planning ahead

i realize it's tuesday, and that i haven't posted my plan for the week yet, but it's been a busy couple of days.   i finally have a few minutes, so i am posting my plan for the week.

looking back at last week: 
monday: 12 days of christmas challenge.
tuesday: ran an easy 4.5 miles did the 12 DoC challenge and did Chalean Extreme Burn Circuit 3. run felt ok, and other workouts felt really nice.
wednesday and thursday: took a couple of days off to try to let my heel heal.  didn't do any workouts these days.
friday: met up with a group at sharon woods to try to do 2-3 laps (8-12 miles).  ended up only being able to do 2 laps...heel was really bad.  felt a bit disappointed, but this made me resolve to do everything in my power to get this better FAST! did the DoC challenge and Chalean Extreme Burn 1.
saturday: really wanted to run a 5k race that a running friend of mine had organized, but didn't to risk making the foot worse, so opted out of it.  instead, i did an incline workout on the treadmill about 4 miles.  set the incline up high and did a fast walk/really slow jog.  this didn't seem to bother the foot as much, so felt good about it.
sunday (christmas day): took today off.

plan for this week:
monday: run 4-5 miles easy and Chalean Burn Circuit 2
tuesday: run 5-6 miles easy
wednesday: meeting up with a big group of running buddies for a bRUNch.  going for a 10 mile hilly run and then back to the hostess's house for a yummy brunch.  
thursday: either doing Chalean burn circuit 3 today or wednesday
friday: run 3-6 miles easy
saturday: (new year's eve): easy 3 miler and chalean burn circuit 1 (beginning of week 3)
sunday: if i can pull it off, i am going to try to do a new year's race.  we have to be up at cleveland stadium by 3:30 or so, so it might be pushing for time.

still on the hunt for the push cd in the chalean extreme workout video series.  i have misplaced the dvd since i bought it a few years ago.  anyone know where i can find it??  only have a couple more weeks before i begin that part of the circuit!

i am wearing my boot whenever i possibly can.  i have also found a great taping technique.  i am taking my anti-inflammatories like clockwork, and stretching whenever i can.  i am happy to say that i am feeling progress. on my run today, i felt discomfort, but not pain.  that is definitely a step in the right direction!  hooray.  :)

i got a second sole gift card for christmas and i am going to buy a pair of trail shoes....i really want to get the brooks pure grit. has anyone tried these?  the reviews i have read so far have been positive.

going to write a couple more posts this week.  one about christmas and one about reflecting on the year.  hope you all had a wonderful holiday and are able to reflect on your journey through the last year!!  

rough day

so, i went to the doc yesterday for my foot.  after a quick exam and looking at some X-rays, it was pretty evident that it is PF again.  this time is about 10 times worse than the last time i had it.  it never gets better... in fact during a run, it gets progressively worse.  she gave me a cortisone shot (ouch!) and i am back to wearing the boot at night, taking some prescription anti-inflammatories, stretching....and not doing much running.

i met a group of my running friends up at sharon woods today for an 8-12 mile run.  after the first loop, i could tell that 2 more loops was not going to happen.  forced myself to do one more loop, and then had to stop.  the pain with every single step was too much to bear.  i got home and put my boot on for a while and took a nap.  got up and the foot felt ok.  after getting some gifts wrapped, i decided to try to go finish the 12....only needed to do about 4 miles.  after a minute into the run, i had to turn around and admit defeat.  i found myself crying as i faced the fact that i may have to lay off running for a while.  as most of you that are runners would understand, running is my sanity, it keeps the darkness away, and keeps me feeling good about myself.      without running, i am terrified that the depression will sneak back in.

i decided to to go ahead and do my chalean extreme workout.  i am hoping that i can keep on doing these workouts....and maybe some shorter runs for the next couple of weeks.  i've gotta get through the worst of this and then i can get back to my training.  i know that my training needs to really begin for canton sometime in february...so i have some time to get this healed.

on a more positive note, i just need to get some more gift wrapping done and maybe make some cookies tomorrow and i will be ready for sunday and monday.  i love this time of year, but the way i have been feeling has left me grumpy and moving my focus from where it should be this time of year.

have you ever had to take time off from what you love?  how did you get through it?

Three Things Thursday

1.  I think I am officially done with my Christmas shopping.  Now all that's left to do is plan the meal for Christmas with my husband's family on Monday, wrap gifts, and wait for the rest of my orders to arrive.

2.  I went to the doc today for my foot. Thankfully, I think, it is PF.  It's pretty bad though...the spur is much larger than it was in spring.  She gave me a cortisone shot and my foot is feeling like it's asleep and in the process of waking up.  Really creepy and uncomfortable feeling.  Hoping it feels better by the morning so I can meet up with some running buddies for an 8-12 miler.

3.  I watched all episodes of Once Upon a Time today on Hulu.  (Since I wasn't going to be able to workout/run, I had to pass the time somehow...) It's a pretty interesting show....I think I am hooked!

Are you ready for Christmas? What do you still have left to do?

Plan for Christmas week....

