This morning I met some people from the running club at 7am for a run. More specifically, I was running with my buddy Joanne. We did six miles. I wore the Saucony Omnis for the first time and they felt good. I will say that I was somewhat aware of my inner ankles (the problem area) after the run, but it didn't hurt and it feels much better than after I did the 7 mile run two weeks ago.
I forgot to ice after the run, because I was cold and just wanted to get into a hot shower and then I had somewhere I needed to go. Whoops. I'll do better next time.
This afternoon, David and I went to walk around at an art fair and I wore the orthotics for two hours. They're very comfortable, but by the end of the two hours my feet were feeling tired. The tiredness resolved itself after I removed the orthotics from my shoes. I definitely see why the doctor told me to build up to wearing them. It takes some getting used to.
Yesterday I registered for the ING Miami Half Marathon, which takes place on 1/30/11. I haven't ever been to Miami, and David has never been to Florida, so I'm pretty excited about it. It will be good to escape the Michigan winter for a few days! I have a couple of friends who sound interested in running the race, as well, so it will be a good time!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
The orthotics are here!
Today I went to the podiatrist for another crazy electric current treatment thingy (Phoresor treatment) and it turns out my orthotics finally arrived. Yay! I have to build up to wearing them (one hour the first day, two hours the second day, etc.). Then after I can wear them all day for a week, I finally get to put them in my running shoes and run with them. I'm feeling very excited and hopeful now!
Tomorrow will be my first run in two weeks. No orthotics, but I will be wearing the Saucony Omnis so we'll see how that goes. I think all will be well. My foot feels good, and I'm currently taking prescription anti-inflammatory drugs so I shouldn't end up with any swelling. Plus I will ice after I run. I'm hoping to do 5-6 miles. It's going to feel so good to run again.
Tomorrow will be my first run in two weeks. No orthotics, but I will be wearing the Saucony Omnis so we'll see how that goes. I think all will be well. My foot feels good, and I'm currently taking prescription anti-inflammatory drugs so I shouldn't end up with any swelling. Plus I will ice after I run. I'm hoping to do 5-6 miles. It's going to feel so good to run again.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Sigh
I haven't run since that 7 miles I did on Saturday, because my left foot is bothering me in that inner ankle area. It's a little swollen today. I had my last Phoresor treatment today so I'm hoping it will feel better tomorrow. I'm depressed because it's not looking good for running that half marathon on Sunday. If I couldn't handle 7 miles, then 13 is out of the question.
I ordered new shoes (Saucony Omnis) that will arrive tomorrow. They have more pronation control than any of the other many pairs of running shoes that I currently own. I'm hoping that will magically make it possible to do the half on Sunday. Yeah I know, don't run a race in shoes you haven't done a long run in. It's just the dreaming side of me that thinks I'll be doing the half. The realistic side of me - the depressed side - thinks I'll be sleeping in on Sunday and feeling a little mournful.
My house is filled with stacks of running shoes. I hope I get the chance to wear them all out some day.
I ordered new shoes (Saucony Omnis) that will arrive tomorrow. They have more pronation control than any of the other many pairs of running shoes that I currently own. I'm hoping that will magically make it possible to do the half on Sunday. Yeah I know, don't run a race in shoes you haven't done a long run in. It's just the dreaming side of me that thinks I'll be doing the half. The realistic side of me - the depressed side - thinks I'll be sleeping in on Sunday and feeling a little mournful.
My house is filled with stacks of running shoes. I hope I get the chance to wear them all out some day.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
The latest news
I went to the podiatrist on Wednesday to figure out what's going on with my feet (particularly my left foot). Turns out that I over-pronate, which causes a bone to go out of alignment and aggravate a tendon. This then causes inflammation and pain. Yeah, my left foot (inner ankle area) has been swollen for a couple of months and I was trying to ignore it.
So, the solution is to get custom orthotics. He made casts of my feet and the orthotics should arrive in a couple of weeks. Then there will be a breaking-in period. It is possible that I won't be able to get enough training in to be ready for NYC.
Twin Cities marathon is definitely off the table, though I may end up doing the 10 miler there if I can weasel my way in. (The 10 miler is closed for registration but I may be able to work something out.) If I can't get into the 10 miler, then I'll probably at least do the 10K that's the day before the marathon. I'm planning to go to Minneapolis regardless of my racing status. There's fun to be had and friends to see!
While I'm waiting for the orthotics to arrive, I need to get rid of the inflammation and pain in my foot. The doctor put me on a steroid to help reduce the swelling, and I've had a couple of Phoresor treatments. Phoresor is a device that uses low-intensity electrical current to drive medication into the swollen area. I had treatments on Wednesday and Friday and my foot feels so much better. It's nice to be free of the chronic pain and swelling. One more treatment to go, on Tuesday. And I'll be done with the steroids on Monday.
