four weeks to prairie fire. a turkey or a crane.

Despite the on-going hip/IT band/quad/hamstring my left leg is enduring, I am still running as much as possible. With my goal 'm' time changed I am not worried or stressing out about the marathon as I have in the past. We are doing our long runs at a pace very near to where we want to run the marathon, so that in and of itself is comforting. And no, it's not at a pace that I'm pushing, it's a very comfortable, easy pace for a long run. We talk the entire time, so we are running easily enough for us to chatter non-stop.

While the long runs are going quite well, it's my weekday runs that are hurting me. Having two treatments a week in PT means that I'm swollen and bruised during the week, and good to go by the weekend. So I'm managing the best I can, squeezing in 4-6 milers as comfortably as possible Monday - Friday.  I wish I could do more than that, but the pain isn't worth it.

That said, we ran 19 miles on Saturday, and I'm pretty stinking satisfied with it! It's one of the best long runs I've ever had. I love that I am training with Shellers and Katie (who is only doing the half at PF) and that we can carry each other when needed. It seems when one of us is having a bad run there is another one of us there to pick the other up to keep her going. It's what running buddies are for! Our last long run will be this Saturday topping out at 20 miles, then our taper includes a half marathon, and a 5k (+ some miles) the week before our big 'm'.

In other news, we have been mixing up our long run routes the past few months, none of us enjoy running the same route over and over. So we ran quite the path on Saturday that led us through a good chunk of the city and then landed us in a big nature preserve/park where we got to run on quiet shaded paths through prairie grasses and all manner of nature. In fact we spotted some Turkeys (or Cranes.... that issue is still up for debate) during our run.

Maybe you can tell which they are? We are sticking to Turkeys, SOMEONE else thinks they were Cranes. But he is a boy. And wasn't there. So clearly we are right. He is wrong. Or maybe you, the interwebs, should decipher. What do you think, they are the little grey things toward the top of the picture in the green scrub.

*turkeys or cranes?*

Week 12 Training
Monday - 3 miles
Tuesday - 4 miles
Wednesday - Yoga
Thursday - 5 miles
Friday - Rest
Saturday - 19 miles
Sunday - Rest

Total = 31

I Am Leopard.

And shameless. Pictures never do it justice, the bruises I'm developing from my second ASTYM treatment. My bruises are quite spectacular, and they look like I'm channeling a leopard. Random aside: what noises to leopards make? Do they meow? Growl? Do leopards purr, I wonder?  If they do, I'd be purring right now because my leg may look horrific, but man is it feeling better!

Regardless, the above splotches on my quad and inner thigh (yes those spotty patches are bruises, hard to tell) are the result of ASTYM; well the second treatment, the first treatment bruises aren't going public... well maybe... for a fee. So. Everyone handles treatment differently (i.e. level of bruising and swelling). I bruise a lot, and swell some. But it's very manageable. The pain is the payoff in this case. Literally. The good news is all those little spotter-spots? That is my damaged tissue thanks to all that speedwork this spring. Clearly I can work hard to run faster, but if I neglect my legs during my phases of speedwork, the results aren't good.

The great news here is that it's not like I have some awful injury like I've experienced in the past, my muscles just didn't heal back correctly. They should be like spaghetti in a box, and right now they are like cooked spaghetti. It's just how my muscles respond. And basically everything in my upper left leg is cooked spaghetti, not just my hip, but my IT band, my groin, my inner thigh, my butt. It sucks, but now I know. I know how these issues can be fixed. And now I know what to do when the aches, throbbing and pain appear.

I am an official ASTYM junkie! 

I have a few more treatments to go, I'm not sure how many exactly, but I can keep running through treatment.! And if I knew what sound a leopard makes? I would totally insert the appropriate text reflecting said leopard noise... for now I'll say meow. And purr.

RELIEF.

Finally. For the first time in nearly six weeks, I ran ALMOST pain free this morning. I had ASTYM Tuesday at Physical Therapy, and while ASTYM hurts like a mother and makes me all bruised up and puffy, it works. I had it on my right hip years ago, and haven't had problems with that hip since. I'm hopeful this proves the same on my left side. I go back for more torture this afternoon. But it's worth it.

I was seriously considering dropping to the half-marathon yesterday. As in ready to say at the end of my day, "okay, this isn't worth it." I'm not this athlete. I'm not meant to marathon (i'm still not convinced i'm built for it). But after my morning run today with my dear running buddy Shellers, I feel better. And ready to run a marathon. Of course the delicious Pumpkin Spice Latte's after and a good chat didn't hurt a bit....sweet goodness how I LOVE fall.

Side note: Milo hit his mileage PR today, five miles! So proud. He kept our pace the entire run and didn't once peter out.

It was my best run in a month and a half. My pain has been reduced by at least 80% and while I still had some pain, it was nothing like it's been. It was just the boost I needed to pick myself up and decide to do the marathon after all. With me and marathon training, it's never drama free. There is always that point I get to where I say, forget it, I won't do it. And then I get better and I do. It's a good time.


But. This is what I've worked hard for the past few months, really hard for. To get healthy in running, but also overall physically, emotionally and spiritually. To get past the junk, to get past the pain and be able to pick myself up and say it's okay regardless of all the crap. To keep going. And to live a happy and content life. Despite the junk. Despite running injuries.

The hard work and determination and refusal to give up are paying off. I feel like I've been climbing Everest the past few months in regard to a lot of things. Like life, running, career. And I finally made it to the top this week. Time to take a breath and enjoy. Because finally this week, there has been RELIEF.

best part of my day.

My morning run in 55 degree weather. No.

Let that sink in.

FIFTY. FIVE. DEGREES. No humidity. I even put on a long sleeve shirt. My face got chilly, my cheeks were all red after my run, my hands a little numb.

It was incredible. After the 'summer on the surface of the sun' (read: endless days of 100+ temps), in early September I got to run in FIFTY FIVE DEGREE WEATHER. With my dog. In the peace and quiet of early morning. No iPod. No Garmin. No running buddies. Just me and Milo. And even though it didn't feel like an easy painless run (none of them have been lately), it was the best run I've had in a really long time.

After the first mile I just forgot about everything, let go and ran hard. Milo kept up, I've been working to get him in shape for this, and it is paying off. I can now just let him run beside me, off the leash, worry free. He is always right there. My favorite little running buddy. Then before I knew it we were back home. Both out of breath, chilly and smiling. All peaceful, content and happy. I worked some junk out on my run. I really needed that.

*milo happily trotting along in front of me on our run*