I'm definitely not complaining. Bring it on! Today's high in Minneapolis was 102 degrees. Booyah. It's about time we had some real summer weather. Yesterday it was in the upper 90's and today, this. Granted, I spent my days in our warehouse, loading trucks for our MS 150 coming up this weekend, but it wasn't so bad. I am a little more tired than usual now that I'm home and sitting down. Although, that could be due to the fact that I got up early to run today.
Now, if you know me at all, you know I don't like mornings. Though, I will say I'm getting better with age. I got up around 5:45 today to get out and bet the heat for a short 3-mile run. I'm sad to say my leg pain is back. Blast! Give me a break already! I think I have medial tibial stress syndrome. In layman's terms, shin splints. Hooray. :( On Sunday they didn't bother me and I think it's do to the fact that I had my brand new shoes, ran on asphalt instead of concrete, rested for 2 days prior and I ran on flat surfaces. That wasn't really the case today.
Unfortunately for me, I think that means I'm going to have to take the remainder of the week off from running. Fortunately, I'd already had it built into my training plan to repeat this week due to our MS 150. I will also be investing in ice packs and a large amount of ibuprofen to see if those help at all. I remember back in high school when I used to drive home from cross country practice with ice taped to my shins. I'm thinking of doing something similar to that again.
Now, hopefully the week off will help. If it doesn't, I'm not quite sure what I'll do. I might have to take an extra rest day each week or something. Not cool. I will say though that the biggest recommendation by healthcare professionals is to rest and ice. So, if you find yourself with shin splints, I highly encourage you to rest up and don't continue with your training until it is no longer painful to do so.
All this being said, you probably won't hear from me in a while. I won't have much to report on since I won't be running. Maybe now is the time to do an entry on stretching...
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
All about shoes: My new ones, and how to properly fit yours.
I just completed a 7-mile run and feel fantastic!
Remember how I've been saying I need new shoes? Well, after Thursday's grueling 3-mile run I decided it absolutely had to happen. The fact that I just described a 3-mile run as grueling is a pretty clear indication that something needed to change. Also, as I was walking around our parking lot for a cool down, I must have been wincing in pain (and cursing my shoes, literally) because a guy in his apartment looked down on me and asked if I was alright. I felt a little foolish and thought, "Whitney, you get paid on Friday. You must get new shoes before you go out on a long run this weekend." That my friends, is what I did. During my lunch hour, I took a trip to Marathon Sports in south Minneapolis. This is by far my favorite place to buy running gear. The people are knowledgeable and friendly at the store. They're all trained on how to appropriately fit a running shoe on someone, and they have a lot of good tips. Also, they partner with many races in the area and last but not least, support the MS Society through offering a 30% discount to anyone who is participating in Run to Stop MS (like me) or Challenge Walk MS. Sweet deal! My normally $140 running shoes were only $98! That's pretty good. I'll take a $42 discount any day. Going to get the new shoes lead me to being the prime candidate to go pick up and drop off some materials at PostNet for work which then lead me to getting to have Punch Pizza for lunch. Let's just say the shoes and pizza made Friday a good day.
This weekend I had a 7-mile run in my training schedule. The perfect distance is around Lake Calhoun, then to Lake Harriet around that, and back. Today was the best I've felt running in a really long time. I had a small amount of pain in my legs when I started but after a couple of minutes it was gone. Thank you new shoes! Just look how happy my feet were upon returning home after the run:
In honor of my new shoes, I shall give you some tips for getting yourself some good running shoes. There are a lot of things to consider so pay attention.
Thanks to a new-ish book called "Born to Run" the running world has been taken by storm by a movement called, "minimalist running" or "natural running" or even "barefoot running." Sound pretty hippy-like to you? Yeah, it kind of is. The premise of the book is that there's a tribe in Mexico, way up in the mountains, whose members run daily. They run to get from place to place and to follow food and whatnot. They literally can run over a hundred miles a day. But the key is, they don't wear shoes. If they do, they wear huarache-type sandals. How do they get so many miles out of their legs without wearing shoes? Well, running barefoot changes how your foot hits the ground. You naturally land on your midsole or forefoot, which absorbs shock a little differently. Now, Born to Run and many of the minimalist running promoters claim that being barefoot is the key to the tribes ability to run far and wide. Well, I have been a little skeptical of this. Let's keep in mind that most of us don't live in the mountainous region of Mexico. I personally live in Minneapolis. A city. With lots and lots of pavement. My opinion is that the key to their running is not the fact that they are barefoot, but the fact that they are running on dirt. Dirt is significantly softer than concrete or asphalt pavement. This is why there is always a little path in the grass next to the running trails in Minneapolis. People follow the trails but run in the grass/dirt. It just doesn't seem like a viable long-term solution to me. Now, if I were to be running on grass or dirt all the time, including during the marathon, I might buy a pair of gorilla shoes. That's what I like to call the Vibram Five Finger shoes. Click on the link and you'll understand why. I brought this up to the guy who was assisting me at Marathon Sports and he actually confirmed what I'd said. He said, "If you want to use a minimalist shoe every once in a while, it's probably fine. But if you are running multiple days a week and want to get 30 years out of your legs, you should probably stick with a good running shoe that fits properly." I can get on board with that, especially since I run in a city, with sidewalks and roads, that also happens to be cold 6 months out of the year. Here's a good article from the Huffington Post, written by a doctor, to support my general thesis.
