My Mind on External

Things on my mind:

1. Amy is ready for her implants! Woo Hoo - no more saline added to her expanders. It was the most uncomfortable part of the whole process. Her surgery is October 7!

2. I am having hamstring tickles. I have never, ever had a hamstring issue and now my left one is talking to me. Time to add a new stretch to my routine.

3. I will start doing ice baths after my long sessions on the elliptical. My legs are oddly tired and achy.

4. I declare DNS is not an option. Michelle has a ticket to fly up from Florida to cheer me on and I already spent $600 on a hotel room.

5. My dad seems to have emotionally moved to the next stage. He seems to have accepted my mom's condition and how it affects daily life.

6. When Kyle (my nephew) arrived at my parent's, my mom went up to him and asked "And, what is your name?" I never thought it would start with Kyle. He has been in my mom's life regularly for a very long time.

7. I threatened a doctor yesterday. I hated that. I have almost always been able to get what I want by being nice. This doctor has had 67 days to send my dad's medical records to another doctor and had not done so. I have been in communication with the office all along the way and lost my temper last week.
It was ugly, including the front desk person telling me that the doctor had been out of the office for 'a long time' and me saying "He has been out of the office for a LONG time, what? Has he been in rehab?" My favorite quote was when she told me that the transcription has to be sent to India! Anyway, I investigated and told her yesterday that if he did not send the records in the next 7 days I would file a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights in The Department of Health and Human Services. The latest is that he has faxed the records and will send the transcription once it gets back from INDIA! I will call the new doctor today to confirm this.

8. Amy suggested I do something beyond podiatry for my feet. I am so shut down around this. I have no clue what to do or how to find out what to do or how to get to what to do.

Feet and Fair Review

I walked around the Dutchess County Fair for 4 hours yesterday. I was okay, my feet were okay, not normal but okay. I had my first experience of what it must be like to be out of shape. Everything was just a little bit hard. I noticed when I was going to be walking up hill. I looked to see the shortest way to get where I wanted to go. I weighed whether or not the distance to get there was worth the potential plus from wherever it was I wanted to go. I had a glimpse into the life of old people. I did not really like it.

The fair was a disappointment.

The botanical building was a bust as far as I was concerned. It took me a few minutes to get that it was probably not the exhibitors fault, but my dislike for this years theme. It was way too Asian for my taste. Asian Tea Room, Asian Landscaping, those awful Asian bridges, too much bamboo and too many statues I don't like.

The quality crafts people no longer come to the fair. I have been being weaned over the past few years and this year, they were all gone. So sad. Not even my favorite ear rings guy. I am in love with this style and want to buy a new pair each year.





I probably won't even be able to find him at The Florida State Fair, as The Gaitlinburg Craft People have stopped coming there. Boo hoo.

The Dutchess County Fair!

Alex seems to enjoy making comments and teasing me about living is "so much white space". If you look at a map, you will note what he means. There is just a whole bunch of white space in Northern Dutchess County.

It takes 45 minutes to get any where from here and you can get to most places in 45 minutes or so. I live 20 minutes from where Chelsea got married and she got married not far from The Dutchess County Fair Grounds.

The last day of the fair is today, so this is the last chance to get there. You will find me there today, maybe limping around, maybe just walking gingerly. I have already iced my feet once and will be doing my stretching routine before heading out.

My favorite place is the Horticulture Building. The upstairs portion is the best. I get introduced to flowers I have never seen before and marvel at other people's ability to create gorgeous bouquets. Downstairs give me ideas for landscaping and names of grasses and low plantings.

You will not find me in the 4H area - sorry kids, that place stinks - literally. Lynnie don't do that.

110 Minutes

on the elliptical this morning.

I ended up doing 115 just because my math was off. My elliptical will only go up to 99 minutes, so once that was over I had to reprogram it. I guess my math skills turned to mush after 99 minutes.

I also added having some Accel Gel after 30 minutes and sipped water and Gatorade throughout. I never got the knack of drinking while still moving my legs, so I slowed down to nothing to sip. Maybe I will use my FuelBelt next time so I can squirt the fluid into my mouth.

My window is still open to be able to get my feet healthy and still train. I have made a new plan about walking/running that I will follow once I start out on the road again.

I read that they don't start sweeping us out of the streets until 5 1/2 hours after the start time. I am thinking I could get close to the end if I just power walked it. Not sure I can power walk 26.2 miles at more than a 4.5 mph pace.

I do know I have alternatives, so I am not a DNS yet!

Still icing my feet at least 5 times a day. The Rx for the anti-inflammatories is finished.

