I'm running again, hallelujah I'm running again

Title sung to the tune of, "It's raining again". Or, if you prefer, it's raining men. Wouldn't that hurt?

My chronic ouchy knee seems to be no longer chronic (so I guess by definition it never was) or ouchy. It is still a knee.

My running is now shorter and faster. By faster, I mean a little bit faster. By shorter, I mean 6k instead of 8k. That's 25% shorter, and maybe 10% faster. I am still doing better than the stock market.

Did you know that running in the dark is hard? I'm amazed at how often I learn the obvious. So I have limited my running to daylight hours, which means Sundays. They frown on laps in the office, and honestly I don't feel like running at work, once I've showered and changed the last thing I want to do is look at more spreadsheets or translations or marketing copy. Therefore I run on weekends, and I use the Nordic Track during the week. Running is more fun. And it's only 5 weeks until we start getting daylight back. I'll see if I can get up to 10k in time for National Capital Race Weekend, which is around the end of May.

My new obsession is shared by millions around the world. Barack Obama. It is impossible for him to live up to the expectations, and yet so far his appointments seem selected to let him do just that. I bet he could run faster than me. And farther.

Anatomy

I haven't run since October 9th.

I ran on the 2nd, the 4th, the 5th, the 7th and the 9th, at which point my left knee informed me it was giving up running. Either a late Ramadan or early Lent thing, perhaps. Although I suspect my atheism doesn't make my knee a religious observer.

I have been using one of our two Nordic Track machines. The other remains in bits scattered around the garage and attic, where it is likely to remain. This is supposed to keep me in shape until my knee agrees that running is a healthy, enjoyable activity for it and the rest of me.

The Nordic Track seems to help. My knee doesn't hurt when I use it, or after. It is entirely possible I will skip the recommended physio, using the Nordic Track as an excuse. In reality, I am one cheap bastard. I know I get the money back from my insurance company, so there is more to it than being cheap. There's also the fear that I'm being a wimp, and my odd dislike of making appointments. Freud could make something creatively sexual out of that, but I lack his imagination.

So...the 10K this Sunday is out. My goal now is to ease into running again once my knee pain is gone, and run twice a week while continuing to use the boring, noisy, reliable Nordic Track twice a week. Maybe if I sweat enough I'll dissolve the carpeting and have an excuse to install hardwood!

Over halfway there!

I ran 8k last night. I'm over halfway to my goal of 10k! That may seem obvious, as 8k is more than halfway between, say, 0 and 10k, but I was at 5k when I started this goal so I'm counting 7.5k as halfway.

Almost 4 weeks to go before the 10k "race". I hope there's no time limit. An hour should be enough for most runners, but I'll probably need an extra 10 minutes. Especially if it's hot. Which at the end of October in Ottawa is a highly remote possibility. More remote than Sarah Palin coming up with a brilliant, feasible plan to save the financial sector that would garner bipartisan support. Well, maybe not quite that remote.

Saturday's run was hot, humid, slow, painful. Monday's was cool, breezy, fun and I'd like to say fast but that was only true when I was going downhill. I like the new route, downloaded from the Running Room - much more fun than adding extra blocks onto my neighbourhood weave. And it ends on a downhill. I like running downhill. It's the only time I move fast enough that it really feels like running. That, and the last block before I finish.

I'm still in shorts and t-shirt, it was 12C last night and that was about perfect. I also remembered a headband for the first time, and realized I don't like headbands, I like wristbands as I need to wipe off the sweat. I am my mother's daughter in that respect - we both turn beet red and sweat like horses when exercising. Jane Fonda can rest secure, knowing we'll never compete in the exercise video space.

Snot runs freely

I am wimping out on today's run. Zoe shared her cold with me, and I'm being a giant wimp.

I did have 2 good runs this week, 6k on Monday and 6.7k on Wednesday.

I have nothing else to say. 

Up and down

My run last Monday night was pathetic. I barely made it 5k before I had to stop and walk for a half a block, then I only made it another 1/2k. I blamed my prior day's gardening marathon, although I'm not sure why that would impact my breathing, which was really stressed.

Wednesday was much better, I ran just over 6k fairly easily.

Saturday was long. I ran with my colleague, and enjoyed it, but her route is a little over 6.5k. Very nice route.

I plan on running tonight, but not too far - I did spend the rest of the weekend, after Saturday's run, in the garden. I emptied 2 composters, spreading about 20 wheelbarrows full of muck on the paths. Then I moved another 10 wheelbarrows full of the last of the triple mix I bought last summer. Then I spread grass seed on the finished bits - I need another 10 wheelbarrows or so of dirt. As I don't want to order more, I'm not sure where I'll get it, but I'll figure something out. The driveway's bad enough with the load of rocks I moved from the paths, no need to add a mess of dirt to it. I'm very happy I managed to get the seed down, as it started raining almost immediately after I finished and is going to drizzle on and off today, perfect grass growing weather. It is the little things that make me happy...but at least I'm not so obsessed that I watch the grass grow!

