tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251048279966404462024-03-14T10:42:32.185-04:00Kelly in MotionOh babbling blog, motivate me to run and improve myself. Stamp out the demons of inactivity and negative thoughts. Give me strength to recover from breast cancer. And connect me with family and friends who I love.KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.comBlogger342125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-1281223630323031682013-02-18T22:25:00.001-05:002013-02-18T22:36:55.910-05:00Marathon required mostly mental recoverySo I did run the Chicago marathon but was very disappointed with my performance. My back cramped at 9.5 miles and left me struggling. At several points along the way, I was in tears believing that all that training was for nothing since I couldn't imaging finishing.<br />
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Finally, at about 13 miles, I changed the plan. Instead of running 3 minutes and walking 1 minute, I reversed the process. I knew I was going to cut it close for getting a qualified finishing time (under 6:30 was required for that race), but I really had no other choice.<br />
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I finished in 6:15:03. I placed 15,734 among women, 35,823 overall, and 1,451 in my age group. It sounds a little better to know that 1,651 people finished after me, I guess. And many more didn't finish. After this experience, I certainly can empathize with their pain and disappointment. <br />
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But the story of pain doesn't end as I crossed the finish line. Just steps past the finish line I heard the impossible news that I wouldn't get a medal. They ran out! At Chicago! I was amazed. I had fought through all that adversity and came in under the cut off time. I just couldn't believe there was no medal at the end. After the shock and disbelief, I took solace in the fact that I got my 26.2 car magnet at the expo though. Honestly, that was what really what I wanted for an award. Can you believe I went through all that for a car magnet? Twisted, certainly. <br />
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Just past the finish line, they had massage professionals, one of which rubbed my back for a few minutes and then it was fine. Damn! I wish I had stopped at a first aid tent at mile 11 to get that done! For the rest of the week, I was at a conference in Chicago and was pretty good physically. After my back cramp was released, I felt tired, but fine. Just emotionally drained, I guess.<br />
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When I got home from Chicago, I was greeted by my loving husband and kids. They made a paper medal for me (Ken got a pic of the actual medal off the web site). What a great idea! I wore it to work the next day.<br />
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A few days later, I received my finisher medal in the mail. It was engraved with my name and finishing time; their attempt to make up for the major disappointment and their mistake. I remember wishing they had left off the finishing time. I put the medal in a drawer.<br />
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For the next 4+ months, I quit running. I didn't get out on the road at all. I went to a few circuit training classes, did yoga once or twice a week, and played 90 minutes of competitive volleyball on Sunday nights, but I didn't do much else. I've gained weight and lost fitness.<br />
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It took me over 4 months to get over my disappointing my marathon experience. I still believe my race should have gone so much better, but I decided that I needed to quit being embarrassed about it and just move on. Thank goodness I finally got tired of my sulking.<br />
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In mid-February, I hung up the Chicago marathon poster in my office. And I'm just now writing this long overdue blog post. But most importantly, I've started to run again. My first day on the road was great and I was amazed how easy it was. I ran about 3.5 miles at about an 11:40 pace. I walked occasionally, probably about a minute every 3 minutes. I was thrilled with that run! <br />
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The next day I was sore, though. Very sore. I did yoga to try to loosen up and it helped somewhat. On Sunday I played volleyball, which was fine. Today I ran again. Although I ran 3 miles at about the same pace as a few days ago, it was much more difficult. I struggled. I finally had mercy on myself and walked the last half mile home.<br />
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Despite being sore and tight, I'm very glad to be back out there. Even when I was struggling today, it felt good to be on the road. I have no new goals yet. I'm just easing back into the process of running. And trying to eat better. Getting back on the horse. <br />
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If you see me on the road, give me a thumbs up. I am grateful for the encouragement and I'm motivated by all of you who are out there pounding the pavement.<br />
<br />KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-73342781235907114042012-10-02T20:47:00.002-04:002012-10-02T20:48:29.201-04:00Running the Chicago MarathonWell, I'm going to give it a try. I'm participating in the Chicago Marathon on October 7, 2012. That's 26.2 miles - the full marathon. They don't offer a half marathon distance. <br />
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My plan is to run slowly until the group spreads out a bit. Then I'll start alternating running with walking. I'll run 3 minutes and then walk 1 minute and continue that process for as long as possible, hopefully until mile 17 or 18. Then I'll just hang on by running as much as necessary to try to stay under a 15 minute mile. I have to finish in 6 hours and 30 minutes or they will pull me off the course. I'm hoping to come in at 6 hours so I stay sufficiently ahead of the truck, but it's possible I'll be picked up and have to post a "did not finish". <br />
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As of today, I give myself a 60% chance of finishing within legal time requirements. At various times throughout training, I figured my chances were below 50%, so I'm feeling a bit more confident.<br />
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I've had several injury issues throughout my training. The biggest problem was a <span dir="auto">Piriformis muscle in my hip/buttox area. Also, several surrounding hip muscles were impacted. Because of this, I ran very little in June and July (key months for building base mileage for the October marathon). I finally saw a sports medicine doctor, had physical therapy, and got medical massage. After about 8 weeks, I was able to put in longer miles without the Periformis issue. I had to ramp up mileage pretty quickly after that sideline and so I'm not as well prepared as I had planned to be by now.</span><br />
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<span dir="auto">My fastest half marathon is 2 hours and 25 minutes; about an 11 minute mile. I hope to run 13-15 minute miles for the full marathon. </span><br />
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<span dir="auto"><strong>Track My Progress</strong></span><br />
<span dir="auto">If I set it up correctly, my twitter account will be auto-updated while I'm running on Sunday morning. Updates should occur as I cross the 10K (6.2 miles), halfway (13.1 miles) and 30K (18.64 miles) checkpoints, as well as the finish line. My twitter feed is on the right side of my blog, so you can check it even if you don't have a twitter account or you don't follow me on Twitter. Ken will also get text messages at those intervals.</span><br />
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<span dir="auto">Wish me luck! If all the stars align, I will be able to put that 26.2 magnet on my car. What an accomplishment that would/will be! </span><br />
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<br />KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-82086331145907056192012-05-20T14:57:00.001-04:002012-05-20T14:57:39.891-04:00Race for the Cure and marathon trainingVal (age 14) and I ran the Race for the Cure 5Kyesterday. The weather was beautiful, though a little warm for the run. I didn't get a personal record (PR) but did well at 30:54 for the 3.1 miles. I was the 14th survivor to pass the finish line. Placing 14th sounds impressive when you consider there were 40,000+ participants. However, I feel compelled to reveal that only 29 survivors were in the first wave of the run which is reserved for participants who pay an extra $5 for a timing chip. So I was 14th out of 29. Still . . . it's something to hang my pink visor on.<br />
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The best part of the race was the Facebook status my daughter posted along with a picture of us in front of the survivor trolly:<br />
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">just ran with my mom in "Race for the cure" love you mom! im proud of u! and she got a rose for being a surviver of breast cancer :)</span><br />
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It means a lot that Val participated in this run to show her support for me. Although she is an excellent athlete, she does not run regularly; nor does she enjoy it. Competitive swimming is her primary sport. She's also great at softball and volleyball but recently announced she will focus on just swimming and marching band in high school. <br />
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Jason and Ken were at a baseball tournament during the race. Val and I rushed home and were able to catch the second of Jason's three baseball games on Saturday. Jason pitched that game, which was unusual since he usually plays third, first, or catcher. He did very well pitching the first 3 or 4 innings and then switched places with the catcher. His team won. Overall in the tournament they won 4 games and lost 1. Jason's team (Eastside Irish 11U) was pretty happy with that record this early in their season.<br />
