Sick and not too tired

I wanted to run yesterday because of the amazing Indian Summer weather we've been having (low 70s and sunny when in November it can be 45 degrees with a bone-chilling rain), but I started to feel nauseous during the work day and it didn't let up when I got home. I tried lying down for 30 minutes, but the half-hour turned into almost 3 hours of sound sleep.

I got myself to the office this morning, but 90 minutes later, I was heading home with more nausea. Slept 2 more hours before heading back to an important work event. I almost turned around a couple of times but pressed on.

Started to feel slightly better during the event and when I got home, I thought I'd try to run. I stayed close to home in case I needed to turn back. But the run went great. I was a little slower but I figure that was just left over sluggishness from the bug I'm fighting.

Because the event went later than my normal work day, it was getting dark by the time I went out to run. I don't usually run in the dark anymore; now I know why. Too many streets don't have lights. Started really slowly just to see how my stomach would react and then opened it up a little bit. A little slower than usual, but I was glad to finish without tossing my cookies.

Mile 1 (12:02)
Mile 2 (10:57)
Mile 3 (10:46)
Mile 4 (10:44)

Moving forward again

Last time I wrote about heading back to the basics of ChiRunning to break a couple of bad habits. Well, it's been worth it. After spending almost a week's worth of runs at the track do drills and a few laps, I headed back to the street on Sunday and had good results.

Well, Tuesday's and Thursday's runs were even better. My times are getting better, but more importantly, I'm not working nearly has hard. In fact, the last two runs I haven't had to take any walk breaks. I don't know if that's from the improved technique or my inappropriate sinus tachycardia has calmed down. Who know? Who cares?

I did have one odd thing happen on Thursday. I was planning a 4-miler and was running comfortably when at 1.5 miles, it felt like a knife stabbed me in the right hip/butt cheek. I tried to make a microchange or two, but nothing helped. It didn't happen with each step, but that was part of the problem. It was intermittent so I couldn't figure out what was causing it.

Even though I was about as far from home as I could get, I knew I had a choice -- I could stop and walk or I could keep pressing it and probably hurt myself and not run for a week or two (something I know all too well from experience with other pains.)

As much as I hate the idea of walking home, I decided to to exactly that. Actually, I tried to stretch out first to see if I could get rid of the stabbing pain. No luck.

So I started walking. I gave it a half-mile and decided to try running slowly again. I shortened my stride more than usual and gave it a little test. Hmm...no pain. So I kept going -- gently at first and then a little faster. I even managed a big hill (big for me) and now problems.

Got my 4 miles in and never felt the stabbing pain again. Still don't know what it was. I only know it's gone except for a little stab earlier today when I was teaching. I'll see how it goes tomorrow. I'd like to get 4 in again tomorrow, but we'll see.

Maybe finally, I am working with my body. Instead of mind over body, it's mind with body. I have the rest of my life to increase my mileage. And I'm now realizing it will all come a lot faster if I pay attention to what feels right.

Celebrating 100th birthdays and good runs

My sister is coming to town this weekend for the 100th birthday of her husband's grandmother. Grandma is small in stature these days -- about 4'9" -- but large in our hearts. She's still quite sharp if not a little hard of hearing. Last time I was with her a couple of months ago, we were going through her high school yearbooks and she could remember all sorts of people. She even remembers when electricity came to her little Indiana town. What a doll. Happy birthday, Mary!

Since my little sis is coming to town that means breakfast as a family on Saturday at our favorite local restaurant. But that also means it'd be tough to get my long, slow, distance run in before we'd meet. More than likely breakfast will be at 9 or 10 a.m. And that would require a 6 a.m. wakeup call. Not gonna happen on a Saturday morning. I don't like to run in the dark. 8 a.m. is the crack of dawn for me on the weekend run.

So what to do? Even though I did a long run only 5 days ago, it was today or no breakfast with the family. So off I went. Hotter and more humid than last Saturday, but still a beautiful day. Stayed with my half-mile runs followed by 1 minute walk breaks. I wasn't as hydrated as I'd have liked and I hadn't eaten as well (carb-wise), but I did pretty well.

Last Saturday, I ran about 12 minute miles and today -- even though the intention was to stay at 12 minute miles, I ended up doing about 11:30 miles. I struggled the last two miles though at 12:19 and 12:09. All in all, a great run. Most important thing -- really the only important thing to me -- is I finished the run pain free. My heart rate seemed to stay down. I don't know for sure because I no longer take a monitor, but I felt good. And I really enjoyed myself except for one thing: water bottles.

I usually carry a bottle of Dasani or Aquafina when I run because it's easy to carry. But I'd really like to free my hands up, so I went back to one of the many running belts I own. Today's was one that sits horizontally along the small of my back. It was OK but I couldn't feel my pelvis rotate with the belt on, which is part of the ChiRunning technique. And the belt itself was an issue. When it felt tight enough, it restricted my diaphram and breathing; when I loosened it, it just wobbled too much. Not really much of a problem in the big picture.

Hello endorphins

Finally, a really good run.

Could it be the better nutrition (the Belly Fat Diet -- a post for another time)?
Could it be the better hydration -- 80+ounces of water the day before?
Could it be the willingness to take walk breaks every half mile (so basically 5/1 min)?
Could it be all of the above?

Whatever. It doesn't matter, I'm just glad to have had a wonderful long (for me right now), slow, distance run. I didn't feel tired until the last half mile. My heart rate stayed lower (based on how I felt) up to the last half mile (which was uphill) and I just felt so good.

Hello, endorphins. Nice to feel you again.

It's been a long road and a diagnosis for the heart rate problem -- inappropriate sinus tachycardia -- although I don't have all the symptoms. More on that in a future post. Suffice to say, walk breaks help. Even though I don't like them, my body does. Today may be proof of that.

So I'm happy. Great run. Feeling good 12 hours later. No pains. No fatigue. Just sweet, sweet endorphins.

(6 miles [building back up]: 72 minutes)