Pain and Rain

Today's run:
8 miles not 10.
Knee HURT.
Rain.
Cold.

That about sums it up. My knee really decided not to participate so I walked most of the last two. And then really couldn't go the additional two. It's hurting pretty bad this afternoon. I'm going to get out the foam roller and see if I can roll out some of the tightness that I'm sure is causing this pain in the first place. (The roller is kind of neat. Jodi got it a few months ago. You just roll on it over the muscle. Feels good...eventually.)

I'm a bit discouraged by today's run. I trudged along. Made decent time. But then at the end, my knee just really hurt to run. I could walk with very little pain. So I did that. And I've just got to be ok with that. I have to realize that I haven't done any long runs since the G'town Half two weeks ago. So 8 miles is still pretty good. I guess.....

Lindy hung with me today. She was patient as I trotted along. She has a very gentle spirit. She ran the Phoenix Rock 'N Roll Marathon and later found out she had a stress fracture in her foot. She's recovered now and is training for San Diego. She has a *real* reason to be doing this. She is a leukemia survivor. She had CML and received 2 bone marrow transplants from her brother. Her 2nd transplant was ten years ago this April 15. She's doing great now. It was an inspiration to run with her today.

After the run, I went to Cooper's t-ball game. How entertaining that was! Cooper was so excited -- he loves baseball. But the kids were so funny. It was still freezing and damp at the game and I really couldn't get home and get in the tub quick enough. Then I took a little nap while I listened to the rain and watched "Ferris Buehler's Day Off". Nice restful afternoon.

Now, let's talk TIGERS. This is an AP story from FoxSports:

Memphis makes mincemeat of Michigan State--
Pity those poor, vulnerable Memphis Tigers. You know, the ones who just made mincemeat out of yet another team that was supposed to end their stay in the NCAA tournament. This time, they took it out on Michigan State, embarrassing yet again all those naysayers who suggested Memphis was the most suspect of the top seeds in this year's NCAA tournament. The final score Friday night: Memphis 92, Michigan State 74, but really, it was worse than that.

FINALLY a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T. The first half last night was some of the best basketball I've ever seen. The Tigers looked great. We were up by 30 at the half! If we continue to play like we did last night, we're headed all the way!!!

Physiology 101

Today's pain is brought to you by that pesky iliotibial band. The IT Band is a layer of connective tissue. It begins at a muscle near the outside of the hip, travels down the outer side of your thigh, crosses the outerside of the knee, and attaches to the outer side of your upper shin bone. Iliotibial band syndrome occurs when the band repeatedly rubs over the bump of the thigh bone, near the knee, causing the band to be irritated. The band is rubbed over the bone when the knee is flexed and extended. All this occurs most often in, you guessed it, running.


So I have found some new stretching exercises to add to my repertoire. The rest of the treatment is the same: ice, some rest, anti-inflammatories..... blah blah blah. I had seen a little bit about the whole IT Band issue when I was reading all about the shin splints. It's another overuse injury that's very common in runners. I'm just falling apart.....


I put in 2 miles this morning. Lots of walking intervals because of the above mentioned problemo. But movement nonetheless. It was quite windy, but about 68 degrees, so pleasant. Tomorrow is an off day and Saturday's long run is scheduled for 10 miles. Eeeek. Not really looking forward to that since I've done *nothing* that long since the half marathon two weeks ago.


Another source of pain...my NCAA bracket! What on earth?! San Diego over UConn. West Virginia over Duke? USC is out. Villanova and Davidson are in. This is what makes March Madness so fun. I LOVE THIS STUFF!!!! My home bracket still has 11 of the Sweet 16 remaining. My work bracket (*if* we were to do this at work....) isn't fairing so well with only 7 remaining. I'm still waiting for Tennessee to go down. (I was rooting hard for Butler this weekend. Tonight I'm a Louisville Cardinals fan - I never thought I'd say that....) Sweet 16 starts turning into the Elite 8 tonight - can't wait. Bottom line is that the mighty Memphis Tigers play tomorrow night at 9pm!!! Totally psyched. GO TIGERS!!!!

100 MILES!!

Today I officially hit 100 miles that I have run since the beginning of our training in January. I'm sure I've gone over that since I don't track some of the 'runs' that were mostly 'walks'. But I am celebrating today as my 100-mile mark. Ta-da!!!

I put in 2 miles on the treadmill this morning. I actually thought once that I wished I were outside -- who would think I would ever feel that way about my treadmill. But it's so boring. And there is that constant blinking display telling you how far (or how NOT far) you've come. But I got through it with a little help from a Law & Order rerun.