Elder Care

I am very fortunate that I get to spend time with my parents in Florida. I have gotten to meet all of their physicians and I am known by my name at the primary care doctor. He is the guy I wanted to smack last month, but I digress.

My mom had her quarterly blood work and office visit with Dr Freshette. I am not currently in Florida, so it was just my mom and my dad at the appointment. I asked about it that evening. My dad tells me that all was good with her thyroid. I am pleased that he has that on his radar and that he still knows that the medication for that is tricky and needs to be given with nothing else - no food within 2 hours and no other pills - literally nothing - no thing.

So, then my dad says "Something weird happened. When we left they took more blood from your mother and no one said why."

I have now had enough experience to know that asking my dad questions about that will just lead to him raising his voice and we will slip into a deep hole. I also have enough experience to know that the doctor said something about something and my dad missed it.

So, I called Dr Freshette's office.

The thing that we did a while back has really saved me frustration. I went around to all of their doctor's and had HIPPA forms filed at all of their offices. My sister Michelle and I are listed as people the doctor can talk to about my parents. I strongly recommend that you have those filled with your parent's doctor's offices as well.

The doctor was concerned about her liver. She does not have hepatitis. She does need to have her liver function tested again in one month.

I call my dad and tell him all that. He was funny. He stopped listening when I assured him I was going to be with them during that next visit.

I don't know how absentee elder care people do it. If I couldn't be there for a good part of the year, I would be in emotional trouble.

On so many levels, I am a lucky girl.

Changed My Mind

I got up this morning, had a bite to eat, hydrated a bit, stretched, put on my running clothes, walked out the the car, opened the door and said "This isn't smart." Both feet were talking loudly to me, the left one on the verge of screaming.

Maybe this is what Coach Brian means when he says "listen to your body".

I will do 40 minutes on the elliptical today to match the 40ish minutes I would have been running. I will not be doing the 11 miles on Saturday and I will do 110 minutes on the elliptical.

Coach Brian gave me a plan that he says will work if I take more time off from running, so that is what I will do.

I am disappointed and sure I am doing the right thing.

I'm not sure

I did my scheduled 5 miler this morning. I had intended to take it slow. There is something off in my ability to rein myself in. I will make a better effort tomorrow for the 4 miler.

I may be super sensitive to the discomfort in the top of my feet and I may not have any idea what it means to listen to your body. Robin keeps saying something like "We were taught - you are a Dering - buck it up and play hurt." I am wondering if I got some of that on me.

I am not sure what to do.

My feet talked to me. My left one louder that my right. I am not limping.

Coach Brian got back to me with a plan, so I am comforted by his plan for me - I am not S.O.L. and can still train, even if I take another week off from running and do the elliptical instead.

The podiatrist has not called about my orthotics being back. I will ask him for his opinion when I get them. In the meantime, I will ice 6 or 7 times a day.

5.05 miles

46:26 duration

9'12"/mi

The goal tomorrow is 10 minute miles.

Diet for Marathoners

Close to 10 years ago, Amy sorta kinda talked me into going on SugarBusters. I was petrified of my life without a bagel. I resisted this "low carb" diet and was sure I could not do it. I agreed to following the plan for 30 days and said that I got to have 1 bagel a week. I felt like an alcoholic agreeing to not drinking but saying I could have a drink a week. I know...... whatever.

So, the first week of SugarBusters I had no desire for my bagel and never did. My body started to change. Carrie came to visit and as I walked out to greet her, before even saying hello, she said "Where did your thighs go?"

Fast forward to training for the marathon. All training wisdom says to have 60% of my calories from carbs! 60 freakin' percent! Holy Cow!

I am using whole grain carbs - whole wheat pasta, steel cut oats, whole grain bread and so on.

I have fallen in love with steel cut oatmeal. Before the "Marathoner's Diet", I only ate Instant Oatmeal. I'll wait while you groan.

waiting


waiting


waiting

It blows my mind the flavor in Steel Cut Oats. It blows my mind how much more filling it is. I am satisfied for hours on one serving, while I had to eat 4 (count 'em 4) servings of Instant Oatmeal to be satisfied.

This whole training thing - not just the running - could change my life.

Woo Hoo!

Lynnie Just Might Be Back, Baby!

I am not declaring I am back, I do have a qualifier in there and I am optimistic.

I have not run since the 14th. I did do all the cardio I was scheduled to do, just no running. Today was my comeback day. I was scheduled for 4 miles and I was prepared to cut that short if I started feeling my tendons scream at me.

