Come Out and Play

RANDOM

The last time I ran was supposed to be a 10 miler with the track club on my day off.  I was looking forward to it  and we had perfect running weather, meaning overcast skies and temps in the low to mid 60s.  I woke up that morning not feeling right, but a lot of times I'll get past that "not right" feeling and run OK.  I only made it a little more than 2 miles before I had to turn around and walk most of the way back.  I ended up in bed from the time I returned home until the following Tuesday when I decided I needed to go into work and produce a paycheck.  Wednesday I had a session at RU and that was difficult at best.  Thursday it's a visit to the doctor's office.  I came home with antibiotics, Rx nose spray, a netti pot, and a big bottle of Tylenol.

I hope with all this rest that my IT band will ease up. It's better than it was a month ago, but still reminds me it's there.

I was asked to review the book Train Like a Mother  - How to Get Across Any Finish Line and Not Lose Your Family, Job, or Sanity by Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea, authors of Run Like a Mother.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!  I honestly didn't want to put a lot of preconceptions into this book before reading it because I've often been disappointed with running books written for women.  This book is written with real life in mind, a healthy sense of humor, and serious support and concern when needed.  It's as if you're getting training advice from your very knowledgeable running friends who know what it's like to fit in a training schedule and juggling kids, school, family, work, etc.  I like that they go over things that everyone talks about, but nobody ever addresses in other training manuals, such as going commando, race goals, running music, women's nutrition, etc.  The training schedules are very straight forward and not too technical -- they explain everything as if they're talking to you without being condescending.  I liked that there were little reminders to not skip a particular workout and get a babysitter. Both authors give their spin on explaining things, which I liked, because no two experiences are the same.  This book is a good read for the new runner with constructive tips on how to get started, as well as the seasoned runner with chapters affirming that what you're doing (or thinking) is actually right on par, or that you might need to change a few things. This book can be read in a weekend and is a good "go to" or reference book.  If I gave stars to books, I'd give this a 5 out of 5 stars.

I'm also reviewing another pair of running shoes.  This time it's On Cloud - Cloudrunner.

Yes, purple and fuchsia, but I actually like the colors, which aren't too foo-foo.  Photo from the On Cloud Facebook page.

I've never heard of this brand until I received them.  They're engineered in Switzerland and relatively new on the running shoe scene.  I've received them a week ago, and haven't run in them since I got sick, but they're very comfortable.  My only concern is that they might be too cushy, which might aggravate my plantar faciitis.  I have some miles to make up next week, and I'll be able to judge on how well they ride then.

This weekend is the La Jolla Half Marathon and 5k, which I am happily not running in, but my brother and sister-in-law will be here to participate in the 5k.  My sister, the one who concocted the whole running weekend has backed out, which sort of throws things off. My sister has participated in only two, maybe three 5ks in the past 5 years or so.  She likes La Jolla because she doesn't really race it.  She's more of a walk/runner.  That's all fine and good because she can enjoy the scenery.  I personally don't like this race.  I like the course on my own terms because it is a pretty course that goes along parts of La Jolla Shores and ends near La Jolla Cove.  If I'm in a 5k race, well, I'm in to RACE and try to edge out that lady in the red tech shirt just ahead of me. I'm far from being 5k race ready at this point,  my IT band aches just thinking about it,  and running La Jolla, with the steep hills and bumpy running surface for the last mile, does not bode well in my mind.  Hubs and I are planning to be at the finish line to see if my bro can score a podium finish.  My sister-in-law has been running for a long while, but sort of new to racing.  I'm looking forward to seeing how they fare on Sunday, then head out for brunch. 

In a little more than a month is the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon/Half Marathon.  I'm not 100% certain, but I think this will be my last race for the year.  I almost put in for the lottery for the Nike Women's event in San Francisco in October for 2012, but I reminded myself that I do need the break, and would need to continue training and be half marathon ready.  No to Nike, and probably most other races until January 2013.

This year will be the 30th anniversary of Title IX.  Even though Title IX happened in 1972, I personally did not see any changes until I was in high school in the mid to late 70s. It also took my parents longer than that to be on board, even though my high school finally had girls track team started in my Junior year. There was no support (or transportation) to stay with the team.

Because of Title IX, my niece was able to participate on the high school wrestling team and sparred against boys and girls in her weight class. 



Song from Saturday, April 14, 2012:
Part of Me - Katy Perry

PEACE

Unskinny Bop

Aside from having to re-learn a computer program that's still in DOS (really) and office flow, work is going well.  The first day I worked with the doctor  he commented, "The last time you worked here was when Seinfeld episodes weren't reruns!"  He also made a comment about my hair, that it's no longer curly.  12 years ago (just about) everyone had big hair.  I had long, super curly, big hair that became frizzy when I even thought about humidity.

Hubs and I,  1990-something...

 Holy Hair, Batman!  I'm also about 30 pounds heavier in this picture and rockin' the mom jeans.

