Bondi Band Review and Giveaway

So, about two weeks or so ago, I alluded to the fact that I was going to have a Bondi Band review and giveaway, and so I am!  However, given the fact that I have never done this before and have no idea of what I am doing, please bear with me.  First, though, the story behind the review, the review, then the giveaway....

Story Behind the Review 

(because everything has a story)

I was first introduced to Bondi Bands through a friend of mine who has for the past winter been sporting a nice variety of running headbands.  Always cute, they were hard not to notice.  When said friend mentioned she was bringing a friend to one of our local group runs to showcase her Bondi Band wares, I got excited.  Not being able to run with the group that day, I arrived late for coffee after my own workout at the gym, only to find most of the ladies in the group huddled around the Bondi Bands like a flock of Omas cooing over a new baby. While ordering my coffee, I realized I hadn't brought enough cash with me to make any extraneous purchases, so I sat down at the far end of the table - feeling a bit sorry for myself but not wanting to be tempted.  Upon leaving, though, I couldn't help but look through the colorful piles of fabric.  They were all so fun looking; it was hard to resist.  Much more fun than the boring single-color bands I had bought in the past at stores.  When one of my friends offered to float me a loan for the purchase of a band, I jumped on it.  I snapped up this fun little gem and off I ran.

One of my completely lovely self-"portraits."  After workout
Bondi Band shot.  No slipping!

Bondi Bands are even great for enjoying a beer after a race!

I put it on immediately and have worn it for almost every workout since.  (Hmm, since I work out six days a week, I imagine that's kind of gross to admit, isn't it?)

The Review

So, what are Bondi Bands?  They are headbands made with folks who live an active lifestyle in mind.  Made of stretchy, breathable fabric, they boast the ability to fit virtually any head size.  So, how did mine work for me?  Great!  The Bottom Line: I love this thing.  I have to admit I was a little dubious at first.  My hair is really straight and fine-textured, so finding a headband that actually stays in my hair for any length of time is HARD.  Mostly, they slip out during my workouts and generally just irritate me.  And, when I first put this one on and wore it around, I worried that it too might slip.  I found myself constantly reaching up and making micro adjustments for - as it turns out - no really good reason.  The band was solid.

And as promising as that was, wearing the Bondi Band while working out was even better than expected.  No slipping at all, especially once I started getting a bit sweaty.  (Oh wait, do women sweat?  Maybe I should say when I started to glow.)  It does a great job of keeping the sweat glow out of my face, is cute and comfortable.  It's lightweight; you can barely feel it's there.  I can wear it scrunched together like a regular headband or widened to cover my ears.  Over the ears it does a really decent job of keeping them warm.  And, as an added bonus, it washes well.  I don't know what the official instructions are, but mine has now been through the washer several times (and the dryer once by accident), and it still feels the same and looks as good as new.  Really, if I have any complaints about the Bondi Band, it's that I only have one of them!  (I'll soon be rectifying that.)

The Giveaway - Now Closed

So, now for the giveaway.  Thanks to Wisconsin Bondi Band rep Rachel Tattum, I have two gorgeous Bondi Bands to give away.  Both are adult sizes.  One is more for the girly-girl (pink hearts) and one is for the Packer fan.  I covet both of them, but I swear I have not worn them.  They are brand-spanking new.  I will have a hard time parting with them, but part with them I will.

Now, I guess this is where I am supposed to say that you have to be a follower of my blog to get one of these, but after some thought, I am not going to do that.  I really am writing this more for me, so simply follow if you are interested.  Otherwise, more importantly, to enter the giveaway you need to do one of two things: simply leave a comment below OR on my Facebook page saying that you're in for the contest and which band you'd prefer by March 24.  I'll randomly pick one person for each band on March 25 and announce the winners via this blog on March 26.  (Note: contest limited to US addresses.) That's it!  Easy peasy!  Feel free to pass this along.

Giveaways not your thing?  No problem!  I know that there are two running stores in Wisconsin that sell them - Run Away Shoes and Fleet Feet Fox Valley both in Appleton.  To contact the Wisconsin rep directly, e-mail Rachel Tattum at rttattum@gmail.com. Or, there is always the Bondi Band website at www.bondiband.com.

The Roller Coaster that is Life

Man, there are times when I just feel like I am riding a roller coaster - with running, life, everything.  This past week, I've had the best race experience (previously reported here), great mid-week runs, and a wonderful weekend getaway - all followed by one of the crappiest long runs I've had in a long time.

A Weekend Away

Let's start with the weekend. Saturday I was invited to spend a night with a group of ladies at a cottage up north.  If spending some time with four of my favorite running friends wasn't good enough, what made it even better was just getting away.

You can tell the group consisted of runners.

When I first told the Hubby about the invite, I expected rolling of eyes, gnashing of teeth, tearing out of hair (I don't get out much).  Instead what I got was a very supportive, sure, we'll make it work out.  So, Saturday morning around 10:45, with my bags packed and directions printed, I said good-bye to Hubby, E., and LG and hit the road.  An hour-and-a-half drive later, and I was there.  I wasn't sure what to expect.  The last trip I had done without the family had been two years previously, so I felt a bit out of practice when it comes to being on my own for a getaway.  I shouldn't have worried, though; I had a blast.  We were only gone for 24 hours, but we crammed a lot of shopping, food, wine, cards, and talking into that time.  I don't think I've laughed so hard in a long time.

Cards held high to protect the innocent.

I am glad that I enjoyed myself so much, because it became apparent that when I got home I wasn't missed as much as I had thought I would be.  While I expected shouts of joy when I walked through the door, I got "oh, hi."  Seeing as everyone was ensconced in a rousing game of Batman on the Wii, I was barely acknowledged.  When pressed later, LG even admitted proudly that he hadn't missed me a bit.  "No, really.  I'm not lying.  I didn't miss you."  Feeling the love here.  The other thing I missed by being away was E. being sick.  Apparently too much spinning around at the park. Hubby took it all in stride and all was good.

One thing about being away with a bunch of running friends is that - of course - the talk turned to running, so I came home with some good ideas on how to start introducing speed work into my regimen.  I'll be putting them into play in the next week or so, so we'll see how that goes.

The Need for Speed

Speaking of speed work, I had already started playing around with it this past Friday, and that went okay.  The kids had the day off so that left me having to get in five miles on the treadmill.  This is not my favorite thing to do.  Aside from the fact that I am just not a treadmill type of gal, stopping every few minutes to yell at LG for throwing legos is not fun.

Rule #1: Don't throw the legos near the treadmill.  Rule #2: Don't throw the legos near the CF light bulb!  

