Brown Socks

Wandering...

I have a wandering problem- I wander off at the grocery store, Target, the park....Zack is used to my wandering, he knows that if we get separated at a store, he will have to come looking for me.  I just go where my curiosity takes me...and I know they won't get too pissed off if I do.  Of course when it is only Marcel with me I drag him around with me while I wander.  When he realizes that we are wandering he will get my attention, make sure I am looking him in the eye, and he will sternly say "Mommy, FOCUS!". I think Dad probably taught him that.

Yesterday I went out for a "45 minute steady run" (as listed on my training calendar) before dinner.  I headed down to the greenbelt to run the less populated main trail on the opposite side of the creek.  Last weeks post-work run was full of mountain bikers on the more traveled side and I didn't feel like dealing with that.  So I'm running along at a nice steady pace- keeping my eyes open for poison ivy (I somehow got it in this area last year). Things were going well, I only ran into a few folks hanging out at the spring who hollered something at me about a butterfly (my tattoo?).  I turned around at the spring and had about 15 minutes more to go when I saw a trail off to the side that I hadn't seen before.  It looked inviting, so I decided to go up it. It was pretty steep and rocky, so my steady run turned into a power-hike instead. I kept going up until I was up in the field. Then I kept going until I came to a fork, and decided I better turn around ( I was supposed to be home for dinner soon-oops).   So I came back down the hill (no steady running here either) to the bottom. Then I looked to the left and saw another trail and decided to go up it- it was pretty steep and I had to use my hands to help me up at one point. I realized that if I fell no one would probably find until the next time one of the groups went out for a run, so I decided I should get my butt off the ledge.  It's been about an hour now and I still have about a mile and a half to get back to the car.  Back on the main trail I get back into a "steady run" for a minute before I get incredibly sick to my stomach! My water bottle full of hot water wasn't helping and I couldn't run at all anymore- I had to walk. Miserable, I trudged back to the car trying to figure out what went wrong! Fine one moment, feeling absolutely awful the next with the kind of stomach sickness you get where you have to tell yourself "breathe in, breathe out..." and your skin feels prickly.

I made it back to the car and sat down and drank some cold Powerade. That seemed to help. I looked down at arms and realized that they weren't sweaty.  I had been sweating at the beginning of the run I know, but I didn't have a drop of sweat on my arms or legs. Now for me that is very very odd... I have no idea what happened- it wasn't even that hot out compared to many of my other runs in the past few weeks and I had a bunch of water during the day... but I guess not enough? I had been working in the yard a bit, and hanging out in the garage with him during the day (he was home sick and we played with clay). Perhaps it affected me more than I thought?

I was fine by the time I got home, it was as the stomach thing had never happened. Weird.

So then this morning I wake up early and I'm having a great morning. I get out of the shower and wrap my head in a towel, turn my head, and OOWWWOWW I get a nasty kink in my neck. That was 16 hours ago and it's still there- just as painful. I've tried everything to work it out, stretching, the TP massage ball, complaining...and now I have this sticky heated maxi-pad-looking thing stuck on my neck to try to ease the freaking pain. Nothing is working- so Zack is pulling out the Tequila and making me up a batch of margaritas...

I'm off...

Oops, I missed one

I forgot the last one in my tag:

4 Favorite Bands/Singers

• Ryan Adams
• Hedwig and the Angry Inch (yeah, it's a fake band, but you can't get the songs out of your head...)
• Cat Power
• Sufjan Stevens/Smog (tie)

Also having fun running to Gogol Bordello, Gorillaz, Goldfrapp, and a bunch of funky mash-ups right now...

Tagged

Matt tagged me! Here are my answers:

4 Jobs I've had

- Restaurant Manager

- Research Analyst

- My first job- A Snack bar at JamesvilleBeach (Jamesville, NY)

- Selling Shoes

4 Movies I Watch Over And Over

- Boogie Nights

- Magnolia

- Waiting for Guffman

- Spinal Tap

4 Places I have Lived (the only 4 places I have lived…)

- Syracuse, NY (21 years!)

- Cortland, NY

- Sandusky, OH

- Austin, TX

4 TV Shows I Watch

- The Office

-Six Feet Under (I know it’s off the air, I’m still re-watching episodes!)

- Grey’s Anatomy

- Intervention

4 Places I Have Been on Vacation (notice I’ve never been “out west”)

- Las Vegas (to get married)

- Cape Cod

- The Keys

- Quebec


4 Websites I visit everyday (notice I’ve never been “out west”)

- My Google alerts for work (uplifting stuff I tell ya- stalking, trafficking…etc…)

- Bloglines

- Google Maps (yes, pretty much everyday I need to know where everything is in relation to everything)

- ???

4 Favorite Foods

- HomeSlice Pizza (plain cheese- Just like home!)

- Queso

- Guacamole

- La Dolce Vita (local Amy’s Ice cream with espresso poured over it)

4 Places I’d Rather Be Right Now

- Hiking with Mar and Zack

- Trudy’s- having a Mexican Martini to help dull the pain of this pinched nerve in my neck!

- San Diego with my friend Kristen

- Syracuse with my Family

I think everyone else has already been tagged!?

New Crap

I totally forgot to mention that I got some new running stuff over the weekend.

(can you tell I'm home with a sick child today- 3 posts in a day...)

It's sad because the heel of my work shoe broke last week and I haven't bothered to go get a new pair and I have been wearing sandals to work.  And I have yet to buy a new cell-phone to replace the one that I have right now that no one wants to talk to me on because it crackles and drops calls.  And I haven't bought any of the other stuff that I need because...I am cheap.

