Pop! goes the... gastrocnemius????

Saturday morning ended up in a nice, crisp morning for a race. I met up with friend Kyla to head to the NCEP for a fun 5 k with a bunch of zombies.

We got there about 1/2 hour early and had lots of time to get our kit, stash our stuff back at the car, meet the rest of the team (Pascale and Marshal from Montreal and Kyla's brother Alec) and line up to start. The race course was on the grassy fields and forests of the equestrian park. The footing was pretty good (thank you aeration system!), but considering the rain we had the night before, as well as the cooler temperatures, the ground was still slick. As we left the start gate, we ran through one of the paddocks, climbed up and down a hay pile, and encountered our first zombies. We were warned that there would be both walkers (doing the stereotypical zombie shuffle) and runners; but that we wouldn't know which ones were which until we actually got to them. I "survived" the first 3 zombies, but one of them ended up being a runner - and ran after the group for a good 200 meters (uphill) - lots of screaming and startled people surprised that she would follow us that far away from her post. Good fun! Once past the barns, we headed down the more narrow pathway towards the x-country field. The next obstacle was a tunnel we had to crawl through... and where my one and only picture was taken.

Down another slope and there were some more zombies. They were chained to a post and I stopped to evaluate how to dodge them. I decided cutting away from them would make it so they couldn't reach me... I darted to the left and as I darted...

I heard a pop. In my right calf.

Followed by the inability to run.

I may or may not have uttered a word I won't write here since my parents read this blog.

I tried to walk it off, but to no avail.

There was no way I was going to finish this race.

I told my friends to go ahead and that I would meet them at the finish line. I wasn't going to ruin THEIR race just because mine was over!

I asked some of the "zombies" (who offered me their chair to sit on), to use their walkie (talkies) to get someone to pick me up as the walk back over the 1km I had just run was really unappealing. NO WALKIES. (seriously?????? Who doesn't have walkies throughout the course "just in case"?) Add to that, no transportation across the fields - the zombies had been driven to the outskirts of the fields and then told to walk across the field to reach their posts.

One of the girls told me she texted the organiser (but didn't get a response) that there was someone injured on course. What if someone was SERIOUSLY injured on the course? What sort of plan was in place? Earlier this year, someone DIED - yes DIED!!!!! -  while running a tough mudder (another, albeit longer, obstacle course...). Did this organiser not take that into account and plan for the worst? So, I was left to hobble up the paddock to where a car would HOPEFULLY be coming to get me.

Lucky for me, one of the other zombies was on crutches and offered me use of one of them to help me out. After walking about 2/3 of the way, the organizer DID show up and offer me a lift to the first aid tent. Where the volunteer offered me ice and suggested I get it checked out further (and then proceeded to offer me some Tylenol... "for the swelling".... errr, thanks, I said, you mean for the PAIN, right?).

Needless to say, I will be sending an email to the organisers of the event "suggesting" some changes to their race course "plan" for next year if they want to repeat the race.

Lucky for me, I was not driving AND we had plans to meet up with Sarah, my wonderful RMT/RPT friend for lunch. I had her assess me upon arrival and she deduced that it was my gastrocnemius (the more superficial muscle you use when moving quickly to the left). Nothing to do but stretch, ice and rest for 48 hours to give the muscle time to heal and for the swelling to go down.

Which brings us to today. As of today, I can WALK with a much shorter stride than usual and with obvious (to me) protecting of the muscle. I am no longer going into serious muscle spasm every time I move the "wrong" way, and I am now able to go up on my toes "A LITTLE".

I have a call into the physiotherapist I saw when dealing with my back injury last year and hope to be able to get further assessed sometime this week. Upate: appointment at 7pm on Wednesday... 

And I'm bummed.

And I can't help but remember that it was this time last year when I sprained my ankle and eventually resulted in sever sciatic back pain that kept me off work for a month... something I am STILL paying back in sick leave.

But that sort of thing couldn't POSSIBLE happen two years in a row, right???

Errr... here's hoping.

Apocalyptic

A cloud of sickness was over our household these past few weeks.

