Running Naked

It's been raining for about six solid days here. I tried a treadmill run over the weekend, but there was about 210% humidity in the gym, and the smell of sweaty bodies was...unpleasant, to say the least. I took a few days off, because I'm supposedly resting up after my busy year of racing, and because I caught a nasty respiratory bug from my son. Merry Christmas to me!! I also headed back to the doctor for another check on my hip. More MRI's were ordered, more consults scheduled...it seems they can't pinpoint what the REAL trouble is or why it's not improving. More updates on that when I actually know something new which, if the current course is any indicator, could be a while.

Today I'd had enough. I had to go out and run. Yes it was raining, and yes I am recovering from a head cold. I know, I know. Running in the rain is probably a dumb thing to do when you're already sick. It had to be done, though. I was going bananas (not to mention making my family bananas with my cranky, haven't-been-for-a-run lately attitude.) Due to the serious downpour going on outside, I decided to eschew all of my "gadgetry" since most of it does not like to get wet. Those that know me are very likely gasping and passing out on the floor now. I am quite possibly the biggest nerd in the running world. I have my iPod, my Nike+, my Garmin, my heart monitor...I am WIRED when I run. I am an information freak. I like to know where I'm going, how far I've gone, how far I'm going, what my heart rate is, what my pace is, what my pace was, what the incline is, what my predicted finish time is, and the air speed velocity of a laden swallow. If it can be calculated, I want to know it. I spent last year practically drooling over all my data, calculating and figuring and PUSHING myself in order to set that new PR in Vegas.

Today, I decided it would just be me, my shoes, and the rain. Okay, I wasn't COMPLETELY naked. I did wear clothes. Electronically, however, I was denuded. I didn't even take my cell phone. It felt a little weird at first, being completely "dark"...not knowing my pace and having only my best guess as to how far I'd been. After the first ten minutes, it became blissful. I didn't care what my pace was. I listened to the rain and the water rushing down the storm drains (did I mention it's been raining for almost a week?) I heard the sound of my breathing and my wet shoes as they hit the asphalt. My constant thoughts while running in the last six months have been things like, "Hurry up, you're falling off pace," and "If you don't push yourself you're never going to get faster." Today, for the first time in a long time, I let go of the training mindset and just enjoyed the fact that I was out for a run in a rainstorm. It wasn't my fastest time, it wasn't my longest run, but it was the best run I've had in a long time.

I have got to run naked more often.

Amazing Vegas!!!

Wow!! What a way to end a great year of racing! I am overwhelmed by what a fantastic weekend we had in Vegas! In the first place, it meant so much to me that my whole family was there to support me. Coming to a race is usually a pretty boring event for them...let's face it, if they are lucky, they might see me start or MAYBE once on course, then they mostly just sit around at the finish line and wait for me to show up. Not that I love to subject them to that kind of boredom, but knowing they're waiting for me at the finish line really makes a race special for me.

Then, well, it was VEGAS!! Running along the strip is totally surreal!! There you are, running past the Mirage, the Tropicana, the adult video stores...yes, parts of the run are through a bit of a seedy part of the strip...but it really was an amazing experience. The streets and pedestrian bridges are FILLED with people cheering. In fact, I think that Vegas might've had the most spectators I've ever experienced. Of course, there were also a few elderly ladies with their ziplock baggies of pennies who decided to play Frogger across a sea of runners as they attempted to get to their favorite slots. That was interesting. And there was the pirate with the parrot on his shoulder who squawed out dirty comments to the runners as we went by. The parrot, not the pirate. And the hundreds of people running dressed as Elvis. Like I said, surreal!

Another high point of the weekend was meeting Meb Keflezighi at the race expo on Saturday. Oh. My. Gosh! What an inspirational guy. The nicest guy you'd ever want to meet, too. He took time to chat with me and wish me good luck. I figured I had to have a great race after being wished good luck by an Olympic Silver medal marathoner! (He showed me his Olympic medal and his NY Marathon medal, too!! Let me hold them! Yes, I was geeking out!)

Dogged as I have been by hip and knee problems in the last few months, I was thrilled with my race and set a new PR! If all that isn't enough, I got to see Meb again at the finish line and he congratulated me! The whole weekend was a dream for me. Thank you to everyone who helped and supported me in getting there. I'm going to take some time to rest and think up how in the world I'm ever going to top this amazing weekend and this amazing year of running!

It's Black Friday! Get your holiday shopping guide!

The holidays are here and in honor of Black Friday, I've put together a little something special. I know some of you may be shopping for runners in your life, and since you can't very well wrap a new PR and put it under the tree, I've got a few ideas for you. (And if you ARE the runner in your life you can point your friends and family here for HINTS on what you'd like in your moisture-wicking sock...er...stocking!) Either way, here are a few things that are sure to make someone's day merry, especially if they are training for or heading out to a holiday race!

1. Socks. We wear them out. Sometimes monthly. However, we are mostly wildly fanatical about them, so be sure to check the laundry bin (preferably clean to avoid the stink) to be sure what style, brand and size your runner prefers. I happen to be personally crazy about Balega socks. They are awesome, and it doesn't hurt that they have a really cool website.

2. Reflective Gear. During the winter months, lots of us are either up early when it's dark, or running later when it's also dark. Dark plus runner = potential danger from cars that don't see you. Make sure your runner can be seen with reflective clothing, hats and other highly visible gear. For something out of the ordinary, check out the cool iron on reflective transfers from See Me Run. 

3. Road ID. Everyone that knows me knows I'm pretty adamant about the importance of having some form of ID on you when you're running. You never know what can happen out there, and knowing your runner has an ID in case of emergency can provide some peace of mind. Road ID offers comfortable, durable, totally customizable tags on ankle straps, wristbands and dog tags. I have worn both the wrist and ankle versions and have nothing but praise to offer. If you order one soon, you can use the promotional code "pcSAVE15" to get 15% off. I think that's good through November 30th. (Hint: they offer gift certificates too, if you're unsure what style to get!)

4. Shoes. This one can be tricky. If we're fanatical about our socks, we are FREAKS about our shoes. Do NOT even think about going here unless you are absolutely certain you know your runner's heart (and feet!) on shoes. Of course, new running shoes make lots of us froth at the mouth, but if you get them wrong, it'll just be disappointing for everyone. If you are 100% certain of the specifics, including size, brand and style, go for it. If you're the least bit unsure, a gift certificate to a local running store is a safe bet that's sure to bring on an equal amount of mouth frothing appreciation.

5. Race Entry. Seriously, races these days can be pricey. Offer to pick up the tab for one in 2011. DON'T just register your runner before talking to them first, though. Maybe they aren't up for that ET Midnight Marathon or a 50k Mud Run. Give them a card and tell them you'll cover a race of their choice. But be aware of what you're offering...some marathons can be close to $150 or more to enter, though most local, 5k/10k races can be as little at $25 to $30.

6. Recovery. Aaah, massages. Boy, do we need them. And often times, we're not getting them as often as we should (if at all!) Find someplace nearby that offers massage and get your runner a gift certificate for one. If they specialize in sports massage, all the better, but trust me...if they don't, we won't really care. If they don't have a roller for working out knots and tight muscles on their own, I LOVE my TriggerPoint Roller. Another great tool is The Stick. Combine either of those with the topical pain relief of something like BioFreeze, and you've got a gift certain to illicit your runner's gratitude! I will also shamelessly recommend my new top secret recovery...wait, wait...I haven't unveiled that yet. Let's just say, keep watching the blog for more details on something new.

