Race recap: Underground Polar Express

Last year, my friend Karen organized a race in her hometown to support a cause near and dear to her heart, suicide prevention. And thus, the Underground Polar Express was born.

The race, a 5k, was an untimed fun run. She raised money for her charity. This year, she decided to do it again. The response was remarkable. She told me that race entries tripled this year. For an untimed fun run? What does that tell you about Karen and her community of friends and family?

I decided to support her and run it. After I registered, I started having some pains in my right butt aka high hamstring. And those damn shin splints. When Becky told me I needed to take a break, we played Let's Make a Deal. I begged to be able to run this thing. I told her I'd run it slow. I told her I was committed and had to run. So she agreed. But only if I'd take time off before and after.

Then came the bad news that my medical assistant turned in her resignation. Remember that post I wrote about fairness and participation trophies? Well, apparently, that conversation from her supervisor about me praising her and upsetting the other CMAs really got to her. It was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. Isn't it amazing how much damage one person's words can do? Devastated after Zuly told me she was leaving, I drove home from work that night in tears.

Meanwhile, my friends Penny, Michelle, Sara, and Karen were all texting about the race. Sara wasn't going to be there due to family obligations. Penny and Mish had big plans to dress up. Me, I had completely lost my desire to participate. I was lower than low. Injured and sad. But their texts lifted me up enough that on the way home from work the next day, I stopped at Target to check out the possibility of a Christmas themed outfit. I found a sparkly skirt in the girls' department in size XL and tried it on. I'd never worn a tutu or anything like it, but I thought I could pull this off.  Combined with the Christmas sweater-like running top (it had thumb holes!) I found at Marshalls and the striped socks I found at Joann's, I had an outfit.

I made the ride to Batavia, which is about 50 minutes from my home. As soon as I got there, a woman came up to me. "Are you Wendy?" she asked. I told her yes, and she introduced herself as Cindy. "I follow your blog and I recognized you!". Put a HUGE smile on my face. Ok, so far so good!

I got in line to sign in. I saw Carrie, Karen's friend and co-organizer, who recognized me too, from Zooma. She gave me a big hug. I also saw Michelle from Movin' it with Michelle, who I had never met. I was surprised at how petite she was! We talked like we were old friends! Lots of hugs! And more smiles!

I felt like a giant next to her!

Then Penny and Michelle arrived. After they signed in, we met up at the trail where the race was to take place. The Fox Valley Trail is a gem. I ran a half there last year, and I recognized the path. We all took off together. This was an untimed race, and because I was injured, Penny, Michelle, and I agreed to run it slow. We wanted to be able to talk. 

We moved along the path and did quite a bit of weaving. Guess we weren't running too slow...We talked about 2015 and our race plans. We laughed about the lady we passed, who had what looked like sheer running pants on (yes, we could see her buns!). Some of the costumes were epic. A guy dressed as Santa. A little girl dressed as a Christmas tree! Another little girl dressed as a reindeer. As we crossed the Fox River and headed back towards the restaurant where we started, I started feeling pretty warm. I commented that I didn't think we were exactly running slow, but I felt great! No shin splints, no pain in that right hamstring. 

We got to the finish and saw Karen. She was personally greeting all the runners, but I made her take a picture with us.

Karen, me, Penny, and Michelle

After the race we went inside the host restaurant, Pal Joey's. We were handed a raffle ticket and a drink ticket. When we went to the bar, we were told we could get a mimosa or a Miller light/Bud light. I can't drink that beer because it gives me a headache, so I ordered a Blue Moon and gave my drink ticket to Michelle. Penny and Michelle had mimosas. We headed to the dining room, where there was a raffle table. I bought a few more raffle tickets. Then we went and had pizza, which was delish. I talked with some of the other participants, and had an interesting conversation with a guy about football. Later we saw him walking around wearing leather chaps. With pants underneath, thankfully.

The raffle prizes were good, and Michelle and I each won a prize basket! Mine included a gift card to a local French bistro, 2 bottles of wine, and some other assorted gifts. There was also a best costume contest, which was won by a woman dressed as Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. Hilarious!

