The dawn of running

As expected, despite the best of intentions and planning, there’s pretty much nothing that can combat the feelings of frustration and immobility I’m feeling post surgery.  I’m not a person that was meant to sit still, so this business of sitting in a recliner, no matter what is attempting to entertain me at the time, is pretty much a mental death sentence.  I have come to resent the fancy HDTV (Sorry guys, Scott already called dibs on it), as well as the laptop, the magazines, and even my Nook.  I know what you’re thinking.  This is going to be one of those annoying blogs where the writer throws a pity party and I click “Next blog” to save myself from being sucked into her narcissistic depression.  Not so fast, Jose!

Granted, I’ve grown a little bored with the Nook.  That’s only because I’m reading it not because I want to, but because it’s a lack of options.  I already read through Dean Karnazes’ Run! 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss, in which I was half inspired, half grossed out, by the level of commitment that crazy fool has demonstrated for the love of running and the love of humanity.  He is amazing, and completely insane, and I am scared of love him.  My goal isn’t to be anything like him.  My goal is to be about 1/50^th of him.  It would be hard for any running story to follow Dean’s words of inspiration, so in all due respect I should have switched gears to a different genre.  Instead, I followed it with Chicken Soup for the Soul: Runners.  Also a good book, also with many inspirational stories.  I think it would have been a fantastic book for me to read when I first started out running.  It would have provided me with a lot of inspiration as well as education about running, gear, and grit.  Reading it now sounds familiar, as if many of these stories took tiny bits of my life and stretched them across many different tales.  After reading about the 20^th story of another underdog/out of shape/middle aged/overcoming tragedy/bittersweet tale describing the entrance to running, I lost interest.  That might be too strong.  It’s not that I lost interest, but in reading so many stories with such familiarity, it made me reflect on my own personal journey into running.  That, I feel, is a tale worth telling.

I started running in 2009.  Similar to reading Chicken Soup, it wasn’t so much done out of desire as out of a lack of options.  I was one of those people that was occasionally very committed to going to the gym.  I would get a gym membership, and go religiously for a couple weeks testing out each of the different ellipticals before becoming “too busy with personal obligations” to continue fine tuning my elliptical skills.  When my job was relocated 60 miles north, getting to the gym before or after work became a real challenge.  It was about this time that I coincidentally had started taking my health a little more seriously, was eating better, losing weight, and was determined not to let this latest challenge unravel all of my hard work.

This is where my friend Kerri comes in.  Kerri was an established runner and cyclist, completing grueling long distance races such as the Pan Mass Challenge and the Boston Marathon.  Doing this required Kerri to overcome some personal challenges, and she was a great role model.  She taught a spin class, which I attended with consistent irregularity, so when we were relocated it was natural that I would turn to her again.  Kerri is the original lunch-runner.  Her solution to longer hours and longer commutes was to squeeze workouts into her lunch hour.  With a little cajoling, Kerri suckered me into coming along.

Kerri promised to start slow, and we would do a walk/jog routine along the perimeter of the company property.  She showed me the locker room, which at the time was used by no one but us.  Back then, running at lunch was a very foreign concept and we were met with some strange looks by co-workers as we walked through the building in our sweatpants.  Our first couple of outings were a little rough, with me gasping to catch my breath while she effortlessly glided along.  She doesn’t know this, but she was a mentor, an educator, and an inspiration.  When I told her about my blisters, she told me about proper fitting socks and running shoes.  When I confided in her about the unsightly, bloody chafe marks I endured under my shirt, she enlightened me to the wonderful world of sports bras. 

When I first started running I wasn’t confident enough to go out and run a few miles on the streets.  This walk/jog routine may have been acceptable on a lunch break in the confines of a parking lot, but I didn’t want to look like a loser in front of passersby every time I stopped for a walk break.  Stupid when I look back on it, but it was a true concern at the time.  Instead, I decided to take my walk/jog routine to a local track.  It was summer and school was out, so I didn’t have to worry about the track being used by student athletes.  I will never forget the first time I went to the track.  I was determined to look like a real runner, so as not to look bad in front of the absolutely no one that was looking at me.  I grabbed my iPod, did a number of impressive stretches in the parking lot, using my car door for balance, and headed up to the track.  My first obstacle was entering the track itself.  I remember scouring the chain link fence, with sheer panic, unable to find the break in the fence.  Foolishly I wondered if each of the runners on the track had actually climbed the fence to get in.  I made eye contact with a runner, and although I was mortified with embarrassment, I hoped he would at least give a nod to point out the entrance to the track.  He didn’t.  Eventually I found my own way onto the track, and looked for a place to set down my belongings.  I placed my water bottle down on the ground, but couldn’t bring myself to set my car keys down.  I was convinced that one of the other 3 or 4 runners on the track would swipe my keys and take off in my SUV, so I decided to stash them in my jacket pocket.  This was a time long before I realized that I only needed to take that single car key with me.  On this track debut, I brought the whole jingle-jangle keychain.  I started off in my warm up jog, feeling the weight of the keys, the bottle opener, and the palm tree key chain bouncing in my pocket.  The “I won’t tell you where the break in the fence is” runner passed me, glancing over in irritation at my jingling metronome, and I responded by turning up the volume on my iPod and staring straight ahead.  I’m proud to say I’ve come a long way since then!

A lot has happened since those initial runs in the parking lot and on the track.  I have logged thousands of miles on the roads and trails.  My very first race was a 10k, and I’ve entered in at least one race a month ever since.  I still avoid the gym as much as possible but instead of dodging stationary bikes, I embraced mountain biking as a form of cross training.  I joined a running club and recently received an annual award for their Grand Prix race series.  Our lunch run has grown into a group of five, and we constantly support and motivate each other to keep running.  My confidence has improved, and I’ve realized that whether I’m running or walking down the street, I’m still doing a lot more than the person driving past me.  I hope that someday I can be a role model for others as Kerri was for me.  In the meantime, I’m proud to report that I have finally convinced Kerri to join my running club.  Now that is an accomplishment!