Last week went well.  I got in what I wanted to, even it it is under the mileage I am used to.  My foot is still hurting, but at least it's only 2 more days til I get to the doc to find out what's up.  It is feeling a little better....as long as I don't do anything. It hurts like the dickens after I run though.  Is that going to stop me?? NO WAY!  :)

Plan for this week:

Monday: Rest day.  (Still had to get in 12 Days of Christmas workout though... day 7)

Tuesday:  Chalean Extreme Burn Circuit 3, run 4-5 miles, 12 DoC day 8.
Wednesday: Run 5-6 miles and 12 DoC  day 9,
Thursday: Burn Circuit 1, 12 DoC day 10.
Friday: Meeting with some running friends for 8-12 miles and 12 DoC day 11.
Saturday (Christmas eve!!): Burn Circuit 2, Run 6, and 12 DoC day 12.  

This is going to be a crazy week.  Just started my Christmas shopping...got most of it done through Amazon.  (I love the internet!).  But still have a few things to pick up in the stores.  Found out today, that I have a 16 transaction limit on my bank card.  I wish I had known that earlier.... had to cut some of my shopping short.  Next year, I am doing all of my shopping online...and in November!  :)  I am not a big fan of shopping.  It absolutely exhausts me and frustrates me to no end when I cannot find what I am looking for!!

However, I did get all of my blog exchanges, and DailyMile exchange stuff done!  Woohoo!  I had a lot of fun with those!  :)  Hope the recipients like what I got them.  :)

When do you start your Christmas shopping?  Are you done?

Three things Thursday

1. Tomorrow is my last day of school and then I am off for 2+weeks!  I think I am more excited than the students.  I made all my students goodie bags...candy, pencil, eraser, stickers, and a cute little christmas bulb.  It's funny how excited high school kids get about these little treats.  It was fun to hand them out and watch their faces light up.  Handing the rest of the treat bags out tomorrow.

2.  Have decided that until I see my podiatrist (next Thursday) and find out exactly what is going on with my foot, I am going to take it easy on running (20-25 mpw instead of 30+) and continue working on building my strength.  I did day 3 of 12 days of Christmas today.  This is turning out to be a really fun challenge.  Then, I dug out my Chalean Extreme videos that I bought a few years back and did the first workout.  I forgot how much I enjoyed these workouts.  This is going to find its way back into my routine.

3. Today, I ate really badly.  I don't want to continue to eat this way...but this time of year is so hard for me.  Sweets are my biggest weakness, and I am trying to resist, but having little success.  Tomorrow is a new day... and a new chance to make good choices.

What are your strategies for continuing to eat healthy this time of year?

hello, my name is melanie, and it's been 7 days since my last run.

well, in an attempt to heal and recover, i took a whole week off.  this was tough for me to do....i even think i developed a twitch..  :)  my foot is still hurting, but at least it is localized a bit more, and not the entire foot/ankle.  i decided to go out today for a test run.  kept it nice and easy (right around a 9:30 pace) and short (4 miles).  the run was ok, but i am waiting to see how it feels tomorrow.  

so...my plan for last week fell apart completely.  i didn't do any cross training either, really wanted to try to completely rest.  boy was it nice to get back to it today.  when i got home, i did a twelve days of christmas challenge. today was 100 jumping jacks.  i added 5 sets of 20 sit ups and 5 (on my toes) push ups.  i was glad to be able to do all my push ups today on my toes!!

  

my plan for this week is: 

monday: rest

tuesday: run 4 easy and 12 days of christmas #1 (100 jumping jacks) plus sit ups and push ups. 

wednesday: run 4-5 easy and 12 DoC #2 (100 jj and 2 x 1 min plank) plus sit ups and push ups

thursday: run 2-3 easy and 12 DoC #3(100 JJ, 2 x 1 min plank, 3 sets of 10 lunges each leg)

friday: 12 DoC #4(100 jj, 2 x 1 min plank, 3 x 10 lunges, 4 x 30 sec jump rope) plus sit ups and push ups

saturday: run 8-10 easy  and 12 DoC #5(100 JJ, 2 x 1 min plank, 3 x 10 lunges, 4 x 30 sec jump rope, 5 burpees)

sunday: run 4-5 easy and 12 DoC #6 (100 JJ, 2x 1 min plank, 3x10 lunges, 4x30 sec jump rope, 5 burpees, 6 toe touchers) plus sit ups and push ups. 

of course, all of this depends on how my foot is feeling.  i know that i may have to hold back on the runs if my foot is not up to it....really don't want to, but i will.  i made an appointment with my podiatrist, but the earliest she could see me is next thursday.  hoping i can make it until then!  

some time this week, i need to start my christmas shopping. :)  

how is your week going?  

not the best week

i have been having issues with my left foot/ankle over the course of the last couple of weeks.  at first i thought it was PF, because it was mostly on the bottom of my heel.  but since then, i have been having pain in my ankle, both in the back and front, and in the top of my foot along the outside.  if it were just PF, i could still run and the pain would not be too bad.  however, after every run (and during some of them), i have been having increased pain.  so, i decided to rest this week...i am a bit depressed about this decision.  and i am starting to get twitchy.  this is the longest i have gone without running in a long time...last run was on tuesday.  i am going to call my podiatrist on monday and try to get in to have some x-rays done to be sure it's nothing serious.  i am really hoping that just a bit of rest is all i need.  running helps keep the depression at bay and without it, i can feel it starting to try to push it's way back into my life.

i want to try to find something to do to keep on keeping on, but anything that puts pressure on my foot is out.  even push ups....  any suggestions?


what do you do when you are hurt and have to change your routine?

