I ran my 16 miles in Hokah at my parents house. It was good. I enjoyed my finish with Uncle Joe running along side me and my other Aunts and Uncles and Grandparents cheering me on. It took me 3 hours to run. That sucks. But I did use the chews which were good and I really didn't care for the liquid powder stuff. It made me think of the colonoscopy drink solution. ICK!
As for today..... I hate running. I just hate this. It is no fun. It is a real drag and I hate it.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
15 miles
Today was my 15 mile run. I was not sure if I was going to run or not but I did receive a call from my physical therapist and she said that I should try but listen to my body. Well, the first mile and half I was concerned about the slight twinge in my right shin but it completely disappeared. She told me to be sure to do warm up stretches before I run and to be sure run slower then usual. Well, I ran slower that is for sure. I ran 15 miles in 2 hours and 45 minutes. So 11 minute miles wasn't much slower but it was slower then what I had and have been shooting for. I also spent 20 minutes warming my legs up with warm up exercises and I think that was helpful.
It was not an easy 15 miles today. In fact, I am on the verge of wanting to quit this quest. My feet burned and hurt around the 10 mile marker. I wanted to crawl. I didn't want to feel my feet touch the pavement any longer. It really hurt and my knees were stiff. Running at such a slower pace is only moving my knees a quarter of the "normal" way and it hurt to actually bend them when I stopped for a drink of water and had to bend down to drink. I had to walk through a water break for approximately an eight of a mile because of my knees. And once I started to run again, pure pain in my feet. It felt like my feet were pounding the pavement, barefoot. It was horrible. I seriously considered on cutting back in toward the city and grab a bus home. But I forged on and finished the run. As soon as I got home, I iced my knees and my right shin and still I felt so exhausted and didn't want to do anything but sleep. However, two kids and the open house at the brand new fire station were calling. I had one hour to shower and get ready to get us to the fire station for one hour of fun.
This afternoon, I decided it was time to go to Fleet Feet and get some answers on my horrific pain and to purchase some new shoes and nutritional supplements. Before I ran this morning I had a banana and nutrigrain bar. Last long run of 13.1 miles had me starving at mile marker 7. I was not going to deal with that so I added banana to my morning routine. And drinking Gatorade is just not sitting well. I can't stand the sugary taste in my mouth from the Gatorade. I also didn't like how it would sit in my stomach. I had been reading some of the running forums and people were discussing Gu, NuuN and other energy and electrolyte/energy drinks. I decided that I was going to purchase a few of these and test them out in the next month.
So, my visit at Fleet Feet was a huge success. I had been going to Runners Edge but I got hot and cold assistance from the associates. At Fleet Feet, they were great! Greg and I learned so much about our own running patterns and the correct shoes for our feet. I bought a new pair of running shoes that will be my marathon running shoe. My current shoe was a Nike trail running shoe. It was great for the short runs but the long runs were proving to be difficult. I thought Trail Running would be okay since I was running on some gravel paths and trails, but really trail running is grass and dirt. So, that was one reason it hurt so much to run on the pavement for great distances. Also, I had counted at the minimum 250 miles on my trail shoes and since it was on pavement, it was much too stiff and worn out much quicker then I had anticipated. Second problem of my old shoes, size. I was wearing a 7.5 which had maybe a pinkie finger between my big toe and the end of the shoe when I wasn't running. Since running about one hour or more makes your feet expand, my poor toes were pounding into the front of my shoe. Thus giving me my dreaded black toes, runners toes or bruised nails whatever you want to call it. I don't want to lose my toenail and welcome any advice on saving them. So, my new shoes are a size 8.5! I tried on at least six pair of shoes and the best feeling while running and best fit all around were Mizuno Wave Nirvana 4 running shoe. They were not cheap that is for sure but they did feel the best and that is what makes the difference. And I am fortunate to have earned a Visa Gift Card for $75.00 that went toward the purchase of the shoes. I can't wait to try these shoes out on Tuesday. I am hoping that they really feel as good on, on Tuesday as they did today. Because if my feet feel anything like they did today during my 15 mile run, I am out of the marathon. It truly was that horrible of a run, today.