This was an absolute blast and yes, Karen, if you organize it again, I will be there! I loved the idea of a fun run, untimed. The price ($14) was right. The race was run for a meaningful cause. I've never dressed in costume before, but I had a good time with this one. And I got to see my friends, old and new, who helped me chase away those winter blahs. We all hugged goodbye and hopefully will see each other soon. Leather chaps left when we did, riding off on his motorcycle. Karen just shrugged her shoulders.

Me, Penny, Michelle, and  Michelle

This race was the perfect prescription for this sad runner! Oh and that hamstring? No pain during the run. No shin splints. Untimed race? Are you kidding me? Finish time: 28:35, 9:10min/mile. Just in case you needed to know. I did!

I'm linking up with Tara at Readingn'Running, be sure to check out her blog!

Taking a break

It's no secret that lately I've been struggling with my runs. I rode that post marathon wave for a long time, right into that blazing finish and AG 2d place finish at that Turkey Trot 2 weeks ago. After that things went downhill in a hurry. It's like my legs just said "I quit". My speed disappeared--poof! It felt like someone applied the brakes. I've rolled and stretched like a woman possessed, and have been able to eeek out some slow, minimally painful runs. But my legs feel wooden. When I run, instead of my usual light, easy stride, my feet flap on the ground. I have to stop and stretch my shins. Instead of being enjoyable, my runs lately feel like--dare I say it?--a chore.

It's called overuse and yes, I'm guilty as charged. It's my own damn fault. I kept running in the same shoes I used to train in for the marathon; the shoes that I ran the marathon in. My lucky shoes, with the hot pink laces. All that good juju in those shoes. Gone. I must have run it right out of the shoes. All I was left with were flapping clown feet and Pinocchio legs. Oops.

Then I tried a new pair of shoes that I won this summer. Figured, what the heck? Huge mistake. Huge. They are so completely different from my usual shoes. I couldn't even finish my run that day. I spent the day in the pain cave after I tried running in those. I pulled out a new pair of my usual shoes, but it was too late to undo the damage I had done.

What the hell is wrong with me? I've been a runner for over 20 years, and I made some seriously rookie-like mistakes!!! I ignored the advice I give to new runners: Listen to your body. Change your shoes every 300-400 miles. Take time off after a big race.

Actually, that's pretty much what Becky asked me went for my CrossFit session this week. We had a serious talk. She told me, using the words "as your coach", that I need to take a break. Becky has always left my running under my control. But today, that changed. Since I'm not making good decisions here and being stubborn, she's telling me I have to do this. We talked about all the stress I've been under, and how I need to run. But for a week or 2, I need to let that go. Find another outlet. She offered to up my sessions to twice weekly and I can still do yoga. But running is out.

When I got home, I felt ok with this. Sort of. It was a pretty fall day, the kind we rarely see this time of year, and the sun was out, the first time in about a week. It was one of those days where you can't wait to put on your running shoes and head out the door for a run. Of course, since my runs have been pretty painful and difficult, I probably wouldn't enjoy it. Which kind of sucks too, because when you live in the midwest and run outside all year round, days like today are a reward. So I thought about that. And taking time off felt a little better. Because there will be more "reward days", and I want to be able to get out there and enjoy them.

Becky also brought up my half marathon in March. She said that to properly train me for it, I need to be rested before we start up again. I get that. I didn't do well at my Florida half last year..it was so humid. And I really didn't take any time off before I started training. Of course, I didn't run a fall marathon either...speaking of which, we talked about as well. I do want to do Chicago again this fall, and I need to avoid any injuries, if possible. Makes sense.

And I can't help but wonder if these difficult runs are stressing me out more. Funny how when I was training for the marathon, I didn't have any bad runs. I even thought about that while I was training. I knew that my great running streak would come to an end. But it was good while it lasted. I just pushed it a little too far. Running is a stress reliever for me. But when the running itself is painful and difficult, it ceases to give me the endorphins and release that I'm used to. So maybe taking a break will help with that as well. I may not go crazy not running...because it's one less thing to stress me out. Unless the break becomes prolonged...but that's another story. I'm trying to prevent any serious injuries here!

The timing is perfect. It's the holiday season and I have a ton to do. It's the end of the running season. I'm not training for anything.

Let's see what happens.

But will it make me run faster?

