Week (or so) in review
I feel like I've really been off my game this summer. Now that summer vacation is almost over, I'm trying to get myself accustomed to working out again and logging what I do for accountability. This past week wasn't too bad, though all my running/walking together is less than a lot of you guys' long runs.
Saturday: 20 mile easy bike ride, hip started huring around 15 miles in.
3.5 mile road run -- 11:13 pace, which was suprisingly good considering my right knee was bothering me and I walked for several minutes. Finally I decided to see if it was one of those body fake-outs where it just doesn't want to run and tries to convince you it's hurt. Once I called its bluff, my knee shut up.
Sunday: orienteering meet with Jeff and J. J wasn't particularly excited about the idea, but he had fun once we got there.
This was a 1-hour score-o, where you find as many controls as possible in the hour. We started off taking a direct route to a control instead of following the road, and once again what looked on the map like an easy trail to follow quickly disappeared. We made a wrong turn, got back on track, and found our first control with a little more searching. Jeff is invaluable with the map. He sees things MUCH more clearly than I do!
We found the next two controls without any trouble and then got mixed up again and lost a lot of time trying to figure out where we were on the map. Finally, while Jeff was down in the brush finding a control, I was able to see what was actually ON the map rather than trying to bend it to match what was in front of me. I told J, "Once I took a breath, it was easy to see." Later on, as we were scrambling again I remarked that I didn't know where I was on the map. He responded, "Just take a breath, Mommy." :)
Monday: Started again with The New Rules of Lifting for Women's weight training program while J was at soccer camp. Another thing I've been meaning to get back to all summer but never got around to. Better late than never.
Tuesday night: Night hike at local trails with my family. I made the boys go, and Jeff semi-begrudgingly came along. I was glad they was there: the woods were a little creepy after dark, and I'd have been scared alone. The slower pace was neat because we could see spider webs lit up by the headlamps, and when I stopped to see what was reflecting my light on the side of the trail I found out it was spiders. Kind of cool.
Wednesday: Met up with Lindsay for a run. We started off walking until my Garmin picked up the satellites and quickly decided that 85 degrees and humid at 7 a.m. warranted a walk. 4 miles (which we negative split. :D). While J was at soccer camp I did my assigned lifting.
Thursday: Was supposed to run trails with Lindsay and Krystal but decided sleep sounded better. Instead, I ran 4.5 miles on the treadmill later.
Friday: Weight training
Saturday: Ran 5.3 trail miles, including a creek-running detour through a tunnel and out to the banks of the Missouri River. My stomach hasn't yet figured out how to combine running with all these vegetables I've been eating, so that made for some GI unpleasantness. Still, I didn't die on the run, so that's something.
Sunday: 37 miles on the road bike. I was supposed to meet some friends to ride 52 but neglected to find out when we were meeting, so I started out on my own. Trailnet, a local bike advocacy group, plans, marks, and runs SAG support for the rides, so it's a great way to get it some miles with a security blanket. :) Instead of the ungodly heat we've been suffering, today was cooler and overcast -- we actually got a little rain!
The nice weather did nothing to improve my initial mood, though. I really just wanted to be home in bed, but I made myself go with the reminder that if I only exercised when I wanted to, I'd rarely get off the couch. I used to bike alone all the time, but now that I'm used to riding with friends I'm spoiled by the company. And the gravel -- good grief, it was a gravelly route! Not so fun. Within a few miles, though, my sour mood evaporated and I started to enjoy the day, talking to other riders along the route.
Unfortunately, by about 11 miles in, my left hip started really hurting again. I had to work hard to talk myself out of the extra short route (~21 miles) and short (~32 miles) routes, but all my self-talk wasn't enough to convince me to do the long one today (52 miles). There was a SAG stop at mile 18, and then I let myself stop again at mile 30 to stretch again because I was hurting so much. By the time I limped to the finish I was ready to shove my road bike into the deepest corner of our garage.
Luckily, I guess, the hip (which then moves into the thigh and feels like misplaced shin splints there) has only been an issue on the road bike, but it's still frustrating to spend the large chunk of any longer ride in pain. Today I tried raising my bike seat, which helped my knees but not my hip. Other suggestions have been to get a professional bike fit (ugh, $$, but I've never had one and it would certainly be a good move) and to do more stretching to loosen my hip flexors. Any other suggestions are welcome!
Saturday: 20 mile easy bike ride, hip started huring around 15 miles in.
3.5 mile road run -- 11:13 pace, which was suprisingly good considering my right knee was bothering me and I walked for several minutes. Finally I decided to see if it was one of those body fake-outs where it just doesn't want to run and tries to convince you it's hurt. Once I called its bluff, my knee shut up.
Sunday: orienteering meet with Jeff and J. J wasn't particularly excited about the idea, but he had fun once we got there.
 |
| J finds the control |
We found the next two controls without any trouble and then got mixed up again and lost a lot of time trying to figure out where we were on the map. Finally, while Jeff was down in the brush finding a control, I was able to see what was actually ON the map rather than trying to bend it to match what was in front of me. I told J, "Once I took a breath, it was easy to see." Later on, as we were scrambling again I remarked that I didn't know where I was on the map. He responded, "Just take a breath, Mommy." :)
Monday: Started again with The New Rules of Lifting for Women's weight training program while J was at soccer camp. Another thing I've been meaning to get back to all summer but never got around to. Better late than never.
