T-minus 9 weeks to finishing my first half marathon

 Today the training countdown begins to the St. Jude Rock and Roll Half Marathon in Nashville. I've decided to be good this time about my training and make a real effort to get prepared for this race; as opposed to the other races I just showed up for and massively failed.  I've sketched out my training plan and have a system I can actually stick with this time. 

The training started today by accident. I went to get a pedicure only to find that one of my fav places in Chicago, Strong Nail on Diversey had closed.  As my train home neared Belmont, I decided to go get a chiropractic adjustment to help ease the stress I tend to carry in my neck and shoulders. I asked if I could get a massage but they were all booked so the  girl at the desk mentioned a stretching session instead. After my adjustment and ice and muscle stim, I went to get stretched. 

Tony was amazing and made sure to explain everything he did and showed me stretches that I could do on my own.  I have to say that I feel better than I ever did after a massage. I think that the weekly to eventually monthly stretching sessions are going to make a difference. 

It is 50 degrees here today so I am heading home to walk the dogs and soak up some vitamin D.  Who knew that all I needed was a little stretching to feel like I could get back to being an athlete?  

Now that I have a goal, I promise to be better about logging my training here so that I don't annoy my Facebook friends anymore than I already do. 😎 63 days until Nashville and I know I will do this!

Princess Half Marathon Fail

I attempted the PHM on Sunday while suffering from an upper respiratory infection. As the balloon ladies closed in on me at mile 4, my lungs closed up and I had a severe asthma attack. I was put in the sag wagon and taken to the Medical triage tent where a medical team gave me some powerade, a Mylar blanket and my food bag and medal. The doctor listened to my lungs and didn't like the "expiration wheezing" he heard so I was sent to the big medical tent. I was greeted promptly and hooked up to a pulse ox and BP machine. My BP was really high, so they made me lay down for about 30 minutes. 

I know that I shouldn't have tried to walk/run 13.1 miles while sick. But it was Disney so I had to try.  I'm still resting a week later and suffering from a cough and laryngitis. The Tinkerbell half is in 10 weeks and I HAVE to finish this race, no excuses.  I did have a nice vacation with my girls. 

Back on track...again

I've been slacking a bit in posting my successes and failures to this blog to help keep myself accountable.  The last 7.5 months have flown by so I will just give the highlights:

• Participated in the Inaugural Minne Mouse 10K at Walt Disney World in January 2014.  While I barely finished ahead of the balloon ladies, I finally finished a runDisney race. 
  
• Upon my return from Disney World, I proceeded to get very ill.  So ill in fact, that I ended up in the hospital for two days with a sinus infection, bladder infection, and pneumonia.  My recovery was slow and my running took a back seat to getting healthy.
• My first race back was the Team Ortho Foundation Get Lucky 7k.  My goal was to complete the race, which I did, with a finish time of 1:10:00.  Not bad considering my limited lung capacity.
• My next race was the Soldier Field 10 Miler.  This race has plagued me for years, but I was determined to finish strong.  What I did not anticipate was my new Hoka One One's giving me blisters.  I spent 8.5 miles limping and trying not to cry.  I finished with a time of 2:48, but at least I finished.  
• 
  In June, the Rock and Roll Racing Festival was added to the Chicago running weekend.  If a runner did a 5k on Saturday, and either the 5K or the half marathon on Sunday, they would earn a third remix challenge medal.  Since I am all about the bling, I decided to to tackle this challenge.  Although I finished both 5k's in less than 50 minutes, I once again had blisters on my feet.  I decided I needed to do something to change this problem.  (This will be explained on a later blog post). 
  
• I signed up for the Coast to Coast Challenge for 2015. This involves completing a half marathon at Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California. It won't be easy but I think I can do this. Baby steps. 

More to come...

