Prison Break Mania!

I've been out of commission this week with the flu, but thought I would check in here. I hate having the flu. All I can think of between episodes of Prison Break (9 yesterday alone) is how I'm not running.

  Here's how it happened. Saturday night we went to a birthday party. When I say we I mean Steve, Don and Don's drunken alter-ego Heinrich went to the party. Sunday morning it was raining and I was tired having only had 6 hours of sleep when my alarm went off. So, I hit snooze and went back to bed. Unbeknownst to me my body was already working on getting sick. When I finally got out of bed at 8:30 I was sick. Sore throat, tired, congested, you name it. It only got worse.  It is now Thursday and I'm pretty sure I am still running a fever although I'm here at work to teach my class this afternoon. I try to stay at the front of the room so no one get's breathed on. Not an easy task given my teaching style/method.

  So, I'm hoping, but not entirely optimistic that I will be back out there Sunday running at least 5.

Stats:

Runs: 0

Mileage: -20 miles

Prison Rape Death Count: 33 in 19 episodes. That's 1.7 per episode. And those are the one's I can verify. I think there were at least 3 more. These are the things I do when I'm sick. :-)

16 Down, 10.2 to Go

Hey You Drunkrunners!

Howzit goin'? I hope that the road has been treating you better than Scooter! My knees ache for you.

Speaking of roads, knees, and aches... I have a NPB (isn't that the fancy acronym you enthusiasts use?). Sunday marked the completion of my longest run to date: 16 miles. To make things easier, my dearest hubby agreed to be my waterboy and to accompany me on bicycle for the first ten miles. It was a warm, late-February Texas day, not the ideal conditions for a long run, but better than -30 wind chill and icy roads! So who am I to complain? I won't say it was easy, because it wasn't, but I got the job done. The attack of the chafing shorts made an early assault on my thighs around mile 9, which meant a stop at the house at mile 12 in order to reapply the nectar of the running gods (aka, Body Glide). I finished the run in 2:42:09 (a 10.07 pace). Still faster than my training pace, but that is fine, since I am not adhering to my speed work.

The excellent news, besides the fact that I actually finished the run without dying, is that running with an ankle, calf, shin, and knee might soon be a distant memory. After a trip to my (not-so-local) running store and forking over a load cash, I have brand new kicks. Honestly, going into it I was almost 100% certain I would come out with a pair of Brooks. I even told the salesgirl that. But, surprisingly, I fell in love with a pair of Nike. Who knew? I can only liken running in them to running on tasty blue-colored cotton candy clouds - and no, my shoes are not pink. The only slight drawback to these comfy little prancers are that they don't give back as much as my old pair of shoes. But hey, I needed to slow down anyway, right? In other running-apparel news, I thought I would show the DrunkRunners just how serious I was about my review of the running skirt. I submit exhibit A into evidence (note that I managed to work the new kicks into the pic too! how very efficient of me) :

Exhibit A*

It just arrived in the mail today (as an early birthday present) and I can't wait to wear it tomorrow for my 5 miler.

Sooo, back to running. This week is my recovery week. Hubby and I ran a 6-miler together yesterday evening. Slow pace, good conversation. Just what I needed after Sunday's death march. This weekend I will run another 6-miler with Ginifer followed by tasty steak fajitas and margaritas. Yuuuuuum. All in a week's work, dear Drunkrunners (do we also have Drunkreaders?)

That is my story for the week and I am stickin' to it.


* I swear that is really a picture of me wearing the skirt. I know my face isn't in the picture, but I am unmistakable by the "sausages" attached to my feet! And before you ask, that is the dog's crate behind me.

some KNEEded relief

After a day and a half off I dared run again yesterday. I did a 3 miler on the treadmill. It felt really good!! No knee pain no side stitch just some sweat. Good Stuff!! I believe the knee prblem I have been experienceing is in my LCL and is being irritated by running outside on the uneven snowy surfaces here in the midwest. I see the doctor Friday to verify this, but with the research I have done and the results from inside running seem to point to this. I am going to keep running thru the week til I see the doc and see how it goes.

Bad knee blues!

