, what pace were we running anyhow? We crossed the 5K timing mat just over 24 minutes. Ooops. That was not much slower than my 5K split at my last half marathon. "SLOW DOWN NGUYEN!" I yelled. "You're fine! It's downhill... you need to have a little time in the bank for Newton, those hills are tough." We kept running. I took my first gel at 4. I was already hot.<br />
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MILES 7-16<br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">7: reset clock to match mile markers so 1.11 in 8:05 (7:58 pace)</span><span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">8: 7:50 </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">9: 7:54 </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">10: 7:57 </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">11: 7:57 </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">12: 7:51 </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">13: reset clock to match mile markers so 1.1 in 8:06 (7:59 pace) </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">14: 7:52 </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">15: reset clock to match markers so 1.1 in 8:10 (8:04 pace) </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">16: 7:49</span><span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;"> </span><br />
The course wasn't as steep of a downhill anymore, and I was able to settle into the 7:55-7:59 pace I had planned. It felt great. Tuan told me I'm right on pace to PR, and throws another cup of water over my head. We get to Wellesley and he leaves me to kiss all the girls cheering on the right. Their signs are hilarious. I love this race. I am running Boston. This is the best marathon ever.<br />
<br />
MILES 17-18<br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">17: 8:31 </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">18: 8:34 </span><br />
The Newton Hills begin. I had budgeted on an 8:30 pace for the UP parts, and a 7:40 pace for the down parts..... unfortunately after I got up the first hill, the down started to hurt like crazy. My quads were not happy. This suddenly was the worst marathon ever.<br />
<br />
MILES 19-21<br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">19: Reset laps so 1.2 in 9:35 -- 8:55 pace. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">20: 8:48 -</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">21: 9:07 </span><br />
<br />
I'm seeing a lot of 9:XX registering on my Garmin. That isn't boding well for a PR. I'm really hot, and I know I have two more miles of hills. My quads are revolting. I turn to Tuan after the 19th mile and say "We went out too fast." He says "Well you aren't PRing today. You might as well just have fun." I look at my watch. I can still BQ... maybe... but it's going to take some hard work. I stick in my ear buds, which I had set to my favorite playlist "in case emergency motivation is needed", but instead of what I thought I had it cued to -- my hip hop mix of running songs (BORN TO RUN, CHARIOTS OF FIRE, etc.), out blares THE WIGGLES. THE FREAKING WIGGLES! You have got to be kidding me. What happened to my playlist? I am not listening to my two and a half year old's favorite band while I run up Heartbreak Hill. I ripped my iPhone out of its case and shuffle up hill #3 as I find MY playlist. It made Heartbreak a little more bearable, but I think that half mile was at a 10 minute pace. I started to wonder if a re-BQ was even possible. <br />
<br />
MILES 22-25<br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">22: Reset clock to match mile markers. 1.2 in 9:15 -- 8:40 pace.</span><span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">23: 8:54 </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">24: 8:51 </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">25: 9:14 </span><br />
<br />
After Heartbreak, the course is pretty much downhill, so I was sure I could make up some time and finish under 3:35. Except I couldn't run downhill anymore because MY QUADS HURT SO BAD! The sun was blazing. Tuan had given up on me and kept telling me to "run for fun." I didn't train this hard to give up at the end, and I was going to give it all I had, which at this point wasn't much. Every time I saw a 9 on the Garmin, I'd try to put some surges in. They didn't help my overall pace, and 3:35 was no longer attainable. Under 3:40 and try again next year? Maybe. My legs felt like they were going to fall out from underneath me, and I was beginning to wonder if I could even pull THAT off -- it would mean no ten minute miles. And the pace was really starting to creep up there. It was so hot, and Tuan had disappeared, so that meant he wasn't dumping water on my head anymore. Screw this marathon. I hate everyone. I think there might have been people cheering on the sidelines, but all I could see was pain. I am never running this far again, ever. Ever, ever, ever. And where the heck was Tuan? (Apparently, I found out later, he saw me suffering and ran off to get me water, then accidentally dumped it on the wrong girl, who was not pleased... and then lost me completely.) <br />
<br />
THE END!<br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">26: 9:11</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #00c5fe; color: #404547; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.880290985107422px;">.2: (which came in at .3) - 2:41 (9:20 pace)</span><br />
I ripped out my ear buds because even MY PLAYLIST was annoying me, and figured I should listen to the crowds at the end. Except my legs hurt so much I couldn't enjoy them. WHERE WAS THE FINISH LINE? I crossed the 26th mile marker, and spotted Tuan, who wasn't running... he appeared to be looking for me. He was on the left side facing the oncoming runners, and I was on the right. I feebly attempted to wave my arms and call out his name, but I didn't have any energy left, and I knew I was only a couple of minutes from the end, and very close to having absolutely no BQ cushion. So I just kept my eyes on that finish line. <br />
<br />
And then I crossed that timing mat that comes a few yards from the finish, so they can call out your name as you cross, and I knew I was going to make it. And I smiled. Big time. I finished Boston. Not in the time I had set out for, but I did requalify by a little over two minutes and I did give it my all. <br />
<br />
3:37:52. The Garmin says 26.55.... way to run those tangents, Gretchen.<br />
<br />
FINISHED! UNBROKEN! I AM ELATED!<br />
<br />
A year ago I had a pelvic stress fracture. 7 months ago I was running on an Anti-Gravity Treadmill. 6 weeks ago I fell on ice and wasn't sure I would be able to run this race at all. On April 21, 2014, I finished the Boston Marathon.<br />
<br />
THE AFTER<br />
My phone, fully charged at the start, was almost dead even though I didn't turn on the music until I was well into Newton... how did that happen?. Jamie called me and said something about he was done and his legs hurt so he was getting a massage. Tuan was nowhere in sight, and hadn't brought anything with him except his drivers license, so I had no way to find him. My dad met me at the end of the finish chute (he has some iPhone app he can track me with, which come to think about it probably was the reason my phone was dead.) I posted something on Facebook that Tuan and Jamie should meet us at the Family Meeting area (and later I found out there were TWO family meeting areas -- what kind of ridiculousness is that?), and eventually - like an entire hour later, after Tuan checked his Facebook page at the AT&T booth for some clues on where we might be -- we all reunited. But too late to get the train back to our car and retrieve Tuan's backpack. He just got on the T and went straight to the airport, carrying nothing but a credit card and his drivers license. He claims that 75% of his flight were runners. Wouldn't you love to be the non-runner on that flight..... <br />
<br />
<br />Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-85981832740583033062014-04-25T12:49:00.000-07:002014-04-25T20:16:21.355-07:00The Boston Marathon - Part 1: PRE GAME!<b><u>April 19</u></b>. Arrival to Boston. We made great time, leaving at 5am and getting to our hotel in Westborough at about 12:45 pm. Jamie had a nap (he had driven most of the way ) and my very restless kids starting tearing the two bedroom apartment to shreds. It started with hide and seek and turned into tag, and I decided that we needed to get out of there. We headed into Boston to pick up our bibs and hit the expo. My parents were NOT making good time, so we had to take them with us. Note to self: two kids under the age of 6 at an expo who have spent the majority of the day strapped into a seat belt watching movies on the iPad is a bad, bad idea. They decided to run their OWN marathon in the convention center. We lost them a few times. They hid behind the expo curtains. Susanna almost knocked over one of those 50 foot high booth dividers. Sooo.... we headed back to the hotel and gave up on dinner. My parents were there when we got back, and hadn't eaten either, so my mom and I headed out on route 9 to try to pick up some food as well as Easter treats. We ended up getting lost. Got back to the hotel at 10pm with beer and pizza. Probably not the BEST carb-loading strategy. Got the kids to sleep, played Easter bunny and finally got some sleep myself a little after midnight. <br />
<br />
<b><u>April 20.</u> </b>I had every intention to go to a church for Easter, but that didn't happen. Instead, we celebrated in our hotel, including a fabulous brunch in the lobby (with a lot of other runners -- about 109 of them, I believe.....) and then headed out to a park so the kids could burn off some energy and hunt down some plastic eggs. Loved the little New England town we were staying in, and met a family from Hopkinton who was just fabulous. They had a little girl Susanna's age and we played and chatted for an hour. They said nothing ever happens in Hopkinton except the marathon! I got a text from Tuan that said he was at the expo and that he'd decided he would run with me. I had made plans to run with some of the people from DC Road Runners also hoping for a 3:30ish pace, but hadn't yet met up with them (actually, I had yet to run into ANYONE I knew) so Tuan and I decided we'd stick together and start with the other two if we actually found them. <br />
<br />
We got back in the car and headed to Boston so my parents could do some sightseeing and we could pick up Tuan. We decided to drive the course. All 26.2 miles. This is probably not a good idea to do the day before running it. It was hilly. It took almost an hour to drive it. My daughter was complaining about how far it was. At about halfway, she whined "I HATE BOSTON! IT IS SOOOOOO FAR AWAY!" I turned to her and said "Mommy and Daddy have to run there tomorrow." She looked at me like I was crazy and said "Mommy, why would you do that when you could drive?" Yeah, that's a very good question, isn't it. Then we hit the Newton Hills, and I decided there were actually four of them. This did not look like an easy course. <br />
<br />
