If you're lucky enough to be in the mountains, you are lucky enough.

When something bad happens, you have three choices: let it define you, let it destroy you, or let it strengthen you.

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

More of what was before

Tuesday snow fun had moved to Friday. We spent a day as a family. Most fun was going to a park. I got to run with Charlie for a mile, what I consider to be a good tempo run - this puppy can charge! Then we all walked through Marshall Park to Tryon, where I was let go for an hour run by myself.




During that time I had another mile tempo, also unplanned, as in the middle of the run I heard steps behind me and tried hard to hold that person off, and after 5 min or so a woman passed me eventually, after what I was trying to hold on to her pace for another 5 min or so. It turned out to be a beautiful break with a sun shining, and we all reunited and walked back home.


Isn't my Marshall Park gorgeous?!

At home Oleg tortured me with 30 min CrossFit and 45 min stationary bike, and later we went shopping for holidays. We are having a housewarming party on Friday, gotta cook lots, and then friends for New Year celebration.

On Wed I ran to work again, what was slow and sluggish. Oleg truly believes if you don't feel like crap after a workout and don't hurt - it was a waste of time. I guess Tuesday wasn't:) I had to make myself to stick with the plan and go for track repeats on Thursday morning. It was foggy and frosty. I ran through 5x400m as a start of a program I am trying to do. I was also thinking of joining some running club for fun and push on a track - may be Red Lizards? They are quite local for me, a few miles away, and Tuesday night would work (Stephen's boxing is Mon-Wed-Fri). I almost feel I need to prepare before I even join them:)

I had more adjustment for a 2007 race schedule (aren't you tired?). Thanks to Scott, I think I'll stick with Silver State 50M in May. Besides his promise to put my mug picture on a nation-wide known blog (who wouldn't want that?), there are few more things. The race itself is cheaper by $30, no car rental/gas needed, and yes, it is still tougher than Bishop. Why in the world do I want to go for it? I have no idea. Kind of set my mind. The climbs and descends are must steeper and rockier at SS. Kick my ass race. Well, after Zane Grey, I figured, I'll be ready for rocks.

The Sunsweet Festival put on by Alan and Bev Abbs last year in OR first got moved to June 2-3, and then they said they are cancelling it alltogether - both of them are in WS100 and will be getting into best shape for it. Bummer, it looked so good at that time and location! Need a 50k on this weekend, ideas? Local.

Scott also gave me an idea to run Cool 12 hr night trail run. As he said in his post, and as I thought to myself when heard first time Scott Jurek talking about roads and track events, may be I should try and get out of my comfort zone and try new things. I've done a timed event once - 6 hr on 1.7 M road loop in NYC, and I survived...though I didn't know much about trails back then. Anyway, Cool 12hr (yes, it's as many loops as you can in 12 hrs, loops are 9M on single-track trails, I suspect last couple of hours we'll be moved to a smaller loop) seems to fall nicely between my RD duties and GT100. What means I am not running Waldo 100km, most likely pacing Theresa, as promised.

It is definitely fun to plan and dream...and there are so many races in the country, I keep jumping at every opportunity to check a new place. I hope it will never stop.

Now to a sad part of our broadcast. I seem to enquire some new injury. It started last Sunday after that fell over a wire on a 12M road run. It felt like a shooting pain down on the outside of my left fibula, and every time it shot, the leg weakened, almost like ready to collapse under me feeling. It was fine on trail runs, but then on my way (run) to work yesterday it was very bad and felt kind of along ITB. At the same time (not that I am an expert in ITB injuries, I only had a mild case) that weak feeling was new and scary. It continued plaguing me today on the run and after as well. Any ideas? I am not sure what to do with the long run, a no-pain trail venture gives me hope, but I surely don’t want to make it worse.

And finally, some stuff I found through somebody else – really don’t like these things, but when boredom strikes, playing it comes handy.

Your Personality Cluster is Extraverted Thinking

You are:

Organized and logical - a master at puzzles
Competitive in almost any arena of life
Objective when necessary, but passionate about what you truly love
Intolerant of excuses and incompetence

15 comments:

Wes said...

What a nice looking park AND a cute puppy! I personally think you need to have that good tired feeling after a workout. If you are hurting, then it takes longer to recover. But hey, what do I know? Take care of that injury! Back to your old self in no time...

Backofpack said...