Week 7:
I ran 8 miles with Kojac today. I love running with a partner!! I find it very motivating! We ran our 7 miler together last week as well. The 7 miler was not so bad. It was a bit icy in spots but we worked through it.We had to stop 1 time to for a few seconds only to get me thru a side stitch the rest of the run was nonstop. YEAH us! We both thought that we were gonna die by the end but alas we prevailed to run again! My mid week run run SUCKED!! I was scheduled for 6 miles but had to surrender after a mere 3. I had no energy that day, no motivation and my legs were not cooperating at all. So yesterday I was not looking forward to. We found a new trail right around the corner from my house. It is a serene woodsy run(hear the birds chirping in the background?) overall the run was great.
However!! around half way i stared to get a pain in the outside of my knee. I had the same pain last week and kept running. it hurt at the end but was not debilitating. So, 5 miles in and the knee kicks in, I keep going and going. Right around 71/2 in I go to check my ipod and sometime around 7 miles I hit a button trying to switch songs and turned off my nike+. I paused in the trail for a second to see if I could get it to resume(which didnt happen by the way) and my knee locked up in that 30 seconds. I could not bend it to walk it let alnoe run. After a few hobbles I got it to bend enough that I could run like quasimodo. I had my left leg locked in a semi-bent position and ran with my right leg while swing my left leg from the hip. What a sight. I am glad we were in the woods so only the squirrels could laugh! I had to wear a compression brace the rest of the day. I could bend the knee until late in the evening.
Any ideas on what could be causing this. It does not happen on my shorter runs. I am going to consult my doc this week, But I cannot keep running if this is going to continue to happen. I am getting into alot of phsycal training at the fire station and cannot be slowed by a running injury. any such injury will knock me out of training until next January when the next class starts and we are half way thru.

You Just Can't Take the Hate Outta the Girl

Disclaimer: The political opinions expressed in this blog posting do not reflect those of my fellow DrunkRunners.

In true Haterella fashion, I managed to hate on Ron Paul today during my six mile run in the L.J. This brush with not such greatness occurred not once, no no, dear friends, but twice in a six mile span. Actually, I almost feel kinda bad for muttering something catty under my lack of breath as I ran past him, given that he is, for all intents and purposes, out of the elections. However, if it redeems me at all and makes me less of a hater in your eyes, I don't think my sarcastic comment was even audible due to the fact that I had to breathe through my gills because of the 99% humidity.

It was a bit surreal to run past multiple 4ft x 5ft signs in support of Ron Paul as Ron Paul walking past them. I wondered if that was some kind of ego trip for him. Hmmm. Something to ponder. He didn't look cheerful (which again, made me feel kinda bad for him). Then I thought, shouldn't he be out kissing babies or inciting anarchy? Sorry, I have become biased due to too many run-ins with rabid LaRouche supporters on the UCB campus. I hope I haven't alienated any of you dear fellow DrunkRunners or any of our readers.

As for the run, it sucked. I did the tempo run and stayed on/faster than pace, but it didn't feel like an invigorating run. Maybe the hate was weighin' me down...

"We are Family, I got all my Sistas with me..."

Glad to hear that ROWC and her nose are out there running (couldn't resist). I am also indebted to Ginifer for volunteering to ride her bike and keep me company on my 12 miler. It is amazing how fast time passes when you have someone to chat with and to keep you on pace! Unfortunately, Ginifer was not available yesterday for my 14 miler (the dreaded run that sidelined me with "a body" for three weeks the last time I ran it). The extra weight of 2 lbs. of water on your waist doesn't sound like a lot, but it can be enough to temporarily f*ck with your head and your normal stride/gait. It took me about 7 miles to really forget it was there (and by then, I had already consumed half of it)! Needless to say, having a water-girl (or boy) is a priceless thing. Hats off and glasses raised to you Tessa, for all those runs you accompanied Deetschei on your bicycle - I just hope you had a really well-padded seat. I realized after the 12 with Gin that more than 2 hours on a bike probably isn't too comfortable for the untrained bum!

Anywho, nothing clever to say about the last two weeks of training. I have been doing them and staying on pace. At the moment, I am not running with anything (which sounds like I have joined the NakedRunners instead of the DrunkRunners) too serious: just your usual aches and pains. A trip to FleetFeet in Houston next weekend for a proper shoe fitting should clear up those issues.

I do have one quick question for you tried and true marathon alumni. Regarding a comment by Deetschei, I believe in response to one of Scooter's posts, that speed work wasn't of the utmost importance, if one wasn't looking to break a particular record and if one was simply looking to finish the marathon the first time out; does this mean that I can skip speed work? And by "skip" what I really mean is can I put in the miles and do them at a faster pace than my long runs, but slower than the sprint speeds? I am concerned that my body (read: knees and ankles) are already being pushed to the limit right now with the long runs and last week's speed work seemed impossible. (E.g., last week's speed work called for 7 mi. (3 x 8.30 pace). Instead, I ran all 7 x 9.16 pace). Is this going to adversely affect me when it comes to marathon time? As long as I am staying on pace (or slightly faster than pace) for my long runs, should I be concerned about speed work? Thanks for any advice you all might have - and by thanks, I mean, I really hope you tell me that I don't have to do the dreaded, evil, torturous speed work ;)

(Not) Running with a ....