 

7. Tunes. If your runner likes to run with an iPod or MP3 Player, give them an opportunity to add some new tunes to their mix. iTunes has options to gift specific music to someone directly (if you know their account name, and feel some level of comfort that their musical taste matches yours!) or you can send a gift card for music of their choice. If they are still running with a Sony Walkman (or an old model iPod), bring them into the current century with one of the new touch Nanos. I played with one at the Nike Marathon. They are sweet with their touch screens and new easy-to-wear clips, and they do work with Nike+.  Oh, and while we are on the subject of running with music, I simply love these headphones from Auria. They sit on the outside of your ear canal, not stuffed down in there where you can't hear anything but your tunes. When you're running, you very often need to be aware of ambient sound, like a car honking at you or someone telling you to watch out for that giant snake down the trail. These allow you to do that, running safely while still getting to plug in to your tuneage.

8. A Runs On Coffee mug. What could be better than supporting your favorite blogger's favorite charity? Proceeds from the sale of these mugs will go directly to OCIE Team in Training, to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. And everyone loves coffee after a run! Okay, even if they don't, they'll still find a great use for it as a pencil holder. Get yours here.

If you want some great CyberDeals on running gear, I can recommend See Jane Run (use discount code GIFT2010 for 25% off) and Zombie Runner (20% off with code BLACKFRIDAY and free shipping on orders over $25.) Roadrunner Sports has some screaming deals, no codes required, but they really push their VIP Membership. It's worth it if you plan to buy a lot of running gear from them. Don't forget about the RoadID discount code listed above. Now that I've totally hooked you up with some stupendous ideas for that runner on your Christmas list, I'm going out for a run. Enjoy your Black Friday shopping! If you have more suggestions for the shopping list or you find more great deals on running gear, definitely let me know!

A new PR for Thanksgiving!

I am excited to say that I the speedwork I've been doing lately seems to be paying off. I entered a 5k Turkey Trot for Thanksgiving and shaved over a minute off my best time! I came in 19th in my age group...sure it was a small race, but I will totally take that! My knee didn't hurt at all and, in fact, I felt great! Things are looking up for Vegas! I'm saying prayers and keeping everything crossed that my 10-mile training run this weekend goes well. I am ready to cut it short at 8 miles if things don't go well, but really hoping I can pull off the whole 10 miles.

Oh, and just a note, the Plymouth Rock n Run Turkey Trot at Yorba Regional Park is a great little race. I highly recommend it for next year if you're thinking about a Turkey Trot in the OC/IE area. It's small (I'm guessing maybe 1200 people-ish?), but chip timed, and extremely well organized. They had water bottles at the finish, and a food table with bananas, oranges, brownies, cookies, muffins, and more. There was live jazz music and all kinds of nice door prize gift baskets, too. Parking wasn't bad, and traffic was a breeze. This race is definitely going on my to-do list for next year!

Mission Inn and A New Hope

I am thrilled to say that I finished the Mission Inn 10k just a few days ago. Thrilled because, although I did feel some twinges on and off and had to walk a little, overall my knee held up! It SEEMS to be getting better.

Sunday's run was a good test. It was much hillier than I'd expected (a new course from last year), plus hot and windy. Not great racing conditions. I did have to slow to a walk a few times, but overall, the pain was not anything close to as bad as it has been in the past, and the new knee strap I got seemed to help a great deal. Overall, I was about 4 minutes slower on this new course than I was last year at this race, but with keeping it slow and easy on my knee, I was okay with that.

The fact that I was able to complete the race without a huge amount of discomfort gave me some hope that I still might be good for Vegas. I got even more hope from one of my previous Team in Training coaches, who was at the race. He told me that even if I can't get the long 10-12 mile run in before Las Vegas, as long as I'm getting good quality runs in and doing some speedwork, I should be fine. He reminded me that I can't gain a whole lot of strength and stamina in the next two weeks that I don't already have, but what I could do was push too hard and make the knee worse. He suggested cutting back my mileage, icing and resting, and stopping anytime I felt a twinge. His advice plus managing okay at the 10k gave me some of my confidence back that yes, I CAN still do Vegas!!!

Bummed about a Bum Knee

Who knew that a piece of connective tissue could be so problematic??? My knee is still giving me problems. Now it is almost assuredly tendonitis. I have taken myself off my training plan this week and am resting it, icing it, taking NSAIDs, and praying for a speedy recovery. My last 4 miler was wrecked due to knee pain, and I am slowly realizing that a PR in Vegas could be wishful thinking. At this point I might just be lucky to finish. Ugh.

The good news is, I have some strength training exercises and stretches to do doing this time off that will hopefully whip this pesky band of tissue back into shape. I will also try to keep up the cardio on the elliptical trainer and stationary bike so I don't fall too far behind. It makes me crazy to rest this much with the half marathon just a few short weeks away, but I'd rather be able to finish than pull out due to a bum knee. I am going ahead with my 10k on Sunday, but I am planning to pull up short if there is pain.

The most frustrating part of this is that when I'm not running, the knee feels perfectly fine!! No swelling, no pain, nothing. In fact, when I am running and it starts to hurt, the moment I slow to a walk, the pain is relieved. I guess that's a good thing, because it would be rotten to not be able to even WALK at all, but it sure is irritating that the ONLY activity I love is the ONLY thing that causes problems. My Physical Therapist seems to be convinced it's an overtraining issue...I mean, let's face it, I've been training for something pretty much non-stop for going on two years now, so it's definitely conceivable. He thinks if I take some time off after Vegas, I'll be back to good as new. But my version of time off is a few days not running. He says maybe a few weeks?!?! What?!? How will I stay sane??? Stay tuned...we shall see...

Light Up The Sky

Now that the time change has finally happened, we are getting to see the sunrise again during early morning runs. This is one of my favorite things about running early. The last several months, we missed the sunrise by almost an hour because we run so early on the early days that it was still DARK when we got done. Never having been a morning person prior to starting my "running life," sunrises were not something I used to be excited about being awake for. I have learned to love them. The song "Light Up The Sky" by The Afters always goes through my head when I start to see those first pinkish orange hues heralding the coming sunshine. Sunrise is such a renewal, symbolically as well as literally. "A brand new day that's never been touched," as one of my friends likes to say. Being one of the people that gets to glimpse that first hazy, colorful light feels special. And knowing I got to see it AND get my run in feels amazing.

A shout out to my 4 at 5 girls!

I have to gush a little about my "running group." I'm not even sure I can really call it that, because it's sort of just a loose invitation I put out to a group of about 11 girlfriends for a morning run of about 4 or so miles on Wednesdays at 5am. (Hence the name "4 at 5".) I started doing it last summer when I had to go that early because my husband leaves for work at 6:10, and I had to be back before that since the kids were still home in bed! Now that it's fall and they are in school, I could go later in the day, but I've gotten used to this mid-week early morning routine. There are some regulars and some that come and go, but I usually have at least one or two and sometimes as many as 6 show up.

It's hard to get up that early to run, but knowing that other people are waiting on me motivates me to do it anyway. And having that early morning run time to chat with girlfriends is somehow a balm to my spirit. The rest of my day always goes smoother afterwards, and it feels GREAT to know I've finished up 4 miles before most people have even rolled out of their beds. It's empowering...I feel good and strong and self-disciplined. Another bonus to going that early: I get to come home to a nice hot cup of coffee and some quiet time before the kids wake up! Not to mention I actually SEE my husband before he leaves for work.

So thank you to my running girlfriends, who are willing to roll out of bed at such an unreasonable hour, when it's still dark and quiet outside and everyone else is dreaming away. You put on your running shoes and head out the door before most people have yawned and stretched and squinted at their clocks, and you wait for me, ready for whatever hills or loops or crazy new courses I've mapped out for us to try. You make the miles go fast and the mornings go so much better. I am so grateful for you!!