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As for my sports, softball has just started, though Ken and I are not able to play every week due to our kids' schedules. I played on Friday, though and our game ended in a tie. Ken and I are not playing volleyball again until the fall.<br />
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My running has been slowing ramping up over the past few months. I finally took the plunge and signed up for a full marathon. In early October, I hope to be trained and ready to do the full 26.2 miles. Currently, I'm running about 3 times per week, with two "short" runs (5-6 miles) and one long run on the weekend. I'm up to 10 miles now in the long run. To avoid injury, I'm increasing the long run by just 1 mile every two weeks.<br />
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Lymphedema is still causing my left hand to be slightly bigger than my right, though it's usually not very noticeable. My left hand swells a bit more when I run in warm weather or when I do lots of work with my hands. I wore the compression glove today for my 10 mile run, but I didn't wear it for the Race for the Cure since it was predicted to be about 60 degrees F when the race started.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbZWGbO5jcI0B3TCSDjCxRlefvhC4s8mdCXqg-Ar-75oEDRIHYqKmUI4Jj-05ejb1MOvN7YQKfk5LSsIUKFPLAEx1NGuI0L-qT01ntYzCZOe2cF-22DmrpKeaWrhQWwDMDYsCnZRXBcag/s1600/ValandKellyRacefortheCure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbZWGbO5jcI0B3TCSDjCxRlefvhC4s8mdCXqg-Ar-75oEDRIHYqKmUI4Jj-05ejb1MOvN7YQKfk5LSsIUKFPLAEx1NGuI0L-qT01ntYzCZOe2cF-22DmrpKeaWrhQWwDMDYsCnZRXBcag/s320/ValandKellyRacefortheCure.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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</blockquote>KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-20159034266812408042012-01-26T22:26:00.001-05:002012-03-27T08:57:01.807-04:00Article by David Haas re: exercise vs cancer<span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><strong>Fighting The Cancer Battle With Physical Fitness</strong></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Coping with cancer symptoms, and the side effects of cancer treatment, creates tremendous stress for cancer patients and their families and caregivers. Physical fitness provides amazing benefits for everyone affected by cancer. </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">But cancer patients, the men and women doing firsthand battle with an ugly disease, can benefit most from a fitness program. Whether they were just diagnosed with cancer, going through cancer treatment, or currently in remission, cancer patients should consider exercise in their treatment and recovery programs.</span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Years ago, most cancer patients were encouraged to rest and to limit their physical activities. This is still good medical advice, if physical movement causes pain, a rapid heart rate, or breathing difficulties. But research indicates that exercise is safe for most cancer patients. In fact, it can improve physical functioning, speed the recovery process, and generally perk up life. </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Exercise Supports Cancer Patients In Many Ways</span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">According to the American Cancer Society, exercise supports cancer treatment in numerous ways </span><a href="http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/SurvivorshipDuringandAfterTreatment/StayingActive/physical-activity-and-the-cancer-patient"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Cambria;">Regular exercise improves a cancer patient’s physical abilities</span></a><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> and makes them less dependent on others. Physical fitness builds muscle, improves blood flow, builds stronger bones, and lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke.</span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Exercise helps cancer patients deal with the side effects of radiation, chemotherapy, and other cancer treatments. It lessens nausea and fatigue, improves appetite, and lowers the risk of depression and anxiety. Best of all, physical fitness boosts self-esteem and improves outlook, both of which are important to the recovery process.</span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Most Patients Can Exercise, Pending Doctor Approval</span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Many cancer patients wonder what kinds of exercise they can engage in, during the cancer treatment phase and into recovery. The experts recommend three main types of exercise: stretching and flexibility movements, aerobic exercise, and strength or resistance training. The best fitness program depends on numerous factors, including the cancer type, cancer stage, and treatment plan. </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">For example, weight lifting is not recommended for breast cancer patients, particularly after breast cancer surgery. And vigorous aerobic activity is impossible for asbestos cancer patients, who should talk to their </span><a href="http://www.mesothelioma.com/treatment/doctors/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Cambria;">mesothelioma doctor</span></a><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> about exercise during treatment. </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Most cancer patients can start a fitness program immediately after diagnosis, even if they were not active before. In fact, patients who were sedentary before cancer will derive tremendous benefits from exercise during cancer treatment and recovery. Doctor approval is important with any fitness program, and patients should start slowly and increase their workouts as their fitness level improves.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Article by Davis Haas, </em><span style="color: #525252; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog</span></a>, twitter at <span style="color: #525252; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">@CancerAlliance </span></span></span></div>KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-27303691248640842522011-09-12T22:43:00.001-04:002011-09-12T22:43:36.098-04:00Bat MitzvahI was able to squeeze a run in after Valerie's volleyball game and before it was completely dark. I ran/walked 3.34 miles in under 40 minutes. Runkeeper clocked my miles at 12:22, 10:22, 11:52. I felt like I was moving quite a bit faster in the first mile and I'm certain the mile 1 alert was at least .1 if not .2 miles off the actual distance, so that may account for some of the time discrepancy.<br />
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Val and I attended our first Bat Mitzvah this weekend. Val's friend, Samantha, did an incredible job. I can't imagine how much study and practice was required for preparation, quite a lot! Congratulations, Sam! I thought the service was fascinating and very well done. And I was teaing up through much of it. I was so proud of her.<br />
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I had a little trouble with the eating plan on Saturday because we had lunch served after the Mat Mitzvah service and it was certainly not low-carb based. I would have LOVED the spred if I could have had all those carbs, though. Darn! I somehow got out of there with 5 carbs left for the rest of the day, so it was a tough afternoon and evening. I ended up just 3 carbs over budget by the end of the night, which is pretty good considering where I was at 1pm.<br />
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I'm on day 8 of the low carb diet and doing fine. I'm down 4 pounds. It's funny how I don't crave bread at all, but I really want to be able to eat more nuts and have wine with cheese and crackers. Not yet. I'll get through induction and then get those back into the diet in a few weeks. I don't want to blow the diet head-start process I'm going through now. This is not the type of diet that can be cheated. It's all in or don't do it at all. Just watching carbs doesn't have the impact I'm looking for right now. I'll get to the "just watching carbs" stage later, though.<br />
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And then we'll have a wine and cheese and cracker party!KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-5641996462204076632011-09-09T20:42:00.000-04:002011-09-09T20:52:36.687-04:00Feeling good about progressDay 5 on the low carb diet. I forgot to weigh in this morning, but I'm guessing I'm down a total of 3 pounds from Monday. Yes, I know most of it is water. But it's long-term water loss, it doesn't come back the next day. And I feel like I'm making progress.<br />
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I love my carb manager iPhone app! It has given me the information I needed to alter my previous low carb plan into something more healthy - and it should be more effective, too. With less fat and more fiber, I should find it easier to drop these extra pounds. This week, I've eaten limited quantities of raspberries, blackberries, cucumbers, V8, and tomatoes and quite a bit of lean meat, romaine and spinach salad. I've also had less healthy things like cheese, nuts, steak, protein drinks, eggs and cottage cheese. The balance in the food choices is a major improvement from my meat, cheese, and eggs focus during my 2004 low carb diet. I had no idea how many calories I was getting from fat! That couldn't have been good. I hope the new plan is at least effective as before.<br />
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I did get that run in yesterday. Runkeeper tracked me at 3.11 miles in 38:23. That's sad if you know I ran that distance in under 30 minutes in May this year. Ouch. Oh well. I haven't run much since May, probably just once a week or so. These are the consequences.<br />
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Although I didn't plan to run today, the weather was just too perfect and I found myself at home alone for much of the evening. So I laced up my shoes and headed out. It felt pretty good to put in 5 miles in 60 minutes. I walked most of the first mile to loosen up. My mile splits were negative, so I must have gotten the hang of it out there. Miles 2-5 were executed with a 2 minute run to 1 minute walk ratio. Runkeeper clocked my splits at 16:14, 12:05, 11:45, 10:42, and 9:48.KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-8047583654493548142011-09-08T11:42:00.001-04:002011-09-09T20:10:09.668-04:00Let's try this againWow, it's been such a long time since I updated this blog! I had to really think to remember my password. <br />
