Category: Slacker

I’m Cheating

So, is it possible to run yourself out of shoes? And I don’t mean by putting too many miles on them.

When I first started running, I ran in Brooks. A pair usually lasted me a year. I was also barely doing 200 miles a year but that’s another story. The shoes weren’t bad but I didn’t love them either. I had a bad case of shin splints that would come and go as well. After a few pairs of Brooks- Ravenna, I think- I switched to Mizuno. Instant convert. I loved my first pair of Wave Inspire 9’s. I put over 500 miles on them. I replaced them with another pair of Inspire 9’s. Loved those too, until I didn’t.

I started feeling aches in my feet and achillles. My 10K PR was set at 55:40 and I still don’t know how. My left achilles hurt so bad throughout the race I came to a complete stop at one point to stretch it out. And then there were the walk breaks. I took a week off after that race and started looking at my shoes. I had also been running in a pair of Wave Rider 17’s for my shorter runs and I felt better in those. But they were neutral and I was supposed to be in support shoes, so back to the store I went. They suggested a high cushion shoe to cure the aches and pains. So hello, Brooks Adrenaline 14. Holy crap, those were bricks. Plus the right one was way too big and even shoe-doo’ing the laces didn’t help. It was the first time I ever returned a pair of shoes. I felt really bad about it- I tried to like them, I did- put about 100 miles on them but just couldn’t. Back to the store again. Another treadmill test showed I pronate the same in support shoes versus a neutral shoe so what was the point? The employee helping me suggested I run in what was comfortable to me and not what “anyone” recommended. Glory days! I switched to running in the Wave Rider’s full time and it was smooth sailing from there on. Over the next year I picked up a pair of Wave Hayate’s for trail running and Wave Sayonara 2’s for shorter, faster runs. Things were awesome…until they weren’t.

Now, I admit I have odd feet. The left is bigger than the right, one arch is high and one is medium. Oh, did I mention they change size? Legitimately change size, I have had them measured more than once each time I felt like they had grown or shrunk. The shoes in my closet range from 8-10. Some of them collect dust depending on what shoe cycle I am on. Those Hayate’s and Sayonara’s that I love? Too big now. When I run trails, I wear multiple socks. And my much loved Rider’s? They’re not right anymore. Something’s off.

4 pairs in and they make my legs hurt. My knee aches, my shins and calves are tight, my ankles hurt. I tried going back to supportive shoes and tried the Wave Inspire 11. Yuck. That was the second time I’ve returned a pair of shoes. Sorry! So I bought the updated Wave Rider 18. What the hell. They are awkward and make my left foot hurt and ache in odd spots. I’ve tried reworking the laces but no luck. If I wasn’t embarrassed I may have returned them too. 😂 So back to the drawing board.

Everything feels like a lot of shoe these days. I was kind of embarrassed to go back to the Running Warehouse with my current issues. I wanted to try things on but not have to bother anyone. So I headed to Dick’s. I tried on every shoe in my size that I could reach and put away on my own. I made sure I didn’t leave behind a mess. The only things I didn’t try on were Hoka and Nike. I’ve never liked a Nike pair of running shoes and as for Hoka? I have troubles picking my feet up as it is, let alone with that much shoe. There were 2 options that felt good to me but I was still undecided. I felt like I was cheating on my running shoes. The shoes I liked were entirelydifferent than what I have been running in. Decisions, decisions.

To help my choice, I ran a few runs in my Sayonara’s. Too big yes, but overall so much better than my current shoes. Before last Thursday’s run turned creepy I was experimenting with my shoes. I ran 2 laps of the lake in the Sayonara’s and 2 in my Wave Rider’s. I was going to change back to the Sayonara’s for one last lap but then creepy truck happened. Grrr.

