5 Day Roller Coaster

When I jump-started this blog at the beginning of this year, I swore I would blog no matter how I feel. Well, I felt awful one day which led to a missed blog post. And then another. And another. I'm not going to back track and write a separate blog entry for each day missed, so I'm just going to unroll on today's blog, the days leading to my crash. Yes, crash.

FRIDAY

After a flu-like feeling last Thursday, I finally got to the Doc today for a physical exam. Blood work ended up being normal. BP med dose reduced to 5mg (half). Any feeling of lightheadedness during marathon training I have to report. Thyroid seems enlarged, so I have to get that looked at. Could it be why I've been SO INCREDIBLY tired????

I napped the day away. It was awful. Completely useless. Could it be the flu shot the Doc gave me??

I did manage to squeeze in my #plankaday and #wallsit challenges. Not stellar, and definitely not as far as I can go on this day, but I did it.

 

Thoughts meandered towards my long run tomorrow, Saturday. 16 miles. I would definitely need an alarm like the one below, preferably the screaming kind, to get me out the door. Yes. I am determined to still make my long run. I'm going to go to bed early, get a ton of rest, and be refreshed the next day. Yes.

 

SATURDAY

Yes, Saturday, the promise of a new day for this sickly runner. Well, not really. I got up, gave my alarm clock a good pounding, and went back to sleep. Not feeling good still, in fact, the not-so-great feeling spilled over into my family. My poor, poor boys, especially, The Hubs, who gets the brunt of all my crabbiness. I was feeling so tired all the time, yet I have a ton of stuff to do, now that I've decided not to run today.

Definitely feeling un-balanced, struggling with the demands of motherhood, wifehood, daughterhood and personhood. My one and only therapy, running, I couldn't even do because I felt like crap.

If this is my struggle and they say that to struggle is to grow, then I'm sure as heck that I must grow like a weed soon. I just can't get myself to celebrate the struggle right now. Not yet.

It became apparent to me how much a part of me running is. How everything seems better after a run.

 

From Run The Edge on Facebook

 

Struggles aside, The Hubs has been great about getting me to do my #plankaday and #wallsit challenges. They were definite challenges today because our boys walked between us and shoved Pillow Pet Sharkie (Little Man's beloved stuffed sidekick) at our faces while we planked.

 

 

I think I took all my frustrations onto my plankaday. One of few times I broke 3 minutes! Definitely a sure sign my inner warrior is lurking in the depths of my pathetic shell of a runner.

SUNDAY, RUN DAY? (The Crash)

So The Hubs and I decided that he would run his 15 miles first and then I would run my 16.

I actually woke up Sunday feeling better. It must be my meds. I'm on the right dose. I made chocolate chip pancakes for the boys and even found something to laugh about with the boys....

Caught Our Foam Roller Romancing Jenga!

 

Next thing I knew, The Hubs was back from his run and I was off to do mine.

It was chilly, but once I got moving, I felt good. What I determined to be my MCL tendon, was feeling a bit sore since Friday, so on this long run, I made the extra effort to be mindful of it and did the most stupidest thing ever.....consciously changed my gait DURING a long run. I'm so, so, very, very smart. My thinking was since my right foot splays out as I push off, it pulls my MCL tendon. So if I consciously keep my foot straight as I pushed off, it wouldn't pull. If my MCL tendon doesn't pull, then no pain.

Wrong.

My right quad felt sore. So sore that I had to stop my run at Mile 6.5 and walk the 1.5 miles home. In the cold. Normally I would've pushed myself if it was just sore, but it did not feel good all around. MCL tendon was starting to twitch along with my ITB. I felt SO discouraged. Tears. More tears as other runners passed me.

More tears at home as I sat on the floor feeling like I don't want to run anymore, feeling tired of injury after injury. I started to question why I want to run another marathon when clearly I can't even balance my life at home. What is wrong with me? What am I doing? What am I trying to prove?

I will always be forever grateful for The Hubs. He listened, he hugged, he offered kind, sensitive words. He just knows me so well to let me wallow in my sadness for the rest of the day. To let me purge every negative cell in my body, knowing full well that I will come around stronger.

