Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Let's take a look into 2012


Wow, here it is a whole new year and I haven't even posted yet.  So how's the year shaping up so far?  Here's a few of the highlights.....
  • The 50.53 miles I ran last week gave me a PR for the year :).
  • Had a really crap long run on Saturday.  Started out feeling great and maybe I got a bit too over zealous with the pace (though it didn't feel so) but the wheels started coming off at mile 12 with some pretty icky stomach issues.  By mile 15 (at a much reduced pace since mile 12), I spent an enormous amount of time in a porta-potty at a ball park (aren't you glad I shared?), and after that my stomach wouldn't cooperate when I tried to run.  I pretty much walked the last 5 miles to my car.  If that isn't a confidence squasher two weeks before a marathon, I'm not sure what is!  And to add a few bonus points to this run: I began with beautiful, sunny, 45 degree weather yet it quickly turned into a crazy wind infested snowstorm for the last two miles.  I can't ever remember being so cold ever in my life as when I (finally) reached my car.  Yehaw!
  • My daughter came home on NYE with the stomach flu (to get some sympathy from her momma :)) and thus proceeded to give it to everyone else in the house.  I never officially got this bug in the full-blown version as everyone else, but on Friday night my stomach was pretty queasy (night before above long run) so I'm hoping this was part of my long run debacle Saturday.
  • This week I'm entering what should be officially the taper phase of my marathon training.  But I really have nothing to taper off of.  The beginning of this training cycle started off with a bang, but after I ran the Denver Rock and Roll Half, things just never came together solidly again.  That was October 6th I believe.  I've run one long run of 20 miles without stopping - and that was on my treadmill - about 7? 8? weeks ago.   BRING ON THE MARATHON, baby!!!!
  • I've been under-trained before entering a marathon or two, but I always had a solid base behind me for them and have had no problems covering the distance.  I've never entered a marathon, like this one, having just endured 18 months of heel torture and every long run being a complete disaster.  
  • I'm sure I'll live.
  • If I don't die.
  • I have a huge zit lining my jaw bone.  I'm 48.  Stress?  
  • My daughter make me the lovely header on my blog after she saw the large crater on my jaw.  Priceless.
  • I put the first half of my year's race calendar on my sidebar.  Typically, I'm not a plan-the-racing-year-ahead-of-time girl, but I applied for this little running gig from a local running store back in September and....I GOT IT!!  A requirement for me to be on this team is to run a boatload of races (mostly comped, thankfully).  The race schedule is a little top-loaded in the first half of the year - this is because my sole goal for the first 6 months or so of 2012 is to get stronger.  Racing will help with that (amongst other things I need to do).  There is no "A" race until at least June, then I'll assess where I am and if things are falling in place, I will race a fall marathon.  If not, then I'll just deal with that then.    I'm trying to learn not to rush this running thing.  One step at a time.  
  • I'm not much of a football fan, but how 'bout them Broncos, huh?????
  • After reading my good friends Happy Trails blog recently, I was intrigued by the book Steve was reading: Wheat Belly.  I don't have a wheat intolerance, but I do have some other issues (sinuses, weight, overall blah feeling some days) and heard wheat can be a contributor to these ailments so I picked it up.  The book gives some compelling reasons why wheat these days is a very, very bad thing and I'm deeply engrossed in it.  As a result,  I'm going to try to go "Gluten-light".  At this phase of experimentation, I'm not going to obsess if I eat something that may, or may not, be cross contaminated in the cooking process since I don't have problems consuming wheat, but I am definitely cutting out the hard core stuff like bread, pastas and the such (sorry, Jamoosh, no more beer for me for awhile!  I'll still take you to the Coors plant when you come visit though).  So far, I've enjoyed wearing out the test kitchen with Chex Mix cereal, and have made some pretty mean Chex Mix spicy chicken strips.  Since I really don't like to cook, this one item may be a daily staple in my household (wouldn't bother me).  My boys are already sick of them. :)  I'll keep you updated on how this little sans wheat project goes.
  • My Heel.  I know you've all had many sleepless nights waiting to get an update on this sucker.  I can hardly believe it was exactly a year ago I couldn't even walk without cringing ....and today I'm running, running mind you!!!, virtually pain-free.  When I started running back in the summer, I still had a lot of pain but as each week passed, the pain lessened to the point where just the other day I thought to myself: I feel nothing.  No pain.  Nothing!  And I no longer go to PT - I gave that up in November, on my own accord....I think I was seeking more emotional support after the whole foot nightmare and it was ridiculous to pay that much $ for basically a few words of encouragement.  He is a great guy though and an excellent PT, I just no longer needed him.  Is that like the best news ever? Yes, yes,it is!!
That's about it for the yearly highlights thus far.  Next week I'll try to write a "Goals for Carlsbad" post ...  which will basically be rewording the above header in as many ways I can think of :).  But for now, I'll close this post with a few pictures I took on a run I did last week at a state park about a half hour south from me called Castlewood Canyon.  My son climbing son likes to do some rock climbing here and there are some excellent trails to run on so I dropped him and his friends off to do their climbing thing and I hit the trails for about 14 miles.  Was yet another horrible run, but the scenery was awesome....so it all balanced out :).  










