True Confession!

Well, here it is.  I watch The Biggest Loser.  I've never watched a whole season and I don't plan my day around watching the show, but I do enjoy watching it when I am home and feel like putting my feet up.  My first reaction to The Biggest Loser was...what? what will they think of next!? But then I watched an episode or two and found it to be actually pretty good.  The thing with this reality series is that the contestants on the show don't appear to be back stabbing conniving greedy people.  The contestants are supportive of their fellow competitors and seem to be genuinely happy to see them succeed.  This is something you don't find on many other reality shows.  The concept of The Biggest Loser is universal.  The show promotes The Biggest Loser Lifestyle, not a diet or a fad, but a lifestyle.  When these contestants convert to the BL lifestyle, they find themselves succeeding in areas, (weigh loss, nutrition, exercise) that they never thought they would ever succeed before.  It is really interesting to see the changes in people and I find it kind of inspiring.  Obviously we don't see what goes in behind the scenes, but what the producers choose to show the audience is good stuff to me.   This can be translated to areas of my life that need improvement.  I won't go into all of that, but let's just say that the concept of making a lifestyle change is often daunting and it takes real courage and strength to do it.  I also get some tips from the show. . . .
So that is my confession, I watch The Biggest Loser. 

What else is in the news...well, after over a year of battling with this leg issue that had now turned into it's own entity in my life, I've tried yet something else.  Let me review this history of this nagging pain.
Early January 2010- Ran Bandera 100k, no leg issues, didn't know one was coming
Later in January 2010-What the hell is that painful sensation in my right thigh when I try to run, its like I can't lift my leg
Rest of January-March 2010-Ignore the problem, it will go away.  This did NOT work, but I still managed to run some races with increasing amounts of pain. Managed 104 miles at PacRim with much discomfort.  Although, I think I would have felt discomfort REGARDLESS at PacRim, even if I were healthy....running in a 1 mile loop on a gravel path for about 22 hours....
March 2010-went to see a sports med Dr.  Got an x-ray, no diagnosis, just wonderment as to where this pain originates from, but got a referral for Physical Therapy and Active Release Therapy.
March-June 2010- No success with PT, some success with ART, but still running with the weird unknown pain, (why didn't I stop?  Because I'm silly) Still ran some races, withdrew from others, trained the best I could but felt compromised
June -August 2010-Continued with ART, started Heller Work, my training was still really sporadic and limited. Heller Work did NOT work, didn't really make a difference in the long run that I noticed
August -September 2010-Got through some races, some I finished, one I didn't, disappointed and frustrated
September -October 2010-REST. Very minimal running and activity in general.  I did things that didn't cause the usual pain.  Took a yoga class for 6 weeks, had some awesome massage from Leah Kangas.
October 2010-Present- Started back slow to building up miles.  No relief.  Still have this leg pain.  Started pilates with the amazing Echo Norris.  Some relief from this.
Wednesday April 13-Went to get acupuncture, why not?  I've tried pretty much everything.  The ND sees me and she orders me up and MRI right away. She said I'll run to produce the symptoms and then they will put my in claustrophobia land.
Saturday April 16th-Ran 12 summits and I sucked!  But besides that, the company of Sara and Eric and Struth was great!  Photo courtesy -Sara Malcolm

Last Summit of the day....phew

I had anxiety dreams before 12 summits and wondered if it was just plain stupid to run.  It's kind of remote once you get past the hikers hut on Tiger 1.  If I had to turn around, then that would have been along solo trip back to the car. Once we hit snow on the 4th summit I though, oh, maybe they will want to turn around and call it a day.  But no, I was running with tough peeps so that option was not even mentioned....  I was having a hard time keeping up all day.   The whole 12 summits my pain level was between a 3 and an 8.  So I am just being plain dumb for continuing to put myself in the position?  If not dumb, than at the very least, insane.  What is the definition of insane?

insane (ɪnˈseɪn)

— adj

1. a. mentally deranged; crazy; of unsound mind

b. ( as collective noun; preceded by the ): the insane

2. characteristic of a person of unsound mind: an insane stare

3. irresponsible; very foolish; stupid

This might apply to me.  I think it does. 
 I know every runner goes through this...they want to run, wonder if by running the damage will be worse.  Can I run through this?  What if I miss a long run, how does that set my back?  It's stressful and time consuming.  So I've decided that when I get the results of this MRI back, I will make a decision about whether or not I will finish out this season with the races I have signed up for or if I will take the rest of the season off.  We'll see. . . . either way I will be out their supporting my friends. 
Until the MRI results come back, I'll continue the insanity!

