Monday, December 20, 2010

Dear Elaine

10.9 miles today, pretty fast...a very good running day.
Let's be real. I'm writing this for me, not a lot of you are commenting, ha.
I decided I am a 4-5 day a week runner, sometimes only 3. I don't like slow plodding, never have. I know I am supposed to and that is the best training for marathoners but I am officially out on my own now. It feels so good to just run far and fast, recover, then do it again. I'm too old to do that every day so I take a rest day, yes, a complete no-exercise day....I also like not having a coach as my body is so unpredictable; sometimes I can kill it and other times I am a no show....but I always come back. I will do more cross-training though, very soon! My son is getting a bike trainer for Christmas and I intend to make sure it is well used.
I am also excited about my MRI results...it seems just knowing I can safely run has lessened the pain. I really think a lot of the problem is residual hernia surgery pain, even though it's been way too long; it seems to be gradually relieving. I'm following my brother Mark's strategy, running to the edge of the pain, stopping till it feels better, then doing it again. Seems to be working. I am still on the treadmill; the days I want to go outside the weather responds with slick icy stuff--not worth it for me. I am excited for my time on the road and in Arizona in January. I will get some outside runs in then for sure.
I need to get a career and very, very soon. Suggestions?

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

tiny micro tear in tendon connecting the gluteus minimus

I knew there was a reason I have such a flat butt. However, no dice on the excuse meter. The orthopedic surgeon said I am free to train as hard as I want. Does this man know me???

It's all my autoimmune basket of woes. I hurt everywhere right now from my woeful 9 miler on the treadmill. Maybe it's the treadmill? Too expensive?

Thursday, December 9, 2010

honesty meter

My brother has reminded me this morning that I have fallen off the wagon. I haven't posted since I haven't made it to the YMCA....maybe today? I've still been running hard but everything hurts this morning; it is definitely going to be a strengthen your core day!

However, to my great surprise, I have noticed I am on track. No fat talk yesterday, did that. Tune out media, did that Sunday and mostly yesterday too.

But I really need to get to the gym, join it, get a swimming teacher or PFT. Nag me.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Da report of Day Four and aren't we on Day 6???

I watched 7 conference talks while I ran 9.75 miles, one before I actually started, and one 3 times...but the best part of my equal time thing for today started in the wee hours of the morning. And yesterday, a no technology day. I highly recommend it! I felt more peace, less noise, and yes, I did finally gain some clarity in those wee hours. I know what to do this week. I thought of some stuff I could feel good about. And so far, I am on track!
Also, my boys and I talked about the resurrection yesterday: Will we be resurrected with our same bodies, but perfected and immortal? Or will the state of our bodies be reflective, at least to some degree, of how we took care of them on this earth? If so, I must gain 6 pack abs before I die--I may die trying, ha..
Day Five challenge says this: Exercise for fun. Choose a form of exercise you wouldn't normally choose because it calls attention to your body. Hmmm, sounds like swimming, which I do need to do. I need to get to the gym, sign up, and start doing the aquajogging thing again. Maybe tomorrow when the MRI results come back and they tell me I must get a hip replacement, ha. Or sooner...since that was yesterday's challenge. (However I am not apologizing for my no-technology-Sunday. That was my best idea lately).
I am going to go look at Day Six now. I think I will do core work later today, even push-ups, which I normally don't do because...I can go down on the push-up, but when I try to go up, I fall on my face and my boys laugh. And it really is fun...so maybe it qualifies? I can't make it to the gym today, no time.
Between now and the next time I post I will join the gym, schedule an aquajogging session, and do this challenge for Day Six:
Refrain from talk about weight or shape of self and others. (woops!) Be aware of how often you
compare yourself to others, and evaluate how this makes you feel.
The obsession with weight, shape and appearance continues among women
partially because we encourage it in each other. We have made it unacceptable for a woman
to be at peace with her body. Refraining from speaking about weight and shape--positively
or negatively--allows us to focus on a person’s real value and worth.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Day four, sort of

THE CHALLENGE:
GET READY ON THE INSIDE--I AM. BEAUTIFUL.
How much time do you spend getting ready each day? Today, use the same amount of
time to get ready on the inside. Meditate, write in your journal, or perform an act of service. Women spend thousands of hours on their appearances over a lifetime. Think about what you could accomplish if you spent the same amount of time each day preparing your inner self. How would you be different? How would each day be different?
“If you dwell on the things you’re not, you’ll miss out on the things you really are.”
Journal: Did you notice a difference in how you felt throughout the day? Explore why or why not.

I just now read this challenge so I will have to focus more on it tomorrow...tomorrow is Sunday, Fast Sunday, so it will be easy. The only thing I want to say is that I have been thinking about giving God equal time. When I run on the treadmill I watch the things I have on the DVR. First I listen to conference talks; I am finding that for a two hour run I need to listen to about four and then whatever else.

But here is the weird thing. I run faster and longer when I am listening to a conference talk than when listening to anything else. The Spirit even helps with running, even if I'm being so intense I must listen to the talk three times to remember even what he is talking about.

And I feel I have been reminded in the last several years who I really am; I sense a slowing down, a going back to nature and the meditative sessions I used to have at the top of the hill when I was growing up. Less noise, more peace, less addictive tendencies, real relationship. Okay, I don't think I can really slow down; I want to make progress faster, but I feel this will be accomplished, ironically, as I slow down. Everything in me wants to do more faster, even as it seems I do less, and slower.

Who am I really? I will think and fast more about that tomorrow and maybe even write some of it here.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Day 3 Challenge

 Make a list of 10 positive things you like about yourself that have nothing to do with your appearance--and 10 things you like about your appearance.
1) I'm humble, REALLY humble :)
2) I'm about as honest as they come
3) Um....that kinda leaves me nowhere, doesn't it? I'm either going to have to lie or not be humble....
    I love fruit--I like that about myself.
4) I've been taught some amazing things about music; recently I remembered my Dad told me to marry someone who would respect my need for music. So I finally got myself a better way to play music in my house
5) I like my down-to-earth-ed-ness
6) I like the fact that I'm available to others, many others
7) I like my intense nature, especially when it translates to ambition. I get more done, more meaningful things done.
8) Struggling here...10 is a lot, isn't it? I like the way I teach--I let others teach. I just ask questions
9)  I like my cooking. I may be the only one, but I like my cooking
10) I like that I have all sorts of friends; I don't just like people who fit in some category

I'm done. What was the next thing? Things I like about my appearance:
1) my eyes are a really light color of blue
2) I am very fair. I used to hate this but now I like it because it's so different
3) I'm a good height
4) I have cute feet
5) oh boy...my knees are symmetrical
6) my hair
7) Oh yeah! A friend once told me I have a ski jump nose. I think that's a good thing
8) my teeth, now that they are fixed
9) I have pretty cool sternocleidomastoid muscles, on both sides.
10) my ears....they're pretty normal, I think. 

red herring

Sleep deprived for weeks, I put myself to bed early last night and determined to stay there until I got some sleep. So I dreamed, which I never do. It was an interesting dream, with a couple of levels, as Inception would call it.

I dreamed I took the elevator up to the 31st floor; I was with someone, I don't know who, probably Paul. It was a circular building, like they have at the south entrance of the Grand Canyon; standing in the center is the hole like you are looking down a cylinder--I could see almost to the bottom. And I was holding my keys, to which were attached my driver's license and everything valuable to me. As I looked down I of course dropped my keys. I watched in horror as they continued from floor to floor until I couldn't see them anymore. I started running down the stairs as fast as I could go, asking on each floor if they had seen my keys, finally arriving at the bottom floor. It was covered with sawdust with a dirt floor and a guy who had horses outside; he was building something. And there were my keys sitting there for the taking. He barely grunted as I grabbed them.

Suddenly I was at the top again, as if I had reached down all those floors to get my keys and, in trying to get back, was stuck braced against the center pole with one hand, my keys in the other hand. I was leaned too far out; if I let go I would fall down the 31 floors. I struggled, there was no one there to help. As I gave up and realized I would fall, I woke up.

Except I wasn't awake. I was still dreaming. I remember thinking God had saved me by waking me up so I could have both the keys, my identity, and my life. It seemed like I was in that state for a long time when I woke up again--this time I really did wake up.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Day 2 Assignment

 How does God define beauty?

The good kind of beauty
Isaiah 52:7
¶How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

The snob type
Isaiah 3:27
And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.