My knee was hurting while I was running. What's up with that?

I am accepting the fact that it has taken me longer to recover from the half than I thought it would. It took quite a little toll on the ol' 42 year old bod. In turn, I've had to slow it down these last 10 days which makes it a bit harder to pick up again. I am catching myself thinking that I really want to RUN a large portion of the marathon. Which would be nice. But my goal is to FINISH the marathon. So when I am sidelined, or slower, or aching, I have to just continue doing what I can do, at the pace my body dictates, and keep my mind focused on the original goal.

In the fundraising arena, my total is sitting at $2,821!! You guys are amazing and I am humbled and so appreciative of your generosity and support. I know Daddy would be too. I am touched by the gifts I have received from people I do not know. I received a gift this weekend from another friend of my dad's cousin. A person whom I've never met. But she is cheering me on and supporting my effort. (Thanks Sally!) I also got a donation from someone with no connection to me or my family. She was searching online for participants in the Germantown Half Marathon, found this blog, and made a donation to my Team in Training. I am almost at a loss for words by her act of kindness. (Alissa, I don't even know if you've come back to read more...but thank you!!) I am just so thankful to all of you for your donations. It's an amazing testimony to my dad. This is all about him. And I hope that you know how humbled and grateful he would be. But most importantly I hope every one of you knows that your gift - large or small - makes a difference in the lives of people who are suffering from leukemia and other blood cancers. Each dollar is just one more step toward a cure. You really are making a difference. I hope you know that. I'm crying now, so I'll quit.

Double digit day!

Yep! I did it! Ten miles. TEN MILES!!!!! I was real anxious this morning about it - about attempting it. I was talking to Jodi before I left "Should I stick with the walkers? Should I not even try? Should I run? Should I just walk and not even try to run? I don't know what to do!!!!!" He said - in his calm way - "You can't have a plan. Just go do it and it will work out. Goodbye Turtle." So I did it. I just did it and it all worked out.

It was, hands down, the prettiest day we've had in all of our training. Sunny and 'warm' (mid-40's)

Miles 1-3.5
We took off and I immediately fell to the back of the pack. I'm used to that, so it's ok. George hung back with me because he had to take it easy today since he's running the Little Rock Marathon tomorrow. (Yeah, an easy 10 miles today before 26 tomorrow....)

Leg felt moderately ok. There was some ouchiness. But nothing that made me scream and turn around. I walked. And I ran. And I walked. And I ran.

Not only did my feet run, but my mouth did too. At about mile 3, I realized that I had been talking non-stop. Poor George. He'll wear his iPod next week...

Soon, we were on the path along Germantown Road and the Shell station (aka Pit Stop) was in view. Julie the Mentor had left a cooler of water, Gatorade and goo at the little path heading off the road. So I dig in to find some water. When I looked up, Jodi and the kids were pulling in to the lot! I was so surprised and excited to see them!! What timing that was too! We chatted just a bit. They watched me suck down the Gu (strawberry banana - decent and tolerable) then said bye while we trotted across the street to use the potty at the Shell station. Seeing them was a boost that beats any Gu any day! How sweet was that?!?!

Miles 3.5-6.5
Back out and down the road. This time we headed DOWN Germantown Road (major traffic) and I said that now I was one of the idiots that I see running down the Germantown Road. Good grief. There's a cut through in front of a little strip shopping center that takes us down the path to the trail. This little trail was really pretty. There were bridges and a little wishing well and benches. Just a real nice area.

Somewhere along this path, we meet Julie, Nicole & Wes (the other Rock 'n Rollers). They are headed back. About this time, my toes start hurting really bad too. I stopped once to rub them and it helped a little bit, but didn't totally fix the problem. (I'm wondering if this area may flare up as we increase the distance. I had some foot surgery about 20 years ago on that same spot. Oh well. Can't borrow trouble.)

We hit the magic 5 mile mark and turned around. I'm feeling ok. Seemed like my legs would hurt a little and then quit. It was definitely manageable. Especially since I was just stopping to walk whenever they flared up. So, back up the path and back to Germantown Road. It was at this point that Jodi and the kids drive by again (they had been to Sonic) and he says to me across 6 lanes of traffic with his police radio as they drive by"Pick 'em up and put 'em down Mama!".

George veered over to pit at the Shell again and I went back down the awaiting cooler. I saw Jodi and the kids waiting too. There were three 'serious runners' hanging there also. I saw the guy talk to Jodi and then everybody started cheering "C'mon Angie!!!" Yea for me! Jodi said that the guy asked if they should do the wave and he said "No, Angie HATES the wave." One quick bottle of water and good bye to my #1 fan club and we're off again.

