Foot pain

A little over one mile into the long run today my feet started to really hurt. I tried to tough it out, asked about stretches I could do so I could keep going but after a few more blocks I had to stop. I asked my pacer what to do and she said start walking back to the beginning. 

As I walked back I tried to figure out where the pain was coming from exactly. It's a shooting pain up my foot on the left side that radiates out from the instep. I have it on the right as well except that shooting pain goes up my instep and up my right ankle about half way up my lower leg. I noticed the pain was just as bad from walking as it had been from running. 

I had a little over a mile to walk back so I bit my lip and continued on. There was nothing I could do - no cell phone to call anyone, no taxis near by to hitch a ride with. As I passed a garage I thought about asking for ride back to the starting point, but figured if they were at work that early on a Saturday then they must actually have some work to get done. 

The first group past me on the way back - the runners with faster per mile paces and the pacer slowed to ask if I was alright. I gave her the short version and told her I'd see her back at the start. The next group past me several blocks later, again the pacer slowed to ask if I was okay. I was nearly back when the third group started to pass. I heard a, "You can do it! Keep going, finish strong!" and a pat on my back. The pacer wasn't asking if I needed help - she figured I was from a faster group and had slowed to walk/rest. Three times a charm I guess because with 2 blocks more to go I decided I might as well run since walking hurt just as much and running would get me there faster. As I joined in at their pace I heard the leader say, "This is great, a 10 minute mile. You're doing great!" Holy shit I'm running with the 10 minute per mile group...

I made it back to the beginning, jogging a bit behind the pacer and the group. I did the stretches with them and waited for my group to return. None of the coaches were back yet since they were out for the 6 mile run so I spoke with several experienced pacers and made a plan to have my foot trouble addressed. 

The pain has dulled in my left foot and the shooting pain has gone away. One pacer said it could be a pinched nerve - which sounds plausible. Most likely it's my running shoes (should have read my gear post more closely and followed my own novice advice about proper footwear). While I was assured my shoes were an excellent choice for me I think I'll head to a specialty running shop and invest the time in getting properly fitted. 

Besides the injury/pain I was pleasantly surprised that I could easily keep up with my pace group today without worry. I wasn't the last one out there - like in other trainings - because there was a big group of us out there together. I'm off to get some advice from the coaches about the foot issue - maybe learn some new stretches or something and eventually head for  shoe fitting. Tomorrow is yoga which I've been looking forward to all week. I think it makes me more sore than the running but all that stretching and strengthening, plus the relaxing and breathing at the end are oh so good. I must say, this go around I kind of like all the chanting and ohms we say at the beginning too - such a great way to start the day. 

Rest Day

Today's rest day was luxurious. I haven't felt this good about not exercising in a long time. Not only did I get to not feel guilty for not running but I also had some pasta for dinner - a rare treat. 

Today I started a seminar on Life Review and Guided Autobiography. It's in the Gerontology department of SFSU and it is my first introduction into gerontology studies. While I may have had a chance to rest from physical exercise today my brain was very active in the 8 hour class. Each Friday for the next several weeks will be filled with learning the life review process and writing, sharing and discussion of topics and themes. I'm hoping the reflection necessary for this type of work will give me a leg up on the mental game that I'm learning long distance running really is. 

Tomorrow is back to a long run day. I believe we're only going for 5 miles but that's about 4 miles longer than I've run so far so we'll see how it goes. Hopefully I'm not the only one still taking walking breaks along the way. 

Boot Camp Kicks (my) Ass

Last night was boot camp and I left feeling nauseous, tired and worn out. It was freezing out and I took the opportunity to wear my shorts (bad plan). I did however bring water this time which was vital as it gave me an excuse to breath for a moment in between work outs. We did squats, push ups, burpees, high knees and plank. With partners we made sure our form was good and we counted either the reps or the time we could do each and recorded them for a later date. I can't wait for the day when I look back and say, "Ha! Look at that, I could only do 25 seconds of the plank before!" I know that day will take time and dedication but as I walked back to my car I realized that day will be worth all the nausea in the world. 

Hill training was challenging and took a lot more thought than I had planned. We had to learn the proper way to run up the hill and how to run down the hill all loose. Both felt a bit unnatural but I must say running down hill comes a lot more naturally to me than running up. 