Getting there

I've run almost 6k twice - and if I'd realized I was a few metres short, I'd have run another block. It turns out running is a lot easier when you don't spend 10 hours a day gardening. It's amazing the things I should be able to figure out, but don't.

I want to keep up the running, and go farther, and maybe even go into the odd organized run - not for speed, just to see what it's like.

I don't want to spend foolish amounts of money on running gear. So far my shoes were the only thing I've bought new. I have shorts, shirts and tank tops from ye olde Sally Ann, aka the Thrift Store, and tights from my old cycling days, as well as a rain jacket. I'm hoping that's enough gear for winter. It's definitely enough for summer!

Not much else to say about continuing to put one leg in front of the other, in a manner far less foolish looking than the speed walkers. It still feels good. I'm really happy I got through the summer, even though I didn't run nearly as much. I stretch a lot more now, since I had to take a few days off after hurting either a tendon or a muscle - doesn't really matter, as it got better on its own. The kids have expressed no interest in following me. Hugh remains sedentary, although given his knees and hip I'm not surprised.

His hip is still acting up. Damn sheep. Note to self - don't ever sprint after suburban sheep. You know they're destined for a bad (baaaaa-d) end. And if you injure yourself, the story makes people laugh so sympathy is off the table. Poor Hugh. Sheep induced bursitis. At least it's not scabies...

Cooler weather works for me

I ran 3 times in the last week. First time I've done that in, um, a while. I've also agreed to run a 10k "race" in October. My enthusiasm for this venture is about as high as my kids enthusiasm for the first day of school. They hate school. Well, the boys do - my daughter's fine with it. That's because it's full of people who understand that it's normal to talk on the phone while chatting on the computer and texting with your cell.

Max distance is still 5.5k, which I ran on the 31st - my brother's wedding day. Beautiful day. Very nice wedding. I hope his marriage is more enthusiastic than the anemic kiss he bestowed on his lovely bride - although he is such a private person, I'd have been shocked if it had been an Al Gore style tongue wagger.

Since my last post, in addition to several runs of varying success, I've moved 2 tonnes of gravel, ripped out 80 landscape timbers and nearly finished my summer project, the stepstone path. I'm at 17 of an estimated 19 stepstones made, and have learnt enough about concrete to bore anyone. The garden now looks like an enormous mess, as the formerly tidy gravel paths are dismantled, the new shape is still a work in progress, and of course it's September and dry and the plants are not at their best. Can't wait for the weekend - I didn't get much chance after the gravel moving and timber ripping to actually reshape the beds and remake the paths. With grass this time - much nicer underfoot than gravel.

The houses continue to spring up, although many more for sale signs are sticking around longer - will the US experience come to Canada? Probably in a less extreme way, but we'd be fools to think we're immune.

Love a rainy night

Ah, August. I hate that we lose the light in the mornings and the evenings, but love the cooler weather once the sun goes down.

I'm still running 5k, but not very often. My goal now is to get back up to 3 runs a week, and stay there. I'm at 2 this week - Friday and Monday, as the weekend was too full of gardening. I'm not sure running is wise after spending a morning ripping out landscaping timbers. I'm also not sure if I am sore today from running or from the timber ripping. I blame my slightly stiff back on the timbers, although it could be from sitting in front of a computer for too many hours.

The 3 houses being built are now 4 houses, one of which went up so fast I only saw the hole once. At least only 2 of the 4 are monsters. The house across the street is almost done - according to the owner, he meant to go in and do cosmetic repairs then flip it, but ended up gutting it instead, at a cost exceeding $200K, not including the house. Ouch. I doubt he'll get his money back. He overpaid for the house in the first place, he'd need to get over $500K to get his money back, and houses in my neighbourhood just don't sell for that much. I hope I'm wrong, for his sake. Glad it's not my problem!

I hope to get another run or 2 in this week, before ripping out more of the timbers on the weekend. Anyone want a couple of tonnes of gravel? It's got to go too. Must remember to be careful of back. It's one of those "I know I'm stoopid" things - as I'm doing these things, I think about my back, but I don't stop doing them. I guess 41 isn't old enough to be wise. Plus I doubt wisdom is something I'll end up with. Silliness, yes. Wisdom? Not so much.

hot hot hot

July running sucks.
I am a heat wimp.
Last night I had my first good run of the month - didn't feel like writing about the bad ones. Much less running this month, I only made it out 6 times. Still, the 5k last night felt good.

