Resolutions!

A new year is upon us, and once again I get to make a list of resolutions and goals for the new year.   I know some people think they are silly, but as I've said before, I love resolutions. I think it's a great time to kickstart some new habits and give myself an excuse to try new things.   So, without further ado -  Jessica's Resolutions 2014.

1) Sugar Free Month - When my migraines were out of control several years ago, one of the things I did to fix the situation was avoid sugar and soda.  Slowly, I've been getting into the habit of eating more and more sweets and drinking lots of soda, so I'm going to nip that in the bud this month.    The plan is to use this as a time to reset my internal sweet tooth, and then maintain a lower level of sugar intake going forward.  

2) Eating out - Oh, this is hard.  I love restaurants and I love a wide variety of food types.  Given this, I (much too) frequently go out to eat by myself.    This wasn't so bad when that was the only way I ever went out, but I go out to eat fairly often with other people now as well.  So, I am putting the kibosh on eating out solo.   To further this goal, each time I think about eating out, but don't, I will reward myself by putting $10 in my savings account.   If I DO eat out, I will put $50 into savings.  

3) 30 by July - I'm pretty close to my goal weight (or was, before the holidays...).   I'd like to finish the "weight loss" phase of this journey, and start focusing on other things.    So, I'm targeting July 1 (my birthday) to have lost the remains pounds to get me to a healthy weight (as recommended by my doctor).   That isn't the weight I will necessarily stay at, but my plan is to get there and let nature take its course after that.   If my activity level causes my weight to continue to drop, so be it.  

Now, those are the resolutions.  I have a number of goals for this year as well.   I did pretty well knocking off last year's set, so here's hoping for similar success this year!

1) Run a half marathon (or three) - A hold over from last year.  I'm targeting late Feb or March for this one.
2) Finish an Olympic distance tri -  Figure this should get done before #3...
3) Finish a half-Iron distance tri (!) - Oh boy, that's a big one.
4) Run a marathon - Gotta find something fun for this one.
5) Finish the 100 pushup challenge.
6) Ride RAGBRAI

Best wishes to you for a happy and fun-fulled 2014!

Skinny skis

I live in Minnesota, which means that for what seems like half the year it is entirely too cold and gross out to bike and distinctly unpleasant to run.  This is upsetting to me, as it leads to undesirable activities like spin class and treadmill running.   Nonetheless, I persevere, looking forward to warmer days and sunny skies.   This year, however, I have embraced my inner Norwegian and taken up the fine sport of cross country skiing.   This is not my first foray into the sport of my homeland, but the last time I did any skiing was more than a decade ago when I was flush with the invincibility of youth and ignorance.   These days, I find myself overly concerned with the fragility of my bones and ligaments, though not entirely undeservedly.  

Elm Creek - Couldn't ask for a nicer day

Naturally, Owatonna has received very little snow, but our friends to the north in the Twin Cities have been more fortunate.   As such, my peeps and I have been heading northward on the weekends to take in the varied joys of the Three Rivers Park District trail systems.   I have to say, that in general, I am very impressed with the offerings they are able to put forth.  In particular, Elm Creek has become a favorite of mine, not the least because of the large fireplace in the chalet, which provides a fantastic place to sit and warm up after a chilly afternoon.  

The boys, showing how it's done, twinner style.  

As for the skiing, it's been a learning, or perhaps relearning, process.   The first day out was -- awkward.  With no confidence in my abilities and my aforementioned fear of breaking myself, even tiny hills were anxiety inducing.   Additionally, I had no idea how to go UP hills, which led to a rather humorous incident of sliding backwards down a particularly steep slope until finally tumbling to a stop.   Thank goodness for the kindness of a random woman who introduced me to the concept of stepping up a hill herringbone style.   Additional trips have increased my confidence and I have started to remember some of the more "advanced" techniques - snow plowing, for example.   I'm still pretty cautious, but it's been a blast.

