1st Annual Running

It's fitting that I give a long overdue running update on the day of the first running of the Illinois Marathon. VERY exciting stuff! I would have LOVED to participate but there was no way that was going to happen this year....maybe never....I'm not sure. As ONO aptly said to a neighbor who asked if I ran the marathon, "She has the aerobic capacity, but her body probably couldn't take the physical wear and tear." Part of what comes with being 45. Although, I read recently that frequent sex helps maintain healthy joints. Hmmm.....

Although not a marathon, I did run today, and it was FABULOUS! I ran roughly 5.5 miles in the rural parts of town, just east of our house, to a nursery that I have become quite loyal to. It was a cool, breezy, SUNNY day and there were lots of interesting things to look at along the road. But more than that, it felt like I had small springs in my legs. It felt GOOD to run a little harder and faster! I thought about going farther but listened to my Super Ego for once and stopped. ONO and the boys met me there after I had plenty of time to cool down and choose stones to make a walkway from the front of our house to the back yard. Also came home with a nice variety of shrubbery. Yes, gardening is in full swing at the Haake house! But more on that later.

I have been running about once or twice a week, schedule permitting. Of the injuries that plagued me the end of last fall and through the winter, the shin splints have disappeared. YAY! The plantar fasciitis rears it's ugly head now and then -- more after I use the elliptical than after I run (weird, huh?) so I stretch and rub and if it's a little too noisy, I just dope up and go anyway.

My goal this year is to complete a 1/2 marathon. I can see myself doing that. College Muffin asked if I would do one with her and I got really excited. How fab to train with your daughter and run a race together! I totally enjoyed doing that with Stud-ly Muffin. However, Bethany has had some significant health concerns this year so we're not too sure if the 1/2 will be a joint venture or not.

Along with the 1/2, I plan to run a 10K and then some other races of shorter distances but with interesting venues. First one coming up is the Lake Bloomington run which takes you 4 and some change miles around -- you got it -- Lake Bloomington and then after wards there is a big party! My friend/neighbor/running pal Tara suggested it.

So, in the last 6 months, I've decided to change some things up. This winter I added weight training to my routine and liked it, especially when ONO and I did that together, so will continue. (That would be a big, fat, DUH! huh?) And, I'm definitely NOT doing the trail run this year because it's put me out of the game two years in a row now. I really want to focus on increasing my distances to see if my 45 year old joints really can't take it. Buy stock in Advil now, people!!

Oh, and, I've decided to never skimp on shoes! I love, LOVE, LOVE my new Asics Kayano 15s with the asymmetrical lacing. Best shoes I have EVER worn!

I'm going to get another pair and this time special order them in pink. Yes, PINK!

Ain't nuthin' like it

After what seemed like eons of elliptical training I FINALLY got out for a run this morning. Going out the door I thought "sure hope I remember how to do this!" Fortunately, running comes naturally to our species, what with the large toothy animals and rival clans that we had to get away from in our evolutionary history.

The run went pretty well. There was the tiniest pain in my heel at the beginning and a miniscule pain in my right calf but it went away after a bit. I took it slow (mostly) and remembered to shuffle my left heel most of the time. It's paradoxical to me that a change made in my left foot/leg would make a huge difference in my right foot/leg. Hmmmm....yet another example of the amazing interconnectedness of all things. You know, the butterfly effect thing.

I'm probably going to stick with the elliptical for the most part. Oh, and I added lower body weight training during my running exile so I'll keep doing that and add a run about once a week, until I am certain that I can continue. But I gotta tell ya, it's SOOOOO tempting to get out there EVERY DAY.

Today I came back half frozen (It's 10 degrees here) but with an ear-to-ear grin. ONO asked how it went and I said "Pretty good. There's just nothing like it." He said "Not even the love of your husband? Not even sex?" I said "I didn't say it was better than those things, there's just nothing like it."

Stretches of Silence

I thought I'd explain why I'm not writing.

I'm not running much and I've realized that I compose blog postings while I run.

No running = no blog posting.

Hopefully things will turn the corner soon.

Running Update

If you're a regular, you've notice that I haven't posted much about running, or anything for that matter. Recently I discovered there's a connection there, but more on that later.

After the Allerton Trail Run in late October I've been plagued with shin splits (again!) in my right leg and an obstinate heel pain. I'm sure the two are related. I can't quite figure out if the heel pain is Plantar Fascitis or a bone bruise, or maybe even a stress fracture. ONO says that's unlikely but I'm not ruling it out.

