mickey mouse

mickey mouse

Tuesday 25 September 2012

who knew I had a fin?

So I discovered the hard way that if it's not broken don't fix it.

For some reason I got it in my head that I needed to change my shoes. I've run in Nike Lunarglides for so long that I can't remember what my old shoe brand even was. Years, different colours, same shoe, over and over. Then, when I started training for Around the Bay this last time I thought to myself 'self, why not get some long-distance style shoes?'

I didn't head to Zellers, or Play it Again Sports. I didn't pick 'cause the colour of the shoes was pretty (though I tried). I went to a reputable store, got fitted, and chose my new shoes that way. Flash forward, run the Bay (the back half), run a bit more. Owie, foot hurts. Moan a bit, suck it up, that's the price you pay for running, right? Hit physio. My Physioterrorist treats my knees and we start chatting about my foot.

She says 'tendon damage' and hits my foot with a brick.
She also says 'get out of those shoes, you're over correcting and supinating and hurting yourself'.

Bye bye new shoes. Hello weeks of trying new shoes, icing, elevating and resting (forget compressing, it makes me want to throw up).

Make the mistake of asking Dr. Google what I might have, while lying down one Thursday night with my foot elevated over my head and an ice pack on it. Dr. Google says 'hey, look, a stress fracture, better stop running right now for 6 weeks'. It should be noted that I'm now 3 weeks away from running my first full marathon. I have the Oasis Zoo 5k to run Saturday, followed by a 20k training run on Sunday. So I ask Dr. Google what would happen if I run on a stress fracture. He's got nothing good to say about the idea.

I figure I might as well ask a REAL MD, so I haul myself to a walk in clinic. The funny doctor says 'well, I don't have x-ray vision, so we need to get an x-ray of your foot'. Smarty Pants ;-). Friday brings an x-ray and waiting for results. Because I'm basically insane, I'm still planning both my runs regardless of the results, and now asking friends if they have an extra air cast I can borrow.

Saturday rolls around and I'm standing in my corral waiting for the zoo run to start, when my phone rings (yes I run carrying my phone). It's the doctor's office, I don't have a stress fracture. Whoo hoo!

But what do I have?

Dr. Google is no help, there's too many bits and pieces in your foot that you can screw up. Real Doctor on Monday says 'you have a Dorsal flexor strain'. Who even knew I had a fin in my foot? How come I can't swim? She shows me a stretch I can do, tells me not to wear flip flops or sandals anymore, and wishes me luck on my marathon.

So now I have a new pair of super-stability shoes I can't wear, two new pairs of shoes I CAN wear, a neat new injury to add to the list, and clearance to run as much as I want. I call that a win!

p.s. Anyone need a pair of Progrid Stabils, size 9?

Sunday 16 September 2012

I went to a training run and a race broke out



So I'm amused. I have a sort of bucket list, and on it has been to run a Terry Fox run. I must have done it at some point in my youth (somehow I don't recall it at all), but I haven't run it as an adult. I feel an affinity to Mr. Fox, as I saw him run through Thunder Bay on his Marathon of Hope, and if you know much Canadian history, you'll also know that his run ended in our city, and there's a wonderful monument there to his valliant effort.

This morning was my 30k training run for the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, and it also happened to be the day of the TF Run. I knew that 30k wasn't 10k (the max at Terry), so I was resigned to the fact that I'd spend yet another year not doing the charity event. I got up at 6am, pondered not running at all, and then figured I wasn't getting any closer to marathon distance by lying in bed. Texted my running buddy Angel (that's her with me above) and we planned to run the back half of the Around the Bay route as an out-and-back (15k each way).

We started at the Steam and Technology Museum on the Hamilton side, and ran into Burlington across the lift bridge. As we neared Spencer Smith Park we noticed a crowd, a start line, tents, all evidence of a run.....

What do runners who are 7k into a 30k training run do when faced with a start line? Look to see what's going on and how we can sign up! At first we thought it was a run Angel had done last year, but nope, turned out to be the start line for the Burlington Terry Fox Run.

The course was a 5k loop, so my math inclined buddy figured we could run it 3 times and then run back to the car....it should be noted that the TF Run is a 5k or 10k, and we were going to run 15k.  We registered and joined the start line. Two loops (10K) in, we 'finished' the official race and stopped for a hot dog and cookie. Then we went back for another 5k loop and toasted our success with a slice of pizza (they had GREAT post race snacks!).  The squirrell I was running with also came away with 2 Lara Bars and an apple :-).

Back to the car, slogging along for the last 8k....have to admit it was one of the funnest runs I've had in ages, and such a great way to support a great cause while also getting our miles in.

.
Kudos to the team organizing the Burlington run. Smooth start, beautiful course, great volunteers, cool post (or mid) race snacks. Would I do it again, totally!


Wednesday 12 September 2012

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Okay so before I start this post AGAIN, let me vent about the fact that my crappy, super slow, super old, jumk box of a work PC just ate my enitre last post and did a force close of internet explorer and lost the entire thing. Now granted I should not be writing posts on work time, but FFS people, could we get some equipment that at least can handle some typing without going tits up?

that said, I'll start again.

http://anothermotherrunner.com/2012/09/10/we-ask-you-tell-then-play-it-forward/
The team at Run Like a Mother wanted us blog folk to answer 10 personal running questions, and 'play it forward' to encourage other BAMRs to do the same.  Here's my answers:

1. Best Run Ever
    I don't think I've had my best run ever yet. I've had some I liked, some I fought my way through, some
    that sucked from the first step to the last. As Bryan Adams says 'the best is yet to come'.

2.  Three words that describe my running
     Get 'er done

3.  My go to running outfit is
     Well, that depends on the weather (in Canada). A running bra, shoes and a hat. Something between the
     shoes and hat to prevent people from calling the police.

4.  Quirky habit while running
     Aside from the way I look while running? I like to touch the tip of my nose with my tongue.

5.  Morning, midday, evening
     I would prefer to run at midday, weather and schedule permitting. Normally I end up running either at
     an ungodly hour of the morning or after work when I'm exhaused and would rather curl up with my PVR
     and watch hours of talk shows.

6.  I won't run outside when it's
     Really hot, really cold, or when there's a warning like temperature or issues in the middle east.

7. Worst injury and how I got over it
     I did something to my achilles tendon right after I started running really long distances. My 
     physioterrorist fixed it somehow. Currently she's working on the arthritis in both my knees and
    something I've done to the tendons in the top of my foot that makes me feel like I'm being hit by a brick.
    I think she's a god.

8.  I felt most like a bad ass mother runner when
     I think that happened before I even knew BAMRs existed. I was running my first half marathon. About
     half a KM from the finish I thought I'd just have a seat on the nice curb and ruminate about the race. I
     figured that I could take a break and get up and keep running. The more I thought about it the more I
     realized if I did it that they'd find me the next week, covered in discarded water cups and GU wrappers.
     So I put one foot in front of the other and plodded my way to the finish. And finish I did, arms in the air,
     triuphant.

9. Next race is
    The next fun race is the 5K Oasis Zoo Run. I've always wanted to run with the animals. The next
     'gonna take real work' race is my first Full Marathon, the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in
     October. It's the furthest I've ever run, the most I've ever trained and the biggest running challenge to
     date. What was I thinking?  :-)

10.  Potential running goal for 2013
      Nothing potential about it. I've signed up with some fellow BAMRs to run the Goofy Challenge in Walt
      Disney World in January. It's a half marathon on Saturday followed by a full marathon on Sunday. Yep
      I'm f'in goofy, just like my blog title says. Nothing like having a challenge to work toward to get you to
      lace up those shoes!