Over the weekend, I was scrolling through my FB feed and saw an article on new shoes for 2015. These shoes caught my eye:

These shoes, the Ampla Fly, due out in February, have a midfoot carbon spring that is intended to give the runner an extra push on the toe off phase during running. The Ampla website describes it as a FORCEPOWER plate that "maximizes force application at big toe push off". Call me a cynic, but doesn't this seem a little gimmicky? Forcepower? And it kind of reminds me of a Seinfeld episode involving a certain pair of shoes that were purported to make one of the characters, Jimmy, jump higher. When George tried them...not so much...

Shoes manufacturers have been making promises of enhanced performance to runners for years! (Sounds like viagra for the feet, right? RD=running dysfunction?) 

Nike Shox anyone? Have you ever seen any elites running in these?

Reebok pump from the 1990s?

Remember the barefoot craze a few years back? Anyone jump on that bandwagon? 

As it turns out, minimalist running isn't for everyone. And running shoes aren't that bad for us.

Shoes are probably the most expensive items a runner can purchase. But there are a lot of products marketed to runners that claim to make us run faster, run injury free, run farther. I mean, who doesn't want to run faster? Run injury free? I'm not going to touch on nutrition in this post, because that is a topic for a whole separate post. Here are a few items, besides shoes, that make my skeptic flag fly: 

Compression socks are super popular right now. All the cool kids are wearing them in all different colors. I've considered wearing them too. After all, as a nurse, I am aware of the benefits of the compression sleeves we use in the hospital to improve blood flow in the legs and prevent the formation of blood clots. Seems like they could be beneficial for runners too, especially long distance runners. Makes sense to me...

But the inner skeptic in me turned to the research for confirmation of my hunch. It turns out that in 2 very small studies, compression socks were shown to mildly improve performance--but not significantly--by about 2%. This translates to maybe a 1-2 minute faster marathon finishing time. There was no improvement in recovery, although the runners in the study perceived less soreness after a run in which they wore the socks. If you look at the elites, some wear compression socks and some don't. I've never run in compression socks. They seem like they'd be really hot to me. Not to mention the weird tan lines I'd get. As if I don't already have those...

What about compression gear? Same story. I have a pair of CW-X compression tights and I actually feel like they slow me down. The compression shorts I have? Um, tried them a few times and for this gal, I'm not going to run in them again. Can you say chafing? I'm going to try them at CrossFit and see if there are any benefits there. Bottom line, don't expect dramatic results from compression socks. Or gear.

And what about socks in general? Running socks are pricey. And they are marketed heavily to runners. My internet search found these Stable26 running socks and wow! are they expensive. They have some integrated silicone pads in the rear foot, " to enhance stability, improve performance and comfort, resulting in reduced blister formation and improved blood flow". Well, if they really do that, then sign me up! I couldn't find many reviews on these socks, but Susan at FitBottomedGirls did one. And confirmed what I already suspected. These socks are...just socks. You know what socks I like? I like that pair of Balegas that Marcia gave me... a lot. And my Feetures are pretty awesome. My Soxy Feet makes some really fun socks that make my feet happy. SmartWool keeps my feet warm. And my Target C9 DuoDry socks perform just as well as any of their more expensive friends. Bottom line, if they stay up, wick away moisture, and don't make me blister, I'm happy.

Wouldn't these make you run faster?

I recently bought a super cute shirt from Athleta. When it arrived, there was a tag on it that said the top was UNSTINKABLE. Hmmm...again, my skeptic flag was flying. My research found that the odor repelling technology is silver salts (silver has antibacterial properties) in the fabric that fights bacteria and fungus. Athleta sprays the silver salts onto the finished product and claims that the silver coating lasts throughout the lifetime of the garment. Skeptic alert!!! According to an article I read on Rodale, these silver salts wash out after 1-2 washings, which makes more sense to me. And there is research to back this. So, if you like the top, buy it, but don't expect to come home from a hard run smelling like a rose. And at least they aren't marketing these shirts to make you run faster! Wouldn't that be something? 

From Athleta UNSTINKABLE--how could a shirt this cute ever smell?

Because there is no substitute for hard work. No shortcuts. No gimmicks.

A pain in the ass

It's not the first time I've used this meme!! And it probably won't be the last...