Anyway, I thought since I was a captive audience anyway, I might as well use it to my advantage.  So, after doing a two-mile warm-up, which included me wearing my new Cortanas, I switched back to the Pegasus and started the speed workout.  What I chose to do, based on Hubby's recommendation was to try for three two-minute intervals at a speed as fast as I could stand.  I didn't exactly know what that would be, so it was trial and error for a bit there.  After managing only one minute at 7:30 pace for my first interval, I decided to take it down to 8:00 pace.  That at least was a pace I could manage for two minutes.I wouldn't say that this first attempt at speedwork went terribly, but it definitely was a challenge.  My legs were feeling it for the couple of days after.

I have worn the Cortanas twice now and the jury is still out 

on whether or not I love them.  I definitely like them.  

They feel really comfortable, but I still need to get used 

to the 4mm drop.  They are really taxing my shins 

and calves right now, so I am hoping a couple of 

miles twice a week will be enough to help me work into them.

Seven Miles and Counting

Given the weekend away, I didn't get in my long run Sunday, so yesterday morning after dropping LG off at school, I headed out.  I fully intended to do my typical Sunday routine of two hours of exercise - running and elliptical.  Yeah, that didn't work out.  I got the run in - seven miles outside in the mild temps.  Unfortunately, my first seven miler since the injury became acute didn't feel really comfortable.  I don't know if it's the time change, repercussions from too much wine on the weekend or what, but running was a struggle.  I was tired, and I seemed to be suffering more aches and pains than usual.  I didn't help myself out either.  I was really shooting for an average pace of 10:00 to 10:30, which I achieved (10:10 for the whole run), but the first four miles or so were done at an average 9:40 pace, so faster than I would have liked.  Try as I might, though, I couldn't get my pace down to 10:00 comfortably - well, that is, until I crashed and really slowed down.  I can see where the run/walk might come in handy.

Once back inside, I managed about ten minutes on the elliptical before calling it quits.  It wasn't that I was tired, rather the inside of my left knee was hurting.  I've had this happen one time before on the elliptical, and I am not sure what causes it, but it's a show stopper.  With any luck, like the time before, this won't become a regular fixture of elliptical usage.  Also, hopefully with a couple of days of better sleep, I'll be feeling a bit more energized all around.  Happy running!

No-Chocolate Challenge: Day 21 - Still no chocolate here, and I have even resisted serious get-out-of-town weekend temptation.  Take that, Challenge!

No-Chocolate Challenge: Day 18 - Faced with bowls full of
peanut and regular M&Ms, I resisted.

There was some debate on whether
the Chocolate Raspberry Port should actually be
considered chocolate or not.

After checking out the contents of a glass,
it was decided that this was NOT chocolate.

Saying good-bye to Bob

Alright, I am not going to over-write this one.  I got a haircut. It's short.  I'm not sure I like it yet.

I have had my hair cut really short probably three times in my life, and I have always gone back to the bob.  Lately, though, that sturdy style has let me down.  Whereas before my hair was always sleek and smooth and one length, it has lately gotten more and more gray in it.  That has changed the texture, led to more breakage, and generally has caused it to look like a fuzzy frizz bomb when worn in the faithful bob.  So, given the options of coloring my hair, using a ton of styling products on it, or cutting it short, I opted for short.  I am still getting used to it, but so far I am good with it.  Short is cool.  If anything, I think I would want it shorter - more pixie-cut-like.  We'll see.  I have five weeks to adapt or not before the next haircut.

In any case, here I am capturing the moment on film.  Taking pix of oneself is not an easy task, I found.  (Next time, I'll ask Distance Dude or E. to help out.)  What becomes abundantly clear to me from these pictures is that 1) I need to clean the mirror, 2) I look older than the last time I really looked, and 3) I have to work on my smile so I can pull this off better.  Since I believe most people look inherently better when they smile, I am thinking I had better keep smiling.

Point Bock 5 Mile Race Report

On Saturday, I ran the best five-mile race of my life, got a PR (43:23), and had a great time doing it.

The Point Bock 5 Mile Run in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, is sponsored by the Stevens Point Brewery. It was started by runners in 1982 as a 5K and 10K event, and timing of the event was used as a means to showcase new Point beers.  After the brewery changed hands in the early 90s, the race was discontinued for some years before reemerging in its current 5 Mile form. The race registration comes relatively cheaply at only $20.  With that you get the run, a long-sleeved black t-shirt (which was really nice this year), and three drink tickets in the beer tent after the race.  So, here's my recap:

Friday night, the night before the race, I was a little worried about what race day would bring.  Despite a mild winter so far, Mother Nature saw fit to dump 5 to 7 inches of snow on us Friday afternoon into the wee hours of Saturday morning.  Waking up to a winter wonderland would have been wonderful if the race weren't looming on the horizon.  Unlike me, who mentally whimpered like a little baby, my hubby took it like a man and headed out bright and early to snow blow the driveway.  Once ready, we hopped into the car and hit the stores for some errands.  We needed to be at the bus by 9 a.m. but were first charged with picking up bagels and water for everyone.  Luckily, the roads were for the most part plowed, so getting to the stores and on the road was not quite as tricky as I would have thought.

Full bus of crazy fun running friends!

We made it to our running club's bus by 8:30 a.m.  Plenty of time to spare.  In fact, while the bus was already there, we were only the second set of passengers to have arrived.  This was our running club's third foray into an organized bus trip for an event, and the second time doing it for Point Bock.  Each trip has been wildly successful with each trip being slightly more wildly successful than the last.  For this year's Point Bock, we nearly filled a 50-some passenger bus.

The ride up to Stevens Point was somewhat subdued as everyone woke up and mentally prepared themselves for the race.  With the weather looking the way it was, I don't think too many people were expecting great racing conditions.  For myself, I just sipped on the coffee I had brought along, chatted with friends, and focused on timing my pre-race sandwich and banana correctly.  (With a noon start, I didn't want to get too hungry.)  The bus ride was great for the fact that we didn't have to do the driving, worry about parking, or any of that.

We arrived with plenty of time to spare - about an hour and a half before race start.  The bus had a nice cozy niche next to a loading dock to park, and after doing some artful maneuvering around a handful of parked cars that had me closing my eyes and cringing, the bus driver had us neatly tucked into our spot.  The bus would remain open for the duration of the event, heat running, bathroom available.  No doubt highly unenvironmental, but oh so decadent given the run on most race porta-potties.

A short walk to packet pickup had us race ready with about an hour and fifteen minutes left to go before the start.  Back on the bus, most people used that time to change clothes.  Since I had already gotten dressed, all I needed to do was slip off my winter boots and put on my Nike Pegasus.  With the weather being a balmy 28 degrees, I had thought I would wear two long-sleeve technical shirts and my lightweight shell jacket.  However, friends convinced me to strip down to bare bones, that I would be too warm in the jacket.  After some thought, I decided to take the plunge and pinned my number to shirt #2.  I had NEVER raced without a jacket in such conditions so this was going to be a new experience for me.  I felt a bit like I was going out on a limb, but - realistically - I have always been too hot for my races anyway, even in winter, so what did I really have to lose?

