Delays and Detours

My running path took a few detours over the past couple months so my plans fell off track but now are going in the right direction.

In August I started feeling pain in my right knee mainly after I finished a run but it became persistent and even began bothering me when I was on my feet more just walking. I spent two and a half weeks doing worthless treatments in my regular doctor's office which was a waste of time and money. During those two and a half weeks I did not run or play tennis at the doc's recommendation. Finally I got a referral to see an Ortho doc who gave me my diagnosis - IT Band tightness. What a relief knowing what it was, plus the new doc said I could run and I could play tennis. My training for the October half was too behind from the time off so I had to scratch that off my list, but I still have time to work towards November in Philly.

I'm seeing a physical therapist twice a week and doing stretches and exercises targeted at strengthening my core every day. Everything is working and while I still have work to do the pain is not as bothersome and my runs have gotten better.

I ran a 5-mile race on Saturday, actually 5.3 miles, and it went well. My pace is about 1 minute slower than it was last year but I expected that becausee I've gotten more focused on distances, plus have a couple extra pounds right now. Overall I felt pretty good about it and feel like the next few weekends my long runs will really be great. I need to add 1-2 miles each week to my long runs so that I'm up to 9 or 10 miles on 11/15 or 11/16. That's four weeks so I think I'm in a good place.

I've got runs planned for Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and either Saturday or Sunday this week. I feel good about this week.

13 Miles Planned - 4.7 complete...

This is my first week of training on a 12-week program for the Nike+ Half Marathon which I'm doing virtually on October 19. My schedule this week was to do an easy 2 on Tuesday, a 5-mile tempo run today (3 at 6mph) and then a 6-mile long run on Sunday. It really is an easy transition into training mode, it's just so much harder to find the time to go run in the summer.



I decided a while back that I was going to not do the PDR in September for two reasons - I didn't want to train in the heat of August and I knew that tennis and volleyball would make it more difficult to follow a training plan. I was so right in both of those but I also hadn't factored in all the other things that summer brings - work outings, visits to ballgames, visits to Philly and of course beach weekends. I was down at the beach this past weekend and got in about 2 miles running and probably 3 or 4 on a bicycle. Not that great but better than nothing.



I'm glad that I'm beginning training - it's a little rough starting out. I wasn't able to do my 2 on Tuesday because I was going to Philly for a show that night and because of volleyball on Monday night I couldn't get myself out at 6am to do the run. I did all but 3/10 of a mile of my 5-mile tempo tonight - I was doing well but my knee got achy at that point and I figured it was better to stop than worsen the pain. I play tennis tomorrow night so we'll see how that goes - I've lost my last three matches, two of which went into three sets so my problem is definitely in my second set. I've gotta watch the knee too.



My 6-mile run scheduled for Sunday I will wake up early and do on Saturday - I have a bachelorette party on Saturday night so I know if I don't do it Saturday it won't get done Sunday. I'll be spending Sunday night volunteering at Musikfest for the first time. I'll be serving beer at a beer tent - perfect!

Reality Check - Making Plans to Begin Training Again

I'm officially registered for the Philly 1/2 in November - that means I'll be running two 1/2 Marathons within a six week period. I probably am crazy, but I have time to train and still keep working on my speedwork for a little longer, and play 7 1/2 more tennis matches and a few round robins...

1/2 Marathon #1 - Nike+ Women's Half - October 19 (Virtual)
I haven't determined the route I'll be running - might just rerun the Lehigh Valley Half Marathon because it was a challenge but went very well for me. I'm hoping to have someone able to run this with me that day. It's pretty cool that I don't have to go to San Fran but still can get the finished keychain (from Tiffany!)

1/2 Marathon #2 - Philly Half - November 23
I've heard mixed reviews of this and pretty much signed up because as much as I'd like to do the PDR someday, with tennis and volleyball I don't have the time or motivation to commit to as much training as I would need to be ready for the PDR. So the compromise is the Philly Half, same day as the Philly Marathon. I've heard it's a bit hillier than the PDR. Considering the hills I dealt with for the LV Half, I think I can manage. Plus the hill workouts I'm mixing in to get faster (did them again today - MUCH better than last week's attempt) are helpful for speed and endurance.

So my training will start the end of this month. I tossed some numbers into Runner's World's Smart Coach yesterday - this week would be 15 weeks out from the Nike+ 1/2. After following a 16-week training program for my first 1/2 this past spring I know that 16 is too long and 15 can't be much better. I'd rather hold off on the official training until the end of July and keep working on some speed for the shorter distances. My hill run today was evidence that I can keep working on it - I definitely felt better than I did after doing the hills last week. The weather wasn't as balmy and warms so that can play a factor, but regardless, if I can do it once a week and keep building up I'll be pleased. It certainly isn't counterproductive for training for a 1/2.