Tape-notso-tastic

Hmmm...so the KT Tape seems to help maybe a LITTLE bit, but I'm still having some discomfort in my knee, especially on downhills. I'm giving it one more week, and if it's still hurting, I'm going back to the PT. I seriously do not want an injury to bench me for the Vegas race in December! I am hoping for a new PR there!! The tape also does not seem to live up to the claim of staying on for up to 5 days, even through sweat and showers. Maybe I just sweat too much or take showers that are too long, but my tape is off by the end of two days, max. Today it only lasted through one run and a shower. It was rolling off on the edges right away. That's disappointing. I will say that when my PT applied it, it stayed for about 3 days, so maybe I am just not putting it on exactly right.

I'm thinking of trying one of those ITB support straps. I don't know if it'll help or if they work very well. I need to find someone with ITB problems and discuss! Anyone?

Tape-tastic

During the LA Rock N Roll half, I began to experience some knee pain at about mile 6. Now I have felt "pain" while running before...my hip was giving me a lot of trouble for a while there...but I've never really felt anything that was debilitating enough that it crossed my mind that I might not finish a race. This was that kind of pain. It literally hurt so badly I had to slow down and walk a bit. And when I transitioned to a walk, the pain IMMEDIATELY decreased dramatically and would eventually go away completely once I wasn't on a decline. When I ran up hills, it didn't hurt, but running DOWN was excruciating. Luckily, I was able to walk enough on the downhills and run enough on the uphills that I was able to finish the race with my friend.

I know enough about running injuries that I immediately thought it could be ITBS. The location of the pain, the painful downhills, the immediate relief when walking...it all pointed to it. Post-race, I didn't really have too much trouble with it since I was mostly walking, but anything downhill, even SLIGHT, was a bit uncomfortable. Walking up stairs was okay, but coming down was nightmarish. I took it upon myself to go get my self-diagnosis checked out with my Physical Therapist today. As soon as I described the symptoms, he nodded and agreed it was definitely ITB related. Thankfully, he suspected that the big effort I put forth at Nike followed by another race the very next weekend might've put it into an overuse situation and he doesn't think it'll end up being a chronic problem since I've never had a problem with my ITB before. Ice, reduced running, stretches and strengthening are what he prescribed, which works out since this week is supposed to be a recovery week for me anyway.

He also recommended taping the ITB, and he did a tape job on it for me using KT Tape. I've seen this tape before at race expos, and mostly just thought wow, that stuff looks weird. As bizarre as it looks, once I was taped up, they got me on the treadmill for a little test run. After a mile on zero decline, they put the tread on a 2% downhill. This was really painful during the race, but with the tape on (and after having had a few days rest!) I didn't feel any pain. I still say it looks really weird, but I was sold enough to pick up a roll of KT Tape to keep in my race bag. It came with instructions on how to tape preventatively and for a huge variety of injuries, and online you can even see videos of how to tape yourself. I'll keep everyone posted on how things go moving forward, but so far I'm liking the stuff. It will supposedly stay on for up to 5 days even through showers and swimming. (So far, it's lasted really well through one shower!) We'll see. And it's a plus that the pink tape matches my Nike Finisher's shirt! Have you ever tried KT Tape? If so, I'd love to hear what you thought.

RnR Expo Vendor Dish

While I was at the LA Rock N Roll Expo, I ran into some of my favorite vendors and wanted to dish a little about them because I like to share awesome stuff I find!  Mission Skincare has some of the best sunscreen for running that I've come across. Mission Skincare products are developed by athletes, for athletes, AND they support quite a few charitable causes, which makes them super cool in my book. Their Facestick is easy to put on and doesn't sweat off. It doesn't sting your eyes and it blocks both UVA and UVB rays. I also got a chance to try their Anti-Friction cream for the first time at this race. It isn't waxy at all, and contains silicon to keep the chafe away. It's a new go-to product in my race day bag. I haven't tried their Muscle Rub yet, but that's next on my list!

I also stopped by the Lara Bar booth and got to check out some of their newest flavors. Natural, whole food bars, Lara Bars are made with fruits, nuts and spices...most bars have only four ingredients and you can pronounce every single one! While they were out of the new Carrot Cake and Chocolate Chip Brownie, I can highly recommend the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip flavors! The Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough flavor has just four ingredients: cashews, dates, chocolate chips and salt!!! And they are GOOD!

And of course I had to visit my favorite people at One More Mile. They have the BEST running shirts and gear with great slogans. My favorites include "Toenails are For Sissies" and "Does This Shirt Make my Butt Look Fast?" Check out their car magnets and marathon hats. Friend them on Facebook for sweet discounts and deals, too!

LA Rock N Roll Inaugural Half

Whew!! Back to back half marathon weekends! I am totally crazy. LA was exceptionally fun, though, and I got to run it with my good friend who was running her very first half. It was exhilirating to have the chance to run with her and experience the excitement of a first race all over again. The course was scenic and fun, passing through Griffith Park, by Silverlake, Echo Park and along Sunset Blvd, with only a few more hills than I expected to encounter. (Frankly, after running in San Fran last weekend, LA hills couldn't scare me at all!!)  I did start having some ITB issues with my left knee at about mile 6 and for about the next mile, I honestly thought I might have to pull out. I ended up needing to walk most of the downhills but the uphills didn't bother me at all, so I still managed to finish okay. I have NEVER had ITB problems before, so I'm hoping that this is a temporary issue caused by overexertion due to running TWO race weekends in a row. I probably will not opt to do back to backs again anytime soon, but I'm really excited to have done both this race AND the Nike race.

The LA event was an inaugural one, and a lot of runners opt to sit out the first of any race to watch and see how it goes and what people think. Other Rock N Roll races have upwards of 20,000 participants, and LA only had 13,000. That was actually part of what made it fantastic for me. The expo was NOT crowded, and all the vendors were practically throwing freebies at us. And I scored a "once worn" pair of my $120 Brooks Glycerin 8 shoes for $50! (Roadrunner Sports has a money back guarantee on their shoes, so if someone returns a pair, they resell them for cheap at race expos!!) Additionally, the start line was NOT as chaotic as some of the bigger races I've entered. Less crowding in the corrals and less density of runners through the first few miles. Very nice! I would totally do this one again...as long as it isn't the weekend AFTER Nike next year!!

Next up, a third Rock N Roll race for the year in Vegas on December 5th. That one will earn me a Triple Crown Heavy Medal from the Rock N Roll series. Wooohoo!!

And PS: Best. Race. Photo. Ever. That's me and my coach hamming it up for the photogs. Fun times!!

Race photos that don't look like I'm dying

Wow! Finally I get some race photos where I actually look like I'm having FUN! I usually look like I'm dying. Here's me at the Nike Women's, and yes, I WAS having fun!

Nike Women's Half Marathon 2010

This past Sunday I ran the Nike Women's Half in San Francisco! What an incredible weekend! Our plane arrived later than expected, so it was late Friday night when we finally got to our hotel, only to find that the hotel workers were on strike and picketing (LOUDLY) outside. Wow. Even that couldn't dampen spirits, though. Neither could clouds and rain on race day!! The race was everything I had expected and more...there were hills upon hills upon hills, but there were fun things to see at almost every mile, great music, and GREAT friends running with me.

According to my Garmin, I beat my previous PR at this race by about 40 seconds. Unfortunately, the chip time showed up as 2 minutes slower than my Garmin. I'm not sure what happened (I'm still convinced the wet weather might've shorted something in the chip timing system! Haha!) but either way, I'm VERY happy with my time. With all those hills and the rain to boot, to be that close to a PR that was set in Huntington Beach on a FLAT course felt pretty darn good to me. I'll take it. And I'll take the Tiffany's necklace that was handed to me at the finish line. It's going to be a treasured memento of a wonderful weekend I won't soon forget.

