October 28, 2012 by Darlene

Fun Before the Storm

Actually I think we will luckily only have some RAIN and a lot of WIND from Sandy.

But it was a beautiful day yesterday and I cannot run so I took advantage of the opportunity to spend the day with Amanda (my mentee) and her 2 sons.

Amanda and I both needed cheering up. She has lost her job as a EMT and cannot find another. (Richard is almost 6 yrs old & in kindergarten, Matthew is 14 mos) Her problems make mine seem rather minor.

Every fall we go to Ellms Family Farm which has a lot of things to do for kids – games, rides, mazes, etc. As usual, I took lots of photos and here is just a sampling.

I walked around all day and it was tiring with a boot (and a little painful). The hot cider and freshly baked cider donuts made me feel better. The kids had fun and that’s all that matters.

Happy Running! If you live where Sandy hits, stay safe!

October 26, 2012 by Darlene

DNSing

I have never DNFed a race. (Knock on wood!)

I have DNSed several times. The first time in Oct 2008, I was too sick to go. The 2nd time in Oct 2009 because it was raining and the 3rd time in 2010, I arrived at the race and was too sick to run. All were for the Great Pumpkin Challenge in Saratoga. (This race was last weekend so I may have had a 4th DNS.)

I have since then become tougher. Or maybe more stubborn. Or maybe I have a higher pain threshold. Or just plain stupid!

When I broke my left ankle last December, I had only registered for one future race – the Freihofer’s and I DID IT (against the advice of all drs, pts & friends).

Freihofer’s – 1st run 5 mos after broken ankle

When my right foot started hurting, I had already registered for FIVE races. I have run two of them (Susan Komen and the Runners World 5ks). Both took place before the actual diagnosis.

5k finisher with a stress fracture

So I have three left that I have already registered for:

Fall FRUN 10K on November 4

Albany Last Run 5K on December 15

First Watch Half Marathon in Sarasota, Fla on March 17

Obviously, my boot will make me DNS for the Fall FRUN 10k (but I will show up to grab my $25 shirt.)

I was planning on the Stockade-athon 15K but since I didn’t sign up, I think I will volunteer.

I am really hoping that I can run/walk the Last Run (that’s 10 wks post injury) and I am really really really hoping that I can run/walk the First Watch Half.

I HATE TO DNS!!

Happy Running! How did you feel about DNSing? Have you done it much?

October 24, 2012 by Darlene

Worth the Wait

A stress fracture is a break in a bone cause by repetitive stress. It may occur in any bone, but is quite common in the metatarsal bones of the foot. There is often no recollection of injury. The patient may simply develop a painful forefoot after some activity, such a walking, sports, or stooping down onto the ball of the foot. A small crack develops in the cortex (outer shell) of the bone. Without proper treatment, this may progress to a “through and through” (overt) fracture of the bone. The second metatarsal is the most commonly affected. Metatarsal stress fracture may not become apparent on x-rays until a few weeks after the injury.

So my x-rays are back. They show NO BREAK!!! Instead, they show evidence of a stress fracture on the 2nd metatarsal that is healing. The doctor said it probably happened 3 weeks ago when I first felt pain. If I had gotten it xrayed right away, it wouldn’t have shown up and he may have thought tendonitis since my foot isn’t swollen and doesn’t hurt a lot. I didn’t ask if it would be more healed if I hadn’t run on it. (I didn’t tell him that I ran on it.)

I am happy that I know what it is. I am happy that it is healing.

Treatment is 2-3 more weeks in the boot. The dr says that if it hurts to walk on it, then it’s not healed. There’s no more xrays…just waiting. No one can tell how long it will take.

I HAVE TO BE PATIENT!!! (And that’s not my strong suit.)

Happy Running! Please send healing vibes my way!

October 23, 2012 by Darlene

No More Running Says the Doctor!

my new shoe

So after 3 weeks of pain on the top of the foot when I walk or run, I went to my foot doctor. (Of course, I didn’t tell him that I ran two 5k races during that period.)

