Weekly Rundown- Yep, I Ran!
Hello! Welcome to the Weekly Rundown, hosted as always by Kim and Deborah. It was a good week! My foot held steady and I got in a few runs. Hooray! Here’s how it all went down: Monday In the morning I did a 45 minute yoga flow class on the Peloton app with my Peloton BFF, Denis Morton. Rewind briefly one day… on Sunday morning we watched the Chicago Marathon. Monday, we recorded the Boston Marathon so were able to watch that after work. That was especially fun because,, unlike the coverage of Chicago, they actually showed the women. As soon as we finished that, we tuned into the livestream of my son’s concert at Baylor. Soooo fun to see him playing in the concert, so far away! Without leaving our couch, we really saw a lot in that 38 hours. Tuesday After seeing all that incredible running, I couldn’t not run! My foot is back to being normally sore- in other words, whatever “extra” inflammation I had seems to have died down, and it’s just the usual plantar fasciitis. So…. why not? I started with a 20 minute Strength for Runners class with Matt Wilpers on the Peloton app. It was a weights class, but I used light weights so it worked as a warmup. Then I ran three miles! Hooray! Wednesday I did a 60 minute yoga flow class. Guess who doesn’t help my yoga classes? Although she meows sadly outside the door, she’s been banned from my yoga sessions. I learned my lesson quickly- having a cat stand on your trachea during savasana ruins your flow. Thursday More yoga! I did Denis’s glutes class. This class was hard- lots of balance, which I love. Friday More running! After a warmup of hip circles and lunges, I did another three mile run. Followed this run by Denis’s “pride reset” yoga flow. This is supposed to be paired with a cycling class- the cycling class going first as a warmup. I figured a warmup run was just as good! Saturday Started the day with Denis’s 45 minute hamstring focus flow. My hamstrings are so, so tight- especially on my left side. The same side as my plantar fasciitis. (Coincidence? I think not!) Have I ever mentioned that I don’t like working on Saturdays? I guess that pretty much goes without saying. Depending on the clients, sometimes I feel like I get a second workout at work. Luckily this day was relatively easy- but I was still ready for a nap when I got home… before the Baylor football game! It was Baylor’s homecoming, and this game was extra great. One of the announcers was a former Baylor football player, and he described Baylor as having a “culture of joy.” Joy! How cool is that? I think everyone was extra happy because the weather cooled down there and they had a beautiful day. Chip and Joanna Gaines were there to cheer on the Bears, and oh yes- they won. It was super fun. Sunday I did a “long” run! Six miles, and I loved every step of it. It’s still warm here, but I got out early. I listened to this podcast where Alicia Jenkins and Lucja Leonard recapped their races at Moab 240. I love running while listening to people talk about running. I know- I can’t get enough of it. I had a chuckle because Alicia said for one stretch she listened to David Goggin’s audio book. Yes, that would be good motivation during a 240 mile race! I was sooooo happy to do this run! I felt my foot, but other than that everything felt good. I figured I might as well run and feel good, until I see the podiatrist. That appointment is coming up on Tuesday (finally!). Can’t wait to hear what he has to say. I hope everyone had a great week with lots of running! It’s funny how much better three days of running make me feel. Did you watch the Boston Marathon? Do you get motivated to run when you watch the elites?