Saturday I headed back to the Running Warehouse to make a decision. I asked for 3 pairs of shoes. Mizuno Sayonara 3, Brooks Pure Cadence 4 and Brooks Pure Flow 4. The Sayanora 2’s have been phased out and while the 3’s were awesome colors, I didn’t like how they felt on my fit. To me they look and feel like an entirely different shoe. Closer to the Rider 18’s actually but they felt wrong on my foot. The Brooks Pure line is entirely different than anything I have run in. I tried them on years ago and hated them. This time they made the arch on my left foot happy. One pair more so than the other. So I left with a pair of Pure Flows. What have I done?! 8 pairs of Mizuno and I left with Brooks.I am breaking them in slowly but so far I like them. I am running differently in them but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. My shins are achy but that’s happened every time I’ve switched shoes so I am not alarmed at the moment. And my left leg joined the party!! I’ve mentioned before that my left leg is lazy and usually the source of my problems. I went for a short run on Monday and it was like my leg woke up. Hey, where have you been this whole time?! So now the problem is long runs. I don’t feel adjusted to the Pure Flow’s enough to run long in them but my Rider’s make my knee hurt. I’m trying to figure out how to change my shoes at some point during the run. Hmmm. Laps of the lake would work but I don’t want to go back for a few weeks.

So, thoughts?

Have you ever just stopped liking a shoe?

Am I the only one with odd feet? 😃

Thoughts on how I should attempt long runs?

Week 9 Recap

Hmmmm, let’s just call this a step back week?

Monday- Rest

Actually I had a Harvest Marathon meeting, so a rest day worked out perfectly. Plus it was Monday and I don’t seem to run well on Mondays’. I was late getting to the meeting so I felt like a total slacker. It’s just hard when work runs late and then I still have the commute.

Tuesday- 3.74 Miles

The less than great run. That being said, I think my post about it came across more negative than I had wanted. Yes, the run was rough but overall it wasn’t that bad and I was glad I didn’t bail because of all of my gear/ shoe issues. Maybe that’s why non runners think runners are crazy- I cried but I still call it a decent run. 😉

Wednesday- Rest

I remember!! Tuesday’s stomach issues doubled and I felt the beginning of a migraine coming on so rest day. I headed to Target for some small things and headed straight home for the comfy chair.

Thursday- 5 Miles- Creeptastic run

Not only was my headache still around, I was exhausted. Stupid hormones. Any how, I headed to the lake after work hoping for 6 miles but resigned to 4. I honestly didn’t think I had more in me even with keeping an easy pace. However once I got running I felt pretty good even with the headache and thought I could run a 10k. Then things got weird.

You know when you feel like something is looming over your shoulder? I got that feeling as I hit the backside of the lake just before mile 4. I looked over my right shoulder and there was a truck driving half in the dirt and half on the street super slowly. My first thought is that they wanted to pull over and park and I was in their way. So I sped up. So did the truck. Ummm? I slowed down again, so did the truck. This went on for 1/2 a mile. I came to a complete stop and tried to get a better look at it. It pulled behind some trees. Enough. Run done. I got my ass back to the parking lot as fast as possible while looking for the truck behind me. As an extra caution, I ran to the playground and waited there for a while just to make sure it didn’t follow me to my car. Cue the Slacker PSA– Maybe I overreacted, maybe I didn’t. As much as I love the running community and all people I cross paths with while running, I am out there running by myself. Hence rule #1- Be Paranoid. If something seems off, trust your gut. Don’t continue assuming that everything’s ok or that you’re tough enough to handle whatever comes your way. That may be true but toughness should be a last resort- cut your run short or change your route. Don’t be stubborn, you can get the miles in on another day. End PSA.

Friday- Rest

I fell prey to a cookie around 9:30 but that ended up working in my favor. I started work at 7:30 but didn’t get to lunch until after 3:00. I credit that cookie with getting me through the chaos that was Friday. 😆

Saturday- 4 Mile walk

I went to SLO for 2 intentional purchases but ended up spending more money than planned. One stop was the Running Warehouse but more on that next post. Victoria’s Secret had sports bras for $35 so I had to go check that out- those things are expensive! But kind of useful for running. 😝 Those were the planned purchases. What was not planned? At least it hadn’t been a fully formed thought-

So that happened. I was in the best running shape when I rode the stationary bike 4x a week. Ever since mine died, I have never followed through with going to the gym. Now I have to follow through. Yes, recumbent is lazy but my stomach and side appreciate it. Now if it would just get here.

Finished the evening with a 4 mile walk, testing out some new gear. More on that later, too.

