THOU SHALT BE A COMEBACK

Long run, aquajog style.  Thank goodness the waterproof MPS case and headphones on loan from Bonnie arrived today!  Thank-you Bonnie and Lily!  I don't know if I would have survived today's workout without the extra diversion.  5 minute warm up, intervals of 5 minutes hard, 1 minute easy until I reached the 90 minute mark, then ratcheted up intensity for 3 laps very hard with one lap recovery until the 1:55 mark, 5 mile cooldown.  Collapse into hot tub for a few minutes then hurry home.

Tired from yesterday.  Aquajog.  5 minute warm up, interval ladder 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1 minutes with one minute easy recoveries, 2 minute recovery after ladder, then 10 x (45 seconds sprint, 15 seconds easy) then 5 minute cool down for a total of 55 minutes.  Instead of swimming laps afterward I chatted with some people I knew and then sat in the hot tub.  I will do abripper x, pushups, and leg lift stuff later and hopefully get about a 30 minute workout then.

3000 yards--a new level for me.  First 150 yards trying to get my goggles figured out.  Next 1750 yards(1 mile) in 40 minutes--one minute PR.  Goal for next swim is 39 minutes.  Swam 100 yards easy then 500 yards in about 10:30--I wanted under 10 minutes but next time.  500 more yards after this pretty slow, although I was giving it good effort.  I was definitely tired after this.  I am finally starting to get into a better pattern with the disciplined breathing and not feel so panicky with my face under water.

It was tough to stay motivated today...today I wanted to run.  Soon....whenever I was attempted to slack on intensity in the intervals I would ask myself, "What kind of shape do you want to be in when you get to come out of this pool?"  I started out with a one hour pool run. About a 3-minute warm-up, then 5 x (1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 1:30, 1:00) with 30 seconds easy between intervals and one minute between sets.  Recovered 2 minutes then 4 x 45 seconds maximum intensity with 15 second recovery.  Cooled down a few minutes, then threw off the belt and put on my goggles and swam 1000 yards in around 21-22 minutes.  I am definitely getting smoother and faster with this swimming thing.  For the first time EVER, I was swimming faster than the people in the lane next to me(usually I'm the slow struggling one).  My shoulders and pecks and back and triceps are feeling it.  It's a good kind of sore. 15 days to my x-ray.  Left knee/tibia, can't even tell there's anything wrong at all.  Right knee/tibia, can feel something vague if I have been on my feet all day.  I've been chowin' tums and milk and red meat and oranges.  Those bones better be bulletproof when they're done healing.

Dreaming of the day I can run again.  Aquajog:  5 minute warm-up, 10 x (45 seconds intense, 15 seconds easy, 45 seconds intense, 15 seconds easy, 2 minutes hard, one minute easy), 5 minute cool down.  This was pretty intense but over quick.  One hour. Out of the pool and off to pick up my daughter.

3050 yard swim, about a 70 minute workout.  Started out wanting to bang out the first 500 in under 10 minutes but kept having to stop and empty water out my left goggle.  10:47.  I stink at this.  Piddled for 150 yards until I totally got the goggle situation under control, then swam 1 mile in 40:32, brief wall break, then 550 more yards slow in 11:47--I lost count so thus the extra 50. My $7 hot pink walmart water resistant watch did just fine.

60 minutes steady pool-flailing trying to keep my heartrate up.  I went round and round the giant floating snake in the deep end of the rec pool.

Drove up to Abilene this morning and directed runner traffic on the Eisenhower Marathon course.  I remember being confused at the "Y" where I stood and directed runners--I wasn't surprised at how many tried to go the wrong way!  It was fun cheering for my comrades and watching a marathon from a whole other perspective.
60 minute pool run.  5 minute warm up.  Ladder 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1  minutes hard with one minute easy between intervals, 2 minutes easy, then 5 x 1:30 hard with 30 seconds easy, 3 minutes easy, then 2 45 second sprints with 15 seconds in between--got my heart rate up to 200 here, kept it over 160 on the intervals.  5 minute cooldown.

I was joined by my friend Wendy today, and we aquajogged and chatted away for two hours, then we had french fries and ice cream.  Life is good.

No time today.  20 minutes of as much as I could cram of abs, pushups, dips, leglifts, toe points. etc...long swim tomorrow.

3500 yards (2 miles).  250 yards getting goggles situated and used to the water.  500 in 10:34.  one mile in 40:32.  500 in 11:00.  10 x 50 on the 1:15 clock.  Would have loved to keep going but my underdeveloped swimming muscles had about had it.  85 minutes of swimming.  8 days until x-ray.

95 minute workout.  Aquajog.  5 minute warm up.  40 x (1:30 hard, :30 easy) with 2 minutes between sets.  5 minute cooldown.  10 minutes hot tub.  Had to walk very briskly and even broke into a slight jog when I looked in the yard and Ian and Vanessa were missing.  They were next door, which out here in the country, is quite a ways.  They were fine--petting the nieghbor's dog, but had to pay the consequences of breaking the rules and leaving our property.  I wasn't thinking about my legs, just my kids.  In retrospect, I will note that there was no pain in my sandal-footed jog.  I'm not going to start running or anything, I'm just filing it away as good news.  One week until x-ray!

Aquajog/swim combo.  First aquajog, 5 minute warm up, 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1 minute intervals hard with one minute easy recoveries, 5 minute cool down.  100 yards adjusting goggles.  500 tired yards in 10:28.  50 kickboard.  2 x 50 in 52 seconds.  Done.  About a 60 minute workout when it was all said and done.