I've had a tough week. Not only with this injury, this pain in my butt that has limited my running this week, but in general. I could choose to focus on the crap at work, which I wrote about earlier this week and in another post. But there isn't much I can do to change what's going on there, right? As my partner told me this week, head down and do your job. That's how I'm going to approach things this week. I could focus on my husband's dubious employment situation..he's been out of work for a few weeks and now his boss is throwing a few scraps his way, which affects unemployment compensation...sigh. But again, there's not a whole lot I can do about that either, right?

I could also focus on my injured son who, in addition to the MCL tear that he is currently rehabbing, broke his big toe on Friday. He was running late to gym, and had his shoes in his hands...I know, I know, he's 15...tripped up the stairs and fell, stubbing that toe in the process. I knew it was broken and of course he argued with me, but a trip to see my partner and an xray proved that mother does know best...now we're arguing because he's refusing to wear the boot. I don't blame him for not wanting to but last night he bumped the toe and almost cried in pain..I just shrugged my shoulders and walked away. I mean, really what do I know?

As if that were not enough, yesterday my husband couldn't get off the couch, complaining of back pain. Sounds like a herniated disc to me. My husband has put on some weight over the years, and I'm sure that having a large waist doesn't help the back at all....but what do I know?

Dealing with all that life ass pain would be bad enough, but not being able to run it off? Oh, hell no! I've been working the foam roller and the lacrosse ball furiously this week. Both of them were pleading for mercy. Seriously. I couldn't find my foam roller this morning. I think he was hiding behind the couch. At rest, my leg has been feeling pretty good. So yesterday, I made up my mind to try 4 miles at slower pace. I pulled out a new pair of my beloved Asics Gel Nimbus. It was hard to hold back, but I was rewarded with a full 4 miles, no stopping. No shin splints, and just a little nagging reminder in my glute that I needed to take it easy. I came home and rolled again. Rolled last night. And decided to go for 8 this morning. I ran slow, using short strides, and it was another joyful run...I smiled the whole way, except for the moment where I stepped in a hole and felt that leg pull. I gingerly continued on my run and shook it off. Whew!

This is one happy runner!

In the meantime, I did a little research on this butt pain. I've been calling it piriformis pain, but after watching this video by my new boyfriend Dr Jordan Metzl, I realized that I was mistaken! I've been treating myself correctly, but now I know the real cause for my pain. High hamstring tendonitis aka proximal hamstring strain. Dr Metzl explains the difference so well and so logically. As a medical professional, I can appreciate that. As a runner, I liked that he said I could keep running. He gets me. Even though he doesn't know me.

.

So yes, I can run through this if I run slowly and shorten my stride. Which is what I've been doing! And continue strength training for my glutes. Which is what Becky has me doing!

Because it's all about that bass, right?

A couple of lessons were learned this week. You can teach an old runner new tricks. First, I need to stretch and foam roll regularly, not just when I'm hurting. I'm usually so good about this, but since the marathon, I've been slacking. Riding the wave, so to speak. Taking my success for granted, I guess. Another lesson learned is that I need to change my shoes at the first sign of pain. Actually, I should have changed them after the marathon. I felt so good, that I didn't see the need. And these were my "lucky" shoes, I ran that awesome marathon in them. Lots of good juju in those shoes, right? Yeah, lots of miles on them too. Doh!

Today, I feel so much better about running and life in general. All that crap that happened this past week...I have no control over any of that. But my running? I do have control over that...if I do some maintenance and not take it for granted. I need my running to help me cope with everything else life throws at me. I know this.

Ending a bad week on a positive note? Let's hope that I can carry that positivity into next week. Onward and upward! Head down and do the work.

Friday Favorites--My favorite running songs

It's no secret that I love to run with my tunes! Even in spite of the recent safety scares in my area, I still listen to my tunes when I run. I love music. I always have. Even as a little girl, I have memories of listening to music with my dad. My mom played bridge once a month with her friends, and my dad would pull out his 45s (yes, I'm THAT old) and we'd listen to those songs on the stereo. I have such great memories of this time with my dad and because of it, I'm great at song trivia. Seriously. Play me on Song Pop and see how you do...

Now that I'm injured and facing the prospect of not running for what I hope is a brief period of time, I've been listening to my running playlist in the car as I drive to and from work. It's really interesting how just listening to those songs give me a lift. About 7 years ago, I had a major surgical procedure, and when I started moving again, I walked. And listened to my running playlist. I swear that I felt as much of a walker's high as I do when I run. There is just something about music.

