http://www.montrealendurance.com/media/coverage-of-canada-running-series-21kdemtl/
So the Canadian Half Marathon Championships were two weeks ago, and as some of you know I was less than pleased with my performance. The event itself was really well organized and we "elites" were treated like gold, I was just frustrated with the outcome. Now that I have had some time to reflect on the race, I really am not all that disappointed anymore. Yes I still wish I had placed and/or ran faster, but there is nothing I can do about that now but look forward and get back up on the horse. As I'm sure most have heard by now, the course was windy - and no, it was not the nice tail-wind they had at Boston. I'm talking huge gusts from the front and the side that would blow you back 5ft if you weren't careful (let me just say, I wasn't very careful).
To be honest, I have been struggling this last month to get my body back to feeling like normal (I mean Lanni-normal). My stride has been off since my left calf decided to tear a bit leading up to the Around the Bay 30k, which caused me to compensate and end up with some really tight IT bands. Add to this that my body has just generally been revolting against me - head colds, girl issues, tummy turmoil... u name it, and it's no wonder that even once I got my stride back I then felt totally out of shape and like I was breathing like a fat kid at fat camp.
The 5k this past Friday in London, Ontario made me feel like I was on the road back. My stride released and I felt like a normal runner again (just a little winded from my head cold). Just when I thought "Yippie! My body is cooperating again!" Flash to yesterday (Monday) evening, where the right side of my bum/pelvis/hip jammed up so bad that I had to walk it in the last mile. I was pretty annoyed considering I had a really good tempo going up until that point. At least I know that my fitness is not as far off as I thought, and I just need to get my hips and pelvis to square out again and my right hamstring to release and I will be back on track. Should be fun to try and do that while I now spend the majority of my waking hours studying for MY LAST SET OF LAW SCHOOL FINALS! Hopefully things release in the next few days as I have the last portion of my 2 Feet and a Heartbeat (www.Lannimarchant.wordpress.com) this weekend in Chattanooga, TN. I am really very lucky that there are such supportive and generous people out there. I cannot wait to be able to pay it forward some day!
Aside from the run-a-thon, I have my marathon coming up at the end of May. Hopefully the little speed bump that is my jammed up right hip will be a thing of the past in a few days and I can keep building and getting my wind back.
So this weekend was the last portion of my run-a-thon "2Feet and a Heartbeat" down in Tennessee. I was going to run from Ringgold Georgia, to Chattanooga, TN, but due to the crazy tornadoes they had down here just prior to my arrival, I decided to go with a less debris ridden route. I ran from Nikajack Lake, up highway 41 to Raccoon Mountain. Let me just say it was hilly and HOT! I am going to really have to adjust to the heat again when I come down here this summer to study for the bar and train!
The run-a-thon was more successful than I ever could have imagined! Thank you all for your amazing support and donations. I hope that within the next year I can sort out how to do something similar for other struggling post-college student athletes, and will definitely keep everyone posted! But for now I am just thankful that I can now sign up for the Bar prep course and sit for the Bar at the end of July!
It was a really pretty run - I love it down here in Chattanooga!
This quick trip was for more than just my run-a-thon, I was able to move some of my stuff down here and... I got a J-O-B for when I finish studying and taking the Bar! Yippie!
As an update from my jammed up hip from last week - it is feeling quite a bit better, though I still feel like it is pretty tight and locks up a bit on me. I think with a bit more work on my hamstrings and hip-flexors, it will be totally back to normal.
Look above! I have a sponsor - Mizuno Canada! I am so excited and happy that they have decided to pick me up and provide me with some gear! I will happily be wearing my Mizuno race gear this Sunday at the Canadian Half Marathon Championships in Montreal. Actually, I am sitting in my hotel room right now (Thank you Canada Running Series) and thought that updating my blog was a welcomed break from trying to do homework.