Just as I thought, the diagnosis was vague. My foot isn’t swollen and it doesn’t hurt a lot. (Obviously since I ran on it.) He first thought it may be tendonitis but it didn’t hurt at all when he bent or pulled on it on the tendons.

He took a xray. He will get the results tomorrow. That will only show if it is a serious stress fracture. I asked about a bone scan or a MRI and he said that it was a waste of money.

It did hurt a little when he pressed on the 3rd metatarsal so he concluded that I have a high pain threshold and that it is indeed a stress fracture.

What is the treatment?

DA BOOT!!!!

For probably 4 weeks unless something shows up on the x-rays. Then it is 6-8 weeks.

NO RUNNING! NO BIKING! NO TENNIS! NO YOGA! NADA!!!!!!!!!!

And then easing slowly back into action….

Yes, starting all over again.

To say that I am depressed is an understatement!

Should I have stopped running 3 weeks ago? YUP!

Happy Running! Anyone ever have a metatarsal stress fracture?

October 21, 2012 by Darlene

Runners World 5k Report

Oct 20-21 in Bethlehem, PA

On a rainy Friday, I left on the Megabus for NYC. Unfortunately we got stuck in traffic and I arrived there late. Then I had to quickly walk almost 20 blocks to Port Authority to catch a second bus to PA.

Ouch…ouch…achy foot. It’s fine unless I walk on it. Yeah, right. How can I race?

I missed the bus that I planned to take but there was one a half hour later. My friend’s hubby picked me up at the bus station and I thought it rude to ask to take me to the expo to pick up my bib.

During a delicious dinner, we planned the next day. Despite my achy foot, I wanted to do the race. I wanted to finish under 47 minutes and get my medal.

pot roast – yum! I wasn’t carb loading so I didn’t need pasta…

So the plan was to get there at 7 am, get my bib and do the race. I said would walk it but run enough of it to finish under 15 min miles.

My friend hates getting up early but her hubby was supportive. As it turned out, they both dropped me off and then they went out to breakfast.

line for the bibs…still kinda dark out

I must say that the race atmosphere was electric. There was music, lots of famous racers and RW folks.

a view near the start

I immediately bumped into runningskirts.com ladies and took a photo with them since I was wearing my skirt.

me feeling short with the Running Skirts ladies

There were about 1500 runners but it was so well organized. Lots of signs, volunteer staff, even real bathrooms.

another view near the start

The weather was perfect for running …sunny, no wind, temp in the 50s. I was chilly in my short sleeve pink top (honoring breast cancer awareness day) but as soon as I started the race, I immediately got warm.

Am I ready for the race!?

waiting…

And we started. I was in the middle and of course I started running immediately. My plan was to take it slow and not have pain and I continue to run. I did walk a little. The first mile had a big hill but after that the course was nice. I took in all the sights and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I knew that I could finish under 47 minutes.

there were over 1500 in this race – 6000 total for the weekend that also included a 10k and a half marathon (800 did all 3 races)

And I did. I wasn’t last. I even sprinted through the finish. My friend was waiting there. And everyone got a medal.

5k finisher!

Yes, my time was sloooow. 5 minutes slower than my wounded 5k 2 weeks ago. But I did it and I was happy that I did.

the swag – 1st time with my name on my bib!

My foot hurt a lot after but again when I don’t use it, the pain disappears. I would have liked to go to the expo but I just picked up my shirt and limped to the car.

I know that I have to find out what is wrong even it means NO running for a long time.

The rest of weekend was totally relaxing. My friends were wonderful hosts. We chatted, laughed, even got some reading done (finished The Weird Sisters). We drove around the area to show me the sights, we went to an Amish farmers market, saw an awesome production of Gypsy, ate great food, even went to a wine tasting festival at a country club.

picking out dessert at the Amish bakery at the Allentown Farmers Market

beautiful foliage at the Bear Creek Mountain Resort

enjoying the wine tasting festival

I left this morning by bus. I had 3 hours to kill in NYC. Normally I would be excited since the weather was great but I couldn’t walk well. I wound up doing some shoe shopping (like I really need shoes??), had lunch in Bryant Park and slowly limped to my bus.