It's not the best picture,  but you get the idea.  I had TONS of really big hair. Now I wear my hair somewhat straight with the help of technologically better styling products and a really great flat iron.*

The running continues. I've made an effort to show up at the Tuesday night track club workouts where we're doing 800 meter intervals, which is a two lap run around the track, then a recovery jog/walk. Lather, rinse, repeat. Last week was 800 x 6. This week I think it was 800 X 7. I lost count.  We always end the workout with some sort of abdominal exercises.  Good times.  I'm still putting in my Saturday long runs with the track club, and a shorter run in my 'hood just because it contains hill. I will be needing to keep hills in the equation since my next three half marathons are loaded with hills.

I was fortunate enough to be a part of the Runner's World wear test program again. I thought I had missed out this time due to scheduling conflicts. Luckily, for me, there were a few pairs of shoes left and coach Paul brought the extra shoes to a Saturday run. I just had to be extra EARLY. It was early.  I got up around 4:30 AM just so I could make it to the park at 5:45 AM. I scored a pair of Karhu's Flow Fulcrum Ride. I tried to look up my particular model on Karhu's website, but the shoes are scheduled to come out this summer. I must have an unintentional bright pink vibe about me, or something. My last pair of test shoes had screaming pink soles. These Karhu's scream PINK. Hubs calls them my "Rainbow Brite shoes." My first impression of these shoes was "Ow, my eyes!"

Once I got over the color, I began to pay attention how I felt while running. They're not as cushy as what I'm used to, and these are somewhat similar to a racing flat, but not quite as minimal. There's still a fair amount of cushion in the heel, decent arch support, and a little forefoot cushion, but (again) not as much cushion as what I'm used to. These shoes are perfect for track workouts. I might give them a road test and see how they do on the streets in my 'hood, perhaps an easy 3 mile jaunt. I don't think they'll get me through a 10 miler on asphalt, though. They fit smaller than the size indicates.  I took an entire size up from my regular shoe size so that they would fit properly.

Between getting our taxes done, starting a new job, the Easter holiday, the bathroom in rip-out/remodel mode, and real life, my house is beginning to take on the vibe of one of those houses you see on the show "Hoarders."  O.K, maybe not THAT bad, but I don't recognize my house right now. I need to spend a week reorganizing and cleaning without stopping.  I know what I NEED to do, but I just haven't done it.  I had to do this blog post first.  Priorities.

The last time I ran in the Nike Women's Half Marathon was 2007.  I've been trying to get back in every year since then.  I would always get the rejection e-mail or no e-mail at all and I'd have to search the site to see that I was actually rejected.

FINALLY

 Even though it says "marathon," I'm signed up for the half.  :)

I GOT IN! 

In addition, AKA Alice and the Heffers got in, too!  This time it's a girls trip! 

It looks like hills will continue to be on the training agenda...  There will be hills and plenty of sunscreen because it will be a summer training season.

Yay.

Song from Monday, April 18, 2011:
Rolling in the Deep - Adele

PEACE

*Thank goodness for advances in hair care!  Walking around with a head that looks like a Brill-o pad gets old.

Awake

I keep coming up with plenty of blog fodder, but I no longer have the luxury of the extra time I once had.  There are few gaps of free time, and what ever free time I do have is spent sleeping at night.  I  kind of like sleeping at some point during my week.

While I wasn't sleeping, I actually got off of work on time to attend another Runner's World shoe test distribution.  I showed up late and was at the back of the line, just sort  of keeping my fingers crossed that a shoe in my size would be left just for me.  By the time I made my way to the front, there were no size 7s at all, just 8s and 9s.  Just as I was getting ready to leave, someone brings back a pair of 7s that were too small for her.  It turns out that shoe happened to be a neutral cushioned shoe.  Score!  I came away with a pair of Reebok (Premier) Zigblades.

These funky looking shoes are comfortable and are quite the conversation starters,  however, the soft insole makes my foot slide around a bit, contributing to blisters.  This shoe did not have the extra eyelet at the top, which would have helped to make the shoe more stable.  I've run about 40 miles in these shoes, and it was on my 7 mile run where blisters became an issue.  This is an almost perfect shoe.  If they could keep the comfort  and address the slipery-ness , then they'd have something pretty special.  I'm also not big on the white vinyl as a design element, as well as the hot pink.  If I were to buy a pair of these shoes, I would go for a black pair, or something less obvious. These shoes scream "look at me!!!"

A short while back, Nitmos posted a picture of his computer space, you know, the place where all the magic happens, and invited others to do the same.  I did no prepping or cleaning.  I just kept it the way it looks right now, which is not as clean as I'd like, but cleaner than I've seen it in a while.

Not very magical bills to be paid, sitting before me...

That's Shep.  He's a Happy Meal toy that I've adopted, and he lives on the top of my computer screen.  If he were a Hotwheels toy, he'd be under the cushions of the sofa, along with several marbles, a half eaten peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and my husband's cell phone.

Found this fortune in a cookie right before a big race, probably one of the races I did during the year after major surgery.  I stuck it to the monitor frame and it has been there ever since. I know, it's cheesy, but it gave my psyche a boost.

Then there's this one. There's so many way to interpret this fortune. I've used this on my Facebook profile page.