We had a whole boatload of rain yesterday. I think it was a total of 2 inches. The air was thick but cool. I think it was 67 degrees when I got out of the car and 100% humidity.

The first mile was a dream. My pace seemed good and my breathing was even. The second mile has more up hills than down. I started to have those "oh my god, I can't do this" thoughts. I walked for .1 miles after 2 miles and then again around the 3 mile mark. My mind was not my friend.

I did not feel my extensor tendons during any of the walking. I was thrilled about that. I did feel them in both feet during my .8 mile cool-down. I am not happy about that.

My feet are in a tub of ice water as I type. I will continue to ice 4 times a day and continue taking my anti-inflammatory drug and doing my stretches. Tomorrow is a day off so I will be able to tell more then.

4.0 miles

36:27 minutes

9'09"/mi

Listen to your body

WTF does that mean?

Really?!?

Annoys the crap outta me, can you tell?

I can get that experienced runners can do that but I can't. I can't with this injury, as my extensor tendons have never even whispered to me during a run - they yell like crazy when the run is over. I can't because my mind just screams at me that this is a bad idea and I should stop because I am going to die even before I finish 2 miles.

So, what to do? What to do?

I am still thinking I will start back on my running tomorrow morning. It is scheduled for a 4 mile run, so I am thinking I will do that but at maybe a 10 minute mile pace.

I am scared to death that I will totally bugger up my feet and ruin the whole thing. I am also scared that if I lay off too long, I will not be in the shape I need to be in to finish the marathon.

Listen to your body.

My ass.

100 Minutes

Seems like a really long time on the elliptical. I went through 5 hand towels and three bandanas. I realized too late that my halo sweatbands were not within reach. I didn't want to get off the elliptical as I wanted to do the entire 100 minutes without a break. I did that.

I think I still might be able to do a 4 mile run on Monday. I am not sure but the twinges in my foot have been getting less and less. No pain at all - just a bit uncomfortable.

My Mom

Back in May, I did a post about who my mom is for me, what she taught me, how she influenced the woman I have become and how much I celebrate my mom.

I have noticed that this blog had become about running or running related things. I am running in the NYC Marathon, not because I always wanted to run a marathon - I never did want to. Not because I wanted to become a runner at the age of 55 - I do not want to. Not because I wanted to do something huge - although this is huge.

I am running in the NYC Marathon to raise monies and awareness for Alzheimer's.

People ask me all of the time "How is your mom doing?" I usually answer some version of "She has Alzheimer's - she is getting worse and will continue to get worse. It is a dreadful disease."

My mom is still in the mild stage of the disease, moving quickly into the moderate stage. Here is how that shows up day to day:

- The day after my brother and sister-in-law arrived for a visit, I spoke with my mom on the phone. I asked about their arrival and she told me they did not arrive. I asked when were they going to arrive. She asked my dad and I heard various voices tell her that they were sitting right there.

- My mom has been having trouble swallowing and has had a runny nose and been spitting 'stuff' into a kleenex hourly. I took her to an Ear Nose and Throat doctor. I worked with her to fill out the form that asked about why she was there. When the doctor came into the room, he read her complaints to her and she said - I don't have those problems, who told you that?

- I call each evening to make sure they got their pills. She still asks me when I am coming over. She thinks I am still in Florida. When I tell her I will be back in September, she asks when that is.

- She knows she has 4 children, she knows where they live and what they each do for a living. She knows she has grand-children but does not know she has great-grandchildren. She does not know what month or year it is nor does she know how old she is. She has forgotten our birthdays.

- She can no longer put a meal together. She can still make her own sandwich.

- She wears the same outfit until someone puts it in the laundry but she changes her bra and panties every day. She does not bathe or wash her hair for weeks. When asked, she says she doesn't need to.

- She does not know where dishes or pots or glasses go in her own kitchen. If she knows that the dishwasher needs emptying, she will put things in a cabinet that has room.

- She still knows how to use the credit card machines at Publix but if a machine is different than that one, she asks the clerk to do it.

- She knows who Tiger Woods is, but not that he got caught. Each time she is told, it is like the first time. I have stopped telling her.

- When I call each night, I ask if she got her pills. She always asks my dad if they took their pills.

- She loves each of us and we love her.

The NYC Marathon Course

Over the weekend, Betti Lu asked me about the course. She started thinking about how to best cheer for me, how to have me best supported throughout the 26.2 miles. I told her I would find the route and send it out, so she might start planning the viewing spots and possible subway stations to maybe do several rooting stations.