I am really excited to race tomorrow - of course I have some crazy nerves running through my body, but I am attributing most of it to excitement. I do not feel as sharp as I did in the Fall, but I do feel really strong! I am hoping the combo of strength, proper racing flats, and "cookie cutters" (small wool inserts under my arches), will help me to a fast time and keep my calves from cramping up in the last few miles of the race. Of course the travel to this trip was not without some bumps, as my initial flight out of Lansing was cancelled. Having an actual ticket and not flying on stand-by (hello Hawaii trip), made things still go smoothly, however I did not even leave Detroit until my original flight was landing in Montreal. It made for a later arrival than I had planned, but the race coordinators here are amazing and Anh was a trooper for making yet another trip to the airport to pick me up at 8pm.
These last few weeks have been interesting training wise. My calves were totally messed after the ATB 30k, and it took about a week for them to relax to where they were somewhat run-able. Thankfully, the weather was clear enough for me to rollerblade! They were still very angry with me about a week later, so I went to the Playmakers Injury Clinic and was seen by Sue. What a wonder-worker! She worked on my legs a bit and suggested the cookie cutters. Within a day my calves felt totally normal again, and I was able to get back to running and do some mile repeats! It was perfect timing, as I was starting to feel like it was going to be another Spring filled with rollerblading. It also let me do a 17 mile long run with the Farmington group and do my London 2 Feet and a Heartbeat run-a-thon!
As it was my birthday weekend, it was fun to be home in London and see my family and incorporate my fundraiser. It was really great of Brandon Laan to let me meet up with his run group before I took off to Dorchester. Next up is the Georgia to Tennessee Run-a-thon at the end of the month. I am so thankful for all of your support and donations. I am still working towards my end goal, so if you know anyone who would be interested in donating, please forward the link (www.lannimarchant.wordpress.com). Ok, that's enough of a plug =P
I really am still in shock over the amount of support and assistance I have received these last few weeks! After this weekend I go into crunch time for exams and then the whirlwind of this final semester will finally be over! It has been a blast, but man, I am so ready to be out of school and on to the next chapter!
I'm not sure if you can follow the race live tomorrow, but if I find something out, I'll post a link for everyone here and on my facebook page! Regardless, it is going to be a pretty amazing race with some awesome competition! Ohh, I'm excited!
Wish me luck! I'll give you all a play-by-play when it's all over and done with!
Well, it is finally here! Tomorrow is the first leg of my "2 Feet and a Heartbeat" Run-a-thon! I must say that since my last post things have definitely turned around! You all have been so generous and I have once again been reminded that I have some truly amazing friends and people in my life. One thing that I will definitely take from this whole experience is that it is OK to ask for help.
I am so grateful to have had Alan Brookes take interest in my fundraiser and help me get the word out (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UNPh12_SOY&feature=related ) and am even more grateful to all of you who stepped up and helped a girl out! I was fortunate enough to be interviewed about 2 Feet by Canadian Running Magazine (http://runningmagazine.ca/2011/04/sections/news/around-the-bay-runner-up-raising-funds-for-law-school/), and was again totally surprised for my lil' run-a-thon to be receiving so much attention.
I am really excited to see if I can make this fundraiser take off and benefit other athletes like myself - grad-student-athletes or just those who are good, but do not quite qualify for funding assistance.
I will be posting pics and video (hopefully) from the event tomorrow - so be sure to check back here or go tohttp://www.lannimarchant.wordpress.com/ to see my fundraiser updates!
Now onto my recent training/racing updates -
As some of you know, last week I competed in the Around the Bay 30k! Now lemme tell you, this race is amazing - a bit of a beast at times - but such a great event. I was so lucky to carpool from Michigan up to Hamilton with Dave, MB, and Mark - three runners I met this fall while doing some workouts with their group in Farmington (coached by former ATB winner Paul Aufdemberge) - who definitely made the trip entertaining and were full of little tips about how to get through the longer races. Huge props to Stefania for letting us all tag along with her for her dinner reservations the night before the race - amazing food!
Let's see, what did I learn while running 30k? That starting the race with a tight calf is going to make running up the hills in final kms of the race quite interesting - like trying to run without putting one's left foot on the ground interesting - and that I need to find a gu/gel to take that does not kill my insides. All in all, I really did enjoy running the race - I like the challenge of learning how to race the long stuff! Huge props to Dayna Pidhoresky - the women's winner - she went for it from the gun and is definitely making her mark on female running in Canada!!