We had a hard time finding parking and only got a space we had to get out of by 6 (it was 4pm at this point), so we split up and Jamie and I met Tuan and decided we'd walk to the athlete's dinner and stop and check out the finish line area on the way. We stopped on Boylston and tried the 26.2 Brew, which I REALLY liked and was bummed it was the day before the race because I would have liked to have more than a couple of sips (Jamie drank most of it) and then walked to the athlete dinner to get in line. Except we couldn't find the end of the line. We walked around the block... and the next block... and the next block... and the next block... and still hadn't seen the end of the line. I guess if you offer free food to 36,000 .... It was cold. I was hungry. My husband was really hungry and really cold and these are the two things that turn him into a gremlin. I felt very sorry for Tuan because at that point, I think we pretty much almost got divorced right at Boston City Hall (this was, of course, my idea to partake in this dinner... he wanted to just eat at Unos on Boylston.... poor Tuan!) so we went down to the train station and discovered that there wasn't another train going back to Ashland for like two hours. Soooo..... we called my Mom and she agreed to pick us up at Boston College, which was still like 20 miles from our hotel. We got on the train and met a family who had gone to the pre-pasta dinner. They had waited in line for an hour. They said the food was quite good (salad, rolls, pasta, 26.2 brew.... all free...) and were carrying the dessert goodie bags containing Lindt Easter Bunnies and Toblerone bars....I was really, really, really hungry now. <br />
<br />
At BC, we found a little pizza shop that served pasta. It was greasy and not very good, but it was food. We finally got picked up at 9pm, and were back to the hotel by 9:30. I spent some time getting my race outfit ready, started getting really nervous, freaked out a little more, and finally got to sleep.Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-1512150197330840142014-04-04T08:11:00.004-07:002014-04-04T08:11:51.245-07:00The Verdict........is IT Band Tendonitis. I landed right where it connects to my knee during my fall, and it is apparently just a little angry.<br />
<br />
I can live with that. Normally that would not be super news, but I think I can keep it under control until the race. At least I hope I can. <br />
<br />
My immediate future looks like I'll be wearing an IT Compression Strap on all my runs, taking NSAIDs afterwards, and resting the day after long runs (and I only have one more long run) to give the IT time to calm down. Also, the doctor prescribed massage. Can't complain about being ordered to get multiple massages in the next few weeks!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZPTP4UcS2pbwwjWSJrao3Rje0SQPJSQrihr59ekkOKgbqdiw5IoUPDTmK-NGyOGtQOv50W-WK_5uyKGHJSrPCwNRsOOH52Iuyfg-MQJZ7IYkr41zZSG3r9sFgLcvT8mLld3Bxltc5izi/s640/blogger-image--1619721635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZPTP4UcS2pbwwjWSJrao3Rje0SQPJSQrihr59ekkOKgbqdiw5IoUPDTmK-NGyOGtQOv50W-WK_5uyKGHJSrPCwNRsOOH52Iuyfg-MQJZ7IYkr41zZSG3r9sFgLcvT8mLld3Bxltc5izi/s640/blogger-image--1619721635.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is my IT strap. Stunning!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYoVryM4TUbjQS8HJo6_fpknTfRSi4W12PJ2brgsO3qoSRdoqzw5_03WRQJ9zhTobgL_wgSs1vQAp-mrqM95VdzgRKrojUgHc5wMTizMTRwELyCWekiJXPPi4sVHSYZACKmJ6Sip6KMco/s640/blogger-image-271555101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYoVryM4TUbjQS8HJo6_fpknTfRSi4W12PJ2brgsO3qoSRdoqzw5_03WRQJ9zhTobgL_wgSs1vQAp-mrqM95VdzgRKrojUgHc5wMTizMTRwELyCWekiJXPPi4sVHSYZACKmJ6Sip6KMco/s640/blogger-image-271555101.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was pretty excited to not even feel my IT during this run. Except right after I took my selfie, I did start to feel it, but it wasn't really painful. Definitely improvement!</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkKf9BfjBLryBqFw_DrnvvvrrVorEqdDZEZ08v6giWSZOxxBHyNLBkdYt4Z3mmymGDvfUKtXCSUlLzNUJKSFCOn6XOIZU43-NX1Oq5BKm_EytdTEaTfM-iMe-rOZWb22jSHPN-w9fyqoT/s640/blogger-image--832266726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkKf9BfjBLryBqFw_DrnvvvrrVorEqdDZEZ08v6giWSZOxxBHyNLBkdYt4Z3mmymGDvfUKtXCSUlLzNUJKSFCOn6XOIZU43-NX1Oq5BKm_EytdTEaTfM-iMe-rOZWb22jSHPN-w9fyqoT/s320/blogger-image--832266726.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AND IT IS SPRING! FINALLY! I saw about 8 deer on my run in the woods, but I only could catch two of them before they hopped away. <br /><br /></td></tr>
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Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-32046322552893516522014-04-02T19:24:00.003-07:002014-04-02T19:52:08.381-07:0018 more days and a doctor's appointment....I finally broke down and made an appointment with my orthopedist.<br />
<br />
It's been exactly four weeks since I fell. My knee and hip are still popping all the time. I still get some knee pain on and off during runs. And my knee and hip keep swelling up after hard workouts, with stiff muscles the next day.<br />
<br />
The positive: I'm not having, and haven't had, any major pain during a run. I've been able to go easy for 18-20 miles, I've even done some tempo runs at race pace without major pain, and aside from a few runs where my knee started bugging me with a very manageable ache, I've had no chronic pain. When I had the EPIC fracture, the pain would start within a mile and just get worse as I ran. Now, if I do get knee pain, it comes and then leaves as my leg loosens up. I can hop on my leg and it doesn't hurt.<br />
<br />
BUT the "payback pain" is so similar to what I had when my stress fracture was undiagnosed, but healing. When I would run about two months into the healing process (and I never tried to go more than a couple of miles) it would feel okay but the next day my leg would lock up and I'd have an inflamed hip and knee, with snapping and popping in the joints. Exactly the same feeling as what I had all day today. <br />
<br />
So I called and made an appointment. And I'm so, so scared.<br />
<br />
I broke down crying this afternoon. I'm terrified of another stress fracture. I've been so good about not overdoing it, about taking easy days and rest days, and not running on anything that hurts. And then I fall. <br />
<br />
I was going to make today a rest day, but my husband told me to go out and run with the kids in the jogger, and to stop if it hurt. They needed fresh air, and I needed that run. I took some Advil and ran about four and half miles on the Accotink Trail. I didn't go fast. It didn't hurt, and it still feels good. <br />
<br />
Some days I have no doubt that I'll get to the starting line healthy, and other days (like today) I am convinced I have a major injury that is going to take months of rehab. I'm not willing to race Boston if it's going to put me out for another season, so I am getting this checked out. <br />
<br />
But -- please excuse the sappiness here -- it's going to break my heart if I can't run this race. Jamie is running. My parents and children are coming to cheer us on. And.. it's Boston. I worked SO hard to qualify for this race. <br />
<br />
Selfish? Maybe. It's just a race, right? Last year I put in the training cycle of my life, and got a stress fracture during the taper. This year I have trained through the winter that nearly killed me -- can we say FROZEN -- I'm talking miles and miles on the treadmill, long runs with negative wind chills, far too many numb fingers and toes and honestly, unpleasant runs that I could only do with this goal in my head.... I want to cross that starting line, and that finish line, more than I can put into words.<br />
<br />
Anyone training for a spring marathon through this Polar Vortex deserves a medal just for the training...<br />
<br />
Anyhow -- virtual hand holding appreciated at tomorrow's doctor's appointment. Fingers crossed that this is nothing major. Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-45682258882440121342014-03-26T19:04:00.000-07:002014-03-26T19:13:57.665-07:0026 days ago go... just get me to the starting line.I haven't written for awhile because I haven't wanted to admit what has been going on. But, let's start from the beginning....<br />
<br />
So it's been a snowy, snowy winter. Fairfax County isn't the best at snow removal, and that means that every time it snows (which has been pretty much every week since December) there is no safe place to run. I have spikes in a pair of running shoes but even they haven't been suitable for 6+ inches of snow that hasn't been plowed. So a lot of my runs this year have been on the treadmill. Still, I have managed to get in a really decent training cycle. <br />
<br />
Three weeks ago to this day, I was just so sick of the treadmill. There was no safe place to run in my neighborhood, and we'd been out of school for two days and had a delay on Wednesday. Susanna's school opened on time, so I figured I'd be okay running on the well plowed sidewalk at the Merrifield Town Center after dropping her off. I had 8 easy miles on the schedule, and needed to be at work by 10:40. I looked at my watch when I had a couple of miles ago go, and decided to pick up the pace for the last couple miles. I was on my 7th lap of the town center loop when I found myself sprawled on the street. I don't remember falling. All I remember was sheering pain in my knee and elbow. It was so bad that I couldn't stand up. Some construction workers ran over to me. "How did that happen?" I thought. Then I noticed the black ice, in between two sections of sidewalk. I was bloody and hurting, but I still needed to get back to my car. Running didn't seem to hurt too badly, so I finished up and remember thinking I was glad I didn't break anything.<br />
<br />
The next day I stuck to the treadmill. Running didn't hurt, but everything seemed to swell up afterwards. 5 easy the next day, and I felt okay. 22.5 -- the biggest run of the training schedule -- was on Friday. I felt fine during the run but afterwards everything hurt. I took the following day off and felt okay on Monday. <br />
<br />
The next week started out okay with an easy run Monday. Tuesday I did speedwork in the morning, and then an easy 8 in the afternoon. Again, everything swelled up the next day. My leg hurt all of Wednesday but loosened up for the run. Easy Thursday -- felt better. Friday easy, all good. Saturday 18, and I was feeling great so I did 14 of that at planned marathon pace. The next day my knee swelled up again. Did an easy 8 and didn't feel any better afterwards so I called my physical therapist. <br />
<br />
She was able to get me in on Monday, and could see swelling. She advised me to add a few rest days that week, which I did. I did a great tempo run on Thursday, an easy run on Friday, and felt great for my 20 miler on Saturday, albeit sore afterwards. Sunday I did a short easy run and again felt everything flare up again.<br />
<br />
Monday I set off for a morning run with my friend Holly and although I had pretty dead legs from my long run, I felt decent... until about 7 miles in. My knee, for the first time since I fell, started to hurt DURING the run. It was the same area that has been swollen afterwards, but this time it hurt with every step. I had ten miles on the schedule, so after I bid Holly farewell at the 8th mile, I slowed the run to a jog and felt much better. I was able to finish without much pain, so I decided I would skip my speed session on Tuesday and just attempt to get in some easy miles.<br />
