Merry Christmas and why does my knee ache?

...and why haven't I posted anything in the last, almost 2 weeks?!

Well, aside from all the driving around, and a visit with Mom, we are finally back in Mexico at the little beach casita where I always have time. Funny - with all the effort it takes to get here - it is the one place where I have time for things.

Merry Christmas everybody! I hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating this very special time of year. I just want to put up a few pics to share some of my Merry Christmas with you...

Here's my Mom! She was so happy to have some of her clan around. I hope I look as good and am as happy as she is when I am 86. My oldest sister Lee, her daughters Kristen and Diana and Diana's young son Trent (almost 2) came up from San Diego. Brother John, myself, Loving Man and the Cha (also the dang dogs) rounded out for a semi-full house at Mom's for Christmas. Sister Jo-Ann and hubby are in Santa Fe NM where they just purchased a new house, their son Jack and his wife are in St Kitts where he is attending Nursing School. Brother Jim and his wife were obligated to visit her mom on Christmas Eve so the full house was in fact, less than half full. But we had great fun.

The canine version of Santa and an elf. The happy creatures had already snooped the presents and pulled one out from under the tree. Somehow they just knew the gift wrap hid a stuffed snake. It was unwrapped and became center to a tug of war for the two loving creatures. The nice pink snake was eviscerated and lots of stuffing had to be gathered and tossed. The good news is these two odd dogs are the best of friends. They would rather share a toy and destroy it then keep it to themselves. Piggry - the big one, typically holds one end of the toy with just one fang and stands there quietly, while Fishy - the tiny one, gets to hold the other end and tug away. Fishy seems to get more fun out of the deal, but Piggry is happy in her place as the enabler. Odd pair, but we love them.

Here is the delightful Cha with a Christmas Smile! She is wearing a Christmas Present Sweater and too bad you can't see the matching green knitted ugg boots Auntie Lee gave her. I find such delight in the warmth of the Cha's authentic smiles. Nothing better than a happy teenager in the house...! And look at those green eyes - she has her father's eyes, that is for sure.

Mom lives in Costa Mesa, CA. I have done some looking and the OC Marathon in May runs right by her house. Funny - weird coincidence, the Lost Dutchman Marathon runs right by my house. I am thinking it might be a fun run to do in May - depending on how the Lost Dutchman goes for me in February. The OC is pretty flat and the weather should be good. Nothing like having Mom around to cheer you on! Just like the old days.

So there has been a little problem since my 20 mile run. I had a little ache in my right knee in the last mile of that 20. After a rest day, I tried a 5 and at mile 4 the ache returned - I had to walk. The next day I tried a 4 and at the beginning of mile 4 - ache again. Had to walk. I rested a day, then attempted my 8 as scheduled. At mile 4 I had to walk and cut it short to a 6. Then I had big concerns that maybe I might have injured something in that dang knee.

Then we made the trek to So Cal. Loving Man, the Cha and I hit the Santa Ana Riverbed Trail for a nice 3 mile Family Run - no pain. The next day we did another 3 - no pain. Then a rest day. Then we had to head to Mexico. (The adventure to Mexico is a separate post just in itself!) Now I am facing my fears - do I try to run more than 3 and see what happens? I am so nervous about all of this. Half me says stop running altogether and let this "thing" heal. Less than 4 weeks to the PFChang 1/2 and less than 8 to the Lost Dutchman Full. If I were on schedule, I would be running another 20 today. But I am too scared. I am stuck in these 3 mile runs because of hurting at 4. I have rested way too much to jump back into a 20. I am now probably a full 2 weeks set back from my training. This isn't quite a crisis yet - I have several extra weeks built in just in case of something like this. But I am nervous and I wish I knew if I should get back on track and try the higher miles or just sit here with 3's and 4's until it doesn't hurt anymore.... Does anyone have any ideas?

Oh the sweet completion of a 20...

Have I said lately HOW MUCH I LOVE MY ORTHOTICS????!!!!!

My running life has completely changed. How about 20 MILES WITH NO TOE PAIN???!!!! So sweet! Oh, and have I said this lately; I WILL NEVER RUN WITHOUT MY ORTHOTICS EVER AGAIN!

oh how i love them!

Ok, so I received several comments about the comment I made when I was approaching mile 13 in Memphis...that little lightbulb that went off in my mind that told me that maybe I am a half-a-thoner, not really a marathoner. So today was a big day for me because it was going to help me to understand the truth.

I was scheduled to go 20 today. I don't know why but 20 just seems so much bigger than 18. 20 is one of those milestones that makes you believe you are a long distance runner. So I checked out the canal systems around the Phoenix Valley and found one not too far from home. I set out to see about a 20... an easy 20.

The great thing about running on these canals is they are very flat. No hills and hard packed dirt. Easy on the joints. The only bummer is having to cross busy streets every once in awhile and the canal I ran on, doesn't cross streets at the intersections with lights. So there was a bit of waiting and dashing across 2 or 4 lanes of traffic. Not as bad as it sounds, but... it did mess with my tempo some. (read: gave me a reason to walk, stop, stretch a bit)

Here is pretty Great Blue Heron who was fishing as I trotted by. I saw only 3 other people during my 4 hour canal experience today, but did connect with some interesting wildlife. I went past some magnificent peacocks in a big orchard and wanted to take their picture on my way back... only problem was they were gone on the return pass.

Here are some magnificent Koi or Goldfish... you can't tell by the picture but they were easily a foot long. Big guys! Someone was no doubt done with their fish tank and tossed them in the canal. Clearly they were thriving.

Well the good news is I ran right through 13.1, 18 and all the way to 20 today. Just like I told myself I was gonna do. Back to that brain-thing - I swear your body will only go as far as you have decided to go that day and not a step more! I was tired at 20 and my knee was starting to ache a little, BUT NO FOOT PAIN!!!! : )

After my ritual of ice packs, I feel really good. Wait, let me be a little more clear - I feel really good compared to other times I have finished long runs! I may be a bit limpy tomorrow, but that is expected. But the thing I wanted to report is, yeah... I think I can run another marathon. I am going to do another 20, then a 22 and repeat and then I will be ready for the Lost Dutchman... right on track. I am going to throw the PFChang 1/2 in during January just to do a get some miles in for the week, but my heart is aimed at February 15th... and I want to see if I can do a sub-5 hour marathon - with my ORTHOTICS!!!!

Have you been to a Cardiologist?

Speed back in time to 1973. I was 12 going on 13. Those of us old enough will remember the Energy Crisis. Gasoline for sale on odd days only, lines around gas stations. It was a time where the American Public began an awareness of fuel consumption. My father decided to start riding a bicycle to work.

Then he bought a really good bike and began big rides. I can remember riding behind him on my own Schwinn 10-speed, up and back the long Santa Ana Riverbed bike trail - the same one I run on now when I go home to visit. Then he became interested in more challenging rides. One Sunday he and few biking buddys rode up and over Saddleback Mountain - a coastal mountain not far from our home. A long ride and a tough ride. He never came home.

A policeman rang the doorbell and informed my mother and me that he was in a local hospital, his condition unknown. Later we found that it was very known, but I can see how that policeman just couldn't bring the news he was tasked. My father had suffered a massive heart attack while biking on Santiago Canyon Road. He was found on the side of the road by his biking buddy, who tried to revive him. He was dead on arrival.

That day 5 young people lost their father. A stay-at-home mom lost her husband and her partner. A mother and father lost their son. A brother lost his brother. Three young people lost their uncle. An aunt lost her nephew. Many people lost a friend and America lost a World War 2 Veteran. He was just 47 years old.

My Mom & Dad in the 1960's~

An autopsy showed he had diffuse Left Main Coronary Artery Disease. Something that is fixed today by bypass surgery or coronary stents made by the very company I work for. A disease process that hailed the Cholesterol Testing that became popular in years to come.