This week after the race, I wish I could say I have enjoyed it - but man, I don't know if it was because my calf was so tight or what, but on Sunday and Monday night my left shin was purple and I could press my finger in it and have an indentation that lasted for a few minutes - thank god for ice cups, tennis balls, and compression socks =P My calf is still a little tight, but by Wednesday I could find my shin bone again - Yeah Me!
Needless to say, I took this week very easy and was able to run the Martian 10k today in Dearborn, Michigan. I will say that there was no "pep" in my step at all - but I ran consistent and felt like I could have kept my pace going for longer. After the 10k, my calves were pretty tight, but I went for a 40 min rollerblade this afternoon and that seems to have helped knock out the junk! Yes - my first official rollerblade of the year!! It was a little chilly - but geeze it felt great!
While in Dearborn I was able to knock off another burger joint from my list - despite what Relish.com says, I question how this burger ended up ranked in the top 25 in the USA - it was ok, but it will not be ranked in MY top 25!
Speaking of burgers and rollerblading, I have decided two things after the ATB 30k
#1 - I need to refocus my training and cross-training - I need some "pep" and the rollerblading today has made me well aware that my bum and hips are not nearly as strong as they were a few months ago
#2 - I am going to keep a food diary for a few weeks - no, not for weight or "diet" purposes - As I mentioned a few months ago, I cannot seem to get my insides to cooperate on my runs and I think writing down what and when I eat might help me figure out what is going on - u'd think that by this point of the semester I would have learned what to pack in my lunch - but something seems to come up every day and I never end up following any sort of schedule
My goals are:
- to get my muscles back in balance (BONUS - a cute bum in jeans!)
- figure out how many hours I need between meals and hard or easy training sessions!
Ok, I think that's all I had for ya today - please keep checking for updates about 2 Feet! If you are around Okemos or Bath Michigan, please come out and cheer!
Alright, once again it has been a while since my last post - but I come bearing loads of news and updates! Let's see - first, I was lucky enough to make my way out to Hawaii for the Great Aloha Run! Now, just to clarify, I was only able to make the trip happen thanks to a very generous loan to pay for my tickets, my willingness to play the "game" of stand-by flights, the great connections Brandon and Chantelle have in Hawaii, and the great generosity of David Carlsson! It really was an amazing race and a great trip. Now I just have to wait for the race winnings to come in and sign them over to pay back the loan - oh sad face.
After my fun filled/free adventure in Hawaii (which you can read about here: http://www.lfpress.com/sports/columnists/morris_dalla_costa/2011/02/24/17400836.html ), I ventured back to Michigan (and the snow) just in time to drive to Canada to run the Really Chilly 10k in my hometown (London, Ontario). My legs felt pretty sluggish on the Friday and Saturday leading into the race, but I was able to run pretty relaxed and keep my finishing time under the embarrassment line - 35:17 - not a PR by any means, but heck, I'll take it. It really was a fun event - Steve hooked me up and my baby sister (well not so baby at all anymore) saved my bum by volunteering to help out on the race course. I was able to warm up with Brandon, and cool down with Leslie Sexton - it was nice to chat with someone else who is switching up their training (though she is focusing on some shorter stuff, and I am entering her world of higher mileage).
From the Really Chilly I went back to Michigan for a week of classes before heading to Chattanooga for my Spring break - to be spent running, searching for apartments, and testing the waters about my future employment. The week started out really well - with a 16 miler where I started out running up Ruby Falls on Lookout mountain, ran back down, and then continued to run all the way back to Red Bank (http://connect.garmin.com/activity/71798128), a workout on my favourite loop by the golf course, and a meeting with the C.O.W.S. The week came to a bit of a slump as my legs (well my hips and pelvis really) started to become really bothersome and begging for some sort of physio, and the apartment search was kinda cruddy. Despite the low points, the trip was great and I definitely enjoyed being back in Chattanooga. While down there I was fortunate enough to be the first of Brandon's uncut interviews for his new website http://www.runnersfeed.com/ - check it out (and the interview http://runnersfeed.com/lanni-marchant-interview/)
And now we are caught up to this week! After taking Sunday and Monday off completely, I still felt really sore and just tired in general. I tried most every trick I know, but am thinking I might have to suck it up and try to move some funds around and find a place that gives discounted massages. I felt ok running Tues-Thurs, but then ended up taking Friday off again because of the lack of sleep I had on Thurs (not from St. Patty's day I assure) and the very busy day I had on Friday, that left me starving and irritable at 7pm. Despite the crud of the week I had, I was pre-registered to do the Irish Jig, and decided to go ahead and giver a try - Coach Dave tells me from time to time that sometimes it just takes a race to knock the junk out of your body - I certainly hope it did the trick! I ended up second with a 17:22, not nearly a time I wanted - but considering I raced horribly there last year (18 something) and the super chilly morning, I'll take it! I'm just hoping my body feels recovered for next week's 30k race in Hamilton.
