Saturday morning was "long-run" day with the Little Rock Marathon group, as usual, and this week was the Rhaling Rd. route. Last time I had run this route, we were only doing about 5 or 6 miles on the build-up. All I could think of was that massive hill... and on top of that, it was 80% chance of rain with muggy-warm temps.... As you can imagine, I was dreading that all week long. This week was 14 miles, as I told Cheryl and Kim "a half-marathon without the medal"...
I set out my stuff the night before...clothes, IT Band straps, rain jacket, etc....filled my bottles for my fuel belt...and went to bed, setting my alarm for 4:30. Cheryl wanted us to be at her house at 5:25 to give us plenty of time to get to LR and get a copy of the route. Well.....the next morning I hear this buzz and look at my phone to see that Kim had just texted me that she was on her way to Cheryl's house and that it was 5:13!!!!! I was like "Oh, sh**!" i couldn't believe that I had overslept and was actually supposed to be at her house in about 15 minutes....I texted Kim that I had just woken up and that I was scurrying around to get ready!! Kim said that she would "stall Cheryl"..I threw my clothes on, not even tying my shoes, and grabbed my stuff. Apparently, in all the rush, I forgot my Garmin, which I had wanted to use for the first time since getting it for Christmas...oh well...it was not meant to be that day! Apparently, Kim had been late too, although not as late as I...we jumped in the truck and headed to Little Rock. We got there shortly after 6, about 6:10 or 6:15 and Cheryl went to see if there were any routes left. Not near as many as usual were signed up to run.
We got all of our gear and headed out...stopping every few minutes at first...me to tie my shoe....and at mile 1, we all took off our rain jackets. When we first got to LR it poured for about 2 minutes or less, but when it started, we were like "oh, crap"...but then it quit completely. and Thank God! It never rained the whole time we ran and that was awesome! Overall, the run had its rough spots with the hills and wind. I hadn't done alot of hill work, so I was already anticipating my foot hurting. In reality, though, I had some general soreness in my hip flexors, but my foot did great! It was kind of like doing interval training with all those ups and downs, but I'm sure it was a good cardio workout. Cheryl had to stop once to use the restroom at Kroger. Kim and I wanted to, but we didn't want to take our gear off and have to put it all back on....and then it not fit right...blah, blah....we stopped for water along the way as well near the Pleasant Valley Country Club. It was almost gone because we started late...but we did have enough for each of us to fill up one water bottle or close to it...The last 2 miles was Rhaling Rd. and it was, as anticipated, TORTURE...I had to walk a few times for about 30 seconds at a time. Kim took off and Cheryl was behind me..we finally all caught up across from the meeting place. Cheryl was wishing she had her phone so she could call us and have us pick her up! Kim and I circled the parking lot to get our mileage and we headed to Tom's car to scratch off our names. He showed us the new training t-shirts and we each bought a small...They tend to run out of the smaller sizes first! We stretched and hopped in the car for our post-run tradition...STARBUCK'S!
We headed to the Starbuck's on HWY 10 to wait for the New Balance Store to open. I was planning on taking the insoles they made for me back, so they could be adjusted, but the store didn't open until 10:00. Cheryl ordered her fave drink, to which they informed her that the were out of the "Cinnamon dolche" in all of Central Arkansas....she was, of course, dismayed..I basically accosted Teena, the employee at the counter, asking her if I could have some of the Christmas decor after they take it down and she gave me the phone #, so I could check back later in the week...The New Balance Store was open by the time we left, and we were already 3rd in line to be assisted by the Podorthist on site. Kim ended up randomly buying a pair of her shoes on the spot as I waited. I told the guy that I have now been diagnosed with PF, so he took another imprint of my foot and told me that he would make the new ones out of cork or some substance that would have more "give"...During this whole saga, the associates noticed that we were all wearing Nike socks, called us "traitors"....and when we mentioned that we didn't have any New balance socks...they opened a 3-pack and gave us each a pair for free! They also gave me a pair of shoestrings for free!! My insoles should hopefully be ready in less than a week!
After leaving the New Balance Store, we went to Sports Authority, because I had a gift card to spend!! Usually Sports Authority, in general, sucks...but we actually found some cute pull-overs and I spent my gift card with $2 left to spare! I got a white and a black Alpine pullover and a Nike headband. We each took our turn at the massage chair on display...Kim and Cheryl were "ooooing" and "ahhhing" and I was like "owwww"...the neck rollers were a little lower on me than on the girls...as they pierced my shoulder blades, those two were just laughing at me!! Geez...the stuff I put up with...We made a quick stop at Barnes and Noble so that Cheryl could look for a daily planner, and somehow we were approached by this really wierd guy that was trying to tell us jokes....we spent the rest of the time there hiding from the guy once we got away...
All in all, it was a fun morning...I couldn't believe how great I felt...I know I won't always, but I was so excited my foot was doing so well and I didn't have to wear my IT Band straps the whole time!!
Background
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas!
To all of blog land....Merry Christmas! Cheryl, Kim and I went for a short 5.75 mile run this cold Christmas morning! My IT bands and hip flexors were bothering me a bit (they didn't take a holiday!) but I made it! I haven't been doing hills lately due to my PF, so today was a tad rough. The run was filled with funny stories and laughter and it was just great to be with the girls! Cheryl and I were the picture of Christmas...she with her Santa hat and me with my pink and red striped "legwarmers"....(the Cho-pat strap was a tad tacky with the outfit, but hey, can't help needing that...). We tried to chronicle the outfits, but Kim was having a "I can't work this camera" day and the battery died before we got a good shot....
After the run, we had some wonderful "nutty" coffee and opened presents....I got a cute journal, a serving bowl type thing from Pier 1, an ornament, an apron, some serving napkin/coasters, wonderfully warm and supportive slippers, and a baby piggy bank......I gave Kim a subscription to Ultra Running Magazine and I got Cheryl a runner planner/logbook. Neither present was actually available to give due to the shipping issues, but they were great about it and I hope they like what I got them! Fun morning with my little "running family", #2 and #3, as I affectionately call them! What a great way to start Christmas!
After the run, we had some wonderful "nutty" coffee and opened presents....I got a cute journal, a serving bowl type thing from Pier 1, an ornament, an apron, some serving napkin/coasters, wonderfully warm and supportive slippers, and a baby piggy bank......I gave Kim a subscription to Ultra Running Magazine and I got Cheryl a runner planner/logbook. Neither present was actually available to give due to the shipping issues, but they were great about it and I hope they like what I got them! Fun morning with my little "running family", #2 and #3, as I affectionately call them! What a great way to start Christmas!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Doctor...doctor...gimmie the news...I got a bad case of...what?
Well, this past Thursday was my much awaited visit with the new Podiatrist, Dr. Bronfman at the Jacksonville Foot and Ankle Clinic. I was somewhat nervous and excited...nervous that he would tell me he couldn't do anything for me or that maybe he didn't know what I was talking about...excited and somewhat hopeful that maybe he could tell me something that might help my foot issues...and therefore, my running.
Dr. Bronfman is a short little man and somewhat intimidating and I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to communicate what I've been experiencing to him or that when I told him what I had tried so far, that he would start to tune me out as I droned on with my saga.. as I talked to him, much of that subsided, and although he was busy, I felt like we talked about most of what I wanted to during the visit. I will now summarize for you what has been his take on my issues....and much of it was contrary to what most very well-meaning people have told me over the past two months....
1. No stress fractures! Yay! Considering that the inside of my foot has hurt since the Spa 10k, I was concerned that it had not really improved since then...However, X-rays reveal the "classic problem foot"....Wide forefoot and narrow heel..which typically makes it very hard to find shoes that fit well. He also suggested that although shoes vary so much depending oon make and model, going up a half size on my next pair might be a good idea. GEEZ....I'm already wearing an 11!
2. I have been told by many that I am a mild overpronator with medium, collapsing arches...Apparently, I am a moderate overpronator with high arches...okay.....next?
3. He wants me to attempt to use my HARD custom made prosthetic insoles that were made at the new Balance store in LR, asking the podorthist that made them to meld down the arch some, because it is too high, causing pressure on the bony area where I have been having so much pain and causing my foot to slide toward the outer part of the shoe....Until then, I can wear my Lynco insoles bought in Memphis at the Expo. The big question with that was "Hard prosthetics with stability shoes?" Well....if the insoles are made well and fit your feet well...he says it shouldn't matter. Don't know about that one...but I'll try it.
4. He didn't say I have to stop running and wasn't even really saying that I have to back off on my mileage, but he did recommend that I run SLOWLY and AVOID HILLS if at all possible. The slow, I can do....hills...well, I'll try my best.
5. I apparently am taking way too much Ibuprofen and with my IBS, he was concerned, so he put me on Mobic 15mg a day. You know you are officially part of the running community when you start taking medicine for arthritis!
6. Lastly..(at least for now)...I have plantar fasciitis....Yep...the dreaded syndrome of all runners....He was examining my foot and pressed on my heel and, yep, it was tender....I am therefore not allowed to go barefoot, or wear flip-flops or slippers anymore, unless they are arch supportive (like Birkenstocks)...I also have to do a couple of foot stretches 3-4 times a day. My follow-up is in 1 month. To be honest, I was actually surprised that he told me to follow up. Usually they just throw stuff at you and tell you to come back if there's still a problem...
Soooo, we will see what all this does for my running. In some respects, the visit was a comfort. He said that I was the 5th person that is training for the LR Marathon that he saw this week! I was beginning to feel like I was crazy or that I was psyching myself out with all these foot issues. It somehow made me feel better knowing that I wasn't alone, that I'm not the only one doing this with aches and pains!!
Dr. Bronfman is a short little man and somewhat intimidating and I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to communicate what I've been experiencing to him or that when I told him what I had tried so far, that he would start to tune me out as I droned on with my saga.. as I talked to him, much of that subsided, and although he was busy, I felt like we talked about most of what I wanted to during the visit. I will now summarize for you what has been his take on my issues....and much of it was contrary to what most very well-meaning people have told me over the past two months....
1. No stress fractures! Yay! Considering that the inside of my foot has hurt since the Spa 10k, I was concerned that it had not really improved since then...However, X-rays reveal the "classic problem foot"....Wide forefoot and narrow heel..which typically makes it very hard to find shoes that fit well. He also suggested that although shoes vary so much depending oon make and model, going up a half size on my next pair might be a good idea. GEEZ....I'm already wearing an 11!
2. I have been told by many that I am a mild overpronator with medium, collapsing arches...Apparently, I am a moderate overpronator with high arches...okay.....next?
3. He wants me to attempt to use my HARD custom made prosthetic insoles that were made at the new Balance store in LR, asking the podorthist that made them to meld down the arch some, because it is too high, causing pressure on the bony area where I have been having so much pain and causing my foot to slide toward the outer part of the shoe....Until then, I can wear my Lynco insoles bought in Memphis at the Expo. The big question with that was "Hard prosthetics with stability shoes?" Well....if the insoles are made well and fit your feet well...he says it shouldn't matter. Don't know about that one...but I'll try it.
4. He didn't say I have to stop running and wasn't even really saying that I have to back off on my mileage, but he did recommend that I run SLOWLY and AVOID HILLS if at all possible. The slow, I can do....hills...well, I'll try my best.
5. I apparently am taking way too much Ibuprofen and with my IBS, he was concerned, so he put me on Mobic 15mg a day. You know you are officially part of the running community when you start taking medicine for arthritis!
6. Lastly..(at least for now)...I have plantar fasciitis....Yep...the dreaded syndrome of all runners....He was examining my foot and pressed on my heel and, yep, it was tender....I am therefore not allowed to go barefoot, or wear flip-flops or slippers anymore, unless they are arch supportive (like Birkenstocks)...I also have to do a couple of foot stretches 3-4 times a day. My follow-up is in 1 month. To be honest, I was actually surprised that he told me to follow up. Usually they just throw stuff at you and tell you to come back if there's still a problem...
Soooo, we will see what all this does for my running. In some respects, the visit was a comfort. He said that I was the 5th person that is training for the LR Marathon that he saw this week! I was beginning to feel like I was crazy or that I was psyching myself out with all these foot issues. It somehow made me feel better knowing that I wasn't alone, that I'm not the only one doing this with aches and pains!!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
A BIG pain in the neck.............
Well, right now I am sitting inside due to the SHEET of pure ice down our street! Going nowhere today, although I can't say I'm too heartbroken, since I had to miss work. I am, however, disappointed about no outside running or going to the gym....as you can see, my priorities are in the right place!! HA!
Yesterday I woke up with some horrible neck pain and stiffness, but it had started to get better as the morning went on...Somehow in my circuit class, I was doing the Lat Pulldown and I certainly "pulled" something, because I felt my neck spasm after I did it. I don't know if I made it worse or caused some new damage, but after that, much of my workout was useless. I couldn't raise my arms, or do planks or mountain climbers due to the pain...I had to leave the class. I did get in about 15 minutes of the elliptical before class, but it definitely pissed me off....that I hurt myself and that I had to stop....again, priorities....When I got home, I took a hot shower and some Ibuprofen and that seemed to help some. I didn't get adventurous, but I was able to turn my head better side-to-side as the day went on. I had to get my CPR Re-certification, so I announced to my instructor as I entered that I had limited ROM of my neck and "blowing into the dummy" might be hard! Ha! He was really laid back and commented that we would "simulate" breaths, since he didn't know the last time "Annie" had a good cleaning! I normally dread that class every two years, because every time I have had to re-certify, shortly thereafter, I have to use it in a code situation! I don't mean to be superstitious, but I guess I sure do pay alot more attention to detail!!
After the class, I headed to the North Little Rock Athletic Club to run on the indoor track. Twelve laps is one mile, so I did 60....5 miles....I had to keep changing directions, so that the curves wouldn't be on the same side all the time. It was a little boring, but I had my ipod (which, come to think of it, I need to add some more music to) and the softer surface seemed to help my foot hurt less than usual...I was going to go to the 5:30 Sculpt class, but the weather was supposed to start getting bad and I was unsure how smart it would be to go to class and try to lift anything or do anything that might make my neck worse....so I left. It did feel good to get that run in, and I definitely was glad I didn't have to treadmill it! I was glad I left when I did, because it had started to sleet again, and the traffic was horrible!