And the thing that drives me to the Cardiologist for an annual work up because, I have family history.

Now you know why I am so attached to my heart rate watch! And why I always refer to the fact that I am trying to avoid "dropping dead out in the desert"! All of my siblings have inherited the bad cholesterol gene from our father and we all get our cardiology work ups as we passed the age that our father lost his life.

So here is the good news. My recent Cardiology Visit was very positive. My doc told me that I remain free of lipid problems as of this visit, (but assured me that I remain at a high probability of need of cholesterol medications in years to come). He was quite pleased with my perfusion tests. My blood pressure of 112/60 and resting heart rate of 49 were a clear indication my running was doing good things for my heart. Here is another interesting thing we spoke of. I told him I ran my marathon with an average heart rate of 155 and that although that is high by the standards for my age, I felt fine at that rate. He gave me the blessing to run at 155 and even said I would be fine running in the low 160's.

So! I have another year of good health and have pushed the medications off into the future. Because I am running? I can't help but think all of these regular workouts are helping my heart to keep fit. But my real reason for writing this post is that it occurred to me that there might be some of you "oldsters" out there (like me!), that maybe haven't had a good work up to make sure you are heart healthy. Do it now, even if you feel fine. My father felt fine. And he was just 47 years old. Issues with your heart and arteries are so much easier to manage if they are caught early rather than late. Do it for yourself. Do it for your family. Take it from me, the reassurance from the heart doc makes it so much easier to think about a 20 mile run this weekend!

Training Stats and Orthotics

Training Update:

Since the end of July:

I have run 82 times, 107 hours, burned 58,546 calories and gone 455 miles! Nice to know I could run to my mom's house in California for a visit should I ever need to! It would take 4 months, but I could get there!

Orthotic Update:

After my first horrible experience with the Foot Surgeon's Orthotics, I was very scared about trying them again. I had gone to the Chiropractor as I was harboring this weird pain in the top of my right hip. Long story short - I have been favoring my left foot enough that it transferred to my right hip. He suggested orthotics to cushion and support my fused toes (#4 & #5 on each foot). I was born with toes that curved under and had a fusion to straighten them out. Only problem is now they don't bend and take a lot of force each time they hit the ground. My #4 Left toe is actually fused incorrectly, pointing slightly downward so it takes a further beating than the rest.

I have had a purple #4 Right toe since I started running. Of course I must favor it somehow in my stride.

Well, we talked extensively about my first experience and he showed me the kind of orthotics he prescribes. They were significantly better built. Completely flexible. And the interesting thing is they laser scan your feet while you are standing on an image collector. I found this fascinating because the Foot Surgeon just made a plaster cast of my feet while I was laying on a table, feet dangling in air. The Chiro's scan of my feet showed the pressures of my feet on the ground and in turn, creates an orthotic to assist with the way your foot actually connects with the ground. So... I went for it and had them made. When I got them and started wearing them, it was clear they were of much different quality than the other pair. I then had to go get fit for a new pair of neutral running shoes as the orthotics take care of all the correction I need. They put me in a 1/2 size larger Nike Zoom Vomero 3. It was like walking on a gel cushion! I wore them everyday for 3 weeks while working and finally tried a little two mile run in them. I was terrified after my first experience with orthotics ripping holes in the bottom of my feet - however! At the end of my 2 mile run, there was no pain in Left #4. There were no holes or blisters forming anywhere on my feet. I wore them again around town the following week as I was resting up for the Memphis trip. So no additional runs in them.

On race day I had to make a decision. Do I run in my old shoes or do I chance it and try 13.1 in the new shoes with the Orthotics? I had a pit in my stomach, knowing such a decision could leave me on the side of the road at about mile 5 with bleeding feet and needing a lift back to the finish line!

Well - I threw the dice. I ran in the Nikes and Orthotics and folks, let me tell you something right here and now - I WILL NEVER RUN AGAIN WITHOUT MY ORTHOTICS!!!!! I never felt any of my typical pain. Three times during the run my mind drifted to my feet and I was amazed to realize I was feeling no pain in my toe. It occurred to me that maybe they were just frozen and I would have a different experience when they thawed out! But no... there was none of the typical ache that I have grown accustomed to!!!

After the race, I examined my feet - no hotspots - no blisters - AND MY TOE WAS NO LONGER PURPLE!

www.footlevelers.com

If you have any foot issues, I strongly recommend you look into a doc or chiro that can help you get a pair of these things made.

My life has changed. I know I can now run long distances without toe pain. Maybe even all the way to Mom's house! : )

Memphis St Jude Marathon Update!

***CONGRATULATIONS TO PAM, JEN, MACKENZIE (the CHA) and MY LOVING MAN FOR FINISHING THIER VERY FIRST RACE!!!!***

We had a great time!

Loving Man, Cha and I packed up and flew to Memphis last weekend. Did a little site seeing, had dinner with Tony (my boss), Pam, (his wife), Katie (their teenager), iKen (a sales guy like me in Memphis - we call him iKen cause he is crazy about Mac stuff), and Jen (his wife). Great Italian restaurant. Did I mention how COLD it is in Memphis????!!!!

We Arizonan's are not cut out for freezing temperatures! Wow! We had to make a quick trip to Target to buy stocking caps and mittens!

Anyway - Race Day was so much fun. I think it was MAYBE 20 degrees when the races started. Loving Man, Cha, Pam and Jen all ran the 5k race. We were all amazed at how Loving Man found an incredible drive and ran his 5K in 29:16! The Cha was not far behind at 31:49. Jen and Pam were right behind her.

I was looking forward to what I figured would be an easy 1/2 Marathon as I am into higher mileage runs in my training. It was really cool to run through the historic places in Memphis. The race was really well organized. We had timing chips and started in waves - 15 groups were corralled prior to the race according to your anticipated pace. I was in a group looking for 11 minute miles and that is exactly what I ran. I finished at 2hrs 26 minutes which by the way, was 4,279th out of 6,663 1/2-a-thoners! I can also claim the 176th spot out of 369 old ladies in my age group!

There were bands along the route that made you want to sing out loud as you ran by. The was a tour along the mighty Mississippi River that was delightful. Victorian houses and giant trees (no leaves!) that are just so different than our Arizona vistas. I even got my picture taken with Elvis at the finish line!!! (To be posted as soon as I get a copy!) The finish was awesome as you ran into the AutoZone BallPark Infield. Big infield area to spread out in with the thousands of other finishers. The grandstands held families and earlier finishers all with a view of the finish line and good seating.

Funny thing happened as I was approaching the 13 mile mark, I had some serious thoughts about full Marathoning. It occurred to me that there was no way in hell I could have continued that day for 13 more miles. I was thinking that maybe I am really a 1/2 Marathoner. This was sort of a sad note to a great day, but I just wonder if it is true or if it was one of those weird things about running that I have come to observe.

My mind will only let my body run as far as it was told it would run.

For example - 13.1 on Saturday and not a step further. 3 miles yesterday - absolutely done when the 3.00 ticked on the watch. I seriously believe there is something mental about how much energy your body packages for a run. I have read some things on that subject and they may be on to something...

But - that doesn't take away from the fact I am supposed to run 20 on Saturday! I guess I will see on Saturday if there is a chance that I can run another Marathon.

Did I tell you how much fun it was to have my little family all running together? It was such a joy to have company all getting ready together and excited.


Loving Man and the Cha ready to head out to the Race!
Doe the Cha look like she really wants to do this???


Here I am after the finish looking for my Loved Ones in the Crowd! Does it look a little cold???

My hair was wet under that cap, but I was afraid to take it off figuring my hair would freeze!

There was a total of almost 14,000 runners in all the races. $1.2 Million Bucks were raised for St Jude's Children's Hospital Cancer Research. Wow.