Don't worry, this is only for ten days...it's going to be good for me though. How does God define beauty? I found many references for beauty, seen in a negative light when it is used to be "better than" and a positive light when it is the effect of turning towards God.

Once again, when our spirits connect with our bodies in loving, positive ways, it is Good. And that is what relationship does, especially pure love. That's when I think we are the most beautiful. We've all looked in the mirror when we are angry, down and OUT, or even in despair. It isn't a pretty sight. When I used to pout my Dad would always point out to me I looked a lot better with the smile. Even the worst features can be transformed by Light and be attractive, very attractive.

Alma 5:14
And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?


I've made a jump from relationship to spiritually being born of God. Yet I think that is the ultimate relationship, from which others spring. However, it is important to also love ourselves. Have you ever been "loved" by someone who doesn't love themselves? It can get toxic, and quickly. I have times where I hate myself, yet I love myself. It is the times when I'm apathetic, when I don't care, when nothing seems worth it anymore...it is those times when relationships suffer, not only with myself, but with others.

     

    Wednesday, December 1, 2010

    First Day Assignment

    Okay, I'm doing this Recapturing Beauty 10-Day Challenge. My first task is to write all the ways I am grateful for all the things my body allows me to do, for ten minutes.

    And maybe I don't need this as much as I used to. I am just now realizing how grateful I have been in the last several years. When I was young and good-looking I thought about how fat I was, how too white blonde I was...and that was about it. I didn't appreciate my youth.

    But now I do, and I appreciate my current age too, oh the joys of old age maturity. I was going to insert a google image here but, wow! There isn't a lot of respect for old age on google. All the pictures aren't very nice.

    But back to topic, my minutes are ticking. Okay, maybe I really do need this. Here I go...I am grateful to be able to RUN! Duh. But honestly? The time I most appreciated that was in the middle of my first marathon, realizing I was not on track to qualify for Boston, my hips were locked up, I was in huge pain, I was tired, and I had THIRTEEN.1 miles to go...in the rain. (It was only a short while before that 13 was the absolute farthest I could go before death). I prayed, for the first time, about my running. And God answered, (not to be confused with the Running Gods so often mentioned on Facebook). He allowed me to do better in my head, which Jill was telling me I needed to do. (She was of course, right). He helped me with my thoughts so my legs could work. God connected my spirit with my body in yet another way. I was so grateful my legs continued to work, even if in pain, to be able to run. In that vein I'm thankful for quads and calves and my FEET. I'm really, really grateful for my feet. And my knees. And my arms when my legs are so tired my arms become pistons, in a sense.

    Shortly after that I became aware of the majesty of the human body, any human body. I'm not kidding. I started to see it as the creation it is, maybe the way great sculptors see it. I am to this day quite capable of being awed by anybody's body, and not in a perverted way...I just think it's amazing. I can walk upright, I am almost hairless compared to most other animals. Oh, this is getting weird.

    I'm thankful for my mind. When it works, it's great. And sometimes it does work. There is nothing so fun as finally "getting" it or seeing it click with someone else.

    I'm grateful for my ribs, which are often hard to find, but I've thought before about what they protect, my heart, (which still beats by the way), my lungs, my heart.

    I'm grateful for my hands, mostly because of what they can do; I'm grateful for my opposable thumb, yup. I can hold things.

    I'm out of time. I am grateful I can see.  I love being able to see, especially light. Even newborns seek the light and I have been very aware of light, or the lack thereof, for as long as I can remember.
    I am grateful I can see, and for whomever thought of this crazy idea to help me see even better.

    Tuesday, November 30, 2010

    No shoulders here, not even for crying on

    This is a few days ago; we have more snow now. It's gorgeous and I love it...until Valentine's Day. After that, I will effectively ban all future snow until next year. It interferes with my training, therefore, it shall not be allowed. Sigh. There are no more sidewalks, no more shoulders...even if there were no traffic it would be dangerous as there are a lot of slick parts. Did I mention it is still coming down?

    11.5 on the treadmill yesterday, in two sessions. I was having an autoimmune day (hereafter abbreviated AD), so a lot of pains-n-twangs-n-thangs. I actually took an ice bath last night, the water was much colder, even without ice, than 3 bagger ice baths I do in the summertime. I know, I should have just sat in the snow, but I wanted at least my top half to be warm. And it helped. The immediate pain went away, and when my legs had finally warmed up, two hours later, I was able to sleep.

    AND. The MRI has been scheduled. For this Saturday. They better see something or I will never complain again, will just run in pain till I really am insane Elaine. This has been going on since last January and it is now obvious I have other issues besides the hernia (which is fixed).

    My best friend, the one who calls me all the time, is named 1-000-000-0000. Do you get those calls? If you do, do not answer. Apparently it is telemarketers, bypassing the laws and calling anyway. I get so many of them I rarely even twitch when the phone rings, just wait for the caller ID. I did have one welcome "caller" today, the FedEx truck (see below). My son's laptop has arrived. Oh well, it's been nice having him home, but I'll be losing him now to the world of technology.

    Thursday, November 25, 2010

    Lists of Blessings Do Not Work

    All my life I've been regaled by admonitions to be grateful, often with the assumption I will start by naming off my blessings, which usually go something like this, 1) family 2) God 3) country
    4) health....etc. So I make the list. And I don't usually feel grateful, usually I feel guilty--I have all this, I have been blessed by all this, so why am I not happy? Why does my life not seem easy? Why aren't I contributing more--what do I have to show for it?

    But I've heard gratitude is great at combating the blues; I've also learned discipline of thought patterns (cognitive behavioral therapy) works. President Monson recently spent an entire conference talk on gratitude. The first part of prayer, the way I have learned it, is to thank God for our blessings. So, I've been working a little harder on it.

    It does not work for me to make lists of blessings. But recently, I decided to try a little harder. There was a day. A doozy. I felt kicked in the gut emotional pain, not really knowing why. I don't get PMS, so shush about that! I was driving so I had some time, about 20 minutes. I started naming blessings; I tried to make the list different and more specific. Then with each blessing, I would try to understand why I had been blessed with it, why I was grateful for it, sort of an essay on each blessing. Each guilty or destructive thought dismissed: I tried hard  to let in more and more light on a very gray day. It was hard work.....but it eventually worked. It took 20 minutes, which seems like a long time until you consider how long every other therapy takes.  Instead of making me more grumpy, as a list of my blessings often does, I arrived home anxious to go to work, even cheerfully.

    No matter how down you are, or why, efforts at gratitude can work. Why ask why? Because when it comes to gratitude, it works.

    Wednesday, November 24, 2010

    Morning feast


    A gorgeous morning here, -2F, and the above is part of my attempt at a fruitarian diet this morning. It really does give me a buzz and heightened senses when I eat fruit on an empty stomach and that is all I eat. However, succumbing to pizza late at night probably negates any possible weight loss effect....


    My foot and hip are still hurting and I haven't ran since Saturday. Is this a real pain or some sort of autoimmune wackola? It didn't hurt while I was running. My foot feels better every day. I may run on it today.

    Exorbitant amounts of holiday calories loom in my immediate future; exercise of some sort is crucial.

    Thursday, November 18, 2010

    Flying life

    If I don't blog enough, it's because I don't run fast enough. Every time I run fast, I think of blogging...otherwise, not so much. I've been a little unhappy in the hip area, but much of the pain seems to be going away after stopping physical therapy and doing less miles. We shall see...

    But today I did 10 in 1:14:45 on a 3% decline on my amazing schampazing treadmill of treadmills. Average pace 7:28. Speedy me. And then I kept going for another mile, then ran out of time, not energy... and NO pain. I am very happy.

    And speaking of happiness, my oldest son came home from a two year mission in Brazil a new man, much happier, more confident, even better-looking. Oh, and nicer too. I will not soon forget that moment. He even talked to son #2, encouraging him in an hour more than I have in the last three years. There is new hope in the world. Notice the "Do not enter, EXIT" sign. He is finished with that phase and now moves on to the next phase, the film program at university.

    Home 24 hours, then one day later we flew to Virginia to pace my siblings in the Richmond marathon. Unfortunately, I was too busy worrying, running backwards on the course, and bringing in three siblings, to take pictures. However, my oldest brother qualified for Boston and I swear he could have gone another mile. He looked much better that evening than he had in Hartford, even though he completed the Richmond course more than an hour faster. I also saw my Mom and Dad; my brother and sister-in-law are taking care of them. My sister-in-law is doing a great job. We also went to the Holocaust museum there in Virginia, always a sad yet inspirational experience. Never forget.