He tried to get me out of my huge slump for my #plankaday and #wallsit challenges, but I just didn't have it in me. I squeezed out just the #plankaday challenge early the next day to make up for the missed plank with The Hubs.

I can only hope that this feeling of being dragged could only mean that tomorrow will be better.

 

 

MONDAY - Resurrection

I started my day with this:

I pushed away the dark clouds to let the sun shine through. After a day of darkness I just wanted to get back and move on. I really like the quote above, about embracing the flow of life....to see life as an adventure, not a hardship.

So I got back on the bike trainer for just 15 minutes, not too long, but enough to loosen up my legs. I then started working on strengthening my ITB, my MCL, hip abductors, then rolled the heck out of my legs and upper back, and finally iced a lot. ]

Starting to feel more myself. Determined and hopeful.

 

TUESDAY - Today!

I almost didn't, but I did. And i'm glad I did. I ran today. 5 miles. Very easy pace. I was a bit creaky, a tiny bit sore from yesterday's workout, so I was happy about the easy pace.

The 43 deg F temp felt like a heat wave! The sun was out and I knew this may be the only Run Day for me this week. So at the very last minute, met up with my friend, "J," and since we had a lot to talk about, we didn't care about pace and took it very easy. It was definitely a therapy run.

Halfway through our run, my friend "S" catches up to us and the three of us ran the rest of the hilly route home. For a moment I felt this surge of my old self again. I didn't care about my gait, let my legs and feet land however they want to land. Surprise, surprise, no pain! I just felt sluggish. (It's gotta be the flu shot).

I'm still looking for my old self, that happy runner girl who lives for every run. Hopeful my running mojo will be back. Well, it better, because in less than 7 weeks.....

EEEK! How is that to break you out of the slump and get back to busy?!!! I'm excited to run it with The Hubs. It will be his first full marathon! I just want to get there in one piece and finish in one piece.

I finished off the day with my ITB Rehab Routine, a short Myrtl Routine, some Foam Roller Moves, and of course, my #plankaday and #wallsit challenges.

 

A couple of things about the roller coaster last couple of days - it's ok to have bad days and to let yourself feel bad for a little bit. The next day, forgive yourself and pick yourself back up again. Let go of things that keep you from being strong. Listen to your body. Be kind to your body. Be patient. Embrace the flow of life.

I'm going to do everything I can to get to Shamrock Marathon. I won't let fear keep me from it. I will go with the flow, with what The Universe gives me. And know that everything will be ok.

 

Janathon Day 25, 26, 27, 28, 29

Moon Joggers Mileage To Date: 89.82

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Seeking Inner Peace

I chose wisely today. I was feeling worn out, uninspired to run on another dreary, cloudy, cold morning, but I got out there anyway before I had a chance to think about it again. I felt off-balance running, and the inside of my knee was aching. :( It is not fun to have your right leg shorter than your left. I honestly think that's the source of my injuries (note to self: do SI Joint exercises from PT). The other thing that's so wrong with me (LOL) is that my right foot is at an angle, to the right - even though my knee is pointing forward. It's no wonder I run like a duck. Another root cause of all my injuries? Probably.

This quote struck a chord with me: "I don't have a runner's body, but I have a runner's heart - and that is all you need." Jennifer Morris. I also may not run like a runner, but I do have a runner's heart, duck feet and all!

The longer I ran this morning, the less ache I was feeling, so I kept going and felt good about shaking my legs off a bit. I didn't know where to go, so I just followed the sidewalk again and ended up tracing them around my neighborhood.

My treadmill when I don't know where to go, where to run...

I ran by feel, as always, and today I did not want to run fast. I thought about how good and relaxing it felt to slow down. It reminded me about an article I read about running based on how your day/week went/is going - if you're having a stressful day or have had a stressful week, run easy. I've had a stressful week, so it's no wonder my body just wants to chill out on a run.
I didn't get a negative split on this run, but I did finish my 4 miler with that last mile being at a faster pace. I had that happy, satiated feeling at the end of my run. (Note to self: you will never ever regret going out for a run, so just go out and run. Don't think, just run.)