Today I'm linking up with the DC Trifecta for the Friday Five: Favorites. Everyone picked their 5 favorite things. Mine was easy.

Music has always been a big part of my life. On the road and off. But for the purposes of this blog, I'm sharing my top 5 running songs. My running playlist is continuously evolving. But there are a few tunes that never leave the playlist. Ever.

#1 Tom Petty- Runnin' Down a Dream--other TP songs have made the list but have left. This one remains. Always.

#2 Eminem- Lose yourself--there is one other Eminem song that is a perpetual favorite: 'Till I Collapse. But this one always sings to me...Do you think he knows or cares that he's so motivating to runners?

#3 Shinedown- Fly From the Inside--the lyrics just sing to me. "I've got the weight of the world on my shoulders..." and "I am focused on what I am after. The key to the next open chapter. 'Cause I found a way to steal the sun from the sky. Long live the day that I decided to fly from the inside". Yep.

#4 Stone Temple Pilots- Interstate Love Song--nothing meaningful here, just some great beats. 

#5 Foo Fighters- I'll Stick Around--one of their first hits, it has stuck around for about 15 years on my playlist. 

What? Only 5 songs...so many songs, so little time...unless you're running a marathon!

What are your favorite, everlasting running songs?

The injury paradox

My youngest son suffered an MCL sprain this fall while playing football. He caught the ball for an interception and was immediately tackled. He says his foot got caught in the grass and he felt a tug on his knee. The opposing team's trainer examined him on the sidelines and sent him back in to play. The pain got worse, and he sat out the rest of the game. I took him to be examined by the sports medicine doctor I work with, and after an MRI, we got the diagnosis of a grade 2 MCL tear/sprain. My son's football season was over and he was put in a brace.

"I wish I'd never gone for the interception," he said. Multiple times.

My son has played football since 3rd grade. He's not a natural athlete, and is small. But what he lacks in stature he makes up with his heart. I tried to discourage him from playing but he loves the sport. The last 2 years he went out for track, to improve his running form and speed. And in this, his 7th season playing football, his hard work paid off. He played on offense, defense, and special teams. He was the punt returner, the wide receiver, and a defensive lineman. He plays hard and gives 200% every time he plays. His coaches praise him frequently from the sidelines. He became an impact player. He's never had a serious injury. Until this season.

Now he's having second thoughts about those hard efforts he put forth during the games because he has been sidelined from the sport he loves to play. He's finishing physical therapy and he'll get to play next season. I keep telling him that the coaches are going to remember that interception. That if he took it easy, they most likely wouldn't remember him much at all. While he nods in agreement, he says he would rather have been able to keep playing.

I need to point out that the intention of this post isn't to brag about my son, although I am beyond proud of him. He worked so hard to become a player that he could feel good about. What I found so interesting after hurting his knee is that he regretted pushing himself and making an impact play because it resulted in an injury. And that is something, as a runner, to which I can relate.

Right now, I'm suffering from what is most likely a minor strain in my piriformis muscle, with maybe some IT band issues. I'm sure it's all related. I couldn't finish my run today because it was just too painful, even after stopping multiple times to stretch and walk. This thing has been nagging at me for a couple of weeks, but it wasn't until after I ran raced that Turkey Trot last week that I really felt the pain.

If only I hadn't raced it, right? Would I be hurting? If I had taken it easy that day, which I know I should have, I probably would still be running pain free right now. But if I hadn't pushed it, I wouldn't have gotten that 2d place AG. And that was fun. Was it worth it? I think so...

No guts, no glory, right? No pain, no gain? Go hard or go home? What doesn't kill you makes you stronger! Suck it up, buttercup! Just do it!

There are so many of these sayings. Sports is such a paradox. On the one hand, you can push yourself to achieve things you never thought you could do. Me, run another marathon? Run faster at age 52 than I've run in my life? Those accomplishments put huge smiles on my face! What a great feeling! But feeling like that fuels the desire to keep on pushing. Which isn't always good thing.

