OUCH OUCH OUCH! OH %^$&#@% THAT HURTS!!!!!

   I don't know if it was fatigue from the long run, or when I twisted while unloading groceries from the car several hours later or a combination of both, but my lower back started spasming very, very painfully in the evening of the Sunday I did  my 11-miler. I couldn't stand, I couldn't sit. lying down was OK but getting up really hurt.  I missed work on that Monday because I couldn't bend down to pull my pants up.  I actually made it to work the next day, but only lasted two hours (I am so thankful I have a job with sick leave!!!).  Ibuprofen wouldn't touch it, percocet helped but put me to sleep, Flexeril gave me no relief at all; ice was good as long as I was on it, but as soon as I tried to get up the pain was back full force. I tried walking at work, a total of about 3 miles between work sites and the shop, on Wednesday but was crippled up the next day. Eventually I wrapped my foam roller with my heating pad and laid on that, massaging and rolling for hours...  That helped a lot - foam rollers really are your best friend!  A few days of that, and I was able to touch my toes but even now it feels sore and heavy.  I walked very little on Monday, about 3.5 miles Tuesday and maybe 2 today and can still touch my toes. so I am going to attempt a very easy run tomorrow morning and if that goes well (and I can build my front steps over the rest of the day) I will try another long run on Saturday.
  I don't EVER want to hurt that bad again so I am going to build a LOT more core and back exercises into my crosstraining routine.  I had been doing some planks and ab work on a kind-of haphazard basis, but obviously that didn't prevent my back problems, so I plan to make it a more central part of my cross training.  I will report back after tomorrow's run...

Aiming for consistency

  I am into my 16 week marathon buildup.  My overall goal, of course, is to finish the Poulsbo marathon, and feel strong at the finish.  My "secret" goal is to get close to 4 hours. Probably not too realistic since I haven't run that distance since 1995.   Using my most recent half-marathon time as a predictor puts me at more like 5 (double your half time and add 20 minutes = 5:02). But....I am really trying to be more consistent and and build my fitness to better than what it was for the Heroes half last year.  For that race I really only "trained" for the month before the race and my longest run was only around 8 miles. At least now I have been running more consistently and following more of a plan.

   I ran the Hansville loop (11 miles) for the first time yesterday.  I'm not sure why I have felt so intimidated by that particular route: maybe it was the climbs - totalling all of 400 feet or so, or the traffic (some parts have no shoulder and fairly heavy traffic) but I finally just went for it.  It really wasn't bad at all.  My left calf started cramping at about 7 miles but I kept running - it was sore at the end and still very slightly sore today.  Tried a Vega gel during the run - they are pretty good, and I definitely felt a boost after eating it.

   I think next time I run it I will stash a bottle of water about halfway and maybe avoid the cramp...