Back on the horse....

It's been a while since I wrote and a lot has happen since.
After my third race I had to stop for a while because my knee was killing me. I then went to see my friend's physo who suggested taping my knee and my gosh that worked wonders. With my discovery of taping I decided to take on another 1/2 marathon with just 12 weeks to train for it and being off running for almost two months. I didn't see it as impossible, I thought I could do it. The taping worked, their was pain but it wasn't as much pain as I having before, I could walk on it after a run. Two weeks before the race the taping stop helping and I was in pain again. So I decided not to run on it for the next two weeks.
That was a wise decision. The unwise thing was to play an Ultimate tournament the weekend before the race. Big mistake. I had four matches that day that I ran for one hour each match. My knee was killing me. I could barely walk. Icing it helped but not that much.
Race day came up quickly and my knee wasn't any better. It was a rainy Sunday morning and the race organizer said this was the first time it rained on race day in eight years. I think the weather was just reflecting my mood. Despite common sense I decided to run on my bad knee. Happy to say that I completed my 4th 1/2 but not in stellar time. This race I can honestly say that I did it to complete it and not for time. I most definitely didn't get a PR.
For two months I have been building up my leg muscles and strengthening my knee. I am happy to announce that I have been running for three weeks now without any pain. I am taking it easy on my runs. Not over doing it. Stretching after my runs and icing it if I feel the slightest pain in my knee.
Here is to running for many years to come.
Kat

3rd 1/2 completed...still bad knee

So I finished my 3rd 1/2. I didn't do it in the time I wanted but I did miss two weeks of training because of my bad knee.

I actually finished at: 1:53:54.2. It was less than a minute from my previous finish time. I was disappointed at first but then I cramped up and couldn't walk for a good five minutes. I was crying like a little girl on the ground.  It was pretty embarrassing I am sure you saw me if you were at Bank Scotia 1/2 marathon in Montreal. I guess I am just happy that I finished that race because my knee was hurting  like" h-e-double hockey sticks".

The thing is that I haven't been running seen that race. It's been a month. My knee has been killing me. I tried to do a two mile yesterday to test it and my knee was killing me today. 

I am truly sad that I am unable to run so far and I am afraid that it might be a long time 'til I run again. I know that I should rest the knee because if I run on it and it's not heal I might not be able to run ever again and that thought really saddens me. I love to run and I would miss it dearly if I couldn't run. I would feel that a part of me have been taking away.

So you see why I haven't written in awhile.

Kat

Big Race, Bad Knee

So tomorrow is my third 1/2 marathon and I am excited but afraid. I want to improve my time and run it in 1:45. If you asked me two weeks ago if I would able to do that I would gleefully shout, "yes!". Unfortunately, I can't be that confident because I have been off training for 2 weeks because of a bad knee. 

At this point I would be happy just finishing this race. 

So wish me luck.

Kat

Indoor vs Outdoor

It's been a while since I wrote on this blog and I have missed sharing my running experience with everyone (or only one person who knows who reads these blogs). 

Though I have been lazy about writing on my blog I haven't been so with my training. I have a half marathon in a month's time and I have been training like mad. I have every intention that I will finally run a 1:45. 

This year I found it difficult to run outside because it has been so cold outside. I guess I am getting old and the cold is really getting to me. So I have been doing my long runs indoor at the YMCA on their track. The problem is that I have been doing all my training indoors. My tempo and speed work I have always done on a treadmill, so all me training days have been inside. I am afraid that this will do me more harm than good.

What do you guys think? Will training indoors hurt me or not?

Winter is here!

I have been really bad in my maintenance. The cold has hit Montreal a little early so I wasn’t doing my long runs because I usually did them outside. I was feeling lazy and refused to go outside to do my long run. Com’on it’s cold! You can’t blame a girl for not wanting to go out there.

I then went to Vegas for four days with every intention of hitting the treadmill in my hotel. Guess how many times I did that. You guessed it, 0!

When I came home I felt disgusted in myself. I got back on my training plan and this week I actually did my long run. It was hard but I did it.

I woke up to frost on my windows. My boyfriend said something that made me smile. He said, “I am proud of you baby you are really a runner.” I accused him of being sarcastic but he said he wasn’t I took it and ran with it. Actually ran because I had to make that statement true even though it was -14ºC.

I won’t lie, it was bloody cold. Doing it though has reinforced my drive and I am back to my maintenance training program.

This week’s training at a glance (my rest week):

Mon.: 5 miles @ 9:15/mile
Wed.: 5 miles @ 9:15/mile
Sat.: 5 miles @ 9:15/mile

1st 10K, done!

Wow. It’s been a while since I wrote on this blog.

You will all be happy to know that I have completed yet another race. This time a 10K. It was the 1st ever MUHC Run For Your Life. Which took place at Angrignon Park, Montreal, Quebec on Saturday October 20th.

I did it in 49:38.5.

I was aiming for 40-45 minutes, which I realized now was unrealistic because it was my first 10K and I only trained 5 weeks for it. Not to take anything away from my finish time though, I am very proud of my time. Just the next time I will know more of what to expect from a 10K and I will do better.

Saturday was a beautiful autumn day. It was not too hot but not too cold as well. Like the third bear, it was perfect. I started my race at a steady pace that I was happy with. It was just hard enough and left room to pick it up at the second half. At least so I thought. By the 5K I started to cramp and had a stitch. This was forgotten when a little healthy completion was forged. Another woman and I tried to beat the blonde woman in front of us. She was going extremely faster than us. So I had to pick up the pace. After 2K my cramp and stitch was becoming painful and I had to slow down my pace. I wished the other woman luck and hoped that she beat the blonde woman.

With 2K left in the race my boyfriend came to give me support. He kept telling me to push it. I weakly uttered I’m cramping. He kept trying to encourage me. At this point I was in so much pain that even the slightest encouragement was just pissing me off. I became the pregnant woman in labour blaming the husband for causing her so much pain. I had to yell, “Shut up!” After he walked away chest fallen, I had to stop. I walked it off a bit and started to run again but the cramp was still there. I had to stop again. Turning behind me I saw a man creeping up closer towards me. I wasn’t going to let him get any closer. I had already lost a lot of ground and I knew I wasn’t going to make it up but I didn’t want this guy to beat me to the finish. So I sucked it up and began to run again at a slow pace at first because I was still cramping. With 1K left I picked up my pace and struggled to the finish line where I kneed over in pain. Even though, I was happy that I completed my first 10K.

When the results were posted I placed 10/42 women. Wow. That’s amazing for a woman who ran with a cramp!

Next up for me: maintenance.

My next race won’t be until April of 2008 another half marathon.

I did it!

A full detailed blog will be posted later on this week but I just wanted to let everyone know that I completed my 1/2 marathon in:

1:54:17.2

I achieved my goal of coming under 2 hours. I am very proud of myself. Can't wait for the next race.

Kat