We went to xfit tonight. I checked the WOD last night online and it seemed like something I could do: 3 rounds of 10 deadlifts, 20 pull ups, and 400 meter run. I knew I could scale the deadlift weight back to something that wouldn't hurt, I knew I could go back to using the green and blue band for the pullups so I wouldn't stretch anything that shouldn't be stretched, and I knew I could do the 3 runs. Having my husband go to xfit with me has become the greatest thing for me. I know I always have someone who is going to encourage me, motivate me, and celebrate my successes. Going back after surgery has added another level of security: I know he's watching out for me to make sure I don't hurt myself.
When we set up our barbells I felt like a wimp. The women's RX weight was 185, which is really high for 30 DLs but I had my bar set at 65 lbs. I just didn't want to risk pulling anything. It was all guys in the class and they had their bars set anywhere from 150 lbs to 275! There was no way I was competing with that and it's not like anyone expected me to.
The WOD was great. I ripped through the first 2 sets of pullups I'm not used to having that extra band. The deadlifts didn't hurt. The runs were a good cardio blast. I felt like 6 weeks and 1 day out from surgery I was on my way to rebuilding my xfit base.
Afterwards we went grocery shopping and my abdomen felt kind of tender. When I got home I looked and it's definitely swollen. I don't think it's anything serious, I never felt any pain during the WOD like I had hurt myself. I think it's just swelling from pushing a little harder than maybe I should have. I hope it's back to normal tomorrow morning. It's a reminder that my body has been through a huge ordeal and as much as *I* want to be done with this I have to still respect the healing process.
I'm glad tomorrow is a rest day from working out. I have big things this weekend. If I have to go slow, I go slow. Finishing slow is better than not finishing at all. "Listen to your body" is always a tenet of fitness. I really need to heed that advice.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
TNRC
Our Tuesday Night Running Club is gaining momentum! We had a great time last night and got to celebrate our newest member's engagement in the process (congrats, Deb!!). It was the weirdest weather, it was cold and humid at the same time. I was slimy and had goosebumps at the same time. So gross. I felt like I was struggling a lot in the first mile but it ended up being a great run, my strongest yet. We did 4.77 miles and if we hadn't stopped at the end to talk for a few minutes with some people from Xfit who were running in the opposite direction our overall pace would have been in the mid-11s. All our miles were at a nice pace, certainly my best since surgery.
This was doing a 5 min running/2 min walking intervals the whole time. That's really not bad at all. We're going to keep working upward, next week we'll do 6/2, etc. Since we all have to build endurance for the Mudder in a relatively short time I proposed this method because it's worked for me before. The pace will come down eventually, it always does.
When we were getting ready to leave everyone had their headphones, probably out of habit. One of the women said "you're bringing headphones? I thought we'd be chatting." Of course we would be. I think it's new for all of us to not make running a solitary thing. Since there were 4 of us there was always someone to talk to and at the end when Deb and I moved ahead a little from the rest of our group (I was feeling strong and happy to take advantage of it!) I got to chat more with her.
I think this is going to be a regular thing. We're all seeing the benefits of running with other people. If the weather is shitty (and it has been the last 2 weeks) we all keep going instead of turning around. If we're tired there is someone to boost you up and tell you to keep going.
Today I did 3 because I go back to work tomorrow and I'm fairly certain I won't be getting up early (as if) nor will I want to do it when I get home. That works out well because that gives me Thursday and Friday to get ready for the weekend: the Tuff Scrambler on Saturday and then my long run on Sunday. I *might* do Xfit on Friday night but I'll modify it again until I'm fully comfortable. Now that I know the dissolvable stitches really are dissolving at this timepoint (6-8 weeks) I'm still afraid to do some of the aggressive movements. I miss those aggressive movements, like toes to bar or nice, heavy kettlebell swings but until I am sure I'm not going to rip something inside there's no need to push it. Running is the focus until January anyway.
That said, I'm not looking forward to Sunday. I didn't get a taper week because I was making up for lost time but it is what it is. It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to keep happening. I'm realizing that if I was able to bounce back from surgery and 4 weeks off from everything and am making progress my heart and spirit will carry me through the runs that my legs don't want to. At least I hope...