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I have no excuses, really. Just the usual busy summer things as well as too much going on at work. To be honest, I've also been having serious motivation issues with running. My fitness plan in early July lasted a little over a week and then crashed and burned. It must have been more of an idea than a plan since it didn't stick. <br />
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I'm slowly getting back into it now. It's amazing what a few months of running just once a week can do to my endurance! Bye, bye half marathon distance! Hello run/walk 3-5 miles at a time. <br />
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A lot has happened over the summer, so I won't even try to catch you up on all the happenings. I will share that I replaced my Blackberry with an iPhone 4, though. I don't know how I lived without the great apps, web browsing, and video support. I'm using a Runkeeper application to track and post my infrequent runs. Although I highly recommend the application, it has not always been accurate. If you want accuracy virtually all the time, stick with the Garmin watch. <br />
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My last few runs were 3.19 miles on 8/17, 3.39 on 8/26, 5.04 on 8/31, 3.5 on 9/4, and 3.02 on 9/5. I hope to add a run this afternoon/evening and I'll probably get soggy in the process since rain is expected all day. I'm also doing yoga once or twice a week. <br />
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In addition to trying to exercise more often, I've started a low carb diet again. The low carb approach has worked wonders for me in the past, but that was pre-cancer. Since my breast cancer surgery, I've been reluctant to use the low carb diet again because I didn't implement it in a very healthy way. However, I recently did some research and learned how to use the low carb approach while being more nutritionally sound. I also got an iPhone app (Carb Manager for 2.99) that helps me track my progress. The Carb Manager app focuses on tracking carbs, protein, and fat, however, it also tracks and graphs more comprehensive nutrition details compared to USDA daily recommended intake (vitamins, minerals, calories, sugar, etc.). Now that I know my daily fat/protein ratio, I have drastically changed my eating habits. I had no idea eggs were so fatty! Anyway, I'm down 2 pounds in just a few days and plan to keep it up for at least 2 weeks. At that point, I'll decide whether to extend the accelerated weight loss or slow it down by slowly adding the good carbs back into my diet. <br />
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Since I haven't been running as often, I'm behind on all my running and HR technology podcasts. The bright spot in this is that I'll have new-to-me episodes to listen to on all my runs for quite a while. KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-71945509022409804022011-07-11T23:08:00.000-04:002011-07-11T23:08:16.187-04:00Unplugged and a new planWe just got back from a week unplugged. My family went to the semi-wilderness in Canada and had no mobile phones or access to email. It took a few days to get used to it, but was nice to slow down a bit. I'll admit that Ken, Val, and I turned on our phones immediately after crossing the border back into the States on Saturday, though. It took awhile for my Blackberry to sync all the emails and tweets and facebook updates I missed. <br />
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In the Canada wilderness, the evil biting flies kept me from running during vacation. A few hours of kayaking was the extent of my exercise, so I'm really itching to get moving again. Truth be told, I haven't exercised much since I completed my Trifecta of running events this Spring, so I'm well past due.<br />
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I ran this morning and logged 3 miles slow (~11:30 pace with 3:1 run/walk intervals). Then I walked another 1.36 miles to spend a total of 60 minutes to demonstrate (to myself) my commitment to my new training plan. Actually, it's not a training plan. Just a fitness commitment to help me with motivation and keep me interested.<br />
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While running, I listened to a Steverunner intervals episode about his fascination with all things involving endurance. He can collect pennies for 40 years and feel a sense of accomplishment for filling a 5 gallon glass water container. I think that shows amazing tenacity and stamina, as does running marathons. What's even more impressive to me is that he has committed to running for so many years; running as a primary exercise activity. <br />
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I'm not very good at maintaining. I'm a vision, ideas, passion, and action kind of person who craves change. I get bored and need to mix it up a bit to keep interested and motivated. <br />
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After my trifecta, I got burnt out with running so now I'm going to try to expand my training to include strength and flexibility training along with running. I also want to be more consistent with exercise. <br />
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So my new plan is to try to find an hour per day every day of the week for my workout. With just an hour, I won't be engaging in the longer runs. I'll just run/walk/run an hour 3 days a week. I'll also spend an hour 2 days a week on yoga and an hour 2 days a week on core/arms strength training. <br />
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I hope I can make this plan stick for awhile. I have such a crazy schedule with work and the kids' sports schedules. I know making time for me is critical, though. Send me some of those perseverance vibes.KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-85123739249739265812011-06-12T11:43:00.005-04:002011-06-12T11:50:52.818-04:00Trifecta reflectionWhew! School's finally out and all those Spring events are now fond memories. Among them is my Spring 2011 trifecta. I thought it sounded like a great idea to train for 3 events at once. The very opitimy of multi-tasking: 3 running events in 3 weeks. And this from someone who usually does 3 events in a year. <br />
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The Poco Loco started the madness in me. Initially I thought this was a 4 mile run and then learned it was a 13.1 mile run. Hmmmm. Well, I figured I would have to train for it, but it would be worth traveling to Boston and meeting Adam, Eddie, and Steve who have accompanied me for miles and miles of training via podcast. The event also introduced me to other podcasters and bloggers, all of whom I now follow on blog, twitter, and/or facebook. Shortly after returning from Boston, I wrote about <a href="http://kellyinmotion.blogspot.com/2011/05/poco-loco-people.html" target="_blank">these wonderful people</a>.<br />
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The Poco Loco event was very laid back. I'm not sure how long it took us to run the 13+ miles, but I know it was more than 3.5 hours. We stopped frequently to ensure we didn't get too spread out and to switch up who was running with who. We ran in a large group the first 3 miles or so and then split into fast, medium, and slower groups. I was usually in a medium group but ran beside different people after each stop. It was a wonderful new experience to run with a group and talk and such. I'm usually silent while I listen to the voices through my earphones. Running and talking requires slowing down a bit and more breath control.<br />
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Event #2 was a week later at home, in Columbus Ohio, where I ran the <a href="http://www.capitalcityhalfmarathon.com/" target="_blank">Capital City Half Marathon</a> in 2 hours and 24 minutes, almost a full 5 minutes faster than I ran the event in 2008 (before breast cancer). I was thrilled with the accomplishment!<br />
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Before the race, I was standing in the 2:15-2:29 corral and having dillusions of grandeur.<br />
<blockquote><em>This is great. I've been here before. I can do this. I may even stick with the pace person and do a 2:20. I'm in shape. I'm faster than last time.</em></blockquote><blockquote><em>Oooo, and when I'm done with this race I will have done a full marathon if I add last week's half to this week's half. I wonder if I could put it all together and do the full marathon in October. I'll bet I could. Especially if I used my new gymboss to run-walk-run the race. </em></blockquote><blockquote><em>Yes, that's it, I'll knock out this race, do the Race for the Cure next week, and then just keep training at this level and do the full marathon. It will be amazing!</em></blockquote>At mile 8, the 2:20 pace person passed me and kept pulling away. At that point, I was somewhere totally different in my self-talk.<br />
<blockquote><em>She isn't walking much through those water stops like she promised. She must be going too fast. Why can't I keep up with her? I've been in front of her for more than half the race. Grrrrrr. Damn, this is hard. I really need to find a portapotty soon. Why did I think I could ever do a marathon. That's crazy. How am I even going to finish this race? </em></blockquote>Between miles 8 and 13, I struggled and did a lot more walking than I wanted. To compensate, I ran faster than I should have, too. It was not a race run strategically. It was a pure "hold on to the end" type of event. but it was great to come in with a new PR. <br />
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The last event in my trifecta was the <a href="http://kellyinmotion.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-race-for-cure-5k.html" target="_blank">Race for the Cure 5K</a>. I ran this with my daughter and she kicked my butt big time. I beat her by 10 minutes last year and she beat me by 1:17 this year. I didn't see her the whole last mile. I was very proud of her run and mine too. In 2008, I ran the race in under 30 minutes, but didn't have a chip and so I had no official time. This year, I got the official sub-30 time: 29:53. <br />