I hope to be back there next year!! For now, I'm looking forward to the LA Rock N Roll race THIS Sunday. It's a little overzealous of me, I'm sure, to plan back to back half marathons like this, but I'm having fun and will be running this race with a girlfriend who has never run a half before. It will be fun to pace her and not to worry at all about my own finishing time on this one. My next planned attempt at breaking my PR will be in Vegas on December 5th...until then, I'm just going to try to relax and have fun! I'll let you know how that goes...

For a race recap, check out Shamus' "blog" here.

What has happened to my blog posts??

Where have I been?!?! Well, I've been running! I have been busy, too. With two boys in baseball, I'm usually running to the baseball field! I haven't had a lot of time to post, but I have had a lot of ideas for posts, so I'm going to sort through them all and try to get caught up again. So bear with me through some bumps in the schedule and I will hopefully have some time to write again soon!! Meanwhile, I recently saw this video from Meb Keflezighi, Olympic silver medalist in the marathon and winner of the NY Marathon in 2009. He's a really inspirational guy, and his favorite bible verse is the one I've used as a mantra since I took that first step out the door and made an attempt to start running! Cool.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/video/video.php?v=166819113330933

Marathon Inspiration Mantras

What are some of the things you say to yourself when things get tough during a run? Sometimes I say, "Stop being a wimp." Other days its, "You've got this" or simply, "Keep going!"

This is SO adorable. I say this to myself a LOT during my races! You can do it!! You're doing it!!

Kristin Armstrong's Circle of Life at Runner's World

I loved this article so much, I had to share it! Enjoy, and I'll be back with another story of my own soon...

Kristin Armstrong's Circle of Life at Runner's World

Brooks Superfan

I have no idea how I missed posting this commercial. I found it about a year ago, and it is hands down my favorite running commerical of all time. The Brooks Superfans commercials are ALL fantastically funny, but this one in particular is the tops. Brooks Running Superfans - Ultramarathon

Since discovering that commercial, I have become an increasingly bigger fan of Brooks Running. This is a company that is exclusively about running and runners. And they "get" it. Every Brooks product I have tried so far has been spot on excellent, from shoes to shirts to tights. Nothing binds, chafes, rides up or otherwise messes up your run. I was lucky enough to be selected recently to be a Brooks "wear tester." I can tell you I was so excited I almost knocked myself out of my chair when I got the email that they'd chosen me. Basically, they've sent me a pair of test shoes for me to run in. I get to critique them to my heart's content to help them tweak the shoe. When I'm done, I have to send them back so they can "study" them, and if they don't have to cut them up as part of their research, they'll send them back and let me keep them. These are shoes that ONLY wear testers have gotten to see and wear so far, and that has me totally geeking out. As if that weren't enough, they sent me a technical t-shirt to boot!
Yes, I am gushing. But how exciting is it that a running shoe company actually cares about what I think about their shoes? That they want MY measly opinion?! That has me hooked on Brooks. And the fact that they know how much runners love new gear that they sent me a tech shirt, too, just proves my point. They know runners. And I have become the next Brooks Superfan.

6 Amazing Reasons

There are so many reasons why you should get out there and run. Here are a few.

1. It will transform your body. You will build muscles you didn't know you had. You will develop incredible cardiovascular fitness. You will lose weight. You will amaze yourself.

2. It will transform your resolve and ability to set goals. When you set a goal, and work hard to achieve it, it feels incredible. Running and training for a race (ANY RACE!) is a great way to learn to set goals, deal with issues that come up, and keep pushing forward. You will be tested. Things will not always go the way your training plan scheduled it, so you will learn to work around problems. You will amaze yourself again.

3. It will transform your confidence. Acheiving a goal is a huge boost to your confidence. You learn that you CAN do things that at some point you thought were too hard or even impossible. This will overflow into your life outside running. You will begin to realize that you can set your sights higher and achieve bigger goals. You will be completely amazed with yourself.

4. It will transform others. Whoever is within your circle of influence, your spouse, your kids, your extended family, your friends, will all see the amazing transformations you've undergone and they will want to know what happened and how they, too, can transform themselves. The number of people you know that suddenly decide to start running after observing you will amaze you.

5. It will transform your atittudes. Regular exercise can help ease stress, emotional strain, and even help cure mild depression. It's amazing the change in perspective that can come with a good run. It can leave you feeling mentally refreshed and renewed. Studies show that endorphins really do make you feel happier, and adults that exercise on a regular basis have been proven to be generally happier overall than those that don't. You will feel amazing.

6. It will transform your energy level. Though it might seem counterintuitive, people that run in the mornings have reported having more energy throughout the day. I can totally attest to this. Even though I might get up an hour or even two hours earlier than I normally would in order to go for an early run, I generally have more energy and enthusiasm to get through the rest of the day in spite of having less sleep. If you're feeling tired, maybe you just need to go for a run. You'll notice an amazing difference.

Glycerin and Geekdom!!!

New shoes always make me giddy. Seriously. When I grow up, I want to be a running shoe tester. Is that a job? Recently, it was the Mizuno Wave Rider 13 that I was crazy over. A few weeks of Physical Therapy after my marathon, however, I was convinced that a needed a different pair. Not that anything was wrong with the Mizunos, but alternating between a couple of shoes is a good change-up for the body. At least that's what my therapist said.

Enter the Brooks Glycerin 8. These shoes have become my new favorites, and not only because they are the NEWEST new shoes I have, either. As comfortable as my Mizunos have been, I still experienced some toe numbness and twinges of pain from time to time over the course of a run over about 8 miles. I figured this was 'normal' because it's a problem I always seemed to experience at some point during a long run with all the shoes I've had. It happened LESS with the Mizunos and overall they are awesomely comfortable and light. However, so far, at up to almost 9 miles, I have no numbness at all with the Glycerin. In fact, while the heel fits super snug (and I'm prone to heel slippage with a narrow heel), the toebox is roomy to the point of being luxuriant for me. It feels amazing. Not only that, but the cushioned, springy ride is unlike anything else I've run in to date. In short, I LOVE these shoes for my long runs.

That's not to say that the Mizunos are going to be packed away anytime soon. I wore them for a five mile run today and was reminded again of how much I like them for their light weight and amazing arch support. I love them, too, for my shorter, weekday runs.

I have to laugh at myself for getting to this point. I now have shoes for short runs, shoes for long runs. What's worse is, I am more crazy about my running shoes than I am about the adorable red slingback pumps and the gorgeous chocolate brown stiletto heels that I once used to drool over.  I have convinced myself, once again, what a geeked out runner chick I've really become.

Onward once more!!

This past Saturday, our long run was 7 miles. I have been starting to get nervous with the miles building up that my hip would start to bother me again, but so far, it's okay. The odd thing is, it actually feels BETTER when I run. It will hurt AFTER, but during the run it feels fine. I would actually go so far as to say that it feels best when I'm running. Afterwards, I'm just icing it and stretching it a lot and so far it has been tolerable when it does start to feel sore. I'm excited that my miles are getting up again, and getting really excited for the upcoming races! Doing two on consecutive weekends is going to be a big challenge, but both of them are going to be FUN events and I'm looking forward to doing them with good friends.
I'm ready to push onward and leave my days of injury behind me!!

I run to be...

Recently someone asked me how I find time to run. It's not easy, I said, I have to actually make time for it on the calendar. Sometimes it's a struggle to fit in a run, but I somehow manage to work it out. Then he asked me a seemingly innocent question. Why? Why do I bust my tail to find the time, make arrangements for the kids, get up at THE crack of dawn, miss out on good sleep and generally inconvenience myself just to get in a run?