So, what does a properly fitting running shoe look like?
Well, first a person needs to determine the type of foot they have. Basically a person falls into one of three categories or somewhere between: someone with high arches (supinator), someone with low arches or flatter feet (pronator), or someone with neutral arches. The type of foot you have determines what happens to your foot when it hits the ground while walking or running without shoes on. My feet have neutral to low arches. My feet pronate, or turn in/flatten out when I go from heel strike to toe off. Thusly, I wear shoes that have support in the midsole area to prevent that. If you look at the picture of my new shoes, you'll notice that that area of the sole of my shoe is gray. That's the firmer foam giving me more support. The bottom of my shoe also has a plastic piece that runs across the foot at about the midsole. This offers more support. For someone who pronates even more than I do, the plastic piece tends to be larger and the firmer foam covers more area. For someone who has high arches and supinates, there is no piece of plastic and no foam support. The shoe will easily twist if you held it in your hands and twisted it. This allows the high arched person to collapse a bit on their midfoot as they run/walk.
Secondly, you'll want to find a pair of shoes that fit the width and length of your foot. This is especially important in what is called the "footbed" of the shoe. It's the area between the laces and the toe of your foot. If this area is too snug, you could end up with some nasty blisters and other painful foot problems. The rest of the shoe can typically be adjusted by the laces, especially if you are lacing them correctly. I'll talk about that at the end. For length, you'll typically want a half to a full size larger than you wear for dress shoes.
The last thing to look for in a shoe is how long a shoe will last. You should be able to get 300-500 miles out of a pair of shoes. There is a large window because it depends on your running style, your weight and a couple of other factors. For example heavier people will need to replace shoes more quickly. Also, if you use your shoes for anything other than running (which I DO NOT RECOMMEND) you'll need to buy new shoes sooner. So, which shoes last the longest? Well, it's a little tough because since people require different types of shoes, different brands work differently for different people. I for one cannot stand how Brooks feel on my feet, but Erich loves them. I also have a friend who only buys Nike running shoes. They work for her I wouldn't touch a pair of Nikes with a ten foot pole. I personally think they're cheaply made (probably due to those sweat shops) and don't offer nearly enough support and thusly, don't last very long. Common brands of running shoes are:
Nike (Katie's favorite)
Mizuno (my sister's favorite)
Brooks (Erich's favorite)
Addidas (My boss' favorite)
Asics (Mine and a lot of other runners favorite)
New Balance
Saucony (Many peoples I know favorite)
Last time I bought shoes, I almost bought a pair of Sauconys. But, since I knew the Asics Gel Kayano worked, I figured I would't mess with it. My recommendation is to try many brands to see which works for you. When you find a pair, stick with it.
This brings me to my last point. Buy your shoes at a store that is specifically focused on running/walking gear! If my brother's girlfriend is reading this, she might be a little annoyed because she works for Foot Locker. Well, sorry Victoria, I'm not a Foot Locker fan. This goes for Journey's, The Finish Line and department stores as well. I say this because the people at these stores typically do not know how to properly fit a foot. All they want is to make a sale and they'll let you pick the shoe based on the size, how it looks and how it feels when you do a lap around their store. Any new shoe will feel good at that point. Someone from a specialty store will analyze your foot and gait and point you in the right direction for shoes. If you have a pair of running shoes that you are replacing, bring those to the store as well. The specialist will be able to look at the wear pattern on the bottom and tell you if they worked correctly for you or not. Although, if they didn't, your body will tell you as well. I will say that once you find a shoe that works for you and you find it cheaper at one of the above mentioned stores or online, feel free to buy it there, but only if you've been properly fitted elsewhere. Be sure to get re-fitted every once in a while just to be sure your feet haven't changed, which they can with age and depending on your profession and what other types of shoes you wear.
