Keeping it real

Last night I met up with Janice to do a short, little over 3 mile run.   It was pretty muggy since it was getting ready to rain.   I feel bad but grateful that she runs with me at least once a week if we can.  She is a much faster runner(especially in the evenings).  Janice loves running and especially in the evening.  I, on the other hand, love running in the morning.  It's like two different worlds to me.  I guess its just all in what you are use too.  I plan on running sometime today.  Right now it's raining pretty hard so it won't be first thing this morning.  However, it is suppose to be a cool day today which will help.  Not sure how long I'll go but I just want to get out there.  It's been very emotionally hard on me to stay focused on just getting out there and run and to not worry about my time.  It's just hard knowing I was a little faster last year but not so much this year! And I try very hard not to compare myself to other people and the fact that to a lot of them, it's nothing to pop out a 6 miler in way less than an hour.  Oh well.  I'm me and I'll do what I can. 

Lou Cox 5k Race Report

This is going to be a quick race report.  First, I'm just excited that I even got to go and participate in this race considering how my foot has been.  Second, just let me also report that my foot has been doing a lot better.  The cortisone shot has definitely worn off but with my everyday stretches and putting my foot in the beautiful and oh so fashionable splint, it has been doing so much better.  Also, just to report, I did run a slow 5 miles on Friday!! Yay!! It was a little warm but with it being in the morning it was very doable.  I felt very comfortable and really good.  

Okay, now for the short race report.  Like I said earlier, I am just tickled that I was able to get out there and run.  But it was the worst running weather I have EVER ran in!! It was already 80 something degrees at 9am and full sun.  The race didn't even start until 9:30.  I kept telling myself that no matter what I finished in I needed to be good with it since for the rest of this year I am not worrying about my times.  Just wanna run, love it, and finish it.   Running out to the turn around point wasn't bad.  The sun was at our backs.  But once you got to the turn around point....ummm it was a totally different ball game!! That sun was right in your face and it was soooo hot!! I had to take a few walk breaks and I was okay with that.  My time was 38:55.....ehhh!! 

Here is me and my future daughter-in-law before the race.  I had already told her to not worry about me and to just do her thing.  She ran it in 29 something.  

Next on the agenda is a 10k on June 10th.  I just want to finish it....thats all!! =)

Little Update

Just wanted to pop on here and give a little update of how my foot is doing.  I finally went to the doctor and they ex-rayed my foot.  Yep I have a spur and yep it's Plantar Fasciitis =((  So he gave me a cortisone shot and some instructions on stretching and then I have to do a splint for 60min every day for 2 months.   All I know, is that I have NEVER had a cortisone shot and so I had NO idea that it was gonna hurt!! But let me tell you...as the day went on and then the next day then the next I felt sooooooooo much better!! This was all on a Tuesday.  I took that day and Wednesday off from any exercise then I ran on Thursday. I ran 4 miles here

and at the end I totally felt like this!!

I truly truly felt wonderful!! I mean, I didn't even feel like I had ran 4 miles!! Actually it was 4.14 ;)  The whole time I kept expecting for my foot to start acting up again.  But it didn't!  On Friday I went and ran another 4 miles.  Saturday I did a rest day then Sunday I ran 3.5 and walked .75!  The stretching and the splint has definitely helped and I will continue to do this if thats what is making things better!  

I love to run! I'm slow but I love it none the less!  I love what it does to my body, my mind and it's totally me time!  My 3.5 mile run was with a friend though on Sunday!! We talked the whole entire time!! I normally don't like running with people but enjoyed running with her so much that we decided to make it a every Sunday evening date!! 

Now it's off to do legs and abs then off to a very busy day!

Stubborn Foot!!

So last weeks workouts went as planned with the exception of Sundays 2mile run.  First let me just say that my 2 mile run on Friday wasn't bad at all.  Wasn't easy but I was able to finish and not feel like my foot was going to come off.  Saturday I walked for 15min then did a short 11 mile bike ride.  

Then....it was Sunday! I had another 2 mile run and I was looking so forward to it too!  I decided to go to the bike path and run there.  No specific reason other than it's pretty and I know where my mile markers are.  I started running and could feel that foot.  Okay....it's OKAY!  Keep running.  Okay just walk a sec. Okay lets run again.  Okay walk.  This is stupid!! My foot hurt so bad that I only made it not even a quarter mile and turned around and just came back home.  I was soooo discouraged that I just wanted to cry.  But I wasn't done just yet....I decided to go and do the elliptical for 30min.  Was a nice sweating sweaty cardio.  The kind thats hard but not bad.  

