Plankapalooza

Tonight is Plankapalooza at my Pilates/Yoga studio.  9th & 9th Pilates in SLC. I love the word plankapalooza.  I'm not sure I'm spelling it right but I love the word.  I'm scared of the class because I know the instructor and he gives you your money's worth in workout.  Yet I'm also excited for my class even though I know about half way in I will be thinking, "I'm going to die".

Tomorrow my thoughts will be more along the line of, "that was an awesome workout - my core is as tight as a rock!".  I will keep thinking of that as I power through tonight.

If you are from SLC and want to try out some classes, they have an introductory package for 89.00/10 classes.  If you buy one and drop my name then I'll get a discount on a multi-use pass.  It's an investment, but I've looked around and they are the best priced with lots of classes to choose from.  Plus the studio and equipment is well maintained.  

Enough about my plank party!

I'm sure you've wondered to yourself, "How is Kathee's foot" (I've done an awful lot of quotes in this post!)  Well my foot is sucking right now.  I have multiple terminology for the suck factor, but I'll keep them in my head so I don't offend everyone.  

Wednesday was the second opinion trip to the orthopedic foot guy.  I knew he'd give it to me straight because he's from back east (New York/Chicago) and he's Jewish.  They don't mess around.  

He took a very detailed amount of x-rays and found nothing.  Nada.  Zip.  I was sure, judging from the pain post Vegas Ragnar, that something finally just broke.  Broken bones are SOOOO much easier to deal with!

Of course this is medicine and it's all just a really educated guess, but first of all, they (meaning the 4 doctors that looked at my beautiful toenail missing runner foot) don't know why I'm having nerve pain.  I will have a nerve study at the end of next month.  Dr S does believe that the worsening heel pain is caused by the hard inserts that are helping heal my plantar fasciitis which are causing the fat pad and the fascia to separate and I'm hitting my heel bone.  Which means I have two injuries - each ones treatment is counter healing to the other.  Oh joy joy!!  Happy dance joy!  

Dr. S isn't an idiot and he knows he can tell me what it is, how to fix it and that I can choose to follow his advice or not.  He is somewhat like college is to education.  You can sign up, pay your money and never show up.  I like to think of it as being an adult.  Something I have avoided for a long time.  Looks like I'm going to have to get serious about my foot.  I'm not running anymore this month.  It hurts.  Not the foot as much as that deep pain inside that you get when you can't run.  

She's a beauty!

I have told myself I won't get depressed and this would be a good time to beef up those core muscles and get some muscle definition!  Boom.  So far I've had so much pain from just walking that it hasn't been a problem.  I also have some pain in my left calf, probably from running lopsided to try and alleviate the pain.  Even my medic looked sorry for me.  That's it!!  I can't be a hobbling around flight nurse!

It's a vicious circle of pain and idiocy hard hardheadedness   I still have the 10K in the first week of December and if I can run it I will, if the foot is not giving me the thumbs up then I'll have to pass.  It's two months to the Florida Ragnar and unless my foot falls off then I doubt I'll miss that.  (See how I am????)  

So I am wearing good shoes and have a gel insert in the right foot to help my heel.  No hard inserts for a while.  I'm considering running in my Hurricane's and tossing the hard inserts to the side - or not.  I'm on the fence with that.  I'll discuss it more when I go back to Dr. S and his mighty group of doctors from around the world.  

A look at my gel pads.  

I'm icing as I type and I'll roll it on a frozen water bottle tonight with some massage and exercises.  Whatever these other conditions I have going on that are not plantar fasciitis, I need to address seriously.  

So K-Fab is not running, but hang tight because I'll be back and keep you updated on my road back to running shoes.  

Jump!  In my cute Lululemon outfit and pink running shoes!  I OWNED this leg.  Under 9 min/miles.

I'll be back.

Oh yes, I'll be back

Have you ever heard of a runner NEVER getting injured?

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

Team "100 ways to get disqualified" Part TWO

Funny weirdos and THE END!

There is always lots of interesting folks at these races.  Theme vans, dressed up runners.  There was an ultra team that ran in banana outfits.  Lots of costumes, usually.  This race was a little mellow, but I managed to catch a few.

Man runner in Lululemon skirt.  

 Dumb and Dumber Van

Rock and roll 80's hairband van X 2

 I don't quite get the "don't judge" comment but it's pretty bold to drive around with "Free Pussy" written on your windshield.

 Lots and lots of colorful Lycra.  Lots.

There were very few shirtless men, so finding my pseudo boyfriend was impossible.

This is all I could find and at the very end. 

Didn't make the cut.

Mean girls.

Oh wait - that's Brandie.  She was tired and we were at the end waiting.  I couldn't stop laughing when I saw the picture.  

"I cut you"

FINISH LINE!

One of the worst finish lines ever.  Plus the last leg went from 7 miles to 5 and then ended up being 3 miles.  Ken was there way before anyone else could park and get there.  We had to walk along where the runners were running.  It was a mess!  Hopefully Ragnar can figure this stuff out.

It was cold and we were all so tired and no space, so few pics.

Three medals as promised!  

The boys again!  

Word.

