Punta Cana running experiment

Punta Cana is an area 40 minutes from where I live. The school is there and since today my youngest daughter had a presentation, I planned to run there after the event (which lasted about only 10 minutes).
I always run in the hotel area or at the beach. Making a change definitely was something that I needed and a lot!
The hotel and the beach are somehow private areas. You can not access to the beach if you aren't staying in a hotel.
I can't run on the streets since there are not sidewalks, in fact the area is underdeveloped despite the luxury hotels that also you can find.
That makes the area completely unattractive to run outside, in fact even in Punta Cana where the airport is and where Oscar de la Renta and Julio Iglesias have their houses, there are no streets only the highway. Writing this I realized that it is maybe me who is scared of everything, but running on lonely roads where you don't see anybody walking and me there, with shorts, mmm not precisely the perfect scenery to run.
I explain all this so you value how nice it is to feel save running in developed and safe places even while sometimes its spooky...
For all this (I guess)when I was ready to start and saw my HR monitor, it was in 120 and I hadn't even started. This is incredible, looks like this new situation made my heart rate rise that
much!!! My mind immediately traveled to a marathon day, when despite of had been training it could happen and make me fail.
The surface the was another fact to learn. How nice it is to run on which
I think should be similar to a trail surface. From time to time when I reached an entrance and had to climb the road, I felt like if each of my legs were a ton. I thought running on trails should be nice and easy for the legs, but is much more than I imagined. The road is covered with some type of very short grass.
The first miles were fine despite the high Heart rate, which never went down. Over the last miles I was so concentrated on the road and with running as ever. It should be that the road is straight and the landscape is all the same. Some rain join me from time to time, it gave me another fact to rise the HR since breathing moisture makes it harder to catch the oxygen. Time flew!!
Forget the pace, it was low, well, as usual, but not at this HR. Over 11:00 per mile with a 160hr grrr, total 6 miles.

This morning I was at school with my funky shoes and didn't notice any strange looks, I am thinking that here in the tropical weather, in a Latin country, you certainly see many funky persons and nobody cares.
But still when I was using my back pack and cap I felt like an alien, hahaha as I said before, this is not for fancy people. I shouldn't worry to much is them who got scared!!
This was a great morning, my body is feeling great I will have to make one or two of my weekly runs there.

Thanks for reading and visiting me have a nice weekend!!!!!!!!

Cross training

Consisted in 20 minutes of what Jillian Michaels calls kickboxing. It is very easy, but the good news is that I could raise my legs to the sides with out any complains!! Maybe soon I will be able to go back to kickboxing.
Then I went to the row machine (is it its name??) for about 10 minutes, the elliptical for 10 minutes, 100 different combination of abs and low back exercises to end with 10 minutes bike ride around the hotel.
It made my HR rise -not too much but enough-, to feel full of energy and good mood for the rest of the day. I felt good this combination, it creates a different type of energy that the body recognizes in a different way.
The weather is back to normal. Sometimes I think that we are so used to have almost a radiator on us, that the lack of it makes all of the locals here feel flat. We can get use to anything.

The funky wicked shoes work

I had fun reading your comments about the shoes. Now I think maybe I am funky with out knowing it. This lonely live had driven me to do things like this, I guess.


The weather here since Monday has been cloudy, sorry about the tourist. The hotel has some more than 1500 rooms and they are working about 98%. Clients just keep asking when will the sun come back...
For me is great. Fresh breeze is blowing and taking away humid air.
This let me had a nice workout.

Wednesday: 4 miles

I am not already feeling with the joy of running like I used to. I just feel like going but with out excitement. I feel good energy... I wish this goes back with consistency. When you are really involved with something simplilly to continue going is motivating. Right now doing this short runs is boring, but yes, I learned the lesson and I know that going in to long runs just because I like them is not enough reason to do them.

That drives me to push harder, well as much as my own rhythm alouds me. Shoes are responding greatly, now niggles at all. Even the ankle with the spur is doing fine. I will wait until the end of the next week to go in to the small hill area to prove how the ITB is doing.

Building up consistency!! (again???)

I don't say "again" because I am finally able to run after this flu, but because watching my numbers I can see that inconsistency is what defines my last three weeks. Now I just wish this season is over and that march had passed as the lowest season of the year waiting for better times.

Monday 3 miles.
Tuesday 30 minutes workout and 4 miles.

This first three miles on Monday weren't the best, they were strangely hard. Other fact to take on count is that my new shoes are here and as expected they made my feet feel stiff, that plus the recovery well... I was conservative enough to stop at three miles for the first time ever.
Before running I made plyometric jumps, I include them two times a week.


Today everything was much better. I started with a 30 minutes workout with my new Jillian Michaels dvd. It is funny to workout listening to her. The workout is not that tough so is fine to do before running. I like it because the exercises are mainly cardio and working with the body's weight. So my plan has changed again and now I will do this sometimes and other times I will go with the training with jump rope just two times a week.