Big Important Note: If your shoes fit correctly, you will not need to break them in! You can head straight out for a run in them.
Once you get your shoes home you'll want to be sure you've laced them correctly. You might think to yourself, "Don't I just lace them up like normal, tie and be on my way?" Well yes and no. Yes you mostly lace them up at normal, but when you get to the end of lacing, you'll notice there's one last hole that's always set back a little far and if you lace into it you tend to cut off circulation from your foot. Well that is because you're not lacing correctly. Here are my steps to lacing:
1. Lace your shoes as you normally would, stopping with the hole just before the very last one.
2. Take the lace on the right side and put it through the very last hole on the right side. Yes, the same side. You should put it from the top down. Don't come up from the bottom. This should form a nice little loop.
3. Repeat with the left side.
4. Then, take the laces and put them through the loops on opposite sides. Right lace into left loop, left lace into right loop
5. Tighten shoes to be comfortable and supportive, then tie. I always double knot. When you tie, the loops you created shouldn't quite touch or overlap.
When done, your shoes should look like this:
When tied on your foot, it will look like this:
Now you are armed with everything you need to get properly fitted shoes. I assure you, it will be well worth the time and money if you are planning on doing a lot of running. In my area, the upcoming week looks to be quite beautiful. A little warm but beautiful. Happy trails!
Remember how I've been saying I need new shoes? Well, after Thursday's grueling 3-mile run I decided it absolutely had to happen. The fact that I just described a 3-mile run as grueling is a pretty clear indication that something needed to change. Also, as I was walking around our parking lot for a cool down, I must have been wincing in pain (and cursing my shoes, literally) because a guy in his apartment looked down on me and asked if I was alright. I felt a little foolish and thought, "Whitney, you get paid on Friday. You must get new shoes before you go out on a long run this weekend." That my friends, is what I did. During my lunch hour, I took a trip to Marathon Sports in south Minneapolis. This is by far my favorite place to buy running gear. The people are knowledgeable and friendly at the store. They're all trained on how to appropriately fit a running shoe on someone, and they have a lot of good tips. Also, they partner with many races in the area and last but not least, support the MS Society through offering a 30% discount to anyone who is participating in Run to Stop MS (like me) or Challenge Walk MS. Sweet deal! My normally $140 running shoes were only $98! That's pretty good. I'll take a $42 discount any day. Going to get the new shoes lead me to being the prime candidate to go pick up and drop off some materials at PostNet for work which then lead me to getting to have Punch Pizza for lunch. Let's just say the shoes and pizza made Friday a good day.
This weekend I had a 7-mile run in my training schedule. The perfect distance is around Lake Calhoun, then to Lake Harriet around that, and back. Today was the best I've felt running in a really long time. I had a small amount of pain in my legs when I started but after a couple of minutes it was gone. Thank you new shoes! Just look how happy my feet were upon returning home after the run:
In honor of my new shoes, I shall give you some tips for getting yourself some good running shoes. There are a lot of things to consider so pay attention.
Thanks to a new-ish book called "Born to Run" the running world has been taken by storm by a movement called, "minimalist running" or "natural running" or even "barefoot running." Sound pretty hippy-like to you? Yeah, it kind of is. The premise of the book is that there's a tribe in Mexico, way up in the mountains, whose members run daily. They run to get from place to place and to follow food and whatnot. They literally can run over a hundred miles a day. But the key is, they don't wear shoes. If they do, they wear huarache-type sandals. How do they get so many miles out of their legs without wearing shoes? Well, running barefoot changes how your foot hits the ground. You naturally land on your midsole or forefoot, which absorbs shock a little differently. Now, Born to Run and many of the minimalist running promoters claim that being barefoot is the key to the tribes ability to run far and wide. Well, I have been a little skeptical of this. Let's keep in mind that most of us don't live in the mountainous region of Mexico. I personally live in Minneapolis. A city. With lots and lots of pavement. My opinion is that the key to their running is not the fact that they are barefoot, but the fact that they are running on dirt. Dirt is significantly softer than concrete or asphalt pavement. This is why there is always a little path in the grass next to the running trails in Minneapolis. People follow the trails but run in the grass/dirt. It just doesn't seem like a viable long-term solution to me. Now, if I were to be running on grass or dirt all the time, including during the marathon, I might buy a pair of gorilla shoes. That's what I like to call the Vibram Five Finger shoes. Click on the link and you'll understand why. I brought this up to the guy who was assisting me at Marathon Sports and he actually confirmed what I'd said. He said, "If you want to use a minimalist shoe every once in a while, it's probably fine. But if you are running multiple days a week and want to get 30 years out of your legs, you should probably stick with a good running shoe that fits properly." I can get on board with that, especially since I run in a city, with sidewalks and roads, that also happens to be cold 6 months out of the year. Here's a good article from the Huffington Post, written by a doctor, to support my general thesis.