So....here and now, my neck is worse than yesterday. I tried both ice and heat, they might have helped somewhat, but lying down was the worst position to be in. I got hardly any sleep last night and any time I am in a lying position, I have to physically lift my head with my hand...Geez...I put on SalonPas patches and they seem to help some, but I may have to break out the muscle relaxers later today. I hate to take anything stronger than Ibuprofen, cause those pain pills make me feel funny....I'm hoping I don't have to. Work may be out tomorrow...Aside from the weather, I don't know if I can do patient care, when I can barely lift anything or turn my head...we'll see. Since I'm not getting outside today, I may do my exercise bike for a while to get SOME exercise! My Podiatrist appt is on Thursday and I am praying that God will give him wisdom as to what the deal with my foot is....Normally, I'm not thrilled with going to the doctor, but this guy, Dr. Richard Bronfman at the Jacksonville Foot Clinic, is well known for his treating runners! I'll keep you posted! A look further out to the weekend reveals...weird news, in that it is supposed to be in the 60's and rainy...geez....14 miles in the rain....ugh....
Yesterday I woke up with some horrible neck pain and stiffness, but it had started to get better as the morning went on...Somehow in my circuit class, I was doing the Lat Pulldown and I certainly "pulled" something, because I felt my neck spasm after I did it. I don't know if I made it worse or caused some new damage, but after that, much of my workout was useless. I couldn't raise my arms, or do planks or mountain climbers due to the pain...I had to leave the class. I did get in about 15 minutes of the elliptical before class, but it definitely pissed me off....that I hurt myself and that I had to stop....again, priorities....When I got home, I took a hot shower and some Ibuprofen and that seemed to help some. I didn't get adventurous, but I was able to turn my head better side-to-side as the day went on. I had to get my CPR Re-certification, so I announced to my instructor as I entered that I had limited ROM of my neck and "blowing into the dummy" might be hard! Ha! He was really laid back and commented that we would "simulate" breaths, since he didn't know the last time "Annie" had a good cleaning! I normally dread that class every two years, because every time I have had to re-certify, shortly thereafter, I have to use it in a code situation! I don't mean to be superstitious, but I guess I sure do pay alot more attention to detail!!
After the class, I headed to the North Little Rock Athletic Club to run on the indoor track. Twelve laps is one mile, so I did 60....5 miles....I had to keep changing directions, so that the curves wouldn't be on the same side all the time. It was a little boring, but I had my ipod (which, come to think of it, I need to add some more music to) and the softer surface seemed to help my foot hurt less than usual...I was going to go to the 5:30 Sculpt class, but the weather was supposed to start getting bad and I was unsure how smart it would be to go to class and try to lift anything or do anything that might make my neck worse....so I left. It did feel good to get that run in, and I definitely was glad I didn't have to treadmill it! I was glad I left when I did, because it had started to sleet again, and the traffic was horrible!
So....here and now, my neck is worse than yesterday. I tried both ice and heat, they might have helped somewhat, but lying down was the worst position to be in. I got hardly any sleep last night and any time I am in a lying position, I have to physically lift my head with my hand...Geez...I put on SalonPas patches and they seem to help some, but I may have to break out the muscle relaxers later today. I hate to take anything stronger than Ibuprofen, cause those pain pills make me feel funny....I'm hoping I don't have to. Work may be out tomorrow...Aside from the weather, I don't know if I can do patient care, when I can barely lift anything or turn my head...we'll see. Since I'm not getting outside today, I may do my exercise bike for a while to get SOME exercise! My Podiatrist appt is on Thursday and I am praying that God will give him wisdom as to what the deal with my foot is....Normally, I'm not thrilled with going to the doctor, but this guy, Dr. Richard Bronfman at the Jacksonville Foot Clinic, is well known for his treating runners! I'll keep you posted! A look further out to the weekend reveals...weird news, in that it is supposed to be in the 60's and rainy...geez....14 miles in the rain....ugh....
Monday, December 8, 2008
Red footie pjs....a silver bell...oh, and the Memphis Half Marathon.....
I finally have a few minutes for an update of this past weekend...the Memphis Marathon Weekend in Memphis, TN. It was my first time doing the Memphis race, but for Cheryl and Kim, I believe it was the 3rd year. They convinced me to sign up after the Soaring Wings Half back in October and it was such fun, I gladly complied!! I was hoping just to finish because of all the foot issues I've been having lately...but I'm getting ahead of myself..more on that later...
We all met at Cheryl's house on Friday morning to set out from there. I believe Cheryl ran on her own that morning from her house, Kim went to the gym and ran , and I did a circuit class at 5:30 at the NLR Athletic Club. I didn't want to run the day before the race so my poor foot would function during the race. Of course I had the most stuff...as usual...Kim second...and then Cheryl. In my defense, Cheryl's clothes are pretty much as big as Barbie clothes, so of course, she only had one duffel bag! (ha ha..sorry Cheryl!) Once Kim arrived, we loaded up the car and headed to the Bucks for our coffee. I had to have at least one cup at Cheryl's because I had a BAD caffeine headache going on, but I still got my usual Venti coffee with Hazelnut syrup. Yum! The trip had plenty of conversation as usual, although I HATE the drive to Memphis with a passion... We discovered Kim's "hidden" Enrique Iglesias CD and the heckling began...ugh....It was hilarious! By the time we got to Memphis, we all had to pee pretty bad! It didn't take too long to find a parking spot, we saw Annette and her entourage in the parking lot. Of course, I forgot my running shoes in the trunk, so I had to run back to the car (and leave the girls freezing on the sidewalk) to get my shoes and insoles. We went inside, did the deed (aka went potty), and found our bib numbers. Kim and Cheryl had consecutive numbers in the 5000's, mine was double that 10524! Thankfully, we were able to get a size small shirt (I signed up for a medium) ! We got our "goodie" bags (as Cheryl says...minus the goodies) and started looking around. Most what I saw I had seen online at some point, so I didn't need much, but we did come across some $9.99 stuff and I got a shirt and hat. I really liked the shirt, so I got an extra large, and was glad later when Kim tried hers on and she said it was tight (hers was a medium)...FINALLY we came to the infamous insoles that were going to solve all my problems and cure all my ills...I tried them on and after walking in them a bit, decided to buy a pair. Apparently I have a "bunionette" and place almost no weight on my toes....go figure...As I talked to the reps, Kim and Cheryl talked to Arland and Annette. After that, there wasn't much else to look at, but I did buy a shoe charm for a necklace and we left.
After finding our way to the interstate, we headed another 30 minutes to Aunt Martha's house. I had never met her, but was looking forward to after Kim and Cheryl talked about how fun she is. We made a short pit stop to fuel up (our tummies) at Nook's, getting salads and soup. About halfway through eating, Kim thought she saw her lettuce move....and sure enough, there was a bug crawling in the bottom of her bowl! As you can imagine, that didn't exactly whet our appetites to finish our meal! Cheryl probably would have been okay to eat her soup, but she was so grossed out, she just ate some SEALED bread sticks, as did I. We made a quick pit stop to Kohl's to exchange Kim's hat. We all got matching hats the day after Thanksgiving at Kohl's and hers was torn in one spot....I call them the "yoddle-e-he-hoo" hats, because they have these little Braid-like things that hang down and make us all look like Scandinavian milk maids...The afternoon was finished with a trip to the local Target "just in case" there was something there that the NLR Target didn't have...hehe...and to Aunt Martha's for some dinner and rest. We had a lovely dinner of soup and sandwiches and we were just glad that we didn't have to go back out into the cold (especially Cheryl!). I modeled my long red footie pjs with the sock monkey feet and Cheryl's niece proceeded to poke fun of me...Oh well, it was just a showpiece I decided, I was going to suffocate in that thing (the bedroom was WARM)....We laid out our outfits for the next morning and hit the sack. It took a little while for me and Kim to fall asleep, so as we talked and giggled, Cheryl was wishing we would just SHUT UP...
Me and my infamous Sock Monkey pjs
The next morning we were up with our alarms around 5:45...I scared Kim by folding into "child's pose" on the bed after waking up, cause my back hurt..it was funny! It was SO cold and we were all torn about what to wear. I started out with a performance tank, 2 performance long sleeve shirts , a fleece, and of course, shorts...I ended up taking one of the long sleeves off. Cheryl was conflicted about adding another layer because of the wind, but I think she ended up with her original planned clothing, worried that she would be hot. I went against conventional advice and did something new on race day...I wore my new insoles! I know, I know....many of you are shaking your heads in feigned shame at the "rookie" , but I figured, I could either run in what I KNEW would hurt (aka my current insoles) or try something that MAY or MAY NOT hurt...more on that to come......It didn't take too long to find a place to park, in the parking garage Cheryl and Kim parked in last year. It was fairly close to the start, but we had to find our coral and go potty. We saw Annette, Gary, Michelle, Andrea, and Brenda. I was having BAD performance wear lust, seeing all those wondrous tech shirts, CRX running tights, and fleece cover ups...WE huddled together until the race started and we moved forward in timed increments. I was thinking "Where is that SUN?" It was cloudy and my fingers and toes were numb! They stayed that way until about mile 4 or so. I kept seeing all these cool hats, dropped and unopened Gu, and clothes that I wanted to snatch up....but alas....I could not....It was during these first few miles that I learned my first, of I'm sure many, running myths/lore/superstitions if you will....Apparently you are not supposed to wear the race shirt given to you IN the race....Bad luck? That's what Kim and Cheryl said..and they promptly reminded me that if I wanted to run with them, I would be in my running bra before I would be allowed to wear my race shirt!!!
I was actually pretty comfortable, as far as exertion and foot discomfort for quite a while. We had the usual stops for shoe tying and Cheryl had to hit the Porto-potty at mile 6. The water stations were a bit hairy at times, people just didn't pay attention to where they threw their cups! And speaking of not paying attention....I hate to say it, because I want to use mine, but those ipod people were CLUELESS!!! as far as what was going on around them. It was very frustrating. We also had our share of people that would just STOP right in front of you....I held up pretty well until mile 10, at such time that my foot issues returned. I had to take 2 or 3 15-30 second walking breaks from mile 10-13. We all took turns trying to offer incentives to finish because we were SO OVER IT by mile 12! Coffee.....medal....food.....these were the things that drove us...All in all, I am glad I wore the insoles. I know it's a no-no and I don't intend to start a habit of doing new things on race day, but I think I was actually better off than I would have been had I worn the other ones. I got my second wind about mile 13.001 (just kidding)...but somehow when I saw the finish around the corner....I just pushed it! Kim, Cheryl, and I crossed the finish line at the EXACT same time 2:14:19 and although I didn't PR or set any speed records.. I was just so happy #1 to be done, #2 to have run almost the entire race, and #3 to have finished at all. After all those foot issues, I seriously was questioning even finishing! There's time for a new PR later!
We were herded through the stadium area to the stairs, after getting our time chips cut off and getting our stylish Mylar blankets and medals. Some guy near us was saying how he felt "weird" and lightheaded and looked a little spacey..I offered him my Gu and got him a bottled water. I've seen that look many a time before, he looked like he was about to crash from low blood sugar! His friend assured that he would "look out for him", but he seemed more interested in telling his friend a story....geez...I was thinking to myself how dumb that guy was for not eating anything...and then I remembered that I had only one Gu at mile 7 and had only drank a small G2, much less than I usually consume. I'm usually pretty good at fueling up regularly! We finally got up the stairs into the "wind tunnel" to line up for food. I ate a banana, 1/4 cup veggie soup and 2 NutterButter cookies I was ready for some STARBUCKS!! We decided to go to the car to warm up and get some more layers so we could come back and watch Brenda and Andrea finish the marathon. On the way to the car, Cheryl had her Mylar blanket wrapped around her and all you could see was the silver blanket on top and her little legs sticking out the bottom...Kim and I cackled like crazy, as I started singing "Silver bells....." It was hilarious! Here we are (Cheryl and I, pic below) finally partaking in some coffee...as you can see, I'm not quite coherent yet...
By the time we got our layers, coffee, and a bathroom pit stop out of the way...we realized that it was about 15 minutes until Brenda and Andrea planned to be done! We hurried over to the stadium, found a place in the COLD shade close to the front and watched Brenda come in at a little over 4 hours, Andrea in around 4:28 ish?...we were excited for them! After that, we went to the car and tried to find our way out of the city. We saw Annette just as we were stopped for a second in traffic and we all yelled "Hey Annette!" She was trucking along, and I think she was fairly close to the end! It was soooo cold that day, we were all glad that we didn't have to do the full! But all those who did were awesome!
After getting to Aunt Martha's, we took a shower and headed out to shop...yes....you heard that right folks....although it didn't last long. We went to World Market and the mall, and finished up the evening with dinner at Ruby Tuesday's. My turkey burger was awesome and I actually was converted to liking guacamole after I tried some that Cheryl and Kim ordered! W
e headed back to Aunt Martha's and chilled for the evening, we were beat! The next morning we headed out for home around 8-8:30, with our Starbucks trip along the way. Cheryl had to get back to pack for Seattle and Kim had to pack for Texarkana. I was sooo glad I didn't have anywhere to be on Monday! It was a fun trip and I am so glad I could be a part of it, not only for the company, but that I could do the race. My only focus now is the LR Marathon....
We all met at Cheryl's house on Friday morning to set out from there. I believe Cheryl ran on her own that morning from her house, Kim went to the gym and ran , and I did a circuit class at 5:30 at the NLR Athletic Club. I didn't want to run the day before the race so my poor foot would function during the race. Of course I had the most stuff...as usual...Kim second...and then Cheryl. In my defense, Cheryl's clothes are pretty much as big as Barbie clothes, so of course, she only had one duffel bag! (ha ha..sorry Cheryl!) Once Kim arrived, we loaded up the car and headed to the Bucks for our coffee. I had to have at least one cup at Cheryl's because I had a BAD caffeine headache going on, but I still got my usual Venti coffee with Hazelnut syrup. Yum! The trip had plenty of conversation as usual, although I HATE the drive to Memphis with a passion... We discovered Kim's "hidden" Enrique Iglesias CD and the heckling began...ugh....It was hilarious! By the time we got to Memphis, we all had to pee pretty bad! It didn't take too long to find a parking spot, we saw Annette and her entourage in the parking lot. Of course, I forgot my running shoes in the trunk, so I had to run back to the car (and leave the girls freezing on the sidewalk) to get my shoes and insoles. We went inside, did the deed (aka went potty), and found our bib numbers. Kim and Cheryl had consecutive numbers in the 5000's, mine was double that 10524! Thankfully, we were able to get a size small shirt (I signed up for a medium) ! We got our "goodie" bags (as Cheryl says...minus the goodies) and started looking around. Most what I saw I had seen online at some point, so I didn't need much, but we did come across some $9.99 stuff and I got a shirt and hat. I really liked the shirt, so I got an extra large, and was glad later when Kim tried hers on and she said it was tight (hers was a medium)...FINALLY we came to the infamous insoles that were going to solve all my problems and cure all my ills...I tried them on and after walking in them a bit, decided to buy a pair. Apparently I have a "bunionette" and place almost no weight on my toes....go figure...As I talked to the reps, Kim and Cheryl talked to Arland and Annette. After that, there wasn't much else to look at, but I did buy a shoe charm for a necklace and we left.
