Not Running With an Ankle or a Rash. No, I'm Not!!

The week has been anything but uneventful, and this post is long. Read at your own risk.

Tuesday: Doctor's appointment about my ankle. Dr. Dixit took X-rays and said they looked fine, but wanted to do an MRI, because my issue was perplexing him and he wanted to see it a little better. Later I got a call that they found something in the X-ray and wanted to redo them because they found something weird in them. I'll find out soon if that weird thing was in my body or not. They decided not to redo the X-rays when I told them I already had the MRI scheduled.

Wednesday: Wellness exam. Yes, the physical has been replaced with the euphemistic Wellness Exam, where my doctor actually sat down and asked me how I was feeling. No, I don't mean as part of the conversation, he really wanted to know. It was a situation so strange I almost responded inappropriately with information about blaming it all on my mother and hating my father. :-) The exam went well. I was deemed healthy, blood was drawn (Time to check the cholesterol), and for those keeping score, I coughed well, my testes are healthy and the prostate is doing fine. It seems the older I get the more places my doctor wants to stick his finger. Or was he just a gay doctor? I may never know.

Thursday: MRI completed. The MRI was uneventful. Lay down, put in these earplugs and we'll wake you when you are done. Yes, I fell asleep. An MRI is an incredibly loud procedure, though not as loud as a Velvet Revolver concert. However, the rhythm of all the noise is quite soothing and I was out like a light.  I have the films and they will be interpreted Monday.

Friday: Thursday afternoon actually I developed a rash. I thought at first it was athlete's foot in a strange place, because the ankle brace was creating a bit of a moist environment around my ankle especially if I walked a ways and perspired a little.  However, by the time I got up in the morning I had a rash on my hands, elbows, knees, and ankles, and my head itched. So, it was back to the doctor. I debated even going to the doctor, but the advice nurse thought it would be a good idea. So I missed a talk by a Belgian author in order to go to the doctor. This entailed a 45 minute nap in the visitation room while I waited for the doctor to show up. She arrived and was completely perplexed. Using words like eczema, scabies, and psoriasis I thought she was just going to tell me I had cooties. I could have handled that, but she didn't.  She called in a doctor--she was actually a nurse practitioner--and he didn't know what was going on either. The usual advice was then given: take this steroid creme (I've already got 3 tubes at home) and call us if it doesn't get better. Just once I would like someone to tell me what this shit is. All I can find is that it's an environmental or food allergy. If it's a food allergy it's not a food I often come in contact with, for this happens only about once per year. Was it that cheese danish I ate before the MRI?

All of this is to explain that I haven't run this week, trying to give my ankle some rest. I will try a short run tomorrow, while trying to avoid hills. Then I'll find out what is going on on Monday.

Peace out!

The Tentative Two

The first quarter of a mile was a little iffy, but things started to loosen up after that. While the pain did not completely disappear over my 2 miles, it lessened to a nagging dull ache. Now, a nagging dull ache for 2 miles is one thing, that same ache for another 24.2.... that is another matter entirely: a matter which I am excited about undertaking. Who knew someone could be so excited about a dull ache? I'm icing as I type this and will be vigilant with taking my anti-inflammatory. I hope to try another 2-3 either tomorrow or Friday. OKC, here I come!

Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome

I learned today that Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome is just one big, ol' fancy-pants way of saying "Shin Splints." Doesn't it sound so much more impressive and dire?

Well, after approximately 45 minutes in the waiting room, a few x-rays, and another 10-15 minutes waiting in an exam room, I learned this 5-Dollar phrase. I also learned that I am slightly knock-kneed, although the Dr. had another big word for that, too, which sounded less pitiful. I wish I could remember it.

In another twist of fate, the Dr. inquired about my ACL scars. For those of you not in the "know": I tore both ACLs on Texas A&M's sh*tty excuse for a playing field in college. Did I mention that I tore my left and right ACLs on the SAME field, at the SAME end of the field, in the SAME spot on the field, and what I suspect was the SAME hole in the field, two years apart? I swore A&M my lifelong enemy after that. So what is the twist of fate, you ask? Well, after telling him my story, I said "Tell me you didn't go to A&M!" [Imagine the sound of silence with only crickets chirping in the background.] He quietly admitted that he had, indeed, attended Texas A&M. But I decided to forgive him and let him continue the exam.

No visible fractures, breaks, bone spurs, bone chips, NADA on the x-ray. But then again I really didn't expect him to see any. However, unlike Sixpack, I was not sent for an MRI. Boooo! I really want to meet your Dr. someday. He sounds like a very, very thorough. Because my Dr. couldn't locate one specific area of soreness on my leg/ankle during the exam, he deduced that I had not yet developed a stress fracture. He did, however, read me the riot act about my knees (although those were not the painful body part in question) and seriously suggested I start taking Glucosamine and Chondroitin to stave off arthritis later in life. But that is another blog post entirely.

Needless to say, I was sent home with photocopies of stretches for shin splints, a prescription for an anti-inflammatory, the suggestion that I should buy some gel inserts for my shoes, and that I should wait until I can walk without pain before running again. However, I don't really have pain when walking (only the evening of/day after a long run). He also advised me to stop running if the pain persists and to VERY VERY SLOWLY work back up to distance running. At no time, I will have you know, even upon direct questioning, did the Dr. say that I could not run the marathon. Now, he also didn't say, "Hell ya, go out and kick that marathon's ass!" I also didn't ask him about the chances of longterm, serious injury if I ran the marathon in pain.... I think that was pretty much a no-brainer. He also suggested that I go for a short jog and see how my leg is feeling, since I haven't run on it since last Thursday. So, after I finish this post I am going to do some stretches with my little Theraband, slip on my shoes with my new inserts, and see what half a mile and maybe even a mile feels like. I will probably be testing the waters up until the day of the marathon before I make my final decision. Deetschei scared the hell out of me with the "you can break your leg if you run with severe shin splints." Yikes! So, depending on what happens and how I feel after the marathon, I might go back for a follow-up visit and talk orthodics with him. I gotsta fix these aching legs o' mine.

So, my friends, I feel a little better about the prospects of Sunday's marathon, but at the same time, and this is totally the Debbie Downer inside of me, I worry that he wasn't very thorough. He seemed to totally block out my complaints about my ankle hurting.... But then again, I am just a fake Dr. What do I know? ;)

Bitter Sweet

Seeing as how I am not currently running and my last post was titled "Running with a Lower Body," I suppose this post should be titled "Sitting Around with a Lower Body." But that just seemed too depressing less than a week before my first marathon.

