Low Maintenance No More

I think I am a fairly easy-going, low key, low maintenance person.  (Feel free to jump in and disagree--I know someone who thinks she is low maintenance, but is actually the most high maintenance person on the face of the Earth.)  I liked how this translated to my running.  I got up, had some coffee, put on my running shoes and headed out the door.  I think those days are over.

Following my back-to back migraines, I had a running break.  I missed two long runs.  It was also a week of decisions and changes aimed at making the kids' lives easier (especially my little Dude who is still having a rough time).  Last week would probably have benefited from a few runs, but I watched the barometric pressure and it scared me off of running. 

But I have a half-marathon coming up soon.  I can't afford to miss long or short runs.  As it stands now I am on a steady ramp up to race day.  My first 13 miles will be on race  day.  So last night I made the decision to run this morning NO MATTER WHAT.  Mondays are usually a recovery run, so it's already short.  Just in case, it was also going to be slow.  It was also going to be well prepped; no more low maintenance running.

So now, I am a high-maintenance runner.  Good sleep, fuel, NSAID and allergy medicine, hydrate, go.  I wasn't going to check the barometer, but the weather man said it was high, so I did go check.  It was high, but steady and I decided to head out.  It is usually the changes that are a trigger, so I was going with the theory that high, but steady was okay.  (As I type this, I keep checking for blind spots and "floaties"--so far so good.) 

"High, but steady" was a bit of a mantra today.  And it wasn't just the barometric pressure.  It's now the kind of runner I am:  high-maintenance, but I get out and do it. Slower, but I will steadily get faster.  Low mileage, but it will slowly but surely add up.  

Today's Run:  2.6 miles.  33:18 mins.  12:48 min/mile.

I feel like I am going backwards, but I guess as long as I am running I am making progress.

What is your pre-run routine?  Do you consider yourself high-maintenance or low-maintenance?

Running Scared

I made a deal with myself last night before bed:  if the barometric pressure was pretty steady this morning, I would go out for a short, slow run. 

After two post-run migraines in one week, I wasn't going to take any chances.  I wanted to control any triggers as much as possible.

Sleep: I woke up this morning at 7:30.  Very late for me, but I suppose I got some good sleep last night, so that is one check in the positive column.  

Coffee:  I had some coffee (studies show that coffee before a run can be helpful, and caffeine is supposed to help headaches).  

Blood Sugar:  A possible cause of exercise-induced migraines is a blood sugar drop caused by the run.  To counteract this, I had a whole-grain English muffin with almond butter before my run.  Carb and protein. 

Hydration:  Usually I just drink water.  And for short runs, I didn't really worry about it until I got back from my run when I would drink throughout my cool down walk with the dog.  I have gone back to Vitamin Water Zero.  A past neurologist suggested this for hydration.  She recommended Vitamin Water over Gatorade because Gatorade is high in sodium.  Sodium could raise your blood pressure which could exacerbate headaches.  Okay.  Vitamin Water it is.  I drank 10 oz. before my run.

Barometric pressure:  I have lived all over the United States.  I have had migraines everywhere.  I seem to have more in Rhode Island.  The changes in barometric pressure seem to be more extreme here.  I track the barometric pressure here.  After I have a migraine, I can go back and look at the start and stop times.  They invariably coincide with a sharp rise in barometric pressure.  They end as the pressure decreases.  There isn't much I can do about the weather except be more mindful of it.  Today both the graph and the weatherman on TV said the barometric pressure was holding steady.

So, all systems go, right?  Yes.  I was going to run.  I had no reason not to step out the door.  As I was getting into running gear I thought about all the people who overcome incredible hardships to run.  You want inspiration?  Sign up for a Race for the Cure 5K.  You are running with cancer survivors, with women going through chemotherapy, with family members of those who fought so hard to be there.  Go to that 5K and then come up with an excuse why you can't run.  Runner's World magazine often profiles runners who have overcome debilitating injuries and illnesses.  These stories inspire me.  How can I not go run on the off chance that I might get a headache?  That excuse doesn't hold up.

I went for very, very slow run.  I concentrated on my footfalls.  I didn't run with music because I didn't want it to push me faster than I felt I should go today.  When I got back, I picked up Carley for our cool down walk and a bottle of Vitamin Water.  After the walk, I had a banana and the other half of the English muffin.  

Today's Run:  2.6 miles.   35:45 minutes.  13:45 min/mile pace.

Even though this was not a great run.  It was a run.  I count it as progress for two reasons:  (1)  I did it.  (2)  When I started, this would have been my longest, fastest run.  Today I consider it short and slow.  Progress.

What are you doing for exercise today?

What's My Body Saying?

Today's planned six mile run has been postponed.  Not canceled, postponed.  I am listening to my body.  Two migraines in one week is telling me that I need to stop and figure out what is going on in my brain.   I will be scheduling a doctor's appointment.  I want a referral to a headache specialist.  While I am there I am going to see about some PT for my foot and the plantar whatever it's trying to be-itis.  It is not stopping my running yet, but as long as I am there, I will try to be proactive.

So head to toe, my body is saying wait.  Figure it out.  Then get right back to it.  

What are you doing for exercise today?