I took about a week off and then tried running. The run itself went great but the pain afterward was pretty bad. I took almost 3 more weeks off, waiting until there was absolutely no pain in my shins. There was just a scooch of pain in my foot but I decided to go ahead. Again, pretty good during the run....pretty bad after. And the next morning? OY!!

I'm trying not to get too bummed about it. It's hard. I'm clearly not going to meet the mileage goal I set for myself last January. Unless you count all the elliptical miles I've put in. But don't think those count. But more importantly, running is really the only thing I really like. It gets me outside and away -- from myself and all the other annoyances in my life. It makes me grateful to be alive and able to move.

I've decided to invest in The Stick, a weight training book for runners, some shoe inserts, and maybe a foot log. All of that is about $100. If it works, that's definitely well-spent cash.

Dances with snowflakes

That's what I did today. At least it felt like dancing. And yes, there were snowflakes. Lots of them, actually. And lots of wind.

Why does this matter? Two reasons.

First, it's November 17, and while a part of my brain is conscious of this date, the rest of me still thinks it's summer. Well, mid-September maybe. I mean, the grass is still green and some things in my flower beds are still blooming (I don't pay attention to those brown, withered things). So seeing this apparent blizzard (ok let's call it a squall), threw me squarely into reality.

And what did I do? Did I get my cozy woobie, some cocoa and a book and huddle up near the fireplace? No, I promptly when outside. And ran.

My original thought was to walk for an hour. After dutifully using the elliptical (AND lifting some weights) for nearly two weeks, the desperation to get outside was very high, so on went the cold gear and out the door I went.

I did walk....about half a mile, but then I noticed that my leg didn't hurt so I thought "what that heck!" and went for it. Of course then my leg DID hurt, but not enough to make me stop.

After about a mile I was feeling pretty darn good -- like I was dancing with the snowflakes.

Come on, Old Man. I'm ready for ya!

Sidelined.....for now

Well, it appears that running the Allerton Park trail run causes

weeping,
wailing,
and gnashing of teeth.

Yes, the slippery, slimy mud, which caked onto my shoes, and the giant puddles I tried to jump at first but then just slogged through, along with my lack of training (probably the largest factor), has once again given me serious shin splints and I can't run without doing one or all of the above.

It really, really sucks.

It means I didn't run the 10K I had planned as my penultimate race for the year.

Did I say sucks yet? Yeah.

I will be using the eliptical for at least two more weeks and will try again around Thanksgiving -- just in time to work off all the Halloween candy, birthday cake, and other fatty, yummy stuff that's omnipresent this time of year.

At least I got a cool T-shirt.



My shoes? That's another story.

Running etiquette

You're running on the road (there's no sidewalk), and you're struggling up a decent-sized hill, having already gone 5 miles, and a funeral procession comes by. What do you do?

Out of respect for the dead I wondered if the proper thing was to stop running and stand there until the procession was finished. But, out of respect for the nearly dead (myself), I kept going -- slightly shame-faced. I just kept my eyes on the ground, about 10 feet ahead, and trudged on. Was this bad form?

BTW, today's mileage was 8.5. A little raggedy towards the end, but I went the distance. That 10K coming up should be a piece of cake!!

Fair to middlin'

Yesterday was my 10th race. Tara asked me to race with her and I agreed because it was for a good cause. The Women's Law Society of the U of I Law School sponsored this race to benefit the local domestic violence shelter/organization. Tara is the HR director of said shelter/organization, and they, like all other not-for-profits, are really hurting for funding. I was happy to run this race to support the increased safety and empowerment of women.

For some reason I got VERY nervous before leaving the house. It made no sense to me whatsoever, but then, that's the nature of anxiety. When I got there and did my warm up, it was a little better until I noticed that the mean age of the other participants was approximately 22. Great. I'm going to have a re-run of my first race of this season. The one where I almost finished last.

I didn't care quite so much this time because Tara and I would be running together and I decided since I already had broken my PR TWICE this year, I'd just run and see what happened.

Apparently law students are not as fit as environmental studies students because we both finished in the middle of the "pack." It wasn't my best time, but certainly not my worst either. And, the actual running felt GOOD -- very strong, controlled, smooth and focused. I LIKED that!

Here we are before the race:




And after:





Tara asked me about the trail run coming up in October. She was a little concerned about the distance (5.5 miles) but said she'd start training and give it a try. Teasingly I asked her if she'd run the 10K with me in November. She said "No. Not this year. Maybe next year." I said "Right! That can be next year's goal for you, like the half is for me next year!" She "Sure, but I'm never going to run a marathon." I said, "That's what I said last year."

