My first 12 mile day

I was nervous about today for several reasons. Would my left periformis act up? Would my right IT band and knee hobble me? Would Heather be bored with my slow pace? Would we have to walk?

It was a cold morning there at the park. I had a short sleeve running shirt and Heather wore long sleeves. I had goosebumps. She didn't. I think she is more experienced at this than I am. ;)

We ran the route and found all the bathrooms open. Always a good thing to know when you are out there. There was a group of 5 other women running and I assumed they were from one of the many training groups out here. They explained they weren't a group. Just a few girls who run Hood To Coast together out for a run. We saw them a few more times and at one point (at 7.4 miles) they were pulling out in cars as we came running by. The driver of the one car asked how far we were running today. Heather told her "12" (I felt so proud) and she said they had done 10 miles as a group, but two of them had done a little over two miles before that.

The weather was BEAUTIFUL out. Clear deep blue skies. Cool breeze. We ran along the Columbia River a few times. Lovely.

Heather was right. Running with someone else really DOES help time fly! I remember at 3 miles being happily surprised we had gone that far. It wasn't always easy talking, but she assured me I talked the entire time coherrently. I could have sworn I was just grunting at the end.

Heather is also a saint. She runs fast. She runs very fast. She had me doing fartleks a few times but she always sweetly came back to my turtles pace. The results of my running with her?

My BEST running pace of ANY road distance over 7.50 miles. 

I have never ran a pace on an 8, 9, 10 or 11 mile road run 

as fast as today's 12 mile pace.

Note the sweat on my shirt on this shot taken by Heather at the end of  our 12 miles. 

We worked hard, my body held up and we never walked. YAY!!

THANK YOU HEATHER!!! I am so excited and ready for the race. Too bad it isn't next weekend and that we have to go through the Taper period for 13 days first.

Is it superstitious that I am NOT running in today's shoes or running pants again until the race? Nah. Just ensuring they are in the same wear they are in today. I won't be using my water back pack until the race either, because frankly, I won't be running the distance to warrant it. I am dreading the taper period and bet it messes with my head. Maybe I should warn hubby I am about to become a basket case stressing that my body is going to forget how to go long.

12 Miles Tomorrow?

My training plan says I am to run 12 miles tomorrow. Today, doing three on a small 69 foot elevation gain I pulled my hamstring or periformis again. It has been throbbing on and off all day.

I would rather hear my Half Marathon was tomorrow, than do 12.

I hope I don't hold Heather back too much, and I hope I remember to stay slow and easy as that is a LOT of mileage. I have never ran more than 11 miles.

Here are photos from today's run at the Portland Color Run.

Ran the poisons out

I had my colonoscopy yesterday, and went for a 3 mile run this morning in the 89% humidity.

Oddly, when I began sweating, I became uncharacteristically itchy. Very, VERY itchy. My back, my chest, my stomach, my legs and even my face. I was frustrated and scratching as I was running. Weird.  Then I figured out what was happening when I found that the sweat on my upper lip tasted FOUL.

Surely, all that work and sweating was helping me eliminate toxins from the last few days.

Goodbye nasty prep meds and anesthesia!

When I got home, I looked like I had a rash everywhere. I showered really good and the rash disappeared.

The nurse called me at lunch to see how I was doing. I told her that I had gone for a run this morning and I believe that it flushed out some lingering meds from my system.  She was incredulous. "You ran?!" "yeah".  She said that wasn't something she normally hears on her 24 hour check-up calls. She asked how I felt. I said, my stomach was still queasy (almost fluish) and I couldn't shake a bad taste in my mouth but I felt okay otherwise.

It wasn't a fast 3 miles. My pace was 11:32. But, I am glad I did it. I recommend a good sweaty run to anyone the day after this procedure.

My Running Diet and the Colonoscopy

I turned 50 earlier this year and like many others do when that happens, I had a colonoscopy test. Mine was this morning. I knew the 'drink' they give you was atrocious. But no one warned me - The diet was AWFUL! 

This was my dietary schedule the last few days:

Friday upon waking:

• Cut out all fiber rich foods (there went my Dave's Killer bread!). 
• Cut out all fruits with edible skins and all fresh veggies (are you KIDDING me!?!). 
• Cut out all nuts and seeds. 
• Cut out all red and purple foods. No tomatoes. No hot sauce. No salsa. 

I had to go pay money for white bread, cheap pasta and canned veggies. Eating them was even harder than paying for them. At least I could add grilled chicken to my yucky pasta and eat a banana for desert.

Saturday: I ran 8 miles on the food I ate the day before. Then I ate the same diet throughout the entire day to 'feed' my muscles. Luckily there was skinless chicken, and a Gatorade Recovery drink. But I was really missing my fresh fruit and veggies. It is a habit of mine to eat two servings of blueberries every day I do a long run. Not this weekend. At one point earlier in the day, I almost ate a fresh cherry tomato off the plant I have by my front door but it was a skinned fruit, it had seeds and it was red but I caught myself in time. I was miserable.

Sunday: LIQUID DIET. Remembering, my muscles were still recovering from yesterdays 8 miles I was pretty frustrated. I drank my clear chicken broth and my 8 ounces of yellow or green gatorade once an hour. I had sugar free lime jello and white grape juice. My recovering muscles were not amused. I had muscle cramps and headaches by bedtime.

MEDS:  While I won't explicitly describe the liquid hell I had to drink Saturday night, Sunday night and at 5:20am this morning (and the nasty effects it created) I will tell you that I had no sleep Saturday or Sunday nights.  Also, I had the shudders and had to fight throwing it up while drinking it. I had bad chills for hours after each dosage. I literally cranked my electric blanket up to "4" while wearing sweat clothes under the covers.

Procedure was this morning: While the anesthesia girl was prepping me for my IV she saw my resting heart rate of 48 and asked if I was a runner. That made my day! I went to la-la land with a smile on my face.