After finding our way to the interstate, we headed another 30 minutes to Aunt Martha's house. I had never met her, but was looking forward to after Kim and Cheryl talked about how fun she is. We made a short pit stop to fuel up (our tummies) at Nook's, getting salads and soup. About halfway through eating, Kim thought she saw her lettuce move....and sure enough, there was a bug crawling in the bottom of her bowl! As you can imagine, that didn't exactly whet our appetites to finish our meal! Cheryl probably would have been okay to eat her soup, but she was so grossed out, she just ate some SEALED bread sticks, as did I. We made a quick pit stop to Kohl's to exchange Kim's hat. We all got matching hats the day after Thanksgiving at Kohl's and hers was torn in one spot....I call them the "yoddle-e-he-hoo" hats, because they have these little Braid-like things that hang down and make us all look like Scandinavian milk maids...The afternoon was finished with a trip to the local Target "just in case" there was something there that the NLR Target didn't have...hehe...and to Aunt Martha's for some dinner and rest. We had a lovely dinner of soup and sandwiches and we were just glad that we didn't have to go back out into the cold (especially Cheryl!). I modeled my long red footie pjs with the sock monkey feet and Cheryl's niece proceeded to poke fun of me...Oh well, it was just a showpiece I decided, I was going to suffocate in that thing (the bedroom was WARM)....We laid out our outfits for the next morning and hit the sack. It took a little while for me and Kim to fall asleep, so as we talked and giggled, Cheryl was wishing we would just SHUT UP...
Me and my infamous Sock Monkey pjs
The next morning we were up with our alarms around 5:45...I scared Kim by folding into "child's pose" on the bed after waking up, cause my back hurt..it was funny! It was SO cold and we were all torn about what to wear. I started out with a performance tank, 2 performance long sleeve shirts , a fleece, and of course, shorts...I ended up taking one of the long sleeves off. Cheryl was conflicted about adding another layer because of the wind, but I think she ended up with her original planned clothing, worried that she would be hot. I went against conventional advice and did something new on race day...I wore my new insoles! I know, I know....many of you are shaking your heads in feigned shame at the "rookie" , but I figured, I could either run in what I KNEW would hurt (aka my current insoles) or try something that MAY or MAY NOT hurt...more on that to come......It didn't take too long to find a place to park, in the parking garage Cheryl and Kim parked in last year. It was fairly close to the start, but we had to find our coral and go potty. We saw Annette, Gary, Michelle, Andrea, and Brenda. I was having BAD performance wear lust, seeing all those wondrous tech shirts, CRX running tights, and fleece cover ups...WE huddled together until the race started and we moved forward in timed increments. I was thinking "Where is that SUN?" It was cloudy and my fingers and toes were numb! They stayed that way until about mile 4 or so. I kept seeing all these cool hats, dropped and unopened Gu, and clothes that I wanted to snatch up....but alas....I could not....It was during these first few miles that I learned my first, of I'm sure many, running myths/lore/superstitions if you will....Apparently you are not supposed to wear the race shirt given to you IN the race....Bad luck? That's what Kim and Cheryl said..and they promptly reminded me that if I wanted to run with them, I would be in my running bra before I would be allowed to wear my race shirt!!!
I was actually pretty comfortable, as far as exertion and foot discomfort for quite a while. We had the usual stops for shoe tying and Cheryl had to hit the Porto-potty at mile 6. The water stations were a bit hairy at times, people just didn't pay attention to where they threw their cups! And speaking of not paying attention....I hate to say it, because I want to use mine, but those ipod people were CLUELESS!!! as far as what was going on around them. It was very frustrating. We also had our share of people that would just STOP right in front of you....I held up pretty well until mile 10, at such time that my foot issues returned. I had to take 2 or 3 15-30 second walking breaks from mile 10-13. We all took turns trying to offer incentives to finish because we were SO OVER IT by mile 12! Coffee.....medal....food.....these were the things that drove us...All in all, I am glad I wore the insoles. I know it's a no-no and I don't intend to start a habit of doing new things on race day, but I think I was actually better off than I would have been had I worn the other ones. I got my second wind about mile 13.001 (just kidding)...but somehow when I saw the finish around the corner....I just pushed it! Kim, Cheryl, and I crossed the finish line at the EXACT same time 2:14:19 and although I didn't PR or set any speed records.. I was just so happy #1 to be done, #2 to have run almost the entire race, and #3 to have finished at all. After all those foot issues, I seriously was questioning even finishing! There's time for a new PR later!
We were herded through the stadium area to the stairs, after getting our time chips cut off and getting our stylish Mylar blankets and medals. Some guy near us was saying how he felt "weird" and lightheaded and looked a little spacey..I offered him my Gu and got him a bottled water. I've seen that look many a time before, he looked like he was about to crash from low blood sugar! His friend assured that he would "look out for him", but he seemed more interested in telling his friend a story....geez...I was thinking to myself how dumb that guy was for not eating anything...and then I remembered that I had only one Gu at mile 7 and had only drank a small G2, much less than I usually consume. I'm usually pretty good at fueling up regularly! We finally got up the stairs into the "wind tunnel" to line up for food. I ate a banana, 1/4 cup veggie soup and 2 NutterButter cookies I was ready for some STARBUCKS!! We decided to go to the car to warm up and get some more layers so we could come back and watch Brenda and Andrea finish the marathon. On the way to the car, Cheryl had her Mylar blanket wrapped around her and all you could see was the silver blanket on top and her little legs sticking out the bottom...Kim and I cackled like crazy, as I started singing "Silver bells....." It was hilarious! Here we are (Cheryl and I, pic below) finally partaking in some coffee...as you can see, I'm not quite coherent yet...
By the time we got our layers, coffee, and a bathroom pit stop out of the way...we realized that it was about 15 minutes until Brenda and Andrea planned to be done! We hurried over to the stadium, found a place in the COLD shade close to the front and watched Brenda come in at a little over 4 hours, Andrea in around 4:28 ish?...we were excited for them! After that, we went to the car and tried to find our way out of the city. We saw Annette just as we were stopped for a second in traffic and we all yelled "Hey Annette!" She was trucking along, and I think she was fairly close to the end! It was soooo cold that day, we were all glad that we didn't have to do the full! But all those who did were awesome!
After getting to Aunt Martha's, we took a shower and headed out to shop...yes....you heard that right folks....although it didn't last long. We went to World Market and the mall, and finished up the evening with dinner at Ruby Tuesday's. My turkey burger was awesome and I actually was converted to liking guacamole after I tried some that Cheryl and Kim ordered! W
e headed back to Aunt Martha's and chilled for the evening, we were beat! The next morning we headed out for home around 8-8:30, with our Starbucks trip along the way. Cheryl had to get back to pack for Seattle and Kim had to pack for Texarkana. I was sooo glad I didn't have anywhere to be on Monday! It was a fun trip and I am so glad I could be a part of it, not only for the company, but that I could do the race. My only focus now is the LR Marathon....
Sunday, December 7, 2008
A short blurb, if you will....
I don't want to let too much time pass before I chronicle the events of the past few days, but right now, I don't have the energy to blog the complete saga. Just to say that this past Memphis Marathon weekend was cold, fun, and tiring! I hope to add more in the next few days, so, until then....
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Prudence wins out......and laziness too...
Well...I decided it would not be prudent to run today, despite my need to get at least 4 miles in. It was windy and cold and I was all too happy to "cop out", if you will, on today's run.... I found a podiatrist that I wanted to see today, Richard Bronfman, at the Jacksonville Foot Clinic. But, alas, he was booked until next Thursday. I asked the receptionist to notify me ASAP if there was a cancellation. I was hoping to get some feed back from him before heading to the Memphis Half, about my foot issues. He is a member of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine and has lots of experience dealing with runners and their foot issues. I thought about seeing someone else, but I would really rather deal with someone who knows more about running injuries, etc. I called back to get an appt. and was dismayed to discover that while I was deciding what to do, the appts. for next week had filled up and I would not be able to see him until December 18th! Oh well....I made the appt. anyway...
Cheryl and I talked some about what to do and she thought it best as well to wait for the "expert". We chatted excitedly about Saturday and even though I am apprehensive...I am much more comfortable with allowing myself to finish however I need to, walking or not.....fast or not... We are staying at Aunt Martha's and she is excited to have us! She said that there is a Panera that was just opened down the road from her, so looks like all of us, even Kim, will be able to eat....
Tonight will be filled with packing and resting my foot/ankle. I'm not sure what to wear yet...the weather will probably be in the 30's with a slight wind...but I am planning to wear shorts anyway...as long as I have enough layers on top, I'm usually ok...Well, new post to come after the Half!
Cheryl and I talked some about what to do and she thought it best as well to wait for the "expert". We chatted excitedly about Saturday and even though I am apprehensive...I am much more comfortable with allowing myself to finish however I need to, walking or not.....fast or not... We are staying at Aunt Martha's and she is excited to have us! She said that there is a Panera that was just opened down the road from her, so looks like all of us, even Kim, will be able to eat....
Tonight will be filled with packing and resting my foot/ankle. I'm not sure what to wear yet...the weather will probably be in the 30's with a slight wind...but I am planning to wear shorts anyway...as long as I have enough layers on top, I'm usually ok...Well, new post to come after the Half!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Good day....sunshine...
What a beautiful day! Aside form the wind, the sunny and somewhat warmer day had me stepping outside this afternoon before Pilates for a short run. I need to get a few runs in this week before the Memphis Half on Saturday and I have to work tomorrow....
Kim, Cheryl, and I did the 6 mile loop yesterday and it was definitely a Monday! We were huffing and puffing as usual. It was pretty cold, but not quite as cold as I expected. I had shorts, 3 performance shirts, and a fleece on top...and of course, my gloves and headband (I WILL wear shorts as long as possible!!). I was quite comfortable. My fingers did stay pretty cold throughout the whole run though. For some reason, we got home later than usual and Kim didn't have time to stay for coffee. Cheryl and I enjoyed a couple of cups and then I headed out and she had some work to do. My foot was still sore, but not as bad as it was at the 6 mile point on Saturday's long run. I continue to do the ice packs, Ibuprofen, and SalonPas....
Back to today's run.....it was in my neighborhood...and I do mean "hood"...although in the light of day, it almost looks like a safe neighborhood..haha...Anyhoo, did my little 4 mile route, which is basically a few streets around my neighborhood and back home. My foot hurt quite a bit at first, let up, and then started to hurt again right before I finished. Luckily I was almost done, I could start to feel the pain creeping up the right inner leg. Geez...it's probably a good idea that I'm not running Friday with the girls before we leave, cause we will be walking around at the Expo and I'm going to try to rest it as much as possible before the race. My weird splits were:
1.5 miles 13:58
1.0 mile 8:44 (what?!)
1.5 miles 12:34
The pace felt pretty comfortable, as far as stamina, except for the foot issues. No knee pain or IT Band pain today...yay!!! I have been chatting with people via blogs and am hoping to check out the Breakaway Store in Memphis to see if I need a shoe and/or insole adjustment. Right now I am in a stability shoe with Powerstep insoles, because the orthotics I had made are too hard to wear. Apparently, this is a common thing for the New Balance store in Little Rock to set people up with a stability/orthotic combo...an apparent no-no in Memphis. I tried to give those orthotics a chance again yesterday, but I just couldn't wear them more than 1/2 hour. I've heard that some people need a neutral shoe with orthotics. I wasn't that sure that I am an overpronator, but I found out that I am a heel-striker and that means I, most likely, am overpronating. Anyhoo, as far as the pain goes, I think heating packs are better for me than ice, so maybe that will help me recover faster.
As a side note, I got some Sharkies and a Nike top on sale today at Academy...yay...My next run will probably be Thursday after work, hopefully another 4 miler.
Kim, Cheryl, and I did the 6 mile loop yesterday and it was definitely a Monday! We were huffing and puffing as usual. It was pretty cold, but not quite as cold as I expected. I had shorts, 3 performance shirts, and a fleece on top...and of course, my gloves and headband (I WILL wear shorts as long as possible!!). I was quite comfortable. My fingers did stay pretty cold throughout the whole run though. For some reason, we got home later than usual and Kim didn't have time to stay for coffee. Cheryl and I enjoyed a couple of cups and then I headed out and she had some work to do. My foot was still sore, but not as bad as it was at the 6 mile point on Saturday's long run. I continue to do the ice packs, Ibuprofen, and SalonPas....
Back to today's run.....it was in my neighborhood...and I do mean "hood"...although in the light of day, it almost looks like a safe neighborhood..haha...Anyhoo, did my little 4 mile route, which is basically a few streets around my neighborhood and back home. My foot hurt quite a bit at first, let up, and then started to hurt again right before I finished. Luckily I was almost done, I could start to feel the pain creeping up the right inner leg. Geez...it's probably a good idea that I'm not running Friday with the girls before we leave, cause we will be walking around at the Expo and I'm going to try to rest it as much as possible before the race. My weird splits were:
1.5 miles 13:58
1.0 mile 8:44 (what?!)
1.5 miles 12:34
The pace felt pretty comfortable, as far as stamina, except for the foot issues. No knee pain or IT Band pain today...yay!!! I have been chatting with people via blogs and am hoping to check out the Breakaway Store in Memphis to see if I need a shoe and/or insole adjustment. Right now I am in a stability shoe with Powerstep insoles, because the orthotics I had made are too hard to wear. Apparently, this is a common thing for the New Balance store in Little Rock to set people up with a stability/orthotic combo...an apparent no-no in Memphis. I tried to give those orthotics a chance again yesterday, but I just couldn't wear them more than 1/2 hour. I've heard that some people need a neutral shoe with orthotics. I wasn't that sure that I am an overpronator, but I found out that I am a heel-striker and that means I, most likely, am overpronating. Anyhoo, as far as the pain goes, I think heating packs are better for me than ice, so maybe that will help me recover faster.