I dropped the 10k running class I'd signed up for - it was moved to Friday night, which gave me an excuse to get out of it. I'm just trying to stick with 5k often enough to not lose too much fitness. When it's better running weather, and I'm enjoying it again, then I can run farther. If I want to. In the meantime, maybe I'll set up one of our 2 Nordic Track machines in the bedroom. The bits are currently stashed all over the house, my husband in a fit of concern that I'd get rid of one dismantled them. He wasn't well at the time. Now that he is well, he shouldn't object to re-assembling one, and getting rid of the second. Do we need 2 of something we've never used? Need - a concept we confuse far too readily with want. It's grand to live in a rich country!

goal #1 reached

I've now run 5k 3 times. Once it was 5.5k, accidentally, no wonder it was a tough run.

My main struggle now is with heat. And my definition of heat is pretty liberal - anything above 20C with humidity, or 23 without. Yesterday's high was under 18, and I still found it warm.

Only about 6 weeks until the 10k training program starts, I should be at slightly over 6k by then. That's really about as far as I want to run, but the course should be interesting, at least.

My garden is full of weeds, despite much weeding. The rain and humidity seem to generate them from nothing. My fingers are stained with dirt. I need more groundcover to suppress weed growth, I think that should be priority 1. Hostas. More hostas. And daylilies. With vibrantly coloured flowers. Time to head back to Artistic, the daylilies should be in bloom (hard to pick a flower you like from a tiny label).

The construction goes on, the new hole has forms up, the other 2 houses are now windowed and doored and ready for interior work. Fun to watch.

On the road again

I missed a few runs, as I tried running and had to stop because it hurt.

But I got out last night, it were grand, it were. Running becomes rapidly addictive.

My cure was to stop wearing foolish shoes (aka women's fashionable footwear), and only wear my running shoes. It helped enough that the swelling went down and the pain stabilized, and it doesn't hurt when I run. Much relief.

Now I'm going to sign up for a 10k training program that starts in August - should be fun!

House update - a new big hole is near the former big hole, which has a newly roofed new bungalow frame now. The 2 storey house that was the little store is progressing well.

Gardens - the lilacs are ending, the bridal wreath spirea are blooming, and I planted a hedge.

Ouch, sort of

I'm up to 4.5 k.

I'm down in speed - my leg hurts. Try looking up "running injury" on google and see how many hits you get. Narrowing it down to ankle, and on the inside bit, does limit it an awful lot. So it's either a tendon or a muscle, and guess what - same treatment for each. Make the muscle stronger so the tendon doesn't get strained and neither does the muscle. Kind of makes sense.

I do recognize the limitations of internet self diagnosis. I also know I tend to search out information that reinforces what I've already decided - that I don't need to see a doctor, that I can keep on running, and I don't need to spend money on shoes or inserts. So what's the point of research? Well, I found some silly exercises that might help, assuming the inflammation goes down enough that I can actually do them (they all say stop if it hurts - but if it didn't hurt, I wouldn't need them).

Tibialis posterior tendon. When it goes, so does your arch. My kids do not have my feet - I have an arch that is only slightly higher than Donald Duck's. My kids can pretty much sit flat on the floor and point their toes and touch the floor with them. I don't even look like I'm pointing my toes. Why did my idiot ballet teacher put me on point? Maybe she thought I would bend suddenly? Instead I bled my way through several pairs of shoes, then quit. The ideal foot for point work is short, wide, has high arches and is supported by strong peasant ankles. I have the strong ankles. My nickname was finger toes. My arches are hard to find (all 3 - believe it or not, a foot has 3 arches). My feet are narrow. I still remember her cries - don't break the bar! But it hurts less if I support all my weight on the bar with my arms, honest.

So the tendon is attached to a muscle that runs behind the shin bone, and if it gets really sore, your knee on the outside hurts too. If that happens, I will know 2 things.

1. My self diagnosis is right
2. My treatment plan is wrong

The third is already known - I am willing to do anything stupid if I can find even one reason to justify it.

Construction update - one house has windows and roof already. The other has the first storey up.
Garden update - lilacs in full bloom, smells amazing, crabapples almost done, tulips hanging in thanks to a cool spring, bearded iris blooming.

Feeling smug, fool that I am

I've been estimating distance by guessing how long blocks are, and counting how many I run.

I googled how can I estimate how far I've run, and mapped my route on Geocities. It turns out I am going 3.7km, not 3.3 as I'd guestimated. OK, so 400 metres does not make much difference, but now I only need to add about 6 blocks and I'll be at 5k. It's nice to be closer to your goal than you thought.

Run update: Monday's run rocked, even though Saturday's didn't. I'm at 2 out of the last 3 were great.

Construction update: The former little store now has the first floor framed. The big hole has forms up for the basement foundation.

Plant update: The magnolia's are done. But the forsythia continue blooming, maybe I should add one to my plant list.