The podiatrist told me to take it easy for the next couple of weeks, while we get rid of the swelling and wait for the orthotics. I asked him if that means no running. I get the sense that he would prefer it if I don't run, but he's a runner himself so he understands I want to run. He said I can run as long as it doesn't hurt and I should ice it after running. And long runs would probably not be a good idea. He looked at me like I was psycho when I told him that today was supposed to be my 20 mile training run for Twin Cities. I assured him that I would not be running 20 miles today nor will I be running the Twin Cities marathon. :)
I did 3.25 miles on Thursday and 7.13 miles today. My feet feel pretty good. I am having some twinges in the left foot, but no new swelling so that's good. I iced after running today like a good girl. I'm hoping I'll still be able to run the Romeo2Richmond half marathon on Sunday, 9/19 but we'll see. I'm not going to do anything stupid!
So, the solution is to get custom orthotics. He made casts of my feet and the orthotics should arrive in a couple of weeks. Then there will be a breaking-in period. It is possible that I won't be able to get enough training in to be ready for NYC.
Twin Cities marathon is definitely off the table, though I may end up doing the 10 miler there if I can weasel my way in. (The 10 miler is closed for registration but I may be able to work something out.) If I can't get into the 10 miler, then I'll probably at least do the 10K that's the day before the marathon. I'm planning to go to Minneapolis regardless of my racing status. There's fun to be had and friends to see!
While I'm waiting for the orthotics to arrive, I need to get rid of the inflammation and pain in my foot. The doctor put me on a steroid to help reduce the swelling, and I've had a couple of Phoresor treatments. Phoresor is a device that uses low-intensity electrical current to drive medication into the swollen area. I had treatments on Wednesday and Friday and my foot feels so much better. It's nice to be free of the chronic pain and swelling. One more treatment to go, on Tuesday. And I'll be done with the steroids on Monday.
The podiatrist told me to take it easy for the next couple of weeks, while we get rid of the swelling and wait for the orthotics. I asked him if that means no running. I get the sense that he would prefer it if I don't run, but he's a runner himself so he understands I want to run. He said I can run as long as it doesn't hurt and I should ice it after running. And long runs would probably not be a good idea. He looked at me like I was psycho when I told him that today was supposed to be my 20 mile training run for Twin Cities. I assured him that I would not be running 20 miles today nor will I be running the Twin Cities marathon. :)
I did 3.25 miles on Thursday and 7.13 miles today. My feet feel pretty good. I am having some twinges in the left foot, but no new swelling so that's good. I iced after running today like a good girl. I'm hoping I'll still be able to run the Romeo2Richmond half marathon on Sunday, 9/19 but we'll see. I'm not going to do anything stupid!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
I feel quitty, oh so quitty!
On Saturday, I did something I've never done before as a runner. I quit a race without finishing.
I was running the Milford Labor Day 30K with my running buddy Joanne. We were doing Galloway-style intervals (run 4 minutes, walk 1 minute) and it was working pretty well. But my feet started hurting, as they do, and then once we got to around 14 miles I just lost it. I cried, I yelled, I totally lost my shit. It was ridiculous. Joanne tried valiantly to get me back to sanity, but it wasn't to be.
I ended up calling David and asking him to come pick me up. He headed in my direction, but I ran into my brother and his wife before David arrived and they drove me back to the start/finish area. In the end, I completed 15.3 miles out of 18.6. Joanne went on to a great finish, despite my abandonment of her after I freaked out.
I will not run either marathon this fall if my feet are going to hurt like this. I have an appointment with a podiatrist tomorrow so we'll see what happens.
I was running the Milford Labor Day 30K with my running buddy Joanne. We were doing Galloway-style intervals (run 4 minutes, walk 1 minute) and it was working pretty well. But my feet started hurting, as they do, and then once we got to around 14 miles I just lost it. I cried, I yelled, I totally lost my shit. It was ridiculous. Joanne tried valiantly to get me back to sanity, but it wasn't to be.
I ended up calling David and asking him to come pick me up. He headed in my direction, but I ran into my brother and his wife before David arrived and they drove me back to the start/finish area. In the end, I completed 15.3 miles out of 18.6. Joanne went on to a great finish, despite my abandonment of her after I freaked out.
I will not run either marathon this fall if my feet are going to hurt like this. I have an appointment with a podiatrist tomorrow so we'll see what happens.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Crim 10 Mile Race Report
Today I ran the Crim 10 Mile Race in Flint, MI. This is a big race, with 10,000 runners and walkers.
Flint is about an hour from where I live, so David and I decided to stay at a hotel last night so we wouldn't have to get up obnoxiously early. Last night was excellent. We checked into the hotel around 5:30 or so, then walked a mile to the expo to pick up my packet. There were Special Olympics races taking place downtown, which was very cool. Then we went out for dinner (flatbread pizza - yum!) and then headed back to the hotel to relax.