The Comeback Quotient- Book Review
In his latest book, The Comeback Quotient, Matt Fitzgerald describes a mindset he calls “ultrarealism.” He relates instances where athletes utilized ultrarealism, both in races and life, to recover from serious setbacks. The stories range from Mirinda Carfrae’s come-from-behind victory in the 2014 Ironman World Championship race, to Jaime Whitmore’s comeback from a devastating cancer diagnosis. Matt explains ultrarealism as a three-part process of accepting reality, embracing reality, and addressing reality, and describes each of these steps. He includes quotes from stoics and spiritual teachers, but one of my favorites comes from Matt himself. One of the ways to embrace reality, he says, is through positivity and gratitude. “In even the worst moments, a lot is happening. Each slice of conscious experience has layers and facets, and they’re truly never all bad at the same time.” So true- just because something hurts- oh, let’s say your foot, for example- doesn’t mean that’s your entire reality. I’m going to say one thing upfront, because it was something that nagged at me for a lot of the book. Parts were very engrossing, and some parts were less so. I appreciate the fact that Matt likes to bring in science, but sometimes the studies he cites just weren’t that interesting. In one section he talks about how a process-oriented approach is more effective than a results-oriented approach, and then goes on to describe, in detail, studies that back this up. They weren’t interesting to read, and I would have been fine if he had just said “studies back this up.” It could have been a footnote. BUT! The book is only 200 pages, so I understand why Matt included them. Although I did like this book, I felt that it could have been a pamphlet. Having said that, it was a really interesting book (pamphlet.) I found myself underlining certain parts, and I don’t mark up all my books. Another of my favorite quotes is from his section on David Goggins. Someone asked David if he takes any supplements and he said, “Yes, I take a giant suck-it-up pill every morning and wash it down with a refreshing cup of hard.” Hee hee. The last chapter, “When Comebacks Fail” addresses the fact that not all comebacks have fairytale endings. I really appreciated this, because sometimes stories like these leave me frustrated. The message seems to be that if you have the right mental attitude, anything is possible. David Goggins completed a 100 mile race with several broken metatarsals- why am I being sidelined by something is tame as plantar fasciitis? Does the fact that I’m not willing to run on broken bones mean I’m a lame-ass? Matt includes several stories of comebacks that did not go as planned. Sometimes having the right mental attitude and trying your hardest don’t lead to the desired outcome. Matt maintains that in every situation, if you accept reality and make the choice that will make your present situation most meaningful to you, it can still be a success story. Overall, this book was an inspiration. It left me with a feeling of empowerment. It’s a great read if you’re struggling right now, and would be an excellent gift if someone you know is facing a difficult situation. Although I did feel that it was short, it’s a reasonably-priced paperback (I paid $14.68 on Amazon) so it’s worth the cost. Next up… Wendy just reviewed this and I can’t wait to read it! What’s one of your favorite running books?
My First Marathon
Watching the Chicago Marathon this past Sunday made me reminisce about my own experience running Chicago… it was my first marathon, back in 1990. Things were quite different then! How different, you ask? Well, the 1990 race (then sponsored by Old Style) was only the 13th running of the Chicago Marathon, and there were 6168 finishers. The course was different- I couldn’t tell you many details except that the last eight miles or so were a deathly boring out and back on Lakeshore Drive. And with that relatively small amount of runners, there was no rigamarole about getting into the race. You just dropped your application in the mailbox, and a few weeks later received your letter of confirmation. I was 24 years old and living in Florida at the time, but my family was back near Chicago where I grew up, so that seemed like a logical choice for my first marathon. Get ready for some poor quality pictures- all I have are some pictures my parents took at the finish line (and one from the start) on their 1990 camera. You might be thinking, wait! This was your first marathon! Don’t you have some professional pictures from the race? No I don’t, and there’s a reason… read on to find out, and also see a completely ridiculous clothing choice I made for the day! My longest long run before the marathon was 18 miles, and since I had done every single training run at a 10 minute mile pace, I told my family that I would be at the finish line at 4:20. I mean, obviously- right? I had also done all my training runs in the heat of Florida, so figured a nice crisp fall day in Chicago would make things feel easy. Ho ho! All I can really remember about the start of the race is that it was cold. When I asked my sister (who was there at the end to cheer me on) what she remembers, the first thing she said was, it was cold. So I looked it up- the race was on October 28th, and it was in the 30s at the start, and windy! Too cold for a Florida runner. I ran well until around 20 miles, where- surprise, surprise- I hit the wall. I didn’t know much about fueling, but I had taken a couple gels and was drinking Gatorade when it was offered. But those last six miles were P.A.I.N.F.U.L. For some reason, it helped me to run short stretches with my eyes shut. I definitely slowed down, but I didn’t stop- I ran the whole way. I know that picture was taken right before the finish line, because that’s where my mom, dad, and sister were, cheering loudly. The biggest lesson I learned was that I didn’t know what I didn’t know, going into it. Having a solid time goal for your first marathon is silly, and luckily I gave up on that early on and was proud to finish in 4:36. So why don’t I have an official picture of myself crossing the finish line? WELL… Again, since this was 1990 there were no digital photos. You would receive proofs of your photos in the mail, and could order what you wanted. My boyfriend at the time intercepted the mail and as a surprise to me, ordered a full size poster of me crossing the finish line. And it was a terrible picture- I even had my eyes closed. He gave it to me for Christmas, and I pretended to be happy. But I was actually so mad- I just wanted a picture of that moment. What was I supposed to do with a huge poster of myself, looking awful? Frame it and put it up in the living room? Somewhere along the way, that poster was “forgotten” in one of my many moves. I’m so glad I got to run a marathon back in the old days. No complicated training plan- no Garmin- no timing chips- no fancy gear (ahem, apparently!) I just figured if I could run 18 miles I could run a marathon, and I did it… the Old Style way. Who else is old enough to remember racing in the 90s? Do you have any awful race pictures? Do you look back at your clothing choices and cringe?