My kids were equally as stressful to me as yesterday. I'm sure being cooped up in the house due to the damp, dreary, cold weather is not helping, and neither is Little Man's interrupted sleep. He woke up again at 3am, then at 5am. I had a cooler head today, so I think the 4-Miler was long enough to give me a little bit more patience, haha! Yup, THIS is why I run, people! LOL.

So did I find my inner peace today? Not until this evening. I am learning and trying to cut myself some slack. I am learning to accept that I will never get everything done and it's ok. I am learning to simplify. I am learning to show love more and focus more on all my boys. I am learning to accept my duck feet.

I capped off the night with some foam roller love (gotta love that kind of hurt), and my #plankaday and #wallsit challenges with The Hubs.

I totally surprised myself by holding the plank up to 3 min. again. I almost died the last time I did 3 min. The Wall Sit challenge was HARD! Burning! Legs burning! I collapsed afterwards, and swore my head off. It's all done, the day is done, and I'm done. Good night, the end!

Janathon Day 17
Moon Joggers Mileage To Date: 53

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Running Goal

If I could run everyday, I would, and maybe I should. Everything IS better after a run. Today was another cloudy, dreary day, a bit warmer than yesterday and foggy. I decided to meet up with the local Moms Run This Town (MRTT) running group for my long run - to change things up a bit. I haven't run with others in a month, and while I cherish my solo runs, I was looking forward to meeting other mother runners.

The run was a lot of fun (Daily Mile details HERE), and the 10 miles went by quickly. When my right leg started bugging me a little, I knew we went out too fast in the beginning, and suddenly it became clear to me what my running goal is for this year: it's not to PR on the marathon distance or to become a Marathon Maniac. It's to stay injury-free. Sure, it would be nice to get a full marathon PR at Shamrock, but I don't want one if it means I'd be in pain for weeks or months after that. I can't afford NOT to run.

Training for MCM was not injury free

 

Not only do I NEED to run to help get through crazy weeks here at home, I NEED to run in order to stay away from blood pressure meds. Four years ago, before I became a runner, my doc declared that I have high blood pressure. It's genetic, he said - my dad has it, my sister has it, therefore I have it and I have to be on meds for the rest of my life. I wasn't overweight, I wasn't sedentary, I ate as healthy as I could, and I still have high blood pressure. Meds for the rest of my life. It's like there was nothing else I could do. I refused to accept my life sentence just like that.

Blood pressure during MCM training

 

So when I started training for MCM all summer last year, my doc was surprised to see my blood pressure so low with meds that he eventually had to take me off of the meds! I was thrilled to the moon to prove my doctor wrong!

 

But you know what though? After MCM, when running became a once a week thing rather than a 3x a week thing, my blood pressure started creeping up again. :( I was devastated. It totally confirmed that my condition was indeed genetic, and running more consistently helped it just enough to keep it at check.

 

My first thought was, I can't be training for a full marathon for the rest of my life! Or can I? Sure, why not, right? So that is why I am signed up for Shamrock Marathon in March and for Richmond Marathon in November. Now if I can just remain injury-free.

 

That is why I run now. To stay off of the meds. That is why staying injury-free is so important to me.

So I stretch more, I roll more, I ice more, I do my rehab routines more, and I am more aware of any aches here and there, no matter how little. If I can help it, I will stay injury-free.

 

Meet my foam roller, Foamie Jr.

 

What are your running goals for this year? How do you stay injury-free? I'd love to hear some tips!

 

Janathon Day 12

Moon Joggers Mileage To Date: 39

 

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Clam-Shelling Fool

With the Play Offs on TV all day and today being my "rest day," I did my ITB Rehab Routine while watching the Redskins play a good first half. (Off-Topic Side Note: it's now the 4th quarter with 45 seconds left, and I'm no football expert, but the Redskins should've taken RGIII out of the game earlier with that knee injury. Oh and why they must replay a play that shows body parts bending in unnatural ways is beyond me. I'd hate to be RGIII's mom. Ok, end of long off-topic side note).

