Ok, so I haven't posted in a loooong time, and that's because I haven't been doing too much running. I took a medical licensing exam last Friday, so that whole week was basically shot for running. The good news is... that's my last medical licensing exam for a long time! Whoo hoo! I think I ran once last week, but it was my Fartlek session at least! I have been having back spasms, and I have no idea why. Two weeks ago it was my right latissimus dorsi and last week it was my left lat, including during my 8 hour licensing exam. These muscles are typically used for pulling something high down towards you, which means a strain would have occurred by over-reaching for something up high most likely. I don't remember any such incident. I also got kicked in the knee and my ankle stepped upon during soccer this past Sunday. I love my husband, and he loves soccer, so I must continue to play because it makes him happy. In truth, neither of those injuries should have barred me from running either.
Ok, enough boo hoo. I did run yesterday morning down on the rail trail. For those of you who do not know, the rail trial is a gravel trail that runs the length of an old railroad from York, PA down to somewhere in Maryland. It was absolutely beautiful! The leaves are changing and the entire section of the trail that I was running is tree covered, some of it along a winding creek. It was a crisp, clear, Autumn morning. Surprisingly, I also felt pretty good after not running for almost a week. However, today is Fartlek day, so we shall see how great that feels. The hubby and I are also going to run a 10K trail race this weekend IN THE DARK! Pretzel City Sports runs a ton of races in Reading, PA and the surrounding area. They have a Ghouls and Ghosts run Saturday, starting at dusk. All the event staff dress up and try to scare runners. It starts and finishes at a local pub. It sounds like tons of fun! I'm excited. I have no idea what kind of light source I will use. I think Hubert has a helmet light for his bike helmet. I have run 7 miles carrying my ipod, so I guess if I have to carry a flashlight, it won't be too bad.
I'll let you guys know how it goes. I am supposed to run 8 miles on Saturday, so maybe I'll do 2 in the morning and then 6 at the race. Maybe we'll be zombies... Zombie movies are Hubert's favorite!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Fartleks and Shin Splints
Today was a Fartlek day. A Fartlek (I presume named after somebody Fartlek, which is a horrible last name to have) is a training strategy that aims to increase VO2max and anaerobic threshold. Basically, it is designed to help with oxygenation so you can run farther and farther without getting "winded." All in all it's a basic interval workout to which some guy attached his name. Anyways, I've been slacking on the Fartleks. I usually miss about 1 workout per week based on my schedule, our horrible eating habits, or plain laziness. It's usually the Fartlek session. Indeed I missed my Fartlek yesterday because I ate 4 tacos and 2 s'mores for dinner and didn't much feel like running after that. This month I only have class 2 days a week, so today I decided I would do the Fartlek in the morning at the gym and then my short run this evening with Hubert.
First mistake - I thought my headphones were in the car but they were not, so I had no jams to distract me from looking at the clock on the treadmill every 15 seconds. Second mistake - not warming up. Both Hubert and I have come to the conclusion that we feel like crap until about half way through our runs, and then the second half feels much better. I used to think those people who run a couple miles before a 5K race are crazy. Why would you run any farther than you have to? I'm starting to think maybe it just takes a little while to "get the bugs out." By "bugs" I mean shin pain and calf tightness. Third mistake - the treadmill. I hate the treadmill, but I know, with Fall upon us and Winter creeping up, that I will have to learn to love the stinkin' treadmill. The thing I do like about it, is I can't slow down or stop without risking major embarrassment or a broken bone or two, so I am able to push myself a little harder than usual.
However, the treadmill is not good for shin splints. I'm not saying I definitely have shin splints right now, but it's inevitable when doing this much running. It's just my right shin for now, and I can bear with it. It actually feels better if I run faster. Somehow the mechanics of my typical snail's pace seem to aggravate it. Taking walking breaks helps as well. Walk breaks provide a change in the muscle mechanics so different muscles are stressed and also take away the pounding. I should probably go look up some shin splint physical therapy exercises to try to ward this off before it gets worse. Losing a few pounds would help too, less weight = less pounding.
