Austin

I'm leaving for Austin early tomorrow morning for a one week IBM conference. The really cool thing about this conference is the first session is at 6:00 a.m. every morning... a "fitness run". I'm looking forward to getting my runs in with some new people, and knocking them out before the work day begins. See you in a week or so!

My Ass Might Be Dumb...

Yes, I made it out on my run last night! Yes, it hurt. First I had planned on a leisurely run from my house. Then my daughter texted me during the day and asked if we could go to the gym. I figured that would work, then I could spin for 30 minutes and run on the treadmill for 30 (a nice way to ease back in). So I pick up my son from daycare, get home at 5:30, and my daughter is passed out cold on the couch. Hmmm, I think she's lost her momentum (which she confirms when I ask her if she's ready to go).

So I decide to save the 40 minute road time to the gym, and run from home. Back to Plan A. To which my son responds with indignity and disgrace, "You said we could go to the gym! AND, you were going to get me a cheeseburger." He then buries his head in the couch, and cries. Ugh... I hear the little whisper "You don't have to run. Feed your starving child."

Ok, there's a compromise in there somewhere. No, we are not going to the gym tonight, but we can go tomorrow night. Have a snack, and when I get back from my run, I will take you to get a cheeseburger. You can ride your bike with me while I run, that will be fun! Does that sound ok? Teary eyes shake a head yes, and I am cleared for take off.

So I jog my first mile, navigating a five year old on a bike through traffic. Ha, the traffic really isn't traffic, just a few cars here and there. But there is a constant chatter, "Where are we going, Mama. Where do we turn, Mama. Do we need to turn here? Left or right? How far are we going, Mama? Let's go straight, Mama." OMG, kid... I'm dying here, quit talking already. One and quarter mile is all either one of us can take, and I run him home.

I finish out with 5.25 miles... and everything still hurts (especially my knees, which I've never had an issue with). I can't figure out what's happened to me, but I know I'll work through it. I did get a few chuckles in when I was finally able to get in the zone and daydream. I was thinking about the movies I watched Sunday. Jackie Brown (a Quentin Tarantino film) is hilarious, and really pretty good. The arms dealer is played by Samuel L. Jackson (Ordell), and at one point he says, "My ass might be dumb, but I ain't no dumbass!" I can use that line!

Bonking

Well, as it turned out, I've bonked in more ways than one. A week ago on my long run, I really did bonk for the first time ever (http://comojanine.blogspot.com/2009/02/mediocrity.html). Little did I know that I would not run again... yet! I didn't plan it that way; I actually planned to get back out within a day or two. But it didn't happened.

And it still hasn't happened. Every day I think, I need to run... or something, but then I don't do it. I have mentally bonked! The thinking side of my brain is no longer holding power over the doing side. The doing side is basically saying f off, I'm taking a break.

All winter long I have finagled and schemed every minute to get my workouts in. I don't mean to complain; I know everyone is under the gun in one way or another. I am just so tired of "thinking" about how I'm going to fit a workout in. Last year I had more of a "just do it" attitude, so I know I can just do it! But I've bonked... mentally (in addition to physically).

Yesterday Raymond was at his dad's house and it was sunny and a high of 40 degrees. It would have been a perfect day to get out and start the climb out of this rut I'm in. For some reason I cannot explain, I had insomnia Saturday night, so I stayed in bed until 9:00 a.m. Sunday. I got up for a couple hours, should have gone to church but didn't, and then went back to bed for a couple hours and slept hard. When I got up, Jackie Brown was just starting on TNT (it just happended to be on that channel when I turned on the TV). I got hooked... so I stayed on my couch during a perfectly sunny day and watched the first movie I've seen at home in quite some time! Yes, I also skipped showering and primping, and ate junk food. THEN Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2 showed, and I watched those, too! OMG, what's happened to me. Uma Thurman is such a f'n badass in those movies, you got to love Beatrice!

It's Monday, and I'm wondering if this will be the day I start my climb out of bonkville. I showered this morning, woo hoo. And I made it to work (although I don't usually bonk at work)! That may be all I can handle... I'll let you know tomorrow.