Clam-Shelling Fool. And yes, my Christmas tree is STILL up.

I clam-shelled during the first quarter of the game. This busy mom chose to sleep in this morning instead of doing my ITB Rehab Routine. So while my boys yelled at the TV, I clam-shelled,

Pistol Squatting Fool, I am!

 

.....I pistol squatted..........

 

 

Side-Step Shuffling Fool

 

......and I side-step shuffled my way across the family room. I am hoping to not have a repeat of what happened to me during training for Marine Corps Marathon last year - ITBS. I am very determined to be injury free for Shamrock Marathon. Now that my knees feel better from yesterday's long run, I am actually looking forward to my 7 miles tomorrow. This will also be the first time I will have 4 running days a week. Last year, I ran just 3 days/week and I'm not sure if that was enough. We'll see how the 4 days/week will go.

Day 6 of Janathon

Moon Joggers Mile Count To Date: 15

Plank A Day Challenge Day 6: 1:39.4

 

 

 

 

 

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First Long Run of 2013.

 

Was it the raw garlic & honey concoction? The hits-the-spot Pho from yesterday? Or maybe it was all the clementines I've consumed all week? I felt better enough today to do my first long run of 2013! My training schedule for Shamrock Marathon called for 13.1 miles, but I stopped at 12 because my legs were screaming at me. I guess running 12 miles after being off for 2 weeks is a lot, especially when you end up on a hilly route.

 

You can find the nitty gritty details of my run HERE on Daily Mile. Feel free to "friend" me there!

 

During my run, I couldn't help but think of one of the best advice I've received about long distance running. "Be where your feet are." In other words, be in the mile you are in - don't think about how many miles you still have to go. So I did just that, enjoyed each mile I was in, grateful & happy to be back to running again, and next thing I knew, I was approaching Mile 12. If my legs weren't protesting as much, I would've pushed towards 13, but it was also getting cold and I didn't bring another layer to wear (NOTE to self: bring a long sleeve tech tee to wrap around waist).

 

Speaking of stopping 1 mile short of what I'm suppose to run today, I learned from my training for Marine Corps Marathon that I DON'T have to be so OCD about my miles and that I need to listen to my body and not beat myself up when I can't run the distance I'm suppose to run. I also learned to not be afraid of taking some time off to rest, to let my body heal. Better to train with a healthy body than with an injured one! I sure learned that the hard way at MCM.

 

Ice Bath!!!

 

Post-run, I knew my legs needed some stretching and I needed to get to an ice bath STAT. I drew a bath using just the cold water and slowly lowered myself, screaming because it sure felt like daggers on my feet & legs! Holy crap it's COLD!!!!!!

I believe in ice baths and sure enough my legs didn't feel like they're about to cramp up and the soreness went away.

Now if only my knees felt better (I've got ice on them now), I'd say it was a good run.

Day 5 of Janathon

Moon Joggers Mile Count To Date: 15

Plank A Day: 2:01:0

 

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Monday Motivation

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Happy Monday!  I am 3 weeks away from the official start of my Marine Corps Marathon training!  I was able to keep my mileage up since my last half marathon race (back in March), so we are going to start at Mile 10 for a long run. 


My long run yesterday was 10 miles.  My friend "T" and I stopped every mile because it was so hot and humid.  It felt great, but we were slower - 11:18 min/mile - but it felt good the whole time.  My 13.1 mile run the weekend before was 10:40 min/mile pace and I stopped every 2 miles.  I think I liked going a little longer in between water breaks to get into that running groove.  We are going to have to experiment as we move along.

This week, I have plans to put my training schedule on my calendar and hopefully be able to insert a couple of races in there too.  I am both excited and terrified.  I also need to get to the bottom of this nagging pain I feel on my right thigh....on the outside....it is not my ITB, I think  it's a pinched nerve caused by my SI Joint dysfunction issues.  Ugh.  So my head tells me to get it looked at again.  But then I know I haven't been very good at correcting it either, so I might try to correct it everyday and see if that makes any difference.  It doesn't hurt when I run.  I just "feel" it the day after, like say when I'm doing the boat pose in Yoga where you have to extend your legs out in front of you.  Am I that scared to not want to hear, "you can't run a marathon?"  Yes, I am. 