Oh, your park is gorgeous! And your puppy adorable. Sounds like you all had a nice family day. You are lucky to have Oleg as a personal trainer - no whining when it's your hubby, right? Gotta prove you are as tough as he is. Hope your injury improves soon.

I don't get that 12 hour race - is it that you do as many laps as you can in 12 hours?

Unknown said...

Forgive Michelle, she is a little slow at catching on to the idea of running by time rather than distance. Yes, Michelle, you run as far as you can in 12 hours. In circles of course.

Holy cow, I think the personality cluster has you all figured out. Of course it forgot the nice and sweet part.

Phil said...

What a nice trail. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

Thomas said...

You really think you're not ready for that running club? I very much doubt that!

That injury sounds like a muscle problem. I had something similar a few months ago. It hurt with every single step on the road, but was much more tolerable on a trail. It went away after a few days.

Rick Gaston said...

Sorry to hear about the new injury. If the pain is not getting better I'm all for sitting out the long run, like you said no sense in making it worse. It's still early.

I've had a nagging pain on the top of my right foot, right between the 4th and 5th metatarsal. Quick research on the web told me it could be a stress fracture. Yikes. Well I ran on it last night and I don't think it's a stress fracture, for one thing I was running relatively pain free. But the pain is still there and it must be nerve related cause it seems to have spread.

Anway it looks like you are having fun with your schedule. Marshall Park is beautiful...so nice I'm jealous.

Sarah said...

The Lizards are really friendly! You should check out their track workouts. I've been trying to get Marc to go on their Thursday hill run. I hope your injury is short-lived.

Bob - BlogMYruns.com said...

wow cool trail pic... Hi Olga :-)

I BELIEVE u will shake that injury soon !!

judi ~ said...

Feel better soon! I love the pic of the trail (and the doggie!). I'm envious of your trail - wish we had those in Houston!

Lisa B said...

Beautiful trails & home, Olga. And I love your puppy!

Sorry about the grumbling leg. If it's ITB, it should not go passed the knee. If it's in the lateral calf, maybe peroneal tendinitis? If it's in the ITB area AND the calf, it could be coming from your back. Remember first line treatment is always PRICES: Protection, Rest (relative rest), Ice, Compression, Elevation, and SEX. :)

massoman said...

beautiful trail! trails here are a bit different; more dust, short trees, no carpet of leaves...
sounds like your workouts are intense, and good. the puppy is adorable and will help keep you on your toes.
the injury sounds like it could be trigger points in posterior tibialis, soleus or gastrocnemius muscles because of the weakness that seems to come along with the pain. trigger points in the muscles of your low back and/or hips could refer pain down that far. do you have a sports massage person around or a p.t. you trust to evaluate your leg?
good luck. you could always just rest. :)

Love2Run said...

Hope you leg is better soon. Seems like you just got back on the roads and this happens. Be careful out there!

Sarah Elaine said...

Olga,

Just stopping by to wish you and your family the very best for 2007!

Sarah

Anonymous said...

some things to think about:

(1) since it is your left leg...do you run facing oncoming traffic but on the sidewalk? if yes, then are the sidewalks flat or are they higher on the left leg side and lower on the right-leg side (street)? probably higher on left-leg side. if so, this means the left leg is taking energy into the foot and distributing it outside the leg. the downhill leg is taking energy and distributing it into the inside of the leg. try running on the sidewalk where the right leg side is higher and see if this helps. mix it up. in general, when training on the road try to have each leg spend time as the 'uphill' leg. hard to do in the big city I know as it can mean running on opposite side sidewalks.

(2) take a look at your shoes. being a trail runner this might not work as a test. if you have road only shoes, are your shoes worn more on the outside, inside or down the center of your shoe? if your shoes are worn on the outside this can indicate a shoe that is too supportive. you might need a more flexible shoe in order for the arch to collapse some and collect energy across the entire foot.

are you wearing road shoes while running in town? if not, get some road shoes for city running. I know montrail doesn't make these but city is city and trail is trail. trail shoes make poor road shoes. would you try to run on the trails in road shoes?

(3) have your legs checked for length and your pelvic alignment. could be one leg is longer than another for various reasons causing it to strike the ground earlier and bear more stress.

there could be more reasons, but it is likely you are experiencing a combination of all 3 above.

Scott Dunlap said...

Another racer sucked into the 12 hours of Cool! Glad to hear you will be joining in the all-night craziness.

Have a great new year!

SD