First, the husband and the boy were sick with a nasty sinus-y cold, then, the husband went away for a boys' weekend away and the daughter got sick. After his return, I started with the same cough as the girl... we were a family of yuck. Last week, it was confirmed (through x-rays no less!) that both of the ladies of the house were fighting with pneumonia and were placed on antibiotics.

Needless to say, there has not been much activity in the house since the triathlon. This is not to say I haven't wanted to exercise... quite the opposite, actually I YEARNED for the day that I could return to my regular exercise. I DESPERATELY wanted to run in the gorgeous fall weather we had, but held myself back in fear of making myself worse by rushing back too quickly.

On Tuesday evening, I decided to test the waters with a run around the neighbourhood. Less than 2 km and near my home just in case I felt the need to quit early. The first km sucked while I tried to sort out all the kinks my body had settled into over the last week and a half. My right calf hurt, my breathing was off, my mouth was dry but I kept going. And the second km felt much better.

Tonight, I am going to bootcamp and tomorrow, I hope to flush out some of the lactic acid that will undoubtedly arise from tonight's hell fun.

Saturday, I am signed up with a few friends to run my first obstacle course. And it should be a fun one! It is being held at my old stomping grounds, the NCEP and I'm going into it completely blind. I know it is a 5k course; I know it is an obstacle course; but I don't know anything else about it. The race organizers have kept the specific obstacles under wraps and have only told us that we will be completing the course while being chased by zombies... did I mention that? Sounds like a ghoulishly fun time! Those interested can check out their website here. Our team, named "Outrun, Outlast, Out...brain" is scheduled to run in the 11am heat. We are hoping to prove ourselves worthy of the team name and to survice the zombie apocalypse. The kids will NOT be joining us for this one... don't want to deal with nightmares of their momma being chased after by zombies for the next 15 years! ;-)

Perseverance

Preamble: this post is long and wordy as most race recaps tend to be... go grab a coffee and sit back for a long(er) read!

Definition as per the Webster dictionary: Steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

A running friend used that word to describe my actions in the triathlon I competed in yesterday.

After some time of reflection, I agree with it. I am not only accepting it, but welcoming it. At first, I tried to mask that POSITIVE word with words like "stubborn" and "cheap". I am trying my hardest to let go of those negative words - albeit it is not an easy thing to do.

My triathlon story started off with an early wakeup at my mother's house (where I was staying so I didn't have to travel as far in the morning to get to the race site). She gave me the bad news that she was suffering from some major vertigo and wouldn't be able to come and watch me at the race. I've suffered from vertigo before and remember all to well its nasty effects. I understood. She was disappointed she couldn't be there, but I was fully confident that if there was any way, she would have. (xoxo)

While waiting for my breakfast bagel to toast, I checked facebook and was welcomed by this status from the husband:

Heading to bed thinking about the incomparable Josee Sisson challenging herself yet again with her first ever mini triathlon (try-a-tri) tomorrow morning. You're gonna be awesome and have a friggin' blast in the process!Can't wait to hear all about it tomorrow over a homemade gingerbread latte and slice o' homemade apple cake.Love ya lots. Now go kick some ass and have some fun!!!

There were also 3 other statuses from friends who would be at the tri as volunteers that expressed their excitement to watch us (there were 3 of us newbie tri LIO friends competing) finish. Also, 3 posts on my wall wishing me luck.

People were in my corner.

People had confidence in me.

Most importantly, I had confidence in me.

I arrived at the site right on time, got my kit and headed to my meeting spot. I had the normal pre-race jitters, but I was ready and I was excited.

Time seemed to fly by between arrival time (7:00) and our start time (8:30). At 8:15, we were in the pool and getting seeded in our respective times.

The Swim

The swim is only 100 meters, and I did not had any difficulties with that distance in trainig, but this time, it was different. The pool was a 50 meter pool, and about 3/4 of the way through the distance, I could feel myself slowing down and struggling to get to that deep end of the pool. I managed to, and the second half of the swim seemed easier, but getting OUT of the pool was a different story. Although I was exiting in the shallow end, the top lip of that shallow end (which really wasn't THAT shallow - the water still was up to my shoulders!) is HIGH! All of the sudden Jay's decision to take on of the side lanes and get those stairs didn't seem so silly!). I flopped myself over the edge like a beached whale (scraping up my knee at the same time) and headed to the first T-zone).

