My calves were tight and my arches were sore and achy. I think my PureFlow 4’s are dead. Which is not cool as they only have 146 miles on them. I think… I lost most of my shoe data when Nike updated their running app. Boo. But they felt dead on my run and since is my third pair of them, I am pretty familiar with the signs of a dead shoe.
So now what? I am not hugely fond of the 5’s I have been testing. Granted, I’ve only put 5 miles total on them. The toebox feels small- which I usually like- but the ankle area feels very floppy. I tried re-lacing them on my last run in them but they still felt off. No bloody heels though, so that was a plus.
So while I was running, ok well, taking lots of walk breaks, I was thinking. I’ve dropped thoughts about my weight recently- this still isn’t that post- but what if my weight is affecting my shoes?
Am I too large for my shoes?
I am honestly wondering this not trying to stir anything up. When I was heavier I ran in support shoes. Over the years as I both ran more and lost weight, my shoes kept getting lighter and with a smaller heel toe drop. And things were mostly fine. But now, I am heavier than I want to be by a decent amount. Let’s be real, I am closer to the weight I was when I first started running than I am to when I was at peak fitness 2 years ago. Could that be affecting my shoes?
I know the weight affects my form at times. Especially if I wear the wrong pair of shorts on a run. It could have all the markings of a great run but the wrong shorts right now will turn it to a crap storm real fast. Which then throws off my stride. So why couldn’t that be happening with my shoes?
Problem is that I don’t know how to test this little theory of mine. I mean I could by another pair of shoes but all this shoe buying is getting a little expensive. I am hesitant to return the PureFlow 5’s as I’ve only put 5 miles on them. It took me 20+ to break in the teal pair of 4’s that I had but then I put another 200ish miles on them. The last pair of normal running shoes-i.e more support- I owned was well over a year ago. I actually gave them to my mother to be gardening shoes. So that’s out as an option too.
Then on Saturday, I ran 8 miles in my Nike’s and my legs felt better than they have in weeks. They have even less to them than my Brooks. But, I was also in compression socks. Is it all in my head?!?!
I would love to say I as going to lose the weight and all would return to normal. But again, let’s be real, I’ve trying that for a year and failing in numerous ways. So now what?
It seems like this is the ultimate race weekend. Chicago, Long Beach, Brooklyn, Hartford, Steamtown, Tyler Rose- and those are just the ones I know of from reading your blogs. I am sure there are numerous more. Congratulations to everyone who ran today and good luck to everyone racing tomorrow!
Then there’s City to the Sea. I’ve run this race twice before, both times were a PR. A pretty big PR each time- around 10 minutes each time. My current half marathon PR was set at City to the Sea in 2013- 2:05:53. No pressure, right?
PR smiles..and trying to hide my shaking legs-2013
Being real though, I am not in PR shape. And then there’s the course. I aim to positive split this course. Intentionally.
That was my plan 2 years ago and it worked. However this year also brings a change in course. The race starts in SLO and ends in Pismo- 2 towns over. The former course had you running down the main drag, under the freeway, up a frontage road then over the freeway, up a frontage road then under the freeway again before heading up another main drag. And roads weren’t closed. This year the course deviates after mile 5. The previous hill towards the end grew in size.
At the start 2012
I didn’t run this race last year due some health issues so I am looking forward to this year. That said, I am going in with minimal goals. They are as follows-
Goal A– No pressure, have fun running what was one of my favorites races. Enjoy the new scenery. Part of the course covers the Bob Jones trail. I’m told it’s a lovely paved trail with great scenery in a nearby beach town but I’ve never run it. Now I get to with a couple thousand runner friends. 😃
Goal B- Sub 2:10 This should be doable. Maybe not comfortable but doable. That said, you never know how race day will go. I think my biggest obstacle with this is new medication I started a week ago that turns me into a walking zombie. If that happens, then I will just be the fastest walking zombie ever. Why is there not a zombie emoji?!!?!
Goal C- Sub 2:05- New PR Highly unlikely but stranger things have happened. I think every starting line brings visions of a PR. Which is fine. I set myself a goal breaking 2:00 someday and every run and every race will bring me closer to that. Even if it takes a little longer. 😏
Did I mention that SLO hit 105* on Friday? Go home weather, you’re drunk. I am suddenly looking forward to the 7AM start time. Well sort of. I am a slacker after all.
