Well, she didn’t tell me to stop running.   

She gave me stretches to do (your basic calf stretches and then one that stretches the plantar fascia.  AND she told me to do an ice massage on the bottom of my foot.  Massage isn’t exactly the right word.  I basically rub ice along the bottom of my foot (try it, it’s not easy) for 2 minutes until it is numb and pink.  It’s not pleasant, but I am feeling results.

So, I ran a short run on Thursday.  Closer to my prescribed workout of only 2 miles, but still a little farther.  I had a client meeting to get to after the run.  I took it easy, and it shows.  I ran slower than my prescribed pace.

Easy Run
2 mi @ 12:13

Saturday morning was my speedwork day.  UGH.  My most hated workout.  I ran the iPod nano continuously through warm up, workouts and cool down.  I forgot what I was supposed to be doing, so I did 400 m jogs in-between instead of 800 m jogs.  Whoops.  So I’m a half mile short of my goal again.

Speedwork
Goal: Warm; 2×1600@9:59 w/800 jogs; Cool
Actual:  Warm; 2×1600@9:15 w/400 jogs; Cool

This time I remember my HR monitor, which I am basically using as a overpowered stopwatch

Speed 1 (1600m) 09:21.6

Jog 1 (400m)

Speed 2 (1600m) 09:09.8 Missed the first split

Jog 2 (400m)

Killer workout.  But I’m getting faster!  Next time I’ll try and remember to run 2 recovery laps.

Monday morning I see Jessica again for PT.  She’s going to do a gait analysis and see how I’m doing while running.

Today’s Workout
Long Run
7 mi @ 12:13

After thinking I was not going to be able to run today (see previous post), on the way back from my 11:30 appt, I decide at the last minute to run before my 1:30 appt. I’m already dressed to run (be prepared) and have my Nike+ iPod in my purse. I get to the Monument Valley parking lot, make a pitstop at the bathrooms, and start my run on the trail near there. My heel feels tight, but manageable.

7 miles is a long way. A LONG way. I head north, on the uphill. I decide I’m going to run until my iPod says I’ve gone 3.75 miles and turn around, so I will be close to the parking lot when I finish.

Did I mention how long 7 miles is? L O N G

I pause my workout at about 2.5 miles to stretch out my foot and calf because my heel is bothering me. More annoying than anything else. I resume running. I *finally* get to the halfway point, and think, okay, just .25 miles before I turn around. The hardest .25 miles of the run – uphill even more. UGH.

After I turn around, I realize that my heel is killing me and I’m sort of limping while running. Not good. For the next 3 miles, I jog, I walk quickly, I jog. My inner dialogue goes something like:

“Stop running. This really hurts.”
“I should stop, shouldn’t I? No, I can’t, I need to run.”
“Why do I *need* to run?”
“I just do.”
“No, this is stupid. You are in pain. Stop running.”
I walk quickly for a short time. “No, I only have xx miles to go. I can finish it running.”
“Just walk.”
“No.”
I remember Helen’s warning on the West Side Mom’s forum:

Don’t run through injuries. Don’t make a habit of swallowing a few ibuprofen before a run to get through it – you’ll mask pain that is telling you to STOP!

I remembered the story Dr Kania told Megan about shin splints:

Then she said that she’s known women who have continued to “run through the pain” to the point that they actually broke their own legs.

In the end, even though I slowed to a walk 3-4 times during the last 3 miles, I finished at a running pace, with my Powersong to help me through near the very end.

I limped to the car. I got in and realized it was 1:52 PM and I missed my 1:30 appt. I called and she said to come at 4:30. When I got home and made an appt with a physical therapist, while I fixed myself a Lean Cuisine lunch. I’ll see Jessica tomorrow at 4 PM.

If she tells me to stop running, I will. Really.

I was having “one of those days.” Yesterday, I found out that my dad *forgot* about taking the boys to breakfast every Tuesday so I can run. Every week for 4 weeks now, and he forgot.

I got up early and asked Doug when he had to go to work. “The earlier, the better,” he says. Damn. And I already told Zander he could play his computer game.

And, our sitter has a hearing this morning. So now, not only can I *not* run, but I won’t be able to work either.

Then I look at my calendar and realize, I have an appt at 11:30 AM, and another one at 1:30 PM. I won’t have time to run after Doug gets home because I have my networking meeting at 6:00 PM.

I call Doug’s parents. No answer, so I leave a message. I’m out of options. I get frustrated. I feel sorry for myself. “Why do I always come last?!” “Why is everyone so unreliable?” “Will I ever get to be a priority?” Whine, pout, whine, boo hoo. I have a quick cry about it.

“Get it together!” I tell myself. And I do. I thought of the FlyLady telling me not to let myself by a martyr. And I realize that I have been off my routine for 3 nights now. I need to get back on it!

So, I make the boys breakfast, and breakfast for me, too. We eat, I clean up and try to sneak in some work. They have no idea that I was just sobbing in the living room while they were playing “Putt Putt Travels Through Time.”

Think, think, think. I call Kristi. I ask her if she’d be interested, and I would pay her. She has some stuff to do today, but if I can’t find anyone else, call her back.

I decide that I will just take the boys with me to my 11:30 AM appt. I prepare them for that.

Then I decide to leave my sitter a message to see if she can come over after her hearing. She answers her phone. She just finished and can come over.

Now I can make my appts AND maybe run

Yippee! Things are looking up…

Today’s workout:
Tempo Run
Warm, 3mi@10:34, Cool

I met up with May at Holmes Middle School to run on the track. I ran there for my warm up and then took a walk around the track to calibrate my Nike+ iPod sensor. It told me I walked 440m when I thought I walked 400m. So, I figured it was calibrated. I started my tempo run. 3 miles. 12 laps. BORING on the track.

When I finished, it said I ran my tempo run in 37:09! 11:55 minute mile pace. I don’t think so. May ran the last 2 laps with me and we were probably under 10 minute miles. After some figuring, we concluded that I ran at least 1 extra lap, even a little more. The calibration was that far off with the Nike+ iPod sensor.

So I decided to calibrate it for running. Another lap. It told me I walked 440m when I thought I walked 400m (one lap). Then we ran a lap after calibration. When I got finished one lap on the track, I had to run longer for the iPod to tell me that I had run 400 m.

When all was said and done, we probably ran a total of 6 miles, instead of the 5miles alloted for the day. And I’m still wary of my calibration.

Since I’m meeting May to run tomorrow, I thought I would do a Tae Bo workout today. Last summer, I was doing Tae Bo 4-5 times a week, and I was able to get to 125 in June. And doing Tae Bo gave me enough aerobic capacity to do my very first 5K run, too.

As I did the workout, I realized that this was the missing link on changing my body shape. Climbing does great things for my arms and shoulders as far as definition and toning. Running is doing great things for my calves, but not so much for my thighs and stomach. Tae Bo definitely puts a burn in those areas. So, I’m going to try and do it 2x a week, in addition to 3x a week running and 1x a week climbing.

I want to return to being a Tae Bo Warrior!