This was doing a 5 min running/2 min walking intervals the whole time. That's really not bad at all. We're going to keep working upward, next week we'll do 6/2, etc. Since we all have to build endurance for the Mudder in a relatively short time I proposed this method because it's worked for me before. The pace will come down eventually, it always does.
When we were getting ready to leave everyone had their headphones, probably out of habit. One of the women said "you're bringing headphones? I thought we'd be chatting." Of course we would be. I think it's new for all of us to not make running a solitary thing. Since there were 4 of us there was always someone to talk to and at the end when Deb and I moved ahead a little from the rest of our group (I was feeling strong and happy to take advantage of it!) I got to chat more with her.
I think this is going to be a regular thing. We're all seeing the benefits of running with other people. If the weather is shitty (and it has been the last 2 weeks) we all keep going instead of turning around. If we're tired there is someone to boost you up and tell you to keep going.
Today I did 3 because I go back to work tomorrow and I'm fairly certain I won't be getting up early (as if) nor will I want to do it when I get home. That works out well because that gives me Thursday and Friday to get ready for the weekend: the Tuff Scrambler on Saturday and then my long run on Sunday. I *might* do Xfit on Friday night but I'll modify it again until I'm fully comfortable. Now that I know the dissolvable stitches really are dissolving at this timepoint (6-8 weeks) I'm still afraid to do some of the aggressive movements. I miss those aggressive movements, like toes to bar or nice, heavy kettlebell swings but until I am sure I'm not going to rip something inside there's no need to push it. Running is the focus until January anyway.
That said, I'm not looking forward to Sunday. I didn't get a taper week because I was making up for lost time but it is what it is. It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to keep happening. I'm realizing that if I was able to bounce back from surgery and 4 weeks off from everything and am making progress my heart and spirit will carry me through the runs that my legs don't want to. At least I hope...
Monday, September 26, 2011
A plunge into normal
I went for a follow up appointment today. My surgeon is so sweet, I really like her. She's happy with the healing and said I have "good contours" 6 weeks out. I guess that's good. Maybe I'll have better ones to come. Haha! We talked again about my hips and while the swelling has started to come down I have 2 pointy scars where the skin where the 2 incisions came together on each hip. I can live with scarring but they are right above my hip line where my workout clothes would be and they poke out. I hadn't decided if I should be distraught over it because I just decided last week to see what happens before getting any more depressed.
Turns out, I don't even need to sweat this one. My surgeon said they should flatten out but if they don't by 6 months she can fix them with local anesthetic and a small incision in the office. She said it's a tradeoff with the surgery, either she extends the incision further back on the hip or does it this way and usually they go away. I was so relieved that it's a little fix and something she said she would be happy to do for me. If that issue goes away I will be in such a better place with all of this because I'm starting to like the results now that the swelling is starting to go down and I am returning to workouts. I can't this enough: this procedure was a total mindf*ck and continues to be. It's not like on tv, that's for sure.
I think we're just days away from my new blog! I saw the revised header today and I'm loving it! It will be a good time to start something new, even if I end up talking about the same crap anyway.
The "Tuesday Night Running Club" as it's now been called is supposed to go again tomorrow. I would happily trade seconds on pace for laughs. I can see why people train together now. I have a shitload of it ahead of me so getting to break it up with companions is going to be a really nice change for me.
This Saturday my friend and I are doing this:
What the hell was I thinking? This is my first event back? HAHAHA! No better way to get into the swing of things for the Mudder than to jump right in. This will make my long run on Sunday extra enjoyable! :) This is the life I wanted, can't complain now!
Turns out, I don't even need to sweat this one. My surgeon said they should flatten out but if they don't by 6 months she can fix them with local anesthetic and a small incision in the office. She said it's a tradeoff with the surgery, either she extends the incision further back on the hip or does it this way and usually they go away. I was so relieved that it's a little fix and something she said she would be happy to do for me. If that issue goes away I will be in such a better place with all of this because I'm starting to like the results now that the swelling is starting to go down and I am returning to workouts. I can't this enough: this procedure was a total mindf*ck and continues to be. It's not like on tv, that's for sure.
I think we're just days away from my new blog! I saw the revised header today and I'm loving it! It will be a good time to start something new, even if I end up talking about the same crap anyway.
