One year later

I'm unsure how I should handle training for the half marathon in June.  Yes, I know distance, but it is also a very hilly course, so I've been running a lot of hills.  I have been thinking that I should run hills every time I go for a run.  My hope has been that it would make my legs tired and then when I have my long run, I still run hills, on tired legs, which would help with the lack of steepness and length of hills in my area.  See, even as I write that out it sounds reasonable. 

However, I know that injuries occur when you overtrain.  And I know that easy runs are important too.  Not just for recovery, but also for (my) mental health.  With the crappy weather that has been this spring in western Washington, I haven't felt like running as much.  And, unfortunately, the weather is not getting much better.  There are glimpses of the sun, we've had one or two sunny days a week for the last few weeks, but mostly it's clouds and wind and rain.  So, having to run hills and deal with the crappy weather, absolutely makes me not want to run.  I've been thinking maybe I should throw in an easy run once a week, maybe my 3 mile run that I usually do once a week. But maybe I should do another easy run as well, a 4 mile easy run. . .

Last week I ran 18 miles, with the walk of 7.45 miles, so a total of over 25 miles.  I did 2 easy 3 mile runs, and 3 hilly 4 mile runs.  Right now my planned runs are 4 miles on Tuesday, 3 miles on Wednesday, 4 miles on Friday, 4-5 miles on Saturday and a long run on Sunday (this last Sunday was 7 hilly miles).  I could potentially do hilly runs on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, that would make my legs tired on Sunday for my long run (the crappy goal I have) but then give me a couple easier runs early in the week to help recover. 

And now, after writing that down, I like that idea.  Actually, I like that idea better than the first.  So that's my plan, 4 easy miles on Tuesday, 3 easy miles on Wednesday and the rest crappy, hilly runs. 

Last week my runs were definitely hilly.  I was thinking about all the hills in my area that I can run, but they are spaced out, and I don't feel like the half marathon is gonna be that way, according to the elevation profile I've seen, they look right on top of each other.  I shared a screenshot I had taken from my phone, but here is a shot taken off the computer, which is actually a better one since it's not all scrunched up.

Anyway, I was trying to figure out how I can get the hills closer at home so I can simulate back to back hills better.  Then I remembered that the one hill I run up every single time I run (even easy runs) has a lot of streets that go down it at the top of the hill and connects to a trail at the bottom of the hill.  I could run up, then down a street, then along the trail to the next street and go back up and repeat.  Which is what I did 3 times last week, and then for the first 4 miles of my long run on Sunday. 

4 miles

The nature of this type of run is that the route is never exactly the same every time, mostly because I can't remember which streets I go down and up on.  I preferred the route I did on Saturday compared to the other times I ran up and down the streets, but I doubt I'll ever recreate it.  The long runs are harder to simulate the constant up and down.  There are a couple really long, steepish hills, and actually 2 are close together, but they aren't the same compared to the half marathon.  I think that one of the long ones in the half marathon climbs around 250 feet for over a mile, the longest hill I did on Sunday climbed 125 feet for about 3/4ths of a mile. 


7 miles
You can see where I walked 2 times on the last big hills.

There is a longer hill on that route, I actually did half of it on Sunday.  It's the hill right before the last long hill.  That one goes up for at least a mile, and I'm not sure how high it climbs.  I'm pretty sure it is higher than that last hill because its top is on the same street as the top of the last hill, and the road goes down to get to the top of the last one (I think).  I guess next week I'll have to incorporate that entire hill, although the bottom of that hill is very steep at first and is very hard to run up.  Ugh.  I'm going to hate this half marathon.

I guess I will stick to my plan and hope for the best.  Honestly, San Juan Island is a pretty place, so even if I'm walking, I'll have some decent scenery.  =)

Today marks one year since I sprained my ankle.  It's amazing to me how one event kinda defined a year of my life. 

2 days later

one week later

the scrape from falling that I still have a scar from

Sadly I still have twinges here and there in my ankle, but they aren't bad and hasn't been anything that I've been worried about or have avoided running or normal activity from. 

I also gained 10 lbs from this incident.  Well, I gained 10 lbs from eating too much and not exercising at all.  Those 10 lbs are pesky and some are sticking around.  I am between 5 and 7 lbs heavier than I was a year ago, which really pisses me off.  And every time I think I've started losing it, a few days later I'm up a little again.