The Dirty Fairy and Her Magic Sneakers

It's been a while since I've been running. My hip pain has been relentless. Every attempt to run again just feels wrong. In May I ran three times, one of which was the race I was going on about.


MAY running log per RunKeeper


Saturday May 7  
2.3 miles  
ave. pace 10:50. 
Comments:
"first run in two weeks. went better than expected. no hip pain while running. fingers crossed!"


Monday, May 9 
4 miles 
ave. pace 11:03 
Comments:
"ow."


Sunday, May 15 
(RACE DAY. RAINING, HURTING, SORE THROAT)
5.56 miles 
ave. pace  10:50 
Comments:
"Pittsburgh marathon relay. raining!"

I remember walking a LOT during this race.

After the marathon I took another break because the hip was just not getting better. My boyfriend and I had scheduled Warrior Dash Ohio on Sunday June 5th. It's a muddy5K  obstacle course. So I ran June 2nd so I would at least have one run in before my second race, knowing that race day would not be pretty.


Thursday, June 2
2 miles
ave. pace 10:22
Comments:
"trying to get back in it. hip feels ok. breathing is LABORED. now 4 some stretches and a 2 mile walk/jog back 2 the Y."


Then Sunday June 5th, we ran Warrior Dash. I don't remember our race time, and when I say "our" time I mean "my" time because my boyfriend was just being kind to stay behind with completely out-of-shape me. One of the obstacles was supposed to be Devil Hill. That's a funny joke Warrior Dash staff. As it turns out, the entire course was one ridiculous and completely muddy, no-traction hill after the other. There was very little level running. The hills destroyed me. Not only am I not ready for hills, but sliding on every step is twice as exhausting. Needless to say, but say it I will, I do remember what our PACE was. It was almost exactly 16:00. We finished in the bottom 20%.


On the upside, we had SO MUCH fun. We bought a reusable crappy, but waterproof, digital camera for $25 and ran with it. So we have some fun pics. Most shots were bungled because the camera was so cheap and awkward to use. Next time we will make out better since we know how to use it now. 

Above: Immediately after race. Below: After post race hose down drinking a beer on the lawn. Yes I raced in that outfit through the woods and over the hills and in the mud and over cargo nets and through chest high streams and over fire pits...

Then, another break. Hip STILL BEING A JERK. On June 20th I went back to it.

Monday, June 20
2 miles
ave. pace 10:16
Comments:
"can't breathe!!!"


Wednesday, June 22  (72 degrees, 90% humidity)
.85 miles
ave. pace 10:09
Comments:
"oh man, just too humid for this out of shape winter loving girl. must acclimate."


Monday, June 27 
2 miles
ave. pace 10:17
Comments:
"80 degrees, 68% humidity. went pretty good. way better than 72 degrees and 90% humidity."


Wednesday, June 29 (around 75 degrees, 65% humidity)
2 miles
ave.pace 10:13
Comments:
"Such a long way to go to get back where I was. on the upside, I think I found the root of the IT band injury. my neutral running shoes were either shot or inappropriate 4 my gait. in new stability shoes now and hip pain is nearly gone overnight."


That about brings us up to speed. New running shoes and I am starting to feel GOOD about running again! The guy in the running store told me I look like an over-pronator but not too bad. He put me in a neutral shoe. I studied the wear pattern on the shoes and the wear is right in the middle of the forefoot. If I over-pronated, the wear would be to the side. However, I also read that IT band issues are commonly caused by over-pronation. So, I am trying a stability shoe now. I went from a Nike Zoom Vomero 5 ($120, neutral) to an Asics Gel-1160 ($85, stability). I love Asics! They just fit me like a glove and make my feet feel like feathers. My last two runs were in them and WOW. My hips are having the time of their lives! I can just feel the pain leaving my body. Either I ran too long in my old shoes or they were simply inappropriate for my gait. I hope I am right about this.  I really do think that is all it was. 


I also invested in a foam roller this weekend. The trainer at the gym introduced me. I had been reading a little about it and just remember people saying "it hurts like hell". Those people were not kidding. I left it at my boyfriend's house so I haven't really gotten that far into it. I am expecting to have to "work out the kinks" for a little while before I am 100%. 