Aren't you glad your name is not Fartlek?
First mistake - I thought my headphones were in the car but they were not, so I had no jams to distract me from looking at the clock on the treadmill every 15 seconds. Second mistake - not warming up. Both Hubert and I have come to the conclusion that we feel like crap until about half way through our runs, and then the second half feels much better. I used to think those people who run a couple miles before a 5K race are crazy. Why would you run any farther than you have to? I'm starting to think maybe it just takes a little while to "get the bugs out." By "bugs" I mean shin pain and calf tightness. Third mistake - the treadmill. I hate the treadmill, but I know, with Fall upon us and Winter creeping up, that I will have to learn to love the stinkin' treadmill. The thing I do like about it, is I can't slow down or stop without risking major embarrassment or a broken bone or two, so I am able to push myself a little harder than usual.
However, the treadmill is not good for shin splints. I'm not saying I definitely have shin splints right now, but it's inevitable when doing this much running. It's just my right shin for now, and I can bear with it. It actually feels better if I run faster. Somehow the mechanics of my typical snail's pace seem to aggravate it. Taking walking breaks helps as well. Walk breaks provide a change in the muscle mechanics so different muscles are stressed and also take away the pounding. I should probably go look up some shin splint physical therapy exercises to try to ward this off before it gets worse. Losing a few pounds would help too, less weight = less pounding.
Aren't you glad your name is not Fartlek?
Monday, September 13, 2010
Ups and Downs
So last week was a bust. I ran Monday, I think maybe 2 miles, but my ingrown toenail was bothering me much more than usual. On Tuesday it started to leak some puss. I probably could have kept running the rest of the week, but I didn't. I had already called the podiatrist and had an appointment scheduled for Friday. So, I just soaked it in Epsom salt twice a day and tried to clear the infection. From past experience I knew if it was infected that I wouldn't be able to have the surgery on Friday. So on Friday I was working in labor and delivery and was about 30 minutes from delivering a baby when I had to leave for the podiatrist appointment. Of course, the podiatrist was running 45 minutes behind schedule. I had to miss a delivery, but in the end she took out the ingrown nail and chemically cauterized the base so that portion of the nail won't grow back. She said there's only a 20% chance of recurrence, which is sweet. Now that I have some properly fitted shoes, hopefully I won't continue to injure the toe also.
So tonight I went back to running. I was supposed to be up to 4 miles last week, so that was my goal tonight. I went to a local high school track because they have lights on until 10PM. I did cycles of running for 5 minutes and walking for 2 minutes. I usually count my laps by changing lanes each lap, but the track was too busy for that. I tried to keep track in my head, but with calculating the run/walk cycles and the high school band practicing on the field I quickly gave up trying to count laps. I was running around a 10 minute pace or faster during my runs and covering about 200 meters on my walks, giving a conservative estimate of 1000 meters per 7 minute cycle. 7x8=56, so there's 8000 meters plus another 800 meters for the last 4 minutes. Grand total of 8800 meters, which (pause for calculator function) means I covered at least 5 and a half miles?!?! I'm sure my most devoted follower (My hubby, Hubey) will check my math on that for me. (BTW He also checks my grammar and spelling. Since it's 11pm maybe he'll cut me some slack on this one.) (I use lots of parentheses).
So, I feel great. I was even covering more distance with each 5 minute run. I am certain that tomorrow I will not feel as great as I do now. I took a Magnesium supplement (more on that in a future blog) and a regular vitamin to try to ward off cramps for tomorrow morning. I'll do a recovery day tomorrow, and then back on track with my schedule. My toe felt great, by the way, and no oozing when I got home!