After the disastrous 20-miler-that-was-really-a-17.55miler, I have put in a few more runs without much consequence. By that I mean that I ran through the pain and completed an 8 and a 12 miler. I thought that the leg/ankle injury I had sustained had either stabilized or at least wasn't getting worse. Sadly, on last week's scheduled 5 mile run with Ben, I had to stop at 2.5 and walk home. I can say unequivocally that instead of the pain disappearing after a few miles (common for minor cases of shin splints, I have read) the pain remained the same, if not worsened, (a sign of severe shin splints and lots of other potentially unpleasant injuries).

Since I am only a fake Dr., I made an appointment with the Orthopedist. In light of the pain and all the info I could find on the internet, I decided to skip my remaining runs and to rest, ice, and take anti-inflammatories until the marathon.

My hope: the Dr. will give me some voodoo wonder drug and tell me I am good to run on Sunday.

My fear: the Dr. is going to tell me that if I go ahead with the marathon that I will do irreparable damage to my body that will mean the end of running. That would be a hard pill to swallow.

However, and this may come as a shock to those of you who know me well, I have decided that I would rather be able to run for the next 30 years than finish 26.2 miles and risk a longterm injury. While the thought of 4 months of training all being for nothing is too depressing to really entertain, I realize that I have still benefited greatly from the training.

I'll keep you posted.

16 Miles and that Damned Ankle

It was off early yesterday morning for a 16 mile run. When I say early, I mean I got out of bed at 7, and began the run at 7:55.  Why DOES it take so long to throw on some shorts, eat breakfast, apply body glide, gather the iPod, mix the gatorade, scrounge out some gels, put on the shoes and head out the door?  It just seems to me that I have to get up early just to get all the run prep done.  :-(

  Speaking of Gels, there was a shortage yesterday. I woke in the middle of the night and realized that I had run out last week and hadn't replenished supplies. Thankfully I had a couple Gu Hardrock samples that I was given at a party last year. Yes, while chatting with a girl at the party I found out she was an employee of Gu and I told her how much I loved it. She surprised me with some top secret samples of a product they were testing for elite athletes. Since I clearly look like an elite athlete, she thought I could be a guinea pig.  I only had two left to run all of yesterday's 16 miles.

  I was also short an ankle brace--it had somehow been left on my desk at school. So, doubly handicapped I headed out high in spirit if not supplies.

  The first mile went incredibly well. I reached the highest altitude of my run gasping only slightly. Clearly my fitness is improving. If you've ever been to my house you know that the only way out is up, and the first mile is UP!!!! The blessing is that after mile one it is downhill for the next 3.  It is at mile 4 that my first water break stop comes in. It's a great place to stop and get some water, blow my nose, fill-up water bottles, pee if need be. This would turn out to be my only water stop all day, a fact of which I am quite proud.

  In order to complete 16 miles it was necessary to cross the Golden Gate Bridge and back, then head through the marina, on to fisherman's wharf and the Ferry Building. To have done all of that (12 miles) without a water stop was something I hadn't done in quite some time. There were still 3 times when I was forced to walk because of knee pain, but that was OK. I've actually found that if I stop to walk when my knee hurts it gives the muscles time to recover, and the pain goes away. More importantly, I don't end up limping for several days afterward.

  When I reached the end of the run I had to sprint even further--something I did none too gracefully--in order to catch the train home. The train conductor actually almost left because she thought I was a jogger. Ooops. Must have been the costume.

  Home to ice. I tried out the new ice bath method (see "Ice, Ice, Baby") and it worked swimmingly. I sat down in warm water then chilled the hell out of it. As the water rose my body got used to it. Before I knew it I was submerged in an ice bath and still had sight of genitalia. Of course, there was a point when I thought there was going to be a retreat on par with Monty Python "Run Away! Run Away!", but it never happened.  Anyway, 15 minutes in the ice bath and today the only thing that hurts is my un-braced ankle, which I've got an appointment to have checked out tomorrow.

Week in Review:

Miles: 34.05

Time: 5:36:07

Pace: 9:52/mile

Overall Impression: Sixpack Be Ready For Marathon! Eat My Dust, Forest F. Gump! (SBRFM!EMD,FFG!)

Ice, Ice, Baby!!

Ice is my new best friend. As you are aware, I went for a 20 mile run on Sunday. Now, 20 miles is never easy. Not when training for a marathon. Maybe one day, when running more marathons makes the later stages of training a little more routine, they will get better. For now, 20 MILES SUCKS!!!!

  This time, though I decided it was time to go for an ice bath after the run. A few conversations with Forrest when I was in Wisconsin convinced me that it might be a good idea. It was simple enough to prepare. Start a bath with lukewarm water. Not hot, but not so cold that you can't get in. Have a seat, and turn the water on cold.* When the tub is full and you are chilling nicely, dump in a bunch of ice. We have an ice maker so it's not hard for us to come by.

  It was amazing. I was a little sore on Monday. In the past, however, I've been darn near incapacitated for days after a long run. Tuesday I managed another 5 miles, albeit slowly. That's one day of rest after 20 miles and then right back into the fire. On top of all that, I've run another 10 miles since then. I'm feeling great and looking forward to the rest of the week and Sunday's ice bath!!!!

* For the record, I took this week's ice bath in a kneeling position. After all, the boys don't care much for cold water. The kneeling allowed for the icing of most of my legs, without ending up with a mangina.  This week, however, I will try the above mentioned technique in hopes that the slow chilling of the body will eliminate some of the shock.

My Idol, Buster Martin

Yesterday, Buster Martin, age 101, completed the London Marathon.

According to the news report I saw on NBC last night, Buster's average day includes 8 pints of beer and 14 cigarettes. His training regime involves little to no water and regular "hydration breaks" for beer. Watch out Kenyans, there is a no kid on the block.

Congratulations and Bravo to Buster Martin!

Running by the Numbers

37 -- the age of Sixpack Chopra during today's run. I felt great knowing that I was 37 and still running well. I recall thinking, ten years ago, that I would probably not be running at such an old age. After all, one needs to slow down at some point.

20  -- Number of miles completed today! Yes, I did say completed. It was a long day, almost four hours, but I made it through.

80 -- approximate temperature during most of my run. It was a scorcher. I think I even burnt the top of my head. Oh well, at least it was sunny. After months and months of cold weather we have finally had an amazing weekend.  Everyone was out so the trails/route were packed, but it felt great to be out there with them all.

3 -- Number of water/potty breaks. I wouldn't normally go to such extreme measures, but with the heat today I knew very early that I was going to need to stock up on water throughout the run.

68 -- Ounces of gatorade and water consumed during today's run. It was brutal. I did manage though to stave off dehydration. The sweaty seat on the train ride home confirmed that I had maintained full hydration.