Sunday- 4.5 miles

Long run fail. I had planned for 8-9 miles but woke with a gnarly headache again. I think it was part hormonal and part sinus- I’ve had some allergy issues lately. I blame the humidity, that’s my scapegoat these days. Sunday family dinner wasn’t happening so I decided sleep a little more and get the run in the evening when it was cooler. Then things changed. Not only was Sunday dinner happening but it was at a restaurant. Well damn, now I couldn’t even show up sweaty. I headed out in the heat of the afternoon and pulled off a slow 4.5 miles. My head was not too impressed with that decision. I was hoping I could out run the migraine. Not so much. It did ease a bit though by the time we headed to dinner (steak and veggies for me).

All in all, not a horrible training week. No speed work thanks to my stomach but I kept my weekly mileage consistent. Low but consistent. It’s the little things right?

Paleo Week 1- C

Last week was also my first week changing things up. Breakfasts and lunches were on point, dinner was atrocious. I ate out every single week night last week. I didn’t even do it on purpose, it just kind of happened. Tuesday pizza was supposed to be the only night eating out. Bad!! I also ate a little bag of Lay’s one day. Last week might not have been the best week to start paleo. I tend to want to eat everything that week of the month. So I guess in some respect it was a win because I didn’t go crazy on the snacks. Also something in my lunch veggies- spinach, romaine, cabbage slaw, celery and carrots pissed off my stomach every day. It couldn’t have been the spinach or cabbage slaw because those have been staples of my lunch for months. So I swapped a few things this week and we’ll see how I do. I meal prepped for the week on Sunday again. It’s like Tetris getting all the containers into my lunch bag on Monday morning. 😃

Goals for this week are to get in the miles. Definitely a long run and hopefully my side will accommodate some speed work. Another goal is to only eat out 2x for dinner. Last week was just ridiculous.

How was your week?

Ever had a potentially creepy situation on a run? What did you do?

How often do you eat out?

Didn’t Suck

You know those motivational images that say that no one ever regrets a workout?

So true. Seriously, never regretted a workout. You could be sore, or sorry tomorrow. You choose.

Yeah, that’s the one. Lies, all lies. I’ve regretted numerous runs. Multiple times I forced myself out there to only to have it be a truly miserable experience. The way Tuesday shaped up I had a feeling I was going to regret that run.

Lately, I look forward to my run in the mornings but by the time I get I off work I am usually exhausted and that enthusiasm wanes. Tuesday was more of the same. I so wanted to go home and sit in my comfy chair and do nothing. But I changed and headed for the river path to get in 4-5 miles. As I was driving there were so many things against this run.

Wrong shoes
Wrong socks
I forgot my headphones
I forgot my belt
My inhaler was also in my belt
My side/ stomach had hurt all day

So yeah, this was going to be awesome.

I always leave my belt in my car after running but my mom had given me a ride after Sunday’s long run and I never put it back in my car. Same story with my headphones. I have a box of spare running gear in my car but I don’t like them, that’s why their in the box. 😃 But I sucked it up, dug out my old Flipbelt and Yurbuds and attempted to run. Less than a 1/4 mile in I was reminded of why I dislike those items so much. The cord on the Yurbuds is like 4 miles long and bounces incessantly no matter how you wrap it around your belt. Then there’s the belt. I know everyone loves the Flipbelts but they just don’t work for me. I realize I wear my belt super low, I mean low, so it’s partly my fault. That just doesn’t work with the Flipbelt. It ends up being more like the poor man’s version of a butt lift. 😄 Plus it tends to move around.

My stomach hurt so there were plenty of walk breaks and a few complete stops along the way. I ran 2 miles completely and the rest was a mish mash of running and walking. I was hoping I would at least hit 4 miles but my stomach hurt and then I got a little emotional so I called it at 3.74. To get to 4 I would have had to run past my car and back and I just wasn’t up for that.

As if I didn’t already know, this run helped prove why people say runners are crazy. Or slightly masochistic. For all that this run had against it, it didn’t suck. It was far from amazing but it was also far from horrible. Oddly my form felt better than it has in weeks. Actually, those 2 miles I managed to fully run were in the low 9’s. So yeah, it didn’t suck. I needed that.