I feel really good about this past month. I have learned some things:


(1) Switch shoes until you find the right pair for YOU. 


Reading about any pain or discomfort you are having as well as some articles about running gait, how to tell what gait you have, and which type of shoe is appropriate for each gait is very helpful. You will get it right sooner this way.


(2) REPLACE SHOES WHEN THEY ARE SHOT


Lots of articles out there on when to replace your shoes. Most suggest after 500 miles, but I have read anywhere from 300 - 500. I think since I am a heavier runner I am going to begin replacing them every 300 at least until I am in the "normal" weight range. With RunKeeper, and many other running apps, all I need to do is mark the date I started running in a new pair on my calendar. It's pretty simple to tally miles from there using the stored data and monthly graphs.


(3) DON'T EVER GIVE UP!


"Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads. "
Henry David Thoreau

Where did the time go?

Ooops, no post for a almost two months. Bad Wanna-Be-Athlete!!!
Tomorrow is catching-up-day.

Re-injury Jog

This is where it hurts

With race day six short days away and my training schedule a mess because of this IT band injury, and after a successful two mile run on Saturday, I went for a four mile run yesterday. It did not go well. The pain started almost right away. I stopped at mile three and stretched the right hip flexor for a moment and that really helped. But by the end of mile four I was hurting. There was nowhere to stretch where my run ended but gravel so I had to walk/ jog another mile to find a place to lie down so I could get a full blown stretch of all my hip and glute muscles. That was pretty frustrating. Last thing my body needed was some more jogging, but I didn't want to stretch cool muscles.  Took a quick regular shower as soon as I got home and then a cold bath right after.

I've been using a lot of ice packs, took some Aleve, and am trying to elevate, but that's not so easy with a HIP. I iced it in my office chair several times today and took an ice bath when I got home from work. It all seems to be helping. Tomorrow I will continue to use RICE (subtract the C) and gently stretch. Hoping to be in shape for at least two more  miles by Thursday.

After the race, the plan is two more weeks of cycling with no running and another visit to the PCP. I am also going to focus on stretching and strengthening my hips, knees and core. If that helps, I will make it a part of my routine. If not, on to the next thing, most likely PT or gait analysis.

PHOTO CREDIT

Post Injury Jog

Ugh, I have been putting off my post injury jog for several days. The hip still doesn't feel right when walking. However, thoughts of hitting a wall in my very first race which is a 5.4 mile leg in a marathon relay in SIX days, and having to listen to people tell me I should have started with a 5K, had me concerned enough to quit being such a baby.

Finally laced up my shoes and went for it. Plan was to do two super slow miles then stretch thoroughly. Went better than expected! At first I thought my aerobic ability was in the toilet, but it came around. I think a four mile run on Monday and then maybe two or three on Wednesday, and two more on Friday (IF NO PAIN) ought to be just about perfect!'

Feeling a bit better than I was before the run. It calmed me down a little.

I also saw a chiropractor yesterday. It was a very brief upper back and neck adjustment, but maybe after a few more sessions, I will see a benefit to the hip as well. You never know.

So, I listened to my body and the doc, taking it easy for two weeks. I suppose if all goes well, my advice will be to listen to your body and the doctor. At some point you need to be able to do that first test-the-waters run. I was afraid of this because I didn't want to feel pain and be woefully disappointed. One more day, one more day, I kept telling myself. But I had to weigh the benefit of one more day of healing with the cost of one more day of losing ground. Today I guess the scales were tipped, especially with the race right around the corner.

Next post will be about my first race experience!

For inspirational running quotes, I highly recommend  following  @RunningQuotes  twitter feed.

'Healing,' Papa would tell me, 'is not a science, but the intuitive art of wooing nature.' W. H. Auden

Well, where did we leave off? Ah yes. The contest. My boyfriend won the contest this month and we haven't begun another one yet. He is having a lovely time gloating. He just bought a new hose and some peat moss for his yard with his winnings. We are still tracking our weight and body fat in-between contests. We reside separately and today I posted the spreadsheet that we will be using to Google Docs so that we could both make changes to it. Loving modern technology.