Bryant Park in NYC getting ready for Christmas

Now back to real world. Tomorrow I have an appt with my foot doctor!!!

Happy Running! Hope you had a nice weekend!

October 17, 2012 by Darlene

Newton, the Foot & the Weekend

Yesterday, FleetFeet offered a workshop on Running Naturally sponsored by Newton. If you were injured and not running, would you go to a running workshop?

Well, I did!

I bumped into fellow SRM, Melissa, there too. It was nice to see her. They gave us Newton running shoes to try on. They felt very weird at first. But soon got very comfortable.

I actually tried the orange Motion Performance ones

The Newton rep explained about the shoe and why they are different.

Newton Running shoes are designed with a minimal “drop” – or height difference – between the height of the heel and the ball of the foot. A more level-to-the-ground platform positions you to support a natural running motion.

Our feet are sensitive and brilliantly designed to ensure that we step efficiently and lightly. Unfortunately, highly cushioned shoes often obstruct this communication with the ground. Enter our biomechanical sensor plate, which allows you to sense the ground so you can stride more efficiently and lightly – some might even say intelligently, the way nature intended.

Then we went out to run…yes, run!!

I hadn’t run since the Komen race. My foot hurt a lot this past Sunday but amazingly, it stopped hurting Sunday night. In fact, I was walking normally and even wore shoes to work yesterday. My achy foot was replaced by a painfully tight calf muscle (from biking, perhaps???) But I haven’t run…the real test for the foot.

The Newton rep gave us some cool running drills…many making us lift our knees high. I was nervous but did them. Luckily we only had to run across the parking lot and back. Yes, I realized that my foot wasn’t 100% and it is not healed but it is definitely better than before.

They gave us all tee-shirts and many folks then bought some Newtons. I definitely like them… A lot. Though, I may try the stability ones rather the neutral ones. However now, it seems ridiculous to buy new shoes when you are injured. If I am going to spend the money, I want to be able to run with them.

Now about the upcoming weekend.

Oct 20-21 in Bethlehen, PA

In a weak moment when I was injured, I read about this in a RW magazine.

Why Bethlehem, PA?

From its role in shipbuilding to its pioneering work on that staple of skyscraper construction, the I-beam, to its supplying armor plating during both world wars, the significance of Bethlehem Steel cannot be overstated. Because of this, it seemed natural to choose the refurbished Bethlehem Steel Mill and ArtsQuest SteelStacks campus as headquarters for our inaugural Half & Festival. That’s where you’ll find our Health and Fitness Expo, our seminars, and our film screenings. And of course, the 5-K, 10-K, and half-marathon races will all finish under a flaming arch right in the thick of it, alongside Bethlehem Steel’s huge, awe-inspiring blast furnaces.

And my high school BFF Nancy lives nearby. So I signed up!!! I wanted to do the half marathon but I cautiously registered for the 5K. I almost switched to the 10K after I ran one in August. (Glad I didn’t.)

So right now, I shouldn’t be running yet. It would be stupid to try. So I emailed my friend to see if she even remembered that I was coming. Maybe I would just not go.

Well, she said that she was looking forward to my visit and even bought tix for us to see Gypsy on Sat eve and to go to a wine tasting on Sunday. So Allentown, Pa, here I come (by bus!)

Nancy is the one on the left.

The race??

Saturday, 6:30–7:30 a.m. – Race-Day Bib Pickup at the Expo
8 a.m. – Race Start

It starts at 8am…and it looks like a very crowded event!!! My friend is not a runner nor is she a morning person. Yikes!

But I can walk it, right? You get a medal for just finishing! Guess what?

Course Time Limit – The 5-K course will be open for 47 minutes (15-minute miles). Runners who are traveling with a clock time of 47 minutes or longer will be asked to move to the sidewalk.

Walking a 5k usually takes me about 60 minutes and running 30 minutes. This means if I do it, I’ve got to run/walk it. And hope my foot doesn’t get any worse….