Weekly wrap up future plan

Last week was a great week!!  My training went pretty well and for the most part I feel great.  Other than my left foot really bothering me, I have no complaints.  (I think it may be Plantar Facitis...ugh).

What I did last week:
Monday:  Rest day...took it easy...watched some Monday Night Football.
Tuesday: 3 miles easy;
                 strength training that included 3 sets for a total of 90 squats; 60 pushups (17 on my toes); 3 sets of 45 second
                 planks; 60 sit ups; 3 sets of 30 seconds of flutter kicks; 75 toe raises.
                 Took T out for c25k week 5 day 1.
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: 1 mile w/u; 6 x 50 second repeats with 50 second recoveries.  1 mile c/d (repeats were anywhere from 6:30 pace
                   to 7:00 pace)
                  CrossFit workout: 3 rounds for time: 10 burpees, 20 squats, 30 sit-ups.  My best time was 2:20 (last set).
                  C25K wek 5 day 2 with T.
Friday: 3 miles easy
Saturday:  Jingle Bell Run with the family!  Can you say 36 second PR?????
Sunday:  Half mary at an easy pace.

Total mileage for the week: 32 miles.
Total cross training sessions: 2...I really want this to be closer to 3 or 4.


The plan for this week:
Monday: CrossFit WOD from Spartan Race, and MYRTL exercises.
Tuesday: 6 miles easy and take T out for C25K W6D1.
Wednesday: 4 miles easy and Cross train
Thursday:  1 mile w/u, 4x400 repeats with 400 recoveries, 1 mile c/d and CrossFit and take T out for C25K W6D2.
Friday: Off
Saturday: 11 miles easy and CrossFit and take T out for C25K W6D3.
Sunday: 5 miles easy

Goal for mileage: about 30-35.

I am feeling much stronger.  The last couple of weeks of strength training has made a difference.  It motivates me to keep at it.  I have also lost about 1.5 pounds last week.  My goal is to lose 15-20 pounds over the course of the next 3 months or so.  As hard as it is to avoid snacking, I feel I am doing well and hope to continue to see the number on the scale continue to drop!

What are your goals for this week?

Jingle Bell Run 2011

Jingle Bell Run 2011.

My sis in law came down from Kansas, OH and spent the night here. We got up early and got ready and then waited for the rest of the crew to get here. My sis in law dropped off my nephew at around 7:50. My mother in law was here by 8:00. My mom, dad, and 80 year old gramma got here at about 8:10. Everyone got their numbers on and got jingled up, and then we were off. didn't realize the exit we normally take was closed, so had to make some last minute adjustments and got there a bit later than i would have liked, but still in plenty of time. 

me, mom in law, and sis in law

met up with my good friend elaine....got some pix, and chatted for a bit, then everyone hit the bathroom.

elaine and i

kayla and elaine (her "columbus grandma")

mom and steph all decked out!

the troublesome twosome!  ready to go!

dad and i pre-race

the whole crew...even kyle, who just had to wear his sunglasses inside!  

my dad and i then went out and did a quick 1/2 mile warm up and got in line. he and i ran together; my sis in law and mother in law ran together; and my mom, dad, gramma, nephew, and both daughters walked it together. 

dad and i took off and had to do some weaving for a bit, then just decided it would be easier to just run on the sidewalk for a bit until it cleared out. my dad took off! he was running at a 6:30 pace for the first half mile. i kept him in my sights, because i knew he would eventually level out. my goal was to pr, and try to break 23:00. my dad just wanted to be somewhere in the 23-24 minute range. this is his first official race, and i was so excited for him. 

dad and me at the start

he walked this last year with my oldest daughter and decided that he wanted to train to run it with me this year. i am so proud of him! he and i stayed together for about the first 2.5 miles. then i started to pull away a bit. i was feeling amazing, but was afraid i was going to run out of gas, so i held back just a bit....wishing i hadn't, because i was only 20 seconds or so away from breaking 23!

getting ready to walk the streets of columbus. 

i crossed the finish line, and a woman hands me a ticket that says i was one of the top 50 women, so i got a medal! i almost told her to shut up! i was pleasantly surprised, and mighty proud of that medal. i am not sure of my exact placing yet, because the results are STILL not posted.... but i am very excited about this race.

me and my sis in law (steph) after the finish...notice my medal?? :)

my dad came in about 40 seconds behind me...right around 24:00. i am very proud of him!! my sis in law and mother in law came in right around 31-32 minutes. my brother in law (who has not run more than a mile or so) and his girlfriend came in around 39:00. my dad and i and my sis in law went back out to meet up with the rest of the crew and dad and i ran the two little ones in. 

can you tell the little ones were ready to run??

they just sprinted to the finish. it may have been one of my favorite parts of the day!! they were just too cute. running to the finish, holding hands.

they look like they are flying!

 the rest of the crew (including my 80 year old gramma) finished in about an hour!

gramma, mom, and kayla crossing the finish!

what an amazing day spent with family. this was a fun event, and everyone in my crew had a blast!!

 these two were inseparable.  

she was calling this abuse.  :)

some of the crew after the race.

kayla and i walking back to the car.

i can see this becoming a family tradition... does your family have any fun and unusual traditions? 

