I'm Back!

After a two month hiatus I'm back!!

Essentially breaking my foot for the second time during the summer inspired me to become a couch potato. I've totally enjoyed all of my time off from running but it is time to get back into it. But, to catch all of my reader up, here's a quick recap of what I've been up to:

Work: I am still working full-time in DC -- hopefully through June! I'm super excited to be here, and the project is very interesting. But, the hours can be quite long with nights and weekend work. Thankfully, I've been able to put the hours in without stressing too much about getting home to run. I think that's going to change here soon with my upcoming training schedule.

Running: I have run some! I'm about able to run 6 miles comfortably. That said, I am only running a max of three times a week. So, I just need to be more consistent. John ran the Marine Corps Marathon last weekend and did great -- a PR I believe! I ran/walked the last 10 miles with another friend who was completing his first one. It was a fun experience and I'm so happy he let me join him to help get him to the finish.

Chilling: I've also taken the past two months to spend time with the new boyfriend, who my friends have (affectionately, I hope) named Sprout. Here's a picture of our ridiculous Halloween costume...two peas in a pod:

We've been crab eating in Annapolis! It has been a really great summer and fall in our nation's capital :)

Schooley, the Jenk, the DeYoungs, Watkins, Pia, Sprout and I have all registered for the DC Rock and Roll Half Marathon on St. Patrick's day 2012. That's the next race I'm planning on doing but might try for something a little longer in April or May. Or, I'm thinking about the Manhattan Half in January. But, right now my focus is on staying healthy and happy!

Didn't I find a keeper? Here's Sprout helping me perform surgery on a dead toenail...I can't decide if this is gross or totally cute?

Stress Fracture Redux

Dear internets:

One of my lovely readers, Hollie, inquired as to why I hadn't posted on my blog recently. Sadly, it is because I have hurt my foot again and knew I would get really sad about it when I posted it on here. My foot started bugging me pretty bad two weekends ago and on Wednesday I made my way to the doctor. He did an x-ray and told me it was "almost broken" although my prescription says "stress fracture left" on it. And, not only is my foot hurt again, but it is a different toe this time. So, that's three out of five toes on that foot broken or nearly broken.

My foot is in a decent bit of discomfort and I'm not really able to run right now. It looks like I'm definitely out for next weekend's half marathon but could possibly still make the Marine Corps. I'm having an internal debate with myself to just take some real time off and let these injuries heal so I can train for a 50 miler late this fall for next spring. Or, to try and tough it out. The doctor seems to think I don't need much time off, but I didn't take much time off for the last one and all it got me was an almost broken bone.

I've been looking into joining a pilates studio and sticking to that for a while...I will keep you posted. :(

Mmmbop

It's funny how just a day (and some cheesy pop music) can change your perspective. I was feeling lousy and lazy on Friday but I woke up early on Saturday and felt pretty energetic. After I ate a "breakfast" of rice, beans and spinach I went through an old box of cds recently discovered in my storage unit and found...

Before I was in love with Justin Beiber's music for running...there was Hanson! I had totally forgotten about this embarrassing phase of my life. I put the cd into my computer, transferred it to itunes and was soon on my way to a solid 14 mile run through Arlington.  Middle of Nowhere definitely got me through more than a few miles! It was weird how much of the lyrics I remembered.

Today I actually did a 30 minute tempo run for the first time in what seems like forever. I also made it to my first Bikram yoga class post stress-fracture so I'm feeling more like myself. Recovering from an injury sucks and after I read through my last few posts it occurred to me it is a lot more stressful (ha ha) than I realized. I was able to do most of the postures in yoga thankfully. And, as I watched the thermostat toggle between 108 and 110 degrees I was surprised by how the heat didn't phase me at all -- must be all of those awful middle-of-the-day runs in the summer heat.

And finally, I have determined that nutrition is my biggest problem (shocker, right?!) so I'm going to focus on fixing that this week (and until the marathon/ultramarathon is over). The things I'm going to eliminate immediately often lead to even worse eating habits: fried foods, excessive cheese, pizza, cheeseburgers, coke/dr.pepper/diet coke and ranch dressing. I spent a lot of time at the grocery today trying to balance foods I will actually eat with purchasing foods that are good for me. For example:

I can still get my ranch dressing craving through a healthier food and avoid the french fries that must be dipped in the ranch. I think I did pretty well -- I even bought normal breakfast foods I plan on force feeding myself before runs. I should note that most of the foods I bought are healthier than these pretzels! But they are just soooo yummy I thought they were a good compromise.

PS: John is in the middle of the busy budget season at work and also has a bad cold so I'm trying to make up for his lack of posting. He better monitor my food habits in return for this giant sacrifice.

I am not really motivated by pressure or competition. Fortunately for me at work, my bosses know this and try to motivate me in other ways. They tell me when I did a good job, let me be pretty independent, set my own schedule and try to give me projects that I really want.

When it comes to running though, I just have to wait until my body wants to run again. Then, once I finally feel that way again, I will be able to log long miles and be really happy doing it. I really wanted to run when I hurt my foot and sadly for the past few weeks haven't wanted to do much of anything. Some of it is the heat, and some of it is just finally settling into a life in DC again and wanting to enjoy it -- without feeling like running is getting in the way.

My lack of motivation is starting to stress me out (which I wish would motivate me to get off my couch!) as I'm bumping up against training milestones I need to hit. It's like I can't get back to the point where I was a few months ago when running really made me happy. It sort of feels like a chore right now. But, it does make me feel good that the two readers of this blog agree that I should take a little break :)

So, I decided today, after me personally driving at over 40 hours the past two weeks that I'd give myself one more couch night and one more day off today. Then tomorrow, no more laziness. I even made myself a grocery list and meal menu for next week. The cure to running feeling like a chore probably isn't being lazy -- it probably is starting to eat healthy so I'm less tired and getting back into good shape. And, doing yoga again. I just need to get back into a running routine where I make it a priority. I know all the right things to do -- it is just so hard to do them.

Blah blah blah. In reasons why I am exhausted, I drove from DC to South Carolina, all over North Carolina and then back this week. I've also been eating southern food for two weeks straight. I tried to pace myself but being back in the south made me realize how much I missed it...and the amazing food. Life is just simpler down there.

