Today's Learnings

y I am capable of 4.2 miles after 8 days off.
y Those 4.2 miles after 8 days off will very likely suck.
y Even slower actually IS possible.
y My lunch date with PF Chang was not a good idea pre run.
y PF Chang does not taste nearly as good later.
y PF Chang is hereby banned unless the run is in the books.
y New Enells make me very very happy and keep the girls close to the chest (because the bounce stops here!)
y Enell now comes in bright red. :D
y My foot feels better but maybe not 100%.
y Some runs are just harder.
y All of your thoughts and prayers are really, REALLY appreciated.
y 10k on the 10th of May is coming up fast. Are you ready??? I have a few things to do...


I'm hoping to feel bloggy again soon. Thanks everyone, for your support.

March Stats

Nice improvements but they can not come at the expense of weight training. I can see where I need to improve my focus. I know this doesn't look like much to a lot of you, but this is where I am and it isn't on the couch. :D It's supposed to hit 57 in a few hours - oh joy - I'm hoping to run for two hours later today.

Sounds like there is a lot of interest for a 10k on the 10th of May - see previous post. (YES MAY, this is actually meant to be put on the calendar as an incentive and get you out the door doing some training for the next few weeks). It's too bad Nitmos can't figure out how far to run or what day. I should make it more clear. :D

As always, I'm pleased and humbled that you will get out and run with me. Hope we have some creative CAVE PEOPLE. I'm already thinking about resurrecting my outfit.

Towards Happiness

Here are four habits that longevity experts say are at the heart of a sunny disposition—and that you can adopt, too. (an article on MSN Health today)
I edited this to meaningful excerpts and phrases. Hope you will try some of these!

1. THEY WORK THEIR CELL PHONES
Just talking on the phone to a friend has the immediate effect of lowering your blood pressure and cortisol levels... Our research shows that having good long-term relationships provides as many physical benefits as being active or a nonsmoker. Make the effort to connect with the friends you already have. Call now, and before you hang up, schedule a lunch date—personal contact is even better.

2. THEY EXPRESS GRATITUDE (WITHIN REASON)
People who write about all the things they are thankful for are optimistic about the upcoming week and more satisfied overall with their lives... They also feel physically stronger. It's hard to be bitter and mad when you're feeling grateful...

3. THEY'RE RANDOMLY KIND
Do you perform five acts of kindness in any given day? That's the number of good deeds that boosts your sense of well-being and happiness... Your karmic acts can be minor and unplanned - giving up your seat on the bus; buying an extra latte to give to a coworker. You'll find that the payback greatly exceeds the effort.

4. THEY REAPPRAISE THEIR LIVES
Yes, you can rewrite history—and feel better about yourself in the bargain. Set aside a little time each week to write about or record—or even just mentally revisit—an important event in your past. Reflecting on the experience can reshape your perception of it, as well as your expectations for the future...

It's helpful to look at the bad times as well as the good. Perhaps now that a few years have passed, you'll be able to see how that breakup or failed job opportunity opened other doors and finally forgive yourself—and your ex-boyfriend or would-be boss. Even if a memory is painful, it's good to work through it. If you can come to terms with past events, you'll be better able to handle tough times down the road. So be honest, but also go easy on yourself. Remember: You are the heroine in this tale.
I need help on #2 and #4. This first step is admitting you have a problem. :)

Walk with some short easy jogging intervals with 5 work friends - 65 minutes.
Girlie Pushups - 20
Plank - 37 count



To all my race-bound friends, have a great weekend !! :)

I Have Michael Jordan's Feet :)

I went to the podiatrist today and, no, Marcy, he did not lick my toes. He wasn't creepy at all. Talkative, but not creepy. He's a triathlete, so he totally gets it.

My diagnosis: high arches that are extremely flexible, meaning they collapse. My feet and ankles can only take so much of the collapsing before it causes pain. This has been happening around 7 miles.

The good news, he really can't find anything else wrong. He said, "Michael Jordan had flat arches and he did quite well." I was wondering if I need to get a pair of Air Jordans, but he gave me stronger orthotics that should keep me from collapsing as much. He swears by them and says he got rid of custom ones because these are so good. He said they make my Brooks, "good shoes", into "awesome shoes"...

The bad news, while this should help, there is no guarantee that these will be enough to get me to the full 26.2. I'll proceed according to the schedule and see how far I can go on my long run on the weekend. I haven't given up on the full marathon, but I also have come to terms that I might need to do the half.

So, Michael Jordan's feet. I will probably be skying soon.

Information is a Good Thing

Saturday morning was quite cool. I set out for a long run after having missed last week's. The schedule says 16 but, I knew that was probably not in the cards. Between the unsolved mystery with my feet and the lingering affects of my cold, I just wanted to see if a decent, longish run was possible.

I think I ran 4 or 5 miles before even turning on the tunes. It was beautiful, and I was finally running and not feeling like crap, not needing to stop!! I was thinking about maybe still having enough time to do the marathon. If I can't get the miles up there, then I am okay with that, but it seemed possible.

I couldn't believe how little gatorade or gel I needed. What a difference a little smart prep makes and of course, being a few days further out from the cold and the cool temps made a huge difference. I felt quite strong, although my splits were even slower than usual, slower than I thought possible and to still be running :). I'm SLOOOOWW, but I'm BAAAACK!!

Around 7 miles, I was looking for ways to make my route longer than 10 or 12 and feeling like I might be able to run forever. Then, around 7.5 miles, the feet started their melt down, and suddenly I was wondering if I could do 10. In the end, I did do 10 miles, and I am pretty psyched about that. I had some difficulty with my feet but I think perhaps there has been progress with these orthotics. The damage seemed to be less and the recovery fairly quick.

In the end, I have more information than when I started. Headcold Hattie did NOT zap me so bad that I am starting over. I went 10 miles!! Secondly, I could likely fight the pain and make it through a half marathon right now, even with no more improvement. I don't think there is enough improvement just yet to try to go much further. SO, I did decide to call in the experts and see a podiatrist. I am hoping that perhaps the next step in quality of an orthotic could hold the answers I am looking for. I can only hope he isn't as creepy as this guy -------->

So Many Lessons, So Little Time...

Well, I could rant, rave, moan, groan, cry, cuss, quit.... take your pick. Today was ugly, that's all there is to it. It may very well be the ugliest of the uglies. In fact, I did rant, rave, moan, groan, and almost cry, but I didn't totally quit. I finished it and hubby and I decided about all there is to do is learn from it.

Some things I might want to learn:

• Probably shouldn't play poker, drink alcohol and pop, stay up late the day before a long run


• Probably should go back to Cliff Bars since they were treating me well -- Don't let yourself run out and try to make do
  
• Probably should take the old inserts out of my shoes before putting the new ones in -- thanks, Tom! -- I'm so embarrassed. I felt like a fat lady needing an extender on the airplane seatbelt. Despite the cramped conditions, I do think my arch/feet issues were slightly better – it’s just the rest of me that didn’t cooperate
  
• 90% humidity may never allow me to have a good run
  
• Water, Water and more Water -- Gel and Gatoraide can only do so much if you are starting at a deficit on hydration
  
  

Today wasn't about that 12 might be a little rough for me or even more than I can handle. I never really gave myself a chance. Today was about that I wasn't really prepared to run at all. Lesson learned. BTW, hubby and I had figured most of this out, but then had it confirmed in a phone call with Tom over at Runner's Lounge. Thanks for your encouragement and advice!