I'm going on vacation (Vegas, baby!) the beginning of October and found out that it will cost me money to use the hotel fitness center. I pretty much will need to suck it up and pay because I am not going to run along the Strip and at that point will need to do at least 3 runs while I'm away. I suppose it's a good thing because I love food and so does my friend that I'm going there with so it's pretty much a given that we'll be eating very well while we are there. Another thing I need to look at in Vegas is the tennis clinics at the Hilton - looks like $25 for an hour and a half - that's a great deal. Of course all of this will be topped off by at least one trip to the spa at my hotel - MGM Grand. I checked it out the other day and am so looking forward to a massage. It seems like I could use one every other week anymore. I had a facial a week or so ago - my aesthetician commented on it and it's only been a little more than a month since I last had a massage. That's next week's plan...

The hills are alive - and oh so brutal...

My per mile pace could use some improvement and I know one of the best ways to build up speed is to work some hills every week or two. So this morning my friend and I set out the the Lehigh Parkway to do the 5k course and the hills off of it. There are three hills that the cross country kids train on and my friend had run the route a few times last summer.

We started out a little after 8am and had done a little more than a mile before the first hill. A nice gradual hill with a paved pathway. I walked a little bit of it but made it up and back alive. The next hill came a little less than a mile later and was a bit steeper and I again walked a portion. The last of the three hills I knew was steeper than the previous and after doing the others and a little over two miles already on the trail I opted out. I know that if I keep going out and doing these I'll improve - maybe next time I'll give the third hill a shot. The humidity was a bit too much for me today.

Gotta register for the Philly 1/2 Marathon in November tomorrow. Registration goes up on Tuesday. I registered to do the Nike+ Women's Half virtually on October 19 - should be interesting. I'll just map out a route near my home or rerun the Lehigh Valley Half Marathon route from April. Not planning to do the PDR because I'm not very interested in training in the heat of summer. I just booked a trip to Vegas for the beginning of October so I'll have to fit in some treadmill training while I'm there - a couple tempo runs should keep me on track. I am NOT running by myself through Las Vegas. I'm going with my friend Kelly but she's not a runner so the only place I'll feel safe running on my vacation is in the hotel gym.

The last week has been a whirlwind of tennis, running and a little volleyball but tennis more than anything. I had lessons Tuesday and Thursday - my last two : ( and then went to a round robin at a club on Friday night. I was definitely the lowest NTRP rated person there but had a great time. Playing against better players definitely ups your game and in this case it was playing doubles which is another challenge for me. Wound up playing one set of a match today but the crazy ballpark food I ate earlier did not lend well to maneuverability on the court...

I'm so looking forward to having a long weekend next weekend - don't think it will be any less crazy than the last few have been but just knowing I have an extra day off is mentally refreshing. I think I need to book a massage. Also gotta push to do well in the LVRR 5K on Wednesday.....

Did Chrissy wear polyester?

Wimbledon begins tomorrow (yay!) and Tennis Channel and ESPN Classic have been showing classic matches throughout the weekend. It's really neat to watch these now because I didn't start playing and watching tennis until a few years ago. I knew who the marquis players were, just didn't have a lot of interest in watching it until I began playing. It's kind of interesting to see Monica Seles vs. Martina Navratilova in 1992, Chris Evert vs. Navratilova in 1978, Sampras, Agassi, Graf and so on.

So my big thought was about the way the players dress. Athletes today, in all sports, are wearing Dri-Fit and Climalite and fabrics that wick. Looking at tennis specifically, in the 1970s the women wore polished dresses, made of cotton in some cases, but it looks like polyester too, hence the title of my post. In the 80s and 90s the women took on bulky oversized tops that look more similar to what one of the men would wear than a women, with the exception of the skirts. What were they thinking??? If Maria Sharapova or Serena Williams were to walk on court in what Seles wore in the match I was watching Friday they would lose their contracts for half of their endorsements. Come to think of it, some of Sharapova's recent court attire choices look along the lines of the classic Chrissy Evert wardrobe. Interesting how things come back around. I really don't need to see the overized Fila outfits that Capriati used to wear though...

I don't know, if I had to run, play tennis or just exercise in general without the Dri-Fit tops and bottoms I've come to love I'd be so uncomfortable. Even in the 60 and 70 degree weather when you see people running in cotton T-shirts and sweat pants I can 't understand it. Not only do those not breathe, but they rub and chafe (ouch!). I'm even more surprised at races when I see people wearing cotton shirts, usually from some other race. Why is it that nearly every race gives out cotton shirts?

So that's what I've been thinking about this weekend. I should really go out and run but this whole classic tennis marathon is addicting.