What I took away from the swim: I need to enroll in some adult swimming lessons to improve my strokes and stop feeling like I am sinking. Breast stroke would likely not cut it for a distance any longer than 100m. Also, need to work on my shoulder strength for exiting the pool.

T-1

A bit slower than I had hoped, but then again, I had nothing to compare with. The big smiley face balloon acted as a great maker (and thanks to Jay's heart shaped one that she left behind, I had something to bring home to the kiddies in the end!) to find where I had placed my bike. I wished I had a more absorbent towel that didn't make it so I was rolling down my shirt. Also, I was wearing too many layers. I wasn't hot, but it takes a lot longer to get dressed when you are putting on shorts, shirt, vest, socks and shoes...

What I took away from T-1: Wear as little as you need for the different portions of the race. make sure water bottle spout is open and zippers are unzipped before. Also, I decided at the last minute to have my shoes untied and ready to go... that was a good idea on my part!

Bike:

We had a 13k bike ride consisted of 2 6.5k loops along the road way surrounding the Sportsplex. I went out strong, and passed quite a few people relatively quickly. This is where my brother's road bike came in really handy. Often times, I felt like I was flying. I didn't get passed once during the whole first loop, and passed a lot of people. I was excited - and when I rode by the LIO cheering section (thanks Tracey and Leigh and gang!), I was totally pumped by the loud cheers. Halfway though the second loop, however, things (well, one thing, actually...) changed. I felt a wobble from my back tire and noticed how I was immediately slowing down. I thought for a split second about whether I could keep going for the last 3 or so kms on a flat tire, but at the first turn when my back tire slipped out from underneath me, I knew I was toast.

After a few un-mentionable words, I went to the grass to see the damage. This is a good time to note I did NOT have a bike kit; nor have I EVER changed a road bike tire. #!@%^!!!! 

Lucky for me, I had passed one of my LIO pals Barbara and I knew she DID have a kit, so when I saw her and she asked if I was ok, whether I had a spare tube and then offered me hers, she's lucky I didn't pull her off her bike and give her a hug. 2 separate, big, (motor)biker race officials came to my rescue, the first, who knew just a LITTLE more than I did about changing a tire (which is really not much!), the other that became my saviour. At one point during the whole 15 minute (at least) procedure, yet another race official asked me if I wanted him to call it in and get someone to come and pick me up. I politely but confidently informed him that I WOULD finish this race!!!! And #121 from the sprint race... thank you a thousand times for stopping briefly to loan me your bike pump.

Once back on the bike, it was smooth sailing back to the T-zone. But with lots of muttering obscenities to myself about the fact that "I CAN'T believe that happened - grrr!!"

What I took away from the bike:  This one is likely obvious: Get a bike repair kit (with a pump) to put
on the bike. And learn how to change a freakin' tire.

T-2

This one was pretty fast. Hop off bike, unclip helmet, run beside bike to happy face balloon, drop off bike and helmet, put on cap, glug one more bit of Nuun, and start running.

Run

This is the first time I managed to see my friends as I was running by the finish line. While they cheered at me, I yelled at them that I had blown out a tire... and I was frustrated. I started the run "naked" (with no music), but decided if I wanted to get this race done, I wanted to lose myself in my music and just.... GO. I popped in the headphones and made a concious decision then and there. No matter what... JUST KEEP RUNNING. I gave myself a little pep talk about not paying attention to anyone else around me. "If they are walking, you do NOT need to as well. You had 15 minutes of time to "build more energy" while you were waiting for that damned tire to be changed. YOU.CAN.DO.THIS.". And I did.

The only time I walked was during the water station, when I gulped down a gatorade first, then a water on the way back. About 30 seconds after I crossed the last km mark, I heard the 1k kids race start up and knew I'd be finishing my race along side (or, in some cases, behind!) a bunch of sprinting kids. I let them carry me home. At one point, a kid a little older than Madie sprinted past me, and I began to goat him on. Telling him he was doing awesome and to keep it up and that he could beat me! And I kept up to him.

