Take 3, success

My goal was to do 14 in a 9:33 pace, without stopping. I realized yesterday I have never ran a marathon without stopping; surely I should be able to do 14 though. Usually I stop to readjust my blister pads, get a drink, or go to the bathroom. This time I planned well enough I didn't have to stop; in fact my hydration pack actually ran out 10 steps before my car in the parking lot. Good stuff. I had grapefruit juice and a vitamin juice energy drink...it turned out to be just right and I didn't feel bloated or hungry. For breakfast I ate a banana and green juice (Odwalla). I write all that down because it worked perfectly and I want to remember it for next time.

The exciting part today was at 7.2. I was just getting into the boonies of the boonies on the highest part of my run and I came up on two bikers, who both yelled at me, "BEAR!, There is a bear back there! It just ran across the street. Turn around." I looked at my Garmin and it said 7.2 so I thought, "What the heck, I will do an out and back instead." So I turned around and ran the next mile in 8 minutes. I wouldn't mind dying of a cardiac arrest on a run but I don't want my dripping hydration pack to become bear bait, really. I looked behind me a couple of times but I never saw a bear. I got to warn another biker about the bear....but I didn't get to do the long 4 mile downhill on the back side...the one that has probably saved my quads in the St. George and Boston marathons. Oh well, it all evened out.

I ended my 14 at 2:10:50, about two minutes too fast, and jogged in the last .4, thinking it was too hard for a training run...it's hard to say. When I am going really easy I really am going 11 minutes a mile...my death jog can be around 13 or 14minutes per mile on the uphills. So, go figure. Maybe my training runs should be 9:45a mile? That won't prep me for any PR though...you tell me. I guess we'll see how fast I can do the 5K in a week.

tilt and whirl

I had the tilt test this morning...and it answered some questions. My heart does do weird things. Now we know what to call it and what to do about it, which we are already doing. My latest and greatest diagnosis is neurocardiogenic syncope. But I wouldn't recommend the test if you are looking for fun. It's horrible. They strap you down, tilt you over until you get short of breath and woozy, then they tell you that you passed, sort of and they give you a drug called Isopril, which makes your heart beat like you just missed a head on collision going 90 mph by one hair width...and they keep it up forEVER while they continue to tilt you and take your blood pressure every minute and ask you questions like, "are you seeing any spots, is everything turning black, are you numb or tingling anywhere?" Torture chamber, but most people have it worse than I did, from what I hear.

Today while the sun shone

I ran on the treadmill. Hey, but I ran outside yesterday, in Idaho Falls, around the park that goes around the temple for about 3 miles. It was gorgeous, the Falls were literally roaring with new water. There was an icy wind that felt just fine and I went fast, a perfect driving break. I bought a book on tape there too and listened and drove the last 8 hours of my trip alone. I love long trips, driving alone.

But back to today. I ran out of time this morning so I pounded out 3 miles. I need to change the way I run. I never do a steady pace, too bored. For example, on the 3 miles I did from 6 to 8 mph, with shorter and shorter times as the speed went up, until 8, which I held for a minute or so. Then this evening, for the 5 miler, I jumped on the treadmill and did the inverse, running longer at the faster speeds and ending up doing 5 miles in 37 minutes, with the middle 3 the fastest. I guess that would be called a tempo run, but I was just doing what I wanted.

I don't know...it's nice just to do what I want and not follow a regimented schedule...although my brain knows that I should do that. Whoa. I need to do that now, just to get ready for St. George in time.

I have a 5K run on July 3 on Lopez Island. I am excited about that...I get to run with my youngest brother and his fam.

Take Two

I know I just did it Friday, but wanted to try again today, this time with moleskin. To repeat, do not get a pedicure if you are a runner, at least not the kind where they buff off the callouses. You as a runner need your callouses. My heels cracked open too, for which I applied Super Glue, which seemed to do the trick, at least no more pain...I might die of Super Glue poisoning, but what the heck.

The moleskin worked, pretty well. But as you will see, there was a corner of the moleskin between my toes which made for quite an interesting blood blister balloon.