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Since the wildly successful completion of the trifecta, I have been wildly <strong>un</strong>successful at keeping my training going. I had a week or two during which I didn't run at all because of an issue with my right hip flexor and IT band. Typically, though, I've run about twice a week for about 3 miles each run. My 5Ks have been about 32 or 33 minutes. On 5/31, I went crazy and did a 4 miler in 45:35. I've been playing softball, volleyball, and mowing the lawn to supplement the lack of running. But it's just not nearly the same level of exercise.<br />
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It's time to get back on the road. I've missed it. The music is calling me now. Maybe I'll listen to music for a few runs and then catch up with my podcasts.KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-45555867021792453442011-05-17T20:27:00.000-04:002011-05-17T20:27:20.593-04:00Need to mix it up nowI haven't run since my 5K personal record on Sunday. However, I played competitive volleyball on Sunday night. Neither of those activities gave me a hint that I was injured. Evidently I am. Or something crazy is going on with my right hip flexor and IT band. <br />
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We had a significant rain storm all day today so I went to RPAC (OSU's Recreation and Physical Activities Center) to run on the track that got me through my winter training. I felt fine climbing the 4 flights of stairs to the track, but on the first step I knew I was in trouble. I tried running a lap (1/8 mile) to loosen up, but I was limping badly. So I stopped and stretched for about 10 minutes, focusing on hip flexor, IT band, and lower back. I also did lunges. My second running attempt wasn't any better. So I got on a stationary bike located inside the track.<br />
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I have friends and family who think it's crazy that I can run half marathons but completely refuse to do any activity involving a cycle. I know it's great cross training. And I know most people think cycling is much easier than running. I don't. <br />
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I pedaled 2 miles in 11:20. That's sad, I know: Many people can run that distance faster than I can cycle it. At just 5 minutes, sweat was already pouring off me. After the tortuous 2 miles, I went back to the track to try to run again. No dice. So I walked a mile. Then I did the 2 miles on the bike again. And another mile walk.<br />
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I finished up the workout in the weight room. I spent 30 minutes on arms, chest, abs, and back. No leg work, though. <br />
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After my crazy trifecta of running events (2 half marathons and a 5K in 3 weeks), I've been thinking I need to mix it up a little and add some other activities to my training. I guess this injury forced the issue today. <br />
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I should have hit the pool, but I was already in running clothes and it's been so long since I swam. Since the bilateral mastectomy, swimming is so much different than before. I used to be a pretty good swimmer and had a lot of upper-body strength. Now it's tough to do even my favorite stroke, breaststroke. Butterfly is impossible (not that I could do it well before the surgery, though). I even get tired pretty quickly with freestyle and can't keep a straight line during backstroke. I guess all those excuses should be reasons for starting to swim again instead of excuses not to do so. Maybe. Then there is the embarrassment of putting a flabby belly in a swim suit. Oh yea, I guess that's another reason that is <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">masquerading </span>as an excuse. Drats. KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-46726686316030366182011-05-14T13:16:00.001-04:002011-05-14T13:21:30.530-04:002011 Race for the Cure 5KAfter a tough training run on Thursday (5K in 32:19), I wished I didn't have a timing chip for today's race. I thought that I should just run it slowly with my daughter, Valerie (13). Val also had a timing chip, but I thought about giving it away to a friend who wanted one. Now I'm so glad we both had timing chips. <br />
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As it turned out, I would have loved to stay with Val during the race - she kicked butt. She ran the 3.1 miles in 28 minutes and 36 seconds (28:36) with an average mile pace at 9:14. She beat me by a minute and 17 seconds. Since she had not trained for the distance, I suggested she do a run-walk-run plan and gave her my new <a href="http://interneka.com/affiliate/AIDLink.php?BID=14325&AID=40069">Gymboss</a> to help her do 3 minutes of running and 1 minute of walking. She wore the Gymboss, but said she "followed what [her] body said" instead - look out <a href="http://hearzenrun.blogspot.com/">Zen Runner</a>, Val is joining your following. <br />
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Michelle (my sister-in-law) and I ran with Val for the first mile which was a brisk 9:35. We keep calling to Val to slow down and stay with us. Michelle was going to stay with Val while I took off, but we realized early in the race that our plan was flawed. She was certainly pushing us hard.<br />
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Val and Michelle slowed for a walk interval at about mile 1 and I kept running. Just a few minutes later, Val caught up to me. She and I ran a little while together and then she took off ahead. I knew she had her phone, so I just let her go. She was feeling good and having fun I just couldn't match her pace. I was running an 8:30 pace at the time and she was leaving me in the dust, so I slowed to a reasonable pace for me and let her go. <br />
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I caught a glimpse of Val several times during mile 2 because she walked occasionally and I almost caught her once. But I don't think I saw her at all during the last mile.<br />
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I had my Garmin which tracked my miles at 9:35, 9:40, and 9:09. According to official race results, my time was 29:53 with an average pace of 9:38. Val ran 28:36 with a 9:14 pace. Val was 19th in her age group for runners with time chips. I was 51st in my age group. Out of survivors, I was 17th out of 31 timed survivors. I was surprised how few were timed. There were over 50,000 people at the event today and just 31 of them were timed 5K running survivors. Crazy! Just being in that small minority was an honor. <br />
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After the run, we got freebees and caught up with another member of our team, Nate Agnoli (age 15) who ran the race in something crazy like 20 minutes. Then we walked against the current and found some others on our team (Jason, Ken, Ken's mother, my brother-in-law, and 3 young nephews) who did the 1 mile fun walk. We finished the walk with them and then spent about as much time trying to get out of the parking garage as we did on the run/walk course. <br />
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So that's my (and Val's) race report for the 2011 Komen Race for the Cure in Columbus, Ohio. It was a great day and great run. However, it was just the beginning of a great day for Val. She is hanging out with her cousins in the afternoon, has a softball scrimmage at 4pm, and a formal dance (Jr High May Dance) at 7pm. She will sleep well tonight!KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-30151176062417400532011-05-09T21:04:00.001-04:002011-05-09T21:12:18.462-04:00Porta-potty strategy brings PR!The second race of my trifecta was this weekend. The Capital City Half Marathon was in downtown Columbus and I was there bright and early for an 8am start. The weather was perfect!<br />
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I went out pretty fast and felt great, but was ready to hang up the towel before mile 9. Oops. The numbers don't show the total story because I really struggled the last 4 or 5 miles. My Garmin line graph illustrates the run much more effectively as it shows me alternating fast and slow paces very frequently during the last 5K. This is a bad habit for me when I lose patience. It is not an efficient use of energy.<br />
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Depite the struggle to hang on, I was able to pull off a 2:24:18 finish, a personal record (PR) for me by almost 5 minutes. My splits were 10:18, 10:19, 10:36, 10:31, 10:27, 11:17, 10:53, 10:31, 10:52, 12:26, 11:40, 11:28, and 11:02.<br />
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This was only my 2nd official half marathon race. In 2008, I was just looking to finish and was thrilled to come in under 2:30. Comparing that race to this one, I notice the following: <br />
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<ol><li>I tanked much earlier in this race (mile 9 instead of 11).</li>
<li>I had a quicker turn-over rate and more speed when I had the energy to turn it on. My speed training was much more effective this year.</li>
<li>The extra GUs I consumed during the race didn't seem to solve the problem of losing energy. I really wanted to just stop running and walk the last 4 miles. Then, again, it could have been even worse without those 3 GUs.</li>
<li>My legs were tired. I'm not sure if this was because of the sore IT bands I've been battling the past month or so. Or perhaps this is to be expected after running 13 miles just a week earlier for the Poco Loco. Then again, maybe I just don't have as much endurance as I did in 2008. For whatever reason, my legs tired early and I've been much more sore post-race than ever before.</li>
<li>This year I cut out a porta-potty stop: 2 in 2008 and 1 in 2011.</li>