I had such a great time and although this was the first year for this particular course, and they need to tighten some stuff up we made it work and kept it fun.  I have never regretted running a Ragnar and this was my 5th one!  

We look like we just rolled out of a van!

Big thanks to Ken for putting together the team, condo, etc.  Thanks to the guys for renting the van, driving and making me laugh!  Thank you to Heather and Brandie for putting up with me and keeping me sane and giggling!  

May we race again soon!

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

Team, "100 ways to get disqualified" Part ONE

 Van Two

 (Saints)

Kristopher, Shelley, Nate, Charlotte, Adrianna and Ken.

I was in Van 2 with Nate, Charlotte, Adrianna and Ken for the Wasatch Back.  Missed running with them, but I love making new friends!  Spent dinner with Kristopher and Shelley and they are a sweet newlywed couple.

Van One

(Sinners)

The girls

So young and vibrant!

Me, Brandie and Heather.  I ran with Heather in the Wasatch Back.  Met Brandie this trip and LOVE HER!

The Old Farts

These guys can kick my ass in running even in their geriatric state!  Age has slowed down their bodies but their minds are still hovering around age 16.

John, Mike and Jeffrey

They were in the other van at Wasatch Back, so they were on my team, but I didn't get to know them very well. They made me giggle the entire time!

START

Freaking freezing!!

They were making snow too.  Who knew there was a ski resort that close to Vegas?  I didn't.   It was sunny but windy and that wind was frigid. 

Mike showing us his flexibility. Pretty impressive and most likely better then me.

I have to admit that not being in charge was nice.  Not only was I not team captain, John was awesome at taking care of everything related to the van.  Either John or Mike drove and the commentary was priceless.  They also could tune out the rest of the van in a heartbeat.  "Please open the partition so you can hear us!" John had all the vests and everything ready for check in.

He also had pockets.

A belt of pockets.  

Lots of pockets.

The jacket was awesome too, this way he didn't have to put a safety vest on but just wear his jacket.  He's a thinker!

Brrrr....I had on two jackets and my blanket! 

My new running Oakleys.  BAM!  Love them.  

This is also my first Ragnar without braces.  It's heavenly!!!

The frigid start!  

THE RACE

Various exchanges.  Most pics were taking during the first legs, the night was dark and tired by the third.  It's amazing how the weather affects everything.

John to Brandie

Striking a pose for Brandie

Jeffrey to Heather.

It was warmer as the day went on.  Jeffrey always wears awesome shorts!  Heather looks so dang cute in running skirts.  I would LOVE to look that good!

Great picture of Heather running

Brandie to me.

Mike running.

Heather to Mike

Van one to Van two

Mike to Kristopher

 Ken getting some pics as Kristopher runs off.

NIGHT!!

Waiting for John so Brandie can get the hand off.  It was pretty nippy.

We couldn't figure out where to drop off John and we were late so at the stop light, John jumped out and Mike jumped into the drivers seat.  After we got through the light we realized how far away it was and picked up John again and found the right place.

Getting towards the end

Brandie and John.  

Fat Waldo is behind them.  He may be chunky but he flew by me on my last leg.  Size does not matter folks!  At least not in running!

 My view from inside the van.  

John had a pre-programmed GPS that actually mentioned our names when it was our turn.  The team was nice enough to let me sit in the back so I could ice my foot and elevate it after each run.

My best pic of Jeffrey.  Happiest guy ever and I love him to death!  He has some long name for some condition that acts like Multiple Sclerosis but isn't.  He is super knowledgeable about nutrition and controlling your own health.  We had lots of long conversation about eating healthy and using food and supplements to keep the body strong.  He is my hero!  He runs and when he's done we have to "catch" him because he looses control of his muscles when he slows down.  Sometimes he can't talk or he starts crying.  Each time is different.  He's pretty proud of his "handlers" and I am too.  The three of them act all gruffy but they have the softest hearts ever and take great care of each other.  Jeffrey is a great inspiration in running and life.

Picture of Brandie helping Jeffrey work it out and start walking.  He ended up running for a while again and then was able to slow down a little better.  After this run I was afraid the wind was going to knock him down because his balance was off a little.  No such luck, he powered through.

PS.  All the looks we got....from idiots who thought he might be drunk.

Bite me, you shallow piece of shit.

I told him he needs a note pinned to his shirt so if he finishes before we get there they know not to pump him full of ativan and rush him to the hospital.

The condo was close to most of the major exchanges so we were able to go back to it between each leg.  It was nice to be able to clean up and change clothes.  After leg 2 we went back and Brandie and I (my bunk mate) jumped into bed and actually got about 3 hours of sleep.  

Next up:

Funny weirdos and THE END! 

Who inspires you when you run?

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

Confession

Oh the shame.  

I wore my Lululemon Capri's backwards for Leg 3.  I thought I looked so good, but no, I looked like a clumsy mess!  As far as I know there is no pictures/proof - but I had to confess.  Why I didn't notice the zipper pocket was in the front for the entire day is a true mystery and an indication of how worn out I was.  

So Sorry!!!

Ragnar Relay Las Vegas Running Recap

Well that was fun!