    Since I've been home life has been very busy, just running here and there and everywhere. I'm not really sure why--I think I'm just catching up? Let's see, today I did the above run, jumped in the shower, then took car #1 in to get snow gear, then came home and frantically did housework, then did Meals on Wheels, paid bills, went grocery shopping, dropped off two extra turkeys to a charity, picked up car #2 with its new snow tires, picked up son from his after school work, came home, and ate more veggies.
    Oh yeah! I'm on a fruit and veggie/pure food thinger. I mostly eat fruit and veggies but will eat protein if it's not processed, and not a lot. So far I've lost three pounds but I'm not sure as my weight fluctuates dramatically all the time.

    I will try to blog more often.

    Tuesday, November 2, 2010

    It's a new day. Grab it, sit on it, then stand up and stomp on it.
    That came into my head...which means I am very tired after the stomach flu yesterday and then staying up half the night trying to get my oldest registered for his winter term classes. (I got his classes...except his "must haves" :/
    I just received this email in return for the one I sent in the middle of the night,

    "Both TMA 105 and 185 are raincheck registration classes. You will need to click the "R" option to raincheck the classes, and the Department will be in touch regarding officially adding the classes. Currently there are no students enrolled, so if you raincheck both of those classes, there is still an opportunity to get into them. If you have any other questions, please let us know. Thank you and have a great day!

    The College of Fine Arts and Communications
    Advisement Center"


    I think the Democrats will do better than we think. But if Reid and Patty Murray both win it will be very good for my running...frustration is always a good motivator.  Why do so many stay with the status quo? Same song as the Republicans, but louder, same spending, but more, same politics, but less consideration of the constituents. Both of these people have been in office far too long, both have very low approval ratings, yet they both may get re-elected.

    Sunday, October 31, 2010

    I finished!

    In our Church we have the Bible, the Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price, along with our Articles of Faith and Joseph Smith's History compiled into what we call the standard works. The topical guide is like the index of indexes, going alphabetically through each topic in the above books of scriptures, each topic having all the references listed. I clicked on each verse listed under each reference, unless I already knew it. I paid extra special attention to Isaiah and the Gospels in the New Testament. The topical guide is long! Without the verses, which would lengthen it 100 times, it has more pages than the New Testament.

    It took me almost three years to go through the entire topical guide, if I am remembering the starting date right. There were days, especially at the beginning and the end, when I spent hours and hours, a lot of those actually. There were a few days I missed entirely, and many when I only read one or two references from only one of the topics. I kept going, excited always for the next word or to get to the next letter by a certain date, or just basking in something so Good after a long day. The thing I learned, more than anything, is I that belong to the Church of Jesus Christ. All the work that was done to compile the topical guide, all the years, all the focus, is about and on Christ. The topic, "Jesus Christ" makes up 18 and a half pages of references. Of course if you look up each and every one, that is more like 1800 pages...but that's not all. Virtually every other topic I read also points to Christ. We worship Him.
     The next biggest thing I learned is how little I know. The more I learn the more I realize I want and need to learn, both in my head and in my heart; it's about the connection. It is as He said, "line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little." I hope to continue to study, every day, for as long as I am.

    Halloween viewing for your pleasure

    Thursday, October 28, 2010

    Making an informed choice

    We should talk to each other more. Most of us are disappointed in Congress (if one believes the poll numbers), yet most of us will not vote, and some of us will vote ignorantly. It isn't just about the President...some would argue Congress is at least as powerful. I would argue the media is more powerful in the real terms of the effect on our daily lives; I think they even affect elections.
    I just filled out my ballot and it took a couple of hours of studying for me to be reasonably sure I was voting responsibly. I have a master's degree but found it hard to understand some of the resolutions/bills I was voting on; at least one seems to have been written with the intent to deceive. Except for the talking heads and a few who are considered "out there", we don't get much. Who is saying what? And even more importantly, who voted on what and how and why? Who knows? Who cares? We should care...we should make an effort, even if it takes some homework.

    Wednesday, October 27, 2010

    My poor hippies

    I was having a political conversation with my ideological college son. He wants to save the world and has zero evil ideas, but thinks everyone else does...it's more complex than that, but the point of mentioning it here is that he thought I wouldn't get along with "hippies".  I of course disagreed...I love hippies, they are laid back. So there.

    However, it is 2:28 am and there is that low lying stress, the kind that is just there and isn't going away, no matter how I will it so. The thing that made me sit up in bed was the fact there have been a LOT of hippie issues lately. My Mom has broken both her hips in the last year, most recently about a week ago. My youngest sister suffered a stress fracture in her sacrum last winter.

    And those are just the easily identifiable issues, the ones that warranted an immediate x-ray from those hippie sorts of doctors.

    Then there are the runner hippy issues. Also in the last year I have a brother with a pulled groin, one with an ITB issue that manifested in his hip, another brother with a different sort of pulled groin plus what sounds like hip point tendonits plus maybe high ITB inflammation...literally every one of us who has tried to run has had hippie sorts of issues. Yet another brother, (did I mention I have many brothers?), has an ITB issue so severe it is just not worth the pain of trying to run through it at all. His first complaint though was a "shift" he felt in his lower back and hip during a benign, aka non-intense run.

    What is up? I've been to physical therapy for the maximum allowable time my insurance will pay and I must say my hips are fine as long as I haven't ran earlier that day (they don't hurt while I am running). But if I go anywhere close to intense I hobble around like someone who needs a total hip replacement the rest of the day. It is like my entire pelvis has collapsed. I veer sharply to the left when I first try to walk...It even hurts when I wake up in the morning, even before I have moved.

    These are all thoughts I intend to share with the orthopedic surgeon who diagnosed my Achilles tendinitis (thanks but I already knew that and was already doing the therapy). Why am I suddenly wide awake about this? Because a runner Facebook friend read me the riot act all day yesterday, messaging me back and forth, telling me I may have to stop running, swimming, elliptical (anything that might remotely resemble aerobic exercise), for a YEAR. Or die. He speaks from experience, not about the dying, but about the end of career-ing his iliopsoas injury caused.

    Okay, end of rant. I'll go look for a picture of a hip, or at least a hippie sort of person.

    Wednesday, October 20, 2010

    Meals on Aquajog wheels

    That was remarkably easy, and embarrassingly no big deal. Why have I been so scared for so long? I looked okay in my swimming suit, mostly because it is a VERY modest tankini, more like a running outfit really, AND...I went in. the. deep. end. I know, I had a flotation device on but hey, there were warnings written all over it about how it is NOT a flotation device and should not be used by nonswimmers, etc. I am a nonswimmer; however, as I was jogging along, I realized I could stop jogging and not sink, at least not too much. As long as I remain conscious, I really can't drown in that thing. And the other people around me didn't stare or seem overly aware at how out of place I was...in fact, I didn't even feel out of place. It is so weird to be done with a workout and NOTHING hurts, just tired muscles. I felt like that last... before children, way before children. I will definitely be doing it again.

    I even took a shower at the gym (hey they even had curtains), then headed straight for my Meals on Wheels "job", also a first today. I got my fix, I got to see sorta kinda patients, (I used to be a nurse and loved the patient care), and sorta kinda help them. Okay, I just handed them a meal someone else had made, but they smiled. And five of them pretended they just happened to be passing by the door just then. They were excited to see me/food! I don't get that kind of a response when I cook at home.

    Then I went to my youngest son's student led parent-teacher conference. He is so well behaved and has such good grades it's boring. I think he was sent here to set a good example for me; it is not my fault he is perfect, really it isn't.

    By the way, it's hard for me to write to myself every night, even though it's a good thing to do, so thank you for the comments!

    Tuesday, October 19, 2010

    I have finally found a marathon and yes, it's on a Saturday, thank you.

    I barely made it through ten walk/jog miles on the treadmill today. I'm hoping that means I have trained really hard up to now and need a break week...

    TOMORROW I go aqua jogging. Scary! I'm afraid of water, but mostly swimming suits. I've bought many, yes many adorable and lovely and fat hiding swimming suits. I've tried on a few, swam in one, once, a very, very, very, long time ago. My PT will be there; hopefully I won't shock her too much by my irrational fears.



    Oh yeah, the marathon. It's in Surprise!....Arizona. Yes, a tiny city called Surprise, AZ. Desert Classic Marathon. It seems that it's so small there is not even a course map. However, the timing and location couldn't be better, at least not for a January marathon.