Ugh.

There is nothing more I want this year than to run Marine Corps Marathon.  Maybe it's just nerves, but trying to stay positive and let the energy flow and flush out that dull pain and that fear.  I always ask for the wisdom to know when to slow down, or stop.  I do want to keep running until I'm in my 80s. 

Are you running a marathon this fall?  When do you officially start training and which training plan are you following?

I Think I'm Ready To Rock N Roll...

So I think I'm ready.  Did my last run for tomorrow's race yesterday and ran my fastest 3-miler in my training.  I think it helped that I had to get back in time to bring Little Man to his preschool field trip.  I felt really good and strong during my run, so we'll see.  I'm still a bit nervous about losing my foot to PF during the race, but at this point, since it's not hurting right now, I'm going to try not to think about it and enjoy the race.  So there.  I think I'm just nervous now about getting there.  A very early 4am wake up call tomorrow to meet my carpool at 5am!  Yikes!

It took every ounce of self-control not to go too crazy in these things.  Little Man's "field trip" was to one of those bouncy places.  While I LOVE sliding and jumping on these inflatable things, I did not want to end up twisting any part of my body that would prevent me from running my race tomorrow.  So I hung out most of the time and watched Little Man and all his 4 year old friends bounce their little hearts out.

Do you sometimes feel like wrapping your body in bubble wrap the week of the race?

Speaking of the race, The Hubs was able to pick up my race packet for me!  I LOVE race swag, and I am very happy with this race's swag, from the dark blue tech shirt (ladies' fit), the Peanut Butter flavor GU (which I'm dying to try after the race, of course), the RnR "I Rocked 13.1" window cling (YAY!  I prefer window cling over stickers), down to the RnR gear bag.  What can I say, it doesn't take much to make me happy.  :)

Please wish me an injury free race.  I just want to have fun and soak up all the music.  My first RnR race and I can't wait!

Who's racing this weekend?  What race?  Good luck to all of you racing this weekend and I can't wait to hear all about it!

Serendipity

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Things happen for a reason and for things to happen, timing has to be just right.  On my way to get some groceries, I had to stop by my local running store today to buy GU for my Rock N Roll USA Half Marathon race coming up this Saturday.  But before going to there, I snuck a quick stop at the Five Below store to look at St. Patty's Day things that I might be able to wear to the race.  I ended up lingering too long, almost bought a lime green bob style wig, but decided against it - not enough time to test-run it!  Next thing I knew, I was running out of time because I had to pick up my boys at the bus stop.

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So I rushed to the running store, grabbed my GU packets, paid for them, and left.  On my way to my car, I heard a "Heyyy!  How's it going?"  I turned around and saw Ian, the running store manager, and we ended up catching up on all things running.  When I mentioned my RnR race, my PF stricken foot, my decision to run/walk 13.1 miles, my feeling a tad discouraged about it... Ian shook his head and basically told me, "Nah, you'll be fine, everyone gets PF.  Here.  This is what you need to do until the race."  So he gave me free advice on how to self-treat Plantar Fasciitis.

His advice?  Get a golf ball and REALLY put your weight on the ball to the point where you're crying like a baby.  Then, slowly roll the ball along the entire length of the bottom of your foot, pushing really hard on the tender spot and cry.  He said if you're not crying, you're not putting enough weight on the golf ball - which is probably why PF hasn't gone away, in my case.  After wiping away your tears, then ice, he said.

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So the whole time I was listening to him, I kept thinking, how did he know this was exactly what I needed wanted to hear?  Is this a sign?  I was immediately reminded of Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist - "When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."  I want many things, more than anything in the world, I want a healthy and happy family, but right at that moment, I want to keep running until I'm in my 90s.  I want to run my first full marathon in October.  I want no pain while I'm running.  I want to run happy.  I want to be ok for this Saturday's race.  So there was Ian, part of the Universe, helping me achieve what I want or at least helping me get to where I want to be.  If I hadn't decided at the last minute to stop by the Five Below store, and if I hadn't lingered longer than I needed to at the Five Below store, Ian might not have been there at the running store to see me and give me the advice that I needed to hear.