I read that running's benefits increase pretty much linearly (is that a word?) up to 40 miles a week. I know no-one who runs that far. Apparently running helps boost HDL so your cholesterol is lower, reducing the risk of death from cardiovascular disease. And that definitely runs in my family, although admittedly it kills us when we're old. It also reduces the risk of colon cancer, which runs in my family too, and kills us occasionally when not exactly old. I'm guessing the fact I am now running will not exclude me from the dreaded scope test. I promise not to blog any details of that. Like I'd want it in some electronic format anywhere...

Amazing run

My Tuesday night run was not great - still a bit sore after my weekend warrior gardening idiocy.

Last night's run was the best yet. Farther, faster, more fun. Perfect spring weather helped; cool, no wind, sunny.

My estimated distance was about 3.3 km. Getting to 5k looks possible!

I feel good today, as usual the calves feel a bit tight but no soreness. I am a lousy stretcher, it would help if I spent, say, 2 minutes actually stretching out the muscles each day.

I rarely stretch because it's boring, and I don't bend. Imagine reaching for your toes and finding your knees. OK, it's not quite that bad, but as a teenaged bunhead even after an hour of limbering I couldn't quite touch my toes. And that was with 3x a week of disciplined stretching. Gee, wonder why I never became a ballerina? I'd be the one in the back with her leg 2" off the ground while the rest have them stuck up above their heads. Les Trocs are more flexible than I - and better on point - but I haven't found anything since ballet that keeps me fit. Let's see if running does the trick! Not that I want to get back down to my ballet weight. As noted previously, my physique is close enough to a teenage boy at 130 pounds. 100 pounds is too scary to contemplate.

Weekend warrior, aka el stoopido

Didn't run yesterday. Did on Friday, and Wednesday, but not the weekend, and not Monday. That's 4 days since my last run. Oops. I had trouble walking, admittedly. Apparently digging for 3 hours can cause muscle soreness. Go figure.

I did manage 20 minutes of solid running the last 2 times I went out. 20 minutes is my limit. You know that feeling, like you can't get enough air in your lungs? Felt that one, after Friday's jaunt.

According to the couch to 5K plan, it's 4 weeks from 20 minutes to 30 minutes. I may spend one of those weeks at 20 minutes. One more I mean. As last week was a 20 minute week. I will run by the new big hole tonight. Someone has torn down a relatively shabby Victory home and will put up a monster. Hopefully in proportion with the neighbours and lot, but that would be an exception. The concept of need in our culture is awfully skewed away from Maslov.

Speed counts

Success! I have new shoes, and I ran for 20 minutes non stop. Well, what passes for running in my beginner slow pace, anyways. I did find a longer gait felt better, except for the fact that I could only keep it up for a few minutes before feeling like my lungs would explode.

How slow do I go?

Slow, very slow.

I estimate I ran 2.5 km in 20 minutes, a not exactly record setting pace of...7.5 km per hour. So a marathon at that pace would take a long time. 5.6 hours. I'm not sure I can do anything for that long. I did go a bit faster for the last 4 minutes, including a final minute all out run, which felt awesome. It adds an additional goal to my 5 km one. Go faster, it's more fun.

Beginner's enthusiasm?

I have now run three times, and so far so great.
Advantages I have - unlike a lot of beginning runners, I'm neither sedentary nor overweight. Soggy, yes, but not chubby, for which my knees should be grateful.

I say runner. Add several grains of salt (and bags of cookies). Like many, I downloaded a "couch to 5K" plan from the internet, and so I alternate a sort of old lady style shuffle with a brisk walk. So far I've managed to completely mess up the plan, which I blame on 2 factors.

1. I can't read before I have a cup of coffee, so I misread week 1 before my first run.
2. I have the patience level of your average 2 year old, and the delusional optimism of a tech start up CEO.

The positives? I am "running" more than walking, and hit the 5 minute run/1 minute walk last night. My goal? 30 minutes of nonstop running before my 41st birthday, which is happily 11 weeks away. And secret hopes? That the cellulite will be transformed into a Victoria's Secret style bum, except of course much larger. I have no interest in going back to 105 pounds, as I have the physique of a 14 year old boy at that weight. Ick. My curves may be subtle, but I am not willing to give them up completely!

I have been incredibly amazed at how delighted people are when you mention running. I can't imagine a better reaction if I said I'd won the Nobel Peace Prize - why do we glorify running so much? I'm saving no-one but myself. Is it shared memory of endorphin-induced highs?

My next task - new shoes. I am running in my 7 year old New Balance sneakers, which my 11 year old son kindly gave back to me after I spent a small fortune buying him shoes. Other than really odd knots in the laces, they seem unscathed, but I know they are lacking in squishiness that apparently will protect me from all manner of ills. And heck, it takes no arm twisting at all to get me to buy new shoes! Let's just hope the credit card doesn't burst into flames.