So, I found the course map and I also found this. Watching it got me all sorts of excited.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua0TOyzmN9k

I couldn't figure out how to have the video actually show up here, so I hope the link works.

On the "How the feet are doing" front - I think I went over the hump yesterday. I felt like I joined the world of the living yesterday. I could actually go up on my toes. Awesome feeling. I am thinking I will be back to running, maybe Monday!

WooHoo!!!!

Now, I just need Brain to give me a new plan. If he can't or doesn't, I'll make it up myself and it will be fine.

Training While Injured

I notice that I have all of the body sensations I associate with anxiety. As a general rule, I am not an anxious person. I can be worried, I can be excited, I can be afraid, but anxiety is rarely something I experience. The last time I had what I called an "anxiety attack" was about 5 years ago. My parents were visiting and I kept running out of ice cubes. I kid you not - full blown anxiety attack while in the shower. It was absurd and I knew that and it didn't matter. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't move and my stomach was in my chest. The only thought I had (and I had it over and over again) was "What am I going to do if I run out of ice cubes?" I know, stoopid, stoopid, stoopid.

Anyway, I have had the body sensations like that since I stopped following the running schedule - funny thing is, so far, it's just Monday I didn't run 3 miles. Today I am not going to run 5 miles. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical on Monday. I will do 50 minutes today, so I am following my alternate plan.

What is this anxiety all about?

I am thinking I need to have a plan for when my tendontis allows me to run. I need to have a mileage plan on my calendar. I did e-mail my coaches and have not gotten a plan from them. Maybe that is why I am anxious.

I will follow-up with them. Brian and Ali have more than 60 other people they are coaching and I bet I got lost in the shuffle somewhere.

Halo Sweatband Review

A few posts back, I shared that I bought me some new fangled sweatbands. They are designed to give the water (nice word for sweat) a different route to take. Rather than streaming right down from my forehead into my eyes, these sweatbands have this built-in ledge sorta thing that has the liquid go toward the sides of the forehead.

The suckers work! I have not had one bead of sweat in my eyes since I started using them.

The downside is that my hair gets considerably wetter. Just means I really look like a drowned rat when I am finally done running.

Not a bad trade-off.

I am having to re-train myself in my 'finishing routine". My routine has been to finish my run, stop my SportsBand, read the read-out (and either celebrate or not) and then remove my sweatband. It had been a declaration that this run was over and what I am now doing is cooling down. PreHalo (PH) that is when the sweat would really have a field day streaming into my eyes. Many mornings it was so bad that I couldn't see because of the salt content going into my eyes. Now, I just keep the Halo on and my eyes are very happy.

Oh, there is another downside. The ledge leaves a crease in my forehead that takes an hour or so to disappear. For you younger peoples with supple skin, that probably won't be a problem.

Tag Sale Total

Sunday was a funny weather day.

It started raining at about 2:00PM so we called it a day and started packing up.

The total raised: $936.11

That puts me over the top for my revised goal of $12,000.

I have not decided what to do about raising the goal again.

Danger Will Robinson

Saturday night (or Sunday morning), I got up to pee at 2:06. I took one step and nearly fell sideways onto the bed. My feet would not bend. I held onto furniture and hobbled to the bathroom. I hobbled back to bed and was paralyzed with fear.

I was not going to be able to walk in a normal fashion, much less run the scheduled 3 miles on Monday. My mind started going crazy. I could not see how I could continue to train, nor did I see how I could ever finish the marathon if I didn't continue to train.

I cried and cried and cried - not because I feet hurt so badly - but because I was going to fail - I just couldn't see how to keep my promise to finish the marathon. All of this work to raise close to $12,000 for Alzheimer's research and my body was not cooperating.

After I got done having my little sissy-fit/pit party. I developed a plan.

It is clear to me that my cardio-fitness is great. It is also clear to me that my feet are not great. It is clear to me that if I keep running on my feet, I will not be able to complete anything. If my feet were in the shape they were in 6 months ago, I could walk 26.2 miles at maybe a 16 minute mile pace - maybe - but I could do it. The way my feet are right now, I could not even walk a mile.

My plan:

- Take 2 weeks off from running

- Use my elliptical on the days I am scheduled to run. Do 10 miles on the elliptical for each mile I am scheduled to run. This way, I get the cardio and I get the sense of what it is to work that hard for that long.

- Continue my anti-inflammatory pills

- Continue icing at least 3 times a day

- Get my new orthotics back

- Ask Brian/Ali (the coaches that Run2Remember provides for us) to give me a running schedule once I am back so I build up my mileage smartly and sufficiently to be able to complete the marathon.