So tonight I went back to running. I was supposed to be up to 4 miles last week, so that was my goal tonight. I went to a local high school track because they have lights on until 10PM. I did cycles of running for 5 minutes and walking for 2 minutes. I usually count my laps by changing lanes each lap, but the track was too busy for that. I tried to keep track in my head, but with calculating the run/walk cycles and the high school band practicing on the field I quickly gave up trying to count laps. I was running around a 10 minute pace or faster during my runs and covering about 200 meters on my walks, giving a conservative estimate of 1000 meters per 7 minute cycle. 7x8=56, so there's 8000 meters plus another 800 meters for the last 4 minutes. Grand total of 8800 meters, which (pause for calculator function) means I covered at least 5 and a half miles?!?! I'm sure my most devoted follower (My hubby, Hubey) will check my math on that for me. (BTW He also checks my grammar and spelling. Since it's 11pm maybe he'll cut me some slack on this one.) (I use lots of parentheses).
So, I feel great. I was even covering more distance with each 5 minute run. I am certain that tomorrow I will not feel as great as I do now. I took a Magnesium supplement (more on that in a future blog) and a regular vitamin to try to ward off cramps for tomorrow morning. I'll do a recovery day tomorrow, and then back on track with my schedule. My toe felt great, by the way, and no oozing when I got home!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Notes to Self:
I've just finished week 2 of my 26 week training plan. Fortunately, the plan starts out very gradually. I'm only up to 3 miles so far, which I had been running before I started. It's going pretty well, but I have already learned a few things not to do, which I have termed "Notes to Self."
1. Do not eat two high-fiber granola bars before a run. The other day I didn't have much time to eat before running so I didn't want to eat something heavy. I grabbed two Kellog's Fiber Plus granola bars. My husband and I both love these granola bars because they are the equivalent of only 2 Weight Watchers points each, and they taste awesome. In fact, I'd rather eat one of the chocolate peanutbutter bars than a candy bar. They are that good. However, they do have 9 grams of fiber each. (P.S. I just ran down stairs to get one! Yum!) Fiber is awesome because it makes you feel full. On the other hand, if you are not used to eating that much fiber, it gives you major flatulence, stomach cramps, and eventually... diarrhea. These side effects are never good, but when you are out running with no bath room in sight, they are really bad!
2. Do not eat approximately 7 scoops of ice cream within 48 hours of a run - or ever. I had yet another food-related incident. My husband and I went to Mack's ice cream in Dover last weekend for lunch. Ice cream happens to be an object of joy in my life. I come from a long line of dairy farmers, with a real appreciation for ice cream - at least that's what I choose to blame for this weakness. My "medium" cone was huge! I guestimate the ice cream was stacked a good 8 inches above the cone. Each dip was easily two normal-sized dips and then some. Again, it was delicious, but there was so much of it that I felt ill. The next morning, approximately 20 hours after the ice cream, we went for a run. I felt horrible. I was out of breath by the first half mile, which is unusual. My legs typically feel tired before I'm out of breath. I'm not sure there's a direct relationship between ice cream and respiratory compromise. I have heard that too much milk can thicken respiratory secretions. I'm not aware of any scientific research on the subject, but after this experience it wouldn't take much to convince me.
3. Do not go running alone at night. Of course, this is a more serious lesson. First of all, nothing bad happened. Whereas it used to get dark around 9 or 9:30, the seasons are changing, and it's dark by 8:15. Because it was in the 90s last week, I waited until later to go run. I went running on the Rail Trail the other night around 7:30. I thought I would have plenty of day light left, but it was getting dark half way through my run. By the last mile it was dark, and I was the only one on the trail. I realized how stupid it was to be out alone in the dark. I was smart enough to turn my headphones off so I could hear if some one was behind me, but I knew if some thing bad were to happen I had few defenses. There were no lights, very few houses, and woods or fields on either side of the trail. I was pretty scared. I can't tell you how many times I turned around to look behind me or jumped when I heard a rustling from the trees. I was fortunate, but lesson learned.
1. Do not eat two high-fiber granola bars before a run. The other day I didn't have much time to eat before running so I didn't want to eat something heavy. I grabbed two Kellog's Fiber Plus granola bars. My husband and I both love these granola bars because they are the equivalent of only 2 Weight Watchers points each, and they taste awesome. In fact, I'd rather eat one of the chocolate peanutbutter bars than a candy bar. They are that good. However, they do have 9 grams of fiber each. (P.S. I just ran down stairs to get one! Yum!) Fiber is awesome because it makes you feel full. On the other hand, if you are not used to eating that much fiber, it gives you major flatulence, stomach cramps, and eventually... diarrhea. These side effects are never good, but when you are out running with no bath room in sight, they are really bad!
