TTT – the Good and the Bad

 

 The Bad:

1.  I’m sick of obsessing about my foot (heel).   I’ve researched my symptoms to death on the Internet.  I have everything and yet nothing.

2. I’m having race/run envy.  See my last post.  Everywhere I look, there’s a jogger or an email or FB post about a race. Does that only happen when you can’t run??

3. This is week#2 of Half Marathon training and I’ve decided not to run again until my heel stops hurting or the doctor says I can or both.  (Ultrasound is scheduled for tomorrow!!!!!!!)  Marathon #3 is Sept 25 but the real crisis is Marathon#4 which is in LA on Nov 6.  It’s too soon to freak out about that one, right?

The Good:

Amanda's Baby Shower

1. The girl I mentor is having a baby in 5 wks and I gave her a shower on Tuesday.

2003 HS reunion

2.  Some of my high schools will be in Vermont this weekend.  I haven’t seen them since in 8 yrs & we may rendez-vous.

Lake George

3.  The weather this summer has been beautiful & I have spent lots of time on our boat.  We’re going back up this weekend for 3 days!

Happy Running!

What’s Up Next (in My Dreams)

Still in pain and supposedly training for a half marathon in September but you know how I love races…So…. (if I were healthy…)

This 5K is on July 23. I have run this race 3 times and I love Saratoga!  My friend Mary has already signed up.  It is also halfway from my home to Lake George.

OR

This 5k is also on July 23.  I have run the Susan Komen 5K race 3 times in Albany in Oct.  I have 2 friends who have signed up.  I have MANY friends who have had this terrible disease!!! I have never run a race in Vermont.

AND

This 5K is on July 30.  I have run this race twice but in Albany in Dec.  This is a NEW location.  It’s at an amusement park and it’s in Lake George plus I have July 29 off from work.

AND

This 10K  is on Aug 6.  I have never done a 10K.  It is in Lake George.

AND

This 5K is on Aug 13.  I have run this race twice already.  Each time I won socks – one 1st place AG and one 2nd place AG award.  The race ends with a downhill and it’s on the way to Lake George.

So, there you have it!  My races plans… (provided that my heel pain disappears and I can run!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Happy Running (and racing)!

New Week & Ignoring My Injury

Update from Last Week:

My goal was 12  miles and I  ran  for a total of 11 miles. (Heel still hurts so ran/walked most of my miles)
No Races  
No Tennis 
I  did yoga once.

The Weekend:

We spent Sat & Sun on Lake George.  We slept on our boat at the marina in Bolton Landing.

relaxing on the island with friends Sat.

During the day, we were on Commission Point.

playing mah jongg Sat eve.

7 of my Mah Jongg friends were staying for the weekend on Schroon River.  This is only 15 minutes from where our boat is docked.  I snuck away for a few games.

Running 5 miles around the Sagamore grounds Sun am.

I didn’t run Wed, Thurs, Fri or Sat. 

They say: No Pain. No gain! Sun. morning was too beautiful not to run.  And even in pain, I felt better than sitting around.  My heel is the same – just a nuisance pain which I can run on but don’t want to push it until I get the diagnosis.

swimming in the lake on Sun.

playing "Washers" on the island on Sun.

A great weekend all around.  And I discovered a new soft ice cream place in Warrensburg!! (which is on our way home and near the GU where you can rent a move for #=$1)

This week’s schedule:

Tues – baby shower
Wed- yoga
Thurs – mall w/bf
Fri – ultrasound on my heel, mah jongg after work
Sat & Sun – boating on Lake George

This week’s running:
(This is tentative, of course, depending on the condition of my heel)

Mon –  3  mi  – after work
Wed – 3  mi  – before Yoga
Thurs – 4 mi – after work
Sun – 6 mi in Bolton Landing
 
Week Running Goal =  16 miles 
July Monthly Running Goal = 70 miles, a race or 2

Yearly Running Goal = 1011 miles

 Happy Running!

The Doctor Says…

Arrow Hitting The Heel Of A Foot, Achilles Heel, Symobolizing Weakness And Vulnerability Clipart Illustration Image by Maria Bell

After 3 weeks of burning pain in the back of my heel when I run, I went to the doctor today.

He took x-rays which he won’t know the results of until Monday.  He scheduled an ultrasound for next Friday. 

In the meantime, he prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs 2x a day, ice, heel lifts for my sneakers. He said to try running to see if the heel lifts help& if they do and there are no tears or bone spurs, I may need arch supports to use when I run.

He says it’s not PF which is easy to treat but maybe Achilles strain or heel spurs.  The treatment for that would be PT and no running!

So…………………. I may be walking Half Marathon #3  but I hope to be running in Half Marathon #4 (Nov 6 in LA)!!!!!!!!

This weekend, I will be crying having fun

playing mah jongg by the Schroon River

 

Hanging out on Lake George with my hubby

Happy Running! How do you stay positive when injured??

To Race or To Train or Both?

Summer 2008, 2009, 2010 – I ran 5ks almost every weekend. My goal was to try to get faster.

April 2008 – 1st 5k – 37:36
November 2010 – 27:30  (I got faster!!)

