We are Not Elitists

So much for leading the pack. I ran 2 miles on Monday and then 3 today, and my leg hurts something awful. I was looking forward to running when I left for work this morning, but at about 11:00 I was dreading it because I knew my leg would hurt. I did it anyway, and then took two ibuprofen. All better....

Two of my friends at work who are running expressed an interest in the MIT program and so I have been giving them information as I get it. Last Saturday, one of them went to the orientation at 7:30 am (the first run started at 8) and then when she got out of the orientation she panicked and left. I never saw her. I guess trying to make your way through a couple hundred people in a high school hallway can be intimidating, even when you are an adult!

My first several times going to the Saturday runs I was very nervous. I spent half my morning in the bathroom until I absolutely had to go. I was ok once we started running, and felt great afterwards, but I had knots in my stomach before I left. It can be very intimidating to run with a lot of people, and then try to keep from looking like an idiot, or someone who shouldn't even be out there. When I first started running, I told my husband I wouldn't run anywhere except the cemetery so no one could see me except the dead.

But the MIT coaches are very encouraging, if not totally organized. They didn't really have a coach for anyone slower than 11:00 m/m pace, and removed the mile markers too soon in my opinion - us slow half marathoners were not going the distance the full marathoners were, and still needed to know where the first couple miles were (although having the Garmin Forerunner takes care of that issue for me!). But no one makes fun of you, and there are lots of different types of runners that come out. Everyone is supportive, and as they do the loop and pass you they will cheer you on. Even though it can be scary, I feel as though I would not stick with a training program if I didn't have a group to run with. And it's a great feeling to see them on the race course - if you have on your MIT gear someone will give you a "Yeah MIT!" as you run by.

This time it looks like they are more organized, too. The swag is nice (a very nice technical shirt and hat) and they already have a speaker schedule posted on their website. They have some new coaches and I think there are a lot of new people who will take some time to figure out where their pace is at.

The sport of running seems be at an all time popularity high. Almost everyone I talk to is running (or hates it - there is no in between!) or wants to get started. It's very exciting. It's a sport where you don't have to rely on anyone or anything but your feet. And elitists are few and far between (despite this ad to the contrary - some people will do anything to sell their product)- most people are really supportive.

I'm not sure why I felt the need to write this particular post, but I did. So there.

My new favorite show: The Closer. Gotta go.

Leading the Pack!

The winter Marathoner in Training (MIT) session started today. I was so energized. There were a lot of people and about half of them were new. The motto of MIT is "Run a Marathon, Change Your Life" and we were asked to raise our hand if running changed our lives. I raised my hand emphatically. Some of my running friends from the last time were there, which was nice. One of them is training for the Disney Marathon, so she's up to 20 miles! She and I met each other when we were getting lost doing a six miler some time in June, so it's great to see how far she's come.

I was so excited to start running again. Unlike the majority of last season, I actually started with the 11:00 m/m pace group and ended up leading them, sort of. I broke off and went on my own ahead of them after the first mile. I had my music player, my new winter running pants and some terrific adrenaline. Most of the group I was with only did three miles, including me. We went from the high school and then on the bike path and turned around. The last .75 miles was an eye opener for the newbies. It's the same hill we went DOWN when we started, but when you have to go back up it to get to the end of the run it can wear you out if you are not used to it. Quite a few people were walking up the hill. When we got to the end I heard one of the participants at the water station exclaim, "No wonder I could do an 11:00 minute pace when we started - we were going downhill!" Yep. It's a great way to start, but a pain to finish.

I got a huge kick out of one man at the water station who commented to me - "Looks like you were leading the pack!" I needed to hear that, after all the pain and PT and trepidation from my shin splints that I've experienced in the last year. When I got into the car I had to call my husband and tell him all about it (even though I only live five minutes away).

Now at 8:30 p.m. my legs are throbbing. I guess it's the price you pay for the "rush" of the run.

Two weeks ago I was limping when I would start out my run because my legs were so tight. And afterwards I would practically limp home. I resolved to see the doctor again. I did see the doctor again this week, but when I went to see him my legs didn't hurt nearly as bad. I felt like I had taken my car into the shop and it wouldn't make that annoying noise for anyone else to hear. Nevertheless, I asked about orthotics, and I go in next week to get a cast of my feet. In the meantime I am trying to run a little differently - stick my chest out more and run a little more from my hips/quads. I think I have been using my lower legs for the majority of the work and this might be part of the problem. It seems to be working pretty well but we'll see how the next few weeks play out. How much do you want to bet I'll have ITBS next?

The True Cost of Christmas Spoons

Ok so I'm lazy. Lame. Whatever you want to call it. Christmas shopping stresses me out. And the thought of standing in line at the post office? Forget it.

Yesterday I took my two year old out shopping and I found one thing on my list after 2 hours. I drove all over the place, maneuvered around lots of people, and picked up after my Little Tornado tore store shelves apart. He LOVED the bookstores. I had to take the Little Tornado, you see, because my six year old was having his inaugural Pokemon club meeting, and the last thing five six year olds want hanging around is a two year old, and LT would not understand. So he came along with me.

After that delightful experience yesterday, I resolved not to do anymore physical shopping if I could help it. I'm now halfway done with my shopping, thanks to Amazon.com. But at what cost? One of the items I purchased for my brother who just recently became a father with twin girls is a set of baby spoons. But the spoons don't come from directly from Amazon so they have to be shipped separate from other gifts I bought. The shipping for the spoons cost almost as much as the spoons themselves!

At least if my nieces are true to their heritage, they will use those spoons with gusto, and not look back. We like to eat, you see.... My brother even has a food fetish - he takes pictures of his food before he eats it. Like this one, and this one, and this one. You get the idea.

And speaking of eating, I ran again outside. 2 miles. I limped for the first few steps then loosened up enough to run with a dull pain. I wore my new running pants since it was so cold outside. When I was done and limped home, I resolved to call the doctor again for some deep tissue massage and a prescription for orthotics. It's my last resort.

Jumping the Shark

It seems every great show I get into either gets cancelled (i.e. Firefly) or jumps the shark (i.e. Alias, Lost). Apparently Heroes is going the way of the shark.....we are still in Season 1, but one of my favorite bloggers, Wil Wheaton, had this to say about Season 2 in a recent blog post:

(Speaking of stopping time, is anyone else totally over Heroes this season? I haven't been this disappointed by a series since the third season of Lost.)

Bummer.

By the way, I ran two miles on the treadmill at lunch today. I had to get past some almost excruciating pain in my right tibialis posterior muscle but it seemed to loosen up after a half mile. I took some ibuprofen immediately afterwards and it hasn't hurt too much since. I do have to do my nightly "Stick, stretch, PT, and ice" routine, though. And watch Season 1 of Heroes.

Random Thoughts

I've been admonished for not keeping my blog up-to-date, and for keeping that picture of the balloon up on my blog too long. (Hope you like the new picture I posted, Dad!)

So I'm going to try to keep blogging, but I can't guarantee that anyone will actually be interested in what I have to say.

I created a new word yesterday - Garmining: to use the Garmin Forerunner. Sentence - "Are you Garmining on your run today or just using your watch?" The Garmin is giving us some attitude and my husband has to smack it a few times to get it to work. That's technology for you.

I dreamed about playing the Pokemon trading card game last night. While I have a great time playing with my six year old, this Pokemon thing is getting out of control. And every day he seems find more cards. I don't know where. He trades them and then today he said he found some under his bed. We were looking for cards last week and I didn't see any under there. And somehow he got an old 1996 Japanese Pokemon card, but he doesn't remember how he got it. I guess Transformers are so last month; Pokemon is the cool thing now.

At least I'm not doing the princess thing. My brother gets to enjoy playing barbies and princesses in a few years! He he! My brother and I used to play Superstar Barbie and the Six Million Dollar Man. Barbie would ride around in a shoe (her car) and I propped up some books for houses. I don't remember what the Six Million Dollar Man would do.

My new favorite show is Heroes. Save the cheerleader, save the world! We are watching the DVDs of the first season. We have a hard time stopping after just one episode a night.

Last but not least, my leg was really sore today. I'm contemplating going back to the doctor and possibly getting orthotics. I don't think I've done any major damage - just the same old shin splints - but maybe the orthotics are what I need. In the meantime, I rode the stationary bike today. 20 minutes, 5 miles, only 130 calories. Ugh. And very boring. Tomorrow I'll try to run on the treadmill again at lunch.

