Acupuncture, Physical Therapy, and a Training Team

After weeks of physical therapy for my bulging disc in back that was hitting my sciatic nerve, I realized that I wasn't doing anything under their supervision that I couldn't do on my own. After speaking with my doctor, he recommended figuring out a different method if physical therapy wasn't helping. So I signed up for a three month gym membership. It was definitely cheaper with a sale they were having then paying my co-pay for physical therapy once to twice a week. All I was doing in physical therapy were a few machines to strengthen my core and lower back which I can easily do on my own. I'm also doing stretches one to two times a day. I'm supposed to do twice a day, but I sometimes forget....

After I signed up for my gym membership, I signed up for something that I've been wanting to try for years and that my doctor actually brought up. Acupuncture!  I went to On Point Acupuncture I've had two sessions so far and I'm already seeing results. It doesn't hurt, but I can feel when the needles are working on the tense points and feel a type of electric tingle when she puts it in my hips.

From My First Appointment

Yes, needles in my ear.

There were actually a lot more needles used on my second appointment.

So a few weeks ago I joined a training team! It's the Active Southern WV Training Team. It's organized by a group that has a goal to get Southern West Virginia more active. Sadly, West Virginia is one of the most unhealthy states in the US and the southern part of the state is probably the worst. I even got a co-worker and my sister to go on the first day since it was for people that wanted to train for their first race. It unfortunately wasn't really geared towards first time runners, it was for people that wanted to train for a 10K or half marathon. Therefore, it wasn't really right for my sister who is not a runner, but I tried to encourage her to stick with it even if she didn't go as far as some of the other people. The coaches were encouraging, but my sister hasn't been back and I don't think she has energy to put into it right now (she just moved, started a new job and is taking college classes!). I've been following the Jeff Galloway method again for the Half Marathon. Right now I'm alternating running for 1 minute 30 seconds and walking 30 seconds. I run with the group on Sundays and do two runs during the week. I'm working on strength training and some cross training the other days of the week with one - two rest days. I haven't been able to make all the Sunday runs so far due to family matters (like my oldest sister getting married!!), but I've been getting all of my runs in! This past Sunday I went and was going to try to not do the Galloway and just run the full 50 minutes they had on their agenda instead of my 5 miles. However, one of the members got kind of sick. Between trying to wait for her and facing the humidity, I don't think any of us had a fantastic run. There was definitely walking involved and I some slower times. But it was kind of fun to talk about running with people!

Our First Meeting - Source

I've got my eye on a few Fall races. That I will hopefully be able to do injury free and feeling strong. The ones with the team are the Rocket Boys 10K and the Beckley Half Marathon. I'll definitely try to do these two and maaaybe a couple of others! I'll wait to sign up for anything until I'm further along with training to make sure I'm feeling good. So far it has been great getting back into running!

Half Marathon Training Schedule for Runners and Walkers Week Monday Tuesday TT Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 1 off 30 min run off 25 min run easy walk off 3 miles 2 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 4 miles 3 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 5 miles 4 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 2.5 miles 5 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 6.5 miles 6 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 3 miles with MM 7 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 8 miles 8 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 3 miles with MM 9 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 9.5 miles 10 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 4 miles 11 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 11 miles 12 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 4 miles with MM 13 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 12.5 miles 14 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 4 miles with MM 15 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 14 miles 16 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 5 miles 17 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off Half Marathon Race 18 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 5 miles 19 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 6-8 miles - See more at: http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/half-marathon-training/#sthash.3S3c1UJK.dpuf

Half Marathon Training Schedule for Runners and Walkers Week Monday Tuesday TT Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 1 off 30 min run off 25 min run easy walk off 3 miles 2 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 4 miles 3 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 5 miles 4 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 2.5 miles 5 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 6.5 miles 6 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 3 miles with MM 7 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 8 miles 8 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 3 miles with MM 9 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 9.5 miles 10 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 4 miles 11 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 11 miles 12 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 4 miles with MM 13 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 12.5 miles 14 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 4 miles with MM 15 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 14 miles 16 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 5 miles 17 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off Half Marathon Race 18 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 5 miles 19 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 6-8 miles - See more at: http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/half-marathon-training/#sthash.3S3c1UJK.dpuf

Half Marathon Training Schedule for Runners and Walkers Week Monday Tuesday TT Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 1 off 30 min run off 25 min run easy walk off 3 miles 2 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 4 miles 3 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 5 miles 4 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 2.5 miles 5 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 6.5 miles 6 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 3 miles with MM 7 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 8 miles 8 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 3 miles with MM 9 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 9.5 miles 10 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 4 miles 11 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 11 miles 12 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 4 miles with MM 13 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 12.5 miles 14 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 4 miles with MM 15 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 14 miles 16 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 5 miles 17 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off Half Marathon Race 18 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 5 miles 19 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 6-8 miles - See more at: http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/half-marathon-training/#sthash.3S3c1UJK.dpuf

Half Marathon Training Schedule for Runners and Walkers Week Monday Tuesday TT Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 1 off 30 min run off 25 min run easy walk off 3 miles 2 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 4 miles 3 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 5 miles 4 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 2.5 miles 5 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 6.5 miles 6 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 3 miles with MM 7 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 8 miles 8 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 3 miles with MM 9 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 9.5 miles 10 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 4 miles 11 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 11 miles 12 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 4 miles with MM 13 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 12.5 miles 14 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 4 miles with MM 15 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 14 miles 16 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 5 miles 17 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off Half Marathon Race 18 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 5 miles 19 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 6-8 miles - See more at: http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/half-marathon-training/#sthash.3S3c1UJK.dpuf

Haulin' in the Holler 25K

Oh where to start??

