Uneventful can be good....

This week has been pretty uneventful as far as running goes...and that's the way I like it! I did Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, 4 miles each day. The weather was glorious, and somehow I managed to comfortably do less than 10 minute miles every time. Where that came from, I don't know...It has been weird getting used to my ipod again, which I never thought I would say, since I've been running by myself a lot...The shoes are working out a bit better and no It Band or hip flexor issues. I've cut back on hills a little and a bit more stretching. Monday and Tuesday, I ran in Lakewood and yesterday I ran in my neighborhood. Plan on getting out there in a few minutes to enjoy this last bout of warmer weather to do about 4 miles, but I am dreading that cold weather in the morning! I'm not exactly sure HOW cold, but I think it's supposed to be in the 30's or low 40's for a 14 miler at Murray Park with the LRM group. I got my PF night splint today in the mail, so I'm excited to see if it helps. Even if I can't stand to sleep in it, I've heard that it still helps to wear it a couple of hours each evening. So....we'll see...

Went to the LRM training meeting this week and the topic was nutrition. I was a bit disappointed in the content, it was more like 'Nutrition 101'. I was hoping it would be more race related, but it was pretty general. I could have done without it, oh well....Happy weekend!

A sucky running week.....

Nothing spectacular about this blog...more of an update, record-keeping kind of thing...my blogging love has faded with the resurgence of my numerous injuries running... It's kind of depressing to chronicle it, but once I finish the marathon in March and move onto other goals (or another marathon if I'm crazy enough)...I can look back and see all I've gone through and appreciate it. I am so close to wanting to quit running, but then all these stupid injuries would be in vain! It has been a LAME running week, if I do say so myself...

The last long run did me in for a few days...when I ran on Monday...all I could do was 3.9 miles....followed by an equally lame Tuesday of 3 miles. I tried my new shoes and insoles out on Tuesday and got shin splints, so that was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back...Took Wednesday off...

Went to Podiatrist appt. #2 yesterday:

1. I am not stretching enough..."once a day isn't going to cut it" he says....I concur, whip me with a wet noodle...I'm a bad girl...

2 .I need to stick to slower speed and less hills for a while, adding them back in GRADUALLY...note to self...oh, and I'll memo the LRM training group and make sure that they take that into account when they are planning the Saturday runs....geez....

3. MD adjusted my custom insoles that were redone by New Balance, adding some heel cushioning and a felt strip to raise the arch...it felt better in the office at least....He told me to hang onto the shoes for a while and see how they work out. He felt like the main problem was the insoles...

4. I am allowed to get the night splints, but he recommended that I buy them online, since my insurance deductible is so high....Oh, insurance...how useless you really are....

5. I am to follow up for worsening symptoms and/or recurring shin splints...

In any event, I did my run yesterday at the NLRAC track (it was just too damn cold to be outside), 5 miles in my new shoes and insoles. It went better than expected and no shin splints. We'll see...Today I did about 3 miles on the track and I had mixed results with the shoes...Not sure what to do about tomorrow morning's long run...

And on a totally unrelated separate tangent...does anyone know of anyone looking for a roommate? I have got to get out of the PSYCHO ZONE here at home!!!!?????

DAMN! DAMN! DAMN!

Well, I just tried out my new shoes on a short run and am annoyed as hell....I did the first 1.5 miles with my insoles I bought in Memphis and the second 2.5 miles with my remade custom orthotics...I don't know what to think. I hope to God that I have not just wasted $167 for nothing and that it is just the normal adjustment period. The Memphis insoles made my heels feel better, but I think they may have added too much cushion...while the orthotics seemed a little low on the arch. On top of that, I think the 1224 is a bulkier shoe....AGHHHH! I feel like I have mild shin splints and that always happens when I don't have good arch suport. Hopefully in a few runs, I'll work the kinks out...I would hate to have spent all that money on a shoe I can't wear.....

Feed me....