Back in the Saddle Again

After about a month on hiatus I started running again today. Four days off and too much food in the house really started to get to me. If there is good food in the house I will eat all day, and we certainly had a feast on Thanksgiving. My leg wasn't giving me much trouble so I thought I'd test it out.

I ran 2 miles in the cemetery. It was in the 40s and sunny. The first mile was a piece of cake. My leg felt as though it was loosening up. My left leg didn't give me any trouble at all. After one mile I could start to feel some pain in my right leg. I toughed it out; I put on some music and jogged past all the tombstones. It's weird to run in the cemetery with Intergalatic from the Beastie Boys ringing in your ears.

Afterwards I stretched and iced and used the Stick. I have an ankle brace that I wear, too, since the pain goes down to my ankle. I took some Advil as well. Just like old times.

It felt good to be out in the crisp clean air. To get away from the bustle of the beginning of the holiday season and four days in the house without much of a break except about 1 hour by myself with a cappucino cruising Toys R Us looking for ideas for the kids for Christmas. That was fun.

I start MIT training again in two weeks. I can't wait. Training for a race really gives me the motivation I need to keep running. Especially as winter approaches!

Boston or Bust!

My husband is planning his trip to Boston in April and the airfare and hotel rates are outrageously expensive due to the marathon. We will do everything we can to get him there, but I wanted to make a pitch for Christmas donations to the "Send Bill to Boston" fund instead of gifts! I think Bill would like the same for his birthday in February.

In other news, I ran on Saturday with the training group. Attendance was sparse but it was nice to have some people to run with. It was the first run for me since the race, and my first run in the cold. It started out around 35 degrees. I had on my husband's tights (yeah I can fit into his tights now!) and a long sleeve running shirt and jacket. I was warm but quickly realized how cold your hands can get without gloves! I kept switching my water bottle from hand to hand after each hand thawed for about 10 minutes in my sleeve or pocket. Fortunately, after a mile my hands started to warm up and I was ok.

I kept the run easy and short. 2 miles at 11:40 pace. It felt really good to be running again. My shins were sore but I shook it off. However, when I got home, my inside right leg tightened up so much it felt like I had a brick in my leg. It really hurt. REALLY hurt. I wrapped it with an ace bandage after icing with the paper cup and frozen peas on the side of my foot. I then proceeded to walk on it for about 2 or 3 hours at COSI with my son and his friend. I couldn't help it; I had promised to take them.

The next day was no better. I did less walking but my leg kept tightening up. I carried that brick around all day. Last night I massaged it with the Stick (the first roll over caused me to yelp it hurt so much, then the pain subsided a little), I stretched, resumed my PT and iced it again.

Because of this, I have made the very difficult decision to stop running until December when the training group starts again. I will choose alternative cardio exercises and strengthening and do my PT and try again in December. I'm a little sad I'm going to miss running in the Flying Feather this year, since it was my very first race ever and I'm a little sentimental about it, but I'd rather commit to serious training for the spring Cap City half marathon, and see how it goes. I might use that race as a gauge for whether I can even think about the Columbus Marathon (yes I said MARATHON) next year.

When you think about what I've done this past year, it's pretty amazing. At least to me. I've logged in almost 500 miles running thus far, and I ran 2 half marathons and two other races. Considering I was 30 pounds overweight and seriously sleep deprived when I started running over a year ago, I think I've done pretty well. I'm pretty sure I'm not setting my sights on Boston, as I am not nearly as seriously competitive as my husband, but I continue to strive to do better while enjoying the sport. Running is such a drug - I don't think I can ever stop!

A funny thing happened on my way down.........

A pretty funny thing (now it's funny) happened to me today. I went out to lunch with some co-workers and was walking with them out of the restaurant. I was going over to another state office building and getting a flu shot before my meeting. I was saying how great it was to get a flu shot, especially with two kids and one in kindergarten bringing home all manner of delightful viruses. I had a flu shot last year and didn't get too sick. I definitely didn't get the flu.

So we parted and I headed over to the state office tower. The flu shots were on the 18th floor. I filled out the paperwork, read the obligatory information sheet, and walked right up to the nurse. I rolled up my sleeve and she said "this will pinch a little....ok you are done."

At that very moment I looked over at my arm as she pulled out the needle. She watched my arm to see if I needed a bandaid and then she decided I did. I watched this and felt a little uncomfortable. I've had shots before, and blood drawn, and it hasn't bothered me too much. I usually just look away and I'm fine.

Right afterwards, I left. I made it to the elevator and the woman next to me was talking about how much her arm hurt after getting the shot. I felt fine. The doors to the elevator closed.

Wait a minute. I started to feel dizzy. I looked at the control panel for the elevator. I decided when we got to the lobby I'd find a seat and take a break before heading to my meeting on the 31st floor. But then I realized there were too many stops along the way; I wasn't sure I would make it --

And then I was having the most delightful dream.

And then I woke up on the floor of the elevator with people talking to me.

"Are you ok?"

"Let's get her to the lobby - call the nurse!"

I opened my eyes and realized I had fainted. People were scrambling to figure out who to call and what do to. I said, "I'm ok," but I was all sweaty and a little disoriented. The elevator doors opened to the first floor and I was able to walk, with someone holding onto me, over to a bench. A security guard came rushing over and starting taking down information. I was actually very coherent, but tired. Another security guard brought a wheelchair. I wondered where they were wheeling me to? I explained I had just gotten a flu shot. They asked if I had eaten, and I had, right before the flu shot (and actually several times that morning).

They took me to the basement to the state employee health services. It was basically a nurse's office, with three beds and a few nurses hanging around. They let me lie down and then took my blood pressure, my pulse and temperature. Everything was normal. They were really nice about the whole thing.

After about 20 minutes I thought I was fine. I left for a meeting. When I got to the elevator, I looked down for a moment and felt just the slightest bit dizzy. There was no way I was getting back on that elevator! I decided to skip the meeting and sit down for a while until the next meeting, which was about 30 minutes later. This one was on the first floor so I thought I would be ok.

I called my husband and let him know what happened. As I was talking to him, I felt a little fuzzy again. I hung up and headed back downstairs to the nurses' office and asked if I could lie down again. I stayed there about an hour, resting and reading my emails on my Blackberry. I wasn't sure what had happened. I explained to a nurse that I had to be healthy. I just ran 13.1 miles with no problem last week! At least no problem other than shin splints.

Nevertheless, I didn't want to overreact, but I just didn't feel back to normal. I was even worried about walking back to my office and driving home. One of my co-workers and friend offered to come get me, and she drove me home.

I called my family doctor's office to see if I had anything serious like an allergic reaction and shouldn't I come in for tests or something???? Anyway, a nurse called me back and said that fainting is a quite common response for a flu shot. She mentioned a vaso-vagal response. I've only fainted two other times, both when I had just given birth. Then, it was understandable. This time was weird.

There's even a whole phobia just for this situation: trypanophobia. I didn't really think I had this, but I do try to avoid looking at needles being stuck in me. The pain isn't the problem, it's just the needles. And it's not needles that bother me. It's needles stuck in me that bother me.

I also think I might be coming down with a sinus infection or a cold so maybe that contributed to the situation. In any case, I really am relieved I fainted in the elevator with some really great people who helped me, and that I was in a building that was well equipped with caring, understanding staff.

Don't worry Mom and Dad - I'm fine now, just drained. A good night sleep should fix everything.

But first, I had to leave my car downtown, so now I have to find out when the COTA bus stops near my house. I hope I don't faint at the bus stop!

Happy Birthday!

Happy 36th birthday, Matt! My little brother was born on Halloween and he's still a little devil! I am, of course, still a princess....

Matt is a pretty worldly fellow. He's ventured far from Canfield, Ohio into the world and hasn't looked back.

He's now entering unexplored territory, however - parenthood! Parenthood is fraught with sleepless nights, anxiety, frustration, calls/trips to the doctor, all varieties of flus and colds, and things you swore you would never say to YOUR kids. But it's also full of fun, love, joy, discovery. So happy birthday, little brother, and just wait until you can take pictures of your kids like this one:

KISS ROCKS!

Marathon Winner

I didn't realize that the winner of the marathon is an MIT (Marathoners in Training) coach! That's my training group. Here's an interview he did with a local TV station.

There will be an informal run this weekend but I think I'm going to give myself a few weeks to let my shin splints heal. They still hurt, but day by day they are getting better. I plan to start going back to the gym next week and riding the bike and doing core exercises. I can't keep eating as much as I am without some exercise!!!! I was used to carb loading, and now I have to back off again.