<br />
Tuesday is track day, and I got in about 5 before the track session started. I decided to see how a 1K repeat felt - it felt great! I did it at a 6:40 pace, and did a slow lap around the track. I did another one, felt great, another slow lap. Took off for the third, and by the second lap I could feel my knee start to ache. I slowed it down to a jog again, and figured I'd just try to jog the last three I had on the schedule to get to 14. Except the pain didn't subside this time when I slowed down. So I quit.<br />
<br />
I skipped today, and I am not going to even attempt to run until Saturday. I am icing. I am foam rolling. I am praying. <br />
<br />
I have worked so hard to train for Boston. I want to run the race I trained for. However, at this point, I also just want to run the race. After sustaining an epic injury, I am terrified I will not even make it to the starting line.<br />
<br />
I know, I know, I know. Go see a doctor. Get an x-ray. Well, guess what. Last year my doctor told me I was fine to run Shamrock, the x-ray picked up nothing, and I started the race with a fractured pelvis. Excruciating pain ended my attempt three miles into the marathon, and even after that I didn't get a correct diagnosis for two more months. Quite frankly, a "good" diagnosis from a doctor will not give me "peace of mind." And quite frankly, every major injury I've had (pelvic stress fracture, Iliotibial Band Syndrome, Metatarsel Stress Fracture, and Plantar Facsaitis) I've managed to figure out myself and then had to ask the doctor if that is what I had, and I was always right. <br />
<br />
It could be something that a a few days of rest will take care of.<br />
<br />
It could be a fracture. Since, after all, it's March, and that's when I seem to get them. (And by the way, the only good thing about the month of March is that my daughter was born. Did I mention that I slipped on the ice while running on my due date with her, and landed on my belly? She was okay, and I was okay, but I rest my case that March is not the best running month for me.)<br />
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Anyhow - if you have any positive vibes to send to my knee, please do. For now I'll be pool running for a few days with my fingers crossed.Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-23883219426120794642014-02-27T19:39:00.001-08:002014-03-01T10:42:50.604-08:00AnniversaryExactly one year ago... the Thursday after I ran the RRCA Club Challenge... I set out for a short little tempo run. I dropped Susanna off at school at 8am on the dot so I could get in four miles before I had to be at an 8:40 meeting. I was feeling fatigued and hadn't done any speed work since the race, and felt no pain on this run (or any previous runs) but could not get my pace below an 8 minute mile. Defeated, I went to my meeting. When I stood up, I was limping. And thus began my epic injury that consumed thousands of dollars in doctors appointments, PT, and of course, lost race fees. <br />
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I had planned on a 12 mile run before work this morning, but my calf has been cranky, my right achilles has been tight, and my neighbor Holly who usually does these way-too-early runs with me is skiing in Utah. When my alarm went off at 5:07am, I checked the weather -- 17 degrees with a windchill of 5 -- and rolled over to go back to sleep. Running alone in those conditions was just not appealing...<br />
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At noon, I started to get phantom pains in my left hip. Could they be real? Every time I sat down, I was sure that when I stood up I'd be limping. I decided that maybe I should take a rest day, even though last week was a recovery week and this week I'm supposed to be at peak mileage. Aside from the calf that seems to be getting better every day, I didn't really have a reason to skip the run. Except then I'd feel another twinge... my right ankle this time. Or maybe it was my left hip. Or maybe my right foot. Come to think of it, my knees kind of hurt. And maybe my shin? <br />
<br />
At lunch I googled "warning signs of a stress fracture." And basically it said they come on without warning. That would be right -- there was NO warning for either of the fractures I've sustained. They came on suddenly, the first during a marathon (far left metatarsel on the left foot, and only an 8 week layoff from running, during a time I would have been recovering from a marathon, so really not a big deal in the grand scheme of things -- plus it got me hooked on swimming and biking and led me to my first tri season) and the second when I wasn't even running (that being the injury I never, ever, ever want to relive..) <br />
<br />
I spent the majority of my lunch break reading Camille Herron's blog on stress fractures. She advised serious runners to take it easy most of the time... she said she had the most stress fractures when she was doing all high intensity runs on lower mileage, and the least on high mileage (averaging 120-30 per week!) when she did about 80% of her runs about 2 minutes per mile slower than her 5K pace. My 5K pace is probably a little under 7 minutes per mile, and I have no issues at all with running 9s or even closer to 10s. So I decided I would go ahead and try to get my mileage in -- slowly -- today. I did the middle six miles with the Lululemon Run Club, and got in almost 12 total. Walked in, ate dinner with my family.... I wasn't limping after dinner. So I've officially made it one year post injury without another stress fracture.<br />
<br />
I'm still flipping out. This whole "stress fractures come on without warning" thing is a little more than scary. Poor Paula Radcliffe, the marathon record holder, can't even jog more than a few miles at a time due to a stress fracture on her foot that never healed. I read a recent article where she said that she just wants to be able to run for pleasure at this point. She said she can't even run after her two children.<br />
<br />
I've spent so much time in the past 2 years trying to better myself as a runner. I want to push myself to the breaking point.. but not break. I guess all of us out there who are trying to set PRs and get the most out of our "running years" deal with this. How far can we push our bodies before they cry "Uncle!" <br />
<br />
I want to reach the start line of the Boston Marathon. Unbroken. But ready. It's hard to know where that magic line is. Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-78961101102122922112014-02-24T17:25:00.000-08:002014-02-25T08:09:57.947-08:00RRCA Ten Mile Club Challenge -- Take TWO! (Race Report)<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m pretty sure the RRCA Club Challenge 10 Miler was the
last straw in my overtraining last year… the straw that broke <s>the camel’s
back</s> my pelvis. Four days after that
race, which I ran on untapered legs and finished up with not one but eight cool
down miles for a total of 20, I began to limp.
All that marathon training went down the drain, as well as any hope of
running for the next four and a half months.
A pubic rami stress fracture is not an injury I would wish upon anyone –
but it healed, and that experience is far behind me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So why did I sign up for this race again? Because it’s a great training course for
Boston full of challenging hills and a well-organized event with a super fast
field consisting of the RRCA groups in MD and DC. Oh, and it was on a Sunday (a must for races
this season, since I coach on Saturdays) and, well, the entry was paid for by
DC Road Runners. I shuffled around my
recovery weeks so that this time around I would not be hitting peak mileage the
days preceding the event. Course
redemption here we come. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Jamie fell on the ice about three weeks ago and cracked a
rib, so his training hasn’t been stellar but he told me last week that he still
wanted to do the race. We had the
babysitter coming overnight since we were leaving before 6am. So Saturday night I say to Jamie “We need to
set up the guest room since Hillary will be here at 8.” Jamie says “For what?” I say “For the race tomorrow?” He says “WHAT RACE TOMORROW? I thought that was next weekend!” I say “Um, no, it’s tomorrow. Did you run this morning?” He says “Yes, and hard.” Well, at least one of us looked at our
training plan. Hey, maybe I’d actually
beat him in a race for the first time ever.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We got to the race and I was still unsure of what shirt to
wear, long or short sleeved. We did our warm up mile in the long sleeves, and then headed to the gymnasium until 10
minutes before the start. It was 42 degrees … figured I’d ditch the
long sleeves. I threw it in the car and
jogged to the start. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Jamie and I stood there chatting and then got in place for
the race (he up a little closer to the timing mat.) Wait… TIMING MAT!!!! CRUD!!!!
My bib…. and my timing strip…. was
still attached to my long sleeved shirt… IN THE CAR! You have got to be kidding me. No time to go back and get it. I figured I would just time it for my own
sake. Oh, I was so mad at myself!<o:p></o:p></div>
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This race is all up or down.
There is no flat in Columbia, MD.
So I had no idea how to pace myself.
Last year I ran a 1:16 and this year I hoped to break 1:15. My goal was to hit 7:20s, but the first mile
had a lot of downhill and I felt like I was barely working when it clicked off
at 6:58. That scared me a little, but this
course was impossible to keep an even pace.
My Garmin consistently read under 7 for the descents, and would click
all the way up to 8 or even a bit higher for the climbs. They were relentless. Up, down, up, down, up, down. I am not used to the terrain and could feel
it in my calves (especially the right one) by the third mile. By the 8<sup>th</sup> mile (which I think was
my slowest mile at 7:40… it was mostly
up and I was ready to clobber whomever came up with this course) the right calf
was really aching, and it hurt the rest of the race. <o:p></o:p></div>
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My Garmin had been spot on with the mile markers and so
exhausted as I was, knew after I hit 9 that I had just a few more minutes to
go. I concentrated hard to keep pace,
and thought how nice it was that unlike a marathon, when you see the last mile
marker, that really is it – one more mile.
No “point two” to mess with your head.
Except then my Garmin hit 10 and the finish line was still a good 100
yards away. AURGH! Darn you!
I did see the clock still was in the 1:14 realm so I sprinted hard. Ended up with 10.08 by my Garmin, and
1:14:23. The timing people were right
there at the clock, so I immediately went up and asked them if they could
record my time. He said “Yeah, it’s
okay, we had a guy come in a few minutes ago who also didn’t have his bib, but
we saw when he crossed. What’s your last
name?” I said “Lynch.” He said “Interesting, so was that other
guy’s.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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Of course it was. Of
course my husband would be the only other person in the race to forget his bib.