The computer area is in somewhat of a wide hall area between the kitchen and the designated garage area, which is now a bedroom. It's not the best place for a computer area, but it's the only place that seems logical right now, until money falls from the sky and we can afford a second story master bedroom suite addition, and a designated office space with room for a decent desk and my artwork.

Cookies.  I was craving cookies in a big way, but there were no cookies in the house.  I was considering baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies, but I have piles upon piles of laundry to get through first  Suddenly, the doorbell rings.  It's four Brownie Girl Scouts, a mom,  and a little red wagon full of boxes of cookies.  You JUST cant say no to four adorable 3rd graders, their mom and a wagon full of boxes of cookies. I bought 5 boxes.

Craving crisis averted.  The Dulce de Leche cookies took care of the craving.  The Thin Mints are in the freezer for later.The Samoas , Lemon Creams, and Trefoils might last through the week, provided I hide them. I have a distinct feeling that these cookies won't make it past Wednesday, February 2.

Wednesday's Song:
Free - Seal

PEACE

Ramble On

Anything but a Wordless Wednesday...

RAMBLING RANDOMNESS

FYI, in my last post the dog is trying to eat the bubbles and having fun.  When she was much younger she would love to chase the bubbles with a "woohoo!!!" attitude.

It figures that now we're  into November the weather is more summer-like.  I'm  not complaining one bit, but after the overcast and sometimes cold summer, I am enjoying the warmer weather.

 Clear skies.  

I know, not exciting.  This is the view from the parking structure of my doctor's office.

Running has been less productive as I would like.  I just can't get beyond the shin splints, still.  The right leg is OK, it's the left leg shin that will scream at me when I run anything beyond 5 miles.  It's not as sore as it was just a few weeks ago.  I know if I just stopped running for 3 weeks I could probably get rid of the shin splints once and for all, but  with a half marathon in about 4 weeks I can probably take one week off.  My mileage base isn't what it used to be, either.  The most I've run (at one time since about August) is 7 miles at one time.  Not good.  I'm all set for a slow 10K, not a half marathon.  My weekly mileage has suffered, too.  I've been running about 10 to 15 miles a week -- Not good, either.  Yikes. I guess my strategy will be to enjoy the ride, so to speak. My pacing is off, too.  I should be running in the low 9 minute mile to mid/high 8 minute mile range for a half marathon, not 11s and 12s.  I was so looking forward to PRing at the Las Vegas Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon, but I guess it's not to be.  I also have a 5k THIS weekend that I was hoping to do well at, but I'll do well when I'm finished and enjoying the champagne brunch after the race is over.

I know every runner tends to go through some sort of slump due to injury or  unforeseen circumstances, but, come on already.  It has been over 3 years!  I haven't had a PR since 2007 or early 2008.  2008 was when I had the fractures and surgery.  2009 was all about rehabbing and rebuilding and I was happy just to get going again.  2010 started out hopeful  and I was making a ton of progress, but then it was one illness or injury after the next.  Perhaps I need another odd number year.  2011?  Please?

Remember those Nike Lunarglide + 2 test shoes?  I LIKED THOSE, a lot.  They're more comfortable and durable that I expected they would be.  I've had past  issues with Nike's not lasting more than 100 miles, which isn't good for marathon training.  I've put well over 100 miles on those Lunarglides and they have hundreds of miles in them.  From what I've heard,  they're featured in the November 2010 Runner's World Magazine*.  They didn't use my 2 cents, but I thought I'd give those a positive mention , anyway.

Currently, I'm testing the Saucony Pro Grid Jazz 14.  I've had these a couple of weeks.  They're super durable and, for a neutral shoe, are really supportive.  These feel much firmer than other neutral shoes I've used, but Saucony's are durable and can usually take a beating.  Bonus points that they're not making my shin splints worse.  I still have my Sauconys from a wear test I did well over a year ago, and those still have a lot of run left in them.

Although the pastel green color is minimal, I still have issue with pastel colors on my running shoes, however, the mostly black, white and silver overlays and details makes up for it. 

Last week I pulled a muscle in my right hamstring while at my RU Run Fit Class.  As usual, I wasn't doing anything extraordinary.  We were doing warm up exercises when the cramp suddenly came on.  Most of the discomfort is gone, but every once in a while  I feel that minor tension in my hammy.  Sheesh.

Halloween came and went.  The kiddo went as Ironman.  His mother went to a party as a version of Lady Gaga the night before. I didn't dress up this year. Call me crazy, but I stayed home with the dog and doled out candy to the 30 trick or treaters who came by.   Go me.  My daughter took the kiddo trick or treating closer to our house and Hubs took the kid trick or treating on a second shift in a different part of the neighborhood.  It's not like the kid needed any more candy, I just think Hubs really likes trick or treating, plus there's a street in our neighborhood that caters to the adults and hands out bowls of chili and Dixie cups filled with margaritas.

Tuesday I was at the rental house waiting for the new renter to show up with a rent check.  She called to say she'd be about 30 minutes late.  I decided to walk my old run route in that neighborhood. Not much has changed there, other than a few more homes are up for sale, but I put in my 2 mile loop.   It was a beautiful day in the old neighborhood.

