Lulu's Challenge... rise from the ashes

January 2009

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Location:

La,USA

Member Since:

Jul 09, 2007

Gender:

Female

Goal Type:

Half Marathon Finish

Short-Term Running Goals:

1. To run six days a week consistently

2. To run more than 40 miles a week.

3. To run from the stress of my work situation.

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
160.533.011.000.000.00164.54
Night Sleep Time: 29.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 29.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
4.000.000.000.000.004.00

I am back. I will explain more why I have been away in the next few entries.

Ran 4 tonight.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Comments
From sarah on Fri, May 15, 2009 at 16:57:09 from 192.168.1.1

Hello old friend!! I've thought of contacting you but couldn't remember your real last name. How is Bubbles? Guess what we call our new baby that makes me think of you all the time??? He was born blowing bubbles whenever his mouth had free time..so cute..so we call our little William Billy Bubbles. :) Good to have you back..the blog has grown so much since those fun days when we all knew each other. :)

Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
3.000.000.000.000.003.00

Swam 1800m

Ran 3

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
6.000.000.000.000.006.00

Six easy

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
2.001.500.000.000.003.50

Ran on indoor track today while Bubbles was in gymnastics. Yes, she is taking gymnastics and loves it. We put her in the class to have her learn to wait in line etc and thought it would be temporary. She's been doing it for almost a year now. She started at 19 months. She's in with the 3 year olds at the gym and at her school.

We discovered last November when she was 22 months old that she can read. She read the FBI warning on the DVD. Yep. She is very driven and wants to read everything. We don't watch TV news around her anymore because of the ticker-tape at the bottom (Mommy, what is murder?). We can't let her see the newspaper. We thought we were safe letting her read the ads - nope. "Mommy, what is tampons?" She can read many things when she wants to but has no context for most things. It is very strange and very challenging.

So some of you (Sarah, a wonderful blog-friend) may be wondering exactly why I stopped blogging for a while. Well how do I explain? I am being fundamentally changed by a circumstance at my work. I haven't completely figured out the metaphor for what is happening. Am I sand being turned into glass? Not sure, I don't feel very fragile. Am I a caterpillar being turned into a butterfly? Not sure about that either? I don't feel like I was squishy and ugly before (although some caterpillars are kind of cute) and I don't feel like I am becoming more beautiful. Or am I coffee grounds that when put into hot water, I am making a robust, rich, tasty surrounding and fundamentally changing the hot water.

I figured out I stopped blogging last June before I left for Africa. We went to Africa and we had a wonderful relaxing time. I came home to a disaster that turned my world upside down...

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
5.070.000.000.000.005.07

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.000.000.00

Nada. Nothing. Zip. Yep. Not happy about it. Bubbles was sick and Honey was out of town.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.000.000.00

Again nothing. I was hoping Bubbles would feel good enough for the stroller. It didn't happen.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
3.000.000.000.000.003.00

Finally Honey is home. I swam 2000. 500 warm up then 200s with 45 sec rest (yeah I know it is a lot, but I am just starting to get back in swimming shape -- see blog title). Did 3 200s as planned. 500 with paddles focusing on breathing and reaching. 400 cool down.

Three miles on the 'mill.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
6.500.000.000.000.006.50

6.5 with the SI belt on. I haven't been sleeping well because my SI joint is inflammed. PT put me in the belt yesterday and the pain went to near 0. Ran with it on as an experiment. It is amazing how much power I have in my legs when much of my muscle power isn't going to stabilization of my hip bones and sacrum. Results of experiment = success!

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.000.000.00

Swam 2000m. Took Bubbles for her "Mommy" swim lesson. She is learning to float on her back, blow bubbles (shouldn't be a problem given her history), and put her face under water. We practiced kicking and introduced her to paddling. She did well. My plan is to teach her to swim under water and come up for air by flipping onto her back. I have no idea how to teach a child to swim. Heck, I just learned a couple years ago. Honey came to get her, then I swam.

500 warm up with drills. 3X300 with 45 sec rest. These were tough. I don't have a lot of stamina in the pool right now. 100 kicking on back. 3X100 sprints at 1:30 with 30 sec rest. I do love being the fastest one in the pool. I am not very fast right now so that tells you about all the other people in the pool. 200 cool down. 

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Comments
From sarah on Mon, Jun 01, 2009 at 21:33:36 from 192.168.1.1

I'm planning on teaching my children how to swim this summer with "mommy" swim lessons too. I took them to swim lessons a couple of years ago and they came out scared of the water (when before they weren't) and didn't learn much of anything because of the newly acquired fear. I guess my goal is to unteach the fear and we'll go from there onto technique.

Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
5.010.000.000.000.005.01

Ran easy. Focused on only the moment most of the time. Listened to my breathing; trying to just be. Very relaxing run. Felt better on mile 5 than I did on 1-3.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
3.000.001.000.000.004.00

4 miles. 2.5 mile warm up. 2X800. Was wondering if I was doing them fast enough. Yep. I almost threw up during the last part of the second one.

 

Pliometrics and strength in evening while Bubbles was at gymnastics.