And of course, even with a broken rib, he still beat me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s now Monday, I
tried to run 6 recovery miles at a snail’s pace, and I officially am sure I
have a calf strain. This race hates
me. Looks like I’ll be taking it easy
for awhile…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlGknxevXmWJ5oIB4pGNo_ggDJZM0Xsg0X9lnMwJs6D6GpbtmpOgKkjS_fCZb8Hf2CAIcqbCsTd0p_55AKAQhgzBC3P31x5JDfiipwbOxHvHLQGyCBAD-WqwWlSDc4a0WdmbRgb9SkBz7/s1600/LookingHot!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlGknxevXmWJ5oIB4pGNo_ggDJZM0Xsg0X9lnMwJs6D6GpbtmpOgKkjS_fCZb8Hf2CAIcqbCsTd0p_55AKAQhgzBC3P31x5JDfiipwbOxHvHLQGyCBAD-WqwWlSDc4a0WdmbRgb9SkBz7/s1600/LookingHot!.jpg" height="640" width="480"></a></div>
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TOTALLY Flattering Race Photography </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MWdL8xjQ5FRGqUTtnpmZS-7UweOYAiMu3L_G6qXmfzXgjMEK_el3tJBxB4Jv5Frd6TIR62ONvnTIxAo610R5QdKz0aZbIoSqJtRzTs_fYuaqpGXHGrNqnfQDiZlrMbs8k-jncmwgHH6h/s1600/Jamieatmile9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MWdL8xjQ5FRGqUTtnpmZS-7UweOYAiMu3L_G6qXmfzXgjMEK_el3tJBxB4Jv5Frd6TIR62ONvnTIxAo610R5QdKz0aZbIoSqJtRzTs_fYuaqpGXHGrNqnfQDiZlrMbs8k-jncmwgHH6h/s1600/Jamieatmile9.jpg" height="640" width="480"></a></div>
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Jamie looks a little less pained. And he's the one with the broken rib.</div>
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Finally smiling, because I don't have to think about that course until next February.</div>
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Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-17937944483057350882014-01-25T21:15:00.002-08:002014-01-25T21:23:45.706-08:00MESOCYCLE 1 - Done Done Done!1/3 of the way through my Boston training plan! I can't believe it there are just 12 weeks to go! The first six weeks of the plan I'm following are endurance building, and has hardly any speed. Aside from some strides thrown in the second half of weekday run, and the occasional 30 minute tempo, most of the miles are easy. This is to get my body used to the high mileage before stressing it with intense workouts so I can AVOID INJURY! Brilliant concept, eh? So far so good.<br />
<br />
I am also making a valiant effort to keep the strength training going at least 2 times a week if not three. I am going to do my best to make it to the Boston starting line in tip top shape, and with no pulled muscles or fractured bones.<br />
<br />
Mileage build up has been: 54, 57, 59, 61, 65, and 69. Next week is a "recovery week" -- ONLY 59 miles. ONLY! <br />
<br />
For the most part I've enjoyed my runs, and have been glad to find some great ladies in the area to do morning runs with. Running really is my social life -- since I choose to put so much effort into endurance sports, that needs to be my social outlet as well. It's nice to arrive home at 6:45 a.m. with my workout finished as well as some great girl gabbing.<br />
<br />
This polar vortex things has got to go, however. Seriously. I know I don't live in Canada or Michigan or whatever, where they've had windchills of something insane like -65 and real air temperatures of -30. Not even close, and I don't want to think about it. And yeah, I grew up in Indiana but don't give me that "You're from the midwest" bull. I've always hated winter. I can handle running in 30 degrees, but once temperatures dip into the single digits, I can honestly say it's miserable. <br />
<br />
Never before have I gone on a run where afterwards my thought was "I wish I hadn't done that." Until Friday. My regular Friday running buddy had 18 miles in her schedule, and I had 8. Our usual running route was covered in ice so we decided to instead run on Pickett St, a 1.6 mile stretch of road with well plowed sidewalks and good lighting. I had done 11 miles there the day before in the sunny mid morning. I figured it would be a little cooler so I bundled up with two pairs of wool socks, two pairs of running pants, two long sleeved tech shirts, a windbreaker, winter cycling gloves, a face mask, and a winter hat. We began our run, and realized that the plowed part of the sidewalk was too narrow for us to run two abreast, so this made speaking to each other difficult. A half mile in my lips were frozen despite my face mask, so I guess that didn't really matter. At two miles I had to go to the bathroom and I realized I couldn't feel my nose or my wrist, which was slightly exposed, so I ran into the Cross fit studio owned by another lady in our running club. Seriously, had we only gone two miles? It had to be more than two miles. Ugh. Outside again, another loop which seemed to take at least an hour (although apparently only about 30 minutes) and I again couldn't feel my hands. I ran inside Einsteins Bagels to warm up a little bit. I made sure every square inch of flesh was covered up, and then continued outside for my final loop. It was still dark out, the traffic was picking up and cars were blinding me with their head lights (I swear everyone had their brights on), and unfortunately there is a filling station for Semis on the streets so we were constantly getting passed by massive noisy trucks with stinky exhaust fumes. The sun was rising by the time we got to the end of this loop, and my GPS was at 7 miles. I still had one to go, but when my running companion told me she was done with her run (this being someone I swear can find beauty on ANY run.... except apparently this one) we both declared it the worst run ever and headed to our cars instead. 7.15 miles. Not 8. That's okay. I can live with that. I couldn't feel my fingers at all, so unlocking the car became an unexpected challenge. Once I managed to turn on the ignition, I realized my numb hands couldn't maneuver the steering wheel, so I had to sit there with my hands on the heating grates until I could safely drive home. After I was thawed out I checked the CURRENT temperature. It was 6 degrees at 8 a.m. with a ReelFeel of -10. So who knows what it was at 5:45 a.m. when we started. I don't know how these people in Chicago train through winter because that seriously had me dreaming lovingly of the treadmill.<br />
<br />
Today was a little warmer -- ReelFeel of 1 degree, actual temperature of 20. I ran my first 14 miles with one of the runners in the group I'm assistant coaching, but after she left I had a really hard time finding any motivation, especially since as a coach in the program I can't use headphones. There were still people out on the course, so I kept running until they all finished (at this point I was up to 19 miles) and then called it quits and got in the car. After I'd thawed out a bit, I forced myself to head out the door and run the last two miles on my icy, frozen neighborhood streets. 21. Done.<br />
<br />
Ready. For. Spring. And we're not even a month into winter....<br />
<br />
<br />Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-37708205081013742122014-01-21T15:21:00.001-08:002014-01-22T06:30:41.336-08:0020 Miles. #MegsmilesOn Tuesday evening, I dropped Susanna off at her dance lessons and headed out for 14 miles total, including an hour with =PR= at the track. I'm so used to running near the Vienna metro, which is very runner friendly with plenty of light even at 5 a.m., wide sidewalks, and pedestrian crossings at all intersections. <br />
<br />
Well, Reston isn't like that. There was absolutely no sidewalk on Sunset Hills Road, which I have to run on in order to reach the track. My headlamp wasn't bright enough to see the ground, and once I hit South Lakes Drive, I had the choice to run on a pitch black trail in the woods, or on a road without any sidewalk. I chose the road, thanked the Lord I was wearing reflective clothing, and was quite thankful to get to the stadium lighting at the track. I don't love running in circles, but it was better than the roads in Reston. When track ended, I had exactly 25 minutes to get back to Susanna's class, almost three miles away. I ran along the road, some parts without a shoulder, and prayed the cars would see me.<br />
<br />
That night, I sat down to check email and Facebook and saw something someone posted about running in memory of a woman named Meg, a runner killed by a drunk driver. I hadn't heard of this, so I clicked on the link. And then I couldn't look away.<br />
<br />
She was 34, just a year younger than me. She lived in Ashland, VA, just 80 miles away. Like me, she was training for the Boston Marathon. I put her name into the "search" box, and her profile popped up. She had a daughter about the same age as Susanna. Her wall, like mine, was full of pictures of a recent trip to Florida, pictures of her children on Santa's lap, comments from friends just days prior.<br />
<br />
On Monday morning she set off on a 13 mile run after her children were in school. She only made it about one mile from her home before a driver, a doctor on his way to work and still apparently intoxicated from the night prior, swerved off the road and hit her as she ran along the shoulder.<br />
<br />
I couldn't stop thinking about her. Her children. Her husband. How in one moment, everything - EVERYTHING - about their lives was altered. <br />
<br />
I couldn't stop thinking about how that could have been me, just hours before. There are plenty of people who have too much to drink at Reston Town Center, think they are okay to get behind the wheel, and drive home. I had just been out running on roads with no sidewalks or shoulders, during Happy Hour for crying out loud, with a headlamp that wasn't really working. I was at home with my family. She was out in broad daylight at 8 a.m., and she will never go home to her family.<br />
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My thoughts turned to August 2012 when I learned of Heather Boyum, the teacher and mother of two whose life also tragically ended too soon when she was hit by two intoxicated drivers during a Sunday morning training ride. We had raced together two weeks prior. We were both out on training rides that Sunday. <br />
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I never met these women, and I don't claim to know them. All I know is that like me, they were runners who had children to whom they were THE ENTIRE WORLD. <br />
<br />
On Saturday runners around the world came out and dedicated miles to Meg to raise awareness about the dangers of drunk driving. On Saturday I ran my first 20 miler since my injury. On Saturday I thought of Meg, and of Heather, and of all the runners and cyclists whose unarmored bodies were no match for a vehicle operated by a drunk or distracted driver.<br />
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Meg, we are all thinking of you. Rest In Peace.<br />
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#Megsmiles<br />
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<br />Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-80040145258426149172014-01-07T08:39:00.001-08:002014-01-21T14:18:57.702-08:00BOSTON TRAINING BEGINS! Somehow, I'm already in week 4 of my Boston training program! After last winter's "choose-your-own-adventure" training plan ended in the worst injury of my running life, I've decided to stick to the tried and true Pete Pfizinger "up to 70 miles a week" program I used for California International. I guess the average is about 62 miles a week over 18 weeks if you count the buildup and taper, though the middle months are all at or close to 70. This is the first week I'll hit 60.<br />
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Runs were pretty easy to get in over the holidays, especially during our Christmas in Saint Augustine, FL. The beach, coupled with perfect morning running temperatures of 55 degrees, were pretty motivating. Our last day finally had clear skies and I got in the most beautiful sunrise run. <br />
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Now I'm back in Northern Virignia, and it's, well, not 55 degrees. I have a really hard time getting up to run solo in the freezing cold. I'm even worse in the ice. However, I've really got no excuses. I have great winter running gear. And check out my shoes:</div>
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On Saturday my long run was on the ice covered W&OD rail trail. While most people were slipping and sliding, I was able to run comfortably. I have YakTrax, but this seems to work better, especially when the surface terrain changes. Plus you don't need to worry about walking up your ice covered townhouse steps into your tile entryway, forgetting to take the Yaks off, and falling flat on your face. (Of course, I'm not speaking from personal experience. On three separate occasions.) Total cost of sheet metal screws in a pair of old shoes? About $4, cheaper if you share the 100 pack with a friend. </div>
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I still ended up on the treadmill yesterday. I prefer to do my speedwork on it, since I can control the pace. I also use it as one of the few times in the week I can watch mindless movies on Netflix. I am going to try to limit myself to two days a week on the mill, maximum... my running injuries have only ever occurred in the winter, and I've read some articles lately that point to high mileage on the treadmill leading to hip flexor issues... hmmm..... </div>
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Today the ice has melted and the temperatures are in the single digits. Although my childhood in the midwest saw many winter days like this, I live in Virginia (the south?), and they have cancelled school. I don't really understand why, but I'm going to take advantage of the daylight and get my 14 miles in this afternoon. </div>
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So the general schedule is:</div>
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Monday - Speed/ Tempo. Treadmill. I so far have failed every time at getting up early enough to get in the full mileage and get back to my house in time for Jamie to leave for work, and end up running laps around my townhouse to finish up.</div>
