Half Marathon Week 2

It's that time! Monday check in with the past week of training. To start off, I've noticed some tugging and pain in my IT band on the left leg. I'm praying like crazy I'm able to avoid being sidelined by it. If anyone has some sure fire ways of healing it (besides foam rolling it) I'm all ears! I also have shin splints in my right leg, but I believe as I swim more and stretch those muscles, it'll work itself out. I will ice and roll as needed and wear Procompression socks also. Back muscle recovery is coming along. The massage therapist said she was able to feel individual muscles this time instead of one big brick, so that's good progress. I will continue to work on loosening those muscles at home with the theracane I'm borrowing, my Original Worm and utilizing my tens unit between those appointments. I'm anxious to start lifting weights because of the pain I had experienced which finally drove me to the chiropractor in the first place, but I know it's time. I'll admit, I'm also dealing with the "I don't wanna look like a wimp lifting such light weights at the gym" social stigma. I'm vain, just like the next person, but I need to start somewhere and light is where to start.

Monday was swim day!! I actually really look forward to this workout, but it was really cold that day (wind and rain) and getting myself out the door to the gym took some serious effort. I finally made it down there, and of course loved it! The workout this time was 20 sets of swim down, rest 15 sec, kick back, rest 20 sec. I felt pretty strong but noticed that, as with running, when I start to get tired my form slips. Something I really need to clean up for a more streamlined workout. My treat when I'm done? The steam room and the jacuzzi!! My Garmin doesn't track swimming inside of a gym (no satellite pick up) and also doesn't track lap pace very well anyway, but I am able to use it to track time and splits. It took me a little bit to get into that groove and how I wanted to record each split. Once I figured it out (it took three individual workouts, haha) it was perfect! I'm able to go into Garmin Connect and adjust it to a swim workout and leave a note for myself.

Next up, track Tuesday with Brecka! It was our first ladder workout ever. I was both excited to do something different, but also anxious at the speeds we needed to hold. Then there's time conversion. I'm not strong in math at all, so figuring out the time we needed to run a 600 meter and 1200 meter in was a struggle. My rough estimate got us pretty close, so just some minor adjustments need to be made for the future. The workout went as follows 400 @ 2:00, 600 @ 3:02, 800 @ 4:05, 1200 @ 6:13 and then back down again. There was a 400 meter recovery between each split (one lap around the track). I ran most of them, but walked the ones sandwiching the 1200. I was spent. The first part of the workout I was fighting to stay down in the required split time, the back end of the workout I was struggling to stay up. I managed to nail each speed, but what a struggle!! We included the warm up and cool down, something we're  going to be pretty strict about. We don't have another workout like this one in the plan, but it was good to get that experience. It's something I could do just to shake things up when I'm not really training!

Flowers after a rough day!

Emergency hair cut! At 9:00 pm!

Wednesday. Oh Wednesday. I had a chiropractic and massage therapy appt scheduled for Friday, and then we were headed out of town, so I knew I wasn't going to be available for the second cross training day. I decided earlier in the week that I'd do it Wednesday. And then. Life. Work was awful. I'm an aide in the special education program and work mostly in autism. This year I have some "unofficial" kids I help, so I'm really busy! Anyway, I spent the whole morning almost begging the kids to do their work! When I got home, my three sweet children decided to show me just how hard parenting these ages can be! It was NOT a win for the Owens family. By the time I was done dealing with each situation it was nearly 10:00 pm!! Some will say "No Excuses!" But I say, some days, it's okay to throw in the towel and say enough is enough! I ate a chocolate candy bar and sat in a bath of Epsom salts and my sweet husband rubbed out my back and legs! It was more appreciated than he may ever know!

Thursday is tempo day!! I actually kind of like tempo Thursday, and this time I got to run with Brecka, which I won't get to do very often for this run! We were both signed up to run the Girls Run Fast virtual 10k, so we used this run to help knock that out! Our warm up mile was probably a little too slow, but regardless the tempo miles (supposed to be 9:15) were spot on (slightly faster, but that's okay)! Thank goodness for a cool down mile, I was sucking air by the end of that and was grateful for the slower pace!! Phew! I can't wait to get my medal for this race! It's cute!

Friday, of course, unplanned rest day. The chiropractor is always tough (though my adjustment was kinda sub par this time) and massage therapy is NOT the same as a massage at Massage Envy! Holy hurt! I know long term it's going to really help a lot, but it definitely takes my breath away!

What happened to me on Saturday is why you check and double check what week you just looked at on your plan. I thought I was supposed to do 10 miles. I was a week ahead and really should've only done 9!!! It's only one extra mile, but that extra mile was TOUGH!!! I was in Tucson visiting my parents and did not sleep hardly at all that night. I had a great reason to skip it, and almost did, but knew I needed to get out there. I geared up and left an hour later than planned.