How was your week?

Ever have a run that didn’t go as poorly as you thought?

Happy Friday!!

Bye July/ Week 8 Recap

First up, let’s talk about July. July did not see the mileage increase that I was hoping. Between a week of feeling meh some achy legs and well life, the number didn’t grow. Instead, my mileage held steady. Which for right now, I am calling a win.

Miles- 64.30
Races- Shoreline Half

So let’s move on to last week’s training!Monday- 4 Miles

This run sucked. There are no other words for how much I hated this run. There was some reason I was running on Monday instead of a rest day like usual. Except even then, I couldn’t remember why. Maybe it was a combo of all the fair walking on Saturday plus the speed work on Sunday but my legs would not work. I knew I was tired and was aiming for a nice easy run at recovery pace. Instead I got a jumbled mess- 14:09, 10:51, 10:08, 9:43. Even walking felt funny at the beginning so I walked more. Then I ran too fast when I did run. But even that felt like I was slogging through peanut butter while running. Tuesday- Rest

Awesome. Plus I enjoyed Monday’s usual pizza night just a day late. I said 80/20 paleo right? But even more shocking- I left the building! Haha. But seriously, I can count on 2 hands the number of times I’ve left the building during work for the last 2+ years. I had to get my book swap package in the mail so I decided to walk on down to the post office. It was farther than I thought in heels- oops!

Wednesday-

Seriously, is Wednesday a black hole? Why can I never remember it?Thursday- 4.26 miles

Same route as Monday but a better run overall. My mom met me there so I ended up walking the first mile with her. 15:01, 10:08, 9:41, 9:09. Seriously, what is with this route and the progression miles? One of these days I will get my weekday runs back up in miles. One day. I meant to run slower due to achy legs but nothing seemed labored so why not?

Friday- Rest

I survived cookie day unscathed! Woo hoo!! Plus grocery shopping for all the veggies. 🙂

Saturday- Rest

Walked around SLO most of the day and did a little shopping. I really mean little- I bought one shirt. But I got my steps in so yay! I also woke up to an email regarding the HP swap I signed up for that had me scrambling all day. Let’s just say I am starting over…only 2 weeks from ship date. Well crap. Is it odd that I think the time crunch pressure might be fun? I ended the evening at movies. We saw Mission Impossible. Not my choice but I was outvoted. It wasn’t bad. I also ate way too much popcorn.

Sunday- 7.3 mile long run

My mother was going to clean/ organize the tennis courts so my plan was to run early and meet her there then she would give me a ride home. I was feeling rough that morning so I set out a little behind schedule. I then walked the first 10 minutes just to make sure I was even ready to run. Other than that first mile I maintained a 10:30 pace for the rest of the run. I am completely ok with that pace for a long run right now. It was just under 5 miles to the school and I finished the rest on the track. Mile 4 makes me laugh. I hate running the bridge across town and tend to pick up the pace there. As much as I can with 4 stop lights that is. Then a hill hits you in the face so you slow down. 😐 Outside of the obnoxious humidity (68%!) I liked this run. I felt pretty good afterwards. 😃 Oh, and I meal prepped salads for lunches for the week. Who am I?

All in all, an average week. I felt tired all week so I passed on my speed work. I am sure smoothies for lunch and cutting back on soda added to the tiredness but I anticipated that so I planned to take it easier this week. My mileage stayed pretty consistent to previous week so that’s a plus at least. Going into this week, I have some scheduling issues but I would like to see the miles increase. Pace will depend on how I feel with my stupid stomach and new (goal) eating habits. Fingers crossed! As for August? Keep on keeping on. 😄

How is your training going?

Any streets/ bridges you dislike running?

Seen any good movies lately?

What are you looking forward to in August?

Not Ok

When your doctor sounds completely bewildered by your test results it means one of two things. Either it’s time to find a new doctor or you’re just extra special. I haven’t quite decided which one to think yet. Maybe both.

