Benched

I just copied and pasted what I wrote on my family's website, so some of this I've already addressed here, but I don't feel like coming up with another way to convey this sucky news:


For those who may not have heard through the grapevine, I will no longer be running in the Boston Marathon. Due to a pain in my knee that began about a month ago and got progressively worse, I ended up where I was last Friday--in pain and unable to finish a 3 mile loop, limping home.

After I got stopped during a long run for the second time, I took advantage of the free injury evaluations offered at Aurora. The PT did some poking and prodding and determined to the best of her ability that a weakness in my hip muscles was causing this pain in my knee. Knee bone connected to the ankle bone and all that, except the other way. I'm about 93% sure this is unrelated to my occasional hip pain from the car accident way back when. Actually, I'd say 100% if I could, but since I'm not on good terms with my hips or knees right now, I can't tell you what they are thinking.

Either way, she prescribed some strengthening exercises and said if it didn't get better, an Ortho guy was the next stop. While it hasn't got 'better', I can't say for sure it won't and either way, seeing a really expensive doctor before I've given significant healing time to the knee still won't get me across the finish line.

With all of that, I made the difficult decision (or rather my uncooperative body part made the decision) that a marathon in 19 days just isn't going to happen. We'll still be taking the trip out East with the flights and lodging already paid for. And after wrestling with "fraud" like feelings decided that I did deserve to pick up my tshirt and race packet even if I don't run.

The silver lining in all this is that we'll have plenty of site seeing time and no concerns about getting sleep or staying off my feet. Plus, as of yet, my knee didn't hurt when rock climbing on Sunday or walking on Monday. We'll see how it does with other cross training all while staying diligent with my prescribed exercises. And once I am healed, I'll have lots of motivation to work really hard for another qualifying time so some day in the future I can go back to Boston and really earn the tshirt. In the meantime, I'll try and remember that athletes get injured and that everything happens for a reason.

Doesn't mean I won't pout a little bit though : /

Local Yokel

March 12. Seems like a good day to address resolutions made on Jan 1 :)

One of my goals for this year was to work toward local living. Not only purchasing food and products made locally, but to also support small local businesses. I've actually done several things to support this resolution, but today I'm going to talk about Outpost!

Outpost Natural Foods is a co-op here in Milwaukee. From their website:

Co-ops are founded on the belief that we can achieve greater results by working together than we can alone. A co-op is a business voluntarily owned and controlled by the people who use it – its members. It’s operated solely for the benefit of its members.

While not everything in the store is local--the chia seeds I purchased were from Mexico, and not everything is organic--they stock Gatorade, the sense of community and emphasis on local and regional products is important to me. As is taking ownership in the movement. I don't know how Sam's Club works, but I have a sense that annual dues give you the privilege to shop. The co-ops 'dues' are actually purchasing a portion of your ownership (or you pay for the full ownership up front).

I will still do a large portion of my shopping at Aldi as a check book balance in the black is currently higher on my list than being 100% local or organic, but I'm proud I've taken this step in my journey toward local living.

In Pursuit,

Sarah

Ouch!

I don't get injured. I don't stop running. But it has hurt enough to make me stop running. Twice.

My knee hurts and I have been physically unable to finish my attempt at an 18 miler and a 20 miler. There was pain, there were tears, and there was a definite unease about my marathon status.

Fortunately, Aurora has a sports medicine center that does free injury evaluations. And fortunately the PT thinks this is a result of weak hips. Unfortunately, there are only a few more weeks and it will take time to build up strength to fix this problem.

Fortunately I have enough innate stubbornness and built up endurance that I feel I can physically finish the marathon. Unfortunately, I don't know if I can physically finish the marathon.

This probably all sounds more serious than it actually is. And hopefully that is true. For now, I'll put in the miles that I can, do the exercises I've been given, and depend on that stubbornness to get me through.

In Pursuit,

Sarah

hush...