So, what does a properly fitting running shoe look like?
Well, first a person needs to determine the type of foot they have. Basically a person falls into one of three categories or somewhere between: someone with high arches (supinator), someone with low arches or flatter feet (pronator), or someone with neutral arches. The type of foot you have determines what happens to your foot when it hits the ground while walking or running without shoes on. My feet have neutral to low arches. My feet pronate, or turn in/flatten out when I go from heel strike to toe off. Thusly, I wear shoes that have support in the midsole area to prevent that. If you look at the picture of my new shoes, you'll notice that that area of the sole of my shoe is gray. That's the firmer foam giving me more support. The bottom of my shoe also has a plastic piece that runs across the foot at about the midsole. This offers more support. For someone who pronates even more than I do, the plastic piece tends to be larger and the firmer foam covers more area. For someone who has high arches and supinates, there is no piece of plastic and no foam support. The shoe will easily twist if you held it in your hands and twisted it. This allows the high arched person to collapse a bit on their midfoot as they run/walk.
Secondly, you'll want to find a pair of shoes that fit the width and length of your foot. This is especially important in what is called the "footbed" of the shoe. It's the area between the laces and the toe of your foot. If this area is too snug, you could end up with some nasty blisters and other painful foot problems. The rest of the shoe can typically be adjusted by the laces, especially if you are lacing them correctly. I'll talk about that at the end. For length, you'll typically want a half to a full size larger than you wear for dress shoes.
The last thing to look for in a shoe is how long a shoe will last. You should be able to get 300-500 miles out of a pair of shoes. There is a large window because it depends on your running style, your weight and a couple of other factors. For example heavier people will need to replace shoes more quickly. Also, if you use your shoes for anything other than running (which I DO NOT RECOMMEND) you'll need to buy new shoes sooner. So, which shoes last the longest? Well, it's a little tough because since people require different types of shoes, different brands work differently for different people. I for one cannot stand how Brooks feel on my feet, but Erich loves them. I also have a friend who only buys Nike running shoes. They work for her I wouldn't touch a pair of Nikes with a ten foot pole. I personally think they're cheaply made (probably due to those sweat shops) and don't offer nearly enough support and thusly, don't last very long. Common brands of running shoes are:
Nike (Katie's favorite)
Mizuno (my sister's favorite)
Brooks (Erich's favorite)
Addidas (My boss' favorite)
Asics (Mine and a lot of other runners favorite)
New Balance
Saucony (Many peoples I know favorite)
Last time I bought shoes, I almost bought a pair of Sauconys. But, since I knew the Asics Gel Kayano worked, I figured I would't mess with it. My recommendation is to try many brands to see which works for you. When you find a pair, stick with it.
This brings me to my last point. Buy your shoes at a store that is specifically focused on running/walking gear! If my brother's girlfriend is reading this, she might be a little annoyed because she works for Foot Locker. Well, sorry Victoria, I'm not a Foot Locker fan. This goes for Journey's, The Finish Line and department stores as well. I say this because the people at these stores typically do not know how to properly fit a foot. All they want is to make a sale and they'll let you pick the shoe based on the size, how it looks and how it feels when you do a lap around their store. Any new shoe will feel good at that point. Someone from a specialty store will analyze your foot and gait and point you in the right direction for shoes. If you have a pair of running shoes that you are replacing, bring those to the store as well. The specialist will be able to look at the wear pattern on the bottom and tell you if they worked correctly for you or not. Although, if they didn't, your body will tell you as well. I will say that once you find a shoe that works for you and you find it cheaper at one of the above mentioned stores or online, feel free to buy it there, but only if you've been properly fitted elsewhere. Be sure to get re-fitted every once in a while just to be sure your feet haven't changed, which they can with age and depending on your profession and what other types of shoes you wear.
Big Important Note: If your shoes fit correctly, you will not need to break them in! You can head straight out for a run in them.
Once you get your shoes home you'll want to be sure you've laced them correctly. You might think to yourself, "Don't I just lace them up like normal, tie and be on my way?" Well yes and no. Yes you mostly lace them up at normal, but when you get to the end of lacing, you'll notice there's one last hole that's always set back a little far and if you lace into it you tend to cut off circulation from your foot. Well that is because you're not lacing correctly. Here are my steps to lacing:
1. Lace your shoes as you normally would, stopping with the hole just before the very last one.
2. Take the lace on the right side and put it through the very last hole on the right side. Yes, the same side. You should put it from the top down. Don't come up from the bottom. This should form a nice little loop.