We finished off the night with a great little party at my boss's house. He had all kinds of Memphis BBQ for us, iKen brought his home-brewed Honey Bourbon and we utilized the hot tub! I swear it was the first really warm moment I had in 3 days! Not sure if that was due to the Honey Bourbon or the 103 degree spa or maybe both!!!! My boss's boss Jamie (and once upon a time, my boss!) and his lovely wife Sharlyce showed up with a couple of their DARLING daughters. We all had a super fun time and decided right there that we would do it again next year and recruit the other members of our "Central Region" and make a big showing. We could also put a little effort into fund raising and add to the good things this run does for sick kids. That makes it really worthwhile.

Humbling Memories... my real strength

Most times running is a solitary exercise for me, but every once in awhile it's not and it seems those times are the most memorable. Perhaps it is those very moments that brought me back for more this year. I wanted to share with you, a few of these great memories...

Last year I had my first 20 mile run right after Christmas. We were down at our little beach casita enjoying the winter version of the Sea of Cortez and time off from our crazy work schedules. The town of Puerto Lobos is home to Mexican fisherman and few hardy Americano Families. We have all be come great friends. There is a family that we have become especially close to. Mason & Natalie and their 7 kiddos. They are quite the crew - always full of fun and energy. I don't know how they do it with all those kids, but their house is full of love - that is for sure! Anyway... I was very nervous about the mileage I had to do that day and pretty worked up over it. I set off and up and down the dirt road I went, and turned around at 10 and came back. At about mile 18, I was seriously wondering if I was going to make it. Every bit of my legs were aching, I was tired, I was miserable and beginning to doubt myself. I still had about 2 miles to go when all of the sudden over the next hill came Mason's giant white Ford Van with little blonde kids all hanging out every single window, waving arms and yelling, " Go CJ! Go CJ!" Natalie was up front offering water bottles and bananas and all I have to say is all of that excitement and energy made me forget my misery and kick it into a higher gear and make it home with a big smile! I will always cherish the memory of how Mason's family changed everything about how I was feeling with their cheers and energy. One of my favorite running memories...!

Another favorite memory was during my marathon last year. I was really worked up about what was going to happen after mile 22 since my training program only had me run up to 22 miles. Seriously, I was a wreck about entering that place I had never been before. I was terrified! So as I approached the 22 mile marker and was mustering up all my mental strength, a wonderful thing happened. Loving Man showed up and began running next to me. It was February and he had just had meniscus surgery in December! I was yelling at him to quit running and he wouldn't have any of it, he just kept running with me! Finally after about a half mile, I was able to convince him to head back to the car before he got too far away. He later reported he could barely walk back! But wow... what a great sense of love I had for him for showing up and taking my mind off that horrible 22 mile marker demon! He was there, right when I needed him. He was listening to all my whining! He put together a plan to help me through it. A great running memory.

This past week I had another experience that has turned out to also be yet another one of these awesome running experiences! Sweet Cha was manning the camera and so I have pictures to share with you! Let's see if I can paint this story for you...

We are back at the beach casita enjoying Thanksgiving Week by the sea and of course, I am running each day like I am supposed to! Friday was another 18 as I decided to repeat my weeks of 16 and 18. The night before the run, the Cha and I took Jeepy and my GPS and marked my dirt road in 2 mile increments with spray paint.



We clocked out to the 9 mile turn around point. Turned out right there, near by the road, out in the desert, was someone's discarded smoking apparatus. It was bright green and we figured that would make a fine pillar to hail the 1/2 way point of my run. Turns out there was also an old shredded tire stuck in dirt at exactly the right place. What luck!



It struck me that the Cha was so willing to help me with all this work of marking my run and it warmed my heart. (It might have had something to do with me letting the 15 year old drive the jeep!) Check out her co-pilots! She is getting really good at shifting the old manual trans on Jeepy.



And of course, this story would not be nearly so accurate without this road sign assuring runners the path would not be easy...!




So with all of our mileage markers complete, we headed back to the casita in the sunset for left over turkey dinner and a good night's sleep before the big run.


Beautiful - always...

So here is where the story gets really good... (thanks for hanging with me!)

I start my big run early the next day. It was very cool and damp due to a little evening rain and it was a wonderful day to run. I had my iPod jamming with great tunes and at about mile 6-ish, here comes the Cha, driving up in Jeepy with a bag full of gatorades to stash for me at all the mile markers. She snaps this shot of me, and I remember, I was feeling pretty good then and loving having a support team!



I make it out to the shiny green mile 9 turn around and am headed back when at mile 12, I see Jeepy coming up over the rise! Here comes the Cha again with GU and more gatorade! She is such a loving Cha! Note that in this picture the smile is taking a little more energy to muster up! The sun is a little higher now and it is getting warm.



And off I went with just 6 more miles to go! Here are some of my motivators - I had these guys to keep an eye on me... just in case I had any notion of stopping, they were there to remind me that any animal down was fair game!



Finally the little village of Lobos comes closer in site. I trot by the little grammar school, past the cop shack and one last turn up the main road toward Mashi's little Tienda. Mashi's store means I am close - almost done! And up ahead I see some vehicles in the road and then I begin to make out something catching the light... what the heck???!!! There was a finish line set up for me!!!!



Another wonderful family I have grown to love down there is the Dunn's. Fran is like my adopted Mom and Eddie is the funniest old guy on this planet. He is always making you laugh and playing jokes on everyone. Their son Kevin and his buddy Chuck put together this finish line for me to run through. They glued all this colored paper on a piece of Caution tape and tied it to the fence by Mashi's and to their truck! CLASSIC! They even used Mexican Flag Colors! As I came running up, Kevin was shouting - "Don't Quit! Keep going! You're in First Place!!!" It was hysterical! And I had a cheering section right there at mile 18 and a finish line to run through! Funny thing, it was a STRONG Finish Line and almost sprung me backward! I mustered all I had and broke through! Probably the only finish line I will ever be the first one through, but wow...what an incredible bunch of friends and loving Cha I have to help me with this crazy addiction of running I have! I almost cried when I saw everybody and what they did for me that day while I was all self absorbed in my run. What a great family I have, what a great extended family of friends I have. I am blessed.



Here I am a little later - on the porch with all my ice packs - chillin and hydrating and enjoying the morning sun.



I still can't stop smiling at my most recent favorite running memory... It occurred to me that running has humbled me in many ways. While I am so into myself and my progress and my next run, there are a bunch of wonderful people around me, cheering me on. And without them- I may not be able to accomplish such things. I hope you are gathering these kind of wonderful moments. Send me note, post a comment and share your moments!

Music to Run by...

I REALLY hope that this post ends up with LOTS of comments! Please... don't be shy, give up your tunes for the good of us all!!!!

Something that keeps me going is the joy of music. I mentioned earlier how I had all my pals send me song choices for my Marathon Playlist... and wow... do I have a 5 1/2 hour playlist of GREAT TUNES!!!! Some are start you up tunes, some are tunes for that long stretch from Mile 14 to Mile 20... the keep you in the groove and moving forward tunes. Some are the fire you up and kick it into gear final mile tunes.

So my question to all of you... What are your favorite Running Songs on your iPod?! Please share!

Here are a couple that if you don't have them already - go shop at iTunes and get em! They are my #1's!

Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall
American Girl - Tom Petty
Lose Yourself - Eminem
What a Wonderful World - Joey Ramone
Here I Go Again on my Own - Whitesnake
Walkin on Sunshine - Aj & Aly
Run Around - Blues Traveler

Ok, so this is just a little sample of the eclectic tunes on my pod. So please, post yours! Let's get the best running music out there to help us all keep us going those miles we need to burn!

And if you want more... holler! I have 104 songs that all have some connection to running on a single playlist and I am ready to add some more.