We'll see.

I had floppy jowls!!

You might wonder why I would be so excited about this. Usually I'm bemoaning the "falling" of my face. It's all fine and dandy to have chubby cheeks when you're young. Then, you're cute. But as I've gotten older, those cute, chubby cheeks have started sliding downward like a Salvador Dali painting, or a basset hound's face. See those jowls?!?!

Anywho, I managed to get in an impromptu, sort of longish run today -- 7 miles and some change. By the end, I was feeling pretty great, trucking along and I noticed, to my delight, that my cheeks were flopping!

This has only become important to me since watching the Olympics track and field events and seeing the runners' cheeks bounce as they ran. One of the commentator's mentioned that this was a sign of very good running -- relaxed and smooth, even with the stress of racing in the Olympics.

It's not hard to tell when you're having a good run and when you're not. Sometimes it's really hard for me to switch from the strained, forced running movements during a bad run to the smooth, relaxed, almost sliding form of a good run. But now, I can add my cheeks to the list of the points I focus on to stay soft and loose.

Let's just hope the spit don't fly!

A blase event that I ran well (title by ONO)

Even though I said I wouldn't, I ran another small town festival race this morning. I did it only because my friend Tara asked me to after she ran the Fisher Fair 5K with me last month.

It was a pretty good time. The race could have been organized a bit better but overall it was a good experience. We decided to run with each other through the race and both got PRs. It's both encouraging and challenging to have a friend by your side. She's still faster than me but it's ok. I have almost 20 years on her.

The only thing that marred my experience was a visit to the porta-potty. Ugh, I hate those things! I didn't get up early enough to complete my typical morning routine. Tara had this FABULOUS idea that there should be "Pee-only" porta-potties, and that if anyone did anything else, an alarm and flashing lights would go off. I think she's got a lucrative idea there! If that doesn't take off, maybe this will:




Here's the link in case you want to buy one.

Second try

Of course I'd pick one of the hottest days of the year to try 10 miles again. There was a heat advisory announced shortly after I left for the run.

I had high hopes for today. All of the factors that I thought contributed to the last 10 mile bust were carefully considered and changed:

Thicker, moisture wicking socks
More food
More water
More shade
Less asphalt

What I didn't have control over was the humidity.

I walked a LOT on this "run." I didn't even care. I almost asked a cop for a ride back to my car, but decided to at least walk. It took 2 hours and 30 minutes to do the 10 miles, and when I got back to the car my feet felt like hamburger and my body like it had been hit by a Mack truck.

It was VERY discouraging. My consolation was reminding myself that I'd exercised for 2 1/2 hours and a pile of Cheetos.

I love Cheetos.

I'll try again. I mean, that's what I'm all about. But it won't be until after Labor Day. For now, I'm looking forward to running another 5K with Tara this Saturday.

Unabashed

My medal came in the mail today. I'm going to wear it to bed.

Not really.

Just around the house for a few hours.

Same race, one year later

Today was the Fisher Fair 5K (say that 5 times fast). I was looking forward to it for a number of reasons.

1. This is the race I PRed at last year so was hoping to do the same this year.

2. The Traveling Muffin said she'd run it with me. Study-ly Muffin ran it with me last year. It’s cool when your teens will actually be seen in public with you, much less run a race with you.

3. I enlisted a friend/neighbor Tara to run it with me. A newbie to running, Tara agreed to do this race one night after we'd had 1 too many blueberry martinis AND I agreed to take a class on Reiki.

The 3 of us left the house around 6:55 and drove north-east towards Fisher, and towards a very big and very DARK storm front. You could see lightening flashing in the clouds, and half-way there the wipers were necessarily on the high setting.

Things weren’t much different when we got to the fairgrounds. Bethany stated loudly and firmly that she WASN’T running this race, she’d just take a nap in the car. Tara and I decided to make a dash to the registration building and found a surprising number of other soggy participants. We were all glad to hear that the race would start around 8:30 when the storm had moved out of the area.

Tara and I agreed we weren’t going to try to pace each other – we both assumed that I would be ahead and finish before her. Just after the first mile water station (first split was 8:48) I stopped and walked briskly while I drank. And Tara cruised right past me. I never caught up after that.