They found and removed FIVE polyps. They said two had to go to Biopsy. That disappoints me not because of what 'could' be, but because that means I now have to have this procedure once every 3 years now, instead of once every 10.

Once home, it felt so good to grab my Dave's Killer Bread, grill up a Jenny O turkey patty, add fresh red onion, a fresh heirloom tomato from my garden and fresh green lettuce. Best sandwich EVER!!!!!  

I asked the nurse about recovery from the procedure and if she thought Hammer Endurolyte pills would be helpful. She said it was a wonderful idea because yes, a LOT of fluids are lost in the two days prior to the test. I was going to take them any ways and surely, once I did, my leg cramps stopped.

Doctor said no driving or equipment for 24 hours after. I am taking tomorrow off since I was told not to drive until 11:30 am and I deserve a break (AND SLEEP!!!) after the last four days.

Will I Be Ready?

The Half Marathon is 27 days and 20 hours away. And yes, I am counting.

On August 22nd, I was fully optimistic that I was going to run the Half Marathon from start to finish. There wasn't a doubt in my mind. I had a beautiful 11 mile run the day before and was feeling good. Surely I could add 2 more miles on race day feeling THAT strong. Right?

Then came August 23rd. I ran five miles. One mile included some cadence work to work on my form. I ran 4 long hill repeats up a .36 mile long hill (with a light jog back down each time). I then ran another mile cool down. While running the last hill I felt some tightness that was almost a pain on the back of my left leg. Later that day though, I felt pain in the center of my left butt cheek instead. The cheek pain didn't go away.

I went to the Sports Doc and without examining me (I kid you not!) he said it sounded like a hamstring. Rest and ice for a week. NO HILLS!! As a note, that Sports Doc QUIT the practice two days later. Hmmmm.

The next time I ran my right knee pain inexplicably came back at mile 4, and did so with a vengeance.  I had to walk most of the way home. It was the first time I couldn't finish a run.

I began seeing my physical therapist at Proactive Therapy WEEKLY.  He did some poking and prodding and testing. He is fairly certain that my left cheek pain is Piriformis caused. He then explained that to me and gave me some stretches that do help relieve the burn. I found that it fit my symptoms very well: I can run without excessive pain to that area (though I do feel it on hills!) but I definitely feel it when bent at the hips to sit or touch my toes after the run.

Then, I got new shoes. After 12 miles in short runs in them, I tried them out yesterday for my first long run (in weeks) with an 8 miler. My right knee started acting up a little at 6.48 miles but it was NOT gait altering. After the run I was walking it out and noticed my inner left ankle hurt a bit. I checked my shoe and saw it was quite loosely tied. Not sure how I did that. When I got home I iced the ankle a lot. Today, I am still icing it. That was definitely a 'duh!' moment on me. I am a pronator with very weak ankles. How on earth I ran 8 miles with loosely tied shoes is a mystery to me.

Sometimes I can be so STUPID.

So -

• I have 27 days left to train. There is a 10 mile and a 12 mile 'long run' between now and then.

• I am fighting piriformis syndrome on my left buttock (daily).

• I am fighting iliotibial band and knee issues on the right side. 

• I have an over-strained left ankle that is slightly swollen on the inside of the foot and feeling bruised (ice, ice baby!)

My 50 year old body that didn't start running until last August is telling me that this might be my last Half Marathon and I am looking FORWARD to dropping my long runs from 10's to 6's again.  My goals for 2013 are to do Sprint distance duathlons. I love riding my bike. I love running those distances. There is a 5K/15 mile/5K race in April that I intend to be at. 

Injuries and Worn Out Shoes

Well, starting about three weeks ago I began developing a whole lot of aches and pains and injuries when running. Aches and pains that alter gait. That keep you awake at night. That sent me to the sports doctor for the first time since February.

Hamstrings, possible pirformis pain, outer legs/hips, sides of calves (all relatively new and all at once) and shockingly, the worst knee pain I have had since February.

It was suggested my Saucony Progrid 5's might be worn out. 

About a month ago I had broke down the insert/cushion inside in my right shoe so much that I HAD to add an insert under the insert because it dropped my foot so much that my ankle bone was banging against the shoe's collar. 

That should have been the first clue the shoes were not holding up well for me any more.

Most sites recommend new shoes for runners that use them, every 300 to 500 miles. 

I didn't catch the part about heavier runners needing them more often. Nor did I catch that those that run on asphalt or dirt trails (in comparison to treadmills and school tracks) need them sooner as well. Nor did I catch that heavy pronators break their shoes down even faster yet!

I wore my shoes in today to the local running/shoe store and in my analysis the guy I was being helped by said just looking at me standing there in them he could see there was NO support left as my pronation was very evident in them. 

Then he had me take them off and he saw that not only was a lot of the knobbies were worn smooth to the depth of the crevices that had once been between them, and that you couldn't read lines there in newer ones, but there was actual white midsole shoeing visible peeking through beneath the shock layer. He said the right shoe was unwearable and he flexed it while pressing on the rubber sole portion to show me it had nothing left.

So, he said that the shoes I loved for the first 250 miles were not supportive enough for me. My pronation is too hard on them. He then came out with a pair of Asics Foundation Gel 10's. A pair I already had in my car as an 'emergency' pair of shoes. I told him I had worn them for my first nine months of my running (averaging just 8 to 9 miles a week) but they hurt my feet when i increased miles. I had thought they were shrinking (they weren't). They were too tight across the toe box and I got black toenails in them. I was told to take the inserts out altogether then...but it didn't really fix the issues.

He looked in the computer and found my prior size in the Asics was a 9.5 so he had me try on a 10 wide. They felt great so I said, "Okay".

I ran 3 miles tonight. When I got back, the side of my arch felt like it was bruised. I hadn't had that pain in a long time. I had completely forgotten about it. Then I remembered. THAT happened the last time I had this same model! 