But hey- I've got new running stuff! 

Over the weekend I broke down and bought a Trigger Point Massage Ball and Footballer. A few folks recommeded the products so I checked out the site and it looked like what I was looking for.  I've been dealing with some pretty bad foot cramping for the last 2 week; it's a bit painful about 20 minutes into a run.  I've also been dealing with that shin issue (which I thought was a stress fracture in my paranoia),  which also works itself out about 20 minutes after I start running.  So I figured that I needed to either get a massage, or buy something to help me loosen up my feet and shin. I read on the website how to releive both of the problems I was having by using the footballer and massage ball to loosen up the soleus - so I opted for the TP stuff.

So far- it's working well. The products come with a video to show a ton of different uses for the ball and footballer- so it will be handy in case any other issues creep up on Zack and I during out training- hip, ITB, arm, back..etc..  So far I was able to work out some stiffness in my ankle and shin the two times I used it.  I'm happy.

I also went ahead and got another pair of trail shoes.  I'm finding that my Cascadias don't give me as much support as I'd like when running down rocky hills, but my Hardrocks are too stiff... I think that is what is causing some of my foot cramping- those stiff shoes. They are great for running down rocky hills, but they feel like lead on the flatter parts of the trail...

So, we headed to REI on Sunday to check out the trail running selection.  After asking the salesperson a million annoying questions about the shoes, I decided on a pair of Salomons. They are very comfortable and the arch doesn't bother me the way many of the trail shoes do.  They also have the added bonus of having the elastic tie and clip thing- which is perfect for me because I usually have to stop to tie my shoes at least twice during a race or run.  I'm testing them out this afternoon- I hope I like them...

I will have to get a new pair of Cascadias evenutally- I saw the new version for the first time on Sunday- Talk about a crazy looking shoe...The colors no longer coordinate with my tattoo :(.

Sunday- Hiking & Fixing the Illegal Yard

Lawn Violation?

On Friday at 5:30 we got the mail, which included a letter from our Homeowners Association citing us for not mowing, edging, or weeding our lawn. We were baffled, especially after we read that it was our second notice and we never received the first. The letter stated that the first citation was sent last week, only one week after we last mowed and edged. They also sent a certified letter, which I had to stand in line for 45 minutes at the post office to get- luckily there as another package there too or I wouldn’t have been pissed. We figured it had to be a mistake- our grass was a little long, but not longer than others (it rained 3 times during the week). No one was at the office when I called to inquire if it was a mix-up. I figured they were cracking down on everyone, because there are some folks with scraggly lawns around the corner. So, in addition to the regularly scheduled mowing, I added "pull the spidery weeds that you can't even see from the road out of the flowerbed, and trim the grass around the edge of the flowerbed with the freaking hand clippers cuz I can’t figure out what their problem is… " to my list of things to do on Sunday…

Greenbelt Hike

So Sunday, per the HOA’s orders we planned to take care of the front yard. But first, Marcel had suggested on Saturday evening that we head down the Greenbelt for a hike while Zack was off on his run. It was all Marcel- no influence on my end at all. I thought he meant the Town Lake Trail at first, but he wanted “to go to the greenbelt and sit on the waterfall” So Saturday morning we got up, watched a cartoon or two, filled our camelbacks, grabbed a Clif Bar, and headed to the Twin Falls Access. We were planning an hour or so, but ended up hiking 2 ½ hours- Marcel didn’t want to turn around because we kept finding side trails with “fun climbs”. He actually enjoyed the steep climbs on the side trails. He also loved hiking through the mud. We took one of the side trails up to the field and back down, ran a bit on the flat parts, went off on a few more steep-ish side trails, and then climbed around on the rocks in the creek at Twin Falls.

Marcel finally tired out right as we were heading back up to the car- getting all dramatic saying that his legs were “dyyyyiiiing”…he held up pretty well for a 5 year old little guy. And he took a killer nap later in the day, which you know is always a good thing.

Trying to "fix" violation...

While Marcel was napping, I went out to tackle the illegal yard. I really didn’t know what the problem was- Zack had mowed and edged as he did last time, but according to the HOA that wasn’t enough (?). So, I went out and trimmed everything around the flower bed, pulled the spidery weed that you couldn’t see, and pulled up some of the ground cover that had spread due to the rain. I actually trimmed the grass (we’ve got the unruly St. Augustine here) with little hand clippers…totally ridiculous. I was miserably hot to be gardening in the afternoon and I was dripping sweat. As I was working in the yard I talked to my neighbors who did not receive a citation and were just as baffled as we were as to why they targeted us. Yeah, it looks much nicer now- but it didn’t look bad in the first place!

So, not to keep complaining about the HOA but, when I called on Monday to inquire about the citation- they couldn’t tell me what the problem was. It appeared that they didn't have a record of the issue at all…What...?

Saturday- Journey

This weekend was to be an easy weekend of running- one easy hour on Saturday and that was it!

Running

On Saturday I got up early and headed to the Greenbelt for an easy hour run. The sky was looking pretty grey, and I knew it was going to rain and I was hoped that it would rain while I was out there. Three days last week I tried to go to run in the rain but each time, by the time I got to the trail, the rain had stopped. I knew I was it was going to rain that morning- and twenty minutes into my run it started to rain so I had a nice cool 40 minutes in the rain on the trails. I had a hard time turning around to go back to the car – I wanted to run in the rain longer…but I am following a schedule now which had a 45-60 minute easy run, so I turned around.