Demonstrating my expert snow plow technique

The advantage of all this, of course, is that it's a fantastic workout, in addition to being fun.   While spin class is usually entertaining, it's not exactly the highlight of my day (well, it is, but mostly because my life is pretty dull this time of year).    Running outside can be fun, but the temperature range I'm comfortable running in pretty much stops in the mid teens.  I'll run outside in colder, but mostly just to prove I can.   Skiing, however, has the benefit of being such a butt kicking workout that even in downright frigid temps it's possible to be comfortable (and maybe even too warm!).   The only part of me that disagrees are my hands, which mysteriously have started getting painfully cold before I get my blood pumping.  I suspect it has something to do with the fact that I used to wear a size 10 ring, and now wear closer to a 7 1/2.  

That hill is a lot more intimidating in person...really, it is.

This past weekend was an exceptionally beautiful time to be out.   Both days graced us with moderate temperatures and a light dusting of fresh snow that made being outside feel like a privilege.   Sunday was interesting, as it was the first day I had been out where I was routinely coming upon other skiers.   As I'm still trying to figure out the mechanics of the sport, I'm not particularly fast, so I normally just wait for people to pass me by.  Sunday, however, I was going at a good enough clip that I was passing some people myself.   This led to one of the more surreal experiences I've had lately.   A woman came up behind me and was riding pretty close to me.  Eventually I had to stop, as I ran into a bad patch of track and needed to negotiate the edge to avoid falling.  As she passed me, she apologized, saying that she wasn't faster than me, but was faster on the downhills because she was heavy.   I nearly tripped, hearing words that I have said and/or thought a million times coming from someone (who wasn't that big), talking to me!  

Speedy!

Next week I'll have a post about the new year and my plans and hopes for it.  In the meantime, have a fantastic Christmas or holiday of your choice!

(Thanks to Randy for the action shots!)

Product Review: CW-X Stabilyx Tights

Well, winter is upon us, judging by the frigid temps as of late.  The upside is that we, seemingly for the first time in years, have snow on the ground before March.   Well, not much here in Owatonna, but up north an hour or so they have plenty, and we've never been shy about driving for our outdoor entertainment.   All of this has led me to make a purchase I've been thinking about for a few years - cross country skis.   I'm pretty excited, but still trying to remember what little I used to know about the sport and learning what I can from watching others and YouTube.  So, until I have something more entertaining to write on that front, I thought I would share my impressions of the tights I talked about a while ago.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I have a nagging knee pain that likes to interfere with my activities.  While I have some idea of what I need to do to physically correct the issue, I felt I needed something to support my legs a little better to try and prevent future issues.   That's where my tights come in.   I did some reading and settled on the CW-X Stabilyx line, which claims to have a lot of support for joints, especially knees.

I really just never get sick of these...

I got a pair of awesome rainbow 3/4 length tights to start with, and began running in those shortly before my PR 5k from November.   I have to say, I was initially pretty skeptical, but my knees felt great while I was running in them.   I really like how they keep everything from moving when I run, especially as I still have a pretty heavy gait.   In the interests of science, I did a run with my normal workout tights to compare the before and after.  Not only did my legs feel worse while running, but also my knee ached for days after that run, where I had had no pain after running with the CW-X tights.  

After that test, I purchased a pair of insulated full length tights and another pair of 3/4 length tights so I could make sure I always had a clean pair to run in (TMI?).  The insulated tights fit a little tighter than the normal fabric, so if you are just at the edge of fitting into a size, you may want to size up in those.   I did a 5 mile run in single degree temps (with negative windchill) and was chilly, but fine.  I probably needed a wind pant for that temp range, but when the wind was behind me I was perfect.   Besides running, I've worn both the full length and 3/4 length tights cross country skiing.   Again, really nice to have that compression while out and about, and they make a decent base layer.  

Insulated tights - you can see the knee stitching here

So, bottom line time.  I love 'em.   If you have minor knee issues, it may well be worth trying them out to see if they can provide some relief.   While I by no means have completely eliminated my knee pain, it isn't interfering in my activity level at this time, I think due in part to these tights.  They are awfully spendy ($90 for the 3/4), but in my opinion well worth it.   The sizing chart seemed accurate to me, and others that I know have reported the same.

There's no place like...Kansas?!