Girl Seeks Euphoria

As if whining about my hip wasn’t annoying enough, I’ve also spent the summer complaining about the heat.  This is after I spent the whole winter complaining about the twelve foot high snow banks.  Honestly, am I just impossible to please?  Todd would say yes.  He would attribute my complaints to that giant bag of excuses I carry around with me.  But no really, I hate running in the heat.  I am a self-proclaimed heat wuss.  I melt.  Running in the heat is a chore, and a matter of survival.  It’s a constant battle of trying to stay hydrated, trying not to pass out, trying not to let my heart rate skyrocket, trying not to develop heat stroke.  There’s more sweat in the eyes, more chafing, more sunburn, more deodorant.  I’m quite confident that if I lived anywhere south of Massachusetts, I wouldn’t be a runner.  My body was just not designed to be a sun soaker. 

                This past Labor Day weekend, I had every intention of doing a long run.  I need to get in a couple more long runs before I sign up for a half marathon in October, so I was hoping for 9 miles on either Saturday or Sunday.  Instead of waking up early to run before it heated up, I ended up taking my horse for long rides.  By the time I finished riding, it was just too hot to get in that long run.  Yup, I am no doubt a total heat wuss.  This morning, my 5am wake up call was startling.  It was pitch dark, chilly, and pouring.  It was the kind of morning where the blankets practically forbid me from sliding out of bed, and the snooze button was hit repeatedly.   When I finally managed to get out of bed, I breathed in the chilly air coming in through the window.  The crisp air was a welcome change to the thick humidity we’ve been enduring for most of the summer.  The thought of running in the cooler conditions was exciting, and I immediately packed my running bag and headed off to work.

                It rained heavily for much of the morning, so I wasn’t sure if I’d have any company on today’s run.  Todd and Jaimee are no fair weather runners though, and the three of us headed out together in the light rain.  Kerri wimped out (her words) and the Ken Doll…well…apparently his muscles melt when it rains. 

                The run was fantastic.  That’s all I can say.  The end.  Okay, I should probably elaborate.  The weather was perfect for running.  It was high 50’s and light-to-steady rain.  It is my favorite running weather.  Apparently all three of us felt the same because we all managed a brisk pace for the entire 4 mile run.  My body was thrilled and responsive.  When I wanted to speed up a bit it was like, okay, let’s go!  I charged up hills, maintained good breathing, good heart rate, and dare I say had a bit of a spring in my step!  When we got back to the building, Todd and Jaimee did another lap around the whole building and I did my own extra lap around one of the parking lots.  It was the first time in months that I felt like I could run forever.  I had no desire to stop running, unlike so many other runs this summer where I literally counted the minutes until I would be done.  Today reminded me why I love autumn running so much: Being able to take all of the fitness gained from the summer and capitalizing on the cooler weather.  It also reminded me of another perk of running.  The runner’s high!  I generally feel pretty good after running, but today was euphoric.  The run was great, my body felt great, and that feeling carried over to the rest of the day.  I nailed the rest of my day at work, and didn’t even mind the rainy, slow commute home.  I stopped for a bottle of wine at the liquor store and chatted up the clerk for a few minutes.  At home, I was unusually energetic after a long day and whipped through some chores.   I was downright cheery!

                When people ask why runners run, there are a lot of reasons and some of them are deeply personal.  But most runners will acknowledge the endorphin-induced runner’s high.  This summer I’ve focused so much on my injury and I’ve shuffled through so many painful, hot miles that I haven’t been able to really enjoy the sport.  Today reminded me how much I love running, and reminded me that there are still a lot of cool days ahead before I go in for my surgery.  Until then I will be just another girl, running her feet off, happily seeking euphoria.

The Ken Doll

I would have blogged sooner, but the power has been out at Chateau Jilly and my nights writing stories were replaced with nights shuffling around the house with a flashlight. Today is the first full day with electricity since hurricane Irene visited us last Sunday, so I have some catching up to do.

The thing about being without power is that it makes you feel…well, powerless! Simple things like flushing the toilet, packing lunch, making dinner, all become major hurdles of daily life. I needed something normal, something familiar, to keep me grounded and remind me that I’m okay. So at 5am on Monday, aided by a flashlight in the pitch dark, I packed my gym bag and headed to work. All stories at work revolved around the storm, and those without electricity vastly outnumbered those with. By noon I was looking forward to breaking free and going for a jog around town. I wondered how the residents up there had fared in the storm. Todd was the only other runner at lunch on Monday, so the two of us headed out together. I forewarned him that I wouldn’t be very speedy, because I’m really trying to nurse my hip, and he said he wasn’t worried about it. We ran together for the first half mile, and then he took off. We had already mapped out our route so I wasn’t worried about getting left behind. At this point, I’m used to it. What did catch me off guard though, was when I rounded a corner and spotted Todd on the side of the road, shirt off, doing push-ups! I caught up to him and shouted something ridiculous, at which point I think his chin hit pavement, and then he jumped up and started running again. We jogged together for a few seconds, and I asked why he couldn’t just enjoy a nice leisurely run. He rattled off a few testosterone-injected responses and sprinted off again. We repeated this leapfrog routine for the entire 3 mile run, and more than once I mentioned how embarrassing he is to run with. I can’t even imagine what people driving by must have thought, or the homeowners seeing some sweaty shirtless bald guy doing push-ups under their maple tree. By the end of the three miles, I was feeling pretty good (except for my hip) and Todd said he felt like he was going to puke. So did I, psychologically.

Tuesday Todd opted for yoga at lunch so just Kerri and I ran together. We did the same run as I had done with Todd the day before, only Kerri split off and did an extra mile and a half on the way back. I’m trying to just stick with 3-4 miles at lunch now, because of my hip, so usually this means either I take a short cut back, or my running partner thinks up crazy interval training to compensate for the short distance. Wednesday I didn’t run because I needed to give my hip a break. I’ve come to the realization that I absolutely cannot run three days in a row. If I do, I can’t walk on that fourth day. Instead, Todd found a new guy to run with. I had never seen this guy before so I don’t know if he’s new to the company or if he just started running, but somehow Todd found out he runs and recruited him into our club. We all know how I feel about opening the running circle at lunch, so I was immediately skeptical of this new guy. Todd had run with him once last week and said he was “okay, not bad, he kept up for a while but he’s still working on his pace. Not bad for his first time out. Big guy, definitely more of a weight lifter”. As I figured, Todd had recruited another runner that would be slowing us down. I was actually okay about it though, because it would be nice to have someone slower than me for once. Coincidentally on Wednesday I went out for an errand on my lunch break and happened to spot Todd and the new guy running down the street. He sure didn’t look that slow or winded to me, and Todd told me after they had done 4.3 miles. I started to think this new newbie might be less of a dud than some of the others.