With an hour left until the start, the faster folks in our group started heading out for their warm-ups.  The reports back indicated that the roads were actually in good condition, and you could tell that they were starting to revise their goals.  I think most of them decided they would go for it.  At this point, I was still sitting on the bus.  I had never done a pre-race warm-up before in my life, and I didn't think I was going to start now.  But, then I thought, why not?  I am going to race without a jacket, why not try something else new?  So, out of the bus I went, by myself, sheepishly, to be honest, and started jogging down the street.  I had no idea of what a warm-up should consist of, so I headed down one block, turned around, came back, headed down another block, turned around, came back, and called it good.  When I told the more experienced runners what I had done, they just chuckled.  I believe I did something wrong, but I am still not sure what.  Ah well.  Mostly, I was just hoping I hadn't just destroyed my last half mile of the race.

As race time approached, I finally put down the coffee I had been sipping on and switched to water.  I ate a GU, and then with about eight minutes to spare it was time to head out.

Heading to the start.  Could I look more worried?

Strangely, even at 28 degrees, it wasn't that uncomfortable standing around at the start.  Maybe the excitement of the race kept me warm, but I didn't feel that miserable.  Once the gun sounded, I started my music, and took off.  I hadn't really come into the race with a plan, more to just run the way I felt, and that's what I did.  I had had an easy exercise week and taken the day before off, so there was no real reason I couldn't push myself a bit during the race.

So, I did run by feeling - so that it felt uncomfortably hard.  I have to say it's been a while since I ran a race where already in the first mile I was doubting I could pull this off.  I knew I was running too fast.  I thought to myself maybe I should slow down and do a speed I knew I could maintain, but then I thought who cares?  So what if I bonked?  It's not like I'd win an award either way, might as well just go for it.

So, the results:

Mile 1 - 8:24
Mile 2 - 8:36
Mile 3 - 8:48
Mile 4 - 8:52
Mile 5 - 8:43

Mile 1 went well.  It was typical of any first mile of any race I have ever done.  I went out way too fast (for me), and wasn't surprised when the mile split was called off at 8:35.  I forgot to factor in that I actually crossed the start line a bit after the clock was started.  After that I refused to look at my watch.  I didn't want to stress myself out like that.  I was going to do this thing by feel after all.

Mile 2 was arguably the hardest mile from a conditions standpoint.  For most of that mile we were running into the wind, and that made it hard.  I just put my head down and told myself it was the headwind that made that mile feel harder.

By the time we were approaching the halfway point turnaround, the faster folks were streaming past us coming the other way.  I saw Distance Dude and some other fast folks in the club, but then I just put my head down.  I was feeling the effort and was really getting thirsty.  From the year before I remembered that there was a water station at the turn, and I was really looking forward to grabbing a drink and walking through the station.

Given how thirsty I was, imagine my dismay when I reached the turn and there was NO WATER.  Mentally, I thought I was about to break down.  I was beyond thirsty at that point.  The GU I had had and all the coffee were taking their toll.  I couldn't believe they wouldn't have water.  I tried to think of reasons why.  Was it too cold?  Did something go wrong?  Was I simply remembering the race wrong from the year before?  I had thoughts of eating snow.  I had thoughts of simply giving up and walking some.  Seriously, I didn't think I could make it without water.  This was one of the first races in a long time I didn't take a water bottle to carry, and mentally I was devastated by the betrayal of no fluids.  My mental breakdown only lasted a quarter of a mile, happily.  I then decided I would just keep running, the faster to be done.

By the time I reached Mile 3, I was overjoyed to finally catch sight of the water station.  (I obviously had passed it without seeing it.) Although water was handed out in dixie cups only half full, it was still water and I took three of them.  I walked through the station (plus a little), gulping those little gems down like desert camels must when they find an oasis.  By the time I finished my drinks I had passed the last garbage can and - rather than to litter - I crumpled the cups up and carried them with me to the finish.  (By the way, as it turns out, if I had read the pre-race emails OR listened to the pre-race announcements, I would have known that the water station had been moved.   Oops.)

Somewhere before the water station.

During the fourth mile, I felt a bit recharged from the water and the feeling that I hadn't been betrayed after all.  Somehow I felt all was good.  Plus, I had the wind at my back.  I was still feeling worn out, but I also still felt strong somehow.  I was even passing some people.  Running along at this point, I got another club member in my sights - a gentleman who by rights shouldn't be that much faster than me.  I used him shamelessly for motivation to pull me forward.  I did eventually pass him and felt pretty smug chugging along.  Unfortunately, he later told me he had the same thought processes about me, because it wasn't too long after that - in the last mile - that he passed me.

So, the last mile.  That was HARD.  In fact, while I had thought the entire race was hard, effort-wise, that last mile was devastatingly hard.  I can't believe all the thoughts of quitting that flutter through one's mind.  My legs felt heavy, drained, my breathing was beyond ragged (in fact, I am happy I had music on so I didn't have to listen to it), and I just wanted to be done.  However, for whatever reason, I just kept going.  I really never did look at my watch during the event, but listening to the splits called off, I knew enough to realize I had a shot to get in under 45 minutes.

Coming over the finish line with 43:23 on the watch felt amazing.  A PR!  But more than that.  It was proof that I can go faster if I want.  Proof that if I train, I might have a shot at getting even better.  That's something I had all but given up on.  Oh, and as a final comment - one thing that was amazing about this race for me?  No aches or pains during the run, at least not so as I would notice.  (The shin of course is sore after, but I expected that.)

So, the race itself is a really fun event.  It's capped, so while it is a large event, it doesn't seem overcrowded.  The course is all along paved roads and follows an out-and-back route.  The middle mile is pretty going along the river, but most is non-descript roadway.

As far as I can tell, there are two big draws to this race.  1) It is fast and flat, so people out for speed have a good shot at achieving their goals. 2) The beer.  That's a no brainer, I guess.  Three full-sized beers are a big draw for - ahem - some people.  I found I liked the 2012 Black Ale well enough and enjoyed a couple of those.

All in all, I would definitely recommend this race for anyone who happens to be in the area.  A 5-Mile event in early March is a great way to break up the winter, and the beer afterwards is a fine reward for a job well done.

Full tent after the race.

Cheers to the beers - and the PR!

Happy running!

PR at the Point Bock

Well, who knew?  I got a PR at the Point Bock Run yesterday,... finished in 43:23, for an 8:40 average pace.  This is - by far!!! - the fastest I have ever run.  I'll post a race recap later.  But, in the meantime, Cheers to the PR!

Rest Day Today ... Race Tomorrow

I don't really have much to talk about today, so on the off chance that you have stumbled upon my little blog for the first time, please feel free to scroll down to find some better Tales.  They're there.  They're just not here.