The Boxing Gym

Last night I decided to try something different.  I love running but sometimes I just need a good hard fast workout.  There is a boxing gym down the street from me; Cappy's Gym (http://www.cappysgym.com/), and I decided to check it out.  I had a blast!  It was an hour workout with plymetrics and boxing with the punching bag.  When I felt I was getting tired, I thought of some of the people who I have to report to in Miami for my job who really irritate me and I noticed that I punched harder, thus getting a better workout.  If only they knew I was thinking of them as I smashed the heavy bag with all my might.  I thought I would be really sore today but actually, I don't feel all that bad.  My back is a bit tight and some muscle in my arm, who knows which one, is noticeable today.  I can hardly wait to go back.  I have a feeling that DOMS might set in tomorrow but we'll see.  I actually like feeling a bit sore, makes me realise that I did something and if I recover right, I will get stronger.  I learned what a "jab" is used for and layed a few "hooks" on the bag.  Maybe this will be my new sport.....who knows!  I can only imagine how much training a boxer has to do preparing for a fight.  Not only that, there's a lot of technique involved that I have not even figured out.  I kept forgetting to keep a glove up to protect my face from my (invisible) opponent.  Then there was this little bag that when I hit it, it would fly back at me so I had to dodge that bullet.  That was a lesson in agility and quick twitch muscles that I already knew I didn't have.  At the end of the class, I had worked up quite a sweat.  I'm excited to go back! 

Orcas 50+K!

What a fun weekend! It was my first trail race since Pine to Palms in September of last year and I was so excited to hit the trails. My friend Jeanine was running as well, her first trail race, she did the 25K and what a whopper of a race to do for your first one. She did great. Also, Orcas is sentimental to me because it marks 2 years since Owen and I became "official". So it's year number 2 for us. Hooray!

We made the 3 pm ferry and got a chance to catch up with a few fellow runners which was nice. I got to congratulate Linda personally on her HURT 100 belt buckle that she had on, what an accomplishment! Laura Houston and I 'perched" just as Echo taught us to do in pilates, getting our glutes activated before our run the next day. After the ferry ride, we all got our numbers and then Jeanine, Owen and I went to our hotel and ate dinner then layed around until it was time to sleep.

Saturday morning we all headed over to the race start together. The 50k started first then Jeanine would start 10 minutes after us. I was pretty excited. I knew I had not put the training in that I had last year and I was not as prepared as I would have like to have been, but that is what recovering from an injury does to a person and I did not care. I was just happy to be out there. I started off in the back as I thought I would have had to stop as usual to adjust my leg. But that did not happen this time, PROGRESS! So I started off slowly and got into my groove. The weather was perfect, perfect for the 3rd year in a row. That is unusual for the PNW in the winter time. The first 12 miles went fairly well, got back to the start/finish/aid station in just over 2 hours. I headed out to the power line. I don't have photos, but I do have a memory:

I struggled initially on the power line trail. My heart rate soared and my leg was taking a beating. But as I made progress, I began to feel better and got into the climb. I was wondering what is harder, Section Line at Tiger or the Power Line. I don't know the answer to that or if it really matters, but I was glad that I at least got a couple of hikes up the section line to get me ready for the power line. At the top, I was looking forward to the best part of the run-that fun cushy downhill that follows. I love to run as fast as I can downhill, (who doesn't?). I went a bit conservatively as I knew my longest actual run before this race was an hour and my longest time out on the trail was 2 hours. I didn't not want to blow my wad early so I was a bit conservative. At the bottom and running around the lake before we hit the climb to Mt. Constitution, I was really feeling bonky and the lack of training. My quad was acting up and started my "ultra shuffle" early. I was actually looking forward to the climb up Constitution b/c then I could walk. I wound up making my way up there with Mike from Portland, (don't know his last name, but I do know we are both fallen Catholics) and Matt Hagen which was fun and kept mind off my deterioration. At the top, I filled up my back pack and headed down. I did ask how many more miles and when I heard 10 and then looked at my watch, I thought, NO WAY, I am much slower than last year. As I headed down I saw Scott Krell and Tracy, Scott commented on me taking it easy and I thought.....whoa, I am not in the shape I would like to be in....but then I remembered that patience is a virtue and I was working on that one, so I relaxed and enjoyed the run down. I got to the lake and it seemed like a long time until I actually crossed that finish line. But I finally did and I quickly learned that the course was longer this year by a few miles. I have to admit, I was glad to hear that b/c I thought I was super duper behind that eight ball with regards to training but it actuality, I am not that far from where I would like to be. And I am on my way to being healthy, so really, no complaints.

As usual, James put on a great race. Tough and beautiful. It was great to see everyone and catch up.

Kudos to my friend Jeanine for kicking some butt on her first trail race. She is now going to sign up for her first 50k. Um....another ultra runner in the making!

The Section Line Burn

See where I'm pointing? See the redness around the bum? That is where it hurts. My bum is an achy sack from the stroll up section line on Tiger Mt. yesterday. I guess it's been awhile since I've climbed up a big steep hill. But I was lucky enough to run into Eric Barnes, Steve Stoyles and Sara Malcom at the top so I caught my breath and chatted with them. Orcas 50k will be a challenge for me......I am really looking forward to it.