I ran the fastest and slowest I have run in a long time.  How weird is that?  I can actually clip out some great time if you throw me down a hill!!  

Leg One:

Hard to appreciate the cool outfits with so many layers!

Look how fast I went!

An entire mile with an 8 min/mile?  That's a dream to run that fast through an entire race.  I'm pretty sure that I can do that....post foot healing.

0 ft. of elevations...that's the secret!

Best pace 5:53?  I believe it because I saw it, but I was smart enough to pull back.  It was probably in the first 1/4 mile.  It was after noon, cold and windy but sunny.  I was hoping for a tail wind (teehee) but it turned out to be a head wind.  Luckily running into a head wind going downhill isn't nearly as bad as I thought!

Leg two:

It was dark before I took off.  I was runner three and by the time I got out with runners one and two for hand-offs I couldn't believe how cold I was.  I wore my short sleeve Nike shirt, arm warmers, favorite gray Lululemon long sleeve AND my warm Nike running jacket.  The guys (three amigos) told me I would get too warm but I was freezing and couldn't believe that.  

Of course, the jacket came off and I managed to wiggle my way out of it without taking off my reflective gear.  I did have to have John put my flashing light back on my back, but other then that I shoved my jacket into the van, got my light back on and felt great the rest of the way!

Look how slow I was!!

The difficulty of this leg was appreciating the hills that I had to run up.  The first two miles were uphill with a headwind!!  I had a few awesome downhills then some more uphill.  

After the first 2 miles the wind was just once in a while gusty but not too bad.  I just could not pick up the pace no matter how I tried!  I finished though and I'm ok with that!  What I'm REALLY OK with is that they took an extra .80 miles off this leg.  Such a sweet surprise!

Another best pace in the 5's?  I obviously need to work on my consistency. 

Leg three:

Yeah, the sun came out.  It was still pretty frigid so I wore my Nike running jacket until right before the hand off.  I ended up taking off my Lululemon half zip about 1 mile into it.  I just tied it around my waist and it's thin enough it didn't bother me at all.  

Slower then I wanted to be, but considering the hills of the last mile I'm ok with the time.  Who knew that Las Vegas is just a bevy of insane hills? 

I have to admit, I felt like shit.  My legs felt super heavy and sore, my foot was hurting on the outside of it and on the inside part of the heel.  My form suffered to try and compensate for the pain even though I worked super hard to keep my body inline, shoulders back and short stride.  It was reminiscent of my last Ragnar in Vegas when I ran with a bum knee and hadn't had much time to train.

Good news is that it was a pretty decent place to run.  We were in Hendersonville running on their running paths.  Pretty nice.

 Boom, another under 6 min/mile.  I must get on a hill (each leg had at least one area of good downhill) and just bust it.  At least I busted it somewhere and on every leg.  I am pretty sure this was the leg I forgot to pause my Garmin when I finished and I left my Auto Pause on.  The time would be different officially because my Garmin didn't count the stop lights I had to wait for.  They shouldn't count anyway!

A couple of take home points.  

*Hydrating.  I wasn't as good at hydrating on this race because we were so cold.  I think I only drank Nuun twice and I didn't drink nearly the water that I usually do.    

*Nutrition.  Because it was cold I didn't eat as well either.  I usually have a dark chocolate almond milk with some protein powder for after my race and I just had the milk part.  I was lazy.  We did have an awesome meal at Chipotle's between legs 1 and 2.  That restaurant is the BOMB!

*Foot.  I can't even tell you how bad my foot was, the little shit.  The pain is   evolving as I shift my foot around to avoid the pain.  I'm super glad I have my orthopedic doctor appointment today.  Hoping for an MRI....because I don't have anything better to do then spend money for my co-pay!! Woot woot - grateful for insurance! 

*Fueling.  Again, when you are so cold you can barely move your hands it slows down the desire to eat.  I did make sure and have one Trader Joe's Crusher before each run.  I usually have some short of chomp, GU or gummy at 45 minutes, but I only did on my longest run.  Even then I didn't eat all that I had.  I had a little bit of nausea after my second leg, which is very rare for me.  A couple of Zofran, a nap and some salty snacks fixed that.

Had a lot of fun but didn't run as well as I wanted.  Truthfully, when I will look back I will remember the fun a lot more then the run, even if I did run great.  I was in Van 1 with Heather from my Wasatch Back team Van 2 and also Mike, John and Jeffrey.  The boys were in the other van at Wasatch so I didn't know them as well.  I would do a Ragnar with them any day!  Super fun!  I met Brandie this trip and can already tell that we could be stuck in a van for a few days an actually enjoy the experience.  It's just a great group of people!!

The experience is so different for each Relay I do.  Being so unexpectedly cold there wasn't as many pictures taken or socializing because the entire crowd was trying to keep warm!

Stay tuned for the best part of the Ragnar!  Team pictures and the odd balls that showed up!  Also I'll have my product review for the RooSport coming up!

How was your weekend runs??

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

Relay a'la mode

I only say that because it was freezing here in Vegas. Brrrrrrrr
I'll put together a full recap when I get home. We finished, we had a blast and no one died. I'd say that is WINNING!