Here's some delicious Carolina BBQ, fried okra + ranch dressing (my favorite!), green beans, and hush puppies:

And here's the Charlotte office view I got to experience on Thursday while waiting to interview a nearby housing authority. North Carolina is beautiful, but it's still got nothing on the great state of Alabama.

In an effort to try and motivate myself I also began researching more ultramarathons. For the life of me I cannot find a 50 miler in the spring which would be my preferred time. I found the Chicago Lakefront 50k which looks pretty good but doesn't have a 50 miler option in the spring. I'm going to keep searching and hopefully will find something!

Running Shoes

After I got to work on Monday morning in DC I was instructed that I needed to be in Spartanburg, South Carolina for an 11 am meeting on Tuesday. Did you know that Spartanburg is home to the corporate headquarters of Denny's? I found this out on a walk around downtown this morning.

I knew I was supposed to be visiting the Carolinas this week but our travel hadn't been approved so over the weekend I wasn't sure if I actually would be going. So, from 10 am to 12:30 Monday I booked all of our travel throughout the Carolinas, picked up a rental car at DCA (there were no flight options whatsoever!), and went home to pack. After throwing a bunch of stuff in my suitcase, I swung by and picked up a co-worker and started the 8 hour drive to Spartanburg. We got in around 9 pm, I worked until midnight and went to bed.

Since I didn't have to be anywhere until 11 today I got up around 8 and put on my running clothes. Then I went to dig out my shoes and sadly, they weren't in my bag. I immediately texted the person in charge of our travel that I had forgotten my shoes. He quickly apologized for making me pack so fast and I appreciated someone apologizing for my constant forgetfulness. However, in 3 years of traveling though I've never forgotten my running gear! :(

I''m not sure if I should try and buy some new shoes while I am here. I just bought two new pairs before my stress fracture so I don't really need any. And, I've been feeling really run down and not motivated so maybe a little break (after all that stress fracture time off?) will do me good. I usually am all about shopping but buying a third pair of running shoes, when I really need a few more suits, just seems wasteful. I tried to run my 13 miles on Sunday and it didn't go so well. I did 5, felt lazy and quit, walked another 4 and just called it a day. I was so much more motivated before my stress fracture. Maybe I will do a weekly mile summary this week of miles driven rather than run?

Texas

I spent the past week in Texas with two co-workers. We visited nine housing authorities across the state and I'm extremely tired today as a result. But somehow I'm going to drag myself out the door back to the airport and attempt to track my lost luggage down. I also need to get out and get a 13 mile run in this afternoon. After spending the past week in 100+ weather, the 80 degree weather in DC feels amazing. The cooler weather means I can pretty much head out for a run anytime the urge strikes. Hopefully it will soon. But I have a feeling my couch is going to win for most of today.

One day this week I went for a 5 mile run at noon and it was 102 degrees outside. Then my co-worker and I walked 3 miles from the restaurant to downtown to do a little exploring. After that, I got a little heat sick and took it easy the rest of the week. Here's me with a rose a restaurant gave me and my heat stroke look:

While in Houston I was able to catch up with one of my BFFs for dinner. Megan won another jury trial that day (in traffic court, but still! very exciting!!) so we had some delicious greek food to celebrate and then stopped by the new house she just bought with her husband.

One of the places we went in Texas was Galveston. It was hit by a hurricane a few years ago and you can definitely still see a lot of the destruction there (although not in the picture below). The Texas coastline is quite different from the areas of the gulf I grew up going to...

Unfortunately, I'm on the road again next week (to North Carolina) so my running will suffer a little. But, hopefully this is it with the travel for a while.

I know, I know, I've abandoned my dear readers! Sorry about that. :( Life has been quite busy lately as I am settling into the new project I'm working on in DC, actually running most days of the week and attempting to see my friends as much as possible -- all while being tired from those activities. I think I'm getting old. And, my iphone was broken so I wasn't able to compose blog posts while waiting for the bus.

John has also been very busy with his job and I saw him for lunch yesterday so I'll give a quick update for both of us. It is good to know that not much has changed between the two of us -- I had a hamburger and fries and he had a healthy omelette with some wanna-be hashbrowns (aka home fries). We both seem to be doing pretty well on our training schedules although he's following a much more demanding one than I am.

Last weekend I got a good 10 mile run in early on Sunday morning (well early for me -- 8:30 am). It was the first time I had carried coconut water in my water bottle and it actually went really well for me. I've got to get 12 in this evening and plan on trying that out again. I'm ready for it to be a little cooler out so I feel less pressure to wake up in the morning and run but am headed to Texas tomorrow for the week and know it is only going to get worse. Although I'm mainly going to be in DC the next few months, my new project does want me out in the field a little bit. It should be an exhausting week of travel but it will be fun to get to know some of my new co-workers better and I'm hoping to squeeze in a few visits with my family down there.

In huge life news, my younger brother Patrick, got engaged to one of my best friends, Katie! Seeing as how my iphone was broken the past two weeks I haven't been taking many pictures so I thought I'd share this cute one I took of Patrick while we were in NJ a few weeks ago, and my parents' evil cat, Scout reading the paper. I'll update the blog with pictures of the newly engaged couple when I actually get to see them sometime in the next few weeks! Congratulations, Patty and KT!!

This isn’t exactly breaking news, or surprising seeing as how it is July, but it has been extremely hot in DC. Even though it has been disgusting outside, I’ve been trying to run as much as the foot allows. I ran earlier in the week but had some radiating pain in the foot so I took a few days off. Over the weekend, Patrick and I went up to New Jersey/New York to visit our dad and stepmom and to finally give my dad his father’s day/birthday present. While were were there I was able to run 3 miles on Saturday through my parents’ adorable town, Maplewood, and got 6 miles in on Sunday.

