Progress, Plans, and a Penalty Shot

Things are really starting to come along quite nicely. My broken ribs and hip/pelvis are handling the transition back to running quite well. I continue to have some pain in the ribcage, particularly when lying down and getting up, and can still only do breaststroke. The left hip is still a tiny bit swollen. But that's it. I'm experiencing a bit of fatigue on the inside of the right leg, which makes sense because it was the left hip and the right inside leg that was so weak. It always feels fine after a good night's sleep! Sherri said my pelvis was a bit more misaligned but that's not surprising since I am running more now, and wasn't able to do much of my core/pelvis exercises due to the recent pain in the ribcage. I will see her more than weekly if necessary.
Overall, I feel great. My body seems physically stronger each day, especially my core, glutes and legs. I am very pleased. I have consumed lots of my chocolate Emend and have made great use of my Saucony recovery gear for the ribs and legs! I think that when one begins a new training season, strength is a very important first step. And I am there. The speed comes later. And I can wait.
Since I spent Dec and Jan mostly cross-training, I'm still in the habit of totaling cardio minutes per week. Last week I did 11 hours of pool running, biking, elliptical and running. My mileage was 30 km at about 5:00 min/km with my longest run at 8 km. This week I did 12 hours of cardio, my mileage was 50 km at about 4:22/km with my longest run at 13 km. Slowly and steadily, I am getting there. Continuing to be patient and consistent is key.

Rick and I have set my tentative racing plan, which is very exciting. Details have yet to be confirmed but we are looking at:

Mar 24 Around the Bay 30 km, Hamilton.
This is going to be a training run. I won't wear racing flats and will dress warm and run with no set goal time!

Apr 6 Harry's Spring Run Off 8 km, Toronto.
Apr 28 Canadian Half Marathon Championships, Montreal.
May 25 Tamarack Ottawa 10 km, Ottawa.
June 23 Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon, Vancouver.
Aug 10 IAAF World Championships Marathon, Moscow.

My body is starting to get back to where it was last summer when I was training for STWM; I am ready for bed by 10 pm, I'm excited about the next morning's workout, and I want to eat even better than ever. For the most part from May-Aug, Rick and I will keep to my usual training routine, implementing a bit more mileage (160-170 km/wk) and faster workouts. I have been splitting my training on the weekends, which I've enjoyed so I may stick to that. It's easy to do an hour on the bike at home in the morning before activities such as hockey or church, then finish with the pool, elliptical and run later in the afternoon without having to be gone for so long. I have yet to figure out exactly how I'll train when the boys are out of school in mid-June. They are a bit too old for the childcare at the gym so I may continue splitting my training, including running doubles, in June and July. As for what I call "Phase One" of my diet, avoiding any sort of sweet or fatty treat has been no big deal. When others are eating ice cream, cookies, or anything like that, I am not tempted, usually get myself a big cup of tea, and the time passes. Moment on the lips, lifetime on the hips! I didn't think I would start my, "Phase Two" until May but I seemed to be ready now. I'm a 36 year old mom of three running the marathon at the world championships in August, so why not give it my all. When I race Aug 10, it will be the longest post-baby time period of 29 months since having kids. My previous was 22 months. I do not want to look back at this time in my life and have any regrets. There's so much you can't control with running but for the things I can change to make myself faster, stronger, and healthier, I certainly will.
I get many questions about what I eat as a mom, elite marathoner and dietitian. I will write about my "Phase Two" this week.
We enjoyed ourselves as a family at our oldest son's hockey tournament this past weekend. Between the hotel and pool, laser tag, hockey arena, and restaurants, it was a great time. Enjoy this video of Micah. He drew a penalty shot because he was tripped on a breakaway. Penalty shots don't happen very often. He didn't score but it was very exciting and it's something he'll likely always remember!