2930 -- Number of calories burned during 20 miles. If that's not reason enough to run I don't know what is.  This, of course, prompted a trip to In-N-Out for lunch (Best-O-Burger doesn't open for another week.)

Not much else to say about the run. A few things I learned today: 

1. That ankle brace is awesome, but I'm going to schedule a doctor's appointment to try to figure out how to get back to running without one. 
2. Tourists are generally confused by half-naked men running past them with band-aids on his nipples.
   
3. If you say it forcefully enough the word "Excuse Me" can be understood no matter what your native language.
4. Pedestrians are not allowed on the western side of the Golden Gate Bridge. I learned this after walking under to bridge hoping that running on the other side would help me avoid some of the tourists. Alas, I had to retrace my steps and run with them anyway.
5. Warm vanilla Gu reminds me of some sort of frappuccino, only warm and not so sweet.

The final Numbers:

Miles this week: 33

Time: 5:41

Average Pace: 10:20

Overall Impression: There Is Nothing Like a 20 Mile Run To Make One Appreciate Sitting Down. (TINLA20MRTMOASD)

This post brought to you by: Gu, In-N-Out, and the people at Best-O-Burger.

Running with a Lower Body

Does anyone see a trend in our posts of late? I haven't gone through them, but I can only surmize that a large majority of our recent posts have been dedicated to pain and injury!

I haven't posted in a while, not because I haven't been running, but simply because I haven't felt like there was anything newsworthy about which to post. After my first failed attempt at 20 miles (conditions proved less than favorable - a wind advisory that I had conveniently failed to notice, 90-something % humidity, and high pollen/tree count) ended at mile 13, I vowed to avenge my honor with the second 20 mile run scheduled in my training plan. Other than that, my runs have consisted of the standard 2 mi easy runs, the 7-8 mi. tempo runs, and the 12-16 mi. long runs. None of these presented any real problems and have been rather uneventful. Although, I did manage to give myself a fever by running my 16 miler with a sinus infection. Oops. Other than that, my only big concern has been my shin splints (I can totally see how Sixpack might think it was a stress fracture given how crippling they can feel). I have had to adjust/skip some of my runs in order to rest and give my legs some time to recover. In anticipation of yesterday's 20 miler, I made sure to take an anti-inflammatory early that morning and to ice my shins throughout the morning and afternoon.

Now, I can only assume that the copious (and I DO mean copious) amount of alcohol that I consumed the night before at Ginifers did not serve me well, because I almost delayed my run because I felt like such crap. But, I told myself, yet again, that I would not lose faith in my tried-and-true Kenyan training method, so I ran hungover. This wouldn't have been a real problem, had it not been 80 degrees yesterday. I have had to face the sad, tragic fact that there will be no more "cool" and "chilly" running days before the marathon. It looks like high 70s to low-mid 80s from here until the end of April. Even pushing my run off until late afternoon didn't seem to matter. Checking the weather report, even early morning the temperatures were still anticipated to be in the high 60s/low-mid 70s. But enough about the weather.


The plain and simple fact is that I failed my 20-miler yet again. ARGH!!!!

I made it to mile 17, which was a feat in and of itself, because my lower body had seized up on me by mile 15. During my run I thought about Forest and Sixpack's stories of finishing runs with one leg completely straight and looking like a total freakshow while just trying to finish. While I am disappointed that I still haven't completed 20 miles (the marathon is 2 weeks away) and am beginning to doubt whether I will be able to complete 26.2, I fully stand behind my decision to stop at mile 17. I have NEVER EVER EVER wanted to cry during a run before - except perhaps while doing rehab for my two torn ACLs - until yesterday. It took about everything I had just to make it home. Today, I almost wish I had stopped at mile 15, because I fear I have truly "done myself a mischief." My right ankle, calf, and knee make it impossible to put any weight on leg. In order to walk up the stairs, I have to do the ol' "one leg up, next leg up onto the same step" routine. I have to keep my right leg entirely straight while walking because the shooting pain in my ankle makes me cringe and grind my teeth. If things don't improve by mid-week, I am heading to the doctor. I've experienced similar pain before after runs, but never to this degree. Keep your fingers crossed that it isn't anything that will prevent me from attempting the marathon.

On that fabulous note, I can report that my time for the 17 miles (walking and limping included) wasn't half bad. However, I'd prefer to cross the finish line without looking like Quasimodo, but at this point I suppose I would settle for just finishing.

Yesterday's Run:
Distance: 17.55
Total Time: 3:05:49
Overall Impression: OUCH! (OUCH!)

Week's Runs:
Distance: 27
Time: 4:34:55

Running with an Ankle.....Brace

Folks, it is week nine of the marathon training and things are getting crazy. I was sick and/or on Spring Break for most of March, which really messed up the running schedule. This week will be the first week in which I ran every mile prescribed since week 4, which was back in February. Aside from the time off due to the flu, I'm in pretty good shape.

  Thank ankle is still bothering me, often invoking a running stance akin to Quasimodo. Yesterday I took action and purchased a simple ($15 was as simple as they got) ankle brace, and that served me very well today. Not only was my ankle not as sore during the run, I feel I'm recovering better from the run itself. I always told myself that I would stop running if it required wearing a brace every time I run, so we'll see how recovery goes. I'll try a run next week without it. If I'm still in pain I'll see a doctor. My guess is that the ankle pain is some sort of tendonitis, but I have no way of knowing. Some of you may recall my self-diagnosis of a stress fracture, only to find out that it was shin splints. Ooops.

  Sunday was an awesome run. I ran with Forest and we covered the better part of Madison. Starting with the charity runners in a parking lot across the street from my in-laws, we ran the first 4 miles with them and then we lost them, or they lost us, either way we couldn't see them any more. The route took us around lake Monona, which is huge and quite picturesque. We could see the lake for most of the run and keeping it on our left were able to find our way back to the starting line. 

During a short out and back segment that we through in to make sure we had enough miles, Forest offered the option of returning the way we had already traveled or heading the rest of the way around the lake.  I take full responsibility for the fact that I chose to finish the lap around the lake, and that that is where we ran into all the hills. Forest was cursing my name, but I have to say I felt more in my element. Running the hills my legs opened up and I suddenly found it difficult to slow down so that he could keep up. All in all a great feeling. Especially since it was a good indication that I will kick his ASS in May.

  Yesterday, 2 miles. Uneventful, treadmill, blah, blah, blah.

  Today: 7 miles. Speedwork today! I did 5 miles on a track (plus one mile there and back) and maintained the prescribed 9:22 pace. I was surprised and encouraged that I was able to keep up the pace. The ankle brace held up, and I would guess that the slowing down that did happen in the end was entirely dehydration.

