What’s the Deal?

Where have I been?  Not running.  I have the flu.  Twin Peaks is in 6 days.  Muhahahahahahaha.

Fearful Gait

After diligent self-therapy and constant taping and re-taping my foot, I set out this morning for my first run since last Thursday (and that was my only run last week).  I taped my foot of course, and I am so, so very pleased to report that I felt no pain whatsoever on my nearly eleven mile run.  I took it easy, ran pretty slowly in fact.  It felt like my gait had changed, almost like I ran too carefully, as if my feet were afraid.  I was afraid.  I did not, could not feel the pain once again with just about a week out of Twin Peaks. 

I’m okay with the fearful gait.  The important thing is that I got out there and I ran trails today.  The feeling was so completely joyful, it felt like I had been released from prison or perhaps a psych-ward – as if I were suddenly free.  Not a thing bothered me during today’s run, not my slowness nor the treacherous climb up Mentally Sensitive.  It’s almost like every runner needs an injury so that they can have this feeling of getting back something they had lost.  Of course, I don’t want anyone injured.  But with all my training, I think I was beginning to lose some joy of trails. 

10.75 miles run this morning.  Back at home, I took off the tape, iced and rolled.  And I felt great.

Turning onto my old friend Meadows Trail:

Running up Mentally Sensitive – There’s Saddleback Mountains!:

A quick stop for some swing time:

Goats!:

Back at Top of the World:

View from Top of the World:

Profile:

Accident Prone?

Well, could I injure myself any further?  I’m not going to look at today’s incident as neither negative nor positive.  It just is, or rather was. 

I can’t help but wonder if I am accident prone, or if I subconsciously like making the day exciting.  For tic marks in the accident prone column much evidence exists.  I don’t know how many times I accidentally kicked my father’s weight bench in the garage when I was a young girl.  I must have split my toe dozens of times – the same toe, kicking that thing.  In the past year alone, I probably have slammed my truck door on my leg a half dozen times.  I still have a scar from one slam.  I won’t even try to count the cracks, roots and curbs I’ve tripped over.  Once I tripped over a curb when I was 8 months pregnant and laid myself out on the asphalt with bloody knees and palms.   

On the other hand, I am adventure seeker.  I have always been an adventure seeker.  It wasn’t always in the wilderness.  I sought adventure in roller skates, on flexi boards, on ten speed bicycles and roller coasters.  When I was a young girl, my friends and I found much adventure downtown amongst the city buildings. 

One thing I think is inherent to both of these things (accident proneness and adventure seeking) is haste.  I often do things things with haste, and end up paying for it.  Fortunately, I have been very lucky still having all my appendages and such.

Case in hand, this morning, I rushed about in haste – a usual morning, making breakfasts, packing lunches, etc.  After getting the two young boys off to school, I returned home to finish up packing our eldest son’s lunch.  I had not yet iced my foot, and it needed re-taping.  So, I was limping.  Then in a moment, a moment of haste I would do something that would scare my oldest son and my husband practically to death. 

The paper towel holder was empty.  That’s all.  And I HAVE TO put a paper towel in my son’s lunches.  Where do we keep the spare paper towels?  In the highest cupboard in the kitchen.  My husband can reach this cupboard, so can my son.  I cannot.  So I grabbed a kitchen table chair; I hoisted myself up onto it.  Being that it was painful to put weight on my PF foot, I balanced on the chair with my good foot and leaned forward, reaching up to the cupboard.  And then I began to lose balance.  I’m not sure exactly what happened and in what order, but I recall moving my foot closer to the counter to help balance myself.  That’s when I believe that the chair tilted and overturned.  I crashed down onto the floor with a tremendous loud crash (this may seem familiar if you’ve read my blog before).  I thought for sure I was going to land on top of a sideways chair.  I didn’t land on it, but somehow I snapped one of the chair legs off. 