So, yesterday I decided I would sign up for one of those online training logs that I am always hearing about.  I chose Daily Mile mostly because of the fancy widget I could put up here.  It also seemed the most simple and straightforward to use (out of the two I actually compared.)  I think it will be a fun way to keep track of miles, although I won't retire my Excel spreadsheet quite yet.  I am really pretty new to the whole training log concept.  (The spreadsheet is only a month old!)  I have never kept one for any length of time.  I guess this is just another sign that I am getting more serious about this running thing.

Speaking of running, tomorrow is the Point Bock 5 Mile Run that I am signed up for.  Our running club is actually putting on a bus trip for it.  This is the second year we will have taken the bus down, and I am looking forward to it.  Last year, we had it pretty good: the bus parked right by the start line afforded us our own bathroom and a place to wait in heated comfort for the race to begin.  Of course, we only had the bus half full last year, so we had a lot of room to spread out.  This year, the bus is full, so I am curious to see if that really impacts the experience or not.  I am sure it will, but to what degree, who knows?

I never did really set a goal for the Point Bock.  I think I will settle for just a good steady run and hopefully feeling good afterwards.  I am taking today off and this has been a 70%-effort week, so there should be no excuses for not running harder.  With me, though, you never know.  I could wake up tomorrow and feel that there is a toe out of joint or something.

Of course, of greater concern than MY health is the health of the weather.  It's been a ridiculously mild winter this year - more days over 40 degrees than in the past four winters combined.  That being said, there is a snowstorm moving in and 4-7 inches of snow are predicted for our area overnight.  Nice.  I refuse to think about it until I wake up tomorrow morning.  I am assuming the bus will go regardless, but then are we going to be slogging through snow for the run?   Maybe I should take my snowshoes.

Results of yesterday's kitchen creativity:

The vinegar and salt kale chips were .... interesting.  Really, they don't taste too bad, but for the effort you put in, you sure don't get much.  The kids kind of liked them surprisingly, though.  LG said he didn't, but then he kept eating them. Finally, he admitted he "liked them a little."  E. ate them happily enough.

The molasses oatmeal cookies could just as well be called Cookie Dough cookies.  They really just taste like cookie dough.  They're not terrible, but definitely missing something in my opinion: raisins, chocolate chips, something.  Anyway, E. gobbled these up.  She snuck three before I caught on.  LG doesn't care for them, but that wasn't a surprise.  He is known for nibbling the add-ins out of cookies and leaving the cookie dough part.  I think I'll try them again, but I already have some ideas of how to modify them.

When Thursdays turn into Mondays

I hate Thursdays.  Really.  Most people have it in for Mondays.  With me it's Thursdays.  This is the one day of the week where we just don't have to be anywhere or do anything.  Once LG and I drop E. off at school, it's just us, the house, and the rest of the great, long day.  It's the day that the laundry calls, the clutter beckons, and everything seems to ask Are you going to finally get around to cleaning us?  Games and books with LG help, but they don't consume the whole day.

Other days of the week, we have school, runs, errands, and play dates.  Thursdays are just Thursdays.  The only thing I have to break up the monotony of the day is rowing, which LG resents for some reason.  He doesn't mind if I am moving around the house doing stuff, but parking my behind on the rower irritates him.  I still do it, but it messes with the Zen of the moment to know that I am making him grumpy.

As a cure for the Thursday blues, we have come up with two things to brighten the day.  The first is lunch at my daughter's school.  Unfortunately, we are losing out on that today.  My daughter lost the privilege of lunch when she threw a screaming fit about what to wear this morning.  I admit I lost my temper and told her if she didn't get herself ready on time, LG and I weren't going to lunch.  I thought that would get her moving fast enough to make it to school on time.  It didn't.  The plan backfired.  Now I feel we're all losing out.  Next time, I will think of a better alternative.  I don't want her or us missing out on these special times.  In the meantime, I am left with the feeling that this is just going to be one of those days I will look back on and say I really stepped in it as a parent.

That leaves us with the other thing that brightens our Thursdays - kitchen creativity.  Thursdays are a good day for LG and I to putz around in the kitchen and make stuff.  Today, we have salt and vinegar kale chips slowly dehydrating in the oven.  I have never made this recipe, but hopefully it will be as good as it sounds.  (Yes, truly.  It sounds good to me.)  Next on tap we're going to test out a recipe (roughly followed, half made up) for molasses oatmeal cookies.  It's a bit of a stretch for me, but with the no-chocolate challenge, I am left with stretching.

Hey! Maybe that's what I need.  LG and I actually used to go to a kids-and-parents yoga class a few times on Thursdays, but the schedule has since changed.  Maybe we both just need a little yoga to help us through our Thursdays.  Child's pose, anyone?

Cream of Whatever Soup

So, here's a recipe that even a four-year-old will eat - my four-year-old, that is.  In fact, this is something he'll eat leftovers of, which is miraculous.  The boy is normally offended by the idea of leftovers.  (Disclaimer: while LG gobbles this up, E. doesn't like it.  She'll eat it, but she doesn't like it.)  Anyway, I am not posting a picture, because, frankly, the soup isn't that pretty.  It's good, though, and easily made vegan.  Vegetables can be varied according to taste; that's why I named it what I did.  The following is simply a recipe that works for us at this point in time.  This is also a good candidate for the crock pot.

1 TBSP olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

6-8 medium potatoes, chopped
1/2 head cauliflower, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
6 cups of vegetable broth
1 heaping TBSP dried basil
1 scant tsp dried oregano
Shredded cheese of choice (we use cheddar jack) - optional

Heat oil in pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and garlic and saute until softened.  Add chopped vegetables and saute for five minutes or so.  (Add more oil, if needed.) Add broth (make sure it's enough to cover the vegetables), basil, and oregano.  Cook on the stove until vegetables are cooked through, or throw it into a crock pot to cook.  When vegetables are cooked through, use an immersion blender to puree the soup.  Ladle into bowls and add shredded cheese.  Done and delicious.

Happy Running!

Deep Tissue Torture

I love massages. Whether it's a Swedish massage administered by a chiropractor wannabe in a Hungarian bathhouse (another story for another time), a tear-evoking reflexology massage in the Czech Republic, or a spa hot-stone massage with aromatherapy and new age music, it makes no matter.  I love them.  Of all the massages I have had though, my favorite of late is the deep tissue massage (DTM).

Pre-race and post-race massages are the BEST!

Yesterday was my fourth long-awaited DTM.  I had been anticipating this for almost three weeks since I set up the appointment.  I had high hopes that this might help nail the cause of my shin problem.  Does that seem odd to put so much faith into a massage?  I suppose it does.  However, it was when I had my hip problem last year, and after going to PT for a month or two, that I experienced my first DTM.  I had never had one before.  I came out of that hour-long session feeling beat up, bruised, and completely worked over.  I hobbled around for a day or so, and then, miraculously, I started feeling better.  I had told the massage therapist about the hip and she spent quite a bit of time working on the muscles surrounding it.  I truly believe she was the last thing I needed to set things right.  With the muscles professionally loosened, it was almost as if the PT exercises could take better hold, and my recovery proceeded at a much faster rate than previously.