Since I had my cell phone with me, I used the GPS running program, however I just found out that Bones In Motion is closing shop and we can transfer our past data to another application.**  That's nice, but my cell phone doesn't work with the new application.  My cell phone carrier is not supported.  I was planning to post that map here, but now I can't.  SIGH.  I need to migrate  three years worth of data over to the new application so I don't lose it, but it won't migrate everything, such as my notes on the run and mile splits. Now I'm really glad that I have my Garmin, but that means I need to remember to wear it every single time I run, and I don't always remember to wear it.

It's kind of funny that, as adults, we still receive stickers.  Here's two I've just received:

I always expect the "I Voted" sticker.

I did not expect the nurse to slap a sticker on me for getting a flu shot.

I'm still going though testing to figure out the intermittent fatigue I've been dealing with all summer.  Today I gave more blood for allergy testing, although I have no idea which allergies I'm being tested for. I really should have been given a referral to an allergy specialist, but we'll see if anything shows up.

Finally, I was rummaging through several item that were in storage.  I came across a series of watercolors and inks that I created when I was a sophomore in high school...  19*cough*74*cough*...

This was before the advent of disposable, pre-filled tech pens and Prismacolor felt tipped pens that comes in ten-thousand colors.  I used cake water colors, sabline brushes, and a traditional fine point calligraphy pen and dipped that into a vial of India ink over and over again.  That really was so old school.  My style has changed so much since that time due to time.  That particular piece took weeks to do in a twice a week, two hour art class.  I don't think I would have the patience to do anything like that at this time in my life.  I take that back.  With the disposable, pre-filled tech pens and Prismacolor felt tipped pens the process would probably be faster, but it still would take more than one day.  I'd rather be out running.

Last Wednesday's Song:
Something Good This Way Comes - Jakob Dylan

PEACE

*I still have not received that issue. 
** I don't care for it.  BiM offered more data. 

Show Me What I'm Looking For

I didn't realize that the last run with the track club session (that we've paid for) was last Sunday.  We slept in and woke up way too late even think about running. I'll have to drag my husband out for a run somewhere tomorrow morning just so we can keep moving.  We're not going to join the second half of the track club's "Half Mad or Whatever" training program, although we might  see about running with a few friends on the weekends near by just to keep things going.  We also have some half marathons in the Fall and Winter, but I'll be training with RU again.

Last week I attended another Runner's World Magazine's Wear Test distribution.  This time  I received a phone call for the invite instead of a general e-mail, and this time they only had about 25 pairs of shoes total.  I was selected by Runner's World Magazine based on shoe size and that I turn in my reviews to the magazine on time.  Sometimes these distributions can be a zoo because it's first come, first serve (even for regular wear testers), and people line up for a few hours to get a good spot in line.  This time there was no line.  We were all guaranteed a pair of shoes.  I came away with a pair of Nike's Lunarglide+ 2. 

I've wanted to try the Lunarglides ever since they came out a couple of years ago.  I did try on a a pair of the first Lunarglide versions Nike had, but, at the time, another pair of shoes fit better.  The Lunarglide+ 2 do fit my foot better than the original version, as they've made a few improvements to the toe box area (not as long) and they don't feel as stiff.  My custom orthotic fit perfectly in these shoes.  I took them on a 3 mile run in the 'hood, and they felt rather comfortable.  The real test will be when I put on more miles.  I've had issues with past Nike running shoes not lasting more than 100 miles, and if I'm training for a half marathon or further, that's not a lot of wear.  I wore out the treads of the Nike Air Pegasus with about 70 miles on them.  With only three miles on these new Lunarglides, I can't really judge how well they'll do on a long run, but that will happen soon.  I'll give my two cents about wear and durability later.  I'm  hopeful.

I'm still 'trolling the net for a stationary upright bike, perhaps a spin bike with mileage gauges.  I'm open to suggestions, if anyone has any thoughts or recommendations.  I'm looking to buy new.   I do own a real bike, but I need to be doing a V02 max workout, and the only way to do that without killing myself is on a stationary bike. The gym's craptastic stationary bikes aren't cutting it for me. I've tried.

Hubs and I will be volunteering this Sunday at the AFC Half Marathon, water station #1 with the San Diego Track Club. I'll try to say hi to you as you run by, provided that you are running in this race.  *wink*


Wednesday's Song:
Happy Feet - Paul  Whiteman, John Altman, Abbie Garnder, etc.

PEACE

Happy Feet

Monday's Song:
Hang On Sloopy - The McCoys

PEACE

Running In Circles

I'm kind of wondering... what happened to Summer? I know other parts of the country are experiencing typical Summer weather, but we're not. Cool, blustery, drizzly, more humid than normal weather is what we have right now. It's actually perfect running weather if you plan on an easy run, but for everything else it's kind of a damper, pun intended.

My new workout schedule is going OK. The only problem I'm having is pool time. The pool I want to go to isn't opened when I have the time available, and now that it's summer the swim lesson sessions occupy most of the pool. The gym pool is available and usually crowd free, but every time I swim there I come away with irritated, red eyes, and I wear goggles. It takes a days to recoup from that! Ick! I'll have to start looking around for another near by pool that does not require membership.