Mile two marker (10:06 ) came and I walked a bit more for water. I’m not sure why I needed so much water….the muggidity was very high. At any rate, I was pretty sure that I wasn’t going to go sub-30 this go ‘round so didn’t really push myself. But then I got to mile 3 and heard the time keeper say “28 something” and realized that I COULD go sub-30! I sprinted the last tenth and gasped my way over the finish line. I barely heard someone say “good race! You kept me going!” I just needed to catch my breath. What I didn’t hear was my exact time but I knew I’d broke 30. That was good enough for me.

Sunday I got a phone call from one of the race organizers who told me that they had made a mistake with the finishers for my age group. Originally they had me as finishing third but found that my time actually put me at second. They would engrave a new medal and send it right out to me. That’s FUNNY – if I came in second, then there were some pretty slow 40-somethings running. What I really was interested in was my exact time. So I asked.

29:29.

YAY ME!! And now I get my pink running skirt!

I did 10......sort of

It was an out-n-back run today, with a total mileage of 10.26, but I'm not sure if walking "counts."

Out was awesome! Lonely, country roads, temps in the mid-70s, and breezy -- the wind was definitely my friend. And there's just something about running eastward...into the sun. Monsieur Soleil definitely can pull me along.

Back was brutal. I walked 1/3 of a mile during mile 7, another 1/3 during mile 9, and probably half a mile during mile 10. I also sat for about 10 minutes to check on some blisters forming. One on my left pinkie toe was burning like a tiny, red chili pepper. (The smaller they are, the hotter they are…..chilies, that is.) So I took off my shoe and dripping-with-sweat sock, let the foot breathe a bit and then wrapped the toe in a soft, fuzzy leaf. At first it made the blister sting a little more, but then the heat and sting went away! Perhaps a placebo effect? Maybe, but I really don’t care. Whatever it was, it helped.

While I shuffle-ran I thought about medicinal herbs and remembered that I have some Bee Balm growing at home. I wondered if it would help the blister. A few hours after I got home (and could walk again) I Wikied it and found that, sure as you’re born, it’s been used as a poultice for minor wounds. It’s also been used as a mouthwash.

Anyway, the last few miles that I actually ran were awful. Maybe it was the increase in temps, running on asphalt, not enough hydration, not enough calories, the blisters, or just plain, NOT READY FOR 10 MILES.

I had to resort to visually marking some spot in the road to run to, and then marking another spot and another spot. I think that helped me go at least one more mile, which is all fine and good, but I haven’t had to do that since the early days. I was also sore in ways that I haven't been in a long time.

Hmmmm. Perhaps this was training.

In. The. Zone.

Today's run was AB FAB!! I finally figured out that I could keep one morning a week free to do what ever I want while the mini-muffins are at "school." Monday mornings have officially become my "weekend." It's not that I don't enjoy spending time with my beloved family....it's just that, weekends really aren't what you'd call restful.




Today I decided to drop the M-Ms off and then park somewhere on the U of I campus and do a long-ish run. My course led me through this, which is a part of the University's arboretum (a pretty nice one, actually), past the Japan House, where I noticed that someone had knocked over the beautiful pagoda statues. It almost disturbed my Zen state but being in a Zen state would mean I'd let that go. (Buddhist humor -- ha ha!)

I continued on some gravel paths through one of the Ag science areas that includes an apiary in a small stand of trees. I turned west and went about 1.5 miles past crop science fields. Apparently these are the oldest research fields in the country. I only know this because there is a sign stating this fact.

Then I turned north, into some newer campus development where a series of sprinklers watering the manicured lawns welcomed me. Ahhhh! Refreshing!

A couple more miles to the Armory for a quick potty break, and a moment of silent pity for the poor ROTC schlepps who were running inside....around a TRACK. Blecchhh!

After this my energy started to wane a little until I took careful note of where I was on campus. I realized that I was on the course that I ran for the 5K in March. Yeah. That one. The one where the temp was around 0 with a frightening wind chill. Remembering that race held my attention for a while until I hit one of the main campus arteries and calculated that I was about a mile away from my designated stop.

Nice little 7-miler.

Mama got a new pair of shoes

Anyone who runs knows how important the shoes are. And if you're a woman who runs, they're DOUBLY important, because....well, because shoes are as important to a woman as her hair. Ladies, you know what I mean!!

I'd been a Saucony girl a few years back when I was running before I got pregnant with Brennan. That pregnancy was "assisted" and produced TWO embryos -- one of which became a "Vanishing Twin." But before the vanishing happened, my OB/endocrinologist said I had to stop running. Of course I did.

