Wordless Wednesday: Truth

Good job, Mom! 

Week 15: the Roller Coaster

Last week was a bit of a roller coaster for me.

 It started off with me dropping Paul off at the airport and then running a 15K immediately after- both of which were exhausting- mentally and physically.

Then came a new pair of running shoes

Followed by an injury that popped up during one of my runs that caused me to almost have a complete mental breakdown thinking that this would keep me from running the half

But after some intense thai yoga therapy and some rest I was feeling great; back to normal

I not only was able to finish off my training week strong,  completing  my last long run (12 miles) before the half, I also ended up logging more running miles this week than ever before- 32.5 miles.

I had my confidence back. I felt ready for the half. I knew I could do it. I finished that 12 mile run with fuel in the tank and energy left in my legs- I knew I could push it for another 1.1 miles. I was ecstatic.

Well, ecstatic until Sunday when 2 miles into my 5K pain in my hip caused me to have to walk the rest of the race. I was pissed too. I had just ran my fastest two miles EVER and was on pace to come in at a sub-30 5K- something that I have never done before- and on top of that I was pissed because why the hell was the pain back???

Well, I was pretty sure I had just sabotaged myself for the second time in a week. The first- running in new shoes with less than 3 weeks left  before the half (note: the Brooks have been exchanged for a pair of Merrells- I am sticking with what works for me from now on) , the second- pushing myself only four days after my first hip flare up. Even if I felt great, it was probably quite unwise to push myself that hard. What was I thinking?

So, yesterday, under the advisement of my thai yoga therapist, I headed to a chiropractor to the get to the root of the problem and see if it was something fixable or if it would end up sidelining me from the half- which is now less than two weeks away.

The visit went really well. The root of my problem is my lower back and the cause isn’t running. It is from sitting all day long. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this either. Tricia, my thai yoga therapist, tells me this pretty frequently. Sadly, my job isn’t changing anytime soon the doctor gave me some stretches to do- at work and at home- and I will try to do better about getting up and walking more at work.

The doctor also told me that I should be fine in a few weeks and that running won’t impact the healing process so he has given me the green light to keep training and to run the half.

I am still planning on taking a few more days off from running. I also plan on seeing Tricia Thursday for my regular Thai Yoga appointment and I also scheduled a follow up appointment with the chiropractor for next week- just to be safe. He thinks that the one adjustment from yesterday is probably all I will need but I would just feel much better seeing both him and Tricia again before the half. I want to help my body heal as best I can.

I also don’t want to do anything that might cause a real injury down the road. So for this week my plan is rest, rest, rest, stretch, stretch, stretch, eat well, and stay positive.

Saturday, if I feel up to it, I will go out for a run. A nice, easy-paced happy run. Until then I will just focus on doing what’s best for my body, my mind and my soul J

Have you ever been sidelined from an injury? What did you do to help your recovery? How did you cope with it?

"We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort."  ~Jesse Owens

"O Captain! My Captain!"

This is my friend Yerttle.  

This picture is from today at the expo for the Marine Corps Marathon. The marathon she will be running in just two days.

She is one of the most amazing people I know.

Training for a marathon is tough, no doubt about it. She trained for the MCM while balancing her responsibilities as a mother to like 87 kids (ok, three but still – I am sure three kids feels like 87 at times), her role as an FRG Leader (which is not only a distinguished position to hold it also comes with an insane amount of work and a lot of BS) all while her husband was deployed. Boom! Crazy!

She isn’t just a member of Team Awesomesauce, she is the Captain.

She is the reason why I am able to get out of bed and run every morning. Because I know if Yerttle could make the time to do it why the eff couldn’t I?

I wish I could be in DC this weekend to cheer her on, stalk her from the crowd as she runs, yell embarrassing things at her and hold up a funny sign. In case you were wondering, my sign would say "If a marathon was easy, it would be called your mother."

I wish I could be there to watch them put that medal around her neck and give her the world’s biggest hug. I wish I could be there because it is going to be awesome, just like her!

Good luck, Yerttle! Go kick some asphalt!