3. Repeat with the left side.
4. Then, take the laces and put them through the loops on opposite sides. Right lace into left loop, left lace into right loop
5. Tighten shoes to be comfortable and supportive, then tie. I always double knot. When you tie, the loops you created shouldn't quite touch or overlap.
When done, your shoes should look like this:
When tied on your foot, it will look like this:
Now you are armed with everything you need to get properly fitted shoes. I assure you, it will be well worth the time and money if you are planning on doing a lot of running. In my area, the upcoming week looks to be quite beautiful. A little warm but beautiful. Happy trails!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Running in the West
Well, now that Memorial Day weekend has passed, we have entered into the summer season. No, not the official start to summer which doesn't happen until June 21, but the start of the time of year when we have bonfires in the backyard, go to baseball games (OUTSIDE!), and go fishing in one of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes. I for one could not be happier. Memorial day weekend included visiting family, gambling in Deadwood (Erich won $50 in blackjack, I lost 29 cents in slot machines) and eating good food, all wrapped up with a couple of good runs.
Look at that view! It might be a little different in a couple of days because they're expecting some pretty brutal flooding. But for now it looks like this.
Oh so pretty!
Erich and I drove to Sioux Falls on Thursday night and stayed with my sister and her husband. I got up early on Friday morning to go for a quick 3-mile run since I didn't get one in on Thursday as my schedule said I should. That day we drove west to my Grandparent's 3,000 acre cattle ranch in western South Dakota. It looks like this:
It's quite gorgeous at the ranch and even better when the sun is shining. Unfortunately it's been raining a lot there lately. About 6 inches in the last 20 days. That's much more than the area is used to.
On Saturday morning I went for a run among all of this beauty. Unfortunately, part of what makes this ranch so lovely is it's natural hills and the large canyon that runs through it. I knew I needed to get in a 6 mile run and heard my grandparents' mailbox is about 1.5 miles from their house. I figured out and back twice would be sufficient. Well, it turns out that the mail box is only 1.25 miles from the house so out and back twice only makes up 5 miles. I thought I'd feel badly about skimping on the miles until I started running these hills:
Yep, it was intense. Since I went out and back twice and there are two big hills along the route to the mailbox, I had to go up four of these bad boys. Erich went with me as well and he runs a lot faster than me so I probably held him back but all in all it was a good run. The best part was the gravel. It's so soft and nice on the joints. No pain whatsoever. And on top of it, it was actually sunny. don't let the pictures fool you. We actually had good weather for the run.
Luckily for me Sunday is supposed to be a cross training day. My cross training didn't really happen unless you count my elevated heart rate when we had to drive up and down hills steeper than those above, while it was raining, with gravel that had turned to mud as slippery as ice. We fishtailed a lot and may have been going sideways on the road a couple of times. All this in a 4 wheel drive Jeep. We made it back in and out of the ranch safely and headed home Monday morning. While traveling, we made a quick stop in Chamberlain, on the banks of the Missouri River.
Look at that view! It might be a little different in a couple of days because they're expecting some pretty brutal flooding. But for now it looks like this.
Oh so pretty!
Just be careful of the rattlesnakes!
All in all, it was a very good trip and I had a great couple of runs. It's always fun to run in new places. I should think about that for the future.
Today I dropped back down to 3 miles. 3 is so easy now! Nothing too big to report. My joints were a little less sore so that was nice. I was also significantly faster. Can't wait for 7 on Saturday. Hip hip!
Happy Memorial Day! Welcome summer!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Welcome, Heat Wave!
The past few weeks have been CRAZY busy for me. Since I took on my new position in October, I've had substantially more work to accomplish, which has meant early mornings and working past when I should be able to go home. Since May 1, we've had two events. The first was Walk MS (which had terrible weather by the way) and the second was a one day Bike MS ride. Bike MS had great weather. I even got my first sunburn for the summer. Yee haw! Next up is another Bike MS event June 10-12. Two days of riding 150 miles from Duluth to White Bear Lake, MN. It's a beast of an event with about 3,500 people riding and takes a lot of preparation to put it on. Needless to say, right now is a bit hectic and I have seriously neglected my running. Yesterday morning, that all changed.