Finally, I have decided it is finally time that I post a link to my fundraiser page - http://www.lannimarchant.wordpress.com/- I have been sending it out to small groups of people I know well (via facebook and email), and have raised a grand total of $1. I am hoping that maybe someone will click on the link and be willing to forfeit their $5 footlong and help a girl out. At first I was a little embarrassed to have this link viewable to those who don't really know me personally and who don't really know my entire background and how hard it is for me to ask for help, but I have decided that there really is nothing to be ashamed of - I've made it this far on my own and have pinched every penny I have and have exhausted every other option (including donating plasma (which might be part of the reason why my body feels like mud these days - did you know if your little like me, you only get $30 bucks a pop for your first five visits, and then it drops to $15?! don't get me wrong, I'm not going to turn down 15 bucks). I am hoping for some last minute Irish Luck and hope that someone out there can provide a little help or at least send my link along to someone who can!
Anyways, that is all I want to say about that! I hope that this entry has caught you all up on my last month of craziness - next up - the 30k!
The grass is poking through!
So it has been another few weeks since my last post - I'm hoping that once the racing season takes off I will have more to update you all on. Right now, it is just the same ol' same ol'.
Classes are going pretty well, though I still am struggling to plan my eating correctly so that I am not starving by the time I get to go run, or not still burping up my last meal. I thought that by this point in the semester I would have worked out all of the kinks, but I have not been so lucky. I had to cut my run short last night due to stomach issues - blerg. I am not too worried though, as my mileage seems to be slightly increasing each week and aside from the tummy turmoil, I am feeling pretty good.
This past weekend was pretty big for me in two aspects:
First, and most importantly, I got to see the newest addition to the Marchant clan - my nephew Madden Alexander Diaz. My sister Randi is doing great, and her daughter is adjusting to having the new baby around. Needless to say, we are all excited about the first nephew!
The second big event(s) for the weekend were my two long runs. On Saturday I did a 10mi steady state with a 1.5mi warm up and cool down. I completed the 10mi steady in just under 63 min (a little slower than what I was hoping for, but considering the footing was pretty terrible for a lot of the run I was satisfied). My legs were pretty cooked on the cool down run back to my Mudder's house and I was worried that I would be toast for my long run the next day. I was pretty surprised by how well my legs bounced back and I had a pretty successful 13 mi long run Sunday evening!
Dave has decided that with the warmer weather and my current fitness level, I can now start to lengthen my long runs each week - those of you who know my injury background don't need to be worried - each week I am only going to be adding a mile to my long runs and keep everything else the same (including my easy Fridays - 3-5mi or rest!).
As excited as I was to have two really good runs this weekend, I decided to bump around my hard workouts this week and give my legs minute to recover - which based on last night, it is my stomach that needs the extra attention right now.
If the tummy decides to be friendly this afternoon, I am going to do mile repeats ... OUTSIDE!!
Ok, so classes are officially underway - I have been reading, making notes, been called on (most of the time I knew the answer... oops), tried to minimize the amount of time I spend surfing the web, and ... I already feel like I am ready for Spring Break.
Training has been going fairly well - if I ignore the freezing temperatures and poor footing that has forced me indoors onto the treadmill and that I have been sick this last week (the sickest I can remember being since before having my tonsils out). I know that it probably would do me well to take a day or two off and actually kick this thing, but it seems that the only time I can actually breathe is when I am running. That being said, I do think I am on the other end of it, and was able to get on the indoor track last night and have a fairly decent workout. 3x1200, 6x400 (though I cut down the 4s to 4x400 - for two reasons 1) the back of my left knee has been really tight and by the 3rd 400 most of my left leg was tingling; 2) There were tons of kids on the track for a community club workout, and I was tired of zig-zagging around them.)
