1/24 Last Saturday run before Race Day

As you have been reading and keeping up with my "issues"... I had no idea what to expect from the run this morning. I bought a foot wrap at Walgreens... they only had specifically "ankle wraps" but this one looked good, it wrapped under the foot and had velcro to adjust the tightness.
We met at Queen Wilhelmina's Windmill at the West end of Golden Gate Park by Ocean Beach. It was just going to be a short run since it was the week before the race, so we were going to run out 30 minutes along Ocean Beach (the great highway) and back. It was our first crappy day of the whole 3 months of training, amazing! Just foggy, 52 degrees and a slight misty drizzle. I felt pretty good the first 20 minutes... could barely notice my foot. Colleen and I were running for 6 minutes and walking for 2 and it was working well until we turned around to start heading back and then I felt a sudden pain in my foot. Damn it! :( I stopped to hobble for a while and was thinking of whether I'd be able to walk the rest of the way back or if I should stop and have Colleen come back and pick me up. I don't know why, but I started running again, I guess if it hurt either way I just wanted to finish faster. Ironically it hurt a lot less while I was running.
So here it is, I'm just going to do what I have to do to get through race day and cross the finish line. I was really depressed for a while about my situation, if you couldn't tell! I was so crushed that I'd worked so hard to complete my huge personal challenge and small injuries were keeping from my full potential!! That was before.
Now I am viewing everything much more positively! Regardless of what happens or doesn't happen ON race day... it is just ONE day. What I have already accomplished is: for 3 months I've woken up at 5am to meet my buddies to go run before work. I've woken up early every Wednesday in order to get to work super early so that I could leave early in order to get to the stadium to meet the team for track night, when all anyone wants to do is just go home after a long day. Every Friday night, I've gone to bed early so I could wake up early, every Saturday and be refreshed to meet the team for a progressively longer run each week! I've also spent money on gear and TWO pairs of shoes to do the right thing for injury prevention. During all of this I was also fundraising, trying not to alienate people by pestering them for donations to reach my mandatory goal of $2,000 all the time worried I might end up owing it out of my own pocket (goal reach by the way!!!). I've done more than I have ever attempted to do (physcially and commitment wise), I've learned that if I focus, put my mind to it and give 100% effort, I can do anything I want! All those items on my wishful "to do" list are now possible! I've made some cool new friends and I am now one of those people that can go for a 3 mile run! ...if I'm motivated to go by myself that is, lol... I prefer run buddies :)

Thank you to everyone who has read along during my journey and all your support! I hope you know it means a lot. :) 7 days and 18 hours until final post! You can look forward to keeping up with me as I am hoping to get my own website to journal my upcoming experiences, only if your interested of course. It helps me stay motivated to continue trying new things and not just trying, but giving the task or experience my full attention and effort before I decide if it's something I want to continue or it's maybe not for me. I've realized running long distances is not for me, or at least my body keeps screaming it! But I am so greatful that I have learned how to enjoy more mild runs and hope I continue.

The Foot - almost a week until race day

With Monday a holiday, I called to see about getting an appointment with my new Dr. at Kaiser on Tuesday. I was able to go in at 5:00pm that day so I left work a little early and headed over. I told the doctor how after one of my longest runs, 7 miles the Saturday after Christmas, that my foot ached and I was limping just after I finished. Like the rest of my aching body, I assumed it was more sore than injured and it would be good in a day or two. After 2 weeks of off and on, mostly on, pain... during the third week it felt completely better. After a few days without pain, I was looking forward to my run the upcoming Saturday and within the first mile I felt the twinge of pain. Then by mile 4 I was hobbling. Within 24 hours the pain was gone and here I was in her office with no pain. Like when you go to the mechanic and your car won't make the same noise... ugh! Anyway, she pressed around and checked out my foot. Due to the fact that I could go sometimes days without pain and that there was no swelling, no pain when she pressed around, she could confirm that it was definitely not broken or fractured, no torn ligaments or muscle tissue. She did notice that my arch was a little collapsed but that does happen when you run long distance and why you need a good shoe and perhaps arch supports. I did mention that I had had arch supports in my old shoes (the ones that were bad for my knee) and had forgotten to put them in the new shoes that Saturday I hurt my foot. Could be that.... and maybe my foot is just not completely healed, but I did have my arch supports in last Saturday. She suggested maybe it's the shoes and my foot needs more support and stability - could be that... but ironically the shoes that had more support were too supportive for my knee and caused IT band/knee pain. So that's no good. Basically my only option right now is to try a foot wrap to give my foot more support and use the same shoes that I have been, that are good for my knee and see what happens this Saturday. We are only doing about 6 miles since it is the weekend before the race. Wish me luck, I really hope this works!! I want to at least walk/run some of the race :(

First day back for a Saturday run

The whole time I was in Tahoe, my foot felt really good, no pain! So I was actually excited about getting back out there this Saturday, Jan. 17th. My friend Colleen and I had emailed a few days before and have both been having some issues and were going to stay together and take it easy. The 1/2 marathon team was going to be running 11 miles - eek!

Well... we started off and I could barely feel a little twinge of pain in my foot. *Sigh* I was really bummed. I knew I would at the very least have to turn around early and most likely walk back. Although walking and running were equally as painful, but running was worse because the rest of my body tried to overcompensate and my hipflexors were feeling it! At about 4.5 miles, 2 of the coaches passed us and Colleen told them about my foot problem. They agreed - soreness... tired, etc. you can run through - sharp pains = no way & stop! So I walked the rest of the way to mile 5 where there was a water stop and was told to wait there for a ride back :(

I am really sad and disappointed. I am going to try to see a podiatrist this week and see what the problem is. My mentor, Shawn, mentioned that I might be able to forfeit like 25% of my fundraising and keep the rest for another event so I don't feel like I've done all this training for nothing. We'll see. I know I have raised more than my $2,000 minimum (yay!) so I'm really really hoping that they will consider 25% of THAT total. Another issue is the next 1/2 marathons with TNT are 1) San Diego and 2) Seattle - which means the minimum fundraising is, I think, $2,600. And my issues are 1) can I bug people to raise more money? 2) can I really keep up this training because it's pretty time consuming and 3) is my body really trying to tell me I am not a runner and should find something else?