  Sunday: Sixpack turns 37, and he must run 18 miles. This is my favorite run of all of them. I'll leave the house and make my way to the Golden Gate Bridge, I'll run across it and back, then follow the path back to downtown and catch the bus home. I love running Golden Gate Bridge. It really gives me a sense of accomplishment!!!

Overall:

Miles: 25

Average pace: 9:45

Impression: Back On Track And Looking To Kick Forest's Proverbial Behind On My Way To The Beer Tent! (BOTALTKFPBOMWTTBT!)

Snow, Dial-up and Sixteen Miles

I'll keep this brief. I've been in Wisconsin for the past 10 days (I'm flying home today) and it has been nothing short of crazy. It has snowed no fewer than 3 inches while I was here, and they got 6" the night before I arrived. Wisconsin in March, you gotta love it.

Also, I've been way out of touch because my parents have dial-up, it's no wonder Forest never has anything to say. If it took me 20 minutes to write an e-mail I wouldn't be blogging often either.

Finally, Forest and I went for a 16 mile run yesterday. I  think it ended at closer to 15.6, but who's counting. It was a beautiful run. We circled Madison's lake Monona. It was a bit chilly, and a little hilly in the second half, but I feel great today and look forward to next week's 18 miles.

More later,

Sixpack

Practicing running for brats

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Well on Saturday I went down to Rockford (Ill) to run with Kojak. (Scooter is having motivation problems, I think he's got to much on his plate and is burning out. I told him I thought he should drop to the half or the quarter. He still reads the posts just doesn't want to post because of the trouble, let's all let him know we've all been there and help give him the drive to keep going.)Back to the run, I got down to Rockford about 6:30 A.M. and had to get Kojak out of bed. In all fairness she had to Waite for me the last time we ran. We stretched and left on the run at 7:30, it was a nice morning for a 14 mile run. It was cloudy but warm,27 degrees. The course was mostly flat but we did endure a few hills but we made them. I have had a sinus problem like most of the rest of the drunk runners and I felt like a mucous factory, thank god for the farmers blow. Something I need to teach Kojak or she needs to carry a hankie. The first mile or so I wasn't sure how things were going to go but we settled into a comfortable pace and just rolled on. Kojak was a real trooper, she had to skip last weeks long run so this was her first run over 10 miles. I was impressed, she kept the whining down to a minimum and just pushed through. I'm not sure what she had to complain about though because all she was carrying was herself. I was the one carrying the nutrition and water, I felt like her pack mule. She continually complained about how terrible my choice nutrition tasted. She didn't want to take them so I had to take her by the head, stuff them in her mouth, hold her mouth shut and rub her throat until she swallowed. A little trick I learned growing up on a farm giving pills to stubborn animals. I swear she wasted more energy fighting the nutrition than she did running. We ran out 8 miles and then headed back, the reason for this was I didn't want to run up the enormous hills at the end of the run. Although it did make for a long two mile walk back to the house. Angel started to have a rough time starting at mile ten, she said she was hurting and exhausted. We stopped at mile 11 to stretch and see if that would help her.At mile 12 she was yelling at me because I would run ahead and then run back to her to give her some words of encouragement. She kept complaining about her leg but didn't want to stop. She was a real trooper, she put up with me and finished her first 14 mile run. We made our 2 mile walk back to the house where I made Kojak take an ice bath to help reduce the inflammation that would happen in her legs. I think she thought I was crazy but when she saw the difference in the way I moved around after mine she decided it was a good idea.When we were finished with all of our post run stuff Kojak's husband Kevin took the brats I had brought with off the grill for the final leg of the training. I have to say a brat is a great way to finish a run. When we finished eating we went to a running store and got her a new and properly fit pair of shoes. I think this week I'll have trouble keeping up with her because as we all know new shoes make you FAAAAAAAAAAST!!!!!


Mileage 22.8

average pace 11:08

over all impression: I'm not sure if that snail is getting faster or if I just feel like I am but he's always right with me. I guess I need to do more ice dance cross training. I know I'm fast just look at lexi's hair blow back!

P.S. Scooter we've all had to deal with Sybal. You want to run and she keeps telling you you can't. She tells you to just give up and walk home. When she says stop running you tell ehr screw you this is what I want and you are not the boss of me you psychotic bitch get off my back and leave me alone.
But Scooter don't do this outside while you are running people will think your nuts and call the cops and then we will all have to go to court and explain to them about how we all have a little Sybal in us. Well if they don't believe us at least you'll have company in the Loony Bin!!

8 Down--How many more to go?

My posts always seem to be sister-guilt related, but sometimes I just need a reminder to post...(That and the fact that I can't read the blog at work anymore as our IT dept has caught on to the "drunk" part of the blog name and blocked me.)

I've gotten back on the trail/treadmill after February's nasty sinus business and finally did my 8 miles today. It wasn't as hard as I was expecting, although I did get the evil side-stitch at about mile 6.5 but I was able to keep moving and thankfully it went away. I also got my first passing car "shout-out". I don't know what they said, but it was mile 7.5 and I know it wasn't because I was looking all cute...

Thanks to some over-the-phone coaching from Ginifer and Dr. PP over the weekend, I managed to go farther and my average pace was a minute faster than my previous long runs (14:00--slower than a speeding bullet but faster than my speedwalking mother). Even mile 4, which is always uphill most of the way and against the wind, was faster than usual. Sorry, girls, it was still a little chilly for me to try to the birthday running skirt but I'll give it a try-out at the Y on Tuesday.

I'm soooooo looking forward the massage I have scheduled for my day off tomorrow. :)

Born To Run 14 miles to the Taxi

It was a long run, but I was encouraged when I turned on my iPod and--on shuffle--it immediately began playing "Born to Run." I knew it was going to be a good day.  The route was one of my favorites, over the hill to Golden Gate Park, out to the Golden Gate Bridge, through Chrissy Field then over the hill to Pier 39, along the Embarcadero to the Ferry Building and then up Market until I reached 14.

  All in all a very good run. I had some issues right after completing mile 1. As near as I can tell, there is something my IT Band doesn't like about climbing hills at the beginning of a run and then immediately heading back down them. I was in so much pain for a little stretch there that I thought I was going to have to walk home. Instead I did some of those magic Deetschei stretches and I was good as new. I was still not 100% stable, but I decided to at least complete 4 miles, which would at least get me to a bus stop.  When I reached 4 miles I felt fine so I pushed on.

  There were a few stops/rests in the route. Potty break at mile 4, and again at mile 9, stretching at miles 1 and 11. I think that's it. I'm not so worried about such breaks as the end result is still 14 miles. After all, I've read advice that if it is too hot and humid for 14 miles straight you should break it up into 2 or 3 mile segments taking breaks to cool off and rehydrate.