Ah, Black Friday.   The sights, the sounds.   Gravel crunching under tires, crisp late autumn air,  hazy hills rising over an impressively blue lake.  Not exactly the scenes that were unfolding on CNN, but that's how I was fortunate enough to spend the day.   I have to say, the idea of going to Kansas for the long weekend seemed more than a little crazy when I first came up with it.  However, sitting on top of a rocky hillside looking over the Smoky Hills, I was glad a little crazy is pretty much par for the course for my life right now.

How on earth did I end up in Kansas, you ask?  The week before Thanksgiving, I was suddenly seized with a strong desire to be anywhere but my apartment over the long weekend.   And, I thought, if I was going to escape, it might as well be south, in search of more temperate weather.  So, I started searching.  The IMBA Epic rides page is my new go-to spot for travel ideas, and after looking through my nearby options, I settled on Switchgrass, in central Kansas.   Destination set, I needed to convince someone to go with me.    Fortunately, I have acquired a number of adventuresome friends as of late and one of them, Randy, was willing to pass up the turkey-filled coma of Thanksgiving for some mountain biking (and a lot of driving).

Naturally, we started the holiday off right with a quick race in Faribault, the IRIS Turkey Trot.   With that under our belts, we piled into the car and started our 9 hour drive through what may well be the least interesting part of the United States, the I-35 corridor.    We made it the many many miles to Russell, KS in a reasonable amount of time and then promptly collapsed to rest up for the next day.  

We had pulled in after dark, so when dawn broke I was treated to my first sight of Kansas.   It was flat.  Like, really flat.  Flat like no one who has ever called southern Minnesota flat could possibly understand.   I felt a flutter of unease--how on earth could there possibly be a trail worth riding here??  I reminded myself that it was an Epic and crossed my fingers that I hadn't just convinced my friend to drive 9 hours for a loop around a prairie.   Switchgrass is located in a state park that is approximately 20 miles from anything of note, so we headed to the local grocery store to pick up some provisions for the day before heading out.   While I have more or less become accustomed to wandering about in spandex in Minnesota, I did feel more than a little out of place in Russell.   Everyone was very friendly, though, even if my rear end was getting a bit more attention than I am comfortable with.  

Stocked up and ready to go, we made the quick drive to Wilson State Park.   The geography of this area is hard to explain.  It is called the Smoky Hills, and it is very hilly, in a short, squat sort of way.    From the interstate, you would never know this place existed, but suddenly these rounded hills rise out of the land, and you start to see lovely rock formations jutting out  of the landscape.  One local quirk:  apparently the original settlers, seeing a distinct lack of trees for fence posts, instead carved posts out of the rock.  Many of these fence lines still stand and are a point of local pride.  

Once at the trail head, we unloaded the bikes and got rolling.   It was quickly evident that this was going to be a different style of riding than I was used to.   The soil was a rich reddish color, and stones of varying sizes covered much of the trail.   Where the dirt wasn't hard packed, it was a loose sand that would sap speed, usually at the worst possible time.   The uphills were generally short, but they were made difficult by sharp turns and large rocks that needed to be cleared.   While there were sections that were mostly riding through the grass, it was just long enough to catch your breath before being presented with another rock garden or perilous climb along the edge of a stone cliff face.   I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the rock garden portions of the trail.  While they were definitely a challenge for me, I found myself beginning to understand how to maintain momentum through the sections.   Of course, this would promptly be ruined by some drop or descent that scared the willies out of me.  Small steps.



The landscape of the ride was beautiful, prairie covered hills with exposed rock faces colored with rich striations of red and brown.   The vegetation was fascinating to me, especially once Randy pointed out a cactus!   I didn't see any large game, but birds were everywhere.   I have never seen so many hawks in such a short period of time.    Also, there were HUGE flocks of birds that would rise up out of the grass like an undulating wave of black over the landscape until they disappeared over the horizon.   The centerpiece of all this was, of course, the lake.  It is billed as the clearest lake in Kansas, and I believe it.   Along the edges, there were various inlets, and naturally the trail followed some of them.  The water here was a deep turquoise that I typically associate with springs, a lovely color that contrasted fantastically with the rock faces.   I think that taking the kayak there would have been good fun, as there were many caves and other interesting features worn out of the walls of the basin.