I haven't exercised at all this week. Partly due to laziness but mostly due to a nagging injury. I don't know why I haven't mentioned it before, I suppose because I thought it would just go away. A couple of months ago, I started experiencing pain in my right hip. I read up on it and decided it was the result of a weak core. Took some core classes and it went away.

Since then, my running has sort have taken over. I've fallen in love with it. Not sure when this happened really. I used to abhor running. I only began doing it because I needed to improve my aerobic capability and lose weight so that I could eventually get into mountain biking, my goal at that time. My real joy was strength training then.

My longest run to date was six miles. It was the Monday before last early in the morning before work. I even ran up some little inclines at the end of my run and felt great... except for the hip. It had begun bothering me again when I bumped my runs from 3 to 4 a week and violated the 10% rule. I think I went from 11 miles a week to 16. Now some people can get away with this. Apparently, I am not one of them. Before the six mile run, my boyfriend, who has run a couple of marathons himself, advised me to run through the pain, which I did. A few days later, I was in the doctors office getting very different advice. I was advised it was simply over training and to cycle for 2 to 2 1/2  weeks, no running (IT band inflammation).

One thing I think I have to be thankful for is that I had already developed enthusiasm for running by the time I was injured so I am not worried about falling out of the habit. However, now I sort of want to run everywhere all of the time. A strange thing has happened. With visions of mountain biking and triathlon in my head, I've somewhere along the way become a RUNNER. Not really interested in doing anything else at the moment. So instead of sticking to this weird version of what I used to want to do I am following my joy. The ultimate goal is a happier and healthier life style, so why not go where your passion takes you on that journey?

Now, my goal is to complete my first race (a 5.4 mile leg in the Pittsburgh Marathon relay) in under an hour. Next is to have lots of fun with my friends at Warrior Dash (5k obstacle course, Ohio course) in June, and then later, a 30 mile adventure race in Pittsburgh (Oyster Race Series, Pittsburgh course) which consists of a foot and bicycle race. Finally topping out the summer with my first half marathon, The Kathryn M. Freeman Race for Ovarian Cancer in Williamsport, PA, where my grandmother lives and where my Dad can join me by running the 5k! I live four hours from them so this will be a great way to race and visit my family while supporting a good cause.

I am babying this hip and vowing to stretch after my runs from now on. My doctor insists the pain has nothing to do with core weakness or hip flexor weakness (this guy is a doctor for the Steelers), but to be on the safe side I think I will begin strength training again as well.

This injury has been disheartening to say the least. I should be running a seven mile run tomorrow. Instead, I am lying around watching movies with my boyfriend. I should be cycling, but I am not. Hopefully I will get out there for an hour or so tomorrow on my bike, which will make up for the lost run. Either way, my main goal right now is to heal this hip so I can run some more. The thought of hurting myself to the point where I would have to take an extended period off brings tears to my eyes, so slow and easy is what I am going to do.

Next week, I plan on talking about testing the running waters after the injury and maybe discuss he benefits of stretching.

Peace, love and well-being.

Friendly fat loss competition, last week's goals

Saturday morning will begin with the final fat-loss weigh in on my significant other's body fat scale which will determine who has won our latest friendly competition. Contest was one month long. He stared with 29% body fat and I started with  39%.

What's at stake you ask? If I win, and I will win, I get a new giant wok. If he wins, and he won't, he gets a $40 gift certificate to Home Depot. During my lazy week this month I gained four pounds, but it actually must have been some water weight because I lost it right away plus another half pound. I know he's been hiking with the dog and eating tofu and toast. So it's really anybody's game. Except I'm going to win.

So, this past weekend, did I execute my plans? WELL. I did manage to run four miles after work on Friday. I wasn't planning to try the four mile run until Saturday because I'm usually pretty wiped out after getting little sleep after Thursday's night class. For whatever reason I was feeling I had some energy that afternoon and I usually have workout clothes along just in case that happens. So I was able to take advantage of the situation and I ran right past all of the people leaving my office building, headed to happy hours, and was able to bang out that four miles right after work. I totally surprised myself. It's the farthest I have ever run and I started on a GIANT HILL and almost died before I was able to turn it around and get to a flat area. It was so freaking hard. Then I got to a point where I just felt like, "hey I warmed up now". That was at about 3 1/2 miles. So weird that most of the toughest running is in the beginning when you are learning to get past those first several miles so you can really enjoy your run. I imagine that sooner or later, when I become a better runner, that those first several miles will get easier, but that they will always remain especially challenging. Let me look at my pace here... ok it was 11:21. That makes me pretty happy. That's way faster than walking.