I trekked out to the gym for intervals per my new schedule.  I thought it might be easier to keep track of the intervals on the treadmill instead of taking it to the streets.   One minute warm up, then I did 4 sets of intervals x 6 minutes moderate pace and  3 minutes faster pace. Lows at about 5.2, highs at about 6.5 and 7. It was just OK. I have a lot of catching up to do, but I'm taking it slow. I cooled down off the treadmill and walked around the gym track for 5 minutes. Stretched afterward. 
3.46 miles
37:00 minutes
10:41 pace

I'm still working on nutrition. Something is off kilter, but I can't figure out what it is, yet. In the past I could pin-point exactly what was throwing me off and make adjustments, but this time I can't. I'm attempting to eat as clean as possible, using less processed foods, eating out less, no fast foods, no junk foods, keeping on top of my water intake, and so on. I've been tracking everything on Daily Burn just to make sure I'm on top of the macro-nutrients. I'll probably track my nutrition for a month. I find tracking nutrition to be tedious, but it's helpful when trying to pin-point what my weaknesses are.

Robin over at Running Circles Around Turtles featured me on her blog yesterday.  (Check it out!) I was honored that she she featured me and what I had to say. Most of her interviewees give concise, short answers. Ummmmm... I was a bit wordy by comparison, but there's a lot of explaining to do. I was pretty excited to see the interview on her blog and how she took the time to enlarge and bold certain words and phrases. Pretty cool, Robin. Thanks!

 At the 4th of July run, I saw a friend from the track club who I had not seen in a few months.  She actually remembered my sea green and white Pearl Izumis, and asked why I wasn't wearing them.   They have been retired to gardening duty, and this is what they now look like:

They're so beat up, but still one of my favorite pairs of shoes!

Yesterday's Song:
Morning View - Greg Howe

PEACE

When I'm Back On My Feet Again

Still busy not running...  sort of not running.  OK, so I ran about 25 feet or so. I'll get into that later.

I think I figured out my itchy skin issues.  I was getting itchy, dry skin around the back of my neck and collar bone.  Due to the process of elimination it's most definitely dairy, and possibly corn.  I've known all along that I've been allergic to dairy/cow's milk products.  Up until very recently I could handle small amounts of dairy, such as a touch of cream in my coffee while out to eat, or a small pat of butter on toast.  No more.  Over the past week I took out ALL cow's milk products away from my diet.  This wasn't easy since I had to be the picky one when going out to eat and ask how foods were prepared.  I'm just about all cleared up.  I'm putting corn back in next week just to see what happens.   Good times.

The garden is coming along slowly.  I planted the yellow squash seedlings into the garden.  I have a feeling I'll be over-run with yellow squash this season, but I'm going to attempt using the squash flowers for cooking.   Some of the romaine lettuce is just about ready for the transfer, but I want to make sure they're big enough to handle being out there, unprotected.  I just need to figure out other ways of keeping gophers, slugs and snails away from my precious vegetables.

On Saturday I attended another Runner's World wear test event.  I came away with a pair of Brooks Ghost 3.  I haven't had a lot of success with Brooks, but these actually fit well, even with my orthotic.  Bonus points for the shoe not being Easter egg colors.  It's a neutral shoe, but I completely forgot to ask if they had any neutral cushioned shoes in the bunch.*  My first impressions are that these feel good in the heel, and there's plenty of room in the toe box.  These aren't as cushy as the Pearl Izumi Cruise I've been wearing, but they feel comfortable enough.  We'll see how they do once I start running again, hopefully in a couple of weeks.  Before they released these shoes to me I had to run about 25 feet for their shoe expert.  That's the first time I've really run since March 13 this year.  I was reluctant, and told the guy about my ailments, but he said the shoe was a good match for me, even though he could see that my left foot wasn't right.  The review comes out in the September 2010 Runner's World Magazine.   We'll see if they use my two cents.

Florence was my grandma.

Speaking of shoes, just about everyone wanted to know about the Fit Flops. Theses are super comfortable and I am considering purchasing another pair with less bling.  Gold sequins don't do well in the garden mud, however, if I get lost in my backyard I suppose I can wave one of my shoes at an overhead airplane.  I can wear them all day without the broken foot hurting, mostly because of the thick, but light sole.  From the exercise standpoint of the shoes, I really can't tell much of a difference there.  I suppose if I never worked out or never have run before I might notice a difference.  Hubs now calls them my Princess Jasmine shoes. I think I've heard enough derriere comments to last me a while, thankyouverymuch.  The next pair I purchase will definitely be more earthy or neutral in color.  Size wise, I wear a 6 1/2 (USA) in regular shoes, but these come only in even sizes.  The size 6 fit me well.

Mother's day came and went.  We don't celebrate Mother's Day in a big way.  In the early years we've had the big Mother's Day brunches out or the big to do dinner at someone's house, usually my mother in law's house.  For several reasons, I've just decided to opt out of the bigness of the day and keep things super simple. My little family and I went to the High Dive  for breakfast.  I didn't have to worry about getting decked out to go have breakfast. I just threw on some jeans, a blouse, my Princess Jasmine shoes, pulled my hair back in a pony tail and went.  No biggie, but it was perfect. They serve an awesome Bloody Mary, which was worth the 1/4 mile trip down the street, and equally awesome Halla (French) toast.