Winter is my least favorite season. But every once in awhile there is a moment. A moment you only find in Winter.

I got to bed quite late last night. Due to some unexpected issues with my run Tuesday, I was short a few miles and decided to make them up this morning. This was not a pleasant prospect as I went to bed knowing the alarm was 3 1/2 hours from going off. And then? I woke up on my own 20 minutes early. I figured it'd be even worse if I let myself get back to a deep sleep only to have the radio blare, so I got up and put on my running clothes.

Outside...clean, undisturbed, quiet snow.

Crunch. Crunch. Footsteps marking the memory of a solo runner on a Friday morning.

Crunch. Crunch. Pure, clean, quiet, Winter. It was lovely. No ipod, no distractions, just the sound of shoes on snow, breathing, and the lulling sound of the waves in the lake. The lake that is still moving and turning and going on, even though it is winter. Knowing soon it will be spring which will bring rain, and noise, and people.

But for now, there is a runner, and snow, and quiet.

I hate Winter. But I loved this run.

Updates! Road to Boston

56 days until the gun goes off at the start of the Boston Marathon. 56 days left to train hard, eat right, and get the mental strength ready for 26.2 miles of hills, sweat, and cheers.

Training has continued to go well with this awesomely mild winter. While this can never compare to the joy of Spring and Summer, if we have to have winter, this is the way to have it.

This week I bump up to an 18 mile long run. I'm doing speed work, hills, extra long runs. Doesn't this all sound like fun?

In other news, life has been going at a whirlwind pace, but more to follow. For now, I'm here, I'm running, and I'm going after Ness.

In Pursuit,

Sarah

Thanks Every Day

This past fall, I had the opportunity to stay at the Artha Sustainable Living Center. If you get the chance, to stay there, it is great. Great owners, nice arrangements, delicious food. But one of the best things about the weekend was when someone stumbled upon the P'tah Morning Song. I was immediately struck by it's truth and simplicity and got myself a copy. It now hangs in my bathroom as a reminder to be thankful for every day. Here it is:

P’Tah Morning Song

From the center of my being I give forth thanks

for the love that I am.

For the love in my life and the love that surrounds me, thank you.

Thank you for the miracle of life that I am, and thank you

for the miracle of life I see reflected all about me.

Thank you for the gift of life that I am.

Thank you for this perfect body, my health and well-being, thank you.

Thank you for the abundance that I am and thank you for the

abundance that I see reflected all about me.

Thank you for riches and the richness of my life

.

Thank you for the excitement and adventure

of the millions of wondrous

possibilities and wondrous probabilities, thank you.

Thank you for the wonderment and thank you for the joy.

Thank you for the beauty and harmony.

Thank you for the peace and tranquility.

Thank you for the laughter and thank you for the play.

And thank you for the privilege of serving and sharing

the gift that I am.

Thank you Thank you Thank you

Sing this song to your universe each day as you go forth to bathe your body.

As you stand beneath the delicious flow of water and your beautiful body is

warm and relaxed, the water is crystalline in property and is grandly

magnified. As you sing forth the words, of total abundance, you are in that

reality. And as you go forth in your day you carry with you the resonance,

the energy that knows no lack.

In Pursuit,

Sarah

FINE! It's Winter. Otherwise known as training weeks 3 & 4

Sigh. I hate winter. I find myself longing for the simplicity of just walking out the door in the morning. Instead I'm gathering hats, boots, gloves, scarves, making sure I have appropriate work shoes to replace the boots. And to run I'm grabbing my gaiter, hat, headband, glove, tights, pants, shirt, jacket. And after all of those clothes I STILL have to jump straight in the shower after I run so my cold sweat doesn't put me into hypothermia. I love running, I just hate winter.

But here I find myself, January 22nd, having finished my 4th week of training. There have been two snow storms and too many days of single digit temps. And it turns out East Side residents still haven't learned to shovel.