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Tuesday - Mid-Long Run (12-15 miles) OUTSIDE in the evening. I can't say enough about the new DROP OFF KIDS ACADEMY OPTION at Lifetime Fitness in Reston. Susanna can play in the child center or enroll in classes and I can run outside! She takes tap dance from 6-7, so I can drop her off between 5:15-5:45, get in my mileage (partly with the =PRR= Reston Distance Training Program), and then grab dinner with her after her class before heading home. </div>
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Wednesday- Easy recovery miles before work. Strength training during Susanna's swim class.</div>
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Thursday- Longish (9-11) run OUTSIDE in the morning. I am hoping to find regular company for these! I usually get in 8-9 before Jamie leaves for work, then run laps around the townhouse until 7:15. That might sound a little tedious/ crazy but it is preferable to a treadmill and/ or getting up any earlier than 5am.</div>
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Friday- Easy recovery miles before work, or on the treadmill while Susanna has Zumba class. I am guessing that if I don't have some pre-arranged company, I'll end up on the treadmill. This Friday, I do have some buddies to make me accountable! And that means I can get in strength session #2 during her dance class.</div>
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Saturday- Long runs with =PRR= Reston Distance Training Program. I'm in my first season with them as an assistant coach, so I am running with the participants. I'm having a great time meeting new people, all of whom have different goal races, and there are a few ladies training for Boston that are on the same mileage schedule as me, so it's been good to have some company. </div>
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As far as tune-up races, they need to be on Sundays since my Saturdays are now with DTP. I think I did too many tune-up races last year and it lead to my injury, so at this point I'm just planning to do one half marathon or ten-miler and possibly a shorter race in March. </div>
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Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-30762537891389747442014-01-02T08:31:00.001-08:002014-01-02T14:36:09.953-08:002013A year ago, I sat down and posted about what an amazing running year 2012 had been. About how I'd accomplished all of my goals, set new PRs, run 2000+ miles, and was excited about what 2013 had to bring. I jumped right into a high mileage, high intensity training plan with the intention of breaking the 3:30 barrier at the Shamrock Marathon, and admittedly, running consumed me.<br />
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And then I couldn't run at all.<br />
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It has been 10 months since February 28, 2013, when I began to limp after finishing up a tempo run. In that time, I spent 2 months without any answers and questioned if I'd ever run again, then another two months knowing I had suffered a pelvic stress fracture and doing all I could to stay sane. Today I got onto Daily Mile to look what I'd done these past 12 months.<br />
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January and February - I ran every single day, with the goal of running every day in 2013. No rest days, high intensity runs at least 3 times a week. I slept very little in order to get in most of these miles before my kids woke up. </div>
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March - Obviously injured, I kept attempting to run but stopping after the pain became excruciating. I had my first ever DNF at the Shamrock marathon. Aside from these 15 random test miles, I gave my legs a break from the pounding and started swimming again after the marathon that wasn't. Started physical therapy at the end of the month, 3 times a week.</div>
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April - 1 mile test runs on the treadmill at PT every couple weeks indicated that I wasn't even close to healed. Lots of PT, lots of swimming. Started cycling on the trainer. Insisted on an MRI at the end of the month, which showed a clear stress fracture of the lower pelvis.</div>
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May- NO running, but lots of swimming and cycling! I figured I could do a triathlon at the end of the summer, skipping the run if I had to.</div>
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June- Started running on the antigravity treadmill. Woot woot!</div>
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July- X-ray on my birthday clears me to run, almost four and a half months after the initial injury. SUPER SLOW, but I ran 104 miles in July and decided to sign up for the Skipjack Triathlon.</div>
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August - Lots of cycling, swimming and running! 150 miles of running, still not up to speed, but just thankful to be out there! I also did the Reston Century Ride.</div>
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September - First race since February! My run was definitely slower than it would have been with more months of training, but I was thrilled to complete a half-iron-ish distance triathlon. After that I put my bike and goggles away and set my sights on a half marathon PR. </div>
Ocober - Averaged 50 miles a week! I also ended up running the Ragnar Relay at the very last minute (I found out the team I had originally planned on running with had an injured runner and made the decision to join them the day before the race!) which turned out to be one of the best running experiences of my year. I met some great ladies who were serious about running but also a ton of fun. We ended up winning the women's division as well as the team spirit award. I think I could become addicted to relay races!<br />
November - My goal was to break 1:40 in the half marathon. I ended up with 1:40:36, which got me second place overall, a nifty age group win plaque, and 37 seconds to get rid of for my next goal. After that, I spent the rest of the month running with no real purpose other than running. Jumped on long runs with my marathon training friends (18 miles when you aren't training for anything? Why? Just because!) <br />
December - Took one down week (only 30 miles) and started to go a little crazy -- insomnia and restlessness -- how did I ever go four months without running at all?!? Halfway through the month I started my BOSTON TRAINING PLAN! I'm following the same program I did when I PRed at California International. I think the rest day and mostly easy days were key to me staying injury-free, even though the mileage is high. Hopefully this will prove true!<br />
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Total miles run in 2013: 1541. <br />
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Challenges: Pelvic Stress Fracture. 'Nuff said.<br />
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Highlights: PRs in in the 10 mile and the Half Marathon. Ragnar Relay! Skipjack Triathlon. Registering for the Boston Marathon. <br />
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Goals for 2014: I'm not making any, since you never know what life or your body is going to throw at you. I'm just going to work hard, train smart, and take it as it comes. <br />
<br />Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-1166250443874751412013-09-21T19:43:00.002-07:002013-09-22T16:35:07.521-07:00Race Report - Chseapeakeman Endurance Festival - Skipjack "75.2 more like close to 77.5"<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All in all, I was very impressed with the race. This was my first with TriColumbia, and they put on a great event. The race director was fantastic when I emailed her back in April about being unsure if I'd be cleared to run in time to train for this, and was willing to let me choose to either Aquabike or do a tri distance the week of the event (which I finally decided on for sure, oh, last Tuesday.... ) Everything was very well organized, the volunteers were outstanding, the expo was easy, the on course support was great, wonderful post race food... and they even had showers at the finish! Score -- got to go home clean! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ONLY complaint I have was that the course was long. It was advertised as a 64 mile bike, and at the pre-race meeting some guy pipes up and says "Is the bike course the same as it has been the past two years?" The race director says "Yes it is." Some Guy: "So it's really 66 miles." RD: "What?" Some Guy: "66 miles. As verified on my GPS the past two years." I didn't really believe him, until my GPS registered over 66 miles. So... yeah.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THE SWIM was in the brackish water where the Choptank River feeds into the Chesapeake. AND that means... jellyfish. Little sea nettles. Apparently this was a light year. If this was a light year, I'd hate to see a bad year. I had on a full wet suit, and was wearing Sea Safe Jellyfish lotion all over my face, neck, hands, and feet, but I think it had mostly worn off about 30 minutes into the swim because I then got stung on my nose, lips, neck, and wrist. The first half of the swim went pretty well, but the second half we turned towards the sun and I had lots of trouble spotting so my form got all screwy. My final time was 43:23 which was ten seconds slower than last year. As I was getting out of the water, I remember thinking that I was so glad I didn't do the Aquavelo, because that would have involved another loop in the water, and there was no freaking way I was doing that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">T1: Went in the changing tent and ripped off my wet suit, put on my helmet, socks and shoes, and biked out. Somehow it was three minutes, which seriously, again, why I am so slow? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THE BIKE was mostly pancake flat with an out and back on a highway and then a loop that went through some nice marsh land. I felt fairly comfortable holding a 19-21 mph pace until we got slammed with headwinds. I couldn't get much above 17-18 mph at that point, but I felt pretty good overall. Parts of the ride were beautiful, in a wildlife refuge with lovely marsh views. The last 15 miles or so were completely out of the wind, and I was able to make up some time with a solid 22-23mph pace. My GPS hit 64 miles and T2 was no where in site. Guess the guy was right. It hit 66 and we STILL weren't there. I GMapped the coursemap and this is what it says:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6091011">http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6091011</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, that would be 66.2 miles. So although the race results claim I biked an 18.4 mile per hour pace, it was in fact 19, like my trusty Garmin reported. (They also had the wrong distance on The Bugeye Classic -- the 25 mile bike, according to GMAP, was 22.5 miles. So I guess if you take away our two and a half miles and add them to the Bugeye, you'd have the correct distance for both?)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">T2: 1:40. That is definitely a record for me. Go me. And go my awesome volunteer who handed me the run bag in 2 seconds flat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THE RUN... oh the run. I took off too fast, and realized a half a mile in that I was running a 7:40 pace... okay, I probably am not going to be able to hold close to my PR 10 mile pace after swimming 1.2 and biking 66. I slowed it down and the first mile came in at 8:15. The second and third mile went pretty well, but then it all started to fall apart. My legs just weren't having it. My pace slowed to about 8:40 for miles 4 and 5, and then I got passed by a girl in my age group. I was pretty sure I had been winning my age group up until that point, since I hadn't seen anyone else pass me the other way on the out and back course, and I think once she flew on by at an 8 minute pace that I had no hope of holding, I just mentally gave up. Well, I tried to catch her for awhile during mile 6, but gave up halfway through (that clocked in at 8:35), and then I was really hating life from basically mile 7-9.8. 7 was 8:57, then I stopped and walked for a minute, poured about three cups of water on my head (it was 80 degrees with no shade, which isn't terrible, but I still felt pretty hot), and started counting to 100 over and over. Mentally I just couldn't think of anything else to do. Each tenth of a mile felt like eternity. I couldn't see anyone ahead of me or behind me. Finally Mile 8 clicked off at 9:15, and I then I got a side stitch. "YOU LOVE RUNNING!" I told mysezlf. "YOU DIDN'T RUN FOR ALMOST 5 MONTHS AND YOU HATED EVERYTHING BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T RUN. YOU ARE RUNNING NOW, AND YOUR BODY FEELS AWESOME </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(sides stitch excluded)!</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">" Then my dark side said "This is ridiculous. Why do you do these races? They feel awful. This is torture. You are an idiot." Mile 9 clicked off at 8:55 and some lady heading out on mile 1 told me I was almost done as we passed each other. Yeah, I guess I was. So I tried to convince myself I was just doing mile repeats, and this was my last one.... tried to get some kick. Finally I saw the finish. I turned in and made my way to the track. I thought I just had to go over the timing mat, but oh no! The volunteer told me I had to run around that track. I happen to know that they are 400 meters and I really didn't want to run 400 more meters. I was the only person on the track. As I made my way to the straight away, I heard "GO GRETCHEN!" What? Oh, it was Brittany (who, by the way, did the Bugeye won her age group in her first ever triathlon!) And Stephanie! People actually were cheering me on! Mile 10 was 8:35. So overall, the run wasn't too bad, even though it felt awful. Overall pace was about 8:40, which is probably about right for where my run fitness is right now. Last summer, when I could hold a 7:40 pace for a standalone 10 miles, my Half Iron run pace was 8:27. I have no idea how fast I could run ten miles (without the whole swim/ bike thing) right now, but I am sure it wouldn't be anywhere near 7:40s.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Great weekend and race, gorgeous weather, and now... I think my triathlon season has come to a close. As much as I love the it, the double workout thing just doesn't work for me during the school year. And so, Dora the Explorer will go back on the basement bike rack (but may emerge for some fall group rides) and the goggles and swim cap will probably not get much use until late spring. </span>Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-40583349095517638412013-09-15T17:59:00.002-07:002013-09-15T17:59:43.344-07:00Race? WHAT?I haven't raced since February. That was the race where I broke my hip. After 2012 gave me PR after PR, and I've dealt with a major injury, I've been afraid to race again. Afraid of another injury. Afraid of a time that will kill my confidence, with paces far slower than where they were in the past. Afraid of disappointing myself, because really, who else cares?<br />
