So I bought some new shoes.

I had planned on picking up the exact same pair as my current kicks, my lovely Saucony’s, but after mentioning my ITBS, the woman helping me at the running store suggested I try a couple of other pairs of motion control shoes. After watching me run, she thought that my Saucony’s might be a bit too stabilizing for me, causing my foot to roll outwards more than necessary and put pressure on my ITB. Ooooookay.

I tried on the Brooks Ariel (had tried these shoes on before and hated them), and the Mizuno Wave Renegade, on which I liked the arch support (even with my orthotics, all the shoes feel differently), heel thickness, and overall lightness, but was unsure about the width of the toe box, because it seemed enormous. Taking them for a spin down the block and back sold me, although I am unsure if I liked them because they were light (and different) or because I really liked them, if you know what I mean.

As long as they’re in “resellable” condition (meaning I only run a few miles in them, on the TM), I can take them back if they prove to be the wrong shoes for me, so I headed to the gym to take them for a little spin. That is, after I’d eaten 16 giant pieces of sushi, waited an hour, then rode the bike for 10.2 miles in 40:00 (hills, level 8), reasoning correctly that biking after sushi wouldn’t make me puke, while running? Not so much!

I ran for 1 mile on the TM, 1% incline 5.4mph and only stopped because of the sushi, which thankfully did not make a repeat appearance, but came pretty close.

My feet felt so light!!!! I’ve never had shoes this light, and it felt really, really weird, like floating. No ITB discomfort. No knee problems. My feet felt a little odd, but I think it was a lacing issue more than a stability problem, or that I’d done a mini-brick* for the first time. I’m a little stiff now, sitting here typing, but overall I feel fine.

I’ll give these shoes another TM run over the weekend, probably 3 or 4 miles, and see where it goes from there. If not, I might step down to Saucony’s Hurricane which, while it is a stability shoe rather than motion control, seems much more like the Renegade in construction and feel, and because I am a huge fan of Saucony’s narrow heel fit, specially designed for women.

I guess the only thing that irritated me a little was that this was the same running store that fitted me for my Saucony’s. I mean, this sales person said I could be fine in either shoe, but that if I was having problems it could be either the mileage on my shoes (350+, and I am a ground pounder), or that I really was in a shoe that wasn’t great for me. Not the wrong shoe, just not the perfect shoe, if there even is such a thing. Oh, and another thing that is irritating was that these Mizuno’s cost about $20 more than my Saucony’s. I hope that they’re the right shoe for me, and I definitely hope they last more than 350 miles.

Anyway, to make a long post even longer, I’m off to stretch a little and pack my bag for tomorrow’s morning swim. We’re having a big BBQ feast at Red Bones tomorrow night, as a send off for my coworker who is leaving the company, and if I want to eat that stuff I have to get in some kind of exercise tomorrow.

‘Night!

—–

* That’s TRI lingo, baby!

I’m a good swimmer. I’m an okay runner, who is prone to injury.
Question: Should I buy a bike and consider triathlons?

Other than the schedule issues, which are going to plague me anyway, it seems like maybe this is something I should at least consider. I mean, if my biomechanical problems keep me to running only 5K – 10K races, and I want to up the ante, my next logical choice it to give it a go with Tris, right?

Hmmmm. It’s something to consider, anyway.
Not sure how I’d do with the 2x/day workouts, but maybe.

I guess I’ll have to ask RTT and then think about it during my run tonight.

This weekend found me busy with the house (painting woodwork and doors, specifically), and wrapped up in migraine-induced sleep, leaving no time for running. That said, I hadn’t been for a run since last Thursday’s debacle, so I had mixed expectations about today’s outing.

The scenery would be nicer, for sure, and I was unlikely to be bothered this time, as I had planned to run near George’s house, which is in a much nicer neighborhood than mine. Still, after 3 days off, I’m always a little sluggish and winded. I decided to take it easy, not wear my watch and just try to run slow, concentrating on my breathing.