Miles 6.5-10.0
This is where I kind of quit talking. This is where my shins weren't hurting so bad. Or maybe I didn't notice it because my feet were hurting. And my knee. And my hips. Oowwie! But I trudged on. Running and walking and walking and running. The last two miles were tough. Man, everything was just hurting.

Once we got to the lake, there was a lot of activity. There was a three-legged dog coming toward me with his owner who was pushing a stroller. I decided that if the three-legged dog passed me, I would end my marathon quest then and there. But the dog ended up stopping and I pressed on.

George had gone on ahead a bit and Julie, Nicole and her husband Jim were waiting at the finish point. They all cheered for me. That was super sweet because I think they finished at least thirty minutes ahead of me - maybe more. And they waited just for me. (Thanks guys!). I was EXCITED!!! I DID IT!!! Ten miles. Total time was 2:30. So, even coming off the DL I still managed a consistent and 'normal' pace. I am really proud of how I did today and pleasantly surprised!

I told you that Jodi is following the training schedule too. So when I got home, he headed out for his ten miles. The afternoon was slow moving for both of us. He is fighting some bad blisters on his feet and I was so sore I could hardly move. But we recovered while we watched the Tigers chalk up another win. GO TIGERS!!

The encouragement I got today was so great. From my wonderful family. From my Coach. From my Team in Training. And from some total strangers. It felt so good. It's what got me through the ten miles.

"Slow and Steady continued on and on. She never, ever quit until she came to the finish line. The animals who were watching cheered loudly for Tortoise."

Progress made:
I ran TEN MILES today!!!
My fundraising total is now $2366!

Lesson learned:
I can't have a plan. I should "just go do it and it will work out."

It will all be OK

The day after.....

I think I can finally talk about the Tiger game without crying. Tough loss. I'm just sad they lost. At home. To Tennessee. I'm sure we'll plummet in the polls. The media loves to hate us. Guess the loss had to come sometime. Maybe I'm glad it came now during regular season than later during the tourny. I hope there's a #1 seed in our future. Although that does add much more pressure. Oh the stress of it all! Can't wait for March Madness to begin - truly the *best* time of the sports year. GO TIGERS!

Thanks to all who commented or emailed or called or just gave me some encouragement yesterday while I was D-O-W-N about not running. I think I did work through that disappointment and am seeing the importance of the decision. Just a small detour early on is better than a major derailment later. I do want to complete this training and FINISH THE MARATHON so bad. I realized just how bad yesterday. Plus, Daddy would really give me the what for if I continued to try to run while I'm messed up. I don't want to let anybody - especially him - down during this quest.

The good news is that I THINK my legs may be some better. I alternated ice with heat last night and again today. And I've switched over to Alleve. Maybe the combination of those things (along with the laying off) has given me some improvement. I am not feeling the constant burning and pain today. Only an occasional twinge of ouchness. That is a first for me in about a week. Maybe I'm turning a corner here... I hope so!

I'm thinking I'll need to alter my training schedule again this week. I'll have to take a look. I'll get some pilates in tomorrow and Tuesday. Maybe a little walking and then maybe by Wednesday or Thursday, I could put in a mile or so to see how I'm feeling. I think I'm scheduled for 10 on Saturday. Wonder how that will play out. I will just take it slow. And be ok with that.

On another note, I read a few blogs of other runners - most of them are a bit more seasoned than me. Some are TNT members too. But I get a lot of info and advice by just reading their stories. I found one blog belonging to Roxie in NY. She is devoted TNT runner who lost a dear friend to Lymphoma. She is now training for her third marathon. (She ran San Diego in 2007!) I made a comment on her blog Friday about how I had discovered her blog, was struggling with some injury, why I was doing TNT, etc. She, in turn, replied with a nice encouraging comment. I was reading her post today where she detailed her 16 mile run yesterday (WOW!). She listed the things that kept her going during the last stretch of her run. One thing was "a comment from a reader (thanks angie!)". That made me feel really good. Then I started thinking that while I was feeling all sorry for myself yesterday morning, I was actually encouraging somebody at that exact time. And that was a nice feeling and helped me check out of my pity party.

So see.....it will ALL be OK.

Taking it slow

I was anxious to attempt to run, walk or even move on the treadmill this morning because my calves were hurting so bad. I put in 2 miles - walking mostly and a little running. My calves were burning almost the whole time. I just think I need to take it real slow and not push myself through this. But right now, almost 2 hours later, I am feeling better than I was while I was actually walking. So I wonder what that's about. I am wondering if I will be able to run/walk the 9 miles on Saturday. Or maybe I should just walk all of it and just let this inflammation settle down. I need to ask Nanette about that.

