Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Remember When Running Was Simple?


I discovered running in my 30's.  It was simple then.  I went to a shoe store, bought a pair of Nike "running" shoes, and away I went.  The uniform was baggy sweats and a t-shirt.  I ran and ran and ran in those shoes, and then I ran some more.  I didn't know how many miles were on them and I didn't care.  I bought a new pair when they wore out (like when I used to think that I didn't need to change my sewing machine needle until it broke, but that's a story for my other blog). Fast forward to today and you could quite possibly call me the Imelda of Running Shoes aka The Shoe Hoarder.  At least my husband does.

The fact is, I have a couple of problems.

The first is that since I keep pretty close track of my mileage I have a fairly good idea of when shoes should be retired.  I also get other hints, like sore feet or shins, or something "not quite right" and I know it's time to get a new pair of shoes.  So the old ones get demoted to yard work and walking around town.  And even though I live in Hawaii you will rarely see me in the ubiquitous "rubbah slippahs" unless I am going to/from the beach.  I am super cautious about my feet and like to keep them protected.  Therein lies the problem: even though they aren't good for running, they are still good for other purposes so they are piling up.

The second is a nasty little problem called Plantar Fasciitis.

It's MADDENING.  No one really knows that causes it.  No one really knows what cures it.  You can have it for a week or for years.  One day it will be there, one day it won't.  It gets worse when you run...or not.  I've tried rest, ice, foam rolling, self massage, massage therapy, physical therapy, running, not running, and acupuncture.  My podiatrist wants to give me a shot.  I want to fix the problem, although the longer this goes on the more enticing the shot sounds.  He promises instant relief.  I am skeptical.

So now I have stability shoes, moderate "minimalist" shoes, racing shoes, training shoes, trail shoes.  "Too many shoes for just us two."   (If you listen to Keb Mo, you may get the reference.)  I feel like if I keep switching them up, my PF will go away.  Or not.

What do you do with your retired shoes when they start to pile up?


Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Starts, Stalls and Stops

Maybe I should rename my blog the title of this post?

I can't tell you how many posts I have in "draft" form right now (well, I can, because they are listed in my dashboard, but I'm just going to keep that dirty little secret to myself).

The last few months have been absolutely...freaking...insane.  And rather than resurrect a bunch of old race reports, rants and general craziness, I'm just starting fresh.

From here.

And what's going on right now?
  • Things are settling down, evening out.  The planets are apparently realigning in a manner that is calming to me (and quite a few others out there in Blog-Land who appear to have been as frantic as me these last few months).
  • The plantar fasciitis that I've had since March is showing no signs of abating, but is generally not getting worse so I *think* I'm OK with that.  I want it to go AWAY completely, soon.  I'm working on it.  Right now I'm reading THIS BOOK - I read about it in the comments on another blog.  Will let you know if it helps.
  • I'm in Week 2 of January Marathon Training.  WHOO HOO!!  Making a run for it, again (tried last year then training got derailed over the holidays).  Also on the running front: a 10K this weekend and another at the end of the month - the Xterra 10K on Maui the day before Xterra World Championships.  Killer race (new strategy this year - will write more about that later - probably post race since I don't want to give my secrets away).
  • I'm trying a new supplement line this month from BASE PERFORMANCE.  It was developed by Ironman pro Chris Lieto.  I hope it's the answer to training well in hot, humid weather.  I like it because it is clean and will be a good supplement to the Hammer products I know and love.  Will report periodically throughout the month and write a review at the end.
  • Finally decided on a NEW BIKE!  Ordering it this week.  More on that later.
 Hope your fall season is off to a great start!