I want to hear what keeps you going... Please Share!

Ten Dollar Carrots

I went back and repeated my 16 mile run this Saturday. The very exciting news for the day was the Cha decided to run the first 3 with me! Sort of nice to have a little company. Until she left me and sprinted up and over Don Donnelly Hill and circled back to head home, double high-fiving me as she went by. For a second I was crazy-mad that I could not pour on the gas and run with her... but I still had 14.5 more miles to go that day, so I hung back and marveled at the youngster leaving me in the dust. She is going to run the 5k in Memphis with Loving Man while I do the 1/2. So with 3 weeks to go, she is beginning her training! When I returned home 3 hours later, the Cha was just waking up from her nap. Ah to be 15 again...!

I am liking to see her gain an interest in running. What a great thing to find the love for running at a young age. If she enjoys it, she can look forward to a lifetime of healthy living. I hope so much for her sake that she will find the fun and good feelings from running... and that's exactly why I am paying her $10 for each 3 miles she runs!!! Ok, so maybe it is a form of Teenager Blackmail, but she has text messaging to pay for and Christmas shopping to do! Why not hang a $10 carrot in front of those young legs???! If I had been incentivized to run for money when I was her age, I would have been in way better shape as a teenager. I did gymnastics and weight training then, but oh how I hated running! It blows my mind how far I run now as an old lady compared to what I would do back then.

So speaking of young legs - mine are not! I iced like crazy when I got home, and I can't remind you enough of how important that is. As I finished that 16 miles, I was feeling it in my ankles, knees and hips. And the toes were really aching for some reason. All I could think about was how much relief those icepacks would bring, and boy did they! Later, I took a luke-warm bath with Epsom Salt and felt really good. But today... the gimping is still evident. I know I will feel better tomorrow, but wow, the Sundays after these long Saturday runs are tough on the old hide!

Cha is happy to report no sore muscles, no aches or pains whatsoever. Wow...

Running Demons & Pride

There are demons that invade running. Do not feel alone if you come to feel a demon or two. Anyone starting a running program (or even someone like me who has done one and is going for a second) - finds demons emerging. It might be your first double digit run - the mere thought of running that far has you scared - freaked out! You think to yourself, "...who am I trying to kid??? I can't run 10 miles!!!..." That would be a "10 Mile Demon". I had that one last year. And I had a horrible "16 Mile Demon" and then... there was the completely awful "22 Mile Demon", not to mention of course... the all consuming, "26.2 Mile Demon". This year I have a new demon - the "Don Donnelly Hill Demon"

Everyone has running demons and the key thing about running demons is they can scare you, make you doubt yourself, hold you back, even make you quit. Yes, quit! But you have not come this far with this blog because you are willing to quit. You are reading because you want to hear all of the stories and match your experiences up and not feel so alone in the quest to go further than you have ever gone before!

So what do you do when demons pop up in your training?

You quietly prepare. It's about 99% mental. And you head out and you face your demon. Maybe the demon holds you back and you simply can't get past it. This is where you DO NOT GIVE UP! Walk that last mile or two and walk right through that demon! And go back and face it in another week or two. Maybe even the next time you are up against that very same demon, you end up having to walk again, but I bet it will be less. Eventually something really great will happen. You will run right through your demon and when you have come through it, you might even throw your hands up in the air and tell the world - " I DID IT!!!!" Maybe the cars driving by will think you are possessed, maybe you might scare the old man you just passed... but hey, YOU DID IT! I say, shout it out to the world!

I finally beat my latest demon on Saturday. I have been doing my high mileage runs on the streets rather than the trails lately because the streets are actually easier to run on and I find my running to be much more efficient. There is a little issue though with my street runs... I can't get home without hitting a steep hill at the last mile. It is only .17 of a mile, but it is super steep and on a road called Don Donnelly Trail. I have been running 3.5 months now and have never been able to get to that last mile and run up and over it. I have had to break down to a walk. Heart rates have been too high to even consider running it.

Well - that all FINALLY changed on Saturday. I had a 10 to run and at mile 9 I put my head down and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other and keeping my pace up. Next thing I knew, I was cresting the Don Donnelly Hill and headed down the other side for my final trot home! It was a moment of pure triumph for me and yes, I did throw both hands up and yell YES!!!! I DID IT!!!! I was so happy! By the time I got home I was saying stupid things to Loving Man and Cha like... "hey, ask me about my run today..." Just so I could relive the joy of actually running through my demon.

And this is really why I run. Because all those doubts can be beat. Moments of finally accomplishing something that has been so hard... those moments are the real reason why I do all of this and beg you all to join me. They are small moments in your life, but they are EARNED accomplishment. No short cuts! Nothing that money can buy! A pure sense of pride and joy.

Be proud. Fight the demons! Your inner strength will grow (along side those quadriceps!) And that my friends, is a feeling you will never want to give up.


The last .17 of 3 miles of slight uphill - Don Donnelly Trail Eastbound - Homeward bound! Demonic!

MASSAGE!!!!

I have been a little gimpy since the 18 I did on Sunday. Long runs can do that to you. Joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles are all worked beyond capacity in long runs and they become sore as they try to recover.

I remember last year when I was in my long runs and my favorite e-Trainer and Power Lifter pal said to me, "you are getting regular massages, right?" NO...! I wasn't!!!! I did get one a few days after the marathon, but vowed to use them regularly during this year's training. So... have I? No...! Until yesterday!

Finally scheduled a massage and it was so awesome, I scheduled out after each of my long runs every two weeks. I got the best masseuse! Oh my gosh, she stretched my legs and hip joints out and wow. I felt so much better!

So here's to massages - they are an integral part of serious athlete's training. And because we run... we should indulge! And special thanks to GDC for reminding me how important a sports massage is!

What % of the US runs a Marathon?

Ok, I came upon some facts - the estimate of Marathon Finishers in 2007 is 407,000. The Total US Popluation is 305,586,572. So put that together - 0.1% of the American Population can run a Marathon. Not 1%, one TENTH of a Percent!

I did it. You can do it. Join the club, follow the training schedule and become part of the ONE TENTH of a Percent of Americans!

Fall has fallen!!!!

Just want to say that this morning I headed out the front door for a 5 at 6:30 am and it was 60 degrees!!!!!! FINALLY!!!! It was a great run on my mountain trail with an 11 minute mile average. Not bad, considering I could barely walk yesterday after a long 18 on Sunday.

I was singing out loud. The desert heat has finally broke. I am very excited to do my long weekend runs in cool weather FINALLY.

Happy November to you all!

Addiction? Obsession?

By now, you probably have noticed your feelings toward running have begun to change. Instead of the dread and the million reasons why you can’t run, you begin to feel the opposite. You look forward to the short run days and think to yourself… “Great – a 4 mile run! The weather is cool and I can go fast! Maybe faster than I have ever gone before…” Or maybe you are into the part of your training where you are beginning to do longer runs – 10’s or more. Mileage that sounded crazy, insane to you a few months ago! If you follow a training schedule like mine, where every other week you have an increasing long run, you might be thinking things like… “Oh wow, next week I have a 16! I have never done a 16 before! Am I ready? I am scared! The schedule says to do it, I must be able to do it! Wow, if I do it, I will have gone a distance farther than I have ever gone before in my entire life!!!”

And you do it. And you get in better shape. And a funny thing happens. You become somewhat addicted to running.

Lots of things can interfere with your scheduled run. Work, family, injuries, travel… If you have to skip a day for some reason, you might find you become very upset with yourself. When this happens, just re-group. Here’s an example; last week I traveled on Monday and was busy on Tuesday. I missed a 5 and 3. So… time to refigure. On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I ran a 5 each day. So M-F I got 15 in. The schedule said 5, 3, rest, 6, 3 on M-F. Total of 16. Saturday was a 10. I ran it, and my legs were tired, but I made it an easy run. Wasn’t my best, probably because I pushed with the three consecutive 5’s, but what the heck, I got the darn near most of the mileage in.