  When I had finished 14 miles I took the bus home. Just as I was boarding the bus the song "Taxi" by Jawoll came on. I tell you, my iPod knew exactly what I was up to yesterday!

Yesterday's numbers:

Miles: 14

Time: 2:22:34

Pace: 10:10/mile

Catcalls: 1 (at 11.5 miles)

Cheered on because I crashed the course of a race in progress: 3 times

Overall Impression: Currently Walking With a Knee But Otherwise Not Too Sore Considering. (CWWAKBONTSC!)

Beer, Pancakes, Beer, Pizza. Rinse and Repeat!

I'd like to open by answering one of Dr. PP's questions in her last post:

It is the kind of soreness reminiscent of doing 100 leg presses with 50 lb. weights or lots of uphill sprinting. I don't quite know to what I should attribute this. Suggestions?

Answer: "Dude, 18 and 20 are really horrible. No, seriously."

Now that that is taken care of, I can get down to business. I've been battling more bugs than a housewife at a Lady Bug Picnic and I'm getting downright frustrated. Heartened, but frustrated. After the flu that lasted for 2 weeks, I still haven't fully cleared my sinuses which puts me at almost 3 weeks. Since Monday I've had what I'm quite certain is a DrunkRunner Inducted Stomachache. There are other potential explanations, but I'm pretty sure that marshmallows and pumpkin pancakes thrown into a stomach that is still struggling to digest last night's round of beers is not a good thing. To follow that then with another 12 pack and several slices "Meat Special" pizza, you have the eating/drinking habits of just one of the days of the DrunkRunner reunion.

  In spite of my ill health, I have been able to run a little bit. My two miles yesterday were wonderful! Unremarkable in time, speed or energy, but phenomenal in that I was back out on the road. I attempted to follow that today with 7 miles of speed work. At mile 2.5 my stomachache reared it's ugly head. I decided to pack it in when my attempt to run through it increased the pain. Therefore, I sit here now writing not having run the full 7 I was supposed to do.

  In light of this months events, I'm happy to have run 5.5 miles this week, and will try to do another 3 tomorrow to catch up. Then it is rest on Saturday, in hopes of surviving the 14 scheduled for Sunday.

Drink on DrunkRunners, and keep us posted! Where are you all at?  Scooter? Kojac? What Up???

"Dude, 18 and 20 are really horrible. No, seriously."

To be fair, I had been warned that 18 miles was nothing like 16 miles, but I simply couldn't fathom two miles making that big of a difference. Well, touché (or "tushy" as I like to pronounce it) veteran Drunkmarathoners, you are wise beyond your years.

While no running, but PLENTY of drinking, took place during the reunion of the 3 founding DrunkRunners, I felt properly chastised by my body when I returned to Texas and ran my 18 miler. One word: OOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUCCCCCCHHHHH! Funnily enough, what hurts the most in the days following that fateful run are not my knees, ankles, or calves; instead, my quads are absolutely killing me today. I suppose you could say that I am now running with quads. It is the kind of soreness reminiscent of doing 100 leg presses with 50 lb. weights or lots of uphill sprinting. I don't quite know to what I should attribute this. Suggestions?

I won't bore you with the details of my 18.29 miles (2:56:31). Needless to say, I got the job done. I need to slow my pace, because I am currently running a minute faster than pace (if you don't take into account stopping to drink, etc.). I think part of my soreness might be due to pace. I guess I will find out on Sunday when I have to run my longest training distance: 20 miles. And yes, Sixpack and Deetschei, I will take you at your word: 20 is gonna suck.

Here are some photos from our Drunkrunner Meeting of the Minds:

I know these pictures look like Sixpack and Deetschei saying, "If you take one more picture, I swear I will....." But when I look at it, I like to think they are saying, "Put down that camera and pick up that glass of wine, sista! We got some drinkin' to do!"


Stats:
# of Miles Run in Berkeley: 0

# of DrunkRunner-Approved Beverages Consumed: If I could count 'em, I wasn't drinkin' enough of 'em.

The whiner is still whining

Two weeks ago I woke up to do a 10 mile run and decided to postpone it due to rain and a mild hangover. When I awoke 2 hours later I had the flu. I don't know what happened in those two hours, but it was FUBAR! Now, two weeks and two days later, I'm still clearing out my lungs and sinuses. I put on 5 pounds and I'm sure I've lost a little fitness. I've also developed a little bit of an acid issue. I don't know how it starts or how it ends, but I've had it before. Just imagine a stomach ache that increases and encourages you to eat. Then you eat, and instead of getting better it gets worse. Needless to say, until I'm over it it will help me lose those 5 pounds.  :-)

Whining is now complete. I'm scheduled for 2 miles tomorrow and will do them! It's going to be nice getting back on the road, which we didn't do this weekend because Dr. PP was hungover and DJ was sick. I, on the other hand was the epitome of fitness and sobriety!

Never group run with your family!

If you do your sure to find out how much they like you. Saturday morning started out bad, I over slept. When I awoke I called Scotty and Not such angel Angel to let them know to take off with out me, they insisted they would waite, so I jumped in my truck and drove the 55 minute down to flat land to meet them. We took off and at first things were good, then Angel started to pull away ( I haven't been doing all my running, actually I've been really shorting myself so I'm out of shape) and I was pulling away from Scotty. Like a good group runner I slowed to make sure Scotty or Scooter was OK. Angel well she never looked back. Scooter was warn out so I gave him some magical sport beans and my magic water and set off to catch Angel. I had her in my sight but could never catch her. Did I mention I was in a strange place and wasn't sure of the route, well I wasn't. I had a car pull out in front of me and in that time I lost sight of Angel, I had an Idea of where to go and thought if I headed back towards a road I was just on I would find Scooter. Sure nice thought, I went to a road I had passed because I remembered Scooter and the Devil talking about the hill on it we had to climb. After a few miles I noticed a subdivision that looked familiar so I turned on it and kept running, did I mention we were supposed to be running 9 miles. I found out that the subdivision roads and houses were put in by a blind man. The roads were every where and all the houses look alike. I ran in the subdivision for about 45 min. before I found Scooters house again and I wasn't sure it was his because my truck was not in front of it.
I was going down to run with loved ones we were to do 9 and then I was going to go home and run my last 3 to get my 12 in, as it turns out I got my 12+ in and Scooter and not such an Angel got a good laugh.

Miles 12

Time about 135 min.

Pace I had a good conversation with a very cold and slow moving snail.

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!!

