Running Blues

I've been unable to run for the past week because of my back. It feels almost normal today, though, so I'll give it another try tomorrow. Here's hoping for a good workout!

I've been a bit down lately. It does not help that I'm currently reading Running with the Buffaloes: A Season Inside with Mark Wetmore, Adam Goucher, and the University of Colorado Men's Cross Country Team by Chris Lear. As the author chronicles the monster training done by all members of the team, I too itch to run mega miles. I've been running for a year, though, and right now would probably collapse if I had to put in more than five at a time.

I want to put in more but as my back injury shoes, I'm just not capable of it. I get excited to go and then get running and feel beat before I begin. The miles trickle by. Perhaps I just need to run faster but I can't do that very well either. Perhaps I'm just itching to get training again...

Next week, I'll start a Hal Higdon 10K training plan for a race in September that I ran last year. Half marathon training is scheduled to begin on the fifth week of my eight week training program for the 10K. Not sure how that will go but I figure having some extra weeks before the 1/2 training starts can't hurt, right? Right now it seems like I need all the training I can get.

The Tweak

Ah, it has happened again. I pushed myself on my Tuesday run and ended up tweaking my back. So rather than risk really screwing it up, I'm taking today off and heading to the chiropractor tonight. Hopefully, I'll be ready to run tomorrow!

In other news, I think my sis and I have finally decided on our next half marathon: City of Oaks on November 7th. We had tried to find an October half as we're itching to start training but it just wasn't in the cards... The only option that could fit sis's schedule was a small race in Greensboro. Given the lack of facilities and the fact we'd probably finish last and drive two hours to do so didn't make me a huge fan. I am excited to run Raleigh. The hills should make it a fun challenge and I'm glad to finally do a half here in NC.

Guess I have plenty of time to train for my September 10K!

MISSZIPPY's Road ID Giveaway

MISSZIPPY is having a fabulous giveaway this week! Visit her blog to check it out!

Reading, Running, and Wondering

I've spent the past few days reading Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall. I loved this book! Given that it is about hard core ultra athletes and a forgotten Mexican tribe, I thought I'd have little to relate to but McDougall writes as if he's having a conversation with you and I found myself hanging on to each word.
Born to Run is unbelievably informative - the book covers everything from the evolution of the human body to the creation of modern running shoes and the onslaught of injuries such as planter faciitis. McDougall's effortlessly details all aspects of his investigation into the ultrarunning world and a tribe of the world's greatest athletes. Along the way, McDougall provides honest yet lovable descriptions of those with him along the journey. I was sad when I reached the end of the book; I wanted to know more about the Party Kids and Caballo and Jurek... but more than that, I wanted to know what McDougall's secret is. In the time period described in this book, McDougall goes from a broken down runner to a man who is able to complete a 50 mile race in the Copper Canons with only the discomfort most of us would endure as a result of much shorter races. Is it simply a question of running form or is it more, as he hints at? Perhaps it is related to the mindset of a true runner which he describes as caring and unfailingly giving?

Given that McDougall started out on this journey as a result of pain in his foot from his planter fascia - what he calls the vampire bite of running injuries - and that I, too, suffer from PF, I am very curious as to how he got back on track. It took diligence and a great amount of effort, that is doubtless. But for all his endless facts about how and why running shoes are bad for you, he never says if he changed shoes or tried running barefoot himself. I buy into his story, though. I do think my feet are weak and I have noticed that wearing cushy shoes changes where I put my weight on my foot. My own struggles with PF has led me to believe that shoes cannot cure what ails you but they can make it worse.

While I don't see myself hopping on the barefoot bandwagon, I do think that I will try to strengthen my feet and pay more attention to my running form. I tried to do this yesterday during a short tempo run on the treadmill and I have to say that the actual act of running felt better as I tried to get my legs more "under me" but it also felt like a lot of work! Seems like my feet might not only be the only part of me that needs some strength-building sessions!

Shut Up and Run's Awesome Giveaway

My favorite blogger is hosting a giveaway for a Silver Maple gift certificate. Check it out here!

Hobblestein

How many 28 year-old (mostly) fit people hobble out of their bed every morning? This one sure does! It started with planter faciitis in March. The PF got better with some new shoes but it still bothers me when I get up. Most days, my back and calves do, too. As a result, at the sound of my alarm (located for some masochistic reason in the bathroom), I heave myself up and proceed Frankenstein-esque the ten or so steps it takes to hit the snooze button. The Frankenstein hobble is usually repeated three more times until it is finally so late that I must actually hobble my way into readiness for work. This morning, though, I could not hit snooze as I had too many errands to run before work. Having to do the hobblestein all through the house led me to the realization that my morning problems with mobility are ridiculous! Usually, I loosen up a bit with each trip to the alarm so that when I actually get up, the hobble isn't quite so bad. Since I did not have the luxury of hitting snooze today, though, the hobble was at its worst and proved to be very problematic as I tried to lurch around three large and excited dogs to get ready for work.

I stretch, I get my rest days in, my mileage is quite low so why I hobble is a bit confusing. I'm so glad my boyfriend considers my get-up time much too early to open his eyes or I'm sure he'd be very alarmed. Something must be done, though! I can not be in my 20s and also struggle to walk normally when I have no real cause not to. I shall investigate and see what the running experts say to do about this. Lord knows that if, for some reason, I'm in a hotel and we have to evacuate in the middle of the night, I might not make it out in my current condition!

The Joy of Running

After taking the weekend off and completely forgetting to do my core exercises on Monday, I was in desperate need of a good workout on Tuesday. As of late, I've struggled to get runs in that afterward leave me feeling refreshed. I have been walking a lot and cutting my runs short. Doing so leaves me feeling a bit like a failure. With all of this in mind, I went to the gym yesterday to get in a tempo run.

I started off slow and increased my mileage every quarter mile for one mile until I reached my goal pace for the tempo run. After running for what felt like an eternity, I slowed down every quarter mile for a mile and ended my workout. No walking! And despite a tough mental battle, I lasted as long as I'd planned on lasting! Sure enough, I had that post workout high that I have been missing terribly.

So why had I lost that feeling? Why had I been copping out on my runs? Perhaps because I'm not training for anything at the present moment even though I'm supposed to be learning how to run faster. Running faster is hard. I could run for hours at a snails pace - come on, who couldn't? Challenging myself to pick it up gets me out of my comfort zone - there I was, huffing and puffing on the treadmill, probably making a pretty big scene given the relative quiet of the gym... Definitely not ideal for someone who would rather go unnoticed. In the end, though, if I can win that mental battle to stick it out, it is definitely worth it. Ah the joy of running.