So, what is DTM?  According to www.massagetherapy.com:

Techniques that utilize deep-tissue/deep-muscle massage are administered to affect the sub-layer of musculature and fascia. These techniques require advanced training and a thorough understanding of anatomy and physiology. ... It helps with chronic muscular pain and injury rehabilitation and reduces inflammation-related pain caused by arthritis and tendinitis. 

This is not your Swedish grandmother's massage.  This is NOT a relaxing experience.  It starts out pleasantly enough.  I think the practitioner tries to lull you into a false sense of comfort and security before going to work.  After all, if you are too tense, they can't get past the surface muscle to work the deeper layers beneath.  If the massage is done right, in my opinion, it can send you screaming for your mommy be slightly uncomfortable.  In my experience, the more knotted up the muscles are, the more slightly uncomfortable it will be.

Hubby is not as big of a fan of massage as I am.  I got
him a massage gift certificate a few months ago for his
birthday and he has yet to use it.  I keep eyeing it.
If it isn't used soon; it will be reclaimed.

Will yesterday's Deep Tissue Massage hold the same magic for my shin as last year's did for my hip? I don't know.  I hope it does, although only time will tell that.  Right now, I feel completely bruised on my left side - my hamstring particularly.  During massage, the therapist found that my left hamstring, quad and calf were all tight, with the hamstring being the biggest offender.  With the idea that it might not be the shin that is the true culprit, rather all these other muscles pulling on it and causing it to work harder, she dug her fingers and elbows into the knotted muscle.  The result?  I once again feel like someone worked me over with a baseball bat.  Experience tells me, though, that in a day or so that will resolve and I will be left with - what I was looking for all along - deeply relaxed and more flexible leg muscles.  

Weekly update:

I suppose I should write something about my week so far.   It's been pretty good run-wise.  I ran on Sunday for 42 minutes (70 percent of last week's effort) and did the elliptical for 42 minutes, too.  Both felt great, however I was not able to ice right away and the shin area felt inflamed most of Sunday and Monday, too.  So frustrating.

As alluded to, this week I am doing 70 percent of last week's effort.  Additionally, I will probably be taking Friday off in anticipation of the Point Bock 5 Mile Run I am participating in on Saturday.  I am so used to exercising while LG is in pre-school on Fridays that I am not even sure what I will do with myself.  A nice problem to have.

The ab fab Fab Abs Challenge is nearly at an end!  Today is the last day.  Unbelievable.  And to think I almost didn't do the exercises last night.  After the massage, I was feeling too beat up and mellow at the same time.  My husband guilted me into it, though, so I am on track for finishing today with NO MISSED DAYS.  (I'm very proud of that.) What's next?  I am not sure.  I already have two options - a plank challenge someone posted and a 100-push-up challenge, posted over at Neurosis of the Stay at Home Marathoner of 3 (Kids).  So, I don't know exactly what I will end up doing, but I do know I will do something.  I have had a lot of fun doing the Fab Abs Challenge.  I can't wait for the next one.

One week down in the No-Chocolate Challenge!  I can't believe I have gone a whole week without chocolate.  It has had its ups and downs, but all in all it hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be, at least not yet.  The worst thing so far is that I seem to be hungry every night.  I wonder if my body is missing that extra 100-200 calories of chocolate that it used to have.  I guess we'll see how it goes.

Coming Soon! Bondi Band Giveaway!  Stay tuned for a review and giveaway of Bondi Bands!  More details to follow.

Happy Running!

Hills: What a Pain in the Butt

You know you haven't run hills for a while when you wake up the morning after with the equivalent of a butt hangover.  That visual not working for you?  Then, suffice it to say, my gluteus maximus is feeling more gluteus minimus this morning.

I was up for a 45-minute run yesterday at a pace that would be a bit faster than my slower long runs.  (Like the way I am so scientific with my training?  It's probably a part of why I am an "average" runner and not Speedy Gonzales.)  So, with a light snowfall gracing the day, I took off from LG's pre-school and decided I would run a hilly route I haven't visited since pre-marathon training.  I don't know what made me decide to try hills on the same day I wanted to run a bit faster than normal, but usually when I get an idea in my head it is best to follow through on it.  So, off I went.

The route is almost five miles long and follows a length of river in our little town.  It's a nice route to run, and with the snow falling and not too much traffic, it was a really peaceful 45 minutes.  It was just what I needed after dropping LG off at pre-school.  Seeing him trying to be friends with other kids and having them shy away from him left me sad, and I needed to clear that out of my head.  It's tough when your kids are not shy at all, but others are.

I saw an amazing bald eagle flying overhead on my run.

I managed to run the entire distance at an average 9:32 pace.  My target was 9:30, so I was really happy with my effort.  Dragging my butt up and down five hills left me feeling like I had had a really decent workout, and it took my mind off of everything but the current effort.  It was great.

At the end of the run, my legs felt heavy and used up, but after walking it out a bit and then doing fifteen easy minutes on the elliptical, as well as some stretching, they felt okay again - well, more or less.

Somehow running always changes the way I look at things.  Picking LG up from school we went to the gymnastics center and saw that some of his school friends' parents had had the same idea.  Watching him play for an hour with the other boys and girls put my mind at ease that he does get along with his peers.  It never fails to amaze me that in any given situation, you can either see good things happening or bad.  Life really is what you make of it: not just in regards to what you accomplish but also how you perceive those accomplishments or challenges.

After the workout yesterday, I did end up putting on compression socks for the rest of the day and icing twice.  My shin feels okay today, although both knees are a bit sore.  The big complainer is the bottom, though.  Clearly it is telling me that more hills are in order.

On tap this week is a reduced time/mileage week - 70% of current effort.  Then on Saturday, I have a five-mile race.  I am excited for that, but I haven't quite worked out what my goal for it should be.  I want to aim for more than just finishing, but I think I will wait to see how I feel later this week before settling on a goal.

Happy Running!

No-Chocolate Challenge: Day 4 - Denying the chocolate chip pancake

So, today was a little harder with the no-chocolate challenge.  I kind of shot myself in the foot by promising my kids I would make them pancakes this morning, because invariably they ask for chocolate chip pancakes.  I was kind of hoping that we wouldn't have any chocolate chips on hand, but, of course, we did - three-quarters of a bag of Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips.  So, I made the kids their pancakes and then searched for an equally good alternative for my own....  What I came up with? Date and walnut pancakes.  They were very good, and I even made myself clean the melted chocolate off of the spatula before flipping my 'jacks.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes BEFORE

Chocolate Chip Pancakes AFTER

Chocolate Chip Pancakes REALLY AFTER

Preparing the dates and walnuts

Date and walnut pancakes DONE and DELICIOUS!

