Running starfish

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setting goals and taking names...sort of

2.5 weeks past Vermont City, 18 weeks from Chicago and where am I at? My IT Band has been a whiny little jerk since the marathon. First it was my calves. Typical. I'm a toe runner with a crazy flippy leg. Then almost as soon as I got confirmation from Chicago that I could register as part of The American Development Program, my IT band was all, "Pay attention to meeeeeEE!"

So the return to running has been a bit of a stutter start. I've been paying a lot of attention to my IT band issue and it's getting better. I even went so far as to take a hot bath and stretch for 15 minutes before running on Sunday. Full-on crazy runner behavior. I went 7 and felt great.

The only lingering affects from the marathon aside from the cranky IT band is an overall feeling of fatigue. I don't know how to describe it other than I feel like I'm wrapped in gauze when I start running. Really fuzzy, and floaty. Like I haven't eaten enough, even though I have.

Yesterday I made the mistake (for the 753rd time) of eating extra spicy Pad Thai for lunch. My afternoon run was interrupted a few times before I decided that almost pooping my pants on a 6 mile run was really not acceptable to me. I had no idea where the next port-a-potty was and squatting in people's front lawns is generally frowned upon. Or so I've heard... So I called my husband to come get me. Yes, he's a really lucky man.

Speaking of poop, someone tweeted this blog post, " The Awful Truth About Jogging", at me and it's a pretty hilarious read. Also when I couldn't find it to link here, I Googled 'running poop blog' and this questionably even more hilarious blog came up. Seriously this sport is so ... beautiful.

Other than that it's going well...

Week One
6/26 - Run marathon! Celebrate with the family in Burlington
6/27 - Rest
6/28 - Rest, travel back to Seattle after stuffing my face with lobster

6/29 - Rest
6/30 - Accepted to ADP Chicago, rest but start to feel even more antsy...
6/31 - Rest, drive to Maryhill with Owen for sunny weekend of camping, wine and bocce ball
6/1 - Easy 3 or 4 at Maryhill State Park

i love the drive to maryhill
first run post marathon, from tent to church and back
followed by some serious bocce battle in my man repeller dress
Week Two
6/2 - Rest
6/3 - Easy 3, calves still shot. Frustrated.
6/4 - Rest
6/5 - Easy :30
6/6 - Bike to work (1:30) + Run 4 miles + Bike home (1:15) + Gym
6/7 - Easy 4
6/8 - Rest, IT band issues, literally slept all day

Week Three
6/9 - Easy 7 (:30 active stretching with rope)
6/10 - Easy 4, punctuated by bathroom stops
6/11 - Easy 7 with drills, pushups, plyo
6/12 - easy or off
6/13 - spin class 6am + afternoon jog with drills, pushups, plyo
6/14 - easy or off
6/15 - Easy 5

I'm new to coming back to training post marathon. I'm being patient and listening to my body. I go easy when I need to, and I don't look at my pace.

I know my goal is lofty, so I am filling in my schedule with lifting, stretching and drills. I will keep them even as my mile ramps back up. I emailed my coach about my goal, he emailed back, "if you can handle the training, you can run the time." Gulp. I have a few more days of running by feel. We have a rare chance to meet next week at USA Champs in Iowa (I'm spectating obviously!) and then the work begins.

How do you come back after 26.2? Any tips?