2 hour pool run.  I met up with Amy who is also in stress fracture recovery and we chatted the whole time and it just flew! It was great.  I needed the stress relief without the drag of solo pool-flailing.  Life can be very hard sometimes, and yesterday, in an ugly moment and under duress, I spent 5 minutes in a Quik Trip parking lot talking myself out of buying a pack of cigarettes.  I even went in and used the bathroom and walked around a bought a soda before leaving.  Unbelievable, after all this time, that I could get hit by a craving like that and come that close to breaking.  Although I have never been addicted to street drugs or alcohol, I understand the power that an addiction can hold over a person, and don't see how it can be broken without the loving hand of God.

one hour aquajog.  5 minute warm-up.  10 x (45 secs intense, 15 easy, 45 intense, 15 easy, 2 minutes hard, one minute easy). 5 minute cooldown.  Doctor visit WEDNESDAY at 2:40.  My legs feel great.  I am sure the doctor and x-ray will agree and running rehab can commence.

Boston was amazing today.  Life is...whatever.  Very very busy with our newly bought-out company, all the mandatory training learning the new way, on top of my caseload, so no time, no time. 20 minutes of abs, leg lifts, pushups blah blah.  At least I didn't sit in the Quik Trip parking lot today.  Getting up early to hit the Y tomorrow.

Another combo pool workout.  Got up early to get this done before my day that would last until 9:30 pm started.  55 minute aquathrash consisiting of 5 minute warm-up, 12 x (3 minutes easy, 1 minute hard), 3 minute cooldown. Into the lap pool.  50 yards adjusting my goggles.  500 yards in 10:30, working on taking a breath every other stroke instead of every stroke.  I did okay with this, but had to take some cheater breaths here and there.  Then I did 500 yards easy in 11:21.  It's really a good thing that I'm not a triathleted because my run could not make up for my lousy swim times.  77 minute workout total.  Doctor tomorrow(today). 

1 whole mile!  No watch. Nice and easy, the sun on my skin, the fresh air!  It felt great!  I felt smooth and comfortable and it was soooo hard to stop after a mile.  Guess I better head to the Y to finish my workout!

update: 45 minutes intervals on adaptive motion elliptical

1 glorious mile on the indoor track at the Y.  12.43 miles in 40 minutes on the cybex bike, level 10. 20 minutes on the adaptive motion elliptical. .25 mile brisk walk to cool down.  I don't know how much fitness I have lost yet....I guess I really won't until the first time I race, and I am a ways away from that.

Slid into the North Y over lunch.  2 laps walk, 1 mile easy on the indoor track.  I thought maybe my right leg felt weird at first but I think it was psychological.  13.34 miles in 45 minutes on the cybex bike accompanied with a sweatstorm.  Tomorrow will be another pool run, then a few more 1 mile days, and Wednesday I plan to up the ante to 2 miles and see what happens.

Another pool run.  Fortunately, Amy drove out to join me.  We did 5 minutes hard with one minute off and a few sprints at the end for a total of 80 minutes.  It went fast.  We both agreed that the one mile we are running is lame but it is better than nothing.  I am looking forward to that mile tomorrow.  This is a painstaking process but the thought of cracking those fractures again and having to start all over forces me to be good.  Two miles next week will feel like heaven.

Took yesterday off for a lovely Easter.  Headed to the downtown Y at lunch to workout, and go figure, forgot my sports bra,.  After some contemplation, I tightened up the flimsy straps of my non-supportive bra, and ditched the tank for the long sleeve underarmour shirt that's been on the floor of my car for at least a month.  First, run by the river.  5 minute walk, 5 minute run, 5 minute walk, 5 minute run, 5 minute walk, 5 minute run.  Went into the Y drenched in sweat by nature of being grossly overdressed and hopped onto a cybex bike in the crowded cardio room for 30 minutes.  My sweat levels nicely topped those of anyone else in the room and I do believe a few concerned looks were cast my way.  Rounded things off by taking a shower and putting my soaking wet sweat bra back on and going back to work.  Gross....or just dedicated?

30 minutes cybex bike keeping heart rate over 170 and rpms over 95.  20 mintutes on crossramp elliptical keeping same heart rate.   Sweat levels: higher than anyone else at the Y as far as I could tell. I do believe I am out of shape.  Sometimes I think I feel something in my right leg but sometimes I don't.  Anyways, I'm following the Pfitzinger comeback schedule so I won't run again until Thursday.

50 minutes adaptive motion elliptical keeping heart rate 175-180 and sweating like near cardiac arrest.  Hopped of and walked briskly for 10 minutes.  Can't wait to run tomorrow!

The stress levels around here are really stacking up.  I didn't have any time for crosstraining, just my sad little walk-run.  3 minute walk, 7 minute jog x3.  I ran the 1 mile dirt loop by  my house so I know I covered over 3 miles in the process.  I like running on dirt better--less phantom pain.  The "sensations" I seem to get aren't even in the same place as the fractures.  I am hyper-aware of any sensation but honestly I haven't experience anything I would call pain.  My legs feel good.

Had to skip yesterday...my little girl was sick.  She also turned 4, but the party is tomorrow at ChuckECheese so I guess it's better we got the sickness over with.  Anyways, I busted out the Garmin today.  Surprisingly, there was no rust on it.  My legs felt good, my form felt good, my stride felt relaxed.  Walk 2 minutes, run 8, walk 2, run 8, walk 2, run 8.  Covered 3.5 miles in 30 minutes.  I will be off to the gym later this afternoon for 90 minutes of crosstraining for my "long" run.  The absence of pain has me feeling more and more confident about my legs being healed, but I am going to stick with the plan and keep it on dirt as much as possible for a long while.

Update: at the gym--30 minutes regular bike, 15 elliptical, 45 recument bicycle.