As I turned the corner and could see the finish line, I started searching for my beacon. There were a bunch of kids in front of me which meant she was being kept busy, but I saw her, and knew I was almost there.

I crossed the finish line and gave my chip to Allyson (and a big hug). I walked a few more steps and got my medal from Donna (and another big hug), then, as I continued through the finishing shoot, banana in hand, I saw Caroline who gave me the most very awesome hug I think I have ever had. THAT's when the tears came and I allowed the disappointment to come. I let myself realise how well I was doing before the tire blow and how much it affected my time. I had a little cry while heading back to my bike. But also let myself be proud of what I DID accomplish.

...And knew I couldn't wait to sign up for my next one. :)

May 2014 = Redemption

Into the deep end

Holy crap I did it.

I actually pressed the submit button.

On the morning of September 29, 2013, I will be participating in a triathalon.

By 9:30am (or earlier), I will be a triathlete.

Let's backtrack a bit, shall we?

My brick workout last Sunday ended up going better than I expected.

I managed to comfortably complete over 10k on the bike in less than 30 minutes. My run, 1.78k (one small loop of my neighbourhood) was done in less than 13 minutes.

And it felt good!

After my ride, the legs and glutes were tight - the muscles constricted after being used for a longer period and at a speed not familiar. But instead of feeling jello legs, they felt strong and I found a bounce in my step that I don't normally have. My stride seemed a bit flatter but at the same time it seemed longer. Maybe it was all in my mind, I don't know; but whatever it was, I ran with confidence. When I walked after about 8 minutes, it was more because I "wanted to", not because I "felt it necessary". I was tired, but not "done". In reality, at one point, I played the "do I really NEED to walk?" game and told myself - you can walk as long as you run until the end of the road.

I arrived back at the house feeling invigorated and confident that I.CAN.DO.THIS.

My facebook status on Monday "I'm all in". I felt good and ready to tackle this new challenge.

Financially, I had to wait until today to click on submit, and when I did, I felt excited but still scared for the adventure of trying something unknown.

So, the race deets: It is at the Nepean Sportsplex and is E.A.R.L.Y. I need to be there by 7am and the first (fastest) swimmers in the try-a-tri will be in the pool at 8am.

NOTE: I need to figure out how long it takes me to swim 100 meters before then.

Then I'm on the bike for 13k (a totally indimidating thought due to needing to share the road with the cars! - eek!), then a 3k run through the (now more familiar to me because of the night race) wooden trails behind the Sportsplex.

I have found out my friend and inspirational half-ironwoman Allyson will be at the finish line giving out the medals. I look forward to running towards her and have forwarned her to expect a stinky finish line hug. :)

I have also inspired (well, to push the button...) another friend to take that jump into the deep end too. My friend Jay will also be trying-a-tri that day! YAY for sweaty company!

I have no clue whether I will get the kids and the husband out to cheer me on - but I suspect not because of the timing... I will need to be out of the house by 6:30am to arrive on time and I just can't see that happening with 2 kids and the husband in tow. They are likely to still be in bed by the time I am done and home! (slight exageration but really... we like our lazy weekend mornings in the Sisson household)

I'm hoping, aside from the few sweaty sisters I know will be there, I can phenangle a few family members to come act as cheering section. (hint, hint Maman!)

I can't wipe this excited smirk off my face, but yet I keep going back to that first line.

Holy crap, I did it.

a new plan

After almost 3 weeks off due to my toe injury, I went to Red Pine Camp with the family and had a great week. I made the most of my week (you can read more about it here) and enjoyed a very active week. One filled with a solo 7 km hilly run, swimming, water skiing, Stand-up-paddle boarding and lots and lots of walking.

Since being back, I have enjoyed a few nice, shorter distance runs, headed to the pool to swim some laps, met a friend to do some weights at her gym and acquired a road bike from my brother.