- Allow for the possibility that I will be mostly power-walking the sucker.

- I am clear I will complete the marathon.

I also really took care of my feet on Sunday.

The Tag Sale

We had planned to have people come early to the Tag Sale and help Amy set up, so I could ice my feet, do my stretching and shower. That did not happen.

Bear in mind, Amy had a double mastectomy 6 weeks ago. She is in the middle of re-constructive happenings and had just had saline added to her expanders and was uncomfortable. She also shouldn't be lifting heavy stuff.

I did ice my feet, not for the 20 minutes I like to do and I did minimal (meaning I touched the floor 3 times) stretching. I then hopped in the shower just to get the salt off me and we started setting up.

Of, the podiatrist also fit me with these compression thingies that I slide over my my toes and they hold my tendons above my toes in place.

I put on my compression thingies and got to hobbling around. I was very uncomfortable.

At about 1:00PM, I took 20 minutes and iced my feet.

I limped all day.

It was awful.

The Tag Sale, on the other hand was a huge success on Saturday. Once I saw all that we had to sell, I said that I would be thrilled if we raised $700 over the 2 days.

We raised that the first day!

My Seventh First

I ran 8 miles! First time ever. I think the furthest I have ever run at once is 7 miles.

I was down at Amy's and we got up at 5:30 (I got up earlier, given I needed to eat, take my anti-inflammatory and stretch) and headed over to Lois' house. I was going to run on the North County Trail and Amy and Lois were going to ride bikes.

An entrance to the Trail is just down the street from Lois' house, so I scooted to the entrance while Amy and Lois got set up with their bikes. I told Amy I was going left, would run for 4 miles and then turn around.

It was 5:50AM, 62 degrees and a perfect morning for a run. I had my FuelBelt and some Chomps. I was actually really excited. It was the first morning I woke up and did not hear my little voice say "What day is today and how much do I have to run?"

I loved the run. I loved having 'company', even though they were never really next to me. They were either in front by 30 yards or behind me, but I could hear them.

I felt comfortable the entire time. I walked at 3 miles for .2 miles and drank 8 ounces of Gatorade. I then took 2 Chomps. It was time to start running again by the time I got the Chomps in my mouth. I have not trained myself on how to chew and swallow and run, so that was a bit off. Next time, Chomps first, then fluid. I walk again at 6 miles for .2 miles and finished strong.

8.04 miles

1:13:41 (that the SportsBand gives me seconds never occurred to me before)

9'09 min/mile

As soon as I stopped running and began my walking cool-down, I started limping. I hated that.

The Podiatrist Visit

I have been down at Amy's all weekend, doing our second Tag Sale to raise money for Run2Remember. I didn't make to time to update my blog on all of the happenings, so there will be several posts today, covering the weekends happenings.

On my way down to Amy's, I stopped at the podiatrist's office for my appointment. I was pretty sure that the orthotics I had made to help relieve my achilles tendonitis had actually done that and cause tendonitis in the tendons on the top of my feet. It had become increasingly uncomfortable to walk after my runs.

The podiatrist thinks I am probably accurate about that. He has taken the new orthotics away from me and is sending them to have a portion of them shaved down. They had been preventing me from over-pronating and he thinks they may have prevented too much.

He wanted me to stop running for 2 weeks. I told him I had no idea how I could keep the schedule I need to keep to be able to complete the marathon at this point and take 2 weeks off. He has dealt with runners before and said something like "I can tell you to rest for 2 weeks, but you won't." I said I couldn't. He prescribed an anti-inflammatory to be taken twice a day and continue to ice 20 minutes three or more time a day. He said I should wear my old orthotics to run until the new ones come back (about 2 weeks).

I can do that.

Podiatrist Day

So, I am a bit nervous about my appointment with the podiatrist today. The last time I went, I had time to take time off to let my achilles tendontis heal. I followed his instructions to the letter and I don't even have a twinge now.

I am in discomfort most of the time now with the tendons on the top of my feet. The only time I have zero discomfort is after 1/4 mile into a run. I am hoping that if he shaves some part of my new orthotics off, it will take whatever pressure they added to the top of my feet away and my ice routine will let it get better without having to take time off from running.

I have no time!

Can you tell I am in a panic?

Okay, I can still walk the marathon - not what I signed up for or what I want to do.

Me and Hills

So, I noticed what happens to me when I look out past my widdle feet and I see a hill in my widdle feets future. It is the same thing that used to happen to me on the golf course when I saw (or knew) that there was water between me and the hole. I say "used to happen" not because I conquered it, but because I don't golf any more.