This has been a pretty rough running week in general and it all started with our run on Monday morning....Cheryl had left town for Florida and it was me and Kim for the 6 mile loop. It was cold as usual...but about mile 4 it started sleeting on us! It was too far to turn around, but still over 2 miles to get home, so we had to stick it out...it sucked! It was SO COLD!!! My hands got the worst of it. I had worn Cheryl's mittens and they got super soaked, so as the wind blew on them..it was EXCRUCIATING!! It just felt like 10,000 needles were poking me and I couldn't move my fingers at all...We finally got home, Kim had to open the door and she turned the warm water on for me for my hands..However, it took me a million years to get my gloves off and I couldn't stand for the water to touch my hands. I started to feel nauseated and I thought it was because of the pain. Not long after that, my legs started to feel weak and I started to see black...I knew then it was my blood sugar and I stumbled to the living room to lie down. I tried to tell Kim to get my Luna bar out for me and when she asked "Where is it?" I said, "In my sweater...", although I didn't have a sweater! I finally got across that it was in my fleece pullover that I was wearing, and she got it out and had to feed me a couple of bites, since I still couldn't move my hands! She took my shoes off so I could put my legs up, and within a minute or so..I was feeling better. Scary....it really hit me quickly this time. I've only had one other episode that was that bad, but it has been several years since then....On a good note, we joked, we got our 6.2 miles....

Thursday was a rather uneventful running day...I had a HORRIBLE day at work and the traffic was bad, so I didn't get home until around 5pm..didn't have much time before dark, so only ended up doing 2.5 miles...Friday, I ran the 6 mile loop with Cheryl and Kim...it was a pretty slow pace, but I really felt like I needed it...the run seemed to last forever and my hip flexors and left heel were killing me. I'm pretty sure that I have PF in my left foot now...I have a Podiatrist appt this week and he's going to be so thrilled that I didn't follow his advice and cut back on the hills. Last week I really overdid it with too many hills and going faster than I should have...

Saturday's run with the LR marathon group was at Maumelle...a 16 miler...The weather started out fairly warm and threatened rain, but somehow we dodged that bullet again this week...It was windy and that got worse as the run went on. Annette went with us this week and Michelle met us about 3 miles into the route. I wish that I could say it was easier than last week, but honestly, I hurt from the get-go...First my hip flexors (I think I jacked those up last Friday doing squat-thrusts and mountain climbers), then my heels (my left one now), then my knees, finally to top off the fun with my IT Bands acting up....Geez...I just kept thinking..."How am I going to do this in a couple of months, plus 10 more miles?"...The course was relatively flat, compared to the last several weekends, but got more hilly towards the end. That wind was crazy and it got really COLD that last hour. I was afraid Cheryl would blow away, right into the lake!! My only consolation was Starbuck's...and that my friend Jenni was making me some Golden Grahams Smores treats as a reward for the torture!! We all went to Starbuck's to enjoy a hot drink and that was the best Venti coffee with Hazelnut syrup I have had in a while! Spent some time getting to know Annette and Michelle some...it's so fun meeting new running friends! They talked about the "Women can run" clinic coming up in February and I am thinking about doing it.. It sounds fun! I may need to make some additional running pals...since Kim is always in Texarkana now and Cheryl is traveling somewhere different every week! Don't worry guys...you are still my "running family"....Next week the long run is "only" (strange to say that) 10 miles...and I am looking forward to that...My doctor may just restrict me for being a bad girl anyway..I'm hoping to ask about that PF sock or shoe to wear at night...

On a fun note, I did get to go see "Bride Wars" this weekend with my good friends Jenni and Sabrina, it was cute...some mushy, some funny girl friend stuff...Somewhat predictable, but still a feel-good flick. I am watching "Everest" from Netflix and it is really good...I've had this thing for Discovery shows and documentaries lately...Anyhoo, updates on MD appt to come...Oh, and I got my insoles remade at New Balance and they are much lighter and more comfortable. I haven't tried them running yet though...just walking around in them. Saturday me and Cheryl went to the New Balance Store and I got a new pair of New Balance 1224's, they are pink! I'm thinking that maybe some of this foot pain resurfacing is because I needed new shoes. I figured it was the best time to get them, since the marathon is 2 months away!

Playing "Catch up"....

I have been really lazy about blogging this week...and it has been a busy running week!