My husband's race report is posted on the Running Times forum. He half-jokingly mentioned to me he was thinking of doing the West Virginia marathon next weekend. I told him I'd hide the car keys if he was serious. Now he's backed off and is thinking of the half marathon. I still think he's crazy.

Race Recap - What a Blast!

Runners post race reports on forums and blogs, so here's what I remember.

Pre-race prep

My husband woke us up at 4:50 am. I actually slept through the night, which is extremely unusual for me. I took my time getting ready but couldn't eat much. Had my coffee and half a bagel. You are supposed to eat early so your food digests before you run, and you want to drink, but not too close to race time or you'll spend the rest of the morning before the race in the portapotty line. I was pretty nervous so I stayed away from everyone. My in-laws woke up and started to get ready. My father in law was dropping us off at the hotel where my running group was meeting us.

We both had a few trips to the bathroom and then we were ready to go. No, wait, my husband ran back to the bathroom and we waited. And waited. I started to get really anxious. I wanted to meet my running group and find my running partner. Finally he got out and I said let's go! I thought he'd be in there forever!

We got downtown and hopped out of the car. Then we noticed that the directions we gave my father in law to get back home would not be helpful at all as they were routing cars directly away from the roads he needed. My husband ran back to the car and tried to give him some new directions but we were pretty sure he'd get lost. No matter, we had a race to run.

We parted at the doors to the hotel and my husband went to his swanky pre-race meeting place with his runner forum buddies. I went inside and upstairs to where my team was meeting and found about 40 people milling about and stretching and lining up for the bathroom. I found one of my running friends and we talked. I stood in line for the bathroom. Then I finally found my running partner.

This is a pretty funny story. I have been running with this particular woman for at least two months, and I didn't remember her name. By race time it was too late to ask her name - that would be even more embarassing. Anyway, I found her and we went over to her husband. She introduces me - "This is the person I've been running with." That's it! She didn't know my name either. I held out my hand and said, "I'm Beth, nice to meet you."

We eventually got outside where it was a little chilly. I had on a singlet (no sleeves) and shorts but I knew it would serve me well when the sun came up. We handed our bags over to be put in a truck that our running group had made available. This was a really nice thing to have - they took our bags to the finish line so I had my things right after I finished.

We then made our way through the THRONG of runners and discovered we could stay warm amongst all the bodies. It got chillier as we made our way to the back of the line and fewer people were there. The walkers started an hour earlier so those of us in the back were it - the slow people. The penguins. Helicopters flew overhead. The mayor made a speech. Then we were off. We jogged a foot, and then stopped. We jogged again. Then we walked. It actually took a few minutes before we made it to the start. We finally got to the starting line and we were ready to roll!

The race

We kept a steady 11-12 minute/mile pace, stopping at water stations to rehydrate, take a break, and down some Gu (espresso love is my fav). I felt so good, I was giddy. The pain in my legs was nothing like it had been last week. I felt a mild burn in my shins but nothing I couldn't handle. I clapped and cheered with the crowd, and danced past the bands and the music. I gave a whoohoo to the kids who were cheering. I guess it was the endorphins and just being part of such an incredible experience that made me so happy and acting so crazy.

We ran right past the Governor's mansion and there he was, Governor Strickland, cheering us on. I told my running partner - that's my boss! I had to explain he's my ultimate boss, but there are lots of bosses between him and me. Still, it was cool.

I was careful to space out my Gu and my Gatorade so I wouldn't get sick. I felt really queasy at the end of my last half marathon, and I knew it was partly due to all the sugar I had had. So this time I was smarter about it. Training with the running team really helped. I learned a lot about how to keep yourself hydrated and keep your energy.

At some point in the race I finally found out the name of my partner - she was telling me some story about someone cheering her on and she said her name - "Alright Nancy!" Aha! Nancy!

Nancy told me around mile 8 she didn't feel like talking because she was tired. She didn't mind me talking but I wasn't supposed to expect her to answer. I was feeling great. I was tired, and my legs hurt a little more, but I knew I could keep going. I just kept chatting and chatting. I was probably pretty annoying.

Around mile 10 or 11 we came up to a water stop and Nancy said she was going to walk through and take a break. I knew the end was in sight, and although I was tired, my legs were numb and I still had the crazy endorphin buzz. In April, I hadn't felt nearly as good as this. I think the steady pace, and my training, really helped this time. I also had in the back of my mind my previous time and although my ultimate goal was to finish and feel good, I really really wanted to beat my time. So I told Nancy I was going to take off after the water stop - I hope she realized I meant to leave her, cause that's what I did. Apparently the "race tracker" online was predicting a 2:37 finish, but I picked up my pace at the end after I left Nancy. I knew I was almost done. I saw the Riffe Tower - a very tall building downtown that is right next to my office, and I knew I just had to run up High Street and turn the corner and I would be at the finish. I was in familiar territory and the end was in sight.

The only problem I had was dodging walkers. Not just walkers, but run/walkers. These people run and then stop and walk for a minute then run again. I am totally in support of this approach but not when they stop in front of me and I have to run past them only to have them catch up and do it again.

As I turned the corner from High to Nationwide, and the finish line was in sight at the bottom of the hill, I was weaving back and forth past weary runners and a lot of walkers. I even ran into the "Couch Potatoes". I was quite annoyed with it all. I kept thinking, "There's the finish line, people! Can't you move yourselves a little faster, downhill, with the finish line a few feet away????" I broke free and had a wide open space to the finish line. Right before I crossed I heard shouts - "Beth! Beth!" It was my inlaws, and my kids, cheering me on. (my father in law made it home, and back downtown!) I raised my arms in a victory cheer and said "whoohoo!" across the finish line. Then I quickly regrouped and found the photographer. I stared at the camera with the biggest smile and my best running pose. Then I headed for the medals! I picked up a bagel and some water and just moved in slow motion through the crowd. A friend called out to me from the fence and I yelled, "I did it!" and she gave me a hug.

Later, my in-laws just shook their heads as they waited patiently for my husband and me to catch up to them in the parking lot. We were really far behind and were just starting to tighten up. It was a long walk to the car.

What a rush! I remember why I love running so much. I had the best time and I did great. My shin hurt more than ever before, and it still does, but it doesn't matter. It was worth it. And the HUGE banana split I tried to finish last night was the best treat ever.

Today right next to my office door someone put up my race stats and had written on the paper, "Congrats, Beth!" I hobbled into my office, sat down and smiled. I kept my tennis shoes on all day but managed to get around pretty well. I showed off my medal and shared my stories.

I'm sure my euphoria is nothing compared to my husband's. A BQ is a huge deal. But that's his story to tell. We are all very proud of him.

A few weeks off and it will be time to train for the spring half marathon. And maybe, just maybe, there's a marathon in my future in October. Just don't tell my shins!

Columbus marathon slideshow

Some race pictures

13.1

I finished, and got a PR (personal record): 2:33:26 !

My husband qualified for Boston at 3:19!

What a rush. I had a blast. More to come. I have to hobble over to the bathroom and shower.

Just Do Your Best

Less than 12 hours before the race! I have all these funny pains in my legs which are making me panic. My husband had to go out and run two miles just to calm down. The kids got to race today and had a blast. I'm terribly nervous.

I told my six year old I was very nervous. "About what?" he asked. "About whether I can finish the race," I explained. He said "It's not important whether you finish the race, Mommy. You just need to do your best."

That's my goal - to do my best.

Let the Music Move You

I finally read the "final" race instructions and it states unequivocally that no IPods or MP3 players are permitted during the race. I'm a little distressed about this as I was planning on using my music player during the race. I use it all the time for my treadmill runs (I would be very bored otherwise) and the music really helps me keep moving. I haven't used the music player as much for my long runs because I can't hear people talking to me (huh, that could be why they don't want us to use them during the race....). We actually have conversations on the long runs on the trail and it makes the run go by much easier.

So I really hope that I have someone to talk to during the race. I have one woman that I have been running with lately and she and I have a pretty good pace going. She teaches middle school Spanish. Doesn't have kids. I keep her amused with my family stories about excrement (hey, when you have a 6 year old that thinks the word "poopyhead" is the funniest thing ever, and a 2 year old who really wants to be like his big brother and use the potty, but isn't quite there yet, you can't help but get caught up in the poopy madness of it all.)