As a side note, I got some Sharkies and a Nike top on sale today at Academy...yay...My next run will probably be Thursday after work, hopefully another 4 miler.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
A little reflection...
One day out from yesterday's long run and not feeling like running today....Kim mentioned that she wanted to get a long run in, but the weather has been really cold and windy today, with a little rain sprinkled in. My knees and right foot are sore today, but it's more of an IT Band soreness on the outside of my knees, so I have been stretching a lot today. I went to the gym and did the elliptical for about 30 minutes with some leg exercises...squats with resistance bands and leg curls...I needed to do some leg extensions, but every time I wanted to, someone was on the machine. I'll probably do it tomorrow when I head up there for my circuit class. I didn't want to stay long because they lacquered the floor on Friday and that place reeked of headache causing fumes!! Ugh...think a few brain cells died today, and I can't spare many...
I saw Lisa Nichols at Wal-mart and she noticed I had my SalonPas patches on my knees. I'm sure I looked ridiculous, but they help....She used to be an avid and rabid runner and we talked about my various injuries...I think, in running, "walking" is a dirty word and it has affected what I think of myself when I have to walk....Yesterday was the first day I had to do that and for some reason, I was really ashamed of that... She was encouraging...some days are better than others. When Cheryl said that we averaged an 11 min mile yesterday when I was stopping a lot, I was sure it was longer than that. I am just glad I finished at all!! Mentally, the preparation for this marathon, has been even harder than the physical stuff. I admit that my physical setbacks have been the source of much of my discouragement, but how I handle those disappointments has not been pretty. There's time for improvement...and I DO want to. But I, all too often, set unrealistic goals for myself and then stew in the disappointment....I'm just not where other people are...And for those people that are genetic freaks of nature...I may never be like them. All I can be is me....and sometimes I have bad days. I CAN do this. I WILL do this. If I have to walk...then I WALK. Part of growing is rolling with the punches when things aren't what I wish they were...and to those people that have encouragement to offer, I am grateful..
I saw Lisa Nichols at Wal-mart and she noticed I had my SalonPas patches on my knees. I'm sure I looked ridiculous, but they help....She used to be an avid and rabid runner and we talked about my various injuries...I think, in running, "walking" is a dirty word and it has affected what I think of myself when I have to walk....Yesterday was the first day I had to do that and for some reason, I was really ashamed of that... She was encouraging...some days are better than others. When Cheryl said that we averaged an 11 min mile yesterday when I was stopping a lot, I was sure it was longer than that. I am just glad I finished at all!! Mentally, the preparation for this marathon, has been even harder than the physical stuff. I admit that my physical setbacks have been the source of much of my discouragement, but how I handle those disappointments has not been pretty. There's time for improvement...and I DO want to. But I, all too often, set unrealistic goals for myself and then stew in the disappointment....I'm just not where other people are...And for those people that are genetic freaks of nature...I may never be like them. All I can be is me....and sometimes I have bad days. I CAN do this. I WILL do this. If I have to walk...then I WALK. Part of growing is rolling with the punches when things aren't what I wish they were...and to those people that have encouragement to offer, I am grateful..
Saturday, November 29, 2008
I'm getting there...runnning, then slogging, then walking....
Today was the LR Marathon run, as is every Saturday, 12 miles....I haven't done a run that long since the Soaring Wings half in October. The temp wasn't bad...Luckily, it wasn't raining, but Cheryl said that it was supposed to drop in temp outside, so I was concerned that I didn't have enough layers on..I ended up being very comfortable, even when it got windy. The route was the "River Market Route", but I wasn't sure what that entailed today, as it has been changed up several times. I told the girls, "At least it's not the MLK Route..." I had to laugh as I got the directions and Cheryl said "Look!" and I saw Daisy Bates and MLK Dr....ugh....I think we ran on every downtown street today! The route was redeemed, somewhat, as we didn't get lost.
Cheryl was designated the "Safety and Security Officer" of our little threesome (she is able to warn us of each and every car and crack in the road), Kim the "Taskmaster"(the drill sargeant, if you will) and me....I guess the designated "Scape Goat of injury"....kidding...partially....hehe...Speaking of...today my foot was acting up like it did after the Spa 10k. I was thinking that it was Posterior Tibial Tendonitis, could be, but Kim laughed when I said it.. For once my knees and IT band weren't too bad, just a little sore. Unfortunately, at about mile 3.5, my foot issue just got worse and worse and I had to slog (run/jog) and walk many times. I could tell it was getting irritating, but probably not half as irritating as my moaning and groaning about it.... I know that I need a desperate mindset change about this whole running and/or marathon thing...I am just so frustrated that I feel so helpless about all these physical issues I've been having. I guess I analyze it to death, hoping there's something that I can try that I haven't thought of yet. I really need to get my issues with my shoes settled, so I can continue injury free (as possible) for the marathon. I'm hoping when we go to Memphis on Friday, that when we go to the Expo, I can check out some insoles that may help. I'm not sure if I've really given my orthotics a fair chance, but in my defense...they seemed unbearable to wear! I may have to head out to the New Balance store to see if the Podorthist who made them for me can suggest something...
To my advantage and Cheryl's credit, I was able to finish today. She stopped with me every time I had to walk and even though I'm sure it was annoying as hell, she was very gracious about it and didn't make me feel even more horrible about slowing she and Kim down....over 2 hours later....geez... Afterwards, we headed to Starbuck's as usual, but we were SHOPPED OUT after yesterdays 11-12 hour shopping extravaganza, so we took a very quick trip to Barnes and Noble so Kim could get a book for her mom for Christmas. Cheryl ended up finding some things too.. Yesterday was full of good deals with the sales and various coupons we had. I even got a free $25 gift card at Sports Authority and was able to buy several pairs of much needed socks, one of which I wore today and I love them!
This week will be a few short runs during the week and off to Memphis on Friday for the Memphis Half next Saturday...I am not even thinking about a PR...at this point...only finishing....but it should be a fun weekend with Aunt Martha and SHOPPING!!
Cheryl was designated the "Safety and Security Officer" of our little threesome (she is able to warn us of each and every car and crack in the road), Kim the "Taskmaster"(the drill sargeant, if you will) and me....I guess the designated "Scape Goat of injury"....kidding...partially....hehe...Speaking of...today my foot was acting up like it did after the Spa 10k. I was thinking that it was Posterior Tibial Tendonitis, could be, but Kim laughed when I said it.. For once my knees and IT band weren't too bad, just a little sore. Unfortunately, at about mile 3.5, my foot issue just got worse and worse and I had to slog (run/jog) and walk many times. I could tell it was getting irritating, but probably not half as irritating as my moaning and groaning about it.... I know that I need a desperate mindset change about this whole running and/or marathon thing...I am just so frustrated that I feel so helpless about all these physical issues I've been having. I guess I analyze it to death, hoping there's something that I can try that I haven't thought of yet. I really need to get my issues with my shoes settled, so I can continue injury free (as possible) for the marathon. I'm hoping when we go to Memphis on Friday, that when we go to the Expo, I can check out some insoles that may help. I'm not sure if I've really given my orthotics a fair chance, but in my defense...they seemed unbearable to wear! I may have to head out to the New Balance store to see if the Podorthist who made them for me can suggest something...
To my advantage and Cheryl's credit, I was able to finish today. She stopped with me every time I had to walk and even though I'm sure it was annoying as hell, she was very gracious about it and didn't make me feel even more horrible about slowing she and Kim down....over 2 hours later....geez... Afterwards, we headed to Starbuck's as usual, but we were SHOPPED OUT after yesterdays 11-12 hour shopping extravaganza, so we took a very quick trip to Barnes and Noble so Kim could get a book for her mom for Christmas. Cheryl ended up finding some things too.. Yesterday was full of good deals with the sales and various coupons we had. I even got a free $25 gift card at Sports Authority and was able to buy several pairs of much needed socks, one of which I wore today and I love them!
This week will be a few short runs during the week and off to Memphis on Friday for the Memphis Half next Saturday...I am not even thinking about a PR...at this point...only finishing....but it should be a fun weekend with Aunt Martha and SHOPPING!!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Different day, different injury....
Maybe by my sheer experience of having each and every injury you could as a runner, I can help someone else someday....At least that's one way of looking at it....Geez....On the thankful side of things...at least I can walk....
There seems so little to say about the Spa 10k this past weekend, since Cheryl's blog just about said it all...lol...she should be the secretary of ANY and ALL organizations...her "minutes" would be THE BEST....All kidding aside (okay, maybe not all of it, I will have to sprinkle in some humor at some point in this blog or I run the risk of depressing all readers and driving you away forever)...
You may have already guessed that I was foreshadowing a bit, when I mentioned an "injury", but i will get to that soon enough..
This past Saturday was the Spa 10K in none other than"Spa City" Hot Springs, AR. Kim, Cheryl, and I headed up to Hot Springs on Saturday morning in the somewhat bitter cold. According to Cheryl...she hates the winter...any winter weather is bitter and unwelcome. I prefer the cold to the heat any day, but I will say that the numb fingers are a bit much sometimes! It was a reported 27 degrees, that supposedly FELT like 27 degrees that day. "At least it's not windy..." I thought....But it did seem to get colder as we approached Hot Springs. Kim had the heat cranked up for Cheryl...but I had to put the window down at one point...the heat and the windy roads just got to me...I was wearing pants, ill-fitting ones, I might add, and wishing that I had worn shorts that day, preferring numb legs to a "third butt cheek"by time I got those ChoPat straps on under my pants...
We got our packets and were pleased to see that we registered in time for a vest, but Kim and I got Medium sized everything. We regretted that decision, when we pulled out the HUGE "medium" shirt and vest that were inside. We were told that we could try to exchange it after the race for smalls, if there were any left...but we discovered after the race that the small sizes were all gone. Oh well...another nightshirt...hehe... We stayed inside as along as we could and Cheryl jumped and "flew" around in circles (funny to watch, by the way..), partially to warm up and partially to see if she could stimulate things "down below" before the race. We went to the starting area and when they fired the gun, Cheryl took off!! She wanted to finish in an hour, so she was "outta there"...I didn't have a goal, per se, but I had hoped to finish in under an hour.. Not to be gripey, but I just had an all-around, not-so-good race. I did not like the route, as the roads were badly slanted, even in the "flat" parts. I had heard lots of comments and warnings about the hills... I didn't mind the grade of the hills, as much as the steep slant of almost the whole course. I felt like I was constantly running on the insides of my feet!! My right foot, near my arch, the bone right above that, and up my right ankle was killing me...That eventually caught up with me around mile 5, when I realized that I could not run the rest of the way. I could feel myself tearing up with frustration, mostly at the pain and the realization that AGAIN, I had hurt myself..As I got closer to the finish line, I saw the clock and watched with dismay, more than I expected to feel, as 59:59 passed on by...I approached the finish and slowed to a walk, not realizing that I had to cross both mats for my chip to read...a few seconds more to my time.a somewhat disappointing 1:00:48..Kim and Cheryl cheered me on, and me...with my bad attitude and a scowl on my face, proceeded to get my chip cut off and head for the bathroom to take off my ChoPat straps. The girls could tell I needed a few minutes to myself and indeed, I did...Sorry, again, guys for my bad attitude..We left Hot Springs and headed for Benton...Starbuck's and target...here we come! Kim was really nice and bought my drink since I had such a bad race...
Kim and Cheryl were the best part of my day...I can't say that I will do that race again. I almost wish I hadn't done it, but I did have fun with the girls anyway. I have never really been a hypochondriac, but ever since I've started training for the LR Marathon, each and every twinge has become a source of worry...to the point of ridiculousness and self-fulfilling prophecy...I hate that, but it's been hard to know what aches and pains are normal for this kind of thing and what I should be careful about. I almost wonder if I should even do the Memphis Half, because the sheer "race" aspect of it, almost makes me push harder, even though it's supposed to be fun!
I've realized a something painful about myself too...I always thought that other people's expectations were the pressure and paralyzing things that made me fail...that maybe if other people didn't expect so much of me, I would be okay..Yes, some people in my life and immediate circle aren't too supportive or encouraging...But the truth is, well at least the partial truth is...I set MYSELF up for failure...the pressure that I feel most is that of my own expectations...Why won't I allow myself to fail? Why must my performance define who I am? Sometimes when I'm satisfied with where I am, I compare myself with others and sabotage my own efforts by trying to be where they are...All the while, killing my own joy and my ability to enjoy the success of others... Even though Kim and Cheryl are faster and have been around way longer, they have been nothing but encouraging to me, giving me the grace I don't give myself and praising my efforts...reminding me that it's not "all about the PR" and to cut myself some slack, even while helping me try my best. That's a gift, you know...and in light of Thanksgiving and all...I'm again, thankful for them...
Even as I sit here typing, not able to run because of my dang foot, alternating ice packs with SalonPas, and popping Ibuprofen...just hoping it's better by Saturday's long run...I am thankful for my new running family and their support.
There seems so little to say about the Spa 10k this past weekend, since Cheryl's blog just about said it all...lol...she should be the secretary of ANY and ALL organizations...her "minutes" would be THE BEST....All kidding aside (okay, maybe not all of it, I will have to sprinkle in some humor at some point in this blog or I run the risk of depressing all readers and driving you away forever)...
You may have already guessed that I was foreshadowing a bit, when I mentioned an "injury", but i will get to that soon enough..
This past Saturday was the Spa 10K in none other than"Spa City" Hot Springs, AR. Kim, Cheryl, and I headed up to Hot Springs on Saturday morning in the somewhat bitter cold. According to Cheryl...she hates the winter...any winter weather is bitter and unwelcome. I prefer the cold to the heat any day, but I will say that the numb fingers are a bit much sometimes! It was a reported 27 degrees, that supposedly FELT like 27 degrees that day. "At least it's not windy..." I thought....But it did seem to get colder as we approached Hot Springs. Kim had the heat cranked up for Cheryl...but I had to put the window down at one point...the heat and the windy roads just got to me...I was wearing pants, ill-fitting ones, I might add, and wishing that I had worn shorts that day, preferring numb legs to a "third butt cheek"by time I got those ChoPat straps on under my pants...