Thursday, still without power, I once again packed my running clothes and insisted on a 3 mile run to make me feel normal. Even better, the original four were all planning to run. (Todd, Jaimee, Kerri, and I). It was like a reunion and I was looking forward to really feeling back in the old routine. It had been exactly a month since Jaimee had injured herself and except for a couple of failed test-runs, she hadn’t been out with us at lunch. She’s been going to PT and the doctor did some electric shock therapy on her knee Wednesday night, and she was eager to see if it worked. This is the same doctor that the week before told her to go home, eat a banana and drink a glass of wine, and he guaranteed she’d be able to run 30 minutes the next day. (She couldn’t). We now refer to her physical therapist as the witch doctor. At the last minute Kerri got stuck in a meeting and couldn’t make it, and instead Todd drafted the new guy.

This was our first time meeting the new guy, and as part of the sacred lunch runners’ code, newbies are under no circumstances allowed to know about the Thought Per Mile blog. At first glance he seemed like a good guy. Good looking, great personality, appropriately dressed, saying all the right things and using all the right running lingo. On the surface he seemed to fit right in, but I figured he was just trying to make a good first impression. I made myself promise that I would give this guy the benefit of the doubt, and not be too critical. We headed out to the parking lot and the new guy immediately started up in a trot. He definitely didn’t need a warm up. He was telling us about running with Todd on Wednesday and how much of a challenge Todd is to run with. Yeah, yeah. I know. Don’t worry, he’ll do push-ups and wait for you. Then he mentioned, “yeah we were averaging a 6 minute pace on that trail, I was sweating all afternoon”. Gulp. I wish I could say what else he said, but that was the last I saw of Todd, Jaimee, or the Ken Doll for the entire run. Within 15 seconds of starting, they were out of earshot, and within a half mile, I never saw them again until the turnaround point.

Jaimee’s knee held up pretty well and she kept up with the guys for much of the run, so maybe her witch doctor finally found the right brew. When I got back to the parking lot, the three of them were cooling off in the shade and I got a round of pity-applause. Since the run was so short we still had plenty of time to kill, so the four of us walked around the building once to cool off. This was my first chance to really see the dynamic of the group unfold. Todd and the Ken Doll exchanged stories of their athletic prowess, who’s conquered the biggest obstacles, scaled the tallest walls, or climbed the highest ropes. The air was ripe with testosterone and you could practically hear them thumping their chests. It seems that Todd has found another Todd.

Back in the locker room Jaimee and I concurred that our lunch runs would never be the same. Todd found a competitor. Someone he would never let get ahead of him and who would constantly be challenging him to run faster and create even more absurd drills every half mile. Gone are the days of the nine minute miles, and the casual jogs sprinkled with scandalous conversations. Todd, our playful puppy and mascot of the lunch runners, has his very own Ken Doll.

Back when I was a runner...

Shortly after my last rant regarding my trouble scheduling an MRI, (and I mean, like within seconds of clicking "publish post") I received a call from Shields MRI to set up my appointment.  My MRI is scheduled for this Thursday and I'm really looking forward to getting a specific diagnosis and treatment plan.  As long as the treatment plan doesn't require rest.  I'm hoping for an outcome that includes something like, "we're gonna inject you with this miracle serum and within hours you will be back to running 8 minute miles".  With so much uncertainty about the condition of the hip and my ability to run the upcoming half marathon, it's been a delicate balance of trying to maintain some level of fitness while trying not to further damage the joint.

Amazingly enough I was able to run four consecutive days last week, although my hip got progressively worse each day.  By Friday I could barely walk let alone run and I forced myself to take the whole weekend off from running.  It wasn't actually a choice but more of a requirement.  On Friday, my son and I went camping and for the first time ever I actually left my running gear at home.  I knew if I packed any gear I'd be tempted all weekend to run.  This way I was further reminded that this was a "rest weekend".  It worked, but not without an emotional toll.  I had visions of hiking, biking, and running.  I thought it would be fun to run alongside my son while he was biking throughout the park.  Instead, I spent the weekend sitting in a recliner and occasionally limping around the campground.  We did manage to do some biking but eventually that hurt too much.  It was incredibly frustrating.  For so long now I've identified myself as a runner.  This weekend I was just some parent limping around the campground.  I imagined what people were thinking.  She's probably really out of shape.  Look, she can't even walk up that hill.  Maybe she has a deformity.  I'm pretty sure none of them were assuming I was an injured runner.  These thoughts started getting the best of me and I started thinking of myself as a "former runner".  I saw a woman all decked out in her running gear, just finishing up a run, and I thought to myself, "Oh look, a runner.  I used to run".  I briefly remembered how I had once had dreams of running a half marathon a couple weeks from now.  I had a copy of Running Times magazine with me but I couldn't bear to read most of it.  I couldn't even relate. I may as well have been reading about surfing or geo-cashing.  I saw my distorted toenails not as little badges of honor but as ugliness leftover from my earlier days as a runner.  Logically I know I'm making too much out of this injury, but once I entered this slump it was hard to pull myself out.

Mondays I usually run with my lunch buddies.  Sticking to my Monday routine, I dutifully packed my running bag even though I acknowledged that as a former runner I shouldn't really be packing a bag.  Nevertheless, at work I made plans with Todd and Kerri to run.  After three full days of rest, I couldn't take another day off.  I needed to see how the hip would hold up on a short run.  If I have any hopes of running the half marathon on May 29, I need to at least maintain the fitness I have.  Not wanting to slow anyone down though, I gave Todd and Kerri full freedom to run and not look back.  No sense in dragging anyone else into my miserable pace.  When I confided in Kerri some of my frustrations of this injury, she reminded me of the time she broke her hip from a fall off her bike.  She healed just fine in time, and whatever this injury I have is, I will too.