I guess I could start with the fact that I finished! Yay! haha

I went Friday night to pick up my packet for the Haulin' in the Holler 25K since I had never been to this particular park before. It's an hour and a half away from me, so I stayed with a friend in Charleston which is about 30 minutes away from the Putnam County Park. My friend went with me, which was nice, since it was kind of out there!

Source - Putnam County Park, Eleanor, WV

Unfortunately, we had used my friend's phone on Friday, so when I pressed go on my Saturday morning, I thought it was just taking me a different way...nope. My phone took me to the wrong park! And my cell doesn't really work in Charleston, so the gps wouldn't pick up to find the right park! Ugh. I had left plenty early, but I needed to be at the park (the right park) by 7:00 am for the pre-race briefing. I was freaking out a little. Fortunately, I knew which exit to go to from the night before and I had the race page up before so it would still pop up. I just went from their directions and what I remembered from the night before. Thankfully, I wasn't the only one who was running late and they went back over which colors to follow along the paths and which to avoid, which was really good since some people would go the wrong way because they hadn't listened!

After using the port-a-johns, I was still worried that my stomach would give me issues. I only had one mini bagel for breakfast because I was so worried. I made sure to drink water and had a little hot tea, but well before the race started so that I was hydrated.

We lined up on the old fair grounds and started at 7:30 am. Thankfully it was a beautiful day. It didn't rain once and stayed in the sixties with a slight breeze. It was perfect! The route included about a mile of running on gravel before we hit the real trail. It was single track trail pretty much the whole time. There was a couple of spots that included 4-wheeler trails, but these areas were so gouged that it was hard to run on those. I'm not going to lie, some parts were scary. The trail would get really narrow and if I misplaced a foot, down the mountain I would go! And I had a right to be afraid of falling because I did fall, twice! Oh it wasn't bad, I just tripped over a couple of roots. To be expected of course. There was usually someone in front of me or behind me, but only a couple of times did I actually talk to someone. Trail running is not for those who need crowd support and lots of people around. I liked it though. The people behind me made me run when I didn't feel like it and if they passed me that made me want to catch up to them (which I never did, haha). The scenery was beautiful, even if it was still all brown from winter. I imagine it's really gorgeous in the summer. There were huge rock formations, little streams that had makeshift wooden bridges over them, beautiful trees, and of course beautiful mountain views. I should have taken my phone but I didn't want the extra weight.

This is a good running portion of the trail from last year's race. - Source

It was kind of hard to not keep thinking about how long I had to be out there. But I tried my best to just focus on to getting to the first aid station at mile 5 and then the next one at mile 10. The volunteers were really great. They were out in the middle of nowhere the whole day. I think the only way they got refills and such were from 4-wheelers (ATV's). I took a big risk at the aid stations and tried something new. They had Hammer Heed, which is supposed to be like Gatorade, I was not a fan. I took one drink and poured the rest out.

So I took some Mountain Dew for the sugar and caffeine. I didn't eat anything at the first one (was still worried that I'd have stomach problems), but I did take some grapes at the second one. They tasted fantastic and the Mountain Dew was good too. I did feel funny right after I drank it, but I think my body just had to take it in. I also took two Cliff Shot Blocks thirty minutes in since I didn't eat much for breakfast, and then I took a Vanilla Gu each hour. I think my nutrition was pretty good. I could feel my legs get extra tired when it was at the hour mark for my next Gu. They didn't upset my stomach and I feel like my energy kept up relatively well. Unfortunately, I think my handheld water bottle was leaking a little. I ran out of water before each aid station and when I had about two miles left. It needed to be just a bit bigger. I'm still glad I went with the hand-held versus the belt. It didn't get on my nerves the whole time.

This is the water bottle I used. - Source

In the end, I did a lot of walking. I think that is a big part of trail running though. Perhaps with more practice I'll get better though. I'm glad I went with my regular shoes since I didn't get blisters, but I think I definitely could have used the extra support. My ankle kept twisting and at some points I slid. One downhill was so steep I almost just sat down and slid, but someone was behind me, so I had to go sideways instead, haha. There were just a lot more steep parts that killed my legs just walking up them! The trail included various terrain really, from really rocky, to muddy, to nice leafy and dirt packed, to steep steep hills. And of course parts included all the above.

The hardest part was the last 3-4 miles. The trails snaked up and down the mountains, so at about mile 3 and half I could hear people at the finish line and I could see the white building that where we started, but I knew from my watch I still had a way to go. Being able to hear it though and see the road at various points and then going away from it, was so hard mentally. I was so tired at that point! When I knew I was close and I made, what I figured was the last turn, I picked up the pace and ran the last mile into the finish line. I didn't have anyone there, so the few people who were working and cheered for me was greatly appreciated. I also made sure to stay put until the two people that I had been near the whole race had crossed the finish line. One mind game I played with myself was to not let them pass me. They didn't know it, but they helped get me through.

So did I reach my goals? I didn't get the first one of four hours. I finished in 4 hours and 22 minutes! That's a long time to be running/hiking! I was slow, I know, but F* that, I finished something incredibly hard! And today, I can barely walk! haha. My thighs are burning and my left knee hurts, probably from either one of the falls or just from the terrain. My arms also hurt, I guess from holding the water and just keeping my arms at a 90 degree angles for that long.

I don't have the official times yet, but I know I wasn't last. But I do know that I finished, I gave it my all, and I didn't poop my pants! It's a win in my book!

My finishers 'plaque'. Handmade by the local boyscout troop. Very neat!

P.S. There was also a 50K, that did the same loop I did twice. I can't imagine! Good for those people!