The Wheel in the Sky...whatever that is...

Later Saturday we hooked up with some friends and headed out for some drinks, then went to the Journey Sing Along at the Alamo (an eclectic group of movie theaters around town that have theme nights- and you can eat and drink beer). It was hysterical- I was already crying from laughing so hard at the cover band that opened the show (complete with trombone and violin) and then the awful Journey videos started. It was like a “Behind the Music” with videos edited in- and the audience (a full house) sang/screamed along with the videos (OK... I’ll admit I was right there with ‘em). The Alamo had also spliced in movie clips in which Journey songs were used. Folks pulled out the lighters (and cell phone lights? I'm so out of touch) when “Open Arms” came on- it was too much. I never thought that in 2006 I would ever be in a room full of a few hundred Journey fans…And when we left the 7:30 show there was a line around the block for the next show. I think we had the die-hards though; the late show folks looked too young to have been original Journey fans.  If you ever visit Austin- you have to check out the Alamo on a theme night- they never dissapoint.

A bit of everything

Since my new sleep schedule is catching up with me, I'm going to do a bullet-style post so I don't have to worry about trying to make sense. Yesterday I was feeling pretty proud of my 5AM mornings, today I am feeling like my brain isn't operating at 100%. I am wide awake...but...not all here. Driving this morning I completely forgot which road I was on and for a moment I thought I was heading West, but I was heading East.  Agh.

• I have been getting a bunch of hits on my site lately for "UPS Brown Socks"...And wouldn't you know, there I am right up at the top because I have "sit UPS and push UPS" listed on the blog.  Looks like those UPS socks must be pretty popular...lotsa people looking for those. Why they then click on my link it beyond me...
• Today I have a day off from running. I realized that today is my first day off since last Friday. I am going to be chilling today.  Today is Marcel's  field trip day- In a few hours I will be chaperoning kids at Crowes Nest Farm.  Then I will go back to work to finish my day- smelling like farm.
• I have a short run tomorrow! The first non-long run of the weekend in weeks. And I have Sunday off! Perhaps I will actually paint that wall that has now been primed for about 2 months. I get my runs in, but put a lot of other things on the back burner. Need to tackle those this weekend.
• Being a child of the 80s I couldn't resist the opportunity to do this: Journey Sing Along. And since I'm not getting up and running on Sunday, I will be able to enjoy it to the fullest.  The only thing that will be missing is the roller-skates...

and a few answers...

• Angie- Old Pueblo looks beautiful! I've never been West of El Paso (except to get married in Las Vegas but I really didn't see anything except Vegas) so I have yet to see landscapes like that in person- it's gorgeous. I've been up an down the east cost more times than I can count, and from New York to Texas twice, but I definitely need to get west of here soon- I'm missing out!
• Matt- Rocky Trails is at Inks Lake in Burnet Texas- they have a marathon and a 50 mile race (in November). That's actually where they are doing the all night 6/12 hour run in a few weeks. By the way I have chickened out of doing that...I heard there are snakes there. I'm not ready for the run in the dark with snakes thing yet...I need to get over this phobia if I'm going to be a trail runner...geez... As far as coaching goes- it's something that I am trying out with the folks that did the Sunmart training.  I wanted a program for trail running, but the only group was Pikes Peak, and I am not going to do that anytime soon (I have enough problems breathing at Austin elevation). So we worked out a base plan for the next few months until the group starts up again for Sunmart.
• TJ- Perhaps I will consider the 50 Miler...I didn't realize that your schedule was similar. I figured y'all were doing many more miles then we were. But, I will have to see how I'm doing speed-wise because I'm not sure I can make the cut-off!

The Plan

So with Sunmart training beginning in September, and not a single race on my calendar, what am I going to do now?  I plan to join the Sunmart group again in the Fall, but until then- what???

Well...I'm a woman with a plan!  Well, not a plan that I devised myself...a plan that was created to help me go into Sunmart training in September with a good base.  And I officially have a coach (!) to kick my butt and make sure that I actually follow the plan.  Thinking back on the past 6 months, as I've mentioned my "training" has been spotty. Yeah, I get out there for my runs 4-5 days a week, but many of those runs were crap runs- just getting the miles in.  As far as "quality" goes, well, not a lot of that going on up to this point. I have pushed myself distance-wise since I started running 2 1/2 years ago, but I have yet to really push myself speed-wise... I hate feeling like I can't breathe! But I really want this base training program to help me change that, among other things. This plan will have me pushing myself...a lot.

This plan has been something that has been in the works for a few weeks now, so I have had time to really think about how I want to tackle the next 3 months.  I want to do this right- I'm paying for this and there are 2 folks who are taking time out of their busy schedules to make this program for me.  I've got a plan and a coach now- I've got to get serious!  So, I figured out 2 of the things that I knew were going to have to change- my eating habits and my sleeping habits.

As far as eating goes- I eat pretty well most of the time.  I don't eat nearly enough fruits and vegetables, but most of my food choices are what I would consider healthy.  That is, except after long runs...I eat crap for 2 days- I'll eat whatever I want- desserts, chips, queso, chocolate, etc...and I feel junky. It screws with my energy level big time.  I'm not a "diet" person so by no means am I going to go on a diet.  Nor I am going to be obsessive what I eat- I did that it high school and college and I don't want to back to that place again (another story for another day).  I just need to make healthier choices so that I don't crash in the evening the way I have been.  So since Monday I have been staying away from those foods that make me feel crappy.