See this blog page here: 

http://indulgentmadness.blogspot.com/2012/04/lesson-in-shoes.html


I want another pair of Saucony Progrid 5's. I don't care if I will have to buy a new pair every 225 miles if that is what will be needed to keep from injuries.

I WANT THOSE AGAIN.

I am going back tomorrow.

Weight: 161.4

ASICS GEL FOUNDATION 10's = Going back tomorrow

Saucony Progrid 5 = I WANT!!!

Back on the road

Today is the 8th day since I pulled my hamstring doing hill repeats. I ventured out today with the goal of a long run, and with the understanding that if my hamstring felt iffy in any way that I would stop immediately.

The morning weather was AMAZING. Clear with scattered white clouds, cool breeze on a 60 degree temp. Lovely. It didn't take long for me to realize it was HUMID AS HECK though!! How on heck it was 79% humid without a cloud cover is a mystery to me but I was a sweatier mess than usual and that says a LOT.

The first mile was rough as I think my legs forgot how to move on asphalt. And well, that humid thing wasn't much help. But once I hit the first mile or so it went very well through the 4.2 mile mark which was shortly after my turnaround to head home.

I was running on a main road that had no bike lane, and had heavy traffic. This put me on a sidewalk running against oncoming traffic. As I approached an exit from a store, I saw a big green truck waiting to exit into oncoming traffic. I was wearing a BRILLIANT dayglow orange singlet and had assumed he had seen me. As I crossed infront of him he started gunning it to beat traffic. I screamed the F word at the top of my lungs while making a mid-air twist and cruddy landing then dodge out of his way. Even though his window was up, he HEARD my yell and THEN he saw me. He looked apologetic.

But the damage was done. A quarter of a mile from there my knee felt twisted, bruised and sore as heck. The next 3.75 miles was horrid. My prior quarter mile pace averages of between 9:30 and 10:20 suddenly took a nose dive as I had to slog, and race walk, and on occasion stop and stretch. I was so frustrated I wanted to cry. But first, I wanted to finish my run and just get home to ice it.

My average pace when all was said and done (including stopping and walking) was 12:48 for 8.2 miles.  Looking back at that I am now not feeling TOO bad about the pace as that is still FASTER than my 3 mile Jingle Bell Race pace. Have I really come THAT far? Wow. I am glad I didn't let myself quit. :)

I went to my PT guy a few hours later. He stretched my legs, massaged them and worked his magic. I love that post-PT feeling. Aaaaaah. Happy legs.

Sports Doctor took me "Off The Road" for a week

Last week I ran 21+ miles. That included a day with some cadence work and hill repeats up a hill that is over .3 miles long. Since the day of hill repeats, I have been having pain in my left lower glute area.

A few days later I ran 5 miles without incident, but it was a flat run on a treadmill because I wanted to stay away from hills a little longer.

Today, five days after it started, it was still hurting no less than it was over the weekend so I called the Sports Doctor and got to take a cancellation appointment.

Sports doctor said it isn't the glute, but the hamstring. That explains why it radiates down the back of the leg at times. He wanted to know why I am running 11 miles on my long run if I am training for a Half Marathon that isn't until October. I explained 11 miles was LAST week. This week I am scheduled to run 12 miles. His jaw dropped.

He said I shouldn't be running more than 10 at this time. He then asked about intervals. I said that is Wednesday's. He asked, "Like run 2 miles and walk one?". No. Run three 800's at 90% with a 45 second break between each. "Are you KIDDING me?" so I showed him my plan. He then saw the two 400's at 95% that I am scheduled to close up the workout with. He said, "No. Absolutely NOT."

Sports Doctor said my plan is "too much" and I am being 'over trained'. He wants me "OFF THE ROAD" for a week with only cycling and swimming allowed. I asked if I could sneak in some light treadmill work. He said he would rather I didn't, but reluctantly said that if flat, easy and I promise to stop with ANY indication of pull or sprain 'one or two' miles. Also, he wants me to NOT follow that plan any longer. Cut it back. In half if need be. He said to look for something else. Something that is designed more for a 50 year old woman who was just running for a year and less than for a 20 something year old runner competing for race purses.

He suggested PT, motrin, rest, ice/warmth, and then he told me that if he was my coach, he would cut me down to standard triathlons with 10K runs at the end. He really recommended I make that my new goal.  He suggested it will reduce my injury issues and strengthen me at the same time.

I am considering it.

What A Difference a Year Makes

A year ago today: I ran a whole mile. In fifteen minutes. Indoors, in front of a window AC unit, on a nice bouncy treadmill.  I described it as "pure hell".

Today: I ran 11 miles, outdoors. In 2 hours 10 minutes and 06 seconds. In the humidity.

I had planned on just ten, but had a little boost at 9 miles from some Shot Bloks I ate so when I hit ten miles, I kept going. However, at around 10.5 miles my hamstrings, right knee, and calves began giving me grief. I used the mantra from this poster to keep going, knowing that if the pain ever became enough to alter my gait (not just slow it) I would stop. Luckily, the pain didn't get to that point and I was able to finish the full eleven miles. YAY!!!

At the end of the run, all I wanted to do was rip off the CEP compression calve sleeves and pull the compression short cuffs down below my knee. It felt so good doing that. I loved the support I got during the run, and my IT band didn't hurt during the run, but I do suspect my sleeves are too small. I was on the middle in sizing and my compression socks are a size larger. I will try them instead next time.