The "Tuesday Night Running Club" as it's now been called is supposed to go again tomorrow. I would happily trade seconds on pace for laughs. I can see why people train together now. I have a shitload of it ahead of me so getting to break it up with companions is going to be a really nice change for me.
This Saturday my friend and I are doing this:
What the hell was I thinking? This is my first event back? HAHAHA! No better way to get into the swing of things for the Mudder than to jump right in. This will make my long run on Sunday extra enjoyable! :) This is the life I wanted, can't complain now!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
The long haul
That's what today was. It felt like I was breathing in soup, wearing soup, and running through soup. For someone who's been back at running a whole 2 weeks now it was quite a challenge. But...it got done.
7 miles. Not fast, not pretty, but 7 miles. We started out with 3 of us but one of the woman had to be back for her kids so she did 4 with us. We all immediately felt the drain of the air quality. It's not just the lungs, it gets into your muscles -- everything! If I wasn't with my friend it would have been a much rougher time but, as always, she keeps me going and motivates me to be stronger. I used to think I could only run listening to music but now that I'm running with my friend more and more I don't want to listen to music. I love our chats as we're slogging through the mucky air. I'm going to miss her next week when I do 9 alone on Sunday. :(
I finally wrote out my training schedule for Goofy. I had to do it 3 times because, apparently, it's harder to count out 18 weeks than you'd think. I knew I missed the first week but now I think I have it all squared away. You know what? I'm hating it. I know all too well this feeling of unrelenting pressure for EIGHTEEN WEEKS of living under a strict schedule. Every long run is critical because it's a set up for the one the following week. And the week after.
I read through some blog entries from last year to see where the stress of the training schedule started to get to me. It was week 6. As soon as the long runs all got over 10 miles and the mid-length run started to creep up I felt like I was under incredible pressure that wouldn't end for another 3 months. That's a LONG time. Last year I wasn't coming off of major (yes, I'm going to keep saying it now that I have lived through it) surgery and 4 weeks off. I was strong when I started and I was well ahead of the long runs for the first month. The schedule had to catch up to me, not the other way around. This time is different. I'm starting weakened, both in body and spirit. I also don't have the flexibility of swapping out long runs on Saturday or Sunday from this point forward. The key to Goofy training (so I'm told) is to do your Saturday run half the distance of the long run on Sunday. That prepares you for the half followed by the full. I used to like to get my long runs over with on Saturday but I don't have that luxury this time.
And then there's scheduling in general. I live in fear of stuff coming up on the weekends that is going to screw with my schedule. This was the end of week 3 (my week 2) -- that's 15 more weeks of hoping that nothing comes up that gets in the way of training. Almost impossible. Whenever a work project comes up that involves travel I freak out, not because I have to work but because I don't know how I'll get my runs in.
All of this is incredibly daunting and I'll be on the edge by week 9 for sure. But I signed up for it again. I guess my memory was short of how tedious training got by the end last time. Then again, people run marathons all the time, multiple ones in a year. People miss long runs because life is unpredictable. I remember feeling completely overwhelmed last year at one point and thinking that there was no way that all 42,000 people doing NYC had followed a training program to the letter the entire time. It's impossible.
Today's run was good. It showed me I still have discipline. I still have the strength to pull off a decent length run in less than ideal conditions. I can still run when I'm sore and tired (Xfit last night and female issues). I can still focus on a goal that's months away and work for it. I'll need to call on that strength many, many more times in the next 15 weeks. This time is different though: I trust that I can do it and I have friends to help me get there.
Now that I'm feeling stronger and *almost* recovered, I have to make a few changes to training.
1) Hill work once a week. Disney is flat but hill work has never done me wrong for getting stronger and faster
2) Stick with the 2nd longest run on Saturday and the long run on Sunday, no matter how much I hate it
3) Figure out what the magic formula for Xfit vs running is (easier said than done)
I can't say I'm really looking forward to the next 15 weeks knowing how soul-sucking some of those long runs are going to be but I am looking forward to crossing off another goal off my list and becoming a Goofy Challenge finisher.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Remembering why I did this
I'm 5 weeks and 2 days out from surgery. I have a follow up appointment on Monday which is right around the 6 week mark where I think you magically get cleared for everything. Not that I think even at 6 weeks I should be swinging kettlebells and doing power snatches but -- back to the ongoing debate, my "normal" vs the surgeon's "normal." I've figured that all out for myself and I know the 6 weeks is an arbitrary thing. Nothing magic is going to happen on that day.
