Running Along

I ran a couple of miles on Tuesday.  I felt good.  I don't know why running feels OK if sitting at my desk is excruciating.  And driving my car is slightly worse than that.

Yesterday at lunch I went to physical therapy.  She put me in traction, which really took the pain away for a while. I will have it again next Tuesday.  

Then on Thursday I leave for Alaska.  To say I am excited is the understatement of the century!!!

I looked at the route of the half-marathon today and did a little bit of research.  It looks absolutely beautiful.  Here is a link to some photos of it.

Oh, and with the help of my friend Debbi, I figured out how to get my laps on the garmin software.

10 Miles

This was my changing room AKA passenger seat of my automobile today.  I started a run at 8:30 in the morning when it was pouring rain and 49 degrees.  I planned it so I would be at my car again at 5 miles - just in case I needed to take off my rain coat and long sleeve shirt.  By the time I had completed 5 miles, it was sunny and warm, and I actually changed my shirt in my car!  A little singlet instead of all that bulkage was just the ticket.  

I am now confident that I can finish a half-marathon in Anchorage on June 21.  I will be in pain, as I am right now, but what the heck is another couple of weeks of pain?  I am so excited about my trip and the race and I am just happy, happy, happy.  I would have loved to have been able to run a whole marathon, but it just may never happen.  I need  to stop minimizing the accomplishment of running 13.1 miles.  

After the run, I went straight to the best running store in the universe - Runners' Roost, Lakewood, Colorado - to talk to them about some shoe issues.  I left there with a new pair of Brooks Trance 7's in a size 9.5  Nine and a Half?  How did this happen?  I have always been an 8.5 or a 9.   Anyway, they fit me perfectly and don't hurt!  I can't believe they were so kind to trade out my shoes.  I didn't have that many miles on the other pair, but they were mainly on a dirt trail, so the shoes were definitely used.  

Here is a question for hopefully at least one of you who has a garmin and a mac.  That software is craptastic.  I cannot get my lap information and I really need it. I just downloaded the latest software this evening thinking I surely had the wrong version, but apparently not.  Could it be that this is the one thing that isn't better on a mac?  If so, it is a heartbreaker.  

Hammer Time

Yesterday I got a call from one of my teammates - calling me from mile 21 of the Rock n' Roll Marathon... for encouragement.  I was on the sofa, sitting on an ice pack.  But man, when she called, something happened to me.  

She has the same type of injury that I do.  She is 51 years old, but thin, unlike me.  Her mother died about 6 months ago.  In other words, she hasn't trained.  She started the race intending to run 3 or 4 miles, but just kept going.  And I watched the live results page online and saw that she finished in 6 and a half hours!  (take THAT, Rory Gilfillan!!)

Well, I figured if she could pull 26.2 miles out of her untrained body, surely I can run 13.1 in Anchorage.  So, that is what I am going to do.

I ran 3 miles this morning.  I bought another ice pack so that I can sit on one at work AND at home!  I have been taking my massive dosages of ibuprofen as prescribed.  I have been stretching religiously.  Taking my muscle relaxers at night.  Working on it...  I think I can do this.  

I just have to.  I can stand another 3 weeks of pain.  What's another three weeks?  Nothing! Ha!  I am so happy!

Physical Therapy

I had my first appointment for Physical Therapy today. The thing that is causing my sciatic nerve so much pain is that my periformis muscle is all jacked up. Now, I took two semesters of Anatomy and Physiology, one semester of Pathophysiology, and various other medical classes - how is it that I NEVER heard of this muscle?

The physical therapist suggests that I don't run until I get the pain calmed down.

I have a bunch of exercises to do. I will do them.

But I am having a hard time not running. I ran 6 miles last Sunday, and then spent the remainder of the day in bed - on vicodin. Not a good way to spend a day.

I so want to at least run a half-marathon on June 21. I have to. Really. I just have to.

Do you remember how you felt when you started running and you would feel your belly and wonder where this hardness had come from? Or look at your butt and realize there was NO fat on it? Or look at the muscles in your legs and marvel that they could be your very own legs?

Well, I am going through that process in reverse. It only took a few weeks, but my belly feels more flacid, my butt seems less firm, etc., etc.,

This is sad. Woe is me!

Uh Oh...

I haven't posted anything for a while because I was hoping I would have good news soon.  So far, no good news.   This sciatic nerve thing has gotten worse, not better.  I am taking vicodin for pain, and still I am a squirming mess.

I had to cancel my first PT appointment because of a big deal at work.  So, I won't have PT until next Friday.  It is now 26 days until my race.  I changed my registration to a HALF marathon.  I just hope I can even do a half.

I ran 2 miles on Friday. I am going to run tomorrow.  I just can't stop running when I am this close to a race.  I feel like I have lost all my momentum.  I haven't run seriously since May 12.  

Sorry to be such a whiner.  Here is a good thing to report:  This morning I took my granddaughters to a local park so that they could play.  Some fire fighters were walking around talking to kids and their peeps.  When they were talking with my granddaughters, they pointed at me and said "we talked to your mom."  Olivia was quick to say "That's my GRANDmother!"  And I said "Thank you!" to the fire fighter.   Thank you!  How nice.  That has never happened to me before.   She is probably the only BLIND fire fighter in the country, but I will take it as a complement anyway.  

Enjoy your running all you healthy people!

At the Race Expo...

This is a picture of the inside of the tent at the race expo for the Colfax Marathon.  I worked at the late registration table from 1 to 5.  I really had no idea that anyone would be registering for a full or half marathon on the afternoon before the marathon,  I was surprised at how many did.  It was fun to be there.  I was probably a bit too much of a Chatty Cathy with the runners.... but it was fun.  

So, here were the things of note that happened:  

A very fit man registered for a full marathon.  I got his paperwork done and the other ladies (pictured above) were taking his money.  He asked them "oh, how many miles is a marathon anyway?"  When I looked at him with sheer horror, he laughed.  It was a joke.  The other ladies didn't get it though.  They didn't know anything about races and kept calling the chip - "the timer" - which confused people.  

A not-so-fit looking woman- who I assumed was older than me - and was shocked when I saw that she was 6 years younger than me - but still no spring chicken!  registered for the full marathon.  As we chatted, she said she thought she would do fine because she runs 5 miles every day.  Oy.  

I was happy to see that there really are people of all shapes, sizes, and ages who are running marathons.  Well, mostly the older and lumpier ones are running the half - but still - it was nice to see that I am not the only older person with some cushioning to be running.  

I also noticed as I walked around, that I know an awful lot of people who were at the expo.  Like people from the running stores and clubs.  I think it is scary that I know their names!  Yikes.

....Edited out some mean stuff I wrote here....

Good luck to everyone out there running a race tomorrow.

Life as a Former Runner

This is having a negative affect on my self esteem!  I saw runners tonight after work and I felt so jealous!  I saw one girl with a camelback and wondered how long she was running if she needed a camelback - and I speculated that is must be many, many miles.

My sciatica is somewhat better.  I hope to be back running by this time next week.  I needed a break to appreciate how much I love to run.  I miss it - bad.  But it took until today to even miss it.  I was so fried.

Tomorrow I am volunteering at the expo for the Colfax Marathon.  Last year, I was getting ready to run my first half-marathon.  I was so excited.  It was such a great experience for me.  I hope working at the "late registration" table will rekindle my excitement for the events.  

Wishes for great races for everyone racing this weekend.