Random thoughts while running:

• I wonder if I will get in trouble if I run down that private industry alley and take a photo of that switching engine sitting on the tracks. 
• I should have clipped my toenails.
• Why am I running with a headache? Couldn't this have waited another day?
• I love iHeart radio CLASSIC ROCK station
• Do people in these condos hate all us runners passing their windows?
• YAY! Bathroom!
• Why is that man sitting in his car parked in front of the women's bathroom?
• I hate out-and-back repeats - this is my 4th time on this ugly section of trail.
• I love out-and-back repeats - I get to see the jetty view twice!
• I need more hills. (YES!!! I actually thought that!!!!)
• YAY!! Another open bathroom!
• Did I shave my legs last night?

Here are a few shots from my run today.

Ran along this stretch of sand for quite a while. 

The water was very low today.

The jetty! My favorite part of this trail. 

I stopped here to take the gravel and rocks out of my shoes.

I always liked this part of the trail. 

This is me at the 11th mile back at Marine Park ;)

Total RUNNING Time (less bathroom and shoe rock emptying stops): 2 hours 10 minutes and 06 seconds.
Average RUNNING pace: 11:50 minutes per mile
Average pace including four bathroom stops and one shoe rock/stop: 13:00 minutes per mile
Weather: started at 64 degrees and 83 % humid (SWAMP!!) and ended at 73 degrees and 48% humid
Average HR: 160
Max HR: 170
Average cadence: 160
Max cadence: 170
Weight: 158

My First 10 Mile Run

I was really stressing my first ten mile run all month. I decided on this trail because there are bathrooms at both ends of the trail (appr 2.6 miles apart from each other) and I figured it would be all up hill going to the bridge and downhill back to the parking area.  All I would need to do is run the full out and back twice to get my miles in and it would be all down hill the last 2.5 miles.

I figured wrong.

This trail is up and down both ways. Total elevation gain over the ten miles was 1048 feet. According to MapMyWalk, there was SIX cat 5 hills by taking the full route twice. I never ran a course with more than 2 cat 5 hills. Talk about hitting your first ten in a big way. YAY ME!!!

I stopped only for the following: Potty breaks and one quick chase after a snake that resulted in me slipping on the loose pebble gravel down a berm. My knee bled for quite a while but I still carried a lot of gravel home until I washed it really good (ouch!). Then I used a tweezer and needle to get the rest of road out of it.

I saw a lot of pretty scenery; tons of butterflies; a odd green caterpillar; creeks and falls and ponds; birds; and a very large and bizzare beetle.

My legs felt good until the 6.8 mile marker. Then I started feeling it in my legs. Also, I was sweating so much that it was dripping off the brim of my hat. Luckily, Heather C. turned me on to hammer electrolite capsules. I had a total of 4: 1 an hour before the run - 1 at mile 2.5 and 2 more at mile 5.25. Also, it helped that I had a Nathan Intensity Vest loaded with ice and water. I ate three shot blocks at mile 5.25. Those things are so yummy!

So flipping proud I made it the entire ten even though there were times I wondered why I was doing this. There was one section before mile 9 where I felt sudden hard aching on my IT band/outer upper right knee. I slowed down and corrected my posture and it stopped enough to finish. Weirdly, that pain never came back and here I am the next day without any residual knee pain. In fact, my knee hasn't felt this good since just after my first 10K in May.

My happiest moment was when I was cooling down and walking back to the parking area and I saw a little creek going under the trail. I took off my shoes and socks, hiked my shorts WAY up and dipped my legs in. AAAAAAHH!!! That was BLISS!!! Ice cold mind numbing BLISS!!!!! First it was just my feet. Then I found a deeper spot and got my legs in up to my upper thighs. I caught a guppy sized fish (that was heading towards my shorts) and released it. Don't know why. I really REALLY loved that creek!!!! Goose bumps and all. It was perfectly placed.

I will be going back and running this trail for my ten miles again.


WEATHER: Sunny and clear
TEMPS: 76 - 78 degrees
HUMIDITY:  28%
LENGTH: 10 miles
MOVING TIME: 2 hours 2 minutes and 57 minutes (potty breaks not included in time)
MOVING PACE: 12:18 minutes per mile
CADENCE:  156 ave and 166 max (shuffling)
HEART RATE: 161 ave and 178 max
WEIGHT: 160

FOOD, DRINK, SUPPS:

• 2 hours before run - one low fiber piece of bread with light cream cheese, two bites of banana & 1 Hammer Electrolyte capsule
• During run - 3 Cherry Shotbloks, 2 Hammer Electrolyte capsules, water, Immodium AD 
• Immediately after run - 8 ounces of chocolate milk and 1 soy joy

Harvest Days 8K - Blood, Sweat and Cheers

Official pace at the race said 10:41. The website says 10:46. My Garmin says this was not 5 miles and put me at 10:55.

EITHER WAY: I was VERY happy getting under an 11:00 minute pace on this course because it had a mountain. BUT I TOOK THAT MOUNTAIN NON-STOP and am SO PROUD. I passed a LOT of people walking on that hill and I kept telling myself - "You do this all the time. You can do this" and at the water station at the top I took a full cup of water and poured it down my back and it felt GOOD.

Throughout the run I kept telling myself I was ONLY RACING MYSELF. First goal was making that hill non-stop. Second goal was to finish under 55 minutes.

I knew coming into the last mile I was having a good race and going to make both goals. I even kept pulling back to keep my heart rate under 178 as I KNOW what always happens at the finish line. I got it down to 176 as I turned the corner and again reminded myself -It is just me and the road....and Aaron (my friend) the event photographer at the end waiting for me. I kept it simple. I had this.

Then out of nowhere a woman in white passed me. NOOOOOO!!!!

Instant animal mode kicked in. Out went reason. Out went logic. Just racing myself? HA!!! WATCH THIS!!!

I kicked it hard all the way in and it felt amazingly awesome. I felt ALIVE. I felt STRONG. I could have roared. I felt that little girl in me that used to run with reckless abandon through fields. My Garmin said I was running 6:40 pace that stretch! WOOHOO!! And yeah, I took the finish before the contender.