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So.... I've got a triathlon on the calendar. Next Saturday. It's basically a Half Iron, except I"ll be biking 65 miles and running 10. It seemed like a good distance because I've been biking more than running.<br />
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Some random thoughts on my training:<br />
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1. I haven't really followed a plan. The swimming started soon after the injury. The biking was the best way for me to get cardio when I couldn't run. Since I"ve started running again, I've slacked a bit on the long rides. <br />
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2. I did do a century three weeks ago, and an impromtu 100 mile ride the week before we left for the beach.<br />
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3. I think I have done one brick, and I only ran two miles afterwards.<br />
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4. I haven't done any tune up races. In fact, I haven't done a triathlon since the Ironman.<br />
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5. I have done one open water swim in total since 2012.<br />
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6. I haven't used my wet suit in over a year, since none of my races were wet suit legal last year.<br />
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7. Despite marked improvement in swimming this winter, I seem to have forgotten how to swim. This seems to have happened when we went on vacation to North Carolina.<br />
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8. My taper kind of started 6 weeks ago, when we were in North Carolina.<br />
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9. I did run 20 miles in one day a few weeks ago. Not all at the same time.<br />
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10. I ran a half marathon for fun yesterday (did not race it, and kept the pace completely conversational for all but the last two miles) and still finished in 1:55, and that included stopping to call 911 for a fallen runner and waiting with her for awhile. I'm guessing my overall pace was 8:30, which surprised me.<br />
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11. I pulled my hamstring ten days ago, in what was supposed to be "peak week." I didn't run for 3 days. It seems to feel okay now, just a little achey.<br />
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12. I finally bought an aero helmet. I still have a ridiculously entry level bike without race tires.<br />
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13. In consideration of my husband, I abandoned the double long ride/ long runs weekends. I usually did one or the other. Because, really, training for a triathlon properly when you work full time and have two children is recipe for a divorce... no one should be stuck with the kids that long.<br />
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So. We will see how this goes!<br />
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<br />Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-18845783838151341502013-09-08T20:42:00.006-07:002013-09-08T20:44:07.142-07:00Boston Marathon Registration Opens THIS WEEK<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Reminder to self... register on Friday. :)<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">GRETCHEN LIECHTY LYNCH</span></b></h4>
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<br />Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-41179216292304527332013-08-26T19:11:00.002-07:002013-08-26T19:40:39.652-07:002013 Reston Century RideReston was my first century ride, back in 2010, and I was excited to do this one again with a little more training under my belt. I didn't have a blog back then, but my friend Katie wrote a <a href="http://www.runthisamazingday.com/2010/08/reston-century-race-report.html" target="_blank">very detailed report</a> of this adventure where I think she nearly killed me for convincing her to ride 105 miles on this notoriously hilly course (in my defense, I didn't really know it was that hilly.) 3 years later I have incorporated sections of the course into many weekend long rides, and was ready to try the entire thing as my last big training ride before Skipjack (the one and only triathlon I have on my calendar this season.) <br />
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I had purchased new racing tires for my bike to use at Skipjack and thought I'd break them in during the century. So while watching TV with my kids, I took off my old (incredibly worn after thousands of miles) original tires and tried to put the new ones on. And tried. And tried some more. I could not for the life of me to get them on the rim. We had a birthday party to attend, so I put them aside until we got back. So it's 10 p.m. and my wheels still don't have tires on them. Jamie and I tried together to get them on. For an hour. I tried to get it on with a tire lever and punctured the tube. Jamie did the same thing. Two tubes down. I had four tubes left. An hour later, we had puntured two more and still didn't have the tires on. It was midnight. I hadn't put on my handlebar tape. I gave up and we put the old tires back on the bike with the two remaining tubes. I didn't have the wheels back on the bike. I still didn't have any handlebar tape on the right side. I didn't know where my wallet or waterbottle was, for crying out loud. I texted the girls I said I would start with that they would likely need to start with out me, I texted Tuan (who yesterday decided, spur of the moment, to do the Reston Century with me despite the fact that he did Ironman Sweden a week ago) that I was having a bike disaster and would likely need his help in the morning, and I headed to bed - three hours of sleep is better than none. <br />
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(Sidenote: At 4:30 a.m., an hour and a half after I got to bed, I woke up to loud music. I peered out my window and there was some guy parked in front of my townhouse with his windows down, pumping music, and reading a magazine. Seriously. I turned on my light and stuck my head out the window and he looked up at me and then drove away. What the?!?!? So I didn't even get three hours of sleep.)<br />
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At 6am Tuan showed up and helped me put my bike back together. We arrived to the start around 7:15 and took off. I was feeling great, and the weather was gorgeous. We were almost to the first rest stop when we ran over some pebbles, and I promptly flatted. That's right. Mile 9 of 103.5 and I have a flat front tire and no tire tubes. But never fear - we were only about 400 yards from the bike mechanic tent! I picked up Dora (the Explorer, my bike) and asked if I could buy a 650c tube for my tire. Um... no 650c tubes. This promptly brought flashbacks of my first triathlon after Jack's birth when at the expo, no one sold 650c tire tubes, and having flatted on a practice ride, I called 7 bicycle shops in Indianapolis and ended driving an hour -- yes, an hour -- to the only shop in this so-called metropolis that carried tubes in my size. I now really hated these 650c wheels. The bike mechanic called every other pit stop on the course, but no one had my size. It was not even 8 in the morning, and every bike store did not open until 10. So Tuan and I discussed the options. He could ride back to his car and pick me up, and we could call it a day, or we could wait until the stores opened at 10 and continue the ride, or we could risk using a 700c tube. We finally asked the mechanic if he could try that, and fold the tube over. Yup, it would make a little bump every time the wheel revolved, require more energy, make hills a little dangerous, and very possibly result in a flat somewhere along, say, mile 75 in the middle of nowhere. The mechanic pumped up the 700c tube, gave me another tube to put in my saddle bag, and wished me the very, VERY best of luck. We head off on the very hilly route, knowing full well that we weren't going to be able to hammer down hills at 40mph in the aero position because I knew if I hit anything I was very likely to end up flying off my bike with a new flat.<br />
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So yeah, the ride is a little hilly. Here is the course elevation:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGgVOYwRWhAck1CbPwFd8TaYj8o3P2c3tQDobwBsknLBzcns-xQovgsIk9FJxmTUUQgoQ6_S2vmzI7YecH7WKfj9Ae3L2WkqKDcLyL4GNx2nH23wj6zf9d1Yzo4P9dEGjEOhVrAWJ3CVa/s1600/Elevation.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGgVOYwRWhAck1CbPwFd8TaYj8o3P2c3tQDobwBsknLBzcns-xQovgsIk9FJxmTUUQgoQ6_S2vmzI7YecH7WKfj9Ae3L2WkqKDcLyL4GNx2nH23wj6zf9d1Yzo4P9dEGjEOhVrAWJ3CVa/s640/Elevation.png" width="640" /></a><br />
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There are three very steep hills, the worst being from Taylorstown to Stumptown. We passed the 7-11 in Lovettsville around the halfway point, and I was pretty sure I was going to need a pina colada slurpee to get through that mother of a hill, so we stopped and I bought one.<br />
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So that evil hill in Taylorstown. I did it once last summer, and I never wanted to do it again. It is one of those hills that goes on forever, is straight up - a 600 foot climb - and if you stop to rest you'll never be able to start riding again and you'll just have to walk your bike up (which would probably have been faster.) I got in my granny gear, did a lot of standing, and somehow made it to the top. That hill was OPTIONAL the last time I did this ride. OPTIONAL! Sheesh. Even Tuan said it was hard, and he never admits such things. We got to fly down the hill, except I was holding on to my breaks for dear life and praying my front tire wouldn't give out on me, and then we had yet another mother of a hill at mile 73. <br />
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We ran into our friend Ed at the next rest stop, and he took this lovely photo around mile 79. I am smiling because I think those mother hills are over. I forgot about the one at mile 82. Ed says to me "You don't have any handlebar tape on your right side." I just glared at him.<br />
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Ed, Tuan and I rode for the next 15ish miles together. Really, I just sucked on Ed's wheels. <br />
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Tuan and I skipped the final rest stop (we only hit two on the course, plus the 7-11), but I waved to the mechanic who had changed my flat and yelled "Great job! Still going strong!" Then we hammered a bit for the last 9 miles. (Well I hammered. My hammering is Tuan's easy pace.) I was really hungry. Finally at about 2:55 we pulled up to the Reston Town Center. I was very excited to see the ice cream truck.<br />
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So all in all, a great day. Great weather, great views, and great company. I think I will try to do a couple more organized rides this fall. With my new tires, installed by a professional (I am not a professional, apparently.) And some spare tubes. And handlebar tape. (Don't even ask about the blisters all over my right hand. ) And a few more hours of sleep. :)<br />
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Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-54097695926068196102013-08-16T21:47:00.001-07:002013-08-23T20:46:21.797-07:00Rave RunI've been on vacation in North Carolina, and so my runs and rides have all been either with the jogging stroller/ bike trailer or by myself. At home, where most of my long runs are done with a group or buddy, I don't really care where we run since we're chatting away. I'm pretty particular about scenery on my rides, but since I'm always in a rush to get back home I rarely and take it all in. Vacation is another story.<br />
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My long run on Sunday morning was the longest distance I've gone since my injury -- a whopping 14.8 miles. That didn't even constitute as a long run for me during marathon training last fall. This run, if you just look at my pace, was nothing to be excited about. It was over 90 degrees and humid, I ran out of water at the end and couldn't find a store, and my legs were still recovering at my first attempts at speed work on Tuesday and Thursday (a whopping 7:05 pace was the best I could do for any amount of time, and the four minute intervals were barely below an 8 pace... coming back is going to take a long, long time.) </div>
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But it was a run to remember.</div>