</ol>I cared more about my time in this race since I wanted to do at least as well as in 2008. Because I was watching the clock, I was more deliberate with my porta-potty strategy. In 2008, I stopped twice and waited in line both times. During this race, I passed many porta-potty lines even though I knew my bladder couldn't handle the whole race without a pit stop. During training runs I plan a loop back by my house or the library to ensure I don't resort to hiding in the bushes. My refusal to wait in line allowed me to hit the perfect porta-potty during mile 10. It was right on the sidewalk and had absolutely no line. Woo Hoo! I was in and out very fast.<br />
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I trained well for this race and worked hard to hang on when I was tired. However, I know the real reason I got this PR was my porta-potty strategy.KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-26781627843837165412011-05-04T22:40:00.013-04:002011-05-06T08:53:26.296-04:00Poco Loco - the peopleI ran the first time since the Poco Loco today. I put in 5 miles in 50:46 with splits at 10:39, 10:39, 10:33, 9:36, and 9:17. I was surprised to feel issues in my right thigh again today. I had almost no trouble with my hip flexor or IT band during the 13.7 miles of the Poco Loco, so I thought I kicked that almost-injury. I didn't run at all for 6 days prior to the run in a last ditch attempt to solve the problem. However, it flared up again during my training run today. I fell off the wagon and quit maintaining the Aleve meds, so perhaps that's contributing to the recurrance.<br />
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But enough of injuries and training updates. I promised an update about the Poco Loco.<br />
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I ran with everyone in the group at some time during the event and had a great time. Eddie and Adam posted a great <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGv85DUpTSLesZ_nzEGyhd09341SVywDYIotWe1Z8kX5w40NviU69AEAd9d1viHfLRWMRbV-c7F7dA-hLRp5YPAGb0HtteqUytREoKw92KvHOHDjJ_udmxMSljLDji-Z8MMRWf2JP5kjY/s1600/DSC03687.JPG" target="_blank"> pic of the group</a>.<br />
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<strong>Steve Runner</strong> - Steve grew up just outside of Boston and lives just a few hours from there now. He was our host for the Poco Loco and did a great job organizing the event. The pre-party at <a href="http://www.grendelsden.com/" target="_blank">Grendel's Den</a> was a good time and I loved hanging out on Harvard Square before the event. I even stopped to see the headquarters of <a href="http://cartalk.com/" target="_blank">Car Talk</a>, a fun radio show on NPR. The post party was at <a href="http://www.allstonsfinest.com/allstonsfinest/sunsetgrillandtap/sunsetgrill&tap.swf" target="_blank">Sunset Grill and Tap</a> which had a huge beer list and great food. I already knew a lot about Steve from listening to his podcasts, <a href="http://steverunner.com/" target="_blank">Phedippidations</a> and <a href="http://steverunnerblog.com/" target="_blank">Intervals</a> for several years. I found him to be much like I experience him when he's in my head on a long run. He has a way of inspiring others while being humble and even self-deprecating at times. It works for him, though. I especially love the way Steve encourages runners of all abilities. He marvels at the fast and ultra runners and is equally impressed with new runners who are struggling with just a mile or two.<br />
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<strong>Zen Runner</strong> - Adam Tinkoff is the founder of the Mojo Loco (of which the Poco Loco was one event) and is such a great guy. He and Eddie Marathon host the Slow Runner's Club, on which <a href="http://slowrunclub.blogspot.com/2011/01/slow-runners-club-007.html" target="_blank">I was a guest in January</a>. Adam believes strongly in the run-walk-run method and has done 2 marathons and is scheduled for 3 more. He really <em>walks the talk</em> about taking it easy and enjoying the running experience. He's also the nicest guy you'll ever meet. Adam was giving hugs and encouragement all the time. I learned that Adam is an art director for a major consulting company and I know one of his colleagues from the HR Technology Conference I attend each year. <br />
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<strong>Eddie Marathon</strong> - Eddie made my day several times during the Poco Loco. He was really supportive and genuine and it just felt great to be around him. I was also very inspired by his story and zest for life. Eddie is also a cancer survivor. He beat it, too and now is amazingly fit and healthy and runs events and races, including marathons, all the time. He and Adam (Zen Runner) are running the Chicago Marathon to raise awareness and support for the Diabetes Action Team. Eddie's mother recently passed away because of complications with Diabetes. <a href="http://gofundme.com/slowrunnersclubrunchicago" target="_blank">Contribute to their run and this great cause</a>! <br />
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<strong>Jim Snyder</strong> - Jim is the runswim2 follower on this blog. He frequently comments on my posts and is always either encouraging or funny or both. Jim gets credit for encouraging me to begin running. I had spent 4 years working out with a trainer and knew I needed to add cardio to continue making progress. I had never seriously considered running until I met Jim at a conference and he talked about the marathons and triathlons he was doing. Actually, he was running the Columbus Marathon just a few days after the conference. It wasn't long after that meeting that I decided to train for the Race for the Cure 5K. Since then, Jim has been a great mentor to me for things related to HR technology, leadership, and running. He is also a great friend. During the Poco Loco, he seemed to appear out of nowhere just when I was fading and needing some encouragement.<br />
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<strong>Nicole Wong - </strong>Nik (Painter Nik) is a strong runner and all around fit person. She was also very fun to hang out with. She, Tim C, Jim, and I ran the last couple miles together and I really enjoyed that leg of the event. Nik was laughing and joining in with Tim as they teased me for kicking into a different gear at the end of the run. I was running about a 9:30 pace for the last mile or so. I could see the end and wanted to take off. I sat by Nik at the post-party and we both had martinis. Hers was melon and mine was sour apple. They were great. I hope to get a chance to hang out with Nik again. You can learn more about Nik and Dan at <a href="http://4feetrunning.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://4feetrunning.blogspot.com/</a>.<br />
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<strong>Mister Fonzie</strong> - Dan is Nik's husband and he was the only other runner besides me who has never run a marathon. He's done 5 half marathons and has been working on increasing his speed for shorter distances. I got turned on to Nik and Dan's podcast, <a href="http://4feetrunning.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">4 Feet Running</a>, just as they put it on hiatus. I listened to many archived episodes, though and enjoyed them very much. I'm very much looking forward to their post-Poco Loco podcast. Dan and Nik rode with Jim and I to the post-party and we had a great time encouraging Jim to be a rebel and do a U-turn to park right in front of the place. It was the best parking place we had the whole trip - and he put the car just two inches from the curb too. Dan was so funny when he just <em>had</em> to get a picture of that expert parking job. <br />
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<strong>Tim Cleary</strong> - Tim was so great to run with! He's a much faster runner, but he made a point of running with me several times along the course. He even asked me about HR technology so we were able to talk a bit of shop during the run. I was impressed that he really did his homework on his teammates. Tim was really fun toward the end of the race when he was convinced I had underreported my pace as I kicked it up a notch. He was tracking the pace with his Garmin and was surprised as we picked it up at the end. I also loved Tim's Poco Loco head band that he wore to the pre-party. It was a pleasure to run with Tim. You can find him at <a href="http://www.abueloruns.com/" target="_blank">http://www.abueloruns.com/</a><br />
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<strong>Tim Doiron</strong> - Tim has a great spirit for life and a very impressive story. He has successfully kicked type 2 diabetes with diet and exercise. He's lost 50 pounds and now runs marathons as well as many other races. He extended the offer through Slow Runner's Club to coach others through the process of kicking type2 diabetes, too. Tim's wife, Deborah, made celebratory cup cakes for us (they were GREAT!) and Tim got Poco Loco t-shirts made for the team too. Find Tim at <a href="http://www.rundervrun.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://www.rundervrun.blogspot.com/</a>.<br />
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<strong>Deb Kumar</strong> - Deb amazed me with her 12 year career of running marathons, half marathons, and even competing in triathlons. She is a mother of two daughters and talked to me about wanting to be an example for her daughters as she continues to be active and healthy. I'm very impressed with her dedication to training while being a mom and holding a full time job as a high school science teacher. I know it's not easy to balance all of that! Also, her husband, Jay, is a runner too and so they have to juggle their schedules to ensure they both get their training done. <br />
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<strong>Jay Kumar</strong> - Jay is another one of "those guys" - those faster runners. He was inspired to run when he met Deb and she was training for Boston. He caught the bug too and has run 14 marathons and many relays. After the Poco Loco run, Jay and Deb came up to my suite as several of us took turns in the shower. While we were waiting, they turned on a hockey game and I learned that Jay also plays hockey and soccer. They are both big hockey fans. Jay ay hosts the non-running themed podcast <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Completely-Conspicuous/185611394805145" target="_blank">Completely Conspicuous</a> and writes a column about running in the Salem News.<br />
