A Breakthrough at the Apple

AM: 30 mins. ellip.20 mins. core25 mins. poolPM: ChiroI was at the fitness center doors at 7:30am daring it to be closed, but to my shock and awe it actually appeared to have opened a few minutes early. As a result, I was able to bang out some quality time before heading to morning core and pool practice.In the afternoon I planned on exercising again, but my appointment at the Apple proved prohibitive. The good doctor tried acupuncture on me for the first time, and apparently you're not supposed to exercise afterward, so just like that I had a...

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Week in Review

0 miles6 hours elliptical2.5 hours pool2 days at my new jobWell, friends, another week of no running. I'm still itching to get out there, but I've finally surrendered to the idea of getting completely better before attempting another jog. That said, I've noticed marked improvement this week--in everything from range of motion to weight bearing to walking stride--and I'm hoping that one more week of rest/x-training/chiro will have me on the mend for good. There's still almost 3 months remaining until XC nationals, which means I can afford to bide...

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Gettin 'Er Done

AM: 30 mins. poolPM: 60 mins. ellip. incl. 5x3 mins. hard, 3x1 min. sprintAs far as elliptical workouts go, I was quite pleased with my effort this afternoon. The hip flexor/quad area has improved to the point where range of motion is completely normal and even moderate weight bearing doesn't cause much of a problem. As a result I can go quite hard on the torture machine and end up feeling as though I've come away with some modicum of cardiovascular benefit. Tomorrow I'm back to the Apple and excited to get treatment aga...

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An Honest Day's Work (Not Workout)

AM: 30 mins. poolPM: 35 mins. ellip.I put in an honest day's work at the running shop today, and by the time I got off work past 4pm I wasn't too pumped about going to work out. Nonetheless, Jordan swung by to pick me up and we headed up to school, him to run and me to ellipticize. Imagine my chagrin when I saw that the fitness center--which, keep in mind, had only opened for business at noon--would be closing for the evening at 5pm. 5pm?!?! Seriously?? By the time I changed clothes and made my way back to the cardio room it was nearing 4:45 and...

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Predatory Elliptical

AM: 60 mins. ellip. incl. 20 mins. hardPM: 25 mins. poolI did my predator "run" on the elliptical today and went really hard (as lame as that sounds). As a result, I was the excessively sweaty kid breathing waaaay too hard for the fitness center and making everyone else around me uncomfortable. Good stu...

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Etc.

AM: 50 mins. ellip.PM: 20 mins. core30 mins. p...

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Ditto

AM: 30 mins. poolPM: 30 mins. ellip.15 mins. coreOn the plus side, I started my new job tod...

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Worst Case Scenario

AM: LazinessPM: 50 mins. ellip.Chiro appt.25 mins. ellip.I woke up this morning at the leisurely hour of 9:00 and thought, "Why?" As in, why would I go do the pool this morning? I don't really want to. It's not really going to preserve my fitness that much. I'd rather drink coffee and feel sorry for myself. So, naturally, that's what I did.Things picked up a bit in the afternoon, and around 3pm I headed up to school for a double elliptical sesh with a chiro break sandwiched in between. To be honest, I left this appointment at Greenapple's feeling...

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Not So Fast

AM: Attempted/failed runPM: 50 mins. elliptical20 mins. core/strengthThought I might be able to run today but within a few steps I could tell the pain in my upper quad/hip flexor was going to be prohibitive. So frustrating. In the afternoon I got to watch everyone else on the team do barefoot running, strides and plyometrics that I couldn't do while I sat around and did nothing. Great start to the we...

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Week in Review

0 miles4 hours 25 mins. pool4 hours 30 mins. elliptical4 AFDsI'd like to focus on the positive, so I won't dwell on the obvious reality that this week was a big step back for me in terms of training. Patience may be a virtue but it's not one of mine, and this whole cross-training mandate is growing tiresome. All I can do at this point is continue to listen to my body and trust that things will improve soon.However, it's hard to feel sorry for myself when I focus on the positives: Jordan is here, we're slowly but surely settling in to our new apartment,...

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Raise Your Hand If You're Tired of Unpacking

AM: ~5 hours of unpacking/moving/walking to and from the DumpsterPM: 45 mins. ellipticalJust by looking at the numbers, it doesn't seem like I got a lot done today in terms of exercise. However, I would beg to differ. In fact, I would like to propose that "moving" (alternate moniker: "unpacking") should be officially recognized as, if not a sport, then at least a relatively strenuous physical activity. Bonus points for living above the ground floor. Double bonus points if you're doing it almost entirely solo.The morning started bright and early...

