Oooooh We're Half Way There

Nothing like a little old-school Bon Jovi shout out on a Monday morning! This is start of week 10 of training for the Chicago Marathon. 9 weeks down, 9 weeks to go--half way there! Last week was a "step back" week and looked a little like this:

Week 9
Monday - rest
Tuesday - 3.5 miles (aforementioned toe issue was bothering me so I stopped early)
Wednesday - Sick
Thursday - 4 miles
Friday - Rest
Saturday - 11 miles
Sunday - bike ride (cut short by a crash)

It was weird that 11 miles, once a big deal, felt like a short run. I returned home with all kinds of energy and proceeded to do some work after cleaning up as opposed to falling back into bed immediately. I'm psyching myself up for the next two weeks of mileage push 17 and 18 mile runs. I'm feeling confident!

All of that was momentarily called into question yesterday. I took my bike out to Grant's Trail for a little cross-training bike ride. It'd been almost two weeks since I'd had the opportunity to take Ruby out, so I was excited for a nice relaxing ride. I was enjoying the hot breeze in my face and the general lack of traffic on the trail when a kid, probably 10 years old, came riding towards me. Moments before he reached me, it seemed as though he decided to turn back in the other direction without looking to see if anyone was coming. He started to turn directly into my path. I yelled, braked, and swerved to no avail. Just off the trail on my side was a gravel parking lot with concrete parking stops. The combination of hitting one of those with my tire and the kid slamming into the side of me sent me off the bike and onto my right knee and wrist in the gravel. The kid and his bike landed on my other leg that was still straddling the bike. The kid was terrified but okay. His knee was scraped but otherwise he seemed okay. Although no parents were anywhere in sight and he wasn't wearing a helmet. Seriously, parents, manage your children. I asked him three times if he was sure he was okay before he sped off. My knee, on the other hand, was scraped and bleeding all over the place. Some nice people I'd passed earlier caught up with me and stopped to make sure I was okay. I was shaken and dripping blood but the scrape wasn't deep. And, my bike appeared to be in working order. So, I rinsed off the blood using my water bottle and headed back for my car. I could already tell my knee was swelling, so I decided to call it a day.

I showed up at home bawling, not so much because I was in pain but because I was afraid 9 weeks of training could be screwed up by one bike ride. Fortunately, I don't think that's the case. This morning, my knee is a little sore and swollen. The thing that hurts worst is my lower back...I feel a little like I've been in a minor car accident, scraped and sore in weird places but otherwise okay. I think I'm still going to do some light strength training this afternoon and my runs for the week as planned unless some new pain develops. Having a bike crash has been my biggest fear (right after accidentally catching a bug in the mouth...no, seriously I think about things like that). It sucked, but it could have been much worse. So, next Sunday, I'll suck it up and get back on the proverbial horse...er bike.

Happy Running!

My New Toy

I mentioned awhile back that I wanted a bike to use for cross-training days and that B. advised me against the cheap-o Target bikes. So, I've been saving my pennies, and today I went to adopt my new pet:


I was going to call her Red Robin until someone mention that it sounded like the burger joint I hate...Tossing around names like RedRum or something Cardinals related. I think I need a few more miles on her to figure out a really good nickname. I'll let you know!

More about the bike in a minute...First, the running portion of our story:
I hauled my ass out of bed at 5:20 this morning to get ready for this week's long run, just 9 miles, nothing new or crazy. But, I wanted to get out early to beat the 100+ degree heat indexes forecasted for the late morning/afternoon. I had the worst attitude when my alarm went off. I was sound asleep for once, cozy, dreaming. It was very cloudy and dark, and I'll be honest, I was hoping for it to be raining when I looked outside so I could postpone until tomorrow...It wasn't raining. So, I made myself get dressed, eat, and head out.

And, I'm SO glad I did. The humidity was insane (something like 92%), but it was pretty cool, in the low 70s the entire time I was out. Plus, my legs felt amazing today. The course I had mapped out for myself had several small hills, some of which I generally walk part way up on long runs. Not today, baby! My allergies were also firmly in check, leaving me to breath normally without all the huffing and puffing that's been the norm the last few weeks. I wasn't moving particularly fast, but my pace was unusually steady (something I've been working on). The best part was, I felt like I could have gone much farther without any problems. Overall, week 2 of training was amazing.

So, after I got cleaned up for the day ahead, I asked B. if he had time to take me to a local bike shop Big Shark where he got his bike and help me pick something out. The sales guy was great. They didn't have the bike I'd found on their website in stock, but he showed me other similar models and helped me determine what style and size I needed for my frame. I got helmet-ed up and took a couple of different bikes for a spin around the block. The red Marin was the second one I tried, and I didn't have the terminology to explain why, but it felt great to ride. They tuned it up for me and added a couple of water holders. B. and I also got a double bike rack, so if we bike on the same days we can go together.

When we got home, I took her on another spin around the neighborhood. In addition to being shiny and beautiful, she's also fast! I felt like a little kid zipping all over the subdivision. But it was SUPER hot, so I didn't stay out too long. Hopefully, I'll get a longer ride in tomorrow. On my short ride, I did, however, discover two things: 1. They aren't kidding about the value of getting those padded bike shorts. Ouch! 2. I don't remember the bike hand signals for turning. Might be something worth brushing up on before my next ride, eh?

Who knows, this could become my next great fitness passion. Could this be the future?


Marathon Training - Week 2:
Monday: 50 minutes circuit training
Tuesday: 3.12 miles (10.42 pace)
Wednesday: 5 miles (10.52 pace)
Thursday: 3.02 miles (10.34 pace)
Saturday: 9 miles (10.49 pace)
Sunday: bike riding & yoga!