As far as sleeping goes- I have had a very hard time waking up in the morning since we moved into our house.  I used to get up early and go for a run or to the gym before work. I haven't done that in a loooong time. I hit snooze, hit snooze again, again....and get up when I absolutely have to.  The problem that this causes is that I have to do all of my workouts after work, and by the time I get home from the workout I have little time to hang out with Marcel before he has to go to bed.  So, this week I have been waking up early to get my body on an earlier schedule- so far I've been up at 5AM every day this week so far- not to workout, but just to get used to the schedule.  Next week I add a non-trail morning workout in.  And I'm planning on hitting the trails earlier on the weekends as well- haven't done that in months. 

Surprisingly, I figured that I would be dragging this week adjusting to getting up earlier. But since I haven't been eating any junky food and have been eating more fruits and vegetables- I actually feel like I have energy!  We will see how the rest of the week works out.

Looking ahead- the races on my list so far are:

• Rocky Trails Marathon
• Sunmart 50K

Beyond that I'd like to do a 50 Miler...but I have to see how this all works out. Last year balancing Sunmart training, traveling for work, and being a Mom was very, very hard. Hopefully this time around things will be different since I have learned how to juggle things better...So while a goal of mine is a 50 Miler, I want to make sure that I can handle the rest before committing to anything more. But, someday - definitely.

Race Report

First- before I get to the race I must mention the most important thing about yesterday- Father's Day! Since I was leaving for the race by 5:30 AM, I wasn't going to be around to wish Zack a Happy Father's Day. I couldn't do the whole breakfast-in-bed-Dad-Day thing; instead I did the next best thing! I found a picture of breakfast in a magazine, or at least something that looked like breakfast and cut it out. I wrote him a little message on the paper breakfast, and left it on the table for him to find when he woke up.

When I saw him later after the race he made a comment like "yeah, this is what it is like to be married to a trail runner- I don't get breakfast in bed, I get a picture of breakfast in bed".   He asked  me to post the picture so you can see how he suffers.

Actually, he did get breakfast in bed a la Marcel. I bought 2 doughnuts (placed in a secret hiding spot, kid level) and one of those canned espresso drinks (since Marcel couldn't pour and carry hot coffee) so Marcel could serve him breakfast in bed. Marcel woke Zack up at a very lovely 6:30 AM by popping him in the head with the bag of doughnuts, and then shoving the bag of doughnuts and the can of coffee (also still in a plastic bag) against his cheek...

So on to the race:

I woke up at 2:00 to the sound of thunder and pouring rain. I love to run in the rain and have run a few trail races in the rain, including my first, but I was a bit nervous about this one.  While the other races were fairly flat- this one wouldn't be flat and I knew we would be running on very skinny, tricky trails and sometimes running along ledges. I thought about crossing the chain- and figured that if there was ever a time I was going to break a limb, this would probably be the day...

So, the alarm went off at 4:30, I got up did all my pre-race stuff and headed to the the race start- the "360 Access" trail-head at the Barton Creek Greenbelt. 

I've mentioned this before- but I will mention it again... I love the Greenbelt.  When I first moved here 10 years ago, the Greenbelt was my second home on Spring and Summer days. I used to spend every weekend at the creek, swimming, hiking, or searching for caves.  The folks I hung out with had never seen a map of the Greenbelt (though they had been going there for years) so every trip was an adventure- we were usually bushwhacking in areas of the greenbelt I haven't seen since. Good times.  I like to think about those times when I'm out there running on the greenbelt- those greenbelt hikes were my first adventures in Texas and I was lucky to find people who liked being in out in nature as much as I did. But it was also a very different time in my life- I drank and smoked a ton and I wouldn't have been able to run 100. feet.  I had few responsibilities- show up to my restaurant job, pay my bills and feed my pets; life was very carefree at the time...so it brings back great memories of a time where I could pack up and head out for a day of hiking and exploring, but also serves as a great contrast to the way I treated my body back then and didn't have anything that I was working hard to achieve.

The race was to start at 6:30, but Steve made an announcement that some folks could start earlier- the slower folks (being slower has its benefits sometimes!).  So I got in line to get the "OK" as a slower runner and I headed out onto the trail.  The early starters ran as a group for the first few miles.  About 3 miles in (or so) faster runners who had started 15 minutes after us were already passing us.  My shin was bothering me slightly- I was very aware of it but it wasn't painful. I just hoped that it wouldn't get worse once I got to the twisted, rocky sections. After about 4 miles we hit the Hill of Life (Aid Station#1).  I hiked up the hill, took a moment to stop at the aid station and get a water refill and continued on.  I was no longer part of the group as we spread out after the aid station, and was running alone now... well not technically alone, many people are passing me...but no one was running with me at my pace. 

So far the course would be described as "easy", but I know that across the creek was a different story.

The next 12 or so miles were much more difficult than I thought they would be.  I felt prepared for steep climbs, lots of technical ups and downs, and rocky descents....but I wasn't prepared for the mud and the very slick rock. Because I lost my bearings after deviating from the Powerline Loop it helps me to break the race down by aid stations:

AS#1- 4 miles- part way up the Hill of Life- to get back down you got to run down a couple of rocky trails- the trails weren't too slippery here and I was able to run down quickly- one of my favorite parts of the race this year and last year.

AS#2- 7.2 miles- getting here was slick, but not too bad. A few muddy climbs, but nothing to slow you down too much.

