The Nefarious Peroneus

Pain is a necessary part of a healthy lifestyle.  The process of getting in shape always involves pushing the body beyond its supposed limits.  However, understanding this simple truth doesn't make it any less miserable.

I am no stranger to pain during physical activity.  Whether losing a chunk of my scalp during a soccer game to some fool going up for a header with his mouth open (which, by the way, is a great way to bite your tongue off), or playing basketball with a mouth full of blood after getting nailed in the face (ahh...the good ol' days of braces), this blundering accident-prone guy can take it in stride.  Unfortunately this leads me to where I've been for the last week.

Upon completing my 12-mile run last Monday, I was experiencing an alarming pain shooting up the side of my right foot and into my ankle.  That night my entire body was in pain, so I attributed it to the average aches and pains that plague the body after strenuous activity.  However, it didn't go away.  Tuesday, the pain grew sharper as the day went on, and continued into Wednesday.  I spoke with one of my doctor friends, and they suggested it may be a strained or sprained tendon on my foot or ankle.  That's no good for me.  After a messed up week of irregular routine in Oklahoma, I really needed to get back on my training plan.  But because I couldn't put any weight on my foot, I decided it would be wiser to rest it for a week and come back to the schedule on Monday.

Well...today is Monday.  And I thought I had rid myself of this problem.  I was feeling better this weekend, no longer gimping around and looking like a cripple.  I got around mile 2.5 of a 4-mile run and began to feel the pain shooting back up my leg.  BLERG.

I'm trying not to get discouraged.  I want to be smart and make sure that I'm not pushing myself too hard and end up with possible serious damage, but I also don't want to lose out on my endurance.  This race is coming up fast!  I have roughly six weeks left of training, and I don't want to slow up.

I know I said I was going to get some new shoes...yeah, haven't done that yet.  I'll go tomorrow.

Sweatpants, I have missed you

Who doesn't love to be comfortable?  I have this pair of sweatpants that haven't been worn in like four months because it's been so blasted hot outside.  Well, today was cooler, and after my run I decided to go for something comfy.  Now all I need is a footbath.  This bucket I'm using just isn't the same.  Yes, I'm sitting in sweatpants with my feet in a bucket of hot water.

Today was rough people.  I've been a little off schedule lately due to all of my traveling, and getting back into the routine just might turn out to be torturous.  My legs reached a point during this 12-mile run that they've never reached before, even during two-a-days for soccer back in high school.  They weren't just quitting on me--they were rebelling.  Mutiny of the legs is not something I can have if I have to run 14.2 miles further than I did today, so I will have to beat them into submission.

I'm going to buy new shoes tomorrow.  I know they'll be expensive, but I think it will be a worthwhile investment.  I can't keep running on my cheapo Adidas' that I got at Dunhams.


I've got 14 planned for Saturday...Hopefully I can recover by then.

OKC

Greetings from HOT Oklahoma!  I got in last night around 10:00PM, so I didn't have a chance to run yesterday.  I'm pretty sure I got in a couple of miles of walking in the Atlanta airport though, because my plane was delayed for a while.  I walked four of terminals, so it may have even been longer.  Who would have thought that the Atlanta airport would have a Villa Pizza?  Random flashback to MSU cafeterias.

Anyways, onto the running-in-travel-status experience.  It was roughly 101F today in OKC.  Woof.  Running outside is not going to happen here.  I had grilled chicken and green beans at Earl's and had a really good discussion with one of our trainers who just finished her first marathon a few months ago.  It's always good to talk with people who have already completed a race to get advice and hear things from their perspective. 

I ran five miles on a treadmill in the fitness center of the hotel, which took a lot out of me.  I don't know how to run on a treadmill.  I find the pacing hard to figure out, and I feel like I'm running against a clock instead of what comes naturally to me.  It also just feels like the run will never end because I can't help myself from constantly looking at the clock and the mile-counter as it clicks by .01 miles at a time.  It's killer. But I did it, and I will do it again tomorrow. 

Everything is thrown off this week due to all of this travel.  This was supposed to be a 4-6-4-12 week, and it's turning into a 5-5-12 week with the 12-mile scheduled for Friday night after I get home from Oklahoma City.  I'm going to Chicago with some friends on Saturday, so I won't have time to run in the morning.  I guess it just goes to show that even when you can't keep a concrete routine, one still must remain disciplined and make the time necessary to complete the objective.  

Wormy Dog or Biting Sow?

Whenever an exercise plan is put together it is important to allow some wiggle room and flexibility.  Life never stops moving, and sometimes priorities or circumstances change, and we are forced to cope with the consequences of those changes.

I am being sent to Oklahoma City on Monday for training.  Believe it or not, I am very excited about it!  This trip is coming at a good time of year where I need a break from the office.
 


I spent three weeks in Oklahoma City last summer for training, and met some great people and saw a lot of cool things.  Especially the names of the bars and restaurants (as referenced by the title of this entry).  It's always nice to be sent away on business to a place where you wouldn't normally go on vacation.