Kiss My...

Here's to me in my sober mood,
When I ramble, sit, and think.
Here's to me in my drunken mood,
When I gamble, sin, and drink.
And when my days are over,
And from this world I pass,
I hope they bury me upside down,
So the world can kiss my ass!

(Author Unknown)

This made me laugh. :)

Gone Running

One long lunch hour... gotta love it!

Mediocrity

I had a goal of running 11 miles today for my long run. Despite a call from work in the middle of the night that cut an hour off, I got a good night's sleep. Better than usual anyway. I had a Valentine's date with my son, and we had a blast hitting the beach ball in the living room, seeing how many times we could volley (14 was our high). One glass of wine, and I was in bed at midnight.

Up at 8:30 or so, I tooled around the house, got a couple things done, had my required cup of coffee and some oatmeal, and was ready to go. My daughter was home to watch Ray, so no worries there. But I was tired, not really feeling up to running. Everything else in line, that couldn't be my excuse not to go. So, I went.

Four and half miles in and I started feeling a familiar twitch in my right hamstring. Dang that thing, I can't completely get rid of it. Oh well, keep going. There's a bathroom, timing's about right, better use it. Leave the bathroom, and I've gotten cold. I'm all the sudden not feeling very good. I'm five miles in; I better turn around. I was on the trail, so it was basically a flat out and back. Holy shit, the wind is now in my face, and I am really feeling bad. Keep going, there's no other choice.

Ok, so I continue on in misery and at nine miles I officially bonk. For the first time ever (well, for me that's only the last three years) and I had to quit during a run. I started walking with a mile left, cold and hurting bad. What the hell happened? I started thinking about what being mediocre meant, because as far as running, that's how I view myself. Nothing outstanding, far from great... mediocre. But today was terrible!

Feeling Slothy

My mom and several relatives have been here this week to accompany her to some of her doctor’s appointments. That’s a whole other possible blog; suffice it to say my mom has metastatic renal cell carcinoma (a.k.a. RCC or kidney cancer), and is showing early signs of dementia (a.k.a. Alzheimer's). With all the company, and additional "stuff", I haven’t bothered to watch what I eat, and I haven’t ran in three days. All around, the effects are being felt.

I don’t want to be one of those exercise obsessed people, but working out every other day is a stretch for me. Five days a week (with a light sixth day) is really ideal, mentally and physically. The mental part is somewhat of a trade-off; I usually feel great after a good workout (or at minimum, some stress relief), but it can be draining just finding the time! Physically, well, I guess I’m addicted to those endorphins (yes, those are real).

So about now, I’m not feeling very good. On the other hand, there is good news, and hope! My mom's appointments and test results turned out better than expected, and less importantly, I’m going to get a run in today on my lunch hour. It’s gorgeous outside, and I’m feeling better just thinking about the sun, good music, and getting my heart rate up due to exercise rather than what the doctor is about to say. :)

I Just Remembered... Or Did I?

When my daughter was five, I began a relationship with a man who had a five year old boy. For quite a few years we tried to pound that square peg in a round hole, but it just didn't work. He's married now, but he was a father figure to my daughter, and they remain close.

His son and my daughter were polar opposites. My daughter was an "angel baby", never an issue. She minded me, was (is) as smart as a tack, was responsible, self sufficient, conversational... just smart. I didn't realize then, even though my mom told me, she was exceptional. David's son, on the other hand, was wild, always pushing the limits. He would stare off in la la land when David would attempt to explain something to him. He couldn't sit still for three minutes. To be quite honest, it drove me nuts.

The irony is that I now have a five year old boy, and he is exactly as Caleb was. I often think back at how impatient I was with Caleb (internally, not so much toward him), and I have a tinge of regret. David once cried when a counselor told him that Caleb was likely ADD, and medicine might be beneficial (an option he chose not to take). My son, Raymond, often has the same effect on me as Caleb did. He is such a handful; at times it just wears me thin. The difference is, when it's *your* child, it's different. You connect on a level that is all forgiving; you know he can't help it, and in so many other ways he is awesome.