“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.” ~ Steve Prefontaine

The Running Box

This morning I hurt my leg while running. Well, actually it is my hip. But I don’t want to talk about that. I am pretty sure that what is wrong is completely fixable and that after my Thai Yoga therapy session this afternoon I will be back up and running, literally J

Instead, I want to talk about my running box. My storage box for all my running ‘essentials’

When I first started running I swore I wouldn’t turn into this person. I wanted to be a minimalistic runner, just the basics only. I didn’t want all the gear or gadgets. I just wanted to run.

Yeah, that totally didn’t happen. Well, maybe at first it did but then the more I got into running the more things I wanted/needed and now I have a box dedicated solely to running items.  

Are you curious as to what is in my running box? Well here is a picture.

This is everything I am currently NOT using. Some of this is Paul’s that I claimed ownership of once he left. Don’t judge, you’d do the same wouldn’t you?

-Reflective sleeves (too hot still to wear)

-Spibelt, a gel holder/bib holder belt, and a pouch I can add onto either

-Sleeve for my handheld Camelback

-Gloves (neon yellow gloves to boot) as seen below. Definitely the sexiest picture of me ever taken ;)

-Hats and a neck gator

-Headsweats head bands (2)

-Compression sleeves (2 pair)

-Paul’s Garmin (and its accompanying chest strap) and both of our chargers

-Ankle strap for my Road ID (in case I don’t want to wear it as a bracelet)

What’s missing from the box are the items I use daily; my Garmin, RoadID bracelet, reflective ankle bands and reflective belt (because I run in the dark ), Road ID hat (also reflective), and my Osprey (like a Camelback) I use on my long runs.

Oh, and my ProStretch I use to stretch my Achilles after I run.

It doesn’t just end with the running box. This habit hobby has taken over my closet.

Over the past few months I’ve also accumulated quite the stockpile of tech shirts, sports bras, and running shoes/sandals. I actually need new work clothes but yet any money I save seems to go to running gear, race fees and such.

And this hobby has taken over my calendar, too. My life is planned around my runs and races.

Why, yes- I am planning on running the Philadelphia marathon in November….of 2013.

Yep, I think its official now, I’m obsessed.  

But there are worse things to be addicted to, right?

Do you have a running box? How do you keep all of your essentials organized? Are you hooked on running?

"Every day is a good day when you run." ~Kevin Nelson

Wordless Wednesday: Pictures from my Dad, Part 1

My Dad is pretty awesome. He is a music buff, an avid reader, a (converted) dog lover, and fantasy football enthusiast. If you know him in real life then you know he is quite eclectic. He loves Google Picasa and is constantly sending me goofy/unusual/humorous/beautiful pictures. It's always fun seeing what he sends. So I thought that maybe WW was a great way to share some of them with you. Here are some he sent to me yesterday. I hope you enjoy!

He says this one should be my icon...

"IT IS IN THE SHELTER OF EACH  OTHER THAT PEOPLE LIVE."~ Irish Proverb      (and also the quote in my Dad's signature line in his emails)

Run Happy....Yes, Please!

Yesterday I bought a new pair of running shoes.

I wasn’t really planning on buying yesterday. My original plan was to buy at the expo in three weeks or some time shortly thereafter. Once the half is over I will be into full blown marathon training. Well, technically I am already into my marathon training, 8 weeks into it actually, since I planned my marathon training around this half marathon.

However, once the half is over I will start seeing longer runs during the week and on Saturdays so I wanted to transition into a minimalist shoe (instead  of a barefoot running shoe) with a bit more cushioning. As it is now, my feet start to feel like they are taking a beating towards the end of my long runs. No blisters or rawness or anything like that, just the side effects of having not much between my feet and the ground while taking about 180 steps per minute and still being overweight.

I knew that although the shoes I currently run in are by far the most comfortable running shoes I have ever worn and even though I love running in them that there would come a day where I needed a bit more cushioning.