Basic Vegan Pancake Recipe:

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1/4 cup oatmeal

1/4 cup sugar

2 TBSP baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

3 tsp Ener-G egg replacer

4 TBSP warm water

1 1/2 cups soymilk (plus some extra) - I use Silk unsweetened.

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Mix-ins of choice (have done chocolate chips, blueberries, dates, walnuts)

Stir together the first eight ingredients in large bowl.  Mix together the Ener-G and water in small bowl.  Add the soymilk and oil and stir to mix.  Add the liquid mixture to the dry and whisk together. Add enough additional soymilk to make a pourable batter.  Pour the batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a non-stick hot griddle.  Turn when bubbles form on top.  Done when both sides are golden brown.

No-Chocolate Challenge: Day 3

Just for fun, I thought I would record how this No-Chocolate Challenge goes.  So far, cravings are not bad, but I did pack leftover chocolate from Valentine's Day in the kids' lunch/snack bags today so I could get it out of the house.

One worry that I have started to have is that with chocolate off of the menu, will I start seeking out and perhaps developing a taste for non-chocolate sweets?  Although I am a chocoholic, my one saving grace is that I have never really had a sweet tooth for other items.  Candy, baked goods, pies, cakes, cookies?  If it didn't have chocolate, I wasn't that tempted.  With chocolate deprivation underway, though, to what extremes will I go?  And - gasp - what if I start liking these non-chocolate goodies?  Then, when chocolate is back on the menu, will I then have even more bad habits than when I started?  I guess I won't know for a while.  Three days down, Thirty-seven to go.

Day 2 had me already looking for alternative sweets (not good), but I made it hard on myself.  The result?  Homemade cinnamon bread.  Delicious!  No redeeming health value, but tasty!

My 40-Day Run from Chocolate

My favorite chocolate bar right now
Chocolove - Check them out at
www.chocolove.com

So, the other day was the start of Lent, and ... drumroll, please ... I decided to give up chocolate.  Horror of horrors, I know.  This may not be a big deal to some, but for me it is monumental.  I am addicted to chocolate.  Seriously.  I don't think a day goes by where I don't have chocolate in some form or another.  It's probably my one true uncontrolled indulgence.  So, why give it up, especially since I usually don't give up anything for Lent?  I don't know really.  I guess I want to see if I can do it.  Maybe I feel the need for a personal challenge, and since running isn't really giving me any in the near future, I thought this might be a good option.  So, what are my goals with this?  Well, pretty basic:

1. To see if I can actually do this without driving myself crazy (so far I have been obsessing about whether or not I'll actually remember I am doing this)
2. To see if I can get past the NEED for daily chocolate.  How nice it would be to have a passing craving for chocolate and be able to tell myself, No, I don't think so. Not right now.  

So far I am dubious.  Already this morning, as I reached for the carton of chocolate Silk - with the idea of adding it to my coffee - I had to mentally smack myself.  I have the feeling there will be a lot of those Oops moments.  Wish me luck on my journey of self-deprivation....I'll need it.

The unintentional run analysis

So, Tuesday I went to see my PT again for a scheduled appointment and managed to get some exercise in at the same time.  Since whenever I go in my shin doesn't seem to be bothering me, I decided I would arrive a half hour early, use their treadmill, and see if I could "light up" the injury site.  I set the machine at 6 mph and managed to get in 26 minutes before my appointment.  I threw in a couple of five-minute intervals at 7 mph just to see if I could do it (I could), and tried to ignore the fact that in the last five minutes, the PT started videotaping me for a running analysis.  

Overall, the appointment went well.  My running analysis didn't reveal too much.  I overpronate slightly on one side and have some hip dropping on the other.  I heel strike a bit, but not significantly, and my cadence is pretty good (about 176 strides per minute).  Some good news, too:  my core is STRONG.  Apparently, I don't show a lot of core weakness.  I'll credit the Fab Abs challenge for that.  The weird part about the appointment?  Running for 26 minutes didn't really get the shin to hurt.  Go figure.  Either I have to exercise longer to get that response, or the treadmill is somehow more forgiving.  

PT#1 still seems to think this is a tightness issue, exacerbated by the fact that I am not resting it completely.  She thinks if I were just to sit around and do nothing, this would go away relatively quickly.  However, since I have chosen to stay active, I am stuck taking one step back for every two steps forward.  But, as long as what is happening with me is still considered a recovery, I guess I am okay with that.

I thought I was a pretty stable person, but apparently I need more stability in my life

One thing the PT did recommend is that I look into getting into some mild stability shoes.  This suggestion would have come as a complete surprise if the lady at the running store on Sunday hadn't just told me the exact same thing.  I don't know why I need mild stability now after I have been told for the past few years that I am a solid neutral runner, but I am willing to give anything a try.  Stability shoes in the past have not worked for me, but that was before I knew about mild stability.  So, yesterday it was back to the running store to try on shoes once again.

Saucony Cortana - www.saucony.com

The pair I actually like - but have yet to buy - are in fact neutral shoes that have enough stability in them to cross over into the mild stability category.  Unfortunately, they are also the most expensive shoes I have ever considered buying.  The fact that they are rated for up to 600 miles makes me feel a little bit better about the $140 price tag, but not much.  The sad part, though, is that of all the shoes I have tried on in the past couple of months, they are the ones that feel the most comfortable.  I have now tried these shoes twice, and I like them, but the guy at the running store wants me to hold off until I can try another pair of shoes they are bringing in from another store.  He thinks I might like those better.  So, I wait.

Since I ran on Tuesday at the PT's office, I thought I would just try to do some sprints on the track yesterday, so I went upstairs and warmed up for five minutes and then let 'er rip.  Three 45-60 second sprints around the track at top speed, interspersed with recovery jogs left me whooped.  You can tell I don't normally do speed work.  I only did this for fifteen minutes total, so not a huge effort.  And, I have to say that, despite feeling like I was going to hork up a lung after, I enjoyed the challenge.  Really.  There might even be some more speed work in my future.  In fact, I might actually do a little research on how one is actually supposed to do it.  I followed up my brief run with 30 minutes on the rowing machine and 15 minutes on the elliptical.  A good well-rounded effort, I would say.

After picking up the Little Guy from pre-school, we headed over to the gymnastics center for some playtime.  That was a blast and allowed LG to get in his exercise, too.  Unfortunately, that also meant I didn't ice right away, and - perhaps as a result - the shin was more sore the rest of the day.  Ah well.  If nothing else, I think I am finally starting to learn to recognize the triggers and how to work around this a bit now.  That's something, I suppose.

Calling in the physical therapy reinforcements

Yesterday saw me heading back over to my physical therapist's office for a consult with another PT in the practice.  PT #1, I guess, wanted a second opinion.  I didn't mind, because I know and like PT #2 as well.  But, also, I am getting really tired of hurting and want to fix this weird shin problem of mine.