I hope everyone's year is off to a great start!
Run strong, my friends!

60 comments:

C2Iowa said...

Faith. You know what can be done with that little word.

Awesome pics.

Flu - no thanks. I will pass.

Hope to send you an email later today.

Kandi said...

Sounds like a decent start to the new year.
I want to run the slacker half marathon!! Especially since the site says it is run "on a non-motorized paved bike path built to sustain the weight of an ambulance!"

Christi said...

You are going to be just fine at the marathon. Just believe in yourself.

I love the pics. I may have to run there someday.

Anonymous said...

A PR the first week of the year is brilliant. Of course, now you have set the bar!

bobbi said...

You WON'T die :) You are far too strong for that...you might even surprise yourself!

Here's hoping that it was the stomach bug that stole your mojo. I hope you have a GREAT time in Carlsbad!

Denae said...

I feel the same about my upcoming marathon this weekend...I will just push though it! Best of luck!I like your race schedule. I may also be at a few of those races as well!

Julie said...

I suspect that as with the Denver 1/2 you will surprise yourself in Carlsbad!

Looking forward to seeing how cutting out the gluten goes. I've wondered more then once if it doesn't contribute to a few "issues" I have. :) And luckily there is no gluten in corn tortillas and margs....We need to do lunch/dinner!

Johann said...

Hope the stomach is much better by now. I also did my 1st 2012 post at last. I better start doing some blogable stuff soon... At least there is one August marathon that we know we are doing... Enjoy your taper! :D

misszippy said...

I completely understand where you're coming from. This whole getting back into shape thing is HARD! But I admire you for going for it (and wow look at that race schedule). And like you said--look where you were a year ago! Draw on that for your strength.

KEFFitness87 said...

The scenery in CO is so amazing!!

Anonymous said...

it amuses me greatly that gluten free is not free at all, but actually very expensive.

but i'm fairly certain the streets of heaven are lined with honey nut rice chex. of course this means you have to eat cereal folks have been walking on ...

HappyTrails said...

I always forget about Castlewood Canyon. I guess I didn't realize there is the potential for 14 miles there! Glad you are digesting Wheat Belly - there is some pretty compelling info in there backed up by tons of reference material. Just keep keeping on.... With your heel issue behind you, 2012 promises good things! :-)

Anonymous said...

Hi Jill! I have read wheat belly and gone "Gluten Light." I have reaped all kinds of benefits including a few lbs of weight loss.
Enjoy the taper. Love ya!

- Jessica

Kenley said...