I lay looking at the ceiling moaning, unsure what to move first.  My back ached, my butt ached.  My PF foot was cut-up and scratched.  Of course my husband and son ran to my aid.  They were dumbfounded as to why I didn’t ask one of them to reach for the paper towels.  My husband of course was besides himself that I would stand on a chair balanced on one leg.  “We need you!” he hollered.  Then he went on about me being 48 (I’m 47 by the way, he likes to round up) and climbing trees, sliding down mountainsides, etc., etc.  He was not happy.  I’m hoping soon he will be able to laugh about it any day now.  But he did make me promise to never stand on a chair again.

My son got over it quickly.  My husband, not so much.  That’s understandable.  For a while after the fall, I felt like vomiting.  I examined my head to make sure that I didn’t hit it, and I found no soreness whatsoever.  I want to laugh at this, because it is rather funny . . . funny and stupid.  After running errands, I returned home to ice my foot and re-tape again.  Then I took a 3 hour nap, so, so worn out I was from today’s mishap adventure. 

I don’t think I’m accident prone.  I merely need to be more careful and not make haste.  HASTE MAKES WASTE.  That’s what I always heard as a little girl.  And it’s true.  It is so true.  : ) 

Pity Party

The pity party is over.  I move onward from now on.  Life is one big adventure – the good and bad.  It all just IS.  And I just AM.  : )  Tomorrow I will juice fast (and juice does not include wine or sodas) to get the ball rolling, as a way to celebrate my new outlook. 

I am going to take things as they come, and not feel sorry for myself.

Wish me luck.  Old habits die hard. 

ps.  Tomorrow I go back to work, so what better time to make changes.

pss.  I haven’t chosen my next book.  Any suggestions?

Yet, Another Day Of Rest

Since I’m in between runs, I thought this would be a good time to document my PF (Plantar Fasciitis).  Where to begin?  (I really should shower though, since I base my showers on runs, and I haven’t run for a while!!).

First off, months ago, as far back as June 2012, I felt the tightening in my calves.  After that, it seemed I often felt that calf tightening in the beginning of my runs, and stretched within the first mile.  Thereafter, I felt fine.  Still I worried, and I looked up “shin splints.”  Nothing seemed to match.

Secondly, I insisted on not purchasing new shoes, since I’m in a financial bind.  I wore my favorite shoes when the tread was visibly worn.  Seriously, since I basically have a mid-foot strike, and it had done me well for so long, I thought it was a “cure-all.”

Thirdly, since I was putting in so MANY hours running, I wanted to get home quickly, and therefore began skipping my stretch sessions.  I told myself that I would stretch back at home.  Of course, most of the time, I forgot to do that. NEVER DO THIS.  Always stretch after running.

Yes, I do have a mid-foot strike.  But one of my running friends, Tom B., noticed that I tend to heel strike on the downhills.  I should have paid more attention.  On my last run, I focused on this, and noticed that I had to exaggerate, practically doing a forefoot strike on the downhills to avoid the heel strike.

All this is retrospect.

As far as the “now” goes, I still have this unrealistic idea that I can’t be injured.  I have to face that unrealistic, obvious fact now.  I now have a notepad by the phone where I record my icings, my stretching and my tapings.

Whereas, I had been only icing twice daily, I iced 4 times today.  I’m rolling more often, and I’m apply new tape more often.

Besides all this, I’m still doing my napping, and I’m fretting, and I’m drinking my Sauvignon Blanc once  7 PM hits too often.    I’m also doing A LOT of reading.  Though my “reading” blog entries should really be posted in my literary blog: www.simplyfictionaltales.blogspot.com, I can’t help but mention my readings now since they are more of my life than running is now.

Most recently I finished Gone with the Wind  (Margaret Mitchell).  It affected me so much with ideas so profound and out-of-date that I can’t begin to write about them now.  Let me just write that I am very fortunate, and though Scarllett, the main character, had loving parents, family and friends, I have never felt the destitute she had to endure.