    And for those of you worrying. My Mom is out of surgery and back to room #3; her surgery and anesthesia went well, or so I'm told. (I'm always suspicious when the one doing the surgery is the one reporting...shouldn't I wait to see what my Mom thought???)

    Monday, October 18, 2010

    Newsy post

    1) Went to Time Out for Women in Phoenix, AZ
    2) Was inspired by Amanda Dickson http://www.ksl.com/?nid=173&sid=74133

    3) Hung out with the MBAs
    4) Flew home and got stranded in a trashed Vegas airport. Apparently it rained, with lightning. So they shut the airport down and told us on the tarmac, "we have lost contact with operations. We don't know how long we will be here." Funzies
    5) Got home around 0130, went to bed, woke up from youngest poking his head in, "bye, Mom, I'm going to school now". Guilt trip was followed by...
    5 a) Guilt trip #2) looked at my iPhone and there was an email from my Josh in Brazil. I had forgotten to write to him for the first time on his mission. I almost had a perfect record; he only has three weeks left.
    6) Phone ringing. It was my Dad. My Mom broke her hip again! She escaped outside, fell down and did the same break as last year, femoral neck impaction fracture, only on the other side. Scary. And hard for my sister-in-law, who is taking care of her.
    7) Jumped out of bed and pounded out 4.3 fast ones on the treadmill. Surprised at how tired I am; it took a lot to sustain the 7.6 mph pace for even a few minutes.
    8) Went to physical therapy, where I was promoted to aqua jogging class. It starts Wednesday. I mentioned I was afraid of both water and swimming suits.
    9) Made the best pot of chili ever created. Lots of chili powder, cumin, green chiles, black pepper, onions, and two pounds of meat. Oh. And red pinto beans.
    10) Found out from the Boston Athletic Association that registration for the Boston marathon had opened....and closed, all in the space of 8 hours. I think they should make it harder to qualify. At least for us women. I got to run it twice; I am grateful.
    11) Skipped P90X. I am tired.
    12) Went to the store and bought various and sundry items for various and sundry things.
    13) Etc. Mom things. Laundry, talking to sons away from home, playing taxi driver to sons at home, grocery shopping, phone duty for my Mom's condition updates, adding numerous appointments to my calendar this week.

    Wednesday, October 13, 2010

    TEN without stopping

    And I can sweat like no other. I keep wondering if the treadmill is waterproof.
    There is yet another brother headed to Richmond, should I walk or coach?

    Tuesday, October 12, 2010

    This blog is still here?!?!

    I declare it my running/thinking blog.
    I'm sitting here with ice on; still have hip/groin issues even 12+ weeks after surgery. Ran 6 today, 8.5 yesterday. Yes, I'm also in PT, yes I'm doing my exercises, and a tentative yes, I think I'm getting my fitness back, although so slowly!
    Over the weekend I went to pace my brother at the Hartford ING marathon. He has been posting some great stats and I thought he would easily qualify for Boston. Miles way up, speed way up, able to run in the Houston heat and the Utah altitude, basically he rocks.
    The plan was for me to meet him at mile 20, however, there were no taxis available and I had no idea how to get there. I asked lots of questions to lots of nice New Englanders and got lots of different answers, starting with, "you are in the wrong city, the marathon is in East Hartford". Good thing I had my Garmin on so I could track all the miles. I headed out, finally seeing some of the first runners coming in and the route was easy to follow after that. I headed for mile 20, but still unsure of my speed, decided to turn around at mile 22 and jog very, very slowly. By mile 24 when he still hadn't caught up to me, I headed back to 22 again, over and over. I started to get really worried, finally got in touch with his wife ("no, I still haven't seen him"), and then headed back in earnest. I didn't go far when I saw him, or the visage of him. He looked horrible and scared me to death. He had done amazingly until 20, then rapidly slowed down, then threw up. A lot. Even an hour later I was furtively looking at the medical tent, trying to talk him into an IV.
    So....my next stop is the Richmond marathon on November 13, with another brother, my son, and the above brother too. My parents are there and yet another brother (yes, I have 8, thank you very much) and my sister-in-law are there, so it will be a happy family thing.
    But the question is, could I do it too? I don't think so. As of today my longest run nonstop is 7 miles, although I have gone 16 and ran off and on 14 of those. It wouldn't be a PR, that's for sure.

    Sunday, July 11, 2010

    herniorrhaphy






    Thursday. Today all better. Five and a half weeks to go. Here are some National Park pics to pass the time.

    Friday, June 18, 2010

    3:30:48

    26.2. Treadmill.
    I finally got it out of my system!!! Hard work for me, 6 days after Utah Valley Marathon. I can't seem to perform on race day and I just couldn't leave it alone. I stopped a lot due to melting ice, which would have constituted breaks so would have increased the time. However. I am happy. I proved I have the speed for that much distance. I got under the fantasy 3:33:33 time; maybe someday I can do it in "real life", not on the treadmill. After surgery, core work, weight loss, a cleaner house, more time to play with my friends, less cake, more protein shakes, that other trip....after this, after that.
    Oh, and by the way...my 4:05 for UVM wasn't, which partially explains the above determination... Results look more like 4:16? I misunderstood that I started not 30 minutes late, but more like 16. I'm still confused, but I know it was slower than 4:05.

    Sunday, June 13, 2010

    Flying in the Rain



    I ripped the huge irritating tags off my travel pillow, prepping for a nice midflight snooze. Tiny white moshi beads, appearing as white powder on a commercial flight, erupted out of the hole. And kept coming. Try as I might to stanch their flow, I only succeeded in causing more to come out. I rang my call button for the flight stewardess, "Um...."

    So started my trip to the Utah Valley marathon. Rushing off the flight I headed straight to the Expo in Provo to retrieve mine and Mark's race bib and timing chip. I turned on the rental car radio as I entered the ramp to I-15. "Stop and go traffic from 33rd south to 103rd south, due to an accident causing a two lane blockage". I could have ran it faster. It really was stop and go, mostly stop. The hour trip turned into a two hour trip, but I got there, showed off Mark's ID, and procured the proper appendages for our race. I then stuffed myself with the "pasta grand slam", consisting of a piece of pizza, rigatoni with Alfredo sauce, and a tomato red onion salad. Then I headed out, staring longingly at the gels, trying to figure out what I could ingest that would cause me to fly for 26.2. I was tapped on the shoulder and I turned, looking into the face of Debbie, a girl I went to nursing school with. She has apparently followed me on Facebook and knew all about my running tales and woes. "I'm just doing the half", she said, "I hope I finish before you."

    I went to Stephen's house and went directly to bed, on top of a double air mattress. It was like sleeping on air. Seriously, it was great, as long as I stayed still, which staying still helped me sleep. It felt like I was on a surfboard on a still sea; as long as I didn't move, it wouldn't buck me off. I awoke at 2:48 am and went flying out of bed, remembering my ice packs take longer. I still did not plan enough time, however, and arrived at the buses late, at 4:15 am...which proved to be a huge mistake.

    The buses somehow got lost going up the canyon, taking extra time to get there. Once we had disengorged, we were promptly told the port-a-potty lines were shorter up at the starting line and we needed to make our way there. There were nine. And there were more than 900 trying to get in. Above the port-a-potties we could see runners on the hillside, not waiting. We thought, no big deal, we have a timing chip on our shoe, we don't have to start at the gun. When I finally got inside, I heard the announcer say, "we are going to roll up the mats in 30 seconds. All runners who want to have their times recorded must cross the mats now." Then I heard loud booing. Small concessions were made, however, Mark and I ended up having to cross the mat, not ready to go. We crossed the mat for the marathon, the clock was started, and we took our first "rest' before our third step so Mark could get his stuff into his belongings bag. His hands were frozen, so we immediately lost a couple of minutes right off the bat.

    I was very soon short of breath but not Mark. I hung with him anyway for five or six miles, stopping to tie my shoe and then catch up. My pack of techni-ice, pinned to my compression shorts, was very heavy and cumbersome. I also had two 10 oz Fuel Belt bottles weighing me down. I also wore my Boston marathon jacket because it was raining and I had forgotten my black plastic trash bag. I am also fat. I was heavy and I was short of breath and my morale evaporated, but not the rain. By 7:00 it was a downpour and everything we were wearing became very heavy; apparently my jacket was NOT waterproof.

