Toe Nail Surgery + Two A Day

On my short run Tuesday I had some major pain in my toe.  Remember my black toe nails from Fargo?  Well, the right one has come partially detached from the nail bed.  Because it wasn't hurting, and slightly for vanity reasons, I kept it as is.  Not to mention that it's still very attached on the left side of the nail bed.  Hmm.  However, recently it's started to hurt when I wear shoes, but not my running shoes.  Fine.  But when it started to hurt while I was running ?  Oh hell no.

Wednesday night I had a 4x800 m interval workout to tackle, but first, toe nail surgery.  I've only had pinky nails fall off from running, and that's no big to-do.  In high school I had a big toe nail fall off, but the whole thing fell off at the same time, so there was no need for intervention.  I got to work, slowly bending the right side of the nail off the nail bed.  After some somewhat painful manuevering, I was able to peel it up enough to fit the monster toenail clippers under the nail.  I trimmed away at the base of the nail, as its half moon natural shape was poking the heck out of my sensitive nail bed.  Next up, the right hand corner that was also causing me pain.  All in all, I ended up removing about 1/6 of my toenail, and I seem to be pain free.  Maybe it'll even grow out like that and I won't have any future problems!

Post surgery I went out for a killer 4x800 m workout and posted some fab-o splits after a 2 mile warm up.

3:26
3:28

3:29

3:29

I finished with a 1/2 mile cooldown because I was beat and starving.

And 10 1/2 hours later I was out the door running again.  Silly me thought I had Thursday night to get in my run, but Kyle instructed me otherwise.  No biggie, back to back runs ensure that I take my recovery run at a recovery pace.  The bike trails were flooded and crazy muddy, so I ran through mud and through grass, and then when the path was flooded had to turn around and come home, and then do a 1 mile out and back from my place to get the miles in.  Oh and my garmin died halfway through.  What a run!

20 laps around the track....NBD

Sunday I was still feeling pretty pukey so I decided to hit up my road bike in lieu of a boring 5 mile recovery run.  I decided to take my bike as far as the trail would let me (we have a ton of construction on the trails this summer; it's obnoxious).  I also tried to push the pace more so than I have on any other bike ride (which isn't saying much). 

Observations from the ride:

• I'm a speed demon when there is/are a) no one to pass on the trail b) straight paths.
• I'm still a big wienie when it comes to biking downhill.  Also passing people on curvy trails.  Also passing people in general (but hurrah that I'm going fast enough to pass people!).
• Some chicas show more cleave on a run than I do out at "da clubs" trying to catch a man.  Seriously, I was concerned about black eyes/potential knock out situations for a couple of folks.
• I spotted the 2nd cute runner guy running with Boobs McGee.  No wonder she was pulling out all the stops for the run........
• People look miserably hot and sweaty running.  Which means I look 900x worse because I'm a freak of nature when it comes to sweating. :/
• Bikers will actually smile/wave/nod at other bikers.  It must be some sort of secret society or something.  I don't know how many times I've done my friendly smile and wave while out doing a long run to get a cold shoulder in exchange.
• Sometimes I feel like I could bike forever!
• I'm totally doing a sprint tri next summer.
• Maybe I could do a half Ironman someday!!!
• Oh wait..... you're like a toddler in the water.  Hold on, didn't you teach swimming lessons to toddlers?  You should at least be more advanced than they are.  Also weren't you a lifeguard for 5 or 6 years???

Another idea pondered on said ride was re-vamping my training program.  I'm really enjoying a long bike ride every week, and I also love 2 complete rest days.  I decided to do some changing up to go from 5 to 4 days of running/week (which is what I've done in the past) and added biking on the 5th day.  We'll see how it goes!  I can never get myself psyched up for that 2nd day of easy/recovery runs anyway, so just get rid of it.  Works for me (or I guess we'll see if it works for me).

I ended up doing a little over 14 miles with an average speed of 13.19 mph and max speed of 19.2 mph.  For all of the bobbing and weaving I did for some slow pokes, I'm quite alright with that.
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Monday I hit the track for some 800 meter repeats.  Since my car is possibly a goner and I'm waiting for confirmation of such from the mechanic, I am sans car and took Princess Leia to the track.  My legs were pretty tight from the previous day's bike ride as well as the race on Saturday.

I got to the track, and it was the most perfect weather you could get for speed work (for the end of July that is).  Mid-70's, cloudy, a little breeze.  Heaven.  I did my mile warm up and I felt like I was wearing those old school "gym" shoes you had to buy specifically for P.E. class that wouldn't mark up the floor.  You know....the ones that were 20 lbs. per shoe when you weighed about 65 lbs max?  Anyway, not fun legs o' lead.

My pace for the 800 meter repeats was 3:28-3:38.  When I created this training program, I think I did it based on a 23:00 5k time (assuming I was going to hit that time prior to starting the training).  Since I didn't hit that I'm shooting towards the lower end of the ranges for my speed work.