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<strong>Chris Russell</strong> - Chris is another Massachusetts local. He is the host of a very popular running podcast, <a href="http://www.runrunlive.com/" target="_blank">Run Run Live</a> and the author of <em>The Mid-Packer’s Lament</em> and <em>The Mid-Packer’s Guide to the Galaxy</em>, short stories on running, racing, and the human comedy of the mid-pack. Chris was one of the fast runners in the group but took the time to run with some of us slower team members, too. He is very out-going and had me smiling at his Hawaiian shirt prior to the race. Chris is very active on twitter. You can find him all over the web at <span class="tweet-user-name"><a class="tweet-screen-name user-profile-link" data-user-id="15431854" href="http://twitter.com/#!/cyktrussell" title="cyktrussell"><span style="color: #333333;">cyktrussell</span></a>.</span><br />
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<span class="tweet-user-name"><strong>Kevin Zelechoski</strong> - Kevin is tall. Really tall. He is also a long distance runner. Really long distance. Kevin does ultra-distance running; 50K and 50 mile races. In 2010, he did a 100 mile race! Yes, 100 miles on foot! Kevin was in the faster running group and really looks the part: His gear is a cut above what I have ever seen in a race. The faster group included several different people at different times, Neil, Chris, Kevin, Jay, and others. When they got too far ahead, they stopped and waited for the other groups. Then we all took off again and the groups changed a bit as some of the faster runners joined other groups. I was impressed that the fast guys were intentional about hanging with the rest of us even though they could have finished the course in a quarter of the time.</span><br />
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<span class="tweet-user-name"><strong>Alett Mekler</strong> - Alett was injured and so she rode her bike for part of the course with us. She was at the pre-party too. She was very fun to talk with and her energy was contagious. Alett was supposed to be running a marathon elsewhere during the Poco Loco, but she joined the group when she was slowed by her calf injury. </span><br />
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<span class="tweet-user-name"><strong>Neil Bearse</strong> - Neil did the unthinkable. He interested Steve in an Apple product. No kidding. He showed Steve around his iPad and Steve got hooked - even after countless skits on Pheddipedations about how inferior the apple products are, Steve finally gave in. Neil is very heavy into social media and knows much about web based marketing. He is also the host of a new podcast, the Ghost of Radio, which features independent musicians. Find out more about Neil at <a href="http://neilbearse.com/" target="_blank">http://neilbearse.com/</a> </span><br />
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<span class="tweet-user-name"><strong>John Ellis</strong> - John wasn't able to run with us, but he took the time to meet us outside the Museum of Science along the route. He talked with us there and some of the techies, Steve and Eddie, I think, got audio of the event. We were all standing around John as his disciples. John also attended the post-run party. John advises many runners as they train for marathons, including Steve, and he lives along the Boston marathon course.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYmpVMCp4l2Z5HFIKub2n6CgVZHGPCI6NESmzbkgCXHgeCjIfqTviEkoxw5BjKLB23ctKVyAZ20IahwSFv4mnKmvB2_B3NyT32cY6h6AtzagCLr7iVVrdc1uPaycv-3OqgiKWSTbBz_B-Y/s1600/poco_loco_logo_200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYmpVMCp4l2Z5HFIKub2n6CgVZHGPCI6NESmzbkgCXHgeCjIfqTviEkoxw5BjKLB23ctKVyAZ20IahwSFv4mnKmvB2_B3NyT32cY6h6AtzagCLr7iVVrdc1uPaycv-3OqgiKWSTbBz_B-Y/s200/poco_loco_logo_200.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div><span class="tweet-user-name">So you see, the Poco Loco event was heavily stocked with interesting and fun people. I had a wonderful time and encourage others to host Mojo Loco events. Invite these and other fun and inspirational runners to run and play with you! </span>KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-76678816402927341932011-05-01T21:14:00.000-04:002011-05-01T21:14:51.276-04:00Poco Loco BostonWhat an incredible weekend in Boston at the Poco Loco! A group of 16 runners got together to run a half marathon course around the Charles river and I was fortunate enough to be one of them.<br />
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I don't have time to write now since I just walked in the door, but I wanted to get a quick note posted tonight. I'll write more later. <br />
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The reason for the Poco Loco event was to get together with runners who know each other via social media (blogs, podcasts, twitter, facebook, etc.). We had a meet-up on Friday night at a bar on Harvard Square, ran the course on Saturday morning/afternoon, and then went out for a dinner and post-run party on Saturday night. <br />
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As for the run itself, I did very well. The course ended up being a bit long, something like 13.7 miles and we stopped a lot, including a very long stop after about 7 miles where I went to my hotel room, washed the salt off my face, ate an energy bar, and refilled my waterbottle. It was a very slow pace most of the run, but the last mile or so, I did in under 10 minutes, maybe under 9:30. I didn't have my Garmin on (it was low on batteries), so I just asked others about pace and such. A day later and I'm a little sore going down stairs, but other than that, I'm just fine. Yea!<br />
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It was incredible to meet everyone and so many people inspired and impressed me. I want to write about them so look for a post very soon.KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-63072413325926143022011-04-23T15:56:00.000-04:002011-04-23T15:56:37.956-04:00Tight 7 milerOne week until the Poco Loco half marathon in Boston! <br />
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I'm going to require some serious tapering this week or perhaps I will completely lay off running and try to repair. My IT bands and hip flexors are incredibly tight and sore. They are decreasing my mobility significantly. At times during my run today, I was almost limping while doing a slow jog. Not good. I'm not really in pain, though, just uncomfortable and annoyed. It's definitely a muscle thing, so I should heal fairly quickly, right?<br />
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Well, I got my run in today, but I did it slowly and with long, frequent walk breaks. I put in 7 miles in 1:22 with splits at 11:02, 11:15, 11:27, 11:52, 11:28, 13:02, and 12:03. KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-206993759284200272011-04-22T10:03:00.001-04:002011-04-22T10:05:00.501-04:00Bruised IT bandYesterday (Thursday), I had 45 minutes to get in a run that should take 60 minutes - or longer if I could take the time to stretch before and after. <br />
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I ran 5 miles in 51:25. My training plan called for mile 2 and 4 to be fast. I complied as best I could. My splits were 11:11, 8:49, 11:28, 9:05, and 10:45. During the run, my right hip flexor was giving me grief off and on (especially during and right after walk breaks during the slow miles). Afterward, my hip flexor and IT bands were tight, but not as bad as on Tuesday. <br />
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While I watched Val's softball game, I pressed on my right IT band (along the outside of my thigh) and tried to work out the balled up places along my thigh. Now I have 10 bruises that run up and down my leg. Nice. I must bruise pretty easily because I've done that to myself before, but never creating as many as 10 bruises. Usually I have just one or two places where I pressed too hard with my fingers and broke some blood vessels while trying to loosen a muscle. <br />
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My hand is swelling a bit more than usual right now. I wear my custom Lymphedema glove when I run, but I also wear it occasionally when my hand swelling seems to be more pronounced than usual. This week, I've worn it for a couple of hours just around the house and on the way to work. I think I'll put it on this morning after I publish this post.<br />
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The kids are off school today and I'm trying to get some work done from home. Actually, I got quite a bit done already and am taking a break to record yesterday's run information. I was planning to run today, too, but I'm waiting to see if my right hip flexor and IT band loosen up a bit. Right now, they are limiting my walking motion, so it's not looking good. I'm pretty beat up. I took some ibuprofen and will do some stretching after I get a little more work done.KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-38324910070678165072011-04-19T19:59:00.001-04:002011-04-19T20:05:00.560-04:00Got away with it!My legs have never been this tight for so long in to a run! <br />
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I went out to run 5 miles and for 3.5 or 4 miles, my legs were so tight I couldn't run faster than an 11 minute mile pace (with no walk breaks). My legs just wouldn't open up to my normal stride. I was taking small steps to avoid injury.<br />
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To cope with the issue, I slowed down and concentrated on breathing and relaxing to try to loosen my IT bands, hip flexors, and upper glute/lower back, especially on the right side. I even stopped a couple of times to try stretching, lunges, high leg and kick butt drills, and to massage my cramping IT band, but nothing helped until it finally loosened on its own a little before mile 4. On a more positive note, slowing down and concentrating on breathing and such made the run not seem so far or so difficult from an endurance point of view. My "wind" held out just fine and I didn't feel like I was pushing my aerobic endurance. <br />