AS#3- 9.7 miles- The trail seemed to be getting muddier. You got to this station "the overlook" after climbing up a very steep hill- I had to grab the rocks with my hands at one point so I wouldn't tumble backwards. The overlook is not part of my normal running route but I was familiar with it because Monica and I got lost up there during a 20 mile Sunmart training run .  We actually came upon it twice while running in circles...It was good to see the ol' Monica and Jennifer Overlook- it brought back some funny memories. My other favorite part of the race.

AS#4- 13 miles- In between #3 and #4 I encountered about 2 miles of straight mud. Many other runners had been there before me and the trail was just a crazy mess of mud. It was pretty skinny too, and followed along a ridge- so running felt nearly impossible. At times the mud was so slippery it didn't feel like I was moving forward, but side to side.  At other times it was like I took two steps forward and one back. Plus the mud forming dirt snowshoes which made my feet feel like bricks.

AS#5- 15.5 miles- So after hitting AS #4 we headed down the Powerline then headed to the right instead of going down the hill of death.  It seems like much of this part of the trail was rock- slippery rock. The mud wasn't as much of an issue, but the rocks were just as slippery. At one point we had to climb up this vertical slippery rock and I couldn't find the right footing. I just stood there laughing (the guy in front of me was amused) because it seemed so ridiculous at the time.  I think it was at this point that the trail seemed to disappear and we were running from flag to flag (sometimes stopping to locate the next one).

So after slipping and sliding in that section, I was suddenly back on the main trail. It took me a bit to realize that I was on the main trail until I saw the barbed wire.  Just a few more slippery crossings in the "chain" area, and I would be at the finish soon. I was ready for a cold drink.

And wouldn't you know- I made it across the chain safely, then fell on the next slippery rock. I actually slid a bit before catching myself, and luckily didn't end up down in the creek.

And that was the end of the adventure- the finish was around the corner and I was done! I finished the race feeling tired, but different type of tired...tired like I had been running around with weights on my feet for 4 hours. My quads- they were fine (my biggest problem last year) but my calves and feet were achy from navigating the sticky mud. 

My finish time was longer than I expected, but I hadn't taken into consideration how much time I would lose slipping around in the mud. But to be honest, I'm happy with my race.  I really enjoyed being out there on those trails seeing parts of the trail that I was unfamiliar with, and also parts of the trail that I was familiar with (like the overlook).  Like I said, I love the Greenbelt,  so when I get an opportunity to run around on it in the mud with a bunch of other crazies- I'll take it, whether I'm fast or slow I just like being out there.

A post race shot:

Ha! Quite the lovely picture that Zack took. I look like I am really pissed off, but I wasn't at all. For the life of me I can not figure out what I was talking about to make me look that way. This picture makes me laugh because it is the exact opposite of what I was feeling- is it possible to have a stinkier post-race picture!?

I just showed the picture to Zack- he has no idea what I was doing when he took this photo- we had a good laugh though.

I'm in

I headed over to packet pick-up this afternoon still not sure if I would actually be able to run the race...

After getting my packet I decided to run the 3 mile loop at Town Lake to see if my shin/ankle pain would get worse or better.  A few minutes in I could still feel a pulling feeling, but it wasn't getting worse.  About 10 minutes in, the pain was pretty much gone- and it was just kinda tight- nothing awful. Perhaps it was just something in  my ankle that was tight and needed to be worked out. Who knows.  Maybe I'm just paranoid!

So I'm doing the race tomorrow. And Monday I will start to focus on a completely new training plan- I'll be trying something different for the next few months.  I don't yet know what it is because I am not designing it, but I am looking forward to checking it out.  I'm hoping it won't be too painful...

What have I done?

Yesterday morning out of the blue I noticed some pain in my lower shin- from my ankle to about 1 1/2 inches above my ankle.  I could feel the pain with every step.  I thought if I stretched it out it would be fine, but after doing every stretch imaginable, it still hurt when I put pressure on it.  And it has been that way since...  I brought Marcel to the park to play ball yesterday and running after the ball was bothering me. Today I still feel the pain, but it seems to be a bit better- but that could be the Tylenol talking.

I really don't see how it can be a stress fracture- I haven't increased my mileage, my last run before the pain was only 3 miles on the road, and I didn't feel the pain until the next day.  But, the pain feels the way my stress fracture did- and it is around the same place on my leg.  It doesn't make sense!

I think the culprit may be these ridiculous witch shoes that I have been wearing this past week. They hurt like hell, but are so cute and look great with my brown outfits.  I can't stand for too long in them however because they make my feet go numb (I found that out a few weeks ago when I had to give a presentation to a group of people and had to lean against a table so they didn't go completely numb and cause me to collapse...). Perhaps I strained something in my ankle? Not smart, I know.

So now I have a problem- I'm not sure if I should run the race tomorrow. Normally I run through aches and pains, but I can't help feeling a bit worried about this one, it reminds me too much of my stress fracture. I continued to run on that stress fracture for nearly a month thinking it was caused my the wrong shoes, not enough stretching, etc... and I ended up having to stop running for 3 months to let it heal.  I really don't want to go through that again.

But on the other hand, like I said, it just doesn't make sense that it would be a stress fracture.  I have put my legs through much more in the past year, and it hasn't caused any serious damage. Perhaps it is just some major tightness that will warm up after a mile or so and be fine.  I haven't really run on it yet to see how painful running is- besides running in Birkenstocks at the park yesterday for a few yards.