2. Do not eat approximately 7 scoops of ice cream within 48 hours of a run - or ever. I had yet another food-related incident. My husband and I went to Mack's ice cream in Dover last weekend for lunch. Ice cream happens to be an object of joy in my life. I come from a long line of dairy farmers, with a real appreciation for ice cream - at least that's what I choose to blame for this weakness. My "medium" cone was huge! I guestimate the ice cream was stacked a good 8 inches above the cone. Each dip was easily two normal-sized dips and then some. Again, it was delicious, but there was so much of it that I felt ill. The next morning, approximately 20 hours after the ice cream, we went for a run. I felt horrible. I was out of breath by the first half mile, which is unusual. My legs typically feel tired before I'm out of breath. I'm not sure there's a direct relationship between ice cream and respiratory compromise. I have heard that too much milk can thicken respiratory secretions. I'm not aware of any scientific research on the subject, but after this experience it wouldn't take much to convince me.
3. Do not go running alone at night. Of course, this is a more serious lesson. First of all, nothing bad happened. Whereas it used to get dark around 9 or 9:30, the seasons are changing, and it's dark by 8:15. Because it was in the 90s last week, I waited until later to go run. I went running on the Rail Trail the other night around 7:30. I thought I would have plenty of day light left, but it was getting dark half way through my run. By the last mile it was dark, and I was the only one on the trail. I realized how stupid it was to be out alone in the dark. I was smart enough to turn my headphones off so I could hear if some one was behind me, but I knew if some thing bad were to happen I had few defenses. There were no lights, very few houses, and woods or fields on either side of the trail. I was pretty scared. I can't tell you how many times I turned around to look behind me or jumped when I heard a rustling from the trees. I was fortunate, but lesson learned.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Buying Shoes
I have difficult feet. My left foot is significantly larger than my right foot, so much so that I can't remember the last time I had a pair of shoes that fit properly. I either squeeze my bigger foot into a shoe that is too small or wear two socks on my smaller foot to have the shoe still flop when it hits the ground. It's a never-ending battle. As a consequence I have had a beautiful black toenail on my smaller foot, affectionately called my "runt" foot, for the past 2 years or more. By the time the yucky toenail grows out I've usually already injured the toe again to reveal yet another black toenail. It's a vicious cycle of injury and ingrown, and some times infected, toenails. Yum!
So my husband took me to Flying Feet to buy some new running shoes. We were prepared to spend a lot of time at the store and were resolved to the fact that I'd probably need to buy two pairs of shoes to get a proper fit. I tried to warn the squirrely college kid who waited on us that he was in for a daunting task, but he sort of laughed it off. He looked at my old shoes and quickly chastised me for not buying a new pair many miles ago. Yeah yeah. Oh, I forgot to mention that he also chuckled when I told him I'm going to run a marathon, that I currently run 3-6 miles per week, the most I've ever run at one time was 9 miles, and that I got my training plan off the internet from a free source. I just chuckled back at him that, yes, I know I'm crazy. Yes, I know I'll probably get shin splints. Yes, I fully understand what I'm getting myself into.
Anyway, he measured my feet. He also made me stand on the heat-sensitive board that evaluates your arches. See, the funny thing is that when they measure my feet they only look to be slightly different, but when I put shoes on all the sudden the difference is magnified. I don't quite know how to explain that. He started bring out shoes, and we started trying them on. He'd scratch his head, go to the stock room, and bring out more shoes. We even tried men's shoes thinking the size might be between two women's sizes. He finally acknowledged that I'd have to start trying two different sizes. Of course, I was thinking, "yeah, silly, I told you that already!" So the madness went on. Finally, Greg, the owner of the store who I've known for many years come over to help the poor kid out. And I must say, that kid tried so hard. I even stumped Greg, who has been selling running shoes for at least 30 years. He remembered having trouble fitting me in the past, but never this much. I reminded him that I've never been fond of running, so a perfect fit was never this important.