Time flies...

I can't believe today is the last day of November.  This year has just flown by.  I do love this time of year (except for the weather, of course....)  I am so excited about the holidays this year, that I have joined 3 different holiday exchanges:

1. A really cool Christmas Card exchange.  I did this one last year and it was so neat to meet people from all over the world!

2. The DailyMile Secret Santa.    I am super excited about this one.  DailyMile has become my source of inspiration...and a place where I have been introduced to some excellent athletes....and made some incredible friends.

3. A Blogger Christmas exchange.  This is a new one for me, but it sounds like it was a lot of fun last year, and I cannot wait to do it this year!

I have been trying to get back into some good eating habits.  I have found that I am gaining weight....and this does not make me especially happy.  For now I am trying to really watch my calorie intake for the day.  I know that it is all mental....but I feel like I am always hungry.  I am making sure to eat every couple of hours, but I am being sure to make wise choices.  It has made these last couple of days a challenge.  I am really hoping I will be able to get back down to my goal weight , and that in turn will help my speed.  My goal is to lose 15-20 pounds by March for the Arnold 5k.

I had a run on the schedule tonight, but it is getting postponed until tomorrow morning.  I am beyond exhausted for some reason, and I can feel the beginning of a headache, plus I was behind on grading.  So while I would normally go for a run while T is at bells, I decided to work on grading for an hour and then come home and try to get to bed early.  Tomorrow is a new day, and I will be hitting the pavement (or maybe the TM) first thing tomorrow morning.   As I type this I am covered in a puppy blanket...my two cavaliers are very snuggly.  It is making me very warm....and sleepy.   I think it is time to wrap this post up!

Do any of you struggle with weight issues?  How do you handle it?

Rainy days and Mondays... 11/28/11

it was like monsoon season came to ohio today.  didn't run today (it's a day off), but i am starting to try to plan out my training starting in january.  i am excited for the jingle bell run on saturday.  i would love to try to break 23:00.....not sure if that will happen this week or not, but i am hopeful it will happen soon. 

the only race that i know for sure i am running next year is the canton marathon on june 17th.  i am totally psyched about this race since it will be all along the streets of my hometown.  running where i grew up is going to be such a cool experience.  plus i have lots of childhood friends that will also be running it!  

my plan for this week is to take it a little easy and try to be rested up for saturday. 

here is my plan: 
monday: rest
tuesday: speedwork (either 400's or 200's) and strength training
wednesday: 2-4 miles easy and yoga
thursday: tempo run and strength training
friday: 2 miles easy and stretching
saturday: jingle bell run
sunday: 8-10 miles easy run and strength training
T and i haven't had a chance to get back out there and run together again, yet.  but she has told me she is ready to go again.  so we will run tuesday, thursday, and then she will attempt to run as much of the jingle bell run on saturday. 

signed up today for the dailymile secret santa.  looking forward to meeting someone new!  i love this time of year....even if it is highly stressful at times.  i am going to try to keep the meaning of the season at the forefront of everything i do over the next few weeks.  i have been trying to remain thankful every day this month, and i would like to try to continue that same thankful spirit.  

what are you thankful for this season? 

let's try this again.... 11/18/11

I have tried to keep a blog before, and failed miserably.  I am hoping that this time will be different. I love running.  I love thinking about running...I love talking about running....I love shopping for new running gear...  you get the point.  

Last week I did a pretty challenging hilly trail race for the first time.  It was insane...and I loved it.  I am going to be incorporating more hills into my runs.  I love the challenge.  

I am planning on running the Jingle Bell Run in a couple of weeks, and I would really like to break 23:00.  I will be running it with my dad and the rest of the family will be walking/running as well.  Since I began my journey 16 months ago, many members of my family have taken up running...my mother in law, my sister in law, my dad, my daughter, and freinds...it's been really cool to share in their journey!  I am also planning on the Arnold 5k in March.  

In June 2012, I will be running my second marathon in my hometown, Canton, OH.  I am very excited to run on the streets where i grew up!  I hope to be able to break 4 hours in that race.  

My youngest daughter, T, is training with me to run a 5k.  We are on week 5 of C25K, and we went out tonight for her 2nd day of the week.  She has been doing soooo great.  Tonight, however, she wasn't feeling well.  After about 8 minutes in, we had to turn around and head home.  We will try again tomorrow.  

i look forward to keeping track of my progress and reflecting on my life as a runner on this blog.  hope 

Weekly wrap up...and plan for the coming week.

This has been a good, albeit, busy week.