It's too bad, 'cause I just downloaded some more music for my music player from Amazon, and I'm really enjoying it. Amazon's MP3 download service is great. It uses existing account information, and you can play the music in windows media player and add the songs to playlists - which is important for those of us that did not jump on the Apple bandwagon but bought a practical, inexpensive music player instead. I only downloaded 2 songs: Intergalactic and Sabatoge from the Beastie Boys. I also added from our existing CD catalogue what I think is by far the best running song - Running Down a Dream by Tom Petty. Other songs I enjoy while running include:

• It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine) - R.E.M.
• Paint it Black - Rolling Stones
• Respect - Aretha Franklin
• Body Movin' - Beastie Boys
• Blitzkrieg Bop & Rock -n- Roll High School - Ramones
• My Generation - The Who
• ReHumanize Yourself - The Police
• Welcome to the Jungle - Guns n Roses
• Good Pain - Live

I guess I'll have to keep the music in my head since I won't be able to use the music player at the race. As long as I don't start singing out loud, I think I'll be fine!

Taper Madness and Gurgles

Six days and counting until the race. It's taper time. And time for taper madness. That's what happens when you slow down your training to store up energy for the race, you are eager and ready to race, and you are on edge. I'm not so bad - my husband has taper madness way worse than me. It's his PMS.

After 4 days of rest, I ran 2 miles today. My legs were very tight. Mile 1 was really hard. Unfortunately I have some sort of minor stomach thing that makes you nauseous and run to the bathroom a few times a day so I didn't feel like drinking water, even while I was running. My stomach was not happy about all the jostling, either. My husband is just getting over the same thing and it looks like it lasts 2 or 3 days, tops. I think I'm on day 2. Unfortunately, my 2 year old is on day 1, so we might have some sleepless nights and yucky diapers ahead of us. Just when we need sleep!

Still, I got a pre-race email from my training group that has me psyched. While I'm really nervous and feel as though I haven't trained enough (and I'm sure my legs will hurt more than ever), I'm also excited to get out there and give it all I have.

Despite the pain and the gurgly stomach, I still felt some euphoria today from running. Even 2 miles, especially after a few days hiatus, felt awesome. I felt strong, happy and ready to conquer all.

Then I had to run for the border. Ugh.

Taking it Easy

It's 8:06 am and my fellow runners are lined up at the school for their last long run before the race. It's something like 35 degrees - a little chilly but perfect once you get going.

I am not running this morning. My legs hurt a little more than usual, and my coach (my husband) and I agreed that skipping the last long run was better than doing it and being in pain again all next week. I will run some short (SLOW) runs this coming week and then save up the pain for Sunday's 13.1 miles.

So I'm trying to get my son moving so we can get to his last soccer game before it starts; we've already missed practice! But who wants to get out of bed when it's so cold?

Miles and Miles

10 miles, baby! That's what I did this morning. It was HOT (isn't it October????) and my legs were hurting from the 3 miles I ran on Thursday during which I did two 10 minute miles. DUMB!

Only one more week with 11 miles on Saturday and then it's taper time until the race!

I was so sweaty this morning after the run that when I walked into the air conditioned house I was FREEZING. Hence, the sweatshirt....

Some spaghetti (carbs!), two advil, a cold bath and ice massage and now I'm ready for some cappucino and Target.

Poop Happens

So I managed a 5 mile run at lunch today, even though my legs hurt like hell. Small price to pay, right?

But the big news is my baby pooped in the little potty. I was so excited. He really seemed to get it.

And then he pooped on the floor.

I don't know what it is with this kid and pooping but it cannot be my genes. It has to be his dad's. :-)

Perfect Pace

I managed to get all my miles in this week, even when I was in Kansas City. The little trail in Mill Creek Park was perfect. It was well-lit and there were enough walkers and runners to make me feel comfortable. Well almost comfortable. My pace was much quicker because I was a little nervous out there in the dark. On Wednesday I ran 5 laps, which equated to roughly 4.3 miles (although I read elsewhere the loop was .96 miles). We went out to lunch at an Italian restaurant and I felt so bloated after the most excellent pizza I had (and the baby back ribs the night before) and sore from my nervous pace (a little under 11:00 m/m) that the next morning I was only able to run 3 laps. However, overall, I did all the miles for the week, plus 8 on Saturday.

I managed to run the entire 8 miles on Saturday with the 11:00 minute per mile pace group. Only at the very end was I starting to breath heavy. The morning was so beautiful - cool, crisp and the first light of dawn. I was worried when I started because everything seemed to be against me. The city closed off the main road that I take to get to the school where we start our training so I had to take a detour (and I only live 5 minutes away). By the time I got to the school there was no Gu (which is essential for a long run!) so I was Gu-less. The batteries in my music player were dead (I probably left it on during my Kansas City trip). I had to go to the bathroom as soon as I started running. I ran my music player back to the car and when I got back everyone was gone.

It didn't take long to catch up to the 11:00 group. After about 4 miles I found one of my running friends (one has dropped out; one is still run/walking so I don't see her much) at the back of the 11:00 pack. I told her my sad story and she offered me an extra Gu. And I had someone to talk to during my run and didn't miss my music player. The running gods and goddesses were looking out for me! I still had to go to the bathroom but I was able to hold it the entire way.

After the run I had to race over to my son's soccer game. My son's soccer team won their first game! The boys are all in kindergarten and for the most part they are easily distracted and like horsing around with each other rather than focusing on soccer. This was a fun game to watch.

I have two days of five miles during this week - I hope I can fit them in at lunch. We are very nearly at race day!

Ready to Run

Yes, I am in Kansas City, Missouri, and it's 5:00 am and I'm wide awake and ready to run. I'm on a trip for work and because of time zone changes and the fact that I don't sleep very well when I travel, I just can't get back to sleep.

I was hoping to keep up my training while out of town but so far no luck. I ventured down to the "fitness room" in the hotel and tried to figure out how to turn on the rickety little treadmill. No dice. I mentioned the problem to the front desk and about 15 minutes later someone came down and checked out the circuit breaker. Still no dice. So I'm sitting in my room waiting for the sun to come up a little so I can venture outside. I'm munching on a Clif bar since the restaurant isn't open yet either.

There's a little park within walking distance with a little trail and people were jogging on it last night so I think there will be people on it this morning and it should be pretty safe. I used Runstoppable to figure out the approximate mileage and it looks like about a one mile loop. I only need to do four miles so it should be no big deal.

My training is going very well. I now run during the week at the gym at lunch time and my pace has improved. My shin splints have not gotten any worse and I dutifully do my PT every night I can (almost every night). I ran my 6 miles on Saturday entirely with the 11:00 minute/mile pace group. Of course the coach for that group was doing 20 miles so she was not pushing it but it was still faster than I have been running and I was able to do it easily. Finally, some progress! And just in time for the race, which is 4 weeks away! I have an 8 miler this Saturday, then 10 and 11 and then it's race day.

Robots in Disguise

We did it! The party was a success. Now it's time for some caffeine so I can clean up....

If you want something done, give it to a busy person....

...except for keeping up with the blog, that is. Overnight the chaos in our house has practically doubled. Ever since my son started kindergarten and now soccer we've had more to do. So I haven't done a very good job of keeping this blog up to date. I'm just trying to keep everything straight at home and work.

Here are some updates:

Magazine sale
I emailed the principal. He emailed me back. I emailed him again. We did not buy any magazines but I think I can still show my face at the school. I still disagree with exposing kindergarteners the way the school did but the principal said this is the only fundraiser in which the kids are involved and when he started there were a lot more and they were much worse. Ok but I'm not buying magazines.

Birthdays
My kids' birthdays are three days apart. The grandparents live out of town. So the kids essentially get three "parties" - each time each of the grandparents visit, and then we have our own family thing. We just can't seem to get it all together. And now we are on the eve of the big "Transformers" party tomorrow. I have a full agenda with pizza, games, a pinata, cupcakes and ice cream, and I have the Transformers theme throughout. It is going to be so cool I can't wait to come.