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Tonight, I was able to run with my husband for a glorious 8 miles, something we rarely get to do since having our children. It was drizzling when we left, so we left our phones at the house. We didn't have watches. We just ran, and talked. Something about running brings out the best conversations. The sixth mile was right along the beach, and as we turned onto the sand, it started to pour. We looked out onto the endless sea, at the deserted shoreline, at the glassy water and the gentle waves, and ran in silence for that mile. <br />
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There is something spiritual about running, and when I run in wilderness (even if I'm steps away from civilization), I feel a sense of grateful that I can't explain. </div>
Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-19238243427135025752013-07-20T11:52:00.001-07:002013-07-20T11:52:16.641-07:00Iron-On? Nope, Iron Off.When I got hurt almost five months ago, I was forced to spend all my time swimming and cycling in order to do ANY exercise outdoors, and I had this idea that I could sort of train for an Ironman, and do the Aquabike if the running part didn't work out. <br />
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Thankfully, the running injury seems to be on its way out. Yeah, my running legs are out of shape, but the cross training kept me fit enough that I don't think it will take me TOO long to get back in the swing of things. So far my running has looked like this: <br />
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July 7 - Two miles easy -- first run in over two months.<br />
July 9 - Five miles at a 10:00 pace (walked one minute per mile)<br />
July 10 - Two miles, 9:18 pace<br />
July 11 - 6 miles, 9:36 pace<br />
July 13 - 10 miles, Dead Garmin, started out with Brittany and did 8:50 and 8:30 and realized there was no way I could hold that up for the planned 8 miles, ran with Jamal who apparently hadn't run since 2012, was convinced by him to go for 10, but we spent a lot of time at the water stop and even more time walking in the last two miles. We finished a little under 2 hours from when we started, whatever that means. Rode long the next day, and kept Monday as a rest day.<br />
July 15 - 2.25 miles, under an 8 pace. Guess my legs were pretty well rested from the two day break.<br />
July 16 - 6.25 miles with Jack in the jogging stroller, overall pace was 9:10 but I know the first mile was pretty slow. I was happy with that, especially on the hottest and most humid day of the summer so far (real feel 104!)<br />
July 18 - 6 miles solo easy run. First four miles were between 8:30-8:40 but the last two were over 9 and felt hard. Endurance is obviously going to take some time.<br />
Today I'm planning to do 3 easy untimed miles, and then tomorrow a long run of 10-12 at an easy pace. I won't attempt any speedwork til we leave for the beach -- I was advised to get in four solid weeks of just building mileage. But in general, I am very thankful for how well things are going. Sub-7 minute mile repeats aren't going to happen for awhile, but I am confident they will come back.<br />
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I went back to working full time for three weeks, and then we head to the beach for two weeks. There is absolutely no way I can do the full peak season Ironman training while working full time. Last summer I didn't work at all, and was only in the "Build" phase during May and June, which isn't all that time consuming. But the last eight weeks of an IM program are tough -- most of the rides are 85-110 miles long, some followed by running, and almost every day has two workouts. I just can't do it. When I wasn't working, I'd get up at 5:30am to swim or ride, then I'd do the second workout at the gym with the kids in childcare later on in the day (usually around noon) and be done in time to make dinner and spend time with my family.<br />
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This week I thought I'd see if I could get it all in. I left my house before 6 and got in an 85 mile ride -- solo -- and finished in time to meet my family for lunch at the Whole Foods on the bike trail. I gave Jamie a break and took the kids folk dancing at Glen Echo park, came home and made dinner, and was feeling pretty good. Monday of course was a rest day.<br />
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Except teaching 7 classes at a summer program for the arts isn't really a rest day. I was exhausted when I got home at 5 p.m., but I did manage to make dinner.<br />
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Tuesday - Friday were ridiculous. Up at 5:15am to swim, teach 7 classes, home for workout #2, somehow manage to make dinner, and by the time I was ready for the next day it was 11 p.m. Last night I hit a breaking point. I had the kids all evening while Jamie went to a Nats game, and I was awoken when he arrived home after midnight. I didn't end up getting back to sleep until 2 a.m., and we had a long talk about why I was still contemplating doing this race. I skipped my planned long ride today and instead am spending the day with the children I didn't see all week. <br />
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I don't want to feel the pressure to ride 100 miles on a Saturday, because if I don't, I might not finish. I don't want to do a 4-6 hour ride during the three weekends in August that we are in North Carolina at the beach. I don't want to do double workouts every day we are down there. <br />
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So.... Iron Off. <br />
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Don't get me wrong, I'm still going to do ONE of the distances that weekend! I'm thinking I will do the Skipjack instead, which seems about right for the amount of training that I can put in. It's a 1.2 mile swim, 64 mile bike, and 10 mile run. Reasons why this is a much better idea:<br />
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1. I really don't want to do two loops in the swim. I just don't like swimming that much.<br />
2. The Skipjack is half the distance AND half the price! I really have a hard time justifying a $412 race fee when we can barely afford childcare.<br />
3. 64 miles on the bike might not make me completely hate Dora afterwards and put her away for the fall. Really, I missed out on some lovely 2012 rides because I was just so burnt out on the bike. She sat in my guest room storage closet until AFTER I broke my hip. That's 8 months of sitting.<br />
4. I want to concentrate on running once I am back into the groove, and doing an Ironman isn't going to help me in that department. <br />
5. Most importantly, my life needs to be in balance. I don't think it is possible to work full time, train for an Ironman, and have a balanced family life. I really don't. It doesn't matter how early you get up. It's still energy spent.<br />
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Once triathlon training becomes more stress producing than stress relieving, it's time to rethink your goals. So my new goals for summer training are:<br />
1. Set a new PR for the Reston Century on August 25. Since this was my first century ride and I averaged less than 15 miles per hour the last time I did it, I don't think this will be too difficult.<br />
2. Skipjack 75.2. Setting a PR will also not be too difficult, since I have never done that distance before! <br />
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And really.... I am just so thankful to be running without pain. Thankful, thankful, thankful.Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-1239735246042393692013-07-08T19:44:00.001-07:002013-07-08T19:44:34.274-07:00CLEARED TO RUN!!!!Happy 35th birthday to me! All I wanted was some bone union. :) Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-4638685951379194482013-06-28T20:57:00.002-07:002013-06-28T21:10:09.472-07:00Returning to Running...Slowly but surely, we're getting there. <br />
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Here's a photo of what I've been doing: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJigGWKM4FrAHU032oEI3jqoq8zVRb_jkCux5NFYoryf_W-hy115mVXTnzmEQHFtxKITchyZ9BAFQBNkInRl07ezJCGvdd6v1NQRa9yBqC32va4qxhru2OATmCAtu2CxdDeDhjB2Y_fPma/s640/AlterG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJigGWKM4FrAHU032oEI3jqoq8zVRb_jkCux5NFYoryf_W-hy115mVXTnzmEQHFtxKITchyZ9BAFQBNkInRl07ezJCGvdd6v1NQRa9yBqC32va4qxhru2OATmCAtu2CxdDeDhjB2Y_fPma/s400/AlterG.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm up to 70% body weight, 3 minutes of running at a time, at a 3% incline. Not bad. Next week, we start getting rid of the walking breaks. Hopefully I'll be up to 20-30 minutes of continuous running by the end of the week.<br />
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X-rays the following week. On my birthday. My fingers are crossed that my present will be visible bone union and the clearance to run on actual land.<br />
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Now, confession time. Our local Road Runner Sports running store sponsors a monthly <a href="http://www.youradventurerun.com/falls-church/" target="_blank">Adventure Run. </a>Starting at 6:30pm, they reveal a map that has a bunch of checkpoints in the city of Falls Church. You have 60 minutes to run to as many of these as you can, and the number of tickets you receive are based on the distance and difficulty to get there. It concludes with a Sierra Nevada beer garden and raffle, where they give away a ridiculous number of awesome prizes (like new running shoes and local restaurant gift certificates.) I figured that Jamie could run and I would walk Susanna and Jack in the jogging stroller.<br />
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Except Susanna wanted to register for the race, too. And she is one competitive chica. We checked the map and I noticed one was in the pub below my friend Victoria's condo, so I figured we walk there, say hello, and walk back to "participate." But no. Susanna took off and ran. Fast. Like I had to run to keep up with her. And this was not some little track. This was Route 7, the main road running from Alexandria to Tysons Corner, and it was rush hour. So I took off too, screaming "STOP!" every time she reached the end of a sidewalk. "HURRY MOMMY! WE NEED TO GET TICKETS! WE NEED TO GET MORE THAN DADDY!"<br />
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We met Victoria at the Mad Fox Brewery, and Susanna stopped to pat her dog while I ran in and got our tickets. "MOMMY! We need to get more tickets!" So we were off to Vantage Fitness, where we each had to do 15 push-ups. Then, on to Famous Dave's. To get there, I had to run right pass my physical therapy office. I was pushing Jack in the BOB and chasing after Susanna, and praying my PT wasn't in the parking lot. <br />
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It was 7:05 -- time to turn around. I figured we could hit Mike's Ice Cream on the way back (down a MUCH quieter street, thank goodness.) Susanna, who had already run about a mile and a half, finally decided she was tired and hopped in the stroller. Yay, I got to walk. <br />
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Except then I realized that I still had to go a mile and a half, stop and get tickets, and get back to home base in about 20 minutes. So it became a jog/ walk. We got to the ice cream shop at 7:22, and had the tickets in hand by 7:25. About a quarter mile to go. Yeah, time to run. Susanna wanted to run, too. So we held hands, and ran to the finish. We reached it at 7:28. Phew.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxMGIX4nIsPL0QQZFcohkrfZBFIUq_-dfXAdctUTO8p2A67aU_EZpZLZUoTS9IMDoB-TrrcXSNW1A4jasvrQzke_aPcZfUSqbxroZLCC6IrbYNKlc9NXVRjFPosUXmwiGC8Z1WUU_js2A/s716/SusannaGretchenRR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxMGIX4nIsPL0QQZFcohkrfZBFIUq_-dfXAdctUTO8p2A67aU_EZpZLZUoTS9IMDoB-TrrcXSNW1A4jasvrQzke_aPcZfUSqbxroZLCC6IrbYNKlc9NXVRjFPosUXmwiGC8Z1WUU_js2A/s640/SusannaGretchenRR.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>
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<br />
I should point out that at my last doctor's appointment, he said that any exercise was okay if I didn't feel pain, and that short spurts of running would be okay to try. I didn't feel pain. <br />
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Nevertheless, I don't think my PT was very pleased with my impromptu run. I know she means the best for me, and wants me to heal without any setbacks. I did explain to her that I have really been on my best behavior for her compared to, well, anyone else... I mean, obviously I didn't take the "no exercise for 6 weeks after childbirth" thing very seriously if I did a triathlon 8 and a half weeks after Jack was born....<br />
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Jamie scored a ton of tickets, but between the three of us, we didn't win anything. Well, Susanna won a tube of lip gloss at one of the booths that had a prize spin wheel (and has been carrying it around like it's an Olympic medal, telling everyone she "won it at her race.") But it was the most fun I've had in awhile. I miss running. I miss running in groups. I miss races, and fun runs, and chatting with my friends as we trot along on Saturday mornings.<br />
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My fingers are crossed.Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-44663968527959365482013-06-16T16:08:00.002-07:002013-06-16T17:34:32.705-07:00I May Or May Not Be Training For an IronmanI know I said I wasn't going to do an Ironman this year. My plan was to really focus on running shorter distances and get some PRs on the 5K - Half Marathon. AND... since that isn't going to happen, I guess I'm kind of sort of training for an Ironman. Or an Aquabike. I mean, yeah, I could do some centuries, but they aren't really races. And I'm doing all this swimming. So I might as well.<br>
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No, I'm not paying for anything yet. I'm not going to register til the last minute. So obviously that leaves out "Ironman" branded races, and whatever on that. I'm looking at races that I can Aquabike if (probably) necessary. I'm pretty sure it's going to be <a href="http://www.tricolumbia.org/events/?eid=5" target="_blank">Chesapeakeman</a> -- perfect timing, since the taper will begin right when school starts back up, and it's cheap (less than $300, $400 if I run!), flat, and about 2 hours away, on the eastern shore of Maryland. <br>