Part of my frustration is that I am getting antsy.  Mentally, I am chomping at the bit to get going again, to really run with abandon, not worrying about distance or speed, just get back to the JOY of running.  And, not only that, I want to IMPROVE. Title of this blog aside, I don't just want to get back to where I was, I want to get BETTER.  There, I have said it.  I admit it.  I am putting it out there for anyone to see.  I have struggled with being average for years, seemingly getting nowhere fast as far as race times are concerned.  But, the truth is, that I want to be FASTER.  I don't anticipate rising up out of the "average" category, but I want to be a faster average.  This past October, I really got bitten by the marathon bug, and I want to do more of them.  However, my preference would be to knock my five-hour marathon time down to around four hours.  Why?  Because if I want to do more of these, I don't want to be out there any longer than I have to.  PT #2 thinks it's possible.  I just have to design a program to get me there.  But, first, of course, I have to get to feeling better.

So, yesterday PT #2 and I had a really nice, long talk about what I have been doing over the past couple of years (and the last couple of months specifically), my plans, and my goals.

After our conversation, if nothing else was clear, this was: I overdid things last year.  Going from a two-Half-Marathon-a-year-at-most schedule to five Halves and one Whole in a year probably didn't do my body any good, especially since I really didn't go out of my way to help myself recover and rest in between.  She straight out told me that this will most likely not be a busy race year for me.  However, she feels that I can get to where I want to be eventually.

Specifically, the upshot of my chat with PT #2 is that this is most likely not a stress fracture, but I now have some signs to look for.  I will keep an eye on things and if those signs start creeping in, I will go see a sports med. doc.  Basically, it sounds like I am already doing all the right things.  I am working hard on improving my general fitness: cross-training, strength-training and flexibility.  I am doing the cross-friction massage and foam rolling and stretching religiously.  Mainly, the only areas where I can improve are to ice more often and look for different shoes.

I have been tasked with finding a pair of running shoes that have a wider toe box, so my toes can really spread out while running, and less of a heel wedge in the back, so that I have less to overcome with each stride.  At this point, I have been advised to stay away from the zero-drop shoes I was looking at, as that would just add one more element to the mix and muddle things.  We'll see, though, I really want those shoes.  (As a side note, you could have bowled me over the other day when PT #1 said I might be a candidate for barefoot running.  Now, I am 99 percent sure she was saying that tongue in cheek, but I still couldn't believe those words passed her lips as I know she has told me in the past she would never advise anyone to run barefoot.)

So, the beat goes on.  If I weren't convinced myself that this was a chronic condition that I need to work through, I would be taking myself to an MD tout de suite.  And, I might still go that route.  For the most part, though, slowly I think things are getting better.  It's just going really, really slowly.  I wonder if there is any correlation - run slow, recover slow?

So, what if the shoe DOESN'T fit? Back to the drawing board, I guess

So, the last time I posted something here, I was enjoying a glass of Three-Buck Chuck.  This time it is Mad Housewife.  If there is anything to be taken from that, it is that I obviously choose my wines based on name, and they invariably tend to be cheap.  There is nothing wrong with that, is there?  Not in my book, especially since they both taste good.

So, unfortunately, I have encountered shoe failure - not once, but two times.  After posting about how excited I was about my recent shoe purchases, I am almost embarrassed to say that after wearing both now, I don't like either.  Sigh.  This is not unusual.  I tend to be EXTREMELY picky when it comes to running shoes; the least little thing can set me off on a ramble of a shoe's shortcomings.  But, I swear, I really tried this time to be forgiving.  I wasn't going to be picky.  I was going to give the shoes a chance, let them argue their right to shod my feet, give them time to prove themselves.  But, ... I can't.  I tried.  I really did, but both pairs are going back.

First, the New Balance WT 110s.  I was completely sold on these puppies.  I would have thought given my love affair with my 101s - the older model - that my acceptance of the 110s, especially in light of the glowing reviews I had read, would be a given.  But that wasn't the case.  In a rare moment of instant clarity, I knew as soon as I slipped on the new footwear that it was not meant to be.  The size I am accustomed to seemed too big, and there is something about the footbed, too.  I can feel the curve of the footbed rubbing against the outside of my feet - even while walking.  Not ideal.  So, back they will go.

The Brooks PureConnect Flow's flaws were not so immediately apparent.  I wore them in the store and liked them.  I wore them for 25 minutes on the track on Sunday and liked them.  I wore them for a 45 minute run yesterday, and .... I didn't like them.  

After about 35 minutes, I noticed a soreness developing at the base of my big toe on one foot (my bigger foot, as it happens; my feet are NOT created equal).  That quickly escalated into a "keep-this-up-lady-and-I-will-certainly-scream" type of pain.  I realized that I could not move my toes on that foot around as much as I would like. I couldn't flex my toes upwards, and I couldn't spread them out in the shoe at all.  It was as if the big toe and the next toe over were taped together.  Now, I know I am a picky shoe buyer, but this seemed over-the-top problematic.  If I didn't have such wide flippers for feet, I am sure this wouldn't be a problem, but as it is, well, ... it is a problem.  So, these shoes are going back too.  I am now pursuing a new prospect that I have high hopes for.  More on that later once I have had a chance to try them out.

So, besides the shoes, exercise and running have only been going so-so this week.  I can't say I have had a lot of oompf, and I have had some more weird pains here and there.  The shin is still an issue, and it has now been determined that besides a tight quad and IT band, my calves (previously untested) are also extremely tight.  This is all after a BRILLIANT long-"run" on Sunday - 45 minutes of running followed by an hour of the elliptical.  So, I don't know what's going on.  I am scheduled to see another PT tomorrow to get a second look at everything.  With any luck, she'll see something that PT #1 is missing.  Either that, or I am just crazy.  It's hard to tell at this point.  Peering at things through the goggles of a Mad Housewife, I imagine anything is possible.

I may be broken, but I am not sick

So, as I was sitting here enjoying a glass of 3-Buck Chuck left over from our foray down to Trader Joe's last month, I realized that I hadn't really posted anything in a while.  It's amazing to me how fast a week can fly by, especially when nothing and everything is happening.

Sick, sick, sick

We've had kind of a crazy week in the ol' Average Runner household.  We started out last weekend with my husband coming home from his 50K event sick.  Now I am pretty sure that he headed down there sick, too, because no one develops a fever and headache/body aches on the race course (do they?).  He suffered miserably through sixteen miles of trail run before throwing in the towel and heading to the car to sleep.  It's bad enough to DNF, but to add insult to injury this is the race that presented him with his first (of now two) DNF(s) last year when inclement weather and nasty snow cover resulted in 75 percent of the field not finishing.  I know he was looking forward to showing this event what he had, but it was not to be.  Ah well, next year, I guess.  After two days missed from work and a full week of no exercise, he is finally rebounding and getting back to his regular routine. That's good, because I don't know what to do with Distance Dude when he is not following his regular routine.  (Luckily, he was too sick to really ever make it to the extremely crabby stage of not exercising, but I am sure it was coming soon.)