If you’ve been reading for a while, you’ve heard me whine, moan, complain about my stupid stomach. Actually I usually call it something much more colorful, it has a few nicknames. Speaking officially, it’s gastroparesis with a side of GERD. Or is that the other way round? GERD was diagnosed about 12 years ago, and gastroparesis about 5. It was all handled pretty well until June 2014. Things since then have been one giant flare. Which has brought on numerous tests, multiple medicines and some more dietary restrictions. Yay. I’ve run too many medicated races in the last year+. Not ok.

I’ve tried to not complain too much on the blog in the past couple of months but I think I failed. I have been quiet about how rough things have become. My left side pretty much aches all the time. I’ve been retaining water, air, something- who knows- to the point that I look puffy and swollen most of the time. And people have started to comment on it. I’ve been waiting for someone to ask when I am due since half the time I look pregnant. Trust me, I’m not. But my new stretch marks say differently. Any pictures you’ve seen recently have all been taken from very odd angles to try to hide it. I am once again living in dresses. And my running shorts have turned almost scandalously short. Not ok.

It also finally clicked that my side is affecting my sleep. I may be a night owl but normally when I do fall asleep, it’s next to impossible to wake me up and I always stayed in the same position. Curled up on my left side, always. I’ve tried to sleep in other positions but always ended up back on my left side. I haven’t been able to sleep on my left side in months. Grrr. Oh and my side talks. Seriously everyone at work has heard it. Sometimes it sounds like a whale. At least that’s what a coworker used to say. Other times a plane. And not in the I’m hungry, let’s growl way. It moves too. Yay me.

So when the doctor ordered another CT scan, I was torn about it. As much as you want answers, you also don’t want anything to be really wrong. It’s kind of a catch-22. I’ll also say that the results could have been so much worse. But words like collapsed and mass are not things you want to read on a medical report. Or hear from the doctor who sounds completely confused. So now I wait while they are requesting yet another test to try and figure out what is going on. But I can’t just wait.

I haven’t had the best luck with Atkins. Partly because it was a little tricky and partly because I cheated too often. It was an interesting 3+ months. I also didn’t like that a lot of the options that were “low-carb” had an ingredient list 5 miles long. And most of them were words I couldn’t even pronounce. Also, I can not get into Quest bars, I don’t understand the fascination with them. That consistency is just odd. It was a little too easy to eat crappy food as long as it fit within my carb limits for the day. If you ask my mother, Atkins made me worse. My side’s hurt longer than that so not true. She also questions if I should be running at all. Doc didn’t say to stop but I also didn’t ask. I figured I would stick with 3 days running and slow down my easy runs. That’s not a lot.

So for plan b (or is it plan f now?) I am wading into the Paleo waters. I’ve mentioned it in passing before but never followed through. Now I am really going to give it a try. Baby steps, but I am going to try. The plan was to start this week but if you read my last post, you know I cheated more than few times last week. Instead I started this week with the Slacker version of a reboot. Starting Sunday, breakfast and lunch were all fruits and veggies via smoothies. Dinner was usually more veggies. It was surprisingly easy. Except for Wednesday night, I had a serious case of the munchies. All I wanted was cake or ice cream. Seriously, if the fair wasn’t in town and making traffic crazy I might have headed to the donut shop. Thankfully, it passed. I wasn’t expecting miracles but I don’t feel worse, maybe just a little more even. So, I’m calling it a win. My mother told me I looked less puffy today. 😉

On another note, since last week I’ve cut my Diet Coke intake in half. Slacker say what?! Normal for me was 2 a day. Now those 2 were 32 oz. One in the morning and one around 2:30. I only drink soda at work or when I’m eating out. I don’t even buy it for home. Combine those sodas with my usual over indulgence in water and I drink a lot of liquid throughout the day. 😃 I still commute so I added black coffee in the morning to keep me alert. Baby steps, right? I don’t think I will ever give soda up completely. It’s my one vice. Seriously, it tastes amazing after a race.

Now my challenge is to get through the weekend without backsliding too much. I also need to double check my list for my first paleo grocery trip this weekend. I can do this right? Can I get through cookie Friday?! Will this help? I have no idea but at least I am doing something while I wait. I’m not even aiming high, I would like to follow the 80/20 rule with this new plan. Mostly because pizza, and the previously mentioned Diet Coke.

Thanks for listening to me whine.

Any Paleo tips?

What’s your vice? What one food could you not give up?