So, I stopped feeling sorry for myself and off we trotted down to the fire station.  This has become my new favorite route because it's downhill the first mile, and no real uphills.  Usually I look for something a little more challenging but these days it's all I can do just to move forward.  Plus, now that I have mastered the art of timing my individual mile splits, it's fun to repeat the same course a few times and see how things change.  I was pretty satisfied with a run that Jaimee and I did last week in which we managed to negative split the whole thing.  (Although in full disclosure, we started off reeeally slow so it would have been an embarrassment if we didn't negative split).  Today I didn't even attempt to stay with Todd and Kerri.  I kept a slow pace of just under a 9 minute mile for the first three miles.  Then at mile 3 I met up with them (our turning point) and kept pace with them for the final mile.  My body, which had protested its return from early retirement, finally woke up and wanted to move faster.  My final mile was an 8:16 pace.

The result of today's run: sore.  My hip is a lot more sore than it was this morning when I woke up.  I'll take an Aleve and promise not to run tomorrow.  I'm planning to run again Wednesday if I'm feeling up to it, as it might be my last run for a while depending on the results of the MRI.  (Unless they have the miracle serum I'm hoping for!)

Here are the last two runs I've clocked on the Garmin, from last Thursday and today.  No, you're not seeing double.  I'm just really dull and starting to repeat myself!

Thursday Fire Station

Monday Fire Station 

My first club run, and the marvels of technology

Yesterday I found out why being in a running club is so cool.  I originally started running about two years ago and after building up some endurance and learning some tips from Kerri, I primarily ran solo.  I always enjoyed the solitude as it gave me some much needed “me time” and was an endless source of sightseeing, daydreaming, and occasional mind games.  For a good six months now, I’ve been running regularly with my awesome lunch runners at work, and I genuinely look forward to having company out on the roads.

                Last fall I decided to join a running club for a few reasons.  I wanted to meet other runners, gain some good insight, and have a reason to stay motivated.  Late fall was probably the wrong time of year to join a running club, because there wasn’t a whole lot of activity over the winter months.  But as the weather got better I started attending some of the races, the last few member meetings, and I’ve done some volunteer work.  As I suspected all along, runners are a great group of people.  Everyone is so friendly and we all share a common interest.  No need to talk about the weather, because there’s never a shortage of conversation when you pull a bunch of runners together!  (Although we do, occasionally, talk about the weather.  But only as it relates to running!)  My club, the Tri-Valley Front Runners, holds a fun run every Monday night and last night was my first time attending.   What a blast!  I made quick friends with a couple girls and we had lots of fun trotting the 3 mile loop together while chit chatting.  At the end of the loop I was tempted to run again, but decided against it since I had already run 4 miles at lunch.  I felt that 7 was enough for one day, considering my aching hip.  I’m hoping next Monday I can get 2 loops in though, because I’m really going to need to pack a lot of miles into next week with my half marathon coming up.  And make no mistake about it, I will be back next Monday! The girls already made me promise to come back, and I’m not about to break a promise to my new club pals!

                On the hip front, I’m starting to become an unruly patient.  I know that logically I should be resting and giving it a chance to heal, but the goal-oriented runner inside me is pushing for higher mileage.  This dichotomy is further complicated because my MRI has still not been scheduled.  I called the doctor’s office today to see what the holdup was, and apparently my insurance company has not approved the procedure.  It infuriates me that despite what a doctor orders, the insurance company that I’m required to pay for can refuse to cover tests.  I’m hoping it will get approved soon, but in the meantime it has turned me into a bit of a renegade.  For example, the following thought flowed through my brain repeatedly today, “Oh, my hip isn’t bad enough to qualify for an MRI?  FINE!  I’ll just run until my leg rips off!  How’s THAT!?”  Yeah, I’m sure that’ll show them.  So, today on my lunch run I did a solo 3.6 mile run at home, and for the first time in a couple weeks I inched my pace up to race pace (actually a little faster).  The first mile was slow, but the second was 8:36 and the third at 8:22.  I was happy to be moving out and testing my breathing a bit.  It was nice to feel like I was working hard but not feeling depleted.  If I didn’t feel like my leg was going to fall out of my hip, it would have been a perfect run.  When I got back home I stood in front of my garden checking out my plants for a minute before walking into the house, and when I went to move I couldn’t seem to get my leg moving.  I’m sure my temper tantrum induced lunch run was not what the doctor ordered and contributed to my prolonged pain but as I’ve said, I’m becoming a bit unruly.  This isn’t, of course, the first dumb thing I’ve ever done.  Once I had a stress fracture in my foot and the doctor said absolutely no running for a minimum of 6 weeks.  I tried negotiating with him since Hyannis was in 6 weeks.  He wouldn’t budge, and told me Hyannis was absolutely not going to happen.  So, four and a half weeks later I was back on the road and made it to Hyannis.  I really showed him!!  Of course, my foot has never been the same and threatens me every time I start to increase mileage too aggressively.  Maybe it’s a blessing that the MRI hasn’t been scheduled yet since I might be facing the same fate on a larger scale, since I have a half marathon just two weeks away.

                In other news, I’m starting to become much more tech-savvy.  In fact, after a full year of owning my Garmin Forerunner 305, I have now learned how to put the data online to share with people.  It was actually very complicated.  I had to:

1.       Go to the Garmin website

2.       Click “upload”

You can see how this was confusing.  Once I mastered this skill, I started putting some of my routes into Google maps.  Unfortunately, until about a week ago I didn’t know how to record mile splits on the Garmin.  I was only able to get averages for the entire distance.  When I told Hiroshi this, he told me I had to change the settings.  So, after exhaustive research I learned how to update the setting to record splits:

1.       Go to Settings

2.       Press Auto Lap – 1 mile

Voila!  Now I have splits.  So, some of my newest routes have individual mile data, and the older ones from my rookie days (like, anything prior to last week), only have averages for the entire run.  I have been rather lazy about bringing my Garmin running with me lately, especially for well known routes that I have the mileage memorized, but the ability to analyze individual splits is just too tempting to pass up!  That Garmin is going everywhere with me from now on!  I’m seriously considering using it for other activities.  For example, I could compare my pace through the soup aisle at the grocery store against my pace down the ice cream aisle.  Meat aisle versus seafood counter.  Dunkin Donuts drive-thru’s.  The possibilities are endless! 

Now that I have access to this magical technology, I wanted to share a couple of my routes.  Click on the links to see what I’ve been up to the last couple days!