So, I recognize it is the kind of 'self - talk" which is completely negative. It is some version of "Crap, a hill." or "Oh No, this is going to be hard" or "Slow down now, because you are going to die!

New project is to replace that version of self-talk with something else. I shall try:

"Woo Hoo - Conditioning!"

"Mr Hill - I was looking forward to kicking your ass, get ready!"

"Here I come" ..........(when I am over the top) "What do you think of me now?"

This project will also have me have more options for routes, as I will not be avoiding the hills.

Todays run was just a 3 miler:

3.2 miles

27:25 minutes

8'34" minute miles

I thought I was faster and I am more than fine with the outcome.

Day off tomorrow and I will be seeing the podiatrist about my extensor tendonitis. My achilles tendontis is still away on vacation.

Revisionist History

I am finding myself applying the theory of revisionist history after my runs. It might be a stretch to use that term, but it is the closest I can get.

Example:

Today was a 5 miler. I have a route that I think I know the mileage for. Start at the school, go down to Elvin's, turn around and back to the school is 4 miles. I also know that the loop in front of the school (it's circular driveway really) is .2 miles. So, I figure 5 loops then to Elvin's and back will be my 5 miles.

I have never run all the way to Elvin's. I did run partially to Elvin's on Monday and turned around, as Monday was just a 3 miler.

I got to the school and the Slavic Man is walking his dog. As an aside, he now greets me with a big smile and a loud "Good Morning" (mission accomplished there). So, I decide not to do the 5 loops then, as he is walking his dog and I prefer not to interfere with that, so I do 2 laps and head off toward Elvin's.

This road has many more hills than my previous route. I want to train on hills, so that is a good thing. I am tooling along, thinking I am doing fine, hills are good, breathe, doing fine, blah, blah, blah.

My mind is supportive it is all good...... until.......

I get to Elvin's and I look at my Nike SportBand. In my head, I know it should say 2.4 miles. It doesn't. It says 2.59. My mind goes nutso!

"My SportsBand is off - it has been off for a long time"

"I am not running the miles I think I am."

"I am not running the speed I think I am."

"I am screwed!"

"This is horrible"

"Oh NO!"

I turn around at Elvin's and head back. I go by The Rec Center and the town guys are just getting to work and I swear they are sneering at me. I come around the corner and start up the first hill and my little mind says "You can't do this." I give in and I walk it.

My mind is bitching and whining and complaining the whole way back to the school. I know I have to do an additional .6 miles and I know my SportsBand has to say at least 5.4 for it to be a real 5 miles.

Stoopid Nike SportsBand

I take a little detour and go up a short road and back down, get to the school and my Slavic Friend and his dog is gone, but a man is there painting the lines for the parking spots. I can't even tell he has started and I run on some of his lines. I do 2 loops of the driveway. My Nike SportsBand says I covered 5.46 miles. Okay, so I am pretty sure I got my 5 miles in.

I cool down, stretch and get in my car. I now have to recalibrate my SportsBand, so I zero my odometer and drive the routs I jut ran. I only did the driveway once, and knew to add .6 to the total at the end.

When I got back to the entrance to the school, my odometer said 4.9 - plus the .6 equals 5.5.

Son of a Gun!

I get home and set up the ice bath for my feet and plunge them into the ice cold water.

My little mind says:

"That was a great run."

I am a history revisionist.

5.46 miles

49:33 minutes

9'04"/miles

Wine and Training

Not whine but wine.

I went to a dinner party - what a grown up word - dinner party - last night. Seven people having a meal and drinks. It was lovely.

I drank wine. Not really too much wine, as I have had too much wine before in my life so I know what that is like. This was enough wine to have me feeling giddy and if you can believe it, less shy (Ha!)

I drank water on the way home and before going to sleep.

I will never, ever drink any alcohol the night before a scheduled run - ever!

The end

Karma Baby

Golf Gods

Whatever

Baby Boy played worse than Tiger.

Holy Crap.

Sad day in Lynnieland.

Onto the PGA Championship.

Hoping Butch can do whatever magic he does with Baby Boy.

In the running world, I am going back to see the podiatrist again. I am annoyed at him, which will be explained in a future post and I am not going to have my feet pay the price of my annoyance.

I wore my old orthotics to run this morning. The tendons on the top of both feet were screaming at me all weekend. I iced them and all. I am thinking the lift in my new orthotics might be too much. My achilles is just fine - that is some relief.

This morning's run was scheduled for 3 miles. I decided to try a new route that I can easily add to the current route for my longer runs. It was awesome - even got to see Sharon and Michael as they left their house for work. I got so into the run that I didn't notice I had gone out more than 1.5 miles.