So I guess for now I'm gonna not run on it this week too.  Today I worked out on the elliptical for 35min doing sport intervals and then walked on an incline for 20mins.  I put a ankle brace on and that seemed to help too.  After walking I did a lot of lower body weight type workout and abs.  I'm gonna try and ice and brace during my workouts and maybe try again on Saturday or Sunday for another 2 mile run.  The heel pain even just walking is feeling so much better.  

Resting

Just thought I would stop in and catch up a little on my workouts.  Ummm not too much!! I decided to take another week off from running due to my foot.  It feels so much better and I just wanted to give it that extra time.   Here is what my week looked/looks like so far.

Monday:   Lower body workout

Tuesday:  Worked all day, 30min of Runners Yoga

Wednesday:  Worked all day

Thursday:  Worked and walked 3.5 miles

Friday:  Upper body and gonna try a small run of 2 miles

Saturday:  Biking or Elliptical

Sunday:  2 mile run, abs, 30min Yoga

Most of the rest of the time I have been bonding with this little guy!! He is Holly's little brother and we welcomed him into the family this past Sunday!  I forgot how much work a new puppy was...wow!

I've only been able to do the Runners Yoga once this week and I only did it for 30min.  

What I did do seemed really good and is true to word about hitting the areas that runners need it most.  Like I said though I only did it for 30min but hope to do a little more of it on Sunday.

I'm also thinking of joining a running group that meets in my area 2x a week.  What do you think?  

Yoga for Runners

Today's workout was a 3.15mile run.  I ran my road from one end to the other and it comes out to 3.14miles.  My road is hilly but at each end it has a hill.  It was rough but I have been needing some hill work anyway.  Afterwards I came in and did some icing and then did some Yoga for Runners.  So here is next weeks goals:

Monday-- Legs, abs, and walk

Tuesday--Intervals on the TM...some speed and some hills

Wednesday- Yoga for Runners

Thursday- 4 mile run

Friday- Yoga for Runners

Saturday- Elliptical bi's, tris, chest

Sunday- 5 mile run

I know that is something every day but there are some lower activities in there such as the Yoga for Runners.   I have been doing a lot of reading and researching how I can help my body to be a little better with the runs.  I have seen in plenty of blogs and articles how Yoga for Runners is a great addition to your workout routine.  It focuses on all the muscles that truly need a great stretch.  I invested in this dvd but haven't received it yet.

Today's yoga was on demand.  It actually helped give me a good stretch in these oh so tight muscles.  Don't get me wrong, I stretch but you know how it is sometimes.  You get in from your run and you ice for a bit then stretch (or vice versa) and I just feel sometimes that I don't put enough time into it like I should.  I read several reviews on this one and the only complaints was that some felt the dvd was a little long, buy other than that it was a great detailed dvd and really focuses on those key areas that runners really need.  So I will let you know my thoughts on it after I have done it a couple times.

I also purchased a book that is called RUNNING AND WALKING FOR WOMEN OVER 40 by Katherine Switzer.  I love to walk and I love to run.  This book seems like it has lots of information and tons of things I'm sure I already know but I'm sure there are tons of things that I don't know.  So I'm excited to be getting both of these this week and I will let you know my thoughts on both.  

I just finished up reading THE ULTIMATE BEGINNER'S RUNNING GUIDE.  It was a very good and easy read.  Tons of great information from just getting out there to dealing with certain injuries to nutrition.  On a scale of 1-10 I would give it a 9.  Perfect for new and experienced runners.  

What books are you reading or have read that has helped you in this journey?  What do you do after a run?  Do you stretch and if so what ones do you do?  Or do you just try to incorporate a couple of days that you just focus on stretching?

Quitting...NOT AN OPTION!

 Monday was suppose to be legs and a 5 mile walk with this girl.

But instead it ended up being a totally different workout all together.  I did 22min on the elliptical and 25min walk on the TM with incline then it was off to do bi's, shoulders, back, and abs.  I also through in a few tri's just for fun.  

Today I was able to get a .50 walk then a 2.50 run finished with a .25 walk before Jess got here to do legs and abs.  Man she kicked my A$$!! How can something this little.....

Dish out such a BIG whoopin!! Love it though and she ALWAYS pushes me way past what I think I can do!!

Now just a little tid bit on my running.  I get that I am getting back into it and that I am way slow.  I get that my body has totally been through a LOT!  I enjoy my runs.  Hard as they have been lately.  I look forward to them.  I AM NOT QUITTING! If it takes me the rest of my life to even just run from here to the mailbox then thats what it will be!  But I WILL RUN!!

Also want to just say that I'm so happy and proud of all the Boston runners yesterday!! WAY TO GO!