Testing the waters

I appear to be making a come back......slow but sure. I ran 3 miles in 30 mins yesterday on treadmill.......no sign of shin splints. The toe is still swollen and I'm avoiding cute shoes (wearing my ugly ass but oh-so comfy Birkenstocks) but for the most part it's on the mend.
The computer was in the shop for few days........and there I was left with no running and no blogs.....so what do I go and do? Bought a Kitchenaide standing mixer and baked bread! With yeast and everything.......... and it was edible! Today I volunteered to bake a cake for a co-workers birthday.....I'm outta control!
So with my 5k just around the corner I'm feeling excited (at this point) vs the dread I tend to feel with competition, maybe hurting my foot helped me realize how lucky I am to be able to run at all. The true test will be on race day (11/20). Will excitement give way to dread? I need to remember how I feel right now, just happy to be Up and Running.

WHAAAAAAAA!!!!

The run on tuesday had some ill effects later. I tend to over pronate anyways so with the sore right little toe I think I was even more so, cause I had a hell of a shin splint the next day. I thought maybe it had something to do with the 5% incline, but only my right leg was sore.

My friend who is a PT suggested I lay off running until it stops hurting. She said to do other things to maintain endurance and strength.

Okay fine, BUT IT'S NOT THE SAME!!!

Shit! Shit! Shit!

I'm signed up for a 5k 11/20. There is time to heal. This will be ok. Right?

I haven't run since tueday and while it's not as sore it's not healed. If it feels right I may go out sunday. Screw that, I am running on sunday.

Miranda, my daughter actually turn's 10 tomorrow and were having a house party with 9 other little friends. If I don't get to run this weekend I may have to be commited.

A slow return

Today was my first run since the painful toe incident. It hurt to put on running shoes and I skipped/limped to neighborhood gym. The first ten mins on the treadmill hurt. On a scale of 1-10 I'd rate it a 7.......Shortly after though it tapered off to a 4-5.
At a 4.5 -5.0 pace I started to feel confident that my running wasn't too impaired, got up to 5.3 for the final 5min stretch and the pain shot back up to 7-8. 2.25 miles in 30 minutes.
The living room is now off limits to Brandy and while inconvinient a, psuedo- permanent barricade is up so we have a clean place to stretch. My dtr. did not appreciate my vacuuming at 9 pm but it had to be done.
Have a great day

Appears I spoke too soon!

While straightening up around the house yesterday, a rather heavy object fell directly on my right baby toe! You know those wooden thingys with the magnetic strip used store knives. I unwittingly stashed it in a tube of wrapping paper and when rummaging around in the laundry room (barefooted) it slipped out and rammed my little toe. Yow!!!!!!!!!! The pain took my breath away, iced and took a Motrin and after what seemed to be an hour I was able to hobble around and continue straightening up.
This mornings run will have to wait though, I'm currently debating what sort of shoes I can wear to work.......Happy Moanday!

Go get 'em ladies!!!!!!!

At the moment I'm covered in dog hair, so you know stretched. Ironically I wore all black today so I look like a real hairball. Started out w/Brandy for the first 10 mins, then looped around to drop her off back home and continued another 40 mins with a few hills.

Thinking about the Nike Women's Marathon and would love to check out the expo, no time today though. Maybe tomorrow, it would be cool to see the girls running.

High 5 to all the amazing women on the road tomorrow, your'e all AWESOME!!!!!!!!
Check out the website, so many cool stories.

Aches and Pains
Moans and Groans

While I've managed to avoid injury thus far, as I seldom run 2 days in a row,
I'm sore. A lot. In fact I've grown accustomed to some form of discomfort, mostly in the form of tight muscles needing to be stretched badly!! I'll get a massage every few of months (I'm ashamed to admit this, being a cmt myself), but I still haven't formed a good stretching routine.

Ok what then are the barriers to my just stretching?
Let's see:
1. The need to vacuum because of Brandy hair everywhere.
2. The need to create a barricade so Brandy doesn't thinks it's play time because
I'm on the floor.

Lame excuses when I see it in writing.

Still, having a clean private space to stretch would be nice.
I tend to get my best stretching done in the shower, but don't even get me started on the bathroom.

I must end on a more positive note. I'm blessed and lucky. I take way too much for granted. We're so lucky to have our little house. Today I got a great deal on some pots and pans. My first "nice set" that I paid cash for.

Mind Over Matter........

I registered for a 5k, King Oscar Presidio Trails in San Francisco, 11/20/05. The event description reads "a rare chance to race on the beautiful trails of Presidio." I have a bit of performance anxiety. This race will be a test as it's a planned event vs the 5k I stumbled upon in Sept.....hence more time to worry blah blah blah.......I can run 3.11 miles, but I need to pace myself better and not get freaked out by the masses. Last 5k I got so worried that I wouldn't finish and I ran too hard the first half and well it wasn't pretty. I did place 3rd in my age range but I pushed too hard and felt icky nervous vs excited. Running is such a high for me and I want to enjoy racing. I need to prepare mentally as well as physically this time.

A trail race will certainly be different as I'm sure to be doing as much scrambling as running. And there are hills......which leads me to my 6:30 am run this morning...Hella Hills!!! I love living in Berkeley!!!
I purchased a pair of trail shoes (Trail Lizards by Timberland) back in June and I think I bought the wrong size or maybe my big toe nail was needing a trim....dunno? I like my gel-kayano's (the helpful salesperson at the shishy running gear shop suggested I go up a size ). I'll need to try/re-try both pair out on some trails this weekend.

Left Brandy home and just followed well lit streets in the surrounding neighborhood.......saw a couple of other women running together and a few mommies w/babies in strollers......I always dig seeing other runners/walkers up at the butt crack of dawn. Hats off to the mommies .......I could never get my dtr. to settle in a stroller!! OH yeah, My dtr. and I will be volunteering at a Turkey Trot at Oceans beach on Thanksgiving, hubby works and I usually host dinner and he comes home around 6 pm to eat and crash. My dtr. hasn't shown alot of interest in running but she is aware of the mental and physical plusses it's been for me, volunteering together at this event may just be another good influence I hope.

I'm slowly changing my ways and leaving time to stretch.
Todays effort: 30 minute run f/u w/15 mins of stretching.