In the end Greg said he still wasn't sure if we'd gotten the right fit, but I was satisfied and I walked out with two shoes: a 9.5 narrow for the left (Greg wanted me to try the 10! I've never worn bigger than a 9 before, even in Nike, which runs small.) and 8.5 narrow for the runt. Not too bad! I got the Brooks Ghost, a light-weight, neutral alignment shoe with good full-length cushioning. Brooks will actually allow Greg to sell two different sizes for just $25 extra charge. Thank you, Brooks! However, instead of sending the reciprocal replacement, they send him two full sets of shoes, which is silly but easier I guess.
My goal in life is to find my sole mate. Wouldn't it be awesome if there's some one out there with the exact opposite feet? However, we'd have to share the same tastes in shoes, which would be difficult. There is a website which claims to match you with such a person, but you have to pay just to sign up - seems a little scam-ish to me. Maybe I'll place a personal ad: Right Runt foot seeks Left runt foot who enjoys running, basketball, and kitten heels. Operating room shoes a plus! If you're out there, call me.
So my husband took me to Flying Feet to buy some new running shoes. We were prepared to spend a lot of time at the store and were resolved to the fact that I'd probably need to buy two pairs of shoes to get a proper fit. I tried to warn the squirrely college kid who waited on us that he was in for a daunting task, but he sort of laughed it off. He looked at my old shoes and quickly chastised me for not buying a new pair many miles ago. Yeah yeah. Oh, I forgot to mention that he also chuckled when I told him I'm going to run a marathon, that I currently run 3-6 miles per week, the most I've ever run at one time was 9 miles, and that I got my training plan off the internet from a free source. I just chuckled back at him that, yes, I know I'm crazy. Yes, I know I'll probably get shin splints. Yes, I fully understand what I'm getting myself into.
Anyway, he measured my feet. He also made me stand on the heat-sensitive board that evaluates your arches. See, the funny thing is that when they measure my feet they only look to be slightly different, but when I put shoes on all the sudden the difference is magnified. I don't quite know how to explain that. He started bring out shoes, and we started trying them on. He'd scratch his head, go to the stock room, and bring out more shoes. We even tried men's shoes thinking the size might be between two women's sizes. He finally acknowledged that I'd have to start trying two different sizes. Of course, I was thinking, "yeah, silly, I told you that already!" So the madness went on. Finally, Greg, the owner of the store who I've known for many years come over to help the poor kid out. And I must say, that kid tried so hard. I even stumped Greg, who has been selling running shoes for at least 30 years. He remembered having trouble fitting me in the past, but never this much. I reminded him that I've never been fond of running, so a perfect fit was never this important.
In the end Greg said he still wasn't sure if we'd gotten the right fit, but I was satisfied and I walked out with two shoes: a 9.5 narrow for the left (Greg wanted me to try the 10! I've never worn bigger than a 9 before, even in Nike, which runs small.) and 8.5 narrow for the runt. Not too bad! I got the Brooks Ghost, a light-weight, neutral alignment shoe with good full-length cushioning. Brooks will actually allow Greg to sell two different sizes for just $25 extra charge. Thank you, Brooks! However, instead of sending the reciprocal replacement, they send him two full sets of shoes, which is silly but easier I guess.
My goal in life is to find my sole mate. Wouldn't it be awesome if there's some one out there with the exact opposite feet? However, we'd have to share the same tastes in shoes, which would be difficult. There is a website which claims to match you with such a person, but you have to pay just to sign up - seems a little scam-ish to me. Maybe I'll place a personal ad: Right Runt foot seeks Left runt foot who enjoys running, basketball, and kitten heels. Operating room shoes a plus! If you're out there, call me.