Tonight my husband was going to Xfit and he thought I should come, even if to just warm up with the group and see everyone. I had the excuse that the housecleaners were coming and they wouldn't be gone by the time we would have to go. Either my house is really filthy or they just came from a really big job because there were 5 of them this week. They were done with the whole house in under an hour. Which meant I could go.
It was total role reversal for me to be so nervous getting ready for Xfit while my husband calmly sat on the bed. He has adapted so well to Xfit and I'm so proud of him. I know he wouldn't be there if it weren't for me so if he believed I could (and should) at least go stretch or do something at the box while the WOD was going on I trusted him.
I've been to the box once before, for the 31 Heroes WOD. I was still hunched over and had a drain in. Today I was in workout clothes. When the owner saw me she was so happy and asked if I was there to WOD. I told her I'd do what I could and she said that was absolutely fine. I saw some other friends and they told me how great I looked and how happy they were I was back. If that doesn't give you motivation I don't know what does.
The warmup was a mile run. B and I headed out and I told him I might need to take walk breaks. I felt bad for slowing him up but he stayed with me the entire time. I didn't walk once. My first full mile since surgery.
The WOD was descending sets of 10-8-6-4-2 power cleans, 20-16-12-8-4 pistols, and 30-30-30-30-30 double unders. I tried a few jump ropes and I didn't feel really comfortable with it so I asked Elayne what I could sub out. We decided 200 meter runs for each round. I did the power cleans (my favorite weightlifting move) with just the 15 lb bar. When you do it right it's such a violent movement that I didn't want to risk hurting myself. The pistols are such a hard move anyway and not feeling very stable on the way down made me worry about falling so Elayne subbed out air squats for me.
Even with the modifications it was a SOLID workout for me, 5.5 weeks since the last time I went to Xfit. I felt good on the runs, I wanted to go heavy on the power cleans and, well, the pistols are what they are. I wouldn't be good at them even if I weren't recovering from surgery.
B was really proud of me but I was proud of myself. Really. It was scary to go back no matter how much I love Xfit. Training harder was one of the reasons I said I was doing this and I feel I need to make good on that promise to myself. It will take time before I feel safe and comfortable going all out but I feel like I have the confidence to do it. I usually layer a long tank under a t-shirt to try to cover my stomach and I just wore a t-shirt tonight. That was a new kind of freedom for me. Workout clothes hide nothing anyway but to not have to *try* to hide something was pretty great.
Tomorrow we're running 7. I am a little worried that I'll be tapped out from tonight but I've performed under worse conditions. I'm not at the point where I'm even thinking about pace anyway, I'm just happy to be working on endurance and getting those miles in so I can cross that Disney finish line TWICE.
Tonight my husband was going to Xfit and he thought I should come, even if to just warm up with the group and see everyone. I had the excuse that the housecleaners were coming and they wouldn't be gone by the time we would have to go. Either my house is really filthy or they just came from a really big job because there were 5 of them this week. They were done with the whole house in under an hour. Which meant I could go.
It was total role reversal for me to be so nervous getting ready for Xfit while my husband calmly sat on the bed. He has adapted so well to Xfit and I'm so proud of him. I know he wouldn't be there if it weren't for me so if he believed I could (and should) at least go stretch or do something at the box while the WOD was going on I trusted him.
I've been to the box once before, for the 31 Heroes WOD. I was still hunched over and had a drain in. Today I was in workout clothes. When the owner saw me she was so happy and asked if I was there to WOD. I told her I'd do what I could and she said that was absolutely fine. I saw some other friends and they told me how great I looked and how happy they were I was back. If that doesn't give you motivation I don't know what does.
The warmup was a mile run. B and I headed out and I told him I might need to take walk breaks. I felt bad for slowing him up but he stayed with me the entire time. I didn't walk once. My first full mile since surgery.