    But. It. Was. Gorgeous!~ And. I still got to mile 13 under two hours, thanks to trying to keep up with Speedy Mark. However, it had taken its toll; I had gone out way too hard and it felt faster than it was. It felt like 8 minute miles or faster to me, but they were in the 8:20s. Altitude? More weight? No sleep? I could make excuses all day. Stephen called me and my RunKeeper app on my iPhone failed so I had no idea of my pace. I called him back and told him I had changed it to a training run, that I was walking at mile 13. Basically I was regrouping. I envisioned my first 5-6 hour marathon. After a few minutes I dumped my Fuel Belt bottles, soaked knit hat, and soaked gloves. I was slightly lighter, and did I mention it was gorgeous?

    I started jogging again, ever so slowly when I realized I was going downhill. And there was a tailwind, I'm not kidding. And soon I was flying, even blssfully flying. Still pretty tired, but I had trained long and hard doing fast downhill miles with encyclopedias propped under my treadmill, and it was paying off, big time. I promised myself I would walk through the aid stations and for five minutes at the end of every hour. That helped a lot with the uphills. I jogged up the hills and flew down the backsides, thinking I was doing a training run, that all hope of a PR was lost.

    My hips started to really hurt (not the hernia, mind you, it was frozen and I was paying the cost in extra weight), so I popped two Excedrin and a gel as I entered the aid station at mile 17. Beautiful sheer cliffs up the sides. You can't beat Utah for gorgeousness and the rain was starting to let up. However, as I walked out of the aid station and finished the gel, I desperately needed water to wash down a too concentrated gel. I debated as I walked, finally turning around a quarter mile later, heading back to the aid station for water. I walked backwards, adding a half mile of walking! I then stopped, pulled off my sock that was causing a blister, retied my shoes, and redid my ice packs because the safety pins were poking into me.

    I guess during all that time the Excedrin started to kick in because it helped a lot with the hip pain and I was off again...until about mile 18, when I slowed somewhat. I didn't do enough runs over 18. Stephen was a welcome sight at mile 20+, with a fresh ice pack, which he pinned on for me. What are brothers for, anyway? Mine are amaYYzing!
    He tried hard to give me a sweatshirt, assuming I must be freezing in the cold rain, but I gave him my soaked Boston marathon jacket and my wallet instead. I felt so light after that, especially after I repinned the ice pack, discarding half of it. I determined to jog the last six miles in and it really was easy.

    I had no idea of my time, assuming I was 4:15+. If I had known I was close to four hours I would have sped up. I saw my wonderful Tim at mile 24.5. He looked so good I jumped off the course onto the curb and gave him a big hug. He said, "Mom! Get going! Hurry up!" So I did, just for him, just a little.

    At 1/4 of a mile to go, they threw in a steep hill. What the....!!!I jogged up it anyway. I can do anything with a quarter mile to go. I couldn't see the finish line but knew it was close. Basically they had us run zig-zags around the mall area. I didn't like that as I like to kick it in the finish line and it was hard to tell where it was, up until about 40 yards to go.

    That was when I saw the clock. It said 4:34:52. I knew I had started 30 minutes late, so that meant I could still get a 4:05. So I picked it up and I think I went under right at about 4:35. I immediately called Mark but he didn't answer. I was a little disoriented....I couldn't get out of the chute to go to the car and the race officials were not very helpful. Everything was gone, as thought I had finished in 6+ hours. However, I managed to get my belongings bag and make it back to the car and back to Stephen and Karen's house. They were GREAT, getting me water and in a hot shower followed by a 17 minute ice bath, and then letting me try to rest.

    How many minutes of delay did my equipment failure cost? The walking the wrong direction back to the aid station? The first few feet of fiasco? Walking and regrouping when I should have been jogging and regrouping? Who knows. Maybe I could have PR'd. Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda. I got experience, much needed experience, and I had a great time. Really!

    And I will never forget the tailwind and the flying. Never.

    Tuesday, May 25, 2010

    Snow!

    Sunday morning, I woke up with a dream of a beautiful snowfall. I could hardly believe it, until I woke up. Monday morning, I woke up and looked outside and saw the rain coming down. I was tired and not excited to get soaked. I'd rather run in the snow than the rain. But, I put on my stuff and got out and got soaked for 4.6 miles. By the time I got showered, the rain had turned to sleet. Then, at 6:00, our family sat down together and we saw my dream, but this time it was real: A beautiful snow storm, and it was sticking! By the time the morning was gone, we had two inches of snow and a huge snow man in the back yard. This was the latest measurable snow fall on record at the airport. The previous latest date was May 18. Do you think I could be a weatherman?

    This morning was dry and 38 degrees and a great day for running. I ran 4.6 again at an average pace of 8:16. Taking out the first mile, my average was under 8:00 per mile. Happy day!

    Saturday, May 22, 2010

    Coachless

    I am coachless and doing my own thing, which I don't think any coach would approve of. But I like it, and my confidence must be mine....I run very hard, but only run three days a week.

    Today I added 16 treadmill miles to the mix, average pace 8:15, downhill. That totals 48 miles, a warm-up for Mark but a lot of miles in one week for me. And 30 of them around 8 min/mile pace. It's my only real training week to speak of between Boston and Utah Valley. And next week, after a long run Tuesday, I will start taper. Yes, I am sore! LOTS of downhill miles this week, in fact all but 5 of them. On the bright side, both my Achilles are very happy.

    Stephen, will you hand me a frozen Fuel Belt bottle at mile 21? That would REALLY help....if you should happen to be around that area on Saturday June 12....

    Friday, May 21, 2010

    from Dreadmilla to the Bighilla

    Obviously I have been Dreadmilla way too long and need to switch to Outdoorzy One. Went flying down Mt. Spokane the same pace as the treadmill, only to freeze my tush (and hands) OFF. I could not manage the frozen Fuel Belt bottles, much less the drinks I had hidden TOO well at the side of the road. Un-iced hernia, no drinks, not being sure I was going the right way, a sudden icy rain added to the headwind, and I was thinking bail out.
    The original plan was about 22, obviously I did not make it. MUST learn to go slow at the beginning, even when presented with intoxicating downhill wonders...
    Oh yeah, and I am sore, even after the ice bath. Very humbling after the whole treadmill schmeel.
    I only have a few more workouts and then taper time again, even though I've basically been banned from running or tapering until a few days ago. I'm feeling it today. I got a little out of shape.

    Tuesday, May 18, 2010

    for Stephen

    I was so touched yesterday when Karen called saying Stephen has been worrying about me! It really has been extremely difficult to stop running, to contemplate not being able to reach my goal, and it is making my other health issues worse. I crash without running, I really do. Increased meds, feeling lousy, no sleep, etc. Meds don't feel good. Running is better. I've had multitudinous issues, just trying to take a week off, which is why....

    I cheated. I cheated VERY safely, on the treadmill, armed with mega ice packs in just the right shape, which I started applying immmediately. I had no pain and enough compression to strangle anyone's gut into submission! By the end of the run I was sporting a very thick lump in my compression shorts. No, I did not take a picture, sorry.

    I have my appointment in an hour, so if I caused any damage, (which I didn't), the surgery can still be scheduled. I want it on both sides, since I'm convinced the right side has the same problem, even though the right hernia wasn't detected on ultrasound.

    Enough rationale yet? I know I took a risk. But not running has its own set of problems...

    I still have the encylopedias under the back side of my treadmill. Yes, I am still longing to run 3:33:33 at UVM on June 12. So I set the treadmill for 13.1 (remember, I can stop if it gets painful or scary in any way because I am on the treadmill, not in the middle of nowhere). And then I took off. 7.5 mph for .1, then 7.6 for .4, then 7.7 for .8, then 7.8 for ten minutes, and increasing .1 mph every ten minutes. I ended at 8.7 mph, (yeah I increased it every 5 minutes the last 30 because I had a lot left). And I ran 13.1 miles on the treadmill in 1:36:35. This puts me on the board for UVM, even considering the elevation change, I hope. Unless my treadmill REALLY lies...which is possible.

    I needed to do this, knowing I may not get to run UVM.

    Those are all the excuses I have. I must go get ready for my appointment/judgment day.

    Update: Yeeeeeeehaw! The general surgeon convinced me it is fine to run. I have a small hernia, which is why it hurts so much (it's pushing harder on the nerve because there isn't much of a hole to give it room). He does hundreds of hernia surgeries a year and only sees the strangulated scary cases maybe once a year and then only with very big hernias. He says run away, just handle the pain. Utah Valley June 12, Grand Canyon June 19-26th, and surgery July 9. Lots of ice in my future.