Monday, August 23, 2010
I'm Running A Marathon
I have decided to run a marathon, simply because I want to prove to myself that I can do it. I have never been much of a runner. Honestly, I don't really enjoy running. I would much rather play basketball or soccer or tennis. Running, however, has always been a part of my family. My parents both coached track and field at one time or another, my sister ran track and cross country in college, my mom started running again in her 50s and can beat me in a 5k. My family has entered many a fun run or 5k over the years. Now I married a runner too. My husband has completed 8 marathons, basically with no training, and thinks I should be able to run a marathon easily. (Did I mention he's nuts?!)
I must reiterate that I am not doing this for "fun." Running 26.2 miles is not my idea of fun, but I still want to do it. Over the course of my 27 years there have been more than a few occasions where I took the easy way out. During medical school this caught up to me, as there is no easy way through medical school. The past 4+ years have been extremely challenging. There have been many times where I questioned my abilities, and frankly lost all sense of self-confidence. Fortunately, I somehow clawed myself back into the game, and I will be finishing my credits in December. I will then finish my research project and, if all goes as planned, begin residency next July. It is "untraditional" to finish medical school in December, which will leave me with 6 months before starting residency. When I started thinking of ways to spend this time, my mouth said, "Maybe I'll run a marathon." My head obviously wasn't working that day.
But, the idea has hung around long enough that I've started to think running a marathon is a good idea. I think finishing the race would give me an unbelievable sense of accomplishment. The key is that I will have to use my mind to conquer my body's desire to give up. And believe me my body is going to want to quit after about the first week of training. I'm not quite at my heaviest weight, but I'm close to it. My body mass index is teetering at 24, with a BMI of 25 being the medical definition of "overweight." I'm not particularly preoccupied with losing weight at this point, but that would certainly be a bonus. I know which parts of my diet will improve simply by wanting to feel better while I'm running.
I am writing this blog as a motivational tool for myself, but I hope others may find it interesting, inspiring, or funny. I am witty occasionally. Words of encouragement are always welcome.
So, February 19th is the day. I will be running the Myrtle Beach Marathon in Myrtle Beach, SC. Once my loan money comes in I am going to register! I want to tell you about my shoe-buying experience, but I should be asleep already. I have to be in Hershey by 5:30 tomorrow morning, so I'll keep you in suspense for now. Hint: I have a runt foot.
I must reiterate that I am not doing this for "fun." Running 26.2 miles is not my idea of fun, but I still want to do it. Over the course of my 27 years there have been more than a few occasions where I took the easy way out. During medical school this caught up to me, as there is no easy way through medical school. The past 4+ years have been extremely challenging. There have been many times where I questioned my abilities, and frankly lost all sense of self-confidence. Fortunately, I somehow clawed myself back into the game, and I will be finishing my credits in December. I will then finish my research project and, if all goes as planned, begin residency next July. It is "untraditional" to finish medical school in December, which will leave me with 6 months before starting residency. When I started thinking of ways to spend this time, my mouth said, "Maybe I'll run a marathon." My head obviously wasn't working that day.
But, the idea has hung around long enough that I've started to think running a marathon is a good idea. I think finishing the race would give me an unbelievable sense of accomplishment. The key is that I will have to use my mind to conquer my body's desire to give up. And believe me my body is going to want to quit after about the first week of training. I'm not quite at my heaviest weight, but I'm close to it. My body mass index is teetering at 24, with a BMI of 25 being the medical definition of "overweight." I'm not particularly preoccupied with losing weight at this point, but that would certainly be a bonus. I know which parts of my diet will improve simply by wanting to feel better while I'm running.
I am writing this blog as a motivational tool for myself, but I hope others may find it interesting, inspiring, or funny. I am witty occasionally. Words of encouragement are always welcome.
So, February 19th is the day. I will be running the Myrtle Beach Marathon in Myrtle Beach, SC. Once my loan money comes in I am going to register! I want to tell you about my shoe-buying experience, but I should be asleep already. I have to be in Hershey by 5:30 tomorrow morning, so I'll keep you in suspense for now. Hint: I have a runt foot.
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