I'm going to go out later and take a run around the neighborhood to see what I am dealing with. I know what running on a stress fracture feels like- and how the pain gets worse as you run... If after my my legs warm up- it feels better, I will go ahead and run the race tomorrow. If, after running for 10 minutes it becomes more painful- I won't run tomorrow.  Until I then I am icing and stretching...and hoping that it isn't anything major.  I've been looking forward to the race and don't want to miss it.

As for the shoes- I think I need to put those up.  I wore them to the running store a while back and the guy that was helping me pick out running shoes scolded me for wearing them.  I didn't listen of course...

Being Prepared

*** Added a few things after thinking about this post after I sent it out there in the world...***

I was thinking about this today on my run and thought I would share...

A little background:

• Last year this time my longest run was a 25K trail race that I had run 8 months before.
• Last year this time I was getting ready to run the 25 K Belt race, the same race I am running this coming weekend (this year it is a 30K).
• Last year this time I was just starting to meet other trail runners, and was running the greenbelt on a regular basis, sometimes with my new running friends.
• Last year this time I had just purchased my first Camelback and got my first pair of "real" trail shoes.

That gives you an idea of where I was at in my trail running journey last year....

On my run today I was reminded of something that upset me last year around this time.  So, I mentioned that I was just starting to run with other trail runners on the greenbelt... One day I was supposed to hook up with a group of runners, but it ended up just being me and another guy that I didn't know.  It was my first time doing the powerline loop- and the plan was to do it backwards.  Despite the fact that I mentioned that I ran at the Greenbelt on a regular basis, I think my fellow runner mistook me for a rookie because I hadn't run this particular trail.   As we ran along the main trail toward the falls, we talked about our upcoming races.  At the time my only goal was to finish the Belt race feeling strong, and I had only briefly considered doing something longer. We came to the climb up to the powerline and we both hiked up it- it was tough for me to talk as we climbed, but I thought I hung in there.  We got to the top and continued running the loop backwards.  And then the upsetting thing happened- my fellow runner asked me "are you sure that you are ready for the race" ??

Oh man.

It was a blow. I don't really know why he said that-he was probably just being practical. This man was basically a stranger to me so he meant no harm. But still...ugh, you have no idea how that made me feel.  I wasn't struggling or out of breath. I wasn't flying- but I was running along at a nice consistent pace. Was I ready? I thought so before the run. Did I still think I was ready? I didn't know anymore.  Suddenly I felt slow. I felt conscious about the fact that I was breathing loudly when I  run/hiked the uphills. I tried to shrug it off, but it stayed with me.

Anyway I was determined to do this, despite his questioning of my fitness.  I ran the race...the second time I had run 25K in my life- and though it took me longer than my first 25K I finished happy. It wasn't easy and I hit some "rough spots" but I was prepared.  I've run a bunch more trail races since then, did some pretty tough training runs,  and finished my first 5oK- and I've met every goal (so far) that I have run after.  Physically I may not always be "prepared" to run a steady race without having to take walk breaks, but mentally I have always been prepared and that gets me through the rough patches.  I'm stubborn and don't like to give up!

So today I was thinking about this is terms of "being prepared" asking myself a bunch of questions:

How do you know you are prepared? How much do you really have to prepare?

And how far does pure determination get you? How much determination do I have and what would make me have to "throw in the towel"?

Can you truly make a judgment about someone's training? How can you know how determined someone is, and what their limits are?

These are the things I was thinking about on my run today- I'm still thinking about them.

The heat (again) and snakes

More talk about the heat...

My last 2 runs consisted of an hour at the greenbelt.  I ran the same route both times, but today I was able to go farther along the route before turning around, and still made it back to the top of the Hill of Life 3 minutes earlier than Sunday.  And today was a "casual run"...! The difference between the 2 days? The temperature. Yes, I finally got out to run while the temperature was still in the low 80s.  Sunday it was in the 90s by the time I made it to the greenbelt.

I know some people struggle in the heat (as I do) and some people do not.  My husband does not- he can run the same speed in 70 degree heat as he can in 100 degree heat.  I see people out at the trail who appear completely comfortable in hundred degree heat- not a drop of sweat, no red tomato face.... Me? It's not cute. And not only do I look like I am dying, tack on another few minutes per mile once the temperature goes over 90 degrees.  Today, if I would have turned around at the same place I did on Sunday, I would have made it back to the car 10 minutes earlier...That's crazy to me- because I feel like I had to put so much more effort into the Sunday run, and I was still creeping along at a pretty slow pace. 

So, since I keep complaining, why don't I run in the morning more often? There are a few reasons.  First,  running before work just isn't happening right now. I no longer live near the greenbelt or Town Lake to run in the morning, return home to shower, then head to work.  Just one of the drawbacks of moving to the burbs.  And my office doesn't have showers and I am not going to do the "wipe-down thing"...no way.  Second, I need to be prepared for the heat for the race on Sunday.  Last year the race took me about 3 and a half hours and it was 5K shorter. Not to mention that the course is more difficult than last year in addition to being longer.  So there is a chance that I will be out there when it starts to get hot, and I want to stay strong at the end.  Lastly, (despite the complaining that I do) finishing a run climbing up that hill in the sun, sweating buckets, listening to a good song on the iPod, knowing that it is hard- but that I'm not anywhere near limit...it's a great feeling.

Snakes

So, on my run with Zack a few weeks ago we swore that we heard a rattlesnake when we were one of the higher portions of the Powerline Loop.  At first I was in denial, I pretended that I didn't hear it...