The WOD was descending sets of 10-8-6-4-2 power cleans, 20-16-12-8-4 pistols, and 30-30-30-30-30 double unders. I tried a few jump ropes and I didn't feel really comfortable with it so I asked Elayne what I could sub out. We decided 200 meter runs for each round. I did the power cleans (my favorite weightlifting move) with just the 15 lb bar. When you do it right it's such a violent movement that I didn't want to risk hurting myself. The pistols are such a hard move anyway and not feeling very stable on the way down made me worry about falling so Elayne subbed out air squats for me.
Even with the modifications it was a SOLID workout for me, 5.5 weeks since the last time I went to Xfit. I felt good on the runs, I wanted to go heavy on the power cleans and, well, the pistols are what they are. I wouldn't be good at them even if I weren't recovering from surgery.
B was really proud of me but I was proud of myself. Really. It was scary to go back no matter how much I love Xfit. Training harder was one of the reasons I said I was doing this and I feel I need to make good on that promise to myself. It will take time before I feel safe and comfortable going all out but I feel like I have the confidence to do it. I usually layer a long tank under a t-shirt to try to cover my stomach and I just wore a t-shirt tonight. That was a new kind of freedom for me. Workout clothes hide nothing anyway but to not have to *try* to hide something was pretty great.
Tomorrow we're running 7. I am a little worried that I'll be tapped out from tonight but I've performed under worse conditions. I'm not at the point where I'm even thinking about pace anyway, I'm just happy to be working on endurance and getting those miles in so I can cross that Disney finish line TWICE.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The whole package
Games were on again tonight. ESPN2 broadcasting the replays is like watching the Super Bowl for us. I went over a friend's from Xfit and she cooked a nice dinner for everyone. It was great to see everyone but listening to everyone talk about the competitions they're entering or the WOD they just did was hard. I feel like I've missed so much already.
If watching the Games will do nothing it will make you believe anything is possible. These are top-notch, world-class athletes but when you get to learn a little about who they are not all of them have been hardcore athletes all their lives. Some come from a tri background, or power lifting, or gymnastics -- but no one person can come from all those backgrounds. That's Xfit: adapting, capitalizing on your strengths, working on your weaknesses. Now that I'm paying close attention to the Xfit "names" it's interesting how no one person dominates every event, every time. Tonight I saw last year's women's champion struggle on the monkey bars and a woman who I hadn't noticed during last week's broadcast own those same bars. Even the best of the best have their weaknesses but they keep trying and keep working to be the whole package.
So I can get bummed about missing some time and feeling a little lost but I'm not going to. Every day something great can happen and my days are coming. I have a list of things I want to work on over this next year. If I hadn't been a witness to my own life and what I have achieved in the last year I'd think my goals are crazy. I know they aren't though. It's just a matter of time.
If watching the Games will do nothing it will make you believe anything is possible. These are top-notch, world-class athletes but when you get to learn a little about who they are not all of them have been hardcore athletes all their lives. Some come from a tri background, or power lifting, or gymnastics -- but no one person can come from all those backgrounds. That's Xfit: adapting, capitalizing on your strengths, working on your weaknesses. Now that I'm paying close attention to the Xfit "names" it's interesting how no one person dominates every event, every time. Tonight I saw last year's women's champion struggle on the monkey bars and a woman who I hadn't noticed during last week's broadcast own those same bars. Even the best of the best have their weaknesses but they keep trying and keep working to be the whole package.
So I can get bummed about missing some time and feeling a little lost but I'm not going to. Every day something great can happen and my days are coming. I have a list of things I want to work on over this next year. If I hadn't been a witness to my own life and what I have achieved in the last year I'd think my goals are crazy. I know they aren't though. It's just a matter of time.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
"...Oh, I wish..."
More positivity today. I know, scary! It's not that yesterday *wasn't* positive, I just didn't have anything to say. Today, however, was an exceptionally positive day so here I am.
I have been in love with the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile since I was a kid. I'd never actually seen it before though. Everyone I know has but not me. Last week I finally spotted it heading South on the highway while I was going North. It was the briefest of glimpses but it made me so happy.
On Sunday when I was coming home I spotted it again! Twice in one week! Being that we can't enjoy anything as a society anymore unless it has a FB page or it's on Twitter, I looked it up and started following their tweets. This morning they tweeted they would be at a grocery store and I had to go sort of that direction anyway so I decided to go get my picture with the weinermobile! And I did!
