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?

I'm Baaack...

So I meant to take a small hiatus. A few months off. School was starting, I was back to work, time was short and precious. Spend time blogging or spend time running...if those were my options you can guess what I picked!! But time truly got away from me and someone recently asked, "whatever happened to that blog you used to write?"

Time is still short and precious and I will still always pick running over writing if the crunch is on, but as the new year approaches I'd like to commit to getting back at the blog again. I have lots to say if I can just get it out of my head and onto the page once in a while! Plus, I got a new iPad for Christmas, so now maybe I can blog more on the run (okay maybe not literally!)

My goal is to write once a week again. For now. Baby steps...forward is a pace AND a direction. Run happy, friends! I toast you with today's cup: Donut Shop by Coffee People!

Been busy...

School is about to start again so I've been super busy. I'm going to post a link to another blog that totally inspired me this morning. I know, it's lame that I'm not writing my OWN entry today, but enjoy this and maybe it'll inspire you too. I'll be back with a new blog soon. Promise!

I really enjoy following this gal's blog. Go check her out at: Run to the Finish!

Stuff I Like Right Now

I have a running (pun!) mental list of things I want to blog about, and particularly, about STUFF I want to write about. By stuff, I mean things that I love that help me run or make me happier when I run (or after!) There's a ton of things I want to share, and the list in my head is starting to get really long because I haven't had a chance to sit down and write about it all. Just when I thought I might mentally explode, a blogger I really enjoy and follow (Shut Up and Run) did a "favorite things of the month" blog and I loved it. Once a month-ish, she makes a list and shares things. I write about things I love all the time, I just haven't been cool enough up until now to organize them all into one monthly feature. So, in the interest of not ripping SUAR off completely, I am going to call this "Stuff I Like Right Now." Really, I become maniacally crazy about new things all the time, and who knows when I'll be organized enough again to do a whole post on them. In fact, I have so many darn things in my "Stuff I Like Right Now" I'll probably have to break them into two entries.
New things I'm crazy about:

1. Zico Pure Coconut Water in Chocolate flavor. When you put this in the freezer, it becomes a chocolaty slush of goodness. Oh. My. Gosh. Coconut water is supposed to be really good for rapid hydration because it's extremely high in potassium and other electrolytes. I'll be honest, I've tried plain coconut water and fruit flavored coconut water and I'm not a huge fan. To me it has a weird kind of salty-ish aftertaste to it, but in the chocolate flavor that doesn't seem to be so noticeable. Frozen into a slushy, it's especially awesome on a hot day.

2. Vitalsox recovery socks. I had been wanting to try compression socks to find out what all the hoopla was about. Ever since Shalane Flanagan rocked them in NYC, it seems like everyone's been jumping on the bandwagon and going gaga. I wasn't convinced they really could possible make that much of a difference, but when I won a pair of hot pink Vitalsox recovery socks, my opinion changed. If I pull them on immediately after a long run or hard workout, they feel so good I don't want to take them off. It's like a calf massage the whole time I'm wearing them. The packaging claims that they stimulate blood circulation, improve oxygen delivery to muscles, reduce lactic acid, and relieve cramps. All I can say is, after my first drills and sprints workout, I did not have these socks and I felt like I could barely walk the next day. The second workout, I put these on right after my shower and wore them for several hours. The reduction in muscle cramps and soreness was at  least 75%. I haven't graduated to wearing them during an actual run yet, but I love them enough that I just might try it.

3. Bic Band sparkles in silver. First of all, I was already a huge fan of Bic Bands. I have superfine hair, and nothing stays in. I have to buy special ponytail holders with little grippy things on them, because regular nylon bands pop off my ponytail like a rubber band gun. Run of the mill headbands just cannot cut it for me, but Bic Bands really do not slip. I recently lost my favorite black one and decided to order one in a sparkly silver, just for fun. It has pretty much not left my head since it arrived at my house. My boring pulled back ponytail (it's really my signature style these days!) has been magically transformed into something fun and sparkly. I feel like I'm wearing a tiara all day. Yes, sometimes I fixate on being the Queen of Everything, and maybe feeling like I'm wearing a tiara doesn't help. But I don't care. I love it. The Queen of Everything has spoken.   http://www.bicbands.com/product/silver-skinny-sparkle

4. Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken recipe from SUAR. Something else I sort of stole from her Favorites of the Month post. This amazine recipe for barbecue chicken has only five ingredients and you just throw it all in the crockpot. Super easy, super yummy. It is a new staple in my house. Thank you, SUAR!!  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/zesty-slow-cooker-chicken-barbecue/detail.aspx

There are more things on the list, but for now I'll leave you in suspense. Part two, coming soon. Meanwhile, what's on your "can't live without" list?? Tell!

That elusive mantra.

I wrote a few weeks back about mantras and how I've been looking for a new one. There was a fantastic article in Runner's World this month (September 2011) called, "What's That You Say?" by Marc Parent. The subhead was "A running mantra doesn't have to make sense as long as it gets you up the hill." I laughed a lot as he described his first mantra ("Oh, c'mon! followed by C'mon, c'mon!") and as he explored motivational groaning. Passing the dead animal might've been my favorite. (---dead! Not like me! I'm alive!....Alive-Alive-o!....Alive-o, five-o!") He went on to talk about how some mantras can be good, but difficult to repeat when you're really tired. Since we've already discussed on this blog the fact that I cannot manage to keep a count of my laps at the track past, oh, say three, I can totally relate to this.

Last week I had a great mantra I'd built from some bible verses that I felt kept me strong. They came from all over the place, but basically it ended up something like, "Be Strong, Trust God, No Fear." I was so excited to go out for a long run and use this mantra. Unfortunately, I was far too optimistic in my ability to remember the word order while running uphill around mile 6. "No Strong, Trust Fear, Be God" was NOT the mantra I had planned. Moments later, I had a complete crisis, "Strong, What? Fear, huh?" From there on home, my mantra went something like, "I forgot, I forgot, what the heck were the words?"

Learning my lesson, the next time I set out, I concentrated on just one word. Strong. I can remember one word, right? The problem with that was on that same stretch of uphill, I did not FEEL strong. Strong was not working for me, no matter how much I tried to mash it into my head. It degenerated several times and finally ended up being "Shut up! COME ON! Stupid!" (What? It doesn't have to make sense, right?) At least I wasn't saying it out loud. Running along telling myself to shut-up would probably end with someone calling the police to come pick me up.

Parent closed his article with this - "Best mantra ever --- running through a list of what you care about most." I've been thinking about that one. If I can remember the names of my husband and kids on that uphill, I might just give this one a try.