Monday: Had the day off for the holiday.  Got my run in.  Nice and easy 3 mile progressive. (9:35, 8:43, 8:12 splits).  

Tuesday: Had the day off school.  Was looking forward to a nice quiet day at home alone....then we had snow and ice overnight, so the kids had a snow day.  Ran a 30 minute tempo run on the treadmill.  10 mins at 9:30 pace, 15 mins at 8:28 pace, 5 mins at 9:00 pace.  Week 4 day 1 of Drop and give me twenty....63 push ups.  only 4 on my knees!  Even though this workout is getting tougher, I am feeling stronger every week!!  Then i took the girls to K's favorite restaurant...Chipotle!

Wednesday: Took Wednesday off..had a crappy day.  Swapped some workouts around to accomodate.

Thursday: Final round of Parent Teacher Conferences for the year.  Then, after being inspired by a co-worker and fellow runner, I came home and ran 3.  Was supposed to run based on heart rate, called for 65%-75%.    So I got on the treadmill, strapped the heart rate monitor on, and went for it.  This was the first time I have tried this...and it went pretty well. The hardest part was slowing the pace down enough to keep HR where it should be.   Got week 4 day 2 of drop and give me twenty done....72 this time!  woohoo!

Friday: Schedule called for 3 miles at race pace. It was still pretty chilly, so did it on the TM after school.  3 miles at 8:22 pace.  I am hoping I can break 1:50 in the Cap City Half in May.  So this run was right on pace!

Saturday: Took a trip up to Kansas, OH for my niece's 2nd birthday party, so switched Saturday's run to Sunday. Had a nice time with the fam!

Sunday: Schedule called for 6 slow miles.  I have been running 7, so I decided when I got to 6, that I would go for one more.  Tried to go slow, but I also wanted to try to run a progressive run. I get so bored running too slowly, and I find it difficult to run too slowly.   Ended up with a pace that was about 20 seconds faster than I should have, but the splits were almost all negative!  (9:23, 8:56, 8:45, 8:43, 8:44, 8:33, 8:19). Got home and did week 4 day 3 of drop and give me twenty.  This was tough to do after my run, but I got it done.  77 push ups this time!  And ended the week with p90x StretchX.  This was a great end to the week...I really needed the stretch!

Heel is still not great. I am looking into a Strassberg Sock...or something similar.  I have been rolling, icing, taking ibuprofen, and stretching.  It is not getting any worse....or better!  Would love any suggestions.


Next week: 
Monday: 3 mile easy run....then off to a meeting for K's first year of high school scheduling.  Yikes...how did I get so old?!

Tuesday: 6 X 400's at 5K pace, ab ripper, and drop and give me twenty.

Wednesday: 3 mile easy run, and some yoga.

Thursday: Easy 3 mile run.

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Arnold 5k.  Goal is to PR...would love to break 24:00, but I am not greedy!  ;)

Have a great week everyone out there in blogger world!

summary and preview

the last couple of weeks have been pretty crazy.  have many days where squeezing my run in became the theme of the day.  i have missed out on keeping up on reading and writing blogs.  so, i am making a new goal: to post at least twice a week.  once to preview what is to come for the week, and once at the end of the week to summarize and reflect.

let me first summarize the last couple of weeks: 

week of 1/31-2/6
total miles: 27 including a long run of 7 miles, some speedwork, and a billy goat climb.
cross training: ab ripper a couple of times, drop and give me twenty doing real pushups, and a session of yoga.
how did it feel? this was my first week back to "normal" training after my procedure, and it felt good, even though it was tough at the time.

week of 2/7-2/13
total miles: 22   including a tempo run, billy goat climb, and a 7 miler
cross training: drop and give me twenty week 2 (up to 32 this week), ab ripper a couple of times, but didn't get a session of yoga in this week. :(
how did it feel? pretty good week.  can feel myself getting more and more comfortable at a 8:15-8:30 pace.  my long run this week was one of the best runs i have ever had...it was fun, felt effortless, and was my best time ever (57:46).

week of 2/14-2/20
total miles: 30.  including some really great intervals, a billy goat climb, and another 7 miler.
cross training: drop and give me twenty week 3 (up to 55!!), ab ripper, yoga, and some just dance 2!
how did it feel? monday, i started noticing some pain in my right heel.  tried to be careful to get out of my heels, and wear my supportive shoes more.  started doing some reading, and asking around and i think it may be the start of PF.  so...i have been very proactive in trying to get a jump on treating it before it gets too bad. have been doing some rolling (with a can of tomato paste.  heehee), icing, taking ibuprofen, and being intentional about stretching.  hoping that i can get this under control before it becomes too much of an issue.  it is feeling better yesterday and today than it did this weekend...so that is a good sign!


preview of things to come: 

i am entering the arnold 5k  on march 6th.  my training schedule calls for a 5k race that weekend....so this was  perfect timing! excited to run in only my 3rd race...and 2nd 5k!  hoping to beat my first time (24:36).   i feel much stronger and faster than i did in december, so i think i can do it!!

really getting excited as my training continues to pick up for the cap city half marathon in may!  i just know i am going to have such a great time!  i love running....and racing is a ton of fun.  may can't get here fast enough!

this week, i have a tempo run scheduled, a long run of 7 again, (might push it do 8.  we'll have to see how the heel is holding up.), a billy goat climb, a couple ab workouts, drop and give me twenty, and some yoga.  also, going to continue to baby my heel and pray it continues to feel better, and not worse!