And there was no way anyone was going to talk me out of that Saturday run! This is the addiction part I mentioned earlier. I have a husband who is always trying to talk me out of my long runs, but there is no way! NO WAY!!! I have begun to look forward to those long runs. Quiet time all by myself, thinking about everything from my heart rate to work to family to issues that need sorting out. This is why I love to run alone. No talking, no one else’s pace to keep with. I run at whatever pace works for me that particular day and I can listen to my music or sort over thoughts. I have no idea where I found the time to actually think about things before I began to train!

If you haven’t reached the addiction point yet…trust me, it will come. And each milestone you pass, you will find a drive within you to make it to the next one. We have been at this for about 3 months now and look how far we have come! I am almost 70 % of the way to my February 26.2 goal.

There is another change that happens when you have been running for awhile. You become calmer in your center. You become stronger in your self. You know that you are doing something really good for you. You know that you are doing something that most of the population can or will not do. Self confidence increases. Self image becomes less about what you see in the mirror and more about your increasing performance. And no one, not NO ONE can take that from you! It yours, you are earning it, bit by bit, step by step, everyday and you are doing it all by yourself! And when you feel your leg muscles developing and hardening, satisfaction grows inside of you. That feeling becomes settled - less fleeting and perhaps that is the addictive part. Once you feel that strength, you never want to ever give it up.

And when that training schedule says run 3, away you go, get out of the way! And when the training schedule says 18, you say, ok... I am gonna do this...I'm nervous, but here I go... and before you know it you have done it. Something big, something you have never done before, something you would have never considered or imagined a few years ago! Addictive? Yes. A feeling that you begin to desire so strongly. And you begin to adjust everything in your life to achieve it. Better food, better sleep, better nutrition, better hydration.

Obession? Addiction? Whatever it is, it is real and a good thing. And it is a very special thing about runners.

And Triatheletes! Yesterday I had a great conversation with Melissa. I work with Melissa. Everyone loves Melissa! She is young and little and super cute and last year she decided to train for her first 1/2 Ironman Triatholon. Swim 1.6, Bike 56, Run 13.1. Ok, so she FINISHES with a 1/2 marathon!!!!! Well, she joined a club and trained for like a year and she did it. AWESOME! So we spoke yesterday and guess what? Melissa has decided to begin her training for the Arizona Ironman! Swim 2.4, Bike 112, Run -26.2 a COMPLETE MARATHON AT THE END! Unbelievable! I am so incredibly proud of her and I will be there at the finish line to CHEER HER ON!!!! It is amazing what you can do when you set that goal and put your head down and just follow the instructions. Go Melissa! And welcome to our little club...! : )

Blister Cures & Blister Makers

I started to write this blog with a little pointer that I learned the HARD way. I downloaded the following pictures taken just hours after I finished my first marathon last year. You can see from the picture that I had wrapped my toes to keep them from blistering. It might have done the trick, had I not done something else that was INCREDIBLY STUPID.

I went to the Running Store and bought a new pair of socks the day before the big run. There was some smooth talking kid in there who steered me into the store's own brand of fancy colored and high tech looking socks. I remember telling him that I only run in dual layer socks and he assuring me the pair he sold me were dual layer.

Well, I had butterflies in my stomach and could barely sleep, but knew I would do good with my new socks!




And there you see the result of changing something up the day before your marathon. So fitting, I remember about mile 18 hearing the Annie Lennox song, "Walking on Broken Glass" come on my iPod. My feet felt like they were on fire, but I had no idea they were actually bleeding into the dermal layer. Oh and by the way, I lost 7 toenails by the time I finished that marathon last year.

LESSON: Never change anything that is working for you before a big run! NEVER!

The pics above show the damage. And upon further inspection, the socks the 19 year old sold me were not dual layer socks. They were pretty, but they were not the dual layers that I had become used to and that kept my blistering to a minimum.

So the original reason I wanted to write this blog was to reach out to you if you are experiencing repeated blisters on your toes. I have a little added problem that the #4 and #5 toes on each foot have been surgically fused. I was born with them curved under and it was a mess to run on curved under toes. I had a horribly painful surgery at 30 that straightened them out - only problem is they don't bend anymore. So they are prone to blister.

So after last year's experience, I decided to experiment this year with Silicone Toe Caps. You just place them over the complaining toes and they are actually protecting my toes from blisters! So far, 273 miles and not a single toe blister! Here's what they look like:



I will never go on a run again without my toe caps. No blisters, no damaged toenails!


Here is a little picture of my foot from today- no damaged toenails, no blisters!

So that was what this blog was going to be all about. Silicone toe caps and how they can prevent blisters. But events of the week went from good to BAD to WORSE to well, ok I guess, and so the blister chapter had to be expanded.

Back to the fused toes. All is ok except for toe #4 on the left foot. It was actually fused incorrectly, pointing down instead of straight out. So every time my left foot strikes the ground, the #4 toe actually hits first and because it does not bend, it takes a lot of force. It is always somewhat swollen and tender, but I have just lived with it. This year I decided to go see a Podiatrist to see if there were any options to ease the pain in #4 Left.

I saw a guy who immediately prescribed orthotics to lift the balls of my feet and get that toe out of the way when that foot hit the ground. I was freaking out due to my previous experience with just changing the socks in my running shoes. He assured me I would be so much happier and comfortable with custom orthotics. The thought sounded so good... a 16 mile run coming up and reduced pain...?! Who wouldn't have signed up? But I was serious with him that changing something so drastic could only result in sure disaster. He reassured me and off to the orthotic lab I went.

They plastered my feet and 3 weeks later I had my custom orthotics. Eager, I put them in my shoes and walked around for one hour the first day. Awesome! No toe pain! It had been 18 years of constant pain. Day two, 2 hours of walking around... my heart was soaring. Day three, I could not help myself. I took them for a little easy 4 mile run - 44 minutes.

Mile One - I was singing out loud! My heart was full of joy and I was running with NO PAIN! I was as happy as I have been in a long time! I could hardly wait for Saturday and my 16 mile run! Why did I wait so long to consider orthotics????!!!

Mile 1.5 - The left foot was still feeling great, but something funny was starting on the right foot (the one that didn't hurt). A little hot spot on my arch and I figured I had a wrinkle in my sock or something. I pulled on my sock and figured I straightened it all out.

Mile 2 - At my turn around spot, I stopped and took my shoe off for an inspection. There it was, a big blister had already formed on my arch, right at a corner of the damn orthotic!

Mile 3 - Hobbling and increasing pain.

Mile 4 - Intermittent walking and crying right out loud.

I was hysterical by the time I got home. I was SO DAMN MAD at myself for thinking something like this would not happen. Here I was on an easy 4 mile run. Now I have a hole in the bottom of my foot. There is NO WAY IN HELL I was going to make my 16 mile run on Saturday. I figured it would take 2 weeks for the blister to heal and then I would be completely out of shape and back to my 10 or 12 mile distance. All in all I just knew this little orthotic experience put me back at least a full month in my training!

So back to the above Lesson: Changes can cause you great pain and havoc. Be careful when you make changes. Even in the care and direction of a foot doctor - intuitively I knew the orthotics would hurt me. But, I ran in them anyway.

Friday I did not run. Saturday, I could not stand it, I got up and wrapped the hell out of my foot with bandages and put on the running shoes. I set out for my 16 mile run and made it to 15. Just so happened the Loving Husband drove by at 15.01 and I saw him and threw in the towel. Jumped in the truck with a throbbing foot and headed home for ice.