When I decided to start running again in January of '07, I thought I'd just pick back up with my Saucony's. Maybe my feet changed a lot with those last two pregnancies, or maybe Saucony significantly changed the design -- either way, those babies HURT! I kept getting blisters on my insteps. NOT a pleasant experience!

I trotted back to the store where I bought them and the kind, patient sales guy hooked me up with some Asics Kayanos, size 9. They were like butter. After a few months, when I had enough money for another pair, I went back. This time a skinny blond talked me into a size 9 1/2 of the Kayaon 14s. The first pair were Kayano 13s. Those 14s never, ever quite worked. It's frustrating because that's a LOT of money AND it meant less than enjoyable runs when I switched off.

This year I went back to the same store for new shoes and a kind, patient, skinny blond guy helped me. This is what I went home with:



Asics GT-2130s. Nice, nice, nice. They're the kind of shoes that once they're on, I don't even notice them.

What I want to know is WHY do shoe companies keep changing the design of the shoes???? WHY???? I say, just change the styling! We want PRETTY running shoes -- maybe pink and purple with sparkly things and/or flowers. Maybe something like this


or this

just the uppers. Not the soles of course. I would TOTALLY wear these shoes!

You know they have the technology. They just need a woman in charge.

Resolved

To run only before 10 am from now until mid-October (or whenever it starts to cool off).

At least I tried

ONO came home early today and I took advantage by going out earlier than usual (thanks, ONO!).

I'd like to run more in general (who wouldn't???) AND vary the types of runs to improve training, especially speed and endurance. So today I decided to try a tempo run, even though I'm still hacking and wheezing like someone in a consumption sanitarium from this "cold" the mini-muffins brought home from school.

I was ok for the first 2 miles but then I got really, really tired. My legs felt very heavy and I felt like I couldn't breathe very well. That's probably because I wasn't breathing very well. For the last 4 days my chest has felt like there is a tickly, sticky web of flem and mucous, capturing every molecule of oxygen and holding it prisoner in the top part of my lungs.

So much for breathing from the belly!

Didn't happen

I did NOT run the planned for race today.

I thought I was coming down with strep throat yesterday (Carter has it) and felt generally icky. A 90 minute trip to "Convenient" Care during which a 5 foot long Q-tip was rammed down my throat reveled that I was not positive for strep. However, I came out of there feeling ickier than when I went in....probably had something to do with managing the mini-muffins in a child-unfriendly environment.

And this morning turned up windy, rainy and cold.

Maybe I'm a wimp.
Maybe I'm not as committed to running as I thought.
Maybe I'm not as nutty about running as ONO worries I am (or will become).
Maybe it's ok to not run a planned-for race.....

There's always another race.

Less than a week out

In preparation for my first 10K next Saturday, I ran nine miles today -- nine long, painful, COLD miles.


The weather totally SUCKED today. Fortunately I decided to dress like I had dressed back in February....it was a good thing! Temps hovered around freezing and the winds were 15-20 mph. I chose today for the long run instead of yesterday because yesterday the winds were gusting up to 50 mph. I got rained on, snowed on, sleeted on, and blown on REAL good. And early on I strode (strided?) out too far and got that strained, pinched feeling in the back of my left knee.

I ate an excellent breakfast (another of ONO's magnificent omelettes) so I'd have plenty of slow releasing calories to feed me energy through the 9 miles. I worked hard at starting out slowly and checking my pace frequently so I'd last the whole time. Now I'm wondering what the run would have been like without all that careful planning and checking. I blame the blasted wind, against which I ran, UPHILL, for mile 5 and half of mile 6.




Before you get all impressed, remember that I live in Central Illinois, The Prairie State, and that there is only 64 feet difference in the lowest and highest elevations.

I almost gave up after mile 7 but MADE myself continue sludging along to the mile 9 marker. Then I jelly-legged it back home, quite slowly.

I've never had this happen before but while walking the 3/4 mile home, my lady parts felt like they were going to fall out. I have no explanation for this but am comforted to know that I'm not the only one. Geek Girl Misty who writes Athena Diaries has shared her trials and tribulations with this. It's a scary thought. I'm just waiting for all that stuff to realize it's not needed for baby-making anymore and peacefully retire to Florida.....maybe that's what it's doing....heading south, so to speak.

So I'll do one more run this week before Saturday's race. I'll work out twice on the elliptical and completely rest on Friday. Stay tuned for the race report.