A well earned break

Switchgrass is a 22+ mile trail from start to end.   While not super technical, there is a fair bit of climbing and riding over difficult terrain.  As such, I was pretty much dead in my saddle at mile 11.   I felt awful, because I could tell that I was getting slower and slower and poor Randy was spending more and more time waiting for me to catch up.   I asked to stop for a breather, and that helped, but it wasn't long before I was running on fumes again.  In retrospect, I should have brought something more substantial to eat on the trail (and some caffeine!), but I had never been out on something that long on the mountain bike, and I honestly had no idea how hard it would be.   Helpfully, there are stone markers every mile, so I could count down the end to my ride in agonizingly slow intervals.    As tired as I was, I knew that I needed to be more careful riding, as I was starting to make dumb mistakes.   Unfortunately, careful only counts for so much and, perhaps inevitably, I crashed out.   It was near the end of the ride, on the easy section of trail, but I hit a greasy spot on a corner and crashed hard.  

Initially, I thought I was just banged up, but otherwise OK.  However, once I got back on the bike, I found I couldn't grab my handlebar with my left hand.   In fact, every time I tried, I had pain shoot through my wrist, highly reminiscent of the pain that my ankle had given me after I sprained it.   As the post-crash endorphin rush wore off, the pain got worse and worse, until I finally stopped trying to hold the bar and all and just asked Randy to give me a heads up on any trail features that would require two hands.   In the midst of this, we finally hit the 22 mile marker.   I made Randy take a picture of me for posterity.

22 Miles!  (Notice the pained smile...)

Impromptu bike maintenance

The next day, I was more than a little concerned about my riding capabilities.   However, I had other matters to attend to first.  As I'm currently training to run a 1/2 marathon sometime in February/March, I needed to get my long run for the week in.   So, after some parking lot bike maintenance, Randy took off for a speed lap around the trail and I went for a trail run.   I took off along the EZ trail, tracing back along the path I had biked the day before.   I had a really fantastic run, and even added an extra credit mile to the end to make it my longest run ever.   I only tripped three times, and caught myself all three times.   (I'm not certain if I'm really clumsy or really agile - for the number of times I trip I certainly don't fall very often.)  After my run, I decided to give the hand a workout and after quickly switching clothes (just before some dude pulled in!), I headed out to give the rock garden another shot.

My second trip on the rocks went better than the first, even with a banged up body.  I was relieved to discover that I was able to hold on to the bike despite the injury, so I set about trying to get better at riding on rock.   Better is, of course, relative, and the fellow who pulled into the parking lot caught up to me just as I was attempting to navigate an intimidating section called the "Causeway".   There are several shortcuts built into Switchgrass that allow you to skip over the more advanced terrain.  Apparently, I looked like I needed advice, as this fellow "helpfully" pointed out to me that I could have skipped the section.   Hmm...thanks but no thanks.     I finished my loop (only 9 miles), and made it back to the parking lot shortly before Randy finished up his pounding of the 22 mile loop in what must have been some kind of beast mode riding effort.

Randy, triumphant

Well, this ended up longer than I thought it would!   Switchgrass was an awesome trip, and I feel very fortunate to have a friend willing to go do crazy stuff with me.   As I was running the trail, I had a moment of profound gratitude that somehow my life is now this - where I go to these amazing places and experience everything that there is on offer with friends who share my passion and joy in this amazing opportunity we are given.  

Race Recap - Athleta Unleash the SHE

A while ago I had suggested to my friends that we do the 10K run for Athleta Unleash the SHE.   It was after I had run Big Woods in my fastest 5K time ever, and I was feeling ready to move on to bigger and better things.  Shortly after that, my knee decided to hate me and that, I thought, was that.

After much more time off than I had been hoping, I finally started running again about two weeks ago.  I say started running, but really, all I was doing was a mile on the treadmill.  My knee was still shaky, but wearing my nifty compression pants seemed to help keep things in line and it didn't hurt while I was running, so I figured I was okay.  About this time, talk suddenly surfaced of people doing the 10K I had mentioned a month earlier.  