The whole night was a great test for my humility. I was dead last in each thing we did. Each lap around the park (only 1/2 mile) nearly killed me and my lungs burned so bad I thought I would certainly stop breathing all together. After the hill training we did jumping jacks and some sort of aerobics moves before another run around the park. On that last run, dead last and far behind I took the last block of the park at a jog. I kept thinking that my mental preparation for long distance running is really not that great. That when pushed I'd rather walk than run and if given the opportunity I will walk some of the distance and probably will end up crawling to the finish line with my current attitude. 

As I rounded the last corner and came up the block the entire group was back at our meeting place waiting for me. There was a big cheer and lots of clapping and encouraging words. I couldn't help but smile and push on. Now I know why people have cheerleaders along the route. I hope everyone else in the group got the same reception. 

Tonight I was supposed to attend track training - which I was really looking forward to. In general short burst of quick running are much more my style so I figured for once I might actually do well at one of the training sessions. However, life gets in the way and Dominic came down with an eye infection which required Dave waiting around at the pharmacy and getting home too late for me to make training. 

After boot camp last night and coming home with a deep chest cough I'm not too bummed about spending an evening indoors instead of freezing my butt off at Kezar Stadium under the lights. My next official training is on Saturday for a long run over by Sports Basement Potrero Hill. I believe we're going 5 miles Saturday so it may take me the next two days to really gear up for thinking that's a good idea. 

Gearing Up

In 2008 running was voted the most popular form of exercise in the U.S. You see pictures of people running marathons or getting in shape or maybe you have a local race in your city that blocks of streets every year, causing traffic jams and disgruntled shouts from those stuck on public transit or in their cars. Well one thing I never noticed (until now) is how much gear goes into running. 

Good running shoes are a must and bad ones will leave you in pain and possibly injure you. Good socks are probably a good idea since you don't want your feet rubbing uncomfortably or getting blisters from a bad fit or a miscellaneous hole. Then there's the question of which clothes to wear. On our first day of training their were some people in full sweat suits, hats, gloves, etc and then there were some wearing those tiny shorts that look more like underwear and show more than if you were wearing nothing at all, a tiny tank top and maybe a sweat band or two. Today Mimi and I discovered that beyond attire there is also the gear that goes along with running and training. 

The schedule called for a 3 mile run yesterday so Mimi and I headed out to find a jogging stroller. With our new Bob stroller in the back of the van and Tank loaded in the back seat we went to Lake Merced for a run/walk. Tank was equipped with his collar, harness and stretchy dog leash that wraps around my waist so I don't have to hold onto him and the stroller at the same time. Mimi had her lunch bag and bottle of water, plus an extra jacket incase it got chilly. I was all decked out to run plus had the jogging stroller, Dave's GPS running watch, water bottle, sun glasses and cell phone. 

Lake Merced is 5 miles around so I knew we wouldn't be running the whole way. In the end we did the whole lake but I only got to run about 1 mile of that distance. The rest was at a fast walking pace but the poor dog was so tired after 1 mile that I felt bad and had to keep encouraging him to continue on. 

I learned that an 8 year old and out of shape mutt is maybe not the best dog running partner. Tank likes to crowd the jogging stroller wheels so we had to stop several times to unwrap the leash from the wheel base. Thankfully my water bottle holds a lot as the dog, Mimi and I were all sucking it down on the trek around the lake. Out of shape dog plus out of shape Mama make for a comical pair lumbering around the lake path. 

I learned from yesterday's run that Mimi loves the Bob stroller and is a great cheerleader - "Go, Mama Go! Faster! Again!" However, poor Tanky may need some breaks in the running days (Dave had taken him out for 2.5 miles the day before) and he's a bit of an unwilling marathon training participant. 

It was a bit cumbersome to push a stroller, drag a dog, navigate a lake and keep my wrist upright from the heavy watch all at the same time. All that gear is suppose to help out the training but I think next time I'll go a little lighter and maybe just take the stroller or just the dog. You'd think after 5 years of parenting two kids and a dog and cat that I'd be better at balancing the needs of everyone involved. We did survive our run around the lake adventure and we made it back home safely, so maybe I'm not that bad at all this after all. 

Tonight is the first night of Boot Camp. I'm excited to meet the others doing the boot camp but a little worried for how sore I'll be tomorrow for track training. Today is the first day I've been able to climb our stairs without pain in my legs and I don't feel nearly as stiff getting up from a seated position. I can't wait for Friday - the only day on our training calendar that says "Rest Day" in gloriously large letters. 