Then it all changed…

January 2011 – 1st Half Marathon
April 2011 – 2nd Half Marathon

Since there aren’t many 5ks during the colder months, I didn’t feel like I was giving up much.

Silks & Satins 5k ’10
Mary & me before the CRSS 5k ’10

 

September 2011 – 3rd Half Marathon!!

The Dilemma…

Summer 2011:

Do I race the summer 5ks? (I LOVE races.)
Do I skip the 5ks and train? (I NEED to do long runs at a HM pace.)
Do I run the 5ks and train? (I think I am too COMPETIVE to just run a race.)
Should I move my long runs to a weekday? (What about RAIN & LACK of ENERGY after a long day at work.)

Do I Race or Train or can I do Both?

Happy Running (or racing  or training!)

Half Marathon #3

My 3rd Half Marathon (Adirondack Half Marathon) will be on September 25, 2011 and it goes half way around Schroon Lake. (The Half Marathon will begin at the 13.1 mile marker and will end at the Full Marathon Finish Line. The runners will run on the easier section of the marathon course.  The first five to six miles are flat; then there are long, gentle hills on Route 9. Time to complete this race will be 5 hours.)

Good Things about this Race 🙂 :

  • The course is supposed to be beautiful.
  • It’s local – I can either sleep on my boat in Bolton Landing or at my friend’s house in Chestertown
  • It has an Expo (my first Expo.)
  • I won’t be running it alone (Bloggers Felice, Amanda & AJH, running friends Mary, Janis & Bridget are running it too.)
  • No pressure – 5 hour time limit
  • Lots of water stops
  • There’s a Pasta Party the night before.
  • You get a Finisher Medal!

Not So Good Things 😦 :

  • Training in the summer heat (never have run more than a 5k in the summer)!!
  • Finding time for long runs in the summer with weekend 5ks and boating on Lake George!!!!!
  • It’s my 3rd Half – Shouldn’t I aim for a faster time?
  • Are there hills? (I hate hills!)
  • My heel still “hurts” : OUCH!

LET THE TRAINING BEGIN!!

Happy Running!

July is Here!

June Recap:

Goals :

  • 70 miles – FAIL – I ran only 59 miles but I was away and injured!
  • running 3-4 times per week – YES, the first half of the month but things slowed down when I was away and injured!
  • adding some longer runs – Again not as much as I would haved liked – I did run 6 miles once & 5 miles twice
  • a 5k race or 2 (finishing under 29 min) – YES – two 5K races – one under 29 min and the other under 28!! (but that was before the foot injury 😦  )

I continued to play tennis at least once a week and do yoga as well.  My 2 non-race weekends were  spent on beautiful Lake George.

Goals for July:

  • 70 miles
  • running 3-4 times per week
  • adding longer runs to train for my 3rd half marathon
  • a 5k race  (finishing under 29 min)
  • Get rid of my heel pain!!!

Happy Running!

Monday & Back to Running

Update for Last Week:

My goal was 19  miles but  I only ran  for a total of  11.5 miles. (With my injured heel, I am glad to have run at all!!)
No Races

I played tennis 2x and did yoga 1x.

Goals for the Week:

This week’s schedule:

Mon – USTA tennis match
Tues – tennis
Wed-Sat – in Milwaukee for a work conference
Sun – at Lake George (weather permitting)

This week’s running:

Tues – 3.5  mi before work
Wed – 3 mi  before flight or wait try to get to 5k race in Milwaukee??
Fri – 3 mi in Milwaukee
 
Week Running Goal = 9.5 miles 
June Monthly Running Goal = 70 miles, a race or 2

Yearly Running Goal = 1011 miles

Happy Running!

Foto Friday

Holding My Breath

I’m the one in the GREEN shirt!!

This was taken at my last race.  I hope it is not my LAST race.
 
Today is Day 2 of not running and “holding my breath.”
 
Tomorrow we’re going up to Lake George for the weekend.  That should cheer me up!!
 
 
I’m going to try running again on Sunday! Wish me luck!
 
Happy Running! Enjoy your weekend!

Am I injured?

I tried to run last night before yoga & the BACK & sides of my heel HURT!!! I walked a lot and then went to yoga – NO PAIN when I walked, no pain when I stretched!? When I got home, I iced my heel and took ibuprofen.

This is how it started.  I ran a 5k on Sat – no pain that I remember.

It was sore when I ran on Sunday so I ran slow and cut my long run from 8 to 4 miles.  I played tennis all afternoon – NO PAIN!

I did NOT run on Monday but played tennis Monday nite – NO PAIN!

I ran a slow 3 miles Tues am.  Heel was the same – SORE.  I played tennis after work – Again NO PAIN.

Now as I sit at the desk, of course, my heel feels fine!

What’s wrong with my heel?

I should see a doctor but who has time for that.

What should I do?

  • Stop running all together
  • Stretch
  • Ice it
  • Take ibuprofen

Well, at least for today, I will do the above.  For the books, I’m not a good patient and don’t follow advice well. 

 I trained for my first half when my foot hurt and ignored it.  I bought new shoes and ran the half in them.  I did the same for my 2nd half. However, this pain is scarier… it feels more serious…

Training for my 3rd half starts July 4.  I hope the pain is gone by then!!!

Happy Running?  Do you ignore injuries?