Feeling better..

Just wanted to pop in and try to catch up.  I swear I WILL get better at this blogging thing!  My foot has been feeling so much better.....finally!!  I'm still in PT 2x a week and still doing a lot of icing and stretching.  There are days my foot feels awesome and there are days it just aches.  I have found that the days it aches the most is when I have been on it all day at work.  I also received my orthotics and that has helped a lot.  

My training for the half marathon has, so far, been on schedule.  From where I have had these issues with my foot my training schedule has NO wiggle room.  Kinda makes me nervous but either way I am just taking it one schedule day at a time.  I actually completed my 6 mile run this past Saturday and it felt wonderful.  Usually I have to stop a couple times to stretch but during this run I only stopped once to stretch the foot and it felt great.  I ran this 6 miles with my homie Janice and we did it in the rain.  Some of the run was just sprinkles but at one point it was coming down fairly hard.  Then Sunday I was scheduled for a 3 mile easy run and Monday I did another scheduled 3 mile run.  I also did that one fairly easy since the weather here has been so hot and humid.  I have been getting up at 5:30am and heading out for the long run by 6:30 but its still so humid.  My shorter runs I'm out there by 7a and its still pretty bad.  I just remind myself there is no goal other than to just finish it.  I get pretty excited towards the end of my runs because I'm out there just doing it.  I let those doubts come into my head about, what if I can't run in this weather, or what if I'm just too tired, or what if my body just can't do it.  And every single time....my body just does what it's suppose to do.  Trying to be more positive.  

Today on the schedule is a 4 mile speed run on the TM.  I'll do a mile warm up then do 8 400's one fast one slow with bumping the speed up each time till my 8 then a mile cool down.  The speed drills and the long run is where I let my doubts sink in but again, so far, my body has just taken over.  On the days that I'm not scheduled to run I have strength training and one elliptical day.  

Again, considering what I have been through health wise this past year, I am good with where I am at.  I will hopefully do this half marathon and then just keep going.  

Cortisone, MRI, PT and more....

Yea so believe it or not....I am still here!! Ha! Bet you all were wondering?!  Yes I am still dealing with this aggravating foot issue!  I went to the dr. again and he scheduled me for a MRI.  After the MRI I went back to meet with him and he said things were just as he thought.  Plantar's Fasciitis.  So now to the next level of trying to get my foot better.  He did say that I could still run but just be smart about it.  He gave another Cortisone shot then set me up with PT and getting me fitted for orthotics.  My runs have been great( with the exception of the stupid heat and humidity).  I haven't went far at all, I think the most I have ran at one time was 3.39.  I definitely could have went a little farther but aired on the side of little means more!  

So, thats where I am at.  I did join a runners group though!  We meet 2x a week and it is centered around the half marathon in September.  So we will see.  I'm kinda excited about the group. Its small enough and theres people of all fitness levels.  And the first time I went they completely welcomed me with open arms.  They have been training since late April so obviously they are farther along that myself.  But I'm okay with that.  I'm also okay with running and walking that half if thats what it takes.  

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?