After breakfast and back at home, I spent the day at home, enjoying my back yard and took a few photos:
.  

Lumpy (the tabby) insisting that he take over Cruiser's bed.  Cruiser (the black kitty) wasn't too happy, but never moved.

Renee and Evan

Erik

Oh yeah, Erik shaved his head on Friday.  He said he wanted to see what his head actually looked like.  He's never had a buzz cut, even as a kid.   It's hard to believe that this is the same person who was a "Senior Standout"  for best hair in high school.  He once looked like Slash from Guns 'n' Roses.  Seriously.

I'm a lot more mobile, but the foot is still rather sensitive.  With less than a month until the (now) half marathon, this sensitive foot still concerns me.  I've been trying to exercise within reason, but it still isn't enough to constitute any type of running or even simulated running.  I honestly didn't think I'd be out so long.  It was is one heck of a broken bone.  I go back to orthopedics next Tuesday.  This is getting old.


Thursday's Song:
Miles In These Shoes - Jennifer Lopez

PEACE

 In loving memory.  My mom,  Gloria January 4, 1929 - March 1, 1986

*They also had Saucony, K Swiss, Mizunos, Puma, and a few others.

Miles In These Shoes

I'm still busy not running.

Yesterday I attended an outing with my office gang. It seemed fitting that we would have dinner at PF Changs for Oriental-ish cuisine, seeing how it was Cinco De Mayo.* Actually, it was a birthday/good-bye party for a coworker, and PF Chang's was her choice since she can easily navigate around the menu with her allergies -- Mexican cuisine, not so much, especially if it's typical tourist food. Since I work on call and haven't been needed lately, it was a grand opportunity to catch up with everyone as best as possible.** Long tables don't lend to conversation with everyone, just with the people across or to the sides. I still had a wonderful time listening to coworkers plans for the summer and filled them in about my fun at Costco and a broken foot.

Since PF Chang's is at a mall, after dinner I visited Macy's to check out some Fit Flops. They have a thick sole and are relatively light, and they would beat wearing that blue boot with the velcro or the Frankenstein boot. Don't tell my doctor. They had quite a selection of Fit Flops, just not in my size. I did find one pair. This is what I ended up with:

Bling!

Yep. White with gold sequins. Not quite my style, but they beat the ortho boots, hands down. I was kind of looking for something neutral that I could wear in the garden and not worry too much if they got dirty. They're actually not too bad, and with a pair of jeans they're not all that glitzy. Too bad they weren't red sequins and then I could of had a Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz moment.

There's no place like home, or nothing like being injury free.

I wore the Fit Flops home. Hubs noticed them right away and said, "are those the shoes that make your ass big?" I responded with,"no, they're supposed to make it tight." He came back with, "yeah, make your ass big." *GAH!* He's an ass man. What else is there to say? Any way, the Fit Flops are very comfortable and do not bother my messed up foot. As far as the workout aspect of these shoes, I really can't tell much of a difference. Time will tell, I suppose.

My next doctor's appointment is in two weeks. I better see some progress on those x-rays, or I'm really going to have a moment in the doctor's office, and not a good moment. I am so over this.

Yesterday' Song:
Shine Through - Elton John

PEACE

*Cinco De Mayo really isn't a true Mexican holiday, but it sure is a good excuse for a damn good party.

** It makes me miss being at the office on a more regular basis. I keep checking to see if they need me, but they have been fortunate with a solid group of people. There was a time that I was called in just about every other week because someone would flake out and not show up for work, quit without notice, or be so inept that they would be asked to leave. Some people just don't live up to their resumes.

Broken

First thing this morning I called my doctor's office, but the first appointment I could get was at 2:30 this afternoon. He took a good look at my bruised foot, and asked all of the usual questions, really listened to what I had to say, then ordered x-rays. I went downstairs to x-ray and waited a good 30 minutes before I was seen. They were rather busy. Once that was done I went back upstairs to see my doctor again, but had to wait another 30 minutes before he could see me. The x-rays showed a fracture in the bone right under the middle toe, a metatarsal fracture, which means I'm out of the game for 6 to 8 weeks. Good times. Meanwhile, I get to wear this lovely boot. My sister says I should bedazzle it with flames. Thank goodness it's removable.


How I got this injury is purely speculative, since I really had no warning signs. It could have been everything I talked about in my last post, and another speculation was the shoes I was running in. Even though the Newtons were comfortable and seemed to be OK, perhaps they weren't the best ones for me, since the point of those shoes is forefoot running, and that's where the injury is. I've already ordered another pair of Pearl Izumi Cruise, since I had no problems with those and they aren't discontinued yet. Perhaps I should scope out another pair of PI's, just in case.

Tomorrow I go to some sort of "Day of Injury" clinic in orthopedics. That should of happened today, but there were no available slots for me.

For some weird reason, I'm not feeling all that down about this injury. I think that after living thorough the femoral neck (leg/hip) fracture everything else isn't that bad. I don't need surgery. I don't need serious drugs, only Tylenol. I just need time to heal, plus I can remain active with swimming and bike riding at the gym, so all is not lost. I might have to rethink the marathon this year and opt for the half. We'll see how I feel in 6 to 8 weeks.

