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AWESOME NEWS!

This tragedy is something that is beyond understanding. Terrible.

Vicki is OK. Her boyfriend was there and can’t hear out of one ear. Has blood on his shirt. Saw a dead person and people missing limbs. He just found out Vicki is safe.

Talk about a haunting message. Just awful…Brings it home. Glad that Vicki and her boyfriend are safe. Still praying for my friend Dan.

This article provides a lot more details on the explosion today at the Boston Marathon:

Still praying for my friends Dan and Vicki.

Article >> At least 2 dead, 22 hurt by Boston Marathon bombs

Summary From the Article:

• 2 explosive devices detonated at the Boston Marathon finish line
• At least 2 deaths, 22 injured by the explosions
• 2 additional explosive devices were found, undetonated
• A third explosive device went off in a controlled detonation

Still praying for the safety of my friends Dan and Vicki. Glad all of the others are safe.

Photo >> John Tlumacki, Boston

Just Horrible – Praying for all of my friends who participated in the race today. I’ve heard from all of them except for Dan. Very anxious about his safety.

Article >> 2 explosions at Boston marathon finish line

I have been surprised how helpful and accommodating people have been when they see me in a boot. This weekend I flew up to see my terminally ill Grandfather. When I was at the airport people would practically run across rooms to help me. While I appreciate the help, it did sort of make me wonder, ‘where were you when I was flying 7 months pregnant trying to fold a stroller with one hand, manage luggage with the other, and keep up with an over-excited 3 year old?‘

Some people have been a bit over-helpful. I was offered a wheelchair on more than one occasion. And going through security, they offered me a cane. Yep. A cane. 7 days ago I ran 10 miles. Don’t think I need a cane, thanks.

So it rained this weekend. Not wanting to get mud from my parents un-paved driveway all over my boot, I tied a plastic bag over it. Ahhh, the target bag over the robo-boot. The look that says…I give up. We went for coffee and the barista asked me

So, how does it feel to have to wear a plastic bag on your boot to keep it from getting wet?

It feels awesome. Really, really great. Thanks for asking.

People are funny. And awkward. But mostly nice. I am thankful for the people in my life who can laugh and cry with me. The ones who love me even if I have a Target bag on my foot. The ones that know I don’t need a cane, but maybe a hug. Just not from a stranger.

-Olivia

This has been a hard week on the bench. No cross-training completed. NONE! Some of it has to do with business travel. Some of it has to do with Olivia being in Michigan the past three days to be with her sick grandfather, and having to take care of the girls. However, I could still have done some cross-training had I wanted to. The real reason I haven’t done any cross training is because of frustration and anger over being injured again, and allowing excuses to win out over training.

This was brought to a head earlier in the week when Olivia was also diagnosed with a stress fracture, and will also have to miss the St. Jude Country Music race later this month. Both of us love running and racing, and it is so disheartening to work this hard and then not be able to do the thing we love. In an instant we go from peak condition, and ready to engage beast mode, to sitting on the bench.

I’m not a Kobe Bryant fan, but last night when I heard about his torn achilles tendon, I remember thinking that he must feel the same way times a million. This morning, most major news and sports sites were commenting about a Facebook post he made regarding the injury. I have copied it below with the expletives deleted:

All the training and sacrifice just flew out the window with one step that I’ve done millions of times! The frustration is unbearable. The anger is rage. Why the [deleted] did this happen ?!? Makes no [deleted] sense. Now I’m supposed to come back from this and be the same player Or better at 35?!? How in the world am I supposed to do that??

I have NO CLUE. Do I have the consistent will to overcome this thing? Maybe I should break out the rocking chair and reminisce on the career that was. Maybe this is how my book ends. Maybe Father Time has defeated me…Then again maybe not! It’s 3:30am, my foot feels like dead weight, my head is spinning from the pain meds and I’m wide awake. Forgive my Venting but what’s the purpose of social media if I won’t bring it to you Real No Image?? Feels good to vent, let it out. To feel as if THIS is the WORST thing EVER! Because After ALL the venting, a real perspective sets in. There are far greater issues/challenges in the world then a torn achilles. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, find the silver lining and get to work with the same belief, same drive and same conviction as ever.

One day, the beginning of a new career journey will commence. Today is NOT that day.

“If you see me in a fight with a bear, prey for the bear”. Ive always loved that quote. Thats “mamba mentality” we don’t quit, we don’t cower, we don’t run. We endure and conquer.