Big banner headline on the front page of the CA today about the Tigers/Vols game: "Bring 'em on!". That's funny - that's almost the same title I posted last night. But that's how Memphis is thinking right now. This game on Saturday is huge and is the talk of the town and the hottest ticket around. I AM STOKED and cannot wait!!! GO TIGERS! (Can you believe we shot almost 78% from the free throw line?!)

Progress made:

Accomplished 2 miles of movement this morning

My fundraising total is $2,026! Thanks everybody!

The Bionic Woman

LOVED that show when I was a kid. Jaime Sommers and Steve Austin. The perfect bionic couple. Lindsay Wagner was so pretty. And Lee Majors was beyond handsome. Connie even had the Bionic Woman doll - her rubber skin rolled up to show her bionics.






Well, The Bionic Woman doesn't have anything on me. Check this out.
I finally acknowledged that my shin/calf pain was a bit more than "oh my calves hurt because I've been running". There was a specific place that hurt pretty bad to the touch. So, I went down to see Nanette in PT and she said it was probably an "itis of the peroneous something or other" which basically means inflammation of the leg muscle. So she gets this patch thing that uses a small electronic current to put cortisone directly into the sore spot on my leg. I am to wear it for three hours and then take it off. It even has a little green light which will turn red when my time is up.

She wants me to rest tomorrow and get another patch. Run on Thursday. Rest Friday (which was already scheduled) and get another patch. Then do my long run on Saturday.

I'm very thankful that this is just some inflammation and not any kind of a stress fracture. I google too much.....But I think I had ignored it long enough and then realized that this could lead to something a lot worse that could end my marathon running career before it ever got going. (insert laugh here)

Jaime Sommer's bionics gave her amplified hearing, a greatly strengthened right arm, and enhanced legs, enabling her to run faster than a speeding car. I can't wait to see how I turn out after my electronic patch.

Owwww

My. Legs. Hurt.

Tight calf

I was just doing a bit of googling about this shin/calf thing. I found a forum where somebody asked the question "What is the best solution to relieve tension in a calf that is so tight that it hurts to run?"

One reply: "Amputation."
Another reply: "I thought this thread was going to be about baby cows...."

Calm after the storm

I hope everybody is ok after last night's major storms and tornadoes. The kids and the dog spent about an hour in the closet. There were a few times I had them "assume the position" when I heard some streets mentioned on TV that were less than 1 mile from my house. At one point, I went outside and I heard a train. And I started to freak out because everybody says that a tornado coming sounds like a train. But then I heard the train whistle and realized it was a real train. Whew. But the storms were major and there was loss of life and property right here in Memphis. It was scary. I took this picture on my patio looking south. Not sure what it was, but I didn't like the looks of it.



I think even Dave Brown was a bit rattled when they said the National Weather Service had issued a "tornado emergency". I looked that up on Wikipedia (love me some Wiki). Check this out: "A tornado emergency is issued by the National Weather Service when a large, violent tornado is expected to impact a populated area. Since its inception in 1999, the Tornado Emergency text has only been used on ten occasions, and until February 5, 2008, no more than one per day. During the Super Tuesday Tornado Outbreak of 2008, four Tornado Emergencies were issued in Tenneseee." That's pretty major. It was a bit scary, but we all made it ok and I'm thankful for that. I am, however, still missing a patio chair...

Now to the topic at hand. This morning was very pleasant and a lovely morning for a walk. And that's just what I did. Walked. All stinking 3 miles. My calves were so tight when I tried to run that they felt like they would snap in two. Bad enough that I just didn't think "pushing through the pain" was a good idea. So I walked it. I'm trying not to beat myself up about this. I know I have to listen to my body and I certainly don't want to really injure myself and be in major trouble. So, I will look at the positive side and be ok with the fact that there was "continuous movement" (that's what the coaches encourage). I'm sure part of the problem is that I get up and stretch and then go run (or try to) first thing. But it would probably be more helpful if I had more time to really warm up and let my muscles wake up, etc. Because now, 2 hours later, I'm feeling ok and I'm a little ticked about that. Maybe I can get the runs in later at night after homework, bath, bed, etc. Not sure how that would work. In the meantime, more ice, Advil and lots more stretches.

Progress made:
My fundraising total is $1,376! WOO-HOO! Thanks everybody!

It's all about the accessories

Thought I'd share a picture of my fancy new running shoes. It's hard to see, but there are little flames on the sides of the shoe. I thought that might make me go faster. Or at least give the appearance of going faster. Maybe it's a new nickname for me. Like Flaming Feet or Feet Afire or something like that. What was the name of that running movie - Chariots of Fire? Hmmmm.