So, I am not set back as much as I figured on Thursday, but I am still upset about the orthotic experience. The foot doc and I are going to have a big talk about this sometime soon, but for now...until I heal, I will be running in bandages.

12 weeks, 10 pounds????

I have been training now, faithfully for 12 weeks. Early on I was really watching my calorie intake and by week 6, I had lost 8 pounds. Then nothing. By week 12, I had lost 10 pounds. So if I had been a little more careful on the calorie intake, I would have been rejoicing in a minimum of 12 pound loss and perhaps as high as 24 pound loss if you go by the rule of no more than 2 pounds per week.

So there is only one culprit. Eating too many calories. When you run high miles, you get hungry! And you have to watch it, or you get in the kind of slump I am in.

So I have a challenge for all of you. This post is going to be full of your comments because each of you is tasked with putting together a yummy, filling, good for you, 300 calorie meal. This will work for Breakfast and lunch. You may also put together a 600 calorie meal for dinner. The goal is to keep your days at an average 1200 calorie intake. I have been slacking and so my weight loss is very slow. If we are purposeful in our eating habits - weight loss is a no-brainer.

OK, I am going first:

Breakfast: Dry Cereal - OPTIMUM REBOUND by Nature's Path, 3/4 Cup (190 calories) - add - 3/4 Cup Nonfat Plain Yogurt (90 calories), stir it all together and it is quick, filling and good for you: TOTAL CALORIES: 280

Lunch: Fat Free Cottage Cheese, 1 cup (160 calories), add 1/2 cucumber sliced (12 calories), add 1/2 cup Sugar Snap Peas (30 calories), add one diced Tomato (26 calories), add 1 sliced Green Onion (8 calories), add 2 tablespoons GIRARDS Light Champagne Dressing (60 calories) and stir all this together. (Fat free cottage cheese tastes just like the real stuff to me by the way). This is one of my all time favorite meals, I can eat it any time of the day. TOTAL CALORIES: 296

Lunch: Lean Cusine Steak, Cheddar and Mushroom Panini - This is really really really good. I love these things! They are filling and you get to chomp down on bread. Best news: TOTAL CALORIES: 320

Dinner: Beef Tenderloin Filet, 4 0z (that's a decent size!), broiled or bbq'd (260 calories), this is for lean meat, obviously a fatty piece will have higher calories and fat content. I chose the Tenderloin as it is my favorite cut of meat, but also it has the least calorie count in the Ribeye, NY Strip, T-Bone, Porterhouse category. 1 Red Potato, boiled with skin and 1 pat butter (99+36=135 calories), 8 spears of Asparagus with lemon juice squeezed on top (26+5=31 calories), Mixed salad with tomatos and 1/4 diced avocado plus 2 tsps Girards Light dressing (5+26+75+60=166 calories). Okay let's add that up: TOTAL CALORIES: 592

Wine: 4oz-90 calories! YIKES!!! (I am guessing my glass holds more than 4 oz...!)

So you see... this is very do-able!!! We just need to be very conscious of the effort of putting together a meal and not going for the second helpings. So with that being said... I am putting you all to the task of creating a good tasting meal that falls in the right calorie range and posting it as a comment! The more original you get, the better we all eat! Go for it and don't be shy. I have at least 10 more pounds to lose!!!!!! : )

Running update: Saturday Morning, 72 degrees (nice 20 degree drop here in the desert!), ran a great 8, with an 11 minute mile pace. Getting stronger and faster!

It was said that Sweet Nicki might do double digits this weekend...! Nicki!!! Tell us, did you go for it?! We need an update from you!

Big Wind, Big Scare, Short Delay, Big Run

Friday in Paradise turned into Friday Fright Night.

The story is long so I will try to minimize details, but a delightful day of fishing on the Sea of Cortez ended with not being able to pull the boat out of the water because Arturo's Boat Launcher was broken. Loving Man does not like to leave his much adored fishing boat in the water at night because you never know... But due to Arturo's problema, he had to anchor his boat at sea and swim ashore. Being the smart Loving Man that he is, he threw an extra anchor overboard and tied to it with a second rope. Just to be double sure his boat would not break free.

Me... I am just excited because I am looking forward to a good night's sleep and a great 14 mile run early the next day...

Fast forward to 2:00 am. Big wind storm. BIG WIND. BIG Darkness. Big-Time-Frantic Loving Man. Many trips to the ocean edge with the spotlight to see if boat is still secure and watch BIG WAVES tossing about BIG Boat as if it were a small toy. BIG FEAR of loss of Expensive and much Adored Boat. Big Lumps in stomach. Lot's of pacing until the sun broke and Loving Man and a pal put on life vests and dove in for a swim in BIG WAVES to get to BIG BOAT that is being tossed about BIG TIME. Finally aboard, they were able to get the boat to different facing beach where the Westerly Winds were not making the water so rough. They dropped anchor(s), swam to shore and got Arturo out of bed to weld the dang driveshaft on the Launcher and get the boat back on the trailer and on shore safely. All I can say about all of that, was I feared for Loving Man's life when he jumped in to swim out to that boat. And because he is a smart loving man, those 2 anchor lines saved his boat from heading out to sea... or into the rocks. One of those anchors ended up becoming unsecured during the night. CRAZY!

And there was no way I could slip away from all this excitement and do my Big Run!!!!! : (

So - like all well made plans - I had to re-organize. Big Run was delayed until Sunday. Which turned out to be ideal, because all of the BIG WIND on Friday and Saturday, dropped the temperature and humidity! So I departed this morning at 6 am under cloudy skies with 76 degrees and 35% humidity! At Sea Level!

Had the best run of all of my training days to date! Ran a good pace (for me) - 12 minute mile average, heart rate averaged 144, and not a single car passed me until mile 13.5. My dirt road heads out from the edge of the ocean through pretty desert coastal mountains. While it is an up and down type of run, it probably climbs a net 600+ feet in elevation out to mile 7. So it's uphill for the most part out and downhill for the most part home. I felt great.

And guess what? I just ran a little farther than a half-marathon! Two short months ago I could barely walk/run 2 miles. Today I ran 14 and my legs are getting strong. I could feel the quads and hamstrings pull me up and down those hills. It's great to feel your body working. It's great to realize that following a training schedule actually does what it promises - delivers you to higher levels of fitness. Muscles, ligaments, tendons, heart, lungs - everything is working better than it was in August.

All of that and Loving Man lives to fish aboard his beloved boat another day! What a great Sunday!


Here is the view at the 7 mile turn around~


Here is a bit of the magnificent Sonoran Desert along side my running road~


Click on the pic and make out the light house way down right by the water - that's the finish!


40 miles of dirt road - just think how much running can be done down here!

Fresh Fish Chowder & Marinated Bee Salad

For me, nothing is better than a Friday evening... slowing down the pace of the work week. Cooking something good for dinner and enjoying a glass of big red wine. If you can do that with an ocean breeze and a view of the sea... well, that's about as good as it gets.

For those of you that know me well, that means that Loving Man & I (and the wee perros), have escaped the Phoenix environment and woke up next to the Sea of Cortez at our little Rock House bungalow. The 7 hour drive is daunting to some, but the decompression when I cross the border and the delight of the last 40 miles (all dirt road in the middle of the best display of the Sonoran desert) bring me to a simple life with peace and wonder. The Sea of Cortez never fails to make me feel like a child - delivering dolphins and sea creatures and magnificent sunrises and sunsets. The quiet of a village with no electricity is something rare and something very good for the soul.

That forty mile dirt road is my destination tomorrow. I depart at 5:30 am for a 14. Nothing like running at sea level - my heart rates are a full 10 beats per minute slower - that and a view of the sea is about as good as it gets for a runner - considering no traffic, no tourists, just a desert meets the sea view in every direction.

So let's talk about making dinner. When you start to run long distances, you start to become aware that meals are fuel and there are good fuels and bad fuels and when you train, you need far more of the good than the bad.