I had to think about that. I'll get to what I finally replied in a minute, but first let me say that the upcoming Nike Women's Marathon has a "fill in the blank" motto this year. It's "I Run to Be..." Each runner is supposed to fill in their own words. It got me thinking even more about why I do what I do.

I run to be strong. Running has made me fitter than I've ever been in my life. It's helped me keep that weight I lost a few years ago off. It's made me realize that I can accomplish ANYTHING with a little hard work and self-discipline.

I run to be still. Yeah, I know, it seems contradictory. My body is moving, true, but so many times when I'm running is when I have a chance to let my mind and my soul be quiet. Some days my mind is going just as fast as my legs (probably faster!) but I love the days when I can push everything out of my head like I'm clearing a table of dirty dishes off with one swipe of my arm. Don't think. Just run. It's a peace that I don't get often as a busy mom.

I run to be spiritual. There are days when I run that all I do is pray. It's an amazing quiet time for me, when I'm able to focus without distractons on all the people and things that I'm praying about, and I can truly feel and express exhiliration and thankfulness for all the blessings I've been given.

I run to be a good example. My kids started life with an overweight mom who didn't eat well or exercise, and that's something I wanted to remedy. Now I hope they are seeing the benefits of living a healthier lifestyle. I truly get excited when they want to run with me...I want them to learn to feel joy and strength in moving their bodies.

I run to be a better person. Running clears my head. It gives me quiet time. It gives me peace. Yes, there are days when I don't want to run. I feel tired or under the weather or just don't feel like dragging kids to the gym or a sitter. But when I focus on how I'll feel when I finish the run, I never can take a pass. I am more patient with others. I'm kinder. I'm more able to cope with stress when I run. I feel GOOD. I feel sane. I like the person I am when I run. I am the best version of myself then. Running just makes me...better.

In the end, that's finally what I answered when asked why I do it. I run to be a better person. Why do you do it?

1000 miles/100 miles

I am very excited to post today to say that I've surpassed 1000 miles of running logged on Nike+!! That's a looooong way!! Wooohooo!!

I've also been released from Physical Therapy! I suppose this is a good thing, although I must admit I have been REALLY grateful for the massage therapy I've been getting there. Having someone who can pinpoint and really understand the musculature where the discomfort is has been fantastic. I will miss that, and I probably need to find a good sports massage therapist. I am still having latent pain...it doesn't hurt WHEN I run (except a little in the first mile) but it does hurt AFTER I run. It's improved to be more annoying than hindering, so they just told me to stretch well and ice it. Guess we'll see what happens once I really start to click up the mileage. This weekend will be just 6, so nothing too strenuous. Yet.

Now for the 100 mile part of the post. I recently started a part-time job working for a division of a private school. They asked me, as part of my position, to take on the role of head coach for a 100 Mile Club. This is a really fantastic program that I'm totally excited to be involved with! Basically, it encourages kids to set a goal of running (or walking) 100 miles total over the course of the school year, and they earn cool incentives along the way. I truly, truly enjoy encouraging others to run, so I think this is something I will really enjoy. We will be kicking it off soon, so I'll be sure to post updates on how things are going. Check out more about the 100 Mile Club or sponsor a child to run at www.100mileclub.com/sponsorinfo.html.

I'll post after tomorrow's sixer and let you all know how the hip holds up!

A NEW challenge!

I'm still here!! I haven't updated in a while because things in my life suddenly got really busy...BUT, I am still running. I'm almost finished with my second round of physical therapy, and they have finally given me the go ahead to up my mileage. HOORAY!!! I've been slowly moving higher, though I still have to watch myself on the hills because the ups and downs can cause the pain to flare up. I'm running with the Winter Team in Training team as an assistant coach this season and next weekend we'll be at 6 miles for our long run. I feel as if I'm starting all over again because I haven't been able to keep up my long run distances. The upcoming 6 will be the furthest I've run since injuring myself at the marathon in June. Not to mention that my speed has taken a plunge, too, and I'm back to plodding at a much slower pace than I was hoping to be at by now. Still, I've rekindled my motivation by launching myself into a new challenge. In October, I'll be doing half marathons on back-to-back weekends. That's right. Sunday, October 17th, I'll be running the Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco, and the very next Sunday, the 24th, I'll be running the Inagural LA Rock N' Roll half. Am I crazy?? Most likely. But I apparently thrive on pushing myself to see how far I can go. I'm totally excited!! Now if I can just get through some of these hills in training...

I'll catch up again soon!

Fall down, get up, keep going, repeat...

I haven't been posting as often lately. Partly because I've been injured and not running as often as I'd like. Partly because that fact depresses me a little. I confess to not being in the best frame of mind a lot lately due to feeling "out of sorts" about not running.

Last week I had a horrible treadmill workout. It was demoralizing. Just over a month ago I was pounding out 6 or 8 miles on the tread, gloating about how easy it had become. Yesterday, a measly 5K seemed daunting. I was tired by 2 miles. Even though I have tried to keep my fitness up with cross training, all the swimming and stationary bike riding in the world hasn't seemed to keep my running fitness at the same level.

Here's what I AM learning. Crosstraining is good. For so long during my marathon training, I did nothing but run, run and run some more. I think more than anything, that contributed to my injury. I thought I could just run and that would be enough. I am learning that even though the swimming and biking don't exactly work me in the same ways, it's better for my body to have some "other" training. Working different muscles in different ways is helping me to become stronger overall. Taking a step back from running during the past month and a half has really shown me the benefits of being less narrowly focused.

I'm also learning that the way you naturally run is not the way you always have to run. During PT, I've been doing some 'gait retraining' and it's actually working. I am running with a slightly wider stance so my feet are landing more square beneath my hips, my arms are swinging straight and my upper body and pelvis aren't twisting. It has taken almost a month to make even small changes, but the adaptations are starting to become habitual and I know the improvements will help me down the road. Literally!

Setbacks happen. You fall down, you have to get back up and keep going, even if you have to go much slower for a while. The fact that this is the first time I've REALLY encountered a big setback just means I've been lucky. Even though I'm not running as much as I'd like to be, I feel stronger overall, more relaxed about my running, and optimistic about moving forward. Slower than I'd hoped, but forward nonetheless. And today's treadmill 5K felt good. Really good. Next time I think I'll do 3.5 miles.

Still recovering, warts and all

Post 26.2, I am still recovering from a hip flexor strain that caused a secondary issue with my piriformis and some tendonitis. Not only that, but I have finally lost all the toenails that I ruined during the long miles of training and the race itself. In spite of being fitted multiple times for correct shoes, having a sock consultation, and getting my overall running form evaluated, I still lose toenails. I was basically told it's a biomechanical problem I just happen to be prone to. Swell. So for the record, I have now lost FIVE out of ten toenails. That's HALF. The good news is, they have all completely fallen off now, so at least they don't look like mangled nasty messes anymore. They just look...gone.

In spite of missing all those toenails, it's summer in Southern California, and it's hot. And when I'm not in running shoes, I pretty much live in my Rocket Dog flip flops. That is not changing, no matter how self-conscious I get about my less than elegant, non-pedicured toes. I hope that my friends know me well enough to overlook this social/fashion faux pas. I found an amusing post from the "Ask Miles" files at Runner's World that addressed this issue:


DEAR MILES,
Q: I've lost a few toenails thanks to running. Is it impolite to wear sandals around nonrunning friends?
A: Are they new nonrunning friends? If so, yeah, it's kinda rude. If they're friends who know you all too well, it's fine.