Recap of January

Miles planned/ran:  I planned to run between 57-97.  Actually ran 84.   Had to take about 9 days off because of my procedure.  February is going to be a higher mileage month!!  :)

Cross training workouts planned/completed:  16/14.  This was composed of a mixture of ab ripper x, drop and give me twenty, and yoga.

Rest days planned/taken: 13/13.  So many this month because of the time off to recoup from the ablation.

Highest mileage week: 31.

Lowest mileage week: 0. Hate that!!

Long runs planned/run: 4/3.  Long run is 6+ miles for me...

Incline workouts planned/run: 3/1.  Want to do at least one per week from now on...

Speed work planned/run: 3/4.  Hoping to get at least one per week in the future!

Current drink: Tazo Sweet Wild Orange tea.  This stuff rocks!!    I am also loving my new smoothie:  1 whole orange, 3/4 cup frozen strawberries, and 6 oz of apple juice.  it's a bit tart, but i LOVE IT!!!  plus, it is under 200 calories!!

Current ache/pain:  Just my left ankle after slipping on a patch of ice this past saturday.  not too bad tho.  it is getting better with some ice and tlc!

Book club book: Little Brother by Cory Doctorow.  Still have to finish...but it is a pretty good book.  Kind of a futuristic "Big Brother is watching" type book.   I also finished Columbine this month....VERY GOOD!!!  I highly recommend it!

Current song:  I am on a Sanctus Real and '80s/'90s kick right now!

Current excitement: Training for the Cap City Half begins this month!  I am also excited to start preparing for my talk for the next Walk to Emmaus...of which I am a team member!!  :)

Current wish list: A running skirt....I do not have one yet!!  A road ID.  More warm days so I can get outside!!!

Donuts burned all time/month: 355/44

Goals for February: Run 100+ miles, find a race to run in the Columbus area, incorporate at least 4 core fitness workouts, 2 upper body workouts, and 3 sessions of yoga,  3 incline workouts, 3 speed workouts.

Thanks to (Just) Trying is for Little Girls, and Silly Girl Running for the idea to post a recap of the month!  LOVE IT!

what's going on...

i need to get better at this whole blog thing!  it seems every time i think about posting, i do not have time to get to it!  i truly enjoy reading everyone's posts tho!

i got back into running the wednesday after my procedure.  took it really slowly, and eased myself back into it last week.  only logged 16 miles last week...but i am confident i will be back to my 25ish miles very soon.   went outside this past saturday (first time since the new year that i have run outside).  felt nice to be back in the great out of doors!  however, i slipped on a small patch of ice, and since then my left ankle is slightly sore.  took sunday off and then ran short distances on monday and tuesday.  still a bit sore, but not too bad.  going to continue taking it easy, but hope i can get back to normal soon!

had a crazy storm come through yesterday.  a snow day yesterday and another one today!! woohoo!!  didn't really do anything yesterday, but i think i will try to get some stuff done today!  we'll see.  i woke up way too early....wasn't sure if we would have school or not.

i really want to continue trying to improve my overall fitness.  i know my aeorbic levels have to be good.  when i was having my procedure, the nurses commented on how low my resting heart rate was...it was right around 50...  but i want to improve my core and upper body fitness.  not sure if i will try to incorporate more p90x into my routine...but we'll see.

i am currently searching for some races in my area in the next couple of months.  i do love racing, and i think it will help add some variety to my life!  :)  if anyone in the central ohio area knows of any really fun races in the next couple months, let me know!  i am debating on the CRCC winter run on february 13 and the arnold 5k on march 6th.  has anyone run these?  how are they?

off to enjoy my 2nd snow day in a row!

fixing a broken heart.

note: this is long, but i am trying to get down all the details while i can still remember most of them.

i was scheduled to have my ablation to correct my wolfe parkinson's white syndrome on tuesday morning.  

well, tuesday did not start as well as i had wished. won't go into details here, but let's just say, kyle and i were about 15 minutes late getting to the hospital.  and since we were unfamiliar with mt. carmel west campus, had a little trouble figuring out where we were supposed to go.  when it's all said and done, we got there, and that's all that really matters.  before i begin to recap what the day held for me, i must say that i was overwhelmingly impressed with the nursing staff at west.  from the moment we got there until we left, they were some of the most compassionate, empathetic, humorous, caring nurses i have ever encountered.  i wish i could remember every one of their names so i could write them each a thank you, but, well let's be honest, i was sedated or recovering from sedation most of the day. :) i remember three of their names.  one of the nurses that prepped me was crystal.   the anesthestiaologist was named doris.....or was it lois..???  and the nurse in charge of my recover was jessica.  she was so great!  moving on...