We got our packets and were pleased to see that we registered in time for a vest, but Kim and I got Medium sized everything. We regretted that decision, when we pulled out the HUGE "medium" shirt and vest that were inside. We were told that we could try to exchange it after the race for smalls, if there were any left...but we discovered after the race that the small sizes were all gone. Oh well...another nightshirt...hehe... We stayed inside as along as we could and Cheryl jumped and "flew" around in circles (funny to watch, by the way..), partially to warm up and partially to see if she could stimulate things "down below" before the race. We went to the starting area and when they fired the gun, Cheryl took off!! She wanted to finish in an hour, so she was "outta there"...I didn't have a goal, per se, but I had hoped to finish in under an hour.. Not to be gripey, but I just had an all-around, not-so-good race. I did not like the route, as the roads were badly slanted, even in the "flat" parts. I had heard lots of comments and warnings about the hills... I didn't mind the grade of the hills, as much as the steep slant of almost the whole course. I felt like I was constantly running on the insides of my feet!! My right foot, near my arch, the bone right above that, and up my right ankle was killing me...That eventually caught up with me around mile 5, when I realized that I could not run the rest of the way. I could feel myself tearing up with frustration, mostly at the pain and the realization that AGAIN, I had hurt myself..As I got closer to the finish line, I saw the clock and watched with dismay, more than I expected to feel, as 59:59 passed on by...I approached the finish and slowed to a walk, not realizing that I had to cross both mats for my chip to read...a few seconds more to my time.a somewhat disappointing 1:00:48..Kim and Cheryl cheered me on, and me...with my bad attitude and a scowl on my face, proceeded to get my chip cut off and head for the bathroom to take off my ChoPat straps. The girls could tell I needed a few minutes to myself and indeed, I did...Sorry, again, guys for my bad attitude..We left Hot Springs and headed for Benton...Starbuck's and target...here we come! Kim was really nice and bought my drink since I had such a bad race...
Kim and Cheryl were the best part of my day...I can't say that I will do that race again. I almost wish I hadn't done it, but I did have fun with the girls anyway. I have never really been a hypochondriac, but ever since I've started training for the LR Marathon, each and every twinge has become a source of worry...to the point of ridiculousness and self-fulfilling prophecy...I hate that, but it's been hard to know what aches and pains are normal for this kind of thing and what I should be careful about. I almost wonder if I should even do the Memphis Half, because the sheer "race" aspect of it, almost makes me push harder, even though it's supposed to be fun!
I've realized a something painful about myself too...I always thought that other people's expectations were the pressure and paralyzing things that made me fail...that maybe if other people didn't expect so much of me, I would be okay..Yes, some people in my life and immediate circle aren't too supportive or encouraging...But the truth is, well at least the partial truth is...I set MYSELF up for failure...the pressure that I feel most is that of my own expectations...Why won't I allow myself to fail? Why must my performance define who I am? Sometimes when I'm satisfied with where I am, I compare myself with others and sabotage my own efforts by trying to be where they are...All the while, killing my own joy and my ability to enjoy the success of others... Even though Kim and Cheryl are faster and have been around way longer, they have been nothing but encouraging to me, giving me the grace I don't give myself and praising my efforts...reminding me that it's not "all about the PR" and to cut myself some slack, even while helping me try my best. That's a gift, you know...and in light of Thanksgiving and all...I'm again, thankful for them...
Even as I sit here typing, not able to run because of my dang foot, alternating ice packs with SalonPas, and popping Ibuprofen...just hoping it's better by Saturday's long run...I am thankful for my new running family and their support.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Sign me up for a colonic and a massage....
Well, back from my weekend in Louisville!!! After approximately 16 hours (there and back) in the car...I emerged....stiff and constipated..but HOME!
I drove up on Thursday, leaving about 9 that morning and stopping at Starbuck's on the way...I had contemplated running that morning before leaving, but I didn't want to get on the road too late and I woke up at 7:30...They gave me a free extra coffee at the Bucks, as they made my original drink wrong....either way, I was drinking two Venti coffees and knew I would be stopping soon for the bathroom!! The trip was pretty uneventful, with the stops for gas and bathroom time, and for once, the Mapquest directions were right! The drive was beautiful and the trees were muchmore colorful and vibrant up there! I didn't feel like going to the conference that night, after sitting all day, but I did meet my friends Lisa, Chas, and Ryan to eat dinner with them and say hello. I followed Lisa to "her house" (aka the awesome and cute house the church is letting her stay in as their supported missionary) and we just hung out, talking for the evening and catching up. She has been living in Nepal for the past two years, so it had been awhile!
The following day, I got up around 7:30 to get a short run in before the plenary session that morning...My knee was feeling a bit better, but the Doc told me to wear the Cho-Pat strap on the left leg too, so off I went...... I was actually overdressed, as I stepped outside and it was sunny and in the 50's, at least. I did several loops around the church nearby (it's at least a mile around the campus), and like clockwork, my IT Band was acting up...geez....it seems like 4 miles is the magic number! I was glad to have done SOMETHING, but discouraged that it seems like it's not getting better, but worse......The rest of the weekend was a series of plenary and break-out sessions, networking with various Medical Missions organizations and meeting people. There wasn't anything in particular at the conference itself that really stood out to me, but I did hook up with an organization called Equip Inc. that prepares people for medical trips overseas with an intensive training course in tropical medicine and nursing intervention. THAT was exciting..and I am already making plans to attend next May! It was also nice, albeit brief, to see my friends Chas and Ryan too! One of Chas' friends, Catherine from Jax, Fl and a PA was also staying at the house with us. She is also very much into running, although she loves trail running, and we talked forever about that, including all our injuries and various treatments for them...haahaha...I did get a chance to work out at the church fitness center for about an hour, so that made me feel a bit more lively after all that sitting and eating...ugh..
As we talked I told her about my intermittent IT Band issues and knee stuff, and she mentioned talking a few weeks off running....I was definitely hesitant...and still am...but then she said to just do what I can, take it easy, and run my race, enjoying it...even if I go slow. That somehow gave me relief...I guess I have been approaching the upcoming races with something to prove...a better PR, blah, blah, blah...and worrying more and more how I was going to do that, being hurt...it was almost like she gave me permission to enjoy myself and running again. I thought about it...I don't know how much longer I have to run, I mean, none of us do..I don't mean to be morbid or melodramatic, but anything can happen, anytime... At this point, I am thankful I can run at all...but I want to enjoy it again....and I hope, in the meantime...I will heal. Planning to meet up with Kim and Cheryl in the am and hopefully, not slow them down too much!!
I drove up on Thursday, leaving about 9 that morning and stopping at Starbuck's on the way...I had contemplated running that morning before leaving, but I didn't want to get on the road too late and I woke up at 7:30...They gave me a free extra coffee at the Bucks, as they made my original drink wrong....either way, I was drinking two Venti coffees and knew I would be stopping soon for the bathroom!! The trip was pretty uneventful, with the stops for gas and bathroom time, and for once, the Mapquest directions were right! The drive was beautiful and the trees were muchmore colorful and vibrant up there! I didn't feel like going to the conference that night, after sitting all day, but I did meet my friends Lisa, Chas, and Ryan to eat dinner with them and say hello. I followed Lisa to "her house" (aka the awesome and cute house the church is letting her stay in as their supported missionary) and we just hung out, talking for the evening and catching up. She has been living in Nepal for the past two years, so it had been awhile!
The following day, I got up around 7:30 to get a short run in before the plenary session that morning...My knee was feeling a bit better, but the Doc told me to wear the Cho-Pat strap on the left leg too, so off I went...... I was actually overdressed, as I stepped outside and it was sunny and in the 50's, at least. I did several loops around the church nearby (it's at least a mile around the campus), and like clockwork, my IT Band was acting up...geez....it seems like 4 miles is the magic number! I was glad to have done SOMETHING, but discouraged that it seems like it's not getting better, but worse......The rest of the weekend was a series of plenary and break-out sessions, networking with various Medical Missions organizations and meeting people. There wasn't anything in particular at the conference itself that really stood out to me, but I did hook up with an organization called Equip Inc. that prepares people for medical trips overseas with an intensive training course in tropical medicine and nursing intervention. THAT was exciting..and I am already making plans to attend next May! It was also nice, albeit brief, to see my friends Chas and Ryan too! One of Chas' friends, Catherine from Jax, Fl and a PA was also staying at the house with us. She is also very much into running, although she loves trail running, and we talked forever about that, including all our injuries and various treatments for them...haahaha...I did get a chance to work out at the church fitness center for about an hour, so that made me feel a bit more lively after all that sitting and eating...ugh..
As we talked I told her about my intermittent IT Band issues and knee stuff, and she mentioned talking a few weeks off running....I was definitely hesitant...and still am...but then she said to just do what I can, take it easy, and run my race, enjoying it...even if I go slow. That somehow gave me relief...I guess I have been approaching the upcoming races with something to prove...a better PR, blah, blah, blah...and worrying more and more how I was going to do that, being hurt...it was almost like she gave me permission to enjoy myself and running again. I thought about it...I don't know how much longer I have to run, I mean, none of us do..I don't mean to be morbid or melodramatic, but anything can happen, anytime... At this point, I am thankful I can run at all...but I want to enjoy it again....and I hope, in the meantime...I will heal. Planning to meet up with Kim and Cheryl in the am and hopefully, not slow them down too much!!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
4 X-Rays and some paper shorts later....
Well, I finally got sick of hurting and not getting better, and wondering if I was making things worse with my knee and hip pain. Made an appointment for today to see Dr. Slater, an Orthopedist at Ortho Arkansas. I arrived at 9:30 and was being checked by 9:45!! The fastest I have ever gotten in to see a doc. Told him what has been going on, the things that do or don't help, etc. He concluded that I have no stress fractures, tendon or ligament problems or leg imbalances. He did X-rays on my hips and knees and said my joints look great! For that I was relieved... I have a touch of tendonitis in my left knee. He also said that my femurs tend to rotate inward, which is something I can't help due to the way they formed when I was growing. He didn't even say that I had to stop running, just cut it back a bit, and build back up according to how I feel. I do hate that it seems rather subjective...that I don't have a definitive plan or estimate as to when things will be okay again....I am to continue my NSAIDS, ice/heat, stretching, and rest. Was supposed to do a 10 miler today, but he recommended I not...I did a short 5 mile run in my neighborhood, and my knee actually feels okay, but my right IT Band was acting up, so I cut it short. This cutting back will be hard...especially the way I tend to push myself, but I hope it is better in the 'long run"...haha...
Monday, November 10, 2008
Commando...Chi Running....and Sprains...Oh my....
Today was my first weekly run with the girls. Met at Cheryl's house about 6:10 to do their regular 5 mile loop. It was cold and as usual, the girls thought I was crazy for wearing shorts. I usually don't have problems with my legs getting cold as much as my arms do...I did have 2 shirts and a fleece on today....
Left from Cheryl's house and headed down to the bathrooms, at such time I proceeded to (gulp) "shed my underwear" as Cheryl puts it....they kept falling down and we still had about 4.3 miles to go....what was I going to do? Keep pulling them up the whole time? So, I did remove them, fold them in a little square, and tuck them in my "kangaroo pouch" on the front of my fleece pullover, and carry on with the run... The hills, although I usually like them, seemed tough today and I was breathing hard. Kim swears it's a "Monday" thing and I might be inclined to believe her, although that chick never has a "Monday" (she ran 10 miles yesterday... ) ! I had been reading last night, and watching You Tube, about Chi Running....It is supposed to help you run more efficiently and effortlessly, "using laws of physics and nature" to guide your body positioning. I tried the running posture, but I'm sure that it is something that takes some practice. Kim assured me that I looked like an absolute dork....but I think it may have helped???
Passing the Elementary school, Cheryl hurt her ankle again...I didn't really see it, but it looked like she tripped over a bulge in the road...She immediately had to sit down and it looked pretty painful. I'm sure it was just as frustrating as ever, as we have the Spa 10k coming up next weekend and the Memphis Half in December. We were not sure if she could walk back home, but after a few minutes she was able to stand and it didn't look swollen or bruised. We walked home with her and Kim and I continued our run. We ended up getting almost exactly 4 miles, by the time we got back to Cheryl's. My knee felt okay, but my damn IT Band was sore and that was even with wearing my ChoPat strap further up on my thigh....Ugh...We have a 10 miler on Wednesday and I'm kind of worried...Hopefully with some rest, ice/heat, SalonPas patches and Ibuprofen/Aleve, I will be functional on Wednesday morning. We are doing 4-6 miles before meeting Cheryl for the rest and I hope she is able to run by then....We went inside for some coffee and Cheryl was icing her ankle. I felt bad that she had to go to work this morning after the trauma....
Going out of town this week on Thursday to Louisville to go to a medical missions conference. I probably won't have time for much running up there, except a short one or two, so that's why I'm doing my long run on Wednesday. Looking forward to seeing my good friends Lisa, Chas, and Ryan. More on Wednsday's run to come....
Left from Cheryl's house and headed down to the bathrooms, at such time I proceeded to (gulp) "shed my underwear" as Cheryl puts it....they kept falling down and we still had about 4.3 miles to go....what was I going to do? Keep pulling them up the whole time? So, I did remove them, fold them in a little square, and tuck them in my "kangaroo pouch" on the front of my fleece pullover, and carry on with the run... The hills, although I usually like them, seemed tough today and I was breathing hard. Kim swears it's a "Monday" thing and I might be inclined to believe her, although that chick never has a "Monday" (she ran 10 miles yesterday... ) ! I had been reading last night, and watching You Tube, about Chi Running....It is supposed to help you run more efficiently and effortlessly, "using laws of physics and nature" to guide your body positioning. I tried the running posture, but I'm sure that it is something that takes some practice. Kim assured me that I looked like an absolute dork....but I think it may have helped???