Caleb is now 15, and a rather quiet young man. He's always been an awesome athlete, and now he's setting running records in his freshman year. His future is bright and exciting; he's already being eyed by coaches. The same energy that drove him as a five year old is now driving him to excel in cross country and track (and he'd have other options if he wasn't focusing on those).

I dated a guy last year who had a difficult time accepting Raymond; his kids were into TV and videos and were very controlled and submissive, where as Ray is curious and questioning, and would rather be hitting balls, playing soccer, or doing anything outside. His judgement of Ray made me feel terrible, and stressed me out when we were all together. When Ray got his first bike without training wheels last summer, he wanted to take it on the trail while I ran. He rode that thing six miles with me chasing behind him! Not bad for a first ride. The feeling of someone judging him made me so ill at ease; I know he's is not only going to be fine, but he's going to be awesome!

We were having dinner last week with David, his wife, and Caleb for my daughter's 15th birthday, and Raymond was being his usual excitable self. There was a lull in the conversation and Raymond piped up "HEY, I just remembered!" David and I were sitting on either side of him, and we both looked at him expectantly. He just kind of looked at us like "what the hell are you guys staring at". David and I both just cracked up laughing. As quick as he "just remembered" he evidently just forgot, and his mind was off to the next thing.

Winter Running

Last winter I trained like a mad woman, spinning at the gym every chance I got, and running there as well. My schedule with work and kids didn't let me get outside as much as I would have liked, and I must admit, I don't like the cold any more than anyone else. Come spring, my running was terrible; I could not believe what a hit my performance took.

This winter I have been on a treadmill all of two times, and both of those were following spinning. One of those was four miles in 30 minutes, so a 7:30 pace, which is quick for me. Following some advice I read somewhere this winter (wish I could give accurate credit here, but I just can't remember), I also set the treadmill on a 1% incline, which is supposed to more accurately simulate running on the road. That was a hard run (especially after a one hour spin)!

Most of this winter I have been running outside three or four times a week, five to 10 miles. Almost always I run in my subdivision, which is concrete and very hilly. Add to that the cold, and an extra few pounds from gear (yes, every pound does make a difference!), and I consider those runs pretty difficult.

This past weekend, with temps reaching the high 60's, I was thrilled to get out to the trail, in shorts and a ball cap... I felt so light! I ran 10 miles at an average pace of 8:30. I was surprised at that pace (surprised in a good way, just in case you're wondering...). Reviewing my Forerunner, the first six or seven miles were low 8 minutes. Wow, where did that come from? Then I died the last few miles (the last mile was a 9:40 or so), pitching my average up to 8:30. So I deleted those miles and... ha, not!

Just like spinning can't replace putting in miles on the road, the treadmill just isn't the same as "real" running. The difference between last winter and this winter has proven to me that running outside (with the added negatives of cold and extra weight) not only helps maintain your base, but can also increase your performance. That's been my experience anyway. :)

High Arches and Shin Splints

As is probably typical, when I first started running, I tried to become a marathoner over night. I did way too much, too soon, and suffered every injury in the book. This included achilles tendonitis, shin splints, hamstring issues, and the like. With some added strength training and rest and recovery, I was able to overcome most of my issues... except shin splints.

After about a year and half of battling shin issues, I grew a brain and went in for a gait analysis. It turned out I was running in the wrong shoes, but the real root of my problem was high arches. Not just a little high. I leave one of those funny footprints you see in the cartoons with the ball of your foot and five tootsies, and then a little round mark for a heel... with nothing in between. With each strike, my foot would collapse to the inside, and stress the tendon and muscle from my ankle, up my calf. My shins (on the inside) would continually be sore and very tender to the touch.

The best shoes I have found are Saucony Progrid Triumph, with Arch Mold inserts. Arch Molds are the best thing since sliced bread! As soon as I started using those, my shin splints resolved within six weeks, and I haven't had any issues since (about a year and half or so).