A peace of heaven

Busy busy day today and unable to get the post together for my race recap.  So I leave you with a little peace of heaven.  My great friend - who I've known for about 8 years now, had her second child.  She has a boy and this is an adorable baby girl.  I could not get enough of those cheeks and the smell...OMG the smell!!!  Babies necks are what I think heaven smells like.

None of my own kids were this tiny.  This little girl is a nugget of happiness!  

My husband, who has not had much experience with babies is actually pretty nimble with the newborn.  She wanted to roll up in a ball.  

Can you even hold a baby and not be happy?

All I know is one minute I'm holding my most precious babies and all of the sudden they are all grown up.  I was warned it would go fast but it just keeps getting faster and faster.

Thanks to my friends for letting me come to the hospital and get my baby fix and congratulate you both on an awesome job.  You should have 10 more.  teehee.

Pics and race recap tomorrow!!  

Blog on.............

Book Review: Born to Run

AND the pundit comes out to play.  

To be perfectly honest, I didn't read this book.  I listened to it as an audio book.  I drive 2.5 hours twice a week up to Rock Springs to work for 2 days and I need a break from podcasts, so I purchased this on Audible.com.

I loved it!  I didn't know much about the ultra running world, so I was googling lots of of subjects and people as I listened.  Or writing it down and looking it up later if I was driving.  I found it completely fascinating and a great story. I became a little more intrigued about trail running too.  Even with my affinity to getting lost every time I go on the most simple trail, I live in SLC at the base of the Wasatch Mountains!  I can run for days if I want.  Maybe next summer that will be my yearly running goal.

As far as all the barefoot/minimalist theories, I really think there is something to running with a better form, higher cadence and shoes that are not so clunky.  My physical therapist helped me work on form and cadence so I remember the principles of it.  On the other hand, I was listening to this while icing my insanely sore foot because I went to a minimalist  low heel drop shoe too fast and without the right insert.  The book inspired me to start reading another book, "Natural Running".

Natural Running is written by the guy that founded Newton Running, so of course he has his agenda, but I like it.  I checked it out from the library to save money for running shoes and clothes but I can tell already I need to own this book. The book goes through a lot of running history (YAWN!!) but ends with ways to strengthen your feet and improve your form.  

Wait - how do you write a book review?  I forgot, I'm more of a pundit then a reviewer.  And if I'm just spouting off my opinion then I can call it a review ala Kathee.

Back to Born to Run, since I haven't finished Natural Running yet.  The story is about an ultra race that takes place in Mexico in a remote area called the Copper Canyons.  Micah True - who died this past spring of Cardiomyopathy while on a run, put the race together.  It included the Indians that are native to the area and they run either barefoot or with just leather or rubber sandals along with some great ultra runners.  That is the quick and dirty version.  The writer, Christopher McDougall did a great job keeping the story fun and exciting while exploring each character and the history of barefoot or minimalist running.  If you love running or just love a good story I would recommend this book.  I have more of a visual memory and not actually reading the book but having it read to me causes me to loose a little of the details, but if I got my hands on a copy I would read it.  I own the audio copy so I'm sure to listen to it at least 2 more times in the next few months.

PLANTAR FASCIITIS/INJURY Breakdown 2012

I suffered 2 stress fractures within a little over a year when I started running in about 2005 - 2006ish.  I then started my first experience with Plantar Fasciitis in December of 2008.  When seeing x-rays of my feet and the way I stand it's frightening.  Overpronation and my heels look as if they grew about an inch distal from where they should be.  I started with some custom orthotics made by a company from a prescription written by my orthopedic doctor that specializes in feet.  Not long after that I acquired Plantar Fasciitis.  I stopped running for about one year while doing all kinds of physical therapy and wearing a boot at night (Das BOOT!).  Then my running friend suggested I see her podiatrist.  He put me in this hard plastic, VERY EXPENSIVE, custom insert.  I was concerned that the hard plastic would aggravate the injury and I was wrong.  It took a few shots of cortisone and little time but the PF went away finally and I worked my way back to running.  I think I was wearing Brooks when I first came back and they hurt the top of my feet so I switched to Asics 2160's. Then last fall I switched to the Saucony Mirage shoe and ran in them for 6 months before I decided that I should try running with my OLD insert at the gym and maybe strengthen my feet.  Tsk Tsk.  I bowed my head in shame as I went back to the podiatrist, got another shot and now I'm trouble shooting the problem.  Looking back I think the first custom orthotic could have been part of most of the problem.  I already wrote about the cork theory in my previous post and I'm moving to a more supportive shoe to help me through the races I've already committed to do.  I don't want to stop running, that would make too much sense and I have 3 Ragnars and a half marathon to finish!!  (Can you hear that whining - it's deafening)  SO - barefoot running seems absolutely crazy to me.  Running with great form in a shoe that is more sensitive to the ground makes all the sense to me.  I do have a pair of Saucony Mirage's that never made it into the rotation that I'm using for house shoes (because no one should wear shoes in the house!) and hoping to get back to them.  

Does anyone actually Barefoot run?  I've seen people in Vibrams, but never really seen anyone wear them in a race.

Anyone have Plantar Fasciitis that wants to tell me their success story.  I could use it!

Tomorrow I run the first leg of the Salt Lake Half Marathon Relay!  Yeah another medal!!!  Race recap to follow.

Blog on..........

Matchy matchy

I'm consistently about 24 hours behind. 

Last night I went to the work apartment gym to throw out 3 really easy miles.  My outfit looked FANTASTIC in the setting sun.