It was great. No one honked. The kids I passed on the big hill (who were also running) didn’t try to trip me. No one leered. I saw a couple people out walking their dogs, some other people doing yardwork, and 2 police cars patrolling the neighborhood. I felt safe.

Running in suburbia is much nicer than running in an urban area, and I think that this is probably where I’m going to do the majority of my shorter runs from now on.

But man! I was so slow today. I always start out too fast, which kills me on long runs, so today I made myself slow way, way down and take it easy on the way out to the turnaround point. On the way back I shifted my breathing and pace up a notch, and then upped it again and cruised on in for the last mile, completing the 3.6 miles in about 42:00. Given the hills and my slow first half, I think I did pretty well.

So now I feel better about being able to control my pace for longer runs, had a nice run to kick start my week, and oh… the best part… the kids I saw. On the way out, they passed me, coming up not at breakneck speed, but definitely a quicker pace than mine by maybe 1:00/mile. But on the big hill! On the hill! They walked. They didn’t even make it halfway up. As I passed them, running, I overheard the one kid saying “running is really the best thing you can do.” “Yeah,” I said. “But this hill sucks,” and laughed, and they did, too.

So there you have it, simple as a little change of scenery. Running is good again.

I used to love Lowell. It’s a great city in a lot of ways. My artist friends live here. There are galleries and museums and historic mills. The people are mostly nice, and I know my neighbors well. So I loved it, but sadly, I think my torrid romance with Lowell has to end. See, I loved it, until I started running.

My running time is my meditation time. It’s my sweaty, difficult, exhilirating ME time, and it pisses me off that I can’t even run near my house anymore. Why, you ask? Because people are assinine.

On my run today I had to pass through 2 packs of surly teenagers who catcalled and/or insulted me, was honked at by 4 cars, 2 of which came with the bonus “WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”, and one other courteous and polite driver said “niiiiice TITS” as he pulled out right in front of me, practically running me over, before peeling out into the street. What the FUCK?

I am so, completely, 100% Sick. Of. This. Shit.

And it happens every time I run in Lowell. Every time, no matter what time of day it is, or what season. Cars honk in the dead of winter. Guys roll down their windows and yell or whistle. I never feel safe. I rarely feel happy running here. And can you blame me?

So now I’m at a loss. I will have to rearrange my schedule and carpool and all kinds of crap, in order to avoid running here, which defeats the simplicity of running in the first place. It’s so frustrating and… I’m going to go ahead and say it, unfair. It kills me that I can’t afford to live in a neighborhood where I won’t get verbally assaulted while running. It just kills me.

My next place is going to be in a better neighborhood, and near a bike path, is all I’m saying. You can bet on that.

Last night was fun. I ran for 30 minutes, because that’s about all I had in me, what with the little aches and pains in my shins and ankles (not sure why). Then, I stopped at the Y on the way home and got on the elliptical for 30 minutes. All in all, it was good decision.

That elliptical is funny though, even at level 5 (out of 9) on a hill program, after 30 minutes of running, I found it pretty easy, in spite of the massive amounts of sweat pouring off of me. I’m in better shape than I thought, I guess.

Anyway, I’m probably going to run tonight when I get home. I don’t have any real plans but I’d like to get in 3 – 4 miles or so. There is a lot of change happenning at work, and I’m still waiting on my former boss to get things settled at his new gig (a few more weeks, he told me). In addition, Rob is thinking about a big career move as well, which means that there will be a lot to think about on tonight’s run because, you know, running is good for that kind of thing. :)

I’m looking at the race calendar and thinking about what I want to commit to in the coming months. I’m thinking about where I want to be, and where I want to go… if anywhere. I’m thinking about my potential. I’m thinking about triathlons. I’m thinking about how lucky I am. I’m thinking about running (again).

So. There you have it.