Looks like you are totally booked. If that is not motivation to keep moving I don't know what is. I am so happy that you are running strong now. Now, what is a good long run story with out the use of bathroom talk huh? lol. You simply got attacked by the Gingerbread man! Thanks for sharing your zit with us, and run strong. Go Go GO Jill!!!!

Amanda@runninghood said...

I'm president of the "big zit on my jawline" club...I get one or two or three of them every single month since I turned 32. grrrrr. So frustrated. And they are like flaming red angry little buggers that don't go away. So cool about your comped races and opportunity with this running store. Have fun in Carlsbad Jill! Excited to hear about it.

NY Wolve said...

Hate it when I get the stomach/bathroom thing. That is honestly the worst feeling I have ever had running. At least there is an explanation -- the stomach bug thing.
Great scenery; gotta love those runs, but yikes! snow?

Black Knight said...

Do you run into the snow with short pants? You are my hero! Great scenery.
You have many races in your schedule, congrats!
You will run a good marathon, I am sure.

Big Daddy Diesel said...

Sorry about the stomach issues

But at least your running!!!!

Jason said...

Hopefully the x-nay on the wheat helps solve your belly issues. Lots of testing and finding what works and doesn't work.

You have a good looking race schedule but if the Broncos make the Super Bowl will anybody be running that 5k? Maybe a chance to win overall runner!!!!!

pensive pumpkin said...

I have faith in you. You will not die.

A friend of mine went full on gluten free and ended up losing about 50 pounds, partly because she has more energy. Going out to eat with her is really difficult, but the difference is amazing. That's what sparked my interest in Paleo. *said while eating a pancake because I'm sooo happy to be able to chew and swallow again*

Liz said...

Those pictures of the trails look amazing. I'd love to run somewhere like that!

I LOVE your new header - what a great sign! Good luck with the marathon - you can do it!

Abby @ Have Dental Floss, Will Travel said...

I think the stomach bug HAD to impact Saturday's run - no question! You'll be good to go for the next one :)

Marlene said...

Happy New Year! Ooh, congrats on the new gig. That sounds fun and YAY for comped races! I am a race addict but need to cut back this year... they realy add up, and the races I'm doing are PRICEY (Boston, Chicago, Half Ironman...)

Anyway... sorry about the sucktastic long run. :( I'd vote the stomach bug had a lot to do with it. Hope you are all feeling better!!

Michael said...

Those trails you ran on and shared pictures about look amazing...and I fully understand how runs can "go so wrong". I too believe you'll have a great marathon race experience, so you can just chalk up the bad long run thing as getting the "yuk" out of your system.

Shellyrm ~ just a country runner said...

You have come such a long way already. Don't stress. You will get there. And remember you run because you love it, right? So keep it all FUN.

Yuck. I don't want a round of the flu this year.

so jealous of your views.

Terzah said...

Ooh, the Pikes Peak Marathon!! Wow! And so many other good ones. I'll definitely meet you at one of those 5Ks and/or halfs. I just have to decide which.

Well, after that run over the weekend, you can no longer say that the Rock Canyon Half Marathon was your coldest run, right? :^)

Congrats again on the Boulder RC gig and all the comped races. It's going to be a great year for you. I can already "hear" it in your blog's voice.

Char said...

My Mum used to always say - you're still young if you can produce a pimple, so it's not all bad news.I'm so glad your heel is treating you nicely. It's about time!

Jenny said...

You're going to rock your marathon!!
Glad you're running pain free. :)

Laura said...

So many people around me are sick right now..I am avoiding them like the plaque.
We have pretty much gone gluten free in our house...it HAS made a difference but finding a GOOD gluten free pasta was really tough.
Happy Marathon!!

ajh said...

You are running in the snow with shorts? No wonder you don't like winter!

Here's to a great 2012 year for you! So glad you are pain free. Get rid of the stomach flu and have a good marathon undertrained or not!

Ewa said...