Anyways, back to the point.  Monday is usually a running day for me, and unless I get up super-early to get in 4-miles before I leave, there will be no time for it.  And I'm not getting up super-early before I leave.  Additionally, OKC has been about 15F higher on average than it has been here in Michigan.  Oofda.  I guess I'll be doing my running during the evenings, and even then I'm going to roast.

So I think I am going to run 5 miles on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then do my 12-mile route on Saturday after I get home.  It's one less day of running, but after finishing my 11-mile route this morning I'm finding that I need more time to recover from the long runs anyway.  It's been a physically challenging week, with none of my runs feeling all that great after my 10-mile last weekend.

I've discovered that my body really enjoys an 8-mile run.  During the 9th mile, the pain becomes noticeable, and the sweat really starts to poor, and during the 10th mile, I start to want to die.  It's those freakish hills I have to run up to get out of the valley. >:-(  Humph.  I finished today with a time I'm not too happy about.  I may need to spend a little extra cash before my run next Saturday and invest in a heart monitor and a new pair of shoes.

Have a great weekend everyone, and my next post will be coming to you from Oklahoma City!

Unrequited Love

*Sigh*

One of the benefits of running in Suburbia is the concept of Lawn Competitivity.  I made that up.  Competitiveness?  No.  There's a right way to say it, but I just can't come up with it.  Anyways, Lawn Comp...etition.  People use sprinklers so they can have soft green grass and show up the neighbor who hasn't mowed for a century and is basically hosting a bee colony in their front yard because of all the weeds.

As a runner, the sight of a full-powered geyser visible further up the road can be compared to stumbling upon an an oasis after staggering through the Sahara Desert.  It's like the equivalent of seeing a loved-one after months of being apart--you want to run up to it and hug it.  Well I'm about to tell you a sad story about a man whose love of sprinklers was not returned.

Tonight I was doing one of my 4-mile routes.  It covers two subdivisions behind my apartment, both of which are full of Yuppies with lots of money, evil German Shepherds, and well-manicured lawns.  Considering the temperature, I was hoping to come across a sprinkler or five to keep me cool and comfortable.  Well, things got weird.

It's like these people were deliberately TRYING to deprive me of the refreshing goodness that comes from running through a sprinkler.  Not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES I ran joyously up to a sprinkler to have it shut off less than a second before I could partake.  Yes.  Partake.  Now I'm not into conspiracy theories, but it was like these vindictive people were all on the phone saying "let's mess with this guy."  Oh Sprinkler, why doest thou deny me?  POR QUE?!

So I was grumpy when I got home.  I had a decent time (though they aren't improving much).  I've been struggling this week.  I haven't felt good during the work-out...it almost feels like I'm pulling a truck behind me or something.  I just feel...heavy.  I compromised and did a short run last night (hence the lack of a blog for yesterday) because it was late and I was feeling sluggish.  Hopefully that decisions doesn't have adverse effects for the eleven miles due on Saturday.

Keep It Interesting

Running is kind of boring, especially when the distance requires an hour or two.  I find myself zoning out fairly often, but eventually I start to think about my feet and ankles, and then my knees, and then all of the sudden I can feel my heart beating and hear the sound of my lungs gasping for breath.  These are great things to focus on while running, right?  Um, no thanks.  Before you know it you feel like you're carrying around 20 pounds of extra weight from the sweat on your drenched shirt and way too aware of the chafing going on in all the wrong places.  It's gross, but we all experience it.

So lets focus on ways to keep the mind busy during a work out.  I know some of my running buddies absolutely have to have music.  The fast beat keeps them moving, they can't hear their bodies begging to stop, and they get lost in the latest Ke$ha or Black Eyed Peas song, most likely on repeat.  You know who you are.  I'm not linking to Ke$ha. pfft...

This approach doesn't work for me.  I'm not all that into music, and I usually end up with a headache after about ten minutes from the constant pounding in my ears.  Combining that with the pounding of my knees as my feet hit the pavement, the pounding of my heart in my chest, and the occasional careless arm movement I don't really need the extra abuse.  But hey, whatever works for you.

Some people like to think about work.  I don't understand this strategy, unless you're visualizing running away from the office for good, never to return.  I try not to think about work while I'm not at work.

Another strategy could be to appreciate nature and observe the world around us.  Sometimes I think we lose our appreciation for the beautiful planet we live on, and noticing the simple things we normally take for granted can make for a very enjoyable run.

Most of the time, as I said above, I completely zone out.  It's like I click the "start" button on my stopwatch and I disappear for a half hour.  I usually snap back into it for the last  half-mile or so, and use that to visualize the upcoming race and how I want to finish.  Holding a mini-celebration at the end of a run never hurts.  What are some of your strategies when it comes keeping your mind occupied during a run?

Today was a bit rough.  4 miles isn't bad, but I think I was still recovering from Saturday.  Plus I had 2 cups of coffee in the morning and didn't drink enough water in the afternoon.  Figures.