While I knew there was no way I could run the 10K, I was intrigued by the 5K.   Still, it seemed awfully risky to run a 5K with almost no running in the prior month and a bad knee to boot.   However, I've never been particularly good at being smart and the lure of doing a final run for the season was too great to overcome.  I told myself I'd take it easy, and if necessary, walk.   Just a fun outing with some friends.

The Girls!  (photo credit:  Dave Chabot)

Athleta Unleash the SHE, like it sounds, is a women's only run.   Still, it just wouldn't be right to be waking up obscenely early on a weekend without the guys, so Dave and Randy kindly agreed to be our sherpas for the event.   The day was chilly, but not terribly cold, though it was overcast and threatening rain.   The 10K started a half hour before the 5K, so I was able to cheer the rest of the girls at the start.

Something strange had happened after we got to Blaine (where the run was).  My earlier thoughts of a nice easy run evaporated in my faint embarrassment that I wasn't doing the 10K and suddenly I found myself telling people that I was going to try and PR the run.   Now, think about this for a moment - I had just had my best 5K a month or so before, but I had literally run less than 4 miles TOTAL since then.   My knee was iffy at best and rainbow tights or no, I was pretty sure I was going to be hurting by the end.    But yeah, I was going to PR...or as Randy helpfully suggested, "PR or ER".

After a longish half hour spent wandering about the sports complex that was hosting the run and getting colder by the moment, it was showtime.   I handed my jacket off to the sherpas and disappeared in the crowd.    I tried to get as far forward as I could, in part to stay warm and in part to avoid getting stuck behind the walkers.   The countdown went and we were off!

Despite my efforts, I was definitely stuck in the midst of the slower people.  I started passing as many as I could while still keeping a reasonable pace, but I had to stretch out and sprint a few steps around a few groups.   The course wound around the parking lot of the sports complex before heading out, so I saw the guys, but apparently I am super stealthy in my purple and rainbow tights so they didn't see me.    

The run was pretty uneventful, all in all.  The course was very flat, mostly sidewalk, and other than being pretty congested, nice to run on.  I settled into my pace (1-2-3-4-5-6), and zoned out a bit.  I do like to run with my eyes closed, which is probably unwise, but it works for me.   I did almost run into one girl, though.  Whoops!  The only iffy spot was a bit of sand that had washed out of a driveway, but certainly nothing to worry about.

I had no idea how fast I was running, but I felt pretty strong.  While I had said I was going to PR, out on the course my mind started wandering to my old goal of doing a sub-30 minute 5K this year.   It didn't seem likely, but it kept flitting through my mind how cool it would be to manage.   While I was pondering this, I decided that I was going to kick up my pace at the 2 mile marker and try and finish the last mile plus as strong as possible.   

The marker came, and even though I was feeling the distance (which was now my longest run in over a month), I kicked it up.   I started counting faster and telling myself that if I ran faster, the discomfort wouldn't last as long.   The end of the course once again wound through the parking lot, so I could see the finish line a bit before I was there.   I dug deep and found some extra kick to finish at a sprint, my insides twisting so hard I thought for sure I was going to be sick.    As I ran by the finish line, I saw the 10K clock said 57: something.   

After I settled my stomach, I milled around the finish area a bit, trying to find my peeps.  I felt like I had run a pretty good race, but with no clock to go by, I had no idea if that meant a PR or just some disappointment.   I located the rest of my people by the finish line, startling them, as they thought I hadn't finished yet.   As I said, purple and rainbow - super stealthy.   Thankfully, the guys take sherpa duty seriously, so Randy had my jacket on hand to ward off the chilly air as we waited for our remaining runner to come in from the 10K course.  

I had a sneaking suspicion at this point that I might have done better than PR, but I refused to let myself get exited until I saw the results.   After an interminable wait, they were posted and there it was...bib 686 29:23!!   I can't really explain how excited I was by this.  For those who have never been nonathletic, I suspect that it wouldn't mean anything.  For me, though, this was a validation that I was actually getting better, that I could call myself a runner and not just some fat chick out jogging.   It's an arbitrary line, to be sure, but it was important to me.   