Hopedale Pond Run

Today’s lunch run

See?  Magic!

Week in review & hip update

It’s been an interesting week, although nothing particularly eventful to speak of or blog-worthy.  My (not a) hip injury continued to be a problem throughout the week.  I had hoped that by resting for a few days I’d be good as new, but that just wasn’t the case.  This particular pain worried me, unlike other bumps and bruises I’ve incurred through long distance running.  This was the first real “show stopper”.  This was the kind of pain that raised red flags and said, “Body, you best not push me through this”.  Did I?  Of course I did.  Sort of.

The last blog post ended pretty much with “come Hell or high water, I will make 90 miles by April 30”.  Well, April 30 came along and for the first time ever, I literally couldn’t run a quarter mile.  While I was disappointed, I had to acknowledge my newfound maturity in realizing that sometimes required rest needed to take priority over my stubborn pursuit of mileage.  Still, it was disappointing.  My plan has been to increase my mileage more aggressively in May so that I would be well prepared for the half marathon on May 29.  After my poor performance in New Bedford, I’ve been anxious to put it behind me and redeem myself.  Everything was going according to plan until that infamous wrong step on a casual trail run last Friday.  Since then, I’ve been worried about so many things: the likelihood of PR’ing in Hyannis, the likelihood of completing Hyannis, the likelihood of being able to even run a quasi-normal race pace prior to Hyannis.  I’ve been sad, mad, and frustrated, especially after I’ve finally acquired the mental focus I need for proper training.

So, instead of doing a long run last weekend I took the whole weekend off as well as Monday.  By Tuesday I wasn’t feeling any better but I was itching to go out.  Instead of taking another day off, I shamelessly used my poor son Andrew as an excuse to run.  I’ve been trying to encourage him to run so we’ve been doing a little walk/jog routine at nights.  So Tuesday Andrew and I headed out for our 2.2 mile walk/jog, and I felt good enough at one point to leave him behind and keep running.  I paid for it later though.

Wednesday I was determined to run at work.  It was an ironic start to my day, as I was limping around my house trying to get ready for work but was determined to carefully pack my running bag.  Running at work has become such a normal part of my routine that I just can’t imagine not packing my bag.  When I got to work I found out that it was only Jaimee and I running, and it actually worked out quite well.  Jaimee, the track star, did a hellish track workout with her running club the night before and her legs were so wobbly the next day that she could barely run.  Between the two of us, we were a perfect match.  We ran very slowly and I tried to be super careful about my stride so that I didn’t further irritate my hip.  It was a somewhat successful slow run, and we managed to do about 3.5 miles.

Thursday it was just Jaimee and I again, and although her legs were feeling better I still wanted to take it slow.  It was great to get out though and we managed a nice 4 mile run and even a bit speedier than Wednesday.  What I have learned through this process is that several days of rest can really work wonders.  My whole body felt so fresh and full of energy, and if it hadn’t been for my hip I think I could have run all day.  The ugly side of this, though, is that by Thursday night I was in pretty significant pain, and it finally hit me in the head that I might not be as invincible as I once believed.  I finally acknowledged that I might need to see a doctor.

Friday morning I went to an Orthopedic specialist.  X-rays looked clean but after doing some diagnostic tests he felt that I could have a labrum tear, which is around the top of the femur, where it sits in the hip socket.  This won’t be confirmed until I go for an MRI and steroid injection sometime next week.  In the meantime, the doctor never said I couldn’t run, so I’m taking advantage of that the best I can.  I’m pretty sure the doctor never told me I couldn’t run because either, 1. I wouldn’t listen anyways, or 2. The pain would get bad enough that I would stop on my own eventually. 

This morning I had volunteered at a local 5K through my running club.  Since the race had a late start I figured I’d squeeze in a little run this morning.  The weather was beautiful and I banged out a quick 4 miles before heading to the race.  In hindsight, I think the reason I felt so good was because of the pain meds I had taken the night before that were still in my system.  By the time I got to the race, I was pretty sore.

The race itself was lots of run.  It was a 5K to benefit the local schools and there was a huge turnout.  Even the famous Rick and Dick Hoyts were there!  I was excited to have “chute” duties.  I got to set the clock and then spend the whole race telling people to stay in order through the chute, while redirecting anyone vomiting or passing out.  Luckily we only had a couple of those issues.  Overall it was lots of fun and I got to chat with so many great people.


Dick and Rick Hoyt crossing the finish, looking strong!



By the time I got home from the 5K I was supposed to go ride my horse, but unfortunately we had thunderstorms popping up all over the place and it just wasn’t safe enough.  Somehow though, my mother conned me into going running again.  She wanted to test out my mountain bike, so she biked while I ran alongside her, directly into really dark purple clouds and heavy thunder.  It was a fun adrenaline rush though, and I’m hoping that we can do this more often.  So many times I run alone at home, but it would be lots of fun to have a partner cycling alongside me.  What I didn’t tell her before our adventure, though, was that my hip was in so much pain I could barely make it up the stairs.  I had been bugging her forever to go out with me so I didn’t dare say I wasn’t up for it.  No worries, I’m covered with ice on the outside and warming my insides with a little libation. 

I guess I can’t be too disappointed overall with the week.  Even with my injury I still managed to get in 15 miles.  I had hoped for 25+ miles, and I would have gotten there if I could have done a long run today.  Right now I’m crossing my fingers that I can keep doing what I’m doing for now, and with any luck that steroid shot will work wonders.  I’m still hopeful for a solid performance in Hyannis!  If not, I still have a hotel room booked in Hyannis for a romantic weekend for one over Memorial Day weekend.

Oh my aching hip!

It’s a Friday night and I’m sitting in the recliner, icing my hip, reflecting on a (nearly) successful week.  After starting off the month with record mileage, I’ve been feeling pretty confident and looking forward to my next challenge.  I had eased up on my mileage a bit last week; my last “hoorah” before getting serious about training for my next half marathon on May 29.  But this week I wanted to be back in full force and accumulating a solid 25 miles this week.  The miserable weather from last weekend’s 5k was replaced with more seasonable temps, and it was nice to get out and enjoy the climate.  I was able to run five times this week, but sadly none of the runs had me feeling very energetic, and I’ve really started to doubt my level of fitness. 