In between that, we took the train into the city, swung by the AP to pick Jane up, had dinner in Chelsea, checked out the new High Line and then went to Chelsea Piers. A few months ago, Patrick and I bought my dad’s gift -- tickets for a night-time, Manhattan city lights sailboat tour on the Hudson. It was my first time sailing and was so much fun!  Although, in typical New York fashion, the guy sitting next to me on the boat called someone as soon as the boat left the dock to tell them he was out sailing. All of that adventure in the city (and a few glasses of wine on the boat), combined with extremely busy week in DC caused me to fall asleep on the train back home.

We tried to take pictures while on the boat but it was so dark they didn’t turn out that well but I’m going to share them anyway. Even though my parents have lived in NJ and worked in NY for the past 8 years, somehow I’ve never made it to the Statue of Liberty so that was pretty exciting to see from the river.

After my 6 mile run on Sunday I got back to my parents’ house, took a shower and then started to feel icky – probably due to the heat. My dad took my brother and I out for lunch and I began to feel a little better. Then, right before we left I noticed that I had a rash on both of my feet. And, in the car ride back to DC, I noticed a rash on my right hand. My brother and I diagnosed this as a heat rash. He spent two summers in what must be one of the hottest environments ever – Iraq – so I trust his diagnosis. This summer hasn’t been very kind to me – I’ve had a stress fracture and now a nasty heat rash. It has mostly gone away at this point but I’m a little nervous about running tonight and having it come back. The things I go through because of my love of running…

Extreme Examples of being Extreme

Yeah, I know, there was a previous post explaining that the “Extreme” part of the blog name is actually meant to be ironic. Very rarely can the words Extreme and Shirlington be mentioned in the same sentence unless it is discussing antonyms. The only thing extreme about Shirlington is the cost-of-living.

However, I do feel I should bring some extreme to the team. What’s more extreme than running 50-miles while dodging rocks, jumping fallen trees, and climbing mountains? For example, I practiced extreme caution and good judgment to go out for a trail run last fall, without a head-lamp and under the cover of darkness. The end result was taking a tumble, splitting my lip open, cutting my knee, and turning a white shirt pink. However, I can proudly say that I managed to run home the remaining 4 miles and immediately post the pictures on Facebook just in time for my friends to lose their breakfast. What’s more extreme than that? Actually, arriving at work with a Sponge Bob Square Pants' band-aid on your cut lip is.



I also have extreme skills of discretion. I am willing to subject myself to 6 hours under the extreme discomfort of a tattoo needle in order to present my extreme pride for the S.E.R.T. mascot. You got to admit though, Cyn (the artist) did some pretty fantastic work. I promise that this is the last one… for now.



Weekly Mileage Summary
Friday – 5 miles
Saturday – 10 miles
Sunday – 5 miles
Monday – 6 miles (hills)
Tuesday – 4 miles

With the heat, a weak foot and a busy week of work meetings at night, I’m not really feeling the running thing right now. I’m still getting some miles in, they just feel harder than they should. Not doing much for six weeks has definitely caught up to me. I’m scared to put a watch on and see how slow I’m really going – maybe next week…

Last week I logged a total of 20 miles and probably will hit about that this week. It really is amazing how much strength I’ve lost in my foot and I know it hasn’t helped that the foot was already weaker in the first place from my old stress fracture. I find standing up on the metro and not stumbling when the train jerks to be particularly challenging. I'm missing working from home some days (not just because I didn’t have to get on the metro…) and getting to go for a run at lunch time, although, it probably would be too hot to do that now. Nothing like procrastinating work to get you motivated to run.

Saturday was the big Michael Jenkins fan club party and it definitely was the best of the fan club events so far. This blog got a shout out during the awards portion of the evening although Jenk got the website address wrong. Thanks a lot, Jenkers. My brother was there and I asked him the other day if he’d been working out more and he said no, he’d just been buying smaller shirts. Too bad I'm not looking at the camera in this silly picture.

Here's a good one of the best party planner ever, Lisa Schooley, avid Shirlington Extreme Running Team blog reader, the Doctor, and me.  

And, here’s a picture of John and me. I told John I was going to leave early and hitch a ride back to Shirlington with him but of course I ended up staying until the party was almost over. Who can resist a room full of good friends, dancing to 80s/90s music and the opportunity to get my very own autographed headshot of Michael Jenkins? Not this girl.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of me and this blog's most faithful reader, Ashley. But we will be training for a 5k together soon and I will surely get lots of pictures of us together then!

Actually living at my own apartment is an adjustment – a happy adjustment – but there are some things that are going to take a while to get used to. After having my coffee, lunch and dinner bought by my per diem for the better part of three years it is truly weird (and expensive!) to be pulling out my own debit card to buy lunch every day. The options around L’Enfant aren’t the best, and I can’t get in and out of the building without an escort so I’m stuck eating HUD cafeteria food for the near future. I’m attempting to eat healthy and fortunately for me, macaroni and cheese counts as a vegetable in DC just like it does in Alabama.

It looks better than it tastes. I was excited about the thought of collards for lunch but mine are way better than these. Mine are way better than almost all greens so maybe that isn’t a fair comparison. In order to avoid months of sad, gross lunches I guess I’m going to have to start acting like a normal person who lives at her own house and buy more than my usual 3 items at a time at the grocery store. That's a goal for this weekend -- grocery store shopping.

Being in a cube surrounded by people I don’t really know (yet) also inspires a ridiculous amount of caffeine drinking to keep myself entertained and is messing with my appetite. This might be a good way to lose stress fracture weight, but probably isn’t a great idea to get quality miles in. Then again, the guy in the cube next to me brought me the best homemade cookie (from a baking business he runs on the side) to welcome me to the team…so if he continues to bring me baked goods, it may be a wash.

In actual running related news, my foot seems to be doing alright so I did the 4 miles listed on my Marine Corps Marathon training plan tonight which means I'm officially on track -- finally.

Oh, and I actually went for a run at 6 am this week. Maybe I’m becoming a morning person, but I doubt it.