I know, I am always changing, that's why Luis stopped training with me, he said I was driving him crazy. Men... So straight!
The part of the plan of going as easy as possible has not been accomplished either. I included some intervals today, just a very short ones, but that I was feeling so good that I couldn't resist it.

Later this afternoon I want to make a yoga session.

This are my new shoes. They were 20us cheaper I think because of the color, anyway I like it. Maybe not the best color for this weather.

Cheaper or not, my feet were still stiff this morning. I will try to use them only with the orthotics the doctor recommended, taking out the insoles.

Running with them this morning was something good.

Thanks a lot for all the support I received. I wasn't even feeling like writing a comment in your blogs, can you believe it? But now I am fine and writing my blog help me a lot on my way to build up!

Jammed with flu

It started so badly form Monday afternoon and it is not over yet, grrrr.
This will be the first time that I stop for so long, and it is not an injury!!!!
I've already lost 3 runs and I am not completely sure I will run on Sunday. It is like and epidemic and gets worst with the temperature changes that we have here. Burning outside and very fresh with Air conditioned indoors.
My legs feel like two trunks and for moments I feel an inside sensation of running, like hard breathing... Like if I were running.
So as I was trying to avoid stopping, this has definitely hit me... I bet it will end someday... When? Am I the same person able to run at least for an hour anymore? Am I still a runner???

Temptations

Yes now is time to "follow the plan".

Wednesday 5 miles, Friday weights and 6 miles. Both were easy but as it is becoming hot and hot is very hard to keep my HR low... The sun is stilling my energy with 82 F = 28 C!!!

The thing with plans is that in this era of excess information, there is always something new to try, or just you know the temptation to go farther, specially if I am feeling strong, as I been feeling this days while running.

RW says to run faster to burn more calories specially because runners have to face this frustrating truth: as you become more and more fit you recover faster so the postworkout metabolic rate returns to its resting level sooner, and you don't burn as many calories as an occasional runner... Great news... I haven't lost any weight besides I have my log food, but I am such a gluttony that I record all the desserts and heavy meals I eat... Focus, focus!!!
No more sabotage!!

I am very happy because I continued running, resting is not always the answer!!!

Resting is unacceptable

Textually Lore of running says:
Furthermore, there is no doubt that rest is "the most unacceptable form of treatment for the serious runner" Chapter 14, page 754.
About this phrase I will just add that it is not saying that you have to be an elite runner to be a serious one...

Of course the book says first that instead of being looking for remedies, stretching, or resting, the main thing that most be done is to look for the cause. If you rest you will feel better but as soon as you go running it will go the same if the cause hasn't been treated.

I found my causes already and I am changing them. Blooger helped me a lot. I read my posts and this is what I've found:

• I made several long runs before changing shoes and I had no problem.
• After using my new shoes a couple weeks the ITB problem appear. The second new pair I have is not good for improving it either, so I will have to go back to the first model since it never gave me this problem and will stick to it for ever, changing a lot doesn't help at all.
• Last Friday ITB appear again AFTER a hill. I was shocked and didn't think of it, so until I am completely recovered I will do hills again.
• The Achilles problem comes from the tightness of the ankle, so since I am using the orthotics, stretching and all the rest, it will be fine.
• This last month I went for long runs too quickly. I will just continue doing runs no longer than 8 miles until the marathon training that will start next end of April.
• My new shoes are on the way.

For all this I went for 5 miles this morning and felt great. I use the best pair of shoes I have and orthotics. I was great. I am so happy, I feel I will definitely be successful to make it to the marathon! Thanks Lore of Running, I am learning so much!

Awake in bed

It was 6:15 when I woke up, a perfect time to go running, but I'm not.

This spur wasn't the reason for visiting the doctor, it wasn't the heel, it was ITBS. I mentioned the heel to the doctor because of my problems with Achilles Tendon.

I went to run on Friday morning. I went for 8 miles. But first I went to the gym and made the circuit with jump rope. That was another mistake, since I was supposed to be resting on Wednesday and trying this run as a recovery one. Also that is not the way to combine both.

Around mile 4 I was fine, but ITB started complaining. Then disappeared. Achilles tendon started bothering me over the sixth mile.

Now I understand that Achilles is tight because of the heel. So I have a whole collection of problems, but I still fell I will overcome all this.
I am stretching Achilles a lot and resting ITB again. For all this my body is stressed and not in good shape to wish to go running.

I already ordered orthotics which is what the doctor recomended me. And for ITB he gave me some pills, but I still know what to do.

Let's see how this week goes.

Calcareus spur

This is what has been happening to my heel since last december. That's why the pain in the heel is there and it won't go away.
Antinflammatories, ice, stretching, orthotics are the home therapy recomended. At least I know this won't stop me from running, since I've been able to this months.
Which I don't know but I will keep searching about this calcareus spur is that if I continue running the bone will grow more and more, causing more and more pain...????

I hate pain, not because I'm afraid of suffering, but because it could stop me running. Also, you know stress goes around all the body and triggers a poor performance... now I have the best excuse..........................................

Just feel like resting...