(http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-267-270-13549-0,00.html?cm_mmc=beginner-_-2010_07_14-_-beginner-_-ASK%20MILES%3a%20'Should%20I%20Tip%3f'%20)

Thank goodness. And to all my new nonrunning friends, I hope you're not squeamish or a member of the fashion police. Because this is me. Warts (and missing toenails!) and all.

Rehab and muscles I didn't even know I had

I know this blog is supposed to be about running, but since injury is pretty much a given at some point in almost everyone's running life, I'm going to keep talking about mine. Talking about running right now just makes me grumpy because I'm not doing it, anyway!

At physical therapy last Friday, my therapist made a new discovery. My Piriformis Syndrome is not my primary problem. It's a secondary problem to a really tight, spasming psoas major. What the heck is THAT, you might say (because that's exactly what I said.) In short, it's a deep, high hip flexor muscle that allows you to lift your knee. Mine was so tender that when my PT touched it, I just about shot through the roof of the building. It's so tight that it has literally pulled my pelvis out of alignment, which is why my piriformis on that side was working much harder than it should've, leading to the problem I have there. Once that was discovered, I had to do a whole new set of exercises and stretching, and I left PT on Friday barely able to walk at all. The good news is, I'm feeling much better today, and I'm hopeful that now that we've really gotten to the root of the problem, we'll be able to speed along the recovery process.

In the meantime, I'm not supposed to be running more than 4 miles at a time, and I have promised to stop at any point during a run if anything starts to hurt. My PT actually said he wasn't going to tell me NOT to run, although he'd prefer I didn't. He said he knew if he said that, I would just run anyway and not tell him. He'd rather he gave me some limitations and have me be honest about my activity. I am trying to do more on the bike, elliptical and pool. I'm trying aqua jogging out, and that's a nice alternative so far, though NOT THE SAME as running. I miss running!!! Hoping to be back at it in full force soon!!

Physical Therapy

I can already tell I have I'm going to have a love/hate relationship with physical therapy. I LOVE that someone totally GETS exactly what my problem is. Where it hurts and how it hurts and when it hurts. My PT absolutely understands. The massage and trigger release therapy he did was AWESOME. I didn't have to keep telling him where it hurts, he knew exactly. The stretches he showed me where also amazing and felt so good. I'm cool with doing them. The strength training portion was not terribly fun, though. It made me hurt. The nerve manipulation was also not fun. It hurt. And I am not a fan of the TENS unit, although some people tell me they enjoy the sensation.

Overall, some of it is great and some of it is not so great, but in the end, I have been told that Piriformis Syndrome is manageable and they can definitely decrease my pain. I'm all for that. They do want me to keep my running mileage really low, which is good because at least they aren't telling me NOT to run, but rotten because I'm antsy to get back up to higher mileage again. I also have orders to avoid hill training or speedwork for the time being. Ugh. I have to be patient and work through this, but I am finding I am not a very good injured runner. Swimming, walking, stationary bike at the gym, it all feels like a waste of my time...time I could be spending running!

On another positive note, my PT also told me that I might want to consider some different running shoes since I never had problems prior to switching to the Mizunos. That may or may not help, but it certainly is worth a try, he said. New running shoes?! YES, please!!! I'm always up for that. Of course, that'll make me want to run all the more...

I think I'll go stretch and ice and Advil myself while I dream about new shoes. And running in them.

Grouchy and ouchy

I went to practice today. Our Seattle Rock n' Roll marathoners went 10 miles today. I went 3. The hip hurt pretty bad for the first mile, and pain radiated into my calf until it felt like I had the worst charlie horse ever. And this was run/walking. By mile 2, it felt like it had loosened up and relaxed a bit and was just about totally pain free. The last mile, it was tightening up again. I could literally feel the muscle start to clench and spasm, grabbing my sciatic nerve and squeeeeeeeezing. This is so frustrating! I really hope my physical therapist can help me work this out, because I'm not going to give up.

Once I stop running, the muscle totally knots itself up and that's when it REALLY hurts. I am icing, stretching and trying not to sit for too long at one stretch. Sitting makes it much worse. Stretching feels the best, so if I have to sit, I choose the floor and try to stretch or roll it on my massage roller. (This is the best gift I ever got and I use it DAILY. If you run, you need one of these things.) I am using up the BioFreeze samples I got at the marathon expo, and will soon switch back to Icy Hot. Menthol seems to be my perfume of choice these days.

So I continue to limp along, run/walking as I can and cross training in the pool or elliptical when I can't. I'm grumpier than usual, though, and I'm sure my family will be much happier when I'm out running more regularly again. I will be happier, too!!

On a slightly more upbeat note, I got my finish line photo back from the marathon photographers. I look much happier than I felt, which is a good thing!

Benched for a bit

I haven't written much lately because I've been feeling a little blue. The marathon really threw my hip out of whack and I was recently diagnosed with a bad flare up of piriformis syndrome. The piriformis muscle has knotted itself up and caused, literally, a giant pain in my butt. The sciatic nerve runs right behind (or through, in some people) the piriformis muscle, so when that muscle becomes agitated in any way, it can impinge on the nerve. So...I'm scheduled for a few weeks of physical therapy and for the moment they've asked that I not run. I'm trying to swim, elliptical, walk, do other less high impact activities, but it's making me crazy. And a little down in the dumps.

In an effort to keep my chin up, I've been reading a very funny book...The Runner's Rule Book . It's got some actual good stuff in it, but is overall pretty tongue in cheek. I'm hoping a good laugh will keep me from losing my mind. For now. I will be back with an update soon, and hopefully it will be that I'm back out kicking the asphalt again!

Marathon.

It has taken me a few days to process everything that happened over the weekend. I am alternately elated with myself for finishing a marathon, and disappointed in myself for not having a better race. It was a fun weekend, and I'm so glad I did it, but I have definitely seen firsthand the kind of punishment that the 26.2 can dish out.

I've struggled with how to respond to seemingly innocent questions like, "How was the race??!" and "How did you do?!?" In my mind, there is no simple answer, no pat reply. I find myself squeaking out, "I finished," and then going on to try and explain how the race went as people's eyes slowly glaze over, their smiles start to fade, their heads nodding but not really comprehending what the heck I'm talking about. I stop myself and just say again, "I finished." They don't want the details, but how does one possibly describe 26.2 miles of ups and downs, agony and ecstatic, dejection and elation into a sound bite reply?

The start was chaotic. There were 39,000 runners (although I heard somewhere there might've been as many as 44,000) packed like sardines into 39 corrals in Balboa Park. The gun went off at 6:15, but my group didn't hit the start line until almost 7am. I was SUPER excited, well hydrated, well pottied (three times through the portapotty line before I queued up!), well nourished with my regular pre-long run breakfast...I was READY! Crossing the start line was exhilirating and terrifying at the same time.

Miles 1 through 8 were fantastic. I felt great, and had to keep holding my pace in check. Passing through mile 5 we ran through Petco Park, where the jumbotron screamed in bigger than life letters, "The San Diego Padres congratulate you on your first 5 miles!" That was cool, and got me excited all over again. We ran on through downtown and back to Balboa park. I had fallen into a great pace and I felt like I was "in the zone." And then....the 163. We ran on the 163 freeway from about miles 9 to 12.5. This is where things started to unravel for me.