Tuesday night: Night hike at local trails with my family. I made the boys go, and Jeff semi-begrudgingly came along. I was glad they was there: the woods were a little creepy after dark, and I'd have been scared alone. The slower pace was neat because we could see spider webs lit up by the headlamps, and when I stopped to see what was reflecting my light on the side of the trail I found out it was spiders. Kind of cool.
Wednesday: Met up with Lindsay for a run. We started off walking until my Garmin picked up the satellites and quickly decided that 85 degrees and humid at 7 a.m. warranted a walk. 4 miles (which we negative split. :D). While J was at soccer camp I did my assigned lifting.
Thursday: Was supposed to run trails with Lindsay and Krystal but decided sleep sounded better. Instead, I ran 4.5 miles on the treadmill later.
Friday: Weight training
Saturday: Ran 5.3 trail miles, including a creek-running detour through a tunnel and out to the banks of the Missouri River. My stomach hasn't yet figured out how to combine running with all these vegetables I've been eating, so that made for some GI unpleasantness. Still, I didn't die on the run, so that's something.
Sunday: 37 miles on the road bike. I was supposed to meet some friends to ride 52 but neglected to find out when we were meeting, so I started out on my own. Trailnet, a local bike advocacy group, plans, marks, and runs SAG support for the rides, so it's a great way to get it some miles with a security blanket. :) Instead of the ungodly heat we've been suffering, today was cooler and overcast -- we actually got a little rain!
 |
| Too little, too late to help the corn. Not a good year to be a farmer, at all. This is pretty much what all the corn fields looked like today. Very sad. |
Unfortunately, by about 11 miles in, my left hip started really hurting again. I had to work hard to talk myself out of the extra short route (~21 miles) and short (~32 miles) routes, but all my self-talk wasn't enough to convince me to do the long one today (52 miles). There was a SAG stop at mile 18, and then I let myself stop again at mile 30 to stretch again because I was hurting so much. By the time I limped to the finish I was ready to shove my road bike into the deepest corner of our garage.
Luckily, I guess, the hip (which then moves into the thigh and feels like misplaced shin splints there) has only been an issue on the road bike, but it's still frustrating to spend the large chunk of any longer ride in pain. Today I tried raising my bike seat, which helped my knees but not my hip. Other suggestions have been to get a professional bike fit (ugh, $$, but I've never had one and it would certainly be a good move) and to do more stretching to loosen my hip flexors. Any other suggestions are welcome!
well I got nothing on advice for the hip pain on the bike..
ReplyDeleteI hope you get some advices and that this gets better soon
I need to follow your example and get on the weight training plan!
Sounds like a busy week. Great variety in your outings!
ReplyDeleteYour week sounds perfectly active to me--don't go comparing yourself to others--you are fabulous in your own right!
ReplyDeleteWhat's up with the hip pain??? Praying its minor and will fade quickly and permanently.
Those orienteering adventures with your husband and son sound quite fun. I wouldn't be crazy about the night hike. On some levels I would but I would worry about snakes and creepy things. Hmmm veggies and GI unpleasantness.....is that my problem? I had a really bad run on Sunday. It was long and not so pleasant. I will get this figured out or give up running - at least long distances. I was determined to do 10 which was foolish. That is one sad looking corn field. It is dry here but nothing like other places. We get rain and sometimes lots of it. But the rivers and lakes are very low. That is too bad about your hip. Do you know what is causing it? Would a bike fit help? They are so expensive though. People swear by them. Oops you wrote that! I hope you get it figured out.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a nice active week to me. Regarding the hip pain, if you don't want to she'll out money for a professional fit, you could join beginner triathlete and post some pics and/or a video and some helpful people usually give good advice. I see people do that about once a month. Alternatively you can get an hour fit at maple wood bikes for $100. Hope you get it figured out soon.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GLrKr54yA0
ReplyDeleteOur XC coach has the kiddos do this daily before each run - it really works wonders for the hip. DAILY, SK, daily!!! It's not going to work if you do it just one time. :)
I've had a professional bike fit and still had left knee pain. I met a big cycle blogger who just happens to work at a bike shop and he said the fit wasn't the best for me and he scooted my seat back and that helped some. So how knows about the fitting. Someone told me that sometimes, you just have to worth through these aches and pains on the bike - sort of like you did running ... calling the knee's bluff ;) - until the body adapts. I'm not sure my girl bits will EVER adapt to that damn bike, but that's another story ;).
How fun the family all did the scavenger hunt :). My boys would totally love something like that!
I can't believe summer is almost over for the kids and back to school (3 weeks for us!)...I hate how fast summer goes...but I'm a wee-bit sick of this heat so fall might be nice. NOT winter, though. :(
Yeah, running and vegetables...not so good for me either....
ReplyDeleteThat looks like an amazingly active week to me. Especially in that heat and humidity you're experiencing that I now understand on a personal level. I think it will all be easier once school starts. I'm really looking forward to my Thursdays and Fridays once the kids are in school!
You are really doing a lot of riding! Sorry about your hip issue. I bet Jill's video will help. I Didn't click but I think it's probably the Myrtle routine (?)
ReplyDeleteCool about the spiders at night, though I might get freaked out if I didn't see them and just felt them!