The 50-Mile Month and the Attack of Pooperella and Mr. PP

It's been an exciting week. Earlier this month I made a resolution on Nike+ to run two marathons this year. As part of that resolution I was asked to set a goal for the month, which I did. That goal was 50 miles.  I didn't think it was even realistic, and then I took a look at where I stood last Saturday. 23 miles later and I reached my goal with 3 miles to spare!!!!! I'm totally psyched and feel like I've finally got some momentum going.

  This was the first 50 mile month I have run since completing the marathon LAST January, which has me feeling pretty good. Interestingly I logged a 57-mile December in 2006, after only getting my iPod on Christmas Eve. Yes, that is 57 miles in 7 days. It's been a long time since those days. I'm hoping to one day see them again.

  All three of my runs this week magically kept me out of the rain. It rained every day I ran, but I managed to get out and back before it all started. Not bad, not bad. Tuesday was 7 miles and it was a nice run. I was to do them in a 9:56 pace, and I managed to do that despite a massive attack of the Pooperellas and Mr. PP. At mile 4 I was considering looking for a bush, and when at 6 miles I finally got to Deetschei's favorite Berkeley port-o-pottie I was able to get Mr. PP off my back, but sanitary conditions precluded Pooperella. That would have to wait until I got back to the gym. I now know what Dr. PP would often go through. This was the only run I ever considered giving up due to bodily functions. Discomfort would be the best description of it.

  Thursday it was back to the Berkeley Fire Trails for a 9-mile run. Again, that's 4.5 miles uphill and then 4.5 miles down. It was intense to say the least. I still haven't reached the top of the Fire Trails since the now infamous JW Run. Perhaps I will find it at 10 or even 11 miles. I'm not sure. Either way, I must say there are few day-to-day running accomplishments that compare with the knowledge that at the top of that incredibly long hill, it's all downhill from there. I felt like Jack, as I hollered "I'm King of the World!" (Psyche!!!! I didn't make a Brokeback Mountain reference.)

  All in all a great week and more than I had expected this early in the game.  My times are good, my distances are better and I'm feeling pretty good. I'm still running with a Hip Flexor, but that is also getting better.

Week in Review:

Miles: 24

Overall time: 4:01:15

Average Pace: 10:03

Overall Impression: Marathon, I Thought I Could Quit You, But I Can't! (MITICQYBIC!)

Drunkrunner Approved Food

Nearest and Dearest Drunkrunners and Drunkrunner Fans,

I wanted to share this absolutely freakin' fabulous meal with you. Ben, my personal chef, um... I mean my husband, prepared this brilliant savory pie (Deetschei, you will appreciate this), based on a recipe from Jamie Oliver (formerly known as the "Naked Chef").

Drum role please....... it is the Guinness and Steak Pie. Now, alone the fact that it contains Guinness OBVIOUSLY makes it an approved Drunkrunner food. Don't even get me started about the sharp cheddar (preferably Wisconsin, duh!) and the puff pastry crust. Not to mention, I can personally attest that there are no adverse affects of consuming this dish the night before a long run (in fact, I credit it with my fast, time-bending, blinding speed) ;) I would have to say it registers a green (low risk of vomiting and cramping) on the food threat advisory system.

Voila!

I won't post the recipe here, but if you are interested, let me know and I will pass it along to you. It is so pretty. Too bad it is all in my belly! BWA HA HA HA! (And has probably worked its way to my hips and thighs) :(

The McClard Family Bratfest

Forest hasn't had a chance to enlighten you all, but the Drunkrunner evangelical movement is taking hold. Through Forest's hard missionary work recruits for Bratfest are increasing daily.

So far, all members of the greater McClard Clan, entrants are:

Forest, myself, Sandi F. Patti and of course MamaSchu (for those that are counting, and know the count, that's the entire ensemble of Backman Siblings), Sandi's daughter Jillian, our cousin Scooter, our cousin from another mother Angel, and our cousin from yet another mother Robin and her son Dexter. There may be more that I just can't remember right now. All of the above mentioned will be tackling races from the 1/4 marathon, to the 1/2 marathon, and a few full marathons. For most of them Bratfest will be the longest race they have ever run. I believe the only exceptions to that are Forest, Angel and myself who have all run marathons, although I can't recall if Angel has or not, but that's not important right now. These family members are all from the McClard side of the family, a scottish clan well versed in drinking and adversity. All in all, perfect candidates for a marathon.

There are now two things to look forward to.

1.  If I've said it once, I'll say it a thousand times: BRATFEST.
   
2. Ray, Scooter's step-dad, will be waiting at the mile 24 marker with a cold bottle of New Glarus Brewing Co. Beer. Yes, you read that right, Beer at mile 24. Trust me, once you've made it that far, your body is too starved for energy to notice the alcohol.

Over the coming weeks I hope more McClards will join in, so welcome them all when we hear from them. And thanks Forest for the amazing recruiting efforts!

I'm back

Please keep the theme from Rocky playing as I announce my return from retirement.
It has a been a long struggle both with age (aches and pain) and just not enough time and or energy ( Anatomy and physiology kicked my ass and brain). But Boys and girls Friends and DOCTORS I'm BACK!!!!! (lower theme music in head while I tell you the story).
Since the Madison Marathon I've been thru a few trials both physical and mental (yes I've gotten professional help for both, thanks for your concern). The back is feeling good and they repaired my rotator cuff Jan 3rd. The Pt has given me the OK to start back running, but I have to start slow so I don't end up with tendinitis. (please switch music to "Eye Of The Tiger") I have set up a revised training plan, I will be a bit behind but will catch up. I've been running the chickens on the tread mill and built a bigger chase pen. This year speed training will be a blast. When I cross the finish line for my second marathon I can proudly yell "YOHHH Adrian I did it".
I would like to extend an invitation to all to join us in Madison. We will again start at the Capitol and end at "The Worlds Largest Brat Fest" Oh and they have beer as well. I'll keep this short, just wanted to let you all know Forest has entered the race.

P.S. I have had and will have limited access to the www but will keep posting and supporting my fellow drunk runners.

In Honor of Kenya

In honor of the Kenyan Method, I decided it was okay to meet some friends at the pub Saturday night, knowing full well I had to run ten miles on Sunday. I drank anywhere from 4-7 pints before stumbling home on the last train, resolving to run at 8 AM. Around 1PM I finally laced up and rolled down the stairs. It wasn't pretty.

Thankfully, I knew going into my run that my A game wasn't an option, so I took it easy and just focused on grinding through it. My main objective was to avoid some of the steeper slopes in Greenwich Park, and I spent a lot of time trying to figure out a way I could get to the second half of the park, which is on a high plateau, without resorting to either donkeys or being pulled on baskets attached to long ropes. Ultimately, I settled on a path that diverged before my normal run, which skirts the outside wall. I figured it would approach the hill more gradually than the usual route, which runs directly at the incline.