Passing the Elementary school, Cheryl hurt her ankle again...I didn't really see it, but it looked like she tripped over a bulge in the road...She immediately had to sit down and it looked pretty painful. I'm sure it was just as frustrating as ever, as we have the Spa 10k coming up next weekend and the Memphis Half in December. We were not sure if she could walk back home, but after a few minutes she was able to stand and it didn't look swollen or bruised. We walked home with her and Kim and I continued our run. We ended up getting almost exactly 4 miles, by the time we got back to Cheryl's. My knee felt okay, but my damn IT Band was sore and that was even with wearing my ChoPat strap further up on my thigh....Ugh...We have a 10 miler on Wednesday and I'm kind of worried...Hopefully with some rest, ice/heat, SalonPas patches and Ibuprofen/Aleve, I will be functional on Wednesday morning. We are doing 4-6 miles before meeting Cheryl for the rest and I hope she is able to run by then....We went inside for some coffee and Cheryl was icing her ankle. I felt bad that she had to go to work this morning after the trauma....
Going out of town this week on Thursday to Louisville to go to a medical missions conference. I probably won't have time for much running up there, except a short one or two, so that's why I'm doing my long run on Wednesday. Looking forward to seeing my good friends Lisa, Chas, and Ryan. More on Wednsday's run to come....
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Who would have thought my soul mate was a ChoPat strap???
After Saturday's run, I was a bit nervous about starting to run this week....wondering if I should just take a small break....a few days...maybe a week...
And much to my delight...
There IT was...the Cho-Pat strap of my dreams.....Yes, it's true...I have found my soul-mate...okay, well... my new running mate anyway...
I wasn't sure how the thing would work. It is apparently supposed to be worn in the place closest to the area of discomfort when running. For a while, that was my knee, but lately it has been near my right hip. So...I wasn't sure if I would have to order another larger pair. I tried it anyway and tentatively started out...
One mile down...no pain...hmmm..maybe it just hasn't been long enough....
Two...three....four....Man, I felt great!!
A day later, it still feels okay.... and I am too excited about my new friend!! Again, props and a BIG "shout out" to Kim, who suggested them to me. I am looking forward to my runs this week and maybe this weekend's 8 mile route won't be too bad. At least my "running family" will be together again, with Cheryl and Kim both joining me for the LR Marathon group run and, of course, Starbucks' afterwards...
And much to my delight...
There IT was...the Cho-Pat strap of my dreams.....Yes, it's true...I have found my soul-mate...okay, well... my new running mate anyway...
I wasn't sure how the thing would work. It is apparently supposed to be worn in the place closest to the area of discomfort when running. For a while, that was my knee, but lately it has been near my right hip. So...I wasn't sure if I would have to order another larger pair. I tried it anyway and tentatively started out...
One mile down...no pain...hmmm..maybe it just hasn't been long enough....
Two...three....four....Man, I felt great!!
A day later, it still feels okay.... and I am too excited about my new friend!! Again, props and a BIG "shout out" to Kim, who suggested them to me. I am looking forward to my runs this week and maybe this weekend's 8 mile route won't be too bad. At least my "running family" will be together again, with Cheryl and Kim both joining me for the LR Marathon group run and, of course, Starbucks' afterwards...
Saturday, November 1, 2008
T-O-R-T-U-R-E........Definition: Today's run at Murray Park....
Torture: (1) anguish of body or mind (2) something that causes agony or pain (3) the infliction of intense pain......In today's run....ALL OF THE ABOVE!!!
Today's run was out at the "infamous" Murray Park....I say that because Cheryl hates that route and I have always loved it UNTIL TODAY......
I kind of forgot where it was, because last time we started at Allsopp Park, so I was freaking out this morning because I didn't bring my directions and was convinced I knew where I was going...apparently not...I called Cheryl twice and texted Kim to find out where it was. Cheryl didn't answer, I think she didn't recognize my number and Kim was at work. She was going to send me the directions, but by then, I found it. They hadn't started yet, thank goodness, but for an unfortunate reason, I guess there was an accident with a runner and they had to call an ambulance. I'm not sure what happened....Anyhoo, I was thinking I was a little overdressed for the run. I had my Sugoi pants, long sleeve performance and a light rain slicker on because it was raining when I left the house. I ended up being comfortable because there was a slight wind.
I started out okay, but like clockwork my IT Band was killing me and I had to stop about EVERY mile to stretch. It had been doing that this week some during my runs, but not until at least mile 4. Not today.....I'm kind of worried about it, and wondering if I really jacked myself up by running the half last weekend. There was one girl that I kept passing and then, when I would stop to stretch, she would pass me....this went on for about 7 miles...geez, I felt like the biggest geek...Then one group of ladies, when I was stretching, said "I didn't realize there was ballet involved today..." and when I told her I was stretching, she said "Is your IT Band bothering you? I thought I recognized those stretches..." I guess it took me about an hour and 50 minutes, with about 7-10 stops along the way...I thought I would NEVER get done...
Anyone have any suggestions?? I have ordered my Cho-Pat straps, which now that I think about it, are probably the wrong size....I am doing stretches...and Ibuprofen...and ice.... Hopefully this won't interfere with the Memphis Half coming up in December....Should I rest for a week or two??
No that's not my sexy leg....these are the straps I ordered....
Today's run was out at the "infamous" Murray Park....I say that because Cheryl hates that route and I have always loved it UNTIL TODAY......
I kind of forgot where it was, because last time we started at Allsopp Park, so I was freaking out this morning because I didn't bring my directions and was convinced I knew where I was going...apparently not...I called Cheryl twice and texted Kim to find out where it was. Cheryl didn't answer, I think she didn't recognize my number and Kim was at work. She was going to send me the directions, but by then, I found it. They hadn't started yet, thank goodness, but for an unfortunate reason, I guess there was an accident with a runner and they had to call an ambulance. I'm not sure what happened....Anyhoo, I was thinking I was a little overdressed for the run. I had my Sugoi pants, long sleeve performance and a light rain slicker on because it was raining when I left the house. I ended up being comfortable because there was a slight wind.
I started out okay, but like clockwork my IT Band was killing me and I had to stop about EVERY mile to stretch. It had been doing that this week some during my runs, but not until at least mile 4. Not today.....I'm kind of worried about it, and wondering if I really jacked myself up by running the half last weekend. There was one girl that I kept passing and then, when I would stop to stretch, she would pass me....this went on for about 7 miles...geez, I felt like the biggest geek...Then one group of ladies, when I was stretching, said "I didn't realize there was ballet involved today..." and when I told her I was stretching, she said "Is your IT Band bothering you? I thought I recognized those stretches..." I guess it took me about an hour and 50 minutes, with about 7-10 stops along the way...I thought I would NEVER get done...
Anyone have any suggestions?? I have ordered my Cho-Pat straps, which now that I think about it, are probably the wrong size....I am doing stretches...and Ibuprofen...and ice.... Hopefully this won't interfere with the Memphis Half coming up in December....Should I rest for a week or two??
No that's not my sexy leg....these are the straps I ordered....
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
I'm not getting any younger....
My runs this week since the half-marathon have been rather uneventful, to my pleasure, but I have been having some hip pain that flares up around mile 4. I have the 10 mile run this Saturday with the LRM Group, so I'm hoping that doesn't interfere. I have decided to get some IT Band Compression straps, maybe that will help. While on the subject, I must give a "shout-out" if you will, to Kim for telling me about them, I didn't know they existed and am excited to try them! The IT Band stretches I have been doing are helping some..
But, alas, that is not the subject of my post today. Yesterday I went to Pilates, thinking that it would really help me to do some more stretching and increase my flexibility, especially when my muscles get tight from running. I used to do Pilates on a regular basis, but I knew that I was nowhere near what I used to be doing. So...I decided to take it very easy and be careful. Well...I don't know if I hurt myself in that class or if I slept in a weird position, but I woke up last night with my neck KILLING me! It was the weirdest pain. I am used to neck stiffness and soreness, since I unfortunately "wear" my stress in neck aches and pains, but I couldn't tell if it was a muscle spasm or a pinched nerve. It felt like a shooting pain that went from my right shoulder, up my neck and the right side of my head...I tried an ice pack and that didn't help much, and finally took some Ibuprofen and was able to rest enough to go back to sleep....Ugh...
I woke up with it still hurting and anytime I lifted anything over 5 lbs. in my right hand, my neck and arm hurt...Geez...Since I don't know the source of how it happened, I'm not sure how to avoid it. Needless to say, I spent the day babying my neck at work and trying to avoid lifting too much, as not not make it worse....I didn't go to my Sculpt class tonight for the same reason. I just found myself thinking..."Man...I can't ever take NOT being in pain for granted again.."
I guess I'm not getting any younger, but I hope that doesn't mean living with this crap for long...
But, alas, that is not the subject of my post today. Yesterday I went to Pilates, thinking that it would really help me to do some more stretching and increase my flexibility, especially when my muscles get tight from running. I used to do Pilates on a regular basis, but I knew that I was nowhere near what I used to be doing. So...I decided to take it very easy and be careful. Well...I don't know if I hurt myself in that class or if I slept in a weird position, but I woke up last night with my neck KILLING me! It was the weirdest pain. I am used to neck stiffness and soreness, since I unfortunately "wear" my stress in neck aches and pains, but I couldn't tell if it was a muscle spasm or a pinched nerve. It felt like a shooting pain that went from my right shoulder, up my neck and the right side of my head...I tried an ice pack and that didn't help much, and finally took some Ibuprofen and was able to rest enough to go back to sleep....Ugh...
I woke up with it still hurting and anytime I lifted anything over 5 lbs. in my right hand, my neck and arm hurt...Geez...Since I don't know the source of how it happened, I'm not sure how to avoid it. Needless to say, I spent the day babying my neck at work and trying to avoid lifting too much, as not not make it worse....I didn't go to my Sculpt class tonight for the same reason. I just found myself thinking..."Man...I can't ever take NOT being in pain for granted again.."
I guess I'm not getting any younger, but I hope that doesn't mean living with this crap for long...
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Soaring....Running....I figure it's the same thing...
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A momentous day in history.....I did my FIRST HALF MARATHON!!! It was the Inaugural Soaring Wings Half Marathon in Conway, AR....A DAY THAT WILL LIVE IN INFAMY!! Okay....at least, to me....
Pre-Race: Got up about 5:00..finally decided on my running skirt, tank, and long sleeve performance shirt for the race, with my PINK FLEECE along for the ride for post-race chills. Feeling rather bloated, I realized to my horror that my skirt was riding a bit higher than usual due to my monthly "girth expansion" (aka PMS), but the alternative, my Sugoi pants, were so tight, you could see my panty line...ick...I figured, "It's not Halloween and there WILL be small children there, best not to scare them...." It was cold, somewhere in the 40's, but not as cold as I expected. I grabbed an Odwalla Bar for breakfast to eat on the way to Target, where I was supposed to meet Cheryl and the "Infamous" Kim at 6:15, so we could ride together. I sat in the parking lot for about 2 minutes, adjusted my shoes and thought "what if they are waiting on the side of the building?" so I drove over there to make sure. They aren't, so I drove back to the front, just in time to see them pull up. I grabbed all my gear and off to Conway we went. We chatted all the way up there and we seemed to get there really fast! At first, we couldn't tell where to park, the driveway to the McGee Center was blocked off and there were no signs. We drove around the corner to a church parking lot and walked to the McGee Center from there. We got our packets with bib, chip, and t-shirts. The shirts were huge for the size indicated, so I was hoping that my medium could be traded for a small later. We headed back to the car to get closer parking and found that there were still some great spots on the grass near the finish line, although the parking guy was a bit RIGID on exactly where we parked! We went inside for a bathroom pit stop and I met some of the other running gals that Cheryl and Kim know. Not long after that, they announced that the race would start in about 10 minutes and that we should be making our way to the starting line. We quickly took some pics to commemorate the event and headed down the street.
During the Race: As soon as the "Go!" was shouted, we took off. Kim basically shot off and we never saw her again until after the race. Cheryl and I started off kind of fast, but gradually got into a groove. I had to stop and tie my shoe once, and boy I had to really take off to catch up with Cheryl again! I had a G2 with me, so I sipped that throughout and ended up taking some Gu about mile 5 and 9.5. Energy-wise, I felt okay, but I really started to get sore in my right hip and knee about mil 10 or so. When we hit mile 12, I was like..."Where is that finish line?" Cheryl reminded me of my medal awaiting me, and that was the incentive I needed to go that last 1.1 miles!! She asked me if I was going to cry at the end and I didn't think so, but I did tear up when we rounded the corner. No Kim in sight, but we virtually crossed the finish line at the same time and I was SO EXCITED!! I wish they had announced my name, but I was just so glad to finish at all!
Post-Race: They cut the chips off our shoes, gave us our medals, and we headed for the food!!! But not before Cheryl gave me a hug and congratulated me on my first half-marathon! We stretched by the road block and then went to look for Kim, our "invisible cheering section", she was nearby talking to a guy she knew from work. We walked around a bit, I got a hamburger, talked to some of the running gals, and went to get some pics at the finish line. When we got to the t-shirt table, not only did I get to trade in my t-shirt for a smaller size, we got to buy the short sleeve performance shirts that we had all been lusting over that morning for only $5 each! That was AWESOME! After the pics, we headed to the preliminary finishing list to see who placed. None of us did, although I was sure that I would place...I mean, I was awesome! Kidding....We all did PR...wait, can I PR? I mean, this was my first half.....I was fairly pleased with my time. I didn't really have a goal, but I was satisfied with 2:04:58...
Finally, at the car to leave for Starbucks, Cheryl and Kim gave me this bag of goodies (that almost made me cry) to celebrate my first half-marathon. It was one of the most thoughtful things anyone has ever done for me.....I normally keep those things to myself and these 2 ladies were allowing me to celebrate (and celebrating with me!) an accomplishment that means alot to me and something I didn't think I could do! Pardon if I get sentimental here...but sometimes, I really believe that God puts these blessings and people in my life to really show me He loves me. And I am grateful......Now, back to my story....we went to Starbucks for some yummy and much awaited coffee and Kim and I discovered that we not only have the same phone, but we also both have Verizon, so we can text like crazy now!! We went to Target and Old Navy, but didn't find much (although I almost shoplifted some panties at Old Navy), but it was still fun. By the time we got back to NLR, Kim and Cheryl had talked me into doing the St Jude Memphis Half Marathon and spending the weekend with them and Aunt Martha.....Boy, that should be a weekend to remember!!
All-in-All....a wonderful day with wonderful new friends....I hope to start running with them, next week in the mornings, at least on Monday and Friday mornings...and maybe the running clinic in Cabot on Tuesdays.....more fun to come!!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Will I soar at Soaring Wings???