Runners need protein. Absolutely essential for recovery of the muscle damage that is the result of every run. My buddy and e-Trainer, (GDC), has told me that after a work out you should ingest protein within 20 minutes. And everyone has heard of Carb-loading. What a mixed bag Carb-loading is! Yes we need carbs for long runs and there are ways to pack them in before a run, but don't be dumb. There are good carbs and bad carbs. Good carbs will keep you feeling good and trim. Lean proteins will keep you feeling good and trim. So skip the fat and the simple sugars whenever you can and concentrate on fuel=performance. Eat only what you need and eat fresh, lean meals. I also like the idea that one glass of red wine is good for your heart - because I love big smelly red wines! : ) But one thing I have learned... more than one glass and I feel like junk and my runs are miserable. So I stick with one. Ok, it is a big one, but just one!!!!

Tonight I have made a stock of broth and celery and onion and garlic and potato. Soon I will add some sherry and milk. And when Loving Man comes ashore, I will finish it off with cubes of fresh fish, cilantro and we will enjoy a yummy fresh fish and vegetable chowder.

And that leads me to my new friend Joanie. You can't help but immediately love Joanie! She is from BAWSTON and has a great big personality that draws everyone in the room to her. She is one of you quiet readers of the the 50isthenew30Runners that read but don't comment! Trust me, she has many in-person comments for me regarding my postings... maybe one day she will overcome her fear of blog-commenting and add her personal experiences on the SPANDEX post! Just to make you all step up to the plate - please comment and tell her she MUST NOW SHARE!!!! I promise, you will be laughing as hard as I was when she told me her stories!

Anyway - Joanie is walking and she is walking crazy miles. Like 5 and 6 mile walks out there in the Arizona Sun. She is liking her change of venue... Boston is so far from Phoenix in so many ways. But Joanie now works for some of the finest docs on this planet - in the awesome area of Endovascular Neuro Research. She coordinates all of their Research Studies - talk about working on the next frontier! And Joanie has bought into our club and has been doing some of the things all of us are doing to reach a healthier place and achieve distances never thought possible.

So Joanie is emailing me as we are driving to Mexico. The iPhone does not let me down and I am connected even south of the border! Joanie is angry with me for suggesting a great quickie restaurant close by her new employment. Seems she ordered an otherwise delightful salad and as she is eating her healthy lunch she finds a bee marinating in her dressing on the tip of her fork! Or as Joanie would say, on the tip of her fawk. ( I know I am going straight to hell for telling this story, but I could not resist!!!) So she tells me how she immediately informed the servers of this insect incident, (I am sure the Boston personality shown thru in great color), and if you can imagine... they did not throw out the entire serving pan of that salad! She was very upset that her decision to eat healthy had cumulated with a Bee embalmed by vinegarette on her fork (fawk). Clearly this would have never happened if she wasn't eating such garden items!

I tried to calm her with my suppositions that bees have medicinal qualities (royal bee jelly?) I am sure I have read that somewhere! Well, bees collect pollen and bees make honey and my guess is those things are good for you... So eating a salad with a marinated bee can't be all that bad... right?!!! She wasn't buying it. I was glad I was heading south on this day...!

Well - the Loving man has returned. It is time to add the fish to the chowder. I must sign off because the little solar powered kitchen is smelling so good... I can't wait to eat. It's time for fish chowder and fresh tortillas... and a good night's sleep for tomorrow's big run. I'll let you know how it goes.

Being smart & saving $!!!

There are benefits to following this blog! Not only are you learning some cool facts and doing something good for yourself... you now have the opportunity to SAVE MONEY!!!

It is smart I guess to run with some ID when you are out there on the streets of this crazy world. If you are like me and you put your Driver's License in your pocket, chances are it is in the washing machine when you are searching through your wallet at the airport to get your boarding pass. I know of at least one of my running friends that has also done that, so my guess is this is one of those little hassle factors of running.

Hassle solved! Go to www.RoadID.com and you will find all kinds of cool ID's that you can customize to put contact phone numbers, words of inspiration, cute etchings - and they come in all kind of formats. Necklace (that's what I got), bracelets, anklets, etc. I have my loving husband and my little brother and their cell phone numbers listed on mine. Plus a cool daisy. Here is the best news: It is a nice father/son company with a great story and they are really friendly and funny when you place an order. They also told gave me a COUPON ID so that I could pass it out to my friends for a little discount! How about that?! A whole buck off!

So here it is: ThanksCj409143 Get yourself a comfortable ID with lots more info than your Driver's License and leave that in your wallet where it belongs!

And tell Ed that CJ sent ya!

Two Month Progress & Homecoming Update

Ok, I have just over 2 months of faithful training clocked now. I started with some short runs in late July and followed my schedule starting August 4th. Remember me telling you guys how I was a data-geek and how I like to chart my progress, etc? Well here is the first update just to show you how quickly all these things add up:

As of today, I have now run 53 hours, burned 33,260 calories and clocked 202 miles.

That's a bunch of extra energy expended versus laying around the pool and reading the paper!!! Don't get me wrong, I still find time for those things, but just by carving out a little time early in the morning and on Saturdays... look how quickly it all adds up!

Oh... and that 12 I redid on Saturday? Here is the funny thing. Got a little bit of a later start, ran on my desert trail instead of the streets and it took me 40 minutes longer!!! Needless to say... there were plenty of times where the heart rate dictated I had to walk. The trail has a 400 foot elevation change from it's lowest to highest points - but the ups and downs vary all over the place during the run. So it is a little tougher run than the street. But the point I am trying to make is it is so much more delightful for me to run on the trails that I didn't get nearly as cranky as the street run, even though my time was significantly slower. I was just happy to be somewhere beautiful. So I snapped a few pictures to show you just how pretty the desert can be... even at the end of summer.



Here's a little trivia for those not in the know: The Giant Saguaro Cactus (the big guys with the arms) grow an average of 2 inches a year. They sprout their first arm at approximately 70 years. They can be several hundred years old when they get the size of those guys lining my running trail. They are also protected by the State of Arizona - you must get a permit to move one and when replanted, it must be oriented to face exactly the same direction as it grew or it will die. Isn't that crazy???

The 2nd picture shows just a glimpse of the face of the Superstition Mountains which jut straight up out of the desert to almost 6,000 feet in elevation. Magnificent views of this range line a 7 mile trail that starts right out my front door. There are many more trails that wind up the canyons that I have yet to try. I am so lucky to have all this so close to home! Makes a hot, 12 mile misery run actually enjoyable. Oh - and I can't forget to add all the critters that accompany me! The birds, lizards, squirrels, chipmunks, coyotes, occasional snake, deer & wandering cattle... I am sure there are more, but so far, they have kept in hiding! Probably terrified when they hear my plodding footsteps approach!

Well, I can't quit without an update on Mackenzie's (the Cha's) first Homecoming Dance. She looked beautiful and her dad was blown away at how fast his little girl has grown up. She had fun and was home on time. Dad is beaming in the picture below.

Then look closely at these two significant loving creatures in my life and ask yourself: "How can 2 such loving people like that, make so much fun of how slow CJ runs???"

Breathing right and Great Britches

Wow. Friday night after a long week of a lot of work! Last time I checked, I worked part time. Last time I got a paycheck, it was part time pay. Trouble is... I work every day!!! Not sure how that happened, but regardless... I missed two 3 mile runs this week because of WORK!!!! Aaarrrrrrgggghhhhhh!!!!!

But I got my 5's in and tomorrow I am set to repeat my 12. I am ready for it.

I wanted to talk a little bit about something I notice that happens to me when I begin to get tired or my heart rate is rising. I am smart enough to slow to a walk, but I catch myself doing something that is really stupid. I take short, shallow breaths. Not sure why I do this... maybe I get a little nervous...? Concerned about high heart rate...?