This weekend, I will attempt my first "brick" workout. For those not in the know (until recently, I would be included in that group!), a brick workout is a bike ride, followed immediately by a run. Apperently I am to expect jello legs for the run portion.

I'm doing this in preparation for my next challenge.

A triathalon.

Baring any complete disasters during this week's brick workout, I am planning on signing up for my first ever try-a-tri (a distance of 100 meters swim, 13km bike and 3 k run) to be held at (and around) the Nepean Sportsplex on September 29.

The bonus to this particular tri is that the swim portion is in the 50 meter pool. No crazy waves (other than the man-made ones from the swimmers), current or bad weather to contend with!

Stay tuned! More to come after Sunday's workout!

bumps in the road

Tuesday night is soccer night in our household which means an early and fast dinner before one of the parents rushes the boy to his practice / game.

This past Tuesday, it was the husband's turn to chauffeur the boy so I decided to bring the girl out for a post-supper trip to the park.

We played in the sand, we climbed the ladders, we swung on the swings and then I decided to be silly.

For an instant, I forgot about the extra weight i am carrying and the many years I have aged since I was able to dart myself around a jungle gym with the ease of a monkey.

I wanted to show my daughter I could be cool and hang upside down.

I didn't think about the fact that I no longer had the abdominal strength of a 13 year old. I didn't think that this MIGHT just be a BIT harder then I remembered...

I kicked off my flip flops and with a burst of energy swung my feet up to the sky;

DIRECTLY INTO THE MONKEY BARS.

OUCH.

Now, my foot looks like this: (for some reason, my computer won't allow me to upload a picture... you will have to trust me that it looks NASTY!)


and I am officially sidelined from running until I no longer feel the need to buddy tape my toes in order to walk (hobble is likely a better word).

So from now on I will heed the boy's advice.

and STAY AWAY FROM THE MONKEY BARS MOMMA!

Redemption

The last few runs, have been difficult. Whether the weather, the darkness or just being plain old tired; it hasn't be enjoyable. I have run because I felt I "had" to rather than because I "wanted" to.

This week the tide seems to have turned. The humidity is all but gone and we are having fall-like weather. Perhaps I am the only one; but, I am relishing in the temperature change.

I went to yoga on Wednesday during my lunch hour with my friend Caroline. It was cool enough to be wearing a fleece on the way to and from the Hill, but the weather could not have been MORE perfect for an hour long Vinyasa Flow class. The class seemed to focus a lot on opening the hips and lengthing the calfs. Add to that a bit of shoulder stretching and you have the perfect yoga class for me and my runner's tighness. I LOVED it.

Last night, I went out for a BEAUTIFUL run after putting m. to bed. I mapped out a 5k in our neighbourhood, grabbed the pooch (who, after being left behind as of late due to the humidity or my planned distances, was SO happy to be coming along!) and laced up the shoes. My plan was to stick with 10:1s and to not skip out early on them - no matter how slow that made me.

With surprise, I felt great for the first 10 minutes - surpassing the distance I thought I would get in those 10 minutes. I felt STRONG and FAST. The second ten minutes were just a good and I was THRILLED to see I made it to the "almost" 3k mark when my alarm told me it was time for my second walk break. That means I managed an average pace of 7 minutes / km (faster, likely, since this also includes 1 minute of walking)... for 21 minutes! (Just to give you a baseline, I have been averaging somewhere between 7:20-7:45 on a good run)

At that point I knew I had a "long-ish" incline back up to the main road (about 1.5km) and my mindframe changed back to my plan to stick with those 10:1s. I'm not sure exactly HOW slow the next 1.5 km uphill were, but the imporant thing is I stuck to my plan and pushed through the incline. YES!

I felt great once I turned that corner knowing I only had .5 k to go and I went for it. I even managed to sprint those last 200 meters... and BOY did that feel good!

When my fast dog (who, when I was running a 7 minute kilometer, was just gingerly trotting alongside) has to run flat out to keep up... nothing better than that to boost your confidence. :)

So last night's run was a HUIGE WIN for me - no matter the final result (38.21 minutes for a 5k). It was exactly what I needed to rejuvenate my love of running. I couldn't have asked for better than that.