Tools of the Trade

Today I’m going to shift focus to some of the more tangible aspects of running. Specifically, I will provide information on some of the gear and food I use as I train for the 50-mile trail race. First, I am going to discuss the shoes I am running in currently. Right now I like the La Sportiva Wildcats a lot. These are my second pair of trail running shoes. My first pair, Vasque Velocity, was adequate for my first trail race but I wanted something a bit more nimble and without Gore-Tex so the shoes would drain better after water crossings. The Wildcats are a great fit for me. The toe area has a sturdy bumper that prevents my delicate little piggies from getting too mashed up on rocky trails and the lugs are deep enough that I feel confident going downhill. Also, the shoes have a good deal of support and stability for some of the more technical trails. The Wildcats are actually in stark contrast to what I run in when I’m out on the roads. I typically run in a very minimal shoe – Saucony Kinvara – so I can feel the road more easily and land on my mid-foot area. However, I like the built-up and protective aspect of the Wildcats because, in my opinion, rocks hurt.




I also have begun experimenting with my post-run diet and have come to discover a marvelous remedy for stimulating my appetite and soothing my stomach – ginger. Ginger has been a home-remedy for upset stomachs for centuries that I am just starting to incorporate into my regimen. Right now I am drinking ginger-ale post-run for the sugar and its soothing aspect, but will begin to carry ginger candies or crystallized ginger with me on long runs to see if it will help give me the ability to stomach more types of food typically offered at aid-stations. I would discuss the post-run benefits of scrapple but my co-contributor already did that. Seriously, it’s the only food out there that you don’t know whether you’re getting protein or carbohydrates when you eat it. It’s a crap shoot really since nobody even knows what’s in each slice besides pure deliciousness.

John was supposed to update the blog today since his cable is out but I see he hasn't. He's a lazy blogger, that's for sure. He also has a weird love of the mystery meat scrapple.

We hit up a greasy spoon somewhere in Falls Church today after our trail run. He ran 4 miles and I ran/walked 4 miles...about half running, half walking. I got lost again on that trail for the third time which makes me even more convinced the trails may not be for me! To make up for my poor performance this morning, I ran 3 miles tonight against John's advice. My stupid foot still feels weak and hurts at times but I should be good to start a week of real training tomorrow.

For the first time in almost 3 years I will be commuting to an office in the city I live in (well, DC if you want to get technical) starting tomorrow. I couldn't be more excited about going to work, coming home to my own apartment, making dinner and going for a run...every night. Now to just get back in shape so the running doesn't feel like such a struggle.

Weekly mileage summary
Monday: 2
Tuesday: 2 am, 2 pm
Wednesday: 2
Thursday: 0
Friday: 0 (and I probably should deduct miles for over-indulging in wine)
Saturday:0
Sunday: 2 am, 3 pm

Ugh, that's depressing just looking at those low numbers. It would be even more depressing if I put times next to them. Hopefully next week will be a better running week!

Update: I'm watching Forrest Gump and think he was the original American ultramarathoner (also an Alabamian like my ultra buddy Woody!). Just putting that out there. 

Picking a Goal Race

I'm trying not to freak out but yesterday my foot had decently intense pain shooting through it. Today will remain a running-free day even though I fight the urge to get out the door every hour or so. Since Sunday, I had run a total of 10.5 miles which really isn't that much but I guess it is a lot for just coming off of an injury. Hopefully these are just warning pains and there isn't anything cracking down there.

Even though I'm not running today I did finalize my entry into the Virginia Happy Trails Women's Half Marathon. It turns out John will be volunteering at one of the aid stations so it should be a fun weekend on the trails for the Shirlington Extreme Running Team. I hope he has some french fries out for me to snack on. Ever since I read this article in the New York Times I've wanted fries during a race

I also am trying to decide between which ultramarathon I want to set as my 2012 training goal. But really, training begins with the Marine Corps Marathon (which is going to take me a few weeks to link up with the required mileage) and attempting to sustain that high mileage in order to be able to complete an ultramarthon. So, here are the two leading options right now:

1. Can Lake 50 Miler - This race is in early October in western New York around one of the Finger Lakes. As I mentioned in a previous post, I had a really great time in the Finger Lakes region a few years ago with my brother, Patrick. The wineries there don't make the best wine, but they sure are pretty. They also are way more chill and less expensive than the Napa/Sonoma wineries I visited last summer.

This race seems like it has a gorgeous course and is mostly on the roads with some trails which is what I'm looking for. The downside is that it is pretty far from DC. And, even though my dad and stepmom live in New Jersey, this is still quite a drive from their house so I'm not really sure who could help me with my drop bags and other stuff I will need along the way.

2. JFK 50 Miler - This race is in mid-November in Hagerstown, MD (which is decently close to DC). This course seems to have much easier trails than the Bull Run Run course and has a decent amount of road/gravel path running. Because there will be more running on softer surfaces, it will probably be better on the legs than the Can Lake race. The only real issue with the JFK race is that it has a qualifying time. I've qualified for the "A-Standard" time twice but not within the time frame required for entry. So, we just have to hope that my MCM time this October will be fast enough to qualify. If it isn't fast enough, then I'm definitely getting slower in my old age. There better be a bloody mary in my hand well before the cut off for the A-standard time hits.

Tomorrow night I leave for Mississippi to attend a baby shower for my friend Joy and hang out with our other bff, Megan. I can't wait to see them and to see Joy's belly! Before the day of eating southern food non-stop begins, I plan on dragging Megan running with me. She hates to exercise outside but if I tell her there is a creepy dude in the hotel gym, I bet I can convince her to join me. And really, there is always a creepy dude in the hotel gym. Also, I just remembered some priceless stories of when Joy and I ran Cross-Country together that I will have to share sometime...Even though we've been friends since at least 1995, we have very few photos of the three of us together but I managed to find one of us (appropriately, at another baby shower).

Running with the Jenk

The Shirlington Extreme Running Team is a proud sponsor of the Michael Jenkins Fan Club Party! In honor of next weekend's event honoring TV's Michael Jenkins (better known as the Jenk) I thought I'd write a little bit about a few of our running and other adventures together. This is about the only sports I can talk with the Jenk.