Running
My running is going very well. I run at work at lunchtime on the treadmill and my pace has picked up a bit. Today, however, was a great milestone. I actually ended up with a pace group! All during my training with the running group I've been among a handful of people whose pace was too slow to merit a coach or a "true" group. We have generally been on our own bringing up the rear. Since I've made peace with my shin splints (although my legs are still putting up a fight) I just run through the pain and it hasn't gotten any worse. I guess my running has gotten better, though! Someone I started running with and I caught up to the 11:00 minute/mile pace group. I don't think we were going that much faster but they were slowing down because I think they had a lot of miles ahead of them today (like 18 or 20), whereas I only had 7. So I'm sure they were taking it easy. It's been a few weeks since I ran 7 miles, though, but it felt really good. And the weather was perfect - in the 40s. That's what it's supposed to be like for the half marathon in October.

That's all I can write now, because I have to go ice and see what else I need to do for the party tomorrow.

My stomach turns again

No, my two year old didn't poop in the bathtub. I made him wear little swimmers just in case.

My son came home from his second day of kindergarten and told us about the assembly he had at school. They talked about how the kids needed to help raise money for the school so they were doing a magazine subscription drive and they had cool things you can win if you sell lots of magazines. They had the actual prizes and showed them to the kids.

My son came home and told us how much he wants to win the prizes. I read the documentation and this is a school-sanctioned event to raise money for certain extra programs the school does. Some of them are not even for my son - like sixth grade camp.

I am furious about this. My son is six years old and very impressionable. I remember selling candles and magazines and things for my school when I was a kid but I don't remember being shown the actual prizes I could win for selling the most. And I don't remember being asked to do it when I was six!

This is wrong on so many levels. We pay a lot of taxes to be in this school district and get the benefit of the schools. Why does my six year old son need to be bribed by his school to sell magazines to parents and relatives if I'm already paying more in taxes than many districts? And why are they wasting school time talking about selling magazines instead of teaching my son? If the school needs money for some special program, let the parents know - don't waste school time trying to get my kid to guilt me into buying a bunch of magazines.

Even if they sent home the booklet and asked us to help out by buying magazines, I wouldn't have been so offended. To approach my child with this is unacceptable.

I don't know what to do about it. My son just started school - and his mom's making trouble already! I'll cool off over the weekend and then maybe reconsider sending out emails to various people like the school board, my state senator and representative, etc.

If this is what it's like to have children in school, my poor son is in trouble. I'm not good at letting things go.

it's the little things...

My oldest baby started kindergarten yesterday and he took his first bus ride. I was much more anxious than he was.

"So you know what to do when you get on the bus?" I asked him nervously.

"Yeah. I find a seat," he said, nonplussed. I could tell he was annoyed because of the exasperated sigh he uttered as I continued.

"What's your bus number?" "Who's your teacher?" He answered as if he had been riding the bus and going to school for years.

"Alright!" I put my hand out for a high five. "You are ready to go, aren't you?" I was proud, but a little sad. My husband said when he got off the bus he had a smile from ear to ear. He was a little chatterbox about all of the things he did at school. And when I got home a few hours later, he was so excited to tell me all about it all over again. "I love school, Mommy." "That's great!" I said. "I knew you would!"

It warmed my heart.

Tonight, something turned my stomach.

My little one has a bad habit. The boys tend to take baths together, and it works pretty smoothly. Occasionally, however, things go wrong. Very wrong. Not as bad as this scene, which was actually pretty funny since it wasn't happening to me.

In my case, the 2 year old keeps pooping in the tub during his bath. And I never catch it in time. He did it again tonight.

Fortunately, my oldest had not yet gotten in the tub. He's not always so lucky. Tonight he kept yelling, "EW! YUCK! Mommy! Clean the tub!!!" Which is the LAST thing I want to do. Somehow my husband gets to watch the baby while I clean the tub and my other son keeps adding his own commentary -

"EW! Look at it in there!"

"I can't look at it. EW!"

"I told you he was pooping!"

"I am NOT taking a bath in there now!"

Sigh.

At least my running is keeping me sane. I'm on schedule - 9 miles this week with 6 on Saturday. My legs are constantly in pain but not so bad I can't keep running. I'm hoping one day my legs just give in and say "Fine, you win. We accept that you are running. We'll get back to normal now." Until then, I carry on.

Training Resumes

I realized I never updated my blog with information about my doctor visit and training. Time is just flying by and I'm so busy. My son is getting ready for kindergarten next week and both boys will be having birthdays soon.

I did see the doctor, and he said that I could continue running, and following the training plan that I had for the Columbus Half Marathon in October. He said that running would not cause anything more serious to happen to my legs as long as I followed the schedule. He also suggested orthotics but given the price, he suggested I try over the counter insoles or go to a place called See the Trainer where I could get semi-custom insoles while I waited. I'm going to try the over the counter insoles first.

In the meantime, two weeks ago I ran a total of 10 miles, with minimal pain, and this past week I ran 13 total. I ran six of them on Saturday. My legs are still quite sore and I'm due to run again tomorrow. When I start out running, my legs hurt, but eventually I don't feel the pain anymore until afterwards.

Saturday was a terrible day to run. I was lucky I only had six miles. At 7:00 am the temperature was well into the 70s and the humidity was unbearable. Our fearless leader for the day, Tim, announced that no one was running a long run today. We looked at each other in confusion. He went on to say that instead there will be a series of short runs to each aid station. The aid stations are set up each Saturday by our training club and are 3-4 miles apart on the trail. As we ran, Tim ran up and down the path to see how everyone was doing. He asked me how far I was going and I said, six, and he responded, good, that's easy, you'll be fine. I was fine but some people had 22 miles to run! It was so humid you could hardly breathe! And since we've had some pretty severe rain the last few days, one of the small bridges was washed out and we had to take a small detour over some grass alongside the woods.

I felt good about the run, though. My time was right where I wanted it to be and I was able to keep myself going despite the heat. My legs didn't give out - I saw one woman who just kept stopping and I heard her tell Tim that she was having a bad day because her shins hurt. I feel for ya, honey!

I discovered that I really like running at lunchtime now. I used to get up at 5:00 am and run and then rush around to get ready for work. Now I get to work early so I can take a full hour to run at the gym. It's envigorating after sitting around for 3 or 4 hours. As long as I don't have any big meetings in the afternoon, I don't shower but just towel off before changing back into my work clothes. A little Bath and Body Works spray helps, too.

I have three days of 3 miles each and 6 miles this weekend. Gotta go do my PT and ice!

PS Go Steelers!

Positive Thoughts

While I'm at it, I want to send some good positive vibes to my brother and sister-in-law who are going through a very challenging time. I want to let my sister-in-law know that the women in our family are stubborn, very determined and tough, and those little ones are going to give it all they've got-it's in their genes. In the meantime, don't let Matt make you any of those gross protein shakes he drank when he was a scrawny little kid on the football team (you couldn't tell looking at him now!); those things are disgusting!

The One

21. Whoever makes you happy most of the time, that's "the one."

This is from an interesting post called "30 Random Ways to a Happier Life" that I was directed to from WWDN (Wil Wheaton's blog), which is one of my favorites (I should add it to my list). I don't agree with everything on the list but it does make you think.*

#21 is definitely true for me. Most of the time I feel like my husband and I are just getting through each day and barely see or talk to each other. We have many joys and some frustration, but our days are pretty much get up, I run, we get ready, take care of the boys when they wake up, I go to work, who knows what happens at home, I get home, we eat dinner and say hi!, he walks the dog, runs, I play with the boys and get them ready for bed, he does his fantasy football/baseball/basketball, I do my PT and/or blog, we watch Alias and go to bed. EVERY DAY. Weekends are slightly different in that I take care of the boys more and he runs more but it's still the same. Very little time for each other.

So it was really nice to find out during our romantic getaway that we could actually spend time alone and enjoy being with each other. It's been a while, and you never know, but we really were content and happy. It was like we were checking in with each other to see how we were doing.

I realized we need to make sure to do this every once in a while; it's good to know things are good between us and we manage to keep it that way despite all the chaos all around.

One of the best things (that keeps us sane) is sharing our love of running. My husband ran a 15 mile race on Sunday. He said it felt SO GOOD to race, and I knew exactly how he felt. I was jealous. One of my colleagues at work is now starting to run; her husband runs in my training group. She's not quite at the point (and might not ever get there - we are crazy, you know) of understanding the joy of long distance running. She was telling me how her husband's marathon training is getting in the way of things like family vacations. Instead of commiserating with her, I felt sorry for her husband! It wasn't always the case, but now I understand how my husband feels, because I feel it too.