Weekly Rundown- The Mile
Hello! Welcome! One thing I can say around here is, no two weeks are the same. I got the results of my MRI and made some adjustments to my routine… read on! I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah for this weekly rundown. Let’s get started! Monday I did a 30 minute yoga flow class with my favorite, Denis Morton on the Peloton app in the morning. THEN, I CALLED THE DOCTOR. Rewind to last week… the doctor never called me with the results of the MRI I had on Wednesday. They seemed to feel that it was perfectly natural that I would be calling them (instead of the other way around, ahem) and the doctor told me… that there’s basically nothing wrong, other than the thickened plantar fascia. Even worse than the heel pain is the pain I’m feeling on the side of my foot. They even put a little marker on the spot when I had the MRI to make sure the radiologist looked at that area. So I was initially frustrated that nothing showed up. My doctor said he wanted to go ahead with PRP injections, but I decided it’s time for a new doctor. My current doctor is a sports chiropractor and he’s doing his best, but I want a podiatrist. I got a recommendation (he’s a runner!) and made the first appointment I could get, which is October 19th. In the meantime… Tuesday I started the day with a 2.5 mile walk. I just couldn’t face another pool run- I wanted to be moving forward. After the walk I did a 20 minute power yoga class (all classes this week were on the Peloton app with Denis Morton) and then in the afternoon, did a 30 minute slow flow class. Wednesday Started the day with a 60 minutes yoga flow class. Then… In the afternoon I went for a “walk.” Now, when I go for a “walk,” and I’m wearing my running clothes and shoes, what I really mean is, I’m going out for a brisk walk, BUT, if everything feels okay, I’ll probably break into a run. And that’s what I did! I walked one mile, and then decided my foot was feeling up to a little running. I ran a mile back home. AND IT FELT AMAZING. It’s funny what a difference one little mile makes. Just that short run boosted my mood tremendously. My digestion had been feeling off all week, and that run got it back on track. Thursday I did a 45 minute yoga flow in the morning. My foot hurt, but you know what? I don’t care. I had an MRI and there’s no damage to any bones, tendons, or ligaments. The current flare up seems to have calmed down, and I’m back to the usual heel pain. I might as well run, at least a little, until I see the doctor. Friday Did another 1 mile walk/1 mile run in the morning. This time it felt okay while I was running but the pain returned to the outside of my foot afterwards. Actually it hurt in a completely different place- I would love to know why, but I’ve learned not to ask that type of question. Again, I was just happy to run at all. Flashback to high school PE. I grew up in Illinois where it was a state law that everyone had PE, every single school day, K-12. That was fun in elementary school, but got worse and worse the older we got, particularly for us un-athletic teenagers. One dreaded event was when we had to run “the mile.” This occurred twice freshman year, and sporadically throughout the rest of high school. We ran on an indoor track which was 1/10 of a mile long. Ten times around that track was absolute torture. So funny to think of that now, when I’m begging and pleading the universe to “just let me run one mile” so I can feel better! After running “the mile” I did one of my favorite 20 minute power yoga classes- lots of lower body strength work. Saturday Did a 45 minute “slow flow” class in the morning. Until this week I avoided the slow flow classes, but now I’m really liking them. Taking more time in the poses does not make it easy! As Denis said “Just because we’re going slow doesn’t mean we’re not sweating..” In the afternoon I did two focus flow classes, recommended by Deborah in her last post, “The Best Peloton Yoga Classes for Runners.” I loved the hamstring focus because it was strength as well as flexibility, and the hip flow, well… it had my favorite pose! Funny thing- some of my muscles are so tight, I have to really modify a lot of poses. I can’t even think about doing the full pigeon, for example. But I am a pro at lizard pose- don’t ask me why. I always get happy when Denis says we’re going to do it- yes! Something I’m good at. Sunday I ran! This time I walked one mile and ran two miles!!! If the “me” of a year ago had looked at my current training log I would be like, what in the world???? Why am I running a mile? Why is my Sunday run only two miles? And what is up with all the YOGA??? Ha ha… times change, don’t they. My foot felt pretty good on this run, but I’m not fooling myself… I’m just managing the situation as best I can until I see the doctor. Running one or two miles feels way better than not running at all, so I’m going with it. Later on today I’ll be doing yoga… of course. And now… I’m watching the Chicago Marathon! Go Sara! Go Emma! Go Galen! I’m so excited for everyone running today. Are you watching the marathon? Who are you rooting for? Did you like PE in high school?