once i was brought back into the room to be prepped, i started to get very nervous.  lots of deep breathing and quiet prayers were said for a safe, quick, and successful procedure.  at almost exactly 8:00 am, i was wheeled back to the room where the procedure would be done. i kissed kyle goodbye and tried to relax.  the nursing staff got me all wired up and then the sedation came. i was told it would be twilight sedation. i was hoping to be put completely under, so that was a bit disappointing...but as lois (or doris) explained, if i were completely sedated, they would not be able to start my heart racing (pace my heart) in order to find exactly where the problem was.  she began the sedation and i believe i was completely out of it for about 2-3 hours.  i then started to wake up and from that moment on i remember everything that happened.  

when i woke up they were pacing my heart.  i heard lots of conversation as they were trying to pinpoint the exact location of the extra electrical pathway.  it was an uncomfortable situation, but not painful.  i do remember saying to one of the nurses, "that's pretty cool that you can just turn it on and off like that"....referring to the fast heartbeat.  they finally did locate it, and unfortunately, it was not on the right side of the heart.  it was just inside the wall of the left side.  this meant they had to cross the middle wall of the heart to get to it.  this extra step increases the risk for stroke and other problems, so they had to give me blood thinner.   at this point i had 4 catheters.  i remember, vividly, them inserting the 5th.  that was painful.  truly.  i gasped and almost cried out.  they gave me a bit more sedation, but honestly, i don't remember getting a whole lot of relief from it.  

finally came the time when they were going to go in and ablate that little pesky pathway.  they do this by applying heat and essentially burning it.  the first "burn" they did lasted only 15 seconds or so, and i guess it totally got rid of it...the nurses and doctors were astonished that it was gone.  he did an "insurance" burn for 2 minutes just to be absolutely sure...lord knows i don't want to have to go through this again.  in fact, i have said i would rather have another baby without any pain killers than ever experience this procedure again.  i felt a sensation of warmth in my chest as they did the 2nd burn.  it didn't hurt, it was just...weird.  the doc then removed the wires...again somewhat, actually very, uncomfortable and a bit painful.  

i was wheeled to recovery and i had to lay completely flat and while not moving my legs for 2-3 hours.  they had to wait for the blood thinner to work its way out of my body so they could remove the 5 catheters.  once my blood was sufficiently thick enough, they ushered kyle and my mom out of the room and began the extraction.  this was probably my least favorite part of the entire ordeal.  as i usually get very light headed and nauseous when i give blood, the nurse reclined me so that my head was lower than the rest of my body.  then removed the catheters.  OUCH.  she removed them from the right side first and then had to apply pressure to the area for a full 20 minutes before bandaging me up and putting a sandbag on me to keep applying pressure.  then to the left side.  i tried to hold it together, but i am fairly certain a few tears escaped.  and then the pressure, and bandage and sandbag process.  all in all, it took close to an hour just to take the catheters out.  at that point, i still had to keep my legs still for a bit longer, but i was allowed to incline my head to a 30 degree angle. my mom and kyle brought me back food, but i just couldn't eat.  i tried, but ended up feeling sick.  so i drank some sprite and forced down a few graham crackers over the course of an hour or two.  i think i really started to feel better once i was able to get on my feet again.  

i got to go home around 6:00pm.  and my mom and dad had brought down meatloaf and mac and cheese.  by the time i got home, i was famished and ready to enjoy the yumminess!  had two helpings and then relaxed on the couch for a bit.  i was supposed to stay in a reclined position on my back for the rest of the night.  after about an hour, i headed to bed.  tried to stay on my back the entire night....got really old, but i did it.  

i found out later from my mom and kyle that after the procedure was done, the doc came out and talked to them for about 20 minutes.  they had lots of questions and he is pretty great about answering questions in a way you can understand.  he told them that what they found out while doing the procedure is that i had a really dangerous form of wpw.  instead of the pathway just going up, it went both up and down.  this type of problem is what can cause people to just drop dead where they stand.  my heart would instantly go to 230+ beats per minute while they were pacing it, and because of the double pathway, it makes the upper and lower chambers both race independently of each other....really dangerous.  i am so thankful that i got this procedure done...and that God has been keeping me safe for the last 15+ years.  

as of now, i have had no issues with any racing, skipping, or fluttering... it really is amazing to me what doctors and technology can do these days.  the doc told kyle and mom that this is one of those few medical procedures that can 100% cure the problem.  now, that's not to say that they may not have to go in a 2nd time (PLEASE...NOOOOOO!!), but once it's gone, it's gone forever!  YIPPEE!!!

i was told to basically take it easy for 3 days. basically, the risk of bleeding from the sites where the catheters were is the biggest concern.  any blood, or warmth, and i am to call 911 immediately.  no driving, walking to a minimum, take care when standing up and sitting down, sneezing, coughing....  today is the last day.  looking forward to getting back to a more normal routine. however, i am not to begin running again until next week.  i am trying to embrace the rest, but i am beginning to CRAVE a good run.   

 i am so thankful for everyone that has taken care of me, prayed for me, emailed/called to check on me, made meals, sent flowers, graded my exams, brought me my exams and other goodies.....  i am very blessed to be surrounded by so many great people.  GOD IS GOOD!!