    Saturday, May 15, 2010

    I should do a push-up


    or two. I have been banned from running, which I haven't listened to, but which I decided to start listening to when reaffirmed by my notable physician, Dr. Lisa Bliss. Look her up. (hint, she is most notorious, but not as a doctor).

    Dunno though. I'm mad. What will I do with my life if I don't run? My poor fam. Hopefully the fix will come soon. Apptmnt with surgeon Tuesday...which will hopefully lead to appointment for surgery Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning, but not likely, ha.

    Feeling very discouraged...sorry for the bummer post.

    Progress report

    I did 4 runs this week (21 miles) without any ill effects so far. My main goal is to not over-do it and get injured again. I still have a nagging hip pain and ankle pain on the left side. (The ankle pain came long before the hip pain) But, it is so minimal now that I think I'm not endangering injury by running on it.

    This may all seem trivial to Mark and Elaine that are working through more significant injuries right now. Good luck to both of you as you prepare for UVM. I'm looking forward to the spectating part.

    My goal is to run my first marathon on Sep 18 (Top of Utah). I think I have time to get ready. Maybe I can convince some others to go with me.

    Tuesday, May 11, 2010

    finally a speedy pain free day

    8 miles in 58:45. If I could keep up this pace every day, (7:20), I would be ready to call this running fetish done for now! Downhill on treadmill, it was definitely one of those rare easy fast days. Loving that! Hernia really didn't hurt, and it is an inguinal hernia, (had ultrasound this afternoon), at least one of them. The others are possibly sports hernias but not protruding out past the abdominal wall yet. This is good news. I still have the problem of running down the cause and doing strengthening so it won't happen again. I wouldn't mind some sort of rehab, since I obviously fail in my own attempts to get a core of some sort.

    The doctor will call, sounds like they may put a little mesh in there. It is reducible, which explains why it hurts so MUCH more sometimes than others.

    Wednesday, April 28, 2010

    Joint fitness

    Lisa and I are on the verge of completing an entire month of 3x/week gym sessions. I still can't run for an hour straight, but I'm going to try again today. Monday I lasted 50 minutes. I always start out too fast, then I can't keep it up, so I'm going to force myself to reduce the pace to 6.5 mph--a bit slower than a 9 minute mile.

    Wednesday, April 21, 2010

    Please come to Boston in the springtime



    Although I am currently under the effects of narcotics, I will attempt a race report. I feel so grateful for all your support! I feel so grateful to run the Boston marathon. I feel relieved my time was not nearly as bad as last year.
    I went in with a hernia, exacerbated geatly by the plane ride...sitting is the worst, walking is next, running the least painful. I figured I need surgery anyway, why not run the marathon. I probably should have pulled out. I have at least one new hernia...the good news is the doctor that checked me out told me I did not manage to strangulate, which would have required immediate hospitalization and surgery.
    I am not ashamed about my time, even tho it was much worse than I was shooting for. The location of one of the hernias really impaired my style. At one point an unsuspecting kindly gentleman handed me a ziplock sandwich bag full of ice, which I promptly stuck down the front of my compression shorts, in full view of all spectators and cameras alike.
    I had put a topical medicine on and greatly enjoyed my first miles of speed before it wore off, before I widened the hernias...I really hate slow miles, really, really. I would have walked but that was even more painful. There was one more ice in the pants scene about 6 miles later. I really saw that ice as a tender mercy. Although it didn't help my speed, it was so nice!
    Again, the little kids with the high fives and orange slices were especially delightful. Oh, and it was so absolutely gorgeous. I don't know. The whole race, even though I was hurting for 2/3 of the time, was a spiritual experience, a gratitude experience. Maybe pain heightens awareness.
    I had oversalted my drinks so I was very appreciative of spectator offerings. However, as I grabbed one of the cups I realized, almost too late, it was beer. Pretty funny! I ended up dumping it all over myself and crossing the finish line, unable to walk straight and smelling the part.
    I saw a pretty scary sight as one runner was down, eyes looked dead. On the news they said they were able to revive him later, but it really scared me.
    I felt your prayers, good vibes, and support. I needed them! I needed this.
    Thank you!

    Monday, April 19, 2010

    Congratulations

    Elaine, Cheryl, and Eric,
    I watched your progress from a web site provided by Sam with great interest.
    Congratulations to all of you for completing and competing in the Boston Marathon!

    Wednesday, April 14, 2010

    Has anyone seen my 8:36???

    And what about the other 22 miles? Here's what I wrote to Cheryl on Facebook about her worries about Boston:

    If you die, I'll come walking along an hour or so later to lie down and die with you. :)
    Here's what I wrote on DailyMile:

    Sunny gorgeous AZ type day! 6 miles, 4 at MP, except I couldn't find MP....I was too fast, again. It wasn't that I wasn't trying. Many times I would look at my Garmin and it would say 09:00, so I would speed up to get to 8:36. My mile splits were between 8:15 and 8:20 and I was too out of breath, I couldn't have kept it up...but 8:36 just isn't comfortable for me. I can sustain 8:20s steady, but not keep them up for anything close to 26.2. Need pacer for Boston! Badly.

    Also, I'm trying to peel the tint off the Infiniti windows so I can see out of them at night. The website makes it look really easy....but that's just to make you feel like a dork when you can't do it!

    Monday, April 12, 2010

    Bouncing back

    OK, I got my gym card back, and Lisa's coming with me to the gym. Three times last week, so far once this week.

    Ran 3 miles at just under a nine minute pace. Felt pretty good and jogged out another five minutes for about 3.5 miles. Going for a long run tomorrow--just one hour at a slow pace 'till I can build up my endurance again. Lisa and I are considering fast Friday--10mph for as long as it lasts. Good idea? Crazy? Last week I lasted only about 6.5 minutes. Hoping for 10 this week.

    Friday, April 9, 2010

    TAPER! (not)


    I got out there OUTSIDE, in full Boston attire. I think the shoes will work, though they have NO support, just bounce....really I think they will be better for me. A little too much compression on the bottoms, the top will work great, although it did not reveal great triceps. Oh yeah, I don't have great triceps.
    A very hilly windy route, as per usual in Spokane. I did okay but it was harder than it should have been...I always have this funny autoimmune reaction after being out in the sun that really does me in. Ticks me off. No wonder I'm the treadmill queen. I've got to figure it out so I can run this summer. I'm just a basket of woes, huh? Counting down to Boston and I do NOT feel tapered tonight, but tired. Thinking of taking an ice bath, then treadmill tomorrow.

    Saturday, April 3, 2010

    6 instead of 13




    top rim of Bryce Canyon, 83++ feet – 6 mi

    So, it was very cold and there was no oxygen and apparently I was at the wrong entrance. My idea was to run DOWN into the canyon. The first 3 miles were freezing and uphill and I couldn't find the oxygen. Apparently it is all down THERE in the canyon, which I never found. Finally fellow travelers had mercy and picked my frozen and breathless self up, very early. I was hoping the high altitude would give me a workout without the pounding of the distance...dunno if that worked. I hurt, a lot. Wondering if a hip problem precipitated the hernia? Something is going on, I think even in addition to the hernia. Hopefully the taper, (which I've accidentally started this week), will help in time for Boston

    Tuesday, March 30, 2010

    High school de ja vu

    AZ! from house to trail, back and forth, back and forth – 8.66 mi

    Very tight sore calves today, even after taking yesterday off. Basically this was a 3 X 1 mile repeats run. I was supposed to run the in .5 mile betweens faster and the last 3 miles recovery slower but I honestly didn't remember it right....and I don't know if I could have ran the recovery halfs faster anyway....this was hard for me! I was so intimidated by it. I hadn't seen a workout like this since high school. It would be easy for me on the treadmill but I needed the confidence of doing it outside. Did the first repeat in 7:34, the second in 7:49, and the third in 7:40. On the second repeat I actually jogged in the middle, intending to give up after half a mile. But after a hundred yards of jogging I thought, "I am way ahead of pace, maybe I can still make it", so I kicked it in and made it. I have to wonder if I could have done the recovery's faster...I was definitely in some oxygen debt though. At least I was strict about only recovering for exactly .5 mile, no longer. I ran 3.66 home to finish out...I kept having to slow myself down and inched up in speed. Overall, this was new for me, but a confidence builder, especially that I recovered as well and as fast as I did....I honestly didn't know if I could do it.

