A Short Break

On Sunday I ran 7 miles! And I ran the whole time! After about mile 2 and up until mile 6.5 it felt really great. I was really really slow and I'm pretty sure I got beat by some people who were running 10 miles but whatever. Seven miles is three miles longer than I've ever run without walking before.

Unfortunately, my left toes were killing me for most of the run. It didn't hurt bad enough that I needed or even wanted to stop, which is good. Really, it felt like I was unconciously holding my toes up in my shoe rather than letting them rest on the sole and bend and straighten with the natural movement of my steps, which would obviously make my foot sore. If I could force myself to curl my toes, that temporarily relieved the pain, though it did return promptly. What made me nervous was that the pain started to extend into the ball of my foot. I'm just completely at a loss as to what this could possibly be.

I know people often get stress fractures of the feet, so I'm hoping that's not what it is. My first reaction was that I wanted to just continue training normally until I fell or physically couldn't run anymore. At least then I would know I gave it literally all I had. Then I started to think that through. If it is a stress fracture, it could progress into a full-on fracture. Spending my summer in a foot cast, unable to float the river or be in the water is just not worth it to me. Additionally, it's not at all worth it to me to hurt myself so badly that I need to quit working out altogether for an extended period of time. That, in fact, sounds miserable.

So my plan is to not run for this week at all, until Saturday. I'll do a short run Saturday and my long run on Sunday. I'm really upset about this because it was finally starting to feel good and not hurt all the time. Hopefully my long run (eight miles) will not hurt as bad this week.

Wish me luck and happy feet!

Riverbank Run

I loved doing the Riverbank Run! It was really fun, and I finished in about 39 minutes, which is great for me! In comparison, in Wednesday's run, I ran 3 miles in about 45 minutes. Pictures to come!

Here's a link to the results: http://www.theracershub.com/results_view.php?id=859&result_type=db&highlight=Hoover

And a link to the Missoulian story about the event: http://www.missoulian.com/news/local/article_9b581d34-4fda-11df-ab77-001cc4c002e0.html

I'm definitely going to do more 5k races!

This Little Piggy...

Well, despite the nasty blisters on my arches due to the aforementioned stupidity, last night's run went fairly well.

I have been trying to cut back on my Ibuprofen use for the past couple of weeks, because I think it was giving me headaches. I haven't taken any all week, and my shins hurt a bit at the beginning and end of my run last night, but they feel great today. I'm so relieved that they seem to FINALLY be getting better!!

During my run last night, the 2nd and 3rd toes on my left food hurt bad. I'm thinking it was just a cramp since they felt fine immediately after my run and haven't bothered me since. I'll keep you posted on this newest malady.

The Riverbank Run is Saturday. (I still haven't registered, better get on that today!) I'm going to try to drag Ryan out of bed to take a picture of me at the finish, so I'll try and post that, along with my results and a general summary, this weeekend.

Update

Well, another week has gone by without a post. I promise I haven't just dropped off the face of the planet, and I AM still running. I'm also working on moving into a new apartment so I'm pretty overwhelmed with many tasks and projects that aren't related to running.

I am still planning on doing the Riverbank Run on Saturday, though I haven't registered yet.

This weekend, I was in Great Falls visiting the grandparents, so I missed the Sunday long-run. I did run 2 miles on their treadmill, but just couldn't bring myself to do 5 miles alone on a treadmill. At least I got a run in, right? And I'm going to try to go enjoy the sunshine with an M hike after work tonight. That might not happen, however, depending on what news I get from my new property management company. Sigh.

In other news, I did some clothes shopping this weekend and am pleased to report I bought two shirts in a size smaller than I was wearing before! My body is currently a pear-shaped nightmare but that will....eventually....change. I hope. Regardless, it's nice to see my hard work paying off in more ways than one!

Also, my amazing boyfriend bought me a bike for my birthday! I'm so excited to ride to work this summer and save money on gas as well as get some extra exercise in. I also have lots of friends who I've already been hitting up to come on bike rides with me!

I will definitely post some pictures of the new bike and hopefully from the Riverbank Run in the next week!