I know I keep writing about being happy, and it must get old reading about it. There's so much happening around us that is negative or evil or just plain awful. I see scowls on people's faces when I'm walking to my office; I can't listen to my beloved NPR anymore because of all the awful news about Iraq; the news clippings I read at work every day are about unemployment or child abuse; and the TV news is all about the latest shootings or terrorist scares. It's important to remind yourself that you are happy; that these things are terrible but you can only deal with things within your control, and within my little world that I can control, things are good.

One of the comments to the blog posting 30 Random Ways to a Happier Life really reinforces this:

Problems are important, or not. You can fix them, or not. The only problems
worth worrying about are the important ones you can fix.

If you can fix the unimportant ones, fix them, but don't spend a lot of time doing it or you'll never get around to the important ones.

Worrying about unimportant problems that you can't fix is silly -- if it's unimportant, it doesn't need fixing.

Worrying about important problems that you can't fix is demoralizing -- do what you can to encourage the people who CAN fix them, and then move on to something more within your abilities. If you spend time stressing over these problems, you'll lose all the time you could be spending fixing ones more within your grasp.

Amen.

*Postscript - Um...my husband had to remind me it's our 13th wedding anniversary today. I wrote all of this without even thinking about what day it was. He's such a good guy to put up with me, especially when I suffer bouts of utter cluelessness. Happy Anniversary, honey!

Going Deep

There's a wonderful blog post at Marathon Moms that struck a chord with me:

"I also promise, that, if you stick with it, one day, you'll go for a run, and you'll feel like you moved the earth. Besides giving birth to you and Ben, I don't think I've ever felt that powerful and strong. It's worth the miles to get to that place. You'll learn to rely on running like you would a best friend: spend some time with her, and you'll immediately fall into a comfortable, intimate rhythm that both plays to your strengths and exposes, and then improves, your weaknesses (especially when you're huffing up a hill). Mentally, you'll come to appreciate how imperative running is for processing everything from the mundane (what should I make for dinner?) to the massive (is this man the right man to marry?). Most of all, you'll discover that running is hardly ever about going faster. Running is, at its essence, about going deep."

The author is writing a letter to her young daughter. Read the entire posting.

You're Lookin' Good, Girl

I don't know what age you decide that catcalls are no longer offensive but actually compliments but since I turned 39 on Sunday, I've decided that "You're lookin' good, girl" uttered by a stranger passing by me on my way to the parking garage is a compliment. It made me smile.

My shin splint problem is aggravating and frustrating to me because I'm trying to stay in shape and have found an athletic activity that I love and want to continue. However, considering that things could be much worse, I feel very fortunate to have what I have.

I have not been blogging much because I have been quite busy, and then this weekend, not busy at all, by design.

Last Tuesday I decided to take a break from running. I was going to take a 3 week break and just let my legs heal before I tear them up again. I considered Joe's opinion that my legs were otherwise healthy and running should not cause serious problems but thought the safest course was to stop for a while. I even started riding the stationary bike at the gym for cardio fitness. Needless to say, riding the bike was quite boring and I barely felt like I exerted myself, even if the display showed 45 minutes, 8 miles and 250 calories burned.

This past weekend, my birthday weekend, my husband and I took a much needed mini vacation away from the kids. It was the first time we have gone anywhere without the kids. We missed them terribly but really needed the time to recharge. We went to a cottage in the Hocking Hills in southeast Ohio. It was quite secluded - no tv, no telephone and no computer. We had a picnic basket dinner waiting for us Friday night. We were able to talk freely in complete sentences. We could eat uninterrupted - no "stop feeding the dog" and "eat your broccoli I don't care if that one doesn't have cheese on it" and "don't bang your fork on your bowl" and "this is not a restaurant eat what we made for you" and "your knees were not invited to dinner put them down" and...I don't need to go on. It was surreal. There was NO NOISE. We savored the food and the silence and enjoyed the view of the woods from the back porch. On Saturday we took a hike, read books, rocked on rocking chairs on the back porch, and got a couples massage. I highly recommend a full body massage - it was incredible. The feeling of contentment was something I had never experienced before and I think my husband had the same feeling.

When the weekend ended, we arrived back at home to rescue my parents (who were heros to have stayed with the kids all weekend - although I think they had more fun than they were supposed to!). The chaos came at us instantaneously - kids rushing up to tell us what they did, the dog goosing us in the behind with her nose and swooshing her tail all over the place, and my parents asking how the weekend went and what did we eat and did we do anything fun? Wow - it was like a wave hit us as we walked in the door. We struggled to stay afloat as the chaos surrounded us from all sides and we finally were able to tread water.....(did that metaphor get out of hand a little?)

We managed to get back on track on Monday. As I was getting in the car to go to work, the kids were inside yelling something, and my husband peeked his head out of the door. His eyes were saying "help me..." but he had a grin on his face. For me the effect of the weekend lasted all day on Monday. I think it's gone now, although when I think about the weekend a small sense of calm runs through me.

On Monday, maybe due to the rest I had, I felt good enough to run again. Only 1.5 miles, but I decided to ease back into training again. I will be seeing the doctor on Thursday to confirm my legs will be ok, and to ask about how to resume my training. I'm religiously doing my PT and I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate the stationary bike into my training as well to allow my legs sufficient recovery time.

Yeah, I'm lookin' good. I'm feelin' good too.

Now What?

Here is the email message I sent my husband when I got to work after my PT:

"Joe was my physical therapist today. He made me feel so much better. He is so good!

I told him I wasn't coming back but he suggested I see the dr as we have not made progress and he can recommend what the next course of action would be. I told Joe I thought I should stop running for a while and he said that would be the quickest way to get relief and perhaps see some progress but he said it was a hard decision and he didn't think that moderate running would hurt my leg any more. I asked him about what I read on the websites (falling arches), and he basically said that it would not happen in my situation. Perhaps I was reading about the wrong problem, but I'll ask the dr to be sure.

He thought that the dr might prescribe orthotics. He also said I might have to decide how much pain I can live with as it might not go away entirely. I had been thinking those same things.

So I don't know what to do! I may try to run one more time and then take a break. I have a doctor's appt a week from Thursday at 7:10 am. I'll see what he has to say but in the meantime, I'm so conflicted!!!!!!"

My personal coach and I will talk it out. While we are watching Syd and Jack. We had a new Netflix delivery today!

Shin Splints Part Three

I woke up this morning and my posterior tibialis muscles still hurt. A lot. I did that thing I should never do - searched the internet - and found some consistent information. If I keep putting stress on this muscle it could turn into or might already be tendonitis. If the condition worsens, my arches will fall. Lovely. The treatment is rest (no running), stretching and strengthening exercises, and possibly orthotics.

I have my PT (pain and torture) appointment this morning and I have decided I can't afford to keep going. My insurance doesn't fully cover it. Also, I am given exercises I can only do with their equipment in their office but I only go once a week. And maybe I have blinders on but no one really sat me down and said, you should stop running right now and do these exercises and you will get better. It was never cut and dry. Perhaps I'm just frustrated right now.

The realization that I've come to just now is that I should probably stop running for three weeks or so. I'm going on a mini-vacation this weekend and it doesn't look like there is a good place to run, anyway. Three weeks, however, is a long time. It's a painful decision. What if it doesn't work?

Another reason for the anxiety is the fact that running is the one thing I can do easily to lose weight. I am one of those people who easily gains weight and has to work really hard to lose it. I eat pretty healthy (except for the occasional ice cream) but only strenous exercise will cause the weight to come off. So three weeks with no running means I have to somehow fit in some type of cardio that will do the job. I am not very coordinated nor do I have any athletic prowess. Running is the one thing I can do. I guess I will try to see if I can fit in time at the gym to do the stationary bike or the elliptical (and try not to kill myself doing it).

I need to just keep telling myself that after three weeks, I should still be able to ease back into training for the half marathon. And if the rest and therapy doesn't work, I'm doing the half marathon and then figuring out what to do.

Wow that was cathartic. Now I can face my physical therapist this morning. I feel sorry for my staff at work, though. My mood alters tremendously when I can't run.

This One's For You

I was trying to think of something to blog about today since my 2 mile run was uneventful, unless you count the continuous shin pain. Then my husband told me that my mother-in-law had asked about my shin splints and said that she loves to read my blog. That is a very nice thing to say since it is very weird to write, for the world to see, what is going on in your head. Well, I only share a very small part of the crazy stuff going on in my head. You don't want to go there. Seriously.

On a recent post on the Marathon Moms blog on Runner's World, Sarah said she was running for the other Marathon Mom, Dimity, who has a stress fracture in her heel and can't run for six weeks.

