Brews and Running Shoes: LSD and Ice Baths – The Experimentation Continues

I didn’t want to go back there. The thought of it made me feel a little queasy. And the smell. God – the smell! I’ve read that smell is perhaps the strongest sense in recalling not only memories but the associated emotions as well. The scent of chlorine used to evoke warm childhood memories of summers when I never changed out of a bathing suit (or babeing suit as I called it) and my skin would tan to a golden brown and my blonde hair turn a light shade of seaweed green. Now, however, when I smell the chemical, I think of a less fond and more recent time when I spent endless hours at the local aquatic center aqua jogging in order to rehab my sprained ankle.

And now – I’m back there again. As much as I tried to incorporate rest and easy days in to my training schedule, my body is just not adapting as quickly to the load as I would like. It’s as if my legs are like that of Scoobie Doo’s, standing in front of a haunted house, digging in his heels, shaking his head and saying “Uh uh. I’m not going there.”

With Charlotte covered in snow late last week, running outdoors was almost impossible. I ran – or rather moved my body – seven miles one day over uneven mounds of snow where I feared I would twist an ankle and through large puddles of water that drenched my feet. Main roads were cleared more quickly than neighborhoods and sidewalks, but then I was scared for my own life as I attempted to share the roads with cars, trucks and buses. And for the record, our city buses do not budge. It’s as if those things move on train tracks.

Since Charlotte and my legs were both in shut-down mode, it seemed the appropriate time to take a few days off, allow myself to rest, and regroup.

During my down time, I attempted once again to get my entire lower body in to an ice bath. I’ve spent more time with ice packs glued to my legs than I can count, but in the past, every time I’ve ever tried to lower my body into a tub of chilly water and ice cubes, I’ve just physically not been able to do it. But this past week I finally figured out what should have been obvious in the first place – add the ice once you get in the tub. It may take a few seconds for the water to get colder and perhaps the tub doesn’t get as cold because of your body heat, but believe me – it’s cold enough.

On the flip side, I heated up my body when I dropped in to my first LSD (Long, Slow, Deep) class last Sunday night. Not only am I sticking to one of my new year’s resolutions to stretch more, but I know that running on tight muscles adds so much more stress on my legs. The yoga class helped to lengthen my muscles and bring some clarity to my mind to begin another week.

Even with my recent LSD experience though, it is still difficult for me to wrap my mind around the fact that I am supposed to be racing in less than four weeks. I am planning on running the Tobacco Road Half Marathon in Cary, NC on Sunday, March 16^th. As of right now, I really have no idea how I will perform. I think it will be “interesting” in the same way that my vet suggests I spend hundreds of dollars on tests for my dog because while they may not be necessary, the results would be “interesting.”

I don’t think I ever really liked the Science Fair growing up. Probably because I, typically an overachieving student, frankly just wasn’t very good at conducting science experiments (Full disclosure – I’m pretty sure my mother used salt water on one of my plants in a 2^nd grade experiment to help me get the desired test results.) But before I ever did my first training run, I realized that this training period was going to be more of an experiment rather than a time for undergoing hard training in hopes of a strong marathon. I still believe that I can have a solid run at the Boston Marathon in April, but my two biggest goals are to get to the starting line healthy and – taking a long-term approach – come out of Boston in a position where I should be able to be start a hard training period not long after in hopes of qualifying for the Olympic Marathon Trials in the fall at the Marine Corps Marathon.

So, the immediate plan? Return to training after my quick hiatus but limit myself to just three, quality runs a week to begin with and fill in with two days of easy deep water running as well as a couple of yoga classes. It’s not great, but I am choosing to be conservative as well as optimistic about the possibilities.

In the spirit of my great heroine Bridget Jones who declares “will persevere with resolution to find a nice, sensible man. Will put a stop to flirting first thing tomorrow….”

Good Plan.

Boston Experiment Week 7 of 16: 23 (I missed my long run, another training run, and some junk miles)

This Week’s Beer Choice: NoDa Brewing Company’s Hop Drop and Roll at The Dog Bar