Monday-Ran with Cheryl and Kim in Lakewood....the usual 5 mile loop, but I guess we added somewhere because I ended up with 5.8 by the end...it was cold and I was sore...it was definitely a Monday! This was a busy workout day for me...did the run with the girls and then went to Circuit class at the NLRAC (it was tough!!). That night I did the elliptical for 30 minutes and then went to Sculpt class.

Tuesday-No running, but I did do Pilates (which really helped the soreness from the long run on Saturday and the heavy weights on Monday). After that, did spinning for an hour...since it was Natalie's last class teaching at the NLRAC...sniffle...

Wednesday (New Year's Eve)- Rather uneventful compared to others, but this year..I didn't mind one bit! Did Circuit class that morning..which was killer..and that afternoon, ran 4 miles in my neighborhood...nice and flat!!
Splits were: 9:11
9:02
9:06
9:23

Thursday (New Year's Day)- Did the Resolution Run with Cheryl in the Heights. It was SO COLD and it STARTED UPHILL at the part of Kavanaugh by Salon Avatar. We met one of the running groups there and grabbed a route sheet, deciding we would "only" do 5 miles that day! I was glad that we didn't do the usual "loop" in NLR, but the heights route was HILLY! We did pretty good considering the torture endured on Saturday...our times weren't bad, but I do believe that I may have pushed myself a little much....
Splits were: 10:30
10:17
10:03
9:52
9:47
We did our usual stop at Starbuck's, Cheryl proceeded to lose her keys..only to be found in the bathroom, but at least she got her much-desired Cinnamon Dolche and all was well. We stopped at Target to kill some time, Cheryl wanted to stop at Dillard's when they opened. Cheryl ended up getting some good stuff on sale on their Christmas markdowns. Later at Dillard's, she found a purse that she really liked and some slippers, while I got a new puffy vest and some slippers as well. Man, the way those people were pouncing on those purses on sale....you would think their lived depended on it!!! I wasn't too impressed with any of them, but hey...that's just not me...Later, we went to see "Seven Pounds". Now that movie was DISTURBING....and MORBID...and DEPRESSING....I left wanting to sob my head off....geez....

Friday- Cheryl and I did a 4 miler run around the lake. I wanted to do something flat, since we knew the route Saturday would be hilly again. It wasn't too cold..in the 40's or 50's, I think. For some reason, this day was torture for me....Either my hip flexors or IT bands were acting up, because I felt like I was just trying to "get through" it...I hadn't felt that great when we started, didn't get much sleep...but after I had coffee at Cheryl's after the run...I felt like some blow-up doll that got deflated...all of the sudden I just felt so weak and achy. I had planned to go to the gym and do the Mix-it-up class, but Cheryl was advising me not to. I went, to see what they were doing that day, hoping I could modify and scale it down a little, but after doing 20 minutes on the elliptical waiting for class to start...I was beat and I left! That night I went to a get together, but not feeling the best, I socialized some and headed home early.

Saturday- Kim, Cheryl, and I met at Cheryl's house, as usual, to leave for the LRM Run...this week was 16 miles, The MacArthur Park route (the despised route of all of us)...This was my first weekend to run that far! Thank goodness we dodged another bullet with the weather and it was humid and warm and slightly windy, but not raining! Very hilly as expected, but I took it slow. We really drug-it-out- this week...as many times as we had to stop to use the restroom, tie shoes, take nutrition, etc., but we finished in less than 3 hours...The last 3 miles seemed to last forever!! Cheryl kept saying that she felt like her foot was going to explode..and I felt the same way about mine..This week definitely was NOT as pain free as last week. In comparison, last week seemed to be easier for me..I think I pushed it a bit too hard overall this week....in mileage, speed, AND hills...every thing my doctor warned me about. Well, I'll be backing down this week some!! As far as the "achy" feeling I had Friday..it had gotten much better, since I had taken some Emergen-C (Vitamin C drink mix) several times. My heart rate did stay high though, and I burned over 1800 calories!

So that's it for this week! More to come!

Wind and hills....but at least, no rain....

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!!

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!