The marine layer that had hung around all day the previous day decided to burn off early on race morning, so by about 7am when I started, it was already gone. The humidity was pretty intense. So much so that at mile 6, I kept feeling something dripping on my back. I reached up and literally wrung sweat from my ponytail. Ugh. By the time I hit the freeway miles, it was hotter, more humid, and on the freeway asphalt with NO shade, beginning to get brutal. The freeway was uphill, which I had trained for and wouldn't have been so bad, except the camber was extreme. (Camber is the way a road is arched or angled in order for water to drain off and not pool in the middle of the street.) By mile 10, my hip was hurting from the angle and I was getting side of foot blisters from my feet repeatedly hitting the sides of my shoes instead of the bottom. I walked mile 11 to 12.5 until we got off the freeway because I was beginning to be in severe pain. I stopped at a med tent just after that to be sure I hadn't REALLY hurt something. They iced me and gave me some muscle rub and sent me back on my way.

I pushed through to the half marathon mark and was still feeling okay about my time, but I was hurting and mentally out of sorts, frustrated that I had been thrown off so early on in the race. My pace became slower and slower until I realized I could be walking and not be MUCH slower, so I decided to walk again for a little while and see if my hip pain subsided. I don't remember much about miles 14-18. I know that I was running as much as I could with some walking breaks to rest my hip. I remember seeing my Coach, who encouraged me and helped me remember that I was going to finish and that was all that mattered. I remember an adorable little boy on the side of the road, not much older than my youngest son, dressed up as Elvis and playing an inflatable guitar while screaming, "You guys ROCK!" I remember wanting to hug the sweet elderly lady passing out orange slices and bits of wisdom like, "Just keep putting one foot in front of the other!" I remember somewhere in there I stopped at a med tent again, for more ice on the hip, which was continuing to ache and throb relentlessly. When I thought I was ready to move on, I couldn't get up out of the chair they'd sat me down in and had to be helped. Someone looked me in the eye and said, "Do you want to continue?" I remember nodding and numbly moving on, thankful to be upright again.

About halfway into mile 18, I remember saying a prayer, and telling God the last nine miles were in his hands because I was getting really scared I wouldn't make it. I have never wanted to quit something SO BADLY at that point, but I was not going to allow myself to give up. I hurt. A lot. I was hot. I was frustrated with myself. I really wanted to just throw up my hands and say, "It's not my day, I'm out. Ya'll have fun!" But somehow my feet kept going. I jogged along. As we ran along Mission Bay, I gave myself a stern talking to. "You have a little more left, you know you do. Pull it out and suck it up, buttercup!" Suck it up buttercup became my mantra, and I said it to myself over and over.

Miles 21 to 25 were a lap around "Fiesta Island." It was not, as it's name would imply, a Fiesta. Someone said the city of San Diego used to use the island as a place to dump human waste. It was definitely a wasteland. It seemed barren and endless, and with the breeze that had kicked up over the bay, it filled our eyes and mouths with blowing sand. It was not a party. Thankfully, I met up with another Team in Training member from Virginia. She and I talked (okay grunted and grimaced a lot and talked some) through mile 24. It was a godsend to have someone to suffer with, to talk to and to take my mind off my hip and my frustration. We were just two strangers with a common goal, pulling each other through a rough spot.

Approaching 25, my new BFF needed to stop to clear her shoe of a rock she'd picked up. I thought if I stopped I might not want to start again, so we said our goodbyes and I kept dragging myself forward. Now, in addition to my right hip screaming at me, my left knee was starting to really hurt. I'd been trying to compensate for my hip and evidently my knee was now in rebellion. I imagine I looked like Quasimodo minus the hump as I limp/shuffled my feet along, arms pumping as I willed them to make my feet keep going. I was not going to finish like this. I took a deep breath and forced myself into a better form, in spite of the protests of my body. The finish line was coming into sight and I knew I was almost done. I could stop soon, and if I could just run, really RUN the last mile the stopping part would come much faster.

Miraculously, my pace picked up. It hurt so badly, but I wanted to finish strong. I was almost through mile 26 when out of nowhere my assistant coach popped up. He wondered if I was okay. I must've looked awful. (In fact, he told me later I DID look awful, but he wasn't about to tell me that at that moment!) I remember telling him I was dying. He said, "You are SO close! You are almost there!" I wanted to hug him for telling me that. Those were the most wonderful words I could've imagined hearing.

As I came down the last .1 stretch, both sides of the course were lined up many people deep with people, cheering, screaming, yelling my name. (It is amazingly effective to put your name on your shirt. You wouldn't believe how much it helps when people cheer for you by name!) I don't know who yelled it, from which side of me, but a woman's voice rang out, "GO JANA!! You're a MARATHONER! You're a MARATHONER!" when I was just steps away from the finish line. I can still hear those words in my head even now. As I crossed the finish, my intention was to throw both my arms up in my "signature" finish line pose, but I found that I only had the energy to get one arm up there. I was done. It took me 6 hours and 15 minutes. A far cry from the 5:30 I was hoping for. Still, done.

I completed 26.2 miles. Do I need to explain the highs and lows, the pain and frustration, the joy and relief when people ask me how the race went? Maybe I don't. Maybe I just need to resist the urge to try and describe it all. Maybe I just need to smile and say, "It went fantastic. I finished!"

Why I hate the taper

You'd think tapering would be a good thing. Tapering is when you start backing off your higher mileage running in the few weeks before a race, in order to rest your body in preparation for the big day. You'd think after the kind of mileage I've been putting in, I would be rejoicing about tapering. Right? Wrong. I hate tapering. In these last days prior to Sunday, I am antsy, jittery, nervous, pacing, grumpy, stressed...and I can't run it off. I have become really dependent on running as my time to process, plan, think, pray, meditate and just breath when the day to day stress of life starts to wear on me. And now, when I really WANT to be running off all this excess energy, nerves and anxiety, I'm not supposed to! It's maddening to me! It probably makes me pretty annoying to be around, too. I can't sit still, I'm having trouble focusing, and I keep making lists. I've probably made 15 different lists, just today. To-do for now, to-do for tomorrow, to pack, to mail, to buy, errands for me, errands for others, to-do for others....heck, I am annoying myself!!! Aaaaaaaaargh! I need to run!! Who could possibly ever imagined that I would one day desperately desire to go running???

On another note, I am starting to pack and plan (and make lists, don't forget the lists!!!) for this weekend. I'm heading to the Expo in San Diego on Saturday to pick up my bib and packet. I will be ready to run. I will be dying to run. And as much as I dislike it, I can thank my taper for that.

In closing, I'd just like to say that Taper Madness is a real disease. http://blog.runnerslounge.com/2008/09/symptoms-and-tr.html (thank you to these bloggers for this hysterical and very true post!)

The countdown is ON!

Yesterday I did my last "long" training run before race day. Ten miles seemed like a short run...but 26.2 seems like an awfully long way. I'm ready, I've trained, I know I can do it, but today I have begun my pre-race wrestle with self-doubt. This is typical "me" and always happens to me in the week or so before race day. I start having ridiculous anxiety about crazy things like...what if I need a change of socks at mile 5?? What if I forget something?? What if I'm too slow and the SAG car picks me up??? (Support And Gear vehicles will pick up runners that are too slow to meet the course time limit, lagging or injured.) Then the big fears start creeping in. What if I can't do it??? What if it's too much for me??? What if I DNF?!?!? (That's race code for Did Not Finish, and something no runner ever really wants next to their name on the results list.)

Now is the time I have to sit back, stop pacing the floor (because I'm tapering down my runs, and I can't work off the anxiety running!) and just trust my training. I KNOW I can do this. I will do this. I am strong. I am ready. Watch out San Diego. I'm going to ROCK the Rock 'n Roll!!!

Back on track!