3.5 miles
30:23 total time
8' 39" minute miles

The foot ice bath felt great.

Off Topic Post

Funny how this is my blog and I am saying something is off topic!

I am giddy with enjoyment at the performance of Tiger Woods this weekend - absolutely giddy.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a HUGE Phil Mickelson fan. I have been since before he was even called "the best player to never have won a major". My love for Phil can not be explained. He is my Baby Boy. I cried for hours on Easter Sunday in 2004 when he won his first Green Jacket. I adore him when his risky plays turn ugly and result in tournaments lost. I loved him before his US Open meltdown at Winged Foot, I loved him during it and I loved him after it. I love him when he is so chubby he has man boobs and when he trims down and has little man boobs. I love his lumbering gate and his dimples and his heart. He is MY GUY.

Never liked Tiger. His on course demeanor leaves me cold. His lack of appreciation and respect and love for his audience and fans leaves me cold. His love for his dad was always palpable and even that did not sway me. I just always got a yuck when he was around.

It also didn't help that he could wipe my Baby Boy all over the course.

Okay - so, this weekend was "supposed to be" Tiger's comeback. He is the defending champion at the Bridgestone Invitational and has historically dominated the crap outta that course. blah blah blah

He has just finished - he is now tied for 78th - in a field of 80. There is one golfer lower than him on the leaderboard. His final round was 7 over!

Life has slapped him around since he got caught.

Comeuppance, baby.

My Fifth and Sixth First

Today was a 7 mile run. Given this training is about more than just getting the miles in, I decided it would be a good idea to take the Fuel Belt I purchased a few months back out for it's first run. Not that I really needed the hydration during the run, but, it can't hurt and I want to start getting used to the feel and how it works and all that.

So wearing my Fuel Belt for the entire run was my fifth first.

What I have to say about that:

1. The guy at the Westchester Road Runners Store told me that it gets worn more on the hips than on the waist, so I tried on a large and a medium and the large fit better on my hips. Not a good idea. Left on my hips the thing flops up and down. Shifting it to my waist left me with not enough velcro to have a good firm and snug fit.I will add velcro to the belt and it will be fine on my waist. Not a big deal.

2. I had 8 ounces of electrolytes at the 4 mile mark and 8 ounces when I was doing my cool down walk.

3. It will take a little practice to not hit the little bottles with my arms and I am sure it won't take long to train myself.

4. The whole Fuel Belt thingie is a good idea.

The sixth first is gross, unladylike and something that I have said I would never do.

I blew my nose into the air.

Totally gross, I know.

It was such a gorgeous morning that I did not bring a second bandana to use as a wiper or a hankie. I really like having both of my hands free on longer runs. At about 5 miles, tiny bubble started coming out of my nose. Then the bubbles got bigger and the snot started rolling down to my upper lips.

My running shirts was tucked under the Fuel Belt, it had no sleeves.

I refused to clog my nostril and blow - so I just blew.

I didn't even get any on me.

Gross enough.

7.33 miles (I keep on not estimating right) in 66 minutes for an average of 9 minutes per mile.

I also did this entire post while my feet were soaking in an ice bath.

Sweaty Girl

I have invested in wicking running tops and wicking socks and I have been searching and searching and wondering what to do about sweatbands. Mine is always full before I am done with even a 5 miles run. I can wring it out and get fluid - really gross, I know. The gross part is not a problem for me, the problem is that the sweat gets in my eyes.

Some country singer should write a song with that title! He/she would make a mint.

But, I digress.

Back on topic.

I found this:






I have ordered both the tie version and the pullover version. I got both purple (the Alzheimer's color) and black, as it goes with everything.

I will let you know what I think after taking it out on the road.

Run2Remember Mentors

The Run2Remember Team provides us runners with more support and coaching and assistance than one can imagine. Erica is there to answer any questions I have had and has provided me with whatever I have asked, from help getting a hotel room to graphics for posters for our yard sales.

We are also provided with mentors. This is really been invaluable to me. Here is how it works:

- Someone (I don't know who) asks a question. Then each mentor answers that question.

The latest question was:

How do you fuel? Pre, mid and post run?

What is really valuable is that I got to hear 8 responses to that one question. I love that the responses are all over the map - no mentor answered the exact same thing.

Why is that valuable to me - it really gets me to get that each body is different - what works for someone else might not work for me and the way for me to determine what works is to try different things. They have given me 8 ideas and therefore many more than 8.