I first met the Jenk after his girlfriend and I became good friends a few years ago. We'd go out to the bars and she'd attempt to find cute guys for us to talk to and I'd always ruin everything with my excellent timing by saying, "Look, Lisa!! The Jenk, YOUR BOYFRIEND, is on tv!!!" You see, the Jenk used to be on Comcast SportsNet late on Friday and Saturday nights but thankfully his shift has changed and he no longer is on the weekends. Thank you CSN! Now the Jenk can join us in more of our weekend adventures.

One of our new favorite past times is going to DC United games at RFK. We may have our debates on who should pay for a new RFK stadium, but we always have a blast. The Jenk is so dedicated to DC United he even got a full arm tattoo.

Also, it wasn't until we started going to the DC United games that I really began to understand the Jenk's job. People (fans, I suppose :)) randomly come up and talk to him about all kinds of people I've never heard of (athletes, I assume) and he knows everything about them! Not only that, but he has no ego about being on tv every day and genuinely loves talking sports with everyone. The Jenk -- a man of the people. He also loves talking about his windows phone. You'd much rather talk sports with him than talk about that piece of awesomeness.

But back to the running...A few years ago a group of us ran the George Washington Parkway Classic. I'm not sure who looks more excited to be awake at 5 am on a weekend to run 10 miles, but it might be the Jenk.

Even though he minimally trained for this race, he still had a good showing. I actually thought he beat me in this race but when I just went to look up the times, he didn't. Interesting I remember him beating me! After the race the Jenk and I had a contest to see who is paler. It was a tie.

This past May a group of us went to San Francisco to "run" in the Bay to Breakers - a 12k.  Unfortunately, it looks like the race results are no longer on their website, but I think our time was somewhere around 4 hours. It was a pretty ridiculous (but very fun) race through the streets of San Francisco.

After the race we enjoyed hanging out in San Francisco. Here is the group enjoying one of the Jenk's favorite activities while on vacation - relaxing at the bar with good friends:

Even though I couldn't convince him to cover my recent Charlottesville Half Marathon performance, I still think he's an excellent sportscaster and am super excited to celebrate him at next weekend's party. You can find more about the event on the Michael Jenkins Fan Club Party Facebook page. Ohh, and until next weekend, you can get excited about taking your very own awkward prom picture with the Jenk (that's me back when my hair was really short):

I guarantee that when you join us, the Jenk will have you laughing as hard as I am in this picture of us at his 30th birthday anniversary party.

Killer Weekend of MCM Preparation

Taking full advantage of the long-weekend afforded to me by our government, I made a concerted effort to get as much physical activity in as possible. I kicked off the weekend with a medium length tempo run that went a little longer than nine miles. Despite the oppressive heat and air quality checking in at a Beijing-level due to the humidity, I managed to maintain a vigorous pace throughout the run. Sunday was going to be an “off” day from running by attending a Pilates class at the gym. I figured Pilates would be a good supplement to running since a strong core is required during the latter stages of a long-distance run when the rest of the body begins to fall apart. Maintaining good form is also paramount to a strong finish. Despite possessing a level of flexibility akin to the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz, I did pretty well and received a complement from the instructor as the class was exiting. The Tin Man was on my mind as I saw Wicked later that evening with dinner beforehand at Georgia Brown's. Note to my readers: avoid Georgia Brown’s. The food was subpar and the service was the pits. A Chicago dog would have been a better meal. Monday brought more running and I chose to run a hilly course. I am glad I did. Despite running up the Walter Reed hill twice, I kept my pace in the middle 8:00s, so I was pretty pleased with myself and the six total miles.


This upcoming week will be more active as I am a “bachelor” for most it. Sadly, I am unable to accompany my wife to the Twin Cities for the Perez family reunion, so I will get to re-live the years of my wayward youth. Instead of bar visits, bad meals, and multiple movie screenings, I plan to cram as much running and gym visits in without fear of neglecting my parental responsibilities. Thus, I have long runs planned before work most days and will drive out to Fountainhead Park for some trail running this weekend. I may even find some time to rent and watch the entire series of Shipmates.

4 miles

After a long drive home from Chicago last night topped off by our last 10 miles taking an excruciatingly long time due to the GW Parkway being basically shut down, I needed to get a run in. Seeing how it was just 2 hours until Monday, when the doctor said I could run again, I figured a 2 mile run couldn't hurt. So at 10 pm last night I ran for the first time in over five weeks. It was amazing! The weather was cooler but still humid from the thunderstorms that had just left the area (and caused the GW Parkway to come to a complete standstill). It felt great to sweat, listen to my ipod and just be moving faster.

This morning I got another 2 mile run in. For some reason on both runs I couldn't stop listening to This Is Why We Fight by the Decemberists (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNEz3_yzIUY) although it is a little sadder than my usual running music. It was great to be out taking in the Shirlington "scene." Today there were lots of doggies out in the dog creek at Four Mile Run. So cute:

All of the running advice on coming back from a stress fracture injury says to up your mileage only by 10% a week. But if  you are starting from 0 miles I don't understand how you can go up any percentage. 10% of 0 miles is 0 miles. I run into this frustrating math problem all the time at work. HUD wants families to not be overly rent burdened which means they don't pay over 40% of their adjusted income in rent. But a decent portion of the portfolio serves families with zero income (or incomes of less than a minimum rent of $25 or $50 per month) which automatically means they are paying 100% or more of their income in rent. Ay yi yi. Math!

Since the math clearly makes no sense I've decided to try and run just 2 miles per day this week and also attempt a yoga class. Don't worry though -- at work I put the data analysis into percent and dollar ranges and don't just make up an answer :)

On the two runs there wasn't much pain in my foot at all -- more weakness than anything. However, my right foot (the healthy one) definitely ached a little from the extra stress I'd been putting on it while dragging my broken left foot around. That said, based on my past two days of running, my overall fitness level seems to have held pretty steady. I didn't feel too out of shape considering I've done basically nothing for the past five weeks.

Now to work on a diet that fuels good running. In Chicago we ate some really delicious food but it definitely lacked nutritional value. Patrick enjoyed his first Chicago hot dog at Portillo's (didn't enjoy my photography so much though). I had the Italian Beef. Yum!

Next up on my blogging agenda: talking through the MCM training program. I need to review it in more detail first and figure out how I can get my mileage up to follow it.

Cleared to Run (on Monday)!