"Was that a Rattlesnake?" Zack asked me

"I don't know. I don't want to know. I am just going to keep running" I responded.

Now, I run the greenbelt quite a bit and hear all sorts of crunches and crackles and strange animal sounds- but nothing like that.  It was creepy.  Despite that, I didn't feel too freaked out about the experience because I was with Zack.  But since that day, I have been totally fixated on snakes whenever I'm near that area, I guess because I am alone and fear being bit.  So on my run Sunday when I got to the powerline I was totally focused on snakes- I was hyper-vigilant while running down the trail...and wouldn't you know I saw a big old creepy one cross the trail! I don't know what kind it was, it wasn't a rattlesnake but still... So, when I went up there today you know I was obsessing about snakes! Thankfully the only wildlife I encountered in that area was a little rabbit.

I may have mentioned before that I used to have a pet snake- so I don't typically have this snake fear. I also had a freaky dream last week that I once again pet snake but it I didn't feed it and turned into this creepy hairy ferret thing- it was disgusting.  Maybe I have been watching too many nature shows with my son? How did I suddenly get this snake phobia?

Tolerating heat...and drinks

Yesterday Zack and I went out to run together at noon (95 degrees) - this time not on the trails, but the 7 mile Scenic loop and the 4.2 mile loop at Town Lake. 

The first 7 miles were good; though we were on the road it didn't really feel like 95 degrees- there was enough shade and some good breezes. The only problem was the water in my handheld warmed up and all I could think about for the last few miles of the loop was COLD WATER.  Sipping warm water while running in the heat is just gross.  One way I cool myself down on hot runs is to pour some of my water on my neck down my back as I am running.  I did this yesterday and it was about as refreshing as a warm bath. Blech. 

Cool thing on the scenic loop- we got the thumbs up from a girl driving through the neighborhood.

We made it back to the cold water jugs at Town Lake, cooled off a bit, then started the loop on the trail.  About a mile into it I started to feel tired and my legs felt heavy, like I had run 18 miles instead of 8. I'm not sure if it was the heat or the fact that my pace was faster because I was running with Zack.  There were patches on the trail that felt like we were running through an oven, and the breeze was now missing.... I had to walk some of it because I really didn't have the energy.  So much for my heat running skills.

After the run Zack and I headed over to Taco Cabana to get a margarita and some queso- my favorite post-run snacks.  Well, actually queso* is my favorite anytime snack- if queso didn't exist I would be 10 lbs lighter... And what could be more perfect than a cold icy margarita after a run in the 95 degree heat? Anyway, at Taco Cabana I got a strawberry margarita and Zack got a regular one and some queso and chips and sat outside on the patio so that we didn't stink up the place (that's why we go there and not to one of the nearby Mexican restaurants).  I took a few sips of my margarita and it just didn't taste right. I did not taste like strawberry and actually tasted more like cough medicine or some sort of paint remover.  I asked Zack to take a sip and he said "Jennifer that tastes like straight tequila".  I was a bit out of it from the run and I just figured that my taste buds were a bit "off".   So I returned the drink and asked for a regular one (Zack's regular one was good).  Very un-hardcore of me, I'm sad to say. Another time in my life it would have been a major score but we had to go pick Marcel up from Saturday-care and I didn't want to make an ass of myself.  Or pass out for the rest of the day...

Despite my whiny last few miles, the run was good- the Scenic loop is always beautiful and challenging.  And after we picked up Marcel from school we headed over to see "Cars"- I'm not a big animated movie fan- but Cars was entertaining and I really liked the "message" of the movie...

*Favorite Austin queso joints:

• Texican Cafe- Chili con Queso Maya - and not to mention the yummy, strong margaritas (but not too strong of course)
• Baby Acapulco 's-  Queso Compuesto- my coworker got me addicted to the queso and the Baby A's soup...
• Kerbey Lane - Kerbey Queso
• And you cant beat the "Fully Loaded Nacho Car" at Chuy's for Happy Hour!

Podcasts

I've looked around on the web and iTunes and have yet to find a podcast specifically dedicated to Trail Running or Ultras...am I missing something? Or are they just not out there yet?

Lately when I run I listen to a combination of podcasts and music- I usually need the music toward the end of the workout to keep an even pace, but during those long slower runs I listen to a few podcasts- change it up a bit.  So far the only somewhat running related ones that I have found (that I like) are Get Your Geek On, and Endurance Radio.  While GYGO is a triathlon podcast, I still find a lot of inspiration from the guests that they have on the show, and from Wil who is busy mother of two training for Ironman.  Listening to someone else talk about training with small children makes me feel like I am not alone in wanting to pursue "big" goals that require (much) time away from the family. It's comforting because so few people in my life right now really understand why I am doing "running thing".

And Endurance Radio has recently interviewed some trail/ultra runners!  For a while it was a lot of adventure racing and triathlon interviews (at least since I started listening in March), which I still enjoy during my runs, but couldn't relate to... at all.  But, in the past few weeks he has interviewed trail/ultra runners including Buzz Burrell, Lisa Smith-Batchen, and Catra Corbett.  Very cool. To me these interviews are so different than the others, the trail/ultra folks are so much more on my wavelength I guess.  No egos whatsoever, a love for the trails, and a desire to push the limits.  What I also heard that was different was that though running is an individual sport,  in many times it takes a community to work together to get to the finish line (like in the case of Lisa Smith-Batchen's Marathon de Sables training group).  Though I don't have multiple hundred (plus) milers under my belt, I feel more at home listening to these folks.... 