My nutritional purchases were: Luna Sport Electrolyte Splash Drink Mix, CLIF Shot Bloks and GU energy gel. I am truly hoping that these items help my energy level when running over 15 miles. I also purchased a recovery protein enhanced drink, CLIF Shot Recovery.
The Luna Sport Electrolyte Splash Drink Mix is suppose to give Women Athletes the "right amount of carbs and electrolytes to fuel your workout and keep you hydrated, plus the vitamins and minerals you need". The CLIF Shot Bloks are electrolyte chews. It says to consume 3 to 6 Shot Bloks every hour during the activity and to follow it with water. The GU energy gel is just that. It is suppose to give you "Superior energy and maximum recovery while running long distances. I am to eat this gel every 45 minutes. I will try it and see how it "sits" during my run before I even attempt to eat more then one of these gel packs.
Well, I am hopeful for this weeks schedule. I hope that these shoes will be the difference and that I will feel better. I seriously have considered to quit today and I have come to far to do that now. This week will be hectic. I will get my miles in but come Saturday, I will be running in LaCrosse or Minnesota. Not running in Chicago is difficult. I am so allergic to the ragweed and other outdoor allergens. And, I will be taking antihistamines while I am there and they tend to screw up my system. I don't sweat as much as I am supposed to because the medicine dries me up. So, I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed. Wish me luck!
It was not an easy 15 miles today. In fact, I am on the verge of wanting to quit this quest. My feet burned and hurt around the 10 mile marker. I wanted to crawl. I didn't want to feel my feet touch the pavement any longer. It really hurt and my knees were stiff. Running at such a slower pace is only moving my knees a quarter of the "normal" way and it hurt to actually bend them when I stopped for a drink of water and had to bend down to drink. I had to walk through a water break for approximately an eight of a mile because of my knees. And once I started to run again, pure pain in my feet. It felt like my feet were pounding the pavement, barefoot. It was horrible. I seriously considered on cutting back in toward the city and grab a bus home. But I forged on and finished the run. As soon as I got home, I iced my knees and my right shin and still I felt so exhausted and didn't want to do anything but sleep. However, two kids and the open house at the brand new fire station were calling. I had one hour to shower and get ready to get us to the fire station for one hour of fun.
This afternoon, I decided it was time to go to Fleet Feet and get some answers on my horrific pain and to purchase some new shoes and nutritional supplements. Before I ran this morning I had a banana and nutrigrain bar. Last long run of 13.1 miles had me starving at mile marker 7. I was not going to deal with that so I added banana to my morning routine. And drinking Gatorade is just not sitting well. I can't stand the sugary taste in my mouth from the Gatorade. I also didn't like how it would sit in my stomach. I had been reading some of the running forums and people were discussing Gu, NuuN and other energy and electrolyte/energy drinks. I decided that I was going to purchase a few of these and test them out in the next month.
So, my visit at Fleet Feet was a huge success. I had been going to Runners Edge but I got hot and cold assistance from the associates. At Fleet Feet, they were great! Greg and I learned so much about our own running patterns and the correct shoes for our feet. I bought a new pair of running shoes that will be my marathon running shoe. My current shoe was a Nike trail running shoe. It was great for the short runs but the long runs were proving to be difficult. I thought Trail Running would be okay since I was running on some gravel paths and trails, but really trail running is grass and dirt. So, that was one reason it hurt so much to run on the pavement for great distances. Also, I had counted at the minimum 250 miles on my trail shoes and since it was on pavement, it was much too stiff and worn out much quicker then I had anticipated. Second problem of my old shoes, size. I was wearing a 7.5 which had maybe a pinkie finger between my big toe and the end of the shoe when I wasn't running. Since running about one hour or more makes your feet expand, my poor toes were pounding into the front of my shoe. Thus giving me my dreaded black toes, runners toes or bruised nails whatever you want to call it. I don't want to lose my toenail and welcome any advice on saving them. So, my new shoes are a size 8.5! I tried on at least six pair of shoes and the best feeling while running and best fit all around were Mizuno Wave Nirvana 4 running shoe. They were not cheap that is for sure but they did feel the best and that is what makes the difference. And I am fortunate to have earned a Visa Gift Card for $75.00 that went toward the purchase of the shoes. I can't wait to try these shoes out on Tuesday. I am hoping that they really feel as good on, on Tuesday as they did today. Because if my feet feel anything like they did today during my 15 mile run, I am out of the marathon. It truly was that horrible of a run, today.