Yesterday I felt very tired during the day. Energy was depleted. This is my easy week, I am not training for any event, hahahaha, when am I?

I just remember now the days off I took at the end of January and how well I felt when I started running again. At this time I am not injured or anything close, but feel like making a brief stop of two days will go fine. I repeat this again and again to myself, because I am not happy at all of canceling a run. Nothing will happen if I skip one run in a month, in fact it will be the first.

I was looking at my numbers again. January I ran 136 miles. Now, February when I started slowing down and ordering the training in a better way, dropped to 80. That puts me all the way back to September, when after three years of running, I started making numbers and calculating distances, pace, and those numbers. I've done much more, but still I doubt if it was in a better way.

I had breakfast with A, she is the mother of one of my daughter's friends. She is Mexican too. The first thing she saw -I think-, was that I was limping just a little. She said, let's not walk a lot because I can see your foot is hurting. (It happens to me sometimes, after being sitting for a long time, but then it recovers and it's fine, is more like stiff) I told her I was fine.
She knows I like to run but as soon as she could, she started talking me about some yoga positions she found very helpful to loose weight and to feel better. I just thank her and didn't talk about the subject at all, but I think like she and not only her, but some of the people that knows me, should think I am crazy running and training to no where.
Even there was one who told me if I was running a marathon at least I should win it.

I don't look for support from THEM at all of course, but it is always funny the way people, think they know everything about fitness and the things that are good or bad for the body. Even if it is only a theory never practiced. I was one of them, in fact.

I started to read Lore of running, certainly you know which book is that.
(I didn't know it was that big, I bought it in the internet, looks like the runner's bible)
In the first part it starts talking about preconceptions of how the word works. It is like we were already born with some "sort of knowledge" of everything. Thanks to science that is explaining us now the truth.
I will share here about interesting facts I find there...

I will go for 8 miles on friday.

Finally learned how to go back to the compose mode to upload photos, I am happy, I'll take lots of photos for you again!!!

More about pain...

I was thinking that not posting about pain would be nice. But that is not the reality for a runner -unfortunately-. Maybe is better to report every single sign of discomfort to maybe learn better about what causes injuries, besides of all we know, or that we are supposed to know.
During Saturday BOTH knees were bothering me... and then left Achilles was pulling!! During the long run on Friday it was the right Achilles who gave me problems, but after that it has remain quiet.
What pain makes is that gives me immediate stress thinking about the worst, which is not running. I don't care about feeling the pain.
I am thinking at this point that I am just such a coward always complaining... but still I would love to know if this random pains are normal... so if you have more to comment about pain, leave a message please.
Now go back to my training report.
Sunday. The weight training before the run is fantastic. It takes me 40 minutes. This time I ran on the treadmill. It is my easy week. Ended the 4 miles and even stretched then, when I went out of the gym the day was stunning, so I ran another mile outside to enjoy it.
Monday abs and yoga session accomplished despite this hasn't been a very energy day.

Electronic high!!

This is a memorable day. I had a wonderful run. In fact it wasn't perfect but still great. Let me explain why.
Yesterday: In the morning ABS session and Yoga. I only made the suggested positions in RW March. At night I had two red wine glasses with dinner.
Today 16 miles.
I woke up with a little headache. Started to run at 7am. During the night it was raining so the air was humid. At least there was still this nice fresh air, that even for moments I was feeling delightfully cold.
Headed the beach to start. The sand was firm and there was plenty of space to run. Very nice.
From the 4th mile to the 10th I enjoyed the run, as ever. As you people who run just know how it can be. My new electronic music helped a lot. For moments I was listening to it and that was driving me to dream like I was stepping on clouds. The grass was brighter than ever, the blue sky behind the palm trees... that is happiness. It is true.
The one that I was being THERE, was a human being in all plenitude... like the emotions you feel when you are in love. I am in love!! I love running!!

Achilles tendon came to stage over the 11th mile. The pain started growing. More, bothers me... I stop and stretch. I made that several times over a half mile and helped a lot. When I was back to running I was feeling strong, fine, like if doing this 16 miles even with this pain, would be something easy. Energy was latent inside, I could feel it.
But the pain was back again so I stretched again. I couldn't give up running. I was feeling very strong. I was stopped by this inconvenient, but my energy levels were untouched.
Finished my 16 miles in perfect shape. I was "there" for 3hrs 30 minutes. What an adventure!!!

Fresh air gives me hope

Great run today, after the weight training. Today I added the plyometric jumps at the beginning. I just forgot about them grrrr and didn't do them again. I need my training log... all written.

Lots of energy from the start, so when I started to run, I was in a nice pace this time between 10-11 minutes. First I thought that I was improving too much too soon, but then I realized about this nice fresh air that was cooling my skin and was helping my heart this way.

My mind blew to Mexico, where the mornings are fresh enough for me for this to happen and where I will run the marathon in august, that certainly will help me to achieve the dream of making a good job there. Still sometimes I think if I will really be able to do it...

Total 4 easy miles.