Speaking of down and out, both kids have had colds this week, too, resulting in some hefty coughing.  So far, I am the only one not stricken with some malady or malaise (knocking on wood), so I take every day as a gift.  I am sure my time is coming.

The road to recovery, I hope...

This past week also saw me finally turning over control of my shin recovery to someone else.  That is to say that I went in to see my physical therapist for some advice.  (And I even paid her this time!)  After a complete assessment of my strength and flexibility, it was determined that my left quad and IT band were extremely tight and that hip a bit weak.  Why this is?  Who knows.  There is some thought that it might be a compensation injury left over from when the right hip was hurting.  I may have adjusted my running and then never re-adjusted it.  Anyway, for the time being, I have some quad stretches I am supposed to be focusing on.  Everything else is to stay the same until further notice.  One thing I found interesting is that - of course - when I went in to see the PT nothing hurt!  That always happens to me.  The time I want to show someone what is happening, it doesn't happen.

Unfortunately, this leads me to May.  I think I must finally concede that a May marathon is not in the cards for me.  As much as I hate to do it, I am planning on downgrading my entry in the Kalamazoo Marathon to the half this time around.  I was really excited about doing another full marathon, but the truth is that there is no way I can get marathon ready in 11 weeks.  I don't have enough of a base, and I don't do these things enough.  Also, the next marathon I do, I want to really be ready for it.  I don't want it to be half-assed.  I am disappointed, but sometimes you have to take the logical route, not the one you want to do.  I spent all last year doing whatever the hell I wanted to do regarding running.  And I had a great year!  It just so happens that when you buy things on credit, the bill eventually comes due.  So, now I am paying for my year of craziness.  Once I have this debt paid off, I'll work on building up my credit again, and then I'll start buying myself some more runs.

Mama's got some new shoes, baby!

So, from stupid "shopping" analogies to talk of real shopping done. I am very excited to be the proud owner of two new pairs of running shoes.  I couldn't help myself.  I have been drooling over New Balance's WT110s  for a while now since reading a review on the IRunFar blog.  These are an upgrade from the WT101s, which I love.  The review and the making of article were so overwhelmingly positive that I had to buy a pair online sight unseen.  At the time of this writing, they are still sight unseen, so I'll have more to say in a few days once I get them in my little hands.

My second pair of shoes was bought locally at a store that I just so happened to have a gift certificate to.  (Thanks, Mom and Dad!)  After dropping E. off at a birthday party, we dragged the Little Guy into the store to check out some shoes.  At times, LG can be absolutely charming.  Unfortunately, this was not a day he was going to put on his "charming" hat.  Tired, hungry, and feeling short-changed in the birthday party arena of his life, he let it be known that he was only going to be happy if he pulled out every GU and Roctane in the place and quizzed me on every flavor they had.  Not so bad when it's just you and the sales person in the store.  Worse when it is a shop full of people checking out the merchandise.  Luckily, a bag of sport beans and some finger foods placated him long enough to check out the shoes, and what I settled on was a pair of Brooks PureConnect Flow.  I am very excited to give these shoes a whirl.  I think they are what I have been looking for with some cushioning (but not too much), a nice roomy fit, not a lot of support, and less of a drop from heel to toe.  I am sure I'll have more to say about them later, too, once I have started really running in them, but so far I feel good about them.

Not an all-out effort

Exercise-wise, this past week, I dropped my entire schedule down to 70 percent of the previous week's output.  I thought I might try something new where I give my body a bit of a break every three weeks or so.  It's something I read about in Running Times so we'll see how that works out.  Tomorrow's workout is my first increase in effort.  I'll go from 90 minutes of exercise to 105 minutes, if all goes well.  That will allow for a slight increase in running, and the rest will be elliptical.

Tomorrow is also my rest day for the ab fab Fab Abs challenge.  Thank God.  This is getting tough.  If I don't have abs of steel by the end of February, they will have died trying.

Happy running!

Running under Hypnosis?

A friend of mine recently suggested that maybe all runners need to stay healthy and injury-free is hypnosis.  You know, in light of all the mind over matter talk, maybe a little push would be helpful.  Now, I am not really willing to try it, but if you are, more power to you (and please let me know how it works out), but the whole idea did make me laugh out loud.  I can just see it now...

Hypnotist (speaking in that weird, sonorous TV hypnotist voice): You will run 10 miles without pain ... You will PR your next race ... You will ignore that popping sound and knife-like pain in your calf should it occur....

Sorry, not for me, although it would be nice to have a way to turn off the brain sometime.  It's hard when everyone is telling you to just listen to your body - that if you just do that you'll be fine and run injury-free.  The problem is that there is a fine line between listening to your body and hanging on its every word.

Once you've been injured, too, it seems particularly hard to turn off that part of your brain that is looking for trouble.  Is that twinge in my toe important?  Should I stop running?  What about that ache in my calf?  Is that the start of a tendon strain?  More times than not, it's nothing.  I've had stabbing pains that put me on high alert only to never return again.  And, I've had dull little, barely-notice-them aches that eventually turn out to be nagging tendonitis.  How's a girl to know?  I am sure that there is somewhere out there some rule for determining the detrimentality (I guess that is not a word, but it should be) of certain aches and pains.  There must be somewhere.  Must look for that.

In other news, my workouts lately seem to be going well actually.  I have run twice this past week, including a run outside for the first time in - oh - ages. That was glorious.  On the advice of a PT friend of mine, I have been wearing a patellar tendon strap, or simply "The Strap," while running.  I picked this one up a year or so ago at a drugstore for under $10 but then never used it.  (Seriously, I had to wipe the dust off of it before putting it on.)

It makes sense, though, that if my shin issue is actually an offshoot of my patellar tendonitis, then wearing the strap might relieve some of the pressure from the bone while running.  Results are still out, but after wearing it for two days it does seem somewhat promising at this point.

Rowing continues to be going well.  I wonder if there is a rower's high - similar to the fabled runner's high.  I am almost starting to believe there could be.  There is definitely a rhythm to rowing that I find lulling.  I mean, I am in no danger of falling asleep, but the movement of it is peaceful somehow.  I am starting to wonder what it would be like to actually be doing this out on the water.  I may see if I can try that once this summer.

The one thing I don't like about the rowing, I have to say, is the callouses.

After just four weeks of rowing, my hands are a wreck.  On the one hand (pun intended), the callouses do make me feel sort of badass.  On the other hand (pun still intended), they're just ugly.  I would look into wearing gloves for the rowing machine, but my husband wears gloves and his hands still have callouses.  So what is the point?

February has started a new challenge for me, the Fabulous Abs challenge, which - being a fan of the British sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, I have come to call the Ab Fab FAB ABS challenge.  If you want to join in, it's not too late!  The schedule comes from Simply Southern Fit Chick, found on Facebook here or on the web here.

Happy running (or whatever you are doing today!)