Anyway, getting back to my question...where are the trail/ultrarunning podcasts!? Surely someone out there wants to start one, right?

Crap Food

So Costco opened in South Austin last week, so I had to go join.  I actually had a case of Powerbars in mind when I walked in, but I walked out without the Powerbars and got this stuff instead:

It isn't even real food!

I seriously love Cup Noodles. And Knott's Berry Farm Shortbread Cookies. Buying them in bulk- not good. 

Pass the Salt

It's getting pretty darn warm here.  I rarely run in the morning anymore because of my commute, so most of my runs are done in the afternoon heat.  Being a native New Yorker, I still don't handle the heat well, even though I have lived in Texas for almost 10 years.  Or maybe I'm just a whiner...

Saturday Zack and I dropped Mar off and headed to the Greenbelt to do the Powerline loop and some of the main trail. Zack is working on some base mileage for Marathon to Marathon in October and wanted to do about 2 hours on the trails.  I wanted to get in 3 hours, so we ran together for the first 2 hours, then I went off on my own for the last hour. 

The first 15 minutes were difficult for me;  the air temperature was at 96 degrees and my body temperature immediately shot up as soon as we hit the first climb on the loop. I had a giant, heavy chunk of ice in my camelback that wasn't making the run any easier. Thankfully after about 30 minutes I was comfortable and no longer feeling like I was cooking in an oven. The next hour and a half were good- I had plenty of cold water in my camelback and good conversation to keep me going. 

The highlight of our run together was going down the hill of death.  I'm usually very cautious going down the hill (one more reason why I am a slower runner) or any hill for that matter.  But I decided that since I was with Zack  I would go for it- he could carry me back to the car if I hurt myself.  I have never run down a hill (trail) that fast in my life and it was awesome.  When I got to the bottom I could still feel the adrenaline rush

At about 2 hours we headed up the Hill of life to Zack's car where I downed some slushy Powerade and had a few crackers. I filled my Camelback with more water and ice and headed back to the trail.  Zack's plan was to go to Sonic and grab some slushes and meet me in an hour at the top of the hill.  I think I had too much to drink because when I ran back down the hill I felt like I had gained 5 pounds from all of the liquid in my belly- it was extremely uncomfortable.  I got down to the bottom of the hill and turned on to the main trail- and quickly faded.  I felt zapped and the heat was really bothering me again- I couldn't cool my body down even though I had some ice cubes in a bandanna with me.  I really wanted to turn around ...but I decided to stick it out.  I ran down the trail to Sculpture Falls, then up the Hill of Death, and ran the Powerline and turned around.  That was enough for me- and the whole thing took me an hour with walk breaks.

Zack met me at the top with a giant Cherry limeade slush.  I drank that then had 16 ounces of recovery drink, and about 4 giant glasses of water and still felt like shit.  I guess I can consider the run my first crappy heat run- and hopefully it will get easier in the next few weeks.

On Sunday I still felt drained but wanted to get a short 30 minute  "recovery" run in since I was feeling stiff.  I checked the temperature- 98 degrees- great.  I headed out and promptly overheated.  I ran back by the house to use the bathroom about 15 minutes into the run, and bitched to Zack about how much I hate running in the heat blah blah blah- and then headed back out for another 15 minutes. And surprisingly, it got better- I added another 10 minutes onto the run and felt pretty darn good.  Perhaps I am adjusting?  Or just a lucky day...I guess I will see.

Well...that SUCKED

So where was I? Oh yeah, I left off at my Friday run.  My Friday run that was supposed to clear my head,  and mark my return to wellness.  Well, IT DID NOT.  In fact,  Friday night it all went downhill.  I practically had to crawl to bed because I was so nauseous in the evening, and I then stayed in bed pretty much until Sunday.  Sunday morning, I awoke to more of the same...I could finally get out of bed, but I had nothing in my stomach and was pretty weak.  Monday morning woke up- yup, more of the same.  I finally called the Dr. who told me I shouldn't have been that sick for that long (yeah, I know) and then called me in a prescription.  I finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel! I was so appreciative that she helped me out on the holiday- I needed to get well!  I was scheduled to leave Monday for San Antonio to be at conference on Tuesday and Wednesday.  And it wasn't just any conference - it was a conference for a program that I manage- my conference- therefore I COULD NOT BE SICK!

The antibiotics worked! They kicked in Monday afternoon, and I didn't have to suffer through my conference as I feared.  I wasn't able to eat any Mexican food as planned though. Who knows what the hell I had, but it looks like it is finally out of my system.  It felt like it was never going to end though...my brain wasn't even working correctly at the end of it- on Monday I thought I saw a cow sitting in a neighbor's yard...but it was a tree stump.

So- on the running front, because I couldn't keep any food in my body, I couldn't run.  Not that I would have wanted to, I was happy just to be able to stand up on Sunday.  Four days off... As soon as I got home from San Antonio last night, I threw on my running clothes and ran a quick 30 minutes around the block.  Ahhh...I'm running and back on track, thankfully, I was about to get really bitchy.  And today I went down to the Greenbelt before work and ran in the drizzle for an hour.  Great run. Good to be back.

On a side note, the conference was a success.  We put a ton of hard work into coordinating the event and I'm thrilled with how it turned out.  I don't talk about my job on my blogs (I manage a sexual violence/family violence law enforcement training program), but today I have to say that I love my job...and I love that my job can make an impact on the lives of others.  I've felt that since I took the job in October,  but I especially feel that way right now after the conference after seeing people working together to make change.