Two Weeks Notice!

The last week of training has been challenging for me due to my knee issues.  Last Monday, I ran 11.75 miles and Stefhan drove me back to my house after my run.  My knees held up okay, although I experienced some real soreness at mile 9.  I then ran 2.25 miles on the treadmill the following day and had to stop .75 miles short due to knee pain.  It just wasn't worth it to me to suffer knee pain this close to the half-marathon.  I didn't run for the rest of the week.  Instead, I spent my time cross-training on the stationary bike (my butt is sore, again) and also went and swam laps at my gym.

Swimming was entertaining and I was pretty embarrassed starting out with all the other experienced swimmers.  They were doing the flippy things to change directions and everything.  I went and bought a bathing suit, goggles and a cap.  Everyone is making fun of me for wearing a condom on my head, but I thought it was mandatory in public pools.  Needless to say, I didn't see any signs requiring the cap and I'll be leaving the "reservoir tip" at home next time I decide to swim laps.  It was a good work out, but a ton of work.  I don't think I realized how tired I was until I got out of the pool and could hardly stand up.  I'm looking forward to the next pool work-out.

I also finished "Ultramarathon Man" by Dean Karnazes.  This book was really fantastic.  I was captivated the entire time and read the book in two nights.  It seems like he's bragging throughout the book, but I guess he has earned his bragging rights.  It would have been nice to hear about any injuries he may have encountered, but he says he has never suffered any running-related injuries which to me, is unfathomable.  I'm now reading "50/50" which is about his journey running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days.  These stories keep me motivated and keep reminding me that I'm capable of accomplishing my goals.

Other than that, the knees are still hurting.  Today I ran 12 slow miles.  At mile 6, the pain almost brought me to a stop.  I kept running and eventually the pain went away.  I'm not sure if that's a good thing, but I don't have much of a choice considering the half-marathon is only 12 days away.  I will try to cross-train a lot this week to stay off of my knees.

Thanks for reading!
Charli