Against all logics of topography and probably physics, I somehow messed it up completely and ran up an entirely different hill before being deposited at the base of the very incline I was hoping to avoid, rendering my hangover-addled plan a complete failure and my hangover-addled body a complete wreck. Hills and beers simply don't seem to mix. Which must be why bars are generally built on flat terrain.

I ditched my usual hill strategy and got up to the upper area with a strategic combination of bitching, hating, and moaning that I learned on the fire trails. After that, the run was solid (endorphines + downhill) if uneventful, and I just rolled home and logged the time (around 9:20) without any further event.

Since I was tapering in the first week of January, I will end up about four miles short of my monthly goal in my attempt to run 1000 miles this year. But I feel pretty confident I can make that up in February, because um, it's a longer month (?). This week will be twenty two miles if the pints don't have anything to say about it. Next week, being German Karneval, promises to offer all kinds of challenges in balancing alcohol intake and running. I might be forced to attempt that elusive goal of actually drinking while running, something that Forrest perfected in the last miles of his marathon. I am, however, always up for a challenge.

refreshing run in a Cailfornia freeze!!

AHHHHHH!! Today I had my first run of week 4. I was able to venture outside today into a wonderful 45 deg afternoon (I understand that that is freezing in Cali). It was what I believe to be my best run to date! 3.2 miles @ 11:34. It felt good, I felt like I could have easily gone 5 today, but I didnt want to break training. Forest has become my mr Myagi(sp.) a little 80s flashback.
Week 3 was a little harsh. I began to develop a "hip" early on . I still was able to log 10.5 but it was tough. My right hip was giving me some pain and I can still feel it just not as much. I am trying to not over do it, I have been taking a boot camp class at the local Y on M,W,F in the morning before I head in to the office. The class is a really good cardio/core workout. I took forests guidance and today started to scale back my excertion in the class as to not further my "hip" I will see how it goes over the next few runs then re-evaluate the class. My fireman training class has begun to get into the more physical aspect. But that is just making me sleep better at night.
I will update after my 5 miler and let you know how the hip is comin along.

Running with a Hip Flexor and a Back!

Neither my hip flexor nor my lower back are "injured" per se, but both are little tight and painful. I've begun some extra stretching in an attempt to alleviate some of it. My hip flexor actually hasn't been the same for a few months now, but I tend to forget that because it only really hurts when I go up an extremely steep hill, like say the fire trails.

  My run on Sunday, 8 miles, was mostly uneventful. It was long, that's for sure. It took me 8 miles through the city and was quite beautiful. I managed to sneak it in between rain storms, which was nice.

  It was a 14 mile week, and has me on track to start the intense training next Monday, which, Drunkrunners, marks 16 weeks until the Madison Marathon, or as I prefer to call it "The Longest I've Ever Run to Get a Bratwurst!"

Overall impression:

Total miles: 14

Time: 2:27:02

Average pace: 10:30/mile

Overall Impression: Slow and Steady Wins The Race. I'll Work On Speed Soon! (SASWTR.IWOSS!)

Quelle Surprise!

So, I think I have discovered one factor causing me to "have an ankle and a calf." During my last few runs, I had developed a sore spot on the top of my foot where the tongue of my shoe and the knotted shoelace rested. On a whim yesterday, during my 10 mile run, I decided to loosen the laces. Quelle surprise! The calf and ankle pain almost vanished entirely. Now, that is not to say that my calves weren't still tight, but I certainly wasn't getting the same shooting pains I had previously been experiencing. It seems like such a little thing, but it can have such an unbelievable affect on how you run. I simply assumed that I should lace my shoes snuggly and tightly to increase stability and avert any potential ankle injuries. Hmmmm. Apparently they were just a little too snug and tight.

Anywho, since I last posted, I have logged 27 miles (incl. last week's 9-miler and the aforementioned 10-miler). My speed work and tempo runs are going really well, which unfortunately means that I have not been sticking to my New Year's resolution to slow things down. I simply find it - and this is going to sound wrong - easier to run faster. I would love to talk about momentum, velocity, acceleration, and forces acting on objects, etc., but I skipped Physics in high school. Simply put, it is all psychological with me. When I catch myself running faster than my scheduled pace and I think about slowing it down, my next immediate thought is: "If I slow it down, what if I keep slowing down and then I am running slower than my scheduled pace and have to push to try to speed back up. BLAH BLAH BLAH." It sounds absolutely stupid, I know, but these are the thoughts that go through my mind over a 90-minute period of time. I blame it on my competitive nature. In my head I am competing with myself and my previous paces and the idea that I can always do better and go faster. This is where a running partner would come in extremely handy, somebody to help keep me on pace and get me out of my head!

Speaking of being in my head, it also dawned on me around mile 5.5, that I couldn't remember the last time I was plagued by side stitches - something I used to struggle with and which could wreck even the shortest run! Of course, after coming to that realization, I promptly began worrying that I had just jinxed myself and that suddenly I would become the victim of a paralyzing side stitch. Tragedy, however, was averted.

Besides all the mind games I am playing with myself, I am feeling really good. This week will be my recovery week (5-5-5). The week after next I will be challenging myself to run the furthest I have ever run (a 16-miler) and it will only go up from there. But, I am feeling optimistic, now that I have that whole shoe lace business sorted out! Let's hope that is the end of the ankle and calf!


Week's Stats:
Distance: 18
Avg. Pace: 9.06
# of Rabid Dogs Chased By: 1
Overall Impression: Mental Note To Self, Need To Start Carrying Mace To Ward Off Wild-Eyed Dogs (MNTSNTSCMTWOED)

Hey! Where is Forrest by the way? How is your recovery going?

WWJWD?

I headed to the gym today on a blustery cold, for California, day with the task of running 6 miles. When I say cold we're talking somewhere below freezing. In fact, the weather channel registers the current temp as 47, but with a note that it "feels like 40", thus substantiating my claim that it is well below freezing out there.

  As I dressed in the running clothes I had brought to school on Monday and neglected to use until today I contemplated who actually packed those clothes. Somebody, and I'm not pointing fingers here, somebody thought it would be a good idea to run in a sleeveless shirt and shorts. As I changed I contemplated logging those 6 miles on the treadmill. Once I had stretched I found that all of the treadmills were full, which means I wouldn't be able to comfortably, i.e. guilt-free, be able to occupy a treadmill for in excess of an hour while others waited to complete there requisite 30 minute workouts. So, I asked myself "What Would JW Do?"

Answer: He would run the Berkeley Fire Trails. So I did.