***

Oh, and one more thing, a big thank you to everyone who responded about my uncle. That means a lot to me, probably more than you can imagine.

It’s been an interesting couple of days, filled with family time, friends time, and solo time. Oh, and bunch of dog walking, and a couple of short runs, too!

I had to go back home for my nephew’s baptism, and to see my uncle one last time. It was such a bittersweet visit, and it made me appreciate being healthy, even if I’m not in the body I want to be in, most days.

Cancer is a terrible thing, and to see it first hand… it’s just really, really heartbreaking. My uncle weighs all of 93 pounds. He honestly looks as if he’s been in a concentration camp – like those photos you see of the liberated Jews at the end of WWII. When I arrived at the house, he was “drinking” a nutrition shake via a tube in his nose. He barely got any of it down. Yet, he’s not in pain. It’s a mixed blessing, in a way.

But the good parts of the weekend were still good, and I’m back home now, ready to run again. In fact, I’m going to run tonight and maybe tomorrow night, too, depending on my schedule. Rob is happy to have me home, and my former boss sent me an email today, which is promising at least. Rob and I are also talking about what would happen if one of us (read: him) were to get a job in Seattle, so there is some flux in our lives at present.

To this I say, thank God for running.

I was trying to explain to my mom about why running is so great, or even why daily exercise is great, if you don’t like the running example, but she just wasn’t getting it. I honestly think that my parents think I’m nuts, but they do acknowledge the results of my running, both mental and physical. Still, their physical activity consists mostly of gardening, although my dad does a lot of physical work around the house. He is always up on a ladder, out in the garage, under a car, or cleaning something.

My parents live in this nice suburb, with plenty of big trees and no traffic. I loved running there, and it kills me that my mom goes on and on about how fat she is (she probably needs to lose about 10 lbs), and doesn’t take advantage of the fact that it’s safe for her to walk just about ANY time of day or night around the neighborhood. Absolutely. Kills. Me.

But I guess it’s easier to complain about what is, than to work at something that could be.

Anyway, I didn’t mean for this to turn into a long wrapup of my weekend/rant about my mom, but there you go. This lack of running is making me loopy, I guess. :)

Ran my 3 miler with some of the SRR folks tonight. As usual, I came in last out of the 12 – 15 runners, but it doesn’t bother me. I ran 3 miles in 31:59 which, for me, is pretty fast.

The temp in my car read 86 when I arrived in Arlington, and even though the path was mostly shady, it was still incredibly hot. I had to walk once, where the path crosses the road, and Caitopotato finished a good 6 minutes before I did, but all the runners were waiting for me at the end and they cheered and said Good Job, and the like. It was nice.

Oh, and before we started off on our run, RTT pulled up right in front of where we were standing. She was going to run with us originally, but had decided to have dinner with her boyfriend instead, just down the street. Weird, that.

On the way back to the meetup spot, post-run, Caito and I talked about natural ability in running (like her friend who was a heavy drinker, pack a day smoker, who quit cold turkey and has now run multiple marathons, within 2 years of starting out), and how we struggle to build miles and not get hurt. Comparatively, she and I are pretty much in the same place with our running. She’s been at it about a year longer than I have, and is faster than me, but our long runs are about the same, and our goals are similar.

It was so nice to hear from someone else that they hate to follow a training program, and, “if it feels like work, and isn’t fun, I don’t want to do it.” That is, to hear it from someone other than me. Bottom line: she loves running and doesn’t want to make herself feel crappy because it takes her longer to accomplish something than the training programs say. I’ll second that.

I told her that my goals this year were to run injury free and do the Tufts 10K. She said those were good, solid goals, and that made me feel good about my running.

So anyway, no formal training for me happening any time soon. I’ll try some speedwork once a week, do a long run, and just enjoy the rest of the miles as best I can… even on a hot day when I come in last. :)

So yesterday was pretty easy, eating-wise. I stayed below my maintenance calorie range, walked a bit after lunch, and ran, creating about a 600 calorie deficit. Not bad, overall. I wasn’t really even that hungry, given the balance of foods that I consumed and the running, which generally curbs my appetite, especially in the late-night-snacking department. This is another reason I run after work, instead of in the morning, FYI.