Cross Train

The "12K Novice Training Schedule" calendar says that today is a cross training day. Under the index for "cross train" it lists: bike riding, swimming, elliptical trainer, spin class, yoga, rowing, skiing. After yesterday's session most of those items seem way too active for me. Yoga sounds lovely to stretch out my thighs and my hips - which seem to be the only sore areas thankfully. Swimming always sounds nice, except the part about getting in a bathing suit. Rowing sounds fun but I have no experience there and one new sport at a time is all I can handle right now. 

So here I sit searching the web for a Sunday yoga class and looking through pool schedules (did you know that SF public pools are not open on Sundays?!) trying to find my cross training item for today. 

I also signed up for the Emerald Across the Bay 12K which goes to support Edgewood Center for Children and Families here in San Francisco. I wasn't so sure about running a 12K in only 8 weeks but all my training is geared towards being able to do this so again I'm going with that initial "I can do it" attitude and I'll give it my best effort. The race is from San Francisco to Sausalito so I'll get a good taste of running the Golden Gate Bridge as a little tester for the marathon in July. I might also get to test out our motto of run, walk, crawl as this will be the first official race I've ever run in my life. 

Slow Down

Today is the first day of my training for the San Francisco Marathon. Last night before bed I had the idea that no matter what was asked of me today I would attempt it. Climb that wall with your bare hands - absolutely; drink icky flavored sports drinks - okay; tie your shoes and go for a run - no problem. It was a good way to fall asleep - knowing that tomorrow there would be no challenge I couldn't face and try my best at. 

I woke up before my alarm at 6:23 am. I had forgotten my water bottle upstairs and didn't want to wake the kids so I bought a water along the way to training. I sat in my van watching people gather at the tent, way too early to go over. When I stopped for water I also bought a cup of decaf coffee and a scone. I'd had 2 bites of the scone and about a quarter of the coffee when I went over to the training sign in tent (still 30 minutes early) to find out the first steps in training. 

During introductions I learned that writing down information about your runs is a good idea: what you wore, what the weather was like, food and hydration intake, any notes and the distance and time out. I also learned that taking hot showers (no matter how good it feels) is not a good idea after a cold day of running. I learned this from an experienced marathoner that stood next to me and talked about the runs she'd completed in the last year. I learned that stretching is vitally important and should be done at length at the end of run but that for longer runs it's a good idea to warm up before doing "pre-running" stretching. Hard to call it pre-running when it's really 1 mile into your run time but the warmth of the muscles is important, my pacer told me. 

We were instructed to ask any questions we had so I asked about side cramping (slow down, avoid shallow breathing, stretch and more potassium) and about how to learn to slow down. I think this is probably a problem for most parents - the usefulness of a slow pace often escapes us until too late but today I learned it's importance. I did not however get to a slow pace but I learned that my first lesson of running is going to be how to slow down and truly pace myself (or let the pacers do their jobs). 

I prefer to run moderately or fast - like you would when you see your bus at the stop already and you really don't want to miss it. Then I like to slow down or stop. I learned that walking is just fine and no matter how many times people passed me I tried to remember this. Our lead trainer told us that each experienced runner has walked sometime during a race and to not be ashamed of needing to walk. The motto printed on our training t-shirts is "run, walk or crawl" which may be the only way I finish the 13 miles in July. 

The next 8 weeks of training are to prepare us for a 12K run in March so there isn't a lot of talk about marathon running at the moment. I'm thankful for that because with the 2.1 miles today I had to walk about a quarter of it just to make it through. I tried to pace myself but my too fast pace plus the side cramps didn't help me stay with my group. 

As we all stood in line afterward waiting to pick up our training t-shirts and sign in I noticed a lot of people saying things like, "I'm here and that's the point" or "The hardest day is the first day." They're right but for me not only was I there, at the end but I felt really good too. I can't wait for the next challenge: boot camp on Tuesday night, and for learning more about running, training and staying positive. My brain is full of all the tid-bits I learned today and I can't wait to jam more in there next week. The learning curve is steep but as I told myself last night today there is no challenge I'm not willing to at least attempt. 

Things I learned: 

slowing down is necessary to finish

stretch

let others help you

Things to work on: 

see above

Today's run: 

weather: overcast and pretty windy early on, wet from overnight rain.

hydration/food: no bottle on the run makes for super thirsty at the end, scone and coffee didn't upset my stomach at all.

distance: 2.1 miles

time: just under 30 minutes

gear: two technical long sleeve t-shirts (one came off half way through), 3/4 length pants, not very good sports bra, running shoes with thicker running socks. 

notes: side cramps suck, two long sleeves are too much for even a cold overcast day, don't forget your water bottle, talking while walking is easy - talking while running is hard.