Who raced/ races this weekend?
Ever meet a social media friend in real life?
Do you have fall weather?Seriously jealous right now.
You know those motivational images that say that no one ever regrets a workout?
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?
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?
I consider myself a fairly calm person in emergency situations. This has also been tested a few times and been proven mostly true. Earthquakes, car accidents, electrical panels catching on fire, customers trying to beat up employees, etc, I stay calm. Even my first car accident when I was young and dumb, I stayed mostly calm. I calmly came to, assessed the damage ( I hit a wall) and tried to turn the car off and take the keys out of the ignition to cut the power. Too bad I wasn’t thinking about the fact that the car had to be in park to accomplish all that. 🙂 I was also calm when I saw my passenger lying on the ground. I knew he had to have gotten there on his own and he had. He got out and went and laid down. No, none of us had been drinking. I stayed fairly calm through all this but lost it when I called my mom- so mostly calm. That big earthquake that damaged town years ago? I was working when it rolled through, I told everyone to take cover and I went to turn off the large open gas range. We then evacuated, still calm. My point to all this is that I am not one who panics easily. So imagine my shock when I ran myself into a panic attack a couple years ago.
I did a good majority of my runs on the high school track that summer. I would run in the evenings after work. The football team was usually practicing but they never said I couldn’t be there so I would just run in the outside lane minding my own business. The track used to be my happy place and favorite place to run. I headed there one evening for an easy 5 mile run. The team was there as usual and my mother was as well, she was going walk laps while I ran. It was hot but no hotter than any other day. I remember feeling pretty good and keeping a good pace. 2 miles in I started to freak out. For no reason. First, I had trouble breathing. I knew it wasn’t an asthma attack but I could not catch my breath or calm myself down. Then I started crying, I mean full on sobs, again for no known reason. I had plenty of water and didn’t feel dehydrated. In fact my body felt fine other than the emotional freak out. I had no idea what was going on and it was scary but I could not calm down. But I’m wasn’t very smart, so I finished my run, thinking it would help calm me down. I hadn’t discovered the online running community yet so I did the only thing I could think of when I got home. Google. I read stories of people having similar experiences but no clues as to why it happened. I was nervous to run for a while but it never happened again so I put it out of my mind. Until Wednesday’s run.
Lies!!
Summer has definitely arrived and temps in home town have been in the high 90’s to 100 range. While I am loving it, I have been taking things a little slower. Wednesday was day 3 of my training plan and my second run. The plan called for a 30 minute easy run but I was aiming for 40. My weather app said that the temp at the lake was 81 so I headed there to run. It lied. It was more like 91. Still, I was fine with that, I had had 90 oz of water at work and had a full bottle for my run. I used plenty of sunblock and wore my hat, I felt good and ready to go. I walked my usual little warm up and started to run. Then stopped 20 yards later. Walked some more, then tried running again. Only to stop again. Repeat numerous times over the next mile and a half. My head was totally in the game but I could not get my body to do what I wanted it to do. It was like it was refusing to run. The more I tried to push, the more it pushed back. At mile 1.5, I felt it again. My breathing was becoming erratic and it wasn’t from exertion. Maybe it was because it happened before but this time I recognized that I was about to have a panic attack. For no reason, again. I knew I had plenty of water, wasn’t dehydrated and was still sweating so I don’t think the heat had anything to do with it. It hadn’t been a stressful day and my stomach has been feeling better lately. Then, trying to force myself to calm down was just making things worse. Being smarter now (just a little) I just walked back to the car and stayed in the shade while I got everything under control. What the hell?!
Once again, I have no idea what caused it. I didn’t feel like it was too hot, but maybe my run the day before was too hot? I always clear a minimum of 120 oz of water a day, so it’s not like I was dehydrated. Yes, work has been stressful but no more than usual. Sleep is the same as always so it couldn’t have been that. Grrrrr. Granted, it’s only happened twice but it’s still freaky. It doesn’t make sense. And now I am nervous for my next run. Grrrr.
Slacker Runner 