Then on Sunday I was reading the latest issue of Runner’s World and saw a new pair of Merrells that caught my eye. They were similar to what I was already running in but with a bit more cushioning. Seemed like it could be exactly what I was looking for. Since I am not a big fan of ordering shoes online, running shoes in particular, I decided yesterday on my way home from work to run by the store near my house that carries Merrells to see if they had the shoe I was looking for.

Jackpot! They did!

BUT…it didn’t fit right. What? How? I was so sad. I really, really wanted to love that shoe. On paper, it was exactly what I wanted. But, it was too tight through the toe box and I knew that if it wasn’t comfortable in the store it would not be comfortable running in. Boo…

Oh well, no biggie. I didn’t NEED new running shoes. I wasn’t in any hurry. I had weeks before I wanted to buy new ones.  I knew I would find something that would work for me when I start seriously looking.

And as I turned to leave, I saw them.

The Brooks Pure Connect.

The shoe I almost bought months ago but opted for the Merrells instead.

And they were on sale.

So I had to try them on, right?

I asked for an 8.5/9 (couldn’t remember what size I tried on previously) and they only had a 9.5

It couldn’t hurt to try them on could it? I mean it is a bigger size but maybe they would fit.

And they did. Perfectly. With about a fingers width between my longest toe (my second toe, I know- I’m weird) and the top of the shoe.

Whole Earth Provisions even offers a 15% military discount on their sale items. So I had no choice to buy the shoes, did I? They retail for $90 and I paid less than $60.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind paying full price for good shoes. But if I can get the shoes I want for 2/3 the retail price why would I say no?

I am now the proud owner of my first pair of Brooks! Yay!

And as soon as I paid for them the internal debate began…

Do I attempt to break them in and run the half in them or shelve them until after?

I decided that I would start running in them right away, as in this morning. I have about 50 miles of running on the schedule between now and the half so I think that is plenty of time to break them in. I will run in them the rest of the week and if I am feeling good come Saturday I will use them on my long run.

This morning was intervals so I logged just over 3 miles in the new shoes. No complaints. I found it easy to maintain my running form and I even think the bit of cushioning in them helped add a little extra spring to my step.

Don’t worry though, if I feel any weird pains or develop blisters or have issues maintaining my form I will definitely not run in them for the half. I have worked too damn hard to let a pair of shoes ruin my run. J

What are your thoughts? Is 50 miles/3 weeks enough time to break in new shoes? Any tips (dos/don’ts) on breaking them in?

“Run Happy” ~ Brooks Running

Run Happy photo taken from the Brooks Running website

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Let's Talk Medical Conditions...

Hyponatremia - do you know what it is?

According to the Mayo Clinic website “hyponatremia is a condition that occurs when the level of sodium in your blood is abnormally low.”

Over the summer, while I was on a blogging hiatus, a local man died from this while canoeing in the Texas Water Safari competition. See full story here. That was the first time I had ever heard of this condition.

You are probably wondering why I am sharing this with you, how is this condition releveant to you?

Well, one possible cause of hyponatremia can be drinking too much water during exercise causing the sodium in your body to become diluted. Some of the symptoms of hyponatremia are nausea and vomiting, headache, confusion, loss of energy, fatigue, restlessness and irritability, muscle weakness, spasms or cramps, seizures, unconsciousness or coma. Yikes! According to the Mayo Clinic, “In acute hyponatremia, sodium levels drop rapidly — resulting in potentially dangerous effects, such as rapid brain swelling, which can result in coma and death.”

One of the risk factors to hyponatremia is intensive physical activity such as marathons, ultra marathons, or triathlons.

Do you see where I am going with this?

Hyponatremia is something you should understand if you are participating in intense physical activities. Especially since hyponatremia and dehydration have some similar symptoms, like headache, confusion and weakness.

Some things to keep in mind during activity- limit your water intake to a liter/34 oz an hour (this is about as much fluid as you will lose during that same time period) or consider drinking electrolyte enhanced beverages instead of water.

If you want to learn more about hyponatremia the Mayo Clinic website has a decent amount of info or you could always consult your physician with any questions you might have.

Water is great, don’t get me wrong, just make sure you don’t overdo it!

“The greatest wealth is health.”  ~Virgil

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