A minor setback

Last week I finally joined DePaul University's fitness center which has a great deal for alumni of $33/month the first year after graduation. I signed dozens if papers and was given my new keycard. I decided to spend Sunday afternoon reacquainting my body to actual exercise as I've been limited lately to walking and swimming.
I spent about 90 minutes alternating between strength training machines and the elliptical trainer. I'm happy to report I haven't lost all of my muscle mass but my endurance sucks. After 10 minutes on the elliptical I felt my legs preparing to strike and they began convincing my lungs that I was out of my mind to think I could handle any hardcore exercise.
When my heart rate soared past the weight loss/training level, I decided to try the weight machines for a while. As I reached overhead for the lat pull down, my muscles seemed to rejoice: "hooray! She's using us again!" I found I could do multiple reps at a good starting weight and not feel too achy. I moved through the circuit of machines making sure to get all of the major muscle groups. I was starting to get the endorphin high that I remember so well. I went home that evening to another 3 mile walk and a good night's sleep.
The next day my hopes of continuing my program were derailed by work. My coworker is on vacation and I have to cover my work and his while he is gone. Coupled with the start of our "busy season" and I was working late every night. So late that after a three mile walk with my dogs, I had enough time to eat, start some laundry an get ready for bed. This continued for the next four days.
In addition, I've had sleeping issues in that I sleep well for a couple of hours and then I am wide awake for a hour. This lack of REM sleep has had an effect on my energy level so even if I had the time to workout, my body wouldn't have let me.
On Thursday I lost my iPod Shuffle which I used for my walks/runs. I felt like I'd lost a piece of me and I let my depression take over. This resulted in a change in eating habits and I gained a few pounds due to unhealthy choices.
Today was a little easier at work and I was able to get motivation and encouragement from other runners on Facebook and various blogs. While I will only do a three mile walk with the dogs tonight, I have the drive to get back on track tomorrow. I also believe that visiting the Chicago Marathon Health and Fitness Expo will inspire me as well.
Keep on plugging along!



- Trying to shed my potato skin and find my inner skinny fry.

New shoes = no pain

After the pain caused from the 10k a week ago, I decided to visit Fleet Feet to replace my "beyond their mileage" Asics. By going into a specialty store, I was able to have someone watch my gait and properly measure my feet.

I asked Matt what the most cushioned shoe available is and he pointed to the Hoka One One. While the shoes aren't the most esthetically pleasing, they are a foot pain sufferers dream. They run big so definitely try them on. I now feel like I can continue my training and hopefully lose more weight to alleviate the pressure on my joints. Plus they have a color that will go with my Minnie Mouse running outfit.

I will report back on my progress with my Hoka One One Bondis.






- Trying to shed my potato skin and find my inner skinny fry.

Slow and steady progress

Two posts in one day? Wow, I must be sidelined from my normal activities. :)

I have been slowly changing my eating habits since July and although I have only been walking lately, I am starting to see a slight difference. It was noticeable when I compared a photo from July 2013 to one taken this past weekend. While I haven't dropped sizes, my clothes are looser and there is a definite difference. See the photo below. It looks like I am on my way.



- Trying to shed my potato skin and find my inner skinny fry.

RICE RICE Baby

This past Saturday, I participated in a 10k race. Due to an arthritis flareup in my feet, along with shoes that should have been retired, Monday and Tuesday were extremely painful. When topical ointments (bio freeze) and anti inflammatories (800mg of ibuprofen) only masked the pain, I realized I needed to approach this from a different angle.

While I have increased my Omega 3 Fatty acids in recent months, I have also begun following a more balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. This change has helped, but if I am to actually run a 10k at Disney World in January, I need to give my joints some rest.

The first thing I am doing is wearing my air cast boot for at least two weeks to alleviate pressure on my joints. The next step is to change the shoes I wear for work. I currently wear slip on shoes which according to The Arthritis Foundation are the worst shoes someone with osteoarthritis (OA) can wear. I plan on doing more research to find the best shoes for me.

Finally, I will limit my high impact exercise for the next month and concentrate on swimming and elliptical training. I need to take care of my body and can no longer suffer through the pain. I guess that is one of the joys of getting older.

My lovely footwear for the next two weeks;



- Trying to shed my potato skin and find my inner skinny fry.