    Friday, March 26, 2010

    lastest longest runnest before Boston

    21.55 mi / 03:20 09:16 pace

    I had a wonderful friend who biked with me and carried my drinks. She is a runner too...it was awesome, she chattered along, especially at the end when I was ready to kill her but it got my mind off any pain or fatigue so I could keep up the pace, somewhat.
    It was a long run for me; I definitely struggled after mile 16, but made it, managing to eek out a faster mile for the last mile, but not for all of the last five. Left calf started threatening on and off after mile 11. Both achilles ached at first but were fine after 7 miles.
    Here are the splits for Coach D:
    1) 9:49
    2) 9:14
    3) 9:18
    4) 9:15
    5) 9:31
    6) 9:17
    7) 9:03
    8) 8:55
    9) 8:53
    10) 9:17
    11) 9:18
    12) 9:00
    13) 9:03
    14) 9:24
    15) 9:44
    16) 9:29
    17) 9:44 :(
    18) 9:11
    19) 9:38
    20) 9:17
    21) 8:31 (okay, but I was hoping for 8:20)
    last 31.42 feet 6:38 per mile
    Stretched a lot and worked core a little, took cold bath, no ice...although I am needing ice now, finally. The ground has warmed up enough that the water isn't quite as cold. Cold enough now. My legs are still cold two hours later.

    Saturday, March 20, 2010

    family outing

    I know I was slow, but I was freaked out about how tired I got from Thursday and decided to just run how I wanted. It is impossible in Spokane to run on the flat for 13 miles and I picked a very mountainous course...but I was born to run hills, methinks. I am very slow but I enjoy the feeling of accomplishment at the top. So fun today as I made my husband and two boys come on their bikes and I saw them randomly while I was running. One time I called my husband and yelled, "Where are you?" He said he had turned around...I said, "Why?!?!" Then I made him wait there with my boys until I got there. When I got there he asked me what I needed and I said, nothing. I just wanted to say "hi". What does this make me.....I like fans, especially family fans. Anyway, it was a good run. I got very tired running up the last hill to my house, my quads burned and I was about 14 min/mile at that point. But then it went downhill just a bit. I turned around and sprinted 50 yards uphill at the end just to see if I could do it. 5:50/mile pace, according to the Garmin. I know. The rest was pretty slow, except for the downhills. Overall, a good run and very fun in the sun! I enjoyed my ice bath. Did you know you can shave your legs in an ice bath and get a really close shave?

    Thursday, March 18, 2010

    The kinesio tape my chiropractor applied for my Achilles tendonitis...it hurt more for the first hours but helped a lot by morning and I didn't have any pain while running...I think it really improved circulation and healing





    It was so nice to be outside in the beautiful sunshine the day after St. Patrick's Day. True to form, I wore lots of green and even drank green PowerAde, a day late. It was so gorgeous, perfect running weather. However, I died quickly...my legs weren't quite dead, but close. The run was way harder than it should have been on this my "easy" week. I ran to Liberty Lake from my house, finished the 12 early...walked some after the tempo 9...Scheduled, a 12 mile run, with 9 at 8:46 pace. My coach will think I am pushing it, and it truly looks like I was shooting for 8:36, but honestly I just still can't find that pace. Every time I looked down I was either around 8:20 or 9:05....I struggled a lot to find 8:46. Finally started to hit it closer in the last 3 miles, when I was SOOOOO tired.
    1) 8:31
    2) 8:39
    3) 8:38
    4) 8:38
    5) 8:40
    6) 8:44
    7) 8:37
    8) 8:35
    9) 8:36
    So, closer than I usually do. I really, really hope the tapering before Boston gives me my legs back. I am way too tired.

    This is the cute welcoming sign at my friend's house. She drove me up my hill!

    Wednesday, March 17, 2010

    Running Resumed

    Well, kind of.

    I ran 2.3 miles on Saturday and 1.8 miles yesterday. I had hip pain towards the end of both runs. I'll try again on Saturday. The physical therapy helped a lot, but only as long as I don't run.

    I've gained weight and lost conditioning, so I guess that makes it even Stephen

    Saturday, March 13, 2010

    What I do on Saturdays

    24th to H27 to Mission to Argonne to top of hill heading out to Mt. Spokane...and back – 22 mi / 03:22 09:10 pace

    Messed around all morning worrying about the weather and whether or not I should go to a women's conference....I opted to go on the long run and skip the conference, hoping for more time with my boys that way. By the time I get back, take all the supplements, take a shower and ice bath, eat as much and as frequently as I can, take the car in, and spend a gift card at the mall, the day is gone, gone, gone.
    It turns out I dressed just right, with my tights, UnderArmour and StG marathon shirt, cheap black gloves, and head band. And of course the obligatory Fuel Belt, with 2 10 oz and 2 8 oz bottles...I dutifully held back, hard, the first 5-7 miles, even though they were downhill. I am trying so hard to be good!
    1) 9:36
    2) 9:24
    3) 9:01
    4) 9:17
    5) 9:27
    6) 9:23
    7) 9:03
    Then I got to an uphill
    8) 9:59
    9) 10:48
    10) 8:33 (lots of this mile was in the 7:15s, I was very, very happy on the just wet enough roadside, lots of cushion and bounce so FREE flying with NO knee pain....Have you ever noticed the traffic gives you less room the faster you go? Ponder that....maybe I don't look as wimpy when I am going faster?)
    The next miles were semi-boring. I started having the hip/pelvis pain right on schedule. It hurt the most when I stopped for drink refills (yes, I ran out....thinking I didn't hydrate enough yesterday...and yes, I stopped my watch during the QuickStop break, which is cheating, I know).
    However, I did get more speed than I expected the last five miles...I was H.U.R.T.I.N.G.....but still strangely happy to be running and closing in on the end. I love that feeling!
    Here are the rest of my splits
    11) 8:59
    12) 9:07
    13) 9:53
    14) 9:21
    15) 9:08
    16) 9:25
    17) 9:20
    18) 9:38
    19) 9:07
    20) 8:22

    I stopped and restarted the Garmin after this (my workout was to be 20 miles), and it freaked out. I think the next two miles were about 14 min/mile, ha. Yet it told me I was going 38.6 mph. I don't think so! I called husband to come and get me because I felt a sharp pain in my left lower soleus area and was worried I was about to pull something...Anyways, that's my run. I now have my Achilles on ice...just being careful though. They don't hurt much. I'm actually thinking I have an inguinal hernia, isn't that thrilling. I thought only guys got that....and would this mess up my whole left side?

    Sunday, March 7, 2010

    My First 5K

    Kind of a complicated day yesterday but a good one, a 5K race sandwiched inside a long run. I intended to run long Friday night but I thought it would put too much stress on my recovering legs after already running yesterday morning. So I ended up with a race and the need to get in a long run.

    The race is a local charity event to raise money for the Women's Center. It is well-backed and it is for a good cause. I usually don't pay attention to these sorts of things, but this is an important cause and one that doesn't get enough support. These institutions hide battered women and their children, in addition to performing a host of other services. They do a good job and have always been well-funded in this community. I liked the atmosphere at the race, very positive but you could tell people were serious about this issue. I was happy to participate.

    This is the first time I have run a 5K race, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I thought it would be good to get there early and do a few slow miles so as to be loosened up for the race. What I didn't want to do was re-injure my groin, especially since running fast got it injured in the first place. This turned out to be a pretty good strategy. I got there an hour and a half early and ran about 10K before the race, 6.22 miles, average pace 10:58 per mile, range 11:09 to 10:39, basically a steady pace. I felt ready to go.

    Then I went to the start line. The race started in downtown Houston and headed west and back to the start line, basically an out and back with a loop in the middle. Weather was perfect, about 50F with a light breeze. I met up with some people from work (our firm was a contributor) and suggested a team strategy session, which suggestion was politely ignored. That's why they call them fun runs, nobody was interested in taking out the other law firms. That was the last I saw of any teammates. I lined up fairly close to the front. After the gun went off there was a little bit of jockeying around as people tried to find their pace. I wove in and out for a couple of hundred yards, accidentally elbowed and apologized to a woman who wasn't too happy (especially given the subject matter of this particular charity), then I was free to run my own speed. Lots of practice from Fort Worth last week and from driving an old sports car with a radar detector, but I digress.