I left the running store with more hope that I will be ok at this Saturday's race.  I will keep running, I will run my first full marathon, I will have no pain while running, and I will run happy again.  Still learning so much after just a year of running consistently and really thankful for these encounters, reminders, to take small steps, one day at a time, and I will get there.  I will.


Have you read Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist?  Do you believe in his quote:  "When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."?  Do you think I'm reading too much into this? 

Five For Friday Is Now For Monday!

I started this post last Friday, then worked on it some more on Saturday, and now I can't believe it's Sunday night so that means this post will be up on Monday!  I'm not procrastinating, just been CRAZY busy here since last Wednesday because of............

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1)  ...THIS!!!  After signing up 2 weeks ago (yes, 2 weeks before the official March 7, 3pm EST sign up) with Team Lung Love to run Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) this October, I've been going back and forth between feeling scared/unsure and excited/confident.  This IS normal, right?  When you sign up for your first full marathon?!!

Well my anxiety and self-doubt evaporated (for now), as I watched all 30,000 available spots get gobbled up by runners from all over in record time - 2 hours and 41 minutes - becoming the fastest marathon registration sellout in U.S. history.  Fueled by the mass euphoria on MCM's Facebook (FB)  page as tons of runners posted "I GOT IN!  I GOT IN!", I was freaking out like everyone else, and I'm sure we all sounded like we had just won the lottery! 

I successfully peer-pressured another runner friend (so that made it 2 friends I peer-pressured) into signing up for MCM.  Through her, I felt the rush, the suspense, and the triumph over scoring a spot to run MCM.  So ever since Wednesday, my friends "T", "C", and I have been talking non-stop about MCM - training plans, hotel rooms, goals, schedules....never mind that we each have a big race coming up ("T" has Virginia Wine Country Half, "C" has Charlottesville 10-Miler, and I have RnR USA Half) - I think in our hearts we're done training for those races, and we are ready to tackle training for MCM!!!  Isn't that crazy??!!!! Yup, so I've been BUSY just thinking and reading about all things marathon!!!

Just a few of my crazy runner friends from Ragnar DC

2)  ....Non-Stop MCM Talk!!!  With all the talk about MCM on their FB page, the best part was discovering other friends who made it in too!  Like my friend "L" who just started running in November 2010.  After his first race in November 2010, three months later, he signed up for Ragnar DC with me.  To train for Ragnar, he went on to run more 5Ks, 10Ks.  With Ragnar now under his belt, he will soon run his first half marathon with me this coming weekend - RnR USA Half.  Imagine how much I freaked out when I learned he is running MCM too!  His first full!  I can't be any prouder of "L", and I'm SO excited for him!

I also discovered another friend, "M," who also got in - we had talked about running before and even balked at the idea of running 26.2 miles at one point and there we were, screaming over at FB chat, in disbelief that we signed up for something we never thought we would actually do!!!!

So, yeah, I've been BUSY talking non-stop about MCM lately to whoever wants to hear about it, and I can't tell you enough how exciting it is to me!!  Can you tell??!!!

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3)  ....Discovering Red Felt Running Club!  All my MCM talk must be so boring to my non-runner friends and family.  When I posted about running MCM on FB, my friend's brother (who's also running MCM) and I connected, and he added me to this AMAZING FB group called Red Felt Running Club/MCM First Timers.  O.M.G. it's like finding your own kind who understands why you must sign up for at least 1 race every month and don't look at you like you're crazy.  RFRC started out as a group of MCM first-timers last year.  They motivated, inspired, and triumphed together, finishing their first MCM.  They are now 300+ members strong, and already I feel at home, learning A TON, and not feeling as anxious as much knowing I've got these guys and gals to carry me (literally, maybe? hopefully?) to the finish line on October 28.  So I've been BUSY reading all their posts, chiming in when I can (they are a very fun, chatty group!), and taking notes on marathon tips like the geek that I am.