Then, while having my chip removed off my shoes, I looked at my heart rate. YOU DOPE!! WTH?!? It was not pretty. I do not understand how something that felt that good and amazing could demand so much from my heart. Yikes. Per my Garmin, heart rate peaked at 184.

I keep telling myself race after race...NO SPRINTING AT THE FINISH.

Do racers EVER learn to control that careless inner demon that is highly competitive and that raises it's ugly head during the last 100 meters of an otherwise smart race?

Do we really want to? ;)

Me and Christine after the run

WEATHER: Overcast, 58 degrees and 86% humidity. NO breezes.

FOOD: Woke up afraid to eat ANY thing. Ate two bites of a banana and two swigs of Blueberry juice. Took a full immodiam AD pill. At mile 2 as I approached the steep part of the hill's peak (that is over half a mile long) I chewed on a Shot Blok then spit it out. Still having tummy issues. Didn't want food in it after all.

FLUIDS: There was a water table at mile post 2.5 and I only saw a very few others in the 8K group carrying their own fluids. Some handheld large bottles. I, and two others I noticed, wore belts with small bottles. I was embarrassed at first but I got over that quite quickly when sweat began pouring off my brow in the first mile. Did I mention 86% humidity? Or that I sweat a LOT? So I drank almost 20 ounces of diluted Gatorade throughout this run.  When I got back all my clothing was wet with sweat. No regrets or shame carrying my own fluids for such a short run. None at all.

LEGS: My calve that had been hurting all week since my 9.14 mile run ONLY reminded me it was there during the steeper parts of the hill/incline. What a pleasant surprise it didn't hurt throughout this race! Also, my right knee? You would have never known it ever has issues! The only discomfort I felt all race was my left IT band (Whhhyyyyy??) but I used a foam roller there in the gym at the course when I got back and felt better.

BLOODY SHIRT: When I got back it was pointed out to me that the sleeve of my favorite race shirt was 'bloody'. I took it off and saw this was true. It was a very large spot too, of several inches. It appears that the seam of the sleeve was catching on or rubbing against the healing/scabbed cuts on the back of my arm that I got a few days ago doing battle with chicken wire. The constant rubbing just kept the blood flow going. Luckily it rinsed out and the bleeding stopped when the race was over. 

PLACEMENTS:

• #137 of 216 runners
• #71 of 144 women
• #8 of 20 women in my age division

CHEERS:  Have I ever mentioned how much I enjoy cowbells at a race? Also, Get Bold puts on fun events. They had family runs, the 8K, the Half Marathon and RACE WALKING today. They even had cheerleaders throughout the course and a great DJ. They rocked it at the Resolution Run in January and they rocked it again today. Also, I LOVE their race shirts and was so happy to see that today's shirt is from the same manufacturer as the one I got in January. It is a shirt I wear ALL the time to run in. Now I have two. :)

NEXT: I am looking forward to Get Bold Events wine run in September

5 Miles

I didn't want to run today. I wanted to sit on the couch. I wanted to put my feet on the coffee table and just gel. 

My training plan said - GO RUN! 

Nike said - JUST DO IT!

Settling, I put on running clothes and drove to a 'flat' course. I figured if I am running today, I could at least avoid all the hill drama of my immediate area.

I get to the track that I chose as my base. It has an empty parking lot, other than one lowered Buick Regal and me. The Buick has two young men. They are cruising the otherwise empty parking lot. I leave my car. Lowered Buick Regal drives slowly past my car. I watch. I worry. They keep slowly cruising the parking lot. In circles. Past my car. I go back to my car. I leave.

I drive to a trail. It isn't as flat as what I hoped for, but it has a bathroom. Bathrooms are good. It is muggy. I put on my water belt, take a deep sigh, turn on my music and start my Garmin watch. 

I go.

Up, down and along the trails. First towards an apartment complex I used to live at. Some parts of the trail are rough and hard on the ankles. I then head east to the prettier portion of the trail and find there that parts of the path are so smooth and level it is like floating over it. 

Past the wild roses that are so thick, the air is filled with their fragrance.

Past several small cotton-tail rabbits that watch as I pass them by. Past the singing birds on tall reeds. Under a soaring red tail hawk.

Cool breeze for a moment. Wish it lasted longer. 

Past a pretty pond and countless ducks resting on it's banks. 

Coming around a secluded corner I see a scruffy man, bending over a small brick divider. He pulls up, a very very large, bright red pipe wrench. He looks to both sides as I approach. He holds it. He looks at me. I recall too many Criminal Mind shows and pick up the pace. I pass him nervously. Looking over shoulder, I race. Fast!

A hill. A long long tall hill. I hate that hill. Do I take it today? Yes. It hurt. I was slow. But, I go. I get half way and turn back. If I had been running any slower I would have been walking.

More trails. More birds. Tiger swallowtail butterflies flitting across the trail between blooming thistle. A gnat splats against my glasses.

The last mile - not easy. Does it ever end? Why am I doing this? Sweat is literally dripping off my visor. I finish the rest of my water and relax knowing I have more fluids in the car. 

I make it. I take my time walking it out. Taking off all my gear at the car, I realized my clothes are soaked. Yet, all those endless miles, now feel as if they were but a 15 minute jaunt.  I feel strong. Really really strong. I take my time stretching. I feel relaxed. I feel refreshed. 

That wasn't so bad.

9 Miles, a sore calf and immediate relief

Coach had us jump up from long runs of 7 miles to one of 9 miles this week. I think he forgot how to count as SURELY there should have been an 8 mile long run in there first. Right?

Either way, I took myself and my sloppy weak (but getting stronger!) form off to a 9.14 mile run around town last night over hill and dale.

For my first time ever, I developed a very tight and painful left calve muscle. It just didn't feel fun. I ran through it gently and assumed it was tight from the hills. You can't run far in MY town without HILLS. My right knee and IT band got pretty darned angry at me as well, but that was expected.