This training for the marathon is about so much more than getting in my miles. I get to see what works for my body to get those miles in - what fuel I need and when, what hydration I need and when, what pre and post run stretches I need to do. Do I just do a foot ice bath or a waist down ice bath (yiker and yikers and yikers - I already squeal like a 9 year old when I plunge just my feet into ice water) and things I don't even know yet.

I will keep reminding myself that this training is also about figuring stuff out.

I am a sweater

I don't mean a knitted garment, I mean I sweat. I do not glow, my skin does not get a sheen to it - I freakin' sweat - rolling down my forehead and neck sweat. Very often while addressing my golf ball prior to putting, sweat would drip off the end of my nose and drip down on the green's surface. Very sexy!

I finished my 4 miles this morning, did my cool-down, a few stretches and got in my car to head home. I see my first runner ever! She is running at a pretty good pace with fabu form. Then I notice her running gear. She is wearing a long sleeve running jacket. I am sweating so much that the inside of my car windows are fogged up and she is tooling along, wearing a long sleeved jacket and not even a glow going on.

I am either going to run into her again and have her be my friend or I am going to hate her forever.

I Screwed Up Again

Sometimes I just over step my boundaries and I did it again. I always think I am doing the right thing and sometimes, it really is none of my business.

In late May, Victoria (my sister-in-law) suggested that we make a family calendar indicating when each of us would travel to Sun City Center to give my dad some respite. I took all of the dates and put them on a calendar and distributed them amongst us kids.

Being the anal/control freak that I am, I know the dates.

Michelle told me a while back that Kyle was planning to go to his grandparents in late July, early August. I contacted Kyle to see if that was going to happen - mistake # 1, I said nothing to him about the calendar.

He said he was pretty busy and didn't think he could get away before he and his bride go on their belated honeymoon at the end of August. He mentioned something about October, which seemed like a great time, as I will be there for the bulk of September.

Yesterday afternoon, I get an e-mail from Kyle saying he is going during the same time Gussie and Victoria are going.

Mistake # 2 - I call Kyle and tell him that Gussie and Victoria will be there then.

Mistake # 3 - I tell Kyle not to go.

Mistake # 4 - I tell Kyle my mom will not do well with all of the 'turmoil' and 'happenings' that 3 additional people will bring.

Mistake # 5 - I didn't ask Kyle to make his own decision and I didn't ask Kyle to not tell my dad what I said.

Mistake # 6 - Kyle told my dad exactly what I said

Mistake # 7 - My dad told my mom.

She was pissed. Hopefully she will have no memory of being pissed at me - but my dad will have a memory of it.

I am in the shithouse and it is my fault. Not sure what decision I will make from this and I am sure I will make one.

I am mulling over what I will never, ever do again.

My Grouchy Country Guy Project

A few days back, I took on a project around a guy who is always walking his dog around the school where I start my run. He is generally there before I arrive and has gone home by the time I get back. I generally start my run by circling the driveway of the school before heading down the road. I have always "lapped" him and his dog.

I have nodded to him, I have smiled at him, I have said "good morning" to him, I have said "gorgeous morning, don't you think?" to him, I have said "We must be on the same schedule" to him. The most I have gotten has been a grunt. My project was to have him speak to me.

This morning, he was there with his dog and a young girl - teenager, actually. They were just at my car when I got out. I asked "Does it spook your dog when I run by him?" The Grouchy Country Guy looked at me, with a look with which I am familiar.

I teach ESL - I know the look that says "I have no clue what you just said and I am hoping you don't notice, so I will just smile and say "Yes." That was his look.

He said yes with no force or annoyance or apology or anything that I knew he had no idea what I said. So, I said "Is your dog okay if I run by him?"

The young girl removed her i-pod ear thingies and said "He is fine. He likes people." She then turned to the Grouchy Country Guy and spoke in some Slovic language.

He is not Grouchy Country Guy. He is Slovic Country Guy Who Doesn't Speak English.

He will still be acknowledging me before I get to the marathon.

3 miles today in 8 minute and 50 second miles.

This "Day's Off" Thing

I am training for the marathon using the schedule designed by David Whitsett, found in The Non-Runner's Marathon Guide. It is designed to have three days off a week. Two of the off days surround the long run day. I have designed mine to have Saturday be my long run, so Friday and Sunday are always days off.

I have discovered something interesting. I feel anxious on days off. Anxious like, I am not doing all I can to be ready for the marathon. I am reciting a mantra of sorts "Part of my training is my recovery days."

I'll let you know if that addressed my anxiousness.

I am also hoping that once I really get into big numbers, I will relish the days off.