I love the colors.  

Got there and realized that I had dragged my toothpicks to work out with me. I might as well, since my braces come off in A MONTH and then I won't need them as heavily as I do now.  I found that I can rid my teeth of food AND run easy.  The one thing I can't do is run easily on my damn foot!  It really hurt.  More then usual.  Not super surprised since I pushed myself on the race and everything took a little bit of punishment.  

So today I read lots of stuff on plantar fasciitis and heel drop and exercises, etc.  I ordered another pair of shoes, the Saucony Hurricane 14's.

She's a beauty!!

They have a little more heel drop, only 8 mm and a little more support.  I'll use them for my longer runs and hopefully have them broken in by Ragnar.  I have a race this Saturday where I run leg 1 of the Salt Lake Half Marathon Relay.  It's only about 4 miles but it is straight up hill.  I've talked about running East Canyon before and so I'm not too nervous.  I have run it twice and I feel pretty good about it.

Not to good about my foot.  I've been taking ibuprofen regularly today and icing it, elevating it about 3 times.  I will start massaging tomorrow very gently and hopefully will be able to run Saturday without more problems and damage.

THEORY

Ruh. Roh.  Now I've gone on to write books about what is happening to my foot!  Actually, it's about all I think about.  Running, my foot, how to improve, how to get faster, etc.  I'm certain that nobody does that but me... .  But here goes:

After my last race my foot hurt REALLY bad right on the inside of my heel.  More then plantar fasciitis bad, but almost like a bruise.  For the first 24 hours after the race I was sure that I was going to go back to the podiatrist and get an x-ray to make sure I didn't have a broken heel bone or stress fracture.  Monday I woke up and when I would squeeze the sides of my heel it didn't hurt, so I decided to hold off on going back for a bit.  I had a friend (don't all "know it all stories" start like that?) who broke her heel bone and the way she was able to tell was squeezing the sides.  Now it is one of my "go to" diagnostic tools.  I am sure I am every doctors nightmare.  

One thing that kept nagging me was the extra cork the podiatrist put on my custom insert to build it up and apparently to help ease the pain of this episode of PF.  He was a little rushed when he did it and my heel hurt RIGHT where he added it. Not to mention that my heel has not made any progress despite my ever loving care.  

Blue post-it note hiding the name of my doctor.  I don't want anyone to think he is a bad doctor.  Back to the cork:  So here it is.  This is after I filed it down a little a couple of nights ago. Today I went to Home Depot and bought a decent file and plan to even it out much more and see if that will help.  I will also continue the icing and ibuprofen.  I'll even get the stretching exercises done a couple of times a day.  I won't run again until my race on Saturday though.

One thing I did learn after all my reading today was, going from my Asics shoe right into a 3mm drop shoe was probably part of the problem.  Between that and the less support of the Mirage and it was bound to cause a problem.  I don't think that I have to inherently wear stability shoes forever, but I need to go slow and strengthen my feet.  I know there is a lot of bare-foot runner lovers out there, or minimalist shoe lovers, but right now it's not my time.  Watching me run is painful to even me.  I'm constantly working on form, cadence and strike.  I thought I was looking better, but you know race photo's are never great.

Check out my foot!  I run pigeon toed.  Classic. This is me giving the international peace in running sign and I knew I was getting my picture taken and I still look dorky! My shoes look way too big for me.  Four of my toenails can attest that they are not.

Kinda reminds me of my Thelma and Louise Half marathon photo.

The compression socks are awesome, I'm glad I wear them now.  

That is my story and I'm sticking to it.  Now I am going to listen to more of the book, "Born to run" and feel even worse about my feet. Generations of non-runners and shoes have genetically altered my natural abilities.  Yeah, that's it.

Blog on.............

Beer Fest: recap

Because doing a recap for a Beer Fest makes me giggle.

My friend Amie called me to let me know that her and her awesome parents were downtown at the Beer Fest and Jake's band was playing in about an hour. I really wanted to go but my sore body and painful foot were screaming NO! So I showered and hoped I could find a parking spot close.

The picture that taunted me to go, despite my painful ability to walk.  Who can resist my handsome son and Amie's mom Dawn.  Love them both..SQUEEZE!!

Max Pain and the Groovies!!  

(Album available on iTunes)

Amie - showing herself onstage!  See how all the other band mates are laughing and Jake is just playing away....

I'm going to have to get this picture framed, I LOVE it!

After the show.  I was so glad I went!  I can't help it, I love seeing great friends and can always get a smoochie from my son.  I love how when he sees me he gives me a hug and kisses me on the cheek.  It doesn't matter who is around or anything, and it makes me so happy and proud that he's my son.  Plus the good looks and the talent - of course!

Amie's late birthday gift.  I wish it didn't say x-communicated, but it's kinda funny having a tank that has "Mormon drinking team" on it.  (My religious views - I thought I had done a blog entry about it but I didn't - I was Mormon and then in 1998 I wasn't - boom, in a nutshell) A Beer Fest, on Sunday in downtown SLC and it was crowded!  Salt Lake is coming along nicely.  Now if I can convince my Mormon family that having one drink doesn't put me down as a drunk.  :::shrug:::::

Way cool clouds coming in and around the other side of the city it was dark.  This was a picture I took on the way to my car after the Fest.  

Great time!

Blog on..........

I can't move.

This was the first thing I thought this morning when I woke up. I have never been this sore after a race. Am I getting too old? Does pushing myself make that big of a difference? Wow.

I'm going to need more ibuprofen!