When I got home, I stretched gently. Then I poured a very cold bath, sat down in it and soaked my legs with a towel wrapped around my head and upper body, while shivering the entire time. After, I applied ice packs. Even in bed I rested the sore calve on an ice pack.

This morning it still felt tight (though my angry knee was calming down). It worried me. What if I tore something? Is this from too few electrolytes? Crappy form? Hills? Bad shoes? All the above? Then I remembered a thread in a Facebook page from the Portland Running Chicks about Compression Socks and Sleeves.

Off I went to the Fit Right NW store here in Vancouver. As a note, my calve even bugged me while driving.

The nice sales person nodded in understanding when I explained my issues and agreed, a sleeve might help. He measured my calve at the widest width and then asked me, "White, green, pink or black?". I replied, "Black".

He pulled one out of the box and let me try it on. IMMEDIATELY my muscle seemed to stop spasmming. I can't even begin to explain how or why that happened. Support? Massage? I told the sales man, "Can I keep this on and just pay for it?". I wore it home. And guess what....no discomfort in the drive. None when I got home. Also, it felt even better walking with the sleeve on. Was it cutting off the circulation, thus numbing the pain? LOL Doubtful. I took the sleeve off after several hours and wallah! No more discomfort. It is now 8 hours after I took it off. It is as if my calve never hurt.

Coincidental timing that once he put the sleeve on my leg would feel better? Science? I don't know. But I am very happy with my purchase and plan to use them for after all my long runs. I might even try wearing them ON a run to keep my calves supported during all that impact and fatigue.

Thank you FIT RIGHT!  I am going back to buy a pink pair for my Half Marathon run in October.

CEP COMPRESSION SOCKS AND SLEEVES

(btw: I can't wait to try their cool arm sleeves, and their shorts!)

RUN INFO FROM LAST NIGHT:

Distance: 9.14 miles
Total time running: 1 hour 48 minutes and 15 seconds*
Running/Moving Pace: 11:51
Time out: 7:18 PM - 9:27 PM
Temps at start:  77.6*/ 60% humid - direct sunlight first 3.75 miles
Temps at end:  70*/ 78% humid - Twilight ending when I got home.
Climb Data:  194 foot gain - and the last three miles were all uphill.

*I stopped the Garmin at every single stop light and for potty breaks. There was otherwise NO WALKING on this run.

Just a quick one that made me happy

I did my measurements today.

Since I started running last August, I went from 38% of body fat to 32%.

But even more exciting......my thighs today, are smaller now than they were when I was ten pounds lighter back in 1999.

Dieting is okay. But exercise really changes your body.

YAY!!!!

It's Getting Hot Out There

I started running last August....indoors.....3 feet in front of a window cooler.

This is my first summer running in the Pacific Northwest muggy heat. And I am a wimp. Next weekend I am going to weigh myself before I get dressed, measure my fluids-to-go and then compare the weights/measurements when I get back. I suspect I am losing more than an average amount of sweat when I run. Today my hat and all my clothing were drenched at the half way mark of 3 miles. I drank over a liter of fluids in my 6 mile run and drank another liter after. It was very challenging for me and I really wasn't pleased with how slow I was going trying to keep my heart rate down.

The trail I ran is BEAUTIFUL. Literally, one of the prettiest trails around! But, it has always felt the muggiest to me as we run down the ravine along ponds and a large creek. Today, bugs were splatting against my face and sticking to it. It really isn't my favorite as it doesn't seem to get the airflow I get on the others.

So why run it?

Easy answer: It is the only trail I know of with bathroom facilities every 3 miles!!!!

If they ever reopen the Renascence Trails' bathrooms, it will be the ONLY place I run my long runs. But, the city isn't going to be doing that any time soon. Such a shame.

Coach says I have to run 9 miles next Saturday. He hasn't assigned more than 7 yet. I guess we are going to just skip 8 miles? IN THIS SUMMER MUGGINESS???

My confidence level is at an all time low. I have my half marathon in 13 weeks. Eight of those weeks will be summer months. I need to figure out how to replenish electrolytes while running without creating runner's trots.

Here we go.

Weight: 160.8
Distance: 6.0 miles
Running time (not including bathroom breaks): 1 hour 10 minutes 20 seconds.
Temps: 75 degrees and 63 % humidity (I swear it was higher in the ravine along the water)

Volunteering, Dehydration, Paranoia and a Race

I haven't been updating my blog although a lot has been going on. For example:

June 17th - I was a volunteer at a water table for the Vancouver USA Marathon and Half Marathon. The table was run by firefighters that graciously allowed me to help out there at mile 20 and what a GREAT experience it was. I saw young runners, old runners, elite athlete runners, obese runners. And I saw courage and determination in a way I had never seen it before! The heat was something no one was prepared for and it was evidently a nasty challenge for quite a few runners. But they carried on. In my six hours there, I saw only ONE person take advantage of the first aid station and request a ride back. I got to see people I have trained with, and I got to see friends I met through blogs. Will *I* ever run a full marathon? No. I really don't think so. But, I am all the more ready to take on my Half Marathon in October after having been inspired by this experience. Here is a photo of me and Heather.

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June 20th - It was hot out at the track and I have not become acclimated to heat yet. My assignment was to run ten 400's with 30 second breaks and I ran eleven.

I had a 12 ounce bottle of diluted Gatorade with me. By the 3rd lap my shirt was drenched in sweat and I had used up all my drink before the last laps. My heart rate got high on the last two laps. My throat was dry but I was still sweating so I thought nothing of it and then I walked 3 miles with Shelly (and Heather when she arrived a bit later).