I know it’s a long post but I’m Facebook Venting LOL. Maybe now I can actually get some sleep and be excited for surgery tomorrow. First step of a new challenge.

Guess I will be Coach Vino the rest of this season. I have faith in my teammates. They will come thru.

Thank you for all your prayers and support. Much Love Always.

Mamba Out

I realize I’m not an elite athlete being paid millions of dollars to compete like Kobe, but I feel the same roller-coaster of emotions that he expresses in this post. I KNOW this is nothing in the grand scheme of things, but it is still frustrating, and I still feel anger. I KNOW I want to work hard to overcome this, but questions fill my mind. At 38, is it possible to ever set a PR again? Qualify for Boston? Train hard without getting a stress fracture? I DO NOT KNOW!

Well, it is time to break out of my slothfulness, and get back to work. Thanks for letting me vent for a minute. Gonna take the girls out to the park for a hike before heading to pickup Olivia from the airport. Next week will be a better week.

Link to Article >> Amid Tensions, North Korea Prepares For Annual Marathon
(Thanks to Jeff Whittle for sharing this article)

Anybody else know there was a marathon in North Korea? Seems like one of the last places in the world anyone would want to go for a marathon, especially this year. Here’s a excerpt from the article:

North Korea is preparing for the 26th annual Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon, scheduled to take place this Sunday in the capital city of Pyongyang.

Despite warnings of pre-emptive nuclear strikes and imminent war, ahead of the marathon state TV showed a calm scene in Pyongyang yesterday, with North Koreans holding open air dances in preparation for their April 15 national holiday.

Held every year on the streets of North Korea’s capital city, the Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon will take place this Sunday as part of a broader multiple-day sports tournament held to commemorate the April 15 birthday of North Korea’s founding leader, Kim Il Sung.

About this same time last year, I remember thinking I had been extremely fortunate to have only missed one race due to injury, especially considering how many races I’ve participated in since 2008. Well, a year later, and 2 stress fractures later, I have now missed 8 total races. This really hit me yesterday after Olivia was diagnosed with a severe tibial stress fracture, and will miss the upcoming St. Jude Country Music Half Marathon. Between the two of us, we have now missed 12 races due to stress fractures and other injuries. These are…

Timothy

1. 2008 St. Jude Half Marathon – ITBS
2. 2012 Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon – Stress Fracture
3. 2012 Murfreesboro “Middle” Half Marathon – Stress Fracture
4. 2012 Chickamauga Marathon – Stress Fracture
5. 2012 Flying Monkey Marathon – Stress Fracture
6. 2013 Oak Barrel Half Marathon – Stress Fracture
7. 2013 St. Jude Country Music Marathon – Stress Fracture
8. 2013 500 Festival Mini Marathon – Stress Fracture

Olivia

1. 2011 Tupelo 14.2-Miler – Stress Fracture
2. 2011 Women’s Half Marathon – Stress Fracture
3. 2011 Chicago Marathon – Stress Fracture
4. 2013 St. Jude Country Music Half Marathon – Stress Fracture

There’s a LOT of running frustration in the Team Agee household right now. However, as I always say, this is NOTHING in the grand scheme of things, and we are very, very blessed in the life that we have.

Since both of us will be missing the St. Jude Country Music race, Kate will be carrying the Team Agee banner as she participates in her 8th kid’s marathon!

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A couple of weeks ago I posted about 3 changes I was planning to make in my training once I come back from the current injury. The following are 3 more thoughts about changes I can make for the remainder of 2013.

• Incorporate more soft-surface running into my training. I used to be in the habit of doing at least one run per week on trails, but began to really slack on this beginning in 2012. I know that in addition to an extra rest day per week, it would be good for my legs to have one run per week on a surface softer than concrete or asphalt. I also know that incorporating more trail running will increase my overall leg strength.

• Drop a few pounds. I’m by no means overweight, but at the same time I’m about 10-pounds heavier than I was during 2010/2011. Losing these pounds would just take that much more pressure off of my legs while running.

• Be more consistent in cross-training. Back in 2010 / 2011 I went through the full P90X program twice, and then continued to do a large portion of the workouts for quite some time. These days, my cross training is inconsistent at best. While I don’t think I need to go back to the full P90X plan, I do believe a more consistent schedule will help in preventing injuries.