Here’s the description of the course:

The 5-K course takes runners through Bethlehem’s eclectic South Side, packed with cool eateries, coffee shops, and music houses. With a fast start along 1st Street, the course makes a 90-degree turn up Webster Street. This begins the only significant hill on the course, which ends at the gates of Lehigh University and runs past the gothic 1929 Packard Laboratory, named after James Ward Packard, one of the inventors of the Packard automobile. A quick downhill brings you back to 3rd Street, and you will drop into the Bethlehem Steel complex and pass by the company’s former headquarters. There is a quick downhill turn past the Sands Casino, which has the only remaining massive ore cranes at its front door, then it’s on to the finish just past the flaming arch in front of ArtsQuest—a modern movie and music venue that promotes arts and culture, nestled in the heart of the former Bethlehem Steel complex. You’ll hit the only significant hill in the 5-K course about a mile in. After that, it’s all downhill!

As it stands now, I plan to take the Megabus to NYC on Friday & then the bus to PA. (I hope to talk my friend into stopping by the Expo to pick up my bib.) If my friend is cooperative, I will do the 5K to the best of my ability. If not, I will ~~brood~~ enjoy the rest of the weekend with a good friend and return home by bus on Monday.

Happy Running!

October 14, 2012 by Darlene

Spectating At a Duathlon

I encouraged AJH to do this because I could go watch. I didn’t know at the time that I would be injured. I just planned on racing on Sat and spectating on Sunday.

According to the website, this is the course:

Athletes will begin with a 2.2 mile run on a fast, flat section of Canal Rd., then turn left on Whites Lane to climb the run course’s one big hill. At the top of the hill, runners turn left to continue on a flat and downhill course back to the transition area. The same course will be repeated after the bike. Bikers turn left out of Krause’s driveway onto Canal Road to warm up their legs on the flats before a right turn onto Clamsteam Road, a steep incline. At the top of the hill, they turn left on Riverview Road, crossing over the interstate and putting down a few flat, fast miles on Riverview Road. They then continue on a scenic loop of rolling hills, river views, and beautiful countryside for a total of 16 miles

I have run that course and am familiar with the area. I wasn’t sure that my achy foot would handle what I had originally planned but I decided to give it a shot.

The forecast was for cold and rainy. And it was rainy. It varied from a drizzle to a downpour. For once, I didn’t have runner’s envy. I hate running in the rain.

I found AJH immediately after I arrived. She was with a friend (they drove 3 hours for this race!) and she was deciding what to wear.

with AJH before the race

There were about 90 racers. I’m sure there would have been more if the weather cooperated. Believe it or not, some people actually signed up today.

In addition to AJH, I bumped into a friend’s son who was racing, the one who did the Ironman Lake Placid with a broken collar bone.

Ironman Jeff

I waited until the race started before I left the starting/finish area.

AJH is waiting for the race to start

Then I slowly walked (limped) out to the road.

off they go

Yes, my foot hurt when I walked on it. (A dr visit is on tap for this week.) But I wanted to watch the racers on the course. Unfortunately, when I zoom in on my camera, it turns off. So my pictures are not close up.

AJH is finishing her lst 2.2 mile run

I was appropriately dressed with a raincoat, gloves & umbrella. I felt sorry for the WET racers.

AJH did great. She was 73rd after the first leg. Unfortunately, it was raining the hardest during the bike leg.

finishing her 16 mile ride in the rain

But she seemed to gain ground. There were even more bikers coming in after her than runners.

Finally the last stretch was a run and I walked toward the finish area to see her come in.

Here she is heading to the finish line

She finished around 1:50:00. Pretty impressive!

Too bad the weather was so awful. The course is very scenic. And if AJH does it next year, I hope to be able to get some running in in addition to spectating.

After the race, it was still raining so we went our separate ways. I am sure she headed to Target and I stopped at the grocery store to buy the ingredients for chili (chili cook-off at work tomorrow).

Happy Running! Anyone have a race this weekend?

October 13, 2012 by Darlene

A Case of Deja Vu

A chilly morning but the sun is shining. And it’s Saturday. Nothing is on my schedule. Perfect for a long run! So I get dressed and have breakfast and while reading the paper, I decide that the Nisky bike path would be a good place to go.