Hooray! I went and saw Dr. Osterman today and he said I could start running on Monday. He made me two new braces, recommended some insoles and sent me on my happy little way. He is the perfect doctor for runners -- no silly lectures and he encourages me to get out and run as quickly as possible. And, he didn't try to make me purchase expensive custom orthotics until I had tried some inserts first.

Yay! I will finally have something running-related to write here. Marine Corps Marathon training started this week, so if I can start running by Monday I should be ok for the October 30 race. I also signed up for the Virginia Happy Trails Women's Half Marathon Trail Run lottery of sorts and should know some time next week if I am in the Sept. 10 race.

I drove into DC today for the appointment...as you can see from my car...I don't drive very much. I drive so little in fact that spiders are creating webs between the driver's side view mirror and the door. Hopefully you can see that from this picture:

That said, I will be getting a lot of driving in this weekend. My baby brother and me (and by baby I mean much bigger than me and 28 years old) are driving to Chicago today to see my mom for the 4th of July weekend. We are hoping to get halfway there tonight. Because for some unknown reason my brother Patrick still doesn't know how to drive a stick shift (even though I've owned one for more than 14 years) we are taking his car...we will be driving in his luxury 2009 Ford Focus that has more miles than my 2007 VW Jetta.

Here's the route we are taking:

I'm about to run out to 7-11 to pick up some snacks...my shopping list is full of nutritious snacks to keep us awake and alert on the long drive:

• Mountain Dew and Dr. Pepper
• Funyuns
• Cashews
• Coconut Water
• Peach Rings (peachieos)
• Combos
• Pringles
• Cheese sticks
• 1 Peach (already on my counter)

That should sustain us until we come across our first Cracker Barrel. I recently went to this one near Peoria, Illinois -- yum! I can't wait to have it for dinner tonight ....mmmm hashbrown casserole! I don't think Patty knows he is in for this yet...

MCM or bust!

Yup. I’ve been very poor about updating this blog recently. I really don’t have any legitimate excuses unless new tattoos, repeat episodes of Riptide, or loads of assignments at work count. None of these are that compelling of a reason to shirk writing a couple paragraphs a few times a week. So, just like the imminent official start of training for the Marine Corps Marathon, I will work equally as hard in making certain I’m a more active blogger.

Apologies aside, I’ve begun to reflect why I’m running the MCM again or long distance races in general. The last time I ran it, I did horribly. It was my worst marathon and I totally bonked on the 14th street bridge. I think the obvious reaction for many people would be not to run again or shorten the distances of future races. However, I’ve run more long distance races since then. Why? What’s the point… besides it being cheaper than therapy? For me it is two things: 1) I’m hyper-competitive with myself and 2) I feel stronger after subjecting myself to the pain one encounters when running.

First, I’ve never been competitive in life with other people, but I have developed this urge to do better every time I run a race. I’m not sure why but it has a whole host of positive benefits – “externalities” for you econ geeks. I watch my diet and weight in order not to put on extra pounds that can slow me down. I vary my routine by running hills, trails, and Fartleks. All of these are keeping me more focused on the running, healthier, and happier in general.

Secondly, I subject myself to pain when I run. This shouldn’t be confused with suffering. I never suffer while running. It is a simple pleasure for me in life. It is similar to a cup of tea, a good song on the radio, or hearing my daughter joyously run to the front door before I’ve even had a chance to finish turning the key to enter. The pain felt during a run, for me, serves as a gauge for progress and improvement. Sprinting at the end of the run, profuse sweating in the DC heat, and muscle soreness provide an indication that I’m moving forward and hopefully becoming faster or able to go longer distances. I’m disappointed with myself if I go out and simply go through the motions. I feel I’ve wasted my time and see little benefit from these junk runs. I’d rather waste my time watching episodes of Campus PD, which is also painful to watch. Speaking of which, a new episode begins shortly. Ciao.

A week in Miami

I love the Miami air -- it is so warm and comforting. Unlike DC or Alabama (where I grew up) there is a pretty constant breeze that makes the warmer weather tolerable. But the best part is that the air definitely makes you feel like you are on vacation -- even if I am here working for what will end up being 12 days in a row (7 in Miami). 

Saturday night my company was co-sponsoring an event at a conference down here. 

Check out my fancy new brace out in action:

The doctor said I could wear wedge shoes so I did that night, but have only been wearing flats ever since. My foot only seems to bother me when it swells and it did that night pretty badly. 

Yesterday I walked one lap around the park across the street from my old apartment down here and it was amazing. There is so much going on in the park -- tennis, group yoga classes, basketball, fishing, dogs running, sorbet carts, children playing, and lots of runners. It made me really happy to be able to enjoy the bay view and all the activity! Today I did two laps around the park and shh don't tell, even tried to run for 30 seconds. Just those 30 seconds made my heart race...

 Tonight we had dinner in Coral Gables and had a gorgeous view of
downtown Miami and the ocean.

 

I seriously love it here but the best part of the week may have been the email I got at 6 am Monday morning confirming my upgrade on the flights home on Friday.

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good news all around!! Yesterday, the podiatrist made this super helpful brace for my foot that makes it hurt way less than it did in the boot. AND!!! He said I might be able to run in 2 weeks. Hooray! I probably won't be able to run much but a little bit is better than nothing. Dr. Osterman asked me, "So have you been cycling or swiming" and I was like, "No, I just really like to run and I'm not a member of the gym." Then he was like "Well, who is treating you for your depression?" He must treat a lot of runners and know we don't handle extended periods of rest well. Here are my morning feet -- before they get all swollen -- looking happy in the new compression brace (that has a handy,dandy arrow drawn on to show me where to place it)

After the doctor I went to Baltimore and had some great work meetings and enjoyed lunch at the Inner Harbor. It may be a tourist trap but it is pretty. I also caught up with an old friend I used to work for in graduate school and it was a lot of fun to see her and laugh about the old (and new) days.

When I got on the train back to DC from Baltimore, I got some more good news, met up with some friends for a minute and then went straight to bed after a very good day. I actually didn't want to go to sleep and for the really good day to end.