The Sock Lesson

Up until recently, one thing I haven't had too much of an opinion on in regards to running is socks. Are running socks really necessary? Or will my funny-stripes Costco socks hack it? The answer, readers, is yes, running socks ARE really necessary, and NO your Costco socks won't suffice.

About three weeks ago, on the would-be 3-mile run that Lisa and I managed to turn into an almost 4-mile run (thanks to some less than stellar directions), I started to feel some rubbing on the arch of my left foot. Stupidly, I didn't stop to fix the problem. I ended up with a blister on the arch of my foot, presumably from socks that were too thin and/or wrinkled.

Last week, I ran my 4-mile run in Billings wearing thick FitSox brand Runner's Edge socks. I didn't even feel the existing blister, and no new ones appeared.

This week, on a similar 4-mile run, I wore thin socks again. I thought they would be fine, because they were supposedly "performance socks." Not so. I now have a blister on the arch of my right foot, and a new blister underneath the old, almost healed blister on my left foot.

Lesson learned. Thick socks = happy feet.

I'm Still Plugging Along...

Dear Readers,

I genuinely apologize for my lack of posts lately! On top of running, there is a lot going on in my personal/work/Alpha Phi lives that has kept me from the keyboard. However, I AM still keeping up with my training, for the most part.

On Sunday, since I was in Billings for Easter weekend, I missed training class. However, I DID have a great 4-mile run with my dad! I think I'm finally reaching the coveted threshold where adding an extra mile on to a run isn't as tough as it once seemed. (I'll get back to you on if I still feel that way after we get to 5 miles in two weeks!)

Aside from that, I've been enjoying some 2- and 3-mile runs with Lisa on Wednesdays and Sundays, (when we don't get lost!) and am either running 1-2 miles, going to The Lift, or hiking the M on off days. I really hate running by myself so it's usually hiking the M or running on the treadmill in front of the TVs at the gym. I know that's not as good for me but at least I'm doing it! I've said it before, but I'm thinking cross-training is key!

My shins are still hurting, but it's not getting any worse so I guess that's a good thing. I'll take what I can get!

I recently got a blister on the arch of my left foot, but that turned out to be a lot more minor than I thought it would be. Nevertheless, I'm saving the thin Gold-Toe socks for short runs and sticking with my Runner's Edge FitSoks for the long runs!

Thank you all so much for your encouragement and positive thoughts! Writing this blog and knowing you're all rooting for me is making this easier and way more fun, AND forcing me not to quit! (Because that would be REAL embarassing.)

Success!

Last night was another 2-mile run, and I did the whole thing without walking!!! (To be fair, I stopped for 30 seconds in the middle to tie my shoe. But still.) I'm so excited because this is definitely something I couldn't have done back in January. Now for that 3-miler coming up on Sunday...

Relief

Last week, I was feeling really discouraged with running. It wasn't feeling like it was getting any easier and it sure wasn't fun. Luckily, I had a couple of good runs last week and I'm feeling a lot better now.

On Sunday, a group run day, we were set to run two miles again. I ran with my friend Lisa, who is definitely a better runner than me. That really pushed me and forced me to run more than I would have had I been running alone, AND it was a lot more fun. I walked a LOT less than the week before! It also gave me a necessary confidence boost so I'm feeling better about the whole ordeal. (Though I still refer to running as "an ordeal." :)) Thanks, Lisa!

I am seriously considering doing the YMCA Riverbank Run on April 24th. It's a 5k, so it is farther than I've gone at this point, but we're set to do 3 miles this coming Sunday and I'll conceivably have done 5 by the 24th, so a 5k will be a piece of cake! Setting a short term goal like this is good for me, because I'm a procrastinator so preparing for something that's not happening until July just really isn't my style. This gives me a reason to run NOW, not put it off like I do everything else! (Also, bonus: I love the YMCA preschool and youth programs and this helps benefit them!)

Life Happens

I'm discovering it is harder to keep a training schedule than I initially realized. Sometimes, life just gets in the way. And I've never been one to let working out get in the way of life. :)

As you probably have guessed by now, I did NOT make it to The Lift last night, nor did I get my mile in. It was Ryan's birthday and I should have anticipated that working out just wouldn't be happening.

