Rules.

I am pretty much a rule follower. I admit it. I am that goody-two-shoes that doesn't feel comfortable parking for 20 minutes in a 15 minute space. I don't like moving up to the wrong seats at sports events or concerts just because the seats are closer and no one is sitting in them. The thought of banditing a race mortifies me, and I don't like the idea of buying someone else's bib if the race has no transfers, either. I know, I know. Lots of people view most of those things as "no big deal", and I'm not bashing any one else's morals or point of view. I'm just saying that personally, I am a rules gal.

So it kind of freaked me out when I read a Facebook post from Run Like a Mother from a gal in Wisconsin that was "pulled over" by police while she was out for a run. She was running on the plowed road instead of the sidewalks, which were covered in snow. Apparently, there is a city ordinance where she lives that says pedestrians cannot be on the roadway when there is a sidewalk. Even though she was running, and the sidewalk was inaccessible due to snow?? That seems bizarre to me, but just because I am a "rules follower", I went and checked for any similar ordinances in my area. Thankfully I didn't find any, but I'm interested to know if there are any other places out there with similar rules!

Does your town have any unusual ordinances? 
Have you ever been "pulled over" by police while out for a run?

What motivates.

Runners must be awesome employees. When I think about the kind if traits that most serious runners I know have, they often sound to me like they were pulled right off of a business resume. Things like: self-motivated, goal oriented, highly independent, organized planner, high drive to succeed, dedicated, willing to endure some pain to achieve goals...really, I'd want to hire someone like that.

I've always known that I am a very goal oriented person. Give me a goal, and I'm on it. Since childhood I've always been that way. I will relentlessly pursue a goal like a bloodhound on a trail. It might be a crazy goal or a ridiculous goal or a worthy goal. It could be to clean out the garage or to finish a marathon. Once my mind is made up to do it, you might as well consider it done.

So last weekend during my long run, my friend and I decided to tackle a hill. It's not the biggest hill around and not the steepest, but it goes up for what seems like forever, up and on and on. I started out  fine, but as we kept going, I mentally started to falter. Dang. I thought the top was just around the corner, but it wasn't. Sheesh, WHERE is the top of this hill? My friend, having run with me long enough to realize I was losing my "happy place," said the simplest thing to me, but it was exactly what I needed. "Make it to the stop sign and we can stop and have our GU." A GOAL. And a reward. I can do that, I thought. Boom, I was up the hill.

This week, we tried the same hill again, and it was even better. We broke the hill into mini-goals: make it to that streetlight, make it to that corner, make it to the stop sign for GU. It was amazing the difference that having goals for each section of the hill made. Being goal-oriented isn't just good for deadlines and projects and resumes.

What traits do you have that contribute to your being a better runner?
What motivates you?

Anatomically correct??

I went to visit a new running shop that opened near me (Fleet Feet Rancho Cucamonga) because I was curious to see what they'd have to say about the weird wear pattern I've been getting on my Brooks Ghost as well as find out if they had any new shoe recommendations that might help with my Plantar Fasciitis. I was super impressed. The "fit" process was the most thorough I've ever experienced, and included a sock-less evaluation of my feet to check for bunions, blisters, callouses and arch type. Yes, I was a little embarrassed by the missing toenails (currently three), callouses and overall obvious lack of a recent pedicure. (They don't give 30% off for a pedicure just because you are missing three toenails. I asked.)

The bottom line is, I'm still the neutral runner I've always been and my Ghosts are still the most comfortable shoes out of what I tried. They did offer up a few new options. Superfeet insoles and Feetures anatomical socks with arch compression. Wait, what? Anatomically correct socks? I won't even go into the thoughts that crossed my mind. I have never used insoles before other than the ones that come with my shoes, and I admit I was a tiny bit skeptical. However, once they were in place inside my shoes, I was impressed. The added support in the arch felt fantastic. As for the socks, once I got them on the correct feet (anatomical meaning there is a "right" and "left" sock) the arch compression also felt great, especially on the right PF prone side. I trotted around the store in the new getup and liked it so I brought it all home to give it a real trial run.

My first thought when I heard "anatomical socks" was of Slim Goodbody. Anyone remember that guy? Oddly, he's actually still around...

A few days ago I managed to put the new socks on the anatomically correct feet (in the dark!) and I headed out the door with the new insoles too. I only covered about six miles, but I noticed some stuff right off. First, my ever problematic end of toe blisters and toenails did not hurt. At all. Also, I did not tape my PF and it was not hurting, either. (KT Tape, I love you, but you are expensive to use all the time!) Last, I felt like my toe-off and overall foot alignment was much more even. It just felt more...balanced.

The kicker? I ran my fastest mile EVER and held my fastest overall average pace ever. And it felt comfortable. And GOOD. Yes, I have been training hard, but if some insoles and anatomical socks can make pushing my pace feel that awesome, I'm embracing that. We'll see how my next long run goes.

Have you ever run in anatomical socks? What brands of socks are you favorites?



The ART of the matter

I suppose I should spend some time catching up since I've been so long away from the blog. In 2012, I ran quite a few half marathons, an ultra, an 8k, and some 5ks. Also in that time, my nagging hip problem continued to nag. What's worse, plantar fasciitis reared its ugly head again after many years...only on the right, the same side as my problem hip. I tried new shoes, new form, physical therapy (again), a Strassburg Sock (which actually did help a little) but nothing gave me real and permanent relief.

In October of 2011, I met a guy that did Active Release Technique. I had heard about ART and had already really been thinking I should give it a try. He was local and I was planning to call him...when I had time...and could afford it...and wasn't in the middle of training for something...and...you know. There was always some reason for me NOT to call him. For over a year, I did not call. And for over a year, I suffered, went to physical therapy, foam rolled, iced, NSAIDs, saw my general practitioner, saw an orthopedist, had MRIs and X-rays and scans of all sorts (which didn't reveal much), got new shoes, old shoes, different new shoes, you name it. Of course, being stubborn, I never stopped running and wouldn't agree to any treatment plan that included time-off from running as part of the program.

Finally, after a very uncomfortable half marathon and constant pain while sitting, standing and walking, much less running, I decided it was time to stop making excuses and call the ART guy, Dr. Phil Lozano. I was a little skeptical since my regular doctor, orthopedists and physical therapists had all been unable to help, but I had heard from a couple of people who had issues similar to mine that they had been treated with ART with some success.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with ART, let me sum up. OUCH!! Here is a link to the Active Release Technique site with more details about what it is and how it works, but basically it is like a super deep tissue massage while you are moving a muscle through its range of motion. It often hurts!!

After just one session of ART with Dr. Phil, I had 80% pain improvement. Seriously. I was so surprised to be able to move with so much less pain that I would spend an entire run mentally checking myself. I couldn't believe that after resigning myself to pain for so long, I was barely noticing it any more! After a few more sessions, I was almost completely pain free. WOW!

My hip still gets a little stiff and sore on occasion and the PF still niggles a bit, but compared to where I started, I am beyond thrilled with the relief I've gotten through ART. My mileage is going up and I'm feeling ready to race again. Woohoo! I owe a huge thank you to Dr. Phil, the magic man!

What nagging injuries did you deal with in 2012? How have you been treating them? And if you were lucky enough NOT to suffer injuries in the last year, what are your secret weapons for injury prevention?