Yesterday's Song:
Super Heros - Rooster Quantrell

PEACE

EDIT 5/6/2010
After I posted this, I realized there was an incident at Costco where a lady ran over my foot with her cart, several days before the foot completely broke, which explains a lot.

Continuum

Las Vegas Rock 'n' Roll Marathon/Half Marathon Event - Part 2

Still with me?

Back to the souvenir shop...

Renata and I stayed somewhat warm for a while, but I wanted to find the medical tent for a couple of Tylenol and ice for my calf. The medical tent was somewhat hard to find. It was way across the venue, on the other side of a huge trailer, tucked away in a corner. Not good. My calf was cramping, but not that bad, but it was still far away, and I couldn't imagine what it would have been like for someone who was really hurting. Yikes. Renata stayed in the souvenir shop to wait for her husband, Gil. Once I found the medical tent, received some Tylenol and ice for my calf and a little rest, I felt better and got up to look for Michael. He finished his race in 2:42. He was just a couple of tents over with a few San Diego Track Club members. We managed a quick photo op with them and one of the running Elvi:

Me, Donna, a running Elvis, Kelly , Michael.

We made our way to the beer, saw more RU people, then started towards the gear check area. It was about that time we found Dawn. She was slowly making her way into the vendor area, looking for the medical tent. She was hurting and needed some attention. We helped her make her way to the medical tent, which was WAY across the venue.

Thumbs up! We made it to the medical tent!

Once Dawn was settled, Michael and I made our way back to the gear check, which took some time, gathered our belongings and made our way back to the medical tent to check on Dawn. I guess she must have been OK because she was gone by the time we got back. Sometimes a little rest, Tylenol and ice is all you need just to get up and going.

By this time my phone was chiming that I had a few text messages. I just missed AKA Alice. She had finished a while ago and was already settling down somewhere for some breakfast. Renata texted me that she found her husband and they were also sitting in one of the hotel bars to keep warm. I guess that was our cue to take off, too. We walked through Mandalay Bay to get back to Luxor (the hotels are connected), and while passing by one of the bars, we ran into Mitch and Doreen from the track club.

Mitch, Doreen, Michael, Me.

After chatting for a while, we all decided to grab some lunch at a deli near by within the Mandalay Bay hotel. Hot soup and a hot pastrami sandwich never tasted so good. It was great catching up with Mitch and Doreen as we talked about our future race plans and Las Vegas happenings.

Some place between Mandalay Bay and Luxor was this huge Christmas tree. We decided it would be a good spot for a photo :

Christmas card potential?

We finally made our way back to our room to crash. I really couldn't sleep but I just showered, iced my left leg/foot and rested. (Our room didn't have a bathtub, so I couldn't fill the tub with ice.) We needed to rest since we had plans with everyone from RU for dinner and dancing.

Yeah, dancing...

I thought I was going to over pack, but it was quite the contrary. I under packed the going out clothes. 3 pairs of pants but no dressy tops. I had a dress I could easily accessorize with some bling, but I forgot the bling. I had planned on wearing black tights with short boots with that dress, but when I went to put on the tights, they were a child's size. *GAH* The package was mislabeled. No back ups.* No dressy tops. I couldn't go without tights or hose because my left leg was so bruised up. Did I mention it was cold???? Well, it was COLD. Michael of San Diego found a Fredrick's of Hollywood within the confines of Mandalay Bay and bought me some black hose. Those almost didn't fit right, the waistband kept slipping down, but they had to work. I could no longer wear the boots, so I wore the heels I brought. (At the time, being on heels didn't feel all that bad.) Luckily, we made it down to the bar and found some of our group looking rather sharp, and we joined them for a martini:



Eventually, the entire group made it to the lobby, all dressed up and ready to go out. There were about 20 of us all together, and took a couple of limos to the restaurant and night club.



Other people were taking pictures at dinner, so we didn't get too many dinner shots. We sat across from people who happened to know a few of our neighbors from our previous address, and even attended the same high school as Michael, just several years apart. Someone pointed out that the breakfast menu had waffles, but breakfast was not being served. Waffles sounded delicious, but I was so hungry that a crummy little mint seemed like a delicious confection.

The night club was in the same area as the restaurant, and we were supposedly on some list, but come to find out we were not, and we were supposed to wait in line behind the infamous velvet rope. Someone in our group, a very smart, pretty, leggy blond said something to the bouncer and, somehow, we all got in. I'm not very savvy at that kind of thing, so I was rather surprised that all 20 of us got in. Michael snagged a few photos of us at the night club, which soon became very crowded.

The lady in the middle jumped in between the two blonds (who were with our group) and started dancing with them. It was awesome.

Michael took a lot of random shots like this one...
Don't know the guy on the left, but that's me, Renata, Gil, and Bryan in the front.

After a while it was kind of tight in there.

You know the saying "What happens in Vegas stays it Vegas?" It should be changed to "What happens in Vegas shows up on Facebook."

Michael and I left about 12:30 am, and I heard that everyone else left around 1 am...