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It was rainy most of the day and the forecast promises more of the same all week. I was able to flex my work schedule to find time between storm cells today, thank goodness. I ran 5 miles in 53:17 with splits at 11:06, 10:57, 10:58, 10:27, and 9:43.<br />
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Working through the adversity was tough, but I felt like a fairly hearty runner out there in the rain and in "almost pain" but getting in the run anyway. And I did it without causing actual injury. I know . . . that's probably all luck, right there. Continuing to run after a mile or so when I knew I wasn't loosening up was probably not the best runner decision, especially just 11 days before the Poco Loco half marathon. I've put in far too many miles to have a silly decision like that derail my 3 events in 3 weeks running bonanza. Glad I got away with it today. <br />
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My 3-in-3 bonanza includes a half marathon on April 30 (Poco Loco in Boston), a half marathon on May 7 (Columbus Capital City Half), and the Komen Race for the Cure 5K on May 14. It's probably crazy to do two half marathons in a row. I wish I could flip-flop the May 7 and May 14 races so the 5K is between the half marathons. Oh well, I'm going to give it a try anyway. Hope my luck continues to hold out. Knock on wood.KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-82333634485220346152011-04-17T23:56:00.000-04:002011-04-17T23:56:33.209-04:0013.1 todayToday I ran my last long run before the Poco Loco (April 30). I went out hoping I could do 13.1, but knowing that I was stiff and had been nursing an "iffy" knee and very tight lower back. I stretched quite a bit before going out and then ran 6 miles before taking a break to stretch more.<br />
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My Garmin says I ran 13.1 miles in 2:28:30, but it is mistaken. I paused the clock and GPS for 15 minutes after mile 6 during which time I used the facilities, got more water, and stretched. Still, adding 15 minutes to the Garmin time is not a terrible time for a half marathon for me. My only official half marathon was in 2008 and I ran it in 2:29:10, which included 2 on-the-clock portapotty stops. So I'm a little slower now, it seems. That's not surprising. I probably weigh 10 more pounds. And I haven't been as consistent in my training as I was for that first race. Oh, and I'm walking some of each mile now. <br />
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My miles were 11:09, 10:59, 11:10, 11:04, 10:47, 11:45, 11:38, 11:32, 11:54, 11:25, 11:18, 11:09, and 11:33. I think my running pace was fairly consistent at an 11 minute mile and my time variances are due to the amount of time I walked during the mile. <br />
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Next week, I'm only scheduled to run 3 miles on Tuesday, 5 on Wednesday, 6 on Saturday (may move this to Friday). I think I should alter the schedule a bit since that is a pretty light. Maybe I'll add a Friday run. Counting my run today, I got 25 miles in this week. What should I run next week? Only 13 miles seems light. Would 18 be a respectable number of miles?KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-80218080896878796292011-04-14T21:07:00.000-04:002011-04-14T21:07:30.785-04:00Quick runI put in a quick run today before mowing the lawn and heading to Val's game. I ran a 5K in 31:20 and went on to finish 4 miles in 40:50. My splits were 10:24, 10:13, 9:47, and 10:25. It was sunny and 71, but felt much hotter. I was certainly sweating more than during my 8 mile run yesterday. I walked twice for a short time during the 5K and twice during the last mile. <br />
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See my <a href="http://kellyinmotion.blogspot.com/2011/04/dad-of-year.html">previous post</a> for an update on Val's softball games yesterday and today.<br />
KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-37984836689699627872011-04-14T21:01:00.000-04:002011-04-14T21:01:10.020-04:00Dad of the YearThe umpire didn't show up for Val's softball game in Hilliard yesterday so Ken was volunteered (by me, mostly) to fill in so they could play. My only requirement was that he wear a mask behind the plate - he got a baseball in the face just this weekend while playing ump during Jason's practice.<br />
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I was very impressed with Ken - as was the other volunteer umpire who actually was certified for high school softball games. Ken called a great game and was very professional about it. He had to make several calls against our team, including two at the end of the game which resulted in our loss. On one of them, he even over-ruled the other umpire who had called the girl out at 3rd. Ken had a better view from the front and saw that she was tagged too high (in the shoulder) and, after conferring, the Hilliard player got the base. He also called that girl safe at home when the throw came in to Val too high to get the tag on in time. <br />
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Ken was almost sick about the game and about offering to help. On the ride home, he kept imagining Val getting treated terribly by her teammates on the bus. He expected her to be very angry with him when she got home. However, that's not how it happened at all. Val came home and was fine; did her homework, ate food, got ready for bed, and she treated her father and everyone else fine (and that's saying a lot for a teenager on any day of the week). When Val was headed to bed, I told her I was proud how she handled her father umpiring and making calls against her team. She responded by giving Ken a compliment. She said he did a good job at the game and he called the pitches better than some of their real umpires. She was proud of him, too. How cool is that?!?! <br />
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I told Ken that he taught his kids many things on that day. He set a good example for volunteering. He ran a competent game with good sportsmanship and a positive attitude. And he was fair. He did not make calls that favored his own team, but called them as he saw them. Val said that the other girls thought he was a very fair as an umpire. Although it was not easy, Ken was a great example for his kids today. In return, I give him the Father of the Year award! Great job, Ken!<br />
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Val had another game tonight. She is catcher and took a foul tip in the shoulder (above the chest pad) in the second inning. She played through the rest of the inning and even batted and made a run. No one knew she was hurt. However, her arm seized up and she couldn't throw when heading out for the third inning. So she sat the bench with ice on her shoulder and was sad and angry that she was letting her team down. Her team did great, though and they won with a 10 run rule in the top of the 7th. We went out to Dairy Queen with some of her teammates afterward and she was invited to a birthday party for tomorrow night. Yea! All is good with the world now. KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-92154183395104306942011-04-13T21:52:00.001-04:002011-04-13T21:54:32.990-04:00Olentangy TrailToday was beautiful! Sunny and lower 60s. Val had a softball game on the west side of Columbus tonight, so I decided to run at OSU and shower at RPAC before heading to the game. I find it difficult to run on campus because it's too small. Okay, yes, I know. I hear your exclamations and shouts of disbelief. OSU is one of the largest schools in the nation. It is far from a small school. However, running more than 5 miles on campus requires venturing on some very busy streets and doing multiple loops. I wasn't feeling particularly loopy today, so I decided to do an out-and-back on the <a href="http://parks.columbus.gov/Facility.aspx?id=27064">Olentangy Trail</a> between OSU and the Park of Roses.<br />
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Overall, I was satisfied to complete 8 miles in 1:26:25. I felt pretty good throughout, although it was a little warm during a stretch of the trail with no shade. I suppose I should mention that I was off the clock about 5 minutes or so when I stopped at a portapotty (mile 4) and stretched a little before continuing the workout, so my actual time for the 8 miles was probably 1:30 or 1:35. I hope we can find enough facility stops at the Poco Loco in Boston. I seem to have the bladder of a fly. <br />
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I was scheduled to do a 7 mile run with 5 of it at tempo, but I couldn't hang on to the tempo today, so I settled for 8 miles with 3 of them at tempo and another quicker mile thrown in for good measure. My splits were 11:21, 9:39, 10:18, 9:41, 11:05, 10:14, 11:31, and 12:28.<br />
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I tried some new podcasts because I'm caught up with <a href="http://steverunner.com/">Steverunner</a>, <a href="http://geekgirlrunner.com/">Geekgirlrunner</a>, the <a href="http://slowrunclub.blogspot.com/">Slow Runner's Club</a>, and <a href="http://www.runrunlive.com/">Run Run Live</a>. I wish I would have downloaded some <a href="http://theextramilepodcast.blogspot.com/">Extra Mile podcasts</a> instead: I enjoy Kevin and hearing everyone call in with race reports.<br />
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Although I wasn't thrilled with the three podcasts I previewed on my run today, I did learn something new. One runner complained that his legs get tight and won't relax during a marathon. He has learned to address the problem by walking a little at water stations and then running much faster for a hundred yards or so to catch back up with the pace group. He believes the longer stride and stronger push-off stretches his legs and helps them perform better as he relaxes back to marathon pace. Hmmm, that's a very good idea. I'm going to try it. I struggle with chronically tight calf and IT band muscles. Sometimes they invite the lower back, hips, and hamstrings to participate in the fun too.KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-42648389817527165272011-04-10T20:44:00.000-04:002011-04-10T20:44:31.739-04:00Fat lipOn Friday, I put in a very quick 5K (30:00) with splits at 9:44, 9:48, and 9:34. It was supposed to be an easy 3, but I was squeezing in a run before heading to Val's softball game and I didn't have much time. Actually, I think I should count the run into the house, rushing through a shower, jumping into clothes, and racing to the car as part of the workout, too. I doubt my heart rate dropped during the whole process. I got to Val's game in New Albany ith 1 minute to spare.<br />
