2-13-10 My 7 mile Saturday!

I did my seven miles on Saturday. I was excited to see if I could do it. I hadn't run that far for almost two years.The biggest motivator was that I was supposed to meet Vennesa at mile 5. She was going run the last 2 with me so I knew I couldn't quit because I had someone waiting for me. I was able to pace myself okay, I did take some walking breaks but I still kept my average between 11 and 12 which is the perfect pace for me.

I left home at 9am and ran over to West Park, I ran around the track 1 1/2 times then headed down 48. About 3 miles into my run it started raining a little but I just put my hood on and I was fine.

At the stoplight I talked to a guy dressed like the Statue of Liberty doing advertising for a tax company. I asked how long he was going to be outside doing this, he said he does it for 8 hours! I told him that I was impressed with how much energy he had and he said "yeah, I could run a marathon". He probably could. This isn't him but he looked a lot like this guy. Image from rapidcityjournal.com

I figured running 7 miles was a lot easier than dancing around on the street corner in a Lady Liberty costume for 8 hours, so he gave me hope.

Then I ran past mom's house and down to Vennesa's house.

We ran around her neighborhood for the last two miles. My hips were hurting and I was tired but we finished. It felt great!
I am confident now that I can run my next two long runs of 8 and 9. My feet and knees are sore but I am feeling pretty good overall.

Next Saturday is a 10k, with hills. Hills.

2-11-10

3 miles this morning, at the gym. It was snowing outside, I am wondering what this weekend's weather will be like. I took the inserts out of my shoes and just ran, now my feet are paying for it. I bought some new inserts that you cut to fit your shoes then put in the oven (?) and then put your foot into them and they are supposed to form to your feet. Hope they work. Hope I don't get 3rd degree burns from oven heated shoe inserts. Saturday is 7 miles. 7 miles!

2-10-10

Nothing new to report. I did my 4 miles, it was long and uneventful, the gym is hot..

2-8-10

3 miles at the gym on the treadmill. I really need to be going outside but it is so cold and dark at 6:30am. My right foot is a little sore from Saturday's 5k but I was able to run without pain (if you don't count the pain of my shoe inserts digging into the arch of my foot, they are so uncomfortable!).

I wasn't sure how to proceed with my training since I missed some of my scheduled runs because of this foot issue. I decided I would just skip those runs and move on to what I have schedule for this week. Which is:

3, 4, 3, and a long run of 7.

I hope to do the 7 miles this Saturday outside and perhaps if there is a day my husband is off work I can do one of my other runs outside too in the afternoon (when it is hopefully not so cold.)

2-6-10 (Winter Racing Circuit 5K)

This morning was the first run in the Winter Racing series I signed up for to help me prepare for the Marathon. It was a 5k.

We started out at 8am it was cold but I was warm enough with my two shirts, long pants, gloves and headband but that cold in air in the lungs still gets to me. When they blew the horn to start running I was at the back of the pack, behind a guy with a dog and another guy with a stroller. Little did I know I would never even catch up to them.

Not too far into it we started up a hill.

I knew that there would be hills, but I didn't realize that most of the course was hills. I wish I would have driven up there before to see where we would be running. I was not ready for the hills, every time I would get to the top of one hill I would think "that had to be the last hill" but nope, there were more, and more. I hate hills.

I had to stop and walk so many times it was pathetic, my legs were not prepared for this. I am usually able to turn on my music and sort of zone out but I could barely catch my breath. Even when it was time to come down the hills, they were so steep that I was worried about slipping on the wet road and my foot was killing me slapping down on the ground.

When I had about a quarter mile left I felt like I wanted to throw up and cry. I just kept telling myself that soon I would see James and the kids and maybe it give me enough energy to just get across the dumb finish line.

Well the finish line was finally in sight but I couldn't see anyone I recognized, James and the kids weren't there. They were late and missed me finishing. My time was 34:40. I had hoped to be 30 or under. I didn't make it but I did finish so I guess that is worth something. I just wanted to do so much better than that.

When I finally found my family, Rach showed me the poster she and Liv (and even the baby ) had made me. It was sweet.

One good thing is that my feet feel okay. When I got home I took some ibuprofen, iced them and wrapped them back up. Then I took a long nap.

I guess there is nothing to do but start preparing for my 10k in 2 weeks. (help!)

2-3-10 (My first outside run this year! and my ninja outfit)

It is so COLD!

I decided since there was no ice on the ground and it wasn't snowing I would head over to West park and run. I wore my usual black shorts and long sleeved black hooded shirt but I added a headband and a fleece neck warmer. It was so cold that I pulled the neck warmer over my nose and mouth. There weren't many people out today but there were two guys walking little dogs. As I ran past them one of them said "you look like a ninja!"

I took a picture of myself with my phone.

Yep, I did look like a ninja. But I bet I was warmer than they were.

As far as my run went.... I couldn't find my pace, I went to fast, then too slow. I just couldn't find a good pace. My feet just feel weird. The inserts in my shoes are big and make me feel like my shoes are going to fall off and the tops of my shoes are tight. I didn't have much pain during the run but I am feeling a little bit of soreness in my right foot. Oh well.

I got in almost two miles.

Tonight I went and picked up my packet for the Winter Training Circuit 5k. It is on Saturday, the trail is supposed to have a lot of hills, I am a little nervous about the cold, my pace and how my feet will hold up.

Yesterday's Doctor Visit...

It had been a week since my last doctor visit. I wore the tape/wrap for five days and took the anti-inflammatory medicine. By the end of the week I was feeling okay (except for the days that I had to be on my feet for long periods). One thing that I did notice was that, because I was hesitant about putting much weight on my injured foot, my good foot started hurting.

I went back into the Dr. yesterday. He took a look at my right foot and said that all the swelling was gone. I told him that I was having some pain in the other foot now. He wasn't surprised and said that is pretty common after favoring one foot for a week.

I finally told him that my plan was to train for a marathon and that I needed to get back to running as soon as possible. I also asked what he thought about my feet in terms of running, wondering if I have feet that will continually give me problems. He said I have "great feet" (never heard that before) and that my main problem is a high arch and that can be solved with shoe inserts. He wished me luck with my marathon and wrapped up both feet

recommended I get some inserts for my shoes,

and told me not to increase my miles too quickly.

After my feet were wrapped I asked how soon I could start running ( I expected him to say another week). He said "start tomorrow". Tomorrow!!

I just need to keep them wrapped for 5 more days, but I can start running as long as I pay attention to any pain.

So I have my shoe inserts I have my (very tightly) wrapped feet and I am going to try to fit in a run today! (Which may be prove difficult since I have a sick baby and now a sick 6 year old.)

I am a little nervous because that last thing I want is to be in pain again but I am excited to try and get back on my (now slightly modified) running schedule.

And I think my family will be happy to have me stop moping around the house and being grumpy.

Wish me luck!