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So I'm loosely following a training plan, adding extra bike miles or pool running in the place of the runs for now. If I'm cleared to run by July 8, it might be possible to do the whole thing by the end of September (because we all know it will be more of a jog/ walk marathon.) <div>
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If my doctor doesn't give me his blessing to run, however, Aquabike it will be. My placing will be humbling, since I will be racing my two weaker sports only. Every single tri I have done, my placing has improved with each section of the race. I'm always in the last ten percent at the end of the swim, somewhere in the middle on the bike, and towards the top third after the run. (Louisville was another story -- finished right smack bang in the middle, but even then the run is what got me out of the second 50%.) <br>
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So.... I had a fantastic weekend! I have really missed my running buddies, and was a little depressed that the running club (<a href="http://www.dsgrunning.com/" target="_blank">DSG</a>, the close knit group marathon training group I've been with since it's inception 6 seasons ago) had its first Marine Corps Marathon training run Saturday morning. <br>
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Instead, I met up with a member <a href="http://momsrunthistown.com/" target="_blank">Mom's Run This Town</a> who also got injured in February. She also still is unable to run. She also qualified for Boston in the fall, also did her first 50K this winter, and also was training for Shamrock. (I would love to say she ALSO runs the same pace as me, but in all humbleness, she is a lot faster than me and her marathon time smoked mine by 20 minutes.) It was GREAT to chat to someone going through the same thing. We walked the 5 mile Burke Lake Trail Loop and I had Jack in the jogger, and I actually worked up quite a sweat.<br>
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Then today I woke up at the crack of dawn to get in a long ride with a girl from my riding group. It was great to meet a new riding partner, and get out on the roads in Loudoun wine county, where I did most of my Ironman training last summer. I loved those rides. Bales of hay, mountain views, horses, and vineyards... a little piece of heaven, just a few miles from busy DC. We got in 60 miles, and we were done before 11. Here's a picture from the 7-11 in Lovettsville, our halfway point:<br>
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Beautiful mountain views, and a Pina Colada Slurpee!</div>
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I had parked near the pool in Ashburn, and met Jamie and Jack there for lunch and some outdoor pool time. Then I took him shopping and to the park so Jamie could get in a long run, and also to get the ingredients for whatever-meal-his-heart-desires-for-Father's-Day (turned out well, will put on the food blog.)</div><div><br>
I am so, so thankful I can get outside for most of my exercise now. Take THAT, stress fracture! You will not keep me down!</div>Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-61464473368641294342013-05-19T19:56:00.003-07:002013-05-20T19:51:07.754-07:00Pity Party<span style="font-family: inherit;">Last post I was feeling pretty positive, right? The past two weeks has been a bit of a roller coaster both physically and emotionally. Trying to keep it positive -- really, really trying.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
Since the doctor gave the okay to swim, bike and pool run, I did all three the first second week of May. Great swimming Monday and Wednesday mornings, interval pool running on Tuesday morning, and a nice 18 mile ride outside on Wednesday night. Thursday I wore ballet flats (ie no support) to work, and by the end of the day I was limping again. I did some pool running on Friday morning, and by Friday afternoon I had pain just from walking. I called my doctor, and his PA said that something I did aggravated the injury. Her advice? Stop everything until my leg felt good again. Maybe that would take ten days. She suggested trying yoga or pilates since most of my cardio options were now off limits.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
And the pity party began. It was Mother's Day weekend and I had planned to do 80 miles on the bike Saturday morning, then take my daughter folk dancing Sunday afternoon. My body had other plans, and I was not happy with them. </span><br />
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However, I have to admit that it felt nice to sleep in on Saturday morning and cuddle with my kids, who both climbed in the bed with me. Susanna started watching "The Doc Is In" on the iPad while I drifted in and out of sleep. I overheard Doc McStuffins sing "<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; line-height: 18px;">Slow down just a little longer. Kick back and rest. You'll see, the more you rest the stronger you'll be." Susanna looked at me and said "Mom! It's just like your leg!" Wow, here i am learning lessons from a Disney cartoon. "So Susanna, do you think Doc McStuffins can fix me up?" "No, Mom, of course not. You're not a toy. Now go back to sleep so your leg can get better." </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #37404e;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">We had a great day, packed with swimming lessons and trip to the Children's Museum and the National Harbor. My body showed true exhaustion that evening when I collapsed with my kids at 8:30 p.m. I slept all the way until 8 a.m. the following morning, waking up just in time to get the kids to Sunday School (late, as usual.) When we returned, I fell asleep AGAIN... I napped two more hours. Really, I don't think I've slept that much in years. I decided to go ahead and take Susanna folk dancing at Glen Echo Park (PERFECT way to spend Mother's Day!), though I didn't do any of the sachays or jumps. I fell asleep at 9:30 pm. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #37404e;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">Since I wasn't limping, I decided to go ahead and try some exercise after resting up for the weekend. My leg was still incredibly tight, but I didn't have any pain walking. So Monday I did masters swimming in the morning, Tuesday I did intervals on the stationary bike, and Wednesday I did a swimming stroke clinic and some core/ upper body strength. Thursday I cycled, and then had a massage to break up scar tissue and muscle adhesions (very painful, but it really seemed to help.) Friday I swam and was thrilled to see my fastest split times to date -- I managed to hit under 1:40 on the 100 yard repeats. (Note: I need to go back to stoke workshop, because I swam again today and my pace was nowhere near that.) Saturday I spent the day power walking around an amusement park chaperoning a school trip (honestly, that seemed to cause more pain than anything else I did this week) and today I did some upper body/ core strength and swam for 50 minutes. My leg is still tight, but feels a lot better than it did ten days ago. So we'll see if I can add outdoor cycling and maybe pool running to the mix this week. I've been wearing supportive shoes to work, and that seems to make a huge difference.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #37404e;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">As far as the pity party, I've had to distance myself from things like Daily Mile and Facebook feeds. While I should be overjoyed to see my friend's posts about how much they love running, or how they achieved a PR at a certain distance, I find myself getting insanely jealous that I'm not out there too. Last year I logged everything I did on Daily Mile, and met my goal of running over 2000 miles. I had a goal this year to run 3000, and I was logging everything religiously. 276 miles in January, 262 in February, 15 (all on the fractured pelvis) in March, 3 (again, on the fracture) in April, 0 (injury diagnosed) in May. I am done keeping track for awhile. This week, I didn't log miles. Aside from Friday's swim, I have no idea how far I biked in place, or how many laps I did. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #37404e;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">And maybe that's a good thing. Maybe my body and mind need a break from regimented training. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #37404e;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #37404e; line-height: 18px;">And maybe I need to remember that the last time I got a stress fracture, I discovered swimming and cycling and became a triathlete. Maybe I need to remember that when I stopped having a pity party and focused on what I </span><i style="color: #37404e; line-height: 18px;">could</i><span style="color: #37404e; line-height: 18px;"> do, I ended up fitter than when I'd started. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #37404e; line-height: 18px;">Pity party concluded. Let's move on.</span><br />
<span style="color: #37404e; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6787525782810748369.post-52735762818089177802013-05-07T19:56:00.001-07:002013-05-08T18:19:10.590-07:00Pelvis Repair Time!I had my first doctor's appointment with Dr. Parker this Monday. He's an orthopedic surgeon with specialties in sports medicine and one of the few people trained (and with stellar reviews) in FAI and labral tear surgery, which is the main reason I sought this referral. Luckily, I do not need the surgery. Nevertheless, I'm happy I am under his care. He knows his stuff, and he seems to truly care about my recovery and understand my need to get back out there on the road. <br />
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Since then, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted. I know what the injury is, I know what the timeline is for recovery, and I know I'm on track with this recovery.<br />
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So this is my pelvis. Apparently the white is where the bone marrow is swelling. My doctor said they were some pretty impressive fractures. Of course they are. Would you expect any less of me?<br />
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Dr. Parker gave me a chart showing the different stages of healing for stress fractures in in different parts of the body. One month post-injury in 2010, my metatarsel was almost halfway healed. One month post injury, a pelvic stress fracture is 0% healed. Well, no wonder that marathon hurt and I had to quit after 2 and a half miles. At 2 months, the foot is pretty much healed, while the pelvis is only 29%. At three months, the pelvis is still not even 70% healed. It's a long recovery.<br />
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There are three stages to healing, and I think I'm nearing the second. In the first stage, you have pain while sitting, standing on the injured side, and walking. You may walk with a limp. I did limp around for a few days, and I remember when I went to my conference in CT just three and a half weeks out from the initial injury, I couldn't sit through sessions because it was so painful. Walking hurt. In stage 1, swimming, pool running and cycling are encouraged to improve blood flow. As long as you aren't limping, crutches aren't recommended because studies have shown this actually prolongs the healing time. You graduate to stage 2 when you can walk for 10 minutes without any pain.<br />
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So really, I think I'm closer to stage 2, but my doctor is not letting me "graduate" until our appointment on June 3. In stage 2, you begin the transition to running. I will start physical therapy again, and use the AlterG treadmill to acclimate my body to running on a percentage of body weight. I also will work with Heather on running form to prevent muscle imbalances and foot strike issues that probably led to this fracture in the first place. To graduate from stage 2 (approximately 1 month) I need to be able to run 3 minutes without any payback pain.<br />
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Stage 3 is pretty much the "Couch to 5K" program. It's a 4 week program to get to 30 minutes of pain free running. At this point, the pelvis isn't completely healed, but it's getting there (it may take an entire year til the fracture no longer shows up on MRI) and can handle the transition to land running. So hopefully this will happen in July.<br />
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Then the literature says very clearly "Any runner with severe hip and groin pain should immediately be put on crutches until an MRI or Xrays can rule out a pelvic or femoral neck stress fracture. Femoral neck fractures especially can cause long term damage and need to be treated seriously."<br />
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Hmmmph. I told both my PCP and my first ortho that I had severe hip and groin pain. Hmmphh again.<br />
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This is definitely the biggest running setback I've ever had. But it could have been worse. FAI or labral tear would have put me back to square one and required an even longer recovery time and more PT. Really, even though this totally stinks, since getting the diagnosis I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. <br />
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So my May looks like a lot of swimming, pool running, strength and cycling. Not too shabby. I'll get through this, and I'm going to use the time to work on some of my tri weaknesses. <br />
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Life is good.<br />
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<br />Gretchen Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996526173423461038noreply@blogger.com5