I got into my car and it was like walking into an oven. There was hot water in a cup in my console and if I were smart, I would have drank it. I wasn't smart. I drove off and quickly realized I had a problem. I WAS SEEING DOUBLE! I had never had this happen before and it scared me. I kept thinking it would remedy itself immediately and it didn't. I came to a section of road that had no where to turn off and park as I entered a construction zone going over a freeway. I could NOT tell for the life of me if I was seeing two lights or four. I could barely make anything out and drove through. I found I could drive with one eye closed and it helped. This lasted 20 minutes and then went away. I drank a TON of fluids at home and was very frightened.

I called the nurses station and they told me it sounded like dehydration but I should really see a doctor to rule out stroke or other neurological possibilities. I went to the doctors the next morning. She checked out my vitals and listened to my heart. She said she believes it was 'just dehydration' and said you CAN be suffering from dehydration and still be able to sweat. She also said that I need to treat 80 temps here, the same as I would 100 temps in the desert because of the humidity....and by the way....I was her third runner that she had seen that morning, suffering from heat related issues from runs the night before.

Prescription: CARRY MORE FLUIDS and because I do sweat so much, use sports drinks verses water.


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June 21st - 22nd - Paranoia sets in - HARD. I felt a strong heat/burning sensation on the top of my head a few hours after I left the doctors office. It was an isolated spot on the right side. It was really weird and it was uncomfortable without being painful. It came and went throughout the entire day. I started wondering if maybe my doctor had missed something. Maybe I did something seriously bad to my health the night before. Maybe I pushed myself too hard. Should I run the race this weekend? WHY am I being paranoid about my health now, when I was never like this as a couch potato? I wasn't even paranoid about my health during my drug years which is when I SHOULD have been. This made no sense to me at all and I had a really rough time dealing with all this. I didn't know if I should call a shrink or see my doctor. I then started wondering if maybe this is all some form of migraine (as I had my first aural migraine last month) and did neither.

The weird burning sensations on that same spot of my head lasted through out the next two days up until just two hours just before the race.


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June 23rd:  Race day! Lots of photos to follow.

It was pouring rain out just hours before the 6PM run was to start. I still hadn't been to a race in pouring rain and feared today was the day. I wasn't sure what I was going to wear until the last minute. Luckily, the race was relatively dry until the last block of the 6 mile course. I stayed very hydrated with my two bottles AND taking water at each station. The course was mostly flat, and using my heart rate to determine my pace for most of it made for a nice run. There was at least two runners highs. YAY! My only aches and pains were on the incline going through the Barracks area when my left shin started hurting - but I ran through it and it stopped.

My Garmin download said I hit a heart rate max of 182 and I had NO idea how it did that as I was watching it pretty closely after all my health issues the last week. Per Garmin, it occurred at the finish line so THAT makes sense. I got to go to the winners podium as I placed third in my age group. Standing on any winners podium was a first for me. Also, this is the first race I ran with my friend Christine where I actually saw her for most of the race. She beat me by 3 minutes and 35 seconds. Last month on our 10K she beat me by 6 minutes 45 seconds. I hope to be able to run WITH her some day. That would be nice.

Me and Christine before the race

Cutest racer there - #209!

The Start Line...

My Strategy since I have pacing problems with fast people around me:

Start WAY in the back and do my own thing,

which resulted in me passing a lot of people later.

Approaching the riverside area, and about 

to run under the 5 Freeway

Running along the Columbia River...

I had the greatest runners' high here.

The clouds started coming back at around mile 4

Live band played Lenny Kravitz's "Go My Way"

as I crossed the finish line. 

LOVED IT!

Hot Pulled Pork Sandwich and Cole Slaw 

for the post run meal

My first medal - bottle opener

(which all 6 mile runners earned)

Me on the Division Winners podium

3rd place F 50-54

(out of 7 but that is still great!)

OHH!!! I have to share my rookie mistake!

As soon as I finished the course, we went to the car and grabbed our money, then went and sat down to a hot meal for an hour or more. When I went to stand up again, it hurt like HECK! My legs were one giant cramp. I had never had post run pain like that before and then it dawned on me - dumb me forgot to walk out and stretch out when I finished. Seriously. How stupid! I have NEVER done that before and after what I felt I never will again.

Cool Coincidence! (Nerdy Numbers)

Nerdy numbers running stuff that is really cool to me:

I ran 3.2 easy miles last night and 6.18 easy miles tonight. Different routes. Different hills.

The cool thing is that per Garmin, I had the same EXACT average heart rate in both workouts, and the same EXACT max heart rate in both. That isn't something you can just make happen. I then noticed I had a very similar easy run (stat wise) in May!

Also, all three runs were in a pace average of within 8 seconds of each other.

And, as slow as they all felt, they were all faster than every race (including Shamrock) through May of this year.

I am trying a LONG run on Saturday to see what happens.

Here is a snippet of my Garmin stats page.

By the way - today's run? A-MAZ-ING!!! It was my favorite run of the year. I had runners highs on and off throughout all of it. Even towards the end. The weather was PERFECT! Blue skies, puffy white clouds and a cool breeze. Wildflowers were everywhere. This was a run that was supposed to be "2 to 3 miles" but I just kept on going. I wish I had planned better and had packed more fluids. Going long on Saturday after all the graduation guests leave.

Another Runner Died

Warning - Seriously Heavy Stuff & Babbling

I heard today that a young man died running in a Half Marathon race. This one was a 40 yr old in Bend, Oregon.  I guess the course was hilly trails and medics had to run 4 miles in because there was no actual known location. I would think with water tables every 2 miles surely SOMEONE could have radioed in better instructions?

Sorry - freaking out.

My first race in Vancouver was on Thanksgiving day last year. Another young male runner, also in his 40's I believe, passed away from complications following his collapse/attack shortly into the course. I will never forget seeing him being tended to or the sounds I heard as I passed. I ran his memorial run on New Years morning at sunrise.

