Life in the gym

For some reason this week has seemed very long to me and I realized that in addition to my normal work hours, I've been logging some significant time at the gym and at physical therapy. After that first appointment my physical therapist said I can only walk, do the elliptical machine, bike, or swim, so that means I head to the gym. I'm realizing that running outside is much more efficient. I don't have to travel anywhere or sign up for or wait for a machine and I can get a really good workout in, in under an hour. I feel like a lot of time gets wasted at the gym. At mine, I have to sign up for a machine for a maximum of 30 minutes, before I must switch or sign up for another machine. There is usually 5 minutes or so of downtime in between, and then if I add on 10-15 minutes of travel time both ways and packing up my stuff before and after, it probably tacks on an extra hour.

I also think physical therapy is tiring me out. I've been doing a lot of new exercises, some involving balance and strengthening of all those little stabilizer muscles in the lower leg. Since these exercises are brand new, they work my body and my brain. It's an odd sensation to have to focus intently to do something like picking up marbles one at a time and putting them in a cup...with your toes! Definitely neuro-muscular training, which will help me engage the right muscles.

Though this week was long, I do have some uplifitng news- at PT this morning and I was finally given the go-ahead to run. I've been running for a few minutes a few times this week on the treadmill, with a lot of walking mixed in, but it will be nice to try to really run. The marathon is just slightly over 3 weeks away, so I am getting a little anxious. I am focused on rehabbing this injury correctly so I don't re-aggravate it, but I do need to get back to running regularly.

Check back for an update next week!

Injury Stricken

Hi everyone!

It's been almost 3 weeks since I've written and there are a few new developments in my training. Things have not been going as planned for a while now. Several days after the 16 mile run I last wrote about, my left inner ankle and Achilles tendon area still hurt. This wasn't normal for me-- usually I feel better a day or two after a long run. A bit too eager to keep up my running, I tried again after a few days, but it was painful. Still, hopeful, and not listening to my body like I should have, I tried again the next day and it still hurt. I knew this wasn't a good sign. I've had this kind of pain before from increasing my mileage too fast and I knew that this chronic pain had again flared up.

Fortunately, I left for a week in Montana with my family and my boyfriend, Rob, and I hadn't been planning on running heavily anyway that week. We traveled to the northwestern part of the state, near Big Mountain/Whitefish and Glacier National Park--a vast, beautiful, and sparsely populated area, perfect for lots of snow related cross training. I spent the week skiing, snowshoeing, and pool running, hoping to prevent losing the fitness I'd built up. Snowshoeing was really fun (but cold) and at one point, in Glacier, we practically ended up in a grizzly bear den. They were deep in hibernation, but still, seeing a sign that read " Grizzlies have been known to attack humans for no apparent reason," was a little disheartening!

We returned to Boston, and the next day, the weather was fantastic, and I couldn't resist going for a run. I felt fine during the very slow run and afterwards, but the next day my ankle was swollen and hurting again. It was definitely time to see a physical therapist. A few days later, when the physical therapist looked at my feet and had me do a few exercises, she determined pretty quickly that I didn't actually have achilles tendonitis, like I thought all along, but my posterior tibialis muscle was being overworked due to the way I run. It was so great to finally know what was wrong with me! For the past 4 years, I've had this problem once or twice a year when I've increased my mileage a bit too fast or over-trained, but I always thought it was my achilles that was bugging me. It feels so good to at least have that cleared up and to know what's wrong. Now to treat it correctly so I can make it to (and through) the marathon!

In Marathon training, no snow holidays - The Boston Globe

In Marathon training, no snow holidays - The Boston Globe

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Marathon Training 101

So I’ve been talking about these weekly long runs for a while and some of you might be wondering how much running one really needs to do to train for a marathon. Well, there are lots of opinions and training plans out there and some are very popular. A typical plan might look like this http://www.halhigdon.com/marathon/inter1.html and would consist of running a certain number of miles each day, with some days off, days of cross training and finally, a weekly long run. The number of miles you run increases each week, with the total and maximum depending on your level of running and competitiveness.

I’ve heard of very busy people training only 3 days a week and doing cross training other days for a total of maybe 25 miles. Judging from my friends’ running and other people I talk to, I think most marathon trainers run around 35-55 miles a week. Personally, I tend not to adhere to a strict training plan; I aim to run 5-6 days a week, varying the lengths of my runs (ranging between 4-8 miles) and the pace and I listen to my body and how I feel. I do long runs every weekend and generally need a day off or very easy day afterwards to recover. My totals come out to around 35-38 miles a week, but will get into the 40s soon, with maybe a week or two around 50. As the marathon approaches, maybe 2-3 weeks out, I’ll probably start to cut back on the miles, shorten the long runs, in a period called the “taper.” I’ve been reading that it’s better to be slightly over-tapered than to run the marathon over-trained, burnt out and tired. This definitely makes sense!

