The Latest on my Training and Such

Well hello there. Sorry it has taken me so long to update but I was really sick for a while and some other issues have come into play. I think I complained to you all earlier about my super tight calf muscle. I thought it was okay after I rested for over a week with the ol' bronchitis, but it's back. This is no good.

Let me back-track a bit. The last time I wrote I think I was asking for advice regarding whether or not I should have gone ahead and run the St.Patty's Day Run in Tacoma. Although every piece of advice I recieved was discouraging me from going ahead with the race, the rebel in me made me do it anyway. It actually turned out okay. I didn't get any more sick than I already was, and beat last year's time by over a minute. I did however stay sick for about a week or so after the race so I don't think running improved my health at all. So that was that.

I have tried to go running 4 or 5 times since then and every time I have another stinking issue that makes me dread the running. Usually it's my calves tightening up (and yes I stretch a ton) or my body is just super exhausted. I am probably still a little bit sick, but I also lost a lot of conditioning. UGH. We are what, 15 weeks from the Rock and Roll Marathon? My epic, first, life-changing marathon?

On to other things... for cross-training and to improve my strength, I have been doing that P90X every morning, and following it's nutrition plan. This is more my husband's idea because he wants to get "ripped" but I figure it's good bonding time and will help me shed some unwanted pounds, hopefully improving my running performance. It's really hard and making me really grouchy, but it isn't always easy to be a sexy beast, ya know? Yeah.. I don't either.

So I figure I'm gonna try to follow my training schedule this week and really force myself to get the miles in. This will include a 10 mile run on Sunday. If I can't get caught up by next week, I may have to change my registration to the half-marathon. And I will be sad.

Running with Bronchitis

Yeah. Bronchitis now. I haven't been updating my blog because I have been sick with a severe case of acute bronchitis. I went to the doctor on Tuesday night where I was told to do nothing but rest. Naturally I asked her if I was compliant with this so-called "resting", if I might be able to run in my 5k that is scheduled for this coming Saturday. I took her exaggerated laughter as a no. Oh, and the fact that she said "honey, if you tried you would get worse.. and you probably wouldn't make it to the finish line."

Anyhoo, I've done this "resting". I haven't run all week. I'm still coughing and can't breath as well as I would like to...and the race is tomorrow. The rebel in me wants to prove that darned doctor wrong, but what if she is right and I do get worse and miss out on even more marathon training? I'm considering walking the measley 3 miles.

Ya know, I'm just a sucker for a finish line. What do you all think?

Leg Injuries Get In the Way

I'm an eternal optimist. It's what I do. I see the glass as half full, I see a steep hill as an opportunity to run down instead of up, and I refuse to believe whatever is wrong with my left calf muscle is something serious. Due to my lack of medical insurance, I guess we will never know. I do know that my last three or four runs were really painful. My last run on Monday, a six-miler, has done quite a number.

So what is wrong? My calves have been cramping up and swelling pretty bad as soon as the ASICS hit the pavement, but it usually goes away after the first mile or two. Now my left one is sort of stuck swollen and it feels like someone is inside my leg with a tiny drill going up and down the length of my calf, if that makes sense. I walk like an 80 year old woman recovering from a shark attack... or arthritis or something.

I took Tuesday and Wednesday off and it's getting a little bit better. A very little bit. So what do you guy think I should do? Power through it? Take a week off? Permanently sew an ice bag to my leg? Quit running and pursue my even bigger dreams of becoming the world's fattest woman?

I'm scheduled for a seven mile run this coming Sunday. I am also scheduled for a 5k race the following Sunday. I'm no quitter.

So basically I'm asking, what the crap am I gonna do? Are there any sports medicine doctors out there reading this that think I'm just precious enough to see/fix me for free? Anyone know of a good starter plan for someone looking to be sedentary and gain like 500 lbs?

Thanks.