it's a matter of the heart

 i have to be at the hospital at 6:00am tomorrow for my procedure.  it's called a catheter ablation and you can read about it here or here.  I will be sedated (thankfully) and i should be home tomorrow night.  however, i have no idea when the doc will let me begin running again. i am praying the longest he will say is 10 days, but that it will be less than that.  i really wanted to get one last run in today, but i have been feeling like i might be coming down with something, so dr. kyle (aka, my husband) told me i needed to take it easy and try to rest.  so, i listened...reluctantly, because it was just so nice outside today!  i haven't run outside in 2 weeks, and i really miss it!
so, i will be resting for the next few days in the hopes of a quick recovery.  i really want to get back out there as quickly as possible.
a friend asked me if i was nervous.  at first, i thought...no, what's there to be nervous about?  but as it gets closer, i am beginning to feel the butterflies fluttering.  i know it will be fine, but i guess it's natural to have some nerves before something like this.  after all, they are going to be messing with my heart!.  it's kind of an important part of me.  :)
if you are the praying type, please pray for the following:
~ that i am not sick...i really do not want to have to reschedule this procedure again.
~ that the procedure goes well and they are able to fix the problem.
~ that my recovery is quick.
~ that my substitute does not have any problems while i am gone.
~ that my youngest gets over this sickness she has had all weekend (101+ fever and major congestion).

thanks all and God bless!

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my year end summary

as you all probably know, i post my workouts on dailymile.  recently a summary was done for each person.  here is the link to mine.  since i didn't start running until late july, i am really pleased with my summary.  this year, my goal is to hit 1000 miles!!

http://www.dailymile.com/people/koppm/training/2010/summary

another post to come soon!

2010 in pictures part 2

JULY: 
a very busy month...had lots of fun spending days at the pool and at zoombezi bay.

saw some pretty decent fireworks in gahanna!

took a trip to the columbus zoo with my mom, gramma, sister in law, nephew, and kayla's oldest friend jackie, who was visiting ohio from minnesota.  they had a lot of fun!!

 kyle and i took our first trip in 12+ years..went to vegas.  i got to see the "love" by cirque du soleil.  it was amazing!!  i have lost 40+ pounds since this pic was taken.  this month is when my "love affair" with running began.  i started training for the columbus half marathon, and there was no going back.

AUGUST:

we took a trip to indianapolis to visit with my brother and sister-in-law and the family.  the kids had a lot of fun!!

my cousin and her family visited from south carolina.  while here, we got a family picture

and just moments after the pic above was snapped, my cousin's boyfriend proposed in front of the whole family!!!  it was sooooo cool!! 

SEPTEMBER: 

i turned 35 this month... and i was in the middle of the most intense part of my training for the half marathon that i was getting ready to run in october.  i don't have any pix from this month, but it was a good one!

OCTOBER: 

had the opportunity to go to atlanta for my favorite christian conference of the year...catalyst.  check it out...i look forward to it every year. and every year, it is life-changing!

we got a pic with tripp and tyler.  a very funny comedic team that did a video with chris tomlin called "bowlin'"  very funny...check it out!!

my catalyst buds!!  love these guys!!

and i ran my first half-marathon.  my goal was to finish somewhere between 2:40 and 2:10.  i finished in 2:06:54...smashed it!!  had an awesome time and i can't wait to do another one!!  my mom and dad and mother in law and tea were there to cheer me on!!  unfortunately, kayla was really sick and had to stay home, but she was with me in spirit!

here i am with 2 of my co-workers/friends after the finish!  we all did great!!!

and..yep, i had a donut!!

NOVEMBER: 

it's kind of weird...but i don't have an pix from this month either.  however, i learned sometime in late october/early november that i have a heart condition called WPW.  it is basically a heart condition that will cause my heart to race uncontrollably at times.  i had a very scary episode which caused me to call 911 and be taken to the ER because it began racing and wouldn't stop for more than an hour.  (heart rate was over 200 and blood pressure was half of what it should be).  the treatment is pretty "easy" and non-invasive and i will be undergoing it in january.  i have had these episodes since i was 19 years old, and after multiple trips to cardiologists, i was told they were panic attacks!  glad to finally have some answers...and an end in sight.  thankfully, it has not been a reason for me to stop running.  

DECEMBER: 

what a busy month!  lots of parties....like the math department christmas party.  it's always a good time.  here's a pic with some of the girls!

we celebrated christmas with my family on the 18th, at my gramma's house on the 25th, and with kyle's family on the 26th!!  they were all fun and i loved spending time with people i love! 

 kyle had too much sugar...

kayla got a kindle...and has not put it down since she opened it.   and tea got an american girl doll...she has been asking for one for years.  this was the year!!

i will leave my lights and tree up for a couple of weeks...because, well, they make me happy!!

kyle and i spent a wonderful new year's eve at melting pot while the girls were in canton with kyle's dad

and rang in 2011 with a smooch by the tree at easton!!

  

here's to a wonderful year...and an even better one to come!