June 18, 2013 by Darlene

#RunChat Runbassador

You don’t have to fill out an application. There’s no selection process.

Being a #RunChat Runbassador is simple: you love to run and you love to talk about running on your blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, tumblr … anywhere and everywhere online.

As a #RunChat Runbassador, you spread the word of the positive community that you’re a part of by showing off #RunChat temporary tattoos and stickers.

You post a photo of your tattoos and stickers on the #RunChat Facebook page, tweet @therunchat or submit them here. You also can post the #RunChat Runbassador badge on your blog or any other site.

If you are interested in being a #RunChat Runbassador, just fill out the form on this page.

So yes, I signed up. I am not running but I still love running, still talk about running on my blog and I WILL RUN AGAIN!

Currently I am on a waiting list for stickers and tattoos since they’ve had to order more due to the initial demand. Hopefully by the time I get mine I WILL BE RUNNING!!

Happy Running! Are you a #RunChat Runbassador?

June 17, 2013 by Darlene

And the Doctor says…

At my first ortho appointment I was told that I sustained a stable fracture of the fifth metatarsal (not a Jones or avulsion) and to wear the flat-bottomed shoe and use crutches.

Now, I am back TWO weeks later for more x-rays.

I was hoping to receive good news this time like “you can ditch the crutches and wear a walking boot” or “you can start walking on it in a few weeks” … (or it wasn’t broken and you can go back to running…ha ha).

Well, this is what he said:

The fracture hasn’t moved
No surgery will be necessary
It is healing
Come back in two weeks
We’ll x-ray it again then

This time I asked more questions and got more information:

It is a mid-shaft fracture
It is not from a stress fracture
It is spiral (and diagonal)
I can start putting some weight on it with the shoe & crutches
I will run again
I am a klutz – that’s why it broke
He won’t give me a date for ditching the crutches because he’s afraid I’ll hold him to it.
Maybe in 2 weeks, he’ll tell me when …

today’s shoe color is green

So that’s it…

For now, it’s different running socks and different sneakers on the other foot each day to match my outfits! (I have grey, pink, blue, green, purple, yellow…)

Happy Running!

June 15, 2013 by Darlene

Broken Foot – Week 2

But at least my broken foot & I have been a little more active:

Played Mah Jongg
Visited with Amanda, my mentee
Went to the drive-in (saw Star Trek)
Went out to dinner with some tennis friends
Had coffee with a good friend
Read lots of books – The Reliable Wife, The Girls From Ames, The Descendants, The Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Unorthodox, The Snow Child
Got my nails done
Had my hair cut and colored

heal baby heal

Looking forward to my 2 week ortho appointment on Monday. Fingers crossed that things are going well.

Happy Running! Enjoy your weekend! Reading any good books?

June 13, 2013 by Darlene

Three Things Thursday

I have been asked to share this post- 27 Blogs With Tips For Getting the Most Out of Running. It is very informative (especially if you are a beginning runner.) Check it out!
It has been raining a lot – doesn’t bother me a bit. Sorry!
I.HATE.CRUTCHES!!

Happy Running!

June 11, 2013 by Darlene

Spirit of the Marathon II…tomorrow!

From the filmmakers who brought you the award-winning documentary Spirit of the Marathon comes the highly anticipated sequel: Spirit of the Marathon II.

This new film features the personal journeys of a new cast of 7 athletes (amateurs and veterans) as they run the iconic streets of Rome, Italy. The film also includes interviews with marathon greats such as Stefano Baldini, Paula Radcliffe, Frank Shorter and many others.

An entirely new running adventure, Spirit of the Marathon II expands on the first film looking further into this legendary event, its significance in people’s lives and ultimate impact on society.

The movie’s producers, NCM Fathom Events and movie theater circuit partners AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings, Inc. and Regal Entertainment Group—will donate a portion of the proceeds from the “Spirit of the Marathon II” event to The One Fund Boston, assisting families affected by the tragic events of the 2013 Boston Marathon on April 15.

The film premiers in the US for only one night: Wednesday, June 12, 2013.

Click here to find a list of participating theaters.

Here’s the official trailer for the movie! I wish I could go see it…

Happy Running! Are you planning on seeing this movie? Did you see “Spirit of the Marathon?”

June 9, 2013 by Darlene

The Starfish

A Starfish or actual a Sea Star as they are often called (since they are not really fish but animals) has the ability to regenerate an amputated limb.

First it must first undergo a repair phase to heal the exposed wound.
Once the wound is healed, the sea star can begin to generate new cells, which in turn, sparks new growth.
Regeneration can take anywhere from several months to years.
Cell proliferation that results in the growth of the new limb occurs in the final phase.
If the final phase is interrupted, the resulting new limb may be deformed.

So what does a Sea Star have to do with my broken foot?

No, my foot has not been amputated. But I cannot use it. It is useless.

First, my foot must go through the repair phase to heal the broken bone.
Once the bone is healed, I can slowly place weight on the foot.
Slowing I will be able to walk, bike, run short distances, play tennis…
Returning to running form could take weeks to months.
Increasing speed and distance while running pain-free is the final phase.
If I am not patient and run too soon, too fast, too long or ignore any pain, the result may be a stress fracture or another injury. My return to races and tennis will be interrupted.

When I was cleaning out a jewelry box, I found this star fish necklace. It is just costume jewelry (not even sterling silver) but I am wearing it in hopes that my running will get regenerated at some point in my future.

heal foot heal

Happy Running!