But onto important things, like the run itself. I decided to run the track because of its cushiony surface and lack of traffic lights. I was thinking about doing fartleks on the road, but to be honest, I need more disclipline when it comes to doing speedwork. Or rather, I need to build some confidence in that area before I let myself have a free for all with the fartlekking, if that makes any sense. When I’ve run fartleks before I’ve found myself getting really lazy halfway through, or worried that if I pushed too hard, I wouldn’t be able to complete the run at all. Hence, the track is the perfect place for me to test my limits. When I’m done, I go home. No walking a mile back to the car necessary. :)

I ran a mile warm-up, then 2 miles of 400s, with 200s for recovery, then a cool-down 800. It wasn’t bad, even though the heat was brutal (meaning that I could have run a lot faster if it had been in the 70s), and I didn’t puke at the end. Overall, I’d say this was a pretty good run. Hooray!

Tonight I’m probably going to do a 3 mile run with the Somerville Road Runners in Arlington. It’s at 7, and I think they run on the Minuteman Bikeway, which is pretty shaded and cool. I’m a little sore today, especially in the ITB area, so I’m going to need to take it easy.

My ITB issue is still there, although it’s manageable right now. It didn’t hurt yesterday, and after running I stretched for about 20 minutes before I went home. This morning I woke up and only felt a little stiff – no pain – but I ended up going back to bed for an hour and sleeping on the affected side, and when I woke up that time, I had some discomfort/tightness on the outside of my knee. I stretched and it went away, and I feel okay now. I’m just going to have to watch it and be careful I guess. Oh, and it’s back to weight training, I guess. *sigh*

I am a little frustrated because it means that I have to stay where I’m at or cut back on my mileage, and I’m only in the 13mpw range right now. But, like I said before, my number one goal this year is to run without getting hurt and having to take time off. I have to keep that in mind…

I thought this story was worth a post of its own.

She started running competivitely at age 80 after gaining notice as she ran through the streets of Mexico City delivering newspapers, still running at 93, and now she carries the Olympic torch through Mexico City.

WOW.

Sorry for the whining end to yesterday’s post. I don’t know what came over me. After I read it this morning, I thought, “damn. I should smack me, and tell myself to put the kaibosh on the pity party.”

Well I should!

This morning I made myself a really awesome salad to take to work (grilled chicken, lettuce, orange peppers, cucumber, kalamata olives & artichoke hearts w/light balsamic dressing), had a great breakfast, and put on a flattering outfit. I feel tons better about everything.

I just send Dianna a really long email that contained a lot of “philosophizing” about strength and running and power. One of the things I probably didn’t say in that email, but has been on my mind today is that we, as runners, and as individuals, have a lot of power over our own lives. This seems like a no-brainer, an assumed truth, but I just wanted to verbalize it to give it the importance that it deserves. When it comes to your health, your weight, your mental attitude and outlook on life, for the most part, you are in control. Unless you have a major disease, like cancer for example, you really have the power to change things, especially where diet and exercise is concerned.

Don’t get me wrong, having power does not mean it will be easy. It isn’t easy to run, or to abtain from chocolate brownies. But think of the things that you’ve done in your life that were hard, and how you felt when you had accomplished them. I don’t know. Maybe that is an oversimplification. It’s really easy to sound off when I’m sitting here at work, in my air-conditioned offce, as opposed to when I’m outside on the asphalt, sweating my ass off, but it’s something to aspire to, I guess. You can aspire to do what is beyond your best, and not sell yourself short, is what I’m trying to say.

Give yourself some credit… and, if need be, suck it up!

That said, I’m going to try to run today, even though it’s hot and it will likely suck. :)