Sunday was Easter.  I had every intention of doing my long-ish run of 8 miles, but I ran out of time and had to cut it short.  It was such a beautiful day and I enjoyed most of it with my horse, so by the time I headed out for my run I was already late for my Easter obligations.  So 8 miles turned into 4, but I was honestly quite tired from the previous day’s 5k race and my endless frolicking through the woods with my horse, so I was perfectly fine with shortening the run. 

Monday my legs were quite dead, and I certainly should have used it as a rest day.  But… all my pals were going running and I didn’t want to be left out (plus what else would I do with my lunch break…eat??) so I ran with Todd, Jaimee and Kerri out to the ice cream stand.  My legs were so heavy though and I told them from the start that I would be slow.  Sure enough, I spent the entire run trailing behind them and in some cases I was so far behind that they were out of sight.  In hindsight, I really should have taken Monday as a rest day.

Tuesday I forced myself to take a rest day.  So, naturally my legs felt totally fine and willing to run.  I settled for two 2 mile walks.

Wednesday we did Jaimee’s route.  This is the long route that we need to run at a quick pace in order to get back to work in time.  Kerri took control of that route, leading us from start to finish.  She seems to have cultivated this new surge of energy and she’s on fire, presumably due to her stellar 5k win over the weekend.  It was also unusually warm, with temperatures in the 80’s and a hot sun that just baked me over the hot pavement.  It probably wouldn’t have felt so severe if it hadn’t been 50 degrees cooler just a few days earlier when I was running.  Hopefully I’ll get accustomed to this warmer weather soon.

Thursday only Jaimee and I ran, and since Jaimee was tired from her 5k the night before, thankfully she was willing to run slow with me.  I’m really starting to feel like a slow poke, always running in the back of the pack and guiltily being thankful for my friend’s tired legs.  In any event, we decided to hit the trail again and did a long slow run along the Merrimack River.  This is the kind of run you have to do slow, at least on the river portion; otherwise a stray root might send you careening into the river.  This, as you will learn shortly, is not so farfetched in my world.  The route is fun, scenic, and easy.  It’s a great alternative and will probably be used frequently during the hot summer months because of its shade and breeze coming off the water. 

This brings me to today.  Working at home today, I was forced to run solo.  The good part about this, though, is that I can do a longer run since I don’t need such long shower time when working from home.  I had a route planned in my head that encompassed both trails and roads, and I expected it would be at least 5 miles.  This was important to me, because my total mileage for the month was 85-ish miles, and I really wanted to get to 90 miles for the month.  It’s really just an arbitrary number, but it’s the little things that motivate me.  So off I went, on my solo run, and two miles into it I ran into trouble.  On a downhill section of a trail, I tripped over a root and had to seriously scramble to avoid eating dirt.  I managed to recover, but it forced me to land extremely heavy on my right leg.  I had an immediate pain in my right hip socket area.  It didn’t seem too bad so I ran through it, although running uphill was a bit of a challenge.  By the end of my run I felt ok, but after three more hours of sitting at my desk, my hip stiffened up ferociously and by the end of the day I could barely walk.

So here I am: A Friday night, sitting in the recliner, soaked in Max Freeze, numb from 7 hours of ice on the hip, loaded up with Motrin and Microbrew.  I’m hoping that sleep works wonders tonight and that I wake up tomorrow pain free.  After all, tomorrow is the last day of the month and due to my shortened run today, I am at 89.78 miles for the month.  I don’t care if I’m on crutches tomorrow; I will run at least a quarter mile to make it to 90!

No Regrets!

They say you almost never regret going for a run that you really didn’t feel like doing, but you almost always regret skipping one.  Yesterday certainly challenged that philosophy for me.  A couple months ago in a post called Countdown to Hyannis, I described how I came to the conclusion that I should never drink Arrogant Bastard beers on a Wednesday night.  Apparently I need to re-read my blog on occasion to remind myself of the life lessons I’ve learned.  Unfortunately, I didn’t remember this little factoid until yesterday morning when once again I was feeling lousy after too good of a time the night before.  (Bastards!)

I spent the morning feeling dehydrated and overtired, and had a complete lack of energy because of an inadequate breakfast.  Todd, Jaimee and I headed out on the 3.5 mile loop and even though it’s probably my least favorite route, I was thankful for the short distance.  As soon as we headed out I knew I was going to have a tough run.  My legs felt like lead and my head throbbed with every stride.  To make matters even worse, the first mile of this run is straight downhill which means the last mile is straight uphill.  If I was struggling this much on the downhill, I knew it would only get worse on the way back.

About a mile and a half into the run, we came across a trail.  We had heard about the trail but couldn’t access it until the snow melted.  This was the first time we saw people on the trail so we decided to give it a try.  Part of me was skeptical because I just wasn’t in the mood to explore, but since I consider this to be a fairly boring loop, I welcomed the idea of new scenery.

We hopped onto the trail and immediately it was like we stepped into another world.  We left the boring industrial park behind us and trotted down a skinny, well packed trail alongside the Merrimack River.  It was so close to the river, in fact, that I worried one wrong step and I’d be plunging into some chilly water.  The trail was a blast as it winded further and further down the river, and any feeling I had of lead legs was long gone.  We had no idea where the trail would ultimately take us, and that was part of the fun.  We saw park benches and a wooden bridge, and occasionally passed some walkers.  Eventually the trail came to an end at a spillway, and we connected with a road that we suspected would bring us back to some familiar ground.  It did, but not without taking us up a rather steep hill!  Suddenly the hill didn’t bother me though because the adventure was worth it, and I enjoyed the new scenery.

Once we connected back with the main road we chattered about what a great run this was, and then speculated where the other end of the trail might lead.  Then we talked about another trail down another road that we might want to try out someday.  Suddenly the opportunities to explore seemed endless, and we felt like the Louis & Clarks of Andover, MA.  Last week Todd and I plotted to someday bring our mountain bikes to work and explore the trails around town.  I’m starting to think we might never come back!