As you can tell, running takes up a lot of time. Between getting ready to run, stretching, icing, and showering, it takes me an average of 2 ½ hours! I’m heading off to Montana for a week, so I look forward to finally having some downtime and running whenever I want (not at 6am!) I’ll be back in a week or so with more updates.


Thank you to everyone who came to Uno’s last Friday. It was so great to see many of you and catch up. Thanks for supporting Hospitality and my run!

Training Update and Uno's!

Hi everyone- I’m back to report on another week or so of running. My training this past week began a bit slowly as I came down with a bad cold/ flu (whatever is going around now!) last Sunday and had to take 3 days off in a row. I really hate taking days off from running, especially unplanned ones, but perhaps I needed a little break anyway. I’ve been running a consistent 6 days a week and sometimes I find I need extra time off now and then when building up the miles. I felt better for the latter half of the week and was able to fit it a great 15-mile run on Saturday. It was a sunny and warm day, a bit windy on the river, but not too bad. I have to say that spending 2+ hours out there by yourself running can be very peaceful, but also tough at times. When I run outside, I never take an iPod because I am content thinking or observing my surroundings and I find music a little distracting. After a while, on the long runs, not having any distraction can be a big challenge. I think 15-16 miles is the maximum distance I can do alone. Running with friends or a group, even for part of the distance, makes a huge difference. Others’ energy is contagious and so helpful when you find yourself in a rut.

The last time I trained for a marathon, I found that incorporating longer races as some of my long runs worked really well and was a lot of fun. I just found out about this 20 mile race http://www.easternstates20mile.com/ that crosses three state borders (Maine, NH, and then MA). I’m definitely going to register for it! The timing is great—placed about 3 full weeks before the marathon, it will be a great last long run before I start to cut back on the running during the ‘taper’ period.

Also, I hope you will all join us at Uno’s Pizzeria this Friday, February 27^th. Come to Uno’s for lunch, dinner, or drinks and present a special voucher to your waitperson. Uno’s will then donate 15-20% of total sales to our Boston Marathon fundraiser. Please email me directly at cgodbout@hosp.org and I will send you the voucher.

Another busy week!

It’s been another dynamic week of running. I must say that the weather has been all over the place, but to my relief, not as bitterly cold as the past weeks. I went from running in capri tights on Sunday to full pants on Tuesday to shorts on Wednesday and then a jacket and long pants yesterday and today. The one consistent factor has been the wind; just walking home from the T last night I was nearly knocked off my feet and blown backwards and this morning there were points in my run where I could hardly move forward at all. These weather extremes are challenging, but I have to remember they are very helpful because April weather in Boston is totally unpredictable, fluctuating between windy or calm, rainy or sunny, 40 degrees or 80!

I’m really excited about several of the activities we’re working on here in the office. Last Sunday, Hospitality Homes participated in the Teen Life Community Service Fair in the Chestnut Hill Mall. Caryl Goodman, our executive director, and Claire Campbell, our outreach assistant, teamed up with Ruth Rosenberg, one of our wonderful hosts, to tell hundreds of high-schoolers and their families about Hospitality. Another host came up with the clever idea of creating some golden sneakers to generate interest around the marathon and it worked. Fairgoers flocked to the table to check them out and inquire where they could get a pair. Throughout these months we’re not only hoping to reach our $10,000 fundraising goal, but also working to spread the word about Hospitality Homes to families who need us and the fair was a great opportunity for this.

Also, I hope everyone will save the date of Friday, February 27^th. We’re going to hold a fundraiser at an Uno’s Pizzeria in Boston. This is an easy and fun way to support my marathon fundraiser because all you have to do is eat there. Stay tuned for more details in the coming week!

On Course

Well, another week is coming to an end and I am gearing up for a long run tomorrow. Last Saturday I ran 12 miles on the marathon course and I think it went well. I was nervous because I hadn’t run over 10 miles in a few months. Also, about a week earlier I clumsily injured my toe by running into a chair leg before I put my contacts in one morning. It turned black and blue and was swollen for days. I was so scared I had broken it. Fortunately, my toe was feeling better and the day was sunny, though only 25 degrees, with a wind chill of 11! After a week of walking on icy, snowy sidewalks I was worried about the state of Comm. Ave but it turned out to be nearly 100% cleared and easy to run on. It was fun to see other runners, some solo, some in groups, out for their long run. We exchange smiles and a few words when stopped at traffic lights or when slowing down near an icy patch on the road. There is definitely a sense of runner camaraderie when training on the course!

As I ran up and down the rolling Newton hills and then Heartbreak hill I thought about the marathon and how excited I am to finally be running Boston. I think I’ve watched it from the Boston College main gate, about 4-5 times, sometimes as a BC student, others when my parents were running it. As I watched runners after they had just climbed Heartbreak hill, I always pictured myself out there. The chance to run this year holds so much meaning for me and I am really happy to be running it for Hospitality Homes.