June 5, 2013 by Darlene

National Running Day

National Running Day, held annually on the first Wednesday in June, is a day when runners everywhere declare their passion for running. Wherever we are and whomever we’re with, we run—fast or slow, alone or with others, all over town or just around the block. It is a coast-to-coast celebration of a sport and activity that’s simple, inexpensive, and fun. It’s the perfect way for longtime runners to reaffirm their love of running and for beginners to kick off a lifetime and life-changing commitment.

I cannot run today 😦

But I would if I could.

So if you can, please run for ME!!

my “last” race finish but definitely not my LAST race finish…I will run again!!

My colleague at work whom I walk with everyday took pity on me and took me for a ride.

Thanks Sherri. You’re the best!

Happy National Running Day! How did you celebrate it?

June 2, 2013 by Darlene

Sad Running Roundup

week-in-review11-1s6ozv2

Last Week:

Mon – rest, boating

Tues – 3.4 mile run (after work)
Wed – 6.6 mile run (after work)
Thurs – 2 walks – too hot to run, Mother Runner party

Fri – walk at lunch, mah jongg
Sat – 5K race and broken foot

I did manage to finish the race – I am the one in blue with black cap

Sun – walking around NYC cancelled due to INJURY

13.1 total miles (hey I ran a half )

This Week:

Monday – O miles
Tuesday – O miles
Wednesday – O miles
Thursday – O miles
Friday – O miles
Saturday – O miles
Sunday – O miles

Happy Running! Feel free to join my pity party!

June 1, 2013 by Darlene

Freihofer Run for Women Race Report and on the DL AGAIN!!

This race is always so exciting for me. (I posted why here.)

This year as I did last year, I walked over from work yesterday to pick up my bib and goodies (shirt, bread & cookies).

It was so quiet on the street. Believe it or not I actually saw Joan Benoit Samuelson running up the hill in the 90 degree heat.

After I picked up my goodies, I struggled up that hill (walking.)

oops I may have bought a pair of compression socks….

It was warm already when I got up this morning. I had my usual running breakfast (oatmeal & coffee) and drove to work where I would leave my car and walk the 1.5 miles to the start.

me, Courtney and her aunt MaryPat my friend)

I wanted to get there early so I could meet friends and take a photo with the other SRMs (the group keeps getting bigger and bigger).

Look at the group in 2010!!

Last year was such an emotional race. This year, I was relaxed about it. I wanted to do well but I know that it is so crowded.

some of the SRMs

Around 9:30 or so, I pushed myself into the crowd. It was so hot that I moved up and it was cool because I got to see the elite runners go by and head to the front. Joan Benoit Samuelson offered a moment of silence for Boston. And then we were off.

I tried to get moving. It was difficult but since it was a hill, going slow was ok.

It was warm and all I wanted was to run the whole race and finish strong.

Mile 1 was great. I felt strong and heat really wasn’t bothering me. I was just trying to save it for the end.

THEN IT HAPPENED!!!

I was approaching the first water stop. It was crowded and wet and I was debating whether or not to stop. Somehow I lost my footing or my weak ankle gave out…I am not sure what went wrong exactly. But in trying to remain upright, my foot twisted in my shoe. OUCH!!!!!!!!!!! (Deja vu! The same thing happened 12 years when waterskiing)

Of course, I did what every smart runner does. Stop so I don’t make it worse.

NOT!

I continued to run…my gait was way off and my foot hurt with every step but I ran on….. until I crossed the finish line.

And I did meet my goal. I finished at 29:41!!!

Splits:

mile 1: 9:17 (even going up that hill in the crowd)
mile 2: 9:35 – it hurts
mile 3: 9:40 – it hurts more
.17 – 7:53

After I finished, I headed to the Medic tent to ice my foot. The doctor there suggested I get an xray (not what I wanted to hear) Many women were throwing up, passing out, and staggering in so I limped out of there.

I tried to find my friend but there was SO MUCH SECURITY. I could not get to where we agreed to meet.

So I limped 1.5 miles back to my car.

I was still in denial but my foot was starting to turn purple and I knew what that meant.

Xray results: clean break of the fifth metatarsal

good thing I kept those crutches

Non- weight bearing for…. a long time. I have to now see my ortho.

There are no words to express how BAD I feel……………..

Happy Running! Enjoy your weekend! Anyone ever break their 5th metatarsal??

May 31, 2013 by Darlene

Mother Runner Party

Run Like A Mother- Milwaukee, WI

Ladies, ditch your running shoes for some party shoes and kick up your heels with wine, sweets, mingling, amazing giveaways, drool-worthy swag bags, and a little reading by Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea, the authors of Run Like a Mother and Train Like a Mother.

This (free, no-hidden-gimmicks) party is a way to celebrate and connect women runners: Dimity and Sarah are founders of Another Mother Runner, an aid station for active, vibrant women that takes the form of a lively website, highly engaged Facebook page, Twitter feed, and weekly free podcast. Yes, our books and tees will be for sale, but this shindig is about hanging out with and meeting other runners. Bring along some running pals or attend solo: We know you’ll have a great time!

How could I resist?

It started at 7:30 pm and of course, I was tempted to run before. But it was 90 degrees and I had run 10 miles in two days so I thought better of it.

Karyn, Tami (who is running the Freihofer’s 9 mos pregnant with her 10th & Melissa

There were so many runners I that I knew or recognized from our SRM Facebook group. (I even met someone from Binghamton who recognized me from DailyMile.)

First everyone just hung around chatting, eating & drinking wine.

I am on the right

That’s me holding the wine glass (kinda hidden)

Then Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea read excerpts from their books and gave away awesome raffle gifts (gift certificate for Saucony sneakers, running water belt, sunglasses, Garmin watch and much more.)