Well....it's merely hours until my first half-marathon....I didn't even know about the Soaring Wings Half Marathon this weekend until Cheryl mentioned it last Saturday at the River Market. As the weekend went on, I just could not get it out of my mind and when Cheryl told me to look at it as a treat to myself after coming home from Harrison, I just couldn't say no. I went online and registered and let her know right away. We have been obsessing ever since...
Now..I''m kind of nervous about it. I ate a good dinner and feel ok, except all the bloating from all this PMS crap. I was going to wear my running pants, but they are so tight...ugh....My left knee is sore too and I'm not sure why. I never have problems with my left knee or foot, it's ALWAYS my right.... I hope a good rest and a few ibuprofen take care of it before tomorrow morning. I tried an ice pack, but it hasn't seemed to help much.....
Tomorrow I am meeting Cheryl and Kim at Target in NLR to carpool to Conway. That should be fun and may help settle my nerves some...I've got most of my gear together so I won't have to fly around like a maniac in the morning looking for everything...my Gu, gloves, ipod, headband, LED light, fleece (of course) and my G2. I will probably wear a running skirt and long sleeve performance shirt. Cheryl is supposed to bring her running gloves and fuel belt in case I want to use those...
Looking forward to it!! My first medal!!!
Now..I''m kind of nervous about it. I ate a good dinner and feel ok, except all the bloating from all this PMS crap. I was going to wear my running pants, but they are so tight...ugh....My left knee is sore too and I'm not sure why. I never have problems with my left knee or foot, it's ALWAYS my right.... I hope a good rest and a few ibuprofen take care of it before tomorrow morning. I tried an ice pack, but it hasn't seemed to help much.....
Tomorrow I am meeting Cheryl and Kim at Target in NLR to carpool to Conway. That should be fun and may help settle my nerves some...I've got most of my gear together so I won't have to fly around like a maniac in the morning looking for everything...my Gu, gloves, ipod, headband, LED light, fleece (of course) and my G2. I will probably wear a running skirt and long sleeve performance shirt. Cheryl is supposed to bring her running gloves and fuel belt in case I want to use those...
Looking forward to it!! My first medal!!!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
A shameless plug for pink fleece and cupcakes.....
PINK FLEECE!!!!!PINK FLEECE!!!!! I FINALLY GOT TO WEAR MY PINK FLEECE!!! OK.....now that we got that out of the way...
Today's run was down at the River Market, over into NLR and back up to Kavanaugh. Tried to look for Cheryl as we started, but alas, no Cheryl...I was having flashback to the first time I ran the Capitol run and was really dreading those hills...At first, it felt like I was dragging along and could not imagine finishing today, but somehow after I passed the Blind School, I got my second wind...and the rest of the run wasn't too bad. My G2 Gatorade kept me going, as did my energy gel, but the kind I had with me was one that Cheryl had given me to try, forgot the brand name, but the flavor was Strawberry-Kiwi. (Sorry, Cheryl, no offense, but it reminded me of warm snot and I almost gagged. I think I'll stick with the Chocolate Gu.) I was comfortably warm in my PINK FLEECE (how many times can I say that....) and the weather was beautiful. Of course, I didn't QUITE follow my instructions right and turned left on Cross St. (like my paper said) but apparently, that was assuming everyone would know to go up to Victory St. first....Oh well, once I caught my mistake I ran up to 4th and back down Broadway.. (Note to self: Tammy, just follow everyone else, you apparently NEVER know where you are going).
The outside of my knee has been bothering me and I think I am self-diagnosing in saying that I have ITB Friction Syndrome. Maybe with some more good stretching and building my quads and hamstrings more evenly, I can nip that in the bud. Man, I wish I had been able to go to the Marathon Meeting on Tuesday....I picked up one of the summary info sheets by Lace Luedke, and that was helpful. I do say with an extreme amount of glee that I will be home after this week in Harrison and I am looking forward to being able to have a life. I hope to do some runs with Cheryl at some point, and maybe go to a running clinic??
I was tempted to head over to Panera after my run, (I was going to meet my mom, but she got busy and couldn't go) but didn't really feel like driving that far, so I headed over to Starbuck's, with a few short stops at some garage sales on the way. Nothing too spectacular today, although there were garage sales galore. I skipped my Power Pump weight class at 8, I just didn't feel like it. Went over to Target and bought a welcome mat with an owl on it that says "Who's there?" A little cheesy, but cute. I was also going to go over to Cupcakes on Kavanaugh (my sister works there and told me that today they have the Pumpkin Spice Cupcake with Cream Cheese frosting), but she was baking and they don't actually open until 11am. Sweet as she is, she said she would get me one and bring it to me later!!! YAY!! I love all the Pumpkin recipes that come out in the fall and can't wait to start cooking with it myself!
Cheryl mentioned the Soaring Wings Half-Marathon next weekend, and although I have no business even thinking about it...I am sooooo tempted. We'll see how I feel, 9 miles today was brutal enough....I don't want to overdo it, since next week I will be incorporating one more day a week running. I'm sure that I will be updating on whether I am crazy enough to do it...
Today's run was down at the River Market, over into NLR and back up to Kavanaugh. Tried to look for Cheryl as we started, but alas, no Cheryl...I was having flashback to the first time I ran the Capitol run and was really dreading those hills...At first, it felt like I was dragging along and could not imagine finishing today, but somehow after I passed the Blind School, I got my second wind...and the rest of the run wasn't too bad. My G2 Gatorade kept me going, as did my energy gel, but the kind I had with me was one that Cheryl had given me to try, forgot the brand name, but the flavor was Strawberry-Kiwi. (Sorry, Cheryl, no offense, but it reminded me of warm snot and I almost gagged. I think I'll stick with the Chocolate Gu.) I was comfortably warm in my PINK FLEECE (how many times can I say that....) and the weather was beautiful. Of course, I didn't QUITE follow my instructions right and turned left on Cross St. (like my paper said) but apparently, that was assuming everyone would know to go up to Victory St. first....Oh well, once I caught my mistake I ran up to 4th and back down Broadway.. (Note to self: Tammy, just follow everyone else, you apparently NEVER know where you are going).
The outside of my knee has been bothering me and I think I am self-diagnosing in saying that I have ITB Friction Syndrome. Maybe with some more good stretching and building my quads and hamstrings more evenly, I can nip that in the bud. Man, I wish I had been able to go to the Marathon Meeting on Tuesday....I picked up one of the summary info sheets by Lace Luedke, and that was helpful. I do say with an extreme amount of glee that I will be home after this week in Harrison and I am looking forward to being able to have a life. I hope to do some runs with Cheryl at some point, and maybe go to a running clinic??
I was tempted to head over to Panera after my run, (I was going to meet my mom, but she got busy and couldn't go) but didn't really feel like driving that far, so I headed over to Starbuck's, with a few short stops at some garage sales on the way. Nothing too spectacular today, although there were garage sales galore. I skipped my Power Pump weight class at 8, I just didn't feel like it. Went over to Target and bought a welcome mat with an owl on it that says "Who's there?" A little cheesy, but cute. I was also going to go over to Cupcakes on Kavanaugh (my sister works there and told me that today they have the Pumpkin Spice Cupcake with Cream Cheese frosting), but she was baking and they don't actually open until 11am. Sweet as she is, she said she would get me one and bring it to me later!!! YAY!! I love all the Pumpkin recipes that come out in the fall and can't wait to start cooking with it myself!
Cheryl mentioned the Soaring Wings Half-Marathon next weekend, and although I have no business even thinking about it...I am sooooo tempted. We'll see how I feel, 9 miles today was brutal enough....I don't want to overdo it, since next week I will be incorporating one more day a week running. I'm sure that I will be updating on whether I am crazy enough to do it...
Friday, October 17, 2008
HELLA work week, but fleece makes it all better....
Glad to be home after my 2nd to last week in Harrison. This week was HELLA at work. My patients were REALLY sick and (pardon me for saying so)...their families were REALLY annoying. I was running non-stop for almost the whole 13 hours I was there each day and nothing seemed like enough for anyone!! Aghhh....needless to say, I was anticipating coming home.....
I did 5 miles this morning in my neighborhood, and it was colder than expected. I just wore shorts, a t-shirt, and a fleece pull-over, but I did have to wear a headband over my ears...ahhhh, cold weather running....it felt pretty good and I started to feel comfortably warm about halfway through my run. I think tomorrow morning is supposed to be a FEW degrees warmer, so I will probably wear a running skirt and a long sleeve performance shirt.
My weird splits were: 1st 2.5 miles, 22 minutes
2nd 1.5 miles 13 minutes
3rd mile 9 minutes
Don't ask me to average that out....I'm too lazy and too focused on time lately...setting myself up for failure I think....
I need to be incorporating more hills and speed work into my runs soon...my routes are getting boring and I think I am reaching a stagnant plateau. I would love to do some stuff with a running clinic, whenever I am home on a regular basis, after next week...will probably ask around on that one...
Lastly....I am having runner's lust for any and all things fleece....can I be saved?
Maybe I will get to wear my pink-fleece tomorrow morning for the River-Trail run....9 miles...ugh...
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Beyond running....
Still a little sore from yesterday, but the am LR Marathon group run went well. It was SOOOOO foggy. My hair was soaked from all the moisture, but once the sun came up it was beautiful, fog and all. Finally met Cheryl, after commenting on each other's blogs for a while. It was nice to run with someone, and I didn't even miss my ipod! I have really enjoyed getting to know some of my fellow runners in the "running community". It has been inspiring and helpful...sharing struggles, getting advice, and learning to love running all over again.
It was 8 miles again, the group did 7. I felt a little slow this weekend, somewhat stiff, averaging close to a 10 minute mile. Only 2 more weeks in Harrison, thank goodness, so I can run more days a week and get used to the increased mileage. I hate treadmill running, even on the rare occasion I feel up to it after work. When I get back to working at St. Vincent's in a few weeks, I'll be doing mostly 8 hour days, so I will be able to do my runs in the evenings and go to some of the sculpt classes I have really been missing. I'm sad I won't be around for the LR Marathon training meeting on Tuesday. Hopefully people can fill me in on what I missed! Looks like a 9 mile route next weekend, if I'm up to it....
It was 8 miles again, the group did 7. I felt a little slow this weekend, somewhat stiff, averaging close to a 10 minute mile. Only 2 more weeks in Harrison, thank goodness, so I can run more days a week and get used to the increased mileage. I hate treadmill running, even on the rare occasion I feel up to it after work. When I get back to working at St. Vincent's in a few weeks, I'll be doing mostly 8 hour days, so I will be able to do my runs in the evenings and go to some of the sculpt classes I have really been missing. I'm sad I won't be around for the LR Marathon training meeting on Tuesday. Hopefully people can fill me in on what I missed! Looks like a 9 mile route next weekend, if I'm up to it....
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Martin Luther King (Blvd., that is) is not my friend....
Dark, as usual, this morning, as I made my way to the LR Marathon running group meeting place. We were at the Arts Center (downtown), doing the route that passes by the Governor's Mansion and Central High. It was cool, as will probably be the norm for the next, oh, 6 months or so...but seemingly, not as cold as last Saturday morning.
Today was another 7 miler, and I say WAS because I had an interesting and slightly scary experience this morning. I forgot to email Tom and Hobbit and request a 7 mile route, so he had to modify an 8 mile route and adjust the directions for me. I thought it was fairly clear....apparently not. I know you're not supposed to follow the pack in front of you, in case they are doing different mileage, so you don't get stuck doing 20 miles when you meant to do 4....Still, the directions Tom gave me had me bailing from a fairly decent sized group, and I thought .."surely all of these people aren't doing over 8 miles......Well, I screwed up the directions anyway, and headed down martin Luther King Blvd. going the wrong way...
So, there I was, like the idiot that I am...a random white girl, running in the semi-dark in my cute running skirt...through shanty-town...hoping and praying that I would come upon Capitol Rd. so I could get the hell out of there.....I feel so stupid....I just kept going, praying that no one would attack me and I ended up at the damn State Fair Grounds!! Yes, that's right, folks....2.5 DAMN MILES, out of the way....
I finally had the sense to turn around and found my way back to where I should have turned before and after running past the RiverMarket to Commerce St., I cut my route short, headed to 10th St. and went back to the Arts Center early. So.....all that to say...what was SUPPOSED to be 7 miles, ended up being 8.2, even with me cutting about 2 miles off the original route.....Note to self....take the time to email Tom....or stick with the whole group...
One bright spot is that I got to go to Panera Bread for breakfast and got a Pink Ribbon Bagel (with vanilla, nuts, dried cherries, and dried cranberries) and coffee. It was SO good and I needed that reward. I also went to Target and Academy for some retail therapy...got a pink "performance" long sleeve running shirt (of sorts) at Target and some Gu, an awesome pink fleece pull-over, and a black headband with a little pink ribbon on it (they selling alot of pink ribbon stuff, I'm assuming for the Race for the Cure..) at Academy. I skipped weight class this morning, I was so sore anyway and I just didn't feel up to it after my "ordeal". It was bound to happen, I'm a newbie...I guess, now, I have all these "funny" stories to tell to my fellow runners..ha ha.....
Today was another 7 miler, and I say WAS because I had an interesting and slightly scary experience this morning. I forgot to email Tom and Hobbit and request a 7 mile route, so he had to modify an 8 mile route and adjust the directions for me. I thought it was fairly clear....apparently not. I know you're not supposed to follow the pack in front of you, in case they are doing different mileage, so you don't get stuck doing 20 miles when you meant to do 4....Still, the directions Tom gave me had me bailing from a fairly decent sized group, and I thought .."surely all of these people aren't doing over 8 miles......Well, I screwed up the directions anyway, and headed down martin Luther King Blvd. going the wrong way...
So, there I was, like the idiot that I am...a random white girl, running in the semi-dark in my cute running skirt...through shanty-town...hoping and praying that I would come upon Capitol Rd. so I could get the hell out of there.....I feel so stupid....I just kept going, praying that no one would attack me and I ended up at the damn State Fair Grounds!! Yes, that's right, folks....2.5 DAMN MILES, out of the way....
I finally had the sense to turn around and found my way back to where I should have turned before and after running past the RiverMarket to Commerce St., I cut my route short, headed to 10th St. and went back to the Arts Center early. So.....all that to say...what was SUPPOSED to be 7 miles, ended up being 8.2, even with me cutting about 2 miles off the original route.....Note to self....take the time to email Tom....or stick with the whole group...