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Busy Bee

60 mins. elliptical15 mins. coreJordan's coming today!!!In light of this fact, I spent most of the morning/early afternoon cleaning, organizing and otherwise attempting to prepare for his arrival. The good thing is, I got a lot done and the apartment looks great. The bad thing is, I kinda don't think we have room for the Ford Escape-ful of belongings he is supposedly bringing with him. Hmm.By early afternoon I told Jilane I absolutely must go work...

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Water Aerobics...But Wait, There's More

AM: 45 mins. pool incl. 10x2 min. on, 1 min. offPM: 50 mins. ellipticalToday's pool workout was pretty unremarkable. My favorite part was when the grandmother came with her two grandsons and said, "Boys, stay away from that lady. She's doing water aerobics." Which is when it hit me that I was, indeed, doing water aerobics. FML.On the other hand, I passed the afternoon elliptical section with a smile on my face because:A) I got a job! I found out via phone a few minutes into my workout that I will be the newest part-time employee at Run For Your...

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There Is a Light

AM: 30 mins. poolPM: 45 mins. ellipSo today's cross-training was a bit lackluster, to be honest, but I'm okay with it because I think I had a semi-breakthrough. Simmons got me in with a great sports chiropractor today, Dr. Greenapple, whose office happens to be literally around the corner from where I live. I could pretty much walk there if I wanted to. Anyway, the good news is the doc said there's nothing neurological going on that's causing my hip flexor problems. Actually, the hip pain isn't really coming from the hip at all (which is how these...

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Lucky 13

AM: 50 mins. pool incl. 13x90 sec. on, 90 sec. offPM: 40 mins. ellip.So yeah, I'm kinda getting tired of th...

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12x400, Sort Of

AM: 50 mins. pool incl. 12x90 sec. on, 90 sec. offPM: 30 mins. ellipHad I been running, this morning's workout would've consisted of 12x400m with 90 seconds rest. I decided it would be super fun to replicate this effort in the pool, and figured keeping things on a 90-second interval would be easiest. As lame as this sounds, I pushed pretty hard, and at least felt like I'd gotten some semblance of an aerobic workout by the time I finished.In the afternoon I was finally able to gain access to the fitness center, which pleased me greatly because it...

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Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls

AM: 60 mins. pool incl. 10x1 min. on, 1 min. off;10x2 min. on, 1 min. off; 2x30 sec.sprintPM: 30 mins. poolYup, I'm not even attempting to run today. Smart? Probably. Enjoyable? Not at all. The only upside is I'm using the pool at the new apartment complex, meaning I can work on my tan and hopefully eliminate some of my sports bra tan lines in the proce...

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Week in Review

41-42 miles3.5 days at 5,500 ft.2.5 hours pool2 days off6 AFDsAs far as training weeks go, I'd rank this one as fairly dramatic. I mean, throw in a combination of driving cross-country in the middle of the night, passing out post-run and virtually maiming myself running down the mountain, and you've got quite the exciting week. At least it's entertaining for my loyal readers, I suppose.Ah, memories. This is where we were last Sunday night.Obviously...

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Probably Not My Smartest Idea

50 mins. (6.5 miles)2 mile walkWhen I woke up this morning my hip felt noticeably better than the previous day. This made me happy, since I didn't want to miss out on yet another run at Moses Cone while everyone else did their long runs. Originally I was also supposed to go long, but at this point I would take anything as opposed to sitting it out yet again. Plus, it was an absolutely gorgeous day--sunny, slightly cool, and a touch less humid than...

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Another Day Off

AM: 40 min. walk (2+ miles)PM: 35 mins. poolUggh. Shoot me. I hate taking days off, especially up here in the mountains, but after a few hobbly steps this morning I could tell the hip was having none of it. So frustrating! Guess I'll continue to hot tub/BioFreeze/stretch/rest for the remainder of the day and see how things feel tomorr...

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Grandfather Mountain Cinders

AM: 3 mile w/u5k predator run in 18:28 (6:13, 6:11, 6:04 for each 1.05 miles= ~6:00, 5:58, 5:51 per mile)1 mile c/dTotal: 7 milesPM: 30 mins. poolI woke up this morning feeling refreshed after 9 hours of sleep in the mountain air. I was anxious to test out my hip flexor and hopefully work out with the team. We loaded up just after 8am to drive to the Grandfather Mountain track, which is a really awesome cinder oval that measures just slightly over...

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Up To the Mountains

AM: 30 min. walkPM: 55 min. pool (5 min. w/u, 10x1 min. on, 1 min. off, 10x2 min. on, 2 min. off)Well, I've officially screwed up my hip flexor. Tried to go out for an AM jaunt with Jordan but only made it a few awkward steps before deciding that this was a no go. I opted to go for a walk around Myers Park instead in hopes of shaking things out. I was pretty bummed, since this would have been my last chance to run with Jordan before he heads back to OK for the rest of the month, but I definitely made the smart choice.Just after 1pm I met the rest...