I am late to the party as usual. Any beer left? :)
So the first thing I am noticing is that Pikes Peak looks awfully insignificant on the bottom of your list. Is there a message there? :)

Kids! They give us germs when they are little and they don't seem to stop when they grow up. Their own kids will repay them for our suffering.

I just love the places you are running. Most of my runs are on pavement. Oh, well...

You will be fine for Carlsbad. I just know you will be fine. Your weekly mileage is great and you did your 20. YOU WILL DO FINE!

Does the book mention that the wheat we eat is not the wheat our ancestors ate?

Ransick said...

Busy race schedule and fantastic that many of them are free.

I'm interested to see how the wheat experiment goes. Not sure I'm ready to give up the bread, pasta, and beer just yet.

Nice pictures from your run!

Unknown said...

beautiful pics! jealous!

haha I know I will have zits until the day I die, my skin hates me!

I would love to hear more about your wheat stuff. I am currently working with my doctors to figure out stomach issues and I think it might be the issue.

Matthew Smith said...

You're schedule looks really impressive! That's a lot of racing this year. You're going to rock that marathon!!!

Great pics!

Aimee said...

I'm sorry you've been having some GI issues on your runs. That just sucks! But, I know you're not going to die in your marathon! In fact, I predict you're going to do awesome!!
I am jealous that you ran in Castlewood Canyon! It looks so beautiful there!
I'm so glad that your heel injury is in the past..woohoo!!! You have come a long way since then and that is just awesome!!

Average Woman Runner said...

You may be undertrained compared to previous marathons, but you have so much experience under your belt! Interested to hear about the wheat avoidance. I get belly bloat after certain wheat food, especially pizza and bagels (but just the cheaper, lower quality ones). Definitely trying to limit intake but beer, oh, I can reduce but not eliminate that!

Raina said...

I am pretty sure you have been dealing with whatever lovely bug your daughter brought home. I also had a stomach issue last week, early on. It took a few days to rebound. The kids were really sick though. Even if the run did not go well, you had time on your feet and I am glad you did NOT freeze to death. That is a pretty scary possibility. Reminds me I should pack the space blanket in my fuel belt.
I know that this race is going to go much better than you are thinking right now, but the blog header is GREAT. I might have to enlist your daughter :)

Adrienne Langelier, MA said...

Looks like you and I both hit mileage PR's for the last week of the year-yay!! Luckily stomach bugs and all other inconveniences pass and pave the way for an awesome year ahead!

2012 is yours for the taking, my dear-remember that!!

brg said...

sounds like you've come a long way in a year!! So glad to hear you are pain free now. AND you're race schedule looks busy - congrats on the new gig!

I'll be interested in the 'wheat belly' and how it goes for you. I'm been thinking about going gluten free - my mtn bike coach is all about GF during the early months of the year. (pre mtn bike season)

sorry about your zit. I had a traumatic one that grew from behind my skull onto my right cheek just in time for my son's wedding last year. Luckily the bride was so beautiful no one noticed anything else.

happy running :)

Karen said...

Beautiful photos! :)

I think sometimes just having the experience of running many marathons in the past will get you through just fine. A lot of the marathon is mental anyways. :)Just make sure your main goal isn't focused on a certain finish time.

I too have been experimenting with less gluten in my life. Not sure if it makes a difference yet.

Caroline said...

stress? what is that? never heard of this...

yes I know I AM HILARIOUS.

Shorts in the snow! what is up with that?!

no pain I like to read that. makes me believe in your methods even more!!!

Stomach...I know way too much about that crap. I deal with this at EVERY race. it sucks.

I hope all goes well for the marathon. It will. You will not die.

RunToTheFinish said...

50 miles when 1 year ago it was 0...yes awesome. stomach flu notaweseome.

i agree that i don't think i have really any major food allergies, but i have been backing off of a lot of foods to see what other effects if might be having..we'll see

Irene said...