Anyways, training.... it is going well. I am adjusting to doing long runs again (after almost a year of never going longer than 1hr) and am hoping that in a couple more weeks, my legs won't feel so tired for my Monday workouts.
I have finally set a race schedule - which I am hoping to stick to (and not add in a bunch of races like I did this Fall). I have agreed to run in the Canadian Half Marathon Championships in April! I am excited to run a half after actually focusing my training for the longer stuff. I am still just barely hitting more than 50 miles a week, but am hoping that my cross-training and quality over quantity training plan will serve me well in the next few months. I'm sure at some point Dave Mills will start adding on some more miles to my weekly training, but I am still focused on just remaining healthy until the end of May- marking a 1 year anniversary!
I'm guessing today would be a fail in terms of limiting my web surfing while at school - blerg... I like to think that I was still being productive =P
So, after creating this thing months ago, I have finally decided to start posting on it (well I actually have some time and think I have figured out how to work this thing!).
After a very successful fall (finally), I am now in the starting phases of my next training cycle. For those who don't know me (which I imagine will be most who happen upon my blog), I am very injury prone, and my fall racing season marked the start of what I hope will be a continual improvement.
I broke my pelvis the first week of April 2009 - no I did not fall or get hit by a car - I did it to myself, in the last half mile of a 14 miler along the Rideau Canal in Ottawa. At first I thought I pulled my groin, but soon learned that I had snapped my pubis. In August of 2009 I moved to East Lansing Michigan to finish the American portion of my law degree, and though training started out well, I was soon sidelined again by injury and was pretty much kept out of commission until I finally took time completely off and starting back running 10 minutes a day in May 2010.
I spent my summer in Chattanooga interning at a law firm, and slowly increasing my mileage. By slowly I mean going 10 min a day the first week, then 12 min a day the next week, slowly building up until I could run 35 minutes pain free and without any aches in the night. I supplemented my training by swimming in the Tennessee River on Wednesday evenings with the C.O.W.S (Chattanooga Open Water Swimmers), and rollerblading on the riverwalk. I also started doing some killer strength sessions with Damien - who I plan to have kick my bum again when I move back down to Chattanooga permanently. My summer as a whole was great - probably because I ditched a 150 lb weight I was carrying on my back (blerg), and stopped fretting so much about running and training in general.
So, with that background outta the way, I started doing workouts in July - just light easy ones, and my coach - Dave Mills - gave me a 10 weeks to 10k plan to start working on. Of course, I decided to do a triathlon in the middle of the 10 weeks, fell off the bike, dislocated my shoulder and cracked a rib, so yah, the 10 weeks were a little altered after that.
Finally, when classes began again in August, I started the 10 weeks over again, with the goal race being the 10k Championships in Toronto. To be brief, the workouts were great - some I liked more than others - I HATE supersets!! (sorry Dave) - I PR'd in every race I entered (easy considering most of my PRs were from 2007/2008) and I made my half marathon debut (1:16), followed by my second half (1:15) at the Detroit Free Press Half (which for some reason I thought would be fun to run the day after the 10k championships).
Anyways, the 10 weeks to 10k worked great - I was third at the Championships and was named to the Chiba Ekiden Team. I ran the anchor leg for team Canada, and was very pleased with my run. I followed the Ekiden up by returning from Japan and racing at National X-C in Guelph 3 days later. Thankfully, that was not only my last race of the season, but it was my LAST X-C race (at least that what Dave has agreed to for now).
So new years is 1 day away, and I am in the middle of my 3rd week of my new training plan. Of course by new I mean the 10 weeks to 10k with a few extra weeks or a few repeats of some of the weeks to make it last a little longer.
I am excited for the new year to start. It marks the start of my last semester of law school (say that 10x fast), and hopefully a new tradition of injury free training! I have not totally laid out my race plan, though I have an idea of some key races I will try to focus on!
Happy New Year!