When we got back to the parking lot at work, Jaimee insisted we sprint around the lot.  She recently joined a local running club and last week she participated in a track speed session (wearing her compression socks).  Suddenly Jaimee’s a track star and now we have to do sprints.  Sigh…  So off we went, running like hell through the parking lot, no doubt causing a scene and scaring the wits out of anyone looking out the windows or driving by.  We looked like maniacs, and I was a soggy mess with sweat dripping into my eyes.  We slowed to a finish and I have to admit it was pretty fun (although I repeatedly told them how much I hate them for making me work so hard).  We stopped to stretch before heading in, and I repeatedly wiped the sweat off my face and nonchalantly blew my nose mightily right into my shirt.  It only occurred to me as I was walking into the building that blowing one’s nose into one’s shirt at work may be considered inappropriate.  However, the only witnesses were smokers, so in a contest of who’s less gross, I still think I win. 

I didn’t regret this run for one second, despite my earlier complaints.  Instead, it ended up being one of the best and most entertaining runs we’ve ever had at lunch and I would have regretted it deeply if I had skipped it.  I’m very eager to try out more of the trails at lunch, and I’m almost disappointed that I’m on vacation next week and won’t get a chance to do more exploring.  Almost.

We're all winners!

Today was an all-girls run at lunch, so Jaimee and I decided to introduce Kerri to Jaimee’s route.  This is definitely one of my favorite new routes and due to the distance requires a speedy pace both on the roads and in the showers to get back to work on time.  (Although we didn’t tell Kerri just how long the route was, we made sure she didn’t have a meeting at the top of the hour).  A warm front blew through just after we started running and when the sun came out it really heated things up, causing me to regret my choice of a long sleeve tech shirt.  I heated up so much, in fact, that I was still sweating long after I had showered and returned to my desk, leaving odd and unsightly sweat marks all over my shirt.  (This is a great way to ensure co-workers steer clear).  Kerri and Jaimee ran together while I, as usual, ran a few steps behind.  Since I don’t usually get to chat with the other runners, it gives me time to reflect.  Sometimes my thoughts turn negative when I think about how I’m slower than everyone else, or I don’t have the same enthusiasm for long distances or mortally dangerous obstacle courses as my pals.  Instead of going down that path again, today I thought about how good we all are for each other and how this support system we have pushes each of us to better ourselves.

                Todd didn’t run with us today because he was resting after his awesome 10k finish on a hilly course yesterday.  He clocked an impressive 7:29 pace (this is while still recovering from an IT band injury!).  Of course he’s still mildly disappointed in himself because he was hoping for a sub-7:00 pace.  Meanwhile, Jaimee finished her hilly half marathon last weekend in 1:52, which was a huge improvement off her last half in February.  Kerri was today’s running hero, taking 3^rd place in her age group in a 5k yesterday.  Yay Kerri!  We of course had to razz her a little bit about it, now that she’s an award winning runner.  When I mentioned I was surprised she was running today after yesterday’s strong medal-earning performance, she said she was running on the race winner’s endorphin high.  (I think we ran those endorphins right out of her after the first few miles).  I had my own little victory last weekend in the 15k, improving from a 9:23 pace last year to 8:49 this year.  It may not have been an award winning performance, but it’s still impressive for me.  So, this summer when I’m cursing Todd for making me work so hard to keep up with him, I’ll try to remember the benefits of running with all these nags supportive friends.

The Rejuvenation Plan

I’ve had a couple days now to reflect on my performance at the New Bedford half marathon, and while I don’t see a need to dwell on it (since it really wasn’t such a bad time), I do think there are things I can take away from it to improve going forward.  While it’s true that physically I wasn’t in ship shape, I think a greater issue was the psychological component of my training.  How often this winter did I talk about Hyannis; the training, the miles, the excitement building up to it.  I really never psyched myself up for New Bedford and I think that really impacted my approach towards the race as well as my performance on race day.  Now I am a realist, and I know I’m never going to be a fast runner, but I should at least enjoy it and feel good while I’m doing it.  The bottom line is that I just didn’t enjoy New Bedford, and I truly believe that’s a reflection of my lack of psychological preparation.  After giving it some thought, I have been very eager to get back onto the pavement, put that race behind me, and move onto more fulfilling times.  So, naturally I put a plan in place to re-energize myself.

The Rejuvenation Plan

Task 1: Get talking!

Part of what made Hyannis so exciting was the momentum leading up to it, having a couple friends to run with, and swapping war stories and training plans.  I had no comrades for New Bedford, and I didn’t really generate a lot of discussion with friends leading up to the race.  I won’t make that mistake again.  So, let’s talk about my next race!

                The next race on the docket is the Boston Tune Up 15k.  This is one of my favorite races of the year.  The race is an unusual distance and is meant as a final long-ish run for those running the upcoming Boston Marathon.  The course is mostly hills but they are fun hills (no, really!).  The scenery is rural, it’s practically in my backyard, and it happens to be sponsored by the running club that I belong to.  But honestly, my favorite aspects of the race are the personalized bibs (OMG you did this just for ME?!) and the very generous spread of food donated by members of the club.  What’s most exciting about this year’s race is that my very own mother will be volunteering at one of the water stops.  Yay Mom!

                But as far as actually “talking” about it, there probably won’t actually be a lot of dialogue with friends leading up to the race.  And here’s why.  In the average world of non-runners, here’s how the conversation would go:

Me: “Hey, I have a 15k coming up, I’m pretty psyched about it”

Non-runner: “Nice! Was it a loan? How are you going to spend it?”

Me: “Um, no… It’s not money.  It’s a race that I’m running.  I’m really looking forward to it”

Non-runner: “Oh (demonstrates clear disappointment)… So how long is it?”

Me: “15k equals 9.3 miles, so it’s a pretty good distance.  Lots of hills too.  Can’t wait!”

Non-runner: “Wow that’s a lot.  Is that a marathon?”

Me: “Um, no… a marathon is 26.2 miles.  I haven’t done one yet but I just did a half marathon last week.”

Non-runner: “Nice! How long is a half marathon?”

Me: “13.1 miles.” (Idiot)

Non-runner:  “Wow, that’s a lot.  How long is the Boston Marathon?”

You get the picture.  So, I’ll be careful about who I chat with about this race, and I’ll spend more time building momentum through blogging.  Which leads me to task number 2.

Task 2: Get Blogging!