I already have dairy (most cow's milk products) issues, as it's an asthma trigger. Someone suggested I weed out wheat and/or gluten in light of the intermittent fatigue issues I've been dealing with . I already feel deprived going dairy free and don't know if I COULD go wheat/gluten free. I guess if I HAD to, I could.

The flu flew through my house as well. Everyone had it except for me. I had a flu shot and I guess it worked.

I'm equally not prepared, but I love the Carlsbad event. I'm looking forward to seeing you!

Mark said...

It is so good to hear about no heel pain! Awesome week of running...best of luck in the upcoming race!

Lindsay said...

Cinnamon chex mix are awesome. Good luck going gluten-light. Going into a marathon undertrained? I'm shocked... ;)

A Prelude To... said...

"I'm sure I'll live.
If I don't die."
HA! Love it!
You are going to have an awesome race!
I DO anxiously wait for updates on your heel. I'm so glad you are running pain free... if not poop free. Hopefully it was just a bug and you're done with it. The worst run of my life was a 20 miler with an acquaintance and being hit with intestinal troubles at mile 18 in an industrial area with no potty in sight. ugh!

mighty termitey said...

those pics are amazing. ;-) love the horsey ones the best.
hope everyone feels better. rest up, sugar.

xo

Teamarcia said...

Dr. Davis rocks. Not that I'm gluten-free or anything but I should be...maybe. Brown rice noodles rock as well.
Jaw crater, stomach flu and shitty runs aside, I have faith you'll still rock Carlsbad. Plus we'll have loads of fun so there's always that.

Paul said...

HI Jill!

I'm betting your stomach problems were due to the flu exposure. Otherwise you might want to make sure you aren't eating anything new in the last months (like tons of dried cherries for example ;)


Good idea to look into the gluten cutback. My best friend from high school was always in crappy health and discovered at age 33 that he was mildly lactose intolerant! (cheese was his favorite food, too). So, you never know, good to check out.

I'm sure you'll have a great day at Carlsbad. You may have to slow down to do the race easily but hey:

"heel" is now spelled properly for you... with two 'E's not two 'L's 8)

And that's great. So don't be greedy and just go out there and forget the pace and have a good time!

Molly said...

I think you'll surprise yourself race day, like you said, you have a solid base! Can't tell you how happy I am for you that your heel is finally, actually, seriously PAIN FREE!! YAhoo!

Jess @ Blonde Ponytail said...

Ah, what a mileage...milestone for lack of a better word! GREAT JOB JILL! It's so fun for me to read about your steady improvements and healthy! Back to the runner your were!

I look forward to hearing how you like the no-wheat diet or if you can feel a difference. Cheering for you and big things in 2012!

Jess @ Blonde Ponytail said...

Ah, what a mileage...milestone for lack of a better word! GREAT JOB JILL! It's so fun for me to read about your steady improvements and healthy! Back to the runner your were!

I look forward to hearing how you like the no-wheat diet or if you can feel a difference. Cheering for you and big things in 2012!

Tina @GottaRunNow said...

Glad you're running pain-free. Have fun running the Carlsbad Marathon! Run fast!

2 Slow 4 Boston said...

We have something in common: This is my first blog comment of the year on your first post of the year. You should feel sooo special.

I am getting over a zit right next to my nose. WTF? I hardly ever get them either.

Glad to hear things are going well, except maybe your under training :-(

Emz said...

I'd like to know how you are in shorts when there is snow? I'm freezing just viewing it.

Gluten-light . . . now that I may actually be able to stick with. ;]

love the header!!
freaking love YOU!!

Jenn said...

Hey Jill! Out of the loop entirely here but just wanted to wish you good luck this weekend. Hope you are feeling OK and ready to have FUN! Interested in the Gluten light stuff. I have a very very sick nephew who can't have gluten or fructose and it's opened my eyes to a lot of reading about both of these things. Anyway, GOOD luck!

Suz and Allan said...

I'm way behind too but good luck!!! Hope your year is off to a great start!

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