3X50m lunges with medicine ball

3X50 exaggerated skipping

3X50 bounding

3X15 crunches with medicine ball

3X15 reverse crunches with medicine ball

3X20 superman/swimming

3X15 squats with medicine ball

3X10 tricep curl with medicine ball

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
3.000.000.000.000.003.00

treadmill.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.000.000.00

2400m swim and SI joint injection right side.

Swam 500 warm up with drills. 3X400m swim. 200 kicking. 3X100 on 2:00. 200m cool down.

Had SI injected. They had me starve for >6 hours for sedation. I talked the doc out of sedating me. Apparently they sedate everyone.Doc now thinks I am tough. I stressed them out a bit with my 45 pulse. "is your pulse always low?" I was happy that within a few hours I was recovered from my swim. Also gave me hope that I am not as out-of-shape as I thought I was. A conversation with my father put a bit of a damper on that hope: my entire paternal side of the family has low heart rates. My Dad said, as long as it wasn't affecting my memory....

I have to have the left side injected Monday.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
7.200.000.000.000.007.20

Wow! Yea! I can't believe it. This is the first run in a long time my SI joint did not hurt!! The lidocaine from yesterday has surely worn off and the steroid surely hasn't kicked in (doc and everything I read said 2-5 days)... but, it doesn't hurt! I felt like I could run 10 miles! I will in a month. I really think the lidocaine allowed the muscles in my behind to settle down. The SI belt was already helping and now this injection just put me on the sure road to pain-free running.

Oh, I had a medical professional suggest that perhaps my hip was telling me I should not be running. I responded "It hurts most when I am sleeping. In fact, the more I sleep, the more it hurts. Perhaps my hip is telling me I shouldn't be sleeping!" Ridiculous. Give me a break. My hip has always felt better during and after running.

 

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
5.200.000.000.000.005.20

Ran early am. Can I tell you how much better my running feels now that I had my SI injected??!!

SI injection on right side.

Pliometrics and core work in pm:

2 X 50m exaggerated skipping with medicine ball

2 X 50m bounding with medicine ball

2 X 50m lunges with medicine ball

3 X 20 squats with medicine ball

3 X 20 crunches with medicine ball

3 X 20 reverse crunches with medicine ball

3 X 30 reverse obliques with medicine ball (upper body steady against floor; legs swinging from side to side with medicine ball between knees)

3 X 40 twists with medicine ball holding core tight

3 X 10 pushups

3 planks

3 X 20 triceps with medicine ball

200m run in indoor track with Nike Frees (plan to work up barefoot - got to start somewhere) 

All done while Bubbles was at gymnastics. I love having access to the indoor track and a place to do all this stuff that is not in the sun. It is actually air conditioned but I get pretty sweaty. Only draw back is I did less bounding today because two moms were talking to me while I was resting and I didn't want to be rude. It is just as well considering the SI injection this morning and the addition of exercises and the addition of the medicine ball during the skipping and bounding. My legs felt pretty trashed aftern the lunges and the swats. 

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
6.000.000.000.000.006.00

Six miles. After yesterdays workout and SI procedure, it felt surprising good. First five miles I felt like I was gliding. Last mile, I was "driving." Got tired the last 200m so I judged it right today. Yea!

Life is getting better. Got asked to write two more World BooK Encyclopedia articles! This might be a good opportunity for me to switch careers. Planning to do a bang-up job and see how I can leverage these articles into another career -- science books for kids.

I will talk with my brother. He wrote a children's book a number of years ago. It is awesome, but self published.

 

 

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.000.000.00

Swam 3000m. 500m warm up with drills. 3X500m swim with 1min rest in between. 1x500 pull with paddles and bouy. 3x100 on 2:00. 200 cool down.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

Five miles easy

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
8.050.000.000.000.008.05

This one was weird. I wasn't sure I was going to run all 8 as planned. Went out with no watch and paid no attention to my pace. I just ran. I told myself, I would figure out how far I would go at mile 5 and then again at 7. I had no problem with 8. I felt good the whole time. When I was done, I ran it about 1 min per mile faster than I thought I was going. This was even faster than most of my mid-week runs. Bizarre. I did wear the SI belt which I don't do for short runs.

 

SBD-1 Day 1

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

Five miles easy in the am.

Plyometrics and strength while Bubbles was at gymnastics. She is asking to go another day of the week so I may be able to add one more day of this.

3x55m exaggerated skipping

3x55m bounding

2x55m lunges

3x25 squats with mb

3x25 crunches with mb

3x25 reverse crunches with mb

3x40 oblique twists with mb

3x10 plank reaches

3x10 pushups

3x25 tricep extensions with mb

SBD-1 Day 3

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
6.100.000.000.000.006.10

Six easy

SBD-1 Day 4

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
0.000.000.000.000.000.00

SBD-1 Day 5

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
4.000.000.000.000.004.00

easy

SBD-1 Day 6

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

Wanted to run 6 but I was running out of time and was bonking. It was 15 degrees hotter than my Sat am run, plus the heat index was in the stratosphere. Low carbs was another issue of the day which I fully realized when I peeled off my wet clothes to smell the lovely smell of ammonia (= serious ketosis). Not what I intended. I am trying to get my weight under control; I should add that I don't weigh myself. I just need my clothes to fit better. I've added in a few more carbs today to so tomorrow's run will be successful.