I slept like crap, as I so often do the night before a race. I woke up approximately one million times. When it was finally time to get up for real, I ate my traditional pre-race oatmeal and then David and I headed over to the local YMCA where we were meeting up in the parking lot with the YPOM running club. Our new club singlets arrived yesterday, just in time for the 40 or so club members who were running the Crim to look mighty stylin' on the race course. YPOM is a force to be reckoned with! :)
I was really nervous about this race. It's notoriously hilly, though some club members told me the Solstice Run 10 miler that I ran earlier this year was hillier. After completing the Crim today, I respectfully disagree. I found the Crim to have more challenging hills and my performance was certainly a lot slower than the Solstice.
I don't remember a lot of specifics about what happened during the race. It was full sun today - not a cloud in the sky - and felt quite hot on the course, so I appreciated all the spectators who set up misting hoses and sprinklers in front of their homes. It was nice to get some relief, because the course didn't have a whole lot of shady areas. There were a lot of cute dogs on the sidelines, but I managed to refrain from stopping to pet any of them. I was sorely tempted, though! Love those dogs!
The Crim has been in existence for a long time. Runners who have done it for 30 years or more get a special shirt. During the race I came across a man who was running his 33rd Crim. That's so impressive and I hope I can have that much running longevity. It's a well-organized race and they have water stops at every mile because historically it's ridiculously humid, though it wasn't too humid this year.
I had a fairly bad attitude during my run so I admit that I kind of gave up in the last few miles when I realized that I wasn't going to hit my time goal. I'm so disappointed in myself. All I keep thinking about is those damn marathons and how I don't enjoy marathon training. Still haven't made any final decisions. I want to get back to enjoying running more and feeling less like it's an endless slog of misery.
Next week is the 30K so I will get through that and then reassess my racing future!
Flint is about an hour from where I live, so David and I decided to stay at a hotel last night so we wouldn't have to get up obnoxiously early. Last night was excellent. We checked into the hotel around 5:30 or so, then walked a mile to the expo to pick up my packet. There were Special Olympics races taking place downtown, which was very cool. Then we went out for dinner (flatbread pizza - yum!) and then headed back to the hotel to relax.
I slept like crap, as I so often do the night before a race. I woke up approximately one million times. When it was finally time to get up for real, I ate my traditional pre-race oatmeal and then David and I headed over to the local YMCA where we were meeting up in the parking lot with the YPOM running club. Our new club singlets arrived yesterday, just in time for the 40 or so club members who were running the Crim to look mighty stylin' on the race course. YPOM is a force to be reckoned with! :)
I was really nervous about this race. It's notoriously hilly, though some club members told me the Solstice Run 10 miler that I ran earlier this year was hillier. After completing the Crim today, I respectfully disagree. I found the Crim to have more challenging hills and my performance was certainly a lot slower than the Solstice.
I don't remember a lot of specifics about what happened during the race. It was full sun today - not a cloud in the sky - and felt quite hot on the course, so I appreciated all the spectators who set up misting hoses and sprinklers in front of their homes. It was nice to get some relief, because the course didn't have a whole lot of shady areas. There were a lot of cute dogs on the sidelines, but I managed to refrain from stopping to pet any of them. I was sorely tempted, though! Love those dogs!
The Crim has been in existence for a long time. Runners who have done it for 30 years or more get a special shirt. During the race I came across a man who was running his 33rd Crim. That's so impressive and I hope I can have that much running longevity. It's a well-organized race and they have water stops at every mile because historically it's ridiculously humid, though it wasn't too humid this year.
I had a fairly bad attitude during my run so I admit that I kind of gave up in the last few miles when I realized that I wasn't going to hit my time goal. I'm so disappointed in myself. All I keep thinking about is those damn marathons and how I don't enjoy marathon training. Still haven't made any final decisions. I want to get back to enjoying running more and feeling less like it's an endless slog of misery.
Next week is the 30K so I will get through that and then reassess my racing future!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Thursday guilt
My attitude is only slightly better than it was earlier this week after the craptastic long run. Ran on Tuesday and felt fine. Didn't run on Wednesday. Also slept in again this morning, so the guilt really started getting to me. I took my running clothes to work and changed into them before I left the office today, so I would have fewer excuses when I got home.
I managed to push myself out the door tonight against my will and had a lovely run. The weather is gorgeous here, about 75 degrees and sunny at 6:30pm. I feel excellent now (physically) but am still fearful of what will happen next time I attempt a long run.
Maybe I'll feel better after I have a successful 10 miler at the Crim this weekend. We'll see.
I managed to push myself out the door tonight against my will and had a lovely run. The weather is gorgeous here, about 75 degrees and sunny at 6:30pm. I feel excellent now (physically) but am still fearful of what will happen next time I attempt a long run.
Maybe I'll feel better after I have a successful 10 miler at the Crim this weekend. We'll see.
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