This went uphill forever!!! One of the only sidewalks.

I forgot there are virtually NO SIDEWALKS where I live in Tucson and had to run in the dirt and rocks on the shoulder of the road, BARELY OFF the road! So scary! I kept a keen eye on the traffic ahead of me and took advantage of any breaks where I could run on the street instead. One of the streets was ALL UP HILL! I knew it would be, but I underestimated how it would feel. I was struggling so hard! I knew my pace would slow right away and I was okay with it, but I wasn't prepared for how this would feel. By mile 3 I was walking! I don't see it as a weakness at all. My poor body needed the break. It wasn't much elevation gain truthfully, but it was more than I was used to.

Dirt path to help the mental game!

Honey packets and Cocogo for the win!

I made a quick pit stop at the grocery store and then another at a convenience store down the road. Now I was running on familiar territory from old cross country and track years at this point. I found a dirt path that we used to run down all the time, so I decided to off road it a little bit. I remember it being longer, but it was nice for the mental game that was happening. I came out, fueled up with honey packets and Cocogo, and dug deep to finish up. Those last 4 miles were something else. I started to bring my pace back down, but couldn't keep it. It's okay though. This is where ending at the scheduled 9 miles would've been nice, haha! That 10th was sooo hard, I was running back up a hill to finish, and well, it wasn't pretty.

I'm still very happy with this training program and am looking forward to week three. My goal this week, to attempt to PR my turkey trot on Thursday, and to quite drinking soda and reevaluate how I'm eating to get back on track. Also, I HAVE to get in that second cross training workout! It will happen this week!

How do you recover after a hard week of training?

Cocogo Review and Discount Code

I finally got around to adding my Cocogo Ambassador badge to the blog!  Check it out to the right of the page! If you click on it, you'll go to their website where you can order if you'd like. Use code RUNLIKETHEWINDED at checkout to save 20% through the end of Oct.

Ambassador Swag delivery day!

What is Cocogo exactly?  It's an all natural sports drink (though I also use it to also flavor my water when I want something a little different).  It's made with Coconut water and flash dried fruit bits.  It comes in three flavors; Lemon Lime, Grape, Raspberry Passion Fruit.  I love all three, but Grape is my favorite!  Because it's a natural drink, I don't mind sharing with my children (my boys beg me every single day for some!)  It comes in easy 'to go' sticks making using it on the run so easy.  I had it with me when I was running my second half marathon ever.  It was right at the beginning of our hot Arizona summer and it was already so warm!  I kept Cocogo flowing in my water bottle and stopped at the aide stations for water cups, and despite the heat, finished just 4 min off from my first half marathon!!  I know Cocogo helped keep me going that day!

Race day Flat Runner. 3 packets of Cocogo to get through this race!

I was introduced to Cocogo just a little over a year ago after a run meet up with a local running group.  It had been used as a giveaway and from there it was shared with anyone who wanted to try it.  I came home, added a stick of Raspberry Passion Fruit to my water...and from that moment on, I was hooked.

I got really lucky and won a box in a giveaway just a few months after that and boy was I in heaven!  I rationed that out, saving it for my hardest running workouts, knowing I wouldn't be able to purchase any for a few months.

It was a very good mail day!

During one of the holidays I was able to take advantage of a free shipping offer and finally bought a couple of boxes.  I knew right away I wanted to be able to represent Cocogo as an ambassador.  There's nothing like enjoying a product so much that you want to be able to share that with everyone.  I talk to everyone about Cocogo and how much I love it.  I'm grateful for the opportunity to represent them and support a product I believe in.

Mailman decided to cram it into my mailbox.. seriously!

What sets Cocogo apart from other drinks for me?  It's got a smooth light flavor.  I have tried a few other hydration products available for athletes, and I like them a couple of them, but they've been an acquired taste for me.  Some are fizzy which causes all kinds of problems while I'm running.  I have discovered this past year that I have a very sensitive stomach and can't use strong products while running long, far or fast!

 

There was no acquired taste for Cocogo for me.  I liked it right away! It has never ever caused a problem for me.  I've never felt sick after drinking it out on a run, I've never come home with stomach cramps.  My stomach never feels bloated.  I'm so thankful I was given a chance to try this drink.  I'm glad I'm able to incorporate it into my current half marathon training, gym workouts, swim workouts, hiking with the family, and general just sipping on when I want more than just regular water.

 

Want to try it for yourself?  Head over to cocogo.com and don't forget to use code RUNLIKETHEWINDED at checkout to save 20% until the end of Oct!!  I'd love your feedback, let me know what you think of it!!

Cocogo mail day is one of my favorite mail days!