Because the harder you push yourself, the more likely you are to get injured. I've been here before. Lots of times. I've never been good at slowing down, at taking it easy. Usually, my body tells me when its time to do that way before my mind lets me. Today was that day. As I write this, I'm sitting on an ice pack. I've already foam rolled and rolled on my lacrosse ball. I'm going to work as hard at getting back to form as I do preparing for a race.

I'm not a natural athlete either. As a youngster, I was never good at sports. Gawky and clumsy, I tried tennis. I injured myself, not playing tennis, but off the courts by getting my foot stuck in the revolving door at the tennis club. Seriously. In high school, I tore ligaments in my wrist playing volleyball in gym. As an adult, I found a love and some skill for running. It wasn't easy at first. But I've worked hard and have been rewarded with endurance and some speed, which is more than I could have dreamed for.

Do we avoid taking risks, pushing ourselves, playing it safe to avoid injury? I don't think I have it in me to do that. I don't think my son does either. He's told me that he wants to sign up for rugby this spring. I know, football without a helmet, right? While I'm a little nervous about it, I totally understand where he's coming from.

As for me, in the words of the Terminator:

Not fair

It has come to this.

Today I was told that by praising my medical assistant, I am inadvertently making the other medical assistants feel badly. Not every provider shows their gratitude like you do, I was told. You nominated for her for an award, which she won. But it made all the others feel badly. We know how much you appreciate your medical assistant. We know she does a great job. We know you two work so well together. But you just can't say anything positive to her in front of the others because it hurts them. If you have anything to say, you need to take it to a private area. To protect the feelings of the others.

Oh. Wow. Seriously.

We live in a world of fairness. Political correctness. Even steven. Fair and square. Equitable. Everybody wins. Everyone needs to feel good about themselves. No one can stand out. In life and in sports too...

When my boys were little, they played soccer. It was cute. Some of the kids were natural athletes. They scored goals! They stopped others from scoring goals! Some kids weren't really into the game. They were picking flowers along the sidelines, oblivious to what was happening on the soccer field. But at the end of the season, everyone got a trophy.

I get that. Little kids should feel good about trying. But when does it stop?

We're not kids. Adults should know that life isn't fair. Not everyone gets a prize at the finish line. Do adults need "participation medals"? While writing this post, I read some articles about this. One author says "competition is life". Think about it; in a race there's only one winner. Unless you are an elite athlete, there will always someone better, faster, stronger, smarter. And actually, that isn't a bad thing. Losing can be motivating. If everyone wins, does anyone win? Does awarding everyone reinforce mediocrity?

I've been a runner for a long time. I ran a lot of 5ks and 10ks "back in the day". When I ran those races, you were lucky to get a race shirt. There were no medals for those distances. Only runners who completed a half and a full got rewarded with a medal. As they should. Those are tough distances that require commitment and training to complete.

A few years ago, I ran a half marathon where there was also a 5k. The half marathon runners received a medal at the finish. The 5k runners did not. I heard some loud complaining about that.

I realize that by putting this out there, I may offend some people. I understand that for many people the distance of running 3 miles seems difficult. But compare that to a half marathon (13.1 miles) or a marathon (26.2 miles). There is no comparison. Training for and running those distances is completely different than a 5 or a 10k. I don't feel that the shorter distances are worthy of a medal. Sorry. To give awards to the shorter distances downplays the training and accomplishment of those who complete the longer, more challenging distances. And personally, I find that training for and finishing the race is, in itself, satisfying. What is it that they say? There's joy in the journey. Truthfully, I'd be ok without receiving a medal.

I recently ran a Turkey Trot where there was a 5k and an 8k option. There were no finisher medals. I was ok with that. Shorter distance, no medal. Seems fair. I did leave with a medal because I placed 2nd in my age group. Yes! An award for an achievement. There was a little award ceremony. Seems appropriate.

We need to be able to feel good about ourselves, about our accomplishments. Why should anyone's achievements be minimized to pacify the feelings of others? Wouldn't it make sense that watching another achieve success should motivate us to do the same? Why should everyone get a trophy for just showing up to run? Get praised just for showing up for work? And should we downplay the work of the high achievers just to make everyone feel good about themselves? Hard work, be it in life, in a job, on the road, in sports-- should be rewarded. And we as adults should all understand that.

http://www.sporticular.com/more/not-everybody-wins-everyone-gets-trophy/