In the meantime, while I’m injured, I continue to put in as much time cross-training as I can. This includes aqua-jogging, biking, and elliptical. I’m so over the pool, but also know it is probably the best cross training I can do. Oh well….everybody else out there keep beast mode going while I’m on the bench.

Runkeeper for iPad – The Next Revolution in Running

I remember when the hardest part of being a marathoner was running 26.2. Today the hardest part is getting thru the marathon entry process.

As another follow-up to my post where I mentioned incorporating a more cushioned trainer for long runs once I return to running….I just saw a new blog post on RunningWarehouse.com regarding the upcoming Saucony Ride 6…

Anyone who has followed my blog for any length of time knows that I’m a HUGE Saucony fan. Though I’ve never tried the Ride before, most Saucony shoes seem to fit me really well (Kinvara, Hattori, Peregrine).

In addition to looking pretty awesome, and being the perfect color, the Ride 6 is supposed to have even more heel cushioning than the 5, and is quite a bit cheaper than the Adidas Energy Boost that I also mentioned in a previous post.

Updated Races and Personal Records (PR)

I mentioned in an earlier post about my plan for a change in shoe strategy once I come back from the stress fracture. Since the beginning of 2012 I’ve used the Saucony Kinvara for all training runs, regardless of the distance. While I LOVE the Kinvara, I’m worried that it just doesn’t provide enough cushioning for my stride and foot strike on longer runs.

To that end, I plan to utilize a shoe with maximum cushioning for runs 10-miles or greater, and I am greatly intrigued by the new Adidas Energy Boost trainers that debuted last month.

Adidas has put a lot of marketing dollars behind this shoe, which has generated a lot of hype regarding their new mid-sole “Boost” material. Instead of using traditional EVA foam, their “Boost” technology utilizes TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) that is comprised of 2,500 little plastic pebbles fused together with steam and pressure. Adidas claims this material provides “industry-leading energy return,” maximum cushioning, and increased durability that will not be compromised in extreme cold or hot conditions like EVA foam.

My first reaction was to think this was little more than a marketing gimmick, but many of the early reviews are pushing me toward giving this shoe a shot. Runner’s World named it the “Best Debut” in their 2013 Spring Shoe Guide, and their shoe lab noted that the midsole had the most energy return of any shoe they had ever tested. They also rated the heel cushioning at 99 out of 100, and forefoot cushioning at 82 out of 100, yet the shoe still weighs less than 10 oz. Here is part of the report from their lab:

Adidas made lofty claims about the midsole material in its new Energy Boost shoe, including that it has “industry-leading energy return,” is resistant to temperature changes, and is more durable. But how did it fare when we put it to the test in the RW Shoe Lab? In terms of “energy return,” we can measure how much a shoe springs back–that is, how much of the energy put into the shoe on footstrike is returned on the rebound. Here, the Energy Boost truly is the industry leader: It performed better than any of the almost 800 other shoes we’d tested. Likewise, the claim about temperature resistance checked out. Typical EVA foam gets harder in cold weather and softer in hot conditions, affecting how much cushioning you experience. We tested the Energy Boost’s thermoplastic polyurethane against standard and lightweight EVA foams at 20°F and 120°F, and found it far less affected by the swings in temperature. Lab tests also indicate the foam appears to be more durable. With repetitive footstrikes, midsole material gets compacted as cell walls break down. Much of this happens early in the life of the shoe. Our tests indicated that the Energy Boost experienced half the loss of cushioning performance compared with other shoes with EVA midsoles, when mechanically loaded to simulate the first 10 miles of running.

It also doesn’t hurt that I comes in my two favorite colors….Red & Yellow!

Too bad it retails for $150! Anybody have experience with this shoe?

As part of my obsession with qualifying for Boston, I became convinced that moving my weekly mileage from the 40 to 50 mile range into the 60+ range was required to have any shot at a BQ. I began the process of increasing my mileage in mid-2011, and cranked this up even more in mid-2012 after my 3:12 finish in New Orleans. I doubt it is a big coincidence that this also marked the beginning of the stress fracture cycle I’m currently battling.