My nutritional purchases were: Luna Sport Electrolyte Splash Drink Mix, CLIF Shot Bloks and GU energy gel. I am truly hoping that these items help my energy level when running over 15 miles. I also purchased a recovery protein enhanced drink, CLIF Shot Recovery.
The Luna Sport Electrolyte Splash Drink Mix is suppose to give Women Athletes the "right amount of carbs and electrolytes to fuel your workout and keep you hydrated, plus the vitamins and minerals you need". The CLIF Shot Bloks are electrolyte chews. It says to consume 3 to 6 Shot Bloks every hour during the activity and to follow it with water. The GU energy gel is just that. It is suppose to give you "Superior energy and maximum recovery while running long distances. I am to eat this gel every 45 minutes. I will try it and see how it "sits" during my run before I even attempt to eat more then one of these gel packs.
Well, I am hopeful for this weeks schedule. I hope that these shoes will be the difference and that I will feel better. I seriously have considered to quit today and I have come to far to do that now. This week will be hectic. I will get my miles in but come Saturday, I will be running in LaCrosse or Minnesota. Not running in Chicago is difficult. I am so allergic to the ragweed and other outdoor allergens. And, I will be taking antihistamines while I am there and they tend to screw up my system. I don't sweat as much as I am supposed to because the medicine dries me up. So, I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Robyn Rocks
My girlfriend Robyn was sweet enough to use her Non-sticking electrocautery stick to put a small hole into the top of my left big toe nail to help elevate the pressure from my runners black toe. Oh what a difference a small pin hole makes. After running for the first time on Tuesday with it, my sock was thrown out after the excess fluid was finally released. And now there is no pressure or pain. Robyn Rocks! Thanks again!
Half way mark
Sorry I haven't updated in a week. Last week went well. I had to tweak my normal schedule to help me get prepared for my girls weekend in Minneapolis. So, I ran Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday instead of Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday. My medium run was on Tuesday the day after a horrible storm. We had tornado warnings Monday night and had to seek shelter in the stairwell of our condo building for just over a half an hour. We were OK and the lightening show that evening was amazing! However, come Tuesday morning, it was evident that it was a horrible storm. So many trees were uprooted, large branches littered the parks and trails. A couple of light poles were laid out like a truck had run them over. By Friday, many of the trees and branches still lay where mother nature threw them. I ran my 10 miles on Friday morning and then jumped into a car 2 hours later for an 7-8 hour car ride to Minneapolis. My muscles were so tight that evening and Saturday. Then on Sunday, back in the car I go for another 8 hour car ride home. Monday morning, sore again.
I woke up Tuesday morning and ran my last 3 mile run with no troubles until I got home. My right leg from my soleus to my ankle is in a lot of pain. I decided to not run this morning and hope to continue icing and heating it today. I did a lot of that last night. I am really upset and worried about this. I am just over the half way mark of the training regimen and now I am looking at another soleus issue. This is the right leg this time and not the left, so that makes me a little more hopeful that since I have caught this so early I will know all of the exercises and treatment to help rectify this as soon as possible. I am still pushing for my 15 mile run on Saturday. I really need to keep up my training. I think I will get up to the gym today and bike or do the elliptical to help keep up my cardio for Saturdays run. Wish me luck!