After unprecendented phone calls and emails from both Dr. Pavement Pounder and Ginifer in the same week (birthdays and holidays notwithstanding) to determine how training is going, I figured I might as well sign on and come clean. While my ailment isn't nearly as severe as other Drunkrunner brethren, it has been pretty damn hard to work up the will to exercise with a fever and a nose that requires a box of tissues to be permanently attached. Is there a patented Drunkrunner cure for this type of thing? :)

Ahhh, winter in Oklahoma--it can be 65 degrees and sunny one day (that was a terrific five mile run by the way) and 18 degrees and snowing two days later. Needless to say that I've been sidelined for the last week and a half. Luckily, I built an extra week into my training plan before the OKC Marathon. (I wish I could say it was thoughtful planning on my part, but I think I just counted wrong....)

Ankle Sprain

I probably should not have written about injuries without first checking the jinx potential of such an act. It turns out that I jinxed myself good. With an electrified jinxinator...On evidently the jinxiest day of my life.

As we were walking back to London Bridge last night (YES from a pub, NO I was not drunk. Okay maybe a little.) I managed to step onto a miniature manhole cover and twist my ankle. It was a completely random occurrence in which my foot found, among of all the surfaces in London, the one place where it most definitely did not belong at that given moment. It's unlucky and I'm still confused because I'm not even entirely sure what the function of this mini-manhole could be; do they have Smurf labor in the city that nobody told me about? Maybe it was put there just to trip me? By some evil pranskter? Called Tripolore?

Regardless, like all life-altering traumas ;), it all happened so quickly. I rolled over my foot and then pulled myself back up in a milisecond, but it was enough for me to realize instantly that I would not be finishing my twenty miles this week. Or maybe next week. Which puts a serious cramp in my goal for a thousand miles this year in only the second week of February. Bummer. I am officially out with an ankle.

Since I'm in the infirmary, and can not write about my current running affairs, I'll post a couple of pictures that pay tribute to two things: First is Sixpack's dogged determination to run the fire trails. Most people probably could not fathom why he keeps going to these steep and treacherous paths. Those of us who have experienced Brokeback Mountain first hand, however, know how hard it is to quit them. Which brings me to the second item, which is the passing of our old friend Ennis Del Mar. In honor of these two things are a couple of pics from Karneval in which we found ourselves dressing up as cowboys and getting drunk. And running. And repeating the cycle. Indeed, I managed to still run 15 miles in spite of the madness, and would have kept pace for an eighty mile month if this week wasn't ruined. So I was very pleased I could misbehave and stay disciplined all at the same time. Which really must be want drunkrunning is all about, right?





Way to go, everybody who is running right now. Keep up the great work! ;)

Running With....

That just about sums it up. This week I am running with...... Running with a left ankle, running with a lower back, running with a right leg. Pretty soon I’ll be running with an ego and/or psyche. Whichever comes first.

1. The ankle. This is the unaccounted for. Previous to the last few weeks I have never had issues with an ankle unless I fell and almost broke one. Now, I’m having pain in my heel right below where the shoe comes up to. Anyone ever had this? Advice?
2. The back. Simply put, it’s killing me. Riding back from wine tasting in Sonoma on Sunday (yeah, I know: Rough Life) I was unable to sit up in the car because my back hurt so bad. Mind you, I was already living up to the DrunkRunner Creed. I had put the seat in recline and turn the heated seats on high (see previous parenthetical note). When I got home I eventually fell asleep, but only after some serious painkillers.
3. The right leg. This is the big one, and I’ve got some good news. You may recall I have been struggling with this strange ass leg pain since last June. June 9 to be exact. I’ve had shooting pains down my right leg that come and go, occasional pain across the upper span of my gluteus maximi (sounds like a bridge) and just all around discomfort from this since day. Several months of physical therapy brought some improvement. Then I saw a specialist who recommended anti-inflammatory meds. No improvement. Then he prescribed Acupuncture. Overall there has been no improvement. So finally I will be going in for the MRI I was hoping he would prescribe months ago. It’s scheduled for Friday and I will let y’all know the results as soon as I have them. I’m not sure what the game plan is after that. Doc mentioned shots and/or surgery. I will take the idea of surgery very seriously. I’ve read many times that back surgery doesn’t always fix what was wrong, and of course, recovery is long. We’ll see. No matter what happens, I’m hoping that I’m on the road to recovery. I’ve been dealing with chronic back pain of a different sort since I was diagnosed with scoliosis in 7^th grade. That I can deal with, because I’ve done it for so long. Leg pain on the other hand? I’m not ready for that. To put it simply, I’m not of the belief that things like this come along and they are just part of life forever. I have reconciled with the back pain, because I have tried everything to fix it. This leg will be fixed, cod salmon!!!!!

 

The good news that should be apparent through all of this quetsching is that I am still running. Sunday I ran 8 miles in Golden Gate Park with my friend David. It was almost like having the DrunkRunners right there with me. We ran, we laughed, we talked about Brokeback Mountain. It was just like the old days. This was the first time in quite sometime that I have been able to run with a partner. That is the problems with training for marathons. It’s not as if there are hundreds of other people in the neighborhood that are also training. You can’t just say, “Hey Dude, wanna go out for a quick 20 miles?” Knowmsayin?