One bright spot is that I got to go to Panera Bread for breakfast and got a Pink Ribbon Bagel (with vanilla, nuts, dried cherries, and dried cranberries) and coffee. It was SO good and I needed that reward. I also went to Target and Academy for some retail therapy...got a pink "performance" long sleeve running shirt (of sorts) at Target and some Gu, an awesome pink fleece pull-over, and a black headband with a little pink ribbon on it (they selling alot of pink ribbon stuff, I'm assuming for the Race for the Cure..) at Academy. I skipped weight class this morning, I was so sore anyway and I just didn't feel up to it after my "ordeal". It was bound to happen, I'm a newbie...I guess, now, I have all these "funny" stories to tell to my fellow runners..ha ha.....
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Misty morning....
It was beautiful this morning! Did the usual Saturday morning run with the Little Rock Marathon Group.....I love the locations they use for training. Today was out at 2 Rivers Park, near Maumelle park. I had never been out that way before. The temperature was a little chilly, but just perfect once I got warmed up. I did wish that I had brought some light gloves, however, cause even when I warmed up, my fingers stayed cold and stiff. Anyway, as the bright red sun came up over the misty farmland, it was so serene and beautiful. Much of the run I was by myself. The group was mostly 3-miler's doing the half buildup and 6 miler's doing the marathon buildup, so the few of us doing longer runs went in a different direction. I figured I better do a few weeks of 7 miles on my long run, and maybe a few weeks of 8 miles before I am in step with the whole group. The route ended up being 7.2 miles, but i didn't time myself this morning. I think it was around an hour and five minutes.
I tried one of my new C9 Target running skirts, and this one "stayed put" much better! It is a bit shorter than I'd prefer, but I still like it. It definitely doesn't chafe the legs, which is awesome. I did, however, get to experience the infamous (ahem) , nipple chafing that I've heard people talk about....
Still having a hard time getting my running in while up in Harrison. Only 4 more weeks up there and I'm ready to get back into a routine at home. I guess I will have to get a gym membership for one month, just to use the treadmill.... I can tell the lack of running during the week is really doing me in on the weekends as my long runs are getting longer.....
I tried one of my new C9 Target running skirts, and this one "stayed put" much better! It is a bit shorter than I'd prefer, but I still like it. It definitely doesn't chafe the legs, which is awesome. I did, however, get to experience the infamous (ahem) , nipple chafing that I've heard people talk about....
Still having a hard time getting my running in while up in Harrison. Only 4 more weeks up there and I'm ready to get back into a routine at home. I guess I will have to get a gym membership for one month, just to use the treadmill.... I can tell the lack of running during the week is really doing me in on the weekends as my long runs are getting longer.....
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Running skirts....falling skirts...
It was an interesting morning....I woke up to my alarm at 4;45 (geez...I couldn't believe it was already morning) and got ready to leave, wearing my new Runningskirts.com skirt. I was excited to finally get it and be wearing it!! Come to find out, it's too big, although when I put it on, it SEEMED to fit well. More on that later...
I usually check the weather to see what Saturday mornings are going to be like, but totally forgot last night. As I drove, it started to rain and I thought "Oh, crap"......Not only did I not have a waterproof jacket, but I was wearing a white top and wasn't about to be part of some wet t-shirt contest!! Thankfully, from the moment I stepped out of my car until the time I got back in, the most it did was mist a little.
I'd never run on the river trail, it was pretty enjoyable...although it was dark, and I kept looking around like a paranoid-schizophrenic for someone to pop out of the shadows and attack me. It was a good run and I felt great...aside from having to pull up that damn skirt the whole way..Don't get me wrong, I love the skirt, but I def have to buy a smaller size now. I should have tried it out on a shorter run. But now, I can't return it and am out $60! In any event, it was encouraging to be moving a bit faster this week. I did 6 miles this week, a nine minute mile! YAY!
I will try out the skirts I got from Target on shorter runs this week and eventually I will buy another running skirt from Runningskirts.com. I was pleasantly surprised that the length was longer than I anticipated and the material is SO soft! Anyone want to buy my other skirt at a discount? It's a 10-12 (size 4 on the runnningskirts website). I usually wear a size 10, sometimes an 8, but it seems to run larger.
I usually check the weather to see what Saturday mornings are going to be like, but totally forgot last night. As I drove, it started to rain and I thought "Oh, crap"......Not only did I not have a waterproof jacket, but I was wearing a white top and wasn't about to be part of some wet t-shirt contest!! Thankfully, from the moment I stepped out of my car until the time I got back in, the most it did was mist a little.
I'd never run on the river trail, it was pretty enjoyable...although it was dark, and I kept looking around like a paranoid-schizophrenic for someone to pop out of the shadows and attack me. It was a good run and I felt great...aside from having to pull up that damn skirt the whole way..Don't get me wrong, I love the skirt, but I def have to buy a smaller size now. I should have tried it out on a shorter run. But now, I can't return it and am out $60! In any event, it was encouraging to be moving a bit faster this week. I did 6 miles this week, a nine minute mile! YAY!
I will try out the skirts I got from Target on shorter runs this week and eventually I will buy another running skirt from Runningskirts.com. I was pleasantly surprised that the length was longer than I anticipated and the material is SO soft! Anyone want to buy my other skirt at a discount? It's a 10-12 (size 4 on the runnningskirts website). I usually wear a size 10, sometimes an 8, but it seems to run larger.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Blah....and running skirts....
Well, as I told some people, last weekend was pretty rough on the Saturday morning run. It was humid and I felt like it would never end. I guess I'm going to have to join a gym in Harrison just to be able to run on a treadmill while I'm up there, cause this "no running during the week" is really making my weekend runs an ordeal. Only 5 more weeks up there, but I have to do something soon. Tomorrow's run is downtown at the River Market and I think the weather will be somewhat cooler than last weekend.....today's stretch is 4 miles....
On a lighter note...I got some running skirts and am pretty excited about running in them. I had been looking online for a while and had tried to look into getting some from Target, but their online store said they were out of my size. I ordered one from RunningSkirts.com and it came but i haven't tried it on yet. But....to my delight, i popped into Target in Conway on my way to Harrison on Monday and found SEVERAL!! I was pumped! And they weren't as short as I had anticipated they would be. Hopefully I won't be too chicken to wear them now.....
On a lighter note...I got some running skirts and am pretty excited about running in them. I had been looking online for a while and had tried to look into getting some from Target, but their online store said they were out of my size. I ordered one from RunningSkirts.com and it came but i haven't tried it on yet. But....to my delight, i popped into Target in Conway on my way to Harrison on Monday and found SEVERAL!! I was pumped! And they weren't as short as I had anticipated they would be. Hopefully I won't be too chicken to wear them now.....
Friday, September 12, 2008
This humidity is ridiculous...
I just got back from what was supposed to be a 4 mile run....I ended it at 3.6. I didn't even pay attention to my time. It felt like I was suffocating out there today. Sure, some of it is the humidity, but I have a feeling it also has to do with making up for not working out all week and feeling out of shape! It was a bit discouraging. I guess, again, I need to give myself some room for this kind of stuff, being out of town all week...Plus I have been eating like crazy and feel sluggish...
Tomorrow morning is the marathon group run at 6am at the Capitol. I am dreading it a little because of today's performance. I need to start at 6 miles, if I can do it. I've been doing 5 for my last 3 long runs. I still haven't had time to go out to the new Balance store and have my shoes fit for orthotic insoles. I dread the drive all the way out to Cantrell (especially with gas going up to 4.50 a gallon) and spending $200 on the stupid things. Still, I think (and hope) it will be worth it. Hopefully, it won't rain tomorrow morning. I 'm not ready to run in the rain yet!! Updates to come....
Tomorrow morning is the marathon group run at 6am at the Capitol. I am dreading it a little because of today's performance. I need to start at 6 miles, if I can do it. I've been doing 5 for my last 3 long runs. I still haven't had time to go out to the new Balance store and have my shoes fit for orthotic insoles. I dread the drive all the way out to Cantrell (especially with gas going up to 4.50 a gallon) and spending $200 on the stupid things. Still, I think (and hope) it will be worth it. Hopefully, it won't rain tomorrow morning. I 'm not ready to run in the rain yet!! Updates to come....
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Beautiful morning...
This morning was absolutely beautiful!!!! It was actually cold and I started to wonder if the weather would be like last year, when it was hot for so long and then suddenly got cold. I run much better in the cold, but I still want fall to gradually ease me into winter!!
I was dreading it a little bit, cause yesterday's 4 mile was really hard for some reason. I'm not sure if I am not eating ENOUGH or just eating the WRONG things...I constantly feel as if my sugar is low lately and don't want to get in the habit of eating protein bars or Gu all the time. I was pleasantly surprised this morning when my 5 miles felt great! I know I'm supposed to be focused on finishing, but I couldn't help but be pleased with doing 5 miles in 45 minutes, a 9 minute mile! Aside from that, it was nice to run, not necessarily "with" other people, cause I don't "know" anyone there, but with other people around... I enjoyed the course, and I guess, since I haven't run the marathon yet, I haven't been tainted...
I went to my usual weight class afterwards. It seemed brutal, but it did help me stretch out and I am getting stronger. I am trying to be more balanced with toning my quads and hamstrings, so I don't have as much knee pain as I build up my mileage. Sadly, I am probably going to have to get prosthetics made for my shoes. I think my insoles are too rigid in my "new" stability shoes. Maybe I'll make the trip out to the New Balance store on Monday so the Podorthist can make a mold of my feet before I leave for Harrison. All in all, an exhilarating run today!!
I was dreading it a little bit, cause yesterday's 4 mile was really hard for some reason. I'm not sure if I am not eating ENOUGH or just eating the WRONG things...I constantly feel as if my sugar is low lately and don't want to get in the habit of eating protein bars or Gu all the time. I was pleasantly surprised this morning when my 5 miles felt great! I know I'm supposed to be focused on finishing, but I couldn't help but be pleased with doing 5 miles in 45 minutes, a 9 minute mile! Aside from that, it was nice to run, not necessarily "with" other people, cause I don't "know" anyone there, but with other people around... I enjoyed the course, and I guess, since I haven't run the marathon yet, I haven't been tainted...
I went to my usual weight class afterwards. It seemed brutal, but it did help me stretch out and I am getting stronger. I am trying to be more balanced with toning my quads and hamstrings, so I don't have as much knee pain as I build up my mileage. Sadly, I am probably going to have to get prosthetics made for my shoes. I think my insoles are too rigid in my "new" stability shoes. Maybe I'll make the trip out to the New Balance store on Monday so the Podorthist can make a mold of my feet before I leave for Harrison. All in all, an exhilarating run today!!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Another Outlet....
I decided I wanted to create a running blog as I train for the 2009 Little Rock Marathon so I can document my progress, pitfalls, and adventures for the next few months. I know that thousands of people have run marathons, and many of them more than one. I used to think how awesome it was that they could do it, but never imagined I would be attempting it myself. I ran in college, more as an exercise-obsessed person, having lost a significant amount of weight and wanting to keep it off. In a way, it was more of a self-punishment type of thing....for eating too much or just a way to keep from getting fat again....
It shocked me when I had this overwhelming desire a few months ago to actually DO one. So...I have embarked on the adventure of training as a newbie, and experiencing not only the ups and downs physically of my body adjusting again to all that running....but also the ups and downs mentally of setting goals for myself that are too high and unreasonable and realizing how, not only self-defeating that is...but also learning to enjoy something that was previously a form of punishment for my failures.
It has been tough to increase my mileage as I have been working in Harrison lately and that has been discouraging. I have been working at least 3 13-hour days every week and am just too tired after work to do anything but eat dinner, shower, and fall into bed, only to get up and do it all over again.... I admit I have been beating myself up over not going running after work, after being on my feet literally 13 hours a day. That's pretty stupid, now that I think about it...and it gets me nowhere, beating myself up. Not to mention that, this being my first marathon, I have been insanely worried about my times rather than just focusing on finishing...
Several good things about this new endeavor, though, have been meeting different groups of people, like the Hot Legs running club and the LR Marathon training group, that have inspired and encouraged me to continue, cut me some slack, and provided much guidance and support. For them, I am grateful...and it makes me realize that even though I am the one running, I know I don't HAVE to do it alone, despite my natural independent tendencies..
So....here I can outlet all my running triumphs and foibles..and hopefully get some good advice, from those who have been there before!
This is week 3 in the Marathon Build-up program. I have been at this stage for a short while. Tomorrow's scheduled distance is 4 miles. I am supposed to be doing 6, but will probably do 5 like I did last weekend. It was pretty brutal, with all those hills, but I guess it was good practice, since the actual race course is hills galore@! We'll see how tomorrow goes....I'm about to head out for today's run of 4 miles...
It shocked me when I had this overwhelming desire a few months ago to actually DO one. So...I have embarked on the adventure of training as a newbie, and experiencing not only the ups and downs physically of my body adjusting again to all that running....but also the ups and downs mentally of setting goals for myself that are too high and unreasonable and realizing how, not only self-defeating that is...but also learning to enjoy something that was previously a form of punishment for my failures.
It has been tough to increase my mileage as I have been working in Harrison lately and that has been discouraging. I have been working at least 3 13-hour days every week and am just too tired after work to do anything but eat dinner, shower, and fall into bed, only to get up and do it all over again.... I admit I have been beating myself up over not going running after work, after being on my feet literally 13 hours a day. That's pretty stupid, now that I think about it...and it gets me nowhere, beating myself up. Not to mention that, this being my first marathon, I have been insanely worried about my times rather than just focusing on finishing...
Several good things about this new endeavor, though, have been meeting different groups of people, like the Hot Legs running club and the LR Marathon training group, that have inspired and encouraged me to continue, cut me some slack, and provided much guidance and support. For them, I am grateful...and it makes me realize that even though I am the one running, I know I don't HAVE to do it alone, despite my natural independent tendencies..
So....here I can outlet all my running triumphs and foibles..and hopefully get some good advice, from those who have been there before!
This is week 3 in the Marathon Build-up program. I have been at this stage for a short while. Tomorrow's scheduled distance is 4 miles. I am supposed to be doing 6, but will probably do 5 like I did last weekend. It was pretty brutal, with all those hills, but I guess it was good practice, since the actual race course is hills galore@! We'll see how tomorrow goes....I'm about to head out for today's run of 4 miles...
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