Sunday Funday

Today has been a glorious day off.

Ben and I teach the 3-year-old Sunday school class at our church. It really is the highlight of our week! We've been teaching these kids since September, and it's been really fun watching them learn and grow. They are a funny bunch. Today before I read our lesson, I asked everyone what their favorite animal was. When it was our nephew Charlie's turn, he was curled up in a ball with his nose to the floor. I said, "Charlie, is your favorite animal a turtle?" To which he replied, "Yes!" Later we found out from his dad that Charlie just likes to curl up in a ball to avoid answering teachers when they ask him questions. Ben's favorite animal was a lion, and mine of course was a gazelle!

Yesterday we watched the end of the marathon Olympic trials. The top three women were Shalane Flanagan (1st, 2:25:38), Desi Davila (2nd, 2:25:55) and Kara Goucher (3rd, 2:26:06) I'm excited to watch these three women represent the our country in London this year!

(Can you believe Kara Goucher just had a baby in 2010? I  hope I can look half as good as her after I have kids!)

This past week was my second week at 13 mpw. My competitive nature constantly tries to push me to run farther, but I promised myself that this time I would start small and follow the 10% rule religiously!

After my half marathon last May, I registered for the Twin Cities marathon in October 2011. Well, I started a new job, got married, and as a result, really slacked on my training. In August I ran the Rochester half marathon in a decent time with minimal training, so I tried to use the remaining six weeks before the marathon to get back in shape.

Saying that it backfired would be an understatement.

After about three weeks of high mileage, I went out for an easy 5 mile run. I was cruising along at a good pace, when suddenly I felt an excruciating pain in my right knee. I had to walk the remaining 2 miles home.

I had ITBS, aka IT band syndrome.

I decreased my miles drastically and bought a foam roller, but ultimately I ended up dropping out of the marathon (bye-bye, $100 entry fee). I tried deep tissue massage, but even that didn't help. Every time I tried to run, I couldn't get farther than a mile without doubling over in pain. So I gave it rest for two whole months.

So far, so good. I stretch for a good 10-15 minutes before and after my runs, and I go to both a strength and yoga class each week. I try to foam roll most nights, but I probably don't as much as I should (I really despise the thing). Dealing with this injury has helped me run smarter, but I still freak out at the slightest twinge of pain I get in either one of my knees.

So while I feel like I could be running more than 13 miles/week, I'm sticking to the 10% rule, which means I can only increase by 1 mile a week right now. I'm hoping to be around 25 mpw when it comes time to start training for my half in May. I'm confident that, in time, I'll get there.