Running has a huge psychological component to it that I think is a fun way to develop plain old confidence.
Anyway, so I was pretty amped about  how well Friday turned out. Then on Saturday I was lying around vegetating with my S.O. and his old grad school roommate when I realized that I left the power cord to my laptop back at my apartment. I had to drive home and get it so I could finish my java homework. On the drive home I am thinking about some errands I need to run in the Southside which is about 5 and a half beautiful paved bike path  miles with a bit of city riding from my place. When I got to my apartment, I grabbed my new to me road bike and rode down that beautiful path and ran my errands and got in  twelve miles.  It was a lot of fun. My legs were pretty sore after that. Twelve miles isn't that far on a road bike. Still, though, sore legs. By Monday they were fine.

Happy about the weekend, even though I didn't get the swim in.

Show Me a Girl with a Plan

Right here! Right here!
 
*PLANNING to run four miles after work today.

*PLANNING to swim for an hour tomorrow (which consists of putting face in water and trying to breathe while   moving forward without drowning).

*PLANNING on a 20 mile bike ride tomorrow (on my NEW to me BIKE!!!!!).

The group run last weekend fell apart. I took a mental health day from work on Monday and laid in bed ALL DAY. I only ran one time last week. I think I gained three pounds back. In short, motivation was pretty low. The three pounds kicked it back up a notch. Just running a couple of times this week also helped a bit. Hopefully if the above plans are executed, it will provide the momentum needed to get back on track.


Those old habits are always there, waiting in the shadows, to swallow me back up again. It's a struggle, no doubt, but one I know I am capable of winning -- if I want it bad enough.

LAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Due to a combination of old habits trying to take back their grip on  me and some sleepless nights, I have barely done ANYTHING physical this week. However, at the moment, I have plenty of energy to go run and we have our first absolutely BEAuTifuL  70 degree day after a which ends a long and bitter cold winter. What am I doing about it? I am getting ready to go drink beer with my boyfriend.  Woe is me.  

Tomorrow I have organized a four mile group run so there is no way for me to duck out. People are relying on me. I think group runs are about leaning on each other as much as they are for socializing. It's rude to commit to running with someone and then back out of it for no good reason, so, well, you just don't. It's not very nice to make someone else lose their stride so you can stop and walk, so you try not to. There are so many good things about it.  Oh well - will get a little bit of exercise tomorrow. :)

I look at this way, don't beat yourself up, just do better next week. It'll all work out. 

Christmas in March

So excited.

One of my goals is to finish my first triathlon ahead of ONE other person, but will also be happy by finishing before everyone goes home and there is no one left to record my time. Hoping to make this happen next summer, depending on how the swim training goes (uh haven't had ONE LESSON YET). Tick tock.

Anyway, I recently came to the brilliant realization that training on my commuter bike is going to be uncomfortable and BORING. So I found a 2005 Specialized Allez Elite Triple on Craigslist yesterday and I was supposed to go see (translation - BUY) it tomorrow, but the dude had to go out of town.

So here I am drooling over pics online until he gets back.

FEAST your EYES on THIS beautiful NEW.TO.ME road BIKE/my future TRI bike/FAST bike:

                                                          05 Allez Elite Triple

Awright, now wipe the drool from your screen.

bring me a dream

Insomnia can easily derail the best of intentions.

Last night I began using appropriate "sleep hygiene". Must have spent ten minutes shutting off all the devices in my bedroom and unplugging everything that has a stand-by light. A cool, completely dark and quite room was apparently just too much of an adjustment for my system at once. As it turns out, when I put myself in an environment like that, ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT is falling asleep. That is the kiss-of-death to a good night's sleep.