Tomorrow I'm off to Miami for a work conference and then a week on-site at a client. It should be a fun (though long) week of seeing co-workers, learning new things, helping clients and eating amazing food. I'm staying at the hotel next to my old apartment down there (I had an apartment for three months there during a long-term contract a few years ago). Here's the view from my old place. Those buildings in the back are South Beach where I will be working. Miami is amazing!

Short version of this post: Alison is happy, happy!!

Pain = weight gain

On Friday it will be 3 weeks since my stress fracture first got diagnosed. I was hoping by this time I would be briskly walking and soon on my way to running but that is not the case. I spent 3 full days outside the boot because the boot seemed to be making things worse -- and really was hurting my ankle. But, that time out of the boot has caused the actual stress fracture to hurt worse than it has in three weeks. I'm finally going to the podiatrist tomorrow. I'm not sure if they can do anything for me, and it is unlikely that the fracture will show up on an xray at this point, but I'm not getting better so it is time to be shamed into staying off my foot for a few more weeks. I leave for Miami on Saturday and I really can't handle the idea of another week at a client site in that boot. Ugh.

In other news, I think I found a 50 mile race that isn't trail centric. I'm going to post this and a few other options next week :)


The front runner right now is in New York. My brother and I went on a really fun vacation to the finger lakes a few years ago. It is really gorgeous but I'm a little nervous it will be cold. Also, this would be for 2012. There's no way I can get up to 50 miles by this November (but I will hit the 26.2 for the Marine Corps in October no doubt).

Finally, I have gained 5 pounds in three weeks because my appetite doesn't know I'm not running apparently. This may be the worst part of the stress fracture. That equals like 10,000 calories -- what have I been eating/drinking you ask? EVERYTHING in sight...

"Extreme"

Seeing as how I am all injured and can't post about running, I thought I'd explain why we call ourselves the Shirlington Extreme Running Team. John and I aren't very extreme about anything. Actually, John may be the most risk-averse (grad school word!!) person I know. We both have good, normal jobs and have no real interest in sky diving, snow boarding, skate boarding or drinking mountain dew (the most extreme beverage, obviously).

We also live in a very un-extreme community -- Shirlington. I love the neighborhood because it is quiet, close to DC and the airport, has plenty of places to eat and go to the grocery store and most importantly -- I can run at night here and feel safe. Plenty of people debate with me about my night running, but they haven't been to Fairlington :) Shirlington is known for its cute "downtown" area where all of the neighborhood young families take their dogs and young children. I don't have dogs or children, but I do enjoy getting to play with them on occasion. The only major annoyance in Shirlington (aside from my extremely loud neighbors) is the large strollers on the sidewalk. I could have much larger problems!

Last winter John and I went running in a major snowstorm that basically shut the city down. At the time we were training for the Bel Monte Endurance Run and really couldn't miss too many runs. I found running on the trails and preparing for a race where we had to run through a shallow creek pretty intimidating but getting out on slick surfaces was good practice. So during that challenging and very fun run we told ourselves that we were really extreme for actually getting out in the weather and completing a run.

And that's how our ridiculous name was born as a joke about how un-extreme we (and our neighborhood) are. I don't think John or I consider training for a 50 mile race to be "extreme" but more of a challenge and an opportunity to see if we have the mental and physical ability to do something so daunting.

In other news, I went to a DC United game last night and we sit in the Screaming Eagles section which requires lots of standing up. I sat for a lot of the game so I wouldn't stress my foot and it actually felt better today than it has in over 2 weeks. So, I took advantage and walked slowly for about 25 minutes tonight. It felt ok. Not great or strong but there wasn't a lot of pain so that's progress and makes me happy! I'm icing now and hoping that in another 2 weeks I might be able to run and stop growing fatter.

Weekly Mileage Summary:
Monday - Sunday: 0

:(

I'm two weeks into this stress fracture and am officially sad about it. I really want to get out and run. I had a very long work week in Miami and would love nothing more to burn off that stress and all the amazingly delicious calories I ate there.

I read this depressing stress fracture recovery training schedule and it has me freaked out that I am not going to be able to really run for more than 3 months. Must pull myself away from the google.

:( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :(

Redemption and a New Appreciation

I promised to post after today’s race and, despite a marathon of elimiDATE episodes showing right now, I’m keeping my word.

First, I want to start off by saying that today’s North Face Endurance Challenge went well. I did much better than last year… by about 25 minutes. For a half marathon time, it wasn’t my best but I am comparing it to road races, which are fairly predictable. The terrain is always the same: asphalt. The out and back course this morning changed from single track trails to fire roads with two big climbs. Plus, there was a heavy rainfall this morning that caused the creek crossings to swell. If I was a Marine in a previous life, I’m sure I would have yelled some two syllable expression while crossing them but, lamentably, that wasn’t the case. Overall, it was a good race and I’m happy I decided to rerun it. I got to gorge post-race with a great group of people too.

Secondly, during the race I was thinking about quite a few things, like thirteen, but there was one thought that stood out. During races themselves, I love to run on my own with very little conversation and loads of focus. However, I really enjoy training and travelling to races with others. Friends offer support, a shared misery, and make the travel to-and-from the race much more enjoyable. Isn’t life more awesome when you’re able to convince others that it will be fun to wake up at 5:30AM, under the cover of darkness, with cats and dogs pouring down while you drive all for the sake of pushing your body to the limit? With that being said, one of my new goals is to convince somebody -- anybody -- to run every race I enter. This introvert’s shell is softening and seeking foolhardy comrades for training and travel. My reading public; you’re on notice.

Pros and Cons of a Stress Fracture

Just in case you ever get a stress fracture, I wanted you to know that there are some upsides to it in addition to the downsides.

Cons

1. One week in and the boot smells horrible. It will get bathed after tomorrow's wine festival where I am sure drunk patrons will spill on their favorite wine pourer's boot.
2. Increased likelihood of weight gain because there isn't a whole lot of activity I can do. :( :( :(
3. Brain will be more jumbled and on-edge than normal since I can't run to clear my thoughts
4. I won't be inspired to download terrible pop music
5. There is nothing on tv during the summer when I have tons of time to watch tv.
6. Driving a stick shift is way more fun than an automatic
7. Having to take the boot on and off is time consuming. And, the velcro makes a lot of noise when I walk.
8. I was in good shape and by the time I can run again will probably be out of shape.