Tomorrow, I run very early as Bubbles, Honey, and Jeff and I are going to go pick organic blueberries. We are excited!

SBD-1 Day 7

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
7.020.000.000.000.007.02

Seven miles. Whoohoo! Felt good. Did this run without SI belt. Didn't bonk and finished strong. Ran early because we went and picked organic blueberries. We had a really great time. I am grateful for such a sweet, well-behaved little girl in Bubbles. Other people with kids there were not having such a great time. One Mom complained to me, but I told her we were having a great time. Bubbles picked a lot and then only at the end did she start eating them. We joked with the people who own the place that we should have weighed her before and then after. They are used to it and they encourage kids. I think it is really important for kids to know where there food comes from. Grocery store? NOT!

We are joining an organic farm cooperative and I am excited. We buy shares in the farm and get at least 10 lbs of produce every week. I am excited to support this family farm and turn my family into locavores. Also, we have a friend who is going to raise a grass-fed cow with us. We will split the meat with them. We buy grass-fed beef, but sometimes it is hard to get. Bubbles will go visit the farm we have shares in soon.

 SI pain much better now. I sleep with the SI belt on for most of the night. Very romantic! It is helping and I am finally getting sleep! And, I am running. I couldn't be happier about that.

SBD-1 Day 8.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Comments
From MichelleL on Sat, Jun 13, 2009 at 20:45:09 from 71.35.250.200

Hi Lulu, I remember you, and I did notice this week that you were blogging again. Welcome back! My pain isn't unmanagable (ok maybe it is because I can't walk), so I don't think I need a pain management specialist. I don't take pain medication, though I do take ambien because I have anxiety about feeling pain if I rotate. Getting in/out of bed and rotating in bed are my biggest concerns, so an SI belt might be a good idea. I asked my doctor about it, but she wasn't convinced it will help. I will mention it again. I don't want to have pain in my SI for five years, that's why I will consider surgery. Have you given up on a complete recovery? In order to chase my dream of olympic trial qual I need complete recovery.

From MichelleL on Sat, Jun 13, 2009 at 20:47:54 from 71.35.250.200

What is a physiatrist? Haven't heard of that.

I have researched prolotherapy and it doesn't seem to heal in most cases, though its been a couple of months since I read some summaries of studies that have been done regarding this treatment.

Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
5.020.000.000.000.005.02

Had to force myself to get out of bed this morning. But I did and I ran 5 with no problems!

Bubbles doesn't have gym tonight so I don't know if I will do my plyometrics. I do have to move 2 yards of mulch out of my driveway and into my backyard.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
5.250.000.000.000.005.25

5.25 very slow, very sweaty miles.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
4.120.000.000.000.004.12

Swam 2300m. 500 warm up with drills. 8x100m on 2:00. 200m kicking with kickboard verticle in water (tombstones). 500m pulling with paddles and buoy. 200 cool down.

Ran 4.

SBD-1 Day 12

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
4.000.000.000.000.004.00

Dehydrated from yesterday. Bonked a bit on this run so I made it a mile shorter than I wanted to.

SBD-1 Day 13.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
6.000.000.000.000.006.00

Slogged through 6 miles. I am not sure if my lack of energy is diet related or just that the temps are soaring right now. I have been getting up at 4:45am to run but I went to bed at just after 7 last night so it wasn't fatigue.

SBD-1 Day 14

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
6.000.000.000.000.006.00

Six slow miles. It was hotter than ever today even though I ran at 5:15am. I think I am starting out dehydrated. So I am going to drink more before I start. I push fluids all day until I pee clear about noon. Then I definitely slack off in the evening and I can drink a bit more before I go.

I hit 30 miles this week and ran 6 days! Yea!

SBD-2 Day 1

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

This run was easier this morning. I am not sure if I am getting used to the heat or if I didn't get dehydrated yesterday or if I ate a few more carbs yesterday.

Tonight Bubbles has gym so I get to hop and skip and crunch!

 

3x60m skipping

3x60m bounding

2x60m lunging with mb

3x10 pushups

3 planks w/ arm raises

3x25 crunches with mb

3x25 oblique reverse crunches

3x25 reverse crunches

3x25 tricep curls w/mb

Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

ran 5. Tired legs.

Night Sleep Time: 9.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 9.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
3.751.510.000.000.005.26

5.26 miles with 3x800 at a 2:00 per mile faster pace.

Night Sleep Time: 6.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 6.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
5.240.000.000.000.005.24

Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

It was hotter than hades today.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Comments
From The Howling Commando on Fri, Jun 26, 2009 at 11:11:50 from 72.224.24.41

one would think that the underworld wouldn't be hot, but damp and cool. one could hope.

Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
7.000.000.000.000.007.00

Slow, hot miles.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesCrosstraining milesTotal Miles
160.533.011.000.000.00164.54
Night Sleep Time: 29.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 29.00
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