I realized yesterday as I was brushing my teeth, that in two short weeks training for Run to Stop MS begins for real! Since my training schedule is rest Monday, short run Tuesday, mid-distance Wednesday, short run Thursday, rest Friday, long distance Saturday and cross train Sunday, I figured yesterday would be a good day to start getting used to that schedule. Now, I'm not training yet, just making sure I get used to fitting in a run no matter what. So, I decided I'd go for a run after work. Well, while at work I was putting away supplies from the above mentioned bike ride and discovered that it had become seriously humid outside. See, part of putting away supplies means washing dishes and we do it outside with a hose and a really big Rubbermaid tub. Have I ever mentioned how much my job rocks? It was pretty standard summer humidity, however seven days ago it was March weather. I was a little taken aback but immediately excited. Summer weather! Then I remembered that I had decided to get in gear and go for a run after work. I can't remember the last time I ran in hot, humid weather. Last summer I ran inside on the treadmill.
When I got home it was 88 degrees and over 60% humidity. I set out for a 3-mile run around my 'hood. I remembered my lesson from last time and did not run up Fillmore Street. Damn those hills. They will have to wait for another, more appropriate day. Instead I went up Lincoln. Oh yes, have I ever mentioned that I live in an area where the streets are all presidents and they're in sequential order of when they served in office? William Henry Harrison doesn't get a street. I guess dying in office after a month doesn't get a street named after you. [shrug] You're welcome for the interjected history lesson, but, back to my run. It was pretty flipping terrible. There is no doubt that my body is not yet used to that heat. I felt like death. To make matters worse, for the last half, I was running on a busy road so everyone driving home from work during rush hour could see my struggle. Stellar move, Whitney. But I made it home and didn't die. Though I did turn on the air conditioning so I wouldn't sweat all night. I also learned on Tuesday, after much trial and error over the past couple of weeks, that I have to break one of my cardinal fashion rules for grown women. I have to pull my hair back in pigtails in order to get enough of it out of my face and off my neck for comfort. Gah! Totally worth it though because I'm still digging this hair cut.
The hot, humid weather spawned some pretty intense storms in the area too. The far-reaching northwest suburbs had tornado touch downs. We had a tornado warning in the immediate metro area due to some funnel clouds seen in St. Louis Park and Hopkins, just west and southwest of Minneapolis. When this happened I promptly called my boss, Allison, who lives about 15 blocks from me to see if I could come over. Erich was working at the Twins game and I was not about to be stuck at home alone if a tornado actually happened. Plus, Allison has a basement. :) We didn't have much excitement in the Nordeast neighborhood. No tornadoes or hail, thank God. My poor car has been through enough since purchasing it in October. Only some rain. They did however have to rake Target Field free of golf ball-sized hail so the Twins could resume getting murdered by the Tigers. Boo Twins. What happened to that no-no Liriano?
The storms were supposed to continue into today, however they did not. I went for another 3-mile run this afternoon along the same route and it was significantly better. The temp was about 10 degrees cooler and the sun went behind the clouds about 1/3 of the way through. Since Erich was home I left my phone and keys. I forgot to look at what time I left the house so I don't know how long it actually took me to complete this today. Oh well. Today I decided that I love running with nothing on my person. No ipod, no phone, nothing. It makes me a little nervous without the phone, but I just tell Erich what my route is and tell him that if I don't return in a reasonable amount of time, to come looking for me. I tend to notice a lot more things and interact with the people with whom I come into contact. Today, at a busy intersection, I even saw three wild turkeys just chillin' in a parking lot. Strange things going on with the turkeys here lately. I think they've gotten lost. This isn't the first time I've seen them smack in the middle of the city. I want to know how they got there because turkeys don't really fly... After dinner (no we didn't have turkey!) Erich and I treated ourselves to Culvers frozen custard. Mmmmm. Just a single scoop is perfect for me.
Tomorrow is another running day before I take Friday off. I'm going to see if Jill wants to go for a walk/run after work. I'm hoping it's not raining. It's been a while since I ran along the river so I think tomorrow will be a good day for that. I am mighty excited now that I think about it.
Oh, I also forgot to mention that between the run and the tornado warning yesterday, I ate an entire cantaloupe. Well, everything but the outer rind, but you get the idea. A whole cantaloupe in one sitting! Today I cut up a watermelon. Erich promptly told me that I am not allowed to eat the whole thing.
I realized yesterday as I was brushing my teeth, that in two short weeks training for Run to Stop MS begins for real! Since my training schedule is rest Monday, short run Tuesday, mid-distance Wednesday, short run Thursday, rest Friday, long distance Saturday and cross train Sunday, I figured yesterday would be a good day to start getting used to that schedule. Now, I'm not training yet, just making sure I get used to fitting in a run no matter what. So, I decided I'd go for a run after work. Well, while at work I was putting away supplies from the above mentioned bike ride and discovered that it had become seriously humid outside. See, part of putting away supplies means washing dishes and we do it outside with a hose and a really big Rubbermaid tub. Have I ever mentioned how much my job rocks? It was pretty standard summer humidity, however seven days ago it was March weather. I was a little taken aback but immediately excited. Summer weather! Then I remembered that I had decided to get in gear and go for a run after work. I can't remember the last time I ran in hot, humid weather. Last summer I ran inside on the treadmill.