Still some pain in my legs - even today, which is an off day. I did Pilates this morning, so maybe that stretching will help. I'm a bit bummed, because I had bought a 2 DVD set - one was lower body and one was abs. So this morning, I'm thinking I'll try the one for abs. But it was the same DVD as the lower body one - the 'Push your way through thick molasses' one.... So now I have two of those. Will need to return that set I guess. In the meantime, I've become pretty adept at what Polly Pilates is trying to get me to do.



I also got a neat little gadget the other day to "add instant visibility". It's a 2-piece thing with a strong magnet - so the blinking part goes on the outside of your jacket or shirt and the back goes on the inside. And then the little LED light just blinks so cars will see you while you are running in the dark. I used this yesterday for the first time. And was sadly reminded again that there are no cars at 4 in the morning.....

Rain is wet, but 63 degrees feel pretty darn good

It was just misting a little bit this morning when I headed out. I don't check the weather before I go out in the mornings; I only check the low the night before. I don't want anything to discourage me from heading out in the morning. So, last night's low was 58 and I dressed accordingly. It was nice to not have to put on all those layers. I also only wore an ear band instead of my wooly little hat. I found out pretty quick that the ear band is not a friend of the iPod ear buds....there were some issues there. I also found out that when it starts raining, a cap is in order. I was wiping the rain off my face. It wasn't real hard rain, but it was enough for me to think that I was a bit nuts for tackling today's run outside. But, I did it. All three miles. And I only had to stop one time. Small victory there. About the time I finished up, the bottom really fell out of the sky. Good timing there.

I do think that I almost have the Nike thing set on my iPod. The Nike Voice Man did give me accurate distance today. (I drove my route in the car last night and also wore a pedometer this morning.) Nike Voice Man was pretty cool too. I set the distance I am going to run and then select "begin workout". Then, along the run he would tell me when I was 0.5 miles, 1.0 miles, etc. Then he said something about "workout half way completed". That was pretty good timing because that is when it was raining pretty good. But his encouragement, along with 'Brick House' by the Commodores on my iPod, encouraged me to continue. Once I got half way, Nike Voice Man started counting down the distance. So that's a nice little push too. And, since this was the first real callibrated run that I've done with the Nike+iPod, it registered as a "personal best" and I got a congratulations message from Lance Armstrong. How about that! Other music that kept me moving this morning was The Cars, OK Go, and Good Charlotte.

My shins did not hurt this morning as much as my calves. So I'm chalking that up to success because maybe it's more muscle today than bone. I can work through shin splints, but I do not want a stress fracture. I'm hopeful some of the soreness is because of the stretches I'm doing. I'm still holding out for progress to be made as a result of my new fancy running shoes and the exercises Nanette gave me. Plus, I have to remember that I've only been doing this distance stuff a little over a week.

Overall, a very nice, albeit wet, morning.

Training schedule for the week:

• Sunday - cross training (did Pilates yesterday)
• Monday - 3 miles (done!)
• Tuesday - off
• Wednesday - 3 miles
• Thursday - 3 miles
• Friday - off
• Saturday - 6 miles

Progress made:
Nike+iPod successfully calibrated.

Lesson learned:
Even the slightest bit of mist or rain really calls for a cap.

Less than ideal

Boy was it cold out there this morning. Twenty-five degrees. I dodged remnants of last night's wind storm - garbage cans, basketball goals, shingles...

Today was a tough one. My shins were really giving me some fits. I walked quite a bit, but still put in the 3 miles. I was accompanied this morning with some nice musical selections from Lenny Kravitz, The Foo Fighters, and Prince. I iced my shins when I got back inside and that has helped a lot. From what I've read, shin splints are common among beginning runners. I have been researching some stretches that I hope will help me out. I need to get some help from somebody down in PT today. In the meantime, Advil and ice are my friends.

I'm just disappointed with today's effort. But I guess that happens sometimes...

In the fundraising arena, my total is now $775. I'm excited about that. I'm so appreciative of the support that everyone has given me. Was particularly touched by a gift from a friend of my dad's cousin (who I've never even met) and also a gift from a friend of my parents who lost her husband to leukemia just a few weeks ago.

Progress made:
Doing well with my fundraising.

Lessons learned:
Not every run can be perfect.
Do not try to run on treadmill during sporadic power outage. Did that last night while I was working on my iPod. Not smart.

Need to work on:
Getting this shin pain under control
Nike+iPod was a bit better, but needs a bit more attention in the callibration department