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Well, That Was Embarrassing

57 mins.7.5 milesThis morning we broke from the norm and headed out to Reedy Creek Park for our run. The park is located in far north Charlotte, near UNCC, and has several miles of dirt and gravel trails. The guys and girls teams started out together but quickly strung out, and I found myself running with Holly and Jenna (the new asst. coach) for the remainder of the run. The pace was fairly slow but the run was still challenging due to the constant...

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Back At It

AM: 25 min. w/u (2.5 miles)Target: 6x2 min. on, 2 min. off2 mile c/dTotal: 8-8.5 miles15 min. ice bathPM: 3 miles30 mins. poolWithout question, this is the first day in several months I've felt like I was actually training. Our first day of official team practice was jam-packed with action, including everything listed above plus several hours of meetings. I was thoroughly exhausted by day's end, but glad to be back at it.The workout at McAlpine this morning was okay but not great. Actually, my hips/pelvis felt all out of whack, almost like I need...

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Return to Charlotte

66 mins.~9 milesWell, needless to say, I was quite exhausted today after all the driving and lack of sleep. Our compliance meetings and paperwork were tedious, but mercifully we wrapped up around 2pm and I was able to nap and relax for a bit. After a trip to the grocery store, Jordan and I didn't get out the door until at least 7:30 tonight for our run. The air was still quite warm and fraught with moisture--naturally, the day we arrive marked the beginning of a heat wave in Charlotte, ushering in the warmest temps they've had all summer--and despite...

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Ketchup Post

Sunday: OffSaturday: 65 mins. (9 miles)Friday: 8 milesThursday: OffWednesday: 8 miles AM, 4 miles PMWed-Sat: 10+ hours working the sidewalk sale at OK RunnerSo, if I were a truly dedicated blogger I would recap each of these runs (or, as you can see, lack thereof) in detail. Unfortunately I'm typing this at 3pm on Monday, after having just endured 5 hours of NCAA compliance meetings preceded by a 20-hour drive on 3 hours of sleep. So, needless to say, I'm just not in the mood. The good news is I'm finally back in Charlotte and in the process of...

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I Doubt Jesus Would've Kicked Us Off the Track

AM: 60 mins. + 2x100m strides8 milesPM: 4 milesThe plan this morning was to accompany Jordan to the Bishop McGuinness track for some easy grass jogging while he worked out. Unfortunately, as you can read in his blog, it was not to be. I did manage to complete about half of my run with a few miles of it on the grass before he was unceremoniously dismissed, but I had to pound out more time on the streets than I would've liked.We got in an easy run around Brookhaven after work tonight, sweating profusely in the 95+ degree heat. With the craziness...

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AM: 8 milesPM: 3 milesSo it looks like for the time being our home base will be Spencer's pad in OKC. Huge props to him and his roomies for taking us in and so graciously hosting us for the next few days. The plus side for us (in addition to, you know, not living in my car or on the Norman High track as Jordan's mom feared) is we get to explore some new places on our runs this week. He also lives literally 200 yards from the Bishop McGuinness high school track, which should come in handy as well. Today's run found us meandering through Nichols...

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Week in Review

70-71 miles9 miles barefoot1 night homeless10 trips to the storage unit100 (at least) pieces of sushiI was pleased with the way this week turned out, as I succeeded in kicking up the mileage a bit while not compromising the quality. I got in a solid uptempo effort and plenty of barefoot running, which always makes me happy. Next week is a bit up in the air--confounding factors include our aformentioned homelessness, the busiest week of work all summer...

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Lake Hefner Long Run

88 mins.12 milesAfter last night's revelry and merriment, all the denizens of Chez Spencer were understandably slow movers this morning. I personally didn't stir until well after 9, and our group didn't mobilize for some physical activity until nearly 10. Even at that, things got off to a rocky start, as our two cyclists (Spencer and Scotty) were confounded by a flat tire and a bloody nose less than a mile out of the gate. Once we finally got everyone...

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Moving Day

AM: 43 mins.6 milesPM: 4 milesThe fact that we had a chance to run at all today, much less double, is nothing short of a miracle. We received a call yesterday around 5pm confirming that we needed to be out of Jordan's apartment that night--we thought we'd have until Monday morning--and at that point we had literally NOTHING packed. Naturally, this threw me straight into panic mode, especially since we were both tied up at work until 7. Needless to say, we spent the next 12 hours packing, throwing crap away, taking trips to the storage unit and...

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