Oh wait! I forgot. I can’t run!!!

I’m not going to let a sunny day go to waste. I ask my hubby to put the bike rack on his truck and I make plans to go for a long bike ride.

This was the scenario last spring.

last April at the Nisky bike path

Now this fall, it’s deja vu!!!

My last long run was on the Nisky bike path… on Dec 29. And now I’m back – injured…not running…but biking!!

6 months later in the same place

A few differences:

In April, the trees were bare because they hadn’t bloomed yet. Today, many were bare because the leaves had fallen to the ground.

In April, the broken bones in my left ankle had healed and biking was a way to get mobility back. It was a way to recover so that I could run. Today, biking may or may not be good for my ankle since I don’t know if it is a stress fracture or tendonitis.

In April, I was so happy to be biking because I was able to . Today, I was biking only because I couldn’t run.

Anyway, it was great to be outdoors.

view of the Mohawk R.

I sweat which is good too.

check out my t-shirt (Sweat Pink)

I love the fall colors so this was another opportunity to take it in.

pumpkin field

I saw some deer and even a fox.

the deer are at the top of the hill, the fox is heading up the hill

My legs were tired. I needed the exercise. And my right foot only hurt when I got off the bike on it or started to pedal with it (I am so used to favoring the left one that I kept forgetting.) and when I walked on it.

another view of the path

I think this injury is making my left foot stronger so maybe in the end when I run again, I won’t be favoring either foot. And that’s a good thing! (I’m trying to be optimistic!)

Tomorrow I will not be biking but I plan to be watching AJH in a duathlon! Keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn’t rain.

Happy Running! Enjoy your weekend!

October 12, 2012 by Darlene

Running Pop Quiz

I saw this on a blog last week and when you are not running so there is nothing to blog about and all you can think about is running, you do things like this!

So here are my answers! 🙂

1. FUEL: Shot Bloks, GU, Energy Chews, Candy or Other?

I have only used Gu and it works for me so I’ve been afraid to use another. Vanilla is favorite, followed by Chocolate Outrage. I just bought Espresso and am anxious to try it.

2. Race Length: 5k, 10k, 1/2 Marathon, Marathon, Ultra or Other?

5K is my favorite because there are so many to choose from and they don’t involve a lot of training. I do like half marathons too because I don’t feel pressured to be fast and you get a medal!

: Helper’s Fund 5K

3. Workout Bottoms: Skirts, Running Shorts, Capris, Pants or Other?

I prefer skirts. They are more comfortable. I think I look thinner in them. I do occasionally wear shorts. When it is cold, I wear a skirt over my capris or tights.

Camp Chingachgook 10K in a skirt

4. Sports Drink: Gatorade, Powerade, Cytomax, you stick to water when you run or Other?

Water! I don’t like sports drinks.

: hydrating with water after a 5K

5. Running Temperatures: HEAT or COLD?

If I have to choose, it would be hot. I hate to wear layers.

90 degrees & racing

6. Running Shoe Brands: Saucony, Mizuno, Nike, Brooks, Asics or Other?

That’s difficult because I have tried them all. I started with Saucony, then NIke, then Asics, Mizuno, Brooks, and now I have both Brooks & Mizuno. I actually haven’t found my perfect shoe.

in Mizunos

7. Pre-race meal: Oatmeal, Bagel, Banana, Eggs, Cereal or Other?

Always oatmeal and coffee.

pre-race meal

8. Rest Days: 1x per week, 2x per week, never ever ever or other?

Well, when I am healthy, I don’t run 3x per week but on one of those days I may be playing tennis.

not running

9. Music: Have to have it or go without it?

During a race, I always go without it. The other runners are my distraction. When I am alone, I usually have my iPod nano.

running with music

10. #1 reason for running: stress-relief, endorphins, you love to race, so you can eat all the cupcakes you want, weight-loss, love running for social reasons or other?

I would have to say, I run for stress-relief, endorphins but mostly that I love to race.