After that novel, I visited my private library.  Yes, I have a library, with thousands of books, many of which I have not yet read.  I decided to read a memoir by Augusten Burroughs, whom I am familiar with.  I have to tell you, after reading A Wolf at the Table AND drinking wine AGAIN tonight, I can’t help but feel fortunate.

Unlike Burroughs, I have always had loving parents who believed in me.  While I think I am crazy for doing this trail running thing, they seem to understand.  I truly think without their understanding, I would never line up at Twin Peaks 2 weeks from now.  And though, especially with my injury, I may not finish, it will not finish me.  My poor unknown friend, Augusten, never knew the strength that a father can give (he did have his loving mother for a while thankfully). Either way, my parents, though I sense they feel I am  “way too old for this,” they are proud.  Simply stated, both my parents will thankfully support me in this crazy endeavor I have in two weeks. 

To sum up this blog.  If you have time and have a liking for classics, READ GONE WITH THE WIND.  Secondly, if you want a more contemporary author who is not shy about writing the truth as he sees it, try Augusten Burroughs.  Thirdly, DO NOT WEAR WORN SHOES WHILE RUNNING.  And fourthly, STRETCH, STRETCH, STRETCH.

Love you all!

Trial Run

Recently, I purchased two new pair of running shoes (I got steal deals).  I can’t wear my running shoes out to the utmost like I have been.  Assuredly, I have learned my lesson.

I purchased my regular mountain running shoes, New Balance 876.  And I purchased the next generation of my New Balance 101’s, the New Balance 110’s.  It’s a low rise, lightweight shoe that I usually wear running the coastal hills because the terrain isn’t so brutal.  Now I have 3 perfectly good shoes to run in.  All the rest I should throw away.  (I already threw away my NB 101’s and it was such a sad occasion, I had my husband do it, because I couldn’t myself). 

Anyway, the New Balance 110 is virtually the same as the 101’s, except for two things.  The material is more rubbery than cloth-like, and the colors are WILD.  Now, I’m not one to go for wild colored running shoes.  But heck, the 101’s were my favorite shoes, so I might as well get the next generation.

I went ahead and took the plunge late this morning.  No, I didn’t go for a swim (I wish!).  I went for a run.  With a taped up arch and heal I took off running trails for an out-and-back to Top of the World in Laguna Beach. 

(Oh, and I also got my new camera.)

I felt fine on the trip out.  My feet felt good, though I could tell there was something “there,” I didn’t feel any pain.  The way out was mainly uphill.  I made decent time and didn’t feel like I had lost anything after 5 days off (which I’m terrified of doing).  I stopped once to talk with a hiker who wanted directions to Dripping Cave from the Ridge down Rock It.  The instructions were rather detailed involving 4 or 5 different trails.  He wrote them down and we departed both hoping for a grand adventure on his hike. 

I reached Top of the World ready to refill my handheld.  The day was hot and sunny.  I stopped to take in the view, even sat for a second.  The tape above my socks was coming undone due to dirt getting in between my skin and the adhesive. 

The run back was a different story for this trial run.  Starting off on a downhill, I felt pain right away.  Eventually the pain grew to a point that I found myself actually limping as I ran!  I thought I may have to walk back to my truck.  But as soon as the uphills began, my foot’s pain decreased.  I had some pain the entire trip back, always less on the uphills.  I sadly thought to myself, “I’m never going to be able to put 50 miles on these feet.”  What a defeatist! 

Back at the car, I did some math in my head however, and realized that I needed to make this morning’s run a little less than 9 times to equal Twin Peaks total Mileage (52 miles).  “Humph!”  I laughed to myself when I decided, “I could run that 8 more times. Yes siree, I can.”

Two more weeks.  TWO MORE WEEKS.  (The red star is above Santiago Peak):

Today’s bizarre looking profile (6.42 miles run):