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4)  ....C25K Coaching!!!  As you know, I've been coaching a group of friends to help them run their first 5K.  Last week, we started running 2.5 miles with no walking breaks and this coming week, we are going to do 2.75 miles.  With their first 5K race now just 2 weeks away, I've been posting and answering questions about preparing for their first race and giving tips - tips I wished someone gave me when I ran my first 5K.  I think I am more excited about their race than my own RnR half marathon race coming up this weekend (weekend before their 5K).  There is nothing like watching them run a distance they haven't run before, seeing smiles & high-fives, and hearing cheers!  Do you remember that feeling?  They have come a loooong way from barely being able to run for 2 minutes without walking to now running over 30 minutes!  I am so proud of them, and I can't wait for their race day!!!

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5)  ....Speaking of the RnR USA Half Marathon that I've been training for.... It's going.....ok.  Actually, I've had to change my race goal and strategy.  Due to my PF prone left foot, I'm going to have to run/walk this race, if I want to avoid getting PF again.  Playing it safe, because now my big picture goal is my first full marathon in October AND to keep running well into my 90s!  I really wanted to PR, to get a 2:15 half marathon time, but I'm going to have to let that go and just finish this race.  I *think* I'm ok with it.  I tried the run/walk method with a 4:1 ratio this morning and did ok.  I wasn't any faster, but I felt no pain, so that's good! 

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The best part about today's run?  I figured out why my left foot has PF.   My left shoe is a tad bit big for my left foot!  This happened to me last winter and I can't believe I forgot.  I bought my shoes last summer when my left foot was "bigger" and come winter months, since my left foot is not as swollen, the extra room in my left shoe meant my left foot is sliding in them....the arches aren't where they're suppose to be, etc..So this morning, I doubled up on socks - well, I wore a thinner socks over my regular running socks and no pain!  Knock on wood.  So during my run, my left foot was nice and snug and felt fine.  My right foot has always been bigger than my left, so it was just fine.  I am really hoping this is the cause so I can put an end to this darn foot pain.  Still stretching and icing. 

When do you all buy shoes?  Do your feet change in size from winter to summer months?  Or is it just my feet?  

Have you had to change your race goals and strategy due to an injury?    Have you tried the run/walk method before and how do you like it?  

Are you also running MCM this year??  

Not-So-Wordless Wednesday: Foot, Meet Cyro Freeze

Meet my foot's best friend for almost the entire duration of my half marathon training for the Rock N Roll USA in DC - Cyro Freeze Ice Pack.  It's re-freezable, and I can re-shape it to contour the bottom of my darn PF stricken foot.  My PF doesn't hurt all the time...only when I'm walking barefoot on our wood floors, and sadly when I run straight beyond 5 miles at my normal 10:30 min/mile pace.  If I keep my pace slow-er, it doesn't feel too bad.  Training for this race hasn't been very consistent, as I've had to take some days off from running and cross training due to PF and my kids getting sick.  I don't feel as prepared as I did for my first half, but oh well, c'est la vie.

I'm actually thinking about  running this race (oh which, by the way, is in a week and a half) using a run/walk method.  Nothing fancy, just thinking about running 2 miles to each water stop, walk through the water stops, drink, stretch the foot, and then run to the next water stop and do the same.

Do you think that's a good idea?  I've never done the run/walk method for any race, but a friend suggested it since my foot might not be able to last all 13.1 miles of running.  I certainly don't want to injure myself to the point where I can't train for my first full marathon (MCM) in October.  I would appreciate any advice!

Speaking of Marine Corps Marathon, who will be at their computer at 3pm EST today for the MCM registration?  If you'd like a guaranteed entry, please consider joining Team Lung Love with me and help kick lung cancer in the butt!  Feel free to email me for questions!

(I am not being compensated in any way by promoting Team Lung Love.  It's a cause that I'm passionate about and that I hope other runners can join to help raise awareness and funds for this federally under-funded cancer research program.)