That said, I do need to be better about anticipating ahead of time when getting a run in after work just isn't feasible, and force myself to get up early those days for a pre-work gym trip. (Though running in the morning makes me tired and ravenous all day.)

To make up for my lost mile yesterday, I will hopefully be running a mile after work and then meeting Ryan for a hike up the M, weather permitting. I'll also be running quite a bit the rest of the week. I know I need to be better about getting my runs in, or it will never get easier!

"Official Training" Day 2

So Sunday was the second day of Run Wild Missoula training. This time, we took a lovely 2 mile jog from The Runner's Edge to Greenough Park and back. It went...ok. Before the run, Anders talked about taking walk breaks early and often on the long runs, which made me feel better about the fact that I wasn't going to be able to run the whole thing. I think I did wait a bit long to take my first walk break, and ended up walking more than I wanted to. Luckily, this week's training program is exactly the same as last week's, so I get another chance.

I feel really overwhelmed with the training schedule. I'm just not sure I'm going to be able to do it. Running even 1 mile doesn't feel like it's gotten any easier. However, this is just the second week so maybe it will get better by the end of this week. I'm told there is some sort of threshold that you cross and adding on miles doesn't seem so painful anymore. I'll be waiting anxiously...

In any case, today is a "rest" day, which I am grateful for!! Stay tuned to see how tomorrow goes. I'm going to attempt to go to The Lift AND run 1 mile, in order to stick to the mileage recommended on the training schedule.

"Official" Training, Night 1

Well, $80 later I am a proud member of Run Wild Missoula and an official participant in RWM's Missoula Marathon training class. I am an "HB", a Half Beginner. That means we are starting very slow. Which is great!

Last night's run was one mile. I was able to run almost the whole way, except one little part in the middle that was up a steep hill. (By the end, I was definitely more shuffling than running, but both my feet were off the ground at the same--albeit, brief--time so that counts as running in my book.) I think that's pretty good considering I haven't run much lately, and it was my first time running on something other than a treadmill.

This Sunday's run is 2 miles (Sundays are "long run" days) and I'm mostly positive I won't be running the whole way. I'm OK with that because I get another chance the following week.

Classes are Wednesday nights at 6:00 and Sunday mornings at (gulp) 8 a.m. I will DEFINITELY miss my Sunday mornings sleeping in, but they'll be back in July. I don't really sleep in after winter is over anyway. I'm looking forward to the time change so that it stays lighter and warmer for our Wednesday night runs!

I'm supposed to run 1 mile today (which might take place tomorrow morning or might be replaced with a hike up the M) and then 1 mile on Saturday. We get two "rest" days per week(!!): Mondays and Fridays. (I'm sure you can mix it up to suit your schedule though.)

Going to the class has definitely jump-started my motivation! There are three women who work at MFCU that go as well, and we're all HBs, so that should hold me accountable!! I just hope I can keep up with the pace of the class!

Proud Moments

The run I did last night was the first of the TCIGTR workouts where there was just one large chunk of running instead of alternating running and walking. I am excited to say I ran for 15 minutes without stopping, which was about 1 and 1/3 miles. It felt great, especially when I looked back at that first day when I could barely even run for 5 minutes without stopping! I also can't believe that just two weeks ago I was nervous about doing the workout that required that I run sets of 3 minutes with walking in between! Woohoo!

On Tuesday, I went to The Lift. Because it's The Lift Plus, we do lots of jumping jacks, etc. like I mentioned in a previous post. I found after the first set of jumping jacks that a person battling shin splints probably shouldn't do them. I was able to modify much of what we did but it was frustrating because I felt like I could be doing more if it wasn't for my stupid legs! So it goes, I guess.

Today is a "day of rest" where I'll be spending some quality time with my ice bag and the Olympics. I'll hopefully be getting up early for a run in tomorrow morning, but I make no promises.

Power Song(s) of the Day: "Do Somethin'" by Britney Spears. I know. Just shut up.

"Soul Sister" by Train. This is not necessarily a good song for running/cardio, but Stephanie always plays it in The Lift when we're doing abs at the end and it is great for that! Although this song is rapidly becoming overplayed, I love it.