I decided to run in the 2nd lane to hopefully avoid the hip pain that temporarily ruined my life by not having to run as tight of corners.  Some of the laps ended up being slightly long because of it, so I'm posting the pace instead of the time, since it was more than an 800.  Got it?  (3:33, 3:39, 3:32, 3:34).  I ended up knocking out 20 miles on the track before all was said and done.  Fairly certain that in a given season of high school track, I wouldn't race that many times around the track.  100 m. dash, 4x200 m. relay, 200 m. dash and high jump x 12-15 meets.....yup not even close. :)

I jogged a quarter of a mile in between each and did a slow one mile cool down run before hopping on my bike and heading home.  Biking after a sweaty run might even be better than driving with the windows down.  Ahhhhh.......

Birthday Celebration Recap

I forgot to mention something funny on the great blizzard post (great referring to the blizzard, not so much for the post, mind you).  Gah!  Losing my mind at 26, oh no!  So randomness, I was actually born during the last major blizzard in 1983.  My mom tells this story every year for my birthday, and I love hearing it.  Now you must listen also.  Poor things.  Oh wait, you can avoid reading this if you wish, drat.  Can't make you "listen."  Anywhooooooo.

My madre had planned to have a c-section with me (TMI? hope not) and had wanted to have me on the 26th, which was her doctor's birthday.  Happy birthday Doc!  After Christmas dinner, ma and pa jumped in the truck (or snowmobile.  I've heard both stories.) and headed to the hospital about 20 miles away.  When they got to the hospital there was a snow drift that went up and over the front of the hospital.  My dad went up the snow mountain first, making great big "stairs" for my mom to trek up.  After making the stairs, he went back to the bottom of the snow mountain, and walked behind her to make sure she didn't fall.  SAFETY FIRST! Ha.

When they got to the top of the mountain, they realized my mom + belly wouldn't fit between the roof and the top of the snow mountain, so Pops started digging away to make room.  Finally she fit and wheeeeee! down the mountain into the hospital.  When they made it to the check in area, the hospital attendants were confused as to where they had come from.  After explaining they had gone up and over the huge snow drift, they attendant said, "Well most people have been using the back door since the front is snowed over from the blizzard...."  Oy.  Love the parents.  :)  We like to do things the hard way darn it.

Alright, back to the current.  At 5pm, my good friend Melissa called me with the happiest news I had heard all break, she had successfully dug herself out of her house AND had dug her car out.  Birthday celebration is ON!  We decided to head out for sushi, my favorite.  Sushi place is closed.  :'(  Fail.

We then went a really nice Cafe/Bistro downtown.  We had a whole section to ourselves, so it was really great.  The atmosphere was beautiful, the food was good, and the champagne was flowing.  Mental note: champagne makes me siiiiick.  Please remind me never to drink it again, k?  Great.

After dinner we headed to my new favorite bar in town that serves an insane amount of imported beers.  I met up with my good pal and old running buddy, Matt.  Melissa randomly found a Legoman in her purse from one of her boys, so I had some great fun perching him on my drinks and thinking it was hiLARious.  I also enjoyed some delectable brews.

Next stop was a bar/club-ish.  It wasn't very fun, so Matt and I quickly moved on to the usual bar spot, where we ran into some old faces.  Of course we managed to take some fun photos after the bar closed.  I like to snow off my sweet arms muscles.  Also, I like to wear my running coat and gloves when I'm not actually running.  I'm a strange one.... I know.  And yes, it is very apparent that Taylor's friend (we'll call him big red) neeeeeeds to be taken home.  NOW. Ha.

All in all it was a great birthday.  Can't wait to see what 26 holds for me.

I wanted to run soooooo baaaaaaaaaad on my birthday (first run as a 26 year old!) but was snowed in.  I assumed I would get that first run in the day after.  Um..just kidding.  Remember that champagne?  Nearly killed me.  Sunday was spent horizontally watching the Packers kick BOOTY!

MONDAY:  Time to run.  I felt like doing some speed work, so I looked over my past training schedules that are still stuck to my fridge to determine a good 800 m repeat workout I could use.  I decided on 1 mile warm up and 6 x 800 m. at 3:40 (7:30 mm pace) and 1 mile cool down.

Someone (me) got a little too talky talky recapping my birthday with my buddy who manages the gym, so I didn't have enough time to get in the full workout, but only had to short the cool down.  No biggie, right?

I ended up doing 4.5 miles in 36:00 for a pace of 8:00.  Yes.  Truly strange.  After the first 800 m. I jogged .25 but then decided if I wanted to survive, I should do a .1 walk break.  Phew.  Much better.  So after each of the 800's please insert a .1 walk break.  I didn't record the splits so they aren't included.

Warm Up	1 Mi	9:30	9:30	9:30
Interval	0.5 Mi	3:33	13:03	7:06
Recovery	0.25 Mi	2:35	15:38	10:20
Interval	0.5 Mi	3:33	19:11	7:06
Interval	0.5 Mi	3:44	22:55	7:28
Interval	0.5 Mi	3:33	26:28	7:06
Interval	0.5 Mi	3:35	30:03	7:10
Interval	0.5 Mi	3:33	33:36	7:06
Cooldown	0.25 Mi	2:24	36:00	9:36

Definitely kicked my booty.  But in suuuuuuuch a good way.  :)  I'm truly digging the run as you go training program I'm doing.