Blisters Be Gone and a Sneak Peak

On my last couple of long runs, I've come home with a wicked blood blister on my left foot where my big toe meets my foot. I was unsure why as I have quality synthetic socks and slather on Body Glide like it's ridiculous. Maybe it was my shoes. I bought them at the end of January, and according to my Garmin data, I've run about 375 miles on them. That was the low-end of the mileage cap, but I thought it worth checking out.

So, when I got off work yesterday, I headed out to Fleet Feet in Chesterfield, where I bought the shoes in the first place, fully prepared to shell out for a new pair of shoes. The team member who looked over my shoes and insoles told me they are wearing evenly and still have plenty of miles in them. Nice! $150+ saved. She shared that since the humidity had increased (seriously, it's like swimming through the air here), she'd also been experiencing more blisters. It made sense...gross but I've been soaked through with sweat after runs lately, and I can only assume my feet are more sweaty too. I got another style of sock that fits more snugly on the foot to reduce friction even more. I also got a pack of Liquicell blister bands. They're just like the blister band-aids you may have seen, but the middle of the strip is filled with liquid that provides great protection (used them on this morning's run and it worked!). So, hopefully, my blister will soon be a thing of the past.

Since it wasn't busy, I also asked about my lower calf pain. She gave me a compression sleeve to try wearing during and/or after runs when it's acting up. I didn't wear it running this morning, but I put it on afterward and it really relieved the discomfort. She also spent time talking about marathon training and offering some suggestions for exercises to strengthen the inner thigh (for muscle balance), nutrition, and stretches to do on the foam roller. As someone who constantly bitches about poor customer service, I also have to give props when props are deserved. I found it  refreshing that 1.) she was interested in what I really needed, not on making the big sale, and 2.) that she spent time offering extra advice and encouragement.

In other news...I was recently contacted by CSN Stores about doing a product review / giveaway of one of the gazillions of items available on their online stores (there are over 200)! You can seriously find just about anything you could possibly want. I found stuff I wanted in pretty much every category...from fitness equipment to pet accessories  to housewares...and even a bathroom sink. No, seriously, they sell those too.

I haven't quite decided which product I'll choose, but here are a few of the items I'm contemplating...




Stay tuned! And, if you can't wait until then, check out the CSN Stores and do some shopping of your own!

Know When to Say When

I skipped my first training run this morning, and if you couldn't tell by my need to blog about it, I'm feeling a little guilty.

You see, I've been following my Novice 2 training plan religiously. No wait, that's not even true. I've patently ignored at least one of the rest days on a regular basis. Monday is supposed to be for resting and a little stretching, but I always do strength training and perhaps a little biking. I usually do better w/ Friday rest day (Friday's are for napping after work), except for this past Friday when I did a 17 mile bike ride when I had a long run the next day.

Being more active than prescribed seems like a good thing to me. There was a time in my life when I was a slug. Getting moving on a regular basis was a huge chore that I had to talk myself into every single time. That's changed drastically. Bodies in motion tend to stay in motion, and all that...When I run in the morning, I won't pretend I jump out of bed dying to get out there. But, by the end of the day, even on days I've already run, I tend to get a little antsy and feel like doing something to move the body, even if it's just taking a few laps around my local Target buying beauty products I don't need. Usually it's some ab or arm work. Or going biking when B. does. And then I wonder where the aches and pains have come from.

Extra strength training (especially when legs are involved) or too much hard biking leads to undue soreness. For instance, this past Monday since I was off work, I did a 50 minute strength circuit and then for an hour long bike ride. When Tuesday's short run rolled around, I was sore. When Wednesday's long-ish run came along, I was SUPER sore. My lower calf on my right leg was tender again, my hamstrings were tight, and I had a rubbed spot on my left heel (from cute but horribly uncomfortable shoes I wore to dinner over the holiday weekend).

So, this morning, I made an executive decision. I would skip my 3 mile run this morning and let my legs recover before this Saturday's 12 mile. If I do anything today, it will only be some ab work. Maybe not even that. I might rest entirely for the next 2 days.

While I haven't followed the plan exactly, I've certainly never skipped a run. And, while I feel a little guilty, like somehow missing one workout means I'm a lazy slob, I think taking an extra rest (or a make-up rest day) is the best decision in my situation. I keep reminding myself that missing one short run isn't going to derail my marathon aspirations. It's only one workout. I'll be back out there at sunrise Saturday doing my thing.

Sometimes, you have to know when to say when and live to run another day (injury free).

A Reminder

This morning on my Week 4 (!) long run, I got a little reminder about why I'm really doing this, why I really run. It's not just to make my legs look great in shorts again. It's not just about looking a certain way. My run took me through Forest Park, and at one of the water fountains, I ran into a couple in their 70s out for their training run. They were both wearing tech shirts from marathons in the last two years.

THAT'S why I run. I want to be fit, active, and healthy for a lifetime.
Not for one race, one event, or one swimsuit season. For life!

I really admired them for being out there doing their thing. That's the kind of life I hope for myself and my future family.

This theme came into play yesterday before I'd even seen these inspirational folks. I was off work yesterday and B. finished early, so in the interest of spending time together while being active, B. and I loaded our bikes onto the back of his car and went out to the Katy Trail. I'd never been and wanted to scope it out as a possible location for some of my upcoming truly long runs. The trail is mostly packed gravel, but my hybrid held up pretty well. We usually don't ride together. He's faster than me, so I usually tell him to go do his thing and I take my time doing mine. But, yesterday he asked if I wanted to stick together. It was really nice to ride along side each other and chat. We ended up doing about 17 miles, which was way more than I expected. And, we both made it up the HILL. The trail runs along side a river, and the parking lot is up on top of a cliff (for lack of a better term). There was a twisty-turny paved road that led from the parking lot to the trail. We made bets about whether or not either of us would be able to make it to the top on the way back. We both powered it out and were jelly-legged but proud of ourselves.

I started this morning's run concerned that my legs would be sore or tired from our adventure yesterday evening. Not so much. My lower calves were a little tight, but other than that I felt strong. My goal for this run was to try to hold a semi-steady pace. I have a tendency to start out too fast and slow down the longer the run goes on. Today I was able to stay within 30 seconds of pace. I just can't help picking up speed on downhills...

So, three more glorious no-work days! Have a happy and safe Fourth!

Chicago Marathon Training Week 4
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 3.02 mile run (10:17 pace)
Wednesday - 6.00 mile run (10:45 pace)
Thursday - 3.00 mile run (9:20 pace)
Friday - 17 mile bike (11.5 mph)
Saturday - 11.02 mile run (10:49 pace)
Sunday - Probably a bike ride and some yoga.