Marilyn, my mother-in-law, recently fell down some stairs and broke her collar bone and her wrist in two places. She's ok, but she's out of commission for six to eight weeks. She's lucky it wasn't worse.

Anyhow, Marilyn, my run this morning was for you. I kicked butt and ran through the pain until I couldn't feel it anymore. It was a great run. Hopefully my good-feeling vibes travelled all the way to you today.

And as a side note, I saw my gynecologist for my annual exam (yep that's fun) and told her I had shin splints from running. She suggested swimming, and then cycling. When I said no I don't think so she said...you guessed it... "I hate running." It was deja vu all over again.

Daily Running Log: 2 miles, 12:11 m/m, on the treadmill - it was REALLY foggy this morning so I opted to stay inside where I could see where I was running.

Another Saturday, Another Long Run

Today was Saturday, which meant I had a long run today.

I woke up at 4:00 am. I don't know why I woke up so early, but I had a difficult time getting back to sleep. At 5:00 am, my 5 year old son decided he couldn't sleep anymore. Usually we make him stay in his room until 6:00, but there was really no point this morning, as he would keep me awake anyway.

We headed downstairs and I put a Yu-Gi-Oh DVD in for him to watch. (I feel really old because I just don't get that show.) I had a bagel and a cup of coffee. I get a little anxious about the long runs and today was no exception. I was tired and cranky and didn't feel like running at all. And it was FREEZING in our house. Somehow the air conditioning had been turned on full blast. So putting on shorts and a tank top was not appealing at the moment; I eventually had to go outside just to warm up.

I did make it to the high school where we start the run. I met one of my new running friends and she could tell my heart was not in it this morning. Today she had to do seven miles for the first time. I was trying to decide how many I should do; my shin splint situation was getting me depressed and I didn't have a clue what I should be running now.

It was very humid and almost 70 degrees at 7:00 am. As usual I let everyone go ahead of me and I brought up the rear. For some reason everyone seemed to be in a hurry - everyone blew by me pretty quickly. I think it was just my mood dragging me down.

After a mile or so I caught up with my friend and we chatted the next 5 miles. The time passed pretty quickly but we were going pretty slowly. My legs were sore and I was sweating like crazy. We marveled at how the others could move so quickly, and keep it up for so long. Some of these people had just started running a few months ago.

At mile 5 I told her I wasn't going to go 7 miles all the way with her; I was stopping at 6. I was tired, and my legs were especially tired. I think after I made this decision I got a second wind, and I told her I was going to kick it in and just get the mile over with. I picked up the pace and it felt SOOO GOOD! I started passing people and didn't feel anything in my legs (I think they were numb by this time) and made it back to the high school pretty quickly. What a rush!

After a little while two of my running buddies made it back. We hung out for a while drinking Gatorade and chatting runner girl talk. We all took off our shoes and compared our feet, since everyone apparently had different foot issues and two of us had new shoes. We talked about how to find shorts that don't cause chafing on the thighs, chafing so bad with a sports bra that blood was soaking through one woman's shirt (not me!), and using red nail polish to cover up black toenails.

By this time I had cheered up. I was having such a good time I didn't realize I was standing out there chatting for at least 45 minutes! When I got home my son asked where I had been and my husband was about to call me on the cell phone. I was just hanging out with my new runner girl friends, I said.

As for my shin splints, I have decided that I will stop paying for PT after the next Tuesday session. If what Joe said was true, I just need to strengthen my muscles so they won't be too worn out, and they can just give me exercises for that. Nevertheless, because I'm bowlegged, my lower leg muscles will be fatigued after a run, probably no matter how strong they are. I think I just have to live with a certain amount of pain. The pain is not debilitating, and it is not making anything worse in my legs and won't cause any other injuries as long as I don't overdo it. There was a woman who was talking with us who had a much worse condition (arthritis I think) and she ran the half marathon. She was talking about having to slide down the stairs on her butt the next day. (I told her the secret of walking down the stairs backwards). I probably could have done the race and been in a little better shape than her (maybe); after a few more months of work, I should be in much better shape to run the next race.

All in all I had a good run today. I'll probably be in pain for the next few days, but I will tell myself that my legs are getting stronger, and I am doing the next race no matter what, so there's no point in being depressed or angry. I just gotta do it.

Now I gotta go ice and veg while watching Alias.

Daily Running Log: 5.86 miles on the bike trail. 12:30 m/m pace.

Doctor Envy

My husband said when he was running one of his races, he was telling his friend about the doctor he and I have been seeing for our running injuries. He's a runner, too, and actually runs a "Running & Endurance Athlete Center " as well as being a sports medicine doctor. He's the consultant to our running group.

My husband's friend said that she had "doctor envy" because our doctor has so much experience with running. It certainly helps to have a doctor who understands running, and more importantly why you run.

I found this out today when I went to my third PT (pain and torture) session. My first session was with Joe, who has run 10 Boston Marathons. He's the one who diagnosed me as bowlegged. After seeing him for the initial consultation, I've been seeing another physical therapist who is really nice and does a good job explaining the exercises, but she is definitely not a runner. (Her profile is not on the website, btw.)

She asked how I was feeling today, and I said my legs hurt in the usual places, but not too bad. I said I had taken a break from running, then I ran 6 miles on Saturday and 2 yesterday. When I met with Joe, he told me I could run the race if I felt up to it, or I could cut back. But my current physical therapist said "Six miles!" and shook her head in dismay as though that explained everything. I said I was supposed to run 13.1 but cut back because of my legs. I explained I was trying to train for the Columbus half marathon in October and I needed to run.

She said I could do other workouts to maintain my cardio while I was doing the physical therapy. Like swimming. Swimming? I can barely float, let alone swim. The whole reason I run is because it requires the least amount of coordination, not to mention it is really relaxing. An hour on a stationary bike would be unbearable (and would hurt my butt), and I'd never get a good work out swimming. And when and where was I supposed to swim? Let's not even mention the elliptical machine.

Later, Joe walked by and asked - "Don't you have a race coming up?" I said I decided not to do the race and instead did just 6 miles. He smiled and said that was a good idea and I was gearing up for the next race, right? At least he understood.

The woman I am working with admitted she hated to run. She was involved in a number of sports like volleyball, and running was part of the practice, not something to be enjoyed by itself.

So she doesn't understand. I need to run. I have to run. I will run! Just not so much yet....

I truly believe I'm on the right path. I just need to slow down and keep working on my PT. And talk to runners who will sympathize with my plight. Like Joe. Even if I am nowhere close to running the Boston Marathon.

Happy is as Happy Does

Don't you just love my snappy titles?

Yesterday my son asked me if I was ever happy. I said sure, all the time, why do you ask? He said that I don't look happy because I'm always tired. I said with a smile that he would always be tired too if he had to run after him and his little brother.

I felt bad, though, that my kids apparently don't see me being happy. Of course, I AM tired most of the time, but I am having fun when I'm with my family.

His comment made me think about what it means to be happy. When I was a teenager I thought everyone else was so much happier than I was - they were all having so much fun and I was the geeky little kid who didn't really have many friends. Being from the late 70s/early 80s TV generation (commonly known as "Generation X") I related everything to what I saw on TV. Those people were so happy eating Cheerios and drinking Coke and Kool-aid (not THAT kind of Kool-aid). How could I get to be that happy?

I realized when I grew up that happiness doesn't find you; you can't sit around and wait for something that will make you as happy as those kids playing Barbies on TV.

I take a good look at my life right now and I'm very happy. Things are crazy sometimes, but that's all part of the fun. I guess every once in a while I need to show everyone, especially my kids, that I am happy.

Daily Running Log: 2 miles on the treadmill.

Update

The vote was 2 - 1 not to race. And that's what I chose to do. Instead of racing, I went to the bike trail Saturday morning and ran 6 miles by myself. It was lonely at first, but there were others out there from my training group and we said hi! as we passed by each other. I managed to do the entire run and only took one water break at the 3 mile mark. I felt really good and didn't have much pain.

I actually felt the pain today in my right leg. It's not too bad but I hope the pain doesn't persist to tomorrow morning, when I need to run again. That's what usually happens - I can do the long run but then the following week I'm in pain.

I really can't think of anything to write besides this short update. Hopefully something will come to me tomorrow.

Daily Running Log (July 28): 6 miles on the bike trail.

To Race or Not To Race - Part 2

This question is getting harder to answer as each day passes, so what do you think? Check out the poll on the right and vote.