Basically, not that much better today. I ran for longer periods, but I got really tired after pounding down the two mile hill. I stopped for a drink at 12 miles and had an interesting conversation with the Indian lady at the gas station. "Are you walking a long ways?, Why are you running? What's that?", she said, pointing first to the King of Hearts monitor attached to my Fuel belt, then my Garmin, then asked what was in the bottles that makes me "go". She got the same look most people get on their faces...puzzlement. Upon arriving home, my son said, "why would you do this to your body"?

Bottom line is I am going to really struggle to get back to where I was even pre-St. George last year. My heart hasn't been up to par. So...I am going to keep doing the same 14 mile route every 7-10 days until I can get it down to at least an 09:30 pace.

I think my tummy might be shrinking. Not sure.

Da Report

I covered 14 miles, ran most of it. Stopped for bad blisters (the Pedicure doesn't feel so great in retrospect). Had the funny stuff again, very low blood pressure when I got home with fatigue and intermittent stabbing left arm pain.

I would be very, very surprised if I have coronary artery disease. Coronary artery spasms? Probably...and probably related to fibromuscular dysplasia, but not CAD. Anyways, on reporting my heart monitor, I ended up scheduled for a tilt table test and a heart cath..and now I am on a beta blocker...which I will be compliant with for about five minutes if I can't run.

The funny thing is, the heart stuff didn't start happening till I stopped for the blisters. I was actually slathering my feet in Aquaphor and gauze and getting ready to jump on the treadmill again to redeem my under-ran miles.

I would rather die than sit around slogged out on meds.
Slog: the state of fatigue and malaise and low brain activity/brain fog that exists when one is not living life to its fullest.
(and yes, I might have made that up)

Just checking in

The more I get into running the more I realize I don't run as much as other runners. I'm sore from core work yesterday and had no time to run due to doctor party and the preparations for that...how do people run who have 40+ hour a week jobs? Am I really a runner? I am going for a 14 miler tomorrow though; I am nervous because I haven't made it outside past 6 miles since Boston. Stay tuned

My first pedicure

So, a friend called and informed me I was getting a pedicure at 0930 today...I told her I had never had a pedicure, that no one had ever succeeded at taking me, etc. Well, this friend just laughed and picked me up and took me. Here is proof.


I was a little worried she was buffing off my calouses. I have worked hard for those! Will I get horrible blisters the next time I do a long run?

0, zero, nada

As in, NO miles. And horrible diet...well, not horrible, but not what I wanted to do today.

Okay, I just deleted all my excuses. Honestly I am just being a hard case. My left knee needs a break and I gave it a break. Now, if I could just figure my head out so I don't eat too much when I am not running. Hey, I was actually supposed to rest today, right Jill?

Spent the evening in the produce department starting a new diet for second son, who thinks he is suddently going to be able to eat kale and collards and beets and pounds of romaine lettuce at college (no, he isn't fat and has a perfect body, just wants to suddenly eat healthy). So...hopefully I can help him eat some of this wonderful stuff, some good protein in there too. I suppose I walked around, a little.

Oh, and I parked far away when we went out to eat.

It will be good to get above son done with his three graduations, get him started for two weeks on his diet, and drive him to Utah to go to college.

More pics coming soon.

13.3

...on the treadmill. I was trying to exacerbate whatever heart symptoms I had in Boston (I know, brilliant, huh). I did all the things I had wondered about that made me start crashing at mile 9. I ran faster, although on the treadmill. I didn't feel that great at mile 9 today but felt GREAT at mile 12-13.3...I think this is good news. For so long before Boston I just never had good running days.

I hope I am not cursing myself, but I am pretty excited that I feel as good as I do. It was a drag running inside as outside was the most amazing Spokane weather ever. But the blood pressure monitor had to be packed, and the heart monitor...etc. etc. It was more than I wanted to lug so I let the treadmill hold it. Also contributing to my wiredness was my new iPhone, my Blackberry (I still haven't transferred my schedule), my shuffle, and the TV remote.

Left knee still bugging me, quite a bit. If I go off it for a few days I hope I also do a juice diet too. I have got to get this weight off. Goal #1: Look like a runner.

E