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Today I was scheduled for a 13 mile run, but I didn't get out in the morning as planned. Instead I ran in the heat of the day and it was 83 degrees F! My run was only 10 mile and was more of a walk than a run, really. I walked a lot more than usual, that's for sure. The 10 miles took me 2:05:52 and my splits tell the story: 10:29, 11:16, 12:19, 12:11, 13:16, 12:29, 11:51, 14:17, 14:37, and 12:59. I started out with good intentions to put in the time as I have for most of my runs, but I allowed myself more and more walk breaks as I went along. I stopped at a friend's house at about mile 4, replentished my water, and chatted for about 10 minutes off the clock. I also stopped at the library to get more water and use the facilities. I decided I wasn't in a hurry and was just wanting to do enough miles to qualify the run for a long run status. I hope 10 miles qualifies. It's not the 13 I'll have to do on the April 30 and May 7, but it was a warm couple of hours.<br />
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When I got home, I was sore and stretched a little and then got in the shower. Ken came in and talked to me and asked how my run was, if he could get me anything, etc. and it wasn't until I got out of the shower that I saw that he was the one who needed helping. He was running Jason's baseball practice and got hit in the nose/top lip with a foul tip. His lip is huge and looks very sore. His nose isn't broken and doesn't look too bad, but he says it's a bit torn up on the inside. His teeth made it though the ordeal unbroken, thank goodness. <br />
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Tomorrow, Val has to dress up at school and we found that she didn't really have any Spring dress clothes that fit, so we made a trip to Kohl's before church tonight. Val will be wearing a skirt (that's a shocker!). Many of her softball friends reported that they were planning to wear skirts, so I guess that opened the door for the possibility for Val. She's usually a t-shirt and jeans or sweats kind of girl. When dressing up, the jeans are tan or black and the t-shirt may be a bit more fitted and without words or pictures. So an outfit with a skirt, sleeveless shirt, and sweater jacket will be quite a stretch for her. Yea, Val! KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-52108511583410170162011-04-06T21:05:00.000-04:002011-04-06T21:05:48.102-04:00Training LapseI haven't been keeping to my training plan . . . and I know it's probably the most critical few weeks of the plan. I've put so much time and energy and heart into the past 3 months, you'd think I could keep the momentum for the last few weeks . . . . yet I have so many excuses. Chief among them includes very sore muscles and places rubbed raw on my feet. Perhaps a very light week or two will be beneficial? I can dream, can't I?<br />
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This weekend, I skipped my long run entirely. To try to make up for it, I expanded my Monday run a bit. I was scheduled for 3 miles but ran 6 miles in 1:03:30 on the indoor RPAC track. We had a crazy day of thunderstorms and hail so I really had no choice. Despite running only 6 miles and having what should have been fresh legs, my run was tough and I was very sore immediately following and throughout the evening.<br />
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On Tuesday I didn't have a run planned. I attended Valerie's first softball game of the season. She made the Jr. High softball team and was their starting shortstop. She had a good game overall and made a couple of outs. Our team lost by something crazy like 14 to 0, though. The other team had a pitcher a full foot taller than Val and weighed about 150 pounds. She was firing in pitches only a few girls even connected the bat with the ball. Val was one of just 2 girls that put the ball in play, but got out at first base. The game was played despite the weather being 44 degrees with a wind-chill of 36. At various times, we had ice and slush raining down on us as we sat on aluminum bleachers. I was freezing. Although I wore my trail runners so my feet stayed dry, they were very cold and frozen. Burrrrr. Her next game is tomorrow and should be in the 60 degree F range.<br />
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Today I was scheduled to run 8 miles with 4 miles as speed work. I struggled through the 8 miles but ignored the speed part. I just wasn't up for it. I should have taken a GU with me or ate something on the drive home. I was totally wiped out. I also had a sore place on the bottom of my foot that was bugging me from mile 4+. Really, the only time I felt pretty good was mile 2. It was a strange run. My total time for the 8 miles was 1:26:59 with splits all over the place: 10:51, 9:58, 10:51, 11:01, 11:10, 10:50, 11:17, and 10:53. I walked whenever I felt like it, which was more frequently in the later miles than the early ones.<br />
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On a more positive front, work and home life is going quite well. I had a wonderful visit with my grandmother and parents who visited last week from Nebraska. I just love having them here. We visited and planned home improvement projects and Dad and Ken made quite a bit of progress on some of those projects. We now have trim in the basement. The kids' shower head is no longer held on by duct tape. We have a new kitchen faucet. And the blue tape directing visitors to use the correct doorbell is no longer required. Although I was off work all week during their visit, I kept up with email and have been very productive so far this week. I suppose the break did me some good, after all. KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-31199655923360525212011-04-01T17:30:00.001-04:002011-04-01T17:30:55.270-04:00Parents/Grandma visitingI just put in 7 miles in 1:13:37. It was a tough day to be motivated because my parents and grandmother are visiting from Nebraska and I would have preferred to spend that hour with them instead of pounding the pavement. However, they are here for a week, so I can't totally neglect my training during that time, especially since Poco Loco is in just 29 days! <br />
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Today's run was supposed to include speed work, but I wasn't feeling too speedy. I did kick it up a notch every other mile as planned, but my slow miles were slower than planned. My fast miles weren't breaking any speed records, but I felt it was very respectable to be under 9:50ish for a fast mile. I know I've done this workout more successfully, but I'm just glad it's done today. My miles were 10:20, 9:08, 11:14, 9:20, 11:57, 9:41, and 11:52. <br />
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In other news, we've had a great week visiting with my parents and grandmother. We've played several hands of cribbage, gone for walks, and made many wonderful meals. Val's great grandmother taught her how to make proper mid-western gravy and the kids had their first real hot roast beef sandwiches. We've been keeping Grandma busy! She also bought some books at the library and helped us pick out Val's new backpack and binder for school. On Sunday, we'll go to church and then out to a nice brunch at the 94th Aero Squadron. <br />
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As is our tradition when my parents visit, we are making significant progress on home improvements for their new house and ours, too. <br />
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For my parent's house, Dad got the lawn cleaned up and fertilized and a new furnace filter installed. We also met with the contractor and made decisions on their new garage. The contractor is thinking the project will begin in mid-April. <br />
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In my house, we got new kitchen faucet, a replaced shower head for the kids' bathroom, a decent video game/karaoke stand for Jason's room, reorganized shop area, and removed an old doorbell. We also had Mom and Dad's contractor come to our house to look at our bathroom. Our shower is leaking and we need to decide how to replace it. Of course, I want a total bath remodel: Drop the huge soaking tub and create a huge walk-in shower. Ken was more open to the idea once we met with the contractor. Tomorrow, we'll go to some tile shops and a plumbing fixture store so we can get an idea of how much all this might cost.KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725104827996640446.post-60056912745563086602011-03-29T23:24:00.000-04:002011-03-29T23:24:19.293-04:00Visit from parents and grandmotherThis is Spring Break week and we are having a wonderful time with my parents and grandmother who are visiting from Nebraska.<br />
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Although I wanted to hang out with my family instead, I forced myself out for the 3 mile run that I skipped yesterday. My miles were 10:03, 9:46, and 9:26 for a 3 mile run in 29:17. I was supposed to do an easy run, but it was chilly and I wanted to be doing other things, so I pushed it a bit to get it overwith ASAP. <br />
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I wore my new shoes again today and noticed that my legs got sore about half way through the run. I wonder if my problem was not overuse of muscles, but underuse of shoes. Perhaps I got injured from doing a long run in my new shoes a couple of weeks ago. I think I'll lay off the new shoes until after my 3 running events in April/May. I thought the new shoes would help me train and run better in those events, but now it seems they are a liability. Perhaps they'll be better once broken-in, but now is not the time to test that theory.KellyinMotionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14237909802829900714noreply@blogger.com1