2010 April | Christy

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Week 9 was a week of getting back into the groove. After being on the disabled list for a couple of weeks, I was so ready get out and run without pain.

This past week, per Coach Joe’s orders, I took it easy. I rested on the prescribed days, and only managed to get one run in during the week. I should have done another run, but we had family in town, and it just didn’t happen. I’m not too upset about it, because I really want to ease back into my schedule so my tendonitis doesn’t flare up again.

Coach Joe also modified my training schedule, so I’m a bit behind my team mates at this point. This past weekend I did 6 miles while everyone else did 8. Next week I’ll graduate up to 8 miles when they jump up to 10. In the end, I’ll still get all my long runs in, but will have less weeks to taper before the big day.

So here’s what I did this week:

Wednesday: 4 mile Tempo Run at the gym on the treadmill. This is, without a doubt, the hardest run of the week. Alternating between an easy pace and a fast pace is exhausting, but I did it and I did it without pain!

Saturday: 6 mile Long Run. I stuck with the flatter terrain again this week, per the doctor’s orders, and it felt really good. The first couple of miles were a breeze, but by mile 4 I was dragging. I drank a little G2 Gatorade which helped me in the energy department, but it also gave me a little stomach upset. I think it was worth it, because the last mile or so felt much better. Time for the run was about 1:05, which is about a minute more per mile than usual, but I’ve decided to slow it down in order to avoid reinjury.

My biggest concern right now is nutrition. When you’re running long distances, you have really take your nutrition before, during, and after the run seriously. If you don’t, you’ll be dragging during your run, and it will take longer for your body to recover afterwards. There are so many products available, and so many places to find advice. It seems like it’s really going to be trial and error to find what works for me, and now is the time to start figuring it out. Coach Joe has stressed that we need to get it down before race day so we don’t end up over/dehydrated, or completely out of gas.

This week I’ll be trying GU Energy Gels and NUUN Active Hydration. I’m also going to be shopping for a fuel belt that holds hydration bottles with a place for gels and such. If you have any advice on that, or want to give me one to try and review, I’m open!!

Thanks to New Balance, I’m sporting a fantastic pair of new running shoes. The NB740s are stability runners, are super-lightweight, and so comfortable. I’ve been out in them twice so far, and have loved every mile. There’s been absolutely no break-in period, and the felt great from the start. We just found out that New Balance is going to outfit our entire Team Shrinking Jeans with sexy New Balance running shoes, so make sure and check back for a full review of a couple different models.

I’m still fundraising, too. All of us are! While I’m over the $2,000 mark, I still have $900 to raise and would appreciate any support you can give! As a team, we’ve raised over $24K for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! Can you believe it? While it’s awesome, we still have a long way to go to reach our goal!!

Disclosure: The New Balance shoes I’m currently wearing were part of my swag from Ftibloggin’. I was not compensated, or even asked, to review them. New Balance is providing all the members of Team Shrinking Jeans with new runners to train and run in for our San Diego Rock N Roll 1/2 marathon through Team in Training. We are not being compensated by New Balance in any way.