Just a short post tonight to let everyone know I seem to be back on track. The new shoes have me feeling MUCH better. No more hip pain!! I've put about 17 miles on them this week so far and everything is feeling good again. Tomorrow is a short (ha!!) 10-miler and I'm feeling confident that it'll go just fine! I've learned a really important lesson about paying more attention to the shape my shoes are in. From now on, anything over 300 miles and I have to start checking the treads and wear, and really listening to my body. My husband wants me to start looking for a shoe sponsor because I'm wearing them down so fast now. Any takers??

Shoes Blues, Part Deux

Wow. So I got my new Mizunos. I didn't think my old ones really seemed THAT worn down from the outside, but I took a look at the soles of the new vs the old. The old ones have places that are so worn down, I'm practically running on the cushion instead of the tread. I took some pictures but I'm not sure they do the issue justice. Still, have a look.

The first shot shows the drastic wear down of the heel tread on the sole of the right shoe (the side where my hip hurts!) The interior edge of the wedge is almost completely gone. I've worn it down to the cushion area, and you can see that the cushion (white) portion has begun to start wearing down, too. The photo beside it is the NEW shoe, same location.

This is the same spot, but a different angle. Here you can see the tread is completely worn down smooth on the old shoe. I had NO idea it was this worn down until I compared it with the new shoes.

There were several other spots that seemed rather shocking to me when I closely examined both old and new shoes, but these were the most easy to see in photographs. Don't overestimate the life of your shoes, people! Tomorrow's run will be really telling. I'm anxious to see if I can tell a big difference.

Shoes Blues

I've read in a ton of places that a big sign that your running shoes are blown out (broken down, worn, crushed, whatever you want to call it) is that you start to hurt in places where you've never hurt before. I know this, and I also know that my "new" Mizunos I got for Valentine's Day have over 375 miles on them. Most running shoes are good for anywhere between 300-500 miles...depending on a ton of factors. Weekly mileage, your weight, your running style, the surfaces you run on, sooooo many things can contribute to your shoes wearing down, and it's different for everyone. The kicker is, the shoes can still LOOK fine, so it can be hard to tell when they are cooked enough that you shouldn't run in them anymore.

Anyway, I always track the mileage on my shoes, so I can get an idea of what life may (or may not) be left in them. My Nikes gave me easily close to 400 miles, so I assumed my Mizuno wear would be about the same. I figured I still had some good wear in them. But three weeks ago is when my hip started to hurt, and though it felt okay during my (mostly flat!) 20 mile, it was pretty sore afterward. Last Saturday we had 12 miles on the schedule, and I thought it would be an easy cutback. The course was much hillier than the 20 miler was, but it was a much shorter distance. However, instead of the easy run I was banking on, it was terrible. My hip started to ache less than 2 miles in, and the hills doubled the intensity of the discomfort. It wasn't a stabbing pain like I had torn something or broken something, but it was a constant aching throb. Kind of like one of those headaches that doesn't incapacitate you, it just makes you feel crummy and grumpy. It was annoying and uncomfortable.

I had to take quite a few walking breaks, just to ease up on the hip. My coach suggested I consider turning around early, but of course I was too stubborn to take his advice. I am the first one to tell someone else that rest and ice are better than pushing a potential injury, but do as I say and not as I do!!! I managed to get all the way through the run, even pushing my pace a bit for the last few miles, but when I stopped, I was hurting.

As I began to try and unravel what had changed to cause the problem in the first place, I finally thought of what I SHOULD have considered first. My shoes were probably done. I did a little research and found that many other runners experienced the lighter weight Mizunos breaking down a bit faster than their slightly heavier competitors. Many reviewers of the shoes said they felt they got about 350 miles out of them. Since mine are at 375, I considered that this might be a big part of my trouble. I cut my scheduled mileage for today from 8 to just over 6, and ran in my old Nikes just to see if the difference in shoes was noticeable.  It was. The hip was still sore, but nowhere near as achy and throbbing during today's run as it was on Saturday. Afterwards the recovery has been noticeably better, too. Time to break out the NEW new shoes!

The moral of my story is, TRACK your shoe mileage, and even when you do, consider the condition of your shoes FIRST when you get out-of-the-blue pain. I'm cutting back miles a bit more than my taper calls for this week in order to continue to rest and recuperate the hip. Lots of ice and massage, too. Hoping a fresh pair of Mizunos will help put this behind me. Luckily I still have two weeks to get them broken in and race ready!!!

Warning: Gross Stuff Ahead

There are some things about running that you just don't find out about until you get deep into your first long runs. Gross stuff. Toenails fall off and toes bleed. Everything chafes. Sweat dries and leaves cystals that feel like you've been sandblasted, furthering the chafing problem. Snot rockets are pretty much a necessity. And when you run for a long time, blood is diverted from your digestive system to your muscles, which can cause extremely nasty lower intestinal upset. I'm going to tackle a few of these icky beasts, so those with weak stomachs might want to skip this post.

First, toenails. I used to have lovely pedicured toenails. I would get them painted in bright colors, with decorative flowers and other cute things adorning them. Heading into my second year of running, I now paint my own toenails in deep, dark shades of black, purple and red to hide the fact that underneath the polish, the nails actually ARE black, purple or red. Two toenails have fallen off completely, so I just paint the nail beds so they LOOK like toenails are there. And yes, I do have good shoes, they were professionally fit, my socks are in decent shape...it just seems to be a fact of life for me that a couple of my toenails do not like it when I run. So they quite often choose to fall off. I haven't had a pedicure in ages. I'm too mortified to go in and have them see what's left of my nails. Gross. One toe in particular is now referred to by my family as the "Zombie Toe," because it looks so scary.

Then there's the chafing issue. When I first started running, I heard about men whose nipples would bleed due to their shirts rubbing against them on a run. I thought this was horrific and surely only happened to people who ran hundreds of miles at a time. I have since learned that not only is that extremely commonplace, almost everyone I know that runs has a story about chafing in some horrible place at some point during their running lives. Myself included. Suffice it to say that I now buy and use both Body Glide and Vaseline and I'm not afraid to use it. I once put my housekey in the pocket of my shorts during a long run of about 10 miles. I came home and realized blood was dripping down the side of my leg, because the key had rubbed my hip completely raw. On my 20 mile run, I wore a newer but exactly-the-same-style-as-I've-always- worn sports bra. It still had a tag on the back with wash instructions, size, etc. I didn't think to tear it out. While I put body glide all around where the bra band goes, I couldn't reach the middle of my back. Right where the tag was, apparently. I still have a giant scab where it rubbed me to bleeding. And absolutely do not underestimate the pain that chafing can cause when you are rinsing sweat off yourself in the shower. Salt + raw, open wound = OW. Ick.

Next up, snot. It happens. Especially if you're running early in the morning and it's cool out. Your nose will run. I used to carry tissues in my pocket or in my belt and try to stop and blow my nose on the run. Problems with this include sweaty hands and face and tissues that stick to the sweat as well as the issue of where to put the nasty tissue after you're done. Then I started wearing gloves on colder mornings and began just wiping my nose with the gloves. (Yes, I washed the gloves post-run, and no, don't ever shake my hand if I'm running in gloves.) One day a friend of mine said, "You just have to let it go and learn how to shoot a snot rocket." WHAT? EW!? Also known as a "farmer's blow", you pinch one nostril shut and blow out the other one, preferably NOT into anyone who might be behind you. Blech!!! But it does keep the gloves a little cleaner. This tip is handy for beginner runners running their first races, too. Watch out for snot rockets if it's a cool day. I always try to check behind me before I do it, but some people just aren't that polite.

I will leave the digestive runs that often happen to runners for another day, but I'll leave you with this warning. If there are 47 port-a-potties with a line on race day and 3 with no line, just wait in the line. There's likely a reason those 3 remain empty...

All this and I still run. Toenail-less, chafed and snotty, I run on. Call me crazy.