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[SarahPT]

Yeah it really is hard to find a balance. I'm that typicaly ectomorph body type that wants to lose mass easy. When my mileage is high I really want to still lift but my body tells me no. I think this time around I may take more aminos to try to help prevent it. We'll see. I wish I could have my cake and eat it too!

[Boss Man]

You might possibly benefit as well, from something like HMB, (Gamma-Hydroxy-Methyl-Butyrate), as a Protein Synthesiser.

[SarahPT]

Good point bossman, thanks!

I'm pretty happy with the program I'm doing. I've been focusing a lot on speedwork and I can notice differences. This past Sundya I did a 15k "race." I quote race because I didn't prepare for it as a race or run it as a race, just as a hard run. It went pretty darned well. I was feeling very ill in the last mile and had to slow down a lot, but up until then I was crusing.

Weight training is still going well. I'm doing 2x a week. Upper body strength is still awesome--unassisted pull ups and all! Lower body strength is stagnant, but at least not decreasing yet.

Fitting alittle yoga in as well to keep my flexibility and to keep myself loosened up.

Right now running looks like:

1 long, slow run each week
2 shorter, easy runs per week
2 track workouts per week. These include speed work.

I'll start incorporating more hill work in a couple weeks.

[Boss Man]

Good to read.

Well done!!!!

[SarahPT]

June 4

Running has been going great until this week. My allergies are dragging me down bad. I missed today's run. Blah!!

Long runs have gotten up to 14 miles
Speed workouts are including fartlek interval runs and track workouts
Hill runs are now going to be incorporated
Still doing 2 easy runs per week of about 5 miles

Surprisingly, weight training is still going well. The only thing that has suffered is squats. I'm still very strong on everything else and seeing improvements. Just goes to show how important adequate sleep and nutrition are, and that our bodies are capable of doing a heck of a lot without suffering, as long as we treat them right.

[Boss Man]

Try Quercetin, ot suppress those Allergies, or consider upping intake of one or more from either Apples, Red Peppers or Red Onion, as they contain Quercetin.

Might be a way to reduce the allergies, instead of taking anti-histamines like Benadryl, Piritin, Zirtek etc etc.

[katiesuarez]

Hi Sarah,

Just like Boss said, Quercetin works really well. I take it everyday with Bromelain. It doesn't cause any nasty side effects that come from using OTC medications.

[monnie32]

any suggestions for someone who wants to really get into running?

[SarahPT]

Sorry for my long absence. I had a very nasty illness and actually thought I was not going to live. It turns out I had lyme disease. I got treated and I feel fine and normal now. My workouts, however, are not normal. I lost a LOT of weight and all my strength, speed and endurance. It feels like starting from day 1. Extremely frustrating. My race plans all had to go out the window. Not a damn thing I can do about it though. It amazes me to huff and puff when I run. I've been a long distance runner my whole life. Running is so easy and natural for me, until now. I know it will come back but the waiting is not fun.

Monnie, si there anything particular I could help you with? Running is a wonderful sport when done correctly.

Everything else is going very well by the way. I'm having a wonderful summer now that I'm well with lots of hiking and outdoors stuff. Modeling is also going very well.

[swanso5]

great ti hear you're alright then...what's lime disease exactly??? did ralph wiggin have that once?

[Boss Man]

Lyme causes all sorts of issues, and is often mistaken for other things. It's usually caused by a tick bite. It's become one of those things a lot of people think they have, pretty much when Cold and Flu aren't the reason for being ill.

I think it's become a sort of celebrity of the disease world. One many want to have when sick, but most don't.

Good to hear you're okay Sarah, and don't worry about getting back to previous athletic levels. You are young, strong, and doing fine now, and you certainly should never apologise to us lot for being ill, so please don't ever do that again, or we might possibly be having polite words in private

I don't like people appolgising for stuff like this, that's all, and I'm going to be polite now, and not accept, because you shouldn't have to apologise for anything okay .

We're all here for you yeah, and always have been, so no worries, just keep focusing on you, and you'll be back to your best soon, I don't doubt it at all.

Main thing is your fine now, so keep pushing hard, don't give in, chin up, be strong head high and GOOD LUCK.

[SarahPT]

Thanks for the comments guys! It has been a long road of recovery. Unfortunately that disease took a lot out of me. I'm still not back up to the level I was before with my running, but I'm working very hard at it.

I did some goal re-evaluation. I really want to work on improving both my speed and distance. Distance has always come very natural to me. I love my long runs, but I'm slow. I've got some race dates on my calendar. In Nov a half marathon, in May a marathon, and an ultra marathon in July (31 miles).

Right now I'm on a 10 weeks program working on speed for the half marathon. I'm running 5-6x a week, occasional cross training days also. I have a lot of focus on improving lactate threshold, some on imrpoving VO2 max, and some on running slightly faster than race pace during long runs to make race pace feel "easy." I just started on Sunday. I'm doing plyometrics for lower body once a week and an upper body circuit once a week.

After that race I'll take a few weeks for recovery and start a 24 week marathon training program. After that I'll have 9 weeks until my ultra. I'll take about 3 weeks with low mileage for recovery, then simply continue the same plan as for the marathon, just with slightly higher mileage. After that I'll decide if I still have my sanity or not.