Pros

1. Ability to drink more wine
   
2. Body gets much needed rest
3. Adorable kids want to talk to me when they see my boot
   
4. I finally bought a pair of black chacos I'd been wanting to complement my green ones
5. I've started in on my health insurance deductible for the year
6. I am not starving all the time
7. I have more time to catch up with friends
8. One shower per day instead of two
9. Less laundry because there are no sweaty running clothes or yoga towels to wash

Stir crazy already

So I turned 30 yesterday! I've been saying since I was 22 that life probably gets better after 30 so I'm actually kind of excited about it. That said, I haven't yet had to tell anyone I'm 30...so we will see how I feel after it sinks in...

John was kind enough to trade cars with me yesterday and it is much appreciated. I'm really trying to be proactive about healing this crack. Stress fractures are tricky...unless you do something active and weight-bearing you can almost forget you have one. Every few hours it aches, or has shooting pain or swells, but for the most part it feels ok. I'm limiting my walking but I did make it out with my parents to be tourists yesterday. Check out my new look (with my stepmom in front of an Alabama artist's folk art piece at the American Art Museum and icing my foot):

When I'm not walking too far I try to just wear my Chacos. If you ever get a foot injury I highly recommend these sandals. They keep the foot strapped in, have a solid bottom and are rubbery so they can be easily rinsed off if you have sweaty summer feet. 

When  John came over he told me about how he ran 8 miles that morning and I WAS SO JEALOUS! 6 days off and cabin fever has set in. Luckily, John and Lucy got me a subscription to the Economist (thanks John and Lucy!!) for my birthday so that will help keep me entertained.

I read 6 books in the last month or so and need to head out and pick up some more. Portland had the most amazing book store, Powells, and I wish I could go back. Here's a depressing run down of what I read:

• Executed on a Technicality (David Dow)
• Orange is the New Black (Piper Kerman)
• The Glass Castle (Jeanette Walls)
• The Autobiography of an Execution (David Dow)
• In the Place of Justice (Wilbert Rideau)
• The Big Short (Michael Lewis)

I think I'm going to try and find something less hopeless but I'm currently fascinated by the death penalty and prison so I doubt I will come up with happier reading choices.

I'd love to go cheer John on in his redemption half on Sunday but will be flying to Miami. He's going to do fantastic! My iphone tells me it will cool down by then and be decent running weather.  Looks like even better weather for my wine pouring adventure on Saturday!

I thought DC was supposed to be less hot than Alabama and Atlanta but that doesn't seem to be the case. DC: awful winters, scary drivers and scorching hot summers. The south looks better and better every day :)

Next Stop: Redemption

The North Face Endurance Challenge is coming up this Sunday and I have only one goal in mind: redemption. I participated in the race last year and it did not go so well. I ran a poor, slow race. I am not sure if the reason was the high heat, mid-race bee sting, or my tumble down a creek gully. That is why I’ve been training and preparing for all conditions. I’ve run hill repeats in Hades-like heat thanks to the early of arrival of summer. I’ve been hitting the trails more frequently and I am coming prepared with bug spray. If these steps do not help me improve my time over last year then this was never meant to be my race… or races aren’t suppose to be run any later than April in the DC area. I will report back for my reading public Sunday night and until then, I have about eight episodes of Cheaters to watch.

I <3 Joey Greco.

Boots

Boots is my new nickname...at least for the next couple of weeks.

I went to the doctor on Friday because I suspected a stress fracture in my left foot. I could barely walk on it, it had started to swell and I couldn't bend any of my toes which is pretty much how my foot felt the last time I had one. The nice doctor confirmed that I have a probable stress fracture. These don't even show up on x-rays until about 4 weeks into the injury and by that time you are mostly healed so she basically told me to skip it -- the treatment is the same either way. So...I'm in the dreaded walking boot for the next few weeks. Even small children are noticing my new ridiculous fashion accessory. Today a three year old in REI saw me gimping around and asked, "Mommy, why does that person have on two different shoes?"

I last had a stress fracture in 2006 that took almost six months to fully heal (and I still can't really bend the last two toes on my left foot as a result). Last time I'd go run thinking I was better only for my foot to be throbbing immediately after the run, I still drove my manual transmission car (with a left foot stress fracture pushing in the clutch -- a terrible idea) and I didn't ice as much as I should have. To speed up my recovery time, John has been kind enough to trade cars with me until I can drive mine, I am going to force myself to wear the boot all the time and I'm not going to run until I am fully healed. I caught this one much earlier than I did the last one so I'm hoping I am only out of commission for less than a month.

I think the fracture was caused by wearing my running shoes too long. My ankle and heels have been bothering me for a while and my friend tried to heal me a few weeks ago when we were in San Francisco.Just ignore the person dressed as an elf in the background...Bay to Breakers is a crazy race and we all wore silly costumes! Ultimately, the healing didn't work and I needed to try a different strategy so I went and bought new shoes. It is so easy to forget to buy new shoes -- particularly when I have a so many pairs of the same shoes (Brooks Adrenaline) in my collection.

Even though it is annoying to be in pain and wear this stupid boot, I'm trying to take it in stride (pun intended). Training for the Marine Corps Marathon doesn't start until the end of June so I should be healed in time to get the entire training cycle in. This weekend, my friend Jamie came up to from Atlanta to celebrate turning 30 with me and we had a great time eating our way through DC, Alexandria and Arlington (drinks at POV, dinner at Evening Star and crab cake benedict brunch at the Carlye). Next weekend I'm a volunteer pourer at a wine festival near home so at least I'm going to have a really good time during my newly found, extended rest time period. For the time being I guess this blog will be about the recovery of a stress fracture than any real training stories -- but getting injured is just part of the fun, right?

Weekly Mileage Summary:
Monday: 5.5
Tuesday - Thursday: 0
Friday: .25 miles, walked 2
Saturday - Sunday: 0