By the time we made it back to our room, it was probably about 1 am. I happened to look down at my feet and noticed that I was now donning cankles -- calves and ankles become one. Yikes. I needed ice. Luckily, our room was right near the ice machine. I don't remember too much about what happened after icing the feet, but I'm sure sleep was involved.

Monday 12/7

THE NEXT MORNING

I had only two drinks the entire night, therefore, no hangover to deal with. My feet, or I should say my left foot in particular, was still rather swollen. Getting out of bed was interesting. My feet didn't want to cooperate. (Remind me why I thought wearing heels after running a half marathon with an already injured calf would be a good idea.) I downed a lot of water and a couple of naproxen and put my feet up for as long as possible while Michael made some calls to the office and followed up with clients. I was craving breakfast in a big way. (Remember, at dinner the night before, someone saw waffles on the menu, but it was the breakfast menu.) I woke up craving waffles. I had to have waffles. We eventually made it down to the buffet, where there was only about 30 minutes left for breakfast. As we made our way through the line, the staff was already replacing the breakfast with lunch items. *Panic* Luckily, for me, there were still plenty of breakfast foods still out, including waffles... fluffy Belgian waffles... with butter and maple syrup... Whew.

As Michael and I were enjoying our breakfast, Justin, his girlfriend and their friends came down for breakfast. They were looking a little sleep deprived and planning to drive back home right after eating. We briefly talked about the trip, the run, the night out, shared some of the photos from the night before, and went our separate ways.

For us it was more rest, some shopping at the outlet mall (which did nothing to help my calf and feet), and dinner back at the buffet. Michael originally wanted to walk up and down the strip that evening, but it was raining, plus my swollen calf. The outlet mall was all I could deal with. I know. We're in Vegas opting NOT to go out.

Tuesday 12/8

It was actually nice to have that Monday to putz around. Once we arrived home on Tuesday, it was back to business for Michael, and for me it was attending my office holiday party, and getting out all of the Christmas decorations. (Evan requested decorating the house many times. I had to oblige, even though I wasn't planning on putting up the big tree this year, just the small one.)

How can Evan escape childhood without making a star out of cardboard, pasta and foil? Evan was really excited to create this star with me. The star now resides a top the rock pine outside, next to our front door.

The left calf is still sore and the left foot is dealing with water retention due to the calf injury. All I can do a this point is RICE, stretch and massage. I go back into RU next Wednesday. I thought about posting pictures of my calf and ankle/foot, but the swelling has gone down since Las Vegas, and most of the discoloration is gone. My ankle was about the size of a grapefruit. I just didn't think to take pictures of it when it was at it's most "ripe."

Before I forget, we stayed on the 13th floor. I didn't think hotels in the USA had 13th floors, which are normally reserved as a utility floor. Superstitions, I guess. I had no problem with 13. We were running a half marathon, 13.1 miles.

Other happenings...

Michael and I celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary on Friday, 12/11. I looked up what the traditional and/or modern gift would be. For 27 it's furniture. I never knew that. It doesn't look like I'll be seeing any new furniture soon, but I was surprised with the roses Michael brought me, even though we agreed on no gifts this year since we went to Las Vegas. We kept the day simple and went out for sushi at our favorite place in our neighborhood. Cheers.

We still have our trip to Guanajuato, Mexico. Our friend, Sam, is thrilled to be taking us to his home town and brought us several brochures and maps of the area. We'll be staying with his family for most of the trip. We're keeping everything no-frills and packing as light as possible. He even mapped out routes for us to run on, if that's what we decide to do.

Saturday's song:
Loose in Las Vegas - Monty Byrom & David Neuhauser - From the "Deal" soundtrack


PEACE

PS: Do you know how many times I've edited this post due to glitches and minor typos? *sigh*

* Where was Tim Gunn When I needed him? It wasn't in the budget to buy an outfit just to go out for one evening, otherwise, I would have trekked to Macy's for some sort of ensemble, or at least some inexpensive bling/accessories.

Baby, What A Big Surprise

About three weeks ago, I had noticed on Meg Runs blog that she put on her sidebar a pair of gently worn men's Nike Lunar Glides, size 12, for free. At first I didn't think much about it, until about a week ago it occurred to me (after seeing the photo of the Nikes several times) that my husband wears a size 12 and likes Nikes. I contacted Meg and the shoes were still available. She said she would mail them out at no cost to me. I knew the shoes would be on their way soon, but this has been a busy week and had other things on my mind. Today the UPS driver stops at my house. UPS? I didn't order anything. Then I saw the shoe sized box and realized what it was. I opened the box, expecting to see only shoes and perhaps a note, but this is what I saw:

Upon opening the box I found the glittery leaves, the bag of chocolates, the little note, and the shoes.

How cute is that?

This package totally made my day. I was feeling as if I was slogging through the mud today, and this package lifted my spirits. I'm sure it will make my husband's day, too. Thanks Meg! You make a difference!

I'm taking the next few days off from running and working out, so (hopefully) I'll be fresh for the Silver Strand half marathon on Sunday.

Tuesday's song:
What It Takes - Aerosmith - Barbie2be

PEACE