    Even though there were lots of runners, most of them were either good or purely recreational, then me running alone in the middle. I marveled that I had so much room to run in a short crowded race like this. After the first half-mile I passed very few people and even fewer passed me. I felt like I was pushing the pace a little but it wasn't too bad. I was afraid given my recent training adventures that the first mile would be low 9s, but it came in at 7:24 (171 bpm). This is by far the fastest I have run a mile since high school. Something paid off big time. The next mile was 7:44 (184 bpm) which I also thought was good. By then I figured I could make this happen. I was very tired and lactic acid was building up, plus the last mile was a little bit uphill, but I hit 8:03 (187 bpm) and then a 7:57 (188 bpm) pace for the stub split at the end. (My heart isn't supposed to beat that fast at my age, but it does and I am not complaining. It gives me more upside, I think.) Total time was 24:22, average pace 7:44. This is not a fast time by the standards on this blog, but it is faster than I thought I could run and I am happy with the result. I measured 3.15 miles on my Garmin -- admittedly not the most accurate measuring tool but I still think the course was a little long, and I won't get an official time or place for 2 weeks. That's what you get when the sponsor is 501(c)(3) -- nice people but not razor's edge in the organizational aspects.

    They gave out age-group awards right after the race. I didn't see any old guys running fast, so there is a possibility I might have placed, but I didn't stay around. You can bet I am going to check the times of my co-workers as soon as I can.

    I went back out and finished my long run as soon as I cooled off a little bit. By this time it was getting hot. I ran from downtown along the course route and then west to Memorial Park, which is the primary running location in Houston. That place was more crowded than the race. It was truly a great morning for running here. Altogether I did another 10.35 miles, average pace 10:25, progression from 11:25 down to 9:42 pace. I was pretty tired but felt a lot better once I sucked down a chocolate milk shake. I tell anybody who will listen that I run drug-free, but that isn't entirely true. Chocolate is a drug

    Saturday, February 27, 2010

    K, now it's my running blog until someone says hi

    Elaine Dunn Started out great, Achilles pinged right on schedule, at 4.6, but it was a key run and a little ping so I kept going. Heart flipped on mile 9, very scary, also very short. Scared my water carrier son, but after a few seconds I was breathing normally, albeit very tired for the next four miles, 10+ min/mile. This is wher...e it helped to have an earlier decision: I have decided if anything happens close to what happened in Boston, I will simply slow way down until I feel better, not stop and walk. Of course I didn't pass out, was not altogether panicked, and so was able to keep going. Mile 13, still very tired and now in pain, not from Achilles but the entire skeletal area of my pelvis. I should have sped up there though. It all hurt. Something still going on with the hip bones/cartilage, maybe I should get an MRI. As usual, when I picked the speed up the last two miles, it was easier, not harder. Really struggling to find that 8:46 pace and stay on it...sometimes slowing down really doesn't help and I should have sped up once I got my breath back. My cardiologist calls it neurocardiogenic syncope. I just call it weird. But I'm happy to be home, safe, no real pain in my Achilles, and still able to walk, even before the ice bath. It's going to be okay. I guess my last amazing 20 miler was just that, amazing. And today was a bad day. Unbelievable how much variation in the way I felt between two fairly similar runs.
    I wore the new Sauconys without inserts, yes I have read the book "Born to Run"....and my new Sauconys are fairly minimalist in the heel. I didn't need the extra cushy sink contributing to the Achilles pull so my problems were likely not related to my new shoes....just physiologic, unfortunately. I think my Achllles might be fine!

    Thursday, February 25, 2010

    Twung!

    Well, I was supposed to do 11, 8 at 8:51, which is still slow. However, as I was going along, my Achilles spoke to me. It said "twing!". I thought, ah that's nothing, healing pains. Then it said "twang!". Then it was fine. Then it said ""twong", followed by a "tweeng". Nothing really hurt....but I thought of all the waylaid Achilleans on the side of the marathon course...or three years after surgery when they still can't run, at least not like before. Not a key run, so I aborted. On to Saturday for the long run...and I am so excited! I got new Sauconys in the mail today. Those were my first favorite running shoes so I thought I would give them another chance. And also magic insert thingers. You know, the kind that promise renewed energy, astounding comfort, blazing speed, and, at the very least, less money in the bank account. So I put them in the Sauconys and put them on. Now I have them off, watching the Olympics with ice on the backs of my Achilles.

    Very little pain, really. It has been getting better. But I am afraid of chronic. I am afraid of missing Boston and more. So I am being careful.

    Wednesday, February 24, 2010

    Nathan's ITB syndrome

    I think this lack of posting on the blog is all Mark's fault. Once he found his new group of real running pals on the "other" blog it all went downhill from there! And now that I think about it, it's all Elaine's fault for posting all the time when it slows down...that's teaching us we just have to wait a little longer between posting and sooner or later she'll step up again.

    Alright, I'll quit with the blame game as I do actually have something to say.

    I've been officially diagnosed with ITB syndrome from a doctor that I believe knows what he's talking about. Dr. Waslowski is a well known here in the valley among professional atheletes. I'm excited and frustrated all at the same time and here's why. After my original injury took place last September, I was pretty sure it was an ITB issue, then changed my mind to it being a meniscus tear, and now I'm back on the ITB band wagon due to the doctor's diagnosis. I'm excited because a know what I have and don't have. I don't have a tear, but I do have a syndrome. Webster's defines syndrome as, "1 : a group of signs and symptoms that occur together and characterize a particular abnormality or condition". In other words, signs and symptoms occur together that cause stress, strain and pain on my iliotibial band. Those signs and symptoms manifest themselves in my natural gait. This is where the frustrating part of my injury comes into play. ITB syndrome shows itself due to the way someone is running. I'M RUNNING WRONG!! In order to get better, I've got to alter the way my existing gait lands my body via orthotics, braces and shoes or actually change the way I run. Has anyone ever really thought about how difficult that would be. That's like asking someone to change the way they walk! I realize that form is alterable on a small scale, but to change someone's gait is not as easily done as said.

    I'm going to be researching physical therapists here in the next week or two. Hopefully I find someone who puts a plan together that I can believe in, cause right now, I'm having a hard time swallowing the fact that someone can just tell me to run differently (don't overpronate) and it'll happen.

    I gotta go to work now...
    I like the new look, Elaine. Personally, I wouldn't mind if you posted every day. I enjoy reading Mark's daily progress.

    As for me, I'm not running. I haven't since London's Run. I went to sports therapy 3 times so far. The diagnosis is ITB. I think it's starting to get better, but walking still hurts at times. Bike riding doesn't hurt, nor do push-ups, situps, and weights. I'm biding my time with those activities until I'm able to run again.

    It turns out that bike riding is kind of a necessity now that we're down to one vehicle. I ride two miles down hill to work and two miles up hill to home in the evening.

    Tuesday, February 23, 2010

    Let's define a new start

    Achilles tendonitis + plantar fascitis + 46 year old + too hard key run + ice bath + reflection = blog post.

    It's time for a transformation. I fear I have scared everyone away from running...so I will make an announcement. You don't have to run!!! I just want to keep the communication going. Tell us if you run, tell us if you don't, tell us if you think it's dumb, tell us what you think about your family.

    I'm not going to be the only one posting, that is SO boring! Please chip in, tell a corny joke, tell an amazing spiritual story, be sarcastic, or just say boo, but say something.

    Yesterday was Mom and Dad's anniversary. For better or for worse, for poorer or for poorest, for health or for sickness or for old or for injured, for life or for eternal torment or for ridiculously happy, we are all still here. So say something. Okay, I am being redundant. I can't just do a blog for me...I've tried, and not even I am that self-centered.

    E

    Sunday, January 31, 2010

    I am a GIRL

    Everyone is reporting through email, but this blog is for that, so I will do it here.

    This was an amazing race, great feeling, great weather, great surface (packed earth, slightly moist, albeit slow). However, there were numerous errors. The only hard numbers I trust come from my Garmin. Based on that, I should have ran about a 1:49 if it was a full half. And I got to meet Burt and his wife, that was so fun. I love blogs, even if I did have to use my brother to get "in" to this circle of Burt.

    Now. I have read several of my brothers' race reports. They all have glaring omissions. I am barely mentioned. This is incredible, given the fact I beat all of them and I am a girl! What is up with that?!!?! There is a reason why girls get an extra half hour in the standard qualifying times for the Boston marathon. It's because we are GIRLS. We have hips that are not conducive to speed, a lack of testosterone and an abundance of estrogen which lends itself more to fat acquisition than lean muscle mass. We have families that still want the same care, whether we run or not. We have EXCUSES. We are supposed to lose to the guys....

    But I beat all my brothers. Hello? I expect more than a passing mention. I fully expect all my brothers to beat me soon (especially after this race report). Hence you need to understand, London's run 2010 was an historic moment.