When I got home it was 88 degrees and over 60% humidity. I set out for a 3-mile run around my 'hood. I remembered my lesson from last time and did not run up Fillmore Street. Damn those hills. They will have to wait for another, more appropriate day. Instead I went up Lincoln. Oh yes, have I ever mentioned that I live in an area where the streets are all presidents and they're in sequential order of when they served in office? William Henry Harrison doesn't get a street. I guess dying in office after a month doesn't get a street named after you. [shrug] You're welcome for the interjected history lesson, but, back to my run. It was pretty flipping terrible. There is no doubt that my body is not yet used to that heat. I felt like death. To make matters worse, for the last half, I was running on a busy road so everyone driving home from work during rush hour could see my struggle. Stellar move, Whitney. But I made it home and didn't die. Though I did turn on the air conditioning so I wouldn't sweat all night. I also learned on Tuesday, after much trial and error over the past couple of weeks, that I have to break one of my cardinal fashion rules for grown women. I have to pull my hair back in pigtails in order to get enough of it out of my face and off my neck for comfort. Gah! Totally worth it though because I'm still digging this hair cut.
The hot, humid weather spawned some pretty intense storms in the area too. The far-reaching northwest suburbs had tornado touch downs. We had a tornado warning in the immediate metro area due to some funnel clouds seen in St. Louis Park and Hopkins, just west and southwest of Minneapolis. When this happened I promptly called my boss, Allison, who lives about 15 blocks from me to see if I could come over. Erich was working at the Twins game and I was not about to be stuck at home alone if a tornado actually happened. Plus, Allison has a basement. :) We didn't have much excitement in the Nordeast neighborhood. No tornadoes or hail, thank God. My poor car has been through enough since purchasing it in October. Only some rain. They did however have to rake Target Field free of golf ball-sized hail so the Twins could resume getting murdered by the Tigers. Boo Twins. What happened to that no-no Liriano?
The storms were supposed to continue into today, however they did not. I went for another 3-mile run this afternoon along the same route and it was significantly better. The temp was about 10 degrees cooler and the sun went behind the clouds about 1/3 of the way through. Since Erich was home I left my phone and keys. I forgot to look at what time I left the house so I don't know how long it actually took me to complete this today. Oh well. Today I decided that I love running with nothing on my person. No ipod, no phone, nothing. It makes me a little nervous without the phone, but I just tell Erich what my route is and tell him that if I don't return in a reasonable amount of time, to come looking for me. I tend to notice a lot more things and interact with the people with whom I come into contact. Today, at a busy intersection, I even saw three wild turkeys just chillin' in a parking lot. Strange things going on with the turkeys here lately. I think they've gotten lost. This isn't the first time I've seen them smack in the middle of the city. I want to know how they got there because turkeys don't really fly... After dinner (no we didn't have turkey!) Erich and I treated ourselves to Culvers frozen custard. Mmmmm. Just a single scoop is perfect for me.
Tomorrow is another running day before I take Friday off. I'm going to see if Jill wants to go for a walk/run after work. I'm hoping it's not raining. It's been a while since I ran along the river so I think tomorrow will be a good day for that. I am mighty excited now that I think about it.
Oh, I also forgot to mention that between the run and the tornado warning yesterday, I ate an entire cantaloupe. Well, everything but the outer rind, but you get the idea. A whole cantaloupe in one sitting! Today I cut up a watermelon. Erich promptly told me that I am not allowed to eat the whole thing.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Chopped!
No, I'm not talking about the TV show on the Food Network.
About a month or so ago, I decided that I wanted a hair cut. I saw a girl with a really cute style at the gym and decided that I would like it. Now, I'm sure there are plenty of talented hair stylists here in the Twin Cities, however I really only trust major hair changes to one person and that's Christine Koch at Spektre Studio in Sioux Falls. Just a little plug. She and her studio mates are awesome. She's always been able to take care of me. That meant I had to wait until I went to Sioux Falls for Easter. Well, last weekend was Easter weekend so it was time for the big day!
TA DA!!!