It never surprises me when crack addicts die. But, it surprises me every time a runner does. Yeah, I know that these are often caused by unknown genetic defects. But still, these are runners. Not wino's in an alley on a cold December night.

This is always hard to hear and my being older and more out of shape than many runners makes it scary, too. I am 50 years old and 16 pounds over my goal weight.

Luckily, I had a full stress and echo test done by a cardiologist before I began running and I called her again in December after learning that the Thanksgiving runner had died.. But still, maybe I should have another after I have been running a year? Just to make sure?

I do hit some crazy heart rate numbers out there.

• The charts say my MAX HEART RATE is 170. 

• My target zone per the charts is (I kid you not) "93 to 144" beats per minute on 85% max runs.

• My heart rate standing in line to start running the Shamrock Run was 122 before I lifted a foot. Based on those charts, I was way up into my 85% mark after standing in one place for 15 minutes (I hate crowds and was very anxious).

• I typically run between 165-174 in my 'easy to medium' zone based on perception. Even after over an hour of running when that crawls up to 170-177 I am just starting to feel exhausted at that pace. I make myself slow or walk when I hit 180 because then I am usually feeling exhausted and because yeah, I am paranoid.

• My heart rate hit 187 yesterday morning when I sprinted over the finish line mats! I felt FINE. No pain, no dizziness, no tingling, and no disorientation. I dropped all the way down to 144 in just a few short strides to the water and banana's. 

• My resting heart rate is 54-56. Sometimes the day after a race it might be 60.

My cardiologist who did the stress tests said she didn't see anything wrong with these numbers if I wasn't feeling chest pain, numbness, dizzy, tingly or disoriented. I DID feel disoriented when I hit 191 in the Jingle Bell run finish which brings up another point. If my heart rate max per a chart is 170, how the heck am I alive?

Stupid charts.

I just wish sad news like today's news didn't have me wondering if the charts aren't so stupid after all. I hate second guessing myself.

http://www.ktvz.com/news/31178181/detail.html

My sincerest thoughts go out to his family. I can't imagine the pain and shock they must be feeling. I can only hope he told them the same thing I told mine after that Thanksgiving run last year - I loved them, and if I never make it back from a race, please know I was doing something I really enjoyed.  Then again, I am betting his family didn't need to be told how much he enjoyed running. That is something that is pretty hard to hide from loved ones. Isn't it?

Run Like A Girl

Lots of photos below, so if you aren't into reading - feel free to scroll down.

My News Years Resolutions included running a 5K race at a pace that was under 11 minutes per mile. Back when I made that list, I had been running 5K's at paces of 12:44 - 12:49. The reason I joined the Get Fit Live Fit running program was to become strong enough to hit that goal pace of under 11:00.

I had a fairly decent run two weeks ago at my first 10K (6.2 mile) run. With a pace of 11:35 I got to thinking maybe I COULD run a 5K (3.1 miles) under 11:00 now. So that night, I signed up for the RUN LIKE A GIRL 5K.

I wasn't entirely sure how smart it was wearing clothing to this race that I had never run in before. I mean, you are always being told to never do that. However, this morning I wore my new Livestrong shirt and *tadah* a sparkly black and gold ribboned tulle tutu! Also, I put on a black non-ventilated cap that I used once and found too hot. So....why did I put it on today? Because it matched my outfit, silly!

Got to the race and was so relieved to find the weather was beautiful!!

I was also relieved to find a lot of tutu's there. Also, there were super hero costumes, a cabana dancer, harem dancers, and men in drag. There was even a group of high school boys from the Evergreen High School Cross Country team in drag. There was a lot of costumes. I felt not so out of place in my first run with a tutu.

My goal today was to start more towards the back and to start smart. I put on Lionel Ritchie's song EASY as I approached the starting mats...I was calm. I was cool. I started my watch and MapMyWalk as I crossed the mats. I had this under control.

Then.....I got STUPID and starting over thinking. The throng I was in felt incredibly slow so I put it into gear and cut through and around them. It didn't feel like I was speeding but when I looked down at my Garmin watch, it said I was running a 9 minute pace and my heart rate was already up to 171.

From then on, it was a MENTAL battle. A disgustingly over-thought, difficult MENTAL battle.

My legs had been feeling sluggish all week. Today? They felt magical and invincible and ready to win. My knees felt perfectly fine. But my heart rate kept going UP.

When I run, I always slow down as I near a HR of 180. I have gone to 191 as recently as last December, but I don't want to do that. After having a full echo/stress heart exam with a cardiologist and being given the thumbs up (and after being told I have a resting heart rate of 54 and a "rabbit's heart" that accelerates and decelerates very rapidly) I set myself a limit of 180 excepting the final kick in a race. Today, I was constantly hitting 180. It was MADDENING! Time after time I was pulling back when I felt strong. It was making me crazy. WHY was it so high?

I thought maybe it was dehydration as I was sweating a lot and it can increase your HR so I guzzled 8 ounces of Gatorade.

I thought maybe it was my overheating as my head was on fire from that darned black hat, so I took it off and carried it.

Still, the heart rate remained a battle for me. I had given up on this run thinking there was NO WAY I would meet my goal and would have to try another 5K. There I was at the 2.5 mile mark having a pity party wanting to kick it and having to hold back as two young kids raced past me.

Coming to the finish, I decided to heck with my watch. I am running to my comfort level and kicking it in to the end. My watch said I hit 187 at the very end but I felt GREAT and had no dizziness, disorientation or tingling. I was fully functional and talking to people.  I am going to assume I didn't do any damage.

My Garmin and my MapMyWalk were at war with each other but BOTH said I met my goal. So, I waited for the official results to be posted. WOOHOOO!!! I had an official time of  32:29 which matched my Garmin and an official pace of 10:28 which was one second faster than what MapMyWalk said.

Now I have my speed goal out of the way, I can focus on adding many miles to my base for my next goal - running a Half Marathon in October.