I’m going to make it a point to blog regularly and with new material.  My new idea is to add more visual content to the blog.  Sometimes I forget people actually read the blog and I’m caught off guard when out of the blue someone says, “So have you had the ice cream yet at the ice cream stand?”  Or, “Has Pinky been back to run with you yet?”  Or, “Sorry you puked at New Bedford”.  So going forward I will try to add some pictures of some of the more regularly featured aspects of the blog.  For starters, I’m sharing the infamous ice cream stand, with the Open flag on the sign.  Since it was only 38 degrees during today’s run, we did not stop in for a cone.

The infamous ice cream stand - now open!

Task 3: Get Running!

This morning I told Todd that I felt that my recent poor performance in New Bedford was directly related to his knee injury.  He normally runs pretty fast, sprinting off in all directions, which caused me to run faster.  Every run with him turned into a bit of a speed session for me.  Since he’s been nursing his knee, he has slowed down to a more comfortable pace, which in turn has made me more complacent.  He didn’t have the same logic, and reasoned that the big bag of excuses I carry while running is what’s weighing me down.  Okay, point taken.  He sped up considerably today though, and it was a blast trying to keep up with him.

                In addition to putting in more consistent speed work, I have to get my hills back.  I have lots of hills around my house but I haven’t been running enough at home.  I have a goal to incorporate 3 hill workouts between now and the 15k.

                I think all of us have gotten in a bit of a rut with the same running routines, and it’s time to switch it up a bit.  Right on cue, Jaimee announced today she created a new route for us to try.  All we had to do was take a shortcut out the back of the parking lot and through the woods.  When we got to the “woods”, I couldn’t believe it when she started climbing this hill that went almost straight up.  We literally had to use our arms to climb up this hill, and then bushwhack our way through trees to get out to the road.  It was pretty hysterical. 



Todd & Jaimee climbing down the cliff



The route she created was lots of fun, and sure to be one of the regulars going forward.  It will be known as “Jaimee’s route”. 

Hopefully these three goals will help me get on track and back into some confidence boosting runs.  I think I’m off to a good start so far.  I’m currently accepting requests for pictures to share on the blog!  Rumor has it there’s a bagpiper that comes out in good weather. That might be worth getting on video!

The new recruit

The usual running cronies are all back to normal routines.   Jaimee’s marathon training is in full swing, Todd’s IT band is slowly recovering from his half marathon, my cranky foot has held up pretty well, and Kerri is just as consistent and agreeable as ever.  Chris’s initial enthusiasm for group running has faded, but he assures me that he is running at home and looking forward to upcoming races.  By now we’ve been running together for a few months and we’ve developed certain routines, relationships, and behaviors that can only accrue over time.  This makes me very happy, because as an extremely structured and slightly OCD person with a strong aversion to surprises, I thrive on comfortable routines.  If you remember back a few months ago, I had a tough time adjusting to a “group run” because I liked my solo routine.  Now I can’t imagine running without the usual suspects during the week.

                Todd had enough sense to realize my sensitivity towards our cozy little club, so last week he started gently planting the idea that a new recruit might start running with us.  He mentioned this so casually, saying more than likely she wouldn’t show up anyways, but the offer was open.  Todd is the exact opposite of me.  Where I thrive on the comfortable sameness, he thrives on excitement and changes.  I immediately felt threatened by this announcement and I’ve been dreading the day the new recruit shows up.  As it turns out, today was the day.

                Right on time, the new recruit showed up to the locker room.  While we waited for her, I turned to Todd with my mouth wide open.  Really Todd?  A supermodel?  Was it really necessary to recruit a yoga-instructor-blond-bombshell into our running club?  You couldn’t have recruited one of the GQ-looking-perfectly-sculpted men from Marketing for me?  As my one passive aggressive tactic, I made Todd and Jaimee promise me and swear on their spandex that they would not tell Miss Perfect about my running blog.  As much as I disliked the change up in our running group, I at least had to acknowledge the benefit of it in terms of new blog material.  I had a feeling I would be exploiting it to the fullest.  Sure enough, moments later she emerged from the locker room looking perky and perfect in her pink running outfit and shiny shoes.

                We hit the pavement for our 3.5 mile route, and Pinky casually mentioned that she hadn’t run in 8 months but she’d try to keep up as best as she could.  At that point I actually felt a little bad for her, since a 3.5 mile run is a pretty aggressive running debut.  Against my nature, I ran with her for a while and gave her some insight (such as, don’t bother trying to keep up with Todd).  We chatted for a while, and after about a half a mile I realized she was no threat, no enemy, and dare I say even a breath of fresh pink air into our running club.  She slowed down to a walk for a while, and Todd checked in with her to make sure she could get back to the building ok.  (Even I’m not mean enough to drag someone down the street and make them get lost for hours on their lunch break, get locked out of the secret back door entrance, and lose their job).  (Although, now I will keep that tactic in mind).  

                Jaimee and I continued on, and as Todd was catching back up to us we were discussing Jaimee’s recent 10 mile race in which she had to pee the whole time and couldn’t find a discreet enough location on the  course, so with no other choice she just chugged along and held it in as best she could.  (Since this is not Jaimee’s blog, and Jaimee does read this blog, I will forgo any additional pee-related detail of this story).  It did remind me though how just before the run I had eaten a banana and Todd commented on how our runs are entertaining because it’s a constant question of whether I will be puking myself or pooping myself.  (For the record, I have not once puked, pooped, or peed myself while running.  Yet.)  Then I got to thinking, if Todd had a blog (which he does) about running (which he doesn’t), here’s what my guess is he would have included in today’s blog:

·         Recruited a new hot babe.  Sweet!

·         I wonder if there will be a girl fight.  Sweet!

·         The new hot babe is slowing down and feeling vulnerable.  I’ll swoop in like the gentleman and slowly usher her back to the building.

·         Jaimee and I have a standing bet on Jill’s stomach (puke versus poop).  The kitty is getting pretty high, maybe that pre-run banana will be my golden egg

·         What I wouldn’t give to be in that locker room

By the time we reached the building, Pinky was out of sight but Todd went back for her.  She really seemed to enjoy the run and wasn’t discouraged at being left behind.  She actually was very fun to talk to, with a bubbly personality to match her pink sweatshirt and I admit it would be fun having her join us again.  Maybe one of these days if she sticks with it, I’ll even tell her about my silly little blog.  When that day comes, I can only hope someone will remind me to delete this post first! J