Long range I have goals of qualifying for the Boston marathon in 2013 and running the Mount Washington road race in 2010. For those who don't know about those things, qualifying time for Boston will mean running a marathon in 2013 in 3:45 or less, then I can run the Boston marathon in 2014. Mount Washington is the highest Mountain in the US east of the Mississippi. The auto road is 7.8 miles stright up. The grade goes between 11-22%. It draws some excellent runners and has big cash prizes. It's a big accomplishment to run it in the alloted time.

Anyway, that's my update. I hope I'll get a chance to read how everyone else is doing!!

[Boss Man]

Good luck to you. You're definitely an inspiration, and your input is ALWAYS appreciated.

The main thing is to just take on as much as you can reasonably handle, and as always take each day as it comes. I'm in no doubt you can do this, as you've trained before, and even been disciplined enough to once do figure comps, so you shouldn't have many issues. I know it's just going to take some time, for you to make it happen.

You must be eating almost like a Horse now I suppose, in order to intake enough calories to burn .

[SarahPT]

Haha, yes some days I'm taking min about 3000 calories, some days under 2500 if it's a light day. I'm always hungry so I just keep the food coming

I've been busy but I thought I would post my last week of training. I am making progress. Some of my runs have started feeling easier and I'm able to make decreases in my times. Feeling good about it. I can't wait to get this next half marathon done and start marathon training!!

Sept 21st, day 22, 7 weeks out

AM: cross training

I took my bike to a nice flat trail so I didn't have to deal with hills in my one stupid gear lol. I rode about 10 miles and it felt great! Perfect weather, and I peddled my butt off. Went home and ate pancakes.

PM: easy run

3 miles. 3 miles feels so LAME! But it's what plan called for and I have a tough week of training coming up, so I stuck with it. Did some good sized hills.
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AM: Trail run

I was feeling very negetive about my running and I knew the trail run would help. I went to a trail called "The Mountain," which is not at all a mountain, but a big hills. The trail goes .8 mile up. So I did 3 repeats of up and back, then added a short bit on the end to make 5 miles. I spent the entire run thinking about my running history. I thought over all the awards I have won over the years, all my accomplishments, and how I knew at 7 years old after I ran my first race that I had a gift for running. I have had more obstacles slow me down than seems fair at times, but it's in my genes clearly. I cannot doubt my own abilities. It can be really hard not to, but I know I can't.

PM: Upper body/core strength

Did the same circuit I've been doing:
3 times thru:
lat pull down
bench press
1 arm DB row
Overhead DB press
Dips
Lateral raises
EZ bar bicep
Overhead tri ext.

My strength seems to be maintaining ok.

After I did 2 sets hanging leg raises and 2 sets hanging twisting knee raises.
5 minute stretch after.

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Sept 23rd, day 24, 6 weeks and 5 days out

Pace run

Pace runs always get my nerved up. After my 1 mile warm up I stretched and just went for it.

BOOM! I kicked so much butt. The run was 6 miles at race pace. My goal pace for this race is 9:30 per mile. I was driven today, even more so than usual. I ran 9:15 per mile and it didn't feel that bad. Didn't meant o go that fast, it just happened. Sure it was tough, but not close to max. I could have sustained it a bit longer. I CAN run, and obviously my hard work is paying off. I am improving and I will continue to improve and kick even more butt!
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Sept 24th

Recovery day

Sept 25th, day 26, 6 weeks and 3 days out

LSD run

14 very very hilly miles. I didn't go on my typical trail, but went on the hilliest route around. It's beautiful, passing a few lakes, going over an island. And the foliage is starting to get nice. It was pretty warm, low 70's and sunny. I had a hard time getting going. I felt shaky and unstable so I went real slow. By about 3.5 miles I got in to my groove. Pace was slow the whole time because of the degree of the hills, but that's to be expected.

I decided I really wanted to try gels again. When I get to marathon training it's going to be really hard to do only Gatorade on those long runs. I took one with me. I ate it very gradually over 3 miles. It gave me some cramps but they were minor. I prepared by taking immodium twice, once 1.5 hours before my run and once 45 minutes before my run. So that was good. I just have to prepare real well and I should be able to handle it.
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Sept 26th, day 27, 6 weeks and 2 days out

AM: Plyometrics and core

10 min elliptical warm up
Jump squats:
10
10
10
Tuck jumps:
7
7
Lateral hops
20 (10 each side)
20
20
Lunge jumps
10 (5 each side)
12
12

Planks:
6 20 second holds

10 min stretch

Noon: 20 min nap
Ugh, I woke up so groggy. I had to go teach a class so I made a quick cup of coffee to take with me. I was not paying attention when I put the coffee flavoring in. I must have used half a cup. It was so gross I couldn't drink it.

PM: easy run
5.5 miles. Couple small hills, slow pace. Not much to report. I kept it nice and easy since I had such a hard run yesterday and I have a hard track run tomorrow.
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Sept 27th, day 28, 6 weeks and 1 day out

Track work

1 mile warm up
Stretch
6x 800 at 5k race pace with 400 meter recoveries
2x 1 mile at 9 min pace (actual times 9:01, 8:47) with 400 meter recoveries

8 miles total

I have no idea where that energy came from at the end. On paper this run looked like it would be really hard. I figured I would be dragging ass on the mile repeats but instead I had to hold myself back. Guess I'm gaining speed! It was a challenging run, but not nearly as hard as I thought it would be.

It was super humid, but I managed to be there between rain showers. I ate lots this morning (and like a pig last night!) but I was starving at the end. I think I'm going to eat and eat and eat this afternoon.

[Boss Man]

LSD run??

So basically the athlete gets stoned, and then runs? Or are you allowed to fly on some of the middle bits