After four hours of trying to fall asleep, I wound up taking pics of my cats snoring away while piled on top of me.

After fun-with-camera-phone was over it was out to the kitchen for toast and then to the living room for an hour of video games. Slept in until seven today and helped out a friend after work, so no workout. Unplanned day of rest. It happens (it just happens to happen to me about twice a week).

Anyhow, hopefully catching up on sleep tomorrow night since it's already way past my bedtime again tonight.
Here's to adjusting to good sleep hygiene and hopefully uninterrupted nights of sleep in the future .

Diamonds in the Sky

Today I woke up to a rainy 40 degree morning. Yesterday I commuted by bus because I had been out late and was tired. So I told myself , "you are riding today". I gathered my things, did the needful, and retrieved my bike from the basement. I was wearing a long-sleeve technical shirt, track pants, running shoes, hat, helmet, gloves and a wonderful windbreaker with vents under the arms. I attached my grocery pannier (doubles as a gym bag) to my rack, and threw my huge gym bag sized messenger bag over my shoulder. Turned on my blinkies, put some trip-hop in my ears, and and set out for my short ten-minute ride to the YMCA. I am aware that riding with headphones is probably not the wisest choice, but I try to make up for it by being extra alert visually and I keep them at a moderate volume.

Anyway, as I was crossing the Roberto Clemente Bridge at 5:00 am in the rain and chill, I looked up at the steel girders of the bridge and noticed how amazing was the sight of the rain drops as they sailed past the yellow steel, silhouetted by the street lights; like little diamonds falling from the sky. I've traveled over a bridge on a rainy day thousands of times, but there is just something ethereal at this early hour when scarcely anyone is around and it almost feels like it is just you and the city and the street. And there is no good way to describe   the perspective from a bike. Just makes you feel alive. Moments like this make me relish my new, more active life.

The Dramatic Story // [fuh-see-shuhs] –adjective 2. amusing; humorous.

Hi-

I'm just a 37 year old girl working in a cubicle who happened to come to the drawn-out realization that I needed to make some changes if I ever wanted to be able to fully enjoy my life and my body. I mean your body is what gets you through your life. With my energy at an all-time low and my weight at an almost all-time high, over a few years I started taking baby steps to order my life in such a way that it would be convenient and easy to be active. Now I know that not everyone has this same luxury, but if you happen to, I HIGHLY recommend it.
I got surgery on my right foot to remove a morton's neuroma I had suffered from since high school.
When it came time for me to move to a more affordable apartment,  I moved to a pedestrian friendly neighborhood 2 1/2 miles of flat road from where I worked.
When I wrecked my car, I used the insurance proceeds to buy a bike and lived without the car for, well its been about six months and it should soon be back on the road.
I started bike commuting. It was intimidating at first, but soon I preferred it so strongly to public transportation that I was riding in snow and ice to get to work.
I got a membership at the downtown YMCA so I could shower before work after my ride in (riding does wonders for your hair).
The YMCA turned into my second home. I run from there, bike from there, enjoy steam baths, yoga, strength and spinning classes.
I can run almost three miles in a little over half an hour. I have been moderately active since mid-October.

Each week, I take on slightly more. When I'm tired, I rest.

I'm no where near fit. I am still borderline obese. Can't run or bike up hills. I have yet to finish an entire spin class. My three story walk-up still destroys me once in a while. But I am getting there, slowly but surely. My clothes fit better, I'm getting compliments from my circle, and I can run for the dreaded bus if I have to without running out of breath. It's important to appreciate these little mile stones along the way, I believe. And if you can recognize the significance of them, they will play a large part in the positive feed-back loop that will propel you forward. At least that has come to be my personal relationship with fitness. Being no expert on the matter, I can only draw from my own experiences and that is what this blog will be about. If I can make being more active seem less intimidating for anyone by relating my experiences, then well, that would be very satisfying.

Topics are bound to include, but not be limited to: motivation issues, nutrition, time management, goals, gear, shoes, technique, form, injuries, support of family and friends, activities and businesses in the Pittsburgh region (my stomping ground) and perhaps a dash of inappropriate humor sprinkled throughout.