Let me tell you, I was way happier about it than the kids in line in front of me. Children appreciate nothing. Hmph. I told the Hotdogger I had waited almost 40 years to see the Weinermobile and how happy I was. A guy behind me overheard me and didn't believe I was almost 40 and kept asking strangers "Does she look 40 to you?" Kind of embarrassing. Kind of flattering. I didn't care, I was at the Weinermobile!
They gave me a sticker, 2 postcards, the sheet music of the songs, and a Weinermobile Whistle! How cool is that?
It's a really competitive internship to become a Hotdogger. I actually looked it up years ago when I wanted to change careers. It's for college seniors and they have to put together their own business and PR plan for their Weinermobile. The kid was happy when I said I came because I saw the tweet.
Tonight I went running with my friend who did the 6 miles with me and her SIL (who also goes to Xfit). We were slow but we got our 4 miles in. It was windy and humid by the shore but we got through it. The bugs were out of control. It was kind of like this, minus the dinosaur.
We talked a lot about Xfit since it was the 3 of us and I have to say I'm scared shitless to go back. It's not even the "Ugh, I'm going to be so sore the first 2 weeks" fear. I can deal with that. Just the thought of doing a burpee makes me want to take a pain pill. A power clean would rip me in half. The other day I put my pullup bar back in the doorframe and just reaching up to it and *beginning* to transfer weight to my hands started to stretch my abdomen way too much for my comfort. There is really nothing we do in Xfit that doesn't work the hell out of your core. That's good -- because when I can get back to it and I actually have an abdomen now instead of a blob of skin I may actually see some benefits. But, wow, I'm really scared. I'll just do what I can and go at it at the pace I feel comfortable with. I won't be putting my name on the whiteboard for awhile but I'm okay with that. If this hellish process has taught me nothing it's that things take time.
I have been in love with the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile since I was a kid. I'd never actually seen it before though. Everyone I know has but not me. Last week I finally spotted it heading South on the highway while I was going North. It was the briefest of glimpses but it made me so happy.
On Sunday when I was coming home I spotted it again! Twice in one week! Being that we can't enjoy anything as a society anymore unless it has a FB page or it's on Twitter, I looked it up and started following their tweets. This morning they tweeted they would be at a grocery store and I had to go sort of that direction anyway so I decided to go get my picture with the weinermobile! And I did!
Let me tell you, I was way happier about it than the kids in line in front of me. Children appreciate nothing. Hmph. I told the Hotdogger I had waited almost 40 years to see the Weinermobile and how happy I was. A guy behind me overheard me and didn't believe I was almost 40 and kept asking strangers "Does she look 40 to you?" Kind of embarrassing. Kind of flattering. I didn't care, I was at the Weinermobile!
They gave me a sticker, 2 postcards, the sheet music of the songs, and a Weinermobile Whistle! How cool is that?
It's a really competitive internship to become a Hotdogger. I actually looked it up years ago when I wanted to change careers. It's for college seniors and they have to put together their own business and PR plan for their Weinermobile. The kid was happy when I said I came because I saw the tweet.
Tonight I went running with my friend who did the 6 miles with me and her SIL (who also goes to Xfit). We were slow but we got our 4 miles in. It was windy and humid by the shore but we got through it. The bugs were out of control. It was kind of like this, minus the dinosaur.
We talked a lot about Xfit since it was the 3 of us and I have to say I'm scared shitless to go back. It's not even the "Ugh, I'm going to be so sore the first 2 weeks" fear. I can deal with that. Just the thought of doing a burpee makes me want to take a pain pill. A power clean would rip me in half. The other day I put my pullup bar back in the doorframe and just reaching up to it and *beginning* to transfer weight to my hands started to stretch my abdomen way too much for my comfort. There is really nothing we do in Xfit that doesn't work the hell out of your core. That's good -- because when I can get back to it and I actually have an abdomen now instead of a blob of skin I may actually see some benefits. But, wow, I'm really scared. I'll just do what I can and go at it at the pace I feel comfortable with. I won't be putting my name on the whiteboard for awhile but I'm okay with that. If this hellish process has taught me nothing it's that things take time.
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