Marathon Training Day 384… back to basics

Wow! It’s been 95 days since my last blog post! I have had a few setbacks, but I am still here trotting away in pursuit of my comeback marathon. Progress may be slow, but it definitely hasn’t stopped.

Soon after my last post in March, I was working on a home improvement project, fell, and hit the back of my head pretty hard causing a mild concussion. This then lead to a doctor ordered medical leave from work and running for almost five weeks. I thought I was going to die at first! I mean, no running??? Really??? What is everyone around me going to do when I turn into crazy Lupe??? I NEED TO RUN TO KEEP ME SANE!

Although I had trouble accepting the diagnosis in the beginning, I quickly realized that I needed this mental break from the world. I took up meditation and concentrated on clearing my mind and spirit from all the clutter and multitasking bullshit that had me unconsciously spinning in never-ending circles. That of course didn’t come to me right away.

The first couple of weeks were definitely the hardest because the headaches were unbearable at times. Couple the headaches with the abrupt end to the serotonin highs from my running and I was a total mess. My neurologist even noticed my uneasiness during my first visit with her. She asked if I had ever been diagnosed with anxiety and prescribed me medication. I knew it was because I wasn’t running and only lasted four days on the medication. My focus was on healing, and the only way I was going to do that was to heed the hardest advice I have ever had to listen to and that was STOP AND REST!

Instead of running I took time to sit outside and just enjoy the stillness and peace of just being. After week three I incorporated long slow walks whenever I felt a headache coming on, and that helped. It was during week three when the results of my brain MRI came back, and the doctor called to tell me that although there were no signs of trauma from my current fall, there was a concerning amount of scarring from previous trauma (probably the results of trauma caused by my second husband). This was a little hard to digest, but I didn’t let it bring me down.

Before long I was running again, although not the same. After a month of no running, it was hard to push past the five mile mark. I had fallen back to what felt like level 3 on a scale of 10, after being on a level 9, pre-concussion. I have built myself back to my regular weekly running routine of 5-6 miles 3-4 times a week, but no weekend long run until today. Today I ran 9.12 miles at a much slower average pace, and it was hard. This Texas heat is no joke!

Thank goodness the Dallas Marathon was pushed back to December 2021! There is no way I am ready right now. I have to break through this plateau I have been on the past year and train myself back up the scale. I am currently looking at about a 6 hour marathon, and that just kills me. I know I can do much better. I probably will not PR like before (4:27), but I would be much happier with a time closer to 5 hours. Slow and steady, not racing to win, just running to improve myself.

Weekly runs are up to 8:1 (run/walk) ratio, with a concentration on speed. Today’s long run was back at my original marathon ratio of 3:1. This seemed to give me the best results throughout the full distance, so I am going to stick with it for now.

I haven’t taken any solo road trips to random hiking destinations lately, but I have made an effort to pull away for day hikes at local trails. I love the peace hiking through wooded areas and trails near water brings. I have found the time alone helps me regroup and give my mind the rest it needs to re-center itself. I can always tell it’s time for mommy to “take a hike” when I start feeling my nerves escalate into feelings of agitation with the smallest instances. LOL…

After today’s long run, I am back on track with pushing forward adding distance every other week. I think if I can successfully run the same long distance twice with a concentration on improving my time, my training will stay strong. Consistency is key!

I will try and post more often as well, as it helps with accountability.

As always, happy running!