3.25 miles uphill, one complete right foot submersion in a puddle, and a path that felt like a slip and slide.  Then turn around and do it all again. My favorite part of the fire trail run these days is getting to run past the tree sitters. I don't know why this brings me joy, but to see a bunch of nut bag vegans protesting the removal of 15 trees that were planted within the 20th century, BY the University, while acres of forest are being removed in South America in order to produce beef, just instills in me a feeling of irony that is not easily surpassed.

  Overall a great run. Sloppy, muddy and cold, but you get used to the cold. I did get a few stares when I was nearly finished and was actually walking in my sleeveless shirt among the parkas, scarves, and hats on campus.

Kenyan Marathoner Killed

Here's another reason to worry about what's happening in Kenya. The very people who inspired our patented drinking/running method are dying.

http://www.kpho.com/news/15105634/detail.html

Catching Up

I don’t know how many of you read the “The Sports Guy”, but I’m guessing its not many. The reason I bring it up is because about two years ago he began poking endless amounts of fun at sportscaster Al Michaels for excising the word “injured” from his injury reports. Michaels would say things like, “Tom Brady is out with an abdomen”, and this forced the viewer to derive that the abdomen was not healthy. If the player played on with the injury, then Michaels would presumably say, “Iverson is playing with an elbow.” The humorous bit is, naturally, that of course he is playing with an elbow. They all are. Two of them, in fact. (Interestingly, Al Michaels has never mentioned that Manu Ginobli has played basketball for years with no testicles.)
Anyway, in the spirit of all this, I want to remark that I am currently “running with a leg”. It is an injured leg, to be sure, but I like the look of a sentence that implies I am somehow doing all of this pogo-style.
The leg isn’t too bad, really. I just have a perpetually tight hamstring that is slowing me down and making me crawl up and down the stairs that separate our bedroom from everything else in our apartment. Classic post-race fatigue. I’m capping the miles and slowing the pace, and I’ll let you know in a week how it goes. In the meantime, we have a lot of catching up to do, and quite a few photos to dump.
My last month of half-marathon training took place in America, where I mostly had to re-learn how to dodge SUVs. This is similar to dodging buses in London, but at the same time quite different. You see, they come from a different side. It doesn’t sound like rocket science, but it’s a miracle I’m still alive. Partially because I’m not a rocket scientist.
Most of my running was in Phoenix, which is a place in which I’ve never really enjoyed running. There’s too much suburbia, and not enough burbia. However, my parents recently moved into a new house even further from the airport than before and as a result, I did most of my running in some very high quality desert.



No smog, no commotion, just me and the medicine men. I even had a fight to the death with coyotes, and saw a scorpion. Well, the coyotes ran away from me as soon as I got close enough for them to smell me, and the scorpion was hiding under the beer cooler in a decidedly non-running moment. But you get the idea. It was different, and I enjoyed the temporary shake up.

During training and pre-race preparations, I scored all kinds of running loot for Christmas, which can basically be summed up by the twin phrases “running tights/unitard thing” and “new shoes”.



For some reason, the sleeves on my new running outfit are long, and have a hole through which I can extend my thumbs. I do not understand this at all, because although I now have warm knuckles, I have a disconcertingly cold thumb.



I can’t even ignore the thumb-hole. I have to use it, because it is there. The shoes, meanwhile, are New Balance. I switched from Brooks because the sales lady implied that to not do so would be boring. Listening to her weak sales pitch might make me the stupidest consumer alive. I like New Balance, but I loved my Brooks and will immediately switch back after I dutifully kill these with miles. They are just not the same.
Anyway, after about twenty total miles on a treadmill in Chicago, I returned to Phoenix and ran my last “big run” before the halfer, which was supposed to be 12, but ended up being longer than 13 because the treadmill screwed up my Nike Plus for all eternity. I am convinced of this. (Pre-treadmill: near metronome-like accuracy. Post-treadmill: drunken weatherman-like accuracy. This is proof enough for me.) The run was smooth, but not fast, and pretty much set me up well for the half-marathon that was (interestingly) fast, but not smooth.



The actual race itself was a bit of a blur. There were bands at every milepost, and a lot of junior high cheerleaders. I mostly listened to “Car Talk” and tried to hover around 8:20 miles. I think my best mile was around 7:54, and my worst mile was around 8:56. I suppose if you put those two together, then you will arrive somewhere near 8:20. At the end they gave us medals, popsicles, and silly foil capes so we could pretend we were superheroes.



I then tried to find my family among the 34,000 participants. Luckily, they found me right as (this was weird) an impromptu dogfight broke out when a pit bull attacked a Labrador. Needless to say, that part was fucking nuts and I failed my first test as a superhero by running away.
Okay, that brings us up to date, and I again beg forgiveness for my lack of posts over the holiday. There is something about the blogosphere that is so unappealing when bowl games are on ☺. Right now, I’m in maintenance mode, which means logging twenty-mile weeks until I decide whether I want to run another half-marathon in March. And then, I will sit down at a small table in a dark room and seriously discuss running a marathon in either Berlin or Cologne with Sixpack. I’ll keep you posted.

2 in the bag

Well, here I am.. Week 2 is now history!! The week went well, I am adhering to the program religiously and I am still feeling great(and i'm still alive) 4 months ago I never would have imagined running for anything with the exception of another double cheeseburger or beer!! Know I am on the run 3 times a week have had no fast food or beer since mid September and unbelievably have never felt better!!
My only complaint is that it is only mid Jan. and it is colder than @!#% outside!! I am so ready to hit the outside and get off of the treadmill.
Week 3 will be a challenge but I am up for it.

Post #300!!!!!!

Yes, it's true, this is the 300th post on Drunk Runners!

Congratulations for all those miles, all that kvetsching, and all those typos!

Now, down to business. It's been a pretty good week here, although, I'm feeling a little sluggish. The week started well with a 6-miler, and a couple workouts then Friday happened. For those not in the know, which I think is all of you. I was diagnosed with a Schatzki Ring in November. It's kind of like a knot in your muscle, but instead of tightening your shoulder it can cause obstructions in the esophagus, see my November 21, 2007 post for further details. I've spent the last two months working through the insurance hoops, flaming hoops, and all other obstacles placed in my way, so that I could go in yesterday to have the Ring fixed.

  Well, my precious, in order to fix it they had to go back in with an endoscope and then blow up a balloon to expand my throat until the knot broke and "relaxed" the muscle again. Although I never complain about anesthetic, the recovery can be a bit taxing. I was groggy all day yesterday and am still not feeling 100% today. I will, thus, go for my run tomorrow. 8 miles! Can I do it? Yes, I do believe I can and will!  I'll keep you posted.  In the meantime, I'm feeling really good, and can swallow anything, thanks for asking.