The problem with short, shallow breaths is they don't get a lot of oxygen to your lungs and in turn - into your bloodstream. So your muscles are screaming for more oxygenated blood and your heart starts beating faster to get that oxygenated blood out there. Not the time to start scrimping on breathing. If you do, your heart rate will continue to rise. So watch yourself - when your heart rate starts getting high, consciously think about your breath. Take deep breaths that fill your lungs. Watch your abdomen distend as you pull in big, deep breaths. And then watch your heart rate begin to go down quickly.

Note to everyone: Take slow, deep breaths (kind of like mediation breathing) right before and during a blood pressure test. My readings are significantly lower when I do that versus when I let my nerves take over and I fret about what the reading might be.

Everything works better with deep breathing. Remember to practice it when your find your heart rate rising!

Let's switch gears. I just received two new items of clothing to keep me entertained with running!

First I will tell you about the functional piece I ordered - The Stabilyx 3/4 Tight. What an incredibly engineered piece of clothing!!!! CW-X makes several versions of shorts and tights that have built in support straps to give structure in the right places. Wearing them is almost like running in ace bandage wraps. They are expertly designed to support your major muscles and your knee joint. So I finally broke down an ordered a pair ($90!!!), after studying a very complex sizing chart. When they arrived I pulled them out and held them up and the first words out of my loving husband's mouth was, "don't cut the tags off, you're sending those back". Seriously, they looked as if they would fit an 8 year old. They are about 8 inches across and maybe 24 inches long... before you put them on. I was really unhappy because I thought they sounded so cool and I really wanted to try them out! So I reviewed the sizing guide again and dang it all, I had the right size! So... I tried to get them on.

Pulling them on was like putting on a pair of REALLY THICK pantyhose. It was a bit of a struggle. But.. they were accommodating my tree trunk legs and once I got them all the way up... they felt pretty dang good! They are extremely supportive and I know they are going to help me keep my knees healthy. They are high compression which I like! Makes all the jiggle disappear. I am going to love running in these tights this winter.

Check out their Website to read more about them: www.cw-x.com

Next! I read an article on all the great attributes of running skirts. Okay... I fell for the girly image of running in a skirt! After reading all the reviews, I ordered one. Had to find a skirt that had shorts underneath and not bikinis because of the thigh chub I wrote so much about a while back. Found one that looked good, so I ordered it. Skirt Sports GymGirl - even has great hidden pockets and a port for your iPod cord! I was nervous. Wished I could have tried one on before buying, but went for it anyways. Well... it is VERY comfy! GREAT waistband that is wide and sits below the belly button. I have put several miles on this skirt since it arrived as it is cool and flattering and covers the right things and sways with your stride just perfect. The ad said running in this skirt makes you feel happy to be a girl and ya know... they were right. I love my GymGirl Skirt and I just might go buy some more. It is so comfy I could see running errands, going grocery shopping, even just hanging out in my GymGirl skirt!

Check them out at: www.skirtsports.com

I am exhausted now and gotta get to bed. I want to get up real early for my 12'er tomorrow. I'll let you know if I have a better 12 tomorrow than last week's drag of a 12. I don't think it could get any worse! : )

Good days and Bad days

Not every run is a feel good run. Some start out crummy and get better and some start out great and end up feeling like a trudge through hell.

As was my Saturday run.

I was scheduled to up my mileage to 12. I was ready, having done two 10-milers in the past two weeks. I decided to take a path more traveled and hit the streets rather than my mountain trail. After plotting a nice loop route with the help of Google Earth and loading my Camelback with ice, Gatorade, GU’s and my cell phone, I was off.

Out the front door at 6:30 a.m. and the first 9 miles were great. I took a GU at 5 miles and another at 9 when I was starting to get really worn down. By this time the sun was out in full force and my head got hot. I was thinking a cap might have been smart, but too late for that now. I still had 3 miles to go and things were not going my way…

My heart rate began go up too high, so I would walk to bring it back down. Down it would come and off I would trot and in no time it was too high again. This was making me mad. Pretty soon I was walking way more than I was running and next thing ya know – I am out of Gatorade.

This was a drag because I had 2+ more miles to go! And mostly uphill. Note to self: if I do this run again, go the opposite way so it's down hill on the way home!

Had to walk most of the final 3 and my 12 ended up taking me 3 full hours. That is an average 15 minute mile... way slower than I hoped for. Oh by the way - when I got home and saw the temp over 100 - (topped out at 104 on Saturday), I better understood my misery. It just got too dang hot for a big run. October can't come soon enough to this desert!!!!

But here is some important stuff - One of our team members - Sweet Nicki in Phoenix was telling me about her run last weekend. She got dizzy, sick and had to sit on the curb and have her husband drive her home. She was so beat down over it. So, being inquisitive, I asked what time she ran at - 1:00 pm!!!! I asked her if she was using GU's - No!!! So if I got overheated at 9 in the morning in this blazing desert, just think what she was going through without even electrolyte and glucose supplements! This is serious stuff for us desert runners - summer isn't over yet and we all need to be really careful running in the heat. We need to be smarter than we've been. A ball cap for me - maybe stashing some water bottles along the way. And for God's sake Nicki!!! Run earlier and utilize the GU's!!!!

But as an epilog - I made it home and ice packed my knees, ankles and hips and read the Saturday paper. I was a little sore, but homecoming is next weekend and loving Step-Cha (I just can't get child out anymore! She is almost 15!!!), needed a dress so off we went to the mall. We walked to every store and she tried on no less than 250 dresses. I think forcing myself to walk all afternoon (and the ice), worked through the aches because I felt great on Sunday. This morning I did a 5 with no problem.

But - I will be repeating my 12 next weekend and changing some things up to have a better result before I move on with the schedule. This past weekend was just one of those runs that feels bad. We will all have those days - don't let them get you down or make you stray from your goal. Your next run will be better. Trust me!

And the Cha will look lovely in her cute silver party dress - ! ; )

Memphis Commitment!

Wow!  It is amazing how quickly things start to happen!  

There is a run coming up - December 6th - in Memphis, Tennessee.  This is important because two of our club members live in Memphis; Pam & Jen!  We had a quick, little email session yesterday and the result:  Pam & Jen have signed up for the 5k.  I told them if they ran I would fly out and run too!  So I committed to the 21k.  Then it got a little interesting... it was said if they ran, their husbands would sign up and run the 5k!  So, long story short, now my husband is also going to run the Memphis 5k.  This is especially interesting because Ted (mine) and Tony (Pam's) are both post arthroscopic knee surgery patients.  Ted will be 12 months out and Tony will only be 3 months out.  They may do it at a walk, but that's ok!  The fact that they are willing to try, after injuries and surgeries is awesome.

Then, (because it is my nature), I began an inquiry into another family I know and love that live in Memphis.  If there is a way we could get Jamie and Sharlyce and maybe a couple of their teenagers to run too, well..!  That's quite a representation of the 50 is the new 30 Running Club!

For anyone else interested in a December run in the land of Elvis and the Blues (not to mention awesome barbeque!), here is the offical web site!  Come join us!  It's a great cause.  (think of the opportunity for a really good post-run dinner!!!! : )

http://www.stjudemarathon.org/index.htm

So this is how it begins... You make a formal commitment.  Sign up for a run that is several months out.  Then follow the schedule to get you ready for it.  Before you know it, the race day is upon you.  You feel so much better, so much healthier than the day you signed up (with doubt in the back of your mind).  For us that have committed to the Memphis run, December 6th is going to come whether we run or not.  But we will run and I am excited for Pam and Jen to feel that awesome sense of accomplishing something they cannot do today.  The sense of self that comes with this kind of goal.  I am delighted I will be there to share it with them.