I'm ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's that time again. Well, first, I forgot my password here and well then life happened! So, in the next few days it will be time to get back to the nitty gritty and prepare myself for the Spring/Summer runs.

I've taken 2.5 months off and it's NOT pretty.

Until next year....

Here are my times for todays Seattle Rock n Roll half marathon. Now that I am home I am TIRED. Yawn. With all my leg/foot issues I am happy to report that the issues I had were totally okay. BUT now I have two blisters on each big toe. Whaaaaat? How'd that happen? I've been running for how long and no blisters. Whhhhaaat? Weird. So, my feet hurt. A LOT!

Half Marathon Start: Gun 7:00:07 Chip 7:28:34

Splits: 5 Km 10 Km 9 Mile Finish O'All Sex Div

Times: 29:23 59:25 1:27:02 2:07:33 5328 2919 567

Pace: 9:28 9:34 9:41 9:44

Of course when alls said and done I probably could have ran faster. I stopped once to stretch. Once to adjust my sock (when I realized the blistering). Then I walked a few times because my mind was fighting with my body. Must overcome that.

So yeah.... all done til next year!

Rock N Roll Seattle

The day has finally come. Tomorrow's the day... The big day!!!! I wont have to worry about it for another year! ha! Yes, that's right, I signed up at the Expo to do next years half, despite haven't run this year's, YET. ha! Hey, I saved $40!

So, yes, we are hoping to get on the shuttle around 5AM and hit the start line bright and early before it gets too crazy. I'm in corral 19, so look for me wearing blue and black with a white and black hat. I originally was going to wear a black hat BUT within A WEEK I lost my black hat. Somewhere. Livid, I tell ya. Livid. I now have to wear a white hat and pray it doesn't throw off my mojo.

I decided to wear my Garmin... and carry my water bottle. For a while I was thinking of ditching both but then realized I like the comfort of having both.

I am just praying my foot doesn't cause me any grief. I know if my calves tighten up I can stretch them.. the foot, there's nothing I can do until the race is over. Maybe that will be motivation to run faster? ha!

So, with that... I'll see you after the race!

10 miles...

Booyah... I ran ten miles. Ten. 1 hour and 40 minutes late I ran ten miles. I feel so much better knowing that I can run 10 despite all my issues over the last couple of months. It makes me a bit more confident of doing the rock n roll in a mere 18 days. Doh!

My toe joint is very stiff and achy but I'm icing it and all that jazz.

Tomorrow I go in for an evaluation for my SI joint at physical therapy. Go not only will I be going for my foot/legs I'll be working my core/pelvic area to get that all in working order. What a whole box of fun I am. So one day a week will be spent on my legs, another day on my core, and then I get a day at the chiropractor. How the heck did that all happen? ha!

... and it's almost summer vacation for my kids. Ooooph.

Question about ICING after runs...

I keep reading that you should ice ASAP after runs. Does this mean do not stretch first or ice then stretch? I've always stretched then iced but I keep reading and not finding anything about stretching first just ICE IMMEDIATELY.

Help!

24 Days til the Rock N Roll...

I like to count things down that way. I could probably break that down further and just say 10 more runs on my own until the Rock N Roll. Which really means can I stay injury free for 10 more runs. ha!

I've been on 5 runs since I was given the okay to get back out there. It's been going okay. My longest run has been 7.79 miles and I am still keeping the pace between 9-10 minute miles. So, that's good. My calves and hamstrings have been soooooooo tight though. I try to keep them stretched out but if I sit/lay down for any extended period of time my legs hate me.

My foot is doing okay. It's not "healed" but I think with my new orthotics, new shoes (picked up the new and improved Brooks Glycerin 8's), steroid gel, and chiropractor work I am moving in the right direction.

I'm also trying to stay hydrated and am pretty sure I'll run with my water bottle. I actually didn't think I would but I am realizing how much better I feel when I have access to water at a given moment along a run. I figure on the rock n roll I can fill it up after I run out along the route. I realized I had some Cytomax in my pantry so I gave that a whirl after my run yesterday to see if that would help with my recovery. It could have been all in my head but a little bit after I drank it I DID feel better. So, I'll keep trying that plan. Maybe have some before and some after my runs. I'm not a fan of drinking these while running because I'm more of a water person so I'll stick to that and if I need it along the race route I can always grab it from one of the stations.

So, here's to injury free running!

So, Where was I?

Oh yeah.... I was doing nothing.

So on Friday I went to the chiropractor and he did a few things on my back, my toes, and ankle and sent me on my way.

Sunday I was VERY excited to run. Since the sports medicine doctor told me to wait until I had my first chiropractor appointment, I did, and well, now it was time.

I did okay. I just went 4 miles. Nothing really was sore except my toe, which is dumb. OH, and I think I talked about this before but my right arm/wrist/hand gets stiff? Well, that was going on.

After the run, my legs were a little stiff but nothing major and nothing "hurt."

THANK GOD!!!!!

So, today's Tuesday and I went on a little run again. 4.73 miles. Everything felt pretty good with the exception of "the toe" and I made a point to stretch my arm, shake it out, etc... So, phew.

Now one thing I noticed is my Garmin was really starting to annoy me today. To the point where I took it off and tied it to the string of my shorts. Just it being on my arm was too much. I had to get it off. Has this happened to anyone?

I was also underhydrated today and I had forgot my water bottle when I left the house. I think that if I had it with me I would have gone further but I just wanted to get home and get something to drink... and that's where the 4.73 miles came from... "must get home to get water...."

Long story short the legs are feeling fine. The toe is a whole other story. I wish you could feel what is going on. It doesn't HURT, it just is so stiff and feels strained. It's like if you sit on your knees with your feet bent behind you and you stand up... that feeling in your feet. Does that make sense? I've been applying the gel the doctor gave me and I really can't tell if it's working or not.

My next run will be on Thursday. I might wake up early and go that morning since I have PT that day, too. Just to get it all over with and if I'm sore after my run they can work on me.

There are 32 days until the Rock n Roll. That's not a whole lot of runs to get in without risking injury. Wondering what everyones thoughts are of a reasonable goal to get to that will make me be in the mindset that I can do the entire 13? 8? Should I just do some runs with walks and go further? Not worry about the mileage but just run in terms of time? Or should I just see how everything goes up until the Expo and decide at midnight? ha!

...And today I'd like to give a shout out to my 10 year old son. It's his birthday today. So, we are heading for sushi for dinner!!!!