Like I said, as you can probably try to imagine, I am really bummed. Up to about 5 miles I was actually having fun! :(

Hopefully I can see a doctor about my foot and I'll then have to see what my options and financial situations is with TNT and then make a decision.

THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE!! Everyone has been so generous with their donations and so wonderfully supporting me trying to accomplish my personal goal. I'll keep you posted. If you have any personal thoughts or suggestions regarding my situation, I'd love to hear them - send me an email!

Tahoe (9th-13th)

Arrived in South Tahoe Friday evening, it was just me, Garrett and his StepMom Jenny. The time share at the Ridge Resort was really fantastic! 2 bedrooms and 2 huge bathrooms with jacuzzi tubs and then a full kitchen and living room with a fold out sofa. Saturday morning I went down to Heavenly ski resort with Garrett & Jenny to get their ski passes, etc. They left to go swooshing down the slopes and I head out to window shop and see what else I could do. I bought a wool hat (couldn't find where I stashed mine before we left) and then found a little wine shop. I got a 3 flight tasting and sat down with my book, called to catch up with my Mom and then decided I might go next door and watch a movie. I ended up seeing "Benjamin Button" - it was really good... I didn't need any tissues like everyone was saying, but maybe it was because people were warning me it was sad... still a good flick though! After the movie I only had to waste about 15 minutes until I met Garrett and Jenny back at the Gondola lift. Jenny had to drive to Reno to pick up Kristen and Matt at the airport and was going to give me her ski lift so I could ride up the enclosed Gondola to the mid section of the mountain. It's $30 for ONE ride up the Gondola if you don't have a ski pass... not cool. If you want to go snow toobing or ride the zip flyer or just hang out up there to have a drink... you have to still pay the $30 and then pay for snow toobing ($20 for a really lame hill) or the zip flyer ($40 and cool... but still a rip off if you realize it really cost you $70!) What if you had to pay for each of your kids to ride up and then go snow toobing!!? That is $50 a kid!? Like I said, a rip off and I wouldn't take my kids to Heavenly. Just FYI. So I got to ride up with Garrett for free and then we just went back down again. Lovely view of Lake Tahoe! Every night we were zonked and ready to sleep by 9:30pm and wake up at about 7:30am - I think it was partly the altitude because I wasn't exerting myself skiing and was still just as tired. Sunday morning Jenny & Garrett went off to the slopes and Kriste, Matt & I went for a little snow shoe hike behind the resort. It was fun, I would definitely go show shoeing again! We then went to the main lodge and played some racketball and then headed back to the room to have dinner. Matt and I decided we kind of wanted to try snow boarding... but a package deal for lessons, rentals and pass at Heavenly was $160!! However, Jenny found a great deal at Diamond Peak Resort up the road 25 minutes - "learn to ski week" all inclusive package for $30!! For $30 I could totally end up hating snow boarding, but still be content that I had given it a try! Monday morning Matt & I headup up to Incline Village (around the east side of Lake Tahoe and up to the north point) to attempt snow boarding. I really really wish I could like snow boarding. For one main reason, the shoes are SO much more comfortable to wear than ski boots. :( Oh well. I gave it a go... no luck. After taking skiing lessons for the first time last year, I was able to equally compare my two experiences and skiing is SO MUCH BETTER, for me that is. I hated that I had absolutely, at any time, no control. You begin to stand up on your board on the slightest teeniest incline and it starts moving... yeah, I can't handle that. With skiing you can just angle your skiis perpendicular to the hill or slope and you can just hang out and get yourself together before heading on. I fell a lot... first time I fell my butt landed on the other foot strap (hard to figure that one out isn't it? typical me) and I STILL have a giant purple bruise. Later I wiped out and hit my head on the ice and my hat when flying - at that point I knew I was done. See ya! Matt had fallen on his wrist, but decided he wanted to continue until the lesson was over and just avoid using his hands to fall (which is exactly what they tell you not to do, but it's hard to go against instincts). After the lesson he was ready to go too. He could move his wrist but said it hurt pretty bad. Later that evening he went to the Emergency room with Kristen and confirmed it had a small fracture or something. He's already much better a week later! Tuesday was my last day, I had a massage at the lodge and then Kristen, Matt & I paid the $30 to go up in the Gondola to meet up with the others and try some snow toobing for fun. We were originally told it was $10/hour to go snow toobing and were really ticked when we got up there to find out it was not only increased to $20 but it was a lame hill. Garrett's Dad bought me a zip flyer ticket to go up with Garrett & Jenny - it was pretty cool! You go up on the ski lift about 1,000 more feet and get in a little cloth chair that is on a zip line and they let you out the gate and you zoom down on the line - they say you go about 50 mph and the stop at the end is probably the funnest part - you zoom in and wonder how you are going to stop and then your line runs into these big springs and you bounce bag - not good for anyone with recent wiplash injuries, but we thought it was great! :) Garrett & I headed home after dinner and I had to work the next day (Wed). Thursday morning Garrett headed back up to Tahoe to have one more day skiing with his Dad & Jenny and they all drove back Friday afternoon to spend the rest of the weekend in SF.