About a month or so ago, I decided that I wanted a hair cut. I saw a girl with a really cute style at the gym and decided that I would like it. Now, I'm sure there are plenty of talented hair stylists here in the Twin Cities, however I really only trust major hair changes to one person and that's Christine Koch at Spektre Studio in Sioux Falls. Just a little plug. She and her studio mates are awesome. She's always been able to take care of me. That meant I had to wait until I went to Sioux Falls for Easter. Well, last weekend was Easter weekend so it was time for the big day!
TA DA!!!
The picture is a little MySpace-y but it's not a bad self portrait. It's also the end of the day so it's gone a little flat and I had it up in a pony tail until about 15 minutes before taking this picture.
This photo has little to do with running however I thought I should post about it. I've never had hair this short. I will say that when I do put it in a ponytail to do any sort of physical activity, it looks pretty humorous. The pony tail is tiny and half of the hair doesn't fit in it. It's worth it though because I really dig the new look!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Outside in Shorts and a Tank
I got back from a run about 35 minutes ago. It was so great that I still haven't changed/taken a shower. Yes I'm sitting on my couch, a little sweatier than I should be for sitting on the furniture, but I'm not ready to get in the shower yet. On my run I was able to wear a shorts and a tank top. A tank top!!! Woot! It was almost 70 degrees out. Booyah!
Now, I have lived in northeast Minneapolis (locally known as Nordeast) for just over a year and a half. I have NEVER ran in my neighborhood. I've been on a few walks and have biked but have never ran. I'm not really sure why. That changed today.
Now, Nordeast is probably one of the more hilly areas in the City. South is fairly flat, especially along the parkways. There are some small hills but they're not too crazy and pretty gradual. Around the U it's also pretty flat. I don't know what North is like because I don't venture over there. Nordeast on the other hand is pretty much the opposite, especially in my neighborhood.
Now, Nordeast is probably one of the more hilly areas in the City. South is fairly flat, especially along the parkways. There are some small hills but they're not too crazy and pretty gradual. Around the U it's also pretty flat. I don't know what North is like because I don't venture over there. Nordeast on the other hand is pretty much the opposite, especially in my neighborhood.
I set off on my run and boom, right away, big hills. For those of you in Sioux Falls, think about the steepness of Tut Hill but about half the size. I knew these exist because of my walks and bike rides, but didn't really think about them before hitting the pavement for a run. The strange about the hills is that there will be huge steep hills on one street, then gradual hills 3 blocks over. I suppose it's pretty good for some variety.
The first half of the run was the hilly part. It was actually kind of brutal because I went into work an hour early today so I was quite tired. Once I got into the second half of the run the hills were gradual and not too noticeable. At that point I started feeling much better and surprisingly less tired. In total I only ran 3 miles but the hills were more of a workout than normal. Now I'm home and am not tired at all. For the future I will remember Fillmore Street = big hills, Lincoln Street = not so hilly.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Goldy's Run
I thought that running in a real race merited a post...finally. I've been seriously lacking in the posting and working out areas of my life lately. Since I haven't been working out much, I also haven't posted much. I've been pretty busy in the evenings and I'm not really into running in the morning. I'm not a morning person, though I did have to get up at 6:30 today (A SATURDAY!) in order to make it to the race on time. In the end we finished with a time of 28:21. Not great but after 2 weeks of not running, I'll take it!
The weather was a little cold and windy but it was fairly comfortable to run in. This is what we looked like to start:
Notice my Run to Stop MS gear? Oh and if you're wondering, that's my friend Joe. He's also running the marathon, though not for the MS Society. Erich and Joe's twin brother, Mike, were spectators/photographers.
The starting line was a mad house. There were over 2000 people registered between the 10-mile and 5K race. We had a really slow start so if we'd been able to start at a normal pace, we probably would have had a time that was at least 30 seconds faster. Here's what that looked like:
The race wound the the University of Minnesota campus. I have no pictures of that. Erich took a picture of us just after crossing the finish line on the 50-yard line of TCF Bank Stadium. We were on the jumbotron and that's what this picture is of:
You can see Joe in blue. My right arm and my hat are to Joe's left and almost off the screen. Their camera wasn't set up in the best way. People tend to cross the finish line, then just stop, creating a mad traffic jam. The guy in the front looks super gassed.
Here's what the finish line looked like:
See the mad mess I'm talking about? We finished the race with some snacks. Bananas and my favorite, Salted Nut Rolls! This is what we looked like at the end. Joe looks pretty much the same but I always get super red-faced anytime I exercise.
Thank you for following through today's picture blog of Goldy's Run.
Tomorrow we'll be heading to Splash MS. It's a fundraising event at the Water Park of America. I'm pretty stoked. Family raft ride, here we come!
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