Who thinks this picture, below is real? Is it possible that it is real? It's so funny.

A New Attitude

Ok, it's started. I'm so happy about it. I am usually not one to make New Year's Resolutions and really, a new attitude is not a New Year's Resolution, however, it is an intention that I've made and it happens to be January. Taking advise and ideas from people that I find inspirational has lead me to introducing such tactics and attitudes in my life, or maybe just making them a bigger presence in my life. Also, I've just spent several evenings watching Bud Greenspan's Olympic movies. The special on the Universal Sports channel titled "9 Nights of Glory" has been so interesting. Bud Greenspan made lots films about the Olympics and focused in on certain sports and athletes. I found it fascinating, inspiring, humbling, educational and motivating. There is just so much emotion in sports and not just coming from the athletes, but also the fans. To see someone cry on the medal stand or watch the medal stand feeling defeat is a real slice of life. Victory and defeat can cause intense emotion. These Olympic athlete's spend their whole lives preparing for high level competition and when it goes sour, it's devastating to watch, when it goes well, it's fantastic and surreal to watch the emotion of these athletes, it must be the biggest or at least one of the biggest moments in their life.

As the saying goes, victory is sweetest when you've known defeat. Bud Greenspan captured a lot of that in his films. There was the Dan Jansen story; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Jansen and the Zola Budd/Mary Decker story, and many other stories of real people who are outstanding sportsman and graceful in their victories and their defeats. Of course, I am just a recreational athlete. I am in awe of these Olympic athletes. I have never been that talented in that arena, nor will I ever be. But what I can strive for is the essence of these athletes in terms of courage and grace. The last Bud Greenspan film I watched had a piece on the Irish track and field runner Eamonn Coghlan, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eamonn_Coghlan. I wish I could produce the link to his interview on the film, but basically it said----show up. Showing up and giving it your all is the only thing you can do-it all aspects of life. Of course he worded it differently and much more eloquent, but his message hit me where it counts.

Anyway.....that's some food for thought.

Beside that. . . I have recently started doing some work for REI. It's been fun. They are starting to use videos on their website in addition to photos. They wanted to do an short video in running in minimalist shoes. For the past 6-9 months, I've been running in the Nike Free's for most all my road runs. I will say, that for a person who once relied on orthodics, the switch to not using orthodics and then to Nike Free's was interesting. I can really see where the leg length discrepancy effects my running gait. I started wearing the shoes and also started pilates and with these 2 additions, my running style has changed a bit. I feel more aware of my muscles, which ones I am using and over-using and then also, which muscles I am not using and should be. Anyway, the experience working for REI had been fun. I'm looking forward to seeing the final product.

Until then. . . .I keep my rhythm going.

Debbie Downer- No More!

No More Whinning!

It's official! After reading so many pleasant blogs, I've decided that mine is lame! It's lame because all I do is complain! So, no more Debbie Downer.....

It's all giggles and laughs from here.....

I'll start with the next post, coming soon.....

Patience is a Virtue

Does anyone remember the old commercial for Nestle Quik? There was that cartoon rabbit and he loved Nestle Quik so much that he could NOT drink it slow, no matter how much he tried. There was the whole jingle about it and then he would say, "patience is a virtue". For some reason that has always stuck in my head. I wish it didn't; it's like having a stupid song stuck in your head all day but this is my whole life I'm talking about here....

Anyway, let me get to the point!

So, I'm so excited about running this year, more excited than I have been in a long time. I have a schedule picked out for the most part, assuming I get into those races, a new training plan, a new outlook even a new play list on my ipod. So Bridle Trails comes and I was so excited about it. I've never done it, it's a race in the dark, it's a fun run with lots of familiar faces, etc. My running is going great....yada yada yada. Just less than a week from the race, I slip and I tweak my adductor. I think....well, it'll be fine by Bridle Trails. I try to run on Monday, it hurts but I still get in a decent 70 minute run. Tuesday rolls by and I can't really run without pain so I make it a short run. Wednesday- it's worse, Thursday- I don't run, Friday- I can't run, it's baaaaaad. Saturday, I volunteer. Don't get me wrong, I like volunteering at races, it's always good to give back to a sport that gives me so much. Plus I wanted to support my friend Jeanine who was running in her first trail race and to support Owen and see my friends. So, it was not a bad experience, in fact, it was great. Just not the one I had been expecting. So, as I heal up and keep up some rhythm before Orcas, I am just left feeling like this is year is starting out like last year and it seems like there is always something preventing me from going for it and frankly, I'm a little frustrated where running is concerned. So, I keep thinking about the Quik rabbit and remind myself that patience IS a virtue and while I am working on that virtue, I might as well work on some of the others as well. It's only January 18, so I have time to heal and get strong and get back into it. I've promised myself I won't worry, but I secretly do, don't tell anyone.