Today, after seeing the doc I went for 4 miles on the Fire Trails. This run is quickly becoming one of my favorites. It’s a great one. It’s uphill all the way and a great workout. My favorite aspect though, is that I know that if I can maintain the pace I’m supposed to going uphill then the downhill portion becomes a no-brainer. Not bad, eh? Today’s 4 was accomplished in a 9:38 pace—my training goal was set at 11:12. I think It’s time to adjust those numbers.

            Doing great! Just thought it was time to check in. I’ll post over the weekend to update tests, running and my progress.

 

Drink on, DrunkRunners! Drink on!

Please advise

What in the world id that annoying pain I get in my right side under my lower ribs? It usually "attacks" about mile 2 and lasts a good 5-10 minutes. Then it goes away.

A Running Skort, You Say? The Confessions of a Reformed Skort Skeptic

I know what you are thinking. I thought it too. Why in the world would you need to run in a skirt? Ridiculous and just a little impractical! I have never felt some undeniable urge or need to look particularly girly while running. The only person I had ever seen running in a skirt was a bottle blond with a fake tan,* which only served to reinforce my prejudice against such running attire. Well, dear female readers (and male readers who might find the idea of a running skirt appealing), I have come to the realization that running skirts are not simply about appearance! I recant any unkind remarks I might have uttered under my breath about women who wear skirts to run. I have been converted.

Me likey the running skirt, and let me tell you why. It feels like you are running in your birthday suit (minus the embarrASSment of people seeing your naked bum bouncing down the road).

Ginifer loaned me one of her recently purchased Skirt Sports "Gym Girl" skirts to try out.
She boasted about the comfortable waistband that gave the impression that there was no waistband. I was still highly skeptical. For those who didn't know, but might care, running skirts tend to be a combination of compression short with a skirt overlay. This particular skirt is made with mesh compression shorts - never fear, the mesh is thick enough that if the wind were to blow your skirt up a bit, you wouldn't feel like you had just flashed the entire neighborhood. They are sewn together and depending on the brand, can either be amazing or look dumpy and ride up while running. The skirt mentioned above belongs to the former category.**

I have been a Nike Tempo Track Short kinda girl for the last 1-2 years. Lately, I have been highly displeased with the amount of "creep"*** that I have endured while running. The compression shorts prevent the "creep" and chafing that occurs with regular shorts while the skirt hides the compression shorts.

Now, I have tested only this one brand of skirt, so I can't speak to all running skirts out there (although I tried on a few the other day and could immediately "see" why the TRIKS - skirt spelled backwards- Gym Girl was more expensive. Sometimes the old adage is really true: you get what you pay for.

To all those skirt runners out there, I apologize for hastily dismissing your decision to run in a skirt for superficial purposes. I see now that there are comfort benefits to running in a skirt and I might just run the OKC marathon in one! And, not to brag, but I looked awfully cute in that running skirt! ;)

* Oh, by the way, this is the pot calling the kettle black. Yes, I used to be a blond and I used to be tan. I never said I wasn't just a tiny bit vain!
** A word of caution: if you sweat a lot, like me, go for a darker color like black to avoid any unsightly sweat stains that might be misconstrued to resemble Fergie's pee-pant debacle.
*** Something akin to my inner thighs eating my shorts but not to be confused with camel toe!!!!

An affair with mother Nature!

Well, here I am... Just in from my final run of week 4. What a week it was!!
Monday = 3 miles 45deg. not so bad.
Wednesday = 4 miles -7 deg. finished but must admit I wasn't lovin it by the end. I never knew you could run with frostbite on your lungs. I believe my testicles even popped back out sometime last night from "hibernation"
Saturday = 5 miles 26 deg. I finished at an 11:38 pace. overall not a bad day. I did have to stop for a breather a couple times. I kept them short. But with that being the longest I have ever run in my life I am satisfied. i now have a goal to beat for my next 5 miler on Weds. fewer stops at same pace.
My hip is coming along slowly. I believe it finished only a minute or two behind me today!! I did give it a shot of IcyHot before I ventured out. Semmed to do the job.
I am finding myself in limbo (would rather be finding myself in Cancun) regarding the marathon. I just dont know if I have 26 miles in me. I may be setting my sites too high. i can't decide if I should stay focused on a possible 26 or back down to 13 which I feel I can hit. I dont really want to pull back until i break that 10 mile marker. I hear after that it is all down hill.

Gotta run.. I would really appreciate any input on the whole limbo issue.

P.S. Love the Olsen twins reference Sixpack. I bust up everytime I think about it!!