Right after my first PT session, I was initially torn. I thought I might race if I felt up to it. Then I overdid it on the elliptical and I couldn't walk, let alone run a race. I made up my mind I would take it easy and not do the race.

I don't get a refund of my race registration fee so I am still picking up my race packet. My husband went to pick it up at the running store but then they ran out of race bibs and my husband did not have time to wait for the race director to return with more. I would have told him to just get my shirt, but he was considerate enough to think I still might change my mind and so I would want the bib, just in case. So he said he'd come back later.

Then I get an email from my running team and they have cancelled the long run because others are going to do the race. I am so bummed out; I was looking forward to the run this weekend. So now I'm tempted to do the race again.

I decided to save my husband a second trip and go out tonight to get the packet. I put the boys in the van and off we went. I promised them ice cream if they came with me. One big problem - I forgot where the running store was! I still don't have my race packet. I did get some mocha chip ice cream, however. (See why I need to run?)

I don't know what this all means! Should I do the race or not???

Yesterday I had my second PT session and it was pretty intense. I have several more calf strengthening exercises and I can feel the burn. I did manage to run 3 miles today and can feel it in my posterior tibialis muscles. But not as bad as usual.

Anyway - tell me what you think! Take the poll and vote.

Daily Running Log: 3 miles on the treadmill.

Try Try Again

I had a great 2 mile run on the treadmill this morning. I had planned on going outside but it was a little chilly and I would have had to go back upstairs to get the Garmin, and I would have awakened the baby, who decided to wake up at 4:15 and then go back to sleep until about 5:30 when he woke up again until someone gave him a binky. At least that was my excuse for wimping out and running in the nice warm basement. And I have no idea how to turn on the light for the Garmin since the sun was not quite out yet.

The rest of the day was a typical Monday - it took me until 3:00 pm to wake up and really start being productive. Yep, I piddled around for several hours at the office until I finally had a mocha and then cranked out the work for two hours and went home.

Tomorrow morning is my PT appointment. I think I'm making progress. I do know I can't wait to run again. It felt SOOOO good.

Daily Running Log: Easy 2 miles on the treadmill.

Stop and Smell the Roses

I want to thank everyone who has been reading and enjoying this blog. I had no idea anyone would think stories about shin splints, especially my shin splints, would be entertaining. I have had people (thanks Mom) tell me how much they like reading my blog and give me support in my running. I've almost convinced you all I'm a real athlete.

Even with all the support, I was starting to think you would not want to hear yet another story about my shin splints or penguins. So this is a story about something else, even if it is still mundane. That's my life, folks. You are the ones reading about it.

So here goes:

After the fiasco last week when I pulled my calf muscles, I decided to take a time out and start over fresh on Monday (I'm calling it a "do over"). I've waited a week and now I'm ready to run tomorrow. It will be a short run, and I might try to do it outside if the sun is up early enough.

It was really hard not to run for a few days. On the other hand, I did get a little more sleep. On Saturday morning, I decided to walk the dog (usually my husband's job) to stretch my calves. I was reminded of walking Abby in the mornings before work before the kids were born. It was a chance to get some exercise and enjoy the morning before heading to the office to sit at my desk all day and read emails. About ten minutes into the walk I looked at my watch: 7:15. My training group was starting their Saturday long run. It was a beautiful, cool, crisp morning. I had a vision of all the different pace groups starting out and my fellow penguins lingering, waiting and looking for me before heading out to bring up the rear of the pack. With the Garmin, I became a de facto leader, shouting out "1 mile!" when the Garmin chimed at me. When we first started our Saturday runs, there were cones at all the half mile markers but I would always miss a cone. Now that everyone should be doing longer runs, they have not put out the cones in a while. While we know where most of the miles kind of are, it's hard to follow your pace without knowing where each mile begins and ends. Having the Garmin makes you the popular kid.

My friends would have to get along without me this week, however. I continued on my leisurely walk. Abby's initial burst of pull-my-arm-out-of-my-socket energy subsided into the stop-and-sniff-every-two-minutes pace. We had a very pleasant walk and I was able to appreciate having the time to relax and enjoy the morning without worrying about whether I was going too fast or whether I was sufficiently hydrated. I even brought a cup of coffee in a travel mug with me on the walk.

After my husband's short run (I was NOT going to be jealous) we decided to pack up the kids and go to the zoo. We have a membership at the zoo and visit all the time. The Columbus Zoo is a great place to visit, and not only because of Jack Hanna. They continue to improve the habitats at the zoo and educate people about animals and conservation. Both my boys just love it. We packed a picnic lunch and my five year old had the obligatory Super Pretzel. They played at the playground and we rode the carousel. All in all a great day.

And the perfect end to the day was receiving Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in the mail. I have every Harry Potter book and I was not going to miss out on this one. I was up pretty late last night to start to read it but I haven't gotten very far. I'm afraid that once I start running again I will be so tired at night I will either get to read only one page before falling asleep, or I will still not be able to put the book down and will get even less sleep.

Either way I had better add some money to my coffee card this week.

Murphy's Law

If there's a Murphy's Law for runners I have the perfect example. I take time off from running to give my legs time to recover from my shin splints. I decide to cross train on the elliptical machine to get in some cardio. I haven't been on an elliptical machine for about a year. I do 3.5 miles in 30 minutes and when I get off, the back of my legs lock up! I hobble from the gym back to work.

The next day, today, my calves are so tight I can't believe it. I thought I would try running a few miles tomorrow with the training group but even that might be a challenge!

So all I can say is, I feel like an idiot. The bright side is I decided not to run the race next week. I don't have to worry about getting my miles in.

Race for the Cure 2007

My office - Race for the Cure May 19,2007

That's me on the left in the long sleeves pink shirt and black shorts!

This was a lot of fun and having an office team encouraged a lot of people to get out and try a race. We also raised over $1000 for breast cancer research. I want to thank my very generous family for donating to the cause!

To Race or Not To Race

I went to my first physical therapy session yesterday. The therapist watched me walk and noticed that I am bowlegged. There's a medical word for it but I don't remember what it is. My lower legs curve outward slightly more than normal.

What this means to me as a runner is that when I start to run my feet start out in a pronation position, instead of a supination position. Then my feet continue to pronate, and essentially overpronate, causing the posterior tibialis muscle, a thin muscle along the inside of the shin bone to do all the work that should be shared by the other muscles in my leg. At least that's what I think the therapist said. It's essentially the same as having flat feet, but I don't have flat feet, just bowed legs.

Running more than a moderate amount every week puts additional strain on the posterior tibialis muscle, and recovery takes longer than usual. Because I'm training for the half marathon I've been running a lot of miles and haven't given my legs much time to recover. So my posterior tibialis muscles are constantly sore and tired. My new shoes should help compensate for the overpronating, but the bottom line is my muscles are not strong enough for the work I am asking them to do.

The therapist said I could choose to stop training for three weeks, skip the July half marathon, work on strengthening and stretching and then gradually build up to training for the Columbus half marathon in October. Or we could work on pain management for the July race.

If it will help diminish the pain, I will forgo the upcoming race and focus on getting better. I told him this. Then I asked if I could run at all and he said I could cut down on my miles, especially my long run on Saturday, and then the next Saturday if I feel good I can do the race.

In the meantime I have stretches and strengthening I have to do and then I'll have another therapy session next week.

I am pretty sure I will not run the race at this point. Why bother? Why put my legs through such pain just so I can run the race? If it weren't for the pain I know I can do it. I could have done ten miles last week without walking if it weren't for the pain. Doing the race would only seem to make my recovery longer, and I don't have anything to gain from doing it. I might have to give up my entry fee but it goes to a good cause anyway.

As long as the therapist thinks I can run moderately, that's what I think I will do. I will only run 5 miles this Saturday with the training group. It will be hard, because running the longer runs is where I can really feel the endorphins and have the incredible sense of accomplishment at the end. And I can eat more since I've burned so many calories!

I am determined to run the Columbus half marathon. My husband is running the marathon and it will be inspiring to be sort of running a race together. It's the last big race in town before winter comes and a whole new world of training starts for the races coming up in the spring.

It's time to do my PT now. I'll take it day by day and see how it goes. I'll run to enjoy the run and not worry so much about getting all my miles in or how fast I am going. I will triumph over my shin splints. I am a penguin. I waddle but I don't fall down.

Daily Running Log: 3 miles on the treadmill. No walking.