I was, I'm reasonably sure, obnoxious for the rest of the day.  I actually started to doubt that I had read the results correctly, and was semi-obsessively checking the online results until I could confirm that I had really done it.   After that, I was over the moon excited and pleased with myself, and more smiley than anyone who knows me would believe.   It was a great, great day, and I'm super excited I was able to share it with so many of my friends.    Now, for the next goal! 

Unleash the SHE results - (If you want to see some really impressive running, check out what the rest of the Owatonna ladies did for the 10K)

   

Taking it easy

So, I've been trying to be a good little athlete, and take the prescribed rest period for my knee seriously.   Rest thus far has looked like mountain biking.  I think that counts.

I did have X-rays done last week, and they showed that my knee pain has a very definite and fairly easy to remedy cause.  Basically, my right patella is not tracking correctly due to an imbalance between the outer and inner muscles of my thigh.  Technically, my left has the same problem to a lesser degree, but it's not causing me pain (yet).  So, next step is to start doing some serious work to even that out and then protect my knee from further aggravation.  To that end I have gotten some ridiculously overpriced and frankly FANTASTIC compression tights.   They claim to stabilize the joints...we'll see, I guess, but they do look cool.

I do not look this good in them.   Sorry, hapless bystanders.

Of course, it's me, so I've been acquiring new injuries in the interim.  I've apparently reached a level of confidence on the mountain bike that has outstripped my skill.  This has translated to a number of crashes of late.  My legs are a mottled mess of new and old bruises and my foot looks...painful.  The most limiting issue is that my right arm and shoulder are pretty sore from hitting the ground multiple times, but nothing is broken.   As long as I don't need to raise my arm above elbow level I'll be fine.

I really am having fun on the mountain bike, though.  I'll likely never be a super risky rider, but trying to keep up with my biker peeps is encouraging me to move a bit outside my safety zone and it's pretty fun.  I've been to both Lebanon and Murphy and while I like them both, I think if I had to choose, I would go with Murphy.   Generally less crowded, I just feel more relaxed, even though the trail is probably less polished than Lebanon.   Besides, there are some truly awesome places in the trail where you are zipping along with a canopy of young trees arching just overhead that make me feel like I'm riding in an enchanted wood.  I'm a dork, I know.  

 

Again!?!

At some point, I would really like to stop having injuries to write about.   Honestly, as much fun as being hopped on pain meds is, I really would just like to be the kind of person who scoffs at the notion of being injured.  Instead, I seem to get the frequent opportunity to share with my readers the many and varied ways my body attempts to derail my efforts to improve myself.  So, without further ado...the latest.

Today I went to see the doctor after I started having excruciating pain in my right knee.   Now, I've had knee pain before, but this was something else.  I would be walking normally and then BAM! it would feel like someone had stuck a knife through my knee...and then left it there.    I would then spend the next few minutes walking stiff legged until I was able to convince my mind that bending my knee wouldn't hurt like that again.   Rinse, repeat.   The whole situation would have been comical, if not for the sinking feeling that I finally managed to do something Really Bad to myself.  

So, after consulting with Nana, I made an appointment at the clinic.  After waiting an interminable amount of time in the exam room, the doctor came in and did his evaluation.   After bending and twisting and prodding, he pronounced that I had not, in fact, torn anything, but my MCL was pretty upset with me.   In his opinion, this probably resulted from a combination of the following facts:  1) I increased my running miles too fast 2) I walked too much on my shiny new heel lift last Sunday and 3) my ankle is probably still messing with my gait a bit.    Yes, I am dumb, I know.

So, now I get to take it easy for 7-10 days (which I have interpreted as 3-5 days).   In theory this should involve not biking, but the doc told me if it didn't hurt I could do it and I'm taking him at his word.  So, biking is on, but other ambulatory exertions are pretty much out.   I am simultaneously relieved and frustrated.   Thank goodness it's not something more serious (probably...), but I was finally starting to make some real improvements in my running and it is very disheartening to once again have to stop and heal.  

I think I am going to write up a running plan for when I get back into it, just so that I don't overdo it again.   It's going to look pathetic (run a mile!  woo!), but I need to find some way to get better without getting broken at the same time.