My training plan includes specific workouts. Like doing downhill repeats at 5k pace. Or 5 miles at marathon pace. Both of those things become a lot harder when patches of ice and 4 inches of 'used' snow are present at every other step. A year ago I found myself battling these same conditions while preparing for the Green Bay Marathon. When Spring finally poked it's head back out, I found myself stronger and faster than I was before spending months running in what basically felt like a giant sandbox. I want to do well at Boston. I'd like to try and improve my time to 3:35 or 3:30. But honestly, Boston will be awesome even if I take 5 hours to finish. It's BOSTON!!

So I'll be here, dreaming of warmer weather, keeping up my anti-treadmill stance, and running through it all. Cause that is my Ness.

In other news, I now have 10 followers. YAY! Thanks all :)

In Pursuit,

Sarah

The Road to Boston--Week 2 done!

Second week of training done, 14 weeks left. This past week included another hill workout, a marathon pace run, and a long run of 9 miles.

This was the first time I made a marathon pace (MP) effort on purpose. I ran the Green Bay Marathon in 3:37:45 which equated to 8:18 mile pace. I want to train for a 3:30 marathon in Boston which is 8:00 mile pace. That is a huge jump in pace when the hills of Boston are looming. But even if I decide to adjust my goal, I can still train for an 8:00 goal. Or, at least I thought I could.

I started my MP run with a nice slow mile, then geared up for a 24 min 3 mile loop. I finished it in 25:07 which is about 8:22/miles. Quite a disconnect in times there. And pretty disappointing to not even hit my previous marathon pace. A few things I'm going to try next time.
1) Try and keep a steady pace. I went out too fast and had a hard time keeping up the pace.
2) Push myself. I think I gave up a little at the tough pace. Hard workouts are hard. That is why I have easy days. If I want to enjoy the easy days, I need to earn them by working hard the rest of the time.
3) Relax. The time goals are goals and they are mine. I won't lose a shoe contract or TV deal if I don't run a 3:30. While I enjoy improving myself, running is fun for me and it will be fun even if I don't hit my goals, so RELAX!

My long run went well. It was a gorgeous 30 degress (ah...perception :)) and calm. I finished in an hour, sixteen minutes. That tells me that I can improve on MP days and I also probably was running too fast for a long run. But it felt good and took me 9 miles closer to the marathon.

Run. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. And on we go!

In Pursuit,
Sarah

The Road to Boston--Week 1 done!

Well, I've finished the 1st week of training and have 15 weeks left to go! As tired as I was after training for two marathons in 2011, it feels really nice to be back on a plan. I can just check out the fridge to see what's on tap and I go out and do it.

This first week was pretty easy with one hill workout and 3 easy runs, plus my Sunday long run. Thank goodness for this plan that made sure I did that long run! I was staying with friends over the weekend and would be on country highways for my run. I woke up and got completely dressed before seeing the 'blizzard' out the window. Plus the sun wasn't up...not safe running conditions. I put off my run until about noon, and let's just say I'm glad it is over. The wind was terrible! And I ended up going head to head with it for the last two miles, ice crystals on my lashes and brows and a frozen face. Yuck.

The good thing about winter training is the strength it will give me when we are finally blessed with snow again. And thankfully, back here at home, the winter hasn't been too awful. Got the first dusting of snow last night, but the roads and sidewalks are still pretty clear.

Moving on to week two, I have an extra 'tough' run with a marathon pace workout, but overall, we are still easing into things. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and I can check off another sucessful week.

Oh--and Happy New Year!

In Pursuit,

Sarah

Resolutions

Happy New Year All!

In my Pursuit of Ness for 2012, I have made a few resolutions:

1) Become a locavore

2) Cook through the Trader Joe's cookbook

3) Compost

4) Grow herbs

5) Learn something new


More to come on how I plan to meet these resolutions, but in the meantime, HAPPY 2012!!!

In Pursuit,

Sarah