I woke up Tuesday morning and ran my last 3 mile run with no troubles until I got home. My right leg from my soleus to my ankle is in a lot of pain. I decided to not run this morning and hope to continue icing and heating it today. I did a lot of that last night. I am really upset and worried about this. I am just over the half way mark of the training regimen and now I am looking at another soleus issue. This is the right leg this time and not the left, so that makes me a little more hopeful that since I have caught this so early I will know all of the exercises and treatment to help rectify this as soon as possible. I am still pushing for my 15 mile run on Saturday. I really need to keep up my training. I think I will get up to the gym today and bike or do the elliptical to help keep up my cardio for Saturdays run. Wish me luck!
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Half Marathon Accomplished
Well, it was a long run today. I had my 13 miles and I decided a week ago that I would do 13.1 to say that I ran a half marathon. And, I did it. I left at 7AM and returned 9:30AM. It was a great day to run. The weather was as close to perfect as I would have liked it. A bit breezy but I really needed it during the run. It was in the low 70's and and mostly sunny. The waves on the Lake were very large and the water looked rough. In fact, I believe the life guards had yellow flags out today for the rip tide and rough waters.
I thought if I left at 6AM no one would be out there. By the time I was ready to go 7:00 popped up. I am amazed at how many people are running that early in the morning. It was a busy day on the trail. There were lots of running groups that I passed and that passed me. It feels so weird to have 9 strangers engulf me while I was running. I kept reminding myself that this is nothing compared to the race in October. I even drafted a little bit behind a group. My pace has become pretty slow. 11.5 minute miles today. I consciencely made the effort to slow my pace down since it is about endurance and the training sites recommend going about a minute slower then your normal pace on your long runs. It was harder on my knees to not go as fast but I didn't feel winded at all during my run. I just felt tired and my knees and feet hurt around 11 miles to the end. I need new running socks and shoes, that is for sure. My shoes are trail running shoes and I need something with more shock in the balls of my feet and no more slipping around inside. My poor big toenail(s) look dark and dreary. They are still pretty good with color but I can see the trauma starting to take its toll.
So it has been six hours since I got back and I feel like I am in need of a serious nap. I iced my knees and ankles when I got back but the balls of my feet can use some serious TLC. Next weekend, I am to run a measly 10 miles for my long run. I think I am going to do it on Friday before I leave for my girls weekend in Minneapolis. I would hate to take away from all the girl fun by running 10 miles in the morning by myself. Then on Saturday we are going for pedicures. This will be a way to thank my feet for being so good to me for these past few months. :) And hopefully, the TLC will make them feel and look better.
I thought if I left at 6AM no one would be out there. By the time I was ready to go 7:00 popped up. I am amazed at how many people are running that early in the morning. It was a busy day on the trail. There were lots of running groups that I passed and that passed me. It feels so weird to have 9 strangers engulf me while I was running. I kept reminding myself that this is nothing compared to the race in October. I even drafted a little bit behind a group. My pace has become pretty slow. 11.5 minute miles today. I consciencely made the effort to slow my pace down since it is about endurance and the training sites recommend going about a minute slower then your normal pace on your long runs. It was harder on my knees to not go as fast but I didn't feel winded at all during my run. I just felt tired and my knees and feet hurt around 11 miles to the end. I need new running socks and shoes, that is for sure. My shoes are trail running shoes and I need something with more shock in the balls of my feet and no more slipping around inside. My poor big toenail(s) look dark and dreary. They are still pretty good with color but I can see the trauma starting to take its toll.
So it has been six hours since I got back and I feel like I am in need of a serious nap. I iced my knees and ankles when I got back but the balls of my feet can use some serious TLC. Next weekend, I am to run a measly 10 miles for my long run. I think I am going to do it on Friday before I leave for my girls weekend in Minneapolis. I would hate to take away from all the girl fun by running 10 miles in the morning by myself. Then on Saturday we are going for pedicures. This will be a way to thank my feet for being so good to me for these past few months. :) And hopefully, the TLC will make them feel and look better.
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