With this in mind, I have begun the process of re-evaluating my training plan, schedule, and equipment by looking back at my running and equipment logs from the past several years. There were several things that immediately jumped out at me, and I have decided on at least three changes I plan to make for the remainder of 2013 once I am back from the injury:

1. Run no more than 3 consecutive days without taking a full day of rest, and no more than 5 total days in a single week. Since mid-2011, my typical pattern has been to run 6 consecutive days each week, and only take Sunday as a rest day from running. While I wish that my body could handle 6 straight days, I’m thinking that adding one extra rest day per week would greatly reduce my risk of developing another stress fracture. I know that bones need time to recover from repeated impact, and I have not been putting enough emphasis on rest days in my schedule.
2. Aim for no more than 1,500 to 1,750 total miles in 2013. Implementing item #1 above should automatically take care of my total yearly mileage, but I want to make sure and keep an eye on it anyway. Back when I was running an average of 4 marathons per year, without injury, my yearly mileage was in this range. It has only been since jumping up to 2000+ miles per year that the injury cycle has started. Maybe someday I can get back to 2000+ miles per year, but right now I need to be smarter about how much my body can handle.
3. Utilize shoes with maximum cushioning for training runs of 10 miles or greater. My shoe of choice for almost any type of run has been the Saucony Kinvara. However, prior to 2012, I would almost always use the very cushy Nike Vomero for my Saturday long runs. I transitioned to using the less-cushioned Kinvara for all training runs in January 2012, and again 2012 was when the injury cycle got started. I don’t really want to go back to the Vomero, but am greatly intrigued by the new Adidas Energy Boost, which has an incredible amount of cushioning in a fairly light-weight shoe.

I’m sure there will be other changes to make, but I feel pretty good about this as a start. I just can’t wait to get back out there on the road and start working toward a great rest of 2013.

I got the work in, but oh how I hate aqua jogging! I started out with just over an hour on the elliptical before hitting the pool for just under an hour. So glad that my orthopedist is allowing me to do elliptical.

Also, thankfully today I only had to compete with water aerobics for about 10 minutes, which was nice. Those ladies absolutely own the pool.

Right now I’m enjoying an awesome ham & cheese omelet at Noshville Delicatessen, sitting at the counter next to country singer Vince Gill in his overalls. Typical day in Music City!

It’s only been one official day on the bench from running, but I can already tell that this time is going to be harder than my last stress fracture recovery. When the last one occurred I just chalked it up as a freak thing from pushing too hard in the final stages of my prep for the Milwaukee Marathon last year. Even though I was not able to run, I still had grand plans for 2013.

With this one, the circumstances are different, and my running future much more uncertain in my mind. I know that before I go back to setting goals and signing up for races, I’ve got to do some serious evaluation regarding my training. All of this has left me less than motivated to get out the door and cross train to maintain fitness.

However, my plan tomorrow is to do just that, and I’m thankful that this time around I’m not limited to things in the pool, but can incorporate elliptical, bike, and walking from the start. Also, even though this is disappointing, it is such a small thing in grand scheme of things. I’m so incredibly blessed, that I really have NOTHING to complain about.

I hope everyone that is still out there running will have a great weekend of training and racing. Keep “Beast Mode” going!

In the grand scheme of things, this is nothing…

But…

I suspected it strongly on Tuesday after my morning run in St Louis, and just received the official diagnosis from my Orthopedist of another femoral shaft stress injury. This one is in the opposite leg, but is nevertheless my second in 7 months. Best case scenario is that this is a “stress reaction,” which would mean 4 to 6 weeks of no running. Worst case scenario is a full-blown stress fracture, which would be the typical 6 to 8 weeks like before. Since it does not yet show up on an x-ray, we’ll just have to wait for my four-week follow-up to know which one it is.

While this is obviously frustrating, it is also forcing me to re-evaluate everything with regard to running. As part of this re-evaluation, I have made the decision that I am no longer going to allow the B.A.A. and their outrageous and inequitable qualifying standards to rob me of my ability to run and enjoy other great races.

Don’t get me wrong, I still want to run Boston, and I’m still going to strive to excel in running, but at this point pushing myself past my physical limitations for the sake of a 3:10 marathon just doesn’t make any sense. I love to run and I love to race, and right now I’m not able to do either. There are WAY too many other great races out there for me to sacrifice all of them in the hopes of running a BQ.

With this injury I’m going to take a step back and re-assess everything. This includes my goals, my training plan, my mileage, my schedule, my shoes….everything. I simply want to be able to (1) Run/train with my friends, (2) Stay in phenomenal shape, and (3) Participate in great races across the country.

As for next steps, I’m going to hit the pool again for some glorious aqua jogging (and other allowed cross training activities), focus on getting healthy, forget about all races until this fall, and do what I can to ensure a successful race in New York in November.

Beast Mode…On Hold!